- Cheryl Roberts: [On why she's keeping her nephew away from school] You don't want to go back... you've learnt enough- besides, it's full of perverts!"
- Detective Joe Carlson: Now, Miss Roberts, you married?
- Cheryl Roberts: No.
- Detective Joe Carlson: Divorced?
- Cheryl Roberts: No.
- Detective Joe Carlson: Widowed?
- Cheryl Roberts: No.
- Detective Joe Carlson: But you do have boyfriends?
- Cheryl Roberts: No.
- Detective Joe Carlson: Do you like girls?
- Cheryl Roberts: God, you're a pig!
- Detective Joe Carlson: [On why a rape story is bogus] ... Wasn't his day- the poor guy didn't even get his pecker out!
- Margie: [referring to Cheryl] Why don't you stop tormenting her?
- Detective Joe Carlson: You talking to me, lady?
- Margie: Yes.
- Detective Joe Carlson: Don't!
- Detective Joe Carlson: I took a look at this fellow Brody. Seems he was fairly athletic. Why didn't he pin you down on the couch?
- Cheryl Roberts: He tried, but I got away.
- Detective Joe Carlson: Now you said he touched your boob. How?
- Cheryl Roberts: I refuse... to answer anymore of your questions.
- Detective Joe Carlson: Lady, I don't give a shit what you do.
- Detective Joe Carlson: [after Billy has just told his story of the rape] That's good. That's very good, Billy. That's exactly word for word what you told me before. Did she help you memorize all that? Huh?
- Cheryl Roberts: You stupid bully! He's telling the truth! Why you doing this to us?
- Detective Joe Carlson: Because there's a dead man in there. And I wanna know why he died.
- Cheryl Roberts: I killed him! He tried to rape me!
- Detective Joe Carlson: [to the cops] Lock her up.
- Student: Fuck you!
- Detective Joe Carlson: And fuck you!
- Detective Joe Carlson: [after he has just told Billy his story of Brody's murder] Ain't that right, ma'am?
- Cheryl Roberts: YOU FILTHY PIG! You think you got it all figured out, don't ya? Well you're wrong!
- Detective Joe Carlson: Phil Brody, remember him? The man who got wasted here? Well he was a fag, and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for a fag to be raping your aunt, unless you're one. Are you a fag?
- Billy Lynch: No!
- Detective Joe Carlson: I'm gonna ask you again, and keep in mind it pisses me off when people lie to me. Are you a fag?
- Billy Lynch: You're crazy!
- Sergeant Cook: This is from the "Flagstaff Courier," September 12, 1967. "Bill and Ann Lynch," - the boy's parents - "were killed yesterday outside Flagstaff when their car crashed into a logging truck on Interstate 89. The cause is thought to have been brake failure." Now I talked to a few of the locals, and they remember that there were rumors about the brakes being tampered with.
- Detective Joe Carlson: Cook, I hope you're doing this *shit* on your own time, because I *forbid* you for doing it on department time. Incredible!
- [gives him a contemptuous look and walks away]
- Sergeant Cook: [glares after him] Schmuck!
- Margie: [after Cheryl has just talked to Julie's mother on the phone] I thought you told Billy Julie had been here.
- Cheryl Roberts: [annoyed] Do you always listen to other people's phone conversations?
- Detective Joe Carlson: Phil Brody, remember him? The man who got wasted here? Well he was a fag, and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for a fag to be raping your aunt, unless you're one. Are you a fag?
- Detective Joe Carlson: I'm gonna ask you again, and keep in mind it pisses me off when people lie to me. Are you a fag?
- Margie: [arriving at Cheryl Roberts's house, bringing a cake for Billy's birthday] Frank, let me have the cake. If I know you, you'll drop it. I hope she likes it, it's a new recipe. Oh, and Frank, be sure and say something about her pickled tomatoes.
- Frank: They were terrible!
- Margie: Frank, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything!
- Frank: I won't say anything.
- Margie: Good!
- Detective Joe Carlson: I mean, there are people today who lose a loved one, and seem totally unfazed by it all. I noticed your ring, coach. Would it surprise you much if I had the mate to it?
- [Coach Landers looks a little nervous, but says nothing]
- Detective Joe Carlson: I found this ring on Phil Brody - the man who got killed. Inside it says, "To P.B." I take that to be Phil Brody. "From T.L." And I take that to be Tom Landers. Yes, and that's you.
- [Landers nervously smiles at him]
- Detective Joe Carlson: How does Billy figure into this?
- Tom Landers: Billy *doesn't* figure into this, Carlson. I've coached the kid 4 years, and I've watched him become a real good ball player, and I care about him.
- Detective Joe Carlson: I don't doubt that. I suggest you resign. If you don't, chances are you're gonna' get yourself lynched.
- Tom Landers: [with a nervous laugh] Yeah.
- Detective Joe Carlson: You have a nice afternoon.
- [gives him a look of contempt, turns and walks away]
- Detective Joe Carlson: [in the hallway of the police station] Cook, walk with me. Julie Lyndon's mother called and complained about you scaring the shit out of her daughter. What were you doing out there?
- Sergeant Cook: Well, I was just checking. See, I don't think Billy Lynch had anything to do with the murder. I kinda' see it differnt.
- Detective Joe Carlson: Oh, is that right? And how is that?
- Sergeant Cook: Well, for one thing, Miss Roberts caught Julie and the boy in the sack together. That kinda' weakens the fag story.
- Detective Joe Carlson: [glares at him] The victim was a fag, the coach *is* a fag, and the kid is a fag. He grew up without a father, with only women around. That's a classic case, Cook.