Interrogation: “I Am Trying to Remember...”

[NEWT LEE]
I am tryin' to remember...
I was checkin' roun' the factory
And I went into the basement
Down the stairs into the basement
And I shine my light around here
In the corners and the ceiling
And I'm 'bout to check the washroom
And my light, it kinda catches
On this pile of rags in the middle of the room...

[The factory basement. LEO is brought in to view a body covered with a dirty cloth.]

[LEO, spoken]
Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!

[DETECTIVE STARNES, spoken]
Do you know who this is, Mr. Frank?

[LEO, spoken]
Oh my God! It's the little girl I paid yesterday. She came up to my office.

[NEWT, sung]
I ain't seen no pile of rags there before
So I go over and I kick it
And I shine down my light, and Lord
Lord, ain't no pile of rags at all...

[LEO, spoken]
Who did it? Do you know who did it yet?

[NEWT]
This small white body
With her tongue stickin' out
This pretty little child
With her eyes wide open...

[LEO, spoken]
Oh no. You don’t think it was my night watchman Newt? Newt Lee? Do you think it was Newt?

[NEWT]
So I ran to the phone
And I called Mr. Frank
But the phone kept ringin'
So I called y'all to help me—
Mr. Frank, he didn't answer...
And that's all I can remember

[LEO, spoken]
Oh my Go— oh my God! You think I— you think— that's absurd! It's preposterous. I, I didn't even know this child. I only remembered her name because she was in my office yesterday.

[MRS. PHAGAN, spoken]
'Scuse me.

[POLICEMAN, spoken]
Yes, ma'am?

[MRS. PHAGAN, spoken]
I'm hopin' you can he'p me.

[POLICEMAN, spoken]
Yes, ma'am.

[MRS. PHAGAN, spoken]
Well, my daughter didn't come home last night.

[POLICEMAN]
Can I have your name please, ma'am?