Directed by Mark Pellington
Written by Liz W Garcia
An antique car dredged from the river is discovered with a skeleton inside, belonging to one Billie Ducette who disappeared in 1932.
Tropes:
- Bifauxnen: Billie dresses in a lot of sharp men's suits, making her look like a handsome androgynous young man doing so.
- Butch Lesbian: Billie habitually dresses in a nice men's suit with her hair put up under a hat too when not forced to wear a dress for her job, while she's quite open about her lesbianism. Her ex Little Georgie is one too.
- *Click* Hello: When Curtis found out about Rose's relationship with Billie, he threatened her to choose between him and her, then commanded her to get his rifle. Rose runs out to get it and Curtis thinks he’s won… until he hears the gun cock and finds his sister pointing his own rifle to his head.
- Closet Gay: Rose never told anyone of her relationship with butch lesbian Billie as her brother reacted against this violently, leading to Billie's death. She only acknowledges the fact as an old woman when the police investigate the cold case Billie's death caused.
- Heteronormative Crusader: Rose's boyfriend Ted and older brother Curtis are both disgusted by Billie, who's a butch lesbian. The former beats her up along with his friends, and the latter tries to shoot her (he makes an exception for Rose, who's involved with Billie, thinking it resulted from Billie's "corruption").
- Lipstick Lesbian: Rose is a demure young woman with long hair who always wears a nice skirt and blouse. She begins a relationship with Butch Lesbian Billie. It's possible Rose is bisexual, as her other relationships are with men (but then, this could be just cover too, given the homophobia she faces).
- The Lost Lenore: Rose mourned Billie all the years after losing her, including writing a poem about it, even after moving to New York and starting a family. The ending implies they're Together in Death at least.
- Love at First Sight: Billie and Rose. Despite an antagonistic first meeting, Billie shows up outside of her school, reciting a love poem, essentially apologizing and declaring her feelings. Rose soon falls for Billie too.
- Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple: Butch Lesbian Billie and Lipstick Lesbian Rose become a couple.
- Only Known By Her Nickname: Billie is only called by her legal name of Wilhelmina a couple times by the police, never by people she knew.
- Psycho Ex-Girlfriend: Billie's ex Little Georgie is extremely jealous to see her with Rose and carried around a pistol (she isn't the killer, however).
- Starcrossed Lovers: Rose and Billie were an interracial same-sex couple in the early 1930s. After he finds out, Rose's brother attempts to murder Billie, before they flee together. This has a tragic end, as you might expect.
- Survivor Guilt: Rose and Billie decide to commit suicide by driving into a washed-out bridge because they're being chased down by the white girl's insanely possessive older brother, and by the time they realize the bridge is out, there's nowhere else they can go... but only Billie died as a result. A poem written by Rose makes it clear how much she's struggled with the fact that she survived and her lover didn't.I came up from the dark without you
and every day has been in shadow.
I have begged the tide to wash away my sin
and take me to you in the dark
but every day I surface again. - Title Drop: Rose describes herself as "best friends" with Billie before admitting they were a couple.
- Together in Death: Billie and Rose were being chased by Rose's insanely possessive brother and ended up facing a dead end where a bridge was out. Rather than let the brother get his hands on Billie, they decide to drive the car off the bridge so they can be together forever — except that Rose doesn't die, and instead spends a lifetime feeling guilty for "betraying" Billie by living. The ending montage also suggests, at least by some interpretations, that Rose has died and reunited with Billie in the afterlife, belatedly fulfilling this trope.
- Tomboyish Name: Billie, a butch lesbian, chooses this over her legal name of Wilhelmina.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Butch Lesbian Billie likes to dress in a fancy men's suit whenever she can, to reactions varying from surprise to horror. She's a nice young woman (though she puts on a tough exterior, which is not too surprising given this) who's actually been arrested for this in the past. Billie's even introduced as she's changing clothes before going into a queer-friendly club, which Rose sees and gets fascinated by.
- Would Hit a Girl: Ted and his buddies beat butch lesbian Billie up for "stealing" Rose from him, along with due to general homophobia. As she's black, they may have less compunction than usual too.
