▁shows ▁up ▁at ▁Gard ner ' s ▁job ▁and ▁dem ands ▁the ▁money ▁that ▁he ▁ow es ▁him ▁and ▁Louis ▁- ▁payment ▁for ▁killing ▁Rose . ▁When ▁Gard ner ▁ref uses ▁to ▁pay , ▁Slo an ▁and ▁Louis ▁plan ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁his ▁house ▁and ▁kill ▁Nick y ▁and ▁Margaret . ▁ ▁As ▁t ensions ▁mount ▁between ▁the ▁residents ▁of ▁Sub urb icon ▁and ▁their ▁new ▁African - American ▁neighb ors , ▁char ism atic ▁ins urance ▁agent ▁Bud ▁Cooper ▁arriv es ▁one ▁day ▁when ▁Gard ner ▁is ▁not ▁home ▁and ▁begins ▁asking ▁Margaret ▁questions , ▁looking ▁to ▁clear ▁up ▁red ▁flags ▁in ▁a ▁life ▁ins urance ▁claim ▁made ▁on ▁Rose ▁by ▁Gard ner ▁shortly ▁after ▁her ▁death . ▁Cooper ▁tells ▁Margaret ▁he ▁suspect s ▁her ▁and ▁Gard ner ▁of ▁murder ing ▁Rose ▁to ▁collect ▁on ▁her ▁policy , ▁and ▁Margaret ▁k icks ▁him ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁house . ▁ ▁That ▁night , ▁as ▁a ▁prolong ed ▁protest ▁at ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁African - American ▁residents ▁turns ▁into ▁a ▁ri ot , ▁Cooper ▁returns ▁to ▁talk ▁directly ▁to ▁Gard ner . ▁He ▁tells ▁Gard ner ▁that ▁he ▁knows ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁his ▁and ▁Margaret ' s ▁ins urance ▁fra ud ▁plan ▁and ▁attempts ▁to ▁black mail ▁them ▁into ▁giving ▁him ▁their ▁entire ▁p ayout ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁his ▁silence . ▁Margaret ▁po isons ▁his ▁coffee ▁with ▁l ye , ▁and ▁Gard ner ▁st abs ▁him ▁with ▁a ▁fire place ▁pok er ▁to ▁finish ▁him ▁off . ▁Gard ner ▁leaves ▁to ▁hide