15 Minutes Page #3

He KNOCKS...FOOTSTEPS approach. The door is opened by MILOS -

a 40-year-old Czech, dressed in stained plumbers overalls.

He is surprised to see Emil and Oleg in his doorway. Oleg

films him...

MILOS:

Emil???!

EMIL:

Surprise! Surprise!

Milos shoots a look across the tiny kitchen to TAMINA, his

comely wife.

INT. MILOS' APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS

Emil pushes his way inside. Oleg follows. Milos wears

plumbers overalls but Emil notices sports a Rolex. Tamina

has on a faded dress but despite their cheaply furnished

apartment she wears an expensive brushed gold necklace,

bracelet and big pearl earrings. The room is furnished with

kitsch from Disney World and Las Vegas. The only anomaly is

a HUGE SONY TRINITRON HOME ENTERTAINMENT CENTER. (The

following is in Czech and subtitled in English.)

EMIL:

Your sister said she didn't know where

you were so you shouldn't write to her

with return address if you're hiding.

MILOS:

Did you hurt her?

EMIL:

You know me...I never hurt anybody.

Where's the money?

OLEG:

Hello, Tamina.

Oleg is looking Tamina over. Milos - though scared - barks

at Oleg.

MILOS:

Take your eyes off her, Oleg!

(to Emil)

Look. It wasn't my fault you two were

caught.

(of Oleg)

It's his fault. Trying to get the bank

clerk's phone number?! I wasn't going

to wait!!!

EMIL:

Milos. Get my money!

Oleg videotapes the scene.

CLOSE ON AN AJAR DOOR

All we see behind it is a WOMAN'S FACE and her wet hair - she

obviously came from the shower and we see the towel wrapped

around her.

MILOS:

(nervously)

We spent it!

EMIL:

Ha. Ha.

MILOS:

Look at the way we live. I'm a plumber.

You think I'd be working if I had

money?!

Emil, pissed, moves to a wood block and pulls out a KITCHEN

KNIFE. He grabs Tamina roughly, putting the blade to her

throat.

MILOS (CONT'D)

Emil. Put down the knife.

Milos looks at his wife - who is terrified.

MILOS (CONT'D)

Emil. I'll help you.

Milos closes the gap between him and Emil - trying to calm

him by talking softly.

MILOS (CONT'D)

I can get you a job.

EMIL:

A job?

MILOS:

Yes, the money is good.

EMIL:

As a plumber?!

MILOS:

It's easy to learn.

EMIL:

A job?? As a plumber??? You think I

come to America to work!

MILOS:

We started over, you can too.

EMIL:

(furious)

You spent all the money while I was in

prison? Now you tell me to get a job

fixing toilets?!?

Emil pulls the knife away from Tamina - then angrily PLUNGES

it toward Milos' chest!

Oleg videotapes it. Then lowers the camera - shocked that

Emil killed Milos.

Blood sprays Tamina's face. She tries to run but Oleg grabs

her, not noticing her brushed gold bracelet falls to the

floor. He covers her mouth as he points the videocamera at

Emil who STABS Tamina - absolutely enraged!

THE WOMAN BEHIND THE DOOR

flees...Emil hears NOISE in the bedroom - a window opening.

Emil kicks the bedroom door open. Sees the window leading to

the fire escape. He dashes to it. Sees four flights down -

the WOMAN, wearing a summer dress. Barefoot. Her hair still

wet.

She looks up. She is beautiful and terrified. She runs

down the alley.

EMIL (CONT'D)

She saw!

Emil hurries toward the bathroom. She just got out of the

shower. Her underwear and purse are draped over a chair.

Emil grabs the purse. Finds a CZECHOSLOVAKIAN PASSPORT. He

opens the cover, stares at her photo and name.

EMIL (CONT'D)

Daphne Hanlova.

There's one stamp in the passport - from the U.S. when she

arrived - June 16, 1998. Underneath is written - 6 MONTH

STAY. Emil flips through the rest of the passport - all

blank pages.

EMIL (CONT'D)

Six month visa. Still here two years

later. They'll deport her if she goes

to Police.

Emil pockets Daphne's passport and wallet, scoops up her

shoes and jacket - enters the kitchen and dumps them on the

floor. He tears through the kitchen cabinets, throwing cans

and bottles aside.

OLEG:

What are you looking for?

Emil finds nail polish remover - looks at the bodies.

EMIL:

I'm going to make a bohemian barbecue.

Emil draws the kitchen curtains plunging the room into

darkness.

EXT. CENTRAL PARK - NIGHT

A face comes from the darkness. It's an athletically

handsome man, jogging out of a tunnel towards us. He's in a

tie and jacket in Central Park at NIGHT.

He is JORDAN (JORDY) WARSAW. A sensitive man of rugged

honesty. He runs down the hill in a hurry. A MUGGER steps

in his path.

MUGGER:

Got any spare change? How 'bout a spare

twenty?

JORDY:

Look, I don't have time for you, get out

of my way!!

MUGGER:

Alright, how 'bout all your f***in'

money?

The Mugger pulls a knife - and in a whirl of movement, Jordy

grabs his wrist and disarms him in a deadly, professional

manner - hurling him down to the pavement, twisting his arm

behind his back. With his other hand, Jordy whips out a

BROWNING 9MM from his shoulder holster and places it behind

the mugger's head. Jordy displays his shield.

JORDY:

Okay, you're under arrest! Now you

happy?

MUGGER:

Fire Department? Firemen don't carry

guns.

JORDY:

Oh yeah? Guess again.

Jordy handcuffs the Mugger and searches the Mugger's coat

pockets - pulling out a handful of driver's licenses and

credit cards.

JORDY (CONT'D)

Nice - how many people you ripped off

tonight?! Get up!

As Jordy yanks the Mugger to his feet, his BEEPER goes off.

JORDY (CONT'D)

You couldn't listen to me, could you?

Jordy drags the Mugger to a tree. Cuffs him so his face is

pressed up against the bark.

JORDY (CONT'D)

I'll send a cop back for you.

MUGGER:

Hey. C'mon, you can't leave me like

this. Some freak'll come by and stab

me!

Jordy jogs off across the park.

MUGGER (CONT'D)

Wait! Come back!!

EXT. MILOS' APARTMENT - NIGHT

FIRE TRUCKS from three battalions. Radios CRACKLE. There's

a crowd growing. Jordy pushes his way through. The top

floor of the brownstone where Milos and Tamina lived has been

reduced to smoking ruins. The trees are covered in debris

and soot. Jordy moves to LOUIE - Battalion Chief.

LOUIE:

Lieutenant - take up your line and

relieve Ladder Company 60 on the top

floor.

JORDY:

Hey, Louie, were you first due?

LOUIE:

Yeah, I radioed you guys right away

'cause you got two roasts on the top

floor but you don't hafta investigate

cause homicide is up there.

JORDY:

Homicide? Who let them up? I didn't

make it a crime scene yet.

LOUIE:

Hey, it's Eddie Flemming.

KORFIN (O.S.)

Yo, Jordy!

BOBBY KORFIN - an overweight arson investigator with a quick

with and good sense of humor - comes over, pulling on a

turnout coat.

KORFIN (CONT'D)

Where you been, man? We got a

celebrity!

JORDY:

I heard. Who the hell let them up

there?

KORFIN:

I don't know, you think Eddie will give

me his autograph?

JORDY:

You see anything in the crowd? Anybody

suspicious?

KORFIN:

Naw - I'm sure the suspect's not here.

JORDY:

Oh yeah, why?

KORFIN:

'Cause Eddie woulda locked him up by

now!

INT. MILOS' APARTMENT - NIGHT

The roof is gone. The sky is exposed. It's charred ruins,

smoked beams and watery muck. Eddie and Leon are standing by

what's left of the mattress, looking at Milos and Tamina's

charred bodies. Eddie grips a half-smoked Cuban cigar,

listening to Leon.

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