A Bucket of Blood Page #12

WALTER:

Carla...

(Beat)

I don't want to make statues

anymore!

CARLA:

You don't?

WALTER:

No.

(Beat)

I want to get married.

(Beat)

To you.

Carla senses trouble -

CARLA:

Uh...

(Beat)

...how long have you been thinking

about this, Walter?

WALTER:

Oh...f-for a long time. Ever

since you first came to the club.

Carla looks down at the ground -

WALTER:

You were the only one who was

ever nice to me!

(Beat)

I didn't know you loved me

until you kissed me.

Carla suddenly feels very awkward - she takes a deep breath and

prepares for the rejection -

CARLA:

Walter, I really do like you.

And I did kiss you. But...

that was because of your work.

Walter listens intently to every word -

CARLA:

There's more to being in love

than just that.

Carla gives a sympathetic look to Walter - Walter doesn't react for

a beat, as if putting two and two together -

WALTER:

You mean...you don't love me?

Carla looks down at the ground -

CARLA:

I'm afraid that's what I mean.

Walter begins to get very upset -

WALTER:

But you gotta love me!

(Beat)

Why do you think I made that

statue of Alice?!

CARLA:

Walter, I'm sorry...

WALTER:

You just can't be sorry! I wanna -

I wanna marry you!

Carla looks around -

CARLA:

Now calm down Walter!

(Beat)

Now, let's go in there, and

when the show's over, maybe we

can talk about it.

WALTER:

No! I want to talk about it now!

CARLA:

Walter...

(Beat)

I don't want to hurt your feelings

but there is no way we're ever going

to get...together. You know what I

mean?

WALTER:

Why not?!

CARLA:

Because...

(Beat)

We're just friends. That's all.

Just friends.

WALTER:

I get it. I see the whole thing

now. No one knows if Walter Paisley

is born!

CARLA:

Jeez, what is your problem all of a

sudden?

WALTER:

Oh sure, let's string along poor

Walter, see how far it will take us!

Carla gets up -

CARLA:

You're starting to freak me out,

Walter. I'll see you there.

Carla heads off - Walter watches her leave -

WALTER:

You have to love me, Carla...

DISSOLVE TO:

INT JABBERJAW - NIGHT

The hoi polloi of the art community mingle at the private party -

On display are Walter's creations - Dead Cat, Murdered Man,

Strangled Girl and his bust of the carpenter's head -

People talk about the works in muted voices, as if they are

serious works of art -

Art, the undercover cop, is also there, eyeing the room -

Maxwell takes an hors d'oeurve off a passing tray, and nods to

someone offscreen -

Walter sits alone, dejected - a waitress presents him with a tray of

champagne glasses -

Walter looks up at the tray -

WALTER:

No thanks.

The waitress walks away -

The plump man talks to an ART CRITIC -

CRITIC:

We have many artists about but

no craftsmen.

The critic gestures to the voluptuous figure of Strangled Girl -

CRITIC:

This man knows his anatomy.

PLUMP MAN:

I'd give five thousand for

this.

CRITIC:

After you've read my review it will

probably cost you ten thousand.

The critic and the plump man laugh -

Maxwell swaggers over to Walter, putting his empty glass of

champagne on a passing tray and grabbing up another -

He puts his hand on Walter's shoulder -

MAXWELL:

So what's the problem?

Leonard watches them from across the room -

MAXWELL:

Why on Earth should you be so

depressed? Have you heard some

of the things they've been saying?

You can make fifty thousand

on these pieces alone!

WALTER:

I thought you didn't respect money!

MAXWELL:

I don't! But fifty thou? That's

not money, that's manna!

Walter gets up -

WALTER:

Leave me alone.

Walter sees Carla -

He gets up and heads over to her -

Carla glares back at him - Walter looks at her with a strange gaze

in his eyes -

WALTER:

I'm sorry about what I said before.

CARLA:

(softening)

Forget it.

WALTER:

I've been thinking...

(Beat)

Carla, would you do one favor

for me?

CARLA:

Just about anything, Walter.

WALTER:

Would you let me make...a statue

of you?

Carla smiles -

CARLA:

Would you really like to? That

would make me very happy.

WALTER:

Ok...tonight. I'll make a

statue of you tonight, OK?

Carla smiles and nods - then her smile fades -

Leonard takes a sip of champagne and notices something across the

room -

Cuff and Link have crashed the party - they head over and take a

look at Murdered Man -

Leonard puts his glass down and heads over to them -

Cuff takes his cigarette and jams it in the mouth of Murdered Man -

Leonard approaches -

LINK:

Man, we've come to make the scene.

LEONARD:

You weren't invited. Now get out

of here.

CUFF:

I guess we're not good enough to get

a private show.

LEONARD:

That's right! And we're not open for

business! This is an art exhibit! No

bums!

Leonard pushes them out the door as Cuff grabs his cigarette back -

LINK:

Man, you're the worst.

LEONARD:

Yeah right right - goodbye!

CUFF:

That's alright, we got a pressing

engagement!

LINK:

Yeah, right outside the door!

Leonard closes the door behind them -

Carla is looking at the collection - she inspects Dead Cat, the

carpenter's head -

She then approaches Strangled Girl - She smiles, drinking in the

sculpture -

Then she sees something that troubles her -

CARLA:

Uh - oh.

She looks closely at one of the hands - a FRACTURE has formed on one

of her fingers -

Carla gently goes to touch it when the piece CRACKS OFF -

Carla picks up the piece and goes to put it back -

She sees a HUMAN FINGER protruding from the sculpture -

Carla stands back, in shock -

She looks around the room - soon shock turns to horror -

She makes a bee-line for the front door but is stopped by Walter -

WALTER:

Where are you going Carla?

Whatsamatter?

Carla is mute with terror for a beat, but manages to get out the

words -

CARLA:

Walter...there's...

WALTER:

What?

CARLA:

There's...a body inside that statue!

Walter smiles innocently -

WALTER:

Well, that's Alice.

Carla is speechless -

WALTER:

It's alright, Carla.

(Beat)

Maxwell said it's alright.

Walter takes a few steps closer -

WALTER:

Let them become clay in his hands

so that he might mold them.

Carla is clearly frightened -

CARLA:

Walter...stay away from me!

WALTER:

Don't you see Carla? I made them

immortal.

Walter takes a few steps closer -

WALTER:

Don't you see? I can do the

same for you!

Carla waits for a second, then SHOVES Walter out of the way, fleeing

out the door -

Walter looks around to see if anyone is looking -

Nobody is -

He takes this opportunity to BOLT out the door in pursuit of Carla -

EXT STREET - NIGHT

Carla runs down the street as fast as she can -

Walter follows, in hot pursuit -

INT JABBERJAW - NIGHT

The critic stands in front of Strangled Girl - Art approaches from

behind -

The critic has noticed the EXPOSED finger -

CRITIC:

Well I'll be. Look at this!

A WOMAN approaches -

CRITIC:

There's another work...inside this

work.

WOMAN:

My Heavens! It looks...like a real

finger.

CRITIC:

It's unparalleled...reality cased in

layers...concealed in a shield of

whiteness, blankness...

Art scrutinizes the finger - several other people begin to approach,

admiring the discovery -

ART:

Yeah...that's reality alright -

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