A Most Violent Year Page #18

LORRAINE LEFKOWITZ

I’m 23.

ABEL:

Oh.

LORRAINE LEFKOWITZ

My Grandfather didn’t trust any of

his children to run the business.

ABEL:

Yes.

LORRAINE LEFKOWITZ

I know that you tried to buy the

company from my Grandfather several

times.

ABEL:

Yes.

LORRAINE LEFKOWITZ

His goal was to stay healthy long

enough to be able to give the

company to me. Which he thankfully

did.

They both give a slight smile.

LORRAINE LEFKOWITZ (CONT’D)

So, while I appreciate your visit

we are still not for sale.

ABEL:

I understand. And I hope that your

Grandfather was able to communicate

to you how much I have always

respected him. And it was only out

of respect for the business he had

built, and because I knew of his

reservations and feelings about

your uncles and your father that I

made those offers.

LORAINE LEFKOWITZ

I understand.

ABEL:

But, I am not here to offer to buy

your company.

LORAINE LEFKOWITZ

Oh.

ABEL:

As I’m sure you will soon learn

some years are good... others not

so. I am in contract with a

significant hard deposit at risk to

purchase the old Bayfront terminal.

LORAINE LEFKOWITZ

I see.

106

ABEL:

And due to circumstances beyond my

control my bank has left me at the

altar.

LORAINE LEFKOWITZ

I’m sorry.

ABEL:

So, I am here, hat in hand, looking

for a loan. I certainly expect the

terms to be in your favor as I

could not be at a weaker place.

But, if your Grandfather trusted

you with his company, I would be

willing to trust you as my lien

holder.

They all stare at each other. Then the old man shifts in his

chair.

SAUL LEFKOWITZ:

How much?

ABEL:

I need $500,000.

SAUL and his GRANDDAUGHTER look at each other. They say

nothing but clearly know each other well.

LORAINE LEFKOWITZ

Would you give us a minute.

ABEL:

Of course.

INT. WAITING AREA, OUTSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

ABEL sits in a simple chair outside the conference room

looking around at an office that is similar to his. A phone

on the receptionist’s desk rings. She picks it up.

LEFKOWITZ RECEPTIONIST

You can go back in.

INT. SLIGHTLY RUNDOWN CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

ABEL sits down.

LORAINE LEFKOWITZ

We can offer you the 500k at 20

percent for a year.

(MORE)

107

LORAINE LEFKOWITZ (CONT'D)

And we would need a five-year

straight wholesale holding

agreement for 250,000 gallons a

year at your new facility.

This hits ABEL hard.

ABEL:

Okay. Thank you.

They shake hands and then he hugs the old man good bye.

LORAINE LEFKOWITZ

So, I guess we will see you

tonight?

ABEL:

Tonight? Oh yes, of course.

INT. LONG ISLAND ITALIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT

A HOSTESS leads ABEL and ANDREW through the whole main dining

room and through a side kitchen.

INT. ITALIAN RESTAURANT - PRIVATE DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Finally they come through a door and into a small back

private dining room where fifteen of their COMPETITORS, a

couple of whom we have already met (Including LORRAINE and

SAUL LEFKOWITZ, and ARNOLD KLINE), are sitting around the

table meeting and waiting for them to arrive. The whole room

looks up at them.

O'LEARY is at the head of the table at the far end of the

room. He stands up to greet them and then so does the rest of

the room.

BILL O'LEARY

Abel. Please sit.

Finally everyone settles and the room falls quiet.

BILL O'LEARY (CONT’D)

Abel.

Now the room is silent as it waits and waits for him to

speak.

ABEL:

Stop...

108

ABEL is deadly serious. He just lets this sit and looks

around the room at each person. They all seem to be waiting

for him to continue. But he doesn’t. He just lets this sit.

Finally PETER FORENTE, who is across from ABEL, shifts in his

seat and leans forward.

PETER FORENTE:

Um... Abel... we had a chance to

meet for a little bit before you

got here and... of course everyone

in this room is fully capable of

lying to their own mothers on their

deathbeds, but... the conclusion we

have come to... I should say we are

fairly convinced after a very frank

conversation... that these guys who

are doing this... that they don’t

actually work for anyone in this

room. As you know there are many

other smaller providers in the area

that might be responsible who are

not here tonight.

This sits in the room for a long beat. Everyone then shifts

back their attention to ABEL waiting for his response.

Finally.

ABEL:

Peter... thank you... That may be

true.

He stops and thinks about how to continue.

ABEL (CONT’D)

But over the last six months

110,000 gallons of fuel has been

stolen from my family and I. Now

the reason we asked Bill to get you

all here is because the people in

this room are the only people

within two hundred miles of here

who have the ability to purchase

and store that kind of quantity.

So... no matter what bullshit you

have been telling each other one of

you... or two... or three... has

been allowing this to happen by

buying this from these cowards or

worse yet hiring these guys just to

do it. And profiting from it. So

what I am saying is... Stop! Now.

Have some pride in what you do and

stop.

109

INT. ANNA MORALES’ LIBRARY - NIGHT

The camera moves slowly across a dark hallway. We hear the

sounds of a manual adding machine grinding away. As we come

through the doorway we see ANNA MORALES sitting at her desk

in a pool of light from the desk lamp. She is deep in it

crunching numbers. Finally ABEL walks into the doorway, he

looks exhausted.

ABEL:

Hey.

She looks up with a small but sweet smile.

ANNA:

Hi.

ABEL:

How’s it coming?

ANNA:

I’ve made it to 1975.

ABEL:

That was a good year.

ANNA gives a slight look that the numbers may not totally

support that claim.

ABEL (CONT’D)

Well it was for me...how is it?

ANNA:

I’m not sure yet... but it’s not as

bad as they are saying it is... I

guess I knew what I was doing.

They give each other a slight smile.

ANNA (CONT’D)

How’d you do?

ABEL:

I got us a three more days... and

one piece... from Saul. But we’re

still about a million short.

Concern and exhaustion creep onto Abel’s face.

ANNA:

You’re going to see your little

brother?

ABEL:

First thing.

ANNA:

And Peter?

ABEL:

Probably.

Abel is now sitting down on the chair.

ABEL (CONT’D)

How are the girls? I feel like I

haven’t seen them in days.

ANNA:

They’re fine.

ANNA gets up from her desk and comes over to him.

ANNA (CONT’D)

This is all worth it.

He pauses just long enough to think.

ABEL:

Of course.

ANNA:

Look at us...it is.

ABEL:

I know.

A sense of caring and resolve comes over them. At least now

they know what needs to be done.

ABEL (CONT’D)

We should get to bed.

ANNA:

I’ll be up.

ABEL:

I love you.

ANNA:

I love you too.

ABEL turns to go upstairs as ANNA starts in again with the

machine.

111

INT. ABEL’S CAR - DRIVING - DAY

ABEL is driving towards the office and is listening to the

idle chatter on the radio between the dispatcher and the

drivers who are out. They are underneath the Brooklyn Queens

Expressway in stop and go traffic.

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