A Most Violent Year Page #21

INT. THE TEMPORARY OFFICE TRAILER - DAY

ABEL and ANDREW are sitting around the folding table opposite

the HASIDS. ABEL signs the document and then picks it up and

heads outside.

EXT. TEMPORARY TRAILER - DAY

ABEL comes out and we see ANNA standing outside the trailer

in the cold because these guys don’t do business with women.

He hands her the document. Under her breath:

ANNA:

These f***ing guys...what’s this

additional $11,000?

125

ABEL:

I guess there is still some fuel in

two of the tanks... they gave us a

fair price on it.

With that they both smile, she signs it and then gives him a

kiss.

INT. TEMPORARY TRAILER - DAY

ABEL comes back in and hands the docs to JOSEPH, the oldest

Hasid, who signs them.

JOSEPH:

Mazel Tov.

EXT. TRAILER/TANK FARM - DAY

ABEL walks across the lot with joy although it seems masked

by a sadness. He looks around as ANDREW and ANNA come up next

to him.

ANDREW WALSH:

Congratulations.

ABEL:

To you too. Did you know...about

the money?

ANNA:

Abel.

ANDREW looks him right in the eye.

ANDREW WALSH:

Yes.

ABEL:

You should have told me.

ANDREW WALSH:

I know. I’m sorry.

ANNA:

Abel...congratulations. Now cheer

up. And can someone give me a tour

of this place we just paid two

million bucks for?

ABEL, ANDREW, and ANNA walk towards the tanks looking around.

They come around the corner to THE VIEW.

EXT. BEHIND THE TANKS, WITH A VIEW OF THE CITY - DAY

They all look out.

ANNA:

What a hell-hole this city is.

ABEL:

No.

ANDREW WALSH:

I don’t know why but I guess I

never realized we even had this

view from back here.

That line sits for a long beat.

ABEL:

I did.

Then they hear someone behind them. They turn. It’s JULIAN.

He is standing holding a gun. They stare for a long beat.

ABEL (CONT’D)

I thought you said you threw that

into the river?

JULIAN:

I didn’t.

ABEL:

I see that.

JULIAN:

I have nowhere to go.

ABEL:

Nowhere easy.

JULIAN:

F*** you. I have nothing. And

somehow you’ve ended up with

everything you wanted.

ABEL looks at the gun in his hand.

ABEL:

It wasn’t meant to be.

JULIAN:

What is that supposed to mean?

127

ABEL:

I know what you wanted. But you

need to forget that. You are

looking backward. Only look

forward, that is what you can

control.

JULIAN:

I’m sorry. You gave me a very good

chance. Right?

ABEL:

Yes.

JULIAN:

Probably a better chance than I

deserved.

ABEL:

No.

JULIAN:

Please take care of my family.

ABEL:

Julian.

JULIAN:

Please...

ABEL looks at him trying to read where this poor kid is at.

ABEL:

I will.

With that JULIAN takes the gun and puts it in his mouth and

pulls the trigger.

The gun goes off and the red blood sprays on the white side

of the fuel tank that is behind him.

ABEL and the rest are left totally in shock. They are beside

themselves. But out of the corner of his eye ABEL notices

that the bullet has also pierced through the tank and amid

the red spray a flow of black heating oil is pouring out

through the bullet hole onto the ground.

ABEL steps around JULIAN’S body and goes over to the hole. He

picks up an old rag from the ground and stuffs it into the

hole plugging the flow of oil.

ANDREW WALSH:

What... what should we do?

128

ABEL turns and looks back at him.

ABEL:

We call the police.

ANDREW WALSH:

Really?

ABEL:

Yes!

With that he walks off behind the tanks.

EXT. PARKING LOT, NEXT TO THE TANK FARM SITE - DAY

There are now POLICE VEHICLES everywhere. ABEL is standing

off alone. The DA gets out of a car all alone and walks over

to ABEL.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

I’m very sorry. Did you know him

well?

ABEL:

I did.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

He must have been under a hell of a

lot of pressure.

ABEL:

Yeah. For a while I thought he

was... it’s just...

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

I’m sorry.

They look out across the city.

ABEL:

You really do have to be lucky.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

Yes... so you are chasing down

hijackers now?

ABEL:

I was right there... I couldn’t

help myself.

LAWRENCE nods approval.

ABEL (CONT’D)

Have you found the driver?

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

No.

ABEL:

You’ll find him.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

Probably not.

ABEL:

Well, thank you for coming. I

wanted to make sure this was

handled correctly.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

Of course.

ABEL:

I’m not sure how I got here.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

Yeah.

ABEL:

So... I should tell you that I

won’t be able to take that deal you

offered. There is no way I would

ever accept a felony charge for

anything we’ve done.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

I know.

ABEL:

I am not a felon.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

That’s probably true.

ABEL:

But I also can’t have you digging

around my life and keeping this

hanging around my neck for the next

ten years. I love fighting a good

battle but this... it’s very bad

for my business.

This gets Lawrence’s attention.

ABEL (CONT’D)

So, we need to come to some sort of

conclusion.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

We can probably do that.

ABEL:

Good.

They both look out for a beat.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

I hear you closed on this terminal

today?

ABEL:

It looks that way.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

I didn’t realize that you had that

in the works.

ABEL:

For a very long time.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

That will put you in quite a

powerful position.

ABEL:

Within my business it has that

potential.

LAWRENCE shifts his tone ever so slightly.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

If you get this place up and

running again it will have

significant influence...

politically speaking.

ABEL picks up on the word POLITICALLY and stares down

LAWRENCE.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE (CONT’D)

We all have our ambitions.

ABEL:

Yes.

LAWRENCE gives a slight smile and then pauses.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

And sometimes we need help to get

there... You’ve come a very long

way.

ABEL:

Yes, I have.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

In a very short time.

ABEL:

It doesn’t feel that way... But

please know that I have always

chosen the path that was the most

right.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

The most right?

ABEL:

Yes.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

That one makes my head hurt a

little.

ABEL:

The result is never in question for

me. Just what path do I take to get

there. And I have never questioned

my path. There is always one that

is most right. And that is what

this is.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

I hope so.

They look at each other and then out over the city.

THE END:

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