A Most Violent Year Page #3

ANNA:

Yes.

ABEL:

Are you alright?

JULIAN:

(nods yes)

ABEL:

Have the police been here yet?

ANNA:

He was left in the middle of the

highway without a truck, they

brought him in.

ABEL:

Can you speak?

ANNA’S temper is rising.

ANNA:

Not for a couple days... Can I

speak with you outside?

ANNA heads out into the hallway. ABEL looks around a beat

then follows.

EXT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY -SAME TIME

ANNA is waiting in the hallway.

ANNA:

Did they sign the contract?

ABEL:

Yes.

ANNA:

And took the deposit?

ABEL:

Yes.

ANNA:

So it’s a go?

ABEL:

(he gives a nice nod yes)

ANNA:

Congratulations.

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ABEL:

To you as well.

ANNA:

We have thirty days?

He nods ever so slightly yes, and she gives him a knowing

smile back of equal measure. We are beginning to see that

they actually work quite well together.

ABEL:

These f***ing guys. This poor kid

has been working his ass off.

ANNA:

Do you want me to speak to my

Brother about this?

ABEL:

No...don’t talk to him or your

father.

ANNA:

This can’t continue.

ABEL:

It won’t.

ANNA:

It will if we don’t do something.

ABEL:

I’m meeting with the D.A. in the

morning.

ANNA:

Oh, f*** the D.A. He’s more

interested in coming after us than

helping us.

ABEL looks around in disapproval. She thinks this through and

then looks in at JULIAN.

ANNA (CONT’D)

It’s not fair to them. You’re at

war here.

ABEL:

No we are not.

ANNA:

Really... because they are.

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ABEL:

Well I’m not.

They look each other over. She then finally leans in and

gives him a caring kiss, she walks off.

ANNA:

And you’re going out to check on

the new house?

ABEL:

Yes.

He watches her walk away then looks back into the hospital

room. He enters.

INT. HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM - DAY

ABEL walks into the room and looks at JULIAN. He looks up and

ABEL has trouble putting it to words.

ABEL:

I have to get going.

JULIAN gives a nod.

ABEL (CONT’D)

Can we get you anything?

Nods no.

ABEL (CONT’D)

We’ll pick you up when they let you

out of here.

They look at each other.

ABEL (CONT’D)

These men are cowards. Too weak to

make a living... or even fight with

their own hands, and too stupid to

think up anything else to do.

Finally he turns and leaves.

EXT. ABANDONED RACETRACK PARKING LOT - QUEENS NY - DAY

ABEL drives up to the drop off scene. There is the large bulk

transport truck and one lone police car just sitting in the

middle of the parking lot.

ABEL gets out, walks up, and stops to stare at the truck. A

young beat cop is sitting on the hood of his car waiting.

ABEL:

May I take it?

BEAT COP:

Excuse me?

ABEL:

May I take it now?

BEAT COP:

Is it yours?

ABEL:

Yes.

BEAT COP:

Well, I’m sorry about that. Once

the owner or an owner’s

representative files the claim form

in Corona she’s yours... again.

ABEL:

So you guys have done what you

needed to?

BEAT COP:

Yes.

ABEL:

And what was that?

BEAT COP:

I’m sorry?

ABEL:

You just said you’ve done what you

needed to... so what was it that

you’ve done?

BEAT COP:

(looks back dumbfounded)

ABEL:

Did you fingerprint or anything?

BEAT COP:

No need, these guys always wear

gloves.

ABEL:

So you’ve done nothing.

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BEAT COP:

I’m not exactly sure, I just got

here at four. My shift is actually

up.

ABEL:

So who’s coming?

They stare at each other, then the truck. ABEL then climbs up

and we see he knows his way around the truck. He goes up top

and opens and looks into a valve, the tank is empty.

BEAT COP:

Sorry.

The cop gets in his car and prepares to drive away.

BEAT COP (CONT’D)

Why did they want it?

ABEL:

They stole the $6,000 of fuel that

was in it.

The cop leaves. ABEL is left standing on top of the truck in

the parking lot alone with his battered truck. He looks down

at the open loading valve and begins to come up with an idea.

The sun is setting.

EXT. STANDARD HEATING TRUCK YARD - DAY

A sign on the inside of the gate reads. “It’s not safety

first... It’s safety always”. The motor on the gate starts in

and it opens. In drives ABEL’S car.

INT. ANNA’S OFFICE STANDARD HEATING OIL - DAY

ANNA is working away on an adding machine in her office. She

is listening to the radio that sits behind her on the desk.

We can see that she is in her comfort zone.

INT. BROOKLYN ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE - DAY

The ASSISTANT D.A. is sitting behind his desk as DEPUTY LANGE

stands off to the side. He is only in his early thirties but

with confidence and ego to spare. They know each other.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

Andrew.

ANDREW WALSH:

Lawrence. Thank you for seeing us

on such short notice.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

Of course. And Mr. Morales. Please

sit. I didn’t realize you were

coming as well.

ANDREW WALSH:

Yes...

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

So what can I do for you?

ANDREW WALSH:

We need your help.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

In what way?

ANDREW WALSH:

Our trucks. They are being robbed.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

(he looks over at DEPUTY

LANGE)

ANDREW WALSH:

We have a serious security issue.

DEPUTY LANGE:

There have been a series of

hijackings of bulk-fuel delivery

vehicles.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

Yes.

ANDREW WALSH:

Our drivers are being put in

danger.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

Mr. Walsh, as I know you know, this

office has been investigating your

entire industry.

ANDREW WALSH:

Of course.

There is an awkward pause as LAWRENCE decides how he should

continue.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

And as much as I’d like to be able

to help you, you know this is a

police issue. It’s not what we do

here.

ANDREW WALSH:

I understand. But this is turning

into an urgent and pressing matter

for us.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

Urgent?

ANDREW WALSH:

Yes.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

I’m not sure what you mean. There

were more murders and rapes in this

city last year then there ever have

been, so if you have come to tell

me that we have a urgent security

issue here, trust me I’m aware.

ABEL cuts in. He can’t help himself.

ABEL:

My people are at risk just driving

around in this city, just trying to

do their jobs. And I... I have done

everything you have asked of me.

It’s been two years since you first

started investigating my company

and I have spent thousands of

dollars hiring lawyers for this and

that to provide you with every

piece of information your office

has requested. And I expect that

you have been asking the same from

my competitors. So with all this

information that you have gained...

We are just asking if you have any

idea who has been doing this to us?

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

I don’t.

This sits unanswered.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE (CONT’D)

I understand your frustration. And

although everyone else seems to

have given up and left this city

for dead, I haven’t. And as you

know we have been investigating

industry-wide corruption in your

business that seems to have been

going on for years. And the simple

fact is that the only person who

could do anything with 8000 gallons

of heating oil in a matter of

minutes after stealing a truck is

someone from within that industry.

And almost certainly someone with

local storage capacity. So you’re

right. That means you all are

stealing from each other. Which is,

as far as I can tell, just a

refreshing new take on what you’ve

been doing to your customers and

fellow taxpayers for the last

fifteen years.

This sits in the room for a long beat.

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