Absolute Power Page #18

RICHMOND:

What is this nonsense? I’m hoping

there’s an explanation.

(CONTINUED)

)B( ABSOLUTE POWER -Rev. 5/16/96 101.

282 CONTINUED:
(2) 282

RUSSELL:

(surprised)

Your gift, Alan --I was

overwhelmed --and your note was

so gratifying -RICHMOND

(cutting in)

--I sent a note?

RUSSELL:

Yes, yes, you think I don’t know

your writing? I assumed you

wanted me to wear it tonight.

The necklace. He looks at it as they spin gracefully.

RICHMOND:

It is lovely, Gloria --and you

know what else?

They do a perfect dip.

What, Alan?

RUSSELL:

RICHMOND:

Christy Sullivan wore it the night

she was killed.

*

*

Russell, a quick glint of panic, a gentle peal of

feminine laughter.

Richmond and Russell --he bends her back, their mouths

are close.

RICHMOND:

You realize what this means?

Whitney’s been heard from.

CLOSEUP -RUSSELL *

They spin and glide. Long pause. Then -RUSSELL

It’s not precisely the first time,

Mr. President.

The MUSIC is BUILDING TO CLIMAX now. Their movements

become more grand.

*

(CONTINUED)

)B( ABSOLUTE POWER -Rev. 5/16/96 102.

282 CONTINUED:
(3) 282 *

RICHMOND:

(so happy)

You’ve been keeping things from

me?

RUSSELL:

Only because you have so much on

your plate, Alan; we wanted to

spare you.

(beat)

He sent me a Polaroid of the

letter opener yesterday.

CLOSEUP -RICHMOND *

A kick in the teeth ---

he summons all his control, goes into even more

complicated movements.

*

The crowd of elegant men and women, it’s really wonderful

dancing they’re seeing --they start to applaud.

Richmond and Russell, hearing the sound. Richmond

acknowledges it with a smile as they come to climax.

RICHMOND:

Well, now -(

a final flourish)

--I need time to think --come

see me in my office in the

morning -(

beat)

This will certainly make for an

interesting chapter in my memoirs.

And as they bow...

The crowd applauding louder, while on the dance floor,

the President of the United States and the Chief of Staff

applaud happily back. As the sound builds -283

EXT. BURTON’S HOUSE -ROOF -NIGHT 283

Luther in the night. Silence.

He is moving across the rooftop of a home. He carries a

briefcase --Luther’s making business calls.

Ahead is an attic window --as he slides it open -

103.

284 INT. BURTON’S HOUSE -ATTIC -NIGHT

284

Luther, slipping inside. Some stairs are just across.

He goes down them, opens the door -

285

INT. BURTON’S HOUSE -HALLWAY -NIGHT 285

Luther stepping into the main part of the dark house. He

stops. No noise at all except that of someone BREATHING

DEEPLY, coming from an open bedroom door.

Luther passes by --for an instant we can see that Burton

is asleep, an empty bottle by his head.

286

INT. COLLIN’S HOUSE -NIGHT 286

Luther rounding a corner ---

and we can tell immediately he’s in a different house

now. Burton’s had only old furnishings, these are modern

and new.

Luther pauses, listening. Nothing.

He moves forward then, turns another corner -

287

INT. RUSSELL’S APARTMENT -NIGHT 287

--and now we can tell he’s someplace else --this is an

apartment with a large window looking out on the city.

Luther doesn’t stop to admire the view. He moves

silently on...

HOLD ON the window.

And suddenly:
Dawn --the sun is starting to rise.

PULL BACK to reveal -

288

INT. RUSSELL’S APARTMENT -BEDROOM -DAWN 288

Gloria Russell, as the ALARM GOES OFF. She sits -

--she stretches -

--then she stares --something has been taped to her

lamp. We are looking at an issue of the Washington Post

--Russell’s photo smiles out --there is a headline that

says simply:
RUSSELL TO BE CHIEF OF STAFF.

Written across her picture are the words: "This

shitstorm is your fault --if we go down, you go down!"

Russell takes the paper down, stares at it. Furious.

104.

289 INT. BURTON’S HOUSE -KITCHEN -MORNING

289

Burton, hung over, staggering into the kitchen of his

home, stopping dead. A newspaper is set beside his

coffee pot.

A front page of the Washington Post. Years back. The

lead article reports that a siege has been successfully

broken -

--Burton, bloody and wounded, is being carried to an

ambulance. A hero. Across the top these words have been

written:

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN, YOU GUTLESS F***?

Burton stares. Steaming.

290

INT. COLLIN’S HOUSE -BATHROOM -MORNING 290

Collin, yawning, going into his bathroom ---

across his mirror is taped a large white piece of

paper, across which is written in thick black marker -"

If you could shoot for sh*t, we’d be out of this."

Collin angrily rips it down.

291

EXT. DOWNTOWN NEWSSTAND -MORNING 291

A bunch of commuters and businessmen are buying papers.

The newspapers. Washington, New York, Philadelphia -

and they’re all different front pages, of course, but one

photo in all of them is the same ---

every one of them is running the mug shot of Luther.

And the sense of the stories is the same too:

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?

CUT TO:

292

COMMUTERS 292

crowded around, making their purchases. Some of them are

young, some of them are half asleep. One of them is in

his 60’s and very wide awake -

--it’s Luther -

--as he buys a paper, looks at the headline -fascinated.

105.

292A INT. BURTON’S OFFICE 292A

Still early morning --Collin is going through Burton’s

desk hurriedly -

--when Burton surprises him -

BURTON:

(pissed)

What are you doing?

COLLIN:

(closes the desk,

shrugs)

Needed a pen.

BURTON:

(pointing to his

desktop)

There’s pens -(

moving in)

--you don’t trust me? -

COLLIN:

(pissed)

--I don’t answer to you, a**hole

Russell in the doorway now, glaring at them.

RUSSELL:

You’re both a**holes, now move -

And on that -

293 INT. OVAL OFFICE -DAY 293

The note that was sent to Russell and the Polaroid of the

letter opener.

PULL BACK to reveal -

The Polaroid and the note are on Richmond’s desk. He

studies them. Russell, Burton and Collin stand silently

watching him, their hatred of each other clear.

The smell of death’s in the room.

RICHMOND:

(holding the note now,

his voice is, when he

speaks, calm; to Burton)

Any idea who could have forged it?

(CONTINUED)

)B( ABSOLUTE POWER -Rev. 5/16/96 106.

293 CONTINUED:
293

BURTON:

I talked to Seth Frank -apparently

Whitney learned how in

prison.

RICHMOND:

Very gifted man.

The window as he walks to it, looks out.

RICHMOND:

And are we close to stopping him?

RUSSELL:

We’re working round the clock.

RICHMOND:

Good to know that.

BURTON:

He’ll make a mistake.

RICHMOND:

Good to know that too.

CLOSEUP -RICHMOND *

With more meaning than the words convey -RICHMOND

There is one other thing you’ll

want to take care of.

The other three, looking at Richmond.

BURTON:

You’re sure you want to do that?

RICHMOND:

(nods)

She’s a young prosecutor,

prosecutors ask questions --she

might know what he knows...

(a reassuring smile)

Let’s get cracking, shall we?

(beat)

Show you love your country.

On those words -

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