Absolute Power Page #21

left for that? -

WALTER SULLIVAN:

(a nod)

--I could walk through fire -

Luther, fast now.

LUTHER:

I was in the chair when they came

in.

(as Sullivan says

nothing)

They were drunk --at first he

only wanted to bruise her --she

fought back, he went for the kill

--she turned the tables. Then he

screamed for help.

Pause.

WALTER SULLIVAN:

Who else was in my house?

LUTHER:

Secret Service shot her.

WALTER SULLIVAN:

(doesn’t like it)

Nonsense.

LUTHER:

Gloria Russell handled the cover

up.

WALTER SULLIVAN:

Stop this -

LUTHER:

--don’t you want to know who the

man was?

WALTER SULLIVAN:

(desperate)

It was you.

LUTHER:

We’re too old to bullshit each

other, Mr. Sullivan.

(CONTINUED)

)B( ABSOLUTE POWER -Rev. 5/16/96 120.

CONTINUED:
(2)

WALTER SULLIVAN:

(big)

Who was it then?

LUTHER:

(bigger)

You know!

Sullivan, shaking his head as Luther roars on.

LUTHER:

You f***ing well do, don’t shake

your head at me --when you’re

alone at night, when the rage

takes you and you think of what

you’d do to revenge her, on those

nights you put a face to your

enemy.

WALTER SULLIVAN:

(coming apart)

Stop the car -LUTHER

--we’re going all the way,

Walter -WALTER

SULLIVAN:

--it’s too terrible.

It sure is.

LUTHER:

Walter Sullivan. A long, shaky moment, then -WALTER

SULLIVAN:

... I know about Alan’s reputation

as a philanderer... but... he

would never dream of betraying

me... I gave him the Presidency.

Luther and Walter as Luther turns a sharp corner and the

WHEELS SCREAM -LUTHER

(pressing it)

The press conference --remember?

--he held you in his arms and

said if only Christy hadn’t gotten

sick she would have been with you

in Barbados -(

MORE)

*

*

(CONTINUED)

)B( ABSOLUTE POWER -Rev. 5/16/96 121.

334 CONTINUED:
(3) 334

LUTHER (CONT’D)

(bigger)

--how do you think he knew she

was sick? You didn’t tell

anybody. But he heard it, all

right. He heard it from her.

That night. And I heard every

word -Walter.

For a moment, no reaction. Then he sits back

hard. The air’s out of him. He just breathes quietly.

Then -WALTER

SULLIVAN:

That’s not real proof.

Luther. Handing something back.

And this?

LUTHER:

Sullivan takes it ---

it’s the letter opener.

Sullivan leans back, shuts his eyes.

WALTER SULLIVAN:

You could have stolen this.

LUTHER:

I did steal it. But that isn’tmy

blood and those aren’t my prints.

CLOSEUP ON SULLIVAN *

Eyes still shut ---

and he’s very old and you expect tears ---

but he didn’t get to be Walter Sullivan by crying ---

HOLD ON Walter ---

and this incredible shriek of rage explodes!-Luther,

suddenly stopping the car -335

EXT. WHITE HOUSE GATE -NIGHT 335

--and we’re at the rear of the White House. *

122.

336

INT. LIMO -NIGHT 336

Walter. He sits in the back a moment.

Then he gets out.

337 EXT. WHITE HOUSE GATE/EXT. LIMO -NIGHT 337

Luther has gotten out too. They stand close to each

other. They nod. Then Walter starts away.

WALTER SULLIVAN:

(turns --quiet now,

at peace)

I did love her, you know.

And he walks away.

A White House SECURITY GUARD as Walter approaches.

WALTER SULLIVAN:

Is he working late? I haven’tan

appointment but I’d like to see

him if I might.

GUARD:

You don’t need an appointment, Mr.

Sullivan.

And as he waves him through -Luther,

standing there, watching the old man.

Walter, a final turn back, a nod of the head.

Luther. He nods back, returns to the car, gets in ---

and now we begin a BLIZZARD OF CUTS.

338

EXT. WASHINGTON STREET/INT. LIMO -NIGHT 338

Luther driving through the night.

339

EXT./INT. NORTH PORTICO ENTRANCE -NIGHT 339

Walter entering the White House proper.

340

INT. WHITE HOUSE -BURTON’S OFFICE -NIGHT 340

Seth, with a bunch of other officers, standing in front

of an office with the name "BILL BURTON" on a plaque -he

opens the door -

(CONTINUED)

)B(

ABSOLUTE POWER -Rev. 5/16/96 123.

340

CONTINUED:
340

--Burton has blown his brains out. A note alongside

reads:
"I am so sorry." Alongside the note is a micro-

cassette recorder and a dozen tapes.

341

EXT. WASHINGTON STREET/INT. LIMO -NIGHT 341

Luther. Driving faster.

342

INT. WHITE HOUSE HALLWAY -SECURITY AREA -NIGHT 342

Walter Sullivan approaching a METAL DETECTOR --he starts

to go through ---

it GOES OFF -Walter’s

embarrassed. He holds up his wrist, showing his

watch.

The security guards smile, wave him to go ahead.

Walter continues on.

343

INT. LIMO -NIGHT 343

Luther, tense, ROARING along.

344

INT. RUSSELL’S -NIGHT 344 *

Gloria Russell --Seth is with her --he cuffs her, leads *

her out -

345

INT. AREA OUTSIDE OVAL OFFICE -NIGHT 345

Walter, by the door of the Oval Office. The letter

opener is tight in his hand now.

The door opens.

Richmond, arms out, comes to embrace him, as he embraced

him at the Press Conference.

346

EXT. HOSPITAL PARKING LOT -NIGHT 346

Luther pulling up into the parking lot of the hospital,

getting out, passing the parking lot attendant who is

listening transfixed to a small radio.

(CONTINUED)

)B( ABSOLUTE POWER -Rev. 5/16/96 124.

346 CONTINUED:
346

RADIO ANNOUNCER #1 (V.O.)

... in the greatest shock to the

nation since the Kennedy

assassination, President Alan

Richmond’s death has rocked...

*

Luther has moved past now; we can’t hear the radio

anymore.

346A INT. HOSPITAL RECEPTION AREA -NIGHT 346A

Luther enters. A number of people are present, all of

them listening to a large radio, on the desk of the

Information Clerk.

RADIO ANNOUNCER #2 (V.O.)

... Richmond died violently in the

Oval Office and Walter Sullivan...

*

Luther has moved past now; we can’t hear the radio

anymore.

347 INT. KATE’S HOSPITAL ROOM -NIGHT 347

She dozes. Luther sits alongside in a chair.

Outside, the moon is high in the sky.

Kate blinks, half opens her eyes, sees Luther.

KATE:

... you’re still here...?

LUTHER:

Haven’t budged.

She dozes again.

347A INT. HOSPITAL LOUNGE -NIGHT 347A

A coffee machine in a lounge.

SET IS PLAYING SOFTLY.

Empty. But a TELEVISION

Luther enters, gets some coffee.

The TV is SHOWING the PRESS CONFERENCE Richmond held. As

we WATCH, Walter Sullivan moves down toward the President

and they embrace.

(CONTINUED)

125.

347A CONTINUED:
347A

Now the Press Conference is over and we are LIVE AT the

FRONT OF the North Portico of the WHITE HOUSE. A ton of

reporters -

--and Walter Sullivan, in their midst, beckoning for

quiet.

REPORTER #1 (V.O.)

Mister Sullivan, have you no idea

why the President took his own

life?

Luther stops making coffee, looks at the screen.

WALTER SULLIVAN (V.O.)

(voice soft)

I know he’s been feeling the

pressure of office more than ever

lately. We’ve talked about it a

great deal.

REPORTER #2 (V.O.)

But why would he stab himself?

WALTER SULLIVAN (V.O.)

(sadly)

That’s a question that will haunt

me forever. Of course I tried to

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