Absolute Power Page #4

16.

62 CONTINUED:
62

Christy. She smiles in acknowledgement and they move

onto the bed. She pushes him down and straddles him.

Richmond, from her POINT OF VIEW --a wonderfully-

handsome man.

Christy, from his POINT OF VIEW. A glorious, vibrant

young woman. She smiles, touches her lips to a finger,

reaches out, touches the finger to his mouth.

It’s a sweet moment.

They smile.

Then he reaches up, and without a word, grabs her breasts

and squeezes and twists them brutally and Christy is

shocked and she tries to make him stop but he won’t, and

she cries out in pain but he still won’t stop so she

slaps him in the face. He slaps her back, viciously,

right in the mouth and now there is blood mixing with her

lipstick and she rolls off the bed onto the floor.

Christy sits there stunned.

CHRISTY:

(slurred)

You f***ing bastard.

And on that -

Richmond, standing now, reaches down to help her up.

Christy hesitates, finally takes his hand and as soon as

she is on her feet -

Christy, kicking him with all she has, in the stomach.

63 INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -NIGHT 63

Luther, silently applauding.

64 INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT 64

Richmond, the air momentarily out of him, falling

drunkenly to the floor, stunned for just a moment and

clearly in pain, but he is a big man and he is strong and

he grabs her ankle, yanks, and then both are laboring on

the floor and Christy kicks him again and again -

--but he will not release her ankle. Each kick only

inflames his drunken rage.

(CONTINUED)

17.

64 CONTINUED:
64

RICHMOND:

(very slurred --)

You little whore -

And now they both try and stand.

Neither one does it gracefully, neither one does it

quickly, but Richmond gets there first and as soon as he

is on his feet he begins to strangle her.

Christy, gasping, terrified, she claws at his arms, her

fingers scratching deeply ---

but he will not let go.

She twists and jerks her body ---

no good --he continues to tighten his grip on her

throat -

--and spreads his legs for better balance.

The bed table, as Christy, beyond desperation reaches

around for something, anything --her fingers finally

close on the letter opener and in one wild stroke, she

slashes his right arm.

Now he lets go. And stares, stunned, at his bleeding

arm.

Then he crunches her flush in the mouth, a brutal blow,

and blood pours from her nose and mouth and if she

weren’t so scared, maybe it would have stopped her, but

it doesn’t --because somehow she manages to maintain

balance ---

and knees him all she has, in the nuts.

It’s over --Richmond falls to the floor, helpless. He

lies on his back, holding his crotch.

But it isn’t over. Christy, blood pouring down her face,

stands over him, the letter opener still tight in her

hand.

And in her eyes you can see it, the homicidal rage ---

and she drops to her knees beside him ---

and Richmond can only lie there, watching her ---

and she gets a better grip on the letter opener ---

and Richmond still only lies there, watching her -

(CONTINUED)

18.

64 CONTINUED:
(2) 64

--and she raises the letter opener slowly very high

above her head, the point aimed at his heart ---

and Richmond screams one time ---

and as Christy starts to kill him, two well-dressed

men in business suits burst through the bedroom doorway,

GUNS in their hands, and they BLOW HER BRAINS OUT before

the opener reaches Richmond’s heart...

65 INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -NIGHT 65

Luther, in SLOW MOTION and this is what he does ---

he reels back in the chair, eyes wide, jaw slack,

mouth open ---

this is a man who has seen everything but nothing has

prepared him for this ---

his arms flop over the arms of the chair, his body

loses strength, he tries to look away, can’t---

and this is what he sees -66

INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT 66

Christy, fighting for another instant of life ---

no chance ---

the two bullets have shattered her brain, her eyes

roll up into her head, the letter opener drops to the

rug, she collapses like a rag doll ---

and blood is everywhere.

67 INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -NIGHT 67

Luther. Back in regular motion now.

to breathe.

Pale, barely able

68 INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT 68

The two well-dressed men in business suits.

BILL BURTON is the more formidable. Mid-40s, he looks

like a retired tight end. No body fat. Intimidating.

But right now he is shaking and he can’t stop it. He

puts his gun away, goes to Richmond.

(CONTINUED)

19.

68 CONTINUED:
68

TIM COLLIN is closing in on 30. Handsome. In wonderful

shape. Burton is more physical, Collin more lethal. He

puts his gun away, goes to Christy.

Richmond is trying to sit. He is as drunk as before but

now he is also close to shock. He reaches over, manages

to pick up the bloody letter opener.

Kill her?

RICHMOND:

Collin, by the body, nods.

BURTON:

No choice in the matter.

His words are efficient but clearly, he has been rocked.

Richmond, staring stupidly at the letter opener. He

drops it back to the floor, tries to stand, can’t.

Burton helps him back to the bed. Which is when he

passes out cold.

Burton and Collin look at each other now.

BURTON:

Jesus, Tim, what did we do?

COLLIN:

(echoing Burton)

No choice in the matter.

69 INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -NIGHT 69

Luther, staring at it all.

so is something new: anger.

The shock is still there but

And on that -70

INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT 70

GLORIA RUSSELL moving through the bedroom door.

Russell’s 40, well-dressed, attractive and very smart.

Now she sees what’s happened, stops dead.

Now she moves forward, looks at Burton and Collin.

very clear from the outset: these three are not

friendly.

It’s

(CONTINUED)

)B( ABSOLUTE POWER -Rev. 5/16/96 20.

70 70

CONTINUED:

RUSSELL:

(to Burton and Collin)

Do you realize what a shitstorm

we’re in?

(beat)

Go on --tell me.

COLLIN:

Nothing to tell. He screamed.

RUSSELL:

And you heard no sounds of

violence ’til then?

BURTON:

(beat)

Nothing we haven’t heard before.

Richmond, on the bed, out. Russell studies his face as

Burton moves toward the telephone.

BURTON:

Maybe I should call the police

now.

CLOSEUP -RUSSELL *

RUSSELL:

(soft)

Bill? Why don’t you think about

that?

(beat --starting to

move toward him)

Take a second and just think about

that.

(closing in on Burton,

furious)

Think... real... f***ing... hard.

BURTON *

He is strong enough to snap her neck with one hand.

BURTON:

(backing away)

Probably not a good idea.

RUSSELL:

(taking charge)

Okay --here’s what happened

tonight --poor Christy came home

alone and interrupted a burglary.

That sound logical?

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