Absolute Power Page #5

21.

71 INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -NIGHT 71

Luther in the closet. He nods.

72 INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT 72

Burton and Collin nod, too.

RUSSELL:

We’re going to have to sanitize

this place.

(shaking Richmond)

Alan, did you have sex with her?

Richmond, eyes barely open.

RICHMOND:

... Don’... ’member...

RUSSELL:

Bill, you’re going to have to

examine her.

BURTON:

I’m no gynecologist.

RUSSELL:

(she takes nothing

from nobody)

I just made you one.

End of discussion.

73 INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT (LATER) 73

A clock on the side table beside the three clickers.

There is the sound of a VACUUM --it’s later now.

The place is incredibly changed. Christy is lying as

before --except now she is fully dressed. The bed has

been made with clean sheets. There is a large black

garbage bag that Collin shoves the sheets in, dumps in

Christy’s jewelry. Burton is VACUUMING the rug.

Richmond is visible, still in terrible shape, finishing

putting his clothes on in the open master bedroom.

Everyone wears gloves.

Everything that is incriminating is gone -(

CONTINUED)

22.

73 CONTINUED:
73

--except the letter opener, which has been put in a

clear plastic bag. Collin reaches for it, starts to dump

it in along with the sheets and the jewelry.

RUSSELL:

I’ll take that.

COLLIN:

(surprised)

It’s got their prints on it.

RUSSELL:

(she holds out her

hand)

Thanks for sharing.

Collin glances at Burton, shrugs, hands it over. Russell

puts it in her handbag, puts the handbag on the bed table

when suddenly -

Richmond, careening into the room, wide-eyed, crying

out -

RICHMOND:

Gloria --I killed her -

Russell, turning, shocked as Richmond bears down -

--she holds out her arms for him, but he is staggering

and he collides hard with her, spins against the wall,

uses the bed table to try to steady himself.

74 INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -NIGHT 74

Luther, stunned, staring.

75 INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT 75

What he’s staring at: the letter opener has spilled from

her open purse and fallen behind the bed, out of sight.

Russell, calm, going to Richmond, starting to lead him

from the room -

RUSSELL:

It’s all going to be fine, Alan.

RICHMOND:

... But she’s dead...

(CONTINUED)

23.

75 CONTINUED:
75

RUSSELL:

... I’ll take care of everything

just like I always do.

(to Burton and Collin)

Gentlemen?

She gestures to leave.

Burton and Collin finish up --Collin grabs the large

plastic bag. Burton glances around one final time and

backs toward the door, vacuuming carefully. Then -

Collin stops dead. He stares across at the bed table.

76 INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -NIGHT 76

Luther, holding his breath.

77 INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -BURTON AND COLLIN -NIGHT 77

COLLIN:

Sh*t.

BURTON:

What?

In reply, Collin dashes back toward the bed table, grabs

Russell’s purse, snaps it shut, tucks it under one arm

and leaves.

Burton flicks the light out, closes the door.

The room is lit by moonlight now. Christy looks

beautiful and still. HOLD for a moment.

78 EXT. MANSION -FRONT DOOR -NIGHT 78

It’s open and Russell leads a staggering Richmond

outside. Two dark Towncars are parked in the driveway.

Burton is behind them, turning off all lights. Collin is

last, with Russell’s purse, the garbage bag. As he

follows them outside, he closes the front door firmly -it

makes a loud, solid sound.

79 INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -LUTHER -NIGHT 79

The sound is barely audible. He has been looking at his

watch -

(CONTINUED)

24.

79 CONTINUED:

79

The watch face is illuminated in the darkness. The

second hand is fifteen seconds away from the top.

Luther takes a deep breath, waits in silence.

The WATCH face:
the sound is loud, like "60 Minutes."

80

EXT. SULLIVAN MANSION -DRIVEWAY -NIGHT 80

Burton and Russell moving with Richmond toward one of the

cars. Burton takes the man in his arms, leaving Russell

free to open the back door.

Collin dumps the plastic bag into the trunk, shuts it,

moves quickly so that he can get a decent view of the

road.

The road in front of the house. Empty. Collin hurries

to the Towncar where Burton is struggling to get Richmond

comfortably stretched out on the back seat.

81

INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -NIGHT 81

The second hand on Luther’s watch hits the top and he

moves into action.

--He points the clicker at the door -

--the door starts to swing open -

--Luther, backpack in hand, strides quickly into the

bedroom, turns, points the clicker again and as the door

starts to swing shut --Luther carefully tosses the

clicker back inside.

82

INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -ARMCHAIR -NIGHT 82

as the clicker lands --dead-solid perfect -

83

INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT 83

Luther, in the bedroom, moving to the nightstand,

carrying his backpack ---

he slows as he circles the body of Christy Sullivan,

looks sadly down at her, continues on as we MOVE TO...

(CONTINUED)

)B( ABSOLUTE POWER -Rev. 5/16/96 25.

83 CONTINUED:
83

The bed table. First, Luther opens the drawer and

pockets the necklace. Tense, he kneels, probes behind

the table, reaches farther and then --the letter opener!

In the plastic bag. Luther grabs it.

*

*

He rises, opener in hand, and goes to the far window that

has a view of the front of the house. He looks out,

grimaces.

84 EXT. SULLIVAN MANSION -DRIVEWAY -NIGHT 84

The cars are still there. Burton is visible helping

Russell in. Collin hands over her purse, closes the

door. He and Burton move to the front doors.

85 INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT 85

Luther, going to the rear window. He opens the window

slowly and silently. He ties one end of the rope around

the leg of a heavy, wooden chest of drawers ---

now he carefully plays the knotted rope out the

window.

86 EXT. SULLIVAN DRIVEWAY -TOWNCAR -NIGHT 86

Collin heads to one of the Towncars. In the other Burton

and Russell are getting settled in the front. Richmond

lies in a stupor, stretched along the rear seat.

Russell ---

a moment of relief. She breathes deep.

Russell starts to open her purse -And

as

87 EXT. SULLIVAN MANSION -KNOTTED ROPE -NIGHT 87

as it snakes down the brick mansion --it reaches the

ground.

88 INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT 88

Luther, putting his backpack on securely.

The window --Luther glances out and down.

89 HIS POV -GROUND OUTSIDE SULLIVAN MANSION -NIGHT 89

Forty feet below. And it’s dark.

)B( ABSOLUTE POWER -Rev. 5/16/96 26.

90 INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT 90

Luther --he doesn’t much like this --but taking hold of

the rope, he puts one leg out the window --only the damn

backpack makes it complicated and he’s caught for a

moment, clumsily trapped with one leg in, one leg out and

the backpack wedged against the corner of the window ---

and at that moment, there is a SCREAM.

91 EXT. SULLIVAN DRIVEWAY/INT. TOWNCAR -NIGHT 91 *

Gloria Russell, as every nightmare she has ever had comes

true --the f***ing letter opener isn’t in her purse and

as she screams again -92

EXT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -WINDOW -NIGHT 92

Luther, cursing to himself, forcing his way out the

window and it isn’t easy, but he makes it and then the

rope slips in his hands and for one precarious moment, he

is in serious trouble and...

93 EXT. SULLIVAN MANSION -DRIVEWAY -NIGHT 93

The Towncar doors bursting open as Burton and Collin come

barrelling out.

94 EXT. SULLIVAN MANSION -NIGHT 94

Luther, getting his grip on the nylon rope again,

starting to go down --but it’s difficult going for him.

95 EXT. SULLIVAN MANSION -FOYER -NIGHT 95

Burton and Collin tearing into the house, Collin in the

lead.

96 EXT. SULLIVAN MANSION -NIGHT 96

Luther in the night, thirty feet up, and he can hear

COMMOTION inside the house and he tries to go faster ---

but it’s not easy; the man is, after all, in his 60s

and he’s dangerously high and his visibility is rotten,

so he’s doing the best he can, but he isn’t exactly

flying.

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