Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Page #6

INT. MELISSA'S LIVING ROOM

Melissa enters, followed by Ace.

MELISSA:

So, you found a pebble in

Snowflake's tank. Excuse me while

I call CNN.

ACE:

I found it in the filter. And

it's not a pebble. It is a rare,

triangular cut, orange amber.

Ace hands Melissa the stone and quickly goes to one of her bookcases.

MELISSA:

What are you talking about?

ACE:

Tonight I saw the exact same stone

in Camp's ring.

Ace finds a book on the Dolphin team and flips through it.

MELISSA:

I thought you said he didn't do

it.

ACE:

N. Camp's clean. His ring

wasn't missing a stone. But

whoever was in that tank had a

ring just like his.

MELISSA:

Wait a second. What ring?

Ace hands her the book. It's open to a photo of�

ACE:

The 1982 Dolphin AFC Championship

ring.

Melissa holds the stone up to the picture. It's a perfect match.

ACE:

I find the ring with the missing

stone, I find Snowflake.

MELISSA:

How are you gonna do that?

ACE:

Simple.

MUSIC UP:

CUT TO:

EXT. TRACK - DAY

Ace is wheezing and gasping for air as he struggles to jog up beside a

large man who's running

around the track at a very fast pace. When he finally catches up, he

awkwardly tries to catch a

glimpse of the man's ring and trips. The man just keeps going.

INT. FOOTLOCKER - DAY

Ace sits waiting with one shoe off. The store manager, an ex-player

for the '82 team, sets down

several shoe boxes. Ace checks out the ring.

CLOSE ON:

A poster of the '82 team. The player we just saw is being crossed out.

EXT. HOTEL - DAY

Pan a few kids getting autographs from Marino and other players,

ending on Ace dressed up and

looking like a pimply kid. As the players sign, he checks their rings.

EXT. TRACK - DAY

Ace is again trying to catch the large man on the track. This time,

just as he draws near, the man

leaves him in the dust.

INT. SPORTS BAR - DAY

Two big guys finish arm wrestling. Ace steps up to challenge. He

spends an undue amount of time

preparing his grip, as he checks out the ring. Ace finally gets set

and gives the "go ahead" nod. He

is instantly thrown across the room.

CLOSE ON:

The poster of the '82 team. Another group of players are being crossed

out.

EXT. STREET

Ace spots a player driving along side him. He can't see his ring.

Ace deliberately cuts off the player's car and flips him off. The

angry player flips Ace off. We see

his ring is intact. Ace waves and drives off.

INT. MEN'S ROOM

One huge lineman uses a urinal. Ace, using the urinal next to him,

nonchalantly tries to catch a

glimpse of the guy's hands. The Lineman has a very angry look on his

face, but after a beat it

changes to a "come on" smile.

CLOSE ON:

The poster of the '82 team. There is only one face that has not been

crossed out. Ace circles it.

EXT. TRACK - DAY

Once again we see the large, fast man jogging toward camera. Suddenly

Ace runs up behind him,

with a desperate look on his face, pouring a bottle of chloroform into

a cloth. He leaps onto the

man's back, smothering him with the cloth and holding on for dear

life. The man slowly gives up

the fight and collapses. Ace casually checks the ring, then walks away

disappointed.

EXT. MELISSA'S BACKYARD - EARLY EVENING

Ace sits in a lawn chair depressed. Melissa consoles him.

MELISSA:

Ace, that stone could have come

from anywhere. An earring, a

necklace�

ACE:

(with murder in his eyes)

It came from an '82 AFC

Championship ring.

MELISSA:

Lt. Einhorn thinks it was an

animal rights group. Have you

heard of FAN?

ACE:

Free Animals Now? Started in 1982

by Chelsea Gamble, daughter of the

famous industrialist, Fischer

Gamble? Over half a million

members from Florida to Finland?

(beat)

No. Who are they?

MELISSA:

Did you know that last year they

sent threatening letters to 127

college teams, demanding the

release of their mascots? At last

count �

ACE:

What do you feed your dog?

We see Melissa's dog lying near Ace's feet.

MELISSA:

Ah� dog food, why?

ACE:

He's miserable.

MELISSA:

What are you talking about?

ACE:

He's just very unhappy, I feel

sorry for him. Bad diet, isolated

environment. It's amazing he's

still alive.

MELISSA:

You're just mad because your

stupid pebble theory didn't work

out and you don't know how to

express your anger.

ACE:

Yeah? And you're ugly.

MELISSA:

I'm not even gonna' talk to you,

please leave.

ACE:

What, so you can beat him? Fatty!

MELISSA:

You� are unbelievable.

The phone rings inside the house. Melissa goes to answer it.

MELISSA:

Hiring you was a huge mistake!

The door slams and Ace is alone with the dog. After a moment he

reaches down to pet it and we

all see that it is one of the happiest dogs in the world.

ACE:

You like her, huh?� Yeah, she's

alright.

Ace, feeling guilty, walks into the house.

INT. MELISSA'S DEN - CONT

Ace walks toward Melissa.

ACE:

Look, Melissa, I, ah�

Ace stops when he sees Melissa. She is sitting, holding the phone in

her lap with a completely

stunned look on her face. Something is very wrong.

EXT. HIGH RISE APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT

Chaos. Police, lights flashing, paramedics, crowds of people.

Ace and Melissa see Roger Podacter's body taken away in an ambulance.

ACE:

You okay?

Melissa nods bravely. Emilio joins them.

ACE:

What'd you find?

EMILIO:

Podacter, Roger. Routine suicide.

He was alone. He'd been drinking.

No sign of a struggle. Neighbor

heard him scream on the way down.

Just your classic fifteen story

swan dive.

Melissa shudders. Ace gives Emilio a "way to go" look.

EMILIO:

Sorry.

INT. HIGHRISE LOBBY - NIGHT

The three enter. Emilio pushes the button for the elevator.

MELISSA:

It just seems so out of character.

He was going to retire in two

years.

ACE:

Did he leave a note?

The elevator arrives.

EMILIO:

No. That's nothing unusual. Some

do, some don't. He didn't.

The elevator doors close.

INT. PODACTOR'S APARTMENT - MOMENTS LATER

Police are everywhere. Emilio, Ace and Melissa enter and are

immediately approached by one of

the officers.

EMILIO:

Miss Robinson, this is officer

Carlson.

CARLSON:

Evening, ma'am. I wonder if you

could answer a few questions about

the deceased?

Ace slips away, we follow him as he eavesdrops on conversations.

NEIGHBOR:

(to a cop)

I told you, I was across the hall

in my apartment, I heard a scream.

The door was locked, so I called

the manager�

The Manager reiterates her story to the cop. The Manager is about 100

years old.

MANAGER:

�The place was empty, except for

the damn dog in the other room.

Then I opened the balcony door,

looked over the railing,

and� splat, bang, pancake time�

Ace, continuing his investigation notices�

PODACTER'S DESK

in perfect order.

Next, he notices police coming in and out of the balcony, closing the

door behind them, shutting

out the noise.

INT. PODACTER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

A dog is cowering in the corner. Ace tries to comfort the little guy.

ACE:

Hey, fella, have a bad night?

Ace examines its paws.

Ace then gets down and finds scratches in the door. TWO FEET

interrupt.

Ace stands. He is face to face with Einhorn.

EINHORN:

Who let Dr. Doolittle in?

Rate this script:4.5 / 4 votes