All the Money in the World Page #15

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neck. A pillar of smoke climbs into the sky in the distance.

A single CAR drives by. Paul tries to wave it down, but thedriver speeds up to avoid him. Up ahead, he sees it: aCARABINERI POLICE CAR driving away.

PAUL:

Hey. Police. Police! Poliziotto!

Paul runs into the highway, waving his arms.

PAUL (CONT'D)

Over here! Attenzione!

A car horn BLARES: the driver nearly clips him --

-- but the RED TAILLIGHTS on the police car light up. The

mustached CONSTABLE stops and climbs out of the car.

As soon as the constable gets a glimpse of Paul's conditionhe hurries over to him. The boy collapses into his arms.

INT. CARABINERI STATION -- NIGHT

A fire glows in the hearth. The Constable's WIFE, a stocky

Italian Mamma, stretches a blanket over Paul's shoulders.

In the BG, the Constable phones in to report the boy's rescue.

MAMMA:

Povera bambino... cosi freddo...

79.

She goes to the hearth and spoons out a plate of warm polenta.

MAMMA (CONT'D)

Mangia.

Paul takes a spoonful. As he eats, tears roll down his face.

The Constable and his wife smile warmly.

PAUL:

Can I make a phone call? I want to

call my mother.

The old woman brings the telephone to the boy's side andhands him the receiver. With trembling hands, he dials.

INT. GAIL'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT

HOLD ON the phone as it RINGS. Gail turns on the taperecorder, then picks up the phone.

PAUL (O.S.)

Mom?

(a beat)

Mom, are you there?

GAIL:

Paul.

PAUL (O.S.)

It's alright, Mom. I'm OK. I'm

safe now.

INT. POLICE STATION -- NIGHT

As Paul talks with his mother, there's a KNOCK at the door.

In the BG, the Constable goes to answer it.

PAUL:

I'm at the police station. I need

you to come and get me.

In the BG, several men enter and exchange greetings.

GAIL (O.S.)

What police station? Where are you?

PAUL:

I just want to come home. You don't

know how close they came.

GAIL (O.S.)

I'm coming to take you home. What

police station are you at?

PAUL:

Hold on, I'll ask.

(MORE)

80.

PAUL (CONT'D)

(calling out)

Excuse me, where am I? Dove sono io?

Behind him, A HAND REACHES INTO FRAME and presses down on

the receiver cradle, gently hanging up the phone.

INT. GAIL'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT

The line goes dead.

GAIL:

Paul? Paul -- ?

INT. POLICE STATION -- NIGHT

We TILT UP from the phone cradle along the length of theman's arm --

-- REVEALING that it is Saverio Mammoliti himself that has

hung up the phone. He reaches out to the boy.

MAMMOLITI:

Give it here.

Paul hands the receiver to Mammoliti, who hangs up.

We PAN across the faces in the room: Mammoliti's men, along

with the Constable, his wife, and, to one side, Cinquanta.

Mammoliti offers his hand to Paul.

MAMMOLITI (CONT'D)

Come now, Paul. There will be no

more foolishness.

The boy places a hand over the ear that's been shorn andcleaned, as if trying to protect it.

MAMMOLITI (CONT'D)

Come.

Paul takes Mammoliti's hand. They walk out of the stationhand-in-hand, into the street, where Mammoliti's car awaits.

The rear door opens, they climb inside, and the Mercedes

vanishes into the darkness.

INT. GAIL'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT

Gail stands frozen with the dead receiver in her hand.

CUT TO:

The apartment is overrun by Squadra Mobile officers, includingDel Rovere and Corvo. The tape squeals as it rewinds, then:

81.

PAUL (O.S.)

I just want to come home. You don't

know how close they came.

GAIL (O.S.)

I'm coming to take you home. What

police station are you at?

DEL ROVERE:

(listening on

headphones)

Ascoltare. Pavimenti. Footsteps.

Someone approaches -

PAUL (O.S.)

Excuse me, where am I? Dove sono io -

CLICK. The line goes dead.

DEL ROVERE:

Someone breaks the connection.

GAIL:

He was in a police station. Nothingcould happen to him there, right?

CHACE:

It could have been a bad connection.

It's Italy. Nothing works right.

CORVO:

No. Everything works differently.

GAIL:

He was safe. He said he was safe.

He was in this room, just now, talkingto me. He can't just be gone.

DEL ROVERE:

Keep the line open. He'll call back.

We will wait as long as it takes.

EXT. WHEATFIELD/BARN -- NIGHT

The fire in the fields has burned itself out; ASHES dance inthe air like snowflakes. Paul rides in the backseat with

Mammoliti. Cinquanta rides up front with Sgro.

SGR.

(sotto voce)

I'm starting to see why they don'twant their kid back. Maybe they'dpay us to keep him, or kill him.

82.

CINQUANTADon't blame the kid. You'd have

done the same if you could havethought of it.

Mammoliti gazes out the rear window.

MAMMOLITI:

A big fire like this? It draws

attention. Inspectors. Bribes to

be paid. We budget for contingencies,

but nothing like this.

The farmhouse comes into view. The wooden shed is scorched

but still standing. We pull up in front of it.

MAMMOLITI (CONT'D)

There are carrying costs. It's

discipline, fiscal discipline. Either

the family pays, or we must cut ourlosses.

INT. GAIL'S APARTMENT -- MORNING

The cops are all gone. Only their overflowing ashtrays andcoffee cups remain. Gail and Chace have been up all night.

Chace sits at the table, tie askew, helping Ariadne, Gail'syoungest, complete a word-search puzzle in a coloring bookas her other son watches television.

ARIADNE:

They always hide the words backwards.

GAIL:

You don't have to do that.

CHACE:

I enjoy it. It's about my speed.

GAIL:

He's not going to call. Go home.

CHACE:

I don't have a home. I have a hotel.

GAIL:

(to Ariadne)

Come here, darling. I'll help you.

The girl sits beside Gail. She turns to another puzzle -- amaze -- as Chace reluctantly gathers his jacket to leave.

Gail watches, mesmerized with exhaustion, as the point ofthe pencil slowly winds its way through the maze. Then:

83.

GAIL (CONT'D)

My God. How could I be so stupid.

Gail leaps up from her chair and RUNS through the livingroom, down the hallway and into

INT. BEDROOM -- MORNING

Gail throws open the closet, opening shoeboxes and flingingthem aside. She reaches deep into the dark and finds it:

THE MINOTAUR statuette lies inside, swathed in Gail's scarf.

She closes the box and runs back down the hallway, past Chace.

GAIL:

Watch the kids.

CHACE:

What am I supposed to feed them?

The door SLAMS behind her on the way out.

EXT. SOTHEBY'S ROME -- PALAZZO COLONNA -- DAY

Gail fixes her makeup in a vanity mirror as her cab pulls upoutside the auction house. She pays the driver -

INT. SOTHEBY'S ROME -- DAY

-- and grips the shoebox in both hands as she waits. An

APPRAISER in a bespoke suit greets her.

GAIL:

I'm sorry to just show up like this.

APPRAISER:

No, Ms Getty, it is we that are sorryto keep you waiting. Prego.

INT. APPRAISER'S OFFICE -- DAY

GAIL:

This piece came from my former fatherin-

law's personal collection. It

was a gift to his grandson. By hisown estimate it was worth $1.2

million, and that was years ago.

The Appraiser opens the box... and the statue is unveiled.

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