Blood Simple Page #17

BLACK:

As we hear the click of a pull-string the camera is dropping:

down past an orange safe light, down the length of the string,

down to a metal darkroom tray where two short strips of

negative are burning.

Visser's hand and yellow sleeve cuff (now orange) enter frame,

with an 8 x 10 black-and-white photograph. The photograph is

dropped into the tray. As it burns we see that it is the

same picture of Abby's and Ray's "corpses" as Visser showed

Marty, except that in this print the bullet holes and blood

are less convincingly brushed in.

Another print is dropped into the tray and ignites. In this

one we see bullet holes but no blood.

A third print is dropped in and ignites. It is the original

undoctored shot of Abby and Ray asleep in bed.

Visser's hands enter frame holding the picture-envelope that

he took away from Marty's office. Visser rips it in half and

is about to drop it into the tray, but stops abruptly.

There is posterboard, not a photograph, peeking out of the

torn envelope.

Visser's hands pull the two halves of the placard from the

envelope and fit them together. The stenciled 8 x 10 placard

says:
"All Employees Must Wash Hands Before Resuming Work."

LOW-ANGLE CLOSE SHOT VISSER

Staring at the placard in disbelief.

After a moment his hand rises into frame to deposit a

cigarette in his mouth. His hand drops back down, groping in

a pocket.

His hand jumps back into frame, empty; he thumps at his breast

pockets; he can't find his lighter.

He wheels and exits frame. The light snaps off. A door slams

shut.

ABBY'S APARTMENT DAY

CLOSE SHOT RAY:

He has dozed off in his chair. Offscreen we hear a door slam,

and his eyes open.

ABBY:

Emerging from the bathroom. Her voice has a flat echo in the

bare apartment.

ABBY:

Why didn't you get into bed?

RAY:

(groggy)

I didn't think I could sleep. I'm

surprised you could. Are you all

right?

ABBY:

Yeah...

She walks over and sits down on the bed.

ABBY:

...You called me this morning.

RAY:

Yeah.

Abby looks at him, expecting more. Finally:

RAY:

...I just wanted to let you know

that everything was all right. I

took care of everything. Now all we

have to do is keep our heads.

ABBY:

...What do you mean?

Ray finally looks directly at her.

RAY:

I know about it, Abby. I went to the

bar last night.

Abby is looking at him in alarm.

ABBY:

What happened?--Was Meurice there?

RAY:

Yeah.

He laughs shortly.

RAY:

...He didn't see me, though. Nobody

saw me.

The chair grates back as he stands up and looks vaguely around

the room.

RAY:

...Is it cold in here?

Abby is looking at him nervously.

ABBY:

Well... what happened?

RAY:

I cleaned it all up, but that ain't

important...

He starts nervously pacing around the room, looking for

something.

RAY:

...What's important is what we do

now; I mean we can't go around half-

cocked. What we need is some time to

think about this, figure it out...

He moves a packing crate aside, still hunting around the

apartment.

RAY:

...Anyway, we got some time now. But

we gotta be smart.

ABBY:

Ray--

RAY:

Abby, never point a gun at anyone

unless you're gonna shoot him. And

when you shoot him you better make

sure he's dead...

Ray's pacing is more agitated as he looks distractedly around

the apartment.

RAY:

...because if he's not dead he's

gonna get up and try and kill you.

He pauses, seemingly at a total loss.

RAY:

...That's the only thing they told

us in the service that was worth a

goddamn--Where the hell's my

windbreaker?

ABBY:

What the hell happened, Ray?

Ray is walking to the window. Sunlight streams in around

him.

RAY:

That ain't important. What's important

is that we did it. That's the only

thing that matters. We both did it

for each other...

He stoops down to look through a pile of clothes by the

window.

RAY:

...That's what's important.

ABBY:

I don't know what you're talking

about.

Ray's head snaps around. Staring at her he slowly rises to

his feet and then remains still.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes