Copycat Page #17

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CAMERA DOLLIES IN CLOSER AND CLOSER TO HER EYES AND THEN TO

ONE EYE ONLY UNTIL THE EYE, THE IRIS AND FINALLY THE PUPIL

FILL THE SCREEN:
IN THEM IS REFLECTED THOSE NAMES POURING

PAST IN THEIR THOUSANDS, UNTIL WE HEAR A GASP. A KEYSTROKE

OFFSTAGE, AND THE NAMES STOP: ANOTHER KEYSTROKE AND ONE NAME

AMONG THEM ALL SUDDENLY FREEZES IN HER PUPIL:

PETER KURTEN:

HELEN (V.O.)

The dirty bastard! More games!

CUT TO:

INT. HELEN'S APARTMENT - DAY

M.J. is entering at front door, let in by a new Guard FRED.

HELEN (O.S.)

It's not a real name: it's the name

of a mass murderer in Germany in

the 1930s. They called him the

Monster of Dusseldorf.

M.J. is turning into the Office; she carries a portfolio of

lists of her own.

HELEN:

Let's speed up the game plan...

call all the living serials to ask

if they've had contact with a Peter

Kurten. We could use some help on

the phones...

M.J.

They're not talking to me. Saks

looks right through me. I ask him

for some bodies, for the phones --

he's so encouraging: "you make that

your little job." Condescending

bastard.

(careful)

Helen, on your lists to call is San

Quentin. Daryll Lee Cullum?

HELEN:

(beat)

You do that one, I don't want it...

CUT TO:

INT. SAN QUENTIN WARDENS' OFFICE

MITCHELL:

Sergeant Halloran is it? I've

got a list of Daryll Lee's

correspondents. There is a

Peter Kurten among them.

Daryll Lee claims he has

information about Kurten, but

he'll only talk to Dr. Hudson

personally. Nobody else. The

creep's been studying his

amendments. My guess is he

doesn't have zip. Just

angling for a chance to ask if

her bra size is still the

same. We get this sh*t all

the time, but it's her call.

M.J.

Thanks, Warden.

(determined)

She'll talk to him.

INT. HELEN'S OFFICE - NIGHT

HELEN, M.J. They are waiting, Helen tense, smoking,

atmosphere charged...

M.J.

Do those things really help?

Like she really wished they might, so she could have one.

Helen looks at her cigarette as though she'd never seen one

before... grinds it out...

HELEN:

Not a damn bit...

And unconsciously lights another during following...

PHONE RINGS. M.J. PICKS IT UP, LISTENS, HANDS IT TO HELEN...

Gestures encouragement; fist in victory gesture...

INTERCUT TO:

INT. PENITENTIARY INTERVIEW ROOM

DARYLL LEE CULLUM is on the phone, a Warden is attendance,

but not on the phone line. On this rare contact with the

outside world HE IS MANIC...

DARYLL LEE:

Hey, Doc! How you doing?

She turns on speakerphone.

HELEN:

Hello, Daryll Lee.

DARYLL:

You read my book which as you know,

hit the stands a couple of weeks

ago. You read it yet.

HELEN:

What book?

DARYLL:

(indignant)

I sent it by private courier, he

didn't give it to you? That son of

a gun...!

Helen looks at M.J., who indicates 'tell you later.'

HELEN:

I'll look for it, Daryll Lee.

DARYLL:

Bet you never figured I'd follow in

your footsteps. It's real well-

written. You should read it --

you're in it.

HELEN:

I will. I'll call you, Daryll, and

talk to you about it after I've

read it. Right now I have a

question... Peter Kurten.

DARYLL:

Kurten! Is he bothering you? I

told that son I'd send him what he

wanted if he leave you alone.

HELEN:

Ah ha. What did he want?

DARYLL:

Something personal. Is he bothering

you?

HELEN:

I don't know. I'd like to know

where he is.

DARYLL:

Listen, you want my advice? Steer

clear. He's writing me he's gonna

finish 'my unfinished symphony.'

He's gonna give me $550 for some of

my cum, he says he's in a position

to see that I will be immortal if

he has some of my spunk. I'm

offended. Right away I smell

freak. Writin' about him and me

and you bein' joined and he's gonna

finish my symphony? I didn't care

for his drift. I sent some liquid

soap in a sandwich baggie with a

message from Jesus to mend his

ways. You hear I found Jesus? And

what's funny is, now I don't mind

bein' inside. If I was out, even

Born Again, I'd probably get

restless again. It's maybe better

I stay here, what do you think?

HELEN:

I think whatever is best for you,

Daryll. And maybe you're right,

that's the place.

DARYLL:

You come and visit.

HELEN:

Where did you send the message to

Peter Kurten?

DARYLL:

Damn! I gave that to Conrad, too!

That guy! I told Conrad deliver to

Kurten and keep the 500 bucks in

return for getting my book to you.

At this mention of Conrad, M.J. leaps to another phone...

HELEN:

How was Conrad supposed to find

Kurten?

DARYLL:

Conrad has the phone number.

Conrad, where is he?

HELEN:

(from M.J.'s pantomime)

In jail.

DARYLL:

That Klutz. They send him back

here, I'll kick his ass good.

DARYLL LEE:

Helen, how is life, you okay? Come

see me, talk to me. I think about

you, worry about you all the time.

I am so glad Jesus didn't let me

kill you. You know -- you're

blessed by Jesus. That's why you

need to come talk to me, because

Jesus kept you alive for a reason,

and I was his sacred instrument...

In the moment Satan was in my heart

raising my hand to kill you, Jesus

took my hand to spare you. I am

both death and life to you...

Helen hangs up. M.J. has already left...

CUT TO:

INT. SQUAD ROOM - NIGHT

Pandemonium:
the Chinatown raid has been carried off and

NIKKO AND RUBEN and a dozen other cops are booking a group

of Chinese gangsters of all ages, and a group of frightened

and confused Chinese illegal aliens. TOTAL UPROAR.

THROUGH IT, WE MOVE WITH M.J. SHE PASSES RUBEN WHO IS

GRABBING A CHINESE KID STRUNG OUT ON SOMETHING, OUT OF A

LINE OF SUSPECTS... HE ASIDES:

M.J.

I brought back a gin-seng popper

for you. Guaranteed all-night

orgasms.

M.J.

Save it for Helen.

RUBEN:

(enough already!)

Wait a minute, wait a goddamn

minute...

He manhandles the KID INTO DOCILITY WHILE...

RUBEN:

The woman was in shock. She was

totally out on ranks. I stayed

because I didn't want her to wake

up alone in a place where she'd

just been under attack.

(to the Kid who is

restless)

Stop that, you son of a b*tch!

(back to her)

The place wasn't secure. I was

doing my goddamn job! And, for the

second time, I slept in her living

room.

M.J.

Don't try to lie, Ruben. You don't

have the face for it. I need you

to help interrogate the burglar in

Hudson's place...

RUBEN:

Talk to Nikko...!

SHE MOVES ON TO FIND NIKKO

NIKKO sites at his desk, processing the papers for the sullen

YOUNG THUG who is handcuffed to a chain next to NIKKO'S

desk. Nikko unholsters his gun... he shoves it into his

desk drawer...

NIKKO:

You speak English?

(Chinese)

You need an interpreter?

QUINN, walking past the ILLEGALS, speaks to GIGI.

QUINN:

I didn't want the Illigals, I wanted

just the bastards dumping them in

the harbor. What's keeping those

bums at Immigration? Nightmare in

here...

M.J. STANDS OVER NIKKO

M.J.

I gotta have Ruben, and a...

HARROWING SCREAM!!! ILLEGAL WOMAN IS SCREAMING --

PANDEMONIUM AMONG THE DETAINEES. COPS RUSH TO CONTROL THE

PROBLEM.

NIKKO:

Outta your mind? Look at this...

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