Copycat Page #18

---

M.J.

(to Quinn)

Lieutenant...?

Just at that moment the kid Ruben was booking goes totally

bananas; M.J. goes to his assistance, wrestling this wild

kid.

NIKKO starts from his chair, looking for the key to the

drawer, but is isn't there... he goes to help Ruben get the

kid under control. Quinn steps in...

M.J.

The prowler in Hudson's apartment

turns out to have a meeting with a

suspect...

QUINN:

(amazed)

You got a suspect...

THEY MOVE BACK TO NIKKO'S DESK.

QUINN:

How'd you get in on the deal?

M.J.

I'm gonna drop charges on the

break-and-enter at Hudson's...

QUINN:

You have no authority to make a

deal like that. That' s for the

D.A...

M.J.

Or the F.B.I.?

QUINN:

Saks. If he knew you did that!

They're all asking me, 'what is she

doing,' as it is.

M.J.

Give me Ruben back...

QUINN:

Nikko?

NIKKO:

We get through this sh*t, let 'em

all go.

NIKKO has stood and moved the handcuffed THUG toward the

door to jail cells. M.J. checks her time, (WALL CLOCKS HELP

US HERE:
8:47)

M.J.

I'll talk to Conrad myself. I'll

be in the jail when you wind this

up...

RUBEN:

I gotta get something to eat, I

haven't eaten all day.

M.J. goes... RUBEN can't find a desk to work at, and

commandeers Nikko's. He slams the KID into NIKKO'S chair

and cuffs him. KID starts to rattle his chairs, spew

Chinese epithets, then bends over the desk and, with his

teeth picks up some paper, tries to shake it to shreds.

RUBEN yanks the papers out of the KID'S mouth, pulls the

KID'S chair from the side to the front of the desk, shoves

the KID into place facing away from the desk, so that he

can't do any more damage. Then RUBEN can't figure out where

he can work. At the next desk, where he has been working,

MAC rises.

MAC:

Here... I'm finished...

RUBEN:

(to Kid)

I'm going to the coffee machine.

Hold the fort.

He moves off, the KID'S eyes move calculatingly around the

room. He twists against the cuffs, trying anything to get

free, and discovers he can pull out the desk drawer.

CLOSE UP:
The KID'S FREE HAND rifling through the drawer

behind his back, finding the gun. PULL BACK to show the

KID. He is as Ruben positioned him, his back pressed

against the desk.

CUT TO:

INT. CITY JAIL CELL - DAY

CONRAD is brought in by a Guard. Lightly shacked. M.J.

stands. Conrad sits.

CONRAD:

Who are you?

M.J.

Inspector Halloran. Homicide.

You were supposed to contact a

Peter Kurten?

CONRAD:

(cagey)

I was? How you spell that?

M.J.

Cut the crap. You got a sheet the

length of my arm...

CONRAD:

(interrupting)

I never hurt nobody...

M.J.

Shut up -- I'm talking. You got

felony breaking and entering,

burglary, felonious...

CONRAD:

(interrupting)

I never carried a gun!

She slaps him hard! He is shocked.

M.J.

You don't listen very good. This

break in -- I can call it a felony --

three strikes, and you got about

sixteen strikes already, and you're

in jail for the rest of your life,

no parole. Or I could see it gets

forgotten.

CONRAD:

You get me out first.

M.J.

Doesn't work that way. You had your

chance, now f*** yourself...

She's walking to the door... Conrad holds out just one more

beat to see if she's bluffing... her hand is on the door

knob...

CONRAD:

Tell me what you want me to say.

Anything.

M.J.

You were going to make a delivery

to Peter Kurten for Daryll Lee

Cullum. I want Kurten's phone

number.

CONRAD:

I don't have it...

M.J. starts to open the door...

CONRAD:

Wait... wait... I already called

him, I threw it away.

M.J.

You already made the delivery?

CONRAD:

No, that's still in my jacket I was

wearing. We were supposed to meet

on the docks, that number 47 wharf,

10 o'clock Friday. He's gonna hand

me 500 bucks.

M.J.

What Friday?

CONRAD:

What day is this? In jail you lose

track. This week. Friday.

M.J. is already on her way...

CONRAD:

Don't forget me, please. I told

you what you wanted -- don't forget

me.

CUT TO:

EXT. WATERFRONT - NIGHT

DESERTED. A LONG SHADOW OF A MAN STRETCHES OUT ACROSS THE

DOCK. IT IS PETER, WALKING LEISURELY FROM THE WATERFRONT

DRIVE TOWARD THE HUGE WATERHOUSE AT THE END OF THE DOCK. HE

STEPS INTO THE DEEP SHADOWS AND SEEMS TO VANISH.

CLOSE:
PETER. HE CHECKS HIS WATCH AND TURNS TO WATCH THE

DOCK AND THE SHORE. HE CAN SEE AND NOT BE SEEN. HE IS

ENTIRELY ALONE NOW.

INT. SQUAD ROOM - NIGHT

RUBEN takes coffee and doughnuts out of a box, then leans

over the KID who seems to have calmed down. He uncuffs him

from the chair.

RUBEN:

Behave. You refuse my hospitality,

I'm putting you to bed.

He pushes the coffee toward the Kid, who WHIPS NIKKO'S GUN

OUT FROM UNDER THE DESK, where it was hidden, and lays it up

under Ruben's ear. KID moves behind RUBEN and puts a skinny

arm around RUBEN'S neck, pulling him upright. RUBEN still

clutching the doughnut box. It takes a moment for the

others to SEE. Then the room is absolutely motionless.

NIKKO:

Take it easy, Kid. Nobody's gonna

do anything. Just let the gun

down, so it don't go off...

A CHINESE DETECTIVE REPEATS THE SAME IDEA IN CHINESE...

KID:

(screams)

Nobody comes through the door...

Behind the KID, as he backs through the door, across the

corridor we LOOK STRAIGHT DOWN A CORRIDOR TO WHERE M.J. IS

COMING ALMOST AT A RUN -- SHE SEES what is happening.

The KID doesn't see her, yet, as he is backing away from the

others... M.J. DRAWS HER GUN AND STANDS IN FIRING POSITION.

IF SHE FIRES FROM HERE RUBEN IS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE KID, AND

OTHER OFFICERS, IN THE LINE THE BULLET WOULD TAKE ARE STILL

SCRAMBLING OUT OF HER LINE... SHE CAN'T FIRE.

M.J.

Hey, you...

The KID turns, sees her, exposing his shoulder to her... SHE

FIRES AND HITS THE KID.

HE IS THROWN TO THE FLOOR AND TWISTED AROUND BY THE IMPACT,

LANDING BEHIND RUBEN SO SHE CAN'T MAKE A SECOND SHOT.

RUBEN GOES FOR HIS OWN GUN, BUT THE KID'S GUN THAT FELL FROM

HIS HAND IS RIGHT BY HIM STILL. THE KID GRABS IT AND FIRES

BEFORE RUBEN HAS HIS GUN ALL THE WAY OUT OF HIS HOLSTER. THE

KID SHOOTS RUBEN IN THE THROAT AT AN ANGLE THAT TAKES THE

BULLET STRAIGHT INTO HIS BRAIN.

THEN THE KID THROWS THE GUN AWAY, AND STANDS, HIS HANDS UP

IN SURRENDER, A GRIN ON HIS FACE. THIS ENTIRE ACTION HAS

TAKEN ABOUT SIX SECONDS. THE KID GOES DOWN, FLATTENED BY

BODIES OF THE COPS WHO HAVE RUSHED HIM.

KID:

I'm a juvenile! I'm a juvenile!

M.J. RUSHES TO RUBEN.

EXT. WATERFRONT - NIGHT

PETER, STANDING AS BEFORE. CHECKS HIS WATCH, LIGHTS A

CIGARETTE.

INT. SQUAD ROOM - NIGHT (LATER)

The KID has been taken away. PARAMEDICS are removing

RUBEN'S body. M.J. stands frozen as RUBEN'S stretcher is

carried out of the room. Her hand holds the doughnut box.

Finally, M.J. blinks, her head turns as if she can't imagine

what to do, where to go. Then, suddenly conscious of the

doughnut box, she clutches it tight against her chest.

CLOSE:
M.J.

She abruptly remembers: the rendezvous with Peter Kurten!

M.J.

Gigi! Dock 47. I need a couple

units to drag the area...

CUT TO:

EXT. WATERFRONT - NIGHT

WIDE FULL SHOT:
DEEP SHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS. IN THE BLACK

CAVERN OF THE DOCK, FOOTSTEPS BEGIN TO ECHO, THEN OUT OF

SHADOW INTO LIGHT COMES

Rate this script:3.7 / 3 votes