Dark City Page #10

STRANGER 2 (standing beside Stranger 1) opens a silver box,

removes a small WRITHING WORM. He places this on the tip of the

trembling man's tongue, who swallows it and calms down.

ANOTHER STRANGER rises suddenly, pushes forcefully to the front of

the group.

STRANGER 3

What about the Dreaming! It is my

responsibility to schedule this, we

must resolve this issue, yes?

MISTER HAND faces him. Stranger 3 is out of line, becomes agitated,

as if to say something further, then pulls himself short, sits down.

STRANGER 2

This has gone too far! Tell Mister

Black! He'll know what to do.

A murmur of general agreement.

Stranger 1 stares blankly into space, he makes a peculiar clicking

noise with his mouth, his eyes roll upwards.

STRANGER 4

No! Tell him nothing! Not until we

understand more.

MISTER BLACK O.S.

What is going on!

Everyone goes very quiet (particularly Stranger 4, who actually

cringes) - THE CAMERA PANS TO a doorway:

Completely silhouetted, the hunched over figure of MISTER BLACK

clutches his cane.

He hobbles INTO LIGHT and walks slowly to the front of the room.

He's much like the others but is very old. He clears his throat,

then:

MISTER BLACK:

(Cont.)

Who will go first?

ANGLE ON - the hushed group of Strangers. No one speaks.

MISTER BLACK:

(Cont.)

Let's get on with it, yes.

Mister Hand steps forward.

MISTER HAND:

There is a problem. A man has

evaded us. We have not been able to

find him.

Mister Black says nothing for a moment - then he looks up at

Mister Hand. PUSH IN TIGHT on Mister Black and for the first time

we see his piercing blue eyes.

MISTER BLACK:

Go on.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT

A PHOTO FLASH - illuminates the dead body of the hotel manager,

slumped in his own blood.

Bumstead leans INTO FRAME. He examines several stab wounds in the

man's abdomen. VARIOUS COPS search the room in the B.G.

Bumstead makes quick scribbles in his notebook then glances at the

front desk.

HIS P.O.V. - a dog-eared phone message ledger with coffee cup

stains on it.

Bumstead flicks through the last few pages, sees something. He

holds the ledger up to the light.

TIGHT ANGLE - on the ledger. We can make out the imprint of the

note to Walker on the backing page... PAN WITH Bumstead's finger -

a series of daily messages from Emma.

Officer Husselbeck appears behind Bumstead.

COP:

Got another one upstairs.

Bumstead just nods silently.

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR - NIGHT

ANGLE ON - Bumstead climbing the narrow stairs near the elevator,

followed by Husselbeck. They step into the room where a LONE COP is

dusting.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

BUMSTEAD:

(to cop)

Take shots up here?

COP:

Not yet.

BUMSTEAD:

Where is everyone?

COP:

Guess I'm it tonight.

Capek and the coroner step into the room.

CAPEK:

Bumstead.

BUMSTEAD:

'Evening, Capek.

Capek steps over to the woman's body, bends down to examine her.

Bumstead looks over his shoulder.

BUMSTEAD:

It's our friend?

CAPEK:

These cuts were made by a long,

razor-like blade. It's consistent

with the killer.

The photographer from downstairs arrives and starts taking shots of

the woman.

Looking concerned, Capek pulls Bumstead aside.

BUMSTEAD:

Something troubling you?

CAPEK:

It's nothing specific. But...

BUMSTEAD:

Yes?

CAPEK:

The wounds are so... precise.

BUMSTEAD:

Is that unusual?

CAPEK:

In my past experience when they use

a knife they tend to be more random.

These are like a surgeon's incisions -

specific, unemotional.

Bumstead looks at the body for a moment.

BUMSTEAD:

She been raped?

CAPEK:

No. In each case there has been no

sexual attack on the victim.

BUMSTEAD:

What does all that tell us?

CAPEK:

You got me, Bumstead.

INT. SUBWAY STATION - NIGHT

WALKER RUNS like a madman.

Underground. CONSTANT NOISE O.S. of trains arriving and departing.

He slips and FALLS, landing squarely in a puddle of soggy trash on

the ground. He sits up, not hurt, but covered in mud.

Walker starts to laugh.

MOVE IN TIGHT ON WALKER - as he starts to cry now. He puts his

head in his hands, his body spasms with each sob.

SEVERAL ANGLES of the empty corridors of the subway. Walker's

crying is heard - echoic.

BACK ON WALKER - A small feminine HAND touches his head.

Startled, he throws himself back, and looks up frightened and ready

to fight or run.

THE ORIENTAL WOMAN (her name is MEI) from the church looks down at

him.

INT. POLICE STATION HALL-WAY - NIGHT

TRACKING SHOT towards a door: CHIEF-INSPECTOR on the frosted glass.

A hand reaches INTO FRAME, knocks twice.

STROMBOLI O.S.

Enter!

INT. STROMBOLI'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Bumstead steps into the office - finds STROMBOLI wandering about

the room, distracted, searching for something...

STROMBOLI:

What is it?

He grabs the waste-basket and empties the contents onto his desk,

sorts through it.

BUMSTEAD:

A formality. I need to speak with

Kowolski.

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