Devil in a Blue Dress Page #10

55.

60 CONTINUED:
60

EASY:

You got no excuse to be breakin'

into my house -- What if I broke

into your place?

ALBRIGHT:

(still smiling)

I'd tear your n*gger head out by

its root.

Easy boils inside and then goes over to the counter to pour

himself a cup of coffee.

EASY:

So what do you want?

ALBRIGHT:

Where have you been this time of

morning, Easy?

EASY:

I went to see a girl. Don't you

get none, Mr. Albright?

The smile leaves Albright's face and his eyes turn even

colder.

ALBRIGHT:

I didn't come here to play, boy.

You got my money in your pocket and

we've been over at that address

waitin' all night for Frank Green

and now we've found out that he

moved from there over a year ago.

Easy is scared and confused but he plays it off.

EASY:

So what do you want me to do about

it? You don't think I did my job.

Sh*t, I give you the money back.

And he reaches for his pocket, but Albright reaches too --

and suddenly, Manny and Shariff are in the room and on Easy

like a vice. Albright presses the barrel of the .45 against

Easy's forehead.

ALBRIGHT:

Do you believe in God, Easy?

'Cause I'm curious to see if death

is any different for a religious

man.

Easy looks down, away from the gun, and swallows hard.

56.

60 CONTINUED:
(2) 60

I seen her.

EASY:

After a moment, everyone relaxes and Easy sags out from

under their grip and staggers into

61 THE LIVING ROOM 61

Manny and Shariff surround him as he sits down in a chair

and Albright stalks in holstering his gun.

Where?

ALBRIGHT:

EASY:

She called me. Had me drive up to

the Hollywood Hills.

ALBRIGHT:

How'd she know about you?

EASY:

I guess Coretta... the girl that

told me about Daphne and Frank

Green.

ALBRIGHT:

Why didn't you call me?

EASY:

I couldn't. She threatened to tell

the cops that I had killed

Coretta...

Albright looks over at his henchmen.

ALBRIGHT:

Where is she?

EASY:

She took off.

ALBRIGHT:

(dangerously)

Where is she?

EASY:

I don't know! While I was looking

at the body she split.

ALBRIGHT:

(nodding)

Uh-hunh.

57.

61 CONTINUED:
61

Albright looks around the room as if answers lie in the

corners, but he is not surprised to hear about a body.

ALBRIGHT:

You call the cops?

EASY:

I tried my best to keep in the

speed limit. That's all I did.

ALBRIGHT:

What'd she do, take his car?

EASY:

Hunh?

ALBRIGHT:

McGee. Did she take his car?

Easy hesitates, "How did Albright know his name?"

EASY:

Uh... Yeah...

ALBRIGHT:

Where'd you pick her up at?

EASY:

She left that place--

ALBRIGHT:

--Write it down!

To his shame Easy flinches and gets paper from his end

table, then scribbles down the address and hands it to

Albright who takes Easy's seat and examines the note.

ALBRIGHT:

Get me some whiskey, Easy.

Easy studies Albright who sits knees wide apart, now the

master of the house, and he can't help himself.

EASY:

Get it yourself... Bottle's in the

cabinet.

Albright looks up and Easy braces himself for Albright to

bring on the end, all at once. But slowly a smile spreads

across Albright's face and he laughs, stamping his foot.

58.

61 CONTINUED:
(2) 61

ALBRIGHT:

Well, I'll be damned. Get us a

drink, Manny... Easy, you're a

brave man. I need a brave man

working for me... But you gotta

find Frank Green, so he can lead us

to her.

EASY:

No, thanks, Mr. Albright. People

are gettin' killed all around me...

You never said anything about all

this...

ALBRIGHT:

Easy, you're connectable to two

murders. You'll do whatever I tell

you to do.

Manny brings Albright's drink and the captain turns it up

and gives Manny back the glass.

ALBRIGHT:

(continuing)

Now you got three days to find him.

And you make sure you count 'em

right.

He walks out the screen door with Manny and Shariff

following.

62 KITCHEN 62

Easy grabs the bottle from the counter, where Manny has left

it, and pours himself a stiff one. But he only stares into

the glass.

FLASHBACK:

63 EXT. BATTLEFIELD - DAY 63

Dense black smoke masks everything but two vague figures in

a struggle. The BOOM of heavy artillery gives way only to

the deafening CHATTER of automatic fire.

We are hurtling forward into a horror-stricken Easy in

combat gear, repeatedly stabbing an already lifeless German

soldier. Tears are streaming down Easy's face, his mouth

gaped open in an inaudible SCREAM.

64 BACK TO SCENE 64

He studies the glass and pushes it away. Then looks

59.

65 OUT THE WINDOW 65

Albright and his two goons get in the white Caddy and cruise

away.

66 BEDROOM 66

He dials the operator.

EASY (V.O.)

I needed help... Albright didn't

flinch at hearing that Coretta was

dead and he seemed to know all

about Richard McGee too...

OPERATOR (O.S.)

Number please...

EASY:

Raymond Alexander on...

He pauses, speechless as

Yes?

OPERATOR (O.S.)

EASY:

(after a moment)

Forget about it, operator.

He hangs up, his eyes trained in thought.

A67 EXT. JOPPY'S BAR - DAY A67

A crowd has gathered along the street to watch a three

convertible car caravan: the first car bearing a four-place

band playing "Happy Days Are Here Again"; the second with

someone who could be Lana Turner holding up a "Teran for

Mayor" placard with a man in the front passenger seat

announcing through a megaphone; and last, but hardly least,

Matthew Teran blowing kisses and waving two small American

flags.

Easy looks up for a moment as he closes the trunk of his car

to watch the parade. Then stuffs a ball peen hammer in the

waistband at the small of his back, under his jacket.

He walks with a purpose into the open door next to the

butcher shop.

B67 INT. JOPPY'S BAR B67

Easy stops in the doorway, seeing

JOPPY as usual buffing the marble top of his bar. T-Bone

Walker's "They Call It Stormy Monday" is on the jukebox.

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