Devil in a Blue Dress Page #14

MILLER:

And we got our print.

EASY:

What do you mean?

MASON:

Oh, hadn't you heard? We found a

cigarette lighter in the dead man's

house with the killer's

fingerprints on it.

EASY:

(total disbelief)

Naw, man. I didn't do it.

MASON:

Course you did, we got evidence.

EASY:

(frantic)

I didn't do it. You know I

didn't...

And Miller leans in hard.

MILLER:

We know that you know more than

you're lettin' on. And now a white

man's been killed.

(MORE)

79.

87 CONTINUED:
(3) 87

MILLER (CONT'D)

Now you better tell us what you

know, or you're goin' down for the

murder of Richard McGee and Coretta

James.

He straightens up and Easy stands up, too.

EASY:

(shouting)

I don't know nothin'.

MILLER:

(to Mason)

Put the cuffs on. Let's take him

down.

As Mason reaches for the cuffs, Easy sees Mouse peek out

from the kitchen doorway then disappear inside.

EASY:

Uh, listen! I don't know who did

it!

MILLER:

But we do...

He sees Mouse draw his gun, his eyes trained on Miller's

back.

MASON:

And that's all that counts.

EASY:

Dammit, I didn't do it.

MILLER:

Tell it to the D.A.

Mouse is trained with the hammer cocked and Easy is about to

give the signal, but then:

EASY:

Look, gimme some time to find out.

MILLER:

Forget it.

EASY:

Gimme till tomorrow... Tomorrow

mornin'...

Miller thinks about it and then--

80.

87 CONTINUED:
(4) 87

MILLER:

Okay. Tomorrow morning, that's it.

He nods to Mason and Easy looks up to see Mouse raise the

gun and slide back into the kitchen.

Mason unlocks the cuffs.

MASON:

Have a nice evening, Ezekiel.

And he and Miller walk out.

Easy looks out the doorway watching

A88 EASY'S POV A88

MILLER AND MASON

get in their squad car and drive away.

BACK TO SCENE:

B88 He turns back to see Mouse standing in the living room. B88

EASY:

(wearily)

I guess you know what would have

happened if you had shot them two

cops in my house?

MOUSE:

(shrugging)

Hell yeah. They'd be dead.

Easy shakes his head.

EASY:

Come on, let's go.

He grabs a jacket.

88-91 OMIT 88-91

A92 EXT. EASY'S HOUSE - DAY A92

Easy hurries out of his house pulling on his jacket with

Mouse right behind.

MOUSE:

What they tryin' to pin on you?

81.

A92 CONTINUED:
A92

EASY:

I'll tell you on the way.

the keys?

You got

Yeah.

MOUSE:

And he hurries around to the driver's side.

EASY:

Before we run out to Compton we got

one other place to stop by...

He freezes seeing the Woodcutter watching and listening.

EASY:

(to Woodcutter)

Man, don't you mess with my trees

while I'm gone.

He gets in as Mouse cranks the engine.

EASY:

You heard me. Leave my trees

alone.

As Mouse starts away the old man smiles mischievously and

starts to sharpen his axe.

Easy leans out the car window, yelling back as the car pulls

away.

EASY:

I mean it now. Don't you mess with

my trees!!

92 EXT. PORTLAND COURT - DAY 92

It's a horseshoe of tiny apartments with over a dozen little

porches and doorways staggered in a semi-circle around a

small yard that has a half-dozen stunted magnolia trees

growing in brick pots.

Easy and Mouse step into the courtyard, passing elderly

tenants sitting inside screened doors. Jimmy Lunceford's

"I'm Walking Through Heaven With You" floats out into the

yard.

They arrive at the closed door of number eight. Easy knocks

and then knocks again, hard. Something CRASHES on the

inside and heavy FOOTSTEPS pound to the door.

Who's that?

VOICE BEHIND DOOR

82.

92 CONTINUED:
92

Easy!

EASY:

The door opens and JUNIOR FORNAY stands there behind the

screen door in blue boxer shorts and a white T-shirt.

JUNIOR:

What you want?

EASY:

It's private, Junior. Lemme in.

And he reaches to pull open the door, but Junior throws the

latch.

JUNIOR:

I ain't got time now.

to get some sleep.

I'm tryin'

MOUSE:

Why don't you open the door,

Junior, 'fore I have to shoot it

down.

Mouse steps out into the doorway, in plain view.

Mouse.

JUNIOR:

Open up.

MOUSE:

We ain't got all night.

Junior forces a smile and lets them in.

93 INT. JUNIOR'S APARTMENT - DAY 93

Filthy and junky, with old car parts scattered amongst old

furniture, the room is unpleasant with only the benefit of a

dim light -- just like Junior.

JUNIOR:

Y'all want a beer?

He nods at a card table with one folding chair and throws

two others into place on his way to the refrigerator.

Easy and Mouse sit down and Junior brings over a quart of

PABST BLUE RIBBON BEER and two glasses that he wipes out

with a rag.

EASY:

What ya smokin'? Zapatas?

83.

93 CONTINUED:
93

Junior tosses his pack onto the table and pours beer into

the glasses for Easy and Mouse, and drinks from the bottle.

Easy unfolds the handkerchief in his pocket on the table,

uncovering the cigarette butt from Richard McGee's house.

EASY:

(to Junior)

This is one of yours, ain't it?

Junior looks at the butt and shrugs.

EASY:

You the only one I know cheap

enough to smoke this sh*t... Why'd

you kill Richard McGee?

JUNIOR:

Huh? What you talkin' 'bout?

EASY:

Ain't no time to play, Junior. I

know you the one killed him.

JUNIOR:

You crazy, man. You crazy!

And he stands up to emphasize his indignation.

MOUSE:

Sit down, Junior.

Junior shifts awkwardly from side to side and then sits back

down.

EASY:

Tell me what happened, Junior.

JUNIOR:

I don't know what you talkin'

'bout.

EASY:

Well, the police will. When they

find out that they got your

fingerprints up there in that man's

house.

JUNIOR:

What fingerprints? What house?

84.

93 CONTINUED:
(2) 93

EASY:

Hattie had you pull that man out of

John's the night I was there. And

he was laying up there dead with

the same suit on and a knife in his

chest.

JUNIOR:

I ain't killed nobody.

EASY:

Quit lyin', you big ole sweaty-

thick headed-cornbread eatin'--

Mouse can't keep from laughing and Junior starts up after

Easy.

JUNIOR:

You thick-headed, ya damn self!!

But Mouse is up, still laughing with the pistol in his hand.

MOUSE:

Sit down, man... 'fore I blow your

brains out.

JUNIOR:

What kinda sh*t y'all trying to

pull here?

MOUSE:

(last warning)

Sit down.

Junior sits down and throws himself around in the chair like

a child throwing a fit.

EASY:

You better tell it the way it

happened. And maybe I'll forget

what I know... Otherwise, I'm gonna

tell Mouse to shoot ya 'cause you

know I don't like your ass and he

don't like you either.

Mouse slaps the table, laughing so hard he's in tears.

MOUSE:

Aw, man...

And he aims the pistol and c*cks the hammer, causing Junior

to throw himself around some more.

85.

93 CONTINUED:
(3) 93

EASY:

You killed him to take his money,

didn't ya?

JUNIOR:

I don't even know who you--

EASY:

You just had to rob him, didn't ya!

JUNIOR:

I didn't! I didn't touch nothin'

in his house!

SILENCE. But it's in the open now and Junior frowns and

shakes his head.

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