Fatal Instinct Page #16

INT. SECOND COACH CAR - DAY

Lana leans forward, looking through the vestibule windows,

watching desperately for Frank's signal.

INT. FIRST COACH CAR - DAY

Frank looks out the window and sees...

EXT. THE RIVER - FRANK'S POV

It looms ahead.

INT. SECOND COACH CAR - DAY

Lana sees Frank's frantic signal. She raises the gun, pulls

the hammer back and steps quickly into...

INT. THE VESTIBULE - DAY

Max hears someone enter. He stiffens...

INT. SECOND COACH CAR - DAY

Ned steps out of the lavatory.

INT. VESTIBULE - DAY

Lana FIRES!... blowing a hole right through Max and the window

behind him! She keeps firing! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

BLAM! More bullets than the gun could ever possibly hold!

INT. SECOND COACH CAR - DAY

Ned hears the GUNSHOTS and whirls around, looking into the

vestibule through the glass window, just as...

INT. VESTIBLE - DAY

...Max turns to face Lana, filled with bloody bullet holes.

MAX:

You shootin' at me?

Shocked to see it's Max, Lana empties the rest of the bullets

into him... BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Max is SLAMMED back into

the vestibule door by the impact!

MAX:

Yeah... you're definitely shootin'

at me.

She fires one last shot... BLAM!!!

EXT. TRAIN ON BRIDGE - DAY

Max flies out the door, executing a perfect "full gainer

with a triple twist and a half-tuck"... a flawless Olympic

style dive... ending with a dead body "belly flop" into the

water!

INT. FIRST COACH CAR - DAY

Frank sees Max hit the river and lets out a loud "WHOOP!"

The Old Woman shoots him a nasty look. He stifles himself.

INT. VESTIBULE - DAY

Ned slides the vestibule door open... steps toward Lana. In

a daze, she raises the gun, points it at him, pulling the

trigger... CLICK... CLICK... CLICK. He takes the gun from

her gently.

INT. FIRST COACH CAR - DAY

Frank jumps up, rushing forward. He skids to a stop... seeing

Ned through the glass! Shocked, he ducks back.

INT. VESTIBULE - DAY

NED:

In this crazy world, there's not a

whole lot a guy can count on. But

when the chips are down, I can always

count on you.

He takes her hand gently and kisses it...

NED:

You risked your life to save mine. A

guy can't ask any more from a woman

than that.

... then, CLICK! He snaps a handcuff on her wrist!

NED:

But I saw you shoot him, Lana. In

cold blood. I gotta arrest you for

murder.

LANA:

Ned... you wouldn't...

NED:

Sorry. I'm a cop. I have a job to

do.

LANA:

But... you said it yourself. I saved

your life.

NED:

Don't worry, baby. I know a good

lawyer.

SPINNING NEWSPAPER

whirls at us, snapping to a stop in someone's hands... upside

down. The hands turn it rightside up. The headline reads:

"COP ARRESTS WIFE FOR MURDER!... WILL DEFEND HER IN COURT!"

REVERSE ANGLE:

The paper lowers, revealing Lola Cain with a gratified smile.

EXT. CITY JAIL - DAY

Ned and Laura move up the steps, surrounded by REPORTERS and

MEDIA PEOPLE. Questions are being fired from all sides.

REPORTER #1

What kind of gun did she use?

NED:

That's a question for the arresting

officer.

REPORTER #2

Aren't you the arresting officer?

NED:

You'll have to ask her attorney.

REPORTER #1

But aren't you her attorney?

NED:

Only her husband can answer that.

REPORTER #3

What will Mrs. Ravine be wearing at

the trial?

Ned stops at the top of the stairs, turning to the Reporters.

NED:

A lovely powder blue dress with a

cinch waist, full bodice and a

delicately pleated skirt.

REPORTER #3

Does it have a matching jacket?

NED:

No comment.

REPORTER #3

Is it cotton or rayon?

NED:

(perturbed)

I said... NO COMMENT!

Ned and Laura turn and enter the building.

REPORTER #1

(calling out)

Did she eat any of the victim's body

parts?

INT. CITY JAIL BUILDING - ENTRY CORRIDOR - DAY

NED:

Jeez... they're really throwing some

tough questions out there today.

LAURA:

They're just doing their job.

NED:

Yeah... well I call it a "high-tech

lynching of an uppity white

housewife."

INT. CAVERNOUS ROOM - DAY

It's huge, dark and shadowy. More than a dozen heavily armed

POLICE OFFICERS stand guard all around the perimeter. In the

center is a cell constructed of iron bars, like an animal

cage. Ned and Laura enter. Arch steps over.

NED:

(seeing the cage)

What's this?

ARCH:

Only cell available. They had that

serial killer locked up here... you

know, the one who talks his victims

to death then eats them... Hannibal

the Lecturer. But they let him out

for a three week tour to publicize

his new book.

Arch hands him a hardbound book.

NED:

(reading the cover)

"To Serve Man."

ARCH:

It's a cookbook.

Ned flips it over.

ANGLE - THE BOOK - NED'S POV

On the back is a picture of HANNIBAL THE LECTURER... wearing

a baseball catcher's mask with barbed wire over the mouth.

BACK TO SCENE:

ARCH:

And look, look... he autographed it.

Arch pulls the front cover of the book open, pointing.

NED:

(reads it)

To Arch... Love to have you for dinner

sometime... Hannibal.

(hands it back)

Very nice.

Arch points toward the cage.

ARCH:

They're waiting for ya. They didn't

want to start without her attorney

being present.

CLOSE ON LANA - CANTED ANGLE

There's a BIG MOTH on her mouth. The CAMERA PULLS BACK SLOWLY.

A beat... she spits the moth off, irritated.

LANA:

PFFFTT! Damn moths! This place could

use a good exterminator.

Three POLICE INVESTIGATORS sit opposite Lana at a long table.

Moths flutter everywhere.

INVESTIGATOR # 2

(to Police Guard)

Let's get the SWAT Team in here.

Ned, Laura and Arch enter the cage as the Guard exits.

LANA:

Can't you get me out of this cage,

Ned? I'm goin' buggy in here.

NED:

Judge said no bail. Don't worry.

Just tell the truth, you'll be fine.

He turns to the Investigators.

NED:

Who's gonna handle the interrogation?

INVESTIGATOR 1

It's your collar... your bust...

your call... your show... your play...

your move... your wife...

NED:

Okay, okay!... I'll handle it.

Laura sits at the far end of the table and opens her notebook.

Lana pulls out her mirrored compact, starts to apply lipstick.

INVESTIGATOR 2

Sorry Mrs. Ravine... there's no makeup

allowed in this building.

He nods toward a warning sign: a circle around a LIPSTICK

with a diagonal line thru it. She responds, cool, confident.

LANA:

What're you gonna do... arrest me

for primping?

In the b.g., members of the SWAT Team desperately swat at

the fluttering moths.

Ned spins his chair around, plants one foot on it, leans on

his knee, looking hard at Lana.

NED:

Don't give us a tough time. Just

spill it! What were you doing on

that train?

LANA:

Well...

Ned raises his hand, sits down, leans close, changing his

tone.

NED:

(confidential)

As your attorney, I must advise you...

you don't have to answer that

question.

Ned stands, paces, agitated... plants his foot on the chair

again. He leans toward her... getting tough again.

NED:

Alright, quit playing games with us!

(fires questions)

Who put ya up to it? Where'd you get

the gun? What's your link with the

CIA?

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote