Get Carter Page #4

Jack pats Eddie on the back and moves to the open casket.

It suddenly hits Jack like a wave: the sight of his dead

brother. He gently touches his brother’s cold face,

noticing a bandage patch on the side of his head.

CUT TO:

EXT. FUNERAL HOME -MINUTES LATER

Gloria exits and heads for the limo. Eddie and Jack stop

for some fresh air.

EDDIE:

I couldn’t believe it when I

heard. Good standin’ family man,

calm as Gentle Jesus, he was a

good lad. And these bloody

gangbangers, they take it all with

a senseless, random act!

AJIT (O.S.)

Yes, well, welcome to America.

Jack turns to face AJIT, 19, a 115-pound busboy with a

heavy New Delhi accent.

EDDIE:

This here’s Ajit, one of our

busboys. He was the last one to

see Frank that night.

(CONTINUED)

21.

CONTINUED:

JACK:

Did you see him leave?

AJIT:

No, I left first. My Uncle Rakesh

lives just two blocks away.

JACK:

So Frank managed the Half Moon?

(Eddie nods)

Who owns it?

EDDIE:

A gentleman named Cliff Brumby.

Jack nods. Something up the street grabs his attention.

EXT. STREET -TWO PAIR OF SKINNY LEGS

They make their towards the funeral home.

It’s DOREEN. She walks with MICHELLE, her Mulatto friend

from earlier. Jack approaches both of them and smiles.

JACK:

Hello. I’m Jack.

Jack extends his hand and she shakes it.

MICHELLE:

Michelle.

JACK:

Nice to meet you, Michelle. Do

you mind if I speak with Doreen

alone for a moment?

Michelle shakes her head and heads for the funeral home.

Jack stares down at Doreen.

JACK:

Is there anything I can do for

you?

(as Doreen shakes her

head)

I know it’s not my place... but

your mother needs you right now,

Doreen. She loves your very much

and I don’t think either of you

should have to go through this

alone.

(CONTINUED)

22.

CONTINUED:

DOREEN:

She’s not alone. She has her

Valium.

She meets his hard gaze and walks over to Michelle.

CUT TO:

EXT. ST. MELS CHURCH -DAY

The procession of cars crawls through wrought-iron gates.

EXT. ST. MELS CHURCH -HEARSE

Pallbearers carry the coffin up the stairs. Jack, Gloria

and Doreen walk somberly aside. Jack turns his face away

from the news crew filming them.

A BELL TOLLS.

PRIEST (V.O.)

Please stand.

INT. CHAPEL -SMALL GATHERING

Jack sits with Gloria in the front row. Doreen and

Michelle are right behind.

PRIEST:

As it hath pleased almighty God of

his great mercy to take unto

himself the soul of our dear

brother here departed...

As the eulogy continues, Jack’s gaze wanders over the

crowd. He stops on a hard-looking black man in his late

40s, CLIFF BRUMBY. Ex-boxer handsome, he sits with a

young, beautiful blonde wife. Jack whispers something to

Gloria, she looks over and turns back.

GLORIA:

Cliff Brumby and his wife Susan.

JACK:

Cliff owns the Half Moon.

Gloria nods and refocuses back to the PRIEST.

23.

JACK’S POV

He looks BACK over the head of Doreen. Back by the door,

in a black Prada dress and hat, a beautiful and EXOTIC

WOMAN stares at them.

Doreen makes quick eye contact with the Woman and turns

back.

JACK:

looks at Doreen, off-kiltered.

JACK:

Do you know that woman back there?

Doreen shakes her head. Jack turns back to the Priest.

PRIEST:

... according to the mighty

working --whereby he is able to

subdue --all things to himself.

Jack looks back again and she’s gone. Jack rises.

JACK:

Excuse me.

GLORIA:

(whispering)

What are you doing?

JACK:

I’ll be right back.

STEADY ON JACK:

He walks towards the back of the procession, the Priest

ECHOING behind him.

EXT. CHAPEL

The DOOR SLAMS open. Jack walks outside and the Woman is

gone. Then --a 1996 silver Porsche Boxster whips out of

the parking lot.

PAN QUICKLY down the street. As he watches the woman

disappear, he spots two suspicious MEN sitting in a

parked black sedan. Jack stares at them, turns, and

casually heads in the opposite direction.

INT. PARKED BLACK SEDAN -TWO MEN’S POV

Jack turns and heads away from them, up the street.

24.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

DRIVER:

Okay. There he is. Ready?

PASSENGER:

Like a boiled ham.

The two exit the sedan with purpose.

STEADY WITH THEIR POV

Jack turns a corner.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

The Passenger breaks ahead and hurries around the corner.

The Driver hesitates but then follows after him.

DRIVER’S POV

He turns the corner two seconds later, only to find the

Passenger pinned to the ground.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Jack confidently points the Passenger’s own gun in

defense.

JACK:

It’s a dangerous game you two are

playing.

DRIVER:

Mr. Carter? We’re police

officers! Just hold on. I’m

going to reach down and slowly

produce my badge.

The man ever so slightly flashes his gold shield. Jack

rolls his eyes, apologetically.

JACK:

Christ. I’m sorry, Detective. My

mistake.

Jack picks up Passenger and gives him back his piece.

Passenger flings Jack against the wall and frisks him.

PASSENGER:

I’ll show you ’mistake.’ How does

a night in county sound, a**hole?

(CONTINUED)

25.

CONTINUED:

DRIVER:

Rest easy, John.

PASSENGER:

F*** easy!

Passenger turns to his partner, seething. Jack’s clean.

DRIVER:

Mr. Carter, I’m Detective Scott

Simpkins, L.A.P.D. That’smy

partner, Detective John Voorhees.

JACK:

Do you have any suspects?

SIMPKINS (DRIVER)

Suspects?

JACK:

As to who killed my brother.

SIMPKINS:

Yes, well, gang-related

carjackings have been real common

in this area lately. Thank God

they love to shoot their mouths

off. We’ll get them.

JACK:

A single shot to the head sounds

more like a hit, not some kid

spraying an Uzi.

SIMPKINS:

Two witnesses saw two men in ski

masks, Mr. Carter. One assailant,

one driver.

VOORHEES (PASSENGER)

It’s a familiar M.O.

Voorhees looks over to his partner.

SIMPKINS:

Gray Volvo. Nothing on the

plates.

(after a long beat)

Are you going to be in L.A. long,

Mr. Carter?

JACK:

Until tomorrow, probably.

(CONTINUED)

26.

CONTINUED:

SIMPKINS:

And then it’s back off to New

York?

JACK:

Excuse me?

Simpkins hesitates before he offers a "nothing" shake of

the head. The two men lock eyes and disappear.

CUT TO:

EXT. HALF MOON BAR AND GRILL -ESTABLISHING

A chrome and glass 12-story building on Ventura Blvd.

The restaurant occupies the ground floor.

INT. HALF MOON BAR AND GRILL -JACK’S POV -LATER

Only a few scattered mourners remain at the reception.

They eat, drink and quietly converse. Jack scans the

walls while he eats with Eddie at a table.

Black and white framed 8X10 photographs are everywhere.

Patrons, partiers and staff. Frank with Sally Field.

Cliff Brumby and wife with a few Ivy League bachelors.

Brumby and Frank with Dennis Rodman.

ACROSS ROOM:

Doreen fends off Gloria.

GLORIA:

It’s not right for you to be going

out of town. We need to deal with

this as a family. Uncle Jack’s

here -

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