Get Carter Page #6

EDDIE:

I don’t know. I guess I can

check.

JACK:

The police haven’t yet?

Eddie shakes his head. Jack thinks to himself.

EDDIE:

It might take me a few hours.

JACK:

That’s fine. I can be reached at

this number anytime.

Jack writes his cell phone number on a napkin and leaves

it on the bar. Ajit crosses past with clean glasses.

JACK:

How often you work here, kid?

EDDIE:

Ajit’s here seven days a week.

JACK:

Impressive. Frank must’ve taken

fairly good care of you.

Ajit smiles admirably and stacks the glasses.

34.

TIGHT ON JACK:

He sips his Guinness and pans the wall behind the bar.

He stops and rises to get a better look.

TIGHT ON BLACK AND WHITE 8X10 FRAMED PICTURE

The photo shows Eddie pouring four shots. Three women

hang all over him. The one on the far left, smiling, is

the exotic woman in black Prada from the funeral.

JACK:

gets up from his stool, slowly walks behind the bar, and

shoots a look to Eddie.

EDDIE:

Oh, yes. Geraldine, my sweet.

The porno freaks love it here.

They act like big shots but sure

as hell don’t tip like it.

JACK:

’Porno freaks?’ What was she

doing at the funeral?

EDDIE:

Christ. Geraldine loved Frank

more than anyone.

Jack gives Eddie a look of death.

JACK:

He was married, Ed.

EDDIE:

I know, Jack.

JACK:

Do you know where I might find

her?

EDDIE:

Today? Oh yeah. The track, Jack.

CUT TO:

EXT. HOLLYWOOD PARK RACETRACK

Jack enters. Trainers parade regal-looking horses.

Colored flags blow above the mayhem of fans. Jack picks

up a Racing Form, ignores all the old men trying to push

their picks, and heads inside.

35.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS LOBBY -ROPED-OFF ELEVATOR

People in suits plead and argue to get up to the Turf

Club. An older, shabbily-dressed couple in particular.

BOUNCER:

I don’t care if you own two

fillies! You’re not getting up

without a tie!

Jack manages to grab the Bouncer’s attention.

JACK:

Last name’s Thorpe. Or Thorpey.

The man looks at his clipboard and shakes his head.

BOUNCER:

Would it be under another name?

JACK:

Yes. How about Franklin?

BOUNCER:

First name?

JACK:

Benjamin.

The man looks up from his list and smiles.

BOUNCER:

Yeah, sure. I know Ben.

Jack shakes the man’s hand, discretely slips him a

hundred, and gets on the elevator. Everyone in line

stares at Jack as the elevator doors close on him.

SMASH CUT TO:

INT. UPSTAIRS TURF CLUB

The DOORS SLAM open. Beautiful women in hats. Jack

makes his way through the crowd and spots ROSE, a decked-

out old lady in a wheelchair. She watches the screen

with her pen and pad.

JACK:

So who looks good?

She doesn’t even bother turning around.

ROSE:

Who the hell do you think!? Sweet

Di.

(CONTINUED)

36.

CONTINUED:

JACK:

Afraid I’m gonna have to miss that

train, Rose.

The raspy woman quickly looks back and smiles.

ROSE:

Jesus Christ! Jack! Where the

hell have you been?

Jack kisses her on the cheek.

JACK:

New York, Las Vegas... it’s good

to see you.

ROSE:

Awww, Jack, don’t get into that

crap right now. Race starts in

seven minutes. Make your case.

Jack refers to all the media coverage of Sweet Di.

JACK:

Just open the newspaper, Rose.

Her people have piled so much

pressure on her to match Affirm,

she doesn’t know what’s going on.

And you can tell she knows that

it’s something big from her last

three races.

ROSE:

Oh, Jesus Christ! Give me a

break!

JACK:

Look at her final quarters, Rose.

They’ve deteriorated steadily the

last six weeks. Horses react to

pressure the same way humans do.

More often then not, they choke.

Rose shakes her head, waves him off and looks at her pad.

JACK:

Institutionalized. She’s

reckless.

She ignores. Jack shakes his head, smiles, and exits.

INT. BETTING AREA -JACK’S POV

TIGHT ON three-horse odds. Seventeen to one.

37.

JACK:

steps up to the CLERK behind the "$50 Minimum" counter,

sets his beer and Racing Form down, and pulls out his

money roll of hundreds. Circled on his Racing Form is

the number three horse, Institutionalized.

JACK:

Fifty win tickets on the three

horse, please.

She looks him in the eye, almost like he’s joking. She

then sees the wad of hundreds.

CLERK:

Twenty-five hundred.

He counts out the hundy’s like a bank teller. She enters

it into the computer as Jack scans the crowd. Tickets

pop out for a good fifteen seconds.

CLERK:

Good luck, sir.

JACK:

Thank you.

After the exchange, Jack stares at the tickets. Then -

JACK’S POV

He SPOTS a BLEACH BLONDE in revealing attire escort a

Chinese businessman through the gulley.

BACK TO SCENE:

He thinks to himself and follows.

INT./EXT. GRANDSTANDS -BOX OF SEATS -JACK’S DISTANT POV

Jack SCANS the crowd and STOPS on five well-dressed

people, all drinking champagne. The Bleach Blonde and

Chinese businessman join CYRUS SHERMAN, late 30s, gray

suit and red tie. Wraparound sunglasses mask otherwise

hungry features.

Jack then spots GERALDINE, the exotic woman dressed in

the same black Prada outfit from earlier, minus the hat.

She flirts with a giant LIMO DRIVER/bodyguard.

A TRUMPET sounds. An Australian voice over the P.A.

welcomes the crowd to the Breeder’s Cup and gives the

horse listings.

38.

INT. EXCLUSIVE SKYBOX -HIGH ABOVE EVERYONE

A pair of Nikon binoculars angle down.

BINOCULAR POV:

They FOCUS ON Jack as he finishes his beer and makes his

way over towards Geraldine.

EXT. GRANDSTANDS -SAME TIME

Geraldine gets affectionate with BIG MIKE the driver

while Cyrus, the Chinese Businessman, and the Bleach

Blonde compare horse picks.

JACK (O.S.)

Lose your hat?

She turns from Big Mike and stares at Jack, surprised.

GERALDINE (EXOTIC WOMAN)

It’s back in the car.

JACK:

The Porsche?

She grins, knowingly. He’s been following her. Cyrus

hits his clove and approaches Jack.

CYRUS:

Can I help you with something,

sir?

Jack shakes his head and addresses Geraldine again.

JACK:

So how’d you know my brother?

CYRUS:

Wait, I’m sorry. Maybe I need to

re-phrase my question. Who the

f*** are you and what do you want?

GERALDINE:

He’s Jack, Cyrus. His brother is

Frank... from the Half Moon.

CYRUS:

Oh sh*t. I’m sorry, Jack, I had

no idea, man.

Geraldine. AnI’m Cyrus. This is

d Big Mike.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

39.

CONTINUED:

CYRUS (CONT’D)

(as Jack offers a nod)

We’ve known Frank for years.

Couldn’t f***in’ believe it, man.

Would you like to join us? Oh

sh*t.

(before he can answer)

Excuse me for just one second.

Cyrus stops the Chinese businessman from paying the

waiter for more champagne. Cyrus pays instead.

Geraldine looks at Jack.

GERALDINE:

I knew your brother from the bar.

But that’s where it stopped, just

in case you were wondering.

JACK:

I was. What do you do, Geraldine?

CYRUS (O.S.)

She does everything.

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