House of Cards Page #7

FRANCIS:

(opens the door wider)

Come in, Ms. Barnes.

INT. UNDERWOOD RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - A FEW MINUTES LATER

Francis pours drinks from the liquor cabinet. Hands one to

Zoe, then sits across from her. Zoe takes a sip.

ZOE:

It’s strong.

FRANCIS:

You like it weak?

ZOE:

No - the stronger the better.

She unwraps her scarf, revealing some impressive cleavage

Francis takes a quick glance, then finds her eyes again.

ZOE (CONT’D)

There’s no harm in looking.

FRANCIS:

That’s a cheap ploy, Ms. Barnes.

ZOE:

Cheap but effective.

FRANCIS:

If your goal is to distract me -

which you haven’t.

ZOE:

I don’t want you distracted. I

want you focused.

FRANCIS:

You certainly have my undivided

attention.

39.

ZOE:

Good, then I’ll get straight to the

point...

FRANCIS:

(amused)

Foreplay is over?

ZOE:

I read somewhere that JFK never

lasted more than three minutes.

FRANCIS:

The point being?

ZOE:

That time is precious. Powerful

people don’t have the luxury of

foreplay.

He smiles, eyes narrowing.

FRANCIS:

Why are you here Ms. Barnes?

ZOE:

Because I need somebody I can

trust, and someone who trusts me.

FRANCIS:

You’re in the wrong zip code for

that.

ZOE:

Maybe trust isn’t the right word.

An arrangement perhaps.

FRANCIS:

As in...

ZOE:

You confide in me, to the extent

that you’re comfortable...

FRANCIS:

And in return...

ZOE:

I protect your identity and print

what you tell me. I serve you. I

communicate what you can’t publicly

say yourself.

40.

FRANCIS:

What makes you think I don’t

already have such an arrangement

with one of your colleagues?

ZOE:

Because if you did, you wouldn’t

have let me in the door.

Francis smiles. He’s enjoying the repartee.

FRANCIS:

I’ve had a very long, very

successful career avoiding this

sort of intrigue with the press. I

don’t see any particular advantage

in starting now.

ZOE:

Is there any disadvantage?

FRANCIS:

Sloppiness, for one.

ZOE:

I promise you absolute discretion.

FRANCIS:

So we are talking about trust.

ZOE:

Use whatever word you like. I

don’t care.

FRANCIS:

Words matter very much, Ms. Barnes.

You should care more, given your

profession.

ZOE:

Then yes, your trust. Because if I

were to betray it I stand far less

of a chance surviving the

consequences.

FRANCIS:

Metro is killing you, huh?

She looks at him, impressed he knows this.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)

Don’t be flattered that I’m

familiar with your work. I read

everything.

41.

ZOE:

I don’t doubt it. And yes, Metro

is killing me.

FRANCIS:

(considers for a moment)

How exactly can I help you?

ZOE:

The Administration’s legislative

agenda.

FRANCIS:

I see.

ZOE:

You must know.

FRANCIS:

I may.

ZOE:

Immigration is too controversial.

Tax-reform isn’t sexy enough. I’m

thinking Education.

FRANCIS:

You very well might think that.

I couldn’t possibly comment.

ZOE:

All I need is a nod or a wink.

FRANCIS:

It’s late Ms. Barnes, and it’s been

a long day.

ZOE:

Can we speak again?

FRANCIS:

A prudent man never makes a rash

decision unless forced by

necessity. And my only necessity

at the moment is a pillow beneath

my head. I hope you’ll understand

if I’d prefer to sleep on all of

this.

INT. UNDERWOOD RESIDENCE - FOYER - MOMENTS LATER

Francis helps Zoe put her coat on. Steve is in the foyer

with them. Zoe hands Francis a card.

42.

ZOE:

My cell phone’s on the back.

Personal, not work.

Francis pockets the card without looking at it.

FRANCIS:

(to Steve)

Did you put Ms. Barnes in the

visitors leger?

STEVE:

Not yet.

FRANCIS:

Don’t.

(to Zoe)

Needless to say...

ZOE:

Needless. I get it.

Francis smiles. She smiles back. His desire to make her

visit “disappear” is a good sign. He opens the door for her.

Claire is coming up the steps.

CLAIRE:

Oh...hello...

FRANCIS:

Claire, this is Ms. Zoe Barnes,

from the Washington Herald.

ZOE:

Very nice to meet you Mrs.

Underwood.

They shake hands. Claire offers a polite smile.

FRANCIS:

(to Zoe)

Drive safe. There’s lots of ice on

the road.

ZOE:

I will. Goodnight. And thank you.

Francis and Claire watch Zoe walk off.

CLAIRE:

A reporter?

FRANCIS:

A hungry reporter.

43.

CLAIRE:

Aren’t they all?

EXT. MICHIGAN AVENUE - LATE AT NIGHT

A BMW slows to a halt by the curb with a POLICE CAR slowing

to a stop behind it, lights flashing.

CUT TO:
A POLICE OFFICER ambles up to the stopped BMW and

aims a flashlight at the driver. It’s Russo. He looks wasted.

POLICE OFFICER:

License and registration.

RUSSO:

The glove compartment sweetheart.

We see that there’s a CALL-GIRL in the passenger seat. She

gets the registration out of the glove compartment while

Russo pulls out his license and hands it to the cop.

RUSSO (CONT’D)

Here you go.

POLICE OFFICER:

This isn’t your license. It’s a

Starbucks card.

RUSSO:

Oh...sorry about that.

POLICE OFFICER:

Sir - have you been drinking?

RUSSO:

No, I don’t drink coffee at this

hour.

POLICE OFFICER:

(not amused)

I’m going to need you to step out

of the car.

RUSSO:

If I was speeding just write me a

ticket and I’ll

POLICE OFFICER:

Sir, out of the car. Right now.

44.

RUSSO:

Alright listen, I don’t want to

sound like a prick, but I’m a

member of Congress...

POLICE OFFICER:

I don’t care if you’re the King of

China.

RUSSO:

China doesn’t have a King. It’s a

communist oligwock - ola -

communist oligarchy. Man, that’s

hard to say.

The cop opens the door.

POLICE OFFICER:

Let’s go. Out.

(to the Call-Girl)

You too.

INT. UNDERWOOD RESIDENCE - BEDROOM - LATER

The phone rings. Francis groggily answers it.

FRANCIS:

Hello...?

Listens for a second. Sits up, suddenly alert.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)

Good - let’s think this through for

a second...

INT. DINER - 4 AM

The door swings open, jangling a bell. In walks D.C. Police

Commissioner BARNEY HULL - a square-jawed career law

enforcer. He glances around, doesn’t see who he’s looking

for. Takes a seat in one of the booths.

A figure slowly spins around on one of the stools at the

counters and faces Hull. It’s Stamper.

STAMPER:

Mind if I join you?

Hull looks at him, perplexed. Stamper gets off the booth and

slides into the booth across from Hull.

45.

STAMPER (CONT’D)

Doug Stamper - the Congressman’s

Chief-of-Staff.

HULL:

I thought I was meeting someone

else...

STAMPER:

No. You’re meeting me.

HULL:

What the f*** is going on? It’s

the four in the goddamn morning and

I’ve got a City Council meeting

in...

(glances at his watch)

Less than five hours.

STAMPER:

(leans in close)

You’ve been Police Commissioner for

what - almost a decade now?

HULL:

We here to talk about my resume?

STAMPER:

Mayor of D.C. would look good on

that resume, wouldn’t it?

Hull sits up straighter. He’s listening now.

STAMPER (CONT’D)

We know you’ve been angling to run

for some time. Experience is your

strong suit. Endorsements and fundraising

aren’t. But we can help

with that.

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