Jennifer 8 Page #11

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BERLIN:

Is there anything else you can

tell me? Anything about him or

her? Doesn't matter how small?

HELENA:

No. Except he smoked. Like you.

BERLIN:

Me?

HELENA:

Yes, I could smell it on his

breath, like I can on your's.

A taut instant between ROSS and BERLIN. BERLIN caught out and

he knows it. ROSS roars in silence "YOU LYING PIG" and writes

in his notebook. The angle switches to see "BERLIN IS A LIAR."

I'm late .. I really have to go ..

Everyone suddenly on their feet and HELENA gets into a jacket.

BERLIN:

D'you have a dog? Seeing Eye Dog?

HELENA:

No.

BERLIN:

Lotta scratch-marks on your door?

HELENA:

Sometimes I look after friends dogs,

if they go to dances, or something?

ROSS:

Could I just refer you to

this memo here, Sergeant?

He tries to get his notebook under BERLIN's nose. But BERLIN

isn't looking or listening but following HELENA into her hall.

BERLIN:

Did Amber have a dog?

HELENA:

Yes.

BERLIN:

What color was it?

HELENA:

I don't know.

She opens the door and ROSS is barely through before it slams.

34:
INT. CORRIDOR. INSTITUTE. DAY.

ROSS baits BERLIN up the corridor. Ridicules in silence while

counting imaginary winnings. Watch my lips! F.I.F.T.Y. HELENA

walks innocent of the pantomime and BERLIN tries to ignore it.

BERLIN:

.. if she writes, or calls, or any-

thing at all, you let me know, O.K.

He bells the elevator refusing to acknowledge ROSS's bullshit.

I'll leave a number with the office ..

Lips drill a whisper into his ear. "Fifty fucken dollars, O.K."

What exactly do you teach, Helena?

HELENA:

Music composition .. and cello ..

ROSS:

Fifty of em. And I want em now.

Meanwhile the elevator arrives triggering a Voice. "YOU ARE NOW

ON THE FOURTH FLOOR." Doors slide open and Christ look at this?

What kind of eye-defect needs glasses like this? Lenses like ei-

ther half of a glass ball. He's early 30's and decidedly "iffy."

Is he student/staff or what? As he exits they enter staring aft-

er him. As the doors close the MYOPIC turns to stare after them.

35:
INT. CHEVROLET. TRINITY VALLEY. DUSK.

ROSS drives and BERLIN studies Amber's file. "Wanna beer?" No

answer but cans appear anyway from a pack between Ross's legs.

BERLIN:

Had a seeing Eye Dog since she

was eighteen .. didn't I tell

you those dogs meant something ..

ROSS:

No, you didn't.

BERLIN:

Alright, I didn't, but I nearly

did, and if I had I'd have been

right .. I knew there was some-

thing about that Labrador, that

dog was too good to be dead ..

We gotta get back up that dump ..

ROSS:

No way .. not me, Mister. I'm not

going up there again. Might find

someone's prick in a hot-dog roll.

BERLIN:

We're going.

ROSS:

Forget it. They got stringent hyg-

iene rules. He's long gone in lime.

ROSS pops cans and hands one over. But BERLIN doesn't want it.

BERLIN:

Maybe not? I'm feeling lucky ..

ROSS:

So am I. But where's my money?

BERLIN:

Don't start again. If you win a

bet, you can't keep winning it ..

ROSS:

Pay me, and I shut up.

BERLIN:

I haven't got it.

ROSS:

Then give me that Zippo.

BERLIN:

Why?

ROSS:

I need some security. I

don't trust you anymore.

BERLIN:

I had one puff on a pipe.

ROSS:

I don't want excuses, I want that

weird-looking stuff called "cash."

Snaps fingers "Gimme the lighter." And he does to shut him up.

I'll tell you what I'm gonna do?

I'm gonna do you a big favor ..

Forget the 50 and I'll keep this.

BERLIN:

What do you want it for?

ROSS:

To throw out of the window.

Does it as he says it. Bye-bye Zippo! BERLIN can't believe it.

BERLIN:

What are you doing, Ross?

I've had that 15 years! ..

ROSS:

It's not your friend. It

keeps you sucking. Remem-

ber the old Bum's lungs?

BERLIN:

I remember the old bastard's

liver! I don't believe you

did that. I had a great sent-

imental attachment to that.

ROSS:

You want me to stop the car?

An academic question considering the Zippo went down a ravine.

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