Jennifer 8 Page #38

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Tears of grief and tears of rage. BERLIN can't restrain either.

You wanna lose your temper with me?

C'mon, John, lose your fucken temper?

You're good at losing your temper?..

BERLIN:

No way, Mr St Anne.

St ANNE

Lost your temper with Ross, didn't

you? C'mon, tell me the truth. Is

that what happened? You had an arg-

ument in the car? Lost your temper

with him? Stood over him, blew his

f***ing larynx out with a Glaser? -

Where were you aiming, John? Going

for his face? Blow his f***ing face

away, because you hated him so much.

BERLIN is a wreck of despair. But somehow he keeps his dignity.

BERLIN:

I loved that guy .. & the hard-

est thing to take in here .. is

knowing he thought I killed him ..

St ANNE

Well, that he did .. And

that do I, Sergeant Berlin ..

And at last he looks pleased. Because he's got this man busted.

What do you take for that

breathlessness, Sergeant?

Can't take anymore questions. Answers with a shake of his head.

How about Aminophylline?

BERLIN:

I don't know what that is.

St ANNE

You don't? It's ant anti-asthma medic-

ation, prescribed for breathlessness?

Produces a capsule in a plastic bag and throws it on the table.

Came out of the ashtray of your car?

Every cell in BERLIN's body freezes. Misinterpreted by St ANNE.

But you "don't know" what it is?

But he does know what it is. The pill he found in the V.W. van.

You don't know how it got there?

TAYLOR stares a rock drill and St ANNE stares something similar.

You don't use it for breathlessness?

BERLIN focuses a fragment of hope. But no sign of hope in here.

I'm running outta questions, John, and

you're running out of lies? I'm offer-

ing you one last chance, and you better

take it, or the U.S. Attorney is gonna

put you in the God-damned gas chamber ..

BERLIN:

I need .. some time .. to think Sir ..

St ANNE

Alright. Think about it. But don't

you make a fool of me. You come in

here with one more lie, and I bull-

sh*t you not, I'm gonna press for

the maximum penalty there is. And

that's the death penalty, Sergeant.

151:
INT. WAITING AREA. POLICE STATION. DAY.

BERLIN hurries in and grabs HELENA's hand. Instantly transmits

the adrenalin. They head for the door with him whispering hard.

BERLIN:

We got a break - isn't much, but it's

a break .. the man that murdered Ross

gets asthma - it's not a breath fresh-

ner, darling - it's an asthma inhaler ..

152:
INT. KITCHEN. THE ROSS RESIDENCE. DAY.

BERLIN/HELENA couldn't have been in the house longer than it's

taken to call Los Angeles. MARGIE infected with the excitement

although as yet she hardly knows what's going on. BERLIN paces

the tiles on a long phone lead. Eyes to MARGIE while they wait.

BERLIN:

This capsule came out of a V.W. van -

I didn't even think about it - stuck

it in the ashtray - if I'd been smok-

ing, ita been thrown away weeks ago ..

(Phone)

No, Amanda - it's definitely Amanda ..

Another excruciating wait plus further explanations for MARGIE.

I had the van - this guy drove that

van takes his medication and loses

one .. (Phone) - Dan - Hearing - Are

you sure? - Would you try Frisco for

me? - I'll try and get a second name ..

Dumps the phone and stokes anxiety in HELENA and MARGIE's eyes.

No Amanda with a white Volkswagen ..

You don't have a Yellow Pages for

Oakland, do you? (She don't) I got-

ta get down there, find that store ..

Everything happens in a hurry. He embraces HELENA. She'll pray

for him. Already out the back door with MARGIE in tow. A black

& white parked in the drive with VENABLES stuffed inside. Plus

a grim wind tearing trees. BERLIN pauses as he reaches his car.

BERLIN:

You be careful .. This man's close ..

Catches her eyes. Can barely look at them. They're full of hate.

MARGIE:

If you find him, John. I want you

to call me. I wanna know his name.

153:
EXT. HILLSIDE. OAKLAND. DAY.

Wide over the bay area. Wind swept and rain swept. City lights

beginning to come on. In the distance the docks and far beyond

the ocean. Somewhere here is a solitary phone booth. "I'm look-

ing for a special type of rattan .. friend of mine recommended

you, said I should ask for someone called Amanda .. You don't?

O.K. .. Thank you." Followed by sound of a phone slamming down.

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