Killing Zoe

FADE IN:

INT. TAXI CAB - MOVING - DAY

Rain falls on the rear window of a taxi parked in the taxi

zone of the Charles de Gualle Airport.

Aside from the incessant tapping of rain on the roof of the

cab we hear the sounds of the airport: the almost monotonic

loudspeaker declaring in French that loitering is not

permissible and that should any bags be left unattended that

they will be destroyed; the honking of the horns from other

automobiles; the unintelligible chatter of people as they get

their bearings. Inside the cab, playing on the radio, is

Angelique Kidjo's funky song "Batonga".

Then, the rear door to the cab opens and in an EXTREME CLOSE

UP we see ZED, a young man with wild, almost mesmerizing eyes

shielded by small round glasses, and with a head of nappy red

hair. His face has drops on it from the flurry outside.

He settles himself, then looks to the CAB DRIVER, an easy

going Senegalese/Frenchman, in the front seat.

ZED:

Hotel Mondial.

CAB DRIVER:

Le Mondial. Tres bien.

He starts driving.

CAB DRIVER:

Avec cette pluie ca risque de prendre un

moment. L'autoroute est ferme. A cause

du 14 Juillet.

He drives for a while.

CAB DRIVER:

[Do you mind the radio?]

Zed looks at the meter, francs are clicking away. He also

looks at the cab driver's license, his name is Moises Du

Bois.

CAB DRIVER:

[Do you want me to turn the radio off?]

ZED:

(realizing he's being asked a

question)

I don't speak French.

The driver turns around.

CAB DRIVER:

(in broken English)

Ah. American?

ZED:

That's right.

CAB DRIVER:

That's good because I speak a little

English.

Zed nods.

CAB DRIVER:

I asked if you mind the radio. Music.

You know.

Zed shakes his head "no".

CAB DRIVER:

(with a smile)

Super cool.

Zed adjusts his watch.

ZED:

What time is it?

CAB DRIVER:

Time, time, time. I don't know.

Daytime.

Zed forgets the adjustment for now.

CAB DRIVER:

Are you in town for business?

ZED:

Yes.

CAB DRIVER:

It's a nice hotel. Your hotel. Very big

rooms.

He looks at Zed in the rear view mirror.

CAB DRIVER:

Do you know Paris?

ZED:

I've been here once before. When I was

younger.

The cab driver smiles.

CAB DRIVER:

Those were the days.

They drive for a while.

CAB DRIVER:

Married?

ZED:

I beg your pardon?

CAB DRIVER:

Do you have a wife?

ZED:

No.

(then after thinking about it

for a while)

Why?

CAB DRIVER:

Well, if you need a wife for the night...

(searching for the right words

in French)

Une escorte. Pour vous faire visiter.

(then back to his broken

English)

For business. I give you my number.

Very nice girl. French. Like when you

were young.

He lifts his hand and shows his index and middle finger

tightly extended together, then he crosses them.

CAB DRIVER:

Know what I mean?

Zed smiles at this and nods.

CAB DRIVER:

Speaks the language of love. Take you to

heaven and back. You just tell me and I

set it up.

Zed shakes his head and laughs.

CAB DRIVER:

What you laughing at? You let Moises set

it up. She treat you right. She treat

you fine.

Zed can do nothing but smile at the thought of it.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. HOTEL - HALL - DAY

A long, empty hallway of a moderately priced hotel. From

around a corner comes a BELLBOY carrying Zed's one bag.

Zed is right behind him.

They come up to room 6A and the bellboy unlocks the door.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY

The door to the room opens and the bellboy, followed by Zed,

walks into the room.

He puts Zed's bag onto one of those luggage holders and

proceeds to show him the room.

Sitting on the bed is a large air freight package.

BELLBOY:

(in broken English)

Your package...It arrived in the last

night of before last night.

He points to the telephone.

BELLBOY:

Ah...telephone, for the room service.

He motions toward the bathroom.

BELLBOY:

The toilet.

He opens the closet door.

BELLBOY:

To hang the clothes.

He points to a control console next to the bed.

BELLBOY:

From here you can operate the television.

Then he pauses at the door before he goes out.

Zed reaches into his pocket and takes out some French money,

he starts fingering through it.

Then, the bellboy takes the liberty of showing Zed which

bills to give him.

BELLBOY:

(after getting what he wanted)

Merci.

He starts to leave.

ZED:

Oh, wait.

The bellboy turns around.

ZED:

What time is it?

BELLBOY:

(confused)

What time is it?

ZED:

(pointing at his watch)

Time.

BELLBOY:

Ah. Yes. Il est presque huit heures

moins dix.

The bellboy clicks his heels and walks out the door.

Zed looks around the room, still wondering what time it is,

and takes a seat on the bed.

Obviously tired from the flight Zed unbuttons his shirt a bit

and lays back on the bed next to the package. Before he

dozes off to sleep he takes his watch off and places it on

the bedside table.

He is asleep.

FADE TO BLACK:

INT. HOTEL ROOM - LATER - DAY

Zed's bed, while still made, looks like it's been slept in.

Sitting on it is the ripped open air freight package. Inside

of it is a black steel briefcase.

The shower is on and from the look of things Zed is in it.

On the bedside table we see Zed's watch. It reads 12:10 P.M.

Next to it is the phone. Next to the phone is a piece of

folded paper with Moises' name and a phone number that reads:

45.63.53.37.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - BATHROOM - SHOWER - DAY

Zed is in the shower letting the water run directly into his

face and cascade down his body.

He opens his mouth and freely drinks the water, then he spits

some out with a spurt.

Then he stops, attentive, listening for something.

He turns the shower off.

Then he hears it again, the knocking on the door.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - BATHROOM - DAY

Zed grabs a towel and climbs out of the shower. He makes his

way toward the knocking.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY

Zed walks to the door to his room with the towel wrapped

around his waist. He opens it.

In the hall is ZOEY, a cute French girl of not more than

twenty. She's chewing on gum the way a schoolgirl might, but

she looks like no girl Zed ever went to school with.

ZOEY:

Bonjour.

ZED:

(a little awkwardly)

Bonjour.

Zed opens up the door and lets her in. She checks out the

room and places her bag on the bed. Then she makes her way

to the window for a view of the city.

ZOEY:

Wow. Vous avez une belle chambre. Je ne

suis jamais venue dans cet hotel.

She turns to him, but in the process takes the time to

examine every detail of the room.

ZOEY:

Ca sera 150 francs de l'heure. Toute la

nuit pour 700. D'avance. Et faudra

porter un--

ZED:

I...don't speak French.

She blows a bubble.

ZOEY:

It's okay.

She takes a seat on the bed.

ZOEY:

It will be one thousand francs for all

night. In advance.

Zed takes the money out of his wallet and gives it to her.

ZOEY:

We can do it now if you want.

ZED:

Well, let me just dry up.

ZOEY:

Okay, but it's not necessary.

He goes into the bathroom and starts drying himself.

She puts the money in her bag and then turns on the

television from the remote console. A French talk show comes

on. She changes the channel until she comes to a station

playing F.W. Murnau's silent classic, "Nosferatu". She

smiles and sits back to watch.

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