Knives Out Page #5

MARTA:

Heh - Richard? - affair? Heh.

BLANC:

A yes or no will do.

She struggles, her jaw clenched, face working hard, then

attempts -

MARTA:

.....no

And immediately VOMITS into a nearby planter.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Whoa!

TROOPER WAGNER:

Oh my god!

They all rush to her, Blanc brings water, awfully concerned.

BLANC:

Dear girl I'm sorry. I assumed you

were speaking figuratively.

Blanc takes the shortest acceptable beat of concern before

turning to Elliott.

BLANC (cont'd)

But I was obviously right, Richard is

having an affair, his father in law

found out and confronted him. "You

tell her. Or I will."

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Even if it's true... you ok?

Marta gives a weak thumbs up, recovering

ELLIOTT:

Even if it's true, protecting his

marriage is weak sauce as a motive.

BLANC:

Well. And then there is... Joni.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Joni?

TROOPER WAGNER:

Joni?!

TROOPER WAGNER (cont'd)

Lifestyle guru Joni? No. Harlan was

supporting her and her daughter, she

had the opposite of a motive.

Marta tries to quietly slip back into the house

29.

BLANC:

And if that support was threatened?

Miss Cabrera one moment please

MARTA:

I'm just going to go get some Scope

BLANC:

Miss Cabrera, was Harlan planning on

cutting off Joni's allowance?

Off Marta's "oh god no" face:

INT. STUDY - DAY - FLASHBACK

Harlan looking at the letter from his business manager, with

the transaction receipts. He sighs heavily.

MARTA:

What's up?

HARLAN:

When does a lifeline become a noose?

MARTA:

A moose?

He hands her the letter.

HARLAN:

No, not a moose.

EXT. PATIO - DAY

Marta's face works against impending nausea.

MARTA:

I...

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Ok don't answer that if you're going

to puke. Please.

But Blanc presses.

BLANC:

Meg said Harlan pays the school

directly, Joni says he sends the

money to her.

(MORE)

30.

Both were true, she was pocketing the

BLANC (cont'd)

double payment, Harlan found out and

cut her off without a cent. Yes?

No?

Marta starts to shake her head no, but her throat convulses.

She nods. Blanc hands her a glass of water.

TROOPER WAGNER:

And she bumps him off for the

inheritance? Come. On! Have you

seen her instagram? She Hamptons

with Gwyneth.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

I don't buy that she'd kill him over

an allowance, Blanc. She has her

business. More weak sauce.

Blanc idly scratches a spot on the side of his neck.

BLANC:

That I'll grant you. But she lied.

To me. All three of them did.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Three?

BLANC:

Walter.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

The value of Thrombey's books for

film and tv, now Walter can cash it

in. Again though, for patricide it's

weak.

BLANC:

But there was something else. Harlan

had turned Walter down before

regarding film rights, but that night

something Harlan said shook him. We

look at the pattern, Harlan was

cleaning house. I wonder...

to Marta

(

)

did he plan to fire Walter?

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Ok, Blanc -

TROOPER WAGNER:

C'mon -

31.

MARTA:

honest & relieved

(

)

If he did he didn't tell me. Thank

god. Can I wait inside? I don't

feel like I should be here.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Yes, but stay close.

She steps back in, grateful. Blanc to Elliott:

BLANC:

You've been very patient my friend,

and you are right, none of these weak

alibis and domestic squibbles answer

your question:
why is Benoit Blanc

here? But now I will tell you why.

beat

(

)

I am here because this morning

someone dodged one very important

question.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Who?

BLANC:

Me. Linda asked who hired me.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

So who hired you?

BLANC:

I. Don't. Know. An envelope of cash

showed up at my apartment yesterday,

with the news clipping of Thrombey's

death.

TROOPER WAGNER:

An envelope of cash? That worked?

Blanc indicates with his fingers - several inches thick.

BLANC:

An envelope of cash.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Hm. I'd like that for evidence.

BLANC:

Of course.

Blanc hands him an empty envelope and news clipping.

Elliott arches an eyebrow, doesn't push it.

32.

BLANC (cont'd)

So somebody suspects foul play, but

goes through this ha cha dance of

hiring me, of staying anonymous.

Why? It makes no damn sense.

Compels me though.

beat

(

)

Walk me through everyone's

whereabouts at the time of death.

Elliott hesitates, but Blanc's got him hooked. He flips

open his notebook. Blanc leans back, closes his eyes.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

The party broke up at 11:30.

Everyone stayed the night at the

house, because they planned a family

breakfast the next morning.

INT. SECOND FLOOR LANDING - NIGHT OF PARTY

Marta and Harlan vanish up the stairs towards the third

floor, while Richard and Linda head into the bedroom right

next to the stairs. Down the hallway Joni waves, and ducks

into another bedroom.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT (V.O.)

Marta took Harlan upstairs to give

him his meds, Richard and Linda and

Joni went right to bed. Now we do

have this:
the stairs leading up to

Harlan's bedroom and his attic office

creak horribly.

INT. RICHARD AND LINDA'S GUEST ROOM - NIGHT OF THE PARTY

Richard sleeps deep, Linda sleeps lightly.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT (V.O.)

And Linda is a light sleeper. So we

know every time someone took the

stairs that night.

INT. JONI AND MEG'S GUEST ROOM - NIGHT OF PARTY

Joni has decorated the room with colorful silks and candles.

She is in lotus position on her bed, meditating.

33.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT (V.O.)

The first was when Joni heard a ka-

THUNK from somewhere above her in the

house.

Ka-THUNK! Joni looks up at the ceiling.

INT. SECOND FLOOR LANDING - NIGHT OF PARTY

Joni trots down the hall and up the creaky stairs.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT (V.O.)

Worried about Harlan, she went to

check on him. Waking Linda.

INT. RICHARD AND LINDA'S GUEST ROOM - NIGHT OF PARTY

CREAK CREAK CREAK! From outside. Linda's eyes pop open.

INT. THIRD FLOOR LANDING - NIGHT OF PARTY

Joni knocks on the door of Harlan's attic office. It opens,

and Harlan answers. In the room behind him we see Marta,

her back turned, preparing a hypo needle.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT (V.O.)

Harlan was in his attic office with

Marta. He explained that they had

just knocked the GO board over - that

game with the grid and stones, they

play it every night, and he was fine,

go to bed. So she does.

The spilled GO board on the floor. Joni kisses Harlan on

the cheek, goes. He shuts the door.

INT. RICHARD AND LINDA'S GUEST ROOM - NIGHT OF PARTY

Linda has just gotten back to sleep.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT (V.O.)

Ten minutes later, Linda is woken a

second time, by Marta leaving.

CREAK CREAK CREAK! Linda wakes, supremely annoyed.

MARTA (O.S.)

Walt! I'm leaving now!

34.

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