L.A. Confidential Page #5

Remembering, Exley invokes his father's favorite toast.

EXLEY:

To the solving of crimes that

require absolute justice.

Exley raises his glass, but Dudley just watches him.

DUDLEY:

That was his favorite toast.

(a beat)

I saw the test results on the

lieutenant's exam. You placed

first out of twenty-three.

EXLEY:

The youngest applicant by eight

years.

DUDLEY:

You'll make lieutenant inside a

year. Patrol division?

EXLEY:

I was thinking Detective Bureau.

We can see Dudley doesn't approve.

DUDLEY:

You don't have the eye for human

weakness to be a good detective.

Or the stomach. You're a

political animal, Edmund.

The criticism stings, but Dudley's a straight shooter.

EXLEY:

You're wrong.

DUDLEY:

Am I...? Would you be willing to

plant corroborative evidence on a

suspect you knew was guilty in

order to ensure an indictment?

EXLEY:

Dudley, we've been over this.

DUDLEY:

Answer yes or no.

EXLEY:

I... No.

DUDLEY:

Would you be willing to rig crime

scene evidence to support a

prosecuting attorney's working

hypothesis...? Yes or no, Edmund.

EXLEY:

No.

DUDLEY:

Would you be willing to beat

confessions out of suspects you

knew to be guilty?

EXLEY:

No.

DUDLEY:

Would you be willing to shoot

hardened criminals in the back to

offset the chance --

EXLEY:

No.

DUDLEY:

Then for God's sake, don't be a

detective. Stick to assignments

where you won't have to make those

choices. Patrol, Internal

Affairs, but not the Bureau.

EXLEY:

I know you mean well, Dudley, but

I don't need to do it the way you

did. Or my father.

DUDLEY:

At least get rid of the glasses.

I can't think of one Bureau man

who wears them.

INT. PRECINCT HOUSE - MUSTER ROOM - NIGHT

A large impromptu bar has been set-up. The party is in

full swing, the floor packed with nightwatch blues. A

PHONOGRAPH SPEWS DIRTY CHRISTMAS CAROLS.

Stensland pours eggnog and Old Crow into the water cooler

as Bud elbows his way in with another case.

STENSLAND:

Hey, partner. Grab a cup.

BUD:

I got to write my report first.

PASSING COP #1

Hear about Helenowski and Brown?

They got into a helluva scrap with

six taco benders at some bar.

Helenowski lost six pints of

blood. Brown's in a coma.

PASSING COP #2

We ought to teach Paco and his

friends a lesson.

More cops vocie their agreement. Bottles are passed.

Only Bud doesn't seem as caught-up as the rest.

INT. PRECINCT HOUSE - NARCO PEN - NIGHT

Jack Vincennes at his desk. Holding the Fleur-de-Lis

card, Jack dials the number. A corkboard on the wall is

posted with press clippings. "Dope Crusader Wounded in

Shootout." "Actor Mitchum Seized in Marijuana Shack

Raid." That one includes a shot of Jack ushering Mitchum

into jail.

WOMAN (V.O.)

(over phone, like

silk)

Whatever you desire.

JACK:

Hi... I'd like to get a delivery

to Beverly Hills.

WOMAN (V.O.)

(over phone)

I don't think I know you.

CLICK. The line goes dead. Jack redials.

WOMAN (V.O.)

(over phone)

Whatever you desire.

JACK:

Look, a friend of mine gave me

this number. I just --

The line goes dead again. Jack dials a new number.

OPERATOR (V.O.)

(filtered)

Pacific Coast Bell.

JACK:

This is Sgt. Vincennes.

Requesting a name and address on a

phone number. Hollywood zero-one-

two-three-nine.

OPERATOR (V.O.)

(filtered)

Please hold the line... No such

number is assigned.

JACK:

I just called it.

OPERATOR (V.O.)

No, Sergeant. I checked twice.

JACK:

(realizes, hangs up)

A bootleg...

INT. MUSTER ROOM - NIGHT

Exley surveys the carousing rowdies. Raising his

voice...

EXLEY:

All right, men. You've had your

fun. Time to break it up.

The party continues undiminished. From across the room,

Stensland eyes Exley with disdain.

STENSLAND:

F***ing Exley. Guy's got a pole

so far up his ass, every time he

farts the flag waves.

WATCH COMMANDER'S OFFICE

The command not really his, Exley reads a report, ignores

the party, though his window looks into the thick of it.

Suddenly a ripple goes through the room. The men begin

to push out through a rear door. Exley stands, stops a

COP.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes