Léon: The Professional Page #4

RECEPTIONIST (smiling)

Good, Miss.

Mathilda cackles and leads her mount upstairs. In the room,

she jumps on the bed.

MATHILDA:

Leon? I think I'm falling in love with

you.

Leon's milk goes the wrong way. She calmly said it, laying on

the bed, spread arms. Like a simple truth. Leon got milk

everywhere.

MATHILDA:

...Anyway, this impressed you!

He dries himself, but doesn't reply.

MATHILDA:

It's strange, being in love... It's the

first time for me...

LEON:

How do you know it's love, if you've

never been in love before?... It may be

friendship... or the love you can have

with a brother or a father... How can you

know?

MATHILDA:

...Because I feel it.

LEON(upset)

Huh? Where?

Mathilda puts a hand on her stomach.

MATHILDA:

Here... in my stomach... it's hot.

She turns, takes his hand and puts it on her stomach.

MATHILDA:

I always had a knot... No longer...

Leon pulls off his hand. He stands up and nervously walks.

LEON:

Mathilda, I'm... I'm very happy you've

got no more stomach ache, but... this

doesn't mean anything. I'm late for work

and I don't like being late for work.

Mathilda smiles. She's calm. She rolls herself into the

blanket. Leon gets out of the room. He puts various weapons

into his case and in his violin. He's nervous. This

conversation upset him. He hears a noise, flowing water:

Mathilda sings. She's having a bath. He finished preparing

his gear. He knocks bathroom's door.

LEON:

Mathilda? May I come in?

MATHILDA:

Yes.

Leon opens the door. Mathilda is naked and is brushing her

hair. Leon closes back the door without entering.

LEON(embarrassed)

Sorry. I heard "yes", so I got in...

Mathilda opens the door. She's still combing her hair. She's

still naked.

MATHILDA:

Yes... You can come in.

Leon is rigid. He takes a towel and deploys it in front of

her.

LEON:

Take it, please.

She rolls herself into the towel, without speaking. Leon's

relieved.

LEON:

I... I've got a contract... I've got to

go now. It's urgent. ...So, you stay

here. You don't move. About telephone, I

let it ring once then I call you back,

else you don't answer, OK?

Mathilda is sulky.

MATHILDA:

Why don't you take me with you?... I'm

ready, now. You said I learn very

quickly.

LEON:

Quick doesn't mean "ready". And you

can't discuss, we said. Right?

Mathilda has to surrender.

LEON:

Go on learning like this... Then we'll

see.

He gets in the living room and she follows him.

MATHILDA:

May I go to the cinema?

LEON:

No.

MATHILDA:

For musicals? That's part of the job!

LEON:

No, you can't go out.

MATHILDA (resigned)

OK... you come back tonight, don't you?

He takes his violin and his case.

LEON:

During my absence, you have to work on a

very important thing you badly lack:

patience.

He slightly smiles. She's sulky.

LEON:

You see, five minutes ago you said you

loved me and now you hate me... but I

prefer this!

MATHILDA:

I hate you because you depart without

kissing me. That's all.

She sweetly closes the door in face of him. For a moment,

he's blocked behind the door. The receptionist is walking

along the hall and notices Leon prostrated in front of the

door.

RECEPTIONIST:

Did you lose your key, Mister?

Leon recovers from his shock.

LEON:

No... I just thought if I'd lost

anything...

RECEPTIONIST:

And did you forget anything?

LEON:

Yeah... But "forgotten" doesn't mean

lost

He passes in front of the perplexed receptionist, leaving the

hotel.

* * * * * * * * * *

The receptionist is at his desk. The hall is empty. Mathilda

walks down the stairs, slowly, like a kid who's got nothing to

do.

RECEPTIONIST:

How are you, Miss?

MATHILDA:

Fine...

She puts her elbows on the desk.

MATHILDA:

I'm sick with practicing, that's it...

RECEPTIONIST:

I see. You're good, because I didn't

hear anything.

MATHILDA:

Yeah. I put a rag on the strings, to

lessen noise.

RECEPTIONIST:

Huh? That's smart!

MATHILDA:

I'm used to it. Not everyone likes

music.

RECEPTIONIST:

Yeah, true. But what does your father

exactly do for living?

MATHILDA:

...Composer.

RECEPTIONIST:

Huh, that's good!

MATHILDA:

Yeah, but he's not exactly my father...

RECEPTIONIST:

Huh?

MATHILDA:

...No... he's my lover...

RECEPTIONIST (pale)

Huh?

Mathilda sighs and glances at the hall.

MATHILDA:

I'm going to have a walk... I'll come

back.

Receptionist's tense smile.

* * * * * * * * * *

MATHILDA'S OLD BUILDING

Mathilda slowly gets to her floor. In front of the door, a

thin yellow "no entry" police strip. A cop is distractedly

guarding the hall; he's talking with a young black girl.

Mathilda gets in her apartment unnoticed. She gets in her

room, recovers her teddy bear and her Polaroid. Then, she

gets in the devastated living room. There's dry blood almost

everywhere. In the corridor, she raises one of parquet's

boards. A big roll of 100$ bills is hidden beneath. There is a

small check-book too. She carelessly puts everything away.

Noise in the apartment. Mathilda crouches down. Stansfield

gets in together with two more guys. Mathilda can see them

without being seen. Stansfield is evidently not at ease, he's

justifying his actions in front of upper-rank officers.

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