Midnight Express Page #6

BILLY:

No, I'm not afraid.

DETECTIVE:

Good. There's nothing to be afraid

of. If you co-operate with us, you

will be on the plane for New York

tomorrow... yes?

BILLY:

(softly, hoping)

Yes...?

DETECTIVE:

Good. Now, where did you get the

hashish?

BILLY:

A cabdriver. He picked me up in

the Pudding Shoppe in the bazaar.

DETECTIVE:

Would you recognize him again?

BILLY:

Yes. I think so.

DETECTIVE:

Good. Would you go back to the

Pudding Shoppe now and point him

out to my men if you see him?

BILLY'S EYES MOVE TO:

TEX who makes a cool affirmative nod of the eyes to Billy.

BILLY (OFF)

Yes.

STREETS, ISTANBUL, AFTERNOON. TEX drives his American CAR;

BILLY in the passenger seat; TWO TURKISH PLAINCLOTHESMEN

in the rear seats . Various BACKGROUND SHOTS of the city.

TEX:

(casual tone)

You decided to fly at a bad time

Billy Palestinian Guerrillas all

over the place blowing up planes

and all.

BILLY:

(shakes his head)

Stupid.

TEX:

Four planes in four days...but I

guess you kids don't read the

newspapers...and what with our

people kicking up a sh*t storm

'bout the flow of heroin from Turkey

you got...

BILLY:

But didn't have heroin.

TURK:

(grins)

Well I'm not up on all that. A

drug's a drug seems to me Billy

and...

BILLY:

(sweating)

But it was my first time. I'm not

really a smuggler, was just two

kilos.

TEX:

Well, you see Billy, it don't really

matter right now if it's 2 kilos

or 200 kilos. The Turks love to

catch any foreigner smuggling - it

shows the world they're fighting

the drug trade.

BILLY:

But just...

TEX:

Just what?

BILLY:

I just needed some extra money. I

was broke, the guy offered me the

hash and...

It sounds bad. Tex looks at him without expression.

Pause.Billy tries to sense a sympathy in this ambiguous

man, a liking towards himself. But feels nothing yet, except

someone who can speak English.

BILLY:

...are you with the Consulate?

TEX:

(not looking at him)

Something like that. Cigarette?

ANOTHER ANGLE - BILLY nervously takes the pack and matches.

TEX:

How much you pay this joker...

this cab driver?

BILLY:

Two hundred dollars. It was my

last two hundred.

TEX:

How much did you figure to make?

BILLY fumbles to light up his cigarette. He is nervous,

grateful to volunteer any information...anything.

BILLY:

Three, four thousand...I don't

know. The guy offered me the hash--

(shakes his head)

...it just seemed like easy money.

TEX:

Beats working.

BILLY:

I was just going to sell it to

friends. I'm not a pusher, honest.

TEX grins, sceptical of his naivete, changing the subject.

TEX:

Got a family back there?

BILLY:

(inhales deeply)

Yeah. Parents, brother, sister.

Babylon, Long Island.

TEX:

What's your father do?

BILLY:

He sells insurance for Metropolitan

Life.

TEX:

(a pause, not looking

at Billy)

Be tough on 'em.

BILLY nods, takes a deep drag on his cigarette.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

TEX:

Girlfriend?

BILLY:

...She was on the plane.

Tex glances at him, questioningly.

BILLY:

She didn't know anything about...I

wouldn't have wanted her to.

TEX:

Lucky girl.

Billy leans back in seat, blowing out the cigarette smoke.

BILLY:

Jeez, she used to say I was the

lucky one.

TEX:

Let's hope so, Billy. Let's sure

hope so.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes