Nashville Page #12

He squeezes her arm and she screams.

167 CONTINUED:

REESE:

Good. I wanna look really good.

You know what I mean? Do you? Huh?

She is about to pass out from terror, when all or a sudden he

eases of.

168 NEW ANGLE

The TRICYCLE MAN stands and watches a few feet away. SUELEEN'S

terror now is divided between the two men. REESE can't handle

the way the TRICYCLE MAN looks at all.

REESE:

Oh.

He releases SUELEEN, turns and runs up the street. She slides

down and hugs herself. The TRICYCLE MAN doesn't move.

SUELEEN:

It'll be okay... It'll be okay... I

know it'll be fine...

After a while, she pulls herself up and starts up the stairs to

her room. The TRICYCLE MAN watches until she is gone, then walks

across the street.

((THE FOLLOWING IS INTERCUT WITH BANQUET)

169 INT. EXIT INN - NIGHT

TOM enters with L.A. JOAN. The place in crowded. WADE sits at a

table with LINNEA. She hasn't seen TOM.

WADE:

I was in prison for twenty-eight

years.

LINNEA:

Oh.

WADE:

Premeditated murder.

LINNEA:

Oh.

WADE:

Just got out. Had me thirteen

lawyers. Missed the electric chair

twice. .. Been out three months.

Are you heavy?

LINNEA:

I'm not sure...

WADE:

I'm forty-six. Do you like to go

up or down?

LINNEA:

What?

WADE:

High? Do you ever get high? A walk

on the wild side. Ever do dust?

Before TOM can sit down he is called on stage by the MC. Also

present are BILL, MARY and NORMAN, talking about NORMAN'S act and

OPAL, who interviews them. LINNEA sees TOM.

WADE:

All I need is fifteen minutes a

night.

LINNEA:

Fifteen minutes?

WADE:

Sleep. That's all I need. Don't

want to waste no time sleeping. You

married?

LINNEA:

What...? 0h, yes.

WADE:

Not me. Ain't never loved anybody.

Ain't never been married. Won't

either.

170 ANGLE TOWARD STAGE

TOM stands at the mike.

TOM:

Good evening. Thanks. I used to

be part of a group. You remember?

Everybody laughs.

TON:

Well, they're here, Bill and Mary. We're cutting a record here.

So far, they've done all the work. It's an accident they're here.

I've been hiding from them for days now, right?

Everybody laughs.

BILL:

You bet your sweet ass.

Everyone laughs.

171 ANGLE - LINNEA AND WADE

She in lost in the sound of his voice.

WADE:

You know who that is?

LINNEA:

Yea.

WADE:

I see.

172 ANGLE - STAGE

WADE:

TOM calls BILL and MARY to the stage. The three of them burst

into:
"Since You've Gone." When they finish, BILL and MARY sit

down again.

TOM:

I'd like to sing a new song for

you. I threw away a good one I wrote

yesterday. maybe it was the day

before -- anyway.. Let's go here,

'I'm Easy.'

173 NEW ANGLE

TOM seems to know where LINNEA is sitting and directs the song to

her. After he finishes, he gives the guitar back to its owner

and Joins L.-A. JOAN to walk out.

174 NEW ANGLE

WADE starts in again.

WADE:

Love, that's a word that's been

overused. I'll say I sure like you.

Maybe...

LINNEA is wiping her eyes with a hanky.

A large group of people starts out the door, among them TOM and

L.A. JOAN. TOM steers himself and JOAN to LINNEA'S table. BILL

and MARY catch him there. All the while he is talking to them,

he writes a note and places it in LINNEA'S lap. OPAL walks past

TOM. They look at each other.

BILL:

Listen, we're suppose to sing on TV

day after tomorrow. At the park...

TOM:

National?

BILL:

Yes. Percy Warner Park'.

MARY:

Where are you staying?

TOM:

Is that for that Walker guy?

BILL:

Yes, but we're just singing.

MARY:

Sue was trying to get hold of you.

TOM:

Come on. He's a crook.

BILL:

What crook?

WADE:

I'm a Roman Catholic. You're

Baptist, I bet. Catholic means

universal, everything, know what I

mean?

She nods again. She can't make out the writing with out her

glasses and she doesn't want to put them now.

WADE:

I'm a scholar of the Bible as well

and we're all going to answer to

God. Have you read the book of

Revelations?

She nods 'yes.'

WADE:

You ever read the 'Apocalypse

Unsealed?'

She is too curious. She takes out her glasses and looks through

them lorgnette style as WADE continues to talk.

TOM:

I'm not coming anywhere near that

place. He's a rotten guy.

MARY:

That's not true.

TOM:

He's a politician.

BILL:

He saw us at Tammany Hall.

TOM:

The Hell he did. Look, I'll see

you in the morning.

MARY:

Really?

TOM:

You bet. Nine, right? But count

me out of that other thing.

175 NEW ANGLE

TOM takes L.A. JOAN and leaves. LINNEA panics, BILL burns, OPAL

and MARY watch after TOM, NORMAN keeps silent.

WADE:

My mother. died in '72. They told

me after. They said they couldn't

find me before, so they told us

after.

LINNEA:

What?

WADE:

They said go see the chaplain.

LINNEA:

I'm sorry but I have to go.

She gets up quickly and leaves. Everybody is gone, too.

WADE:

(to self)

I'm a hundred years old and when

I'm two hundred, I'll die.

CUT TO:

176 EXT. EXIT INN -

As LINNEA hurries off, we SEE STAR sitting in his pickup truck,

watching and waiting for ALBUQUERQUE.

END OF MONDAY.

CUT TO:

177 EXT. HIGHWAY - AT KENNY'S CAFE - MORNING

The TRICYCLE MAN is helping KENNY fix the car, changing tires,

etc. KENNY is under the hood. When he comes out, KENNY tells

the TRICYCLE MAN how grateful he is and that he wouldn't know

what to do if he hadn't shown up. The TRICYCLE MAN just finishes

the job.

CUT TO:

178 EXT SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT - DAY

A platform has been erected in the center of the parking lot.

BARBARA JEAN'S bus is parked nearby. There is a large crowd, and

several people gathered around the platform. GLENN is among them

so is TRIPLETTE, REESE and OPAL. Radio station personnel and

musicians prepare for the show. Finally, the bus door opens and

BARNETT leads BARBARA JEAN to the platform. The musicians start

and she sings. The sound comes from many huge speakers and

people come from stores and shops to hear.

BARBARA JEAN segues from one song to another.

179 NEW ANGLE

BARNETT stands to the side, talking to various people TRIPLETTE

pulls his sleeve.

BARNETT:

Well, for heaven's sake. You're

just about everywhere, aren't you?

THIPLETTE:

I came out to see how you all were doing.

BARNETT:

I think I should tell you I know

why you're here. The answer is no

... we don't get involved in

politics.

TRIPLETTE:

(laughs good-

naturedly)

Well, that's not entirely true,

Barnett. At least not according to

Haven.

BARNETT:

Haven? Hell,' we've been playing

poker together since we were

fourteen.

TRIPLETTE:

I guess that's why he thought you

right want to help out.

BARNETT:

He knows better.

TRIPLETTE:

Well, it's probably because it

would help him.

BARNETT:

How is that?

TRIPLETTE:

Everybody likes to be as good as

their word.

BARNETT:

Whose word?

TRIPLETTE:

His Word.

BARNETT:

His word? Are you telling me Haven

promised you something?

TRIPLETTE:

That's pretty close. He's going to

be on the bill. Why not put Barbara

Jean on with him?

TRIPLETTE'S last sentence is caught in silence as BARBARA JEAN

has stopped singing in the middle of a phrase.

180 NEW ANGLE

She holds the mike and looks at Barnett.

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