Nick of Time Page #20

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GENE:

All right. Kisses to you.

LYNN (O.S.)

(filtered)

No...kisses to you.

GENE:

No. Kisses to you.

LYNN (O.S.)

(filtered)

No, kisses to...

MR. SMITH grabs the walkie-talkie.

MR. SMITH

I don't care who the f*** you do it

for just so you do it. Hey.

He reaches down, snaps his fingers in HUEY's face. HUEY looks

up.

MR. SMITH

You done yet?

HUEY:

Just about.

He gives the shoes a final wipe, stands away.

HUEY:

Two dollars, if it pleases you.

MR. SMITH

It doesn't. I remember when it was a

f***in' quarter.

He throws a couple dollars to HUEY. To GENE as he stalks

away:

MR. SMITH

Twenty-five minutes.

TO HIS BACK:

HUEY:

Thanks for the tip.

HUEY turns back to GENE. They stare at each other.

HUEY:

Mister, what are you dragging me

into?

GENE:

I'm not dragging you into anything.

I don't expect...

HUEY:

Cover your mouth.

GENE:

What?

HUEY:

This gorilla's watching you, is that

right?

GENE:

That's right.

HUEY:

Then don't let him be seeing you

talking to me. I don't want him

twisting my arm off.

GENE lowers his head, covers his mouth with a hand. HUEY

pretends to work on his shoes.

HUEY:

That was your kid on the walkie-

talkie?

GENE:

My daughter. They have her in a van

across the street. They say they'll

kill her if I don't do something for

them.

HUEY:

In twenty-five minutes in the

California Ballroom.

GENE:

There was a woman. She was trying to

help me. I watched him murder her.

HUEY:

What are you supposed to do?

GENE:

Kill the Governor.

HUEY checks his perimeters, then:

HUEY:

I knew I should have packed up and

gone home as soon as I got that

twenty. What am I supposed to do

about this situation?

GENE:

One of them is in on it. He might

even be in charge. Her Security is

in on it. There's only one person I

know for sure isn't in on it.

HUEY:

Who?

GENE:

The Governor. If I could just talk

to her...

HUEY:

Oh, Jesus ...

GENE:

No way, there's nothing you can do

to help me.

HUEY:

Then why'd you drag me into it?

GENE:

(getting emotional)

It's my kid. I've got to...to

somehow...do right by my little girl.

He gets out her picture, stares at it.

GENE:

It's about time I did. I was one of

those guys, workaholics. I worked my

ass off for them - my wife, my

daughter. That's just what I thought

I was supposed to do.

HUEY:

Yeah, all right, listen...

GENE:

(running on)

So when she wanted a divorce...I

was...I didn't know what I'd done

wrong. I didn't see it. I didn't see

it....

HUEY takes his wooden brush and whacks GENE on the foot,

snapping him from his downward spiral.

HUEY:

Why don't you tell me about the early

years some other time?

GENE:

I'm sorry. You understand I don't

mind dying if I could save my

daughter. I mean that.

HUEY:

Yeah, now listen. I can't mess with

these shoes any more or it's gonna

look funny. You go down get yourself

something to drink. Make sure Godzilla

there, follows you.

GENE:

What are you going to do?

HUEY:

I haven't the faintest idea. Go on

now. I'll get word to you.

GENE gets down.

GENE:

If nothing else, someone heard my

story.

He gives HUEY a twenty.

GENE:

Keep the change.

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