Nocturnal Animals Page #14

EDWARD:

You sound just like your mother.

SUSAN:

Well, you always said I was so like

her. That’s why I hate reading your

work. You always get so f***ing

defensive about it.

EDWARD:

Of course I’m defensive. Do you

know what it’s like to put yourself

out on a limb creatively and then

to have someone you love read what

you’ve written and not understand

it?

SUSAN:

No, I don’t because I’m not

creative, Edward.

EDWARD:

That’s because you’ve chosen not to

be!

She glares at him.

EDWARD (CONT’D)

I don’t want to fight. I’m tired

and I’m edgy and I’ve been writing

all night. I just wanted you to

like it.

END FLASHBACK.

71 INT. MORROW RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM. NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS. 71

The book slides from Susan’s lap to the ground. She sits up

and collects herself. She bends down to pick the book up.

87.

72

FLASHBACK - INT. GRADUATE ART HISTORY CLASS, UNIVERSITY OF72

TEXAS AT AUSTIN. 1997 -- DAY.

Susan’s book falls to the ground. She bends to pick it up as

she sits in the back of a class listening to a professor.

The sound of a slide projector clicks over and over. The

light from the screen flashes on Susan’s face.

We are aware of someone staring at her. She becomes aware of

it too and turns to see Hutton at 24, very clean cut and

preppy staring at her. Their eyes lock for a moment but she

quickly looks away. He keeps staring.

END FLASHBACK:

73

EXT. ANDES’S CAMP, WEST TEXAS. DAY. 73

Bobby is leaning against his truck in the hot mid day sun

talking on the phone to Tony.

ANDES:

I’ve got some news you won’t like.

They’re letting Ray Marcus go.

TONY:

What! What do you mean they’re

letting him go?

ANDES:

The DA says there is not enough

hard evidence and that the evidence

that there is, is circumstantial.

He needs corroboration.

Tony is silent.

ANDES (CONT’D)

I’m real sorry Tony. It’s a god

damned shame. At least you got to

lay a good belt on him.

TONY:

No, that’s not enough. What else

can we do?

Andes takes a deep drag from his cigarette.

88.

ANDES:

I’ll think of something. Get here

as fast as you can. He won’t stick

around long.

TONY:

I’ll leave now.

74 INT. DINER, WEST TEXAS. EARLY EVENING. 74

Tony and Andes sit in a booth by the window directly opposite

where their cars are parked. Their dinners are on their

plates.

TONY:

What?

ANDES:

I told you. I’ve got lung cancer.

It’s metastasized.

TONY:

But you smoke all the time.

ANDES:

Yep. That’s how it works. What’s

the point of quitting now? I’ll be

dead in a year.

Tony looks at Andes.

ANDES (CONT’D)

It’s this fella called Jenks. He’s

the lawyer that the court

appointed. Smart ass from Dallas.

He and the DA made a deal and Ray

gets off. Politics.

TONY:

When did you tell me that you were

sick?

ANDES:

They want to push me out. They have

someone else they want to put in

the job.

89.

TONY:

I don’t understand what you are

talking about. Would they drop a

murder case to do that?

ANDES:

Gives them the reason. They said

the case wasn’t well prepared, was

a sloppy job, slapdash, no

evidence, evidence gathered

improperly, won’t stand up in

court. The DA is too much of a

chicken sh*t to take on a case that

he might loose.

Tony mulls this over.

ANDES (CONT’D)

They’re not dropping Lou.

TONY:

It’s no f***ing good if they don’t

get Ray.

ANDES:

Good. That’s what I was hoping

you’d say. They think it’s time I

retired and enjoyed the benefits of

my cancer somewhere else. F***

that.

TONY:

You never told me about the cancer.

Do you have a family?

ANDES:

The problem with Ray is his Alibi.

TONY:

Stop it. Do you have anyone in your

life?

ANDES:

No. No wife. I have a daughter in

Corpus.

TONY:

Has she been a help?

90.

ANDES:

She doesn’t know. What can she do

about it?

Tony looks at Bobby for a moment and Bobby looks him in the

eye, then turns back to his plate.

ANDES (CONT’D)

Anyway Ray claims that he was with

Leila whatever her name is and she

backs him up, and her aunt backs

her up.

TONY:

So what are we going to do?

He looks at Tony for a long time which makes Tony nervous.

ANDES:

It’s a question of how serious you

are about seeing justice done. You

get me?

Bobby can’t eat his food.

ANDES (CONT’D)

Can’t eat. Might throw up.

TONY:

How do you get along if you can’t

eat?

ANDES:

It depends. Sometimes I can eat,

sometimes I can’t. This place

sucks.

TONY:

I need you to eat something.

Bobby takes a breath and tries to keep his food down.

ANDES:

Let me ask you a personal question.

Between us, okay? What do you want

me to do with Ray Marcus.

TONY:

What can you do to him?

91.

ANDES:

Anything you god damn like.

TONY:

I thought you said-

Andes coughs.

ANDES:

Look, I’ve got nothin to loose, and

I can’t let this ass-hole DA f***

up my last case. I also can’t stand

by and watch a murderer go free.

I’ve watched too many sick fucks

like Ray Marcus get off over the

years. Are you willing to go

outside of strict procedure on

this?

Yes.

TONY:

Andes’s cell phone rings. He answers.

ANDES:

Ray is at “Line Camp”. I’m going to

let that little idiot get nice and

liquored up and then I’m going to

go grab his ass and take him out to

my camp. I want you to come too. I

want to keep him with us a while.

Work him over a bit. Get a little

rough, make him suffer a little.

See what he does. Would you like

that?

Yes.

TONY:

75 INT. MORROW RESIDENCE - SUSAN’S BEDROOM. NIGHT. 75

Susan looks up from the book and leans her head back in

thought.

76 FLASHBACK - EXT. STREET, AUSTIN TEXAS, 1997. NIGHT. 76

Edward and Susan are walking down the street. They arearguing.

92.

SUSAN:

Edward, you have to realize this is

not working. We’re not right for

each other, I wish we were, but

we’re just not.

EDWARD:

What do you mean, we’re not right

for each other? We’re perfect for

each other.

SUSAN:

No Edward. We’re not. We might be

perfect for each other if we didn’t

live in the real world. I need a

life that is more structured and I

need a future that is more

structured. I want to be the person

that you want me to be but I just

can’t.

EDWARD:

But you are, you are. Just stop.

SUSAN:

I really wanted to be this person

that you thought I was. I really

did, but I’m just not that person.

I just don’t have your kind of

faith in things. I’m cynical, I’m

pragmatic. I’m a realist.

EDWARD:

No, you’re just afraid. We have

been through this so many times.

SUSAN:

No, I’m not scared Edward. I’m

unhappy. I’m just really, really

unhappy.

She looks at him. Edward is shaken.

SUSAN (CONT’D)

We’re different and we want

different things.

(MORE)

93.

SUSAN (CONT’D)

You’re wonderful and romantic, and

sweet and sensitive, and all the

things I’m not. Life for you is a

kind of a dream.

EDWARD:

Weak. I’m weak. That’s what you

want to say. Go ahead and say it.

You’ve said it before. Weak.

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