Playback Page #31

KILLAINE:

I might be able to save you. If I

knew enough.

BETTY:

You wouldn't even try

(Killaine reacts,

hurt)

There must be some copper in you,

or you wouldn't be an inspector.

KILLAINE:

There must be-- but when I'm with

you I can't find it.

VOICE OF COMMAND

(over scene)

Guard, Present ARMS!

APPROPRIATE SOUNDS ARE HEARD, THEN A ROLL STARTS ON THE

TAP DRUMS.

KILLAINE:

(turning and looking

through railing)

Everybody loves a guard mount--

except the guard.

(looks back)

My boss gave me an hour to make up

my mind. The time's almost up.

For the first time in the scene, Betty turns and faces

him.

KILLAINE:

I'm about to be very silly. A man

passes a girl on the street--a

very lovely girl--his eyes meet

her eyes, and something reaches

out and takes hold of his heart--

and then she goes on and is lost

in the crowd--and he says to

himself, "There goes my lost love"--

and it's true--if he never sees

her again, it's still true. Of

course, after a while, he forgets--

or almost forgets--because after a

while we forget almost everything.

(Betty is silent,

staring at him)

But this man is a copper. He gets

orders--routine orders--to go to a

place and investigate a murder--

and everything points to a certain

girl.

BETTY:

Points very straight to her.

KILLAINE:

He looks at the girl, looks into

her eyes--

BETTY:

What does he see?

KILLAINE:

Palm trees against a sunset--waves

breaking on a coral reef--the Taj

Mahal by moonlight--roses in an

English garden, just after a shower--

(he grins wryly)

Clichés, one and all--but good

ones, with a lot of mileage left

in them--there's one thing he does

not see--murder--and murder was

what he was sent to find. Pretty

ridiculous, isn't it?

BETTY:

Very ridiculous.

KILLAINE:

That's my hard luck--I'm man enough

to tell you about it--and not be

sorry.

BETTY:

What do your friends call you?--

The ones that know you well?--and

like you very much?

KILLAINE:

They call me Jeff.

BETTY:

Jeff. Shall we go now, Jeff, and

get it over with?

KILLAINE:

Not quiet yet.

(pause)

We know who the gun belonged to.

Margo West. She told us this

morning.

(pause)

It doesn't mean much. Mitchell

took it away from her. He had a

habit of going through her bag.

BETTY:

Looking for peanuts, I suppose.

KILLAINE:

So Mitchell had handled it.

Afterwards, Brandon picked it up.

(he glances at her)

There's no indication you handled

it.

BETTY:

I always wear gloves when I shoot

people. A bad joke--but better

than tears.

KILLAINE:

(glancing at his

watch again)

Time's up. I'm off the case.

(he takes a deep

breath)

BETTY:

They'll only find someone else--

who won't be so kind.

KILLAINE:

That's something I can't spare

you. But I won't do it myself.

BETTY:

Because you think your in love

with me?

KILLAINE:

I'm enough of a copper to do my

duty. My boss made it tough for

me. If I don't arrest you, I've

gone soft. If I do, it's to save

my face. I don't play those rules.

He breaks off. PIPE MUSIC SOUNDS OVER SCENE. Killaine

raises his voice.

KILLAINE:

You've got a couple of hours, maybe.

BETTY:

To do what?

KILLAINE:

I can't answer that.

BETTY:

What will they do to you?

KILLAINE:

That's they're business. Can I

drop you somewhere?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes