Raising Arizona Page #8

FBI #2

Could you give us an indication why?

NATHAN:

Yeah, would you buy furniture at a

store called Unpainted Huffhines?

FBI #1

All right, I'll get to the point-

UNIFORMED COP:

Was the child wearing anything when

he was abducted?

NATHAN:

No one sleeps nekkid in this house,

boy! He was wear-

FBI #1

I'm asking the questions here,

officer.

COP:

If we're gonna put out an APB we

need a description of the -

NATHAN:

He was wearin' his-

FBI #2

It's just that we're better trained

to intervene in crisis situations

(to Nathan)

What was he wearing?

NATHAN:

A dinner jacket! Wuddya think, he

was wearing his damn jammies!

FBI #2

(to cop)

The child was wearing his jammies.

Are you happy?

FBI #1

Do you have any disgruntled employees?

NATHAN:

Hell, they're all disgruntled! I

ain't runnin' a damn daisy farm!

COP:

What did the pajamas-

NATHAN:

My motto is do it my way or watch

your butt!

COP:

What did the pajamas-

FBI #1

So you think it might have been an

employee?

NATHAN:

Don't make me laugh. Without my say-

so they don't piss with their pants

on fire.

COP:

What did the pajamas look like?

FBI #1

(pained)

Officer-

NATHAN:

(bellowing)

I dunno, they were jammies! They had

Yodas'n sh*t on 'em!

BELLOWING VOICE OFFSCREEN

Would ya mind, I'm trying to set up

a Command Post here!

Nathan bellows back:

NATHAN:

Get your feet off m'damn coffee table!

Also raising his voice at the offscreen bellower:

FBI #1

Ron, you're upsetting the victim.

Nathan is getting worked up.

NATHAN:

Damnit, are you boys gonna go chase

down your leads or are you gonna sit

drinkin' coffee in the one house in

the state where I know my boy ain't

at?!

FBI #2

Sir, there aren't any "leads" yet,

aside from this coat-

NATHAN:

Gimme that!

He grabs the overcoat being displayed by FBI #2.

NATHAN:

That's a five-hundred-dollar camel's

hair-

BYRUM:

Sir, you might want to wash your

hands at this point.

Nathan realizes that he's gotten ink from his fingerprinting

all over the coat.

NATHAN:

Well goddamnit!

He is rising to his feet and hurling the coat to the floor.

NATHAN:

...No leads?!

He furiously kicks the coat.

NATHAN:

...Everyone leaves microbes'n whatnot!

Throughout the speech Nathan stalks the room, working himself

into a frenzy, furiously putting coffee cups onto coasters,

generally cleaning up, hectoring the police, and swiping

their feet off his furniture.

NATHAN:

...Hell, that's your forte, trackin'

down them microbes left by criminals'n

commies'n sh*t! That's yer whole

damn raison d'itre! No leads?! I

want Nathan Jr. back, or whichever

the hell one they took! He's out

there somewhere! Somethin' leads to

him! And anyone can find him knows

the difference between a lead and a

hole in the ground!!

HOLE IN THE GROUND - DAY

Specifically, it is the hole in the muddy patch of earth

that Gale and Evelle climbed out of. We hear only the squish -

suck of many feet walking around in the mud offscreen.

We are pulling back to reveal the feet-the shiny black patent

leather shoes and blue pants cuffs - becoming quickly

spattered - of several policemen milling about the hole.

German shepherds sniff around also.

With a roar, motorcycle wheels enter frame. The bike's

jackbooted rider casually tools around the hole once; police

step back and dogs skitter away to give him room.

He backs toward the camera and stops, standing astride the

bike. The burning stub of a cheroot is dropped into frame;

it hisses angrily and dies in the mud. We start to crane up.

The whipcracking Biker cue mixes up. The Biker's motorcycle

idles with a deep rumble, like the roar of fire on the sun.

We are now framed looking over the Biker's shoulder. The

policemen's attitude to him seems to be deferential. One cop

in front of him is pointing a direction. The Biker is shaking

his head; he doesn't think they went that way.

Suddenly, with a loud whipcrack effect, the Biker's head

snaps to profile. He is staring across the field, stock-still,

having heard, smelled or sensed something.

The dogs milling around the hole also react, snapping to

attention, a split second after the BIKER.

THEIR POV:

A jackrabbit is bounding away at the far end of the field.

THE DOGS:

After a moment, their attention returns to the hole.

THE BIKER:

His attention also returns to the matter at hand. He squints,

concentrating. His bike rumbles. Gradually his face sets in

a specific direction.

We pan down to the tattoo on his shoulder: "Mama Didn't Love

Me." His shoulder flexes once or twice as he revs the

throttle; then he puts the bike in gear and it roars out of

frame.

TRAILER KITCHEN CLOSE ON GALE AND EVELLE

They are both intently munching cornflakes, staring at

something offscreen. After a beat:

EVELLE:

...Awful good cereal flakes, Miz

McDunnough.

THEIR POV:

Ed is sitting in the living room, bottle-feeding Nathan Jr.

She is surrounded by the rumpled sheets and blankets used by

the house guests. She does not respond to the ice-breaker.

Gale puts his spoon down and picks up a cigarette which has

been smoking in the ashtray next to him. There is a bead of

milk dribbling down his chin.

He takes a contemplative puff, studying Ed.

GALE:

...Whyncha breast feed him? You 'pear

to be capable.

ED:

Mind your own bidnis.

Through a mouthful of cornflakes:

EVELLE:

Ya don't breast feed him, he'll hate

you for it later. That's why we wound

up in prison.

Gale blows out smoke and picks up his spoon to start back in

on his cornflakes.

GALE:

Anyway, that's what Doc Schwartz

tells us.

Hi is walking in, yawning.

HI:

Boys.

EVELLE:

Morni', H.I.

Sharply, as Hi sits and starts to pour cornflakes into a

bowl:

ED:

...Hi.

Hi holds the cornflakes box arrested in mid-air. He looks at

Ed, who is motioning to gale and Evelle with her eyes.

HI:

Oh yeah... Say boys, you wouldn't

mind makin' yourself scarce for a

couple hours this afternoon?

ED:

We're havin' some decent friends

over.

Gale and Evelle are looking dumbly from Ed to Hi.

HI:

Heh-heh... What Ed means to say is,

seein' as you two boys are wanted,

it wouldn't exactly do to have folks

seein' you here - I mean for your

own protection.

GALE:

Sure H.I.

EVELLE:

Anything you say.

More relaxed now, to Ed:

HI:

Matter of fact honey, maybe I'll

skip this little get-together myself,

Glen won't mind, and I'll just duck

out with the boys, knock back a couple

of-uh, Co-Colas-

GALE:

Sure H.I.

EVELLE:

We'd love to have ya.

CLOSE ON ED:

Looking pleadingly at Hi.

BACK TO HI:

Feeling the look, he goes back to his cornflakes.

HI:

...Well... maybe that ain't such a

hot idea either.

Gale leans back to blow smoke at the ceiling.

GALE:

(bitterly)

So many social engagements. So little

time.

WIDE SHOT GAS STATION BATHROOM

It is the bathroom where we earlier saw Gale and Evelle

combing their hair, now empty.

We are looking toward the door. The bathroom is quiet except

for the dripping sink, and the faint rumble of an approaching

motorcycle. It grows louder, then begins to recede as the

bike shoots by the station.

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