Se7en Page #12

MILLS:

This real estate guy... this miserable

f***, he brought us to see this place a few

times. And, first I'm thinking he's good,

really efficient. But then, I started

wondering, why does he keep hurrying us

along? Why will he only show us this place

for like five minutes at a time?

Mills laughs lamely.

TRACY:

We found out the first night.

Somerset tries to stay straight, but he can't help laughing.

SOMERSET:

The soothing, relaxing, vibrating home.

Sorry...

He laughs harder, covering his mouth. Tracy and Mills laugh.

MILLS:

Oh, f***.

INT. MILLS' APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM -- LATER NIGHT

The record player plays another album. Tracy brings over a pot

of coffee and pours. Mills and Somerset have beers.

TRACY:

I don't think I've ever met anyone who

doesn't have a television before.

That's... weird.

MILLS:

It's un-American is what it is.

SOMERSET:

All television does is teach children that

it's really cool to be stupid and eat candy

bars all day.

MILLS:

What about sports?

SOMERSET:

What about them?

Tracy brings over a plate of cookies and puts it on the table.

MILLS:

You go to movies at least?

SOMERSET:

I read. Remember reading?

MILLS:

I just have to say, I can't respect any man

who's never seen "Green Acres."

Somerset gives a blank stare. Tracy walks across the room.

MILLS:

You've never seen "The Odd Couple?" This

is sick. "The Honeymooners?!"

SOMERSET:

I vaguely recall a large, angry man, and

someone called Norton.

Tracy turns the record player down further, then goes into the

bedroom and shuts the door behind her.

Somerset and Mills look a the closed door. A long moment. They

look at each other, then sit for a time. Somerset puts down his

beer, sighs. He looks around.

INT. MILLS' APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM

The only sounds are from the city outside. The living room table

has been cleared and its surface is now covered with various

forms, reports and 8" by 10" photographs. Mills and Somerset are

both standing. Mills guides Somerset through the photos.

MILLS:

Our guy got into office, probably before

the building closed and security tightened

up. Gould must have been working late.

SOMERSET:

I'm certain. He was the biggest defense

lawyer around. Infamous, actually.

MILLS:

Well, his body was found Monday night,

okay? But, get this... the office was

closed all day Monday. Which means, as

long as the gluttony killing was done

before the weekend, our killer could've

gotten in here on Friday. He could've

spent all day Saturday with Gould, and all

day Sunday.

Mills picks up one photo and shows it to Somerset. Long shot: it

shows the greed murder scene. Gould sits dead in the leather

chair, near the desk where the counter-balance scale sits.

MILLS:

Gould was tied down, nude. The killer left

his arms free and handed him a big, sharp

butcher's knife. See... the scale here.

Mills pulls another photo. Close up: the two-armed scale. In

one suspended plate is a one pound weight. In the other is a

hunk of flesh.

SOMERSET:

A pound of flesh.

Mills digs, comes up with a photocopy of a hand-scrawled note.

SOMERSET:

(reading note)

"One pound of flesh, no more no less. No

cartilage, no bone, but only flesh. This

task done... and he would go free."

Mills takes out one photo showing the note pinned to the wall

beside where "greed" is written in blood.

MILLS:

The leather chair was soaked through with

sweat.

SOMERSET:

(nods, grim)

All day Saturday, and all day Sunday.

(pause)

The murderer would want Gould to take his

time. To have to sit there and decide.

Where do you make the first cut? There's a

gun in your face... but, what part of your

body is expendable?

MILLS:

He cut along the side of his stomach. The

love handle.

Somerset's still studying the photos.

SOMERSET:

He must have left another puzzle piece.

MILLS:

Look, I appreciate being able to talk this

out, but, uh...

SOMERSET:

This is just to satisfy my curiosity. I'm

still leaving town Saturday.

Mills is very tired. He rubs his eyes, then walks to take one

more photo from his briefcase. It is the photo of the framed

picture of the falsely pretty woman with her eyes circled in

blood.

MILLS:

Gould's wife. She was away on business.

If this means she saw anything, I don't

know what. We've questioned her at least

five times.

SOMERSET:

And, if it's a threat.

MILLS:

We put her in a safe house.

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