Se7en Page #15

SOMERSET:

You meant what you said to Mrs. Gould,

didn't you? About catching this guy. You

really want to believe that, don't you?

MILLS:

And you don't?

SOMERSET:

(laughs, very tired)

I wish I still thought like you.

MILLS:

Then, you tell me what you think we're

doing.

SOMERSET:

All we do is pick up the pieces. We take

all the evidence, and all the pictures and

samples. We write everything down and note

what time things happened...

MILLS:

Oh, that's all.

SOMERSET:

We put it in a nice neat pile and file it

away, on the slim chance it's ever needed

in a courtroom.

(pause)

It's like collecting diamonds on a desert

island. You keep them just in case you

ever get rescued, but it's a pretty big

ocean out there.

MILLS:

Bullshit.

SOMERSET:

I'm, sorry, but even the most promising

clues usually lead only to other clues.

I've seen so many corpses rolled away...

unrevenged.

MILLS:

I've seen the same. I'm not the country

hick you seem to think I am.

SOMERSET:

In this city, if all the skeletons came out

of all the closets... if ever hidden body

were to suddenly rise again, there'd be no

more room for the living.

Somerset slumps back, takes out a cigarette and lights it.

MILLS:

Don't tell me you didn't get that rush

tonight... that adrenalin, like we were

getting somewhere.

Mills sits back on the couch, closes his eyes.

MILLS:

And, don't try to tell me it was because

you found something that would play well in

a courtroom.

Somerset looks at Mills, who crosses his arms to sleep. Somerset

puffs the cigarette.

The computer is heard: whir - click - whir - click...

INSERT -- TITLE CARD

THURSDAY:

INT. PRECINCT HOUSE, HALLWAY -- EARLY MORNING

Mills and Somerset are fast asleep on the couch, leaning against

each other. People pass and look at them strangely. A man steps

in front of the couch. He reaches with both hands to slap their

faces simultaneously.

It's the captain leaning over them.

CAPTAIN:

Wake up, Glimmer Twins. We have a winner.

INT. PRECINCT HOUSE, READY ROOM -- EARLY MORNING

A windowless classroom. The captain stands at a podium in front

with a white screen at his side. A mug-shot of a man, VICTOR,

25, is projected onto the screen from a slide projector.

CAPTAIN:

He goes by the name Victor, as many of you

know, and his prints were found on scene by

Detectives Mills and Somerset.

FIVE hardened POLICE OFFICERS, four men and one woman, sit in

chairs facing the captain. The all wear bullet-proof vests with

the word POLICE spray-painted across them.

Somerset and Mills sit in back, drinking coffee, still asleep.

CAPTAIN:

Now, this guy's a real beauty. He has a

long, long history of serious mental

illness. According the head-shrinkers, it

seems his parents gave him a very strict,

Southern Baptist upbringing, but somewhere

along the line he dropped his marbles.

Two of the cops in the front row are talking.

CAPTAIN:

Hey, you two can shut-up now!

The two cops separate like huge, embarassed school children.

CAPTAIN:

Thank you, fuckheads. Now, Victor spent a

couple of months in prison for the

attempted rape of an eight year old boy,

but his lawyer made sure he didn't stay

long. Before that, he dabbled in drugs,

armed robbery and assault.

We've been doing our best to keep an eye on

him, but he's been out of circulation for a

while.

FEMALE COP:

If he disappeared, what do you want from

us?

CAPTAIN:

His last place of residence is still in his

name. A search warrant is being pushed

through the courts as we speak.

A red-headed cop, CALIFORNIA, raises his hand.

CALIFORNIA:

So, have the housing cops walk up and ring

the doorbell.

The cops laugh. The captain is clenching his jaw, angry.

CAPTAIN:

Listen, California. When you go in, if

Victor isn't home, one of his buddies might

be house-sitting, so you go in guns first.

Besides using, Victor deals, and we know

what kind of crowd he runs with.

There is some chatter amongst the cops.

CAPTAIN:

This is what the D.A. has a hard-on for

right now, Ladies and Germs, so we do not

question why.

Mills leans to Somerset while the captain continues the briefing.

They whisper.

MILLS:

Does this make it with you?

SOMERSET:

Doesn't seem like our man, does it?

MILLS:

You tell me. I'm new in town.

SOMERSET:

He doesn't have the desire somehow. Our

killer seems to have more purpose. More

purpose than Victor could ever conceive of.

MILLS:

The fingerprints.

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