Sherlock Holmes Page #7

WATSON:

Yes, well done. So shall we --

HOLMES:

Your student's a boy of 8.

MARY:

Charlie's 7, actually.

Watson's getting nervous, reaches for the wine. Holmes

stops him.

HOLMES:

It's breathing.

(back to Mary)

Then he's tall for his age.

Mary nods.

(CONTINUED)

18.

15 CONTINUED:
(4) 15

HOLMES:

He flicked ink at you today.

MARY:

Is there ink on my face?

The WAITER appears.

WATSON:

There's nothing wrong with your

face.

WAITER:

The gentleman has already ordered

for himself.

(to Watson)

What would madam care for this

evening?

Watson gives Holmes a hard look: that's a bit much.

WATSON:

Give us a few minutes, please.

He shakes his head, pours wine for all.

HOLMES:

There are two drops on your ear...

India blue's nearly impossible to

wash off, anyway. A very

impetuous act by the boy, but

you're too experienced to react

rashly -- which is why the lady

you work for lent you that

necklace. It's from Asprey's,

flawless, not the gems of a

governess.

(beat)

However, the jewels you're not

wearing tell us rather more.

(CONTINUED)

19.

15 CONTINUED:
(5) 15

WATSON:

Holmes.

Both Watson and Mary scorch Holmes with their eyes.

Holmes pauses... pauses, then:

HOLMES:

You were engaged.

Holmes' mind has gotten away from him. He begins talking

faster, intensely focused, manic.

HOLMES:

The ring is gone. But the lighter

skin where it sat suggests you

spent some time abroad wearing it

proudly.

As Holmes talks, Watson gets up, moves to help Mary to

her feet. They're leaving.

HOLMES:

Or at least until someone informed

you of its true and rather modest

worth, at which point you broke

off the engagement and returned to

England for better prospects. A

doctor perhaps.

Mary throws Watson's wine in Holmes' face. The

restaurant goes silent. She turns to leave, turns back.

MARY:

(low)

Right on all counts but one. I

didn't leave my fiance... he died.

Now she leaves --

(CONTINUED)

20.

15 CONTINUED: (6) 15

WATSON:

Well done, old man.

-- and Watson goes with her.

Holmes lets the wine drip down over him.

HOLMES:

She's lovely.

Holmes is left at an empty table with wine running down

his face.

Their orders arrive -- an array of plates piled high.

The waiter puts them down, Holmes very carefully unfolds

his napkin and places it into the top of his shirt,

spaghetti style, takes his knife and fork and begins to

cut the meat -- then pauses, looks around.

HOLMES' POV

Happy couples eating, laughing, talking. Suddenly,

Holmes hears no words. He just sees their mouths moving.

The sound of silverware clinking and scraping on fine

china rises to an ORCHESTRAL ROAR --

-- which becomes the ROAR of a BLOOD-THIRSTY MOB as a

fist smashes into a face with a MEATY THUD.

15A-17 OMITTEDINT. PUNCH BOWL PUB - BARE-KNUCKLE BOXING FIGHT - 5A-17

1

NIGHT:

Holmes staggers back from the blow. He tastes his own

blood from a split lip. It interests him.

He is stripped to the waist, all sinew and gristle. His

opponent, McMURDO -- huge but flabby -- bangs his fists

together and moves in.

Bets rage back and forth through the pressing CROWD.

HOLMES' POV

The room and the fight are calm -- the sounds muffled and

indistinct -- a complete sensory reversal of his

experience in the restaurant. This is soothing to him,

the ring is the only place where his mind stops racing.

(CONTINUED)

21.

15A-17 CONTINUED: 15A-17

He's able to feel, not just think. He is utterly in the

moment.

Holmes' hawk-sharp gaze darts down from McMurdo's face to

his muscles as they flex, giving him just enough warning

to move his head so that a punch grazes him.

BACK TO SCENE:

McMurdo throws a storm of punches, most of which Holmes

ducks or blocks. He throws nothing in return, sometimes

even drops his hands, just using his reflexes to protect

himself.

Once or twice, he reaches out and gently touches

McMurdo's face or throat, when the big man leaves an

obvious opening. But that's all. Holmes is completely

in control --

-- until he notices a face at ringside.

CLOSEUP ON A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN

Early thirties, a look of pure intrigue in her eyes and a

slight smile on her lips as she watches the detective.

Holmes' POV returns to normal when he sees her, the sound

floods back into the room.

McMurdo senses his opponent's lapse in concentration and

steps on Holmes' foot, tramping him and --

He knocks Holmes down with a thunderous right.

Holmes rolls over, stands, shakes his head to clear the

cobwebs. He looks for the woman. She's gone. He turns

back to McMurdo, smiles.

HOLMES:

Well done. Thank you.

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