The Grifters Page #7

LILLY:

You do not! Roy Dillon? Cornball

clown pictures? Commission

salesman? It's all a front, isn't

it? You're on the grift, I know you

are. You're working some angle, and

don't tell me you're not because I

wrote the book!

ROY:

(defensive)

You're one to talk. Still running

playback money for the mob.

LILLY:

That's me. That's who I am. You

were never cut out for the rackets,

Roy, and if you --

ROY:

How come?

She considers him. His expression is jaunty, daring her. She

gives him a somber answer.

LILLY:

You aren't tough enough.

He's afraid she's right. He covers the doubt with a display

of self-assurance.

ROY:

Not as tough as you, huh?

LILLY:

(dead serious)

No. And you have to be.

She holds up her burned hand, showing it to him.

LILLY:

You asked me about this. You really

want to know what happened?

He isn't sure he does; but what choice does he have?

ROY:

Up to you.

LILLY:

My boss is a guy named Bobo Justus,

back in Baltimore. When a long shot

gets too much action, I have to put

money on that horse at the track,

because it's the only way to get

the odds down.

ROY:

Sure.

LILLY:

The first day of the Delmar meet,

there was a nag called Bluebell. I

should have been on it. But that

was the day after you came in here,

so I stuck around to see how you

were gonna be.

He would speak protest, deny, explain, but she cuts him off.

LILLY:

That was my choice, nothing to do

with you. I took a chance, and it

didn't work out.

ROY:

Bluebell came in?

LILLY:

I sent Bobo ten grand of my own

money, like it was the winnings

from my bets. I hoped that would

cover me.

(shrug)

It didn't.

EXT. DELMAR DAY

AN ANGLE on the exit doors toward the parking lot. Lilly

comes out, self-absorbed, then sees something ahead of her,

falters briefly, keeps walking, tries a very shaky smile.

REVERSE ANGLE, as Lilly approaches her car. BOBO JUSTUS, 50,

a blunt hoodlum in a good suit and a civilized veneer, stands

leaning against the car, arms folded, squinting behind

sunglasses.

LILLY:

Hi, Bobo.

BOBO:

Did I buy you that dress, you piece

of sh*t?

Lilly's scared, startled, but trying to figure out how to

play this.

LILLY:

Well, I guess so. You're the guy I

work for.

BOBO:

You work for me, huh? Then I just

may flush you down the toilet.

Drive me to the Durando.

Bobo gets into the passenger seat, while Lilly nods

convulsive agreement and hurries around to get behind the

wheel. The car jolts forward, then smooths, and heads for the

gate.

INT. CHRYSLER - DAY

Driving along the highway. Lilly concentrates on traffic.

Bobo heavily watches her profile, finally speaks.

BOBO:

Bluebell.

Lilly's eyes briefly close, her shoulders sag. Then she goes

back to the silent alert person she'd been. Bobo nods.

BOBO:

How'd you figure you were gonna get

away with that?

LILLY:

I'm not getting away with anything,

Bobo.

BOBO:

You're f***in right you're not. How

much did your pals cut you in for

on that nag, huh? Or did they give

you the same kind of screwing you

gave me?

LILLY:

I was down on that horse, Bobo. Not

as much as I should have been, but

there was a lot of action on those--

Bobo taps a fingertip against the side of her head to shut

her up. She shuts up.

BOBO:

One question. Do you want to stick

to that story, or do you want to

keep your teeth?

LILLY:

I want to keep my teeth.

BOBO:

Now I'll ask you another. You think

I got no contacts out here? That

nag paid off at just the opening

price. There wasn't hardly a

flutter on the tote board from the

time the odds were posted. There

ain't enough action to tickle the

tote, but you claim a ten grand

win!

You send me ten thousand dollars,

like I'm some mark you can blow

off!

LILLY:

(terrified, broken)

Bobo, no, I --

BOBO:

You wanna talk to me straight up?

LILLY:

My son --

BOBO:

Your what?

LILLY:

My son was in the hospital --

BOBO:

What the f*** are you doin with a

son?

LILLY:

He left home a long time ago. He

was in the hospital, up in Los Ang

gleez, real sick.

BOBO:

(utter scorn)

Motherhood.

LILLY:

I never f***ed up before, Bobo.

BOBO:

You expect me to buy this?

It's time for Lilly to show tough, and she knows it.

LILLY:

You do buy it, Bobo. I cost you,

and I'm sorry.

Bobo thinks this over.

BOBO:

I got a lot of people work for me,

Lilly. I can't have sh*t like this.

LILLY:

(begging)

It'll never happen again. I swear.

BOBO:

It happened once. With me, that's

making a habit of it.

Lilly drops back to her final position; fatalism.

LILLY:

You're calling the shots.

BOBO:

You got any kind of long coat in

the car? Anything you can wear home

over your clothes?

LILLY:

(deadened with fear)

No.

BOBO:

(doesn't matter)

I'll loan you a raincoat.

Lilly drives, holding herself together.

EXT. HOTEL DURANDO - DAY

A tall expensive hotel on the coast north of San Diego.

CAMERA PANS with the Chrysler pulling in and stopping at the

entrance, then PANS UP the balconied facade.

INT. HOTEL SUITE - DAY

Living room of a high-floor suite. CAMERA FACES across the

room to the balcony and the view of the ocean. Entrance door

to one side. A supermarket shopping bag is on the coffee

table. Two THUGS sit on the sofa, watching TV.

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