The Leopard Man Page #18

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JERRY:

You mean you want to take them to

the cemetery.

KIKI:

(a little shame-faced)

Yes. Do you mind?

Jerry leans forward and taps on the glass partition between

themselves and the driver.

DISSOLVE:

INT. BELVEDERE IN THE CEMETERY - DAY

In the arbor-like inclosure, two or three white pigeons are

moving about on the sunlit ground. As Kiki and Jerry enter

the inclosure, they lift into the air with a flutter of wings

and fly away. Kiki looks around the little inclosure.

KIKI:

And she waited here for him?

JERRY:

Robles says it looks that way.

Belmonte had already been there and

left. They only missed each other

by a few minutes.

Kiki goes over to the little marble bench and sits down.

Jerry stands and looks down at her.

KIKI:

What do you suppose she thought

about - alone in here?

Jerry shrugs his shoulders.

KIKI:

It's such a sad little place --

Kiki stands looking out at the sunlit trees of the cemetery.

JERRY:

Why do you want to stay around

here? It'll only make you feel

badly.

KIKI:

Maybe I want to feel badly.

JERRY:

That doesn't make sense.

Kiki turns around and faces him across the belvedere.

KIKI:

Maybe I'm tired of pretending that

nothing bothers me -- that I don't

care about anything but myself -

myself and my two-by-four career.

Jerry comes part way across the belvedere to her.

JERRY:

What else do you care about, Kicks?

KIKI:

You. Us.

Jerry comes over and takes her in his arms. He looks into her

eyes and then kisses her deeply. As he lifts his head again,

he holds her even more tightly.

JERRY:

I'm glad you care about us, Kicks.

Sometimes that gets kind of lost in

the racket --

KIKI:

(looking up at him)

Maybe there ought to be less racket

and more us.

Jerry smiles at her. Leaving one arm around her shoulders, he

steers her over to the little marble bench. They sit down,

still with their arms around each other.

KIKI (CONT'D)

We've been so busy pretending to be

tough hombres --

Jerry nods. With a little sigh, Kiki puts her head down on

his shoulder.

KIKI:

Confession. I'm a complete softie.

I've been conscience-stricken and

worried sick ever since that

leopard got away --

JERRY:

If that's being a softie -- there

are two of us.

They sit quietly -- happy in a moment of complete

understanding.

JERRY:

Kiki -- it wasn't the leopard.

KIKI:

You're positive of that, aren't

you?

JERRY:

Absolutely sure.

Kiki gets to her feet and tugs at Jerry's hand.

KIKI:

We're not going to catch a train,

darling -- we're going to stay

right here and catch a murderer.

Jerry stands up.

JERRY:

(eagerly)

You're sure it's all right?

You don't mind staying?

Kiki smiles up at him.

KIKI:

You already know the answer to

that. I want this town to be safe

and happy again --

JERRY:

I'm no detective. I don't even know

how to begin. All I know is I want

to do something about all this.

Kiki takes his arm and they start across the inclosure. Jerry

stops at the entrance.

JERRY:

Oh, by the way -- I'm out of cash --

KIKI:

Didn't you take your cut out of the

closing check?

JERRY:

(ruefully)

I got into a little crap game.

KIKI:

That's funny -- I never knew you to

lose that much before --

Jerry looks innocent and helpless..

KIKI:

(a little embarrassed)

As a matter of fact, I'm out of

cash myself.

JERRY:

What! You can't be --

KIKI:

I -- I bought some silver jewelry

and stuff from Eloise --

JERRY:

Eloise doesn't own enough of

anything to make a dent in your pay

check, Kicks.

KIKI:

(defiantly)

All right, I'm not ashamed of it! I

split it two ways �

JERRY:

(before he can continue)

Half to the Delgado family and half

to Clo-Clo's family.

KIKI:

(taken aback)

How do you know?

Jerry grins.

KIKI:

You did the same thing yourself!

Impulsively, Kiki puts her arms around Jerry and hugs him

affectionately.

DISSOLVE:

EXT. THE GATES OF THE CEMETERY - DAY

The old gatekeeper is leaning against the cemetery gate,

whittling. Kiki and Jerry the gate. Kiki smiles at him..

JERRY:

(just by way of polite

observation)

Must get lonely here.

GATEKEEPER:

(nodding toward the

graveyard)

I have many friends -- and they

don't bother me with talk --

KIKI:

(to Jerry)

That ought to hold you.

Charlie How�Come comes walking towards them, dragging a sack

behind him.

CHARLIE:

Two hundred and fifty dollars you

owe met

JERRY:

(very excited)

You found the leopard!

Charlie comes up to them and drops the sack to the ground.

CHARLIE:

What's left of him.

JERRY:

Where? Where did you find it?

Charlie is wiping his face with Now he gestures with the

cloth, a bandana handkerchief.

CHARLIE:

North -- in an arroyo, Shot through

the head �- maybe week ago. No

good, skin, everything gone ��

JERRY:

What arroyo -� how did you get to

it ��

Charlie looks perplexed. He draws a line in the air with his

forefinger.

DISSOLVE:

THE SHOE SHINING STAND - STREET - DAY

A small shoeshine stand with two chairs under an awning.

Robles sits in one of them, looking down like a judge at the

group before him -- Kiki, Jerry and Charlie. The other chair

is empty. The little Mexican who runs the stand is working

with furious diligence over Robles' boots.

Charlie, the sack lying nearby, is bent over almost double,

tracing an imaginary line on the sidewalk.

CHARLIE:

And here is Three Tree Mesa -- and

here I go out of the big arroyo --

JERRY:

(interrupting)

That's the place: I remember -� My

feet were so darn sore, I couldn't

make it -- and Galbraith went on up

to the head of the canyon by

himself --

ROBLES:

Just a moment ��

He looks at Kiki and holds out his hand beseechingly.

ROBLES (CONT'D)

Please -- Miss Walker �� come up

and sit beside me. I cannot stand

� so you must sit.

KIKI:

No, really -- thank you just the

same, I ��

JERRY:

(interrupting)

Chief, don't you understand what

this means?

ROBLES:

(sighs)

You think Galbraith found the

leopard on the day you went out

with the posse.

JERRY:

I'm sure of it!

Having finished one boot, the Mexican bootblack goes to work

on the other. Robles holds up the polished boot and looks at

it admiringly.

ROBLES:

Isn't that beautiful? There is no

one in the state like him. He is a

genius in his own line.

Jerry makes a gesture of impatience.

JERRY:

Galbraith knows something. He as

good as said so ��

ROBLES:

I am not interested in what

somebody else thinks. You being me

facts and I'll act on them.

Jerry kicks at the sack with his foot.

JERRY:

That's a fact, isn't it?

ROBLES:

Yes. And I am taking it to

headquarters for examination.

The bootblack puts the final buff on the second boot. Robles

steps down. He pats the bootblack on the shoulder and hands

him a coin.

JERRY:

You won't go to Galbraith with me?

ROBLES:

Offend a reputable citizen and

involve the department in a slander

suit? No. I'm in office to protect

the taxpayers money � not throw it

way. Come on, Charlie.

Charlie picks up the sack and trails away after Robles.

Jerry stares after them. The his arm. Jerry looks at him. The

bootblack makes a gesture of buffing and points down to

Jerry's shoes. Jerry shakes his head.

JERRY:

No. No, thanks.

(to Kiki)

Now we've got to do it ourselves.

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