The Public Eye Page #16

Bernzy has descended the fire escape.

CUT TO:

INT. EXT/BERNZY'S CAR - NIGHT

Bernzy watches in frustration as a Workman guides a truck

which is backing up into the street, blocking traffic in

both directions. Bernzy slams the wheel, curses his luck.

He looks at his watch. Four minutes before eight.

The moment the narrowest semblance of a lane is clear, he

passes two other cars and drives through the narrow gap,

passes it, and speeds away.

CUT TO:

INT. BERNZY'S APARTMENT - SAME

The Lieutenant is on the phone.

LIEUTENANT:

(into phone)

I looked. He ain't here.

INTERCUT TO:

INT. SPOLETO'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Spoleto, on the other end of the line.

SPOLETO:

(he thinks; into phone)

No matter; we'll get him later.

He hangs up the phone. He looks over to THATCHER WHITE, the

Republican gray eminence.

SPOLETO:

Bernstein got away.

White glares, as if at an incompetent servant.

SPOLETO:

We'll go ahead with the hit, as

planned.

WHITE:

Is that really wise, Mr. Spoleto?

SPOLETO:

He don't know where it's gonna happen.

He don't know it's d'Angelo's. We're

home free.

CUT TO:

EXT. D'ANGELO'S CAFE - NIGHT

d'Angelo's is a simple storefront building with a plate glass

window, filmy curtains, a plainly-lettered sign. A neon clock

in the window says TIME TO EAT.

Right now it's two minutes before eight.

REVERSE:

BERNZY stands across the street from d'Angelo's. He has his

camera around his neck, the time release camera in hand.

Through the filmy curtains he can see that no one is eating

inside, i.e., no one from Farinelli's gang has arrived yet.

One door down from d'Angelo's, he sees a gap between the

buildings which leads to a rear alley. He looks both ways

before crossing the street quickly.

EXT. ALLEY BEHIND D'ANGELO'S

Through the screen door, Bernzy can see a black Scullion in

an apron. He scrapes potato peelings into a metal can by the

door. Beyond him, we can see d'ANGELO and MRS. d'ANGELO, the

middle-aged couple who run the place. They are preparing

food at the stove.

Bernzy gestures to the Scullion, trying to lure him out into

the alley with bills he waves in his hand.

The Scullion looks at his boss, back at Bernzy. He picks up

the metal can, and walks it back into the alley.

BERNZY:

Listen, whaddo they pay you here?

The Scullion empties the trash into the dumpster.

BERNZY:

Two-fifty? Three bucks a week?

The Scullion just stares.

BERNZY:

(giving him three

bills)

Here's two month's pay.

(and another one)

Here's three months, I got no time

to haggle.

SCULLION:

What'you want?

INT. KITCHEN

The Scullion re-enters. He picks up a tray of water glasses

and looks to the Chef. The Chef nods. The Scullion carries

them toward the dining room, passing through a narrow

HALLWAY:

that connects it to the kitchen.

DINING ROOM:

Four square tables have been pushed together to create a

single rectangular table in the center of the restaurant.

The cafe's other tables have been pushed to the outside walls,

for tonight's private party.

The Scullion sets the tray with water glasses on one of the

tables pushed to the side.

CUT TO:

EXT. D'ANGELO'S - SAME

Bernzy stands pressed against the front door, looking at his

watch. It's 8 o'clock. He watches the street nervously as A

DARK SEDAN turns the corner onto the street, up the block.

BERNZY:

F***.

The Scullion unlocks the door behind him and Bernzy ducks

in.

INT. DINING ROOM

The Scullion leads Bernzy through the dining room back toward

the hallway, cautioning Bernzy to wait while he makes sure

the coast is clear.

EXT. STREET

The car pulls up in front.

INT. D'ANGELO'S HALLWAY

Bernzy is moving one of the tables pushed to the side of the

restaurant closer to the hallway. Through the curtained

window, he sees FARINELLI getting out of his car.

Bernzy ducks down beneath the level of the windows. He adjusts

the table cloth of the table he just moved, bringing it closer

to the floor on the dining room side.

The Scullion opens the door of a closet in the hallway, and

beckons Bernzy to come.

Bernzy looks behind him, to the door, as he scurries, low,

toward the closet door.

THE CLOSET:

is ridiculously cramped -- filled with mops, brooms, buckets,

lightbulbs. Just as FARINELLI opens the cafe's front door

The Scullion lifts a broom in the closet and Bernzy ducks

under it.

DINING ROOM:

Farinelli sees the Scullion replacing a broom in a closet,

and closing the closet door.

The Chef hurries down the hallway, past the Scullion, to

greet Farinelli and his Men. There is a great deal of

obsequiousness and hand-kissing. Everyone speaks in Italian.

EXT. STREET

Another car pulls up, and four more of Farinelli's men get

out of it.

INT. CLOSET

Bernzy, impossibly cramped in the dim closet, gingerly lifts

a roll loaded camera on a strap out of his oversized jacket

pocket. He can hear the Italian voices. A bucket wobbles and

he has to freeze. He secures the bucket, and lifts the camera

strap over his head and onto his shoulders.

INT. DINING ROOM

Farinelli and his men are sitting down as three more gang

members enter.

INT. CLOSET

Bernzy looks at his watch. It's ten past eight. He's soaked

in sweat and very cramped. He can hear the muffled voices of

Farinelli and his men. We can feel the heat, the darkness,

the anxiety of this claustrophobic eternity.

INT. DINING ROOM

The Chef is serving wine around the table as Farinelli, at

its head, speaks in subtitled Italian.

FARINELLI:

I got some news just before I left

the house... This time it's Sal.

The Men take the news without evident emotion.

FARINELLI:

(to the Chef)

Leave us.

The Chef nods, and heads up the hallway.

INT. CLOSET

Bernzy checks his watch. He gingerly shifts his position, in

order to remove the time-release camera, on its graded piece

of wood, from his other suit pocket. He can hear the muffled

Italian voices, outside: they're discussing how to avenge

Sal's death.

EXT./INT. ALLEY BEHIND D'ANGELOS/CAR

A long car idles in the alley.

Inside are four of SPOLETO'S MEN, carrying automatic weapons,

and a Driver. The Lead Assassin studies his watch.

INT. CLOSET

Bernzy studies his watch, then sets the timer on the time-

release camera.

INT. KITCHEN

The d'Angelos set the last few pieces onto an antipasto

platter.

The screen door is yanked back: Spoleto's men run through

the back door. d'Angelo, Mrs. d'Angelo and the Scullion drop

their utensils and duck down behind the counter.

Mrs. d'Angelo crosses herself.

INT. CLOSET

Bernzy hears the running footsteps of the Assassins. In one

hand he holds the time-release camera; the other grips the

knob of the closet door.

DINING ROOM:

As Spoleto's Men come into the dining room, a few of

Farinelli's men see them and go for their guns. But Spoleto's

men already have their guns ready and aimed.

LEAD ASSASSIN:

Don't try it. On your feet.

Behind him, we see the broom-closet door sway open slowly.

INT. KITCHEN

The d'Angelos and the Scullion crawl out by the screen door.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes