The Salton Sea Page #4

GARCETTI:

What's he holding?

FLASHBACK - INT. CHEAP MOTEL ROOM - DAY

Bobby's hand extracting the eightballs from a nylon bag full of meth.

DANNY (O.S.)

Couple of eightballs, maybe more.

QUICK SHOT of an open drawer. A GUN can be glimpsed inside.

DANNY (cont'd)

Cheap ass techno knockoff in the

drawer with extra mags.

ANOTHER QUICK GLIMPSE of the closet. A shotgun butt visable

DANNY (cont'd)

12 gauge in the closet.

TANNER (O.S.)

Any company?

The WOMAN'S HAND protruding from underneath the mattress.

DANNY (O.S.)

Alas, the lovely Mrs. Bobby was

playing the bologna in a Posturpedic sandwich

(beat)

And there was a kid.

A SILHOUETTE visible through a crack in the BATHROOM DOOR.

TANNER (O.S.)

A kid? Are you sure?

A BEAT-UP ELMO DOLL and SOME COLORING BOOKS on top of the dresser.

EXT. PARK - NIGHT

Back on Danny.

DANNY:

Yeah. Pretty sure.

(beat)

Oh yeah ... he had a spear gun, too.

TANNER:

God damn, Flynne, you are one observant tweaker.

DANNY:

Somebody has to help you lazy bastards.

Garcetti looks at Danny with contempt. They head back to the car.

DANNY (cont'd)

Hey Tanner ... you be careful, okay?

TANNER:

Danny, I'm touched.

DANNY:

Don't be. I'm worried about the kid.

GARCETTI:

Then why didn't you help the kid when

you were there?

DANNY:

Hey, you want me to do all your work

for you, numbnuts?

Garcetti throws Danny up against the car. Nose-to-nose.

GARCETTI:

I'll tell you why you didn't help -

because you're a chickenshit tweaking

snitch. You're a bottom feader,

Flynne.

DANNY:

Garcetti, you're teeth, they're f***ing perfect.

Garcetti lets Danny go. Stomps off.

DANNY:

You're welcome.

EXT. CHEAP MOTEL ROOM - DAY

A GAGGLE OF ONLOOKERS, including a NEWS CREW, watching from the parking

lot.

BOBBY'S WOMAN screaming at the top of her lungs as she tries to get a

Bobby's sheet-covered body.

A SWAT TEAM packing up nearby. One of them suddenly does a graceful

little Tai-Chi gesture.

A LITTLE GIRL clutches at the screaming woman's legs.

REVEAL DANNY, amongst the onlookers. His expression gives nothing

away.

A ribbon of blood snakes from Bobby's body, over the parking lot curb

and runs into a storm drain.

As the blood SPLATTERS to the bottom, mixing with a pool of filthy

water. THE SOUND IS UNNATURALLY LOUD.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL - GARDENA - NIGHT.

The place cries out "YOU HAVE FINALLY HIT THE ABSOLUTE BOTTOM!"

Danny exist the stairwell and approaches his door.

A WOMAN ONE DOOR DOWN FROM DANNY'S ROOM struggles with her groceries.

When she goes to open the door, one of the bags breaks, spilling its

contents onto the floor.

Danny walks over.

DANNY:

(approaching)

Let me help you with those.

She scoops up the groceries and hurries into her room. Slamming the

door behind her.

DANNY (cont'd)

(loud through the door)

And to think Miss Manner was

living down the hall from me and I

didn't even know it!

There is a can on the floor. Danny bends down to pick it up.

DANNY (cont'd)

Hey, you left a can of ...

He looks at the can.

INSERT - CAN

The label is in CHINESE.

DANNY (cont'd)

... some Chinese looking sh*t out here.

No reaction.

DANNY (cont'd)

I'll just leave it by the door here.

(beat)

I'm going now!

After a moment, the door swings open. Danny is holding the can out

with a big smile on his face.

DANNY (cont'd)

You really oughta be more careful.

This is not a good neighborhood.

The woman smiles. A pretty smile. Sad too.

WOMAN:

I was rude. I'm sorry. I'm kinda new around here.

DANNY:

You did the right thing.

(handing the can over)

What is this stuff anyway?

WOMAN:

Fermented soybean curd.

DANNY:

Yummy.

She smiles again. World-weary. Sweet. Those eyes. Sad. Sexy. Sad

and sexy.

DANNY (cont'd)

My name is Danny Flynne.

(off her silence)

And you are?

WOMAN:

Colette Aragon. Thank you, Danny.

She closes the door abruptly.

INT. RESIDENTAL HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

The burning room from the opening scene. Danny's dirty clothes on the

bed.

He emerges from the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist. There is

a BIG STAR-SHAPED SCAR on Danny's shoulder.

He walks over to the closet, takes a METAL LOCKBOX from the top shelf

and puts it on the bed.

Pulls a key from his pocket and unlocks the box. He sits there staring

at the contents for a moment, then gingerly takes them out ...

... CLOTHES. A white dress shirt, black slacks and wingtips.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Danny dresses in his clothes, combing his hair. He goes back in the

lock box and pulls something else out ...

... A TRUMPET CASE. He walks over to the cheap vanity and sits down in

front of the mirror and stars for a very long time.

DANNY:

My name is Tom Van Allen

(beat)

I play the trumpet.

He slowly opens the trumpet case revealing a GLEAMING HORN inside.

Runs his fingers along the length of it and up to ...

... A PHOTO OF A WOMAN taped to the inside of the lid. A self-

conscious smile on her face like she's uncomfortable with having her

picture taken.

DANNY (cont'd)

(distant)

My name is Tom Van Allen. I play the trumpet.

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