The Salton Sea Page #5

He takes the trumpet from the case - A CHECK from a LIFE INSURANCE

COMPANY and a DRIVER'S LICENSE with Danny's picture and the name TOM

VAN ALLEN.

DANNY (cont'd)

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

He starts to play. "Saeta" again.

AN IMAGE appears on THE BLANK WALL BESIDE HIM. MOVE OFF DANNY AND UP

TO THE IMAGE.

IN THE IMAGE - A HUGE LAKE in the middle of the DESERT. CONTINUE

MOVING IN ON IMAGE AS WE CUT TO ...

EXT. SALTON SEA - SUNSET (FLASHBACK)

Danny and THE WOMAN FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH sitting on the shore. Watching

the sunset. She is his wife, LIZ.

Danny playing "SAETA" on his trumpet.

Danny and Liz are alone, except for the myriad birds, silhouetted by

the falling sun.

A gust of wind rushes across the lake, blowing Liz's hair all around

her face.

A dying fish on the waterline, gills pumping for oxygen.

Danny finishes playing.

Silence.

IMPORTANT:
DANNY WILL BE KNOWN AS TOM IN THIS SCENE.

LIZ:

That's so ...

(not finishing the word)

DANNY / TOM

Melancholy?

LIZ:

Yes, it hurts my heart. What a

beautiful composition.

DANNY/TOM

And the performance?

LIZ:

(goofing)

A virtuoso rendition. TOM VAN ALLEN

is nothing short of dazzling in his

interpretation of Miles Davis'

haunting, moody piece.

DANNY/TOM

Thank you. Thank you very much.

LIZ:

And he has a really hot ass with hardly

any hair on it.

DANNY/TOM

Again, I thank you.

LIZ:

I was talking about Miles.

Danny playfully tackles her to the ground.

DANNY/TOM

You, madam, are a heartless wench.

LIZ:

And you've got wiener breath.

DANNY/TOM

Really?

LIZ:

It's that disgusting hot dog you had for lunch.

Danny starts kissing her over and over again.

LIZ:

(laughing)

Tom! Gross!

She finally pushes him off. He rolls off of her and snuggles up next

to her, spooning her in the sand.

DANNY/TOM

You know how I make that song

melancholy when I play it?

I think of what my life would be like

without you.

Liz smiles, snuggles closer to Danny.

LIZ:

Tom, let's spend the night here.

DANNY/TOM

There's no motels around here.

LIZ:

No. Right here on the beach. Come

on. Let's do it.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Danny sitting at the vanity holding the trumpet. THE IMAGE IS STILL

PROJECTED ON THE WALL BEHIND HIM.

DANNY:

(at the vanity, whispering)

Okay, we'll stay. We'll stay.

NOW THE DANNY IN THE IMAGE ANSWERS ....

DANNY/TOM

(on the beach)

Come on, Liz. We'll get eaten alive.

DANNY:

(at the vanity, softly)

No ... We'll stay.

BACK ON THE IMAGE as Danny and Liz walk away from the shore.

The sun sinks completely below the horizon.

A long fish hawk floats on the last of the thermals.

The dying fish breaths its last.

Danny (at the vanity) closes his eyes.

SERIES OF QUICK CUTS

The trumpet goes back in the case.

The lid is closed.

The case goes back in the box.

The neatly folded clothes are laid on top.

The box goes back to the shelf.

The light in the closet is turned off.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

EXT. DESERTED PARK - NIGHT

Danny and Tanner sitting across from one another at a picnic table.

Tanner writing serial numbers down as he counts out SEVERAL HUNDRED

DOLLAR BILLS.

Danny watching silently.

Tanner puts the bills in an envelope, licks the flap, seals it and

slides it over to Danny, who doesn't touch it.

The envelope lays there between them for the following conversation.

DANNY:

You think I'm a Judas?

TANNER:

Hard to compare the people you're

taking down with the Lord.

DANNY:

Garcetti thinks I'm a pile of sh*t.

TANNER:

Garcetti thinks everything is sh*t.

He doesn't even like dolphins.

Danny smiles.

TANNER (cont'd)

I'm serious. He hates 'em. You ever

hear of anyone who didn't like dolphins?

Tanner shakes his head and smiles.

DANNY:

Thanks for not judging me.

TANNER:

It's not my place.

DANNY:

Don't you wonder why I do it?

TANNER:

The money? The drugs? Keeping yourself

out of jail? I know the drill.

DANNY:

You don't find that repugnant?

TANNER:

Just the way the world works. Look,

as far as tweakers go, you aren't a

bad guy. You never hurt anyone but

yourself as far as I know.

DANNY:

Tell that to Bobby ... and his wife and kid.

TANNER:

Bobby laid his own tracks. He could

have gone quietly but he played the

hard-ass con till the end. And as

far as I'm concerned, he wife and

kid are a hell of a lot better off

without him.

(beat)

Now take the money.

Danny stuffs the money into his jacket.

TANNER (cont'd)

One think I do want to know is how

the hell did you get yourself into

this position to start with? You

seem like a smart enough guy.

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