Tin Men Page #19

buys it. That's deception as far

as I can see, but I don't

understand the deceptiveness that

you say we're responsible for...

if I make myself clear.

SAM:

(leaning into

the microphone)

I'd go along with that as well.

MASTERS:

What we're trying to establish

are the principles that have been

laid down as part of the Home

Improvement code of ethics...

that you cannot mislead someone

intentionally, and I think that's

the principle that applies to this.

TILLEY:

Did somebody put a gun to this

guy's head and make him spend

twenty-four hundred dollars? I

don't get the point here. I

don't know the specifics of this

case, not being privy to all the

information, but all I can say is

this guy got a fair price for a

fair job.

Another commissioner, BUD DELANEY, takes the microphone.

DELANEY:

(to Tilley)

Do you know Mr. and Mrs. Rayburn

of 156 Aberdeen Avenue, Essex?

(CONTINUED)

120.

125 CONTINUED:
(3) 125

TILLEY:

(looks to Sam

and shrugs his

shoulders; then

into mike)

I think you'd have to familiarize

me.

DELANEY:

The couple purchased twenty-eight

hundred dollars' worth of aluminum

siding and the two of you were the

salesmen on record. They say, and

I quote here, 'that they would

have received one hundred and

fifty dollars per home for every

person in the neighborhood who

saw their house and decided to

buy aluminum siding.'

(looking up from

paper)

Is that true?

TILLEY:

It sounds right.

DELANEY:

Are you aware that, according to

the Home Improvement code, you

are not allowed to exceed a

twenty dollar limit in

incentives?

TILLEY:

(shrugs his shoulders)

We wanted to be a little more

generous, that's all.

DELANEY:

The couple said that they never

did receive any money from any

other jobs, as you had promised.

SAM:

(leaning into

microphone)

We didn't get any leads from them.

Their house was not the showplace

that we thought it would be. It

didn't generate the activity that

we had hoped.

(CONTINUED)

121.

125 CONTINUED:
(4) 125

TILLEY:

(interrupting)

But should a referral turn up in

the community, we'd be more than

happy to give them twenty dollars

instead of the hundred and fifty.

MASTERS:

(leaning into

microphone)

Excuse us for one moment.

He then leans over to Delaney, and they start to confer.

Tilley and Sam watch, wondering what's going on. Masters

leans in the other direction, holding his hand over the

microphone, and he talks to the other commissioners.

They nod in approval, then Masters leans back into the

microphone.

MASTERS:

Thank you very much, gentlemen.

Should there be a reason in the

future to call you back, we would

like to reserve that right.

TILLEY:

(leans into

microphone)

Glad we could be of some service.

Tilley and Sam get up from the table and walk out of

the building.

CUT TO:

126 EXT. TOBACCO WAREHOUSE - DAY 126

Tilley and Sam are walking toward Tilley's car.

TILLEY:

(rubbing his hands,

gleefully)

We beat 'em, Sam... we beat 'em!

What a piece of cake! No problem!

They ain't got nothing on us...

clean as a whistle... we're clean

as a whistle!

SAM:

I need a drink. I hate

inquisitions.

CUT TO:

122.

127 EXT. SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE - NIGHT 127

Heavy RAIN is falling. Nora, with an umbrella, walks

quickly across the parking lot. Suddenly BB slips

under the umbrella with her.

NORA:

(reacting sharply)

I don't want to see you anymore.

She pulls away from BB and continues walking. BB walks

behind her, getting soaked in the rain.

BB:

I gotta talk to you.

NORA:

I don't want to listen.

BB:

Give me a chance to explain. You

owe me that much.

Nora still walking toward her car in the downpour.

NORA:

I don't owe you anything.

BB lets her walk away. After a beat, he yells out.

BB:

It was a lousy thing to do, okay?

It was a lousy thing to use you

to get back at your husband... but

the fact is that I never would

have met you otherwise.

Nora stops and turns to look at BB.

BB:

(more quietly)

It was lousy... it was a

disgusting, terrible thing...

but a lot of good came out of it.

NORA:

What kind of a person would come

up with such a devious thing?

BB:

I'm not always a nice guy, I

admit that. I got a lot of

training in deceit... it's an

occupational hazard.

They stand looking at one another in the rain.

(CONTINUED)

123.

127 CONTINUED:
127

NORA:

I'd like to know what it is about

me that I have to fall for tin

men. What kind of character flaw

do I have?

BB:

I didn't want to have to come

here. I wish that I didn't have

to ever see you again. I've gone

this far in my life without having

to have this kind of thing happen

to me. I was going through life,

sailing along, pretty good...

doing okay, and I tried to get

even with some crazy guy... and

I'm here.

NORA:

The wet becomes you. Gets rid

of some of the slickness.

BB:

I don't like the idea that I'm

not in control of this, but if

this stuff's got to happen, I

guess I've got no choice. I

wanna... ya know...

(he gets angry)

... I wanna be with ya! Okay, I

said that... I said it, okay?! I

wanna be with ya! It pisses the

hell out of me, and I'm gonna

tell you that to your face, but

I want to be with you because...

I miss you and I'd like to live

with you... I'd like to marry

you... and that's that!

Nora eyes him carefully. The rain falls on her umbrella

and the rain beats on BB's head. After a long moment.

NORA:

I was hoping for something a

little more romantic... but, okay.

A slight smile comes to BB's face.

CUT TO:

124.

128 INT. PIMLICO HOTEL - BAR/RESTAURANT - NIGHT 128

Tilley and Sam are sitting at the bar nursing a couple

of drinks. In the b.g., the pianist is playing "Last

Night When We Were Young," and a few people are sitting

around the piano joining in with the song.

SAM:

Ya know, Tilley, we been working

together for over a year.

TILLEY:

Yeah, must be about that.

SAM:

I've been thinking that sometimes

a different combination makes for

better luck. Ya know what I mean?

I mean, maybe the two of us ain't

the right combination.

TILLEY:

I'm just getting used to ya, Sam.

SAM:

Let's face it, we're not exactly

setting the world on fire.

TILLEY:

It's a slump... it's a slump, Sam.

SAM:

Maybe it's a slump, but like

baseball, some time they have to

change the lineup to get the team

going again.

TILLEY:

You're not serious about this, are

you, Sam?

SAM:

Yeah.

TILLEY:

You're serious? You wanna get

another partner? You don't think

I'm gonna pull out of this?

SAM:

I know you're gonna... I know

you're gonna.

TILLEY:

So?

(CONTINUED)

125.

128 CONTINUED:
128

SAM:

Look, we beat the Commission today

... you know, we got a little bit

of a victory. We split right now

and maybe we can add to that...

you know what I'm saying?

TILLEY:

I know... I know. Change in the

lineup. Okay, maybe it'll help...

maybe it'll help.

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