True Lies Page #12

Harry watches her lying to him with some amazement. You can

see the jaw muscles clenching.

HARRY:

So, a little excitement in an

otherwise dull day. Did is work

out okay?

HELEN:

Oh, sure. Fine.

(she gets up suddenly)

I'll get some more gravy.

DANA:

I'm done.

Dana bolts. She has eaten about four bites. Harry sits at the

table, alone. He feels isolated, knowing that everybody is

lying to everybody else. He is a man without a center, lost.

CUT TO:

120 INT. OMEGA SECTOR/ LISTENING ROOM - DAY

TRACKING ALONG THE BANK OF RECORDERS. Harry comes to a

particular set of machines. He reaches past the technician and

picks up the hard-copy of the transcripts.

ON HARRY walking and leafing through the phone transcripts.

Gib watches him through a glass partition, shaking his head

slowly. Harry freezes, staring at the page and WE HEAR THE

SOUND OF THE CONVERSATION OVERLAID:

HELEN:

Hello?

SIMON:

Helen? It's Simon. Is it safe

to talk?

HELEN:

Yes. Go ahead.

121 INT. CAR - FLASHBACK SEQUENCE - DAY

A man in his mid-thirties, sitting in a car SOMEPLACE (DAY),

speaks into a cellular phone. This is SIMON. He is dark

haired, and fairly good-looking in an off-beat way. He is

unshaven and his clothes look slept in. He glances around in

a furtive manner.

SIMON:

I can't talk long. Can you meet

me for lunch tomorrow? I must

see you.

122 INT. HELEN'S OFFICE - DAY

NOW WE SEE HELEN, at her office.

HELEN:

Yes. I suppose so. Where?

SIMON:

The same place. One o'clock. I

have to go now. See you

tomorrow. Remember, I need you.

123 INT. LISTENING ROOM - DAY

The last line is played ON HARRY, reading. Now he is seeing

the proof in black and white. He slowly crumples the paper in

one hand, his expression dark.

124 INT. TASKER HOUSE - NIGHT

Helen is reading in bed. She glances up as Harry comes into

the room. Gives him a quick smile. Too quick.

HARRY:

I thought we might have lunch

tomorrow.

HELEN:

I can't, honey. I promised

Allison I'd go shopping with her.

Sorry.

Harry watches her smoothly lying to him. It's surreal to him.

HARRY:

No problem.

He surreptitiously picks up Helen's purse from a dresser and*

goes into the hall.*

125 OMITTED*

126 EXT. TASKER HOUSE - NIGHT*

THE FRONT DOOR OPENS and Harry comes out, walking Gizmo on a*

leash. Harry walks briskly along the sidewalk, jerking the

poor dog along twice as fast as his little legs will go.*

127 EXT. SIDEWALK, BY GIB'S CAR - NIGHT

He reaches Gib's car, half a block up, and hands him Helen's*

purse. Gib eyes the dog warily. He growls at it. Gizmo hides *

behind Harry's legs.

GIB:

Look, Harry. I know this is

rough. I felt the same way the

first time it happened to--

Harry holds up one finger. His eyes and expression are so

intense, Gib just soft of trails off.

GIB*

Right.*

(hefting the purse)*

So . . . the usual, right?*

GPS locator, telemetry burst*

transmitter, audio transmitter,*

power supply.

HARRY*

Just have is back in two hours.*

128

thru OMITTED*

129

130 INT. / EXT. HELEN'S CAR - DAY

TIGHT ON THE PURSE sitting on the seat next to her as Helen

drives through the city.

131 INT. / EXT. N.D. SEDAN - DAY

Harry drives while Gib watches--

132 INT. SEDAN, CLOSE UP ON MAP - DAY

A COMPUTERIZED MAP below the dash. Helen's purse appears as a

moving blip on a street-map of the city.

133 INT. / EXT. SEDAN - DAY

GIB:

Okay, she's turning on

Seventeenth. Make a left, you

should see her.

Harry makes the turn.

HARRY:

There she is.

134 EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY

Up ahead they see Helen's RED ACCORD pulling into a parking low

next to a CAFE. Harry parks the car a block away and gets out

his binoculars.

135 EXT. HELEN'S CAR THROUGH BINOCULARS - DAY

HARRY'S POV through the scope. Helen gets out of her car and

looks around as she walks to the cafe. It is not a nervous

look, but it is clear she is making sure she is not followed.

She goes inside.

136 INT. SEDAN - DAY

HARRY:

Give me audio.

Gib hits a switch and they hear the clamor of the cafe at lunch

rush come over a speaker.

137 INT. CAFE - DAY

The restaurant is nothing fancy. A little dark. Helen makes

her way to a booth in the back. Sitting in the shadows, facing

the door, is SIMON. She sits down opposite him. He doesn't

smile or kiss her in greeting, but glances around the room like

he expects a threat to leap out at any moment.

SIMON:

Are you sure you weren't

followed?

HELEN:

I kept looking back, like you

taught me. I didn't see anyone.

SIMON:

Okay. It's just, things are a

bit hot for me right now. If I

get a signal...

(holds up a cigarette

lighter meaningfully)

I may have to leave suddenly.

HELEN:

I understand.

SIMON:

It's my job to risk my life, but

not yours. I feel bad about

bringing you into this, but

you're the only one I can trust.

Simon creates an atmosphere of danger. His haggardness give

him an air of mystery and desperation.

HELEN:

Where were you? On a... uh,*

mission?

SIMON:

Ssshhh! We say Op. Covert*

operation. And this one got a

little rough.

HELEN:

Worse than Cairo?*

SIMON:

Cairo was a day at the beach next*

to this.

138 INT. SEDAN - DAY

Harry and Gib turn to each other, shocked with the dawning

awareness.

GIB:

Guy's a spook!

HARRY:

Yeah, but for who?*

GIB:

He could be working her to get to

you.

Harry waves his hand, silencing Gib.

INTERCUT FROM HERE ON BETWEEN HARRY/GIB AND HELEN/SIMON.

139 INT. CAFE - DAY

SIMON puts a newspaper on the table, sliding it over to Helen.

SIMON:

Did you read the papers

yesterday?

HELEN:

Yes.

SIMON:

Sometimes a story is a mask for

a covert operation. See-- two

men killed in a restroom, and two

unidentified men in a running*

shootout, ending at the*

Marriot...

140 INT. SEDAN - DAY

HARRY AND GIB react, realizing that it is the story of their

operation gone awry.

141 INT. CAFE - DAY

HELEN:

That was you?!

SIMON:

You recognized my style. See,

you're very good. You're a

natural at this.

142 INT. SEDAN - DAY

Harry starts to get it. Then is dawns on Gib.

GIB:

The guy's a fake! He's taking

credit for our moves.

143 INT. CAFE - DAY

HELEN LEANS CLOSE TO SIMON. She clearly is hanging on his

every word.

HELEN:

Tell me what happened?

SIMON:

I'm sorry, I can't.

HELEN:

You can trust me completely.

SIMON:

I know. But it would compromise

your safety too much to know

certain things.

HELEN:

Right, of course. I was worried

when I didn't hear from you that

night.

SIMON:

It's strange. I knew I was in a

woman's thoughts when I was

shooting it out with those

assassins.

144 INT. SEDAN - DAY

HARRY REACTS to the outrageous fabrication.

GIB:

Unbelievable.

145 INT. CAFE - DAY

BUT HELEN is eating it up.

HELEN:

Were they trying to kill you?*

SIMON:

Three of them. Hardly worth*

talking about. Two won't bother*

me again.

HELEN:

And you chased one?

SIMON:

Something came over me, I just

had nail him, no matter what the*

risk. It was pretty hairy. I

thought he had me, a couple of*

times. But I really can't take

credit . . .

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