True Romance Page #24

Marvin walks through the frame cocking his own shotgun.

The bathroom door opens behind Lenny and Frankie walks out twirling a couple of .45 automatics in his hands.

INT. BEVERLY WILSHIRE - COP S' HOTEL ROOM - DAY

Nicholson and Dimes and FOUR DETECTIVES from internal affairs are in a room on the same floor as Donowitz. They have just put a wire on Elliot.

DIMES:

OK, say something.

ELLIOT:

(talking loud into the wire)

Hello! Hello! Hello! How now brown cow!

NICHOLSON:

Just talk regular.

ELLIOT:

(normal tone)

"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east and Juliet is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief -"

DIMES:

Are you gettin' this sh*t?

DETECTIVE BY TAPE MACHINE

Clear as a bell.

Nicholson, Dime, and the head IA Officer, Wurlitzer, huddle by Elliot.

DIMES:

Now, remember, we'll be monitoring just down the hall.

ELLIOT:

And if there's any sign of trouble you'll come in.

NICHOLSON:

Like gang-busters. Now, remember, if you don't want to go to jail, we gotta

put your boss in jail.

DIMES:

We have to show in court that, without a doubt, a successful man, an important figure in the Hollywood community, is also dealing cocaine.

NICHOLSON:

So you gotta get him to admit on tape that he's buying this coke.

WURLITZER:

And this fellow Clarence?

ELLIOT:

Yeah, Clarence.

WURLITZER:

You gotta get him name the police officer behind all this.

ELLIOT:

I'll try.

DIMES:

You do more than try.

NICHOLSON:

You do.

DIMES:

Hope you're a good actor, Elliot.

INT. MOVING RED MUSTANG - DAY

Clarence, Dick and Alabama en route.

DICK:

You got that playing basketball?

ALABAMA:

Yeah. I got elbowed right in the eye. And if that wasn't enough, I got

hurled the ball when I'm not looking. Wam! Right in my face.

They stop at a red light. Clarence looks at Alabama.

CLARENCE:

Red light means love, baby.

He and Alabama start kissing.

INT. MOVING CADILLAC - DAY

Marvin, Frankie, Lenny and Dario in a rented Caddy.

INT. BEVERLY WILSHIRE PARKING LOT - DAY

Clarence, Alabama, and Dick get out of the red Mustang. Dick takes the suitcase.

CLARENCE:

I'll take that. Now, remember, both of you, let me do the talking.

Clarence takes out his .38. Dick reacts. They walk and talk.

DICK:

What the f*** did you bring that for.

CLARENCE:

In case.

DICK:

In case of what?

CLARENCE:

In case they try to kill us. I don't know, what do you want me to say?

DICK:

Look, Dillinger, Lee Donowitz is not a pimp -

CLARENCE:

I know that Richard. I don't think I'll need it. But something this last

week has taught me, it's better to have a gun and not to need it than to

need a gun and not to have it.

Pause. Clarence stops walking.

CLARENCE:

Hold it, guys. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm pretty scared.

What say we forget the whole thing.

Dick and Alabama are both surprised and relieved.

DICK:

Do you really mean it?

CLARENCE:

No, I don't really mean it. Well, I mean, this is our last chance to think

about it. How 'bout you, Bama?

ALABAMA:

I thought it was what you wanted, Clarence.

CLARENCE:

It is what I want. But I don't want to spend the next ten years in jail. I

don't want you guys to go to jail. We don't know what could be waiting for

us up there. It'll probably be just what it's supposed to be. The only

thing that's waiting for us is two hundred thousand dollars. I'm just

looking at the downside.

DICK:

Now's a helluva time to play "what if".

CLARENCE:

This is our last chance to play "what if". I want to do it. I'm just scared

of getting caught.

ALABAMA:

It's been fun thinking about the money but I can walk away from it, honey.

CLARENCE:

That rhymes.

He kisses her.

DICK:

Well, if we're not gonna do it, let's just get in the car and get the f***

outta here.

CLARENCE:

Yeah, let's just get outta here.

The three walk back to the car. Clarence gets behind the wheel. The other two climb in. Clarence hops back out.

CLARENCE:

I'm sorry guys, I gotta do it. As petrified as I am, I just can't walk

away. I'm gonna be kicking myself in the ass for the rest of my life if I

don't go in there. Lee Donowitz isn't a gangster lookin' to skin us, and

he's not a cop, he's a famous movie producer lookin' to get high. And I'm

just the man who can get him there. So what say we throw caution to the

wind and let the chips fall where they may.

Clarence grabs the suitcase and makes a beeline for the hotel. Dick and Alabama exchange looks and follow.

INT. BEVERLY WILSHIRE - LOBBY - DAY

Elliot's walking around the lobby. He's very nervous, so he's singing to himself.

ELLIOT:

(singing)

There's a man who leads a life of danger,

To everyone he meets

he stays a stranger.

Be careful what you say,

you'll give yourself away...

INT. BEVERLY WILSHIRE - COPS' HOTEL ROOM - DAY

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