Witness Page #10

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SCHAEFFER:

(nods)

Maybe the Bureau. Or those bastards

at Treasury. I'll take care of

it.

(then)

I hate this sh*t, Johnny. You

cut their balls off for me. I'm

counting on you .

Schaeffer pours himself another drink.

SCHAEFFER (CONT'D)

What's your first move?

BOOK:

(expels a breath)

A hot shower . . . I haven't changed

clothes in two days.

60 EXT. PARKING LOT - PHILADELPHIA - NIGHT60

Book slams the front door of his car, checks it for

being locked, glances at a roiled newspaper in his

hand (the sports section of the Inquirer), starts

across the parking lot toward his apartment, walking

as he keeps glancing down at the sports section. He

comes to a sort of crosswalk, stops, reads, starts

to take a step...and looks up.

WHAT HE SEES:

McElroy, smiling nicely, starting across toward him

from the other side of the parking lot crosswalk

BACK To BOOK

Freezing, eyes widening. utterly surprised and caught.

McELROY

Still smiling, he brings up his right hand out of a

shopping bag (which he appeared to be carrying) -

letting the shopping bag fall away as he does so -

revealing a five-inch barrel Smith and Wesson .357

blue finish revolver with a silencer. Without hesi-

tating, coming right on, still smiling, he FIRES once.

60 CONTINUED60

BOOK:

Already starting to leap away to one side, he is hit,

driven into a half-turn. He clutches at the wound, as:

McELROY

Coming right on, FIRING again...the pistol's report

a WHOOSHING, like the opening of a bottle of cheap

champagne. And McElroy still smiling as:

BOOK:

Hit...a grazing near-miss this time, but enough to

send Book down hard and grasping.

McELROY

Lowering the pistol alongside his leg, as two MEN, barely

taking notice of anything, cross with their backs to

Book toward McElroy. He smiles at them.

BOOK:

Down, muttering CURSES.

THE SCENE:

As McElroy walks past Book, drops the pistol to the

pavement, keeps on going ..and is gone.

BOOK:

GROANING in pain, beginning to try to crawl crab-like.

And we HEAR - from the agonized recesses of Book's

Dream.

SCHAEFFER (V.O.)

Who else knows?

BOOK (V.O.)

Just us.

As the lights of an oncoming car - going very slowly,

on its way to a parking space - sweep over him and we

HEAR it come to a sudden, squealing stop. Book is

already trying to get to his feet...now succeeds,

lurching into a swaying stance, using an adjacent car

for support. O.S. we HEAR a car door slam, and foot-

steps hurrying in our direction, accompanied by excited

voices. Book HEARS, turns to face the oncomers,

60 CONTINUED60

ANGLE:

A fat, middle-aged MAN has approached to within some

feet of Book, looks on edgily:

MAN:

Hey, buddy, what's the score?

Little too much to drink?

Book stares at him, then looks down at his belly.

BOOK'S WOUND

As Book removes his hand we can see one of the bullets

struck him low in the side, just below the ribcage...

the other just above it (but this one inflicting only

minor damage).

THE SCENE:

As the man stares:

MAN:

Goddamn, buddy. You better get

to a hospital!

(and)

Here; I'll give you a hand.

He starts to approach, but Book shoves him away.

BOOK:

No! No hospital!

By now the man's WIFE is hovering at a safe distance:

WIFE:

Let him alone, Henry! If he wants

to die in the street, that's his

business!

But the man is not content:

MAN:

Shut up, Romona! Will ya look

at that blood?

Book has tried to lurch toward his car; the man

tries to intercept him:

MAN (CONT.)

Come on, buddy...you're gonna

bleed to death!

Book whirls on him, his service revolver in his hand

pointed squarely at the fat man's face:

MAN:

Sh*t!

WIFE:

(quavering)

I told you, Henry!

Book doesn't trust himself to speak, but the .38 is

sufficiently eloquent for the circumstances, He

stares at the fat man another beat, then hesitates,

turns, starts back toward his car.

EXT. STREET - PHILADELPHIA - NIGHT

As Book's car wheels somewhat erratically through

traffic.

INT. BOOK'S CAR (MOVING)

Book has a gym bag open on the seat next to him, is

stuffing a t-shirt under his belt to staunch the

blood. And...

61 OMITTED61

thru thru

62 62

63 INT. CARTER'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT 63

as he's awakened by the RINGING bedside telephone. he

snaps on a lamp , . . He's instantly awake, not unused

to such rousing in the wee hours. A woman sleeps beside him.

CARTER:

Yeah...

64 INTERCUT BOOK

He's at an n.d. pay phone.

BOOK:

Listen carefully, I wrote the

Amish woman's name and address on my

desk calendar, I want you to lose

it for me, Now. Tonight.

CARTER:

What the hell are you talking about?

What's happening,

64 CONTIUED 64

BOOK:

Nothing. I'm not going to be

around for a while. I'll call

you when I can.

CARTER:

(alarmed)

Johnny, what the f*** - ?

BOOK:

(hard)

Listen to me - Schaeffer's

part of it. Maybe at the top of

it.

There's a stunned silence at the other end.

BOOK (CONT'D)

Yeah ... I can put it all to-

gether when I get back, 'Til then,

you know nothing, understand?

Business as usual...

CARTER:

(beat)

I hear you.

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