Blood Thirsty

Happy Tuesday, crime slicksters. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where the girls are hot, the drinks are cold, and the hardboiled-pulp-noir action is non-stop, right here, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 24 of FRANKENSTEIN IN LOVE, Frankie's horrified to find out that after killing the blind boy, Shayla's developed a taste for blood. Meanwhile, Vita finds out the cops are looking for Frankie ... and are searching his 'secret basement lab' ...


INT. FRANKIE’S VOLKSWAGON - DAY
Frankie and Shayla sit in the front seat.

He wipes the blood
off her face with a rag.

She looks at him.
Smiles.

SHAYLA
Tasted good.

FRANKIE
What tasted good?

SHAYLA
Want MORE.

FRANKIE
Blood?
Oh, no. NO.
NOT good.

She frowns.
Looks sad.

He starts the engine.
Tries to smile.

FRANKIE
C’mon, let’s go home.
I’ll fix you a nice snack.

Frankie starts driving.
Turns on the radio.

FRANKIE
Maybe some music will --

NEWS ANNOUNCER (O.C.)
-- police have issued an
all-points-bulletin
for Frankie Stein,
wanted in connection with --

Frankie’s eyes bug out.
He SHUTS it off.

FRANKIE
Shit.

SHAYLA
Why do the police want to see you?

FRANKIE
Uh, nothing. Nothing.
(turns the wheel)
Change of plan.
We’re gonna go somewhere else.

SHAYLA
Where we going?

FRANKIE
Surprise.

SHAYLA
Oooh. I like surprises.
(beat)
We get more blood?

FRANKIE
More BLOOD?

SHAYLA
Makes me feel better --

FRANKIE
Hey.
All of a sudden you’re
talking much better --

PUSH IN ON Shayla’s face.
Eyes glinting maniacally.

SHAYLA
Does a body good.

INT. VITA’S HOUSE - FOYER - DAY
Vita comes in.
Shuts the door.

Looks sad. Angry. Freaked out.
Peggy rushes up to her.

PEGGY
There you are.
I just heard on the radio
that the police
are looking for Frankie --

Vita looks away.
Heads for the stairs.

VITA
I don’t want to talk about it.

PEGGY
It’s okay, honey.
Let me fix you something to eat.

VITA
I’m not HUNGRY.

And she RACES upstairs.

INT. VITA’S ROOM - DAY
Vita turns on her laptop.

Looks at the screen.
Finds the local news.

ON THE SCREEN
We see a screaming headline
in big, bright bold letters:

POLICE MANHUNT FOR FRANKIE STEIN
AND CAPTIVE SHAYLA PETRIE.

VITA
Stares at the screen.
A tear rolls down her check.

VITA
Oh, Frankie -- what have I done?
(beat)
What have I done?

EXT. FRANKIE’S BASEMENT LAB - DAY
Chet and Beck search the room,
examining his electronic equipment.
Video games. Kid-stuff experiments.

CHET
Looks like ordinary teenager stuff to me.

BECK
Maybe he was tipped off --

CHET
And hid the evidence --

Beck walks over to a
cabinet against the wall.
Fingers the padlock on the door.

BECK
Bingo.

CHET
We’ll have to get a warrant.

Beck pulls a couple of hairpins out.
Her hair falls down luxuriously.

She smiles.
Holds them up.

BECK
But I’m not a cop.

CHET
Yeah, but I am.

BECK
But I work for the government.

CHET
Knock yourself out.

She nods.
Goes to work on the lock.
Chet’s cell phone RINGS.

CHET
This is officer Beverage --
(listens)
Holy SHIT. Really?
(listens)
Uh-huh --
(listens)
Damn --
(listens)
We’re at his house.
We’ll let you know what we find.
(listens)
Copy that.

He CLICKS the phone shut.
Looks at Beck.

CHET
A ten-year-old blind boy
was found dead in the park.

BECK
Do you think it’s connected?

CHET
Well, his name was Willis,
and the bottom half of his face
was chewed off, so I’d say YES.

BECK
Damn.

CHET
There’s more.
We got a call from Josh Bohner’s mother --
he’s Frankie’s best friend --
and she says he didn’t
come home from school.

BECK
Maybe he had some
extracurricular activity?

CHET
Negatory.
His mother said he’s a complete shut-in.
Always comes right home after school.

BECK
The plot thickens.

CHET
No shit.

She goes back to work on the lock.
It CLICKS open.

She opens the cabinet doors.
We Frankie’s real lab equipment inside.

The transformer. The gauges.
Wires. The works.

Chet whistles.

CHET
Looks like we’ve got our man --

BECK
Let’s go check out the tree house --