The Set-Up

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 22 of THE HEISTERS, things get explosive when driver Jefty Jones accuses Kelsey of stealing the money from the heist, but when Ronan arrives on the scene and confronts Jefty, more than bullets go flying ...


INT. VENICE MOTOR COURT HOTEL - NIGHT
The lights are out.
TV’s on with the sound off.

Kelsey lays on the bed. Smoking.
She takes a swig of beer. Thinking.

KELSEY (V.O.)
Thank god the bimbo
finally took a powder.
I could finally have
some piece and quiet.
All that yack-yack-yacking
was driving me crazy.

A loud POUNDING on the door.

KASPER (O.C.)
Open the fucking door, BITCH.

Kelsey turns her head. Looks --

KELSEY
Kasper?

She reaches over.
Grabs her piece.

Walks over to the door.
Puts her hand on the knob.
Looks through the peephole.

KELSEY
Keep it DOWN --

She slowly opens the door.
DARTS to the side.

Kasper SLAMS it open.
RACES into the room.

SLAMS it shut.
Gun drawn.

Wheels around.
Sees her.

Aiming her piece at him
with two hands.

KASPER
You set US UP.

KELSEY
You’re fucking crazy.

KASPER
No.
YOU’RE fucking crazy for
SETTING US UP.
Now you’re gonna DIE.

KELSEY
Put down the gun, Kasper.
Nice and slow --

KASPER
Jefty walked right into a TRAP.
The cops were there and they
SHOT him, man.

KELSEY
They DID?
How do you know this?

KASPER
The joint I went to was
ALSO covered with pigs,
so I called him,
and some COP
answered his phone,
said he was DEAD --
THAT’S how I know.

KELSEY
Shit.

KASPER
So where is the MONEY, huh?
You got it stashed some place?

KELSEY
Kasper.
I didn’t set you up.
Now put the fucking gun down
so we can figure out what to do.

A key turns in the door.
It opens.

In walks Ronan.
He shuts the door.

Kelsey and Kasper
turn their heads.

But keep their guns
trained on each other.

RONAN
What the fuck is going ON?

KELSEY
Jefty’s dead.
Shot by cops.
Asshole here thinks
I pulled a double cross
and set everyone up.

KASPER
Don’t listen to her.
She DID it, man.

Kelsey takes advantage
of the moment and
LUNGES at Kasper.

GRABS his gun,
KNEES him in the groin.

PISTOL-WHIPS him in the head
with her piece, CRACK.

Kasper HITS the ground, THWUMP.
Holding his crotch. Groaning.

RONAN
Wasn’t that a little excessive?

KELSEY
Fuck you.
He accuses me of ripping everybody off
and points a gun at me?
(beat)
He’s lucky he’s still breathing.

RONAN
I -- see your point.

KELSEY
How did it go?

RONAN
No go.
Turns out she moved.
Roommate situation.
Went back home to mom and pop.
Roomie said the ‘big city’
didn’t agree with her.

Kasper slowly stands up.
Glaring at Kelsey.

RONAN
(to Kasper)
How did yours go?

KASPER
Like I told HER, I get there,
and the place was swarming
with fucking COPS.
I tell you, she set us up.

KELSEY
Shut the fuck up, asshole.
I don’t take any shit
from a fucking DRIVER.
(to Ronan)
Miscalculation.
I thought he was bluffing.
Didn’t think they’d
stake out the ex-girlfriends,
but they did.
They know the murder
is connected to the robbery.

RONAN
Yeah -- guess so.

KASPER
What?
You’re gonna BELIEVE her?

RONAN
Yes, I’m gonna believe her.
I brought her IN on this job.
She’s the fucking BEST,
and you don’t get more jobs
if you fucking RIP-OFF
the people you work with,
GOT IT?

KASPER
But, but --

RONAN
ZIP IT, you fucking WETBACK.
You’re hired muscle,
and nothing else.
You do what we fucking
TELL YOU TO DO, got it?

KASPER
HEY.
Wait a minute.
You can’t talk to me like that.

RONAN
We can and you’re
gonna fucking TAKE IT.
You want your share
of the money or WHAT?

KASPER
But I TOLD you,
SHE’S got it --

Kelsey raises her gun. FIRES.
THWIP. THWIP. THWIP.

Three shots to the chest.
Kasper looks down in horror.

Another THWIP to the head.
Right between the eyes.

He falls over, THWUNK.

RONAN
Jesus, Kelsey.
Did you have to do THAT?

KELSEY
He wouldn’t fucking SHUT UP.