Last Brother Standing

Happy holidaze, 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 8 of LITTLE GIRL BLUE, private eye Carrie Love escapes with undercover stripper Blue Wonder from the evil clutches of Tolly Chill on Christmas Eve, but the shit hits fan when she gets a call from her brother Seth telling her their mom had a stroke ...


EXT. TOLLY'S MANSION - NIGHT
The girls walk toward
the front of the house.

Carrie peers around the corner.
Sees --

THE LARGE GOONS
Walking right toward her.

She slips back around the corner.
Takes Blue’s hand.

CARRIE
Someone’s coming.
Pretend you’re drunk.

And she GRABS Blue.
Starts making out with her.

BLUE
What are you --

CARRIE
Shhh.

Italian and Irish
walk around the corner.

ITALIAN GOON
Fuck you, Mick.
She’s got the hots for me,
and you know it.

MICK
Yeah, right, Aldo.
Keep living in
your little dreamworld.
She was makin’ eyes at ME.

They see Carrie and Blue.

MICK
Whoah.
Lesbo action.

ALDO
Fucking HOT.

They walk by,
eyeing the girls
.
MICK
Way to go, LADIES.

ALDO
Can I join in?

Mick and Aldo snicker,
continue down around the house.

Carrie pulls away.
Watches them go.
Lets go of Blue.

CARRIE
Sorry about that.
Hope I didn’t scare you.

BLUE
No -- not at all.
That was --
(beat)
Kinda -- nice.

CARRIE
Remember, I’m like a sister.
(looks around)
C’mon, let’s blow this
white slavery stand.
Follow me.

EXT. BEVERLY HILLS MANSION - NIGHT - AT THAT MOMENT
A giant Tudor monstrosity
on an acre of land off Sunset Boulevard.

A long driveway
behind a gated entrance.

Giant trees in the yard
lit with tasteful white lights.

INT. MANSION - STUDY - CONTINUOUS
An ANGRY-LOOKING WOMAN (50’s)
paces back and forth
in front a roaring fire.

Pert, classic WASP good looks,
very Ralph Lauren.

She clutches a glass of
scotch on the rocks.

Meet MARGO LOVE,
Carrie’s mother.

Right now she’s
three sheets to the wind.
And wracked with pain.

MARGO
(to someone offscreen)
I called her a couple of HOURS ago.
Where the hell IS SHE?
It’s CHRISTMAS EVE.

MALE VOICE (O.C.)
Maybe the batteries
died on her cell.
She’ll call, don’t worry.

Reveal SETH LOVE (20),
Carrie’s sibling.

Last brother standing.
Intense good looks.

Tori Amos T-shirt.
Holds a bottle of
something imported.
He takes a swig.

MARGO
And that bitch EVA
is on her way over.

SETH
She just wants to help, Mom.
It’s the holidays.

MARGO
Yeah, right.
She HELPED herself
to half your father’s money.
(drains her drink)
And what did I GET?
A PITTANCE.
A mere PITTANCE.

She THROWS the glass
in the fireplace.
It SHATTERS.

SETH
Calm down, Mom.
You know what the doctor said.

MARGO
That quack can go FUCK himself.
And that BITCH isn’t stepping
ONE FOOT in this house.
She’s a conniving SACK OF SHIT.

She clutches her chest.
Her face turns red.

She starts GAGGING.
Hits the floor. THWUMP.
Starts having a stroke.

Seth RACES to her aid.
Holds her hand.

SETH
Hold on, Mom -- HOLD ON.

He WHIPS OUT his cell phone.
Furiously PUNCHES 911.

INT. CARRIE’S OLDS - MOVING - NIGHT
Carrie drives the car down
Laurel Canyon into Beverly Hills.

CARRIE
I’ve got some -- bad news.

BLUE
What?
You found out who --

CARRIE
Yeah.
(beat)
Tolly Chill killed your sister.

BLUE
How do you know THAT?

CARRIE
I overheard him talking
to his father about it --
in the room you were in.
(looks at her)
He recognized you right away.

BLUE
Then why did he take me
to a PARTY?

CARRIE
He was planning on --
having some fun with you,
then killing you.

Blue looks out the window.
A tear streams down her cheek.

BLUE
I guess I’m not
in Kansas anymore.

CARRIE
(looks in the mirror)
Welcome to the big, bad city.
(beat)
The question is,
where do we go?
We can’t go back to my place,
because I gave Goombah Tolly
my card.
(looks at her)
Where are you staying?

BLUE
At a motel near the club.
The International.

CARRIE
Scratch that.
They’ll check all the
hotels and motels.
DEEP pockets.

Carrie’s phone RINGS.
She answers it.

CARRIE
Love here.

INTERCUT WITH:
INT. MANSION - STUDY - CONTINUOUS
Seth paces back and forth.

Watches an EMS team tend to Margo.
A PRIVATE NURSE stands by, watching.

SETH
Carrie, it’s Seth.

CARRIE
Hey, little brother.
Listen, I’m sorry.
I just got Mom’s message --

SETH
Don’t worry about that.
It’s Mom.
She had a stroke --

CARRIE
Mom had A STROKE?

SETH
She’s okay.
It was a mild one.
EMS is here now.
They say she’s okay.
We’ve got a private nurse,
and they’re gonna set
Mom up here in the den.

CARRIE
She’s not going to the HOSPITAL?

SETH
You know Mom hates hospitals.

CARRIE
Don’t remind me.
I’ll never forget having
to stitch up her forehead
that time --

SETH
Can you come over?
I’m a little freaked out.
Eva’s coming over,
and I’m afraid her
head is gonna explode.
You’re the only one that can --
you know, calm her down.

CARRIE
I’m on my way.
(looks at Blue)
I gotta warn you.
I’ve got company.

SETH
Work or play?

CARRIE
Strictly work.

SETH
Cool.
Is she hot?