Death Takes A Holiday

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 40 of WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, more than shit hits the fan when private eye Carrie Love confronts the widow Gay Flender at her Beverly Hills mansion ... and reveals who killed her husband ...


INT. FLENDER RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Gay and Modi sit on the couch.
Nikki, in a chair beside them,
Jenny tying her wrist,
Nikki’s gun in her waistband.

Carrie stands at the bar,
holds a gun on them.

She DOWNS a shot
of something brown.

Wipes her mouth.
Pours another.

CARRIE
Make sure you tie
it good and tight.
She’s got double
chromosome strength.

MODI
Made for a man,
strong enough for a --

CARRIE
CAN it.

Jenny starts tying
the other wrist, as --

NIKKI
Wait a minute. My asthma,
I need to take my medicine.

CARRIE
Hurry it the fuck up, then.

Nikki reaches into her bag
with her free hand.

Pulls out the coke snifter.
HONKS a large hit in one nostril.
Then the other.

She smiles maniacally.
Eyes bright, blink-blinking.

NIKKI
Thanks.
I needed that.

JENNY
(SNATCHES it way)
That’s not medicine, that’s COKE.

A geyser of brownish-green
viscous fluid ERUPTS from her mouth.

Bubbles down her chin.
Eyes go glassy.

She goes into CONVULSIONS.
FALLS over in the chair.

BLOOD gurgles out Nikki’s nose.
Her eyes roll back.

Body SPASMS, a death rattle.
Lights out.

Jenny feels her wrist.
Looks up.

JENNY
She’s -- dead.

GAY
Look what she did
to my CARPET.

MODI
Now you can redecorate --

CARRIE
There will be no redecorating
where YOU’RE going.
(to Gay, gun at her head)
Okay, we’re gonna
play Russian Roulette,
except I’m not Russian --
and this gun is fully loaded.
So tell me, NOW --
why did you FRAME ME?

GAY
I didn’t frame you -- we --
(looks at Modi)
Called it off.

CARRIE
Called what off?

MODI
We ordered a hit on Harvey.
But we -- called it off.
We changed our minds.

CARRIE
And you expect me
to believe that.

GAY
It’s true.
We screened DOUBLE INDEMNITY,
and it scared the shit out of us.
Then Harvey disappeared,
and I hired you to find him.
Why in the FUCK
would I frame you?
That drunken tryst we had? Please.
I’ve had better sex with my fist.

JENNY
(stares at Carrie)
You -- SLEPT with her?

CARRIE
(to Gay)
Everybody makes mistakes.
(to Jenny)
Sorry, babe.
Never said I was perfect.

JENNY
You -- slept with -- HER.

Their eyes lock.
Jenny clenches her teeth.

Her face, a dark cloud.
Eyes glowing.

Carrie slowly aims her gun
at Jenny.

CARRIE
(quietly)
You killed Harvey Flender.
And framed me.

JENNY
You’re crazy.

CARRIE
(to herself)
It was right there,
staring me in the face
the whole time.
(beat)
What was your motive?
Better benefits package?
Not enough vacation time?

JENNY
I don’t know what
you’re talking about.

MODI
Harvey stole her script,
said he’d pay her off.
(to Jenny)
And I bet the cheap fuck
never did, did he.
Must really be frustrating,
now that DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY
is up for three Emmys.

JENNY
How did you know about that?

MODI
Small office, babe.
Legal not only knows
where the skeletons are buried,
we negotiate who uses the shovel.
(to Carrie)
She’s been obsessed with you
since the Christmas party last year.

JENNY
Modi!

CARRIE
But we just -- made out.

JENNY
You said you were
going to CALL ME.

MALE VOICE (O.C.)
Looks like a party.

PHILLIE PFUGG
stands in the doorway.
Sporting a sawed-off shotgun.

An evil grin.
He walks toward Carrie and Gay.

PHILLIE
If I had known I would have
brought something --