A Little Stress-Reliever

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 7 of BLUE HOTEL, in the absence of 'help' from his Russian criminal friends, drug dealer Beggar Leck tells hooker Alona Tal and wannabe writer Holly Land they're gonna have to take care of the dead agent's body themselves. But the plot thickens when Holly goes out to get more booze, and runs into the agent's assistant ...


INT. HOLLY'S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
A KNOCK-KNOCK on the door.
Alona walks over.

Opens it.
Beggar stumbles in.

BEGGAR
Honey, I’m home --

ALONA
Hey, babe.

BEGGAR
(looking at Holly)
How’s Junior Miss holding up?

ALONA
She’s okay.
(looks at Holly)
Right, hun?

HOLLY
I guess so.

BEGGAR
(looks at the body)
I called Vlad,
left a voice mail.
Hasn’t called me back yet.

ALONA
Shit.
What are we gonna do?

BEGGAR
We’ve got two choices --
either wait for him
to call back, or
take care of it ourselves.

ALONA
Take care of it OURSELVES?

BEGGAR
I say we get high,
screw our brains out,
and wait for him to call.
(smiles)
Be a lot more fun than
disposing of a dead body,
don’t you think?
(looks at Holly)
Whattya say, girlie?
A little stress-reliever?

HOLLY
Oh no, I can’t --
(looks at the body, shivers)
Not with --

ALONA
Horny bastard.
Not with a dead body
in the room.
(beat)
Can’t you see
she’s freaked out?

BEGGAR
(looks at the body)
Guess you’re right.

He goes to the table.
Picks up the
empty vodka bottle.

BEGGAR
We need more booze.

HOLLY
(jumps up)
I’ll go.
I need to get some air.

ALONA
Good idea.
I’ll roll up a couple of joints
for when you get back.

Beggar pulls out his wallet.
Gives Holly some cash.

BEGGAR
Here.
Get a couple of liters
of the good stuff,
Absolut or Grey Goose. Plain.
None of that flavored shit.

HOLLY
(takes it)
Okay.
I’ll be right back.

She goes to the door.

ALONA
It’ll be okay, babe.
Hurry back.
We’ll figure it out.

Holly flashes a
strange smile. Leaves.

Beggar sits next to
Alona on the bed.
Strokes her hair.

BEGGAR
How about a quickie
while she’s --

ALONA
(WHACKS his hand away)
Didn’t you hear me?
Not with a fucking
dead body in the room.

BEGGAR
Alright, alright.
(pulls out phone)
I’ll try Vlad the Impaler again.

Alona opens a cigar box
on the bedside table.

Pulls out a bag of weed.
Some rolling papers.
Starts making a joint.

ALONA
Fucking Russians. Unreliable.
(licks the paper)
And they call themselves ‘criminals.’

EXT. VENICE BOARDWALK - STARLIGHT HOTEL - NIGHT
Holly walks out the front entrance.
Stops. Looks at --

A STREET PERFORMER (30’s),
a small, compact black guy,
wearing nothing but
a black thong and sneakers,
hair tied back in a bun.

Ambling down the boulevard.
Commuting home.

She stares. Shakes her head.
Turns. Starts walking.

Coming right toward her is a
FILM BIZ ASSISTANT (25),
geeky in a black suit and tie.

Carrying a big envelope.
He sees Holly.

FILM BIZ ASSISTANT
Excuse me, Miss -- ?

HOLLY
(stops)
Yeah?

FILM BIZ ASSISTANT
Is there a hotel near here?

HOLLY
(points behind her)
Yeah. The Starlight.
Just a few doors down.

She weaves a little.
Tries for a smile.

FILM BIZ ASSISTANT
(looks, sees it)
Thanks.

HOLLY
Sure.

Holly continues walking.
He watches her.

FILM BIZ ASSISTANT
God, I love this neighborhood --