From Brassiere To Eternity

Happy Thursday, 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 9 of BLUE HOTEL, wannabe writer Holly Land returns to hooker Alona Tal's dive hotel room on the Venice boardwalk after the liquor store robbery with vodka splattered with blood. Meanwhile, private school teacher Gill Sherry's wife Donna discovers he cheated on her with Alona, and throws him out of the house.


INT. ALONA’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Alona sits on the bed.
Beggar paces the room.

CLICKS his cell phone
shut with disgust.

BEGGAR
Fucking Russian bastard --

A soft KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK
at the door.

ALONA
Holly?

HOLLY (O.S.)
Yeah.

Beggar goes to the door. Opens it.
Holly comes in carrying her box.

Stares at them.
Looking spooked.

ALONA
Holly?
What’s wrong?

Holly goes to the bed. Sits.
Puts down the box. Stares.

HOLLY
There was -- a robbery.

Alona opens the box.
Looks inside.

Takes out the vodka bottles.
Sees that they’re blood-splattered.

ALONA
What the hell HAPPENED?

BEGGAR
What did you DO?

Holly takes out
a bottle of vodka.
Unscrews the cap.

Takes a long drink.
Sighs. Wipes her mouth.

HOLLY
I went to the liquor store --
a-and these gang-bangers
robbed it --
(another drink)
And they, and they --

She breaks down. Sobbing.
Alona takes her in her arms.

Comforts her.
Strokes her hair.

ALONA
There, there.
It’s okay.

A siren WHOOP-WHOOPS outside.
Beggar goes to the window.
Opens it. Looks out.

BEGGAR
Holy fucking shit.
It’s like an episode of COPS
out there --

INT. GILL’S BUNGALOW - BATHROOM - AT THAT MOMENT
A cloud of steam swirls
around the bathroom.

Behind the rippled
glass of the door,
we see a MALE FIGURE.

IN THE SHOWER
Gill is soaping
and scrubbing himself.

His face stuck under
the hot spray of water.
Eyes closed.

GILL
(sings, ala My Sharona)
'M-m-m-my Alona --- '

Soapy hands reach down.
Massaging his manhood.
He smiles.

GILL
'Never gonna give it up,
never gonna stop,
such a dirty mind -- '

His body JERKS.

GILL
'Ooh, you make my
motor run, motor run -- '

DONNA (O.C.)
GILL!
Get THE FUCK out
of the shower RIGHT NOW!

Gill’s eyes FLY OPEN.
He stops jerking off.
What the fuck?

He turns off the water.
Opens the shower door.

DONNA
Stands in the bathroom doorway.
Eyes blazing.

GILL
What’s wrong?
Jesus Christ, you scared
the fucking shit out of me.

He grabs a towel.
Wraps it around his waist.

DONNA
I called Sheila,
Brub’s wife --

GILL
What?

DONNA
(hisses)
You didn’t have
drinks with him.
He’s HOME SICK.

GILL
Did I say Brub?
I mean Bob --

She holds up a pair
of his underwear.

DONNA
And I found these
in the hamper.
They're ENCRUSTED
with COME STAINS.

GILL
Donna, I can EXPLAIN --

DONNA
Bull-fucking SHIT.
You’ve been fucking
CHEATING ON ME AGAIN,
and I want you OUT OF
MY FUCKING HOUSE -- NOW!

GILL
Wait, can’t we talk about this?

DONNA
(screams)
What the FUCK is
there to TALK ABOUT?
You’re screwing ANOTHER WOMAN,
AGAIN.
(hisses)
If it’s one of
your fucking students,
I swear I’m gonna
call the cops myself.
(STOMPS her foot)
Get the FUCK out of
my house, NOW.

GILL
But --

Donna GRABS a bottle of shampoo.
THROWS it at him.
It HITS him in the chest, THWAP.

DONNA
GET OUT! NOW!

GILL
Okay, ALRIGHT.
(eyes tearing up)
No need for you get violent --