Black Coffee In Bed

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Friday. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where your most violent fantasies become sins of the flesh, right here, where the hardboiled action is non-stop, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 21 of Fillmore, patrolman Dick Gamble does surveillance on the coffee shop where Fillmore runs whores out of the back room and then bustst the joint, but when he gets off with a slap on the wrist from the judge, he vows to do 'whatever it takes' to take him down ...


EXT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY
An ordinary neighborhood coffee shop with big glass windows.
A small sign in the corner reads SHOE SHINE.

INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY
A nice if fairly simple coffee joint
that also serves snacks and candy.

A smattering of tables and chairs filled with CUSTOMERS.
Slim chats with a HOT YOUNG GIRL (18).
Ben shines a BUSINESSMAN’S (40’s) shoes.

EXT. FILLMORE DISTRICT - VACANT LOT - DAY
Dick Gamble and Norm sit in their undercover car
watching the coffee shop through binoculars.

IN THE CAR
Dick lowers his binoculars. Sips his coffee. Looks at Norm.

DICK
Coffee’s fucking cold.

NORM
Kinda ironic, wouldn’t you say?

DICK
What’s that?

NORM
(nods at the coffee shop)
The guy we wanna bust is sitting in there drinking fresh, hot coffee.

EXT. FILLMORE STREET - NIGHT
Slim comes walking down the street.
Lottie walks up to him, tries to give him a roll of money.

LOTTIE
Here you go.

Slim SWATS it away.

SLIM
What the hell is wrong with you, girl?
Don’t put no fucking money in my hand.

He looks around. Makes sure no one is looking. Then takes it.

EXT. FILLMORE STREET - NIGHT
Lottie stands on the corner, working. MONEY,
a red-colored poodle RUNS up to her. BARKS.

She smiles, leans down, puts a roll of money in his mouth.
The dog RUNS AROUND THE CORNER --

EXT. GEARY STREET - NIGHT
Slim sits behind the wheel of his red Cadillac convertible.

Money RUNS up to the car. JUMPS in the front seat.
DROPS the roll on Slim’s lap. He smiles. Pets the dog.

SLIM
Good boy. Man’s best friend.

INT. GAMBLE’S UNDERCOVER VEHICLE - NIGHT
Dick looks at Norm.

DICK
I figured it out.

NORM
What?

DICK
I’ve been keeping track.
For every five people that go in that coffee shop, only one comes out.
That means the other four are johns.
They do their business with the whores, then go out the back.
(beat)
We’re going in.

NORM
I’ll call for back-up.

EXT. COFFEE SHOP - NIGHT
Gamble walks in the front door. Norm hangs back,
standing guard on the street just outside the door.

INT. COFFEE SHOP - NIGHT
Gamble goes up to Slim, gets in his face.

DICK
You’re under arrest.

SLIM
For what? I’m in my place of business.

Dick PUNCHES him in the stomach.

DICK
Shut the FUCK up.

Slim staggers back, GRABS a coffee pot, CRACKS Dick on the head,
DRENCHING him with hot coffee.

ROARS with anger, PUNCHES Slim in the nose.
They start going at it, hand to hand, vicious.
KICKING and HITTING each other.

The uniforms run in from the back and join Dick,
who’s still fighting Slim.

Slim DROPS to the floor, curls up in a little ball.

SLIM
OW. Stop HITTING me. STOP it, you’re HURTING me,
stop HITTING me, that HURTS --

Norm runs in and joins the fight. In the confusion,
the cops start hitting each other. We hear a loud RIP.

DICK (O.C.)
My JACKET.

INT. COURT ROOM - DAY
Slim stands before the JUDGE with Willie Brown next to him.

We see Gamble and Norm in the spectator section in the back.
The place is a zoo, with assorted HOOKERS, DRUG DEALERS
and other assorted lowlifes awaiting arraignment.

WILLIE
He didn’t know anything about those rooms in the back, your honor.
He doesn’t own the building, he’s just renting.
Just running a coffee shop.

JUDGE
(to Fillmore)
Mr. Sims, I’m going to dismiss this with the stipulation
that you replace detective Gamble’s suit.

He BANGS the gavel.

SLIM
Thank you, your honor.

Gamble looks at Norm. Smoke coming out of his ears.

DICK
No JAIL TIME? He just has to replace my fucking SUIT?

NORM
Well, it was kinda old --

DICK
Shut the fuck up.

EXT. COURT BUILDING - NIGHT
Slim and Willie leave the building.

SLIM
Didn’t get a scratch. Those fools were hitting each other.

WILLIE
I suggest you cool it for awhile, okay?

SLIM
Maybe I’ll go to Baton Rouge, see the house I bought
for my folks after I moved them out of New Orleans.
Then check on my girls in LA --