From Brassiere To Eternity

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 28 of FILLMORE, the cops drag Slim to the morgue to identify the dead body of one of his hookers who was killed by the Zodiac Killer. After denying any involvement in her murder, he goes to visit his old friend Eddie, who's now recovering from his Viet Nam war wounds ...


EXT. CRYSTAL PARK - DAWN
A park underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.
And on the ground, a crime scene roped off.

A pair of CRIME SCENE TECHS work the area.
Taking pictures. Looking for evidence.

A FEMALE BODY (20’s) lies on the ground
covered by a sheet.

Two dapper WHITE HOMICIDE DETECTIVES (40’s)
chat with Gamble and Norm.

DARK-HAIRED HOMICIDE DETECTIVE
It’s the Zodiac, alright.
Breasts were cut off,
then all the blood was drained.

DICK
Mind if I take a look?

DARK-HAIRED HOMICIDE DETECTIVE
Go ahead. Knock yourself out.

Dick walks over to the body. Lifts the sheet.
Takes a look. Looks pale. Covers her back up.
Turns to the detective.

DICK
It’s one of Fillmore Slim’s girls.

DARK-HAIRED HOMICIDE DETECTIVE
We need someone to ID the body.

EXT. SLIM’S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
Slim comes out the front door.
Walks to his car.

A pair of UNIFORMED COPS (20’s) appear.
One of them grabs his arm.

TALL COP
Come with us.

SLIM
Am I under arrest?

TALL COP
Get in the car.

INT. CITY MORGUE - DAY
Dick and Norm chat with the CORONER (50’s)
a schlubby, white-haired gent standing
in front of a gurney with a body on it.

CORONER
She’s the twenty-fifth victim.

DICK
Fucker’s got it in for prostitutes.

NORM
It’s like he’s is mocking the department.

The Uniformed Cops bring Slim into the room.
Take him over to the Gamble.
He looks at the covered body. Then at Gamble.

SLIM
Why the fuck am I here?

Gamble stares at him. WHIPS off the sheet.
Slim looks at the dead hooker, expressionless.

DICK
You recognize her?
(off his silence)
This girl was murdered by the Zodiac Killer.
She was one of yours, wasn’t she?
(off his silence)
You’re fucking up our future.
Black people’s future.
Our family’s future.
Everything we’re trying to build here,
you’re fucking it up.

SLIM
You don’t get it, do you.
You’re just the same.
You’re a ho, working for The Man.

DICK
I’m trying to give you one last chance.
We know you didn’t kill one of your meal tickets.

SLIM
Can I go now?

Dick nods, stone-faced. Slim walks out.

NORM
Listen, I don’t want to speak out of turn --

DICK
Go ahead. Speak your mind.

NORM
I see what going after him is doing to you.
It’s turning you inside-out.
(off his look)
But where would you be without him?
You can’t get promoted unless you bust him.
We have to let all the respectable johns go.
We’re told who we can bust and who we can’t,
but we can’t even LIVE where we wanna live --
(beat)
What choices do black folks have in this city,
much less the whole country?
We all came here from the south looking for a new life --
and we found the same shit, dressed up differently.
But this is what we got. It was our choice.

DICK
I tried to give him another chance,
but now his ass belongs to me.

EXT. COUNTY MORGUE - DAY
Slim comes out of the building.
Pauses a moment on the steps.

Looks off into the distance.
Thinking. Lights a smoke.

SLIM
The catching comes before the hanging.

He starts down the steps.

EXT. PROJECTS - APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
Slim pulls up in front a dilapidated tenement
in his Cadillac convertible.

We see a couple bags of groceries on the seat.
LITTLE KIDS come running up to the car.

The kids excitedly yells out things like ‘It’s Slim!’
He tosses them some candy bars,
grabs the groceries and goes in.

INT. TENEMENT BUILDING - CORRIDOR - DAY
Slim knocks on the door. An ELDERLY WOMAN (70’s) opens it.
Sees him. Clasps her hands together with joy.

ELDERLY WOMAN
Clarence Sims.

SLIM
Hello, Mrs. Jackson.
How are you this bright, sunshiny day?

INT. JACKSON APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Clean, but threadbare.
Out of a time warp from a forgotten era.
Slim carries the groceries in.

Sees MR. JACKSON (70’s), her husband,
a thin, old guy who smiles at him.

MR. JACKSON
Well, if it isn’t Clarence Sims.

Mrs. Jackson takes the groceries from him,
hustles off to put them away in the kitchen.

SLIM
Good afternoon, Mr. Jackson.
It’s nice to see you again.

MR. JACKSON
You too, Clarence.

SLIM
How you doing today?

MR. JACKSON
Same ol’ same ol.’

INT. EDDIE’S BEDROOM - DAY
Eddie’s boyhood room. Kept just like he was a kid.
We see trophies, pennants and sports posters.

Eddie sits in a wheelchair, looks out the window.
Slim comes in. Sits next to him. Looks out the window.

SLIM
Hey, Eddie.

EDDIE
(turns and looks)
Slim. I didn’t hear you come in.

Slim pulls out a joint. Lights it. Takes a hit.
Hands it to Eddie, who takes it. Takes a big toke.

EDDIE
You look tired.

SLIM
I am tired. Been workin’ too hard.

EDDIE
At least you can work.

SLIM
I told you, fuck the military.
Nam fucked you up. Stupid war.

EDDIE
I was doing my duty.

SLIM
Yeah, but now you got nothin.’

EDDIE
Thanks for sending money to my parents every week.

SLIM
That’s what friends are for. We go way back.

EDDIE
So how’s the music going? Doing any shows lately?

SLIM
Eddie --
(beat)
He killed one of my girls.

Slim is on the verge of tears.
Eddie puts his hand on his shoulder.
We hold on this a long beat.