Harlem Nights

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 44 of FILLMORE, now that he's on the run from the law, Slim sets up shop in New York City and gets some new girls working the street for him, but when he criticizes his new roommate Bernie, things get violent ...


INT. HARLEM - BERNIE’S APARTMENT - NIGHT
A nice place with tasteful furniture, m
very old-school. Not loud or flashy. East Coast.

Slim talks with Bernie and EDDIE CHIN (30’s)
another pimp, a good-looking guy in a sharp suit.

SLIM
I was here a couple of days,
but I couldn’t get the feel of it,
so I went to DC and stayed with Lucky G.

BERNIE
How he doin?’

SLIM
He’s okay. Kinda dull, though.
Likes to read books and shit.
Wasn’t feelin’ it there, either --
place is dirty and nasty --
so I borrowed his car
and came back up here.
Left mine there.

EDDIE
Why’d you do that?

SLIM
Cause I’m a fugitive, motherfucker.
Car I drove up from Florida
got pulled over down there.
Don’t wanna take no chances.

EDDIE
So you gonna work in Harlem?

BERNIE
Shit. How he gonna work up here?
This is the big city.

SLIM
I can do anything. I’m Fillmore Slim --
(evil smile)
And I got my girls workin’ downtown, motherfucker.

EXT. THE AMERICAN HOTEL - NIGHT
Chrissie and Ronnie walk a pair of JOHNS inside.

INT. BERNIE’S APARTMENT - NIGHT
The door bell RINGS. Bernie goes to answer it.
ANNIE (29), a fiery redhead comes in.
Smiles. Hands him a roll.

BERNIE
(takes it)
There she is, my main girl.
(counts it)
One hundred, two hundred --
(counts)
Six hundred. Yeah.
(off her smile)
Well, get back out there and make some more.

ANNIE
It’s late and I’m tired. I just wanna --

BERNIE
(SLAPS her face)
Don’t give any of your LIP, girl.
Get your ass BACK OUT THERE.

ANNIE
Okay. Sorry. I --

And she hurries out.

BERNIE
Pimp hand is STRONG.

SLIM
Can’t let ‘em talk back, yo.

The doorbell RINGS again. Bernie gets it.
In walks Chrissie and Ronnie.
They each hand Slim giant rolls of money.

CHRISSIE
Had a pretty good night.

RONNIE
People here are so friendly.

SLIM
This is the big city.
(counts it)
Eight-thousand dollars, motherfuckers.

Ronnie and Chrissie head for the door.

RONNIE
We’re gonna go back downtown and work
some more of those rich businessmen.

CHRISSIE
We’ll see you later.

SLIM
(watches them leave)
That’s my honey-bunnies --

BERNIE
They must’ve robbed someone.
You’re fucking up The Game, Slim.

SLIM
Fuck you. I train my girls right.
They don’t rob no one.
They make the money
the old-fashioned way.
On their backs.

BERNIE
Fuck that.
They gonna bring the heat down on us.
Y’all gotta go stay somewhere else.

SLIM
I got enough to stay whereever I want.
Fuck this Harlem shit-hole.

Slim grabs his suitcase. Starts packing.

SLIM
You’re an ungrateful ass, you know that?
After all the cars I gave you? Shit. Fuck you.

Bernie watches Slim packing, back turned.
He grabs a GOLF CLUB. Sneaks up behind Slim --

BERNIE
FUCK you.

And WHACKS him on the head with it.
CRACK. Slim buckles.

BERNIE
Who you calling UNGRATEFUL?

He WHIRLS around.
GRABS his head where he was hit.

BERNIE
That’s for disrespecting me
in my HOUSE, motherfucker.
Now get the fuck OUTTA HERE.

Slim pulls his hand away. Sees blood.
Wipes it on the couch.

GRABS his suitcase.
Heads for the door.

INT. HOSPITAL - EMERGENCY ROOM - NIGHT
Slim sits in an examining room getting his forehead
stitched up by a PRETTY ASIAN DOCTOR (30’s).

Slim fidgets while she tries to work.
She finishes. Puts on a gauze pad.

PRETTY WHITE NURSE
I’ll go get your paperwork.
Wait right here. I’ll be right back.

A UNIFORMED COP (40’S) appears in the doorway.

UNIFORMED COP
Samuel T. Brown?
(off his nod, walks in)
Just have some routine questions, if you don’t mind.

SLIM
Routine questions?

UNIFORMED COP
Sorry to inconvenience you.
Whenever somebody has an injury
like yours, they contact us.
May I see your ID, please?

Slim digs out his wallet.
Pulls out his driver’s license.

UNIFORMED COP
(examines it, hands it back)
So what exactly happened.

SLIM
Not much to say.
When I left my building, I got mugged.
Couple of kids with knives.

PLAINCLOTHES COP
But they didn’t get your wallet?

SLIM
I beat the shit out of one of ‘em,
and other one hit me on the head
with something, don’t know what.
(shrugs)
They ran off.

PLAINCLOTHES COP
(smiles)
If only other people would
fight back like you did.
Make our job a lot easier.
Have a good night.

He leaves.

SLIM
Damn. It’s like they following me --