Home On The Range

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 39 of FILLMORE, Slim, Chocolate Z and a trio of new girls make the trek from Vegas to his outpost in Daly City, where he wants to set up a new group of hookers to work, expanding his franchise ...


INT. DUNES MOTEL - SLIM’S ROOM - NIGHT
Slim is there with Chocolate Z.
JOYCE (20’s) one of Slim’s LA stable,
tall, thin and commanding, has brought over a new girl,
ANGIE (20’s), gorgeous but a bit spaced-out.

JOYCE
This is Angie. Our latest catch-of-the-day,
straight off the Santa Monica pier.

SLIM
(to Angie)
Hello, gorgeous.

Angie stares. Eyes glazed over.
Slim looks at her funny.

SLIM
(to the group)
Okay. We’ve got three cars to drive back
to San Francisco after a quick stop in Salinas.
I’ll be in my red Caddy up front,
Chocolate will follow in the green one,
and Joyce will take up the rear in the jitney.

EXT. LOS ANGELES - HIGHWAY - NIGHT
Slim sits in the passenger seat of a red Cadillac
with a huge Rolls Royce grille on it.

Chocolate sits behind the wheel
of a green Caddy behind Slim.

Behind them is the jitney, a giant Checker-cab
looking car with Joyce behind the wheel
and bunch of other girls, including Angie,
who sits in the back.

The jitney starts to lag back a bit,
and a MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE with a bunch of WHITE KIDS (20)
pulls in front of it behind Chocolate Z, radio blasting.

The Mustang pulls in front the jitney,
but Joyce is slow in hitting the brakes
and BANGS into the Mustang’s bumper.

IN THE MUSTANG
The WHITE KID (20) behind the wheel
looks at the jitney in the rear view mirror.

WHITE KID
Shit.

And pulls the car over.

IN THE JITNEY
Joyce pulls over. Looks at the Mustang.

JOYCE
Fuck.

IN SLIM’S CAR
They see the cars pull over.
They stop, pull over, then back up toward them.

IN CHOCOLATE’S CAR
He sees it, too. Pulls over. Also backs up toward them.

IN THE MUSTANG
White Kid gets out. Looks at his rear bumper.
It’s just a small dent. Slim walks over to the jitney.

SLIM
What the fuck’s going on?

WHITE KID
It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.
My fault. Have a nice evening.

He waves at Joyce, gives her a big, fake grin
and gets back in his car and drives away.

Slim looks at Angie in the back seat,
sees how out of it she is. Looks at Joyce.

SLIM
What the hell is wrong with her?

JOYCE
She’s just tired. Don’t worry about it.

Slim nods. Stares at Angie.
Gets in the back seat with her.

EXT. DALY CITY - SLIM’S HOUSE - NIGHT
A nice, mostly white suburban enclave of smallish homes.
White picket fences. Dogs barking.

Kids playing on the street.
Slim, Chocolate Z and Angie walk up the stone path.

ANGIE
Oh, wow. This is pretty --

He opens the door. She walks in.

SLIM
(to Chocolate Z)
I must be crazy letting y’all coming up to my house.
Something ain’t right about that girl.
But you wanted to bring her. So it’s on you.
If that girl steals or fucks up anything, it’s your ass.

CHOCOLATE Z
Since she ain’t chose, I just thought --

SLIM
Well, the bitch better choose before we leave.

INT. SLIM’S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Angie sits on the couch, smoking a Sherman’s.
She stares blankly at Chocolate Z, who paces back and forth.

ANGIE
(looking around)
This is really NICE --

CHOCOLATE Z
You know what The Game is, right?

ANGIE
Yeah -- sure.

CHOCOLATE Z
You choose me, you give me the money.
You choose Slim, you give him the money. Understand?

ANGIE
(nods)
Give -- the money.

Chocolate walks up to her.
Takes her necklace off from around her neck.
Shoves it in his pocket.

ANGIE
Hey, that’s MINE --

CHOCOLATE Z
It belongs to me if you choose me.
You know what you’re getting into, right?

ANGIE
I wanna be down.

CHOCOLATE Z
Most girls just do fucking and sucking,
but some’ll take it up the ass if the price is right.
You down with THAT?

ANGIE
Yeah.

Slim comes in the room with a suitcase.

SLIM
Y’all ready to go?

CHOCOLATE Z
Wait a minute. Let’s put on some tunes,
chop up some rocks, fire up a doobie -- let’s PARTY.

Angie takes another lazy hit. Smiles dreamily.

SLIM
What the hell is that shit?

CHOCOLATE Z
It’s just a cigarette. Relax.
C’mon, let’s get down.

She gets up. Walks over.
Starts unbuttoning Slim’s shirt.

ANGIE
Yeah. Let’s get down, baby. I choose you --