Bigger Fish To Fry

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 29 of AFTERHOURS, Bettie does all she can to try and prevent an angry cop from coming into the club ...


INT. THE EXIT ROOM - EARLY MORNING
The buzzer RINGS.

URGENT MALE VOICE (O.C.)
OPEN UP, POLICE.

CASEY
Shit.

BANG-BANG-BANGING on the door.

ANGRY COP (O.C.)
OPEN UP THE DOOR RIGHT NOW.

DANNY
We need a diversion.
CASEY
(to Mia)
Go put some music on.
Make it seem like a private party
or something.

Mia dashes over to the sound system.
Turns it on.

Thievery Corporation bubbles
its world beat on hidden speakers.

BETTIE
Let me try.

DANNY
Yeah, go ahead. Do it.

Bettie nods.
RACES over to the door.
Opens it a crack.

Danny grabs his shotgun.
Follows her.
Stands off to the side.

BETTIE
Sorry, officer. Private party.
Was the music too loud?
Joint’s supposed to be soundproof --
ANGRY COP (O.C.)
I need to come in
and search the place, Miss.
There’s a dangerous felon
on the loose.
(beat)
You’re Bettie Black --

BETTIE
That’s me.

ANGRY COP (O.C.)
I’m afraid I’m still
gonna have to come in.

BETTIE
Do you have to?
Me and my friends
were gonna be leaving soon.
Can you come back a little later?

ANGRY COP (O.C.)
I’m sorry, Ms. Black.

BETTIE
Bettie, please.
Do I looke like a ‘Ms?’

ANGRY COP (O.C.)
I believe you -- Bettie,
but I gotta come in. It’s my job.
We gotta check every building.
Sorry to inconvenience you.

BETTIE
Who you looking for?

ANGRY COP (O.C.)
Are you kidding?
It’s all over the news.

BETTIE
I don’t watch the news.
You said you’re looking
for a dangerous felon?

ANGRY COP (O.C.)
Yeah. Some asshole killed
a cop up in the hills.
We got a city-wide manhunt going on.

BETTIE
Holy shit.

ANGRY COP (O.C.)
I’ll just be a minute.

BETTIE
Well, see -- the thing is,
we’ve been doing some partying.
Smoking some weed,
doing a little blow.
Promise you won’t bust us?

ANGRY COP (O.C.)
Don’t worry about it.
Got bigger fish to fry.
Now if you’ll excuse me --

The door starts to push open.
ANGRY COP (30’s) starts coming in.

Meet sergeant BIFF GRIFFIN,
a big beefy fellow.

Danny SHOVES his sawed-off
against the side of his head.

DANNY
Make one move and you’re
chunks in sauce --