The More The Merrier

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 40 of BABY HEISTER, robbery homicide detective Flint Cole uses a very unusual method to get information from heisters Dusty and Reno, who he's got trapped in the back of an overheated transportation vehicle. Meanwhile, wheelman Simon Leeds joins the gang in the safe house after being busted for trying to steal a cop's wife's car ...


INT. POLICE VAN - MOVING - DAY
Flint sits in the passenger seat
talking on his cell.

Squints at the GIANT COP
who’s driving (40’s).

FLINT
Rooker. What’s up?

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. DARRYL ROOKER’S OFFICE - DAY
Rooker sips a mug of coffee. Big smile.

DARRYL
Just got a lead. A big one.
Hitchhiker witnessed a patrolman
get shot in East LA after he
pulled over a hearse with expired tags.

FLINT
What does that have to with
the price of gash in Chinatown?

DARRYL
Sheriff’s office found it
abandoned at a gas station,
dusted it for prints --
and guess who was driving?

FLINT
I dunno. Vincent Price?

DARRYL
Jo Hazard.

FLINT
Fuck me.

DARRYL
It gets better.
She was heading toward downtown LA.

FLINT
Easy place to disappear.
All those old warehouses --

DARRYL
No shit.
We’re setting up a command base
at an abandoned grocery store,
corner of Hill and Third.

FLINT
I’ll head over there after I
finish interrogating Paulie Walnuts
and The Sundance Shit.

DARRYL
Any luck yet?

FLINT
Still waiting.

DARRYL
For what?

FLINT
Them to be well-done.

INT. POLICE VAN - REAR COMPARTMENT - DAY
Reno and Dusty sit on the bench.
Red-faced. Sweating. In agony.

Flint’s smiling face appears
in the window. They look.

See him holding a bottle of water.
Take a long chug. Laugh.

INT. DOC’S LOFT - DAY
Doc, Jo and Kelsey sit on couches
and chairs in the living room area.

Simon stands in front of them.
Looks a bit dishevelled.
But still bright and cheerful.

SIMON
It was bad luck.
Pure and simple.

DOC
A cop’s daughter.

SIMON
Yeah. I mean, how was I to know?
Bloody Nissan Sentra piece of shit.
THAT kinda car NEVER has LoJack.

KELSEY
How soon they pick you up?

SIMON
Ten fucking minutes.

DOC
When’s your court date?

SIMON
Next month.

DOC
So why did you want to see me?

SIMON
Well, I know I
didn’t earn my share,
but when I heard
Reno and Dusty got busted,
I didn’t dare go
back to the motel
to get my stuff.
I just need a place to crash
until I figure out my next move.

DOC
You can stay here for awhile.
(looks at Kelsey)
I’m sure Kelsey won’t mind.

PUSH IN ON Kelsey’s face.
Her secret smile.

KELSEY
Hey. The more the merrier --