Behind The Music

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Monday. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where your most violent fantasies become sins of the flesh, right here, where the hardboiled action is non-stop, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 17 of AFTERHOURS, Vin sneaks out to go get food for the celebrity hostages, and then rogue cop Danny grills them about why they're hanging out at dawn on a Monday morning in a club instead of being with their families ...


INT. AFTER HOURS CLUB - DAWN
Danny turns. Looks at Vin.

DANNY
Crazy like a fox.
If their bellies are full,
they might not get so desperate again.
(to the group)
Right?
(off their nods, to Vin)
Get a couple loaves of bread,
some cold cuts and chips and shit.

VIN
Okay.

He starts heading for the door.

DANNY
Be careful.

Vin nods. Unlocks the door.
Slowly opens it. Peers out.
Then leaves. Shuts the door behind him.

CASEY
Thanks.

DANNY
Yeah, well --
I figure if things go south,
maybe they’ll go easier on me
if I treat you like human beings.

EASY
Right. Like blowing off my arm?

DANNY
You tried to grab my gun.
That was your fault, not mine.
I was giving you lines of coke,
remember?

CASEY
You seem like too nice a guy to be --

DANNY
What. A cold-blooded killer?
You surprise me.
As a writer, you
of all people should know
people are complicated.
(beat)
What I want to know
is why you’re all here.
You’ve got great careers,
tons of dough,
and yet you’re
hanging out in an
after-hours club
on a weeknight at
five in the morning.
What’s up with that?

BETTIE
I was doing an Amy Winehouse
until you interrupted me.

DANNY
Makes sense.
Your last album tanked,
and I saw that video on YouTube.
Ouch. You really clocked that kid.

BETTIE
Label’s gonna drop me.
My band won’t speak to me.
There’s nothing to live for.
Music is my life.

DANNY
Gonna make a hell of a
‘Behind The Music.’
(to Easy)
I think I got you figured out.
The press is going to out you, right?

EASY
He shoots, he scores.

DANNY
Wasn’t a detective for nothing.
(to Sky)
And you, Mr. HIV-positive.
Just found out?

SKY
Yeah.

DANNY
Then why come here?

SKY
Getting married tomorrow.

DANNY
So the wife doesn’t know.

SKY
What do you think?

DANNY
I think they should rename
this place ‘The Hideout.’
(to Casey)
What’s your deal?
Looking for your next story?

CASEY
More like avoiding trying.

DANNY
But you found it, didn’t you.

CASEY
Maybe.

DANNY
If you live through this,
you’re gonna write about it.

CASEY
I’m thinking about it.

DANNY
Maybe Ethan Hawke here can play me.

CASEY
Nah. Too scrawny.
hinking more of a George Clooney type.

DANNY
I’ll take that as a compliment.

CASEY
So why did you rob the dirty cop?
You know him?

DANNY
Know him? He was my fucking partner.

CASEY
What did he do to you?

DANNY
If I tell you that, you could
testify against me in a court of law.

CASEY
C’mon. I’m curious. I wanna know.

DANNY
You know what they say about curiosity --

They stare at each other.
The buzzer RINGS. Everyone looks.

DANNY
Too soon to be Vin --
(to Mia)
Go see who it is.
Tell ‘em we’re closed.