We've Got To Stop Meeting Like This

Happy Friday, hardboiled crime slicksters. Welcome to the land that time forgot. The land of the lost. A tiny, dark sliver of cyberspace so depraved, so demented, that only fools dare to tread ... at That Killing Feeling.

Onto today's joint from BLOOD GETS IN YOUR EYES, where the plot thickens ...

Our friends at the Starlight Hotel in Venice Beach have to raise five grand in order to dispose of the dead body, so ... hooker Alona Tal meets with her client, prep school teacher Gill Sherry, drug deal Beggar Leck arranges to sell some coke, and boozy screenwriter has drinks with movie biz assistant Feo, with a view to robbing him ...


INT. HOLLY’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM -NIGHT
Holly walks in the room carrying a bottle of vodka, goes to her desk.
Sits. Pours two fingers. Downs it.
Punches PLAY on her boombox.

The anguished, brittle, tortured sound of Portishead
oozes out the speakers like a wound.

She opens her laptop. Boots it up. Looks at the screen.

ON THE MONITOR
We see the screenplay she’s working on. It reads:

INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Molly leans against the wall.
Listening to the sound of love-making in the next room.
She reaches down. Touches herself.

HOLLY
SLAPS the computer closed.

HOLLY
Fucking SHIT.

She pours another one. Downs it.
Stands. A bit wobbly.

HOLLY (CONT’D)
Need to get -- more money.

Holly pours one more for courage. Slugs it down.
Grabs her purse. Pulls the gun from the robbery out. Checks it.

HOLLY (CONT’D)
Time to cut to the chase.

INT. BEGGAR’S BMW CONVERTIBLE - NIGHT
Beggars sits in his car in the rear parking lot of the hotel.
Dials a number on his cell. Listens.

BEGGAR
Lief, hey -- it’s Beggar.
(beat)
I just got a kilo of primo booger sugar, and I thought of you --
(beat)
You having a party? Well, that’s even better --
(beat)
You know I’m cool. I won’t tell anyone --
(beat)
WHO?
(beat)
You’re shitting me.

INT. THE STARLIGHT LOUNGE - NIGHT
Some strange 60’s lounge classic plays like Yma Sumac on the jukebox.
Alona and Gill sit at the bar with cocktails.

ALONA
So what are you gonna do now?

GILL
Well, I still have my job --
(beat)
And I still have you.

ALONA
Gill, I’m with Beggar.
You know that. You’re a friend.

GILL
I know to you I’m just a client,
but I can tell you feel something when we make love.
I can feel it.

ALONA
My dear, sweet Gill -- the incurable romantic.

GILL
I wish you’d let me take you away from all of this, Alona.
(gestures)
This place is a dive. A cesspool --

The BARTENDER looks up. Pissed off.

ALONA
Gill, I like my life just the way it is. No strings.
Nothing to tie me down. If I get tired of it, I can just split.
(beat)
And I like sex too much.

GILL
(finishes his drink)
Speaking of sex, let’s go upstairs.
I need to quench my thirst from your heavenly fountain.

ALONA
Heavenly fountain?
(drains her drink)
Kitchen sink is more like it.

EXT. STARLIGHT HOTEL - NIGHT
Holly comes down the front steps. Weaving a little.
She stops. Looks around.
Sees a crowd of ONLOOKERS
in front of the liquor store crime scene.

Feo, still sitting on the park bench, sees Holly.

FEO
Hey, there.
(smiles)
We’ve got to stop meeting like this.

HOLLY
(sees him)
Oh. Hey.
(points at the crowd)
What’s -- going on?

FEO
Some chick knocked off the liquor store
with a couple of gang-bangers, then shot one of ‘em.
(holds up I-phone)
Wanna see the footage?

She stares. He saw it?
But doesn’t recognize her?

HOLLY
(trying to be casual)
Sure.

Holly sits down.
He holds up the phone in front of her.

ON THE SCREEN
We see grainy, black and white footage of the robbery,
with Holly seen from the rear.
She SHOOTS the gang-banger.
He falls. She grabs the liquor, RUNS into the back.

HOLLY
Looks at Feo.

HOLLY (CONT’D)
Huh. Looks kinda like me.

FEO
Nah. She looks vicious. You’re kinda cute.

HOLLY
You really --
(hiccups)
Really think so?

FEO
Yeah. If I didn’t have a -- situation to take care of,
I’d ask you if I could buy you a drink.

HOLLY
(points)
Hotel’s got a bar, right there.
Buy me a drink, we can talk about it?
(weird smile)
Maybe I can help.

FEO
You’re on.
(beat)
Don’t worry, I don’t kiss and tell.

HOLLY
That’s a shame. I do.