FULL BODY: Gaza Strip

Happy Tuesday, crime slicksters! It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where your most violent, hardboiled fantasies become sins of the flesh, right here, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In chapter 20 of FULLY BODY, we return to the scene of the crime, where the massage girls from The International get questioned by the cops about the brutal murder of Reynolds Tan, former receptionist, and undercover spook. Meanwhile, at the Croatian embassy, hidden away in a VIP dungeon, Mavra has a tet a tet with Princess Stefanie von Taxi und Drang ...


INT. POLICE PRECINCT - INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT
Two MEN look through a two-way mirror at SUMMER.
Sitting at a small table.
Fidgeting. Quietly freaking out.

WILD-EYED MAN
Bimbo under glass.
Wonder how much for a Gaza Strip?

Meet BEN FLECK (40’s),
Israeli DC homicide dick.
Small head. Bug-eyed, bowling pin-shaped.
Squeaky-voiced nebbish of law enforcement.
Right now, pacing. Licking his lips.

UNSHAVEN MAN
Vat do you care? Shiksa is not Kosher.

Meet ALI NASSOUR (30’s),
Palestinian-American head of the
federal organized crime task force.
Craggy-faced good looks.
Looks like he hasn’t bathed,
or shaved, in a few days.

FLECK
Ease off on the Middle East tension.
Okay, buddy?

Nassour pulls out a pen knife.
Starts cleaning his nails.

NASSOUR
You stop bombing our places of worship,
pray to Allah, then I MIGHT consider you ‘buddy.’

FLECK
You get circumcised, give me a holler.
We can have a sword fight.

NASSOUR
‘The chosen.’ Give me a break.
You chose to mutilate your cock.

They stare at each other. Seething.

FLECK
Go question the girl.
I want to observe your genius.

NASSOUR
You do it.
I like to watch body language.

Fleck shakes his head in disgust.
Goes to the door.

FLECK
There’s an ordinance against
rubbing one out on police property --

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Fleck sits across from Summer.
Reads off a clipboard.

FLECK
According to the United States government,
Summer Donovan doesn’t exist.

SUMMER
That’s my work name.
My W9 will be in my real name.

FLECK
Which is?

SUMMER
Wednesday. Wednesday Donovan.

FLECK
Unusual name.

SUMMER
My father read a lot of Raymond Chandler.

FLECK
How long have you worked at The International?

SUMMER
Actually, it’s -- my first day.

FLECK
I see. So you didn’t know Ms. Tan very well --

SUMMER
No.

FLECK
Are you aware of anyone
who would have a reason to kill Ms. Tan?

SUMMER
Well, I don’t know about killing her --
but no one likes her -- uh, liked her.
(beat)
She was a --

FLECK
Bitch?

SUMMER
Uh -- yeah.

INT. CROATIAN EMBASSY - VIP ROOM - AT THAT MOMENT
The swooning, brittle, elegant decadence
of The Psychedelic Furs’ SISTER EUROPE over --

A dark garrote high in the catacombs in a turret.
We see a big, full moon through the barred windows.

Princess Stefanie lounges on a satin chaise.
Pours a tiny goblet of Absinthe.
Swirls it. Takes a sip.

Mavra sits down next to her.
Stefanie pours her a glass.
Revealing knife scars on her forearm.

MAVRA
(savors a bit)
Mmm. The drink of Van Gogh.
Picasso. Johnny Depp --
(looks around)
This is -- like dungeon.

STEFANIE
It could be -- if you wanted it to.

MAVRA
We don’t have time.
I need to make my move -- and quickly.

STEFANIE
(leans back)
How much do you need?

MAVRA
(gets closer)
I would think -- one-hundred-thousand.

STEFANIE
How about two-hundred,
and you stay for one last cock-tail?

Something palpable passes between them.
Somewhere in the distance a clock CHIMES.

Stefanie pulls out a knife.
It glints in the moonlight.

Mavra smiles. Puts down her drink.
Places a hand on Stefanie’s breast.
Takes the blade to her arm --

MAVRA
(whispers)
I never could say no, could I?

And leans in for a kiss.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - AT THAT MOMENT
Fleck looks at his clipboard.
Glares at Lindsey. Fidgety.

FLECK
And what is YOUR real name?

LINDSEY
Lina Best. Call me Lina.

FLECK
Ms. Best, how long have you worked at --

LINDSEY
Too long, almost a year.

FLECK
Did you know Ms. Tan well?

LINDSEY
Sort of, we never hung out or anything,
she wasn’t very, uh --

FLECK
Friendly?

LINDSEY
(nods)
But I don’t think she was a bad person.

FLECK
Did she have any -- enemies --
that you knew of?

LINDSEY
Well, she and Ayanna didn’t get along,
but I don’t think Ayanna wanted to kill her --

FLECK
Why didn’t they get along?

LINDSEY
Ayanna was next in line for receptionist?
But Reynolds ended up getting the job.

FLECK
How did she do that?

LINDSEY
She, uh -- fucked the boss.

FLECK
(looks at notes)
That would be -- Etya?

LINDSEY
No, that was Victor, who Yuri fired.

FLECK
Because of that?

LINDSEY
Yeah.
(beat)
And because he embezzled a half-million bucks.

FLECK
Where is he now?

PUSH IN ON Lindsey's face. Now scared.

LINDSEY
I dunno.
Last I heard -- he disappeared.