Basic Instinct

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 10 of LEGS, on the way to police headquarters, patrolwoman Megan Paul reads private eye Carrie Love the riot act after learning that she slept with dominatrix Felina Bella Donna. We then meet Carrie's ex-husband, homicide dick Bernie Keko, who then also gets in her face ...


EXT. SANTA MONICA - MAIN STREET - DAY
The Porsche cruises into a
cluster of municipal buildings.

CARRIE (V.O.)
The tricky thing about female ex's
is that they get just as jealous
as when you were together.
(beat)
What the fuck was I thinking?
'Felina Bella Donna.'
Sounds like a fucking
Stevie Nicks album.

They pull up in front of Police Headquarters.

IN THE CAR

MEGAN
You slept with her?
You fucking slept with her?
She could be a suspect, Carrie.

CARRIE
What the fuck do you care?
And besides -- I figured --
since she's a player --
she might know --

MEGAN
Laura's body isn't even fucking cold yet.
I thought she was the love of --

CARRIE
(screams)
She was! Okay? Alright?
She was! Okay?!

She loses it, breaks down,
sobbing. Megan comforts her.

MEGAN
Shhhh, it's okay, it's okay,
I'm sorry, baby, shhh --

CARRIE
Please don't hate me.
I got carried away.
It was so nice not to have to
face my empty bed.

MEGAN
Don't remind me.

INT. POLICE SQUAD ROOM - DAY
The cheap, shitty, standard-issue
institutional decay.

Carrie and Megan sit across from
homicide detective BERNIE KEKO (35),
a greasy Mickey Rourke type.

Bitter. Full of swagger. Venom.
And at this moment --
sizing up his ex-wife.

KEKO
Still with the short skirts I see.

She uncrosses -- then recrosses her legs.
Taunting.

CARRIE
Can't help it.
It's my basic instinct.

KEKO
I'm sorry, Care.
I wish there was something I could --

CARRIE
Please don't call me 'Care,' Bernie,
that was a long time ago.
(goes in for the kill)
What the fuck was I thinking?
It's not like you ever lost
someone special.

MEGAN
Carrie, chill out.

Carrie lights up, blows a smoke ring.
It hangs in the air.

KEKO
There's no smoking.

She stands. Sits on his desk.
Gets in his face.

CARRIE
Go ahead. Cuff me.
(beat, off his silence)
You're still a fucking jellyfish,
aren't you?
(to Megan)
All of a sudden I need some air.
It’s awfully -- stuffy in here.
(goes to the door)
I'll be out in the car.
You try your luck.

She splits. Silence.
Keko grimaces at Megan.

KEKO
I have nothing to say to you.

MEGAN
Listen, I know you don't like me,
and I'm not even gonna try to
reason with your homophobia,
but I suggest you start getting
used to seeing these baby blues.

KEKO
Oh yeah? And why might that be?

MEGAN
You didn't hear about my
transfer to homicide?

INT. CARRIE'S PORSCHE - CONTINUOUS
Carrie punches the gas,
tears out of the parking lot.

MEGAN
He gave it to me, Carrie.
They have a lead.

CARRIE
(pounds the wheel)
Yes.
(off Megan's silence)
So? C'mon, tell me.

MEGAN
(pulls out piece of paper)
They found an invitation
to the Fetish Ball at the crime scene.
He gave me a photocopy.

CARRIE
Great. That only narrows it down
to about five-hundred perverts.

MEGAN
Pretty fancy stuff, engraved.
On the back is a hand-written
guest list for a wrap party.
It's only five perverts.

CARRIE
Now we're talking turkey.
Who's on the list?
What's the movie?

Meg quickly scans the list.
Gasps silently.

CARRIE
You're scaring me, Meg.

She reads off the paper,
hands trembling.

MEGAN
Klaus Speer, Felina Bella Donna,
Michael Samms, Jorel Amin, and --
special surprise guest --

CARRIE
Gimmee that!

She SNATCHES the paper
Out of Megan's hands, reads it.

CARRIE
NO!