Playing Footsie

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Friday. 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 35 of WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, we arrive at another cliffhanger. Private eye Carrie Love and her new flame Jenny Lane regroup after Carrie's narrow escape from the law, but suddenly get shot at by a lone gunman. They make their escape, and then decide to confront the widow Gay Flender, who's now their number one murder suspect ...


EXT. JENNY’S APARTMENT BUILDING - CANAL - NIGHT
The moon glimmers on the inky black waterway
like thick brush strokes.

Five WHITE GEESE float by,
single file.

Jenny and Carrie sit on an old sofa
under a tree. Watching.

JENNY
The guy in that five-million dollar home
on the other side bought them for his wife.
(beat)
Only the kids pay any attention to them.

CARRIE
Did you feel his pulse?

JENNY
No, I freaked out.
I just split.
Then I called you.

CARRIE
He’s probably okay.
We could go to my place,
check the police scanner --
(realizes)
Shit.

Carrie closes her eyes.
Quietly shaking.

JENNY
(takes Carrie’s hand)
Stay here tonight.

CARRIE
I can’t drag you into this.

JENNY
I’m ALREADY into this.

CARRIE
(opens her eyes)
I guess you are.

JENNY
(sits up)
Come on, let’s go in.
I’m getting cold.

CARRIE
(pulls her back down)
Can you just --
hold me a sec?

They embrace.

Three soft GUNSHOTS RIP
through the sofa
just above Jenny’s head --
THWIP. THWIP. THWIP.

JENNY
(jerks up)
What was that?

CARRIE
(pulls her down)
Someone’s shooting
a B-B gun at us.
Stay down. Don’t move --

Carrie GRABS the top of the couch.
Then Jenny. Does a roll.

Pulls the sofa down over them.
They crouch low. Listen.

More shots THWIP, THWIP, THWIP
into the cushions.

CARRIE
How very Columbine.

JENNY
Who are they shooting at?
You or me?

CARRIE
I don’t know.
But we have to get
the fuck out of here.
My car is across the street.
Which car is yours?

JENNY
The gold BMW,
two spaces down.

CARRIE
You have a beemer --

JENNY
Don’t get excited. It’s a ‘72.
That bucket of bolts cost me more
in repairs than what I paid for it.

CARRIE
But it’s -- working, right?

EXT. CANAL - AT THAT MOMENT
Across the canal,
a FIGURE IN BLACK crouches down.

Rifle poking through the wooden fence
along the footpath.

THE COUCH
is lifted, tilted,
tipped up on end.

THE GUNMAN
squeezes off a series of SHOTS --
THWIP. THWIP. THWIP. THWIP.

EXT. JENNY’S APARTMENT BUILDING - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS
Jenny’s vintage gold BMW PEELS RUBBER, and flies away.

INT. JENNY’S BEEMER - MOVING - NIGHT
Carrie drives like a demon.

CARRIE (V.O.)
Enough crying in my cocktail.
Fucking around playing footsie.
I still had my work.
Still had this case.
And it was time to get
my shit together
and do what I do best --
crack this sucker wide open.

She FIRES UP a smoke, and --

JENNY
Careful, there’s a --

PUNCHES the gas.

JENNY
Stop sign.
(grips the door)
Where are we going?

CARRIE
To Gay Flender’s joint.

JENNY
But didn’t you say
you suspect her of --

CARRIE
I did. I do.

JENNY
And that she set you up?
Won’t she be --

CARRIE
Not if she’s distracted.

The girls exchange looks.
Carrie, excited. Jenny, scared.

JENNY
Oh, no you’re not.
I’m not gonna --

CARRIE
Yes, you are.
All you have to do is
talk to her about
how Modi hit you,
and that you’re
thinking of suing,
but if you could
get your job back --

PUSH IN ON Jenny.
Eyes darting. Pensive.

JENNY
I could -- do that.