Get Your Motor Running

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 36 of WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, the widow Gay Flender has cocktails with sleazy Cajun raconteur Hub Flower, resulting in a hell of a hangover. Meanwhile, transgendered starlet Nikki Yavo meets her drug connection at the Boom Boom Room, where things indeed go 'boom' ...


INT. FLENDER LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
The cool jazz of Henry Mancini’s SORTA BLUE
swings on the hi-fi. A roaring fire CRACKLES.

Hub Flower stands at the fireplace
looking at the Flender family portrait.
Glazed, privileged smiles all around.

HUB
It’s just a grand jury investigation, Gay.
No charges have been pressed.
We just need your testimony.

AT THE BAR
Gay fixes cocktails.
CLINKS ice into two glasses.

Opens an expensive-looking
bottle of brown. Pours.

GAY
'Testimony?' Like hell.
Harvey didn’t spill anything to me.
I know jack shit.

HUB
But, Gay -- we really need your help.
I don’t know what I’d do if you
didn’t testify on our behalf --
(at the picture)
You sure have a lovely family.
(beat)
Such a shame about Harvey.

Gay reaches under the bar,
pulls out a prescription bottle.

THE LABEL
reads ‘Percodan.
Two every four hours for pain.’

GAY
shakes out a few pills.
Opens them in her palm.

Dumps the powder into a glass.
STIRS it. Picks up the drinks.

Walks over to Hub.
Hands him the drug-laced cocktail.

GAY
I must be hearing things.
Did you just threaten harm to my children?

HUB
(smiles, sips)
Of course not, Gay.
What would give you that idea?
I was just looking at your family portrait.

GAY
(sips)
I guess it wouldn’t hurt -- to testify.

Hub grins. His faces blossoms. Eyes crinkling.
He takes a long sip of scotch. Smacks his lips.

HUB
Now you’re talking smart, Gay.
I must say you -- had me worried there for a moment.

He weaves a bit. Shakes his head.
Vision blurry.

GAY
What’s the matter, Hub?
You look a little green.
Want to sit down?

HUB
(takes a step toward the couch)
I think -- that’s a --

Hub stops. Muscles deflate.
His body leans forward, and --
BANG, he HITS the floor.
Glass SHATTERS on the tiles.

HUB
(mumbles)
Good idea.

And he’s out.

GAY
Serves you right,
Cajun piece of shit.
(feels his pulse)
What the fuck?
I’ve been CLUSTER-FUCKED.
I just wanted to KNOCK YOU OUT,
not KILL you. Asshole.

She goes to the bar.
Gets the pills. Throws one down.

Chases it with the rest of her cocktail. Thinks.
A deadly smile creeps over her face.

GAY
Coyote season --

She gets up. Walks over to Hub.
Grabs him by the ankles.
Starts dragging him toward the kitchen.

GAY
(sings)
Oh, what a little moonlight will do --

EXT. LAGUNA BEACH - BOOM BOOM ROOM - AT THAT MOMENT
A nondescript building near the beach.
A handful of cars litter the parking lot.
Pink neon sign winks invitingly.

INT. BOOM BOOM ROOM - DANCE FLOOR - CONTINUOUS
Dark. Dead. Old-school lighting. Faceless Euro-club music.
A remnant of a lost era. Joint pretty dead, except for --

A trio of TWEAKER BOYS doing that
‘been up for three days’ shuffle.
Passing around an ampule of amyl nitrate.

AT THE BAR
sits Nikki. Waiting. Sipping a cocktail.

A LARGE LEATHER FREAK (20’s) approaches.
Menacing in biker cap, boots,
mirrored shades, gun.

Until he opens his mouth.

LEATHER FREAK
Nikki. Lookin’ hot, mama.

NIKKI
Gunnar.
You’re looking -- leather, as usual.

GUNNAR
Let’s party.

INT. BOOM BOOM ROOM - BACK OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER
Dark and cozy. The music THUMP-THUMPS from outside.

Gunnar sits on the couch.
CHOPS tiny lines on a large, cock-shaped mirror.

Nikki sits next to him.
Watching intently.

GUNNAR
Now just do a little bit,
cause it’s uncut. Got it?

NIKKI
Yeah, sure. Where’d you get it?

GUNNAR
(hands her a rolled bill)
That’s for me to know,
and you to blow out --
(beat)
Har-har-har-har-har!

Nikki SNARFS up a line.
Rubs her nose.

NIKKI
Wow. It --

GUNNAR
Burns. Yeah.

He leans down, SNORTS one.
Shakes his head.

They look at each other.
Eyes bright, glassy.
Gunnar’s hand goes to his zipper.

GUNNAR
Speaking of uncut --

Nikki notices. Smiles.
Holds up a red-nailed finger.

NIKKI
One more.

GUNNAR
(gravely)
Okay. A little one.

But she’s greedy --
and HONKS up one line,
then another, and another.
She starts vibrating.

GUNNAR
Hey, now -- that’s enough --

NIKKI
(eyes blazing)
Holy fucking shit is that good shit.

She gets down on her knees.
Mouth frothing. GRABS his crotch.

NIKKI
Get your motor running.

GUNNAR
(closes his eyes)
HEAD out on the highway.

Nikki unzips Gunnar with one hand.
With the other, she wets a finger.

Runs it through the coke.
Rubs it on her gums.

NIKKI
(throaty)
Looking for adventure --

She leans down, starts giving him
the best head of his life.

GUNNAR
And whatever COMES our way --

But Nikki’s reached critical mass.
Too much of the pharmaceutical
booger sugar courses through her veins.

Something SNAPS.
She BITES DOWN on Gunnar’s cock. HARD.

Like a WILD ANIMAL.
Gunnar SHRIEKS with pain.

GUNNAR
GAAAAA!

Nikki LEAPS UP. Wipes her mouth.
GRABS the bag of coke. Her bag.
His piece. RUNS to the door. STOPS.

NIKKI
That was fun, thanks, gotta go, BYE.

And TEARS ASS outta there --

EXT. BOOM BOOM ROOM - PARKING LOT - NIGHT
Nikki RUNS out the back entrance.
JUMPS in her Jag. HITS the gas,
and SCREECHES away in a cloud of dust.