The Days Of Wine And Roses

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 18 of LITTLE GIRL BLUE, private eye Carrie Love, her ex, homicide dick Bernie Keko and Carrie's stepmother Eva scope out the second floor against the invasion of Tolly Chill's goons. Meanwhile, two of them break into the house ... and go into Carrie's childhood bedroom ...


INT. MANSION - SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT
Carrie, Bernie and Eva walk down the lushly furnished
main hallway upstairs. Guns at their sides.

BERNIE
Looks just the same.
(turns, to Carrie)
You remember that Thanksgiving weekend we stayed here,
and your mother made us sleep in separate rooms?

CARRIE
Well, we weren’t married yet. And you know my mom.

BERNIE
I had to fucking sneak in your room like I was sixteen.

They both smile. Remembering.

EVA
Why couldn’t the two of you work it out?
It seems like there is still chemistry.

CARRIE
I had an itch -- and I scratched it.

BERNIE
An itch? That’s a good one.
(sings)
The Days of Wine and Roses --

Carrie stops. Gives Bernie a look that kills.

CARRIE
I think we should split up.
Check all the windows. They could be --

Glass SHATTERS. A big THUD.
CRASHING noises behind the door they’re standing in front of.

EVA
Oh my GOD.

BERNIE
It’s THEM.

CARRIE
And they’re in MY ROOM.

Carrie CLICKS the safety on her Glock.
Moves to the left of the door. Signals to be quiet.
Bernie SHOVES a clip in his Baretta. Moves to right side.

BERNIE
(whispers to Eva)
Go down the hall, around the corner. Wait for us.

EVA
(CRACKS the rifle bolt)
Screw that. I’ll cover you.

She opens the door across from them. Goes in the room.
Closes it until all we see is the barrel of her rifle.

IN THE STUDY
Seth and Blue pull apart.

BLUE
What the FUCK was that?

SETH
Someone’s trying to get in.

They grab their guns. Seth goes to the door. Listens.

UPSTAIRS
Carrie leans toward the door.

CARRIE
We know you’re IN THERE.
Come out with your HANDS UP and we won’t KILL you.

BERNIE
We’ve got you SURROUNDED.
You’ll never make it out of here ALIVE.

INT. CARRIE’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
Still as it was when Carrie was a teenager. Cute. Colorful.

Mick and Aldo stand in the middle of the room.
Guns aimed at the door. They exchange looks.

They start FIRING at the door.
BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.

EXT. MANSION - BACK YARD - CONTINUOUS
Tolly and Porkpie look up at the window. Hear the firing.

PORKPIE
They’re thugs. No finesse -- no stealth. Just go in blasting.

TOLLY
You want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. C’mon.

He starts climbing up the ladder. Porkpie follows him.

IN THE HALLWAY
Carrie and Bernie watch the door get BLOWN TO BITS.

Chunks of wood go FLYING.
They both LEAN IN, start FIRING.

IN THE BEDROOM
Mick gets SHOT in the LEG. SCREAMS in pain.

MICK
MOTHERFUCKERS.

He goes to the bureau. Start SHOVING it toward the doorway.

MICK (CONT’D)
C’mon, HELP ME.

Aldo races over, starts PUSHING it with him.
They wrestle it in front of the doorway.

MICK (CONT'D)
Jesus fucking Christ.
He didn’t say nothing about them having GUNS.

ALDO
The private dick, remember?

MICK
Yeah, but who’s the GUY?

ALDO
Hell if I know.

IN THE HALLWAY
Carrie peers around the doorway.

CARRIE
They’ve blocked it with the dresser.

BERNIE
That’s fucking weird. Normally WE’D be trying
to keep them OUT while they try to come IN.

CARRIE
They didn’t know what they were up against.

BERNIE
Yeah. The dysfunctional family picnic.

OUTSIDE
Tolly stops climbing. Looks down at Porkpie.

TOLLY
Wait a minute.

PORKPIE
What?

TOLLY
Why don’t we leave them up there --
and then you and I go in ANOTHER window?

PORKPIE
That, boss -- is why you’re the boss. Fuckin’ brilliant.

They start climbing back down.
Aldo sticks his head out the window. Sees them.

ALDO
Hey, where are you guys goin’?

TOLLY
(loud whisper)
You guys stay up there, hold ‘em off for a bit.
Make ‘em think you’re trapped in there.
We’re gonna go in through another window.

ALDO
That’s fucking brilliant.

PORKPIE
That’s what I said.

ALDO
Mick got one in the leg,
but it’s only a flesh wound.
We’ll hold ‘em off for a while.

TOLLY
Tell Mick to hang tight.
Reinforcements are coming.

Aldo nods. Goes back in.
Tolly starts climbing back down.

TOLLY (CONT’D)
Gonna get that fucking bitch.
NO ONE gets away with disrespecting Tolly Chill --