One of The Good Guys

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In Chapter 5 of LITTLE GIRL BLUE, private eye Carrie Love decides to follow strip club owner Tolly Chill, who's taking her new client Blue Wonder to a holiday party in the Hollywood Hills, as something about Tolly seems a bit 'off.' Then her mother calls to tell her know that her brother Tad was just killed in a car accident ...

EXT. FANTASY ISLAND STRIP CLUB - PARKING LOT - NIGHT
A black SUPER-STRETCH LIMO sits idling.

The DRIVER gets out.
Opens the rear door.
Stands at attention.

Nearby, Carrie sits in her
‘68 OLDSMOBILE DELTA 88 CONVERTIBLE.

Pulls out her cell phone.
Checks her voice mail.

CARRIE’S MOTHER (V.O.)
Carrie, it’s your mother --
(gasps)
Tad -- was in a -- car accident,
a drunk driver hit him -- he, he --
(beat)
He’s dead, Carrie.
Oh, my god -- he’s DEAD. On CHRISTMAS.
You have to come home, NOW.
Call me as soon as you
get this message, okay?
Call me, RIGHT AWAY.

CLICK.

CARRIE
Shit.

TOLLY AND BLUE
Walk toward the limo.
Get in. Driver closes the door.

CARRIE
Turns the key in the ignition.
The V8 engine ROARS.

CARRIE
You can choose your friends --

EXT. 10 FREEWAY - LIMO - MOVING - NIGHT
The super-stretch cruises east in the fast lane.

BEHIND THE LIMO
We see Carrie’s white whale tailing it,
two cars back.

ANGLE ON --
Carrie. Driving.
Cigarette dangling from her lip.

CARRIE (V.O.)
I had a funny feeling about Tolly Chill.
Something just wasn’t right.
So I decided to keep an
eye on Little Girl Blue.
I always feel protective
of youth and innocence.
Part of my code.
(beat)
I hadn’t spoken to my
brother Tad in eight years.
Little fucker was a right-wing,
born-again Christian.
Didn’t approve of my ‘lifestyle.’
That’s a good one, huh?
My YOUNGER BROTHER didn’t approve of --
(beat)
Sanctimonious little shit.
(beat)
My father and I had been
on the outs for a long time.
We finally reconciled --
right before he died.
Told me that while
we were in Splitsville,
he had made a fortune --
and that he was sorry,
but he had given all
his money to his new wife --
and my brothers Tad and Seth.
That it was an irrevocable trust,
and he couldn’t change it.
My mother and I were left out in the cold.
(beat)
I told him it didn’t matter.
It wasn’t about the money.
I was just glad to have him
back in my life.

Carrie FLICKS her cigarette
into the night.

CARRIE (V.O.)
Now, a few years later --
I gotta confess, it eats at me sometimes.
I’ve had to scratch and claw
to survive in the world,
while my brothers have
lived in the lap of luxury.
(beat)
They each got eight million.
My stepmother got fifteen.
And the house on the coast.
And the yacht.
The condo in the Bahamas --
(beat)
I’ll call her tomorrow.
Tell her my battery was dead.
Takes a little time
for me to fake grief.

Carrie pulls out a flask.
Takes a long pull.

CARRIE
What the fuck kinda name
is 'Tolly Chill' anyway?
Sure as hell isn’t
one of the good guys --