Tis The Season

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 24 of LITTLE GIRL BLUE, as private eye Carrie Love and her ex-husband, homicide detective Bernie Keko head down the secret underground tunnel to escape from Tolly Chill and his goons, they share a tender, if confusing, moment together ...


INT. MARGO'S MANSION - BASEMENT - NIGHT
Carrie looks at a door at the end of the bar.

CARRIE

Where does this go?
MARGO
Into the regular basement.
But you can’t see it from the other side.

CARRIE
Gotcha. And the tunnels?

MARGO
Go to the fireplace.
Pull on the first poker on the left.

Carrie walks over. Grabs the poker,
pulls it like a lever.

The fireplace SLIDES TO THE LEFT,
revealing a pair of tunnels
that split off at forty-five degree angles.

CARRIE
Holy shit.

MARGO
Hey, if it was good enough for Capone.

CARRIE
Where do they go?

MARGO
God, I can’t remember -- it’s been so long.
I think one goes to the pool house,
and the other to the back end of the property --
(beat)
I think.

BERNIE
Are they safe?

MARGO
Hell if I know. I’ve never gone in them.

CARRIE
I say we break up into two groups and check them out.
(to Bernie)
Bernie and I will check out the one on the left,
and Seth and Blue can check out the one on the right.
Sound like a plan?

BERNIE
Can’t wait.

SETH
(looks at Blue)
Fine with me.

BLUE
(looks at Seth)
Yeah.

EVA
What about me?

CARRIE
You stay and protect Margo.

EVA
Okay --

MARGO
Somebody kill me now,
because I’m already in hell.

EXT. GERO’S LIMO - NIGHT
Tip sits between Strange-Looking and Ugly,
Muscled in the back seat.
Strange has a gun on him.

TIP
I’m not telling you.

Strange CRACKS him on the head with the gun.

TIP (CONT’D)
OW!

STRANGE-LOOKING GOON
So you wanna PLAY, huh? Alright, let’s play.
WHAT’S THE ADDRESS?

He WHACKS him again.

TIP
1600 Sunset Boulevard!
Please don’t HIT ME again!

STRANGE-LOOKING GOON
See? That wasn’t so hard.
And I don’t have to hit you no more.

Gero picks up the walkie. Speaks into it.

GERO
Tolly, you there?

TOLLY (O.C.)
Yeah, pop. What’s up?

GERO
We got the address, found ourselves a rent-a-cop.
Got him in the car, for insurance.

TOLLY (O.C.)
Nice. Hurry on over.
Come in the front door, it’s open.

INT. BASEMENT - STAIRS - CONTINUOUS
Tolly’s at the top of the stairs with Mick.

TOLLY
(on his walkie)
We’ll be down in the basement.
Think we got ‘em trapped down there.

IN THE LIMO
Gero turns to Strange-Looking.

GERO
Fish, you put on Bozo’s uniform and drive his car.
Put him in the trunk. This way we’ve got someone
on the outside to watch out for us.

TIP
Hey, wait a minute --

Ugly, Muscled PUNCHES Tip in the face, CRUNCH.
He goes out.

FISH
(to Ugly)
Thanks, Mad Dog.

MAD DOG
Don’t mention it. Tis the season.

IN THE BASEMENT
Tolly puts the walkie in his pocket.
Starts down the steps.

TOLLY
They’re on their way.
C’mon, let’s check it out.

INT. TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS
Carrie and Bernie walk down the corridor.
Wood panelling. Linoleum tiles.
They both wave flashlights.

CARRIE
Check out the craftsmanship,
must of cost a fortune.

BERNIE
So listen, can I -- ask you something?

CARRIE
Sure.

BERNIE
I guess cause it’s Christmas,
you know -- gets a guy thinking --

(beat)
Now that you’ve stopped drinking,
I was wondering if you’d like to --
have coffee or something?

CARRIE
I’m sorry, Bernie.
It was over A LONG time ago.

BERNIE
We had a lot of fun, though --

CARRIE
Oh, yeah. A lot of fun. Too much fun.
(beat)
We’ll always be friends. You know that.

BERNIE
Friends that call you on Christmas Eve
and ask for help?

CARRIE
Something like that.

Pause.

BERNIE
So are you still into girls,
or was that because you were --

CARRIE
Drunk most of the time?
(off his look)
I’m still into girls.
But now I’m just a little more -- picky.
(smiles)
But I still like guys.

BERNIE
Not too confusing.

CARRIE
Welcome to my life.