Bite-Sized Chunks

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 25 of BLUE HOTEL, police officers Dannette Day and Bernie Keko watch the surveillance tape of Holly shooting Feo outside the Venice Beach condo, and recognize her from the liquor store robbery. Meanwhile, Alona, Holly, Beggar Lief try to decide how to get rid of the dead body in Alona's hotel room ...


EXT. MARKET STREET - LUXURY CONDO BUILDING - NIGHT
The scene is swarming with POLICE CRUISERS,
COPS, CRIME SCENE TECHS.

A small crowd of ONLOOKERS stand behind yellow tape.
A NEWS CREW VAN pulls up to the curb.

Danette and Kenny walk over to an
ANGRY HOMICIDE DETECTIVE (40’s), burly, gone to seed.

Meet BERNIE KEKO. Sipping a cup of designer coffee.
Unlit cigar stuck in his mouth.

BERNIE
Officer Day. We meet again.

DANETTE
Stuff it, Keko.
I heard there’s a security tape.
I want to see it.

BERNIE
Sorry, doll. It’s my case now.

DANETTE
Listen, doll.
I know this nabe like the back of my hand.
You NEED my help on this one.

Pause.

BERNIE
Just fucking with you.
Come on inside.
Building manager’s office.
You can even bring John Boy.

DANETTE
You just love to see me squirm, don’t you?

BERNIE
Like old times, huh?

KENNY
Who’s John boy?

INT. ALONA’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Beggar sits on the couch.
Chops up lines of coke on the coffee table.
Gill and Lief sit on either side of him.

BEGGAR
You’re crazy.
We’re NOT cutting up the body. I
say we sneak him out into the back alley
and drive off somewhere and get rid of it.
(beat)
But not in my car.
The cops might’ve seen it
leaving Lief’s condo.

ALONA
But you’re the only one of us
that HAS a car.

Holly sits on the bed,
next to Alona. Sips her drink.

HOLLY
We could take him out to the ocean.
Let the tide take him away.

ALONA
He’s too big, Holly.
How are we gonna drag him all the way
to the shore without being seen?
(nasty smile)
Unless he’s in little bite-sized chunks.

Beggar LAUGHS. SNORTS up a line.
Hands the rolled up bill to Gill.
He shakes his head ‘no.’ Lief GRABS it.

LIEF
Thanks. Gotta clear my head.
(SNORTS a line, shakes his head)
Damn, that’s good shit.
Stairway to fucking HEAVEN.
(SNORTS another, sings)
There’s a lady whose sure
all that glitters is gold --

Gill looks at Lief.
The manic, happy gleam in his eyes.

GILL
Can I get a -- bustle in my hedgerow?

INT. EXPENSIVE CONDO - SECURITY OFFICE - AT THAT MOMENT
Danette, Kenny and Bernie huddle around a monitor
in the tiny security office in the lobby.

The SECURITY GUARD (20’s),
a skinny young Hispanic kid,
stands behind them.
Leans over. Presses a button.

SKINNY YOUNG SECURITY GUARD
Check it out. I’ll be right back,
gotta go take a piss.

He walks away.

ON THE MONITOR
We see the scene unfold earlier
between Feo and Holly in black and white.

Feo RACES over the bike. HOPS ON it.
Then gets SHOT in the back. BANG. He FALLS OVER.

Holly RACES into the frame.
JUMPS on the bike, and pedals away
like a bat out of hell.

IN THE OFFICE
Danette and Kenny exchange glances.

DANETTE
That’s the girl from the liquor store holdup.

KENNY
It sure as shit is.

BERNIE
I saw that story on the news.

DANETTE
She must live around here.

KENNY
So what are we gonna do,
start knocking on doors
at three in the morning?

Danette sighs. Shakes her head.

BERNIE
Busiest night I can remember.
Just came from a homicide off Main Street.
High school science teacher,
shot dead in her kitchen.
And the husband’s missing.

DANETTE
Maybe it’s connected --

BERNIE
Nah. I don’t think so.

DANETTE
We have maybe five murders
a year on Venice beach,
and there’ve been three tonight.
That we know about.

BERNIE
You have coffee at the substation?

DANETTE
Is there a brother in the White House?

BERNIE
Whaddaya say we go grab a cup
and do some brainstorming.

DANETTE
Okay.
(beat)
But it’s OVER, Bernie.
I’m not fucking you.

KENNY
(does a ‘take’)
You mean you two --

DANETTE
Zip it, officer.
That case is CLOSED.