Cased Dismissed

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In Chapter 26 of BLUE HOTEL, when Alona, Begger, Lief and Holly decide the best way to get rid of the dead body in Alona's hotel room is to cut it up into little pieces, Lief freaks out and says he's going to the cops to turn himself in ... but that doesn't sit with with the others, and things soon escalate into violence ...


INT. ALONA’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
The boozy, sax-drenched death-swoon
of Morphine plays on the boombox.
Eerie. Spooky. Sexy.

Beggar and Gill sit on the couch.
Lief sit on the window sill,
looking out at the beach.

Now pensive.
He holds the bottle of vodka.
Takes a swig. Wipes his mouth.

Holly and Alona sit on the floor
in front of the coffee table.
Alona HONKS up a line. Then Holly.

HOLLY
It BURNS.

BEGGAR
Now look who’s a big girl.

ALONA
(to Beggar)
I’ve got an idea --
(manic grin)
That old hippie down at the desk
knows EVERYBODY in the nabe.
I’ll go down there and tell him
you and I were playing handcuff games,
and that we lost the key.
(sweetly)
'Please, Mr. Natural,
do you know where I can get
a hack saw this late at night?'

BEGGAR
(nods)
But what are we gonna
put the -- pieces in?

ALONA
Trash bags.
(big smile)
Don’t get mad. Get GLAD.

HOLLY
(giggles)
Now we’re talking trash.

Lief turns around.
Glares at them.

LIEF
You people are fucking CRAZY.
(hops off the sill)
I’m going to the cops.
Turning myself in.
I’m an officer of the court.
(stares at Holly)
And I didn’t KILL anyone.
(to the group)
And you’re all joking around
about cutting up a fucking DEAD BODY.
Fucking SICK.

ALONA
What the fuck?
(to Beggar)
You said he was an asshole --

LIEF
WHAT?

ALONA
You’re not going anywhere,
'officer of the court.'
You know too much.

LIEF
Oh YEAH?

ALONA
Yeah.

LIEF
Watch me.

He starts for the door.
Beggar gets up, RACES over.

Gets in front of him.
Puts his hand on Lief’s chest.

BEGGAR
I’m sorry, Lief.
I’m not letting you go.

LIEF
Out of my way,
you fucking drug dealer.

BEGGAR
Oh, so now you’re the
high and mighty lawyer
who buys COKE from the
'fucking drug dealer?'

LIEF
That may be, but at least
I’m not fucking a WHORE.
(beat)
Now get the FUCK out of my way.

ALONA
WHAT did you call me?

Alona LEAPS off the bed.
CHARGES at Lief.

GRABS him around the neck.
Tries to CHOKE him. SCREAMS.

ALONA
Fucking ASSHOLE.

Lief GRABS her hands,
FLINGS THEM away.

SPINS AROUND, and PUNCHES
her in the stomach. HARD.

She FLIES BACK,
hits the floor with a CRACK.

ALONA
OW!

LIEF
You fucking ASSHOLE.

Beggar CHARGES at Lief,
GRABS him around the chest,
pushes him to the floor, BANG.

They GRAPPLE, writhe on the carpet.
Lief GRABS Beggar around the throat.
Starts CHOKING him.

BEGGAR
GAAAAA --

ALONA
(tries to get up)
STOP IT.

Holly LEAPS off the bed.
GRABS a letter opener off the table,
and PLUNGES it into Lief’s neck.

PUNCTURING an artery.
A GEYSER OF BLOOD SPRAYS.

Lief lets go of Beggar.
GRABS his neck.
Stares in disbelief.

LIEF
You fucking -- stabbed me.

He hits the floor, THWUNK.
His hand falls away. Blood SPURTS.

Slows, keeps pumping.
A dark stain grows on the carpet.

GILL
Holy fucking shit.

ALONA
HOLLY.

BEGGAR
Jesus Christ.

Pause.

HOLLY
He was -- gonna kill you.

BEGGAR
I know, but --

ALONA
Goddamit, Holly.

Holly stares.
A strange smile
flickers across her face.

HOLLY
'Case dismissed.'