Once More With Feeling

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 29 of BLUE HOTEL, as the cops start searching the hotel for Gill, wanted for the murder of his wife, and start banging on doors, Alona, Holly, Beggar and Gill hide in Alona's hotel room. While Beggar and Holly hide the dead bodies, Gill hides out on the fire escape ... and Alona decides to meet them head-on by asking what all the commotion is about ...


INT. HOTEL STARLIGHT - CORRIDOR - NIGHT
Danette and Bernie stand in front of Gill’s door.
Danette KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCKS.

DANETTE
(loud)
Gill Shelly, this is the police.
Open the door.
We need to talk to you.

They listen. No answer.

BERNIE
POLICE. OPEN THE DOOR, NOW.

Pause.

DANETTE
Kick it open?

BERNIE
Probably cause?

DANETTE
Got that fucking right.

Bernie steps back.
Then KICKS the door.

The old, shitty wood
CRACKS in half.
They CHARGE IN.

INT. ALONA’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Beggar stands at the door.
Watching through the keyhole.

BEGGAR
(loud whisper)
Jesus fucking Christ.
They just kicked down the door
next to Holly’s room.

Alona and Holly are
down on their hands and knees,
pushing Lief’s body under the bed.
Gill looks at Beggar. Freaking.

GILL
Shit. That’s MY room.
I gotta hide.

ALONA
Go out on the fire escape.
But be careful.
Make sure no one can see you.

GILL
Yeah, okay, good idea --

Gill walks over to the side window
overlooking the side alley.
Opens it. Slowly starts to climb out.

INT. GILL’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Bernie and Danette search the room.
Under the bed. In the bathroom. Nothing.

DANETTE
Goddammit.

BERNIE
Well, at least we know
where he’s staying.

DANETTE
Maybe he’s in Holly’s room.

INT. ALONA’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Beggar looks through the keyhole.

BEGGAR
Shit. Now they’re
knocking on Holly’s door.
They must know something.

HOLLY
Ohmigod, this is like a bad dream.

Alona goes to the bed.
Comforts Holly.

ALONA
Shhhh, it’s gonna be okay.

IN THE CORRIDOR
Bernie KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCKS
on Holly’s door.

BERNIE
Ms. Land, this is the police,
OPEN THE DOOR.

Silence.

DANETTE
HOLLY LAND, THIS IS THE POLICE.
OPEN THIS DOOR, RIGHT NOW.

BERNIE
(steps back)
Once more with feeling.

DANETTE
Wait a sec.

She puts her hand on the knob.
Opens the door.

DANETTE (CONT’D)
C’mon.

INT. ALONA’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - AT THAT MOMENT
Beggar watches through the keyhole.

BEGGAR
They went in. Shit.
(looks at Holly)
You don’t have anything
incriminating in there, do you?

HOLLY
Just my laptop --
and a bottle of vodka.

ALONA
They must know something.
First Gill’s room, then Holly’s.
We gotta hide.

BEGGAR
Where? We’re trapped in this room.

HOLLY
We could get in bed --
and pretend to be asleep.

ALONA
Wait, no -- I’ve got a better idea.
What if I meet them head-on?
Divert suspicion.

BEGGAR
But it’s four in the morning.
Where would you say you’re going?

ALONA
I heard the commotion,
and I wanted to know
what was going on.
I mean, it would be weird
if I WASN’T curious, right?

BEGGAR
Yeah, yeah. Great. Go for it.

PUSH IN ON Alona’s face.
Gathering her courage.

ALONA
Here goes nothing --