The Strong, Silent Type

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 24 of BLUE HOTEL, panic sets in when hipster hooker Alona Tal learns that the 'associates' of her drug dealer boyfriend Beggar Leck who were supposed to come and get rid of the dead body in her hotel room were killed trying to rob a dungeon earlier that evening ...


INT. ALONA’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Groovy space-dub from Thievery Corporation
softly thump-thumps on the boom box.

Alona sits on the window sill.
Lights a joint. Takes a big hit.
Holds it in. Exhales.

ALONA
(looks at the bed)
How you doing under there, Oscar?
Feeling a bit -- stiff?
(listens)
The strong, silent type, huh?

A light RAP-RAP-RAP on the door.

BEGGAR (O.C.)
Alona, it’s me.

ALONA
Come on in, it’s not locked.

The door OPENS.
In walks Beggar and Lief.

Beggar closes it.
Locks the door behind him.
Smiles sadly at Alona.

BEGGAR
Hey, babe.

ALONA
Hey.
(looks at Lief)
Hey, there. Uh --

LIEF
Lief.

ALONA
That’s right, River’s brother.

LIEF
Funny. I’ve NEVER heard that before.
(to Beggar)
So where’s the -- you know.

BEGGAR
Under the bed.

ALONA
Thank god you’re here.
I’ve been going fucking stir crazy.
Can you call your friend,
see if he can come sooner?

BEGGAR
Yeah. Good idea.
(pulls out his phone)
Can I get a hit of that?

Alona nods. Hands him the joint. He takes a big hit.
Passes it to Lief. Punches in a number. Listens.

INTERCUT WITH:

EXT. WAREHOUSE/FETISH CLUB - NIGHT
A few PATROL CARS are parked in front,
cherry lights FLASHING.

A CORONER’S OFFICE TECH wheels a body on a gurney
toward a waiting ambulance.

A SURLY HOMICIDE DETECTIVE (40’s) watches.
Lights up a smoke.

A phone RINGS in the body bag.
Coroner Tech stops. Looks.

SURLY HOMICIDE DICK
Let me answer it. It could be a lead.

RING-RING.

CORONER TECH
Sure thing, Dell.

Coroner Tech unzips the bag.
We see it’s Vlad’s. Dead and bloody.

Dell fishes around in his pockets,
pulls out the phone.
Puts it to his ear. Listens.

DELL
Who is this?

BEGGAR
Vlad? You’re not Vlad.

DELL
No, I’m not. Vlad’s dead. Who is THIS?

BEGGAR
Vlad’s DEAD? Who is THIS?

DELL
Homicide detective Dell Magid.
I’d like to ask you a few questions --

INT. ALONA’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Beggar SNAPS his phone shut.
Looks at Alona, wild-eyed.

BEGGAR
Holy SHIT.

ALONA
Vlad’s DEAD? What happened?

BEGGAR
I don’t know. It was a fucking COP.

LIEF
Who’s Vlad?

BEGGAR
He was supposed to come here
and help us with our --
(looks at the bed)
Problem.

ALONA
So what the fuck are we going to do NOW?

BEGGAR
Guess we’re gonna have to
take care of it ourselves.

A soft KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK on the door.

HOLLY (O.C.)
Alona, it’s me, Holly.

Beggar goes to the door. Opens it.
Holly comes in. Looks scared. Lost.
More than a little freaked out.

ALONA
Holly --

She races over to Alona.
Grabs her in a hug. Shaking.

ALONA (CONT’D)
Baby, what’s wrong?
(realizes)
Wait a minute, where’s Feo?

HOLLY
He’s DEAD.

BEGGAR
What THE FUCK?

ALONA
What happened?

HOLLY
(pulls away, wipes her eyes)
He ran away, and I-I chased after him,
but he got on a bike, and-and,
he was getting away, and I, I --
(beat)
Shot him.

BEGGAR
Jesus fucking Christ on a stick.

HOLLY
It’s okay. Nobody saw us.

ALONA
You sure?

HOLLY
Yeah.

BEGGAR
Did you at least get his money?

HOLLY
Yeah. Eighty bucks.

BEGGAR
Well, that’s just great.
We can go on that trip
we’ve been planning.
(beat)
You’re a psycho, you know that?
What’s the body count now? THREE PEOPLE?

ALONA
Leave her alone.
Yelling at her isn’t going to help.

LIEF
And I thought I had problems --

A sharp RAP-RAP-RAP on the door.

GILL
Alona, it’s me, Gill. Let me in.
I’ve been -- hurt.

BEGGAR
This is unbelievable.
What the fuck is this, Grand Central Station?

He goes to the door. Unlocks it. Gill stumbles in.
A filthy rag is tied around his foot. Oozing blood.

GILL
Alona --

ALONA
What happened to your foot?

Gill goes to the bed. Sits. Looks at the wound.

GILL
It’s -- oh my god.
(looks up)
Donna caught me with her purse.
Pulled a gun on me. We struggled for it.
She got me in the foot. We fought, and --
(beat)
I shot her.

ALONA
Is she -- dead?

GILL
Very.

BEGGAR
You killed someone TOO?

LIEF
You guys should start a club.
At least MY dead body was accidental.

BEGGAR
Shut up. I need to think --

Holly goes to the kitchenette.
Pours herself a cup of vodka.
Looks at Alona. She nods.

ALONA
Thanks.

GILL
Pour me one, too?

Holly nods. Looks at Beggar.

BEGGAR
Yeah.

LIEF
Me three.

She pours the drinks.
Brings them over.

Everyone takes one. They sip.
Look at each other nervously.

ALONA
We’re gonna have to do it ourselves.

BEGGAR
She’s right.
(beat)
Goddammit.

LIEF
Do what?

HOLLY
Dispose of the body.

GILL
Uh, count me out.
I’m just going to go back to my room and --

ALONA
Fuck that. You’re not going ANYWHERE.
We’re all in this together, GOT IT?

Pause.

GILL
Got it.

Everyone stares at each other.
Miserable. Freaked out.

Alona drains her cup.
Walks over to the kitchenette.

Pours another. Turns.
Looks at the room. Eyes blazing.

ALONA
Okay. We’re gonna need something
to cut Oscar up with.
A hack saw, butcher’s knife --
(sips her drink)
Anybody got any ideas?