Don't Shoot The Messenger

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 8 of LEGS, Episode Two, private eye Carrie Love and patrolwoman Megan Paul visit Israeli mobster Nuri Hadar with a message from his daughter Marnie, which doesn't go over well ...


EXT. NURI’S CONDO - FRONT ENTRANCE - DAY
Carrie and Megan stand at the door.

CARRIE
(presses the intercom)
Let me do the talking.

TAL (O.C.)
(electronic)
Hello?

CARRIE
Hi. My name is Carrie Love.
I’m a private investigator.
I’d like to speak to Nuri Hadar
about his daughter, Marnie.

TAL (O.C.)
Is family business.
Please go away.

CARRIE
I’m sorry,
but it’s my business, too.
Marnie just hired me.
She’s my client.

The door BUZZES.

INT. NURI’S CONDO - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Nuri sits in a big wing chair facing the couch,
where Carrie and Megan sit with cups of coffee.

Leron and Tal stand on either side of him.
You could cut the tension with a knife.

CARRIE
Beautiful place you’ve got here.
Love the Picasso print.

NURI
Is not print.

MEGAN
Great coffee. Ethiopian blend?

NURI
Enough with pleasantries.
What is your business?
Why did Marnie hire you?

CARRIE
First of all, I’d like you to know
that we’re not here to cause any trouble.
I’m just acting on her behalf.
You understand?

NURI
Of course.

CARRIE
And that what I’m
going to tell you might upset you --
and you need to know that
I’m just the messenger,
providing a service for my client.
I don’t have anything against you.
I wish you no harm.

Tal pulls out a HANDGUN.

LERON
Put that away, idiot.
She comes in peace.

He puts it back in his jacket.
Glowers.

NURI
I’m beginning to lose patience.

CARRIE
Marnie is very -- upset about
what happened to the producer she met with,
and she feels that what happened
might seriously affect her acting career --

NURI
And --

CARRIE
She’s afraid if it happens again,
no one will consider her
for any acting jobs --

NURI
AND --

CARRIE
She doesn’t want to
see you for awhile --
(gingerly)
And she’d like to be
emancipated from the family.
(quickly)
It’s not that she doesn’t love you --

Nuri’s eyes BUG OUT.
He LEAPS out of his chair.

GRABS an ashtray,
THROWS it against the wall, CRACK.

NURI
Tell me where she is.

CARRIE
I’m afraid I can’t do that.
Client confidentially.
I hope you understand.

NURI
Do you realize WHO I AM?
What I CAN DO to you?

CARRIE
We were hoping you’d be
reasonable about this.

NURI
I’ll give you one last chance.
Tell me where she is. NOW.

CARRIE
You know, you’re making this
more difficult than it needs to be --

NURI
TELL ME.

Leron and Tal WHIP OUT their guns.
CLICK the safeties.

CARRIE
Please, let’s talk about this.
Don’t do anything stupid.

Leron PISTOL-WHIPS Carrie.
She HITS the floor, THWUMP.

Tal PUNCHES Megan in the stomach.
She goes down, THWUMP.

Tal and Leron rifle through
the girls’ purses.
Check their ID’s.

LERON
She is private dick --

TAL
Other one is cop.

NURI
Put them in cold storage.
Then call Itzak.

LERON
'Itzak the Ice Pick?'
Isn’t that a little -- extreme?

NURI
Not to worry.
I just want to scare them.
(beat)
Not.

He BURSTS into MAD LAUGHTER.