The House Of Mirth

Happy Tuesday, 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 10 of DAZED, BEAUTIFUL & BRUISED, homicide detective Carrie Love and her partner/ex-husband Bernie Keko search wannabe director Bruce Ball's basement soundstage and make a horrific discovery ...


EXT./INT. CARRIE’S PORCHE - DAY
A surf-guitar cop theme
percolates under the action.

The ‘61 coupe whizzes around
curves on Sunset Boulevard.

CARRIE
(on cell phone)
I’ve got a score to settle with him,
the little fucker.
I can’t wait to --

SPLIT SCREEN WITH:

EXT./INT. BERNIE’S LINCOLN SUV - CONTINUOUS

KEKO
(on cell phone)
What? Rough him up a little?
Punch out his lights?
Do the tough girl,
macho cop thing you do so well?

CARRIE
I seem to remember a time
you liked the tough girl,
macho cop thing.
Used to beg me for it.

KEKO
That was the problem, Carrie --
having to beg.

CARRIE
Well, you know what they say
about passion, bucko.
(beat)
Sometimes you feel like nuts --
sometimes you don’t.

CLOSE ON --
Carrie’s face.

She smiles mysteriously,
goes off somewhere.

Remembering --

EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS MANSION - DRIVEWAY - FLASHBACK - DAY
Carrie stands at her car.
Opens the door. Slides in.

LAURA (O.S.)
So you’re going to leave
without saying goodbye.

LAURA
stands in front of the house
at the top of the steps.

Mock-hurt.
Insinuating.
Hands on hips.

CARRIE
turns, looks. Gulp.

CARRIE
(heart beating wildly)
I was looking for you,
but you were -- you were --

Suddenly Laura’s right beside her.

LAURA
Working?

CARRIE
Uh -- yeah.

Laura leans into the car window.
Inches away.

LAURA
I’m going to Club Fuck tonight.
I’ll be with a date, but it’s a ruse.
(beat)
Doing anything tonight?

EXT. BALL’S PRODUCTION OFFICE - DRIVEWAY - DAY
Carrie and Bernie get out of their cars.
SLAM the doors.

CARRIE
And here we are.
The House of Mirth.

KEKO
It looks so -- suburban.

They walk to the door.
Carrie RINGS the doorbell.

KEKO
I wish we had a warrant.

CARRIE
(rings again)
Fuck the warrant.
We’re going in.

They look at the door.
No response.

CARRIE
(pushes the door open)
C’mon, maybe we can catch
the little shit in the act.

INT. BALL’S PRODUCTION OFFICE - BASEMENT STAIRS - CONTINUOUS
Twin flashlights sweep across the darkness.
Carrie and Bernie creep down the wooden steps.

CARRIE
Little perverts’ got
quite a setup goin’ on here.

KEKO
Think this guy saw
'Silence of the Lambs?'

CARRIE
Found it.

The lights SNAP ON.

KEKO
Holy fuck.

IN THE CORNER
is the dead MODEL,
still in her chair.
A bloody puppet.

A clapboard on her lap
reads 52 PICK-UP.
DELETED SCENE.

CARRIE (O.S.)
I think I’m gonna be sick.

KEKO (O.S.)
Fuck, there’s another one.

IN THE OPPOSITE CORNER
Dina dangles from a noose.
Dressed like a cheerleader.

Eyes closed forever.
And the poor baby wet her pants.

A clapboard on her waist reads
HEATHERS. BLOOPER REEL.

CARRIE’S
lips quiver. Livid.
About to explode.

CARRIE
Of all the twisted --
fucked up -- depraved --

KEKO
The killer’s one hell of a freak.

CARRIE
This goes way beyond that.
She thinks she’s creating -- art.

Carrie goes to the
gently swinging body.

KEKO
Don’t touch her.
She’s evidence.

But she does.
And flinches.

CARRIE
And still warm.

KEKO
Check her pulse.

Dina’s eyes SNAP open.

DINA
My pulse is fine.
But my neck is
fucking killing me --