Where's Mickey Spillane When You Need Him?

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Hump Day. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where your most violent fantasies become sins of the flesh, right here, where the hardboiled action is non-stop, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 13 of THE HEISTERS, we flash back to earlier in the story where Kelsey and the gang begin the heist ... and then flash forward to Kelsey paying a visit to the detective in charge of solving the case to get information on her dead boy toy's girlfriends. Can you say 'ballsy?'


EXT. STADIUM - NORTH GATE - NIGHT - FLASHBACK
Deserted at this hour.

A large, old black Mercedes sedan
idles at the curb.

The exhaust softly puffs out
a white cloud in the moonlight.

We see four DARK FIGURES
huddled inside.

KELSEY (V.O.)
There’s nothing like the feeling
you get at the start of a heist.
At first it’s like
butterflies in your stomach,
like you’re going onstage.
But once you get going,
it’s a pure adrenaline rush.
Better than drugs. Booze.
Gambling. Even sex --
(beat)
Well, almost.

INT. MERCEDES SEDAN - NIGHT - FLASHBACK
Ronan’s behind the wheel.

Kelsey rides shotgun in the passenger seat.
Chick and Ludo sit in the back.

They all wear stadium uniforms.
Everybody SNAPS on thin latex gloves.

KELSEY
(to Ronan)
Ready to rock and roll?

Kelsey’s wearing a long, blonde wig.
TONS of makeup that makes her look glitzy,
and a darker skin tone.

Tres exotic. NOT white.
With maximum cleavage
for maximum distraction.

RONAN
Solid, doll.
Let’s crack this sucker
like a walnut --
(smiles)
And let the heist begin.

Ronan’s skin is also
now darker with makeup.

A big, wide fake nose
and a close-cropped beard
complete his disguise.

CHICK
Where’s Mickey Spillane
when you need him?
(to Ludo)
It’s showtime, boychick.

LUDO
(to Kelsey and Ronan)
See you in the funny papers.

Chick and Ludo
slide on baseball caps.

Pull big scarves
up over their noses.

Open their doors.
Get out.

EXT. FOURTEENTH STREET - NIGHT
A leafy side street off Wilshire
on the north side of Santa Monica.

Safe, quiet, and not too expensive.
The beige seats.

Kelsey’s beat-up Toyota
pulls up to the curb.

KELSEY (V.O.)
I read in the newspaper
that homicide detective
Mart Volok was in charge of the case --
(beat)
I did a little research,
found the guy’s address --
and now it was time to play
‘spin the dick.’

The car door opens.
Kelsey gets out.

Walks up the sidewalk
to the front door.
She RINGS the bell.

KELSEY (V.O.)
I knew I had to play
my cards VERY carefully.
It’s usually not a good idea
to fuck with officers of the law.

The door OPENS.
A small HOUSEWIFE (40’s),
formerly cute, now a
faded wisp of suburban malaise,
stands there staring
at Kelsey with alarm.

Eyes blinking.
Mind whirring.

KELSEY
Sorry to bother you,
but I’d like to speak
to detective Volok.

MRS. VOLOK
I, uh -- I don’t think he’s --

KELSEY
Tell him it’s about
the Jackie Tempel case.

She stares at Kelsey balefully.
But it’s dinner-time.

Deer in the klieg lights.
She deflates. Sighs.

MRS. VOLOK
I’ll go get him.

The Real Housewife
of Santa Monica pads away.

KELSEY (V.O.)
I could smell the pot roast.
Talk about perfect timing.

MART VOLOK (45) appears in the door.
Tall and thin with a belly.

Casual in jeans and a sweatshirt.
But the eyes tell it all.

Razor-sharp.
Dark and menacing.
Appraising.

MART
You said you wanted
to talk about the Tempel case?
You have some information?

KELSEY
I might.

MART
Are you here to give yourself up?

KELSEY
You’re a funny guy.

MART
I have my moments.
(beat)
You’re the one
who found the body, right?

KELSEY
Maybe.

MART
And beat the shit
out of two of my officers?

KELSEY
Price of doing business.

MART
Come inside.

Ding Dong Bitch

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 12 of THE HEISTERS, Kelsey gets the gang together to figure out a plan to find out who stole the money from the heist. Since her boy toy was murdered in such a grisly way, she assumes it's a crime of passion, so all they have to do is interview the stud's girlfriends. Problem is, he had more than a few of them ...


INT. RONAN’S HOTEL ROOM - DAY
Blinds are drawn.

A heavy haze of smoke
hangs in the air.

And the smell of sweat.
Desperation. Anger.

Everyone’s seated on the couch,
the floor, and all available chairs.

Becky puts a bowl of chips
and dip on the coffee table.

If you didn’t know better,
you’d think it was a party.

KASPER
(glares at Jefty)
But I still say
how do we know it
wasn’t one of us?

RONAN
If YOU ripped off
a million bucks,
would YOU still
be in town?

JEFTY
(eyes Kasper)
I dunno.
If someone was doing a cross,
they would stick around.
A cover, you know --

KASPER
Fuck you.
I didn’t do it --

CHICK
(looks at Ludo)
Well, that WOULD
be the perfect cover.
Steal the dough,
then stay holed up
like the rest of us --

LUDO
(eyes Chick)
And maybe they
had some HELP --

Pause.

CHICK
(eyes Ronan)
But then on the other hand,
some of us were alone
the whole time --

RONAN
HEY.
I fucking PUT THIS JOB TOGETHER.
You think I’m going to
double cross all of you?

LUDO
(shrugs)
Happens all the time --

KELSEY
ENOUGH, all of you.
I had the fucking money,
I was gone for
TEN FUCKING MINUTES,
and nobody knew where
I was except RONAN,
who I called right after
the shit went down.
There’s NO WAY he could of
have done it --
(sighs)
If we’re going to
get the money back,
we’re going to have
to work together,
and not BICKER like a
bunch of fucking
school girls, GOT IT?
(off their stares)
Alright.
It’s settled --
(beat)
Now, like I told you,
Jackie Tempel was stabbed
through the neck with a
samurai sword he had
hanging over the bed.
That makes it a
crime of passion,
so we’re looking for
some chick he was seeing --
and dumped.
Or cheated on.

LUDO
And how are we
going to find HER?

Kelsey pulls out
the kid’s cell.

Holds it up.
Smiles.

KELSEY
I grabbed his phone.
And looking through all
the names on it,
we’ve got ourselves a
nice little list of chickies.

CHICK
So what’s the plan, then?

KELSEY
We’ve got five names --
(beat)
I want each of you
to check out one of them.
Tonight.

JEFTY
You want us to play
ding-dong bitch?
LUDO
(suspicious)
What are you going to do?

KELSEY
I’m going to pay a little visit
to the homicide detective
in charge of the case.
See if there are any
names we don’t know about.

RONAN
But won’t that be -- dangerous?

KELSEY
Not a problem.
(beat)
Danger is my business.

The Pause That Depresses

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Monday. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where your most violent fantasies become sins of the flesh, right here, where the hardboiled action is non-stop, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 11 of THE HEISTERS, we flash back to a much younger Kelsey, hot off a big score, in heat at a sleazy dive bar ...


INT. DIVE BAR - NIGHT - FLASHBACK
Dark. Grungy. Filled with BIKERS, BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS
and other assorted riffraff.

Ugly, nasty heavy metal BLARES
on the juke.

The kinda place your momma
warned you about.

A glass BREAKS
somewhere in the smoky haze.

Someone starts SHOUTING.
A fist-fight breaks out.

A chair is SMASHED.
Burly BOUNCER throws a pair of
BLOODIED REDNECKS out on the street.

Sitting at the bar is KELSEY (20),
looking hot in jeans, t-shirt,
black leather jacket and red lips.

She SLAMS down
a double shot of brown.
CRACKS it on the bar.

KELSEY
Hit me AGAIN.

She takes a chug from her beer.
SCARY BARTENDER (40’s)
brings over a bottle.

Pours another.
Tries to smile.
Not a pretty sight.

Kelsey pulls out a wad of bills.
SLAPS one down.

KELSEY
Might as well leave the bottle.

Scary picks up the bill.
It’s a C-note.
Raises his eyebrows.

KELSEY
Keep the change.

He nods.
Stuffs the bill in his pocket.
Slides away.

A PONYTAILED BIKER sitting next to her
gives her a gold-toothed grin.

A young Mickey Roarke
in cracked black leather.

PONYTAILED BIKER
Looks like someone’s celebratin.’

Kelsey turns. Looks.
Likes what she sees.

KELSEY
Got THAT fuckin’ right.

She pours them both a shot.
They raise them in a toast.

PONYTAILED BIKER
So what are we drinkin’ to?

Kelsey pulls at her jacket,
revealing a GUN in her waistband.

KELSEY
Armed ROBBERY.

PONYTAILED BIKER
(grins)
Works for me.

And they SLAM them.

INT. SHITTY MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Tiny. Sleazy.
‘Threadbare’ would a compliment.

Kelsey crouches on the bed, doggy-style,
gripping the headboard,
while Ponytailed fucks
the SHIT out of her.

INT. SHITTY MOTEL ROOM - DAY
Cold, grey light spills in through the blinds.

Ponytailed sits on the bed,
pulling on his jeans.

Kelsey sips a can of lukewarm beer.
Lies dreamily on the bed.

KELSEY

How about one more for the road?
PONYTAILED BIKER
Damn, woman.
You just don’t quit.
(looks at her)
Been three days now,
and we ain’t hardly left
the fuckin’ ROOM.

He grabs his boots.
Puts them on.
She lights a smoke.

KELSEY
Got an itch that
needs to be scratched.

PONYTAILED BIKER
They should call you Poison Ivy --

INT. SHITTY MOTEL ROOM - BATHROOM - NIGHT
Kelsey leans over the toilet. VOMITS.
Goes to the sink.

Splashes her face with water.
Looks in the mirror.

KELSEY
Fuck me --

INT. CONVENIENCE STORE - NIGHT
Kelsey stands at the counter.
Pays for her purchase.

The SHIT-KICKER CLERK (50’s)
smiles knowingly.
Hands her her change.

SHIT-KICKER CLERK
Know a doctor that can
take care of it for ya --

GRABS it.
Hurries toward the exit.

KELSEY
Fuck off, Billy Bob.

INT. SHITTY MOTEL ROOM - BATHROOM - NIGHT
Kelsey sits on the toilet.

Pulls out the home pregnancy test strip.
Looks at it. Exhales.

KELSEY
Shit.

INT. SHITTY MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Kelsey lies in bed. Smoking.
Sips a can of beer. Thinking.

KELSEY
(a whisper)
I’m gonna give you
all the things I never had.
Things are gonna be different for you --

The Usual Suspects

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Friday. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where your most violent fantasies become sins of the flesh, right here, where the hardboiled action is non-stop, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 10 of THE HEISTERS, we flash back to before the robbery, where Kelsey and the gang hole up in an abandoned warehouse and plan the job, but when the boys become curious about how she took up a life of crime, Kelsey tells them her story ...


EXT. DOWNTOWN WAREHOUSE DISTRICT - NIGHT - FLASHBACK
A giant abandoned brick warehouse
in the shitty part of East Los Angeles.

Barren. Desolate.
Not a soul to be seen.

Even the rats have split.

KELSEY (V.O.)
The dry run had gone well.
It was just as Ronan said it would be.
The job was starting to shape up nicely.

INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT - FLASHBACK
Kenny, DeLuca, Aber, Garza and Jones
sit around a crude table
built with planks on saw horses.

Kelsey sits at the head of the table.
Lights a cigarette. Thinking.
Watching them.

KELSEY (V.O.)
We had found the drivers
through Ronan’s connections.
We wanted new blood.
Guys who didn’t have that much
of a rap sheet, but who had good reps.
Solid. Reliable.
But not the usual wheelmen
the cops would round up
after the job was done.
And I wanted guys who could
jack clean vehicles in a hurry --

LUDO
I still don’t get
why we have to stay here.
The joint is filthy --
there’s all kinds of
cockroaches and rats and shit.
If it’s alright with you,
I’d like to stay somewhere else.

RONAN
It’s just for a couple of days
until we do the job.

LUDO
Yeah, but this place is --

KELSEY
(sharp)
If you want out,
now is the time to say so.
We’ll need to find a replacement.

Chick light a smoke.
Gives Ludo the fish-eye.

CHICK
Don’t be such a fucking pussy.
We got tents and sleeping bags.
Think of it like summer camp.

RONAN
You want to save your fucking restaurant
or what?

LUDO
Alright, alright --

KELSEY
Then it’s settled.
Enough kibitzing.
It’s time to talk transportation.
(beat)
We’re gonna need four vehicles --

KASPER
FOUR vehicles?

JEFTY
Yeah. How come?

KELSEY
First we need an ambulance.
And then a car small enough
to fit into it.

CHICK
That’s brilliant.

LUDO
And the other two vehicles?

KELSEY
We need a small truck,
and then another car
we can fit in it --

RONAN
Nice, huh?
We do the job with
the two smaller cars,
then hide them immediately
in the bigger vehicles.

JEFTY
Fucking cool.
I like it.

KASPER
Yeah.
It’s like outta some movie or some shit.

RONAN
Why do you think I brought her onboard?
She’s the master at this shit.

Kelsey nods.
A smile flies across her lips.
Then disappears.

KELSEY
But we’ve got our work
cut out for ourselves.
It’s Wednesday night,
and we have two days
to get our shit together.

JEFTY
(smiles)
Not a problem.
I can get BOTH cars tomorrow.

KELSEY
You know where to get some clean plates?

JEFTY
Does my man Tiger got wood?

KELSEY
(chuckles)
Too much information.
(to Kasper)
Can you get us the truck
and the ambulance?

KASPER
Does a crack whore shit in The Hood?

CHICK
We gotta couple more comedians.
Keep this up, and we can go on tour.

KELSEY
(to Kasper and Jefty)
If you can get the vehicles by tomorrow,
that would be great.
Be nice to have some extra time
to outfit the insides
and make adjustments.
I’ve learned the hard way
it’s best not to wait
until the last minute.
If you rush, the job turns to mush.

JEFTY
So how did you get in the business?
Hot dame like you --

RONAN
That’s none of your fucking business.
She’s just like us, a pro, on a job.
Leave the personal shit out of it, okay?

Kelsey jerks her head toward Ronan.
Narrows her eyes.

KELSEY
It’s okay.
I’m used to it --

She stands.
Starts walking around the table.

Looking at each of them.
Eyes on fire.

KELSEY
My parents jacked banks.
When I was eighteen,
they got killed on a job.
(shakes her head)
They tried to take out a downtown
Wells Fargo all by themselves.
(beat)
My grandfather took me under his wing.
(bitter smile)
As luck would have it,
he was the one of the
best heisters on the west coast.
Taught me everything I know.
I like to think it’s oddly poetic
that I continued the family business.
(beat)
But I don’t do banks. Ever.
(beat)
That shit will get you killed --

A Well-Oiled Machine

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 9 of THE HEISTERS, ringleader Ronan Kelly visits wheelman Jefty Jones and hired muscle Kaspar Garza at the sleazy motel they're holed up until the heat's off to tell them the bad news about the haul from the heist being stolen ...


EXT. THE MATADOR MOTEL - DAY
A seedy ‘sex motel’ on the outskirts of Santa Monica.
Beyond sleazy-looking.

The usual assortment of street trash
loiter outside.

A sign reads NO VACAN Y.
A cab pulls up and parks at the sidewalk.

INT. CAB - DAY
Ronan leans over the divider.
Shows the BORED CABBIE a fifty-dollar bill.

He RIPS it in two.
Hands him half.

RONAN
Wait for me and you get the rest.

BORED CABBIE
How long you gonna be?

RONAN
Five minutes, tops.

BORED CABBIE
(looks at the motel)
You’re FAST.

RONAN
It’s business, buster.

BORED CABBIE
Yeah, right.
And I’m Donald Trump --

INT. MATADOR MOTEL - SHITTY ROOM - DAY
A ridiculous ‘theme room’ made up to
look like a medieval castle cell.

But the ‘stones’ on the wallpaper
are peeling.

Two MEN sit on the bed watching TV.
A pizza box lays between them.

They both take swigs
from forties of malt liquor.

Take hits from a joint
they pass back and forth.

LARGE BLACK GUY
DAMN, that’s some serious SHIT.
Saturday Night Fever blew the
fucking nigger’s BRAINS out --

Meet JEFTY JONES (28),
massive muscle-for-hire.

Former gang-banger,
now working his way up the ladder.

Precision driver.
Chip on his shoulder
the size of a Escalade.

HISPANIC GUY
I can’t believe you never
seen this shit, homes --
(passes the joint)
Tarantino is THE MAN.
You ever seen JACKIE BROWN?

Meet KASPER GARZA (25),
former Mexican drug cartel runner.

Decided he liked LA better.
Bulky fireplug. Wannabe boxer.

But partied too much.
Could be Luis Guzman’s little brother.

JEFTY
(takes the joint)
I seen dat.
Pam Grier got BACK.

A soft knock-knock-knock at the door.
They both pull out GUNS.

Kasper hops off the bed.
Tip-toes up to the door.

Nods at Jefty, who’s got
his weapon aimed. He nods.

KASPER
Who’s there?

RONAN (O.C.)
The Good Humor man.
Open up.

KASPER
Ronan?

RONAN (O.C.)
Yeah.
Open the fucking door.

KASPER
How do I know it’s you?

RONAN (O.C.)
If you don’t open the door,
I’ll break it down and kick
your wetback ass all the way to TIJUANA.

KASPER
(to Jefty, smiles)
It’s him --

He unlocks the door.
Opens it.

Ronan comes in.
Surveys the scene.
Shakes his head.

RONAN
All that’s missing are the hookers --

JEFTY
They left last night.
Ain’t gonna pay ‘em for sleepin’ --

KASPER
So whassup?
You said some shit went down.

RONAN
The score got jacked.

JEFTY
What THE FUCK?

KASPER
I KNEW we shouldn’ta trusted
that fucking BITCH --

RONAN
Shut the fuck UP and let me TALK.
(off their silence)
Kelsey didn’t do it.
She went out for five minutes
to get supplies at the corner,
and when she got back her boy-toy
was harpooned to the bed,
and the cash was GONE.
She called me right away.

They stop.
Stare at each other.

KASPER
(to Jefty)
When you went out to get the beer,
you took A LONG TIME.
Over an hour --

JEFTY
I tol’ you, man.
I ran outta fucking GAS --
KASPER
But you were by yourself --

JEFTY
That’s because you DIDN’T WANNA COME.
How do we know YOU didn’t do it, HUH?
You were by yourself, TOO.

RONAN
Shut THE FUCK UP!

They WHIP their heads in his direction.
Glare at him.

RONAN
We’re not gonna get anywhere
yelling at each other
and pointing the finger.
(beat)
Kelsey and I think it was non-pro.
The boy-toy’s ex or some shit.
We’re all meeting up to
figure out how to find ‘em,
so pack up your shit and let’s go.
I’ve got a cab waiting outside.

They eye Ronan suspiciously.

JEFTY
(stares at Kasper)
But I thought we were
supposed to lay low --

KASPER
(glares at Jefty)
Yeah, till the heat was off --

RONAN
Suit yourself.
Stay here and party down.
But when we get the money
you’re on your own.

JEFTY
Shit, hold on.
I’m comin,’ I’m comin.’

KASPER
Yo, chill.
Let me get my shit.

They both race around the room.
Grabbing their bags,
stuffing their belongings in them.

RONAN
(shakes his head)
I love a well-oiled machine --

The Fucked Leading The Fucked

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Thursday. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where your most violent fantasies become sins of the flesh, right here, where the hardboiled action is non-stop, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 8 of THE HEISTERS, we flash back to Kelsey, Ronan, Ludo and Chick planning the robbery of the disaster relief rock concert ...


INT. MOTOR COURT CABIN - NIGHT - FLASHBACK
Ronan, Ludo and Chick
look at Kelsey expectantly.

She drains her beer.
Thinking.

KELSEY
It might work.
But I need to know
more about the setup.
The layout.
How many guards --

RONAN
Yeah, yeah --
I’m gettin’ to that.

He pulls out
a piece of graph paper.
Unfolds it.

Lays it down on the table.
Kelsey comes over. Looks.

RONAN
(points)
Okay.
There’s three box offices,
on the east, west and
north side of the stadium.
Every hour the money
gets picked up from each one
and gets brought over to
the south side where
the finance office
is on the second floor --

KELSEY
Who delivers it?

RONAN
Pair of armed guards.
They take it down a
corridor under the stands.
Be easy to hit,
but they only carry
a couple of grand each trip.
(off Kelsey’s nod)
In the finance office,
the cash is counted
and put into money boxes
that go to the bank.
They’ll be finished before
the concert is over
because they don’t want
the armored car to get
stuck in the traffic jam
that’ll happen when
everyone leaves.

KELSEY
When does it come?

RONAN
When they call for it.
And it doesn’t stay long.
Just long enough to pick up
the dough and split.
It’s flanked by two
local cop cars in front
and back all the way the bank.

KELSEY
What’s the setup
in the finance office?
How many guards?

RONAN
Four armed guards
and six employees.
You go in through
a locked door.
Knock first, and then
they check you out
through a peephole.

KELSEY
And it’s gonna be mostly
small bills, right?

CHICK
(nods)
We figure two big duffle bags
oughta handle it.

Kelsey nods.
Thinking.

KELSEY
Tell me again about the gate.

RONAN
There’s three of them.
They’re old, with
ornamental spikes that go
up almost to the top,
but there’s still room
for someone to climb over it.
They go over, and then
unlock it and let us in.

KELSEY
What if somebody sees us?

RONAN
Already thought of that.
The east gate is where the
photographers take pictures
of the losers who
wait in line all night,
and the west gate
is on the main drag --
but the north gate is
across the street from the park,
which will be empty when we go in.

CHICK
He’s got it covered --

KELSEY
Okay.
Then what?

RONAN
We go through three locks,
and then we’re
in the finance office.

KELSEY
Is there anything going on
there tonight?

RONAN
On a weeknight?
Nah --

KELSEY
Then let’s do a dry run.

LUDO
Tonight?
Right now?

CHICK
You got something better to do?

KELSEY
We need to make
impressions of the locks.
And I want to get
the feel of the place.
Sniff it out.

RONAN
Like a bloodhound, huh?

KELSEY
Nah.
More like a seeing eye dog.

LUDO
How do you figure?

CHICK
The fucked leading the fucked.

KELSEY
Bingo.

Cash & Carry

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 7 of THE HEISTERS, we flash forward back to the present, where Kelsey meets with fellow heisters Ludo and Chick to give them the bad news that the money from the robbery was stolen ...


EXT. THE INTERNATIONAL MOTEL - DAY
A piece of shit flea bag on the wrong end of Pico.

Flags from around the world
painted on white cinder block.

A real dump. You can practically
smell the urine on the page.

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR - MORNING
Kelsey walks down the hall.
Stops at a door.

Knock-knock-knocks softly.
Pauses. Then twice. Stops.

Then once again.
The door opens.
She goes in.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - MORNING
Shades drawn. Dark.
A smoky haze drifts in the room.

Pizza boxes and beer cans litter the joint.
Chick sits at a table playing solitaire.
Ludo motions Kelsey to come in.

LUDO
I don’t like it.
It’s too soon for us to see each other.
Something fucked up. I can smell it.

CHICK
(SNAPS down a card)
Don’t get your wife-beater in a twist.
Let’s hear what she has to say.
She wouldn’t have come over here
and risked everything
if it wasn’t important, right?

KELSEY
No shit.
(beat)
You gotta beer?

LUDO
We drank ‘em all.

CHICK
I got -- scotch?

Kelsey nods.
Chick gets up.

Goes to the mini-bar.
Pours two fingers in a glass.

Walks over to Kelsey.
Hands it to her.

KELSEY
Thanks.

She downs it.
Looks at the glass. Sighs.

LUDO
So?

Pause.

KELSEY
Somebody jacked the haul.

LUDO
What the FUCK?

KELSEY
I went out for --

LUDO
You went out?
You WENT OUT?
Where the FUCK did you GO?
Holy FUCKING SHIT.
What the fuck were you DOING?
How could you --

CHICK
(hisses)
HEY. Calm the FUCK down
and let her tell us
what the fuck HAPPENED.

LUDO
YOU calm the fuck down, ASSHOLE.
The money’s GONE.

Kelsey sighs.
Goes to the bar.

Freshens her drink.
Sips it.

CHICK
But maybe we can fucking GET IT BACK
if you let her TELL US WHAT HAPPENED.
(pulls out his gun)
So shut the FUCK up and stop acting like
your version of what you think
a tough guy is supposed to ACT like.

LUDO
What the fuck is THAT supposed to mean?

CHICK
It means you’re not acting like a PROFESSIONAL.
It’s hotheads like you that’ll get us killed,
in jail, broke -- or a combination of all three.

Tears form in Ludo’s eyes.
He takes a step back.

PLOPS onto the couch.
Head in his hands.

LUDO
If I don’t get the money --
the bank’ll take the RESTAURANT.

CHICK
(looks at Kelsey)
Tony Soprano he’s not.
(beat)
So tell us what happened.

KELSEY
I was holed up with this kid in bed
for two days since the job.
I went out for ten minutes
to get smokes and beer,
and I come back and he’s
harpooned to the bed
with a sword and the money’s gone.
(takes a sip)
That’s about it.

LUDO
SHIT.

CHICK
Fuck --
(beat)
Did the kid know about the job?

KELSEY
Nah.
Low-level runner for Jimmy Two-Fingers.
NOT a player --

LUDO
Maybe Garza and Jones --

CHICK
Are you fucking KIDDING ME?
They’re fucking DRIVERS.
Their combined IQ is the TEMPERATURE.
Smells like a spurned lover,
that kind of thing.
(thinks)
On the other hand, maybe -- Ronan?

KELSEY
No way.
He set up the job.
I’ve known him a long time.
I’ll vouch for him.

CHICK
(not sold)
If you say so --

LUDO
(stares at Chick)
Hey, wait a minute.
You went out tonight.
(to Kelsey)
Maybe HE did it --

CHICK
I was at the movies.
You really think an old man like me
is gonna HARPOON someone with a SWORD?
And look at me, how am I
gonna carry two giant duffle bags
that weigh a fucking ton?

LUDO
I dunno.
You had some HELP?

CHICK
You’re barking up the wrong tree,
you fucking GOOMBAH --
(realizes)
What about while I was gone, HUH?
You’ve got the motive,
that fucking RESTAURANT.
Maybe YOU did it --

LUDO
Fuck you, you fucking Jew-bastard FUCK --

KELSEY
STOP IT, BOTH of you --
(off their silence)
Ronan and I think it’s an outsider.
If it was one of us,
we would’ve just taken the haul --
we wouldn’t have killed the kid.
That would be stupid.
It would bring down too much heat.
(beat)
We think we should regroup
and find who did it, together.

LUDO
You mean out in the open?

CHICK
You gotta better idea?

LUDO
But the cop’s will be --

CHICK
Do you want to get the fucking
MONEY BACK or NOT?

Ludo sighs.
Glares at Chick.

KELSEY
Then it’s settled.
Pack up your shit and let’s get going.

CHICK
(stares at Ludo)
Where we going?

KELSEY
Venice Motor Hotel,
right at the beach.
Ronan’s got a suite.

LUDO
Great.
I’ll be sure to pack my bathing suit --