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Bound (1996)

by Larry and Andy Wachowski.
Draft script.

More info about this movie on IMDb.com


FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY


FADE IN:

Inside a closet.

It is a large closet with double doors, a crisp line of light
cutting down through the center of the darkness.

As we begin to descend, voices echo in our head.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	I had this image of you, inside of
	me, like a part of me.

We move past a shelf filled with hatboxes and handbags.  It
is a woman's closet.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	You planned this whole thing, didn't
	you?

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	Where's the fucking money?

We glide over the tightly packed hangers, close enough to
feel the different fabrics and descend past the dresses to
the racks of high heels.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	We make our own choices, we pay our
	own prices.

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	All part of the business.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	All part of the business.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	What choice?

We slide along the delicate taper of a stiletto heel and
reach the bottom of the closet, where we find a pair of black
Dr. Martens boots that are tied together with a white rope.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	I want out.

We move up the boots and we see it is a woman who is bound,
lying motionless on the floor of the closet, the rope coiling
tightly around her wrists.

The crack at the bottom of the door lights her face.  She is
gagged and unconscious, a trickle of blood running down her
forehead.  Her name is CORKY.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	Like a part of me.

						CUT TO:

INT.  ELEVATOR - DAY

Leaning against the back of the elevator is Corky, a very
butch-looking woman with short hair and a black leather
jacket.  She is a lesbian and wants people to know it.

As the doors begin to slide shut, a woman yells.

		WOMAN
	Wait!  Hold the elevator.

Corky pushes the "open" button.  A couple steps into the
elevator.  His name is CAESAR, a middle-aged Italian, wearing
an expensive suit and sunglasses.

She is VIOLET; a piece of sexual candy that would melt in
your mouth.

She hears it again, a guttural sound.

		CORKY
	Thanks again for this opportunity,
	Mr. Bianchinni.  Goodbye.

She hangs up the phone and walks toward the wall.

As she gets closer, we hear a bed rocking, tapping against
the wall.

The man's breathing grows more and more labored until finally
it swells --

				 DISSOLVING INTO:

INT.  BATHROOM - MORNING

The whining motor of a high-powered drain-rod.

The spiral cable whips wildly, spiraling deeper into the tub
drain, black goo splattering everywhere.

The machine is so loud Corky almost cannot hear someone
pounding on the apartment door.

Killing the motor, she stands and goes to the door.

Behind the door is Violet, wearing jeans, a white T-shirt
and cowboy boots.

		VIOLET
	Hi.  My name is Violet.  We sort of
	met in the elevator --

		CORKY
	Yeah, sure.  I'm Corky.

		VIOLET
	I heard you working in here and I
	just wondered if you'd like a cup of
	coffee?

She is holding two cups of coffee: one black, one with cream.

		CORKY
	Sure.  Come on in.  Give me a minute.

Violet steps inside as Corky goes back to the bathroom to
wash off the drain dreck.

		VIOLET
	What happened to Rajeev?

Corky calls from the bathroom, scrubbing her hands vigorously.

		CORKY
	Who?

		VIOLET
	Rajeev, the man who usually works on
	the building.

		CORKY
	Oh, he went home to India, but as
	far as I know he'll be back.

She wipes her hands on her overalls, returning to the main
room.

		VIOLET
	So this is temporary for you?

		CORKY
	Pretty much.  One day at a time.

Violet hands her the cup of black coffee.

		VIOLET
	I guessed you were straight black.

		CORKY
	Good guess.

They both sip from the piping hot mugs.

		CORKY
	Mmmm ...  thanks, I needed this.

		VIOLET
	My pleasure ...  but to be honest, I
	did have a slightly ulterior motive
	here.  I was wondering if I could
	ask a small favor?

		CORKY
	A favor?

		VIOLET
	Yeah, see, I'm kind of a night person,
	so I was wondering if it wasn't a
	terrible inconvenience if you could
	wait a bit before using power tools.

		CORKY
	Oh, I'm sorry --

		VIOLET
	No, it isn't your fault.  The walls
	here are just so thin.

		CORKY
	Are they really?

		VIOLET
	Yes, it really causes problems.
	Sometimes it's like you're in the
	same room.  But if it's too much
	trouble, I understand ...

		CORKY
	No, no trouble.  There's other work
	to do.

		VIOLET
	You're doing everything yourself?

		CORKY
	Yeah.

		VIOLET
	That is so amazing.  I'm in awe of
	people who can fix things.  My dad
	was like that.  We never had anything
	new.  Whenever something broke he
	would open it up, tinker with it and
	it would work.  His hands were magic.

She looks at Corky's hands cupped around the mug.

		VIOLET
	Yeah ...  I bet your car is twenty
	years old.

Corky smiles.

		CORKY
	Truck.

		VIOLET
	Truck.  Of course.

		CORKY
	'63 Chevy.

		VIOLET
	I knew it.

VIOLET SIPS

		VIOLET
	So, how do you know the owner, Mr.
	Bianchinni?

		CORKY
	I don't, really.  I was referred to
	him.

		VIOLET
	Oh, really.

Corky suddenly feels she has revealed something.

		CORKY
	Do you know him?

		VIOLET
	No, but Caesar does.  He likes him.
	Says he's a good Italian.

		CORKY
	Caesar is your husband?

		VIOLET
	Oh no, no.  I'm not the marrying
	kind.

Smiling, she says nothing else.

		VIOLET
	I should be going.  You can drop the
	cup off anytime.

		CORKY
	Thanks.

		VIOLET
	My pleasure.

CORKY watches her leave.

EXT.  THE WATERING HOLE - NIGHT

A dirty bar hidden away on a dark street, its cracked, moon-
white sign the only evidence it exists.

Corky's truck swings into a space in front of a couple of
large motorcycles.  She flips her collar and heads for the
door.

INT.  THE WATERING HOLE - NIGHT

The smell of leather and cigarette smoke fills Corky's nose
as she crosses to the bar.

		BARTENDER
	Well, well ...

Corky sits as the fat bartender waddles over.

		BARTENDER
	Been awhile, Cork.

		CORKY
	Five years, two months, sixteen days.
	How you doing, Sue?

Corky puts a cigarette in her mouth and lights it.

		SUE
	Like shit.  Now that we're all caught
	up, how about a drink?

Sue opens the refrigerator and pulls out two Old Styles.

		CORKY
	Thanks.

They click the bottles together and drink.

		SUE
	You got a job yet?

		CORKY
	Yeah.  Some plumbing, painting and
	shit.

Sue laughs.

		SUE
	I mean a J-O-B.  A real job.

		CORKY
	Not for me, Sue.  I'm straight and
	narrow.  I'm just here to get laid
	or drunk and hopefully both.

Corky gets off the stool.

		CORKY
	Thanks for the beer.

Looking around, she sees a woman alone at one of the back
tables.  Through the smoky din, she bears a slight resemblance
to Violet.

The woman is dressed all in black, including a leather jacket.

Smiling, Corky slides into the chair beside her.  There is
no one smoother.

		CORKY
	Hi.

		WOMAN
	Hello.

		CORKY
	You know ...  that outfit would look
	great on my bedroom floor.

The woman smiles just as someone taps Corky on the shoulder.

She turns and is face-to-face with a large bull of a woman
in a heavy leather Chicago Police jacket.  She is more wide
than fat.

		WOMAN COP
	Hey, Jesse.  What's happening here?

		CORKY
	Nothing ...  yet.

		WOMAN COP
	Who's this?

Her coat opens as she puts her hands on her hips.  A service
revolver is clipped to her belt.

She squints at Corky, her head nodding in recognition.

		WOMAN COP
	Wait, I know you.

		CORKY
	I don't think so.

		WOMAN COP
	I didn't know you were out.

Corky smiles at the woman in black.

		CORKY
	When you get tired of Cagney and
	Lacey, come find me.

She heads for the exit.

EXT.  CITY STREET - NIGHT

The neighborhood would be politely described as "rough."
Corky's truck does not stand out parked alone on the littered
street.

INT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

It is a hole but it is home.

Corky is lying on her futon staring up at the ceiling, a
beer resting on her stomach; a folk singer quietly croons
from the radio.

We see the ceiling, a circle of light hovering over the small
desk lamp.  We move in on the spot, which slowly fills up
the screen until there is nothing but the white light.

Suddenly a wet paint roller loaded with white paint cuts a
swath across the ceiling.

MATCH CUT TO:

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - DAY

Corky is painting the ceiling.  The folk ballad has become
an angry Riot Grrrl anthem.

She is working hard, the roller sucking back and forth.
Sweat covers her face.

Dropping the roller down, she reloads it in the tray when
the phone rings.  She stops and answers it.

		CORKY
	Hello?  Oh, hi, Mr. Bianchinni ...
	yes, everything is going fine.  I
	got the tub drain all cleaned out.

She listens for a moment.

		CORKY
	What apartment?

She glances at the main wall.

		CORKY
	All right, all right, I guess I could
	take a look.  Yeah, you're welcome,
	goodbye.

She hangs up and looks again at the wall, feeling...  curious.

INT.  HALL - NIGHT

Corky knocks and after a moment Violet opens the door.  She
seems surprised.

		VIOLET
	Oh no.  Shit.  I didn't know he would
	call you.  God, you must think |I'm
	a total nuisance.

		CORKY
	Not exactly.

		VIOLET
	I'm sorry, I usually would call
	Rajeev, but I didn't know what to do
	so I called Mr. Bianchinni.

		CORKY
	He said you lost something.

		VIOLET
	Yeah, come on in.

She steps back and Corky walks inside.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Violet leads her through the apartment.  It is expensively
furnished with very masculine tastes; a lot of gray and black
leather.

		VIOLET
	I was doing some dishes and just as
	I pulled the stopper my earring fell
	in.

Corky looks at her blankly.

		VIOLET
	It's one of my favorites.  That's
	why I got upset.  I know it probably
	seems ridiculous to you.

An eyebrow goes up.

		VIOLET
	I'm sorry, look, forget it.  I
	shouldn't have called...

		CORKY
	I told Bianchinni I would take a
	look.  Is it that sink?

Violet nods.

She opens the sink cabinet and pulls out a pair of channel
locks from her back pocket.  The teeth of the channel locks
open and bite onto the pressure nut.

		CORKY
	Do you have a pot or a bucket?

		VIOLET
	Sure.

She hands one down to her.  Corky slides it under the curved
pipe.

As she works, Corky feels herself staring at Violet, at the
hem of her dress curving tightly around her thighs.

Water begins to trickle into the pan.

The nut slides loose and Corky tips the trap.  Water splashes
into the pan with a soft metal "tink."

		VIOLET
	Did you find it?

Corky fishes into gray water and pulls out the earring.

Violet screams, a huge smile on her face, half-falling as
she tries to hug Corky.

		VIOLET
	I can't believe it!  You did it!

Corky leans back under and replaces the trap.

		VIOLET
	Thank you so much.  You have to let
	me pay you something --

		CORKY
	No.  Mr. Bianchinni asked me to do
	it.  I did it.

Corky checks the drain by running the water.

		VIOLET
	If you won't take money, how about a
	drink?  It's getting late.  You can't
	work all night.

Corky eyes her for a moment.

		CORKY
	Okay, one drink.

		VIOLET
	What do you want?

		CORKY
	A beer?

		VIOLET
	A beer.  Of course.

She smiles and turns to the bar.

		VIOLET
	Sit down.

Corky sits on the black leather couch and Violet returns
with two bottles of Heineken.  Corky sneers.

		VIOLET
	Thanks again.

They clink the bottles and swig.

		VIOLET
	You seem uncomfortable.  Do I make
	you nervous, Corky?

		CORKY
	No.

She looks at Violet, then takes another long pull on the
bottle.

		VIOLET
	Thirsty, maybe.

Violet smiles, her eyes again talking for her.

		CORKY
	Curious, maybe.

		VIOLET
	Curious?  That's funny, I'm feeling
	a bit curious myself right now.

Violet notices the tattoo on Corky's arm.

		VIOLET
	That's a great tattoo.

She reaches over and touches it.

		VIOLET
	Beautiful labrys.

Corky is a bit suprised that she knows what it is.  She nods,
rubbing it as if trying to hide it.

		VIOLET
	Are you surprised that I know what
	it is?

		CORKY
	Maybe.

		VIOLET
	I have a tattoo, would you like to
	see it?

She moves closer, sliding over the leather cushions as she
opens the front of her dress.

		VIOLET
	A woman in upstate New York did it
	for me.

She is not wearing a bra.

		VIOLET
	Here.  Do you like it?

Set against the soft white skin of her breast is a bright
green-stemmed violet.

		VIOLET
	It took her all day to do it.  She
	promised me it wouldn't hurt, but it
	was sore for a long time after.  I
	couldn't even touch it.

Corky looks up from Violet's breast to her dark eyes.

		VIOLET
	But now I love the way it feels.

She runs her fingers softly over the slightly scarred skin.

		VIOLET
	Here, touch it.

Corky feels the blood pounding in her ears as Violet takes
her hand and places it on her breast.

		CORKY
	What are you doing?

Violet looks at her.

		VIOLET
	Isn't it obvious?  I'm trying to
	seduce you.

		CORKY
	Why?

		VIOLET
	Because I want to.  I've wanted to
	since I first saw you in the elevator.

Corky watches her, trying to figure her out even as her thumb
presses into Violet's nipple.

Inhaling sharply, Violet closes her eyes; she can feel Corky
staring at her.

		VIOLET
	You don't believe me.  But I can
	prove it to you.

She takes Corky's wrist and begins pulling her hand down her
body.

		VIOLET
	You can't believe me because of what
	you see ...

She forces Corky's hand between her legs, up under her dress.

		VIOLET
	But you can believe what you feel.

Violet opens her eyes, a wanton smile on her lips.

		VIOLET
	You see ...  I've been thinking about
	you all day.

Corky's forearm flexes and Violet moans.

With both hands, Violet takes hold of Corky's forearm.

		CORKY
	You planned this whole thing?

Violet's head swims; she is unable to breathe.

		CORKY
	You dropped that earring down the
	drain on purpose, didn't you?

		VIOLET
	If I say yes, will you take your
	hand away?

		CORKY
	No.

		VIOLET
	...  yes.

Now it is Corky who smiles.

Violet shivers, her thighs rubbing, her hips thrusting against
Corky's hand.

		VIOLET
	Please, Corky ...  please ...

Her eyes barely open.

		VIOLET
	...  kiss me.

In a single motion, Corky takes hold of the back of her neck
and covers Violet's open mouth with her own.

With her hand still stuffed between Violet's legs, Corky
lays her back onto the couch as the kiss becomes more --

More desperate, more hungry until --

We hear the front door unlock and open.

		CAESAR
	Violet?

Violet's eyes pop open and she pushes Corky back.

		CAESAR
	Violet, you home?

They scramble to compose themselves.

		VIOLET
	Yeah.  In here, C.

He comes around the corner and in the dim light sees the two
figures sitting close on the couch.

		CAESAR
	What's this?

He mistakes Corky for a man.

		CAESAR
	What the fuck is this?

Violet stands as Caesar barrels toward the couch.

		VIOLET
	I didn't expect --

		CAESAR
	What the fuck is going on?

Corky stands and turns, Caesar suddenly realizing that she
is a woman.

		CAESAR
	Oh, shit ...

		VIOLET
	Caesar, this is Corky.  Corky, Caesar.

		CAESAR
	I'm sorry, Christ, I thought ...
	it's fucking dark in here.

He reaches to the wall for the lights.

		VIOLET
	She is working for Bianchinni.

Caesar extends his hand.

		CAESAR
	Oh, right, right.  Don mentioned
	that to me.  Hi, welcome to the
	family.

Corky shakes his hand.

		CAESAR
	You're helping Rajeev?

		CORKY
	No.  Rajeev's in India.

		VIOLET
	She's doing the work herself.

		CAESAR
	No shit.  Bianchinni hired you?  You
	know he's a good friend of mine.
	|Family, really.

		CORKY
	That's what Violet said.

He looks at her as if he knows something.

		CAESAR
	So, you just got out?

		VIOLET
	Jesus, Caesar!

		CAESAR
	What?  It ain't no big fuckin' deal.
	I know who Don hires.  Did you know
	he did time himself?

Corky shakes her head.

		CAESAR
	Thirteen fucking years.  See, there
	ain't no secrets here.

Corky doesn't like this man.

		CAESAR
	How many'd you do?

		CORKY
	Five.

He whistles.

		CAESAR
	Not bad.  What for?

		VIOLET
	That's none of your goddamn business,
	Caesar.

		CAESAR
	You're right.  You don't have to
	tell me, if you don't want to.  I
	just hope you understand you're among
	good people here.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a thick fold of
money and peels several hundreds.  Corky stares at it.

		CAESAR
	Come on, come on.  if you understand
	what I'm talking about you're going
	to take the money.  if you don't,
	I'm going to have to worry about
	you.

Corky takes it.  Caesar smiles.

		CAESAR
	Good.  I hate to worry.  I got ulcers.

		CORKY
	I should be going.

		CAESAR
	What?  How about a drink?

		CORKY
	My brushes, I have to clean my
	brushes.  Thanks, though.

		CAESAR
	Another time.

		CORKY
	Sure.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Close on the paintbrush, Corky's fingers pushing through and
separating the black bristles under the running water.

When the brush is clean, she flicks it dry and resets the
edge.

She goes to the sink to wash her hands when she stops,
noticing her left hand.

It is the hand that was between Violet's legs.

She is about to smell her finger when she sees herself in
the mirror.

		CORKY
	What are you doing?

She drops her hand.

		CORKY
	What am I doing?  I'm fucking up,
	that's what I'm doing.

She scrubs her hands clean.

EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT

It is late, the area burnished with amber street light.
Corky walks from the building to her truck.

She climbs inside and slides the key into the ignition, when
suddenly the passenger door opens and --

Violet gets in.  Stunned, Corky stares at her.

		VIOLET
	I had to see you.

		CORKY
	Look, I don't think this is a good
	idea.

		VIOLET
	I wanted to apologize.

		CORKY
	Don't apologize, please.  I can't
	stand women who apologize for wanting
	sex.

Violet smiles.

		VIOLET
	I'm not apologizing for what I did --

She slides across the seat.

		VIOLET
	I'm apologizing for what I didn't
	do.

She kisses Corky, and if Corky is trying to resist, we can't
tell.

The windshield is beginning to steam when Violet, panting,
breaks the kiss.

		VIOLET
	Do you have a bed somewhere?

Unable to speak, Corky reaches over and starts the engine.

INT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The sex.

There is nothing flower-scented or out-of-focus about it.

It is sweaty, slippery, body-grinding, bed-squeaking lesbian
sex --

Pungent and potent --

And when it is over, neither woman can move.

Finally, Corky's eyes flutter open.

		CORKY
	I can see again.

Violet smiles.

Slowly, Corky gets up and goes to the fridge.  She grabs a
beer and presses it to her sweating forebead.

After a moment, she lowers it, gently pressing the cold can
elsewhere.  Eyes closed, she lets out a long "Ahh."

Violet hears the sizzle-pop of the beer as Corky returns to
the bed.

She holds the beer to Violet's lips and tilts the can,
watching Violet's throat as she drinks.

Violet's eyes open.

		VIOLET
	...  I needed that.

		CORKY
	Tell me about it.

Corky hands her the beer as Violet sits up a bit.

		CORKY
	Caesar's Mafia, isn't he?

		VIOLET
	You have to ask?

		CORKY
	No.

		VIOLET
	Funny, nobody calls it that anymore.
	Caesar calls it "The |Business."

		CORKY
	How did you meet him?

		VIOLET
	They took over a club I was working
	at.  Caesar started managing it.

		CORKY
	He's a launderer?

		VIOLET
	Basically.

		CORKY
	How long have you been with him?

		VIOLET
	Almost five years.

		CORKY
	Five years is a long time.

		VIOLET
	Yes, it is.

Corky stares at her beer.  She knows what Violet is thinking.

		CORKY
	The redistribution of wealth.

		VIOLET
	What?

		CORKY
	Isn't that what you wanted to know?
	What I did time for?

		VIOLET
	The redistribution of wealth?

		CORKY
	That's what I tell someone when I'm
	trying to get them in my bed.

		VIOLET
	I'm already in your bed.

		CORKY
	My cellmate would say she did her
	time for getting caught.  She was
	always more honest than me.

Corky sips her beer.

		CORKY
	I started stealing when I was little.
	We were piss-poor, which is not an
	excuse, just a fact.

It isn't like her to talk about this, especially with someone
she just met.

		CORKY
	The first time I remember so vividly.
	A bunch of us kids were at Waxman's
	Drugstore, when Mr. Waxman, who was
	a mean old prick, always worrying
	about us robbing him, dropped a roll
	of quarters.

We can almost hear the coins tinkling on the tile floor.

		CORKY
	I can still hear that sound, those
	quarters, because right then something
	clicked inside of me.  Some instinct
	took over and as everyone, including
	Waxman, dove down, I reached up and
	emptied the cash register.

Violet smiles.  She likes this woman.

		CORKY
	I gave most of the money to my mom.
	I told her I found it at the
	trainyard.  She was so happy she
	cried, calling me her lucky charm.
	Fifteen years later, I guess my luck
	ran out.

Sbe swallows that with beer.

		CORKY
	Sometimes I tell myself that I didn't
	have a choice, that stealing was
	surviving.  Usually I can admit that's
	bullshit.  I did it because it was a
	way out.  It was easy and I was good
	at it, real good.

She glances at Violet.

		CORKY
	I don't usually talk this much.  I
	guess I have been rehabilitated.

Violet laughs.

		VIOLET
	You didn't have to tell me if you
	didn't want to.

		CORKY
	I guess I wanted to.

		VIOLET
	I'm glad you did.

		CORKY
	So am I.

EXT. PARKING LOT DAY

Corky gets out of her truck carrying her tools.  Grinning
like someone who has been well-laid, she whistles off to
work.

EXT. LOBBY - DAY

Between the main doors she sees a man.  His name is SHELLY
and he is an overdressed accountant.

He is very nervous, talking to someone through the intercom.

		SHELLY
	I know he's gone.  Please.  I have
	to talk to you.

Fiddling with her keys, Corky recognizes the voice that
answers him.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	What do you want, Shelly?

Shelly glances over his shoulder at Corky, answering in a
hushed voice.

SHELLY

I have to leave.  Tonight.

For a moment the intercom is silent.  Then the door buzzes
and Shelly pushes inside.  Corky follows him to the elevator.

INT.  ELEVATOR - DAY

Corky glares at Shelly and begins pumping the trigger of her
circular saw.

Shelly hides behind his sunglasses, watching the elevator
numbers go up.  The doors open and he scurries out.

INT.  HALL - DAY

She watches him enter Caesar's apartment, her smile now
completely gone.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - DAY

It is later.  Through the wall we listen to the same sound
as before of two people making love.  We drop down and find
Corky's brush, still wet with paint, abandoned in her tray.

INT.  BEDROOM - DAY

Her face glistening with sweat, Violet climaxes, letting the
orgasm spread through her like melting butter.

		VIOLET
	I had this image of you, inside of
	me ...

She flattens her palms against the soft cradle of her pelvis.

		VIOLET
	Like a part of me ...

As she opens her eyes, we see that her lover is Corky.  Violet
watches as she gets off the bed and begins to get dressed.

		VIOLET
	You are so beautiful.

Corky does not answer as she yanks her pants on.  Violet
sits up.  She can feel that something is wrong.

		VIOLET
	What's wrong?

		CORKY
	Nothing.

Violet pulls the sheet around her.

		VIOLET
	Yes there is.  I felt it this morning
	when I brought you the coffee.

		CORKY
	Shit, here we go.

		VIOLET
	You didn't want to see me, did you?

		CORKY
	If there is one thing I can't stand
	about sleeping with women, it's all
	the fucking mind reading.

		VIOLET
	What are you afraid of?

		CORKY
	I'm not afraid of anything.

		VIOLET
	I don't understand - ?

		CORKY
	I know!  You can't understand, because
	we're different, Violet.  We're
	different.

		VIOLET
	We're not that different, Corky.

		CORKY
	How can you sit in that bed and say
	that?

		VIOLET
	Because it's the truth.

		CORKY
	Let me guess.  This is where you
	tell me that what matters is on the
	inside.  That inside you, there is a
	little dyke just like me?

		VIOLET
	Oh no, she's nothing like you.  She's
	a lot smarter than you.

		CORKY
	Is that what her daddy tells her?

		VIOLET
	I know what I am.  I don't need to
	have it tattooed on my shoulder.

		CORKY
	What are you saying?  That you don't
	have sex with men?

		VIOLET
	I don't.

		CORKY
	For Christ's sake, Violet!  I heard
	you!  Thin walls, remember?

		VIOLET
	What you heard wasn't sex.

		CORKY
	What the fuck was it?

		VIOLET
	All my life, everyone has been telling
	me that when I have sex, I'm not
	really having sex.  Not real sex.
	But they're wrong.  I know what is
	and isn't sex and what you heard was
	definitely not sex.

		CORKY
	What was it then?

		VIOLET
	Work.

That knocks Corky back.

		VIOLET
	You made certain choices in your
	life that you paid for.  You said
	you made them because you were good
	at something and it was easy.  Do
	you think you're the only one that's
	good at something?

Violet stare pins Corky to the wall.

		VIOLET
	We make our own choices and we pay
	our own prices.  I think we're more
	alike than you want to admit.

		CORKY
	What about that guy this morning?

		VIOLET
	You mean Shelly?

		CORKY
	Don't tell me, you're a workaholic.

		VIOLET
	No.  Shelly knows what I am.  He saw
	me in a bar with another woman.

		CORKY
	I suppose he just wants to watch.

That's all Violet can take.

		VIOLET
	Fuck it!  I think you better leave.

		CORKY
	I think so, too.

Violet turns away.

		VIOLET
	Try not to steal anything on the way
	out.

That stings but Corky walks out without looking back.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

It is dark now.  Corky is standing above the paint tray that
has skinned over.  She picks up the brush.  It is dry with
paint.

		CORKY
	Shit.

She throws the brush across the room.

EXT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY

A green-and-white street sign juts in the foreground of
Caesar's upscale apartment building.

The sign reads: "FRANKLIN STREET."

EXT.  PARKING LOT - DAY

The rusty Chevy glides to a stop in a parking space near the
service entrance.  In its payload is a boxed bathroom vanity
and sink.

Corky climbs out of the cab and into the back, unhooking the
bungee cords that hold down the boxes.

She looks up as a black Lincoln Town Car screeches into a
spot not far from her truck.  THREE SERIOUS-LOOKING MEN get
out, leading a fourth, Shelly.

He is the only one who seems to notice Corky.

They enter the building, the door closing behind them.

INT.  BATHROOM - DAY

Corky's legs jut out from the old wicker vanity as she
finishes detaching its anchors and pipe work.

She stands, giving it a yank and pulling it away from the
wall, when voices begin to filter in from the next-door
apartment.

She listens - a rising string of warbling sobs drowned out
by an angry voice.

		ANGRY VOICE
	Shut the fuck up!  You piece of shit!

We hear a scream.

		ANGRY VOICE
	You're going to tell us!  You're
	going to fuckin' tell us!  just a
	matter of fuckin' time!

Each sentence is punctuated with grunts and thuds.

		ANGRY VOICE
	Where is it?  Where the fuck is it?!

We begin to close in on Corky as she listens to each thud,
watching something that disturbs her.

		ANGRY VOICE
	You shit!  You piece of shit!

With each thud the water in the toilet shimmers like a struck
cymbal.  As we move closer, the sound swells until --

				    MATCH CUT TO:

INT.  CAESAR'S BATHROOM DAY

Where blood splatters the toilet, heavy drops hitting the
water and spreading like inverted mushroom clouds.

		ANGRY VOICE
	Did that hurt?  News flash, fucko:
	I'm just getting started.

The angry voice belongs to JOHNNIE MARZZONE.  Shelly is
kneeling in front of the toilet, hands tied behind his back
with electrical wire.

Johnnie Marzzone is a flashy young man in Armani slacks,
silk shirt and silver-tipped cowboy boots.  His tie is tucked
in, as if torture were a fine-dining experience.

Caesar and two other men are crammed in the small bathroom.

		JOHNNIE
	You got nerve trying to fuck us!
	Nobody fucks me!  Nobody fucks my
	father!  Nobody!  Nobody!

Shelly screams as Jobnnie repeatedly rams his face into the
toilet.

		CAESAR
	Whoa, whoa.  Come on, he's making
	too much noise.

		JOHNNIE
	You hear that, bitch?  Be quiet!

		CAESAR
	Here, put this in his mouth.

Caesar hands a towel to Johnnie, who stuffs it into Shelly's
mouth.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - DAY

Like Corky, Violet can hear the beating.  She is trying to
block it out but cannot.

Standing at the bar, she runs the blender, grinding ice cubes,
trying to drown out the sounds of the bathroom.

The bathroom door opens.

		JOHNNIE
	Prick!  I can go all night!  All
	night!

Caesar steps out, shutting the door, masking the sounds behind
him.  Violet moves toward him.

		VIOLET
	Caesar, I'm leaving.

		CAESAR
	What?  Oh, come on, I didn't use one
	of the good towels.

The door opens again as someone else steps out.

		VIOLET
	Caesar, I'm serious.  This is too
	much.  I have to get out of here.

		CAESAR
	Why?  'Cause you know him?

She nods.

		CAESAR
	You women are so fucking sensitive.

He takes hold of her.

		CAESAR
	But I don't want you to go.  I like
	you here.  You know this isn't easy
	for me, either.

He embraces her.  Over his shoulder she sees MICKEY MALNANO
in the hallway, staring at her.

He is an older man, hair graying, built like a fireplug.
Sinewy mass strains at his Brooks Brothers suit.

		CAESAR
	Now why don't you go watch some TV
	or something?

		MICKEY
	Are you okay, Violet?

		CAESAR
	Mickey, why is Johnnie here?  You
	know how I feel about that fucking
	psycho.

Mickey continues to stare at Violet, who looks up at him
with her big doe eyes.

		MICKEY
	Caesar, didn't I tell you to get
	something?

		CAESAR
	Sure, Mickey.  Sure.

He goes to the kitchen.

Mickey moves closer to Violet, lifting her chin the way a
father would do to his little girl.

		MICKEY
	You shouldn't have to see this.  Why
	don't you get out of here?  Go for a
	walk.

		VIOLET
	Caesar wants me to stay.

		MICKEY
	Don't worry about Caesar.  I'll handle
	Caesar.  You just get out of here,
	okay?

She smiles.

		VIOLET
	Thanks, Mickey.

Caesar returns from the kitchen.  He is holding a pair of
tin snips.  Mickey takes them.

		MICKEY
	Thanks, C.  Now let's end this thing.

Violet watches them return to the bathroom.

INT.  BATHROOM - DAY

Mickey takes off his coat and hands it to a large man named
LOU.  He slaps Johnnie on the back.

		MICKEY
	Hey, Johnnie, ease up, okay.

Johnnie hits Shelly once more.

		JOHNNIE
	Prick.

Johnnie checks his hair in the mirror, carefully.  Then he
begins putting on the rings he had removed for the beating.

Mickey kneels down next to Shelly's ear and motions to Lou,
who lifts Shelly's bound arms.

		MICKEY
	Shelly, I'm going to ask you ten
	times.  You understand?  Ten times.

Mickey grabs Shelly's pinky finger, putting it between the
metal blades.

		MICKEY
	One.  Where is our money?

Shelly whimpers, red-faced and sobbing.  There is a sick
crunch and Shelly howls into his gag as his pinky finger
bounces to the floor amid the expensive leather footwear.

		CAESAR
	Aw ...  Christ.

We hear Caesar retrieve a tissue and his hand enters the
frame, scooping up the pinky.

He plunks the severed finger into the toilet and it sinks to
the bottom.

Caesar drops the toilet seat down and flushes.

INT.  BATHROOM - EMPTY APARTMENT - DAY

Corky can't stand it anymore.  She throws her tools down,
leaves the bathroom and finds --

Violet waiting in the main room.  Both women stand apart in
silence.

Violet seems on the verge of saying something but doesn't
know how to start.  Her lip begins to quiver; her eyes search
the room, returning to Corky each time.

The violence in the next room can still be heard.

		CORKY
	Violet?  Are you all right?

Almost unnoticeably, Violet shakes her bead.  Corky puts her
arm around her.

		CORKY
	Come on.  Let's go.

INT.  BAR - DAY

It is the kind of bar businessmen drink at in the afternoon.
Dark wood and padded leather.

The bartender, joking with a cluster of men, does not notice
Corky as she moves up to the bar.

		CORKY
	Excuse me.

The bartender glances over.

		CORKY
	Draft beer and a TNT.

Corky eyes the men, who stare into their drinks.

The bartender says nothing as he puts the drinks in front of
her.

Corky heads for her table, ignoring the whispers and snickers.

Corky and Violet, the only women in the room, sit close
together at a far corner table.

Violet's voice is hushed.

		VIOLET
	Shelly was skimming from the business.
	He came to see me yesterday because
	he was afraid Caesar figured it out.
	He wanted to run but he wanted me to
	come with him.

		CORKY
	Even though he knew about you?

		VIOLET
	Yes.

		CORKY
	He was in love with you, right?

		VIOLET
	That's what he told himself.  But it
	wasn't even about me, it was about
	Caesar.  He wanted what Caesar had.
	That's how they are.  I understand
	them.

She glances around the room; a man at the bar smiles at her.

		VIOLET
	For Shelly, taking the money was a
	way to take from Caesar.  He could
	have run at any time, but he didn't
	because he didn't want out.

		CORKY
	Sounds like he wanted to get caught.

		VIOLET
	Maybe he did.  He would brag to me
	all the time.  He was never afraid
	of Caesar because he didn't know
	him.  Not like I do.

Two men sit down near them, laughing.

		VIOLET
	Caesar lives for these moments.  He
	tells me it's just the business, but
	I know it's more than that.  He likes
	it.  The violence.  I'll catch him
	in the bathroom mirror touching his
	scars.  He says they remind him who
	he his.  They're all like that.
	Except maybe Mickey.

		CORKY
	Mickey?

		VIOLET
	He's the part of the business that
	the rest of them pretend to be.
	|But Mickey doesn't like it like
	they do.  I suppose that's why he's
	good at it.

Violet stares at her glass, at the melting ice.

		VIOLET
	I used to be able to block it out.
	I would tell myself that I wasn't
	really there so nothing really
	mattered.  But I can't do it anymore.

She downs the last of her drink.

		VIOLET
	I've been making the same mistake
	Shelly made.  But now I know what |I
	want.

She turns to Corky.

		VIOLET
	I want out.  I want a new life.  I
	see what I've been waiting for, but
	I need you, Corky.

		CORKY
	For what?

		VIOLET
	You made a choice once.  Do you think
	you would make that same choice again?

		CORKY
	What choice?

		VIOLET
	If those quarters fell to the floor,
	would you still reach up to that
	cash register?

Corky stares at her, knowing where this is going.  She glances
around the crowded bar.

		CORKY
	Not here.

EXT.  ALLEY - NIGHT

Corky's truck sits in a gravel parking lot.

INT.  CORKY'S TRUCK - DAY

Through the back window of the truck, Violet and Corky are
silhouettes against the street light.

		VIOLET
	Caesar is going to get the money and
	bring --

		CORKY
	How much money?

		VIOLET
	Shelly said it was over two million
	dollars.

Corky quietly swallows that pill.  It begins to rain.

		VIOLET
	Caesar will bring it to the apartment
	to count and go through |Shelly's
	books to figure out how he did it.

		CORKY
	Wait a minute.  Wait a minute.  Do
	you have any idea what you are saying?
	You are asking me to help you fuck
	the mob.

Violet nods.

		CORKY
	These people are serious, Violet.
	If you want to know how serious, ask
	Shelly.  They're worse than any cop
	because they have lots of money and
	no rules.  You fuck them, you've got
	to do it right.

		VIOLET
	That's why I need your help.  You
	said you were good.

		CORKY
	I am, but ...

She knows Violet is challenging her.

		CORKY
	All right, let's say for the moment
	that I believe everything you are
	saying.

		VIOLET
	You think I'm lying?

		CORKY
	I didn't say that, but since you
	did, let's say that you are.  It
	would have been easy to set Shelly
	up.  You could have got him killed
	knowing that Caesar would bring the
	money to the apartment.

Violet stares, her face poker-blank.

		CORKY
	All you would need to keep yourself
	clean would be someone unconnected,
	someone like me.

		VIOLET
	Is that what you think?

		CORKY
	I'm just making a point.  You have
	no idea what you're asking.  How
	much trust two people need to do
	something like this.

She moves closer to Violet, the sound of the rain beating
against the metal cab.

		CORKY
	For me, stealing is a lot like sex.
	Two people that want the same thing
	sit in a room and they talk, they
	start to plan and it's like flirting,
	a kind of foreplay, because the more
	they talk about it, the wetter they
	get.

She stops.

		CORKY
	The difference is, I can have sex
	with someone I just met, someone I
	hardly know, but to steal I need to
	know someone like I know myself.

		VIOLET
	Do you think you know me like that?

		CORKY
	I think ...

They are close enough to kiss.

		CORKY
	We're going to find out.

Corky pulls back.

		CORKY
	But first, I want to see this money.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Violet springs from the couch as the front door crashes open,
Caesar charging in.  He is doubled over, clutching something
to his stomach.

He rushes to the kitchen, dumping a bloody bundle into the
double sink.  There is blood everywhere, smeared up and down
Caesar's front.

		VIOLET
	Oh my God ...

Violet takes a step toward him, unsure of what has happened.

		CAESAR
	Don't worry.  It ain't mine.

He pulls a bottle of whiskey and a glass from the cupboard.

		VIOLET
	Caesar, what happened?

		CAESAR
	It was unbelievable!  Un-fucking-
	believable!

He pours himeslf a shot, belting it back.

		CAESAR
	Goddammit, look at this shirt!  It's
	ruined!

He begins unbuttoning the bloody shirt.

		CAESAR
	It started when Shelly took us to
	the money.  I tell you, Mickey Malnato
	knows his shit, he does.  Shelly
	takes us right there.

He throws down another shot.

		CAESAR
	So Shelly's down on his knees and
	he's pulling out this bag of money
	from a safe in the floor and I'm
	staring at it like "holy fuck!" I
	mean, look at it --

He tears open the bloody bag, wet money bricks spilling out.

		CAESAR
	And all I can think is how the fuck
	did he do this when - Bang!  Johnnie
	caps him.  Blood sprays everywhere,
	all over the money.  We've no idea
	if this is even all of it.

Caesar is exasperated.

		CAESAR
	And right then I go through the roof
	and - Boom!  I belt the dumb fuck as
	hard as I can.  I didn't care whose
	son he was, I just wanted to hit him
	again.  Knock some sense into that
	dumb son of a bitch.

He looks at the pile of bloody money.

		CAESAR
	Just look at this mess I got to deal
	with.

		VIOLET
	What are you going to do with it?

		CAESAR
	I told them to run it through the
	cycles.  But I guess Gino has plans
	for it because he's coming here
	tomorrow night to pick this shit up.

Searching through a sink cabinet, he can't find what he needs.

		CAESAR
	Where the hell's the laundry
	detergent?

		VIOLET
	Ummm ...  in the linen closet.

Caesar walks down the ball to the bathroom.  Violet's eyes
do not move from the pile of money.

Corky seems to come from nowhere.  She whispers.

		CORKY
	Come to my place in the morning.
	Early, okay?

Violet nods.

INT.  CLOSET - NIGHT

Corky's hands twitch, and then flex against the ropes that
bind them.

A reflex echoes through her body, muscles spasm and limbs
jerk against their bonds.

As if in a dream, she struggles, trying to get free, fighting
toward the edge of consciousness until --

She seems to succumb, slipping back into stillness.

We move toward her face, her closed eyes as we again hear
the voices in her head.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	You're having second thoughts.

INT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT - DAY

Violet is on the bed, Corky at the window.

		CORKY
	...  no.

She turns to Violet.

		CORKY
	You said he washed the money?

		VIOLET
	Yeah.

		CORKY
	Then what?  Exactly.

		VIOLET
	He hung it up.

		CORKY
	What?

		VIOLET
	To let it dry.

She begins to focus on the memory.

		VIOLET
	It was unreal ...

Moving in on her face.

				    MATCH CUT TO:

Benjamin Franklin's face on a hundred-dollar bill.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Franklin's face rotates as we pull back, seeing rows of bills
carefully paper-clipped to lines of string.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	Hundreds, paper-clipped everywhere
	like leaves.

Eyes filled with green, Violet turns inside the laundry lines
of money until she sees Caesar.

Wearing his undershirt, he is across the room standing at
the ironing board, ironing every single bill.

He seems to have one eye on her, one eye on his work.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	Then one by one, he ironed all of
	it.

He sprays starch across several bills and presses the steaming
iron to them.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	Did he sleep?

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Violet is in bed, unable to sleep, listening to the machine-
shuffle of Caesar's bill counter.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	No.  But neither did I.

We move past her, floating toward the wall.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	All night long I listened to that
	sound.

INT.  OFFICE - NIGHT

We drift across Caesar's desk, past bricks of bound bills,
as Caesar folds the paper tape around another stack.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	What sound?

He hits the counter again and we hear the sound, now very
loud as hundreds blur by, fluttering beneath us.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	The sound of money.

The sound rolls into thunder --

INT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT - DAY

That seems to shake the apartment.

		CORKY
	And where is it now?

		VIOLET
	In his office.  I saw it this morning.

INT.  OFFICE - DAY

Violet cautiously enters the office with a cup of coffee.

Working furiously at the computer, Caesar jumps when he sees
her, bloodshot eyes animal-wide.

He checks his watch as she sets the coffee in front of him.

		VIOLET
	I need to go to the store.

He nods automatically, back in his work, as she sees the
briefcase filled with perfect rows of hundreds.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	It's in a case, on his desk.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	Does the case lock?

We see the open top with its silver flip-over locks.

INT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT - DAY

Violet is trying to remember.

		VIOLET
	Yes.

		CORKY
	Good.

Corky begins to pace, ordering the information in her head.

		CORKY
	All right, now, tell me about Johnnie.

		VIOLET
	Johnnie?

		CORKY
	It sounded like he and Caesar don't
	like each other.

		VIOLET
	Like each other?  They hate each
	other.

		CORKY
	Why?

		VIOLET
	It started way before I was around.
	I think basically it's because he
	thinks Johnnie is a complete idiot.
	But Johnnie runs Chicago because
	Gino is his father.

		CORKY
	Who is Gino?

Violet suddenly feels that she has made a mistake.

		VIOLET
	Gino Marzzone.

		CORKY
	Marzzone?  As in Angelo Marzzone,
	head of the Marzzone family?

		VIOLET
	That's his brother.

		CORKY
	...  shit.

Corky covers her mouth.

		CORKY
	Gino Marzzone is coming tonight to
	pick up the money?

		VIOLET
	Yeah.

		CORKY
	And Johnnie is his son, that's Johnnie
	Marzzone?

		VIOLET
	Yeah.

		CORKY
	Sweet Jesus.

Eyes wide, she paces, pulling at her lip, mumbling.

Suddenly she freezes as it clicks into place.  She looks at
Violet.

		CORKY
	It's perfect.

She's pacing again.

		CORKY
	Gino Marzzone is coming to your
	apartment.  It's a big deal, isn't
	it?  That means Caesar will be ready.
	He doesn't want to look like an idiot.
	Gino has been there before?

		VIOLET
	Yeah, twice.

		CORKY
	What happened?

		VIOLET
	Not much, really.  Caesar was nervous,
	kept cleaning the apartment.  |The
	first time, he picked out the dress
	he wanted me to wear.

Something occurs to Corky.

		CORKY
	Does Johnnie hit on you?

		VIOLET
	Johnnie hits on anything in high
	heels.

		CORKY
	Has Caesar ever seen him?

		VIOLET
	He does it right in front of him.

		CORKY
	It's getting better and better.
	Keep going.

		VIOLET
	Gino doesn't know English, or at
	least he pretends he doesn't, so he
	doesn't talk much.  He gets right to
	the point.  Both times they talked
	for about five minutes, had one drink
	and then they left.

		CORKY
	What did Gino drink?

		VIOLET
	Scotch, Glenlivet.  I remember that
	Caesar made a huge deal about it.

Corky smiles, the wheels rolling.

		CORKY
	All right ...

She turns from the window and gets onto the bed.

		CORKY
	I have an idea to make this work.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - DAY

Violet is getting dressed, lining her lips with lip-pencil.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	You'll go back and get ready, take
	your time, make it real.

As she works on her face, we see the room behind her and the
discarded dresses scattered about.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	The more attractive you are, the
	more believable it will be.

INT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT - DAY

Corky breaks her thought-train.

		CORKY
	What time did you say they would be
	there?

		VIOLET
	The plane is in at seven, so I'd say
	about eight.

		CORKY
	Any bodyguards?

		VIOLET
	Gino travels with a big man named
	Roy.  Caesar calls him the driver.

		CORKY
	Fine.

INT.  OFFICE - DAY

Caesar again checks his watch.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	At some point Caesar is going to
	quit.  I'd guess sometime around
	six, making sure he's got time to
	get ready.

The watch reads 6:10.  Caesar rubs his eyes, his temples.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - DAY

Violet is at the bar in a sexy dress and high heels.

		CAESAR
	Un-fucking-believable, what this guy
	did.  Shelly is one smart-ass
	mothefucker, I mean, he was one smart-
	ass motherfucker.

He laughs as Violet smiles, handing him an enormous drink.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	As soon as he is done, you'll be
	right there to put a big drink in
	his hand.

He takes the drink.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	We want him to come down, to relax,
	feel in control again.

		VIOLET
	Poor boy, has to work so hard.

She gives him a woman's sympathy pout; he knows what it,
loves it anyway.

Smiling, he slides his hand down over her ass.

		CAESAR
	You look good enough to eat.

She smiles and waits for the kiss she knows is coming.

INT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT - DAY

Both women are starting to feel it, to believe it.

		VIOLET
	Where will you be?

		CORKY
	Waiting in the apartment next door.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT

Corky sits on the floor of the dark apartment.  She has taken
off her boots, which are beside her.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	Waiting for what?

Through the wall we can hear the shower.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	For the shower.  That will be our
	signal.

Corky opens a thin box filled with needle-thin lock picks.

She selects several and slips them into her multi-pierced
ears like earrings.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	When he's done with his shower, you
	will go to the bar.

INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

In slow motion, Caesar drops the shower plunger and water
chokes from the faucet.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Behind the bar, Violet pulls out the bottle of Glenlivet.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	You'll get out the Scotch that Gino
	drinks.

Violet steps out from the bar, her eyes on the bedroom, when
the bottle slips from her hands.

We watch it slowly fall --

		CORKY (V.O.)
	And as you do, the bottle will slip
	from your hands.  -- and shatter
	against the hardwood floor.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	An accident.

		VIOLET
	Shit!  Oh shit!

Caesar yells from the bathroom.

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	What happened?!

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Hearing Caesar, Corky gets up, moving quietly toward the
door.

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	V!  What the fuck was it?!  Violet?

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Caesar enters, a towel wrapped around him, hair still
dripping.

		CAESAR
	V, what?  You can't hear me?

Violet looks terribly upset as she begins to clean up.

		VIOLET
	Caesar, it slipped ...  I was trying
	to get ready ...

Caesar realizing what happened.

		CAESAR
	Oh, fucking Christ ...  You gotta be
	kidding me!

He rushes at her.

		CAESAR
	Fuck!  Fuck!  How did you ...  Awwww
	goddammit!

		VIOLET
	I'm sorry.  It was an accident.

She stands up.

		VIOLET
	Don't worry, I'll get some more.

		CAESAR
	There's no time.

		VIOLET
	Don't be silly, Caesar.  It'll take
	five minutes.

She turns him back toward the bedroom.

		VIOLET
	I'll clean this up and be back before
	you're even dressed.

INT.  HALL - NIGHT

Violet opens her door, stepping into the hall where Corky is
waiting.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	When you open the door, I'll be there.

They pass each other in silence, Violet stepping out as Corky
slips in.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	What if he sees you?

		CORKY (V.O.)
	He won't.

INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

Caesar is working intensely on his fingernails.  We glide
over a set of gleaming metal manicure tools.  We see his
hand as he delicately applies a coat of clear polish to a
nail.

Through the open door, we see Corky moving almost casually
across the living room.

INT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT - DAY

Corky is looking for something.

		VIOLET
	You can't know for certain that he
	won't see you.

		CORKY
	Trust me, Violet.

She finds a black duffel bag from one of her tool buckets.

		VIOLET
	I'm just asking, what if?

		CORKY
	If he does ...

Corky slips her hand in between the mattress and box spring,
pulling out a gun.

		CORKY
	Then I won't have a choice, will I?

She tosses the gun on the bed.

INT.  OFFICE - NIGHT

The black case is lying on the desk, locked shut.  Corky
moves around the desk, dropping down behind it.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	When I'm inside, I will get the money.

From her earlobe, she chooses the right pick, sliding out
the silver tool.

It takes only a second and the first lock pops open.

She is working on the other lock when the door is pushed
open and Caesar walks in.

Corky drops down, grasping for her gun --

As Caesar, wearing only underwear, enters.  He blows on the
drying polish on his fingernails before delicately selecting
a suit from his closet.

The gun ready, Corky, pressed against the desk, waits until
he leaves.

She lets her breath out, then pops the second lock, unzips
the black duffel bag and quickly empties the case, filling
the bag with fat money bricks.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	I'm going to need something ...

Finished, she zips up the bag and looks about.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	...  to fill the case.

Sbe sees a stack of newspapers hidden near the desk.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	Yeah, you should hide it near the
	desk before you leave.

She fills the case, then closes it.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	At that point --

She thumbs the locks shut and they snap, unnaturally loud,
into place.

INT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT - DAY

They are both on the bed.

		CORKY
	There is no going back.

		VIOLET
	When I get the Scotch, how do I know
	you won't take off?

		CORKY
	The same way I'll know that you went
	to Scotch.  Trust.

Their faces are close, eyes still trying to read each other.

		VIOLET
	I still don't see how I'm going to
	get clean with the money in the
	apartment.  Everyone will think I
	did it.

		CORKY
	Not Caesar.

		VIOLET
	Why?

		CORKY
	Because of what you are going to
	tell him.  You have to make it as
	real as you can.  The moment you
	open the door with the Scotch in
	your hand, you will be covered, and
	that moment is the most important
	moment in the plan.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The door bursts open.  Violet enters quickly, carrying a
bottle in a thin brown bag.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	If it's real enough, he'll believe
	it, because deep down he'll want to.

		VIOLET
	C!  Shit, I'm sorry!

Caesar wanders out, tightening his tie.  She looks at her
watch.

		VIOLET
	They were early.

		CAESAR
	What are you talking about?

		VIOLET
	They just left, didn't they?

		CAESAR
	What are you, drunk?

He smiles, grabbing the bottle from her.

		VIOLET
	You mean they weren't up here?

		CAESAR
	No!  They're still on their way.

		VIOLET
	That doesn't make any sense.

		CAESAR
	Why?

		VIOLET
	Because I just saw Johnnie downstairs.

Caesar turns.

		CAESAR
	What?

		VIOLET
	I was getting out of the car when I
	saw him in the Mercedes.

		CAESAR
	It couldn't have been.

		VIOLET
	It was him.  I'm positive.

		CAESAR
	It's impossible!

		VIOLET
	Caesar, I know Johnnie.  It was him.
	I screamed when I saw him.  I couldn't
	believe I missed them.  I knew you
	were going to be upset so I thought
	I'd apologize and give Gino the
	Scotch.  I honked a couple of times
	but he didn't stop.

She watches him, her words caving in around him.

		CAESAR
	But Gino's plane doesn't get in for
	another half-hour.

Violet thinks.

		VIOLET
	Actually, I didn't see Gino in the
	car.

His eyes dart.  His forehead beads with sweat.  He turns
toward the office.

INT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT - DAY

Violet is staring at Corky's mouth.

		CORKY
	If Caesar hates Johnnie like you
	say, then the second he opens the
	case he'll know, in his gut, that
	Johnnie just fucked him.  He'll
	realize that he has no choice.  He
	can't touch Gino or Johnnie.  There's
	only one way out.

She pauses.

		CORKY
	He'll have to run.

		VIOLET
	If he runs, everyone will assume he
	took the money.

		CORKY
	You'll be clean and we'll be rich.

INT.  OFFICE - NIGHT

Caesar stands over the desk, afraid to open the case.

INT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT - DAY

		VIOLET
	Jesus, that's beautiful.

		CORKY
	Thank you.

		VIOLET
	If you're this goddamn smart, how
	did you ever get caught?

		CORKY
	Every job like this has moments where
	things don't go so well and everyone
	starts thinking about their own ass.
	It's in those moments that everything
	comes together or falls apart.

She looks dead at Violet.

		CORKY
	I had a partner and she fucked me.

		VIOLET
	I won't.

		CORKY
	I think we're going to find out.

INT.  OFFICE - NIGHT

The key turns and the locks pop.  When Caesar sees the
newspaper, the whole world begins to spin.

		VIOLET
	Caesar?

His chest collapses onto itself while his hands ball into
fists.

		CAESAR
	No no no no ...

She moves around the side of the desk and sees the newspaper.

		VIOLET
	Oh God ...

He slams the case shut, his head hanging down.

After a moment he looks at her, like a little boy about to
cry.

		CAESAR
	...  I've been set up.

He seems ready to scream but can't say anything.

		VIOLET
	Johnnie?

The name is like water hitting hot oil.

		CAESAR
	That fuck!  That rat-fuck!  Little
	shit rat-fuck!

He starts punching the desk, each blow harder than the last.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Corky can hear him pounding.  She looks down and smiles.
Between her legs is the open bag stuffed with money.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Caesar is choking on his own rage.

		VIOLET
	Why?  Why would Johnnie do this?

		CAESAR
	Jesus Christ, Violet!  Open your
	fucking eyes!  Johnnie hates me like
	I hate him!

He starts to pound his fists against his own head.

		CAESAR
	I hate that little fuck!  I hate
	him!  I hate him!  I should've done
	him!

		VIOLET
	But you know he did it.

		CAESAR
	So what?!  So fucking what?  Use
	your head, Violet.  The money is
	gone.  Gino is coming here to get
	it.  You think he's going to believe
	me if I tell him his piss-hole son
	stole it!  Is that what you think?
	I don't.  You know what I think?  I
	think I'm a dead man.  I'm one in
	the brain.  That's what I think!

		VIOLET
	Caesar, what are we going to do?

He grabs hold of his chair, using it to support himself

		CAESAR
	I know what he wants me to do.  He
	wants me out of here.  He wants me
	to run.

She watches him, his body rocking against the chair.

		CAESAR
	If I run, then everyone will think I
	took the money and he walks away
	with two million clean.

The words squeeze out like tears.

		CAESAR
	God, I can see him right now driving
	to get Gino.  I can hear him laughing,
	fucking laughing, laughing at me.

He swings the swivel chair over his head and smashes it down
on the desk.  Again and again.

		CAESAR
	Laughing at me!  Laughing at me!

The chair falls and he stands alone, covering his face to
hide his tears.

		VIOLET
	C ...

She goes to hold him.

		CAESAR
	Don't touch me!

He backs into the corner of the room.

		CAESAR
	Just leave me alone!  I got to think!

Violet watches him trying to wipe the tears and sweat from
his face.

		CAESAR
	Got to think this through ...

		VIOLET
	Caesar, maybe we should run --

		CAESAR
	Violet, please!

		VIOLET
	I mean it, Caesar, forget Johnnie,
	forget the money, let's just go now,
	before it's too late --

		CAESAR
	Goddammit, Violet!  Would you just
	leave me the fuck alone!  Please!
	Leave!  Now!

		VIOLET
	All right, Caesar.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Violet enters, closing the door quietly behind her.  She
looks at the wall, then goes to the bed and picks up the
phone.

As she dials, we move along the phone cord, following it
down to the jack in the wall.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

We move out from another jack, following a different cord.

Corky is sitting with her back to the wall.  The black phone
beside her barely rings once before she answers.

She waits, saying nothing.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	It's me.

		CORKY
	What happened?

INT.  BEDROOM NIGHT

Violet whispers, her hand cupped over the mouthpiece.

		VIOLET
	He totally freaked.  I've never seen
	him like this.  He's out of his
	fucking mind.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	That's okay, as long as he believes
	it was Johnnie.

		VIOLET
	Believes it!  Jesus, it's driving
	him crazy.  He wants to kill him.  I
	don't know, Corky, I don't know what
	he is going to do.  I'm getting
	nervous, really nervous.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

		CORKY
	It's all right, Violet.  It's working.
	All we got to do is wait him out and
	see what he does.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	What if he doesn't run?

		CORKY
	That means he probably will kill
	Johnnie.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	Oh, Christ, I got to get out of here!

		CORKY
	Listen, if he doesn't run, all you
	have to do is break down, go to your
	bedroom and pack some things, start
	crying, saying you love him but you
	can't do it.  You're sorry but you
	have to leave and just walk out.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

		VIOLET
	okay, all right.

		CORKY (V.O.)
	We're almost there, Violet.  just
	hang on.

Violet hears him.

		VIOLET
	He's coming ...

She hangs up quickly just as Caesar bursts in.

		CAESAR
	I got it!  I know what I got to do!
	I got to get the money.

		VIOLET
	The money?  The money's gone.

		CAESAR
	No.  Johnnie's got it.  All I got to
	do is get it back.

		VIOLET
	But it could be anywhere.

		CAESAR
	He didn't have that much time.  He
	had to pick up Gino.  I bet you he's
	got it with him.  I bet it's in the
	car.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Corky presses against the wall, trying to hear.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Caesar is pacing.

		CAESAR
	He didn't see you, did he?

		VIOLET
	No.

		CAESAR
	See, right now he doesn't know that
	I know, that's why he put the paper
	in the case.  He wants me to hand
	the case to Gino.  Then there is no
	doubt it was me.  Gino will put a
	bullet in me himself.  But it ain't
	going to happen.  I won't let it!
	Johnnie ain't going to fuck me!  Not
	like this!  No way!

		VIOLET
	This is insane!

She throws open her closet.

		CAESAR
	What are you doing?

She grabs a suitcase from under the bed.

		VIOLET
	I'm leaving!  This is crazy!  I don't
	want to be involved.  I don't want
	anything to do with this shit!

She starts yanking the dresses from the closet.

		CAESAR
	You can't leave.

		VIOLET
	The hell I can't!

		CAESAR
	I need you ...

		VIOLET
	Bullshit!  You don't need me!  You've
	never needed me!  I can't help you!
	Understand?!  I have to get out.

		CAESAR
	Violet, I won't let you leave.

She turns and sees that he is holding a gun.

		CAESAR
	If you're not with me, Violet, then
	I have to assume you're against me.

		VIOLET
	Caesar, this is crazy.

		CAESAR
	Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.  Maybe
	you dropped the Scotch by accident.
	Maybe you didn't.

Now it is her turn to feel the world spin.

		CAESAR
	It would have been so easy to let
	him in as you went out.

		VIOLET
	You don't, you can't believe that
	...

		CAESAR
	I've seen the way he looks at you.
	He's always wanted you.  Maybe two
	million dollars finally bought you.

She slaps him hard.  He stares at her.

		CAESAR
	I'm sorry, Violet, but it has to be
	this way.

He moves past her, picks up the dresses and returns them to
the closet.

		CAESAR
	I hope you understand.  I want to
	trust you, I want to believe you,
	but I don't have any other choice.

He shuts the closet.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Caesar is at the bar, drinking the Scotch.  The gun in front
of him.  Across the room, Violet sits, staring holes through
him.

They wait in silence.

		CAESAR
	You sure you don't want a drink?

Violet says nothing.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

In the dark, Corky sits, her face, her posture very similar
to Violet's.

She is concentrating, her mind somewhere else, when the door
buzzer sounds.

She turns her head and hears Caesar faintly answering the
intercom.

Corky stands just as --

INT. CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Violet stands.

Caesar faces her for a moment, then shoves the gun into his
belt behind his back.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Corky watches through the door peep as three men pass by.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

There is a knock and Caesar opens the door.

GINO MARZZONE is an old Italian whose face is a mask of
irritated indifference.

ROY, his enormous driver, is behind him.

Caesar smiles, greeting them in Italian with open arms.

Johnnie is the last inside.  He has tape over his broken
nose.  He smiles and hugs Caesar.

		JOHNNIE
	You shouldn't have hit me.

		CAESAR
	You want to get into this now?

		JOHNNIE
	No, no, Caesar.  Not now.

He smiles again, patting him on the shoulder, then throwing
a fake punch.

Caesar sees Gino with his bright Italian smile, flattering
Violet, kissing her.

		GINO
	Hey, Caesar!  You take care of this
	girl, or I find out!

		JOHNNIE
	You are as radiant as ever, Violet.

As he bends to kiss her hand, she sees Caesar watching them.

		CAESAR
	Glenlivet, right, Gino?

		JOHNNIE
	I'll have whatever Violet's drinking.

		VIOLET
	I'm not drinking.

		JOHNNIE
	Then neither will I.

This makes Violet very uncomfortable.

		VIOLET
	No, I'll have a Tanqueray and tonic.

		JOHNNIE
	Caesar, make that two TNTs.

Caesar's hand shakes as he pours Gino's Scotch.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Pacing in her socks, Corky tries to think through several
possible situations.  She stops, staring at the bag of money.

The idea of its sitting out in the open suddenly bothers
her.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Caesar hands Violet and Johnnie a drink.  He stares at her.
She stares back.

		JOHNNIE
	Salud, eh.  Roy, Violet, Pop, Caesar.

Caesar watches Johnnie, suspecting everything he does.

Johnnie reaches into his pocket and takes out a cellular
phone.

		GINO
	No, Johnnie.  No goddamned phones.
	Not now.

		JOHNNIE
	Pop?

		GINO
	Caesar, come here.  Sit.  We talk
	now.  You too, Johnnie.

Each man sits on either side of Gino.

		GINO
	Caesar, look at me.  Johnnie tell me
	what happened.  Caesar, you gotta do
	me a favor, a personal favor.  For
	me, eh?  You gotta start respecting
	Johnnie the way you respect me.  You
	understand?  Good.

Caesar sees Johnnie smiling at him, but when Gino turns, the
smile disappears.

		GINO
	And you, Johnnie.  You gonna stop
	acting stupid.  You gotta earn this
	respect that Caesar's gonna give.
	You understand?  Good.  Done.  Now,
	where's my money?

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Corky drops a hefty bag, knotted tight, into an open five-
gallon bucket of paint.

As she picks up a paint stick, we see a second bag beside
another bucket.

She pushes the first bag down until it disappears, enveloped
by the milk-white liquid.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Caesar puts the briefcase onto the coffee table.

Gino looks up at Caesar, very serious, with his hand on the
case.

		GINO
	We know how this was done, eh?

		CAESAR
	Yeah, I know.

He looks dead at Johnnie.

		GINO
	It won't happen again, eh?

Caesar shakes his head.

		GINO
	Good.

Gino throws down the last of the Scotch.

		GINO
	Done.  We go now.

		JOHNNIE
	Jesus Christ, Pop.  You got two hours
	until your plane leaves.

Gino checks his watch, shouting in Italian.  Johnnie shouts
back until Gino throws up his hands, refusing to listen.

		GINO
	Caesar!

He gestures to his empty glass, then folds his arms, leaning
back.  Caesar gets the bottle.

		JOHNNIE
	So Caesar, what did it total out at?

		CAESAR
	Two point one seventy-six.

Johnnie whistles as Caesar pours Gino another Scotch.

		JOHNNIE
	Unbelievable.  Can you believe that,
	Violet?

		GINO
	Hey, Johnnie ...

In Italian tells him to shut up.

		JOHNNIE
	Come on, Pop, all I want to know is
	one thing.  Just one thing after he
	made such a big deal out of it.  I
	bet it wasn't a big deal.  Was it,
	Caesar?

		CAESAR
	What's that, Johnnie?

		JOHNNIE
	The money I bet it was nothing to
	get it clean, after you made such a
	fucking big deal ...

		GINO
	Johnnie, what did I say?

		JOHNNIE
	Pop, this is important to me.  It's
	a simple question.  if he would just
	answer the question, that's the end
	of it.

		CAESAR
	Where is this going, Johnnie?

		JOHNNIE
	Just admit it, Caesar.

		CAESAR
	Admit what?

		JOHNNIE
	That you overreacted.  That you lost
	it.  Not me.  It was your mistake.

Caesar sees it so clearly now.

		CAESAR
	All right, Johnnie, you want to play
	it this way, I can play it this way.
	You want to know who made a mistake,
	why don't you open the case.

		VIOLET
	Caesar ...

		CAESAR
	Shut up, Violet!  This is between me
	and Johnnie.

He pushes the case toward him.

		CAESAR
	You want to do this now, let's do
	it.  Open the case.  Open the fucking
	case.

Johnnie stares at him, feeling that something is very wrong.

		CAESAR
	That's right, I know.  I fucking
	know.

		JOHNNIE
	Know what?

		CAESAR
	Open the case!

		JOHNNIE
	All right!  Where's the key?

		CAESAR
	You don't need a key.

He tries but it's locked.

		JOHNNIE
	How the fuck can I open it?

		CAESAR
	The same way you did before.

		JOHNNIE
	What are you talking about?

Caesar smiles and tosses the key onto the table.

		CAESAR
	There you go, Johnnie.

He reaches for the key.  Caesar stands up and gives Violet
his drink.

		CAESAR
	Get me another.

He can see the fear on her face as she goes to the bar.

Time drips.

The key turns.  One lock pops.

Then the other.

Tbe case opens like a scream and Johnnie sees the newspaper.

		JOHNNIE
	What the ...

Before anybody can move, Caesar whips around with his gun.

Roy jumps off his stool, his drink crashing to the floor.

		CAESAR
	Don't!  Don't fucking move!

Nobody can believe what is happening.

		GINO
	Caesar?  What is this?

		CAESAR
	Ask Johnnie!  Ask your rat-fuck son!

		JOHNNIE
	What the fuck?

Caesar levels the gun.

		CAESAR
	You don't think I'll do it, do you?

		JOHNNIE
	I think you're fucking crazy!

		CAESAR
	Where is it?

		JOHNNIE
	Where's what?

		CAESAR
	The money!

		JOHNNIE
	Caesar, I don't know what you're
	thinking here, but if you don't put
	down that gun --

He stands up.

		CAESAR
	Sit down!

He does.

		GINO
	Caesar!

		CAESAR
	Gino, your son stole this money to
	set me up and I can prove it.  Violet!

She doesn't know what to say.

		CAESAR
	Tell them!  Tell them!

		VIOLET
	For Christ's sake, Johnnie, do what
	he says.

		JOHNNIE
	This isn't happening ...

Boom!  Caesar blows a hole in the couch right between
Johnnie's legs.  Johnnie screams.

		CAESAR
	The next one blows off your dick.

		JOHNNIE
	You're a dead man!  A fucking dead
	man!

		CAESAR
	Where is it?

		GINO
	Enough!

Gino jumps up.

		CAESAR
	No, Gino!

		GINO
	You aim a gun at me?!  Do you know
	who I am?!  I am Gino Marzzone.  You
	understand?

He starts walking toward Caesar.  Roy moves around for a
good angle.

		CAESAR
	Sit down, Gino!

		GINO
	No, Caesar, gimme the gun.

		CAESAR
	Stay away!

He backs up as Gino walks straight to him.

		GINO
	We're family, Caesar.

		CAESAR
	No!

		GINO
	Gimme the gun.

		CAESAR
	I can't.  I can't.

		GINO
	Give it to me.

He reaches up and takes bold of the barrel.  Caesar looks
resigned as he shuts his eyes.

		GINO
	Good man.

Close on Gino's hand holding the gun barrel as --

Caesar fires.

From behind the gun we watch Gino's grip yanked free, time
melting away as he falls, blood bubbling from his chest, his
eyes wide in disbelief.

His body hits the floor and the room erupts.

Roy dives, drawing his gun as Caesar continues to fire,
pumping the trigger.

Violet drops behind the bar as Jobnnie screams, falling
towards his father.

Blood spurts from Roy as two bullets hit, his gun clattering
and sliding across the floor.

Johnnie lunges at Caesar as Caesar turns and fires, hitting
Johnnie everywhere; blood and meat spray and speckle
everything around him.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

The gun continues to fire as Corky clutches the phone,
whispering.

		CORKY
	This is an emergency!

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Crunched down behind the bar, Violet listens to the only
sound, repeating in the unnatural quiet:

Click.  Click.

Click.

Rising, she peers over the edge of the bar.

Caesar is standing in the aftermath.  His gun is still aimed
at Johnnie as he pulls the trigger over and over.

The bodies are still, blood silently pooling around them.

Blinking the sweat from his eyes, Caesar sees Violet.

		CAESAR
	I had to do it, Violet.  You saw it.
	I had no choice.  It was Johnnie.
	That lying fuck.  He made me do it.

He looks down at Jobnnie, hate rising like bile.

		CAESAR
	You lying rat-fuck.  You think you
	can set me up?  Is that what you
	think?  You stupid fuck.

Kicking the body, be causes a series of sickening wet noises.

		CAESAR
	I'm a dead man?  I'm a dead man?
	Guess again, fuck-face.  Who's dead?
	Who's the dead lying rat-fuck?  Take
	another guess, take another fucking
	guess!

He stops, panting, unable to catch his breath.  Violet is
afraid to even look at him.

Blood creeps along the edge of the floorboards.

Caesar tries to clear his head, mopping the sweat from his
face.  He bends down and starts searching Johnnie's pockets.

He finds his keys.

		VIOLET
	What are you doing?

Lost in thought, he goes to Gino.  Throwing open the coat,
he sees the airplane ticket.  There is a bullet hole in it.

He checks the times and then his watch.

		CAESAR
	...  maybe three hours.

		VIOLET
	Caesar, what are you going to do?

		CAESAR
	What do you think we're going to do?
	We have to find the money.

		VIOLET
	What?

		CAESAR
	Once we have the money, then none of
	this ever happened.

		VIOLET
	Caesar, you just killed Gino Marzzone.

		CAESAR
	No I didn't.  Not if his body
	disappears and not if the money is
	still here.  Then they never showed
	up.

		VIOLET
	What happened to them?

		CAESAR
	I don't know.  We may never know,
	but I'm going to guess it was a job,
	maybe the Karpoli family.

He smiles.

		CAESAR
	All part of the business.

He picks up Roy's gun and stuffs it in his belt.

		CAESAR
	We just got to find the money.  Once
	we do, everything is going to be all
	right.

In the distance, the wail of a police siren can be heard.

EXT.  PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Through the window they see a squad car, lights blaring,
roll up in front of the building.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

		VIOLET
	Oh, no.

He turns back to the carnage.

		CAESAR
	Fuck.

		VIOLET
	Caesar, what are we going to do?

		CAESAR
	They're just cops.  Stall them as
	long as you can.

Caesar flies into action.

Grunting, he hauls Gino's body up, drags it to the bathroom
and throws it into the tub.  He returns for Johnnie's body.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Standing near the bathroom, Corky hears the metal echo of
the tub.  Looking at her tub, she imagines what he is doing.

Through the wall, she hears the door buzzer.

INT. CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The buzzer sounds again as Violet sees him lift Roy's body.

		CAESAR
	Answer it!

He heads back to the bathroom, dropping Roy onto the other
two.

The three bloody bodies fill the tub.

We see Johnnie's arm hanging over the edge as Caesar snaps
the shower curtain around, hiding them.

		VIOLET
	Hello?

		COP #1 (V.O.)
	This is the police, ma'am.

She cuts them off using the intercom.

		VIOLET
	The police?

Over her shoulder she sees Caesar moving the furniture,
clearing the area around the heavy bloodstains.

		COP #1 (V.O.)
	We had a report of gunfire, so if
	you could --

		VIOLET
	Gunfire?  Is this a joke?

Violet sees Caesar hurry to his office.

		COP #1 (V.O.)
	No joke, ma'am.  Please open the
	door.

		VIOLET
	How do I know you are cops?

INT.  OFFICE - NIGHT

Caesar seizes the beautiful oriental rug in his office and
yanks it up, overturning furniture.  Dragging it out, he
slams the door behind him.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Violet looks at Caesar, who is working with the calm, single-
minded focus of a machine.

		COP #1 (V.O.)
	Ma'am, you have to open the door.

		VIOLET
	All right.

She buzzes them in as Caesar throws the rug like someone
making a bed, letting it fall to the floor and cover most of
the blood.

INT.  LOBBY - NIGHT

The cops are waiting for the elevator.  After a moment, the
door slides open.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Violet moves away from the intercom as Caesar begins arranging
the furniture on the rug.

		CAESAR
	Get me a wet towel.

His words push her to the bathroom.

INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

Stuffing a towel into the sink, she turns on the water.  She
does not even look at the shower curtain.

INT.  HALL - NIGHT

The elevator opens and the cops step out.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Caesar grabs the television remote, hits "on" and jacks the
volume until it is obviously loud.

Violet returns and he snatches the towel from her.

INT.  HALL

As the two cops walk down the hall, they hear the television.
They look at each other, already knowing what happened.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Like a maniac, Caesar wipes at any blood still visible until
there is a knock on the door.  He grabs Violet by the arm.

		CAESAR
	If you're thinking about doing
	something stupid, remember I just
	killed Gino Marzzone.  You understand
	what that means?

She nods.

		VIOLET
	They're just cops.

There is another knock, much louder.

Violet goes to the door as Caesar rips off his blood-soaked
jacket and shirt.

He drops down behind the bar Leaving the chain on, Violet
opens the door.  Tbe cops smile.

		COP #1
	See?  We're for real.

		VIOLET
	I'm sorry, it's just you hear stories.

		COP #1
	You did the right thing.

Crouching, Caesar wipes vigorously at the blood on his hands
and face.

Violet opens the door.

Caesar crams the bloody wad under the bar sink.

Just as the cops enter the living room, Caesar stands, looking
comfortable in no shirt, with ice cubes in his hands.

		CAESAR
	Hey, hey, Chicago's finest.

He plunks the ice into a glass and walks from behind the bar

		CAESAR
	How's it going tonight, fellas?

		COP #1
	Pretty good, sir.

Caesar turns his head.

		CAESAR
	Huh?  I'm sorry, I can only hear in
	this ear.

Tbe cops look at each other again.

Wiping his wet hand on his pants, Caesar shakes hands with
each of them.

		CAESAR
	I'm Caesar and this here is my Violet.

They smile at Violet as Caesar puts his arm around her.

		CAESAR
	Violet said something about gunshots?

Violet sees the gun wedged in the back of his belt.

		COP #2
	Yes, sir, a neighbor in the building
	called in.

		COP #1
	I think we know what happened.

		COP #2
	It was probably just the television.

		CAESAR
	The television?

He looks at Violet.

		CAESAR
	Honey, why didn't you say something?
	Turn it off.

Violet walks across the rug and turns off the TV.

		CAESAR
	Fuck, this happened before.  It's
	this shitty ear.  Born with it.  The
	batteries wore out in my aid.  I'm
	sorry.

		COP #1
	It's all right, sir.

		COP #2
	No big deal.

		CAESAR
	Hey, can I get you guys a beer?

		COP #1
	Not on duty, sorry.

		CAESAR
	Oh, right.

		COP #2
	But, uh, would you mind if I used
	your bathroom?

Caesar's face tightens.

		CAESAR
	Yeah, why not?  It's right there.

		COP #2
	Thanks.

He heads for the john.

Violet watches Caesar back up to the bar, moving behind it.

		CAESAR
	I'm going to make myself a drink, if
	that's okay?

		COP #1
	Go right ahead, sir.

INT.  BATHROOM NIGHT

Cop #2 enters, walking right past the shower curtain.  We
hear his sigh as he starts to piss.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Cop #1 walks onto the rug, looking around, turning to Violet.

		COP #1
	This is a beautiful place.

		VIOLET
	...  thank you.

She stares at his shoes on the rug.

Watching everything, Caesar takes a sip of his drink.  He
slips his gun out and holds it at his side.

INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

There is a bulge in the shower curtain where we imagine
Johnnie's arm is hanging.

Slowly we slide down to the bottom edge of the plastic
curtain, where a drip of blood forms and --

Plips into a small red spot on the white tile floor.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Close on the heel of the cop's black shoe, where we can almost
see the blood seeping up through the oriental rug.

		COP #1
	Is this a condo?

Violet nods.

Everyone turns when Cop #2 busts out of the bathroom.

		COP #2
	Okay, let's roll.

Cop #1 walks across the rug to the hardwood floor.  He turns
to Caesar.

		COP #1
	Try to keep the extra batteries for
	your aid around.

		CAESAR
	Good idea.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Corky hears the cop say goodbye to Violet.  The door closes.
She isn't sure what she should do.

Over her shoulder, she notes the bucket of paint.  She lets
the cops leave.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Caesar puts on a new shirt, the gun stuffed in his pants.

		CAESAR
	Let's go.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Corky rises at the sound of Caesar's door closing.

We track her along the wall to the foyer as she follows the
faint sounds of Caesar and Violet's footsteps.

INT.  HALL - NIGHT

As they pass by, Violet looks up to the door of the empty
apartment, straight at the peephole.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT Corky is pressed against the door, eye
at the peephole.

She sees that Violet is afraid as the two women seem to speak
to each other with their eyes.

		CORKY
	...  shit.

EXT.  PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Caesar is on his knees, searching under the seats of Johnnie's
Mercedes.  Unable to find the money, he is ready to snap.

From the main doors, Corky slips out of the building.  Hiding
behind a column, she sees Violet and Caesar across the lot.

Corky moves behind the parked cars, the gun squeezed in her
hand.

Violet edges away, on the verge of running, looking toward
the busy street.

Standing, Caesar pounds on the car.

		CAESAR
	Fuck!  Fuck!  Fuck!

		VIOLET
	Caesar, someone could see us out
	here.

Ignoring her, be tries to think.

		CAESAR
	Get in.

Still too far from them to do anytbing, Corky sees Caesar
slam the trunk.

		CAESAR
	Get in!  It's got to be at his house.
	That's the only other place it could
	be.

Violet looks around the lot, looking for some way out.

		CAESAR
	Violet!  Now!

Corky can only watch as Violet gets in and the car rips away.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Alone, Corky stands over the bucket of paint.  She kicks it
with her boot-toe.

		CORKY
	Two million dollars, Cork ...  Two
	million dollars ...

She sighs, wondering how long she can make herself wait.

EXT.  JOHNNIE'S BROWNSTONE - NIGHT

The BMW is parked in front.

INT.JOHNNIE'S BROWNSTONE - NIGHT

Close on Caesar, as he rakes his sweaty hair back, his face
knotted in torment.

		CAESAR
	Okay, I come in ...

He turns as if he just came in through the front door.

We see Johnnie's home has been laid to waste.  The furniture
is broken, cushions split open, pictures shattered, holes
punched in the drywall -- even the carpeting has been torn
up.

Caesar doesn't look much better.

		CAESAR
	I've got the money ...

Huddled in a corner, Violet watches him.

		CAESAR
	I can't wait to see the look on
	Caesar's face when he finds out.

Caesar moves from the front door, trying to get into Johnnie's
head.

		CAESAR
	Now I don't have much time ...

He takes a couple of steps into the room.

		CAESAR
	Got to put it someplace safe ...

He looks at a closet.  It's gutted, searched 10 times already.

		CAESAR
	...  put it ...

A couple more uneasy steps and he looks at a large over-turned
rolltop desk.

		CAESAR
	...  got it ...

He starts looking around the room as if he is seeing for the
first time that it is destroyed.  He is near the breaking
point.

		VIOLET
	C?

His voice cracks.  There is nowhere else to look.

		CAESAR
	Where did I put it?

He explodes.  A terra cotta lamp sails across the room.

		CAESAR
	Where's my fucking money?!  Fucking
	cocksuckers!  Where the fuck is it?!

He smashes his forehead into the wall, denting the drywall.

		CAESAR
	Ow.

He holds his head, sinking to the ground.

		VIOLET
	C?

She sits next to him, putting a hand lightly on his shoulder.

		VIOLET
	It's not here, Caesar.

		CAESAR
	Where, then?

		VIOLET
	I don't know.  it could be anywhere.
	We don't even know if he was alone.
	Please, Caesar, we don't have much
	time.  Let's get out of here.

He knows what he has to do.  Digging through the debris, he
finds the phone.

		VIOLET
	What are you doing?

		CAESAR
	We're going to need some time.

		VIOLET
	Who are you going to call?

Already dialing, he does not answer

		VIOLET
	Caesar?

Ceaar takes a deep breath, mustering composure.

		MICKEY (V.O.)
	Yeah?

		CAESAR
	Hey, Mickey.

		VIOLET
	Oh, God.

		MICKEY (V.O.)
	Caesar?  What the fuck time is it?

		CAESAR
	Mick, I know it's late, but there is
	a problem.  They haven't shown up
	yet.

		MICKEY (V.O.)
	What?  They ain't there?

		CAESAR
	No.  I don't know where they are.  I
	even called over at Johnnie's, but
	no answer.

		MICKEY (V.O.)
	Okay.  Let me call around.  I'll see
	what I can do.  Don't go anywhere,
	okay?

		CAESAR
	Okay, sure, Mick.

		MICKEY (V.O.)
	Caesar, you still got the money?

Caesar looks at Violet.

		CAESAR
	Yeah, Mick.  I've got the money.
	I'm staring right at it.

		MICKEY (V.O.)
	Good.  Sit tight.  I'll call you.

He hangs up.

INT. CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Caesar drags himself in.  Violet closes the door behind them.

Caesar moves into the room where it happened.  He is dizzy
and confused and does not want to be here.

Violet turns him around.

		VIOLET
	I'll start packing.  You know what
	you have to do.

She turns him toward the bathroom.  He nods.

		CAESAR
	I can use Johnnie's car, dump it in
	Lake Michigan ...  I need plastic
	bags ...  tape and rope ...

		VIOLET
	Just hurry.

Nodding, he heads for the kitchen.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Violet enters and goes straight for the phone.  She looks at
the blank wall as she dials.

		VIOLET
	Please, Corky ...

The phone rings.

When Corky answers, Violet almost collapses with relief.

		VIOLET
	Oh, thank God.

		CORKY
	I'm still here.

		VIOLET
	I was so afraid you ...

		CORKY
	You don't quit on me, Violet, and I
	won't quit on you.

INT.  KITCHEN - NIGHT

A box of Hefty bags tucked under his arm, a coil of
clothesline in his hand, Caesar searches through several
cabinets.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Violet glances at the door.

		VIOLET
	Corky, it worked!  He's going to
	run.  He needs to take care of the
	bodies to buy himself time, but as
	soon as he leaves, it's over.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Corky falls against the wall.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	just a little longer and it's ours.

INT.  KITCHEN - NIGHT

Mumbling to himself, Caesar walks out of the kitchen, heading
for the bedroom.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Violet reaches out and touches the wall, as if she were
touching Corky.

		VIOLET
	Corky, I have to tell you something
	...

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Corky turns to the wall.

		CORKY
	I know, Violet.  I know.

Her fingers gently touch the wall as we travel up and over,
where we see they are actually touching the wall in the exact
same place.

		CORKY
	It's why I'm still here.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Suddenly, Violet hears Caesar.

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	Violet?

As he opens the door, she slams down the phone.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

The line cuts off.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Fear and panic paralyze Violet as Caesar drops everything,
grabbing for his gun.

		CAESAR
	Who was that?

He levels the gun at her.

		CAESAR
	Who the fuck was that?

She stands and be rushes at her, grabbing her by the throat.

		CAESAR
	Was that Mickey?  Did you call Mickey?
	Did you?!

She shakes her head and he throws her on the bed.  The gun
aimed at her, he picks up the phone and --

Hits the redial.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Unsure of what happened, Corky hears the phone ring and
answers it on reflex.

Listening, she waits.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Caesar listens, waiting as long as he can.

		CAESAR
	Mickey?  Is that you?

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Corky hangs up, jumping away from the wall.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Caesar hits the redial again.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Panicking, Corkydoesn't answer it, but as it rings very loud
in the empty apartment, she realizes her mistake.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Turning slowly toward the wall, Caesar hears the phone ringing
in the empty apartment.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Corky rips the plug out of the wall.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

The line goes dead.

		CAESAR
	Who is that?  Who is over there?!
	Tell me!

She tries to get away, but he grabs her and slaps her to the
ground.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT

Corky hears Violet scream and that does it.  Gun in hand,
she flies at the door.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

The door to the empty apartment slams shut and Caesar, hearing
it, starts to run --

But Violet reaches out, catching his ankle, sending him
crashing to the dresser.

		VIOLET
	Run!  Just run!

INT HALL - NIGHT

The door to Caesar's apartment is locked.  Corky falls to
one knee, whipping two lock picks from her earlobe.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Caesar raises the gun to pistol-whip Violet and she screams.

INT.  HALL - NIGHT

Working the lock, Corky hears Violet's scream cut off.

She feels the tumblers click, and rotates the cylinder.

A shadow stirs under the crack of the door as she hears
something that sounds like footsteps.  Corky freezes.

Corky presses down low against the door beneath the peephole.

She can almost feel Caesar beyond the door, but grits her
teeth and turns the doorknob.

INT.  APARTMENT - NIGHT

The door cracks open and Corky slips in, gun-first.  As she
moves into the room, we see Caesar behind her.

He puts his gun to her head.

		CAESAR
	Drop the fucking gun or die!

Corky hesitates.

		CAESAR
	Drop it!

She does.

		CAESAR
	Turn around.

Rising from her crouch, she turns and he recognizes her.

		CAESAR
	You!?  Holy fucking Christ!  You
	gotta be kidding me!

He starts to laugh when she strikes --

Knocking the gun, she punches him, slamming him back against
the door as --

She twists, diving, grabbing her gun, just as --

He steps and kicks her full in the face.

INT.  CLOSET - NIGHT

Still unconscious, Corky's head jerks, reacting to the kick.
We see the dried blood caked to her check where his kick
split the skin.  She is again swimming toward consciousness.

We hear water splash, her face flinching as we move closer,
the sounds and voices echoing.

		CESAR (V.O.)
	Wake up!  Come on, you fucking dyke!

We hear Caesar slapping her.

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	Wake up!

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Corky's face is dripping with water as her eyes slowly blink
open.

Coming into focus is Caesar, standing over her with an empty
glass in one hand.

		CAESAR
	Good.

Except for the gag, she is bound as we have seen her bound
in the closet.

Caesar yanks out his gun and puts it to her head.

		CAESAR
	I know everything now so I don't
	want to hear any "I don't know"
	bullshit, you understand?

She sees Violet on the bed, also bound hand and foot.

		CAESAR
	God, I should have seen this coming!
	The second I met you, I knew it.
	Everyone knows your kind can't be
	trusted!  Fucking queers make me
	sick.

The gun digs into her cheek.

		CAESAR
	But you tried to fuck the wrong guy.
	And I swear to you that I'm going to
	kill you for it.

He thumbs back the hammer.

		CAESAR
	Where is the money?

		VIOLET
	Don't tell him --

		CAESAR
	Shut up, Violet!

		VIOLET
	He can't kill you --

He aims the gun at Violet.

		CAESAR
	Violet!

		VIOLET
	Not until he has the money!

He fires and she jumps as the bullet punches through the
wall behind her.

His point made, he puts the gun back to Corky's head.

		CAESAR
	Now, where the fuck is my money?

		CORKY
	Lick me.

		CAESAR
	Where is it?

		CORKY
	Either pull the trigger or get that
	thing out of my face.

Blood temperature rising again, Caesar pulls the gun back
and slaps her with it.

		CAESAR
	Stupid cunt!

		VIOLET
	Caesar, stop acting like an asshole
	and think --

		CAESAR
	Don't try to tell me what to do.

		VIOLET
	You need the money just like we do.

		CAESAR
	Shut up, Violet.

		VIOLET
	Let us go and we'll make a deal.

He rushes at her, grabbing a fistful of her hair.

		CAESAR
	Shut the fuck up!

He looks at Corky.

		CAESAR
	What did you do to her?!  This isn't
	my Violet!

He looks at her as if unable to recognize her

		CAESAR
	What did she do to you?

		VIOLET
	Everything you couldn't.

He shoves her down.

		CAESAR
	You ungrateful bitch!  You had nothing
	before I met you.  You were nothing!

He stomps around the room.

		CAESAR
	Who gave you this place?  This
	apartment?

He throws open the closet.

		CAESAR
	Who gave us all of this?  I did!  I
	gave you everything!  I gave you
	this life!  I made you, Violet.  I
	saved you.

He seems to believe what he is saying.

		CAESAR
	I saved you.

		VIOLET
	Ha!  What a load of crap.  Look at
	yourself, Caesar.  You're a thug.
	|You launder money for the mob.  You
	rent women like you rented this
	apartment.

He doesn't want to hear this.

		VIOLET
	Saved me?  You don't even know me.
	You used me, Caesar, just like I
	used you.  All part of the business.

		CAESAR
	You betrayed me!

		VIOLET
	You murdered Gino!

		CAESAR
	I had to.  You made me.

		VIOLET
	Bullshit, you killed him.  Not me.
	You did it because you couldn't stand
	the thought of Johnnie fucking you.

		CAESAR
	Shut up!

He slaps her.

		CAESAR
	Okay, you want business, I'll give
	you the fucking business.

He leans closer.

		CAESAR
	I'm going to make you beg just like
	Shelly did.  Just like Shelly!

He storms out of the room.

Corky looks up at Violet.

		VIOLET
	I'm sorry, Corky ...

		CORKY
	Don't be sorry.  Help me.

She pulls at the ropes as Violet slides off the bed.

INT.  KITCHEN - NIGHT

Caesar throws open the broom closet and grabs the clippers
that Mickey used to cut off Shelly's finger.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

The two women are back-to-back, fingers working at each
other's knots when Caesar bursts into the room.

		CAESAR
	Oh, no no no.

Grabbing Corky by the boots, he drags her and flips her so
that she can now see Violet.

He drops down onto Violet putting the clippers in front of
her face.

		CAESAR
	Hey, Violet, you remember these?

Her eyes widen with terror.  She starts to scream when he
stuffs a towel in her mouth.

Laying against Violet, he turns to Corky.

		CAESAR
	I'm going to start with her so you'll
	get a good idea what's coming.

He takes hold of Violet's pinky finger, stretching it out.

		CAESAR
	I'm going to ask you where the money
	is.  Every time you don't give me an
	answer, I'm going to cut off one
	finger.

		CORKY
	No.

		CAESAR
	When I reach ten, then I'll start
	with you.

He puts the finger between the blades.

		CAESAR
	Where is the money?

Corky sees Violet thrashing helplessly.  She has no choice.
Her mouth opens as --

The door buzzer rings.

Caesar is distracted, trying to think who it could be.

		CAESAR
	...  Mickey.

He sees the phone, where he dropped it, lying off the hook.

The door buzzer rings again, more insistently.  Corky sees
him momentarily unnerved.

He looks back at her.

		CAESAR
	I said where --

He starts to cut and Corky screams --

		CORKY
	No!  I'll tell you!

He stops, the door buzzing continuously.

		CORKY
	It's over there in the empty
	apartment.

As she speaks, the sound of the door buzzer changes.

		CORKY
	I put it inside one of the paint
	drums.

He is not looking at her; listening, he realizes that Mickey
is buzzing the other apartments.

CAESAR stands as the buzzing stops.  He pulls out his gun
and aims it at Corky.

		CAESAR
	I promised I would kill you.

He cocks it.

		CORKY
	You can't kill me yet.

		CAESAR
	Why?

		CORKY
	I could be lying.

His hand start to shake with ftustration.  He is beginning
to hate this woman more than he ever hated Johnnie.

Taking a deep breath, he eases back the hammer.

		CAESAR
	You're going to wish to God you hadn't
	done that.

He kicks her again, snapping her head back.

After he leaves, Violet looks over and sees Corky lying
unconscious.

INT.  HALL - NIGHT

Caesar tries to open the door to the empty apartment but it
is locked.

		CAESAR
	Fuck.

At the end of the hall, the elevator "dings." Just as the
door opens, Caesar jumps back into his apartment.

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

		CAESAR
	Son of a bitch ...

His mind a racing blur, he locks the door and runs back to
the bedroom.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

With another towel, he gags Corky and drags her into the
closet.  In her pocket, he finds the key.

He closes the doors, then hangs up the phone.

Grunting, he hauls Violet up over his shoulder --

When there is a knock on the door.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Carrying Violet, he hurries to the kitchen, where he throws
Corky's gun into the freezer.  Mickey is banging on the door
as Caesar heads for the bathroom.

INT.  BATHROOM

Dropping Violet onto the floor, he reaches behind the curtain
and turns on the shower.

		CAESAR
	Mickey will get in.  I know he will.

We hear the water hitting the bodies while Caesar starts
tearing off his clothes.

		CAESAR
	Violet.  I can kill you right now if
	that's what you want.  If you want
	to live, then you have to help me.
	I need you to make Mickey believe
	that everything is normal.

He picks up his gun.

		CAESAR
	Tell me, do you want to live?

She stares hard at him and his gun, then nods.

		CAESAR
	Good girl.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

We move toward the door as the lock clicks open.

INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

Violet's hands are untied.  She pulls off the gag and the
ropes at her feet.

Naked, Caesar sticks his head under the shower spray, wetting
everything.

INT.  LIVING ROOM

Still dripping, Caesar walks into the room, a towel wrapped
around his waist, another towel in his hand.

Mickey and Lou are standing in the middle of the room.

Caesar jumps.

		CAESAR
	Jesus Christ!

Caesar holds his chest, laying it on a bit thick.

		CAESAR
	Holy fuck, Mickey!  You scared the
	shit outta me.

He sees they both are holding their guns.

		CAESAR
	What is this?  what are you two doing,
	sneaking in here with your peckers
	in your hands?  You gonna do me,
	Mick?  Is that it?

Mickey smiles, putting his gun away.

		MICKEY
	No, Cease.  There was no answer.

		CAESAR
	I thought I heard someone knocking.

		MICKEY
	I was buzzing, I was knocking, but I
	guess you couldn't hear me on account
	of being in the shower.

		CAESAR
	Yeah, it was Violet's idea.  I was
	so wound up about Gino, she was trying
	to help me relax.

		MICKEY
	That Violet is one nice lady.  Wish
	someone would help me relax.

		CAESAR
	Shit, Mick, come on in, let me get
	you a drink.  Sit down, Lou.

Behind the bar, he sets down the towel be was holding and we
see the gun hidden inside it.

INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

Violet watches through a sliver of open door, her mind already
working.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Caesar is making the drinks.

		MICKEY
	We was worried about you, Cease.

		CAESAR
	Me?  Why?

		MICKEY
	We went over to Johnnie's place just
	to check it out and it was busted
	up, Bad.

Caesar hands him a drink.

		MICKEY
	I started thinking maybe it's about
	the money so I call you, but all I
	get is the busy signal.  I figure
	the phone is off the hook, that's
	why I come rushing over here.

		CAESAR
	Oh Christ, the phone ...  That was a
	fucking stupid thing to do, wasn't
	it?

		MICKEY
	Hey, if Violet was helping me relax,
	I'd probably do the same thing.

Mickey smiles as he sips his drink.

INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

Violet stands and goes to the shower curtain.  She reaches
in and turns off the water.  Steadying herself, she pulls
back the curtain, exposing the wet, bloody bodies.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Mickey is looking at the furniture.

		MICKEY
	Cease, can I ask you something?

		CAESAR
	Yeah.

		MICKEY
	Why'd you move all the furniture
	around?

The knot in Caesar's stomach tightens.

		MICKEY
	Let me guess.  That was Violet's
	idea, too.

He laughs, and Lou laughs with him.

		CAESAR
	Actually, yeah, she was nervous about
	Gino coming, wanted everything to
	look right.  You know women, Mick.

		MICKEY
	Sure, Cease.  They make us do stupid
	things, don't they.

Caesar smiles feebly.

INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

Violet has pulled up Johnnie's body and is digging through
his coat pockets, searching for something.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Mickey sees the briefcase still on the coffee table.

		MICKEY
	Is that the money?

		CAESAR
	Yeah, that's it.

Caesar puts his hand inside the towel as Mickey walks across
the rug.

		MICKEY
	That fucking Shelly.  I gotta hand
	it to the guy, but Jesus, if I were
	him I would have bailed a long time
	ago.  I mean, how much money does a
	man need?

Talking to Lou, be picks up the case and walks back, somehwo
moving right between the wet spots.

		MICKEY
	I remember I was just staring at all
	this goddamn money, Shelly down on
	his knees, and the next thing I know,
	Johnnie just blows his head off.

He slaps the case up onto the bar.

		MICKEY
	What a fucking mess.  Johnnie's
	laughing his ass off and that's when
	Caesar lost it and - Boom.  He
	coldcocked him.  Fucking coldcocks
	Johnnie Marzzone.

He thumbs the latches but the case is still locked.

		MICKEY
	Hey, Caesar, where's the key?

		CAESAR
	The key, yeah, the key's in my pants
	in the bathroom.

		MICKEY
	Fuck it, I don't need the key.

Caesar takes the smallest breath.

		MICKEY
	I didn't need a key to get in here,
	did I?

He pulls out a lock-pick and starts working the lock.  The
muscles in Caesar's forearm bulge as he tightly squeezes his
gun.

He is slipping toward that same desperate choice.  He is
going to attack when --

Across the room, the phone rings.

Everyone looks at it.

		MICKEY
	Who the hell could that be?

The phone is near the couch.  Caesar doesn't want to let go
of the gun.

The phone continues to ring.

		MICKEY
	You gonna answer it?

INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

Violet has Johnnie's cellular phone.

Watching through the cracked door, Violet sees Caesar cross
to answer the phone.

		CESAR (V.O.)
	Hello?

		VIOLET
	Hello, Caesar.  This is Gino.

Caesar looks toward the bathroom.

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	What?

		VIOLET
	You're blowing your only chance.
	Act like I'm Gino.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Caesar's eyes light up.

		CAESAR
	Holy shit, I don't believe it!  We've
	been going crazy over here, Gino!

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	Good boy.

Mickey jumps up.

		CAESAR
	It's Gino!  It's Gino!

		MICKEY
	Where in the hell is he?

INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

		VIOLET
	We were in a car accident --

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	They were in a car accident.

		VIOLET
	But everybody is all right.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

		CAESAR
	They're all fine.  Just bruises and
	shit.

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	Now you listen to me, asshole, I
	know your gun is behind the bar ...

		MICKEY
	Un-fucking-believable.  I called
	those highway patrol dumb fucks.

		CAESAR
	Ssh!  I can't hear Gino!

		VIOLET (V.O.)
	We make a deal or I come out and
	hand this phone to Mickey.

		CAESAR
	I'm listening.

INT.  BATHROOM - NIGHT

Violet has her robe over her dress, wrapping her hair in a
towel, making sure the bruise on her forehead is hidden.

		VIOLET
	I want what's mine, half the money.
	We get rid of Mickey, no one else
	dies.  No one.  Say yes, I understand.

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	Yes, I understand.

		VIOLET
	Tell them I'm at St. Mary's off the
	Kennedy, in the waiting room, but
	stay on the phone until I come out.

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	Sure, Gino, sure.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Out of the corner of his eye, he watches Violet come out of
the bathroom.

		CAESAR
	St.  Mary's off the Kennedy, sure.
	Okay, Gino.

Mickey sees Violet.

		VIOLET
	Mickey?  What are you doing here?

		MICKEY
	Violet, it's Gino and Johnnie.  They
	were in a car accident.

		VIOLET
	Oh my God.  Was anyone hurt?

		MICKEY
	I think everything is okay.

Caesar hangs up.

		CAESAR
	They're at St.  Mary's in the waiting
	room.

Mick is already on the way.

		MICKEY
	I can't fit them all in my car so
	give me your keys.  You drive my
	car, Lou.

Caesar sees Violet walking toward the kitchen.

		CAESAR
	Sure, Mickey, sure.  Violet!

She stops, looking straight at the freezer.

		CAESAR
	Go grab my car keys from my pants in
	the bathroom.

She turns to him.

		CAESAR
	Please, help us out, Mickey wants to
	get going.

She turns to the bathroom.

		MICKEY
	They might want to go straight to
	the airport and back to Miami, so I
	better take this.

He grabs the briefcase.

		MICKEY
	You got the key?

		CAESAR
	Oh yeah.  Violet!

INT.  CLOSET - NIGHT

Where Corky remains bound, still unconscious.  We hear the
name echo in her head.

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	Violet!

Suddenly, her eyes blink open.

		CAESAR (V.O.)
	Violet!

Her eyes blink again as she tries to focus.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Violet hands Mickey the keys for the car and the case.

		MICKEY
	Thanks, V.

He kisses her on the cheek.

		CAESAR
	Call me as soon as you get him.

		MICKEY
	Leave your phone on the hook.

Mickey and Lou leave.  Violet is staring at Caesar, standing
near the door.

In his right hand he is holding the other towel.  He smiles.

		CAESAR
	Now that's teamwork.

		VIOLET
	I should have let him kill you.

		CAESAR
	You know he would have done you,
	too.

		VIOLET
	I knew I couldn't trust you.

He drops the towel, raising the gun.

		CAESAR
	I said I'd let you live and I will.

He smiles again.

		CAESAR
	Maybe.

INT.  CLOSET - NIGHT

Corky is wide awake, thrashing-mad, biting her gag, struggling
to get free.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Caesar pulls his pants on.

		CAESAR
	Time to find out if the dyke was
	stupid enough to lie.

Caesar drags Violet througb the front door.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

The closet doors burst open as Corky fights her way out.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Caesar sees the buckets of paint.

He rips the lid from the nearest and kicks it over.  Paint
spills out across the floor.

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Suddenly Corky stops; something has caught her eye.  We drop
down, focusing on what she is staring at --

The clippers.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

He kicks over the second bucket and the bag tumbles out with
the rushing flow of paint.

		CAESAR
	Yes!

He turns to Violet, who is already running out the door.

		CAESAR
	No!

INT.  HALL - NIGHT

Violet turns down the hall, bare feet beating against the
floor.

Caesar slices out of the room behind her.

		CAESAR
	Violet!

He aims the gun as she hurls her self into the emergency
door.

		CAESAR
	Fuck!

INT.  STAIRWELL - NIGHT

She flies, hands on the rail, spiraling down each flight as
he charges after her.

		CAESAR
	Goddammit, Violet!  Stop!  Now!

INT.  BEDROOM - NIGHT

Straining, Corky's fingers curl around the handle of the
clippers.

INT.  LOBBY - NIGHT

Violet smashes through the door, but instead of turning to
the main doors, she runs straight for the elevators.

She pounds the button and waits.

		VIOLET
	Come on.  Come on, please.

She hears Caesar coming just as the elevator opens.

Caesar crashes out of the stair door, running toward the
exit.  When he doesn't see Violet, he turns to the sound of
the elevator --

And catches a glimpse of her as the doors close.

		CAESAR
	Oh, you bitch.  You fucking bitch.

Taking a really deep breath, he throws open the door to the
stairs.

INT.  ELEVATOR - NIGHT

Violet takes Johnnie's cellular phone from the robe pocket
and dials a number.

Mickey answers on the car phone.

		VIOLET
	Mickey!  Oh God, Mickey!

		MICKEY (V.O.)
	Violet?

Whispering, she acts terrified.

		VIOLET
	He made me help him, Mickey, God, I
	was so afraid.  It was Caesar, all
	Caesar.  You have to help me.  He's
	coming - Oh God!

She hangs up, eyes blazing.

INT.  STAIRWELL - NIGHT

Sweat pouring off him, Caesar climbs the stairs.

INT.  HALL - NIGHT

The elevator opens, Violet bolts out.  She runs down the
hall, past the empty apartment, back to her door.

		VIOLET
	Corky?

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT - NIGHT

She rushes to the bedroom, where she finds the coils of cut
rope.

		VIOLET
	Corky!

She looks at the wall separating the apartment.

INT.  HALL - NIGHT

Caesar half-falls out of the stair door, drenched with sweat.

INT.  EMPTY APARTMENT

Gun ready, Caesar throws open the door.

Spread out like a pond of milk is the spilled paint, but --

The money is gone.

Leading away from the white pool are boot prints and the
drip trail of the plastic bag.

The tracks lead to the bathroom.

Caesar kicks open the bathroom door and finds the bag of
money next to Corky's empty boots.

Over his shoulder we see Corky already swinging a massive
pipe wrench.

At the last second he is able to duck, falling to the ground
as --

The doorjamb splinters with a terrible metal crunch.

Before he can recover and shoot, she brings the wrench down
on his arm.

He screams as the gun hits the floor.

She kicks it, sending it skidding, hydroplaning across the
paint pool to the other side, leaving a jet trail of white
swirls and spirals on the wood floor.

They fight, Corky raining blows onto his back and flailing
arm until --

He catches her foot, flipping her as he clambers up.

Scrambling across the paint, slipping, crawling for the gun
when --

Violet bursts in, pointing the gun from the freezer.

		VIOLET
	Stop!

Caesar, on hands and knees, looks at her, then at his gun
still out of reach.

		VIOLET
	It's over, Caesar.  I called Mickey.
	He's on his way.

Violet stands for long time, the gun trained carefully on
him as he rises from the floor.

Panting, Caesar watches her like a mad dog.

		VIOLET
	Get out of here, Caesar.  If you
	want to live you had better start
	running.

He smiles.

		CAESAR
	All these years and you still don't
	know me, Violet.

She glances down and sees the paint-covered gun.

		CAESAR
	But I know you.

He turns to the gun.

		VIOLET
	Caesar, don't.

		CAESAR
	What are you going to do, V?  Shoot
	me?  Kill me in cold blood?  I don't
	think so.  I'll tell you why.  If
	you had it in you to pull that
	trigger, you would have done it a
	long time ago.  If I was you, I would
	have killed me the minute I brought
	the money home.  But you didn't and
	I know why, because you don't want
	to kill me.  Do you, V?  Do you?
	No, I know you don't.

		VIOLET
	Caesar, you don't know shit.

Violet fires --

The bullet hits Caesar in the shoulder, knocking him off
balance.  Another doubles him over as blood speckles the
pool of paint.

She empties the gun into him.  His body arcs back, falling,
splashing into the paint.

Caesar's blood bubbles out bright red against the glistening
white.

				     DISSOLVE TO:

INT.  CAESAR'S APARTMENT - DAY

It is empty and clean.  In the bedroom, only a few hangers
are left dangling in the open closet.

EXT.  PARKING LOT - DAY

Mickey is standing with Violet, next to his Lincoln Town
Car.

		VIOLET
	I will never understand it, Mickey.
	You didn't even call the police.

		MICKEY
	I told you, the family doesn't want
	the police around.  We want to take
	care of it ourselves and we will.
	I'll find him.  I swear I will.

		VIOLET
	I know you will.

		MICKEY
	Sure you're going to be okay?  I
	mean, if you're having second
	thoughts, my offer still stands.

		VIOLET
	Thanks, Mickey, but I need to get
	out, you know?  Get away from all of
	this.

Mickey nods.

		VIOLET
	But thanks.  Thanks for everything.

She hugs him and he kisses her.  Then he gets in his car.
Violet watches him drive away and knows that she is free.

EXT.  CORKY'S APARTMENT

Corky sitting on stoop, patient, like a rock.

She looks up as she hears high heels, and smiles at --

Violet standing there, new outfit.

Corky stands in front of her.

		CORKY
	Hey.

		VIOLET
	Hey.

		CORKY
	How'd it go?

		VIOLET
	I'm here, aren't I?

Corky nods.

		CORKY
	I guess we should get out of here.

Violet nods.

Corky digs out alarm keys, aims, fires.  Violet turns, looks.

New truck.

Violet turns to Corky, eyebrow cocked.

		CORKY
	Thought we might need a getaway car.

Smiles, they get in.

INT.  TRUCK

Corky admires truck.

		CORKY
	You know what the difference is
	between us, Violet?

		VIOLET
	No.

		CORKY
	...  Me neither.

Lean for kiss, as dolly in.

Guns engine.

Zoom.

		    THE END
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