Screenwriting Mastery › Forums › The 30 Day Screenplay › 30 Day Screenplay 11 › Lesson 14
-
Lesson 14
Posted by cheryl croasmun on November 28, 2022 at 4:51 amReply to post your assignments.
michelle patnett replied 2 years, 4 months ago 5 Members · 4 Replies -
4 Replies
-
Scene 13
INT. SHOP – DAY
Tracy comes out of the stockroom with a mug of coffee.
She takes up a position behind the counter as the
Doorbell rings. D. I GREEN and Sergeant JAMES enter the
shop. They hold up their warrant cards, then snap them
shut.
D.I. GREEN
Police. Is Mr. Holmes here?
TRACY
No. Not yet.
D.I. GREEN
When do you expect him?
TRACY
Wait a minute who exactly are you?
What do you want? And how do I
know you are police?
Green hold out his warrant card.
D.I. GREEN
I’m Detective Inspector green, and
this is Sergeant James.
TRACY
I’ve never seen one of those
before. You could’ve bought it in
the market for all I know.
D.I. GREEN
I think you know very well it’s
real. Come now tell me your name.
TRACY
It’s Tracy. Tracy Hines
D.I. GREEN
And you work here. Yes?
TRACY
Yes. I do. Have done for nearly a
year now. I’m doing a sort of
apprenticeship. I could cut a key
for you if you like.
CONTINUED:
(CONTINUED)
7.
Green gives her a hard stare and glances at Sergeant
James.
D.I. GREEN
That won’t be necessary, but a bit
of co-operation will be. Tell me
does your boss own an old car, a
Jowell Javelin?
Tracy relaxes. She takes a sip of coffee.
TRACY
He does, yes, it’s his hobby. He
does up old classics. Why?
Tracy’s eyes dart to the door. Marty stands outside.
The doorbell rings as he enters the shop. He looks ill-atease.
D.I. GREEN
Marty Holmes?
Marty nods. He removes his glasses and wipes them with a
handkerchief, as the two policemen product their warrant
cards.
D.I. GREEN
D.I. Green and sergeant James.
Tracy here tells me you own a
Jowell Javelin is that right?
MARTY
Yes, I renovate old cars. The
Jowell is the latest. What’s this
about?
Tracy interrupts.
TRACY
I asked that. They wouldn’t tell
me.
Green gives her a stern look. Tracy gives him a defiant
glare.
D.I. GREEN
(To Marty)
And you were driving that car in
the early hours of yesterday?
Marty rubs his eyes and puts his glasses back on.
CONTINUED: (2)
(CONTINUED)
8.
D.I. GREEN
Well, were you?
MARTY
Sorry, yes, I was. I wanted to
give the car a test run at a time
when I wouldn’t get embroiled in
traffic. That’s not a crime and
I’m pretty sure I didn’t break the
speed limit.
D.I. GREEN
Perhaps not, but it’s what you got
up to when you parked up in
Chigwell that I’m interested in. I
think you’d better come with us.
We need a word and that needs to
be done at the station.
The colour left Marty’s face. He rested his hand on the
counter for support. Then he drew himself upright and
looked at Tracy.
MARTY
Looks like you’ll have to manage
the shop for a while Tracy, look
after things for me … and ring
Mary and tell her what goes on
will you?
Tracy nodded, upset.
D.I. GREEN
(To Marty)
Where’s the car kept?
MARTY
In the lock up round the corner.
Marty was escorted out. The shop door closed behind them.
Tracy ran to the door and watched them walk away through
the market, Sergeant James’s hand on Marty’s arm.
Stallholders looked up as they passed, curious.
CONTINUED: (3)
(CONTINUED)
9.
Tracy takes out her phone and gets up Mary’s number.
TRACY
(Sobbing)
Mary… Oh, Mary, Marty’s been
arrested… The police have taken
him.
CUT TO:
EXT. LOCK UP – DAY (scene 13a)
D.I. Green and Sergeant James stand outside the lock up
with Marty.
D.I. GREEN
Open up.
Marty unlocks the double doors and pulls them wide open.
INSIDE LOCK UP
The shop van and the Jowell are parked side by side.
Sergeant James checks the Jowell registration number
against a number in his notebook.
SERGEANT JAMES
That looks like it.
(To Marty)
Right you. We need to get you to
the Loughton police station for a
serious talk.
MARTY
Loughton? That’s miles away.
SERGEANT JAMES
It’s our base. If you want to make
a journey, you should stick to
committing crimes on your own
patch.
MARTY
But it don’t. I don’t know what
you mean… I…
FADE
INT. POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM – DAY (scene 14)
Marty sits opposite D.I. Green and sergeant James at a
bare table.
MARTY
As I’ve just told you. I took it
for a run to avoid getting snarled
up in day time traffic. And it’s
been recently taxed and insured.
Silence.
MARTY
What’s this all about?
D.I. GREEN
Do you know a George Godwin?
MARTY
If you mean the George Godwin who
is known as something of a
villain, then no. I don’t know
him. I am only vaguely aware of
his name from the newspapers.
D.I Green turns and smiles knowingly at Sergeant James.
D.I. GREEN
(to Marty)
Strange thing is he was shot and
killed in his home on the very
night that you drove to Chingwell.
In fact you parked pretty much
round the corner from his place.
MARTY
You can’t think that I had
anything to do with a shooting?
That’s just not –
D.I. GREEN (INTERRUPTING)
No. We don’t think you were there.
We know you were. In fact, we are
absolutely sure of it.
Marty squeezes his hands together in his lap.
MARTY
That’s ridiculous. I don’t know
the guy and I have never touched a
gun in my life!.. And why would I
want to kill him?
D.I. GREEN
We know you were there, and Godwin
is dead. What was it, a falling
out among thieves, perhaps?
Marty sits back. He puffs out his cheeks and throws up
his hands, scornful.
Sergeant James takes over.
SERGEANT JAMES
You describe your car as a
classic, right?
MARTY
Yes.
SERGEANT JAMES
Do you know how many of those cars
are still around and registered?
MARTY
Very few.
SERGEANT JAMES
And the number of them registered
to addresses in the London area is
vanishingly small.
MARTY
So?
SERGEANT JAMES
So, I must say that it’s beyond a
coincidence that such a car is
parked near a break in and
shooting and is owned by, guess
who… a locksmith.
Marty fidgets uncomfortably, and avoids looking at him.
D. I Green leant forward.
D.I. GREEN
Not only were we sure you were at
Chingwell, we are sure you were at
the house. Not that you left a
trail of broken locks and
anything, you are clearly skilled
at your trade, or whatever you
call it. Show him, sergeant James.
CONTINUED: (6)
(CONTINUED)
12.
Sergeant James reached in his pocket and produced a small
clear plastic evidence bag. He spoke harshly.
SERGEANT JAMES
Do you know what this is?
Marty squints at it through his glasses. He shakes his
head.
D.I. GREEN
As you know George Godwin was shot
dead in the hall of his house,
lying on a nice clean polished
marble floor. Do you know what was
found alongside the body?
A long silence hung in the air.
D.I. GREEN
You probably don’t know you made a
mistake. It appears you struggled
with him and –
MARTY
No, I didn’t, I –
D.I. GREEN
It was a scuff mark, a smudge on
the marble from the sole of a shoe
that contained some specs of dust.
Not just any old dust. It’s the
metallic dust of the sort that
comes from cutting keys.
(he smiles)
I reckon you should sweep you
floors a bit more if you are going
to go out killing people.
D. I green turns to Sergeant James.
D.I. GREEN
I very much think we’ve got our
killer,. Eh, Sergeant?
Marty puts a hand to his forehead and leans over th
table.
MARTY
I, I … Can I have a drink of
water?
D. I Green nods at the sergeant. He gets up and leaves
the room.
CONTINUED: (7)
13.
A few minutes pass. Then –
MARTY
You’ve got it all wrong. I think I
want a solicitor. Can I phone my
wife and …
In slow motion, Marty slid off the chair to the floor and lay there motionless.
-
Doug – Day 14. What I learned was that – by diving back into my beat sheet and dialoguing with my characters, I was able to learn a lot about what this part of the story is about and how it could work. Still have a lot of work to do, but I was able to weave a sense of “old ways” and “new ways” into it all – in a way that seems to make sense for the story-flow. Really dialogue heavy at the moment, but that’s something to work on later!
DAY 13 – DEC. 14, 2022
INT. CO-OP LOBBY – DAY
Shirley pivots her walker and gestures to the elevator.SHIRLEY
C’mon up to 504. Someone yououghta meet.
The elevator door opens. An OLDER WOMAN – but straight and strong, with more than a hint of steel, walks out, heading for the building exit. She walks straight between Shirley and Nick, looking neither left nor right.
Emma.
SHIRLEY\
OLDER WOMAN (EMMA)
At the door, she turns back, to give Nick a closer look.Shirley.
EMMA Young man?
NICK Yes?
EMMA Jerome’s associate?
NICK Yes. I’m so…
EMMA
As are we all. We shall talklater.
INT. ELEVATOR – CONTINUOUS
Nick gives Shirley a questioning look.SHIRLEY
Emma Bluestone, Co-op BoardPresident – though “Queen Emma” is a better fit.
CUT TO:
Nick isn’t sure how to respond. The elevator stops – door opens. Nick keeps it open as Shirley slowly exits.
INT. APARTMENT 504 – CONTINUOUS
The APARTMENT’S OCCUPANT opens the door, revealing Nick and Shirley on the other side.
JENICE BRADWELL, 40’s, intelligent and attractive, and, though she looks just a bit worn out, her twitching, sarcastic smile and (mostly) sparkling eyes refuse to concede defeat.
JENICE Hey, Shirley! And…
NICK
Nick Parker. I worked with…JENICE
My brother. I heard you werethere.
NICK …I was too late.
JENICE
We were all too late.(beat) Come in.
She leads them down a long entry corridor towards a large wood-paneled living room at the other end – the corridor continuing on to the rooms beyond. There’s a RACKET of a SHOOT-EM-UP VIDEO GAME sounding from within.
JENICE (CONT’D) Riley, mute that, please! We’ve
got company!
RILEY, a bright and beaming 12-year-old, and a Gran Prix caliber driver of his confining wheelchair, spins around to see who’s coming – then leans back and hits the remote to shut everything down. He grins and waves hello.
RILEY
Hey! I was just about to breakinto Level 4, but… there’s always later!
JENICE
This is Nick Parker. He workedwith Uncle Jerome. Riley’s face falls. Then…
2.
RILEY If I were there…
JENICE Riley…
NICK
You might be right, but…JENICE Riley?
RILEY Sure thing, Mom.
He spins and wheels out – making verbal Gran Prix sound effects as he rounds the corner on “one wheel” and heads down the hall to his bedroom.
NICK Wow! Great kid!
Jenice nods and smiles.
JENICE My pride and joy.
She “resets” and turns to face Nick squarely.
JENICE (CONT’D)
So, Mr. Nick. What’s the state ofplay? Back when my little brother and I weren’t talking, Jerome got wind that Queen Emma and “her court” were running the building – which was his childhood home, as well – into the ground.
(beat)
He was already talking with Carl and Pastor Summers about his big- time, blockbuster deal – so he figured – as long as our childhood home was being driven into a ditch – he might as well figure out a way that he and the Queen could profit out of the wreckage, and fold it all into one big package.Off Nick’s look…
3.
SHIRLEY
Y’see – we’re an HDFC co-op. Weown the building – cause, back in the day when we were all renters, the old landlord gave up trying to keep this a place fit for human habitation – so the City took it away and fixed it up…
JENICE
…the barest little bit, accordingto Mom and Dad…
SHIRLEY
…and sold it back to all of usformer renters for $250 an apartment.
NICK
Whoa. Sounds like the best dealI’ve ever heard of.
SHIRLEY
It was, but then, since, all of asudden, we were our own owners – we had to keep the place running like a well-oiled machine…
JENICE
Or the broken-down jalopy it mostclosely resembled…
SHIRLEY
All by ourselves. Problem was,most of us didn’t understand the idea of owning our own building, since we were so used to fighting crooked landlords who treated us like cockroaches who just happened to pay rent – so it wasn’t all that hard for Emma to step in and do everything no one else wanted to do.
(MORE)
4.
SHIRLEY (CONT’D)
She was smart and competent and ranthe place like a real business and people were happy and no one noticed, or really cared if they did, that she got kickbacks from the contractors, double-paid utility bills out of the co-op’s bank account – half to ConEd, half to Con-Emma – and, when some of the old folks died without any family to leave their place to, somehow they always seemed to leave their apartments to Emma, instead, even if they never drew up a will.
NICK
Queen Emma sounds just about right.SHIRLEY
But now that she’s getting older,she’s starting to feel the winter chill in her bones and Florida beckons. So she reached out to Jerome and made a deal, through Jerome, with his company. Your company.
Nick gives her a sheepish shrug.
NICK
Yeah, as of a week and a half… mycompany, too.
SHIRLEY
The deal was – if she made surethat our building ran straight into a ditch…
JENICE
Easy, since she never let anyonenear the steering wheel…
SHIRLEY
The City would have to put it upfor 3rd Party Transfer. (off Nick’s questioning
look)
Foreclosure and auction. Which is the only way an outside investor could ever possibly hope to buy an HDFC co-op like this one – ever.(beat) (MORE)
5.
SHIRLEY (CONT’D)
I don’t know for sure, but my guessis that she’s arranged for a huge finder’s fee for herself, once she pulled it off… after, of course, she’d already drained our cash reserves down to the last drop, to make sure we have to go into foreclosure…
JENICE
Meanwhile, rumor has it, she’s incontract for a three bedroom ranch house with a pool in Kissimmee, a fourteen minute drive to Walt Disney World.
Shirley gives Jenice a sad, mischievous look.
SHIRLEY
Until my great-niece over heredecided it was time to heal the family wounds…
JENICE
…and guilt-trip my little brotherto save… or rather, try to save his only nephew’s home.
There’s a shout from the hallway – and all turn to see that Riley’s been there the whole time, listening.
RILEY
I may have been his “only” nephewbut I was still his favorite! (wiping away a tear)
JENICE
That you were, honey. And…(with a rueful smile)
Sneaky little twerp that Jerome was, he went all through the client files at (name of the company) and found five – count ‘em, five – potential buyers – income qualified families, low income recent grads whose families were gonna gift them with the purchase price, and a couple of retirees who’d just sold their homes in the ‘burbs, who wanted to spend their golden years back in the city… and not a money- laundering, international criminal mastermind anywhere in the lot of them!(MORE)
6.
JENICE (CONT’D) (beat)
Jerome had to work on the sly, because his office definitely did not want this building to survive. But, thanks to my little bro’s undercover work with those buyers, we were all set to come back from the grave…until Queen Emma mobilized “her court”…
SHIRLEY
Namely her lame-ass husband, Alexand her even lamer nephew, Rodrigo…
JENICE
Into exercising their majority onthe co-op board of directors to veto all five applicants – on the grounds that they were all a bunch of scurvy gentrifiers – out to ruin the building and the neighborhood!
NICK
What did the rest of the board do?JENICE
Shirley and I flipped our lids, butwe were outvoted. So – unless… (she leaves it hanging)
SHIRLEY
The building is going straight intoforeclosure auction – right into the pocket of whoever Jerome’s company has rigged the system to make sure they get it.
JENICE
Gotta admit – Jerome went right tothe wall with Queen – but she laughed in his face and told him to take it up with the City… because, thanks to your company, all the bean-counters who matter are already on their payroll…
7.
SHIRLEY
And then she had the nerve to tellus, the ones who’ve raised our families and some of us, our family’s families, here – Don’t worry, all that’s gonna happen is that you’ll be paying rent again, not maintenance fees – and someone else will have to make sure the roof doesn’t leak on your old tired heads! So I really do think I’m doing y’all a favor…
JENICE
(figure out her attitudehere)
And then she told Jerome that he’d better do his job and find all those folks homes somewhere else – or she’d be forced to tell the powers that be that he’d welched on his deal and was trying to sell-out the hand that’s feeding him.Nick registers this.
NICK
Oh.
Jenice winces as a flash of pain sweeps through her.JENICE
So – it kind of looks like…(too hard to spell out) …doesn’t it?
Jenice then turns, realizing that Riley is still there, listening.
JENICE (CONT’D)
Riley – to your room, now!
All we see is the back of Riley’s chair as he skitters away.
NICK (taking it in)
I guess it wasn’t about his Rolex
JENICE (sadly)
Wasn’t even. A 125th Street knock- off.
8.
NICK
(realizing he’s got someserious recalibrating to
do)
They gave me your brother’s listings. They’re expecting the 3rd Party Transfer to go through, but… well… y’know I’m new in town, but – if you’d trust me to talk to the folks who got turned down by… Queen… maybe we can do something to unfix the fix?(beat)
How much would those sales bring in?JENICE
Two and a half million plus.NICK And that…
JENICE
Would help the building get well,real fast.
NICK Whoa. Jerome…
JENICE
I know. That witch got himkilled… for a ranch house in Kissimmee.
Shirley goes to her.
SHIRLEY
Jenice, we don’t know that…Jenice shakes her off.
JENICE
Doesn’t matter if she did ordidn’t. It’s all the same. Jerome tried to do the right thing, but now, he’s dead, and we’re gonna go back to being “cockroach tenants” under some slumlord’s boot – until he figures out a way to turn us out and get a bigger payday.
Nick takes a breath.
9.
NICK Or… not.
Shirley and Jenice look at him, as Riley stealthily wheels back into the archway, taking it all in. And then…
RILEY
Hey, Nick, you wanna play Worlds ofWarcraft sometime?
Nick grins. He needed a break right about now!NICK
Yo, Riley! Um, it’s only fair towarn you that I had a 120 Cap at the Battle of Azeroth, so…
Riley looks stunned.
RILEY Really?
(then grins)
Me, too! Hahaha! This is gonna befun! (beat)
Mom, Aunt Shirley – maybe you should cut this guy some slack. He just might be the real deal… or, at least, not a total loser…
NOTE: SO Riley is now excited for an upcoming “play-date”, whereas Nick, Jenice, and Shirley have just pretty much confirmed that Jerome, by trying to defeat “the old ways”, got himself killed – and now Nick, who may be getting ready to step into Jenice’s little brother’s shows, may also be putting himself into this same line of fire, as well. (IE trying to defeat his company’s plan – a well as that of the co-op board president – to sell out the shareholders for a massive, but totally corrupt, gain. Not to mention the plan of the criminal money-laundering interests who want to gain control of the building, as well.
10.
-
Act II middle scene:
EXT. CROOKED HOBBIT HOUSE – DAY
Frank pulls into KEN’s driveway and gets out. Ken (age unknown) is a short white bearded man who slumps to one side when he walks and speaks with a twisted stroke smile. He greets Frank with a quiet finger tipped handshake.
KEN
Welcome young man.
Frank approaches the house noticing some cow dung and obvious hole in the porch. He peers down and sees nothing but black; stares back at Ken.
KEN
Bull…shit.
FRANK
I can see that. What’s in the hole?
Ken’s tractor in nearby and he twists it’s mirror to reflect the sun’s light into the porch hole. It’s a bull staring back at them.
KEN
If we’re going to have animals around we all have to be concerned about them and take care of them.
FRANK
By keeping them in your basement?
Ken wraps a hemp rope around his tractor bucket and drops the other end down the hole. Points down.
KEN
Go.
Frank scrambles down a step ladder and nervously faces the bull.
KEN
He could crush you to death, but does not know it. Grab his ring and rope the horns.
FRANK
We’re pulling him out by the horns?
Frank wraps the horns and steadies the bull by its nose ring. Ken fires up the tractor and slowly lifts the bull out of the basement hole and places next to the porch. Once released the bull saunters down the field, joining the cows.
KEN
Animals, like children, need to know their boundaries and once they do, they often are happier knowing what is acceptable and, what is not…and trust your instincts. Intuition doesn’t lie.
EXT. FARM – DAY
Frank rolls into driveway with 3 WRESTLING TEAM members in the back of his truck. His drunk FATHER IN LAW has tipped over his tractor over with the engine still running; still in gear with tire KICKING MUD in all directions…they race over to the rescue.
-
What I learned is the importance of stacking the odds against the protagonist. This amps up the conflict and makes it more enjoyable for the audience.
WOMAN #1
You need to come a lot earlier if you want a bed. Try again tomorrow. Line starts at 5.
Monique wanders the streets aimlessly. Eventually she curls up in the doorway of a church.
PASTOR
Have you tried the shelter? Maybe they have a vacancy.
MONIQUE
I’m not homeless. I have more money than I know what to do with.
PASTOR
Then you’re luckier than most people. But do you have Jesus on your side?
MONIQUE
Look. I’m not gonna get into it with you right now. I just need to get back on my feet.
PASTOR
Well if you won’t accept the Lord’s help, maybe you’ll accept mine. How about some coffee?
Monique grudgingly accepts and slowly opens up to the pastor.
PASTOR
Well, you certainly tell an interesting story.
MONIQUE
I know you don’t believe me. I wouldn’t either if I hadn’t experienced it.
PASTOR
Well, it’ll all work out in the end. Just show up with your paperwork and let the law work for you. Things have a way of—
MONIQUE
Empty words are the last thing I need right now. A shotgun would be more useful.
PASTOR
Violence solves nothing. I can give you the name of a help center.
MONIQUE
Shelter’s full. Which is why I’m here.
PASTOR
No, a legal aid center. They may be able to help. Or at least point you in the right direction.
MONIQUE
Oh. My car was towed. With my purse and everything.
Pastor slides over a few dollar bills and some loose change.
PASTOR
Call them. You might be able to work something out.
Exterior, Pasadena laundromat. Monique using the payphone.
MONIQUE
Hey. Sylvia. It’s Monica. Hey, sis.
SYLVIA
Well, you got some fucking nerve. Five years and all you can say is ‘hey’? Fucking puta.
MONIQUE
Look, I know I haven’t been in touch. And I’m sorry about that. But I kinda need your help right now. I’m in trouble.
SYLVIA
Trouble? Ask your rich, white friends for help.
MONIQUE
Steven’s dead. He was killed in a car accident. Listen, I’m in town. I really need your help.
SYLVIA
Hmm, that don’t sound like nothing I can help you with.
MONIQUE
How’s mom.
SYLVIA
Good, good. Real good. She working for free now at the hospital. They cut her hours and her rate.
MONIQUE
Look, I’m sorry that
SYLVIA
And I’m doing real good too, thanks for asking. Manolo needs to have his tonsils out but Carlos just got fired so that takes care of that.
MONIQUE
You have every right to be angry with me. I know I
SYLVIA
It’s been real nice catching up with you. Let’s do this in another five years.
MONIQUE
Please! I need your help and you’re the only person that can help.
SYLVIA
What the fuck do you want?
MONIQUE
Pick me up and I’ll tell you. Please?
SYLVIA
You know what. I’m almost tempted to do it. That way I can slap your stupid face in person.
MONIQUE
Fine, fine. Hit me all you want but please come get me.
Interior, laundromat. Monique waiting next to pay phone, when a fight erupts. Shots are fired and the area becomes a crime scene. All patrons are forced to evacuate a block away. Monique just misses Sylvia as she drives by.
MONIQUE
Sylvia, come back! Dammit!
Next day, Monique attempts to contact Sylvia again, but Sylvia refuses to answer the phone.
MONIQUE
Mama, please. I really need her help. Or yours. Someone.
MAMA
Mija, it’s been five years. You can’t just expect her to drop everything for you. Not anymore.
Interior, crowded and dilapidated office. Mark, a young paralegal distractedly looking through files on his desk.
MONIQUE
So they pretty much took his word over mine. And then my car was towed with my I.D. and credit cards and my everything. And he must have broken in while I was gone and threw away all my paperwork. He’s squatting in my house, but don’t we have laws against that kind of stuff?
MARK
Yeah, that’s interesting. So you say you’re originally from LA, but you don’t know anyone in the area?
MONIQUE
Uh, no. Not really.
MARK
Well, first step is to establish your identity. But without photo identification, that’s gonna be tricky. Anyone from your old neighborhood that might remember you? Pastor, teacher, extended family members?
MONIQUE
No, I didn’t leave on good terms with…anyone.
MARK
Hmm. Interesting. Well, like I said, you need photo id.
MONIQUE
I moved from Seattle a few days ago.
MARK
Well, there you go. Your Seattle friends and neighbors can vouch for you.
MONIQUE
No. They won’t.
MARK
Why not? You know what, doesn’t matter. Order a replacement ID and we’ll go from there.
MONIQUE
How. I’m a thousand miles away. I don’t have a house or car. No money.
MARK
Well, you could always find a job. Cash-paying job. Babysitting, waitressing, housecleaning.
MONIQUE
I’m the VP of regional sales for a nationwide pharmaceutical company. You want me to work some minimum wage, cash job? I have cash. I just can’t access it right now.
MARK
Doesn’t matter how much money you have if you can’t prove it’s yours.
MONIQUE
And what about the house? How do I get it back?
MARK
Look. First work on proving you are who you are. Then we’ll go from there.
MONIQUE
No. No, that’s bullshit. The longer we let it go, the more power he has. Squatter’s rights, or whatever.
MARK
Fine. Yeah, I’ll do some research. Start a title search.
MONIQUE
When do you want me to check back with you? Next week? How soon do you think I can get this wrapped up?
MARK
Uh, no. That’s not how it works. I’ll call you.
MONIQUE
How? Tin can and string?
MARK
Oh. OK, check back in.. yeah, a week. I might need more info from you.
INT. SHOT, NONDESCRIPT DINER
OWNER
It ain’t rocket science. You greet the customers, take their orders, and bring
’em their food. Try not to screw up too much. This a 5-star establishment, I
got a rep to maintain
MONIQUE
When do I get paid? I need cash right away.
OWNER
Sounds like a ‘you’ problem. Just don’t screw up and you might earn something.
Monique tries to balance an overloaded tray and overturns a bowl of soup on a customer. She is immediately kicked out.
EXT. SHOT, NIGHTTIME. REAR OF GROCERY STORE
A dirty Monique emerges from the dumpster, holding a few wrapped deli sandwiches.
MONIQUE
Fucking ridiculous. I wouldn’t feed this shit to my dog.
Monique sits on the curb, eating by moonlight. She pauses mid-bite, jumps up and runs down the street.
EXT. SHOT, DUMPSTER OUTSIDE THE SAME GROCERY STORE MONIQUE PREVIOUSLY SHOPPED AT.
Monique sits on the curb, surrounded by a few bags and scattered paper. She examines each page and nods sadly.
MONIQUE
I was right. He just dumped it all. But nothing in here helps me. Sure, it has
my name on it. I know that’s my name. But I can’t prove any of this is mine. Fuck.
EXT SHOT, MONIQUE’S FORMER HOME.
Monique peers through window at Mark, sipping wine at the fireplace.
Log in to reply.