Bound Screenplay by Larry and Andy Wachowski 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?