ACT IV
FADE IN:
EXT. GULL’S WAY – MORNING
The truck is where it was left last night, but now the driver’s side mirror is temporarily back in position thanks to the miracle of duct tape.
EXT. THE PATIO – MORNING
McCORMICK is upholding the reputation of the Gull’s Way safe house culinary department with a spread that includes scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and a selection of fresh fruit. We wonder when he has time to do the shopping. PORTMAN is sitting at the table, not even pretending to pick at the food on her plate. She appears to have already heard the news. HARDCASTLE and McCORMICK sit across the table from each other, engaged in the lively art of conversation.
McCORMICK
It’s risky. Besides, we have two classes today,
HARDCASTLE
Torts, schmorts. I’m talkin’ about nailing a murderer,
not to mention the guy who tried to run you two
McCORMICK
Come on. Why don’t you just admit it? You’re
bored and you want to go out and play. You
could give everything we’ve got to Frank. He
gets paid to do this stuff.
HARDCASTLE
We ain’t got much, kiddo. Two letters off
a license plate and a whole lotta maybe. This might
be our only chance to get the goods on –
Portman puts down the fork she was holding. It lands with a clatter on her plate. The two men look at her.
PORTMAN
I think I have a say in this. She was my
(there was the slightest emphasis on the ‘was’
and she looks each of them in the eye long
enough to get a nod from both)
(breaking down just slightly)
I want to get those bastards.
Hardcastle smiles; McCormick looks concerned. Hold that for a beat and,
CUT TO:
EXT. THE KAYTS MANSION
INT. CLOSE IN ON A CALIFORNIA LICENCE PLATE
It’s a slightly fanned set of two, with the top one visible. The “number” on it LKZ-582, The hand holding it sets it down on a desk top.
ANGLE – PULL BACK
J.T. HALLER steps back from the desk and stands respectfully. JASON KAYTS sits behind the desk, frowning at the plates.
HALLER
I’ve had the van reported stolen. It’s being shipped to
But looks like the girl’s gone to ground. I think she’s
staying at Hardcastle’s place.
KAYTS
You said you could handle it. Just a simple job,
like the one four years ago, and you make a hash
Haller opens his mouth to speak. Kayts cuts him off with a sharp sweep of his hand.
KAYTS
I don’t want your excuses. I want results.
The phone on Kayts’ desk rings. Kayts leans forward and picks it up, still scowling at Haller.
KAYTS
EXT. A PAYPHONE – DAY
Tight in on PORTMAN, holding the receiver to her right ear.
PORTMAN
(her tone is low, somewhere between
threatening and seductive)
Mr. Kayts? I don’t know if you remember me.
INTERCUT
KAYTS
PORTMAN.
You called me your angel.
You said you’d never forget me.
There’s a beat as Kayts reacts.
KAYTS
But I’ve been hearing that you’ve
taken up with somebody else – a
PORTMAN
(laughs lightly – then cuts it off
with a sudden change of tone)
But maybe you should be worried. He’s awfully
interested in you. He’s been asking me all
KAYTS
And just what have you been telling him?
PORTMAN
KAYTS
Maybe we should get together, talk over
PORTMAN
I don’t think so. Not after last night.
KAYTS
I have no idea what you’re referring to.
Whatever may have happened last night, I had nothing
PORTMAN
Of course not. People like you never do their
Maybe I should talk to Hardcastle.
KAYTS
No, that’s not necessary.
(then suddenly more persuasive)
But how can we do business when you don’t
trust me enough to meet with me?
Whatever you think happened before,
PORTMAN
What kind of ‘making up’ are you thinking
KAYTS
I think we need to talk about that in person,
PORTMAN
KAYTS
If you insist. Why don’t you choose the time and
ANGLE – PORTMAN
The camera is still close-in. She glances to her right with a questioning look, moving her left hand up to cover the mouthpiece of the receiver.
ANGLE – PULL BACK
It’s a public phone at the corner by a gas station. We see HARDCASTLE leaning in close on PORTMAN’S right side, by the receiver, while McCORMICK stands just a bit further away on her left, arms crossed, head cocked. The truck is parked not far behind them. The duct tape is still holding on the side mirror.
HARDCASTLE
Not too public. We want him to try something.
PORTMAN
(uncovers receiver, then, to phone)
How does the Santa Monica Pier sound to you?
McCormick smiles but Hardcastle makes a face. It’s way too public.
RESUME INTERCUT
KAYTS
A bit open. How about the beach, under the pier?
PORTMAN
Now Hardcastle is smiling. He likes the girl’s style. McCormick is grimacing slightly.
KAYTS
Fine, 3:30. See you then.
He puts the receiver back in the cradle soundlessly and sits back in his chair, his expression still thoughtful.
KAYTS
That was the girl. She wants to meet.
HALLER
But, like I was tryin’ to say, there’s something screwy
about this. I went back around, after the
‘accident’. They’d taken off but there were some
papers layin’ around and this.
(he scrabbles in his shirt pocket and pull
out something small – a photo ID card)
He holds the card out, leaning forward so Kayts doesn’t have to move much. Kayts takes it, holding it close and studying it briefly. He looks at Haller.
KAYTS
‘Andrea Portman’? And she’s enrolled in law
(he looks closely at the card again)
But it’s her. I don’t forget faces.
And she knows about me. She remembers. I don’t
how much, but I intend to find out.
HALLER
You’re going to meet her, out in public?
KAYTS
(flips the card between two fingers and
then clutches it in a tight grip)
Get Vinnie. He’s involved in this, too.
Off that we,
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET CORNER – DAY
HARDCASTLE, McCORMICK, and PORTMAN are standing by the truck, not far from the public phone. It sounds as if they’re in mid-argument.
PORTMAN
What can happen? Even under the pier there are scads
McCORMICK
Shadows, guys with switchblades, snipers –
HARDCASTLE
It’s too public. He might not try anything there.
Besides, we’ll get Frank in on it. We’ll have
it covered six ways to Sunday.
PORTMAN
Does he have to see the photos?
HARDCASTLE
Kiddo, Frank’s a cop. He’s kinda hard to
shock. Anyway, he’s busy enough with
illegal stuff. He doesn’t have a lot of disapproval
McCORMICK
PORTMAN
But now I’m pretending to be her.
Do you think he believed me?
HARDCASTLE
Looks like he can’t afford not to. Which is more
evidence that he has a guilty conscience. All we have
to do now is figure out why.
But thanks for moving the time back. There’ll be a little
less beach traffic, and more time to get set up.
You’re a natural at this.
PORTMAN
Uh-uh. We’ve got Torts from 12:30 to 2:30.
(checks her watch and glances up at Mark)
If you give me a ride in that flashy car of yours, we
can make it to Santa Monica Pier in plenty of time
McCORMICK
I’ll do it. But I think you’re not taking this
(sharp glance at Hardcastle)
She might not know any better but you do. Doing
stuff like this on the fly is risky as hell.
HARDCASTLE
(he nods in sober agreement but says)
Not that it’s ever stopped you.
McCormick frowns. There’s not much room for argument there.
HARDCASTLE
(heads for the truck, talks over his shoulder
You two worry about Katko v. Briney, and I’ll handle Portman v. Kayts.
Hardcastle stands aside, holding door for Portman, smiling confidently. McCormick shakes his head slowly as he heads for the driver’s side. Off this,
FADE TO:
EXT. THE LAW SCHOOL – DAY
There’s a smattering of student-types strolling by but no one entering or leaving. This all changes a half-beat later as the doors at the top of the steps open and students begin to exit, first in ones and twos, then en masse. In the crowd we spot PORTMAN and McCORMICK descending to the sidewalk.
ANGLE – PORTMAN AND McCORMICK
McCORMICK
I’ll grab the flashy car and be back in a sec.
Portman nods and steps back from the street and out of the way of the clumps of students still exiting. McCormick walks away briskly.
ANGLE – FROM DOWN THE STREET, TOWARD PORTMAN
The truck drives into the scene with HARDCASTLE visible behind the wheel. He pulls up to the curb across from the hall. Portman spots him and takes two steps toward her side of the street, as though intending to cross over to speak to him. Hardcastle has his door open but hasn’t stepped out. A dark Cadillac glides up to the curb near PORTMAN.
ANGLE – PORTMAN AND THE SEDAN
Portman stops in her tracks. The rear door opens and HALLER is seen, pointing a gun.
HALLER
Portman looks around franticly but does as she’s told. Haller grabs her wrist to hurry her.
ANGLE – FROM SIDEWALK TOWARD DRIVER’S SIDE OF THE SEDAN
The door closes behind Portman. No muss, no fuss. The car glides away, very smooth and efficient, to reveal Hardcastle across the street, slamming the truck door shut and,
ANGLE – FROM HARDCASTLE’S POV BACK TOWARD THE LAW SCHOOL
The sidewalk’s empty. He glances sharply toward the departing sedan.
ANGLE – HARDCASTLE AND TRUCK
HARDCASTLE
He turns to open the truck door and scramble back in. As his truck lurches from the curb, the COYOTE approached from the opposite direction and pulls up alongside.
ANGLE – COYOTE AND TRUCK
They’re facing opposite directions on the street, so HARDCASTLE, leaning out of his window, is next to McCORMICK, looking up at him, startled.
HARDCASTLE
They snatched her. The black Caddy.
(pointing down the street)
SMASH CUT:
INT. THE CADDY – DAY
Vinnie D’Sousa is behind the wheel, looking tense.
ANGLE – HALLER AND PORTMAN IN THE BACKSEAT
More silent tension. Portman is clutching her binder and sitting as far as possible from Haller, who’s still holding the gun on her.
HALLER
(quiet, firm, and chillingly polite)
You’ve got an appointment. We didn’t
CUT TO:
EXT. COYOTE AND TRUCK IN FRONT OF LAW SCHOOL
But not for long. The truck departs with a squeal of tires making an over-demand on traction and takes an early lead. The Coyote executes a whip-sharp turn involving minimal sidewalk and shoots past it.
THE CHASE – DIRECTOR’S SEQUENCE
Hardcastle is driving hell-bent-for-leather but it’s obvious that he’s going to be left behind in both speed and maneuverability. The camera stays with the Coyote, as McCormick takes insane risks to make up the block-and-a-half lead that the Cadillac started out with.
INT. THE CADILLAC
Vinnie D’Sousa gives a hard stare to his rear-view mirror and then glances into the back seat.
D’SOUSA
Haller looks back, but only for a fraction of a second, not shifting his gun.
HALLER
You got a boyfriend with a flashy car?
She looks at him rigidly, not sparing a glance for whatever is behind them.
HALLER
EXT. THE CADILLAC
It spurts ahead. D’Sousa’s no slouch and it’s every man for himself for the pedestrians as the Caddy makes McCormick’s pursuit look sedate.
INT. THE COYOTE
McCormick is a vision of grim concentration. He’s not giving up.
INT. THE CADILLAC
Portman glances out the window past Haller and then looks at him sharply.
PORTMAN
(still a little naïve about this kidnapping
I’m supposed to meet Mr. Kayts at the Santa Monica
Haller laughs, waves the gun in a quick gesture.
HALLER
That’s what I liked about you, Angel, you had
that crazy sense of humor.
PORTMAN
(it’s finally sinking in now)
I’m not her. I’m not Angela.
D’Sousa looks back for a second, then straightens forward and focuses on his driving. Haller just looks at her with a sly smile.
HALLER
Listen, kid, I don’t care if you say you’re Gina
Lollobrigida; you threatened Mr. Kayts and
he’s a guy who doesn’t like being threatened.
PORTMAN
(afraid, but holding it together)
HALLER
(tired of the conversation)
You’ll know when we get there.
(glances out the rear window again)
Your boyfriend’s persistent, I’ll give him
THE COYOTE
McCormick is indeed persistent, despite having lost the Cadillac with the change of traffic signals at a busy intersection. McCormick negotiates a sharp right into a business district alley, encounters the proverbial high-clearance shipping truck, and ducks through beneath it, leaving a couple of teamsters staring after in bewilderment. The next cross-street requires a sharp left, with a fishtail maneuver that forces cross-traffic to a screaming halt, but at least the next light lets him through, and now he’s running neck and neck with the Caddy in parallel courses on either side of a median parkway the leads toward a marina. We see the rear window drop on the Caddy and a gun barrel glints briefly before there is a sharp shot. McCormick swerves, whether from damage or reflex evasive maneuver we can’t tell.
INT. THE CADILLAC
Haller has his right arm, with gun, extended past Portman – a tactical error. She lunges forward, knocking his second shot awry and sinking her teeth into his wrist. He howls, rips himself free, and backhands her with the gun.
EXT. CADILLAC AND COYOTE
They’re still running nearly even, but the end is near as the roadways merge in a parking lot at the edge of the water. The Cadillac is going too fast. As the brakes are applied, it skids sideways. It barely escapes going into a side roll, rocking once as it finally comes to rest against the railing that separates the parking lot from the harbor. The Coyote pulls up sharply, with only enough of a skid to show it was a challenge. McCormick scrambles out of his seat and approaches the Caddy at a run, to take advantage of the other car’s less graceful stop.
ANGLE – THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CADILLAC
It’s too late. D’Sousa still looks rattled, but the back door is flung open and Haller has a gun on McCormick. Portman is slumped in front of him, her face bruised. She appears stunned.
HALLER
Don’t even think about it.
HALLER’S POV
McCormick freezes.
McCORMICK’S POV
He sees what Haller doesn’t. Portman’s eyes are more open. She gazes forward for a moment, but then suddenly straightens and lunges, knocking Haller back, into the car. Another shot goes off. Portman, or maybe it’s Haller, is screaming like a banshee. There’s a good chance Haller’s going to need rabies shots. D’Sousa is emerging now.
ANGLE – THE DONNYBROOK
McCormick has waded into the fray, yanking D’Sousa out of his seat with his left hand and flattening him with one pent-up roundhouse right. He turns to aid Portman. Outside the back seat, now, she’s clinging to Haller’s gun hand with both of hers. It’s a frantic impasse, with no idea when and where a shot might go off as he flails at her. Haller finally throws Portman to the side. McCormick lunges at him, but then,
KAYTS (V.O.)
Whoever the hell you are, just freeze.
McCormick responds to the urgency of the demand, and Haller is saved in mid-swing, though McCormick still has him by the shirt collar.
ANGLE – PULL BACK TO SHOW:
KAYTS with a shotgun, standing on the gangway of a mega-yacht – one of those eighty-foot beauties in gleaming white. The name on her hull is “The Second Chance”. Kayts strides down the gangway and onto the pier, keeping his weapon trained on the group and seemingly unconcerned that his scatter pattern would include his own henchmen. Besides, he’s the only one who’s upright and not panting and bleeding at this point.
KAYTS
(looks Portman up and down quickly then
Angel, I would have recognized you anywhere.
This is interesting, considering she’s pretty banged-up and is staring back at him with a look of cold, unremitting loathing. He ignores it.
KAYTS
D’Sousa and Haller don’t precisely spring into action, but they seem relieved to not be getting shot at. Haller grabs Portman, warily. D’Sousa get out from between Kayts and his potential target and gestures at McCormick.
D’SOUSA
KAYTS
D’SOUSA
He was with the girl and Hardcastle
KAYTS
Off D’Sousa’s ‘Who me?” look, KAYTS raises his weapon and takes aim.
D’SOUSA
KAYTS
D’Sousa looks worried but moves toward Haller and the gangway. The field is clear now, except for McCormick.
KAYTS
Thanks for retrieving her for me. I wish
I could thank that judge of hers but –
What he intended to say next is drowned out by engine noise and then the screeching of brakes and tires.
ANGLE – THE TRUCK, CAREENING IN
ANGLE - KAYTS
He starts to swing around, weapon still up. McCormick lunges forward, barreling into him. The shotgun goes flying.
ANGLE – THE GANGPLANK
Haller abandons Portman, who slumps to sit on the gangplank. Haller pushes past D’Sousa, either to help or flee.
HARDCASTLE (V.O.)
ANGLE – TRUCK WITH DRIVER’S DOOR OPEN
Hardcastle half out of the seat, one foot on the ground, gun trained.
HARDCASTLE
ANGLE – The McCORMICK/KAYTS TUSSLE
Actually, McCormick has the upper hand there, but Hardcastle’s order stops both combatants. McCormick turns to Hardcastle, bracing a hand against his knee to get to his feet.
McCORMICK
Off Hardcastle’s rueful smile we,
CUT TO BLACK
FADE IN:
EXT: POLICE STATION – DAY
The truck and the Coyote are both parked in the lot in front.
INT – HALLWAY OUTSIDE FRANK HARPER’S OFFICE – DAY
HARPER and HARDCASTLE are conversing. Harper has a manila FOLDER under one arm.
HARPER
So there’s me and four of Santa Monica’s
finest, in plainclothes, staking out the sand under
the pier when we hear there’s a possible two-oh-seven
going down – with shots fired – a couple miles away and
an hour before we were expecting any action.
HARDCASTLE
Yeah, well . . . sorry about that.
HARPER
(waves it off with his free hand)
Wasn’t a total loss. I heard one of the Santa Monica
gals nailed a flasher after I left.
But next time, let’s make sure we’ve
covered the contingencies. Can’t afford to
HARDCASTLE
That’s what McCormick’s gonna be yammerin’
about the whole way home.
(shoots a glance toward the door of Frank’s
office and lowers his voice)
He can be really annoying when he’s right.
(following Hardcastle’s gaze. He jerks
his chin toward the office door)
Those two okay? Looked like things got kinda
A beat and then Hardcastle nods.
HARPER
(awkward pause and then he holds
I put them in there because I thought you oughta
see this first. It came in on the wire while I was
kibitzing in Santa Monica.
Hardcastle takes the file cautiously and opens it. His expression is grim as he scans the first page, then lifts it by a corner to look beneath. Grim becomes a grimace, as though he’s seen something unpleasant.
HARDCASTLE
(closing the file but hanging onto it)
Gotta tell her. She’ll want to know.
He steps to the door of Harper’s office and reaches for the knob.
CUT TO:
INT. HARPER’S OFFICE – DAY
McCORMICK and PORTMAN are sitting in two chairs off to the side, near but separate. She has a dark but tasteful bruise on her cheek and a butterfly bandage just below the hairline. McCormick is grubby and a little banged up. Both look tired.
ANGLE – McCORMICK AND PORTMAN AS HARDCASTLE ENTERS
Harper is behind Hardcastle. Both men have somber expressions. McCormick has got this figured out pretty quick and reaches for Portman’s hand. She doesn’t resist.
HARDCASTLE
Frank, here, ran a check for me this morning, to see
if there was a match for your sister in any of the
Portman is looking at him apprehensively, but gives this one small duck of her head – to show she is following and he should go on.
HARDCASTLE
He got a hit. It’s a body that was recovered off Monterey
McCORMICK
HARDCASTLE
(shakes his head ‘no’ – opens the file
‘Pre-mortem injuries included a fracture of the
(lifts his gaze from the page)
Portman looks at him steadily, unblinking, and reaches for the folder. Hardcastle
closes it hastily and doesn’t hand it over immediately.
HARDCASTLE
Portman doesn’t withdraw her hand. Hardcastle reluctantly passes the file to her. She takes it, opens it, studies the first page briefly, and then lets out a long sigh.
PORTMAN
They found the necklace on her. It must have meant
a lot to her. It was the only thing she had from our
(she closes the file and lowers her head)
A beat and:
FADE TO BLACK
END OF ACT IV
