….continuing….
124 EXT.
PHNOM PENH AIRPORT. DAY
2008
NICK, looking a good deal younger
that we have seen him before, emerges from the crowded ‘Arrivals’ exit wearing
a backpack; a laptop computer bag slung around his neck.
In bright sunshine he is accosted
by a horde of taxi and tuk tuk drivers offering their services.
NICK holds up his hand. He does
not want to make a quick decision. His attention is caught by an ATTRACTIVE
WOMAN waiting with her luggage. A SMILING MAN approaches her, greets her with a
loving hug and a kiss.
NICK’s attention shifts to the 40
year old tuk tuk driver at his side. This is KIM CHAKRA.
KIM
CHAKRA
You need hotel cheap?
NICK
Do I look like someone who wants
a cheap hotel.
KIM CHAKRA looks him up and down,
nods.
KIM
CHAKRA
Yes. (A BEAT)
125
INT/EXT. TUK TUK. PHNOM PENH STREET. DAY
As KIM CHAKRA drives, NICK takes
in the sights, smells and sounds of the crowded and chaotic streets of Phnom
Penh.
KIM
CHAKRA
I am Kim Chakra. You call me Kim.
More easy than Chakra.
NICK
I am Nicholas Morecombe. You call
me Nick. More easy than Morecombe.
KIM
CHAKRA
(laughs)
You first time visit Cambodia.
NICK
First time.
KIM
CHAKRA
How long you stay?
NICK
Maybe two weeks, maybe two
years...
KIM
CHAKRA
Maybe get Cambodia wife.
NICK (laughs)
It’s not impossible. (A BEAT) I
mean its possible. Anything is possible.
NICK takes out a notebook,
writes:
Anything
is possible.
The tuk tuk pulls up at a traffic
light. TWO BEGGAR BOYS walk up - hands outstretched.
NICK opens his wallet, takes out
2 $1 bills - hands one each to the BEGGAR BOYS. Their eyes light up. More BEGGAR CHILDREN arrive - hands
outstretched.
NICK looks in his wallet. No more
small bills. Only $20s.
NICK
How do you say “I have no money.”
KIM
CHAKRA
Ach mien loy.
NICK smiles at the BEGGAR
CHILDREN, shrugs his shoulders.
NICK
Ach Mien loy.
A BEGGAR GIRL points to his
wallet.
BEGGAR
GIRL
You have twenty dollar!
NICK
Yes, but...
BEGGAR
GIRL
We share...
She indicates the group of 7 or 8
BEGGAR CHILDREN. He takes $20 out of his wallet.
NICK
OK...
He hands $20 to the BEGGAR GIRL.
NICK
You share, OK?
The BEGGAR GIRL nods, beams a big
white smile, turns to the other kids, speaks in Khmer.
BEGGAR
GIRL
(subtitled)
We share this, OK?
The BEGGAR CHILDREN nod, holds
their hands up in a prayer gesture of thanks to NICK.
The lights change. The tuk tuk
begins to move off. NICK takes another $20 note from his pocket, holds it out.
The BEGGAR CHILDREN, laughing, run to catch up with the tuk tuk as it picks up
speed. A BEGGAR BOY, aged about 11, heads the pack, grabs the $20 note, holds
it aloft victoriously.
NICK turns to watch the BEGGAR
CHILDREN making their way back to the pavement with their newfound fortune. He
smiles.
KIM
CHAKRA
What you job, Mr Nick?
NICK
I’m a novelist, Kim. (A BEAT) You
know what a novel is? (A BEAT) A story.
KIM
CHAKRA
Right, right. What the name your
book? Last one?
NICK
I haven’t written it yet.
KIM
CHAKRA
I see.
NICK
My job is journalist but...
126 EXT.
BAR AREA. BACKPACKING HOSTEL. DAY
2008
NICK sits at a table in a funky
bar in a backpacking hostel, laptop in front of him; drinking beer and talking
with blonde 19 year old German backpacker, INGRID.
NICK
...when I grow up I want to be a
novelist.
INGRID
When I grow up I want to be in
your novel.
NICK
What character do you want to
play?
INGRID
You choose. You’re the writer.
NICK
You could be the backpacker our
hero meets in a backpacking hostel in...
INGRID
Does he have a name?
NICK
Not yet.
INGRID
Describe this girl?
NICK
She is beautiful...blonde, bold
and brassy...German...
INGRID (laughs)
Does he fall for her immediately
or does he play hard to get?
127 INT.
NICK’S ROOM. BACKPACKING HOSTEL. DAY
INGRID, naked, is sprawled on the
double bed in Nick’s small room. NICK’S head is buried in her crotch, giving
her head. Judging by INGRID’S response he is proficient at the task.
128 INT.
CASINO. NIGHT
STAIR sits at the table with
CHANTOU, a blue cocktail in front of him.
CHANTOU strokes STAIR’S
thigh.
CHANTOU
You are very handsome.
STAIR
You are very pretty.
CHANTOU
Not beautiful?
STAIR
OK, beautiful.
CHANTOU
I am Chantou. What is your name?
STAIR
Hello Chantou. My name is Stair.
CHANTOU
What means ‘stair’.
STAIR
My name is Alistair. Stair is the
shortened...my name in short.
CHANTOU
My name mean’s ‘flower’ I smell
sweet, like a flower.
She leans towards STAIR, her face
close to his, presenting her neck for him to smell. STAIR sniffs theatrically.
CHANTOU
What country are you?
STAIR
Australia.
CHANTOU
How long you stay Cambodia?
STAIR
Two days.
CHANTOU
Two days? So short!?
CHANTOU strokes his arm.
CHANTOU
So furry.
Closeby, QUONG TRAN, a
well-dressed and groomed Vietnamese man - observes CHANTOU overtly sexual
stroking of STAIR’S arm. STAIR seems to enjoy the attention.
CHANTOU
You like massage? ( BEAT) I can
give you special massage, good!
STAIR
What makes your ‘special massage’
special?
CHANTOU throws her had back,
laughs, and is about to explain when QUONG TRAN walks up, gestures to her to
leave. As she does so, hers and STAIR’S eyes meet for a moment.
QUONG TRAN sits in her chair.
QUANG
TRAN
You cannot believe anything
Kimsong says.
STAIR
She told me her name was Chantou.
QUONG
TRAN
(laughs)
Our ‘flower’ girl. Did she offer
to open her petals for you?
QUONG
TRAN
My name is Quong Tran. And you?
STAIR (cool)
Alistair.
QUONG
TRAN
Alistair. (A BEAT) You are here
to gamble, Mr Alistair?
STAIR holds up his hand, shakes
his head.
QUONG
TRAN
For the ladies?
STAIR shakes his head.
QUONG
TRAN
A spy, perhaps?
STAIR (laughs)
Yes, a spy.
QUONG
TRAN
Do you mind if I ask you why you
are here?
STAIR
I don’t know, Tran. Why are you
here?
QUONG
TRAN
I am the manager.
STAIR
Ahhhh!
129 INT.
NICK’S ROOM. BACKPACKING HOSTEL. DAY
INGRID, still naked, hot and
sweaty, sits cross-legged on Nick’s bed smoking a cigarette - facing NICK, also
naked, sweating and sitting cross-legged.
INGRID
What happens next?
NICK
They go for a walk down by the
river.
130 EXT.
BOULEVARDE BY RIVER. DAY
2008
NICK and INGRID walk along the
boulevard that runs alongside the Bassac River in downtown Phnom Penh.
INGRID
You should call him Daniel. (A
BEAT) Your hero.
NICK
Daniel?
INGRID
In the lion’s den.
INGRID growls like a lion.
NICK
And the German lass? (A BEAT) I
think, Freya.
INGRID
Freya?
NICK
After the goddess?
INGRID
There’s goddess called Freya?
NICK
Golden-haired. Goddess of love
and beauty. Like Aphrodite...Venus. Wears a fire-jewel necklace made by four
dwarves after she spent one night with each and drives a chariot, drawn by cats
and she cries tears of red gold.
INGRID
How do you know stuff like that?
DANIEL
Not just a pretty face.
INGRID
I never think you are.
NICK (laughs)
Thanks.
He kisses her on the cheek.
INGRID
But you have a clever tongue.
NICK (laughs)
A clever tongue!
131 INT.
CASINO. NIGHT
STAIR talks with QUONG TRAN.
STAIR
I have lost a lot of money. A
lot!
QUONG
TRAN
Perhaps your luck will be better
here.
STAIR
Statistically, no.
QUONG
TRAN
You have a ‘problem’, no? (A
BEAT) Then why are you here, Mr Alistair? Are you tempting fate? Are you
testing to see which is more powerful - your will power or your addiction?
STAIR (laughs)
My will power has already won
that battle.
QUONG
TRAN
Here.
He takes out a $100 bill, holds
it out to STAIR.
QUONG
TRAN
There are no strings. If you win,
you give me back my $100. If you lose...it is only a piece of paper.
STAIR smiles, shakes his head.
STAIR
Thank you very much, but no.
QUONG
TRAN
I cannot tempt you?
STAIR shakes his head. QUONG TRAN
smiles, withdraws the $100 bill, looks to where CHANTOU, closeby, stands
watching him and STAIR.
STAIR follows QUONG TRAN’S eyes
and sees CHANTOU staring at him - a sultry look in her eyes. She smiles. As she
does so a door opens behind her as a HOSTESS, bearing a tray of colourful
cocktails, enters a private gambling room.
In the few seconds that the door
is open, STAIR sees WING CHOU sitting at a round green velvet covered table
playing a card game with OTHER PLAYERS. There stacks of chips on the table are
very high. On either side of WING CHOU is a very attractive and scantily clad
woman in her late teens.
QUONG TRAN’S eyes follow STAIR’S.
He holds out the $100 bill.
QUONG
TRAN
Here, test your will power. This
will buy you five chips.
STAIR looks at the $100 bill,
looks up to catch another glimpse of WING CHOU before the door closes. He
glances at CHANTOU. She smiles at him. He looks at the $100 bill in QUONG
TRAN’S outstretched hand.
132 EXT.
BOULEVARDE BY RIVER. DAY
2008
NICK
You heard of Freya von Moltke?
INGRID shakes her head.
NICK
German anti-Nazi resistance group
member. (A BEAT) I read about her somewhere a few years back.
INGRID
You have a photographic memory?
NICK
Not photographic but…it's OK, I
guess.
INGRID
I can’t remember what I had for
lunch!
NICK
Me.
INGRID (laughs)
Mmmm
She licks her lips.
INGRID
You feeling hungry?
NICK (laugh)
Peckish!
INGRID sees something ahead that
shocks her.
INGRID
Scheisse!
Walking towards NICK and INGRID
is a tall blonde-haired young man wearing a backpack. This is GERARD. He beams
a smile.
GERARD
Mon amour.
GERARD hugs INGRID, covers her in
kisses. INGRID and GERARD speak in French.
INGRID (subtitled)
I thought you were arriving
tomorrow?
GERARD (subtitled)
I wanted to surprise you.
INGRID (subtitled) Well, I
am surprised.
(Ingrid switches to English)
I was just telling...
(She turns to NICK.)
Sorry, I don’t know your name.
(To GERARD)
We just met a few minutes ago.
NICK
Daniel.
INGRID
Daniel, this is my friend,
Gerard.
GERARD (French accent)
Boyfriend Gerard.
GERARD smiles, holds out his
hand.
GERARD
Gerard Laurent.
133 INT.
LIVING ROOM. NICK’S APARTMENT. NIGHT
2014
Nick,
onscreen, looks out at PATRICE.
NICK
Yes,
that’s how I actually met Gerard. The story I told you...well...
PATRICE
Was a lie!
NICK
Was a
lie.
PATRICE presses ‘pause’, shakes
her head. She can’t believe it! She thinks for a moment, stands, walks to
Nick’s large cluttered notice-board - criss-crossed with different coloured
threads connecting photos of men. She looks at:
A glossy magazine clipping - the
headline of which reads:
UN
HUMANITARIAN AWARDS DINNER.
Underneath:
A group
of elegantly dressed men and women stand in front of a United Nations logo,
smile for the camera.
Beneath this photo are several
smaller photos of individual awards winners. One has been circled and is
connected by lengths of coloured thread to photos of others scattered across
the notice board. CLOSE ON a photo of:
Gerard, identified by name - his
hair short, wearing a suit, clutching his award; smiling confidently.
134 INT.
CASINO. NIGHT
2014
STAIR sits at a poker table with
WING CHOU and THREE PLAYERS; five chips in front of him; his mobile phone at
his side.
CHANTOU stands alongside him, one
hand resting lightly on his shoulder. KATYA, early 20’s, blonde and Russian,
stands alongside WING CHOU but has her eyes on STAIR.
STAIR pushes two chips onto the
table to ‘meet’ WING CHOU.
STAIR
Meet and raise three.
He pushes his last 3 chips onto
the table.
TWO PLAYERS ‘fold’. The THIRD
PLAYER ‘meets’ STAIR and pushes 3 more chips onto the table.
THIRD
PLAYER
Raise three.
WING CHOU pushes 3 more chips
onto the table; looks at STAIR.
STAIR opens his wallet, takes out
$100, hands it to KATYA. She hands him 5 chips. He places 3 of them on the
table, then pushes 2 more forward. His phone begins to vibrate.
The THIRD PLAYER folds. STAIR
ignores his phone.
WING CHOU pushes 10 chips onto
the table.
STAIR, his face devoid of
expression, reaches for his wallet.
135 INT.
LIVING ROOM. NICK’S APARTMENT. NIGHT
2014
PATRICE returns from the kitchen
area carrying a glass of wine, sits in front of her laptop; presses ‘play’.
Nick’s frozen face onscreen comes
to life.
NICK
You’ll find my ‘Gerard’ file in
my computer under ‘flambe’.
PATRICE
Your computer was destroyed in
the fire you cretin, so...
NICK
If
something happened to my computer, it is all backed up in the Cloud. (A BEAT)
Just in case someone else is looking at this who shouldn’t be, here’s a clue to
my password...Stairway to Heaven.
PATRICE
Stairway to heaven!
NICK
You’ll
figure it out. Smart girl like you. (A BEAT) You know, being dead is not as bad
in reality as it seems in theory, though I must say I am going to miss being at
my funeral. Or has it already happened? Probably be the only time in my life
when people have something nice to say about me.
Nick grins boyishly.
PATRICE freeze frames Nick’s
smiling face - laughing and crying at the one time. She leans forward, kisses
the image of Nick onscreen on the lips.
136 INT.
CASINO. NIGHT
Close on STAIR’S wallet. He takes
out the last of his money: 3 $20 bills, hands them to KATYA. She gives him 3
more chips.
STAIR
That’s the last of it. Unless you
have an ATM.
WING
CHOU
Of course we have an ATM but I do
not want to take any more of your money.
STAIR
And nor I yours.
STAIR pushes his 3 chips onto the
table - to join what is now quite a large pile. He takes a sip of the blue
cocktail at his side.
WING CHOU’s lays his cards on the
table. STAIR looks at them for a long moment, his face giving nothing away. After
a moment he nods his head, purses his lips and raises his eyebrows as if in an
admission of defeat.
WING CHOU smiles. STAIR lays his
card on the table. The smile disappears from WING CHOU’S face, but only for a
moment.
CHANTOU laughs gleefully, kisses
STAIR on the cheek.
WING CHOU is a good loser.
Referring to CHANTOU:
WING
CHOU
She brings you luck.
STAIR
I don’t believe in luck.
WING
CHOU
You make your own luck? (A BEAT)
Captain of your own ship?
STAIR
Captain of my own ship!
137 INT.
LIVING ROOM. NICK’S APARTMENT. NIGHT
2014
PATRICE sits in front of her
laptop, types a password into a box: “ACCESS DENIED”. She has a list of
possible passwords written on a note pad beside her. She types in another, then
hesitates.
138 INT.
CASINO. NIGHT
2014
Only STAIR and WING CHOU are
playing now. KATYA, blue drink in hand, tries to make eye contact with STAIR.
CHANTOU warns her off with a narrowing of her eyes.
WING CHOU finishes dealing the
second round of cards. As STAIR picks his up:
STAIR
Are you superstitious, Mr Wing
Chou?
WING
CHOU
I believe that there are some
things beyond my control.
STAIR’s phone vibrates. He picks
it up, looks at the screen:
PATRICE
STAIR
And who, or what, has control of
the things that are beyond your control?
WING
CHOU
Forces more powerful than your
ego, Mr Morecombe. Or mine. Forces I respect.
STAIR
Forces that you try to control
nonetheless?
WING
CHOU
You speak in riddles, Mr
Morecombe. It is we inscrutable Orientals who speak in riddles! Not you Occidentals!
STAIR
Do you believe that baby turtles
will bring you luck? The number 8? Deflowering a virgin girl?
WING CHOU looks at STAIR for a
long moment, his face devoid of any identifiable expression. STAIR meets his
stare.
WING
CHOU
Perhaps, Mr Morecombe, you should
play your hand before your lucky streak comes to an end.
139 INT.
LIVING ROOM. NICK’S APARTMENT. NIGHT
Close on the photo of:
Gerard - his hair short, wearing
a suit, clutching his award; smiling confidently.
A finger follows the red thread
running from this photo of Gerard across the board to the circled photo of Wing
Chou.
PATRICE stands in front of the
notice board, deep in thought.
140 INT.
CASINO. NIGHT
Close on WING CHOU, his eyes on
STAIR.
STAIR, slightly tipsy, pushes his
huge pile of chips over to KATYA, sitting alongside him with wads of $100
bills. The poker game is at an end.
Both KATYA and CHANTOU vie for
STAIR’S attention.
WING
CHOU
Surely you are not going to
disappoint these young ladies, Mr Morecombe?
STAIR
It is too difficult to choose,
so...
WING
CHOU
You could have both.
KATYA places wads of $100 bills
in a small blue carry bag.
STAIR
That would be greedy. Why don’t
you have them both, Mr Wing Chou? (A BEAT) Or are they too old for you?
141 INT.
NICK’S APARTMENT. NIGHT
STAIR, the blue carry bag resting
in his lap, looks at the screen of Patrice’s laptop:
NICK
...in
the Cloud. Just in case someone else is looking at this who I’d rather wasn’t
here’s a clue to my password...Stairway to Heaven.
PATRICE’S eyes are on STAIR.
PATRICE
Stairway to heaven!
NICK
You’ll
figure it out. Smart girl like you.
PATRICE presses pause.
PATRICE
The ‘smart girl’ hasn’t figured
it out. ‘Stairway’ is a reference to you, I guess, so Nick thinks you know the
password.
STAIR shakes his head.
STAIR
Haven’t got a clue! Why would
he...? (A BEAT) Password!? Obviously something that he figures I’d figure out
easily, but...
PATRICE
Those photos you took, of the...
...hands on the steering wheel? (A BEAT) Why did you take them?
STAIR
I took a lot of photos.
PATRICE
Yes, but why those ones? And so
many? (A BEAT) I think I know why but I want you to tell me. (A BEAT) I want to
know if I can trust you.
STAIR
Why is it important that you
trust me?
PATRICE
Please, Stair, don’t play word
games with me! Not now. I need to be able to...trust....someone. (A BEAT) If
the fire had started the way Meas says it did...
STAIR
Nick’s death wasn’t an accident.
PATRICE is gobsmacked.
PATRICE
And you knew that when you took
those photos?
STAIR
Suspected.
PATRICE
How soon did you suspect?
STAIR
The moment I saw those hands. On
the steering wheel.
PATRICE, angry, can’t believe
what she is hearing.
PATRICE
But...! Why didn’t you tell
me? (A BEAT) Why did you let me
believe... that you didn’t...?
PATRICE is quite agitated.
PATRICE
And now you’re just going to
leave?
STAIR holds her flailing arms at
the wrist.
STAIR
OK, OK, calm down. I’ll explain
everything. But first...
STAIR takes a bottle of wine out
of the blue carry bag.
STAIR
We are going to have a proper
drink. And not any of that Port crap.
PATRICE looks at the bottle;
reacts with shock.
PATRICE
Is this? (Stair nods) Where the
fuck did you get this at this time of night?
STAIR makes a gesture with his
hands: ‘money’.
PATRICE smiles, shakes her head.
142 EXT.
STAIR’S HOME. DAY
STAIR sits in front of the camera
on a tripod - on either side of which sit TODD and KATIE. They wait for STAIR
to continue with his story. He doesn’t.
TODD
So, you had a drink, and...?
STAIR
Todd, you have an extraordinary
skill in stating the obvious.
TODD
I’m just trying to establish...
STAIR
What? Establish what? Righ now
all you are doing is annoying me with your stupid questions? Why don’t you
leave the questions to Katie?
A long silence. KATIE looks at
TODD. He reluctantly gestures to her to continue.
KATIE
If you could look directly into
the camera? (A BEAT) Mr Morecombe, can you tell us what happened next? You were
with Patrice, you had a very expensive bottle of Italian wine and...
STAIR
We talked...we drank some wine
and talked, I caught a taxi back to my hotel, got a....reasonably good night’s
sleep and was on my way to the airport when...
KATIE
You talked? That’s all? About...?
STAIR holds his hand up.
STAIR
My flight didn’t leave for 3
hours. I had plenty of time but...You know the saying: “If you want to make God
laugh, tell him your plans.”
KATIE
And if you want to make God laugh
even louder, tell her how much you know.
STAIR laughs.
143 EXT.
HOTEL. PHNOM PENH. DAY
STAIR walks briskly from the
hotel entrance to a waiting taxi, pulling his carry on luggage (plus carry bag)
behind him. He has his mobile phone to his ear.
STAIR (agitated)
Tell them...tell them that...Ask
them if they have a counter offer? Don’t back down but let them know that...I’m
open to negotiation.
As he hands his luggage to the
taxi driver, opens the passenger door and sits:
STAIR
Flight gets in at 7. I’ll come
straight from the airport, so schedule a meeting for late morning, OK?
144 INT
CAB. DOWNTOWN PHNOM PENH. DAY
STAIR sits, drums his free hand
on his knee nervously.
STAIR
And don’t panic. The fat lady
etc...
STAIR listens for a moment.
STAIR
OK, in the morning...chou.
He hangs up as the TAXI DRIVER
opens the driver’s door.
STAIR
Fuck! (A BEAT) Fuck, fuck,
fuck...
STAIR does not register the TAXI
DRIVER sitting, driving off.
He stares out the window, mind
racing, as the cab makes its way down busy back streets.
As the cab turns a corner STAIR’S
attention is caught by a man standing on the pavement talking on a mobile
phone.
He takes the plastic bag from his
pocket with the melted remnants of the yellow mobile phone, looks at it.
From a pocket in his computer bag
he takes out a photo (seen earlier) of:
Nick
taking on his red mobile phone.
STAIR opens up ‘camera’ on his
iPhone, looks at a photo of:
Skeletal
hands clutching the steering wheel.
He looks out the window, trying
to solve the puzzle that confronts him. Something up ahead that catches his
attention.
STAIR’S POV:
POLICEMAN #1, uniformed, beats a
BEGGAR WOMAN with a bamboo cane on the footpath. A crying BABY sits on the
footpath.
STAIR
Stop.
The taxi stops. STAIR leaps out.
145 EXT.
DOWNTOWN PHNOM PENH. DAY
STAIR rushes up to POLICEMAN #1,
grabs his arm.
STAIR
No!
POLICEMAN #1 turns, shouts at
STAIR in Khmer.
POLICEMAN (subtitled)
Fuck off.
As POLICEMAN #1 tries to free his
arm from STAIR’S grip the STREET BEGGAR picks up her BABY and runs off.
STAIR releases his grip, points
his finger at him.
STAIR (angry)
No. You don’t do that! Fuck you!
POLICEMAN #1 glares at him,
shocked.
STAIR turns, makes his way back
towards the taxi- parked 20 or so meters down the road. It becomes apparent
that this incident is occurring outside a closed ‘girlie bar’.
POLICEMAN #1 talks urgently on
his mobile; hangs up, runs after STAIR, grabs his arm: speaks in broken
English.
POLICEMAN
#1
You give me fuck phone.
STAIR spins around, holds up his
hand. POLICEMAN #1 reaches out to grab STAIR’S mobile. STAIR pulls away.
STAIR (angry)
Fuck off.
POLICEMAN #1 raises the cane to
hit him. STAIR gestures aggressively that this would not be a wise move.
A window on the 2nd floor of the
girlie bar opens. A MAN WEARING BLUE REFLECTIVE SUNGLASSES and a “Yankees”
baseball cap looks down on what is taking place in the street.
POLICEMAN #1 backs off a little,
looks up the street. POLICEMAN #2 is running towards them.
STAIR holds his phone up,
takes photo of POLICEMAN #1. This
enrages him. POLICEMAN #1 lifts his cane threateningly.
STAIR takes another photo.
POLICEMAN #1 holds his hand
partially over the lens. Another photo. STAIR keeps taking photos of POLICEMAN
#1 as he walks backwards towards the cab.
POLICEMAN
#1
(SUBTITLED)
Give me.
STAIR
Fuck Off.
POLICEMAN #2 grabs STAIR from behind,
holds him in a ‘bear hug’ as POLICEMAN #1 tries to take his phone.
STAIR holds his phone tight in
his clenched hand.
A SMALL CROWD gathers - many of
them filming with their mobile phones.
POLICEMEN #1 and #2 fail in their
attempts to wrest STAIR’S mobile phone from him.
POLICEMAN #3 appears on the
scene. STAIR drops to the road, face down - his mobile, protected by his body.
POLICEMAN #2 tries, without
success, to get onlookers to stop filming.
POLICEMAN #1 beats STAIR with his
fists as POLICEMAN #3 reaches under him trying to get his mobile.
Through the wall of people who
have gathered to watch, VANNY appears - a tray of books slung around her neck.
POLICEMAN
#3
You give phone or we arrest.
STAIR (shouts) No. Anyone
here who speaks English? VANNY and STAIR’S eyes meet for a moment. Mutual
recognition.
VANNY sees:
The MAN WEARING BLUE REFLECTIVE
SUNGLASSES, “Yankees” baseball cap pulled over his face, push through the
crowd; take a comb from his pocket.
VANNY reacts with shock as she sees:
The MAN WEARING SUNGLASSES press
a button that transforms the comb into a short-blade knife.
The MAN WEARING SUNGLASSES moves
forward, towards where STAIR is lying - the comb knife concealed.
Close on VANNY.
….to be continued…
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