I

"t
CLOCKERS

ONE MILLIONTH DRAFT tnchard Price

212-605-2852
September 1, 1993

FOREDUCA·nor·:
...
\,_
I .. PURPOSES
ONLY
 l

INT: NO NAME BAR - 6:00 P.M.

CLOSE ON CAl<E
'being carried out:of the kitchen, carried 'by two
plainclothes COPS.
Cake reads "Rocco Klein -- 20 IN" and is decorated by a
pair of handcutfs made out ot blue icing.
WETRACK
the journey ot the cake through a parting sea of
•'
COPS: unitonied, plainclothes, jacket and tie
' detectives, and ZERO IN ON its destination-~- A round
table, the circlllllferance of which is edged with a perfect
wheel of maybe one hW\dred shot glasses alternately
filled with vo.na (clear) and ~catch (dark).
ROCCOl':LEIN, 44, red-faced, slightly bozoed in jacket and
tie, sits at that table and as the caX• ZOOMSIN he opens
his mouth wide as if to take a bite betore it lands
inside the rim of shot glasses.
We hear scattered applause.
ANGLE - THE BAR
Everyone facing Rocco, who stands over the cake with a
_./ raised shot glass.
ROCCO
Gentle111en . . . to God • • • because
the guy had to been a fuckin'
an,ius to invent this Job, It's
been a twenty-year ticket to the
greatest show on earth ••• May He
grant ma the lungs and legs tor
another five ..•
Everybody throws back a shot, Rocco lifts a second shot
glass, belches into his !ist,
ROCCO(contd)
Md to God's Clowns, the Yamortz ...
EXT: HOUSINGPR03ECTS BENCH- SAMETIME
CLOSE ON FIVE BL.ACKTEENAGERS
perched or draped ~n the bench as we hear the rest o!
Rocco's toast in voi~e-over:
ROCCO(VO)
.. . they 9.2. make my day ...
.I

•
 2

ANGLE
l} A white kid in construction boots, heavy metal
t-shirt, comes up to a black kid (HORACE}on the sidewalk
and extends twenty dollars.
2} Horace looks to another black kid perched on the top
of the bench (S'l'RIJ:a:) who looks to third kid on the
corner (PEANUT), the lookout, Peanut reverses the chain··
of glances so that Strike nods OK and the money is taken,
,,
I Horace turning to an apart=ent building and yelling out
I "2-0l"
3) The dope-mule, STAN, emerges from a building, drops a
crw11pled paper bag in a garbage can,
4) The white kid snatches the bag and splits.
5) Peanut, the lookout, wheals to the benc::h, hisses
115-01" as a beat up Plymouth FUry screeches up,
plainclothes cops (knockos) saunter out.
6) The white c:11stomer walking away, oblivious to his
close call.
7) Th• bench. The kids sitting there impassive as the
.J knockos casually descend on the bench.
8) STRIKE ' S POV

A) A set of empty windows in one of the apartment

buildings.
B) A 12-year-old boy, TYRONE, gawking at him from a
loop ot chain near the benches.
C) BIG CHIEF, the head knocko, towering over him,
throwing him in shadow.
BIG CHIEF
(casual growl)
Gimme that doi,e
Strike (nineteen, skinny, fretful, cleanly-dressed)
wearily, routinely, rises from his perch, holding a Yoo-
Hoo and exten~ing his ax-ms :o~ yet another frisk.
BIC CHIEF (contd)
(doing a pat-down)
GillllUe them vials ...

•
 FUTON
(Strike'& lieutenant, 9ettinq
frisked by another knocko, 'I'HUMPER)
~. T~Wllper, cold, cold ••• uh-oh!
Gettin'·um now, Dmer •••
BIG CHIEF
Open your mouth there, strik• •••
Strike does as he's told as Big Chief searches his skull··
,, for hidden dope.
'
t
STJUD'S POV
WE SEE SJ,QW MOT!QNan orange Cadillac roll bY with
Garfields suckered onto the windows. The driver is JS,
black, gold shades, rela~ed hair, athletic. Thi& is
RODNl:Y, Strike'& boss. As the cadillac rolls by, Rodney
shakes his head in disgust, moves on.
OLDER MAN
(projects resident)
You checking that boy's teeth like
a 1l1va owner.
BIG CKIEl'
(barely acknowledging)
Shut the fuck up •••
(to strike)
OK, drop your drawers there,
Strike, dicky check.
Strike, livid, ashamed, powerless, unzips.
THUMPER
What's a matter, strike? You look
depressed. Are you depressed?
Strike ignores him as Big Chief checks inside his BVD's.
ANGLE- STRIKE'S POV
'l'hose windows again -- this time there's an elder woman
looking down.
THUMPER
(111ock-sincere)
Strike, can I ask you something?
Do you think I'm an effective
deterrent in the war on drugs?
Strike looks aw~y while zipping up, sees that 12-year-old
.) Tyrone is gawking at him again.
 4

THUMPER(contd)
or do you think I'm just a big
asshole ..•
STRIKE
(barely controlled rage)
You gotta do what you gotta do.
THUMPER
Yeah? You think that?
I

'
I BIG CHIEF •.
(thrusting his hand down Stan
the dope•mule's pants and
grabbing vials)
Ho!
STAN
(getting cuffed)
That ain't mine!
THIJMPEJ.'t
Awright, hon •••
(he gives strike a hard
proprietary pat on his cheek,
almost a slap)
I'll call you from work ... Have a
)
nice day.
THUMPER' S POV
A paranoid SCANof the windows and terraces. Some
hostile or at least unreadable faces looking down to the
scene.
Thwnper hoists a FOUR•YEAR-OI.Don his shoulders (a human
shield against thrown objects) and heads tor the car.
THUMPER
(to the kid)
Walk 111e, yo •.•
CLOSEON STRIKE - AtONt ON THt BENCK
seething with rage, slightly rocking.
ANGLE - ROCCOAND MAZILLI
exiting from their car at the scene of the raid. Rocco
is holding the uneaten half of his cake, his name still
intact on the icing.
j THUMPER
(with kid on his shoulders)
Hey ... how was the party?

•
 5

ROCCO
(slightly dl:'llnk, wearing
sunglasses at 7:00 P.H.)
Good , , .. You want some cake?
'l'HtJMPER
I just ate.
ROCCO
(to kid on ThWllper's
..
t

t
shoulders)
Whath up, B?
The kid jyst stares at him.
ROCCO (contd)
(to Big Chief, coming up with
Stan in cufts)
Donny, .. you want some cake?
BIG CHIEF
Ko, thanks, How was the party?
ROCCO
Good. Hey! It's Stan the Man.
Goin' in to see your brother? Tell
him Rocco says hello.
:
ROCCO'S POV
strike on the bench about thirty feet away.
ROCCO
(to Strike)
Hey, yo ...
Rocco starts to offer him cake, then thinks better of it.
strike ignores .him anyhow.
ROCCO'S POV
A gaggle of little kids. big-eyed, inching forward.
ROCCO
(holding it out to them)
Y'all wan~ ~ome eake?

The kids want some, but they're scared by the loud cop in
shades. They stay put.
ROCCO(contd)
(enticing sing-song)
,J Come and get it .. ,
Rocco holds the cake over a wire trash can.
 6

ROCCO(contd)
C'mon ... going ... going •••

'l'he kids stay where they are.

CLOSEON CAD
ROCCO(VO)
(disappointed growl)
Ahhh •••
I
I Th• cake ia dropped into the trash,
' EXT: BENCHES - FIVE MINUTES IA'rn
CLOSEON RODNEY'SIMPASSIVEFACE
framed by his car window as he listens to Strike.
STlUF:E (OS)
(rantinq)
I mean I just don't sr.iX§.a fuck no
more. I can't~ it no more, I
don't got the ~ach no more,
RODN!:Y' S POV • STRIKE

swigging his Yoo-Hoo.

STRIJa:
I don't got the heart no more .•• so --
Rodney cuts Strike off.
ROONEY
(to a girl, sliding shyly
alongside his car)
'What~ lookin' at?
GIRL
I like them Gar-fields.
ROONEY
Oh yeah? What's your name?
GIRL
Charise.
RODNEY
Charise? How you spell that?
Strike, disgusted, despairing, walks back to the benches.
) RODNEY(contd)
(calling out)
Where you going?
 7

STRID
(walking backwards, hand on gut)
I can't~ it no more.
RODNEY
(with coy significance)
Maybe you don't~ to take it no
more.
strike stands there waiting tor more. Rodney rolls off.··
EXT: STREETSOF DEMPSEY- FIVE MiffOTESt.A'l'ER
Rocco pulls up to the front of Mazill1-Klain Deli-
Liquors, a funky storefront on a funky street.

ROCCO and Mazilli eKit the car. There's a BI.ACXTEEN on

a pay phone in front of the store, two others flanking
him,
Rocco, still wearing sunglasses, marches up to him, grabs
the receiver and hangs it up. The kids starts to beef,
sees it's Rocco and backs away.
ROCCO
( in his face)
Hey! What I tell you about working
this corner ...
KID
I ain't workin'!
(turns his pockets inside out)
I'm calling my girlfriend, man!
ROCCO
(l)acking him up still)
tlliok your girlfriend, you E.T.-
lookin' motherfucker. I~ you.
This is m:t corner. You want to
hustle your shit7 over there ...
(Rocco points to the corner
across the street)
That's your corner. llU there •••
~occo &nd H~z1iii ~arch up the stepa to the store.
KID
(muttering, semi-detiant)
Ain't no phone over there ..•
Rocco stop~, turns on the steps.
!
ROCCO
Oh yeah?

•
 8

Rocco walks towards them. They're braced to bolt but he

f
heads past them right to the pay phone which he violently
W.ll rig~t off its mounting,
. ROCCO (contd)
(heading back to the store)
Ain't no phone here, neither,
IN'l': "MAZILLI-KLEIN DELI•LIQUORS"

'
I It's an old general store that sells booze on one side
I and cold cuts on the other -- The clientale:is from the
neighborhood -- poor, non-white.
one black kid is behind the liquor counter and another is
behind the deli counter making a sandwich. There's four
black teenagers waiting for their toed, along with two
white cops waiting for theirs.
Without a word, Mazilli and Rocco take off their jackets
and move behind opposing counters,
MAZII.I.I
(fr0111 the liquor counter)
Who's next ...
ROCCO
(from deli counter)
Who's next
INT: RODNEY'S PLACE (CANDYSTORE) - SAME TIME

strike enters.
very small. candy counter with cash register, super
Mario game and a smaller than regulation pool table.
The store is full-up with younger teenagers (lJ-15)
dressed poorly, Loud, childish, the vibes more like a
rec room in a boys' club than a place of business. The
stock on the shelves is skimpy and seemingly random.
STRIKE
(to overweight girl
behind the counter)
Where's he a,:.?
The girl shrugs, staring past Strike.
Rodney enters the store carrying two cases of soda in a
sweaty duck-walk and abruptly the store explodes with his
presence, every kid in there jerking towards him like the
father-surrogate that he is.
R,,A,;-J~- drops the sodas l:ly a refrigerator and as they
bellow in his ear he briskly unloads the cans as if he's
working a speed bag.
KID fl
·(holding a tipless cua stick)
Yo, Rodney! Rodney! Darron say
Chuckie could kill fU.!ldY, man.
KID 12
Gillh-damn chuckle tuck Freddy up,
Rodney, he just fuck him up!
KID t3
Yo, Rodney, i1.1.sonbe the baddest,
right? 'Cause Jason l:le dead already,
so you can't kill him, right?
I<ID t2
(bellowing)
Freddy dead ~I Freddy dead .t,Qg,!

ROONEY
{wincing, straightening up
from his chore)
Yeah well, I tell you who the baddest
is. The baddest i~ u •cause I'm for
llll ... So why don't y'all go out to
the van and get the rest a them sodas
l:lefore I drop some heavy x..i,Qlence on
your ass.
The kids spill out the door to do Rodney's bidding,
STRIKE
(in the sudden quiet)
'What do you mean maybe I don't~
to take it no more?
EXT: JFK BOULEVARD - NIGHTTIME
Main drag of Dempsey - 8:Jo P.M.
It's funky, raucous and bubbling with neon: bodegas,
smoke shops, video stores and bars.
IN~: RODNEY'S CADI~l.AC
strike in the shotgun seat.
ROONEY'S POV
Rodne, r-_-:.• • : ·.• 1 the Boulevard. Halt-dozen teenagers on a
corner hai~ hi~, yell out banter. One ot his other dope
crews. He's like a general reviewing his troops •

•
 lo

ANGLE
Rodney pulling into the parking lot ot Ahab's, a fast-
food drive-through dominated ~ya thirty•toot•high
revolving plaster AHABcomplete vith harpoon.
Rodney parks in a way that they have a clear view of the
people inside.
CI,0S£ ON STRID
'
II
I
sitting in the car watching the restaurant manager
through the glass, a tall gangly kid in a tricot jersey.
RODNEY
You know what you looking at?
STRI:KE
(shrugging)
Yeah • . . Darryl.
RODN!:Y
(looking angry, ~t calm)
You looking at the portrait of a thiet •••
strike says nothing.
RODNEY(contd)
(growing livid)
That boy do nothing but lay back,
pass some Baggies, rake in the dough.
Nice indoor work, clean, safe •••
STRIKE
(shocked, jealous)
You got Darryl sellin' ounces? How
come you picked h.il!I, man? How come
you didn't pick mg for this ..• ?
RODNEY
'Cause you're like my .§.2.ll, man.
STRIKE
I'm your son? so how come you got
me on the sereet?
RODNEY
I had this dream last night? I was
in the desert and I had all the
kids, my biology kids and all ..the
kids from the store? They was all
laid out in front of me like a
,/ APY and God came up, man, and he
pointed to you, and he said to me,
(MORE)
 :!.l

RODNEY(contd)
•This one's gonna be your sword.
This one's goMa be your staff.n
ggst said that ... pointed right at l::2!,l.
(beat)
Darryl wasn't even in that dream
'cause the nigger's a thi9f, so••·
Strike stares at Rodney. Rodney stares at Darryl.
STRIU
,,t (after a stuMed beat)
I
Why don't you get Errol for this?·
RODNEY
(miming shooting a needle in
his ani, whispering)
Errol done gave himself the Virus.
strike winces in horror.
RODNEY(contd)
Besides, can you see Errol in there
selling ounces? H.I. can't deal with
the public.
--·.
EX'l': AHAB'S LOT - 10:00 P.M.
Strike is in the parking lot, pacing muttering pWllping
himself up. He's freaked -- can he do it? Should he do
it?
STRil.<E'S POV
The interior of Ahab's fluorescently lit like a glowing
stage, Darryl moving in and out of Strike's view. No
customers, just Darryl.
Strike talking to himself, going out of his mind. He
turns as if to go through with it, turns again to flee,
to .Ahab's, to flee, spinning, spinning, what to do ...
STRIIa:'S POV

Across the lot is a strip of take-out joints, bars and

mini-marts. includi~~ Rudy'$ (in neon).
INT: RUDY'S 8AA
Strike enters into a reddish dampness, not many patrons,
those that are there are slumped on their stools like
their spines have melted.
Strike looks tentative -- he's not a bar person and if he
was, this place is too depressing and hospital-like.
 l2

STltIXE
(to the bartender)
You got X252-Hoohere?
BARTENDER
.(squinting, incredulous)
Got~?
some people at the bar stare at him -- older, harmless
people scoping him out, expressionlessly,
VOICE (OS)
Hey-y.
strike turns and sees VICTOR, one of the llllllps at the
bar, black kid, 21 years old.
STRIKE
(to himselt, aggrieved)
Gahd-slUID.•
{to Victor, weakly)
Hey • • •
They clasp hands. Victor's not that drunk, just at the
dreamy, shiny-eyed stage. He's dressed in street
clothes; a hooded sweatshirt like strike. on the bar is
a gym bag, the bright orange polyester of a tast-food
uniform peeking out. He's doodling on a wet cocktail
napkin.
STRIKE (contd)
( hal t'heartedl y)
Yeah, I was just thinking about
you.
VICTOR
Yeah? Me to0,
STRIKE
(anxious, wired)
Yeah? Good, good.
Victor looks up at hi~, he's picked up on Strike's vibes.
Strike stares at him helplessly for a second, then blurts
out:
STRIKE (contd)
You know that Ahab's there
(points across the street)
VICTOR
(doodling on his napkin, wry)
Yeah, that's the compeution,
 !J

STRIKE
You know that guy Darryl in there?
VICTOR
Darryl?·
STRID
He's some bad people.
BARTENDER.
(pops a ean of Coco Lopez mix)
• Try this ... it'• sweet.
I
VICTOR
(mild)
Oh yeah? Bad people how?
strike ponders saying more, his mouth working for a beat
as he eyes the other barflies.
VICTOR (contd)
(cool, doodling, downing a shot)
Bad people bow?
STRIKE
(blurty, desperate bullshit)
He -- he beat up this girl Charise,
man. This girl come in for a ism
interview. He took her into the
back office, he told her if she want
the job she got to give it up an' she
wouldn't so he beat her up, man. She's
like fourteen, thirteen and like she
don't got no father or brother or
nobody to, you knew ... so I don't
know, he's just some bad people,
VICTOR
(wry, like he knows Strike's lying)
A woman-beater.
STRIKE
(helpless)
I guess so.
VICTOR
(fucking with him)
A dope-dealing woman-beater.
STRIKE
(paranoid, freaked)
I don't know nothin' about that .

·------··-. ... --·--····-

...- ·-···--· ·----· • ··-··-----··--·-·
..·-·- ..~-. .•.. -........... ·-·--··-··-·.
.......
 VICTOR
(like he can see througn Strike)
A woman-beatin' dope-dealer.
STlll<E
(sweating, not lcZ'lowingwhat
• he's doing or saying now)
Her mother's all worked-up, man. She --
she'd like to see him~' man.
VICTOR
(ironic, pounding his fist in
•' mock-indignation)
Got to be got.
STRIKE
(aquiniing)
Yeah, well•••
VICTOR
(mockingly)
Gon' peel l'lis s.,m •••
Strike stands there squirming, fuming,
VICTOR (contd)
(in same tone)
Buckshot to the~!
STRIKE
(growing more annoyed
than tense)
Man, why you talking this shit?
VICTOR
(as in A-K 47)
A to the motherfuckin' ,K!
STRIKE
(growing angry, frustrated,
low hiss)
I'm tryin' to lll.t to you about
something.
VICTOR
(soberly)
Yeah? What's that?
Strike balks. It's a goo~ question.
STRIKE
--.. (fed-up,
c:l.ean)
wiping the slate
Nothin' ... I got to go.
 15

VICTOR
(distant, an announcement)
.121vishing •..
STRilCE
(thrown)
What?
VICTOR
I was workin' in New York today? I
do security in this ladies' clothing
'I
II
store? I got this 2tb9~ job too,
now, so I was standing there and.
this lady, she just come out of the
dressing room wearing nothing but
this shorty kimono. She come up to
me, she says, "HOWdo I look?" YOU
know what I said? I got all
flustered so I said, "Davishing."
Victor shakes his head in disgusted amazement at himself.
ANQLE - CI,OSE ON STRIKE
staring at Victor -- absorbing his sodden, self-pitying
state.
STRIKE
(more gentle)
I got to go.
VICTOR
(out of the blue)
I miss my .!sis!.i, man.
STRIKE
(tight, grim)
So go home, then ..•
Strike heads out of the bar.
HOLD ON Victor -- downing another shot and doodling.
VICTOR
(after a beat)
Javishing
EXT: RUDY'S BAR
strike exits bar, heads across th• street towards Ahab's.
He puts his hood up, hunches down, hands in sweatshirt
muff --

•
 16

CLOSEON STRIKE
gripping a .25 auto in tbe muff of his sweatshirt.
IN'l': AHAB'S
Greasy blindinq overheads in a white and chrome interior.
Strike trying to be invisible, hands deep in the muff of
his sweatshirt, He's all eyes under his hoed.
'
I
VOICE (OS)
What's up, money?
Strike wheels to see oanyl beaming at him from behind
the counter.
DAlUlYL
(friendly)
What~ doin' here, black?
{giving him the up and down)
I thought you din't ~ this shit ...
CLOSE ON STRIXE

Speechless, moving fer the side exit,

INT: MAZILLI-KLEINDELI-LIQUORS - 11:00 f.M.
CLOSEON BLACKTEEN
at Mazilli's counter, struggling for breath, Rocco's
forearm wrapped around his throat.
MAZILI.I
(building two heros)
What the fuck .. ,
ROCCO
(pulling out six chapsticks
from the kid's pocket)
Hey-y, it's Suzy Chapstick!
MAZit.LI
(slapping the kid with a slice
of bologna)
schveinh1,;ndt.!
.KIO
This ain't even my pants!
Rocco then digs out a dozen crack vials and a bundle of
heroin packets,
 17

ROCCO
(to Mazilli)
1,00k at this .••
(to kid)
You're even du=er than me •••
JCII)
(strangling)
This ain't· even my pants!
The door jingles and in walks a uniformed COP for a
'
I
I
sandwic:h,
ROCCO
Hey-y! Perf•c:t timinq!
COP
(reading the situation,
baclcing out)
Hey, fuc:k you ... no Ji!ll, Rocco, no
~-
Mazilli and aoc:c:o whine and curse after him, then,
realizing that they would have to process the arrest
themselves, they exchange disgusted shrugs, settle for
frontier justice. aocco rel•ases his chokehold,
ROCCO
(to the kid)
lever see your face in here again
I'll fuc:kin' l.muinate you, you
understand me?
Rocco gives the kid a brutal, abrupt two-handed shove in
his chest, which knocks him halfway out tha front door.
Suddenly Roccois beeper goes off,
MAZILLI
(gesturing to the untouched
heroes)
Aw please •••
ROCCO
(peering at the number coming
up on his hip)
Shit
INT/EXT: ROCCO'SPLYMOUTH
- TEN MINU'l'ESLATER
They're rolling along JFK Boulevard, both cf them eating
big hero sandwiches.
 18

MAZILLI
(bitching)
It's probably a fuckin' triple
header outdoors in the mud, sixty
cas;ings spread around and a big
herd-of moulies steppin' all over
everything, Tell me I'm wrong.
WE $EE coming up, towering over the low-rise buildings of
the Boulevard, the revolving harpoon-wielding plaster
Ahab statue beckoning, like an Angel of Death.
'
b
ROCCO
I
Thar' she 1:Jlows.
EXT: "AR OF CROWD THRONGING AHAB'S
It's a real block party. Eveeybody looking forward,
craning necks, squinting, shouting to friends, laughing,
etc.
WE SEE M~zilli split to the perimeter and Rocco slide
into the rear of the crowd, craning his neck and acting
as open-mouthed dopey as everybody else.
ROCCO ( contd)
(talking to nobody in particular)
What the fuck happened?
l<IO
(not looking at Rocco,
answering by reflex)
That cl' boy got shot im, man
ROCCO
(not looking at kid)
Hb2 did ...

The kid turns to Rocco, makes him as a cop.

KIO
Yeah, well I don't want to cast out
no false cricicisms per ll, you
kl'low?

ROCCO
(S~~~i not mck~n9 eye con~a~~,
figh~ing
down a grin -- it's
ano~her Clowns)
of God's
Hey, I wouldn't want you to •••
CLOSE OH.ROCCO
He slips the kid his card down low at hip level •

•
 19

YELLOWCRIMESCtNE TAPE
ringing th• building, keeping the crovd from something
b,o~dy under a sheet by th• side door.
Rocco breaJcs through the crowd, slips under the tape.
He's holding a steel forensics suitcase.
BAR'l'OCCI
Hey-y, Rocco's Rocketship,
•' ROCCO
' Vinny B, What you got? .••
BARTUCCI
(checking his notes)
we got us a male dead man, Darryl
Adams, twanty-one•two, night
manager. The kid was out here by
the door talking to a male in a
hooded sweatshirt, pop pop poppity
pop, Adams goes down, shooter's in
the wind running south.. You got
four casings by the body and
that's, more or less, all she vrote,
ROCCO
so what do you think, robbery?
BARTUCCI
Too fast.
ROCCO
Drugs?
Bartucci shrugs,
ROCCO (contd)
(nodding to the body)
was he a scumbag?
BARTUCCI
I never heard of him.
CLOSE ON A RING OF EXPRESSIONLESS COP FACES
sport jackets and unifor111s, all looking down at
something, the whirling Ahab over their heads.
CLOSE ON ROCC:0
in a squat, gingerly sliding off the bloody sheet,
j introducing Darryl Adams to the ~oys.
 20

CLOSE ON D~YL'S EYES

half-cpan, melancholy, contemplative gaze.
ANGLE
Rocco slips on a pair of rul)ber gloves, and pops a few
rw:,ber bands in his mouth (a nervous ritual for him),
noisily c:runching them as he begins to process the body.
ROCCO
.,I (gently sliding one eyelid a_ll
the way open)
Hello dare .•.
Rocco touchas a bullet dent on a gold medallion still
hanging around the kid's neck, than tracas an invisible
path with a delicately extended pinkie from the ruined
medallion to the small entry woWld under the kid's chin,
then indicates a bud of brains sprouting from Darryl's
head -- the exit wound.
ROCCO(contd)
Ricochet Rabbit•••
DETECTIVE fl (OS)
coed thing he wore that medallion.
DETECTIVE t2 (OS)
I still think it was the food here.
Rocco opens the kid's zippered running suit, finds an
entry wound on the solar plexu&, a little welt •••
ROCC::O
Door numl:ler two .••
He picks up the kid's hand, displays an entry wound in
the center of his palm.
DETECTIV!: fl (OS)
Maybe it's just stigmata•••
OtTECTIVZ J4 (OS)
Who's tha shooter, ~nnie Oakley?
ROCCO
(srni:i~g at the voice)
Hey, Mike, my man, we need blood
and prints of! this door here.
MIKE
.,I Fuck me ... we'll get half the yo•s
in the~ off that door •

•
 21

ROCCO
Thank you.
Rocco continues his probe ot the body. He conducts a
rude penetrating scalp massage with all ten fingers,
pulls down tha.kid's pants, prob•• groin, a:t111pits,
printing up the kid with bloody coins.
ROCCO (contd)
(muttering, crunching l:'Ul)ber bands)
ffllere•s the fourth entrance? ...
•'
Gral)bing the clothes, Rocco rolls over the ·body face
down, pull• up the back ct the shirt, notes gaping wound.
ROCCO(contd)
That's an exit -- but, where's that
(he probes the buttocks,
the calves)
c•mon, motherfucker, wher• you at?
Shit , ..
Rocco abruptly spits out the rubber bands: a vaguely
hostile gesture, then rises, wincing, Kis knees pop, his
back is killing him.
Ma.z:illi comes in from the shadows ..
ROCCO (contd)
(holding his bloody-gloved hands
away !rem his sports jacket)
What the drums say?
MAZILI.I
We keeps our ears to the grindstone
was he a scuml)aq?
ROCCO shrugs neutrally.
MAZILLI (contd)
You do the pockets?
Mazilli rolls the body over vith his foot, the face
staring up at him.
MAZILLI (contd)
Hey, tha~•s Darryl Adams ...
ROCCO

MAZILLI
J He used eo work in Rodney's candy
store last year. I used to see him
all the time in there.
 22

ROCCO
working fer Rodney ••• was he
c:loc:king?
MAZILLI
(mildly)
Probal)ly .••
Mazilli straddles the body and does the pockets, pulls
out a fat wad of cash,
MAZILt.I ( contd)
... definitely,
AMBULANCE A'l"ttNDAN'r
(he's got a bright orange body
bag like a serape on his
shoulder, smokes a cigarette)
You guys finished?
MAZILt.I
Ho!
Rocco looks down at the body. Mazilli has squeezed the
cheeks to expose the teeth. There's a bullet trapped in
the gums. Entry wound #4,
MAZILLI- (contd)
Marvello the Magician. Catch a
bullet with his teeth.

ANGLE
Rocco, forensics case in hand, is heading for the yellow
tape again.
ROCCO'S POV
A hysterical young black woman is being held at bay by a
young cop.
WOMAN
(sounding both reasonable and
c=azed, trying to wriggle
free Qf th~ cops' ~rasp)
I just wan~ to see my-brother
COP
(uncomfortable)
No you don't.

J WOMAN
Why can't I see my brother?
 23

COP
•cause you can't.
WOMAN
. (bellowing)
Dar-ml
COP
Lady, please ..•
I WOMAN
"I (reasonable-sounding again)
I'm OK, I just •..
suddenly she vomits all over th• cop, then drops to her
knees, sobbing.
WOMAN(contd)
(heartbroken bellow)
oar-al!
COP
(shaking out his shirt)
Mother.f.y£ker!
Tha crowd laughs at the cop.
ROCCO
(heading out -- indicating the
sobbing woman to Bartucci)
Vinny ... get her down to me, oK?
BARTUCCI
So Rocco, how was your party?
ROCCO
(ducking under the tape)
Good. The dancer? She said to
tell you the test came out •••
Walking backwards, he bu~ps into Strike who stands before
him as it in shock,
ROCCO (contd)
(not really seeing Strike)
Bcep-b<!ep

Rocco tries to get past Strike but every time Rocco

shifts, Strike shif~s. It's almost comic, or maybe it's
Strike unconsciously blocking his way out. Strike looks
stunned.
J ROCCO (contd)
(still not really even looking at him)
c•mon, kid.

•
 24

ROCCO finally breaks through.

CLOSE.ONSTRIKE
He stands at the tape. He sees Darryl's body getting
zipped into the orange body bag. Hears Darryl's sister's
heartbroken cawing.
SISTER
oar-ryl!
Strike quickly wheels and wal)(s away from tt,e crowd.
SISTER (OS)
Dar-ryl!
Clear of the crowd, hiding himself in the shadows, Strike
takes out his Yoo-Hoo, t~kes a quick swig, wipes his
mouth.
SISTER (OS contd)
oar-ryl!
Strike suddenly jackknifes in pain. Drop to one knee
clutching his gut.
STRIKE
(stunned whisper)
God ...
SISTER (OS)
Dar-ryl!
EXT: RODNEY'S PLACE - 1:30 A.H.
Strike exits his ear. He's looking bad -- ragged and
buggy.
MAU VOICE (VO)
(flat murmur)
Give me forty dollar ••.
Specked, Strike turns to see ERROL BARNES leaning against
Strike's car. Errol isn't even looking at him, just
standing there, arins folded, scowling at the sidewalk.
Errol is scrawny bu~ his faee is dead, all slits, no
mercy. The butt of a pistol is peeking up fro~ behind
his belt buckle.
Strike, •thinking he's imagining
-
things;,, turns back to
Rodney's store.
)
ERP.OL {VO contd)
You heard me ..•
 25

Strike freezes.
INT: RODNEY'SPLACE
Rodney is lecturing three rapt teenagers who sit thigh to
thigh on Rodney's tucked up pool tal)le. Rodney holds a
cue stick as a visual aid/pointer.
strike enters the store looking !reaked, Rodney ignores·
him.
RODllEY
Charles• man, hew many pair sneakers
you got?
CHAJU.ES
(hesitatinq)
six
STlU'KE

RODNEY
Six ... Now how many~ you got,
see what I'm sayin'? You all just
throw the money away. Make ten
dollars go out and buy a tan-dollar
ring. Nigger does that wakes up
broke every day of his life. Every
day cf his m2t-damn lite. Nov, if
y'all come work for u ...
STRil(E
(wild-eyed)
Bm1ney!
Rodney wheels and glares at Strike.
EXT: STREETCORNEROUTSIDERODNEY'SPLACE
Strike and Rodney calmly watching the nighttime street
dealing, fighting, bullshitting along the boulevard,
STRIKE
So you hear about it, right?
RODNEY
I ain't heard nothin' about nothin'.
STRIKE
Aw man, you ...
J

•
 26

ROONEY
(drowning him out)
All's l hear is that Ahab's? They
lookin ,_-tor a new night manager.
strike tall& silent, disoriented, miserable.
RODNEY ( contd)
Yeah, we're qoMa wait a week or
two, let shit die down a little,
work out of the candy store for
now, keep you on the benches, bu-t;
Ahab's is the place, because this
thing we got pulls in a lot of
traffic and this way it blends in
with the~ traffic, see? If I
ran this full-time out of u store?
we're talking white people, black
people, all kinds of people, out of
state license plates, anybody
standing across the street for
thirty minutes and half a brain,
they're goMa dial 911. And me with
u jacket? I got to be .w.il of this.
I got to have me a front up fron;.
strike stares at him.
RODNEY(contd)
(shouting across the street)
Hey, Davis! Keep your hands off her!
(laughing)
She's a~. motherfucker!
EXT: SUBURBAN/RURAL
STREET - 12:30 A.M.
Rocco rolls into his ranch house driveway.
IN'l': ROCCO'SHOUSE
Comfortable, slightly claustrophobic decor. TV on.
MARISSA,. a pre-pubescent 12-13, is working a Nintendo
joystick, eyes transfixed on the TV,
MARJ:SSA
(f!.a~)
Ki, Oadd:,·.
ROC:CO
(heading for a wet bar, his
back to Marissa>
) Don't you got a game tomorrow?

•
 MARISSA
Sunday.
As Rocco fixes a little cocktail for himself we hear a
toilet flush and see a 12-year-old black kid, BRIAN,
emerge from the john, Both he and Rocco stop in their
tracks on seeing each other, but just for a split-second,
BRIAN
(shyly)
Hi
'
ti
I
Brian gingerly
joystick
moves to the couch, picks
and joins in on the qame.
up a second

Rocco, unsmiling but quiet, fusses with his drink, hi&

back to the couch, then •••
ROCCO
(squinting at his watch)
What is it, 12:30? or 1:30?
BRIAN
(to Rocco's back)
12:30.
(then after a beat)
can I call my brother to come pick me up?
ROCCO
(finally turning, affable)
Hey, don't bother, I'll drive you
home. What's your name?
BRIAN
Brian.
ROCCO
Brian. Where you live, in the •••
BRIAN
On Dover Street? Near Michelle
Avenue?
ROCCO
.QQver? Oh great, that's like,
that's like, two minutes from here
... good ... good ...
EXT: PROJECTS BENCHES - NEXT AFTERNOON
CLOSE ON STRIKE'S FACE
Haggard, distant, taut.
All the other kids are milling around, looking at
catalogues; F.A.O. Schwarz, Hold Everything, Hammacher
Schlemmer ... They're poring over them, open-mouthed,
like s•x books, Even Strike has one in his lap, although
he's in too bad a mood to lose himself.

STRIXE'S-POV
That damn kid Tyrone is still staring at him.
STRIKE
( casual nasty)
Who you lookin' at •••
suddenly Strike is grabbed from behind in an anonymous
bear hug.
DEEP VOICE (VO)
s-o say t';:ee;e!
strike squawks in panic, splashing himself with his Yoo-
Hoo.
All the kids look up and laugh as Strike springs to his
feet with knotted fists and turns to stare at AHDU TH£
GIANT, a big goateed knocko who is full of good cheer at
the panic he's caused.
ANDRt
... What you up to, mastermind?
Andre leans across the top of the bench and finger-walks
Strike's clothes in a casual frisk,
strike'& beeper goes off and Andre briskly clips it,
reads the number coming in.
ANDRE {contd)
(tight, dry)
Who's that, your boss?
STRIKE
(familiar, weary)
You tell me.
ANDRE
(re~urning to his frisk of StriKe)
Y'all hear about Darryl?
A chorus of sad noises.
ANDRt (contd)
Yeah, I had to tell his gran'ma
last night. She liked to die on me
right in the doorway.
(MORE)
 2,;

ANDRt ( contd)
(wincing)
Makin' notifications ..• I hate
that mo:c'e'n anything, man.
Fl.l'rON
(wincing in empathy)
Man, I couldn't s!,Qthat.
Andr6 steps back from his !:c"isk: St:c"ike's clean as
always.
'
t•
I
ANDRE ·-
to Tyrone on the chain)
(turning
Little Man ... wbat you doin' down
here with these knuckleheads •••
(to the others)
I'm watchinq all you •.•
CLOSE ON STRIKE
imploding.
INT: MAZILI.I•l<LEINDELI•LIQOORSTORE- SAMETIME
Rocco is ringing up a can of beer at the liquor counter.
Mazilli is smoking a cigarette behind th• deli counter.
As the customer exits with his beer, Rodney barges into
the store, counting bills off a tat roll ~f cash. He's
limping,
ROONEY
Hey, fellas, how you fixed for
Tampax? I'm all out by me.
ROCCO
What's wrong with your leg?
ROONEY
(wincing)
Rain's comin'.
ROCCO
Oh yeah? ror a minute I thought
ErrQl Barnes winged one at you, too.

RODNEY
Say what?
MAZILLI
Yeah, last night we go to bring in
Clarky Lovejoy for a talk on that
(MORE)

... ··-··". ·-··- •••• ·-"t'·

 JO

MAZILLI (contd)
Ahab's shooting? The kid's got the
best alibi in the world. He's
layin' up in Christ the King with a
slug in. his thigh.
RODNEY
(mock-wincing -- counting his money)
That must mu:r.•••
MAZILLI
Yeah, you best put a leash on that
,,
' fucking psycho.
I
RODNEY
(shru99in9)
It's a free country, last I hear.
ROCCO
Not if you're in county, it ain't.
RODNEY
I bear that,~.
MAZILLI
(moving to the stockroom)
Tampa:.c?
RODNEY
(shouting after him)
An' some Chore Boys ... two cases
if you got it,
(to Rocco)
I hate this llin shit.
aocco
Makes you kinda blue, hUh?
Mazilli comes back, lugging cases of Chore Boy and
Tampax.
1-'.AZILLI
So Rodney, what do~ hear about
Ahab's?
ROONEY
What, yo~ mean that boy that got
shot up?
ROCCO
He used to work for you, no? In
the store?

... , . .. .. . . ·-· --····.

 ROONEY .
(a little uncomfortable)
Yeah, Darryl, he was OK.
MAZILLI
He w.ss 01<, hub?

ROONEY
{antsy)

ROCCO
we found like twenty-five hundred
dollars on him.
RODNEY
(now in a crossfire between
the two counters)
Maybe they was wantinq to take him
off with the store receipts.
(beat)
Then they panicked.
HAZILLI
You think so?
RODNEY
(turning in a gimpy pirouette)
You got me.
ROCCO
(do@le-edged)
We got you?
The store is quiet for a beat, Rodney caught in a
crossfire of stares, unconsciously spinning, doing a
bonqo riff on the cartons.
ROCCO ( contd)
(calmly)
can you work on it for me?
ROONEY
(d~opping his cash, gathering up
cartons)
his
Yeah, al~ight, I'll get my people
on it. :~=ea day or two.
MAZit.LI
(sweetly)
You need a hand with that?
Rodney doesn't answer, just exits fast.
 J2

,-. ROC:C:O
(to the banging door)
'Bye, now.
R.:;.
..:.:.:, and Hat.ill!. exchange a glance -- they got a live
one,
EXT: PROJECTS .BENCHES- ONE HOURLATER
Strike is alone, rubbin9 his aching gut.
I STRIL<E'S POV
I .
I m SEE Tyrone, still perched on his slump of chain as
strike is perched on his bench slat.
CLOSE ON TYRONE
tingling with self-consciouaness.
strike, towering over him now, plucks a nappy clump of
his ragged haircut.
STRIKE
What the fuck is this ••. What's
your name, ~heat?
INT: BARBERSHOP - THIRTY HINU'l'ES LATER
Fake wood panelling -- funky neighborhood place.
ANGU: - TYRONE'S MIRROREDIMAGE
He stares at himself in the barber chair as the barber
adjusts the neck-cuff. Strike hovers over the ~ction.
STRII<E
(plucking Tyrone's nap)
Get all that out of there bring
it down like this.
Strike pats his own tightly groomed crop. Fluffs it with
an Afro pik,
VARIOUS ANGLES:
1) ELECTltIC SH~~s grooming the edges of his hairline.
2) FINER SHEARS shaving a diagonal 3-inch slice-part in
his c:rop.
.--. INTERCUT with Tyrone's big-eyed stare flicking from
himself to Strike to himself via the mirror.

---- -· .. ·----· -·. - ·---·- ..···----·

··-·---··-····-··---·
...
 JJ

The barber moves for the hair gel but Strike stays his
hand,
STRIKE
(to the barber)
You're ·.done.

CLOSE ON TYRONE
FrJzi=n, vith his new haircut.

J
suddenly his face is illuminated by the flash of a
camera, a .booming "POP,"
" I
REV'E~Si: ANGLE- TYRONE'S PIC'l'tmE
ejecting into his lap from the barber's hand-held
Instamatic.
Ct,OSE ON THE PHOTO
developing on his tricot-covered lap. "l'h• new Tyrone
emerges; solemn, handsome -- II.ti!•
CLOSE ON BI.ACKHANDS
lifting the photo and push-pinning it into place among
the gallery of flat-faced profiling customers.
EXT: DRIVEWAYIN FRONT OF AN OLI) LADY'S HOUSE - THIRTY
MINUTES LATER
Strike parking,
INT: THE CAR
Strike turning off the ignition. They sit for a beat in
total silence.
STRIKE
Damn, don't you ever say thank you?
TYRONE
(looking at Strike with thunder
struck yet mute emotion -- the
words coming out in a strangled
se!f-conscious mutter)
Thank you.
Strike takes his own Afro pik, sticks it in the muff of
Tyrone's swaatshi~t.
STRIKE
(half disgusted, half gentle)
Awright, get on out the car.
strike alone, watching Tyrone walk away via the REARVIEW
mirror, the kid half turning every five feet on his way
oa~x to the benches as if he can't bear the idea of
strike being out of his sight.
EXT: THE SKY AT DUSK

storm clouds gathering, a menacing ruml:)le is heard.

(~~dl\ey's limp was a true barometer.)
EXT: THE BENCH - FIVE MINtJ'l'ES AFTER STRIJl:E IN CAR
STIU.lCE'S POV
FUton, Peanut and the others busy clocking, pumping
bottles to customers. People seem hyped by the impending
storm.
STRIDS POV
He scans the action, sees Tyrone back on his chain perch.
Ha walks past Tyrone.
TYRONE
{almost a whisper)
Hi.
Strike purposefully ignores him,
Suddenly there's a thunderous crack and it starts to
pour.
Everybody on the benches makes a dash for a nearby
breez.eway.
strike is running too but then stops as he sees through
the steaming rain across the projects, a lone figure,
visible primarily because whoever it is is wearing bright
orange.
The figure is walking quickly to a parked car.
STRIKE
shifting gears, running now in the direction of the
oran9e ~i<Jl.lr•, c~~shing into Tyrone who was following hig
into the shelter, knocking Tyrone into a puddle and,
oblivious, charging on towards the man in orange.
_ANGLE- VICTOR
wearing a brown and orange Hambones unifor,n, shoulders
hunched against the rain, is walking around to the
driver's side of his car.

. '.. . . . . . .. ' ...... ~

 35

VICTOR'S POV
ft SEE strike sprinting towards him, screeching to a stop
on the passenger side of the car.
STRIKE
(desperate)
I got to~ to you al:lout
something.

' VICTOR
b (shivering, dripping, distracted)
I
I'm l.lll·
STRIKE
(freaked, angry, but also
supplicating)
I .I.IJJi, I got to Wk to you.
VICTOR.
(distracted, fWll))ling with the
car keys)
I'm llll ...

-
.,....
Victor unlocks the driver's door, slides in and ignoring
Strike, revs up the engine.
VICTOR'S POV - STRIKE'S FACE
looming in the rain-streaked passenger's window, a palm
pressed to the glass.
STRI~
(muffled by the window)
What you think, I'm lillin' here?
strike yanks open the passenger door just aa Victor
starts to peel out.
The abruptly opened door smashes into a street pole and
Victor reflexively slams on the brakes.
VICTOR
What you do to my car!
Str1Ke takes adv~n~o~c of the mome~tary halt to jump into
the passenger seat and close the dented door behind him.
OVERHEADVIEW - TH~ CAR
sticking out of the parking space like a broken bone, the
rain beating down. We are not privy to the conversation
-within.
 36

EXT: PROJECTSOVERVIEW
- SUNDAY
MORNING
- 11:00 A.M.
Projects is lifeless, still, almost deserted. sunny day.
CLOSEON IRIS
Tyrone's mother. She's heavy-set, furious-looking.
She'~ holding TYrone by a clWllp of his new haircut and
gl,o,L' .u\g at· ...

REVERSE ANGLE - STRII<E AND THE BOYS

Sullen and immobile on the bench.

IRIS
Wbo did this.,, Who gave my kid
this dainn .11.1.iJ:cut•••
TYrone looks suicidally eml:llarrassad,
Th• wall of silence remains -- no one even dares make a
derisive face -- 1:his lady is scary,
IRIS (contd)
You all a bunch a' no good death-
dealin' 1J.1Qbish and if I ever find
out who's been messin' with my son
I'm gonna cut your fuckin' ll.tAg off.
(beat)
I'm gonna find me And;;e •••
She steams off into the projects dragging Tyrone with
her, At the last minute, Tyrone twists free of her,
stands his ground. She marches on alone.
EXT: SUBURBAN
SOCCERFIELD - SAMETIME
Rocco and his wife, KIM, are on the sidelines with all
the parents watching. Although the girls' league game is
directly in front of them, their unsmiling attention is
mostly on FOURBLACKMALETEENS about thirty yards down
the sidelines.
Rocco emerges from the parents' group, strolls down the
sidelines to confront the kids.
ROCCO
(friendly, but with an
undercurrent of complete
control and power)
Hey, fellas ... you guys soccer fans?

------· . .. --~-~-·~· ·"'--:..::·-:..:.:·-·-·

··::::·--'-'-
-"'••:.,.,·-'-"···'-'· ··-·· •••• ·--····. ·----. ··-· ••• ••
 37

TALLESTKID
(not fooled by Jtocco's
cheeriness -- sounding
slightly 111.uttery -- insulted)
We jus~ watching our sister.
ROCCO
Cleaning forward, making a big
show of cupping his ear, a
physically intimidating
gestui-e)
Ex~ 111.e?
'?ALI.EST J.at>
I Di.Ii, we're watching our .I.liter
ROCCO'S POV - THE FIELD
WESEE one black girl playing.
ROCCO
Who ... Mai-go? You're Ma~o•s brothers?
They stare at him, resentful at this affable beating
they're getting.
BRIAN
(the youngest brcthar --
sounding wounded and
bewildered -- not as savvy
and subtle as his older sibs)
I was just in your house! You
drove me home!
ROCCO
(squinting)
Brian? Brian, right? Hey •••
there you are .•.
(then, completely relaxed)
Well great, why don't
you guys come
down to the others, you can't see
nothin' from this angle ..• join us
OLDEST BROTHER
(tight)
That's OK
ROCCO

OLDEST BROTHER
(flat)
Thanks ...

·--·---··-
 38

As Rocco walks back to the parents nodding to them that

everything is OK, we hear:
BRIAN (VO)
- I was just in his house!
ANGLE
~Y THE COACH,chewing out Marissa on the sidelines.
LARRY
Marissa! 'What did we ~tic• all
week, mm.? 'What did we put hours.
into, all nll• All ot us • • • -
MARISSA
(holding back tears)
I was ~ing to •..
LARRY
Hour~! Hours! Hour1t
ROCCO
(getting in the coach's face,
gently pushing him backwards,
speaking softly)
Larry ... what are you yellin' at
her for ... it'5 a SUll!!!t ••• it's
bullshit ... they're little kids
let them play the game.
LARRY
(apoplectic)
Rocco ... you don't know the hours ...
ROCCO
It's a~. you fucking maniac.
MARISSA
(teary)
I bAli my life.
ROCCO
(undertoned, making her walk
backwards, cut of earshot of
the others)
~? You~? Wha~ are you,
kidding roe? How'd you like to live
in the projects, hUh? How'd you
like a drug addict for a parent?
You want something to c-ry about?
Come into work with me, I'll show
you~ to cry about. You bate
your life? You con't ~. Marissa •••

. ...•. , .
 39

KIM
(from the sidelines)
Will you lay off with that?
R.OCCO
(pointing, louder)
You're another one. Nobody hare's
got ~in' to cey about.
KIM
(heard it all before)
Bull~ ·••
MARISSA
Why does everything happen tc u , ••
At which point Rocco's beeper goes off.
aocco
(checking the number coming
up, scowling, to himself)
Mother~er •, •
(to Marissa)
No ... no ... everything doesn't happen
to ~ . . . everything happens to M•
INT: FIRST BAPTIST CHtmCH - l.: 00 P. M.
WIDE SHOT
It's a vast, white chalet style interior -- airy and
clean.
The church is deserted, save for three black men sitting
bunched together way down in the front blonde-wood pew,
their backs to us.
CLOSEON THE THREEMEN,
their backs to us.
REVDSE ANGLE
Rocco looking down at them, the minister and an ex-cop
parishioner flanking victor, who's sporting church-going
slacks arid sweater, slwnped between the ether two older
bigger man like a human comma of despair.
ROCCO
So, Victor ...
(beaming down at him, friendly)
you want to take a -ride?
The Reverend stands up as if to intercept Rocco's offer.
 ~ND
(anguished}
can I talk to y0u?

ANGLE - ROCCO AND·.THE REVDE!ID

strolling around the churcb, apeaking in whispers.
REVEllND
That boy got tl:!2 jobs, .tlf2 kids,
comin' into church ~very Sunday for
, a~, never been in D2 trouble
H
... you hear what I'm sayin'? This
don't make 112 sense at all •••
ROCCO'S POV - MAZILLI
is coming up the aisle towards them, escorting Victor,
then pasaes them heading for the door.
ROCCO
(walking bacJtwards, talking shit)
Look, there's probcly an explanation,
you know a predicament or something
••• I'll do what I can, OK?
EX-COP PARISHIONER
(spiffed for church in J-pieee
suit, chest hanky, extending
a triangular wedge of silver
foil to Rocco)
Don't forget this •••
Rocco, momentarily confused by~• offering, unpeels the
foil. It's a .25 automatic.
REVEREND
(anquis.hed)
No sense at all .••
INT/EXT: ROCCO'S CAR
Rocco driving, Mazilli and victor in the back.
ROCCO
(looking at Victor via the
rea~ view mi~ror)
Victor, you ever been arrested
be.fore?
VlCTOll
--. (sullenly staring out the
window)
It got thrown out .

•
 41

ROCCO
Geed. What was the charge?
VICTOR
~-contact.
ROCCO
(grinning)
That's a new one •••
VICTOR
(muttering)
It's an gJJi one .• ,
Rocco shrugs. They'll get into it later.
EXT: PROJECTS BENCH!:S- SAMETIME
Tyrone on his slwnp of chain, holding a Yoo-Hoo just like
strike.
TYRONE'S POV - ANDRt
looming over him, gently touching his hair, smiling.
ANDU
I like that ha.il,:cut, Little Man.
Where'd you get that haircut?
Tyrone stares straight ahead.
ANDRt ( contd)
(turning to the boys on the ·oench)
Where'd this boy get his haircut?
A wall of silence.
Andre turns back to Tyrone, reaches down, takes the
vanilla Yeo-Koo tram him ... That's all tha evidence he
needs,
Andra tums and glares at strike.
EX'l': KAI,LWAY
OU~S!DE THE INTERROCATIONROOMIN THE
HOMICIDEOFFICE - THIRTY MINUTESLATER
CLOSE ON VICTOR
SEEN THROUGHa wi=e ~esh window set in the door of the
interrogation room. He's alone at a bare desk,
ANGU: - ROCCO
pQlling away from the window, speaking low to Mazilli,
and flicking a twenty dollar bill.

• ·--·.
. --· - ... -···-.. ··-..
 42

ROCCO
A twenty says I wrap this up in an
hour ..•

CLOSEON HAZII.I.I'S WATCH

1:30 P.M.
MAZILI.I
Go,
J
It
INT: IN'l'ERROGATION
ROOM
'
Rocco and Victor sit across from each oth•r in a tiny
room -- hard chairs, card table, out of date calendar on
the wall featuring two kittens wrestling with a ball of
yarni nothing else,
ROCCO
(writing}
so where'd you get the gun?
VICTOR
(heavily)
l found it under a chair in the
restaurant one night when we was
cJ.eaning up.
ROCCO
Did you always carry it?
VICTOR
Yeah, it made me feel safe,

. ANGLE• ROCCO'S POV

The wall clock reads 1:35.
ROCCO
So tell me what happened •••
VICTOR
(eyes averted, playing with
his sock lint)
Well, like I said, I had a few
drinks ot ~udy'B, you know, the
bar, like I always de •.••
ROCCO
A !ew ...
...- ..
VICTOR
Like three, maybe two,
 4J

ROCCO
Like you always do ...
VICTOR
I go in th•ra after work most
nights.
ROCCO
How long were you in there, from
when to when?
I VICTOR
"' • Bout eight-thirty to about tan .·.• •
see, my shift at the Hllllll:lone don't
end till ten usually, but I wasn•t
feeling good &o I left early that
night.
ROCCO
You weren't feeling good so you
went to a bar?
VICTOR
It wasn't like a going -- type of
not feeling good.
ROCCO
What was it, an argument? A
headache?
VICTOR
(long pause)
3ust, you know, tired •••
ROCCO
(after a beat)
G'head, So ...
VICTOR
So after the bar, I was like
walking home, shortcutting through
the Ahab's lot and the guy like •••
(Victor crunches his face)
like ... he like jumped at me and
I got scared and I, you know, I
like
Victor becomes enmeshed again in extracting lint balls
off his sock.
VICTOR (contd)
Like .... ~ hia ..•
HO.Ul FOR A BEAT ON Rocco staring expressionless at
Vie~or, who avoids Rocco's eyes •

•
 ANGLE- ROCCO'S 'POV
The wall clock reads 1:55.
EXT: PRCJEC'l'SBENCHESAaEA - Sl\MBTIME
CLOSE ON YOO-HOOBOT?LE
slowly being whacked against a bench slat like a
metronome1 the bottle held by a thick finger plugged into·
, the mouth.
"I PIJU, BACKTO SEE Andre nose to nose with st~ilte. Strike
sits on his bench top and Andr• leans into him, his hands
gripping the top slat on either side of Strike'& hips.
Andre has him boxed in.
ANDRt
You used to have a good head on
you.
STIUKE
(defiant, off-balance)
I still do.
Andre says nothing, just eyeballs him for a beat.
STRIKE (contd}
(unsteadily)
I s;till do .
.ANDRt
Ronnie? I had my hand out to you
since you was a little boy. You
didn't want to take it, that's your
parr09ative. But I'm gonna tell
you something ... if I~ see you
so much as legt at that kid 'l'yrone?
I'm gonna tuck you up so bad you
gonna lid.ah I just threw you back in
jail. Do we understand each other?
Andre remains nose-to-nose, head coclted, waiting for
Strike's confirmation.
INT: IN'l'EUOGATIONROOM- SAMETIME
CLOSE ON WALLCLOC~ - 2,15 P.M.
VICTOR
ave~eed; nervous
(eyes and angry)
I~ you already ... The guy came
~ at me and r wasn't even thinking. Just,
,, you know, BAM. Then I got scared and ran.
 45

ROCCO
You mean 5AM:BAMBAMBAM.
VICTOR

ROCCO
There were four bullets in his
body.
Vic:tor goes back to playing with his sock.
'
" (shifting
ROCCO(contd)
gears)
The gun, where were you carrying it?
VICTOR
In my gy11 bag,
ROCCO
What else do you carry in your gy11
bag?
VICTOR
My HamDones uniform , , , s0111eti111es
like a sandwich from home ••• 1
can't eat that •••
ROCCO
(cutting him off)
ox ... the guy jumped at you, so
you stepped back, fished around in
your gy11 bag with the uniform, the
sandwiches, found the gun, aimed it
and shot him four times. That's
what I'm getting from you so far.
Is that correct?
Rocco waits on Victor
ROCCO ( contd)
Victor?
Vietor is unravelling his socks, furiously avoiding
Rocco's expectant eyes.
ROCCO'S FOV
The wall clock reads 2:JS.
ROCCO'S POV

, Mazilli grinning in the wire mesh window, rubbing his

fingers together to signal that he just won twenty bucks •

•
 EX'l': PROJECTS BENCHES - SAHE TIME.·

Strika's crew has returned, the kids deep into horseplay

and slap-boxing, no blatant business going on, Strike on
bis perch seems withdrawn, still brooding on his
encounter with Andr6.
Suddenly the Fury pulls up for another raid but the boys
are clean and as ThWllper and company rise from the car,
instead of going dead pan, strike's crev breaks into a
good-natured spontaneous chant.
'I
ti

THE SOYS
s-.2,1 s-~! s-~!
The cops join in, while simultaneously frisking the kids
(the whole thing's a fucking joke anyhow), Thumper
gesticulating like the conductor of a choir.
KIDS ANDCOPS
s-.2,1 s-.2,! s-.2,1
Strike is the only one not playing, and as the chant gets
louder WE ZOOMIN ON his trouble-streaked face.
·INT: INTERROGATION
ROOM- SAMETIME
ROCCO
(sullen at losing twenty
dollars, tired)
OK ... So when was the last time
you were in Ahab's?
Victor throws him a death's-head smirk.
ROCCO(contd).
(grimly, ackrlowladging the
dumD question)
Be~ that ...
VICTOR
Never.
ROCCO
Npver? You live so close, you
never wa:ked by on a hot day with
your ki:ls and just steppe~ in there
for a so:la?
VICXOR
{eye contact, finally,
ignition on)
J With my .!s.il!§.? I never~
kids! I'm always ~ing.
my da111n
Then I
{MORE)
 VICTOR (contd)
get home, I'm so tired I'm alwaya
slaepin'. My~ ... Hell, I'm
gonna take my kids for a soda, I'll
take .' elil to my .9Jm dlllllln restaurant.
I say to my wite, "Bring the kids
to the restaurant,w she says "You
can see the kids at home." I say,
"I come home, I'm like exhausted to
I
death."
(addressing Rocco directly
• now, beseechingly)
You know tha~ feeling you get
sometimes, you come home, you so
damn tired it's like the sound of
your cwn kids is like thie ~or
sound?
Rocco keeps a neutral face, letting Victor run this out,
see where he's heading.
VICTOR (contd)
I try to tell her that, she says,
"So~ a job, you got~-" see,
she don't understand, man, you
know, I'm trying to get us out ot
the projects and where you gonna go
if you don't got it saved up? I
mean, you got to make it while you
£An, wnile you~. because ...
ROCCO
(cutting him off)
Victor, Victor ... OK .•• OK.
Listen to me, listen to me.
Rocco slides around the table, goes kn•• to knee, fingers
on Victor's leg, boxing him in; a tactic,
~occo (contd)
Listen to me ... You're a good,
decent, hard-working kid, and if
you pulled the trigger you must've
had some 9Amllgood reason other
than s.Jlil man jumping out at you
u~axpectedly, because I have to
aslc myself 1,1hy -- .!dlY did tnat m.an
... it wasn't to~ you ... why
would the manager try to rob someone
in his own parking lot? sol have
to think it was something R§.l:sonal
that went down. I have to think ...

•
 48

VICTOR.
{cutting him off)
I never seen that guy before in my
life! He just,,.
ROCCO
{cutting him off)
He just :iJ,umed you. And you~
hi:m. He didn't •..
VICTOR
'
II (cutting hill off)
I don't want to talk to you no more,
ROCCO
{calming}
Victor .•.
VICTOR
I don't want to talk to you no more
... I gave you the gun, so •••
ROCCO
(getting ever physically closer)
Victor ... it this man ill something
to you, to your tuily, if ha threatened
you ... if he in .AJ1X ~ made your
life miserable, this helps~•
Victor gasps for air, eyes bulging. Rocco is almost on
top of him.
ROCCO (contd)
You could have been beside yourself
with n,ga, you could have been unable
to §leep. to~- This all helpa ~-
In egµrt. C'mon, Victor, help me help
you. What did that prick do to you?
Rocco is almost embracing Victor now, Victor twisting his
head away, almost in tears. Rocco is alert, waiting,
here it comes
VICTOR
(mouth working like a fish,
grasping at something, then • • • .)
It was self-defense.
Vic~or seems as disappointed in his own words as Rocco.
Sighing, Rocco pulls open a small drawer in the desk and
takes out a barber's hand Mirror.
)
ROCCO
Self-defense, huh?

•
 49

Remaining seated, he crab-walks his chair on its casters·

over to victor's side of the table.
ROCCO ( contd)
(lightly)
I want to see what you see ...
Rocco puts his arm around Victor and leans his head so
that thay•re cheek to cheek,
J
IJ
I He holds out the mirror so that his own fac• is centered
in its oval.
ANGLE• ROCCOIN '1'JU:MIRROR
ROCCO
You know something? I disagree. I
don't think I 11,Qlook that fucking
stupid ...
EXT: DRIVE-DOWN RN(P HEADING INTO TH!! IN'l'I.D CENTER OF
THE COUNTY
JAIL - TWOHOURSLATER
Rocco is waiting for the gate to roll up as he sits
behind the wheel of his Plymouth, frowning at his nails,

'
I CLOSE ON VICTOR
in the back seat with Mazilli,
The gate rises, the Plymouth descends ... and Victor is
swallowed up by the system.
INT: HALLWAYIN MUNICIPAL COURT - NOON • NEXT DAY
Bustling with cops, lawyers, bad guys, etc. Rocco in the
hallway talking to a group of cops including the Fury,
MALE: (OS)
Rocco!
Rocco turns to see FRANKDiNARDO, the county prosecutor,
wave him over .. DiNardo is very short, with a neat beard
and a Napoleonic don't fuck with me manner, He's: ten
years Rocco's junior.
OiNARDO
(holding up the transcript ot
Victor's confession)
What t.l'le fuck is this •.• "he
jWDped out at me so I snot him"?
)
 50

.ROCCO
(cavalier)
Frank, I did everything but stick
my tongue down his throat.
• (vinkS to the other cops)
The kid wouldn't budge. so fuck
him.
DiNAIUlO
You mean fuck zm, 'cause when a
useless piece of shit like this
lands en my desk I e0uldn't get a·
conviction on 11,Uler.
ROCCO
{slightly angry, emllarrassed}
C'mon, I wa& like all~ with him.
OiNABDO
What a waste of a nice Sunday, hub?
You knov what "havin' it made•
means, Rocco? rt means getting
paid for doing next to nothing.
ROCCO
(so livid he can't even
address Frank•- h• addresses
,j his friends, the walls, etc.)
Who th• fuck is he talking to?
OiNAROO
I'm talking to~-
ROCCO
Hey! Do you have Am:.idea how many
good confessions I got for this
office? I was locking people up
when you were still, ••
OiNARDO
(crossing his arms)
Oh wha~ ,,. you're gonna tell me
l!!ll: st-~ies now? Creat. Another
twenty-year cop with J!!AJ::stories.
C'mon, tell me some war stories,
It's noc :ike I ~an prepare for a
trial
(holding up the confession)
or nothin', so what the fuck, let's
hear some~ stories.
Rocco is rad-faced, mute with humiliati0n and rage.
J

•
 Sl

DiNAimO (contd)
(finger-stabbing)
You~ the kid was throwing you a
line ot shit and you let it S1Q •••
you said~ it, and let me tell
you, .. with investigators like
you, these mutts .don't even need
lawyers.
(turns and walks off)
Thanks for the help.
I
ti
Rocco is left there among his friends. He's caught
I between laughing and barking like a dog. b keepa mak~nq
short aimless movements as if he's about.to storm off or
punch a wall but he's been nailed and can't do shit about
it.
EXT: PROJECTS BENCH - TWO HOURS LATER
CLOSEON NEWSPAPER
ARTICLE- "DEMPSEY
MANHELDIN FAST
FOODSLAYING"
PULL BACKTO SEE Strike reading the bad news,
HORACE
Victor din't do this, man, This is
bullshit. That ol' boy got like
three jobs, right?
PEANUT
Yeah, I heard it was like a frame-up.
STRIKE
(hot,
in his face)
Frame-up! You ain't heard .mia
a.bout no frame-up. Where the fuck
you hear that. ...
PEANUT
I can't say.
STRIKE
(agitated)
You can't say ... You gossip more
than a fuckin' bitch. you pretzel-
eared mo~herfucker.
l"UTON
(hco;J
H)lil you call ~e?
HORACE
. - .. (looking out to the street)
Ho, lookit
They all look.
 52

REVERSE ANGLE

WE SEE Rocco and .Mazilli getting out of the Plymouth.

ANGLE - THE BENCH

They all stare silently at the approaching cops. strike

w vanished.
ANGLE - HALLWAY
OF BUILDING WHERESTRID IS HIDING
• CLOSE ON TYRONE,

sta.nding rigid, looking out to the bench. Strike hides

behind hi.Ill. WE SEE tro~
THEIR POV - ROCCOAND MAZII..LI
head into the projects.
STRIKE
(Whispering, his chin over
Tyrone's shoulder)
Tell me where they go.
Tyrone stands frozen for a beat.
STRIKE (contd)
Si2!
Tyrone flies out of the building on his first mission.
INT: ANOTHERBUILDING HALLWAY- FIVE MINU'l'i:S IATER
Rocco, Mazilli and Tyrone stand vaiting for the elevator.
ANGLE - INSIDE THE ELEVATOR- SLOWLYRISING
The three ot them in silence.
Rocco, suspicious, studies Tyrone, who in turn studies
the floor.
ROCCO
Where Y.QYgoing, B?
T'fRONl:
(hoarse, whispering)
My friend's house.
.. - .. ROCCO
You didn't push his floor.
Tyrone hesitates, sees "11" lit up on the board, and
pushes "10."
 5'3

INT: VICTOR'S APARTMENT

Rocco and Mazilli sitting at a tiny dining table in a
furniture-crowded living room.
Two kids ar• asleep in an opened convertible sofa,
SHARON, Victor's wife, sits in a velour chair staring at
the TV,
victor's MO'l'HERstands in the archway to the tiny kitchen
I with her back to the living room. She's ironing.
~
I
EVerybody is acting like the two homicide cops aren't
there.
ROCCO
(addressing the room)
Did you )(now he had a gun?
Sha Ron shrugs, eyes on '1;11.

ROCCO(contd)
Did he have a drinking probl-?
SHA RON
He only drank at night,
ROCCO
Oh yeah? Me, toe ..• How about drugs?

Sha Ron shrugs, eyes on TV.

ROCCO(contd)
Did he nave any new friends recently?
You know, hang out with new peopl•?
Sha Ron barely shrugs, the mother keeps ironing.
Mazilli gives Rocco a look, as in -- Let's go,
Rocco rises, wanders over to the window.
ROCCO'SPOV - THE BENCHES,ANDSTRIKE'S CRSW
This is the window strike is always looking up to.
ROCCO
(turning
to the room)
Look, I'm trying to help here. You got
to unders-tand as far as the Prosecutor's
Office is concerned the case is closed,
,I
But I'm sitting here, I see he'• got
a nice home, kids •••
 54

MOTHER
(still not facing them, still
ironing)
He has a stomach condition.
ROCCO
•( expectant)
Yeah?
MOTHER
(back still turned)
They gonna give him bis medicine in
'
I
I there?
ROCCO
(rolling his eyes at Mazilli)
I'm sure if he told them, they'll
take care of it.
Rocco finally rise~, fed up, to leave.
ROCCO (contd)
o:r;, then ..•
Rocco pauses at an etagere, eyes family photos, picks up
one of a male teenager in a two-toned dinner jacket,
ROCCO {contd)
Ron)
(t0 Sha
Can I borrow this picture? I got
to go around, retrace his steps the
other night, I'd rather not show
people this, you know what I mean?
Rocco shows Sha Ron a mug shot of Victor, Sharon
flinches, then nods to the photo an the etagere,
SHA RON
Why you want~ one?
ROCCO
'Cause it looks like the nice guy I
know he is.

SHARON
!fh2 is? that ain't Victor,
tha.'C'~ St';'ika ...

Mazilli leans in, squints at the picture.

ROCCO
(pocketing Strike's picture)
strike? Who' s ..•
 ss

SKA RON
B.2Dald, Kis brother.
ROCCO
Oh yeah? This Ronald, is he
around?
SKA RON
He don't live here no more.
MOTHER(VO)
:lAgamet
"''
ROCCO'S POV

WE SR the mother's face for tha first time in this

scene.
She stands at the ironing board like she's defending it
from attack, Her eyes are glassy with tears.
MOTHER
He smt to Mn his Taqamet.
INT: EI..EVATOR - FIVE MINUTES LATER

Rocco and Mazilli descending,

ROCCO
(derisive)
"~amet."
MAZILI.I
Strike ...
ROCCO
the picture)·
(holding
You know hi111?
MAZILI.l
He used to work in Rodney's store
last year, same as Darryl. Now he
runs that crew down by where we
left the car.
ROCCO
( pe :: l': 1 :,g up J
He worked ~ith Darryl for Rodney?
If we see this Strike out there, I
want to ~~ing him in.
MAZILLI
./ What for? The Victor kid gave it
Im, do you want to talk to his
!.U)Cle, too? He came J.n on it, OK?

•
 56

ROCCO
You lcnow what I want to do? I
wanna grab one of those you out
there, beat the living .illil. out af
him, find out what r•ally happened
on this job, ~ the tucking
transcript and shove it right up
oiNardo's ass.
. MAZILLI
Aw-w, he broke~ balls, so now
"'I you're gor-~a break~?
ROCCO
(gone)
Right im there.
INT: KAI.I.WAYWHERE STRIKE IS HIDING
CLOSE ON TYRON£
staring out at Rocco and Kazilli walking back to car.
Tyrone stares out at the benches, strike pacing in the
shadows behind him.
TYRONE
Forty Dumont, the eleventh floor.
STRIKE
Shit! Did they say anything to you?

TYRONE
Unh-uh.
STRIKE
You sure?
Tyrone doesn't answer, just stares straight ahead, self-
conscious, excited, scared.
STRIKE (contd)
(relenting)
Awright, get out of here. Go play
or somethi:ig.
Tyrone hesitates, lingering ne~r his idol, than runs out
of the hallway, past the now deserted benches.
Strike stands there for a beat, when WHOMP! A heavy hand
is laid on his shoulder and he spins, gasping, and faces
. - ..
Andre.
ANDRE
What y'all so jumpy for?
 57

STRIKE
(clutching his stomach)
Please, Andre ... I didn't •••
ANDRt
How you feel about your brother?
STRIKE
(tense)
Hey, I don't know nothin' a~
that.
,,'
t AND.Rt
(squinty)
I didn't AU if you Js.nti! somethin',
I asked how you fil.Sj,.
STRIKE
(looking at Futon)
It's ... I dUMO ••• it's~-
Strike walks of!, Andre studying him.
INT: RUDY'S BAR- 10:30 P.M.
OVERHEA!>SHOT OF AU. THE PEOPL!

leaning in to study a_photo on the bar.

ANGLE- ROCCOFACINGBARTENDER
across the l:uu:·.
BARTENDER
(squinting at the photo)
Yeah ... he was in here once.
ROCCO
(thrown -- victor was a ragular)
gna?
The bartender passes the picture to the regulars who all
.squint and nod.
BARTENDER
(contd)
Friday. he was in here Friday •••
he had like one drink, din't even
s.it <1own.

ROCCO
(Vic~or said he had a few)
One drink? So he wasn't drunk or
anything?
BARTENDER

•
 •
58

ROCCO
was he with anybody?
. BARTENDER
He cama in by hisselt ..• he might
have.held conversation but I can't
swear to it.
ROCCO
You rememl:ler that shooting across
the street?
BARTENDER
l:1.1.U.,yeah ... who you thi'llk called
th• police?
BARFLY
(pointing to th• bartender)
BA did ... called on that phone
riqht there.
BARTENDER
(tace lightening)
&m ..• that's who you lookin' for?
ROCCO
would you happen to rememl:ler if the
kid was in here befgu or Att•r
that ...
BARFLY
He was in here be.f9.al,. You know
how I know? •cause I was watehin'
him all the time •cause I never saw
hi■ before in here an' he was so
jumpy -- like 1 thought h• was.
getting pW11pedup tom us or
something, so I was 1:a.11glad when
he left.
The barfly spins the picture across the bar so that it
lands in front of Rocco.
BARTENDER
{looking down at the picture)
So this t.he guy •••

Rocco follows the bartender's eyes to the bar and for the
first time looxs at the picture he's offered.
CLOSE ON ROCCO
J ROCCO
(whispering)
Jesus Christ ...
 59

CLOSE ON THE PHOTO

It's Strike. Rocco tossed down Che wrong picture. He's
asked all the right questions about the wrong suspect.
ROCCO
(in epiphanic sbock, fumbling
with victor's mug shot)
How about ;thia·kid?

r
CLOSEON BOTHSTRid ANDVICTORON THE BAR,
I
' looking up at us,
DR'l'ENDER (VO}
(mild)
Oh yeah, him. He's in here All the
time. What bA co?
INT: RODNEY'S CAR - SAM&TIME
Strike in tront with Rodney. Errol in the rear, leaning
over the headrest,
RODNEY
--. Ho~ come you din't tell :mayour
brother did it?
STRII<E
(eyes forward, evasive)
You said you din't want to know
nothin' a~ it.
RODNEY
Is he gonna keep his mouth shut?
STRID
(eyes forward, flat sing-song)
I don't lcnCW •••
. . Rodney takes Strike by the jaw in a light but firm grip,
4t~ turn• his head so that they're eye to eye.
-.,,
ROONEY
I'm gonna ask that again, •• Is he
gonna keep his mouth shut?
INT: Buru:AU OF CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION - THIRTY MINUTES
LATER
Gloomy, 75-year-old, pre-computer era doclllllent center in
..-.
the basement of a court building.
Rocco approaches the waist-high wainscoted counter, hails
the cop on duty who's eating a sandwich •

•
 60

ROCCO
Mister Bobby ..• give me a look-up
on a ...
(checking his notes)
.Bml.ald Dunham.
COP
(finger-walking the wooden file
boxes as he continues to eat)
Moniker?
' ROCCO
"
I Strike •••
TN'l': ROMTCtDE OFFICE - ll;JO P.M,
,.,,.j;;.i;; >1 VIC?0R AND STP.IlCE' S PHOTOS

laid out on a desk.

Rocco covers Victor's mug shot with his palm, leaving
strike staring up at them.
ROCCO (VO)
(talking about Strike)
Came in one time only on th• night
ot the shooting, extremely jWllpY,
never sat down, left be.f2m the
shooting, left sober. Kid's got a
three-year jacket-possession,
possession with intent, possession
of an unlicensed firearm, and as3au1t •••
WESEE Hazilli's hand lift Rocco's palm off.Victor's
picture and place it on strike's picture, which leaves
victor looking up at us now.
HAZI.LLI (VO)
(talking about Victor)
Has a few schnorts over his limit,
gets his brain all rad, walks out
of the bar with that mmin the gym
bag, pops the first guy who steps on
his foot. Comes in on it and we got
a closed by arrest. Finito, And by
the way -- don't forget hll sheet.
ROCCO
(wav:.~g it off)
He got i~~~ a shoving match with
ThWDper last year. Big fuckin'
deal. They .4il do, -
(shif~ing gears)
,I Don't you see what they're trying
to pull, these tvo? This Victor
(MORE)
 61

ROCCO(contd)
kid says he's the shooter, walks in
here with M record,~ jobs, deep
roots in the community ••• and M
says it was self-defense. Who's to
say no? The other brother, this
strike? If h!l tried that? He's a
known sc-uml)ag. They'd throw away
the key. No ~der that confession
sounded like horseshit, This ~tor
kid wasn't even there. He's just
taking the wai9ht for his brother.
MAZII.l.I
(exasperated, laughing)
out of~ ... brotherly love?
Fear? For money?
ROCCO
(amazed, outraged, but
also pumped)
They ran a~ on me, these two,
'cause~ cocksucker
(Rocco taps Victor's picture)
is an innocent man.
MAZILLI
(talking to a crazy man)
Listen, I found out what was going
on with OiNardo. He's in deep shit
with the I.R.S. His job's hanging
by a thread. He was just taking it
cut on you this morning.
ROCCO
{transported by the hunt --
OiNardo is irrelevant -- to
the photos)
see, but what 1 wanna know is, where
the fuck did these two moulies get
the 0alls big enough to even think
they could get this one past me.
MAZILLI
(calmly}
Did you hea~ what I just said about
DiN~r4g?

ROCCO
You want to play games. mother-
fuckers? Let's play soma games • • •

/ EXT: PROJECTS BENCHES- NEXTNIGHT

Strike and company on the bench.
 62

FUTON
Yeah, I heard it was like a ha,
like a professional thing, 'cause
• Darryl !\ad all this msmey
and they didn't toµeh it,
on him
so like ...
STRID
(rising, grinning, enraged,
paranoid)
See, there you 90 again. How come
I you always talk about shit like you
••
I ~tually ~ something?

FtlTON
(rising, in Strike'& face)
•cause maybe I sl2 •••
PEANTJT
c•mon, man, y'all friends so why don't •••
Poanut stops talking, as all eyes turn to someone
approaching.
CLOSEON STRIKE
.-·- .. He's got oh-shit eyes.
REVERSE ANGLE - ROCCO
abruptly (bang!) standing before them.
ROCCO
(amiable, hands in pockets)
How ya doin', fellas?
(beat, zeroing in on Strike)
Hey, are you Ronnie Dunham?
STRIKE
(tense)
BgDald ...

ANGLE - aocco AND STRIKE

about twenty feet frorn the bench.

ROCCO
(confidential, intimate)
Listen, I'm working the Darryl
Adams job and ah ... how's your
brother doing in there?
STRIKE
(tense}
I haven•~ seen him yet.
 63

ROCCO
'tP.ah?
(wincing)
That's a rough joint, County. You
ever be.en in there?
STRIKE:
~ust overnight on a confusion.
Strike's eyes focus on someone over Rocco's shoulder and
Rocco turns to see ERROLBAJUa:S,leaning aqainst a car,
holding a package.
ROCCO
(waving)
How you doing?
Errol just stares.
ROCCO(ccintd)
He waitin' for you?
STRIKE
No.
(beat)
I don't know.
ROCCO
This'll be a minute •.. I just got
to tell you I'm not too happy about
the arrest, you know? I mean he
gave it up, Victor, but, ah, you
know what he told us?
STRI!<E
How would I know? I wasn't there.
ROCCO
Wasn't where?
STRIKE
(contemptuous of the qame)
Where he told you.
ROCCO
Well, le~ ~e ask you .•• What do
~ think happened?
STRIKE
I don't know ...
ROCCO
You think there was something
between him and Darryl Adams?
 STRIKE
Whatever he told you ...
ROCCO
Do~ know Darryl Adams?
STRIKE' S POV - ERROL ON THE CAR

STRI:KE
No,
ROCCO
(spinninq in a slow circle-~
lie 11)
You didn't know Darryl Adams?
STRID
(trapped -- knowing he just
fucked up)
Unh-unh,
ROCCO
When was the last time you sav your
brother?
STRIKE
Not like, not for a while.
ROCCO
A week? A month? Two months?
STRID
Yeah.
ROCCO
What?

Two 111onths.
ROCCO
(spinning casually, lie 12)
Two 111onths.
A beeper sounds.
ROCCO (con~d)
(smirking)
You wanna get that?
STRIKE
(SIDirking)
It ain't mine.
Rocco looks down on his hip -- it's his •

•
 55

........
ROCCO
(grinning)
How 'bout that .. , OK ... look, I
just thought there was some insight
you could give me on this ...
because ... he's got those little
kids and all ...
STlUKE
I (stricken, bluntly)
I
I
Maybe the guy was like a .QABhead.
ROCCO
(attentive)
Who Darryl? Where'd you hear this?
STRil<E
Nowhere ... I mean, you know, I'm
sayin' like maybe.,. but you know
... I don't know.
ROCCO
Huh ... OK, look.,. here's my card
,,. you think of something, you
.- -.. hear something .
STRIKE
(quickly)
Yeah, aw:ri9ht.
ROCCO
(watching him twist)
OK . , . good.
(beat)
I'll be seeing you, Ronnie.
Rocco walks away.
ROCCO (contd)
(to £r~ol, still on the car)
Heyy how you been keepin' yourself?
Errol ignores the q,Jestion, looks at strike.
£AAOL'S POV - STRIKS
standing alone, wr~~~ing and knotted.
STRIKE'S POV - ROC~~ IN HIS CAR
Rocco drives off, t~rows Strike a wave.
ERROL
·What he want?
 Ei6

STRIKE
Nothing ... it's a1:>outmy brother
n' shit.
ERROL
Strike the package
(handing
he was holding)
Thi; from Rodney ... he say whack it up
for ounces, he'll bang you on it later.
INT: NARCOTICS UNIT SQUAD ROOM - ON!: HOUR LATER
f

'' They're
shit.
processing a half dozen drug arrests.- -- petty

A.~GW:- SERGEANTOF THE UNIT (JO-JO) AT HIS DESK, ROCCO

IN A CHAIR ALONGSIDE
ROCCO
You know Rodney Little?
JO-JO
(squat, Santa-looking with
white full beard, red face,
Hawaiian shirt)
sure
ROCCO
He's got this kid, Strike•••
JO-JO
Skinny little prick? LOoks like he
hasn't shit in a week?
ROCCO
I'm working on something and I need
this kid to talk to me •••
(Rocco takes out a few more
business cards)
do you think you can lay a card on
him for me?
Jo-Jo peers down at ~he card on his desk.
ROCCO (contd)
I just need him a little stressed
out now.
JO-;JO
(play~ul}
What are you gonna do for me?
j ROCCO
Nothin' you couldn't do for
yourself ...

•
 67

INT: COUNTY JAIL - LATER THAT DAY

Ct.ci,E ON STRIKE,
tense-faced, a correction& officer has him gripped by the
.bicep.
STRIKE'S POV - THE BUSY VISITORS' ROOMIN COUN'I'Y
He's standing in th• doorway looking across the room to a·
eorrP-sponding doorway where another corrections officer
J
holds Victor in the same grip.
·,'
ST1UKE'S CORRECTIONS OFFICER
Chair six
ANGLE- VICTOR ANDSTRIKE
staring at each other ever a chest-high divider.
Victor looks fucked up -- nappy-haired, wild, He's got a
cut on the side of his mouth and he's wearing what looks
like a pajama top.
VICTOR
(wincing)
Somebody burned my elbow with a lighter.
STRIKE
(awkward, distracted)
How you doin' in here.,.
VICTOR
(angry)
I just~ you! some.body burned
my elbow with a lighter,
STRIKE
(stupidly, helplessly,
guiltily)
You can't let ~hem g_g that, man •••
VICTOR
(laughing, angry)
Yeah, 01< •••
STRlla:
So what's your bail
VICTOR
Fifty thousand.
STRIKE
.l2§mJl... no cash option?
 68

VICTOR
MY lawyer says neX1: week they're
gonna give me the ten percent thing •••
STRIKE
so it'll be !in thousand, right?
(beat}
Did mommycome see you?
VICTOR
Yeah, but I don't want her to come
,, no more, her asthma gets all backed
I up and shit ..•
STRIKE
(latching onto a righteous
tone}
What you worried about~ for,
'll!an? ~ the one in jail,
VICTOR
(staring right at him, in a
tremulous sing•song)
'l'hat's right •••
STRID
(miserable, evasive)
You be out soon.
(begging)
Just hang in, awright?
CLOSE ON VICTOR
looking like he's about to cry.
VlC'l'OR
I ain't built for this, Ronnie •••
HOLDON Victor as we hear OS:
ROCCO (VO)
Victor Dunham, you remecer him?
You locked him up last year tor
assault on an officer.
EXT: REAR ENTRANC~TO MUNICIPALCOORT/BUR!:AO
OF
IDENTIFICATION BUI~~:NG - SAM~TIME
Rocco is lounging t~ere talking to Thwnper as a sporadic
parade of arrestees are herded into the building.
THUMPER
(smoking)
Wlu1t al:lout hiin?

•
 69

ROCCO
What happened with that •.• I'm
tryin' to put this kid together.
. THDMPER
(shrugginc;)
Ah ... that was fucked up.
FLASIUIACK
EXT: PROJECTSDRt.TG
BENCHES• CREWANDLOOKOt.T'l'
.REACTING
AS THOMPER'SSQUADDOESA ROU.•OP • ONE YEAR.AGO
THtJMPER (VO)
Between me and you? That was
fucked up ... we were doing a roll-
up on the benches and first, the
re911lar raiser does a 5•0 •••
'HE SEE a kid M&ke a quick warning 9esture to the crew,
furtive and discreet.
TJMiPER (VO contd)
But then, this ~u kid does it
too ....
WE SEE Victor in his orange uniform next to the real
raiser. Victor imitates his ge&ture.
VICTOR
(looking directly at Thlllllpar)
s-o!
Thlllllpar jW11ps out of the car, walks Victor backwards to
the f.ence.
THUMPER(VO)
••• Right in my fuckin' face
THUMPER
(to Victor while doing a rough
pat-down)
You raisin' up on me?
VICTOR
( .,~,inned)
Hbil?
(laughing)
Naw, man, I was gggtin'
.- . THUMPER
(angry)
Unzip your pants.
 70

..---. 'l'HIJMPER (·VO) •

I mean, Rocco, right in my tace, no
fear, no respect .••
VICTOR
·(outraged, unzipping)
I got to get to work!
Thumper does a dicky check, makes Victor take otf his
&hoe&, shakQs out his socks.

t•
'l'HIJMPER.
t You drop something? What you droP.?
Don't _fuckin' ~•
ThW11per shoves Victor flat against the fence then goes
down on all fours looking for ditched drugs,
VICTOR
(angry, unbelieving)
This is J;mllshit, man. I got to
get to~!
THTJMPER (VO)
Meanwhile, the peoples be startin'
to come around •.•
A crowd for111s, curious, angry, bored.
VOICES
(cautious)
Yo Thwnper, that's yj&tor, man •••
He's a ~in' man, Thumper •••
Thumper, this ain't right •••

CLOSE ON VJ:CTOR
VICTOR
(getting panicked)
I'm gonna be~!
THUMPER (VO)
I'm tellin' you, Rocco, it was like
an gven ~~at day, right? And like,
I'm on a:l fours in the garbage, in
the grass, t'm humid, I'm sweating,
I got a ·•·:lole fu,;kin' ,ooulie chgir
on my ha~~s, and then like out of
the blue ...
in his bare feet, muttering to h.imself,
WE: SEE: Victor
-.
just w3lk off.
/ and pulls him back into the
Thumper jumps to his feet
fence.
 71

THUMPER
(nose to nose)
You fuckin' move again, you're
s!llsi,
Thumper goes back to his search,
THUMPER (VO)
I mean, I got a tuckin' Jll!lience on
my hands and this nigger's ~in'
on me?
CHORUS
(angrier)
Thumper -- that's tucked mt!
He got a ism, Thlllllperl
Victor's all riqht. ThUlllper!
VICTOR
I'm gonna be l.ill.9.1

THUMPER'S POV

Victor, in a daze, just starts walking away again, going

off to work in his bare feet,

.
.,
THtlMPER (VO)
It got bughouse real quick •.. I
didn't like, !ljJ. him, alls I did
was
Thumper comes up behind Victor and swats the back of his
head.
THUMPER(VO contd)
Just a little headslap, you know,
to get his attention? But than,
like ..•
Victor, frustrated, enraged, wheels aroWld and gives
Thumper a shove. Victor's teeth are clenched and he has
tears in his eyes.
Thumper's reaction is brutal and swift. He snaps
Victor's head back in a flat-handed upthrust to the chin
and whack; him behind ~he knees with a lead and leather
sap.
In a blink, victor is down on his stomach, ThWDper
sitting on his back and pulling his head ~p by grabbing
~is hair. The rest of Thwnper's squad comes flying in,
protecting ThWDper and securing the prisoner as the cro~d
goes crazy.

•
 72

CHORUS
(riot-level)
Leave him alone, motherfucker!
.z.i.g mo~erfuckerl
You're gug, ThW11per!

CLOSEON VICTOR
at ... he bottom of a police pileup -- enraged, crying,
handcuffed.
I

•
I
VICTOR
I sat to ~ to :!!f!2UI
Thumper and the other cops hoist up the prisoner and
hustle him to their car, the crowd following, Victor's
socks and shoes abandoned by the fence as we hear •••
'l'HtlHPER (VO)
I don't know, the kid wa• legit, I
quess ... but what could I do?
EXT: ROCCO AND THUMPER IN THE PRZSENT

THUMPER
.-· I had six hundred niggers watching
in• like a biUit ... Right or wrong,
if I cut that kid some slack after
what he put me though? I'm t!!!ned.
There wouldn't be a brain-dead
moulie in all the projects who
would ever respect me again.
(beat}
So what else is new, right?

EXT: BENCHES - NIGHT

CLOSEON - H11.ai1,- STRIKE'S FACE
mashed into a brick wall -- Held there by Jo-Jo as he
begins a pat-down from the rear, bear hug style.
JO-JO
(in strike's ear)
What's up, Strike? What's happenin•?
ST.RIKE
(stu~~ed, contuse~)·
Nothin', sir.
JO-JO
Call me Jo-Jo.
, STRIKE
Jo-Jo.
 73

JO-JO
strike, the reason I come by I just
wanted to tell you tomorrow
night's Knock night. We'r• gonna
com• down on the projects like a
fuckin' broom, oJC? So it I wa• you
I'd take my boys, say nine o'clock?
Take •em out for soma Yoo-Hoos,
come back eleven, eleven-thi~y, OK?
STRI1<E
OK.
(beat)
Thank you.
JO-JO'S HENCHMAN
(to a few curious people)
Get the fuck outa here.
JO-JO
(in Strike'& ear still)
From now on I'll tell you wben
shit's comin' down, OK? Week in
week out.
STRIKE
Yeah, OK.
JO-JO
I'm your friend.
STRIKE
Thank you.
JO-JO
Are you m:t friend?
STRII<E
(hesit.ating)
Yeah, uh-huh.
JO-JO
(beard in Strike's ear)
What are you gonna do for me?
STRIKE
crace s~ill =aehad into brick)
Five hund:-ed?
JO-JO
That's beautiful, strike, that's
flawless. I'm gonna send somebody
.. back here in about an hour to
collect, OK?

•
 74

STRIKE
Yeah, OK,

JO-JO
week in.week out, friends for
eriends, man ..•

A'-'d.ght,
Jo-Jo ftr.~: :y steps back, pats strike on the shoulder.
strike removes himself from the wall, shake~ himself out.
JO-JO
You OK?
STRID
(muttering, stunned)
I'm OK,
JO-JO
(warm)
Good, .. me too.
Jo-Jo bends down, picks up a calling card,
JO-JO ( contd)
I think you dropped this,
Strike takes the card without looking at it.
Jo-Jo retreats with his boys to their van,
JO-JO (contd)
Be well.
Strike, vitlrating, livid, looks down at the card in his
hand.
CLOSEON THE CARD: ROCCO KLEIN
DEMPSEY COUNTY
PROSECUTOR'SOFFICE

Strike looks up.

Tha van rolls off.
Another car across ~he street starts up, pulls out,
drives off -- Rocco at the wheel -- not looking at strike
but making little effort to conceal himself.
EXT: STRIP OF STORES - COLUMBUS AVENUE - SAME TIME
/
Centered by Japanese bric-a-brac shop, "To Bind An Egg."
 75

INT: TO BIND AN EGG

CLOSEON VICTOR
standing at parade rest, framed by kimonos and kites.
Ha's wearing a jacket and tie.
STOREOWNER (laKI) (VO)
We got this pUl)lic high school like
two blocks from here? The kids,
they got these sticky fingers, so I
hired Victor, put in the buzzers.
..'
I

W• hear the insistent buzzer.

CLOSEON BLACKTEENAGER
at the door.
C:I,OSE ON KIKI
Petite, perky, nodding "no way,"
CLOSEON VICTOR
coming out of parade rest posture.
KIKI (VO)
Victor was my screener, It's not
an easy job, there's so much --
('beat)
"sensisjJ!ity" out there ••• like,
one ti111e ..•
VICTOR
(opening the door i:iut standing
in the doorway. Calll, implacable)
What you want ...
BLACK TEEN
(defiant, a little off-balance)
I want to come in ... what the fuck
you think I want.
VICTOR
(Moun~ Rushmore)
What you ~anna buy?

What?

VICTOR
.-··. •cause maybe ~e don't have it.
The teenager steps back, outraged •

•
 '? 6

TEEN
Who the fuck are you, the security
nigger?
QU!Cle ANGLE- KIKI' IN THE SHADOWS
OF THE STORE
tense, watching Victor do her dirty work,
VICTOR
(unprovoked)
t•m just tryin' to save you some time,
'
I
TEEN
I
flli.k my time.
They st.i,1tl alaost nose to nose, until the kid finally
steps back, reaches in his pocket, pulls out a hundred
dollar bill, snaps it crisp and flat, then crumples it up
in a tight ball,
TEEN (contd)
This is what I think of :£2lil•
He flicks it in Victor's face. The money bounces of~
Victor's nose, rolls in the street,
TEEN (contd)
(walking backwards)
There's your salary-, nigger.
(walks further -- shouts now)
Next time I come back I'm gonna put
a 1:m.11.in your chest •.• and my
word is~-
CLOSEON CRUMPLED
BILL IN THE STREET
KIKI (VO)
A hundred dollars ... What was
that, his allowance?

ANGLE• VlCTOR
at parade rest in the store, stone-faced. Kiki behind
her counter, stressed but silent.
KIKI ('110)
Victor even look at it
wo~ldn't
two days ?ay just laying in the
street ... It lay there for an
hour.
WE SEE TWOKIDS high-fiving through the glass door as
they discover the money.
 77

CLOSEON VICTOR
~~~ting a peripheral glance at the celebration outside
the door.
KIKI (VO)
When·somebody finally picked it up •••
1,E ,;::E Victor. His body seems to held its height, yet
slump at the same time. He vigorously rubs an eye with a
s•:.iff finger as if he's trying to poke a hole in his
'I
11
head, then comas back to his self-possessed natural
state.
WE SE£ Rocco, Mazilli and Kiki in the PRESEN'l'.
ROCCO
You ever see that kid again?
lCIJ.a
It was just talk , ••
ANGLE- VICTOR'S UPLACEHEN'l'
stone-faced Hispanic kid in the identical jacket and tie.
ROCCO
(studying the new guard)
So you never had any ... he was a
good worker, victor?

The best ...l<IKI

EXT: STOREFRONT
Mazilli and Rocco on Columl:lus.
ROCCO
See? What did I tell you?
MAZILLI
(shrugging)
So what ...
ROCCO
You know so~a~imas you got this •••
this :aded thing in you .•. it goes
all the way around to naive again,
MAZILLI
. ·- ·. ~ naive? You think just because
) a guy's gor. a job and a bank book
he can't be a shooter? Who's fuckin'
• naive here, Rocco? Me or you?
 78

tNT: STR!KE'S BEDROOM

- Sl\METIME
Tyrone watches as Strike weighs out an ow,ce of coke,
then spoons in laxative from a br0WJ1 bottle, mixing it
onto a triple-beam scale.
STRID
(eyes on his operation)
The protit's in the cut ••• always
rememtler that.
'
II Tyrone looks big-eyed, uptight.
STRID (contd)
I ever see you play with this? Put
it up your nose? or in~ pipe?
strike reaches under the bed mattress, pulls a small .25
automatic, snows it to Tyrone in an unthreatening way.
STltll(E ( contd)
Shit, I'll kill you my l1AJm
aelt.
strike chops up some rocks to make another ounce, puts
the gun between them.
STR'IKE (contd)
You probably asking yourself, how
come he sellin' it than?
Strike waits, Tyrone is riveted by the gun.
STRtJa: ( contd)
'Cause mas sellin' it, ain't
gonna stop nothin' out there but my
own personal cash flow.
(beat)
Let me ask you something ••• put
you to the test ..• My boss buys
him a ki tor twenty-two that
bottles up in~o thirty-five hundred
ten-dollar boeeles. He takes sixty
percent of ~he seventeen thouQand
profit, leaves us seven thousand
dollars, !ifty percent of which is
1!!.in§., is h~w ~uch ~oney for me? --
let me see how s~art you are •••
TYRONE
(sta"~ng at the gun)
Thirty-five hundred.
,

•
 79

STRIKE
Yeah, that's right -- are you good
in school? I bet you good in
school ... I best not ever see you
play in'·. hockey •••
Tyrone doesn't answer, He's transfixed by the qun.
S'l'RIKE (contd)
You ever shoot a gun be~ore?

.',
I
Strike places
-ryrone stares
the gun in Tyrone's
at it, frightened,
palm •
t_ascinatac:\~
STRIKE (contd)
(going back to ba9gin9 and cutting)
Yeah, I got ma cash longer'n train
smoke but this here dopa? Me and
my boss gonna be sellin' this by
the ounce. This gonna make me a
millionaire, what you think ot
that?
Tyrone is still staring at the gun in his palm. Ha
I doeQn't even hear the question.
I -
STRI~ (contd)
What you think ot that? Huh?
EXT: STREETO'UTSIDERODNEY'SSTORE- NEXTAFTERNOON
CLOSE ON S'nIKE

dropping dope in a garbage can and passing four white

teens as ha heads to Rodney's store across the street.
INT: RODNEY'SSTORE
WE SEE the white kids retrieve the dope, get in their car
and peel out VIA RODNEY'SFRONTWINDOW,
Strike and Rodney are watchinq a small TV that's propped
on top ot the cash register -- the reception is awful.
ROONEYis holding his INFANTSONagainst his shoulder.
RODNEY
(to the TV}
Errol told me you talked to that
Homicide cop.
(beat)
Kow'd tha"t. go?
 80

--• .. STRIKE
(sipping Yoo-Hco, locking
pained)
He just wanted to knew about my
l::ircther:'n shit.
ROONEY
Oh yeah? What else ...
S'l'Ril<E
(staring at TV)
h' Nothin'.
RODNEY
{gives Strike a long stare,
$hifts gears)
I ever tell you about the first
time I killed somel)ody? Errol made
ma do it, 'cause it was three guys
burned us on soma dopa and he
already done killad the other two,
and we got this third. guy, baggin'
and shit, and Errol ha turns to ma
says, 11You got tc cap him or~
gonna c:ap ~" ... see, Errol d.in't
want me walkin' around knowin' what
he d.ona·, without nothin' personal
hangin' ever l!!Y head t.2.e, otherwise
I might give him BR someday, you
understand?
STRIKE
(eyes burning into the TV)
Uh-huh.
RODNEY
see, that's why I wanted you a
littl- bloody on the Darryl thing.
STRIKE
(staring at the 'I'V)
Uh-huh ..
RODNEY
Yeah, ol' ::?:"rol
(Ro~~ey draws a bead on Strike)
ha~ this~~• sowed-o~f ~i9h~ in ~y
~ ... =.y best friend, t00,

Strike burps, presses his fist to his mouth.

CLOSE ON STRIKE'S FACE
He's burped up some blood •

•
 81

RODNEY
(smelling the kid's shitty
diapers, to son)
You a baby or a elephant?
(to strike, coolly)
YOUor?
EXT: PROJECTS SIDEWAI.K - ONE HOUR LATER

Strike steaming for the benches in a heads-down muttering·

funk, counting the money.
'
II STRID .
t
(to himself, mocking Rodney)·
YOU OK? You OK? You OK?
BOOM -- he's crashed into someone, then falls back on his
ass.
STRIU!'S POV

He's in front cf the bench•~·

I.coking up, he.sees Rocco, grinning and ottering hi•
hand.
ROCCO
-' YOU OK?
ANGLE - ROCCO AND STRIKE:

in the same spot twen~y yards from the bench as their

last conversation.
ROCCO
Well, it's just, remember you said
to me that Darryl had like a mg
problem? so like, I ran with that,
you know? And ... you know what?
Everybody I asked said the same
damn thing ... Darryl? Ke was
clean, he was pure, his body was
the temple, ~erybody • • • But ~
said the guy ~as a ~head.
STRIKE:
(e1"~~hing his stomach)
l was jus~, like ~ulating.
ROCCO
Yeah, well that's some nasty-ass
speculating,
 a2

STRIJ<l:
(burps some more blood into
the side of his fist)
Naw ... like ... I was just
"thinki~g on my feet, you know?
ROCCO
(circling him now like Andre did)
Yeah? Are you SU you didn't .know
this guy?

' STRID:
I
I (jumpy -- eyeinCJ the bench, _-
which is eyeing him)
Naw . . . well yeah, but just by !!U
ROCCO
(s~elling blood, pumped
but restrained)
Just by eye. so yo~ ngver had a
beef with him.
STRID
(wheeling to follow Rocco's
circling)
No.
--.
ROCCO
so there's no way that Victor could
have been cutting through that lot
in the dark and Darryl would've
mistook him for~. like, there's
that motherfucker strike •••
STRIKE
No.
ROCCO
'Cause you and your brother in the
dark, you guys probably look like tw0.
peas in a pod, you know that, right?
STRIKE
(dry}
So what you tryin' to say, it's
hard to tell black people apart in
t.he ni9ht~i.me"?

ROCCO
(grinning)
Hey, I can't even tell you guys
. ...... apart in the daylight •
I
Strike finds himself laughing at Rocco's candidness.

0
 83

ROCCO(contd)
(going With the laughter)
So anY"'a.ys, are you guys close?
. S'l'lUJa:
. (staring at ~one)
Not really.
ROCCO
Yeah, I forgot. You guys haven't
seen each other in a lon9 time,
,,' right? How long has it been?
' S'rlUD
(hesitating)
A month.
ROCCO .
A month? Gee, last time we talked
I thought you said~ months.
ST1UD
(flashing fire, drawin9 focus)
If you re~ered that, bow come
you pskadme then?
ROCCO
(grinning)
You know what Alzheimer's is?
STRIKE
(strong contempt)
some kind of beer?
There's a heat flash in Rocco's face at this dig, but he
reins it in -- too much to lose by getting
confrontational·.
ROCCO
(shifting gears)
You get to visit your brother yet?
STRIKE
(stomach wince)
Yeah, uh-huh ...
ROCCO
Can I tell you something? Ma to
you? He's claiming self-defense.
(Roc::o winces)
He goes to trial with that? ~hose
kids of his? By the time he gets
! out, they'll be goin' in,
 STRIKE:
(stricken)
You aver think maybe he didn't do
it?
Rocco gees slightly rigid with alertness, like a hunting
deg.
ROCCO
( take mildness)
What do you mean?
'
1,
STRll<E
I
(shrugging, trapped, wiping a
little blood trom his lips)
Maybe somebody UK did it.
ROCCO
Oh yeah?
(tense beat)
Like who?
strike do@lea over, clutching his stomach, views th•
boys on the bench at a crazy angle.
ROCCO(contd)
Like~. Ronnie?
STRIKE
(trying to straighten up)
I'm just sayin', but I don't know •••
ROCCO
You oK?
STRIKE
(sinking to one knee as it
Rocco is going to knight him)
Yeah ... but, but I got to go.
ROCCO
(mildly)
ox ... here's my card,
STRIKE
(not taking it, rising again)
Yeah, l al~eady got two.

ROCCO
TWO? Jesus, it must be that Alzheimer's
~. I guess.
(Rocco sticks his card in
J Strike's sweatshirt mu!t)
Take care of yourself, Ronnie. I'll be
seeing you ...

•
 85

...--
Rocco walks off,. strike doubles over again, then looks up
to see tbe craw and Tyrone staring at him with
fascination,
STRIKE
The fuck you lookin' at.
Strike stands up straight for a second then crumples to
the ground like a puppet with cut strings.
S'l'Ril!:E'S POV - SHUFF~INGFEET
He hears a tussling confused chorus standing over him.
VOICES (OS)
What the fuck?
.Ko shit .••
VOICE (OS)
(harsh, interrogatory)
What's the matter with you? You pipe
up today? HUh? You hit the peace pipe?
CLOSEON RUBBERGLOVEDHANDS
grasping his shoulders. Strike screams in pain as he's
rolled over and put on a stretcher.
INT: AMBULANCE
Tight, claustrophobic.
TWOMEDICSworking over strike with a stooped, brisk
manner under the low ceiling.
MEOIC fl
(putting on b.p. cuff)
You pipe up today? Mama~ you
not to do them drugs, right? Now
look where you're at •••
MEDIC #2
Where do you live?
STRIKE
Please
MEDIC #1
Eighty pa~;:i.
MEDIC #2
I Get the pressure pants ...
(to Strike)
Where's it hurt?
 86

MEDICil
Talk to me, yo ... where you live.
ANDRt (VO)
(to the medic)
I'll give you all that.
STRIJCE'S POV - WE S!!E ANtlRt
leaning into the aml)ulance, looking at Strike with a
mixture cf reproach and concern.
"I
STRID
(pleading whisper)
Andre ••.
MEDIC fl
Straighten out, homea.
The medic forces Strike's legs straight and Strike
screams •
. INT: ROCCO'S CAR. - SAME TIME
Rocco driving, teeth clenched, pumped, muttering to
himself.
ROC:CO
Like who? Like who, Ronnie? Like
):!)lg,, motherfucker •••
There's an insistent honking from behind Reece's car.
ROCCO'S POV - THE REARVIEW
A car pulls out from behind him and comes abreast. It's
Frank DiNardo.

ANGU:
Rocco in his parked car, DiNardo hunched over his
driver's side window.
DiNARDO
Look ... I been having some problems,
nothing wi~h you, and •.• I was out
of line ... way out of line.
ROCCO
(grinning)
.---. Hey, I been there me-self, many a time •••
I

DiNARDO
Roc~o, you're a good man, and •••
 87

ROCCO
(hands up}
.c'mon ... I don't know ~ody
doesn•t."need a good smack now and
then, You said what had to be
said. That's why you're tha man.
DiNARDO
(offers his hand)
r
Would you shake my hand?
I
I ROCCO
(heartily)
.U you insist •••
EXT: AHAB'S PMUCING LOT - SAME TIME
Under the rotating harpoonist, the four white kids who
bought the dope are scarfing down fresb burgers in their
tricked out car -- horse-laughing, etc,
CLOSEON REll LICENSE PLATE- "Dl!:t.AWARE"
ANGLE - JO-JO AND TWO OF HIS GUYS

standing behind the car smiling at the out-of-state

, plates, then strolling around the car making adsirin9
noises.
ANGLE- INSIDE TKE CAR
the kids getting Uh-oh eyes.
Jo-Jo leans in the window, nods to the car phone.
JO-JO
Nice
CLOSEON EYE CONTACTBETWEEN
THE KIDS
They know they're fucked.
INT: HOSPITAL COl:UlIDOR- 7:00 A,M.
Sickly yellow light of a hallway which is lined with
gurneys; beds tor whicn there were no rooms.
Strike lies in cne of these roosless gurney beds. He's
be•n there all night.
STRIKE' S POV
He looks up into the face of a stern Indian doctor •

•
 ea

DOCTOR
you know how much blood we took out
of your stomach?
Strike doesn't answer. stares at the drip bag hanging
over his head,
DOc::TOR(contd)
TWO liters.
STRIKE
,,' What's a liter?
I
OOC'l'OR
Do you know what a perforated ulcer
is? Do you have ADx.idea what's
been going on inside you?
STRIKE
(dazed)
Ulcer?
EXT: HOSPITAI..EN'rRANCE:• 10:00 A.M.
Strike, shaky, weak, exits the hospital into the harsh
sunlight. He holds a bag of medicine and is still
wearing the plastic hospital I.D. bracelet.
..I
As he steps off the curb, Rodney's Cadillac screeches out
of nowhere, rocks to a s~op. Rodney leans over, and
opens the passenger door.
INT: RODKEYDRIVING, STRID IN THE PASSENGER SEAT
Rodney clrives with one hand, rifles strike'• medicine pag
with the other. He takes one of strike's medications and
throws it in his glove compartment.
STRIKE
(nervous)
Was you waitin' out there all night?
RODNEY
Hey, you•~e like my .Gn, don'tyou
know that? Didn't I tell you to see
my doctor? Get yourself all boiled
up on tha~ bench top, worryin' about
this, wor~yin' about that, suckin'
on that Yoo-Hoo shit ... You a smart
kid, but you stupid, too ••• Hey •••
1 heard that !::!.2l!!icide came back on
. --. you yesterday .
.I
Strike shrugs noncollll1littally.
 89

RODNEY(contd)
(with oblique menace)
What's he .•. like your mtriend, now?

INT: HALLWAYOUTSIDE STRIKE'S COOR

Strike stands there as Tyrone struggles with strike's
keys.

Na.., ••.
STRID
that's the ax key ... It's
the~ one.
IN'l': STRID' S BEDROOM
CLOSE ON STRID
opening the bottom dresser drawer. It's filled with
color-coded baggies. Tyrone is all eyes.
STRIKE
Don't forget what color I ask you
for. An like when you leave?
You best lock the door, you
rememl:>ar that? And don't .nm
nowhere ... and don't mess up my
house ... just in an' out ••• like
et~ient.
Tyrone tlops on to strike's bed,
STRila! (contd)
And dgn't jump on m.y damn bed •• ♦

Strike takes Tyrone by the wrist, pulls him to his feet,

lifts the mattress to show the kid the gun hidden
underneath.
STRIKE (contd)
'Lest you want to get shot in the
ass.
INT: RODNEY'SSTORE- THIRTYMINtJTESLATER
Rodney horse-laughing with a FAT WHITE GUY. Strike
silent at his side,
Rodney nods to Strike, who exits.
EXT: SIDE STREET NEAR STORE
Strike coming up on Tyrone, who's sitting on the fender
of S't.rike's car.

•
 90

..-.
STRIKE
Man, don't be sitting en the car.
(beat)
Awrigh~, two ~ •• ,
The kid tears off,
STRIKE (contd}
.I said don't .J::YD ••• Jesus •••

,, strike stares after the kid, his face twisting with

I remorse as we hear in VO •••
HECTOR (VO)
You see these antique~ prints
here? The plants? 'l'ha old-time
style ceiling fans?
nrr: HAMBONES RESTAURANT ('WHERE VICTOR WORKED) - AN HOUR
LATER
The restaurant is full-up with PEOPLE -- clamorous,
smoky, a chaotic mess.
Through this chaos WE SEE in srpw MOTION. Victor walking,
holding a tray with three jumbo sodas. His face is grim,
intent, solemn -- his gait in this slo-mo seems both
) ceremonial and determined. WE WATCHVictor's journey
through th• room as we hear, ••
HECTOR (VICTOR'S PARTNER)(VO)
That's all Victor's ideas. He said
we got to make this place feel like
somebody's~. like people are
comin' into somebody's two ...
See, he treated everybody with
respect -- the kids in the kitchen,
the customers, shit, even the
clockers ... Like, o~, you asked me
about last Friday night?

ANGLE A TABLE ACROSSTH~ ROOM

THREE YOUNGCLOCKERSsitting there,
HE:CTOR. (VO)
We got ~~ese three motherfuckers trying
to set~~ shop out there -- I'm goin'
for my ~~~king~. but Victor, he's
like "Yo Hector, wait up, wait up."
Victor approaches with the sodas, puts the tray in front
of them, takes a seat as ~e hear •••
 91

HECTOR (VO contd)

He sits down, says like, "Yo
brothers, y'all ain't clpck1n' in
here, are you? 'Cause this is like
a family place, you Jcnow?R
victor hands out the sodas. WE SEE the clockers having
an eye conference. victor crosses his legs, clasps his
hands on the taDle, digging in to say what he has to say
to them.
•'
I And I'd appreciate
VICTOR
it if you'd do:
your business off the ~erty •••
ANGLE • HECTOR
The narrator -- 30, beefy, Hispanic -- watching rrom the
counter area. His face is mottled with fuey, He's got a
baseball bat partially hidden.
HEe'l'OR (VO)
See, usually that's all it takes but •••

ANGLE- THE TABLE

CLOSE ON KID'S KAND
going into a pocket -- moment of menace -- gun? Knife?
The kid pulls out a wad of cash.
HECTOR(VO)
This ol' boy pulls out this .szll, says
11my boss says he'll pay you three hundred
dollars a week if you let us set up."
CLOSE ON VICTOR'S FACE
fREEZE on him -- angry, constricted, controlled.
ROCCO (VO)
(on victor's face)
What he say?
HECTO!{ (VO)
(iro~~=. bitter)
see, Victor puts please and thank you
in every sentence around here because
he says "courtesy breeds teamwork," '
so it was either 11no, please, thank
you" or it was "please, no thank you.R
J
 92

INT: • Tim PRESENT

HUGESTEAMYKITCHENOF HAMBONES
It's a sea cf clatter and grease. Rocco is talking to
Heeter. Mazilli a silent presence.
ROCCO
so was that why be left early Friday
night? Ka told me he wasn't feeling wall,
HECTOR
(nasty laugh)
Wasn't ,Wling well? Yeah, well.,._let
me tell you, fer what we're gettin'
paid in here? That shit can gn to
you, man.
EXT: PROJECTSBENCHAREA- MIDNIGHT
CLOSE ON STRIKE' S FACE•
set in cement.
HECTOR (VO)
That shit can make you &J.a
Pt1LL BACXTO SEE Strike laaninq into the bench at a 45•
angle, enduring a close quarters body•search by Thumper.
Strike's pant$ are down by his ankles. There's a crowd,
some giggling.
THUMPER
(slightly drunk)
All dona ...
Strike, enraged, slowly pulls up his pants.
THUMPER(cont4)
Hey, Strike?
Thwnper extends his arms, his hands clenched.
THUMPER(contd)
Pick a hand ... any hand
Thumper opens both palms to reveal two of Rocco's
business cards.
THUMPER(VO)
You best llll ~o that man ...
EXT: P"ROJ'EC'l'SBENCHES- NEXT MORNING
Strike and the crew hanging out, some low key sales going
j on.
Strike is on his perch, holding a new bottle of Mylanta.
 93

STR!l<E'S POV

WE SEE Tyrone walking towards him. He's holding a small

brown paper bag.
T'mONE
(tiny voiced)
Strike.
STRIKE
(side of mouth)
Get out ot here.
TYRONE
But ...
STRIKE
(side of :mouth)
I ain't doin' that shit with you no
more, so just get yourself some
lciddy-friend$.
TYRONE
...
TY~ONE' S POV

WE SEE Strike sit up, eyes widening, then leaping free of

th• bench as Iris comes barreling through, swinging and
missing him by a mile.
In shock, Strike dances lika a boxer, but keeps his
distance.
IRIS
You stay the fuck away from my son!
A CROWOinstantly fonns.
CLOSE ON TYRONE
ha■ a heart-attack of embarrassment.
STRIKE
( S~Ul".~ed)
Don't you ~ve, put your hands on ~y
face!
IRIS
I'll put ~y goddamn hands anywhere
I want! You stay~ from him!
_)
Tyrone runs back to his building, horrified.
 Iris and strike are surrounded -- it's a verbal•
cockfight•
STRIKE
I don't even know what the fuck you
talking' about, you crazy bitch!
Get out my fuckin' face!
IRIS
Yeah, I'll get out. I'll get me
Andreget :£mi out, you stringy-
,,r assed dope-dealin' faggot!
I
Iris lungea for Strike, misses and keeps moving in the
direction that Andre always comes from.
STIUKE
(calling after her)
Yeah, you get anybody you~-
Maybe l!.ll call the ILQlic• ~. get
~ locked up for aspault.
CL0SE ON STRilCE
as ha turns from saying this, whaelinq, then jumping. as
WE SEE Rocco right in his face.
ROCCO
(stony -- hiding behind sunglasses)
Hey Ronnie ... have I been a hard-
on to you out here?
STRIKE

ROCCO
Have I not treated you like a 1llilD
out here? Talked to you with
ra3pect? With ~esy?
Strike looks to the boys on the bench staring at this,
the crowd is still there, too.
ROCCO ( contd}
Huh?
STRIKI:
(flinching)
What?
ROCCO
So why are you trying to make a
fucking fool out o! me?

•
 95

STRI~
What are you ~ing about?
Strike eyes the immediate world of the projects as if
from a merry-go-round: a half-mad vision vhirling,
circling around him.
ROCCO
What am I talking about? You told
m• you didn't know Darryl Adams.
I I'm ruMing around like a horse's
" ass on that, and now I find out not
only ill you know the guy, but you:
worked like a whole year vitll him
in Rodney's grocery store. Why the
fuck didn't you tell •• th.at?
STRIKE
(eyebrows doing jW11ping jacks)
Yeah, no, see, I got contused. I
thought you meant another guy ...
this other Darryl I know.
ROCCO
H1l!1other Darryl? And if you knew
some other Darryl, you still
should 've said "yeah, I know him,"
right? I don't get it.
STRIKE
(eyes the crowd)
Well, I only know that other Darryl
by name so ...

ROCCO
(cutting him off)
Explain something else to me. You
said you didn't see your brother in
two months, got~ kinds of pissed
off at ~e, because I didn't remember
you said that, right? I go into
Rudy's, the bar where your .brother
was drinking before the shooting?
Guess what ... the .bartender
I,D.'ed ~ in there that night ...
He even ::e~ernbered the drink he
made to:::,-:;:.:. Pifta cola.Sa straight
out of the =an. Does this ring a
bell?
Strike is speechless, looks up to his mother's windows.
) ROCCO (contd)
.Why'd you lie to me, Ronnie?
 96

STRIKE
It's my brother,
ROCCO
What's your brother, your brother
:made you lie?
STllKE
No ... I':m just ... you know, I'm
tryin' to~ hi:m,
ROCCO
I don't get it. EXPlain to me how
lying to!!!!!., helps hiJ!l. I mean,
he's locked up, so who ara you
helping? I don't get it •••
strike, eyes fluttering, can't answer.
ROCCO (contd}
Talk to me, Ronnie.
STRIKE
What are you saying, l did it?
ROCCO
I didn't say that. :1,Qll said that.
I just asked you why you were
throwing me a line of shit.
(narrow-eyed beat)
Why'd :i.Slll. say that?

STRIRE
I didn't say that. I just said •••
(winded beat as strike tries
to unscrallll:Jle his brains)
You got :me saying shit in a~,
man. You twisting me up.
ROCCO
(touching his own chest)
(laughing with disbelief)
. who's t1.1is~ing who here, Rennie?
Alls I'm asking is why did you play
me like 5u;h o jer~ on this.
What's in~~ for you?
Strike scans the c~owd, takes a slug of Mylanta.
STRIKE
{more in control)
Hey look, why don't you stop fuckin'
with me, OK? You want to arrest me?

•
 97

.·-.
Strike puts out his hands as if for handcuffs.
ROCCO
(eyeing the crowd)
Ronnie,· I just want to know wnat
you know •••
STRIKE
Am I under arrest or ~ •• ,

,,
J ROCCO
Hey, Ronnie, I just want to know
' what ...
S'l'lUJa:
Alll I under arrest or !ma.l:!
PAN of crowd CtJT with Rocco's growing nervousness CUT
with Strike's freaked out resolve, his hands still
extended for cuffs,
ROCCO
Fuck, no ... If I arrest you I
can't talk to you.
STRID
Then I ain't goin' ~where with you.
ROCCO
Fine. You don't have to do shit. But
if you want to continue to do business
out here without ~-Jo, without 'fhµmper,
without anybody else I can think of,
puttin' a hand in your pocket every~
3econds, I would rea11y thin>t about
taking a ride, right fucking nm,,.
Strike, pacing, the crowd getting hotter, people glaring
at Rocco, glaring at Strike.
ROCCO (contd)
(ready to split with or
without him)
Are you comin' or what?
STRIKE
(dead cold)
No.
STR:IKE'S POV

I
He seas Andre and Iris staaminq towards the bench from
the interior of the projects, Andre looks pissed.
 98

Strike l00ks from Rocco to Andr6 to Rocco to Andr~ to

Rocco.
EX'I'/INT: ROCCO'S CAR - TEN MINUTES IA'nll
Rocco driving, Strike in the passenger seat.
Rocco pulls into parking lot of the Prosecutor's Office.
ROCCO
You want a sandwich or something?
Strike, mute, stoney, then •••
STJUKE
(staring at the building)
I ain't goin' in there •••
ROCCO
(swallowing rage)
No?
STRID
I ain't got nothin' to say to you.
ROCCO
{shifting gears)
Gee, that's too bad .•• I was
hoping you could help me out here
because to tell you the truth, I've
come completely around to~ way
of thinking on this, you >cnowthat?
STRIKE
(paranoid)
'What's my way of thinking?
Rocco just stares.
STRIKE ( contd)
What's my way of thinking?
ROCCO
Hey, I~ your brother is an
innocent man, just like~ do,
And if he was~ brother? And I
kne~ wha~ l:!.Q.11 know? EVery day of
my life ~ould be a living Jlil.ll,
strike, stunned, hal:-levitates out of the car.
ROCCO (contd)
(leaving the car too)
oo you think there's anything we
could~ about that, Ronnie?

• . -·. ·-- ..... ·-·.

 99

STRIKE
(talking across the car root)
What •••
ROCCO
Hey ... me, you, your brother, we
All know who shot Darryl Adams.
STRIKE
Who • • •
'
t,
ROCCO
Who do you think, Ronnie?
Strike stays mute, riveted.
ROCCO(contd)
(c0111pletely losing it, screaming)
l'.ml· l'.Qll did it, you little fuck! 1
know it, ~ know it, your t?;rotne:c: knows
it, What was the theory behind this,
he'd get oft on self-defense because
he's got no record? Wall, his life ia
~, and I )SD.2K it's rough out there,
but you're the fucking Kinq snake,
you're a cold-blooded evil junkyard
nigger like I never seen in my l..i.t!l •••
What you do, offer him money? Who the
fuck are you kidding? You're not th•
Mafia, you're not even Rodney Little •••
you're a skinny ass snake motherfucker,
nobody to nothing piece of §treet shit.
STRID
You don't know ncthin' atiout itl You
just a pig-faced motherfuckin' R51.-lice
who don't know nothin' about what's
mu;.there, nothin' ahout u and nothing
about what ~ened!
ROCCO
(rushing around the car,
nose to nose)
So tell me!
Strike presses his palm~ into his eyes as i! to soothe or
heal or staunch tears. Rocco waits breathlessly •••
STRIKE
(sounding dead)
You want to talk to me you get me a
lawyer.

•
 100

ROCCO
(kissing close -- pickin9 his
words with seethinq distinctiveness)
Listen to me ... I talked to all
your brother's people and you know
what? He's one of the decent ones.
And m,:;.bablY, in his de~ed
decency, he thinkS he's doing a
noble thin; with you here, but you
know what else? I don't give a
~ a.bout him, I don't give a
'
t, shit about~- I don't even give
a shit a.bout Darryl Ada.a... :
(baet)
But you and Victor playing JIii. tor a
patsy? laing ~e?
(passionate controlled fury)
I read you like a tuckin'
billboard, I bean inside your bead
since before you were l:!,QJ:D •••
twenty fuckin' y~~ti •••
(bellowing)
You don't play a! I play~!
Rocco steps back and flips his card at Strike's feet.
ROCCO(contd)
I'll be seeing you, my man •••
EXT: ROADLEADINGAWAYFROMPROSECUTOR'SOFFICE - TWO
MINUTESLATER
ROCCO'S POV
WE SEE, about a hundred yards down th• pot-holed road,
Strike l0pin9 furiously away from his interrogation,
Wt SEE Rodney's Cadillac roll down from the opposite
direction, pull up alongside him.
CLOSE ON ROCC:0
watching this through squinting eyes.

ROCCO'S POV
w£ SE£ strike's firs~ reaction upon seeing Rodney come
unannounced to pick ~~m up -- an involun~AJ:'l' backinq away
from the Cadillac.
W'E SE.E Rodney pop o•.;-: on the driver's side -- say
-. something, gesture ~o Strike to get in.
 101

MAZILLI (VO)
You want to make yourself crazy
goin' after somebody else on this,
Chere's your man •••
'WESEE Strike hesitate for a second, then do what he's
told..
ROCCO(VO)
.fl.l£lr. Rodney. This kid thinks he can
out$mart me? He's 901n' 4mm ...
I
II
I
WE SEE the Cadillac roll off.
EX'l'/INT: RODNEY'SCAlt - SAMETIME
Rodney driving, strike in the shotgun seat.
ROONEY
You was supposed to be by my store
an hour ago.
STRIKE:
Yeah, well, what was I supposed to
do, tell this cop I had to bag ounces?
RODNEY
Did he arrest you?
STRI!a:
No.
ROONEY
Then you should.a told him to go
fuck himself,
(beat)
What he want?
S'l'Ril<E
Ncthin'.
RODNEY
Did he ask about me?
STRil(E
Unh-uh.
RODNEY
•cause I never said nothin' to you
about shooein' nobody. Alls 1 said
is if you want Darryl's job you got
.- -.. to go get it yourself and shit, I
i didn't even say~ •••

•
 strike stares at Rodney, incredulously -- the balls on
h.im,
STRIKE
{dry-mouthed laugh, shaking
his head}
Fuck you, Rodney.
P~dney reaches cut, grabs Strike by the hair and yank$
nis head down into his crotch so that Strike's POV is
\QQking straight up at the steering wheel and Rodney's
I nostril-flaring, enraged face. •
I

STIUXE 'S POV - RODNEY

driving one-handed pulls the car otf tb• road and as if

by magic Rodney's .38 is pressed against Strike's nose,
Rodney's bulging eyes blazing down at him,
ANGLE- STRIKE
laid out on the seat, head in Rodney's lap, sneakers flat
on the passenger's side window,
STRIKE'S POV - RODNEY'S EYES OVER THE CON

RODNEY
liJl2 you talking to like that. liJl2
... I ain't one of your little~
boys, motherfucker. You watch your
tuckin' mouth or I'll peel your
tuckin' SAR, you understand? film?

strike manages to nod,

RODNEY (contd)
And I'm gonna tell you something
else, If I~ hear about you
talking to that Homicide one more
time, if I~ hear my name coma
up on this at ill, I'm gonna Jtnow
xsmsaid it an' I'll kill you before
you can blink. I swear before !:i.2Sl,
any po-lice come up on me for this?
I'm gonna know it was~. and you
are killed, you understand?
Strike nods.
ROONEY(contd)
Word is~ on this, you got that?
EXT: AERIALSHOTOF HIGHWAY
Rodney's Cadillac pulled over at a crazy angle.
 lOJ

WE SEE the car pull back into the traffic, disappear into
the slipstream.
INT: JO•JO'S SQUAD ROOM- SAME TIME
The four white kids from Delaware stand in the center of
the room. Jo-Jo and three of bis men stare at them,
Jo-Jo takes an envelope out of his drawer. Me e:ic1:racts a
fat wad of bills. Jo-Jo hands the phone to one of the
I kids but does the dialing hi111Self,
"
I
JO-JO
Tall him you want five ounces.
KID
(scared)
Is Rodney there?
(looking at Jo-Jo)
Who's this, Errol?
EXT: STRIKE'S DRIVEWAY • THIRTY MINUTES LATER
CLOSE ON ERROL'S FACE
looming down -- death's head with eye slits.
REVERSE ANGLE - TYRONE
terrified, bent backwards over the rear of Strike's car,
Errol leaning over him.
Tyrone is still holding that brown paper bag.
Rodney rolls up across the street.
RODNEY
What's ~. now •••
Tyrone slides away, out of his car-and-Errol sandwich and
runs away down the block.
Ct.OS£ ON STRIKE
looking pained, confused.
ANCLE - S'l'R:I!CE

sitting in his own car in the driveway. Rodney and Errol

talking along&ide the car, Rodney's Cadillac parked
behind strike's rear.
WE SEE Errol take a package out ot his jac~et, hand it to
Rodney,

•
 Rodney leans in Strike's passengarvindow, drops the
package on the seat.
RODNEY
so you got a bAll there. I want
you to whack up lik• five ounces
with a three cut on it, bring it
down to the store, awright?
strike nods, eyes straight ahead.
j ' RODNEY
(c1:1ntd)
And listen.
(be11.t)
You best lose that little boy
Tyrone.
STRIKE
(firm)
I ain't even talkin' to him no
more.
RODNEY
Yeah.
(almost laughing)
Yo~ best lose him before his momma
tear you a new asshole ..•
- THIRTYMINUTESI.ATER
STRIKE'S BEDROOM
PAN of all cutting and weighing apparatus laid out to
step on Rodney's five ounces.
strike, sitting on the floor, stares in disbelief at his
bed. The mattress is upturned. The gun is gone.
STRIKE
What the fuck .••
INT: ROONEY'S STORE
Rodney and Strike behind the counter. There's a whole
bunch of young TEENAGERS bellowing around the pool table.
The door jangles open and in walk the four whits kids
from Delaware.
RODNEY
(bellO\ling)
Uh-oh! Uh-oh! ~ster Time!
The tour kids throw him seasick grins, do hiqh-tives.
 lOS

RODNEY( contd)
(distracted by all the ruckUs
in his candy store)
What you guys~ down there, a
tnnchise?
They all explode in laughter that's too quick, too
fluttery.
And soon as Rodney turns his head, the Delaware boys lose·
their smiles.
J

" ::LOS£ ON STRIKE

watching them -- Something stinks, but •••
EXT/INT: ROCCO DRIVING ALONGJnt BOULEVARD
Gliding past rubble-strewn lot in which six black kids
are lined up on their knees, hands clasped behind their
necks. Jo-Jo's squad's got them covered, Mood is
casual,
ROCCO
(rolling up)
What's this, the Mekong Delta?
JO-JO
(coming to the car window)
Cood enough for the Cong, good
enough for them. How you doin'
with your boy'?
ROCCO
Comin' along.
JO-JO
The kid could be unemployed soon.
I got his boss selling weight to an
undercover.
Jo-Jo show Rocco an arrest warrant for Rodney, which
Rocco briefly scans.
ROCCO
a thoughtful
(af~e~ beat)
Jo-Jo, wo~~~ ycu par111it me to do
yo~ a favo" here?
EXT: STREET ACROSS :ROM RODNEY'SSTORE - TWENTYMINUTES
LATER
strike drops an ounce of coke in a garbage can, heads
across the street to the store •

•
 l06

As Strike hits the curb, Mazilli and Rocco pull up,

almost running him over.
stri~e steps back, as Rocco struggles out ot the car.
ROCCO
Hey! -Look who's hare •••
s ► ri~e, not knowing whether it's better to split or go
into the store, opts, after a little dancing, to split.
I ROCCO(contd}
•I (calling atter him)
See you around, Ronnie.
INT: RODNEY'S STORE

Deserted, save tor Rodney and his baby son. Rodney's got
the kid on a bar stool behind the counter. Rodney's
holding a co= and scissors, ready to give the kid a
haircut, Mazilli and Rocco enter.
RODNEY
Hey, Rocco, what you need?
ROCCO
I needs :t2l,l, brother.
RODNEY •
(starting to snip away>
What for?
ROCCO
I gots me a warrant.
RODNEY
(casual)
search?
ROCCO
Arrest.
ROONEY
Arrest for 1o1hat.
ROCCO
You must have sold to an
undercover, you dopey bastard.
What are you, so desperate you're
selling i~ yourself?
ROD.NEY
(his face going dark and
dangerous)
Wh0 set me up?

•
 l0'1

ROCCO
(affable, pro to pro)
~•mon, I can't tell you that •••
l:NT: STRiltE'S BEDROOM
- TBI:R'l'YMINUTESI.ATER
PAN OF THE ROOM
-- dresser drawer has been emptied of all dope
paraphernalia and the safe is empty. on the floor is a
thirty-nine gallon hefty bag filled with scales,
'
I
laxative,
filled
tapes, all the shit.. 'l'hara•·s an envelope
with money, addressed to Strike's mother on top of
the dresser and another stack of money next to that,
Strike enters, stuffs the money in his pocket, takes the
envelope, yanks the garbage bag over his shoulder and
leaves the room.
After a beat ha re-enters the room, pulls up the mattress
and· scowls, thinking of the missing gun.
STRID
(dropping the mattress)
FUCk it.
He leaves the room.again, intending to leave this life.
INT: or CRIMINALIDENTIFICATION
BUREAU
Mazilli, Rocco and Rodney are at the fingerprinting
station.
Rocco holds Rodney's infant son as Rodney fingerprints
himself.
CI.ClSE ON RODNEY

rolling his own fingers on an I,D. card.

RODNE"t
(muttering)
Who served me up, Mazilli.
Mazilli shrugs.
ROCCO
(speaking to the baby)
Alls X know is, your mommybest show
in the next five minutes or you be
goin' over to Family services.
RODNEY
reah, you best D.2l;. tell me. Save
me from a homicide charge.
 108

ROCCO
aey, don't tell us in adyance. It
takes all the fun out of the
investigation.
EXT: STUET - SAME TIME
Strike is heading fer his car. He passes an open garbage
can and drops in the hefty bag,
INT: MUNICIPAL STAIRWELL- TEN MINUTESI.ATER
'
t,
Wiping his inkY fingers with a Buy Wipe, Rodney leads
Rocco and Mazilli (still holding the baby) down the
stairs.
A WHITE WOMAN with teased metallic hair and a pissed off
race is coming ll.R the stairs.
WOMAN
I'm Carol Iacone froa Youth
Services ... this the kid?
:RODNEY
(grinding his teeth)
Shit
Suddenly, at the base of the stairs is the kid's mother,
DAWN, 22, chunky.
RODNEY(contd)
Where the .tY.S..t. were you!
oawn, glaring at Rodney, marches up the stairs,
purposefully shouldering the very pissed off social
worker who shoulders her right back,
The two women face off, Rocco still holding out the baby.
DAWN
(grabs ner kid, speaks to
Rodney)
Yeah, you~ 90 to jail.
Dawn marches out of ~he building,
ROONEY
(bel!~wing after her)
Yeah, I'll go to jail, I'll go
~here, get away from~-
The procession proceeds down the stairs, Rodney ranting
and raving bloody oa~hs against one an~ all,

• ............ . .. ··---- ....... .

 109

.---. EX'l': PROJECTS - PLAYGROUND~ - TEN MINUTES U.TER

WE SEE basketball courts, handball courts,
Sha Ron, Victor's wife, is playing catch against the wall
by herself, Her youngest is in a stroller watching his
mother play in her clU111sybeavy way. There'• something
terribly lonely and sad in Sha Ron's silent awkwardness.
STRIIIE (VO)
Sha Ron.
'
I Sha Ron stops playing, turns to the voice.
I

WE SEE Strike, who's watching through a chain link fence

around the court..
Sha Ron approaches, mute and expressionless.
STRIKE
(eyeing the stroller vith a
pained remorseful look}
Who's that, Ivan?
SHA RON
Mark.
···-
STRI.KE
Victor get his bail down yet?
SHA RON
Yeah, uh-huh.
STRita:
Five thousand?

Sha Ron nods.

Looking furtively around the playground, Strike squeezes
the envelope through the fence.
STRIKE (contd)
You give this to my mother,
awright? Get Victor out.
Sha Ron takes the envelope, stares at him in her
depressed expressionl~•• way.
STRIKE (contd)
Tell my mother I'm not clockin' no
more .... Tell her I'ID sorry.
They stare at each other for another beat.
 l.l.O

SHA RON
What about me?
INT: COUNTY
JAIL INTAI<ECENTER- TEN MINOTESLATER
Crowded, stinky., glazed tile room centered by long intake
desk, cater-corner from each other are two bullpens;
overnight holding cells, jam-packed with prisoners.
ANGU:- CELL DOOROPENING

' Rodney ushered in. Door closing,

I'
.
Rodney t~s to see Mazilli and Reece standing outside
the bars.
RODNEY
(black death in his eyes)
Who served me up, Mazilli?
MAZILLI
Sorry, chief ...
Rocco waits tor Hazilli to leave then leans into the
bars, beckons Rodney close enough to kiss.
ROCCO
( intima-r.e)
Who do you think. you dumb shit •••
Rodney steps back, strike's name coming into his eyes.
ROCCO (contd) .
Kid'• under a rock ••• you know how
it is ...
EXT: PROJECTSBENCH- THIRTYMINUT!;SLATER
Strike approaching the benches. All his crew sit there
motionless, staring at him,
STRil<E
(uneasy)
What you sittin' around for?
FUTON
They ai~•~ no dope. Rodney got
locked up.
STRIKE
(freaked)
What he ge~ locked up tor?
No one answers .

•
 lll

STRil<E'S FOV
Ha sees Tyrone, pacing behind the bench area, patting his
gut as if the gesture is some kind of signal, as he
desperately tries-to catch Strike's eye.
STRIKE
(wincing)
Rodney's in ;iw?
WE SEE.Tyrone throw up his bands in frustration, march
I into his building,
I
I
ROCCO (VO)
Hey, ~ni•
Strike turns to face Rocco, who's got a bi~ happy grin on
his puss.
Rocco extends his hand.
ROCCO
(warmly)
Hey, Ronnie, man •••
o!f-balance, Strike accepts Rocco's handshake.
CLOSE ON THE KAN~SHAJCE
then up to Strike's face, wincing, trapped.
ROCCO
(low and nasty)
so ... you wanna fuck with me? Let
ma show you what fucking's all
about.
STRI:KE
~? What are you ,alting about •••
ROCCO
Nothing . . . just . . . you know •••
we tossed your boss in county last
night and I just came by to thank
you for your .l:lfil.Q on that •••
STRIKE
(eyeing his crew on the bench)
Hey, fuck you, man. I don't know
nothin' about that.
- .. Strike stnigqles to free his hand.
 ::.12

ROCCO
(not letting go)
Oh, no? Yeah well, let me tell
you. Rodney? He makes bail
tomorrow.? Gets back out on the
street, people start gassin' up his
head?.
:i"!'Rir ;:-'S POV
Srar ~t the canyon walls of Roosevelt, millions of
winduws, people watching here and there.
ROCCO (VO)
I wouldn't know ld1G the fuck I'd
do if I was you. Probably the best
thing? I'd run down to the
Prosecutor's Office to-night, work
something out to get my•••
protected, I mean, if you're half
as smart as you think you are.
STRIKE
(pleading, thrashing)
Man, I ain't even 5kllin' no more •••
ROCCO
(steamrolling)
Get yourself in a room with me,
tell me what really happened on
that Ahab's thing, how Rodney
pressured you into capping that
guy ..•
Strike doubles over with an attack of cramps, but Rocco
still won't let go.
:ROCCO( contd)
I mean nobody wants l!a on this.
~ou had no choice, everybody knows
that. Rodney had you scared to
death, right? Right?
Rocco moves his head to keep up eye contact with Strike.
STRIKE
(suddenly
cal~ -- full of
hate and despair)
Man, you just got me killed over
nothin' 'cause you don't even know
what the tuck you ~in' about.
Rocco lets go of Strike's hand, stands there giving the
~uildings the up-and-down .

•
 113

ROCCO
mien I was your age? I used to
have a girlfriend lived in this
projects, Rathy Doogan, She's a
doctor n.ow, This used to be a
pretty decent place to live,,, you
know, 'back then,
Roe,·· stuffs yet another card into Strike's sweatshirt.
ROCCO( contd)
Watcb your back, now, ••
"'I Rocco walks off. strike tw:ns, faces
-
the hanging judges
on the bane:!\.
SftIXE
Yo listen up, I din't say 112thin'
to that .. ,
FUTON
(mocking)
Yo listen up •••
strike moves to face off with Futon, Futon rises
People
and they
come
instantly eml:irace in a violent rollaround.
.- .. running to ring the action.
ANGLE:
Rocco in his car, double-parked, watching the fight.
EXT: comrrY JAIL - 4:00 A.M.
Deathly still street under pre-dawn lighting.

INT: BULLPEN Alli.

Deathly still save for two guards, one reading a book.
ANGLE- DEEP INTO ONE BULLPEN
ZOOMING past twenty prisoners sleeping on prison-issue
pallets, WI: SEE Rodney sitting up against the rear Yall,
CLOSEON RODNEY'SSMOULDERING
EXPRESSION
ANGLE- FIVE MINUTESLATER- TWENTY
D01,LARBil.L
dangling from Rodney's fingers through the bars,
CLOSE ON A GUARD
!
eyeing the money over the top of his book.
 l!.4

ANGLE • ROONEY

on a pay phone in a corner of tbe intake center.

. RODNEY
(sott, low)
Errol ...
INT; ROCCO'S SUBURBANBACK YARD• SAME TIME
Rocc~, drink in hand, is kicking around his daughter's
'
II soccer ball, humming something.
RODNEY(VO)
Errol ...
INT: STRID'S BEOROOM- SAHE PRE-DAWNTIME
strike, wide awake, laying on his bed, staring at the
moving bars of car lights traversing his walls.
ROONEY (VO)
Errol ... It's me.
EXT: PROJECTSBENCH- 2:00 P.M. - NEXTDAY
Strike, red-eyed, comes upon the bench, only Peanut
there.
STRIKE
Man, this shit is fucked up,
PEANUT
(coldly)
Errol find you yet?
STRIKE
(blood-drained)
Errol?
PEANUT
Yeah, he come by asking where you was.
STRI!a:
What for?
ANGLE - TYRON!::

coming out of his building. Still holding that brown

paper bag, he marches straight to Strike, bag extended.
STRIKE
(to Peanut, repeating)
What for?
 llS

Befcre Peanut can answer, strike·@ruptly wheels on

Tyrcne, hunches down and yells in his face.
STRIKE (contd)
Will yo~ please get out my mother
fuckin' ~? Pl§t!ill• Gah-amDl
stunned, Tyrone staggers baclcWards, trots away.
strike turns to Peanut, not giving Tyrone another
thought.
"'
I PEANtl'l'
{in a cold sing-song)
I don't .!msmwhat tor. I guess you'll
find out when he finds you, right?

ANGLE- STRIKE
marching off in his crazed funk.
He's heading down the street to the old ladies' driveway
where his car is parked.

STRIKE'S POV
From fifty yards off he sees his car. Errol Barnes is
leaning against the door, that big ~n-butt of his
sticking up out of his waist as if he just doesn't give a
shit who sees it.
strike ducks down behind a parked car, hissing his panic.

STRll<E1 S POV
Marching from the benches and heading towards Strike's
car is Tyrone, unawares that Errol is there instead.
He's still gripping that wrinkled brown paper bag.
TYRONE
(imitating his mother)
... If every time I try to earn
some money I have to worry about
you _uin' to me about where you
was, lyin' to~. to your
Sllll'mot~e~. to everybody who lovgs
~g~ ~n ~h-• wo~ld, and I just want
to know ...-nat: kind of ~ you are ••• •
Tyrone marches out of earshot, eyes to the ground.

S'l'RlKE'S POV
Strike watches as Tyrone almost walks chest-first into
Errol, then steps back in fear. Errol takes two steps

•
 116

tcwards the boy, reaching out, then suddenly a ,SHQl is

hea.rd.
Errol and 'l'Yrone stand there staring at each other for a
beat, then •••
STRIKE
Oh God.
WE SEE Errol collapse. Tyrone, in shock, starts turning
in absent circles. He is holding strike's missing gun.
r
I
I We hear the old lady in the window above the:car scream
t:or Jesus.
S'l'RilCE (contd)
Oh God,
Tyrone continues to wander about th• driveway, dazed,
stepping on Errol's corpse as the lady keeps calling tor
Jesus.
EXT: JUVENIL£ ANNEX - THIRTY MINUTES LATER

ESTABLISHING SHOT of the rear entrance of one of the

local precinct houses -- overhead sign, "JUVENIL£ ANNEX."
INT: JUVENILE HALL
Gloomy wooden room with two cages and three detective's
desks,
There's TWOTEENAGERSin the cage and ONE DETEC'l'IVE
typing behind his desk.
ROCCO'S POV
WE SEE on a bench running along a far wall, l..i.:i., tear-
streakad, sitting with Tyrone.
Tyrone is curled on his side as if cold, his head in his
mother's lap.
Rocco stops in his tracks as he recognizes both the kid
and the mot.her,
Suddenly Andrg ~gmez up alon9side Roc~o.
ROCCO
Hey, Andre, what's up?
Andre shows Rocco a small brown bag.
 ll 7

ANGLE- INSIDE WESEE THE GUN

A ,25 auto.
ANDRt
can J; talk to you?
ANGLE- TIGHT CORNER
OF THE JUVENIU: HALL
Andr6 speaks to Rocco in a cracked whisper, no-bullshit -·
tone.
ANDRt
I just want to tell you that that-
~ in there, Ty~? l'. know him
since he was a~- I know his
whole family, they All decent
people and like, whatever happened
it must've been some serious
misllkJl because that boy never bean
in troullle ~• I mean he'a in
something like the eighty-fifth
percentile on this national education
test they give? And you bow, whatever
happens from now on in, that kid's life
is ruined but what 1.!J1sayin' is, is
that I would appreciate it if you
would help him on his $tat9ment,
you lcnow what I'm sayin'?
Rocco shrugs -- no problem.
ANGLE - THE: BENCH
Tyrone, in shock, stares straight ahead.
IRIS
(weepy, terrified)
He goin' to jail?
Rocco squats down to be on eye-level with her,
ROCCO
(gently)
Look, I got to find out what happened,
Would you perll1it me to talk with him?
CLOSE ON ANDRE
nodding his reassurance ~o Iris.
IRIS
(with a wild hopelessness)
If he talks to you, can I take him
home? Does he have to go to jail?

•
 118

CLOSEON R.OCCO
ataring at her ki~dly, offering her nothing.
INT: INTERVIEW CUBICLE - FIVE MINUTES LATER

Rocco sits facing Iris and Tyrone. Tyrone still has his
ho.\ci s,n his mother's lap. Andr• loiters outside, halt-
visi~te.
I
ROCCO
•' (gently)
' Tyrone, you know what you did,
don't y0u?
Tyrone doesn't respond, his mother caressing the side of
his head in har lap.
IRIS
He knows.
ROCCO
You know that it was wrong?
IRIS
He knows.
ROCCO ·
OK ... y0u know what you
now ...
did was wrong, but you couldn't
help it, You were scared, right?
-ryron• nods, eyes unfocused.
IRIS
Oh, he was scared, he was,
ROCCO
Look, Tyrone, you're a good kid, but
you got all these people around, rough
tough kids, drugs, everybody putting
pressure on you, coming down on you
for not being like them, and alls
you want to do is go to school, be
with your family, protect your family.
So you 9e~ yo~r~elf a <;JU~ -- but
not to hur~ anybody, just for
protection, just for protection •••
Rocco hesitates -- ~his scenario tie's building sounds to
him like Victor.
Iris, rapt, nodding yes, yes, yes.
 ll9

ROCCO (contd)
Did you know that man you shot?
Tyrone stares at him, not answering but at least his eyes
are focusing on the speaker now.
ROCCO (contd)
That was Errol Barnes. He was a
stone killer, did you know that?
(beat)
Well, you know that nmt, right?
IRIS
(nodding avidly)
Yes, Lord .••
ROCCO
OK ... so ... there you were, just
walking down the street minding your
own business, you got a gun that
you're not supposed to have, but
you're not bothering anybody either •••
Tyrone finally rises from his mother's lap, his head on
her shoulder now.
ROCCO (contd)
All of a sudden there's Errol
Barnes coming up right in your
face, coming right at you.
Rocco's really getting into it now, his audience leaning
slightly forward.
ROCCO (contd)
And he's get this ~ibl• l,P.2k in
his eyes and you see him going for
that thirty-eight in his waist and
you~ he's gonna hurt you, maybe
even till, you, and who would
protect your ~other it you were in
the hospital? or in th~ grave?
Both mother and son are unconsciously nodding in
agreement, eyes on Rocco.
ROCCO (con~d)
And you never fired that gun before
but Errol had you so scared that
you started seeing stars.
Tyrone makes a guttural noise •

•
 120

ROCCO( contd)
(with relish)
You were so scared that you didn't
even know where you ware, but that
~, it's coming at you, coming at
you, you don't even know~. you
don't even know what you sli.'1, just
coming at you, coming at you, and
the next thing you know ••• ~! •••

Iris and Tyrone almost levitate out of their seats.

,,' ROCCO ( contd.}
' (calmer, softeri a coda)
And you don't even know how the
damn thing got into your hand.
Tyrone bursts into tears, hugs his mother across her
shoulders, and utters his first words since the murder.
TYRONE
(shivering, wild-eyed)
Mommy, that's what happened.
I.RIS
(sobbing)
Pra:ise Jesus.
Rocco leans back, satisfied, throws Andr• a quick wink.
ROCCO
That's what happened .•• And when I.
aak you about it with the tape recorder
going? That's what you're going to
tell n, right? And you're going to
tell me that because it's the tnith.
Both mother and son nod avidly.
ROCCO (c:ontd)
Now ... there's one last thing we
need to go ever, and on this,
Tyrone, l want you to answer me
direct ... Where'd you get the gun?
TYRONE
(hQa~~ down, lying)
'I found~'!'...
Roc:co and An~re exc~ange glances.
ROCCO
I (grim, now)
Where?

•
 121

TYRONE
In the bushes.
ROCCO
~_bushes?
T¥rtONE
By my house.
Rocco leans back, sighing. The kid can't meet his eyes.
,,
I
Rocco looks slgnificantlY at Iris, asking h•r help.
I

Iris firmly pushes Tyrone away from her so she could see
his eyes. Tyrone tries to bury his chin in his chest.
IRIS
(in a scary, no-nonsense tone)
Give it ..•
TYRONE
(muttering, ashamed)
I borrowed it by accident from Strike.
ANDRE (VO)
Mother~er !!
All turn as Andre punches the wall and stomps out of the
Juvie hall.
ROCCO ..
(be still my beating heart)
Strike? No kidding ... From the benches?
TYRONE
(teary, wretched)
I was trying to give it w.ls to him,
"but he won't !,ill to me no more •••
I tried~ cf times.
EXT: STRIKE ON A PAY PHONE- SAMETIME
In the foreground WE SEE Strike's car, Errol's blood and
fingerprint powder clearly visible on the quarter panel.
STRIKE
(into the phone)
Molllllly... it's Ronald •••
(sad, scared)
I'm leavin' for a while ••• can I
co~e up? I want to say goodbye to
you ... awright ... awright •••
awright.
 122

EXT: PROJECTS BENCHES - 'l'EN MINUTES I.ATER

STR!KE'S 'POV
goes from ~e stony hanging judges on the bench to the
eleventh floor windows of his mother's apartment,
strike starts the long walk from his car past the benches
to the building.
Right as he comes closest to his former crew, he sees
everybody's eyes go big, staring at something, someone
coming up behind him.
Strike turns to see Rodney jump out of bis Cadillac,
He's got a baseball bat down one leg and he moves towards
Strike with a skippy brisk stutter-elk. He brings up
the bat and ...
With the bat cocked, Rodney's eyes travel over Strike's
shoulder and what he sees makes him bring the bat down to
his leg again and briskly return to his car.
STRIKE
(in a daze)
Hey Rgd •••
suddenly WE SEE strike raised off the ground by a hand
between his legs.
STRil<E'S POV
WE SEE the buildings and people around him tilt and
careen, then SEE the ground come rushing up, exploding
into a momentary blackness.
ANGLE- WE SEE STRil<E
tac• down on the cement, Andre, livid, adrenalized,
standin~ over hi~. They are surrounded by an open-
mouthed, riveted erowd.
Andre lifts strike by the back of his shirt and runs him
into the bench; his own bench, his own throne. strike's
nose is 'broken.
STRIKE'S POV - THE MUTECROWD
staring at him, the buildings still tilting slightly.
We hear Strike make gagging noises -- Andre is pushing
his throat into the top bench slat via a huge hand on the
back of Strike's head,

•
 12'3

ANDRt
(lips in Strike's ear)
You are S.Q!l.l from here, gone from
these houses, gone from these
stre,;s, gone from this~ •••

STRIICE:'S POV
Through a reddish veil he looks up at his mother's
windows and u.t,i her, looking down,
r ANDRt (contd)
II
I (in a whisper}
I ever see·you again, I'm gonna
lS.ll.l you, I'll kill you and put a
gun in your hand, say you throwed
down on me for this beating you
just got. You understand that?
STRI.KE
(gagging)
Yo -- Ah - Andre.
VO'ICEIN THE CROWD
Yo, Andre, ease up, man, ease up.
OTHE~VOICE
,· Nah, t,ill his ass
ANDRE
(whispering)
You ruined that little boy's UU,
and now you are~ trom here.
ANGLE• ANDRE
yanks strike up off the bench slat, then holding him by
the back of his shirt and the nape ot his neck, races him
through the crowd and nu him into the door of his own
car. we hear a sharp crack -- Strike'• Jenee hitting the
car-door. A group wincing sound is heard cut with
laughter.
Strike on the ground, looks up to his car. Parked right
behind him is Rodney in his Cadillac, his face stony --
waiting tor w tu~n at Strike.
EXT/INT: STRIKE DR!VING - FIVE MINUTESI.ATER
Strike's nose is s·.,,ollen. Ke loo.ks in his rear view
mirror -- there's Rodney's Cadillac, Rodney's eyes
meeting his in the mirror -- "Whither thou goest ••• "
Strike is now the Flying Dutchman -- hope he doesn't run
out of gas.
.-.
INT: HOMICIDE
OFFICE - SAMETIME
CLOSEON WAJU!ANT
being typed by Roeeo.
WESEE Strike'& name. WESEE the charge& -- Illegal
Possession of a Firearm.
WE SEE the name of the complaining officer -- Rocco
Klein.
Rocco yanJ:s the warrant from the typewriter; marches
through the office heading for the street to get a
judge's signature.
ANGLE- ROCCOAT THE GLASSDOORSOF THE BUILDINGENTRANCE
Rocco pushing through warrant in hand, grashes into
Strike coming~ the building to seek out Rocco and
sanctuary.
ROCCO
{not missing a beat)
Key-y -- lock who's here.
(flourishing the warrant)
I was just coming to get you.
Rocco notices Strike's face,-his limp.
ROCCO (con~d)
The fuck happened to you?
Without answering, strike almost pushes Rocco out of the
way in his anxiousness to get inside.
ROCCO'S POV
WE SEE in the parking lot about twenty-thirty yards away
Rodney standing there, arms crossed over his chest,
glaring at Strike.
ROCCO
{waving, friendly)
Row's it hangin'?
Rodney doesn't move.
I.NT: INTERROGATION
ROOM
Strike is holding his knee and rocking in his seat -- he
is alone.
PULL BACKTO SEE Mazilli looking at him through the small
grilled door-window.

•
 125

Rocco paces like an expectant father behind Mazilli.

MAZILLI
What the. hell's he doin' here?

ROCCO
Sittin' in the erosshairs.
MAZILI.I
(disgusted)
The crosshairs •••
,,
'
' ROCCO
(focused on Strike)
We got the wrong brother.
MAZIU.I
(walking off)
The fuck we do.
INT: INTERROGATION
ROOM- TWOMINUTESLATER
Now it's Rocco versus Strike acres• the table against the
barren backdrop of the bare walls,
strike holds his head in a brace of fingertips.
STRIKE
(remorseful)
What he do it for?
ROCCO
Tyrone?
(shrugging)
Ky guess? He was protecting~-
Rodney's not gonna get blood on his
hands. He sent Errol after you,
and this poor kid stepped into the
breach like David and Goliath and
now he's a twelve-year-old
murderer. way to go, strike •••
STRIKE
(ang::::-::", freaked)
• Don't you :ay that shit on y.
ROCCO
(acid)
Don't lay~~ on you, huh?
STRil<E
(rapid
burst, angry, pleading)
Why'd you have to come up and shake
~y hand in frQnt of the ~le like
(MORE)
 126

STRIKE (contd)
that for . . . ~ of this woulda
happened, man, I ~ you •••
ROCCO
(exploding, realizing his
part in this.)
And I told you not to ew me! Did
I not lill you that?
STRIKE
I'
(shaking his head in refusal,
I almost talking to himself) :
I ain't taking the weight for this.
Rocco looks away, nailed, trying to shift gears and move
on.
ROCCO
Nah, why should you, you're a hell
of a guy, look at all the people
that went down trying to protect
you, your brother, Tyrone ••• a
hall of guy ... But you know what?
They all went down protecting you
from the same guy ..• and he's
$till gi,at there.
(beat)
Except you got one ally left.
Rocco solemnly points to himself.
ROCCO (contd)
(beat)
Now, you tell me how Rodney pressured
you into doing Darryl Adams, we'll
work out some kind of deal for you
and drop Rodney down a hole,
(beat)
Alls you got to do is tell ma the
truth ... righ~ now.
Strike massages his knee, rocks. Rocco takes a deep,
shuddery breath, p~aying that he successfully deceived
Strike into confession.
ROCCO (oontd)
So, let ~e just ask you, just to
get it out of the way.
(beat: l
Did you shoot Darryl Adams •••
STRIKE
(after a beat)
Unh-uh ... No .

•
 :!.27

Rocco slowly bares his teeth, tries to control his rage.

ROCCO
.OK • • • who gig •••

S'I'JtID
(after a beat)
Victor ...
ROCCO
{nodding, his face curdling
I ' with anger)
I
victor . ,.
Rocco, fr0111 total stillness, suddenly flies at Strike and
begins to clrag him off his chair to the door,
STRID
What you ggin'?
ROCCO
{bughouse)
I'll fuckin' hand-feed you to Rodney
myself, you motherfucker, you fuckin' ...
Strike and Rocco struggle. Strike pushes himself away
from Rocco's grasp, staggering backwards into a corner.
He's come up with Rocco's gun which he points at Rocco
with a tremk>ling hand,
Strik• is on the verge of tears. Rocco stands hi5
ground, struggling with his fear.
ROCCO (contd)
(hoarse)
Ronnie . . . whoa.
STRID
{with desperation and rage)
You motherfucker ..• nigger says he
didn't do nothin' you don't believe
him. Nigger says he did it, you
seill don•~ believe him! My
brother did it. He !.2.1.dyou that.
1 didn't! What the fuck I got to
do to get you gn to that!
ROCCO'S POV

The small door-window. No one there. No one knows

Strike's got his gun.
ROCCO
(gently)
OK ••. OK ... Just tell me •..
 128

STRIKE
(cutting him oft)
Tell you what ... you get him in
county .. What you want me to say,
"Yeah, he did it, OK ••• "
ROCCO
(hands up, palms out)
OX OK •••

I STRIKE
11 Hbil ... you think I'm teyin' to.
' let him go~ for 111.a? You think
I'm afraid of jail?
Strike puts the gun to his own head, tapping his temple
with the muzzle.
STRIKE (contd}
You think this ain't like iAil up
in here? You think you tDmt 111.a?
You don't. I didn't tW. nobody!
Rocco moves forward a step, eyes on his gun still at
Strike's temple.
STRIKE (contd)
(going off)
I didn't have the hear~ ... Victor's
all like , "got 1:0 be got, " "peel
his cap." He was drunk. talking
soma drunk ~shuck in that Qill:,
I din't even know he was strapped.
FLASHBACK

CWSE ON GYMBAG
at Victor's feet in Rudy's.
BACKTO ROCCOANDSTRIK~
ROCCO
(gingerlr)
Ronnie ... you're gettin' in pretty
deep here ...

STRIKE
(ignoring him)
How was I supposed to know?
ROCCO
,I (saying anything)
Hey, you couldn'1: ... Why don't you
give me the gun?
 12.9

Strike reacts to this by pointing the gun at Rocco again.

STRIKE
(bitter)
say 11.I don't know yo11.•
ROCCO
(humoring him)
OK ... I don't know you.
' STRita:
' (angrier)
You don't know~!
ROCCO
(gently but alere)
Ok ... I don't ..•
(suddenly caught up in his
mission again-slightly
shiftinq gearsi
'What don't I know, Ronnie? •••
c•mon ...
(tilting his chin to the gun)
You're the man ... what don't I
lcnOW , , •
(soothing but insistent)
what don't I know •••
CLOSE ON STRIKE
faltering, overwhelmed by his own half-knowledge of
things it's time.
ROCCO (VO)
Tell me ...
FLASHBACK
EXT: OVERHEAD
VIEWOF PAIN-BATTERED
CAR
the day after the shooting.
INT: VICTORANDSTRIKE IN THE CAR
Both dripping, shivering.
Victor silent in his orange uniform, staring at hi~ oVl'I
hands on the steering wheel.
STRIKE
(punching Victor blindly inhis
exasperation)
What the !.l:U;.t did you s!Q! I didn't
say for you ...

•
 '.i.30

VICTOR
(calm, dazed)
Rennie ... it was like a dream •••

FLASHBACK- VIC'J'OR SHOOTINGDARRYL

VICTOR (VO)
He went down so .l:IAm,
Vietor firing blindly at Darryl. Four shots. Darryl
I
If
11ca.tching" a bullet in his palm, jerking back, floating
I down, then Victor's tranced-out shocked face., staring
down at Darryl. Victor fleeing,
BACR TO VICTOR ANO STRIKE IN THE CAR

ROCCO (VO)

VICTOR
(to strike, calmly)
I cou1dn't w\k2 it no mora ••• I couldn't •••
(directly to strike)
somebody had to pay.
STRIKE
(to Victor}
For~?
BACKTO STRID IN THE PRESENT
gesticulating with the gun.
STRIKE
(to Rocco, beseechingly)
Pay for what
CLOSE ON ROCCO,
torn between absorbing St~ike's testimony and
concentration on the gun.

FLASHBACK
Victor as security ~-.1ard having the crumpled hundred
dollar bill thrown::-: llis race. The actiol'I is. in
excruciating SLOW-~:7:oN, the money moving towards his
face like floating s?ace debris.
STRIKE: (VO)
.- .. What he do it for?
FLASHBACK
 lJl

VICTORON HIS STOMACH

getting cutfed by Thumper, his head pulled up by the
hair, chin to the_ sky, his throat bowed out in a painful
arc.
BACJCTO ftOCCO
ROCCO
(eyes on the qun, gently)
Maybe he was fed-up with things •, •
I
• STRIICE
(bitter, distraught)
Fed-up with things, h\ll:l? Naw ...
.thi.&. ... is fed-up with things
strike puts the gun to his temple again, eyelids
fluttering.
Rocco makes his move, grabbing for the gun as strike
fir9s. Strike gets shouldered into the wall, then drops
to the floor as Rocco stands over him, shaken, freaked,
the gun in his hand.
The interrogation door gets kicked in, three cops
sweeping the room in shooters' crouches.
ROCCO
(hands high, gun at the
ceiling)
Ho! Easy! Easy!
The cops nervously, tentatively, stand down.
ROCCO ( contd)
(grinning, shrugging)
My fault, my fault •••
They stare at Strike on the floor then back to Rocco.
ROCCO (contd)
(winking)
I was giving him a hearing test •••
he passed
The cops hesic0te,
ROCCO(contd)
(hands up)
It's OK ... i~'s OK.
DETECTIVE
Jesus, Rocco ...

•
 :. J 2

They retreat,
ANGLE
ROCCO
(struggling for a casual tone
-- standing over strike)
C'mon, get up .•.
STRIKE
(near tears, on the !loor)
Victor didn't know what he was doin'
... He din't ... you gotta ,tna him,
man ... He never did ~in' •••
but it's just like you said •••
(Strike points to a wall
signifying Rodney outside)
Rodney's behind it All, so why don't
you just snatch him up, just •••
ROCCO
(casual, not looking at
strike)
Get up . , .
As strike rises to his feet, Rocco without warning
backhands him ar;ross the room.
FXT: STEPS LEADINGOUT OF THE PROSECUTOR'SOFFICE
Strike, limping and swollen, descends, Rocco behind him.
Suddenly Strike stops.
STRIKE
(hissing in tear and awe)
.!iAh4.••
WI:SEE Strike's car -- Rodney has done a major job on it
-- the front window is shattered, there's gouges, dents
... it's like it was hit by a meteor.
Rocco massages Strike's shoulders as he talks low in his
ear.
ROCCO
Let me ask you ... Do you think
1',odney ✓ s. -:~inking, ••Now we' re
even?" o:.- do you think ha's
thinking "This is just a taste."
STRIKE
Gahd.
I
 :i.3)

ROCCO
S0, what do you think we should do
about this, Ronnie? What ...
Abruptly, in a blur of violent speed, Rodney bulls into
them separating them and then WE SEE a flash of silver as
Rodney swings his aluminum softball bat at Strike,
missing as strike falls on his ass.
Rocco, recovering, shoves Rodney backWards and plants
himself between Rodney and the cowering Strike.
" ROONEY
(cocking the bat)
Get the~ out my way!
Rocco stands there, moving parallel to Rodney, blocking
him. He flips out his Prosecutor's Office badge so that
it hangs over his chest like an a.mulet.
RODNEY( contd)
Get the fuck ...
ROCCO
(tapping the symbol of his job)
Yo street smart ..• how smart All
you
RODNEY
(bug-eyed, cocking the bat)
I'll take you out,~, motherfucker.
ROCCO
Kow smart ll.!t you •••

Rodney stands there livid, trying to ignore Rocco, see

his way to Strike.
ROCCO(contd)
How smart are you?
Rodney looks like he's going to take off Rocco's head bu~
Rocco doesn't budge, chanting •••
ROCCO(contd)
(ges~~ring to the sky,
~o :;;;ee~oia)
You l.il,g ~~ ou~ here? Add it up.
Add it up ...

Rodney, although s~~ll brandishing the bat, still seeking

Strike behind the human shield, seems to slightly
,I sul:lside, to hear Rocco's chant.

•
 134

Still bug-eyed, he lowers the bat ignoring Rocco·, finding

Strike's eyes.
ROCCO {contd)
Add it up.
Defeated by his ·own survival instincts, Rodney in a last
gesture of menace points the bat at Strike as if to say
"next time."
As Rodney finally turns, giving strike and Rocco his
back, WE SEE Mazilli on the prosecutor's steps, calmly
"'t aiming his .38 at Rodney, the implication being that all
Rodney would have had to do a minute ago is swing at
Rocco, and Mazilli would have shot him.
RODNEY
{sneering at the gun)
Fuck you too, Mazilli.
Rodney dismisses all three of them with a wave and walks
to his car.
EX'l'/IN'l': ROCCO'S CAR - HOLLAND TUNNEL

STRIKE
.. ,, . {cautiously)
Where you takin' ma?
.ROCCO
Your brother's pleading salt-
defense. Somebody gets ahold of
you, Victor's gonna have a big
problem with that.
(looking at strike)
You understand what I'm saying?
Strike steals a peek into his front pocket,
WE SE£ the edge of his stake. That fat wad of cash --
$5,000, not a hell of a lot to start a new life, but it's
something.
STRIKE
Tyrone, does he got a bail?
ROCCO
There's no bail on juveniles. Kis
mother's got him until the trial,
STRI~
{outburst)
I can't carry the weight for that,
man, I just can't.
 :;_35

ROCCO
(freaked)
Shut up!
strike bows his head to his knees, half antsiness, half
prayer.
EXT: N,Y. EXIT OF THE HOLLANDTUNNEL
Rocco's car ejecting into the Manhattan traffic.
EXT: PORT AUTHORITY- EIGHTH AVENUEENTRANCE- TWENTY
MINUTES I.ATER
Rocco's car pulls up to the curb.
ROCCO
(ha.rd)
You got enough money for a ticket
soll!ewheres?
STRIKE
I guess.
ROCCO
Hey, Darryl Adams ... remember him
layin' there in all that blood and
brains?
Strike says nothing.
ROCCO (contd)
That could've been you ..• your
brother could've just as easily
peeled~ fuckin' cap that night.
(beat)
You knQl!l that, right?
Strike turns his head away.
ROCCO (contd)
If I ever see you again, I'll book
you for criminal solicitation and
conspiracy to collll!lit murder. I'll
pick up Rodney on the same charges
and I'll ~~ke sure you two draw the
sall!e tie~. same fu~kin~ .1.2.sl, you
unders-:ar.:!. me?
Strike nods mutely.
A beeper goes off in ~he car.
,I
STRIKE
It ain't mine ...

•
 136

Rocco peers at the number coming up on his hip. he looks

up -- Strike is out of the car and halfway towards the
terminal,
ROCCO
· (muttering to himselt)
You're welcome, motherfucker
INT: PORT AUTHORITY

I strike at the Trailway ticket window, looking up at a map

"' ot America lined with bus routes,
STRIKE
Washington, D.~.
He drops some cash on the counter, and the clerk moves to
his console,
STRIKE (contd)
No . . . no . . . wait up, wait up ...
Philall.!ll.Phia ... Philagglphia.
The clerk pauses, gives him a look.
CLERK
You~?
STRIKE
Yeah ... no ... hold it, .. hold it.
Strike looks up at the map, lips moving, hand out over
his money,
STRIKE (contd)
Give me a second here, just one
more second ...
EXT: JERSEY EXIT OF THE HOLLAND
TUNNEL- FIF'rEEN MINUTES
I.ATER

IN'l': ROCCO'S CAR

Rocco driving. His beeper goes off again. Rocco keeps
his eyes on the road.
FLASHBACK

Victor trance-walking to the dope dealers inside

Hambones. Re's carrying that tray with Cokes. Rocco's
beeper provides the soundtrack for this moment.
,
 ,, -
-- '

INT: ItOCCO'S CAR

Rocco, coming off this vision, checks the nwal:Jer display
on his be~per, rubs his face, drives on.
l:NT: TRAILWAY BUS - l:N THE BUS BAY
Strike in his seat looking out his window at the people
burdened with bags who are toddling onto the bus.
CLOSE ON STR.IKE'S KANO
He holds a fistful ct bus tickets -- the See merica
package, a half dozen cities held like a fan.
The bus jerks into reverse, backing out of its bay.
strike closes his eyes, holds the tickets to his
forehead.
STJ'iII<E
{like a whispered prayer)
Help me •••
EXT: ANOTHER CRIME SCENE - TWENTY Hl:NUTES LATER

Wl: SEE a street party ringing a shot-up male body on the

; sidewalk bordered by yellow tape.
WE SEE Mazilli and another detective process the scene.
WE SEE Rodney in the crowd, laughing, putting the moves
on some girl.
WE SEE the other detective ring the body in a series of
flash pops.
ANGLE - ROCCO IN HIS CAR
watching all this. Rocco hesitates as it pondering his
options, then, with great effort, he opens the car door,
rises to his feet.
ANGLE- TOWARDS
THE SACKOF THE RAUCOUS
CROWD
WE SEE Rocco in his customary starting position -- just
one gC the rubbe=nec~e~s.

ROCCO
(to no one)
Ke was a nice guy, right?
(beat)
I Who would've shot him?
 l.)8

No one answers, and in slow-motion WESEE Rocco work his

way through the crowd and head for the yellow tape.
'Im SEE hjm lift the tape and enter the inner sanctWII of
yet another urban tragedy -- which is his job, his life.
EXT: OPEN HIGHWAYAT TWILIGHT
The Trailway bus shooting West, or South, or North.
We hear strike in a voice-over as the bus rockets him to
a new destiny.
STRIKE (VO)
(like a prayer)
Help me . , .

THEENP