[street]
[Fraser runs full out, carrying
dry cleaning; he runs into the consulate, past a Mountie
standing guard duty and up the
stairs]
Ovitz:
[holding open office
door]
Good luck.
[Thatcher’s office; Fraser
bursts in and Thatcher surreptitiously takes off her
glasses, eyes still on her
laptop]
Thatcher: You’re
late.
Fraser: Yes, uh,
there was a delay at the dry cleaners.
Thatcher: I thought
true-blue types like you didn’t believe in excuses,
Fraser.
Fraser: Well you’re
quite right, and I’m sorry for apologizing. If I’d only
noticed the smoke earlier, I--
Thatcher:
Smoke?
Fraser: Yes.
Apparently the pressing machine short-circuited. Now, by
the time I got the cashiers out, racks A through E were
already in flames, and I was only able to save this.
I’m-I’m afraid it’s a little singed.
Thatcher: You ran
into a burning building to save a mohair sweater?
Fraser: Yes,
sir.
Thatcher: Pardon me
if that sounds like sheer stupidity.
Fraser: Yes,
sir.
Thatcher: You don’t
agree.
Fraser: No, sir.
Stupidity would have been if I’d gone back in for your
leather chaps.
Thatcher:
Dismissed.
[squints at monitor]
Fraser: That’s what
you said yesterday.
Thatcher: Well, it
may take a few
days.
You’re a civil servant, there
are formalities. I have to get confirmation from Ottawa.
Or, you can make it easy on me and request a
transfer.
Fraser: Yes, I
suppose I could.
Thatcher: Think
about it.
Fraser: Yes, sir. I
will.
Thatcher:
Dismissed.
Fraser: Don’t you
need your glasses, sir?
Thatcher: I don’t
wear glasses.
Fraser:
Understood.
[he exits, and she puts her
glasses
on]
Ovitz: Transfer
request.
Fraser: Huh.
Ovitz: I understand
the leaves are changing in
Kamloops
.
[courthouse; Vecchio is on
witness
stand]
State’s Attorney Louise St.
Laurent: You were
the arresting officer, correct?
Ray: That’s
correct.
St. Laurent:
Detective, what time did you receive the call to go to the
scene?
Ray: I got the call
around 9:15, and I arrived approximately five minutes
later.
St. Laurent: Please
tell us what happened from the time you arrived outside
the liquor store.
Ray: When I arrived,
the crime scene had already been established. Uniformed
officers had taped off the area, and the medical examiner
was in the process of removing the store owner’s
body.
St. Laurent: Were
there signs of a struggle?
Ray: No.
[in the gallery, Fraser looks over the transfer
request]
Robert Fraser: You
thought about it yet, son?
Fraser: It’s only
been an hour.
Robert Fraser: Well,
you ought to you know.
Fraser: Dad.
[mimes ‘zip your lip’]
St.
Laurent
: Were there any witnesses on
the scene?
Ray: Yes. An
eyewitness had come forward, a Mrs. Rosanna Torres. I
questioned the witness, and based on her description, was
able to put together a line-up of probable suspects.
St. Laurent: Was she
able to make an identification?
Ray: Yes. She
identified the accused.
St. Laurent: Can you
identify him please?
Ray: A Mr. Robert
Kruger.
St. Laurent: After
Mr. Kruger was identified, you applied for a search
warrant?
Ray: I did. And we
found a 9 mm handgun, recently fired.
St. Laurent: Which
perfectly matched the bullet that killed Mr. Garcia. This
ballistics report is state’s exhibit 23, Your Honor. What
happened next, Detective?
Ray: I arrested Mr.
Kruger on charges of armed robbery and first degree
murder.
St. Laurent: Thank
you. That’s all.
Judge: You may leave
the witness stand, Detective Vecchio.
St. Laurent: I’d
like to call Mrs. Rosanna Torres, Your Honor.
Bailiff: Rosanna
Torres to the stand.
[Vecchio sits next to Fraser in
the
gallery]
Ray: She wants me
bad.
Fraser: I think she
wants to kill you.
Ray: Mm-hmm, that
too.
St. Laurent : Mrs. Torres, on the night of June 14, 1994, you were walking home along Center Street when you heard gunshots.
[Vecchio gets up to leave]
Fraser
: Should we wait and listen to
her testimony?
Ray: No-no-no-no-no.
It’s all over now except for the shouting.
Fraser: What
shouting?
St.
Laurent
: Will you describe to us what
you saw when you turned and looked toward the sound of
gunfire?
Rosanna Torres:
No.
St. Laurent: You did
not see the defendant exit as--
Sidarez: Objection.
Leading.
Judge:
Sustained.
St. Laurent: What
did you see?
Rosanna:
Nothing.
St. Laurent:
Nothing?! What about your sworn statement to Detective
Vecchio?
Rosanna: It was
dark. I’m sorry.
St. Laurent: What
about your statement?
Rosanna: It was a
mistake.
St. Laurent:
A
mis
--
Rosanna: I tried to
tell him, but he--
Ray
: All right, what the hell is
going on here?
Sidarez: Your Honor,
I move for a dismissal.
Judge: Both of you.
In my chambers. Now.
St. Laurent: Great,
just great.
[judge’s chambers; St. Laurent
and Sidarez
arguing]
Sidarez: Burden of
proof. Admissibility. Relevance.
St. Laurent: Armed
robbery. Murder. Criminal intent.
Sidarez: Failure to
disclose. Perjury.
Ray: Perjury?
Sidarez: Not to
mention a blatant disregard of my client’s Fifth and
Seventh Amendment rights. If you don’t rule on this
immediately, I will file charges of misconduct faster than
you can say subordination of a witness!
Judge: Save your
grandstanding for the paying customers, Mr. Sidarez.
Sidarez: Will you
rule on my motion to suppress the gun?
St. Laurent:
Judge?
Sidarez: No witness,
no warrant. No warrant, no gun. No gun, no case. It’s all
fruit of the poisoned tree.
Judge: Miss St.
Laurent?
St.
Laurent
: Judge, Detective Vecchio is
an experienced officer with a commendable record.
Sidarez: Of
manufacturing evidence.
Ray: Bull!
Judge: I caution
you, Detective, you are still under the court’s
jurisdiction during this proceeding. What about your
witness?
Sidarez: She just
swore under oath that she didn’t see him.
St. Laurent: Oh
yeah? And I’ve got a signed deposition in my hands that
says she did.
Sidarez: Your honor,
Detective Vecchio has a history with my client.
St. Laurent: That’s
irrelevant, Your Honor.
Judge: Here in
chambers, nothing is irrelevant.
Sidarez: It’s
clearly persecution.
Ray: Oh please, give
me a break!
Judge: Okay, let me
get this straight. Detective Vecchio, you and Kruger have
a history?
Ray: Uh, yes, Your
Honor. I arrested Mr. Kruger on similar charges two years
ago.
Sidarez: My client
walked on that, Your Honor. It ‘s a case made entirely in
Detective Vecchio’s head. Not unlike this one, apparently.
You never got over that, did you?
Ray: He beat an old
woman in a smoke shop, and got off on a procedural
foul-up.
Sidarez: And you
have been on him ever since!
Ray: Well, maybe
that’s just an overreaction to the fact that he keeps
committing crimes?
Judge: What we have
here is a woman who says you coerced her into giving false
testimony.
Ray: She’s lying,
and maybe somebody ought to find out why.
Judge: You will have
no further contact with the witness. Understood?
St. Laurent: Your
Honor, I would like to request a postponement while the
State revisits elements of the case.
Judge: I’ll consider
it, Miss St. Laurent. In the meantime, this is what I
want. A report on the lighting conditions outside the
victim’s store that evening, as it pertains to visibility.
I want Mr. Kruger’s previous arrest report. And most of
all, I want your case notes on both incidents,
Detective.
Ray: Your Honor, I’m
not sure --
Judge: You do keep
personal notes on your cases?
Ray: Well I do, but
don’t--
Judge: Get ‘em.
You’ve got ‘til three o’clock this
afternoon.
[court
hall]
Ray: The witness
says I coerced her.
Fraser: Will your
case notes prove that you’re telling the truth?
Ray: No. But if I
don’t produce them, it’ll look like I’m lying, Kruger
walks, and I’m toast.
Fraser: Ah, Miss St.
Laurent.
St. Laurent: Oh God,
the other one. Old habits die hard, eh, Vecchio?
Ray: Louise, did I
neglect to tell you how fine, in a prosecutorial way, you
look in that suit?
St. Laurent: Do your
friend a favor, Fraser. Convince him to find those case
notes. I don’t give second chances.
[exits via the elevator]
Ray: She’s just
playing hard to get.
Fraser: The
stairs.
Ray: Don’t you
think?
Fraser: Think
what?
Ray: That’s she’s
playing hard to get.
Fraser: To get
what?
Ray: Oh, never
mind.
[27
th precinct;
Vecchio is looking through his desk; Fraser is looking
through filing
cabinet]
Welsh: Unofficial
case notes and why do we keep them? Stupidity?
Carelessness? Any ideas, Vecchio?
Ray: They’re my
personal notes, sir. I didn’t expect anybody to ask me to
produce them.
Welsh: Oh no, we
never do. You just jot things down on matchbooks and
napkins. We don’t use the proper forms. And then we’re
surprised when a lawyer accuses us of withholding things
that shouldn’t have existed in the first place.
Ray: Every cop in
the station keeps a notebook, sir.
Welsh: Yeah, but
every cop doesn’t hang on to them in the hopes that
someday they might incriminate them.
[aside, looking at
Fraser]
What is his involvement in
this?
Ray: Ah, strictly
unofficial, sir.
Welsh: Why do I not
find that reassuring?
[Fraser straightens files and replaces them]
Ray
: Well, he can’t help that.
It’s a Canadian thing, sir. I think he gets extra points
for neatness.
Welsh: It’s a
quality I admire. Still, knowing the States Attorney’s
past fondness for Big Red, I would have thought you’d have
gone to great pains to keep the both of them far
apart.
[Fraser finds a rearview
mirror]
The handling of this case is
uh, reaching new heights of futility.
Ray
: Well, no one’s more
discouraged than myself, sir.
Gardino: Hey, I’m
sorry to hear about your troubles, man.
Ray: Thanks for your
feigned concern.
Huey: State’s
Attorney called. They want photos of the lighting set-up
on the street by the liquor store.
Welsh: Well, do as
the State’s Attorney asks.
Huey: Yes,
sir.
Welsh: And Gardino?
Lose the goatee.
Ray: You check the
K’s?
[Fraser holds up a black stiletto
boot]
Oh. Won’t be needing that.
County records! Elaine, did you send my--
[Elaine’s not at her
desk]
Fraser:
Hmm.
[Riv; Elaine is in the
passenger seat, hair dripping
wet]
Elaine: Thank God
you called, Vecchio, because otherwise I might be enjoying
myself right now. Let’s define our terms here: “Day Off.”
Does that mean anything to you?
Fraser: Towel.
Elaine: One day out
of two weeks I ask for a little peace, a little
relaxation, a little personal nurturing.
Ray: Elaine, you
have no life. Stop whining.
Fraser:
Conditioner.
Ray: Kruger, Robert
D. Arrested June ‘94. Armed robbery, murder one. No
pretrial. Went straight to the grand jury.
Elaine: No idea.
Take me home.
Ray: Elaine.
Elaine: I hate
county records. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it!
Ray: Elaine. A man
died in that hold-up. Kruger killed him, but nobody’s
going to care about that if they think the cop that
charged him is dirty, okay? I need your help, okay?
Elaine: Okay.
Ray: And besides,
Fast Eddie’s on security. He likes you.
Elaine: What?
Fraser: Hot
brush?
[county
records]
Eddie: So it’s the
case file you’re after?
Ray: Uh, yeah,
Eddie. That’s usually the reason why we come down to
county records.
[Eddie makes rhythmic noises, his own personal
“music”]
Eddie: So you want
something here? And you want it fast? You come to me.
That’s why they call me Fast Eddie. That and other
reasons.
[boom-
ba-doom-ba-doom-doom
]
O f course it’s not all in
strictly alphabetical order, but I could help you with
that.
[boom-
ba-doom-ba-doom-doom
]
[courthouse hallway;
3:00]
Ray: So?
Huey No street
lights. Not within two blocks. No neon. Not even a
billboard.
Gardino:
Shoulda
told us about it, man.
Ray: Hey, look. The
light was coming from somewhere, all right? If I could see
it, so could she.
Huey: Look, don’t
get pissed with us, Vecchio. You’re not straight with us,
we can’t back you up.
Ray: Yeah, thanks
for your vote of confidence.
St. Laurent:
Vecchio?
[Vecchio goes into chambers; Fraser notices Rosanna and a shifty character eyeing each other]
[Judge’s
chambers]
Judge: On the matter
of visibility, I have photos here that indicate it’s
highly unlikely the witness would have been able to see
anyone exiting the liquor store.
Ray: She came to me
voluntarily. She said she could ID the guy who shot the
store owner. Voluntarily.
Sidarez: And you
didn’t think at the time to ask her how she could possibly
make an identification under those conditions?
Ray:
She
IDed
a guy I knew to a tee. A known
felon. I picked him up, she picked him out of the line-up.
And no, we did not discuss the damn lighting.
Judge. I assume your
case notes will support that. Do you have them?
Ray: Uh, no. I just
need a little more--
Sidarez: Your Honor,
I move for a dismissal, and I want charges brought against
this officer for harassment and perjury.
Ray: This is not
about case notes. This is about some piece of garbage with
a good mouthpiece--
St. Laurent : Vecchio!
Ray
: --who’s trying to make a good
cop look like a bad guy so his client can go free on a
murder charge!
Judge: Detective, I
instructed you to have those case books in my office by
three o’clock. You’re in defiance of a court order.
Ray: I’m not in
defiance of anything. I’m being railroaded here. Come on,
Your Honor, don’t let some ass-kissing defense lawyer’s
paper chase give this guy a walk.
Sidarez:
Ass-kissing?
Judge: Careful,
Detective.
Ray: Look, if you
let this scum back out on the street he’s gonna murder
somebody else, and I’m gonna have to turn around and
arrest him all over again.
St. Laurent:
Vecchio, stop now!
Ray: Back off!
Judge: That’s
enough, Detective, you’re in contempt!
Ray: You’re damn
right I’m in contempt! I’m in contempt of this whole lousy
process. I’m in contempt of you, you and you!
Judge: Get the
deputy in here.
[courthouse hallway; Vecchio is
being lead away by a uniformed
officer]
Ray:
[to
Fraser]
I know there was lighting in
that alley.
[hands him
something]
You’re on your own. The Buick’s
parked out front.
St.
Laurent
: This is a capital case. You
can’t throw it out a procedural matter.
Judge: Nothing
happens until he’s prepared to apologize. See you back in
court in 48 hours. Mrs. Torres?
[Rosanna goes into the Judge’s chambers]
Fraser
: You know he would not
fabricate evidence.
St. Laurent: That is
the least of what I know about him. If I can find a way to
tie
you into this, it
would make my year.
[outside the
courthouse]
Kruger: Hey,
Vecchio! Looks like we’re gonna be neighbors for a
while.
Ray:
[to
uniform]
First time arresting a
cop?
[Riv; Fraser gets in, then gets
out & paces off the distance between the Riv & the
police car in front, then gets back
in]
Robert Fraser: So.
We’re off then.
Fraser: Do you mind?
That is
private.
[grabs paper away]
Robert Fraser: I
don’t know about you, but I could use the change of
scenery.
Fraser: What
possible difference could scenery make in your
condition?
Robert Fraser: Well,
I always liked a good view.
Fraser: What? Barren
rocks and
snow?
[puts on seatbelt]
Robert Fraser: You
used to thrive on ‘em.
Fraser: I still
do.
[checks rear view]
Robert Fraser: Well,
let’s choose one then.
[pulls out a map]
Fraser: Dad, I don’t
have time for this. I’m in the middle of a case.
[adjusts side mirror]
Robert Fraser: Oh.
Fort Nelson. Your mother and I had a cabin. One bedroom,
with stove. And all the coal she could carry. And 360
degree view of the strip mine.
Fraser: Sounds
attractive.
Robert Fraser: Three
months and your mother was a raving lunatic.
[Fraser hits something, accidentally turning on the
wipers]
Then we moved on to Nelson
Forks, Nelson House. The names alone drove her around the
bend.
[Fraser starts
car]
We finally ended up in Rat
River. Oh, I have fond memories of the Rat. Your mother
didn’t.
Fraser: I can
imagine.
Robert Fraser: Gotta
look ahead, son, not back.
Fraser: I haven’t
left yet.
Robert Fraser: You
will.
[Fraser peels away in reverse,
and we hear a sustained honking
horn]
[Cook County Department of
Corrections]
Guard:
[into
walkie-talkie]
Open C-203. We’re at the stairs
right now.
C-215.
[to
Vecchio]
You got a lot of friends here,
Ray.
Ray: I got a lot of
friends everywhere.
Guard: Not like
these friends. Word spread fast about you joining
us.
Ray: Hey, you trying
to scare me?
Guard: C-218. I’m
just telling you the way it is.
Ray: Appreciate
it.
Guard: C-254. Your
lieutenant called. We’re gonna do our best. You know the
drill.
Ray: Yeah. I know
the drill.
[Vecchio goes into a communal
area, inmates standing
around]
[Riv; Fraser screeches around a corner, and comes to an
abrupt halt in front of a hydrant]
Fraser: Dad?
Good.
[Dief
grumbles]
Oh come on, it wasn’t that
bad.
[mutters]
Baby.
[he gets out of the Riv &
looks around the alley, stepping in broken glass; he
scales the building, giving the watching Dief a thumbs-up;
he finds wires, but no light
fixture]
Cop: Hey! Spiderman!
Do you mind coming down from there, sir?
Fraser: No, not at
all.
[jumps down from the height]
Cop: Just stay off
the walls on my beat.
[exits]
Fraser:
Understood.
[returns to the Riv & finds a parking ticket]
Fraser : Thank you kindly. [Dief grumbles] Oh, stop complaining.
[gets in, holds up the loose
rearview mirror, tosses it in the back; he pulls out and a
4x4 has to swerve to avoid
him]
Fraser:
Sorry!
[he straightens the car out, almost running into an oncoming truck]
Fraser : Sorry!
[Riv; cars are passing Fraser
impatiently]
Gardino:
[voice]
1680 West Madison, Apartment
410.
Fraser: Uh thank
you, Louis.
Gardino:
[voice]
St. Laurent hears about
this--
Fraser: I
understand.
Ohhhhh
dear!
[a taxi cuts him off, and Fraser swerves, running into a flower stand; man hits the Riv’s hood angrily]
Fraser : I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, my mistake!
Man : Crazy?! Get out of here!
Fraser : Sorry.
Man 2 : Stay off the sidewalk!!
Fraser : No, no, I-- It’s entirely my fault.
Man : Look at my stand! You’ve lost it! You’re nuts!!
Fraser : I’ll just uh-- [backs the car up]
Gardino
:
[voice]
Did you hear me, Fraser?
Fraser: My lips are
sealed, Louis.
Man
:
[as Fraser pulls away]
Get out of
here!
[prison;
infirmary]
Nurse: Vecchio, I’ll
be right with you. Grab a mop. Try and keep a low profile,
all right? This corner right here.
[Vecchio proceeds to mop the floor; very large inmate
steps on the mop and smiles at him]
Inmate
: Ray, how are
ya?
[laundromat]
Rosanna: These
lawyers. They bring me to the courthouse. They ask me the
same questions over and over. For months I have been
answering these questions.
Fraser: Do you have
any hangers?
Rosanna: Basket. I
don’t have time for this. I have children. Work.
Fraser: Have you
tried telling them the truth?
Rosanna: Yes. I
don’t trust those people. In my country, those
people...
Fraser: Can you,
uh...
[hands her one end of a sheet to
fold]
Was your husband at the
courthouse today?
Rosanna: No.
Fraser: Oh, I’m
sorry. I noticed your wedding ring.
Rosanna: My husband
doesn’t time for questions, either.
Fraser: No, of
course not. So who was that man with you today?
Rosanna: What
man?
Fraser: The tall one
with the long hair.
Rosanna: Don’t know
him.
Fraser: He seemed to
know you. Where is your husband, Mrs. Torres? There’s no
men’s clothing in this laundry.
Rosanna: Look, my
husband is none of your business.
Fraser: You’re a
religious woman, aren’t you? You wear a St. Sebastian
medal. Patron saint of prisoners. The medal protects them.
Of course, in today’s prisons, a prisoner wouldn’t be
allowed to wear such a medal. But someone might wear it
for him.
Rosanna: Look, I’m
sorry about your friend, but he’s a policeman. They take
care of their own.
Fraser: Do you know
what perjury is? There was a light in that street. Three
months ago it hung from the building less than 20 feet
away from that liquor store. A light may not be there now
but there will be records and there will be permits, and
when the lawyers get a hold of it there will be more
questions. So I will ask you again, Do you know what
perjury is?
Rosanna: I don’t
have time for
this.
[prison; visitor’s room]
Fraser
: Torres, Edgar H. Two prior
convictions. Both for grand theft auto.
Ray: It’s getting
crowded up here.
Fraser: He was
transferred in from Joliet two weeks ago to face a parole
hearing.
Ray: Kruger. What
you want to bet they’re bunkmates?
Fraser: Well,
perhaps we should notify the State’s Attorney.
Ray: Oh yeah, she’s
going to be thrilled you’re talking to her witness, and
ten to one says she thinks I put you up to it.
Fraser: Well, maybe
you could find Torres, try to talk to him, offer him
immunity.
Ray: In my position
I can’t offer him anything. And besides, how am I going to
get to him from segregation?
Fraser: Uh, it does
seem as if our options are somewhat limited. And don’t
tell me, you fell?
Ray: I was mopping.
Floor jumped up, hit me right in the head.
Fraser: You know you
could try apologizing.
Ray: To who?
Fraser: To the
judge.
Ray : Not my style.
[guard taps Vecchio on the
shoulder, they hang up the phones, and Fraser waves as
Vecchio
leaves]
[27
th precinct;
Welsh’s
office]
Fraser: I’m not
asking for your permission, sir, nor should this be
construed as some kind of bid for absolution. I simply
felt that you ought to be informed. As a superior officer.
I mean, I realize you’re not
my superior officer;
we don’t work for the same police force. Or for the same
country for that matter. On the other hand, it would
appear that my own superior officer would prefer not to be
my superior officer. Therefore, under the circumstances,
it didn’t seem entirely inappropriate--
Welsh: Stop.
Fraser: Yes,
sir.
Welsh: This has to
do with Vecchio, doesn’t it?
Fraser: That would
be a safe assumption, sir. Yes.
Welsh: You’ve seen
him?
Fraser: Yes, sir,
and he claims to have had an altercation with a
floor.
Welsh: Any
particular type of floor?
Fraser: Interlocking
linoleum, I believe.
Welsh: Oh yeah,
yeah, they can be very tricky. Is there anything that I
can do to assist?
Fraser: Well,
nothing actually, sir. No. Do to the nature of the
situation I would prefer to do this off the record and on
my own initiative. I simply felt that I ought to notify
someone. Force of habit, I imagine.
Welsh: I see. And
this new inspector, she’s not the type of person you
could...
Fraser: Oh sir,
she’s not the type of person you could... Let me put it
this way. We seem to lack rapport.
Welsh: Any idea
why?
Fraser: Not in the
slightest.
[Welsh motions Fraser
close]
Welsh: Women in
authority. It’s a quandary. It shouldn’t be, but it
is.
Fraser: Sir?
Welsh: I mean, you
want to treat ‘em like the rest of the guys, you want to
have them nod off in strategic planning sessions, you want
them to have sweat rings, and maybe a little too much
garlic on their breath. But no. No, not women. Women smell
good. And women look good. And then they smile at you. And
before you know it, you’re smiling back. And the first
time they tear a piece off you, it’s like somebody’s
sticking an ice pick through your heart.
Fraser: Sir? Sir? I
have no idea what you’re talking about.
Welsh : Permission granted, Constable.
Fraser : Thank you, sir.
Commander
Sherry O’Neill:
Harding.
Fraser:
[bows]
Excuse me.
O’Neill: Yeah. This
is much better. Thank you.
Welsh: Yes,
sir.
O’Neill: You
okay?
Welsh: Yeah,
sure.
O’Neill : Good.
[they smile at each other...she
exits]
[grocery store, near the candy;
they are
whispering...]
Gardino: You sure
you want to do this?
Fraser: Quite
sure.
Huey: Once we do,
there’s no going back.
Fraser: I
understand.
Huey: After this, no
more favors, okay?
Fraser: No, I’ll
never ask again.
Gardino:
Okay.
[sniffs, looking
around]
Nice and slow.
Fraser : Mm-hmm.
Gardino
: Take your arms out.
Fraser:
Mm-hmm.
Gardino: Grab the
Milk Duds and put ‘em in your pocket.
Fraser:
Understood.
[reaches for them, then pulls hand
back]
Perhaps I should pay for them
first.
Gardino: Then you
wouldn’t be stealing.
Fraser: That’s a
good point.
[tries again, but can’t]
Should you be watching?
Huey: He’s right.
We’ll be over there.
Gardino:
Right.
[Dief
yips]
Fraser: What?
[he tries again, and again Dief
yips]
Yes, I realize this is setting
a bad example, but it is necessary. Shh. You’ll give up
the game.
[Dief leaves past Gardino, who
mouths an irritated “NOW!”; Fraser nods, and reaches
again, but cannot, and goes to stand by Huey &
Gardino]
Huey: What?
Fraser: I can’t. I
mean, maybe if it was less expensive or...
Gardino: They’re
Milk Duds.
Huey: It doesn’t
matter how much it costs, if you’re not going to take ‘em.
We’re going to arrest you, got it?
Fraser: It’s a good
point.
Huey: Fraser, you
can do this.
Fraser:
[laughs]
I can do this.
[heads for the candy, turns around & comes
back]
I can’t. I can’t. I can’t do
this.
[Gardino grabs him by the arm, walks him over and puts a
box of Milk Duds in his pocket]
Huey: There. You’re
under arrest.
Fraser:
[very
relieved]
Oh, thank you kindly. I have
the right to remain silent anything I say can and will be
used against me in a court of law. I have the right to an
attorney...
[as they take him away, Gardino
puts the Milk Duds into his own
pocket]
[prison; infirmary. Vecchio is
mopping & sees Fraser being brought in by a guard;
Fraser spots him and gives him a thumbs-up]
Ray
: Oh God.
[communal sleeping area; guard
puts Fraser inside]
Fraser:
[to
guard]
Oh uh, I’ll be fine, thank
you.
[to the group of
inmates]
Good evening. Evening, fellow
prisoners. My name is Fraser, B. Uh, number 1219. And you
would be? Ah, well you would be 8356. It’s nice to meet
you. Good evening, sir. Excuse me, I wonder if you might
be able to um...no, I don’t imagine you could.
[spots an unmade
bunk]
Ah. There’s the ticket.
[starts to
whistle]
Good evening.
[begins to make the bed, whistling cheerfully (‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’) and stops when he realizes all the prisoners have gathered around him, watching]
Fraser : Ah. I suppose you are all wondering what it is I am attempting to achieve. Now the secret to perfect corners lies in the tuck. A firm tuck from corner to corner. Now if you could just grab that end, please. Good now, grasp the sheet tightly. [prisoner rips the sheet; all laugh] No, now you see that would be far too firm a grasp. Anyone else?
[cell door opens and laughter stops. Everyone scatters as another prisoner (Carl) enters... he is a very large man]
Fraser : Good evening, uh, 2353. Would you prefer the upper or the, um, the lower...
[Carl takes the lower
bunk]
Guard:
[voice]
Lights out in cell block
67!
[overhead lights go
out]
Fraser: I guess I’ll
just...well.
[hops onto the top bunk]
Robert Fraser:
Nice.
Fraser: What
now?
Robert Fraser: Of
course it’s not The Rat. But very few places are.
Fraser: Go to sleep,
Dad.
Robert Fraser: Good
night, son.
[sings]
“Swing low, Sweet chariot,
coming for to carry me home. Swing low, Sweet chariot,
coming for to carry me home.”
Fraser: That’s
enough, Dad.
Robert Fraser: Thank
you.
[prison, dining area; in line
for
breakfast]
Fraser: Boy oh boy,
I tell you I haven’t spent a night like that since...
Well, I guess since basic training. Although, I did spend
a very restful evening once on an ice floe moving through
North
Umberland
Sound. Now picture this--
Inmate: Shut
up!
Fraser: Understood.
Ah, is that cinnamon?
Server:
Carbon.
Fraser: Ah well,
thank you kindly.
[Carl pushes his way into line]
Server : We’re out. [Carl holds his plate out and waits] Move on!
[Carl wraps his hand around the server’s throat]
Server : [gasp] Carl-Carl-guard-guard-guard!
Fraser : You know something? I’m feeling kind of full this morning. Would you be interested...
[after a thoughtful pause, Carl
lets go of the server and takes Fraser’s proffered tray;
inmates giggle &
laugh]
Kruger: Hey Carl,
you want mine?
[to man seated next to
Carl]
Hey come on, Eddie, give him
yours. Carl’s a growing
boy!
[communal recreation area;
Vecchio looks up from his game of solitaire as Fraser
enters pushing a
cart]
Fraser: Afternoon,
gentlemen. I happen to have a complete eleven volume set
of The Story of
Civilizationby Will
and Arial Durant. Any takers?
Ray: Yeah, right
here.
Fraser: Ah.
Ray: Benny, what are
you doing in here?
Fraser: Well, I’m
delivering books, Ray.
Ray: I can see that.
How did you get in here?
Fraser: Well, the
same way most people get in here, Ray, I committed a
crime.
Ray: You committed a
crime. Benton Fraser, Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
committed an actual crime?
Fraser: Ray, I know
that you think I’m incapable of this, but I’ll have you
know I am not entirely naïve to the ways of the world.
I’ve been arresting criminals my entire life, and it
didn’t seem to be a particularly large step to actually
steal.
Ray: Steal.
Fraser: Yes.
Ray: You stole
something.
Fraser: Yes.
Ray: What did you
steal?
Fraser: I’d rather
not talk about it.
Ray: No, come on.
What did you steal? A car?
Fraser: No.
Ray: A television
set?
Fraser: No.
Ray: What?
Fraser:
Mmph
dph
.
Ray: Excuse
me?
Fraser: Milk.
Duds.
Ray:
Heh
. Milk Duds. What did the judge
give you, an hour and a half?
Fraser: Well,
actually he was inclined to be lenient, but it was
Detectives Huey and Gardino insisted that he throw the
book at me.
Ray: Benny. You know
you might get yourself killed in here?
Fraser: That’s
nonsense, Ray. Nobody knows who I am. And in my capacity
as book monitor I have free passage throughout the entire
institution.
Ray: Book
monitor.
Fraser: Yes.
Ray: What is that,
like a librarian?
Fraser: It’s
similar. I monitor books, I pass books out, I pick books
up, I try to collect on overdue fines. Although I’ll tell
you something, it is proving hellish in this place. It’s
absolutely remarkable how many people in here think
nothing of folding, spindling, mutilating--
Ray: Benny!
Fraser: What?
Ray: Get to the
point.
Fraser: Right. I
found him.
Ray: Who?
Fraser: Prisoner
3-2-0-5, Torres, Edgar.
Chronicle of a Death
Foretold by Gabriel
Garcia Marquez.
Ray: Optimist?
Fraser: Apparently.
It is twelve days past due. I think I should pay him a
visit.
Guard:
[voice over
intercom]
1330. Visitor’s hours in cell
block 28.
Fraser: Oh, I almost
forgot. Here. This is for you.
A la
Recherche
du Temps
Perdu
by Marcel
Proust
. It’s uh, missing a couple of
pages but seeing as the whole thing is basically one long
run-on sentence, I don’t think you’ll mind.
Ray: Is it
funny?
Fraser: Oh, it’s
hilarious, if-if you like that kind of thing. All right,
last chance for the complete eleven volume set of Will and
Arial Durant’s The
Story of
Civilization. Going
once, going twice... Your loss,
gentlemen.
[visitor’s
room]
Eddie
Torres:
Mi amor, ¿que
paso?
Rosanna Torres:
Nothing, It’s nothing, it’s all right.
[pause] A man came
to see me. Some kind of policeman.
Eddie: What did you
tell him?
Rosanna: Nothing!
Eddie, please, don’t get upset.
Eddie:
Rosanna.
Rosanna: He knew. I
didn’t tell him anything. He just knew.
Eddie: Okay then, go
home. Just go home.
Rosanna: It’s until
tomorrow. All you have to do is stay out of trouble. Go to
Kruger. Talk to him. Maybe he--
Eddie: No!
No!
If he hears talk of the police,
he’ll kill me. Do you want that?
[Rosanna hangs up the
phone]
[hallway, outside the visitor’s
room]
Inmate 9262:
Walden, Life in the
Woods by Thoreau.
This is a thriller?
Fraser: Not exactly,
no. It outlines one man’s dream to live a life of perfect
fulfillment.
Inmate 9262: I had a
dream like that once.
Fraser:
Really?
Inmate 9262: Yeah. I
dreamt me and Jane Fonda was on a couch, naked.
Fraser: I see. And
was this couch in the woods?
Inmate 9262: Yeah,
it just so happens that it was.
Fraser: Oh, well,
then, you should enjoy this, then.
[Eddie pushes past them]
Fraser: Ah, excuse
me.
Inmate 9262:
Certainly.
Fraser: Excuse me,
pardon me. Coming through. Bookmobile, coming
through.
[follows after
Eddie]
[prison yard; weightlifting
area. Music:
‘
Waitin
’ For the Streets To Run’
by
Tallis
Newkirk]
Fraser: Excuse me,
bookmobile. Ah, Mr. Torres. I believe you have an overdue
book.
Eddie: Yeah, so
what?
Fraser: Well,
another prisoner has requested it. I believe you may know
him. He’s a friend of mine.
[looks over at Vecchio in the next
yard]
Eddie
: No, I don’t know him.
Fraser: I’ll spot
for you.
[Eddie begins to bench
press]
He’s a police officer, this
friend of mine. He arrested a man named Kruger for killing
a shop owner, but at the trial, something went wrong. His
witness lied. And now my friend is in prison, and Kruger
will be set free.
Eddie: I don’t know
your friend, and I don’t know what the hell you’re talking
about.
Fraser: You see, the
problem is, Mr. Torres, that Kruger found out that the
witness has a husband in prison and threatened to kill
him, and now that man is alone and he has no one to
protect him.
Eddie: Your friend
the cop is the one who should be worried, not me.
Fraser: Yes, he
should be, but he’s not. Now I promise you, Mr. Torres, if
you help me, I will guarantee you safe passage to your
parole hearing without incident.
Eddie: I don’t want
your help.
Fraser: Well, you
may have no choice. But don’t let me influence
you.
[Kruger and buddies have been
watching intently; Torres gets into line, and Kruger and
thugs flank
him]
Kruger: You’re
getting very talkative, Eddie. You must like cops.
Eddie: I didn’t say
nothing, man.
[Kruger gets Torres’ arm behind his back]
Kruger : Sure. Not a very good move. See, I’m not prepared to return to incarceration. Before I would do that, I would hurt you. Hurt your wife. Hurt your kids.
[he cuts Torres with a shank]
[Carl sees this; Fraser sees, too, and heads toward Kruger]
Fraser : Uh, excuse me, Mr. Kruger, excuse me. [Torres escapes their clutches, gets to the head of the line] I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Kruger, but apparently your copy of Don’t Call Me Sugar Baby! is overdue.
[infirmary; Vecchio is mopping]
Ray: Right. So we’re
gonna protect him. You and me surrounded by nine thousand
violent offenders.
Fraser: For God’s
sakes, Ray, don’t blow the situation out of proportion.
There’s only 8,973 prisoners here.
Ray: And I thought
our odds didn’t look good.
Fraser: Look, Ray,
it’s only for one evening. Tomorrow, Torres will be free,
his wife will testify.
Ray: Look, a lot of
people can get killed in one evening. If Kruger wants to
get to Torres, he’s going to get to him, you can count on
it.
Fraser: Exactly! So
we make it easy for him.
Ray: Look, Benny,
you’re not getting the hang of this.
Fraser: Ray, the
best place to hide a person is in plain view. Now Kruger
knows that Torres is injured, knows that he’s in the
infirmary. Fine. Let’s keep it that way.
Ray: All right,
fine. So what do we do?
Fraser: Well, it
could be a long night, how about we take in a
movie?
[darkened dining area, lots of
conversation & activity; the movie is “Sullivan’s
Travels”]
Ray: What’s wrong
with the picture. It’s in black and white.
Fraser: There’s
nothing wrong with it, Ray, it’s just old.
Ray: Yeah, well, if
it was any good, it would be in color.
Fraser: Well, it was
made in black and white, Ray. It’s a classic.
Ray: “The Ten
Commandments” is a classic, Benny. “The Poseidon
Adventure” is a classic. “Saturday Night Fever” with my
man John Travolta, that’s a classic. This is black and
white.
Fraser: Shh.
[Kruger walks in, meets up with his goons, points at
Vecchio and Fraser, then throws popcorn at an inmate that
shushed him]
Fraser: Perhaps you
should have ordered a personal guard.
Ray: Yeah, and maybe
you should have gotten us a better movie.
[Kruger cuts his own arm and goes to guards; Vecchio turns
around, sees Kruger is gone, and tells
Fraser]
[infirmary; Kruger’s arm is
being
stitched]
Nurse: I need some
gauze.
[exits]
[Kruger retrieves his shank and goes to Torres’ bunk... he pulls down the blanket to find only a pile of clothes]
[movie; Torres is stuffed
underneath the projector; Robert Fraser is trying to share
his bag of popcorn – no takers; Vecchio keeps glancing
back at Kruger’s empty seat... suddenly Kruger appears
directly behind
Vecchio]
Kruger: Where did
you put
him?
[loudly]
I smell bacon.
[inmates rise, and begin to
advance]
Ray: Any
suggestions?
Fraser: Nothing
springs to mind.
Ray: Well, you
better think of something quickly.
Fraser: All
right.
[jumps up in front of screen]
All right, stop right there. I
am a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
[Torres jumps out of his hiding spot and runs; mass
confusion; inmates block the doors, keeping out the
guards; Carl turns the movie back on; Vecchio, Fraser, and
Torres end up trapped in the restroom]
Ray: Hey, come on,
guys, you don’t want to do this, huh?
Fraser: I think they
do, Ray.
Ray: All right,
look, you must have seen a way out of here – a vent.
Fraser: No
vent.
Ray: Grate?
Fraser: No
grate.
Ray: How ‘bout a
drain?
Fraser: We’re too
big, Ray.
Kruger: Boys? I been
looking to do this myself.
[advances on them with
his
shiv
and... Carl appears, grabbing
Kruger’s wrist and holding him up against the wall by the
throat]
Carl: I don’t care
for you. You have to understand something. This man? He
has behaved with decency and courtesy, and you’ve been
rude. You’ve made him feel unwelcome, and that’s a shame.
Cause for what lessens him, lessens us all. Do you
understand?
[squeezes Kruger’s wrist, and
he drops the knife; lets Kruger drop to
floor]
Fraser: Thank you
kindly.
Carl: No. Thank
you.
[exits]
[Fraser, Vecchio, Torres exit past the rest of the now
calm cons]
Ray: Wow. Hey, what
book did you give
him?
[street, in front of the
courthouse; Vecchio parks (sort of), jumps out, then grabs
something from Elaine’s
hand]
Ray: Thanks,
Elaine.
[kisses her
cheek]
I owe you
one.
[courthouse; Judge’s
chambers]
Ray:
[takes back his
notebook]
And you have my sincerest
apologies. My behavior was inexcusable. Even though I was
right, and the accused was found guilty, and I was
completely exonerated. But, enough said.
[exits, grinning]
St. Laurent: Thank
you, Your Honor.
[follows him out]
[hallway]
St.
Laurent
: Vecchio. This does not end
here.
Ray:
[quietly, as he
leaves]
I should hope
not.
[dumps his notebook into
trash]
[Canadian consulate; Thatcher’s
office]
Fraser: Uh, sir, I
would like you to know that I’ve given very serious
thought to the matter of a transfer.
Thatcher: And?
Fraser: While I find
the prospect of returning home appealing, I would prefer
not to leave at this time. I’ve come to feel that I,
um...
Thatcher: You feel
that maybe in some small way you have something to offer
them.
Fraser: Yes,
sir.
Thatcher:
Dismissed.
Fraser: Yes,
sir.
< Doo Mah >
End