Reborn

Dialogue

Caste of Characters:

A: Amanda: Amanda Montrose (immortal)

N: Nick: Nick Wolfe

L: Lucy: Lucy Becker

C: Claudia: Claudia Hoffman

S: Stanley: Stanley Ferris

M: Magnus: Captain Carl Magnus

B: Basil: Basil (immortal)

D: David (Claudia’s husband) David Hoffman

E: Eric (Claudia’s son) Eric Hoffman

No Dialogue

N: Don’t blame yourself.

C: Fine. I hate it when you screw up.

N: Oh, that’s much better.

C: Yeah, you think it’s funny. You can tell the Captain we lost her.

Claudia’s husband, David and children drive up.

Children: Mommy!

D: The kids wanted to kiss Mommy good night.

C: Hey! You just wanted to stay up late.

Claudia hugs her children

C: Okay now, home and to bed the both of you. (To David) It’s going to be late.

D: It usually is. (To Children) Put your seat belts on.

Little Girl: You said we could go inside.

D: I said put on your seat belts.

Claudia: (To David) I love you.

David nods head, drives away.

N: (To Claudia) You okay? (Claudia nods yes)

Girl on roller blades: You know I’m not doing this because I have to....

Guy in handcuffs: (to girl) Oh! Mama.... meals on wheels.

Girl: Up yours.

M: Ferris you got the files on that robbery?

S: Just a second I have to take care of Mr. Halaway here. Come on Mr. Halaway. Come on...Now you remember just because your wives dog barks to much you can poison him. It’s not allowed, you go on home. (To Claudia) I heard.

C: How many times did she loose your ass Stanley?

S: What did I say?

N: Leave it alone Ferris.

M: Just got a call from Confidential Security. The Marshal Estate was hit tonight.

C: Son-of-a-bitch. She knew we were on her and she was playing with us.

N: Let’s go meet the legend.

C: Now?

N: Yah, now!

L: You’re back, finally! How’d we do?

A: You can relax, we did great tonight.

L: (pointing to accounts book) We don’t need great we need spectacular. Your spending three times as much as your stealing. Your not going straight on me are you?

A: Oh! Lately I don’t know. I’m just not as psyched as I use to be. I think maybe I’m bored.

Phone rings...

L: It must be a bitch. Being 1200 hundred years old and just hitting mid life crisis.

Lucy goes to answer phone...

A: Mid-life...! bite your tongue. At least I kept my complexion.

L: That was the door man the police are on their way up.

A: Show them in.

C: Amanda Montrose?

A: Don’t be shy.

N: I’m Detective Wolfe.

A: Wolfe?

N: This is my partner Detective Hoffman.

A: Tell me Detective do you every howl at the moon?

N: Where were you tonight?

A: Tonight?

N: Between 10:15 and 11:30.

A: Let’s see...well um...Lucy and I....You met Lucy didn’t you? She and I rented a video which you should know since you were following us. And then came home a popped popcorn and champagne corks. Which you don’t know about because you weren’t invited.

C: Which video?

A: Excuse me.

N: Which video!

A: The legends something or other. You know the Brad Pitt thing. You know he has the most sensuous mouth. Ah...yes. Brad Pitt I mean.

C: Miss Montrose, or whatever your name of the day is. Why don’t we get out of the tub? And conduct this interview, like the professionals we all are.

A: Oh! Well...your call.

C: Wait!

A: Oh?

Nick and Claudia leave while Amanda gets out of tub. Lucy enters with bathrobe.

A: Now! That’s an attractive man!

L: Like my Uncle Arnie used to say "sleep with the Devil wake up with burns on your ass."

A: Lucy, you never had an Uncle Arnie. (Amanda pulls jewels out of water) Ah...Hello my pretties. First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll go see Harry.

L: Cash and carry Harry.

No dialogue.

C: How do you undress a woman with your eyes when she is already naked?

N: Me? Claudia, you know I can’t look at another woman with you around.

C: Ha...nice try putts. The thief lives like a queen. And... me and David are still trying to pay off Eric’s braces. She’s going down one way or another.

Amanda enters the room, and catches Nick going through her things.

A: Why don’t you take it? There’s also some nice towels and a soap dish in the bathroom if you like. Detective...tsk...tsk...tsk. (To Nick) Not without a search warrant.

No dialogue.

N: So after you watched this video. Where did you go?

A: You’ve been watching me for a week. Don't you guys have it written down somewhere?

C: Answer the questions.

A: I returned the video and I came back here. Didn’t I Lucy?

Lucy nods here agreement.

A: If I’m going down town I guess I need to talk to my lawyer?

N: Not this time.

C: Yet!

A: Good. Lucy would you please show them to the door. (Amanda speaks French to Lucy)

N: (Understanding the French) Perhaps some other time. (Nick speaks French to Lucy as he and Claudia leave.

A: Remind me not to underestimate you Detective.

A: Harry...you up there? (Amanda finds Harry’s body) Oh...Harry.

She leaves and wipes her finger prints from the door. But a snoopy neighbor sees her.

L: You mean dead drunk, don’t you?

A: I mean dead...dead, like shot through the heart.

L: He was a good man for a fence.

Nick and Claudia and other police are coming into the hallway to Amanda’s apartment.

L: So now what?

A: Now we go to Basil.

L: Oh no... not Basil we hate Basil. He’s a self righteous gall.

Nick breaks down the door of Amanda’s apartment.

N: Start here...Claudia take the library...(pointing) kitchen, bedroom. Took your advice, I got a warrant.

A: All you had to do was ask nicely.

N: Why did you kill Harry?

A: Harry, who?

N: Harry, who...Harry nobody as of this morning. But, I got a witness who saw you leaving his place.

C: Hello...(Claudia finds a gun in Amanda’s couch.)

L: What the hell is that?

S: Looks like a 9mm to me.

A: Let me guess, Harry was killed with a 9mm?

N: Assume the position.

A: Well...I usually get dinner first.

C: You have the right to remain silent....

A: I suppose it wouldn’t make any difference if I told you I didn’t own a gun.

C: You give up that right anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.

Amanda motions to Lucy...

L: Argh...argh...argh...(Lucy faints)

Amanda escapes...

N: You get the elevator...I got the roof.

Nick follows Amanda to the roof.

N: FREEZE!

Amanda jumps off the roof. She waves good bye to Nick and runs away.

B: It’s Amanda, Princess of Thieves.

A: Really, Basil you could work up some enthusiasm. I come baring gifts.

B: Frances Marshall collection. You brung it here?

A: How did you know it was me?

B: Who else would it be deary?

A: And who else would I bring it to?

B: Harry, but he’s dead as a door nail. With Harry gone you had to come to your old pal Basil.

A: Ah...It’s a shame what happened to dear old Harry, isn’t it?

B: Tragic.

Man pulls up outside of Basil’s and puts a mask on.

B: No I don’t know who or why. I just know his time was up. And unlike us immortals he doesn’t get to turn the hour glass over and let the sand run through again.

A: Forty cents on the dollar.

B: I’ll need the goods to show the buyer. Unless you want 20 cents on the dollar.

A: You screw me on this Bas and your going to wish you were as lucky as poor old Harry.

Amanda leaves and masked burglar enters Basil’s office.

Burglar: Don’t turn around. Hand it over. What else you got in there?

Basil hands over the contents of the safe and then draws his sword. Burglar shoots Basil and kills him.

Burglar: Nice sword.

Burglar escapes, when he reaches his car a police radio can be heard. The masked burglar puts a flashing red light on the roof of his car. And with siren blaring takes off.

Basil comes back to life to find his safe empty.]

B: Bloody hell.

C: Okay...where’d she go Lucy.

L: speaking foreign language.

C: Were are the jewels

L: Jew....el....s?

Claudia’s phone rings.

C: Detective Hoffman. Hello sweet heart. Daddy says you have to eat your broccoli then you do have to eat your broccoli. Look I’ll be home to kiss you good night. I promise. I love you to.

Claudia hangs up the phone.

C: Come on Lucy...jewels...diamonds...rubies.

L: Mine English ist....

C: Ist...ist... perfect like the six other languages that you speak.

L: I want to see my lawyer. You haven’t read me my rights yet.

C: Well your not under arrest...yet. Okay, come on...here’s the thing. I’m in a bit of a tough spot here. I’m a working mom. I got two kids, one whose at home right now with a cold. The other one whose failed his last two spelling tests cause I’m never there. If you could tell me were she went then we could all go home now.

L: This is kind of a woman to woman thing. You want to be friends right?

C: Well pretty much...Yah.

L: Detective, I already have a friend.

Nick enters squad room.

C: Were the hell have you been?

N: What’s with the maid?

C: Call her that to her face and she’ll rip your lungs out.

N: Does she know anything?

C: Right now she’s never even heard of her.

A: So you don’t have my money or my jewels?

B: Amanda, the wonkier shot me. You know how I am about pain.

A: Poor baby.

B: It hurt a lot.

A: What did he look like Bas?

B: Tall, dark clothes...ski mask.

A: This is ticking me off.

B: You...I had this shirt costume made in Hong Kong.

A: I want you to pay attention to me Bas. Harry was murdered and the weapon was planted on me.

B: You’re a suspect?

A: The cops set me up.

C: Case folders not going to tell you were she’s hiding.

N: I don’t know maybe I missed something. Go home, If I find something I’ll call you.

Nick enters his apartment...but feels something is wrong. He draws his gun, then shrugs it off.

A: Drop the gun Wolfe.

Phone rings.

N: This is a new twist for you. I mean generally speaking, you only break into places where there’s something actually worth stealing. Maybe if you told me what it was you were looking for.

A: Evidence.

N: I found your problem, you see...I’m the cop, you’re the thief.

A: Are you always so witty? Look someone planted that gun on me.

N: You suspect me.

A: Who else should I suspect?

N: I don’t know.

Amanda looks at a sculpture of a Raven.

N: You like it...take it.

A: Why?

N: You’re a thief.

A: Yes I am a thief, but I don’t kill. Anyway it’s not my kind of bird.

N: Oh I don’t know it kind of suits you. The ravens all over mythology, Norse, Greek. In fact there’s an Eskimo legend about one particular raven. It seems this raven was a thief.

A: How appropriate.

N: She stole the sun and the moon and all the stars.

A: Mmm, I bet that’s heavy to carry. Even harder to fence.

N: The legend says there was an evil chief who planned to steal them for himself. He was going to lock them up keep the Earth in darkness. But, the Raven swore she stole them only to protect them from the bad guy. You see she thought she was the hero.

A: Now...that works for me.

N: But the chief insisted she was only out for herself.

A: I didn’t do it said the bird.

N: (laughing) Uncuff me will talk about it. I’ll make coffee.

A: I’ll tell you what...I’ll be the thief you be the hero.

N: Amanda!

A: What?

N: If you get caught out on the street. You do something stupid they’ll kill you.

A: I’m not that easy to kill.

Amanda goes to leave...right into Claudia’s gun.

C: Try me....next time let him answer the phone.

A: Let me guess...the bullet that killed Harry matches the gun found in my living room.

C: This is funny to you?

A: Tell me Detective. What kind of idiot puts a gun in her own sofa?

N: Someone whose committed murder and wants to get caught.

A: Do I look like I want to get caught?

N: No.

S: What the hell is he doing.

C: Innocent people don’t run.

A: They do if there being chased. I don’t do guns.

S: Ha...that’s a bunch of crap.

C: Your placed at the scene.

A: He was already dead. Tell me Detective...um...when do you get to play the bad cop?

C: What’s the matter Amanda? Did he stiff you on the price?

A: No.

C: Maybe he threatened to turn you in.

A: No...Harry was my friend.

N: How did the murder weapon get in your home Amanda?

A: I didn’t do it. And Lucy sure as hell didn’t. As I see it that leaves five possibilities all with badges.

C: Your out of your mind.

A: I’m being set up.

C: RIGHT!

A: RIGHT! It was you wasn’t it?

B: Why does there have to be so many cops in one room?

A: Poor Basil, you must need a week-end in the country after the terrible ordeal you’ve been through.

B: Sweet of you to care.

Everyone watches Nick as he goes through the case files.

S: What the hell is up with Nick?

C: I don’t know.

S: He checked our files out of personnel the four of us that busted Amanda, even you.

C: I’m sure he’s got his reasons.

S: To what...burn us?

Basil grabs Amanda’s arm and pulls her away.

A: What?

But not before Stanley see Basil.

S: Damn it.

C: Are you alright?

S: Look I’m fine...I’m fine...it’s okay.

Outside of squad room...

B: Did you see him? That was him.

A: Who?

B: The bastard that killed me.

A: Which one?

B: The one that was talking to the female cop. I recognized his voice.

A: Ferris shot you. That means he killed Harry.

B: That means he’s got your jewels.

L: Amanda...the travel agent said your tickets will be waiting for you at the airport. I packed for warm weather the rest I’ll put in storage and I’ll ship it to you.

A: Aren’t you a little eager to get rid of me?

L: You can’t stay here Amanda. They now you’re a thief and they think you’re a murder.

A: Lucy, there’s a cop in that building who has my jewels. It’s the same man who killed Harry and shot Basil.

L: And the same one whose framing you. All the more reason for you to go .

A: But Lucy I just got here, I like it here. And you’d miss me.

L: But the beaches in Costa Rica are very nice. I can visit. You’ve done it before.

A: Yes...but I’ve always been guilty before. This time I’ve been set up.

L: Don’t tell me its our lovely Detective Wolfe.

A: No darling it is not our lovely Detective Wolfe. But he is protecting the other one.

L: And whose going to protect you?

A: Don’t worry about me.

S: Hey Nick how’s it going?

N: I’m busy Stanley, what’s up?

S: Looks like your working on some old cases.

N: Yeah, something like that.

S: Why don’t you give it a rest? Been a long time since I bought you a drink.

N:No thanks. Every tell you about my old dog, Stanley? Sweetest thing you every met.

S: Is this going to be a long story?

N: He had this wool rug he use to sleep on. He loved that rug more than anything in the world. Except there was this corner that was coming loose, he wanted that yarn. So he took it in his teeth and he’d chew on it and the rug would get smaller and smaller, until finally it was gone.

S: He didn’t sound very bright.

N: He just didn’t get it, if you chew on something like that it unravels. And what your left with is nothing but a cold floor to sleep on.

S: Well...I don’t have any trouble sleeping Nick.

N: That’s good Stanley, glad to hear it.

S; I always sleep well when I know my friends are okay. That’s the great thing about what we do. Knowing that our friends are okay.

N: You just have to know who your friends are.

S: Ha...ha...ha...Yeah.

A: Lucy will you please stop calling me. I’ll be fine. No big deal I’m just getting what’s mine. Here he comes...got to go.

C: Sign this and I’ll put it through.

N: You quit.

C: Two years...it takes that bitch to get me to light up again. You will tell me if I turn out to be the bad guy...right?

N: Give me a break Claudia, this isn’t about you. There were five of us in that room.

C: Not counting the criminal.

N: She broke into my place. Why did she break into my apartment?

C: Oh...I don’t know, maybe that’s how she gets her rocks off.

N: I got her file right here. She’s never even used a gun.

Claudia starts for the door.

N: Claudia, tell Eric we’re playing hoops on Saturday.

C: Sure...whatever.

Nick leaves the police station. Amanda sees Stanley pointing a gun at Nick.

A: NICK!

Amanda knocks Nick out of the way of Stanley’s bullets.

A: Come on!

They take cover behind a car as Stanley drives away.

A: Hold Still.

N: Ow! Did you see whose in the car?

A: Yes. Did you?

N: I already knew.

A: Well lets go get him.

N: You go away.

A: He framed me Nick. I saved your life. Fine...you know...I work better by myself anyway.

Nick phones Claudia to meet him.

C: Okay I’m here. What’s so important? Wait...I know you found out I’m late to my payments to Eric’s orthodontist.

N: Claudia...you’re my partner and I love you. But shut up. In the past two years we’ve busted four major fences. Three walked, one died and they all had one cop in common.

C: Does he know you know?

N: I’m thinking Yeah about twenty minutes ago he tried to shoot me.

C: Did I tell you how much I hate this?

N: You always do when I’m right.

S: Damn it!

While Stanley is busy under the hood. Amanda breaks into the trunk and gets her jewels. Stanley notices the trunk open and draws his gun. Amanda runs as Stanley shoots at her. Nick and Claudia arrive.

C: We need backup...suspect armed and heading for Fremont Warehouse.

Claudia and Nick follow Amanda and Stanley into warehouse.

Stanley catches up to Amanda and holds a gun on her.

S: Come on, hand it over.

Amanda throws the bag of jewels to Stanley.

S: Good girl

A: Why don’t you just shot me and get it over with?

C: Stanley

S: My collar, Claudia. Call for backup.

C: Put it down, Stanley.

S: Not smart.

C: Why’d you do it?

A: Why don’t you ask him about the jewels.

S: Come on, we’re family.

A: Does that mean I can leave?

C: Get out of here.

S: No, you stay put. This is Amanda Montrose, the Captain’s going to promote the both of us. We can make this a clean shoot.

C: As clean as Harry. NICK!

N: CLAUDIA!

S: Don’t...don’t...I’ll tell you what, I’ll split it with yah. Your kids...will be set for life.

N: CLAUDIA!

C: NICK OVER HERE!

Stanley shoots Amanda but Claudia steps in front of Amanda and is shot instead.

A: You bastard.

Stanley then shoots Amanda.

Nick arrives.

N: FERRIS!

Nick shots and kills Stanley. He then goes to the two shot woman. He finds Amanda dead.

N: Damn....It’s okay. I’m here for you now. It’s okay, be alright.

C: What about????

N: She’s dead.

C: Damn...I hate it when I screw up.

N: Don’t blame yourself for this.

C: I hate it when you screw up.

N: Me too....

Claudia dies in Nick’s arms.

N: Claudia...don’t do this to me. DON’T YOU DO THIS TO ME! For a thief?

Amanda comes back as Nick mourns Claudia. He sees Amanda and is shocked.

N: Claudia....the best of me, I’ll miss you.

M: It’s a difficult week for the department. Two detectives killed in the line of duty.

N: Don’t mention Stanley Ferris and Claudia in the same breath.

M: We’re closing the case Detective. We have the jewels he’s not here to defend himself. Let’s let them both rest in peace.

N: He killed my partner.

M: The public needs us all to be white knights, heros. To put our lives on the line for less than they pay less than garbage collectors. We’re not all heros, Nick. We’re human we make mistakes. Don’t put the department through hell for this. You’ll see I’m right. Shall we shake on it, lieutenant.

Nick turns in his badge as Amanda looks on from afar.

The End

Production No: 98101-201