I "t
    CLOCKERS
    ONE MILLIONTH DRAFT tnchard Price
    212-605-2852
    September 1, 1993
    FOREDUCA·nor·:
    ...
    \,\_
    I .. PURPOSES
    INT:
    CLOSE ON CAl<E
    NO NAME BAR -
    '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:
    CLOSE ON FIVE BL.ACKTEENAGERS perched Rocco's
    HOUSINGPR03ECTS BENCH- SAMETIME
    or draped ~n the bench as we hear toast in voi~e-over:
    ROCCO(VO)
    .. . they 9.2. make my day ...
    •
    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
    WE SEE SJ,QW MOT!QNan orange Cadillac roll bY with
    POV
    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. 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?
    �
    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. 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?
    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?
    �
    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. drops the sodas l:ly a refrigerator R,,A,;-J~- 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 •
    �
    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, 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.
    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,
    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.
    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:
    strike exits bar, heads across th• street towards Ahab's.
    RUDY'S BAR
    He puts his hood up, hunches down, hands in sweatshirt muff --
    �
    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,
    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:
    - TEN MINU'l'ESLATER
    ROCCO'SPLYMOUTH
    They're rolling along JFK Boulevard, both cf them eating big hero sandwiches.
    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 I Thar' she 1:Jlows.
    EXT:
    It's a real block party. craning necks, squinting,
    "AR
    Eveeybody looking forward, 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 of God's Clowns)
    Hey, I wouldn't want you to •••
    CLOSE OH.ROCCO
    He slips the kid his card down low at hip level •
    �
    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.
    CLOSE ON D~YL'S
    half-cpan,
    EYES
    melancholy,
    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 • •
    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.
    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?
    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.
    �
    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:
    Strike buggy.
    RODNEY'S PLACE - 1:30 A.H.
    exits
    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 ..• 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
    �
    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. 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
    ... ··-··". ·-··- •••• ·-"t'· 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.
    ,-. 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.
    ---- -· .. ·----· -·. - ·---·- ..···----·
    ··-·---··-····-··---·
    ...
    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.
    . '.. . . . . . .. ' ...... ~
    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.
    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?
    ------· . .. --~-~-·~· ·"'--:..::·-:..:.:·-·-·
    ··::::·--'-'-
    -"'••:.,.,·-'-"···'-'· ··-·· •••• ·--····. ·----. ··-· ••• ••
    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 ...
    ·--·---··-
    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 •••
    . ...�. , .
    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 driving,
    ROCCO'S CAR
    Mazilli
    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 .
    �
    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 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.
    � ·--·.
    . --· - ... -···-.. ··-..
    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 ' 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,
    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.
    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 ...
    �
    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 •.. ' 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?
    �
    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
    in the back seat The gate rises, the Plymouth
    CLOSE ON VICTOR
    with descends
    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"?
    )
    .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
    �
    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.
    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."
    INT:
    Rocco and Mazilli furniture-crowded Two kids ar• asleep SHARON, Victor's the TV, victor's MO'l'HERstands in the archway to the tiny
    VICTOR'S APARTMENT
    sitting living in an opened convertible wife, 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 •••
    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 ..•
    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? �:
    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?
    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
    •
    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 ...
    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:
    Strike
    RODNEY'S CAR - SAM&TIME
    in tront
    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 •
    �
    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 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.
    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. 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 •
    �
    ........
    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?
    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:
    f
    NARCOTICS UNIT SQUAD ROOM - ON!: HOUR LATER
    '' They're
    shit. processing a half dozen drug arrests.- -- petty
    IN A
    ROCCO
    CHAIR
    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 ...
    INT:
    Ct.ci,E ON STRIKE, tense-faced,
    COUNTY JAIL
    a correction&
    .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?
    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
    looking like he's
    ON VICTOR
    about
    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?
    �
    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. ..---. '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'tfuckin' ~• 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.
    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.
    �
    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.
    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?
    �
    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." 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 • �:
    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 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.
    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 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? 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.
    �:
    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. (contd) S'l'RIKE 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? --• .. 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 •
    �
    RODNEY
    (smelling the kid's shitty diapers, to son)
    You a baby or a elephant?
    (to strike, coolly)
    YOUor?
    EXT:
    PROJECTS SIDEWAI.K
    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,
    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?
    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.
    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 ...

..--
    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?
    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 •••
    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 • �:
    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.
    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.., ••. that's
    STRID
    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.

.-.
    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
    THREE YOUNGCLOCKERSsitting
    A TABLE ACROSSTH~ ROOM
    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 ••• 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
    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. 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?
    �:
    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?
    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?

·-.
    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.
    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? • . -·. ·-- ..... ·-·.
    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.
    �
    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:
    MINUTESLATER
    ROADLEADINGAWAYFROMPROSECUTOR'SOFFICE - TWO
    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.
    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)
    Rodney. This kid thinks he can
    .fl.l£lr. 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.
    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:
    CLOSE ON ERROL'S FACE looming
    STRIKE'S
    down --
    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:
    Rodney and Strike behind the counter.
    ROONEY'S STORE
    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. 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:
    LATER strike across
    STREET ACROSS :ROM RODNEY'SSTORE - TWENTYMINUTES
    drops an ounce of coke in a garbage the street to the store •
    �
    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
    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?
    �:
    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.
    ROCCO
    aey, don't tell us in adyance. It takes all the fun out of the investigation.
    EXT:
    Strike is heading fer his car. He passes an open garbage
    STUET - SAME TIME
    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,
    � ............ . .. ··---- ....... .
    .---. 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.
    SHA RON
    What about me?
    INT:
    JAIL INTAI<ECENTER- TEN MINOTESLATER
    COUNTY
    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 .
    �
    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.
    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 . •
    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.
    ANGLE � ROONEY
    on a pay phone in a corner of tbe intake center.
    . RODNEY
    (sott, low)
    Errol ...
    INT;
    Rocc~,
    ROCCO'S SUBURBANBACK YARD� SAME TIME
    drink
    ' II soccer ball, humming something.
    RODNEY(VO)
    Errol ...
    INT:
    strike, wide awake, laying on his bed, staring moving bars of car lights traversing his walls.
    STRID'S
    at the
    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
    -
    coming out of his building. Still holding that brown paper bag, he marches straight to Strike, bag extended.
    STRIKE
    (to Peanut, repeating)
    What for?
    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 youuin' 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
    �
    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. 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?
    �
    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. 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 • • 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? �:
    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.
    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,
    �
    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.
    �
    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:
    ROOM- TWOMINUTESLATER
    INTERROGATION
    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 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?
    ' 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 .
    �
    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 •..
    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
    I 11
    OK ���
    STRIKE Hbil ... you think I'm teyin'
    ' 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? 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
    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 ...
    �
    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
    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 ...
    �
    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
    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.
    �
    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.
    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 ...
    �
    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:
    I
    PORT AUTHORITY
    strike at the Trailway ticket window, looking
    "' 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?
    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 . , .
    •

Summary: In a Brooklyn housing project, a group of clockers — street-level drug dealers — sells drugs for Rodney Little, a local drug lord. Rodney tells Ronald "Strike" Dunham, one of his lead clockers, that another dealer, Darryl Adams, is stealing from him and that he wants Strike to kill him. Strike then meets with his brother, Victor, and asks if he knows someone who could kill Darryl. Homicide detectives Rocco Klein and Larry Mazilli, riding to the scene of Adams' murder, receive a phone call from another detective who says a man has confessed at a local church to killing Adams. The police meet Strike's older brother Victor at the church and take him in for questioning. In the interrogation room, Victor tells Rocco that he shot Adams in self-defense. Rocco finds holes in this story and starts looking into Victor's background, which includes two jobs, a wife, two children, no criminal record, and aspirations to move out of the projects, and concludes that Victor is covering for his younger brother. Rodney discusses Darryl's death with Strike. Later, Rodney tells Strike a story of a younger Rodney and Errol, where Errol threatened Rodney at gunpoint to kill a dealer, which he did. Back in the present, he tells Strike the reason Errol forced him at gunpoint to do so was so that Errol could hold something over him if he ever decided to tell on Errol, which was why he told Strike to kill Darryl Adams. Strike and Rodney have a falling-out after Rodney denies telling Strike to kill Darryl. Rocco pressures Strike, but Victor sticks to his story, so Rocco convinces Rodney that Strike has confessed and informed on Rodney's drug ring. Rocco arrests Rodney and then implicates Strike in front of his crew. Strike tries to play it off and deny that he was involved in Rodney's arrest, but his crew begins to turn on Strike, leading to them labeling him a snitch. Rodney, calling Errol to notify him that he is in jail, puts a hit out on Strike. Strike then gets together some money and decides to leave town. As Strike walks to his car, he sees Errol sitting on his car, deducing that Errol is there to kill him. Strike hides behind a fence, but a younger boy who admired Strike, Tyrone, rides up to Errol on a bike and shoots him dead with Strike's gun. Later, Tyrone is taken into custody. With Rocco, Tyrone's mother and Andre listening, Tyrone confesses that he got the gun from Strike. Andre storms out of the interrogation room and proceeds to look for Strike. Andre angrily beats Strike in front of the whole project, and with a gun threatens the onlooking bystanders to stay back. As Andre threatens to kill Strike if he ever talks to or even looks at the young boy again, Rodney pulls up, which leads to Strike jumping in his own car and driving to the precinct, with Rodney following. Strike runs into Rocco, who now has an arrest warrant for Strike, and runs into the precinct just as Rodney pulls up. Rocco tries to intimidate Strike into confessing to the murder, but he loses his composure when Strike continues to change his story. When Rocco grabs Strike and throws him against the wall, Strike's mother walks in with Mazilli and Victor's wife. She advises Rocco that Victor confessed to the murder immediately when he got home, and how Victor was physically unable to leave his bed. Strike asks his mom what happened to the bail money he gave Victor's wife, which leads to Strike's mother angrily throwing the money in Strike's face. Meanwhile, Rodney proceeds to damage Strike's car, going as far as breaking the windows, damaging the doors and urinating in the car. Left with no other options and unable to go home, Strike asks Rocco to drive him to Penn Station. As they are sitting in a car, Rocco threatens Strike that if he ever sees him again he will arrest him, let Andre beat him down again, then arrest Rodney on the same charges and make sure that Rodney and Strike share a cell and a bed in prison. Strike boards a train and leaves town. While Tyrone is playing inside his apartment with the train set that Strike gave him, outside the apartment, Rocco and Mazilli respond to the homicide of Scientific, one of the guys in Strike's old crew. The film ends with a shot of Strike looking outward on a moving train somewhere in the New Mexico desert, apparently far away from the city.