http://www.joaquin-phoenix.net/ U-Turn (Stray Dogs) Screenplay by John Ridley and Richard Rutowski & Oliver Stone EXT. SOMEWHERE IN THE DESERT SOUTHWEST - DAY BEGIN TITLES OVER: It is early morning and already hot. INSECTS drone, crackle, and scurry for shade. PRAIRIE DOGS burrow to escape the sun. We can see the heat shimmering off the surface of the Earth. On a dusty highway, a pair of VULTURES dine on a dead coyote. One of them snags an intestine and tugs a few feet of it out of the carcass. In the distance, where a long, dusty road meets the horizon, a small shape appears -- a Sixty-four-and-a-half Mustang convertible, its top down. Its candy-apple red burns like a brilliant fireball under the sun. As the car drifts closer, we see steam escaping from under the hood. Sammi Smith's "Please Help Me Get Through The Night" plays on the car's radio. INT. BOBBY COOPER'S MUSTANG - DAY At the wheel, ignoring impending disaster, BOBBY COOPER, young, good-looking, fiddles with the RADIO dial, annoyed only to find country stations. He's been driving since noon yesterday and it shows -- along with a heavily-bandaged left hand resting on the steering wheel. He finds something by Pearl Jam or Smashing Pumpkins and he cranks it. He pops a Percodan with his good hand as, in the shimmering distance ahead, he sees black shapes in the road and lays on the horn. BOBBY Get off the goddamn road! EXT. DESERT ROAD - DAY As the MUSTANG powers by, the VULTURES move off the shoulder, silently watching. INT. MUSTANG - DAY The RADIO blares as BOBBY fights to stay awake. His attention is caught by blue and red lights flashing in the oncoming lane. He sits up as the POLICE CAR (SHERIFF POTTER inside) closes quickly. The SIREN starts faintly, then SCREAMS as the cruiser roars past at speed. BOBBY Fuck you! There is a loud pop from the front of the Mustang and a thick cloud of steam now pours from the hood. The temperature gauge now starts rising. BOBBY No!...Not now!...Shit! A couple of SEMIS roar past in the opposite direction, buffetting the Mustang with their air waves. EXT. FORK IN THE ROAD - DAY The car rolls into a fork in the road, limping with the droop of an animal that won't make another hundred yards. One sign on the larger road says "GLOBE" is 29 miles away. The other sign, on the lesser road, tells us "SUPERIOR" is only 2 miles. A third sign confirms his destiny with "Gas, Food, 1 Mile." BOBBY seems to have no choice. He aims the car down the lesser road towards "Superior, Arizona." EXT. OUTSKIRTS SUPERIOR - DAY The car rattles on its last legs, as BOBBY mutters incantations, noticing a old, ghostlike MINING COMPANY at the base of the mountains overlooking the TOWN. It's deserted now, no one visible, the gates shut, but in its vast, dark bulk, we sense the ancient richness and power of this town. Bobby moves on. EXT. HARLIN'S GARAGE - DAY Down the road from the MINING COMPANY, BOBBY'S CAR pulls into a small GAS STATION, made of weather-beaten wood, its windows long since dusted over. The pumps themselves look to have been manufactured in the early fifties. Above the station is a sign so faded it's barely readable: HARLIN'S. Bobby gets out of the car and with great care, favoring his bandaged left hand which seems to give him a great deal of pain, he opens the hood. A plume of steam hits him in the face. BOBBY Oh shit! Bobby looks around for someone, anyone. After a few moments he reaches into the car and blows the horn. He waits, then blows it again. From out of the station walks DARRELL - a slow-looking man in coveralls caked with grease and dirty. He looks the part of a yokel. BOBBY You Harlin? DARRELL Nope. Darrell. BOBBY Harlin around? DARRELL He's up at the Look Out. Darrell points a scraggly finger at a plateau in the distance. BOBBY Will he be back soon? DARRELL Doubt it. He's dead. The Look Out's a cemetery. BOBBY You own this place? DARRELL Yep. BOBBY Then why do you call it Harlin's? DARRELL 'Cause Harlin used to own it. BOBBY But he's dead. DARRELL So? Bobby is confused, but chooses to drop the matter. BOBBY You want to take a look at my car? I think the radiator hose is-- DARRELL Damn. Gonna be another hot one today. Sometimes I don't even want to get out of bed. Course don't want to get out for the cold one's neither. Then of course the clouds come in... Darrell mops his brow with a greasy rag. It doesn't so much wipe the sweat as it does streak his forehead with dirt. BOBBY Look, Harlin, I've got places to be. DARRELL Darrell-- BOBBY OK. Darrell... Could you just take a look at my radiator hose. It's busted. Darrell is clearly upset at being cut off. He leans into the car and looks at the engine. BOBBY So? DARRELL It's your radiator hose. It's busted. BOBBY I know it's busted. What did I just tell you? DARRELL Well, you know so much why don't you just fix it yourself? BOBBY If I could do you think I'd be standing here wasting my time. Can you fix it, or do I have to go somewhere else? DARRELL Somewhere else? Mister, somewhere else is fifty miles from here. Only other gas station down in town closed 3 years ago when the mine got shut... BOBBY Okay, I'm stuck. You happy? Now can you fix it, or not? DARRELL Yeah, I can fix it. BOBBY Great! DARRELL Gotta run over to the yard and see if I can find a hose like this one, or close enough. Gonna take time. BOBBY How much time? DARRELL Time. BOBBY (rewinds his watch) What time is it now? DARRELL Twenty-after-ten. BOBBY Jesus. Twenty-after-ten and it must be ninety already. DARRELL Ninety-two. Course half hour from now might be seventy-two. These clouds move around alot. Bobby wipes the bandaged hand across his forehead. DARRELL What happened to your hand? Self-consciously Bobby quickly drops his hand to his side. BOBBY Accident. DARRELL You got to be more careful. Hands is important. Let me show you something. When I was a kid, now I don't know if you can still see it, but I gashed my fingers in a lawnmower. BOBBY I'm very interested in this but is there someplace... DARRELL Diner up a piece. Not much, but us simple folk like it. BOBBY I'll be back in a couple of hours. And be careful with her, will you? Darrell slams down the hood. DARRELL Just a car. Bobby reaches into the car, pulls out a small ugly gym bag which he slings onto his shoulder and moves to the trunk, pops it open. BOBBY It's not just a car. It's a sixty-four and half Mustang convertible. That's the difference between you and me, and why you live here and I'm just passing through. The trunk lid rises in the air, partially blocking Bobby from Darrell, acting as a partition between them. BOBBY Now do you mind? I got to get some stuff out of the trunk. He throws the car key to Darrell who takes the hint, spits grotesquely into the dirt, scratches his nuts, and walks back to the shack. Concealed by the trunk lid, Bobby pulls out a GUN (a .9mm black Baretta), wrapped in a t-shirt, from the top of the bag. Perhaps we see a flash of green money, lots of it. Sports pages and betting sheets are piled inside. With a look around, Bobby takes the gun and stashes it underneath the rubbermat in the trunk. Briefly we notice a towing ROPE under the mat. There is a small travel bag, from which he peels a fresh bottle of Percodan, quickly taking two, as well as the sports page. INT. HARLIN'S GARAGE - DAY DARRELL watches out of the darkened office through the front window, as BOBBY slams the trunk and starts walking down the road, with the bag on his shoulder. EXT. DESERT ROAD - LATER BOBBY walks along a dusty patch of road into town past a sign saying "SUPERIOR - HOME OF THE GOLDEN DOOR RETIREMENT COMMUNITY." As he walks on, a pair of MOTORCYCLERS roar past on their Harleys blanketing him in a cloud of DUST. He shouts after them, but his words are lost under the whine of the cycle engines. EXT. SUPERIOR MAIN STREET - DAY BOBBY hits town, such as it is: The Freeway left here a few years back. There are only a few little stores: A general store, a catalog outlet, a post office that doubles as a bus depot. All of them built for the desert heat. The busiest spot in town seems to be the truckstop/diner with a few 18 wheelers parked outside it. At the corner of one street sits an old BLIND MAN dressed in raggedy clothes, perhaps an Indian. His SEEING-EYE DOG lies next to him. He's talking to TWO OLD MEN, veterans perhaps, Indian or Spanish. They both have missing limbs and slide off with furtive alcoholic looks as Bobby passes. The Blind Man yells out in an American Indian accent. BLIND MAN Hey! You there! BOBBY You want something, old man? BLIND MAN Don't call me old man. Ain't you got no respect, boy? BOBBY You want something? BLIND MAN Yeah I want something. I want you to run over to that machine and get me a pop. BOBBY You can't do that yourself? BLIND MAN Hell no, I can't do that myself. I'm blind. Can't you see that? BOBBY I'm sorry, I didn't-- BLIND MAN What'd you think I was doing out here with these glasses on? Sunnin' myself? BOBBY I don't know. I thought you were keeping the sun out of your eyes. BLIND MAN I ain't got no eyes. You want to see? BOBBY Christ no! BLIND MAN Lost my eyes in Vyee-et-nam. Lost them fighting the commies. Fought the war and lost my eyes fightin' the commies just so you can come around here and make fun of me. BOBBY I said I was sorry. BLIND MAN Don't be sorry. Just run over there and get me my pop before I die of thirst. BOBBY Yeah, sure. You got change? BLIND MAN Change? You want my change? I fought the war and lost my eyes just so I could give you my change? BOBBY All right, old man. Christ. Bobby walks across the street to a very old soda machine; it has bottles instead of cans. The blind man shouts to Bobby. BLIND MAN Get me a Dr. Peppa! I don't want no Colas. Colas ain't nothing but flavored water. Bobby puts change in the machine and pulls out a bottle of Dr. Pepper. He starts back to the blind man. BLIND MAN Don't forget to open it for me. I can't be opening my own bottle. BOBBY Christ! Bobby goes back to the machine and opens the bottle, then walks back to the old man who pours a splash on the ground. BLIND MAN A little for Mother Earth. I'm about fifty percent Indian, you know. To all our relations. He takes a hearty swig of the soda. BLIND MAN Ah! Just what I needed! Want some? The blind man holds the bottle out to Bobby. A string of saliva runs from his lips to the bottle's neck. BOBBY I'll pass. Bobby reaches down and pets the old man's dog. Flies buzz around both the dog and the Blind Man. BOBBY I think you'd better give your pooch a sip. He looks sick. BLIND MAN That's 'cause he's dead. Bobby jumps back. BOBBY Oh, Jesus. BLIND MAN I hope you wasn't pettin' him none, was you? BOBBY What the hell are you keeping a dead dog around for? BLIND MAN He's only just dead. What was I supposed to do with him? I can't take him away anywhere. And nobody wants to take him for me. Do you? BOBBY Hell no! BLIND MAN See. Ain't nothing I can do but keep him here beside me. That's where he belongs anyways. Me and Jesse, that's my dog, not anymore, but me and Jesse we been pals since the war when I lost my eyes. He was just a pup then... a companion that's loyal, that'll keep coming back to you no matter how much you kick him...I miss him. (as Bobby moves away) I'll see ya later, unless I come across something worse. Bobby noticing a beautiful woman down the street, GRACE McKENNA, compulsively turns and catches up to her. She is dressed better than the usual t-shirts and tank tops of this town -- perhaps a mail-ordered dress or a mother's hand-me-down. With her raven hair and caramel skin, it is obvious she is Native American. Her arms are full with an awkward package she can barely manage. BOBBY Can I give you a hand, beautiful? GRACE I'm just going to my car? BOBBY That's right on my way. GRACE My mother told me never to accept offers from strangers. BOBBY My name is Bobby. Now I'm not a stranger anymore. See how easy it is for us to get to know each other, beautiful? GRACE Do you have to call me that? BOBBY I don't know your real name. GRACE Maybe I don't want you to. Grace stops walking. BOBBY Maybe, but if you didn't I think you would have kept on walking. GRACE You're pretty full of yourself, aren't you? BOBBY I like that about me, beautiful. GRACE It's Grace. BOBBY May I carry your package, Grace? Grace hesitates, then gives the package to Bobby. He has trouble with it himself. BOBBY Jesus. GRACE You sure you can manage? BOBBY I got it. GRACE Do you want me to carry your pack for you? Bobby blurts out emphatically. BOBBY No! He catches himself, and softens a bit. BOBBY No, I've got it. GRACE What happened to your hand? BOBBY Accident. GRACE You should be more careful. They start walking towards Grace's car. GRACE It's very nice of you to help me. That package is kind of heavy, and it's so hot. BOBBY No trouble at all, really. They get to a car and Bobby puts down the package. BOBBY Wasn't nothing. GRACE Oh, this isn't my car. It's down a ways. I should have parked closer. I just didn't think it would be so heavy. I could drive up. BOBBY That's all right. I got it. Bobby takes up the package and they begin walking again. The package seems to have gained weight. GRACE It's just new drapes and curtain rods. If I had known it was going to be so heavy I would have had them delivered up to the house. Bobby struggles with the package. Sweat starts to sheet his face. BOBBY (panting) That a fact? GRACE I just got tired of looking at the old drapes. My mother made them. Had them long as I can remember. You ever seen something and just knew you had to have it? BOBBY (straining) Yes, I have. GRACE 'Course they cost a little more than I should really be spending. But, damn it, I don't hardly ever do anything nice for myself. I deserve nice things. BOBBY (can hardly talk) I ... can't ... argue ... They arrive at a JEEP SAHARA. GRACE This is it. Bobby practically drops the package. He is covered with sweat. GRACE Thank you, Bobby. BOBBY You're welcome, Grace. GRACE You're not from around here, are you? BOBBY Why you say that? Just because I help a lady with her package? GRACE You don't have that dead look in your eyes like the only thing you live for is to get through the day. BOBBY I just drove in this morning. GRACE Drove into Superior? What for? BOBBY Didn't have a choice. My car overheated up the road. GRACE You're lucky you didn't break down in the desert. Day like today, you'd be dead in no time. When you leaving? BOBBY Not until my car's fixed. I don't know how long that's going to take. GRACE And here I've made you all hot and sweaty. Grace steps to Bobby and places her hand against his chest. She rubs away some of the sweat. They look at each other a beat. A POLICE CAR, seen earlier, pulls up beside them from behind and idles. SHERIFF VIRGIL POTTER is a weathered, handsome, middle-aged man with suspicious eyes, black haired in contrast to Bobby's sandiness. SHERIFF Morning Grace. GRACE Morning Sheriff. Got my drapes. SHERIFF Well it's about time. Looks like you found yourself a helper too. Bobby wants to shrink behind the drapes. GRACE Well, he offered, and I just couldn't refuse. His car overheated. SHERIFF Oh? Bobby turns to the Sheriff and forces a smile. BOBBY Morning, officer. SHERIFF Son. (beat, to Grace) Little excitement out at the reservation this morning. Wayne and Dale Elkhart were up drinking all night and then Wayne starts chasing Dale around the desert with his shotgun. BIA handled it. I went by for backup. GRACE Anybody hurt? SHERIFF Hell, no. That Wayne can't shoot when he's sober, much less drunk. He's lucky he didn't kill his own danged self. (beat) Well, anyhow, you stay cool. Nice meeting you, son. BOBBY Same here, officer. The Sheriff drives on. Pause. They look at each other. GRACE Well, I gues I could use some help getting this box into the house. Not far. You could shower, get something cool to drink. Bobby considers the offer, but there's not much considering to do. BOBBY Well, I could use something cool. EXT. DESERT ROAD - DAY BOBBY rides along with GRACE in her JEEP. GRACE Where you coming from? BOBBY All over. Chicago, Houston, Detroit. Just lately Dallas. GRACE You've been around. BOBBY I guess I've got wander in my blood. GRACE Where you headed? BOBBY I don't know. I have to make a stop in Vegas. Business to finish. Then maybe I'll head to Santa Barbara. I might be able to pick up some action there. GRACE So, what is it you do, Mister...? BOBBY Cooper. Bobby Cooper. Oh you know, whatever pays best. Little bartending, used to teach tennis, played a little competition ... (drops it). GRACE I never played tennis. You just travel around Bobby-- no direction, no steady work. You must like taking chances. BOBBY If you're going to gamble, might as well play for high stakes. GRACE What happens when you lose? BOBBY I pack up and go somewhere else. GRACE (wistfully) Somewhere else. I've never been anywhere else. Just once. Years ago. Went to the State Fair. It was nice, but it wasn't nothing. BOBBY I couldn't stay in this place. I wouldn't. I'd just pick up, do whatever I had to do, and get out. Grace looks to Bobby and smiles. GRACE Sometimes I feel the exact same way. INT. GRACE'S BEDROOM/BATHROOM - LATER - DAY BOBBY, naked, steps into the shower and turns on the water. It shoots from the shower head and cascades over his body. As the water falls over him we hear a Russian accented voice: VOICE(V.O.) I want my money. Bobby press his left hand against the white tile to steady himself. His hand is curled in such a way we cannot see his pinky or ring finger. Bobby leans back in the shower. Just as he does: EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT It is raining hard. Matching the backwards motion of the last scene BOBBY is thrown violently against a brick wall, facing out. VOICE(V.O.) I want my money. BOBBY Look, I'll get the money! You don't want to do this! VOICE (V.O.) Take two for now. One a week, punk... Bobby is being pressed against the wall by two muscular GOONS. Another MAN stands partially hidden behind the goon's frame. With one hand one goon flattens Bobby's hand against the brick, with his other he clips two fingers off with a GARDEN SHEAR. We see Bobby's face in agonizing pain, then he slides screaming to the ground until he is framed between the legs of the men. As Bobby clutches his left hand the rainwater runs in streaks down his ashen, blank face. INT. GRACE'S BEDROOM/BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER We see BOBBY's face reliving the experience as once again we hear the voice. VOICE (V.O.) Two weeks, asshole. Get the money or you gonna lose your nose and ears. Bobby has slumped to the floor of the shower, looking to his left hand, almost crying, unable to tolerate it. As a streak of blood snakes down the white tile we see that the pinky and ring FINGERS have been cut off at the joints. INT. GRACE'S BEDROOM/BATHROOM - DAY BOBBY, his hand rebandaged, is putting on his clothes. BOBBY (to himself) You're still lucky. As he does he looks at himself in the mirror. He bends to pick up his shirt which is draped over the gym bag. As he lifts it we can see, perhaps more closely than at the garage, that the bag is 3/4 filled with money. He closes the bag and stands. In the MIRROR, hidden in the doorway, he sees GRACE watching him. Bobby slows perceptibly, but does not try to hide himself. After a moment Grace walks into the room carrying a glass of lemonade. GRACE Thought you might like a refill on your lemonade. Bobby takes the lemonade and drinks it down. He rubs the glass against his forehead. BOBBY That's good. Cools you right off. (tentatively) I saw you watching me. GRACE I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. BOBBY I didn't say it bothered me. GRACE Did you like it; me watching you? BOBBY I guess. I've got an ego same as any man. GRACE Good, 'cause I liked what I saw. Bobby gives a smile as devilish as it is pleasant. Grace slides an ice cube from the glass between her lips. He notices a framed picture of GRACE and an OLDER MAN. BOBBY Nice place. GRACE Thank you. Grace sits on the edge of the bed. Bobby indicates the picture, ironic. BOBBY Who's that, your father? GRACE (without much thought) Stepfather... BOBBY (coy) Got a boyfriend? GRACE No. Not really. Bobby senses she's lying but plays along. BOBBY Must get kind of lonely for a woman living by herself in a big house. GRACE I guess it must. BOBBY What do you do anyway? GRACE A little of this, a little of that. Mostly I tell fortunes. BOBBY Where'd you learn to do that? GRACE From my father. He was the tribe's shaman. BOBBY A medicine man? GRACE Those are white words, not ours. BOBBY Nice house for a shaman's daughter. You must be good. GRACE Come here. Bobby goes to Grace and kneels before her. She takes his head in her hands and looks deep into his eyes. Her voice goes thick, but soft, like a morning fog. GRACE There's something in your past; something you want to keep hidden. There's a pain. Something ... someone you can't forget. And there is something you want very badly. It seems very far away to you, but you are determined, and you will do what you must to get it. Bobby closes his hands on Grace's and takes them from his face. He is more than slightly spooked by the accuracy of Grace's reading. BOBBY My face tell you all that? GRACE It tells me what every face tells me. Everybody has a past, they have a pain, and they have something they want. (seductively) What is it you want? BOBBY The same thing you do. They silently stare into each other's eyes. GRACE Really? I want to hang drapes. Grace walks from the room. For a moment Bobby stares after her. He takes an ice cube from his glass and crunches it in his teeth. INT. GRACE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY GRACE is standing on a step ladder trying to hang the drapes. BOBBY notices a photo of Grace with an older INDIAN WOMAN, her mother? GRACE Hold me. Bobby stands behind her, gently places his hands on Grace's waist. GRACE Tighter. I won't break. You know girls are a lot tougher than men think. Bobby holds her tighter as she finished hanging the drapes. His eyes are transfixed on her ass. GRACE There. All done. Lift me down. BOBBY What? GRACE Lift me down. Bobby lifts Grace down from the ladder. He holds her, his hands around her waist. GRACE You can let go of me now. I'm safe.(with a wicked smile) How do they look? BOBBY Like you. GRACE Beautiful? BOBBY (kidding) Like they're made of polyester. GRACE I like them. I was sick of looking at this room. I think they add a little life. BOBBY Nothing like a little liveliness. With a sexy pout Grace loads the next question. GRACE No more drapes to hang. Now what should we do? BOBBY I have an idea. GRACE And what would that be? Bobby steps close to Grace and takes her by the shoulders. He pulls her to him and presses his lips hard to hers. Grace doesn't respond. BOBBY All right, Grace. No more games. GRACE (innocently) Games? BOBBY You flirt with me, then you run cold. You lead me on, then slap me down. I don't go for being jerked around. GRACE Really? And what game did you want to play? You carry my box for me, and I fall into bed with you? Bobby grabs up his pack. BOBBY I think I can find my own way back to into town. GRACE Maybe I like to find out about a man first. Maybe I like to know what he's made of. BOBBY I'm just flesh and blood, baby. That and a few memories of bad women; just like most guys. But you already know that. You read my mind, remember? Thanks for the lemonade. Bobby turns to leave. GRACE You never did answer my question. BOBBY Still playing? GRACE That's not an answer. What is it you want? BOBBY You know what I want. GRACE Maybe I just want to hear you say it. For a beat Bobby stands and stares hard at Grace. His pack slides from his shoulder and thuds on the floor. With great determination, like a beast closing for the kill, Bobby moves for her. Grace stands firm, ready for him; her head tilts back. Her breath comes deep and hard. Just as Bobby is about to reach her, just as he is about to take her, he is stopped dead by the booming voice of JAKE McKENNA. JAKE (O.S.) Grace! Bobby turns to face Jake: An older man, still large and formidable for his age. GRACE (nonplussed) Jake. I thought you... JAKE Who the hell is this!? BOBBY Who the hell are you? JAKE I'm her husband. BOBBY (shocked whisper) Husband ...? JAKE Now who the hell are you, and it better be good, or God help me I'll break you in half. BOBBY Easy, chief. I... I was helping your wife. I met her in town. She needed a hand with her drapes. That's all. JAKE Didn't much look like you were hanging drapes. BOBBY I swear to you that's all that happened. I haven't so much as set foot in your bedroom. JAKE A lot that means. BOBBY Grace, tell him. Grace says nothing. She picks up a glass of lemonade and sips at it coolly. BOBBY Damn it, Grace! Tell him. GRACE (coyly) If he says that's what happened, Jake, it must be true. JAKE Oh yeah, and I suppose you didn't have anything to do with it Grace, he just wandered up here by hisself. I got a mind to put you over my knee and paddle your ass raw! BOBBY (to Grace) You bitch! Is this what it's all about? You sucker me up here so you can watch the two of us beat the shit out of each other over you? You both... Forget it! (heads for the door) JAKE Where you going! BOBBY (exiting) 'Scuse me, you want to take my head off, mister. I won't even try to stop you. I deserve it for being an idiot. But if you're not, I think I'll be on my way... Ow! Jake punches him in the nose. JAKE You can't just walk in here and walk out, you sonufabitch! I'm gonna tear you a new asshole! BOBBY You broke my nose! JAKE It ain't broke. It probably isn't, but it bleeds. Bobby feels the blood and then sees it on his shirt. BOBBY Goddamn it! I'm... you're lucky I don't sue you. JAKE (opens the door) Get goin' Junior. Bobby glares back at Grace who gives him a maddening little smile. BOBBY You people are crazy! He storms out holding his nose. EXT. DESERT ROAD - LATER - DAY BOBBY, holding a handkerchief to his nose which has stopped bleeding, hauling his bag on his shoulder, walks back to town along the side of the road. Already he is caked with a mixture of sweat and dust, looking up at the relentless sun that beats down on him. BOBBY Fuckin' shithole! A CADILLAC slows beside him, JAKE driving. BOBBY What the fuck do you want? JAKE I'll give you a lift, son. Too hot to be walking... People die out here, y'know. Bobby continues walking. JAKE Aw, you're not still upset about that love tap, are you? If I meant you real trouble, I'd have given it to you by now. Get in, lad. Come on. Get in. Bobby gets in. JAKE After you huffed off, Grace lied so bad, I got so pissed off, I pulled down her pants to paddle her ass raw and finger-fucked it instead. Sorry I lost my cool like that. It's a funny thing, women. BOBBY Yeah... JAKE Say, what happened to your hand? BOBBY Accident. JAKE You've got to be-- BOBBY Yeah, I know. More careful. JAKE I guess we've never been introduced proper. Jake McKenna. BOBBY That's a solid name. JAKE I'm a solid man. BOBBY Bobby Cooper. JAKE "Bobby Cooper." What brings you to Superior, Coop? BOBBY An overheated car. JAKE Oh? Darrell taking good care of you? BOBBY Darrell's a moron. JAKE (laughs) Yeah, he sure is a character. You need any help with that car now?... Where you headed? BOBBY California... JAKE Live there? BOBBY Got work. I know a man who's got a boat. Wants me to sail it for him. JAKE You a sailor man? That'd be the life. Drive across the country, step on a boat and just sail away. A man could pretty well disappear like that. Just sail away until all he was was a memory. I guess a little place like this would just be a dot on a map to you after awhile. BOBBY I hope so. (beat) Listen, McKenna about your wife: If I had known she was married-- JAKE It wouldn't have made a difference to you, now would it? Not a wit. Do you know why? Because you're a man without scruples. BOBBY Wait a second-- JAKE Ah, I can smell it on you. Jake wipes his hand across the back of Bobby's neck and holds it to his nose. BOBBY Hey! JAKE That's the sweat of a man who hasn't an honest bone in his body. Don't be offended, lad. A man who's got no ethics is a free man. I envy that. Beside, how can I blame you? That Grace sure has a mind of her own, and a body to match, don't she? Eh? Jake nudges Bobby who smiles a nervous smile. JAKE She does at that. I knew when I married her she was a free spirit. A woman with her looks and a man my age; what was I to expect? But you see a woman like that in a town like this and you don't think, you do. So, I married her. What are you to do, eh? Women. BOBBY Can't live with them, and you can't shoot 'em. Jake looks at Bobby, his lips curled into a sly smile. JAKE "You can't shoot 'em!" I like that. (laughs) I bet she led you on good, didn't she? Taking you up to the house to hang drapes. Oh that's a good one. Bet she had you hard as a rock wiggling her ass in your face. I bet you just wanted to pull down her pants and hog her out. Then me busting in like some wild bear. Ha! Bet you had a fire going under you. BOBBY Like you don't know. JAKE Mad like a dog in heat, I bet you were. I can tell you got a temper on you. Bobby gives a little laugh. JAKE Bet you just wanted to snap her neck right then, didn't you? Bet you just wanted to kill her. Bobby starts to laugh heartily. Jake joins in, then stops abruptly. JAKE Would you? BOBBY Would I what? JAKE Would you kill her? Bobby starts to laugh. Bobby stops laughing. JAKE Because I'm sick and tired of her little games. Because you could do it and drift away on your boat and no one would ever see you again. Because I've got a fifty-thousand dollar life insurance policy on her, and I would be more than happy to give the man who does her in a good chunk of it. For a moment Bobby sits in silence not sure of what to make of the offer. BOBBY I've done a few things but I'm not a murderer, Mr. McKenna. JAKE How do you know if you've never tried? BOBBY This is a joke, right? You just want to rattle me. Right? They reach town and Jake stops the car near a small GROCERY STORE. JAKE That's right. Nothing but a joke. That's all. Bobby gets out of the car. With a big smile Jake says: JAKE Enjoy your stay, lad. Jake speeds away. Bobby looks after him. BOBBY Who are these people? INT. SMALL GROCERY STORE - LATER The store is small and dark and empty save for a tiny, older Mexican WOMAN who is behind the counter. BOBBY enters. BOBBY Got any cold soda? WOMAN Eh? BOBBY Soda. You got any soda? WOMAN Hablar slowly, por favor. My ingles no es bien. BOBBY Soda. You know. Bobby cups his hand and brings it to his mouth pantomiming. WOMAN Oh. Something to eat. Si. She holds up a pack of Twinkies. BOBBY Not eat. Drink. What the fuck is drink in Spanish ... uh, agua? The old woman's eyes widen. She starts to scream, but quickly clamps her hands over her mouth. For a moment Bobby thinks the woman is screaming at what he has said. Then, as if he feels a presence behind him, Bobby turns slowly to face the TWO tought-looking, unshaven, tattoo-covered BIKERS. One holds a gun. BIKER That's right, lady. Keep it in you and nobody gets hurt. That goes for you too, stud. Gimmie the money. Now! WOMAN Eh? SECOND BIKER The dinero, Senora. Hand it over. Bobby shifts his weight trying to hide his pack behind his back. The woman goes to an old-fashioned cash register and rings it open. She hands the money to the biker. BIKER That's it? Lady, I got kids to put through school. WOMAN Es all I have. The biker turns to Bobby. BIKER Okay, pal. Whatcha got? Give it, now. Bobby pulls a thick wad of cash ($1,000 plus) from his pant pocket, tosses it on the counter. BIKER (thumbing through it, impressed) Nice...Just who are you beautiful? What else you got for papa? Bobby makes a show of pulling out his wallet, flings it to him. BIKER Better...you're getting tasty. Now toss the bag, sweetie. BOBBY It's just books. BIKER I'm a reader. Toss it. BOBBY (an entreaty) It's personal things...family things. BIKER How touching...I like family values. Give it to me. Bobby takes an unsteady breath. BOBBY No. BIKER No? SECOND BIKER Hey man, forget it. Come on. BIKER No? WOMAN Senor, give him the bag. BIKER That's all right. He doesn't want to give me the bag... SECOND BIKER He's fucking with you man. Shoot him. BIKER (cont'd) ...he doesn't have to give me the bag. The biker grabs Bobby's bag. Bobby flinches in anticipation of a shot but refuses to let go of the bag. The biker swings the gun hard, clipping Bobby across the forehead. Bobby falls against the counter and to the floot. The woman starts to scream. The biker grabs up the pack, then, looking back at the woman, sees a ring on her finger. He grabs her hand and pulls at the ring. The woman screams wildly. SECOND BIKER Let's go, man. BIKER A little extra never hurt, Benji, would you just relax. WOMAN No! No! My wedding ring. He pulls the ring from the woman's finger and pushes her back. With Bobby's bag slung over his shoulder he turns to leave. BIKER Now we go. WOMAN You go to El Diablo! From beneath the counter the woman pulls a shotgun. The woman fires A SHOT that rips through the bag and into the back of the biker. He falls to the ground, very dead, amid a shower of blood and shredded money. SECOND BIKER Bugger! You bitch! The Second Biker now sees the money floating all over the place out of the torn bag. His eyes go big with greed as he FIRES at the old woman, who ducks behind the counter. The Biker grabs for the bag and what's left of the money, not expecting the feisty old lady to pop up and unload her SECOND BLAST into him and the bag. Whatever was left of the money on the first round is now gone to shreds along with the bag and the Biker who is very dead. Bobby is staggered, crawls towards the shreds. WOMAN (cursing in Spanish) Hijos de puta. Bayan a comer su propia mierda en el infierno. (TRANSLATION: Sons of bitches. Go eat your own shit in hell). She comes around the counter to his side as he grabs his wallet and the $1000 cash roll from the dead biker's pants. WOMAN I call the sheriff. BOBBY No! No police. Bobby gives her a hundred dollars. WOMAN A hundred dollars? No police? Bobby gives her some more cash. She looks at him. Finally he gives her the entire wad. BOBBY No police until I leave. Bobby stumbles from the store as the screen burns a bright white. FADE TO: EXT. STREET - LATER BOBBY, dazed and holding his head, sits on the ground next to a SPIGOT that is dripping water. He cups his hands under the water and splashes it against his face, lightly wiping the cut above his eye. The SHERIFF'S CAR goes wailing by on the main drag. Recoiling from being spotted, Bobby tries to take another drink. A SCORPION crawls out of the faucet. He jumps back. EXT. HARLIN'S GARAGE - LATER DARRELL is leaning under the hood of a car working on its engine as BOBBY walks up. BOBBY Hey. DARRELL Hey, your ... what the hell happened to you? BOBBY Nothing. DARRELL Don't look like nothing. BOBBY Just banged my head. It was an accident. DARRELL Another accident? You got to be more careful. Bobby rolls his eyes. Then notices the front fenders have been removed. BOBBY What the hell happened to my car? DARRELL Bottom hose was shot too. Rotted clear through. Had to put a new one in. Runs like a dream now. BOBBY (suspicious) How much? DARRELL Well ... you got your parts, you got your labour ... let's call it a hundred-fifty bucks. BOBBY How much!? DARRELL Hundred-fifty. BOBBY To replace a goddamn radiator hose!? DARRELL A goddamn radiator hose in a sixty-four-and-a-half Mustang. You know how long it took me to find that hose? BOBBY About an hour and a half, because that's all the longer I've been gone. DARRELL Actually, it's been about three hours. You're the one thinks that car's so damn fancy. What you expect but fancy damn prices? BOBBY That's a Ford, not a Ferrari. You going to tell me no one else in this shit hole drives a Ford? DARRELL "That's not just a Ford, that's a sixty-four-and-a-half Mustang." BOBBY What's that got to do with the radiator hose? DARRELL I don't know, but "it's the reason I'm living here and you're just passing through." Now you owe me a hundred-fifty dollars. BOBBY It might as well be fifteen-hundred dollars, because I don't have the money. DARRELL Then you ain't gonna have the car. BOBBY Listen, man. I got rolled half an hour ago for everything I had. Bobby digs through his bloodied wallet, trying to hide it from Darrell. He fishes out a five dollar bill. Then digs out a bloody one dollar bill from his pocket. BOBBY I've got five...six dollars. Darrell snatches the five from him and adds it to a thick wad of greasy bills he carries in his overalls. DARRELL Then you're only a hundred-forty-five in the hole. You can keep that dollar. Now why don't you just take your American Express Gold Card, and call that guy with the big schnooz on TV and have him send you the money lickity split. BOBBY I don't have a goddamn credit card. DARRELL Now that's too bad. I sure hope you know how to wash dishes or shovel shit 'cause you're gonna have to work this one off. Bobby proffers his Movado watch. BOBBY Look, I got a Movado. It's worth at least seven, eight hundred. You could sell it for that. DARRELL (studying it) Who the hell to? Shit, can't see no numbers. BOBBY You don't need numbers. That's why it's expensive. Look at the gold. Darrell doubts that, shake his head. DARRELL ...got no day, got no date. Probably ain't worth a duck's fart (proffers his own watch). This one here cost me $3.75 and it's got every doodad you can imagine. No sir I'll stick with this (walks away). BOBBY You son of a bitch! I'll have my lawyers shut you down. DARRELL You ain't got no credit card but you got a lawyer. Sweet talk me all you want. Didn't you read the sign? It says... BOBBY What sign? Fuck the sign. I want my car. DARRELL I want my hundred and forty-five dollars. Bobby stands his ground for a moment as if deciding whether or not to fight for the car, then wheels and walks away. Darrell looks at him, smirks. INT. TRUCK STOP/DINER - LATER It is a little worn diner-type stop one would find on most any open road: Counter with stools, laminated menus, a Wurlitzer in the corner belching out country TUNES. Business is slow but it's the only restaurant in town. There is a SHORT ORDER COOK in the kitchen, and FLO, a hard-looking waitress is behind the counter. A couple of regular drivers, ED and BOYD, are seated on the stools, Boyd is flipping a coin. ED One-hundred-thirteen degrees. That was back in July of forty-seven. That afternoon it dropped down to forty three! True story. BOYD One time last year I remember it went from 98 to 23 same day. Wind, black clouds come out like... BOBBY comes out of the men's room and sits at the end of the counter. He has cleaned himself up a bit but still looks like a mess. He buries his face in the menu. BOBBY You got a beer? FLO What kind? BOBBY Beck's. FLO No Beck's. A-1, Coors... BOBBY Heineken? FLO No, we ain't got no Heineken. We got Miller. BOBBY Genuine Draft? FLO No. Just plain ol' Miller. Now you can fuckin' take it or you can fuckin' leave it. BOBBY I'll fuckin' take it. To go. SHORT ORDER COOK Flo, cheeseburger bleedin'. FLO I'll be right back with that beer. Flo moves off. BOBBY ...and a waitress named Flo. Christ. As Bobby stares at the money on the counter in front of him, he hears, from somewhere outside the diner, the sound of a POLICE RADIO crackling. He now feels something against his foot. He looks down and sees a CAT rubbing against his leg. He gives it a good kick sending it sliding across the floor with a screech. BOBBY Fucking cat. In the background, two teenagers sit at a booth. TOBY looks the part of a local, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. His hair is cropped close and he looks to be a senior in high school. His girl, JENNY, is nondescript, neither ugly nor beautiful. She is the kind of girl most guys would pass without a second look. Toby gets up from his booth and goes to the bathroom. After he is gone Jenny walks to Bobby. JENNY Hey, Mister. You gotta quarter for the juke? BOBBY What? JENNY I wanna play a song on the juke. You got a quarter? Bobby looks at Jenny, then picks a quarter from his winnings and flips it to her. He can't resist putting a little charm into it. JENNY What happened to your hand? BOBBY I cut it shaving; I know, I gotta be more careful. JENNY Got any requests? BOBBY That country shit all sounds the same to me. JENNY How about I pick one out for you? Bobby half smiles. Jenny plays a song. Patsy Cline's "Your Cheatin' Heart." Jenny takes up a stool next to Bobby's. JENNY You like Patsy Cline? I just love her. How come, I wonder, she don't put out no more new records. BOBBY Cause she's dead. JENNY Gee, that's sad. Don't that make you sad? BOBBY I've had time to get over it. JENNY You're not from around here, are you? Where you from? BOBBY Oz. JENNY You ain't from Oz. Oz is in that movie. BOBBY You're too quick for me. Toby walks back into the room. He looks at Jenny. He looks at Bobby. He looks at Jenny talking to Bobby. He loses it. TOBY No....No....No I'm seeing but I'm not believin'...Stop the wedding. This can't be. Hey! What are you doing with my girl? Bobby says nothing, ignoring Toby. TOBY I axed you a question. JENNY Aw, Toby, we weren't doing nothing. We was just talking. TOBY You shut your mouth, girl, and get back over to our table. (to Bobby) Now, I'm not going to axe you again, Mister. What were you doing with my girl? BOBBY I wasn't doing anything. TOBY That's not the way it looked to me. Looked to me like you was trying to make time with her. BOBBY Make time? Is everbody in this town on drugs? JENNY Honest, Toby. I just axed him for a quarter for the jukebox. TOBY Stay out of this, Jenny. We got man's business to take care of. I ain't never taken no drugs, mister, and ... BOBBY Then maybe you should've. Look, pal, I wasn't making a play for your girl. TOBY You expect me to believe that? BOBBY I don't care what you believe as long as you leave me alone. TOBY Mister, I'm calling you out. BOBBY What? You want to fight? Over her? Bobby looks Jenny over. FLO Toby, you go finish your soda and leave the man alone. TOBY (to Bobby) You know who I am? Toby N. Tucker. Everyone round here call me TNT. You know why? BOBBY Let's see...they're not very imaginative? TOBY 'Cause I'm just like dynamite. And when I go off, somebody gets hurt. BOBBY Fine. I was making time with your girl. Now I'm scared to death and I learned my lesson. Now can you go away? TOBY Not before I settle with you, chickenshit! BOBBY Christ, I don't believe this! TOBY Stand up. BOBBY I wasn't hitting on your girl! TOBY Stand up, Mister, or I'll beat you where you sit. Bobby sits for a beat. he doesn't need a fight with Toby now with his damaged hand nor does he need to be noticed either. He sits there. FLO Toby, you stop it now! Can't you see he's got a hurt hand? TOBY Don't you never mind, Flo. This is gonna be over real quick. Reluctantly Bobby rises, facing off against Toby, each clenching their fist and waiting for the other to make the first move. The tension builds. We see it on the faces of Jenny, Flo and the regulars. Just then the record on the juke ends and the needle scraches off. There is the crackle of a police radio as the door to the diner opens and SHERIFF VIRGIL POTTER walks in. The tension eases. Toby, mindful of the sheriff, steps closer to Bobby and whispers menacingly into his ear. TOBY You're lucky, Mister. Don't think it's over. I called you out and I'm gonna see this through. You hear me? (to Jenny) Come on, girl. I got half a mind to make you walk home. Toby takes Jenny by the arm and pulls her out of the diner. FLO My lord, that little baby of yours Virgil, has gotten cuter'n a bunny's nose. SHERIFF What was that all about? FLO You know how that Toby is. Thinks every man he sees is after his Jenny. SHERIFF More like Jenny is after every man she sees. FLO (to Bobby) You pay Toby no mind. He just likes to show off for his girl. Give him a couple of hours, he'll cool off. Still want that beer? BOBBY (tense, seeing the Sheriff) I'll take it to go. Bobby holds his hand to his face to cover the cut on his forehead. ED How's it with you, Sheriff? SHERIFF Already started out bad. Couple of bikers from out of town tried to knock over Jamilla's grocery store this morning. It was a real shootout. BOYD What happened? SHERIFF The old witch killed 'em both. ED Holy shit! FLO Poor thing. Is she all right? SHERIFF Sure, when the sons of bitches tried to steal her wedding ring. That's when she started shooting. Can't blame her. The ring was all Carlos left her when he died. Store's a mess. BOYD It's the desert. That's what it is. The desert makes everybody crazy. Ain't that right, Sheriff? People go crazy out here. ED Come on, Boyd. I've got to make tracks. That yogurt's got to make Santa Fe before it spoils. BOYD Dr. Pepper don't have that problem. Ed and Boyd toss a few bills on the counter and exit. Flo stands near the cash register with Bobby's beer. FLO I can't open off-sale for you, sugar. Bobby pays for the beer ($1.75). Flo opens the register. FLO Let me get your change. SHERIFF Flo, I'm just gonna help myself to a refill on the coffee. The Sheriff reaches around the counter for the pot. FLO You be careful now, Virgil. Just as the words leave Flo's mouth the Sheriff spills the pot. It shatters againt the floo spilling hot coffee everywhere. Flo runs over to him. SHERIFF Son of a bitch! FLO Virgil! Now look at what you done! Are you all right? SHERIFF I think I burned my gun hand! As Flo bends to wipe the counter, Virgil touches her intimately. SHERIFF (Cont'd) How 'bout we put something soft on it later? (a look) FLO (quietly) I could put some butter on it, hon'. (Her normal abrasive voice) It'd serve you right, you asshole. Put it under some cold water. Joe, run get a mop and clean this fuckin' mess up. While everyone is distracted Bobby notices that the register drawer has been left open. He looks around to make sure he is not being watched. Slowly he eases his hand towards the drawer. It gets closer and closer. As he is about to grab the money there, the cat - the same one he kicked away earlier - hisses and claws at his hand. Bobby jumps back startled. FLO Shasta! Now why'd you go and scare the nice man like that? Sorry about that, mister. Let's see, you want $3.25. (gives it to him) You try to have a nice day now, would you? BOBBY Sure, I'll try. With the Sheriff occupied, and the Mexican Jose mopping the floor, Bobby exits. EXT. PHONE BOOTH - STREET - DAY BOBBY begs on the phone. BOBBY Cici? Cici, it's Bobby...Bobby Cooper...Yeah, look, I know it's been a while, but I'm kind of in a jam...yeah...One-hundred-fifty dollars...That's a lie. I called you on your birthday..Two years ago...I can't help it if you didn't get the message. Cici, honey, I don't want to argue. I need you to wire me the money...Because they're fucking going to KILL ME! I didn't steal your CD's...Yeah, well where's my Mr. Coffee. Cici...Cici... Bobby slams the phone. BOBBY Bitch. Cunt. JUMP CUT TO: EXT. SAME PHONE BOOTH - STREET - DAY BOBBY is on another call, circling a local sports page betting line. BOBBY 73-11, this is Pluto. What's the line on Dallas? GAMBLER'S VOICE Pluto. Fucking deadbeat. We head about you. You owe "the commie" 13 dimes, why you tryin' to get in my office? Lose this fuckin' number. BOBBY Mike...Mike...you asshole. GAMBLER'S VOICE Mike who? (hangs up) Bobby, frustrated, clicks off. JUMP CUT TO: INT. MR. ARKADY'S OFFICE - DAY It is the kind of cheesy, temporary office one would expect to find in a Las Vegas apartment building overlooking the DOWNTOWN STRIP. MR. ARKADY, dressed in a silk suit with conspicuous jewelry, sits behind his desk eating lunch and cleaning his nails. SERGEI, his goon in a shiny polyster shirt, hovers over his boss helping feed and manicure him. These are the TWO MEN from Bobby's earlier FLASHBACK. They are dangerous in an endearing way. Sergei answers the phone. In the background is a very voluptuous female, obviously from the Middle East. SOFIA. SERGEI Da? MR. ARKADY Sergei, what are you, a Neanderthal? How many times do I have to tell you? You answer a phone "hello," not "da." SERGEI (nods yes) Sorry, Mr. Arkady.(into phone)"Hello?" OPERATOR(V.O.) I have a collect call from Bobby Cooper. Will you accept the charges? SERGEI Mr. Arkady, deadbeat Cooper's calling. Mr. Arkady doesn't acknowledge him. SERGEI He's calling collect. At this Mr. Arkady's head springs up. He snatches the phone from Sergei. MR. ARKADY (overly sweet) Bobby, what a surprise. I expected to be seeing you, not talking to you over the phone. INTERCUTS TO: EXT. PHONE BOOTH - STREET BOBBY on the phone. BOBBY I know, Mr. Arkadin. I know. I was on my way to you, it's just ... what a day I've had. I know I'm coming up with a highly improbable story, and I know you're not going to believe this, but this ...is... what happened. I had the money, I swear I had it. I was on my way to Vegas when my car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Mr. Arkady cleans his nails completely disinterested in what Bobby is saying. MR. ARKADY That's a shame, Bobby. A real shame. BOBBY And that's not the half of it, Mr. Arkadin... MR. ARKADY "Arkady" BOBBY Right, Mr. Arkady. And that's not the half of it. I got your money, and I go into this little grocery store in this hicktown to get something to eat and then... well, it gets robbed! MR. ARKADY ...And let me guess. This robber -- he gets your money. BOBBY No. Two of them. Two robbers. And they both get nailed... get shot by the old lady. MR. ARKADY The old lady? BOBBY With a shotgun! She kills both of 'em, and... and the money in my bag gets all shredded to bloody pieces. Not one bill is left alive. I mean, what are the odds? MR. ARKADY (beat, dry) Pretty long, Bobby. BOBBY Mr. Arkady, honest, I ad to beat it outta there before the cops showed. So now I don't have a cent to my name. I can't even get my car out of the garage. I tell you, Mister... (pause) if it weren't for bad luck I wouldn't have nay fuckin' luck at all, you know? (beat, waits) So, I was wondering if you could wire me a hundred fifty-dollars so I could get my car out of this garage, see? The bus depot here has a Western Union thing. And of course I'll pay it back with the rest of the money. MR. ARKADY(V.O.) Which you don't have. BOBBY But which I can get. No problem. Look, I can sell my car in Begas. Blue book it's worth 16 at least. I just need the 150, uh... Sergei looks like he's ready to pound heads. MR. ARKADY (pause) Where are you? BOBBY (hopeful) Uh...a little shithole in Arizona called Superior. About 200 miles east of Phoenix. MR. ARKADY (pausing, V.O.) Superior, hunh? Bobby suddenly feeling suspicious. BOBBY(V.O.) Yeah, if you could send it care of... MR. ARKADY ...Now, let me get this straight. Two years you give me problems with your fuckin' payoffs. Now you owe me thirteen-thousand dollars, you call me - collect - then ask me to wire you one-hundred-fifty dollars just so you can get your car fixed. BOBBY(V.O.) A hundred-forty-five would probably cover it. MR. ARKADY A hundred and ... Now you listen to me you deadbeat little punk: I don't care if you got hit by a truck and run over by a steamroller. You owe me thirteen-thousand dollars and I want it. I don't care how you get it, or where from, but I want it on my desk tomorrow, or I'll show you what real bad luck is. Sergei snaps a pencil he's holding in his hand, which goes flying by Arkady's head, forcing him to duck. MR. ARKADY Do you understand me you little fuck? BOBBY (snaps) Oh, fuck you too! MR. ARKADY What'd you say to me! BOBBY Shit I'm sorry!...you can't believe the strain I'm under. I'm just under a lot of strain here. There is a sharp silence at the other end. Bobby waits. MR. ARKADY Bobby, you owed me that 'bread' 4 weeks ago. Now you tell me you want another week. That's 5 weeks, Bobby. That's also 5 fingers, cause you and I know it's a finger a week Bobby. So you got balls. Good--now you come here tomorrow and you talk to me real nice and maybe I don't take the other 3 fingers you owe me, you see? Tomorrow -- and Bobby, don't make me come look for you, okay...have nice day. He hands the phone back to Sergei. SERGEI (into phone) You got that? -- have nice day (hangs up). MR. ARKADY The nerva that piece of shit! And look at you, you Neanderthal -- don't you fuckin' break pencils, you goombah! SOFIA Finger? What are you, a faggot? In my country a man don't pay we cut off his head. Arkady motions Sergei to come close. MR. ARKADY Get your ass down to this Superior, Arizona. Bring me this Bobby Cooper. I don't think he got the lesson. This is your last chance, Sergei. SERGEI Da. EXT. STREET - DAY BOBBY, desperate, stares at the bandage of his wounded hand. It throbs, holding the hand to his ear. We hear an OPERATOR'S VOICE: OPERATOR(V.O.) Hello? BOBBY Hello? OPERATOR(V.O.) Are you finished with your call? BOBBY Yeah. OPERATOR(V.O.) Please deposit an additional seventy-five cents. Bobby slams the phone against the hook. BOBBY Goddamn rat's ass fuck! Shit! Damn! Damn! Damn! He marches from the phone booth, past an old HARDWARE STORE. The phone falls from the hook and we hear a recorded voice: VOICE(V.O.) Thank you for using AT&T. In the store window, Bobby notices a set of garden shears for sale. EXT. EMPTY STREET - LATER DAY BOBBY walks a bit going nowhere in particular. Looking at his watch thinking of Mr. Arkady, he shields himself with one hand from the sun. At the side of an old building, in the bit of shade it throws, he twists at the beer cap which sticks and won't turn. Bobby tries again twisting harder -- too hard -- as the cap jerkily twists off, cutting into his hand as it rotates. Bobby yells in pain. At the same time the beer comes foaming from the bottle and spills onto his sleeve. The bottle slips from his wet fingers and crashes on the ground, emptying. He clutches his bleeding hand, pissed. BOBBY Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I hate this fuckin' town! I hate it! Do you hear me? (no answer) Get me outta here, please. I gotta get out of this place. As if in answer, a JEEP drives by on the main street. GRACE looks pretty hot up there in the driver's seat, her eyes, behind sunglasses, flicking over him but not acknowledging him as she keeps going. Bobby's eyes throw back his own hostility at her, but unfortunately she misses it, as he now notices -- across the street -- a well-kept building with the most modern decor and signage, reading "McKenna's Realty Co." He thinks about it, in a quandary. EXT. HIGHWAY/CAR - DAY In a rented convertible, we now see SERGEI racing across the desert. His jacket off, a man with a mission. He glances at his watch, eager to get to this "fucking hole in the wall" which is somewhere on this incomprehensible American map he holds in one hand. INT. JAKE'S REALTY OFFICE - DAY BOBBY squats, looking at a real estate model of a desert development. JAKE smiles. JAKE What can I do for you, lad? BOBBY I was hoping we could talk. JAKE Talk? About what? BOBBY About things. About your wife. JAKE Sweet Grace? What about her? BOBBY About what you said this morning. Jake shakes his head as if he doesn't understand. BOBBY You said you had an insurance policy out on your wife. Fifty-thousand dollars. JAKE I do. BOBBY You said you'd cut that up with the man who did her in. JAKE I did? BOBBY Don't play simple with me, Jake. You're a betting man. You want me to spell it out for you? I'll kill Grace if you cut me in on the money. JAKE Boy I think this heat's getting to you the way you're rambling on. BOBBY I'm not rambling. JAKE You're talking like a madman. BOBBY Well then, I guess that qualifies me for citizenship in this town. You're the one brought it up. This morning. In your car. JAKE Oh, that was just loose talk. Husband gettin' pissed off. I don't want anybody dead. BOBBY Bullshit. You wanted me to kill her. JAKE A man doesn't always mean the things he says. BOBBY You meant it. JAKE What makes you say that? BOBBY Because you're a slimy bastard who would have his wife killed just to get his hands on some money. JAKE And what does that make you? BOBBY The slimy bastard who's going to do it for you... (pause) You're a jealous man Jake. If you can't have Grace to yourself...well, you're not the sharing kind. For a moment Jake stares quietly at Bobby. JAKE Well, I guess I have what you call a love-hate relationship with Grace. BOBBY You love her, but you hate her? JAKE No, I hate loving her. I hate the kind of person she is. I hate having to tolerate the little "games" she plays. Like fucking half of the town behind my back and laughing at me. The bitch. She loved to play. She wants me to hit her and when I hit her she likes it. She tortures me. But she's family. She's my little girl. My baby. I couldn't stand to watch her eyes roll back in her head as she sucks her last breath, or to see her pretty pink brains spill from her skull. No. Not me. But you? You got the killing in you, boy...How much you want? A pause. BOBBY Make it twenty. JAKE (stressed, paces) Twenty-thousand? I don't have that kind of money. I won't get the insurance until months after she's dead. I don't imagine you'll want to be stickin' around after poor Grace's demise. Twenty-thousand; that's more money than I could ever get my hands on. BOBBY How much could you get? JAKE Maybe ... ten-thousand. And that's a maybe. BOBBY I need thirteen. JAKE That's a bit much. BOBBY We're not talking about buying a car Jake. We're talking about killing your wife. It's thirteen, or it's nothing. For a moment the two men stand silent. All we hear is the ticking of a grandfather CLOCK that stands in the corner. JAKE You drive a hard bargain, but I had a feeling you were my boy when I met you. BOBBY I'm not your boy. I don't like you. I got no choice but to do business with you. Let's just call this a nasty little marriage of convenience. JAKE Don't say that. I had a marriage of convenience with Grace, and look where that's lead... Well, looks like we got ourselves a contract. BOBBY (sarcastic) Do we shake hands? JAKE If you can't trust the man you've hired to kill your wife ...? The thing is it's got to look like an accident; that's the thing. If it doesn't, then it's no good. I won't get a dime, and it's my neck that'll be on the chopping block while you're living it up somewhere. BOBBY How do you want it? JAKE How the hell should I know? I've never had a wife killed before. Jesus Christ! You want this job, you con't know how to do this? I guess I should have hired a professional. BOBBY You want to do this yourself? I don't have to do this, you know. JAKE Be quiet, boy. I got to figure this thing. I'm thinking. It can't be done at the house. It should be... Jake walks the office thinking. BOBBY Come to think of it, how 'bout some money upfront? JAKE Oh yeah sure. Why don't I buy you a plane ticket right out of here while I'm at it. I know you... (then) This is what you do: Go to the house to see her. BOBBY (beat) And tell her what? EXT. MCKENNA HOUSE - LATER DAY BOBBY stands on the porch talking to GRACE through the screen of the front door. The look on his face is sincere. Hers is skeptical. We see the action take place as we hear Jake's V.O.: JAKE(V.O.) ...I don't know. Tell her you had to see her. Tell her you don't care if she's married or not, you had to be with her. Sweet talk the woman. A young buck like you must be good at that. Then ... maybe shift the conversation. Get her thinking about that jeep of hers. She loves that thing. Maybe the only thing she does love. She'll want to take you for a ride. BOBBY I know you're not surprised I'm back here, cause you can read my mind and all. She's not surprised. GRACE (seeing his new cut) That's some cut. I told you to be more careful. BOBBY Yeah, well I said I was an idiot. Whatta you say we get out of here, take a drive somewhere, talk... GRACE How do you know he's still not here? BOBBY Guys like me take those chances. Let's go. EXT. DESERT - DAY GRACE'S JEEP cuts hard across the desert. Grace has a wild, excited look on her face. BOBBY sits next to her looking somewhat nervous. JAKE(V.O.) She'll take you out somewhere in the desert. She loves it out there; ridin' through the red rock and the mesas. So do I. I guess we got that in common. She'll ride you out someplace quiet. Someplace deserted. FADE TO: EXT. DESERT - LATER DAY GRACE has stopped the JEEP on a plateau. BOBBY sits beneath its shade while Grace walks in the sun seemingly unaffected by the heat. VULTURES swoop above. JAKE(V.O.) There won't be anyone for miles around. Just the two of you and some prairie dogs. That's all. You can sweet talk her a little if you like. Makes no difference to me. Just put her at ease, make her feel relaxed -- then do it. JAKE'S V.O. ends. The scene is now synch with real time. BOBBY Are there snakes out here? GRACE They hear you comin'. They won't bother you. Just don't sneak up on 'em. BOBBY Doesn't the isolation bother you? GRACE Yeah, but I like the sun. I grew up on a reservation. The sun, the desert; they like a religion to us. Jake's the same way. He loves the desert. I guess we're alike that way. That's about the only way. BOBBY You love him? GRACE No. BOBBY Did you ever? GRACE Repends on what you call love. I grew up on a reservation. A patch of desert in the middle of nowhere. That's where they stick Indians, Bobby. That's where they leave us to die. My brother killed himself when he was 19 cause he couldn't take it anymore. There's no hope there... Jake was my ticket out. Mom and me. BOBBY Is that why you're with him? GRACE I let him think he was courtin' me, but I reeled him in like a fish on a line. I wanted him. I wanted what he could give me, and I would've done anything to get him. Is that love? BOBBY I'm guessing no. GRACE Yeah, I guess you're right. BOBBY I take it things didn't much work out the way you planned. GRACE I'm still here, aren't I? See this? Grace sweeps her hand before her across the expanse of the desert. The vultures are very much a part of this landscape. GRACE(CONT) All this nothing? It doesn't get to Jake like it gets to me. He says he don't mind being nothing but a big fish in a small pond. More like a little fish in a dried up watering hole. BOBBY You could leave him. GRACE I don't know how. BOBBY Walk away. GRACE It's not that easy. Maybe you can take chances; maybe you can wander around like some stray wherever you please. I can't. I don't want to be alone. I need to know I'm going to be taken care of. BOBBY You need a meal ticket is what you mean. Some guy you can latch onto just long enough for him to get you out of here. GRACE Is that so bad? It's not like I wouldn't try to make him happy. For awhile, anyway. I mean, I would ... do things for him. I guess I'm no good that way. I guess I tried to sucker you along like that. Do you hate me for it? I wouldn't blame you if you did. But maybe it's like you said: You just got to do whatever it takes to get out. BOBBY (soft echo) Whatever it takes. Grace steps to the edge of the plateau. GRACE I wish I was a bird. I know it's stupid. Every child says that. When I was growing up some of the old ones on the reservation believed people could actually change into animals. I wish I could. We see Bobby behind Grace. He stares at her standing on the edge of the plateau. He rises and walks towards her slowly, but with deliberation. GRACE(CONT) If I was a bird I would fly to Florida; to Disney World. I always wanted to go there. I'd fly to New York. Maybe. I guess New York isn't the best place to be a bird. I'd fly to St. Louis, then New Orleans, all over Texas. Then I'd fly to California. I guess by then I'd have seen it all and I could die. Bobby now stands a few feet behind Grace. She kicks a rock and watches it sail over the lip of the cliff into the nothingness below. GRACE(CONT) They say you don't feel anything. The shock kills you before you hit the ground. I don't know how they would know that. But I heard it's just like flying; straight down into the ground. I guess if it doesn't hurt it's a beautiful thing. Bobby tenses himself. Sweat forms on his brow as he stands directly behind Grace with his hands extended before him. They hover just below her shoulder blades ready to push forward. Suddenly Grace wheels. Startled by Bobby she almost falls over the edge. Bobby grabs her, her weight still going back. Grace's life is literally in his hands. She looks down at the ground far below, then up into Bobby's eyes. She shows no fear, but instead wears a curious smirk. GRACE Hate's a funny thing. Right now I bet you don't know if you want to kill me, or fuck me. Bobby hesitates, then pulls Grace close and kisses her with great ardor on the lips. EXT. APACHE LEAP - DAY On a blanket on the ground, BOBBY and GRACE make love quickly, hotly, her dress pulled up, his pants down. But Grace is troubled and pulls out, further frustrating Bobby. GRACE No...Stop! I can't! Her eyes withdraw into another dimension, as she hikes her dress back up. Bobby comes out of his own head, feels the distance between them. BOBBY What's the matter?...Grace? GRACE Nothing. BOBBY Don't feel like nothing. He finishes relieving himself behind a tree, puts his pants back on. GRACE Get out of town, Bobby, as quick as you can. BOBBY Grace, I've been fucked over too many times, by too many women. You're becoming the queen of hot and cold. GRACE You'd never understand. BOBBY Try me. GRACE It's just such a mess. With Jake I mean... BOBBY Nothing I understand better than a mess. GRACE (in great tension) Jake was with my Mom after my real Dad died. BOBBY You mean the Shaman? GRACE He was a Shaman...in the mine. We had nothin' after he died. Jake took us in, gave us a little money. He used to call me his "little halfbreed"... He kept Mom on the side y'know, cause he was married someplace else. He had kids in Phoenix I think, no one knew him around here...but the thing was...you see... (pause) ...he was raping me the whole time...for years. He loved to do things to me. Believe it or not, he used to say he was in love with my ass. Y'ever been in love with a woman's ass? The dominoes are tumbling for Bobby. BOBBY Yeah. GRACE You're sick too...he loved to do things to me. Control me. My Mom...it tore her up cause she couldn't do nothing about it. She become alcoholic...and the funny thing is-- I liked it. I liked being controlled by Jake. The truth was as far out and crazy as he got, I wanted more. I wanted to go all the way. Women say they don't want to be taken like, really taken -- that's bullshit -- they do. The first time he finished with me, he said I was a woman now. I was 14. Then he started crying like a baby...wanted me to hold him. It's a strange feeling to hate someone so much for so many years, but still want to hold him, comfort him... They found my Mom right down there (points) at the bottom of Apache Leap. She had cactus needles stuck all over her body and Virgil...Sheriff Potter said she was drunk and went insane. But I'll never believe she ran off that cliff by accident. She was born on this earth and she loved it. She was like me. She just wanted to fly away. Bobby is quietly stunned. A whole world has opened up to him; and he isn't sure yet where the story ends. There is some force at work here, beyond his control. GRACE After he got his divorce, he forced me to marry him...but when I saw her body, I swore to her on my sould that some day I'd get Jake for what he did to her... BOBBY I'm sorry... GRACE Yeah. What do you want. Life, right? (shrugs, stoic) Have you ever been to California? BOBBY Yeah. GRACE (as if in a dream) Is it far from here? BOBBY Oh yeah. It's far, it's another world. GRACE Is it pretty? BOBBY Oh yeah. It's beautiful, beautiful beaches. Blue water and clear skies as far as you can see. GRACE (like a little girl) Would you take me with you? BOBBY (pause) I wish I could. GRACE Please. I won't hang on you. As soon as we get there you can dump me. I don't care. I just want to get out of here. BOBBY Honey, baby, I can't. I can't even get out of here myself. Believe it or not, I need a lousy hundred and fifty bucks to get my car back from that crazy mechanic... GRACE Darrell? You know he and Jake are... BOBBY You don't have any money put away, do you? GRACE Jake never gives me more'n twenty bucks at a time, like a bird in a cage, he don't want me goin' anywhere... BOBBY ...you could get me money. I'll get you out of here. She looks at him. GRACE There's money. A lot. The words hang there, thick between them. BOBBY Where? GRACE Jake hides it. In a safe. In the floor. In the bedroom. He counts it. He loves to sit there and count it. BOBBY What do you mean? GRACE At night. He just sits there and laughs and talks to himself and counts it. I heard him. My Mom told me he had a hunnert thousand dollars down there. Maybe more. Bobby's eyes widen in hope. BOBBY In cash? GRACE Oh yeah. There's nothing else with Jake. He don't trust banks. He keeps the money in the floor right under the bed. He loves it so much, he wouldn't think of spending any of it on me. I never seen it but I know he's got more than a hunnert thousand at least... BOBBY One-hundred-thousand!? That son-of-a-bitch. GRACE (puzzled) What do you mean? BOBBY (ignoring her) If it's in a safe we'd have to get the combination-- GRACE It takes a key. He keeps it on himself all the time. I mean all the time. It scratches up against me when we do it. BOBBY If the key's on him, how do we get the key? GRACE Kill him. Spoken almost innocently, it hangs there between them. A silence. BOBBY I can't kill, Grace. I can't kill anybody. GRACE It's not like he's a young man, Bobby. He's had time to live. It'd be quick. I mean, he wouldn't even have to feel it... (seductively) I mean, sometime in the middle of the night, when it's quiet...when he's asleep, you could just come up behind him when he's pounding on me and... Grace lays her hands on Bobby, starting to caress him. He bristles and freezes with fear and disgust. BOBBY Shit! Listen to you... Are you crazy, Grace? He abruptly pulls away. BOBBY Jesus Christ! I think this place is making me crazy. I was crazy to come back here and see you. I'm crazy for listening to anyone in this town, and I'd sure as hell be crazy if I spent another minute with you. Grace rises, covering her nakedness, shooting a hand to his face, like she did when she read his fortune. GRACE But it's in you, Bobby. I see it. I see Death. It's in your heart. Let it out for me. Let it out... He's mesmerized. Then: GRACE Do it for me, Bobby, you'll never regret it. I promise you. I'll do anything for you. Anything. Bobby pauses, terribly torn. BOBBY I...take me back to town... He turns away, towards the jeep. Grace has a tone of desperation in her voice. GRACE You need the money, Bobby. It's a lot more than $100,000. A lot more. How are you going to get out of here? You need the money. Whatever it takes, Bobby, remember? Bobby walks past the jeep, on his way back to town alone. GRACE Where you going? I'll give you the ride...Come back! Bobby? It's three miles. Bobby doesn't look back. Her eyes drift backwards into her solitude. GRACE (to herself) Bobby?...Whatever it takes. EXT. DESERT/ALONG THE ROAD - LATER DAY BOBBY walks through the desert parallel to the road, still in a rage. Desert insects produce a cacophony of drones, buzzes, and clicks. A rattlesnake darts off a rock into the brush. A VOICE whispers to him. JAKE (V.O.) You've got the killing in you, boy. Bobby turns and looks around. Just desert. He continues. JAKE (V.O.) Next time you'll do just fine. BOBBY No! The screen burns a bright white. EXT. STREET CORNER - DAY In a news pot, further down the street from where he was first seen, the old, BLIND MAN sits with his dead DOG, speaking as if into camera, sipping on a Dr. Pepper. BLIND MAN It's the desert that makes you crazy. The loneliness out here. Nobody to talk to. People on the run. Trailer parks. White trash. I seen some peculiar things on a hot day. I seen a scorpion sting itself to death. It just keeps driving its tail into its body again and again. A little killer killing itself. Seen a coyote kill itself too. Just kept on biting and tearing at its own legs. Near tore one clean off before it bled to death. And what a white man'll do when it's freezing one moment, hot as hell the next. A man could get hisself killed just for rubbing shoulders with another (smacking his lips) kiss kissy kiss. Nice pussy y'see, see it coming. I don't know what it is about the desert. I figger it's sort of like putting a kettle of water over a fire. People is mostly water. We boil when it's hot. 'Cept when we boil the water's got no place to go. It just churns inside of us until we can cool off. If it's not too late. BOBBY is now revealed standing next to the blind man, and we realize the blind man has been talking to him all along. Bobby sips a Dr. Pepper as well. BOBBY You sure seen a lot for a blind man. BLIND MAN Just 'cause I ain't got eyes doesn't mean I can't see. BOBBY That a fact? Bobby noticing now all the little NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS that the Blind Man keeps around him in a sort of inchoate stall. BLIND MAN I can see just fine. For example: You're a young man who thinks he's got someplace to be. A POLICE RADIO crackles, Bobby tensing. BOBBY Maybe I do. BLIND MAN Or maybe you just think you do. Just another small town. One guy chasing you. You go big town. Just gonna have four guys after you instead. Kiss kissy kiss. It gets down to one thing -- are you a human being or are you one of those hungry ghosts out there never satisfied with nothing? Cause you gotta remember you can run just as far as you can, but wherever you go, that's where you gonna be. BOBBY I think I've heard that before. BLIND MAN What do you want for free? BOBBY You sure got a lot of philosophy, old man. BLIND MAN Seems like I do but only cause end of the day we're all eyes in the same head. And everything is everything. BOBBY What? BLIND MAN ...And everything is nothing too. BOBBY (shakes his head) Maybe one day I'll get to sit on a corner and spout wise. BLIND MAN Think you'll live that long? Bobby is clearly unnerved by this. Suddenly the blind man stands, pissed and powerful, sniffing the air with the police radio in it. As SHERIFF POTTER cruises by, glancing at Bobby shrinking. The car goes on up the street. BLIND MAN Cocksucker motherfucker! Cops. I hear you. Always sneaking around. Thinks I can't see him. Well he's right. Motherfucker. But that ain't mean I don't know what's going on around here. They're all cursed. Yes sir. BOBBY Who's cursed? BLIND MAN All them miners last century. Hungry ghosts, killed off all the Indians. Up at the mine. Earth ran red with blood, think I'm fooling around here. White sky was on fire. Grown men cried like babies. I saw a flash, then darkness descended upon me. They put me in the joint. Took my eyes. I cursed them. White people can't seem to stay away from Indians (grabs his bandaged hand, smelling the blood). You gotta watch where ya put your fingers. Pussy pussy pussy, Indian pussy. It sounds demented. Bobby, checking him out to see if he's really blind, walks quietly around him during this monologue and peeks over his glasses trying to see the blind man's real eyes. Although he thinks the Blind Man thinks he's on the other side of him, the Blind Man fools him by suddenly swivelling around and cranking a gob of spit into Bobby's face as if Bobby were on the other side. Bobby, pissed, wipes the spittle from his face. BLIND MAN (finishing) ...but they gotta know you don't fuck around with Indians. BOBBY I thought you said you lost your eyes in the war? BLIND MAN So now you're going to tell me where I lost my eyes. You don't think I know where I lost my eyes? I was there when I lost them. I lost them in the war. The war in the joint. There's always wars in the joint. Cause I was a code talker in the joint and in the war too.(sniffs) Mmmm, nothing like the smell of a naked lady. Be careful, boy. BOBBY Musta been some bad ass nuclear tests here in the 50's. This town's all inbreeding. BLIND MAN Well, people gotta get by somehow. That's the curse. The mines done it. All that uranium, plutonium, fuffonium, fuckononium, assononium, all that "om"! Everybody's got a mother. You don't rip up your mother. You don't rip up the Earth and take everything out. It's like the Cracker Jack box says, "the more you eat, the more you want...."... BOBBY I got things to do. BLIND MAN (offended) Oh well, go do 'em. You don't see me stopping you... Bobby starts to walk away. The Blind Man rattles his tin cup. BLIND MAN ...But ain't you got a little something for the infirm? BOBBY I'm a little short Pops. I'll catch you next time. BLIND MAN Your lies are old, but you tell 'em well. EXT. STREET - DAY BOBBY, depressed, is heading towards Harlin's gas station, passing JENNY sitting on a corner drinking a soda, almost as if waiting for him. She runs to him, and follows him, as somewhere a POLICE RADIO crackles and buzzes. JENNY Hey mister. Mister, I just... I just wanted to thank you. BOBBY For what? JENNY For defending my honor this afternoon. BOBBY I hate to bust your bubble honey, but I wasn't defending you. JENNY But you was going to fight for me. BOBBY I wasn't going to fight for you. I was just going to beat the shit out of your boyfriend. JENNY He's not my boyfriend. I mean, I let him take me out and stuff, but I ain't spoken for. Not yet that is. BOBBY Get it through your head, little girl; I'm not going for you. If this Toby likes you, then if I were you I'd marry him. You're not going to get much better in this town. JENNY That's what I thought until you came riding in. I saw your car over at the gas station. It's a cool car. Want to take me for a ride? Desert's kind of lonely this time of day. BOBBY How old are you? JENNY (beat) Eighteen... Well, I'm gonna be eighteen in two years, but that don't mean you can't take me for a ride if you want. BOBBY No, I don't want to take you for a ride. What I want is for ... Hey, you don't think you can get $150 from your parents, could you? From OFF CAMERA we hear TOBY. TOBY(O.C.) Mister! BOBBY Oh, shit! Toby moves menacingly up the street towards Bobby. TOBY That's right, Mister. You better be afraid. I told you it wasn't over, but you didn't listen. Now I find you sneakin' around with my girl behind my back. BOBBY I wasn't sneaking around with your girl. Would you please tell him? JENNY You're too late, Toby. We're going to get in his fancy car and ride off and leave you behind. BOBBY What the hell are you talking about? JENNY What's your name anyway? TOBY Oh, that tears it, Mister. I'm gonna bust you up but good. I'm gonna bust you into a million pieces and then ... and then bust those pieces up, and then ... and then spread them all around. That's what I'm gonna do. You don't know what you're dealing with, Mister. I'm crazy. I'm psycho crazy. BOBBY Yeah, I know. You're TNT. Just like dynamite. When you go off somebody gets hurt. (at his wit's end) All right. Let's do this. JENNY Toby Tucker, it don't matter to me if you beat him all up and knock out all his teeth and he's just drooling and bleeding all over hisself, 'cause we love each other and we gonna run off, and I'm gonna have his love child. BOBBY Will you shut up! TOBY You gonna pay for that, Mister. Toby and Bobby square off, sizing each other up and preparing for a violent confrontation. Just as the two are about to clash we hear the voice of SHERIFF POTTER from OFF CAMERA. SHERIFF(O.C.) Toby! The two men freeze in their tracks, as Potter drives up fast. TOBY Hey, Sheriff Potter. SHERIFF (tough) Toby, I just came from your mother's place. She's worried sick about you. She says she ain't seen you since this morning. TOBY That ain't true, Sheriff. I was home for lunch. SHERIFF Boy, I'm not trying to hear nothing from you except that you're heading home. Now run along. TOBY Yes, sir. Come on, Jenny. JENNY I want to stay. TOBY I said come on! Toby grabs Jenny by the wrist and literally pulls he along. As she goes she yells back to Bobby. JENNY Bye, Mister. Don't go nowhere without me. I wanna have your love child. Toby points a vicious finger at Bobby. TOBY Next time, Mister. Next time. Toby and Jenny exit leaving Bobby and the Sheriff alone. Bobby would also like to exit fast. SHERIFF Where ya goin'? BOBBY Harlin's. SHERIFF Get in. Bobby has no choice. He gets in. SHERIFF Seen you popping up a little bit of everywhere today. You're not planning on staying are you? BOBBY No, sir. I'm not going to be around long if that's what you're worried about. SHERIFF That's a nasty cut you got there. BOBBY Yeah, fell down and hit a rock. Not as bad as it looks. SHERIFF There was a young fellow over at Jamilla's today when it got hit. Way she tells it he got whacked around good by one of the robbers. BOBBY Sounds like it. I wish I could help Sheriff, but I just want to get my car and get on up the road. JAKE drives up in his GOLD CADDY. His windows whirr down. JAKE Everything all right, Virgil? He eyes Bobby. SHERIFF (a little nervous) Just fine, Jake. Where you going? JAKE I was just up at Darrell's. How's the wife? That little eskimo baby walkin' yet? SHERIFF Oh just fine. JAKE You haven't seen Grace around, have you? I'm looking for her. SHERIFF No. But if I do, I'll tell her you're looking for her, Jake. JAKE (looking at Bobby) Whatcha got there, some trash? He drives off. The Sheriff drives on. SHERIFF Peculiar, how things happen. A man's car breaks down. There's a hold up. People die and all that money -- and now old Jake out looking for his young wife. And then you show up... The Sheriff looks right through Bobby, who knows this is more than a conversation. He pulls up to Harlin's garage. Bobby gets out. SHERIFF Time's running out, son. I'll be seeing you in the morning... With this thinly veiled threat, the Sheriff drives on. As Bobby watches, feeling the pressure to get out now while he can. EXT. HARLIN'S GARAGE - LATER DAY DARRELL is cleaning his tools. Bobby's MUSTANG sits prominently in the car bay, washed and gleaming, as BOBBY walks up. DARRELL Hey there. I was beginnin' to think you wasn't comin' back... You don't look so good. BOBBY Yeah, well, I've been around the bend a bit. DARRELL One of those days you feel like you been runnin' in circles and you ain't no closer to where you tryin' to get than when you started? BOBBY You've been there? DARRELL Hell, I've had days I would gladly trade with a whippin' dog. Ain't much you can do when you feel like that 'cept tough it out. BOBBY You believe that? DARRELL You think bad, and bad is what you get. BOBBY That's a good piece of advice, Darrell. DARRELL No charge. BOBBY Listen, Darrell, about that hundred-fifty bucks for the car, as soon as I get where I'm going I swear I'll-- DARRELL Two-hundred. BOBBY What? DARRELL It's going to cost you two-hundred dollars. BOBBY You said this morning the hose was going to run me one-fifty. DARRELL Yep. For the hose. But while you was gone I replaced a gasket. That's going to run you another fifty. BOBBY I didn't tell you to replace any gasket. DARRELL Yeah, but it was shot. BOBBY I don't give a fuck! I didn't tell you to do it! You can't just do unauthorized work. DARRELL Well, now, you just know all there is about bein' a mechanic, don't you? Didn't you read the sign. BOBBY What sign? DARRELL The goddamn sign on the wall. I can't do unauthorized work? What am I suppose to do? Just let you ride out of here with a bad gasket. Then you get in an accident and get killed. Or worse. Who they gonna blame then? They gonna blame me, and there goes my reputation. BOBBY What reputation? You're nothing but an ignorant, inbred, tumbleweed hick. DARRELL Is that an insult? Are you insulting me. BOBBY Listen you stupid fuck, I want my car. DARRELL Listen to me you sorry sonufabitch. You owe me money, and this car ain't going nowheres until I get it. And if you take another five hours I'll find another fifty dollars worth of work to do on it. Is that clear? Now get out of here 'fore I call the Sheriff, who knows me. Bobby is in a rage. He turns to leave and walks a few paces. He sees a WRENCH lying on a table. For a second his mind reels, then he snatches up the wrench and turns ready to smash it down on Darrell's head. He stops cold. Because ol' Darrell holds a CROWBAR in a batt