Colder Still By Penelope Prince

INT. CITY APARTMENT -- NIGHT Spotlessly bland, white walled, and emotionless. Its a fresh purchase, with unbroken cardboard boxes elegantly stacked about. JONAH (O.S.) Yeah, its stuck on all zeroes. IN HIS ROOM On his cellular, JONAH GERHART, 24, a prim and proper middle management type. Jonah is exceptionally normal, except for the fact that hes wearing a BOMB VEST -- RED CYLINDERS sewn into a flak jacket, and an OVERSIZED PADLOCK clamping it onto its victim. JONAH Is there a button I need to hit with a paperclip? No? Hold the one on the top? He squeezes a button on the top, and a RED L.E.D. TIMER clicks on. JONAH Fuckin madman you are. Alright, break the card. Gotcha. Jonah pops out the SIM CARD of his phone, and SNAPS it with his fingers sending it into the garbage Jonah checks himself in the mirror, and throws a BLACK JACKET over the vest. He zips it halfway, and shit... Its stuck. The zipper is completely jammed.

INT. APARTMENT KITCHEN -- NIGHT Jonah unsheathes a pristine CARVING KNIFE out of a new cutting set and takes it to his jacket. Struggles to pry it open... ...and the blade JOLTS up, slicing his jacket in two, and running right up the seam of his FINGER, splitting it like a hotdog.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: JONAH Bastard. He throws the jacket off, and reaches for a fresh white towel to clamp the wound. Thick blood begins seeping through... INT. BATHROOM -- NIGHT ...and the blood-speckled towel hits the side of the bathtub.

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Jonah flips open the MIRROR above the sink, his eyes locking in on a LONE BOX OF BAND-AIDS. Snapping the box open, he pulls out the last one -- one of those awkward BUTTERFLY BANDAGES. As he goes to tear open the outer layer, he rips right through the bandage. JONAH Son of a bitch. He slams the mirror closed HARD. Reflected in the mirror -- THE BATHTUB, filled to the tipping point with POLLUTED BLACK WATER. From which ARISES like Dracula a... CORPSELIKE SILHOUTTE -- A ratty tangle of foul raven hair, sunken eyes, porcelain skin. A fucking NIGHTMARE CHILD. Jonah TURNS SHARP, and SLIPS on the leaking water. His neck CRUNCHES against the sink, and then lands HARD on his tailbone sending his feet INTO THE AIR Like a bed folding together, Jonahs body COMPACTS into a "V" shape in the small space between sink and tub. And from the tub the sunken eyes of a dead girl peer over the tub at him... INT. ELEVATOR -- NIGHT TANDI EMHOFF, a feisty young lady dressed in thrift store drab; perfectly complementing her nest of dirty blonde hair slithering to her shoulders. In classic horror fashion, the lights do a slight FLICKER.

3. INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY -- NIGHT Tandi checks a note of reference on her destination. Apartment #452. the carpet. She finds it, and flicks her note card to

One knock and the door recoils open a crack. TANDI Mr. Gerhart? Or the person robbing Mr. Gerhart? Tandi pursues the knocking, tenatively easing the door open and herself into the apartment. INT. LIVING ROOM (APARTMENT) -- NIGHT Tandi steps into the center of the room, eyes running over the place -- lights on, undisturbed. On the reverse, standing menacingly like in the last shot of a horror trailer is THE GHOULISH TEENAGER FROM THE TUB, who well now give the courtesy as addressing as LAYLAH LOCLIN. LAYLAH Stop -- and dont move an inch. Tandi goes stiff, the words running cold down her spine. LAYLAH Because if just my voice sends a chill down your spine, youd really lose it if I came up from behind and went, Laylah playfully runs her bony hand along Tandis hair. LAYLAH Hiya. Laylah does a girlish twirl in front of Tandi, and falls softly onto the COUCH in the front of the room. TANDI Forgive me, Im here for -LAYLAH I heard you from outside. Laylah throws her messy hair back, showing her skeletal face and deep unsettling eyes.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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TANDI Jesus. LAYLAH You had a fair warning. TANDI Youre not contagious are you? She pops up and offers Tandi her hand. LAYLAH Im Laylah. Tandi shakes. Tandi. TANDI About Mr. Gerhart.

LAYLAH You an escort? TANDI Investigator. LAYLAH Police? TANDI Insurance company. LAYLAH Plan on fucking him in a different way then? TANDI Not tonight. LAYLAH I hope you wont be upset that Mr. Gerhart may be a bit predisposed at the moment. INT. BATHROOM -- NIGHT The two girls both peek their heads into the bathroom -- the splayed body of Jonah Gerhart lays face down on the floor. TANDI Predisposed?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: LAYLAH Well no one disposed of the body. Tandi cautiously creeps in, and takes her finger to the pulse of his neck. One. Two. Nothing. TANDI Youre not joking. LAYLAH I know dead bodies. Tandi spies the PADLOCK hooking the vest onto his back, giving a little tug to test its authenticity. TANDI Whats he got on his chest? Tandi rolls the body over,

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and sees the BRIGHT RED NUMBERS ticking away on his chest. LAYLAH I dont think hes keeping time with it. TANDI This -- this is a fucking bomb. Tandi is no longer drowsy at this point. TANDI Thats a fucking bomb. Did you...? LAYLAH He actually broke his own neck before I could drown him. But the bomb is all his. Tandi gives a blank stare in response to that nonsense statement. TANDI And Im going to guess you havent been very proactive about all this? LAYLAH I left the front door open. TANDI Fuck me. Tandi whips out her cell phone, and hammers 9-1-1,

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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OPERATOR (FILTERED) Nine-one-one whats your emergency? TANDI Listen, this is going to sound like bullshit, but right now Im standing next to a dead guy strapped to a bomb. OPERATOR (FILTERED) Maam can you describe what youre looking at? TANDI A ticking fucking bomb! keeping time with it. He isnt

OPERATOR (FILTERED) Okay, calm down maam. Now, can you tell me where youre at? Tandi looks to Laylah. Laylah shrugs. TANDI Apartment #452...? OPERATOR (FILTERED) Mam? TANDI Youll have to trace my phone. She hangs up and drops her phone back into her coat. Tandi turns to Laylah still just standing creepy and awkward. TANDI You havent ran out. LAYLAH He was the only one supposed to die here tonight. No one else. TANDI Well weve got about four minutes to make sure of that.

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INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY -- SUNRISE Tandi has strapped Jonahs body to an OFFICE CHAIR, and races down the hall -- Laylah at her tail. She mashes on the ELEVATOR BUTTON. The doors slide open. The most AVERAGE LOOKING GUY waits inside as the two awkwardly cram themselves in. INT. ELEVATOR -- SUNRISE TANDI One please. The man hits the button. The three stand in silence. Awkward... The elevator hits the third floor, and the man hops off nonchalantly. TANDI Listen -- Laylah. I dont know exactly what it was you were doing up there, and I dont doubt at one point I wouldve been doing something just as stupid. Except I knew exactly when to tap out. So when I push this idiot through those doors, Im gonna turn one way, and Id suggest you turn the other and run all the way home. LAYLAH Youre -- very nice. Ill make sure to remember you -- I do owe you one. The elevator hits the bottom, and the elevator door slides open. EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING -- MORNING The main doors burst apart -- and Tandi rushes Jonahs body out, screeching around the building right down an --

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EXT. ALLEYWAY -- MORNING Against the graffitied alley wall is a shrewd young man, who well know soon as DETECTIVE VERRAN, smoking and huffing out a toxic haze. Tandi zips around him, and lets the chair FLY down the alley, sending Jonah CRASHING to the ground. Tandi grabs Verran and flings him out of the alleyway. VERRAN The fuck are you doing lady? TANDI (panting) Bomb -- thats a fucking bomb on him. VERRAN Easy now, lets take a look at this. Tandi pulls him back -TANDI Its only got about twenty seconds left -And on cue, Jonahs body BURSTS FORTH with sparks and the whir of cheap fireworks and smoke bombs. More gas station firecrackers than a C4 charge. TANDI Oh. EXT. APARTMENT FRONT -- MORNING Tandi sits perched on the hood of an old car parked out front, having herself a smoke. In the foreground, several police cars have arrived and CAUTIONED OFF the alley. One of the detectives, a veteran officer all the way down from the look in his eyes to the greys in his walrus mustache, approaches; welcome DETECTIVE CHANDLER. CHANDLER You have a light?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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TANDI And a smoke. She takes out a cigarette, and lights it for him. CHANDLER Better than the rain soaked smokes I was pocketing. So how about this bomb of yours? TANDI Not much of bomb after all. CHANDLER More a prank than anything. Your friend couldnt even put himself into the hospital with those noisemakers he had on him. TANDI He wasnt my friend. CHANDLER You werent up there selling magazine subscriptions at three A.M. TANDI His mother died. Left him a nice inheritance on her deathbed. When the insurance people need someone found, I find them. CHANDLER Ironic given the circumstances; but not an answer as to why you were out at that hour. TANDI Spent all night in records to find his new address. If I couldnt get any sleep tonight, well, fuck him then too. CHANDLER Honest an alibi as Ive heard. Well, right now its too early for either of us to be putting our minds to work figuring what this jerkoff was planning, but down the road when I have to solve this bastard, were going to have us a sit down and recall up all the (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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CHANDLER (contd) particulars of what went on up there. If any of those particulars happen to come back before then, well He hands her a CARD with his number written on it. CHANDLER You have a car? TANDI I do at home. CHANDLER Well that goofy looking bastard you sure confused in that alley is my partner Detective Verran. Detective Verran will be your chauffeur for today. EXT. STREETSIDE -- MORNING Outside, a police car is parked on the side of the lonely morning street. Alongside it stands the cop from the alleyway, a slimy rat faced young man, DETECTIVE VERRAN. VERRAN Detective Verran. He offers his hand. Tandi rejects and already has her hand on the car door. TANDI West 32nd street, and Ill walk from there. VERRAN You dont mind the back seat do you? TANDI Have any homeless men pissed themselves back there? VERRAN Not recently. TANDI Whatever then.

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INT. POLICE CAR -- MORNING VERRAN Sorry deary, but were going to be taking a slight detour. TANDI Just let me out then. VERRAN Not a choice youre able to make. Tandi tries to open the door, its locked tight. TANDI Let me the fuck out. VERRAN Why dont you just sit back and relax? Tandi falls back and KICKS with both feet at the mesh separating the back seat. VERRAN Im warning you sweetheart. She KICKS it again, HARD. Verran mashes the breaks and drifts the car over to the side. VERRAN Listen here. Weve got about four minutes left to go, and Ive not got the time or patience for this. Now you can either sit down and wear that pouty face, or I can throw my coat up over this grate and pump in an entire bottle of pepper spray. Think that shit burns your eyes? Youll have fire ants crawling down your lungs. Tandi leans back and crosses her arms. EXT. ABANDONED OVERPASS -- MORNING The car grinds down a stretch of gravel towards the base of a long abandoned bridge, situated at the edge of a smog-choked industrial wasteland. Bastard.

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At the edge of the dark tunnel sits a car, one man sits on the hood, flanked by two others who remain standing. INT. POLICE CAR -- MORNING The car crunches to a halt. VERRAN Now, were not going to make any more trouble are we? TANDI How ever could you anticipate my plan to outfight four guys twice my size? VERRAN Thought youd have come up with a better quip than that. EXT. ABANDONED OVERPASS -- MORNING Tandi only gets her feet out of the car before she is pulled by her hair to the hood of the car and frisked by Verran. MERCIER (O.S.) Just a sad excuse to feel up such a pretty girl. Among the men waiting already waiting here, QUINTON MERCIER is a shark among the fish. Pomp and full of style, hes young, crisp, and sly. TANDI (to Verran) Too cowardly to admit wanting to grab my ass? Verran shoves her to the ground. MERCIER (to Verran) Are you finished? Tandi blows Verran a little kiss. MERCIER Vicious little thing you are.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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TANDI Mind offering me a hand? Mercier does, and helps her to her feet. MERCIER I admit I quite like you already, but youve made some extraordinarily unfortunate choices over the last few hours. TANDI And I only got in this assholes car in the last hour. The two other thugs, SPHINX and KNIGHT, both dressed in ratty oversized sweatshirts, give a chuckle. MERCIER Clever. And still not the least bit curious about why youre out here. TANDI Youre only going to tell me the bits you want me to know. MERCIER That is entirely too true. So how about I refresh last night from my point of view. I had a man to wear a bomb -- with the hopes of having someone to do exactly the thing you first thought to do. Which was? He motions Tandi to answer in. TANDI Call the police. MERCIER Call the police. And those police would scurry on over and evacuate that building, and have to evacuate one old man who locks himself up in all the way up in the penthouse of that building. And when that old man would breathe the morning air for the first time in many years, hed get to meet that bullet hed been so paranoid about.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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TANDI And on my end I just fucked the plan of someone I shouldnt be fucking with. VERRAN Fucking right. Mercier rolls his eyes disgustedly. MERCIER So, having left you with enough information to where I wouldnt be distraught having you killed. Mr. Verran there is going to give you a gun and Im going to give you the name Mr. Marble, the name of the man in the penthouse and the name of the body I will be hearing about tomorrow. TANDI Presumably, youll be killing my family if I refuse? MERCIER Whyd I waste my money on that? My best man gives a discount for doubles, so it would be just you and still Mr. Marble. TANDI Why even risk it on my back then? MERCIER If you fail and are killed, the police get to giftwrap their case with a motive without ever having the name Quentin Mercier come up. VERRAN (indicating Mercier) Thats him. TANDI (sarcastic) Thanks for that. MERCIER And if you succeed, my pockets dont get any lighter.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: TANDI Understandably. MERCIER So any questions my dear? TANDI Whats the address for the apartment again? Mercier and Verran look confusedly at each other. INT. TANDIS APARTMENT -- MIDDAY

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A messy claustrophobic place on the outskirts of the city. Tandi takes out the card Chandler gave her, and dials the number on her phone. TANDI Detective Chandler. Its Tandi Emhoff -- yes, the bomb girl. Yes. Ive happened to have a sudden jolt of memory, and I was wondering if we could discuss it. That sounds great. She hangs up. Tandi walks over to a coffee table in the room, upon which a brown paper bag sits, with a napkin she takes out VERRANS GUN. TANDI Shame if someone left fingerprints on this. INT. TANDIS ROOM -- MIDDAY Tandi hits her bed face down, and is out within seconds. As we slowly move back across the room, Laylah Loclin is standing by the door -- curiously poking her head in. INT. TANDIS APARTMENT -- NIGHT Outside the pitter patter of rain knocks against the windows. Tandi groggily staggers into the main room of her apartment.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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LAYLAH (O.S.) How was that nap? Tandi snaps awake. Laylah is leaning disinterestedly on the kitchen window into the living room -- with one had twirling and dancing a KITCHEN KNIFE on the sill. LAYLAH Come on, did I have to give you a warning again? TANDI Youre in my house. LAYLAH I owed you one. TANDI Then Id ask if youd leave. LAYLAH I can do that, I can; but you might prefer to know about the guy outside ready to blow your brains out. TANDI Lets retract that last bit. LAYLAH Name is Verran. Waiting in his car this second cradling a cut-down shotgun. Right outside this building. TANDI And you know hes after me how? LAYLAH A really unpleasant phone call with that cute young man you ran into earlier today. They couldnt believe you were stupid enough to call his partner. TANDI Shit. LAYLAH I can help you, you know.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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TANDI I appreciate the offer, really, but stabbing a police officer, or whatever, wouldnt exactly go to prove my innocence. LAYLAH I guess I have to drive my point home clear. Laylah throws her KITCHEN KNIFE right between Tandis feet, sticking into the carpet. She unsheathes a CARVING KNIFE from the rack and begins stepping around into the living room. LAYLAH I hope youre aware that my looks arent from bad hygiene. Laylah steps into the living room, knife in her hand. points with it at the one stuck in the floor. LAYLAH Pick it up. TANDI Because? LAYLAH So you can defend yourself. TANDI Youre psychotic. LAYLAH But not as much if I tried to make this point with words. Laylah lets out a SCREAM and CHARGES Tandi, Tandi dives for the knife, and LURCHES IT UP -SPEARING Laylah like a boar. She lets loose a light moan, and Tandi recoils back onto the carpet. Her pain turns into a grin. LAYLAH Now you know exactly who youre dealing with. (CONTINUED) She

CONTINUED:

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She offers Tandi a hand. Tandi takes it and gathers herself to her feet. LAYLAH I bet your brains just doing backflips right now. INT. TANDIS KITCHEN -- NIGHT Visibly shaken, Tandi sits at her small table in her cramped little kitchen trying to hold still a glass of water. Laylah doesnt help, sitting on the table and eyeballing her creepily. TANDI When does Verran plan to come up? LAYLAH Once the other detective comes up, he plans to get both of you. TANDI Is it too much to ask why you have such an interest in me? From her moldy jean pocket, Laylah takes out a crumpled note. LAYLAH This might help fill in a few blanks. Tandi unfolds the note and begins reading. TANDI I - its smudged. LAYLAH One of the unfortunates of hiding in a bathtub -- If you could read that, youd read the unfortunate (and poorly written) story of how a girl named Laylah Loclin drowned at a campground lake. A real god-awful cold mind you. TANDI Laylah Loclin. Thats you.

(CONTINUED)

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LAYLAH Thats me. But most importantly, youd read the little bit at the bottom that says if you dont resend that letter to five very unlucky people, Ill end up paying you a visit in the middle of the night. And likely filling your lungs with water or something of that ilk. TANDI Youre a girl in a chain letter? LAYLAH A very real one. TANDI And that guy last night, Mr. Gerhart -- he didnt send a letter? LAYLAH And I ended up paying him a visit. Stupidest reason to die, right? TANDI So all those things are real? LAYLAH Not every one, or youd everyone down hered be living the sequel to the black plague. TANDI You see these all over the internet. Thatd mean you have a few million people to kill. LAYLAH Somewhere around four million give or take. That means barring the apocalypse Im stuck from now til the end of recorded time killing people who skimmed a message they were taught was bullshit. TANDI So, am I next then? LAYLAH My situation has a catch. If I find the originator of that letter, (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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LAYLAH (contd) and me and me only help bring that man or woman to their death -- My slate, its wiped clean. TANDI And as an investigator, Im going to help you find this guy? LAYLAH Ill have no reason to intervene and save your life if you dont. KNOCK -- KNOCK on the door. TANDI Keep me alive, and Im in. LAYLAH Fair enough, and thats not him. TANDI Just one thing: out of every other choice, why me? LAYLAH Anyone else wouldve checked themselves into an insane asylum by this point. Tandi shoots her a grin. INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY -- CONTINUOUS Tandi cracks the door a friendly amount. TANDI Oh! Detective! CHANDLER Should you be surprised? TANDI I mustve misspoke when I gave the time. Chandler uses his size to push his way through the door and let himself in.

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INT. TANDIS APARTMENT -- NIGHT CHANDLER Its not like were going on a date. He sees Laylah, centered like a deer in the headlights, the kitchen knife still sticking out of her chest. LAYLAH Hiya. CHANDLER Is she okay? TANDI Shes Laylah. LAYLAH Oh, this. She pulls the knife from her chest, and a SPLATTER of oily black BLOOD squirts onto the floor. TANDI Were rehearsing a play. CHANDLER That was one of the guiltiest interruptions Ive ever heard. LAYLAH You just sit down and Ill take care of this. Laylah exits back into the kitchen. Tandi gestures Chandler to the sofa. TANDI Would you like something to drink? CHANDLER Id like to hear what you called me for. Laylah comes out and begins toweling the floor, Tandi shoots her a desperate look. And Laylah gives her nothing. Just a clean floor.

(CONTINUED)

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TANDI I remembered something unusual about last night. CHANDLER Im beginning to doubt that. TANDI How I found him, I think -KNOCK KNOCK at the door. LAYLAH Ive got it. Tandi turns and mouths: "Motherfucker". TANDI Um, that he might have broke his neck... trying to suck his own dick. CUT TO LAYLAH She peeks through the eyehole in the door, INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY - NIGHT From the window at the end of the hall stands the SILHOUETTE of Laylah backlit by the apartment lights. Right outside the door is Detective Verran, a SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN falling out of his coat sleeve. INT. TANDIS APARTMENT -- NIGHT ON LAYLAH She steps back from the eyehole. Laylah looks around her at the coat closet, creaks it open and pulls out a pair of OVERSIZED SUNGLASSES. INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY -- NIGHT The door opens, and Verran sticks his shotgun right in Laylahs face. She has no response. Stonefaced.

(CONTINUED)

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LAYLAH Hello sir or madame. Verran waves his hand in front of her face. LAYLAH As you might have guessed, Im visually impaired. VERRAN Youre blind. LAYLAH At least Im trying to spice things up with these things. VERRAN Im interested if youve got anyone else in that cozy looking place behind you. Verran tries to ease his weight against the door, but Laylah holds her ground with an iron grip. LAYLAH Only if youre looking for Mrs. Loclin, but because I dont recognize your voice, Id guess youd be looking for a girl named Tandi. VERRAN Thats a good goddamn guess. LAYLAH A month earlier youd be right. No worries, Ive got a paper written with her new address. No worries. Laylah slams the door on him. INT. TANDIS APARTMENT -- NIGHT Laylahs head pops back in just as Chandler is about to depart. TANDI No, listen -- just one drink. LAYLAH Dont go.

(CONTINUED)

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CHANDLER And whys that? LAYLAH Tandi forgot to give you your partners gun. Verran. CHANDLER His gun?

TANDI Yes, yes. He said hang onto it for protection, but right now everything seems good -- right Laylah...? LAYLAH For now. INT. TANDIS KITCHEN -- NIGHT TANDI The hell kind of bailout was that? LAYLAH The only one that would keep his interest. Get ready to copy something down. TANDI What for? LAYLAH You need to copy one of my letters. TANDI Right now? Laylah takes out the crumpled CHAIN LETTER, LAYLAH You want to kill the guy outside? Tandi grabs a pen off the counter. INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY -- NIGHT The door opens again, and Laylah quickly adjusts her glasses back on.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: LAYLAH Apologies, apologies. are.

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Here you

The letter she hands him is clearly longer than an address. VERRAN Youve got the wrong thing. He goes to hand it back -- but Laylah pushes it back towards him. LAYLAH Terribly sorry. Would you be kind enough to read what I gave you? VERRAN No. LAYLAH But if I dont know what it says, then I wont know where it should go and where the address might be and where VERRAN Alright. Verran scans the letter. VERRAN Its nothing. LAYLAH If you could be sure. Verran thoroughly scans it. VERRAN Just some bad joke chain letter. He crumples it and throws it down the hall. LAYLAH Ofcourseofcourse; I know exactly where the paper you need is. Just one second and Ill see you again. She SLAMS the door. On beat, the WINDOW at the end of the hall SLAMS OPEN, and the crumpled letter blows right into Verrans face. He paces over, and clutches on the top of the window.

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And TWO COLD HANDS pull him out into the night.