Night Takes You Script

TITLE SEQUENCE

INT. SEMYON HOUSE - BEDROOM

Frank and Jordan are lying next to each other in bed.

FRANK: How’d a water stain get there?

Camera cuts up to two brown stains on the ceiling above Frank.

FRANK: It rained maybe twice this last year. It’s like everything’s papier-mache.

JORDAN: Stop thinking.

FRANK: I don’t like being on a ledge.

JORDAN: Nobody gets rich on their own money,

FRANK: I never really knew what to do with it. Money.

Camera cuts to show the outside of Frank’s house.

FRANK: I see that about myself.

JORDAN: You always said you want lots of land.

FRANK: Yes, but you need children to leave it to. It’s never really yours. You don’t take it with you.

JORDAN: You don’t take anything with you.

FRANK: Just yourself. Whatever that was.

JORDAN: I’ve worked my whole life. Same as you. And not being poor is better than the opposite.

FRANK: My old man back in Chicago, when I was a kid… (laughs) he used to lock me in the basement when he’d go on a bender. Usually last the night. Let me out the next day. Thought he was keeping me safe, I guess. This one time, I was six - he puts me down there. I wake up and it’s locked. It had happened before. Anyways, so I guess he ended up arrested, I guess.

JORDAN: God, baby.

FRANK: Well, by the second morning I was out of food. The third day the light bulb burnt out. Pitch black in there. That’s when the rats started coming out. I dozed off and I felt a thing nibbling my finger. I woke up, it was, you know, chewing my finger.

JORDAN: What did you do?

FRANK: I grabbed it in the dark with my hands, I started smashing. And I just kept smashing it until it was nothing but goo in my hands. 2 more days I was in there. In the dark. Til my dad comes home.

JORDAN: Sometimes I wonder how many things you have like that. That I don’t know about.

FRANK: Ever since, I wondered: what if he never comes home? What if I’m still in that basement in the dark? What if I died there? That’s what that reminds me of.

JORDAN: What?

FRANK: The water stain. Something’s trying to tell me that it’s all papier-mache. Something’s telling me to wake up, like… like I’m not real. Like I’m only dreaming.

Cut back to the water stain. The cut to--

INT. MORGUE

Close up on Ben Caspere’s head and empty eye sockets.

CORONER: TOD between 4:00 AM and 9:00 AM morning of the 26th. Tox shows Xanax, alcohol, also had gonorrhea, for what it’s worth. Hydrochloric acid on his eyes. Burn pattern tells us he was on his back. Lack of spray around the orbital cavity indicates precision. Some kind of glass eyedropper, maybe.

Cut to Velcoro and Bezzerides inspecting the body.

INT. VENTURA COUNTY HQ - CONFERENCE ROOM

COMMANDER O’NEAL: He’s our body. I don’t see that changing, so why don’t you all fill me in?

STATE ATTORNEY DAVIS: Victim is a key witness in a state’s investigation.

POLICE CHIEF HOLLOWAY: What state’s investigation?

STATE ATTORNEY GELDOFF: Newly formed. We’re looking into various allegations made against Vinci in the papers.

LIEUTENANT BURRIS: Vinci detectives have been eyeing Caspere as a missing person for 2 days. We have the man’s house which was burglarized. You want to shut us out, we’ll continue our investigation autonomously. (gestures to O’Neal) So everybody can keep their little corners to theirselves, but, ladies and gentlemen, PD is solving this case.

HOLLOWAY: I understand Ventura. How’s the state have any claim here?

DAVIS: Our officer found the body.

INT. ELEVATOR

DAVIS (O.S.): This could get you out from under, Woodrugh. That actress bullshit.

INT. HESCHMER’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

DAVIS: You’d be detailed as a state’s investigator.

GELDOF: The Caspere homicide is your public investigation. Looking into Vinci PD is your confidential mandate. Gathering intel for a grand jury. This probe is very important to the governor’s office.

COMMANDER FLOYD HESCHMER: Say this goes your way. How’s it play for my boy here once the dust settles?

DAVIS: Everything shakes out, you’ll be offered a chance to remain investigator. In line for a state detective shield. We can wipe away all that admin hassle.

WOODRUGH: When this is over - can I just go back to being on the bike?

INT. MORGUE

CORONER: You can see abrasions on his wrists and ankles, lividity on his torso. He was bound. Upside down. Or close to it.

INT. COMMANDER JAMES O’NEAL’S OFFICE

O’NEAL: Attorney general’s office has concerns about obfuscation on the part of Vinci PD.

DAVIS: Detective Bezzerides, you’ll be primary commander of the detail. Secondary is gonna be a Vinci guy, Velcoro. Your DB was into a lot of LA County money. His house was broken into, so you’re going to Vinci. Vinci detective with you? Word is he’s bent. Work him. Leverage something to turn him. We’ll have a full state probe up inside a week. Caspere’s death is a window into anything.

BEZZERIDES: And what is everything, exactly?

DAVIS: You know anything about the city of Vinci?

EXT. VINCI - TRAIN TRACKS

A group of kids are running around in the sludge being dumped into the street.

DAVIS (V.O.): It started out as a vice haven. Early 1900s. Went industrial in the ‘20s. Pushed out residents from manufacturing zones. Worst air polluter in the state. Annually emits or processes 27 million pounds of toxic waste.

INT. MAYOR’S OFFICE

MAYOR CHESSANI: Reds tried to stop my grandfather from industrial rezoning. Same thing. Geldof’s been after us since we won the last EPA suit. It’s about money, Detective Velcoro.

BODINE: Caspere was one of the architects of the community renewal initiative. Passing legislature, our city gets to keep 75% of its county tax revenue for eight years.

VELCORO: And what’s that worth?

BODINE: About $900 million. Being kept from the county general fund.

CHESSANI: Hell, Ernst, it’s our money. Vinci’s a goddamn success story in a depressed economy.

BURNS: State’s gonna use the homicide to dig into whatever they can, Ray. Wherever the Caspere case goes, we need you running point.

HOLLOWAY: Control the sprawl. Control the flow of information. Dixon is secondary to you staging out of Vinci.

BURNS: You’ll be working under a Ventura detective commanding the task force. That clear to you, detective?

VELCORO: 10-4, lieutenant. Just one question - am I supposed to solve this or not?

CHESSANI: (laughs) Just no surprises, detective Velcoro.

BURNS: Ray accepts dualities must be effected to serve public interests.

VELCORO: I really do.

BEZZERIDES: Bound?

CORONER: Vinyl fabric. You can see the edge of the buckle’s imprint on both wrists. Tape residue.

The coroner lifts the blanket covering Caspere to reveal a bleeding crotch.

CORONER: Pelvic wounds are from a 12-gauge at point-blank range. Some kind of Super-X heavy load. Came after the eye stuff. Official COD is heart attack. Trauma-induced.

VELCORO: A coup de grace.

CORONER: Lividity indicates he was placed in upright position after death. Spent a few hours that way. Nothing under his nails, no prints.

BEZZERIDES: No trace at all?

The coroner shakes his head then leaves. Bezzerides, Velcoro, and Woodrugh exchange looks in the coroner’s room.

EXT. VINCI - TRAIN TRACKS

FRANK: His eyes? What the fuck kind of modus operandi is that?

VELCORO: Doc says it was hydrochloric acid. And a shotgun blast happened.

FRANK: Torture. Somebody wanted to know something.

VELCORO: Yeah, his house was tossed.

FRANK: Somebody’s making a move.

VELCORO: What? What does that mean? You knew Caspere?

FRANK: There’s deals being done upstate. A lot of money moving around.

VELCORO: What deals?

FRANK: You pull my string? Is that how this works?

VELCORO: Jesus, Frank. Not a smart decision, man. The more I know, the better I can deal with this.

FRANK: This is what you deal with. Caspere was important to this thing I have going on. I’ve got to clean it up now. So you beat the bushes until you figure it out. You ain’t no sheriff’s brownie. You’re a detective. Who’s your best informant?

VELCORO: Are you serious?

FRANK: Fucking hell, Raymond.

Frank and his man get in the car and leave. The kids that were playing in the sludge start shouting in the distance.

VELCORO (to kids): (whistles) Vaya! Vaya! Peligro!

One of the kids raises both middle fingers to Ray.

VELCORO: Yeah, yeah. That’s right. Fuck me.

INT. WOODRUGH TRAILER

CYNTHIA WOODRUGH: So good to see you. Why don’t you visit me more?

WOODRUGH: Just busy. The job.

CYNTHIA: The job. We haven’t had dinner in ages.

WOODRUGH: That’s why I brought you this, ma.

Paul hands her a bucket of fried chicken.

CYNTHIA: It’s too late for us to start all that now.

WOODRUGH: Well, you ought to eat something.

Paul puts two pieces of fried chicken on a plate for her.

CYNTHIA: Oh, I don’t touch bread. Peel that skin off for me, Paulie.

She sits down next to him and starts feeling his muscles.

CYNTHIA: So strong. I saw your old prom date the other day. She got fat.

WOODRUGH: I remember her. Couldn’t wait to have somebody’s baby.

CYNTHIA: She was nice.

WOODRUGH: She was nice to me.

CYNTHIA: (laughs) All the girls are nice to you, Paulie. You haven’t figure that out by now? Want to stay tonight? We can watch a Clint movie. You can have your old room.

WOODRUGH: I’m working on something. Just came to see--

CYNTHIA: Who is she, you scamp? You rake. You got hound’s blood. Just like your daddy.

WOODRUGH: I’m not gonna be around for a while. I’ve got to work around LA and the coast.

CYNTHIA: (nods) Special detail.

WOODRUGH: Mm.

CYNTHIA: Then stay. We can play cards. You can have your old room.

Paul goes silent.

WOODRUGH: You been getting more shifts at the restaurant lately?

CYNTHIA: Not with my carpal tunnel. I’d lose my state check anyway.

WOODRUGH: I thought Bill was letting you work off the books?

CYNTHIA: Oh, Bill? Don’t talk to me about that motherfucker.

INT. WOODRUGH TRAILER - LATER

Paul and Cynthia are watching a movie together.

MAN ON TV: Are you gonna give yourself up? Or do this the hard way?

MAN #2: There ain’t no easy with me. You know that.

MAN #1: Damn. I so hate making a mess. A lot of paperwork, you know? It messes with you.

MAN #2: Screw you. I did my time in prison.

The movie plays as Paul smokes a cigarette.

EXT. CASPERE HOUSE - DAY

An officer lifts the tape to allow Velcoro and Bezzerides to enter the house.

INT. CASPERE HOUSE

Velcoro and Bezzerides walk through the house. A camera clicks as they walk by the scattered portraits of naked women.

OFFICER: We’re listing contents against insurance audits. See what was stolen.

Bezzerides nods then starts looking through the place.

VELCORO: Well, somebody was looking for something. Would explain the torture.

BEZZERIDES: Maybe. Guy really thought about fucking a lot.

They both stare at one of the portraits hung on the wall.

INT. CAR

Ray taps on the roof of the car as Ani smokes an e-cigarette.

BEZZERIDES: Do you mind?

Ray stops tapping. He looks down at Caspere’s date book.

VELCORO: Psychiatrist appointments. He was seeing a shrink.

BEZZERIDES: We need to call every appointment in that calendar. Should check all those circled dates against his GPS.

RAY: Yeah.

The car drives by a group of people standing outside of a factory. Ani takes a drag of her e-cig.

RAY: You know you pull of that e-cig. Not a lot of people do.

BEZZERIDES: This day gets a day-to-day flux of 70,000 people, right? Where do they live?

RAY: I tried one once. It felt like I was smoking me. A real cigarette wouldn’t make you feel like that. Maybe it’s just too close to sucking a robot’s dick. I don’t know.

INT. FACTORY

Frank and 2 other men walk by the whirring machines and enter the factory.

FRANK: Caspere was my bank on this thing. My disposal company set this up. Chemical runoff. We took the risk.

JACOB MCCANDLES: And that risk afforded you the chance to buy into the corridor. But I’m telling you that buy was never made.

FRANK: Caspere had me down for 12 parcels below Monterey.

MCCANDLES: Frank, I can only account for what purchases Caspere completed.

FRANK: Are you saying that I--

LAWYER: Mr. McCandles. Mr. Caspere had effectively sold Mr. Semyon the land while acting as a short term holding company. All we’re trying to do is ensure the deal for our parcel goes through despite Caspere’s tragedy.

MCCANDLES: If you got this transaction legally documented, it shouldn’t be hard.

LAWYER: You know we have issues.

FRANK: If we had a fucking paper trail we’d be doing this through banks.

MCCANDLES: Well, otherwise, I’d say you’re in the unenviable position of being owed money by a dead man.

FRANK: That’s $5 million of my money.

LAWYER: Hold it. We were given to understand that our partnership was with Catalyst.

MCCANDLES: Had Mr. Caspere made payment, it would have been. (looks to Frank) And your name would have been added to the corporate charter for development. But he didn’t.

FRANK: How do I know that?

MCCANDLES: We’re not gangsters, Frank.

LAWYER: This is unacceptable.

MCCANDLES: Since Caspere’s remaining interests have been voided, I can provided you the same parcel. Same price. Seven million.

FRANK: The same? We were given 10.

MCCANDLES: Not by me.

McCandles walks out of the door to his car. Frank follows after him.

FRANK: Motherfuck. Motherfuck me.

Frank and the lawyer approach Caspere while he waits for his limo.

FRANK: We sold off our Vinci assets to put in with Caspere and… I went liquid for this deal.

MCCANDLES: What can I tell you, Frank? It sounds like Mr. Caspere was playing fast and loose with your capital. I can offer you the buy-in again, but it sounds like you’re short.

FRANK: I can get it back.

MCCANDLES: Find another stake, it’d be worth your while. Excuse me.

McCandles opens the limo door, gets in, then rides away.

LAWYER: Shit. Seven, he says?

FRANK: Seven’s the same as ten to me at this point. Can’t round off zero.

INT. CAR

Frank crushes a pair of eyeglasses in his fist then sighs.

FRANK: Am I diminished? Is that my message to the goddamn… My business partner takes my money, gets tortured and murdered, and what? I’m waiting on this Velcoro burnout to make like Rockford? (scoffs) Get everybody. Stan, Iver, his cousins, our Glendale people. Fucking Blake, wherever the fuck he’s been.

LAWYER: Frank, we can look at your remaining assets.

FRANK: I don’t have any fucking assets. The house and the poker room were double mortgaged. This was fucking everything.

LAWYER: That’s what you meant. Frank, why did you--

FRANK: Leave it. I’ll get it back. Every dime.

INT. MAYOR CHESSANI’S OFFICE

CHESSANI: That was maybe a month ago. September. Celebrated breaking ground on the Red Line extension and the imminent production of a major Hollywood movie. Big news for the city. And Ben had a hand--

BEZZERIDES: Could you tell us anything about Mr. Caspere’s demeanour at the party? Was he with someone? A date?

CHESSANI: A woman he had been seeing. I think. I can’t quite recall her name. Ernst?

BODINE: A Miss Tascha I believe, sir.

BEZZERIDES: He see a lot of girls? Enough that you wouldn’t know her name?

CHESSANI: I believe Ben maintained an active social life. We didn’t often cross paths that way. We only met over business.

VELCORO: You wouldn’t have any pictures from the party, sir, by any chance? Something to help us identify the girl?

Bezzerides smiles.

BODINE: Mr. Caspere was dedicated to his community.

BEZZERIDES: A community of 95 residents.

VELCORO: He didn’t seem distressed by anything last you saw him?

CHESSANI: No, just the usual headaches. County can’t forgive our independence.

BEZZERIDES: And you didn’t talk to him much outside of business get togethers?

BODINE: And cabinet meetings, occasionally.

VELCORO: Well, thank you Your Honor. That’ll do us.

BEZZERIDES: Do you recall what time Mr. Caspere left your house the night of the party?

BODINE: I believe around 11. Maybe 12. Around the time things broke up.

BEZZERIDES: With Miss Tascha?

VELCORO: Thank you, Your Honor.

CHESSANI: Thank you, Detective. I’d like to see this solved as soon as possible.

INT. WAREHOUSE

Dixon is seated in front of a bulletin board with Caspere’s name on it and boxes of evidence.

WOODRUGH: Got his train records. Phone calls. Don’t know if he had any of the lines, though. Starting to think he must have kept other accounts.

DIXON: Hey, kid, just save it for the debrief. Why are you here? You ain’t even an investigator, right?

WOODRUGH: Special detail. State owns the case. Found his lawyer, too. Had to hump all over LA for this shit. Oh, and this one fag, at the bank, tried like hitting on me. Almost clocked the guy.

DIXON: Yeah? Why would you do that? Hey, no trouble here, stud. Just leave me out of it, all right?

Bezzerides and Velcoro enter the room. Bezzerides is holding a folder, Velcoro has a box full of evidence which he puts next to Dixon. Ani opens the folder.

BEZZERIDES: His insurance had these forms. Items likely stolen from Caspere’s place, we can put out pawn sheets on them. (to Dixon) What did you guys get?

DIXON: The young man here, he got a dynamite anecdote.

WOODRUGH: Last withdrawal was 5 days ago. Nothing jumps except this. Once a month, $4,000 cash withdrawal.

Velcoro walks over to the forms Bezzerides is holding.

VELCORO: Let me see this.

Ray flips through Caspere’s calendar. Once a month, he sees a day around the 20th of the month circled, with nothing scheduled for that day.

RAY: These withdrawals seem to come around the time of these blank days in his calendar.

BEZZERIDES: Did you get his GPS?

DIXON: Yeah. Here. (hands her papers)

BEZZERIDES: There’s nothing on those dates. Car didn’t go anywhere. Says his Mercedes was a lease.

VELCORO: Well, that makes sense.

BEZZERIDES: Not city. Catalyst Group.

VELCORO: Why’d Catalyst lease him a car?

DIXON: (gets up) Maybe somebody should call them.

Dixon walks out of the room.

BEZZERIDES: You tight with him?

VELCORO: I’m not tight with anyone.

WOODRUGH: Can I pick up here tomorrow?

BEZZERIDES: Sure.

Woodrugh walks out of the room. Velcoro gets up.

VELCORO: I gotta go.

Ray starts walking towards the door but sees Ani is still studying the papers furiously.

VELCORO: What?

BEZZERIDES: These coordinates. They’re up North. Monterey county, Fresno, Gilroy. A lot of them on weekends.

Velcoro and Bezzerides study the form together.

EXT. SCHOOL

Ray slams his trunk closed and starts walking towards the school. He sees his ex-wife standing where he usually picks up Chad.

VELCORO: Hey. Where’s Chad?

GENA: He’s not coming.

VELCORO: What? Why?

GENA: You’re gonna ask me why? Really? You fucking prick?

VELCORO: What, that thing at the school? I apologized to Chad and it’s between me and him.

GENA: That’s not the end of the story, and you know it.

VELCORO: How’s that?

GENA: The police said that someone beat up Wit Conroy. Said it had something to do with a schoolyard altercation.

VELCORO: Well, I don’t know anything about that, but sometimes a good beating provokes personal growth.

GENA: It’s not like you know any other way, right? Goddamnit. Chad gets anxious when he has to be around you. Do you get that? Do you even see it?

VELCORO: That’s bullshit. I-- we talk, we build models, we write letters, I got him this recorder

GENA: And how many times has he written you back?

VELCORO: He needs me, all right? Even if he doesn’t know it. And if he gets anxious it’s probably because he knows he’s gonna have to listen to his mom talk shit about his dad.

GENA: You’re bad, Ray. You’re a bad person. And you’re bad for my son.

VELCORO: Don’t say that. You know me. We had something, and... What I done for you, things started to slip away from me--

GENA: No, you didn’t do that for me, Ray. Don’t you dare say that you did that for me.

VELCORO: I had a right. By any natural law, I had a right.

GENA: I came to tell you this in person. Richard didn’t want me to. I’m getting an emergency write for supervised visits.

VELCORO: What? No.

GENA: We’re petitioning for sole custody.

VELCORO: What? No. Why?

GENA: Because this can’t go on. It can’t. I mean, look at yourself.

VELCORO (panicked): You will not… no. Please, please don’t.

GENA: You used to have something. A decency. You were good at being decent until something happened. You were fine as long as everything else was fine. But then something, and you weren’t strong enough to stay decent. And now--

VELCORO: You won’t get away with it. I will burn this entire fucking city to the ground first.

GENA: I’ll petition for a paternity test, too, Ray. If you make me.

VELCORO: Don’t. Please. Please don’t. Don’t do that please. Goddamnit, he’s, he’s all I-- alright, I’m a piece of shit, but that boy’s the only thing I have in my entire shitty life.

GENA: I know, babe. Then don’t you know he deserves better?

Gena walks away. Ray starts hyperventilating as parents and their kids walk by.

EXT. PARKING GARAGE

A car bumper is dented.

MAN IN SUIT: Oh, fuck. Son of a bitch. Some asshole just rear-ended my car. Look you mother-- Ahh!

He is pepper sprayed in the eyes. Two men start beating on him.

Fuck. Son of… Oh, fuck.

IVAR: Next time, we put you in trunk.

Ivar punches him in the face then drives away. Frank, wearing dark shades, walks over.

FRANK: Jesus, buddy, what was that about?

MAN: Oh god, thank you. Fucking me.

FRANK: Why would somebody come after you like that, guy? I mean that was crazy, right?

MAN: I don’t know, they just--

FRANK: What did you do to piss somebody off? Can you think of anything?

MAN: What does that mean?

FRANK: I don’t know what that means. I’m asking you. What you might have did to get guys like that after you.

MAN: Wait, do I know you?

FRANK: I’ve never seen you before, but I saw the whole thing. And I wish we could figure out what you did. Like some kind of behavior that guys like that would have issue with. Like mouthed off or made a gesture, or you run a book in Vinci sweatshops.

The man looks up at Frank, panicked.

MAN: What? Is that what this is?

FRANK: Is what what what is? Is that what you think it is? It just seems to me like you’ve pissed off some serious people. Maybe you ought to take more care. Just a thought, pal.

Frank pats him on the shoulder then walks away.

EXT. PITLOR HOUSE - DRIVEWAY

Ray and Ani pull up to Dr. Pitlor’s gate and address the guard.

VELCORO: Velcoro and Bezzerides to see Dr. Pitlor. We called ahead.

INT. PITLOR HOUSE

A receptionist walks Ray and Ani to Dr. Pitlor’s room. They walk by someone in a bed with their face bandaged up.

VELCORO: You do surgeries here?

RECEPTIONIST: Only cosmetic. The clinic employs a small group of medical professionals who cover a variety of services.

INT. PITLOR HOUSE - DR. PITLOR’S ROOM

PITLOR: This is quite a shock.

VELCORO: Anything he might have told you that indicated trouble, enemies?

PITLOR: The reputation of this clinic rests on its discretion, Officers. Confidentiality.

He puts a finger to his lips.

BEZZERIDES: Your patient was murdered. He’s got no living family.

Cut to Velcoro.

VELCORO: Somebody burned out his eyes with acid, Doc.

Bezzerides gives him a look and he shrugs.

PITLOR: Well, of course I am willing to help. I would hope I can, at least.

BEZZERIDES: What were you treating him for?

PITLOR: A number of things. Neuroses. Anxiety. A painful past - like many.

BEZZERIDES: Guilt over what?

PITLOR: Ben had a weakness for young women. Paying for them, more specifically. He frequented escorts, although it ignited in him tremendous shame and self-loathing, which resulted in further damaging tendencies. Old cycles.

BEZZERIDES: How long had he been seeing you?

PITLOR: About three years?

VELCORO: Was he making any progress, his therapy?

PITLOR: I like to think so. His relapses were less frequent and he didn’t compound them with further damaging behavior.

BEZZERIDES: His habit, did he ever mention any girls by name? Favorite service? Favorite girl?

PITLOR: No, not that I recall, but I’d be willing to go back over my notes.

VELCORO: What about the name Tascha? He ever mention her?

Pitlor shakes his head no.

BEZZERIDES: Did he ever mention violence? Trouble with a girl, a pimp?

PITLOR: He was sexually obsessed, but he was not aggressive. More… passive.

Bezzerides looks to Pitlor’s desk and sees a mineral rock and other clutter.

PITLOR: That’s about as detailed as I’ll get airing Ben’s personal issues.

BEZZERIDES: This was helpful. Thank you.

Bezzerides and Velcoro get up. Pitlor takes off his glasses.

PITLOR: Your ID said Antigone Bezzerides. Are you related to Elliot Bezzerides by any chance?

BEZZERIDES: You know him?

PITLOR: I used to, a bit. A long time ago. I did some social theory with the good people. He had a daughter, I remember. Good lord, was that you?

BEZZERIDES: I left all that behind. It was a fucked up place.

PITLOR: Well, all kinds of secrets in the world. All kinds of truth.

BEZZERIDES: Five kids living there when I was growing up. Two are in jail now, two committed suicide. How’s that for social theory?

PITLOR: And the fifth?

BEZZERIDES: She became a detective.

Bezzerides and Velcoro exit the room.

INT. CITY HALL

Frank walks through the halls of city hall.

GELDOF (on TV): To curb public speculation in this homicide, it’s become necessary to announce that our offices are conducting a criminal probe into the incorporated city of Vinci in LA County. This investigation is long overdue.

Cut up to Mayor Chessani watching the TV. The door opens.

INT. MAYOR CHESSANI’S OFFICE

Frank enters the room.

GELDOF (on TV): And we ask all state and city officials to co-operate.

Frank walks to Chessani’s desk.

CHESSANI: Attorney general just announced a shakedown.

Frank drops a envelope full of money on the table.

CHESSANI: You’re not supposed to bring that here.

FRANK: It’s short 10.

CHESSANI: When you took over from Gene Slatterly, we established terms. Short wasn’t part of it, Frank.

FRANK: I’m pulling some things together. Adding revenue streams. I just need a couple of weeks. I sold the rent farms and waste disposal business to pull together the corridor money. You know that.

CHESSANI: You still owe the poker room kickback. Sell some of that land if you need to.

FRANK: Caspere died with my money in his pocket.

CHESSANI: I’ve had outside interest, re: the poker room. Think they can turn a higher gross. Higher vig.

FRANK: What outside interest?

CHESSANI: Just so you know. It’s a seller’s market.

FRANK: You seriously gonna bust my balls over 10 Gs? I kept this place tight as a drum six years. Who squashed the undocumented workers alliance? That hit and run? Your son’s face was so coke-dusted he looked like a clown.

CHESSANI: (laughs) Tony, yeah. My son, I fear, is losing his fucking mind. Like his departed mother. Some people can’t handle the deep trip. I fear he is a destroyer. In my day, you understand, it was about consciousness expansion, tracing the unseen web. Children are a disappointment. Remain unfettered, Frank.

FRANK: They closer on who killed Caspere?

CHESSANI: Catalyst is taking over his action. Everything’s happening. My farkakte offspring I will set up with a club in Oakland. Let him be a boy prince elsewhere.

FRANK: Whoever killed Caspere, they have my money.

CHESSANI: How’s that?

FRANK: The holding company is empty. The land was never purchased and I’m fucked out of my life’s work. Now I need a direction to turn, Austin. Or I may just start pulling down walls.

CHESSANI: That doesn’t sound like a smart play, gever. Innuendo is nobody’s friend.

FRANK: You’re not worried who did Caspere might be part of something bigger? Muscling in on the corridor. Secret handshakes and whatnot.

CHESSANI: Ben had his own charity, and what punched his ticket could have come from some personal pocket. Nobody muscles me, Frank. State attorney will get his piece, Caspere will get closed, the world will turn uncaring of our struggles.

Frank stands up.

FRANK: They turn Caspere, I want a tip. I want time alone with the guy that did it.

CHESSANI: You are industrious, Frank. I want to see you make it through this.

FRANK: Who wants the kickback on the poker room?

CHESSANI: Kickback’s an extra 15 next week, Frank. 22.50 the week after. You don’t come through then, I have to entertain other interests. It’s business.

FRANK: (nods) Sure.

Frank exits the room.

INT. CAR - NIGHT

VELCORO: Now this is making some sense, right?

BEZZERIDES: It explains his home decor.

VELCORO: Nine to one the cash withdrawal every month was a hooker blowout. Guy’s regularly in touch with criminal elements. Pimps, they break in, tortured him somewhere. Probably trying to get access to assets.

BEZZERIDES: I think it’s more twisted than that. What was done to him, that shit in his house. He’s into a lot of stuff we’re just scratching.

VELCORO: Well we can have Woodrugh work prosts, escort services. He’d be smooth for that.

BEZZERIDES: Sure.

VELCORO: You know that expression about flies and honey.

BEZZERIDES: Mm. The fuck do I want with a bunch of flies?

VELCORO: Well, you don’t have flies, you can’t fly-fish.

They sit in silence until they pass workers at work in a factory.

BEZZERIDES: What is this fucking place?

VELCORO: Suburban flight. Heavy manufacturing moves inland or overseas, plants close. Except here, a bunch of good capitalists ran in for cheap leases, tax incentives, immigrant labor, sweatshop economics.

BEZZERIDES: You don’t have a problem with that?

VELCORO: No. My strong suspicion is that we get the world we deserve.

BEZZERIDES: Why are you here? This place?

VELCORO: I did time in the LA Sheriff’s. I just needed better pay. Regular hours. I had a son.

Ray pauses.

VELCORO: They told you about me, I’m sure.

BEZZERIDES: Yeah, bosses said you’re a solid investigator.

VELCORO: I know you wouldn’t think it, but I don’t bullshit.

BEZZERIDES: What would you say if you did?

VELCORO: Can I tell you what you may or may not have heard, but almost definitely will hear about my busted marriage? Rumors have me killing this piece of filth hurt my wife. Same rumors put me in hock to a Southland mob. And if you know who to ask, you might hear I like to get wet now and then from a number of bad habits.

BEZZERIDES: Any of that true?

VELCORO: Oh, yeah.

BEZZERIDES: Which parts?

VELCORO: Bad habits. Never lost one yet. You?

BEZZERIDES: Oh, I don’t distinguish between good and bad habits.

VELCORO: What’s with all the knives?

BEZZERIDES: Could you do this job if everyone you encountered could physically overpower you. I mean, forget police work, no man could walk around like that without going nuts.

VELCORO: So they’re equalizers. Makes sense.

BEZZERIDES: No, I’d still them if I wasn’t on the job. Fundamental difference between the sexes is that one of them can kill the other with their bare hands. Man of any size lays hands on me, he’s gonna bleed out in under a minute.

VELCORO: Well, just so you know, I support feminism. Mostly by having body image issues.

A beat.

VELCORO: What’s that thing Pitlor mentioned? Your dad, the Good People?

BEZZERIDES: It was, like, this commune around Guerneville in the late ‘70s, ‘80s. Hippie shit.

VELCORO: You had to look out for yourself, huh?

Bezzerides takes a turn then starts pulling over.

BEZZERIDES: That’s you.

Ani comes to a stop at Ray’s place and lets Ray out. Ray starts walking away then turns back.

VELCORO: Look, I’m trying to effect transparency between us. The reason being… I don’t know if you know this, but us, the investigation, I don’t think it’s supposed to work.

BEZZERIDES: Why is that?

VELCORO: State attorney’s investigation. They must have tapped you. You know, the kid, too. Why wouldn’t they have a team of state jury investigators working Vinci instead of just you and the kid. Why wouldn’t the SA do a full court press on this?

BEZZERIDES: (sighs) You want honest? Tell me, how compromised are you?

Ray gives her a long look but says nothing.

VELCORO: Anyways, good night.

Ray walks to his house. Bezzerides pulls out of the driveway.

INT. BEDROOM

EMILY: What is it? Why didn’t you tell me?

She hands Paul her tablet.

WOODRUGH: What the fuck.

Paul checks the tablet and sees a headline “CHP Elicits Sex For Letting Lacey Lindel Off?”

EMILY: Hmm?

WOODRUGH: ‘Cause that right there is a bunch of unbridled bullshit. You read about the girl. Goes to jail for one more fuck up, tries to say I did something wrong. That’s it.

EMILY: Then why didn’t you tell me?

WOODRUGH: ‘Cause I don’t want to think about it.

EMILY: Are you gonna lose your job?

WOODRUGH: No. I got a new placement through the state’s attorney. I’m gonna be a detective after.

EMILY: Listen, this paper talks about you being in this Black Mountain Security thing.

WOODRUGH: I told you, I don’t talk about the desert.

EMILY: But this Black Mountain Security, they did things, bad--

Paul gestures for her to be quiet then heads to the bathroom.

EMILY: So that’s it? You’re just taking off?

WOODRUGH: Come on. I just told you I gotta go to LA to work for a while. Special detail. Special investigator. That’s it.

EMILY: God, you smell like a bar rag. They say vodka don’t smell but that’s bullshit. You smell just like my uncle.

WOODRUGH: I gotta go.

EMILY: Mhm?

WOODRUGH: That’s it.

EMILY: And you apartment?

WOODRUGH: Still there, Em.

EMILY: What are you doing? I can’t do this anymore. I tried.

WOODRUGH: It’s work. It’s a good thing, Em.

EMILY: No. You barely talk. I don’t know your family. You don’t want to know mine. Who are you?

WOODRUGH: Oh, fuck off. Who the fuck am I supposed to be.

EMILY: I don’t know who you’re supposed to be. Jesus Christ. Yeah, fuck off. Go! God, whatever happened to you, I can’t fix it.

WOODRUGH: There’s nothing wrong with me. I’ll call you this weekend.

EMILY: Don’t. I don’t want to hear from you, Paul. You can’t give me more than this. You’re not… You’re not right. Sometimes I’m with you and I can tell that… fuck it.

WOODRUGH: I gotta go.

EMILY: Don’t come back.

WOODRUGH: It’s on you, not me.

Paul starts walking towards the door.

EMILY: I can’t see you again, Paul. You hurt me seeing you.

WOODRUGH: You’re doing this. This isn’t me doing this. This isn’t me.

Paul exits the house.

INT. CLUB

Frank walks through a dimly lit club. A man motions him towards the VIP lounge and a bouncer lets him in.

DANNY: Frank! Surprised you’re visiting this pit you stuck me with. It’s hard work up in here!

FRANK: I gotta say, being back in here, I don’t miss it. Seems like a headache looking back.

DANNY: Fucking right it’s a headache. Vendors, purchase orders, licenses. Every one of these bitches think this is “Pretty Woman.”

FRANK: I need to know if any of your girls knew a guy liked young trim.

INT. CLUB - LATER

Frank shows a picture of Caspere to one of the escorts.

ESCORT: Maybe about a month ago. He booked a date at his place.

FRANK: In Vinci? The big house?

ESCORT: No. This place small. In Hollywood. Took-over home.

FRANK: You remember where it was?

DANNY: Go ahead, girl. Speak.

ESCORT: I’ll write them down. Danny says you pay attention to streets, always know where you are.

FRANK: This guy, he do anything scary? Anything might have pissed somebody off?

ESCORT: No. He kind of… weak, you say? Just want to watch.

FRANK: Write it down where you met him.

DANNY: I hope this goodwill does not go unnoticed on your part, Frank. Everybody needs friends, see?

Danny smiles and reveals his grills read “FUCK YOU.” Frank smiles.

INT. BEZZERIDES HOUSE - LIVING ROOM

Ani talks on the phone while she surfs on her laptop.

MAN (over phone): This is Hollywood Division Vice Squad. Please leave your message after the beep and we’ll get back to you. (beep)

BEZZERIDES (over phone): This is Detective Bezzerides with state police detail 93009. I was hoping to speak with a vice detective--

The phone beeps.

WOMAN (over phone): If you are satisfied with your message, press one.

Ani presses one then hangs up. She starts surfing on her laptop. She ends up on a website called Cali Angels, with an ad promising “Cali Angels for Any Taste or Need.” She scrolls down the page, sees pictures of naked women, then clicks and starts watching a porn video. Her phone rings and she answers it.

BEZZERIDES: Yeah?

ELVIS: Yo, you remember that missing girl? I talked to her old roomate. Said Vera last called her a couple months ago. Asked if anybody had come around looking for her. I checked her phone records and a call came from a Guerneville address. How’s it going down there?

BEZZERIDES: It’s a pain in the ass, you know? Not much so far. It might be a hooker job, some pimp. Let me let you go. Catch up tomorrow?

ELVIS: Sure.

BEZZERIDES: Bye.

Ani hangs up then goes back to staring intently at the porn video.

EXT. BALCONY - NIGHT

Woodrugh watches a group of girls running down the street. A car pulls over across the street and lets a man out. Woodrugh takes a sip of beer and stares at the man.

INT. RESTAURANT - NIGHT

SINGER: “You were a loner. You were alive. Among the walking dead. He was a liar. Would not atone. Still leaving tonight…”

Frank sits down in the booth across Ray and hands him a piece of paper.

FRANK: How’s that for detecting? Caspere had another house. Place he brought girls.

VELCORO: You check it out?

FRANK: No. I don’t want to go near it. And my people ain’t exactly proficient in evidence handling. Figured you go in as police, see what I might need to know. Grab anything that pushed towards Caspere’s dealing with land purchases.

VELCORO: Yeah, what’s going on with that?

FRANK: Money. Place is about to be worth a whole lot more.

VELCORO: This is Hollywood.

FRANK: So? Listen, I’ve been wanting to ask you, things shake out like I expect, this time next year you might be Chief of PD -- Vinci. How’d that be?

VELCORO: Chief? I don’t want that, Frank.

FRANK: Did I ask you if you want that? What’s up with you, huh? I’m lining stuff up for you here. That job pays $300K a year. You could hire a hell of a family lawyer for that. That. Right there.

VELCORO: You remember how we got together?

FRANK: I remember you dumping a body.

VELCORO: The reasons for all this, all that, might not exist for me anymore. You see? I got no reason to keep at this.

FRANK: Meaning you’d consider life in prison, what, a positive?

VELCORO: No, I ain’t saying that either.

FRANK: What, you have some other options here I’m not privy to.

VELCORO: Everybody’s got the one option, you want it bad enough.

Frank shakes his head.

FRANK: You used to be a hard man.

VELCORO: I’m tired.

FRANK: Then get some sleep. After you check the place out. Get back to me. And Ray…

Frank places a stack of dollar bills on the table then gets up.

FRANK: I don’t want to hear you talk like that again.

Frank leaves the restaurant. The waitress with the scarred face walks to Ray’s table.

WAITRESS: You want another beer, Ray?

RAY: No, I… I gotta take off I guess.

Ray starts finishing his beer.

WAITRESS: He’s keeping you busy.

RAY: Yes ma’am.

She sits down at the booth across from him.

WAITRESS: You ought to take some time. A vacation. Have you ever been to San Miguel de Allende.

RAY: No.

WAITRESS: That’s where I’m from. Mountains, waterfalls, this plaza.

RAY: That sounds really nice.

WAITRESS: Maybe I could show it to you sometime.

RAY: I think the only way I get a vacation is if I croak.

WAITRESS: You should get another job, then.

RAY: It’s too late for that, darling. That and about a million other things.

Ray gets up.

WAITRESS: Your money.

RAY: That’s not mine.

Ray walks away.

SINGER: “I love you baby like a miner loves gold. And this way you’ll never grow old. The noose recovered. Church and worms.

EXT. CASPERE HOUSE - NIGHT

Ray gets out of his car and walks to the door.

INT. CASPERE HOUSE - NIGHT

Ray enters the house. The faucet is dripping and sink is overflowing. “I Pity The Fool” is playing in the background.

Ray turns the light on and inspects the house. He opens a door to find electronic equipment. It starts clicking and Ray exits the room. As he turns, a figure appears in the background and shoots Ray in the chest with a shotgun from a distance. Ray writhes on the floor, and a man with a raven’s mask walks up to his body and shoots him in the chest point blank.

END EPISODE