EXT. New York Street - Day
Larry, by the public phone, his face stricken, eyes wide with fright.
LARRY
(speaking into the phone)
Yes, yes. Yeah, no, no, no no -- I -- I -- I understand. I -- uh, yes, no. I'll be there. I'll be there. Yes.
I'll be -- I -- I'll bring your wife's body, she... In--
In...in the trunk of my car. Yes, I'll... I -- I promise. I'll be there.
He hangs up and holds the side of the phone box.
LARRY
I don't have his wife's body!
(thinks)
Bluff... bluff....
EXT. Street - Day
LONG SHOT of a street with iron works stretching above it.
Larry's car is coming toward us, and then turns into the dead-end street where the back entrance of Paul's movie house is located.
["Sing Sing Sing (With A Swing)" plays here, and continues under the scene. Jazzy and bold, and a little threatening, it accents the action. To listen on You Tube, you can Google it -- there's a Louis Prima version and a Benny Goodman version.]
Larry's car stops near the entrance. Paul is waiting for him.
MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT on Larry's car. He opens the door and gets out.
LARRY
Where's Carol?
Paul walks toward the car. He's got a gun in his hand.
PAUL
First show me Lillian's body.
LARRY
I -- I got it.
PAUL
(incredulous and furious)
There's no way she could have survived that vat of molten steel!
LARRY
No, no, I... I... I got...
PAUL
If you're not bluffing, where is she?
LARRY
Why are you so nervous? What are you so nervous about?
PAUL
Where?
LARRY
If I don't have her, why are you so nervous?
PAUL
Where is she?
LARRY
I got her in the trunk of my car.
PAUL
Open it. Come on, now.
LARRY
I... I got her.
PAUL
If she's not there, I'll put a bullet through your head. Now, open it!
LARRY
I... I...
Larry walks around his car toward the trunk.
PAUL
Come on. Come on!
Larry opens the trunk.
PAUL
Step back!
Larry takes something from inside the trunk, then closes it, but it doesn't catch, and floats back up. Larry walks over to Paul and shows him what he's got in his hand.
LARRY
No, no, I got her. See, if I don't have her, how come I've got her ring?
(holding up wedding ring)
I got her ring, there. This is... This is her ring.
PAUL
I think you're lying!
He walks to the open trunk.
LARRY
It's a... No, no, no, no. Uh--
Paul takes a dummy torso out of the trunk.
PAUL
What is this? What is this?
He throws the dummy back in the trunk.
LARRY
(sheepish)
I could never bluff...!
PAUL
What?
LARRY
I-- I-- I've lost a fortune in cards over the years....
PAUL
Listen to me.
LARRY
I'm -- not a bluffer.
PAUL
I'm going to put a... Get a...
He grabs Larry, who fights back. They struggle.
INT. Backstage room - Day
Carol, gagged and tied to the chair. She's rocking back and forth, bumping the chair around, wriggling her shoulders and arms, trying to loosen her bonds.
As she struggles --
Outside, Larry and Paul House continue to struggle. A light rain is falling.
Larry tears himself out of Paul's grip; Paul fires his gun; Larry takes off running -- with the wild jazz wailing in the soundtrack, we watch Larry run away from CAMERA, hightailing it into the movie house, his jacket flapping behind him....
{Manhattan Murder Mystery. 1993}
-30-
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