☆☆41.
She puts the icepick down, pours herself a drink, turns tohim.
CATHERINE
How does it feel to kill someone?
He looks at her a long beat.
NICK
(finally)
You tell me.
CATHERINE
I don't know. But you do.
Their eyes are on each other.
NICK
(finally)
It was an accident. They got in
the line of fire.
CATHERINE
Four shootings in five years. All
accidents.
NICK
(after a long beat)
They were drug buys. I was a vice
cop.
A long beat, as they look at each other.
NICK
(continuing)
Tell me about Professor Goldstein.
A beat.
CATHERINE
There's a name from the past.
NICK
You want a name from the present?
How about Hazel Dobkins?
She looks at him a long beat, sips her drink, never takesher
eyes off him.
CATHERINE
Noah was my counselor in my
freshman year.
(she smiles)
That's probably where I got the
idea for the icepick. For my book.
Funny how the subconscious works.
(a beat)
Hazel is my friend.
☆☆42.
NICK
She wiped out her whole family.
CATHERINE
Yes. She's helped me understand
homicidal impulse.
NICK
Didn't you study it in school?
CATHERINE
Only in theory.
(she smiles)
You know all about homicidal
impulse, don't you, shooter? Not
in theory -- in practice.
He stares at her a long beat.
CATHERINE
(continuing;
quietly)
What happened, Nick? Did you get
sucked into it? Did you like it too
much?
NICK
(after a beat)
No.
He stares at her, almost horrified.
CATHERINE
(quietly)
Tell me about the coke, Nick. The
day you shot those two tourists --
how much coke did you do?
She steps closer to him.
CATHERINE
(continuing)
Tell me, Nick.
She puts her hand softly on his cheek, He grabs her handroughly,
holds it.
NICK
I didn't.
CATHERINE
Yes, you did. They never tested
you, did they? But Internal
Affairs knew.
They are face to face. He is still holding her roughly bythe
hand.
☆☆43.
CATHERINE
(continuing)
Your wife knew, didn't she? She
knew what was going on. Nicky got
too close to the flame. Nicky
liked it.
He twists her arm back behind her -- their bodies arepressed
against each other -- their eyes digging into eachother.
CATHERINE
(continuing; in a
whisper)
That's why she killed herself?
He is twisting her arm, staring at her, pulling her againsthim.
We hear the DOOR behind them. A beat, and he letsher go, turns
away from her.
Roxy stands there, staring at them. Her hair is up. Shewears
a black motorcycle jacket, a black T-shirt, and blackjeans and
cowboy boots.
CATHERINE
(continuing;
brightly)
Hiya, hon. You two have met,
haven't you?
Roxy looks at Nick. Catherine goes to her, kisses herbriefly
on the lips, stands there with her arm around her --both of them
looking at Nick.
He walks by them, opens the door to go, his face a mask.
CATHERINE
(continuing)
You're going to make a terrific
character, Nick.
He doesn't look at her; he's gone.
INT. BETH GARDNER'S OFFICE - DAY
He comes in. He looks like he's going to kill someone. ARECEPTIONIST
sits there.
RECEPTIONIST
She's on the phone -- she'll be
right with you, detective --
He sweeps by her into Beth's inner office. She hangs upwhen she
sees the look on his face.
NICK
Who has access to my file?
BETH
What are you talking about, Nick --
what's wrong with you?
☆☆44.
NICK
Who's got access to my goddamn file?
She gets up -- he goes closer to her; she backs away fromhim.
BETH
Nobody.
He goes closer to her; she backs away.
BETH
(continuing)
It's a confidential psychiatric
record, it'd be illegal --
She backs into a wall. She looks very scared. He comesvery close
to her -- puts an arm behind her to the wall.
NICK
Don't, Beth. Don't lie to me.
She says nothing, looks scared.
NICK
(continuing;
suddenly)
It's Internal Affairs, isn't it?
BETH
No, Nick, please --
NICK
(loud, hard)
Who?
BETH
(blurts it)
Nilsen.
INT. THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION - DAY
He storms into the big room. He sees MARTY NILSEN. He issitting
behind his desk in his glass-enclosed office insidethis big room.
About a dozen plainclothes policemen are inthe big room.
He goes by them into Nilsen's office.
INT. MARTIN NILSEN'S OFFICE
He closes the door. Nilsen sees the look on his face,backs his
chair away towards the wall.
NILSEN
What do you want, Curran?
45.
He goes to him, picks him up by his lapels, slams himagainst
the wall.
NICK
(out of control)
You sold her the file, didn't you?
NILSEN
(scared)
What are you talking about?
NICK
(out of control)
What'd she pay you?
He slams him against the wall again. The glass EXPLODESbehind
them -- a chair comes into the room. Nick isfrozen, holding Nilsen
by the throat against the wall.
ONE OF THE I.A. GUYS
Let him go, Curran. Nice and easy.
He looks back, sees two Internal Affairs men with theirguns drawn,
pointed at him.
A beat, and he lets Nilsen go.
He turns calmly and starts to walk out.
NILSEN
You're on sick leave, Shooter. As
of right now. Pending the outcome
of a psychiatric evaluation.
EXT. THE POLICE PARKING LOT - DUSK
He gets into his old Porsche. He STARTS the car up. GusMoran
comes up to the window. They look at each other abeat.
GUS
What's goin' down, son?
NICK
Nothin'
(a beat)
I'll be okay, pop.
They look at each other a long beat.
GUS
No, sir. You won't. There's smoke
off yonder on the horizon. They're
gonna want your badge.
46.
NICK
(after a long beat)
I got tired of being played with.
GUS
(after a beat)
You sure got real conclusive ways
of demonstrating that.
They almost smile at each other, then --
NICK
(almost to himself)
She knows where I live and breathe.
She's coming after me.
GUS
(after a long beat)
What is it you got between you?
NICK
(after a beat; to
himself)
I don't know.
GUS
Somethin', though.
A beat, and then Nick looks at him.
NICK
Yeah.
(a beat)
Somethin'.
INT. HIS APARTMENT - NIGHT
He sits in front of the TV, watching a lame sitcom. Abottle of
Jack Daniels is half-empty in front of him. Heis smoking a cigarette.
BETH
(behind him)
I still have my key.
He looks at her, looks away at the sitcom.
NICK
I don't want to see you, Beth.
He keeps watching the sitcom. A long beat.
BETH
(suddenly angry)
Damnit! Don't shut me out! You
owe me more than that?
47.
He goes to the TV, shuts it off.
NICK
I don't owe you anything; you don't
owe me anything.
(he looks at her)
We went to bed -- what was it? --
ten or fifteen times?
(he smiles)
It wasn't memorable enough to carry
any obligations.
BETH
(after a long beat)
Sometimes I really hate you.
NICK
(smiles)
Yeah? Well why don't you find some
friendly therapist and work some of
that hostility out.
(a beat)
But take my advice. Put a little
more life into it than you usually
do.
A beat, and she suddenly hurls herself at him in absolutefury,
trying to claw at his face. He grabs her, blocksher. They look
at each other a long beat and then he letsher go.
The emotion of the moment is gone now -- they turn awayfrom each
other.
BETH
(finally)
I'm sorry... I don't usually... act
like that.
Nick looks at her a beat.
NICK
How could you let him have my file,
Beth?
A long beat, then --
BETH
(not looking at him)
He was going to recommend your
discharge: a behavioral
disability. I made a deal with
him. He could review the session
notes himself. It was the only way
I could keep you on the force.
48.
She looks at him. He looks away from her.
NICK
You did it for me.
BETH
Yes. I care about you. I did it
for you.
He turns away from her.
NICK
(quietly)
Get out of here, Beth.
(a beat)
Please?
He goes to the Jack Daniel's, pours some more. She looksat him
pour it and turns to go.
INT. HIS APARTMENT - NIGHT
He is asleep on the couch -- the TV is on to a blankscreen. The
Jack Daniel's is mostly gone. The phone onthe coffee table RINGS.
It RINGS again. He wakes, picksit up, listens.
NICK
Yeah.
(a beat)
Okay.
He hangs it up. He sits there a long beat, staring. Helooks disturbed.
EXT. THE ALLEY BEHIND THE TEN-FOUR BAR - NIGHT
He walks down the alley. There are lots of police cars,flashing
lights, uniformed men, coroner's men.
As he walks down the alley, he sees Lt. Walker, Gus, andseveral
of the Internal Affairs men we saw earlier inNilsen's office.
They are standing around a Lincoln TownCar.
They look at him as he comes closer to them -- then moveaside.
He can see into the car now. Martin Nilsen lies againstthe front
seat. He has been shot in the head. Nick stares.
GUS
One shot. Close range. Probably
a .38 caliber revolver.
49.
Nick stares at Nilsen's body. They watch him.
LT. WALKER
Give me your gun, Nick.
A beat, and then Nick gives him his gun. Walker smells it,shakes
his head, gives it to one of the Internal Affairsmen.
NICK
(to Walker)
You think I --
GUS
I don't son, but I got the minority
opinion.
INT. POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT
He sits in the same room that Catherine sat in --surrounded by
four or five Internal Affairs men, Lt.Walker, Gus, and Captain
Talcott. Lt. Walker and Gus sortof sit back -- I.A. is running
the investigation. The samepolice stenographer -- the same plain
young woman -- issitting in the room who was there with Catherine.
NICK
Okay. I went after him. I lost my
temper.
AN I.A. MAN
Do you have any evidence that he
showed your psychiatric file to
anyone?
NICK
(after a beat)
No.
Beth Gardner comes into the room. They look at her.
AN I.A. MAN
We'll speak to you afterwards, Dr.
Gardner.
Nick gives her a look.
BETH
I'd like to sit-in if you don't
mind.
THE I.A. MAN
I'd really rather --
50.
TALCOTT
I don't see anything wrong with Dr.
Gardner sitting-in if Detective
Curran doesn't object.
Nick looks at her, shrugs.
AN I.A. MAN
Where were you tonight?
NICK
Home. Watching TV.
AN I.A. MAN
All night?
NICK
Yeah.
AN I.A. MAN
Were you drinking?
He looks at Beth.
NICK
Yeah, I was drinking.
AN I.A. MAN
When did you start drinking again?
NICK
(after a beat)
A couple days ago.
BETH
I saw Detective Curran at his
apartment around ten o'clock. He
was sober and lucid. I asked him
in my capacity as his departmental
therapist about his altercation
with Lt. Nilsen. He expressed
regret and displayed no hostility.
AN I.A. MAN
(to Beth)
How long were you at his apartment?
BETH
About fifteen minutes. I saw there
was no reason for my concern and
left.
She and Nick look at each other. He looks away and lightsa cigarette.
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