ACT THREE
FADE IN:
INT. BALLISTICS/POLICE HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT
SOUND of a gun BLAST, REVEAL WESTMORELAND MAXWELL test firing
Jim's revolver. REVEAL PEMBLETON, BAYLISS and Assistant
State's Attorney ED DANVERS watching. MAXWELL approaches
them.
MAXWELL
The bullet that killed Hikmet
Gersel was definitely fired from
this gun.
BAYLISS
We already knew that.
(to PEMBLETON)
Or are you thinking that Jim shot
the kid then switched guns?
Surrendered a different gun? What
kind of case are you trying to
build here?
PEMBLETON
Bayliss, why don't you go break
some more windows.
(to DANVERS)
Does he have to be here?
DANVERS
I don't think we're compromising
anything by his presence. Go on.
PEMBLETON
Okay. Theoretically,a woman can
lead a man on, go up to his room,
take off her clothes, jump into bed
-- it becomes rape the moment she
says stop. Jim may have feared for
his life at some point during the
confrontation, but he wasn't afraid
at the moment he fired the fatal
bullet.
BAYLISS
He made a bad judgment call.
You're gonna crucify him for making
a mistake?
PEMBLETON
This is more than a bad judgment
call. He killed Gersel for some
other reason.
DANVERS
What other reason?
PEMBLETON
I think it's racially motivated.
BAYLISS
Why does that not surprise me,
Frank? Why am I not stunned that
you've unearthed yet another racial
injustice?
PEMBLETON
I guess you know me too well, Tim.
BAYLISS
Danvers, will you put a stop to
this nonsense?
DANVERS
I could deem the incident
accidental, a misunderstanding
established by circumstances. I
could decide that the suspect not
be charged. But I'm not sure I
should take on the burden of
determination... I'm going to
recommend we go before a Grand Jury
--
BAYLISS
On what charge?
DANVERS
Manslaugter.
BAYLISS
What? Why?
DANVERS
Because you're a cop. Because your
cousin's white. I don't want it to
look like we're showing any
favoritism.
BAYLISS
Oh, I see. In an effort not to
show favoritism, Jim's being overly
prosecuted.
BAYLISS walks away. On DANVERS, turning to PEMBLETON,
CUT TO:
INT. HOLDING CELL/POLICE HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT
JIM sits, cramped together with two PRISONERS. BAYLISS
enters, followed by TURNKEY, who opens cell door.
JIM
Man, I'm glad this is all over.
BAYLISS
Jim... It's a lot of bull, but
there are some unanswered questions
--
JIM
What're you talking about?
BAYLISS
The State's Attorney is putting the
case before a Grand Jury.
JIM
You're not serious. I thought the
creep was going to hurt my wife --
BAYLISS
What can I say? Everybody's trying
to cover themselves.
JIM
Jeez...
BAYLISS
C'mon, we'll talk about this on the
ride home. We just gotta go down
to the Court Commissioner's Office
to sign you out.
TURNKEY takes out handcuffs.
JIM
No. He's not putting those on me
again.
BAYLISS
Jim --
JIM
Teege, man, I'm telling you, you
don't know what it's like wearing
those things -- it's like you have
no control, it's like they can do
anything they want to you.
BAYLISS
(to TURNKEY)
Can't we lose these?
TURNKEY
You know the rules.
BAYLISS
I'll be right with him. I'll be
responsible.
TURNKEY
You gonna be responsible to feed my
kid when I lose this job?
TURNKEY grabs JIM's wrist. JIM flings the TURNKEY's hand
off.
JIM
Get away from me. I'm warning you
-
BAYLISS
Hold on --
TURNKEY grabs JIM. PRISONERS start CHEERING, WHISTLING, as
JIM deftly pushes TURNKEY, who falls hard to the floor. From
behind, BAYLISS wraps his arms around JIM, who pushes him
back into cell. JIM turns, out of control, facing BAYLISS,
who is calm. They peer into each other's eyes.
BAYLISS (CONT.)
Trust me, Jimmy, this is the only
way out.
JIM's rage diminishes. He looks around, sees TURNKEY getting
up.
JIM
I'm sorry.
He holds out his wrists to be cuffed. On the cuffs
tightening around JIM's wrists again,
CUT TO:
INT. SQUAD ROOM/HOMICIDE UNIT - NIGHT
HOWARD and LEWIS work at their desks as MUNCH enters,
depressed.
MUNCH
Well, I did it. I fired Henri.
I've never had to fire anyone
before. I hate being a boss.
LEWIS
He took it badly, huh?
MUNCH
He stared at me with those sad,
sweet, Gaulish eyes, so full of
hope, so eager to please... But I
didn't beat around the bus. I told
him, flat out, "Mon aim, vous tees
through."
LEWIS
What'd he do?
MUNCH
That's the incredible thing -- he
simply held out his colander to me
and left. What dignity. What
grace.
LEWIS
Well, the good news is -- I hired
us a cook. Not a chef. A cook.
She starts tomorrow.
MUNCH
Where'd you find someone so fast?
LEWIS
In my own backyard. Literally. I
hired my grandmother.
MUNCH
Your grandmother?
LEWIS
My grandmother.
MUNCH
We went from employing Henri de
Segonzac, a graduate of Le Cordon
Blue, to Granny Lewis?
LEWIS
She's spent the past twelve years
making hash at Down Home Soul
Cooking. She has, what we call, a
following.
MUNCH
I love her to death.
PEMBLETON and BOLANDER enter.
HOWARD
Hey, what's the latest on Tim's
cousin?
PEMBLETON
I'm going home.
PEMBLETON gets his things. BOLANDER moves to MUNCH, HOWARD
and LEWIS.
BOLANDER
Danvers is sending the case to the
Grand Jury.
MUNCH
Lovely.
LEWIS
How's Tim about that?
PEMBLETON SLAMS desk drawer, exits. LEWIS calls after him.
LEWIS (CONT.)
Nevermind.
BOLANDER sits at his desk, depressed.
MUNCH
What's the matter, Big Man?
BOLANDER
Am I the only one around here who
thinks we are having an incredibly
tough year?
Am I the only one who thinks that
God or Fate or the Furies, whoever
deals out the cards, keeps dealing
off the bottom of the deck? Lewis
loses a partner, I get a bullet in
the brain, Kay gets one in the
heart and you, Munch, you had that
incredibly dumbass idea about
buying the restaurant...
MUNCH
I wouldn't say it was dumbass,
exactly.
BOLANDER
You and me, we argue all the time.
But never about the big stuff.
Pembleton and Bayliss, this thing
with Jim, this is big, this is
ugly. I don't know how two
partners could ever come back from
something like this...
With that, BOLANDER goes to work. On LEWIS, HOWARD and MUNCH
exchanging a glance,
CUT TO:
INT. TIM BAYLISS' CAR - CONTINUOUS
BAYLISS drives, JIM sits in passenger seat, SHANNON is in
back.
JIM
My name was Captain Lightning.
BAYLISS
I was Zapman.
SHANNON
You guys were how old?
JIM
None of us had hit puberty.
(to BAYLISS)
What was Kurt's super identity?
BAYLISS
Ultra King.
JIM
Ultra King, right.
SHANNON
You obviously had been reading too
many comic books.
JIM
We decided to dedicate ourselves to
fighting crime. Real crimes. We
were very serious about it. Even
set up a kind of Batcave in our
garage.
BAYLISS
We'd run around the neighborhood,
with beach towels tucked into the
neck of our shirts, jumping off
porches and stuff, looking for
criminals.
SHANNON
You ever find any?
JIM
No. Though we did beat the snot
out of this Jap kid. We thought he
was a spy.
SHANNON
How long did you boys keep fighting
crime?
JIM
'Til my dad died.
JIM looks out window.
JIM's POV: His house coming up.
JIM (CONT.)
Then all the fun and games stopped.
JIM focuses on the house, as BAYLISS pulls into driveway.
EXT. JIM BAYLISS HOME/HICKORY AVENUE - NIGHT
The Car pulls into driveway. BAYLISS, JIM and SHANNON get
out. The driveway and lawn are a mess -- trampled through,
paper strewn. They walk to front door. JIM stops.
JIM's POV: The chalk line around the body of Gersel; inside
the circle are the remains of his blood and guts.
JIM (CONT.)
I would've though you cops would
clean up after yourselves.
BAYLISS
That's not our job. I'll bet the
inside of the house is a mess, too.
JIM
Y'know, you could start a company,
a cleaning company. After the cops
leave the scene of a crime, they
come in, clean up everything.
BAYLISS
In Balto, you'd make a fortune.
SHANNON
I'm going to check on the kids,
send my folks home.
SHANNON faces JIM, who's staring at the chalk line.
SHANNON (CONT.)
You should go to bed.
JIM nods, still staring. SHANNON kisses BAYLISS.
SHANNON (CONT.)
Thank you.
BAYLISS
Hey...
SHANNON goes into house. BAYLISS puts his palm on JIM's
shoulder. Beat. JIM turns to him. Without thinking, they
hug each other -- a spontaneous act of forgiveness, comfort,
support.
BAYLISS (CONT.)
Shannon's right, you should get
some sleep.
JIM
In a minute.
JIM crosses to side of house, gets hose. He turns on spigot.
He crosses back to front door. He turns down the nozzle,
water spews forth. He starts hosing down the sidewalk,
washing away the chalk line, the blood, the guts.
JIM (CONT.)
Who'd've thought his guts would be
the same color as ours...
BAYLISS reacts. On the TWO of THEM watching the blood and
guts flow in a stream to the curb,
CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM/PEMBLETON APARTMENT - NIGHT
MARY WHELAN-PEMBLETON lies sleeping. PEMBLETON enters.
Trying not to wake her, he tip-toes around. He bumps into
chair.
PEMBLETON
Owh.
MARY wakes up, startled.
MARY
Oh jeez, Frank --
PEMBLETON
Sorry, Mary.
MARY
I thought it was a burglar.
PEMBLETON
(kisses her)
Sorry.
(slips off his jacket)
What would you have done if it was?
MARY
Was what?
PEMBLETON
A burglar.
MARY
I don't know. Wake you up.
PEMBLETON
But I'm not always here, especially
when I'm working the night shift.
What would you do if someone broke
in and you were alone?
MARY
Scream. Hide. Pray.
PEMBLETON
(takes off his gun)
Maybe I should get you one of
these.
MARY
One gun in the house is plenty,
thanks.
PEMBLETON
Mary --
MARY
Goodnight.
PEMBLETON
I want you to be able to protect
yourself.
MARY
You give me a gun, I'm more likely
to shoot myself in the foot.
PEMBLETON
(exits into Bathroom)
You're not afraid?
MARY
Well, sure, I've got a healthy
amount of fear. But choose to live
in the City. That means a certain
amount of risk. I could have a
gun, an alarm system, big thick
bars on the window, twelve locks on
the door, by lying her all safe and
sound -- and the ceiling could fall
on my head.
PEMBLETON comes out, ready for bed. He climbs in next to
MARY, kisses her.
PEMBLETON
Goodnight.
MARY
Oh no, you don't.
PEMBLETON
What?
MARY
You don't come in here, wake me out
of a sound sleep, then turn the
lights off unless you've got a lot
more in mind than catching some Zs.
PEMBLETON
I'm tired.
MARY leans over, kisses him passionately.
PEMBLETON (CONT.)
I just got my second wind.
One the TWO of THEM, kissing,
CUT TO:
EXT. BALTIMORE - DAWN
Establishing.
INT. MASTER BEDROOM/JIM BAYLISS HOME - DAY
JIM lies asleep, a smile on his face. His eyes flutter,
waking up. He takes a moment, listening to his own breath,
his own heartbeat. He's not sure for a moment -- was it all
a dream?
SHANNON (O.C.)
Jim?
CAMERA PANS to find SHANNON in the doorway, holding the BABY.
The other CHILDREN clutch her legs.
SHANNON (CONT.)
You'd better come.
JIM rises.
INT. LIVING ROOM/JIM BAYLISS HOME - DAY
SHANNON holds the CHILDREN back as JIM, in bathrobe, goes to
front door, opens it.
EXT. JIM BAYLISS HOME/HICKORY AVENUE - DAY
Five TV news trucks are parked side-by-side. The lawn is
covered with REPORTERS, CAMERAMEN, SOUNDMEN, who lunge at JIM
the moment they see his face. Totally disoriented, JIM spins
around, the CAMERA following him. On JIM, his head spinning,
FADE OUT.