Jackie Brown Screenplay by Quentin Tarantino OPENING CREDITS INT. LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - DAY We hear the rhythm of funky seventies SOUL MUSIC. Then SHE steps into FRAME. She is JACKIE BROWN, a stewardess dressed in her CABO AIR uniform. (A little shuttle airline that flies from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas. Approximate flight time: forty five minutes) Jackie stands still as a people-mover slowly inches her through the airport. The CREDITS APEAR and DISAPPEAR in front of her. Jackie Brown is a very attractive black woman in her mid forties, though she looks like she's in her mid-thirties. The people-mover reaches the end of the line, she steps off. She breezes through Customs and we follow her with a STEDICAM as she strides through the airport... She gets to her gate disappears inside the plane for a moment comes back out sans flight bag picks up the microphone. JACKIE (into mike) Flight 710 Cabo San Lucas, now boarding Gate 12, first class only. With a smile on her face, she collects passengers' boarding passes as they board the plane. FADE TO BLACK TITLE CARD "ORDELL ROBBIE" FADE UP ON: EXT. FIRING RANGE - DAY VIDEO A chorus line of six beautiful bikini-clad women, all holding different automatic weapons, BLASTING away. The cheap VIDEO TITLES to: "CHICKS WHO LOVE GUNS" Play over this image. One bikini beauty is singled out. She's a gorgeous brunette named SIDNEY. Sidney stands facing camera holding a TEC-9 and describing it. SIDNEY (to camera) Hi, I'm Sidney. And I love to TEC-9. The popular TEC-9 is advertised by its makers as being tough as the toughest customer. SIDNEY'S STATISTICS: Age, height, measurements, date of birth, appear at the bottom left-hand corner. As Sidney continues her sales pitch/demonstration, a BLACK MAN'S VOICE begins talking over the video. BLACK MAN (O.S.) That's a TEC-9. It's a cheap ass spray gun outta South Miami. After a CLOSEUP of the TEC-9, Sidney FIRES the weapon. BLACK VOICE (O.S.) (CONT'D) Cost three-eighty retail. I get them for two hundred and sell 'em for eight. INT. MELANIE'S BEAHC APARTMENT - NIGHT The Black Voice belong to forty-five-year old ORDELL ROBBIE. Ordell wears clothes nice and likes wearing nice clothes. Stylish, athletic wear (Reebok), heavy, black leather jackets (Hugo Boss), warm-colored berets and baseball caps to cover his balding head are Ordell's "look." At this moment Ordell's wearing an open silk shirt. Ordell narrates the video playing on the big-screen V. (the most expensive thing in the apartment). He holds a cocktail in one hand (screwdriver, his drink of choice) and the remote control in the other, pacing the floor in his I-can-talk-anybody-into-anything voice. LOUIS GARA, who looks like he does his shopping at the Salvation Army (dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and dungarees), sits on the sofa staring blankly at the video, drinking Jack Daniels on ice. Louis, white, also in his mid forties, has lived over half of his life in penal institutions. The experience has affected both his body language and his thought process. While acutely aware of the rhythm of life inside a correction facility, in the real world his timing is thrown. It's like a song he doesn't know the lyrics to but attempt to sing anyway. The third person watching the video is the person who lives in this apartment, MELANIE RALSTON. Melanie, thirty- three, is a tanned, blonde, California beach bunny. Like the kind you se in the old Crown International movies from the seventies like "Pom Pom Girls" "Malibu Beach" and "Beach Girls," except Melanie is older than any of those girls ever are. She's dressed in her Melanie- uniform of stringy Levis cutoffs and a stringy bra top. So far Melanie has been able to make a living out of lying in the sun, always finding a generous, wealthy man more than willing to pay her rent and pick up her tabs. In her prime (twenty two) it was Japanese industrialists, film production guys, and Middle Eastern businessmen who kept Melanie. And it was places like the Bahamas, Acapulco, and the Virgin Islands where they kept her. But now, at thirty three, she lives in an apartment in Hermosa Beach, California that Ordell pays for an drops in and out of. She's curled up in a reclining chair, smoking weed from a pipe, reading Movieline Magazine and paying no attention to the video. ORDELL This TEC-9? They advertise it as being the most popular gun in American crime. Can you believe that shit? It actually says that on the little booklet that comes with it. "Most Popular Gun in American Crime," like they're proud of that shit. Ordell hits the fast-forward on his remote control. Sidney is rushed off the screen and replace by CINDY, a pretty, blonde bodybuilder clad in a red, white and blue bikini, holding a Styer Aug. ORDELL (CONT'D) Check out this body-builder chick... Now see what she got. That's a Styer aug. Styer Aug's a bad motherfucker. Listen. Ordell punches up the volume. Cindy BLASTS the Styer Aug, loud. Ordell imitates the sound of the weapon. ORDELL (CONT'D) Shit's expensive, man. Comes from Austria. My customers don't know shit about it, so there ain't no demand. (to Melanie) Baby, I could use some more ice. Melanie puts down the magazine, takes his cocktail glass from him and moves to the kitchen. ORDELL (CONT'D) But put that bad boy in a flick, every motherfucker out there want one. I'm serious as a heart attack. Them Hong Kong movies came out, every nigga gotta have a forty-five. And they don't want one, they want two, cause nigga want to be "The Killer." What they don't know, and that movie don't tell you is a .45 has a serious fuckin' jammin' problem. I always try and steer a customer towards a 9- millimeter. Damn near the same weapon, don't have half the jammin' problems. But some niggas out there, you can't tell them anything. They want a .45. The killer had a .45, they want a .45. Melanie comes back, hands Ordell his screwdriver, then sits where she was. ORDELL (CONT'D) Thanks, Baby. LOUIS Who's your partner? Ordell sits down on the couch. Melanie's reading "Movieline Inside" magazine. ORDELL Mr. Walker. He runs a fishing boat in Mexico. I deliver the merchandise to him, gets it to my customers. On all my bulk sales, anyway. Nigga didn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out 'fore I set 'em up. Now, motherfucker's rollin' in cash. He got himself a yacht, with all kinds of high tech navigational shit on it. (back to video) AK-47, the very best there is. GLORIA, a tall, Amazonian, bikini-clad, black woman faces camera and describes the AK-47. ORDELL (CONT'D) When you absolutely, positively, gotta kill every motherfucker in the room, accept no substitute. That there is the Chinese one. I pay eight- fifty and double my money. The phone rings. ORDELL(CONT'D) Get that for me, will ya baby? MELANIE You know it's for you. Ordell just stares at her. ORDELL Girl, you better not make me go over there and put my feet to ya. Louis keeps staring at he screen. Melanie gets up, goes over to the counter that separates the living room from the kitchen, picks up the phone, says: MELANIE Hello. Puts the phone down and says; MELANIE (CONT'D) It's for you. Before Ordell knows it, Melanie is back in the reclining chair, reclining back all the way. Ordell, pissed, looks at her a moment before taking the phone. ORDELL (into phone) Yeah. (pause) Hey, Junebug, what's up Louis sits on he couch, drinking his Jack Daniels, watching the video. Melanie lies back on the reclining chair, takes a hit off her pipe, then says in a 'holding in smoke' voice; MELANIE (referring to the tape) It's boring, isn't it? LOUIS I can sit through it once. MELANIE He thinks he's Joe Gunn now. LOUIS I'm impressed. He knows a lot. MELANIE He's just repeating shit he overheard. He ain't any more a gun expert than I am. Holding up her pipe. MELANIE Want a hit? LOUIS Sure. Louis takes a hit off the pipe. MELANIE When did you get out of jail? LOUIS Four days ago. MELANIE Where at? LOUIS Susanville. MELANIE How long? LOUIS Two months shy of four years. MELANIE Four years? LOUIS Uh-huh. MELANIE What for? LOUIS Bank robbery. MELANIE Really, I'm impressed. Louis takes a drink of whiskey. MELANIE Four years that's a long fuckin time. Louis nods his head in agreement. Ordell hangs up the phone. Ordell comes back, sitting down on the other side of Louis. ORDELL See, what did I tell you? Man in New York wants a 9 millimeter Smith and Wesson Model 5946. Why does he want it? It's the gun that nigga on "New York Undercover" uses. Because of that nigga, I can sell it to this nigga for twelve-fifty. LOUIS What's your cost? ORDELL As low as two. LOUIS Are you serious? ORDELL That's what I been tellin' you. Start adding these motherfuckin' figures up, and you tell me this ain't a business to be in. The phone rings again. Ordell looks at Melanie. Melanie looks at Ordell. They have a bit of a staring contest before she gets up and gets the phone. ORDELL (CONT'D) I got me five M-60 machine guns. These came straight from the Gulf War. I sold me three of them so far, twenty grand a piece. LOUIS That's good money. ORDELL Louis, this is it, man. I'm gonna make me a million dollars out of this. I already got me a half-a- million sittin' in Mexico. When I do this last delivery, I'm gonna make me another half-million. LOUIS Then what? ORDELL I get out. Spend the rest of my life spending. Melanie sits back down in he chair. ORDELL (CONT'D) Who is it? MELANIE It's Beaumont. KITCHEN Ordell, drink in hand, picks up the receiver. ORDELL (into phone) Beaumont¢Ordell. What's the problem? (pause) What the fuck you doin' in jail? (pause) What the fuck you doin' that for? (pause) Ain't you got better sense than to be drivin' drunk carrying a goddam pistol? He listens to Beaumont on the other line - it's obvious Beaumont's starting to freak out. Ordell changes his tone. ORDELL (CONT'D) - Beaumont. Beaumont. Listen to me. Number one, you need to chill out, nigga. Bad as this shit is, this shit ain't as bad as you think it is. (pause) Course you're scared. That's what these motherfuckers get paid for scarin' the shit outta ya. That's their job. And my job is to get you the fuck home so let me tell you what is gonna happen... May I speak?... Thank you... You gonna spend the night in jail; it's too late to get you out now. Tomorrow, they gonna take you into court. I'm gonna be there. Judge gonna set your bail. I'm gonna pay your bail, they gonna cut you loose. By tomorrow night, you'll be back home, I promise. (pause) So just calm your ass down, and I'll see you tomorrow. (pause) You owe me a helluva lot more than one, nigga. (laughs) See you. Ordell hangs up the phone. CUT TO: EXT. CHERRY BAIL BONDS - DAY The store front window of Cherry Bail Bonds in Inglewood, California. The name of the business is spelled out on the window, which also includes a drawing of a fat red cherry. Ordell's BLACK MERCEDES CONVERTIBLE pulls up. Ordell in the driver's seat. Louis in shotgun position. INT. CHERRY BAIL BONDS - DAY Inside Cherry Bail Bonds, looking out through the picture window. We can read the name on the glass backwards. Ordell and Louis appears in the window and enter the building. Ordell carries a L.A. Lakers athletic bag. An unidentified MALE VOICE, obviously on the telephone, can be heard. Ordell goes toward the voice and tells Louis to "hang back." MALE VOICE (O.S.) ... the judge doesn't give a fuck about that. He's ready to habitualize you. Is that what you want - you wanna look at ten years? The voice belong to MAX CHERRY, bail bondsman. Max, a regular-Joe-type white guy in his fifties, sits behind his desk talking on the phone. His eyes raise as he sees Ordell approach him. MAX (CONT'D) (on phone) Just overnight is all. Tomorrow I'll get you out, I promise. But it means I gotta pick you up tonight. Ordell motion to the chair in front of Max's desk. Max motions for Ordell to take a seat. MAX (CONT'D) (on phone) Reggie, there ain't no two ways about it. You're spending the night in jail, but I already told you I'll get you out tomorrow. Now where are you? (pause) You're at your mother's house, aren't you? Ordell lights up a cigarette. (Viceroy). He notices a picture on the wall of Max with his arm around a big, powerfully built black man. They're both grinning. Louis pours himself some coffee from a coffeemaker into a small, white styrofoam cup. He picks up a jar of powdered non-dairy creamer that's so dry he has to break off a rock. Louis adds the rock of coffeemate to his beverage. MAX (CONT'D) (on phone) Okay. Just stay put till I come for you. (pause) Reggie, do yourself a really big favor and be there when I get there. He hangs up the phone. Ordell sits in front of the desk, smiling at him and smoking. MAX (CONT'D) How can I help you? ORDELL (indicating the Viceroy) Where would you like me to put my ash? Max looks at him for a moment. MAX Use that coffee cup on the desk. Ordell picks up the coffee cup, which still has a little bit of coffee in it, and flicks his ash. ORDELL And I need me a bond for ten thousand. Max throws a look past Ordell to Louis. ORDELL (CONT'D) Oh, that's just my white friend, Louis. He's got nothing to do with my business. We just hangin together. We're on our way to a cocktail lounge. From across the room, Louis nods his head in Max's direction. Max looks at him a moment, then back to Ordell. ORDELL (CONT'D) (returning to the photo) Who's that big Mandingo nigga you gotcha arm around? Max looks at him a moment and says; MAX That's Winston. He works here. ORDELL He's a big one. You two tight? MAX Yeah. ORDELL It was our idea to take the picture, wasn't it? Max looks at Ordell, getting his drift, then says; MAX So, you want a ten-thousand dollar bond. What've you got for collateral? ORDELL Gonna have to put up cash. MAX You have it with you? Ordell picks up his Lakers bag and puts it in the empty chair next to him. ORDELL It's in my bag. MAX You have cash. What do you need me for? ORDELL C'mon, you know how they do. Black man comes in with ten thousand, they wanna fuck with 'em. First off, they gonna wanna know where I got it. Second, they gonna keep a big chunk of it - start talkin' that court cost shit. Fuck that shit, Jack. I'll go through you. MAX Cost you a thousand for the bond. ORDELL I know that. Louis just stands, feeling uncomfortable, in the other room drinking coffee. MAX Who's it for? A relative? ORDELL Fella named Beaumont. They have him up at county. It started out drunk driving, but they wrote it up "possession of a concealed weapon." Dumb monkey-ass had a pistol on him. MAX Ten thousand sounds high. ORDELL They ran his name and got a hit. He's been in before. Besides, Beaumont's from Kentucky, and I think they're prejudiced against black men from the South out here. MAX He takes off and I gotta go to Kentucky to bring him back, you pay the expenses. ORDELL You think you could do that? Max taking papers out of the drawer... MAX I've done it. ... picking up the pen... MAX (CONT'D) What's his full name? ORDELL Beaumont. That's the only name I know. Max looks at Ordell, but doesn't ask him the obvious question. Max picks up the phone. MAX (on phone) Records office. Max on hold, looks at Ordell. Ordell smiles. MAX (CONT'D) (back on the line) Hello, this is Max Cherry. Cherry Bail Bonds. Who's this? (pause) Hi, Vicki. Look, Vicki, I need you to look up the booking card and rough arrest on a defendant named Beaumont. (pause) That's all I have. I believe it's a surname but I'm not sure. Thanks. Louis enters the area, standing over Ordell. LOUIS I'm going to wait in the car. ORDELL Sure. (to Max) We almost done, ain't we? MAX Getting there. ORDELL You go wait in the car. Wait a minute. Ordell pulls out a heavy-duty keychain with a shitload of keys on it. ORDELL Take the keys, man. Listen to music. LOUIS Which one is for the car? Ordell finds it. While he goes through the keys, Vicki comes back on the line. Max speaks with her as he fills out his papers. ORDELL (holding a key) This one's for the ignition... (holding a little black box) ... but you gotta hit this thing to shut the alarm off and unlock the door. LOUIS What do I do? ORDELL You ain't got to do nothing. Just point at it and push the button. You'll hear the car go "bleep." That means the alarm's off and the doors are open. LOUIS Okay. ORDELL Now play the volume as loud as you want but don't touch my levels. I got them set just the way I want 'em. Louis nods and goes out. EXT. CHERRY BAIL BONDS - DAY Louis walks out of the office. He goes up to Ordell's black Mercedes. He points the little black box at it. The car goes BLEEP. He gingerly approaches it, opens the door and climbs inside. INT. MAX CHERRY'S OFFICE - DAY Max hangs up the phone. MAX (to Ordell) Beaumont Livingston. ORDELL Livingston, huh? MAX On his prior, he served nine months, and he's working on four years' probation. ORDELL You don't say. MAX Do you know what he's on probation for? ORDELL Haven't a clue. MAX Possession of unregistered machine guns. ORDELL Will they consider this a violation of his probation? MAX They do consider this a violation of his probation. Your boy's looking at ten years, plus the concealed weapon. ORDELL Man, he won't like that. Beaumont don't got a doin' time disposition. MAX I need your name and address. ORDELL Ordell Robbie. O-R-D-E-L-L. R-O-B-B-I- E. 1436 Florence Boulevard. Compton 90222. MAX House or apartment? ORDELL House. MAX Now I need you to count your money. Ordell hands him the Lakers bag. Max takes the money out putting it on the desk. ORDELL Hope you don't mind me askin' where you keepin' my money till I get it back. In your drawer? Max begins counting it. MAX Across the street a Great Western. It goes in a trust account. You'll need to fill out an Application for Appearance Bond, an Indemnity Agreement, a Contingent Promissory Note. That's the one, if Beaumont skips and I go after him, you pay the expenses. ORDELL Beaumont ain't going nowhere. (he takes a pen out of his pocket) Where do I sign? Max pulls the forms from his desk, and lays them in front of Ordell. Max goes back to counting the money. Ordell reads the first agreement then says; ORDELL (CONT'D) (reading the form) Hey, Max. MAX (still counting money) Yes. ORDELL (still reading form) I was wondering. What if before the court date gets here, Beaumont gets hit by a bus or something and dies. (he puts the form down and looks at Max) I get my money back, don't I? CUT TO: A BLACK FINGER Pressing a BLACK BUTTON next to the name, "BEAUMONT LIVINGSTON". INT. BEAUMONT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT BEAUMONT LIVINGSTON, wearing no shirt, sweatpants, and smoking a fatty answers the intercom, which buzzes loudly. We can hear JAY LENO interviewing a CELEBRITY on TV OFFSCREEN. BEAUMONT (into the speaker) Who is it? EXT. BEAUMONT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Ordell stands outside the security gate of Beaumont's Hollywood apartment. EXTREME CLOSEUP - Ordell's lips talking into the intercom speaker. ORDELL It's your benefactor, nigga. Buzz me up. EXTREME CLOSEUP - Beaumont's finger pressing the entry button. EXTREME CLOSEUP - The doorknob on the security gate, BUZZING. Ordell's hand comes into frame twisting it open. Beaumont opens his apartment door, fatty between his fingers. He sees Ordell approach. Ordell greets him, arms spread out in hug mode, with a big smile across his face. ORDELL Look at you and your free ass. Come over and give me a motherfuckin' hug. Ordell and Beaumont embrace. BEAUMONT What the fuck can I say? I'm serious, man. What the fuck can I say? Thank you... thank you... thank you. ORDELL Who was there for your ass? BEAUMONT You were there for me. ORDELL Who? BEAUMONT You. Laughing his hustler's laugh and bumping Beaumont's fist hard. ORDELL You goddam right! Beaumont laughs. ORDELL You see,ļit works like this. You get your ass in trouble, I get your ass out. That's my job. And I don't mind tellin ya, nigga, it's steady work. BEAUMONT I'm still scared as a motherfucker, Ordell. They talkin' like they serious 'bout me doin' that machine gun time. ORDELL Naw, man. They just tryin' to put a fright in your ass. BEAUMONT If that's what they want to do, they're doin' it. ORDELL How old is that machine gun shit? BEAUMONT Three years. ORDELL Three years. That crime's old, man. They ain't got room in prison for all the motherfuckers out there killin' people. How they gonna find room for you? BEAUMONT That's not what they're tellin' me. ORDELL That's why they call it "fuckin' with ya." Now you wanna hear how we retaliate? Beaumont takes a hit off the fatty and nods his head. ORDELL (CONT'D) Tomorrow I pick you up, take you to Century City, meet my lawyer. Now let me tell you a little bit about my lawyer. His name is Stacin Goins and this nigga is a junkyard dog! He's my own private Johnie Cochran. In fact, he'd kick Johnie Cochran's ass. And like Johnie Cochran, dude hates fuckin' cops. I'm serious, this man lives to fuck with the police. So as a favor, I had him look at your case. Stacin told me you aint got shit to worry about. They just fuckin' wit ya. So we sic the junkyard dog on their ass, make 'em - (he bumps fist with Beaumont) ... Stop fuckin' wit ya! Beaumont gesture inside his apartment. BEAUMONT Hey, c'mon in, man. I was just - you know - smokin' a fatty, watchin' TV. ORDELL Naw, man. I gotta be someplace. I was kinda hopin you could come with me. BEAUMONT What'd ya mean? ORDELL Look, I hate to be the kinda nigga, does a nigga a favor - then BAM - hits a nigga up for a favor in return. But I'm afraid I gotta be that kinda nigga. BEAUMONT What? ORDELL I need a favor. BEAUMONT That requires me goin out tonight? ORDELL A bit. BEAUMONT Aaaaawww man, I wasn't plannin' on goin no place. It's twelve o'clock, man. I'm home, I'm high - ORDELL Why the fuck you at home? Cause I spent ten thousand dollars gittin' your ass home. (changes tone) Look, I gotta problem. I need help, and you can help me. This has the desired effect. TIME CUT: WITH ORDELL WAITING OUTSIDE THE DOOR Beaumont comes out of the apartment, sporting Nikes and a Queen Latifah t-shirt. He locks his front door and walks with Ordell to his car. They talk the whole way. We STEDICAM in front of them the whole way. BEAUMONT What's the problem? ORDELL Well, it ain't so much a problem a a situation. Remember I sold those three M-60 machine guns outta the five I got? BEAUMONT Uh-huh. ORDELL I'm gonna sell the other two tonight. This group of Koreans in Koreatown have started a Neighborhood Watch kinda thing. And they want a few weapons so the neighborhood niggas know they mean business. So I'm gonna sell 'em my two machine guns tonight. Only problem, I aint never dealt with these Koreans before. Now I aint worried. Asians are by and large real dependable. They don't want no trouble. You might argue about price, but you aint gotta worry about them shootin' you in the back. But I got me kind of a rule. Never do business with nobody you ain't never done business with before without backup. That's why I need you, backup. BEAUMONT Man, I ain't ready to be goin' out nowhere - ORDELL - Let me finish. Can I finish? BEAUMONT Go ahead. CUT TO: TRUNK The trunk of a car is opened. Ordell bends down into the trunk and pulls out a pump action shotgun. Beaumont obviously doesn't want any part of any Ordell game that requires a pump action shotgun as a playing piece. ORDELL Now you're gonn be in the trunk holding onto the shotgun. And I'm going to tell them I'm opening up my trunk to show 'em my goods. I open up the trunk, you pop up, rack that bad boy. BEAUMONT Fuck that shit, man. I ain't shootin' anybody. ORDELL What the fuck I tell you. You don't hafta shoot nobody. Just hold the gun. They'll get the idea. BEAUMONT I ain't gittin' in that trunk. ORDELL We're only goin' to Koreatown. You'll be in there - ten minutes. BEAUMONT Uh-uh. I ain't riding in that trunk no minutes. Why don't I just ride with you? ORDELL You can't ride with me. The surprise effect is ninety percent of it. BEAUMONT Well, I'm sorry, man, but I ain't gittin' in that trunk. ORDELL I can't believe you do me this way. BEAUMONT I ain't doin' you no way. I just ain't climbin' in that trunk. I got a problem with small places. ORDELL Well, my ass has got a problem spending ten thousand dollars of my own goddam money to get ungrateful, peanut-head niggas outta jail, but I do it - BEAUMONT Look, man, I know I owe you - ORDELL - Well, if you owe me, git your ass in the trunk. BEAUMONT - I wanna help you, but I don't wanna be locked in the trunk of no car. ORDELL You think I wanted to spend ten thousand dollars on your ass? Beaumont starts to speak - ORDELL (CONT'D) Answer the question, nigga. Do you think I wanted to spend the thousand dollars on your ass? Yes or no? BEAUMONT Course you didn't. ORDELL But the only way to help you was to do that, so I did it. (pause) Okay, how 'bout this? After we're through fuckin' with these Koreans, I take you to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. My treat. Beaumont smiles. So does Ordell. ORDELL (CONT'D) Just think, man. That Scoe's special, smothered in gravy and onions. Get a side of red beans and rice. Uuuuummmmm, that's some good eatin'. Beaumont and Ordell laugh together... the Beaumont says; BEAUMONT Now exactly how long I gotta be in this motherfucker. CUT TO: TRUNK Beaumont in the trunk, holding the shotgun. The trunk lid is SLAMMED closed. EXT. / INT. OLDSMOBILE - NIGHT Ordell walks around the car, climbs into the plush interior of the Olds and turns on the engine. It comes to life with a SOFT RUMBLE. He puts a tape in the player inside the dash. The tape is labeled "ORDELL'S JAMS." Cool, old-school R&B fills the cab. Ordell cruises, moving his head to the rhythm and mouthing the words. He drives for awhile, just groovin' on the music... ... then stops. Ordell switches the engine and the music off. The cab goes black. He leans over the passenger seat, opening the glovebox. A tiny light turns on when the glovebox is opened. It's the only light in the cab. Ordell leaves it on. In silence he takes one glove out and puts it on his right hand. Then with his gloved hand, reaches in the glovebox and pulls out a five-shot .38 snubby. He closes the glovebox. The cab goes black. EXT. OLDSMOBILE - NIGHT The Olds is parked out in the middle of some urban nowhere. Ordell gets out, sticks the snubby in his pants, and walks to the back of the Olds. He sticks his key in the trunk and says; ORDELL Don't worry. It's just me. The trunk opens. Beaumont is hunched on his side with the shotgun. ORDELL (CONT'D) I was wondering. Did any federal people come visit you in jail and I should be watching my ass? Beaumont doesn't say anything. ORDELL (CONT'D) You wouldn't tell me if they did and I wouldn't blame you. Ordell takes the snubby out of his pants. Beaumont quick-racks the pump shotgun, pulls the trigger, and hears the click you hear from an empty weapon. He racks it again, CLICK then BAM. Beaumont is shot hard in the chest. He goes back into he trunk. Ordell puts one more shot in his head, BAM, tosses the weapon on top of the dead body and closes the trunk. Ordell's Beaumont problem is solved. He climbs back into the cab, turns on the engine. We hear the old-school R&B song come back on, but VERY LOW. Ordell drives the Olds away. CUT TO: INT. MOTEL - NIGHT Louis sits on a bed in a flophouse motel room, flipping from one channel to another with a remote control, drinking cocktails from a can. The phone rings. He answers it. LOUIS Hello. INT. OLDSMOBILE (PARKED) - NIGHT Ordell is sitting parked in the comfy-cozy cab of the Olds, listening to soul music with his tiny cellular phone next to his ear. ORDELL Louis, my man. Watcha doin'? LOUIS Oh, I dunno. Watching TV. ORDELL Whatcha watchin'? LOUIS Nothin' really. Just kinda goin' back and forth. They had some black girl from some black show on Jay Leno. I watched that for a bit, but I kept flippin channels cause I didn't know who she was. ORDELL Guess where I am? LOUIS I dunno. ORDELL I know you don't know. I said guess. LOUIS The moon - I dunno ORDELL I'm talkin' to you from the comfy- cozy interior of an Oldsmobile parked outside your nasty-ass welfare motel. LOUIS You're outside? ORDELL Uh-huh. LOUIS C'mon in. ORDELL Naw, man. I just told you, I'm comfortable. I ain't about to walk into that roach motel and get uncomfortable. You bring your ass out here. LOUIS I'm in my underwear. ORDELL Then put your goddam drawers on, and get your ass out here. I got somethin' to show you. EXT. MOTEL - NIGHT Louis, having just thrown on some pants, walks outside his room and sees Ordell's big, black Oldsmobile parked in front of the motel. As he approaches, the power window on the driver's side comes down, revealing a comfortable Ordell sitting back in his seat looking up at Louis. ORDELL You know what your problem is, Louis? Louis doesn't say anything, he just puts his hands in his pockets. ORDELL (CONT'D) You think you're a good guy. When you go into a deal you don't go in prepared to take that motherfucker all the way. You go in looking for a way out. And it ain't cause you're scared neither. It's cause you think you're a good guy, and you think there's certain things a good guy won't do. That's where we're different, me and you. Cause me, once I decide I want something, aint a goddam motherfuckin' thing gonna stop me from gittin' it. I gotta use a gun get what I want, I'm gonna use a gun. Nigga gets in my way, nigga gonna get removed. Understand what I'm saying? CLOSEUP: KEY GOING INTO TRUNK Trunk opens showing Beaumont shot in the chest with half his head blown off. Louis looks inside, see Beaumont, looks at Ordell, then back to Beaumont. Ordell closes the trunk. LOUIS Who was that? ORDELL That was Beaumont. LOUIS Who was Beaumont? ORDELL An employee I had to let go. LOUIS What did he do? ORDELL He put himself in a situation where he was gonna have to do ten years in the penetentiary, that's what he did. (taking out a Viceroy and lighting it up) And if you know Beaumont, you know there aint no way in hell he can do no ten years. And if you know that, you know Beaumont's gonna go any goddam thing Beaumont can to keep from doin' those ten years including telling the Federal government everything they want to know about my ass. Now that, my friend, is a clear case of him or me. And you best believe it aint gonna be me. You know what I'm sayin'? You gonna come in on this with me, you gotta be prepared to go all the way. I got me so far over a half-a-million dollars sittin' in lockboxes in a bank in Cabo San Lucas. Me and Mr. Walker make us one more delivery, I'm gonna have me over a million. You think I'm gonna let this little cheese eatin' nigga here fuck that up? Shit, you better think again. 'Fore I let this deal get fucked up, I'll shoot that nigga in the head, and ten niggas look just like em. (pause) Understand what I'm sayin'? LOUIS Yeah. ORDELL So we on the same page then? LOUIS I follow. Ordell smiles (not his hustler smile, but a genuine smile). Louis grins. They both bump fists. FADE TO BLACK: TITLE CARD: "JACKIE BROWN" The sound of airplanes landing and taking off can be heard underneath this... INT. LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - DAY A SUBTITLE reads: "LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PARKING GARAGE" We look down a row of cars in an enclosed parking garage at LAX. Jackie Brown, the Cabo Air stewardess from the opening credits, walks into frame. We dolly behind her as she walks down the row of cars. VOICE (O.S.) Miss Brown. She turns towards the voice/camera. Young plainclothes cop, MARK DARGUS, walks up to her, holding open his I.D. case. DARGUS Hi, I'm Detective Mark Dargus. L.A.P.D. can I ask what you have in that bag? JACKIE The usual things. I'm a flight attendant with Cabo Air. Young plainclothes cop RAY NICOLET, enters the scene. NICOLET Can I be of some assistance? As Jackie pulls the cigarettes (Davidoffs) from her purse, she says to Ray; JACKIE I doubt it. (to Dargus) Who's your friend? DARGUS This is Special Agent Ray Nicolet with Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Would you mind if we looked in that bag? Jackie lights her cigarette with a yellow Bic lighter. JACKIE Would I mind? Do I have a choice? DARGUS You have the right to say "no." And I have the right to make you wait here with Ray while I go get a warrant. And if I don't want to go through all that trouble, I could just take you in on suspicion. JACKIE Suspicion of what? NICOLET All he wants to do is peek in your bag. I'll watch he doesn't take anything. Jackie shrugs and says; JACKIE Go ahead. Dargus lays the flight bag on the pavement, gets down on his haunches, and starts feeling through her things. CLOSEUP FLIGHT BAG A soiled blouse, uniform skirt, - then a manila envelope, a fat one, nine-by-twelve. Jackie watches him straighten the clasp... ENVELOPE Opens it. Out drops several packets of one hundred dollar bills secured with rubberbands. Nicolet whistles. Dargus looks up at her. DARGUS I'd say there's about, oh, fifty thousand dollars here. What would you say Ray? NICOLET That looks like fifty thousand dollars from here. JACKIE Not saying anything at the moment. DARGUS This is your money? JACKIE If I were to tell you "no it isn't..." Dargus smiles. DARGUS You should know if you bring in anything over ten thousand you have to declare it. You forgot or what? You could get a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar fine, plus two years in prison. Now you want to talk to us about it, or you want to talk to Customs? JACKIE I'm not saying another word. NICOLET Listen, Jackie, Hope you don't mind if I call you Jackie. They're a bunch of fuckin' pricks in Customs. Something about that job makes them kinda hard to get along with. Now, do you want to talk with a bunch of suspicious, disagreeable people like them, or a couple good-hearted guys like Mark and myself. Nicolet smiles. CLOSEUP JACKIE Doesn't smile back. DISSOLVE TO: CLOSEUP JACKIE Sitting in a chair facing the two offscreen detectives. Jackie lights up a cigarette. We don't leave the CLOSEUP until noted. INT. DARGUS OFFICE - DAY DARGUS (O.S.) Hey, this is my office. There's no smoking. JACKIE Arrest me. Nicolet laughs O.S. DARGUS (O.S.) We could, smart ass... or we could work out what's known as a Substantial Assistance Agreement. That is if you're willing to cooperate. Tell us who gave you the money and who you're giving it to. Jackie doesn't sat anything... she just smokes. NICOLET (O.S.) You got a good lawyer? DARGUS (O.S.) Can she afford a good one is the question. Otherwise she'll be in Sybill Brand three weeks easy before the Public Defender gets around to her. NICOLET (O.S.) Ever heard of a fella named Beaumont Livingston? Not a word. NICOLET (O.S.) (CONT'D) Don't know Beaumont? That's funny 'cause Beaumont knows you. Well he did know you, Beaumont was found in the trunk of a car - dead. Shot twice. Once in the head and once in the chest. Jackie, she puts the "ool" in "cool." NICOLET (O.S.) (CONT'D) I had the chance to talk to Beaumont yesterday. You see, like you, Beaumont found himself in some hot water. He was looking at ten years he was pretty sure he didn't want to do and was understandably concerned. Now maybe you don't know Beaumont, but Beaumont knew you, and maybe so does the guy who blew Beaumont's head off. Not a word. DARGUS (O.S.) If you don't want to talk to us, I guess we'll just have to hand you over to Customs. Jackie puts out her cigarette. JACKIE Okay, let's go. She stares down the cops. DARGUS AND NICOLET We cut to the detective and the special agent for the first time in the scene. DARGUS You know, Miss Brown, there's basically three types of people that we come along in the performance of our duty. One is, INNOCENT PEOPLE. Victims, witnesses, innocent bystanders... You ain't any of these. Then there's two; CRIMINALS. These sonabitches have dedicated their lives to a life outside the law. That ain't you either. Where you belong is the third category. The category we refer to as LOSERS. Jackie's eyes don't even narrow at the insult. She just says without expression; JACKIE I'm not a loser. DARGUS Oh, you're both? In 1985 you were flying for TWA and got busted for carrying drugs. You were carrying them for a pilot husband of yours. He did time and you got off. But that ended your career with the big airlines. Cut to thirteen years later. You're forty-four years of age. You're flying for the shittiest little shuttle-fucking piece of shit Mexican airline that there is. Where you make a whopping twelve-thousand dollars a year. That ain't a hulluva lot to show for a twenty year career. And to top it off, you're going to jail. Now true, the judge, even with your prior, will probably only give you a year or two. But this doesn't seem like the time of life you got years to throw away. (pause) Now, we don't like trying losers like they're criminals. But in the absence of a criminal, we will try you. Now, wasn't this money given to you by an American living in Mexico by the name of Cedric Walker? Jackie remains unmoved by this monologue. Nicolet joins back in. NICOLET You know, ol' Beaumont wasn't much for talkin', either. Yeah, he told us about you and Mr. Walker, but whoever the hell it was he worked for out here, he wouldn't say. Could it be the same person you were supposed to deliver this money to? Jackie just stares at them, saying nothing. Dargus sits behind his desk, with Jackie's flight bag on it. DARGUS I'd like your permission to open this again. So we'll know exactly how much money we're talkin' about here. Jackie gets up from her chair, walks over to the desk, unzips the bag, takes out the manila envelope and drops it on the desk. JACKIE Help yourself. DARGUS While you're at it, let me see what else is in there. You mind? She reaches in the bag and brings out a pocketbook. JACKIE My pocketbook. DARGUS What's in it? JACKIE Beauty products. Nicolet takes the manila envelope. NICOLET I'll count the money. Dargus points at a clear plastic bag with pills and packets in it. DARGUS What's this? JACKIE That's my diet shit. Nicolet takes out the bills from the envelope. DARGUS Let's see what else is in there. Nicolet takes the bills and looks inside the envelope. His expression changes to a shit-eating grin. NICOLET Oh, Miss Brown? JACKIE Yeah? Nicolet pulls out a clear cellophane sandwich bag with a half-inch or so of white powder inside. NICOLET And what would this be, Sweet and Low? JACKIE What the fuck is that shit? NICOLET I know what it looks like. JACKIE You planted that shit on me. Nicolet and Dargus laugh at that. JACKIE Look, that shit ain't mine. NICOLET (to Dargus) It isn't enough for Trafficking, but how 'bout Posession with the Intent to Distribute? DARGUS Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. What with all the cash, I think I could go with Conspiracy to Traffic. JACKIE I'm tellin' you, I don't know nothin' about that fuckin' shit. NICOLET Well then, Miss Brown. Why don't you have a seat and tell us who might know something about this fuckin' shit. Jackie just looks at the two grinning Cheshire cats as the balance of power rolls over on her. CUT TO: EXT. TORRANCE MUNICIPAL COURTHOUSE - DAY A Los Angeles County Jail bus pulls up behind the Torrance Court House. INT. COUNTY JAIL BUS - DAY Jackie, now wearing County Jail blues, sits next to another BLACK WOMAN. Their hands cuffed together. The bus stops. A rough-looking FEMALE COUNTY SHERIFF unlocks the gate that encloses the prisoners. Then explains in a you-better-do-exactly-what-I-say manner, how they're going to leave the bus. EXT. COUNTY JAIL BUS - DAY MANY WOMEN, including Jackie, all wearing county blues and handcuffed to each other, exit the bus. The SHERIFFS lead them into the back entrance to the court house. INT. HALLWAY COURTHOUSE - DAY Dargus and Nicolet confer with the PUBLIC DEFENDER, an attractive blonde woman in a nice business suit. DARGUS If she'll cooperate with us, we'll turn possession with intent into plain ol' Possession, and she can bond outta here for one thousand bucks. If she doesn't help us, we'll go for the Intent and request a twenty-five-thousand dollar bond. INT. COURTROOM - DAY Jackie and the Public Defender. Jackie, in her county blues; Public Defender in her nice suit. JACKIE You tell those guys they'll have to do one helluva lot better than that before I'll even say 'hi' to them. PUBLIC DEFENDER Well, that's the State's offer. If you plead to possession and tell L.A.P.D. what they want to know, your bond will be set at one-thousand dollars. If you don't, L.A.P.D. will request one at twenty- five thousand based on your prior record and risk of flight. If you don't post it or don't know anyone who can, you'll spend six to eight weeks in County before your arraignment comes up. JACKIE Who's side are you on? PUBLIC DEFENDER I beg your pardon? JACKIE What if I plead guilty? PUBLIC DEFENDER And cooperate? You might get probation. JACKIE If I don't cooperate? PUBLIC DEFENDER With the prior? You could get anywhere from a year to five depending on the judge. You want to think about it? You got two minutes before we're up. COURT IN SESSION It's a full schedule in court today. Jackie sits with a bunch of other females wearing county blues in the defendant's area (where the jury sits during a jury trial) Dargus and Nicolet sit in the courtroom. The JUDGE reads the next case. JUDGE Brown. Case number 700324. Jackie rises amongst the other defendants. The P.D. rises. Dargus, the arresting officer, rises. JUDGE The charge is possession of Narcotics with the Intent to Distribute. How does your client plead? PUBLIC DEFENDER She wishes to stand mute, your honor. JUDGE Very well... (to Dargus) ... Detective Dargus - You're the arresting officer in his case, correct? DARGUS That's correct, your honor. JUDGE You have a recommendation for bail? DARGUS Yes, I do, your honor. Based on the defendant's prior conviction and the extreme possibility of flight due to her occupation, the State requests a bond of no less than twenty-five thousand. The Judge looks at the report, then at Jackie... JUDGE I'll set bond at ten thousand and set the date of August 14th for the arraignment. JACKIE When is that, your honor? JUDGE That's six weeks from now, Miss Brown. We'll continue this matter then. Owens, case 72242. Jackie sits down. Dargus sits down next to Nicolet. They smile and giggle together. Jackie sees them giggle like fifth graders. It fucking pisses her off. DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE We go from a CLOSEUP of a boiling Jackie, to a perspective from the back of the courtroom. We see Jackie in the defendant's area. We see the two happy detectives walk past us on their way out of the courtroom. ORDELL Sits in the back, watching the proceedings without any expression. When he's seen enough, he stands up and out of the shot leaving an EMPTY FRAME. FADE TO BLACK TITLE CARD "MAX CHERRY" FADE UP ON: INT. MAX CHERRY'S OFFICE - DAY The bathroom door in Max's office. We hear a toilet flush behind it. The door opens, and Max Cherry emerges, zipping up his pants with a TV guide in his hand. He looks up and stops dead. Ordell sitting oh-so comfortably in the chair in front of Max's desk. ORDELL Unh... unh... unh... I din't hear you wash your hands. Max looks at Ordell, then takes his place behind his desk. MAX Comfortable? ORDELL The door was opened, so I just came right in. MAX I can see that. Why? ORDELL I got some more business for ya. MAX Oh, yeah? What did he do? ORDELL (O.S.) She is an airline stewardess. Got caught coming back from Mexico with some blow. They set her bond this afternoon at ten thousand. Now, what I was thinkin', you could use the ten thousand you owe me from Beaumont and move it over on to the stewardess. MAX The bond for possession is only a thousand. ORDELL They fuckin' wit' her. They callin' it Possession with Intent. A black woman in her forties gets busted with less than two ounces on her, they call that shit Intent. Same shit happened to a movie star. It's Possession. MAX It still sounds high. ORDELL She had, I believe it was... fifty grand on her, too. There was a cop at the hearing. Young guy with L.A.P.D. wanted her bond set at twenty-five thousand, saying there was a risk of flight. Jackie being a stewardess and all. MAX Before we start talking about stewardess, let's get Beaumont out of the way first. Sitting back in the chair - almost grinning - but not quite. ORDELL Somebody already did. MAX What? ORDELL You didn't hear? MAX Hear what? ORDELL Somebody with a grudge blew Beaumont's brains out - hey, that rhymes - blew Beaumont's brains out. MAX Did the police contact you? ORDELL Very first motherfuckin' thing they did. They see I put up a big money bond on my boy, they start thinking with that where-there's-smoke-there's fire logic. They roust my ass outta bed, ten o'clock in the morning. Fuckin' scare my woman, Sherona, half to death. She thought they were gonna take my ass away for sure. MAX The stewardess. Do you know her last name? ORDELL (smiles) Brown, Jackie Brown. MAX What does she do for you? ORDELL Who says she does anything for me? She's my friend. When my friends get into trouble, I like to help 'em out. MAX Beaumont worked for you. ORDELL That's what the police thought. I told them I'm unemployed, how could I have anybody work for me? Now I bail out Jackie, I'm liable to have the police on me again, huh? Wanting to know was she doing things for me, was she bringing me that money! MAX Was she? ORDELL Is this, me and you, like a lawyer- client relationship? The lawyer can't tell nothing he hears? MAX You're not my client until you get busted and I bond you out. ORDELL If there's no - what do you call it - confidentiality between us? Why would I tell you anything? MAX Cause you want me to know what a slick guy you are. You got stewardesses bringing you fifty grand. ORDELL Why would a stewardess bring me fifty grand? MAX You want me to speculate on what you do. I'd say you're in the drug business, except the money's moving in the wrong direction. Whatever you're into, you seem to be getting away with it, so more power to you. Okay you want another bond, and you want to move over the ten thousand you put down on Beaumont to the stewardess. That means paperwork. I have to get a death certificate, present it to the court, fill out a receipt for return of bond collateral, then type up another application. An indemnity agreement - ORDELL - Jackie aint got time for all that shit - MAX - I'm telling you what I have to do. What you have to do, in case you forgot, is come up with premium of a thousand bucks. ORDELL I got it. I just don't got it on me. MAX Well, come back when you do, and I'll bond out the stewardess. ORDELL Man, you know I'm good for it. Thousand bucks ain't shit. MAX If I don't see it in front of me, you're right. It ain't shit. ORDELL Man, you need to look at this with a little compassion. Jackie ain't no criminal. She ain't used to this kinda treatment. I mean, gangsters don't give a fuck - but for the average citizen, coupla nights in County fuck with your mind. MAX Ordell, this isn't a bar, an you don't have a tab. ORDELL Just listen for a second. We got a forty-year-old, gainfully employed black woman, falsely accused - MAX Falsely accused? She didn't come back from Mexico with cocaine on her? ORDELL Falsely accused of Intent. If she had that shit - and mind you, I said "if" - it was just her shit to get high with. MAX Is white guilt supposed to make me forget I'm running a business? Ordell gives up and takes an envelope out of his pocket. ORDELL Okay, man. I got your money. But don't you ever ask me for no fuckin' favor. INT. MAX'S CADILLAC (MOVING) - NIGHT It's early evening; and Max's powder-blue Seville is driving to the County Jail with a client, a young Hispanic woman of twenty named ANITA. MAX Tomorrow I'll talk to your probation officer. Karen's a good kid, but she's mad at you, because you lied to her. This business about your grandmother's funeral ANITA I went. I did. I took my mother and little brother. MAX But you didn't ask permission. You broke a trust. If you had asked, Karen probably would have let you. I'm sure she would. ANITA I know. That's why I went. MAX But then you told her you were home. ANITA Sure, 'cause I didn't ask her if I could go. Max gives up. MAX I don't know. Maybe it's a language problem. (getting stern) Anita, you ever cause this much heartache over something that could easily be avoided, I'll never write you again. You understand? ANITA I understand. MAX I mean it. I don't care how many times your mother calls or how much she cries. Like an exasperated teenager. ANITA I understand. MAX Then say "Yes, Max. I understand." ANITA Yes, Max, I understand. INT. L.A. COUNTY JAIL - NIGHT POV THROUGH A WIRE MESH CAGE Max and Anita, side by side. Anita's hands are cuffed behind her back. MAX Dropping off and picking up. Dropping of Lopez, Anita. Picking up Brown, Jackie. We're at the admitting desk of the L.A. County Jail. Max undoes Anita's handcuffs, while a SHERIFF waits to take her away. ANITA So you're gonna call Karen tomorrow? MAX I'll call her. ANITA Won't forget? MAX I won't forget. She kisses Max on the cheek and the Sheriff takes her away. ANITA Thanks, Max. See you later. Max puts the cuffs away, sits on a bench, takes out a Len Deighton paperback and begins to read. FADE TO BLACK FADE UP: MAX Still reading his novel. We hear offscreen, a SHERIFF'S voice. SHERIFF (O.S.) Max! Here she comes. Max puts his book down and see - Jackie being led into the Admitting Area by TWO SHERIFFS. She's wearing her stewardess uniform and carrying a small envelope with her belongings in it and her shoes. When Max was imagining a woman in her forties, he had someone with a bit of wear and tear on them in mind. But this Jackie Brown's a knockout. As he watches her, she steps out of the County Jail slippers she was wearing and slips into her shoes. He approaches, handing her his card. MAX Miss Brown... I'm Max Cherry. I'm your bail bondsman. She takes the card and shakes his hand saying nothing. MAX (CONT'D) I can give you a lift home if you'd like? JACKIE Okay. INT. MAX'S CADILLAC - NIGHT Max puts his key in the ignition, when Jackie asks; JACKIE Are you really a bail bondsman? MAX Who do you think I am? She doesn't answer. MAX (CONT'D) I gave you my card there. JACKIE Can I see your I.D.? MAX You're serious? She waits. Max digs the case out of his pocket, hands it to her, then reaches up and turns on the light above them for her to see. MAX'S ID: SURETY AGENT LICENSED BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA JACKIE Who put up my bond? Ordell? MAX In cash. She looks straight ahead. Max shifts into drive. Max rolls down his window at the front gate. A DEPUTY comes out of the gatehouse and hands through the window Max's .38 revolver, cylinder opened. Max hands the Deputy his pass in exchange for the gun, says "thanks", then puts the .38 in his glovebox in front of Jackie. He drives on. MAX AND JACKIE (MOVING) JACKIE Can we stop for cigarettes? MAX Sure, ever been to the Riverbottom? JACKIE I don't think so. MAX It's okay. It's a cop hangout. JACKIE Couldn't we just stop at a seven- eleven? MAX I thought you might want a drink? JACKIE I'd love one, but not there. MAX We could stop at the Hilton by the airport. JACKIE Is it dark? MAX It's kind of a sports bar JACKIE That doesn't sound dark. MAX Why does it need to be dark? JACKIE 'Cause I look like I just got outta jail, that's why. You droppin' me off at home, right? There's a place by me. MAX Great. CUT TO: EXT. THE COCKATOO INN - NIGHT A big neon sign of a cockatoo sits on op of a red brick inn. INT. THE COCKATOO INN - NIGHT CLOSEUP - A KNOB is pulled out. Jackie picks up a pack of Mild Seven's cigarettes from the bottom of a cigarette machine. She crosses the bar to join Max, sitting at a small table waiting for her to return. The Cockatoo Inn is just what Jackie was looking for. A dark and red cocktail lounge in Hawthorne off of Hawthorne Boulevard by the apartment where the stewardess lives (about ten minutes from LAX) The clientele of the Cockatoo is an older, black crowd and an even older white crowd who'd been coming here years before it became a black bar. A JUKEBOX plays soft, old-school R&B. Jackie and Max sit side by side at a small table, lit by a bar candle in a red glass thing. Max drinks Bushmills over crushed ice. Jackie drinks white wine. Jackie opens her Mild Sevens, offering one to Max. MAX No thanks, I quit three years ago. As she lights her cigarette. JACKIE You gain weight? MAX Ten pounds. I lose it and put it back on. JACKIE That's why I don't quit. If I can't fly anymore, I'm gonna have a bitch of a time gettin' my brand. MAX What's your brand? JACKIE Davidoffs. I get 'em in Mexico. They're hard to find here. I was locked up with the last two getting legal advice from a woman who was in for bustin' her boyfriend's head open with a baseball bat. MAX Was she helpful? JACKIE She was more helpful than the fuckin' Public Defender. (she takes a sip of wine) I don't know - I guess what I need is a lawyer, find out what my options are. MAX You know, I figured out the other day I've written something like' fifteen thousand bonds since I've been in the business. I'd say about eighty percent of them were at least drug related. If you want, I can help you look at your options. Jackie takes the talk in a different direction. JACKIE You're not tired of it? MAX (smiles) I am, as a matter of fact. A moment of silence between them, they both take drinks. MAX (CONT'D) What have they told you? JACKIE So far I've been told I can cooperate and get probation, maybe. Or, I can stand mute and get as much as five years. Does that sound right? MAX I'd say if you're tried and found guilty you won't get more than a year and a day. That's State time. Prison. JACKIE (under her breath) Shit. MAX But they won't want to take you to trial. They'll offer you simple Possession, a few months of County time, and a year or two probation. (pointing to her drink) How 'bout another? JACKIE Sure. Max gestures to an older black cocktail waitress named ROWEN for two more. MAX You know who put the dope in your bag? JACKIE Yeah, but that's not what this was about. They were fuckin waitin' for my ass. They knew I had that money, they even knew the amount. The one who searched my bag, from L.A.P.D., Dargus, hardly even looked at it. "Oh, I'd say there's fifty thousand here. What would you say?" But all they could do was threaten me and hand me over to Customs, and I could tell they didn't want to do that. MAX They wanted you to tell them what you know. JACKIE I had 'em too. I burnt those two Starky and Hutch motherfuckers down. Then their asses lucked out and found that coke. MAX What did they want to know? JACKIE Who gave me the money and who I was giving it to. And some guy they found in a trunk with his head blown off. Said it was him who told them 'bout me. The Waitress comes with the drinks. ROWEN Can I get you two some popcorn? MAX No, thanks. Rowen exits. MAX (CONT'D) That would be Beaumont Livingston. JACKIE That's him. How do you know 'em? MAX I wrote him on Monday. They found him dead on Tuesday. JACKIE Ordell pick up his bond? MAX Same as you. Ten thousand. JACKIE The federal agent kinda half hinted Ordell might of done Beaumont. MAX You mentioned a guy from L.A.P.D., but you didn't mention the Federal. JACKIE I didn't? MAX No, you didn't. What branch? JACKIE Ray Nicolet with Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Max puts it together. MAX He's the one who wants you. JACKIE It was the other guy who busted me. MAX 'Cause if he busted you, you'd play hell bonding out of federal court. He doesn't want you mad at him, he wants you to tell him what you know. He uses you to get a line on Ordell, make a case, then take him federal. You know what Ordell's into? JACKIE I have a pretty good idea. Ordell aint no bootlegger and I doubt he's smugglin' Cuban cigars. So that only leaves one thing an A.T.F. man would be interested in. Jackie waits a moment before answering, weighs things in her mind and makes a decision. JACKIE I used to bring over ten thousand at a time. That's the legal limit, so I never brought more than that. MAX How many trips did you make? JACKIE With ten thousand? Nine. MAX He's got that kinda money? JACKIE It's all in lock boxes in a Mexico bank. But he's got a problem. He's - what do you call it when you got money, but don't have cash? MAX Cash poor? JACKIE That's it. He's cash poor. He kept on me till I finally said okay. I'll bring whatever fits in a nine-by- twelve envelope. I got paid five hundred dollars, and his friend, Mr. Walker, in Mexico gave me the envelope. MAX If you knew bringing anything over ten thousand was against the law, why not pack a hundred grand? Jackie gets exasperated. JACKIE Whatever it was had to fit in my bag and not hit you in the face if the bag was opened. This ain't solvin' my problem. I gotta figure out a way to either keep my job or get out of trouble. I'm of today, but if I can't leave the country I'm out of a job. And if I don't got a job, I can't hire a lawyer. MAX Ask A.T.F. They might give you permission. JACKIE Yeah, if I cooperate. MAX Well, Jackie, you got caught, you're gonna have to give 'em something. JACKIE But if all I can give 'em is Ordell's name - I don't really know shit about what he does or how he does it - That don't give me much to bargain with. MAX Give 'em what you got. Offer to help. Show a willingness to be helpful. You want to stay out of jail, don't you? Max looks at Jackie thinking about something. MAX (CONT'D) What'dya think? CLOSEUP JACKIE JACKIE I think maybe I have more options than I thought. DISSOLVE TO: CLOSEUP: ORDELL Sitting in his black Mercedes, parked across the street from Jackie's apartment building in Hawthorne. Johnny Cash is playing inside his car. EXT. JACKIE'S APARTMENT COMPLEX - NIGHT ORDELL'S POV Through the windshield, he sees Max's powder-blue Cadillac Seville pull up to Jackie's apartment. She gets out, ten bends down and talks to him through the window of the passenger side door. Then makes a goobye gesture and turns, walking into her apartment complex. Max drives off. ORDELL While Johnny Cash continues crooning, Ordell puts on his gloves. Then opens up his glovebox, taking out a little Targa .22 pistol. He steps out of the car, slipping the pistol into his coat pocket. We STEDICAM in front of him as he walks across the street to Jackie's apartment. Once inside the complex, Ordell passes us and WE FOLLOW BEHIND HIM, up to Jackie's ground-floor apartment door. He gives it a soft knock with one knuckle. He waits a moment, then Jackie opens the door. ORDELL How you doing, Ms. Jackie? JACKIE I was expecting you. Come in. Jackie holds the door open for him. INT. JACKIE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Ordell steps inside. He moves over by a halogen lamp in the living room. ORDELL You got some booze? Jackie still standing by the door. She doesn't look frightened. JACKIE I got some vodka in the freezer. ORDELL Got some o.j.? JACKIE Yeah. Ordell turns the halogen lamp to dim. ORDELL Well, then, why don't you be a good hostess and make me a screwdriver? JACKIE Sure. Jackie moves into the kitchen area. Ordell follows her, hanging in the doorway, while she makes the drink. Jackie doesn't turn on the light. ORDELL You gonna thank me? Taking a glass from the cupboard. JACKIE For what? ORDELL Who you think got your ass outta jail? Opening the freezer and filling a glass with ice cubes and taking out vodka. JACKIE The same guy who put me in, thanks a lot. ORDELL Hey, you get caught with blow, that's our business. Opens refrigerator, light cuts into the kitchen. She takes out orange juice, then closes the door. JACKIE It wasn't mine. Ordell has to stop and think. Jackie makes screwdriver. ORDELL Oh, shit. I bet it was that present Mr. Walker was sending Melanie. Yaaaah, he's the one musta put it in there if you didn't. Oh, man, that shit's uncalled for, baby, and I apologize. I 'magine they asked you a shitload of questions about it, huh? All that money, want to know where you got it? Jackie doesn't answer. She just walks up to Ordell handing him his yellow drink in the darkness. Ordell takes it, continues to look at Jackie. ORDELL (CONT'D) I'magine they asked who you givin' it to, too. JACKIE They asked. ORDELL And what was your answer? JACKIE I said I wanted to talk to a lawyer. ORDELL You positive about that? You weren't nervous and let something slip by mistake? If you did, I ain't mad, I just gotta know. Jackie says to his face; JACKIE You're not asking the right questions. Then she walks past him back to the living room. She goes over to the halogen lamp, turning the light up brighter, then moves by the door, still standing and looking at Ordell in the kitchen doorway. JACKIE Beaumont Livingston. ORDELL I knew it. JACKIE And they asked if I knew Mr. Walker. Ordell by the halogen lamp. He turns it back to dim. ORDELL Yeah? JACKIE I didn't tell 'em anything. Ordell moves slowly towards Jackie. ORDELL My name come up? Jackie slowly shakes her head "no." Ordell directly in front of Jackie, he gently places his gloved hands on her shoulders. ORDELL (CONT'D) You say anything about me? Jackie shakes her head "no." ORDELL (CONT'D) Well, that's mighty honorable of you. Ordell's gloved fingertips move up her collarbone to her throat, gently touching her skin. Jackie locks eyes with his, but still shows no fear. ORDELL (CONT'D) This fella Beaumont, they say what happened to him? JACKIE They told me. At this moment the film becomes a: SPLIT SCREEN On the RIGHT-HAND SIDE is Ordell with his hands barely touching Jackie's throat. On the LEFT-HAND SIDE is Max driving home in his Seville. MAX IN CAR Max drives home, an almost moony romantic look no his face. He can't stop thinking about Jackie. During the night she'd have a gleam in her eyes, the look saying; "WE COULD HAVE FUN". Unless she was appraising kinda him with the look, making a judgment and what it said was; "I COULD USE YOU". Either way it was a turn-on. Max pulls into the driveway of his small house in Torrance. ORDELL AND JACKIE ORDELL Yeah, somebody musta been real mad at Beaumont. Or they were afraid of what he might say to keep from doin some time. I'magine from time-to-time they asked you a whole shitload of questions. And you didn't give 'em no answer? Jackie shakes her head from side to side. Ordell moves his thumbs from her collarbone to the middle of her throat. ORDELL You scared of me? Jackie shakes her head from side to side without her eyes leaving his. Reaches over the seat ORDELL You got a reason to be nervous with me? With his hands on Jackie's throat, staring into the woman's eyes, from BELOW FRAME then feels something hard the fuck against his crotch. Neither break eye contact. Ordell hears a CLICK. Can't believe it. MAX IN CAR Max takes his keys, then to the glove box... THE GLOVE BOX The gun is gone. MAX Where is it? A CLOSEUP OF MAX'S GUN IN ORDELL ORDELL'S CROTCH ORDELL Is that what I think it is? JACKIE What do you think it is? CLOSEUP GUN IN CROTCH ORDELL I think it's a gun pressing against my dick. JACKIE You thought right... Now take your hands from around my throat, nigga. Ordell flashes his hustler's smile and lets go. END OF SPLIT SCREEN Jackie turns Ordell around, gun firmly in his back, and pushes him against the wall. ORDELL What the hell you doin'? JACKIE Shut your ass up and grab the wall! Jackie has Ordell against the wall and is frisking him the way a cop would. She finds the .22 pistol in his pocket ORDELL Now, baby, that's got nothin' to do with you. I just carry that. You been listenin' to them cops too much. JACKIE The cops didn't try and strangle my ass. ORDELL Damn, Jackie, I was just playin' with you. JACKIE Well, I ain't playin with you. I'm gonna unload both these motherfuckers, you don't do what I tell you. Understand what I'm saying? ORDELL Baby, I ain't come here - She shoves both guns in Ordell's back. JACKIE I said, you understand what I'm saying ORDELL I understand woman, damn! JACKIE Go sit over in that chair. Ordell moves over to a chair across from the couch. Ordell still tries bullshit... ORDELL I'm tellin' you, those cops been fuckin' wit your mind. They turn black against black, that's how they do. JACKIE Shut your raggedy ass up and sit down. Ordell sits. JACKIE (CONT'D) Put both hands behind our head. Ordell does... ORDELL This shits gettin silly now... Jackie turns the halogen lamp to light. JACKIE I gotta tell you to shut up one more time, I'm gonna shut you up. Jackie sits down on the couch, holding a gun in each hand, both pointed dead at Ordell. A coffee table lays between them. Ordell, hands behind his head, continues to mumble... ORDELL I just came here to talk. JACKIE Way I see it, me and you only got one thing to talk about. What you willing to do for me? Ordell looks at her a moment and says; ORDELL Well, I can get you a good lawyer - Jackie shakes her head "no!" JACKIE Let's get realistic, baby. Sooner or later they're gonna get around to offering me a plea deal, and you know that. That's why you came here to kill me. ORDELL - Baby, I didn't - JACKIE - It's okay. I forgive you. Now, let's say if I tell on you, I walk. And if I don't, I go to jail. Ordell, very interested. ORDELL Yeah? JACKIE One hundred thousand put in an escrow account in my name, if I'm convicted up to a year, or put on probation. If I have to do more than a year, you pay another hundred thousand. Ordell just takes in what the woman said. ORDELL I got a problem... JACKIE All your money's in Mexico. Ordell has to smile at the woman. ORDELL Yeah. JACKIE I been thinkin about that, too, and I got me a idea. TIME CUT: DOORWAY Ordell goes through FRAME, out the door, Jackie steps into FRAME, and talks with him. JACKIE I'll talk to the cops tomorrow and tell you if it's on. ORDELL (O.S.) Talk to you tomorrow. Ordell leaves. Jackie shuts the door, and leaves FRAME. FADE TO BLACK OVER BLACK We hear a knock-knock on the door. FADE UP ON: SAME SHOT DORWAY Except it's day. Jackie in a bathrobe steps into FRAME and opens the door. She says to the yet-unseen-by-camera visitor; JACKIE You want your gun, don't you? Come in. I'll go get it. She leaves FRAME, and Max enters it, closing the door behind him. Max stands by the door, a little surprised and a touch pissed at the nonchalantness. As he stands on the threshold to her living room, waiting for her to return with the gun, feeling foolish, he thinks about hauling her ass back to the stockade. That'll change her expression, he'd bet. She returns from the bedroom, gun in hand, wearing a sort of sad smile. JACKIE (CONT'D) Max, I'm sorry. I was afraid if I asked to borrow it you'd say no. You'd have to. Would you like some coffee? Then, as quickly as the anger rose in Max, it dissipates completely, leaving only curiosity. MAX If you're having some. JACKIE I am. Have a seat. Jackie head to the kitchen, making the coffee. Max sits at the dining table off of the kitchen. MAX You get a chance to use it? JACKIE I felt a lot safer having it. My milk went bad when I was in jail. MAX Black's fine. She puts a finger in the coffeemaker and starts scooping coffee in it. MAX (CONT'D) You want to hang on to it awhile? It wouldn't be legal, but if it makes - Jackie goes to the sink, filling the coffee pot. JACKIE Thanks, but I have my own now. MAX You went out this morning and bought a gun? She turns off the water. JACKIE What, I couldn't hear you? MAX You went out this morning and bought a gun. Pouring water into the coffee machine. JACKIE Let's just say I got one, okay? She turns on the coffeemaker. MAX Somebody loan it to you? JACKIE Yeah. Jackie leaves the kitchen. Max's eyes follow her to the living room. JACKIE (CONT'D) Want to hear some music? MAX Sure. Jackie ends her knees and goes through a stack of records leaned up against the wall on the floor. JACKIE I couldn't wait till I got home last night and wash my hair. MAX It looks nice. She finds a record, takes it out of the pile, removes the album from the sleeve, and places it on her stereo turntable. MAX (CONT'D) You never got into the whole CD revolution? JACKIE I got a few. But I can't afford to start all over again. I got too much time and money invested in my records. The song starts; it's an old romantic soul music number from the early seventies. MAX Yeah, but you can't get new stuff on records. Jackie picks up her cigarettes off the coffee table. JACKIE I don't buy new stuff that often. Jackie enters the kitchen door frame by Max. She lights a cigarette and stands. Max listens to the soul song. MAX This is pretty. JACKIE Uh-huh. MAX Who is this? JACKIE The Delfonics. MAX '76? JACKIE '74, I think. MAX It's nice. They listen for a moment. JACKIE I called in sick this morning. As far as the airline knows, I'm still available. MAX Are you? JACKIE I don't know yet. 'm going to talk with Dargus and Nicolet today. Do what you suggested. Offer to help and see what happens. MAX What I meant was have a lawyer do the negotiating for you. JACKIE I want to talk to them first. I know more now about Ordell's money. MAX Well, if the A.T.F. guy is the one who wants you, that'll only interest him up to a point. JACKIE It's a lot of money. About a half-a- million dollars. All of it in Cabo in safe deposit boxes and more comin in. MAX How'd you find that out? JACKIE He told me last night. MAX He called you? JACKIE He came by. MAX What?... What'd you do? JACKIE We talked. Jackie goes back in the kitchen. Coffee's almost there, but not quite. She pulls down two mugs from a cabinet. JACKIE (CONT'D) He had his doubts at first. But he's always trusted me an wants more than anything to believe he still can. MAX Why? JACKIE He needs me. Without me all that money is just gonna sit over there in Cabo. Sugar? MAX No thanks. There's gotta be other ways to get it out. She pours the coffee. JACKIE Maybe, but 'm the only one he's ever used. He can't trust his other people. They're crooks. He can try bringing I in himself, but Ordell sure don't want to go through no Customs line. Either he recruits another Cabo stewardess, or he continues to trust me. I made him feel he still can. Jackie walks to the table with the two coffee mugs and sits down. MAX How do you get it out? JACKIE Same way I been don', but first they got to let me go back to work. MAX You're gonna offer to set him up? JACKIE If I get let off. Otherwise, fuck 'em. MAX It's very possible Ordell's killed somebody. JACKIE I ain't goin' to jail, and I ain't doin' that probation thing again. Max watches her a moment Jackie takes a drink of coffee. JACKIE (CONT'D) How do you feel about getting old? MAX You're not old. You look great. JACKIE I'm asking how you feel. Does it bother you? MAX It's not really something I think about. JACKIE Really? MAX Okay, I'm a little sensitive about my hair. It started falling out ten years ago. So I did something about it. JACKIE How'd you feel about it? MAX I'm fine with it, or I wouldn't of done it, I did it to feel better about myself, and I do. When I look in the mirror it looks like me. JACKIE It's different with men. MAX You know, I can't really feel too sorry for you in that department. Jackie smiles. MAX (CONT'D) In fact, I'd make a bet that except possibly for an Afro - you look exactly the same as you did at twenty nine. Jackie smiles into her coffee. JACKIE My ass ain't the same. MAX Bigger? JACKIE Yeah. Max smiles. MAX Nothin wrong with that. Jackie's smile grows bigger. MAX (CONT'D) Does something else worry you? JACKIE I just feel like I'm always starting over. You said how many bonds you wrote? MAX Fifteen thousand. JACKIE Well, I've flown seven million miles. And I've been waitin' on people almost twenty years. The best job I could get after my bust was Cabo Air, which is about the worst job you can get in this industry. I make about sixteen thousand, with retirement benefits , ain't worth a damn. And now with this arrest hanging over my head, I'm scared. If I lose my job I gotta start all over again, but I got nothin to start over with. I'll be stuck with whatever I can get. And that scares me more than Ordell. DISSOLVE TO: INT. LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT - DAY A.T.F. man, Ray Nicolet, moves down the hallway of the big building... ten heads for the office of Mark Dargus. He reaches the closed door... raps on it. DARGUS (O.S.) Come in. Nicolet opens the door, revealing Dargus and Jackie Brown sitting in the office talking. DARGUS (CONT'D) Great, you're here. NICOLET Hey, Jackie. Jackie waves. Dargus stands up and says to Jackie; DARGUS Let me have a word outside with Agent Nicolet for a moment? JACKIE Take your time. DARGUS Thanks. NICOLET Well just be a minute. JACKIE Can I smoke? DARGUS Go ahead. The two detectives step outside and close the door on Jackie as she pulls out her cigarettes. NICOLET What's going on? DARGUS She wants to make a deal. NICOLET She sound scared? DARGUS She almost sounds scared. NICOLET What's she want? DARGUS She wants to go back to work. NICOLET What's she willing to give us? DARGUS She hasn't one into specifics yet, she's been waiting for you. NICOLET She knows it's my case? DARGUS She ain't said it, but she's not stupid, she knows it's you who wants her. CLOSEUP JACKIE Inside Dargus' office, smoking a Mild Seven. Dargus and Nicolet come back inside. NICOLET Thanks for waiting, Jackie. Now tell me, what can we do for you? JACKIE I need permission to leave the country so I keep my job. NICOLET We can look into that. JACKIE I need it tomorrow. If I don't show up for work tomorrow, I'm fired. NICOLET You know what we want. JACKIE If I'm working, I can help you. DARGUS Help us do what? JACKIE Help you get Ordell Robbie. NICOLET Oh, so now you know him? JACKIE You never asked me if I did or not. DARGUS But now you're telling us now you do. JACKIE 'Course I do - I deliver money for him. NICOLET No shit. You know how he makes hi money? JACKIE He sells guns. NICOLET You ever see him sell guns? JACKIE No. NICOLET Then how do you know he sells guns? JACKIE He told me. Besides, why else would an A.T.F. man be after him? NICOLET How can you help us? JACKIE Short of wearing a wire, I'll do everything I can to help you throw his ass in jail. And in exchange for my help, I need permission to leave the country and immunity. DARGUS You don't want much, do you? JACKIE Can you do it or not? The two cops look at each other. DARGUS (to Nicolet) It's your call. Nicolet looks at Jackie. NICOLE It's possible. FADE TO BLACK TITLE CARD: "LOUIS GARA & MELANIE" CUT TO: FADE UP ON ON TV Helmut Berger slaps a woman in the face with a newspaper, proclaiming he's the "mad dog." The film is an Italian Policier from the seventies. Melanie sits in a comfy chair long-ways, bare legs hanging over the arm. As she watches the TV, she picks up a big bong with it's own handle. He takes a hit. Melanie's dressed in her usual Melanie-uniform of shorts and a loose top. The front door opens, and Ordell and Louis walk through it carrying shopping bags. ORDELL We're back. MELANIE 'Ola! We notice that Louis is sportin' new duds. Louis' new "look" is a retro seventies-style bowling shirt and black jeans. Melanie notices the change. MELANIE (CONT'D) Hey, hey, hey. I think somebody's got some new clothes. ORDELL We been shoppin'. Can't have my boy running around lookin' like a bum on the street. LOUIS I didn't look like a bum. ORDELL But you did have a Salvation Army- thing going. Ordell notices the bong in her hand and the smoke in the air. ORDELL (CONT'D) Goddam, girl. You gettin' high already. It's only two o'clock. Melanie smiles. MELANIE It's that late? Louis sits on the couch. He smiles at the comeback. ORDELL Ha-ha-ha. I'm serious, you smoke too much of that shit. That shit robs you of your ambition. MELANIE Not if your ambition is to get high and watch TV. Melanie and Louis laugh. The phone rings. ORDELL You two a coupla Cheech and Chongs, ain't ya. (he moves towards the phone - to Melanie) Oh, that's okay, I'll get it. He picks it up. ORDELL Hello. (pause) Hey, Jackie... (throwing a hard look at Melanie) No, Jackie, I didn't get your message. MELANIE I was gonna tell you... Ordell gives her a "silence" gesture and look. Melanie trades a look with Louis like "I'm in trouble," all the while smiling like a shark. Louis smiles to himself. Melanie holds up the bong, offering him a hit. Ordell's on the phone. ORDELL No, not on the phone, let's meet somewhere. But you gotta make sure they ain't followin' you... Louis has the bong in front of him. Melanie stays in her chair long-ways. LOUIS Is it ready to go? MELANIE Yeah, there's another hit left. Louis takes it. Ordell's on the phone. INT. COCKATOO INN Jackie sits at the bar talking on their phone. We see both sides. JACKIE The Cockatoo Inn. ORDELL The Cockatoo Inn? Where's that? JACKIE It's right on Hawthorne Boulevard and Manhattan Beach Boulevard. It's red brick... ORDELL Oh, wait, you mean that place that has the big sign with a rooster on it? JACKIE It's a cockatoo. Louis exhales his smoke, does an older man cough. MELANIE You okay? LOUIS Yeah, I'm just gettin' old. I can't smoke or laugh now it seems without coughing. MELANIE Coughing opens up the capillaries. When you cough, you're getting air - in this case smoke - to parts of the lung that don't normally get used. Coughing's good - gets ya higher. My dad coughs when he smokes all the time. Ordell hangs up the phone. ORDELL (to Louis) Hey, Louis, I have to go out awhile. So since you like gettin' high so much, why don't you stay here with Melanie, get high, and watch cartoons? Louis with a smile. LOUIS Way ahead of you. Melanie laughs. Ordell takes the remote control and turns the station till he finds a channel with cartoons. ORDELL So you just watch this for the next three hours, and I'll be back. Then, when I'm through with all my business, I'll get high. I get high at night. Walk me to the door, space girl. Melanie climbs out of the chair and walks Ordell to the door, Ordell says to her in the doorway; ORDELL (CONT'D) Hope you don't mind keeping him company. MELANIE No problem. ORDELL Try not to rip his clothes off 'em they're new. Melanie gives him a sarcastic, "Oh, you're so funny" look. Ordell kisses her quick on the mouth, then says past her; ORDELL (CONT'D) I'll be back in an hour, man. Just hang with Mel. Ordell leaves and Melanie closes the door. She turns around and looks at Louis. MELANIE Want a Metrix? LOUIS What's a Metrix? She crosses to the kitchen. MELANIE It's like this major meal in a shake you drink instead of having a big meal. LOUIS It's a diet thing? MELANIE No, it's what body builders drink to beef up. LOUIS No thanks. She goes into the kitchen and starts making her Metrix shake. He looks around and spots something interesting. TWO SMALL PHOTOGRAPHS In a clear, plastic frame. Melanie, circa 1976, at about sixteen wearing roller-disco skates. Melanie, in a green setting, about five years ago, wearing a pretty Oriental- style dress, with a "smile for the camera" look on her face. The photo was obviously a picture of Melanie with somebody else that's been cut in half. Somebody's disembodied arm still rests on her shoulder. Louis picks up the photo frame. LOUIS How old were you here? She looks and sees what he's talking about. MELANIE Which one? LOUIS The roller disco one. MELANIE Fourteen. Louis walks over. LOUIS You're fourteen years old here? MELANIE Yeah. LOUIS I thought you were sixteen. MELANIE I was pretty much the same height now as I was then. LOUIS Were you a disco girl? MELANIE Noooo, I was a surfer girl. Besides, I was only fourteen. I couldn't go to discos. LOUIS So where did you go? MELANIE The beach. Or get high, drop acid at a friend's place. I was a K.L.O.S. girl. I hated disco. She hits Whip on her blender. It makes an infernal noise till she hits Stop! Carrying the blender full of Metrix, she walks over and looks at the picture. MELANIE (CONT'D) That was taken at a place called "Flippers." It was in Hollywood. Were you in L.A. back then? LOUIS No. MELANIE Where were you? LOUIS Detroit. MELANIE With Ordell? LOUIS We had done time together already. Melanie drinks her Metrix. MELANIE Were you a disco guy? LOUIS No. MELANIE C'mon, don't lie. LOUIS I don't like dancing. MELANIE Did you ever go I one? LOUIS I went to a few just to meet women. But I don't like to dance, and it's so fuckin; loud. During that whole scene I just drank in bars. (he points to the cut picture) Who didn't make the cut? MELANIE That's a picture of me in Japan. LOUIS You been to Japan? MELANIE I lived there for about nine months. LOUIS You lived in Japan, when? MELANIE About five years ago. LOUIS Who's arm is that? MELANIE That's the guy I lived with... his name was... Hir.Hirosh. LOUIS Must of made quite an impression. MEALINE I never got to know him, really. I couldn't speak Japanese, and his English was terrible. But I couldn't say anything, because his English was better than my Japanese. LOUIS That sounds like a problem. MELANIE Not really. We didn't have much to say to each other anyway. I never got to know him that well, but I knew enough to know I wasn't missing much. I keep that, because of all the fuckin' time I was there, that's the only picture I got of me in Japan. (she points beyond her shoulder) That's Japan. Melanie looks up at Louis. MELANIE Wanna fuck? LOUIS Sure. FADE TO BLACK OVER BLACK SUBTITLE: "THREE MINUTES LATER" FADE UP: LOUIS Lies on the couch on his back and Melanie sits on top of him. They're going at it like a couple of fuck monkeys. Almost on the fade up, Louis cums. MELANIE That was fun. She hops off and OUT OF FRAME. LOUIS Yeah, that really hit the spot. MELANIE (O.S.) Now that's over, let's get to know each other. INT. MUSIC STORE - DAY CLOSEUP a rack of CDs all beginning with "D" are flipped through, till it stops on one CD, "The Best of the DELFONICS." Max is standing in he soul music section o a music store. He lifts out the CD and turns it over. It has the song Jackie played this morning. He smiles and takes the CD up to the register. CLOSEUP the COCKATOO INN neon sign, unlit during the day. INT. THE COCKATOO INN - DAY Ordell walks into the dark red cocktail lounge in the middle of the day and sees Jackie sitting at the bar drinking a white wine. Old-school soul plays on the jukebox. He sits next to her. ORDELL I gotta remember this place. This is all right. Two minutes from your crib, ten minutes from your work. Not bad... A black bartender named FLOYD approaches Ordell. FLOYD What's your drink, brother? ORDELL Screwdriver. FLOYD (to Jackie) How you doin'? JACKIE I'm fine. FLOYD Yes, you are. Jackie smiles. Floyd makes Ordell's drink. ORDELL I bet you come here on a Saturday night, you need nigga repellent keep 'em off your ass. JACKIE I do okay. ORDELL You a fine lookin' woman, Jackie. I bet you do a damn sight better than okay. You think anybody followed you? JACKIE I don't think so, but it don't really matter. They know I'm meeting you. ORDELL How the fuck they know that? JACKIE I told them. Floyd comes back with Ordell's screwdriver. FLOYD Three twenty-five. Ordell digs in his pocket and gives Floyd a five. ORDELL Keep it. FLOYD Thank you, sir. Floyd leaves. ORDELL (to Jackie) You told em? You told em it's me? JACKIE They already know it's you. ORDELL Well, shit. That don't mean you gotta confirm it! JACKIE Look, the only way I can get permission to fly is if I agree to help them. Which is what I have to appear to be doing. So I give them something they already know. You. ORDELL Didja tell 'em anything else? JACKIE I told them you got a half a