TWO FACES
By
Patrick Donahue
Patrick Donahue ProtectRite R692-6731
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Cell: 408-806-2129
bottlne@comcast.net
FADE IN:
INT. OFFICE - DAY
SHARON, an attractive woman in her 40's, proudly sits behind
a beautiful mahogany desk.
Behind her standing tall are several shelves of law or
medical books. On the wall, hang numerous degrees.
Across from Sharon sits PAUL, a rough looking 40. Dressed in
blue jeans, and a long-sleeve light blue shirt button to the
top.
The wall behind Paul hangs the poster from the classic movie
"Psycho".
SHARON
Go on...
PAUL
Like I said.
SHARON
Released?
PAUL
San Quentin.
SHARON
Is that where that happened?
PAUL
What?
Sharon points to her face outlining the scar on Paul's.
It's nasty, the scar starts an inch into his hairline on his
right side -- down across his severely damaged grayed out
eyeball -- to the center of his cheek.
A tear slithers from that bad eye.
PAUL
Oh...that's another story.
SHARON
I'll bet.
PAUL
Do you have a tissue?
SHARON
Tissue?
Paul nods.
Sharon pulls out a box of tissues and holds it out.
Paul pulls out a tissue and wipes his bad eye.
Sharon sees the tattooed letters on his right knuckles that
spell out the word KILL.
PAUL
Yeah, well... My brother's daughter
was raped and murdered Twelve years
ago...
SHARON
Oh my God, that poor child.
Sharon notices a large tattoo coming out from his shirt
collar going up the left side of his neck.
PAUL
They arrested the bastard, but he
got off on a technicality... My
brother went crazy, drinking,'
drugin'... Then ate a shotgun for
dinner...
SHARON
Why on earth are you telling me
this?
Paul carefully folds the tissue into a two-inch square.
PAUL
Jimmy Sullivan...
SHARON
Is that supposed to mean something
to me?
Paul pats his eye dry and carefully puts the tissue into his
shirt pocket.
Sharon reads the letters on his left hand that spell DEATH.
PAUL
I tracked him to a dumpy little bar
called the Log Jammer up in Oregon.
Ever hear of it?
Sharon shakes her head.
SHARON
Catchy name though.
PAUL
Catchy?
Sharon quickly holds out the box of tissue.
SHARON
Tissue?
Paul shakes his hand.
Sharon sits the box of tissues down and picks up a pencil and
yellow note pad.
PAUL
Anyway... I went in the Jammer and
acted as if I were drunk... I
bumped into him real hard... Jimmy
grabbed me with both hands and
slammed me up against the wall.
Sharon notices Paul as he quickly stands and POPS out a razor
sharp knife blade.
PAUL
He felt this when I stuck it into
his throat, turned it side ways and
sliced coming out, they teach you
that in the Marine Corp...
SHARON
Why do you think I need to know
this?
PAUL
Then I stuck him in his chest...
The look on his face he new he was
wasted.
SHARON
Oh...
SHARON visions JIMMY as he grabs his throat, blood SPURTS out
between his fingers.
SNAP, the lead in Sharon's pencil flies through the air.
SHARON
(Under her breath)
Shit.
PAUL
What?
SHARON
That was terrible, go on.
PAUL
Sure... He let go and grabbed his
throat and stepped back while
dropping to his knees. The sounds
of blood gurgling through his
fingers, and air swishing from his
lung.
Paul LAUGHS and motions like an orchestra leader.
PAUL
It was all music to my ears. The
people in the bar just stood there.
Sharon puts the pencil into an electric sharpener creating
that irritating GRIND.
Paul gives Sharon a hard glare.
Sharon pulls the pencil out and blows off the dusty lead,
then notices.
Paul crunches a piece of paper on the desk.
SHARON
Sorry...
PAUL
I'm learning to be a patient man.
Sharon holds the pencil up, nods her head.
PAUL
No one moved. Then the bartender
called 911. Jimmy's eyes were
frozen on me. He started to fall
forward like in slow motion.
Paul moves like he kicks a football.
PAUL
I Kicked him in the mouth with my
steel toed cowboy boots -- they
were brand-new at the time -- His
body wrenched backwards, blood,
teeth, peppered the wall... the
floor...
Paul throws up his hands as if he kicked a field goal, puts
the knife away.
SHARON
That's appalling...my God.
PAUL
I could hear the police sirens
blaring down on me. Then the door
burst open and there with a
shotgun... was Jimmy, DAMN. I
didn't know he had a twin brother.
Jimmy screamed and raised the
shotgun, and all the bar patrons
jumped him.
Paul throws up his hands.
PAUL
BLAM!
Sharon almost jumps out of her seat throwing the pencil over
her shoulder; it bounces off the books to the floor.
PAUL
Blasted a hole right in the ceiling
it did. The next thing I remember
I'm on trial for murder one lay in
wait punishable by death. The whole
town wrote letters to the court
saying that Jimmy's brother.
Sharon picks up the phone, pushes a button and whispers into
it.
Paul looks at her as he sits down and crunches the paper.
PAUL
Johnny started it; I was just
defending myself. You see... Johnny
had raped one of the girls in their
own town and gotten away with it
because the people were all too
scared of the Sullivan brothers...
The door quickly opens, BENJAMIN, a large black man with arms
ripped off the cover of a muscle magazine in a black T-shirt,
black baseball hat on backward and dark sunglasses.
He closes the door; arms folded he stands like a giant next
to Sharon.
Paul half gets up from his chair and holds up his hand for a
high-five.
PAUL
Hey bro...
Benjamin's like a rock.
Paul sits back and flattens out the crumpled piece of paper.
PAUL
Anyway... I don't think the judge
bought the whole thing; it did get
kicked down to voluntary man, with
a max of fifteen. I miss my brother
and my niece. I would really like
to share some birthday cake with
her... and you know, maybe have
nice, ice-cold beer with my
brother...
Paul tears up taking the tissue from his pocket and drying
his eyes.
SHARON
Yes, well. I have another
appointment in ten...
PAUL
They reopened my Barbie's case -
that's what we all called her --
and they found Jimmy Sullivan
guilty...
Sharon looks at her watch.
PAUL
He got life without the possibility
of parole.
SHARON
Nice...
She taps her watch.
SHARON
It's a fiver now.
PAUL
I understand... You're the first
person that I ever told this to...
It felt good to got is off my...
Sharon stands.
SHARON
Benjamin, show Paul to the door.
And thank you for coming in.
Paul gets up and walks to Sharon.
Benjamin gets a little uneasy.
PAUL
I'll see you again won't I? Soon,
I hope...
SHARON
You have issues Paul.
PAUL
Tissues?
SHARON
Issues.
PAUL
Oh... I know the way out, thank
you.
Benjamin opens the door and Paul exits. The door closes.
SHARON
He has tissues of the brain...
A sudden knock and the door quickly flies open. Paul holds
out his razor sharp knife.
Sharon's mouth drops.
PAUL
You two going to take me on?
Benjamin moves behind Sharon.
PAUL
What did you think of my monologue?
Paul peels of his scar and holds out his eye contact holder.
Sharon forces a smile causing a slight laugh.
SHARON
I was just telling Benjamin, what
in the world are you standing
around for son, for God sake, get
this actor his paper work.
Benjamin's nods like a dashboard dog.
Paul smiles.
FADE OUT.