…following on…
35 EXT. NICK’S APARTMENT. NIGHT
NICK and ANGELA stand alongside his yellow 4WD. ANGELA wraps her arms around him, holds him tight.
ANGELA
Where? Why?
NICK does not want to answer.
ANGELA
Please, at least...can you tell me if... whatever it is...is dangerous ...for you?
NICK shakes his head.
ANGELA
No?
NICK
Maybe. A little bit.
ANGELA
A little bit!?
ANGELA
If I asked you not to go, would you?
NICK
Would you ask me that?
ANGELA
No, but if I did...?
NICK smiles as best he can.
NICK
Don’t worry, OK? (a beat) OK?
ANGELA
I’m going to worry.
NICK
Tonight.
ANGELA
Tonight.
They kiss each other lightly on the lips.
36 INT. STAIR AND TILDA’S BEDROOM. NIGHT
TILDA lies propped up in bed, reading a magazine; her mobile phone resting beside her. She cannot concentrate on what she is reading; picks up the mobile phone, looks at the screen; contemplates making a call. She hears an approaching motor bike, turns off the bedside lamp.
37 EXT. STAIR AND TILDA’S HOUSE. NIGHT
STAIR, riding a Harley Davison, pulls up in the driveway.
38 INT. STAIR AND TILDA’S BEDROOM. NIGHT
STAIR crawls into bed alongside TILDA; who pretends to be asleep. He wraps his arms around her; spooning. She turns, pretending to be waking up; looks at him questioningly.
STAIR (somber)
You win some, you lose some...
TILDA shakes her head. STAIR smiles.
STAIR
...and then you win again.
TILDA
Incorrigible.
STAIR kisses her on the lips. She responds. Serious foreplay ensues for a moment, before:
GRACE (voice off)
Cuddles.
STAIR and TILDA turn to see:
GRACE and TINA, in the nighties, standing in the doorway.
TINA
Double cuddles.
STAIR
Double cuddles.
STAIR sits up, opens his arms wide. GRACE and TINA run to the bed, leap into his arms.
39 INT. NICK’S 4WD. RICE PADDIES. SUNRISE
NICK drives as the sun rises over rice paddies. He has his yellow mobile phone held to his ear. Stevie Wonder’s ‘I just called to say I love you’ plays on the CD deck.
NICK
You awake?
40 INT. NICK’S BEDROOM. SUNRISE
ANGELA, lying in bed, half asleep still, smiles.
NICK turns up the music volume, holds his mobile close. Stevie Wonder sings:
STEVIE WONDER
“I just called to say I love you.”
ANGELA smiles.
41 INT. NICK’S 4WD. RICE PADDIES. SUNRISE
NICK holds his yellow mobile to the speaker; smiles.
STEVIE WONDER
“And I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
He turns the volume down, lifts the mobile back to his ear.
NICK
The answer is ‘yes’.
42 INT. NICK’S BEDROOM. SUNRISE
ANGELA (laughs)
Yes! But to which question? (A BEAT) Hello. Nick! Hello...
43 INT. NICK’S 4WD. RICE PADDIES. SUNRISE
NICK
You there...hello...
He hangs up, slips his mobile into his shirt pocket.
44 INT. NICK’S BEDROOM. SUNRISE
ANGELA, mobile phone in hand, tries to figure out what the question was. And then is dawns on her. She smiles, bites her lip; happy tears welling in her eyes.
45 INT. SQUASH COURT. DAY
STAIR, face wet with sweat, grimaces as he pounds a squash ball. It hits the wall, bounces back.
His SQUASH PARTNER hits the ball with equal force. STAIR has to spin around fast to hit the ball rebounding on the wall behind him. He is an accomplished player, fast on his feet.
The game is fast and furious - played by two Alpha males determined to win. STAIR loses the point, hits his racquet with his hand, chastises himself.
STAIR
Fuck!
46 EXT. MAKESHIFT BAMBOO HOUSE. RURAL CAMBODIA. DAY
BUN, a wrinkled old Khmer woman, standing alongside a red bougainvillea, close to a ramshackle thatched-roofed home, empties a slop bucket into a wooden trough.
As pigs jostle with chickens and ducks for food, BUN’S attention is caught by:
A vehicle in the distance approaching on a red dirt road, kicking up a rooster’s tail of dust behind it. As it gets closer its colour becomes clear: yellow.
As it gets closer, the yellow 4WD is recognizable as Nick’s.
47 INT. CHANGE ROOM. SQUASH COURTS. DAY
STAIR washes himself under the shower. His finely toned body suggests that he spends a good deal of time in the gym.
STAIR
Not going to give an inch.
His SQUASH PARTNER is drying himself after his shower.
SQUASH PARTNER
They’re going to demand an inch.
NICK
Fuck them!
Stair’s mobile starts to ring.
SQUASH PARTNER
OK, fuck them! Want me to...(answer your phone.)
STAIR
See who it is.
The SQUASH PARTNER takes the mobile out of Stair’s trousers, hanging on a hook; looks at the screen.
SQUASH PARTNER
Unknown...from an 855 number. That’s in Asia somewhere, right?
STAIR
Cambodia.
SQUASH PARTNER
Want me to...(take the call)
STAIR shakes his head.
48 INT. MAKESHIFT BAMBOO HOUSE. RURAL CAMBODIA. DAY
BUN blows dust from an old AK 47 she holds in her hands. She picks up an ammunition magazine, tries to attach it to the rifle. She can’t. It is jammed.
BUN, familiar with the AK 47, inspects it. It clearly needs cleaning. She swears in Khmer.
BUN (subtitled)
Shit!
BUN’S thoughts are interrupted by the sound of an explosion in the distance.
49 EXT. MAKESHIFT BAMBOO HOUSE. RURAL CAMBODIA. DAY
An old man, SOK, looks across a rice paddy to:
Nick’s yellow 4WD, 50 meters away; enveloped in flames.
BUN appears behind him, dusty gun in one hand; ammo magazine in the other. The sound of another explosion is heard.
The flames leap higher into the sky.
BUN and SOK watch, mesmerized. A few moments later what sounds like firecrackers pierces the silence.
50 INT. LIVING ROOM. NICK’S APARTMENT. DAY
Close on a newspaper clipping: A photo of a the body of a pre-pubescent girl lying in a drainage ditch. She is wearing a dirty white frilly dress. Her head is turned away from the camera. A small crowd of slum dwellers has gathered around, some taking photos with their mobile phones. The headline reads: VIRGINS MURDER MYSTERY. Music over.
ANGELA (voice off)
I didn’t believe for one minute that it was an accident.
The camera moves to reveal a few similar photos, attached to newspaper articles, of murdered pre-pubescent girls who have been raped; their bodies dumped. The sensational headlines all include the word ‘virgin’.
KATIE (voice off)
Hang on, wait till we’re filming. (A BEAT) Todd, you close?
As the shot widens, this cluster of photos, pinned to the notice board, is revealed to be bordered by red thread - with lines of red thread radiating outwards.
TODD (voice off)
Yes. Angela, could you say something.
ANGELA (voice off)
Something.
TODD (voice off)
More...
A photo of the severed head of a Caucasian man comes into view; eyes open in terror, ears sliced off; his mouth taped shut with gaffer tape.
ANGELA (voice off)
Something more...more of something... too much of something...not Enough of something...
The photo of the severed head lies within a cluster of similar, very gory, crime scene photos, bordered by blue thread.
TODD (voice off)
OK, thanks. Can we kill the music.
A newspaper clipping within this cluster has a banner headline: “Gory Gaffer Tape Murder Mystery”
ANGELA (voice off)
Kill?
TODD and KATIE, mid-late 20s, sit on either side of a video camera on a tripod.
TODD wears headphones. In the background FRANCOISE, red haired, 30’ish, removes wilting flowers from vases on a bench in the kitchen area.
TODD
Turn it off.
ANGELA’S face is large on the video camera flip out screen.
ANGELA
Sure. (She calls out.) Frannie, can you turn the music off?
FRANNIE’S VOICE
Oui.
ANGELA sits in a chair in front a cluttered journalist’s work desk, on which rest several vases of flowers. The desk faces a notice board covered with a montage of press clippings, photos of people (men mostly), notes and other evidence of Nick’s multiple journalistic investigations. Alongside the photo of the ‘island paradise’ is a headline written, in bold print: “British Virgin Islands growing rich as a global tax haven.” The music stops.
KATIE turns to TODD.
KATIE
Sound OK?
TODD sticks his thumb in the air.
KATIE
You ready?
ANGELA
As I ever will be. Do I look at you? Todd? The camera?
KATIE
Whatever you feel comfortable with.
ANGELA nods; a little nervous.
KATIE
You were saying a moment ago?
ANGELA
What? What was I saying?
The montage of photos, press clippings etc. behind ANGELA is structured as a series of ‘boxes’ bordered with coloured thread - arranged in a circle around a large ? alongside the photo of the Virgin Islands tropical paradise.
Photos and press clippings are connected by different coloured threads.
KATIE
About Nick’s death not being an accident.
ANGELA
No, it wasn’t.
KATIE
What wasn’t?
ANGELA
Nick’s death.
KATIE
Can you make that a statement? Like “I didn’t believe for one minute that it was an accident.”
ANGELA
That’s what I said.
KATIE
Yes, but the camera wasn’t rolling.
ANGELA
OK, sorry...Can we start again?
KATIE
Who would have wanted to kill Nick?
ANGELA
You already know the answer to that...
KATIE
Yes, but our audience doesn’t. (a beat) Let me ask you...
ANGELA glances down at the glass of wine resting beside her.
ANGELA
I think I need...
She gestures to the glass of wine on the floor beside her.
ANGELA
Do you mind?
KATIE shakes her head.
ANGELA
Maybe you could turn that off for a moment...
KATIE goes through the motions of switching the camera off.
ANGELA leans down; picks up the wine.
ANGELA
Sorry, I’m a bit of a....(mess)
KATIE
It’s fine. In your own time.
ANGELA takes a sip of her wine.
ANGELA
It’s like...I can still smell him on the sheets. I don’t want to wash them because...
Tears well in her eyes.
ANGELA
My brain says, ‘He’s never coming back’ but my heart...
She wills herself not to cry; wipes the tears from her eyes.
ANGELA
OK, you can...(turn the camera on now).
KATIE goes through the motions of doing so.
KATIE
I’ll start with a question, OK? (Angela nods.) Angela, who would want to kill your boyfriend, Nick. And why?
ANGELA (laughs)
You want a laundry list?
KATIE
Maybe...maybe you could just... start at the beginning?
ANGELA
The beginning! Where does the beginning begin? With the first little girl who was raped? Strangled? With the first ‘gaffer tape’ murder? (A BEAT) But you can’t understand these unless...There are so many beginnings to this...this fucking story.
KATIE
For you.
ANGELA
For me? With my conception 30 years ago? 31.(LAUGHS) With a fight between two brothers 20 years ago? With the execution of a boy’s whole family by the Khmer Rouge in 1978? With my holiday in the Virgin Islands? With a girl called Monkey whose sick mother who couldn’t feed her children and...?
KATIE
How about when you met Nick?
ANGELA sips her wine, thinks for a long moment, looks at KATIE and TODD, smiles.
ANGELA
The cretin!
51 EXT. RURAL CAMBODIAN ROAD. DAY
A battered mud be-spattered 4WD makes its way along a dusty red road that intersects green rice paddies lined with palm trees. National Geographic beautiful. Stevie Wonder sings:
STEVIE WONDER
“I just called to say I love you.”
52 INT. 4WD. RURAL CAMBODIAN ROAD. DAY
ANGELA, hair in a pony tail, in khaki shorts and denim shirt, drives. She has a laminated Press Pass hanging around her neck and three cameras on the seat beside her. It is a hot day. Perspiration glistens on her face. Up ahead she sees:
NICK, standing by his mud be-spattered yellow 4WD - a large dirty plastic petrol container in one hand and furled multi-coloured umbrella in the other.
STEVIE WONDER
“And I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
As she gets closer, NICK gestures his embarrassment at having run out of petrol. He has a two day growth of beard, longish tousled hair no dress sense and is sweating profusely.
ANGELA pulls up alongside him, turns down Stevie Wonder; looks, over the top of her sunglasses, down at the large dirty plastic petrol container; raises her eyebrows. NICK grins sheepishly.
ANGELA (playful)
Mmmm...Let me guess!
NICK
OK, OK, I’m a fucking moron.
ANGELA smiles, gestures with her head for him to get in.
A LITTLE LATER
ANGELA drives. NICK sits in the passenger seat with Angela’s cameras resting in his lap and the plastic container and umbrella between his knees. Stevie Wonder’s “I Just called to Say I Love You” plays low in the background.
NICK
OK, this is not an excuse, right!
ANGELA
Right.
NICK
An explanation.
ANGELA
Right.
NICK
Well, the gauge on the ‘Yellow Peril’ is broken, see, and...I can never be 100% sure how much petrol’s in the tank so I...
He gestures to the plastic container between his knees.
NICK
...anyhow, I forgot to fill it and...
ANGELA
Because you’re a fucking moron...
NICK
Or an imbecile. Whichever is worse.
ANGELA
Cretin is worse than both moron and imbecile.
NICK
OK, cretin. I’m Nick, by the way.
ANGELA
Nick the cretin.
NICK
Nick the cretin. And you’re...?
ANGELA
Angela. You’re a journalist, right? Nicholas someone or other.
NICK takes out his journalist’s note pad; brandishes it.
NICK (nods)
Someone or other. I’m never quite sure if I’m ‘someone’ or ‘other’. (A BEAT) Morecombe.
ANGELA
I’ve seen you on TV.
NICK
Can’t believe everything...And you...you’re a photographer?
ANGELA
Very observant you!
NICK smiles, taps his head.
NICK
Psychic. (A BEAT) And new here, right? (Angela nods) And a Pom?
(Angela nods) And in Cambodia to...?
ANGELA gestures with her head to NICK’S note pad.
ANGELA
Shouldn’t you be taking notes? (A BEAT) Do I have the right to remain silent?
NICK (laughs)
Sorry, force of habit.
NICK gestures his wish to turn the volume of the music up.
NICK
Do you mind?
Before ANGELA has a chance to respond, he has done so.
NICK
I love this song. (He sings along) “I just called to say I love you.”
ANGELA smiles. NICK hams it up as he delivers the next line directly to ANGELA.
NICK
“And I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
ANGELA
A cretin, a moron and an imbecile.
NICK laughs.
53 EXT. RAIN FOREST. DAY
Through the front window of Angela’s 4WD, as they approach, NICK and ANGELA see:
Half a dozen POLICE standing by the bulldozer, protecting it from a large CROWD of indigenous men, women and children standing or sitting in front of a bulldozer parked at the edge of the rain forest.
NICK removes a black leather pouch from his pocket; slides his yellow mobile phone from it.
ANGELA pulls up, grabs a camera from NICK’S lap and is out of the 4WD in a flash.
NICK follows close behind, journalist’s spiral notebook and yellow mobile in hand.
BUN stands defiantly in front of a bulldozer; prods the chest of a POLICEMAN with her index finger.
NICK films with his yellow mobile phone. ANGELA takes photos.
VICHET, in his policeman’s uniform, his angry face red and sweaty, shouts at the BULLDOZER DRIVER in Khmer.
VICHET (subtitled)
Drive! Drive!
The BULLDOZER DRIVER looks at the POLICE; not sure what to do. The POLICEMAN IN CHARGE is also not sure what to do.
ANGELA takes photos; ignoring TWO POLICEMEN who try to stop her. She flashes her Press Pass and they back off. They seem not to register that NICK is filming with his yellow mobile.
VICHET strides up to ANGELA, holding his hand up - to prevent her taking a photo of him. She ignores him, keeps taking photos. NICK walks up, greets VICHET in English.
NICK
Vichet. (A BEAT) Do you have any comment to make about...
VICHET
Fuck you, Mr Morecombe.
NICK smiles, writes this down. VICHET, in a rage, tries without success to grab his note-book and mobile phone. VICHET holds his hand up, like a gun, pulls the trigger.
ANGELA takes a photo.
VICHET fumes. NICK takes notes. ANGELA takes photos.
BUN walks up to the POLICEMAN IN CHARGE, waves an outstretched index finger in his face, shouts in Khmer.
BUN (subtitled)
You do what I tell you, little boy. I am your granny. You listen to me.
The POLICEMAN IN CHARGE, intimidated by his ‘granny’, gestures to the BULLDOZER DRIVER to back off. He does so.
BUN smiles, starts to dance.
The CROWD cheers and before long everyone is dancing.
VICHET swears at the POLICEMAN IN CHARGE in Khmer.
VICHET (subtitled)
Fuck you.
BUN walks up, dances in front of VICHET. Angry, humiliated, VICHET takes out a handkerchief; wipes his red sweaty face.
ANGELA is close to VICHET now, taking photos.
NICK, a little way off, films with his yellow mobile phone.
VICHET explodes in anger, rushes towards ANGELA in an attempt to grab her camera.
NICK rushes to her aid but before he gets close, ANGELA has stood her ground and, with her finger pointed directly at VICHET, dares him to try to take her camera.
VICHET, shocked by ANGELA’S assertiveness, freezes.
NICK grabs ANGELA’S free hand and drags her towards her 4WD.
She pulls away from NICK, spins around to confront VICHET. NICK grabs her again, pushes her towards the 4WD.
NICK
No! Time to go.
ANGELA gives up resisting and allows NICK to hustle her back to the 4WD as VICHET recovers from his shock and starts screaming in the background at the POLICEMAN IN CHARGE.
NICK opens the passenger door and indicates to ANGELA to get in. She shakes her head, pulls away, walks around to the driver’s door; gets in.
As the POLICEMAN IN CHARGE and TWO OTHER POLICEMEN make their way towards the 4WD, ANGELA locks the car doors, executes a speedy 3 point turn and drives off fast.
54 INT. 4WD. RAIN FOREST. DAY
ANGELA drives; her eyes on VICHET and the POLICEMEN in the rear-vision mirror; turns to NICK; laughs.
NICK
Welcome to Cambodia.
ANGELA
Scambodia!
They are both drenched in sweat; their faces flushed.
NICK
So, what brings you...?
ANGELA
The interview continues!
NICK
Adrenalin?
ANGELA laughs, looks at NICK, raises her eyebrows: “Maybe”.
NICK
Junkie?
ANGELA
Mmmmm, not junkie, but I do like my adrenalin.
NICK
Junkie!
ANGELA
I consulted Dr Google...found a country as far away from home as I could...with as few rules as possible...
STAIR
No rules!
ANGELA
Don’t care for rules.
NICK
So why is it important to be far away home?
ANGELA
A woman is entitled to her secrets.
NICK
And a man.
ANGELA
No, a man must be an open book.
NICK laughs.
ANGELA
You got a girlfriend? Boyfriend? Special relationship with a pet?
NICK
Do I have the right to remain silent?
ANGELA shakes her head. NICK laughs. ANGELA laughs.
55 EXT. RURAL CAMBODIA. DAY
Angela’s 4WD travels along a dirt road dissecting rice paddies fringed with palm trees. Nick and Angela’s playful banter and laughter can be heard over.
56 INT/EXT. ANGELA’S 4WD RURAL CAMBODIA. DAY
Montage with music over. Brief. NICK and ANGELA, talking animatedly, drive through a variety of rural landscapes, including villages that have not changed much in last hundred years. They make each other laugh.
NICK asks if he can look at ANGELA’S camera. She nods.
57 INT. ANGELA’S 4WD. ROADSIDE PETROL STALL
As NICK scrolls through photos on her camera, ANGELA pulls up alongside a roadside stall selling used Coca Cola bottles filled with yellow petrol.
NICK is engrossed by the photos.
CLOSE ON the display screen on Angela’s camera:
A succession of photos:
Bun, her face right up close to the Policeman - her finger pointing; clearly giving him a piece of her mind. The Policeman stares straight ahead, ignoring her.
Bun dances in front of the Policeman. He is trying to keep a straight face and managing. Just!
Bun dancing and laughing now. The Policeman’s face has broken into a smile.
Vichet, his finger pointed at Nick’s head like a gun.
NICK
You’ve got a good eye.
ANGELA
Thank you.
He looks at her, leans close.
NICK
Two good eyes, actually. Beautiful eyes. (Referring to the photos). Can I use one of these?
ANGELA
If you pay me.
NICK
Of course.
ANGELA
You’re my first client.
She hands NICK her business card.
NICK
I don’t have a...(card on me.) But I do have a pen, because I’m a journalist and...
(He can’t find his pen) Shit, have you got...?
ANGELA laughs, produces a biro, hands it to NICK - who reaches out, takes her hand, writes his phone number on the back of it. ANGELA looks at him, intrigued.
Their eyes meet for a moment before NICK leaps out of the vehicle and makes his way with the dirty plastic container to the woman by the stand with bottles filled with petrol.
ANGELA watches NICK as he bargains with the WOMAN PETROL SELLER. As she starts to fill his plastic container, NICK rushes back to speak to ANGELA through the window.
NICK
Having given the question a little thought I’ve come to the conclusion that you may well be the most interesting woman I have ever met.
ANGELA
I am the most interesting woman you have ever met! (A BEAT) And the most gorgeous?
NICK
OK, the most gorgeous too.
ANGELA laughs. NICK smiles, rushes back to where his plastic container is being filled. ANGELA’s mobile phone rings. She answers it. A man’s voice; French-accented.
MALE VOICE
Angie, its me.
ANGELA, her eyes on NICK, hesitates a moment before replying.
ANGELA
Hi me.
58 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD. DAY
NICK stands on the road, alongside Angela’s 4WD, talking to her through the window, plastic container of petrol in one hand; multi-coloured umbrella tucked into his belt. His own battered yellow 4WD can be seen in the background.
NICK
Thanks.
ANGELA
You’re welcome. (Indicating her business card in his free hand) You’ve got my...
NICK
And you’ve got my...
He indicates his phone number written on the back of her hand. ANGELA holds up her hand, nods.
NICK hesitates for a moment, gestures goodbye, turns away.
ANGELA
Probably a stupid question, but...the umbrella?
ANGELA looks up at the cloudless sky.
NICK
Best to be prepared for all contingencies.
ANGELA shakes her head, smiles: “Fucking moron!”
….to be continued…
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