Monster (3 page)

 

And you decided to use it for your benefit?

 

ZINZI

 

Right. Lots of guys in jail do that.

 

O'BRIEN

 

You use stories and you use people, right?

 

ZINZI

 

Sometimes.

 

O'BRIEN

 

And the outcome of your talking with the detective in question is that you were able to reach the District Attorney's office and strike a deal. Isn't that right? You were able to strike a deal that got you out of jail early? Isn't that right?

 

ZINZI

 

That's right.

 

O'BRIEN

 

You happy with the deal?

 

ZINZI

 

Yeah.

 

O'BRIEN

 

Nothing further.

 

PETROCELLI

 

Mr. Zinzi, do you know when you're lying and when you're telling the truth?

 

ZINZI

 

Yes—sure.

 

PETROCELLI

 

You telling the truth now?

 

ZINZI

 

Yeah.

 

PETROCELLI

 

Nothing further.

 

FLASHBACK of 12-year-old STEVE walking in a NEIGHBORHOOD PARK with his friend TONY.

 

TONY

 

They should let me pitch. I can throw straight as anything.
(Scoops up a rock.)
See the lamppost?
(Throws rock. We see that it bounces in front of the post and careens slightly to one side.)

 

STEVE

 

You can't throw.
(Picks up rock and throws it. We see it sail past the post and hit a YOUNG WOMAN. The TOUGH GUY she is walking with turns and sees the 2 young boys.)

 

TOUGH GUY

 

Hey, man. Who threw that rock?
(He approaches.)

 

STEVE

 

Tony! Run!

 

TONY (taking a tentative step)

 

What?
(TOUGH GUY punches TONY. TONY falls—TOUGH GUY stands over TONY as STEVE backs off. YOUNG WOMAN pulls TOUGH GUY away, and they leave.)

 

TONY and STEVE are left in the park with TONY sitting on the ground.

 

TONY

 

I didn't throw that rock. You threw it.

 

STEVE

 

I didn't say you threw it. I just said “Run.” You should've run.

 

TONY

 

I'll get me an Uzi and blow his brains out.

 

CUT TO: INTERIOR: COURTROOM. WENDELL BOLDEN is on the stand. He is average height but heavily built with large, ashy hands. He acts like he's mad and wants everybody to know it.

 

PETROCELLI

 

Mr. Bolden, have you ever been arrested?

 

BOLDEN

 

Yeah. For B&E, and possession with intent.

 

PETROCELLI

 

Possession is obviously drugs and the intent to distribute. Can you tell the jury what B&E means?

 

BOLDEN

 

B&E. Breaking and entering.

 

PETROCELLI

 

And what were you in for when you spoke to Mr. Zinzi?

 

BOLDEN

 

Assault.

 

PETROCELLI

 

But the charges were dropped?

 

BOLDEN

 

Yeah, they were dropped.

 

PETROCELLI

 

Can you tell us about the conversation between you and Mr. Zinzi?

 

BOLDEN

 

I got some cigarettes from a guy who told me he was in on a drugstore robbery up on Malcolm X Boulevard. I knew a dude got killed, and I was thinking of trading what I knew for some slack.

 

PETROCELLI

 

As a matter of fact, didn't Mr. Zinzi also try to use that information himself?

 

BOLDEN

 

He called a detective he knew.

 

PETROCELLI

 

Can you name the person involved in the robbery?

 

BRIGGS

 

Objection! He can testify to the conversation—not the robbery, unless he was there.

 

PETROCELLI

 

Withdrawn…. So who gave you the information that he was involved in a robbery?

 

BOLDEN

 

Bobo Evans.

 

Camera pans to KING, who gives BOLDEN a dirty look.

 

CUT TO: EXTERIOR STOOP ON 141ST STREET. There is a small tricycle on the sidewalk. It is missing one wheel. The garbage cans at the curb are overflowing. Three young girls jump rope near the trash.

 

JAMES KING and STEVE are sitting on the steps.

A heavy woman, PEACHES, sits slightly above them, and a thin man, JOHNNY, stands. He is smoking a blunt.

 

KING (almost a drawl)

 

I need to get paid, man. I ain't got nothing between my butt and the ground but a rag.

 

STEVE

 

I hear that.

 

PEACHES

 

You can't even hardly make it these days. They talking about cutting welfare, cutting Social Security, and anything else that makes life a little easy. They might as well bring back slavery times if you ask me.

 

KING

 

If I had a crew, I could get paid. All you need is a crew with some heart and a nose for the cash.

 

PEACHES

 

Banks is where the money is.

 

JOHNNY

 

Naw. Bank money is too serious. The man comes down hard for bank money. You need to find a getover where nobody don't care—you know what I mean. You cop from somebody with a green card or an illegal and they don't even report it.

 

PEACHES

 

Restaurant owners got money, too. That's the only things left in our neighborhood—restaurants, liquor stores, and drugstores.

 

KING

 

What you got, youngblood?

 

STEVE

 

(Looks up at KING.)
I don't know.

 

JOHNNY

 

Yo—what's your name? Steve. Since when you been down?

 

CUT TO: INTERIOR: COURTROOM. BOLDEN is still on the stand.

 

BOLDEN

 

So he turned me on to 2 cartons for 5 dollars each. I asked him how he copped and he said he was in a robbery in a drugstore. I didn't say no more because all I wanted was the smokes.

 

PETROCELLI

 

Did he tell you when the store was robbed?

 

BOLDEN

 

He said it just went down.

 

PETROCELLI

 

And when did this conversation take place?

 

BOLDEN

 

The day before Christmas. I remember that because I gave a carton of cigarettes to my moms as a present.

 

PETROCELLI

 

No further questions.

 

BRIGGS

 

How well do you know Mr. Evans?

 

BOLDEN

 

I know him when I see him.

 

BRIGGS

 

Did you know him before Christmas?

 

BOLDEN

 

Not really.

 

BRIGGS

 

Let's see, now. You don't know this man, and yet when you ask him where he got the cigarettes, he's going to tell you that he got them from a holdup in which he was involved and in which a man was killed?

 

BOLDEN

 

If he wants to run his mouth, that's his business.

 

BRIGGS

 

And didn't you think it strange that a man would give out information that could be harmful to him if he had actually been involved in this case?

 

CUT TO: CU of JUROR looking bored.

 

CUT TO: CU of BOLDEN.

 

BOLDEN

 

Hey, I don't even care.

 

BRIGGS

 

Your assault charge was dropped—is that correct?

 

BOLDEN

 

Yeah.

 

BRIGGS

 

The maximum sentence for the assault was how long? Do you know?

 

BOLDEN

 

I wasn't convicted.

 

BRIGGS

 

Do you know the maximum sentence?

 

PETROCELLI

 

Objection.

 

JUDGE

 

Overruled; it's pertinent.

 

BRIGGS

 

So you saved yourself some heavy jail time by pointing a finger at Mr. King, isn't that right?

 

BOLDEN

 

I just wanted to do the right thing. You know, like a good citizen.

 

BRIGGS (showing anger)

 

You were in jail trying to be a good citizen? Or were you really just trying to get out of jail and not caring who you put in? Isn't that what you're really doing? Well, isn't it?

 

PETROCELLI

 

Objection! Defense counsel is stepping over his bounds.

 

JUDGE

 

This is a good time for a break. I have some administrative tasks to get done this afternoon. Let's adjourn until tomorrow. I want to remind the jury not to discuss the case with anyone. We'll reconvene 9
A.M.
tomorrow.

 

CUT TO: INTERIOR: DETENTION CENTER. It is night; the lights are out except for dim night-lights placed along the walls. We hear the sounds of fists methodically punching someone as the camera goes slowly down the corridor, almost seeming to look for the source of the hitting. We see two inmates silhouetted, beating a third. Another inmate is on lookout.

 

CUT TO: CU of STEVE lying on his cot. The sounds are in his cell, but he is not the one being beaten. We see the whites of his eyes, then we see him close his eyes as the sounds of the beating stop and the sounds become those of a sexual attack against the inmate who was beaten.

 

FADE OUT.

 

FADE IN: INTERIOR: STEVE's HOME. It is neatly furnished, clean. STEVE is watching TV with 11-year-old JERRY, his brother.

 

JERRY

 

You ever want to be a superhero? You know, save people and stuff?

 

STEVE

 

Sure. You know who I'd want to be? Superman. I'd be wearing glasses and stuff and people would be messing with me and then I'd kick butt.

 

JERRY

 

I bet you'd be a cool superhero. You know who you should be?

 

STEVE

 

Who?

 

JERRY

 

Batman. Then I could be Robin. (
STEVE gives Jerry a brotherly shove.)

 

FADE OUT.