Hanru Sazuki

Hanru Narrating: A taste of my dark side has been revealed to me not too long ago. I realize now that taking control of my life will not be an easy task. But If I want things to go my way and if control is what I so desperately desire, then I’ll have to work hard at it. I want control of my life and what I do with it, but my dark side- the demon inside; prevents me from doing so. I will gain the strength to overcome this evil growing inside me, and I will take control of my life. I’m just not entirely sure how right now.

(Hanru is at Barnes & Noble Bookstore turning in an application. He hands it to a Native-American and Hanru nods him a goodbye. As he leaves the store, Natasha follows.)

Natasha: Obviously these people are in no need of your service if this is your second application.

Hanru: If I turn in a second one, maybe they’ll see that I’m serious about working here and give me an interview. Getting this job is important to me.

Natasha: You make working at a bookstore sound so Noble. (Laughs) Get it; “noble”?

Hanru: (Smiles) Yeah I get it. I’m gonna have to use that.

Natasha: Come on, be original. Get your own jokes.

(Both walk out of the front door.)

Hanru: You’re a figment of my imagination. Any joke you come up with, is my own joke. Anyway working at a bookstore may not match up to being head of a corporate business, but my morals belong here. You know about my school situation and I was unable to focus and I failed. Instead of repeating a grade I just… What most people would call “dropped out”.

Natasha: But you did drop out.

Hanru: No! No, I did not drop out, okay? I had a learning problem and it was too much for me to handle. I just signed out of school in the middle of the year is all.

Natasha: So you’re not very smart, you suck at focusing, and you dropped out of school. Your moral standards are low, so again, explain to me what any of that has to do with you getting this job at a bookstore.

Hanru: Barnes & Noble have school and tutoring books which you can buy. If I’m working here, I’ll have time to study while I work and make money at the same time. Plus, I can read books from time-to-time and work harder at learning and focusing and paying attention.

Natasha: Yeah, see, you know, that’s boring. No one cares about your reading problems and how you want to better your life.

Hanru: That’s why I’m doing this on my own. I get my own job, make my own money, and pay for my own college after a few years.

Natasha: But you don’t want to go to college.

Hanru: I know I don’t, but I have to think about my future and my life. The economy is bad and by the time I’m an adult, everything will be twice as high. That is, if the world lasts that long.

Natasha: You’ve always been an independent person. You never rely on anyone else; just you. Once your family dies, you’ll have nowhere else to go except with other people.

Hanru: I don’t want to rely on other people. I only want to rely on myself. I need to work hard so I that I can have control over my own future. My only motivation for studying and going to college is just to have some control of my own life.

Natasha: But that’s not enough now is it?

Hanru: No, it’s not.

Natasha: You still have that darkness inside you that prevents you from taking control of your life. Let’s just call it a mental block.

Hanru: The mind controls everything we do. Our thoughts, motivations, skills, desires. Sometimes when you want something, you have to go against your very own mind. You have to go against the thing which manipulates you and cease the compass of control.

Natasha: Stop being so emotional and poetic, it’s pathetic. Hey that rhymes.

Hanru: I guess you’re a poet and didn’t know it.

Natasha: Whatever, look, just go against your own mind and whatever and take control. Do whatever. But just know that you are going to fail. So just keep trying or spend the rest of your life being hopeless and poor. Either way doesn’t make you a bad person. Just be who you want to be and don’t worry about the judgment of others. If you feel like you’re a looser who’ll never amount to anything or you feel you’re a sorry human being, then take control of your life and do something about it; don’t just sit around like a sad puppy waiting for someone to pat you on the head and give you treats and whatever else you want.

Hanru: Was that advice for me?

Natasha: No!

(Outdoor restaurant)

(Kaito, Nicky, and two very cautious and very aware bodyguards are all sitting at a table outside by the docks. Kaito seems to be worried about the safety of his sister.)

Kaito: How do you think this makes me feel, huh? I had to look into the eyes of a man I called my brother as he took his last breath. I realize that can’t trust anybody and I can’t let anyone get too clo-

Waitress: Here’s your beverage, sir, enjoy. (Walks away)

Kaito: Thank you. (Talks softer to Nicky) I realize I can’t trust anybody or let anyone get too close. Please, sister just… Take the gun.

(Kaito grabs the back of Nicky’s hand and uses his other hand to wrap her fingers around a small pistol. The two of them make eye contact for a few seconds.)

Nicky: You’re overreacting about the situation.

Kaito: I’m being versatile about the situation. I’m doing something about this because I care dearly for the safety of my sister.

Nicky: So giving me a gun will fix this? A gun will make everything go away?

Kaito: Yes, Nicky; as long as you’re not naïve about the situation and not reluctant, it will be the solution to our problems.

Nicky: I don’t want to be a part of this.

Kaito: Trust me when I say I would rather have you not do this. But there is no alternative. Mikhail knew about our connection, and he was going to kill you. (Grabs Nicky’s purse and puts his gun into it.) Now, you’re going to take this and keep it in your purse for protection. Is that understood?

Nicky: (Sighs) Yes, Kaito; I understand.

Kaito: Good. Cause I’ll never forgive myself if something ever happened to you. You’re all I’ve got left.

Nicky: (Stands up) I know, Kaito. (Gives Kaito a kiss on the cheek then walks away.)

(Hanru walks into his home and sees Ada sitting at the kitchen table wearing nothing but pink panties and one of Leo’s work shirts. She’s reading a book and eating cereal.)

Ada: Oh, hi, Hanru; how was job hunting? Did anything CATCH your attention (chuckles)?

Hanru: No, but you are. (Closes door) Can you please put some clothes on when I’m around; it’s very distracting.

Ada: Sorry, Hanru, I’m just still adjusting, you know? I’m not use to having other people in the same house as me.

Hanru: It’s okay, I understand. It’s just… You have some… very distracting legs.

Ada: (Smiles and looks down) Right. Hanru, you do know that I’m soon to be like your stepmother right?

Hanru: Yeah…

(Hanru sits across from Ada at the table.)

Ada: I know I’m not your real mother, but I am old enough to be. You being sexually attracted to me is not acceptable.

Hanru: I’m sorry if I gave that impression, but no, I’m not sexually attracted to you, I just think you have a nice figure is all.

(Ada puts her hands together on table and sighs as she rests her back into the chair. Her attitude completely changes and she gets serious.)

Ada: Look, Hanru. In all honesty; the last couple years of my life, I’ve been taken care of by a cheap housekeeper and takeout food. I’m a homicide detective who can go to a crimescene and find clues in the most unsuspecting places. But when it comes to being a mother, or a wife, I have no clue whatsoever. I grew up without a mother to teach me the values of life and being a woman. I had to learn those things on my own. Do you have any idea how hard that is?

Hanru: No, I don’t. But I can imagine it’s pretty rough.

Ada: (Leans forward toward Hanru) All I’m asking for, is just some help, okay? I want to be a good mother and a good wife. I just don’t know how to be. I’d really appreciate it, if you would maybe ease up on me a little bit and just help me do this until I eventually get the hang of it.

Hanru: Yeah, sure. I can do that; I can help you out.

Ada: (Smiles) Thank you so much, Hanru. (Grabs his hang) You’re a good kid. It’s too bad I’m unable to have children. I’ve always wanted to raise a boy and have him treat people with kindness and generosity.

Hanru: I’m always here to help, Ada.

Ada: I appreciate that. (Lets go of his hand) You should go upstairs and… Try not to think of my very distracting legs.

(Both chuckle a few seconds.)

Hanru: I don’t know; I’ll be in my room all alone… I can’t make any promises.

(Both chuckle again.)

(Kitchen)

(Police have setup a crime scene around a beautiful suburban home. A plus-size woman lies face-down in a pool of her own blood in the kitchen area. Forensics are taking photos. Erika walks into the kitchen and sees Leo, Justin, Henry, and Sergeant Adam Giovanni.)

Adam: She’s an employee at a youth club. Her record shows clean. She’s never even had a parking ticket.

(Adam stares down at the body in silence. Everyone else has a confused look on their face.)

Adam: Excuse me (leaves the room).

Henry: What’s grandpa’s problem? Is he upset that he didn’t get a chance to bang the fat chick before she kicked the bucket?

Justin: Dude, seriously, not cool; She’s dead.

Henry: Sorry, sometimes dead bodies freak me out.

Erika: Then why are you in homicide?

Henry: The pay is good.

Erika: Right…

Leo: Alright, Erika, with this guy’s Ignorant gestures aside, what happened here?

(Erika crouches down to examine the body for a few seconds. She notices the victim missing ¾ of each of her fingers on her left hand. She looks around the room to find any blood on the walls. She sees blood going across the window over the sink. Next to the sink is a display of perfectly cut round carrots on top of a brown tray. Erika stands up.)

Erika: Has the body been moved at all?

Leo: We never touch the body until after forensics do their thing.

Erika: It’s about time you cops finally stay out of the way. Everyone knows we lab geeks are the real reason why bad guys are caught.

Justin: Yeah but the public doesn’t need to know that. It’s you lab geeks that make us cops look good.

Erika: Taking all the credit for something you contributed so little too: You’d be great politicians.

(Everyone chuckles except Erika.)

Erika: So it looks like her jugular was slashed, but not very deep. The amount of blood she lost isn’t enough to cause death. The blood on the window suggests she was cut horizontally from the front of her throat.

(Henry grabs the back of the victim’s hair and looks at the back of her neck.)

Henry: No scars on the back of the neck.

(Adam walks back in and sniffs. He looks down at the body and makes no eye-contact with anyone.)

Erika: There’s no sign of a struggle here so it’s possible she knew the person who did this. Maybe it was a boyfriend or a husband. The killer stood behind the victim as she was cutting carrots. The killer probably offered to cut with her and made intimate contact. Maybe after they were done cutting, the killer feed the victim a small piece. One piece is missing off the tray. My theory is that maybe the carrot was poisoned with something. The poison took effect instantly, and just as the victim began feeling her life slowly being broken down from the inside, she panicked. It’s possible she reached her arm back and was able to slash the killer with her nails. The nails on her right hand are pretty sharp. Her body locked up. The killer quickly slashed her throat then threw her body on the floor. Then he cut her fingers off because he couldn’t risk his DNA being under her fingernails.

Henry: Okay, Mrs. Sherlock, then how do you explain the huge cast around the victim’s hand? Unless she Sly Coopered her way through a hospital and stole the cast just for kicks, she was given that cast by a professional doctor. In that case, she couldn’t have cut him with her nails; they were wrapped up.

Erika: (Looks at the cast.) So maybe the killer… cut her fingers through the cast to absorb her blood.

Henry: (Aggressive) No, genius, cause if the killer did that, then there would be traces of blood drops on the floor! I don’t smell any Mr. Clean, so he must be out having an affair with the pine-sol lady! The killer didn’t bother to clean up the blood. The man who made the call said he saw someone running out of this house suspiciously, so he ran into the house and found the fat lady’s dead body! We immediately rushed over here so as you can see, the sink is as dry as an unused whistle.

Adam: (Angry) Hey! (Smacks Henry’s shoulder) Enough! Her job is difficult enough without your bickering. Why don’t you go outside and question the neighbors; do your job.

Henry: (Tension grows in his eyes.) You got it, Serge. (Leaves the room)

Adam: Sorry about that, Erika. I got your back; don’t worry.

Erika: No he’s right. He may have been a complete jerk about the situation and he could have handled it differently, but he was just doing his job. (Turns and looks at the blood on the window.) He pointed out my mistakes and it’s a good thing he did. The blood on the window is dry and there is virtually no passive blood flowing down. It’s possible that this blood could either be fake or it was put there before the victim was killed.

Adam: Why don’t you take a little break, Erika, and we’ll get a second opinion just to be sure.

Erika: Yeah okay, sure. (Takes gloves off and leaves the room)

Adam: (Makes sure she leaves the house) Erika wasn’t herself. We’ve all worked with her for years and we all know she does a way better job then what she did today. The last time she fell off the wagon with her job was when she was going through her depression three years ago.

Justin: You think she could be going through it again?

Adam: I mean it’s possible. But how should we approach the situation?

(Adam and Leo both stare at Justin.)

Justin: What are you looking at me for; I’m not a psychologist?

Adam: Maybe not, but you do give good advice. (Rests hand on Justin’s shoulder) I know you’ve helped me get through a lot with my wife.

Justin: Don’t you mean ex?

Adam: (Stammering) Uh… Well yes… but we divorced for completely different reasons unrelated to what you helped me out with.

Justin: But you still got divorced?

Adam: Okay but unless Erika’s married to her job, you don’t have to worry about her getting divorced.

Justin: (Sighs) Fine, I’ll help her out.

(Henry walks into the room.)

Henry: All of the neighbors have been questioned. None of them saw anything or heard anything. No one ever even called 911. So I’m thinking either the neighbors are lying, or the killer himself dialed the police after he killed… the victim. (Clears throat)

Adam: (Stares at the body a few seconds.) We’ll work on getting her phone records. The police tracked the called from inside this house but we weren’t sure if it was from a cell phone or a landline.

Henry: (Clears throat again) Could you kind gentlemen give us a minute please?

Leo: This is a crime scene; not a confession both. If you wanna talk, do it somewhere else. And let’s get another lab geek in here so we can get back to work.

(Henry and Adam walk into the living room.)

Justin: (To Leo) Well aren’t you a big man taking control.

Leo: Shut up.

Justin: (Chuckles) Just like old times.

Henry: I see the way you look at that body in there. I didn’t want to say anything in front of anyone but I can tell you know her from somewhere.

Adam: She was a close friend of the family. She was my wife’s… my ex-wife’s- workout buddy.

Henry: You sure about that, cause she still looks kinda big to me?

Adam: Yes I’m sure! They stopped being friends and we lost contact 2 months before the divorce.

Henry: From what I hear, you’re an honest cop. You’re like the Abe Lincoln of the department. I trust you’ll make the right choice and confess your connection with the victim.

Adam: I’ll confess if I have to. (Walks away)

(Hospital)

(Hanru walks up to the very friendly, thin, and in-shape receptionist. She has black curly hair in a ponytail and she wears glasses.)

Gladys: Hi, how can I help you today, sir?

Hanru: (Thinking) Hey, I know this lady. She was here three years ago when we were looking for Allen. (To Gladys) I’m hoping to find a doctor. Her name is Nicky Zonoda.

Gladys: What is this regarding?

Hanru: Uh, she told me to meet her here at the hospital.

Gladys: Right, well she doesn’t work here anymore; she quit.

Hanru: (Thinking) She’s lying. (To Gladys with a smile) Thank you.

(Hanru turns around and sees Nicky walking through the front door. He turns to look at Gladys the receptionist then walks toward Nicky. Nicky pretends she doesn’t see Hanru and walks faster toward the elevators. The doors open and a doctor walks out. Nicky quickly rushes into the elevator. Hanru runs to catch her in the elevator. The door closes and Hanru almost doesn’t make it inside. He and Nicky are the only two in the elevator. Nicky presses the button to the top floor.)

Hanru: Are avoiding me?

Nicky: No, I just felt we needed someplace private to talk. My brother Kaito isn’t one to let rare opportunities go. You are a rare opportunity. After what you did for him, he’ll want to hire you.

Hanru: Well I am looking for a job.

Nicky: Then look for a different job. Look, Kaito wants control; he always wanted it since he was a child. He would buy a BB-gun just so he could scare the other kids to have control over them, or just so he could scare people into being his friends. Whenever anyone did anything to upset him or his family, he would release his anger upon them in a very violent way. If anyone said anything to the police or ratted him out about anything, he would do heinous things to them. He never killed anyone, but beat the other children within an inch of their lives. Sometimes he would… (Covers mouth with hand and closes eyes.)

Hanru: Why are you telling me this?

Nicky: (Opens eyes and lowers hand) Kaito may be my brother, but he’s a control maniac. If he doesn’t get what he wants or if he has no control of something, he will go to a very dark place. He’ll want to recruit you, so whatever you do, stay off his radar.

(The elevator opens. The two walk out of the elevator and walk down the hallway straight into a patient’s room. A middle-aged man lies in a coma on his deathbed. Nicky closes the door and the two of them walk up to him.)

Nicky: This man is in a coma.

(Hanru crosses his arms and gives Nicky an intense glare.)

Nicky: There have been a lot of middle-aged men suffering from heart attacks lately. No traces of toxins were found in any of their bodies, so there’s no evidence that suggest these were murders. This man is the only one who still lives after having a heart attack.

Hanru: So again, why are you telling me this?

Nicky: You want a job, don’t you? I want you to find whoever’s responsible for this.

Hanru: (Sighs) Heart attacks are the number one killing-

Nicky: Oh stop it! There’s no proof of that. America will believe anything that scientists or doctors say. Don’t forget reporters and politicians.

Hanru: So let’s say this was poison. Where would I even begin to look? I have no suspects, no leads, nothing. This is a dead end case.

Nicky: You need to find someone on the streets; someone who knows about untraceable poisons and who deals drugs. If you can get me a name of 2 or 3 poisons that cause cardiac arrest, I can test it with a sample of some of the victims’ blood and we’ll be able to prove this was murder.

Hanru: And if I do this for you and I find out who the killer is, what then? The evidence would be illegally obtained and therefore useless to the police.

Nicky: You don’t worry about that; I’ve got people for that sort of thing.

Hanru: I don’t know; I’ll have to think about it.

Nicky: Even if I’m wrong, I’ll still pay you.

Hanru: Then I’ll do it. I know someone who might be able to help me out with this. How much do I get paid exactly?

Nicky: How’s about I give you $300 for effort and another 300 for proving my theory right?

Hanru: Double it and we have a deal.

Nicky: Alright, 600 now then 600 for proving me right. That’s a total of $1,200.

Hanru: Wait, so I’m getting $600 right now?

Nicky: Yep. Don’t say I never did anything for you.

(Nicky takes her wallet out and Hanru looks careful inside as she pulls out a stack of money. She hands Hanru $600 in $20 bills. As she hands him the last 20, another nurse walks in and sees the exchange. The female nurse seems a bit shy and timid. She gets nervous.)

Brandy: Oh, sorry, I hope I didn’t interrupt.

Nicky: Close the door, Brandy.

Hanru: Actually, I think I’ll be on my way now. Thanks for the financial loan, Nicky. I promise to use this for good deeds. (Puts money in pocket)

Nicky: You be safe out there.

Hanru: I’ll try. (To Brandy as he walks out of the room) Nice meeting you.

Brandy: Uh, yeah, you too.

(Hanru stands in the elevator alone. Natasha appears beside him. She casually sits on the floor.)

Natasha: I thought money was something you hated?

Hanru: I made a personal decision; leave it at that. Let’s focus on the case.

Natasha: Don’t you sound professional.

Hanru: Janet may be the only one who can help me. LJ is working with Kaito so right now, it’s best to avoid him.

Natasha: You used to have friends to help you with this sort of stuff. Lee and Jessica were a cool little duo.

Hanru: Jessica has other things to worry about.

Natasha: Of course she does.

(Hanru looks over toward Natasha and she vanishes away.)

(Police station)

(Erika is in her lab testing blood samples. She writes something down on a clipboard with a pen. Henry walks into Erika’s office door then knocks on it twice.)

Erika: Do you know how annoying that is?

Henry: Sorry, should I try it again?

Erika: No, it’s fine; just knock before you come in. Privacy is very important to me.

Henry: Got it, sorry. (Closes door)

Erika: So what’s up?

Henry: I’m just seeing how the blood report was going.

Erika: Well, it turns out this isn’t even human blood; it’s cow’s blood.

Henry: So that means all the blood on the crime scene was fake? That was just to put on a show for us law enforcement and make our jobs more difficult?

Erika: Pretty much. Hopefully we get some good news back for the carrots I had tested. I still think the victim was poisoned when she ate that carrot. I don’t know what it is, but I just have this strong feeling.

Henry: That strong feeling can sometimes be your guardian angel; listen to it.

Erika: I’ll remember to do that, thank you for your kind wisdom fellow co-worker.

Henry: Do you have any idea who might be involved if this is poison?

Erika: I may know a guy who professionalizes in matters such as this.

Henry: That Isaac guy you hang around with, right?

Erika: You seriously gotta stop with the stalker stuff, like seriously.

Henry: I’m just being observant.

Erika: Yeah, well go observe yourself.

Henry: Can I think about you while I do it?

Erika: (Cracks a smile) Wow.

Henry: So how about we question this Isaac fellow together? I want to see who my competition is.

Erika: Your competition? You’re not even a competitor. I wouldn’t even let you get through the preliminaries.

Henry: Is it so wrong that I want to take you out?

(The phone rings. Erika answers it right away.)

Erika: Forensics. (Lady talks for 10 seconds) Thank you that knowledge is much appreciated. (Hangs up the phone)

Henry: Was that THE call?

Erika: Yes it was, detective. Bokor was used on her it seems.

Henry: And what is Bokor?

Erika: It’s a type of voodoo potion which was used by Haitians a very long time ago. Haitians use to inject people they didn’t like with it to give them a very horrible death.

Henry: So Bokor is what killed the lady?

Erika: No. Bokor slows the heart rate so much that the person influenced by it appears to be dead. Even if doctors test heart rate, they wouldn’t detect anything at all and claim the victim dead. Whoever, the victim can still feel and hear everything that’s happening; they just can’t do anything about it. Once the Bokor wears off, the one injected is usually buried alive. After about a few days, the body would be dug up and the person would be “undead.”

Henry: So you mean, like zombies?

Erika: Yep. From what I hear, the government uses it to fake people’s deaths then use their undead bodies to build secret concentration camps for future enslavement.

Henry: You’re crazy; you know that?

Erika: I’m a conspiracy freak.

Henry: That just makes you more appealing to me.

Erika: Okay, enough get out! Let’s all get back to work now.

Henry: (Smiles) I’ll be seeing you around, snowflake. (Winks and walks out of the door)

(Erika smiles as he leaves the room. She right away gets back to work. Henry walks back in right away in a panic.)

Henry: Wait, so if she just seems dead that means she’s still alive right now, right?!

Erika: Well if she hasn’t gone through the autopsy yet, she should still be alive. Dying while getting an autopsy; what a horrible way to die. Anyway, you should go save her, hero.

(Henry quickly leaves the room.)

(LJ’s Barbershop)

(Hanru walks into LJ’s barbershop and sees LJ sitting alone in a chair. He stares down at a photo. As soon as LJ hears the door open, he tucks the photo away in his pocket. Hanru walks up to LJ.)

Hanru: Hey, um… I know it’s not a good idea to see you, with you being involved in Kaito and what not, but I could use your help.

LJ: Not a soul has to know about this. What’s up?

Hanru: I need to know about deals regarding poisonous supplements; as in, untraceable poisons.

LJ: Working the cases again I see.

Hanru: I need some source of income. I can’t just lounge around the house all day.

LJ: Do you have any blood samples for me to match against the product we have concealed?

Hanru: I don’t have any blood samples.

LJ: It’ll be difficult, but I’ll do it for you. There are many untraceable poisons but it’ll be nearly impossible to find the specific one you’re looking for. I can narrow down a list for you, will that be alright?

Hanru: Yeah, that’s fine. The person I’m working for said that she only needs a list, and that she could test the blood samples she has against the names of the untraceable poisons.

LJ: Now that I’ve agreed to help you, how about you return the favor?

Hanru: Sorry, I don’t swing that way.

LJ: (Spins around in chair) It’s was revealed to me that sweet little Holly, is my long lost daughter. Janet and I had a very… heated first encounter. It seems Janet is on some heavy stuff and her mind has gone down the toilet since she found out about her daughter being alive. (Stops spinning) You know my line of work. I am a very important member of one of the top brotherhoods. I can’t just quit. There is a strict ‘no quitting” policy. If I just resign, I’ll be shot or most likely clapped.

Hanru: Alright, so how exactly do you want me to help with this?

LJ: I want to… play a huge part in the dramatic story that is my daughter’s life

Hanru: (Sits down in a regular chair next to LJ.) Well, like most movies, there’s always an ending and a certain length. You need to catch the movie from the beginning to understand it and what is has to offer. Starting from the middle will only make things difficult and confusing, and there is not as much as an emotional impact towards the end.

LJ: What about Titanic? I didn’t watch that movie from the beginning, but it was still pretty good. What about Battleship?

Hanru: Alright, pretend the movie of your daughter’s life is Inception: Very complex and you must see it from beginning to end to understand it. And even though it’s complex, you must keep watching it over again to get better understanding. And in the end, if you pay attention really hard, you’ll know the truth. By truth, I mean whether or not you’re a good father and your daughter loves you.

LJ: So how do I know when the beginning starts?

Hanru: It starts now. Holly’s adoptive father got into a bar fight and was shot. She’s going through a lot right now, and she needs a father.

LJ: If I do this, how can I be sure she’ll stay safe and protected? Kaito’s sister wasn’t even safe.

Hanru: You need to figure something out. Maybe you should tell her the truth and be honest.

LJ: I’ll figure something out.

Hanru: One more question I need to ask you; where can I find Janet? Maybe she can help me with finding out more about this poison.

LJ: Be cautious when you approach her. You won’t be too happy with what I’m about to tell you.

(Bruce’s grave)

(About an hour has passed. Tsuki, a tall teenage girl with beautiful short brown hair, stands in silent grief over Bruce’s grave. LJ walks up behind her and crosses his hands together.)

Tsuki: Did you know my dad?

LJ: He stole something very precious from me many years ago.

Tsuki: I’ve always wondered what it would be like to meet you: The birth father of my little sister. (Turns to LJ) Are you going to take her away from me?

LJ: No… She needs to be with someone she knows well and cares about so much.

Tsuki: Without my father, I have nothing; Just a low-paying job at a fast food restaurant.

LJ: I thought I recognized your voice.

Tsuki: Tch. At least someone remembers me. Everyone I’ve ever know has forgotten about me and moved out of my life.

LJ: I know how that feels.

(Tsuki grabs LJ’s collar and roughly pushes him up against a nearby tree. She continues to grasp his collar.)

Tsuki: My sister is very sensitive and very fragile. If anything happens to her; something will happen to you, understand? (Grasps tighter) She is all I have left in this world, and without her, I’m nothing. Do you hear me? Nothing!

LJ: I only want to be a good father to her and make up for lost time.

(Tsuki releases LJ and backs up a few feet.)

Tsuki: Holly doesn’t need you to be a father; she needs you to be there for her.

LJ: (Walks closer to Tsuki) All the same, I’ll always be there for her whenever she needs me.

Tsuki: Well the best thing for her right now, is for you to not be a dad right now. Her feelings are all mashed up right now, and it is too early for her to have a replacement. Don’t make things more confusing for her.

LJ: (Looks deep into Tsuki’s eyes) Let me be a father and worry about what’s best for my daughter. I know you’re her stepsister-

Tsuki: Real sister.

LJ: But I am her father.

Tsuki: By birth. I’ve been by her side her entire life. I know more about her then you.

LJ: Maybe you do, but I deserve a chance.

Tsuki: You’re very persistent and protective. You have a few qualities a father should have. (Walks away)

(Holly is seen walking toward the grave from about 50 feet away. Tsuki storms toward Holly and grabs her arm. Tsuki forcefully pulls Holly away from the grave and toward an empty parked car. LJ doesn’t see this. He stares down at Bruce’s grave. He kneels down.)

LJ: You’re the man who took my baby away from me 18 years ago. I’ve always pictured the day you and I would meet face-to-face. Now I stand over your rotting corps in rage and sorrow. I feel sorry for you, but I’m angry that I didn’t get a chance to make peace and express to you the pain you made me feel that night when you took her. All I can say now… is I forgive you.

(LJ stands up straight and sees a man in a black suit leaning his back against a fancy black limo. The man in the suit stares at LJ with tension and without blinking. LJ walks away from the grave. Later that night, around midnight, two Columbian men hold the grave keeper at gunpoint and force him to dig up Bruce’s grave. The grave keeper opens up the grave and sees not a body, but bags; bags of blue pills.

Columbian1: Bruce knew we would dig up his grave to make sure he was dead.

Columbian2: He left us some early Christmas presents.

Columbian1: If he thinks this will get him off the hook, he is mistaken.

Columbian2: Money is money. These pills add up to at least double of what he owes us. Let his debt be paid and let him live with his family.

Columbian1: No!

Grave Keeper: Um, can I go now?

Columbian1: Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt when other people are talking?

Grave: Sorry, I meant to disrespect it’s just-

(Columbian1 smacks him in the head. His body falls into the coffin with the bags of blue pills.)

Columbian1: I’ve been looking forward to putting a bullet through that head of his since the trafficking job back in Ireland.

Columbian2: It was his home country. I wouldn’t have expected for him to disgrace his childhood home so easily. You would’ve done the same.

Columbian1: He had the choice to stay loyal to us, or protect his precious childhood home from becoming a residence of drug dealing. If it were up to me, I would have stayed loyal! This business is about trust, Esteban.

Esteban: Trust no one; that is one of the rules, Juan Marcos.

Juan: I have no idea how he pulled this off, but nonetheless, he is still alive. Faking his death only makes me angry. And he wouldn’t like me when I am angry.

Esteban: You’ve been watching too much American T.V. You need to take a vacation with Rosa and watch some soap operas.

Juan: (Angry) I do not need to watch any more soap operas!

Esteban: Whatever you say, boss. Let’s clean this mess up and take the bags back to the lab. We need to be sure they are ecstasy pills and not Viagra like last time. My cousin’s penis was stiff for four days straight. It doesn’t work anymore of course but it’s still pretty troubling to think about.

(The next day in the station)

(Police escort a very cocky man who grins and feels he is in control of everything that goes on around him. Justin walks up to Henry’s desk.)

Justin: The man with the blonde hair is named Keenan Palmer. He’s new to the neighborhood where we found the victim who was poisoned.

Henry: She wasn’t poisoned; she almost died on the operating table seconds before I got to her.

Justin: Right, sorry, man. I know that would have been hard to bounce back from. (Pats his shoulder) But hey, we got a suspect. Keenan was the one who called the police. He called us again and told us to go ahead and arrest him because he is a possible suspect.

Henry: Who gets to question him?

Justin: You of course.

Henry: Great, I want a shoot at this guy.

(Henry walks into the interrogation room and sits in the chair across from Keenan Palmer.)

Henry: Let’s make this short, Keenan. I don’t have time to play games here. I’ve got work to do. I’m trying to build up a personal case and find evidence for it. So did you kill Ms. Dubois?

Keenan: Define “kill,” officer.

Henry: Detective. And I’m not an elementary school teacher; I’m a cop. I’m not here to teach you what words mean.

Keenan: Excuse me for trying to have a little bit of fun, cop.

Henry: Detective!

Keenan: Okay, I’m confused now. You just called yourself a cop in the last sentence you stated.

Henry: The more you waste valuable police time, the more trouble you’re going to get yourself into. So I suggest you cooperate and tell us whether or not you were the one who is responsible for Ms. Dubois’ murder.

Keenan: Oh but Ms. Dubois was not murdered by me. Oh heavens no.

(Henry sighs and gets frustrated.)

Keenan: You know I heard this rumor once that she actually died on her autopsy table.

Henry: Now how would you know a thing like that? That information was never released to anyone.

Keenan: You don’t think I know that, Sergeant? I have ears like a cricket. I heard what you and your buddy were saying just moments ago.

(Henry rubs his hand against his face and sighs again.)

Keenan: I heard you admit that she died on that table seconds before you got to her body. You know for sure it wasn’t me who killed her.

Henry: Tell me why you were at her house around the time she was poisoned. Why did you call the police and run?

Keenan: I’m new remember, Sherlock homes? I’m just supporting my American insurance company’s saying: “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” I was just welcoming myself to the neighborhood. What are you going to charge me for that too?

Henry: Please just explain to me how you found the body.

Keenan: I thought I saw a man running from the front of her house, to the side. Her door was open so I walk inside to see if everything was okay and she was found dead. I’m new to the neighborhood, so I didn’t want to soil my reputation; unlike someone else in this room. It smells in here. Did you take a shower this morning?

Henry: Let’s focus on the case.

Keenan: Okay, well let’s say I did poison her. Do you have any proof or evidence linking me to her death? You have nothing on me.

Henry: If we have a warrant to search your house, I bet we’ll find something.

Keenan: No warrant needed. I’m giving you permission to search my property. I promise you won’t find anything.

Henry: I know you did it. I’m not gonna stop until I prove you had a hand in this.

Keenan: It’s not over till the fat lady sings, but in this case, the fat lady’s dead so… I guess you’ll be at this for a while then won’t you?

(Shady alleyway)

(Hanru nervously walks down an alleyway. Various thugs and homeless people are behind the buildings of various apartments and motels. They talk amongst each other in groups, dirty homeless people beg for change, prostitutes pay off their customers, and people are gambling and playing dominoes. A young male gambling untucks his shirt from the back and Hanru notices a small black pistol in his sagging boxer shorts. The man slowly turns to Hanru and makes eye contact for a quick second which feels like 10. The man looks away and rolls his die on the table. Hanru continues to walk down the alleyway until he gets to a black metal door. He knocks on it and a woman opens the small opening door located in the center.)

Hanru: I’m her for business. Is Meukie here?

Janet: It’s me. And call me Janet.

(Janet opens the door and lets Hanru in. Hanru walks inside and locks the door behind him. Janet’s messy apartment is no more than 15 feet long. The toilet, stove, and bed are all in the same room. Janet throws a dirty cover off her bed and sits down. She looks like she’s high off something. Hanru stands in front of Janet with his arms crossed. The room grows silent for a few seconds. Sirens are heard in the background.)

Janet: I would’ve straightened the place up had I known you were cumming. (Laughs) Get it; “cumming”? (Laughs a bit more)

(Hanru remains uncomfortable and disappointed the entire time.)

Hanru: You’re obviously high on something, but I need you to come down to Earth for a few minutes. I need to know about poison that’s sold in the streets; untraceable poison.

Janet: When you said you came here to do business, I thought- (Burps) I thought you meant me. I-I thought I was your business. Come on, let me give you a blow job; I’ll make it quick. I’ll give you a discount.

(Janet reaches to unzip Hanru pants. Hanru gets aggressive tightly grasps her wrists and throws her arms away.)

Janet: Wow, I never knew I was so strong. Oh wait… (Laughs)

Hanru: Can you tell me about this poison or not? You’re the only person I can trust right now, Janet. You are the only person I know for sure who I can depend on right now. So either you can help me or I leave you here in your hoe-pad to be a disgusting slut!

Janet: Oh hey, that reminds me. Do you have any chap stick? I’ve got to give this guy a blowjob in a little while but my lips are dry. Ironically, my mouth is dry from doing blow (Laughs).

Hanru: Wow, okay, so you’re high off cocaine.

Janet: Yeah, you should try some. It makes all your troubles go away… It’s like a bird… or a… hawk that just gets you up there and takes away everything. (Moans) Touch me, baby.

(Hanru’s eye twitches. He instantly just snaps and tackles Janet on the bed. He lies on top of her and she lies on her back.)

Janet: Ooh, that’s it, baby, I like it rough.

Hanru: (Aggressive) Ruff, huh! You like it rough?!

(Hanru slaps her across her cheek then wraps his hand around her neck. He begins to apply pressure with much of his strength. Janet’s body begins to squirm around and she struggles to take a breath. She tries to pull Hanru’s arms off her neck, but he presses harder and harder with a devilish grin on his face and a demented hunger in his eyes.)

Hanru: I could kill you and no one would even care! I want you to suffer while you die. I want to feel your fear! I want to watch you bleed! I have control over who lives and who dies. I want you dead because you do not obey me. I tried making your life easier, but no. (Loosens his grip) You just continue on being a hooker. You deserve to die because … because…

(Janet stops moving. Her eyes softly close. Hanru releases her and quickly stands up. Janet’s body remains still. Hanru’s breathing gets harder. He covers his eyes with the back of his hand and attempts to calm himself down. He uncovers and looks down at Janet’s unmoving body. Natasha appears behind Hanru and massages behind his shoulders. She tries to comfort him.)

Natasha: This is the closest you’ve ever gotten to the demon within. You’re shaking. You need to relax and calm down. She is not dead. Seconds before you killed her, you loosened your grip. She was able to get enough oxygen to survive but not sustain consciousness. You may not have control over your life, but I felt your power just now. You fought your demon and regained control of your body. You have a light inside of you, Hanru, but also great darkness.

Hanru: This darkness has been with me my entire life; ever since I was a little kid. Since before I was 7 or even started school when I was 5…

Natasha: The darkness constantly lingers over you. The more you fight it… (Softly whispers in his ear) the more it will consume you. (Talks normal) You trying to take control of your life threatens this demon. If you want control, you’re going to have to face what it has in store for you. If you fight this demon, your mentality will become unstable and your thoughts impure. You must be strong enough to conquer them. Can you do that?

Hanru: … I can’t… I’m not strong enough.

Natasha: This demon will not leave. Control it, or let it control you. (Disappears)

Hanru: (Thinking) I don’t want to be a serial killer… But these feelings- (Leaves and walks through the alley way) Have been with me nearly all my life. I must accept that I am at war with my own mind. (Passes biker as he heads to Janet’s room) This is something I must face alone. (Sees a young boy murdered at abandoned gambling corner) Maybe I can become a killer, but only take the lives of those who deserve to die; those who take pleasure in killing: Sadists. But I commit myself into pursuing this mortal sin, will I still be able to make it into heaven. If demons walk this Earth in mortal form, is it wrong to send them back to the bowels from which they came? I must cease control first. And ask God what direction his hands guide me.

TO BE CONTINUED…