PERMANENT INTERESTS - EPISODE 7

Things get more interesting…

INT. ANNE'S SUITE - CARLETON HOTEL - MORNING

Sunlight through the window wakes David. He reaches across, realizes the other side of the bed hasn't been slept in, then shades his eyes and stares at the empty fifth of Jack Daniels on the table.

DAVID

I don't fucking need this.

He GROANS, gets up, and wobbles to the bathroom.

INT. POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM

LeFevre turns to the Cop. They CONVERSE briefly in French.

LEFEVRE

I apologize. We have wasted your time. My associate will drive you to your hotel.

ANNE

Let me see his body! You don't know what's going on!

LEFEVRE

And you do? Perhaps you will share it with us?

She opens her mouth, closes it.

The Cop flashes a smile and opens the door. He starts to follow her out.

ANNE

Don't bother. I'll take a cab.

INT. ANNE'S SUITE - MORNING

David picks up the phone, dials. It's answered.

DAVID

Air France? When's your next flight out?

(he listens)

To anywhere.

INT. ANNE'S SUITE - CARLETON HOTEL - LATER

The door opens, and a haggard Anne barely pauses to close it before she makes for the bedroom and plops on the made bed.

She takes a heavy old Zippo out of her purse and, one handed, repeatedly flicks it on, flips it closed. She picks up the phone and dials a number. A RING, and it's answered.

ANNE

George, Anne. I want you to get me all you can on --

(listens a moment)

Yeah, everything's just great. Now listen...I need to know what assignment Charles William Sims the Third has now.

(flicks the Zippo)

He was Army Special Forces, last time I looked. Probably a light colonel by now.

(looks around and frowns)

What? I want someone to tell me he's alive! I'm at the Carleton, room 856. Thanks.

She hangs up and again scans the room. It looks unused except for where she sits.

ANNE

David?

(no answer)

Damn you...

She sighs, puts away the lighter, gets her makeup bag from a dresser drawer, and drags herself into the bathroom.

INT. BATHROOM

She hangs the makeup bag on the door handle, then runs water into the tub.

LATER

Anne is asleep in the tub.

The door handle slowly turns down...

Anne wakes with a start when the makeup bag hits the floor, spilling bottles and jars. Totally vulnerable, she grabs for something, anything that could be a weapon...

The door starts to open...

She grabs the glass from the sink, and notices there are still two toothbrushes in it.

ANNE

David?

The phone RINGS. The door handle springs back up.

Anne slips into a terry cloth robe from the towel rack and, still ready to throw the glass, pulls open the door...

INT. SUITE - CARLETON HOTEL

DAVID

(ducks)

It's George, for you.

She hands him the glass and goes to the phone.

INT. PARIS APARTMENT - MORNING

GEORGE FREMONT, distinguished, silver hair, the CNS European Managing Editor, looks out the window at the Paris rooftops as he cradles the phone on his shoulder.

GEORGE

Anne, there isn't much. My White House source says that Charlie Sims is on a fact-finding trip in Mexico. He retired from the Army --

INT. SUITE - CARLETON HOTEL

David watches from the bathroom doorway.

ANNE

That's bullshit, George! I watched him drain a glass of the widow right across the table yesterday! He told me he was still working for our favorite uncle - his own words!

David's surprised to hear all this.

GEORGE (from phone)

The government does hire civilians, Anne. You have to come up with more than that.

ANNE

Then that's what I'll do.

GEORGE (from phone)

How's David? Give him my best.

She hangs up, stares at the phone, then turns on David.

ANNE

Where the hell were you?

DAVID

I could ask you the same thing.

ANNE

The goddamn police grill me all night, and you...

DAVID

What?

ANNE (Cont - over)

...spend the night with some --

DAVID

What do you mean - the police? I thought you spent the night with Sims.

She realizes the truth's not what she thought.

ANNE

He's dead.

DAVID

What?!

ANNE

The French cops are conducting a murder investigation, and now George says he was never here.

DAVID

You lost me.

ANNE

I went to the morgue after the cops let me go. Even I couldn't get in! There's no Charles Sims registered there either, and Charlie never said anything about a twin brother named William Martin. There's something big going on, and I want to know what.

(pauses, looks a dare)

Well?

He holds her stare a moment, then shakes his head.

DAVID

Just like old times.

She picks up her Zippo.

ANNE

I thought you'd left...again.

DAVID

I even called Air France...

She looks stricken by that.

DAVID (Cont)

... but they didn't have anything leaving fast enough for me to get away before I could change my mind.

(takes her hand)

Before we run off half-cocked, let me call Paul Reynaud.

ANNE

You said, "we."

They hold a look, just like old times - the good times.

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