PERMANENT INTERESTS - EPISODE 8

Your morning jolt - a little longer and more convoluted - better than a cuppa…

EXT. CARLETON HOTEL - LATER

Anne plays with the Zippo as she and David come out.

ANNE

So where does Paul get all this information?

DAVID

It's his business.

The VALET brings up the Mercedes 500SL.

David holds open the passenger door for her, but Anne goes around and slides in behind the wheel.

EXT. SHIPPING ENTRANCE - NICE AIRPORT - LATER

Anne screeches the 500SL to a halt, grabs her shoulder bag, jumps out and runs to the fence. David catches up.

THEIR POV

A hearse, followed by a limo, drives toward a USAF C-21A Learjet on the tarmac.

ANNE

When was the last time a private citizen got that kind of treatment?

David has no response. Anne goes to the gate and is stopped by a GUARD. David follows.

GUARD

Billet? Laissez-passer? Identité?

Anne fishes in her bag for her credentials.

ANNE

Press. Je suis journaliste Americain.

(gestures at David)

Ils est avec moi.

She starts through but the Guard bars her way.

GUARD

Un instant, mademoiselle.

The Guard looks in her bag, then scans her with a metal detector wand. She goes through.

Now it's David's turn - the wand BEEPS. Anne sees the motorcade is almost at the Learjet.

ANNE

Hurry. Vite, vite!

David empties his pockets into a plastic basket, but the wand still BEEPS.

DAVID

(touches his leg)

Ici...Shrapnel...

The Guard doesn't understand and won't let him through.

ANNE

(tosses car keys to David)

Try through the terminal. You're on your own!

The perplexed Guard doesn't know which way to look as she runs one way toward the Learjet, and...

David speeds off the other way in the Mercedes.

ANNE'S POV

Three SECRET SERVICE TYPES get out of the limo and watch two MEN in black suits get out of the hearse and open the back.

SECRET SERVICE AGENT #1 sees Anne approach. He reaches for his gun and nods to Secret Service #2 and #3.

SECRET SERVICE AGENTS #2 AND #3 grab Anne and hold her ten feet away while the casket is transferred to the Learjet.

ANNE

Goddamnit! I'm a reporter!

She might as well scream at statues after IDing as The Enemy.

The G-Men relax their grip on her as the casket disappears inside the Learjet.

Anne wrestles loose and gets to the idling limo's open rear window in time to glimpse the WOMAN seated in back before the smoked window slides up.

REFLECTED IN THE GLASS - Agent #1 comes up behind Anne and holds her.

AGENT #1

You don't have clearance, ma'am. You have to leave.

The black-veiled Woman exits the limo's far side where Agent #2 hurries to assist her.

Anne scrutinizes the Woman walking to the plane...

ANNE

(shouts)

Did they fix the mole on his back, Marie?

The Woman never reacts. Agent #2 follows her aboard.

Agent #1 eases Anne away.

ANNE

Yeah, yeah.

Agent #1 waves to #3 who follows him into the jet.

As the jet's door closes, the limo follows the hearse back the way they came.

David, breathless, favors his leg as he runs up to her.

DAVID

I had to buy a ticket. First class, to Paris.

Anne continues watching the Learjet taxi toward the runway.

ANNE

That wasn't Marie Sims.

DAVID

Right. It was Mrs. Martin.

She surprises him with a kiss and grabs the plane ticket.

ANNE

You're prescient.

His look says she's lost him.

ANNE

Remember Bill Maines, from Luanda?

(David nods)

He owes me big and he's in Paris nowadays. I'll be back tonight.

EXT. ENTRANCE - AMERICAN EMBASSY - PARIS - AFTERNOON

Anne climbs out of her cab and heads to the fortress-like building where...

MARINE #1 stands behind bullet-proof glass beside a heavy door. Anne slides her passport through the slot to him. He examines it, regards her.

MARINE #1

Your business, ma'am?

ANNE

Bill Maines is expecting me.

He slides her passport back to her, presses a button.

The door unlocks and she enters a narrow hallway that leads to another guarded, armored door.

MARINE #2, in dress blues at a desk, also checks her passport as she signs in. He returns the passport and passes her through to the courtyard.

INT. EMBASSY COURTYARD

Anne crosses the immaculately-kept grounds to the far doors.

INT. MAIN LOBBY - AMERICAN EMBASSY

MARINE #3 stands by a metal detector. Anne hands him her purse and walks through - BUZZZZZ.

MARINE #3

Excuse me, ma'am. Please empty your pockets.

She takes her heavy old Zippo out of her jacket pocket.

The young Marine checks the lighter: On one side, the symbol of the First Marine Division; on the other side, an outline map of Korea, with "When I Die, Bury Me Face Down So The Whole Wide World Can Kiss My Ass".

Marine #3 looks at her - she and it don't fit together.

MARINE #3

Excuse me, ma'am, where did you get this?

She steps through the metal detector and recovers her possessions.

ANNE

It belonged to my father. He got it after he walked out of the Chosin Reservoir

Marine #3 is awestruck by her statement.

MARINE #3

He was "Frozen Chosen?"

ANNE

Yes.

His attitude does a 180 as he SNAPS her a salute.

MARINE #3

Yes, ma'am. Right here, ma'am.

He ushers her to the hallway.

MARINE #3 (Cont)

The elevator is right there, ma'am. Mr. Maines is on the third floor, turn left from the elevator, the end of the hall.

ANNE

Thank you, Marine.

INT. OFFICE - AMERICAN EMBASSY - MINUTES LATER

BILL MAINES, a harried-looking guy in his 40s, ushers Anne to a seat in front of the desk.

MAINES

You really caught me by surprise, Annie. I hadn't heard you were in-country!

Only close friends call her "Annie," and he isn't one.

ANNE

Personal business.

MAINES

Ah, la belle France.

He steps around the desk and settles onto the leather chair.

MAINES (Cont)

So, what's all this about Charles Sims?

ANNE

Charlie told me he still worked for the government. You know me: what, where, when, how, and why?

Maines shakes his head, then gets up and goes to the bookcase. He pulls out the United States Government Personnel Directory and flips to the right page.

MAINES

You don't exist if you're not in here. Charles Sims, the third, works in the White House Office of International Trade. Formerly at the Pentagon. Hmm. Got the Legion of Merit instead of a gold watch.

(snaps book shut)

Sorry. That's all.

ANNE

I could've found that out myself. Look, Bill, make some calls. Find out where he really is. It can't hurt for you to be holding the IOU of the chief of the CNS Paris Bureau.

MAINES

You got it? I hadn't heard.

ANNE

It's not official yet.

MAINES

(smiles)

Invite me to the celebration.

Anne returns his smile as he reads behind her smile.

MAINES

Okay, but no promises.

ANNE

I wouldn't expect any.

MAINES

I'll call you tomorrow.

ANNE

I'm in Cannes, at the Carleton.

MAINES

Lucky you!

She stands, they shake hands, and she leaves.

A moment, then Maines picks up the phone and punches in a number.

EXT. HILLSIDE HOUSE - COTE D'AZUR - AFTERNOON

Old, stone, tourist-pretty, vine-covered. PHONE RINGS (O.S.)

INT. HILLSIDE HOUSE

The exterior belies the high-tech interior with racks of electronic gadgetry. Howard Lewis answers the phone.

HOWARD

2-6-2-4-5.

While he listens to the other end, his frown deepens.

HOWARD

Christ! How much does she know?

INTERCUT WITH MAINES IN HIS OFFICE

MAINES

How much more does she have to know than she had a drink with him yesterday?

HOWARD

Goddamnit! I told him to stay out here, but...shit!

MAINES

Remember the recon bird went down in Angola eight years ago?

HOWARD

Yeah?

MAINES

She had me cold. Knew all about it: names, dates, places.

HOWARD

I never saw anything...

MAINES

That's because she understood why we did it.

HOWARD

You're saying talk to her?

MAINES

Treat her like the intelligent adult she is.

HOWARD

Five days. We'll have it bagged by then.

Howard hangs up. Stares out the window. Makes another call.

INT. A SMALL, BARE ROOM - AFTERNOON

VIC, the Cop who was with LeFevre, answers the phone.

VIC

Oui.

HOWARD (from phone)

She isn't going to let go.

VIC

(accent becomes American)

No problem, Howie-baby.

He hangs up. His face is an undecipherable mask.

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