EPISODE ELEVEN – MOVIN’ OUT

INT. VALENTINE’S HOUSE

Valentine lies in his bed, arm in a sling. He has various flashbacks of himself with a young woman, laughing, arguing, hugging, and her at his bedside after a bad injury like he has now. He jerks awake, looks to his side, but no one is there. He sighs and sits up.

TITLE CARD: MOVIN’ OUT

INT. KITCHEN

Valentine sits at the counter. Elli sets down a plate of scrambled eggs for him. He eats them while she washes up. All very silently. Valentine finishes eating, gets up and shrugs his sling off. Elli tries to put to back on him.

Valentine: I’m fine! I don’t need to be babied!

He stomps out.

INT. RED STAR OFFICE

Armside and Valentine are playing Black Jack. No one else is around. After some light finger work, Armside lays down a winning hand. Valentine grunts.

Armside: Gotcha! Pay up.

Valentine: My luck has deserted me lately.

Valentine lights up a cigarette and takes a long drag on it, then slides a few banknotes over from his stack.

Armside: How are things at home?

Valentine: I’d rather not talk about it.

Armside: Like that, huh?

Valentine: Do you ever wish you could turn back the clock? Back to when we were young.

Armside: Sometimes I wonder what my life could have been like. But I would never go back to those times. As bad as things seem now… you know.

Valentine: I still think about my Su, you know.

Armside: I know.

Elli is listening from behind the wall.

Valentine: Now more than ever.

Armside: It’s not healthy to dwell on it.

Valentine: I hope she’s doing well…

Elli leaves.

INT. WHITE TIGER OFFICE

The office is decorated almost identically to Beaufort’s Red Swallow office from #8, except with a white colour scheme. Seth Black stands before Prince’s table, head bowed.

Black: Valentine reappeared at his office today. He appears to have completely recovered from his injuries.

INT. RED SWALLOW OFFICE

Courtenay stands before Beaufort’s table with his head bowed.

Courtenay: It appears Marco Valentine survived the incident at Exly Fort. We sighted him in public for the first time since that day.

INT. WHITE TIGER OFFICE

Prince: I see. It’s worrying for him to have interfered again. It would be much easier if he had never got involved.

INT. RED SWALLOW OFFICE

Beaufort: That’s too bad. It would be much more convenient if had died. He should not have got involved.

INT. WHITE TIGER OFFICE

Prince: I want him out of the way. Can you do it?

He’s talking to a guy who sits in the corner, back to the screen, sword on his belt, violet coloured padded kimono top.

Violet: Of course.

INT. RED SWALLOW OFFICE

Beaufort: Do you think he’s with… them?

Courtenay: I don’t think so.

Beaufort: If my mistakes in the past have taught me anything, it’s better not to take chances… Take care of him.

EXT. BLUE LAGOON

Late night, Hagen crosses the street.

INT. BLUE LAGOON

A three-piece band, the Medicine Peddlers, is playing on a small stage set up in the corner. Valentine is at the bar with Remington. Vahe serves them.

Vahe: Scotch on the rocks and diet cola.

Valentine: Diet!?

Remington: Half diet, half regular.

Vahe: Diva’s special.

Valentine: Diet?

Remington: I’m trying to watch my figure.

Hagen enters. They watch him come in, and then vacate their seats move closer to where the band is playing. Vahe pours some milk and slides it over to Hagen.

Hagen: What the hell is this?

Vahe: I‘d say milk is perfect for a schoolboy like yourself.

Hagen: At least make it a chocolate.

Hagen starts to walk over to where the guys are sitting.

Vahe: Oh no, no, you don’t want to go there. I say that for your own good.

Hagen: Why?

Vahe: Come on, wiseguy, don’t play dumb.

Hagen: No really, why?

Vahe: Valentine didn’t say anything to you?

Hagen: He never talks to me about anything.

Vahe: Well, that little thing about you and his woman. (Hagen stares blankly) He has eyes in the back of his head, you know.

Hagen: Tell him that whatever he thinks he knows, he has the wrong end of the stick.

Hagen exits. The Medicine Peddlers launch into a rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Stop Messin’ Round.

Valentine: That bassist is something else, huh?

The bassist is a bespectacled guy wearing an Aerosmith T-shirt.

Remington: He looks kind of familiar.

The band finishes up.

Valentine: Hey! Come here!

Valentine hails over the bassist.

Valentine: That was dynamite, pal. What’s your name?

Joey: Thanks man, my name’s Joey. I’ve seen you on TV, haven’t I?

Valentine: How many nights are you booked in here? I want to get some people round to see you play.

Joey: We’re gonna be here tomorrow night, but then we’re splitting. We have a gig in Westchester, and then we’re off to Belgrade to record.

Valentine: Belgrade? That’s like some whole other country. Couldn’t you get a better deal at Roy’s Palace?

Joey: Well, it’s a spiritual thing. The Palace is too commercial now. Hey, I gotta get a drink, give me a sec.

Valentine: Sure.

Joey gets up, saunters over to the bar and engages in conversation with the drummer in the band.

Remington: Yeah, I’ve definitely seen that guy before.

Valentine: Joey “The Dude” Ferrara.

Remington: You already knew?

Valentine: Yeah, what do you think I invited him over here for? You think I can actually tell whether he plays good bass or not? You think I care?

Remington: Looks like he knew too. He’s gone.

The band is back on stage with a different guy on bass.

Valentine: Ah…

Remington: Oh well.

Pause for Drinking

Valentine: Did you see the nerve of that fucking guy, coming in here earlier like he owned the place?

Remington nods.

Valentine: I want you to take care of him.

Remington: Take care?

Valentine: Take care.

Remington: Take care or take care?

Valentine: I don’t want to see him around no more.

Remington: So, take care…

EXT. VALENTINE’S HOUSE

Armside’s Buick rolls up outside. He jabs the buzzer on the door. Elli answers.

Armside: Ho!

Elli: Um, hi, what are you doing here?

Armside: Is Lydia here?

Elli: Why?

Armside: We, I and Marco that is, were trying to get her enrolled in a finishing school college, but she skipped the interview.

Elli: She is here. Shall I tell her that her mommy has come to pick her up?

Armside: Now that’s just not cool, why do you instantly assumer that I’m the mommy? I’m the daddy. Marco’s the mommy.

Elli arches her eyebrows.

Elli: I’ll go get her.

Armside: Nah, that’s ok, I’ll come in, and I need the loo anyway.

Elli: No, wait!

Too late, Armside steps up and sees Elli’s suitcases lined up against the wall.

Armside: Guh?

BREAK

INT. RED STAR OFFICE

Remington sits at a table studying a file on Joey Ferrara. Hagen comes in.

Hagen: Pulling an all nighter?

Remington lowers his glasses and glares.

Remington: Sit down, boy.

Hagen sits. Remington goes back to his files and Hagen shifts uncomfortably in his chair.

Hagen: We got work to do?

Remington: You’re fired. Go clear out your desk and leave.

Hagen gapes.

Remington: I’ll clear a redundancy cheque for you. Go on now.

Hagen: What’s all this about?

Remington (growling): You crossed the line with Elli, you dumb fuck, so get out already!

Hagen (pounds desk with fist): I don’t accept this! I want an explanation, now!

Remington (leans forward): Listen, you retard, he wants you dead. He sent me here to ruttin’ kill you. I’m giving you a chance to walk out with your life.

Hagen: And that’s supposed to make me feel better?

Remington glares.

Hagen: I didn’t touch her, man, you gotta believe me.

Remington: He saw you here necking her.

Hagen: When? You mean… I was telling her about… she has this fucking allergy to something on her pendant which left a rash! Then SHE tried to come on to me!

Remington: What?

Hagen: I did medical training in the forces; I was checking it out for her!

Remington: Beat it before I stomp on you, you bullshit monger.

Hagen: I’m telling the truth, why don’t you ask her yourself.

Remington sighs and sits back, rubbing his eyes.

Remington: Ok. What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. Some men, you just can’t reach. So, you get what we had here last week. Which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. And I don’t like it anymore than you. But what am I gonna do. I owe him my life. He’s pissed out of his mind now and feeling his age and looking for blood. You don’t want to be in his line of fire. I’m saving you. You’re out.

Hagen sits in shock.

Remington: Get the hell out already, I have work to do.

Hagen cleans out his desk and leaves.

INT. VALENTINE’S HOUSE

Armside: You’re leaving? Just like that?

Outside, a horn sounds. It’s a minicab.

Elli: I have to go.

Armside: Does Marco know about this?

Elli: No… I think its better this way.

Armside: What’s he gonna think when he comes home and finds you gone?

Elli: It’s no good me being here. I tried to make my peace with him, but after about five minutes, he went off on some rant and went back to the guest room. He’s too hung up on his ex-wife to pay me attention.

Armside: So you’re just running away? This will crush him!

Armside sighs and leans against the wall. Elli tries to pick up her cases. Lydia pokes her head round the drawing room door.

Lydia: I tried to stop her, but she just lacks any sense of reason or accountability.

Armside lights a cigarette and steps outside.

Armside (to driver): Wait a sec, pal. (Goes back in) Sit down, Elli. I need to talk to you.

They are seated.

Armside: I was once a married man, you know. But my wife passed away almost fifteen years ago, and my daughter with her. My wife would be around your age now, and my daughter would be around Lydia’s age. And there’s not a day I don’t think about them. Marco’s the same way, he’ll never change. But that’s natural. Memories linger, but the rest of our beings move on. Don’t you think that the very fact he’s settled with you signal that he has? Of course something like that will pop up now and again, but you have to work at it, not throw in the towel after a solitary bad pitch.

Elli: Is that what you really think?

Armside: At least talk to him first, eh?

EXT. NOMURA NIGHT

Valentine waits on the corner. Remington approaches on his motorcycle and dismounts.

Valentine: You take care of business?

Remington nods.

Valentine: I followed the bands car out here. I’ll wager “The Dude” is around somewhere. Come on, let’s go.

They start running. Valentine pulls up short, holding his side.

Remington: You ok?

Valentine: I’m fine, let’s go.

They run round the back of the block where they spy the other band members enter a house. Violet approaches from behind.

Violet: Marco Valentine.

Valentine and Remington twist around, guns in hands.

Violet: Master of the Jigenzan-Ittou dark martial art.

Valentine: Hey dude, what’s up?

Violet steps out of the shadows and Valentine attempts to suppress a laugh but fails because this guy with such a menacing and serious tone of voice looks kind of like Harry Potter.

Violet: I want to fight a real sword master at least once before I leave this mortal coil. I, Bridget Violet of the White Tigers challenge you!

Valentine: You guys again?

Remington: What kind of people name their son Bridget?

Violet tosses Valentine a sword and then draws his own. Valentine twirls away his gun and draws the sword. Remington continues to keep aim on Violet. After plenty of obligatory circling, Violet attacks first but Valentine parries and slaps him on the back of the head with the flat of the blade.

Violet: Careless… You should have finished me.

Valentine: What do you want with me?

Violet: You keep getting in our way. I’m afraid that one way or another, you have to be removed.

Valentine: Hold it! I’m getting in your way? You’re the ones getting in my fucking way! Everywhere I turn; there you are fucking with my operations!

Valentine attacks, but Violet blocks, side steps and attacks ferociously. War cries are sounded. Valentine blocks but the arm he had slung up is jarred and he feels it bad.

Valentine: Gorram it!

Remington: Valentine!

Remington shoots as Violet prepares to slash down on Valentine. Violet uses his sword to block the bullet, but the blade is cracked. Valentine ducks away, gritting his teeth and holding his arm when outta nowhere…

Courtenay: We’re on official business!

Courtenay and a couple of suited agents come out of an adjacent house, guns blazing. Remington and Violet dive for cover. Valentine comes up shooting, takes out one agent. Valentine aims at Courtenay’s head.

Courtenay: Stand down, Valentine. I’m here for the Cassavette spy. And that White Tiger… You’re not with him, are you? You’d have to die with him if that were the case.

Valentine: Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?

Courtenay: MAD Agent Courtenay, at your service.

Valentine: Courtenay? Toadie fucker?

Courtenay: I take it you wish to die in a hail of lead.

Valentine: Look behind you.

Behind the agents is Joey Ferrara with a sub machine gun. Courtenay hits the deck, but the other agents buy it. When the carnage ends, Joey still has the gun aimed in Valentine’s direction. He winks, and backs away into the shadows. Courtenay crawls away, forgotten. Remington comes up.

Remington: Mr Bridget is gone.

Valentine: Let’s go home. My arm feels like it’s about to fall off.

Away they walk. From the shadows, Hagen watches, and leaves…

END – NO ONE KNOWS THE WAY BUT MAYBE ME

Episode Twelve Preview

Valentine: It’s a time for reflection and a time for discussion as secrets and lies are exposed. The loss of people you love is never a kind emotion, but when you get one back, it’s surely a beautiful thing. And you better hold on to it tight, cause you never know what catastrophe could be coming your way. Next episode, Toys in the Attic. Say a little prayer with me.