Stephen Metcalfe - Writer & Director

This was a page one rewrite, meaning a total recreation of someone else's idea. Joe Mathias is a heterosexual, Detective Ironsides

JOE MATHIAS
EXT. THE EAST VILLAGE - NIGHT
On a street of old brownstone buildings, a late model sedan pulls to a stop and then backs into a parking place. A man, 30, TERRY LAUGHLIN, gets out. He locks the car, moves around it onto the sidewalk and starts up the rain wet street.
A second car moves down the street now, behind him. It slows as it approaches. Laughlin glances at it, then ignores it. Suddenly the car pulls to an abrupt stop and a young man leaps out. A gun in hand, the man accosts Terry Laughlin and pushes him towards an adjacent alley.
The streetlamp casts long shadows of the two men on the alley wall.
Laughlin fumbles for his wallet. And suddenly we see it in his face as he offers the wallet to the gunman - recognition. With recognition comes realization - this is not a robbery.
The armed man steps back and - as Laughlin brings up his hands in a protective gesture - fires at point blank range, head high. Laughlin falls. The gunman fires again, down -
The wallet is pulled from the dead man's hand - his watch is ripped from his wrist - gloved hands pull aside his coat to reveal a pistol in a waist holster - the pistol is removed and dropped at the dead man's side -
The killer moves quickly back onto the street. He pulls open the passenger door of the waiting car and leaps in. The car roars away; turns at the end of the block and is gone. In the distance, the faint sound of a police siren now begins.
INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM - CONT.
A man, JOE MATHIAS, sits naked in bed, his back against the headboard, ears attuned to the sound of that same distant police siren; listening as it fades. His attention is brought back to the room. An attractive woman finishes dressing. She turns to the bureau mirror; sees Mathias staring and smiles. Mathias smiles in return. Then:
THE WOMAN
Well. I almost hate to ask but...
MATHIAS
On the other bureau.
The woman turns and reaches for the folded bills. She quickly gathers her things. Purse. Cashmere coat. She moves to the bed, kisses Mathias's cheek.
THE WOMAN (CONT'D)
Call again sometime, okay?
MATHIAS
Sure.
He listens to the sound of her leaving. He sits, lost in thought. He turns to stare. A framed photo is on the bureau - a younger Mathias, an attractive woman (Abbie Woodford), all smiles, arms around one another, standing together. The phone rings on the side table. He answers.
MATHIAS (CONT'D)
Mathias. Where are you?
(then; should have known)
I'll be right down.
He hangs up. A last glance at the photo, then he throws back the sheet. He drags himself to the edge of the bed and the waiting wheelchair.
EXT. MATHIAS' APARTMENT BUILDING - CHELSEA - NIGHT
Dressed in jeans and an old Varsity jacket, Mathias makes his way to a waiting, nondescript van. The back is open; a metal ramp down and waiting. Mathias glides up and into the van.
NAOMI FABRIANI, 30, is behind the wheel, sipping coffee. She hits a switch, pulling up the ramp and closing the rear doors as Mathias locks his chair into place.
MATHIAS
Where's my coffee?
FABRIANI
In my lap. I'm not sure what's worse, the potholes in these streets or the shocks on this van.
She hands Joe her carton of coffee. He sips as the van moves away and down the street.
EXT./INT. THE VAN - NIGHT
They move through the late night streets of New York.
FABRIANI
So who's the babe?
MATHIAS
"Babe"?
FABRIANI
The one who came out of your apartment five minutes ago.
MATHIAS
A friend.
FABRIANI
Friend, huh?
MATHIAS
Just a friend.
(then:)
Didn't you have a date tonight?
FABRIANI
Did. Shoe salesman - free samples.
So what's your friend do to afford a coat like that?
MATHIAS
Bond trader.
FABRIANI
(a sigh)
I gotta get into another line of work.
MATHIAS
You gotta get into another line of guys.
A glance. A small, shared smile. They drive on.
EXT. EAST VILLAGE - NIGHT
The van comes up the street. Blue and whites are parked as are Emergency Med vehicles. The van double parks.
EXT. THE STREET - MOMENTS LATER
Mathias and Fabriani make their way through onlookers; hold up i.d. to the handsome patrolman on the police barrier.
FABRIANI
Hey, Johnny.
PATROLMAN
Fabriani! Ya gotten over me yet?
FABRIANI
It took a ton of Hail Mary's and a lot of soap, but yes.
Fabriani and Mathias move towards the alley.
IN THE ALLEY - MOMENTS LATER
Cops and detectives are working. Mathias and Fabriani approach. A tired looking, older detective, MARTIN MANNING, and his younger partner, BILL LORENZO, look up.
MANNING
Shoulda' known they'd send you.
MATHIAS
Past your bedtime, isn't it, Marty?
MANNING
Evening news is past my bedtime. Hey, Naomi.
FABRIANI
Marty.
MATHIAS
What do we have?
A chalk outline on the alley floor.
MANNING
Caucasian male, late 20's. Looks like a mugger stopped him, pulled him into the alley. He resisted. Boom-boom - took two in the head.
MATHIAS
Mugger. Just one?
MANNING
Forensics i.d.'d two sets of footprints. One was the victim's.
(glancing at his notes)
Wallet, watch and id taken. Keys to the car were still in his pocket. Car's out on the street.
MATHIAS
Anybody pulled the registration?
MANNING
Go do it.
Lorenzo moves away.
MANNING
Another thing. The victim was armed; carrying a waist holster.
Manning produces a pistol; tagged and in a plastic bag.
MANNING
We found this by the body. No shots fired. We're checking the serial number to see if there's a permit.
MATHIAS
Bullets from the murder weapon?
MANNING
On their way to the lab.
MATHIAS
If the med examiner's still around, I'd like to see the body.
Manning nods and turns away.
FABRIANI
So - perp pulls victim into the alley to rob him, victim resists, goes for weapon, perp panics and shoots him in the head.
MATHIAS
Twice?
FABRIANI
Maybe he thought he missed the first time.
Mathias and Fabriani follow Manning over to where a body bag is on a gurney. The MED EXAMINER glances up.
MED EXAMINER
Mathias. Long time no see.
MATHIAS
Yeah, been at least a week. You mind?
MED EXAMINER
It's not pretty.
He unzips the bag. Mathias sighs. Lorenzo returns.
LORENZO
Sir? Registration was in the glove compartment - we have a name.
MATHIAS
Laughlin. Terry Laughlin.
FABRIANI
What, you know this guy?
MATHIAS
Yeah. Yeah, I know him. He's an ex-cop.
Mathias turns away.