A Pyrrhic Love Story
A Pyrrhic Love Story
A Pyrrhic Love Story
Written by
A. C. McKenzie
2.
ABSOLON (V.O.)
Your daughter has been wandering
where her mother is. Although,
Dorothys been enjoying the
company.
(Beat)
Whats the time over there?
ALDRIC (V.O.)
Too late. What is it this time?
ABSOLON (V.O.)
Never one for small talk, never shy
away from the point do you. DEWITT
ELONORE. All I have got to give
you is that theres some chatter
over the red light district side of
France.
ALDRIC (V.O.)
I cant keep doing these deeds,
Absolon. Im a PI, not your
henchman.
(Sighs)
Whys he not flipping?
ABSOLON (V.O.)
Some men are harder to please than
others.
ALDRIC (V.O.)
Hope this isnt about the bill
passing?
(Absolon CHUCKLES)
Youre not giving me much of an
option to say no to this.
ABSOLON
You can just walk away from this,
less innocent deaths if you ask me,
but you wont. This is how favours
work in my line of work, and over
here I owe someone and I own you,
Alderic.
ALDRIC (V.O.)
So, chatter in the red light
district, you say? I'll take a
gander. I'll give my sister a visit
while Im up there.
ABSOLON (V.O.)
The whore. I might have paid her a
visit a few times, or another.
3.
ALDRIC (V.O.)
The Nihilist romantic.
ABSOLON (V.O.)
Runs in the family. Were teaching
your little girl religion,
Dorothys trying Muslim on her and
Im trying Judaism out on her.
Well let her pick what she wants
when shes older.
ALDRIC (V.O.)
Politicians cam be sneaky, Absolon.
Why this fellow anyhow?
ABSOLON (V.O.)
(Negation)
God told me to.
ALDRIC (V.O.)
God?
(Beat)
Did not know you go to church. What
if I get caught or get into
trouble? Politicians scare the shit
out of me, spooky shit in that
business.
ABSOLON (V.O.)
Pray to which ever gods still
remain, or that the bill passes.
(Laughs)
ABSOLON (V.O.)
You wont have to worry about the
grit after this one as well. Not
even curious about what your girl
is up to?
(Long Beat)
ALDRIC (V.O.)
Must be big if this is my last deed
for you. Grease can be hard to pick
up, harder to clean up, near
impossible even. So speak up about
his grease.
(No response)
Is that all there is?
CUT TO:
POV of a CARS HEADLIGHTS patrolling the midnight streets of a
city.
4.
TITLE SEQUENCE
To fit Alderics ending quote he is played off by Peggy Lees
1969 - Is That All There Is?.
FADE TO BLACK.
PITCH BLACK
A TAPE RECORDER starts rolling.
SHUFFLING to get closer to the conversation.
ALDRIC (V.O.)
Hear about the clock?
JEAN (V.O.)
Those bastards lowered it didnt
they?
(Beat)
Always knew Id die by an American
some how.
ALDRIC (V.O.)
What did this one do?
JEAN (V.O.)
Got busted for bribing some Justiceridden rookie.
(Chuckles)
ALDRIC (V.O.)
(Sarcasm)
He surely knows how to get
promoted, I know this fucker.
JEAN (V.O.)
You do.
ALDRIC (O.S.)
Doesnt this fucker work for
Dewitt? Speak of the devil.
JEAN (V.O.)
He surely does, why dont you come
on in...
Jean lures Alderic into the interrogation room. The one
secretly recording the conversation. But why?
FADE IN:
5.
6.
7.
CLAUDETTE
Whys that, sweetie?
ALDRIC
One of those days...
CLAUDETTE
Things dont go your way? Yeah.
(Eyes judging him)
What do you do? And do not answer
you.
(Rolls eyes)
A CARTOON AD BEGINS on the PICTURE SCREEN.
ALDRIC
PI, a privCLAUDETTE
Private investigator, yeah. Ive
had my fair share.
ALDRIC
Im not rich, if thats what youre
asking.
CLAUDETTE
Im not a succubus, if thats what
youre insinuating.
ALDRIC
Party much in the district?
CUT TO:
INT. RED LIGHT DISTRICT - APARTMENT 119 - NIGHT
Tracking back in time to when Alderic was inspecting the
junkie/whore home.
CLAUDETTE (O.S.)
Lil bit.
ALDRIC (O.S.)
See much people?
CLAUDETTE (O.S.)
Thatll be extra, honey.
CUT TO:
8.
9.
Alderic feels that back of his head where she caressed it.
Weird.
CLAUDETTE
Hmmm, good q. That girl your
looking for...
SLOW DRUM BEAT ARRIVES, GIVING OFF EERIE AMBIENT FEELINGS.
CLAUDETTE (CONTD)
Her names Alexandrine. That news
report of the mother who loosed her
daughter, thats her mum.
Alderic notes it down in a little NOTEBOOK of his.
ALDRIC
(to Himself)
Alexandrine.
Alderic gets up and begins to get changed. She watches
intently.
CLAUDETTE
See them together. Them being
herself and Mr Eleonore.
ALDRIC
Any actual evidence?
She nods in disagreement with a pout of a face attached to
it.
All dressed. Alderic leaves the apartment.
She follows. Frantic as she can be, although half naked
chases after Alderic.
INT. GRANDEUR HOTEL - FOYER - EARLY MORNING
The escaping man, Alderic passes by the CONSIGNOR and then
retracts his steps as if he made a mistake.
ALDRIC
Consignor, or garcon? There is a
lady without an escort harassing
me.
Without question the Consignor back tracks Alderics previous
steps out into the FOYER.
WE FOLLOW
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
ALDRIC
You know they found her, right?
DEWITT
You think I wanted that?
ALDRIC
Well, you sure did think it out
loud.
Alderic relaxes back on his chair.
Picks up a corded telephone. Dials it.
ALDRIC (CONTD)
Yeah, hes made up his mind about
his fate. You can come over now.
CU of Alderic lighting his cigarette.
CLANK! Of the Basement door.
Two people come down the wooden steps, DEWITTS DAUGHTER
ANASTASIA and the mute Marcel.
Dewitt starts going berserk at the sight of his daughter.
As soon as Anastasia realizes the situation Marcel grabs her
by the mouth and keeps her still.
DEWITT
NOOOO, NO, NO, please no. Please,
friend, do not do this.
(Beat)
YOU MOTHERFUCKER YOU! WHO ARE YOU
PEOPLE?
ALDRIC
This is Alexandrines father,
Marcel, and me? Someone, someone
you dont need to know about for
security reasons. You know what
will earn you brownie points? If
daddy and little Anastasia sing us
a song. Me and Marcel would love to
see a daddy and daughter bonding
moment, seeing as though Marcels a
bit down.
CU of Dewitt. Hes slightly crying.
21.
DEWITT
(Sniveling)
Annie, we should listen to the man,
okay.
CU of Anastasia nodding through Marcels hand.
DEWITT (CONTD)
Remember that joke, honey? One we
all ways say to cheer us up?
WE SEE her nodding again. Marcel releases her bounded mouth,
she stays quite.
ANASTASIA
Hey dad...
DEWITT
Yes, sweetie.
ANASTASIA
Wanna hear a fun fact?
DEWITT
Whats that?
ANASTASIA
Polar bears weigh enough to break
the ice. Hey, Im Anastasia.
(Only Alderic laughs)
ALDERIC
Oh were speaking about fun facts
are we? Did you know the single
intestine can stretch around the
world twice, imagine that. So
Dewitt, I need to know why.
Alderic looks Anastasia in the eye.
DEWITT
Im sorry Annie...
(Sighs)
It was a primal urge. No real
reason, which is the sad thing.
Something just snapped inside me. I
have a family, and, and kids. Im
an ordianry fellow with so much too
lose, think I had reasons?
ALDERIC
I think weve heard enough, its
closing time, Dewitt...
(Sighs)
(MORE)
22.
ALDERIC (CONT'D)
Night shifts in general comes with
insomnia placenta. No really
stopping it, unless you want a
normal life. It takes a long time
for your brain to melt. It melts
that little peeking crow in your
head that wont stop blabbering on
like a kid with ADHD getting his
fizzy drink fix of the day. Im
going to make it easier for you to
rid of this crow...
23.
24.