PETERSON'S SILVERSCREEN - NEXT MORNING

OSCAR ROOM 1

LINDSAY

We both look at the clock and wonder where Michael is, he is running very late.

“Shall we just start? I have another meeting across town after…” Ethan grumbles as he stares through the window. “...has he even bothered to call to say how late he is going to be?”

“No. For such a stickler for manners and good form, he seems to abandon his principles when it comes to his behaviour. Yes, let’s just start. He’s not integral to this anyway.”

“Does he know that?” He scoffs as he switches on the screen. “The way he talks you’d think that Walt Disney was his dad and Penny Marshall his mother!”

“Ethan, that is wicked; funny but wicked!” I chuckle. We start to watch the screen in silence for a few minutes, then we both sigh.

“He’s been messing about with this, hasn’t he?”

“Looks like it!” I seethe as I rewind it back and he’s seemingly put back the scene Ethan and I agreed didn’t work. “What is he playing at? He is supposed to be finessing the script and working on his animation thingy, not interfering with this?!”

“How is that going anyway?” Ethan snorts.

“No clue and care even less. To be honest, he is a means to an end. I do the brilliance he does the donkey work.”

“We do the brilliance you mean. Oh for crying out loud! He’s put scene 27 frame 8 back in as well! Can we block access to him on this?!”

“Yes! Definitely! Michael needs to know...” I am stopped by the source of irritation finally deigning to arrive. “I assume that your face is the reason for your lateness?!” I snap.

“Your sympathy for my plight is such a comfort!” He grumbles.

“So is it?” Ethan snarks and tries not to laugh as he takes in Michael’s bruises.

I clear my throat so he looks at me. “We run a professional film company. You, as you have often said, should’ve given us the courtesy of a phone call or email if you found it difficult to speak, to explain any absence or delay in arrival.”

“I am feeling very traumatised by what happened and thought I could rely on at least my colleagues to provide comfort!” He winces as his lip starts to bleed.

“First apology then sympathy.” Ethan retorts.

“I am sorry that I had to have emergency dental work after I was attacked!” He glares at us, but we say nothing. “Well, aren't you going to ask what happened?!”

“And the second apology?” Ethan points to the screen.

“What about it?” He frowns.

“You put the scenes in that we, as your bosses, not colleagues, removed.” I snap. “As a consequence of those actions, we have additional work checking that you’ve not tampered with anything else! So apologise for that and then go and finish off the second draft, which you should've done three days ago!”

MICHAEL

I am in pain and disbelief. How can they be so callous? I head back to my office, after I mutter my apologies, and boot up my computer. Bosses?! Ethan is not the boss of me! I hiss as I scrub my face in frustration and my bruised chin throbs.

“If he wasn't family, I would've had him arrested! But I will make sure that the apology Mister Vic Grassi gives is suitable grovelling and Ma will give him shit too, she hates violence!”

PANTELLA & BARLEYCORN HOTEL, LONDON - SAME TIME

BEN’S SUITE

BEN

“Before I tell you, what have you done?” I ask Brian with a smile, he tries to look as if butter wouldn’t melt and fails. “Come on, just tell me!”

“Have you and the quarterback actually done it yet?”

“No. We worked out in the literal sense of working out.” He starts to grin. “Is he on his way to London?” He grins wider. “When the hell did you do that?!”

“You first.” He heads to the balcony to light his cigar. Mercy has found one of the few hotels that allows smoking in your room, well, on the balcony, and greets you with a whisky and a cigar on arrival! “Come on, you've been spinning that grin ever since you got off the plane.”

“Spinning that grin?” I join him and he clips both cigars, before lighting it then handing it across.

“Mmmm. You’d get this look on your face and you would grin wide even in your sleep, which is, according to the cool kids, spinning your grin. I did it a lot during our first weekend. Apparently.”

“Vic punched him.” I state, blowing out the rich smoke. “This is good, what is it?”

“Padron 3000 Maduro. Nicaraguan. Undertones of chocolate, caramel and leather. He punched him?”

“Twice.” I chuckle. “Want me to set the scene?”

“Please!”

“So, according to Vic, he started to rant about how it was the fault of Mercy's parents that they died…”

“That asshat!” He growls.

“Who is an asshat?!” Ems calls up from his room below.

“Michael! Who’d you think?! He blames Mercy's parents for being dead!” Brian exclaims. “Vic punched him twice!”

“He what?! And only twice?! Give me two minutes, I will be right there!”

“What?” Brian queries blowing a perfect ring. “He asked, I answered.”

“Uh huh.” I snort as I head to open the door to a furious Ems. “I forgot how fast you move when you are pissed. Did you take the stairs?”

“Yep.” He replies, stalking to the balcony. “I have other news to impart, which, having heard that, will give me particular relish. Now continue.” He orders as he makes himself comfortable.

“As I was saying…” I shake my head as I can imagine how angry Vic was. “...Vic said that the next thing he knows is that he is standing above a doubled up Michael, after he rabbit punched him in the gut.”

“Ooh and then hit him in his balls?!” Ems crosses his fingers tightly.

“Nope. Knocked his teeth out as he straightened up.”

“Knocked his teeth out?!” Brian gasps. “Actually knocked them out?!”

“Yep. Then picked them up and left. He has a nice big gap.” I start to chuckle at the image of a fuming, gap toothed and bloodied Michael. “Said he is going to give them to Mercy so she can have them made into earrings!”

“I know a guy who can polish and glaze them for her.” Brian grins before it falters. “What a seriously shitty thing for him to say.”

“Said he was upset about her leaving and Vic knows how he gets so should expect it…”

“Expect and ignore more like!” Ems hisses before breathing in the smoke. “Oh, that should be a reed diffuser oil! Just exquisite. Now then, I wish to add to his woes.” He tucks his feet underneath himself. “Maz has been in touch…” He holds up his finger to halt the tirade of huffing. “...now stop. Do you or do you not Brian, have a blonde neophyte who has the ability to suck his own cock in your life, whom you would not have if Maz hadn't persuaded him to stay in the diner?”

Brian looks bug eyed. “How do you know that? You weren't there when I showed that picture?!”

“Maz is the doyenne of love on Liberty Avenue, and I am her sooth. So you have Justin because of our actions, now we have to link the final pair so that what needs to happen happens.”

“Final pair? And what needs to happen?” I wave the bottle of Chivas and they both nod.

“Am not sure on the happens part, as she did not divulge, but the pairing, now that she did. It would seem that we have the perfect pair in the making of one redhead and one grizzled former cop.”

“Debs and Carl?” Brian grins. “Yeah, I could see that when he saw her at the airport...he poinged!”

“Poinged?” Ems stares before tittering. “Oh, eyeballs or cock?”

“Bit of both methinks.” He returns.

“Confused here!” I laugh, and then I get it. “Oh I see! Is that the actual word or did you make that up, Brian?”

“Made it up, but it is very onomatopoeic...your eyes poing out of your head and…”

“Aroooga, should be for cock though.” Ems looks thoughtful then nods. “Yes, you get more of a klaxon call with your cock. Definitely arooga.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes, lost in our own thoughts. “So after we go to the house, we're going to Bath.” Ems declares, causing us to frown at him. “I have been doing some googling. So in Bath, which has Roman baths, there is a whisky shop that a certain other redhead gets her whisky from. Only that place or direct from the distillery. And you can hire baths privately.” Brian and I exchange looks and Ems sighs. “You need to calm that horny devil down a bit by tiring him out, Brian, and you, Ben, need to get to heaven with a certain Mr Boyd…” He looks at his watch and stands up. “...Mr Kinney, this is where we leave.”

“We do?” Brian remains seated.

“Yes, we do..” He pulls him to stand up. “Whilst you may have gotten him to this hotel, but it would be oh so helpful, if you were to give him the signal to knock on the door!”

“Aww shit!” Brian exclaims and goes red.

“You're very new at this!” Ems chortles. “Bumped into him on the stairs, where it is a mite chilly…” He opens the door, “...oh, Mr Boyd, you can come in now!” As they pass each other on the way, Ems stops and grins wide. “Those cashmere blankets would be perfect for snuggling...just an idea.”

PETERSON SILVER SCREEN - AFTERNOON

MICHAEL’S OFFICE

LINDSAY

I am standing between a fuming Ethan and a cowering Michael. “Someone's going to tell me what this is about? I assume it has something to do with this broken watch? Did you do that, Michael? I am going with yes by Ethan’s countenance.”

Ethan inhales sharply, “No, I broke it, I slammed it down on the table when he gave it back to me!”

“Ethan, sit down! More clarity and less angry!” I order, and I am relieved when he does, albeit it slowly, as he really did look like he wanted to add to Michael’s injuries!

“Thank you, Lindsay, I don't know why he…”

“Quiet, Michael! I want to hear from him not you! Ethan, please explain.”

“That is the wrong watch. He said he was going to get my watch off of a guy we had a threesome, which I really wished was a twosome, with, and he's brought the wrong one! My watch is very special to me, it is highly sentimental and expensive and this is not it!”

“Did you have to go into so much detail!” Michael snipes. “I was given that watch by George Snickle, who must have gotten it from Barney as he put it up as collateral for the…”

“Barnabus used my watch as collateral?!” Ethan explodes, now Michael looks smugly sly and starts to nod, Ethan frowns hard before glaring again. “No, no, he didn't. I mean, I guess he did, but he is a cop and an honest one. You know what I think? I think that after I left, you found the watch and kept it…” Michael starts to lose his smug cockiness. “...and you gave it to him! What, for services rendered?!”

I pick up the watch and examine it and want to scream. “So why did George Schickel, his surname is Schickel, it helps to get the names of your peers and betters in all walks of life correct, Michael. Why did he give you this watch?” He shrugs. “Well three things are going to happen; first, the watch must be returned to George, second, an explanation given as to its current condition…”

“I didn't break it! That's Ethan's fault so he can get it fixed, and…”

“I was going to suggest that, but it is your fault that he broke it!”

“No it isn't!” He protests.

“It is!” I snarl, and get as close to him as I can with the desk between us. “If you had done a simple thing, like checked it, you would've noticed it says To George for Fireland on the back of it, thus avoiding this situation!”

“Which is the first thing I did, but he insisted that the watch was mine! Hence me slamming it down in fury.” I nod in understanding. “So you going to call his office and get an appointment for us?”

“Yes, as soon as possible. And the third thing, Michael, is that you can have the rest of the day off!” They both look at me in surprise. “I don't want to look at how ugly stupid can be!”

MERCY'S FORMER HOME, LONDON

OFFICE

BLAKE

“You ready, Mercy?” I feel so sorry for her. Right now, she is sat between Caleb and Brian with Debs and Vic behind her. We have had some amusement today with Vic telling us what he did to Michael, but really it has been all about the calls. “The last one came in a year ago and…” We all freeze as the phone rings.

“Oh shit!” Mercy gasps.

“Hold on, Nate. Mercy, don't worry it's not what you think. I managed to narrow the calls down to Pittsburgh,and then the area code of 412. I called in some buddies and have been ringing the number and someone picked up. It’s a call box…”

“A call box? Oh, that’s not good, is it?!” Debs growls.

“No it is.” Carl smiles. “Blake said the last call, was a year ago and the box is still there, so where in Pittsburgh is it?”

“Let's find out.” I put the call on speaker. “Nate, what do you see around you?”

“Nothing. There is nothing to see. Just wasteland.”

“What do you mean wasteland there must be something?” I scratch my head in frustration.

“Well, whatever it was is gone. Seems to have been a car park or petrol station or something. There seems to be the remains of gas pumps.”

“Okay, thanks at least…”

“Wait!” Hunter calls out. “Can you see a street or anything up the road?”

“Hold on, I will be as quick as I can!” We listen as his steps fade away and then time stands still as we wait for his return. “You guys still there?!”

“Well?!” Debs demands.

“Top of...hang on it was a fair way...top of Mission and Fifth, intersecting with Harper and Fourth. Ring a bell?”

“Doesn't look like it. Thanks, Nate, go recover and maybe book at PT session!” I turn to disappointed faces. “ At least we know where they are coming from, it's a start, and you said it is Oscar night and his birthday that they happen. When is your dad’s birthday?”

“Two weeks.” She wipes her eyes then rubs her temples. “But you're right, Blake, we have to take the positives out of this, and…”

“Bell!” Chris exclaims and leaps up. “Need to use the laptop!” I move swiftly and he sits down tapping furiously. “Please let me be right!” He mutters, we crowd around and then as one we gasp. “The old bus depot! They levelled it last year to put housing stock on it.”

We take it in quietly; then Carl clears his throat. “Mercy, I need you to ask your Uncle a favour.”

“He’ll do it.” She declares firmly, and after a few seconds smiles. “Can I come on the stake out?”

“Absolutely!” I grin.

“Great, and I will bring Ted too. The thrill of the chase should ignite the flames of passion.”

“Can I come too and bring Brian?” Justin purrs from his seat, his eyes fixed on Brian.

“No.” Brian rolls his lips in. “Your flame is high enough!” Justin blushes proudly. “I take it your Uncle is going to answer the call when it comes?” She nods. “Good, Ben will go with you.”

“Why Ben?” Justin pouts.

Brian briefly closes his eyes. “Look, I know it is partly because I hate the guy, but having heard what he said to Vic…”

“I’m thinking the same thing.” Mercy sighs. “And have done ever since I got back into his life. So I am telling you all here and now, if it is, I will have no problem ending him.”