Josh Becker: "Crime After Crime" (page 1 of4)

Sept. 29, 1987
Copyright c 1987

CRIME AFTER CRIME

An Original
Screenplay By

Josh Becker
&
Scott Spiegel

EXT. WALL STREET - DUSK

As the sun sets on Wall Street hundreds of thousands of people exit the tall skyscrapers. Traffic and pedestrians clog the streets.

EXT. THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL BANK OF NEW YORK - DUSK

The First International Bank Of New York is a ten story building. The last dying rays of the sun shimmer behind the building.

INT. THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL BANK OF NEW YORK - DUSK

A handsome man of fifty sits at his desk on the tenth floor. A plaque on his desk states that he is "LEONARD WOODWARD - President."

The lights of Manhattan are just coming on outside the windows.

The phone rings. Woodward pushes a button on his complicated computer phone and a Secretary's voice comes through on the speaker.

WOODWARD
Yes?

SECRETARY (O.S.)
There is a Mr. Lahserini on line two, Mr. Woodward.

Woodward winces.

WOODWARD
Put him through.

There is a click, then a gruff, male voice comes through the speaker.

                                                                 LAHSERINI (O.S.)
                                Woodward. This is Lahserini. Where were you
                                last night? You said you'd be here with the
                                money.

                                                                 WOODWARD
                                                           (Nervous)
                                I wasn't able to get the money yesterday, I
                                had some complications.

                                                                 LAHSERINI (O.S.)
                                You haven't forgotten what tonight is, have
                                you?

Woodward thinks for a moment.

WOODWARD
...Thursday?

                                                                 LAHSERINI (O.S.)
                                Very funny, it's Friday. It also happens to be
                                your deadline.

Woodward puts his finger into his tight collar and loosens his tie.

WOODWARD
I can't make it tonight. I need another extension.

                                                                 LAHSERINI (O.S.)
                                It sounds like you're getting desperate, Leonard.
                                I've already given you two extensions.

WOODWARD
It's not easy coming up with two million dollars.

                                                                 LAHSERINI (O.S.)
                                It was certainly easy enough for you to lose it.
                                You're the president of a bank. You're sitting
                                in a building loaded with money. Think about it.
                                You have until tomorrow, midnight, otherwise it's
                                your funeral.

                                                                 WOODWARD
                                I'll be there with the money. You can bet on
                                it.

                                                                 LAHSERINI (O.S.)
                                I would never bet on you, Leonard, you're the
                                worst gambler in Atlantic City.

Lahserini laughs at him. Woodward's face grows red.

                                                                 WOODWARD
                                                           (Insulted)
                                Goodbye.

Woodward pushes a button on the telephone.

                                                                 WOODWARD
                                                           (Furious)
                                That fucking prick!

Lahserini's voice still comes through the speaker.

LAHSERINI (O.S.)
What was that?

Woodward cringes in embarrassment.

WOODWARD
I said... that'll do the trick. Goodbye.

LAHSERINI (O.S.)
Goodbye.

Woodward makes sure to push the proper button this time, disconnecting the line. He shakes his head, stands and leaves the room.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM

Woodward enters the conference room. Inside are two bank executives. CHARLES CAMPBELL, a tall, thin black-haired man and MICHAEL DADY, a balding, nervous man. There are also two female SECRETARIES sitting at a conference table.

They are all watching as guards are passing the doorway with large bags of money.

Woodward and the two secretaries are hypnotized by the sight of the large amounts of cash.

                                                                 SECRETARY #1
                                Boy oh boy, what I could do with all that
                                money.

SECRETARY #2
Me, too.

Charles Campbell is on the telephone.

                                                                 CAMPBELL
                                No, no, we'll back you all the way down the
                                line. You'll have as much cash as you need
                                until the run is over. ...Yes, the first
                                shipment will be there tomorrow.

Michael Dady has a map spread out on the conference table. He looks up and sees Woodward enter with a troubled expression.

DADY
Hello, Leonard. What's wrong?

                                                                 WOODWARD
                                Wrong? What could be wrong? Why do you ask
                                that?

DADY
You look troubled.

WOODWARD
I'm fine.

Dady shrugs and points to the map.

                                                                 DADY
                                Now, this is the route that the armored car
                                will be taking...

Woodward leans forward and pays attention.

WOODWARD
And there is how much money on board?

DADY
Two million dollars.

WOODWARD
Of course.

                                                                 DADY
                                They'll take 57th Street up to the Henry
                                Hudson, then over the George Washington
                                Bridge and north to upstate. When they
                                reach the road construction here. . .

Woodward's eyes narrow as an idea forms in his brain.

                                                                 DADY
                                . . . On Avenue 64 at Deerfield, then the
                                armored car must get off the main road and
                                onto a detour. . .

The secretaries are still watching the money go past.

                                                                 SECRETARY #1
                                . . . I'd be able to pay off all my debts and
                                take a vacation . . .

Charles Campbell speaks into the phone and waves his arm.

                                                                 CAMPBELL (On the phone)
                                . . . There will be more than enough cash
                                to cover you. More than enough . . .

Woodward's thoughts are churning. Dady traces out a route on the map.

                                                                 DADY
                                . . . And the armored car will be off the
                                main road for five miles.

Woodward's eyes widen. A satisfied smiles crosses his face. An idea has formed.

Suddenly a SECRETARY holding some papers appears in Woodward's face, frightening him.

SECRETARY #2
Mr. Woodward?

                                                                 WOODWARD
                                                           (Startled)
                                I didn't do it!

                                                                 SECRETARY #2
                                I know you didn't do it, that's why you'll
                                have to sign it now.

She hands him a piece of paper. Woodward regains his composure.

                                                                 WOODWARD
                                Oh, yes, the Perkinson account. I meant to
                                sign it this morning.

He signs the paper.

EXT. LAKEFRONT JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT

Steam billows from the sewer grates in the street.

It is late at night and there is very little traffic in this older section of Manhattan.

Lakefront Jewelers' red neon sign glows brightly through the mist. Lakefront Jewelers is located in the first floor of a brown brick apartment building.

A beat up old metallic green 1964 Chevy Impala, with one blue door and a red gas cap, is parked across the street from the jewelry store. Inside the car sits . . . FRANK RYAN. He is a tough, craggy man with dark hair, a dark complexion, and a square jaw. His nose has been broken many times. He is in his mid-thirties.

INT. FRANK'S CAR - NIGHT

Frank reaches into his pocket and pulls out a crumpled pack of Pall Mall cigarettes. He sticks his finger into the pack and fishes around. No cigs. He smashes the pack and tosses it out the window.

Frank opens the ashtray and pokes through the butts until he finds the longest one. He straightens it out and lights it up.

He looks at his watch. It is 9:59.

Still looking at his watch, Frank raises his right hand with his index finger pointing at the second floor of the apartment building. He pauses for a moment, then...

                                                                 FRANK
                                                           (To himself)
                                Now.

EXT. LAKEFRONT JEWELERS - NIGHT

The lights in the apartment above the jewelry store go off.

A moment later a man wearing a long coat comes out the door of the apartment building. He walks up the street and out of sight.

EXT. FRANK'S CAR - NIGHT

Frank gets out of the car. He is also wearing a long overcoat. He puts on a pair of black leather gloves, takes two bags of groceries out of the back seat and sets them on the hood.

He puts a parking ticket under his windshield wiper. Holding the groceries, he walks across the street to the apartment building and jewelry store.

EXT. LAKEFRONT JEWELERS - NIGHT

A filthy BUM with crumbs in his long beard appears from a doorway. Frank is startled.

BUM
Could ya spare fifty cents for a burger?

Frank reaches into one of his grocery bags and pulls out a plastic wrapped package of ground beef.

FRANK
Here.

The Bum takes it.

                                                                 BUM
                                                           (Appreciative)
                                Thanks.

Frank goes into the apartment building.

INT. APARTMENT FOYER - NIGHT

Frank enters, crosses to the locked security door and pushes an American Express credit card into the lock and pops it.

                                                                 FRANK
                                                           (To himself)
                                Never leave home without it.

He walks up the dark stairs holding his grocery bags.

INT. HALLWAY AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS - NIGHT

Frank knocks on the apartment door and waits. There is no answer. He looks in both directions up the hallway. He sees no one.

Frank sets down the groceries. He takes from his pocket a small leather tool kit which contains a variety of sharp, silver tools. He chooses one of the smallest tools and slides it into the lock. He turns the tumbler and the door opens.

He goes inside, closing the door behind him.

INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT

Frank turns on the light and sets the groceries down. He takes off his coat, sees the wet bar and goes over to it.

He grabs a bottle of Chivas Regal, pours himself a shot and downs it.

Behind the bar is a carton of Marlboros. Frank takes a pack and puts it in his pocket.

Frank then removes a blueprint from his pocket and studies it for a quick moment.

He crosses the room to a couch and moves it aside.

He takes the groceries out of the bag and beneath them are all kinds of tools: crowbars, hammers, cutters.

Frank cuts a hole in the carpet and begins slowly and quietly tearing up the floorboards. Once this is done, he carefully breaks a small hole in the plaster below.

Frank then takes a closed umbrella from his knapsack. He ties a string to the handle and shoves it through the hole in the plaster.

INT. JEWELRY STORE SHOWROOM - NIGHT

In the showroom are two rows of glass cases filled with expensive looking jewelry. The floor is crisscrossed with red laser beams.

The closed umbrella comes through a hole in the ceiling. When it's completely through, it pops open.

INT. APARTMENT ABOVE - NIGHT

Frank begins carefully breaking out the plaster which falls into the opened umbrella.

EXT. LAKEFRONT JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT

A police car cruises past. The cops slow down when they see Frank's car, but upon seeing the ticket on the windshield, continue past.

EXT. STREET BESIDE THE JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT

A black jacked-up pickup truck sits in a line of cars on the street beside the jewelry store. In the truck sits . . . RAY MAPLE.

He is a tough-looking hoodlum of nineteen with blond hair greased and cut like Elvis'. He is wearing a loose black leather jacket. He gets out of the truck and walks slowly up the street. Ray looks all around at the quiet, empty street. No traffic or pedestrians around.

He lowers his right hand and a wire cutter slides out of his coat sleeve into his hand.

Ray goes from car to car and very deftly snips off the hood ornaments. He puts the hood ornaments into his pocket along with the wire cutter.

Ray grins deviously, then ducks into the alley behind the jewelry store.

EXT. ALLEY BEHIND THE JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT

Ray walks slowly up the dark alley to the back door of the jewelry store.

EXT. BACK DOOR OF JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT

At the upper right-hand corner of the metal door is a square piece of metal which Ray slides a file under. Ray pulls a wire out, takes the wire cutter from his pocket and snips it.

Ray then takes a crowbar from the inside of his coat and pries the door open. It's not easy, but it works. Ray goes inside.

INT. THE BACK ROOM OF THE JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT

Ray turns on his flashlight and locates a metal box. He opens it revealing two vertical rows of copper contacts.

He takes an amperage meter and places the two leads into the box and gets no response on the meter. He moves the leads up the copper contacts until the needle in the meter swings over to full power.

Ray takes a piece of wire with alligator clips on either end and attaches them to the contacts. The needle drops to zero.

The laser beams crisscrossing the floor blink off.

INT. APARTMENT ABOVE - NIGHT

Frank has a metal tube in the floor split open and about fifty wires revealed within the tube. Frank takes two wires and connects them.

The laser beams go back on.

INT. BACK ROOM - NIGHT

Ray's amperage meter goes back up to full power. He scratches his head quizzically, then reattaches the alligator clips and the meter drops to zero.

The lasers go off.

INT. APARTMENT ABOVE - NIGHT

Frank connects two more wires together.

The lasers go back on.

INT. BACK ROOM - NIGHT

Ray's meter goes back to full.

RAY
What the hell...?

Ray gets really pissed and tears the entire alarm box off the wall.

The lasers go off.

INT. APARTMENT ABOVE - NIGHT

Frank connects two more wires, twists them together, then looks down through the hole and sees that the lasers are off.

FRANK
Perfect.

Frank lowers a rope ladder down through the hole into the jewelry store showroom.

Everything he brought with him is in a black backpack. Frank zips it shut, puts it over his shoulder and climbs into the hole.

Before he leaves he yanks a piece of string which is taped to the rolled up carpet. The carpet unrolls covering the hole just as Frank gets through it.

INT. SHOWROOM - NIGHT

Frank comes down the rope ladder in the showroom just as the door from the back room opens and Ray enters.

The two thieves bump into each other, get frightened and gasp.

Ray pulls a switch blade.

                                                                 RAY
                                                           (Whispering)
                                Who're you?

Frank is startled and puts up his dukes.

FRANK
I asked you first.

RAY
What? Put your hands up, motherfucker!

Frank points out the front window and turns.

FRANK
Cops!

Ray turns and Frank expertly removes the knife from Ray's hand. Frank puts the blade right up to Ray's nose. Ray does not flinch.

FRANK
Better be careful you might cut yourself.

Frank snaps the blade back in and hands the knife back to Ray. Ray cautiously accepts it, then snaps the blade back out and puts it back into Frank's face.

RAY
Don't move, motherfucker!

Frank rolls his eyes.

FRANK
Gimme a break . . .

Frank turns his back on Ray and walks away. He switches on his flashlight. Ray is befuddled and puts the knife away.

Frank scopes out the showroom playing the flashlight beam over the walls.

RAY
Hey, bud, I was here first so get lost.

FRANK
Are you still here?

RAY
I said I was here first.

Frank has located the safe and walks up to it.

FRANK
Cry.

Ray pushes himself between Frank and the safe and pulls out his crowbar. Frank watches as Ray jams the crowbar into the safe trying to jimmy it open.

                                                                 RAY
                                Don't kid me, man, you're here for the
                                same reason as me, that big emerald that's
                                in the safe. And when I get it you're not
                                getting any part of it, so maybe you'd
                                better start cleaning out the cases.

Frank smiles and shakes his head.

                                                                 FRANK
                                A crowbar on a safe, that's rich. Let's
                                see, that's six inches of case hardened steel.
                                I figure you'll have it open... oh, next
                                April. That is if your crowbar doesn't give
                                out.

Which the crowbar does at that very moment. Ray flies forward and crashes into the safe. Frank laughs at him.

FRANK
Stand back, kid, and learn something.

RAY
Okay, but whatever's in there is half mine.

Frank steps up to the safe and begins working on it.

                                                                 FRANK
                                You weren't going to give me half, why should
                                I give you half?

                                                                 RAY
                                I'll give you half ...half of this crowbar right across
                                the skull.

Frank ignores him.

                                                                 FRANK
                                Back off, sonny-boy, I think I hear your mom
                                calling.

Ray backs off with a sneer. Frank connects a contraption with four suction cups to the front of the safe. He pries off the combination dial and twists a large drill bit into the hole.

Before you know it the safe is open. Frank aims his flashlight into the dark safe. He and Ray lean forward and see... Nothing. The safe is empty.

RAY
Oh, fuck!

FRANK
It's all yours, pal.

Frank goes over to one of the rows of glass jewelry cases and begins cutting with a glass cutter, then tapping gently with the metal end.

                                                                 FRANK
                                                           (Mumbling to himself)
                                Typical. No matter how much you plan there's
                                always something that goes wrong. You work
                                and you work and you work and what do you
                                get? Heartache.

                                                                 RAY
                                                           (Snotty)
                                Cry.

Frank looks at Ray, then goes back to carefully tapping on the glass.

Ray snorts.

RAY
The hell with that!

He takes the crowbar half, smashes the glass in the other row of cases and putting jewels into his pockets.

Frank is still tapping away.

FRANK
Make enough noise and we'll get caught!

                                                                 RAY
                                Stay here long enough and you can be
                                sure you'll get caught. Let's see who
                                gets more?

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LEONARD WOODWARD'S OFFICE - EVENING

Woodward sits nervously behind his desk.

Secretary #1 pops her head in the door.

SECRETARY #1
Goodnight, Mr. Woodward.

WOODWARD
Goodnight, Cindy.

Cindy leaves and shuts the door.

Woodward opens the drawer of his desk and takes out a pair of black leather gloves. He puts them on.

Suddenly the door opens. Woodward quickly hides his hands in his lap as Charles Campbell steps in. He walks up to Woodward's desk and looks him in the eye.

CAMPBELL
Leonard, you sly devil.

Woodward gets tense.

WOODWARD
What do you mean?

CAMPBELL
Come on...

Woodward gulps. Campbell smiles knowingly.

                                                                 CAMPBELL
                                ...The Perkinson account. That was a helluva
                                transaction.

Woodward shrugs humbly.

WOODWARD
Well...

Campbell thrusts out his hand.

CAMPBELL
Put 'er there.

There is an awkward pause as Woodward secretly pulls off his right glove and shakes Campbell's hand.

CAMPBELL
Goodnight, Leonard.

WOODWARD
Goodnight, Charles.

Campbell leaves the office.

Woodward sighs and puts his right glove back on. He stands, picks up his steel briefcase and leaves the office.

INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE WOODWARD'S OFFICE - EVENING

Woodward comes out the door of his office. He looks both ways up the long hallway. It is vacant.

He walks quickly up the hallway and stops in front of a door marked, "VAULT ROOM."

Woodward looks all around, sees no one, then opens the Vault Room door.

On the doorjamb, covering the lock, is a piece of masking tape. Woodward peels it off, rolls it into a ball and puts it in his pocket.

INT. VAULT ROOM - EVENING

Woodward enters the Vault Room. There is a video camera mounted up at the top of the wall aiming at an enormous steel vault.

Woodward opens his briefcase and takes out a large magnet.

He slides along the wall where the video camera is mounted. When he is directly below it he reaches up and sticks the magnet to the side of the camera.

INT. LOBBY OF THE OFFICE BUILDING - EVEING

At a console in the building's lobby sit two SECURITY GUARDS. Surrounding them is high tech video equipment with ten TV monitors.

The monitor marked, "VAULT ROOM" blinks off leaving a black screen. One of the Guards notices.

                                                                 GUARD #1
                                Aw, now what the heck's going on with
                                this monitor?

GUARD #2
Play with the vertical hold button.

Guard #1 begins turning a knob on the monitor.

INT. VAULT ROOM - EVENING

Woodward produces a wire bracket from his briefcase. He attaches it to the lens of the video camera.

Woodward then takes a color 8x10 photograph of the vault room from his briefcase.

He attaches the photograph to the bracket in the front of the camera lens.

INT. LOBBY OF OFFICE BUILDING - NIGHT

The two Guards are still screwing around with the blackedout monitor.

GUARD #2
Smack it.

                                                                 GUARD #1
                                Aw, that never works. I'm gonna have to go
                                up there.

Guard #1 stands and puts his walkie-talkie on his belt.

INT. VAULT ROOM - EVENING

Woodward removes the magnet from the side of the video camera.

INT. LOBBY OF OFFICE BUILDING - EVENING

Guard #2 smacks the screen of the monitor and just at that moment the picture comes back on -- the empty vault room -- as still as though it were a photograph.

GUARD #2
Works every time.

Guard #1 sits back down.

INT. VAULT ROOM - EVENING

Woodward goes up to the giant steel vault. He opens a panel door on the front of the vault revealing a digital display with a multitude of buttons. He punches in a code.

INT. LOBBY OF OFFICE BUILDING - EVENING

The two guards are looking at the monitors. They can plainly see that the Vault Room is empty and the vault undisturbed.

In the monitor beside the Vault room, marked "Tenth Floor," both Guards are watching an old CLEANING MAN slowly clean in front of the elevators.

                                                                 GUARD #2
                                Look at that old fart. Slow as molasses
                                in January.

INT. VAULT ROOM - EVENING

Woodward finishes messing with the digital lock, hits a red button and there is the low rumbling hiss of the massive bolts sliding back.

Woodward grabs the giant steel handle and pulls the vault door open. This creates a vacuum in the room.

The photograph attached to the video camera is sucked off the bracket and floats to the floor, unbeknownst to Woodward.

INT. LOBBY OF OFFICE BUILDING - EVENING

The two guards are drinking coffee and not facing the monitors.

In the "Vault Room" monitor we can see Woodward open the vault door, pick up his briefcase and go into the vault.

INT. INSIDE THE VAULT - EVENING

Woodward locates the bags of money.

He opens his briefcase revealing rows and rows of packets of money. He picks one up and flips through it. Only the top and bottom bill are real, everything in between is just cut newspaper.

Woodward begins exchanging the fake packets of money for the real ones from the bag.

Meanwhile, the giant steel door is slowly closing behind him.

                                                                 WOODWARD
                                                           (To himself)
                                One million.

He continues exchanging the money.

The vault door continues to swing shut.

                                                                 WOODWARD
                                                           (To himself)
                                Two million.

Woodward closes the money bag, then snaps his briefcase closed.

He turns and sees that the vault door is about to shut him in. His eyes widen in horror.

INT. LOBBY OF OFFICE BUILDING - EVENING

The two guards turn and look at the monitors.

The monitor showing the Vault Room looks completely normal. The vault door is closed. Nothing is amiss.

The Guards turn away.

GUARD #1
How about another cup of coffee, Dan?

INT. VAULT ROOM - EVENING

The vault door looks like it's completely closed, but wait... What's that sticking out of the crack? It's Woodward's fingers which are being crushed. We can hear him inside the safe moaning.

INT. INSIDE THE VAULT - EVENING

Woodward is in excruciating pain as he slowly pushes the vault door open.

Once it's open he sees the photograph on the floor.

He nearly gags in panic as he looks directly into the lens of the video camera.

INT. LOBBY OF OFFICE BUILDING - EVENING

The two guards are not watching the monitor as Woodward can be seen standing right in the middle of the Vault Room looking right into the camera.

IN THE MONITOR

Woodward dashes over, shuts the vault door, grabs his briefcase and leaves.

One second later he reappears in the Vault Room. He picks the photograph up off the floor, reaches up and grabs the bracket off the video camera, then leaves the Vault Room ...

...Just as both guards turn and look at the monitors.

GUARD #1
Slow night.

GUARD #2
Sure is.