Dialogue

INT. LAKESIDE CABIN - NIGHT

CCHESTER CREEPS IN AND FLICKS ON A FLASHLIGHT. HE DECIDES THE CABIN IS EMPTY AND IT’S SAFE TO LIGHT A FLASHLIGHT. HE OPENS A FEW DRAWERS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HIDE THE EVIDENCE. BEHIND HIM, A DOOR SWINGS OPEN SILENTLY, AND A HAND REACHES OUT TO GRAB THE POKER FROM THE FIREPLACE. SUDDENLY, OUT JUMPS HANK POKER POISED TO SWING. CHESTER DROPS THE PAPERS AND RAISES A DEFENSIVE ARM, BUT HANKS SEES WHO IT IS.

HANK

Chester! The hell you doing here?

CHESTER

What am I doing here? Shouldn’t you be halfway to Montreal by now? [HE SEES DORIS CROUCHING

BEHIND HANK] Doris! [THEY EXCHANGE A MEANINGFUL LOOK]

DORIS

(Sternly) Get outta here, Chester.

CHESTER

Not until Hank tells me why there’s a company named after Evangeline registered in my name, to which Keenan Glass is paying thousands every month. C’mon, Hank, spill it. Are you railroading me?

HANK

(Disappointed) So, you figured it out, huh? Too bad. I guess it was that stupid radio report tipped you off? Goddamn media! A child coulda followed the trailafter that.

CHESTER

So it is true. You son of a bitch. After all these years. (shakes head)

HANK

What can I say? We cooked up a scheme and you were the perfect fall guy. I’m honestly sorry it had to be you, although I did figure you owed me. Anyway, it’s too late for crybaby antics now. If you hadn’t gone poking around, everything would still be peachy.

CHESTER

Peachy! I’m in the hole for God knows how much, and over in Rockview, Old Smokey is just about inviting me to take a seat.

HANK

Oh, cool your heels! They reserve the electric chair for murderers, not embezzlers. Most you’ll get is ten years. The worst thing is we were just getting started! Smooth sailing for over two years, with a get-out-of-jail-free card in the form of yourself, then some horny Fed ends up on the wrong end of a chokehold. I mean, that was some bad luck right there.

CHESTER

Hey, leave her out of this. Have some respect for the dead.

HANK

Respect? For that sexual pervert? No thanks.

DORIS

Clean living folk don’t have to show respect for common sluts.

CHESTER

Don’t call her that.

DORIS

Why not? She probably picks up fellow freaks from the Tenderloin every time she’s in town, the little tramp.

[CHESTER FUMES]

I bet they couldn’t wait to get high and screw all night, and apparently slap each other silly while they’re doing it.

CHESTER

Doris!

DORIS

Until maybe she slapped him a little too hard and he lost control.

CHESTER

(shouting) It wasn’t like that!

[EVERYONE GOES SILENT]