Michael Clayton Page #4

PLAYER #4, a Chinese landlord -- already pushing his cardsaway -- he’s folding -

DEALER:

(back to Michael)

Two hundred to you.

MICHAEL shakes his head. He’s out. PLAYER #2 right behindhim. THE DEALER starts gathering cards for the next hand.

PLUMBER:

You don’t remember me, huh?

(to Michael as he rakes

in the pot--)

We played a couple times that lampplace. On Bowery. That guy’sshowroom. All the lamps and sh*t?

MICHAEL:

Galaxy.

PLUMBER:

That’s it. You had a restaurant youopened, right? On Franklin? Cause

my old partner bid that job, theplumbing. You don’t remember me?

MICHAEL:

I remember.

PLUMBER:

I lost a lot of weight since then.

MICHAEL:

You bought some hair.

PLUMBER:

Yeah, with your money.

MICHAEL just posts his blind. Tune him out.

PLUMBER:

So your bar, what happened? Just had

to be in show biz, right?

PLAYER #2

Sh*t, man...

(getting cranky)

I want to listen to Larry King, I’ll gohome and put the f***ing TV on.

PLUMBER:

(just ignoring him)

Cause that was a good location.

MICHAEL:

Yeah, that’s what my partner kepttelling me.

Cards coming out as we --

ANGLE ON:

THE BASKET WITH MICHAEL’S STUFF. THE PAGER starts vibrating.

A moment later, THE CELL PHONE starts ringing and --

INT. CHINATOWN FREIGHT ELEVATOR -- NIGHT

Ascending. MICHAEL leaving in a hurry. Strapping on hisRolex, trying to read the pager and -

EXT. DOYERS ST. -- NIGHT

Late. Cold. Quiet. MICHAEL coming up the street, jugglinga remote security pendant and A CELL PHONE -

MICHAEL (OS)

-- is he drunk?

MALE VOICE (PHONE)

(nervous, hyper)

“-- no, that’s the first thing I askedhim -- no, he’s sober --”

MICHAEL:

-- tell him to stay off the phone --

MALE VOICE (PHONE)

“-- so, Michael, I mean, you’re on it

now, right? Because this guy, he’s ahuge client -- this is half my book,

this guy, okay?”

MICHAEL:

I’m walking to my car.

MALE VOICE (PHONE)

“Let me give you my number in Bermuda,

I gotta call him right back and let him

know you’re on the way.”

A BLACK MERCEDES comes alive -- lights flaring as the alarm

disables and -

EXT. WEST SIDE HIGHWAY -- NIGHT

THE MERCEDES speeding North.

INT. THE MERCEDES -- NIGHT (CONT)

MICHAEL trying to drive and mess with the GPS UNIT on his

dashboard. Something’s wrong with it. He’s tapping on itand THE SCREEN is flickering on and off -- finally, f*** it-- he slaps the GPS away -- steps on the gas and -

EXT. WEST SIDE HIGHWAY -- NIGHT (CONT)

THE MERCEDES racing toward the George Washington bridge.

EXT. WESTCHESTER MANSION -- NIGHT

THE MERCEDES pulling up the long dark driveway.

INT. MANSION GARAGE -- NIGHT

THE DAMAGED FRONT BODY PANEL OF A MERCEDES. Dented in.

MICHAEL’S HAND -- his pen -- examining the freshly-chipped

paint, until -

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