China Doll
Page 5
CARSON (Into phone): Ms. Ann Black.
MICKEY: Tell him to send a woman. (He continues writing) Ms. Pierson is to walk away from everything she has in the hotel. All of her bags. Everything. And go with their woman. Out of the hotel. I want her flown from Toronto, to Saint-Estèphe. Right now.
CARSON (Into phone): One moment, please . . .
MICKEY: . . . and I need to get out of the country.
CARSON: Your passport, sir?
MICKEY: . . . What . . . ?
CARSON: They canceled your passport.
MICKEY: . . . pick an airport. Out of state. (Of the note) Tell this man to have a plane meet me there in two hours, Miami—Saint-Estèphe, phony the flight plans. Buy the pilot. Buy the plane, you need to.
CARSON: I don’t understand.
MICKEY: What don’t you understand?
CARSON: I don’t understand why you won’t take the deal.
MICKEY: Oh, Carson . . .
CARSON: They . . .
MICKEY: There is no deal. He’ll have me plead guilty to the lesser charge, then he’ll indict me for conspiracy, and I’ll die in jail. Isn’t that clear? That’s his issue.
CARSON: “That’s his issue . . .”
MICKEY: That he “moved against the Great.” Transparent corrupt little piece of shit. Who does he think he’s fucking with?
(He continues writing.)
Ms. Pierson may not want to go. You tell him. Have his operative convince her, drug her if they have to. Get her on the plane. You understand?
(Carson does not move.
Mickey finishes the note and hands it to Carson.)
There you are.
(Pause.)
What?
CARSON: Perhaps you should take the note, sir.
(Pause.)
MICKEY: I’m sorry? . . .
CARSON: I think it might be better if you took the note.
MICKEY: Uh-huh. You don’t want to take the note.
CARSON: No.
(Pause.)
MICKEY: Well: “There you go . . .”
(Pause.)
No, you’re not wrong. This isn’t your fight. I beg your pardon.
(Pause.)
CARSON: Sir . . .
MICKEY: Carson?
CARSON: Yes . . .
MICKEY: I understand. You may go.
CARSON: I . . .
MICKEY: I understand. I “absolve” you. All right? You may go.
CARSON: Thank you, sir.
(Pause. Carson starts to exit, holding the files.)
MICKEY: Just leave the files.
CARSON: I’d prefer not to do that, sir.
MICKEY: You’d “prefer not to do that”?
CARSON: Yes, that’s right.
MICKEY: Are you a thief?
CARSON: No.
MICKEY: No, I don’t think so, but then why would you take my property?
(Pause.)
Just tell me.
CARSON: They can charge me with conspiracy.
MICKEY: Well, anyone can charge you with anything. But what conspiracy have you been part of? Carson? There is no consp . . .
CARSON: . . . And you said you were going to trade these files, for imm . . .
MICKEY: What did I say . . . ?
CARSON: For immunity . . .
MICKEY: No, I never said that. No, you may have “understood” that. Incorrectly. But I never said those words. I said I was sending Mr. Rubenstein a gift. Were those the words I said?
CARSON: Yes.
MICKEY: So why are you taking my property?
CARSON: You threatened, to blackmail the governor . . .
MICKEY: I did? With what?
CARSON: With what the files contain.
MICKEY: How would you know what they contain?
(Pause.)
CARSON: I read the files.
(Pause.)
MICKEY: Ah huh. Of course you did.
(Pause.)
Well now you know who you’re dealing with.
CARSON: I know who you’re dealing with.
MICKEY: All right. But, you’re jammed up, too. You stuck your nose under the tent, and now you’re frightened. And legitimately so. The question is: Where does your safety lie? Your safety lies with me. Why? Because if you go to them . . .
CARSON: I cannot be party to a criminal act.
MICKEY: Taking the files from me is a crime, Carson, they’re my property. They belong to me.
CARSON: I won’t break the law.
MICKEY: Then don’t. For if you turn on me? Carson? And go to them, if that’s your plan. And lie—and they’ll make you lie—that’s perjury. Which is a terrible crime. To swear away someone’s life.
(Pause.)
So you tell me.
(Pause.)
CARSON: I’m frightened.
MICKEY: I know you are, and I’ll protect you. How? With money, ’cause that’s all there is. You want some? Here’s a check. (He signs a check) You fill it in. You’ll need it. You deserve it.
(Pause.)
Yes . . . ?
CARSON: How can I walk away from my life?
MICKEY: Carson. Your life is done here. Do you understand.
CARSON: But I’ve done nothing wrong.
MICKEY: Neither has Ms. Pierson, and they’re trying to destroy her. What are they going to do to you? But. Like her, listen to me, you will be protected.
(Pause.)
CARSON: What have you done to me?
MICKEY: I’ve done nothing to you, Carson, and I’m out of time. I’ve got to move. If I had the time I could sit down and . . .
CARSON: No. I will not go to jail for you.
(Mickey picks up the phone and dials.)
MICKEY: But I swear to you . . . (Into phone) Ann Black . . . (To Carson) If . . . (Into phone) Miss Ann Black. (To Carson) I swear to you, I will take care of you.
CARSON: I can’t . . .
MICKEY: Carson, I owe you. And I will repay your loyalty. The other guy, you go to him, all you can do is pray. ’Cause you’ve got nothing to trade. (Into phone) Hello, Frankie.
Frankie. There’s been a change in plans . . . no . . . no one . . . Frankie? Fr . . . no one is going to harm you. Would I ever let that happen? Fr . . . Frankie. I Will Never Let Anyone Harm You.
(Pause.)
. . . Frankie, no one can harm you. No one knows where you are.
CARSON: I know where she is.
MICKEY (To himself): . . . Oh no . . .
CARSON: I . . .
MICKEY: You don’t want to do that, son.
CARSON: I know where she is.
MICKEY (To himself): . . . No.
CARSON: And I’m going to propose a trade.
(Pause.)
I said I’m proposong a trade.
MICKEY: I heard you.
(Pause.)
CARSON: Give yourself up and I’ll let the girl go free.
MICKEY (Into phone): Frankie. Yes. Hold . . . Frankie, hold on. (To Carson) That’s the trade—I surrender, and, “You’ll let the girl go free . . .”
CARSON: It’s a simple proposition.
MICKEY: Of course. How does it work?
CARSON: I tell Mr. Rubenstein that I’m bringing you in.
MICKEY: . . . Go on.
CARSON: Then you can make whatever plans you want. For the girl.
(Pause.)
There’s no more information.
MICKEY: Well, then. It must be time to make up my mind.
(Pause.)
CARSON: It is.
(Pause.)
MICKEY: All right.
CARSON: All right, to what?
MICKEY: You make the call. To Mr. Rubenstein. And I’ll give myself up.
CARSON: I’m sorry.
(Pause.)
MICKEY: Huh? You’re “sorry”?
CARSON: Yes. I truly am. But I think . . . I think that it’s possible—
(Carson begins reaching for a phone.
Mickey picks up the metal model of the plane, and begins beating
Carson with it.
Carson starts screaming.
There is a knocking on the door.
Pause.
Carson falls screaming.
Mickey continues beating the fallen Carson, who is now silent.
The knocking grows louder.
Pause.
Mickey listens to the knocking.
Mickey begins screaming.)
MICKEY: HELP ME.
(Mickey goes around the apartment knocking over furniture and lamps while screaming.)
STAY AWAY FROM ME. He’s cut me . . . He’s going to kill me . . .
(Mickey takes a piece of the battered metal plane and begins gashing his flesh with it. The blood flows.)
Help me. Will . . . Will . . . Oh my God. Will no one help an old man . . . ?
END
DAVID MAMET’s numerous plays include Oleanna, Glengarry Glen Ross (winner of the Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award), American Buffalo, Speed-the-Plow, Boston Marriage, November, The Anarchist and Race. He wrote the screenplays for such films as The Verdict, The Untouchables and Wag the Dog, and has twice been nominated for an Academy Award. He has written and directed ten films, including Homicide, The Spanish Prisoner, State and Main, House of Games, Spartan and Redbelt. In addition, he wrote the novels The Village, The Old Religion, Wilson and many books of nonfiction, including Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose and Practice of the Movie Business; Theatre; Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama and the New York Times bestseller The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture. His HBO film Phil Spector, starring Al Pacino and Helen Mirren, aired in 2013. He was co-creator and executive producer of the CBS television show The Unit. He is a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company.