Literature Discussion - Lit-Talk.com

Priest

Screenplay By Phillip Ghee (USA)

Chapter Twenty

Storyline

CHAPTER 20

STORYLINE

Back at the station house, DeBaptise makes one more attempt to follow up with Garcetti, to see if he has any leads on the case.

DeBaptise

Garcetti, how are you doing on that Gutierrez case?

Garcetti

I am still up to my ass with the store murders. Councilman “for the people” got sum smuck form his office calling me everyday for a progress report, more like an election report. I may have to Cold Case this one. You might be next to get it buddy. The prerp probably already in jail anyway. These types don’t last long on the streets. They had two drives- by in her barrio in the last two weeks along. The blue suits caught one group in a high speed chase, seven homeboys in a Honda no less. 9 to 1 our boy is one of them, probably one of the shooters.
Hell prison to them is nothing more than a few years at the spa and gym.

DeBaptise

You ever follow-up on any leads outside the neighborhood Garcetti? You know criminals exist elsewhere’s?

Garcetti

OK the first couple of days when we thought it might be a psycho or a serial killer, I ran through the hoops, nothing, zip, nada. And as you can see, no other pretty Spanish girls turned up on the slab.

Forensics got nothing; the body was cleaner than me, on most mornings. The blanket she was wrapped in had all sorts of shit on it, forensic overkill. They fond some blond hairs. I thought about the frat boys, but not enough to proven anything, anyway there was all sorts of hair on the blanket, silver, grey, black even some animal hair. The blanket was old, from all the shit they found on it, it seems it was probably being used for a tarp, lying around in some basement for years before being used as a body condom.

 DeBaptise

How’d they figure?

Garcetti

Well it had traces of rust, probably from old tools and crap, bits of paint, not house paint but, paint flaked off from old antiques and knick-knacks and shit, the type of crap my wife goes ape shit over, can’t keep her away from the garage sales. Anyway that’s what I think it was probably being used to cover up items waiting for the next garage sale or something. Animal hairs wasn’t local, exotic stuff, leopard, off some coat or decorative item. Plus remember detective, the blanket had been laying around in trash strewn vacant lot, there was a good breeze that night, you would be surprised at how much shit will collect to an old wool blanket. I am surprised they didn’t find your business card in the mix.

DeBaptise,

Back to the blond hair, was it natural? Not too! many natural blondes in Gutierrez’s neighborhood?

Garcetti

Hell, this is LA, not too! many natural blondes anywhere. But it was the real deal, Nordic fresh, Straight outta Copenhagen. But Like I said, not enough to say anything. Could have blown there from a toupee or something lying in the lot. Hey that CSI crap is only on TV.

DeBaptise

I don’t mean to intrude but you mind if I check out something?

(Garcetti smiles a broad smile, points to all the clutter on his desk, files, folders, scraps of paper. Shuffles the pile and hands DeBaptise a folder marked Gutierrez. He hands it to DeBaptise)

Garcetti
My Brutha!

FADE OUT

Continued next week...