Transcript written by and used with the courtesey of Angela Sugden
Conductor
Los Angeles is next. Los Angeles is next. Please. . .
Announcer
Can I have your attention please. Amtrak train number seven-seventy-one. Amtrak train number seven-seventy-one is now arriving at track number nine, from San Diego, Solano Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Irvine, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Fullerton and Commerce. Now arriving at track number nine, the San Diegan.
Smith
Keep your eyes peeled. Sharp.
Rollerblader
Okay, okay. . .
Woman
Porter! Porter!
Announcer
May I have your attention in the station, please. Paging Ms Joan Beary, please report to Amtrak station services. Ms Joan Beary. . .
Security Guard
Hey, what the hell are you doing? Get your ass. . .You know you can’t skate in here. Hey, this is George. Where you at? I ain’t gonna tell you. . . Get your ass outta here, boy. What the hell you doing in here anyhow?
Woman
Come on, you’re leaving your bags.
Jones
That one. Right there.
Smith
Nah. Hates his wife.
Rollerblader
Damn!
Jones
Oh, man, I hate rollerbladers. Skateboarders I don’t mind, even though they dress like fucking idiots, but when I see some pin-head on rollerblades, it really gives me the urge to grease the front of may car with them.
Smith
Keep your eyes peeled.
Gene
Lynn, honey. Lynn! Lynn, don’t run off now, Sweet-pea. Stay close to Daddy. Okay?
Lynn
Okay.
Gene
We made it.
Lynn
We made it.
Jones
What about them? Right there.
Smith
Too old.
Jones
Them?
Smith
You ever had an idea that died of malnutrition? Leave it to me. I know people. It’s my job. People person.
Jones
What are you looking for, huh?
Smith
I’m looking for them, you see?
Jones
Where?
Smith
Right there.
Jones
Oh, yeah. I see.
Gene
Honey I gotta make a phone call. Do you see a phone anywhere? Hey, come on, you. Didn’t you ever see anybody kiss like that before?
Lynn
On TV.
Gene
You never saw your mom and me kiss like that? Hey. Listen to me. It’s all right to talk about it. You know that, don’t you? All right. Well, tell me something. You never once saw your mom and me kiss like that?
Lynn
No way.
Gene
Not once? How’d you see us kiss? That’s it? That. . . that little peck of a kiss? Honey, you missed a whole lot of kisses. Come here. Oh God, Honey. Daddy’s late. We gotta go.
Smith
Look at him. He’d do anything for her.
Jones
Young love.
Couple
(talking in French)
Smith
Fuck me. Foreigners.
Jones
Frogs. They copy our blue jeans, but when we need their help in Kuwait, where are they?
Smith
Look at that.
Gene
Hi, Mr Conners, it’s Gene Watson calling.
Rollerblader
Give me that little teddy bear.
Gene
Hold on one second. Hey! Hey! Honey, come here. Come here, sweetheart. You stay away from her. Come here. Sorry about that, sir. . .
Rollerblader
I want the teddy.
Gene
Stay close, Honey. Just guys on rollerskates. Look, er, er. . . My train just got in, I’m running a little bit late, but I’ll get there as soon as I can, all right?
Rollerblader
Yo, punk.
Gene
Thank you very much.
Rollerblader
Check this out.
Gene
Hey, get outta here would ya? Leave her alone. Okay, bye. You ready, sweets?
Rollerblader
Yeah.
Gene
Let’s do it. Oops. There you see. . . That’s why you should always wear a helmet and knee pads. Because you never know when you’re gonna fall down and go boom, right?
Lynn
Right.
Gene
Come on. Let’s get outta here. Watch your step. Come on.
Smith
It’s perfect.
Jones
Perfect.
Smith
Can I see some identification, sir?
Gene
Excuse me?
Jones
ID. Can we see some?
Gene
Er. . . Sure. Sure. Is driver’s license all right?
Smith
Fine.
Gene
What’s the problem? Oh, it’s about those guys there, you know they were circling my little girl. . .
Smith
You’re from Santa Maria, Mr Watson?
Gene
Yes, I am.
Jones
Where’s that?
Gene
It’s north, near Lompoc. Why?
Smith
Come with us, sir.
Gene
I’d like to know what’s going on first.
Smith
Don’t cause a ruckus, sir, not with the little girl along.
Gene
Er, ma’am. . .
Jones
Come with me.
Gene
Listen. Ma’am, I’ll take my daughter.
Smith
Don’t worry. My partner’s good with kids.
Lynn
You stole that.
Jones
No, I didn’t. I confiscated it. There’s a difference.
Lynn
No, there’s not.
Gene
`I’d like to know what’s going on, officer.
Smith
I’ll explain.
Gene
Officer, what’s going on?
Smith
Get the front seat. Into the van, Mr Watson, thank you.
Jones
Let’s get your seat belt on. Always wanna wear your seat belt, huh? Right?
Lynn
I want my daddy.
Jones
Well, you’re Daddy’s right there.
Gene
Daddy’s right here, Honey. Daddy’s here.
Jones
We’re your Daddy’s friends.
Smith
That’s right. A policeman’s your friend. Isn’t that right, Daddy? Daddy?
Gene
That’s right, Honey. Police are our friends.
Jones
Hey, would you look at this green car. . .
Gene
Listen, officer, I have an appointment that I’m late for. I’d really like to know what’s going on.
Jones
This is the jack. Say “Hi, Jack”.
Smith
Hi, Jack!
Jones
And this goes in this little hole, right here.
Lynn
Let me do it.
Jones
Okay, go ahead.
Lynn
It’s loud.
Smith
Let’s get down to business.
Gene
Who are you people?
Smith
Pay attention, Mr Watson, pay attention. And your daughter won’t be hurt.
Gene
All right, Honey, come to Daddy.
Smith
Mr Watson, you’re not paying attention. Your daughter’s life depends on you. Do you understand? Do you understand that?
Gene
Yes.
Smith
Good. This is for you. In it there’s a picture of a woman and an itinerary. It’s her itinerary. She is presently. . . You listening, Mr Watson?
Gene
Yes.
Smith
She is presently at the Bonaventure Hotel. It’s not far from here. When you leave this van, you’ll get yourself a taxi over there and you will take it to the Bonaventure Hotel. Then, you will take this, and you will kill the woman whose picture’s in there. Not just shoot her, mind you, kill her. I recommend you empty the gun into her, close up. You got all that?
Gene
You’re outta your mind.
Smith
What’s your point?
Gene
I will do no such thing.
Smith
Yes you will, Mr Watson.
Jones
Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of the kid.
Smith
It’s now twelve-sixteen. If the woman in the picture’s alive at one-thirty, half past one. I call my partner, you’re daughter’s dead. What happens if I don’t call you?
Jones
Kill her anyway.
Smith
You hear that, Mr Watson? Do you understand? It’s the woman in the picture or your daughter.
Gene
My God.
Smith
God can’t help her, Mr Watson. Only you can help her.
Jones
Only you.
Smith
We’re wasting time. Let’s go.
Gene
Honey? Daddy has to, go somewhere. I’ll be back soon. Okay? Stay with the nice lady.
Smith
Move it. Let’s test this thing. Are you on?
Jones
Read you.
Smith
You’ll need some cash. There you go. I’ll hang on to the wallet, for the time being. You’ll need these. Cabs are that way. Get moving, Mr Watson. Time’s a-wasting. Let’s do it.
Lynn
Where’s my Daddy going?
Jones
Your Daddy’s gonna help the police, he’s gonna be a hero.
Lynn
Like ‘Power Rangers’?
Jones
Yeah, just like ‘Power Rangers’.
Girl
Mamma!
Woman
(talking in Spanish)
Officer
Check you in about an hour.
Gene
Officer. . .
Smith
You talk to a cop, you even look at a cop too long, and your daughter’s dead. Get over there. Just do it.
Jones (on radio)
Go ahead, Sugar-Pie.
Lynn (on radio)
Lynn calling Daddy. Lynn calling Daddy. Come in, Daddy.
Gene
Lynn.
Lynn (on radio)
I can hear you good. Can you hear me?
Gene
I can hear you, Honey. Where are you? You okay? Are you okay?
Jones (on radio)
That’s enough. Daddy has to go now.
Lynn (on radio)
You have to say ‘over and out’. Daddy you have to say ‘over and out’.
Gene
Over and out.
Smith
Okay. Look at your watch. Look at it. At one-thirty your little girl is dead. Say it with me. At one-thirty my little girl is dead. Say it! Say it! Name it!
Gene
At one-thirty my little girl is dead.
Smith
Unless you do what you’re told. You go do it. Don’t forget, I’ll be watching you.
Gene
Excuse me, I need to get to the Bonaventure Hotel.
Taxi Driver
Bonaventure?
Gene
Yeah. You know where that is?
Taxi Driver
Yeah, yeah. I can see it from here. Amtrak?
Gene
Huh?
Taxi Driver
What did you come in on, Amtrak?
Gene
Oh, yeah.
Taxi Driver
Business or pleasure?
Gene
Business.
Taxi Driver
So where’d you come in from?
Gene
What?
Taxi Driver
Where’d you come in from?
Gene
San Diego.
Taxi Driver
Ah, San Diego. I thought about moving down to San Diego. It’s hard to make a living in this town. With short hops you can’t make a dime. What do you think?
Gene
About what?
Taxi Driver
San Diego. Better opportunities in San Diego, or what?
Gene
I really wouldn’t know. I don’t live there. I, I just went down there for a funeral.
Taxi Driver
Somebody close?
Gene
Excuse me?
Taxi Driver
Was it somebody close to you?
Gene
Yeah. Yes. It was my wife. Well, ex-wife. Soon-to-be-ex. She wanted a divorce. Listen, er. . . I’ve got a problem, I’ve got a really big problem.
