Nick of Time
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.
Taxi Driver Oh, yeah? Maniac! What the hell are you doing?! Sorry about that. Well, I’d like to hear about your problem, but the ride’s over. That’ll be three-fifty. I hope your problem’s got nothing to do with my three-fifty.
Gene No, no.
Taxi Driver What, you writing a cheque?
Gene Thank you very much.
Taxi Driver All right. Thank you.
Doorman I got you, sir. Right here. I got one for the airport. You free?
Taxi Driver You betcha. Public accountant? What the hell’d I need with an accountant? Hello.
Man Hey.
Workman 1 Ben! Ben! Coming on down. Coming in.
Workman 2 Let it go!
Gene Oh, shit. Excuse me. Can you tell me where the Emerald Bay Room is?
Gustino Third floor. Yellow stairwell. Follow the signs.
Gene Thank you.
Gustino No problem.
Brendan The governor and I have an enormous admiration for people like you. . . I’m sorry. You okay?
Gene Yeah.
Brendan Sure? Nice body-check. Anyway, it’s illuminating, it’s inspiring. . .
Gene Excuse me, ma’am, is the thing over?
Woman You didn’t miss anything. The food, soggy pancakes. . .
Gene I guess the governor’s gone.
Woman Nice speech. You know. It’s the same at all these things.
Smith Okay. Just check that itinerary and move along. It’s right here.
