Script work

(It’s Sundown at the office, and Detective Quinn analyzes clues about a recurring murder in Austin, Texas. Detective Quinn is staying late to work on the case. )

(Quinn sits at his desk, rummaging through papers, running his hands through his hair. Quinn finds pictures of the arms that have been found throughout the city and upon further analysis discovers something new.)

QUINN: Wait...That's… That's a tattoo.  

QUINN: That wasn't in the file.

(Quinn calls his partner, Emily Almond)

QUINN: Emily? (inquisitively)

EMILY: What, Quinn. (irritated)

QUINN: Did you mean, “Hi Quinn, you sound like you've found something, is there something I can help you with since i'm your partner of three years and we’re practically siblings?

EMILY: (clearing her throat) Hello Quinn, you sound like you've found something-

QUINN: Anyway, It turns out one of the arms that was found on South Congress has a tattoo that matches one of our two prime suspects, Dante Antiman.

EMILY: Are you serious?

QUINN: No, Emily, why would I be serious? It's not like we've just had a major breakthrough on this case or anything like that.

EMILY: Quinn?

QUINN: Yah?

EMILY:Shutup.

QUINN: Anyway… I suspect that our prime suspects must have either been working together or, Mr. Dante Inferno over here got caught up with some knowledge that our killer didn't want him to know, and here he is, well here his arm is, in our squeaky clean morgue-

EMILY: Quinn...If this arm truly came through our morgue, do you really think that we wouldn't notice a tattoo?

QUINN: Wait...Emily, how many arms do we have?

EMILY: Well you've got your scapula attaching the one on your left, and then you've got on your right as well.. and-

QUINN: Emily! Im serious, how many do we have?

EMILY: They’ve found 13 so far..

QUINN: This is the 14th.

EMILY: Quinn?…

(Phone clicks)

QUINN: Emily?...Emily!

(Quinn sets his phone down looking somewhere in between concern and panic, he leans back in his chair and anxiously runs his hands through his hair,covering his face. a message pops up on his computer screen. It's an email that Quinn anxiously reads aloud.)

QUINN: To whom it may concern, I kid. I know it’s you, Detective Quinn. Emily Almond is safe with me. For now at least. If you dare tell your fellow officers about this email, She dies. Don’t worry about finding us. You’re the detective here. Good luck.

(Quinn grabs his hair, stressed at the whole situation. Shaking, he rereads the email from the Killer on his computer, searching for something that could give him clues about their location. With a eureka moment, Quinn rapidly types into the computer and traces the email.)

QUINN: Gotcha!

(Quinn prints out search results and runs offstage.)

(Quinn barges into the room where the Killer holds Emily in a choke-hold. Both the Killer and Quinn draw their guns.)

KILLER: So you got my message. How wonderful. (Killer tightens grasp on Emily.)

QUINN: *growling* Let her go. ( Quinn adjusts grip on the gun.)

EMILY ALMOND: Are you serious? Of all the things you could possibly say, you say that.

QUINN: Hey, i’m trying to rescue you. At least be grateful i’m here.

EMILY ALMOND: please don’t mess this up.

QUINN: I’ve been trained for emergency hostage situations. i’m very well qualified. (to KILLER) I’d let her go or else this bullet goes through your thick, monstrous head.

KILLER: *smirking* No need to be rash. How about this? We are both well-respected civilized men. Hear me out.

QUINN: I know one of us is civilized.

KILLER: Whoa whoa whoa. let’s take the salt down a notch. I may be a killer but i’m not a savage.

QUINN: You leave severed arms on the street.

KILLER: Yeah but have you found a body yet?

QUINN: Well, we saw some bodies in a barber shop above a restaurant but that’s none of my business.

KILLER: (seriously)how did you find out so quickly?

QUINN:That’s not the point though i will lead a thorough investigation about that later with my partner Emily Almond, safe and sound and by my side.

KILLER: Which is why you’ll find my offer pleasing. If you shoot your beloved Emily Almond, I swear  I won’t murder again. If you attempt to shoot me, I’ll shoot her. How’s that sound, Detective? One life for the survival of countless others.

QUINN: did you not listen to what i said?

KILLER: Sorry, that made sense in my head, but that was before you decided to bring up Sweeney Todd.

KILLER: Anyway, what do you say detective? i’m a man of my word

QUINN: How about you give me Emily whatsherface and you stop murdering people and then I could take us all out for pizza afterwards?

KILLER:But even if i do have some pizza, i’ll still murder. And besides, that takes the fun out of this little game we’re playing.

QUINN: ah man. i hate games.

KILLER: How did you get from being a cop to a detective? No, scratch that, how did you make it past the first grade?

EMILY: He does have a point.

QUINN: EMILY! I DONT DO WELL UNDER PRESSURE OKAY, IM TRYING HERE!

KILLER: let’s make this easier on both of us and shoot her. Last one to put a bullet in her head has to pay for the pizza!

QUINN: (*looks distraught*shifts glances between EMILY ALMOND and the KILLER**has an angry look on his face)

(QUINN and the KILLER both pull their triggers at the same time.)

(Emily Almond collapses in KILLER’s grasp.)