Awoken By A Ghost (Part Two)

INT. ARNOLDS APARTMENT MAIN LIVING AREA - NIGHT
Arnold enters his apartment and sees his flatmate, Frederick is watching television
Frederick - 28 years old, very thin, five foot six inches, dark hair with a thin moustache and light blue eyes
FREDERICK : Where have you been Arnold?
ARNOLD : I was out, why?
FREDERICK: I’m starving. You don’t even have any cereal left. What am I supposed to eat? 
ARNOLD: You could go out and buy yourself something
FREDERICK : You know, I’m broke. I spend all my money on drink and women. There’s nothing left over for me. Say anyway, you were out, weren’t you. I saw on facebook some woman referred to you as a massive disappointment. Don’t worry. There are plenty more fish in the sea. If you go get some food I’ll give you a few tips straight from the ultimate guru. (after pausing) Your clothes look like they’ve seen better days. What happened
ARNOLD: I got into a fight with a Tiger. The Tiger lost. 
FREDERICK: It must have been one of them baby Tigers. Wait till it’s Mother hears about it. So, are you getting food or not?
ARNOLD: No. I’ve just eaten and I’m broke.
FREDERICK: You only got paid a few days ago. You couldn’t be broke. Look, I’ll put a good word for you with Abigail.
Abigail: Nymphomaniac, Average looking
ARNOLD: I think I’d better get cleaned up and catch some rest

INT. ARNOLDS APARTMENT MAIN LIVING AREA - NIGHT
Arnold is wearing his favourite Spiderman pyjamas, when the doorbell rings. Arnold leaves the chain on so he can see who is there. 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: Mr Palmer I’m Detective Legowski and this is my partner, Detective Cobalt. We’d like to ask you a few questions. 
Detective Legowski (Forties/fair hair with a hint of grey/ thick wrinkled skin/average height/relatively trim.
Detective Cobalt (late twenties, four inches taller, with dark hair and tanned skin. )
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: Can we come in Mr Palmer?
ARNOLD : Yes of course
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI:  You were spotted on cctv in the vicinity of a crime scene just over an hour ago. Two members of a crime gang were shot and killed. Do you know anything about that?
ARNOLD Can you tell me where that is? 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: Baker Avenue 
ARNOLD: It doesn’t ring a bell. What makes you think it was me? 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: Doris works at the station. She’s sixty-three She says she went out on a date with you one time and it was a total disaster. It lasted six minutes. 
ARNOLD:  That must have been one of my longer relationships. 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: Come now, Mr Palmer, you must know something? There is a five minute period between two CCTV cameras spanning a journey that should take less than a minute. 
ARNOLD:  I don’t know anything. 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: The woman you were with was also detected fleeing the scene in the opposite direction. What is it that you know? 
ARNOLD: Well, as you can tell, I tend to have that effect on women. 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: Mr Palmer, we would like you to come with us down to the station. 
ARNOLD: I’m not appropriately dressed 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: We’ll wait 

INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICE - NIGHT
Arnold, Detective Legowski and Detective Cobalt are seated around Detective Legowski’s desk. On the desk are some untidily stacked files, a computer, a banana skin, a three hour old cup of coffee and half a stale sandwich. 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: Mr Palmer, we have now established the identity of the woman you were with. Her name is Andrea Fiddlestone. She is a mistress of Mr Big. I doubt Mr Big would be too happy if he found out you were flirting with his girlfriend. Maybe it was more than flirting. At this present time, we have forensic experts coming your apartment for vital clues. I am going to ask you one final time Mr Palmer. What happened?
ARNOLD: Detective Legowski, I don’t remember anything out of the ordinary happening. I probably stopped to tie my shoe lace or something. It’s just a coincidence. 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: And the woman running away?
ARNOLD: Like I said, I don’t exactly have a gift when it comes to women. Maybe she saw two men approaching and decided to run away. 

INT. LOCAL SUPERMARKET - MORNING
Arnold is acquiring groceries in the local supermarket when he notices Fallulah. 
ARNOLD: Who is it today? Fallulah? Andrea? (with a hint of sarcasm and frustration) 
ANDREA: You can see me? 
ARNOLD: No, I don’t want to see you. You belong to Mr Big. 
ANDREA: I don’t belong to Mr Big anymore. 
ARNOLD: I’ll say that to him when before he kneecaps me. 
ANDREA: You don’t understand. I’m dead. 
ARNOLD: Not from where I’m standing you’re not. Now leave me alone. 
ANDREA: Come on, hit me. 
ARNOLD: I wouldn’t hit a girl. 
ANDREA: Go on. Go ahead 
ARNOLD: I’m not going to hit a girl. 
MRS PINKELMAN: You better not, shorty (as she rolls her trolley over Arnolds shoes, catching part of his stomach). In doing so, the Mrs Pinkelman passed straight through Andrea.
ARNOLD: You mean to say that you’re a ghost? 
ANDREA: Yes, Einstein that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you for the last half hour. 
ARNOLD: Well you could have gotten to the point a lot sooner. Andrea shrugs her shoulders in frustration 
ARNOLD: Am I the only one who can see you?
ANDREA: So Far 
ARNOLD: Ghost or no ghost, I’d rather stay out of this one. It’s been nice knowing you. 
ANDREA: I need you to help me find my killer. 
ARNOLD: You mean you want me to track down the Phantom Killer? I have enough problems between the cops harassing me and your boyfriend and his goons will probably come looking for me. I’d rather wax my legs or bite my toe nails. Thanks but no thanks. 
ANDREA: I don’t know why I’m stuck in this world, but maybe I’ve a chance to not go to hell and the only thing I can think of is finding my killer. At this point a middle aged woman approaches Arnold. 
MIDDLE AGED WOMAN: Do you need help? 
Arnold realises that half the supermarket is looking at him as if he is stone mad. 
ARNOLD: Sorry, its the latest technology. I’m on a phone call. 
Arnold continues to ignore Andrea. He makes his way outside the store with his groceries when a woman of similar age approaches with a black forest gateaux in one hand. 
Angry Woman (Five Foot Five, Short dark Hair, dark blue eyes forty-three years old, two stone overweight) 
ANGRY WOMAN: I hate you barnabus (while hitting Arnold on the face with the cake) 

EXT. STREET NEAR ARNOLDS WORKPLACE - MORNING 
As Arnold is on his way to work on Monday morning two large bulky men approach him in a rough manner. 
ARNOLD: Look, I don’t know who you are, but you must have the wrong guy 
MOBSTER NO 3: Palmer, we have the right guy alright. You’re going to meet Mr Big and he’s not happy. 
The two strong men bundle Arnold into a large Mercedes car. 

 INT. CAR BELONGING TO MR BIG - MORNING
He is positioned in the middle of the back seat with the two strong men on either side of him. In front of him is a driver who is wearing black gloves and an average sized man with dark hair who is brandishing a gun with a silencer. 
MOBSTER NO 4: I hope we’re not going to have any trouble with you, Mr Palmer 
ARNOLD: No trouble at all (Nervously) 
ARNOLD: Do you think that these two gentlemen could stop grabbing onto me. It’s kind of unnecessary. (Arnold received no response) It was just a thought. Not really a demand as such. 

EXT. MR BIGS RESIDENCE - MORNING 
The car makes its way to the suburbs where Mr Big’s residence is located. The house has electric gates and security camera’s and is five stories high. There are two groups of two guards located at two balconys at the front of the house. 

 INT. MR BIGS RESIDENCE - MORNING 
Arnold enters the house at the ground floor. They pass by more guards and walk up the stairs to Mr Big’s office. 

 INT. MR BIGS OFFICE - MORNING
Mr Big is seated behind his desk, flanked by more guards who also wear guns. MR BIG: Mexican descent, 51 years old, full head of hair dyed black, a moustache and brown eyes. He is forty pounds overweight 
MR BIG: Sit down, Mr Palmer (Pointing to a wooden chair in the middle of the room) 
Arnold sits down reluctantly 
MR BIG: Make sure he’s comfortable boys. 
One of Mr Big’s employees grips Arnold on the shoulder and clenches it tightly 
MR BIG: Now Mr Palmer, one of my many informants has provided me with a cctv tape from several days ago. You probably know that someone very dear to me was murdered. You were questioned by the police. What did you tell them? 
ARNOLD: Nothing 
MR BIG: Nothing? At this point I should introduce you to another of my employees. 
Mr Big presses a button of a device on his desk.
MR BIG: Mr Gobbles, can you come in here. I’d like to introduce you to a new client.
After a brief period of time, Mr Gobbles entered. 
Mr Gobbles: Thin, Late Fifties, Glasses, Thin white coat 
MR BIG: Mr Gobbles, this is Mr Palmer. Mr Gobbles is my torturer in chief. Mr Gobbles knows all the best techniques. He can make you feel incredible pain without leaving a scratch on your entire body. Isn’t that right Mr Gobbles? 
MR GOBBLES: Well I do try to do my best 
MR BIG: Now as I was saying, Mr Palmer, if you have nothing to say to me then we have methods that will make you want to tell us all that you know. Once more Mr Palmer, what happened? 
ARNOLD: I hooked up with a woman who I had met through a dating website, but the date only lasted five minutes before she walked off.
MR BIG:  You expect us to believe that? 
ARNOLD: Well as I keep saying. I do have that effect on women. 
MR BIG: Go on Mr Palmer. 
ARNOLD: Then a girl who called herself Fallulah sat down opposite me in the restaurant. I didn’t know who she was. 
MR BIG: And you expect us to believe that? 
One of Mr Big’s employees grabs both of the accountant’s shoulders and squeezes them tightly. 
ARNOLD: Well anyway, things went well and I decided to walk her home. We were walking down the street and got apprehended by two men. I was forced down an alleyway and thrown to the ground. One of the men was about to shoot me when both of them were shot in the back by a gunman. I think this gunman may be the Phantom Killer and that he may have pursued Fallulah and killed her. 
MR BIG: And you expect us to believe that? 
ARNOLD: Its the truth 
MR BIG: Do you know this woman called Fallulah? Do you know her real name?
ARNOLD: (After hesitating) I understand that her real name was Andrea Fiddlestone and that you and her were acquainted. 
MR BIG: Acquainted? 
ARNOLD: More than acquainted 
MR BIG: More than acquainted?
ARNOLD: Well that’s all I know. 
MR BIG:  And you expect us to believe your story?
ANDREA: Let him go, you sack of shit 
MR BIG: What did this phantom killer look like Mr Palmer?
ARNOLD: He looked quite like Mr Gobbles, except not as handsome. He was in his fifties and wore glasses and a hat. 
MR BIG: Now Mr Palmer tell us the truth or you’ll have to experience Mr Gobbles in action.
ARNOLD: I’ve told you the truth. 
MR BIG:  Very well. My men will escort you into Mr Gobbles operating theatre. I do say, I did warn you. 
ANDREA: (Apprehensively) You can’t do it. Not the operating table. 
Mr Gobbles leads Arnold into a side room. 
MR GOBBLES: Lie down on the table Mr Palmer 
Mr Gobbles proceeded to fasten restraints to his arms and legs. 
MR GOBBLES: This is your last chance to tell the truth Mr Palmer (As he revs up a drill) 
ARNOLD: I told you the truth 
MR GOBBLES: Come now Mr Palmer that is not the answer we want to hear. You can do better than that. 
One of Mr Big’s employees enters the room and whispers in the crime boss ear. Mr Big then raises his hand to prevent the scientist from proceeding any further 
MR BIG: Apparently, there is a police car outside for the past twenty minutes. Sorry to spoil your fun Doctor, but we’ll have to interrogate Mr Palmer another time when we are not being watched. 

EXT. POLICE CAR OUTSIDE MR BIGS RESIDENCE - MORNING 
Detective Legowski and Detective Cobalt were sitting in a hot and sweaty police car.
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: I knew it. This guy Palmer, if that’s his real name is involved with Mr Big. We’re going to take this guy down and throw the book at him. When we get back to the station we’re going to do some checking on this guy Palmer and find out who he really is. It wouldn’t surprise me if this guy is the big cheese. Even bigger than Big. He thinks he’s clever. He thinks he can fool us, but we’re smarter than that. Nobody can pull the wool over our eyes. Nothing gets by one of the greatest police minds in history. 
In the background, an old woman is being mugged but stands her ground and fends off her attacker. 
DETECTIVE COBALT: You could be right, Leonard, or Mr Big could hold Palmer responsible for the death of his girlfriend because he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: Don’t be ridiculous Charles. It’s high time we put twenty four hour surveillance on Palmer and see what he’s up to. Accountant’s eh? That has to be a cover for the greatest criminal mastermind of the decade. You wait and see Charles. 
DETECTIVE COBALT: All we have is a meeting so far. Maybe Mr Big is beating him to a pulp and will flush him down the river when he’s done with him. Arnold emerges from Mr Big’s residence, flanked by some of the crime boss employees. 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: There you see, he’s perfectly safe. I can see him through the window. Just you remember who is the most senior officer. I didn’t get where I am today by accident, now did I Charles. Now we better move before they do, to avoid suspicion. 
DETECTIVE COBALT: If you wanted to avert suspicion Leonard, you should have taken the police light from the roof of the car. 
DETECTIVE LEGOWSKI: That is exactly why we are leaving before they do. It averts suspicion. It’s all part of the plan, Charles.