Moonlight s01e01 Episode Script

WOMAN: Mick St.
John, thank you for joining us tonight.
MICK: You're welcome.
WOMAN: So, what's it like being a vampire? Being a vampire sucks.
It's a bad joke, I know, but it's the truth.
WOMAN: So you drink blood? Why, are you offering? I'm just kidding.
Yeah, I have a guy.
WOMAN: You mean like a dealer? - Yeah, like a dealer.
WOMAN: So you never bite anybody? - No, no.
Unless they really ask for it.
WOMAN: You sleep in a coffin? - No, that's an old wives' tale.
I sleep in a freezer.
And while we're on the subject, garlic is tasty on pizza.
WOMAN: Does it repel you? - Repels my dates sometimes.
Toss holy water on me, I get wet.
Crucifixes? Okay, if you like that kind of thing.
Oh, and I definitely can't turn into a bat.
That'd be cool though, wouldn't it? WOMAN: What about daylight? Daylight's not good.
Daylight's not good.
The longer I'm in the sun, the worse I feel.
WOMAN: You don't burst into flames? - Not if I can help it.
WOMAN: How do you kill a vampire? Wooden stake, I'm guessing.
No, a wooden stake won't kill a vampire.
Flamethrower would kill a vampire.
Or we can lose our head.
I mean, literally.
Other than that, we heal.
WOMAN: You seem like a very nice guy, but don't vampires kill people? Most vampires don't have boundaries or rules, but I do.
I don't hunt women, I don't hunt children.
I don't hunt innocents, but there's predators who need to be dealt with.
WOMAN: Is that why you became a private investigator? It's a way to use my special abilities.
WOMAN: Any advice for the vampire wannabes out there? Yeah.
Stay out of my way.
MICK: I often wonder what it would be like if I had the opportunity to explain myself.
But that's just a fantasy.
Here's the reality.
You sleep alone.
You keep your secrets hidden.
Oh, yeah, and here's what a dinner party looks like.
I know.
I know.
Everyone says they're open-minded.
Everyone tries to accept people who are different from them.
But the truth is, people don 't react well when they find out that you're undead.
And the other thing you've got to deal with? When you live forever, the past always catches up with you.
Like all good detective stories, this one starts with a girl.
A promising life cut tragically short.
Tonight, a killer is on the loose.
MICK: Well, technically, two girls, and one of them is already dead.
This is Beth Turner for Buzzwire.
Cut.
- Really, I was okay? - Yeah, total Amanpour.
No one would even know it was your first webcast.
- We gotta get a shot of the body.
- Cops won't let anyone get close.
I'm not leaving without my money shot.
- God, did I just say that? - Yes.
- I've become a news whore overnight.
- Not overnight.
Lieutenant Carl.
- Carl, what can you tell me? - Let's see, Beth, nothing.
Come on, I was first on scene.
Who fed you the location on the 710 Freeway shooter? All right, fine.
We think she's a Hearst College student.
She had their mascot tattooed on a very discreet part of her anatomy.
Front or back? Not these guys.
Get these cameras out of here.
- Get these cameras out of here, move it.
WOMAN: Lieutenant When you've been around as long as I have you think that nothing can surprise you anymore.
But that was before tonight.
Before I saw her walking barefoot through a freezing fountain at 2 in the morning.
[SHUTTER CLICKS.]
Beth.
Step away from the body.
BETH: "Murder on Melrose.
" No.
"Southland student slain.
" Eh.
Vampire.
Something with "vampire" in it.
Do I know you? You tell me.
- You're a cop, right? - No.
- Reporter? - Nope.
We've met before.
You look very familiar.
Well, maybe I've just got one of those faces.
Okay.
Question: What do you like better? - "Vampire slaying rocks L.
A" - There's no such thing as vampires.
I don't think the girl in the fountain would agree.
I mean STEVE: Come on, Beth.
The body's gone.
Cops packed up hours ago, okay? - What are we doing here? BETH: Looking for the girl's car.
Right, how do we know she didn't walk? Nobody walks in L.
A.
Here we go.
"Hearst College parking permit.
" [SHUTTER CLICKS.]
WOMAN: Did you get any good photos? MAN: Oh, yeah, Doug.
I'm looking at it right here.
BETH: I need you to check on that parking decal.
- I can't deal right now.
- Don't worry about it.
I'll call them.
Two hundred thousand unique visitors on your vampire story and we posted less than 24 hours ago.
The vampire angle was genius.
- Did you come up with that? - Yeah, it just came to me.
Very nice.
Get me some science on this, an expert.
Now, I wanna blow this thing up.
Make it seem real.
Are there "vampires" among us? I'm letting you run with this.
What's your next move? Steve got the dead girl's address from her parking permit.
- I think I'll look around.
- Don't think, go.
Mama needs fresh content.
You don't get to change the rules of the game after the game has started.
And that goes for your silent South American partners too.
My position is simple.
Okay, I'm short the Shanghai A-shares and that was a guaranteed deal.
Guaranteed.
Hey, buddy, let me get rid of this guy.
My best friend Josef.
One of the oldest vampires in L.
A.
Four hundred going on 30.
Living Well, unliving proof that paranoia never goes out of style.
Any default and I would not be sleeping so snugly if I were you.
[WHISPERS.]
These people are unbelievable.
No integrity.
[IN NORMAL TONE.]
Oh, you don't like veiled threats? Then how about this? Screw me, and I will personally come down there and cut your heart out, okay? It's the only thing they understand.
Oh, well, that sounds good.
And my best to the family.
You look good.
Been working out? Little bit, huh? Have you seen the news? This terrible thing in West Hollywood? It's everywhere.
- "Vampire slaying rocks L.
A.
" - Yeah, it doesn't look good for us.
It's a threat to our secrecy.
What is this, the 1720s? We don't leave bodies lying around.
Now we have to be extra vigilant.
We live in an age of fingerprint scans, DNA tests - Josef, relax.
- I am relaxed.
This is relaxed.
You're only 90.
You've never been chased by a torch-bearing mob.
Hungry? - Would you care for a liquid refreshment? - No, thank you.
Are you sure? She's delicious.
'82 was a good year.
Oh, we went to the Super Bowl in '82, right? Lost a million bucks on Cincinnati that year, right? - Except for that.
- Yeah.
You're fooling yourself if you think you can exist on that retail blood forever.
- I do all right.
- Yeah, for now.
You're fighting a losing battle.
Okay? Sooner or later, your inner vampire is gonna demand to be fed.
And then what? - Goodbye, Josef.
- Goodbye.
My guy at the morgue, Guillermo, deals in information and blood.
Tonight, I needed both.
- Hey, Mick, what can I do you for? - Drinking on the job? - Forty or six-pack? - Give me a sixer.
Oh, thirsty boy, huh? I don't know why you like this A-positive so much.
The O-positive has got a much better finish.
I wanna see the girl they found at the design center.
Yeah, I figured you would.
- There's no smell of vampire on her.
- I noticed.
- Carotid artery's been severed.
- How much blood loss? She exsanguinated.
At 40 percent loss, the heart stops.
A vampire would have drained her.
Those aren't bite marks.
They're too clean.
Plus there's impact trauma around the wound.
- Her neck was punctured by something.
- Call me if you get anything else.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Because I work for you, right? I didn 't intend to end up a do-gooder.
For the longest time, I was like most people.
Just kind of looking out for myself.
Then 22 years ago, I took a case that changed my life forever.
Mr.
St.
John? Please, help me.
Someone took my daughter.
Some cases really sucker-punch you.
You think you know what you're getting into, then, wham.
WOMAN: The police have nothing.
It's been two days.
Whether it's a missing child or a murdered coed victims always leave a trail.
You just have to find it.
The cops had been at the dead girl's apartment since morning.
I'd been waiting since 6.
Looks like I wasn 't the only one.
Ouch.
- You were at the crime scene.
- Easy with the Mace, okay? - Stay back.
- I'm not gonna hurt you.
You're not gonna hurt me? - How do I know you're not the killer? - Well, because I'm not killing you.
Okay, if you're not the killer And let's go with that because that's comforting.
- What are you doing here? - I'm a private investigator.
- Let me see your credentials.
"Mick St.
John"? Who are you working for? MICK: Falls under my client confidentiality agreement.
Don't you wanna know who I am and what I'm doing? You're Beth Turner.
You work for Buzzwire.
It's entertaining.
Excuse me, it's not just entertainment.
It's hard-hitting, investigative - Okay, a bit of sleaze.
- Probably the best.
- Best what? - Thing they have.
Oh, thanks.
Let me see.
I saw something just like it in the victim's car.
Look, same exact thing.
I've been researching it.
Egyptian hieroglyphic.
The insignia for an ancient blood cult.
Right.
Blood cult.
So we're talking vampires? I know, they don't exist.
But something has to explain all the killing and the goth-o-rama.
I mean, obviously, she had a thing for vampires.
Yeah, I guess they're back in style.
Some people actually find them attractive.
- Really? - Yeah.
- What is it? - Blood.
We should get that to the police.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Hey, honey.
Josh, I'm in the middle of something.
Can I call you back? Okay.
Bye.
Stop doing that.
Nine out of 10 murders, the killer is someone the victim knew.
That's why I wasn 't about to miss Kelly Foster's funeral.
Too bad funerals always take place during the day.
That glance in the grave always puts everyone on edge.
But when it's murder, keep your eyes open.
You're gonna see more than just tears.
Thank you.
Thanks for ditching me the other night.
I knew you'd be all right.
You're resourceful.
Kelly was a bright and promising student and we all mourn her loss.
Christian Ellis, he was Kelly's social-anthropology professor.
We inabit our physical bodies for what we call a lifetime but death holds no dominion.
Kelly Foster lives as our sister in blood.
I'm guessing the emos with the black roses are part of his Mythology Studies program.
- Did your homework.
- Which I am sharing with you.
Your turn.
Where's the blood vial? You took a vial of blood from Kelly's apartment.
I want it.
Son of a bitch! Chloe, Chloe, Chloe.
Hey, hey.
- We still love you, you know that.
- Oh, shut up.
A whiff of fresh blood on the air, blood I'd smelled before.
- You okay? - I'm okay.
BETH: Lot of angry people.
- Angry people make good suspects.
- And dangerous ones.
Don't worry, I'll look out for you.
We should divvy them up.
Two can cover more ground.
I work alone.
A girl's dead.
I'm not letting this go.
- You're kind of pushy, aren't you? - You'll get used to it.
Start with the professor.
I'll take his young attacker.
Wait, what about my vial? Get it to the police so they can analyze it find out whose blood it is.
It's the professor's.
BETH: What's going on with you and Professor Ellis, Chloe? CHLOE: What do you mean? BETH: Well, you tried slicing the guy open at the funeral today.
CHLOE: Christian 's a Svengali.
He, like, brainwashed Kelly with all this literary crap about vampires and sex and dark desires.
- He runs a vampire study group.
BETH: Study group? It's a cult.
- What goes on there? - The usual clichés.
Chanting, candles, blood drinking.
- They drink blood? - Oh, yeah.
- Christian thinks he's a vampire.
- A real vampire? A lot of girls believe him.
He's got a lot of disciples.
- Were you a disciple? - Yeah, I was in.
In fact, I was the one who told Kelly she should join.
- Big mistake that was.
- What happened? She was all over Christian.
Totally fed into his crap.
- And you didn't? - Yeah, I did.
He's really powerful, seductive.
Makes you feel special.
- But you werert? - No.
- And that made you jealous of Kelly? - Yeah, and pissed off.
And, no, I didn't kill her, if that's what you wanna know.
Go write your stupid little vampire story someplace else.
MICK: When I was turned into a vampire, all my senses were heightened to 11.
CHRISTIAN: For God's sakes, you're giving me a headache.
I'm able to smell the past, glimpse the future.
CHRISTIAN: Not now, I have class.
- Oh, when should we discuss this? When another one of your students turns up dead? I can hear a marriage going down the drain from a hundred yards.
CHRISTIAN: I had nothing to do with that.
- Is that what we're telling people? You tell them whatever the hell you want.
Hi.
Is Professor Ellis home, please? - He's not here.
- Oh.
I'm sorry to disturb you.
I didn't mean to bother.
Something I can help you with, Mister? St.
John.
Mick St.
John.
I'm a private investigator.
- This is about the dead girl.
- Yes, I'm looking into the case.
This must be very difficult for you.
How about I come back another time? What do you wanna know? There was a time when Christian was a serious academic.
He has a Ph.
D.
In Mythological Anthropology.
He published every year.
But now he has other interests.
Like Kelly Foster? Among others.
These girls are so young and impressionable.
- I used to be that way myself.
- Me too.
Christian can be very charming, like a snake.
Oh, he's a vampire, by the way.
- I don't know if you knew that.
- I did not.
At least that's what he tells them when he seduces them in the basement of Chandler Hall.
Mrs.
Ellis, do you think your husband killed Kelly Foster? - The girl had a bite in her neck, right? - Right.
He's the only vampire I know.
CHRISTIAN: We have all fed on blood.
Every one of you in this room.
Everyone on this earth.
In the womb, our first meal is blood.
We feed in darkness.
There is no time.
There is no life.
There is no death.
It is a perfect world.
Seemingly everlasting.
Until we are ripped from the womb into daylight.
When we are born, that paradise is lost and we spend the rest of our days trying to find our way back.
Back to that perfect world of blood and darkness.
That's enough for tonight.
But remember to take this truth with you to your everyday lives.
We are all vampires, every last one of us.
I will see you all next week.
- That was an amazing lecture.
- Thank you.
Hey, I'm Kate Nelson.
I just transferred down from Berkeley.
Welcome.
I read your book, The Mythology of Darkness.
Well, that's more than I can say for a lot of my students.
I think it's really interesting, the vampire as metaphor for desire.
The thirst for blood is symbolic of a deeper hunger.
BETH: A hunger to connect.
You did read my book, huh? Do you think I could audit your class? Well, my lectures are pretty popular, but I'm sure we can squeeze you in.
Thanks, I really appreciate it.
I know I'm a month behind.
Is there a syllabus I could get started on or some way to catch me up? Well, I do have a study group for some of my more motivated students.
I'm really motivated.
Daniel? This is Daniel, my TA.
- Daniel, this is Kate - Nelson.
Kate Nelson, I'm sorry.
- Would you take down her information? - Sure.
I have to get going.
- Hi.
Study group, huh? - Sounds intriguing.
- So how do we get ahold of you? - 310 Somewhere in the city, a killer is on the loose.
Josef wants me to hunt him to keep our secret safe.
I just wanna make sure he doesn 't do it again.
You don 't have to be a vampire to get a taste for blood.
- You startled me.
- I'm Mick St.
John.
Right.
My wife mentioned you came by the house.
You're looking into Kelly Foster's death.
Murder.
Do you mind if I ask who you're working for? I'm working for Kelly.
Well, then I wanna help in any way I can.
She was an extraordinary girl.
And l I truly cared for her.
So there was a relationship? I already told the police everything.
I have nothing to hide.
If I did, do you think I'd be talking to you? That piece is over 500 years old, from the reign of Sigismund I.
The sign of Velnius, a Lithuanian vampire god.
Vampire god, huh? That's interesting.
Kelly Foster showed up dead with two bite marks in her neck.
Someone's trying to make it look as if I had something to do with it.
Because you keep telling people you're a vampire.
- I am a vampire.
- Really? Well, not in the way most commonly portrayed in dime-store novels.
When people hear the word "vampire," they immediately conjure up an image of some undead monstrosity running around at night trying to drink human blood.
I hate that.
CHRISTIAN: A real vampire is simply a person born with the ability to absorb and manipulate pranic energy.
- "Prana" is a Hindi word meaning - Life force.
Yes, very good.
Real vampires have a critical energy imbalance.
So we must seek out pranic energy and absorb it.
Couldrt you just have a double espresso or something? Fresh blood has a very high pranic-energy content.
Hence, the blood link to vampires.
But when done correctly, a pranic ceremony can have salutary effects for both participants.
So tell me something, professor.
Do the salutary effects kick in before or after the sex with your students? I think we're through talking.
Oh, thanks.
If one of the killers you put away wanted to get even they'd wait for the cochinita pibil to go on special.
CARL: "Vampire slaying rocks L.
A.
"? - Publicity spawns tips, Carl.
CARL: Yeah, and copycats.
BETH: Don't be mad, I gave you the vial.
CARL: And it's inadmissible.
BETH: Did you have it analyzed? Was it from a person of interest? The professor of darkness? - You have his DNA on file? - Look, he volunteered.
- A DNA swab during his first interview.
- Cooperative.
Yeah, that's what they always want you to think.
- What do you have on Chloe Jones? - You talked to her? - She seems a little edgy.
- She should be.
We found a stalking harassment complaint filed against her.
- Filed by? - Kelly Foster.
Chloe said they were best friends.
Were.
We found a blood pendant in Chloe's apartment.
They were both sleeping with the professor.
Come on, threesomes never end well.
- Huh? - Don't ask.
It's about time you got back.
- Make yourself at home.
- I did, and poured myself a drink.
You seriously drink this stuff? What is it, like, nonfat, soy vegan blood? - Lf you don't like it - I didn't say that.
- Are you sure? - Get out of here.
I assume you don't have any freshies around? Yeah, of course not.
Am I supposed to know why you're here, Josef? It is possible that there is a core truth behind the vampire myth.
Perhaps there are people with certain genetic predispositions who actually could require and digest blood.
The vampire experts.
Beautiful.
We got the food mouthing off about the farmer.
The whole city is talking.
You wanna know what they're talking about? Us.
MICK: So it's a slow news day.
- No, that's not it.
It's the reporter from Buzzwire.
She started this killer-vampire thing.
- A Beth somebody.
- Turner.
You know her? We did some breaking and entering together.
- Well, you must get her to stop.
- What do you mean? Like she's driving along and her car explodes? I was thinking you ask her nicely, but fielder's choice.
- Killer's not a vampire, Josef.
- There were bite marks.
- Two stab wounds.
- What, and the blood? Well, you hit an artery, you're bound to get some of that.
You're telling me some poseur drinking blood out of a Snoop Dogg chalice is behind this? - Yeah, something like that.
- Hm.
- Why haven't you killed him? - There's more than one suspect.
So kill them all.
That's what I would do.
Hey, look, I know you have morals and scruples and that's fine, sort of.
But you're not the man I pretend to respect if you don't get this under control.
Hey, you have a soft spot for the mortal ones.
A fascination with things they do while listening to the tick of their own demise.
Fine, everyone needs a hobby.
People aren't gonna suddenly believe in vampires because of a Buzzwire article.
Are you willing to take that risk? If everyone has vampires on their mind, suddenly things get noticed.
- We get noticed.
- I said I'm on this.
Good.
If that reporter finds out who we are she gets a Pulitzer, we join the list of extinct species.
- We're on the same side.
- Sorry, not questioning your loyalties.
- Yeah, good.
- Yeah.
Vampire solidarity, rah-rah-rah and all that.
Don't forget, I'm your only friend who doesn't like you just for your money.
JOSEF: That's true.
Sad, but true.
We're closed.
Oh, it's you.
That's not funny.
Why are you wearing that stupid thing, anyway? Take it off.
You're really starting to freak me out.
Did you hear me? [CHLOE GASPS.]
[CHLOE SCREAMS.]
Relationships are complicated.
Vampire or mortal, that's one thing we have in common.
[DOORBELL BUZZING.]
Yeah, yeah.
Okay, here's what I don't understand.
I'm fine.
How are you? How did you know the blood was the professor's? - You're saying it wasrt? - No, it was.
He gave the police a DNA sample and it matched.
So you must have a source in the department, right? No, but obviously, you do.
So, what did you find out about Chloe? She's got a few anger-management issues.
Turns out our murder victim got a restraining order against her a couple months ago.
What's her deal? The professor toss her aside? Yeah, but murder? Check her out.
- Let me know what you think.
- Okay.
- What about the wife? - Well, she knows her husband's a snake.
- The professor - What? - He thinks he's a vampire.
- Yeah, I know.
- I attended his so-called class.
- You what? I also managed to wrangle an invite to his study group.
- That's not a good idea.
- What are they gonna do? Kill a newcomer to get extra credit? I just think you should be careful.
Don't let the professor get you alone.
I'll be careful.
Good.
You look so familiar.
Are you sure we haven't met before? - Yeah, twice now.
- No, someplace else.
I guess I've just got One of those faces.
I know, you said.
I should go.
Sometimes, the past doesn 't just catch up with you.
It haunts you.
It makes you think about your choices.
On that night, 22 years ago It's all right.
I followed a trail.
I'm here.
It's all right.
Found the girl.
And came face to face with the woman who 'd made me a monster.
Coraline.
I knew you would come.
Here we are, Mick.
Finally, one happy family.
Forever is a long time with an ex-wife like mine.
MAN: That's right.
With new details constantly You're taking a long time putting that mike on.
I'm just trying to get it exactly right here.
Does that include feeling me up? You're going into the vampire's lair, okay? - I wanna make sure this mike works.
- I'll be fine.
I don't know about that.
So exclusive infiltration of a college sex-and-blood cult.
Man, this story just keeps getting better.
A girl's dead.
This is an important story.
Yeah, doesn't mean we can't milk it.
STEVE: There goes a real humanitarian.
Chloe? Chloe? Chloe.
Beth.
- Where are we going, exactly? - Don't worry, it's all part of the ritual.
Ritual? I thought it was a study group.
Yeah.
You'll see.
Seriously? The ritual's in a boiler room? BETH [ON RECORDING.]
: Hi, you've reached Beth Turner.
I'm unable to answer your call right now so please leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
CHRISTIAN: The spiritual, sexual vampire lurks between the lines of Sanskrit tablets.
Numerous cultures of antiquity believed that blood was the vital element in the lovemaking and life-giving process.
All these ancient texts can be categorized in a number of ways.
But what's most important to us is the spirit of these texts.
Not the letter.
Hi, Kate.
So the ancient tantric practice of using sexual intercourse to transform one's sexual energy into blissful consciousness speaks to that issue perfectly.
Well, I think that's enough for tonight.
I will see you all next week.
STUDENTS [IN UNISON.]
: Blood is my life and my life is blood.
Born into light, we seek the dark.
CHRISTIAN: Thank you.
Kate.
I'm so glad you could make it.
Seems I missed it.
I thought I was to be here at 11.
Well, this is your first session and I like to get a little one-on-one time with my students.
- Okay.
- So let's go back and talk.
Don't be shy.
Hold out your hands above mine.
Right above mine.
Just like that.
We are only now rediscovering what the ancients knew.
We are simply energy.
We both radiate and absorb it.
Concentrate on your hands.
Do you feel that? Uh, maybe.
It takes a little practice.
Close your eyes and concentrate.
Feel your yonic energy balancing mine.
You do this long enough and our hearts will synchronize.
Are you kidding me? This actually works for you? What do you have under there? Huh? - What do you have under there? - Get your hands off me.
Get off.
Are you recording this? Who are you? Answer me.
Where's the recorder? Give it to me.
[GRUNTING.]
Kate, you all right? What happened? I need to call the police.
Do you have a cell phone? Yeah, in my car.
[GASPS.]
MICK: Where is she? - Who? - Your new student, where is she? - No idea.
What do you think? I don't have a lot of time.
I know she was here, man.
I can smell her on you.
And you're gonna tell me where she is.
She just left.
But you can't be real.
That's right, professor.
Because there's no such things as vampires.
[MICK GROWLS.]
BETH: Why are you doing this? - You wouldn't understand.
- I might.
- Christiars a prophet.
His teachings reveal the truth about our vital pranic energy.
We must absorb this energy, preserve it.
Not waste it on women.
Without these distractions, Christian can fulfill his true destiny.
- What destiny? - Hey, hey.
[GROANING.]
MICK: I'm not gonna let you hurt her.
[GRUNTING.]
You shouldn't have done that.
MICK: Everything's gonna be all right.
- You're not gonna do this.
- It'll work, Mick.
You, me and baby.
No, I'm not gonna let you hurt that girl.
I can't let you.
Come on.
I'm gonna take you home.
Good girl.
The last time I held her in my arms, she was only a child.
Over the years, I tried to stay close, just out of sight.
In case she needed me.
And tonight, she did.
It's all right.
- You're with me.
- You saved me.
From a graduate student in Mythological Studies.
- Didrt exactly take Superman.
- No, that's not what I meant.
I mean, when I was little.
When I was taken.
You got a really nasty bump on your head tonight.
- You probably just need to - He stabbed you.
- He sure tried.
- I saw the knife come out.
You need to get some rest.
I'm gonna take you home.
Okay? Sixty years is a long time to deny yourself the touch of another.
But you do it.
Because you just can 't bear the thought of seeing yourself as a monster in someone else's eyes.