The Romeo Section (2015) s02e02 Episode Script
The Legwork
Previously on "The Romeo Section" About 18 months ago, there was an alleged terror incident.
I'd like you to poke into it.
What sort of wickedness are we up to? That young man decides to commit jihad.
You may recall a statement you gave? I don't remember that.
What do you remember? I want you to become familiar with someone, to seduce them into friendship, or whatever evolves.
I found you in a parking lot.
There was a lot of blood.
You know Bennie? Make the best deal you can, and don't drag it out.
I've got a kilo.
It's the best stuff he's ever seen on the street.
He wants it all.
Hey, Red.
We got a deal? S02E02 The Legwork We start sticking our noses into this whatever it is, and you get mugged.
It's not a coincidence.
Not everything is part of a conspiracy.
You can't prove that.
It's connected.
Everything is.
Somehow.
Somehow? Somehow, somebody was staking out cars in the parking lot, and I was an easy target.
It was random.
That place gets hit all the time.
Random doesn't mean it's not connected.
You can't dismiss it just because you can't define where it fits in the puzzle.
Random or not, it will have an effect on the outcome.
He'll be along soon.
He's being cautious.
Yeah, I think that's the French word for paranoid.
"Paranoid" is from the Greek, actually.
Meaning "having an irregular mind.
" Yeah.
Thank you.
I'm only talking to you guys 'cause Fergie vouches for you.
This is all off the record, and I don't have much time, 'cause I got a stack of fresh murder files on my desk.
So, what do you want to know? Whatever you remember.
I was a couple blocks from the stadium when the call came in.
On another call? No, on my own time.
But I was on the scene in five minutes.
It was a lot of confusion.
At first, there were conflicting reports of two culprits, maybe three, so it took a while for things to settle down.
The victim, Mohammed, was in the middle of the street.
The paramedics were first responders.
They said he was dead when they arrived.
Mustapha.
Not Mohammed.
Did you speak to the Security Guard? The fella who shot him? He wouldn't say anything.
He was speaking to his lawyer when I arrived, he wouldn't talk to me.
I hadn't even started taking pictures when the RCMP showed, said it was their turf, gave us the boot.
Well, no argument from me.
They want it, take it.
I got a stack of homicides crying for attention, right? Well who called them so quick I don't know.
Well, what'd they say? Why were they called? Somebody told them it was a possible terrorist incident.
Not sure how that went down.
Anyhow, the horsemen got the same treatment when the Federal Intelligence Service took it away from them about 10 minutes later.
And did they identify themselves as being from F.
I.
S.
? Hell, no.
All kinds of procedures went out the window.
That's about all I'm going to have to say about that, because that's all I had to do with it.
Give me a couple minutes head start.
You don't have to be aware that you're a part of a conspiracy to be a part of it.
You can be a passive part of it.
By doing nothing, you could be taking an active part.
Is there anybody not on your list of suspected collaborators? Very few.
Answer that.
What's the point? You got no delivery.
And I'm the only one that showed up today, if you haven't noticed.
Let it ring, it's better they think you're busy than going down for the count.
Oh, you can run it out.
I'll run it out the moment I get paid.
It's over a grand Bennie owes me.
You're gonna get paid.
I always pay you.
When have I not paid you? Right now I gotta take care of myself.
I'm asking for a little patience.
I got a new supply coming.
If it's from Rufus, you're going into business with the guy everyone says popped Bennie.
Is that what people are telling you? Yeah, and you're about to let him slide right in.
It's not true.
Well, he's taking advantage of the vacuum.
Yeah? Call back in a couple hours.
Hello? Shit.
People are gonna think we're shut down.
You are shut down, honey.
I'm sorry.
You having a service for Bennie? I haven't had any time to think about it.
The phone was ringing all night, but nothing's moving because I've got no couriers.
Bennie's gone, nobody thinks they're gonna get paid, they're all jumping ship.
Tell them it's all good, we're back up and running.
How much you need to pay off the couriers? About five grand.
I got that in my hip pocket.
Look me in the eye.
People are telling me that you killed Bennie.
Who? Who's saying that? That's not the point.
You don't believe it.
If you did, you wouldn't be talking to me right now.
No.
So get on the horn, get the couriers back before the whole thing turtles.
I kinda really want out of this life.
Yeah, me too.
We can do it, and we can leave with a big sack of money when we do.
Come here.
It's been a long time since I held you like this.
Bennie just died.
What's the matter with you? What? Get up.
Get up before your father comes and finds you like this.
Look at you, son of the Emperor.
You shame him.
You shame me.
The blossoms are starting to fall.
Are they smoking opium as well? Is that why they fall to the ground to be swept away into the gutter? Don't concern yourself with me, mother.
I'm still young.
I'm only enjoying myself a little.
Your father once had dreams for you, but even he has finally given up on you Quiet.
Go away.
Mm-hmm.
You annoy me.
You go Mm-hmm.
Before your father finds you here No.
And has you thrown into prison.
Did he mention such a thing? Go! You hear somebody screaming in the street in the middle of the night, you think, "I should do something," but you don't, you wait.
Maybe somebody else will intervene, but no, nobody intervenes, and somebody gets killed or hauled away never to be seen again.
And everybody thinks that's okay, because hell, nobody else intervened.
Status quo.
Now, you extrapolate that a hundred million times, and you've got an entire population keeping their windows closed.
Why are we here? I won't be long.
There's some reading material.
No other symptoms other than the headaches? Not that I've noticed.
No drowsiness, confusion, dizziness? Uh, blurred vision? Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to noise? No, just the headache.
Well, some symptoms begin immediately, others can begin at any time, days, weeks, months after the incident.
I'll let you know.
Unless you forget.
I'm going to write you a prescription for the headaches.
This is an opiate, so don't take it unless you must, and give me a call if it persists for more than five or six days.
And avoid any alcohol.
Avoid taking them together? No alcohol.
Is that going to be a problem? Shouldn't be.
When was the last time that you had a complete physical? Uh, it's been a while.
Five years.
Let's arrange for one.
This isn't even half of what I got coming to me.
This is just until Friday.
Bennie owed me over a grand in back pay.
What's your name? Shorts.
Shorts I don't know anything about any back pay, but I don't expect any of you guys to work for free.
I pay up front, which is what I'm doing right now, and I pay on time, which I'll be doing on Friday.
If Bennie owed anybody any back pay, he took that with him.
The reason I haven't been to the doctor in five years is because I don't like them.
They're all bloody doom-sayers.
Well, the voices of doom are often correct.
Then, in the middle of the night, while composing their next prediction, they get their throats cut.
Hey, Rupert, what brings you down here? Uh, research project.
Yourself? Informant got murdered the other night.
Aw, bad luck.
I'm gonna miss him.
Now I've got a really big hole to fill.
Guy's a bit of an asshole, but a good informant.
I may have someone for you.
You did the autopsy on Khalil Mustapha? No, I did not.
I want to make that very clear.
I was going to do it.
I was told to give it priority, but we were waiting for everybody to arrive.
Who's everyone? All the different investigators.
Not that there was much to see.
A bullet wound, fatal.
One wound? One.
Although he was still fully clothed.
Forensics hadn't arrived yet.
And there was no gunpowder residue? It wasn't from close range? I didn't do the test.
I was waiting.
Shot from the front or the rear? Um, the rear, that much was obvious.
I'd only just put him on the table.
We waited two, three hours, then I took my supper break.
By the time I got back, they'd released the body.
Who did? They got another pathologist while I was out.
Is that usual? It's not usual.
Nothing usual about it.
They wanted their own pick.
I put in a complaint.
Hmm.
You usually keep records of who's in attendance at an autopsy? I do.
Except not in this case, since they hadn't arrived yet.
Somebody was here waiting with the body.
Was that city homicide or RCMP? City homicide.
Grumpy Japanese guy, I forget his name.
We waited two, three hours, and eventually he suggested I might want to take my supper break early, and by the time I got back, they'd shipped the body to the crematorium.
So did anybody do an autopsy? They broke a record if they did.
I mean, I was only gone for half an hour, and there was nobody here cleaning up anywhere, no sign of another pathologist either.
Which crematorium? You'd have to call body pickup for that.
Is this part of a civil suit or something? Because I wasn't officially on the job.
No, it's, uh, an insurance claim filed by the family of the deceased.
You're in the clear.
Because I just do what I'm asked to do.
Oh, join the choir.
Just a wage slave myself.
That homicide detective lied.
He said that he left the scene as soon as the RCMP showed up.
She just told us that he was there for the autopsy that never happened, and then sent her away for lunch so that the body could be sent off to the smoker.
He omitted some detail.
A lie by another name.
Come in.
Right on time.
No one followed you? I didn't see anyone.
Good.
And you didn't mention this to Bill West? You told me not to, so I didn't.
Good.
Very good.
I'm having a glass of wine.
It's been a long day.
Would you care to join me? That sounds like a good idea.
Are you married? Yes.
Well, no.
Divorced.
Separated actually, on the road to divorce.
It's a long story, and a long road.
Thank you.
Why do you ask? Oh, just your apartment, it looks like you just moved in.
This is one of the places we use for discretionary purposes, a safe house, and I thought it appropriate for what I'd like to discuss with you.
The intrigue continues.
And yourself, you're still single.
Yes.
Don't have much time for a relationship.
No more Wolfgang? No.
No conversations whatsoever.
Bill chastised me the other day, shortly after he interrupted our lunch.
He tracked me down and issued a stern warning.
Did he? I must admit he had a point.
He didn't want me to How did he put it? He didn't want me to steal his asset.
That's me, I assume? That's you.
And under any other conditions, I'd have to agree with him.
It's not wise sharing an asset.
It can create a rivalry.
Dissonance.
Goals can diverge.
Confusion results.
Are you hungry? I've got something in the kitchen.
No, I ate, thank you.
I like Bill.
I value him, and I want him to remain an ally.
But I've got to be frank, that's my way.
Just so there's no confusion.
Please.
I've been put up for this promotion, I can't give any details, but it would put me in a position where I believe you, your reputation, your contacts within Chinese communities could be very valuable to me.
And beneficial to yourself, of course.
That sounds rather interesting.
Does it? It's a little frightening, and exciting at the same time.
I imagine it is.
It would require that you and I have absolutely no contact in public.
I need to share some information with you and you alone, and for security's sake, it would require that you no longer have any communication with Bill.
He'd ask why.
Oh, I'll sort that out in the next few days.
I think, if I might be as frank as I like to be, I believe Bill has taken a more intimate interest in you than you may be aware.
How so? I believe Bill has become obsessed with you, and we've got to nip that in the bud before he fouls up my plans for you.
Tomorrow.
You gotta find someone else to do this, like, today.
I can't keep up.
No, my guy should be there in under 30.
Make sure you come to the fuckin' door this time.
It's coming back.
Maybe, maybe not.
People move on pretty quick.
Yeah? I'm the same way if I feel like I'm being disrespected.
Hey! I'm on the phone.
How long you been with Bennie? Four years.
Four years, that's a long time.
Loyalty's a rare thing down here.
Everywhere.
The other guys, I can see they look up to you.
Thanks, coach.
We put our heads together, we can make some real money at this, but I don't need a shit disturber.
So if you got something to say, say it to me now.
It's been a fucked-up week.
Bennie was a friend of mine, too.
If anybody says otherwise, you should straighten them out.
He owed a lot of money around town, you weren't the only one.
I gotta load up.
Got people waiting.
Always a pleasure.
Make sure you warn the customers.
This shit is not like the old stuff.
They're coming back.
Do you remember a time before you began your drug regimen? Sometimes.
What did you like to do then? Play piano.
They have a piano here? Yeah.
Makes you feel good, I bet.
Mm-hm.
I've forgotten your names.
They'll come back to you.
Everything will come back.
Like a puzzle, you've got to find the pieces and patch it together.
Hmm.
You're safe with us.
Can you take half your medication? Hold it in your mouth and cut it in half later? Can you do that? You don't have to tell anyone.
I'll come back tomorrow.
I can come alone if you'd prefer.
Yes.
You think advising her to cut back on her meds was a good idea? Look, the dope she's on would drop an elephant.
And I didn't say stop, I said try cutting down some and see what happens.
It might help.
And it might not.
I've been into the nether world, and she probably senses that.
She thinks if I can find my way back to normal, maybe she can.
Whatever normal is.
Who are we to judge? Watch yourself with that.
It's not like the old shit.
Just hold on.
Hold up.
Hello.
This has gotta be the guy.
You must be the insurance men? Yes.
Let's go inside and I'll walk you through what happened.
The concourse here was empty, mostly, and the game was on.
Uh, the bases might have been loaded and here comes this young guy walking this way.
Now, he's got his backpack, so I know I'm going to stop and search.
So, uh, I stop him, "Hold up," and he's nervous, sweating, so I'm alert, and I get a hold of his pack, and right away, it's got weight, and the top flap is open, and I flip it, and all I see is wires.
Wires.
And he just freaks, pushes me, and he's got the pack and bolting back the way he came in.
Anybody else around? Well, if there was, I didn't notice, and I never heard of any other witness.
The, uh, the surveillance cams were down.
They were moving over to a new system, and having issues with installing the new software.
I'm about here, and he's just going over the fence.
So I bolt back this way.
I knew he had a device in that pack, so I made the choice to get my gun from the trunk of my car here.
I had my eyes on him His name was Mustapha.
Sorry.
You had a gun in the trunk.
We're not legally permitted to carry on the job.
I've got a permit to carry for it.
It took a lot of guts to chase him down.
I was scared shitless.
I'm no hero.
I learned that about myself that day.
Come on, this isn't a lot of fun.
I'd like to get it over with.
He ran down this alley.
I was about a hundred yards behind at this point.
I've got my weapon out.
Nobody else around, I'm looking, thinking he's in somebody's yard by now.
Suddenly the dog starts barking down here, and Mustapha looks out from this garage here, and then bolts, down along the side of the house, and I'm after him.
This is the garage where the bomb went off? A short while after I flushed him out.
This is new, they've rebuilt it.
I was about here, I'd just landed here, and I yelled at him, uh, "Stop or I'll shoot," and I fired once, a warning, and he stopped.
I was about here and he turned, and looked at me.
And started running towards me, screaming, and I fired, and he went down.
He was coming at you? I didn't know he didn't have the backpack.
I did not see that.
You reacted.
It's understandable.
He was coming for you.
And my life has been hell ever since.
All the interviews, and the police, the media chasing me down.
I just disappeared.
And the police, who were they? Uh, the city showed up, and then the RCMP.
Nobody else? Reporters.
And then about a year ago, they had an inquiry, and I had to go through it all again.
He's a lying sack of shit.
Is he? Yeah.
I'm not buying that he was coming at him.
The pathologist said the kid was hit in the back of the head.
You would have to be one hell of a sharpshooter to pull that off.
Ex-military, I think.
What's going on here? Why aren't we shooting? No director.
He's trying to get out of the movie.
He hasn't been paid.
I sent a money wire yesterday.
Where the fuck did he go? He's in his trailer.
Said he's not shooting a frame until he's paid.
This is horse shit.
We're losing our fuckin' day here.
Eric! Eric, I need you to come back to set.
We need to make our day.
Eric! Fuck Do you know what happened to the miscarriage scene? We had to cut out the miscarriage scene.
That was my best scene.
Did Mei Mei tell you to cut that scene? What about Mei Mei? She's very good in the role.
Yeah.
Very good.
His agent's got me on hold.
He's talking with the director.
It's gonna happen.
Tell him I will start directing this myself in about five minutes.
Tell him now.
I'm on hold.
Go rehearse.
It's Xishi, right? Yes.
Xishi, do you like working in Canada? Maybe you'd like to stay? Yes.
Do you like our director? Yes, very much.
Then do me a favour.
I want to put the miscarriage scene back in.
Yes.
Right, so I think what we need to do is Here ya go.
How much is here? Should be 50 grand there.
50 grand? That barely covers one day of shooting.
You're gonna get a bag like this every single day.
You can guarantee that? No.
But I'm gonna try.
So I'm going to need a couple more bricks.
People are knockin' the doors down for our shit, bro.
I can move it.
Trust me.
Wait here.
Come back here tonight, after wrap.
I'm pretty busy nights.
What's up? It's important.
We can talk here later.
I want that feeling of compression Eric, can I have a word? In private? Okay.
Um, the money is coming in.
There was a little hiccup.
I apologize sincerely.
I need you back to work.
No worries.
Put it in my trailer for me, will you? And, uh I'd like to put the miscarriage scene back in.
Okay, guys, next set-up Hello.
Hello.
You should have told me that you were going to meet with Mr.
Sproule.
It was very last-minute.
Where did you meet him? One of those new condo towers.
He gave me some specific directions Walk through the mall, pretend to window shop for a half hour, up the elevators from the underground parking, get off two floors below his, and then walk up.
Sounds exhausting.
Exciting, actually.
Was it? How so? It just got my heart beating.
Silly for an old pro like you, I guess, but new to me.
No, not silly at all.
It's important that you keep me in touch with how you feel as we go through all of this.
I'm a little conflicted.
Mr.
Sproule is asking me for one thing, and you another.
What is he asking of you? He said, "Tell Bill you can't meet with him anymore.
" How did that come up? Out of the blue? Did he give a reason? He said he thought you were becoming obsessed with me.
Really? Interesting.
In what way? In a way he thought inappropriate.
I mean, it's all right if you are.
I don't mind.
Well, of course I'm obsessed.
In fact, you're my number-one responsibility.
Take care of your assets, and your assets will take care of you.
Thank you.
Did I embarrass you? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it No, no, no.
I'm I'm glad that you did.
It's a very tricky, complicated relationship that we have to have between us.
Delicate.
I didn't know what to think of you at first.
You were a little scary.
And now? Not so much.
Don't try to make up to me.
I'm still mad at you.
Has my father been here? He left at sunrise.
What is he up to? He doesn't tell me.
I want to help my father.
I want to be of use to him, and him be proud of me.
How would you help him? I could help him make decisions.
You? One day you are going to join the army, the next day you are smoking opium and calling yourself a poet, sleeping in the street, running around with criminals, letting them take advantage of you.
How can he respect you? How can you help him? I could tell him what the people are really thinking.
What are they really thinking? That there is a lot of wealth to be made from opium, and he should not try and stop it.
Who said he would even try? That is the rumour.
He should be careful.
You are the one to be careful.
Thank you for coming to see me.
No problem.
I wanted for you and I to be able to talk directly.
Sure.
I also know you are helping to provide a big part of the financing here, and I appreciate that.
Doing what I can.
Walk with me.
I need to change.
I also know that my husband, Wing, have a good relationship with you.
I'd like to keep it that way.
I just spoke to him in Hong Kong.
He assured me he trusts you.
Good.
Good.
Because for this movie to work, we need to make sure every penny ends up on the screen and not in anybody's pocket.
Of course.
Our particular financing structure, it's vulnerable to skimming.
Skimming? It's the nature of the business.
The nature of all business, as far as I can tell.
You concerned about anybody's pocket in particular? No.
I just want to be sure we can talk openly, without any middlemen getting in the way.
Sure.
That being Tony.
When's Wing back from Hong Kong? Any day now, I hope.
In the meantime, he speaks through me.
I should tell you how important this is to me.
This movie must do well, or I will be someone else's slave forever.
Sounds like you're in a rough business.
It is.
This movie will give me my independence, if we finish it, and if it's good, and to be good, we need money.
I got it.
Well, good night, then.
Good night.
So? How does it look? This belongs in an outhouse.
Right.
What do we know? We know that we don't know much, other than it would take quite a significant operation to coordinate the cover-up.
Someone to call in the RCMP and get them involved, and then someone to steer the RCMP off the case.
Someone to prevent the autopsy and have the body cremated.
Someone to align all the testimony that there is.
And that suggests someone powerful enough to ride rank.
Someone who might be a member of our intelligence service.
We're looking at shadows on a wall.
If it is our own intelligence service behind this, whatever this is, please be cautious.
I don't have very many friends left from the old days.
You never had many in the first place.
That's the life, isn't it? I almost forgot.
Put that in your "fuck you" tank.
Just as I was running low.
I'd like you to poke into it.
What sort of wickedness are we up to? That young man decides to commit jihad.
You may recall a statement you gave? I don't remember that.
What do you remember? I want you to become familiar with someone, to seduce them into friendship, or whatever evolves.
I found you in a parking lot.
There was a lot of blood.
You know Bennie? Make the best deal you can, and don't drag it out.
I've got a kilo.
It's the best stuff he's ever seen on the street.
He wants it all.
Hey, Red.
We got a deal? S02E02 The Legwork We start sticking our noses into this whatever it is, and you get mugged.
It's not a coincidence.
Not everything is part of a conspiracy.
You can't prove that.
It's connected.
Everything is.
Somehow.
Somehow? Somehow, somebody was staking out cars in the parking lot, and I was an easy target.
It was random.
That place gets hit all the time.
Random doesn't mean it's not connected.
You can't dismiss it just because you can't define where it fits in the puzzle.
Random or not, it will have an effect on the outcome.
He'll be along soon.
He's being cautious.
Yeah, I think that's the French word for paranoid.
"Paranoid" is from the Greek, actually.
Meaning "having an irregular mind.
" Yeah.
Thank you.
I'm only talking to you guys 'cause Fergie vouches for you.
This is all off the record, and I don't have much time, 'cause I got a stack of fresh murder files on my desk.
So, what do you want to know? Whatever you remember.
I was a couple blocks from the stadium when the call came in.
On another call? No, on my own time.
But I was on the scene in five minutes.
It was a lot of confusion.
At first, there were conflicting reports of two culprits, maybe three, so it took a while for things to settle down.
The victim, Mohammed, was in the middle of the street.
The paramedics were first responders.
They said he was dead when they arrived.
Mustapha.
Not Mohammed.
Did you speak to the Security Guard? The fella who shot him? He wouldn't say anything.
He was speaking to his lawyer when I arrived, he wouldn't talk to me.
I hadn't even started taking pictures when the RCMP showed, said it was their turf, gave us the boot.
Well, no argument from me.
They want it, take it.
I got a stack of homicides crying for attention, right? Well who called them so quick I don't know.
Well, what'd they say? Why were they called? Somebody told them it was a possible terrorist incident.
Not sure how that went down.
Anyhow, the horsemen got the same treatment when the Federal Intelligence Service took it away from them about 10 minutes later.
And did they identify themselves as being from F.
I.
S.
? Hell, no.
All kinds of procedures went out the window.
That's about all I'm going to have to say about that, because that's all I had to do with it.
Give me a couple minutes head start.
You don't have to be aware that you're a part of a conspiracy to be a part of it.
You can be a passive part of it.
By doing nothing, you could be taking an active part.
Is there anybody not on your list of suspected collaborators? Very few.
Answer that.
What's the point? You got no delivery.
And I'm the only one that showed up today, if you haven't noticed.
Let it ring, it's better they think you're busy than going down for the count.
Oh, you can run it out.
I'll run it out the moment I get paid.
It's over a grand Bennie owes me.
You're gonna get paid.
I always pay you.
When have I not paid you? Right now I gotta take care of myself.
I'm asking for a little patience.
I got a new supply coming.
If it's from Rufus, you're going into business with the guy everyone says popped Bennie.
Is that what people are telling you? Yeah, and you're about to let him slide right in.
It's not true.
Well, he's taking advantage of the vacuum.
Yeah? Call back in a couple hours.
Hello? Shit.
People are gonna think we're shut down.
You are shut down, honey.
I'm sorry.
You having a service for Bennie? I haven't had any time to think about it.
The phone was ringing all night, but nothing's moving because I've got no couriers.
Bennie's gone, nobody thinks they're gonna get paid, they're all jumping ship.
Tell them it's all good, we're back up and running.
How much you need to pay off the couriers? About five grand.
I got that in my hip pocket.
Look me in the eye.
People are telling me that you killed Bennie.
Who? Who's saying that? That's not the point.
You don't believe it.
If you did, you wouldn't be talking to me right now.
No.
So get on the horn, get the couriers back before the whole thing turtles.
I kinda really want out of this life.
Yeah, me too.
We can do it, and we can leave with a big sack of money when we do.
Come here.
It's been a long time since I held you like this.
Bennie just died.
What's the matter with you? What? Get up.
Get up before your father comes and finds you like this.
Look at you, son of the Emperor.
You shame him.
You shame me.
The blossoms are starting to fall.
Are they smoking opium as well? Is that why they fall to the ground to be swept away into the gutter? Don't concern yourself with me, mother.
I'm still young.
I'm only enjoying myself a little.
Your father once had dreams for you, but even he has finally given up on you Quiet.
Go away.
Mm-hmm.
You annoy me.
You go Mm-hmm.
Before your father finds you here No.
And has you thrown into prison.
Did he mention such a thing? Go! You hear somebody screaming in the street in the middle of the night, you think, "I should do something," but you don't, you wait.
Maybe somebody else will intervene, but no, nobody intervenes, and somebody gets killed or hauled away never to be seen again.
And everybody thinks that's okay, because hell, nobody else intervened.
Status quo.
Now, you extrapolate that a hundred million times, and you've got an entire population keeping their windows closed.
Why are we here? I won't be long.
There's some reading material.
No other symptoms other than the headaches? Not that I've noticed.
No drowsiness, confusion, dizziness? Uh, blurred vision? Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to noise? No, just the headache.
Well, some symptoms begin immediately, others can begin at any time, days, weeks, months after the incident.
I'll let you know.
Unless you forget.
I'm going to write you a prescription for the headaches.
This is an opiate, so don't take it unless you must, and give me a call if it persists for more than five or six days.
And avoid any alcohol.
Avoid taking them together? No alcohol.
Is that going to be a problem? Shouldn't be.
When was the last time that you had a complete physical? Uh, it's been a while.
Five years.
Let's arrange for one.
This isn't even half of what I got coming to me.
This is just until Friday.
Bennie owed me over a grand in back pay.
What's your name? Shorts.
Shorts I don't know anything about any back pay, but I don't expect any of you guys to work for free.
I pay up front, which is what I'm doing right now, and I pay on time, which I'll be doing on Friday.
If Bennie owed anybody any back pay, he took that with him.
The reason I haven't been to the doctor in five years is because I don't like them.
They're all bloody doom-sayers.
Well, the voices of doom are often correct.
Then, in the middle of the night, while composing their next prediction, they get their throats cut.
Hey, Rupert, what brings you down here? Uh, research project.
Yourself? Informant got murdered the other night.
Aw, bad luck.
I'm gonna miss him.
Now I've got a really big hole to fill.
Guy's a bit of an asshole, but a good informant.
I may have someone for you.
You did the autopsy on Khalil Mustapha? No, I did not.
I want to make that very clear.
I was going to do it.
I was told to give it priority, but we were waiting for everybody to arrive.
Who's everyone? All the different investigators.
Not that there was much to see.
A bullet wound, fatal.
One wound? One.
Although he was still fully clothed.
Forensics hadn't arrived yet.
And there was no gunpowder residue? It wasn't from close range? I didn't do the test.
I was waiting.
Shot from the front or the rear? Um, the rear, that much was obvious.
I'd only just put him on the table.
We waited two, three hours, then I took my supper break.
By the time I got back, they'd released the body.
Who did? They got another pathologist while I was out.
Is that usual? It's not usual.
Nothing usual about it.
They wanted their own pick.
I put in a complaint.
Hmm.
You usually keep records of who's in attendance at an autopsy? I do.
Except not in this case, since they hadn't arrived yet.
Somebody was here waiting with the body.
Was that city homicide or RCMP? City homicide.
Grumpy Japanese guy, I forget his name.
We waited two, three hours, and eventually he suggested I might want to take my supper break early, and by the time I got back, they'd shipped the body to the crematorium.
So did anybody do an autopsy? They broke a record if they did.
I mean, I was only gone for half an hour, and there was nobody here cleaning up anywhere, no sign of another pathologist either.
Which crematorium? You'd have to call body pickup for that.
Is this part of a civil suit or something? Because I wasn't officially on the job.
No, it's, uh, an insurance claim filed by the family of the deceased.
You're in the clear.
Because I just do what I'm asked to do.
Oh, join the choir.
Just a wage slave myself.
That homicide detective lied.
He said that he left the scene as soon as the RCMP showed up.
She just told us that he was there for the autopsy that never happened, and then sent her away for lunch so that the body could be sent off to the smoker.
He omitted some detail.
A lie by another name.
Come in.
Right on time.
No one followed you? I didn't see anyone.
Good.
And you didn't mention this to Bill West? You told me not to, so I didn't.
Good.
Very good.
I'm having a glass of wine.
It's been a long day.
Would you care to join me? That sounds like a good idea.
Are you married? Yes.
Well, no.
Divorced.
Separated actually, on the road to divorce.
It's a long story, and a long road.
Thank you.
Why do you ask? Oh, just your apartment, it looks like you just moved in.
This is one of the places we use for discretionary purposes, a safe house, and I thought it appropriate for what I'd like to discuss with you.
The intrigue continues.
And yourself, you're still single.
Yes.
Don't have much time for a relationship.
No more Wolfgang? No.
No conversations whatsoever.
Bill chastised me the other day, shortly after he interrupted our lunch.
He tracked me down and issued a stern warning.
Did he? I must admit he had a point.
He didn't want me to How did he put it? He didn't want me to steal his asset.
That's me, I assume? That's you.
And under any other conditions, I'd have to agree with him.
It's not wise sharing an asset.
It can create a rivalry.
Dissonance.
Goals can diverge.
Confusion results.
Are you hungry? I've got something in the kitchen.
No, I ate, thank you.
I like Bill.
I value him, and I want him to remain an ally.
But I've got to be frank, that's my way.
Just so there's no confusion.
Please.
I've been put up for this promotion, I can't give any details, but it would put me in a position where I believe you, your reputation, your contacts within Chinese communities could be very valuable to me.
And beneficial to yourself, of course.
That sounds rather interesting.
Does it? It's a little frightening, and exciting at the same time.
I imagine it is.
It would require that you and I have absolutely no contact in public.
I need to share some information with you and you alone, and for security's sake, it would require that you no longer have any communication with Bill.
He'd ask why.
Oh, I'll sort that out in the next few days.
I think, if I might be as frank as I like to be, I believe Bill has taken a more intimate interest in you than you may be aware.
How so? I believe Bill has become obsessed with you, and we've got to nip that in the bud before he fouls up my plans for you.
Tomorrow.
You gotta find someone else to do this, like, today.
I can't keep up.
No, my guy should be there in under 30.
Make sure you come to the fuckin' door this time.
It's coming back.
Maybe, maybe not.
People move on pretty quick.
Yeah? I'm the same way if I feel like I'm being disrespected.
Hey! I'm on the phone.
How long you been with Bennie? Four years.
Four years, that's a long time.
Loyalty's a rare thing down here.
Everywhere.
The other guys, I can see they look up to you.
Thanks, coach.
We put our heads together, we can make some real money at this, but I don't need a shit disturber.
So if you got something to say, say it to me now.
It's been a fucked-up week.
Bennie was a friend of mine, too.
If anybody says otherwise, you should straighten them out.
He owed a lot of money around town, you weren't the only one.
I gotta load up.
Got people waiting.
Always a pleasure.
Make sure you warn the customers.
This shit is not like the old stuff.
They're coming back.
Do you remember a time before you began your drug regimen? Sometimes.
What did you like to do then? Play piano.
They have a piano here? Yeah.
Makes you feel good, I bet.
Mm-hm.
I've forgotten your names.
They'll come back to you.
Everything will come back.
Like a puzzle, you've got to find the pieces and patch it together.
Hmm.
You're safe with us.
Can you take half your medication? Hold it in your mouth and cut it in half later? Can you do that? You don't have to tell anyone.
I'll come back tomorrow.
I can come alone if you'd prefer.
Yes.
You think advising her to cut back on her meds was a good idea? Look, the dope she's on would drop an elephant.
And I didn't say stop, I said try cutting down some and see what happens.
It might help.
And it might not.
I've been into the nether world, and she probably senses that.
She thinks if I can find my way back to normal, maybe she can.
Whatever normal is.
Who are we to judge? Watch yourself with that.
It's not like the old shit.
Just hold on.
Hold up.
Hello.
This has gotta be the guy.
You must be the insurance men? Yes.
Let's go inside and I'll walk you through what happened.
The concourse here was empty, mostly, and the game was on.
Uh, the bases might have been loaded and here comes this young guy walking this way.
Now, he's got his backpack, so I know I'm going to stop and search.
So, uh, I stop him, "Hold up," and he's nervous, sweating, so I'm alert, and I get a hold of his pack, and right away, it's got weight, and the top flap is open, and I flip it, and all I see is wires.
Wires.
And he just freaks, pushes me, and he's got the pack and bolting back the way he came in.
Anybody else around? Well, if there was, I didn't notice, and I never heard of any other witness.
The, uh, the surveillance cams were down.
They were moving over to a new system, and having issues with installing the new software.
I'm about here, and he's just going over the fence.
So I bolt back this way.
I knew he had a device in that pack, so I made the choice to get my gun from the trunk of my car here.
I had my eyes on him His name was Mustapha.
Sorry.
You had a gun in the trunk.
We're not legally permitted to carry on the job.
I've got a permit to carry for it.
It took a lot of guts to chase him down.
I was scared shitless.
I'm no hero.
I learned that about myself that day.
Come on, this isn't a lot of fun.
I'd like to get it over with.
He ran down this alley.
I was about a hundred yards behind at this point.
I've got my weapon out.
Nobody else around, I'm looking, thinking he's in somebody's yard by now.
Suddenly the dog starts barking down here, and Mustapha looks out from this garage here, and then bolts, down along the side of the house, and I'm after him.
This is the garage where the bomb went off? A short while after I flushed him out.
This is new, they've rebuilt it.
I was about here, I'd just landed here, and I yelled at him, uh, "Stop or I'll shoot," and I fired once, a warning, and he stopped.
I was about here and he turned, and looked at me.
And started running towards me, screaming, and I fired, and he went down.
He was coming at you? I didn't know he didn't have the backpack.
I did not see that.
You reacted.
It's understandable.
He was coming for you.
And my life has been hell ever since.
All the interviews, and the police, the media chasing me down.
I just disappeared.
And the police, who were they? Uh, the city showed up, and then the RCMP.
Nobody else? Reporters.
And then about a year ago, they had an inquiry, and I had to go through it all again.
He's a lying sack of shit.
Is he? Yeah.
I'm not buying that he was coming at him.
The pathologist said the kid was hit in the back of the head.
You would have to be one hell of a sharpshooter to pull that off.
Ex-military, I think.
What's going on here? Why aren't we shooting? No director.
He's trying to get out of the movie.
He hasn't been paid.
I sent a money wire yesterday.
Where the fuck did he go? He's in his trailer.
Said he's not shooting a frame until he's paid.
This is horse shit.
We're losing our fuckin' day here.
Eric! Eric, I need you to come back to set.
We need to make our day.
Eric! Fuck Do you know what happened to the miscarriage scene? We had to cut out the miscarriage scene.
That was my best scene.
Did Mei Mei tell you to cut that scene? What about Mei Mei? She's very good in the role.
Yeah.
Very good.
His agent's got me on hold.
He's talking with the director.
It's gonna happen.
Tell him I will start directing this myself in about five minutes.
Tell him now.
I'm on hold.
Go rehearse.
It's Xishi, right? Yes.
Xishi, do you like working in Canada? Maybe you'd like to stay? Yes.
Do you like our director? Yes, very much.
Then do me a favour.
I want to put the miscarriage scene back in.
Yes.
Right, so I think what we need to do is Here ya go.
How much is here? Should be 50 grand there.
50 grand? That barely covers one day of shooting.
You're gonna get a bag like this every single day.
You can guarantee that? No.
But I'm gonna try.
So I'm going to need a couple more bricks.
People are knockin' the doors down for our shit, bro.
I can move it.
Trust me.
Wait here.
Come back here tonight, after wrap.
I'm pretty busy nights.
What's up? It's important.
We can talk here later.
I want that feeling of compression Eric, can I have a word? In private? Okay.
Um, the money is coming in.
There was a little hiccup.
I apologize sincerely.
I need you back to work.
No worries.
Put it in my trailer for me, will you? And, uh I'd like to put the miscarriage scene back in.
Okay, guys, next set-up Hello.
Hello.
You should have told me that you were going to meet with Mr.
Sproule.
It was very last-minute.
Where did you meet him? One of those new condo towers.
He gave me some specific directions Walk through the mall, pretend to window shop for a half hour, up the elevators from the underground parking, get off two floors below his, and then walk up.
Sounds exhausting.
Exciting, actually.
Was it? How so? It just got my heart beating.
Silly for an old pro like you, I guess, but new to me.
No, not silly at all.
It's important that you keep me in touch with how you feel as we go through all of this.
I'm a little conflicted.
Mr.
Sproule is asking me for one thing, and you another.
What is he asking of you? He said, "Tell Bill you can't meet with him anymore.
" How did that come up? Out of the blue? Did he give a reason? He said he thought you were becoming obsessed with me.
Really? Interesting.
In what way? In a way he thought inappropriate.
I mean, it's all right if you are.
I don't mind.
Well, of course I'm obsessed.
In fact, you're my number-one responsibility.
Take care of your assets, and your assets will take care of you.
Thank you.
Did I embarrass you? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it No, no, no.
I'm I'm glad that you did.
It's a very tricky, complicated relationship that we have to have between us.
Delicate.
I didn't know what to think of you at first.
You were a little scary.
And now? Not so much.
Don't try to make up to me.
I'm still mad at you.
Has my father been here? He left at sunrise.
What is he up to? He doesn't tell me.
I want to help my father.
I want to be of use to him, and him be proud of me.
How would you help him? I could help him make decisions.
You? One day you are going to join the army, the next day you are smoking opium and calling yourself a poet, sleeping in the street, running around with criminals, letting them take advantage of you.
How can he respect you? How can you help him? I could tell him what the people are really thinking.
What are they really thinking? That there is a lot of wealth to be made from opium, and he should not try and stop it.
Who said he would even try? That is the rumour.
He should be careful.
You are the one to be careful.
Thank you for coming to see me.
No problem.
I wanted for you and I to be able to talk directly.
Sure.
I also know you are helping to provide a big part of the financing here, and I appreciate that.
Doing what I can.
Walk with me.
I need to change.
I also know that my husband, Wing, have a good relationship with you.
I'd like to keep it that way.
I just spoke to him in Hong Kong.
He assured me he trusts you.
Good.
Good.
Because for this movie to work, we need to make sure every penny ends up on the screen and not in anybody's pocket.
Of course.
Our particular financing structure, it's vulnerable to skimming.
Skimming? It's the nature of the business.
The nature of all business, as far as I can tell.
You concerned about anybody's pocket in particular? No.
I just want to be sure we can talk openly, without any middlemen getting in the way.
Sure.
That being Tony.
When's Wing back from Hong Kong? Any day now, I hope.
In the meantime, he speaks through me.
I should tell you how important this is to me.
This movie must do well, or I will be someone else's slave forever.
Sounds like you're in a rough business.
It is.
This movie will give me my independence, if we finish it, and if it's good, and to be good, we need money.
I got it.
Well, good night, then.
Good night.
So? How does it look? This belongs in an outhouse.
Right.
What do we know? We know that we don't know much, other than it would take quite a significant operation to coordinate the cover-up.
Someone to call in the RCMP and get them involved, and then someone to steer the RCMP off the case.
Someone to prevent the autopsy and have the body cremated.
Someone to align all the testimony that there is.
And that suggests someone powerful enough to ride rank.
Someone who might be a member of our intelligence service.
We're looking at shadows on a wall.
If it is our own intelligence service behind this, whatever this is, please be cautious.
I don't have very many friends left from the old days.
You never had many in the first place.
That's the life, isn't it? I almost forgot.
Put that in your "fuck you" tank.
Just as I was running low.