INNERSPACE

JOE (VO)

Now you know what I know.

WAITER (VO)

Sir?

OUTSIDE

The waiter. Again Joe's caught mumbling.

JOE

About cholesterol...You know what

I know, you'd have the seafood.

WAITER

Ahhh. Good choice, sir.

He turns away.

AL (VO)

You're not just after

this girl, are you?

JOE

Who, me?

AL (VO) (exasperated)

Goddamn it, there are 52 hours gone!

JOE

You got a better idea, you

tell me. Other than her, there's

no one here I know.

AL (VO)

Pan the group, will you. If

you're right, at least one

of them...is involved.

JOE

That's a big if.

HE pans the group. The second woman talks to the slight, blond

man. Rene talks to the Japanese. Joe stops on the ROUGH LOOKING

MAN, who sits, silently watching them.

AL (VO)

Wait. I think I know that guy.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

AL enhances Joe's audio input and they hear snatches of

conversation... Tech-talk.

OUTSIDE

Joe's eyes keep straying to the women. They are beautiful.

They're talking about perfume in French.

AL (VO)

Shit. Pay attention!

The group goes merrily about their business of coctails and

lunch as the Waiter and Captain fuss about them.

AL (VO)

Who are they? Stay on them, will you.

How can we find out...Wait. The glasses.

JOE

What glasses.

AL (VO)

The drinks...Stay on them.

The busboy clears the drink glasses.

AL (VO)

Follow that busboy.

JOE

Are you serious?

WAITER

About what sir?

The waiter has appeared. Hovers...

JOE

The fresh tuna?..

WAITER

Yessir...very good sir.

Joe is up, following the busboy...hands the menu to the waiter.

JOE

I'll have it.

HALLWAY

He grabs the busboy, spins him, grabs the glasses, and ducks

into the men's room. The boy is terrified, then confused.

BATHROOM

Joe ducks into one of the stalls.

JOE

I feel like an idiot.

AL (VO)

Just hold them close and stay still.

Mumbling to himself, Joe sits on the toilet holding a cocktail

glass to his eye. He feels pretty silly.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

AL trains his ARGON LASER, it shows fingerprints refracted off

the glass surface.

MONITOR SCREEN - LATER - INTERPOL DATA BANK

One of the men's pictures comes up...along with a string of

aliases and his dossier. A rough character: Jan GRUNER.

AL

Well, we know one of them's

a danger.

Joe is on the phone, listening.

JOE

Will you hurry up, I'm hungry.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

AL downloads data bank info.

AL

One of these guys is on file.

OUTSIDE

Another patron enters, looks at Joe, at the glass. Joe puts it

down. It's one of Rene's party; GRUNER.

JOE

Which one?

AL (VO)

The blond...GRUNER. A killer.

JOE

Killer!

GRUNER (threatening)

What?

JOE

That Rene...lovely girl...a killer!

GRUNER

I noticed you staring.

JOE

Couldn't help it. No offense.

She's not your wife is she...?

GRUNER seems to lose interest...He turns away.

GRUNER

Enjoy your lunch.

LANAI

Joe reenters. Rene and the others look up at him.

JOE (mumbles)

I'm out of my league.

AL (VO)

Just don't show fear.

JOE

I don't know what's going on.

AL (VO)

It lends you an air of mystery.

As he walks by their table, Rene speaks to him.

RENE

Thought we lost you.

The older man turns around - DIETER - he's friendly.

DIETER

Who is your friend?

RENE

We met on the beach.

DIETER

Join us.

JOE

I don't want to intrude.

DIETER

We insist.

Seated, he feels all eyes on him; an object of study.

JOE

Al Viola.

DIETER

That name's familiar.

JOE

It is to me too.

DIETER

You remind me of someone. You

from the west coast?

AL (VO)

He recognises you, throw him off.

JOE

My coast is Maine, actually. We

have a place in Bar Harbor...And

a bar in Sutton Place.

AL (VO)

Don't get too cute.

DIETER

And what do you do?

AL (VO)

Let's make 'em nervous.

Tell them you're

CIA, see what they do.

JOE

...Foreign service.

DIETER

And how do you service foreigners.

JOE

Well...I try to give them whatever

they want.

RYUJI

Must be a fulfilling occupation.

JOE

It keeps me busy. Everybody always

wants something.

DIETER

What brings you here?

JOE

I came for a rest. As, I imagine,

you did. To get away with it all.

RENE

You mean from it.

JOE

Yes, of course.

The Japanese has an air of expectancy...as if he is waiting for

someone, but he doesn't know whom....

AL (VO)

Could be him. Look at that watch.

Joe looks. The man wears a high tech-programmable wrist watch.

JOE

Look at that watch...

Ryuji is pleased, quietly proud of his nation's accomplishments.

RYUJI

CMOS chips. The latest thing.

Ryuji Obe. Pleasure to meet you.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

AL runs RYUJI's responses through a Voice Stress Analyzer...

RYUJI is hiding quite a lot,

AL (VO)

High Tech Japanese. Highly Suspect.

OUTSIDE

Dieter turns from Gruner to introduce him.

DIETER

And...you know Jan Gruner?

JOE

I think I've heard of you.

RYUJI (laughs)

Unsavory reputation. Tech dealer.

GRUNER (no sense of humor))

I break no laws.

RENE

His country has no laws

against dealing in

strategic technology.

GRUNER

I provide service to my customers.

AL (VO)

At least he's telling the truth.

Joe turns to Rene.

JOE

And you?

RENE

I just work for the travel firm.

AL (VO)

She's hard to read, but she's

hiding something too.

Joe's gaze wanders.

GRUNER

And you, there are many places

to get away. Why here?

JOE

A little voice in my head.

AL (VO)

Joe, be careful!

JOE

...I've lost something. I must

get it back.

RYUJI

What could you find in this place?

JOE

...Piece of mind.

Gruner's had enough. He gets up abruptly...leaves...

GRUNER

You may you find all the

solitude you want.

JOE

Thanks, I appreciate that.

Then, abruptly, it's over. Gruner, Ryuji get up.

RYUJI

We have some work..

Please excuse us.

He takes the other woman, they depart. Rene smiles at Joe. He

grabs his check from the waiter and signs it.

Rene has wandered over to the far end of the Veranda. Alone. Joe

looks at her in the moonlight, slowly makes his way over to her.

AL (VO)

They're all in it.

JOE

How do you know?

AL (VO)

Voice stress analyzer.

JOE

Your data must be bad. Everyone

can't be lying all the time.

Al

Where have you been?

JOE

Even Rene?

AL (VO)

She's the toughest to read.

JOE

Maybe she's telling the truth.

AL (VO)

Can't tell. Every time I try her,

you look away. Or you make noises.

Maybe you don't want to know.

JOE

Come on...look at her. Don't you

know anything about women?...

The data is skewed. We might as

well go with instinct...

They come up to her, lovely in the moonlight.

AL (VO)

I know what your instinct is.

She turns, she is smiling for him.

RENE

You again.

JOE

Me still. They left you alone?

RENE

I waited for you.

JOE

Why?

RENE

...I...don't know.

AL (VO)

You believe that, I've got a bridge

in Brooklyn for you.

This breaks the mood, Joe starts to get pissed.

JOE (to Rene)

Well...make something up.

RENE

I guess it's a combination you

don't often see. Apparent attraction..

JOE

It's not apparent.

RENE

...and sort of...disinterest.

JOE

Disinterest?

RENE

As if your mind's not all there.

JOE

I am sort of scattered.

RENE

Can I help?

JOE

You are.

RENE

Are you alright?

AL (VO)

Yeah, are you? You're

talking nonsense.