The One Who Let Him Get Away
Traditional James Bond gunshot opening.
Setting: almost Christmas in a small flat or studio apartment, one with no walls between the “front room” “kitchen” and “bedroom.” A TV is playing An Affair to Remember, one of the scenes that mention pink champagne. A short, stocky brunette comes out of the bathroom in sweats and a bathrobe. She goes to the TV and picks up the remote.
Angel: This movie always makes me cry. (She shuts off the TV and we hear a gun safety click.)
Voice: Don’t move. (Angel puts up her hands and the person with the gun turns on the table lamp. It’s James.)
Bond: I was sent here to pick up some information.
Angel: I was told to expect you. (She looks him over and tilts her head.) What they DIDN’T say is what I could expect in return.
(Bond looks her over. We can see he’s thinking ‘not my usual type, but I have a job to do.’ He makes his decision: holsters the gun, walks over to her, picks her up, and starts kissing her on the bed. At first she kisses back, then remembering the look that crossed his face decides to let him off the hook.)
Angel: Your wife is a lucky woman.
Bond: (moving away) I’m not married.
Angel: (seeing she hit a nerve) I was referring to your country. The files are in the top drawer of the filing cabinet.
(James is all business now. He stalks to the cabinet, gets the files, looks through them. Angel watches this and then sighs dramatically.)
Angel: If I die now for giving you those, will you say something pretty over my grave?
(James smiles. He’s on familiar ground: another female with a crush on him.)
Bond: (taking her hand) That’s a bit morbid, but I promise. (Kisses her hand. She smiles, adjusts the pillow and turns over.)
Angel: Turn the light out as you leave, would you?
(We see the time on the alarm clock beside the bed. Black screen for a couple of beats. Then we hear a door being kicked in. The clock shows it’s a couple of hours later. By the time Angel can turn on the lamp by the bed six men are trashing her apartment. The first one through the door has a gun pointed at her. When the other five signal that they didn’t find what they were looking for the one with the gun pulls her hair and puts the gun right up to her temple.)
Man: Where are the files?
Angel: (knowing what is about to happen, closes her eyes and smiles) Bond has them.
Black screen and the sound of a gunshot.
Setting: a small graveyard I springtime. We are at the stone with Angel’s name on it. Bond walks over with a flower, a small picnic blanket, a glass, and a bottle of pink champagne.
Bond: (places flower on grave) I’m here to keep that promise. (sets down blanket) Thought you might like the picnic idea, (smiles) and I don’t usually drink champagne. (Camera starts to pan back) The least I could do is tell you about how the files you gave me helped my mission…
Traditional flavor of the month theme song.
Bond: (voiceover) The day after our visit I took the files to my boss…
(James walks into M’s outer office)
Moneypenny: Hello, James. I see you have the files. How was she… to deal with?
Bond: Angel is a regular domestic kitten. (walks over and sits on the edge of her desk) I much prefer a hard working lioness, like yourself.
Moneypenny: (pretending to be shocked) Don’t tell me someone turned you down!
Bond: (pretending to be offended) On the contrary, I just couldn’t bring myself to take the girl’s innocence.
Moneypenny: (smiles) The secret is safe with me, James.
M: (steps out of inner office, sees James) There you are 007. (gestures for him to follow her inside. They enter and sit down) I have unfortunate news. Angel is dead.
Bond: Bloody hell. What a waste of an innocent soul.
M: She was a valuable resource and her mum was a business associate of mine. I share your loss. What did you learn from the files?
Setting: the graveyard again
Bond: So, that’s what happened. (raises glass) To you, Angel. (finishes what is in glass and begins picking up things) You wanted to know if I would say “something pretty.” (pauses, smiles, chuckles) I’ll certainly remember you (as if to say ‘not for the usual reasons,’ walks away).
Bookmarks
Share
Print
Save
