(Washington, D.C. street. Amanda's brown and white station wagon is driving casually to work. Like any normal workday, she turns the corner and pulls into the Agency parking lot. She pauses at the booth, where Scotty is holding his post. Amanda smiles pleasantly and holds up her ID.)
Amanda: Good morning, Scotty.
Scotty: Hi, Mrs. King. (Amanda drives on past and straight toward her regular parking space beside Lee's Porsche.* We can hear Scotty in the background talking to someone leaving.) Ticket, please? . . . Uh, that's two-fifty.
(Amanda pulls to a stop in the space. Just then, a white car speeds into the parking lot without slowing down, flying over the speedbump and narrowly missing Scotty, who has to flatten himself against his booth to avoid being flattened against the pavement. The maniacal motorist pays no attention to him and goes right on to turn. He miscalculates, however, and sideswipes Amanda's car as she is climbing out, crashing her light. Amanda shouts in suprise. The strange car screeches to a halt. Scotty takes a few steps to get a better look, then runs back to his booth to get something. Amanda yells at Raul, the nervous man who was the driver of the white car. He is getting out of his vehicle.)
Amanda: Oh, my God! Oh, my -- Gosh, would you look at what you've done to my car! You've broken the light, you've smashed it!
Raul: It doesn't look that bad.
(As he says this, the rear bumper falls to the ground and the broken light crashes onto the fender. Amanda throws up her hands.)
Amanda: It's falling apart!
Raul: Look, lady, I'm kind of in a hurry here.
Amanda: I can tell you're in a hurry by the way that you're driving.
Raul: Look, I don't have time to argue!
(While they are shouting, Scotty is crouched in his booth, holding a video camera. he checks it, then runs out and begins filming. While Amanda seeks justice, Raul, in a rush, takes out his wallet.)
Amanda: I don't want to argue with you, I want to point out to you what you have done to my car.
(Just then, a dark green car with two suspicious-looking men inside slowly pulls up. They pass the booth and stop, watching the unfolding drama before them. One of them, a mean, bushy-haired man, speaks.)
Levick: There's Raul.
(Meanwhile, the yelling continues, mostly coming from Amanda.)
Amanda: I have a perfectly spotless driving record --
Raul: Look, just tell me how much it costs, I'll pay you now. Cash?
Amanda: How am I supposed to know how much it --
Raul: Tell me how much it costs, I'll pay you right now. Cash, money, check?
Amanda: I don't know how much it -- I don't know what it's going to cost. My car --
Raul: Look, lady, I'm kind of in a hurry.
(He catches a glimpse of the men watching them. He tucks away his wallet and runs back to his car. Amanda is still shouting at him.)
Amanda: How am I supposed to know that? I need your insurance number! (Raul starts up his car. Amanda jumps out of the way, but still yells.) Sir? Oh, sir, please don't do this to me! I need your insurance number! Please don't do this to me!
(As she yells, Raul backs out of the space, hitting her already totaled rear fender. Seeing that he is leaving, the two men in the green car start their car, going after Raul. The car chase continues. Through his camera, Scotty gets one clear shot of Levick's face. Scotty runs after them and keeps filming. In the car, Levick spots him.)
Levick: There's a kid back there with a bloody camera.
(The other man, who has a dark mustache, pays no attention and keys in on Raul. Stuck with no escape, Raul crashes through the toll gate by Scotty's booth that goes up and down. The green car follows and the chase disappears down the street. When they're gone, Scotty lowers his camera and runs over to a dejected Amanda.)
Scotty: Are you all right, Mrs. King?
Amanda: Oh, I'm all right, Scotty, but would you look at what that man did to my car? (She holds up her shattered light.) He hit it twice and I didn't get his name or his license number, I don't know what I'm going to tell my insurance company.
Scotty: You don't have to tell them anything. I got it all right here on film. (Amanda looks up. Her eyes widen.) Well, not the first hit, but the second one.
Amanda: You mean while that man was hitting my car, you were filming it?
Scotty: Well, I would've stopped him if I could've. But it happened so fast. I figured the least I could do was preserve the moment on film. You see, Mrs. King, I'm a filmmaker. I mean, I do work here at the lot, but that's just so I can eat and stuff. It's not my life. (He holds up the camera.) This is my life.
Amanda: Are you telling me that on this film, you've got the license number of the car that hit my car?
(Scotty grins.)
Scotty: Are you kidding? (Amanda sighs gratefully.) He was moving pretty good, but I kept him in focus the whole time.
Amanda: Oh, that's wonderful.
Scotty: I'll just shoot the rest of this cassette. I'll have it developed. It's all --
Amanda: Oh, no, you know, I think I'm going to need that cassette now, I'll probably need to give it to my insurance manager --
Scotty: But there's all this action stuff on this cassette. I mean, I'd hate to have anything happen to it. It's going to look great with the other stuff I have on you.
Amanda: Other stuff you have on me? Scotty: Uh-huh. Well, I guess it's all right to tell you now. It's ninety-five percent in the can. It's a documentary I've been shooting. You're in it. And so is Mr. Stetson. And Mr. Melrose, and Francine, and Fred Fielder, and -- Gosh, don't get me started. You see, I love the cinema so much, I could probably talk you right into the ground.
Amanda: Well, I'd like to hear about it, Scotty, in fact, I think I probably should.
Scotty: Okay.

(Inside IFF, Mrs. Marsden is going over some papers at her desk. Someone knocks on the door. She casually slides open the door and presses the little buzzer inside. The door opens and Amanda walks in. She walks right by Mrs. Marsden.)
Amanda: Good morning, Mrs. Marsden.
Mrs. Marsden: Good morning. (Amanda walks over to the closet/elevator and has her hand on the doorknob, when:) Mrs. King.
(Amanda stops. She sighs and turns around.)
Amanda: I'm sorry, Mrs. Marsden, I'm afraid I've forgotten it again. You see, I'm a little rattled. Someone just hit my car twice in the parking lot and drove away. You know how a thing like that can make your mind a total blank. (Silence.) Uh, Mr. Stetson just gave me the new password yesterday, so maybe you can call him.
Mrs. Marsden: That is not the procedure, Mrs. King.
Amanda: No, it isn't. Um . . . oh! (She starts hunting through her purse.) Well, you know, I think I have it written down. Oh, I know that isn't procedure, either, so please don't tell anyone. (She takes out her wallet and rifles through that.) I put it in a place where no one would find it if I were to lose my wallet, but that I would be sure to be able to find it if I needed it, but if my wallet were to fall into the wrong hands, it wouldn't -- You see, it's right there on the back of my checkbook. (She clears her throat.) "Backlash." (Unamused, Mrs. Marsden opens a drawer to get out Amanda's pass. Amanda puts away her wallet and smiles.) You know, the way, you keep changing this password so often, I bet this happens all the time.
(Mrs. Marsden holds up Amanda's pass.)
Mrs. Marsden: Here you are, Mrs. King.
Amanda: Or not. (She takes her pass.) Thank you, Mrs. Marsden.
(She opens the door of the closet and steps inside. As the elevator doors close, she smiles to Mrs. Marsden.)

(Intelligence office. Lee comes through the door, a concerned look on his face. He walks over to Francine.)
Lee: Francine. I was just up to Crypto for a few minutes. Did Raul check in while I was gone?
Francine: No, sorry.
(She goes back to making notes on a file.)
Lee: I don't understand what could be keeping -- Never mind. (He turns to walk away and almost runs into Billy, who is hunched over a folder.) Oh, Billy, Raul is late.
Billy: What do you mean, "late"? Do you mean caught-in-traffic late or time-to-worry late?
Lee: Well, he was due in from Rio station this morning. With the Malvrin report. That's pretty hot stuff, you know.
Billy: Couriers are accustomed to carrying hot stuff. It's all part of the job.
(He takes the folder from Francine and goes over, adding his own notes.)
Lee: Yeah, I know, but I'm feeling kind of strange about this one. A lot of people would like to get their hands on that material.
Billy: Scarecrow, do yourself a favor. If you're going to get people jobs, don't feel responsible for them. (With her usual timing, Amanda opens the door and peers in.) Hello, Amanda!
(Amanda smiles hello and walks over to them.)
Francine: Raul's doing just great. He's making good money, he's got a chance to travel.
Lee: I --
Billy (to Amanda): Something I can do for you?
Amanda: Uh, yes, sir, my expense vouchers, but the most unbelievable thing just happened to me, sir. I pulled into the parking lot --
Lee: Amanda, Amanda, please. Could this wait? We're very busy here.
Amanda: No! You see, a man hit my car, not once, but twice, and then he drove away. I didn't get his name or his license number or his insurance company -- Oh, and I really hate what he did to my car, but it was probably a very good thing.
Francine: Is that supposed to make sense?
Amanda: Yes, because, you see, if it hadn't been for the accident, I wouldn't have known about the documentary. And if I didn't know about the documentary, then you wouldn't know about it. And the minute that I found out about it, I knew that you would want to know about it because, I mean, he's been doing it for -- for weeks and he said it's ninety-five percent in the can and . . . you don't know about it.
(Billy and Francine exchange glances. Lee just stares. As if to excuse her, Billy speaks up.)
Billy: She's just been in a car accident.
Amanda: I'm sorry, sir. If you'll give me just a moment, I'll . . . I'll collect my thoughts.
Francine: Oh, great, well, why don't we all meet back here, say, a week from next Tuesday?
(Amanda glares, then looks down at the floor. The three agents go back to what they were doing, turning their backs on Amanda. To get their attention, Amanda speaks loudly.)
Amanda: I think the first thing we should do is develop the film. (They stop talking.) I mean, uh, the movies.
Lee: Movies?
Amanda: Yes, the ones Scotty took of the accident.
Lee: What -- ?
Billy: Our Scotty, from the parking lot?
Amanda: Yes! . . . sir. He has been filming people coming and going.
Lee: All right, hold, hold. Are you saying that Scotty in the lot where we park has been taking movies of . . . everyone who enters and leaves this building?
Amanda: Yes.
Lee: And we don't know about it?
Amanda: That's right. He's doing a documentary. The point is to catch you offguard. Now, the minute I heard about it, I knew you would want to know. (She reaches into her pocket and takes out a tape cassette. She hands it to Billy. He stares at it.) Now, I got this cassette from him. The only thing that I need from it is just, uh, the license number of the car that hit my car, if you don't mind, sir.
Billy: How long has he been doing this?
Amanda: Oh, for weeks, for weeks, and, uh, he spent a fortune on film and I did tell him that I would give him another cassette for that one.
Billy: I'm going to get this developed right away.
(He walks away.)
Amanda: Yes, sir, I hope it comes out! (to Lee and Francine:) Gee, you know, I have such terrible, terrible luck with my home movies.
Francine: Well, this took your mind off Raul for a minute.
(She walks away. Amanda looks to Lee.)
Amanda: Who's Raul?
Lee: The question is, where's Raul?
(He walks away. Amanda is left standing all by herself, confused.)

(A dark, Washington alley. Raul, still being followed, speeds in and screeches to a stop. He gets out with a briefcase and starts to run, but before he can, the green car follows him in. The door opens and the man with the mustache points a gun out.)
Man: Hold it! (Raul frantically looks for a place to run. He sees none. Both men, pointing pistols, slowly approach Raul. Raul puts his hands up.) All right, give me the documents. Pass them over.
(He takes the briefcase from Raul's hand and hands it to his partner.)
Raul: It's okay.
(The man grabs Raul's jacket and pulls him over to their car.)
Man: Let's go. Come on. Here we go, here we go.
Raul: It's okay, it's okay.

(Back at IFF, Lee, Amanda, Billy, and Francine are watching Scotty's film up on the projector screen. As they watch, Francine climbs out of her car and shuts the door on her fingernail. Cursing silently, she shakes her hand up and down. In the room, Billy laughs. Francine covers her face with her hands, embarrassed. Amanda sympathizes.)
Amanda: I know the feeling.
(They keep watching. In the movie, Francine regains her dignity, smooths her hair in the side mirror, and saunters away.)
Francine: It's funny, I never knew that coat made me look so --
Amanda: Big. (Everyone stares at her.) Oh, it doesn't.
(Everyone turns their attention back to the screen. Now we see Billy getting out of his car. He is apparently late for something, trying to juggle a briefcase at the same as putting something into his pocket. In reality, Billy clears his throat. In the film, he drops some food onto the ground and stares at it.)
Billy (in reality): Oh, boy. (He looks up and glances around, then casually kicks it underneath his car. In reality, Lee turns to Billy.) Well, I didn't have a chance to, I mean, I was late for a staff meeting.
(Everyone chuckles, but the chuckles stop at the next shot of Amanda and Raul arguing over the accident.)
Lee: Oh, wait, that's Raul.
Amanda: You know him?
Lee: Yeah, he's an Agency courier, he's the man I've been waiting for. (They watch as Raul runs into his car and drives away, the other car following him. The film pauses on Leivck's face.) Oh, there's a face you'll never forget. (He turns off the machine.) Circulate him for an ID, huh?
(He starts to take out the cassette.)
Billy: I'll get blowups from both of them. Francine, you run a make on the plate.
Amanda: Oh, good, I couldn't see the numbers. (Billy and Francine leave the room with their assignments. Lee turns on the light and puts his jacket on.) Well, since Raul works with the Agency, it should be easier for me to get the station wagon fixed.
Lee: Will you stop worrying about that car?
Amanda: I'm sorry, it's the only way I have to get around.
Lee: I know it. Look, I want to talk to Scotty about this film. He's been shooting these pictures for weeks now, why didn't you tell me?
(Amanda stands up and slings her purse over her shoulder.)
Amanda: I told you as soon I found out. He wanted it to be revealing.
Lee: Oh, it's revealing. It's too damn revealing. Let's go.
(He holds open the door for her. She walks out, followed by Lee. He shuts the door behind them.)

(Across the street from the Agency, the green car pulls up. The men look out the window and watch Scotty in the parking lot. Levick, now driving, speaks.)
Levick: We've got the Malvrin report, we've got Raul. I say kill him and get on with business.
(In the lot, a car honks and Scotty runs over to see what the trouble is. In the green car, the mustached man talks, reaching into his jacket pocket.)
Man: We need that film. We can't turn in Raul until we get it. Let me handle it.
Levick: What if the kid recognizes us?
Man: Then we'll handle it a different way.
Levick: Yeah.
(He grabs a hat to cover his bushy hair. They both get out of the car and take a little stroll across the street. Meanwhile, Scotty pulls up in a car and parks it. He gets out. The two men approach him. The mustached man gets his attention.)
Man: Excuse us!
Scotty: Hi. May I help you?
Man: Insurance inspectors. We're following up on the accident.
Scotty: Mrs. King's?
Man: Y-- yes, Mrs. King's.
Scotty: Boy, you guys work really fast. It's right over here. (He leads them to her car.) I saw the whole thing, you know, if you, uh, need a witness. She was parked right here and this guy came in and hit her. Look at this damage.
Man (to Levick): Check the glove compartment. (Levick obeys as his partner inspects the damage at the back.)
Scotty: Why do you need to check the glove compartment? The damage was back here.
Man: Just want to make sure everything is in order.
Scotty: Everything is in order. No one's been near the car since Mrs. King left it. (Levick straightens up, holding a folded piece of paper.) Why do you need the registration?
Man: Standard procedure. You want Mrs. King to have everything she's got coming to her, don't you?
Scotty: Oh, yeah, sure. Mrs. King is a real nice lady.
Man: Yes, she's very nice. She said you have a film of the accident. She wants you to give it to us for evidence.
Scotty: If you are who you say you are and you've spoken with Mrs. King, you'd already know that I've given her the film.
(The man's smile vanishes. Levick walks briskly up to Scotty. Suddenly, Scotty recognizes them.)
Scotty: You're the two guys who chased that other guy!
(He's tackled and punched in the stomach. Levick covers Scotty's mouth. He's dragged over to the car that he was driving at the beginning of the scene. The man reaches into the driver's side and removes the keys. Motioning to Levick, he walks around to the trunk and opens it. Together, they stuff Scotty inside with a handkerchief tied around his mouth, then they shut the door.)
Levick: What do you think?
Man: This Mrs. King has to come back for her car, so we'll just wait for her.
(Levick nods. They walk out of sight.)

(Later, Amanda and Lee are walking to the parking lot, talking.)
Amanda: I know you're upset, but you'll feel much better once you've talked to Scotty.
Lee: I will feel better when I have every bit of film that he is taken.
Amanda: Oh, come on, look, Lee, it wasn't as if he was going to open it up with a big premiere or something. I mean, he was only making the documentary for you.
(They stop walking.)
Lee: For me?
Amanda: Yes, he believes International FilmFed** is a real company.
Lee: It's just our cover, Amanda. Look, twice a year, we grind out a couple of documentaries on the -- the romance of earthworms, and that's it.
Amanda: I know it's just a cover, but people are supposed to believe that the cover is real, aren't they? (Lee sighs and starts walking again. Amanda keeps up.) Scotty believes that IFF is a real film company and he wants to talk to you about a job.
Lee: Great.
Amanda: Oh, well, come on, you do make a couple of movies. I mean, you made the one about tractors, and then you made the one about crop rotation --
Lee: Amanda.
Amanda: -- and that was really pretty, it was.
(They stop walking again.)
Lee: I know, but that is just to protect our cover. Now, look. We have got couriers, technicians, double agents, people who are known within the intelligence community. If they can be connected with IFF, our cover is blown. Now, a lot of people are in jeopardy. Now, don't you see that?
Amanda: Of course I see that, why do you think I gave you the cassette? Look, you'll talk to Scotty, he'll understand, everything will be all right. You'll know what to say. He's a very nice boy and he takes very nice movies and he's talented and -- Well, you saw his movies, they're clear and they're sharp and they're in focus and that might seem basic to you, (Lee rolls his eyes and resumes walking. Amanda runs to catch up.) but if you've taken as many out-of-focus pictures as I have --

(Across the street, Levick takes off his hat in frustration.)
Levick: Who the hell is she with?
Man: I don't know.

(In the parking lot, Amanda leads Lee to a spot, looking for Scotty. Not finding him, she folds her arms and sighs.)
Amanda: Scotty wouldn't just leave.
Lee: Yeah? Well, where is he? Huh?
Amanda: I don't know.
(They walk off, still searching.)

(In the green car, the two men watch.)
Levick: She's gonna find the kid.
Man: So she finds him.
Levick: Well, I say we make our move now.
Man: We're not looking for trouble, Levick, we're looking for a film. If she has it now, she'll have it later.

(In the lot, Lee and Amanda hear thumping and muffled screaming coming from the trunk holding Scotty. They rush over. Amanda knocks. The noises get louder. Lee and Amanda look at each other and nod.)
Amanda: Somebody's in there.
Lee: Yeah. Hold on, we'll get you out! (He shuffles through his set of lock picks, chooses one, and tucks the rest back into his pocket.) Here, this one should do it.
(Lee kneels down and gets to work on the lock. After a couple seconds, it springs open.)
Amanda: There you go. (She opens it and gasps. She and Lee help him out.) Scotty! Oh, my gosh, what have they done to you?
(They stand Scotty up. Amanda unties the gag and uses it to dab at his bruise while Scotty tries to explain.)
Scotty: Two guys . . . after my film. They, they, uh, came on like insurance adjustors. I pegged them for phonies from the start. Whew, what an experience! I wish I had gotten it on film.
(Amanda begins mothering his face again.)
Amanda: Oh, look what they did to your poor cheek.
Scotty: Ow, it's nothing, it's nothing!
(Amanda backs up.)
Lee: Can you describe them?
Scotty: Sure, right down to their wing-tipped Oxfords. I've got an eye for details. I'm like a camera.
Lee: Yeah, yeah.
Scotty: It's the same guys who chased the guy who hit Mrs. King. (Amanda's and Lee's jaws drop. They exchange glances. Car horns honk. Scotty jumps up.) Oh, I gotta go move some cars.
(He runs back to his post, leaving Lee and Amanda standing there. Frustrated, Lee slams the trunk closed. Amanda thinks out loud.)
Amanda: The same guys who chased your friend Raul. Now, why do you suppose they came back?
Lee: After the film, obviously. I mean, this guy has got the two of them in living black-and-white. . . . That just might save his life.
Amanda: Whose life?
Lee: We're talking about Raul, Raul's life, remember?
(Amanda shakes her head.)
Amanda: I don't understand.
Lee: Amanda, they must have caught Raul. If they hadn't, he would have have phoned in, right?
Amanda: Right.
Lee: I just hope they don't try to dispose of him before they get their hands on that film. I mean, that super-eight is like a signed confession.
Amanda: And you have the film.
Lee: They don't know that.
Amanda: Do you think Scotty told them that I have it?
(Lee looks up in the direction Scotty ran.)
Lee: We'd better find out.
(He takes her arm and leads her to Scotty.)

(Across the street, Levick starts the car and drives away.)

(Later, at a sidewalk cafe, Lee and Amanda are treating Scotty to lunch to try to find out more information on what happened.)
Scotty: Whew, what a day. First the accident, and then those two goons after my film. Well, I guess I shouldn't complain. It's the first time anyone's been interested in anything I've shot.
Lee: Yeah, well, about those two goons --
Scotty: Oh, yeah, I knew they were phonies when they took Mrs. King's registration from her wagon.
Amanda: They took my registration? (Scotty nods. Amanda turns to Lee.) They took my registration.
(Lee pats her on the arm.)
Lee: I know.
Scotty: Why would they want my film? I mean . . . I feel like I'm a character in a Truffaut movie.
Lee: Except that they never asked that question in a Truffaut film. In Bergman's, that's all they ever do. Why do we live, why do we die, why --
Amanda: Why did they take my registration?
Scotty: Mr. Stetson, I think I know what you do at IFF.
Lee: You do?
Scotty: You're a director, aren't you?
(Lee grins with relief.)
Lee: Ah. Well, it shows. Well, uh, Bunuel told me that after so many years, a man should expect to look like what he is.
Scotty: Louis Bunuel? The -- The Andalusian Dog?
Lee: Well, I prefer Tristana. It was his preference, too.
Amanda: I should call home.
Lee: You know, Louis knew so much about the tricks of the medium. But I've always declined awards of any kind. But then he told me one day, "Awards are for the people who give them." And you know, he's right? I mean, you accept the award and after a few moments, it's barely a memory.
Scotty: Wow!
Lee: Yeah, well, enough about me. I understand you're working on a film of your own. Tell me about it.
Amanda: They have my registration.
Scotty: It's called "Parkers." It's a study in the character quirks, uh, the personality quirks of people parking their cars. It's non-intrusive. It's rough enough to have that "now doc" look.
Lee: Mm.
Scotty: I started with Mrs. Marsden. She's the Precise Parker. She's always in the center of her space, the doors locked, she never varies. I've got some great stuff on you, Mr. Stetson. You do some things with your car I bet you'd never notice.
(Lee chuckles.)
Lee: Well, I can't wait to see it. (He calls the waiter over.) Waiter! Uh, just give me some coffee, please. (The waiter nods and leaves. Lee looks to his two companions.) I'll be back in a moment, all right?
(He gets up and walks away. Excited, Scotty leans over to Amanda.)
Scotty: He's going to look at my film!
Amanda: Would you like to order something? Something little.
Scotty: Yeah.
(Meanwhile, Lee finds a pay phone and picks up the receiver. He deposits a coin and dials a number. The phone on the other end rings, then it's picked up.)
Billy: Melrose here.
Lee: Yeah, Billy. This is Scarecrow. Everybody in place?

(In Billy's office, Billy is sitting in his desk chair, taking a folder from a secretary.)
Billy: Since when do you double-check on me?
Lee: Billy, those two guys got Amanda's registration.
Billy: The house is surrounded, okay? Nobody's going to get hurt.
Lee: Yeah. What about Raul?
Billy: Oh, nothing on him yet. But we did get something off that film.
Lee: License plate?
Billy: Yeah. Rented car. They used a phony ID.
Lee: Great.
Billy: Well, it's not so great, but it's not so bad. We have an APB out on it.
Lee: Look, you get any make on those two guys that were in the car?
Billy: Positive on one of them. Jan Levick, information broker. How he knew about the Malvrin report, I'll never know. But you can bet it'll hit the open market if we don't stop him.

(In the cafe at the pay phone.)
Lee: Okay, Billy, thanks. I'll get back to you.
Billy: Right.
Lee: All right. Bye.
(He hangs up and walks back to Amanda and Scotty, passing two men who have their backs turned. They turn around and watch him. They are Levick and his friend, who is munching something.)
Levick: We've got to make a move.
Man: What move? She's never alone.
Levick: Then we take the best shot we can.

(At the table, Lee sits down. Scotty looks up from his food.)
Scotty: I'm really to nervous to eat.
Amanda: Well, you've been through a terrible experience and I think it would probably be better if we all just went home.
Scotty: Oh, it's not that. It's being here with a director like Mr. Stetson. (Amanda removes her hand from Lee's arm. Her smile fades. Lee chuckles, somewhat embarrassed.) I've got to go wash up. Excuse me.
(He stands up and leaves the table.)

(Levick nods to his partner.)
Levick: I'll get the kid, you get the car.
Man: Right.
(They split up, Levick going after Scotty and the other man in the opposite direction.)

(At the table, Amanda is watching Scotty go. She turns to Lee as soon as Scotty is out of hearing range.)
Amanda: Look, Lee, I know that film is very important to you and you are playing a wonderful director, but Phillip and Jamie and my mother are home and those men have my registration with my address on it. I --
Lee: Amanda. (She stops. Lee faces her.) Your home is surrounded.
Amanda: My home is surrounded?
Lee: Mm-hmm.
Amanda: Who is surrounding it?
Lee: The good guys, that's the first phone call I made.
(Amanda smiles.)
Amanda: It was?
Lee: Yes. So relax, huh? Billy's got an APB out on the car and you really didn't want this salad, did you?
(He helps himself to it.)
Amanda: No, I -- I don't like salad.
Lee: I didn't think so.
(He picks up the fork and digs in. Amanda sighs with relief.)
Amanda: I feel better now.
Lee: Good. (He starts to take a bite, then happens to look up in time to see Scotty being forced into the dark green car by Levick. He drops the fork, grabs Amanda's arm, and jumps up.) You're safe right here, stay right where you are!
(He runs after the men, leaving Amanda watching with an open jaw. Amanda sees his car keys on the table and picks them up.)
Amanda: Oh! Oh, Lee! Lee!
(Lee runs out into the street just as the car pulls away. He stares after it as Amanda runs out of the cafe and to Lee's Porsche parked a few feet behind Lee. She tosses her stuff in, climbs inside, and starts the ignition. She clumsily drives to Lee, stopping and starting and honking over and over again. Lee grabs at the car before it passes him. Amanda stops and Lee climbs in beside her.)
Lee: Get 'em, Amanda, they're getting away! (Amanda tries, but the car won't do anything except for honk.) Whoa, whoa, what are you doing? You're stripping the gears! (After a few moments of struggling with the car, it stops. Amanda sighs.) Just forget it, just forget it. You lost them.
Amanda: I'm sorry. I don't know how to drive a stickshift.
Lee: No kidding. I told you to stay where you were.
Amanda: Well, you left your car keys. Did you expect to be able to catch them on foot?
Lee: No. (He catches his breath.) I love it. We've got an APB out and these guys are driving like they're invisible. And now they've got Scotty!
Amanda: Scotty? Why have they got Scotty?
Lee: To get to you. They figure you have the film and Scotty's a bargaining chip. (He sighs in frustration.) Now, not only do we have to worry about keeping Raul alive, we've got to worry about Scotty, too.
(Amanda sighs and shakes her head. They look at each other.)
Amanda: Oh, my gosh.
(They look away and sigh in unison.)

(That night, Amanda's house. In the living room, Dotty is reading Amanda's insurance policy. Amanda is nervously staring out the window, barely listening.)
Dotty: Have you ever read one of these policies? It is a whole new experience. You would think that an uninsured driver is a driver that is uninsured, but not when you're talking insurance. I mean, there's three pages of explanation in here. Amanda? (Amanda jumps, startled, and turns to face her mother.) What are you looking for?
Amanda: Oh, I was -- nothing, Mother, I was listening to you.
Dotty: Honey, don't let this accident upset you, it wasn't your fault!
(Amanda nods.)
Amanda: Right.
(She hears a car outside. Her head jerks toward the window. Dotty's tone lowers, concerned.)
Dotty: It's more than the car, isn't it? (Amanda chuckles nervously and shakes her head.) Do you think there's somebody out there?
Amanda (laughing): Oh, no, Mother, come on, there's nobody out there.
Dotty: There's something very unsettling about this evening.
(Amanda bends over to comfort Dotty.)
Amanda: Mother, everything is just fine. . . . I'm going to check the kitchen and lock the back door and you lock the upstairs windows, okay?
(Dotty nods. Amanda straightens and walks to the kitchen. Dotty turns around.)
Dotty: Then you -- you really feel the way I feel, don't you?
Amanda: No, I don't. (She stops in the kitchen doorway and turns around.) Mother, nothing is the matter. It's just time to lock up for the night. I'm not nervous, nothing.
Dotty: Okay. If that's how you feel.
(She gets up and walks upstairs. Amanda watches to make sure she's going, then goes to the back door, glances around one more time, and slips outside, quietly shutting the door behind her. She looks around the darkness. Lee pops up from behind a bush.)
Lee: Psst! Amanda?
(Amanda grins. Lee stands up and walks over to her.)
Amanda: Oh, I knew you would be here.
Lee: Yeah, what?
Amanda: Now, look. I don't see anybody outside, but the house is surrounded, right?
(Lee rolls his eyes.)
Lee: Amanda, if you see them, then the whole thing doesn't work.
Amanda: Right, sure. And -- and our phone line is tapped?
Lee: Yes, yes, it is all done. Now, when they call --
Amanda: You're sure they'll call?
Lee (annoyed): I am sure!
Amanda: Right.
Lee: Okay.
Amanda: Yes.
Lee: Now, when they do call you --
Amanda: I'm to say yes to anything that they ask.
Lee: Right.
Amanda: Right.
Lee: And you admit you have the film, because right now, that is the only thing that is keeping Scotty and Raul alive. All right?
(Amanda nods.)
Amanda: Right.
(She shivers and takes a couple steps forward.)
Lee: What's the matter? Are you cold?
Amanda: No, I'm a little scared. I guess I shouldn't admit that.
(Lee grins and goes up to her. He puts his arm around her.)
Lee: Hey, come on. I'm scared, too.
(He chuckles. Amanda chuckles weakly.)
Amanda: It isn't very reassuring.
Lee: Well, what I mean is, I feel responsible for Scotty and Raul. I wouldn't want anything to happen to them. (Amanda nods and looks away.) Well, you, too, I mean. . . .
(Amanda forces a smile.)
Amanda: Yeah.
(He smiles, takes her shoulders, and turns her so that she's facing him.)
Lee: Hey, come on, Amanda, look. You're going to be all right. You're protected by the best there is in the business.
Amanda: I don't want the best there is, I want you.
Lee: Oh.
Amanda: I'm sorry, that didn't come out the way that I meant it.
Lee: Oh, thanks a lot.
Amanda: It didn't sound right -- Well, I was just. . . .
Lee: Oh, then, never mind, never mind, huh?
Amanda: I'm sorry.
Lee: Okay.
Amanda: Yeah. Now, you're -- you'll stay right here . . . ?
Lee: Yes, I will stay right here.
Amanda: Don't go anywhere.
Lee: No.
Amanda: You're right here.
Lee: I'm right here.
Amanda: Okay.
(Amanda looks to the back door and makes a gesture toward it.)
Lee: Yeah.
Amanda: Okay. (She walks to the door. Lee turns and rolls his eyes. Amanda stops and looks at him.) Ah-ah-ah!
(She points to where he is.)
Lee: I'm staying right here!
Amanda: Right.
(She takes another step. So does Lee. Amanda whirls around. Lee quickly returns to where he was. Satisfied, Amanda goes inside. The instant she does, Lee runs around to the other side of the bush. Inside, Amanda securely locks the door behind her, then she looks over her quiet living room and exhales.)

(Outside, a van is parked in the shadows. An agent walks around and gets in.)

(Inside the house, Amanda is heading to the stairs. The phone rings. Dotty heads for it. Amanda cuts her off.)
Amanda: I'll get it. (She picks up the phone.) Hello?

(In an old warehouse, Levick is holding the phone next to a terrified Scotty while his partner holds a gun to him.)
Scotty: Mrs. King, this is Scotty. Th-these guys are serious. You'd better do what they say.
(Levick pulls the phone away and places it by his ear.)
Levick: Did you get that?

(In the house, Amanda tries not to look scared with her mother watching in the background.)
Amanda: Uh, yes.
Levick: I want you to get in your car and drive to 14th and Delaware. There's a lumber yard. (In the van, Billy, Francine, and another agent are crowded in, listening to the phone conversation.) Just drop the film out of your car window and drive home. The kid'll be on his way as soon as we get it. Come alone. You understand?
Amanda: Yes, I -- I -- I have that.
(Click. Dial tone. Amanda hangs up and turns to face her mother, a big smile pasted on her face. Dotty does not buy it. Amanda's smile fades.)

(In the warehouse, Levick and the man are leading Scotty to a certain spot. The man bends down and pries up a trap door. Then he pushes Scotty down. When Scotty is down, he shuts the door. Levick strolls over to a candlelit table with tea dishes set up on it, sits, and fiddles with his cup. The man sits down beside him.)
Levick: We'll need a new set of wheels to get there before the drop, maybe set up something for a getaway.
Man: Nah, you worry too much. We just have a housewife to deal with. We've got a lot of insurance.
(He takes a sip of his tea.)

(Down in the secret room. It is dark with only a few patches of light. Scotty sits on the cement. You hear water dripping. Then he notices Raul in a dark corner. He turns to face him.)
Scotty: Hi. I didn't see you here before. I'm Scotty.
(Raul stays silent a long time before answering.)
Raul: Raul.
Scotty: You been here long, Raul?
(Raul shakes his head.)
Raul: No.
Scotty: So, what do you do?
Raul: I'm a hostage.
Scotty: Me, too. . . . What's that smell?
Raul: I think it's mushrooms.
Scotty: I love mushrooms. You like mushrooms, Raul?
Raul: Not anymore.
(Scotty scoots closer.)
Scotty: Hey, listen, we're going to get out of here soon. They're making a trade right now.
(He looks up.)

(At Amanda's house, Amanda is gathering her things together for the trip. Dotty is watching.)
Dotty: You're making a mistake, Amanda. A man does not respect a woman that he can call on a whim!
Amanda (putting on her coat): It isn't what you think, Mother.
Dotty: You are seeing a man, aren't you? These burning passions, midnight assignations, they don't work.
Amanda: Mother, it's only eight-thirty.
(Dotty sighs.)
Dotty: I cannot manage your life for you. I mean, maybe you're entitled to a meaningless affair. Something passionate and fiery, with no future.
(Amanda sighs.)
Amanda (quietly): Maybe I am. (louder:) I'll be back in an hour.
(She opens the front door.)
Dotty: An hour?! (Amanda flashes her a brief smile, then disappears out the door. Dotty groans and shakes her head.) One of those.

(Outside, Amanda's station wagon is driving around the block. She stops around back and Lee gets in.)
Lee: All right, Francine's taking your place for the film drop.
Amanda: Why? I could do it. I don't want this to sound like criticism or anything, but you read so much about government spending and to call Francine in at night when it's probably double time for her and I'm already here and I'm out and I'm dressed -- Well, it just seems like such an unnecessary expense. I know you'll say it's probably only a few dollars more, but you multiply that by all the government offices and the agencies and the --
Lee: Amanda, please? Hm?
Amanda: I bet it adds up to quite a lot.
Lee: Francine is a qualified agent.
Amanda: I know that, Lee. How much qualification does it take to throw a cassette out a window? I know that might seem like a dumb question, but I think it deserves an answer.
Lee: It doesn't take any special qualifications.
Amanda: Then I can do it?
Lee: No.
Amanda: What do I do?
Lee: Well, Billy thinks it's a terrific idea that you stay with me until we get your car back.
Amanda: It would be a lot simpler the other way.
Lee: And a lot quieter. (Amanda sighs.) Francine makes the drop.

(In the van, Francine is preparing for her moment of glory. She has her hair up in curlers and a scarf around her neck. She wipes off some of her lipstick.)
Billy: How're you coming?
Francine: Almost ready. You realize I have never done a suburban front before? (Billy and the other agent exchange glances, trying not to laugh. Excited, Francine puts the scarf over her head and ties it behind her head.) Ah. Oh-hoh. How's this?
(She laughs. The other two look at her.)
Billy: You don't think the scarf is overkill?
Francine: No, no, it covers up the rollers. You know, rollers are the hallmark of the middle American homemaker. It's, uh, it's like a club badge or something.
(The other two roll their eyes, amused, and hide smiles.)

(In the wagon, Amanda is trying to pass the time.)
Amanda: You know, my mother thinks I'm involved in some kind of clandestine love affair.
(Lee laughs.)
Lee: Your mother should know you better than that.
Amanda: Why?
Lee: Why? You're not that type, that's why.
(Amanda looks away.)
Amanda: Well, I don't know how you can say that my mother should know me better than that. I mean, you never can tell who's the type for what. I mean, I'm not the type to be a spy, but look at me. I mean, you never. . . . (She stops when she sees Lee's cute face smiling back. She tries again.) You never really can tell what a person would do under . . . certain. . . .
(A police cruiser patrols down the street. Lee grabs Amanda and pulls her to him, making them look like lovers out for a private cuddle. Amanda tries to breathe normally.)
Lee: There's a local patrol car passing. This looks much more natural.
(Amanda puts her hand up to his face.)
Amanda: Oh, yeah, it's much more natural.
Lee: Yeah.
Amanda: Yeah. (The car passes. Amanda pulls away and straightens up, embarrassed. Lee runs his hand through his hair uncomfortably and mumbles something unintelligible.) I think they're gone now.
Lee: Yeah. Yeah, they're gone. (They both look away and catch their breaths. Outside, Francine knocks on the car window.) Um . . . look, uh, trade jackets with Francine.
Amanda: Sure. (She gets out of the car and takes off her jacket. Lee gets out his side and walks around to join them.) You're wearing hair curlers!
Francine: Oh, I never wear curlers in public, it's part of the disguise.
(She and Amanda swap jackets. They begin to put the other's on.)
Lee: All right, remember, the cassette's got to transmit a signal we can follow in case we lose visual contact. Now, drop it in the lumber yard and get back here. The yard's covered, we'll be right behind you.
Francine: Okay.
Amanda: Be very careful with my station wagon.
(Francine laughs cockily. Lee and Amanda run away to Lee's Porsche directly in front of the wagon, leaving Francine getting in. As the two climb into Lee's car, Francine starts up Amanda's car and drives away, followed by the van. Finally, Lee starts his car and follows, bringing up the rear.)

(Later, in the lumber yard, the vehicles are scattered around, waiting for Levick and the man. Amanda is waiting alone in the Porsche. Lee is on foot, hiding behind a pile of wood. As everyone watches, Francine pulls up in the station wagon. Slowly driving through, she holds the cassette out the window and tosses it to the ground. When she disappears, the moustached man's wing-tipped Oxfords approach. He kneels down, picks up the cassette, and puts it carefully in a padded box, leaving some kind of device in place of it. Billy gets out of the van and speaks into a walkie-talkie.)
Billy: Take him! Take him! We've lost the signal.
(Lee speaks into his own walkie-talkie.)
Lee: Scarecrow, moving in.
(The man cocks a machine gun and slowly stands up. Lee leaps out of the shadows. The van also drives up. Billy and the other agent get out. All three are pointing pistols at the man.)
All 3: Freeze!
(The man fires shots across the windshield of the van. The agents jump out of the way. The guy takes the opportunity to run. Annoyed, Lee chases after him. The agents keep firing. Amanda, in the Porsche, ducks down. She peeks up. A gun fires. She goes back down. Meanwhile, the man is leading Lee around the stacks of lumber. Lee deliberately takes a step. The man hears the footsteps and bolts. Lee sees him go and shoots. The bullets ricochet off the beams. Lee tiptoes after him. When he spots him, he ducks back behind a pile where all the good guys, including Francine, are waiting.)
Lee: Stall him as long as you can while I try to get behind him. Ready?
(He gulps and quickly goes off in another direction. The man reloads his gun and waits. During an all-out shooting match, Lee creeps up on top of a pile and leaps, tackling the man, knocking the gun from his hand. Amanda peeks over the dashboard and watches, fascinated, as Lee and the man wrestle each other. Lee throws the man against a piece of wood. The man throws a punch, but it's blocked. He punches the man in the stomach, then across the jaw. While the man is stunned, Lee uses the time to get ready. He aims, then delivers a karate kick to the man's chin and flips him to the pavement. Finally, the man surrenders. A couple agents rush over to help Lee. They stand the man up and snap handcuffs on him. Billy takes the cassette away from him.)
Billy: It's over. Where are you holding them?
Man: If I don't show up in an hour, they're dead. I have nothing else to say.
(The agent pulls him to the car. Billy sighs and hands Lee the wrapped cassette. Lee looks it over in his hands.)

(A little later, Amanda is still in the Porsche. She sees Lee coming and opens the door for him. He gets in and shuts it.)
Amanda: I heard the gunfire. Is everything all right?
Lee (angrily): Yeah, it's just great.
Amanda: I did exactly what you told me to do, I stayed right here.
Lee: Oh, well, that's a refreshing change.
Amanda: What's wrong?
(Lee, furious, bangs on the steering wheel.)
Lee: We blew it, that's what's wrong. We got one of the guys and he is giving us absolutely zip.
Amanda: Did he tell you if Scotty and Raul are all right?
Lee: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, they're fine. Just fine, for about the next forty minutes. If he's not back there by then, his partner's going to kill them both.
(Amanda's jaw drops.)
Amanda: Kill them.
Lee: Yeah, that's right. (He glances over at her.) Come on, I'll -- I'll take you back to your car.
(He starts up the car and drives away.)

(Later, on the way home, Amanda keeps questioning.)
Amanda: What about the car they found earlier? Maybe --
Lee: Dead end. It was spotted this afternoon down in the warehouse district of the Potomac.
(Amanda stares straight ahead, thinking out loud.)
Amanda: The warehouse district by the Potomac.
Lee: That's right.
Amanda: Well, that pinpoints an area. It's something.
Lee: That's nothing. We followed it to a deserted warehouse and that is where they lost us.
Amanda: Did they search the warehouse? (Lee looks at her pointedly.) Never mind. Of course they searched the warehouse. I mean, that's the first thing they would do, they would search the warehouse.
Lee: Yes, they searched it. It was empty. All right?
Amanda: All right. You know . . . if the police were looking for me and I was looking for a place to hide, I would try to find a place that had a secret place. So that when they came to search the place where I was hiding, I could hide in the secret place, and then when they left, I could be pretty sure that they wouldn't come back.
Lee: Whoa, whoa. Look, I'm having a hard time trying to follow this.
Amanda: Like a subbasement in a warehouse.
Lee: What?
Amanda: See, um . . . well, once I was a tech advisor on a -- on a food-growing project.
Lee: Yeah?
Amanda: And, uh, we were looking for a class of besidial mycetes (?) that would grow in subbasements.
Lee: Besidial what?
Amanda: Those are mushrooms, it doesn't matter. Anyway, we were looking for space in subbasements of warehouses. Right?
Lee: Mm.
Amanda: So we went down by the Potomac and, um, you see, most of those subbasements have either been flooded by the riverwater or the riverwaters leak in, so they'd been sealed off. (Lee looks at her, finally understanding.) So unless you knew they were there, you wouldn't know they were there. And if you searched them, you would never look there. Do you see what I'm saying?
(Lee looks at her strangely, then faces front, sorting in his head the chunk of information she just handed him.)
Lee: Yeah.

(IFF, Debriefing room. The man is sitting in a chair by the wall with a guard behind him. He is still not talking. Billy is pacing. He stops and faces the man. The man sighs.)
Man: So you got me on possession of a sub. Maybe attempted assault. (He chuckles sadistically.) That's lightweight stuff. Keep on talking. You're running out of time.
(Billy stares back. There is a knock on the door and Billy looks up. An agent leans in and makes a gesture for Billy to come outside. Billy does, leaving the door wide open. He goes over to a desk and picks up the phone.)
Billy: Melrose here.

(At a pay phone, Lee is relaying Amanda's message, omitting the unnecessary information in the interest of saving time and sanity.)
Lee: Hello, Billy. I know this is a long shot, but there's a chance they're using a basement underneath a warehouse. Now, see if you can run a bluff on that guy. I'll hang on.

(Back at IFF, Billy's head jerks to the debriefing room. He sets the phone down off the hook.)

(At the pay phone, hearing the silence, Lee shrugs to Amanda in the car as if to say, "I guess he will." Amanda grins back.)

(At IFF, Billy saunters into the room with newfound confidence. He keeps his eye on the man, but speaks to the guard.)
Billy: Book him.
Guard: What's the charge?
Billy: Kidnapping under special circumstances.
(The man sighs in despair.)
Guard: Where were they?
Billy: In a basement under the warehouse. And get the paperwork right. I don't want to lose this one or Levick. (The guard nods and walks out of the room. Billy leans in close to the man.) You know how it works. One of you plea-bargains your way out of the chair, you or Levick. It's first come, first serve.
Man: Okay. I want a lawyer.
(Billy stands up and leaves the room, closing the door behind him. He goes back to the phone and picks it up.)
Billy: That's it, I'm sending everything in right away. And Scarecrow, you lay back, got me?

(Lee hangs up the pay phone and races to the car. He gets in.)

(Billy is still waiting for a response.)
Billy: Scarecrow? (He hangs up and leans over to the agent working at the desk.) I've got a red override priority. Get all units to that warehouse we searched this afternoon. TDY, anyone you need. I'm talking minutes!
(He walks away. The agent picks up the phone and begins dialing.)

(The warehouse along the Potomac. Lee is crouched behind a wall by his car watching Levick across the street. He loads and cocks his gun. Then he runs back to the car and leans into the window where Amanda is waiting.)
Lee: All right, I've got to stall him until the backup gets here. Now, you stay right here.
Amanda: Right.
(Lee creeps back to his hiding spot and watches as Levick checks his watch, looks around, and goes inside. When the door shuts behind him, Lee runs over to it and quietly opens the door, peeks in, and follows Levick in, very quietly shutting the door behind him. For once, Amanda waits in the car, though reluctantly.)

(In the warehouse, Levick casually walks through a hall and to a big room. He leans down by a pipe and lifts up a trapdoor. Then he slowly climbs down the steep ladder. While he does this, Lee follows down the hall, tiptoeing and holding his gun ready all the time. He watches as Levick disappears down the hole. Then Lee runs after him.)

(Outside, Amanda can't stand it. She gets out of the car and creeps after Lee.)

(Inside, Lee has made it to the hole, with the door wide open. Levick is no where to be seen. Lee kneels down and gazes into the hole, then steps onto the ladder and climbs down. At the bottom, Levick marches down another hall with his gun ready. After taking one more look around, Lee retreats down the hole. Then Amanda slinks in. She goes down the same hallway that the other two went through. She looks in both directions, then scoots off the wrong way. Downstairs, Lee is still right behind Levick and Levick does not know a thing. Upstairs, Amanda is wandering around the warehouse, lost. Downstairs, Levick reaches the secret trapdoor leading to Raul and Scotty. He throws it open. Blinded by the sudden light, the two prisoners look up, squinting. Levick points his gun down there.)
Levick: You guys just ran out of time.
(He cocks his gun.)
Scotty: Okay, I'll tell you where the film is.
Levick: Good move, kid, but too late.
(Suddenly, Lee leaps out from the corner, pointing his gun.)
Lee: All right, hold it!
(Instantaneously, Levick replies by firing his machine gun at Lee. Lee ducks out of the way, then returns fire. Levick dodges, then makes a run for it. Knowing that a pistol cannot outgun a machine gun, he runs to the hole and hides behind the open trapdoor, which is a metal grating. Using guerilla tactics, Levick fires at Lee and runs to a new spot. Lee aims and fires, but misses. He runs after Levick.)

(Upstairs, Amanda enters the room with the green car. She bends over and peers in the window.)

(Meanwhile, Levick is frantically climbing up the ladder to make it to the ground floor. He reaches it and races off in the direction that Amanda went. Then Lee somes up, slower and more cautiously. Levick gets to the green car and climbs in to safety. Lee chases after him. Levick desperately tries to start the car. After three failed attempts, Lee appears and aims the gun.)
Lee: That's it! It's all over, Levick. (The backup finally arrives. They surround the car from the other side.) Looks like you need a tuneup, pal.
(Amanda enters behind him. She holds up a bunch of wires from the car's engine. When she speaks, Lee turns his head, surprised.)
Amanda: Looks like he needs more than that. (She shrugs.) Looks like I pulled the right wires.
(Lee looks to Levick, who looks down. Lee looks from him to Amanda and back again and laughs.)

(Next day, outside IFF. Lee is walking Amanda to her car down the sidewalk.)
Amanda: I'm glad your friend Raul's all right. I know you were really worried about him.
Lee: Well, that's the last time I get anybody a job. I can't stand the guilt when something goes wrong.
(They stop in front of her car, but keep talking.)
Amanda: Is he quitting the spy business?
Lee: No, as a matter of fact, he likes the work. He's on his way to Prague right now.
(They laugh.)
Amanda: Really?
Lee: Yeah.
Amanda: See? After all your worrying, everything turned out just fine.
Lee: Yeah.
Amanda: I mean, you got back the report that those two men stole and Scotty's okay and I even got my station wagon fixed. (Lee smiles and shakes his head.) Boy, that was really nice of Mr. Melrose. You know, he didn't have to do that. It wasn't the Agency's fault.
Lee: No, no, no, no, in a roundabout way, it was.
(Then, they hear Scotty's voice calling to them. They look up.)
Scotty: Mrs. King! Mr. Stetson!
Lee: Hey.
Amanda: Hi, Scotty. How are you feeling?
Scotty: Well, I'll tell you as soon as Mr. Stetson tells me what he thought of my film.
Lee: Oh, yes, uh, your film. Well, we looked at it -- every frame of it -- and, uh . . . it's very good.
Scotty: It is?
Lee: Yup.
Scotty: Wow! I wish I had gotten a couple reels of what went down the other night. How about that, me in the middle of a major shootout with feds running all over the place? It's a good thing you told them what happened to me. I still don't know how they found us.
Lee: Well, um . . . I guess, um. . . .
Amanda: Probably. . . .
Both: They have their ways.
Lee: Yeah. Well, anyway, about your film, I think you could edit it down to a very interesting eight minutes or so. But, uh, the legal department wants a few things.
Amanda: Mm.
Lee: Like the city filming permits and the, uh, PR-308's. (Scotty's smile fades.) Now, we can get the filming permits if we pull a few strings, but, hey, look. We really need those PR-308's.
Scotty: What's a PR-308?
Lee: Uh. . . .
(He looks to Amanda for help.)
Amanda: Uh. . . .
Both: The Personal. . . .
Lee: Personal Release, uh, forms, for the -- for the people that you film.
Amanda: Yeah, you -- you see, you can't, um, you can't use any of the footage, you can't invade their privacy without their consent.
Lee: That's right. Correct.
Scotty: I guess I've got a lot to learn.
Amanda: But you have a lot of talent.
Scotty: Yeah, sure. Well, thanks for looking at it, anyway. Thanks.
(Glum and dejected, he walks back to his booth. Amanda and Lee watch him go.)
Amanda: Oh, did you see his little face? It just crumbled, he's so disappointed.
(Lee looks at her. She shakes her head.)
Lee: Yeah. (He glances down at Amanda one more time, then looks up.) Hey, Scotty? (Scotty stops and looks up. He runs back.) Uh, hey, listen. How would you like an assignment with IFF, huh? A short documentary on the Cuyahoga River in Ohio, you know, the river that caught fire a few years back?
Scotty: Yeah? (In the background, cars are honking and drivers are yelling angrily. Amanda and Lee nod.) Yeah! How about "The River That Refused to Die," sort of, um, man's battle against his own pollution?
Lee: That's it, that's it. You -- you run with that theme.
(Scotty's face brightens.)
Scotty: All right! All right!
(He runs back to his post, skipping and cheering with excitement. Amanda and Lee laugh.)
Amanda: You see, I knew you didn't mean it.
Lee: Mean what?
Amanda: Oh, all that stuff about never helping a friend get a job again.
(Lee's smile disappears just as quickly as it appeared.)
Lee: I -- I just did that, didn't I? (Amanda grins at him, then turns back in the direction Scotty danced off in. Lee's smile slowly reappears.) Yeah, I. . . .
(He looks at her and shrugs. She laughs.)