Monkberry Moon Delight

Prologue: Tahoe, Nevada. Lieutenant Sam Walken (think Bruce Willis) arrives at a crime scene at a small diner somewhere on the highway. Two people are dead, four people are missing, and the only witness to the crime is waitress Ruby Malone (think Jena Malone). She will tell us her point of view of the story as follows: The Little Shining Bag: Ruby and her girlfriend, nurse Amanda Pill, are struggling financially. Ruby has agreed to cover the night shift on her work. As her shift begins, the diner becomes the setting for the meeting between jewel robber Clint Holloway (think of a younger Bradley Cooper with a Clyde Barrow vibe) and Las Vegas mobsters Harvey Cohen and Warren, who are there to buy some stolen diamonds from Holloway. As Ruby is about to attend them, the criminals' business goes wrong as a police officer arrives and, getting nervous, Warren starts a shooting in which the officer and his girlfriend waitress get killed, Warren and Harvey get shot, and Holloway escapes together with his girlfriend, Beatrix Ricci (a spunky Bonnie Parker kind of girl). Ruby comes out of the kitchen and sees the crime scene. The blood, the bodies... and the spilled diamonds. Believing that everyone on the scene is dead, she decides to keep the diamonds to herself... only to discover that Harvey and Warren are still alive. Unaware of her doing, Harvey gives her a few bucks asking her not to call the police until ten minutes after he leaves with a dying Warren. After giving her version of the incident to Lt. Walken, she goes home together with Amanda... and explains to her what really happened. As Amanda discovers that Ruby has a bag of stolen diamonds, she freaks out and the two women argue about Ruby's reasons and what to do now. Since Amanda knows Stan Goldman, a local jeweler, they decide to try to sell the diamonds to him. They go to Goldman's meeting the next day only to find out that the man isn't there. Instead, they find a mysterious man who goes by the name of Mr. Bulldog. Suspecting, the girls leave without saying a thing about the diamonds - a rather smart move since Mr. Bulldog is actually a mobster who works for crime lord Leslie Wilson (think on a sadistic Willem Dafoe kind of guy), who happens to be Harvey's boss. Wilson is convinced that Holloway and Ricci stole the diamonds and since Goldman is the man who made the connection between them, is trying to find them. As Mr. Bulldog asks Harvey for a description of the waitress he saw, he begins to suspect Ruby and follows her. The next day, Mr. Bulldog goes to Ruby and Amanda's house and attacks them, asking for the diamonds. As he points a gun at Amanda's head, Ruby accepts to give him the diamonds... but ends up killing him with a hidden gun. Once again, Ruby lies to the police, claiming that she has no idea why Mr. Bulldog attacked them. As she and Amanda search for another place to spend the night, Amanda confronts and questions Ruby about what they are going to do. Feeling guilty, Ruby decides to get a gun to take care of herself and Amanda... but is found by Harvey. A tired Ruby tells Harvey she will give him the diamonds as long as he leaves Amanda alone... which surprises Harvey as he had no idea that they had the diamonds and was instead just searching for her after the killing of Mr. Bulldog. He asks Ruby to go with him to clarify things with Wilson. Ruby agrees just so they leave Amanda alone. Ruby gives the diamonds to Harvey and Harvey is ordered to kill her... but since Harvey is not a hitman but rather a jeweler, can't come through and lets her live. He gives her a few thousand dollars and asks her to hide out for a few days, abandoning her on the highway. The Men Who Chased Shadows The incident is told from the criminals' perspective. Warren got nervous because the police officer started to ask them questions and he was new in the business. Warren dies shortly after Harvey leaves the diner. Harvey meets with Wilson, explains what happened, and comes to the conclusion that the diamonds were stolen by Holloway (who took the money from their business gone wrong). Enraged, Wilson decides to track Holloway and Ricci. Wilson, Harvey, and Mr. Bulldog go to Goldman's business and interrogate him. Goldman reveals the location of Holloway and Ricci's hideout, and Wilson elaborates a plan. As both Holloway and Ricci are notoriously dangerous, Wilson calls for backups and four more men arrive. Wilson and his men track Holloway and Ricci to a cabin resort in the forest and wait for the night to attack. In the meantime, Mr. Bulldog interrogates Harvey about Ruby. As the night arrives, the men trap Holloway and Ricci and torture them while asking them for the diamonds. As Wilson recovers his money and Holloway and Ricci deny having the diamonds, Wilson orders his men to kill them. He, Harvey, and Mr. Bulldog leave. The next morning, Wilson is informed by one of his men, Roy, that Holloway and Ricci have managed to escape and kill the others... and that he needs help with a girl he had to kidnap during his escape. Their conversation is interrupted as Lt. Walken calls Wilson regarding the death of Mr. Bulldog. As Wilson and Harvey identify Bulldog's body and his killer, Wilson orders Harvey to find Ruby and kill her while he helps Roy with the woman he kidnapped... who turns out to be Ms. Jackie, a clerk working on the cabin resort where Holloway and Ricci were hiding... as well as Lt. Walken's daughter. (Yes, things are about to get very messy here!). As Harvey recovers the diamonds, he reunites with Wilson and lies, saying that Ruby is dead. However, Wilson notices he is lying... and kills Harvey. As Wilson is about to leave to meet with Roy to decide what to do with Ms. Jackie, Lt. Walken arrives and arrests Wilson. The Lovers from Cabin 7 After leaving the crime scene, Holloway suffers a breakdown (he hates violence). Ricci takes him to their hideout and calms him. They make love... and Ricci decides that it should be time for them to retire and start a family. Holloway says that this could be a good idea given their way of life. Believing that running away after the incident in the diner might make them suspicious, they decide to spend one more day in the cabin and discuss their future. In the process, they get to meet Ms. Jackie and Lt. Walken. Holloway and Ricci introduce themselves as traveling writers... and, surprisingly, manage to get along with both Ms. Jackie and Lt. Walken. The night falls... and Wilson and his men arrive. After being tortured by them, Holloway and Ricci promise to kill them. Wilson leaves Roy in charge. As Roy and his men prepare themselves for a long night, they decide to get a drink first, leaving Holloway and Ricci alone with just one of his men. Ricci teases him and, together with Holloway, kills him, and frees themselves. Ms. Jackie notices the strange events and, as she is about to call Lt. Walken, she is trapped by Roy's men. As they discuss what to do with her, they are surprised by Holloway and Ricci. They execute Roy's men, but Roy, noticing how Ricci worries about Ms. Jackie, uses her as a hostage. He escapes together with Ms. Jackie. Feeling responsible for what could happen to her, Holloway and Ricci decide to stay and save her... and search for Lt. Walken. As they explain to him what happened, they offer him an agreement - to save Ms. Jackie in exchange for him letting them go. Unable to do otherwise, Lt. Walken agrees. Lt. Walken manages to track down Wilson's car... and arrests him. Holloway and Ricci call Roy and they set an exchange: Wilson for Ms. Jackie. Holloway and Ricci talk with Wilson and things finally become clear. Wilson apologizes for what he did to them and promises not to track them down after their business is over. The two groups meet and the exchange is made... only to have Lt. Walken executing both Wilson and Roy in the last second. Shocked, Holloway and Ricci ask him why he do that as this will mean that they will be hunted for Wilson's people from now on. Lt. Walken explains that it was the only agreement he thought would be fair... and that he will let them go as long as they are charged with Wilson's murder. He recommends they quit and start playing family somewhere far away. Unable to do otherwise, Holloway and Ricci accept his conditions... and leave. As they go, Holloway comes to accept that is time to retire and start a family, while Ricci, having found the diamonds on Wilson's body, believes that the bag is heavier. Epilogue Amanda picks Ruby up on the highway. Ruby apologizes for having stolen the diamonds and gets them in so much trouble... only to find out that Amanda managed to keep some of the diamonds by accident.