EXT. TANNER'S OFFICE BUILDING - NEW YORK - DAY
Nick hops out of a cab and hurries in.
INT. OFFICE LOBBY - DAY
Nick is scanning a DIRECTORY. HE finds BOLT ASSOCIATES, FLOOR 52, just as TANNER BOLT, surrounded by OLD-ESTABLISHMENT * lawyers, strides through the lobby. NICK weaves his way urgently through the lunch crowds.
NICK : Mr. Bolt. Tanner Bolt, I--
TANNER is used to this: He keeps walking, is about to give the brush—off, when he recognizes Nick.
TANNER: Nick Dunne. I've been sitting by the phone, my friend.
INT. LOBBY - DAY
NICK and TANNER are sitting on a lobby bench as people go in and out for lunch. Tanner is having the laugh of his life.
NICK: You don't believe me.
TANNER: Sure I believe you! It's just the craziest thing I've ever heard. I love it. I mean, for you, it s**s...but you gotta have a grudging respect for your wife at this point.
Tanner leans back, still laughing; Nick is flummoxed.
NICK: Are you laughing me out of your building?
TANNER: No! Are you kidding me?! I'm in, I'm way in! (more serious) This is what I do, Nick. This is why I have a $100,000 dollar
retainer—because I win unwinnable cases. You've come to the right guy.
NICK: One hundred thousand dollars?
TANNER: We'll figure something out. I'll give you a special My Wife Is Sk**ed in the Art of Vengeance rate.
NICK: OK, so what's the plan?
TANNER: So far, this is a he-said she said.
NICK: And she's telling a better version.
TANNER: No, Nick. She's telling a perfect version.
(MORE)
TANNER (CONT'D): I want to start today preparing a defense, should we need it. Now, if we decide to go with your story-
NICK: The truth
TANNER: We'll need to realign the public's vision of Amy. Make them stop seeing her as America's sweetheart, and start seeing her for what she is: a mind-f**er of the first degree. That's a big realignment. We need other voices besides yours. There has to be someone she's seriously screwed with before—
NICK: She filed charges against an old boyfriend. Tommy O'Hara. New York guy.
Tanner texts something into his phone.
TANNER: Easy to find.
NICK: There's another guy in St. Louos—Desi Collings—who supposedly stalked her.
TANNER: Go talk to Tommy. I'll draw up the contracts.
NICK's phone text buzzes. He looks at it: holds up the screen: TOMMY O'HARA with a phone number. Tanner grins.
TANNER (CONT'D): Told you you came to the right guy.