The next pages of our script will be critical, as they begin to focus our story and launch our protagonist on a clear path.

Right now, we don’t even know who the protagonist is. It could be Mayor Napolitano, certainly, but only if his quest to build the subway emerges as the main thrust of our plot.

How could this happen? Well, that’s for you to figure out, but it would probably require us to learn what’s in the mystery envelope, who left it for him and why. We’d have to see very soon what’s standing in the way of his plan, and how he intends to overcome or get around it.

There’s also the matter of that body in the theater bathroom. Assuming Larry did indeed bite the peat, we’re gonna have to deal with that somehow. If Napolitano’s our main man, the investigation into Larry’s murder could play in the background, serving as a constant sword hanging over the mayor’s head.

Or, our focus could now shift to the murder. Maybe an investigator -- an LAPD detective, FBI agent or P.I. -- enters the scene and emerges as our new protagonist as he pieces together the story behind Larry’s death with all its complex implications.

Some movies have dual protagonists -- two strong figures with conflicting goals going head to head throughout the film. There could even be a third main character in Sydney, whose drive to bring his alternative-fueled engine to the mass market is in direct conflict with the mayor’s vision of L.A.’s future transit needs.

Any one of these scenarios could play out, as could something completely different and unexpected, but we need to see the beginning of it now. Which means we need a writer who’s able to look into the future of this story and craft a few pages to put us on the right track.

Any takers?