Storm of the Century (10 page)

CAT

Well ... I don’t want you to be scared or anything, but we got word that there’s been a murder on the island. Old Martha Clarendon. Mike and Hatch have gone over there.

What?! Are you sure?

CAT

I’m not sure of anything right now--this place has been a madhouse all day--except that they went over there and Mike asked me to call you and say everything’s under control.

Is it?

CAT

How do I know? Yeah, probably . . . anyway, he wanted me to call before anyone else did it. If you see Melinda Hatcher-

She just left here with Angie Carver. They’re carpooling. You can get her at home in fifteen minutes or so.

Outside, the WIND RISES IN A SHRIEK. MOLLY looks toward the sound.

Better give her twenty.

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CAT

Okay.

There’s no chance it’s a ... I don’t know, a joke? A prank?

CAT

Robbie Beals called it in. He doesn’t do humor, you know?

Yeah. I know.

CAT

He said that the person who did it might still be there. I don’t know if Mike would want me to tell you that or not, but I thought you had a right to know.

MOLLY closes her eyes for a moment, as if in pain. Probably she is in pain.

CAT

Molly?

I’m coming down to the store. If Mike gets there before I do, tell him to stay put.

CAT

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I’m not sure he’d want-

Thanks, Cat.

She hangs up before CAT can say any more. She turns to RALPHIE, who is still examining his birthmark in the mirror. He’s so close to the glass that his eyes are rather charmingly crossed. She gives him a big smile that only a four-year-old could believe in; her eyes are clouded with worry.

Let’s go down to the store and see your daddy, big boy . . . what do you say?

Daddy, yay!

He jumps down from his chair, then pauses, looking at her dubiously.

What about the storm? We’ve only got the car. It slides around in the snow.

MOLLY grabs his coat off the tree by the door and starts getting him into it at superspeed. That big, false smile never leaves her face.

Hey, it’s only a quarter of a mile. And we’ll come back with Daddy in the truck, because I bet he’s going to close the market early. How’s that? Sound good?

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Yeah, excellent!

She zips his jacket up. As she does, we see she is terribly worried.

96 EXTERIOR: IN FRONT OF MARTHA CLARENDON’S HOUSE.

The storm is still getting worse by degrees; people are now having some trouble standing their ground against the wind-driven snow . . . but no one has left. ROBBIE BEALS has joined MIKE and HATCH. His gun is still in his hand, but with the prisoner cuffed, he looks a little more at ease and has pointed the little pistol at the ground.

MIKE has opened the back of the Island Services vehicle. It has been outfitted to transport stray and sick animals. The floor is bare steel. There’s a mesh barrier between this storage compartment and the backseat. Mounted on the wall is a plastic water reservoir with a tube.

You going to put him in there?

Unless you want to sit in the backseat with him and baby-sit.

(takes the point)

Get in.

LINOGE doesn’t, at least not immediately. He looks around at ROBBIE, instead. ROBBIE doesn’t care for that.

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Remember what I said, Robbie: hell is repetition.

He smiles at ROBBIE. A private smile, like the one he gave MIKE. Then he gets into the back of the Island Services vehicle.

(nervous)

He talks a lot of nonsense. I think he’s crazy

LINOGE has to sit with his legs crossed and his head ducked, but this really doesn’t seem to put him out in the least. He is still smiling, his handcuffed hands clasped in his lap, as MIKE swings the doors shut.

How does he know your name? Did you tell him?

(drops his eyes)

I don’t know. All I do know is that no sane person would want to kill Martha Clarendon. I’ll come down to the store with you. Help you clear this up. We’ll have to get in touch with the state police-

Robbie, I know this goes against your grain, but you have to let me handle this.

(bristles)

I’m the town manager here, in case you forgot. I have a responsibility--
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So do I, and our responsibilities are clearly divided in the town charter. Right now Ursula needs you over at the town hall a lot more than I need you at the constable’s. Come on, Hatch.

MIKE turns away from the furious town manager.

Listen here--!

He starts to chase them up the side the Island Services vehicle, then realizes he’s being undignified in front of a dozen of his constituents. MRS. KINGSBURY stands nearby, with her arm around the shoulders of a frightened-looking DAVEY HOPEWELL. Behind them, ROBERTA COIGN and her husband, DICK, look at ROBBIE with poker faces that can’t quite mask their contempt.

ROBBIE stops chasing MIKE. He sticks his gun in his topcoat pocket.

(still furious)

You’re getting too big for your britches, Anderson!

MIKE takes no notice. He opens the driver’s side door of the Island Services vehicle. ROBBIE, seeing them about to make their getaway, fires the only other arrow in his quiver.

And get the sign off that damned dummy on your porch! It’s not funny!

MRS. KINGSBURY puts a hand over her mouth to hide a snicker. ROBBIE doesn’t see--probably
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lucky for her. The Island Services vehicle starts up, and its lights come on. It heads upstreet, bound for the market and the constable’s office contained therein.

ROBBIE stands, slump-shouldered and fuming, then looks around at the cluster of people in the snowy street.

What are you standing here for? Go on home! Show’s over!

He stalks back to his Lincoln.

97 EXTERIOR: LOWER MAIN STREET, IN THE SNOW.

Headlights appear in the SCREAMING WHITE, and a car eventually materializes behind them. It’s small, light, and two-wheel drive. It’s going slow and slipping back and forth; already there are at least four inches of fresh snow on the road.

98 INTERIOR: THE CAR, WITH MOLLY AND RALPHIE.

Up ahead, we see lights looming out of the snow on the left, plus the long porch and the hanging lobster traps.

It’s the store! Yay!

Yay is right.

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She turns into the parking area in front. Now that she’s here, MOLLY realizes that coming out was dangerous . . . but who could have guessed the snow would pile up so fast? She turns off the engine and allows herself a small slump over the wheel.

Mom? You okay?

Fine.

Get me out of my car seat, ‘kay? I want to see Daddy!

You bet.

She opens her door.

99 EXTERIOR: THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE.

It turns left at the blinker and heads toward the market through the thickening snow.

100 INTERIOR: THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE, WITH MIKE AND HATCH.

What are we gonna do with him, Mike?

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(sotto voce)

Keep your voice down.

(HATCH looks guilty)

We’ll have to call the state police barracks in Machias--Robbie was right about that much--but what are the chances they’ll be able to take him off our hands in this?

HATCH looks doubtfully out the window at the pelting snow. This situation keeps complicating itself, and HATCH isn’t a very complicated guy. They continue to talk in low voices, so LINOGE won’t overhear.

Robbie said the TV was on, and I heard it when we were in the hall. Did you?

At first, yeah. The weather. Then the guy must have . . .

He trails away, remembering.

It was busted. Busted all to hell and gone. He didn’t do it while we were in the hall, either. You bust a TV picture tube, it makes a noise, like Boof! We would have heard. (MIKE nods)

It must have been the radio . . .

It’s almost a question. MIKE doesn’t reply. Both of them know it wasn’t the radio.

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101 INTERIOR: LINOGE, IN THE ANIMAL TRANSPORT COMPARTMENT.

Smiling. We just see the tips of the fangs in his mouth. LINOGE knows what they know . . . and in spite of their low tones, he hears them.

102 EXTERIOR: ANGLE ON THE MARKET IN THE SNOW--AFTERNOON.

The Island Services four-wheel drive rolls past the parking lot in the snow (the little car MOLLY and RALPHIE came in is already wearing a

fresh coat) and then pulls into an alley that runs down the side of the store and around to the back.

103 EXTERIOR: THE ALLEY, FROM THE FAR END.

The Island Services vehicle comes toiling toward us out of the snow, HEADLIGHTS GLARING. THE

CAMERA PULLS BACK as it reaches the snowy yard at the rear. There is a loading dock at the back of the market, with a sign that says DELIVERIES ONLY--GO THRU MARKET FOR CONSTABLE

BUSINESS. The vehicle pulls up here, backing into place. For this sort of deal, the dock is mighty convenient--and MIKE and HATCH do have a delivery to make.

They get out and walk around to the back. HATCH is as nervous as before, but MIKE has got his own nerves under control. As they reach the rear of the vehicle:

Safety off?

HATCH looks first surprised, then guilty. He pushes the shotgun’s safety off. MIKE, who has his own gun in his hand, nods in satisfaction.

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You’re up top.

There are stairs at one end of the loading dock. HATCH climbs them and stands with his shotgun at port arms. MIKE unlocks the back doors of the vehicle, then stands back.

Step out on the dock. Don’t approach my . . . partner.

Sounding like a guy on Adam 12 makes MIKE uncomfortable, but under the circumstances, “partner” is the right word.

LINOGE steps out, still awkwardly bent over but graceful. And still smiling that faint, corners-of-the-mouth smile. HATCH takes a step back to give him room as LINOGE mounts the steps. Their prisoner is cuffed and they have the guns, but HATCH is still scared of LINOGE.

LINOGE stands in the driving snow, as comfortable as a man in his own living room. MIKE climbs the stairs to the loading dock, searching in his pants pocket. He brings out a ring of keys, separates out the one that opens the back door, and gives it to HATCH. MIKE keeps his pistol pointed slightly down but in LINOGE’S direction.

104 EXTERIOR: HATCH, AT THE LOADING DOOR.

He bends and slides the key into the lock.

105 EXTERIOR: LINOGE, CLOSE-UP.

He’s watching HATCH very closely . . . and now we see A FLICKER OF BLACKNESS in his eyes.
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106 EXTERIOR: MIKE, CLOSE-UP.

He frowns. Did he see something? It was too quick to tell.

107 EXTERIOR: THE LOADING DOCK DOOR, CLOSE-UP.

HATCH twists the key. SOUND: A SNAP. And now HATCH’S hand is holding nothing but the head of the key.

108 EXTERIOR: RESUME LOADING DOCK.

Aw, sugar! Snapped right off! Must have been the cold!

He begins to HAMMER ON THE DOOR with a gloved fist.

109 INTERIOR: THE ISLAND CONSTABLE’S OFFICE.

This was once part of the market’s storage area. Now it boasts a desk, a few filing cabinets, a fax, a CB

radio, and a bulletin board on the wall. There is also a jail cell in the corner. The cell looks sturdy enough, but homemade--a kind of do-it-yourself project. It’s a strictly temporary facility for weekend drunks and part-time hell-raisers.

SOUND: HAMMERING ON THE DOOR.

HATCH (voice-over)

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Hey! Anybody in there? Anybody?

110 EXTERIOR: RESUME LOADING DOCK.

Forget it. Go around and open it from the inside.

You want me to leave you out here alone with him?

(stress breaking through)

Unless you happen to see Lois or Superman hanging around in the alley.

We could take him-

Through the market? With half the island doing their storm shopping? I don’t think so. Go on, now.

HATCH gives him a doubtful look, then starts back down the stairs.

111 EXTERIOR: IN FRONT OF THE MARKET.

In snow that’s thicker than ever, ROBBIE BEALS’S Lincoln comes SPINNING AND SLEWING into
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the parking area, almost broadsiding MOLLY’S little car. ROBBIE gets out and goes up the porch steps just as PETER GODSOE comes out of the market. PETER is a ruggedly handsome man in his early forties, father of SALLY, the little girl with the jam on her shirt.