Storm of the Century (18 page)

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28 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE’S OFFICE.

JACK CARVER and KIRK FREEMAN are looking at LINOGE, fascinated. MIKE is still standing by the desk, looking at the weird crossword puzzle on the PowerBook. He’s still got the Polaroids in his hand. When JACK takes a step toward the cell, MIKE speaks without looking up.

Don’t go over there.

JACK stops moving at once, looking guilty. HATCH comes in through the market, shedding snow at every step.

Ursula says Lloyd Wishman’s dead over at the firehouse.

Dead! What about Ferd?

Ferd’s the one who found him. He says it’s suicide. I think Ursula’s afraid it might be murder. Mike . . . Robbie Beals took Henry Bright over there. To investigate, I guess.

JACK CARVER claps his hand to his face. MIKE, however, hardly reacts. He’s holding on to his cool, and thinking furiously.

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Streets still passable? What do you think?

In a four-wheel drive? Yeah. Probably until midnight. After that-HATCH shrugs, indicating “Who knows.”

You take Kirk and go on over to the fire station. Find Robbie and Henry. Keep your eyes open and be careful. Lock the place up, then bring them back here.

(long look at LINOGE)

We can keep an eye on our new pal while you do that. Can’t we, Jack?

I dunno as that’s such a good idea-

Maybe not, but right now it’s the only idea. I’m sorry, but it is.

None of them look really happy, but MIKE is the boss. HATCH and KIRK FREEMAN head out, zipping up their coats. JACK has gone back to looking at LINOGE.

When the door is closed, MIKE starts shuffling through the Polaroids again. Suddenly he stops, looking at:

29 INTERIOR: THE POLAROID OF MARTHA’S CHAIR, CLOSE-UP.

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Bloody and spooky as an old electric chair, but empty. MIKE’S HANDS shuffle to the next photo of the chair. In this one, the chair is also empty.

30 INTERIOR: MIKE, CLOSE-UP.

Surprised and puzzled. Remembering.

31 INTERIOR: MARTHA’S LIVING ROOM, WITH MIKE (flashback).

He has just pulled the drapes across the broken window and anchored them with the table. He turns back to MARTHA’S chair, raises the Polaroid, and TRIGGERS IT.

32 INTERIOR: THE WOLF’S HEAD CANE, CLOSE-UP (flashback).

It stares at us with its bloody teeth and eyes like a ghost wolf in a stroke of lightning, then FADES.

33 INTERIOR: RESUME CONSTABLE’S OFFICE, FEATURES MIKE.

He’s got three two pictures of MARTHA’S chair, side by side.

It’s gone.

What’s gone?

MIKE doesn’t answer. He shuffles a fourth photo out of the stack. This is the one featuring the message
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written in MARTHA’S blood, and the rudimentary drawing of the cane. MIKE looks slowly up at LINOGE.

34 INTERIOR: LINOGE.

He cocks his head and puts his forefinger beneath his chin, like a girl being coy. He smiles a little.

35 INTERIOR: RESUME CONSTABLE’S OFFICE.

MIKE walks toward the cell. As he goes, he hooks a chair to sit in, but his eyes never leave LINOGE’S

face. He’s still got the Polaroids.

(nervous)

Thought you said to stay away.

If he grabs me, why don’t you shoot him? Gun’s there on the desk.

JACK glances that way, but makes no move for the pistol. The poor guy looks more nervous than ever.

36 EXTERIOR: THE ISLAND DOCKS--NIGHT.

They have been pretty well erased by the POUNDING OCEAN.

37 EXTERIOR: THE HEADLAND LIGHTHOUSE--NIGHT.

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It stands straight and white in the SHEETING SNOW, its big light going round and round. WAVES

CRASH HIGH around it.

38 INTERIOR: LIGHTHOUSE CONTROL ROOM--NIGHT.

It’s completely automated, and empty. Lights BLINK and FLASH. The SOUND OF THE WIND

outside is very strong, and the anemometer is flickering between fifty and sixty-three MPH. We can hear the place CREAKING and GROANING. Wave-spume splatters the windows and beads up on the glass.

39 EXTERIOR: THE LIGHTHOUSE--NIGHT.

A big wave--a monster like the one that destroyed PETER GODSOE’S warehouse--strikes the headland and all but inundates the lighthouse.

40 INTERIOR: LIGHTHOUSE CONTROL ROOM--NIGHT.

Several windows shatter, and water SPRAYS ACROSS THE EQUIPMENT. The wave withdraws and everything continues working ... so far, at least.

41 EXTERIOR: THE SIDE OF THE FIREHOUSE--NIGHT.

ROBBIE BEALS and HENRY BRIGHT come out, shoulders hunched against the storm. They’re not the men they were when they went in ... ROBBIE is especially shaken. He takes out a huge ring of keys (ROBBIE has keys to almost everything on the island, town manager’s prerogative) and begins to fumble through them, meaning to lock the door. HENRY puts a tentative hand on his arm. Once again, both men SHOUT to be heard above the HOWL OF THE STORM.

Shouldn’t we at least check upstairs? See if anyone else--
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That’s the constable’s job.

He sees the look HENRY’S giving him, the one that says, “You sure changed your tune,” but he won’t back down; it would take a lot more man than HENRY BRIGHT to get ROBBIE upstairs after what they just saw downstairs. He finds the right key and turns it in the lock, securing the firehouse.

We ascertained that the victim is dead, and we have secured the scene. That’s enough. Now come on. I want to get back to the-

(pedantic, fussy)

We never really made sure he was dead, you know . . . never took his pulse, or anything . . .

His brains were all over the running board of Pumper Number Two, why in God’s name would we have to take his pulse?

But there might be someone else upstairs. Jake Civiello . . . Duane Pulsifer, maybe . . .

The only two names written on the duty board were “Ferd Andrews” and “Lloyd Wishman.” Anyone else in there would likely turn out to be a friend of that Linoge, and I don’t want to meet any of his friends, if it’s all the same to you. Now come on!

He grabs HENRY by the coat and practically drags him back to the Sno-Cat. ROBBIE fires it up, guns
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it impatiently as he waits for HENRY to clamber in, then turns it in a circle and heads back for the street.

As he does, the Island Services four-wheel drive conies trudging out of the storm. ROBBIE corrects his course, meaning to go around, but HATCH sees his intention and cuts him off neatly.

42 EXTERIOR: FEATURES SNO-CAT AND ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE--NIGHT.

HATCH gets out of his vehicle, flashlight in hand. ROBBIE opens the canvas-sided door of the Sno-Cat and leans out. He has recognized HATCH and has regained his previous hectoring authority. Once again, EVERYONE SHOUTS to be heard over the SOUND OF THE WIND.

Get out of my way, Hatcher! If you want to talk, follow us back to the town hall!

Mike sent me! He wants you over at the constable’s! Henry, you too!

I’m afraid that’s impossible. We have wives and children waiting at the town hall. If Mike Anderson wants either of us to stand a watch later, that’s fine. But for the time being-

Lloyd Wishman’s dead . . . and there’s something written on the side of one of the fire trucks. If it’s a suicide note, it’s the weirdest one I ever heard of.

KIRK comes around to the front of the Island Services truck, holding his hat down with both hands.

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Come on, let’s get going! This ain’t no place for a discussion!

(annoyed)

I agree. We can have our discussion back at the town hall, where it’s still warm.

He starts to close the door of the Sno-Cat. HATCH grabs it.

Peter Godsoe’s dead, too. Hung himself, (pause) He also left a weird suicide note.

ROBBIE and HENRY are dumbfounded.

Mike asked me to come get you, Robbie Beals, and that’s what I’m doing. You come on and follow me back to the store. I don’t want to hear any more sass about it.

(to ROBBIE)

We better do it.

Coss you better do it! Hurry up!

Peter Godsoe . . . my God in heaven, why?

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ROBBIE is being driven in a direction he doesn’t want to go, and he hates it. He grins without humor at HATCH, who stands pudgy and determined behind his flashlight.

You’re the one who keeps putting that department store dummy on the porch of the store. Do you think I don’t know that?

We can talk about it later on, if you want. Right now the only thing matters is that we’ve got bad trouble tonight . . . and not just the storm. I can’t make you pitch in and help if you don’t want to, but I can make sure that when this is over, people know you were asked . . . and you said no.

I’ll come, Hatch.

Good boy!

HENRY opens the door on his side preparatory to getting out and joining HATCH and KIRK. ROBBIE grabs him by the jacket and hauls him back into his seat.

All right . . . but I’ll remember this.

You do that. Did you lock the place up?

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(contemptuously)

Of course. Do you think I’m stupid?

HATCH won’t touch that one with a ten-foot pole . . . although he probably could if he wasn’t set on being as diplomatic as possible. He only nods and starts slogging back toward the Island Services vehicle, his flashlight cutting arcs through the falling snow. HENRY opens his door again to call after him.

Can you raise the town hall on the CB? Tell Carla and Sandy we’re okay?

HATCH gives him a thumbs-up and climbs into the truck. He revs the engine, then pulls slowly around so he’s headed back toward the market, all four wheels whirring and spuming up snow. The Sno-Cat, with ROBBIE at the controls, follows.

43 INTERIOR: THE CAB OF THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE, WITH HATCH.

(on the radio)

Ursula? Are you there, Ursula? Come on back?

44 INTERIOR: THE TOWN OFFICE.

There’s a good-sized crowd, very anxious, grouped around URSULA. Among them is FERD

ANDREWS, now out of his coat, sipping a hot drink and wearing a blanket. Also prominent are MOLLY, CARLA, and SANDY, who now has DON with her, for comfort.

HATCH (staticky radio voice)

. . . sala? . . . Come on ... ack . . .

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URSULA ignores the voice for a moment, holding the mike against her shoulder and looking uneasily at the crowd, which is hemming her in even more closely now, eager to hear any fresh news. These are her neighbors, sure, but . . .

MOLLY sees the incipient agoraphobic reaction and turns to the crowd.

Come on, folks, give Ursula some room. Back off ... If we hear anything, you’ll know.

(joining in)

Move back! Move back! If you don’t have anything else to do, go on downstairs and watch the storm on the Weather Network!

Can’t! The cable’s out!

But they move back and give URSULA some room. She flashes MOLLY and TESS a look of thanks, then raises the microphone and pushes the transmit button.

You’re weak, but I’ve got you, Hatch. Talk slow and loud, come on back.

45 INTERIOR: THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE, WITH HATCH.

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Robbie and Henry are fine. Thought you’d want to know that, come back.

46 INTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL, FEATURING URSULA.

SANDRA BEALS and CARLA BRIGHT both register relief. DON, never one to rest for long when there are toys to be destroyed and peers to humiliate, tears free of his mother and hurtles back downstairs.

My dad’s okay! He’s the town manager! He can pass a football nine miles! Last year he sold a billion-billion dollars of insurance! Who wants to play monkey?

Is Lloyd Wishman really dead, Hatch?

47 INTERIOR: THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE, WITH HATCH.

He hesitates and exchanges a glance with KIRK FREEMAN. No help there. HATCH knows he must be careful; deciding what information to give out and what to sit on is really MIKE’S job. He checks the rearview, just to make sure the Sno-Cat’s still behind him. It is.

Uh . . . I don’t know all the details yet, Urse. Just tell Sandy and Carla their boys’ll be a while longer. Mike wants ‘em over to the store for a little bit.

URSULA (very staticky voice)

Why . . . ore? Is that . . . ocked up? Molly wants . . . know . . .

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