"THE WRONG LIFE"
by
Charles Deemer
FADE
IN:
EXT.
PARK - ROAD - NIGHT
About
three in the morning. Pitch black in a park on the
outskirts
of city limits.
Above
the park, dark hills stretch into woods.
Distant
HEADLIGHTS as a car approaches. It enters the park
and
slows down.
The
rear door opens, and a BODY is pushed out of the car.
The
car speeds off.
The
body is clothed in expensive, casual clothing. An ascot,
a
vest, a watch chain, Italian shoes - quite a dandy.
The
deceased was a middle-aged man. He has a small bullet
hole
in his forehead.
EXT.
PARK - HILL - DAY (DAWN)
On
a hill overlooking the park, a makeshift lean-to has been
erected.
Out of it crawls DUNCAN, 30s, a homeless man. He
wears
an old, soiled jogging outfit.
He
stretches and runs in place to loosen up. Duncan bends
down
and talks into the lean-to.
DUNCAN
You're missing a beautiful sunrise
out here. Pinks right out of Homer.
Oh the rosy-fingered dawn! Right out
of the Impressionists. Incredible
sight, and you're missing it all.
LUKE (O.S.)
Won't be the first time.
Duncan
chuckles.
DUNCAN
Today you come jogging with me. It
can be the first day of the rest of
your life.
LUKE (O.S.)
Get out of here so I can go back to
sleep!
2.
Duncan
grins and starts off.
EXT.
PARK - ROAD - DAY (DAWN)
Duncan
jogs along a park road.
When
he reaches a garbage can, he slows down and jogs around
it,
looking to see if anything salvageable is on top.
He
continues along the road, checking the cans.
Then
he sees something ahead - and stops. He looks around,
as
if looking for an explanation for what he thinks he sees.
He's
completely alone. This settled, he carefully moves
forward
again.
He
reaches the body and looks down at it. He whistles.
Duncan
stoops down to look more carefully at the body. For
the
first time he sees a bullet hole in the man's head.
He
stands staring at the body. He looks around again. Still
alone.
He
stoops and takes out the man's wallet. He opens it.
Money,
lots of it. And nothing but credit cards.
Duncan
stands up, holding the wallet. He looks like he just
won
the lottery. He looks around one last time before
running
back toward camp.
EXT.
PARK - HILL - DAY (DAWN)
Duncan
reaches the lean-to. Luke is up and brushing his
teeth,
rinsing from a wine bottle filled with water.
DUNCAN
Good, you're up.
LUKE
How can I sleep with you yapping at
me?
DUNCAN
There's a body down there.
LUKE
Won't be the first time.
3.
DUNCAN
Not somebody passed out. I mean a
dead body. Bullet hole in his head.
Clean as a whistle, hardly any
blood
at all.
Luke
stares at him in disbelief.
DUNCAN
Come see for yourself.
EXT.
PARK - ROAD - DAY (DAWN)
Duncan
and Luke stare down at the body.
LUKE
You think he's somebody famous?
DUNCAN
Somebody rich anyway. Look at those
shoes.
LUKE
Too big for me. Looks about right
for
you, though.
Duncan
moves to the corpse and positions his badly worn
sneaker
against a well-shined alligator shoe.
LUKE
What'd I tell you? Try it on.
Duncan
grins and nods. He pulls off the shoe, then sits on
the
grass. He takes off his sneaker and puts on the shoe.
He
gets up and walks a few steps one way and the other. When
he
turns back to Luke, Luke is kneeling by the corpse.
LUKE
The wallet's gone. You was going to
keep it all.
DUNCAN
Bullshit, I was.
Duncan
takes out the man's wallet from his own pocket and
opens
it.
DUNCAN
There's over five hundred dollars
here. We go fifty-fifty, as always.
4.
LUKE
You were going to ditch me later
and
keep the whole goddamn thing.
He
starts away.
DUNCAN
Hey! Take your half. And help me
with him.
Luke
turns. They face one another in silence.
Duncan
holds out some money, and Luke comes back and takes it.
He
smells the bills as if they were fresh fruit.
LUKE
What do you suppose he did?
DUNCAN
Who the hell knows? Give me a hand
here.
LUKE
What're you doing?
DUNCAN
I want to get it out of sight.
LUKE
What for?
DUNCAN
The shoes fit -- I think the
clothes
will fit, too. I can't undress him
here, can I?
Duncan
and Luke go to the body and lift it up between them.
They
start dragging it back toward their lean-to.
EXT.
PARK - HILL - DAY (DAWN)
The
body is alongside the lean-to, half hidden by a blanket.
Luke
is smoking a butt and staring at it.
LUKE
What the hell's taking you so long?
Duncan's
voice comes from inside the lean-to.
DUNCAN (O.S.)
Almost done.
5.
LUKE
It's bad luck having a dead body up
here. I can't sleep here tonight
with
him around.
DUNCAN
We'll put it back where we found
it.
Duncan
comes out from behind the lean-to -- and looks like a
new
man. He's wearing the dead man's clothes from top to
bottom,
and the improvement -- despite his needing a shower
and
shave -- is striking. He looks almost respectable.
DUNCAN
What do you think?
LUKE
Amazing.
DUNCAN
I feel like a new man.
LUKE
Now can we put the body back?
DUNCAN
There's something I got to do first.
LUKE
Right -- we put your clothes on it,
then we drag it back.
DUNCAN
We can't put it back till tonight.
LUKE
Tonight!
EXT.
CITY CENTER - DAY
Duncan
is strolling down Main Street. He's a curious
figure
-- dressed expensively and yet needing a shave and
shower
pretty badly.
He
stops in front of a cafe window and looks inside.
INT.
CAFE - DAY
Duncan
is looking at the menu while a WAITRESS, 20s, waits
for
his order. Then his eyes light up.
6.
DUNCAN
Hang Town Fry! I can't remember the
last time I had one.
WAITRESS
Hang Town Fry then?
DUNCAN
You got it.
He
gives the waitress a big grin. She starts away but he
takes
her arm to stop her.
DUNCAN
"As long as you and I have
arms and
lips which are for kissing and to
sing with, who cares if some
one-eyed
son-of-a-bitch invents an
instrument
to measure Spring with?" e.e.
cummings. Should've seen the
sunrise
this morning! Absolutely glorious!
The
waitress grins and moves off.
EXT.
CAFE - DAY
Duncan
steps out, stuffed and content. He has a toothpick in
his
mouth.
The
waitress rushes out behind him.
WAITRESS
Sir? You left this on the table.
She
holds out a twenty dollar bill.
DUNCAN
Haven't you ever gotten a tip
before?
WAITRESS
Yeah, but not for more than the
meal
cost.
He
flashes a big grin. The waitress has to smile back.
EXT.
CITY - OLD TOWN - DAY
Duncan
is walking through an old part of town. Several
storefronts
are boarded up and out of business. This is
where
the street people congregate.
7.
An
old man, SHAKEY, 60s, approaches Duncan. Shakey is
pushing
a shopping cart stuffed with junk.
DUNCAN
Morning, Shakey.
Shakey
stops and squints.
DUNCAN
Don't you recognize me? It's Duncan.
I'm looking for Freddy.
INT.
ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - DAY
Duncan
enters an abandoned warehouse. A few birds inside
scatter.
DUNCAN
Freddy? You in here?
EXT.
FAST FOOD JOINT - DAY
Duncan
and FREDDY, 40s, sit on a bench outside a fast food
restaurant.
Freddy wears Army fatigues and cap, which are
much
the worst for wear.
A
pile of empty food wrappers is on the table in front of
Freddy.
He is finishing his fourth burger.
DUNCAN
Anyway, like I said, I need a
favor.
You know the ropes better than
anybody on the street, so I thought
I'd come to you first.
FREDDY
What you need, man?
DUNCAN
Some new I.D.'s.
EXT.
PARK - HILL - DAY
Luke
is looking down the hill at the park below. The body,
under
a blanket, is still alongside the lean-to.
Below,
a POLICE CAR cruises through the park. When it's
gone,
Luke drags some large sheets of cardboard they've been
saving
and drapes them over the body.
8.
INT.
PHOTO STORE - ROOM - DAY
Duncan
sits on a stool in front of a camera. He is having
his
photograph taken.
The
photographer is KITTY, 50s, is a woman who wears too
much
makeup.
KITTY
Next time you see Freddy, you tell
him he owes me a dinner. Now give
me
a big grin.
Duncan
does. A FLASH BULB goes off.
INT.
PHOTO STORE - BACK COUNTER - DAY
The
woman is working at a counter, under a bright light. She
is
putting Duncan's photograph on the driver's license of
the
corpse.
KITTY
You're not pulling my leg, are you?
I really don't care what you're up
to.
DUNCAN
Kitty, would I like to you? It was
in
the paper, an obituary and
everything.
Then his wallet ends up in a trash
bin. Course, they took all the
money
and credit cards -- but what the
hell, never know when you need a
new
I.D. Gives me a sense of security.
He
flashes her his grin. She regards him with disbelief,
grinning
back.
EXT.
PARK - LEAN TO - NIGHT
The
corpse, now dressed in Duncan's old clothes, is on the
ground
between Duncan and Luke.
LUKE
You've lost your marbles.
DUNCAN
Maybe.
LUKE
You don't even look like the guy.
9.
DUNCAN
Nobody's going to know that.
LUKE
The tellers at the bank will.
DUNCAN
Not at a branch he never goes to.
Trust me, we're going to make out
like bandits here. You can afford
to
get yourself into a program.
LUKE
That'll be the day.
DUNCAN
I'm your guardian angel, my friend.
Good fortune has given us a ladder
for climbing out of our situation.
This is just the first rung.
Duncan
moves to the corpse.
DUNCAN
You going to give me a hand?
EXT.
PARK - HILL - NIGHT
Duncan
and Luke are holding the corpse up between them.
They're
carefully moving it down the hill to the park.
The
corpse is dressed in Duncan's old clothes, and Duncan
still
wears the high-fashion of the deceased.
LUKE
Duncan? What if somebody thinks we
did it?
DUNCAN
How can I kill myself?
LUKE
You know what I mean.
DUNCAN
Nobody's gonna think anything.
Nobody's gonna pay any attention,
he's just another dead, homeless
drifter as far as the world is
concerned. I mean, I am.
10.
EXT.
PARK - ROAD - NIGHT
They
carry the corpse along the road, it's feet dragging
along
as they walk.
DUNCAN
Right about here.
They
let the corpse drop to the grass.
DUNCAN
Sleep well, my friend.
LUKE
Be days before I can sleep again.
DUNCAN
You'll be fine. Let's get out of
here.
Duncan
starts one way and Luke the other.
LUKE
Where you going?
DUNCAN
You think I'm sleeping up there
tonight? We're getting a hotel.
INT.
HOTEL - BATHROOM - NIGHT
Duncan
is in the shower, singing while he scrubs himself.
INT.
HOTEL - ROOM - NIGHT
Duncan
comes out with a towel wrapped around him.
DUNCAN
Next.
Luke
walks by, scruffy as hell, looking very out of place in
the
posh hotel room.
DUNCAN
We gotta get you a new wardrobe
tomorrow.
INT.
CONDO - DECK - DAY
TONY
DIMARCO, 40s, is reading the morning paper on his deck
overlooking
the city. He's turning the pages, looking for
something.
11.
He
puts down the section of the paper and picks up another.
Turning
the pages, looking.
But
nothing. He picks up his cell phone.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
The
same car that dropped off the body is heading down the
interstate.
INT.
CAR - DAY
BOBBY
and ZAFIRO are in the car. Bobby is driving. The car
phone
rings. Zafiro picks it up.
INTERCUT
PHONE CONVERSATION
ZAFIRO
Hello?
TONY
What're you trying to pull on me?
ZAFIRO
What're you talking about?
TONY
I mean there's not a goddamn mention
of it in the paper!
ZAFIRO
We took care of it. Look in a later
edition.
TONY
They found some bum in the park.
Couple gang members in old town, a
housewife got it from her old man -
but nothing about Jake.
ZAFIRO
Relax, Tony. Wait for the next
edition. We took care of it. No
problem.
INT.
CAR - DAY
Zafiro
hangs up.
12.
ZAFIRO
There's nothing in the paper yet.
Fuckin' Tony. His nerves, he's in
the
wrong business.
BOBBY
What's he want, express edition?
ZAFIRO
He practically accused us of
blowing
it. Fuck him.
EXT.
CITY - MEN'S CLOTHING STORE - DAY
Duncan
and Luke come outside. Both are wearing new leisure
suits
and carrying bags with their old clothes in them.
Freshly
shaven, they both look good.
As
they pass a garbage container on their way down the
sidewalk,
Duncan takes Luke's bag of old clothes and drops
it
in.
DUNCAN
Move back, it may spontaneously
combust.
They
continue down the street.
DUNCAN
After I get you in a program, I'm
moving on.
LUKE
What do you mean?
DUNCAN
Get a job. Maybe I'll be settled in
somewhere by the time you get out
of
treatment.
LUKE
You're serious here.
DUNCAN
Damn right I am. This is one of
those
epiphanies, my friend. One day
we'll
look back at this and call it a
gift
from God.
LUKE
If we don't end up in jail.
13.
DUNCAN
You got to work on your attitude.
Here's the hotel key. I'll meet you
there later.
LUKE
Where're you going?
DUNCAN
I still got things to take care of.
EXT.
RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY
A
cab moves slowly down the street.
INT.
CAB - DAY
The
CABBY looks at Duncan in the rear-view mirror.
CABBY
Which one?
DUNCAN
There, it must be that one.
EXT.
RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY
Duncan
gets out of the cab, which pulls away. He stares at
the
house in front of him. Then he slowly moves up the walk.
He
steps onto the porch. He rings the doorbell. No one
responds.
He
rings it again. Still no response.
Duncan
looks out to the street. It's safe.
He
brings out a set of keys, which he had taken off the
corpse.
He chooses a key and tries it in the door. Wrong key.
He
tries another. Bingo.
The
front door opens.
INT.
JAKE MATSON HOUSE - DAY
Duncan
moves into the house. The furnishings are more modest
than
the corpse's wardrobe suggested.
Duncan
looks around, visibly nervous to have broken in.
14.
He
moves to a cabinet in the living room and opens it. A
very
full bar, very expensive brands. He pours himself some
single
malt whiskey.
He
moves into the kitchen with the glass. He opens the
refrigerator.
Not much there. A bachelor's refrigerator.
Next
Duncan walks into the bedroom. This is the most
luxurious
room in the house. Large color TV. CD deck.
He
opens the closet. The man's wardrobe is first class.
Duncan
goes to a desk in the corner of the large bedroom. He
opens
a drawer.
Business
and personal papers. He starts rooting through them.
INT.
MATSON HOUSE - GARAGE - DAY
There's
a door connecting the house to the garage, and
Duncan
comes through it into the garage.
A
newer Mercedes is parked in there. Duncan gets into the car.
INT.
MERCEDES - DAY
Duncan
looks for the ignition key on the key-ring he took
from
the corpse. He finds it. Inserts the key, turns.
The
car starts up immediately, bah-room!
EXT.
JAKE MATSON HOUSE - DAY
The
garage door opens, and Duncan backs the Mercedes out.
He
stops and uses a remote on the seat to close the garage
door.
Then he backs out the driveway onto the street.
EXT.
CITY CENTER - DAY
The
Mercedes is cruising through the city.
INT.
MERCEDES - DAY
Duncan
has died and gone to heaven. Loud jazz plays on the
car's
stereo system.
There's
a box of cigars on the seat beside him, and Duncan
lights
up.
15.
EXT.
GAS STATION - DAY
Duncan
fills the Mercedes with gasoline. He gives a credit
card
to the ATTENDANT, who moves off to process it.
A
car parks across the pump from him. HOWARD gets out.
HOWARD
Duncan?
DUNCAN
Howard.
HOWARD
Man, are you looking spiffy! I've
been worried sick about you. So
where
are you working?
DUNCAN
I'm, ah, doing consulting work.
HOWARD
When I saw you, what was it?, six
or
eight months ago on the street -- I
can't tell you how bad I felt.
Goddamn corporations anyway. A man
of
your ability on the street, it just
tore my heart out. I'm so glad to
see
you back on your feet.
DUNCAN
Yeah, things are going well.
HOWARD
I can't wait to tell the guys.
The
attendant returns with the credit card.
ATTENDANT
Here we go, Mr. Matson.
Duncan
signs the slip. He sees that Howard is looking at him
funny.
DUNCAN
Company car.
HOWARD
As a consultant?
DUNCAN
I cut a tough deal, Howard. You
take
care.
16.
He
climbs into the Mercedes as Howard watches, smiling and
shaking
his head.
HOWARD
(after him)
Call me! We'll do lunch!
INT.
CONDO - DECK - NIGHT
Tony
is on the phone with Zafiro again. Zafiro and Bobby are
in
a motel.
INTERCUT
ZAFIRO
Course we guarantee our work.
TONY
Then you'd better get your ass here
cause something ain't right. The
only
body found in the park was a
homeless
man.
ZAFIRO
Well, fuck, I don't know what the
problem is, but we took care of
him.
TONY
Then where's the body?
ZAFIRO
How do I know? We'll see you in a few.
INT.
MOTEL ROOM - DAY
Zafiro
hangs up.
ZAFIRO
He says there was no fucking body.
BOBBY
What do we do now?
ZAFIRO
Shit, I don't know. Try and
straighten
it out.
INT.
HOTEL - NIGHT
Duncan
is at the front counter. He gives his key to a CLERK.
17.
CLERK
Come back again, Mr. Matson.
DUNCAN
I'm sure I will.
He
moves across the lobby where Luke is waiting for him.
LUKE
That was nice while it lasted.
DUNCAN
It gets nicer. Wait'll you see our
new pad.
EXT.
RESTAURANT - PARKING LOT - NIGHT
The
Mercedes is parked outside a fancy restaurant in the
suburbs.
INT.
RESTAURANT - PAY PHONE - NIGHT
Duncan
is at a pay phone. He's waiting for someone to answer.
A
WOMAN stands nearby, waiting to use the phone. Still no
answer.
Duncan
finally hangs up.
INT.
RESTAURANT - TABLE - NIGHT
Duncan
joins Luke at a table. Luke is finishing dessert.
DUNCAN
Coast is clear, nobody home.
LUKE
The man's dead, how can he be home?
DUNCAN
Just double-checking he ain't
married
or something.
LUKE
So what's the plan?
EXT.
PARK - ROAD - NIGHT
The
Mercedes stops and Luke gets out. Duncan pulls away and
Luke
starts up the hill to the lean-to.
18.
EXT.
CITY - STREET - NIGHT
The
car with Bobby and Zafiro cruises along.
INT.
CAR - NIGHT
Bobby
is driving.
BOBBY
How about we get a room and check
with him tomorrow?
ZAFIRO
I want to check out the park first.
EXT.
PARK - NIGHT
The
car cruises through the park. Ahead the headlights catch
Luke,
walking unsteadily down the road, drunk.
INT.
CAR - NIGHT
Bobby
is still driving.
ZAFIRO
What have we here?
EXT.
PARK - NIGHT
The
car passes Luke and stops. Zafiro and Bobby get out.
ZAFIRO
Boy, did you have a good time!
LUKE
You got that right!
ZAFIRO
You often hang around the park at
night?
LUKE
Used to. I'm moving!
ZAFIRO
Say, you didn't happen to know the
homeless man who died here the
other
day?
19.
This
puts Luke on guard, despite his intoxication. Who are
these
guys? He doesn't want to know.
Instinctively,
he turns and starts running up the hill
toward
the lean-to.
Zafiro
and Bobby chase him. They catch him halfway up the
hill.
Zafiro
grabs him and throws him to the ground.
LUKE
I didn't do it!
Zafiro
and Bobby exchange glances. This guy must know
something.
ZAFIRO
Tell me about the body.
LUKE
The guy's dead, what difference
does
it make? We're just trying to
improve our situation.
ZAFIRO
And how's that?
LUKE
I'm not saying any more.
Another
exchange of glances. Zafiro nods.
Bobby
takes out a switchblade.
EXT.
MATSON HOUSE - NIGHT
The
Mercedes pulls to the curb outside the house.
INT.
MATSON HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Duncan
enters. Looks around. He looks right at home.
There's
a desk in a corner of the room. He goes to it and
sits
down. He opens a drawer and starts snooping around.
EXT.
MATSON HOUSE - NIGHT
A
car pulls up and parks. CANDY, 20s, attractive, gets out
and
heads for the door.
20.
INT.
MATSON HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Duncan
has found bank and financial records and is putting
them
in a briefcase he found alongside the desk.
The
doorbell rings.
His
eyes dart to the front door. He looks worried.
The
doorbell rings again.
Duncan
closes the briefcase. He gets up and steps cautiously
to
the door.
EXT.
MATSON HOUSE - PORCH - NIGHT
Candy
waits for the door to open. When it does, she is
surprised
to face Duncan.
DUNCAN
May I help you?
CANDY
Where's Jake?
Duncan
doesn't know what to say. Candy takes out
identification
and flashes it at him.
CANDY
F.B.I.
Duncan
instinctively slams the door.
Candy
draws a pistol. She tries the door, locked. She shoots
the
lock.
INT.
MATSON HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Duncan
is running to the desk when the shot fires. He grabs
the
briefcase and sprints for the rear exit.
Candy
comes in, gun still drawn, and faces an empty living
room.
She rushes toward the rear of the house.
EXT.
MATSON HOUSE - REAR - NIGHT
Duncan
races out, carrying the briefcase, and darts across
the
back yard.
Candy
comes out, looks one way and the other, hesitates,
then
hurries across the lawn.
21.
A
SERIES OF SHOTS - THE CHASE
Duncan
runs from one back yard to another, then to the
adjacent
street.
Candy
runs after him, still looking around, not sure where
he
is.
EXT.
MATSON HOUSE - NIGHT
Duncan
circles around to the front of the Matson house, gets
into
the Mercedes, and speeds off.
Candy
arrives too late to chase him.
EXT.
PARK - NIGHT
The
Mercedes cruises through the park and stops. Duncan gets
out
and climbs the hill.
EXT.
PARK - HILL - NIGHT
Duncan
reaches the lean-to. He sees the shadowy silhouette
of
Luke in a folding chair, his back to him.
DUNCAN
Change of plans, buddy.
He
moves around the chair to face Luke. And sees that his
throat
has been cut.
EXT.
FREEWAY - NIGHT
The
Mercedes roars down the freeway.
INT.
MERCEDES - NIGHT
Duncan
is sweating. He is running on panic and nerves.
EXT.
FREEWAY - NIGHT
Duncan
turns under a sign for the Interstate and an out-of-
state
city.
INT.
CONDO - DECK - DAY
Zafiro
and Bobby watch Tony eat breakfast.
22.
ZAFIRO
He said his buddy was the same size
and so on, and decided to take over
his identity.
BOBBY
The point being, Matson is in the
morgue under the other guy's name.
He
switched I.D.'s.
TONY
Hell of an imagination for a wino,
isn't it?
ZAFIRO
You want us to find the other guy?
TONY
Been thinking about that. What for?
Let the poor slob enjoy his good
fortune. It's no skin off our back,
and the Feds pay the bill -- at
least
till they find out. Serves them
right.
Long as Matson is in the morgue,
I'm
happy. You do good work.
ZAFIRO
Yes, we do.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - REST STOP - DAY
The
Mercedes is parked in a rest stop along the Interstate.
INT.
MERCEDES - DAY
Duncan
wakes up. He yawns and looks around.
EXT.
MERCEDES - DAY
Duncan
gets out of the car. He stretches. He starts for the
men's
room.
INT.
MEN'S ROOM - DAY
Duncan
stands at a urinal.
A
TRUCK DRIVER takes the adjacent one.
TRUCK DRIVER
The pause that refreshes.
23.
Duncan
nods.
TRUCK DRIVER
You headed north?
Duncan
nods again.
TRUCK DRIVER
You got heavy construction about
thirty miles up. Cars lined up to
beat hell. Messier than my ex's
lovelife.
DUNCAN
Thanks.
EXT.
DOWNTOWN CAFE - DAY
Mom's
Cafe at lunch hour. Pedestrian traffic passes by, some
enter.
INT.
DOWNTOWN CAFE - DAY
Candy
sits alone at a table. She looks up at the clock on
the
wall.
MARTIN,
40s, arrives and joins her.
CANDY
Something weird is going on.
MARTIN
With Matson?
CANDY
I don't know. This guy had a key
and
let himself in. He was wearing
Jake's
clothes, I think. He said Jake went
out of town. It was all very
strange.
MARTIN
Where is this guy?
CANDY
He drove off in Jake's Mercedes.
MARTIN
What about Matson?
CANDY
Not a word since a couple days ago.
Something doesn't feel right.
24.
Martin
thinks a minute.
MARTIN
Okay. You sit tight till I call
you.
EXT.
SMALL HIGHWAY - DAY
The
Mercedes is off the Interstate now and cruising along a
scenic
highway.
INT.
MERCEDES - DAY
Classical
music plays on the radio.
Duncan
looks a little more relaxed.
He
sees a turnoff to a small town and takes it.
INT.
SMALL TOWN - MAIN STREET - DAY
The
Mercedes drives slowly along Main Street.
The
town is only about three blocks long. Duncan parks in
front
of Mom's Cafe.
He
gets out and enters.
A
"Help Wanted" sign hangs prominently in the window.
INT.
MOM'S CAFE - DAY
The
cafe is busy during lunch.
SUPER
ON SCREEN: "FOUR MONTHS LATER"
INT.
MOM'S CAFE - DAY
Duncan
is working as a short-order cook. He is going under
the
name of Jake Matson.
Waiting
tables and picking up an order is RACHAEL, 20s.
The
owner, HANNAH, 50s, works behind the cash register.
RACHAEL
Jake, you going to the community
meeting tonight?
25.
DUNCAN
Sure am. You?
RACHAEL
Maybe we can grab a bite to eat
first.
DUNCAN
"One cannot think well, love
well,
sleep well, if one has not dined
well." Virginia Woolf.
RACHAEL
An old girlfriend?
DUNCAN
A dead writer.
He
grins as she picks up the order.
EXT.
MOM'S CAFE - NIGHT
Duncan
and Rachael come out of the cafe.
DUNCAN
I think Hannah has her feelings
hurt
when I eat someplace else.
RACHAEL
You can't eat all the time where
you
work. It gets monotonous.
DUNCAN
Tell her that.
RACHAEL
I have, believe me.
INT.
RESTAURANT - NIGHT
They
sit in a booth, sipping beverages before their meal.
Rachael
drinks a beer, Duncan drinks iced tea.
RACHAEL
May I ask you a personal question?
DUNCAN
Sure.
RACHAEL
Why'd you sell your Mercedes?
26.
DUNCAN
I needed the money.
RACHAEL
I can understand that. But I heard
people talking, you know? You drive
into town in a car like that and
seem
desperate for a job. People, some
people, wonder if you're running
from
something.
DUNCAN
I'm still here.
RACHAEL
So I noticed. Which leads me to
another question. How come you
never
asked me out yet?
DUNCAN
Well, here we are.
RACHAEL
One, it was my idea. Two, I meant
like on a date. I see the way you
look at me.
DUNCAN
It's that obvious, huh?
RACHAEL
I was hoping you'd see the way I
look
back.
DUNCAN
I guess I have.
RACHAEL
And...?
DUNCAN
I'm new in town. I guess I don't
feel
secure enough to do something like
that yet.
RACHAEL
Ask a girl to a movie! How much
security does that take?
DUNCAN
You're right. How about the late
show
after the meeting?
27.
RACHAEL
Now you're talking.
EXT.
HIGH SCHOOL - GYM - NIGHT
A
community meeting is being held in the gymnasium of the
high
school.
TOWNSPEOPLE
move into the building.
INT.
GYM - NIGHT
THREE
MEN and TWO WOMEN sit at a table in front of rows of
folding
chairs.
Duncan
and Rachael come in and sit down.
Chairing
the meeting is MARTHA, 50s, the city mayor.
MARTHA
The meeting will come to order
She
bangs her gavel a few times until people quiet down.
MARTHA
Thank you. Special meeting of the
Timberline County Task Force on
Education is now convened. Randy
will
start with new business.
RANDY,
30s, gets focus.
RANDY
Our first item of business concerns
a
special offer by Jake Matson, who
will make a brief statement now.
Duncan
stands up. Beside him, Rachael is flabbergasted that
he
is on the program.
RACHAEL
Why didn't you tell me?
Duncan
moves to the front of the room. All eyes are on him.
DUNCAN
Believe it or not, I'm not much for
speech making, so I'll make this
short and sweet.
SOMEONE IN AUDIENCE
That'll be a first!
28.
Everybody
laughs.
DUNCAN