剧本《八毫米》(8MM)

INT. MIAMI AIRPORT, TERMINAL -- DAY

Amongst the weary tourist families and solitary businessmen sits
TOM WELLES, middle-aged, hair neat, suit crisp and gray. He's
eating crackers from a cellophane package, sipping soda from a
paper cup, watching an ARRIVAL GATE.

AT THE GATE

PASSENGERS arrive: the paunchy, graying men of First Class
leading the pack, except for a handsome YOUNG REPUBLICAN poster
boy hurrying along.

ACROSS THE TERMINAL

Welles gets up and FOLLOWS ...

EXT. MIAMI AIRPORT, CURBSIDE -- DAY

Welles comes outside, squinting in the sun, moving down the
sidewalk, looking back over his shoulder...

The Young Republican is lead to a waiting LIMO by a DRIVER.

Welles moves to the nearby TAXI STAND...

IFT. TAXI -- DAY

Welles gets in, turning in his seat to watch behind.

Where to?

CAB DRIVER

Welles keeps watching, sees the lino pull away and pass.

WELLES
Follow that
limousine. Don't get too close, don't
let it get too far away. Just keep with
it.

CAB DRIVER
You kidding?

WELLES
Nope.





The cab set in motion. Welles takes out cigarettes, lighting one,
takes out a small NOTEPAD and makes notations.

CAB DRIVER Uh, listen ...
you're not supposed to be smoking in
here. I'm sorry, that's company policy
...

WELLES
How about this
... every cigarette smoke, I give
you five dollars?


CAB DRIVER

Okay... okay, yeah, that'd be good

2.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH, "GOLD COAST" -- DAY

In front of an Art Deco hotel, the driver opens the
limousine door and the Young Republican steps out.

ACROSS THE STREET

Welles watches from inside the double-parked taxicab.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY

Not exactly four-star. "AD LT MOVIES EVERY ROOM."

INT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY

Welles is asleep on the bed, full dressed, hands folded
across his stomach, snoring lightTy, sweaty.

INT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE, RESTAURANT -- DAY

Welles sits alone at the bar, eating a sandwich, bored. He
watches some fuzzy ESPN on the t.v., looks at his watch.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY

Welles walks across the parking lot, gets into his RENTAL
CAR, starts it and drives away.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH DISCOTHEQUE -- NIGHT

Young Republican and a GAUDY WOMAN exit the disco, MUSIC
THROBBING out from the doors behind them. They join hands,
drunk, heading to the street, looking for their limo.

DOWN THE STREET

Welles is seated in his parked rental car, raises a CAMERA
I
with TELEPHOTO LENS: whir, CLICK, whir, CLICK, whir, CLICK.
Welles lowers the camera, letting out a yawn.

INT. AIRPLANE, COACH -- NIGHT

The familiar DRONE of flight. Welles is shoehorned into his
aisle seat, using tiny utensils to eat his tiny meal.

An OLDER WOMAN arrives in the aisle. Welles picks up his
tray, closes his tray table, unbuckling his seatbelt,
struggling to get up... finally successful, balancing his
tray, letting the woman in to the window seat.

OLDER WOMLN
Thank you.

Welles nods, forcing a smile, sitting back down. He returrs
to toiling over his miniature supper.



2.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH, "GOLD COAST" -- DAY

In front of an Art Deco hotel, the driver opens the
limousine door and the Young Republican steps out.

ACROSS THE STREET

Welles watches from inside the double-parked taxicab.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY

Not exactly four-star. "AD LT MOVIES EVERY ROOM."

INT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY

Welles is asleep on the bed, full dressed, hands folded
across his stomach, snoring lightTy, sweaty.

INT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE, RESTAURANT -- DAY

Welles sits alone at the bar, eating a sandwich, bored. He
watches some fuzzy ESPN on the t.v., looks at his watch.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY

Welles walks across the parking lot, gets into his RENTAL
CAR, starts it and drives away.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH DISCOTHEQUE -- NIGHT

Young Republican and a GAUDY WOMAN exit the disco, MUSIC
THROBBING out from the doors behind them. They join hands,
drunk, heading to the street, looking for their limo.

DOWN THE STREET

Welles is seated in his parked rental car, raises a CAMERA
I
with TELEPHOTO LENS: whir, CLICK, whir, CLICK, whir, CLICK.
Welles lowers the camera, letting out a yawn.

INT. AIRPLANE, COACH -- NIGHT

The familiar DRONE of flight. Welles is shoehorned into his
aisle seat, using tiny utensils to eat his tiny meal.

An OLDER WOMAN arrives in the aisle. Welles picks up his
tray, closes his tray table, unbuckling his seatbelt,
struggling to get up... finally successful, balancing his
tray, letting the woman in to the window seat.

OLDER WOMLN
Thank you.

Welles nods, forcing a smile, sitting back down. He returrs
to toiling over his miniature supper.

3.

EXT. HARRISBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- NIGHT

Welles' AIRPLANE ROARS down with a SCREECH, landing lights
gleaming. The airport is small, relatively isolated.

TITLE: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

INT. HARRISBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- NIGHT

Passengers arrive. Welles is with them, searching the few
PEOPLE waiting in the terminal hallway. Welles smiles...

Welles, wife, AMY, smiles when she sees him. She ' s plain
and pretty, holding one hand on a BABY STROLLER beside her.
Welles comes to her, embracing her, appreciating her.

Welcome home.

AMY

WELLES
Do you know how much I missed you?

They kiss, but Amy pulls away, sniffs him

AMY
Whatis this... have you been
smoking... ?

WELLES
Smoking? I'm not smoking.

AMY
Your clothing reeks of it.

WELLES
You know, Amy, I've been sitting
around in bars and everywhere
following this guy~* I mean, is
this what I get fi t thing? Before
you even "hello," you accuse me.

AMY
I'm not accusing you..

WELLES
Well, I'm not smoking, okay?

AMY
Okay, I believe you.

WELLES
We've been all through that. I've
been on rny best behavior.

welles bends to the stroller, picks up,his.infant daughter,
CINDY, and hoists her in the air, overjoyed.

(CONTINUED)







4.

WELLES
Hello, pumpkin-head, did you miss
me? I sure missed you...

lie kisses the.happy child, holding her in one arm.

WELLES
Let's get my bags and get the hell
out of here.

Wellesjulls Amy close and kisses her again, leads the way.
Amy follows, pushing the stroller.

AMY
How's the detective business?

WELLES
Business was fine. I'll tell you
what, you couldn't pay me enough to
live down there.

AMY
You better not be smoking, that's
all I can say.

WELLES
Honey, I'm not, please ...

Any takes Welles hand, smiling at him.

INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BEDROOM -- NIGHT

Welles and Amy make love in the darkness. Standard,
missionar-y position sex, little passion. They slow to a
finish, uneventfully, holding each other. Their breathing
quiets. Their daughter CINDY can be HEARD CRYING elsewhere.

welles kisse's his wife again, rolls off of her and sits on
the edge of the bed. Amy covers herself.

I love you.

I love you.

AMY

WELLES

He looks towards her in the dark. He gets up, gets a towel
from the bathroom and wraps it around him.

INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BABYS ROOM -- NIGHT

Cindy's crying. Welles enters, goes to lean i

WELLES
What's all the trouble, Cinderella?
What are you crying about, huh?

He lifts and cradles Cindy, comforting her.

nto the crib.

(CONTINUED)


5.

EXT. HARRISBURG CITYSCAPE -- ESTABLISHING --DAY

A small city of moderate architecture facing the Susquehanna.

INT. OFFICE -- DAY

An old money office with windows over the river. A well-to-
do POLITICIAN looks unhnily through PHOTOS on his desk.
Welles sits by the Pennsy vania state flag, watching.

PHOTOS show the Young Republican and Gaudy Woman in Miami:
leaving the Art Deco hotel, the Discotheque, a restaurant ...

WELLES
Your son-in-law dealt with the dry
cleaning franchise during the day,
saw that woman every night.
(clears his throat)
The specifics are in the report, and
information about the woman. It's
unpleasant, I know. I apologize ...

POLITICIAN
None too discreet, is he?

WELLES
No, sir, he is not.

POLITICIAN
He's an imbecile. I tried to warn
my daughter, but what can you do?

The politician shakes his head in disgust. welles rises.

WELLES
The um you'll find my invoice i
the envelope. If that's all

POLITICIAN
Yes, Mister Welles, thank you.

WELLES
Certainly, Senator. If I can ever
be of further assistanCe.

Welles leaves, glances back, shuts the door.

EXT. HARRISBURG STREETS -- DAY

welles drives his plain Ford past the CAPITAL BUILDING.

EXT. HARRISBURG, BRIDGE -- DAY

Welles, car crosses the Susauehanna, leavina thE city.







6.

EXT. WELLES' HOUSE, BACKYARD -- DAY

Sunny day. Welles wears tan khakis, t-shirt and fishing
cap, mowing his lawn with his ROARING lawnmower. Welles,
ard is modest, surrounding his modest split level suburban
one in a neighborhood of similar homes and similar yards.

Welles turns the lawnmower, stopping to moE his brow. one
of his nei hbors is repainting a back porc The neighbor
waves. Weyles waves, resumes mowing.

INT. BOWLING ALLEY -- NIGHT

KUSICIS LOUD. League Night. Every lane full. Welles is
with his team in BOWLING SHIRTS. Welles hoists his ball,
preparing to bowl. He takes three steps, releases...

Down the lane, PINS SCATTER. One pin remains standing.

Welles balls up his fists and curses, walks back towards his
rowdy, mocking teammates. He shouts back at then, laughing,
grabbing his beer and drinking, waiting at the ball return.

INT. WELLES' HOUSE, KITCHEN -- FIGHT

Dinner. Welles and Amy eat at the kitchen table with Cindy
in a high chair. Any feeds Cindy between bites. welles is
still in his league shirt.

AMY
You think you'll have time for the
water heater this weekend?

WELLES
Sure. I'll call the guy.

AMY
You're not using the same guy who
tried to fix it?

WELLES
I'm not using him again for
anything. He was worthless.
(eating)
You have bridge here Saturday?

AKY
Betty's out of town so we're playing
next week.

welles nods, eating. He watches Any feed Cindy.
starts The PHONE RINGING. Welles goes to answer it.

WELLES
(into PHONE)
Hello. Yes could you hold on a
minute ?


(CONTINUED)
7.

Welles hands the phone to Amy, pats Cindy's head as he heads
downstairs, through the LIVING ROOM...

INT. WELLES' HOUSE, OFFICE -- NIGHT

Welles enters his well kept OFFICE, turns on a light at the
desk. The room is filled with FILE CABINETS and shelves of
BOOKS, hundreds of PHONE BOOKS and a COPY MACHINE. Welles
picks up the phone and cups the receiver.

WELLES
(shouts upstairs)
Okay, I've got it.
(into phone)
Hello... sorry, I was switching
phones. It's a pleasure to make
your acquaintance, Mrs. Christian.
(listens)
Yes. Yes, I understand...
evening should be fine...

Welles listens, clears space on his desk, taking notes.

EXT. CHRISTIAN COMPOUND -- DUSK

A huge OLD WORLD MANSION is situated at the center of acres
Of Pennsylvania forest and vast gardens. Welles, car heads
down a long tree lined drive, to the dark mansion.

INT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, HALLWAY -- NIGHT

Welles follows a BUTLER down a long hall.

INT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, LIBRARY -- NIGHT

The butler shows Welles in, shuts the door.
Towering SHELVES of BOOKS are serviced by ladders. Far
across the room, an old, sad woman, MRS. CHRISTIAN, sits
waiting with a tall, thin, sinister ghoul of a LAWYER.

MRS CHRISTIAN
Mister Welles. You're very prompt.

I try to be.

WELLES

Welles crosses towards them. It takes a while.

MRS CHRISTIAN
I appreciate your coming on such
short notice.

Mrs. Christian holds out her hand and welles takes it.

MRS CHRISTI7,2;
This is Mister Longdale, my late
husband's attorney.

(CONTINUED)
8.

Welles shakes Longdale's limp hand, looking him over.

WELLES
Uh huh, pleasure.

MRS CHRISTIAN
Apparently Mr Longdale has
something he ieels he sialy must
say before you and I spea .

LONGDALE
Yes, I do have something to say. I
insisted on being here as soon as I
heard Mrs. Christian contacted you.

WELLES
I'm listening.

LONGDALE
As Mr. Christian's attorney and one
of the executors of his estate, it
concerns me that a meeting of this
sort should take place without my
being asked to attend.

WELLES
Of what sort?

LONGDALE
You are a private investigator?

WELLES
That's right.

LONGDALE
Well, whatever reasons Mrs.
Christian has for engaging the
services of a private investigator,
I should certainly be a party to.
But, since she feels differently, I
can only go on the record as having
expressed my adamant disapproval.

MRS CHRISTIAN
Yes, how theatrical. So you've gone
on the record, and now perhaps you
should just be gone.

Longdale's irritated, but has no choice. He walks away.

MRS CHRISTIAN
Have a pleasant evening.
(to Welles)
Will you have tea, Mister Welles?

WELLES
Thank you.


(CONTINUED) 9.

Mrs. Christian begins pouring tea from the service on a
table. Welles watches Longdale exit.

WELLES
He抯 odd.



MRS CHRISTIAN
He's a lawyer.
(offers tea)
Please, sit, here...

Welles accepts a dainty tea cup and saucer, taking a seat.

MRS CHRISTIAN
I've spoken to friends of mine and
my husband's, in Harrisburg, in
Lancaster and Hershey. Asking about
you. I must sayl you have friends
in influential places.

WELLES
I've been privile ed Ito provide
services for peopye I admire.

MRS CHRISTIAN
You are highly recommended. Praised
for your discretion ... your strict
adherence to confidentiality.

Welles nods, sipping tea.

MRS CHRISTIAN
As you know, my husband passed away
recently. Two weeks ago now.

WELLES
My condolences.

MRS CHRISTIAN
His passing has left me with ...
something of a dilemma. A terrible,
terrible dilemma.

WELLES
I'll do whatever I can to help.

Mrs. Christian studies Welles.

INT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, MR CHRISTIAN'S OFFICE -- NIGHT

Mrs. Christian and Welles enter. This office has been lived
in for a lifetime. Giant DESK. AMERICAN FLAG. Walls
covered in old b w PHOTOGRAPHS and ACHIEVEMENTS. A large,
baked enamel sign nailed up, "CHRISTIAN STEEL."

MRS CHRISTIAN
His inner sanctum.

(CONTINUED
10.


Welles looks up at the OIL PAINTING over the fireplace: MR.
CHRISTIAN, a powerful, old man, posed with a dark, teeming,
industrial landscape behind him.

MRS CHRISTIAN
Not many people have been inside
this room.

Welles examines PHOTOS of Mr. Christian visiting various
STEEL PLANTS, COAL MINES and ground-breaking ceremonies,
shaking hands with WORKMEN, with POLITICIANS.

Pittsburgh?

WELLES

MRS CHRISTIAN
Mostly. That's where he started his
empire building.
(looks up at portrait)
He was a good man. Notorious as an
eccentric, but that was something he
cultivated. He wanted to be
legendary.

WELLES
He succeeded.

MRS CHRISTIAN
We were married forty-five years.
Hard even for me to imagine. We had
our troubles. There were plenty of
places for him to be other than
here, but he was always loyal to me,
and I to him. I loved him deeply.

Welles waits.

MRS CHRISTIAN
Do you carry a gun, Mr. Welles?

WELLES
I wear a gun when I can tell a
client expects me to. Other than
that, there's never any reason.

Just curious.

MRS CHRISTIAN

Mrs. Christian crosses to take down a PICTURE, revealing a
WALL SAFE. The safe is ajar, burnt and scarred, broken into.

MRS CHRISTIAN
My husband was the only one with the
combination to this safe. I knew
about it, but as far as I was
concerned it was none of nvy
business. Not till now, that is.

(CONTINUED)

11 .

WELLES
You hired someone to 0 en it. I'll
bet the lawyer loved tEat

MRS CHRISTIAN
There was nothing he could do. My
husband left everything to me.
(looks at safe)
I prevented anyone from seeing the
contents. I felt these were my
husband's private thin S. I
didn't ... I didn't reayize ...

WELLES
Do you want to tell me what you
found?

MRS CHRISTIAN
Cash, stock certificates, and this...

She takes something from her pocket, puts it on the desk: a
plastic bag containing a short 8MM FILM on a plastic reel.

MRS CHRISTIAN
It's a film... of a girl being
murdered.

WELLES
I'm afraid I don't ...

MRS CHRISTIAN
This is a movie showing a girl being
murdered. She's sitting on a bed,
and a man rapes her and he begins
to cut her with a knife
(pause)
I only watched what I could.

Welles picks up the film, looks at it.

MRS CHRISTIAN
I didn't know what to think. I
can't tell you how horrible it's
been, to know this belonged to my
husband. To know that he watched
this ... this atrocity. But, I can't
go to the police...

WELLES
Mrs. Christian ... please, will you
sit down a moment?
(leads her to a chair)
I want you to listen carefully.
What you're talking about is a
"snuff film." But, from what I
know, snuff films are a kind of ...
urban myth. Like, red light
district folklore. There's no such
thing, I can assure you.

(COI~TINUED)







12.

Mrs. Christian shakes her head.

WELLES
Please, believe me. This is
probably a stag film. Simulated
rape. Hard to stomach, and it might
seem real, but there are ways of
making it look realistic . .. fake
blood and special effects ...

No.

MRS CHRISTIAN

WELLES
If you were to study it you'd see
the camera cutting away you'd see
the tricks they can play

MRS CHRISTIAN
I'm telling you it's not that.

WELLES
I'm sure it is.
(smiles)
It's probably something your husband
was given as a bad joke. More than
likely he never even watched it.

MRS CHRISTIAN
Will you watch it and see for
yourself?

WELLES
of course. But, I'm certain it's
nothing to worry about.

INT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, DINING ROOM -- NIGHT

An 8MM PROJECTOR faces a wall. Welles looks back to Mrs.
Christian in the doorway. Mrs. Christian leaves, shuts the
door. Darkness. Welles turns on the projector and sits.
The PROJECTOR CLATTERS, shooting bright images...

ON THE WALL: FLASH FRAMES, over exposure, then... the grainy
FILM is HAND HELD, constantly in motion, showing a skinny
GIRL, 16 or 17, in a negli ee, sitting on a bed in a
nondescript room with littye furniture. Looks like a hotel
room. We only ever see three walls. The once beautiful
girl looks worn, drugged, dark circles under her eyes,
staring blankly. The CAMERA'S tungsten SPOTLIGHT casts
long, shifting shadows as the camera moves, but the girl
still stares oblivious. The bed is wrapped in PLASTIC and
DUCT TAPE. The floor is covered by PLASTIC SHEETING ...

Welles watches, crossing his arms, already uncomfortable.

ON THE WALL: a door opens behind the girl, looks like a
bathroom, and a MASKED M.P-N enters.

(CONTINUED)







13.

The Masked Man wears a garish, Mexican WRESTLING MASK with
eye holes and a mouth. The mask covers his entire head.
He's naked except for red shorts, his body scrawny, oiled,
pale. The man goes to stand in front of the girl. He seems
to be saying something to her, but the film is silent and
the ONLY SOUND is the PROJECTOR'S LOUD sprocket hole
CLATTER. It's all one long take. The CAMERA MOVES to favor
the girl ...

Welles sits straight in his chair, wary.

ON THE WALL: Masked Man raises his open hand and SLAPS the
girl, knocking her back on the bed...

Welles grimaces.

ON THE WALL: Masked Man,pulls the girl back to a seated
position. The girl's like a rag doll, face reddened, eyes
closed, but she remains upright. Masked Man uses his thumbs
to open her unseeing eyes. He touches her mouth with his
fingers, presses his lips to hers. Then, Masked Man backs
away, leaving frame, till the CAMERA MOVES to find Masked
Man standing at a table with THREE large BOWIE KNIFES laid
out. Masked Man runs his fingers over the blades...

Welles rises slowly, still watching.

ON THE WALL: Masked Man selects a huge Bowie knife and moves
back towards the girl...

Welles crosses his arms tight, disbelieving, fearful.
WE WILL NEVER SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN THE FILM, but Welles
does. In the flickering, reflected light, Welles backs
involuntarily away from the horrible images, holding his
fist to his mouth, breathing hard.

Welles keeps backing away, till he's backed against a wall.
The PROJECTOR'S CLATTERING. Welles is sickened, sweating,
still watching, till he finally shuts his eyes.

I NT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, ADJOINING ROOM -- NIGH1

Silence. Mrs. Christian sits waiting, troubled.
The door to the dining room opens and Welles enters from the
dark, visibly shaken. Mrs. Christian watches him, her
sorrow now shared.

WELLES
You... you need to go to the police.

MRS CHRISTIAN
I told you I can't, not. yet.

WELLF-c
You don't have any other cho-icc-.

(CONTI







14.

MRS CHRISTIAN
(stands, shakes her head)
No. For me to live with the ruin of
my husband's name, I need know that
whoever did this will be punished.
If you can find them, I will take
their names to the police. I'll say
my husband confessed on his death
bed. I'll say I didn't have courage
to come forward at first...

WELLES
It won't work like that.

MRS CHRISTIAN
A~y evidence you collect can be
given to the police later,
anonymously. I've thought about it
and there's no other way. If you
can't find them... if the only thing
that comes from this film is that
this is all my husband will be
remembered for, well I can't let
that happen. I'm telling you I
won't. If there's no chance that
poor girl's memory can be served,
then I'll just have to spend my last
days trying to forget her.

Welles sits, rests his head in his hands.

WELLES
I deal in divorce cases. Corporate
investigations ...

MRS CHRISTIAN
You've found missing persons before.

WELLES
Nothing remotely like this.

MRS CHRISTIAN
I know what I'm asking. Your
compensation will be appropriate to
the risk. You'll need cash to buy
information, and I'll provide it.
(pause)
I feel responsible, Mr. Welles.
(pause)
You saw what he did to her.

Welles stands, torn apart and uncertain,
dining room where the projector sits idly

INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BABY'S ROOM -- NIGHT

Cindy is sound asleep in her crib.
Welles is seated near, staring at his sleeping child










1~

15.

INT. WELLES, HOUSE, BEDROOM -- FIGHT

Welles digs incTiles of SHOEBOXES and BOOKS on the floor of
his cluttered oset, finds what he wants: a LOCK BOX.

INT. WELLES' HOUSE, KITCHEN -- NIGHT

Welles twists the lock box dial's combination, opens the box
to reveal his GUN, HOLSTER and CLEANING SUPPLIES. Welles
takes out the gun, cleaning it. Amy watches.

WELLES
This is the mortgage. This is
Cindy's college money.

I understand.

AMY

WELLES
Sometimes you can't know what I'm
doing. It's better that way.

I know.

AMY

WELLES
It's a missing persons case ... a
long shot. I'll give it two months,
two months at most, then I'll be
back. we'll take a vacation.

Why the gun?

AMY

WELLES
I'm not gonna need it. I won't even
wear it. It's a precaution.
(cleaning gun)
Don't worry about me.

INT. WELLES' HOUSE, OFFICE -- FIGHT

Welles looks through one file cabinet. He pulls out a FILE.
It contains all sorts of POLICE ARTIST SKETCHES. Welles
finds one of a TEENAGE GIRL with dark hair, looks at it.

Welles positions the sketch on his COPY MACHINE, hits copy,

EXT. WELLES' HOUSE, DRIVEWAY -- MORNING

Welles loads BOXES and a SUITCASE into his car's back seat.

Welles puts the lock box in the car's trunk, in a hiding
place beside the spare tire. He places a brown BRIEFCASE cn
top, covers them both with carpet. He closes the trunk.







16.

EXT. PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE -- MORNING

Little traffic. Welles? Ford races down the highway.

EXT. CLEVELAND CITYSCAPE -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY

City skyline, overcast. Looks like rain.

TITLE: Cleveland, Ohio

EXT. CLEVELAND STREETS -- DAY

Welles, car moves slowly in a not-so-great neighborhood.
Welles leans forward, peering through the windshield...

An APARTMENT BUILDING'S crooked SIGN lists t1WEEKLY RATES.If

INT. WELLES' ROOM, CLEVELAND -- DAY

Dingy room. Welles locks the door, puts the chain on. His
suitcase and boxes are on the bed. He begins unpacking,
taking a PHOTO ENLARGER from one box and an 8MM PROJECTOR.

INT. WELLES' ROOM, BATHROOM -- DAY

The developer's on the toilet. DEVELOPING PANS are on the
floor, developer bath, stop bath and fixing bath, with
BOTTLES of CHEMICALS and packages of PHOTO PAPER. Welles
uses tape and ALUMINUM FOIL to black-out a window.

INT. WELLES' ROOM -- DAY

Pizza box on the bedside table. Welles' suits hang in the
closet. Welles sits facing a small REEL TO REEL on a desk.
He wears white gloves, handles the 8MM FILM, careful to hold
it by the edges, holding it up to the light, squinting.

Welles puts in a magnifying EYEPIECE, leaning close ...

WELLES' P.O.V. THROUGH MAGNIFYING LENS: studying the first
few inches of exposed film, coming upon TINY LETTERS printed
just below the sprocket holes: 11SUPRAlux 544.11

INT. WELLES' ROOM, BATHROOM -- DAY

RED BULB in the light socket. Welles threads the 8MM FILM
into his enlarger, still in white gloves.

He flicks the enlarger on, projecting a sideways IMAGE down
onto the enlarger's baseboard, FOCUSING ... it's the girl
sitting on the bed, early in the snuff film.

Welles makes an adjustment to the enlarger's lens; framing
tighter on the girl's face, REFOCUSING.







IVT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT

17.

Welles comes out of the makeshift darkroom, holding a PHOTO
of the girl. He props the photo up on a dresser, stands
looking at it Sad girl, staring forward.

Welles goes to pick up his CELLULAR PHONE, dials.

WELLES
(into phone)
Hello, honey, it's me.
(listens)
I'm fine, how are you?

Welles listens. He turns to look at the girl's photo.

FADE TO BLACK:

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING, MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE -- DAY

Nondescript. "U.S. Resource Center for Missing Persons."

INT. MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE, OFFICES -- DAY

Small. Cubicles. Employees work phones and comTuters.
BULLETIN BOARDS are covered in FAMILY PHOTOS, Po aroids, and
familiar "HAVE YOU SEEN ME?" missing person/children POSTERS.

IN ONE CUBICLE, Welles opens his billfold, shows his
identification: a laminated "LICENSED INVESTIGATOR,
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania", with WELLES' PHOTO...

The DIRECTOR of the center, a tired looking official in
bifocals, studies the card. Welles sits.

DIRECTOR
What can I do for you, Mr. Welles?

Call me Torn.

WELLES

DIRECTOR
Alright, Tom.

WELLES
What I'd like, very simply, is
access to your archive. And, now I
understand this isn't something you
normally do for private citizens ...

DIRECTOR
There are reasons for the way we do
things here.

WELLES
Absolutely. Of course I'll abide by
whatever aecision you make, but I'd
appreciate if you'll hear me out....

(CONTINUED)







1--

is,

The director sits back in his chair.

WELLES
Few days ago, I was contacted by a
co ' uple living in Philadelphia, a
doctor and his wife. What hap ened
was they picked up a young girT
hitchhiking off 81, which heads into
Phi jheyw~tarted up a
convlely~a ion ith this girl, she
looked homeless, seemed about
eighteen maybe. They convinced her
to let them bn her a meal in the
citK. Nice kid , mature, didn't have
much to say, but they got a sense
she's a runaway, so all through
dinner the doctor's working on her,
trying to convince her that at the
vea Yeast she shouldipick up a
te e ghone. Not surpr singl , she
ate er food, excused herself...
(snaps fingers)
That's the last they saw her. The
reason they cane to me for.help, the
reason I'm coming to ou, is we had
a friend of mine in the department
work up a sketch...
(shows the POLICE ARTIST
SKETCH he photocopied)
They want to see if I can i.d. this
girl, somehow pass along a message
to let the parents know the kid's
alive, doing alright.

DIRECTOR
Why not go to the P.C.I.C. or
N.C.M.E.C.?

WELLES
I figured you share information.

We do.

DIRECTOR

WELLES
For whatever reasons I thought you
might be more receptive.

DIRECTOR
Why don't they come to me?

WELLES
This doctor and wife, they're nice
people, but they don't want to get
too involved.- They're not trying to
have the parents cone looking for
the girl either.
(more)

(CONTINUED)







19.

WELLES (cont)
You and I both know sometimes, not
often, but sometimes there's real
reasons why a kid,11 run.
Molestation, whatever. Besides
that, the girl's probably eighteen,
so she's legal.

DIRECTOR
I'm not so sure about this.

WELLES
TheQe utting themselves lace
of t is ~idls parents and t1haiJing
they'd want to hear their girl's
okay, even if that's all they hear.

DIRECTOR
I can give you my card, if your
clients want to call me ...

Welles accepts a CARD, disappointed.

WELLES
They were pretty clear they didn't
want this coming back on them.

DIRECTOR
Well, that's all I can do. Sorry.

Welles looks at the director, stands, hangs his head.

WELLES
who knows ... maybe she's already
given her parents a call, right?

Welles leaves.

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING, MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE -- DAY

Welles comes out the front doors, pissed.

Fuck -

WELLES

He tears the card in half and drops it as he heads for his
car. After a moment, the director comes out after him..

DIRECTOR
Excuse me ... Tom, hold on ...

Welles looks back, walks back, glances down ...
makes sure he stands on the torn card, hiding it underfoot.

DIRECTOR
Listen, maybe I can help after all.
Why don't you come on back in ...
we'll see what we can do.







20.

INT. MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY

Director leads Welles into this RESEARCH ROOM, a small
library with long tables, old COMPUTERS, lots of FILE
CABINETS and CARD CATALOGS. Secretaries tend to the files.

DIRECTOR
This is it. It's not much.
(points at computers)
We've got less than five percent on
computer and we lose that funding in
December. I'll have someone show it
to y?u anyway. Other than that, I'm
afraid it's the wet thumb method.

Welles looks to the many, many f ile drawers.

DIRECTOR
Files are mostly by state and year
of disa pearance. We try to keep
the chNdren and adults separate.
No eating or smoking in here, but
there's a coffee machine in the hall.

Any good?

WELLES

DIRECTOR
It's horrible, but it'll be your
best friend after a few days. I
hope you realize what kind of long
shot you're chasing after.

WELLES
You're gonna be seeing a lot of ne.
You're sure you don't mind?

DIRECTOR
It's good what you're doing.

The director puts out his hand. Welles looks, shakes.

INT. MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY -- MONTAGE

ON A COMPUTER SCREEN: files open and close -- PICTURE after
PICTURE of a MISSING CHILDREN, mostly teenagers, each with
physical description, age, date of disappearance, etc. Lost
souls, although these are posed portraits, high school
yearbook photos and vacation photos, so the --hildren are
mostly smiling, happy and healthy. But, all "MISSING."

Welles works the computer keyboard and mouse ...

ON THE SCREEN: the FACES of TEENAGERS, boys and girls, one
after the other, MISSINIG ... MISSING ... MISSING ...







INT. CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY -- DAY -- MONTAGE

Welles searches the SHELVES of the LIBRARY. He begins
taking down various books ...

"Motion Picture Photography-" I'Film Stocks and Physical
Characteristics." "Super 8 Filmmaking."

INT. CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY -- LATER -- MONTAGE

In Welles' notepad: 11SUPRAlux 544-11
welles sits paging through technical photography books.

INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE

21.

Welles has the 8MM FILM threaded through the prog~ctor. He
turns the CLATTERING projector on and sits, watc ing.

ON THE WALL: FLASH FRAMES, then... the skinny GIRL in a
negligee, sitting on the bed. The CAMERA'S SPOTLIGHT casts
long shadows. The girl stares, oblivious ...

ON THE WALL: a door opens behind the girl, looks like a
bathroom, and the MASKED MAN enters, wearing the ghastly
WRESTLING MASK. The man,goes to stand in front of the
girl. He seems to be saying something. The FILM halts.

welles sits forward, hand on the projector. He's seen
something. He PLAYS the FILM in REVERSE ...

-ON THE WALL: the Masked Man walks backwards, away from the
girl, backwards into the bathroom, door shutting...

Welles stops the projector, not taking his eyes from the
image. He ADVANCES the film FRAME BY FRAME ...

FRAME BY FRAME... as the bathroom door opens, and the Masked
Man enters... FRAME BY FRAME ... as the Masked Man moves
forward... door closing behind him... STOP...

FREEZE FRAME: a THIRD MAN is reflected in the bathroom
mirror. Grainy and blurred, but he's in the room with the
girl, standing there, captured in the mirror in this one
brief instant just before the bathroom door closes.

Welles walks to take a closer look, studying the almost
ethereal image of the Third Man.

EXT. CLEVELAND STREET CORNER -- DAY -- MONTAGE

Welles is in a PHONE BOOTH, feeds many quarters into the
phone, waiting, looking at his- notepad.

(CONTINUED)







22.

WELLES
(into PHONE)
Hello, Mrs. Christian? Tom Welles.
Here's where we stand. I checked
the film stock and it's called Su ra-
lux 544. The company that made t~at
stock discontinued it in 192
(listens)
Yeah, about five or six years ago.
Anywa , do what ou can to dig up
your Kusband's 0 Yd financial
records, look for anything out of
the ordinary

INT. MISSING PERSONS ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY -- MONTAGE

Welles is back at the computer, alone, drinking coffee
ON THE COMPUTER: endless PHOTOS of MISSING CHILDREN.
The PHONE CALL CONTINUES in VOICE OVER:

WELLES (V.O., cont)
nobody really uses eight millimeter
film anymore, so we can assume there
are reasons our guys did. First,
they could develop it themselves if
they had any sort of expertise.
obviously, this isn't the kind of
movie you can just drop off at the
one-hour photo...

INT. WELLES'

Welles just

ROOM -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE

stands, staring at the PHOTO of the GIRL.

WELLES (V.O., cont)
Second, the film that went through
the camera is what we've ciot.
There's no negative. Unlike video,
it wasn't meant to be duplicated.
No reason for then to risk having
more than one copy of their murder
floating around ...

INT. CLEVELAND BAR -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE

Local bar. Welles sits drinking with the archive's
director, talking, smiling at something the director said.

WELLES (V.O., cont)
There don't seen to be many
fingerprints on the film itself, but
I'm going to have to be careful to
leave then intact ...

INT - MISSING PERSON ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY -- MONTAGE

Welles is tired, unshaven. He's moved on to the physical
files, at one table, lookin~ through HUNDREDS of MISSING
PERSON BULLETINS. Secretaries tend to other files.
(CONTINUED)

WELLES (V-O-, cont)
It's okay for yours and your
husbands fingerprints to be on the
film, but you'll have to use me as
a middleman if you go to the police.
That way I don't have to explain why
my prints are on it...

INT. WELLES' ROOM -- DAY -- MONTAGE

Welles sits with the PROJECTOR ON, watching the film -again.

WELLES (V.0., cont)
There were three men. Two are
obvious; the man in the mask and the
man running the camera, but I caught
a.glimpse of a third man in a
mirror. It's nothing that can be
used for identification, but he was
there, watching...

ON THE WALL: Masked Man touches the girl's mouth, presses
his li~s to hers. Masked Man backs away, leaving frame,
till t e CAMERA MOVES to find Masked Man standing at a table
with THREE large BOWIE KNIFES laid out...

Welles notices something, puts the projector on FREEZE FRAME.

WELLES (V.0., cont)
So, there were three. They would
have kept it small, wouldn't have
let anyone in on it they didn't have
to. That's all for now ... exce t,
I feel I should tell ou ... witE
this looking like it Kappened at
least five or six years ago...

Welles walks to the frozen IMAGE on the wall. It shows the
Masked Man's hands in frame, fingering the blades.

WELLES (V.0., cont)
Well, it's not very likely we'll
ever find out who this girl was.
(listens)
I will, I'll keep trying. Goodbye.

V-0. PHONE CALL ends with the SOUND of the PHONE HANGING UP.

ON THE WALL: there's a DARK SPOT on Masked Man's hand, on
the arch between his index finger and thumb. Grainy and
hard to make out, but looks like a small TATTOO.

INT. WELLES ROOM, BATHROOM, -- NIGHT -- END MONTAGE

Welles has the 8MM FILM threaded into his photo enlarger,
projecting the IMAGE we just saw down onto the baseboard.

(CONTINUED)







24.

He re-frames, CLOSER ON the masked Man's hand, REFOCUSING...
the black s ot is a little clearer, looks like a small STAR
tattoo on t9e back of Masked Man's hand.

INT. MISSING-PERSONS ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY

Welles sits hunched over the card catalog, still unshaven,
drinking coffee, flipping through smaller PICTURES of
MISSING CHILDREN in one drawer, one by one by one ...

Welles rolls his neck. He looks to see the archivels.
director in the doorway. The director nods, leaving.
Welles gets back to it, stooped over the catalog.

FADE TO BLACK:

TITLE CARD:

three weeks later

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING, MISSING PERSON A.RCHIVE -- DAY

In the lot, Welles gets wearil from his car, smoking. He
tosses the cigarette, gets a TKermos off the front seat.

INT. MISSING PERSON ARCHIVE, FILE ROOM -- DAY

Welles pulls out a card catalog drawer labeled "North
Carolina 1992,11 flipping through picture cards. The FACES
of TEENAGERS: a happy BOY with blue eyes ... a red headed
GIRL with freckles ... a ruddy faced BOY ... a pretty GIRL
with a ribbon in her hair... a black GIRL in a pink dress ...
a blonde haired BOY with curly hair...

Welles furrows his brow.

He backtracks to the pretty GIRL with the ribbon in her hair.

Welles sits straight. He reaches into his pocket, hands
shaking a little, takes out and unfolds the PHOTO he printed
of the girl from the snuff film. it's her.

Welles compares the two pictures. She's prettier in the
card catalog photo, but it's her.

Welles can't believe it, looks around. Secretaries at other
files don't even know he's there. Welles pulls out his
notepad, scribbling down INFORMATION off the card...

Writing the girl's name: "Mary Anne Mathews."

EXT. INTERSTATE HIGHWAY -- NIGHT

welles, car races past, alone on the dark freewa,

EX7. FAYETTEVILLE CITYSCAPE -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY

Another small city.

Blue skies above.

TITLE: Fayetteville, North Carolina

EXT. PUBLIC LIBRARY -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY

25.

Suburban library. Kids play hop-scotch in the parking lot.

INT. FAYETTEVILLE LIBRARY, MICROFICHE ROOM -- DAY

Welles works the MICROFICHE MACHINE, scrolling throu h old
issues of the LOCAL NEWSPAPER, finds an ARTICLE headyined
"Search Continues for Local Teen. 11

There's a PICTURE of the GIRL, Mary Anne Mathews; the same
picture Welles found in the Missing Person Archive.
Welles reads the article, writing on a LEGAL PAD.

TIME CUT:

NEWSPRINT SCROLLS past on the MICROFICHE MACHINE, till..
"No Leads in Girlis Disappearance." Same picture.
The date at the top: "July 12, 1992. 11

TIME CUT:

NEWSPRINT BLURS past... stops on a page of OBITUARIES.
Top of the page: "September 4, 1993. 11

CLOSE ON: "Mathews, Robert Steven, 1948-1993. 11
"Dead in an apparent suicide, Robert Mathews was discovered
yesterday morning in the basement of ... 11

EXT. MATHEWS HOUSE, FAYETTEVILLE SUBURB -- DAY

A tree-lined street of poor, boxy homes. Welles' car parks
in front of one HOUSE with a neglected lawn.

IV THE CAR

Welles, clean shaven, picks a CLIPBOARD with a file folder
and his legal pad on it, thumbs pages. He drums his
fingers, opens the glove compartment, pulls out the car's
registration, other papers and "Jiffy-Lubell service reports,
uses them to pad the file.

Welles takes a BOTTLE of COLOGNE from his pocket. He
considers it, opens the bottle, applies cologne to his neck.

EXT. MATHEWS HOUSE, FRONT PORCH -- DAY

Welles knocks, clipboard in hand. A sad, middle-aged woman
answers, MRS. MATHEWS, looking through the screen door.

Yes ... ?

MRS MATHEWS

WELLES
(smiles)
Hello, Mrs. Mathews, nv name's
Thomas Jones, 11r. a state licensed
investigator ...


26.

Welles holds up his identification only long enough for Mrs.
Mathews to see it looks official.

WELLES
Ive been hired as an independent
contractor by the U.S. Resource
Center for Missin Persons as part
of an internal auLt. If you have
aa time over the next few days, I'd
li e to make an appointment to ask
some questions about the
disappearance of your daughter.

MRS MATHEWS
I don't understand, who are... ?

WELLES
I'm sorry, let me explain, the
R.C.M.P. is a support organization
and archive, not unlike the Center
for Missing and Exploited Children
in Washington. I'm sure you've
dealt with them before?

Yes, but ...

MRS MATHEWS

WELLES
These volunteer organizations are
sort of interconnected, functioning
hand in hand with law enforcement.
The R.C.M.P. brought me in to review
their investigations ...
(holds up clipboard)
fact-check their records, see if
there's anKthing they missed,
anything t ey should be doing
different. I'm here for a few days,
before I head back up to virqinia.
These reports go to the Justice
Department eventually. I spoke to
your F.B.I. contact a few days ago,
uh ...

Welles pretends to look for the name on a Jiffy Lube page.

Neil ...

WELLES
What was the name..
here somewhere ...

MRS MATHEWS
Neil Cole.

I I ve got it

WELLES
(pretends he found it)
Right, Agent Cole told me held call
~- me
and let you know to expect me He
didn't call?



MRS MATHEWS
no

WELLES
(looking on legal pad)
Well, I'm following up on your
daughter, Mary, height; five four,
weight; hundred ten pounds, brown
eyes, blonde hair. Born April 24,
1976. Missing June 11th, 1992. A
runaway, that's how she's listed.
Is this information correct... ?

Mrs. Mathews stares, nods.

WELLES
I'm sorry, I know this isn't easy.
Is there a more convenient time
(looks at watch)
Can I buy you lunch, would that be
alright?

Mrs. Mathews looks him up and down.

EXT. DAIRY QUEEN RESTAURANT -- DAY

Welles and Mrs. Mathews eat at a PICNIC TABLE on the patio.

WELLES
It's very important you don't let
this raise your expectations. It's
not going to effect any ongoin
efforts. All I'm saying is, p?easr=
know, I'm not here to create any
false hope.

MRS MATHEWS
They hired you. You're like, a
private detective?

WELLES
That's exactly what I am.

Mrs. Mathews chews, staring off into the distance.

MRS MATHEWS
I didn't think there were private
detectives anymore, except on TV.

WELLES
You probably expect me to be wearing
a trench coat and a hat. Drinking
whiskey, chasing women and getting
beaten up by guys with broken noses.
Want to know what it's really like?
(more)


Mrs. Mathews nods



WELLES (cont)
It's sittin~ in a car and staring at
a hotel win ow for three days
straight, pissing in a plastic
bottle, pardon me, because some.guy
thinks his wife's cheating on him.
Glamorous, huh? And the_ y who
hired you, he has a hair luipt
dandruff and crooked teeth, and you
could have told him the minute you
laid eyes on him his wife's
cheating, and you don't blame her.

smiles.

WELLES
It's refreshing to actually sit down
and meet someone face to face,
someone nice like you.

Welles smiles. Mrs Mathews takes out a cigarette. Welles
lights her, joins her in smoking, refers to his clipboard.

WELLES
So, she didn't leave a note? She
never gave any indication where she
might go, before she left?

No.

MRS MATHEWS

WELLES
She just seemed... depressed.

MRS MATHEWS
She didn't seem herself. For months
there never was any way to get her
to talk about it. one night we went
to bed ... the next morning she was
gone. She took some clothes.

WELLES
What was she running from?

I don't know.

MRS MATHEWS

WELLES
if there's anythinq you feel
uncomfortable talking about, tell
me, but I have to ask. Your
husband ... he committed suicide?

MRS MATHEWS

WELLES
September 4th ' 1993. About a year
after Mary disappeare,-3.

MRS MATHEWS
We were divorced by then. Things
fell apart ... he was living with a
friend...

WELLES
Why do you think he did it?

MRS MATHEWS
It got to be too much for him.

WELLES
You have to forgive me, but in these
circumstances... with your
daughter...
(pause)
Were there any
sort of abuse?

indications of ... any

MRS MATHEWS
There wasn't anything like that.
The police and the FBI peo le asked,
but there wasn't anything Kappened
like that, never. My husband... his
heart broke when Mar-y left ...

WELLES
I didn't mean to...

MRS MATHEWS
You try going through what we did.
Bob couldn't take it, that's all.
Christ, there's times when it still
seems like I can't either.

WELLES
I had to ask. I apologize.

MRS MATHEWS
No one knows what it's like. You
can't even imagine how much it hurts.

Welles is miserable. A few CUSTOMERS walk past, looking at
Mrs. Mathews. She tries not to notice then noticing.

MRS MATHEWS
People remember me fron, the news.
(pause)
Can you drive me back now?

of course.

WELLES

INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, MARY'S ROO!,: -- DAY

Mrs. Mathews enters. Welles follows.

(CONTINUED)







30.

This was the girl's room, exactly as she left it -- POSTERS
of ACTORS on the wall, many STUFFED ANIMALS on the pink
sheets of the carefully made bed. Perfectly preserved.

This is her room.

MRS MATHEWS

Welles looks around, uncomfortable.
Shelves have PICTURES of MARY with female friends, a
collection of CERAMIC FIGURINES of CLOWNS and ANIMALS.

MRS MATHEWS
The police made a wreck of it, but
I put it back exactly how it was.
Just how she likes it.

Welles takes a few steps into the room, looks down at a DESK
where there are SIX brightly wrapped GIFTS.

MRS MATHEWS
Those are for her birthday. one for
every year she's missed. They'll be
waiting for her when she comes back.

Welles is nearly overwhelmed b~ sadness, struggling to hide
it. He backs to the door, loo s at his watch

WELLES
I ... I shouldn't take anymore of
your time. Maybe we can finish
tomorrow. I'll call tomorrow ...

okay.

EXT. MATHEWS HOUSE -- DAY

MRS MATHEWS

Welles escapes to his car, climbing in. He starts it up...

IN THE CAR

Welles drives, tears welling up in his eyes. He has to pull
over and park, wiping his tears, fighting for composure.

IFT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT

welles has unpacked. He's on the bed, on his CELLULAR...

WELLES
(into phone)
You should be able to take a shower
and still have hot water left, honey.
(listens)
Call him back and tell hir I said
SO. The goddaLmn thing's still under
warranty.
(more)

(CONTINUED';







31.

WELLES (cont)
(listens)
I'm okay. It's hard here. It's
hard.
(listens)
I've got a lead I have to follow
through. To be honest, I don't
think I'm going to get very far.
I miss you. I love you.

INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, KITCHEN -- MORNING

Welles sits at the kitchen table. Mrs. Mathews makes
coffee. The home's decor is cheap and flowery.

MRS MATHEWS
We weren't religious. We never
forced religion down her throat,
like I've seen some parents do to
their kids. we never made her go to
church. But, after Mary was gone,
that's when I got religious.

Mrs. Mathews brings two cups of coffee, sits.

MRS MATHEWS
Doesn't make much sense, does it?
When everything's happy, when life's
fine andjou have every reason to
believe ere's a God, you don't
bother. Then, something horrible
happens... that's when you start
praying all the time. That's when
you start going to church.

WELLES
We're all like that.

MRS MATHEWS
Are you religious?

No.

WELLES

MRS MATHEWS
You should be.

Mrs. Mathews drinks coffee, stares into the cup.

WELLES
I've got what I need for my report.
There is ... there is one thing that
bothers me though.

What?

MRS MATHEWS

(CONTINUED)







WELLES
It I s not really my place, but it I s
not easy for me to set aside the
private detectivejart of me either.
Se.e, I know a lit e about missing
persons. When kids run, they almost
always leave a note. It's guilt.
They want to say goodbye.

MRS MATHEWS
There wasn't one. The police looked.

WELLES
Do you think the police did a good
job?

MRS MATHEWS
I don't know. I think so.

WELLES
It is possible ... and I know this
isn't something you want to hear.
Your daughter may have tried to hide
a note where she thought you would
eventually find it, but where she
knew your husband would never find
it. She might have wanted to tell
you something...

MRS MATHEWS
No. You don't have any reason to
think that ...

WELLES
If the police focused their search
in her room, bgj belongings, well
that'd be onl natural, but they may
have been looking in the wrong place.

Mrs. Mathews is getting upset.

MRS MATHEWS
How... how can you say that to me...

WELLES
Will you let me look?

MRS MATHEWS
My husband never laid a hand on her.
She would have told me ... she would
have told me ...

WELLES
You're probably right, and I
probably won't find anything.
(more)

32.

(CONTINUED)







33.

WELLES (cont)
I don't have a right to ask this,
and you can kick me out of your
house if you want, but this is my
prof ession and there I s aj~rt of me
that can't let it go. P ice are
just as human as you or I. They
could have missed something. They
probably didn't.
(pause)
wouldn't you rather know'-'

Mrs Mathews thinks about it, tortured, shakes her head sadly.

MRS MATHEWS
Go ahead and look if you want. I
don't care what you do.

Mrs. Mathews gets up and walks out of the room.

INT. MATHEWS HOUSE -- SEARCH MONTAGE -- DAY

-In MRS. MATHEWS' BEDROOM, Welles looks through DRESSER
drawers, methodically, replacing everything as it was ...
searches hat boxes and shoe boxes in a CLOSET... takes
BOOKS off SHELVES, fanning the pages, shaking them out ...

-in a BATHROOM, Welles examines the contents of a MEDICINE
CABINET, examining old prescription bottles ... opens
CABINETS under the sink...

-In the LIVING ROOM, Mrs. Mathews sits slumped in a chair,
staring at a soap opera on TELEVISION, a BOTTLE of scotch
on TV tray beside her, drink in hand.

-In the KITCHEN, Welles stands on a chair, searches high
CABINETS ... looks through low CABINETS, on his knees, pulls
out pots and pans... fans the pages of COOK BOOKS ...

-Welles stands in the doorvay of MARY'S ROOM, just stares.
He takes a few steps back into the HALLWAY, looks up at the
ceiling. There's an ATTIC DOOR there. Welles reaches to
the door's handle, opens it, unfolds the portable stairs ...

-In the small ATTIC, Welles uses a penlight FLASHLIGHT,
crouched under the low ceiling, looking through dusty BOXES
of PHOTOGRAPHS; old photos of a wedding, of grandparents ...
Welles moves to pull back dusty sheets, finds a large
WICKER BASKET and broken BICYCLE underneath...

Welles opens the basket, takes out BLANKETS and QUILTS
in mothballs. He finds a wide VELVET BOX, takes it out,
opens its hinged lid to reveal a set of good SILVERWARE.
He touches the tarnished silverware, lifts out the top tray.
Underneath, resting on top of more silverware, is a DIARY.

Welles opens the DIARY, finds written: "Mary Anne Mathews-"

(CONTINUED)







34.

Welles turns P~ges- The DIARY'S about half-full of
feminine, cursive handwriting. After the last written
page, a PAGE has been TORN OUT. Welles fingers the ragged
edge, flips through the blank pages till he comes to the
very last page, a GOODBYE NOTE. Welles sits and reads...

MARY'S VOICE (V.0.)
(emotionless monotone)
"Dear mom. if you're reading this,
it means I called y?u from
Hollywood, California and told you
where to find my diary. I don't
think I'll be able to tell you this
when I talk to you, so I'm writing
it down here. You know I haven't
been happy for a long, long time.
For a long time now dad's been doing
things I couldn't tell you. He's
been touching me and it's getting
worse. I can't stay anymore. I
know you and I haven't always gotten
along sometimes, but please don't
blame yourself. There isn't
anything you can do. I'm going to
make a whole new life in California.
~aybe someday you'll see me on TV or
in magazines. Don't worry about me.
Love, Mary Anne."

INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, HALLWAY OUTSIDE KARY'S ROOM -- DAY

Welles shuts the attic door, takes the DIARY from his
pocket, hides it in his waistband at the small of his back.

INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, LIVING ROOM -- DAY

Welles enters. Mrs. Mathews looks up from the TV.

WELLES
You were right.
(pause)
I didn1t find anything. I'm going
to run and get something to eat.
Are you hungry?

Yes.

INT. COPY SHOP -- LATE DAY

MRS MATHEWS

Welles uses a self-serve COPY MACHINE, flattening the DIARY
on the glass, photocopying the DIARY as quickly as he can.

1117T. MATHEWS HOUSE, LIVING ROON, -- NIGHT

Welles sits picking at fast food in front of him. Mrs.
..Mathews' food isn't even unwrapped.

(CONTINUED'),







I----

35.

She's numb from her drink, watching a GAME SHOW, smoking.

WELLES
Do ou ever consider do ..-ou
re-aTize that Mary may never . come
back?

Mrs. Mathews looks to welles, looks back at the TV.

MRS MATHEWS
I think about it every4ay. But,
ever time the phone rings... every
single time, I still think it's her.

WELLES
It's been six years.

MRS MATHEWS
What am I supposed to do? Forget
her? Time heals all wounds, right?
(misery ~uilding)
She's all I think about, and I've
learned to live with that. But, you
want the truth... the real truth?
If I had a choice... if I had to
choose, between her being out there,
living a good life and being happy,
and me not knowing; never finding
out what happened to her...
(pause).
or her being dead and me
knowing...
(pause)
I'd choose to know.

Mrs. Mathews stares into the TV, wipes tears.
Welles takes a deep breath and holds it. He watches her a
long moment, motionless. Finally he stands, voice unsteady.

WELLES
Excuse me, I have to use your
bathroom.

INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, HALLWAY OUTSIDE MARY'S ROOM -- NIGHT

Welles comes to the attic door, quietly pulls it open

INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, ATTIC -- NIGHT

Welles uses his penlight, digs out the DIARY from the hiding
place in his waistband, replaces it in the box of
silver-ware, closes the box.

INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, MARY'S ROOM -- NIGHT.,

Welles enters, takes a PICTURE FRAME off one shelf, opens
the back and takes out the PHOTO of KARY fror, inside.







36.

INT. MATHEWS HOUSE, LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT

Mrs. Mathews still gazes into the TV. Welles passes the
doorway, not looking in, heading to the front door, opening
the door and walking out...

Mrs. Mathews doesn't even notice, doesn't look up.

EXT. MATHEWS HOUSE -- NIGHT

Welles crosses the front lawn, not looking back, heading to
the street, getting into his car, starting his car, doing a
u-turn, driving away down the street.

EXT. FAYETTEVILLE AIRPORT, LONG TERM PARKING -- MORNING

Welles, boxes of belongings are pi 1 ed in the back seat of
his car. Welles covers them with a blanket, shuts the door.

Welles opens the trunk of his car, pulls back the carpeting.
He opens the brown BRIEFCASE. The briefcase is full of
CASH, about $10,000, twenties and.fifties in bundles.

Welles transfers half the money into a carry-on bag, shuts
the briefcase, covers it, closes the trunk.

INT. AIRPLANE, COACH -- FIGHT -- MONTAGE

The cabin's half-full, dark. Passengers sleep. Under the
only illuminated reading light, Welles reads the PHOTOCOPIED
DIARY. MARY'S VOICE is a again a flat monotone ...

MARY'S VOICE (V.0.)
(as Welles reads)
"Dear diary. I have a big math test
tomorrow. I have to get better
grades. How come everybody does
better than me? Kathy doesn't even
study and she gets B's. Two boys
got in a fight after school today.
one boy knocked the other boy's
tooth out, at least that's what it
looked like. His nose and mouth
were bleeding all over the place ...

EXT. LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- MORNING -- MONTAGE

An airplane ROARS downwards, heading in for a landing.

EXT. LA CITYSCAPE -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY -- MONTAGE

An ugly city. "HOLLYWOOD" sign on the smoggy horizon.

EXT. HOLLYWOOD HOTEL -- DAY -- MONTAGE

A cheap, stucco hotel in a wounded Hollywood neighborhood.







37.

INT. HOLLYWOOD HOTEL -- DAY -- MONTAGE

welles' suitcase is open on the bed. Welles sits in a chair
with his feet up, sweating in the heat, reading the DIARY.*

MARY'S VOICE (V.0.)
(as Welles reads)
... We're reading The Great Gatsby
in English class. It's the story of
this guy who has lots of fancy
parties and all his friends come
around and parg with him, but later
when he dies no ody comes to his
funeral. Someone said there's a
movie about it, but I looked in the
video store and it wasn't there."

Welles flips pages, further back in the DIARY..

MARY I S VO ICE (V. 0.
(as Welles reads)
De.", diary. I started my first ~ob
last week working part time at Price
Mart department store ... 11

INT. LOS ANGELES BANK, SAFE DEPOSIT VAULT -- DAY -- MONTAGE

Welles and a BANK EMPLOYEE both put keys into a SAFE DEPOSIT
BOX, unlocking it and sliding out the metal drawer.

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
... The people I work with are all
old and fat. All they live for is
their next coffee break so they can
smoke ... 11

INT. BANK, PRIVACY BOOTH -- DAY -- MONTAGE

Welles is alone, o ens the empty safe deposit drawer, takes
the 8MY4 FILM from Eis pocket and puts it in the drawer.

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
They eat lunch at the snack
counter. Hot dogs and soft
pretzels. Nachos with that orange
cheese that comes out of a pump. I
don't know what I'd do if I'm still
working there when I get old ... 11

EXT. YOUTH HOSTEL -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY -- MONTAGE

A large NEON CROSS identifies this HOSTEL in mid-Hollywood.

11 MARY'S VOICE (V.0., cont)
... I want to be a singer or an
actress. I know it's a stupid
dream, but I know I can do it if I
get a chance ... 11







38.

INT. YOUTH HOSTEL -- DAY -- MONTAGE

Welles talks to the MAN behind the counter, shows the
PICTURE of MARY taken from Mrs. Mathews' house.

I~WYIS VOICE (V.O., cont)
... Everyone's always telling me
how pretty I am. I don't think I
am. When I look in the mirror I
wonder who they're talking about-"

The MAN behind the counter shakes his head.

INT. HOMELESS SHELTER -- DAY -- MONTAGE

A run-down shelter. Welles shows the PICTURE of MARY to the
PROPRIETOR, explaining. The proprietor shakes his head.

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
"Dear diary. I went out with Bob
today, the cute boy in my science
class. He took me to a movie... 11

EXT. YWCA, LIVING QUARTERS -- DAY -- MONTAGE

Welles continues his trek, standing in the dank hallway of
a YWCA DORMITORY, showing the PICTURE to a COUNSELOR.

11 MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
... It was the middle of the day,
but we held hands. I think he likes
me. I really like him. He has
black hair and grey eyes ... 11

EXT. LA FREEWAY -- DUSK -- MONTAGE

Welles sits in his rental CAR, in a massive TRAFFIC JA~!.

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
... He opened the car door for me
and paid for the movie. When he
took me home he said we should go
out again soon. I hope he calls.,,

EXT. HOLLYWOOD, RED LIGHT DISTRICT -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE

Welles drives, look-*ng out the windshield...
at decaying "PEEP SHOWS," an "ADULT BOOKSHOP" and "SEX SHOP."

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
"Dear diar-y. Janet says she slept
with her boyfriend. I can't believe
it. She says they did it last
weekend while her parents were out
of town ... 11







39.

EXT. HOLLYWOOD, SUNSET BOULEVARD -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE

Welles drives, watching overweight PROSTITUTES and tall, ,
muscular TRANSVESTITES prowling the sidewalks in mini-skirts
and stained, tight spandex pants.

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
... She said she liked it, but she
didn't seem too hmy. She didn't
tell me many detai s. She said he
used a condom."

EXT. SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE

Teenaged MALE PROSTITUTES hang out in front of a PIZZA
PARLOR. A few have their shirts off, crewcut and muscular.

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
"Dear diary. If I save enough money
to go to community college maybe I
canoyets?ood enough grades for a
sch ar ip somewhere else ... 11

EXT. HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD -- DAY -- MONTAGE

A tribe of HOMELESS TEENAGERS sits on the sidewalk in front
of SOUVENIR SHOPS. They beg money off pedestrians.

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
... I've never been anywhere else.
I don't think mom wants to let me
qo. Every time I try to talk about
it she says it'll cost too much or
she changes the subject.11

EXT. CHURCH, SOUP KITCHEN -- DAY -- MONTAGE

A long line of HOMELESS PERSONS trails out the door. Welles
stands out front, showing the PICTURE to a VOLUNTEER with a
broom, and a PRIEST...

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
"Dear diary. Something terrible
happened today when dad and I were
alone. I can't tell anyone. I feel
sick. What did I ever do to make
this happen to me?"

The volunteer and priest can't help. Welles is weary,
futility beginning to wear on him, walks to his car ...

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
"Dear diary. My stomach hurts all
the time. I just want to go to
sleep and never wake up. I want to
get out of my head and stop hearing
myself think."







40.

INT. WELLES I RENTAL CAR -- IN MOTION -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE

Welles smokes, driving, blankly watching the road ahead...

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
"Dear diary. Grandma fell and broke
her leg last week. We drove down to
visit her in the hospital.
Hospitals smell like dead people-"

EXT. FREEWAY -- HELICOPTER SHOT -- NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS

FOLLOW Welles' car speeding along...

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
"Dear diary. It:s hap ening all the
time now. There s notEing I can do.
I'm all alone Everything is bad.
I used to hav~ lots of dreams and
I'd remember them when I woke up,
but that doesn't happen anymore.11

PULL BACK: still FOLLOWING WELLES' CAR, over the FREEWAY...

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
"Dear diary. If I can get to
California, I'll be ok%. I've got
money saved. I can wor as a
waitress till I get something
better. Billy sa s he and his
family went to CaTifornia once on
vacation. He says it never rains.
They stayed near the beach and he
went swimming in the ocean ... 11

CONTINUE TO PULL BACK -- till welles' car is very, very far
below -- REVEALING the staggering size of the City of Los
Angeles, where the lights go on forever and forever.

INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE

Welles is seated, elbows on his knees, reading the DIARY...

MARY'S VOICE (V.O., cont)
I hope I can be an actress. I
hope I can be happy. I'll probably
have to go to acting school. I wish
I knew someone who lived there.
I'll miss my friends, but at least
I'll be far away where no one can
ever find me."

Welles has come to the end of the writing in the DIARY. The
next PHOTOCOPIED PAGE shows an imace of the TORN RAGGED EDGE
of the diar-y's missing page.







11~

W

EXT.' VIDEO PORN SHOP -- DAY

Welles enters this "ADULT VIDEO" storefront.

INT. VIDEO PORN SHOP -- DAY

41.

The CLERK is a sleazy forty- ear-old man with rings in his
pierced nose and lips, behM a counter by the door. He
watches Welles pass.

Welles looks around, uncomfortable. A few of the other
CUSTOMERS, all men, sneak glances at Welles. Display
shelves run floor to ceiling, full of hundreds of shrink-
wrapped XXX PORNO TAPES. Welles pretends to browse.

Handmade signs above each section identify content: "ANAL,"
'BIG TITS," 11CUMSHOTS,11 "BONDAGE and FETISH," etc ...

Welles looks back at the clerk, who stares at Welles.
Welles feels obligated to pick up a box and act like he's
considering it. He glances at other customers.

Each man keeps his eyes forward on the pornography. one guy
has his arms full of about ten videos.

Welles puts the tape back, walks to the front counter. The
clerk watches him the whole time.

WELLES
Is this pretty much it?

The clerk just stares at Welles.

WELLES
Just ... just videos?

PIERCED CLERK
What are you looking for?

Welles considers, decides to leave, exiting...

Nothing.

Fuck-head.

INT. ADULT BOOKSTORE -- DAY

WELLES

PIERCED CLERK

Welles comes in through the blacked-out door. This place is
larger than the last. TWO CLERKS are behind the counter.
one clerk's pricing porn, the other, MAX, 25, reads a porno-
novel. Max has long hair, colorful tattoos covering his
forearms, has a HIGHLIGHTER MARKER in his mouth.

Welles browses. There's a huge video bargain bin. Walls
are covered in videos, sex toys, inflatable women, etc.








(CONTINUED)







42.

CUSTOMERS, again all wary males, followjroper porn-shop
etiquette; look at the porn, not your f low shopper.

There are "PEEP SHOW" booths in the back. A MAN looks
around, trying to be nonchalant, sweating profusely,
slipping behind one curtain.

Welles pretends to read the packaging on a triple-pack of
dildos, looks towards the front ...

Behind the register, Max takes a look to make sure the other
clerk is busy, takes the cap of his Highlighter pen and
highlights a section in the book he's reading.

Welles notes this. He goes to the substantial MAGAZINE
RACK, picks up a porn tabloid,jages through it. He selects
sex MAGAZINES and NEWSPAPERS, oosing about twenty-five.

Welles takes this pile up to Max, gets out his wallet. Max
starts ringing everything up.

MAX
Big date tonight?

WELLES
(embarrassed)
Yeah... guess so.

MAX
Can I interest you in a battery
operated-vagina?

Pardon me?

WELLES

MAX
My boss tells me I have to do more
suggestive selling.

WELLES
Well, it's tempting, but no thanks.

MAX
It's your call, but you're gonna be
sorry when you're in one of those
everyday situations that call for a
batte operated vagina and you
donltla've one.

I'll risk it.

WELLES

Max shoves everything into a bag and hands it over

MAX
Thank you for shopping at Adult
Bookstore. Have a nice day.

(CONTINUED)







43.

welles takes the bag. Max returns to his book. Welles is
leaving, but stops at the end of the counter.

WELLES
What are you reading?

Max holds up the book, "ANAL SECRETARY."

MAX
once you pick it up you can't put it
down.

WELLES
Catchy title. What are you really
reading?
(off Max's look)
Hard to believe that book's got any
parts worth highlighting.

Max takes a glance at the other clerk, opens the pages of
the book and shows it to Welles. "Music for Chameleons.11

WELLES
Truman Capote.

MAX
I tear off the cover and paste this
one on...
(nods towards clerk)
You know how it is.

WELLES
Wouldn't want to embarrass yourself
in front of your fellow perverts.

MAX
(smiles, shrugs)
Might get drummed out of the
pornograEher's union, and then where
would I e?

Another CUSTOMER clears his throat, waiting at the register.
Max turns to help him. Welles heads out.

INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT

Welles is at a table, porn publications spread out before
him, looking through the back of a PORNO TABLOID ...

Turning pages of HARDCORE ADVERTISEMENTS: "Adults Only,"
"She Male Films," "Amateur Sex Videos," "Women and
Animals - you've got to see it to believe it ... 11

Welles moves on to the next MAGAZINE, turning to the back,
again, page after page: "Watersports and Fisting
Specialists," 11100's of Anal Films," "Asian Sex...

(CONTINUED)







I-,

44.

HUNDREDS of 900 NUMBER ads with naked women urgin callers
to pick u the phone. EROTIC CLASSIFIEDS; hundregs of
amateur p~otos of naked men and women with faces and
genitalia blacked over... "Men Seeking Women," "Women
Seeking Women,tl "Men Seeking Men," "Transvestites ... 11

It is endless. More CLASSIFIEDS: "Sex Slaves Wanted,"
"ACTRESSES WANTED," "Underground Films," "SPECIALTY FILMS
OFFERED, 11 11S M and BONDAGE, 11 "Fetish Videos - 11

welles leaves it, overwhelmed, goes to lay down on the bed.
He picks up his cellular phone, dialing.

WELLES
Hi, ho (into h phone)
ney., ow are
(listens)
The way it's going I'm about ready
to pack my bags ...

you? How's Cindy?

INT. NONDESCRIPT ROOM -- NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS

in a dark room, we don't know where, a DARK FIGURE of a MAN
is silhouetted. He wears HEADPHONES, listening...

WELLES' VOICE (V.0.)
(through headphones)
I've got a feeling the person
i.,m- looking for came out here and
got swallowed up by the place.

AMY'S VOICE (V.0.)
(through headphone)
Come back now. Just drop it and
come back...

WELLES' VOICE (V.0.)
(through headphone)
I would if I could. I'll be home
soon, believe me. It won't be long.

AMY'S VOICE (V.0.)
(through headphone)
I miss you.

INT. WELLES ROOM -- NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS

welles shuts his eyes, still on the cellular...

WELLES
(into phone)
I miss YOU too. I love you very
much. Give Cinderella a kiss for me
and tell her I love her, alright?
(listens)
Goodnight.







INT. ADULT BOOKSTORE -- DAY

45.

Max is at the register. A crewcut WOMAN in overalls works
behind the counter with him. Welles approaches.

Remember me?

WELLES

MAX
Came back for that battery-operated
vagina, right? Told you you would.

Welles shows his IDENTIFICATION, lets Max get a good look.

WELLES
I need some information. Thought
you'might be able to help.

MAX
(of identification)
Thomas Welles. Nice picture.

Welles takes out an EITVELOPE, puts it on the counter.

WELLES
I'll be outside having a cigarette.

Welles leaves. Max watches him go. Max opens the envelope,
takes out two fifty dollar bills, pockets them.

MAX
(to other clerk)
Cover me, Beth. I'm taking a break.

EXT. ADULT BOOKSTORE -- DAY

Welles stands down the sidewalk, smoking. Max comes out
from the porn shop, walks to welles, looking around.

MAX
I don't know what you're looking
for, mister, but so we're clear from
the start, I'm straight.

WELLES
Good for you.

Welles and Max walk down the block, past HOMELESS MEN with
shopping carts overflowing with junk.

WELLES
How long you been working there?

MAY.
Three, four years.

WELLES
What's your nane, if you don't m~nd
me asking?

(CONTINUED)







46.

Max.

MAX

WELLES
Well, here's the deal, Max. This
thing I'm on right now has something
to do with underground pornography.
Stuff that's sold under the counter,
illegally...

MAX
There's not much illegal.

WELLES
Well, whatever there is, whoever's
dealing, however it's done, I want
to know. I want a good look, so if
you've got that kind of connection,
great. If not, speak now.

MAX
You're not a cop, are you? If I ask
and you are, you have to tell me

WELLES
I'm not a cop.

MAX
You're a private eye. Like Shaft.

Vot quite.

WELLES

MAX
From Pennsylvania. P.I. from PA.
What are you doing out here?

WELLES
Well, there's the thing; you're not
gonna know anything about what I'm
doing, but you can make some money.

How much?

MAX

WELLES
How much do you make now?

MAX
Four hundred a week, off the books.

WELLES
okay, let's pretend I live in the
same fantasy world where you make
four hundred a week in that dump.
I'll give you six hundred for a few
days.

(CONTINUED)







47.

MAX
Sounds good, pops.

WELLES
Here's my number if you need it...
(writes on scrap paper)
When can you start?

MAX
Tomorrow night, I get off at eight

WELLES
See you then. Oh, and, don't call
me "pops."

Welles walks away.

INT. WELLES ROOM -- NIGHT

Welles sleeps, despite the stead SOUND of TRAFFIC racing by
his window. The PHONE RINGS, waLng him. Welles looks at
the clock radio, 2:23am, reaches to answer the phone ...

WELLES
(into phone)
... Hello... ?

MAX (V. 0.
(from phone)
Wake up, pops. Your education
begins tonight.

EXT. DOWNTOWN -- NIGHT

Against the backdrop of downtown LA's bright skyscrapers,
Welles' rental car heads into the lower bowels of the city,
smaller, older, darker buildings...

EXT. DOWNTOWN STREETS -- HIGHT

The only people on the street are HOMELESS and SHADY
CHARACTERS. Welles' car makes its way to a big deserted
PARKING LOT. There are a few cars parked in one corner.

welles parks near the other cars and gets out. Max stands
against a chain link fence. Welles goes to meet him.

Come on.

M.A.X

Max leads the way, across the lot, towards dark alleyways.

EXT. DOWNTOWN ALLEYWAY -- NIGHT

Max and Welles move through this filth strewn alley between
decaying brink buildings. They cone to a STAIRWELL leading
down to pitch dark ...







48,

INT. OLD BUILDING -- NIGHT

Max enters through a crooked door, heads into a narrow,
labyrinth hallway lit by bare bulbs. Welles follows.

They come to another STAIRWAY leading down. At the bottom,
a thick-necked GOON stands guarding double doors.

GOON
Are you a law enforcement agent or
in any way affiliated with law,
enforcement?

MAX
Fuck you, Larry.

Max heads to the double doors, waits for welles.

GOON
(to Welles)
Are you a law enforcement ... ?

No.

INT. BASEMENT -- NIGHT

WELLES

Max and welles enter through the double doors, into a kind
of small, underground porn flea market. It's incredibly
quiet. About fifteen CARD TABLES are set up in rows. The
MEN behind the tables and the thirty or so "CUSTOMERS"
looking through the merchandise make those in the previous
porn shops look like high society.

These are MIDDLE-AGED MEN, most balding, some with pot
bellies, in shorts and tube socks, in sweatpants and Members
only jackets: plain men, but with a look of desperation in
their eyes, glancing around nervously, greasy and afraid.

ONE DEALER
We're shutting down in fifteen
minutes. Fifteen minutes.

Welles makes his way to the tables, wary. one table is
covered in dirty cardboard boxes, filled with HUNDREDS of
PHOTOS of young children, mostly boys, naked. Each photo is
wrapped in plastic, censored by masking tape.

Welles swallows back disgust.

The next table is piled high with used pornographic
MAGAZINES. There are baggies with COLORFUL PILLS laid out.
X-rated Polaroids wrapped in rubberbands.

Max follows behind, uneffected, smokes a cigarett

(CONTINUED',







49.

Another table offers VIDEO TAPES with no identifying marks
other than hand written labels with numbers written out,
t1two," "sixteen," "five.', And many bootleg VIDEOS with
grainy, homemade labels showing WOMEN in extreme BONDAGE.

Welles watches out the corner of his eye as the PLUMP MAN
beside him pays for a thick stack of kiddie porn pictures.
Welles waits till the man moves on, addresses the angry
looking DEALER who's counting money.

WELLES
(points to numbered videos)
What are these?

ANGRY DEALER
Mixed hard bondap. Rape films.
Sick shit. Buy five, get one free.

Welles looks around, wipes sweat off his top lip.

WELLES
Anything harder?

ANGRY DEALER
There's nothing harder.

Snuff?

WELLES

ANGRY DEALER
What you see is what I got, mister.

WELLES
You know where I can get it? I have
a lot of money to spend.

ANGRY DEALER
There ain't no such thing as snuff.
Why don't you fuck off?

The dealer sits and keeps counting cash.
welles moves on Be ond the tables there's a CURTAINED
DOORWAY. welle~ WaNs to it, enters ...

INSIDE THE CURTAIN

Folding chairs face a SCREEN. A PROJECTOR shows a silent
movie; a BUXOM WOMAN in nurses uniform prepares an enema bag
and tube. A hairy, overweight MAN lays face down on an
examination table, naked, arms tied behind his back.

In the darkness, a MAN shifts in his chair, grunting,
obviously rnasturbating. A few chairs away, a man is bent
over, moving his head in the lap of SOMEONE in a BLONDE WIG.

A LARGE MAN approaches Welles fron, the dark.

LA.R G E MA.N
You have to pay to come in here.

(CONTINUED)







50.

Welles backs away, shuts the curtain.

INT. ALL-NIGHT COFFEE SHOP -- NIGHT

Not manKupeoEle in the place. Welles drinks coffee. Max
eats a ge reakfast.

MAX
You've got Penthouse, Playboy,
Hustler, etc. Nobody even considers
them pornography anymore. Then,
there's mainstream hardcore. Triple
X. The difference is penetration.
That's hardcore. That whole
industry's up in the valley.
writers, directors, porn stars.
They're celebrities, or they think
they are. They pump out 150 videos
?week. A week. They've even got
?porno Academy Awards. America
loves pornography. Anybody tells
you they never use pornography,
they're lying. Somebody's buying
those videos. Somebody's out there
spending 900 million dollars a year
on phone sex. Know what else? It's
onlylyonna get worse. More and more
you, see perverse hardcore coming
into the mainstream, because that's
evolution. Desensitization. Oh my
God, Elvis Presley's wiggling his
hips, how offensive! Nowadays,
Mtv's showing girls dancing around
in thong bikinis with their asses
hanging out. Know what I mean? For
the porn-addict, big tits aren't big
enough after a while. They have to
be the biggest tits ever. Some porn
chicks are putting in breast
implants bigger than your head,
literally. Soon, Pla bo Is gonna be
Penthouse, Penthouse'll ~e Hustler,
Hustler'll be hardcore, and hardcore
films'll be medical films.
People'll be jerking off to women
laying around with open wounds.
There's nowhere else for it to go.

WELLES
Interesting theory.

MAX
what you saw tonight, we're not
talking about a video some dentist
takes home over the weekend. We're
talking about stuff where people get
hurt. Specialty product.

(CONTINUED)







WELLES
Child pornography.

MAX
There's two kinds of specialty
product; legal and illegal. Foot
fetish, shit films, watersports,
bondage spanking, fisting, she-
males, ~emaphrodites ... it's beyond
hardcore, but legal. This is the
kind of hardcore where one guy's
going to look at it and throw up,
another guy looks at it and falls in
love. How, with some of the S M and
bondage films, they straddle the
line. How are you supposed to tell
if the person tied up with the ball
gag in their mouth is a consenting
or not? Step over that line, you're
into kiddie porn. Rape films, but-
there aren't many. I've never seen
one.

Snuff films.

WELLES

MAX
I heard you asking. That guy wasn't
yanking you around. There's no such
thing.

WELLES
What other ways are there to get
illegal films? Who do y6u see?

MAX
First of all, basement sales like
tonight aren't gonna last much
longer. it's too risky, one, and
two, everything's going on the
internet. Anyone with a computer
and enough patience can find
anything he wants. it's heaven for
those degenerate chicken-hawks.
They're swapping pictures back and
forth as fast as their modems can
zap lem. But, there's still sone
weird shit under the counter where
I work sometimes. No one knows where
it comes from. That's local
underground, where information
spreads by word of mouth. Those are
zombies, hardcore junkies. Their
hands are permanently pruned. They
go out in the sun they don't burn,
they blister. other than that, all
I know about is the mail.
(more)

51.

(CONTINUED)







52.

I'--

mAx (cont)
Classified ads in the paper with
hidden codes. Secret couriers.
Credit card orders to dummy
corporations. Interstate wire
transfers. Revolving P.O. boxes.
But, if you're asking me who do-you
go to to get illegal shit... who
knows? That's the whole point --
the seller stays as far away from
the buyer as possible, and vice
versa, and cops can't trace the
deal. There's ways to do it so
nobody knows who anybody is.

Welles watches Max eat.

WELLES
How old are you?

Twenty-five.

MAX

WELLES
Where are your parents?

MAX
I don't know, where are yours?

WELLES
I don't mean any offense ... but what
are you doing mixed up in all this?

MAX
I'm not mixed up in anything,
hayseed. What are you talking about?

WELLES
You just strike me as smart enough
to be doing something else.

MAX
Yeah, I'm a real genius. What
choices have I got? Fuck, ust
because I know about stuff iike
tonight doesn't mean I deal it. I
work a job. It beats pumping gas,
beats making hamburgers.

WELLES
You're telling me it doesn't get to
you?

MAX
You can't sit there all day watching
the parade of losers that comes into
that place without going numb. So
what?
(inore)

(CONTINUED)














MAX (cont)
Am I gonna go off and be a race car
driver? Go to Harvard? Run for
President? What about you, pops?

WELLES
What about me?

MAX
I see a ring on your finger. You
have any kids?

A daughter.

WELLES

MAX
So, you have a wife and kid waiting
for you in Pennsylvania... what are
vou doing mixed up in all this?

WELLES
Good question.

EXT. ALL NIGHT COFFEE SHOP -- NIGHT

Max and Welles comes out to the sidewalk, talking.

ACROSS THE STREET

53.

INSIDE A PARKED CAR, through the windshield, SOMEONE watches
Max and Welles say goodnight. Max walks to a waiting taxi.

It's the sinister lawyer watching, LONGDALE, the late Mr.
Christian's attorney, watching Welles go to his rental car.

INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT -- MONTAGE

Welles is seated, PROJECTOR RUNNING, watching the 8MM film.

The last of the film makes its way through, threading out.
The take-up reel spins, the film's tail flapping...

Welles stares at the blank white square of light projected
onto the wall. CELLULAR PHONE is HEARD RINGING...

Welles finally looks to the projector, turns it off. The
PHONE'S RINGING. Welles goes to sit on the bed, looking at
the cellular phone on the bedside table. RINGING ...

Welles lets it RING. RINGING... RINGING ... till it finally
stops. Welles lays back on the bed and shuts his eyes.

I NT. CHRISTIAN HOUSE, MR CHRISTIAN'S OFFICE -- DAY

Mrs. Christian is behind the desk, surrounded by BOXES of
BANK RECORDS and FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, on the PHONE.

(CONTINUED')







54.

MRS CHRISTIAN
(into phone)
My husband had five cash accounts he
used to temporarily hold stock
profits. Between November of 1991
and March of 1992, he wrote one
check out to cash from each account.
He wrote these himself ...

INT. PHONE BOOTH/ HOLLYWOOD -- DAY -- CONTINUOUS

Welles is in the booth, listening...

okay...

WELLES
(into phone)

MRS CHRISTIAN (V.0.)
(from phone)
My husband never dealt with money
personally, certainly not cash.

WELLES
I'm not positive this means anything.

MRS CHRISTIAN (V.0.)
The checks were for odd amounts ...

INT. MR CHRISTIAN'S OFFICE -- DAY -- CONTINUOUS

Mrs. Christian has the amounts written out on paper.

MRS CHRISTIAN
(into phone)
one was for two hundred thousand,
one dollar and thirteen cents.
Another was for three hundred
thousand, six hundred fifty four
dollars and seventy six cents ...

WELLES (V.0.)
(from phone)
Okay, I follow you so far...

MRS CHRISTIAN
Totalled together, these five checks
from five different accounts, they
equal one million dollars.

INT. PHONE BOOTH -- DAY -- CONTINUOUS

WELLES
(into phone)
You're joking.

MRS CHRISTIAN (V.0.)
(from phone)
To the penny. Exactly one million
dollars in cash.

(CONTINUED)







welles considers this, lost in thought.

Hello ... ?

I I m here.

MRS CHRISTIAN (V.0.)

WELLES

MRS CHRISTIAN (V-O-)
Do you think the film could have
cost that much?

WELLES
For a human life... murder on film,
no statute of limitations. Who
knows? It sure could have. I'd
like you to overnight me a copy of
those checks, then put them in a
safe deposit box.

okay.

55.

MRS CHRISTIAN (V.0.)

WELLES
Send it to me through the post
office like we arranged. No return
address. You dug this up all by
yourself?

MRS CHRISTIAN (V.0.)
You told me to look, so I looked.

WELLES
Youlre one hell of a detective, Mrs.
Christian.

EXT. MISSION YOUTH HOSTEL -- DAY

TEENAGERS work cleaning this large DORMITORY, sweeping and
mopping the floor, making the bunk beds, washing windows.
Welles stands with an elderly, black NUN in plain clothing.

WELLES
Her name was Mary Anne Mathews.

Welles hands the woman the PICTURE of MARY. The woman puts
on her glasses, looks at the picture ... looks at Welles.

NUN
Yes ... I remember Mary

WELLES
You ... you do? You're sure?
Please, Sister, will you take
another look, make sure...

(C01,TINUED)







56.

NUN
(examines picture)
Yes. I remember her.

INT. MISSION YOUTH HOSTEL, STORAGE AREA -- DAY

In a basement corner, Welles watches as the nun uses keys to
open the door of a chain-link STORAGE CAGE. The cage is
full of junk, BOXES, LAMPS, stacks of CHAIRS.

RUN
She lived here for only about a
month, if I recall correctly. She
didn't return one night. She never
came back. I didn't know what to
think...

The nun enters the cage, pushes old BOXES out of her way,
looks up a cob-web covered METAL SHELVES.

NUN
Do you know what happened to her?

WELLES
I'm trying to find out. She was a
runaway. I'm looking into it for
her parents.

The nun sees what she wants, finds a STEP LADDER, tries to
open it. Welles comes to help her.

NUN
(pointing on shelf)
Can you get that down for me?

Welles climbs the ladder, points at boxes...

NUN
No, the next shelf ... there ...

Welles takes down a small SUITCASE. it's covered in dust.
He climbs down the ladder with it.

WELLES
What is this?

NUN
Those are her belongings.

WELLES
Her belongings?

NUN
That's her suitcase. I had
forgotten it, till you showed me her
picture.

welles puts the suitcase down, examines the LUGGAGE TAG:
"Mary Anne Mathews," no address. Welles looks to the nun.

(CONTINUED)







57.

WELLES
whatever possessed you to keep this
all this time?

NUN
She was the kindest, sweetest girl
you'd ever want to meet. Oh, I
adored her. I supposed I always
ho ed she'd be back. After a time,
aH I could do was pray she had
moved on to better things. Can you
get this suitcase to her parents, if
you think it's appropriate?

WELLES
I'll do what I can.

INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT

Welles puts Mary's SUITCASE on the bed, opens it. He takes
out some of Mary's clothing, examines it, lays it aside.

He takes out a ROSARY, more CLOTHING. Resting on a SWEATER
are two CERAMIC FIGURINES; a teddy bear and kitten. Welles
examines them, frowning, puts them aside.

He takes out yellowed NEWSPAPER; Help Wanted CLASSIFIEDS,
"July 2, 1992.11 Several job possibilities circled, others
crossed out. He finds baggie containing a few old JOINTS.

All that's left are more items of CLOTHING, a TOOTHBRUSH and
an ADDRESS BOOK. Welles examines the address book, finds a
folded piece of paper in the blank pages, unfolds it ... it's
the TORN DIARY PAGE, a POEM written in Mary's hand ...

MARY'S VOICE (V.0.)
(as Welles reads)
"Star light, star bright, First star
I've seen tonight , Wish I may, wish
I might, Have this wish I wish
tonight."

Welles goes to a drawer, takes out the photocopy of Mary's
DIARY. He turns to the ragged edge of the torn page, puts
the DIARY PAGE against it. Perfect match.

Welles stands looking ~t the poem. He turns the page over,
finds written, in cursive:

Models Wanted 213-555-6643

EXT. PHONE BOOTH -- DAY

Welles dials the number off the bac),-. of the torn diary page.
phone to his ear. It RINGS, RINGS, RINGS...

(CONTINUED)







1~

58.

MAN'S VOICE (V.0.)
(from phone)
Celebrity Films.

Welles hangs up, begins searching the booth's YELLOW PAGES.

EXT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING -- DAY

A poverty stricken business section of Wilshire. Welles
ets out of his parked car, looks up at a decaying Art Deco
uilding that's painted blue top-to-bottom.

Welles crosses through traffic.

INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, LOBBY -- DAY

Welles studies the REGISTRY, finds "Celebrity Films.',

INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, STAIRWELL -- DAY

Paint's peeling. Walls are water stained. Welles climbs
stairs, winded, sweating, up the stairwell ...

INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, STH FLOOR HALL -- DAY

Welles comes out a stairwell DOOR, catching his breath. A
couple of SECRETARIES wait for the elevator. Welles moves
down the hall, around a corner.

Each office door has a window of pebbled, translucent glass.
There's a "Dental Office," "Wilson Travel Cruises," and at
the end of the hall, "Celebrity Films Inc., Eddie Poole,
Professional Casting and Distribution, Suite 804.11

Welles heads back the way he came.

EXT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING -- DAY

Welles crosses back to the other side of the street, goes to
stand near his car. He looks up at the blue office
building, counting up floors, counting windows across.

Satisfied, he turns, backing up, looking up at the tall
OFFICE BUILDING across from the blue building. There's a
sign on this adjacent building, "OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE."

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE, 9TH FLOOR -- DAY

Empty office. Welles is let in by a disinterested LANDLORD.
Welles gives a cursory look around, goes to the windows and
opens the blinds.

These windows afford an excellent view of the blue building
across the street, at about Sth floor level.

WELLES
This is better.
(turns to landlord)
This will be fine.







I

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- NIGHT

59.

Welles has transferred most of his belongings here, SUITCA , SE
open on the floor, CARD TABLE set up with fast food on it '
an ARMY COT against one wall. Welles sits in a chair at the
window, looks through BINOCULARS on a TRIPOD.

WELLES' P-O-V-1 THROUGH BINOCULARS: searching up the dark
floors of the blue building, as Welles counts under his
breath. Moving over... stopping on one window, FOCUSING...

Welles locks the tripod. He goes to sit on the army cot,
picks up his CELLULAR. He looks at the phone, decidinji
He puts down the phone. He turns off the LAMP on the oor,
lays back in the cot, going to sleep.

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY

WELLES' P.O.V., THROUGH BINOCULARS: watching the window of
Celebrity Films Inc. We can see most of the office from
here. it's crowded with junk, BOXES, piles of VIDEO TAPES.
There's a disorganized DESK by the window.

welles sits looking through the binoculars.

THROUGH BINOCULARS: a pudgy man, EDDIE POOLE, in a loud,
print shirt, comes to sit at the desk, looks throu h mail.
He smells sleazy even from here, lots of jewelry, Yots of
rings. He drinks coffee, answers the phone. He talks into
the phone, looking for something on his desk, agitation
growing, till he's shouting, then slams the phone down.

welles rises. He looks to the wall where THREE PHOTOGRAPHS
culled from the snuff film are pinned up; the picture of
Mary, the picture of Masked Man's tattooed hand, and...

... the grainy image of the Third Man in the mirror.
Welles comes to study this third photo.

FADE TO BLACK:

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie packs VIDEO TAPES into a box,
covering them with styrofoam peanuts, sealing the box.

FADE TO BLACK:

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie finishes a call and hangs up. He
sits back in his chair. He starts looking in his desk
drawers, finds a MAGAZINE and opens it on the desk. it's
porn. Eddie turns pages, looking at naked women. He sits
back in his chair, begins uribuckling his belt.

Welles pulls back from the binoculars in disgust.

(CONTINUED)







L

60.

WELLES
No thank you.

IFT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- NIGHT

FADE TO BLACK:

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie's on the phone, ouring himself a
drink from the liquor bottle on his desk, ~inishing the
call, hanying up. He shakes his head in disgust, drinks the
drink, wa ks out of view. After a moment, the lights.go out.

EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS -- FIGHT

An old, dented CAR makes its way up the tight, twisting
roads of the Hollywood Hills. Eddie's at the wheel. Hot
far behind, Welles' rental car follows ...

FURTHER ON

Eddie's car pulls into the driveway under the porch of a
ramshackle HOUSE, parks. Welles, car passes by...

FURTHER, AROUND A CURVE

Welles, car slows once it's out of sight, turns around,
moving back down the hill, slowly ...

INT. WELLES' CAR -- CONTINUOUS

Welles turns out his headlights, coming around the curve
just far enough so the ramshackle house is in view. Wel
watches Eddie walk up the stairs to the house.

FADE TO BLACK:

IFT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY

les

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie has a visitor. There's a pretty
GIRL, wearing a -tube top, in a chair facing his desk.
Eddie's talking, gesticulating, smiling, cajoling.

welles watches through binoculars.

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie's still taking, stands, coming
around the desk and placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.
The girl says something. Eddie responds. The woman shakes
her head, getting up to leave. Eddie seems to be asking her
to sta , following as she moves out of view. Eddie comes
back ayone, sits at his desk, picks up the phone.

INT. ESPIONAGE SHOP -- DAY

Ultra high tech for sale. Welles exanines itens on the
sales counter as the SALESPERSON watches: a pair of sma1l,
round LISTENING DEVICES, a complicated RECEIVER/TA.PF
RECORDER, and a TONE DECODER with LED window.

(CONTINUED)







61.

WELLES
Okay, I'll take it all.

SALESPERSON
Excellent. we accept MasterCard and
American Express

Cash.

WELLES

Welles takes out a thick wad, starts counting.

SALESPERSON
Alright.
(at register)
May I have your phone number, area
code first?

WELLES
No, you may not.

Okay - Fine.

SALESPERSON

Welles lays the money on the counter. The salesperson takes
the money, recounting.

SALESPERSON
I'm required by state law to inform
you that, while it's perfectly leqal
for you to purchase these items, it
is illegal for you to use them for
any sort of ...

WELLES
Yeah, I know the spiel. If you
could bag it, I 1 11 be on my way,
thank you.

SALESPERSON
Certainly, sir.

The salesperson starts punching keys on the register.

EXT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING -- NIGHT

The blue building sits completely dark.

INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, 8TH FLOOR HALL -- NIGHT

Welles comes quietly out from the stairwell, wears gloves.
He moves down the hall to the door of "Celebrity Films Inc."

He kneels, begins using LOCK-PICKING TOOLS on the door.







62.

INT. CELEBRITY FILMS OFFICE -- NIGHT

Welles enters, shuts the door and locks it. Me takes out
his penlight. There are POSTERS for cheap PORN FILMS on the
wall that we couldn't see through binoculars. Titles like
"Sex Doctor," "Deep Ass," and "Penal Colony-"

There a two FILE CABINETS. Welles pulls a few drawers,
finds them locked. VIDEO CASSETTES are everywhere, on the
cabinets, on shelves, piled high on the floor.

Welles goes to Eddie's desk, looking in drawers. One-drawer
is full of X-RATED MAGAZINES. Another's stuffed with
paperwork, call sheets, contracts. -

Wellesjicks u Eddie's phone, unscrews the earpiece. He
takes e smal round LISTENING DEVICE from his pocket,
peels off backing to expose adhesive. He attaches the
listening device inside the phone, puts it back together.

Welles moves towards the door, sweeps the room with the
p~nlight. He stops at the file cabinets, takes his lock-
picking tools out, begins working on one file's lock.

He turns the lock, opens a file drawer. Empty. He opens
another. Inside: piles of CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.

Welles clenches his jaw.

Faces of children. Shirtless boys.

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY

Girls in pigtails.

Welles' RECEIVER/TAPE RECORDER'S set up by the window,
recording, with the TONE DECODER plugged into it. Welles
LISTENS through HEADPHONE, looking through binoculars.

EDDIE (V.0.)
(through headphones)
... half a dozen. This is good
stuff, Jimbo...

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie's at his desk, on the PHONE ...

EDDIE (V.O.)
You know how my tapes sell. People
eat this stuff up.

MALE VOICE (V.O.)
(from phone)
I had three Jerkoffs trying to
return your tapes last month. Do
ou know how bad a skin flick has to
e for some jackass to come back
into my place with a fucking receipt,
and try to fucking return it?

(CONTINUED)







63.

EDDIE (V.0.)
Maybe there's something 'wrong with
the scumbag customers coming into
your place, ever think of that?

MALE VOICE (V.0.)
The only thing wrong is the cheap,
softcore crap you're peddling,
Eddie. Where do you get this stuff?

EDDIE (V.0.)
Look, you cocksucker...

MALE VOICE (V.0.)
Get together some upscale product
where the girls still have teeth in
their head. Till then, fuck you.

Fuck you!

EDDIE (V.0.)

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie slams down the phone. He CANNOT
BE HEARD any longer. He's cursing, shuffling paperwork.

Welles takes off headphones, picks up his cellular phone.
He drinks soda, opens the phone, dials, nervous, then looks
back through the binoculars. He waits, clears his throat.
The PHONE'S RINGING... RINGING...

On the floor, the REELS of the tape recorder are TURNING ...

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie answers the phone

Celebrity Films.

Eddie.

EDDIE (V.0.

WELLES (V.0.)

EDDIE (V-O
Yeah, who's this?

WELLES (V-O-)
I know what you did.

What?

EDDIE (V.0.)

WELLES (V-O-)
I know what you did.

Who is this.

EDDIE (V.0.)

WELLES (V-O-)
You murdered tha* girl, Eddie. Six
years ago ...

(CONTINUED)














64,

EDDIE
What the fuck are you..

WELLES (V.0.)
You killed that irl and ou put it
on film. You ang our paTs, you're
fucked. You fuckZ up real good.

welles hits disconnect, still looking through binoculars.

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie's slow to hang up th hone. He
stands, looking down at the hone, frozen. FiMly, he runs
his hands through his hair, ~ooks around the room, sits back
down. He gets out his bottle and pours himself a drink.

Welles watches through binoculars, puts headphones back on.

WELLES
Come on, Eddie...

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie sits motionless.

... come on.

WELLES (O.S.)

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie picks up the phone, DIALS a
NUMBER. We hear the PHONE RING in the HEADPHONES ...

Hello?

KAN'S VOICE (V-O.)
(through headphones)

EDDIE (V.0.)
(through headphones)
Dino, it's Eddie ... Eddie Poole.

DINO (V.O.
What do you want?

EDDIE (V.0.)
I just got a call ... two seconds
ago, some motherfucker called...
says he knows about the loop.

DINO (V.0. )
What are you talking about?

EDDIE (V.0.)
The loop! The girl we did, what the
fuck do you think I'm talking
about?! This guy calls and says he
knows about the fucking loop ...

Bullshit.

DINO (V.O. )

EDDIE (V.0.)
Ilm telling you...

(CONTINUED)







65,

DINO (V*O.)
Blow me, you paranoid fuck, that's
impossible. why are you bothering
me with this... ?

EDDIE (V.0.)
Because somebod fucking called
me and fucking Talustit out!

DINO (V.O. )
There's nothing there, Y(?u brain-
dead cunt. Think about it. There's
absolutely no way in this world to
connect us to anything I want you
to hang thetEftone, ~nd if you
call me :Eout is again It m going
to send a friend of mine out there
and have him crack you open with a
fucking rib spreader.

Dino...

EDDIE (V.0.)

DINO (V-0
Nobody knows anything.

THROUGH BINOCULARS: as DINO is HEARD HANGING UP, Eddie
reacts, picks up his phone and throws it across the office.

Welles sits back, trying to accept the realization that he I s
found them. He looks to the PHOTO of the Third Man.

WELLES
That is you, isn't it, Eddie?

Welles goes to the RECORDER, turns on the TONE DECODER.
LED window LIGHTS UP. Welles hits STOP, REWIND, PLAY..

WELLES VOICE (V.0.)
(from recorder)
and your pals, you're fucked..

Hits FAST FORWARD... hits PLAY, watching the TONE DECODER.
From the RECORDER, the SOUND of EDDIE DIALING a NUMBER on
his touch tone phone ... and as EACH TONE is HEARD, a
corresponding NUMBER appears on the DECODERIS LED readout:

... 1 212 555 9906 ...

The recorder continues, REPLAYING the CONVERSATION between
Eddie and Dino, while Welles studies the green LED digits.

WELLES
(quiet, to hinself)
T,wo one two.







66.

EXT. MANHATTAN CITYSCAPE -- ESTABLISHING -- NIGHT

The brilliant lights of New York's peerless skyscrapers.

EXT. 59TH STREET BRIDGE -- NIGHT

FOLLOW Welles' Ford as it moves along with traffic, crossing
the 59th Street Bridge, into the heart of Manhattan.

EXT. BANK -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY

"Chase Manhattan Bank," mid-town.

INT. CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, SAFE DEPOSIT BOOTH -- DAY

Welles puts the 8MM FILM into SAFE DEPOSIT DRAWER, shuts it.

IVT. NY PUBLIC LIBRARY, REFERENCE -- DAY

Busy and crowded, but quiet. Welles places a massive tome
down on a table: "Haines Criss-Cross Directory."

Welles sits, takes out his notepad, referring to the phone
number written: 11(212) 55