The Skull Ring (41 page)

Tomorrow. I have a few things I need to check.

MITCHELL

Damn it, Julia. You're going to go digging around again. That's never done you any good.

(really steamed)

My friends are starting to think I'm weird, turning down dates with hot, young, interested women so I can save myself for you. And I'm getting tired of waiting.

JULIA (V.O.)

Have you ever heard of unconditional love?

MITCHELL

Oh, great. You've been reading psychology books again. As if you know the first thing about love.

JULIA (V.O.)

Mitchell—

MITCHELL

Have you ever loved anybody, Julia? Besides yourself, I mean?

JULIA (V.O.)

Mitchell, please don't get mad. You know I'm trying—

MITCHELL turns his attention to his papers. He senses the coming tears and knows he's beat.

MITCHELL

Jeez. Okay. What do you want me to do?

JULIA (V.O.)

You know how to get things done. People jump when you call, Mitchell.

(Mitchell is pleased at this ego stroke)

Call your contacts in the D.A.'s office, check into the investigation.

MITCHELL

I'll give it a try. No promises, though.

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S BEDROOM.

From peeper's POV, Julia walks near the window.

JULIA

No. Never any promises.

MITCHELL (V.O.)

See you tomorrow.

Click as Mitchell hangs up. Julia is close enough for the peeper to touch if not for the window screen.

Julia opens the jewelry box on the dresser. On top is her engagement ring, sporting a glorious diamond.

JULIA

(to herself)

Never any promises.

She closes the box and turns to the window, staring as if she might have seen something. She takes three quick steps forward.

GRUNT O.S. Sound of a scuffle.

JULIA (CONT'D)

Who's there?

She opens her night stand and gets a flashlight, and pulls a Louisville Slugger from under the bed. It has a St. Louis Cardinals logo.

She shines the light out the window but can't see very well. She pushes the screen out and climbs through the window.

CUT TO:

EXT. JULIA'S BACKYARD- NIGHT.

Two men are wrestling. Julia moves closer with the light, holding the bat high.

JULIA

What the hell's going on? Talk fast, or I'll knock your brains out.

She recognizes the one currently on top. It is Walter, the handyman. The PEEPER, 18, curses and kicks beneath him.

JULIA (CONT'D)

Walter?

WALTER

Caught this—ouch—creep looking in your window.

Walter has the peeper's arm behind his back and tugs.

WALTER

(to peeper)

Settle down, kid, or I reckon I'll have to break it.

The peeper collapses and Walter sits on him.

JULIA

What's going on?

Walter pulls a black negligee from the man's back pocket.

WALTER

You might ought to call the cops now, Miss. Unless you don't mind people robbing your underwear.

CUT TO:

EXT. JULIA'S BACK YARD—LATER THAT NIGHT.

Bar lights from police car strobe across the forest. A BRAWNY COP takes statements from Julia and Walter while a SECOND COP leads the handcuffed peeper away. Julia now has a robe over her gown, but still holds the baseball bat.

BRAWNY COP

(to Walter)

You saw the perpetrator peek in her window?

WALTER

That's what I said.

BRAWNY COP

What were you doing around here this time of night?

Julia looks at Walter as if she has been wondering, too.

WALTER

I saw him watching the house while I was doing some work at the neighbor's. I came back to check. Since Miss Stone had her locks changed, I figured she must have a good reason to be worried.

JULIA

What if I told you I was a paranoid schizophrenic?

WALTER

Big deal. Everybody's crazy. If you're not crazy, I'd think there was something wrong with you.

A SECOND CAR pulls up. LUCIUS SNEAD, 50's, a wizened and tough police chief, gets out and walks up to them.

BRAWNY COP

Chief Snead.

SNEAD

I picked it up on the scanner.

BRAWNY COP

Sir?

SNEAD

I'll take over. You don't know who you're dealing with.

Snead takes the cop's notebook, folds it closed, and puts it in his own pocket. The cop gives Snead the negligee and leaves.

SNEAD (CONT'D)

(to Walter)

Walter Triplett. I've done some digging on you. So they say you're a handyman now.

WALTER

I fix things. That's what I do.

SNEAD

Should have fixed things seven years ago. Or maybe you did. They never found any sign of your wife, did they?

JULIA

(to Walter)

What's he talking about?

Snead holds up the negligee and admires it.

SNEAD

You must be Julia Stone.

JULIA

Do I know you?

SNEAD

I read the papers.

(to Walter)

A peeper. Wouldn’t be the first time you fooled the cops.

WALTER

I didn't have anything to do with that.

SNEAD

Sure. Pretty good story, that she had fallen in with a group of Satan worshipers. That was so wacky it almost worked.

WALTER

There wasn't a shred of evidence—

SNEAD

Not enough to arrest you, but not enough to clear you, either.

WALTER

(to Julia)

Sorry to drag you into this.

JULIA

(to Snead)

Can I have my underwear back now?

SNEAD

Evidence. We'll be in touch.

He tucks the negligee in his pocket and walks away.

WALTER

You look pretty dangerous with that bat. Would you really have clubbed us?

JULIA

I'm a Cardinals fan. I was a foster-home all-star. Your head would have bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double.

(relaxing her grip)

What's this about your wife?

WALTER

It's a long story, and it's late. You'd better get inside where it's safe.

JULIA

You take care of the locks, don't you?

WALTER

What?

JULIA

You ever made a scarecrow?

Walter looks at Julia as if she is crazy, then walks around the house. Julia peers into the woods, the bat at the ready.

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S LIVING ROOM-AFTERNOON.

Julia prepares for her trip, bags by the door. Someone knocks. Julia pulls a can of mace from her pocket and holds it behind her back as she opens the door.

WALTER

Hi. I wanted to see if you were okay.

JULIA

Sure, I feel like a million bucks. A creep broke into my house and stole my underwear, and the police think it's all a joke.

She points up the road to the apartment building. The peeper sits on the steps holding a beer. He toasts at them.

JULIA (CONT'D)

He's been watching me ever since I got home.

WALTER

You can't trust the police around here.

JULIA

I'm beginning to think I can't trust anybody.

WALTER

Look, don't believe a thing Snead said about me. That was a long time ago.

JULIA

“Long time ago” doesn't mean it never happened.

WALTER

Forget it.

(sees the luggage)

You going somewhere?

JULIA

I have a plane to catch. Now, if you'll excuse me—

WALTER

(pulls something from his back pocket)

Here. I brought you something.

Walter holds out some baseball cards. Julia takes them and thumbs through them. They are all Cardinals players, Bob Gibson, Ted Simmons, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Curt Flood, and the last is Stan Musial. Julia's eyes light up.

WALTER (CONT'D)

You said you liked the Cardinals. I had these when I was a kid. I don't much care about them anymore. The past doesn't matter.

JULIA

These are great! But I can't keep them. They must be worth some money.

WALTER

"Worth" is how much you care about something. I don't no more.

JULIA

Thanks, Walter.

WALTER

You're welcome, Miss Stone.

JULIA

Call me Julia.

WALTER

Julia.

He says it slow, like "Jooolia." He waves and walks to his Jeep. The peeper has gone back inside. Julia closes the door.

CUT TO:

EXT. PLANE APPROACHING MEMPHIS AIRPORT- NIGHT.

The plane comes in for a landing, the lights of Memphis below. The big city is quite a change from the rural Appalachian Mountains.

CUT TO:

INT. AIRPORT LOBBY- NIGHT.

Julia has gathered her bags. Mitchell cuts through the crowd.

MITCHELL

Julia! Julia!

JULIA

I was going to call you.

They hug. Mitchell squeezes too hard and goes for a mouth kiss. Julia turns her head so the kiss lands somewhere near her ear.

JULIA

You're looking perfect as usual.

MITCHELL

I work at it.

JULIA

Did you find out anything?

MITCHELL