WILD THINGS: DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH
Written by
Andy Hurst & Ross Helford
INT. MUSEUM - DAY
A perfect rainbow is trapped inside two flawless DIAMONDS,
glinting in the morning sun.
Tounted on crushed velvet, the identical diamonds are on a glass
covered pedal stool in the middle of a vast, marble MUSEUM HALL.
The stunning beauty of the stones is matched only by the
breathtaking beauty of the young woman who's admiring them. MARIE
CLIFFORD's creamy seventeen year old skin is dappled in the
cornucopia of colors emanating from the diamonds...
She reaches out tentatively towards the glass case. Not to touch
the diamonds, but to run her fingers over a picture that's mounted
in the case below the priceless jewels. It's of a MOTHER cradling
her BABY DAUGHTER...
MARIE
Today's the day, Mom...
CURATOR (O.S.)
You here again, Marie?
Marie spins round, sees the bespectacled CURATOR, 60's, standing
behind her.
MARIE
Just leaving.
Marie carefully adjusts the sign atop the glass case...
'THE MOTHER DAUGHTER DIAMONDS...'
EXT. MUSEUM - DAY
Marie fires up her powerful BMW, parked right outside the austere
Museum building. The powerful stereo blasts, sending the birds
fluttering skywards...
CREDITS appear over...
ARIEL FOOTAGE of a narrow highway, Marie's BMW streaking through
the endless tract of Florida wetlands. In the water, GATORS, warm
themselves in the early morning sun...
MOVING over the vast tracts of swampland, flocks of tropical BIRDS
stretch their majestic wings, locals speed across the stagnant
waters in their deafening AIRBOATS...
Through thick trees and foliage to trailer homes and tract housing
and into the town of Blue Bay, where the nip/tucked denizens sip
three martini lunches and tee off at the local country club.
03/22/2004 2.
Marie steers her BMW into the showroom-like parking lot of Blue
Bay High School.
INT. MARIE'S BMW - MORNING
Marie guides her powerful car towards her parking spot, when...
SCCCREEEECCCHHHH!
She SLAMS on the brakes as a figure darts in front of her car.
Almost gives her a heart attack, throwing her forward, flailing
arms crashing into the stereo, then snapped back by her seatbelt.
She sits stock still for a second, then looks up, out of her
windshield at the young woman scouring at her, only inches from
the front bumper of the BMW.
The sudden jolt has changed the radio station. A newscaster
rambles on...
RADIO NEWSCASTER (V.O.)
... operation, aimed at finally capturing
the Black Widow suspect after a six month
trail of embezzlement and fraud, once
again failed to snare its subject.
ELENA SANDOVAL, 17, stands defiantly in front of the BMW, her
don't-fuck-with-me stare in direct contrast with her come-fuck-me
clothes.
RADIO NEWSCASTER (V.O.)
Blue Bay Police Detective Michael
Morrison was able to recover over
$400,000 in stolen money, but the
suspect, described as Female, between
eighteen and thirty, remains at large...
Marie reaches out with a trembling hand, turns off the stereo,
then leans out of the car window.
MARIE
I'm... so... sorry...
Elena smiles wryly.
ELENA
You will be.
And she means it...
03/22/2004 3.
INT. BLUE BAY HIGH AUDITORIUM - MORNING
The auditorium is packed with the Blue Bay High student body. The
natural order is clear, the pastel flock at the front, the meat
headed jocks in the center, and the rejects at the back.
Marie is amongst her sweater monkey friends, but she's still
shocked by what happened out in the parking lot...
JENNY
(handing over a present)
Happy birthday, babe. They ain't
diamonds, but you're just gonna have to
wait for those...
Marie tentatively opens the gift, sees a pair of OPAL EARRINGS.
MARIE
(unconvincing)
Thank you. Thank you so much...
JENNY
Are you OK, hon?
Marie looks back, to the far reaches of the auditorium where the
freaks and geeks crowd round Elena, worshipping her like the
Goddess she is...
MARIE
I...yeah...I'll be fine...It's
just...that new girl...I almost hit her
in the parking lot...
JENNY
You mean the towel girl, the one who
transferred in? Jesus, she's trouble. You
know the only reason she's slinging
towels is 'cos it's court ordered...
Marie and Elena make brief, electric eye contact, across the sea
of hormonally challenged students as Principal LIONEL MOSSTER, his
ill-fitting sports jacket coffee-stained, steps onstage.
MOSSTER
We're here today to address a growing
epidemic that affects all of you.
He pauses, waits for the student body to quiet down...
MOSSTER
National studies report sexual activity
among students at an all-time high.
03/22/2004 4.
The students all cheer, naturally.
MOSSTER
We'll see who's cheering when you've got
an unwanted pregnancy on your hands, or
get slapped with a paternity suit...Or
arrested for date rape. But don't take my
word for it...
He motions behind him to KRISTEN RICHARDS, early 30's, a natural
beauty who's doing her best to hide behind a bland gray suit and
glasses, and CHAD BORMAN, late 20s, devilishly handsome...
PRINCIPAL MOSSTER
Miss Richards and Dr. Borman are here to
tell you about the pitfalls first hand...
Kristen steps up to the lectern.
KRISTEN
Good morning, my name is Kristen
Richards. I'm an officer for the Miami
juvenile parole board, as some of you
already know...
Quick glance at Elena who rolls her eyes...
KRISTEN
But that's not what brings me here today.
When I heard about Principal Mosster's
sex education program I thought I'd
volunteer my own personal story, in hopes
that you might learn from the mistakes I
made. Back in High school all I wanted to
do was get drunk, stoned and laid...
The students roar their approval.
KRISTEN
By my junior year, my life was a blur of
cheap beer, anonymous sex, partying every
night of the week...
Elena covers her mouth, as if to cough...
ELENA
(through fake coughs)
...whore...
Kristen ignores the slur.
03/22/2004 5.
KRISTEN
And then, one night at some pathetic frat
party, someone slipped a roofie in my
drink...and raped me.
This quiets the auditorium.
KRISTEN
There isn't a day goes by my skin doesn't
crawl when I think of the violation and
humiliation I endured. I can promise you
that if you make the same kind of wrong-
headed choices I did, you'll be seeing
Dr. Borman...
Chad steps to the podium.
CHAD
Thank you, Miss Richards. My name's Dr.
Chad Borman. I run the forensics lab at
the police department, where my work has
helped convict hundreds of sex offenders.
Most teens like Ms. Richards never get
their lives together. The physical scars
may go away, but the emotional damage
stays forever.
While Chad drones on, MUDDY, a Gremlin-eyed drooler, sitting in
front of Elena, looks back at her shapely legs as she puts them up
on the back of the chair. He spots the ugly plastic bracelet
locked around one of her ankles.
MUDDY
That's not...what I think it is, is it?
ELENA
Whattchya think it is, bitch?
The words catch in his throat.
MUDDY
One of them...Parole leashes...
ELENA
Bingo.
MUDDY
So you can't, like, go more than ten
miles from the cop shop?
Elena taps the flashing red light on the plastic bracelet.
03/22/2004 6.
ELENA
Five. I got someone's panties in a bunch.
Back at the podium, Chad leans forward, making sure his words
resonate with the student body.
CHAD
And as for the perpetrators of this
heinous act, even if you are still a
minor, you will be tried as an adult,
and, if convicted, you will do hard time.
He pauses to let the impact of this wash over the students.
CHAD
Are there any questions?
ELENA
(calling out)
Yeah, I got one for Miss Richards.
KRISTEN
Ask away.
ELENA
When they found the scumbag who took your
precious flower of virginity, you sued
his sorry ass, right?
Kristen is taken aback by Elena's insensitivity, stumbles over her
words, finally spitting out the sad, sorry truth...
KRISTEN
Uh, no, actually, I was never able to
make a positive ID. All I remember was
his alcohol-soaked breath whispering in
my ear, "You won't remember, but you'll
never forget..."
Elena cracks a sideways grin...
ELENA
So what you're really saying is you
fucked for free...
Kristen has no answer to that. Principal Mosster does his best to
control the situation...
PRINCIPAL MOSSTER
Miss Sandoval. You're on thin ice, young
lady!
Like Elena cares. She leans back, nods. Job done.
7.
EXT. BLUE BAY HIGH DIVING POOL - DAY
The bright Florida sunshine washes down on packed bleachers by the
side of the massive diving pool, where a diving meet is in full
swing...
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Blue Bay High School would like to
welcome all participating diving teams
from the tri-county region...
Breathtaking beauties from teams all over the region, in their
school colored bikinis, are scattered around the pool area.
But all eyes are on the home team. Masturbatory fantasies abound
as the Blue Bay Girls' Diving Team runs through stretches...
And as exquisite as these girls are, they pale in comparison to
absolutely sweet Marie, stunning in her nearly see-through white
bathing suit.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
First up, district champion Marie
Clifford...
The crowd cheers, watching Marie edge out to the diving platform
twenty feet above. Jenny right behind, waits on the ladder...
JAY CLIFFORD, Marie's chisel-jawed stepfather in his late
thirties, focuses a DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA on Marie from the front
row of the bleachers...
JAY
C'mon now baby, you can do it...
Marie just rolls her eyes.
JENNY
Your stepfather's just got a lot invested
in the team.
Marie looks at her stepfather, nods tentatively, but then notices
the incongruous figure of Elena, sidling up to him...
JAY
(to Marie)
Just try to keep those legs together.
ELENA (O.S.)
Shouldn't be a problem for Miss teen
Virgin.
03/22/2004 8.
Jay looks round, lowers the camera when he comes face to face with
the world's hottest towel girl...
JAY
Excuse me?
ELENA
You're Mr. Clifford, right? As in
Clifford construction?
JAY
I am, yes, but...
ELENA
I'd love to see one of your erections...
Whoa. Jay's lost for words as he diverts his attention to the
platform where Marie stands perfectly still before stepping into
the air.
It's a spectacular sight as the beautiful Marie completes a double
back flip, entering the water with near-perfect form. She quickly
resurfaces, climbs out of the pool and exchanges high fives with
her teammates before crossing to Jay.
JAY
Nice take off, gotta work on the
landing...
MARIE
I can't do any better...
Jay shakes a finger at her, silences her immediately.
JAY
No such word as 'can't. Now do it again.
Only better...
Marie takes a deep breath, approaches the ladder once more. As
she's about to start the arduous climb, Elena hands her a towel...
ELENA
Bet you choke.
Stops Marie in her tracks.
MARIE
What's your major malfunction?
ELENA
Just wanted to make a wager. Between best
friends.
9.
Marie just starts to climb the ladder to the high dive platform.
ELENA
You blow this dive, I get those diamonds
of yours.
Marie stops, looks down on Elena from the fifth rung of the
ladder, shakes her head...
MARIE
How'd you know about my inheritance?
ELENA
Talk of the town, birthday girl. Today's
the day, right?
MARIE
And what, pray tell, are you willing to
wager when I win?
Elena thinks for a second, glances back at Jay with a big smile.
ELENA
I'll stay away from your stepfather. You
make it, I won't be your new stepmom
anytime soon. Whattya say?
Marie just stands there incredulous for a moment.
MARIE
Take your sorry ass back to the swamps.
She ascends the ladder, leaving Elena behind...
ELENA
Choke!
Marie clambers up onto the high dive platform, tries to focus on
the task at hand. But can't help but notice her nemesis below,
walking slowly, seductively, up to Jay, intoxicating him...
Marie blocks out the distraction, concentrates at the task at
hand, stepping to the edge of the platform and the 20 foot drop
looming beyond...
She slides a ring off her finger, kisses it for luck. It's an odd
design. Four curved gold ridges, just ready to hold a Diamond...
She throws the ring into the pool ahead of her, the gold glinting
in the afternoon sunlight as it drops into the water, and a split
second before it breaks the surface, Marie is airborne...
03/22/2004 10.
She twists magnificently through the air, a sight of breathtaking
beauty. Thank God this is in slow motion.
And as she gets ever closer to the water's surface, she tucks,
does one last back flip, straightening out at the last possible
instant, slicing through the water with nary a splash.
Marie surfaces to roaring APPLAUSE. Treading water, she can't help
but watch her Jay's smiling face in the bleachers...
EXT. CLIFFORD MANSION - AFTERNOON
Sickeningly expensive POWERBOATS and de-rigged SCHOONERS line the
inlet leading to the verdant lawns of the Clifford Mansion...
Banners and streamers wishing Marie a happy birthday decorate the
grounds. Partygoers soak in the blazing Florida sun, sip at non-
alcoholic punch, and stare out gratefully across the thin stretch
of water that separates them from the riff-raff on the mainland...
Marie sits away from it all, lost in thought, as Jenny, in cutoffs
and a bikini top, sidles up beside her.
J
ENNY
What's the matter, sweetie, pissed that
one judge only gave you a 9.7?
Marie forces a smile.
MARIE
Nah. I'm cool.
JENNY
Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, babe.
You got diamonds on the mind.
JAY (O.S.)
Have either of you seen my video camera?
Marie looks round to her stepfather, shakes her head, bringing a
bemused look to Jay's face.
JAY
I had it at the dive meet, I'm sure...
He shrugs, picks up a crystal glass, hits a fork sharply against
it, drawing the attention of the assembled partygoers...
JAY
Ladies, Gentlemen, friends, raise a glass
to Marie, on her eighteenth birthday.
Everyone raises their fine crystal.
H
03/22/2004 11.
JAY
She's become every inch of the woman her
Mother hoped she'd be. Wherever she is
now, Julie's looking down and smiling.
Tears well in Marie's eyes...
JAY
And that's why, on your eighteenth
birthday, Marie, I know your mother
wanted you to have...
He notices, out of the corner of his eyes, two well-dressed MEN
standing at the entrance to his house. Whoever they are, Jay's
instantly unnerved. He stumbles over his words...
JAY
... she wanted you to have... a wonderful
birthday party surrounded by all your
friends.
e glances back toward the house, watching the two men enter...
JAY
Please excuse me.
... and hurries after them. Marie is left dumbfounded. So close,
but so far...
MARIE
Jay! What about my present?
She chases after him...
INT. CLIFFORD MANSION HALLWAY - DAY
Marie makes her way down the sleek white corridors inside the
opulent Clifford Mansion, past framed family photos, of Jay, Marie
and the late Julie...
MARIE
Jay?
H
e's nowhere to be found. Frustrated, Marie finds herself alone in
the kitchen. She angrily selects a bottle of Champagne, pops the
cork. Before she can swig any alcohol she hears raised voices.
JAY (O.S.)
It simply can't be done...
Marie tentatively edges out of the kitchen, back into the hallway,
and down towards Jay's study...
12.
JAY (O.S.) (CONT'D)
In all construction there's delays.
Marie sidles up to the door jam, peaks through the crack. What she
sees makes the blood run cold in her veins...
An imposing Cuban businessman, MR. BARAJAS, stands threateningly
over a visibly frightened Jay. Another man, CICATRIZ, dressed in
designer silks, stands menacingly in the corner, clearly the brawn
of this little operation.
MR. BARAJAS
Four months is not a delay. It's a
disaster.
JAY
You have my word, Mr. Barajas, the
building is almost finished. Just give me
a week, two tops.
Barajas nods to Cicatriz, who moves in on Jay with lightning
quickness, holds a Razor sharp KNIFE against his thumb.
MR. BARAJAS
We are long past the negotiation stage.
Cicatriz runs the steel blade across Jay's thumb. Marie has to
cover her mouth from screaming as she sees a trickle of blood
stain the spotless white carpet.
MR. BARAJAS (CONT'D)
For every day the building goes
unfinished, we'll take a finger...
A sinister grin stretches across Cicatriz's lips.
CICATRIZ
Pray, Mr. Clifford, you finish before the
eleventh day...
And with that the Cuban men head to the door. Marie scrambles
away, her heart pounding...
She's halfway down the hallway when Mr. Barajas and Cicatriz exit
Jay's study. She turns, tries to look innocent as the Cuban
'businessmen' stare her down.
J
ay appears in the doorway, sweat cascading from his brow.
JAY
Marie! Shouldn't you be with your
friends?
A
03/22/2004 13.
MARIE
I was just...
Cicatriz takes a step towards her.
JAY
(to Marie)
I'll be right there. With your gift...
just... wait outside, OK?
Marie backs away, never taking her eyes off the intimidating Cuban
men...
EXT. CLIFFORD MANSION - AFTERNOON
Marie stumbles down the lawns, past the semi-clad partygoers, in a
daze, as she takes hits from the bottle of champagne.
Jenny and the dive team wait by the dock, and welcome their lost
sheep with open arms.
JENNY
So? Did you get the key? Are you Blue
Bay's richest bitch?
Marie's thoughts are drowned out by the ROAR of a powerful engine.
All attention turns to a rusted MOTORCYCLE as it streaks across
the verdant lawns, leaving a spray of MUD in its wake.
nd atop the bike... Elena, in skintight leathers.
JENNY
Holy shit, who invited her?
Marie's slightly drunken eyes narrow. Elena brings the bike to a
screeching halt inches from the surprised guests. The ultimate
partycrasher...
MARIE
This is a private party...
ELENA
Don't mind me. I ain't here for your
stupid party.
She's striding towards the Mansion, towards Jay who's standing at
the patio doors, an exquisitely wrapped present in his hands.
MARIE
Get the hell outta here! NOW!
Marie stumbles after Elena, grabbing her from behind, holding her
back. There's a tense moment before...
03/22/2004 14.
ELENA
Damn girl, whattcha been drinking?
MARIE
Stay away from my stepfather!
ELENA
Make me...
And that's it. Marie lashes out with a haymaker punch. Connects on
Elena's jaw and she goes reeling back. But it's ignited the street
fighter in her, and she comes roaring back into the fray, ramming
into Marie and together they tumble to the ground...
T
he crowds gather to watch the cat-fight, in equal parts appalled
and aroused. It's a hair pulling, teeth gnashing, make up smearing
wrestling match, no holds barred. The drunken Marie has the upper
hand, the alcohol fueling her rage.
JAY (O.S.)
What the hell's going on here?
And that stops the fight right there and then. Marie looks up to
see a red faced Jay standing over her.
MARIE
This...trash is just looking for a meal
ticket...
Elena gets to her feet, licks the blood from her split lip.
ELENA
Mr. Clifford. Betcha proud of little
Marie now, huh?
He hauls Marie to her feet, thrusts her towards the mansion.
JAY
Party's over.
Groans from the crowd, but Jay's mind is made up.
MARIE
But...what about...my present...
Jay's already walking away.
JAY
I'm going to the condos. Sleep it off,
whydontcha?
Elena watches Jay stride away, like a lioness stalking her prey...
03/22/2004 15.
EXT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING SITE - NIGHT
Work lights illuminate the half finished condo building site, on
prime beachfront real estate. These places would sell for
millions, if they were ever finished...
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING OFFICE - NIGHT
In a concrete makeshift office, on the top floor of the condo
building, Jay clicks open the lock on his large metal safe and the
steel door swings open.
Inside are stacks of CASH, piled high, along with a shiny new
HANDGUN. Jay flicks through the money, shaking his head...
JAY
(sotto)
Not enough. Just not enough...
A clanking noise from outside has him quickly snatching the gun
from the safe, before closing it once more, spinning the lock...
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - CONTINUOUS
Jay walks out of his office, into the half-finished top floor of
the condos. Exposed beams and drying cement reveal how far behind
schedule Jay really is...
J
AY
Hello? Anyone there?
He swings the gun round impotently, seeing nothing in the
flickering florescent light...
Finally Jay lowers the weapon. It looks like he might collapse,
until he catches himself, palms flat against the wall, head down.
JAY (CONT'D)
Fuck me...
ELENA (O.S.)
Any time. Any place...
He reels around, sees Elena moving toward him, brushing aside the
thick plastic sheeting. She has a bottle of beer in one hand, a
video camera in the other. Jay's video camera to be precise...
JAY
What are you doing here?
ELENA
You promised to show me your erection...
03/22/2004 16.
Elena focuses the video camera on Jay's crotch. Makes him
incredibly uncomfortable, obviously.
JAY
Is that my...camera?
Elena thrusts the bottle of beer at Jay.
ELENA
Lighten up, Jay.
Jay takes the bottle from her, sets it down on the concrete floor.
JAY
Enough's enough. I think it's time you
left.
This brings a teasing pout to Elena's lips.
ELENA
Is that any way to treat Marie's new best
friend?
Jay's taken aback.
JAY
You're best friends are you?
ELENA
Sure. We've been having sleepovers.
Talking about boys, swapping tips. She's
been teaching me about shopping, I've
been teaching her about giving mind
blowing head...
Jay's taken aback once more. How much more aback can he be taken?
He reaches out and blocks the video camera lens.
JAY
Gimme the camera back...
Elena saunters slowly past, brushing up against him. Keeps the
camera trained on his worried face...
ELENA
Come get it.
Jay's reaching his elastic limit. He reaches for the camera, but
Elena won't let go. They wrestle for control of the video camera.
And finally the camera slips from both their grasps, flies across
the room and SHATTERS on the concrete floor...
03/22/2004 17.
ELENA
(slyly)
Ooopppps.
Elena runs her finger under Jay's chin, then turns and walks away,
leaving Jay standing there, all taken aback.
EXT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - NIGHT
A drunken Marie brings her BMW to a swerving halt outside the
construction site. She takes a swig from the Champagne bottle on
the passenger seat for dutch courage...
MARIE
(sotto)
It's present time.
She reaches for the car door handle, but comes up short. When she
looks back up she's in for some taking aback of her own...
Elena comes walking out of the building site, and the two girls
lock eyes. There's an uncomfortable moment before Elena flashes a
satisfied smile and walks away...
MARIE
What the hell...
Marie's about to get out of her car when Jay comes walking out of
the site, looks around the lot, sees Marie's car.
JAY
What are you doing here at this time of
night?
Marie stammers to find the words...
MARIE
I just...wanted to apologize for my
behavior earlier. I was out of line.
Jay's mood lightens.
JAY
When we admit our mistakes we grow.
You've made an important step.
MARIE
So...what about my present?
JAY
Meet me at the Museum. Before school
tomorrow. Now go home, get some sleep,
I'm gonna finish up here...
03/22/2004 18.
He walks away and a smile creeps across Marie's face.
FADE TO BLACK:
INT. MUSEUM - MORNING
A perfect rainbow is trapped inside the two flawless Mother
Daughter DIAMONDS, glinting in the morning sun.
Marie can barely contain her excitement as she paces frantically
in the dark marble museum hall, reaching out a trembling hand
towards the glass case containing the priceless jewels...
JAY (O.S.)
You really think you're ready for your
inheritance?
Marie looks round to see Jay striding into the Museum, still in
the same clothes as yesterday...
MARIE
It was...it was what Mom wanted...
Jay looks at her sternly.
JAY
You're the only one who can open that
lock, but I'm the one with the key. She
wanted you to have the diamonds when you
were responsible enough to know what to
do with them...
M
MARIE
I'm...responsible...
Jay shakes his head slowly, deliberately.
JAY
Really? Underage drinking, prying into my
personal affairs, fighting...
MARIE
But they're mine. Mom left them to me.
JAY
They're yours when I say they're yours.
For the time being, I've got some major
problems at the construction site.
Deadlines have to be met. We'll talk
again when you've done some growing up.
Jay puts an arm around his stepdaughter, starts walking her back
towards the massive wooden doors.
M
03/22/2004 19.
JAY
Please, don't fight me on this. We're
Team Clifford, remember?
MARIE
(without conviction)
Team Clifford...
She's stuck in an awkward embrace with her Step Father...
EXT. MUSEUM - MORNING
Jay leads Marie down the stone steps outside the quaint Museum
building. But as they approach his car they're hit by...BLUE and
RED FLASHING LIGHTS.
The whine of sirens has Jay spinning around in surprise, looking
over to see four Police Cruisers come to a screeching halt...
MARIE
What the hell?
Half a dozen of Blue Bay's finest, lead by the dashing young
OFFICER ENTWISTLE, draw their badges, approach Jay.
OFFICER ENTWISTLE
Mr. Clifford?
JAY
Can I help you, Officer?
OFFICER ENTWISTLE
You're under arrest on suspicion of rape.
Jay's jaw drops to the ground.
JAY
There must be some mistake, this isn't
possible...
MARIE
Jay, what's going on?
Entwistle puts a powerful hand on Jay, leads him to the first
Police cruiser. J
AY
Call my lawyer, tell him to meet me down
the station. This is outrageous...
Entwistle gets into the Police car's passenger seat.
03/22/2004 20.
JAY
I didn't do anything, I swear.
OFFICER ENTWISTLE
I'm afraid she's got a different story.
JAY
Who's 'she'?
INT. BLUE BAY PD INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY
Elena paces the sterile interview room like a caged tiger. She
stops in front of the two way mirror, examines her reflection...
Tentatively she reaches out a trembling finger touching the scab
on her lip, covering the wound Marie inflicted at the party. And
slowly Elena starts to press on the cut, until the blood starts to
flow once more...
There's a quiet knock on the door and Elena quickly lowers her
hand, looks round...
Kristen Richards, the young Parole Officer who so heart
wrenchingly told her story at Blue Bay High earlier, comes quietly
into the gray room.
KRISTEN
Elena.
Elena just looks up at her pitifully.
KRISTEN
Could you tell me what happened?
Through stifled sobs, Elena states...
ELENA
It was Jay Clifford. He raped me...
The interview room door swings open and DETECTIVE MICHAEL
MORRISON, 30's, enters. He's the personification of the term
"overworked, underpaid."
MORRISON
You understand the seriousness of this
allegation, young lady?
Elena nods weakly.
MORRISON
And you know that we'll leave no stone un-
turned in the investigation.
21.
MORRISON(CONT'D)
There'll be a battery of forensics tests
you'll have to take, humiliating stuff.
And background checks, digging up all
kinds of dirt. And you'll have to testify
in court, face the man you're accusing...
Crocodile tears roll down Elena's cheeks.
MORRISON
You sure you want to go through with
this? No harm, no foul, you can just walk
away right now....
Kristen interjects...
KRISTEN
Please, Detective, this isn't the right
time...
ELENA
I ain't lying. You think I'm lying?
Kristen turns to her young ward...
KRISTEN
If you're telling the truth, you won't
find a more sympathetic ear...
ELENA
'If' I'm telling the truth...
KRISTEN
And if you're not, there's gonna be
trouble, you understand?
MORRISON
This is already trouble. The man you're
accusing happens to be a friend of mine,
and when the DNA tests prove you're lying
I'm gonna come down on you like a ton of
bricks, mark my words...
Elena withers under his glare...
INT. BLUE BAY PD INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY
Jay huddles in the small interview room along with Marie and THEO
BLOOM, his sharp suited attorney.
THEO
We're gonna sue their asses til time runs
backwards...
03/22/2004 22.
JAY
(to Marie)
You've gotta believe me, I would never,
could never do anything like this, you
know that don't you?
Marie takes his hand, squeezes it.
MARIE
We're team Clifford.
Jay forces a tired smile...
JAY
That's my girl.
The door swings open and Morrison enters...
MORRISON
Jay. Marie. Mr. Bloom...
Jay stands, shakes Morrison's hand.
MORRISON
(to Marie)
Would you mind waiting outside while me
and your stepdad have a little chat...
Marie looks to Jay, doesn't want to leave.
JAY
It's OK honey. Michael and I are old
pals...
Reluctantly she leaves, letting the door swing closed after her.
Jay sits back down. Morrison takes a chair opposite.
JAY
How's the divorce treating you?
MORRISON
She's taken me for everything I'm worth.
I swear to God, I'm never trusting
another woman as long as I live.
T
heo intervenes...
THEO
This is most egregious, Detective, my
client has pressing matters at his
construction site. He can't afford to
waste time with this frivolous
nonsense...
03/22/2004 23.
MORRISON
(to Jay)
Look, we're taking her statement right
now, gonna run every forensic test in the
book. Guarantee the case'll come apart
like a $2 watch...
Jay nods, certain he can beat this rap...
JAY
She had my camcorder. Recorded what
happened. It should still be at the
construction site. It'll clear my name...
Morrison nods.
MORRISON
You'll be outta here by tonight.
INT. BLUE BAY PD HALLWAY - DAY
Marie waits out in the anonymous hallway, talking a mile-a-minute
on her cell phone...
MARIE (ON PHONE)
I can't believe it, Jenny...It just
doesn't make sense...I mean, I know
Jay...I know he'd never...
When a door down the hall opens she looks up expectantly, only to
see Kristen come out, walk towards her, followed by someone.
Marie's view is blocked by Kristen until the Parole Officer passes
her and reveals...Elena.
MARIE
This can't be...
A look somewhere between horror and shock is etched on Marie's
beautiful face. Elena just smiles, blows her a kiss.
ELENA
No such word as 'can't'...
EXT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - DAY
Police cars line the driveway outside the beach front building
site. Officers cordon off the road as Forensics teams photograph
every inch of the building...
Standing amidst the crowd of onlookers is an irate Mr. Barajas,
accompanied, as ever, by Cicatriz. They are both on CELLPHONES,
both talking angry, fast Spanish.
03/22/2004 24.
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - NIGHT
Plastic sheeting covers the windowless top floor of the unfinished
condos. The white suited FORENSICS TEAM work meticulously, led by
the tireless Dr. Chad Borman, delicately dusting anything and
everything that might yield evidence...
Morrison stands at the edge of an area cordoned off by POLICE
TAPE. He's looking at Jay's smashed DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA, now
bagged and tagged as evidence...
KRISTEN (O.S.)
Sexual predators often keep a trophy...
Morrison spins, sees Kristen. He stumbles with his words, not used
to talking to beautiful women...
MORRISON
I'm sorry?
KRISTEN
Maybe he recorded the rape.
Morrison looks at the remains of the camera.
MORRISON
And maybe he didn't. We'll never know.
Tape's mangled. Forensics said it'd take
months to fix it.
He looks up into Kristen's hypnotic eyes.
MORRISON
We were never properly introduced.
Michael Morrison.
She offers her hand, and Morrison shakes it.
KRISTEN
Miss Richards. Kristen. Miami Parole. Was
just in town for a couple days checking
in on some parolees when all this went
down...
She hands Morrison a BUSINESS CARD, which he absently stuffs into
his pocket...
MORRISON
You think maybe you could lean on the
girl? Get her to drop this nonsense? We
all know she's lying. With all this Black
widow shit going down, we just don't have
the time or manpower to...
03/22/2004 25.
KRISTEN
She might not be lying, you know.
MORRISON
What makes you think that?
KRISTEN
Just a look in her eye. I...I have some
experience...
Morrison doesn't want to push her further...
All of a sudden the sunlight is blocked from the massive
unfinished floor by black sheets erected by the Forensics team,
leaving everyone in pitch darkness....
MORRISON
What the hell?
Slowly an eerie ULTRA VIOLET GLOW fills the room. The white suited
forensics technicians, glowing under the black light, wait
patiently for evidence to show itself...
Suddenly the clear IMPRINTS of hands on the wall become clear,
along with the black stains of BLOOD FLECKS...
CHAD
Gotcha...
MORRISON
What is it?
CHAD
Blood, fingerprints, sign of a struggle.
I'd say we've got a rape on our hands,
Detective, but we won't know for sure
until we run the tests...
Morrison's head is spinning...
MORRISON
Fine. Just do it...
INT. BLUE BAY FORENSICS LAB - NIGHT
Elena sits on the edge of a gurney in the high tech forensics lab,
rubbing her arm where a band-aid covers a fresh needle mark. Chad
appears at the doorway and she stares daggers at him.
ELENA
You vampires really need five pints of my
blood? That's like an armful...
03/22/2004 26.
Chad's surprised by her venom.
CHAD
It's standard procedure in a rape test.
Test for drugs and such...
ELENA
And such.
She continues to pace as Chad makes his way into the room, rounds
the desk and takes down a plastic beaker from the metal shelf.
CHAD
We're going to need a urine sample. Do
you think you could fill this?
ELENA
From here?
Chad goes red. Puts the plastic cup down on the desk and Elena
grabs it. C
HAD
If...you wouldn't mind...removing your
clothes. I'll leave the room, give you
some priv...
The breath catches in Chad's throat as Elena takes her shirt off
without hesitation. Stands there in just her black bra.
ELENA
Done. Next?
Chad's jaw drops. Not just because Elena's in her underwear, but
because of the clear BITE MARKS on her neck and arms...
CHAD
Those are...
ELENA
Bite marks. He chowed down.
CHAD
They're clear evidence markers...
He reaches out, grabs a Polaroid Camera from the desk, starts
snapping away like an ornithologist at a bird convention. The
FLASH of the camera fills the room...
03/22/2004 27.
EXT. COURTHOUSE - DAY
FLASHBULBS explode as Marie accompanies her stepfather up the
steps of the austere Blue Bay courthouse, surrounded by a gaggle
of sound bite hungry pressmen...
REPORTER 1
Any comment, Mr. Clifford?
Jay puts his hand up to block the intrusive lenses. He disappears
quickly into the shelter of the courthouse.
REPORTER 2
(to Marie)
Did your stepfather rape that girl? How
could he do something like that?
Marie stops in her tracks, wheels around and addresses the throng
of reporters...
MARIE
Jay...is innocent...
Says it like she means it...
INT. COURTHOUSE - DAY
The packed courthouse is abuzz and the elderly JUDGE WILCOX is
forced to slam his gavel down...
JUDGE WILCOX
Order!
Jay sits at the defendant's table, suit impeccable, hair
immaculate, game face on. Theo sits beside him, scribbling notes.
Marie is in the front row of the gallery, surrounded by her
coiffured peers. She tries to smile stoically at Jay...
Kristen sits beside Elena at the prosecution table.
C
had is on the stand as ARLO MEESE, 35, the slick District
Attorney, steps forward.
D.A. MEESE
Dr. Borman, do your tests show that Elena
Sandoval had sexual intercourse on the
night of the 25th?
CHAD
Yes they do.
D.A. MEESE
Do they show that it was forced?
03/22/2004 28.
CHAD
Yes. There was extensive bruising and
tearing. We found no semen evidence. The
latex abrasions point to the use of
protection. This is quite common in cases
of premeditated rape.
D.A. MEESE
And what can you tell us about Miss
Sandoval's toxicology reports, Doctor?
CHAD
Came back positive for Rohypnol, a common
date rape drug. Traces were also found on
the bottle of beer at the crime scene.
Both Mr. Clifford and Miss Sandoval's
fingerprints were all over the bottle.
JAY
I took it from her. She was far too young
to be drinking!
A slam of the gavel silences Jay.
D.A. MEESE
Dr. Borman I am going to show you what's
been marked as state's exhibit number 1.
He nods to the bailiff and a PROJECTOR whirs to life. An EVIDENCE
PHOTO that Chad took of Elena's wounds is displayed on a screen
beside him.
D.A. MEESE
What does this slide show?
CHAD
Miss Sandoval was found to have numerous
bite marks on her upper torso that
occurred during the rape.
JUDGE WILCOX
What about those other markings?
Chad looks confused, studies the slide, sees four equidistant dots
aligned in a small circle.
CHAD
I wasn't able to determine...Fingernail
markings, possibly...
JUDGE WILCOX
(to Meese)
Please continue.
03/22/2004 29.
Marie can barely breathe...
D.A. MEESE
I'm going to show you another slide
that's been marked as state's exhibit
number 2.
Meese nods to the bailiff, who dutifully changes the slide. The
court goes dark for a second before the next slide is
displayed...It's a close up of Jay's teeth mouldings compared to
the bite marks...
D.A. MEESE
What can you tell us about these
mouldings?
CHAD
They were made from the defendant's
teeth, and the tests I conducted show
there's simply no other conclusion. The
bite marks on Miss Sandoval's body were
made by the defendant, Mr. Jay
Clifford...
That's it. The Court erupts, flashbulbs exploding. Jay slumps back
in his chair, his air of cool gone in an instant. He looks back at
Marie, utter disbelief on his face. The tears well in her eyes...
The Judge bangs his gavel in a vain attempt to regain control.
JUDGE WILCOX
Court's adjourned...
INT. BLUE BAY PD - NIGHT
TV news gleefully reports Jay's trial like a sordid soap opera...
REPORTER (ON TV)
...in the face of damning evidence, Jay
Clifford remained defiant. It's thought
that his stepdaughter, Marie Clifford
will testify in his defense tomorrow. And
in other news, officials from the FBI
gave a press conference today, commenting
on their involvement in the Black widow
case...
A walking suit, AGENT MILTON DAMMERS, steps up to the podium.
AGENT DAMMERS (ON TV)
After numerous mistakes on behalf of the
local authorities in Blue Bay, the FBI is
mobilizing its task force...
K
03/22/2004 30.
Click. Morrison tosses the TV remote aside, sits down behind his
desk, piled high with files, mostly marked BLACK WIDOW, and
reaches down to pick up Jay's broken video camera, still in the
evidence bag...
KRISTEN (O.S.)
It's a long shot.
Morrison looks up, smiles faintly when he sees Kristen at the
door.
MORRISON
Not a fan of 'Hey, how you doing', are
you?
Kristen smiles, enters Morrison's cluttered office.
KRISTEN
Used to play at being a spider when I was
a kid, creeping around silently. Guess I
haven't grown out of it.
Morrison shakes the broken camera parts in the evidence bag.
M
ORRISON
It's the only thing standing between my
friend and a ten year stretch...
KRISTEN
The forensics lab will have time to look
at it now...the Feds have taken over the
Black widow case...
MORRISON
Goddamn gloryhounds. They knew I was
close. They just want to come in and take
all the credit.
RISTEN
You got a chance, Detective. To help your
friend. Don't let this case slip away as
well...
Morrison tightens his jaw, knows what he has to do.
INT. BLUE BAY PD FORENSICS LAB - NIGHT
The Forensics lab is crammed with evidence bags and files. Chad is
working diligently, painstakingly scanning a stack of $100 BILLS
one by one. He barely has time to look round when the door opens
and Detective Morrison comes in...
03/22/2004 31.
MORRISON
Chad, I got a rush job for you.
Chad rolls his eyes.
CHAD
No can do, boss. We're sifting through
the Black Widow evidence...
MORRISON
Feds are movin' in. They'll be taking
over by the case by the end of the week.
Chad's dumbstruck, but dutifully takes the shattered video camera.
MORRISON
You find anything on that tape, you let
me know, OK?
CHAD
Whatever you say, boss.
MORRISON
And make sure you get that money back
into the evidence locker.
A
nd Chad's left alone with the shattered remains of the video
camera, and a whole shit load of work ahead...
FADE TO BLACK:
EXT. BLUE BAY HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING POOL - DAY
The early morning sun casts a brilliant orange glow over the
smooth-as-glass surface of the school swimming pool.
Marie steps back up onto the high diving platform. Tries to focus.
Slides the soon-to-be-diamond ring off her finger and throws it
tentatively into the water...
She takes a breath and then dives, straight and true, into the
perfect blue water below.
EXT. UNDERWATER - CONTINUOUS
Marie's lithe, taught body comes arcing through the water, darting
down to the bottom of the pool to retrieve the ring...
EXT. BLUE BAY HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING POOL - CONTINUOUS
Marie surfaces, reaches out and puts the ring on the side of the
pool, before looking up to see an old pair of sneakers, an
electronic ankle bracelet locked around one leg.
03/22/2004 32.
ELENA
Nice take off. Gotta work on the
landing...
Marie's blood boils.
MARIE
What the hell are you doing here?
Elena just reaches down and picks up Marie's unfinished ring.
ELENA
Looks like your bling ain't blinging...
MARIE
Give me that back. It was my Mother's...
Marie climbs out of the pool, faces down with Elena...
ELENA
Looks like she got ripped off Princess,
where's the rock?
Marie snatches the ring from Elena, slides it back on her finger.
MARIE
Is that what this is all about?
Elena reaches out, tries to stroke the wet hair off Marie's face.
She recoils before she'll let Elena touch her...
ELENA
You're not a dumb as you look...
J
enny, followed by the rest of the diving team, come marching out
of the locker room and see the two arch-enemies confronting each
other.
JENNY
(to her team mates)
We got trouble...
Elena won't back down.
MARIE
You're ruining my life, and my
stepfather's.
ELENA
It can end. Just like that.
She snaps her fingers and Marie's on the verge of tears...
03/22/2004 33.
Jenny and the rest of the diving team approach, stand behind
Marie, a seething mass of bikini-clad mindless hate...
MARIE
Why are you doing this?
ELENA
Because I can.
As she turns and walks away...
ELENA (CONT'D)
Good luck in court.
INT. BLUE BAY COURTROOM - DAY
The usual assortment of paparazzi and spectators crowd into the
small courtroom.
Marie is on the witness stand, staring straight ahead at her
stepfather at the defendant's table. Gone is the immaculate suit,
the perfect hair, the poker face. He's looking worried now...
Theo paces in front of Marie, running her through a series of well-
rehearsed questions.
THEO
And why did you go to your stepfather's
building site that night, Miss Clifford?
MARIE
It was my birthday. Jay left the party
before giving me my present.
THEO
And you say you saw Miss Sandoval
leaving?
Marie takes a moment, looks to Elena at the Prosecution table.
MARIE
I did.
THEO
And how would you describe her
appearance?
MARIE
She was...she looked fine. She smiled at
me. Actually smiled...
THEO
No further questions.
03/22/2004 34.
He takes a seat next to Jay, whispers in his ear. D.A. Meese
starts his cross-examination.
D.A. MEESE
Would it be fair to say you don't like
Elena Sandoval, Miss Clifford?
M
MARIE
We don't see...eye to eye...
D.A. MEESE
Is that why you attacked her at your
party earlier that night?
Marie squirms.
MARIE
No...I was...she wasn't invited...
D.A. MEESE
You'd had a few drinks, correct?
MARIE
(reluctantly)
I'd had a drink. Yes.
D.A. MEESE
So by the time you allege to have seen
Miss Sandoval, could you tell the court
exactly how much you'd had to drink?
MARIE
A glass of Champagne. Or two, but...
D.A. MEESE
No further questions.
Jay sinks a few inches lower in his seat. Going down...
INT. BLUE BAY FORENSICS LAB - DAY
A bleary eyed Chad sits in front of a bank of monitors, working
the image enhancement equipment, fighting to get a watchable
picture from the fuzzy static in front of him. Kristen sits behind
him, fighting to stay awake.
CHAD
(to himself)
Take out the chroma, raise the
luminescence...
He clumsily reaches over the control panel, hitting almost every
button on the way. And that does the trick...
03/22/2004 35.
Suddenly the picture on the monitors becomes clear. Kristen's eyes
snap open.
KRISTEN
H
oly shit...
The pixilated image of Elena smiling comes into focus on the TV...
KRISTEN (CONT'D)
Call Detective Morrison. Now...
SCENE OMITTED
INT. JUDGE'S CHAMBERS- DAY
The shaky, pixilated image of Elena smiling flickers on the TV.
Soon enough though her smile fades...
ELENA (ON TAPE)
You're kidding right?
Jay's voice can be heard behind the camera...
JAY (O.S. ON TAPE)
C'mon now baby, you can do it...
The video shows Elena cowering...
ELENA (ON TAPE)
Please...you can't do this...
JAY (O.S ON TAPE)
No such word as can't...
A hand reaches out from behind the video camera and grabs Elena,
throws her violently against a concrete wall.
JAY (O.S. ON TAPE)
Fuck me...
A flurry of movement that goes in and out of focus. When the
camera steadies again, Elena's hands are pressed against the wall
and she's sobbing... E
LENA (ON TAPE)
Please, Mr. Clifford, don't...
JAY (O.S ON TAPE)
Just try to keep those legs together...
And then static...
03/22/2004 36.
Pulling back from the TV we find ourselves in the courtroom,
completely empty, save for Jay, Theo, Meese and Judge Wilcox all
staring in shock at the blank TV screen...
D.A. MEESE
If Mr. Clifford would plead guilty to
rape, the state is prepared to drop the
charges of kidnapping and assault.
JUDGE WILCOX
(to Jay)
If I were you I would seriously consider
the offer.
INT. COUNTY JAIL VISITING ROOM - DAY
In the cold stone jail visiting room, Jay sits behind the wire
mesh, an emotion Marie and Theo opposite. The PRISON GUARD waits
by the barred door, keeping his beady eyes on Jay.
JAY
I'm gonna lose this trial.
THEO
I'm not so sure about that. The tape's a
fake, right? So all we need to do is...
Jay holds up a hand, instantly silencing his attorney.
JAY
You had your chance.
(to Marie)
If we're gonna win at all costs, we're
gonna have to change the game.
(to Theo)
Do you have it?
Theo nods regretfully, reaches into a breast pocket, pulls out a
KEY.
THEO
I'm still dead set against this, Jay.
JAY
I couldn't care less.
MARIE
What's the key for?
JAY
The diamonds...If that's what it takes,
then that's what it takes...
03/22/2004 37.
MARIE
But...they're my inheritance...
JAY
All my assets are tied up in the condos,
Marie. We have to pay this girl off, make
her testify that she faked the tape,
faked the evidence.
MARIE
But, Jay...they're my diamonds...
JAY
As soon as I'm out of here, you'll have
them back. I swear. I know people, who
can...persuade her to hand them over...
Marie shoots an uncomfortable look to Theo, then back at Jay,
uncertain what to say.
MARIE
I
t's wrong.
JAY
More wrong than what she's doing to us?
We're team Clifford, right? You know I'm
not guilty. You know I could never do
anything like this. So do the right thing
and get me out of this hellhole...
Marie's cracking...
MARIE
I can't...
JAY
(tenderly)
No such word as 'can't.' Please...
The tears well in her eyes.
INT. MUSEUM - NIGHT
The key slips easily into the lock below the dazzling Mother
Daughter diamonds. The alarms disabled, Marie's finally able to
reach inside the glass case and touch the priceless gems...
The Curator stands behind her in the empty Museum hall, ruefully
watching his prize exhibit being removed.
CURATOR
I knew the day would come, still doesn't
make it any easier...
03/22/2004 38.
Marie, tears welling in her eyes, takes a hold of the diamonds,
carefully takes them from the case.
CURATOR
The offer still stands, Marie. If you
ever decide to sell them, please give us
a first chance...
Marie turns to him, the emotions overwhelming her.
MARIE
I don't think I'll be able to, I'm
sorry...
She scampers towards the door, past the security guards.
CURATOR
(sotto)
Me too...
EXT. THE GATOR TRAILER PARK - NIGHT
Theo's SUV drives carefully down the mud path running parallel to
the swamp, past countless rusted airboats, and into the 'GATOR'
trailer park, finally coming to a halt in front of Elena's rotting
trailer. Theo gets out carefully, his $1000 shoes sinking into the
mud. Marie reluctantly steps out of the car...
A blinding PORCH LIGHT flicks on. Theo and Marie spin round,
squint through the light to see Elena standing in her trailer
doorway... E
LENA
Well, well, well. Look what the cat
dragged in...
(to Theo)
DA know you're here?
Theo squirms...
MARIE
We need to talk.
ELENA
So talk.
THEO
Somewhere private, maybe?
03/22/2004 39.
INT. ELENA'S TRAILER - NIGHT
An elderly man, UNCLE MARTY, in a sweat-stained T-shirt and ratty
underwear, snores on the tattered recliner, a half-drunk bottle of
WHISKY hanging from one limp hand...
Theo freezes when he sees him...
THEO
Who's this?
ELENA
Uncle Marty. Legal Guardian. Drunken
pervert, take your pick. Chill. He's out
til morning.
Uncle Marty's deafening SNORES confirm the assertion as Elena
leads them into her bedroom...
MARIE
Let's just get this over with.
(to Elena)
You won. You got what you wanted...
ELENA
(mocking)
I just wanted justice...
THEO
Tomorrow you'll take the stand, tell the
jury you faked the evidence, faked the
tape...
ELENA
(sarcastic)
Really?
MARIE
We are prepared to make it worth your
while.
She holds the Daughter diamond in front of Elena's greedy little
eyes.
ELENA
(poker face)
Not bad. But I always wanted a family...
Theo nudges Marie. She sighs, holds out the Mother diamond in the
other hand. A broad grin stretches across Elena's face.
F
03/22/2004 40.
THEO
They're yours after you exonerate my
client.
ELENA
I'm afraid I'm gonna need that payment up
front.
MARIE
No, that's not the deal.
ELENA
It is now. Take it or leave it.
Marie takes a deep breath. It's the most difficult thing she's
ever had to do in her young life. Dead silence, except for Uncle
Marty's snoring from the front room.
inally, with a very heavy heart, Marie hands over the diamonds.
THEO
When this is all over, you'll leave town.
For good.
Elena points to the ankle bracelet.
ELENA
I go more than five miles from the police
station and I'm straight back in juvie...
THEO
I understand your Parole term is up next
week.
Elena smiles.
ELENA
You've done your homework. Fine.
(points to the ankle bracelet)
As soon as this thing comes off, I'm
outta here...
She reaches down and grabs the diamonds. Dances past Marie...
THEO
May I suggest a little discretion, Miss
Sandoval. Certain...questions might be
asked about this...arrangement if you
were to...say...turn up to Blue Bay High
wearing a tiara...
Elena winks.
03/22/2004 41.
ELENA
I ain't gonna flaunt it, mate. I gots too
much class for that shit.
MARIE
You're going to tell the truth on the
stand tomorrow, yes?
Elena raises her right hand...
ELENA
I swear to tell the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth...
INT. COURTROOM - DAY
The court Bailiff nods, takes the Bible from Elena's hands. She's
dressed in the closest thing to a modest suit she has in her
wardrobe; a low cut jacket and tiny miniskirt...
The courtroom is packed with journalists, TV cameras and nosey
neighbors. Everyone wants a piece of this story. At the
defendant's table, Jay, slick once more in Armani, watches Theo
approach the witness box with a new-found confidence.
Sitting in the front row of the public gallery, Marie is riveted
on the action. At the back of the courtroom, Kristen fidgets
nervously beside Morrison as Theo steps up, ready to question the
newly compliant star witness in this sensational rape trial...
THEO
It's your assertion that my client, Mr.
Clifford forcibly sexually assaulted you
on the night of the 25th. Is that true?
A hushed silence. Marie, Jay, Theo all wait expectantly...
THEO
Is that what you say happened?
Elena clears her throat.
ELENA
He... He didn't...
A collective intake of breath from the crowd.
ELENA
....just sexually assault me.
Theo's balls shrink instantly.
03/22/2004 42.
THEO
What...did you just say?
ELENA
He didn't just sexually assault me. He
threatened to kill me if I told anyone...
T
he court is on the verge of erupting into anarchy. Theo's
reeling, caught off-guard, stumbling over his words, trying to
give the girl one last chance to make good on her promise.
THEO
Isn't it true that you were inebriated
during the assault, that it may not in
fact have been Mr. Clifford...Or anyone?
A smirking Meese doesn't even bother to stand up.
D.A. MEESE
Objection. Leading the witness.
JUDGE WILCOX
Sustained. Council will please rephrase
the question.
Theo's stumped. His eyes plead with Elena to take the ball and run
with it. She does. Unfortunately it's to the wrong end zone.
ELENA
I was messed up, alright. In fact, only
two things I remember. One was that
bastard Jay Clifford taping me with that
Goddamn video camera while he violated
me. The other was what he whispered in my
ear, right before I blacked out...
She pauses, for emphasis. Judge, jury, gallery, press corps, the
town of Blue Bay, the state of Florida hangs on her every word...
ELENA
He said, "You won't remember, but you'll
never forget."
That's it. The court goes berserk, flashbulbs exploding, along
with the veins in Jay's head.
Kristen's reeling from shock...
KRISTEN
(to Morrison)
What did she just say?
Marie leaps to her feet, screams...
03/22/2004 43.
MARIE
Lying bitch!
Marie has to be restrained, trying to break through the crowds to
claw Elena's tear stained eyes out...
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - NIGHT
A small Television blares out today's top story...
ACTION NEWS ANCHOR
The young victim's wrenching testimonial
proved to be the final nail in the coffin
for Jay Clifford. It took less than an
hour for the jury to deliberate and
sentence Mr. Clifford to 15 years.
T
V cameras witness Jay being led away in handcuffs...
JAY (ON TV)
You can't do this to me! You can't...YOU
CAN'T!
CLICK. The TV turns off. Marie sits huddled in Jay's unfinished
concrete building site office, staring at the darkened television
set. Mascara laden tear tracks line her perfect face.
MARIE
(mumbling)
No such thing as can't...
She lets the champagne bottle slip through her fingers and it
smashes on the concrete floor. Strangely the dregs of the
champagne start running down the floor...
Marie's heart suddenly skips a beat as she thinks she hears the
rustling of plastic from outside the office.
MARIE
Who's there?
No answer. She steels herself, gets shakily to her feet, stumbling
drunkenly toward the door...
EXT. ELENA'S TRAILER - NIGHT
Kristen stands in the darkened doorway of Elena's less-than-
welcoming trailer. She knocks.
KRISTEN
Elena. Open up.
03/22/2004 44.
No answer. She tries the door handle. It's unlocked. She takes a
deep breath, steps inside.
INT. ELENA'S TRAILER - NIGHT
Kristen flips on a light switch. The room is illuminated for a
split second before the bulb surges and burns out, leaving Kristen
in the near-darkness...
KRISTEN
Elena? Hello?
She takes out a FLASHLIGHT, creeps through the front room,
stepping over the discarded pizza boxes and assorted detritus.
The beam of light finds a small BLUE PILL nestled in the
carpeting. Kristen picks it up, slides it into her pocket...
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - NIGHT
Marie steps cautiously through the unfinished concrete top floor,
past the crime scene tape. In the dim light, her eyes dart to
every corner, every shadow.
S
he lets out a surprised shout as the room is suddenly plunged
into darkness. Slowly the eerie forensic ULTRA VIOLET LIGHTS
switch on, filling the room with black light.
And with a knot growing in the pit of her stomach, Marie slowly
turns, coming face to face with...
Elena, her arch-nemesis...
INT. ELENA'S TRAILER - NIGHT
Kristen moves slowly into Elena's bedroom, shines her light on the
walls. What she sees makes the blood run chill in her veins.
Barely able to breathe, she takes out her cell phone.
KRISTEN
(into phone)
Detective Morrison...
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - NIGHT
Elena and Marie stare each other down. You could cut the tension
with a chainsaw, until...
MARIE
Who invited you?
03/22/2004 45.
A sinister grin spreads across Elena's face as she holds up the
breathtaking Mother-Daughter diamonds, reflecting an unearthly
glow under the UV lights.
ELENA
Mother and Daughter...
This brings a mile-wide smile to Marie as she dances into Elena's
arms. Their lips come together in a passionate kiss as their hands
dance over each other's trembling bodies. When they finally
break...
MARIE
I was sure you'd blow it on the stand,
going on about forgetting and
remembering.
ELENA
Gotta make it seem authentic. God's in
the details.
And they kiss again, lips locked tighter than Jay's jail cell...
EXT. ELENA'S TRAILER - NIGHT
Morrison's unmarked sedan pulls to a stop beside Kristen's car,
and the harried Detective steps out, looking extremely unhappy.
MORRISON
This couldn't wait 'til morning, Miss
Richards?
KRISTEN
Call me Kristen...
MORRISON
The Feds just arrived to take over the
Black Widow case, I'm up to my knees in
paperwork...
K
RISTEN
You remember what Elena said, right at
the end of the trial. "You won't
remember..."
MORRISON
(finishing)
"...but you'll never forget." What about
it?
KRISTEN
Elena's fucking with us.
03/22/2004 46.
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - NIGHT
Elena and Marie are locked in their carnal embrace, failing to
notice the florescent lights flickering back on. Suddenly Elena
feels the sharp pain of teeth biting into her neck...
She looks down to see DENTAL ALGINATE MOLDINGS of Jay's teeth
being held by a smiling Chad.
CHAD
Mind if Chad joins?
The girls look up to see a beaming Chad, holding the teeth
molding. Elena just shakes her head...
ELENA
Fuck me...
Chad works the spring hinge of the dentures like a deranged
ventriloquist act...
CHAD
Any time. Any place...
He sets the dentures down on the concrete floor, and takes in the
sight of the magnificent diamonds.
CHAD
(re: diamonds)
Two beauties...
(turning to Marie and Elena)
Two beauties...
He and Elena help Marie out of her blouse while Elena runs her
hands all over him...
INT. ELENA'S TRAILER - NIGHT
Morrison and Kristen's flashlights cut through the darkness as
they move back into Elena's bedroom.
MORRISON
Just so you know, this is called
'breaking and entering'...
KRISTEN
I know all about it. Especially having
something stolen...
MORRISON
Like what?
W
03/22/2004 47.
They get into the bedroom and Morrison's jaw goes slack as Kristen
shines her light on the walls...
KRISTEN
Like my life...
The walls are covered with NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, all concerning
Kristen's rape: "Police unable to find frat house rapist,"
"Teenage victim wants 'justice' in rape case," "'You may not
remember, but you'll never forget,' only thing victim remembers"
K
risten tears some of the articles off the wall.
KRISTEN
Once a thief, always a thief...
They suddenly freeze as the front door swings open, the blood
running cold in their veins as Uncle Marty stumbles inside. They
hold their breath, praying he doesn't see them, standing in
Elena's doorway. Uncle Marty just mumbles something incoherent and
collapses face first onto the couch, out like a light...
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - NIGHT
Chad reaches into an evidence bag filled with BLUE PILLS. He
removes three...
CHAD
Little blue pills. One of the perks of
the job.
Laughter as the girl's accept the roofies, swallowing them like
candy. Chad gulps down the third as Elena begins to run her hands
up and down Marie's back and shoulders. Chad's hands are all over
Marie as he helps slip off her bra.
Elena's lips move hungrily across Chad's face, until they find his
mouth. They kiss deeply.
hen they pull apart, Chad helps Elena pull off her T-top, as
Marie runs her hands up and down Elena's bare back. Elena turns
back to her with a mischievous grin.
ELENA
You won't remember...
MARIE
But you'll never forget.
Damn straight.
(
03/22/2004 48.
EXT. COUNTY JAIL - DAY
The early morning sun illuminates a massive slab of windowless
concrete surrounded by barbed wire in the middle of nowhere...
INT. COUNTY JAIL - MORNING
Jay takes a seat on an uncomfortable metal chair in front of
bullet-proof glass. He's half the man he used to be, broken,
trembling, smoking like a chimney. His mind's still a steel trap,
just one that's rusted shut. He picks up the TWO-WAY PHONE...
THEO
(into phone)
Mr. Clifford, this is Kristen Richards,
Elena Sandoval's probation officer.
JAY
She want to pin me for some more crimes?
Kristen takes the phone from Theo.
KRISTEN
No, Mr. Clifford. I just have a few
questions. I've noticed some
inconsistencies...
JAY
You've noticed some inconsistencies?
JAY
Here's one big fucking glaring
inconsistency for you: I was set up!
KRISTEN
Maybe so, but that's not good enough. Why
were you set up? What would Elena
Sandoval have gained from all this?
Jay hesitates, unsure how, or if, to proceed. Theo shifts
nervously. Jay gives J
up.
AY
What the hell. I'm already in jail. How
much worse can it get? I paid her off,
okay? My assets were tied up in the
condos so we used Marie's diamonds.
defensive)
It wasn't like I had a choice. She had me
by the short an' curlies, understand?
03/22/2004 49.
KRISTEN
But Elena's testimony was damning. Why
wouldn't she play ball?
JAY
What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?
How the fuck should I know? Manipulative
little skank probably figured she could
bleed me for some more money down the
road. But I'll tell you this much, I'm
gonna get those diamonds back, make her
wish she was never born.
Kristen's mind is racing, trying to piece together the puzzle.
EXT. SWAMP - DAY
Elena's airboat blasts through the reeds out into the middle of
nowhere. She cuts the engine, lets the boat drift, unwraps the
moldings of Jay's teeth from a cloth, as well as a VIDEO TAPE
marked "BLUE BAY DIVING MEET/MARIE'S BIRTHDAY", looks them over
one last time...
ELENA
Later potato...
And tosses them into the mire, where they're soon gobbled by
ravenous Gators...
EXT. GATOR TRAILER PARK - MORNING
Elena glides her airboat to a stop on the muddy banks of the
trailer park, stomps over to her trailer, when she sees...
Two sets of tire tracks in the mud.
INT. ELENA'S TRAILER - MORNING
Elena stands in her bedroom, disbelief washing over her. No sign
of the newspaper articles. Her walls are barren.
E
LENA
(sotto)
Oh shit...
EXT. BLUE BAY HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING POOL - DAY
The diving team emerges from the locker room on their way to
practice. Lagging behind is Marie. She's about to catch up when
she runs smack dab into a panicked Elena.
MARIE
What the...If anyone sees us together...
03/22/2004 50.
ELENA
What choice did I have? We got big
problems...
Before anyone can see them, Marie pulls her away, to the outdoor
shower area, out of sight from her teammates. She turns on all
the shower heads.
MARIE
Gotta be careful. Make sure no one's
listening. Now what's the 411?
ELENA
I...I think I fucked up...
Marie gently takes a hold of Elena's face.
MARIE
How?
ELENA
I don't know for sure...but I think that
bitch Parole officer's made me...she was
at my trailer last night...
Marie smiles, pulls Elena close as the steam rises all around.
MARIE
No bigee. You disposed of everything,
right? The teeth, the video, all the
research...
Elena can't fess up. Not now...
ELENA
I did, but...She's got a hard on for me.
Wants to see me back in Juvie...
Marie kisses her softly on the forehead. Her cheek.
MARIE
I won't let the big bad wolf get you. I
promise.
Elena's damp tank top clings to her perfect body.
ELENA
I just want outta here.
Marie brushes a strand of hair away from Elena's face.
03/22/2004 51.
MARIE
Be patient. I'll call the Museum Curator,
have him prepare the funds to buy back
the diamonds...
ELENA
Then we're outta here, right?
A mile wide smile stretches across Marie's lips...
MARIE
Just sit back, relax, enjoy the
trip...Don't forget to come again.
T
heir trembling lips come together like wet hot magnets...
EXT. UNDERWATER - DAY
Sunlight cuts through the dark blue surface, illuminating Marie's
lucky ring gold ring that drifts down gently until...
Marie comes diving down into the crystalline water, plucks the
soon-to-be diamond ring from the bottom of the pool...
EXT. BLUE BAY HIGH SWIMMING POOL - DAY
Marie surfaces at the edge of the pool. She places the ring onto
the deck, pulls herself out of the water.
She tries not to show surprise when she comes face to face with
Kristen, who's picked up her ring, runs it around her fingers...
MARIE
Can I help you?
KRISTEN
I was wondering if I could have a moment
of your time. Ask a couple questions.
Marie glances nervously back at the pool, where other members of
the diving team go about their workout.
MARIE
I'm in the middle of practice...
KRISTEN
It'll only take a moment, Marie. Might
even help Jay. Remember your loving
stepfather? You want to help him, don't
you?
MARIE
Of course.
03/22/2004 52.
Kristen studies the ring for a moment, then ventures...
KRISTEN
Why'd you agree to part with your
diamonds?
This time Marie can't hide her shock.
MARIE
How...
KRISTEN
Jay told me. But why? They were your
inheritance.
MARIE
Jay needed help. We're a team.
KRISTEN
Team Clifford. Right. It's just...You
must've been pretty unhappy when Jay
didn't give you those diamonds for your
birthday.
M
Marie's taking a beating, doing her best to remain standing.
MARIE
He said I wasn't ready.
KRISTEN
You're 18. That's heiress payday, no?
Must've crossed your mind that Jay might
never let you have them...
MARIE
No, of course not.
She's a bad liar.
KRISTEN
And then this little scam artist saunters
in and just takes them. With your help,
no less.
Kristen moves in for the kill.
KRISTEN
But what I don't get is, why wouldn't
Elena do what Jay asked, clear his name?
After all, she'd gotten what she wanted.
MARIE
How should I know?
03/22/2004 53.
Marie watches in fascination as Kristen presses the top of the
ring against the back of her hand. Hard. Winces, then...
KRISTEN
I mean, the only way I can make sense of
it is if somehow getting Jay released
from prison would spoil the plan.
MARIE
What plan?
She hands the ring back to Marie. Not so lucky anymore...
KRISTEN
You tell me...
I
INT. BLUE BAY PD HALLWAY - DAY
Chad strolls gingerly down the hallway, opens the door to the
forensics lab, freezing when he sees...
INT. BLUE BAY PD FORENSICS - DAY
Kristen, waiting patiently for him.
CHAD
Miss...Richards. Is...Is there something
I can do for you?
KRISTEN
I was wondering if you'd do me the favor
of running a quick test.
CHAD
Uh, sure, I guess. Whatcha got for me?
She hands him the Blue Pill she found in Elena's trailer.
KRISTEN
Could you tell me what this is?
Chad tries to keep his cool.
CHAD
No problemo. It'll only take a minute.
While Chad goes about his work, Kristen begins nosing around the
office. Chad looks over his shoulder.
CHAD
Be careful, I got lots of evidence here.
She starts flipping through EVIDENCE PHOTOS...
03/22/2004 54.
KRISTEN
Are these the evidence photos from the
Elena Sandoval rape?
CHAD
They are, but...
KRISTEN
Ever find out what caused these markings?
She holds up the photograph of the four circular indentations the
Judge questioned Chad about in court...
CHAD
Like I told the Judge, I guess they're
finger nail markings...
KRISTEN
They don't look like finger nail markings
to me. They look more like this...
She holds up the back of her hand, where she'd made the
indentation with Marie's ring.
KRISTEN
Would you say these markings are the
same?
CHAD
W-where did you get that?
Kristen smiles.
KRISTEN
Marie gave it to me. But you already knew
that, didn't you, Doc?
Chad has no answer to that. He can only blink stupidly and pray
his silence doesn't incriminate him further. Kristen heads for the
door...
CHAD
(calling after)
The pill. It's Rohypnol. Uh, Roofies.
KRISTEN
Been there. Done that.
INT. CLIFFORD MANSION - NIGHT
The massive front door swings open and Marie crosses the foyer,
and is about to ascend the magnificent staircases when she hears
the clanking of glass coming from the kitchen.
03/22/2004 55.
Her heart is in her throat as she calls out...
MARIE
Hello?
No answer.
INT. CLIFFORD MANSION - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Marie enters the lavish kitchen, stops in her tracks when she sees
Chad standing at the full bar, mixing the strongest drink known to
man.
MARIE
What the hell, Chad?
Chad fidgets nervously.
CHAD
That parole officer was sniffin' around
today.
Marie scoffs, steps up to the bar, gets in Chad's face.
MARIE
Not you too. She's just trying to prove
her worthless excuse for an existence.
She doesn't have a thing on us.
CHAD
Yeah, but she's askin' the right
questions. It's only a matter of time. We
gotta make our move.
Marie shakes her head, resolute.
MARIE
No. We stick to the plan. Give the
Curator time to come up with the money...
Chad's trembling hands pour the drink, most of the liquid making
it in to two MARTINI GLASSES...
CHAD
We gotta move fast, keep the heat off...
MARIE
You can't take the heat, get outta the
kitchen.
CHAD
I wanna see 'em. The diamonds. Make
sure they're safe.
56.
MARIE
They're safe.
She downs half the drink in one giant gulp.
CHAD
I just wanna see 'em. I thought we were
supposed to be partners here.
Chad's trembling, looking like he could lose it at any second.
MARIE
You're gonna be the death of me...
She slugs the rest of the drink, strides away and Chad follows
like a lapdog...
INT. CLIFFORD MANSION - JAY'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Nothing's been touched in Jay's office, the drops of blood the
Cubans extracted from his thumb as a warning stain the white
carpet black...
Marie walks over to his desk, opens a draw. Removes a metallic
lock box.
CHAD
Open it. I wanna see those puppies.
Marie rolls her eyes, takes a key from a delicate chain around her
neck and fumbles with the lock. Finally she opens the box,
revealing the Mother-Daughter diamonds, resting on velvet lining.
The sparkling diamonds seem to have a calming effect on Chad. He
stops shaking, his voice becoming more steady...
CHAD
I called the museum. The deal's goin'
down tomorrow. 8 am...
Marie stumbles as she takes a step toward him.
MARIE
What did you...
She looks to the empty glass in her hand, then begins to sway,
watching in horror as Chad drops the diamonds into his pocket...
C
HAD
I'm sorry, okay? But it's not like I had
a choice.
T
03/22/2004 57.
Marie falls flat on her face, her world crashing to BLACK.
FADE IN:
EXT. EVERGLADES - MORNING
The blinding morning sunlight climbs the horizon, the still water
of the endless swampland glistening like diamonds...
Elena sits out on her idling airboat, in the midst of the
sawgrass, smoking. The peace is shattered by her ringing
CELLPHONE.
ELENA
Yello...
INT. CLIFFORD MANSION - JAY'S OFFICE - MORNING
Marie has the phone cradled between her shoulder and ear, rubbing
her aching head, slowly getting her wits back. Nothing like good
old fashioned vengeful rage to combat a nasty hangover.
MARIE
(into phone)
Chad fucked us.
ELENA (V.O.)
(deadpan)
I know. I was there...
MARIE
No, I mean he really fucked us. He
drugged me an' took the diamonds!
EXT. SWAMPS - MORNING
Elena stands on the edge of the airboat, fear rising in her.
ELENA
ell me you're kidding...
MARIE (V.O.)
Yeah, it's all a big joke...He stole the
diamonds!
Elena lets out an anguished wail.
MARIE (V.O.)
Keep it down, my headache's bad enough as
it is.
ELENA
We've gotta stop him.
03/22/2004 58.
INT. CLIFFORD MANSION - KITCHEN - MORNING
Marie's fevered mind is racing as she glances at the wall clock.
7:30. Finally a desperate plan scratches its way to the surface.
MARIE
He's heading to the museum, got himself
an 8am meeting...
ELENA (V.O.)
He's gonna sell the diamonds...
MARIE
Not if we find him first...
EXT. EVERGLADES - DAY
The deafening roar of an air boat cutting through dense sawgrass,
speeding across the endless swampland expanse. Elena expertly
maneuvers the machine, the wind racing through her hair...
EXT. SWAMP ROAD - DAY
Chad's speakers blare out heavy metal as his rusty DAEWOO bangs
down the desolate swamp dirt road through the thick trees. Every
hundred feet or so, the road runs parallel with the water, then
cuts back into the trees.
C
had spots an Air Boat not more than a few hundred yards from him.
He does a double take just as the road disappears back into the
trees. That wasn't...it couldn't be, could it?
The winding dirt road crosses back to swampside and Chad's worst
fears come true...Elena's racing along side of him in the AIRBOAT,
fighting to keep up...
ELENA
Pull over!
INT. CHAD'S CAR - DAY
The road runs parallel to the swamp again and Chad's eyes nearly
burst from their sockets as he sees the airboat now alongside him,
matching his speed.
ELENA
Give us back the diamonds!
Chad's heart stops.
CHAD
Us?
03/22/2004 59.
He spins round, looks straight ahead at the BMW RACING RIGHT AT
HIM!
CHAD
FUCKING HELL!
He yanks the steering wheel hard left, swerves his car clean off
the dirt road and into the thick swathe of Melaluca trees, Marie's
BMW shoots past, missing his car by inches...
INT. MARIE'S BMW - CONTINUOUS
Marie slams on her brakes, brings her BMW to a skidding halt on
the dirt road. She looks back over her shoulder, at the swaying
Melaluca trees. No sign of Chad's car...
EXT. SWAMPSIDE - CONTINUOUS
Elena brings the airboat to rest at swamp side, leaps into the
reeds and clambers up to the dirt road. There's no sign of Chad's
car, just a hole in the dense undergrowth where it ploughed
through...
Marie comes running up to join Elena, a tire iron in hand...
ELENA
(sternly)
We're not hurting him, Marie, got it? We
just get the diamonds back...
MARIE
I
'm not gonna hurt him. No way...
Marie stalks down the path Chad's car took off the dirt road...
MARIE
I'm gonna kill him.
Elena's breath catches in her throat. Marie disappears into the
trees and she's alone, out on the deserted swamp road...
ELENA
Marie! Don't do this...
She hears a scream, a girl's scream...
ELENA
Marie!
Elena sprints into the thick of the trees...
03/22/2004 60.
INT. BLUE BAY PD OFFICES - DAY
Kristen is sitting at Detective Morrison's cluttered desk, her
brow furrowed as she shuffles through the stack of newspaper
articles she pulled from Elena's wall.
Morrison stands in the doorway, watching her.
MORRISON
You look like you could use a drink.
Kristen looks up from the articles, into Morrison's smiling face.
She smiles back.
KRISTEN
When this is all over, I'd like that.
Morrison turns and walks right into a suit with an FBI badge
identifying him as AGENT MILTON DAMMERS. The buzzcut agent drops
BOXES at Morrison's feet.
DAMMERS
More Black Widow leads. I need you to put
them in the evidence locker, Morrison.
MORRISON
That's not my job, Agent Dammers.
DAMMERS
It is now.
EXT. SWAMP CLEARING - DAY
Marie is standing in a clearing, staring at Chad's wrecked car, at
the top of a small slope, wrapped around a Melaluca tree like a
Christmas present.
Her piercing screams force Elena to come running...
ELENA
You okay?
Marie stops screaming, her face contorting in anger...
MARIE
No, I'm pretty damn far from okay...
She points to the front seat of the crashed car...
Elena can barely bring herself to look inside. Marie shoves her in
the back, pushing her towards the open driver's side door. Elena
gasps when she looks inside the car. Chad's not there.
03/22/2004 61.
MARIE
He bolted...
Marie clambers up the wreckage of the car, stands on the roof. She
M
surveys the swamp all around her like the lioness she is...
MARIE
With the diamonds.
INT. BLUE BAY PD EVIDENCE LOCKER - DAY
Morrison grumbles as he scans his key card, opening the wire mesh
door to the evidence locker. He picks up a box and enters,
Kristen, also carrying a box, a step behind.
MORRISON
I appreciate the help...
KRISTEN
Right back at ya.
Morrison blushes as he absently adds the boxes to the groaning
shelves stuffed with Black Widow evidence. Kristen notices the
bundles of cash stored in and amongst the Black Widow evidence...
KRISTEN
You could have a helluva holiday on that
money.
MORRISON
Recovered from the Black Widow's last
score. If I'd gotten to the scene just
five minutes earlier, I woulda gotten her
as well...
Morrison shakes his head, ruefully, when a sudden sharp beeping
has Kristen reaching into her pocket, fishing out a handheld GPS.
KRISTEN
What the hell...
A red flashing dot moves quickly in the middle of the map...
KRISTEN
Elena...
EXT. EVERGLADES - DAY
Elena runs full pelt after Marie, through dense swampland, the
plastic ankle bracelet around her leg silently flashing red...
03/22/2004 62.
MARIE
Chad! There's nowhere to run to, you
little weasel!
She swings around, finally spotting a bloody hand print on one of
the ashen tree trunks...
MARIE
Gotcha...
She races off in hot pursuit. Elena's about to follow when she
notices the red light flashing on her ankle bracelet...
ELENA
This can't be happening...
Marie slows, looks back to Elena.
MARIE
What now?
ELENA
I'm more than five miles away from the
Police station. I go beyond five miles
and the alarm goes off...
Marie snarls...
MARIE
You telling me your Parole Officer knows
you're out here?
Elena can barely speak...
ELENA
She knows...
EXT. SWAMP - DAY
Chad's face is drained of color as he runs through the dense
swampland, hugging the priceless diamonds. Sweat cascades from his
brow, and thick plumes of blood from wounds all over his body
swirl in the stagnant waters...
Most gruesome of all is a broken TURN SIGNAL embedded in his right
leg. As the water gets knee-deep, the last of Chad's reserve
energy goes. He collapses in the stagnant marsh.
Not far off, GATORS circle. It's only a matter of time before they
notice the blood in the water.
03/22/2004 63.
EXT. EVERGLADES - DAY
The small bit of solid ground gives way to swampland. Elena steps
into the water, her Ankle Bracelet FLASHING RED.
ELENA
Call it off, Marie. We gotta go or
she'll find us here...
A splashing sound from up ahead silences both girls...
MARIE
You hear that?
The sound echoes off the dense trees. Marie points left.
MARIE
You go that way...
Marie heads off in the opposite direction. Elena hesitates, wants
to follow, but does as she's told, and goes left, soon enveloped
by canopy of trees...
INT. KRISTEN'S CAR - DAY
Kristen blasts down the Blue Bay streets, a siren in the
windshield blaring...
The handheld GPS continues to monitor Elena's exact position in
the midst of the swamp...
E
EXT. EVERGLADES - DAY
Elena stumbles through the thick, stagnant water, scouring the
horizon for any sign of Chad...
ELENA
(sotto)
Please...
A rustling sound stops her in her tracks. Dead silence, until...
A HAND GRABS HER LEG, AROUND THE FLASHING ANKLE BRACELET, DRAGS
HER DOWN INTO THE SWAMP...
EXT. EVERGLADES CLEARING - DAY
Marie hacks her way through the overgrown foliage with the tire
iron, like a Prada clad big-game hunter...
MARIE
(calling out to Elena)
You see him?
03/22/2004 64.
No reply, just her own voice echoing back...
MARIE
Elena?
She rolls her eyes.
MARIE
Useless bitch...
EXT. SWAMP ROAD - DAY
Kristen's unmarked car races across the desolate swamp road.
INT. KRISTEN'S CAR - DAY
She checks the flashing GPS signal. Getting closer...
EXT. EVERGLADES - DAY
Elena bursts up to the surface of the bloody water, gasps for
breath. Looking down she sees Chad, holding on to her like his
life depends on it. It does...
He pulls her back down into the water, just as she catches a
glance of the circling GATORS...
Using her as leverage, Chad pulls himself out of the swamp,
climbing over her writhing body to the relative safety of solid
ground...
Elena coughs and splutters, floundering in the blood soaked water.
The ravenous Gators approach, sensing a feeding frenzy...
CHAD
Don't move! Don't splash, they can sense
you in the water, they'll rip you to
pieces...
Elena freezes, looking round at the black eyes breaking the
surface of the bloody water, gliding in for the kill...
ELENA
Hel..help me...
She reaches out a hand to Chad, only a few feet away...
H
e hesitates, then reaches out to her. But stops short of grabbing
her trembling hand. Just balls his fist, squeezing every last drop
of blood out of the open wounds on his palm...
The dark blood cascades down into the water around Elena...
65.
CHAD
No.
And he smiles as the Gators ease open their powerful jaws...
WHACK!
Chad's eyes roll back into his head as blood flows from his nose,
ears and mouth. He falls forward, stiff as a board, and SPLASHES
down into the water next to an apoplectic Elena. Behind him stands
Marie, the BLOODY TIRE IRON in hand...
Marie reaches out a hand, pulls Elena out of the water. She
collapses onto her back and sucks in the stagnant swamp air...
MARIE
What are you doing? Our diamonds are
about to become dinner...
Elena can't move, leaving Marie to wade into the swamp...
EXT. SWAMP ROAD - DAY
Kristen approaches a fork in the swamp road at high speed. She
checks the GPS scanner. It doesn't show her which way to turn...
KRISTEN
Which way, which way...
Split second decision. Left. She spins the wheel, takes the left
hand fork...
Bad choice. Just a few meters down the right fork is an abandoned
BMW, an idle airboat, a crashed car, one dead man and two wild,
wild things...
EXT. SWAMP ROAD - DAY
Elena and Marie, soaked to the bone, drag Chad's cold, dead corpse
out of the trees. Marie drops the body, heads straight for her
abandoned BMW. Elena follows, stumbling through the vines, her
clothes dripping wet, shivering more from nerves than cold...
M
MARIE
Get rid of the body. And his car...
ELENA
Where are you going?
MARIE
Where do you think?
66.
ELENA
I don't...I don't have a clue...
Marie spins round, a vicious look in her eyes. She holds the blood
soaked diamonds in her hand...
MARIE
Chad made us an appointment to sell
these. I'm gonna keep it...
Elena looks down to her flashing ankle bracelet...
ELENA
It's only a matter of time before my
Parole Officer finds me...
Marie turns back around, flings open the BMW door and gets in.
MARIE
Then I suggest you get to work...
She fires up the powerful engine, speeds away in a cloud of dust,
leaving Elena the most deeply unpleasant task of her young life...
EXT. CHAD'S CRASHED CAR - AFTERNOON
Elena struggles to drag Chad's bloody body back to his crashed
car. The tail lights flicker, throwing an ominous red glow over
the dense thicket of overhanging trees.
ELENA
(sotto)
Jesus...
With a Herculean effort she manages to stuff Chad's inert body
into the driver's seat. She stumbles back, horrified at the grim
tableau before her...
EXT. MUSEUM - AFTERNOON
Marie's car comes barreling into the parking lot outside the stone
Museum building.
INT. MUSEUM - AFTERNOON
The Curator paces back and forth, like an expectant father, in
front of the empty glass case that used to house the diamonds.
Marie bursts into the Museum, and he strides up to meet her,
shocked when he sees Marie's covered in blood, sweat and guilt...
CURATOR
Marie? Are you alright?
03/22/2004 67.
MARIE
Never better. Got the money?
The Curator nods nervously.
CURATOR
I convinced the board of the
extraordinary circumstances
surrounding...
MARIE
Good.
S
he fishes in her bag for the diamonds...
CURATOR
I...I received a call from your
'associate'. He said he would be handling
the transaction.
MARIE
Change of plans. My 'associate' got tied
up at work. Completely swamped...
The Curator nods, unsure if he inquire further...
Marie finally pulls out two blood soaked Diamonds from her bag,
thrusts them at the Curator. He screws up his wrinkled face,
afraid to touch them...
MARIE
Calm down. It's just blood.
EXT. CHAD'S CAR - AFTERNOON
With trembling hands, Elena opens the trunk of Chad's crashed car.
She pulls out a plastic gas container, sloshing the fuel around
inside, then trailing it back across the vine covered ground...
She carefully places the empty container down, standing twenty
feet back from the wreckage, fumbling in her pocket for a match...
She can barely control her hands, her whole body shaking in
fear...
Finally she pulls out a MATCHBOOK, still sopping wet from the
swamp. She strikes match after match, but they won't light, until,
finally, one produces a tiny flame that simmers for a second then
smoulders out...
ELENA
Don't do this to me, please...
03/22/2004 68.
In frustration, she runs back to Chad's car, looking desperately
for a lighter, climbing all the way in. Because of the slight
slope it's on, the car's flimsy door slams shut behind her.
Elena pays no heed, continues to rummage through the glove
compartment.
ELENA
You gotta have a lighter or some...
She's cut off as the WRECKED CAR'S HORN BLARES OUT!
Deafening, the sound echoes around the dense undergrowth. Elena's
heart skips a beat. Chad's corpse has slumped forward against the
steering wheel.
ELENA
Jesus...
She struggles with all her might to pull Chad's body back off the
horn...
S
ilence reigns once more. Elena takes short, sharp breaths. Looks
over at Chad's body slumped to the side, leaning against the
driver's side door...
ELENA
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...
Not as sorry as she's going to be...
The match she discarded outside only seconds ago continues to
smoulder for a second, then REIGNITES!
INT. MUSEUM - AFTERNOON
The Curator carefully examines the diamond, turning it over and
over in his hands. Marie stands over him, impatiently tapping her
muddy shoe on the marble floor...
MARIE
So?
CURATOR
I...I'm not sure...
MARIE
Can you get the cash or not?
The Curator looks up to her, bemused.
CURATOR
I can get the cash...it's just...
03/22/2004 69.
Marie smiles a wicked grin.
MARIE
Then let's have those dead presidents...
EXT. CHAD'S CAR - AFTERNOON
The discarded match has set fire to the surrounding vines on the
ground, and slowly the fire edges it way towards the line of
gasoline that Elena trailed from Chad's wrecked car...
INSIDE THE CAR
Elena reaches over, carefully closes Chad's bloodshot eyes.
Satisfied, she turns to get out, only to find the passenger side
door LOCKED...
She tries the handle. Tries it again. Desperately yanks it. Not
opening, no sir...
Elena looks over, see Chad's limp elbow on the door lock...
OUTSIDE THE CAR
The small brush fire reaches the pooled gasoline and...WHOOSH!
INSIDE THE CAR
Elena can't help but hear the unmistakable sound of FLAMES
CRACKLING. Through the smashed rear window she sees the line of
FIRE racing towards the car she's trapped in!
She reaches over, clawing her way past Chad's corpse, trying to
reach the door lock. Her bloody fingers slip on the lock, unable
to pull it up.
THE FIRE's SHOOTING towards the crashed car, only a few feet
away...
Elena fumbles with the lock, tears streaming down her face.
The line of fire hits the crashed car, and ENGULFS it instantly.
Bright ORANGE FLAMES cover the wreckage...
INT. MUSEUM - AFTERNOON
The Curator carefully sets down the diamonds on the marble floor.
Marie looks at him like he's mad.
MARIE
What the hell are you doing?
03/22/2004 70.
CURATOR
One last test...
The Curator hovers his heel over the biggest Diamond. Marie
screams out!
MARIE
NO!
He slams his foot down and the DIAMOND SHATTERS!
INT. CHAD'S CRASHED CAR - AFTERNOON
Elena SCREAMS as the passenger side window next to her SMASHES,
SPLINTERING into a million glass fragments.
Hands reach in and grab her, pulling her through the FLAMES...
Seconds later Elena finds herself on the swamp floor, in Kristen's
singed arms...
KRISTEN
You okay?
Elena can barely talk, looking back at the flaming wreckage in
front of her...
KRISTEN
Care to explain?
ELENA
It was...it was an accident...
The flames reflect in her tear-filled eyes.
INT. MUSEUM - AFTERNOON
Marie stands aghast at the sight of her diamonds, in a million
tiny pieces on the museum's marble floor...
CURATOR
Fakes, I'm afraid. Made of glass. Can't
believe they were our top attraction all
these years...
Every muscle in Marie's body contracts...She stands before the
empty diamond exhibit case, runs her fingers over the portrait of
her mother cradling her as a baby.
MARIE
That's my inheritance is it, Mom? Goddamn
Christmas ornaments...
03/22/2004 71.
And as the disbelief gives way to anger she rips the portrait from
the case and tears it to shreds...
CURATOR
Marie, please...
There's no stopping her now. Red-faced, she lashes out at the
display case with a devastating kick, the glass SHATTERING...
CURATOR
Marie, stop this instant!
She continues her rampage regardless, ripping a FIRE EXTINGUISHER
from the wall and hurling it through another display case...
MARIE
I hate you, Mom! I'm glad you're dead!
EXT. BLUE BAY PD - NIGHT
Storm clouds gather over the whitewashed Police station...
INT. BLUE BAY PD INTERVIEW ROOM - NIGHT
Elena sits with her head in her hands, across from Kristen in an
anonymous interview room.
KRISTEN
I told you.
Elena looks up, tears streaking her mascara.
ELENA
Told me what?
KRISTEN
That if you were telling the truth I'd
back you all the way. If you lied to me
there'd be trouble...
Elena slumps back down, her head on the table.
ELENA
Chad swerved off the road, I swear...
KRISTEN
Just swerved for no reason. Just decided
to take a shortcut through the swamp?
Elena sobs, can't look Kristen in the eye.
ELENA
It was an accident...
03/22/2004 72.
The door to the interview room swings open, and Detective Morrison
strides through, a fresh-from-the-printer REPORT in his hands...
MORRISON
Accident my ass.
He flips the pages of the report...
MORRISON
Forensics finds the head trauma that
killed Chad Borman was inflicted by a
single blow from behind.
E
lena looks up, through Panda eyes...
ELENA
The crash. He...he hit his head...
MORRISON
Was that before or after you dragged him
through the swamp?
Elena has no answers as Morrison takes the cuffs from his belt,
snaps them on Elena's wrists.
MORRISON
You got the right to remain silent, which
in your case is probably best, cos of the
shit you come up with...
Kristen stands up, shaking her head.
KRISTEN
That's two strikes, Elena. One more and
you're out.
Elena looks at her pleadingly.
ELENA
I'll do whatever you want.
Kristen stops. Thinks for a moment. Nods to Morrison as he drags
Elena to her feet.
KRISTEN
Yeah. Yeah you will.
ELENA
I'll tell you the truth. I'll tell you
what happened. She killed him, and took
the diamonds. Marie, it was Marie
Clifford...
03/22/2004 73.
Morrison just sneers.
MORRISON
Keep bleeting, Missy. All the way to the
Judge. I think its time he heard the
truth about Jay Clifford's accuser.
KRISTEN
Her arrest doesn't guarantee Jay'll be
cleared, you know that. You need Marie,
you need the proof they set him up...
Morrison considers this.
KRISTEN
You came so close to nailing the Black
Widow, don't let this slip through your
fingers, Detective...
He's about to speak, when Elena's cell phone rings. Kristen takes
it from Elena, looks at the CALLER ID, sees Marie's name...
KRISTEN
Speak of the Devil...
She holds the phone up.
KRISTEN
You're gonna answer it. And you're gonna
say that everything went fine. No one
found Chad's body. The plan's still on.
Do you understand me?
Elena nods slowly. Morrison turns to Kristen.
MORRISON
You thinking what I'm thinking?
K
risten's patient with him.
KRISTEN
This is your chance. Feds can't take this
one from you...
Morrison weighs his options, then finally nods.
Kristen clicks the phone ON, holds it to Elena's ear.
ELENA
Yello...
03/22/2004 74.
INT. MARIE'S BMW - NIGHT
Marie speeds wildly down the deserted Blue Bay streets, one
trembling hand holding a cigarette, the other her cellphone.
MARIE (ON PHONE)
The diamonds are fakes. Totally
worthless.
ELENA (V.O.)
No. That can't be true!
MARIE
Believe it. I'm leaving. Tonight.
ELENA (V.O.)
You can't...what about...me...
Marie takes a long drag from her cigarette.
MARIE
Don't you understand? There's no money.
Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero. How am I
supposed to take care of your broke ass?
INT. BLUE BAY PD INTERVIEW ROOM - NIGHT
Kristen is listening in on the whole conversation. She cups her
hand over the phone, whispers to Elena.
KRISTEN
Tell her she has to meet you. Tell her
she can't leave...
Elena nods and Kristen puts the phone back to her lips.
ELENA
I...I gotta see you.
MARIE (V.O.)
I'll send you a photo.
ELENA
Please. Just one last time.
MARIE (V.O.)
I'm gone, gone, gonski.
Elena's reeling. Kristen motions for her to continue.
ELENA
I think maybe...maybe there's a way we
could still get some money...
03/22/2004 75.
Silence on the end of the line...
INT. MARIE'S BMW - NIGHT
Marie considers this for a long moment. Finally...
MARIE
Okay, talk...
ELENA (V.O.)
Not over the phone. We gotta meet.
MARIE
School swimming pool. One hour.
INT. BLUE BAY PD INTERVIEW ROOM - NIGHT
Click. She's hung up. Kristen nods to Morrison...
KRISTEN
Where'd you keep the wire taps?
MORRISON
Evidence locker.
KRISTEN
Gimme the key.
He tosses her his electronic keycard...
E
EXT. BLUE BAY HIGH SWIMMING POOL - NIGHT
The Blue Bay High pool is illuminated in the dead of night,
casting blue ripples over the bleachers where Elena waits
nervously. She can't help but fiddle with the wire hidden beneath
her shirt...
ELENA
(whispering)
Can you hear me?
INT. MORRISON'S CAR - CONTINUOUS
Morrison listens nervously to Elena's tinny voice coming in
through the speaker...
ELENA (V.O.)
Is this thing working?
The Detective shoots Kristen a concerned look.
MORRISON
She's gonna blow it...
03/22/2004 76.
EXT. BLUE BAY HIGH SWIMMING POOL - CONTINUOUS
Elena adjusts the mic taped to her chest, wincing as the tape
pulls her delicate skin.
ELENA
I..don't think I can do this...
MARIE (O.S.)
It's already done.
Elena looks up guiltily. Marie is standing by the side of the
pool. How much did she see?
MARIE
So?
The word's stick in Elena's throat...
ELENA
I had no choice...
MARIE
Blah, blah, blah. Get over it. He's dead.
Now you told me you had a plan. Spit it
out.
ELENA
Jay's got cash. At the building site. I
saw it.
Marie rolls her eyes.
MARIE
That's your brilliant plan? It's in a
safe, dumb ass. You a safecracker? Have
you got magic fingers, gonna pick that
lock? I don't think so. Next.
INT. MORRISON'S CAR - CONTINUOUS
Kristen winces as she listens to the girls' conversation.
E
LENA (V.O.)
(through the speakers)
We're gonna go to Jay. Tell him what we
did.
MARIE (V.O.)
Like hell we are.
03/22/2004 77.
EXT. BLUE BAY HIGH SWIMMING POOL - CONTINUOUS
Elena walks down the bleachers, approaching a skeptical Marie.
ELENA
Listen to me. We go to the jail, tell him
we'll come clean, tell the police
everything, if he gives us the
combination. I'm still a minor, they'll
send me back to Juvie. Shit, I could do
that time standing on my head...
Marie's wavering.
MARIE
How much money?
Elena reaches Marie, puts her hands on her hips.
ELENA
Enough for you and me.
Grinds against her. Slowly, sensually.
MARIE
We don't have to tell the cops anything.
We'll let Jay's videotape do the talking.
ELENA
But, we got rid of the real one...
MARIE
I kept a copy. Never trusted you
backstabbers.
Elena tries to pull away, but Marie drags her back until their
faces are inches apart.
MARIE
You're trembling.
There's no denying it. Marie slowly draws her hand down Elena's
face, down her neck, to her chest. So close to the wire. Finally
places her palm over Elena's heart...
ELENA
Marie, I...
MARIE
Ssshhhh...
BOOM BOOM, BOOM BOOM, BOOM BOOM...
03/22/2004 78.
INT. MORRISON'S CAR - NIGHT
Morrison and Kristen listen intently in their headphones, unable
to breath...
EXT. BLUE BAY HIGH SWIMMING POOL - CONTINUOUS
Elena and Marie stand there for what seems like an eternity,
unblinking...
B
OOM BOOM, BOOM BOOM, BOOM BOOM...
Finally Marie smiles...
MARIE
Alright. Let's do it...
INT. COUNTY JAIL - NIGHT
Jay laughs, as he sits across from Marie and Elena, separated by
an inch of bullet proof glass. Theo stands by the door.
JAY
Well, well, well. Who'd have thought.
What a pleasant surprise. I guess you
guys have kissed and made up?
MARIE
Very funny. Did you know the diamonds
were fakes?
Jay nods slowly.
JAY
Your Mom hocked them years ago. Boozed it
all away. You already know the end of her
sorry story...
Marie's jaw tightens. Jay leans back.
JAY
So, to what do I owe the pleasure?
MARIE
We want money. Whatever you've got in
your safe at the beach condos.
Jay bursts out laughing again.
JAY
Of course you do. Of course you do.
03/22/2004 79.
ELENA
We'll get you out of here...
Jay stops laughing, leans back in to the inch thick glass.
JAY
You will?
Marie holds up a DIGITAL VIDEO TAPE...
JAY
Is that what I think it is?
MARIE
You give us the combination and this goes
in the nearest mail box, tied with a
pretty pink bow.
JAY
How do I know it's the real tape?
MARIE
You're gonna have to trust us.
JAY
I've been down that road before.
Marie opens the cassette housing, ready to rip the tape apart...
MARIE
This is non-negotiable.
Theo interjects...
THEO
Sir, we have no grounds for appeal. This
could be our only chance.
MARIE
What's the combination?
The tortured screams of inmates echo in Jay's ears.
JAY
I can't...
MARIE
No such word as 'can't'...
A PRISON GUARD puts a massive hand on Jay's shoulder...
P
RISON GUARD
Time's up, Mr. Clifford.
03/22/2004 80.
Jay sighs...
JAY
(to Marie)
Fine. 08-20-99.
Marie shakes her head.
MARIE
The combination's the day Mom died, you
sick fuck?
Jay's led away in shackles...
EXT. BLUE BAY STREETS - NIGHT
Marie's BMW flies down the deserted Blue Bay streets, blasting
through red lights.
INT. MARIE'S BMW - CONTINUOUS
Marie handles the car like a Formula One driver, and with twice
the intensity. The G-force pins Elena back against the seat.
ELENA
Slow down!
Marie steps on the gas.
ELENA
We're in a world of shit!
Marie steps on the gas.
ELENA
We'll never get away with this. You know
that don't you?
Marie steps on the gas. She ain't saying a word, and time's
running out for Elena...
INT. MORRISON'S POLICE CAR - NIGHT
Morrison struggles to keep up with Marie's Bullit-esque driving.
Kristen stays focused on the one-sided conversation in her
headphones...
KRISTEN
Come on, Elena...Keep pushing...
03/22/2004 81.
EXT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - NIGHT
Marie's BMW screeches to a stop outside the beachfront condos, and
Marie strides towards the construction site entrance.
Elena gets out the car, feeling decidedly sick. She circuitously
adjusts the microphone taped to her chest, then follows Marie into
the dark, unfinished building
INT. JAY'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Marie enters the makeshift office like a wolf stalking her prey,
heading straight for the safe. With a rock steady hand, she works
the lock...CLICK...
MARIE
One down...
EXT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDINGS - NIGHT
Morrison brings his clunky Police sedan to a halt around the back
of the building site.
I
INT. MORRISON'S CAR - NIGHT
Kristen listens intently to the live feed.
ELENA (V.O.)
(over headphones)
Marie! Please, I can't do this...
INT. JAY'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Marie's working the safe combination like a master thief, spinning
it nimbly between her buffed nails. CLICK...
MARIE
Two down.
Elena stands in the makeshift office doorway, trying to coax
something incriminating from Marie's perfect lips.
ELENA
I told you not to kill Chad. I'll tell it
to the police.
Marie doesn't even look round, concentrating on the job at hand.
Elena's reeling.
03/22/2004 82.
ELENA
I'll tell 'em you made me lie about your
stepfather raping me, made me perjure
myself on the stand, went and killed
Chad, and now...
MARIE
(sotto)
99. A very good year...
CLICK. Third and final tumbler falls. The safe door swings open,
revealing a STACK of CASH and Jay's HANDGUN...
INT. MORRISON'S CAR - NIGHT
Kristen shakes her head. It's hopeless, Elena can't get Marie to
say an incriminating word...
MORRISON
This has gotta end.
KRISTEN
It's gonna end. One way or another...
INT. JAY'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Marie pulls out a wad of crisp, clean bills, draws them across her
nose like a wine connoisseur.
MARIE
Money. Always in style.
She dances over to Elena, waves the cash in her face.
ELENA
Why'd you do it? Why'd Chad have to die?
Marie slides up against Elena, fluttering the cash over her in the
world's most expensive shower. Elena couldn't be less interested,
focused on getting that confession...
ELENA
You killed him, Marie. You murdered him
in cold blood...
Marie presses up against Elena, pushing her up against the
unfinished dry wall. Kisses her passionately, finally silencing
her for a few, brief, electric seconds. And when she pulls away
her fingers dance down Elena's shirt until...
S
he rips the microphone from Elena's chest. Stands there with the
dangling cord in her hands, her face caught in a permanent snarl.
The blood drains from Elena's face...
03/22/2004 83.
INT. MORRISON'S POLICE CAR - NIGHT
A piercing feedback forces Kristen to throw aside the headphones.
She looks to Morrison.
KRISTEN
She's been made...
Morrison draws his gun.
MORRISON
Stay here...
Kristen shakes her head resolutely.
KRISTEN
I got us into this...
BANG! A GUNSHOT echoes in the darkness...
MORRISON
Just stay in the car! Please...
Morrison sprints over to the building site, leaving Kristen in the
car, alone.
INT. JAY'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Elena stands with her hands up, an ugly bullet hole in the wall
just beside her. Marie keeps Jay's gun trained on her as she
unloads the cash from the safe...
MARIE
You stupid fucking Sherbert. You think
you could sell me out?
ELENA
They made me do it...
MARIE
Morrison doesn't know his prick from a
pogo stick. And that bitch Parole
Officer, she hasn't got the balls for
this...
Marie takes dead aim once more...
ELENA
Please, don't...
Marie's finger tightens on the trigger...
INT. MORRISON'S POLICE CAR - NIGHT
03/22/2004 84.
BOOM!
Kristen tenses as the gunshot echoes throughout the construction
site. She reaches across to the driver's seat, grabs the
SHOTGUN...
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - NIGHT
Elena scrambles across the concrete floor, desperately trying to
make it to the relative safety of one of the support pillars. She
sees the forensic UV light switch on the floor, reaches for it...
MARIE
stands in the shattered doorway, surveys the expansive, unfinished
floor. Is about to unleash a hail of bullets when...
The WORK LIGHTS flicker out, replaced by the eerie ULTRA VIOLET
LIGHTS scattered around the unfinished floor...Bathed in the
florescent blue glow of the lights, Elena scrambles to safety
behind a pillar. Her shirt GLOWS, her eyes like beacons...
MORRISON
Sweeps through the second floor, meticulously checking every
corner, every shadow...
KRISTEN
Runs towards the unfinished building, looking up to the UV glow on
the fourth floor. She sprints for the INDUSTRIAL ELEVATOR...
MARIE
scours the bizarre darkness, hears a sound. BOOM! The orange
muzzle flash illuminates the floor briefly as Marie shoots
randomly. The flimsy plaster walls EXPLODE...
MORRISON
Enters the third floor from the fire escape, continues his
meticulous sweep of the building.
KRISTEN
Stands in the industrial elevator, jabbing the 4th floor button,
hyperventilating as more gunshots EXPLODE. She clutches Morrison's
shotgun to her chest, getting closer to the top floor.
ELENA
shields herself as plaster rains down on her, unable to see
through the cloud of dust under the UV lights, until...
03/22/2004 85.
BOOM! A bullet sparks off rebar inches from her foot. She looks up
to see the barrel of Jay's gun. Marie's face is contorted
maniacally as she squeezes down on the trigger...
MORRISON
Runs up the fire escape stairs when a final deafening GUN SHOT
rings out. Followed by SCREAMS. He rips open the fourth floor fire
door, tearing through the building, pushing through thick plastic
sheeting until he finds himself under the UV glow.
T
hick plumes of blood, black under the UV light, stain the walls
and floor. He sees Elena, in a fetal ball, trembling
uncontrollably.
Beside her, Marie lies dead, her chest a gaping crimson mess,
Jay's gun still clutched tightly in her cold, dead hands.
Kristen looks up at him, almost too shocked to speak. Morrison's
shotgun is still smoking in her hands.
KRISTEN
I didn't have a choice. She was gonna
kill Elena.
Morrison steps forward, calmly, takes the gun from her.
MORRISON
It's gonna be okay.
EXT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDINGS - LATER
The new crime scene is alive with activity. Cops, reporters,
bystanders. Morrison sips coffee as PARAMEDICS wheel Marie's
corpse to the ambulance.
One of them hands something to Morrison. A blood-splattered
digital video tape.
PARAMEDIC
We found this on the body.
Morrison takes it without a word...
KRISTEN (O.S.)
Just got off the phone with the Parole
board...
Morrison turns around, sees Kristen approaching, still visibly
shaken.
K
03/22/2004 86.
KRISTEN
They want me to bring Elena back to Miami
in the morning.
She hesitates...
KRISTEN
I'm... sorry for this whole mess.
Morrison considers this, picks his words carefully.
MORRISON
Don't be. It was my gun that fired the
shots, so it must've been me who pulled
the trigger. I'll take the credit on this
one. After all the Black widow crap I had
to put up with, I've earnt it...
Kristen nods.
KRISTEN
You did the right thing...
MORRISON
We did the right thing.
risten smiles, almost, moves in, and wraps her arms around the
Detective. He closes his eyes, savors the moment. As she pulls
away, she hands him a card.
K
RISTEN
You call me, promise?
Morrison beams.
MORRISON
I will. I will.
KRISTEN
Now that this is all over, maybe we can
have that drink soon...
She leans in, kisses him sweetly on the lips. Morrison watches her
walk away. In spite of all the shit that's gone down, he's
probably the happiest son of a bitch in all of Blue Bay.
FADE TO BLACK.
EXT. COUNTY JAIL - MORNING
Morrison's unmarked Sedan idles outside the barbed wire fences of
the County Jail. The gate slowly opens and guards lead a dazed Jay
Clifford outside, wincing from the bright sunlight.
03/22/2004 87.
Morrison gets out of the car, meets Jay.
MORRISON
How you holdin' up, Jay?
JAY
Been better.
He sure has.
MORRISON
So what's next?
JAY
No idea. Everything's gone. Repossessed.
Guess there's nowhere to go but up.
It's all he can do to keep from breaking down.
MORRISON
I can't help but feel partially
responsible. If there's anything I...
Jay shakes his head.
JAY
I don't think so, but thanks.
MORRISON
Can I at least give you a ride somewhere?
JAY
Ain't got nowhere to go...
Morrison watches sadly as Jay stumbles past him, walking to
nowhere in particular.
MORRISON
(hopeful)
... but up, right?
No reply.
The Detective heads back to his car, stops for a second, reaches
into his pocket and pulls out Kristen's already-dog eared card. He
can't resist. Dials the number After four rings there's no
message. Just a BEEP.
MORRISON
(into phone)
Uh, Kristen, it's Michael again. Haven't
heard from you. Hope you're doing okay.
Everything's fine here.
03/22/2004 88.
MORRISON(CONT'D)
Haven't been any questions asked that I
can't answer, an' no one's brought your
name up. So give me a call back and maybe
we can go for that drink...
H
e's cut off by...
RECORDED VOICE
BEEP. The mail box you are trying to
reach is full. Your message has been
deleted.
Morrison's disconnected. Puzzled, he gets into his car.
INT. BLUE BAY PD - DAY
Morrison gets the shock of his life when he enters the usually
quiet police station and finds himself in the midst of utter
pandemonium.
Federal Officers are everywhere.
He tries to pick his way through the crowd when he's intercepted
by Officer Entwistle.
OFFICER ENTWISTLE
You better come with me, Detective.
INT. BLUE BAY PD - MORRISON'S OFFICE - DAY
Entwistle leads Morrison into his office, where Agent Dammers sits
behind his desk.
AGENT DAMMERS
Detective Morrison. So good to finally
see you.
MORRISON
What the hell, Dammers?
AGENT DAMMERS
I should be asking you the same question.
INT. BLUE BAY PD EVIDENCE LOCKER - DAY
Morrison stands in the middle of the evidence locker, dumbfounded.
Dammers watches him, his arms crossed.
MORRISON
It's...gone.
DAMMERS
That's right, Morrison. Every last bit of
evidence from the Black Widow case.
03/22/2004 89.
DAMMERS(CONT'D)
Not to mention the money you confiscated.
All $427,000.
MORRISON
But how...
DAMMERS
I was hoping you'd be able to answer that
question.
MORRISON
What in God's name are you talking about?
I didn't have anything to do with it!
DAMMERS
Well, your key card was the last one that
opened this locker.
Morrison's heart is beating a mile a minute.
MORRISON
Holy shit. Kristen...
INT. DADE COUNTY PAROLE OFFICE - DAY
A PRETTY RECEPTIONIST sits behind a sparse desk when the phone
rings.
PRETTY RECEPTIONIST
D
ade County Parole. How can I direct your
call?
INT. BLUE BAY PD EVIDENCE LOCKER - DAY
Morrison paces back and forth, on the phone, as Dammers watches,
not saying a word...
MORRISON
(into phone)
This is Detective Morrison, Blue Bay PD.
I was wondering if you had a forwarding
number for Kristen Richards...
PRETTY RECEPTIONIST(V.O.)
Who?
MORRISON
Kristen Richards. She's one of your
officers. Has cases up here in Blue Bay.
INT. DADE COUNTY PAROLE OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
The receptionist's fingers nimbly dance across the keyboard in
front of her.
90.
PRETTY RECEPTIONIST
I'm sorry, Detective. There's no one here
by that name.
MORRISON
No, of course there is. I worked with her
personally. I...
PRETTY RECEPTIONIST
I have no record of a Kristen Richards
ever working here. Besides, Blue Bay's
out of our jurisdiction...
INT. EVIDENCE LOCKER - CONTINUOUS
Morrison struggles to control his emotions...
MORRISON
Oh no. No, no, no...
EXT. PARADISE - DAY
Soft waves lap against a pristine beach. Palm trees sway in the
warm breeze. A steady WHIRRING is the only sound that disturbs the
serenity. Is it a lawn mower? A leaf blower?
There's a gorgeous beach house with a patio looking out onto this
idyllic scene. The swimming pool glistens in the bright tropical
Caribbean Sunlight.
And stretched out on a recliner in the sheerest of bikinis is none
other than Kristen Richards, soaking up rays.
At her side is a PAPER SHREDDER, and between sips from a piņa
colada, she feeds document after document, each one stamped BLACK
WIDOW EVIDENCE in red ink...
Kristen looks over at Elena, equally stunning in a matching
bikini.
KRISTEN
I can't believe Morrison just handed me
the key to the evidence locker...
A broad grin stretches across her lips as Elena empties the
contents of a velvet pouch onto a table.
T
he Mother-Daughter diamonds are radiant in the bright sunlight.
KRISTEN
These are...genuine?
Elena nods.
03/22/2004 91.
ELENA
Nothin' like the real thing. Switched
'em for the fakes right after Marie tried
to pay me off...
KRISTEN
They're...So beautiful.
Elena picks up the bigger diamond, hands it to Kristen.
ELENA
The mother.
Kristen picks up the smaller diamond, hands it to Elena.
KRISTEN
The daughter.
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDINGS - DAY
Morrison paces the infamous crime scene, at wit's end. Dammers
stands off to the side, just watching him with a bemused look
etched across his face.
MORRISON
She was the Black Widow. Her and that
little...
He tries to think of an appropriate slur for Elena. Can't come up
with anything, continues pacing frantically.
MORRISON
Played me like a fool.
Dammers shrugs.
DAMMERS
Hind sight's 20-20. No need to be so hard
on yourself, Morrison...
(beat, smile)
That's my job.
MORRISON
You smug son of a bitch. It's not like
you knew who she was anymore than I did.
Dammers nods slowly.
DAMMERS
That's the God's honest truth. But at
least I didn't give her my evidence
locker keycard.
03/22/2004 92.
DAMMERS(CONT'D)
And I didn't lie about who fired the
shots that killed the Clifford kid.
Morrison's heart sinks. He looks like he's going to faint.
Steadies himself, placing both hands against the wall, just as Jay
did that fateful night seemingly a lifetime ago...
EXT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDINGS - DAY
Dammers leads Morrison to his awaiting car. They pass MR. Barajas
and Cicatriz. Mr. Barajas is in his usual foul mood...
MR. BARAJAS
Un pinche sink hole! No lo puedo creer!
Morrison stops, regards Barajas...
MORRISON
What did you say?
CICATRIZ
The foundation is sinking. The entire
site is a sink hole. It's completely
worthless.
MR. BARAJAS
I'm going to kill Jay Clifford...
MORRISON
You and me both...
EXT. PARADISE - DAY
Elena and Kristen lay side-by-side on loungers, soaking in the
sun, when a voice rouses them...
JAY (O.S.)
Poor Detective Morrison. It's hard to do
that to a friend. Especially one going
through such a nasty divorce.
They look up to see Jay, standing before them in a pair of
colorful shorts, no shirt, sipping at a martini...
JAY
Told me he'd never trust another woman as
long as he lived. And then along came a
spider...
KRISTEN
A black widow.
Jay glances at Elena, as he downs the last drops from his drink.
03/22/2004 93.
JAY
More like widows... Gotta say I was a
little taken aback when you wanted to
snuff Marie, but you know what, I'm over
the bitch...
Elena suddenly gets to her feet.
ELENA
You want me to top you off?
JAY
That'd be fine, just fine.
He hands Elena his empty glass, then kisses Kristen tenderly.
When they break...
JAY
She's got a good head on her shoulders.
Kristen doesn't reply. Just smiles, watches Elena over by the
outside bar, mixing Jay's drink...
JAY
You two got me out of a mountain of shit,
I'll tell you that. Craziest Goddamn
scheme I've ever heard of. But hell, you
played it perfectly.
KRISTEN
My job was easy. It was Elena who had to
keep it all together...
ELENA (O.S.)
We've had some practice along the way...
Jay turns around, smiles at Elena as she holds out his drink.
ELENA
Here you go, Mr. Clifford.
Jay takes it from her appreciatively, sips at it as he sidles off
to the swimming pool.
JAY
Well, all that nasty business, it's
behind us. Forever. From here on out,
it's the good life.
He starts to climb the high dive. When he gets to the top, he
looks down at Elena and Kristen, smiles.
03/22/2004 94.
JAY
You two look so good, it's difficult to
tell which one's the mother and which
one's the daughter...
Kristen calls back up at him.
KRISTEN
That's just the roofies talking...
Says it so sweetly, it takes a moment for Jay to register the
sinister implications...
JAY
What did you say?
His eyes are blood shot. He starts to sway atop the high dive.
KRISTEN
Delta Chi, class of '88. Hellova party.
I'd never really tasted cocktails like
that.
Jay's swaying uneasily on the high dive platform...
JAY
I don't...whattya talking about?
KRISTEN
It was like being awake though an
operation. I could feel everything
happening, but I couldn't do anything to
stop it...
JAY
Oh...shit...
KRISTEN
You took something from me that night.
But you left something behind...
Jay's head is spinning as he looks to Kristen, to Elena.
KRISTEN
Your daughter...
He can't quite get his mind around it. Everything's becoming
blurry.
JAY
I don't remember...
03/22/2004 95.
He looks at the martini glass, thinks he sees blue residue, before
it slips from his fingers, falls 20 feet to the concrete below,
shattering into a million pieces like so many fake diamonds...
E
lena and Kristen stand side-by-side below him.
KRISTEN
You may not remember...
A broad grin stretches across Elena's lips as she finishes...
ELENA
...But you'll never forget.
Jay tries to take a step forward. He stumbles. Tries in vain to
regain his balance. It's too late. He falls. 20 feet to the
unyielding concrete, exploding like a paper bag filled with
vegetable soup...
ELENA
Nice take off. Gotta work on the landing.
They stand back, watching Jay's pancaked body draining its
precious blood into the ice blue pool...
KRISTEN
Let's go get our money.
They gather the diamonds, walk away as the pool turns crimson
red...
THE END
As the credits roll....
INT. OFFICE - MORNING
An anonymous, luxurious office. A fat, balding, semi-conscious MAN
lies curled up on the floor as Elena, half undressed and wearing a
black wig, shovels cash into her oversized purse...
There's a crackle on her WALKIE-TALKIE...
KRISTEN (V.O.)
We got problems...
From outside, she can hear the wailing of SIRENS. Getting closer.
ELENA
Almost done here.
KRISTEN (V.O.)
Leave it. Come on!
96.
Elena gets hesitantly to her feet, slides a stack of $100s in her
pocket for good measure.
KRISTEN (V.O.)
He gonna be able to make an ID?
Elena glances at the Man on the floor, his puffy eyes glazed over
like a jelly donut.
ELENA
Not on your life. I gave him enough
roofies to make an elephant forget.
EXT. OFFICE - MORNING
Elena gets into a waiting car outside the bank. The getaway
driver...Kristen, of course...
ELENA
I can't believe we just gave up all that
cash.
KRISTEN
Forget it. The Black Widow's finally got
an angle on our real prey.
ELENA
We goin' to Blue Bay?
KRISTEN
He won't know what hit him.
A smile crosses Elena's perfect lips...
ELENA
'bout time...
And the car pulls away from the curb just seconds before a fleet
of police cars screeches to a halt in front of the bank.
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - JAY'S OFFICE - DAY
Jay carefully places the stacks of cash into the wall safe in his
unfinished office.
KRISTEN (O.S.)
That's an awful lot of money...
Jay spins round, flabbergasted that someone's watching him.
JAY
Who the hell...
03/22/2004 97.
KRISTEN
Not enough though. Gonna need those
Diamonds if you're gonna ride out this
disaster...
JAY
What? What the hell do you mean?
Kristen calmly reaches into her purse, pulls out a handful of
marbles. Throws them onto the ground, letting them roll towards
B
Jay...
ut they stop, change direction, all coming rolling back in a
small circle, until they come to rest in the middle of the
concrete floor...
KRISTEN
The building's built on a sink hole, Jay.
You know it, and I know it. Gonna need to
think fast if you wanna keep the Cubans
off your back...
Jay's tiny mind can't take it all in.
JAY
How'd you...how'd you know all this...
KRISTEN
It's what we do.
JAY
We?
Elena walks seductively into the unfinished office. It's on.
INT. LOCKER ROOM - DAY
Marie sits in the bleachers by the side of the school dive pool,
looking at her Mother's soon-to-be-diamond ring through teary
eyes...
MARIE
I just want what's mine...
Elena stalks the bleachers behind her.
ELENA
The diamonds are your inheritance. You
deserve them...
MARIE
My fucking Step-Monster'll never give me
the Goddamn key...
03/22/2004 98.
Elena jumps down the bleachers, sits down next to Marie.
ELENA
So you take it, one way or another...
INT. CHAD'S OFFICE - DAY
Behind closed doors, Chad's completing yet another dubious
transaction, handing over a bag of roofies. The buyer this
time...Marie...
MARIE
You take a check?
CHAD
Money talks, bullshit walks. I got
strippers to feed...
Marie fishes out the money from her purse.
MARIE
How'd you like to make some real cash?
CHAD
Chad likes the sound of that.
And it's that simple...
INT. TEAM CLIFFORD BUILDING - NIGHT
Chad uses Jay's teeth mouldings to bite Elena, as Marie trains
Jay's video camera on her, wailing on her in a drunken stupor.
ELENA
Hey, that hurt!
MARIE
Shut it, bitch. No pain, no gain...
Elena's face is pressed against the concrete wall...
INT. BLUE BAY FORENSICS LAB - NIGHT
Chad sits at his video console, all alone, expertly manipulating
the audio and video footage.
CHAD
We'll put you right here, and...
Chad presses play. On the video screen a frightened Elena is
huddled against the wall.
03/22/2004 99.
JAY (V.O.)
C'mon now baby, you can do it...
INT. ELENA'S TRAILER - NIGHT
Elena watches as Marie and Theo drive away, then turns to the
glistening Mother Daughter diamonds. She opens a case with two
identical GLASS REPLICAS, and replaces the diamonds...
All the while, Uncle Marty SNORES his head off...
ELENA
(to Uncle Marty, irritated)
Will you knock that off? They're gone.
Uncle Marty's eyes snap open.
EXT. BEACH PARADISE - DAY
Kristen and Marie are sunning themselves on the crystalline beach
when someone stands before them, casting a shadow over their
sizzling bodies.
KRISTEN
You're blocking our sun...
Looks over her sunglasses at...Uncle Marty...Only all cleaned up,
in a pair of Bermuda shorts that show off his milky white legs...
He clutches a briefcase...
UNCLE MARTY
Ladies. Hellova job back there. Your best
ever if I might be so bold...
KRISTEN
This is our biggest score. You sure you
can move it?
UNCLE MARTY
Not a problem.
Kristen nods to the briefcase in Uncle Marty's hand.
KRISTEN
Let's see the green...
Uncle Marty lays the case down on the lounger, opens it, revealing
stacks of cash...
UNCLE MARTY
Got another lead, if you're interested.
Was just up in Boston, surveying a
mansion that's just been sold.
03/22/2004 100.
UNCLE MARTY(CONT'D)
Termites already eaten most of it.
Owner's shitting bricks. There's gotta be
an angle for the Black Widows...
Kristen and Elena look to each other.
KRISTEN
It's over. We had a good run.
Uncle Marty shrugs.
UNCLE MARTY
Shame. Guess all good things come to an
end. So, the diamonds...
Elena reaches down, pulls the diamonds from the sand. Hands them
over and is about to take the case of money when...
UNCLE MARTY
How do I know these are the real thing?
Elena looks to Kristen. They smile.
ELENA
You're going to have to trust us...
Like fuck.
THE END. AGAIN.
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