Part 1
It's several hours after midnight. The room would be pitch dark if it were not for the city lights seeping in through the window.
Comic opens up to an elderly white lady with wispy gray hair and a polka dot nightgown. Lying alone in bed, the lady struggles to get up. The sagging skin beneath her arms begins to shake irrepressibly as she attempts to slowly push herself up. Every one of her minor movements is followed by a pause and a twitch as the creaky bedframe works against her intentions of keeping all-current endeavors quite and hidden.
Her frail body finally musters enough energy to push itself off the bed. She grabs her hearing aid from the nightstand and makes the required adjustments to the device. She then places it around her ear.
PANEL shoots back to a close up shot of the old lady's face. Her skin is dry and rough with wrinkles almost like valleys, contouring every corner of her face. Her breathing is heavy and raspy – reminiscent of a recovering smoker. The lady's eyes slowly move side to side as she stands in silence, adamantly waiting. Listening for any noise. Once her fears of being caught begin to dissipate, the lady becomes increasingly confident that she's the only one awake. (The other person in the apartment, which she wishes to avoid, is her son). The woman finally begins to move.
- PANEL captures a side-pan view of the lady slowly walking across the hallway. She pauses mid-way, again checking to hear for any noise that would suggest that her son's awake. A few seconds later, she continuous walking. Her fluffy slippers silently drag on the floor.
- Scene change to living room. The elderly woman puts in a videocassette. She then proceeds to seat herself one foot away from the 80's television set. The volume is set at two notches
Video on screen appears to be black and white. There's a woman on screen wearing a mini skirt and a flannel shirt tied up over her belly button:
"I've been a very very naughty girl. Daddy says I've making it too easy for the guys in the neighborhood. All the girls are jealous cause the men in their lives just want to check out my parts (lady winks). But I don't care! Cause here at Sally's Backseat Car Lot we offer the best deals on used cars, parts and accessories in all of Gotham. At Sally's we've always got more junk in the trunk!"
With a smile on her face, the elderly lady murmurs the last line to herself in unison with the video.
Man:
Is that you Linda?
(His voice is slightly high pitched and chirpy) – he's wearing a trench coat and gloves.
Linda jolts up in shock, her hand on her chest. She instinctively turns off the TV.
Linda:
What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night? I I..
(In a panic, she still manages to keep her voice in a whisper)
Man:
I was just here talking to Ron. It was quit pleasant actually.
Linda:
What? Is.. is he awake? He can't know that I'm up right now.
(Still whispering, her body is now shaking in fear)
Man:
He just went to bed. Linda it's fine. Just breathe deeply and relax.
(Linda presses her hand against the hearing aid)
Linda:
No. No. I have to go back to bed.
Man:
Is that what you want to do?
Linda:
It doesn't matter what I want.
(Her tone changes from one of confusion and fear to frustration).
How are you here? This doesn't make any god damn sense.
Man:
Relax Linda. Ron and I just finished talking. We thought you were asleep so we tried to keep our conversation as quite as possible. We didn't want to wake you.
Linda:
He wouldn't care (mumbles to herself).
He doesn't even like it when we talk. Why would he wanna talk to you?
Man:
He didn't. Trust me. I had to convince him. I was persistent, patient and understanding. As I told you before, those with the hardest shells are often the softest inside. (He smirks).
(PAUSE) – He pulls a chair next to her and sits down and leans forward.
Man:
I came at around 11. Spent almost 10 minutes at the door trying to convince him to let me in. I wanted to involve you in the conversation but he said it was already past your bedtime.
Linda scoffs
Man:
We had a long chat. I told him how he was a great son and his intentions were pure. I credited him for taking care of his mother, especially at a time when younger generations so easily forget about those who sacrificed so much for them.
Linda: I'm sure he loved hearing that.
(Man continuous speaking from his last point.)
Man:
I also told him how you needed your freedom and that he's gone too far trying to control you. I explained to him that you're a smart, beautiful woman who should be allowed to enjoy life as you chose to.
(Pause)
That the value of life doesn't fade as it passes or nears its end. But that life is always just as precious as it was when first granted to you as a child.
(Man leans back a bit)
He slowly started to come to his senses.
Even admitted that the idea of placing you on a curfew was ridiculous.
Linda starts to tear. She has a soft smile on her face. She begins to feel more comfortable. She feels safe and protected in the Man's presence.
Linda:
Like I told you before. My past always bothered him. The fact that I was a model. That I did nudes and pinups. He hated it. Once I got older he didn't even let me dye my hair, put on make-up or even wear the dresses that I wanted to. I've been living in this cage for twenty years. He.. he wanted to make me feel old age slowly creep on me.. Like it was a punishment.
Man:
You don't deserve that
Linda:
I'm barely allowed to even leave the house anymore. I just spent most of my time indoors watching TV.
He doesn't even let me watch everything I want to. Says some stuff is inappropriate for my age. (PAUSE) Sometimes I flip the channel to MTV just to piss him off.
Man chuckles
Linda does her best to suppress the almost inexorable urge to cry. Her lower lip quivers.
Linda:
You know half the time; television is just a bunch of commercials. Just a bunch of young, attractive, happy people. Enjoying life comes so easily to them. They'll occasionally have a headache or cold but by the end of the commercial, they're always happy and surrounded by the people they love. All their problems are so easy. So simplistic.
Man:
Linda these are just fake realities.
(Linda ignores Man's statement. Her lamentable and depressed state is clear. She looks down, staring at the floor beneath her feet.
Linda:
I even started to pretend that I was one of them. That Pantene ad with the gorgeous brunette. I would wake up imagining that I was her… that the old lady staring back at me in the mirror wasn't real.
In my head I was heading to nightclubs and bars. Looking young and beautiful with perfect hair. Having the time of my life. But in reality I was just here. Sitting in my living room. Dreaming of it. Once I got sick of being one of them I would just find another commercial and pretended to be someone else. (Pause) The best parts of my day never really happened.
She starts crying.
Linda:
All I want to do is die.
Man leans forward, pushing her chin up in order to establish eye contact.
Man:
I know (the man whispers back).
Things will be different now. Ron will no longer bother you. You'll be able to do anything you like from now on.
Linda smiles.
Man:
What a beautiful smile you have! (He smirks)
Scene changes to Linda's bedroom. Linda is tucked in her bed. Man is standing next to the bed, almost lovingly looking down on her.
Linda:
I'm so grateful for the first day we met at the park. Sharing our stories. Discussing our problems. These past couple of months have been amazing.
Man:
They sure have.
Linda:
I always told him that you guys should have a heart to heart talk but he always refused.
Man:
I guess I had to kind of force my way in. He loves you so much Linda, he really does. (He lets out a little giggle)
Linda:
Hmm. I really want to give that little bastard a hug right now. (She Smirks)
Man:
Let him sleep, I feel kind of guilty for having kept him up this late in the first place.
Linda smiles.
(She longingly looks into the Man's eyes. She doesn't want him to leave but feels embarrassed to ask him to stay with their age gap).
Man:
You looked great in that commercial by the way.
Linda:
Thank you
(Her pail completion now a soft pink)
Linda places takes of her hearing aid and places it on the counter next to her bed.
They look up at each other. Man leans in and passionately kisses Linda on the lips.
Linda:
Goodnight (She closes her eyes)
Man:
Goodnight
Man lightly brushes her hair with the backside of his hand.
Linda suddenly opens her eyes.
Linda:
Wait who's gonna lock the door?
At that instant a pillow is thrown over Linda's face. PANEL switches out to a side view. All of her limbs are flaying around. The Man is well built. Her struggles are futile. He continuous to suffocate her. The shot changes to a close up of his face. It's lacks any human expression or strain. It's completely still. Cold and calculated. Her body is now completely still.
The Man fixes up her bed and ruffed up sheets, ensuring she is once again neatly tucked in. He even cares to adjust her head so that it fits perfectly in the center of the pillow. Man quietly leaves the room, shutting her door.
Side view shot of Man walking across the hallway then suddenly pausing. Before leaving the apartment, he choses to enter the living room. He then turns on the television set and changes the channel to MTV.
I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar -
That much is true.
But even then I knew I'd find a much better place
Either with or without you.
PANEL is zoomed in on the TV screen and scene ends with him laughing.
Next Scene, the screen is pitch-black. You can hear a few people talking, there is a slight echo suggesting an enclosed space. {Ding} – Noise of elevator door opens. The darkness is revealed to be the back of a man's jacket (Jim Gordon). The PANEL follows Gordon, from behind. Another man (Bullock) is walking by his side. The men are walking down a hallway, eventually entering an apartment. They're here to investigate a crime scene. The murder of Ron Maniels and Linda Lacob.
End of Part 1