CUT TO:
EXT. CIRCUS CIRCUS - DAY
Dewey and Judy exit the Las Vegas casino. The hot desert stings against Dewey's eyes that are trained to the country. Judy is fine with it, however.

JUDY
How do you suppose the killer got to
Clark?

DEWEY
Heavy thunderstorm, darkest time of the
night and from what the Squad Driver says
Kincaid passed out within minutes in route;
it's possible the killer got to Clark
before they even left town.

JUDY
That would make sense, but how exactly?

DEWEY
Squad van stops at a stop light. Car
comes from behind it, all they need is
15 seconds to break the lock, enter the
van, slice his throat and exit without
anyone noticing.

JUDY
And gouge out his eyes.

DEWEY
To make a statement bigger than the one
the killer is already trying to make.
They'll stop at nothing with trying to
get away. Clark saw and knew too much,
so they took his eyes in return. In fact,
I'm surprised they didn't chop off his
ears and pick out his brain as well...
(shifts his eyes)
Or maybe they didn't have time for that.

They reach the car, Dewey going for the driver seat.

JUDY
Sheriff Riley, let me drive. You drove the
way here through hours of traffic and rain,
had to put up with your chatty mother and
haven't got much sleep.

DEWEY
You have a point. But punch on it, we need
to head back before the storm starts up
again.

Dewey passes Judy the keys and they both enter the car. Dewey reclines his seat all the way back.

DEWEY
The killers are evolving...

JUDY
Sir?

DEWEY
They're learning from the previous one's
mistakes. They're getting better at what
they do.

Dewey places his hat over his eyes.

JUDY
I reckon it'd be much harder than last
time than, don't you think?

DEWEY
Well one thing they have taken for granted,
Deputy Hicks...
(moves his hat to look up at Judy)
... is I'm learning too.

Judy smiles and turns on the car. Dewey's phone vibrates. He sighs in exasperation. He looks at the called ID: it's Gale.

JUDY
You should take it, boss.

Dewey sighs and rolls his eyes, going ahead and answering the phone. As a reminder, we're still hearing the operated system before the conversation starts.

INT. AIRPORT - DAY
Gale stands in a busy terminal, looking at the flight board. All down the line to all flights near Woodsboro or Los Angeles read "Delayed."

GALE
Thank you for answering! It's easier getting
a hold of Jesus, believe me I know.

DEWEY
Gale, what is it?

GALE
Dewey, all the flights to Woodsboro have
been cancelled. What's going over there?
Has it gotten that bad they had to stop
people from piling in without getting
murdered?

DEWEY
Would that satisfy you, Gale? Knowing a
serial killing epidemic is at hand?

GALE
Very funny, Dewey but seriously?

DEWEY
There's supposed to be a massive thunderstorm
kicking in tonight or - -

Judy grabs his attention. She's on her cell phone, checking the weather. She points to it innocently.

DEWEY
- - orrrr it's already started, dammit!

GALE
Well this is just ridiculous. I'll try
to find another flight to as close as I
can get and drive the rest of the way.

DEWEY
Gale, I told you, DO NOT come down here.

GALE
Stop me.

She hangs up. Dewey puts his phone away and leans back into his chair again to get comfortable for a nap.

JUDY
Are you telling her to stay away because
you really don't want to see her or...
because you just want her to stay safe?

DEWEY
(pauses to actually think about that)
A little bit of both, I guess.

JUDY
(smiles)
You're a good husband...

DEWEY
At least somebody takes notice!
(waits)
Okay, Judy, seriously, with that thunderstorm
it's gonna take hours to get back. Let's
get a move on.
(puts his hat back over his face))
And I'm gonna take a nap.
(beat)
Excuse me if I pass gas.

Judy stops herself from chuckling and starts the engine.

JUDY
Yes, sir.

CUT TO:
INT. PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE - DAY
The storm is brewing heavy already. Rain drops are like bullets spraying the windows. Pecard seems uneasy in his chair, rocking back and forth while Kincaid sits there silently, collected. They both observe PRINCIPAL BROSNAN look at a paper. We INSERT on the paper, it's a list full of questions. Kincaid is now getting uneasy with the amount of time this taking him and eyes the clock: already noon.

BROSNAN
I have a few questions, if I may.

KINCAID
Go.

BROSNAN
Why are you asking all these questions about
money?

KINCAID
(sighs)
The killer bribed their accomplice with an
undisclosed amount of money and also made a
life size human doll to replicate it being
gutted open. Which would also explain the
"do you have a background in prosthetics or
make up" question as well.

BROSNAN
(handing Kincaid the paper)
I'll allow it. I'll make the announcement
momentarily. Ehh, which groups did you want
to see again?

PECARD
(trying to step up)
We are asking for the Survivors group,
Cinema Club, swim team, varsity baseball
team and...
(handing Brosnan a note)
... this list of other select students.

BROSNAN
Why these students?

KINCAID
We have our reasons, Principal Brosnan.
As a matter of fact, we've already told
you too much. And may I reming you that
whatever you hear in this office be kept
confidential be any means.

BROSNAN
(pushing up his glasses; stern)
Sure.

Brosnan walks off and out of the office over to the front desk with the announcement system. Pecard sits forward, trying to be level with Kincaid.

PECARD
Hey, what you said back there - -

KINCAID
About those donuts they have here? No,
seriously, they're amazing. You should
try them if you haven't already.

PECARD
No, no! About the - -
(looks outside the office and whispers)
- - about the possible death thing? Because
I know this guy and he is... way better than
me to handle this case! He's buffer,
better looking, smarter, he even smells good
too.

KINCAID
Pecard...

PECARD
Yeah?

KINCAID
In every law enforcement job, there are
risks. Day in and day out. Today, your
risk is being stabbed by a homicidal
maniac. Deal with it or quit the force.

PECARD
Yeahhhhh, about that...

KINCAID
Pecard, you're not getting off this case.

CUT TO:
INT. WOODSBORO CAFETERIA - DAY
Kirby sits at the lunch table with Roy, Joseph, Niley and HAROLD MUROY - - the clown of the group. Niley looks at herself in her pocket mirror, concerned with her long, dark red wavy hair. She's cute but has to maintain it and her personality is pretty dingy so this is an important upkeep for her.

HAROLD
Hey Kirby, you want my salsa and chips?

KIRBY
(chewing on an egg roll)
Sorry pal, I can't have any spicy foods.

NILEY
(slowly laughing, almost fake)
I'll take it.

He passes it over to Niley who slowly starts to dig in. Seriously, she might be on drugs or something. Joseph reads the school newspaper, getting up to date with the events in the town.

ROY
Joseph, how do the ratings look on my
radio show?

JOSEPH
You have a radio show?
(raises an eyebrow, waiting for
Roy to at least smile)
Just kidding, man. When'd you get so
serious?

ROY
Oh, uh, let me think, the moment that
you POSTPONED TELLING ME SOMETHING I
ASKED FOR!

JOSPEH
Dude? C'mon, don't get all diva on me.

ROY
(collecting himself)
Sorry, I don't know what came over me.

KIRBY
He's naturally a diva. And an attention
whore. Why do you think he has his own
radio show?

ROY
I share it! There's like two other
people in there with me with daily guest
spots. Niley was on just the other night.

NILEY
(smiles big, food still in her mouth)
Yup. I got to wear those cool giant
headphones! Amazing, man.

ROY
And you're on it weekly. C'mon, seriously,
why do people give me so much shit about
my radio show all the time?

JOSEPH
We don't! We're fuckin' with you, man,
here!
(passes Roy the paper)
We like your reactions, is that hard to
believe?

ROY
(in all seriousness)
... Yes.

Roy looks down at the paper, studying the statistics.

HAROLD
(nodding over)
What's Sidney doing?

KIRBY
(looking)
Staring off into the vast distance that was
her past, feeling melancholy and sniffing
the sweet smell of nostalgia lingering in
the open divide... currently located out
that window.

JOSEPH
Screenwriting class?

KIRBY
It fuckin' rocks. I learn to come up with
cool sentences like that all the time!

Sidney is at the window, looking on into the storm.

HAROLD
Maybe you should ask her to come over
and eat with us?

NILEY
Awww, could you? That'd be so nice of you,
Kirby.
(frowns)
She looks lonely...

KIRBY
You guys seriously want her over here?

HAROLD
Not to sound - - suspicious or anything but
she is a fuckin' legend!

KIRBY
What about me, am I not legendary? Do I
not satisfy that coil inside your bones
that longs for - -

NILEY
(tapping Kirby's hand, solemn)
No, honey, please don't. Remember what we
talked about? Don't use big words in front
of Niley because Niley feels left out.

KIRBY
I forget that with Niley, its like sitting
at the kiddie table for Thanksgiving.

JOSEPH
Well your height would sure agree with that.

NILEY
Yeah! At least I don't have midget fingers!

KIRBY
(looks at her hands)
You're like one inch taller than me and
I don't have midget fingers!

JOSEPH
Actually, you kinda do. Watch, point at
Harold.

Kirby obides. Roy chuckles to himself, Joseph smiling big while sipping on his juice box.

KIRBY
(getting up)
Fuck you guys!

ROY
Ah! What - did - you - do? Why is she
leaving? Why'd you make her do that?
Now she's gone. Not cool.

JOSEPH
Relax, Popper. You got us.

HAROLD
Yeah but we don't got the - -
(imitating a hair flip and goes into
a flirty girly voice)
- - hair flip going on.

Roy blushes and Joseph pats him on the back.

JOSEPH
Yeah, man, what was THAT all about?

ROY
... it's just a show.

HAROLD
Yeah? So you didn't pop a boner when
you danced with her at the winter formal
last year?

ROY
HEY! I was - - medicated, okay?

HAROLD
Yeah, it was called Kirbilicious and you
were ODing like a mother fucka.

Niley does a stoner laugh.

JOSEPH
Yeah, it's alright though Roy, because
you see, I got my own brand known as
Josephlicious - -
(scoots in closer)
- - that you can sample for free.

ROY
Personal bubble breached! Personal
bubble breached!

Joseph scoots back down.

NILEY
I could do a hair flip too, ya know?

HAROLD
Go for it.

Niley starts to sway her head back and forth while the three guys watch, curious if she can actually pull this off. She hands headbanging, her hair flopping around like a mess. Roy gets up, throwing his trash in the bin while the rest of the gang laughs hysterically at Niley's failed attempt. The overcom scratches and Roy stops from wherever he was going. The entire cafeteria gets quiet.

BROSNAN (O.S.)
I need to see the Cinema Club, Survivors
Group, varsity baseball and swim teams
in my office immediately. Thank you.

The four of them look at each other.

NILEY
Oh my God, what did we do?

HAROLD
Shit, I don't know. Could be anything.

NILEY
Noooo, I've never been to the principal's
office before. Now I'm scared.

JOSEPH
Twelve years of school, not once?

NILEY
In elementary, I went to the health
office to take my candy every time before
lunch but that was it.

HAROLD
Your candy?

NILEY
Sweetarts! You know those little things
you get in those little wrappers around
Halloween time, well, yeah, those. Except
they didn't taste like 'em too much.
(slams the desk)
Holy shit, I'm just realizing, Halloween
is next week!

JOSEPH
We've been talking about it all week.

NILEY
What, really?

ROY
You forget. She's here but she's not
here. Okay, let's go?

They all get up. Over by the window, Kirby sees her friends exiting towards the office. She smiles at Sid and starts to get up.

SIDNEY
Oh, hey, hang back. I wanna go with you.

KIRBY
Okay.

They both get up and walk away from the window together. We PAN OVER to the window - - in sight, the fountain.