FADE IN
INT. PRESCOTT HOUSE – NIGHT
Sidney is sitting on her couch, the tv on, obsessing over To Create a Killer. The doorbell rings. She picks up the remote and shuts the tv off, before answering.
Billy is standing there sheepishly.
SIDNEY: You're late.
BILLY: Sorry, sorry … I ugh … had a lot of work suddenly splashed on me at my job. But I'm here, I'm here and ready to enjoy date night.
He enters, tossing his coat aside and flopping himself onto the couch.
BILLY: So what're we watching? Something supernatural? Annabelle maybe? Though the new Chucky could tide me over. Who knew that the guy who played Luke Skywalker could do such a freaky murder doll voice? Heh. Could you imagine if Chucky and Annabelle had children? Sid?
Sidney is holding her arms.
SIDNEY: Billy … if you don't mind, can we not do horror tonight?
BILLY: Sid?
SIDNEY: It's just that … after what happened to Jake and Megan … please Billy, I'm freaked out.
BILLY: Okay. No problem. Call me Mr. Adaptable. What should we watch instead? Romance? Comedy? Romantic Comedy?
SIDNEY: Thanks Billy.
She throws her arms around his shoulders and kisses his cheek. He turns and gives her a passionate kiss on the lips.
BILLY: You know I don't care what we're watching … as long as I'm with you.
Sidney smiles for the first time in a while and bites her lip. Billy jumps up from the couch.
BILLY: How about I get us some popcorn and drinks and you pick out a movie?
SIDNEY: Sounds good.
Billy disappears into the kitchen while she scopes out the collection of Blue Rays and DVDs.
SIDNEY: How about a Jennifer Aniston flick?
Silence.
SIDNEY: Billy?
No response.
SIDNEY: If you're using the bathroom, just remember to spray the Lysol this time!
Her phone begins ringing. Her ringtone is "Lollipop" by the Chordettes. Sidney picks her cell up from the coffee table and sees the Caller ID – DAD. She answers.
SIDNEY: Hey Daddy! You get to Jersey okay?
GHOSTFACE: Lovely night for a murder, eh Sidney?
SIDNEY: (confused) I-I'm sorry? Dad?
GHOSTFACE: How tragic for you, Sidney. To lose a mother in such a horrible way and to have the whole world disbelieve you.
SIDNEY: Who is this? Where's my father?
GHOSTFACE: We'll get to that soon, Sidney. But first, I wanted to offer you my - - greetings …
SIDNEY: Put my father on the phone right now or I'm calling the police …
GHOSTFACE: Poor Sidney … completely oblivious to the web spun around her. The lies of her family, her friends. Even Billy Boyfriend. You should hear the things they say about you behind your back.
SIDNEY: I'm calling the police!
GHOSTFACE: Megan tried, they didn't believe her. But go ahead, try your luck. Perhaps you'll have better fortunes than her. But I won't waste more of your time, Sidney. After all, this was only an introductory call.
SIDNEY: Who the hell are you?
GHOSTFACE: Someone who loves you, Sidney. Perhaps the only one who does. Someone who sees the lies and deceptions of your two-faced, so-called friends and is sickened by it! I'll expose them one by one in a trail of blood and gore … from your slut mother to your two-timing boyfriend … to your so-called make-up friend Tatum. You can't trust anyone, Sidney. Consider this my only word of advice. See you soon … perhaps sooner than you think!
The phone goes dead. Sidney is nearly hysterical, crying. She dials 9-11.
Behind her, Billy appears. He sees her crying and drops the sodas and popcorn and embraces her.
BILLY: What happened? What's wrong?
INT. POLICE STATION – NIGHT
Sidney sits with a warm blanket around her shoulders, cup of cocoa in her hands. She's sitting across from Sheriff Burke and Deputy Dewey.
SHERIFF BURKE: We ran your Dad's credit card. There's no record of him staying at a hotel in Jersey City. Or even the greater Hudson County area. We have no record of him even buying a plane ticket …
DEWEY: We'll keep searching though, Sidney.
BURKE: And you're sure the phone call came from his cell?
Sidney nodded.
BURKE: I don't think it wise for you to be alone Sidney. Do you have friends you can stay with?
DEWEY: Why, she can stay with us! She and Tatum go way back. It'll be just like old times!
SIDNEY: Thanks, Dewey.
CUT TO:
INT. POLICE HALLWAY
Sidney exits Burke's office, Dewey in tow. Billy grabs her by the shoulders.
BILLY: What they say? They find your Dad?
Sidney shakes her head.
DEWEY: We have all available hands on the job.
BILLY: You can come stay with us … me and my Dad.
DEWEY: That's very kind, but we already offered her to stay at my place. She and Tatum can catch up and at least there'll be a cop watching over her.
BILLY: That's good. Sid, I want you to call me every few hours. Text me even. Just to know you're okay.
She looks up at him. He bends down and kisses her on the lips. She doesn't respond. She's very shaken up and she's now looking at Billy with newfound suspicion.
SIDNEY: Where were you? When I got the call?
BILLY: I was … in the kitchen … getting the popcorn …
SIDNEY: And you didn't hear the conversation?
BILLY: Wait a minute – you don't think I made that call –
The door to the police station swings open. Tatum comes storming in and hugs Sidney.
TATUM: Dewey filled me in. Come on, Sid. We'll wait for Dewey in the squad car.
Sidney nods. She gives an apologetic look at Billy before following Tatum. Billy stands there, hands in pocket, shocked.
Burke takes Dewey aside.
BURKE: There's no record of Neil Prescott ever leaving town. I want roadblocks put up. This may be a prankster calling, but I'm not willing to bet that it's not connected to the murders. And Dewey – we can't screw this one up.
DEWEY: Done, Chief.
EXT. POLICE STATION – NIGHT
Tatum is leading Sidney to one of Dewey's squad cars.
GALE: Sidney!
TATUM: Oh crap!
GALE: Sidney! I heard you were brought in for questioning. Is this about the murder of Megan Strode? How are you connected?
TATUM: Out of the way, lady. Can't you see she doesn't want to talk?
GALE: Sidney, the world has the right to know.
Sidney stops.
SIDNEY: To know what? My private medical history? About my hallucinations? You know revealing that without my consent – a minor – is against the law! Do you know how many people have advised me to file a lawsuit?
GALE: That's nothing compared to the lawsuit that could be filed by Cotton Weary against you for slander. Not to mention the other pending lawsuit for the first time he was wrongfully arrested.
SIDNEY: He killed my mother – and you don't care. As long as you get your story, my mother can rot in the ground!
GALE: Is being right more important than an innocent man's freedom? Even if it means your mother's real killer is still on the loose?
SIDNEY: I'm done wasting my breath on you.
Sidney and Tatum go around her.
GALE: He's still on the loose. He killed Megan and her boyfriend. In the same way he did your Mother. That doesn't concern you?
TATUM: We're done talking.
GALE: Sidney – Cotton wants to sit down. Face to face.
Sidney stops. She turns to Gale.
SIDNEY: I have nothing to say to him.
GALE: You owe him. You wrongfully accused him and he deserves a chance to explain himself to you in person.
SIDNEY: Who are you to make demands like this?
GALE: His story hasn't changed, Sidney. He admits he slept with your mother, but that's it. The evidence doesn't fit, it never did and you know it! As much as you try to convince yourself -.
SIDNEY: You're not entitled to your own facts, Gale. All that evidence was sifted at trial.
GALE: No. Only some of the evidence was sifted. What about the coroner's original report that Maureen was not killed at Cotton's house?
SIDNEY: There was a second examination. The second coroner concluded that her wounds were consistent with where they found her …
GALE: The second set of footprints outside … the fact that the alleged murder weapon didn't match the wounds. The strange phone call from an unknown number … Sid, this never made sense. But the Woodsboro Police decided they found their man and forced the evidence to fit.
Behind them, Dewey is exiting the station for the night. He spreads his arms out.
DEWEY: Ready to go girls?
He spots Gale.
GALE: Deputy Riley.
DEWEY: Miss Weathers. Come on, girls. We can watch some reality tv and have some scoops of ice cream.
GALE: Dewey … I didn't get to tell you this morning … it was good seeing you again. You look good.
DEWEY: Ah, yes well … erm … you look good too, Gale. C'mon girls.
INT. POLICE CRUISER
Sidney and Tatum sit in the backseat of the police cruiser. Dewey puts it in drive and backs out, hitting the road.
TATUM: What was that about?
DEWEY: Hmmm.
TATUM: 'You look good too, Gale?' Since when are you two on a first-name basis?
SIDNEY: You knew her, Dewey?
DEWEY: I used to.
CUT TO:
INT. POOL AREA – NIGHT
Woodsboro High's janitor wheels a bucket and mop around. He has buds in his ear and is swinging his butt wildly. He sloshes bucket water along the pool area, singing into an invisible microphone.
JANITOR: "If you want my body and you think I'm sexy -."
He stops. The cover to the pool was closed. That shouldn't be. Narrowing his eyes, he presses the OPEN button. Slowly, painfully slowly, the covering slides open.
JENNA'S BODY IS FLOATING FACEDOWN, A KNIFE WOUND IN HER STOMACH! THE POOL WATER IS BLOOD RED!