ACT THREE
FADE IN:
INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Nicole leans over the table threateningly.
NICOLE
Okay—if that's some kind of sick
joke, I'm gonna have your badge.
CAVANAUGH
It's a shield, not a badge. And
it's not a joke.
NICOLE
(laughs shortly)
You think I tried to KILL
somebody? Look, I'm no saint—but
that's just crazy.
CAVANAUGH
Of course, murder charges are
pending, if your victim doesn't
make it.
NICOLE
Okay, I get it—I'm on some kind of
"Candid Camera" show, right? I'm
supposed to get all broken up,
while everybody laughs. Well,
it's not gonna work, so you can
just dropped the act.
She starts looking around for hidden cameras.
NICOLE (CONT'D)
(waving)
Hellooo! Okay, game over...find
someone else to play with!
Finally she folds her arms and leans against the wall, staring
him down defiantly.
CAVANAUGH
(referring to his notes)
Just for the record—you're denying
that, at approximately 7:40
yesterday evening, outside the
Moonlight Cafe, you deliberately
struck Brooke McQueen with your
car?
For the first time, some of the smugness drains out of
Nicole's face.
NICOLE
(nonplussed)
What?
CAVANAUGH
We have several witnesses at the
scene who say that the driver of
the hit-and-run vehicle
deliberately aimed for Miss
McQueen.
NICOLE
(hollowly)
Brookie?
CAVANAUGH
(continuing)
The car's description matches
yours. Two witnesses gave us
partial license plate
numbers—which also match yours.
We have a statement from Miss
McQueen's father that you went to
her house and made threats against
her shortly before the crime. And
we have blood and fibers from your
front grille which are being
tested right now.
Hearing all this, Nicole has descended into total shock.
NICOLE
(alternating between confusion and
suspicion)
No... B.? But—that...
No—no—it's a lie. You're lying to
me. This is all some kind of
twisted mind-game.
The door bursts open and a well-dressed man comes rushing
through.
DEVENPORT
(self-importantly)
Michael E. Devenport, Esquire.
He glances over at Nicole, who is shaking and hugging herself
tightly.
DEVENPORT (CONT'D)
What do you think you're doing,
talking to my client alone?
CAVANAUGH
Your client waived her right to
have counsel present. For the
record, she didn't volunteer
anything substantive, Mr.
Davenport.
DEVENPORT
It's Devenport. With an "E".
Cavanaugh shrugs indifferently.
DEVENPORT (CONT'D)
She's a minor. Her mother or
myself should have been present.
CAVANAUGH
She's seventeen. She'll be
charged as an adult.
DEVENPORT
(loftily)
Assuming that there's anything to
charge her with at all.
A clerk steps through the open door, and stays long enough to
hand Cavanaugh an open folder. He peruses it for a moment,
then looks up at Devenport.
CAVANAUGH
The blood and fibers on the car
came back as a perfect match for
the victim's blood and dress.
Tell your client the D.A.'ll be
charging her—attempted murder.
She'll be arraigned on Monday.
Cavanaugh brushes past Devenport and walks out, closing the
door behind him.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE DESERT
Brooke is sitting on her horse, staring at the form of Nicole.
NICOLE
Whatsa matter? Surprised to see
me?
Brooke's face darkens as she glowers at her.
NICOLE (CONT'D)
(mocking)
Is that hostility I sense?
(beckons)
You wanna piece of me? Come
on...
Brooke lifts up the reins and starts to guide her horse into
the water when, from behind her—
CLARENCE
BROOKE! WAIT!
Clarence comes galloping up full tilt.
CLARENCE (CONT'D)
BROOKE! STOP!
He pulls up alongside Brooke and grabs her arm, pulling her
back.
BROOKE
What is it?
CLARENCE
(urgently)
Don't cross the water. That's
what she wants.
Brooke sticks her thumb in that direction.
BROOKE
What's SHE doing here, anyway?
CLARENCE
She isn't, really. The water's a
boundary—the other side isn't
"here". And that's not really
Nicole. It's Evil.
BROOKE
So, it's evil. How is that not
Nicole?
CLARENCE
No, I mean REALLY Evil.
BROOKE
(shrugging)
Again...?
CLARENCE
Brooke, listen to me. I'm talking
about THE Evil.
BROOKE
(eyes wide)
Ohhhh...
Meanwhile, "Nicole" is still posing arrogantly on the far side
of the stream.
NICOLE
(tsking)
Sending a boy to do a man's
job... You must be REALLY low on
the popularity scale here, it THIS
is the best She could do for you.
CLARENCE
Hey!
NICOLE
I feel sorry for you, Brooke...
With the kind of advice you're
getting, you'll be figuring out
your destiny for centuries.
BROOKE
(coldly)
You know...whoever you are...you
picked the wrong person to look
like. Because I don't need to
listen to Nicole anymore.
(to Clarence)
Come on. I don't like this place.
Brooke turns her horse around, and heads back the way she
came. Clarence throws a gloating look across the stream
before following.
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - LATER
Sam is sitting on one of a line of seats along the corridor
wall. Harrison comes up, hands her a bottle of water, and
sits down next to her.
SAM
Thanks.
For a few moments, they just sit there, side by side.
HARRISON
Sam... About...last night...
Sam sighs.
SAM
You were right. I was... Thank
you. For...well...you know.
HARRISON
(laughs self-consciously)
It wasn't easy.
There is another long, awkward silence, and then:
HARRISON (CONT'D)
Sam—what did you mean, last night?
SAM
What?
HARRISON
You said...I wasn't the first guy
to make it to your bed and then
stop.
(pause)
Did you and George...?
She groans, and buries her face for a moment.
SAM
(wincing)
Yes?
Harrison looks away.
SAM (CONT'D)
We—we didn't...
HARRISON
George...stopped. You...wanted
to?
Sam hangs her head before biting the bullet.
SAM
(sighing)
Yes.
HARRISON
Oh. Well...
SAM
Harrison, it was before you
dropped your bombshell—I had NO
idea how you felt.
(pause)
I really thought George was the
one.
HARRISON
(guiltily)
I'm sorry, I shouldn't... It's
just—hard.
Sam shakes her head and rubs her eyes, blowing out her breath.
HARRISON (CONT'D)
What?
SAM
I can't believe...I look back, at
all the things you did, all the
times you were there, right with
me... I just can't believe I
didn't see it.
HARRISON
(spreading his hands)
Hey, I WAS trying to keep it a
secret.
SAM
Still.
Harrison is about to say something else when his cell phone
goes off. He plucks it out of his pocket and opens it.
HARRISON
(into the phone)
Hello?... Oh, uh-huh... WHAT?
His face twists in surprise, while Sam looks at him
expectantly.
HARRISON (CONT'D)
(into the phone)
Ah, y-yeah... Thanks...
Harrison closes the phone numbly.
SAM
What?
HARRISON
(regrouping)
That was the detective—ah,
Detective Cavanaugh.
Sam clutches his arm.
SAM
Oh, my God...they caught
somebody?
HARRISON
(disbelieving)
Yeah—they arrested NICOLE.
Sam gasps, her mouth dropping in shock.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT THREE
