ACT TWO

FADE IN:

INT. JOSH'S MOTEL ROOM

There is a loud knocking at the door.

JOSH (O.S.)
Coming!

Josh emerges from the motel room's tiny bathroom, toweling off
his face. He goes to the door and opens it, to find a
uniformed security guard standing there.

SECURITY GUARD
Josh Ford?

JOSH
Yeah, that's me.

Then Josh recognizes the man.

JOSH (CONT'D)
Hey, aren't you from the
Institute?

SECURITY GUARD
That's right—I've come to get
you.

JOSH
That really wasn't necessary—I
coulda taken the bus.

SECURITY GUARD
I'm afraid it was, Mr. Ford.
There's been some trouble. They
need you to come in right away.

JOSH
All right, just a second.

Leaving the door ajar, Josh throws the towel on his bed, grabs
a shirt and throws it on over his undershirt, and snatches his
keys and wallet off of the dresser. He steps outside, closing
the door behind him.

JOSH (CONT'D)
Okay, let's go.

CUT TO:

INT. THE LAB

which is a shambles. A couple of uniformed officers are
carefully picking over the wreckage, while a small group of
observers looks on, including Dr. Rutherford; Alan Porter, the
chief administrator of the Institute; and a Lt. Spivey. Josh
walks in, and pulls up short upon seeing the carnage.

JOSH
What the hell...?

RUTHERFORD
(calling)
Mr. Ford!

Josh walks over to them.

JOSH
What happened?

RUTHERFORD
Obviously, someone broke in last
night and had their own party.

LT. SPIVEY
"Snuck in" is more like it.
Whoever did this either had a key,
or was let in by someone.

RUTHERFORD
YOU don't happen to know anything
about this, Mr. Ford?

JOSH
What? No! Hold on—you think I
had something to do with this?

LT. SPIVEY
It does seem a bit suspicious, if
you don't mind me saying so.
According to the guard, you didn't
check out last night, and then you
didn't show up for work this
morning...

JOSH
Dr. Bennett said to take the
morning off! We were up half the
night finishing some report that
had to be done!

RUTHERFORD
(cynically)
Don't you think we can check on
that?

LT. SPIVEY
(to Rutherford)
Where is this Dr. Bennett?

RUTHERFORD
She hasn't shown up yet, either.
(to Josh)
I don't suppose you know anything
about that, either.

Josh looks even more outraged, but is saved from a response by
Dr. Bennett, who appears in the doorway.

BENNETT
They told me outside that—
Josh? I stopped by your place,
but the manager said you'd left
with Security. What happened
here?

Josh waves disgustingly at Rutherford.

JOSH
He thinks I kidnapped you or
something.

BENNETT
What?

LT. SPIVEY
(breaking in)
Dr. Bennett? I'm Lieutenant
Spivey. Do you mind if I ask you
a few questions?

RUTHERFORD
(imperiously)
Mr. Ford here CLAIMS that you told
him to take the morning off.

PORTER
(interposing)
Lloyd, please.
(to Bennett)
Tina?

BENNETT
Yes, I did. We were here until
one a.m., wrapping up the annual
CMR so that Fish and Game would
have it this morning.

She turns to Rutherford and gives him a look that would
freeze molten lava.

BENNETT (CONT'D)
(grating)
I left a note on your desk.

LT. SPIVEY
Well, now that that's cleared
up...

BENNETT
Wait, what about the security
cameras?

PORTER
The entire system went down last
night.

LT. SPIVEY
We're assuming that whoever did
this knew enough to disable the
security system.

Another uniformed officer enters the room and whispers in Lt.
Spivey's ear.

LT. SPIVEY (CONT'D)
Mr. Porter, are everyone's
fingerprints on file? Present and
past employees?

RUTHERFORD
Mr. Ford's aren't.

BENNETT
(annoyed)
None of the interns' are. That's
why they couldn't prove it was
Jake Carlin who took the garage
apart last year.

LT. SPIVEY
Yes, I pulled the file on that
case—I thought it might be
helpful. In the meantime...

He looks at Josh significantly.

BENNETT
This is ridiculous! Josh, you
don't have to do anything.

JOSH
(testily, throwing up his hands)
No, hey—you want my
fingerprints? Let's do it.

LT. SPIVEY
If you'll go with Officer Martinez
here to the station, you should be
back in half an hour.

BENNETT
Josh...

JOSH
No, it's fine. Let's just get
this over with.

Josh walks out with the officer.

PORTER
Tina, we'll need you to get an
accounting of what data's been
lost.

She refocuses on Porter.

BENNETT
Unless they got to the mainframe,
there shouldn't be any. I know
there wasn't any loose data in
here last night.

PORTER
Well, that's a relief, anyway.
We'll let the police handle the
investigation, and the insurance
people the equipment loss.

He turns to Rutherford.

PORTER (CONT'D)
I'll be in my office. Keep me
posted.

Porter walks out.

RUTHERFORD
I'll see about farming work out to
the auxiliary labs.

Before Dr. Bennett can say anything, Dr. Rutherford walks off.
After a moment, she starts after him, but Lt. Spivey steps
across her path.

LT. SPIVEY
Dr. Bennett? I was hoping I could
ask you a few more questions.

Her immediate pursuit waylaid, Dr. Bennett shrugs her
shoulders and allows Lt. Spivey to corral her.

CUT TO:

INT. BROOKE'S HOSPITAL ROOM - LATER

Brooke is in the process of aggravating Sam.

SAM
No, Brooke, not only do I not
remember who the first Duke of
Normandy was, I don't think I ever
knew in the first place.

BROOKE
Wow, you're testy today.

Sam lays her hand on Brooke's.

SAM
I love you like a sister, but I
swear, if you don't stop asking me
these things, no lie, I'm going to
throw that book out the window.

BROOKE
Sam, I'm just trying to get you
involved in something that's
mentally challenging.

SAM
And let me be the first to
congratulate you on becoming my
mother.

BROOKE
(pointing)
Okay, now THAT was just mean.

Harrison walks in.

SAM
Hey, you. I went down to the
courthouse to see you, but the
trial was in recess?

HARRISON
Uh, w-why did you do that?

Brooke raises her hand.

BROOKE
I asked her to check on you.

Harrison makes a face.

SAM
What?

HARRISON
I'm not sure I like the two of you
teaming up to look after me.

SAM
Would you rather we team up to
plot against you?

HARRISON
(considers)
Is there a difference?

Sam's jaw drops.

SAM
(deadpan to Brooke)
Why were we fighting over him?

BROOKE
I have NO idea.

HARRISON
Seriously, guys, I'm fine. I'm
fine because I didn't testify.

BROOKE
I thought you said—

HARRISON
Yeah, but I talked to the
prosecutor and convinced her not
to call me.

SAM
Harrison, why?

HARRISON
Come on. There was no way I was
could get up there as a character
witness against Nicole. I mean,
what was I gonna say? "Oh, yeah,
sure, she saved my life by
donating her bone marrow, but
other than that, she's really a
rotten person."

SAM
Well, you could still tell them
about all the horrible things
Nicole's done.

BROOKE
You know—I think maybe Harrison's
right.

SAM
(gaping)
Okay, wanna clue me in?

BROOKE
Look, I agree that Nic has a mean
streak a mile wide, and she can be
really vicious at times. But,
Sam...all the stuff she did—it
was all high school stuff. I
mean, yeah, it was bad for high
school—but you can't add it up
and say it makes somebody a
murderer.

At the sound of a knock on the open door, they look over to
see an unfamiliar man step into the room.

BROOKE (CONT'D)
Excuse me, can I help you?

MAN
I don't mean to interrupt, but—
(to Harrison)
—by any chance, are you Harrison
John?

HARRISON
Yeah, that's me.

MAN
Oh, good.

He pulls a paper out of his jacket and hands it to Harrison.

MAN (CONT'D)
This is for you.

The man nods to Brooke and Sam.

MAN (CONT'D)
Pardon the intrusion, ladies.

Without further ado, the man walks out. Harrison unfolds the
paper and glances over it; as he does, he gasps in
astonishment.

HARRISON
This is just unreal.

SAM
What?

HARRISON
It's a subpoena.

SAM
You've been subpoenaed?

BROOKE
Wait—I thought you talked to Miss
Jones, and—

HARRISON
(cutting her off)
No, Brooke— It's a subpoena—for
the DEFENSE.

Sam snatches the paper away from Harrison and looks it over.

SAM
You're going to testify FOR
Nicole?

The three of them stare at each other in disbelief.

CUT TO:

INT. DR. RUTHERFORD'S OFFICE - AFTERNOON

Dr. Rutherford is working behind his desk when Dr. Bennett
appears unannounced in his doorway.

BENNETT
Well, that was quite a
performance.

RUTHERFORD
(looking up)
Excuse me?

BENNETT
(stepping forward)
You accused Josh of kidnapping me?
What—you really thought that,
rather than telling the truth,
he'd...done something to me? Did
you REALLY think that was the more
likely possibility there?

RUTHERFORD
I didn't exactly mean it that way.

BENNETT
That's not how I heard it.

RUTHERFORD
In any case, I think I have good
reason to be suspicious of Mr.
Ford.

BENNETT
I think you have NO reason to be
suspicious of Josh. He's never
been anything but hard-working and
dependable, and you've been
anything but mistrustful and
unfriendly.

The phone rings; Dr. Rutherford reaches out and picks it up.

RUTHERFORD
(into the phone)
Lloyd Rutherford.

Dr. Bennett starts to turn to leave, but he holds up a finger
for her to wait.

RUTHERFORD (CONT'D)
(into the phone)
Yes, Lieutenant...? I see...
Thank you. Please let me know if
you learn anything.

He hangs up the phone, while Dr. Bennett crosses her arms and
waits.

RUTHERFORD (CONT'D)
That was Lieutenant Spivey. They
found a baseball bat just outside
the parking lot that they believe
was used in the vandalism. They
weren't able to match the
fingerprints on it to anyone
working here—

BENNETT
(breaking in)
Including Josh.

RUTHERFORD
(continuing)
—but they did match them to the
fingerprints found after the
incident last year.

BENNETT
Well, we all know who did that.
Jake Carlin. Now are you willing
to admit that Josh had nothing to
do with this?

RUTHERFORD
Of course, Mr. Carlin no longer
has a key. Someone had to have
let him in.

Dr. Bennett throws up her hands.

BENNETT
Josh has only seen Jake once, and
that was when he stopped Jake and
his pals from harassing me.

RUTHERFORD
As far as you know, that is. And
that seems like a very convenient
circumstance.

BENNETT
(shaking her head)
I see you aren't over your bout of
paranoia yet.

RUTHERFORD
Dr. Bennett—

BENNETT
No, Lloyd. You're stereotyping
Josh, and in a particularly
vindictive and discriminatory
manner. And, frankly, it's not an
attractive side to you.

RUTHERFORD
And what about you? You've been
paying a great deal of attention
to young Mr. Ford—perhaps your
judgment has been clouded by his
bulging biceps?

Dr. Bennett's eyes narrow dangerously.

BENNETT
(icily)
I think I'd better leave
now—before you say something
we'll both regret.

Without another word, she spins on her heel and walks out.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT TWO