ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
INT. BROOKE'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT
As hospitals are at night, it's dim, but not dark.
INSERT: THE WALL CLOCK
which reads 2:50 a.m.
ANGLE: BROOKE
turning restlessly in bed.
CUT TO:
DREAM SEQUENCE
Flashes of Brooke's other-worldly experience: the park, the
beach, empty streets—and Clarence. Disconnected voices.
CUT TO:
BROOKE'S HOSPITAL ROOM
Brooke awakens with a start. She reaches out, grabs her dream
journal, and begins writing in the dim light. After a few
moments she finishes and sets it aside; but instead of going
back to sleep she lies there, eyes open, staring at the
ceiling. Then she scoots up in bed, pulls her tray table
over, and opens her laptop, tapping the keyboard and moving
the pointer.
INSERT: THE COMPUTER SCREEN
The webpage of someplace called Reader's Emporium.
Brooke continues to work intently.
DISSOLVE TO:
EST. THE HOSPITAL - MORNING
Not the next morning, but Monday morning (though it doesn't
say so.)
CUT TO:
INT. BROOKE'S HOSPITAL ROOM
Sam and Harrison walk in, arm in arm, and find that Brooke
already has a visitor: Alicia Jones, sitting by the bedside
and jotting on a legal notepad. When she sees them, she puts
the notepad into her attach case.
SAM
Oh—are we interrupting?
JONES
No, no. We were just going over a
few things before the defense
starts its case today.
HARRISON
Miss Jones? I got a subpoena—
JONES
—from the defense counsel, yes, I
know. Obviously Ms. Julian told
her attorney the same things you
told me.
SAM
Can they really make Harrison
testify on Nicole's side?
JONES
(shrugging)
Sure—they can call anyone they
want who has a connection to the
case.
(to Harrison)
Look, don't sweat it. All you
have to do is get up there and
tell the truth.
HARRISON
But—
JONES
(firmly)
No buts. The absolute worst thing
you can do is lie under oath.
Don't even think about it. And
don't worry about helping Ms.
Julian. Believe me, you can't
help her. Anything you might say
about whatever good she may have
done in the past won't obviate the
hard physical evidence of her
guilt. So relax, okay?
HARRISON
Right. Relax.
JONES
(standing up)
Well, I'm due in court.
(to Brooke)
I'm glad to see you're doing
better.
With a nod to Sam and Harrison, Jones walks out. The two of
them sit down on opposite sides of Brooke's bed again.
BROOKE
So, guys?
Sam and Harrison look at each other.
SAM
What?
BROOKE
(prompting)
Last night? Dinner and a movie?
How'd it go?
She glances at them in turn, eyes narrowing.
BROOKE (CONT'D)
You BETTER have gone.
HARRISON
(shrugging)
Oh—yeah. We went.
SAM
Yeah.
BROOKE
And?
SAM
Ah—it was...okay.
HARRISON
Yeah...okay.
BROOKE
(insistently)
And you had FUN, right?
HARRISON
Um...yeah, I guess.
SAM
Yeah...we had fun.
BROOKE
And you forgot all about me?
HARRISON
Well...uh...
Brooke sighs and rubs her eyes.
BROOKE
Guys, I tried to give you a night
to yourselves. PLEASE tell me you
didn't spend the whole time
worrying about me.
SAM
Ah...well, we...
HARRISON
Well, not the WHOLE time, ah...
SAM
No, um, there was...
Brooke sighs again, shaking her head.
BROOKE
Guys...
SAM
It's just 'cause we care, Brooke.
HARRISON
Yeah.
A delivery boy stops in the doorway and peers in.
DELIVERY BOY
Uh, I have a delivery for Brooke
McQueen?
SAM
A delivery?
BROOKE
I'm Brooke.
The delivery boy picks up a large shopping bag from Reader's
Emporium and hauls it in.
BROOKE (CONT'D)
Harrison, would you...?
Harrison takes the bag. The delivery boy hands a clipboard
over to Brooke, who scrawls her signature.
BROOKE (CONT'D)
Thanks.
As the delivery boy leaves, Harrison starts taking books out
of the bag and setting them on the tray table. Sam pokes
through them idly, picking up a couple to examine more
closely.
SAM
"Back From the Edge"...'Comas:
The Deepest Sleep"..."Dream-Memory
Meditation Techniques"...Brooke,
what is all this?
BROOKE
Oh...I'm trying to figure out
these dreams I've been having. So
I ordered these online a couple
days ago.
HARRISON
I'm not sure you should be
dwelling on this.
SAM
Harrison's right—what's this
going to accomplish?
BROOKE
I don't know. I just know that
I'm...missing something. I mean,
I was out for a week, and I don't
remember anything. Other people
say they see lights, or hear
voices... Me? Nothing.
HARRISON
Maybe that's because there's
nothing to remember.
BROOKE
There's SOMETHING. I know there
is. There are times, I can ALMOST
remember... And these dreams, I
think they have something to do
with it.
She turns to Harrison.
BROOKE (CONT'D)
Harrison, I want you to do me a
favor.
HARRISON
Sure. What?
BROOKE
Will you PLEASE take Sam and go do
something FUN with her?
HARRISON
We already did that.
BROOKE
Yes, and now I want you to do it
again. And I want you to actually
ENJOY it this time.
SAM
Brooke...
BROOKE
Unless you'd rather stay here and
help me do a crossword puzzle.
SAM
(standing)
Harrison, let's go.
HARRISON
Uh—
BROOKE
Out! Scram!
Harrison reluctantly gets up and takes Sam's hand.
HARRISON
Can we at least come back for
lunch?
BROOKE
Oh, all right. But if I see
either one of you around here
before noon, I'm having the nurses
throw you out.
(shooing)
Now, please leave.
With a couple backward glances, Sam and Harrison walk out.
Brooke takes a book of the top of the pile, settles back, and
begins to read.
CUT TO:
EST. THE COURTHOUSE - MORNING
CUT TO:
INT. COURTROOM
DEVENPORT
(standing)
Your Honor, the Defense calls Miss
Nicole Julian to the stand.
Nicole gets up and calmly walks to the witness box. The
bailiff approaches and holds out a bible for her to put her
hand on.
BAILIFF
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth, so help you God?
NICOLE
I do.
As Nicole sits in the box, Devenport saunters over casually.
DEVENPORT
Miss Julian, what do you remember
about the night in question?
NICOLE
(shaking her head)
Not much. It was the night of our
Junior Prom, but my date cancelled
out on me at the last minute, so I
wasn't planning on going.
DEVENPORT
You must have been upset at that.
NICOLE
Yeah, you could say that.
DEVENPORT
Well, how did you spend the
evening, then?
NICOLE
I had my own party, with two
bottles of 1961 Chteau Latour.
VERY good year, VERY expensive.
Fifteen hundred bucks a pop.
DEVENPORT
You drank two full bottles of
wine? Alone?
NICOLE
Yep. Polished 'em off all by
myself.
DEVENPORT
You must have been rather
intoxicated after that.
NICOLE
I was drunk as a skunk.
DEVENPORT
What else do you remember from
that night?
NICOLE
After that, not a lot. I remember
getting in the car...and for some
reason, it took a long time to get
the key to work.
DEVENPORT
Do you remember driving to Brooke
McQueen's house?
NICOLE
I don't remember getting there,
no.
DEVENPORT
But you remember speaking to Miss
McQueen's father.
NICOLE
I...maybe. Bits and pieces.
DEVENPORT
What's the next thing you
remember?
NICOLE
It was morning, I was sitting in
my car, and this policeman was
knocking on my window.
DEVENPORT
Do you remember driving to the
Moonlight Cafe?
NICOLE
No.
DEVENPORT
Do you remember hitting Brooke
McQueen with your car outside the
Moonlight Cafe?
NICOLE
No.
DEVENPORT
And since you don't even remember
the accident, you couldn't have
intended it to happen.
JONES
Objection. Counsel is rehearsing
his closing statement.
JUDGE HOLMES
Sustained.
DEVENPORT
I'll rephrase, Your Honor.
(to Nicole)
Did you, in fact, intend to hit
Brooke McQueen with your car?
NICOLE
Definitely not.
DEVENPORT
Thank you.
Devenport turns to Jones.
DEVENPORT (CONT'D)
Your witness.
He sits down, while Jones gets up.
JONES
Now, Ms. Julian, you say you were
upset that your prom date
cancelled your plans. But isn't
it true that you blamed Brooke
McQueen for that happening?
NICOLE
Yeah, I did. Brooke told me that
George wouldn't want to go out
with me after she got done talking
to him, and then he didn't.
JONES
Hmmm...what do you suppose she
said to him to make him do that?
DEVENPORT
(standing)
Objection—whatever Miss McQueen
may have said to a third party is
completely irrelevant.
JUDGE HOLMES
Sustained.
JONES
Did you and Brooke McQueen discuss
your prom plans with each other?
NICOLE
Not really. I mean, she knew that
I was going with George, and I
knew that she was going with Spam
and Harrison.
JONES
Spam?
NICOLE
Sam. Sorry. Habit—I always call
her "Spam".
JONES
I take it that's not an endearing
nickname.
NICOLE
No more than when she calls me
"The Wicked Witch of the West", I
suppose. I could claim to like
Sam McPherson, but that would be
perjury.
JONES
In any case...did Brooke tell you
that they were meeting at the
Moonlight Cafe before going to the
prom?
NICOLE
(shaking her head)
No, she didn't.
JONES
Now, we heard Mike McQueen testify
that you went to the McQueen home
on that night. Your testimony
remains that you don't remember
that?
NICOLE
I vaguely remember being there. I
don't remember what was said.
JONES
Mr. McQueen testified that he told
you Brooke had gone to the
Moonlight Cafe. Do you remember
that?
NICOLE
No.
JONES
But you're certain that you didn't
know where Brooke was going to be
before you went to the McQueen
home.
NICOLE
I'm sure I didn't.
JONES
Well, apparently you were
cognizant enough to drive directly
from the McQueens' to the
Moonlight Cafe.
DEVENPORT
(standing)
I object to counsel's use of the
word "directly". She has no way
of knowing what route the witness
may have taken. And counsel is
leading by even implying that she
intended to go there at all.
JUDGE HOLMES
Sustained. Ms. Jones, you cannot
presume intent merely by declaring
that it exists. Rephrase your
question.
JONES
Isn't it true that when you found
out where Brooke McQueen was, you
went looking for her?
NICOLE
I don't remember.
JONES
Don't you? After all, you started
at one place and ended up at the
other.
DEVENPORT
Objection, asked and answered.
JUDGE HOLMES
Sustained.
JONES
Let's talk about the argument you
had with Brooke McQueen prior to
that night. What happened?
NICOLE
We argued. It wasn't the first
time.
JONES
But something else happened, did
it? Isn't it true that, during
the argument, Brooke slapped you?
NICOLE
Yeah.
JONES
And what was your reaction?
NICOLE
I slapped her back.
JONES
Had that ever happened before?
NICOLE
No, but—
JONES
So this fight was more serious
than any other you had had.
NICOLE
Look, maybe things got out of
hand—
JONES
And, in fact, didn't Brooke
McQueen specifically say that your
relationship was finished.
NICOLE
Yeah, maybe the she did, but—
JONES
Thank you, nothing further.
Jones gives the jury a meaningful look, and walks back to her
seat with a semi-satisfied look on her face.
CUT TO:
INT. COURTHOUSE HALLWAY - LATER
The hallway is a bit crowded, with people filling the benches
along the walls, and more people either milling about or
busily walking by. Jones is standing to one side, reviewing
her notes, when one of her assistants, Jeremy, approaches her.
JEREMY
Alicia!
JONES
Jeremy—did we get those
transcripts?
JEREMY
Right here.
He pulls a thick bundle of papers out of his attache case and
hands them over. She leafs through them hurriedly.
JONES
(muttering)
Good, good... This'll help.
JEREMY
How are things going in there?
JONES
(shrugging)
Could be better. I'd rather have
the defendant be a crack addict
with a dozen priors, but she's
not, so...
JEREMY
Defense kicking up dust?
JONES
A storm worth. Hopefully I've
managed to keep the jury on
track—I just wish intent was more
open and shut.
JEREMY
That the hole they're going for?
JONES
(nods)
No memory, no intent, no homicide.
JEREMY
Well, we knew that was their best
shot.
JONES
Yeah. But he's being a little
better at it than I hoped. And
he's still got Harrison John to
go.
JEREMY
Is that going to be bad?
JONES
It's not going to help. Won't be
able to tell how bad it'll be 'til
I get in there, though.
She bends down and puts everything away in her attach case.
JONES (CONT'D)
Come on, let's talk over food. I
skipped breakfast this morning—
went over to see Brooke McQueen.
They head down the hallway.
JEREMY
What did you tell her?
JONES
What was I supposed to say? I
told her everything was fine. And
I didn't want to spook Harrison
John.
As they disappear down the hallway, a figure steps out from
behind a niche—the same mysterious someone who was taking
notes in the courtroom. The hat and sunglasses come off,
revealing the distinctly worried face of Emory Dick.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT FOUR
THE END