HATCH
Mike . . . oh, my God, Mike . . . she got no face left! She MIKE reaches out and puts a gloved finger across HATCH'S lips. He inclines his head toward the SOUND of the BABBLING TV. Someone might be listening. MIKE leans toward his shaking DEPUTY
over the body of the dead woman.
MIKE
(very low)
Are you going to be all right? Because if you're not, I want you to hand me the twelve-gauge and go back to Robbie.
HATCH
(low) I'm all right.
MIKE Sure?
HATCH nods. MIKE considers him, then decides to believe him. He gets to his feet. HATCH does the same, then sways a little. He puts a hand on the wall to catch his balance, and smears some of that fine
blood-spatter. He looks at his gloved hand with amazement and dismay.
MIKE points up the hall to the living room door and the SOUND of the TV. HATCH gathers his courage and nods. Very slowly, the two men slip up the hallway. (All played for maximum suspense, of course.)
55
They are three-quarters of the way up the hall when the SOUND OF THE TV ABRUPTLY CUTS OFF.
HATCH'S shoulder brushes one of the pictures on the wall and knocks it off. MIKE catches it before it can clatter to the floor . . . mostly by good luck and fast reflexes. He and HATCH exchange a strained glance, then go on.
79 INTERIOR: THE DOORWAY BETWEEN HALL AND LIVING ROOM.
The two men come into the doorway. Looking at them from the living room, as we are, HATCH is on the left and MIKE on the right. They look at:
80 INTERIOR: THE LIVING ROOM, FROM MIKE AND HATCH'S POINT OF VIEW.
We see the BLOWN-OUT TV and MARTHA'S wing chair. Over the top of the chair, we see the top of LINOGE'S head. Very still. It's probably a man's head, but it's impossible to tell if the guy is alive.
81 INTERIOR: RESUME HALL DOORWAY, WITH MIKE AND HATCH.
They exchange a glance, and MIKE nods them forward. CAMERA FOLLOWS as they move in on the back of the chair, very slowly. Three steps into the room, MIKE gestures for HATCH to move out wider. HATCH does so. MIKE moves in a step closer to the chair (we can see it now, as well as the MEN), then stops as a BLOODSTAINED HAND appears. It goes to the table beside the chair and takes a cookie.
MIKE
(levels his gun) Freeze!
The hand does just that freezes in midair, holding the cookie.
MIKE
Raise your hands. Both hands, up over the chair. I want to see them clear as day. There are two guns pointed at you, and one of 'em's a scatter.
LINOGE raises his hands. He's still holding the cookie in his left one.
MIKE indicates that HATCH should circle the chair to the front on his side. As HATCH does, MIKE
circles around on the right.
82 INTERIOR: MARTHA'S LIVING ROOM, ANGLE ON THE CHAIR.
56
LINOGE sits there, hands raised, face composed. There's no sign of a weapon, but the men react to his bloodstained face and coat. LINOGE'S calm demeanor is in sharp contrast to MIKE and HATCH, who are wound as tight as guitar strings. Maybe we see here how suspects are sometimes shot by accident.
MIKE Hands together.
LINOGE puts his hands together, wrist to wrist and back to back.
83 OMIT.
84 EXTERIOR: IN FRONT OF MARTHA'S HOUSE.
Several TOWNSFOLK hurry forward as far as the trunk of ROBBIE'S car. One is an older woman named ROBERTA COIGN.
ROBERTA COIGN
What's happened to Martha?
ROBBIE
(shrill, near hysteria) Just stay back! This is under control!
He points his pistol at the house again, and I think we have a real question about what may happen when and if MIKE and HATCH bring their prisoner out. ROBBIE is on a hair trigger.
85 INTERIOR: THE LIVING ROOM OF MARTHA'S HOUSE.
Extreme close-up, cuffs
MIKE (voice) If he moves, shoot him.
CAMERA DRAWS BACK TO INCLUDE LINOGE, MIKE, HATCH
LINOGE
(low, pleasant, and composed)
If he shoots, he'll get us both. That thing's still loaded with buckshot.
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Both men react to this. Not because it's true, but because it could be true. Hell, HATCH might blow a hole through MIKE in any case; the two men are quite close together.
LINOGE
Also, he's still got the safety on.
HATCH reacts with terrified realization: he has forgotten to take off the safety. While MIKE
inexpertly fumbles the cuffs onto LINOGE'S wrists, HATCH fumbles the safety off. As he does, the gun leaves the vicinity of LINOGE completely. We need to see that LINOGE could take these two courageous but fumbling locals any time he wants . . . but chooses not to do so.
The cuffs are on. MIKE steps back, very relieved. He and HATCH exchange a rather wild look.
LINOGE But you remembered to wear gloves. That was good.
He begins to eat the cookie, oblivious of his blood-streaked hand.
MIKE On your feet.
LINOGE finishes the last bite of cookie and gets obediently to his feet.
86 EXTERIOR: MARTHA CLARENDON'S PORCH.
Beyond it, the snow is now coming hard, with the wind driving it into slanting lines. The houses on the far side of the street are misty, as if seen through a veil.
MIKE and LINOGE come out side by side, LINOGE with his hands cuffed at belt level, a look all of us are familier with from the evening news. HATCH is walking behind them, with the shotgun at port arms.
In the street, there are now about a dozen people clustered by the rear bumper of ROBBIE'S
Lincoln. When the men come out, ROBBIE crouches a little, and MIKE sees the man's little glove compartment gun pointed at them.
MIKE
Put that down!
Looking slightly ashamed, ROBBIE does.
58
MIKE Hatch, close the door.
HATCH
Is that wise? I mean, aren't we supposed to leave stuff pretty much like it is? It being a crime scene, and all
MIKE
We leave the door open and the crime scene's going to be under six feet of fresh powder. Now close the door!
HATCH tries. One of MARTHA'S shoes is in the way. He squats. Grimacing, he moves her foot with one gloved hand. Then he gets up and closes the door. He looks at MIKE, who nods.
MIKE What's your name, mister?
LINOGE looks at him. There's a beat when we're not sure he's going to answer. Then: LINOGE
Andre Linoge.
MIKE
Well, come on, Andre Linoge. Let's get walking.
87 EXTERIOR: LINOGE, CLOSE-UP.
For just a moment, LINOGE'S eyes CHANGE. They SWIRL WITH BLACK, the blue irises and the whites disappearing. Then everything goes back to normal.
88 EXTERIOR: RESUME PORCH, WITH MIKE, HATCH, AND LINOGE.
MIKE blinks at the sight like a man trying to cope with a momentary attack of vertigo. HATCH
hasn't seen it, but MIKE has. LINOGE smiles at him, as if to say "our little secret." Then we see MIKE'S rationality reasserting itself, and he gives LINOGE a poke.
MIKE Come on. Move.
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They go down the steps.
89 EXTERIOR: ON THE CONCRETE PATH.