The storm blows snow past them, smacking their faces, making them wince. HATCH'S hat BLOWS
OFF. As he looks helplessly after it, LINOGE gives MIKE that look again, the one that says they have a secret. MIKE is less able to shake it off this time . . . but he gets LINOGE moving.
FADE OUT. THIS ENDS ACT 3.
Act 4
90 EXTERIOR: THE LITTLE TALL LIGHTHOUSE LATE DAY.
The snow flies past it so thickly we can only make out its shape . . . and of course its light, each time it swings around. The waves CRASH HIGH on the rocks of this promontory. THE WIND
SHRIEKS.
91 EXTERIOR: GODSOE FISH & LOBSTER LATE DAY.
This long building part warehouse, part retail fish market is far out on the dock. Waves smash into the dock, and foam splatters high, wetting the sides and roof of the building. As we watch, the WIND tears a door free of its latch. It begins to BANG BACK AND FORTH. Nearby, a tarp blows free of the boat it's covering and WHIRLS OFF INTO THE SNOWY DAY.
92 EXTERIOR: THE ANDERSON HOUSE LATE DAY.
A four-wheel drive is parked at the curb, by the WEE FOLKS sign. Its windshield wipers are clapping back and forth rapidly, but the glass is still snowing up. Its headlights cut twin cones through the snow-choked air. The WEE FOLKS sign swings back and forth on its chain. On the porch, MOLLY ANDERSON is handing over a bundled-up BUSTER CARVER and an equally bundled-up PIPPA HATCHER to their moms, ANGELA and MELINDA. THE CAMERA MOVES IN on the porch. All three women have to shout in order to be heard over the HOWLING WIND.
MELINDA
Pip, you sure you're all right?
PIPPA Yes. Don Beals hurt my feelings, but they're better now.
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MOLLY I'm sorry I had to call you early, guys . . .
ANGELA CARVER
It's okay. The radio says they're going to keep the bigger kids over in Machias, at least tonight . .
. the reach is too choppy to send them back on the water-bus.
MOLLY Probably for the best.
BUSTER Mommy, I'm cold.
ANGELA CARVER Coss you are but you'll be warm in the car, honey.
(to MOLLY) Are there more?
MOLLY Buster and Pippa are the last.
(to PIPPA) You had an adventure, didn't you?
PIPPA
Yes. Momma, I've got a smaller button!
She honks her own nose. Neither MELINDA nor ANGELA understand, but they laugh. It's cute; they understand that much.
ANGELA CARVER
We'll see you Monday, if the roads are open. Wave a bye, Buster.
BUSTER obediently waves a bye. MOLLY waves one back as the mothers carry their babies down the steps and into the increasing fury of the storm. Then she goes back inside.
93 INTERIOR: THE ANDERSON HOUSE FRONT HALL, WITH MOLLY AND RALPHIE.
There's a mirror about halfway down, by the telephone table. RALPHIE has pulled a chair over and is standing on it so he can look at that red mark on the bridge of his nose. It's a birthmark, but actually more cute than disfiguring.
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MOLLY hardly notices him. She's relieved to be in out of the storm, and even more relieved that her little charges have all been packed home for the day. She shakes the snow out of her hair, then takes off her parka and hangs it up. She looks at the stairs, winces at the memory of PIPPA'S
misadventure, then snorts laughter.
MOLLY
(to herself) The smaller button!
RALPHIE
(still looking in the mirror) Mommy, why do I have to have this?
MOLLY goes to him, plants her chin on his shoulder, and looks at him in the mirror. They make a rather lovely mother-and-son portrait that way. She reaches around and touches the little red mark on his nose with love.
MOLLY
Your daddy calls it a fairy saddle. He says it means you were born lucky.
RALPHIE Donnie Beals says it's a pimple.
MOLLY
Donnie Beals is a ... Donnie Beals is a nut.
She grimaces briefly. "Nut" isn't the word she'd probably use, if given a free choice.
RALPHIE
I don't like it. Even if it is a fairy saddle.
MOLLY
Myself, I love it... but if you still feel the same way when you're older, we'll take you to Bangor and have it removed. They can do that now. Okay?
RALPHIE How much older do I have to be?
MOLLY
Ten how's that?
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RALPHIE
Too long to wait. Ten's old.
The phone rings. MOLLY picks it up.
MOLLY
Hello?
94 INTERIOR: THE MARKET, WITH CAT WITHERS.
She's on the phone behind the counter. TESS MARCHANT is running the checkout operation by herself for the time being. There's still quite a line, although with the storm now on the rise, it's thinned a bit. Those people that are left BUZZ EXCITEDLY about the police call to the CLARENDON
house.
CAT
There you are, I've been trying to get you for almost ten minutes.
95 INTERIOR: THE ANDERSON HALL, WITH MOLLY AND RALPHIE.
[Through the rest of this conversation, the director will cut back and forth as he/she chooses, but we should see MOLLY almost unconsciously censoring her end, not asking all the questions she'd like to ask, because little pitchers have big ears.]
MOLLY
I've mostly been out on the porch, handing kids over to their parents. I sent them home early.
What's up, Katrina?
CAT
Well ... I don't want you to be scared or anything, but we got word that there's been a murder on the island. Old Martha Clarendon. Mike and Hatch have gone over there.
MOLLY What?! Are you sure?
CAT
I'm not sure of anything right now this place has been a madhouse all day except that they 63
went over there and Mike asked me to call you and say everything's under control.
MOLLY Is it?
CAT
How do I know? Yeah, probably . . . anyway, he wanted me to call before anyone else did it. If you see Melinda Hatcher
MOLLY
She just left here with Angie Carver. They're carpooling. You can get her at home in fifteen minutes or so.
Outside, the WIND RISES IN A SHRIEK. MOLLY looks toward the sound.
MOLLY Better give her twenty.
CAT
Okay.
MOLLY
There's no chance it's a ... I don't know, a joke? A prank?
CAT Robbie Beals called it in. He doesn't do humor, you know?
MOLLY Yeah. I know.
CAT
He said that the person who did it might still be there. I don't know if Mike would want me to tell you that or not, but I thought you had a right to know.
MOLLY closes her eyes for a moment, as if in pain. Probably she is in pain.
CAT Molly?
MOLLY
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I'm coming down to the store. If Mike gets there before I do, tell him to stay put.
CAT
I'm not sure he'd want
MOLLY Thanks, Cat.
She hangs up before CAT can say any more. She turns to RALPHIE, who is still examining his birthmark in the mirror. He's so close to the glass that his eyes are rather charmingly crossed. She gives him a big smile that only a four-year-old could believe in; her eyes are clouded with worry.
MOLLY
Let's go down to the store and see your daddy, big boy . . . what do you say?
RALPHIE Daddy, yay!