8mm

INT. MIAMI AIRPORT, TERMINAL -- DAY

Amongst the weary tourist families and solitary businessmen

sits TOM WELLES, middle-aged, hair neat, suit crisp and

gray. He's eating crackers from a cellophane package,

sipping soda from a paper cup, watching an ARRIVAL GATE.

AT THE GATE:

PASSENGERS arrive: the paunchy, graying men of First Class

leading the pack, except for a handsome YOUNG REPUBLICAN

poster boy hurrying along.

ACROSS THE TERMINAL

Welles gets up and FOLLOWS...

EXT. MIAMI AIRPORT, CURBSIDE -- DAY

Welles comes outside, squinting in the sun, moving down the

sidewalk, looking back over his shoulder...

The Young Republican is lead to a waiting LIMO by a DRIVER.

Welles moves to the nearby TAXI STAND...

INT. TAXI -- DAY

Welles gets in, turning in his seat to watch behind.

CAB DRIVER:

Where to?

Welles keeps watching, sees the limo pull away and pass.

WELLES:

Follow that limousine. Don't get

too close, don't let it get too far

away. Just keep with it.

CAB DRIVER:

You kidding?

WELLES:

Nope.

The cab set in motion. Welles takes out cigarettes,

lighting one, takes out a small NOTEPAD and makes notations.

CAB DRIVER:

Uh, listen... you're not supposed to

be smoking in here. I'm sorry,

that's company policy...

WELLES:

How about this... every cigarette I

smoke, I give you five dollars?

CAB DRIVER:

Okay... okay, yeah, that'd be good...

EXT. MIAMI BEACH, "GOLD COAST" -- DAY

In front of an Art Deco hotel, the driver opens the

limousine door and the Young Republican steps out.

ACROSS THE STREET

Welles watches from inside the double-parked taxicab.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY

Not exactly four-star. "AD LT MOVIES EVERY ROOM."

INT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY

Welles is asleep on the bed, full dressed, hands folded

across his stomach, snoring lightly, sweaty.

INT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE, RESTAURANT -- DAY

Welles sits alone at the bar, eating a sandwich, bored. He

watches some fuzzy ESPN on the t.v., looks at his watch.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH MOTOR LODGE -- DAY

Welles walks across the parking lot, gets into his RENTAL

CAR, starts it and drives away.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH DISCOTHEQUE -- NIGHT

Young Republican and a GAUDY WOMAN exit the disco, MUSIC

THROBBING out from the doors behind them. They join hands,

drunk, heading to the street, looking for their limo.

DOWN THE STREET:

Welles is seated in his parked rental car, raises a CAMERA

with TELEPHOTO LENS: whir, CLICK, whir, CLICK, whir, CLICK...

Welles lowers the camera, letting out a yawn.

INT. AIRPLANE, COACH -- NIGHT

The familiar DRONE of flight. Welles is shoehorned into his

aisle seat, using tiny utensils to eat his tiny meal.

An OLDER WOMAN arrives in the aisle. Welles picks up his

tray, closes his tray table, unbuckling his seatbelt,

struggling to get up... finally successful, balancing his

tray, letting the woman in to the window seat.

OLDER WOMAN:

Thank you.

Welles nods, forcing a smile, sitting back down. He returns

to toiling over his miniature supper.

EXT. HARRISBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- NIGHT

Welles' AIRPLANE ROARS down with a SCREECH, landing lights

gleaming. The airport is small, relatively isolated.

TITLE:
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

INT. HARRISBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- NIGHT

Passengers arrive. Welles is with them, searching the few

PEOPLE waiting in the terminal hallway. Welles smiles...

Welles' wife, AMY, smiles when she sees him. She's plain

and pretty, holding one hand on a BABY STROLLER beside her.

Welles comes to her, embracing her, appreciating her.

AMY:

Welcome home.

WELLES:

Do you know how much I missed you?

They kiss, but Amy pulls away, sniffs him.

AMY:

What's this... have you been

smoking... ?

WELLES:

Smoking? I'm not smoking.

AMY:

Your clothing reeks of it.

WELLES:

You know, Amy, I've been sitting

around in bars and everywhere

following this guy... I mean, is

this what I get first thing? Before

you even "hello," you accuse me... ?

AMY:

I'm not accusing you...

WELLES:

Well, I'm not smoking, okay?

AMY:

Okay, I believe you.

WELLES:

We've been all through that. I've

been on my best behavior.

Welles bends to the stroller, picks up his infant daughter,

CINDY, and hoists her in the air, overjoyed.

WELLES:

Hello, pumpkin-head, did you miss

me? I sure missed you...

He kisses the happy child, holding her in one arm.

WELLES:

Let's get my bags and get the hell

out of here.

Welles pulls Amy close and kisses her again, leads the way.

Amy follows, pushing the stroller.

AMY:

How's the detective business?

WELLES:

Business was fine. I'll tell you

what, you couldn't pay me enough to

live down there.

AMY:

You better not be smoking, that's

all I can say.

WELLES:

Honey, I'm not, please...

Amy takes Welles hand, smiling at him.

INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BEDROOM -- NIGHT

Welles and Amy make love in the darkness. Standard,

missionary position sex, little passion. They slow to a

finish, uneventfully, holding each other. Their breathing

quiets. Their daughter CINDY can be HEARD CRYING elsewhere.

Welles kisses his wife again, rolls off of her and sits on

the edge of the bed. Amy covers herself.

AMY:

I love you.

WELLES:

I love you.

He looks towards her in the dark. He gets up, gets a towel

from the bathroom and wraps it around him.

INT. WELLES' HOUSE, BABY'S ROOM -- NIGHT

Cindy's crying. Welles enters, goes to lean into the crib.

WELLES:

What's all the trouble, Cinderella?

What are you crying about, huh?

He lifts and cradles Cindy, comforting her.

EXT. HARRISBURG CITYSCAPE -- ESTABLISHING --DAY

A small city of moderate architecture facing the Susquehanna.

INT. OFFICE -- DAY

An old money office with windows over the river. A well-to-

do POLITICIAN looks unhappily through PHOTOS on his desk.

Welles sits by the Pennsylvania state flag, watching.

PHOTOS show the Young Republican and Gaudy Woman in Miami:

leaving the Art Deco hotel, the Discotheque, a restaurant...

WELLES:

Your son-in-law dealt with the dry

cleaning franchise during the day,

saw that woman every night.

(clears his throat)

The specifics are in the report, and

information about the woman. It's

unpleasant, I know. I apologize...

POLITICIAN:

None too discreet, is he?

WELLES:

No, sir, he is not.

POLITICIAN:

He's an imbecile. I tried to warn

my daughter, but what can you do?

The politician shakes his head in disgust. Welles rises.

WELLES:

The um... you'll find my invoice in

the envelope. If that's all...

POLITICIAN:

Yes, Mister Welles, thank you.

WELLES:

Certainly, Senator. If I can ever

be of further assistance.

Welles leaves, glances back, shuts the door.

EXT. HARRISBURG STREETS -- DAY

Welles drives his plain Ford past the CAPITAL BUILDING.

EXT. HARRISBURG, BRIDGE -- DAY

Welles' car crosses the Susquehanna, leaving the city.

EXT. WELLES' HOUSE, BACKYARD -- DAY

Sunny day. Welles wears tan khakis, T-shirt and fishing

cap, mowing his lawn with his ROARING lawnmower. Welles'

yard is modest, surrounding his modest split level suburban

one in a neighborhood of similar homes and similar yards.

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