8mm Page #13

The nun sees what she wants, finds a STEP LADDER, tries to

open it. Welles comes to help her.

NUN:

(pointing on shelf)

Can you get that down for me?

Welles climbs the ladder, points at boxes...

NUN:

No, the next shelf... there...

Welles takes down a small SUITCASE. It's covered in dust.

He climbs down the ladder with it.

WELLES:

What is this?

NUN:

Those are her belongings.

WELLES:

Her belongings?

NUN:

That's her suitcase. I had

forgotten it, till you showed me

her picture.

Welles puts the suitcase down, examines the LUGGAGE TAG:

"Mary Anne Mathews," no address. Welles looks to the nun.

WELLES:

Whatever possessed you to keep this

all this time?

NUN:

She was the kindest, sweetest girl

you'd ever want to meet. Oh, I

adored her. I supposed I always

hoped she'd be back. After a time,

all I could do was pray she had

moved on to better things. Can you

get this suitcase to her parents, if

you think it's appropriate?

WELLES:

I'll do what I can.

INT. WELLES' ROOM -- NIGHT

Welles puts Mary's SUITCASE on the bed, opens it. He takes

out some of Mary's clothing, examines it, lays it aside.

He takes out a ROSARY, more CLOTHING. Resting on a SWEATER

are two CERAMIC FIGURINES; a teddy bear and kitten. Welles

examines them, frowning, puts them aside.

He takes out yellowed NEWSPAPER; Help Wanted CLASSIFIEDS,

"July 2, 1992." Several job possibilities circled, others

crossed out. He finds baggie containing a few old JOINTS.

All that's left are more items of CLOTHING, a TOOTHBRUSH and

an ADDRESS BOOK. Welles examines the address book, finds a

folded piece of paper in the blank pages, unfolds it... it's

the TORN DIARY PAGE, a POEM written in Mary's hand...

MARY'S VOICE (V.O.)

(as Welles reads)

"Star light, star bright, First star

I've seen tonight, Wish I may, wish

I might, Have this wish I wish

tonight."

Welles goes to a drawer, takes out the photocopy of Mary's

DIARY. He turns to the ragged edge of the torn page, puts

the DIARY PAGE against it. Perfect match.

Welles stands looking at the poem. He turns the page over,

finds written, in cursive:

Models Wanted 213-555-6643

EXT. PHONE BOOTH -- DAY

Welles dials the number off the back of the torn diary page,

phone to his ear. It RINGS, RINGS, RINGS...

MAN'S VOICE (V.O.)

(from phone)

Celebrity Films.

Welles hangs up, begins searching the booth's YELLOW PAGES.

EXT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING -- DAY

A poverty stricken business section of Wilshire. Welles

gets out of his parked car, looks up at a decaying Art Deco

building that's painted blue top-to-bottom.

Welles crosses through traffic.

INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, LOBBY -- DAY

Welles studies the REGISTRY, finds "Celebrity Films."

INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, STAIRWELL -- DAY

Paint's peeling. Walls are water stained. Welles climbs

stairs, winded, sweating, up the stairwell...

INT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING, 8TH FLOOR HALL -- DAY

Welles comes out a stairwell DOOR, catching his breath. A

couple of SECRETARIES wait for the elevator. Welles moves

down the hall, around a corner.

Each office door has a window of pebbled, translucent glass.

There's a "Dental Office," "Wilson Travel Cruises," and at

the end of the hall, "Celebrity Films Inc., Eddie Poole,

Professional Casting and Distribution, Suite 804."

Welles heads back the way he came.

EXT. WILSHIRE OFFICE BUILDING -- DAY

Welles crosses back to the other side of the street, goes to

stand near his car. He looks up at the blue office

building, counting up floors, counting windows across.

Satisfied, he turns, backing up, looking up at the tall

OFFICE BUILDING across from the blue building. There's a

sign on this adjacent building, "OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE."

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE, 9TH FLOOR -- DAY

Empty office. Welles is let in by a disinterested LANDLORD.

Welles gives a cursory look around, goes to the windows and

opens the blinds.

These windows afford an excellent view of the blue building

across the street, at about 8th floor level.

WELLES:

This is better.

(turns to landlord)

This will be fine.

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- NIGHT

Welles has transferred most of his belongings here, SUITCASE

open on the floor, CARD TABLE set up with fast food on it,

an ARMY COT against one wall. Welles sits in a chair at the

window, looks through BINOCULARS on a TRIPOD.

WELLES' P.O.V., THROUGH BINOCULARS: searching up the dark

floors of the blue building, as Welles counts under his

breath. Moving over... stopping on one window, FOCUSING...

Welles locks the tripod. He goes to sit on the army cot,

picks up his CELLULAR. He looks at the phone, deciding.

He puts down the phone. He turns off the LAMP on the floor,

lays back in the cot, going to sleep.

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY

WELLES' P.O.V., THROUGH BINOCULARS: watching the window of

Celebrity Films Inc. We can see most of the office from

here. It's crowded with junk, BOXES, piles of VIDEO TAPES.

There's a disorganized DESK by the window.

Welles sits looking through the binoculars.

THROUGH BINOCULARS: a pudgy man, EDDIE POOLE, in a loud,

print shirt, comes to sit at the desk, looks through mail.

He smells sleazy even from here, lots of jewelry, Lots of

rings. He drinks coffee, answers the phone. He talks into

the phone, looking for something on his desk, agitation

growing, till he's shouting, then slams the phone down.

Welles rises. He looks to the wall where THREE PHOTOGRAPHS

culled from the snuff film are pinned up; the picture of

Mary, the picture of Masked Man's tattooed hand, and...

... the grainy image of the Third Man in the mirror.

Welles comes to study this third photo.

FADE TO BLACK:

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie packs VIDEO TAPES into a box,

covering them with Styrofoam peanuts, sealing the box.

FADE TO BLACK:

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- DAY

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie finishes a call and hangs up. He

sits back in his chair. He starts looking in his desk

drawers, finds a MAGAZINE and opens it on the desk. It's

porn. Eddie turns pages, looking at naked women. He sits

back in his chair, begins unbuckling his belt.

Welles pulls back from the binoculars in disgust.

WELLES:

No thank you.

FADE TO BLACK:

INT. ADJACENT OFFICE -- NIGHT

THROUGH BINOCULARS: Eddie's on the phone, pouring himself a

drink from the liquor bottle on his desk, finishing the

call, hanging up. He shakes his head in disgust, drinks the

drink, walks out of view. After a moment, the lights go out.

EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS -- NIGHT

An old, dented CAR makes its way up the tight, twisting

roads of the Hollywood Hills. Eddie's at the wheel. Not

far behind, Welles' rental car follows...

FURTHER ON:

Eddie's car pulls into the driveway under the porch of a

ramshackle HOUSE, parks. Welles' car passes by...

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