Absolute Power Page #7

COLLIN:

--take it easy, Miss Russell -

(CONTINUED)

32.

129 CONTINUED:
129

BURTON:

(trying for calm)

--everybody shut up, all right?

He is staring at his reflection in the big mirror. He

crosses to it, goes to his knees, studies the rug.

The rug --indentations in the expensive carpet.

BURTON:

Oh boy...

Burton and Collin with a crowbar, working at the mirror.

The MIRROR; there is a TEAR and a POP and it swings open.

130 INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -NIGHT 130

All three going inside, looking around. The chair, the

looted shelves. The truth thuds home.

Russell turns, looks out at the bedroom through the door.

RUSSELL:

(dead)

A two-way mirror.

Silently, they move out into the bedroom.

131 INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -NIGHT 131

COLLIN:

--I better get cracking on that

license number -

RUSSELL:

(no anger now)

--it’s all we’ve got --and he’s

got the letter opener --blood,

fingerprints --Jesus, think what

he can do -

BURTON:

(a powerful man who

speaks softly)

--the man is a thief --a thief

who witnessed a murder -

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

33.

131

CONTINUED:
131

BURTON (CONT’D)

(gesturing around)

--it looks like he stole a whole

bunch of money --I’ll tell you

what he’s going to do.

(beat)

He’s going to run like hell.

And on that -

132

INT. WASHINGTON MUSEUM -DAY 132

The saddest eyes you ever saw.

It’s the next morning and Luther is back at the same old

stand, looking at El Greco. The other art students are

there too. So are the suburban housewives.

Everything is as it was --calm and peaceful ---

now a museum guard moves into the doorway, scanning

the room.

Luther --a quick glance over, then back to his

sketchbook --and from that glance it’s clear all is not

calm and peaceful.

The guard checks the room again.

Edgy, Luther still works away.

The guard leaves.

Luther gets set to do the same.

133

INT. RED’S BAR -DAY 133

Red, alone in his empty bar, sipping coffee. It’s before

the place has opened for the day.

Luther comes in the back. Red slides the videocassette

over, Luther pockets it.

RED:

Jordan beat us at the buzzer.

LUTHER:

Bad night.

And as he turns, goes -

34.

134 EXT. JOGGING PARK -PARKING AREA -DAY 134

A YOUNG WOMAN parking her car --a high rocky area above

the Potomac. Below, a jogging path is visible, full of

runners.

The Young Woman gets out, locks her car, starts down a

narrow walk toward the joggers.

She’s in her mid-thirties. A good face. And there’s

something familiar about her.

135 EXT. JOGGING PARK -DAY 135

Luther, standing by the edge of the jogging path,

studying the runners. Now he registers something: and

smiles.

The Woman in her mid-thirties as she comes jogging along.

She runs well.

Luther. An imperceptible straightening of his clothes.

The jogger. We realize who she is: the little girl in

the photo on Luther’s dining room table. All grown up.

Now her face registers something: his presence. Her

eyes go down to the path, she increases her speed.

Luther. Waving, calling out.

LUTHER:

Kate.

(as she runs on)

Kate.

She slows, hesitates, stops.

Kate, hands on hips, breathing deeply, moving to the edge

of the path as he approaches. The river flows behind

them. Runners pass by.

Beat.

LUTHER:

Probably too late for me to take

it up.

She says nothing --he gestures toward the path.

LUTHER:

The jogging.

KATE (YOUNG WOMAN)

Ahh.

(CONTINUED)

35.

135 CONTINUED:
135

Beat.

LUTHER:

Dumb way to start this, I guess.

Beat.

LUTHER:

Wanted to talk to you.

KATE:

About?

LUTHER:

Believe it or not, the weather.

(as she waits)

Nights are starting to get cold.

KATE:

That happens this time of year.

Luther speaks quickly now, his voice low.

LUTHER:

I was thinking of maybe

relocating. Someplace with a

kinder climate.

(nothing shows on

her face)

I just wanted to check it out with

you first...

(still nothing)

... you’re the only family I’ve

got.

And on that -

Kate speaks quickly now, her voice low.

KATE:

Luther, you don’t have me.

The last words in this world he wanted to hear, but you

can’t tell from his face.

LUTHER:

Kate -

KATE:

--you know what it’s like being

the only kid in show and tell who

got to talk about visiting day?

(CONTINUED)

36.

135 CONTINUED:
(2) 135

LUTHER:

This move --I’m talking

permanent, you understand.

KATE:

We don’t see each other anyway -we

haven’t seen each other since

Mom died and that’s a year.

(a step toward him)

Look, you chose your life. You

had that right. You were never

around for me. Fine. But I have

no plans to be around for you.

And now she stops, turns away toward the path -

--Luther can say nothing, watches her -

--then she spins back -

KATE:

(louder now)

--wait a minute --you’re lying

about something, aren’t you? -

LUTHER:

--no -

KATE:

--are you active again? --is

that why you’re here now?

LUTHER:

--no -

Kate moves in close now -

KATE:

--I don’t believe you -

(big)

--Christ, Father, what have you

done?

And on those words -

136 INT. SULLIVAN MASTER BEDROOM -DAY 136

Christy Sullivan’s body.

We’re back in the master bedroom but now there is a lot

of police activity --people work around the corpse. The

place is covered with black fingerprint powder.

(CONTINUED)

)B( ABSOLUTE POWER -Rev. 5/16/96 37.

CONTINUED:

SETH FRANK moves into the room --Bogart at 40. Chief

Homicide Detective of Middleton County, Virginia but he

had a decade of top work in New York City. Bright,

funny, and tough enough for anything you want to throw at

him.

He kneels beside the body next to an older man. This is

the MEDICAL EXAMINER, fat and bored. Seth studies

Christy; sadly shakes his head.

SETH:

Christy Sullivan?

MEDICAL EXAMINER

(nods)

Wife of Walter --most likely came

home and stumbled onto a

burglary -WOMAN

(O.S.)

--some burglary.

LAURA SIMON. Laura is early 30s, and the best lab

technician Seth has ever known, and he knew some good

ones in New York.

LAURA SIMON:

I wish my carpets were this clean.

And I can’t find a single decent

fingerprint.

*

SETH:

You serious, Laura?

LAURA SIMON:

(bewildered)

It’s like Mary Poppins was here.

SETH:

Could someone have let him in?

LAURA SIMON:

Sorry, Seth, but the entire

Sullivan household went to

Barbados two days ago.

SETH:

Thank you for your support.

(CONTINUED)

38.

136 CONTINUED:
(2) 136

LAURA SIMON:

Wait --it gets worse -

(moving to the door)

--the shots came from here. If

she interrupted a burglary, she

should have been here -

(moving to the bed now)

--she was killed where she is -

all the blood patterns indicate

that. But she was looking toward

the bed --what in hell was she

looking at?

137 INT. SULLIVAN VAULT -DAY 137

Seth says nothing as he and Laura go in the vault. Seth

stares at the chair.

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