Apt Pupil Page #22

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DUSSANDER (CONT'D)

Oh my God.

He looks down at Archie, up to the kitchen, then back down to

the cellar. A moment of decision.

The stairs appear ten times longer in each direction than they

did a minute ago. Getting to his feet, he turns slowly toward

the kitchen. He starts up the steps at a painfully slow pace,

counting with each step.

DUSSANDER (CONT'D)

Ein... Zwei... Drei...

INT. LIVING ROOM - BOWDEN HOUSE - NIGHT - LATER

The same scene as before.

DICK:

Monica... how long did we rent those jet skis

in Hawaii?

MONICA:

About two hours. Why?

DICK:

This receipt says we had two jet skis for

twenty-three hours a piece. The bill is

fifteen hundred dollars. Didn't you look at

the receipt before you signed it?

Todd doesn't look up from his textbook.

TODD:

Way to go, Mom.

MONICA:

That bill was written in Japanese. I told

you that.

DICK:

Numbers are numbers, Monica, in any language.

MONICA:

That guy didn't speak a word of English. I

told you not to rent from him.

The PHONE RINGS. Monica gets up to get it.

MONICA (CONT'D)

I'll get it.

DICK:

That's not the point. You should always read

the bill before you sign. I've told you that

a hundred times.

(to Todd)

Fifteen hundred dollars.

TODD:

Maybe it's in yen.

Pause. Dick looks at the bill.

DICK:

Hey, maybe you're right.

Monica comes back into the room.

MONICA:

Todd, it's Mr. Denker. He sounds excited

about something. You better speak to him.

Todd rises from the couch. His mood shifts instantly.

TODD:

(into phone)

Mr. Denker?

INTERCUT:
between Todd in his living room and...

INT. DUSSANDER'S KITCHEN - NIGHT

Dussander leaning against a wall in his blood-stained kitchen.

The wall above Dussander read 6:50.

DUSSANDER:

Come over right away, boy. I'm having a

heart attack, a bad one, I think.

TODD:

Gee, that sounds exciting, Mr. Denker, but I

was studying for my trig final --

DUSSANDER:

I understand that you cannot talk, but you

can listen. I cannot call 911... at least

not yet. There is quite a mess here. I need

help... and that means you need help.

TODD:

Well if you put it that way --

DUSSANDER:

Tell your parents I've had a letter, an

important letter, and I need you to read it

to me.

TODD:

Yeah, sure. I'll be right there.

DUSSANDER:

Now we see what you are made of, boy.

Dussander hangs up the phone and falls into a chair.

INT. LIVING ROOM - BOWDEN HOUSE - NIGHT

TODD:

Bye.

(hangs up)

I've got to run over to Mr. Denker's for a

minute.

MONICA:

Is everything all right?

TODD:

Oh, he just got a letter from a nephew in

Hamburg or Dusseldorf or one of those places.

DICK:

I thought his family was killed in the war.

Todd zips up his jacket.

TODD:

So did he. That's why he sounded excited. I

shouldn't be too long. I'll take your car,

Mom?

MONICA:

I don't know, you have a final tomorrow.

TODD:

I know, I was almost finished studying anyway.

DICK:

Don't be gone too long, Todd.

TODD:

See you in a bit.

He kisses Monica on the cheek. He is out the front door.

EXT. RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD VARIOUS STREETS - NIGHT

Todd's driving reflects his state of mind: erratic and out of

control. He meets a police car at an intersection and almost

runs a red light. The police car doesn't bother him, however,

and a moment later he pulls the Honda up to Dussander's house.

INT. DUSSANDER'S KITCHEN - NIGHT

Todd appears in the door of the kitchen. His face tells us that

what he sees is ten times worse than whatever he expected. The

room is a gruesome sight. Blood and broken glass are

everywhere. The table has been knocked to the side. Dussander,

barely conscious, slumps in a chair.

TODD:

What the f***...?

Todd moves to the center of the room, careful not to step in any

blood. He doesn't know what to do. His attention falls on

Dussander. Suddenly he rushes to him and begins to inspect his

body carefully.

TODD (CONT'D)

Where are you bleeding?... wake up.

Dussander does not respond. Todd shakes him harder.

TODD (CONT'D)

Wake up, goddamnit!

Dussander stirs a little, aggravated.

TODD (CONT'D)

I thought you said you had a f***ing heart attack.

DUSSANDER:

It's not my blood, for Christ's sake.

Pause.

TODD:

What did you say?

DUSSANDER:

It was self-defense, boy. Go downstairs.

You'll see what needs to be done.

Dussander points to the open cellar door.

TODD:

F*** you. I'm not going down there. What

happened? What did you do?

Dussander only stares back at him, then looks away, almost

smiling through his incredible pain, as if to challenge Todd.

TODD (CONT'D)

What the hell is this?

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