Apt Pupil Page #31

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TODD:

That doesn't make sense.

RICHLER:

Why not, Todd?

TODD:

Well, if Denk... if he had an old Nazi buddy

in town, why didn't he come over himself and

read the letter to him? If you could have

heard the way he corrected me at every word--

RICHLER:

A good point. Except maybe this other fellow

is in a wheelchair, or blind.

TODD:

Guys that are blind don't normally go

scooting out to steal letters.

RICHLER:

(smiling)

True. Did Dussander have any friends that

you knew of?

TODD:

No, not really.

RICHLER:

How about phone calls?

Pause.

TODD:

No, I heard his phone ring maybe five or six

times in all the time I knew him. It was

never anything out of the ordinary.

Salesmen. Wrong numbers.

RICHLER:

Did you ever hear him speak German on those

occasions?

TODD:

No. He hardly ever spoke German. He always

said he would teach me someday, but he never

got around to it.

WEISKOPF:

Did he ever talk about his past?

Todd looks at Weiskopf. This is the first question he has asked

and Todd is more wary of him than of Richler. Todd shrugs

innocently.

TODD:

Not really. Little bits, I guess.

MONICA:

Well, don't you remember what he told us at

Thanksgiving?

Todd looks at her.

MONICA (CONT'D)

He said he was in college--

DICK:

(shutting her up)

Monica. They don't care what we know, they

care what Todd knows.

Silence. Richler notices the tension in the room. He looks at

Weiskopf. Finally, he speaks to Dick.

RICHLER:

Look, I'm sure this whole thing has come as a

terrible shock. I think we've done enough

for the day.

He and Weiskopf stand. Dick is almost surprised that they are

leaving so soon.

WEISKOPF:

Thank you, Todd. Mr. and Mrs. Bowden.

Weiskopf nods good-bye.

DICK:

Wait a minute... Agent Richler, before you

go-- Todd's not a suspect in this, is he? I

mean he's just talking to you, right?

RICHLER:

That's right.

DICK:

Because Todd always thought he was helping

that old man. We didn't know any of this

before today.

RICHLER:

Mr. Bowden, you and Todd have nothing to

worry about. I assure you. Your son has

been a great service to us. Thank you, Todd.

For now that's all we need. Our next step is

to turn that house upside down. We're

bringing in some special teams to look

through everything. We may come up with

something. We'll be in touch if we need you.

They are almost to the door, when Richler stops.

RICHLER (CONT'D)

Oh, Todd, by the way....

(casually, pulls a photo out of a

folder he is carrying)

Have you ever seen this man before?

He holds the photo up to Todd. It is a picture of Archie in

military dress, probably a blow-up of his military ID. Todd

stares at it for a moment. His face shows no reaction.

TODD:

No.

RICHLER:

Okay, thanks.

He smiles. Weiskopf opens the door and the two men leave.

INT. BOWDEN HOUSE - TODD'S BEDROOM - DAY

From his window Todd sees Richler and Weiskopf talking by their

gray sedan.

TODD:

You'll be back, won't you boys? Won't you,

Special agent Jackoff. You and the sheeny

professor. ...I know, let's show him an old

army picture, that'll screw him up. ...F***

you. F***-You.

INT. BOWDEN HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DAY

Dick is half-way up the stairs when he hears yelling coming from

Todd's room. He pauses a moment. Most of Todd's words aren't

clear, but the profanity sure is...

INT. BOWDEN HOUSE - TODD'S BEDROOM - DAY

After a moment, the sedan pulls away. Todd turns away from the

window and we see that he is holding the barrel of the rifle in

one hand and the scope in the other.

He takes a few breaths, tries to calm down. A burst of nervous

laughter slips out of him.

There is a KNOCK at the door. Two seconds later Dick comes in.

DICK'S POV:
Todd stands in the middle of his room. The gun

pieces are nowhere in sight.

DICK:

Everything all right, son?

TODD:

Yeah... fine.

DICK:

You sure?

TODD:

I'm fine, Dad.

DICK:

Your mother and I feel terrible... like we...

TODD:

It's not your fault.

Dick grabs his son and pulls him close. Todd doesn't know how

to respond. For Dick, it is like hugging a phone pole. He

knows something is terribly wrong. Todd stands stiff in his

father's arms until he releases him.

DICK:

You know we love you, don't you?

TODD:

I know, Dad.

He smiles at his father, comfortingly. Dick is not comforted.

DICK:

Look, ahh, your mother and I are going to go

down and talk to our lawyer. I don't want

you to worry about a thing. It's just a

precaution. I don't trust these cops. We're

not going to be gone long.

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