Body of Proof

ACT ONE:

FADE IN:

EXT. THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER, PHILADELPHIA, PA. -MORNING

Early morning light blazes across the water and heats up the

west side of the river. We hear FOOTFALLS on gravel. Heavy

but controlled BREATHING. And then ANGELA SWANSON races by.

At age 36, she's attractive, fit and driven. No mere jogger.

Six minute miles? No problem. She sips from a bottle of *

GATORADE as the gravel path she's running on angles towards

Strawberry Mansion Bridge.

EXT. FAIRMONT PARK -MORNING

On the hill overlooking the river A MAN LOITERS, white, mid

30's, wearing a hoodie, watching joggers run along the banks

of the river below. We get the feeling he's on the lookoutfor someone. And then Angela appears in the distance. He

starts for Strawberry Mansion Bridge.

EXT. STRAWBERRY MANSION BRIDGE -MORNING

Shadows gather under the bridge. Angela kicks it into high

gear. Into darkness she goes. And suddenly -

ANGELA'S POV

The CAMERA VEERS WILDLY as we are suddenly sent careening off

the path and plunging into the river.

IN THE WATER:

BLOOD PLUMES AROUND ANGELA'S HEAD. Her eyes roll. She

struggles for breath, and chokes on the water pouring into

her mouth instead. She's drowning. She fights it. But

slowly, inexorably, the river claims her....

EXT. STRAWBERRY MANSION BRIDGE -MORNING

All is still and quiet as Angela's inert body floats out from

under the bridge and rides the current towards Center City

and the Delaware River beyond.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOSPITAL -MORNING

CLOSE UP ON A WOMAN'S FACE. Her eyes are closed, but not in

repose. A thin red horizontal beam of light passes over her

face, accompanied by the mechanical sound of something moving

overhead. The magnetic ring of a CT scanner, to be exact.

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 2.

We PULL BACK to take in a woman in her mid 30's, wearing a

hospital gown, lying on her back in the bed of the scanner.

She is DR. MEGAN HUNT. Just old enough to be on her second

medical career, brilliant enough to have done both in half

the time. We hear a BEEP. Her eyes open. And frown as a

cheery, sing-song female voice comes over a loudspeaker.

FEMALE VOICE (O.S.)

Okay dokey, Dr. Hunt, one more passand we'll have you out of there in

a jiffy.

MEGAN:

(miserable)

Super duper.

INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE -MORNING

Megan stands at a mirror reattaching an earring and otherwise

checking her appearance for flaws. Of which there are none.

Her beauty, like everything else about her, is intimidating.

She wears the latest fashion and wears it well. Her style,

clothes and accessories will always be a cut above everyone

else's.

MEGAN:

A whole hour listening to that ding

dong technician. Since when does a

CT take that long?

MAN'S VOICE (O.S.)

I told them to scan you twice.

Megan turns to regard her neurologist, DR. SIMON BRUCE, age

43. He studies two sets of pictures laid out on his desk.

He looks up to meet Megan's gaze.

DR. BRUCE

To save you from making me do it

again when we didn't find anything.

Megan walks over and takes a look for herself.

DR. BRUCE

No damage to the cervical

vertebrae. Just like last year.

MEGAN:

What about another nerve conduction

study?

DR. BRUCE

No thanks. You punched me during

the last one.

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 3.

She gives a little 'Who me?' smile. He takes her hands and

inspects them.

DR. BRUCE

No change in symptoms?

MEGAN:

Occasional numbness. Same as

usual.

DR. BRUCE

Well, your circulation's good,

you're not diabetic or

malnourished. And every test we've

done has come up negative. It's

been four years since your car

accident yet there's been no

improvement in your paresthesia.

Even if you could get reinstatedthere's not an insurance company in

the world that would cover you

stepping into an OR again.

(beat)

Your career as a neurosurgeon is

over, Megan. Maybe it's time you

accepted that.

She gives him a look as she pulls her hands back.

MEGAN:

You think I'm trying to get back

into the OR?

DR. BRUCE

Well aren't you?

A beat. Is she?

DR. BRUCE

You've got a whole new career -most

people would count their

blessings.

MEGAN:

I'm not most people.

From inside Megan's Gucci handbag a cell phone starts to

ring. She digs it out, checks the number, and answers -

MEGAN:

(into phone)

Megan Hunt, Medical Examiner's

Office.

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 4.

EXT. THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER -BOAT HOUSE ROW -MORNING

Philadelphia's iconic Boat House Row sits on the east side of

the river. In the middle of the row is the U of Penn Boat

House with its big blue "P" painted on the landing dock.

Lying on that "P" is A BODY COVERED BY A SHEET.

Among the patrol cops and the Penn rowers being questioned we

pick out Medical Investigator PETER MAXWELL, age 36, an

employee of the Medical Examiner's Office. He's tall with

rough good looks and still maintains the body of the

professional football player he once was. He looks up from

his notes as Megan emerges from the Boat House. They meet

over the body.

PETER:

Thought you had a doctor's

appointment.

MEGAN:

Waste of time. What do we have? *

Peter consults his notes as Megan pulls the sheet off the

body and beholds -

PETER:

Angela Swanson, 36. Bumped intothe Penn Heavyweight Eight as they

were pushing off the dock. She's

got trauma to the back of the head

and traces of foam in her mouth.

CSU is up river searching for whereshe went in. Liver temp 93.2.

MEGAN:

Water temp?

PETER:

64.

She makes a quick calculation in her head.

MEGAN:

Two hours.

Two more new arrivals emerge from the Boat House, gold

shields clipped to their lapels. Detectives BUD MORRIS, age

42, and SAMANTHA BAKER, age 37. Morris is the senior of the

two and among the details we won't draw attention to until

later is a fresh shaving cut on his chin and an impression on

his ring finger where a wedding band used to be. Samantha is

eager and bright but used to taking the back seat.

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 5.

DET. MORRIS

Hey, Pete.

PETER:

Bud.

DET. MORRIS

Who do you like on Sunday?

PETER:

Not the Eagles.

DET. MORRIS

Traitor.

They're clearly familiar with Peter. And not with Megan.

PETER:

Detective Morris, this is Dr. Megan

Hunt. I take it you haven't pulled

her on a case before.

Detectives Morris and Baker both react to the name. Not in a

good way.

DET. MORRIS

It must be our lucky day.

Megan just smiles. *

MEGAN:

Look at that. Already we agree on

something.

Det. Morris blinks like someone whose sarcasm has just

boomeranged on him -

MEGAN:

Our victim has blunt force trauma

to the back of the head and

preliminary indications of

drowning. No scrapes or abrasions

that indicate she tried to break

her fall. She went into the river

clean after being hit on the back

of the head. I'm calling it a

presumed homicide. Liver temp puts

it about two hours ago.

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