Body of Proof Page #2

DET. MORRIS

That's it? You mean you haven't

caught the murderer yet?

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 6.

There, Det. Morris thinks, that ought to ruffle her feathers.

But Megan just smiles again. *

MEGAN:

No, Detective, have you? By the *

way, you can tell CSU whoever

attacked her did it on the west

side of the river.

A beat. This is news even to Peter.

DET. BAKER

How do you know that?

MEGAN:

She got some sun this morning.

They all look at Angela's face.

DET. MORRIS

So?

Peter gets it.

PETER:

So two hours ago the east side of

the river was in shadow.

As Detectives Morris and Baker chew on this -

MEGAN:

Autopsy in two hours. See youthere, Detectives.

Megan turns and starts back towards the boat house. She

feels their eyes on her. She stops and looks back at Det.

Morris.

MEGAN:

One more thing. Don't believe

everything you've heard about me.

The truth is much worse.

With what might be called a "mischievous smile" she resumes *

her exit through the Boat House.

INT. MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE -MORNING

The Medical Examiner's Office of a major metropolitan city is

a world unto itself, with departments and staff to handle the

hundreds of autopsies of homicides, suicides and John Does,

as well as the more mundane functions like issuing death

certificates and the many other matters involved in

processing the dead.

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 7.

The directory at the front desk lists Intake & Processing,

IT, Records, Storage, Examination Rooms and Laboratory, to

name a few, as well as the names and office numbers of the

Chief and Deputy MEs and a dozen other MEs and Assistant MEs.

This is the directory Megan blows right by as she returns to

the office. Administrative staff hustle and bustle but at

the sight of Megan they part like the Red Sea. Deferential

nods and mumbled "hello's" follow her down the hall towards

the Bullpen, a long row of ME offices....

....from out of which various MEs jump out and follow for a

few paces bending Megan's ear. We get immediately that Megan

is their go-to diagnostician.

ASSISTANT ME #1

Five year old boy choked to death

during a seizure but had no

hippocampal lesions.

MEGAN:

Check for Alexander disease.

Assistant ME #1 peels off and is replaced by -

ASSISTANT ME #2

Twenty three year old man,

jaundiced, anemia and liver failure

but no cirrhosis or history of

Hepatitis B or C.

MEGAN:

What are his copper levels?

A blank look. Assistant ME #2 has no idea. He peels off and

is replaced by -

DR. ELLIOT GROSS, age 33. He's boyish, geeky in an endearing *

way, and utterly non-threatening. Even Megan lightens up

around him, not in word so much as tone, like giving your

little brother a hard time. They walk side by side until --*

MEGAN:

What do you want?

ELLIOT:

Nothing.

MEGAN:

Oh.

A few more steps -

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 8.

ELLIOT:

But since you're asking, I got a

female, age 32, died in a sauna of

apparent heat stroke, but urine

came back normal for hydration.

MEGAN:

What are her electrolytes?

ELLIOT:

Um, they're these things in the

body that contain free ions -

Off her look -

ELLIOT:

Wait. I know. You're thinking *

hyponatremia?

MEGAN:

I'm thinking you should go now.

He does so. She watches him go with mild amusement, then *

walks into her office. *

INT. MEGAN'S OFFICE -MORNING

Megan walks in and closes the door. She drops her handbag,

sits down at her desk and takes a moment to decompress. Or

rather, try to. She holds her hands out in front of her,

inspecting them like they belonged to someone else, like they

were once trusted friends who have since betrayed her.

We take in the office. Multiple degrees and certifications.

Photographs of Megan with various dignitaries. These take a

back seat, however, to photographs of her daughter LACEY, age

12, as well as a photograph of Megan as a girl POSING WITH

HER FATHER IN FRONT OF A TOOL SHED IN THEIR BACKYARD.

When we return to Megan she is consulting Lacey's class

schedule. It's pinned up on the wall with all the free

periods highlighted. Megan checks her watch, picks up the

phone and dials.

INT. OFFICE OF MIKE FLEMING -MORNING

MIKE FLEMING, age 42, stands at the window of his law office

dictating into a recorder when the pink, sequined cell phone

in his briefcase starts buzzing. He grabs it, reads the

number and picks up the call. We INTERCUT -

MIKE:

I thought I told you not to call

Lacey at school.

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 9.

MEGAN:

What are YOU doing at Lacey's

school?

MIKE:

I'm not at her school, I'm at the

office. I had to confiscate her

cell phone.

MEGAN:

Why?

MIKE:

She's not supposed to be on the

phone at school, that's why.

MEGAN:

Like I have any other option? You *

screen my calls to the house. *

MIKE:

She's not a crutch for you to lean

on whenever you want to feel

better.

MEGAN:

That's not why I call and you know

it.

MIKE:

Megan, I have work to do.

MEGAN:

I want to come to Lacey's birthday

party.

MIKE:

We've been over this. You're not

invited.

MEGAN:

Mike, please let me talk to her.

MIKE:

You know how many times she tried *

to call you and you palmed her off *

on some assistant? *

MEGAN:

I haven't had an assistant in four *

years. *

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

MIKE:

And maybe she still hasn't gotten *

over it. I'm sorry, Megan, but I *

have to go now. *

He hangs up the phone. On his face we glimpse an old wound

opened once again. Briefly. He picks up his recorder and

resumes his dictation.

INT. MEGAN'S OFFICE -MORNING

Megan stares at her phone. The wound is deeper on her face.

And it lingers. She hangs up the phone and stares at a *

picture of her daughter.

INT. EXAMINATION ROOM #1 -LATER THAT MORNING *

Angela Swanson's body lies on the examination table.

Detectives Morris and Baker stand off to one side, observing.

Megan and Peter are in scrubs and smocks, wearing latex

gloves. A microphone hangs overhead recording everything.

MEGAN:

This is Dr. Megan Hunt, Medical

Examiner, assisted by Peter

Maxwell, Medical Investigator,

Philadelphia Medical Examiner's

Office, performing an autopsy on

Angela Swanson, age 36, Open

Homicide Case File Number --Peter,

you'll fill in the number along

with the date and time. Observing

are Detectives Morris and Baker.

Say hello, Detectives.

Detectives Morris and Baker mumble "hello's" as Megan begins

her visual inspection of Angela's body.

MEGAN:

You find her entry point into the

river?

DET. MORRIS

Strawberry Mansion Bridge.

She waits for it -

DET. MORRIS

West side.

--and smiles in inverse proportion to Det. Morris' frown.

MEGAN:

So what do we know about this girl?

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

DET. BAKER

She's local. Grew up in Fishtown.

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