Carol Page #17

---

CAROL:

I’m sorry.

THERESE:

For what?

CAROL:

For everything that might happen.

Later.

THERESE:

(after a moment)

Take me to bed.

CAROL moves towards THERESE, takes her in her arms, leads herto the bed.

CAROL:

Lie down.

THERESE does. CAROL lets her own robe drop to the floor thenopens THERESE’s robe on the bed, taking in her youthfulbeauty.

CAROL (CONT’D)

I never looked like that.

She climbs onto the bed and straddles THERESE. She strokes

her face, her hair. THERESE closes her eyes, but begins totremble involuntarily.

CAROL (CONT’D)

You’re trembling.

CAROL leans down to kiss her lightly on the forehead, thenreaches across the bed to shut off the light. THERESE stopsher.

THERESE:

Don’t. I want to see you.

CAROL nods, then slides down THERESE’S body and stops justbelow THERESE’S navel. She kisses her belly, moves downTHERESE’S body with her mouth. THERESE looks up at theceiling, trying to quell her body’s shuddering of nerves. Shecloses her eyes. CAROL slides up THERESE’S body and playswith one of THERESE’S nipples with the tip of her tongue.

THERESE moans softly. She pulls CAROL up to her mouth andthey kiss eagerly, passionately. THERESE opens her eyes andregards CAROL’S face, so close to hers, and smiles.

CAROL:

(a whisper)

My angel. Flung out of space.

They begin to make love for the very first time.

FADE TO BLACK:

INT. CABIN. JOSEPHINE MOTOR LODGE. DAY

Morning light filters through the drawn curtains as THERESE,

still in bed, watches CAROL packing up for the day ahead. But

suddenly, this day, everything in the world is different.

THERESE:

What town are we in?

CAROL:

This? Waterloo. Isn’t that awful?

INT. OFFICE. JOSEPHINE MOTOR LODGE. LATER.

The deserted office is strewn with empty beer bottles andcheap New Year’s decoration. CAROL looks around for a clerk,

rings the desk bell. An ANCIENT WOMAN shuffles on out of theback room. She wears a party hat.

ANCIENT WOMAN:

You the folks in thirteen?

CAROL:

We’re checking out.

ANCIENT WOMAN:

Telegram come for you last night.

The ANCIENT WOMAN shuffles on out of the room and comes back

with a telegram. She gives it to CAROL. CAROL opens thetelegram. Reads it. It’s not good news.

CAROL:

When did this arrive?

ANCIENT WOMAN:

I ain’t a clock, lady. Early.

Seven. Nine.

EXT. JOSEPHINE MOTOR LODGE. MORNING.

CAROL storms out of the office, tearing past the patchyremains of snow, where THERESE is loading the car with theirbelongings. CAROL pulls open the driver’s side door,

searching for something she doesn’t see, and slams the doorshut. She runs up to the cabin they just vacated and tearsopen the door, almost immediately comes out again, slammingshut the door. She’s furious.

THERESE:

Carol! What the hell-

CAROL:

(focusing on THERESE)

Where’s my suitcase?

THERESE:

Carol - wait a minute - what’s

going on?

CAROL:

(she snaps)

I want my f***ing suitcase.

CAROL storms over to the trunk, brushing past THERESE on theway. She finds her suitcase, flings it open and startsrifling through it. She finds the pistol. THERESE tries toblock her way.

THERESE:

What are you doing with that? Carol

-what happened?!

CAROL pushes past THERESE.

EXT./INT. CABIN. JOSEPHINE MOTOR LODGE. MORNING.

CAROL kicks at the door of the cabin next to their’s.

CAROL:

Open up in there! You hear me?

Right now!

THERESE runs up to the door to join CAROL.

THERESE:

Carol, you’re scaring me, you can’t-

CAROL:

Stand out of the way, Therese.

Carol reaches for the door and finds it unlocked. She kicks

the door open and takes aim. TOMMY TUCKER stands insidegetting dressed, trousers half on, half off. He wears hishat. He grabs his spectacles off a table and slips them ontothe end of his nose. On the unmade bed before him is his bigblack case, opened to reveal an elaborate reel-to-reel taperecorder and sophisticated microphones. THERESE stares at theequipment, uncomprehending. CAROL c*cks her pistol andassumes the shooting stance, aiming directly at TOMMY’S head.

(Rectangle comment ccaruso

10/30/2015 11:
45:24 PM

blank)

CAROL (CONT’D)

(CONT’D)(to TOMMY)

Where’s the tape, you sonofabitch.

She enters the room, starts pulling apart the case, theequipment, all the while keeping the pistol aimed at TOMMY.

TOMMY continues to dress himself, rather calmly.

CAROL (CONT’D) (CONT’D)

How much is Harge paying you forthis? I’ll give you double, triple.

Anything you want.

TOMMY TUCKER:

I wish I could oblige you, ma’am.

But the tape is already on its wayto your husband.

CAROL:

That can’t be right.

TOMMY TUCKER:

(shrugs)

My reputation rests on my

efficiency, Mrs. Aird.

A tense pause. CAROL moves towards TOMMY. He remains quitecalm, still. But he keeps his eye on her all the while. CAROLadvances closer, aiming the pistol at his head.

CAROL:

How do I know you’re not lying?

TOMMY TUCKER:

(a beat)

You don’t, ma’am.

CAROL tenses up, putting her index finger on the trigger. Allat once she whirls around to the recording equipment, pointsthe gun to it, and pulls the trigger - but the gun justclicks. She tries again, but the trigger jams. In utterfrustration she hurls the gun at the recording equipment.

THERESE, who’s been hovering by the door, moves towardsCAROL.

THERESE:

Carol...

CAROL, exhausted and distraught, gives THERESE the telegramand moves outside of the cabin. She slumps against therailing.

THERESE exchanges a look with TOMMY, who’s still cool as acucumber. THERESE retrieves the gun, joins CAROL outside.

CAROL lights a cigarette, looks out towards the highway.

THERESE reads the telegram, then looks up through the door toTOMMY, still standing half dressed in his cabin.

THERESE (CONT’D)

(to TOMMY)

How could you.

TOMMY TUCKER:

I am a professional, Miss Belivet.

It’s nothing personal.

A silence. CAROL smokes, THERESE shakes her head at TOMMY,

disgusted, not wanting to believe this is happening. TOMMYtips his hat to THERESE.

CAROL:

Let’s get out of here.

EXT. ALLEY. WATERLOO. LATER.

THERESE, carrying pistol and telegram, finds some trash binsin an alley. She lifts the lid on one and tosses the pistolinto it, but it lodges on top. She buries it with one hand,

and does her best to clean it off with the telegram. Shetosses back the lid and hurries back to the street, roundingthe corner. There she finds CAROL at a pay phone. She stepsback instinctively, but overhears the end of CAROL’S call toABBY.

CAROL:

... earliest flight into LaGuardiais tomorrow afternoon... Oh Abby, Idon’t know how to fix this - I

haven’t the strength...

THERESE wishes she could hold CAROL in her arms at this

moment. But she knows she can’t.

INT. CAROL’S CAR. EARLY EVENING.

CAROL drives in silence as they approach Chicago. THERESEsmokes a cigarette. You could cut the tension with a knife.

CAROL:

You shouldn’t smoke. You’ll get acough. (silence) What are youthinking?... You know how manytimes a day I ask you that?

THERESE:

I’m sorry. What am I thinking? I’mthinking that I am utterly selfish.

And I

Rate this script:4.3 / 19 votes