Chappaquiddick Page #13

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(beat)

It was your responsibility to alertthe authorities.

Ted walks past Gargan and stares out through the French doorsleading out onto his balcony.

63.

GARGAN:

Ted, I don't see how you can say -

TED:

You completely bungled this, Joey.

Now I have to deal with this myself.

GARGAN:

We’re all three implicated now. Youcan’t just go off and pull thisJohn Wayne sh*t. They’re treatingthis like a crime. For Chrissakes,

there’s a dead girl out there.

Ted turns to face Gargan, who speaks with a sobering intensity.

GARGAN (CONT’D)

I'm not going to sugar coat this.

The situation is worse now than it

was before. None of us need to lose

our jobs over this. Our families.

You can protect Paul and me...andyourself...if you just do what you

know is right.

Gargan puts an arm on Ted's shoulder. Ted looks down and givesthis sincere thought. He puts an arm on Gargan's shoulder.

TED:

Okay. I'll report it.

Ted pulls Joey in for a cathartic embrace.

TED (CONT’D)

I'm going to have to say Mary Jo

was driving, though.

Gargan topples back out of the embrace in shock.

GARGAN:

TED. You can’t --

TED:

Joey. I love you...you know that.

(beat)

But we both know what’s at stake

here.

Ted strolls past a speechless Gargan and a "too hungover tocare" Markham and opens the front door.

TED (CONT’D)

Now, c'mon. I need to get to a payphone I can use without peoplebreathing down my neck.

64.

EXT. DIKE BRIDGE - DAY

A black hearse rolls down the gravel road toward a group ofgrowing spectators. Behind them, glimpses of Mary Jo’s bodycan be seen on a gurney.

She doesn’t lay flat. Stiff with rigor mortis, her arms remainoutstretched towards the sky, her hands frozen in semi-claws.

She looks anything but peaceful.

The gurney arrives at a man holding a small bag of medicaltools. Associate Medical Examiner, DR. DONALD MILLS, late20s, waits impatiently.

DR. MILLS

Let's wrap this up. I've got apatient going into labor right now.

CHIEF ARENA:

I haven't dealt with manyfatalities thus far. You just tellme what's proper. I mean, you'rethe medical examiner.

Stepping out of the hearse, EUGENE FRIEH, late 50s, local

undertaker and local curmudgeon, walks up ready to protestthe chief's statement.

EUGENE FRIEH:

Associate Medical Examiner.

CHIEF ARENA:

What?

EUGENE FRIEH:

Dr. Nevins is the resident medical

examiner. Mills here is just theassociate.

DR. MILLS

Yeah. Well, Dr. Nevins has the dayoff. And I'm very busy. So let'sget this examination underway. Isthat okay with you, Eugene?

EUGENE FRIEH:

Of course.

The four men huddle around the body, forming a perimeter thatblocks her view from the crowd. Dr. Mills starts by examininga cut on Mary Jo's head; he moves his hands through her hairlooking for any other contusions. He looks up at Farrar.

DR. MILLS

You said you found her completelysubmerged, right?

65.

FARRAR:

Yes, that's right.

DR. MILLS

Well, this seems to be a prettyopen and shut case. Drowning.

(beat)

Eugene, take her down and start theembalming process -

EUGENE FRIEH:

If we're calling it a drowning,

shouldn't we at least check her

lungs first?

DR. MILLS

I didn't realize that undertakers

had medical degrees...

Chief Arena looks on, not realizing what he’s gotten into.

EUGENE FRIEH:

I don't...but I've seen enough dead

bodies to have my suspicions.

Dr. Mills scowls at Eugene and then turns back to the body.

He moves his hands down to Mary Jo's chest. Undoes her blouserevealing her blue brassiere.

He places his hands on the flat part of her breast bone andpresses down. Water spills from Mary Jo's lips.

DR. MILLS

There. Are you satisfied?

EUGENE FRIEH:

She's been submerged for hours. Ateaspoon of water in her mouthmeans nothing.

Dr. Mills strains as he does several more chest compressions.

Hardly any more water pours out. Farrar is overcome by a sadrealization.

FARRAR:

Dear God. I could’ve had her out of

that car twenty five minutes afterI got the call. But no one called.

Chief Arena looks back at the crowd, hoping none of them cansee he’s in over his head. The doctor grows frustrated as hisdiagnosis comes into question.

DR. MILLS

Turn her over.

66.

The men flip the body over with great respect. Dr. Millsperforms a forceful "chest compression" just above the smallof Mary Jo's back. A handful of water pours forth.

DR. MILLS (CONT’D)

Water. Deep in the lungs. Just as Isuspected.

EUGENE FRIEH:

Couldn't that have been from her

stomach?

Dr. Mills grows incensed at the second guessing.

DR. MILLS

Fine. Flip her over again. I’llpress on her abdomen and prove it.

The men flip Mary Jo on her back. Her high waisted pantscover her naval. Dr. Mills unbuttons them and gives them aquick tug exposing her pubic area. He raises an eyebrow.

DR. MILLS (CONT’D)

No panties?

Arena wanting to protect the girl’s modesty and prevent thesituation from spiraling out of control puts his arms infront of Frieh and the doctor.

CHIEF ARENA:

Eugene, I appreciate ya, but let'sleave the medical diagnoses to themedical professionals. Okay?

DR. MILLS

Thank you. Now if you could startprepping her for the embalming,

like I said Eugene.

EUGENE FRIEH:

Whatever you say.

CHIEF ARENA:

(to Eugene)

I’ll be coming by shortly. We stillneed to ID the poor girl. I mayhave Senator Kennedy with me.

DR. MILLS

Kennedy?

CHIEF ARENA:

Yeah. That's his car in the pond.

DR. MILLS

Cancel the embalming.

(to Chief Arena)

(MORE)

67.

DR. MILLS (CONT'D)

In light of certain non-medicalfactors and personalities involvedhere, I would prefer we had theDistrict Attorney weigh in on this.

CHIEF ARENA:

Christ.

EXT. CHAPPAQUIDDICK - FERRY HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

As the Chappaquiddick ferry recedes into the distance, thepreviously seen nearby pay phone sits in the foreground. Thistime Ted rushes towards it.

He picks up the receiver and flips through his weatheredbook. He creases it open to an entry reading:

"David Burke - Chief of Staff - "Reliable, doesn't seek thespotlight" - Jack"

Ted scans his fingers down a few telephone numbers until hereaches one listed as "Home". He dials.

Ted drops a dime into the pay phone. RING.

The line picks up. Ted doesn’t wait for a greeting.

TED:

David. We have a situation over here

on Chappaquiddick.

DAVID BURKE (V.O.)

Ted? What kind of situation?

TED:

There's a firestorm coming yourway. You need to be ready for it.

David Burke waits patiently for instruction. Then realizesTed is done talking.

DAVID BURKE (V.O.)

Okay, but I’d be more ready if Iknew what this was all about.

TED:

The situation is...my car was in an

accident...I'm going to say that I

wasn't the one driving.

Ted turns and looks towards the road leading to the ferry.

The black hearse waits for the arrival of the next ferry. Therear passenger window shade is up.

68.

A sheet covers Mary Jo's body, but it’s unmistakable what he’slooking at. Ted can barely breathe. He just stares in itsdirection.

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