Chappaquiddick Page #16

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TED:

Now, don’t you think it’s ineveryone’s best interest if I getback home to Hyannis Port right away?

A smile crawls across Chief Arena’s face. He turns to Ted

with great eagerness.

CHIEF ARENA:

You know...I’ve got a friend who’s a

pilot. He'll get you there in no time.

Ted shakes the Chief’s hand, gives him the signaturepolitician’s smile.

79.

TED:

That sounds fine, officer. Just fine.

CHIEF ARENA:

Please let me know if there’s

anything else I can do.

TED:

No, sir. You’re doing a bang up jobhere, Dominick. A bang up job.

EXT. LAWRENCE COTTAGE - DAY

The Valiant has left the driveway and the cottage lawn hasbeen combed of any trash.

INT. LAWRENCE COTTAGE - DAY

Sunlight beams pour through drawn curtains, illuminating asparkling clean room.

All the signs of the chaos from last night have miraculouslydisappeared. Lamps turned upright, beds all made.

In the center of the kitchen, sits one trash can. Inside:

Six bottles of Coca-Cola and an empty bag of chips.

INT. KATAMA SHORES INN - THE BOILER ROOM GIRLS’ ROOM - DAY

The only cheap motel in Edgartown. The Boiler Room Girls packtheir clothes and toiletries into their bags. Gargan sits onthe nightstand, supervising.

Cricket enters with a look of confusion and concern.

CRICKET:

Joey, I just went to Mary Jo’s

room. She’s not there.

GARGAN:

I know. Girls. You better sit down.

Everyone in the room falls into a hushed silence. The girlsall sit on the two queen beds. Gargan stands at the front ofthe room, sweaty, exhausted, and disheveled.

GARGAN (CONT’D)

As I said before, the Senator’s carwas in an accident. It went off the

bridge sometime after he and MaryJo left the party.

80.

The tension mounts as the girls hang on Gargan's every word.

Nance Lyons squeezes a pillow for comfort.

Gargan pauses. Worn down. Uncertain.

GARGAN (CONT’D)

I want you to know that every singleeffort possible was made to save her.

Cricket, Suzy, and Nance burst into uncontrollable tears.

MARYELLEN:

Mary Jo!

Gargan looks uncomfortable at the sight of the four womensobbing. Then he catches a glimpse of Esther. She’s notcrying. She waits patiently staring back at Gargan.

ESTHER:

Okay. So what do we do now?

(beat)

What needs to be done to help theSenator?

Gargan is taken aback. It takes him a moment to recover.

GARGAN:

You should get off the island assoon as possible. No one knows thatany of you are here. So go home andkeep quiet. The best thing thatcould happen for you is to neversee each other, or me, ever again.

The girls look at each other with hesitant resignation.

Cricket lets out a whimper, unable to keep up appearances.

Esther continues to look on with a harsh, cold intensity.

GARGAN (CONT’D)

Let’s remember what Ted said last

night:
We’re family. We have toprotect each other like family.

EXT. HYANNIS PORT - KENNEDY COMPOUND - DAY

The wrought iron gate opens and a black sedan passes through,

revealing a sprawling white, Cape Cod waterfront property.

The car pulls around the circular driveway and stops in frontof a flagpole. Ted steps out.

The American flag flaps in the wind, dwarfing the senatorbelow as he gazes at his childhood home. He straightens hiscollar before taking a step towards the entrance.

81.

INT. KENNEDY COMPOUND - ENTRYWAY - DAY

The front door cracks open. Ted slips inside and shuts thedoor behind him. The entryway returns to a dark and imposingset of wooden bookcases and stained oak floors.

He takes a few steps forward towards a large staircase. Eachstep Ted takes echoes deep into the corridors around him -

A door CREAKS as it swings open down the hall. Carrying a teatray, ANN GARGAN, early 30s, the shapely but serious-mindedsister of Joe Gargan and nurse to Joseph Kennedy, Sr.,

startles when she sees Ted.

ANN:

Oh. Ted. Your father wasn’t

expecting you so soon.

This is unmistakably the voice that was on the phone withTed’s father before.

TED:

How is he holding up, Ann?

ANN:

Uncle Joe is rather emotional. But

physically, he’s doing better.

Ted takes the first step up on to the stairs.

Ann takes two quick steps up the stairs in front of him. Sheputs a sympathetic hand on his hand. Her eyes well up,

knowing what is coming.

ANN (CONT’D)

Wait here. He’d prefer to come to

you.

She climbs the staircase and disappears behind the banisters.

Ted stands, left alone in the dark entryway once more.

From above, the distant SQUEAK of a wheelchair rolling growslouder. Each rotation of the wheel creates an extended

squeal. Ted looks up.

Lording over him at the top of the staircase, a pair of fineleather shoes sit comfortably in the footrests of thewheelchair. They descend slowly down the stairs toward Ted.

Ted, stiff as a board, looks up with his face frozen.

JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, SR., 80, glowers from his wheelchair,

staring down his son. Ann assists Joseph Kennedy down thestairs using a mechanical chair stair lift device. He slumps,

a weathered shell of a man after suffering several strokes.

82.

The left side of his face droops. The wrinkled skin and liverspots on his face partially obscured by his owl glasses.

He cannot speak clearly, but his every grunt and breath isfelt with commanding authority.

Ted steps forward and gives his father a kiss on the forehead.

Joseph Kennedy stares past his son, offering no emotion.

TED:

I’m glad to see you, Dad. You’relooking better.

(beat)

I want to tell you again howsincerely sorry I am that I everlet a thing like this happen.

Joseph Kennedy responds with one quick, short grunt. Itdoesn’t sound supportive.

TED (CONT’D)

I want to reassure you that I havethis situation, terrible as it is,

under my complete control. I have mystaff split off in every directionensuring that we’re not up at nightworrying about surprises. Dun’slooking after the -

Joseph Kennedy shakes his head.

TED (CONT’D)

I'm sorry that I got us into this.

But if you trust me, I'm confidentI can get us out.

(beat)

I believe what we did was right.

JOSEPH KENNEDY:

...Ann...

Joseph Kennedy pulls out a piece of paper with scribbledhandwriting. Ann takes it from him and looks directly intoTed’s eyes.

ANN:

Your father would like to tell you:

(reading)

“You've lost my confidence. Do as Isay and never lose it again.

Otherwise it will be a nearlyimpossible task to restore it.”

These words hit Ted right in the gut. He slumps over,

crestfallen. Joseph Kennedy wheels himself down the hall.

83.

The squeaks of the wheelchair recede into the distance as Tedabsorbs the shock.

Ann leans closer to Ted, speaking in hushed tones.

ANN (CONT’D)

Your dad really does love you. Hehasn’t been this active since

before Bobby died.

Joseph Kennedy grunts. Ann looks up and sees him sitting infront of a closed door. She dashes across the room and turns

the handle. She pushes it open revealing a room filled withblinding sunlight.

ANN (CONT’D)

Ted, you’ll want to see this.

Ann grabs Joseph Kennedy’s chair and wheels him through.

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