Chappaquiddick Page #18

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88.

INT. KENNEDY COMPOUND - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Ted enters from the door. He shoots McNamara a strong thumbsup and goes to sit in a chair in the corner.

McNamara SNAPS the book shut. All the advisors nod with

satisfaction.

MCNAMARA:

To my second point...

Ted settles into his chair, confident things are starting togo his way. McNamara turns back to the group.

MCNAMARA (CONT’D)

We need to parse through theunknowns of this case to determine

if we’ve got any liabilities hidingin the trees.

(beat)

What evidence could be used againstTed to prove he acted negligently?

TED:

Why are we just assuming that Iacted negligently?

STEPHEN SMITH:

There’s a dead body in theEdgartown morgue that suggests it’sa possibility.

Ted shoots out of his chair, unable to take this “advice”

anymore. He turns away from the group as he shouts at them.

TED:

There were no witnesses! There’s no

evidence. What proof could thereeven be?

From behind Ted, Sorensen rubs his temple in frustration.

SORENSEN:

Ted. Were your headlights working?

SARGENT SHRIVER:

Were you wearing your safety belts?

Ted doesn’t flinch at any of this. He doesn’t react at all.

The questions ping-pong around the room behind him.

STEPHEN SMITH:

Was there enough tread on your tires?

MCNAMARA:

Was your license in good standing?

89.

A look of absolute dread immediately falls over Ted’s face.

If anyone could see him they’d stop right there.

JOHN CULVER:

Did your tires leave skid marks?

JOHN TUNNEY:

Could they determine how fast youwere going?

Ted’s face turns white.

TED:

My license is expired.

SORENSEN:

Your license is expired?!

Ted looks back over his shoulder at the group.

TED:

Do you think that could be aproblem? How is that negligent?

Half the room buries their faces in their hands.

MCNAMARA:

Any time you get behind the wheelof an automobile you’re in breachof the law. I’d say that’s prettynegligent.

The room murmurs with distress at this revelation. In the

corner, Burke Marshall removes his glasses and speaks withgreat authority.

BURKE MARSHALL:

Who knows the department of motorvehicles inspector over there inMartha’s Vineyard?

SARGENT SHRIVER:

What’s that got to do with

anything?

BURKE MARSHALL:

It’s a fatal. You’ve got to have a

D.M.V. inspector make a report in

addition to the police. That’s ourkey guy right there for anyreckless driving charge.

Sargent Shriver and McNamara exchange impressed glances.

SORENSEN:

And that’s why this guy’s the bestlawyer in a room full of lawyers.

90.

BURKE MARSHALL:

Let’s stay focused...what kind of

government connections do we havein Martha’s Vineyard?

STEPHEN SMITH:

Joe Greelish runs the Hyannis D.M.V.

We can have him run it through hisconnections in Edgartown for a price.

Ted pours himself a drink at the bar cart in the corner.

TED:

Let’s have Gifford talk to him.

McNamara throws his hands up.

MCNAMARA:

Dammit, Ted. This can’t be

connected to you!

Ted rubs his forehead as he looks up at the ceiling, reelingfrom this latest beating.

STEPHEN SMITH:

I know just the guy.

INT. HYANNIS DMV HEADQUARTERS - DAY

A FIGURE in a black suit holding a black leather messengerbag walks past endless rows of desks manned by boredgovernment workers.

The figure approaches a much larger desk at the end of thelong passageway. A name plate sits on the edge: “JosephGreelish - Head of Hyannis Department of Motor Vehicles”.

The frail JOE GREELISH, mid-40s, looks up and flinches at thesight of the man in the black suit. The figure opens his bag.

STEPHEN SMITH (V.O.)

His name’s James Steele.

JAMES STEELE, 42, looks up from under his hat, the florescentlight from above hitting only half his face. He pulls out amanila envelope.

STEPHEN SMITH (V.O.)

He worked as an advance man for Jack

on the ‘60 campaign. Off the books.

Steele drops the envelope into Greelish’s INBOX. He turns andproceeds back down the corridor having never made eye contact.

STEPHEN SMITH (V.O.)

He liked it better that way.

91.

Greelish opens the envelope and finds three items: A pair ofBoston Red Sox tickets, a pair of hundred dollar bills, and acompleted drivers license renewal form for Mr. Edward Kennedy.

Greelish slips the money into a drawer and locks it.

He creeps back down past the endless rows of desks, stoppingat the first empty one. He looks over his shoulder before hewedges the completed form into the middle of a stack ofpapers inside the INBOX.

A series of quick cuts:

-The renewal papers get stamped with a loud THUNK. The formreads: “Edward M. Kennedy. License Valid from: 2/22/1968thru 2/22/1978”

-The stamped form gets set on top of another INBOX.

-A new license with a Ted Kennedy photo gets spit out from alamination machine.

INT. REGISTRY RECORDS ROOM - DAY

Greelish pushes open a door that reads “Registry RecordsRoom”. Behind a single front desk is a fastidious CLERK, 60s.

Behind him, rows upon rows of alphabetized filing cabinets.

Greelish places the Red Sox tickets into the clerk’s INBOX.

The two men exchange a knowing look, and the clerk exits withhis tickets.

A filing cabinet labeled “K” flies open. Greelish dives inand pulls out a document stamped “EXPIRED” in bold red. Hetears it in half and stuffs it in his jacket pocket.

INT. KENNEDY COMPOUND - LIVING ROOM - DAY

A thick cloud of smoke fills the room. It creates a haze,

which hard beams of sunlight cut through. McNamara paceswhile everyone else sits.

MCNAMARA:

Alright. We've sidestepped theimmediate land mines. Now we can

look back at the heart of the

problem. The information you'vealready communicated to thepolice...in your own words...inplain English...paints the most

damning picture of negligentbehavior in this entire incident.

(beat)

You left the scene of an accident!

And nary a word was heard from youfor nine hours.

92.

Ted squirms. Not willing to take this much longer.

MCNAMARA (CONT’D)

That's on the record. There's no

changing that.

Ted shoots up out of his chair. Heads straight for the door.

TED:

I'm going to get some air.

No one in the room pays this much attention except McNamara.

MCNAMARA:

Ted. We kind of need your help onthis.

Ted pauses with his hand pressed against the door.

TED:

You guys were brought in by myfather to solve a problem. Solve it.

Ted storms out of the room. The door shuts with a resoundingTHUD.

EXT. KENNEDY COMPOUND - LATER

A red kite whips in the wind over a vast ocean. Below,

holding the spool, the Senator stands motionless. He staresnot up, but out, into the sea.

The kite shoots downward almost clipping the water. Teddoesn't react, apathetic. A sudden gust of wind saves it,

pulling it back up safely skyward, despite the lack ofintervention from the man holding the string.

Back at the compound, the black sedan pulls into the circulardriveway. Stephen Smith storms away from Ted, passing infront of the vehicle as he trudges up the steps to the house.

The rear doors pop open. Gargan and Markham step out.

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