Chappaquiddick Page #8

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37.

EXT. LAWRENCE COTTAGE - NIGHT

Ted stumbles toward the cottage. Empty beer bottles litterthe lawn. The music from inside is muffled but booms loudly.

Ray LaRosa holds back Cricket Keough’s hair as she dry heavesinto the bushes.

Ted lumbers over to the empty, white Plymouth Valiant outfront. Opens the rear door and sits in the back seat facingforward. Ted SLAMS the door shut.

LaRosa looks up. Lets go of Cricket’s hair and goes towardsthe car to investigate.

IN THE CAR:

Ted looks at his watch. Taps it a few times. It's dead.

He looks up to the dash. The dashboard has a radio but noclock. Where previously an ornate analogue in-dash clock read

12:
20 AM there is only wood paneling. LaRosa’s shadow passesin front of the dashboard.

TED:

Get me Joe Gargan. We got a problem.

LAROSA:

Sure, Teddy. What’s the trouble?

TED:

Just get him.

LaRosa drops his smile, caught off guard by Ted’s colddemeanor. He hustles back towards the cottage and enters. Tedsits in stone silence, not moving a muscle.

After a minute, LaRosa re-emerges with Gargan and the twoapproach the car. Ted continues staring forward, dripping wet.

GARGAN:

What happened to you?

TED:

(to LaRosa)

You better get Paul, too.

LaRosa runs back towards the cottage. Gargan stands over thewindow. Ted still doesn’t look up.

GARGAN:

C’mon. Tell me what’s the big idea.

Ted looks Gargan straight in the eye for the first time.

TED:

I’m not going to be president.

38.

INT. OLDSMOBILE - UNDERWATER - NIGHT

Mary Jo holds the floral lunch pail. She unclasps the lock andopens the lid with great anticipation. It’s a WOMAN’S PURSE.

Mary Jo’s face sulks. She immediately rummages through thepurse hoping to find something...anything useful. She tosses

aside a hairbrush, which floats away. She digs deeper as -

The HEADLIGHTS GO OUT. DARKNESS.

The lights flicker illuminating a deeply concerned Mary Jo.

They snap back on for one more hopeful beat.

EXT. CHAPPAQUIDDICK ISLAND - DIKE BRIDGE - NIGHT

From above, the wreck glows below the surface. Thesurrounding waters are dark reflecting the pale moon.

The headlights flicker off. The car vanishes like a ghost.

INT. OLDSMOBILE - UNDERWATER - NIGHT

A chilling, unexplained CREAK comes from the car’s frame.

Barely visible by the faintest glimmer of moonlight, MaryJo’s breath quickens to a fever pitch.

INT. VALIANT - DIKE ROAD - NIGHT

Gargan hunches over the steering wheel. Hands at ten and two.

He glances at Ted in the rear view mirror.

GARGAN:

Ted. Where the hell are we going?

TED:

The car has gone off the bridge.

Down by the beach.

(beat)

Mary Jo is in it.

Markham looks to Gargan for how to react. Gargan just stepson the gas. There’s nothing to say.

The car barrels down the road, everyone in total silence.

EXT. DIKE BRIDGE - NIGHT

The Valiant slowly rolls over the bridge. Gargan and Markhamrubberneck, searching the surrounding waters for the crashsite. They see nothing out of the ordinary.

39.

Ted continues to stare ahead, unengaged.

GARGAN:

Where the hell is it?

TED:

It's down there.

The Valiant reaches the other side of the bridge, onto a man-

made peninsula with reinforced wooden sides.

Gargan turns the car around. The headlights shine across thewater and onto the Dike House, the amber hues still visible.

Gargan and Markham's shadowy figures emerge from the vehicle.

They step in front of the car, their silhouettes between thetwo head beams.

They both look down to scan the murky water eight feet below.

Markham first catches a glimpse of the car's shadowy visageunderneath the surface.

MARKHAM:

Holy God.

Markham hobbles with great vigor to the water’s edge,

prepared to dive in for a heroic rescue. He's more than alittle drunk and his knee injury hinders him immensely.

Gargan ably grabs Markham by the tail of his sport coat.

MARKHAM (CONT’D)

We gotta save her!

GARGAN:

Paul, we don’t know how this couldplay out. Going back to the partyin soaking wet clothes limits ouroptions.

Gargan starts to unbutton his dress shirt. Markham follows.

EXT. DIKE BRIDGE - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER

The current flows at a slow pace, in stark contrast to theraging river seen before.

Markham overlooks this from the water’s edge, silhouetted bythe headlights and wearing only his underwear. Gargan, nowshirtless, unfastens his belt and removes his pants.

Markham, determined, takes a flying leap off the peninsula.

He crashes into the water with a drunken belly flop.

40.

Gargan’s head snaps up with concern. He sprints into actionand takes a running jump. He flies over Markham and landsmuch closer to the car.

Gargan cuts through the channel. He arrives at the submergedvehicle not knowing where to start. Far behind him, Markhamflops around with big splashes making little headway.

Gargan steadies himself on the back tire. He stretches hisarm below the surface for a door handle. It’s out of reach.

He takes a deep breath, pushes off the car and dives below.

UNDERWATER:

Gargan scales the wreckage towards the front driver’s side.

He presses his feet against the side of the vehicle and pullsback on the door handle with all his strength.

It doesn’t budge.

INT. OLDSMOBILE - UNDERWATER - NIGHT

Mary Jo sits in the corner shivering. The metal frame of thecar gives off a low CREAK. Mary Jo looks up with her firstbit of optimism.

MARY JO:

Hello? Hello?!

EXT. POUCHA POND - UNDERWATER - NIGHT

Gargan, desperate and running low on air, yanks the handleback and forth in rapid succession. With all his strength andbody weight, he snaps back. The metal door dimples but stayslocked in place.

Frustrated but not finished, Gargan climbs toward the surface.

EXT. DIKE BRIDGE - NIGHT

Gargan emerges, gasping for air. He steadies himself on thecar and tries to catch his breath.

Behind him, Markham only just arrives at the car.

Markham dog paddles over to the first thing he sees and grabsthe rear tire. It spins out from beneath his hands, and hefumbles to pull himself back up again and again.

GARGAN:

Just sit there, Paul. I can’t saveus both.

41.

Markham hops up onto the rear bumper, his head spinning.

INT. OLDSMOBILE - UNDERWATER

The car rumbles and sinks lower into the pond. The waterlevel rises around Mary Jo, but she doesn’t notice as shepounds against the floorboard.

MARY JO:

Help! Can anyone hear me?!

EXT. DIKE BRIDGE - NIGHT

Gargan swims across to the passenger side. The only sounds hehears are of the waves crashing in the distance and Tedmuttering to himself from the peninsula above.

Ted rests his head against the hood of the Valiant, in frontof the headlights. A shadowed figure with a halo.

TED:

(muttering)

...how could this happen to me...

Gargan’s hand runs across another door handle. He presses thebutton and strains with all the force he can muster. His

hands slip and he splashes backwards.

GARGAN:

Goddammit.

Ted looks up, out into the water.

TED:

If she’s not out of the car by now,

she’s already dead!

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