Chasing Sleep Page #2

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Then he hears some distant voices coming from outside. He looks out the window where he can see the house next door. There is a light on in the neighbor's window, where the voices are coming from, and some vague shadows move around inside. Ed turns off the lights in Eve's room, so that he can see more clearly.

From the muffled sounds, it is soon clear that the couple next door is having an argument.

Only the woman's voice is clear.

WOMAN:

I hate you! Stay away from me! Don't touch me! Just go to sleep! I'll scream! I am not screaming now! You don't know anything about me!

Then the noise dies down and the woman can be heard sobbing in the distance.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Ed picks up the phone and dials 911.

OPERATOR:

911 emergency.

ED:

Hi. I called before. I think I was talking to Paul.

OPERATOR:

Hold on.

Paul comes on the line.

OPERATOR:

This is Paul.

ED:

Hi. I called before. My wife hasn't come home.

OPERATOR:

Yes. I remember. You want me to send an officer over?

ED:

Yes.

OPERATOR:

What's your address?

ED:

4523 East Street.

OPERATOR:

He should be there in a few minutes. OK?

ED:

Yes. Thank you.

OPERATOR:

You did the right thing, sir.

Ed hangs up. Almost instantly, he sees some lights pass by the window. He looks through the window and sees a police car pull up. He opens the door and watches the officer as he approaches the house.

OFFICER STEWART is a youngish patrolman. He is relaxed, caring and formal.

STEWART:

You called the police?

ED:

Yes. It was me. That was fast.

STEWART:

Thank you.

ED:

Come in.

Stewart is led a few steps into the living room. He looks around.

STEWART:

Your wife didn't come home? Is that right?

ED:

Yes.

STEWART:

When was the last time you saw her?

ED:

When she left for work this morning. She was supposed to come home after work. I cooked dinner.

STEWART:

And she made it to work, right?

ED:

Yes. I think so. I don't know.

STEWART:

What time does she usually come home? Around six?

ED:

Yes. Usually.

STEWART:

What does she look like?

ED:

She's blonde, straight hair.

STEWART:

What was she wearing? Do you remember?

ED:

I think it was a red sweater and a dress.

STEWART:

What kind of car does she drive?

ED:

A Volvo. Gray. '85, I think.

Stewart lets out a sigh of relief.

STEWART:

Well, you had me worried. There was a blonde woman involved with a car-jacking around six. Apparently she was hit on the head by one of the perpetrators and then wandered away from the incident in a daze. Nobody's seen her since. When I got the call on the radio, I thought that must have been your wife, but this woman was driving a Pathfinder and was wearing jeans, so it probably wasn't her. You had me worried.

ED:

She drove a Volvo. Drives a Volvo.

STEWART:

That's a relief. Do you know anywhere your wife might have gone?

ED:

I called the only place I could think of. And I called the hospital.

STEWART:

Harborview?

ED:

Yes.

Stewart takes a couple of pills from a bottle and takes them, chasing them down with a coffee he has with him.

STEWART:

I'm afraid there's not much I can do now. By law, we can't put out a missing persons until 72 hours has elapsed since the last time she was seen.

ED:

72 hours?

STEWART:

Usually in these cases, it was something stupid. Maybe she was upset about something, had to get away. Who knows? What I can do is take the license plate number of her car and if it shows up for some reason, we'll give you a call. Do you have your wife's license plate number?

ED:

Yes. Actually, it's easy to remember. 007 FEC.

STEWART:

James Bond.

ED:

Right. And FEC, For Every Child.

STEWART:

And what's her name?

ED:

Eve. Eve Saxon.

STEWART:

And your name?

ED:

Ed. Saxon.

STEWART:

Like I said, it was probably something stupid. Did you have a fight?

ED:

Not at all.

STEWART:

Well, you should try to get some sleep and, if she doesn't show up tomorrow, give us a call and we'll see what things look like then. OK?

ED:

Yes. Thank you.

STEWART:

Usually, they come back.

ED:

Yes. Thank you. I feel much better now. Thank you for coming.

STEWART:

No problem. You have a good night. Or morning, I guess.

ED:

Yes. You too.

Ed shuts the door. He's a little wired so he sits at his desk and picks up a pile of his students' papers. He reads the one on top, marking it with a red pen as he does.

He hears a gurgling noise coming quietly from the bathroom. He gets up and walks into the-

INT. BATHROOM

He looks around the bathroom, tracing the sound to the bathtub drain. It gets louder as he approaches it, but before he can investigate, there is a knock on the front door.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

When Ed comes out to answer the door, it is now bright daylight outside.

The sun is streaming in through the windows. Through the washed-out sunlight outside his window, Ed can see a police car parked in front of his house.

Someone knocks again and Ed answers the door. As he does, he picks up the mail that has been dropped through the slot in the door.

DETECTIVE DERM, 46, stands outside in plain clothes. Derm is, above all, a nice man. Experience has given him a knowing stare, but he is affable, not suspicious. He is consistently professional and genuinely concerned.

ED:

Hello.

DERM:

Mr Saxon?

ED:

Yes.

DERM:

Sorry to wake you up.

ED:

I wasn't asleep.

DERM:

Oh. I called a few times and when there wasn't any answer I thought I better come over.

ED:

What time is it?

DERM:

About 3:
30.

ED:

3:
30? Maybe I did fall asleep. Damn.

DERM:

I'm Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. You called last night about your wife.

ED:

Yes.

DERM:

We found her car this morning. On Capitol Hill. Actually, somebody called it in. It was running.

ED:

Running?

DERM:

Did your wife come home last night?

ED:

No.

DERM:

Did she go to work today?

ED:

I don't know. I haven't called.

DERM:

Do you have a number for her there?

ED:

Sure.

Ed picks up the phone and dials from memory.

DERM:

Why don't you let me?

He hands Derm the phone.

DERM:

Hi, this is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police. I was wondering if Mrs Eve Saxon had come into work today, or called in, any word from her. Yes. Since yesterday. Did you see her leave yesterday? Yes. About what time was that? I'm not sure. Is she calls, or comes in, could you please ask her to call me. My number is 734-9722, extension 38. Thank you. Bye.

He hangs up.

DERM:

She hasn't been in today.

ED:

My God.

DERM:

She hasn't called here at all?

ED:

No.

DERM:

Any messages?

He points to the answering machine. It is blinking, full of messages.

ED:

I must have been asleep.

DERM:

That happens.

ED:

I was up late last night.

DERM:

I understand. Why don't we listen to these messages?

ED:

Alright.

Ed pushes the button on the machine.

The first message is from Eve's work.

CELESTE:

(on machine)

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