Copycat Page #6

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THEN CAMERA PANS DOWN TO A CELLULAR PHONE, F.G. AND FOCUS

RACKS TO E.C.U. AS A FINGER PUSHES THE "END" BUTTON.

CLOSE:
ANDY

Putting down the phone. Irritated...

ANDY:

Sh*t...

CUT TO:

INT. POLICE LIBRARY - DAY

CLOSE:
AN ATTORNEY IN COURT

ATTORNEY:

... it was your feeling after

careful evaluation that he was a

sexual sadist who satisfied at

least four out of ten criteria in

the DMS III?

SHOW M.J. and Ruben watching videotapes, and eating Chinese

takeout. HELEN is being interrogated by the ATTORNEY for

Daryll Lee Cullum. Helen sure of herself to the point of

arrogance, which is her undoing...

HELEN:

Yes. Without question.

ATTORNEY:

Without question? He only scored

40 percent, four out of ten

criteria? Couldn't another expert

say he flunked the sexual sadist

test? What curve are you marking

on, Doctor?

HELEN:

The test criteria are only part of

what we look at in evaluating

subjects.

ATTORNEY:

Only part. What else? What did

you think of his claim that he tied

this girl to the tree and set fire

to her because Joan of Arc told him

to do it.

HELEN:

He was lying.

ATTORNEY:

'Lying. He was lying.' I asked

you what you thought, not what he

did.

HELEN:

I thought he was lying.

ATTORNEY:

You said, first, he was lying. How

do you know that, Doctor?

HELEN:

Because people who are suffering

from aural hallucinations hear

voices in both ears. Daryll Lee

told me that Joan of Arc always

appeared beside him on his left

side and spoke softly in his left

ear.

Murmur of subdued laughter in court.

HELEN:

(emboldened)

He took pains to hide his actions

because he knew they were morally

wrong. He was not acting on mad

impulse. He was sane and acting

out a pattern he carefully followed

every time.

ATTORNEY:

(playing causal)

What pattern was that?

HELEN:

The same as the first time...

She catches herself. The D.A. has leapt to his feet, but now

tries to sit down as though nothing was happening, but

Helen, the Attorney and the D.A. all are clearly disturbed

by the line this questioning is taking.

ATTORNEY:

The first what?

(as she hesitates)

Your Honor, she's got this far, I

think she should finish. I don't

think this jury should be left

wondering where the rest of her

statement would lead.

JUDGE:

I agree, Doctor.

HELEN:

The first two murders.

ATTORNEY:

What first two murders. We don't

know about them here, do we?

HELEN:

(giving up)

He told me he had done two others

just like it.

ATTORNEY:

When was that?

HELEN:

When he was seventeen.

ATTORNEY:

And you believed him when he told

you he had done that.

HELEN:

Yes. I believed him.

The D.A. is rushing to the bench to argue with the Judge.

JUDGE (V.O.)

Yes, I'll accept a call for a

mistrial. Evidence of that other

crime when the defendant was a

juvenile is inadmissible and never

should have been heard by this

jury...

FREEZE FRAMES.

NOW WE SEE M.J. AND RUBEN LOOKING AT HELEN on the TV screen,

THINKING...

THE DOOR OPENS AND QUINN ENTERS.

QUINN:

There was no sperm.

M.J.

The same as the firs two.

Definitely a serial.

QUINN:

(seeing HELEN on

video)

What are you looking at that for?

Helen Hudson. Work the clues.

M.J.

What clues? I'm going to work

Helen Hudson.

QUINN:

Would you step outside, Sergeant?

M.J. leaves a cautiously silent RUBEN. Once the door shuts,

he turns tape back to 'play.'

EXT. OUTSIDE DOOR TO LIBRARY - DAY

QUINN:

I'm telling you. Don't you ever

address me publicly in that tone.

You'll work what and who I tell you

to work.

M.J.

Anybody in this department ever

worked a serial killer case? She's

the expert. I need help.

QUINN:

How about I put Nikko on it?

M.J.

That's always your privilege, sir.

QUINN snorts, starts on his way, then turns back.

QUINN:

Sergeant?

M.J.

Yessir.

QUINN:

You ever reflect how this big

explosion in dead women coincides

with the flowering of women's lib?

M.J.

Yessir. I have reflected on that,

sir. Which explains my gushing

deference to you, sir.

QUINN is somehow cheered by this little exchange.

QUINN:

Nikko's looking better by the

minute, Inspector.

He stomps off.

CUT TO:

INT. HELEN'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

HELEN on couch, ANDY is massaging her neck.

HELEN:

Oh, God. I must have looked

horrible.

ANDY:

No, dear. You're at your best with

a bag in front of your face.

HELEN:

I want to die.

ANDY:

I wouldn't. He'll be back. If you

want him. The cute brutal type

with handcuffs. Very sexy.

HELEN grins, and ANDY starts to tickle her, she laughs.

ANDY:

You thought he was cute too, didn't

you? Admit... admit...

HELEN now laughing a little too hard. Suddenly the laughter

changes to tears.

ANDY:

What? What'd I do?

HELEN:

Reminded me that I used to be

attractive. That men used to want

me...

ANDY:

You slut! No sexy young cop for

you unless you shampoo your hair.

She clings desperately to him. He rocks her as he would a

small child.

ANDY:

When are you going to call them?

HELEN:

(big beat)

About what?

ANDY PRODUCES THE FILE M.J. LEFT WITH HIM. Helen looks at

it. Andy watches her...

HELEN:

I can't, Andy.

ANDY:

Then, why don't you just die. I'm

going. They'll find your body

years later, the old recluse lady,

she ate cat food, ten years of the

New York Times, unread, piled on

top of the unread mail, the TV

still on. Make up your mind. Live

or die.

(beat)

I'll get coffee.

He exits. After a moment fighting her fears, Helen reaches

for the file. She opens it and looks at the first picture.

THE PHONE RINGS. She freezes... Panic hangs in the air...

Andy answers the phone in the kitchen...

ANDY (O.S.)

Yes? Inspector Halloran, she's

going through the material now.

(beat)

She'll call you... No, she'll be

alright, I'll sleep over on the

couch in case. But now, I told

you, singing like a lark.

Hangs up. After a moment Helen bends to her work...

CUT TO:

INT. POLICE LIBRARY - NIGHT

M.J. scanning microfilm newspaper & magazine clips.

'COOL KILLER CULLUM'

CONS COPS IN ESCAPE FROM CUSTODY

Slew police bodyguard in attack on expert witness

M.J. hears NIKKO entering, looks up, gives him a half-smile,

returns her attention to the microfilm.

NIKKO:

Working late.

(no response)

You're a damn fool.

M.J.

(preoccupied)

Oh, I know.

"ANOTHER ATTACK!"

"HUDSON VICTIM OF BLOODY ATTACK. BODYGUARD SLAIN!"

NIKKO:

You're almost ten years older than

he is.

M.J. turns off the microfilm. The last headline is retained

on screen:

"ESCAPE KILLER CLAIMS NEW VICTIM"

NIKKO:

It's none of my business anymore...

M.J.

You got that right, Nikko, it's

none of your business.

NIKKO:

You're shitting ion your career. You

outrank hi...

M.J. looks at him at last with wry amusement: he's jealous

of Ruben?

M.J.

Well, you outranked me, Nikko.

NIKKO:

Yeah. And you used that. Used me

M.J.

Don't put yourself down like that.

I never used you. I worked my way

up like a marine grunt!

NIKKO:

Yeah, you did that too. You earned

what you got; don't sh*t on it,

that's all I'm saying.

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