Elle Page #9

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47.

THE SECURITY GUARD talks to Patrick and Rebecca from behind

the wheel of his car.

Michelle leans out her window to see what’s going on. Rebeccacomes over to her.

REBECCA:

Patrick should walk you inside yourhouse, Michelle. There’s a prowlerout here. Patrick tussled with him.

MICHELLE:

A “prowler”?

Patrick waves goodybe to the security guard, joins the women.

PATRICK:

They’re going to dispatch threepatrol cars to search for thisasshole.

MICHELLE:

You fought with him?

PATRICK:

No. I did not. I caught him in mybushes. He was crouched down,

watching your house. I approachedhim and he just took off.

Michelle looks down the street with a weird anticipation.

MICHELLE:

Did you see his face?

PATRICK:

No. I think he was wearing a mask.

Like a ski mask. Like a stalker on

a TV show. He just took off.

REBECCA:

Pat, you should go in with her.

Patrick nods in agreement. Michelle, shaking her head, parksher car. Patrick rejoins her as she gets out.

MICHELLE:

I’m sure it’s not necessary.

Patrick waves dismissively. No bother. They head in.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

I have pepper spray.

48.

PATRICK:

(smiles)

Good to know.

62 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- CONTINUOUS 62

Michelle comes in, cautiously, turns on the light. Everythingseems in order. Michelle takes off her coat and waits, while

he has a look around.

PATRICK:

Everything seems to be ok.

MICHELLE:

Well, thank you. I appreciate it.

PATRICK:

Please. I didn’t do sh*t- pardon my

French.

(shakes his head infrustration; looks out at

street, wistful)

I almost had him. He just took offso fast... In school, I could do a

mile in six-fifty.

Michelle smiles sympathetically at her would-be knight errant.

MICHELLE:

The other way to think of it is his

speed was a testament to how scared

he was of you.

PATRICK:

Thank you for salvaging my pride.

MICHELLE:

Anytime.

For just a moment, something passes between them as theysmile at each other. A warmth, maybe something more. ThenPatrick goes right back to helpful neighbor mode.

PATRICK:

Well, if you see anything, hear

anything, just give a holler.

Michelle nods appreciatively. He nods back, ready to leave.

MICHELLE:

I’m a grandmother.

She has no idea why she said that. He’s slightly taken aback.

49.

PATRICK:

Oh? ...Congratulations.

She shrugs as if to say “it was nothing.” He smiles, a littleawkwardly and withdraws. Left alone, Michelle mutters atherself as she closes the door.

63 INT. A-V OFFICES -- DAY 63

Michelle’s spreading jam on toast in the office’s littlekitchen. Kurt comes in wearing a black ski sweater. He nodspolitely to her, pours himself some coffee. She watches him,

suspicion creeping up on her. He looks up, catching the wayshe’s looking at him. Smiles as if it pleased him.

KURT:

Yes?

MICHELLE:

I like your sweater. Do you ski?

KURT:

I do. I’ll take you some time ifyou like.

Michelle is taken aback, no idea where he’s coming from. Shebetrays a bit of discomfort as he leaves her, smiling.

64 INT. AV OFFICES - OUTER OFFICES - LATER 64

Michelle watches Kurt through the glass window in the studiodoor. Watching the way he handles a MODEL in demonic make-upunder the studio lights. Watching his rough hands on her.

65 INT. AV OFFICES - TECH OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER 65

Michelle approaches Kevin at his desk.

MICHELLE:

Kevin, you target shoot, right?

KEVIN:

Yes.

MICHELLE:

The point is you own guns?

KEVIN:

A couple.

50.

MICHELLE:

Can you teach me?

66 INT. FIRING RANGE -- DAY 66

Michelle holds a .38 in her hands like dirty harry, takingaim at a silhouette target.

MICHELLE:

Now I don’t pull, I squeeze, right?

I saw that in a few different

movies.

KEVIN:

You just pull the trigger.

Michelle pulls the trigger. Hits the silhouette in the leg.

MICHELLE:

In a real situation, that would do.

KEVIN:

In a real situation, he’d probablybe moving faster.

MICHELLE:

True.

KEVIN:

Try the .44 .

Kevin hands her another gun.

MICHELLE:

Kevin, I also wanted to talk to you

because I’ve got an off-the-booksassignment for you.

KEVIN:

A black op?

MICHELLE:

I want to find out who created the

animation in that email. You know

the one I’m talking about.

Kevin, looking a little embarrassed, nods.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

To do that, I need you to hack intothe home computers of everyone inthis office. All the men, anyway.

Well, all the males.

51.

KEVIN:

Michelle... I want to help but

that’s a for-real major violation.

MICHELLE:

Trust me, it’s only a metaphorical

violation.

(hits target in the head)

But I do appreciate how you might

feel about it. That’s why I’m

offering you ten thousand dollars,

off the books. This would be just

between us. Our thing.

Kevin likes the sound of that. As she knew he would.

KEVIN:

You know, you go through people’s

things, people are going to have

some embarrassing stuff.

MICHELLE:

Understood. My gaze is completely

non-judgemental.

67 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- TWILIGHT 67

Michelle stands at her window. Looking at: Patrick, wearing a“wife beater”, stringing Xmas lights around Joseph, Mary andInfant Jesus in his lawn creche. She moves to another window.

This angle, too, is obscured by a tree.

68 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE - ATTIC -- TWILIGHT 68

Michelle has binoculars to her eyes. She’s curled up in anarrow space, watching Patrick at work. With her free hand,

she touches herself, more and more vigorously. As, with abarely audible whimper, she finishes, the Xmas lights startto blink on below.

She breathes a moment, then rips open a “Handi-Wipe” andcleans her fingers.

69 EXT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- TWILIGHT 69

Rebecca places a ceramic sheep to the creche. Patrick seesthey’ve run out of lights.

PATRICK:

Think we got enough illumination

here?

52.

REBECCA:

(disappointed, insistent)

The Infant’s head has to light up.

Patrick smiles. Of course. As he disappears into thebackyard, Rebecca looks up and sees Michelle coming towardher. Michelle musters her best friendly-neighbor smile.

MICHELLE:

Hey, Rebecca.

Rebecca shows her how a friendly neighbor smile’s done.

REBECCA:

Hey.

MICHELLE:

This is beautiful.

REBECCA:

I love this scene. This is where it

all started.

MICHELLE:

It is... I know this is kind of

rudely last minute but I’m having alittle Christmas get-togethertomorrow night...

70 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- NIGHT 70

CLOSE ON:
Michelle’s fingers insert wooden toothpicks intobacon-wrapped shrimp to the tune of baroque 70s glam rock.

MICHELLE:

It would be theoretically possibleto serve Richard’s lady love one ofthese with a toothpick embedded deepinside.

Anna helping out in the kitchen, smiles.

ANNA:

You could just poison her.

MICHELLE:

She’d see it coming. I’m sure she’salready got me pegged as some kindof Medea figure.

ANNA:

She’s not a classics major

53.

In the adjacent living room, Richard and Robert heatedlydebate Michelle’s vinyl collection. Richard shouts to the

women in the kitchen, waving an LP like a battle flag.

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