Frequency Page #27

EXT. SHEPARD RESIDENCE - LATER

John exits his car to find Fred Shepard watering his plants.

JOHN:

Just came by to wrap up over there.

Thought I'd say "hello."

SHEPARD:

Glad you did. Come on in. Buy you a cup

of coffee?

INT. SHEPARD RESIDENCE - CONTINUOUS

They enter the living room. No Mrs. Shepard. John's eyes

fix on the police academy graduation PHOTO of CARL SHEPARD.

His gaze then shifts to photos of Mrs. Shepard.

JOHN:

(beat)

Wife around?

SHEPARD:

(a startled half-laugh)

No. No. Well, sort of. In my heart.

Been dead 29 years.

JOHN:

Oh. Sorry. How so?

MR. SHEPARD

Well, she, Eve was murdered, Detective.

An ugly one to tell you the truth.

John's breath catches. His look shifts back to the photo of

Carl Shepard.

Mr. Shepard reaches to open an album. There are several

photographs of the young Mrs. Shepard. A couple where she is

dressed in a NURSE'S UNIFORM.

John is stunned. One can only imagine what is now racing

through his mind.

MR. SHEPARD (CONT'D)

The mother of a cop, and they never found

the bastard who did it.

Blown away, John looks out the window to where Mary Finelli's

skeleton was found.

JOHN:

Happens that way sometimes.

(beat)

Son still on the job?

MR. SHEPARD

Nah. Doin' P.I. work now. Got caught up

in them Knapp Hearings. Set up by some

dirty cops who needed a fall guy. Hurt

him bad. Would've broken his mother's

heart.

John can only stay inside himself and wonder at the madness

of the world.

INT. BROOKLYN WATERFRONT RESTAURANT - LATER

John walks past the lunchtime crowd, makes his way to the

BAR. Grabs a stool two...seats away from...Carl Shepard.

John orders a soda, glances over at Shepard. Their eyes

meet. John holds his gaze. A slight nod...

JOHN:

You used to be on the job?

SHEPARD:

Yeah, long time ago. I know you?

JOHN:

I look familiar?

SHEPARD:

(looking him over)

No. What house you work?

John gets up, slides next to Shepard.

JOHN:

The 2-3. Homicide.

SHEPARD:

A hot shot, huh?

JOHN:

Nah, just working the job.

SHEPARD:

I hear that.

JOHN:

As a matter of fact, I caught a case that

goes back to your day...one of the

Nightingale murders.

Beat.

SHEPARD:

No kiddin'?

JOHN:

No. Missing teenager. Disappeared

thirty years ago. Found her bones last

week. Buried behind some old diner, up

by Dyckman street. Mary Finelli.

John waits again for Shepard's reaction...

SHEPARD:

Huh.

JOHN:

(sipping drink)

Talk about dumb luck. Odds of anybody

finding that girl, thirty years later.

And then the chances of hitting a

dental...forget about it. Bets part is

she's the first victim. She knew the

doer. I'm betting those bones are gonna

do a lot of talking.

Shepard says nothing, but his eyes are burning into John.

JOHN (CONT'D)

The past is a funny thing. We've all got

skeletons in the closet. You just never

know when they're gonna pop up and bite

you in the ass, Carl.

John slips something on the bar, next to Shepard. It is a

crime scene photo of Shepard's murdered mother. He reels

back, totally losing his veil of composure. He is freaked.

SHEPARD:

Who are you?

JOHN:

I'm the train wreck you didn't see

coming. And I'm gonna steal your life

away. You went down 30 years ago. You

just don't know it yet.

And with that, John gets up, leaving Shepard stunned.

INT. SULLIVAN HOUSE - DAY - 1969 & 1998

Johnny and Gordo sit cross-legged in front of the TV. THE

WORLD SERIES is on. Game 5. First inning.

Julia is busy bringing in groceries from her car.

INTERCUT FRANK AND JOHN.

FRANK:

You're telling me this maniac is a cop?

What the hell am I supposed to do with

that one?

JOHN:

Call the FBI. Use a pay phone. Don't

give 'em your name, Dad. Just tell 'em

that it was Shepard who killed Finelli

and Clark and the others. That he's the

Nightingale.

In the B.G. of Frank's house a DOORBELL RINGS. Julia can be

seen going to answer it. It is Satch. There are ad lib

greetings that we don't clearly hear.

JOHN (CONT'D)

Tell them where Finelli's body is buried.

They'll be able to connect him to her.

Same high school. Same class. I'm

betting they search his place they find

some souvenirs.

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