Frequency Page #8

Blue sky. A SOFTBALL soars into view. It drops down and

into a WILLIE MAYS' style basket catch by Frank Sullivan.

EXT. LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL FIELD - QUEENS - DAY - 1969

The same Little League field that Frank circled on his Harley

yesterday, October 10, 1969. And the same field at which

John sat in the stands drinking last night, October 10, 1998.

We are in the 9th inning of a friendly SOFTBALL GAME between

the local COPS and FIREMEN. A lot of NYPD and FDNY T-shirts,

sweats and caps. Plenty of Mets stuff, too.

Having made the catch, Frank coolly pulls the ball from his

mitt as he starts running toward the infield diamond.

Tagging up at 3rd, sorely tempted to try for home is SATCH

DELEON, 30, NYPD Detective. Satch feints for the plate,

Frank feints the throw. For a maddening, gleeful moment,

Frank has Satch caught between 3rd and home.

In the STANDS, Johnny Sullivan, Marge Hersch and the FAMILIES

of the other ballplayers scream for whomever they want to win

this game of chicken.

On the SIDELINES, Johnny, Gordo and the other KIDS serving as

BATBOYS and WATERBOYS, jump around in anticipation.

At HOME, Butch Foster stations himself to take the throw.

Suddenly, Satch fakes to 3rd, then bolts for home. Frank

pegs it to Butch, who tags the sliding Satch. Game over.

SATCH:

Lucky throw, fire boy.

FRANK:

(jogging in)

Luck, my ass.

They square off. Pretending to fight. Julia steps between

them. And they all descend into laughter.

Frank and Satch each wrap an arm around Julia and start off.

Within a step, Johnny slips in under Frank's other arm.

FRANK (CONT'D)

(to Johnny)

See that, kid. Practice. Practice.

INT/EXT. BUTCH'S HOUSE - DAY - LATER

Close on a TV:
PRESIDENT NIXON tosses the first ball to open

the 1969 WORLD SERIES.

REVERSE to see many of the PLAYERS and FAMILIES from teh

softball game are parked around a couple of TVs watching the

game. BEER flows from a keg. SOFT DRINKS are passed around.

HAMBURGERS and HOT DOGS are cooking on the BBQ.

Satch sits with Johnny and Gordo and some other kids.

Frank and Julia tend the BBQ. Butch brings out some beers.

A fun day.

EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY - 1998

A DETECTIVE'S CAR pulls up next to a couple of BLUE & WHITES

at West 155th St. The Northern tip of Manhattan Island.

Across construction barricades is a half-torn down GREEK

RESTAURANT. Several UNIFORMS can be seen beyond it, looking

at something on the ground.

As John exits the car, the passenger door swings open and we

MEET a guy we haven't seen in 29 YEARS - SATCHEL DELEON, 59.

Shaved head, square jaw. A ram-rod straight, craggy warrior.

Thirty-plus years on the force now endow him with a rare

combination of smarts, guts and sense of humor.

SATCH:

(as they walk)

Don't choke on your pride, Sull. You

ain't ever gonna catch another one like

that.

JOHN:

She made up her mind. Nothin' I do is

gonna change it.

SATCH:

Nothing you're willing to do.

Spotting John and Satch, a UNIFORM approaches them. They

keep on walking.

JOHN:

What's the story?

UNIFORM:

Survey crew found a body. Actually a

skeleton. Over here.

The uniform leads John and Satch around some overgrown weeds

to SEE a patch of freshly unearthed dirt...out of which

sticks a HUMAN SKULL and COLLAR BONE.

In the B.G., a CRIME SCENE unit can be seen arriving by van.

SATCH:

Be real careful when pulling it out. And

get the dirt around it.

As Satch turns to talk to a second UNIFORM and a couple of

SURVEYORS, John notices a man raking leaves in a yard not far

away. As he starts to him, to Satch:

JOHN:

I think I'll visit the neighbor.

INT. SHEPARD RESIDENCE - DAY - CONTINUOUS

CLOSE ON FRED SHEPARD, 72. As the scene unfolds, we can SEE

the half torn down diner/crime scene through a window. Satch

oversees the operation.

MRS. SHEPARD, 70, hands John a cup of coffee.

JOHN:

Thanks.

John looks out the window.

MR. SHEPARD

Used to get breakfast there all the time

back from the boat. Them Greeks were

good people. Once that McDonalds opened

up on Dyckman, they lost all their

business.

John glances around the room - notes family PHOTOGRAPHS.

There's a picture of Shepard in younger days on a commercial

fishing boat. Next to it a faded black and white picture of

Mrs. Shepard, 35. A few pictures of the Shepards and their

YOUNG SON. And at the end, a color photograph of the same

son, about 20, in DRESS BLUES, graduating from the Police

Academy - CLASS OF '64.

JOHN:

Your son on the job?

MR. SHEPARD

Was. Carl died in the line of duty.

October '69.

JOHN:

I'm sorry.

Shepard points to a frame above the fireplace: Distinguished

Service Medal, CARL SHEPARD, awarded posthumously.

MR. SHEPARD

My boy lived and bled blue.

Silence. Mr. and Mrs. Shepard stand very still. John

discreetly glances at his watch.

EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - MOMENTS LATER

THUNDER in the distance. CRIME SCENE personnel have made

some progress in unearthing the skeletal remains. A couple

of drops of rain tap the ground and the bones.

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