Green River KIiller

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EXT. JENSEN HOUSE BACKYARD (1993) - DAY

A backyard BBQ party in full swing. Family. Friends. “HAPPY

21ST MIKE!” Laughter, drinking, children running around,

playing with a Labrador puppy. We pick up details as we move

through it all.

TOM (V.O.)

At the end of the day, what are the

things that make us feel safe? Make

us feel like we’re in control?

An attractive, middle-aged woman, CHARLAINE, giving her son,

MIKE (21), a hug.

TOM (V.O.)

A loving family? Good friends? A

nice home?

INT. KENWORTH TRUCK PLANT, LOCKER ROOM - MORNING

Now moving past men in overalls, readying themselves for a

days work.

TOM (V.O.)

And work, too. Gives us a sense of

purpose, a goal, something we can

feel good at.

A MAN stands with his back to us, (GARY), busying himself at

his locker. He takes out a protective MASK, closes his locker

and walks off down a corridor, holding it at his side.

EXT. JENSEN HOUSE (1993) - DAY

Moving out of the backyard now, along the side-passage to the

front of the house.

TOM (V.O.)

Then there’s the rules of course.

Not just the laws. The other rules.

Spoken and unspoken.

Through the front door, the quiet of the hallway. We pass

family photographs on the walls, framed police certificates.

TOM (V.O.)

How we agree to behave. How we all

rub along together. It’s a

complicated business. Keeping it

all working.

2.

INT. KENWORTH TRUCK PLANT, LOCKER ROOM - MORNING

We move slowly towards the locker we saw earlier. It’s locked

but there’s a gap where the door is bent out of shape.

TOM (V.O.)

Sometimes, so complicated, we can

forget there’s a whole other world

out there, and that world doesn’t

care what rules we make up, spoken

or unspoken. It speaks a whole

other language.

Move closer to peer in through the gap.

EXT. JENSEN HOUSE KITCHEN (1993) - DAY

Out of the hallway and into the dark-wood panelled walls of

the lounge and kitchen. In contrast to the gloom hanging over

everything here, we see the backyard party in full swing

through the window.

TOM (V.O.)

And even though we like to think

we’re in control of our world, with

our homes, and our rules, and our

TV shows and all the rest...

We realize someone’s in here, sitting alone, hidden in

shadow. He watches his family and friends beyond the window,

cut off from their talk and laughter.

TOM (V.O.)

... in the end, we are all at the

mercy of that other world.

INT. KENWORTH TRUCK PLANT, LOCKER ROOM - MORNING

Through the small gap in the metal door, a shaft of light

reveals a piece of paper stuck to the inside.

TOM (V.O.)

And if we ever seem to forget that,

it will always let us know...

Written on it,”NO KILL. DON’T KILL.”

3.

EXT. JENSEN HOUSE, KITCHEN (1993) - DAY

Close on TOM JENSEN,(40s) sitting in the darkness, almost

lost in it.

TOM (V.O.)

... always...

INT. KENWORTH TRUCK PLANT - DAY

Roiling ORANGE CLOUDS fill the screen. A MAN, (GARY), in

light-blue overalls, his face hidden by a spray-painter’s

PROTECTIVE MASK, slowly emerges through them. An alien

stepping out of some apocalyptic sky.

TOM (V.O.)

... and by any means necessary.

He comes closer, begins to remove the MASK. Before we can see

his face, we CUT TO:

TITLE (yellow on green) - “GREEN RIVER KILLER”

EXT. RIDGWAY HOUSE (AUBURN) BACKYARD (2001) - DAY

A distorted, savage, animal noise. Sharp teeth and snapping,

slavering jaws. A POODLE stands in the yard, furiously

barking at something, as yet, unseen.

INT. RIDGWAY HOUSE (AUBURN) KITCHEN (2001) - CONTINUOUS

JUDITH RIDGWAY,(mid-50s), moves through the house towards the

back-door.

JUDITH:

(over the yapping)

Oscar! You stop that now!

EXT. RIDGWAY HOUSE (AUBURN) BACKYARD (2001) - CONTINUOUS

OSCAR, the poodle, going crazy. JUDITH opens the screen-door.

JUDITH:

What in heaven’s name has gotten

into you?

There in the yard, bold but watchful, a large COYOTE, a DEAD

CAT hanging limp in its jaws. OSCAR quiets. JUDITH freezes.

COYOTE slowly moves towards her. Suddenly, a noise from the

front of the house sets OSCAR off again. The COYOTE stops.

4.

JUDITH (CONT’D)

(calling, frightened)

Gary? Is that you? Come quick.

It begins to back out of the yard. JUDITH, eyes on the

COYOTE, pulls OSCAR back inside the house, shuts the door. A

KNOCK at the front. Holding OSCAR tight, she moves to the

front door. The shape of TWO FIGURES through the thick glass.

DET. SUE PETERS (O.S.)

(slightly muffled)

Mrs. Ridgway?

JUDITH warily moves closer to see who’s there.

JUDITH:

(nervous)

What do you want?

DET. SUE PETERS (O.S.)

We need to talk to you about your

husband.

A pair of King County detective BADGES slam up against the

glass.

INT. TASK FORCE OFFICE, REGIONAL JUSTICE CENTER (2001) - DAY

Over BLACK SCREEN, the crackle of police radios. Disembodied

voices, like they’re speaking from the moon. Tense, hushed.

VOICE 1

Do you see him?

VOICE 2

Not yet.

VOICE 1

I want to know as soon as he’s out

the exit, alright?

VOICE 2

Understood.

A group of MEN stand totally still, silent, focused on the

voices coming out of the office RADIO. Tense, expectant.

VOICE 1 (O.S.)

What’s happening? Someone talk to

me.

VOICE 2 (O.S.)

Hold on. I think he’s on the move.

5.

VOICE 1 (O.S.)

Where is he? Is he leaving?

(pause)

Where is he?

VOICE 2 (O.S.)

No visual yet.

VOICE 1 (O.S.)

I need you to find him. Where did

he go?

No-one dares move in the office. One man, distinctive white

hair and full uniform, SHERIFF DAVID REICHERT, his eyes bore

into the radio.

VOICE 2 (O.S.)

There he is... He’s coming out.

VOICE 1 (O.S.)

Go, Mike!

VOICE 2 (O.S.)

He’s coming out.

We hear engines revving, squeal of tires. Then nothing.

Silence. It seems to go on forever. Eventually..

VOICE 3 (O.S.)

We have one in custody. En route to

the RJC.

Cheers and relief from these detectives of the ‘GREEN RIVER

TASK FORCE’. This has been a long time coming.

SHERIFF REICHERT

(immensely satisfied)

Gotcha, a**hole.

We realize TOM JENSEN, the man sitting in the darkened

kitchen earlier, is one of the men here, now in his 50s.

Tall, fair haired, moustache. No cheering or laughter for

him.

EXT. JENSEN HOUSE, KITCHEN (1993) - DAY

TITLE - ‘EIGHT YEARS EARLIER”

We’re back with TOM sitting in the dark, watching his son’s

21st birthday in the backyard. Through the window, MIKE

goofing around with his brother JEFF.

6.

TOM (O.S.)

Hey, Mike!

MIKE turns to the sound of his father’s voice.

EXT. JENSEN HOUSE, BACKYARD (1982) - DAY

A much younger TOM carries a birthday cake out from the

kitchen. On the cake, the words: ‘HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY MIKE!”.

Little MIKE and JEFF stand wide-eyed as TOM approaches,

singing a lively “Happy Birthday”, CHARLAINE carrying

presents. A very different TOM makes the boys laugh, goofing

around with the cake, joking around, bathing in the warmth of

his family.

INT. JENSEN HOUSE, KITCHEN (1993) - DAY

TOM sits alone in the dark, watching his now grown-up sons,

remembering. JIM DOYON,(late 40s) comes in from the hallway.

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