Green River KIiller Page #2

---

DOYON:

This is where you’re hiding. What

you doing sitting in the dark,

buddy? You okay?

TOM:

I’m good. Just, uh... needed a

break from all that excitement.

DOYON hands him a beer.

DOYON:

Here. Try not to get too excited

now.

TOM:

I’ll try.

(pause)

I appreciate you coming, Jim. I’m

sure Mike does.

DOYON:

(good-naturedly)

Oh, I’m real sure he appreciates a

guy he’s never met before turning

up at his birthday. It’s yours too

though, huh?

7.

TOM:

Few days. Charlaine thought it

would be a good idea to have a

joint party. If it means I don’t

have to do anything else, I’m fine

with it. I didn’t know she’d

invited you, so... thanks.

DOYON:

Listen, any kid can make it to

twenty-one with you as a father,

deserves to meet me at some point.

TOM nods. They look out the window, at the group outside.

Silence.

DOYON (CONT’D)

You sure you’re okay, pal?

TOM:

(nods, then..)

You ever talk to your family about

Green River?

DOYON:

(takes a breath)

A little. You?

TOM:

Nah. Pretty bleak stuff..

DOYON nods. They stand, drink their beers.

TOM (CONT’D)

I used to read them comic books at

night. The boys. When I got off

patrol. Batman, Superman, that kind

of thing. Hero stuff. When I made

detective, they thought it’d be

like that. I tried to tell them it

was mostly sitting at a desk, but I

don’t think they believed me. And

the rest of it, the real dark

stuff, I try not to think about

that myself, let alone make them

have to listen to it. I never

really felt like the hero type, did

you? Even grew the moustache so I’d

look a little tougher. Then I get

asked to join the Green River Task

Force. Remember how good that felt?

To be one of the chosen ones?

(MORE)

8.

TOM (CONT’D)

Boy, I swear there were times I

could hear my cape flapping behind

me when I walked... It’s been a

while since I’ve heard that sound.

I guess they don’t write comic

books about guys with good

organizational skills and quick

typing. I mean, don’t get me wrong,

I’ll do anything to keep this case

open. If it’s just me, on the end

of a phone talking to crazy folks,

then so be it. But, sometimes,... I

wonder if I’ve still got it,

y’know?

They stand silently looking out.

DOYON:

Tom, no one would blame you if you

said you’d had enough. No one.

TOM just carries on looking out the window.

DOYON (CONT’D)

I’m sorry I haven’t been able to

help out much for a while.

TOM:

You don’t have to apologize...

DOYON:

Been wrapped up in this other

case..

TOM:

Sure. We’re good.

DOYON:

(after a pause)

I just kinda need to be out there,

catching bad guys, you know?

TOM nods.

DOYON (CONT’D)

Look, Tom, I’m pretty sure if you

dropped Green River and put in for

a promotion, you’d be a dead

cert...

TOM:

This why Charl invited you, Jim?

9.

TOM sees CHARLAINE looking towards the kitchen window,

concerned. DOYON shakes his head.

DOYON:

(not too convincing)

No... She’s just worried about you,

I guess. About.. y’know, what it’s

doing to you.

TOM:

I’d be more worried about what

stopping would do to me. If I walk

away, that’s it. There’s no one

else. It’s over. But he’s still out

there, Jim. He’s killed nearly

fifty women, maybe more. Maybe a

lot more. Still killing, for all we

know. So...

JIM doesn’t know what to say. They stand there in silence.

ADAMSON (O.S.)

You have been hand-picked, each one

of you, from across all

departments, all precincts, because

you are the best.

INT. GREEN RIVER TASK FORCE H.Q., BURIEN (1984) - MORNING

CAPT. FRANK ADAMSON(43), Task Force commander, addresses a

large room of people sitting in rows of plastic chairs.

Behind him, a board with PHOTOs of the dead and missing

women, MAPS of the area, etc.

ADAMSON:

And that is what this Task Force

needs to be. The best. We have to

stop whoever is out there killing

these women. And we have to do it

fast.

TITLE - “NINE YEARS EARLIER”

Towards the back of the room, a younger TOM,(30s) sits next

to a younger JIM DOYON. As ADAMSON continues.

DOYON:

(offering his hand)

Jim.

10.

TOM:

(shakes it)

Yeah, I know. We were at the

academy around the same time. Tom.

DOYON:

Tom Jensen? The ‘Tom Jensen’?

TOM:

(thrown)

Uh... yeah, I guess? What’ve you

heard?

DOYON:

Nothing, that’s just what it says

on your nice sticker there.

JIM points to the name badge stuck on TOM’s jacket.

TOM:

(smiles)

Right. Okay.

Up front, ADAMSON calls someone over to him.

ADAMSON:

You all know Dave Reichert, lead

investigator on this case. Go

ahead, Dave.

A young, dark-haired REICHERT (35), steps up. Handsome,

confident. The star quarter-back.

REICHERT:

The first five victims were

discovered in or around the Green

River in the Summer of ‘82. In the

year and a half since then, bodies

have been showing up in woods all

over the county. All prostitutes,

all strangled. Most just teenagers.

Nearly all last seen working the

area of Pacific Highway South

commonly referred to as ‘The

Strip’.

As REICHERT starts pointing out areas on a map.

DOYON:

(quietly)

Which department you from, Tom?

TOM:

Burglary. You?

11.

DOYON:

Major crimes. It’s a shame this is

only going to take a few months.

High profile case, regular hours?

Our wives might actually start

talking to us again.

TOM:

Just hope they keep my place there

for when this is over.

ADAMSON takes over from REICHERT, again.

ADAMSON:

Right now, the higher-ups are

signing cheques for this, but,

apparently, it’s hard to convince

people an outbreak of murdered

hookers is a threat to public

safety. So, have no doubt that

support will evaporate if we do not

deliver results, soon.

DOYON:

(quietly, to TOM)

Don’t worry, with everything we’re

about to throw at this guy, you’ll

be back in burglary before they

even know you’re gone.

INT. KENT POLICE STATION, JENSEN OFFICE (1993) - DAY

TOM (O.S.)

(answering a call)

Green River. Detective Jensen

speaking...

TITLE - “NINE YEARS LATER”.

At the end of many corridors, away from the bustle of the

main station, we find an isolated office. TOM,(40s), is on a

call.

TOM (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Uh huh... How old did you say he

was?... I see. Well, you know, the

first bodies were found in the

Green River eleven years ago. So,

ma’am, that would have to mean your

husband started killing prostitutes

at the age of twelve... No, not

impossible, but I would say

unlikely...

(MORE)

12.

TOM (O.S.) (CONT’D)

No, ma’am, the Green River Task

Force hasn’t been in operation for

three years now. It’s just me...

Well, our understanding is that he

stopped killing almost ten years

ago, so...

DET. JIM DOYON stands in the doorway. TOM nods to him.

TOM (CONT'D)

Listen, I am not going to come down

and interrogate your husband. If I

need to speak to him, I’ll be in

touch, but don’t hold your

breath... Rude? Well, I prefer to

think of myself as ‘endearingly

crabby’. Have a nice day.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote