Green River KIiller Page #22

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TOM (V.O.)

On December 18th 2003, Ridgway was

sentenced to life in prison.

INT. KING COUNTY COURTHOUSE (2003) - DAY

We’re back at the courtroom. Packed, sombre. GARY in the same

place, a white v-neck over his red jumpsuit. TOM at the back.

TOM (V.O.)

The family members of his victims

were given the chance to face him.

“... Marie Malvar... Gail Matthews...”

A young woman stands at the podium, dabbing her eyes.

SARAH KING:

I was only five when my mother

died. I was at home, waiting for my

mom to come back. This has been my

life. She wasn’t a prostitute. She

was my mother. And I miss her...

TOM has a FLASH IMAGE of the little girl in the sand-pit,

looking at him, all those years ago. Here she is, CAROL

CHRISTENSEN’s daughter, 25 now.

“... Carol Ann Christensen... Mary Bridget Meehan..”

EXT. WOODED AREA - DAY

We’re moving through forest now. As we pass by trees, four

more naked figures look at us off in the distance.

“... Andrea M. Childers... Constance Naon... Cindy Ann Smith”

TOM (V.O.)

Of the forty-eight convictions,

four were women who Gary led us to

as a result of the interviews.

“.. Pammy Avent.. Patricia Barczak.. Marta Reeves..”

124.

EXT. VACANT LOT AREA - DAY

We move past the empty, abandoned houses and see, dotted off

among the trees, four young women, naked, dirty, watching.

“.. Shawnda Leea Summers.. Cheryl Lee Wims.. Lisa L. Yates..”

TOM (V.O.)

Eventually, after a lot of

pressure, Gary admitted he’d lied

about not killing after ‘85, but he

only told us about the ones he knew

we were aware of already, so we may

never know the real number.

“..Kimberly Nelson.. Maureen Sue Feeney.. Mary West..”

EXT. PARK AREA (1965) - DAY

On the edge of a park, near some houses, we see a YOUNG BOY

dressed in cowboy gear, playing alone. We slowly move towards

him.

TOM (V.O.)

As to when he began? He told us

that when he was sixteen, he

happened upon a child playing

alone, lured him into the woods and

stabbed him. The boy, who survived,

said that his attacker told him, “I

wanted to know what it felt like to

kill someone”. Gary was never even

suspected. It’s hard to believe

that he could have waited another

33 years to try it again.

INT. PRISON CELL - DAY

GARY sits alone in his cell, plucking at his hand. We move

towards him. “... Terry Renee Milligan... Kelly Ware... April

Buttram...”

TOM (V.O.)

He said it was the only thing he’d

ever found that he was good at.

“.. Debbie May Abernathy.. Denise Darcel Bush.. Martina

Authorlee..”

125.

TOM (V.O.)

Asked to rate his evil on a scale

of one to five, Gary gave himself a

three.

“... Mary Sue Bello... Tracy Winston... Roberta Hayes..”

EXT. LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD - DAY

Travelling across the field now towards the woods.

“... Linda Rule... Sandra K. Gabbert... Kimi Kai Pitsor..”

There looking out at us among the trees as we pass, stand

five more young women.

TOM (V.O.)

I never did get an answer to “why”.

Not from Gary, at least.

INT. MILLIGAN RESIDENCE, SEATTLE (1984) - DAY

TOM sits on the sofa opposite MRS. MILLIGAN in the armchair.

TOM (V.O.)

I had told Mrs. Milligan I would

try and find out why this had

happened to her daughter, Terry.

MRS. MILLIGAN

If a fox keeps stealing away your

hens you don’t waste time asking

why the fox is doing it. He’s a

fox. You just need to do better

looking after those hens,

detective.

“...Debra Lorraine Estes... Shirley Marie Sherrill...”

INT. KING COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT, SEATTLE - DAY

TOM sits in shirt-sleeves at an office cubicle.

TOM (V.O.)

Once it was all over, I decided to

do three things. The first was to

quit smoking. The second was I

started working in the Cold Case

Unit at the Sheriffs Department.

TOM talks on the phone.

126.

TOM:

I just wanted you to know I’ve reopened

your daughter’s case, Mrs.

Adams... Well, as long as someone

is looking, there’s always hope...

“ Tina Marie Thompson... Yvonne Shelly Antosh... Denise

Plager”

EXT. MAUI BEACH (2005) - DAY

TOM and CHARLAINE walk along the white sands.

TOM (V.O.)

The third was I decided to take my

wife to Maui. We’d last been there

thirty-seven years ago. Just before

our wedding.

TOM can see a small gathering of people on the beach up

ahead. CHARLAINE unaware. With a small smile, he keeps

heading toward them.

TOM (V.O.)

The wedding that we’d argued about,

because of Gary. My wife felt the

memory had been ruined, and I said

we couldn’t let him take that away

from us. That would be letting him

win.

Closer to the gathering now, and CHARLAINE finally notices

them. Turns to TOM confused, who just smiles.

TOM (V.O.)

Well, I realized it’s not about

winning or losing.

We now see that among those gathered there on the beach are

MIKE and JEFF, and their families, a local PRIEST and a lady

approaching CHARLAINE with a LEI. CHARLAINE overwhelmed as

she realizes what is happening.

TOM (V.O.)

Everything we have that matters to

us is always under threat. There

will always be someone or something

trying to take it from us. Trying

to destroy it.

Later, mid-ceremony. TOM and CHARLAINE, LEIS around their

necks and surrounded by smiling faces, kiss.

127.

TOM (V.O.)

Things that are wild and

uncivilized and don’t play by our

rules.

EXT. MAUI HOTEL BALCONY (2005) - NIGHT

TOM stands on the balcony, looking out at the night sky.

TOM (V.O.)

You don’t win against an

earthquake, or a hurricane, or even

a Gary. You have to live with it.

You do your best to survive it, and

you try to learn from it. Learn

everything you can. Because it will

be coming again. You just have to

keep at it.

CHARLAINE comes out, puts her arms around him.

TOM (V.O.)

Try your best. And if that means

just showing up, again and again,

day after day...

CHARLAINE:

(amused)

Have you been smoking out here, Tom

Jensen?

TOM:

(caught out)

I’m trying, hon. I’m trying.

She kisses him on the cheek and they walk back into the room,

leaving us outside, looking into the dark. Faint sound of a

CURTAIN FLAPPING in the breeze, somewhere.

TOM (V.O.)

... well, that might be good

enough.

“...Delores Lavern Williams... Patricia Yellowrobe...”

EXT. GREEN RIVER - DAY

We’re travelling over the surface of the water now.

“... Colleen Renee Brockman... Kimberly Nelson...”

128.

As we move along, we see up ahead on the riverbank, standing

in the tall grass, the small, naked figure of OPAL MILLS.

“... Opal Charmaine Mills...”

Then we see a woman standing in the river in front of us, the

water up to her waist.

“... Cynthia Jean Hinds...”

She slowly looks into the water beside her, guiding our eyes.

We hover above the river, then go beneath the surface, and

see the naked figure of a WOMAN held down by rocks, looking

at us, her right arm loose and swayed by the current, back

and forth, like she’s SLOWLY WAVING.

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