Insomnia

FADE IN:

On credit sequence...

AN ARM:

stretched out. Long, alabaster white. Beautiful. A WASH

CLOTH enters frame. Starts washing the arm with long, tender

strokes.

A TUMBLE OF HAIR

thick and auburn. Being gently washed.

FINGERNAILS:

being clipped with a shiny nail clipper. Short. Uniform.

Tidy.

EYEBROWS:

brown with a touch of gold. A BRUSH comes into view.

Brushes against the eyebrow hair, then back again. Against.

Then back again.

PANTY-HOSE

pulled gingerly off a long leg. Folded neatly. The wash

cloth begins between the toes. Warm, soapy water.

HAIR:

now dry. The HAND appears with a comb. Pulls down through

the thick tresses.

It is only now that we see the hand is wearing a SURGICAL

GLOVE.

The gloved hand holds up the comb and pulls stray hairs from

it. Places them in a big, clear, plastic bag. In the bag we

see the panty-hose, a folded flower dress, the nail

clippings.

Goes back to combing. Comes across a knot and yanks the comb

through. The HEAD rolls over to us. Her face is bruised,

her eyes blank. She is lying on the floor.

Dead.

End of credit sequence.

INT. BUSH PLANE - THE KILBUCK MOUNTAINS, ALASKA - DAY

The loud THRUM of a bush plane. We CLOSE ON a small, cloudy

window. Through it we see an endless expanse of pine trees.

HAP (O.S.)

Jesus. Just look at all that.

PULL BACK to reveal HAP ECKHART and WILL DORMER sitting side

by side. Hap's at the window. Greying moustache, a little

pudgy, wearing a brown suit. Holding a folded over Seattle

Times.

HAP (cont'd)

I thought we had a population problem.

Everyone should just move up here.

(taps window)

Just look at it, Will.

Will's eyes remain on the file on his lap.

WILL:

I don't need to look at it.

Will Dormer. Tall, handsome, expensively tailored suit.

Snakeskin cowboy boots. There's both a magnetism and a

distance to him. An intense mixture. Hap glances at him.

HAP:

Nothing wrong with smelling the roses.

Will looks up. We see the trace of a thick, ropy SCAR by his

Adam's apple. There's tension between him and Hap, just

below the surface. He taps the file.

WILL:

Tell that to her, partner.

ANGLE ON THE FILE

a stack of 8x10 PHOTOGRAPHS. Of the dead girl. Her eyes

puffed up from bruises. The whites bloody. Contusions along

her breasts and shoulders.

PILOT (O.S.)

Detective?

The PILOT's looking back at Will. Wearing a leather red

baron hat.

PILOT (cont'd)

Better check your belts. We'll be

landing in about fifteen minutes.

Will nods. The plane lurches. The file falls to the floor

and the photographs scatter. The pilot catches a glimpse of

them. Looks at Will.

EXT. BUSH PLANE - CONTINUOUS

The small yellow plane veers left. Clears a mountain top and

gives view to the spectacular Alaskan coastline. The green

of the Bering sea, the blanket of pine trees, the jagged rock

of the beaches. Enormous.

EXT. LANDING STRIP - OUTSIDE NIGHTMUTE - DAY

A SIGN swinging in the wind: Nightmute, Alaska. Halibut

Fishing Capital of the World!

PULL BACK to reveal it hanging from the eave of a small,

corrugated building. The "airport." Nothing else for miles

around.

A mud-splattered Jeep Cherokee pulls up next to it. Brakes

SCREECHING. A YOUNG WOMAN hops out. About 23. Petite with

short, brown hair.

Peers up at the sky. Brightens at the sight of the BUSH

PLANE coming in for landing. Smooths down her down vest.

Making sure the GOLD SHIELD on her belt's visible. Nervous.

Excited.

OLD MAN (O.S.)

Eleanor?

ELLIE BURR turns. Shields her eyes from the sun. An OLD MAN

hosing down the side of the building.

ELLIE:

Hey, Mr. Angstrom!

MR. ANGSTROM

What're you doing here?

Ellie puffs up.

ELLIE:

Police business.

MR. ANGSTROM

Police business?

The old man screws up his face, confused.

MR. ANGSTROM (cont'd)

Didn't you used to baby-sit for us?

ELLIE:

I don't babysit any more, Mr. Angstrom.

Just made detective three weeks ago.

A CAT jumps down off the roof. Angstrom sprays it.

MR. ANGSTROM

Boy, Charlie must be short-handed down at

the station.

Ellie, used to not being taken seriously. Turns back to THE

ROAR of the bush plane as it taxis down the strip. Coming to

a stop. She hurries over as the door swings open and...

WILL DORMER steps down. Slipping on his sunglasses.

Scanning the nothingness around him. Spots the swinging

sign.

WILL:

"Halibut fishing capital of the world."

Hap, right behind him. Rubs his neck.

HAP:

This ought to be interesting.

ELLIE:

(over the engine)

Detective Dormer!

They look down. Ellie reaches up and takes Will's bag. Then

his hand. Shakes it vigorously.

ELLIE (cont'd)

It's a huge honor to meet you! Ellie

Burr. I'm here to take you to the

station!

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