Jennifer 8 Page #10

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ROSS:

Where is everyone?

BERLIN:

I dunno .. I guess this is

staff side of the building?

Here come footsteps and the door is opened by HELENA ROBERTSON.

Early 20's and blonde and not immediately beautiful. But delic-

ate features than need no make up and big dark eyes. They look

away for introductions as though she's shy. ROSS & BERLIN grab

glances as they follow in. Neither expected HELENA to be blind.

33:
INT. APARTMENT. INSTITUTE. DAY.

Claustrophobia evaporates instantly. Great views down the val-

ley from every window. Plus a bizarre jumble of furniture and

colors. But no pictures on the walls. No friendly photographs.

Nor any lights. Although the afternoon is shutting down there

isn't a light in the room. ROSS elects to stay at the windows.

BERLIN takes an offered chair. HELENA sits nervously opposite.

HELENA:

What d'you wanna ask, Mr Ross?

BERLIN:

I'm Mr Berlin. Mr Ross is right

here. And Mr Ross is maybe gonna

take a few notes, if that's O.K.?

(She nods)

O.K. .. I'd like you to tell me

in what ever way you want, what

you can remember about the time

you spent with Amber on the aft-

ernoon she left? Take your time,

and nothing's too trivial, O.K.

HELENA:

Well, I think I told you on the

phone .. I went up to her room

to say good-bye, and we just sat

on the bed and chatted a while,

while her friend was coming in

and out collecting her things ..

BERLIN:

What kind of friend? Was he a boy

friend? An old friend? New friend?

Lots of headshake. And lots of silences. "I really don't know."

That's O.K. Can you give me any

idea what this fellow was like?

(Headshake)

Well, d'you know how old he was?

(Headshake)

Alright, let me put it this way?

How old d'you think I am? Twenty-

six? Thirty-nine? Or fifty-three?

HELENA:

Fifty-three.

Possibly the only grin ROSS is going to get out of this place.

BERLIN:

You must have some idea about him.

HELENA:

When we spoke on the phone,

did you know I was blonde?

BERLIN:

No.

HELENA:

Why not? You heard my voice?

A good point. And a point taken. And BERLIN might even say so.

We don't have some kind of

sixth-sense, you know. Ex-

cept in ridiculous novels ..

Now another silence overtaken by a low whistle in another room.

He used a breath freshener ...

A sardonic headshake from ROSS. Well that solves the case then!

And I think his name was John?

BERLIN:

John? .. You never said that

on the phone? .. What makes

you think his name was John?

HELENA:

I don't know. I guess she must

have called him John? I'm mak-

ing tea. Would you like some?

BERLIN would but ROSS wouldn't. She leaves and whispers begin.

BERLIN:

This looks promising .. I

think this one could be it?

ROSS:

Thank Christ we got a witness.

BERLIN:

Let me just keep going a while.

She might remember something?

ROSS:

What? She's blind, Bro. You

may as well ask one of these

Beethoven guys on the piano?

He thumbs a cluster of cheap busts of composers on an upright.

We're better off having another

pop at old Abe Lincoln down the-

re? Get angry with the prick. Get

some of his "useful visions" in?

Someone must have seen something?

Negative from BERLIN. Checked it out. Sunday and no one about.

This is fucken crazy. Two hours

here, two hours back, and the

only word I've written is John ..

A touch later and the sun is setting. ROSS stands at a window

to watch it go. Watches one or two cars driving away. Watches

a bird sitting outside on the fire-escape. BERLIN's voice can

just about be heard off screen "You said he spoke? Can you re-

member what he said?" ROSS saunters back into HELENA's answer.

HELENA:

Well, he just said, come on,

hurry up, will you, because

it's starting to snow again.

Empty teacups and empty notebook. ROSS sits opposite BERLIN.

And I remember, he was a lit-

tle breathless from carrying

the cases because the elevat-

or had gone out that weekend.

BERLIN:

The elevator wasn't working?

HELENA:

No, it has a mind of its own.

A clock strikes four somewhere. And BERLIN knows he's lost it.

BERLIN:

Can I see your hands?

HELENA:

My hands?

He takes her hands and HELENA immediately looks uncomfortable.

He examines scars and she stares at him with her useless eyes.

I have a class. I have to go.

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