Knives Out Page #10

HARLAN (V.O.)

...to avoid the security cameras,

pull off the road AFTER the carved

elephant.

Marta keeps a poker face, but.. sh*t.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

to Proofroc

(

)

Can we see CAN WE SEE THE TAPE? THE

TAPE? FOR THE NIGHT? TAPE!

MARTA:

quiet, to Proofroc)

(

They want to see the tape.

MR PROOFROC:

Oh sure.

CLACK! The tape loads into the mechanical VCR. An

impossibly grainy, smeared night vision view of the road

outside the gate. Time stamp: 10:02pm.

TROOPER WAGNER:

It's like a Japanese horror movie.

MR PROOFROC:

proud

(

)

I record it SSLP, gets eight hours

per tape. Nine pm to five am.

BLANC:

Can we -

to Marta

(

)

Can we scan forward?

MARTA:

to Proofroc

(

)

Can we scan forward?

MR PROOFROC:

Hold the play button down and press

the FF down halfway till you feel it

grind.

Wagner does, the machine makes horrible noises and the

picture frizzles and frazzles. Then stops and ejects.

MR PROOFROC (cont'd)

And hold the tape down or it'll

eject.

BLANC:

Can your guys digitize it so we can

scan it properly?

TROOPER WAGNER:

I'm sure we can.

60.

MARTA:

I got it.

Marta grabs the tape from the VCR.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

THANK YOU:

BLANC:

THANK YOU:

MARTA:

Thank you.

MR PROOFROC:

You're welcome.

EXT. WOODS - DAY

They all hack through the overgrown gardener's path.

TROOPER WAGNER:

That wood elephant, it's a thing from

his book "The Ivory Blade."

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Amazing. Blanc the grounds are

lovely but you think what, someone

broke into the house? To kill

Harlan? Is that why we're out here?

BLANC:

I think it's an unlikely but

fascinating possibility. And if they

did, there will be traces.

TROOPER WAGNER:

I'll take that, thanks ma'am.

Marta hands Wagner the VHS tape. Then she discretely

pockets something she had held in her hand next to it - a

few of the bright fruit MAGNETS from Proofroc's fridge.

EXT. THROMBEY ESTATE SIDE YARD

The group hikes up out of the woods, towards the low wall

with a small pedestrian gate that leads to the east lawn.

Marta is out in front. During the following, she notices

something:
The earth around and under the gate is soft and

bare. And clear as day: HER FOOTPRINTS from the other

night, the only ones from women's shoes. The same ones she

has on now. Her breath catches. SH*T.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Any luck with the black sheep,

whatshisname?

61.

TROOPER WAGNER:

Ransom. No, but we have an address.

Ten Oak street.

BLANC:

Ten oak. That's a pleasant thing to

say. Ten oak. Tenoak.

TROOPER WAGNER:

Ugh this mud, my boots are going to

stink.

BLANC:

Mud - has it rained the past week?

No - Nobody move! Freeze! Everyone!

These footprints must not be

disturbed!

sees

(

)

Marta!

Marta has already walked through the pedestrian gate and up

onto the lawn, stepping in her pre-existing prints. She

turns back, playing dumb.

MARTA:

What?

BLANC:

Don't - stop there, don't -

MARTA:

I can't hear you, what?

She trots back to them through the gate, stepping into her

returning prints.

BLANC:

No no no nodon't - don't step on the,

ok, alright. Aughhhhh ok.

MARTA:

What?

Blanc sidesteps up to the gate, not stepping in the mud.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Alright, Wagner let's get the boys on

it, check the prints, tape off this

area, keep it clear.

The dogs come running down the lawn, barking at the men.

They tear through the gate, further messing up the mud.

62.

BLANC:

Wehell. She-it. Dogs.

MARTA:

Hey boys, easy. Hey. Hey.

She pets them and they quiet down.

BLANC:

Best judge of character is a dog.

I've found that to be true.

The dogs start BARKING and bolt towards the house, where

Richard and Linda are pulling up in their lux SUV.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

They're doing the will reading at

ten, whole family will be here soon.

Elliott heads up towards the house. Blanc meanders up the

lawn, and Marta follows.

MARTA:

I've never been to a will reading.

BLANC:

You think it'll be like a game show.

No. Imagine a community theater

performance of a tax return.

They approach the side of the house. Blanc does a gentle,

meandering study of the layout.

Marta steals a look at the trellis she climbed.

Oh no. A piece of the white lattice trellis that broke off

when she was climbing - about eight inches long - lies in

the grass beneath it. Her eyes dart up - yup, there's the

broken spot. Sh*t.

BLANC (cont'd)

SWEET BEANS:

Marta starts - did he spot it? No - he's come face to face

with Greatnana, standing stock still on the porch. She

stares at him like a bird.

BLANC (cont'd)

Good morning Mrs. Thrombey.

He approaches her, slowly. When his back is fully turned

Marta takes her shot and KICKS the piece of trellis under

some thick bushes at the base of the house.

63.

Blanc and Greatnana stare at each other. Blanc gets very

close to her, great sympathy in his eyes. Greatnana stares

back. It's almost like they're communicating. This goes on

for a little too long. Then Blanc breaks from the trance,

and turns to Marta.

BLANC (cont'd)

Do you think you could handle the

study?

INT. HARLAN THROMBEY'S STUDY

The blood is now only a subtle dark stain, but other than

that the room has been left intact from the night of the

party. Marta and Wagner observe as Blanc paces the room.

BLANC:

to Marta

(

)

Where's your medical bag?

MARTA:

I... don't know - I left it here, I

always leave it with Harlan at night.

TROOPER WAGNER:

They must have taken it in as

evidence. I'll check on it.

Blanc picks up the GO board and sets it on the table.

Examines its grid idly.

BLANC:

How'd the GO board get knocked over?

MARTA:

We were just goofing around.

beat

(

)

What are you thinking?

Blanc sighs gently, turns the baseball over in his hands.

Looks like this was a bust.

BLANC:

I'm thinking about my cat. And the

2:
20 train back to the city.

Blanc tips the GO board over, and it lands on the carpet

with a nearly inaudible WHOMPH. He stares at it.

But his concentration is broken by sharp barking outside.

They go to the tiny window and look out.

64.

A DASHING MAN in his early 30s climbs out of a vintage

Porsche. The dogs go NUTS, biting at his pant legs.

BLANC (cont'd)

Let me guess.

EXT. THROMBEY ESTATE FRONT DRIVE

The man kicks off the dogs and limps toward the house,

cursing. Lieutenant Elliott and Office Wagner step out onto

the porch.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

Hugh Drysdale?

RANSOM:

Ransom. Call me Ransom, my middle

name. The help call me Hugh.

LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT

I'm Lieutenant Elliott, this is

officer Wagner, we'd like to ask you

a few questions about the night of

RANSOM:

Uh huh.

He blows past them and into the house.

INT. LIVING ROOM

Walt, Donna and Jacob (nose in his phone) sit around the

room. Linda and Richard stand, on their phones. Ransom

breezes in, bumping Donna who YELPS, startled.

Elliott and Wagner follow.

TROOPER WAGNER:

Sir excuse me, we are officers of the

law.

RANSOM:

You gonna run me in? I don't feel

like talking. I'm distraught.

Ransom disappears into the kitchen, comes out eating a

sleeve of pinwheel cookies.

Blanc and Marta slip in. Elliott nods to Blanc.

65.

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