Lost Highway Page #8

BLOOD is splattered over the floor, bed, walls. The camera

drifts. THE DEAD BODY OF RENEE lies on the floor at the foot

of the bed. She is badly mutilated. Fred is hovering over

her on the tape, ON HIS KNEES, A HORRIFIED, UNBELIEVING

EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE. On the tape, Fred turns away from

Renee - his hands raised, dripping blood - her blood. His

movements are almost mechanical, constricted, as he strains

strangely upwards seemingly against his will, as if feeling

some enormous pressure. He looks directly at the camera, his

face a ghastly grimace, contorted, just before the taped

image goes to snow.

CUT TO:

INT. THE MADISON HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Fred, sitting in front of the TV, shudders as the tape ends.

He sits trembling, attempts to speak, almost chokes, and

finally releases a tortured, warbly cry.

FRED:

Renee!

Fred looks up as if seeing something, he starts to stand,

staggering, partially paralyzed.

FRED:

(Shouting)

RENEE!

CUT TO:

INT. POLICE STATION - INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT

Fred's POV:
A BIG FIST slams into Fred's face, knocking him

back in a chair. Ed and Al are standing in front of Fred.

ED:

Stay put, killer!

The Detectives' POV: Fred's face is a bloody mask. He is

crying, whimpering.

FRED:

I didn't kill her! Tell me I didn't

kill her!

CUT TO:

INT. JAIL CELL - DAY

Fred, his lips and eyes swollen, sits on a cot, dressed in

jail clothes. He studies his hands, which appear crippled.

He flexes the fingers, slowly, painfully.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE MADISON HOUSE - DAY

We are in back of the house tracking slowly past the bedroom

and living room windows. Inside the house, INVESTIGATORS and

FORENSIC EXPERTS are moving around, measuring, scraping

samples of carpet, searching for fingerprints on furniture.

CUT TO:

INT. CITY MORGUE - NIGHT

Renee's CORPSE on a slab is rolled into an examining room by

an ATTENDANT. The entrance of the body is shown reflected in

a chrome-framed mirror that juts out from a tile wall. The

Attendant prepares for the impending autopsy, laying out a

rack of instruments, positioning the corpse. As he is doing

these things, the MEDICAL EXAMINER enters, accompanied by

his GIRLFRIEND. The M.E. is dressed formally, in a tuxedo.

The young woman is wearing a slinky dress with a fur wrap,

pearls, spike heels. The couple are close; she has an arm

through his, and she laughs, nervously. He is smoking a

cigarette.

ATTENDANT:

Hi, doc. Workin' late tonight, huh?

M.E.

Party at the mayor's house, George.

This is his daughter, Joyce.

ATTENDANT:

Howdy, Joyce.

JOYCE:

Howdy, George.

The Attendant uncovers the body - individual parts are wrapped

like packages from a butcher's shop, and labeled: L. ARM,

HEAD, R. BREST (misspelled).

M.E.

(looking at the

packages)

Just like Christmas.

He begins to unwrap them.

JOYCE:

I don't know if I can watch this.

The M.E. tosses his cigarette down on the floor. The camera

goes down on the smoking cigarette butt on the floor drain;

smoldering there among hair and flesh gristle on the drain's

filter screen.

M.E.

(Voice-over)

Leave any time you want, lover. I

won't take it personally.

The camera stays on the drain as we HEAR the M.E. unwrapping

the packaged body parts. Joyce's high heels enter the frame

around the drain. She is stepping nervously, like a spooked

horse. The clatter of her heels is very loud. We hear the

M.E. chuckle.

M.E.

(Voice-over)

Easy, girl, easy.

JOYCE:

You talking to me or... her?

M.E.

(laughs)

A corpse can tell you plenty, Joyce.

CUT TO:

INT. COURTROOM - DAY

The camera is behind a female FOREMAN in the jury box. The

shot begins on her shoes and travels up her body as she

stands. Over her left shoulder we see Fred standing at the

defense table. Over her right shoulder the JUDGE is seated.

JUDGE:

Have you reached a verdict?

FOREMAN:

Yes, we have, your honor.

JUDGE:

Please hand it to the bailiff.

The BAILIFF goes to the Foreman, takes the paper from her,

then takes it to the Judge. The Judge opens it and reads it

to himself, then hands it back to the Bailiff, who returns

it to the Foreman.

JUDGE:

And what is your verdict?

The camera moves to Fred, registering his tension. The camera

goes to the Foreman's face.

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