Peeping Tom Page #21

He draws the curtains - and turns round.

MILLY:

... might be more fun if it

wasn't...

He turns round and walks slowly - and a little sadly -

towards her

BLACK OUT:
The screen remains dark for a moment.

FADE TO:

AN HOUR LATER - EARLY EVENING

From the Detective's POV, WE SEE the chink of light between

the curtains of a window above the newsagent's shop go

out. CAMERA TRACKS TOWARDS the door of the shop. Mark comes

out, his cine-camera over his shoulder. He has a key in

his hand. He closes the door of the shop... then looks at

the key. He fits it into the lock - then slips it through

the letter-box. He turns and hails a taxi.

CLOSE SHOT of the Detective. He looks at the shop,

hesitates, decides to follow Mark - hails another cab.

EXT.STREET

Mark gets into his taxi. As the driver pulls down the

flag...

CUT TO:

Mrs. Stephens' head falling on to her chest.

INT. MRS. STEPHENS' BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING

She is lying in bed - completely drunk - snoring lustily.

A hand smooths her forehead.

CAMERA PULLS BACK

Helen is leaning over the bed. She has her coat on.

HELEN:

Darling...

She shakes her mother's shoulders. Mrs. Stephens snores

on.

HELEN:

Darling.

She shakes her again � but it is hopeless. Helen pulls the

bedclothes round her mother, then turns away. She picks up

a large envelope and her handbag, and hurries to the door.

INT. PASSAGE. MARK'S HOUSE - EARLY EVENING

Helen walks towards the stairs. The door of Tony's room

opens, and he pokes his head round.

TONY:

Hallo.

HELEN:

Hallo, Tony...

TONY:

Where are you going?

HELEN:

To leave something for Mark...

TONY:

You haven't much time for me these

days.

HELEN:

Tony...

TONY:

It's all right - I'll be here - if

you want me.

(he turns to his

room)

... by the way... your mother was

yelling out something before you

came in... about Mark photographing

her.

HELEN:

Photographing Mother? You must be

mistaken!

TONY:

Of course. See you sometime.

He goes into his room, closing the door. She stares after

him for a moment, then hurries up the stairs.

INT. PASSAGE BY MARK'S ROOM - DAY

Helen knocks on the door.

HELEN:

Mark...?

No answer. She knocks again, then opens the door and goes

inside.

INT. MARK'S SITTING ROOM - EARLY EVENING

Helen enters and glances towards the door of the dark-room.

HELEN:

Mark? No answer. She looks

thoughtfully at the envelope in

her hand - then goes in to the

dark-room.

INT. MARK'S DARK-ROOM

Helen fumbles for a switch... she finds one and presses

it. A spotlight falls on Mark's projector, throwing its

shadow on to the dazzling white screen. Helen smiles, and

walks towards the projector.

EXT. HOUSE - DAY

Taxi arrives and Mark gets out.

INT. POLICE PHONE BOOTH - EARLY EVENING

DETECTIVE:

... don't know what to make of it,

sir ... He went to a library, a

solicitor's office, and a

newsagent's shop - private

photography there, if you ask me.

Shall I hang around outside the

house, sir? Don't think so,

either... All right, sir, I'll

give you the details when I get

back... Bye, sir.

(he replaces the

receiver)

CLOSE SHOT of Helen. She is standing by the projector,

holding her envelope thoughtfully.

INT. MARK'S DARK-ROOM

She smiles suddenly and opens her envelope. She takes out

a bound manuscript. We see a label on the manuscript: The

Magic Camera by Helen Stephens. She takes a pencil from

her pocket, and opens the manuscript. Then she sits at

Mark's table and writes a note on the flyleaf. The projector

is at her elbow.

DISSOLVE TO:

A telephone by a man's elbow. It rings.

INT. SCOTLAND YARD - EVENING

The Chief Inspector snatches up the telephone.

CHIEF INSPECTOR:

Chief Inspector Gregg! What? Put

him on the line...

CROSS CUT TO:

Mr. Peters - looking very sick - on the telephone.

MR. PETERS

went up to look around - found

her.

CLOSE SHOT of the Chief Inspector.

CHIEF INSPECTOR:

Yes, yes... What's the address?

... Newsagent's shop? ... Did you

say news...?

He slams down the receiver, and jumps to his feet.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. ROAD - EVENING

An empty taxi cruising down the street. It passes the

Detective in the raincoat walking away from Mark's house.

DISSOLVE TO:

CLOSE SHOT of a note on a flyleaf which reads 'From one

Magic Camera - which needs the help of Another'.

INT. MARK'S DARK-ROOM - NIGHT

Helen closes the manuscript and lays it carefully by the

side of the projector. She turns to leave - then looks

curiously at the projector.

CLOSE SHOT of Helen - hesitating. Like a small girl in

front of her mother's make-up box, she touches the projector

tentatively, hesitates again, then presses a switch. A

beam of light shoots out. We watch Helen's face as she

looks at the screen. Nothing seems wrong for a few seconds -

then something starts to happen to the comers of her

mouth... and then her eyes become locked... and cannot

stop watching. Some kind of sound comes from the back of

her throat. Her hands dig into the table and she tries to

stand up. She cannot manage it the first time - and keeps

on watching, then, like a child waking from a nightmare,

she jerks herself away from the table, and stumbles towards

the door.

CLOSE SHOT of Mark standing there - watching her.

CLOSE SHOT of Helen staring at him... again we hear that

sound from the back of her throat. He looks away from her

at once.

MARK:

Don't let me see you...

frightened...

(he pushes the door

wide open...)

Leave!

(he looks at her -

then looks quickly

away)

Hurry, Helen!

HELEN:

Not...

MARK:

Leave!

HELEN:

Not...

(she turns away

from him and forces

the words out)

... till I know...

MARK:

Now!

She stands with her back to him. From REVERSE ANGLE we see

her struggling for breath. Over her shoulder WE SEE him

staring at the 16mm screen.

HELEN:

That film...

Over her shoulder we see him hurry towards the projector.

HELEN:

That film...

The sound of him switching it off.

HELEN:

... is ... just a film...

She wheels round towards him.

HELEN:

... isn't it?

From REVERSE ANGLE we see her looking at him.

HELEN:

... horrible ... horrible... but...

just a film... isn't it?

CLOSE SHOT of Mark.

MARK:

No...

(he walks towards

the door)

I killed them...

(he locks the door

with a hint of

sadness)

And now that you know... I want

you with me... a while.

CLOSE SHOT of Helen � not enough breath to scream... hardly

enough to breathe.

MARK:

You'll be safe - as long as I can't

see you frightened - so stand in

the shadows, Helen... please...

She stands motionless.

MARK:

... please...

From her POV WE SEE him standing in front of the door,

looking ahead of him. She backs slowly away into the shadows

at the back of the room.

HELEN:

She's right... your mother... must

tell someone everything... sorry...

has to be you!

CLOSE SHOT of Helen standing in the shadows where her mother

stood.

HELEN:

This was his laboratory... and you

know some of what he did... but

not all.

The room is suddenly filled with the terrified screaming

of a small boy. Helen wheels round. The screaming seems to

be coming from the walls. Mark's hand is on a switch - one

of a number on a panel.

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