Psycho Page #16

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MEDIUM SHOT:

From her viewpoint we see Sam alighting from his truck and

coming toward the door of the store. He enters. He and Lila

exchange quiet glances.

SAM:

He didn't come back here?

LILA:

(worriedly)

Sam.

SAM:

No Arbogast. No Bates. And only the

old lady at home...

(frowning)

A sick old lady unable to answer the

door... or unwilling.

LILA:

Where could he have gone?

SAM:

Maybe he got some definite lead.

Maybe he went right on...

LILA:

Without calling me?

SAM:

In a hurry.

LILA:

Sam, he called me when he had nothing

definite, nothing but a dissatisfied

feeling. Don't you think he'd have

called if he had anything...

SAM:

(interrupting)

Yes. I think he would have.

Lila goes quiet. Sam starts toward the back room, pauses at

the doorway, turns. Lila has remained by the door, looking

out at the street. She feels his pause, turns, and for a

moment they share at each other across the darkened room.

SAM:

Let's go see Al Chambers.

LILA:

Who's he?

SAM:

He's the Deputy Sheriff around here.

As he starts forward.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STREET THE SHERIFF LIVES ON - (NIGHT)

A dark, quiet, tree-ceilinged street, the small neat houses

dim in the moonlight. Sam's pick-up truck comes down the

street, pulls up before the house of Sheriff Chambers. CAMERA

MOVES IN on Sam and Lila as they remain for a moment in the

truck's cab, staring quietly at the sleeping house.

SAM:

Our Deputy sleeps.

LILA:

Well?

SAM:

Nothing. Just... all the lights

out... must be asleep.

LILA:

(a small exasperation)

Does that mean we can't...

SAM:

No. I'm just procrastinating. People

hate when the doorbell rings in the

middle of the night.

(gives up, starts out)

Come on.

He gets out of cab, goes around to help Lila. She is already

out. CAMERA FOLLOWS them up the small path to the front door.

Sam presses the bell button. Both he and Lila are almost

knocked over by the shocking, clanging, ear-splitting BLAST

OF THE BELL within the house, a ring which sounds more like

a fire alarm than a doorbell.

He tries to smile, fails. Lila doesn't even try. The

downstairs hall light goes on and a moment later the door is

unhesitatingly opened by MRS. CHAMBERS, a small, lively stick

of a woman wrapped in a thick flannel robe and a corona of

hospitality.

MRS. CHAMBERS

Oh?

SAM:

Sorry, Mrs. Chambers. I hate bothering

you...

MRS. CHAMBERS

You didn't!

(a cross look up at

the bell)

It's tinkerbell.

(a quick smile at

Lila)

Al wants to be sure he'll hear it if

anyone rings it in the middle of the

night.

(to Sam)

Well come on in, at least!

As she opens the door wide,

CUT TO:

INT. DOWNSTAIRS HALL OF SHERIFF'S HOUSE - (NIGHT)

Fat roses splatter the wallpaper. The stairs are carpeted.

The lighting is bright.

There is a perfectly fitting wall phone by the parlor arch.

Mrs. Chambers goes to the stairway, yells up.

MRS. CHAMBERS

Albert!

(a tiny wait, a smile

as Sam and Lila enter)

Al Chambers!

Sam is about to close the door behind him. Mrs. Chambers

motions for him not to, scurries across the hall, leans

outside, presses the doorbell. The RING within the house is

even more shattering. She closes the door, starts to the

stairway, pauses as the SOUNDS of movement above COME OVER

SHOT.

MRS. CHAMBERS

Customers!

SHERIFF CHAMBERS comes down the stairs, in a bathrobe which

matches his wife's. He is a tall, narrow man with a face

originally destined for Mount Rushmore. He nods at Sam, looks

at him with wide-awake eyes and a no-nonsense concern.

SAM:

We have a problem.

MRS. CHAMBERS

(to Lila)

Let's go out back and have some coca

while the men are talking.

LILA:

No, thank you. It's my problem, too.

SAM:

I don't know where to start...

(a look at Lila)

Except at the beginning.

LILA:

Yes.

SAM:

(to Sheriff)

This is Lila Crane, from Phoenix.

She's been here for a few days,

looking for her sister. There's a

private detective helping... and,

well, we got a call tonight, from

this detective, saying he'd traced

Mary...

MRS. CHAMBERS

Mary is Lila's sister?

SAM:

Yes. He traced her to that motel,

out on the old highway...

MRS. CHAMBERS

(to the Sheriff)

Bates' Motel.

(to Lila)

He has a mind like a mechanical brain

and the more information you feed

it... Go on, Sam.

SAM:

He traced her there and called us to

say he was going to question Mrs.

Bates...

MRS. CHAMBERS

(a pleasant shock)

Norman took a wife?

SAM:

No. An old woman, his mother.

(to Sheriff, quickly)

That was early this evening. And we

haven't seen or heard from him since.

I went out to the motel, just got

back. No one was in the office, and...

LILA:

(interrupting,

anxiously)

Will you help us? I think something's

wrong out there!

SHERIFF:

(after a considerate

pause)

Now. Your sister is missing how long?

LILA:

She left Phoenix a week ago yesterday.

And no trace until...

SHERIFF:

How'd you and this detective come to

trace her to Fairvale?

SAM:

They thought she'd be coming to me.

SHERIFF:

Left Phoenix under her own steam?

LILA:

Yes.

SHERIFF:

(a pause)

She ain't missing so much as she's

run away.

SAM:

Yes.

SHERIFF:

From what?

LILA:

(a look at sam, then:)

She stole some money.

SHERIFF:

A lot?

LILA:

Forty thousand dollars.

SHERIFF:

And the police haven't been able

to...

SAM:

(interrupting)

Everyone concerned thought... if

they could get her to give back the

money... they could avoid involving

her with the police.

SHERIFF:

Explains the private detective. He

traced her to the Bates place. What'd

he exactly say when he called you?

LILA:

Mary had been there, one night, and

had left.

SHERIFF:

With the forty thousand dollars?

LILA:

He didn't mention the money.

(anxiously)

What he said on the phone isn't

important, is it? He was supposed

to come back after he spoke to the

mother, and he didn't! That's what I

want you to do something about!

SHERIFF:

Like what?

LILA:

Go out there! Find somebody, ask

some questions!

(a pause)

I'm sorry if I seem over-anxious to

you. I keep thinking... something's

wrong. I have to know what!

SHERIFF:

I think something's wrong, too, Miss.

But not the same thing. I think your

private detective is what's wrong.

(As Lila is about to

object)

I think he got himself a hot lead as

to where your sister was going...

probably from Norman Bates... and

called you to keep you still while

he took off after her and the money.

LILA:

He said he was dissatisfied... and

was going back.

MRS. CHAMBERS

(to Sheriff)

Why don't you call Norman and let

him say just what happened, if he

give the man a hot lead and he did

just scooted off... it'll make the

girl feel better, Albert.

SHERIFF:

At this hour?

SAM:

He was out when I was there. If he's

back he probably isn't even in bed

yet.

SHERIFF:

He wasn't out when you were there.

He just wasn't answering the door in

the dead of night... like some people

do. This fellow lives like a hermit...

MRS. CHAMBERS

Recluse. Kinder word.

SHERIFF:

(to Sam)

You must remember that bad business

out there. About ten years ago...

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