Rough Diamonds Page #7

Chad's dumbstruck, but dutifully takes the shattered video camera.

MORRISON:

You find anything on that tape, you let

me know, OK?

CHAD:

Whatever you say, boss.

MORRISON:

And make sure you get that money back

into the evidence locker.

And Chad's left alone with the shattered remains of the video

camera, and a whole sh*t load of work ahead...

FADE TO BLACK:

EXT. BLUE BAY HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING POOL - DAY

The early morning sun casts a brilliant orange glow over the

smooth-as-glass surface of the school swimming pool.

Marie steps back up onto the high diving platform. Tries to focus.

Slides the soon-to-be-diamond ring off her finger and throws it

tentatively into the water...

She takes a breath and then dives, straight and true, into the

perfect blue water below.

EXT. UNDERWATER - CONTINUOUS

Marie's lithe, taught body comes arcing through the water, darting

down to the bottom of the pool to retrieve the ring...

EXT. BLUE BAY HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING POOL - CONTINUOUS

Marie surfaces, reaches out and puts the ring on the side of the

pool, before looking up to see an old pair of sneakers, an

electronic ankle bracelet locked around one leg.

"Wild Things 3" 03/22/2004 32.

ELENA:

Nice take off. Gotta work on the

landing...

Marie's blood boils.

MARIE:

What the hell are you doing here?

Elena just reaches down and picks up Marie's unfinished ring.

ELENA:

Looks like your bling ain't blinging...

MARIE:

Give me that back. It was my Mother's...

Marie climbs out of the pool, faces down with Elena...

ELENA:

Looks like she got ripped off Princess,

where's the rock?

Marie snatches the ring from Elena, slides it back on her finger.

MARIE:

Is that what this is all about?

Elena reaches out, tries to stroke the wet hair off Marie's face.

She recoils before she'll let Elena touch her...

ELENA:

You're not a dumb as you look...

Jenny, followed by the rest of the diving team, come marching out

of the locker room and see the two arch-enemies confronting each

other.

JENNY:

(to her team mates)

We got trouble...

Elena won't back down.

MARIE:

You're ruining my life, and my

stepfather's.

ELENA:

It can end. Just like that.

She snaps her fingers and Marie's on the verge of tears...

"Wild Things 3" 03/22/2004 33.

Jenny and the rest of the diving team approach, stand behind

Marie, a seething mass of bikini-clad mindless hate...

MARIE:

Why are you doing this?

ELENA:

Because I can.

As she turns and walks away...

ELENA (CONT'D)

Good luck in court.

INT. BLUE BAY COURTROOM - DAY

The usual assortment of paparazzi and spectators crowd into the

small courtroom.

Marie is on the witness stand, staring straight ahead at her

stepfather at the defendant's table. Gone is the immaculate suit,

the perfect hair, the poker face. He's looking worried now...

Theo paces in front of Marie, running her through a series of well-

rehearsed questions.

THEO:

And why did you go to your stepfather's

building site that night, Miss Clifford?

MARIE:

It was my birthday. Jay left the party

before giving me my present.

THEO:

And you say you saw Miss Sandoval

leaving?

Marie takes a moment, looks to Elena at the Prosecution table.

MARIE:

I did.

THEO:

And how would you describe her

appearance?

MARIE:

She was...she looked fine. She smiled at

me. Actually smiled...

THEO:

No further questions.

"Wild Things 3" 03/22/2004 34.

He takes a seat next to Jay, whispers in his ear. D.A. Meese

starts his cross-examination.

D.A. MEESE

Would it be fair to say you don't like

Elena Sandoval, Miss Clifford?

.

MARIE:

We don't see...eye to eye...

D.A. MEESE

Is that why you attacked her at your

party earlier that night?

Marie squirms.

MARIE:

No...I was...she wasn't invited...

D.A. MEESE

You'd had a few drinks, correct?

MARIE:

(reluctantly)

I'd had a drink. Yes.

D.A. MEESE

So by the time you allege to have seen

Miss Sandoval, could you tell the court

exactly how much you'd had to drink?

MARIE:

A glass of Champagne. Or two, but...

D.A. MEESE

No further questions.

Jay sinks a few inches lower in his seat. Going down...

INT. BLUE BAY FORENSICS LAB - DAY

A bleary eyed Chad sits in front of a bank of monitors, working

the image enhancement equipment, fighting to get a watchable

picture from the fuzzy static in front of him. Kristen sits behind

him, fighting to stay awake.

CHAD:

(to himself)

Take out the chroma, raise the

luminescence...

He clumsily reaches over the control panel, hitting almost every

button on the way. And that does the trick...

"Wild Things 3" 03/22/2004 35.

Suddenly the picture on the monitors becomes clear. Kristen's eyes

snap open.

KRISTEN:

Holy sh*t...

The pixilated image of Elena smiling comes into focus on the TV...

KRISTEN (CONT'D)

Call Detective Morrison. Now...

SCENE OMITTED:

INT. JUDGE'S CHAMBERS- DAY

The shaky, pixilated image of Elena smiling flickers on the TV.

Soon enough though her smile fades...

ELENA (ON TAPE)

You're kidding right?

Jay's voice can be heard behind the camera...

JAY (O.S. ON TAPE)

C'mon now baby, you can do it...

The video shows Elena cowering...

ELENA (ON TAPE)

Please...you can't do this...

JAY (O.S ON TAPE)

No such word as can't...

A hand reaches out from behind the video camera and grabs Elena,

throws her violently against a concrete wall.

JAY (O.S. ON TAPE)

F*** me...

A flurry of movement that goes in and out of focus. When the

camera steadies again, Elena's hands are pressed against the wall

and she's sobbing...

.

ELENA (ON TAPE)

Please, Mr. Clifford, don't...

JAY (O.S ON TAPE)

Just try to keep those legs together...

And then static...

"Wild Things 3" 03/22/2004 36.

Pulling back from the TV we find ourselves in the courtroom, *

completely empty, save for Jay, Theo, Meese and Judge Wilcox all *

staring in shock at the blank TV screen... *

D.A. MEESE *

If Mr. Clifford would plead guilty to *

rape, the state is prepared to drop the *

charges of kidnapping and assault. *

JUDGE WILCOX:

(to Jay) *

If I were you I would seriously consider *

the offer. *

INT. COUNTY JAIL VISITING ROOM - DAY

In the cold stone jail visiting room, Jay sits behind the wire

mesh, an emotion Marie and Theo opposite. The PRISON GUARD waits

by the barred door, keeping his beady eyes on Jay.

JAY:

I'm gonna lose this trial.

THEO:

I'm not so sure about that. The tape's a

fake, right? So all we need to do is...

Jay holds up a hand, instantly silencing his attorney.

JAY:

You had your chance.

(to Marie)

If we're gonna win at all costs, we're

gonna have to change the game.

(to Theo)

Do you have it?

Theo nods regretfully, reaches into a breast pocket, pulls out a

KEY.

THEO:

I'm still dead set against this, Jay.

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