Suspect Zero

FADE IN:

...on a BLACK WAVE - vast, oceanic, and coming right at us.

BEGIN TITLES.

The wave is relentless, huge, menacing. We can't tell if this

is daytime or night because it simply obscures everything -

noisily. It sucks, it yawns, it roars.

Then we realize... this massive wave of darkness is actually

just a RUN-OFF of dirty black WATER alongside the edge of an

Interstate. We PULL OUT OF IT now...

...to find concrete, and garbage, and weeds. END TITLES.

1 EXT. DITCH - OFF THE INTERSTATE - 4:30 A.M. 1

Amongst the refuse is a discarded MILK CARTON, resting on its

back. The carton asks "Have You Seen Me?" above a photographed

face that's been obscured by grime.

Yellowing newspaper, old Coke cans, Twinkie wrappers... in

that bed of untended weeds. A hollow Texas wind blows through

it all. We stay with the carton...

Then that hollow wind gains speed... and a deep RUMBLE grows

in the distance, becoming a ROAR. The yellowed newspaper lifts

off and whips past us.

...as an 18-WHEEL MACK TRUCK blows by, just a blur in the

corner of our frame, doing 75 in the pre-dawn darkness.

Then, the truck is gone, and the rush of air dissipates. The

milk carton, the coke cans... they lie undisturbed.

A LIGHT RAIN begins to fall... and some of the grime washes

away from that milk carton, revealing a face. A child. "Have

You Seen Me?" It's heartbreaking.

TILT UP... to take in the vast flatness of Texas' I-35:

concrete forever. In the distance, gray highway yields to

black STORMCLOUDS gathering silently over endless prairie.

A vertical vein of LIGHTNING streaks through one of them.

CUT TO:

...a spoon, stirring a cup of coffee.

2 INT. "THE ALL-AMERICAN DINER" - GAINESVILLE TEXAS - CONTINUING 2

(4:
30 A.M.)

HAROLD SPECK sits: mid 40's, pleasant face. A family man.

Reads "Rod and Reel" magazine. Has a SALESMAN'S CASE by his

side. Around him is a TRUCK-STOP in twilight:

Truckers at the counter, Elvis on the wall, a "Drink Bud!"

mirror. The WORLD SERIES can be heard on a RADIO...

DOLLY (O.S.)

Top that off for ya, Hon?

That's DOLLY, a waitress, (50, been here too long.) Speck

looks up, smiles thinly, "No." Dolly heads off. Speck returns

to his article, underlining a particular passage.

...until a MAN seats himself, suddenly, in the seat opposite

Speck's. Speck reacts, startled.

SPECK:

Jesus...

The MAN's name is O'RYAN. We only see PIECES of him: his eyes,

his hands, a stain on his parka...

O'RYAN

What's in the case?

SPECK:

I'm sorry?

O'RYAN

You're always lugging that case around.

I'm curious.

Speck looks around: there are plenty of empty tables in here.

So why is this guy bothering me???

O'RYAN (CONT'D)

What do you sell?

SPECK:

I'm... in restaurant supplies. I didn't

get your name?

O'RYAN

Must travel a lot, huh?

Speck is looking for Dolly, a Manager, anyone...

O'RYAN (CONT'D)

Whole country, or just hereabouts?

SPECK:

I don't mean to be rude but--

O'RYAN

How's your wife feel about it?

That spun things a bit. Speck pauses.

SPECK:

What?

O'RYAN

She must get lonely, with you gone all

the time. Does she?

SPECK:

Look, I...

O'RYAN

Do you get lonely?

Speck's so thrown now he can't answer.

O'RYAN (CONT'D)

Ya miss f***ing her, Harold?

SPECK:

Listen, I don't know who you are but you

can't--

O'Ryan silences him... by holding up a piece of paper. On it

is a DRAWING. The image faces away from us. But Speck can see

it in rich detail. And his eyes go wide.

We catch GLIMPSES: The color of flesh. A body-part. Looks like

a rendering of a young, naked WOMAN.

And, just like that, Speck finds himself STARING. Glued.

O'RYAN (CONT'D)

Did it myself. It's sort of a hobby.

(no reply)

I've got more. Would you like to see

them?

O'Ryan lowers it and slides a SECOND DRAWING over... Speck is

speechless, transfixed. Can't look away.

O'RYAN (CONT'D)

Tell me:
those jokes about the traveling

salesman and the farmer's daughter - are

they true?

(Speck remains silent)

Here. This one's my favorite.

O'Ryan slides over DRAWING #3. Again, we don't get to see it.

And we still haven't seen all of O'Ryan's face.

But we can see Speck, and his reaction. Utter horror. In fact

he recoils so violently that his coffee spills.

O'RYAN (CONT'D)

Really says it all, wouldn't you agree?

SPECK:

You're a... You're sick.

O'RYAN

That's a matter of opinion.

SPECK:

You're sick!

He rises, leaving the drawings behind. We STAY WITH HIM as he

crosses the diner - deeply unsettled. He reaches the Manager,

(MEL, balding, 50, in no mood) at the register.

MEL:

Mmm-hmm?

SPECK:

I'm having a problem - with another

customer. I'd like you to ask him to

leave, please.

MEL:

What kind of problem?

SPECK:

He's--

He turns, to point out O'Ryan.

...but the booth, suddenly, is empty. The guy has simply

disappeared, taking those drawings with him.

Speck tightens. Mel eyes him, annoyed.

CUT TO:

3 EXT. ALL-AMERICAN DINER - PARKING LOT - MOMENTS LATER 3

Speck hurries out to his Buick, checking over his shoulder

repeatedly. Gets to the car, fumbles with his keys. They fall

to the asphalt. He grabs them, opens the door.

CUT TO:

4 INT. SPECK'S CAR - DRIVING - MOMENTS LATER 4

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