The Game Page #19

The bus sets in motion...

AT THE BACK OF THE BUS, the rear emergency door is forced

open. Nicholas is there, dropping one suitcase...

Following with a second suitcase, tossing it to the ground

gently as the bus' motion allows. Mother spots this, moving

to collect the suitcases, children following...

ON THE BUS:

The BUS DRIVER shouts a complaint in SPANISH.

At the rear, Nicholas pulls the door shut and latches it,

watching thru the window as Mother and children drag their

suitcases out of the path of other vehicles.

CUT TO:

EXT. CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY -- NIGHT

Nicholas walks backwards, exhausted, hitchhiking on the

freeway shoulder. TRAFFIC absolutely SOARS PAST.

EXT. BOB'S BIG BOY RESTAURANT -- NIGHT

Highway in the b.g., Nicholas hikes across the parking lot

of this 24-hour DINER, past many parked TRACTOR TRAILERS.

INT. BOB'S BIG BOY RESTAURANT -� NIGHT

There's a heavy duty TRUCK DRIVER clientele elbow to elbow

at the counter, eating, drinking coffee. The BELL above the

door TINKLES as Nicholas enters.

NiCHOLAS

Pardon me...

Nicholas moves to the end of the counter, louder...

NICHOLAS:

Excuse me, please, if I could have

your attention...

Conversations stop. Everyone looks to Nicholas. He's

scruffier than ever; a hobo freak in a white suit, fed up.

NICHOLAS:

Thank you. If anyone's heading to

San Francisco, I need a ride.

Met with silence. Nicholas clears his rough throat.

NICHOLAS:

There's...

(digs in pockets)

There's all the money I've got left

in it for you... eighteen dollars and

seventy-nine cents...

Nicholas puts his crumpled bills and coins on the counter.

One penny falls. You can hear it hit the floor and roll.

CUT TO:

EXT. UPSTATE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY -- DAY

BRIGHT DAY. A big, Baskin-Robbins TRUCK rumbles by...

INT. BASKIN-ROBBIN'S ICE CREAM TRUCK -- DAY

ENGINE and ROADWAY ROARING. Windows open, wind whipping.

Beside the DRIVER, Nicholas sleeps wrapped in a blanket.

CUT TO:

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO -- EARLY EVENING

The Baskin-Robbin's tractor trailer keeps on truckin'.

AHEAD:
the San Francisco skyline.

EXT. WAREHOUSE DISTRICT -- NIGHT

Nicholas climbs down from the Baskin-Robbin's truck, thanks

the driver. The truck lurches away. Nicholas walks.

CUT TO:

EXT. VAN ORTON MANSION -- NIGHT

The gate is WRAPPED IN CHAINS. Nicholas arrives, trudging.

He pulls to test the chains. There's a "PUBLIC AUCTION"

SIGN hung. Nicholas tears it down, begins climbing...

INT. VAN ORTON MANSION, KITCHEN -- NIGHT

A ROCK SMASHES a glass pane in the door. Nicholas reaches

thru to let himself in. No electricity. Graffiti's gone.

There's scaffolding. Work in progress. Appliances gone.

Nicholas checks the PHONE, finds it dead.

INT. VAN ORTON MANSION, DEN -- NIGHT

Nicholas looks in. Furniture's wrapped in thick plastic.

Curtains and paintings are gone. Like the kitchen, this

room's repainted. Cold and bare.

INT. GUEST HOUSE, FOYER/LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT

The front door's ajar. Nicholas pushes it open slow,

entering darkness. The living room is completely empty.

NICHOLAS:

(calling upstairs)

Ilsa.

Pitch dark at the top of the stairs. Nicholas moves forward

into another EMPTY ROOM. It's creepy quiet.

INT. VAN ORTON MANSION, GARAGE -- NIGHT

Nicholas enters the moonlit garage. THREE EMPTY SPACES.

INT. MANSION, MASTER BATH -- NIGHT

IN THE SHOWER, Nicholas scrubs his hair with a bar of soap,

huddled under the cold spray, shuddering.

INT. MANSION, MASTER BEDROOM �- NIGHT

In the stripped bedroom, Nicholas, in a baggy t-shirt and

jeans, pulls a paper wrapped package from a dresser. On the

bed, he tears open the paper, pulling out a long OVERCOAT.

INT. MANSION, KITCHEN -� MORNING

Dawn light. BIRDS HEARD SINGING. Nicholas opens drawers.

He finds a mason jar with CASH inside, unscrews the lid.

INT. MANSION, LIBRARY -- MORNING

Moving boxes. Half the shelves of this impressive library

are emptied into high stacks of books on the floor.

Nicholas moves to search a section still lined with books...

... looking for one in particular, reading spines...

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, leather bound.

Nicholas takes it down.

INT. MANSION, FOYER -- MORNING

Nicholas heads for the front door. He halts, noticing...

An ENVELOPE on the counter, "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN."

Nicholas opens the envelope, unfolding a letter... "Like my

father before me, I choose eternal sleep." Still with the

RED SIGNATURE ARROW affixed below.

INT. MANSION, KITCHEN -- MORNING

The "suicide note" lands in the sink, BURNING.

CUT TO:

EXT. UNION SQUARE, GEARY STREET -- DAY

A MINI BUS halts at a corner. Nicholas is the second rider

off, paranoid, book under his arm. He moves down the

sidewalk... toward the FOUR SEASONS HOTEL.

INT. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, FRONT DESK -- DAY

Unkempt, unshaven Nicholas is a blight in this flawless

hotel. At the desk, he gets the CLERK'S attention.

NICHOLAS:

I'm here to see Conrad Van Orton.

Ring his room.

The desk clerk gives a pause while Nicholas scans the lobby.

DESK CLERK:

One moment, please...

The desk clerk crosses to a gray, elder statesman MANAGER,

huddling to speak in hushed tones. Nicholas watches them,

concerned. The manager walks over...

NICHOLAS:

What's the trouble?

MANAGER:

You're here for Conrad Van Orton?

I'm the hotel manager...

He offers a handshake which Nicholas ignores.

NICHOLAS:

Pleasure to meet you, I'd like to see

my brother, thank you.

MANAGER:

(worry, guiding Nicholas)

Your brother. Will you come with me?

NICHOLAS:

What's this about?

MANAGER:

It's a private matter, for you... I

think you'll be more comfortable...

NICHOLAS:

Where's my brother?

The manager looks around, feeling indiscreet, voice low.

MANAGER:

There were complaints by other

guests, and damage to his room. We

did the best we could to accommodate

his behavior.

NICHOLAS:

His behavior... ?

MANAGER:

He couldn't, or refused to pay. We

extended credit...

NICHOLAS:

Look, where is he?!

MANAGER:

There was an incident a few days

ago... a nervous breakdown, they

said. The police took him. They

left this address, in case anyone...

Nicholas struggles to absorb this while the manager takes

out a BILLFOLD of business cards, offers a SLIP OF PAPER...

MANAGER:

It's a hospital in Napa. I'm

terribly sorry. If you'd have been

here, you'd have seen, there was

nothing else to do.

Nicholas regards the paper, disbelieving, sorrow welling up.

CUT TO:

EXT. ELIZABETH'S HOME (SAUSALITO) -- DAY

ELIZABETH, Nicholas' ex-wife, bends to kiss her young

DAUGHTER. The daughter runs to a waiting, luxury MINI-VAN.

The female driver waves as the van pulls away.

Across this suburban street, Nicholas stands watching.

Elizabeth is about to go back inside, but she sees Nicholas.

She's surprised, smiling at first instinctively, but then

she looks concerned.

INT. RESTAURANT -- DAY

BUSINESS PEOPLE chat over breakfast. A TV at the bar shows

GOOD MORNING AMERICA. Nicholas and Elizabeth are seated

near. He's edgy, fingering a spoon, hand on his book.

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