The Grudge Page #11

DOUG:

Your boss told me what happened.

I’m sorry.

She turns away, the memory bothering her. Doug takes her

hand, massaging her fingers, worried.

DOUG:

I talked to your teachers. They

said you can take as much time as

you need. We could go to Kyoto for

a weekend, see those temples you’re

always talking about.

Karen tries to smile back, but her heart’s not in it.

KAREN:

Running away won’t help.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 51aA.

DOUG:

There’s nothing to run away from,

Kat. No one blames you for what

happened.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 51A.

KAREN:

I’m not even sure what did happen.

DOUG:

You went to help someone who was,

quite simply, beyond help.

KAREN:

No, that’s not what I mean...

She trails off, trying to remember. Doug waits.

KAREN:

That house. There was something...

Doug sees her frustration, and tenderly brushes a hair from

her face.

DOUG:

Don’t beat yourself up searching

for a greater truth, Kat. An old

woman passed away in her sleep.

It’s sad, but that’s all it is -

KAREN:

Is that how they said she died?

DOUG:

I’m sorry this happened to you.

But maybe, in a way, it will help

you later. Death is an unfortunate

but integral part of your future

career. There’s no avoiding it.

Maybe now you’ll be more... ready

for it.

KAREN:

I don’t think I’ll ever be ready

for something like that.

She turns away. Doug wraps an arm around her. Karen leans

into him, and he strokes her hair.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 52.

The moment is broken by a soft KNOCK. Detective Nakagawa

stands in the doorway, holding a thick FILE.

NAKAGAWA:

I’m sorry to disturb you, Miss

Davies. I was wondering if you

could answer some additional

questions?

Doug stands, intercepting Nakagawa. He sticks out a hand.

DOUG:

I’m Doug. Karen’s boyfriend.

Nakagawa nods. Fixes Doug with a blank stare. Taking the

hint, Doug turns to Karen.

DOUG:

You up for this?

KAREN:

(nodding:
)

Why don’t you find out when I can

check out of here.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 53.

Reluctantly, Doug kisses her brow, then exits. Nakagawa

pulls a chair up to the bed and sits, putting the file on a

small table.

NAKAGAWA:

How are you feeling?

KAREN:

Okay. Tired.

NAKAGAWA:

You are an exchange student?

(Karen nods:
)

And you have been volunteering at

the Health Center for...?

KAREN:

Three months. I needed a social

welfare credit.

NAKAGAWA:

You said this was the first time

you’d been in that house?

KAREN:

Yes.

She notices Nakagawa isn’t taking notes. He seems somewhat

uncomfortable, as if he’s building to something:

NAKAGAWA:

About the Japanese boy you said you

saw there -

KAREN:

Did you find him?

NAKAGAWA:

No, not yet. You said the boy had

been taped into the closet?

KAREN:

Yes, that’s right. He was...

holding a cat. A black cat.

(remembering:
)

There was a book in the closet,

too. I think it was a journal.

NAKAGAWA:

Did it belong to the boy?

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 53aA.

KAREN:

I don’t think so. I think it

belonged to a woman.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 53A.

Nakagawa looks up. Karen tries to explain:

KAREN:

The writing. It looked feminine.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 54.

KAREN:

I left it on the kitchen table.

Nakagawa frowns, scribbles a note.

NAKAGAWA:

I didn’t see any book on the table.

Perhaps someone moved it. Did you

speak with the boy after you opened

the closet?

She thinks, recalling:

KAREN:

I asked him his name. He said

‘Toshio’.

Nakagawa immediately tenses. A long beat. He can see how

exhausted Karen is. But something’s troubling him:

NAKAGAWA:

One more question, please.

He slowly reaches into his pocket and pulls out THE PHOTO

Karen found, and taped together. He shows it to her.

NAKAGAWA:

We found this in the room where...

Karen looks at the picture.

KAREN:

This is him. This is the boy.

NAKAGAWA:

Are you certain?

KAREN:

Yes. Positive.

Nakagawa stares down at the picture in his hands.

And Karen notices -- Nakagawa’s hands are shaking.

KAREN:

Detective Nakagawa?

He looks up at her, a faraway look in his eyes.

KAREN:

The whole time I was in that house,

I felt something was... wrong.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 54A.

From the expression on Nakagawa’s face, she’s onto something.

KAREN:

What happened there?

Nakagawa holds Karen’s gaze for a moment. Even in her

exhausted state, it’s clear -- she’s as frightened as he is.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 55.

NAKAGAWA:

The bodies of the son and daughterin-

law of the woman you were caring

for were found in the attic.

Karen just stares at him, stunned.

NAKAGAWA:

It seems that the son killed his

wife, and then himself --

There’s a KNOCK on the door. Igarashi stands in the doorway.

He speaks to Nakagawa in Japanese.

NAKAGAWA:

(to Karen)

Please excuse me for a moment.

Nakagawa puts the photo down and steps into the hallway and

closes the door, but not all the way. Karen watches and

listens through the crack:

90 INT. HOSPIAL - HALLWAY - NIGHT 90

IN THE HALLWAY:
the men speak with hushed voices.

IGARASHI (IN JAPANESE)

We checked the apartment of Susan,

the sister. She wasn’t there...

He trails off, hesitating.

NAKAGAWA (IN JAPANESE)

Yes?

IGARASHI (IN JAPANESE)

The chain lock had been drawn from

the inside. And the deadbolt. But

we found no one in the apartment.

Nakagawa takes this in.

NAKAGAWA (IN JAPANESE)

Get the surveillance tapes from the

office building.

Igarashi nods. But doesn’t move. After a moment, quietly:

IGARASHI (IN JAPANESE)

They were the first family to live

in that house since the incident

three years ago -

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 56.

Nakagawa’s harsh look silences him. Then the Detective

turns, noticing KAREN watching them. He pulls the door shut.

91 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT 91

Nakagawa’s stern voice is muffled by the closed door. Karen

sits back in bed, disturbed.

Then her attention turns to THE FILE on the table.

She considers. Then reaches for it. Opens it.

It’s a POLICE REPORT, in Japanese.

Karen scans it, and turns the page. She draws a breath ---

it’s a photo of THE HOUSE. Cordoned off with police tape.

An ambulance out front. Like the scene she just left...

...only the picture is dated three years ago.

THREE DETECTIVES are visible beyond the open front door,

conferring in the entryway.

The photo of the house is attached to a POLICE REPORT, with

THREE PICTURES. A stern-looking Japanese man (TAKEO), a

somber woman (KAYAKO), and a YOUNG BOY we know very well -Karen

makes the connection. She picks up the taped-up photo

and compares it to the file... the boy and his father are the

same as in the newspaper.

Karen gently touches the “missing” face of KAYAKO -- then her

eyes move to the picture of THE BOY.

Her eyes widen as she reads THE JAPANESE TEXT under his face:

KAREN:

Toshio...

92 INT. NURSING CARE CENTER - NIGHT 92

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