The Next Three Days Page #12

185 INT. BANK AND MALL PARKING LOT -- DAY 185

A quiet neighborhood bank sits in the corner of an outdoor

mall. The Prius pulls into a spot; we dolly over to see the

stolen license plate.

Inside the Prius, John opens the backpack, puts on the hat

and sunglasses and places the gun on his lap. And again he

looks at the bank, tapping his toe manically. A guard opens

the bank door for a departing customer, smiles and heads

back inside. John tightens his grip on the gun, tries to

work up his courage, but ultimately realizes he can't do

this.

Furious with himself, he jams the car into reverse and backs

up without looking. He hears a scream, brakes hard and looks.

A WOMAN screams. John stomps on the brakes. He leaps out

of the car and sees a woman dropping her groceries and

scooping her child up in her arms. Call her ELAINE.

ELAINE:

What are you doing?! You almost

killed us!

JOHN:

Are you --?

ELAINE:

Are you out of your mind?! You don't

look?!

She stoops to grab the few items that fell. He tries to

help.

JOHN:

I am so sorry -

(CONTINUED)

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185

ELAINE:

Get away! Get away from us!

She stands and runs for her car. John returns to the car

and sits, leaving the door open and the door alarm screaming.

He sits there, letting the failure and his disgust for his

weakness wash over him.

186 INT. COUNTY JAIL - ENTRY HALL -- AFTERNOON 186

John sits in the children's area, waiting for the line of

visitors to get shorter. One look at his face and we can

see how tortured he is. He has his cell phone to his ear:

MEYER (O.S.)

I'm sorry.

JOHN:

No, it was a long shot. Thanks.

187 INT. CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE -- CONTINUOUS 187

MEYER:

(into phone)

How's Lara?

188 INT. COUNTY JAIL - ENTRY HALL -- CONTINUOUS 188

JOHN:

She's okay. Thanks, Meyer.

John hangs up and stands.

189 INT. COUNTY JAIL - CONTACT VISITING ROOM -- AFTERNOON 189

John stands in the corner, staring out through the high,

thick windows. He turns as he hears Lara and other prisoners

coming. He tries to smile, but she knows something is wrong.

LARA:

What's wrong?

JOHN:

Nothing.

LARA:

Is it Luke?

JOHN:

No. He's fine. I had Meyer see

what he could do about not getting

you moved.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

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189

JOHN (CONT'D)

I told him traveling that distance

would be a hardship on us, that Luke

was already having trouble at school.

Which is true. I haven't been

spending enough time with him.

LARA:

You haven't? YOU haven't? God,

John, you are too much. Luke is

having a 'hard time' because mommy

is in jail for murder, not because

daddy doesn't spend enough time with

him! Your father was right, you

don't live in the same world we do.

JOHN:

(stung)

That's nice, that the two of you

talk. What world do I live in, Lara?

LARA:

I don't know, but it's not the real

one. I am in here for the rest of

my life! And you want me to believe

in some fantasy that --!

A guard steps up and raps her knuckles on the table to get

their attention. Only John looks up.

FEMALE GUARD:

We good here?

JOHN:

Yes. Sorry.

Lara lowers her voice a little, but not her intensity. The

guard walks away under:

LARA:

Now you come here all long-faced,

like you've let me down. What do

you want me to do, make you feel

better?

JOHN:

Got it. I'm sorry.

LARA:

And now you're apologizing. You

really are a gem.

(CONTINUED)

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189 CONTINUED:
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JOHN:

What do you want from me?

LARA:

Nothing. You're too perfect already.

You know you never even asked me if

I did it. If I killed her.

JOHN:

(stopped dead)

Because I knew you didn't.

LARA:

Then you'd be wrong.

She leans forward and whispers in his ear.

LARA (CONT'D)

I grabbed the fire extinguisher. I

hit her in the face. I heard her

neck snap. You know why I did it?

Because she pissed me off. I threw

her purse in the river. We paid for

dinner with the cash from her wallet.

She sits back a bit to look in his face. Only now, looking

in his eyes, a crack forms in her tough exterior.

LARA (CONT'D)

I'm sorry. I'm actually very sorry.

She stands. The guard opens the door and lets her into the

changing room. John watches, unable to breathe.

190 INT. COUNTY JAIL - CHANGING ROOM -- CONTINUOUS 190

Lara gets one last look at John, through the glass, and then

disappears behind the partition. She sits on the bench,

leans her head between her knees, and breaks into shards.

191 INT. COUNTY JAIL - CORRIDOR -- CONTINUOUS 191

John exits along with all the other visitors, destroyed by

what he has heard, playing out what she said in his head.

Then suddenly he just stops. The crowd keeps moving, leaving

him behind. The guard following the group sees him standing

there. Commands him:

GUARD #2

Sir, you cannot stand there.

(beat)

SIR, you need to exit the building

NOW.

WHITE 9-10-09 66.

192 INT. COUNTY JAIL - VISITING BOOTHS -- MOMENTS LATER 192

Lara takes a seat on her side of the glass partition. She

picks up her phone and opens her mouth to speak.

JOHN:

Shut up. I don't care what you say

or how you say it. I don't believe

you did it and I never will. I know

who you are.

She opens her mouth to object but John slams the phone into

the cradle. She pounds on the window. He just stares at

her. Her eyes well up, and she smiles through her tears.

193 INT. COUNTY JAIL - CORRIDOR -- MOMENTS LATER 193

John steps out and sees the MAJOR waiting with his keys.

They exchange a look.

JOHN:

Thank you.

The Major nods and locks the door. John heads out.

194 INT. TOY SHOP -- DAY 194

Luke in his arms, John takes a My Little Pony off the shelf. *

JOHN:

You think?

LUKE:

(already an expert)

Girls love them.

195 INT. GRACE AND GEORGE'S HOUSE -- DAY 195

Grace opens the door. George stands a few steps behind her,

quiet. Grace sees John and is immediately concerned.

JOHN:

Hi Mom.

GRACE:

What are you doing here?

JOHN:

I've got class.

GRACE:

Five o'clock at night?

(CONTINUED)

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JOHN:

Yes.

(kisses Luke)

Bye.

Luke runs in as John walks off.

196 EXT. GRACE AND GEORGE'S HOUSE -- CONTINUOUS 196

John's father watches through the window as his son leaves.

In his gut, George knows something is wrong.

197 EXT. HILL DISTRICT -- NIGHT 197

John sits in his car down the street, watching the corner

where he noticed kids selling drugs.

A car shows up - the same flashy car he saw weeks ago. The

street dealer looks around, runs to the window, makes an

exchange, and then the car drives off again. John checks

his watch and settles in to wait.

198 EXT. HILL DISTRICT -- NIGHT 198

John watches as other cars drive up and score drugs. And

then finally the flashy car cruises up again. John checks

his watch:
it has been two hours. Again the street dealer

runs up and hands the driver an envelope. We recognize the

driver -- he is the one from earlier, whom we are going to

call DAVID. He drives away. John follows.

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