The Next Three Days Page #2

JOHN:

(as if stung)

I love brushing my teeth.

(to Luke)

The lies your mother tells.

LARA:

(ignoring him)

When's your last class?

JOHN:

Three, and I have papers to grade.

Can you pick up Luke?

LARA:

After yesterday I probably don't

have a job anyway. Do you think it

was wrong to call her a useless cow?

(CONTINUED)

WHITE 9-10-09 7.

9 CONTINUED:
(2) 9

JOHN:

Bosses admire that kind of frank

exchange.

*

*

LARA:

(pulls note off fridge)

Did you call your father?

When?

JOHN:

LARA:

(heading for bathroom)

"When?" Yesterday, for his birthday!

10 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - BATHROOM 10

Lara puts her foot up and jabs herself with insulin.

JOHN (O.S.)

I sent him flowers and a handmade

card.

LARA:

You're completely impossible.

JOHN (O.S.)

Did you notice what I got for my

birthday this year? A grunt.

11 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - KITCHEN 11

JOHN:

Mom said Happy Birthday and my father

went . Made me tear up.

Lara returns, trying hard not to smile.

LARA:

Ever think that someone has to be

the bigger person here?

JOHN:

(to Luke)

Remember this for the custody hearing:

how Mommy is always scolding Daddy.

LARA:

How are you going to feel if Luke

grows up and doesn't call you?

Lara can't keep a straight face and heads to the foyer.

(CONTINUED)

WHITE 9-10-09 8.

11 CONTINUED:
11

JOHN:

Now she's driving a wedge between us.

I give up.

LARA:

JOHN:

And now she is abandoning you.

Lara grabs her raincoat and notices a stain on the back

shoulder. Irritated, she heads back to the bathroom.

12 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM 12

Lara rinses the stain under the sink, surprised to see it

run red. She looks at her hands: blood. The doorbell rings.

13 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - KITCHEN 13

John rises to answer the door.

14 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM 14

Lara looks at her coat, wonders how the hell she got blood

on her shoulder. She rubs liquid soap into it.

15 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - FOYER 15

As John opens the door, DETECTIVE QUINN shows his badge.

DETECTIVE COLLERO and a team of detectives push past. John

has no time to react.

Police.

DETECTIVE QUINN:

Mr. Brennan?

LUKE sees the police rush past him and gets scared.

DETECTIVE QUINN (CONT'D)

My name is Detective Quinn. This is

a search warrant for these premises.

John hears Luke cry and instinctively heads inside.

DETECTIVE QUINN (CONT'D)

(stops him)

Stay where you are.

Get your --

JOHN:

DETECTIVE QUINN:

Touch me again and you'll be arrested.

WHITE 9-10-09 9.

16 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - DOWN THE HALL 16

Lara steps from the bathroom and is met by Detective Collero.

She sees the coat with the water spot; nods to a team member,

who takes it and bags it under:

DETECTIVE COLLERO

Lara Brennan?

LARA:

WHAT?!

DETECTIVE COLLERO

Lara Brennan, you are under arrest

for the murder of Elizabeth Gesas.

She takes her wrist and professionally turns and cuffs her.

LARA:

She's dead?? Elizabeth is dead??

17 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - FOYER 17

JOHN:

(tries to push past)

She didn't do anything!

DETECTIVE QUINN:

I will only -JOHN

(tries again)

She didn't do anything!

DETECTIVE QUINN:

Put him in cuffs.

The uniform pushes him up against the wall and cuffs his

wrists. John watches as his child cries, his wife is led

out in handcuffs and the house is torn apart. Cut to BLACK.

18 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE -- NIGHT 18

LUKE (O.S.)

Daddy!... DADDY!!

A light comes on. John steps out of his bedroom and enters

his son's room.

JOHN (O.S.)

It's okay. Just a bad dream.

He comes back out carrying Luke, now SIX YEARS-OLD.

WHITE 9-10-09 10.

19 INT. JOHN'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT 19

John lays Luke on the bed and climbs in beside him.

You okay?

JOHN:

Luke nods.

JOHN (CONT'D)

Okay, you can sleep here as long as

you stay on this side of the bed.

Luke immediately scrambles over his father to take his side.

JOHN (CONT'D)

You're such a snake, I don't know why

I keep falling for the same trick.

John kisses Luke, who closes his eyes and snuggles his pillow.

John reaches for the lamp. Beside it sits the framed photo

that Lara snapped of the three of them that fateful morning.

He switches off the lamp, and the screen goes BLACK.

20 EXT. PITTSBURGH -- DAY 20

The "T," the city's fast-moving trolley, rises up from

underground and we CRANE UP to see the city.

JOHN (O.S.)

But Sam's your friend, right?

21 EXT. ALLEGHENY COUNTY JAIL -- DAY 21

Tilt down from a passing T-Train to find John and Luke,

walking toward the huge, modern Allegheny County Jail.

LUKE:

Not at lunch.

JOHN:

Does he take your food?

No.

LUKE:

JOHN:

Did he say something mean?

(Luke nods)

About Mommy?

(CONTINUED)

WHITE 9-10-09 11.

21 CONTINUED:
21

Yeah.

LUKE:

JOHN:

Did you hit him?

Yeah.

LUKE:

Good.

JOHN:

Where did you hit him?

LUKE:

Near the swings.

Wow.

JOHN:

I bet that hurt.

Yeah.

LUKE:

22 INT. COUNTY JAIL - ENTRY HALL -- DAY 22

- John waits in a long line, mostly women. He glances over

at the pleasant and colorful play area in the corner and

sees children playing. Luke plays by himself.

- John puts his key ring in a plastic container. The guard

takes it and puts the keys with other visitors' belongings.

John guides his son toward the metal detector. Luke walks

through and the buzzer goes off.

John instinctively moves forward to help. A guard stops him

with a hand on his chest. On the other side of the metal

detector another guard runs a wand over Luke, pulls something

from his pocket, looks at it curiously.

It's a toy!

JOHN:

The guard runs the wand over the child again; no screech.

The guard waves John through. No beep. John kneels and

pulls on Luke's jacket.

JOHN (CONT'D)

Don't worry. We'll get it back.

23 INT. COUNTY JAIL - CORRIDOR -- DAY 23

They walk along the hall with all the other visitors.

WHITE 9-10-09 12.

24 INT. COUNTY JAIL - CONTACT VISITING ROOM -- DAY 24

John stares out the window at the city beyond. Life seems

so close.

He looks back into the large communal visiting room; a dozen

round tables and plastic chairs. The concrete block walls

are covered with naive paintings in bright colors and messages

of hope. Luke plays at his feet with a basket of Legos.

The door at the far side buzzes, a guard opens it and

prisoners in red jump-suits marked VISITING ROOM enter.

Lara enters and looks around. She is pale, thin and her

hair has returned to its natural color. Lara hurries to him

and gives him a real kiss. She breaks and steps to Luke,

who plays with his back to her.

LARA:

Hi honey. Can Mommy get a kiss?

(no response. Tickles him)

Come on, give Mommy a kiss.

JOHN:

Rat-Bag. Give Mommy a kiss.

He gives her a peck on the cheek and goes back to his Legos.

LARA:

Is Daddy reading you my letters?

JOHN:

Every night at bedtime.

LARA:

What are you building? A fort?

Lara pulls him into a hug; no response. She kisses his head

and sits at the table with John. She squeezes his hand.

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