The Next Three Days Page #9

The notary heads for the door. John turns to the female

guard who is waiting.

JOHN:

I'll just be a moment.

He turns back to his wife.

LARA:

(touching him, melting)

Your poor face. How could you do

that to yourself?

JOHN:

I am useless without you. I can't

even ride a bike.

LARA:

I think it's very sexy.

JOHN:

I'm sorry we had to do this.

(CONTINUED)

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LARA:

You have nothing to apologize for.

But you should have told me before

this.

JOHN:

I know.

LARA:

I don't want you not telling me

things.

JOHN:

From now on I will.

LARA:

(beat)

I won't know where to picture you.

(off his look)

I close my eyes and I see Luke in

his bedroom, you on the sofa by the

Window. I won't know where to picture

you anymore.

136 INT. COMMUNITY COLLEGE - JOHN'S CLASSROOM -- DAY 136

John stares at his laptop as the class does a test. Knowing

he isn't paying attention, a STUDENT angles his multiple

choice test so that his friend behind can see the answers.

137 INT. COMMUNITY COLLEGE - CORRIDOR -- DAY 137

John waits for the janitor to leave his tiny office and grabs

the door before it closes. He slips inside and finds a rack

with keys. He takes one from the hook marked ELEVATORS.

138 INT. BRENNAN'S GARAGE -- NIGHT 138*

John files down the elevator key as he did the house key.

139 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - GARAGE -- DAY 139

John moves aside a box on the shelf and removes the handgun,

wrapped in an old chamois.

PAULA (O.S.)

John?

He turns to see Paula standing in the open garage door.

JOHN:

Hi.

(CONTINUED)

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John tries to look casual as he stands with the thinly

disguised gun in his hand.

PAULA:

I was wondering if I could ask you

to water my plants next week; I'm

going in for an operation.

JOHN:

I hope it's nothing serious.

PAULA:

My idiot doctor misdiagnosed me.

He's blaming the lab; the lab's

blaming him. But I'll be fine.

Thanks.

And she walks off. John gets in the car and slips the gun

between the seats.

140 INT. PRIUS -- DAY 140

John pulls into the empty parking lot beside Don's and waits.

Checks his watch: 1:49 PM. A car pulls in. The guy sits

there for a second, then gets out and enters the restaurant.

141 INT. PRIUS -- DAY 141

John checks his watch. 2:14. He looks around, knowing he

is supposed to leave. He makes a call.

RECEPTIONIST (O.S.)

English Department, this is Catherine.

JOHN:

Hi. It's John. Luke isn't feeling

well, I'm going to take him home. I

need Carl to cover my 2:30 class.

RECEPTIONIST (O.S.)

I will let him know.

142 INT. PRIUS - DON'S PARKING LOT - MANCHESTER -- AFTERNOON 142

John checks his watch: 2:27. His cell phone rings, displays

the name MICK; John presses IGNORE. He feels for the gun *

between the seats.

143 EXT. DON'S PARKING LOT - MANCHESTER -- AFTERNOON 143

The guy comes out of the restaurant. John watches him walk

to his car. The man sees him and stares back. John checks

his watch. 2:
45. The guy drives off, leaving the lot empty.

(CONTINUED)

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John presses the VOICEMAIL button on his phone.

MICK (V.O.) *

Are you ever going to answer your

goddamn phone?

Suddenly a man in a helmet raps on his side window and John

realizes MIKE has pulled up without him noticing. His hand

goes to the split between the seats, but stops short as the

SECOND RIDER pulls up to the passenger window.

MIKE:

You were supposed to leave.

JOHN:

I need them.

MIKE:

You notice that guy was a cop?

JOHN:

Which guy?

MIKE:

The one with the red light in his

back window.

John feels ridiculous. Mike hands him the documents.

MIKE (CONT'D)

Just give me the money.

John hands him the envelope of money. Mike checks it.

MIKE (CONT'D)

You want this too much. You're going

to f*** it up.

Mike speeds off. The second rider gives John a look and

follows. John looks over the passports with their new names.

144 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - GARAGE -- AFTERNOON 144

Luke gets out of the car and heads into the house, swinging

his lunch pale. John watches him go, then reaches down beside

his seat and pulls out the gun, wrapped in a cloth. He hides

it in the garage and thinks about what he is doing.

145 INT. COUNTY JAIL - ENTRY HALL -- DAY 145

John moves through the line toward the metal detector. He

takes his key ring out of his pocket and slips it, and the

separate elevator bump key, into a white plastic dish and

(CONTINUED)

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places it atop the X-ray machine. He steps through the metal

detector and then grabs the plastic dish before the guard can

get to it. He hands the dish to the guard.

JOHN:

How are you doing today?

GUARD:

Don't touch that.

Sorry.

JOHN:

John puts the dish down, and we see the bump key is gone -John

palmed it. The guard dumps John's key ring on the

counter with the keys and cell phones from the other visitors.

JOHN pockets the palmed key as he enters the jail.

146 INT. COUNTY JAIL - CORRIDOR -- DAY 146

John moves down the hall with the fifty or so other visitors.

He eases toward the elevator, keeping his eye on the guard

ahead. By the time the group stops for the door ahead to

open, John's managed to be right beside the elevator.

He folds his coat over his arm to block others from seeing

and feels for the slot. Finding it, he slips in the bump

key. It fits.

The guard at the lead opens the door to the first visiting

room and the crowd starts moving again. John quickly bumps

the key and turns it -- but it won't turn. He bumps it again.

Visitors keep moving past him.

He looks over his shoulder, sees the guard following them is

preoccupied at the door.

He turns it harder. Nothing.

It's stuck. John panics.

He tries to pull it out.

The rear guard closes the entry door and follows the crowd.

John tugs at it one last time, and then turns it hard and

snaps it off in the lock. A BLACK WOMAN among the visitors

sees what he is doing but averts her eyes.

John drops the rest of the broken key and kicks it into the

slot between the elevator and the shaft. He slips back into

the crowd and moves on.

Near the rear of the crowd now, John approaches the door to

the visiting room.

(CONTINUED)

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He throws a look back, sees another guard step up and try to

insert his key in the elevator.

John rounds the corner into the visiting room. The camera

stays on his face until we finally hear A DEAFENING ALARM.

147 INT. COUNTY JAIL - ANOTHER CORRIDOR -- DAY 147

John waits in a line against the wall, beside a door to a

small office. Through the glass he watches the MAJOR

interview the black woman who noticed what he was doing.

She nods and leaves, passing him with a look. The Major

holds the door open for him.

148 INT. MAJOR'S OFFICE -- A SHORT TIME LATER 148

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