The Saint Page #6

Jillian sees something through the windshield. She turns down the volume and squints --

JILLIAN'S POV - THROUGH WINDSHIELD A ROLLS ROYCE sits on the road shoulder. As we pass the Rolls, we see SIMON TEMPLAR standing next to it wearing a hopeless expression.

BACK TO SCENE - JILLIAN looks at the Rolls in the rear-view mirror. She frowns.

JILLIAN:

Just keep driving.

Jillian frowns again. Against her better judgment, she pulls over. Throws it in reverse.

EXT. WESTCHESTER - SUBURBAN ROAD SHOULDER - DAY

Jillian's station wagon backs up to the Rolls Royce on the road shoulder. Jillian gets out.

TEMPLAR:

Hello! She walks up to him. Together they look down at THE REAR TIRE. It's flat, a pancake.

JILLIAN:

Where's the spare?

TEMPLAR:

I.. .well.. .I'm not really certain.

JILLIAN:

You do know how to change a tire.

TEMPLAR:

Sorry.

(beat)

I'm not very... mechanical.

Jillian rolls her eyes.

JILLIAN:

Give me your keys.

Templar hands them over. They walk to the rear. Jillian opens the trunk. They both look down at -- .

THE TRUNK'S INTERIOR - THE SPARE TIRE is also flat.

TEMPLAR:

(sheepish)

Sorry.

Jillian rolls her eyes again.

JILLIAN:

All right, where do you live?

TEMPLAR:

Close.

JILLIAN:

It's your lucky day.

(begins to walk off)

Come on.

Templar watches her walk off. He smiles grimly.

CUT TO:

INT. JILLIAN'S CAR - DRIVING

The car winds through Westchester roads.

VIJAY SINGH (v.o., cassette)

Research has centered on a machine called a tokamak, developed in Russia, essentially a doughnut shaped tube that contains the gases to be fused.

At this, Templar stares at the tape cassette.

VIJAY SINGH (v.o., cassette)

The tokamak hasn't worked because the two gases must be heated to a temperature of hundreds of millions of degrees, and kept together for several seconds.

JILLIAN:

Try room temperature, idiot. The Tokamak's got it all backwards.

TEMPLAR:

Uhhm. Excuse me. Who is that?

JILLIAN:

Him? A powerful, well-respected man who doesn't know a goddarnn thing what he's talking about. If I got one tenth of his funding...

Jillian reaches down and yanks off the cassette player. She looks out the window, grumbling. They drive on.

TEMPLAR:

It's the next left. First driveway on the right.

EXT. WESTCHESTER COUNTY - TEMPLAR 'S HOME

Jillian's station wagon pulls into the circle of the largest mansion in Westchester County. Just stupendous.

INT. JILLIAN'S STATION WAGON

Jillian stares, open-mouthed, at the mansion.

JILLIAN:

You live here?

(turns to him)

Are you for real?

He picks up Jillian's lemonade bottle.

TEMPLAR:

Like the label says. No chemicals, no preservatives.

JILLIAN:

(points at the house)

You work for this or inherit it?

TEMPLAR:

My father made shoes. I inherited the company. Now I make shoes.

JILLIAN:

(looks at the house)

That's a helluva lot of shoes.

TEMPLAR:

Uhm listen, I'm not very good at this and I realize we just met, but I'm even-tempered, politically moderate, belong to no religious cults, have no children I know of, am free of communicable diseases, I happen to find you attractive...

JILLIAN:

Wait a minute, hold on. Are you asking me out on a date?

TEMPLAR:

Yes.

JILLIAN:

How do you know I'm not married?

TEMPLAR:

I believe the fourth finger on your left hand is...

JILLIAN:

(quickly)

Okay so I'm not married. I could have a boyfriend.

TEMPLAR:

I'd be surprised if you didn't have several.

JILLIAN:

Be surprised. Lemme give you a hand.

Jillian pops the wagon's back hatch and gets out. Templar follows. They walk to the wagon's rear.

JILLIAN:

What about you? There's no wife stashed on some island someplace?

TEMPLAR:

No wife stashed on some island.

They pick up Templar's groceries; each takes two bags.

JILLIAN:

No mistress? C'mon. No bimbo on the side?

TEMPLAR:

Not a one.

They walk toward the mansion.

JILLIAN:

Well, that's a start. Here's the deal with me: I am not particularly even-tempered, I'm staunchly liberal, belong to no religious cults but I do believe in God as a basic force of good, have no children because one has to have sex to do that and, well, let's not pursue that, am free of communicable diseases, see above, and you're an attractive man, if a little weird, and well.. .hell, why not.

(smiles)

You've got a date, shoemaker. What's your name?

TEMPLAR:

Michael. Michael Quinn.

They reach the mansion's front veranda. They set the groceries on a wicker couch.

JILLIAN:

I'm Jillian St. Thomas.

They shake hands. Jillian fishes for a pen.

JILLIAN:

I'll give you my number.

TEMPLAR:

Just say it. I have a good memory.

JILLIAN:

(looks at him)

Eight seven seven, five two nine eight.

TEMPLAR:

Good. Great. I'll call you.

JILLIAN:

I've heard that before.

TEMPLAR:

I will call you. You saved me today. Thanks again.

She walks off to her car. Templar turns toward the front door. Jillian suddenly stops. Turns.

JILLIAN:

Hey.

(Templar turns)

What's my number?

TEMPLAR:

(without hesitation)

Eight seven seven, five two nine eight.

JILLIAN smiles and continues toward the car, mumbling:

JILLIAN:

And he has a brain. What do you know.

AT THE MANSION'S FRONT DOOR - TEMPLAR watches Jillian get in her wagon and drive off. Then Templar keys open the door and enters.

INT. WESTCHESTER MANSION - DAY

The place is empty. Totally. No furniture. Nothing. Just Templar's two CARRY-ON BAGS on the floor in front of Templar.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. WESTCHESTER MANSION - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

It's late now. About 10 p.m. Templar sits on a packing crate in the vacant living room with a glass of scotch, studying Jillian's life.

There are pages of personal data and many photographs: Jillian in cap and gown; Jillian in a lab coat; Jillian at the beach, etc.

DISSOLVE TIME CUT TO:

A LEGAL PAD, with Templar's handwritten note: NO HARD COPIES - COMPUTER SOFTWEAR

TEMPLAR stares into the screen of his mini-computer. It is two hours later.

INSERT - THE MINI-COMPUTER SCREEN - Templar has entered every detail of Jillian's life. Looks like this:

Home state:
Massachusetts

Hometown:
Milton

Highschool:
Milton Academy

Highschool mascot: Bulldogs

University:
Harvard

University mascot: Crimson

It just goes on and on: names of parents, family members, teachers, pets, boyfriends; favorite movies, colors, sports teams, hobbies, etc.

DISSOLVE TIME CUT TO:

TEMPLAR finishes entering the details of Jillian's life. He copies it onto a 3 1/4 disk, pulls out the disk and shuts off the minicomputer. He leans down and picks up a SHOE BOX. Opens it. He lifts out a WOMAN'S SHOE and jerks the heel, which lifts away from the sole on hinges. revealing a hidden compartment, in which Templar places a small transistor. He clicks the heel shut. THE SHOE --

MATCH DISSOLVES TO:

THE SAME SHOE, now on Jillian's foot and WIDEN TO --

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