The Tall Man Page #4

JULIA:
David!

(SLOW FOOTSTEPS)

(GASPS)

(GASPS)

DAVID; No!

(GRUNTING)

Let go! No!

(SCREAMING)

(ENGINE STARTING)

Where'd you learn to do that?

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

(INDISTINCT NEWS ON RADIO)

MAN ON RADIO:
Residents may

know answers this evening.

Police scanners are very busy indeed.

We have noticed a lot of increased traffic.

FBI presence in town, and our news reporter,

Amy Wilkinson is there.

(TIRES SQUEALING)

Amy, can you hear me?

FEMALE REPORTER:

Yes, yes, David. Hello. Hi.

Yes, it seems that things

are actually finally starting to happen here...

(DAVID GRUNTING)

CHRISTINE:
You did it.

- He's never going back there.

- What happened?

We don't have any time.

The whole town will be here soon.

It's over.

(DAVID GRUNTING)

Go home, Jenny.

(SOBBING)

Just go home,

and don't say anything to anyone.

(SCREAMING)

(MOANING)

Hey.

Remember that number trick

that you showed us at dinner?

You take a number,

multiply it by something,

add six, and it always ends in three?

(JENNY MOANING)

You don't know what you're talking about.

It's a really good trick. It always worked,

it's just, I don't remember what you did.

How does it go again?

(SOBBING)

(SOBBING)

(PANTING)

Please don't ask me to do that.

You couldn't bear it, believe me.

When we were eating

the Brussels sprouts, remember?

It doesn't matter what number you take.

(GROANS)

It's always three.

(MOANS)

Jenny knows.

She knows.

She's been watching me for weeks.

That's impossible.

No, we got comfortable. We got sloppy.

How much does she know?

She wants to see him.

You take him down, and we go.

- (MOANING)

- (GRUNTING)

Look, you do it, and we leave, right?

Tell me you're not gonna stay here.

No!

(GRUNTS)

(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

(CLOCK CHIMING)

(BANGING)

(FOOTSTEPS ON STAIRS)

(DOOR OPENING)

Of course, you're still here.

I gave him your name, where you live.

Perhaps he'll come.

But if you say anything to anyone,

he'll come for sure,

but not in the way that you want.

Because he'll do things to you

that you can't even imagine.

Get out of here.

(LOCK CLICKING)

(TIRES SCREECHING)

DOUGLAS:
Julia!

DAVIS:
B*tch! Open up!

DOUGLAS:
Shut up and let me do the talking!

DAVIS:
Julia! Open the God damned door!

DOUGLAS:
We're not going to break through.

Okay, the cops are coming.

DAVIS:
You're dead, b*tch!

DOUGLAS:
You'll be dealing

with them, you understand?

- (BANGING ON DOOR)

- DAVIS:
Open up the door!

DOUGLAS:
Everything's going to be fine.

Now, you just come out.

DAVIS:
The b*tch is

frightened to come outside!

(CARS APPROACHING)

MAN:
Check the back door!

Everyone around, we're gonna haul Julia out!

MAN 21 Julia!

(BANGING ON DOOR)

- (INDISTINCT SHOUTING)

- (BANGING ON DOOR)

(SHOUTING CONTINUES)

(SIREN WAILING)

- (PEOPLE SHOUTING)

- MAN:
Come down, you b*tch!

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Are you all right?

For God's sake, Campbell!

I told you to keep her away from the window.

- Sorry, Sheriff.

- Get her away from the damn window.

They want to tear her apart.

Come on. Let's go.

Lieutenant, there's too many.

We're not waiting.

Just keep your look straight ahead.

- Deputy, you're on the right.

- (WINDOW SHATTERING)

- And when we get out that door...

- In here.

I want you to head straight for that...

(PEOPLE SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY)

DODD:
Sh*t!

Come on. Let's go.

Keep your head down.

Look at the ground in front of you.

Do not engage.

We're headed straight for the car.

Don't say a word. Don't talk back.

Look straight down. Come on, let's go!

(PEOPLE SHOUTING)

MAN 1:
You're gonna die!

(CROWD CLAMORING LOUDLY)

MAN 2:
You killed my baby!

WOMAN:
You took my baby!

DODD:
Let's go. Go, go, go, 90!

(GASPS)

OFFICER:
Keep your

head down, Mrs. Denning.

- Down!

- (GRUNTS)

Is team number one

on the second floor?

Well, nice little workshop.

Hey.

A well shaft.

Oh, mercy.

Did you know this house

was built over this shaft?

There's holes everywhere here.

More than 40 square miles of them.

It's going to be a pain in the ass.

Too bad for us, Chestnut.

Whole region's

sitting on this same Swiss cheese.

Uh-huh.

Well, if the children are down here,

it could take us 100 men and 20 years

to find them, if they're down here.

Who's to say she didn't

use this as a passageway out into the woods?

Nah, we're going to need everybody.

Get them outside.

Going to need lights.

- Not a single thing.

- Well, what do we do?

Police line. No one goes in or out!

(SIREN WAILING)

(SOBBING)

How are you, Mrs. Denning?

We haven't found him.

Not him, not the others.

Don't tell me.

(SIGHS)

Don't tell me that's

what I'll have to tell the parents.

Naw, keep going-

You got this covered?

DODD:
Now,

I'm given to understand that your husband

was a well-respected man

around here, Mrs. Denning.

Yes, he was.

Now, there was a large age difference

between you, isn't that right?

- Yes.

- Mmm-hmm.

He was a doctor in Cold Rock

from 1992 until when?

Until the end.

His... His end.

And how would you describe

his relationship to the people around here?

He kept this community together.

Cold Rock was dignified then.

He helped to create that dignity.

Yes.

And then, the mine shut down...

(SIGHS) And morale declined.

And he was gone

when the children were paying the price.

The children?

They were suffering so much.

I had to do something.

Could you explain that for me, Mrs. Denning?

Did you keep them in a room,

one after the other?

In a real children's room with books

and toys, and music.

It's filled with beautiful things.

And Christine.

She looked after the children

when you were away?

Yes.

But apparently, you told David's mother

that you delivered the children

to someone you called

the Tall Man.

All of Cold Rock chose that name.

Mrs. Denning, is there a man,

whatever his name,

to whom you delivered the children?

(INHALES) No.

You acted alone?

Yes.

Now, you yourself, Mrs. Denning,

you were never able to

bear children, were you?

We couldn't have children.

Mrs. Denning,

did you kidnap

the children of Pittsville County?

Yes.

Did you make those children disappear?

Mrs. Denning,

are those children dead?

Did you kill them?

Did you kill them, Mrs. Denning?

Mrs. Denning?

(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)

JENNY:
Cold ROCK, USA,

Pittsville County,

Washington State.

Shut down mine,

no school, miles of forest

and a labyrinth of tunnels.

Possibly the worst place ever to

search for traces of 18 missing children.

Last victim's name, David Johnson.

(LOCK BUZZING)

Well...

How are you managing, Mrs. Johnson?

- I'm holding on.

- Good.

Okay, you want to come in?

Have a seat.

We need you

to avoid confrontation.

We need you to appeal to her as a mother.

Do you understand?

I understand.

Now, if any single remark or question

shuts her down, we get nothing.

We have found no trace of the kids,

and she doesn't talk to us anymore.

Mrs. Johnson,

if you feel that you cannot go through with

this right now, you need to let me know.

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