The Vanishing Page #2

I gotta clear more space.

Look what I found.

Why don't you talk about her anymore?

She was the No. 1 topic.

What's the point? To get upset?

To wind up all frustrated?

- It's weird how things just fade away.

- It's not faded.

Your stuff is in the top drawer.

What's in those boxes?

More crossword puzzles?

Those aren't crossword puzzles.

They're anagrams.

Oh, anagrams.

That's really important.

It's mostly old stuff.

Just high school yearbooks.

- Really? Where? I wanna see.

- Now?

We have some unfinished business.

Don't go through my stuff. Rita!

- You okay?

- No.

- What is this? It almost killed me.

- It's nothing.

It's for protection.

There's a lot of psychos around.

It's loaded.

That's usually what psychos

respond to, honey.

Why didn't you tell me we have a gun?

You just moved in. You also

have to bang on the faucet.

Let's get one thing straight, okay?

No secrets, Jeff.

In the heart, on the lips.

Rita, I need it.

Fine.

Thank you.

Come on. No more secrets,

I promise, okay?

One night when you're asleep,

I'm going to chuck that gun.

I'm sorry.

This is for Jeff Harriman.

It's Arthur Bernard.

- On a Sunday night?

- Who's he?

A publisher. I gave him my book.

- Wait!

- One sec. Hold on.

I need to talk to you.

Hello? Arthur. Yes, Jeff Harriman.

I'm sorry, Jeff.

I'm afraid it's not for us.

But it's very good. Very talented.

I see.

Don't look so destroyed.

We'd like you to write

something else for us.

- Like an assignment?

- Exactly.

That would be great.

I remember when your girlfriend's

disappearance was in the news.

That was terrible.

I was in Tacoma at a wedding,

and I saw your posters.

I'd forgotten all about it,

but you're still looking.

- Yes, I am.

- I want your story, Jeff.

The whole thing.

What do you say?

I've...

I've been trying to

put that behind me.

Oh, I'm sorry. What happened?

I'm gonna be able to

pay the rent now.

- He liked it?

- He loved it.

That's great! That's great!

- Let's go celebrate.

- Okay.

It's about us, isn't it?

You can tell me. I don't mind.

Let's go to bed.

Excuse me. How much is that uniform?

What time is it?

Seven o'clock.

You have to go?

It's only one weekend a month.

Does your mom know you joined?

She filled out the application.

Go back to sleep.

See you tomorrow night.

Welcome to Channel 7 News Check.

I'm Paul McGraw.

Tonight my guest is the courageous

and tormented Jeff Harriman.

- Welcome to our show.

- Thank you.

In the years Diane's been

missing, any new clues?

Have the kidnappers made any contact?

No, not at all.

And yet here you sit, year after

year, trying to find her.

At least to find out what happened.

That must've cost a lot of money.

Pretty much everything I have.

Let's just say the

kidnapper is watching.

Anything you'd like

to say to him now?

I want to meet you.

I don't hate you. I just wanna

know what happened to her.

I'm prepared to do anything

to find out. Please.

I need to know.

There.

Measure on the bench.

Goggles.

Don't you value your eyes?

All right, gather around, please.

The greatest risk the

research chemist faces...

is that a contaminant

is introduced...

into the experiment...

without his knowledge, rendering

the experiment pointless.

Rita Baker.

"Once upon a time, in a wood,

there lived a finch named Kiki.

With her raccoon friends,

Pop and Reba...

she went to find the

source of the river."

A children's book.

Lulu the alligator. Lavender.

Oh, my God!

Room service.

Open up. The guy at the

desk said you're here.

Is this what you want?

- Take it off.

- Why?

I believe in giving my man

what he wants. You know what?

Call me Diane.

I'll treat you like sh*t.

Then I'll disappear!

Take it off!

Oh, my God!

No secrets? Remember, Jeff?

No secrets!

I knew I could never

make you understand.

Who are you?

You tell me the truth!

Did you know what you were

doing when you went...

from crying to waking up in a

sweat from dreaming about her?

Mentioning her less and taking

her picture off the night table...

and putting mine there?

Dancing on the balcony?

Was the whole thing planned

just to throw me off?

- I didn't wanna lose you!

- You're still in love with her!

I'm in love with you.

What are you saying?

I may not be as smart as you,

but I'm not a dumb b*tch.

- Look at this room!

- No pictures except for the posters!

No mementos, just this!

I love you, Rita!

I cracked the code, Jeff.

I saw the book.

You're a liar.

I tried not to come.

I almost went back home...

but if I did, I'd just

pack up and go.

Why didn't you?

Because I don't know

how not to fight.

Nobody in my family ever

fought for anything.

They wound up on Prozac

and sleeping all day...

or dead from liver disease at 35.

That's not gonna happen

to me, Jeff. I fight!

It's not her, Rita.

It hasn't been for a very long time.

Then what is it?

It's it. It's not knowing.

You know what I do?

I pretend I have a choice.

Either to let her go on

living wherever she is...

and never know what happened...

or she can be dead, and I

get to find out everything.

So I let her die.

I swear to God, I wish she were dead.

You don't know what

it is like to not know.

Sh*t.

I'm sorry. But I don't

know what to do.

I do.

I haven't been to the

gas station since.

I sent the manager posters.

He put them up.

I never went back myself.

Then it's time you did.

Come on.

Till death do us part.

She's gone, Jeff. Gone.

You may never find out how or why.

You have to accept that.

If Diane were here right now...

I'd ask you to marry me.

It's you I love, I swear.

But if it were possible

to choose right now...

I'd rather be back

at this gas station...

so I'd find out what happened.

It's not good enough.

If you ever wanna move

on with your life...

if you wanna be just alive again...

then this is your last chance.

I love you...

but you must decide to

be with me, or I'm gone.

Let her go, Jeff.

Let her go.

Diane.

"Meet me alone...

at the yacht club."

Hey.

Read it.

Go on. Come on.

He's watching me. I can feel it.

My fear was that he was dead.

But there are things in this

letter only he could know.

Jeff, he's seen your

picture in the paper.

He wants to see how far you'll go.

He's loving this.

No, look. He signed it. Barney.

- You think that's his real name?

- That's not the point.

You're right.

The point is, what am I doing here?

It's never gonna change.

It'll just go on until

you end up as crazy.

This letter's the

first break I've had.

I can nail this f***er!

Go to the police!

You can't do this on your own!

The police? They laugh at me.

I'm a joke to them.

I'm starting to see their point.

- Don't do this to me, not now!

- Jesus Christ, you are amazing!

Did it occur to you that she

doesn't wanna be found?

Goodbye, Jeff.

Run like a coward. At least

Diane was taken by force.

I am not Diane!

You've reached Jeff Harriman

and his twisted ego.

Rita Baker no longer lives here.

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