The Verdict Page #7

---

GRUBER:

Right. Seven o'clock. Here.

Galvin scribbles information in his appointment book.

GALVIN:

Thank you...

GRUBER:

...that's perfectly all right.

GALVIN:

(beat)

Uh, why, why are you doing this?

GRUBER:

(thinks a second)

To do right. Isn't that why you're

doing it?

INT. O'ROURKE'S TAVERN - NIGHT

Galvin is at the bar, smiling to himself. His drink is being

refilled. To BARTENDER:

GALVIN:

I want to buy you a drink.

JIMMY (THE BARTENDER)

Thanks, Franky.

Galvin looks around. A very attractive self-possessed YOUNG

WOMAN is sitting in the crook of the bar across from him;

she is intently perusing the newspaper and circling items

with a felt pen. Galvin speaks to her:

GALVIN:

Would you like a drink?

She looks up. Smiles.

WOMAN:

I'd like an apartment.

GALVIN:

Settle for a drink?

She gestures at her own full glass in front of her.

WOMAN:

No. Thank you.

Galvin shrugs.

GALVIN:

I had a very good day today.

WOMAN:

(beat, smiles, downs

drink, gets up off

the stool, sincerely)

I'm glad you did. Thank you. Good

night.

GALVIN:

You're very welcome.

He watches her as she leaves the bar. He turns back to his

drink.

GALVIN:

Well, well, well. Huh?

JIMMY:

Yeah.

GALVIN:

(sighs)

It's a long road that has no turning.

JIMMY:

That's for sure, Frank.

INT. GALVIN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

A shoddy one-and-a-half room bachelor apartment. Galvin,

beer and cigarettes on the table beside him. He is sitting

on an armchair in the bedroom. A yellow legal pad in his

lap.

He is talking on the phone softly, soothingly.

GALVIN:

I'm going to the Archdiocese tomorrow

at two. I know you don't. I know you

don't... no, you're just following

your life. You have a life too...

you have to move out West. It doesn't

help you to stay here. Well... I'm

sure she knows you care for her.

His attention wanders to the legal pad in his lap.

ANGLE - P.O.V.

The legal pad. Spread on it a couple of Polaroids of Deborah

Ann in the nursing home. Below them, written on the pad,

large, "Dr. David Gruber. Ass't. Chief Anesthesiology, Mass.

Commonwealth. 'They killed her. And they killed her kid --

Her doctors murdered her.'"

The following figures are written on the pad: $150,000.00

written very large, circled, crossed out. $250,000.00

similarly circled and crossed out. $225,000.00 circled many

times.

GALVIN:

(voice over; on phone)

Well. Well. Well. Finally we're none

of us protected... we... we just

have to go on. To seek help where we

can... and go on... I know that you

love her... I know you're acting out

of love.

ANGLE - GALVIN ON THE PHONE

GALVIN:

(into phone)

As soon as I know... you give him my

respects too. Not at all. Not at

all... Good night.

(beat)

Well, bless you, too. Good night.

He hangs up phone, sighs. Lights a cigarette. Rotates his

neck to loosen it up. Reaches to the table next to his bed

for the bottle to pour a drink.

ANGLE - INSERT

His hand reaching for the bottle. On the table the photo of

a very beautiful blonde woman in a silver frame. She is the

same woman we saw earlier in the news clip. She is on the

deck of a sailboat, laughing. A pile of change on the table,

a money clip, a rosary, and the wedding ring in the pile of

change.

ANGLE:

Galvin looking at the photo in the silver frame next to his

bed. He sighs deeply. Beat. Reaches up to the lamp above his

head and turns it off. He sits stiffly in the dark a moment,

then lets his head fall back to the chair.

INT. NORTHERN NURSING HOME WARD - DAY

Galvin, spruced up a bit, sitting on a bed, his briefcase on

his lap. Gazing at the unseen Deborah Ann Kaye in the dark

ward. Silent. Beat. He looks in his briefcase, takes out a

file.

ANGLE - P.O.V. - INSERT

The file, labeled Deborah Ann Kaye. Galvin extracting the

photo of the young mother romping with her two children; he

takes the yellow legal pad from his briefcase and puts it on

top of the picture (the figures crossed out; "Her doctors

murdered her," etc.).

We hear the door to the ward open and TWO IRISH WOMEN

gossiping.

IRISH NURSE #1 (V.O.)

Jimmy, I said, don't you go in your

pocket if there's nothing there...

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes