Thirteen Ghosts Page #4

She's trying, sort of, but we can see from Kathy's bodylanguage that she's at her wits' end with the woman.

BOBBY:

Today on 'Death in Manhattan This

Morning,' we notice a small leap

in heart attacks in the city,

cancer deaths are down. And we

have a special treat for

everyone!--a body was found this

morning decapitulated,

decapilated, de-

(CONTINUED)

16.

18 CONTINUED:
18

Maggie cracks up. Kathy turns toward him, nonplussed.

KATHY:

Bobby. Find a healthier hobby.

Bobby shuts off the tape recorder, angry at theinterruption.

BOBBY:

Kathy, I'm broadcasting!

Arthur enters, chipper.

ARTHUR:

'Morning, everyone!

BOBBY:

Dad, they found a guy without ahead in a dumpster behind Dunkin'Donuts.

ARTHUR:

That's nice.

Maggie ruffles Bobby's hair. Arthur pours himself a cupof coffee, sidles up to Kathy.

ARTHUR:

(sotto voce)

Kathy, why don't you let Maggiemake breakfast? That's why I

hired her.

KATHY:

(also sotto)

Have you tasted her cooking?

Kathy makes a gagging response while scooping eggs ontothe first of three places on the counter. He looks at

the eggs burned in effigy but continues smiling.

BOBBY:

Dad, will you tell Kathy thatkeeping a record of deaths ishealthy because it's in theinterest of science?

ARTHUR:

Kathy, it's healthy.

BOBBY:

She's being a real slut about it.

(CONTINUED)

17.

18 CONTINUED:
(2) 18

MAGGIE:

Bobby, don't call your sister aslut.

KATHY:

Thank you, Maggie.

MAGGIE:

A term like 'b*tch' would be more

appropriate. 'Slut' is a term

reserved for those of loose sexual

morals, something, to be perfectlyfrank, Kathy could use a bit moreof.

KATHY:

Ha. Ha.

MAGGIE:

Well, it's true, girl. When's the

last time you had a date?

Arthur pretends to not be disturbed by the conversationaround him, smiling and nodding.

KATHY:

Why are you smiling?

ARTHUR:

I'm pretending you're allperfectly normal. It's workingpretty well, too...

Arthur turns toward the table, and holding a plate offood and his coffee...

ARTHUR:

Hey, Edgar Allan Poe, you finishyour homework? Mr. Petersen tells

me you aren't -

... trips on Bobby's scooter. The hot coffee spills all

over him. He falls back into the counter, knocking thepan of eggs to the floor.

ARTHUR:

Jesus Christ, that's the third

time I tripped on that thing,

Bobby. Get it off the floor

before it kills someone.

BOBBY:

Sorry.

(CONTINUED)

18.

18 CONTINUED:
(3) 18

KATHY:

(to herself)

If we had a bigger place wewouldn't have this problem!-

ARTHUR:

(overhearing her)

Well, we don't have a biggerplace, so let's just keep ourstuff off the floor. Alright?

Arthur wipes off his pants, but it's just one big stain.

Suddenly, there's a BUZZ at the DOOR. Everyone goessilent... Kathy looks to Arthur, who checks his watch.

ARTHUR:

Sh*t... I forgot, the lawyer.

KATHY:

What lawyer?

(beat)

I thought our credit was all cleanedup?

ARTHUR:

No, no. It's not that.

Arthur goes to the door, mopping his crotch.

BEN:

Mr. Kriticos?

ARTHUR:

Brad Moss?

BEN:

(outstretches his

hand)

Ben, yes, how do you do?

Arthur shakes his hand. Ben can't help but notice thestain in Arthur's trousers.

ARTHUR:

Fine. Come in.

BEN:

Now a good time?

ARTHUR:

Couldn't be better.

19.

19 INT. KITCHENETTE -FEW MINUTES LATER 19

Everyone sits at the kitchen table. Bobby is dressed

for school, Arthur is changed. Ben sets up a laptop

computer.

BEN:

As you know, I represent theestate of your Uncle CyrusKriticos.

KATHY:

I didn't know you have an UncleCyrus.

ARTHUR:

Had. I met him a couple of timesas a kid. My dad always disliked

him. Said he squandered thefamily fortune.

KATHY:

We have a family fortune?

ARTHUR:

Well, no. Cyrus squandered it.

Didn't I just say that?

MAGGIE:

(to Bobby)

Isn't this exciting? You have a

late uncle!

BOBBY:

What's he late for?

KATHY:

His next birthday.

BOBBY:

(the penny drops)

You mean he's dead?

KATHY:

Now we get his attention.

BEN:

This message was recorded by Cyrussix months ago. He asked that it

be played for you in the event ofhis death...

Ben inserts a DVD into the laptop. Cyrus's image appearson the screen, distorted from the angle of the monitor.

(CONTINUED)

20.

19 CONTINUED:
19

CYRUS (V.O.)

(on computer)

Arthur. Good to talk to you.

Ben tilts the screen forward. Cyrus comes clearly into

view. He smokes one of his thin brown cigarettes.

CYRUS (V.O.)

(on computer)

Sadly, if you're watching me now,

that means I am no longer among

the living. Happily, that makes

you and your family my sole

beneficiaries.

The family members look at one another with anticipation.

CYRUS (V.O.)

(on computer)

I've instructed my lawyer, Mr.

Moss, to deliver to you the

essentials of my last will and

testament.

Ben produces a small box, lays it on the table, opens it.

Inside the silk-lined interior is a large, odd-lookingkey.

KATHY:

A key?

ARTHUR:

A key to what?

CYRUS (V.O.)

(on computer)

A key to your new house.

A series of windows on the computer screen open to reveala series of photos of an astonishing modernistmasterpiece. We see the interiors. Living room,

bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms. Everyone at the table

gasps.

KATHY:

Bathrooms. Look, every bedroom has

a bathroom!

CYRUS (V.O.)

(on computer)

This house is the fruit of my

life's work. It's a one-of-a-kind

home.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

21.

19 CONTINUED:
(2) 19

CYRUS (V.O.)(CONT'D)

(then)

I've led an interesting life, seenmany amazing things. The onlyregret I have is that I neverreally got to know my nephewArthur. This house is my attemptto make up for that. Enjoy.

Perhaps we will meet again inanother life.

Cyrus smiles. The screen goes blank. Arthur can't

believe his eyes. Nor his good fortune.

BOBBY:

Wow.

KATHY:

When can we see it?

BEN:

The house is yours. Whenever you

like.

KATHY:

(to Arthur)

Can we go tonight?

BEN:

(to Arthur)

I'm planning on heading out thereafter work. The directions're a

little fuzzy. If you want to,

your wife and kids could follow me

out -

MAGGIE:

I'm not his wife.

Kathy rolls her eyes.

ARTHUR:

My wife, um, she um -

BOBBY:

Our mom got burnt to death in afire.

KATHY:

Bobby...

BOBBY:

What? It's true.

(CONTINUED)

22.

19 CONTINUED:
(3) 19

ARTHUR:

Robert. That's enough.

(to Ben)

So where is this place?

BEN:

A couple hours away.

KATHY:

Great, we can stay the night,

and come back in the morning.

ARTHUR:

We're not staying the night.

Why not?

BOBBY:

ARTHUR:

Because you have school in themorning, and I have to teach.

We'll go look at it, but we'recoming home tonight.

(to Kathy)

Deal?

A smile creeps across Kathy's face giving her answer...

CUT TO:

20 EXT. DAMON'S RELIGIOUS ARTIFACTS STORE -DAY 20

PAN AROUND the cluttered closed office at newspaperclippings hanging on the wall. Black and white photos of

newly dug up graves. Autopsy pictures of about a dozendeceased individuals, articles underneath each picturedescribing their deaths. It's a gruesome, graphic,

reportage of things we'd rather not think about.

The first is a suicide victim, found with her wrists

slashed in her bathtub. Another's an archery accident

involving a little boy. The list goes on

ending with a serial killer, one Frank Mahoney, a.k.a.

the Breaker.

and on,

CONTINUE PANNING past books on the Occult, and Damon'sPHd degree in Parapsychology.

We LAND ON Kalina herself, stuffing her worn satchel.

lamp illuminates an ancient book in front of her withhandwritten notes and drawings inside. She closes the

book and stuffs it in her satchel.

A:

(CONTINUED)

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