Under Suspicion Page #3

---

I promise you.

She have reason to be?

Regardless of what you think of me,

I do love my wife.

I've always loved her.

The only thing I ever wanted

was to be happy with Chantal...

and have children.

But the pitter-patter

of little feet...

was not to be.

- Check those out.

- I certainly would like to.

It certainly pays to advertise.

Ben, Thomas, I caught you in the act.

Married men should be more subtle.

- Where's Henry?

- He'll be right along.

Had a business matter to tidy up.

I thought I saw him

walking into the police station...

as we drove up to the valet.

He'll be right along.

Well, what do we discuss now?

We've pretty much

exhausted canaries and dogs.

Let's talk about the first murder,

if you don't mind, down in La Perla.

Happened not too long ago,

just over two weeks.

Little girl's body was found.

Paulina Valera.

Twelve years old.

Poor island girl.

Mother was a street hooker

living in a motel not too far away.

We think it started

somewhere in the streets.

Paulina was lured or she ran.

Either way, the killer

left her body in the dump.

Yeah?

Tell him I'll be right out.

When I get back, Henry...

I want you to tell me what

you were doing in La Perla...

the night

Paulina Valera was killed.

Superintendent.

I'm waiting to introduce

good citizen Henry Hearst...

in, let's see, 29 minutes.

- And I'm told he's still in there.

- That's right.

Victor, do you realize how important

this fund-raising event is?

Yes, we have two dead girls.

But we also

have countless children...

whose homes were

blown away in the hurricane.

We have open sewers.

- We have a cholera epidemic.

- Sir, I realize-

You obviously do not.

How will the sponsors react

if Henry's accused?

I imagine extremely grateful

that their children are safe.

Just have him across the street...

by 9:
00, okay?

- What time you got?

- Time to go.

- Your pulse is racing.

- I'm due to give my speech!

Speech? Yes, I know.

I've been told.

Two patrol officers wrote down

the license plate number...

of your Range Rover, which was parked

in the vicinity of the crime scene.

Your expensive vehicle

attracted attention.

Officers thought it might be stolen,

called it in.

That puts you in the area, Henry.

Any time you're ready.

Me, I'm just hoping this is

as good as ghost dog.

You know where you were

three weeks ago, Sergeant Opie?

I was right here serving coffee

to stand-up citizens like yourself.

I was at my sister-in-law's.

I had knocked back a few at the club...

and I had this inspiration to drop off

some Christmas gifts for the kids.

Name and address, Henry.

I don't know the exact address,

but I know where it is.

Its Maria and Paco Rodriguez.

Should be in the book.

Chantal's older sister.

Great kids.

- How are you?

- Fine.

Maria's done

a fabulous job with them.

Merry Christmas.

Why didn't Chantal go with you?

It's her sister.

It's complicated.

Paco. Merry Christmas.

I need to know more about this.

No, you don't.

I talked to her.

She gave up a little bit of dirt.

She says that

it's the first time...

that either Henry or Chantal...

had stopped by in a long time.

She didn't sound too friendly.

Why you pick that night

to thaw the ice?

- It has nothing to do with anything.

- Where'd you go next?

I went home.

Police reported

your car at 2:
18 A.M.

You see, this is what we here

at the police-

We call it a window

of opportunity.

I was driving drunk.

I was just driving terribly.

I most definitely needed

to walk off the liquor.

La Perla's not a good idea

for a man wearing Armani.

It was a beautiful night.

- This place doesn't scare me.

- Well, it should.

So? Where did you go?

I found a bench.

I sat down.

I found a bench.

I sat down. I fell asleep.

Found a bench.

Woke up I don't know when.

Felt better. I went home.

What's gonna stop me from

shoving my fist down his throat?

The police would rather

that I drove home drunk?

All right, Henry.

Let's revisit this...

bench later.

First I want an answer

to my question...

as to why Chantal didn't

accompany you that night.

It's between the sisters.

I met Paco Rodriguez.

He's a hot local artist.

Busted him once smoking grass.

- Who doesn't on this island?

- You smoke a little grass, Henry?

Do you? God knows it would help

with your sunny disposition.

I'm thinking you don't

fancy Chantal hanging out...

with a handsome,

successful younger man.

- Do you?

- Is this necessary?

How old was Chantal

when you married her?

- Twenty. Right, Henry?

- You're, what, 67, right?

I'm 57!

Goddamn it, 57!

This is a f***ing outrage.

You know that?

You've no right to pry

into my private affairs...

with these

soap opera insinuations.

Look at you, Victor.

Doing a bang-up job policing the island.

Drugs everywhere.

Just- Crime is rampant.

Superintendent, my butt. You'll

be lucky if you still have a job.

I'm sorry.

I'm really sorry.

This is really rather

unbearable for me.

I don't suppose that...

Detective Owens could

get me a cold drink.

If you would, Detective.

My pleasure.

All right, Henry.

What's going on here?

Do you have anything...

a little stronger

stashed away around here?

Okay, Victor. What's it gonna

take to get me out of here?

We both know that I could

march in an army of attorneys.

I'm intrigued they're

not here already, Henry.

You're hiding something, something you

don't want to get outside this room.

Now it's just you and me.

Tell me about Chantal.

You tell me

about Kate and Consuelo.

If having a difficult marriage

makes me a murderer...

you'd be Son of Sam.

Touch.

Kate and I...

married too young.

She grew to want somebody better.

A man with a real job...

money to buy things

she came to know...

that other men were only

too happy to buy for her.

And Consuelo-

Consuelo just hates

me being a cop.

You stuck with your guns.

You can't tell me

being a cop isn't exciting.

And you obviously enjoy

harassing people.

You don't see folks running

up to me at cocktail soirees saying...

"Gee whiz, a tax attorney. Wow.

What a cool job. Wish I could do that."

Wouldn't mind

what you got, Henry.

Used to be enough.

Chantal's green monster...

extends to her sister's marriage.

You see, Maria married for other

more tried and true reasons...

despite her mother's objections.

Married a man

closer to her own age.

A man of modest means.

Dashing young artist.

Beautiful women.

They are a breed unto themselves.

Wouldn't you agree?

A beautiful woman

moves through life unchallenged...

men giving them

everything that they want.

First their daddies,

then their boyfriends and husbands.

- I'll drink to that.

- For some, beauty is their only talent.

There's always

somebody more beautiful.

Somebody younger.

Chantal's mother taught her that.

Why are you doing this

to me, Victor?

I certainly hope you've gotten your

petty thrill pulling back the curtain.

But there's nothing more to see.

I'll tell you what I see, Henry.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes