What Lies Beneath Page #9

CRASH!

INT. NORMAN'S STUDY - DUSK

Claire walks in and sees:

INSERT --

Lying on the floor... A FRAMED NEWSPAPER PHOTOGRAPH OF NORMAN

AND CLAIRE.

The caption announces that he's being promoted to the

"distinguished DUPONT CHAIR IN GENETICS." Through the spider-

webbed glass, Norman can be seen shaking hands with an older

academic, hugging a smiling Claire to his side.

Claire kneels down to gather the picture. A single shard of

glass is missing. She finds it a foot away by a distinctive

knot in the wood floor.

She notices a COPPER GLINT in the point of glass, but when

she moves it, it's gone. She places the pieces of broken

glass on the frame and stands.

Out of the window directly in front of her sees: Mr. Feur,

removing a DIRT COVERED SHOVEL from his trunk. She glances

down at the picture, then back up at Mr. Feur, who carries

the shovel around back.

CLAIRE:

Oh no...

Claire wraps up the broken picture. She hears a car door

slam and glances out the window in time to see Mr. Feur

driving off.

EXT. GARDEN - DAY

A stiff autumn breeze. Claire stands at the fence.

CLAIRE:

Mrs. Feur?

She looks through the tiny crack. Nothing.

CLAIRE:

Hello?

(beat)

Are you there?

Silence.

EXT. THE FEUR'S - DAY

Claire glances down as she walks past THE FURROW. She looks

up at the house, which seems quite placid, then slowly heads

around back.

EXT. FEUR'S BACK PORCH - DAY

She takes in the lake view from the large porch. The wind is

really blowing. Her eye catches on something. Propped against

the back door...

THE SOIL COVERED SHOVEL

Claire takes a pinch of soil from the shovel and tastes it,

then knocks at the back door. There's no answer. She knocks

again. Nothing. She's turning to go, then the door swings

open. The smile fades from Claire's face.

CLAIRE'S POV

The immense MR. FEUR filling the doorway.

MR. FEUR

Yes?

CLAIRE:

Um...

MR. FEUR

I'm running late here. I just came

back for my briefcase.

CLAIRE:

Right. Well, I wanted to stop by to

welcome you to the uh, to the

neighborhood. I'm Claire Spencer.

From next door.

MR. FEUR

This really isn't a good time.

He starts to close the door.

CLAIRE:

Well maybe your wife...

MR. FEUR

(growing cold)

She isn't here.

CLAIRE:

When... when will she be back?

MR. FEUR

I don't know.

CLAIRE:

Oh-kay...

MR. FEUR

I have to go.

Slam. And Claire is staring at a closed door.

JODY (V.O.)

What do you mean she's gone?

EXT. LAKE - DAY

Claire and Jody knife slowly through the water in the

Spencer's sailboat heading back toward the dock, the OLD

LIGHTHOUSE, the BRIDE in the background.

CLAIRE:

She's not there. I haven't seen her

since that morning. Well, I mean,

I've never actually seen her, but

I'm telling you, she's disappeared.

Jody finishes securing a line. The breeze is mild, so they

just cruise with the wind.

JODY:

What are you saying?

Claire just looks at her.

JODY:

You think he killed her?

CLAIRE:

I don't know. When you say it, it

sounds crazy. But what else could it

all be?

Jody shakes her head.

CLAIRE:

I mean, he's so kind of grim and

daunting, and she sounded terrified

of something.

Claire glances over at Jody.

CLAIRE:

(laughing to herself)

Listen to me. I sound like some middle-

aged Nancy Drew.

Jody regards her. After a beat:

JODY:

Know what I think?

CLAIRE:

What?

JODY:

Seance.

CLAIRE:

Jody, no...

JODY:

Telling you...

CLAIRE:

(overlapping)

...no... no... no...

JODY:

Just bought this beautiful antique

Ouija.

CLAIRE:

Please. That's all I need.

Jody shrugs, "Have it your way." Beat.

JODY:

Hey, look.

CLAIRE'S HOUSE across the lake.

JODY:

So pretty.

CLAIRE'S POV

A FIGURE in the turreted window of Norman's study.

CLAIRE:

Someone's there.

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