When a Stranger Calls Page #14

JILL:

Regional?!

JOHN:

Nah, District.

JILL:

(beside herself)

John, I don't believe it! District

Sales Manager!

The WAITER arrives with their food.

JILL:

Well, it's about time!

The waiter looks up, offended.

JILL:

(to waiter)

Not you.

(back to John)

It's about time they recognized you

for what you are.

WAITER:

Enjoy your dinner, folks.

They ignore him. He moves away. John digs right in.

JOHN:

(mouth full)

I'll be the youngest District Manager

in the company's history. God, am I

hungry!

JILL:

(not eating yet)

Does this mean a raise?

JOHN:

It sure does.

John flags down a passing WAITER and signals that their wine

glasses need filling.

JILL:

How much?

JOHN:

A lot.

JILL:

How much?

John leans forward and whispers in her ear.

JILL:

You're kidding! And a car?

JOHN:

And a car.

JILL:

John, I'm so proud of you.

John pauses, looks at her.

JOHN:

What's the matter? You don't like

your food?

The MAITRE D' has come up to the table. John stops suddenly.

They are both very chagrined.

MAITRE D'

Mr. and Mrs. Lockhart?

JILL:

That's right.

MAITRE D'

There's a telephone call for you.

John starts to get up. Jill grabs his arm.

JILL:

Eat your dinner. It's probably Carol.

I'll talk to her.

Jill stands up and follows the Maitre D' through the other

tables to the telephone. She picks up the receiver. CAMERA

MOVES in on her.

JILL:

Hello?

Pause.

DUNCAN (O.S.)

Have you checked the children?

Jill screams and falls to the floor.

ANGLE ON JOHN:

Around him, other DINERS fall instantly silent and wonder

what is going on. WAITERS stop dead in their tracks.

John leaps up from his seat and dashes through the tables

like a madman. Suddenly the restaurant comes alive with

excitement and alarm.

ANGLE ON JILL:

As John runs up and drops to his knees beside her. She is

shaking and sobbing uncontrollably.

JOHN:

Jill, what's happening? What's wrong?

JILL:

It was him! Somebody call the police!

Help me!

Other PEOPLE have crowded around and are making urgent noises

now about calling the police, an ambulance, etc. John tries

to cut through the confusion and anxiety.

JOHN:

Wait a minute! Just hold on!

Sweetheart, what was him? What are

you talking about?

JILL:

That man... Curt Duncan... He's home

again! He's got our children!

JOHN:

He was on the phone?

Jill nods.

John grabs the telephone and quickly dials a number. The

crowd tries to quiet down, as much to hear for themselves as

to let John talk. The phone rings and rings. Finally...

CAROL:

Hello?

JOHN:

Hello, Carol, it's Mr. Lockhart.

What's going on over there?

CAROL:

Nothing's going on.

JOHN:

Is everything all right?

CAROL:

Yes, there's nothing --

JOHN:

Are you sure?

Pause.

CAROL:

Everything's fine. Why? What's --?

JOHN:

Carol, listen to me very carefully.

If there's a man in the house, if

there's any reason why you can't

talk to me right now, just answer

yes to me over the phone. That's

all. If there's any danger of any

kind, just say yes.

Long pause. They wait for her answer. Jill is listening into

the receiver now, too.

CAROL:

I don't understand what's happening.

What man in the house?

Jill is confused. John breathes a guarded sigh of relief.

Jill takes the phone.

JILL:

Carol, it's Mrs. Lockhart. Answer me

truthfully. When was the last time

you looked in on the children?

CAROL:

About forty-five minutes ago.

Everything's fine. They were fast

asleep.

Jill gives her husband a look. John takes the phone again.

JOHN:

Carol, I'm sorry about all the

hysterics. We're leaving the

restaurant now. We'll explain

everything when we get home. Before

we hang up, could you do just one

more thing for me, please?

CAROL:

What?

JOHN:

Would you go upstairs and, and check

on the children for me?

Jill is violently shaking her head. John silences her with a

gesture.

CAROL:

Sure. Hold on.

Carol O.S. puts the phone down. Then there is silence on the

other end. The crowd of people around Jill and John begin to

shuffle and murmur. John tries to keep them quiet while

listening into the phone.

Then TWO POLICEMEN come forward through the crowd. One of

them kneels down to John and Jill who are still on the floor.

POLICEMAN #1

What seems to be the problem here,

sir?

JOHN:

(whispering)

Officer, I'm John Lockhart. Just a

second please, and I'll explain

everything.

JILL:

(whispering to

Policeman)

I'm Jill Johnson, the babysitter

seven years ago with the child killer.

This means nothing to Policeman #1.

JOHN:

The babysitter. The guy got into the

house and killed the two children

upstairs.

Policeman #2 kneels down now.

POLICEMAN #2

(whispering)

Oh, yeah, I remember something about

that. A Greek doctor...

JOHN:

That's right. That's the one.

POLICEMAN #2

(to Policeman #1)

It was in the seventh precinct...

As the two policemen and John mumble between themselves,

Jill takes the telephone.

JILL:

(listening)

Hello?

She presses the receiver tighter to her ear.

JILL:

Carol?

John quiets down the policeman. Jill can now hear what she

couldn't a second ago.

JILL:

(growing hysterical)

Carol? Carol?!

ZOOM into the telephone until we can also hear what Jill is

reacting to. It grows louder and louder... A dial tone.

CUT TO:

EXT. LOCKHART HOUSE - NIGHT

John and Jill pull up in the station wagon followed by a

squad car -- no sirens or lights. They all get out and rush

for the front door.

John pulls out his key to open the door... and discovers

that it's unlocked. Cautiously, they step inside.

INT. FRONT HALL

They look into the living room. Carol isn't there.

JOHN:

Carol? Carol?

No answer. The policemen tentatively draw their guns. Jill

bolts up the stairway.

JOHN:

Jill!

Policeman #2 runs up after her.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALL

As Jill runs down to the children's bedroom followed by

Policeman #2. She opens the door and rushes inside.

INT. CHILDREN'S BEDROOM

The children are in bed, asleep. Policeman #2 stands in the

doorway as Jill goes up to June and bends over her.

JUNE:

(opening her eyes)

Mommy?

Jill kisses her gently on the forehead.

JILL:

Sshhh...

June closes her eyes and immediately falls back to sleep.

Jill walks over to Stevie's bed and looks down at him. He

turns slightly in his sleep.

Satisfied that her children are safe, Jill pulls up the covers

on Stevie and then walks slowly out of the bedroom.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALL

Jill quietly pulls the door shut, and Policeman #2 walks

back up the hallway. Jill leans against the wall and buries

her face in her hands. She is drained. She starts to cry.

JOHN (O.S.)

Nothing was wrong?

CAROL (O.S.)

When I got back to the phone, the

line was dead. I figured we got cut

off somehow. What's been going on?

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT

Jill is sitting on a corner of the bed, looking at the floor.

John sits on the other corner, facing away from her, slowly

unbuttoning his shirt. After a long silence...

JILL:

What are you thinking about?

JOHN:

If I ever get my hands on the guy

that made that call...

JILL:

John, it wasn't a prank. I know that

voice.

JOHN:

He disguised it though, didn't he?

Same as before?

JILL:

I know that voice.

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