When a Stranger Calls Page #7

GARBER (O.S.)

All right, all right. What is it?

You're getting married.

CLIFFORD:

No. I got a job today, tracking

someone.

TWO SHOT - CLIFFORD & GARBER

Garber, still moving restlessly, pats his friend on the

shoulder.

GARBER:

That's great, Cliff; I'm sure you'll

find your man.

CLIFFORD:

It's Curt Duncan.

Garber stops suddenly, stunned. In an instant, he has become

stone sober.

GARBER:

What?

ANGLE ON BABY:

Kicking and wiggling about.

CLIFFORD (O.S.)

You didn't know he got out?

The baby opens its mouth and starts to cry.

TWO SHOT - CLIFFORD & GARBER

Garber glances over his shoulder at the baby, then turns

back to Clifford.

CLIFFORD:

I need your cooperation on this one.

GARBER:

Sure. Anything.

CUT TO:

EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT

It is late. The block is virtually deserted. Across the street

is the exterior of a bar -- the same bar Duncan was in

earlier. Some PEOPLE are coming out of the bar. It must be

near closing time. The people turn left and walk away down

the sidewalk. Their voices diminish. Pause.

A car passes. Then the door to the bar opens again and a

woman comes out onto the sidewalk. It is Tracy. She turns to

the right and starts to walk away.

CLOSEUP - DUNCAN

He is standing in shadows across the street, watching her.

EXT. TRACY ON STREET - NIGHT

A series of shots of Tracy walking home. The CAMERA remains

consistently behind her or off to one side, sometimes DOLLYING

with her behind a row of parked cars, sometimes picking up

her passing reflection in a darkened store window.

The impression this gives is unmistakable. Curt Duncan is

following her. We do not see him, we do not hear him, yet we

know he is there. Often we can sense that the very angle

from which we see Tracy is his POV.

But Tracy is aware of nothing. We know this when the CAMERA

begins to move in front of her, once more becoming an

impersonal observer of her walk homeward, to safety.

Tension mounts as we start to expect that Duncan will jump

out at her from every alley and recessed doorway she passes.

But he doesn't.

Finally, Tracy walks up to the CAMERA at the end of a block

and turns a corner; but the CAMERA HOLDS on the dark street

she has just come up. We hear a cough which confirms that

Duncan is lurking somewhere in the shadows.

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT

Tracy walks up the steps and enters the apartment.

INT. APARTMENT BUILDING

Tracy steps into the elevator. The doors close. CAMERA HOLDS

on the elevator and watches the lights above it travel from

one to six.

O.S. we hear the door to the apartment building open and

close.

INT. SIXTH FLOOR

Tracy steps out of the elevator and walks down the hall to

her door. She fumbles through her purse for keys, then bends

over the lock to let herself in.

Behind her down the hall, Duncan appears. He watches her,

starts to move silently forward. Tracy gets the door open,

then turns and sees him. Duncan stops.

TRACY:

Oh, it's you!

(beat)

What do you want?

DUNCAN:

(moving forward)

...Came to apologize. I...

TRACY:

Look, I'm the one who should be sorry.

I didn't want that to happen.

(she sees his face;

shudders)

Oh, God! Look at you. Are you all

right.

Duncan half shrugs, half smiles. Tracy edges into her door-

way. Duncan stands opposite her.

DUNCAN:

I'm new in town. Don't know anybody...

TRACY:

(uncomfortable)

Where're you from?

DUNCAN:

(coughs)

New York. Ever been there?

TRACY:

Sure. Sure I've been there.

They look at each other. Duncan coughs again.

DUNCAN:

Kind of a mean place to be. Everyone

cold, unfriendly...

Inside Tracy's apartment, the telephone rings. Tracy turns

vaguely, indecisively, and goes to answer it.

TRACY:

(over her shoulder)

Excuse me.

She disappears into the apartment. O.S. she picks up the

ringing phone.

TRACY (O.S.)

Hello?...

INT. TRACY'S APARTMENT

As she sits with the telephone.

TRACY:

(nervous)

...No, I just got in... I don't know

if I can... Listen, I can't talk

now. Can I call you back?... Okay...

Goodbye.

She hangs up the phone, stands and turns back toward the

door. Duncan is standing right behind her.

DUNCAN:

I'm not from New York, actually. But

I'm very, very far from home.

He sits down.

TRACY:

Look, you can't come in here.

Duncan looks at her for a moment, then looks about the

apartment.

DUNCAN:

(mumbling)

I thought we might get some coffee.

Can I buy you -- ?

TRACY:

I don't think so.

DUNCAN:

Someplace nearby?

TRACY:

Not tonight. You'd better go.

DUNCAN:

I got no place to go.

TRACY:

(anxious)

You can't --

DUNCAN:

Just, just a little coffee?

TRACY:

Maybe tomorrow.

DUNCAN:

Okay, tomorrow. When?

TRACY:

I said maybe. I don't know.

(beat)

Listen, I'm sorry about this

afternoon. I really am. All right?

That was my boyfriend on the phone.

He's coming over. So please leave.

Now.

Duncan doesn't move. He smiles at her.

DUNCAN:

I like you.

TRACY:

(her voice rising)

Look, do you want me to call the

cops?

DUNCAN:

(standing)

It's okay. It's okay.

He backs to the doorway and pauses.

DUNCAN:

I'll see you later... sometime. I

still want to buy you that drink.

He steps into the hall. Tracy closes the front door and bolts

it. She turns, leans against it and sighs.

Outside the door, Duncan's footsteps move down the hall,

pause, then come back to the door. A moment passes. Then

there is a faint knocking on the door. Tracy doesn't move.

The knocking comes again, a little louder this time. Tracy

stands and waits, scarcely breathing. After another long

moment, the footsteps finally move away.

CUT TO:

EXT. POLICE STATION - DAY

A car pulls into the parking lot behind the station. Clifford

and Garber get out and walk into the building.

INT. POLICE STATION

Clifford and Garber walk down a hallway. Uniformed POLICEMEN

walk to and fro around them.

CLIFFORD:

Jesus, I don't recognize anybody.

GARBER:

Three years is a long time in a place

like this.

CLIFFORD:

Three and a half.

Garber stops at the WATCH COMMANDER'S desk and picks up some

paperwork. The WC looks up briefly and sees Clifford.

WC:

Hiya, Cliff. Howya doin'?

The WC looks down again. Three and a half years mean nothing

to him.

CLIFFORD:

(taken aback)

Hi...

He can't remember the man's name. Garber smiles at him and

they continue walking.

GARBER:

How long will you be here?

CLIFFORD:

Depends on how lucky I get.

(beat)

I'll only be coming around once,

maybe twice a week.

GARBER:

You want to use your old desk?

Someplace to sit down?

CLIFFORD:

(surprised)

Is it vacant?

INT. OFFICE - POLICE STATION

A. Clifford and Garber appear in the doorway. Clifford enters,

walks up to his old desk, opens some of the drawers -- they

are empty -- sits down in his old chair, smiles at Garber.

B. We see Clifford opening a file cabinet and taking out a

folder stuffed with notices and reports --

C. Clifford standing beside a Xerox machine running off a

copy of something --

D. Clifford standing in a hallway talking to a PATROLMAN.

Clifford has a legal pad with him and is jotting something

down on it as the patrolman speaks --

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