When a Stranger Calls Page #8

E. Clifford at his desk, making notes on the legal pad --

F. Garber is at his desk, on the phone, Clifford appears in

the doorway carrying his legal pad. He waves goodbye to Garber

who nods in response.

CUT TO:

INT. LOBBY OF A FLOPHOUSE HOTEL

Clifford questions the DESK CLERK. He shows the clerk a photo

of Duncan taken some years ago in the mental institution.

The clerk shakes his head and starts to hand the picture

back when Clifford motions for him to keep it. As Clifford

leaves, the clerk turns the picture over...

CLOSEUP - BACK OF PICTURE

Revealing Clifford's name and phone numbers, and a twenty

dollar bill paperclipped to the back of the picture --

EXT. STREET

As Clifford pulls his car up to the curb, then consults his

legal pad --

CLOSEUP - LEGAL PAD

The top three addresses are crossed out. Clifford underlines

the fourth --

BACK TO SCENE:

Clifford looks up from the pad to a bar he has pulled up in

front of -- the bar Duncan was in. It bears the address

Clifford has just underlined. Clifford gets out of his car

and walks up to the bar. A "Closed" sign is displayed in the

window. Clifford knocks on the door. After a moment, Hank

opens the door.

CUT TO:

INT. LAUNDROMAT - DAY

There are only a few CUSTOMERS sitting around, waiting for

their wash. A BUM is stretched out on his back across one of

the tables like a corpse awaiting autopsy. This is CHEATER.

A MAINTENANCE MAN in grey work clothes enters from the back.

He opens a broom closet, takes out a bucket and mop and rolls

them toward the front of the laundromat. He stops at Cheater's

table and shakes him hard.

MAINTENANCE MAN:

Okay, man, move it out. Let's go.

CHEATER:

Wha -- ?

Cheater sits up and starts to pull himself together. An OLD

WOMAN sitting against the wall points down one of the aisles

of washing machines and says to the maintenance man:

OLD WOMAN:

There's another one down there.

The maintenance man goes to the end of the aisle and looks

down into the nook created by the absence of one of the

washing machines.

MAINTENANCE MAN:

Hey!

He nudges at whatever's inside the nook with his foot.

MAINTENANCE MAN:

(nudging again)

Come on, bright eyes. Wake up. Wake --

Jesus Christ! What happened to you?

ANGLE ON NOOK:

As Curt Duncan raises his head into the light and looks up

at the maintenance man. Overnight, his face has swollen

considerably and a bright yellow and purple discoloring around

his bruises has emerged.

MAINTENANCE MAN (O.S.)

You get hit by a truck or what?

He bends over and helps pull Duncan to his feet.

WIDER ANGLE:

As the maintenance man guides Duncan to the door.

MAINTENANCE MAN:

I'm sorry, man, but you can't stay

in here. Go out to the park, lay in

the sunshine. You'll feel better.

Okay?

Duncan goes out the door. The maintenance man turns and sees

Cheater stretched out again on the table.

MAINTENANCE MAN:

God bless it! Hey!

He pulls Cheater off the table and pushes him to the door.

MAINTENANCE MAN:

Out. Out. Out. Out. Out.

EXT. LAUNDROMAT

As Cheater is pushed out onto the sidewalk.

CHEATER:

(angry)

All right! All right!

He straightens his rags indignantly, then looks at Duncan

and grins.

CHEATER:

Whaddya say, pardner. I'm dry as a

bone. You got any money?

Duncan looks at Cheater distrustfully and shakes his head.

CHEATER:

You neither, huh?

(with a laugh)

My name is Morgan, but it ain't J.P.

Guess I better go to work. Take 'er

easy now, pardner.

Cheater shuffles off in one direction. Duncan turns and goes

in the other.

CUT TO:

INT. TRACY'S APARTMENT - DAY

A knock at the front door. After a moment, Tracy comes into

the front hallway and, crossing to the door, stubs her toe

on the open closet door. She swears under her breath and

angrily slams the closet door shut. Then, grabbing her injured

toe, she hops to the front door.

TRACY:

Who is it?

CLIFFORD (O.S.)

My name's John Clifford. I'm a private

investigator.

TRACY:

A what?

CLIFFORD (O.S.)

A private detective.

Pause.

TRACY:

What do you want with me?

CLIFFORD (O.S.)

I'd just like to talk, ask a few

questions.

TRACY:

I've got nothing to say about anything

or anybody.

Pause.

CLIFFORD (O.S.)

Listen, lady, I can be back in thirty

minutes with a search warrant and a

handful of cops, and I can probably

have you arrested, whether or not

the charges would stick. Now do you

want to let me in and talk?

TRACY:

Have you got a badge?

CLIFFORD (O.S.)

I'll show you a badge when you open

the goddamn door!

Tracy unbolts the door and opens it. Clifford walks right in

and closes the door behind him.

CLIFFORD:

I don't carry a badge. I'm issued a

license, a piece of paper, and I

left it at home. You're Tracy Fuller?

Tracy nods.

CLIFFORD:

Can we sit down?

Tracy leads him into the living room. They sit. Clifford

gives her a picture.

CLIFFORD:

Do you recognize this man?

TRACY:

Why?

Clifford lets out a sigh of frustration, realizing that this

woman will continue to be difficult.

CLIFFORD:

He's escaped from the insane asylum.

In 1972, he murdered two children...

broke into a house and found them

asleep in bed. It was a little boy,

five an a half, and a little three-

year-old girl. After the coroner's

investigation, their bodies were

taken to the mortuary, where the

undertaker took one look at them and

said he couldn't have their bodies

reconstructed for the funeral without

six days of steady work. Then he

asked what had been the murder weapon,

because looking at the mess in front

of him, he couldn't imagine what had

been used. The coroner told him there

had been no murder weapon. The killer

had used only his hands.

(beat)

The undertaker went to work and had

them done in four.

The picture falls out of Tracy's hands. She is stunned to

the point of nausea.

CLIFFORD:

What's the matter?

TRACY:

(barely able to say

it)

He's been here.

EXT. STREET

Duncan is standing on the sidewalk huddled close to a wall.

He is looking up at Tracy's apartment building across the

street.

POV - DUNCAN

Traveling up the wall of the building to the open window of

Tracy's apartment on the sixth floor. SLOW ZOOM IN:

CLIFFORD (O.S.)

Do you think he'll try to see you

again?

TRACY (O.S.)

I don't know. He said he had no place

else to go.

INT. TRACY'S APARTMENT

CLIFFORD:

Let's play it safe. Let's assume

that he will.

CLOSEUP - TRACY

Reacting to this possibility.

CLIFFORD (O.S.)

Will you work with me?

She nods, hesitantly.

EXT. STREET

Duncan turns up an alley across the street from Tracy's

apartment building and disappears.

Sound over:
knocking on a door.

CUT TO:

EXT. BAR - DAY

Clifford is standing at the door. The "Closed" sign still

hangs in the window. The door opens, and Hank sticks his

head out.

HANK:

You again?

CLIFFORD:

What are your hours tonight?

HANK:

No hours. Bar's closed on Mondays.

CLIFFORD:

I want you to be open if that's

possible.

HANK:

(closing the door)

No way. Monday's my night off. Come

back tomorr...

Clifford violently pushes the door open. The bartender backs

off, surprised.

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