Witness Page #11

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BOOK:

(nods)

Good. Take care of that woman's

name for me. And watch your

ass.

64 CONTINUED:
64

65 OMITTED65

66 INT. GUEST ROOM, ELAINE'S HOUSE - NIGHT66

as the door opens and Elaine switches on the light,

rousing Rachel. Elaine looks haggard.

ELAINE:

It's John. He says you have to

leave now. He says it's urgent.

She leaves the room as Rachel instantly awake, moves

quickly to rouse Samuel.

66A EXT. BATHROOM DOOR66A

Elaine is outside the bathroom listening to instruc-

tions from her brother. From inside we hear the SOUND

OF RUNNING WATER. Elaine is puzzled but also senses

the urgency.

BOOK (V.O.)

Put my car in the garage and close

the door.

ELAINE:

John, I don't understand any of

this.

BOOK (V.O.)

(snaps)

You don't know anything

borrowed your car. Didn't say

why. And you never heard of that

woman and her boy.

66A CONTINUED:66A

ELAINE:

John, why?...

BOOK:

(shouts)

Just do its

66B INT. BATHROOM66B

Book looks at himself in the mirror, his face is pale

and drawn. He examines the wound, a cleanly drilled

hole through his right side, just under the rib cage.

The wound continues to bleed as he binds a towel

tightly about him, before putting his shirt back on.

He then carefully wipes away any traces of blood on

basin with tissues which he flushes down the toilet.

67 OMITTED67

INT . BOOK'S CAR (MOVING)

as he drives across town. Samuel is curled up asleep,

his head on Rachel's lap.

RACHEL:

Where are you taking us now?

BOOK:

Home.

RACHEL:

You couldn't wait until morning?

Book gives her a look.

RACHEL:

(continuing; insistent)

What happened?

But Book, glancing in his rearview mirror, tenses.

HIS POV - MIRROR

In it we can see a police car coming on fast, with

lights and SIREN.

BACK TO SCENE:

Rachel eyes Book warily.

68 CONTINUED:

A beat, then the police car WAILS past. Book expels a breath.

RACHEL:

You said we would be safe in

Philadelphia.

BOOK:

I was wrong.

Rachel looks away, speaks almost sarcastically,

MUTTERING,

RACHEL:

Kinner un Narre...

["Kinner un Narre saage die Waahret" - -"Children

and fools say the truth." - Amish expressions]

69 INT. PHILADELPHIA POLICE HEADQUARTERS - BOOK'S69

OFFICE - NIGHT

ANGLE PAST Book's desk calendar. Carter enters in the

b.g., crosses quickly to the desk. He snaps on a

light, thumbs a page of the calendar. frowns.

INSERT:

Rachel's name and address scribbled on a page of the

calendar.

BACK TO SCENE:

ANGLE:

A couple of plainclothesmen have paused outside the

door to give him a look.

_ meets their eyes. They move on.

Carter shakes it off, goes. And...

CUT TO:

70 OMITTED70

71 INT. CAR (MOVING)71

As light colors the eastern horizon, Book is crossing

into Lancaster County.

Book glances at Rachel; she's asleep. He coughs wrack-

ingly, hurting . . . cinches the belt of his overcoat

even tighter. And . . .

72 EXT. LAPP FARM72

HIS POV - BOOK'S CAR

coming up the long drive.

BACK TO SCENE:

as the car pulls up in the barnyard and Eli crosses to it.

Suddenly the car door flies open and Samuel jumps out,

races across the barnyard to hurl himself into the old

ANGLE AT CAR:

As Rachel steps out of the passenger's side, Book

remains seated. He lets his eyes travel around the

farm.

RACHEL:

Stay for awhile. Rest. I'll make

coffee and breakfast.

BOOK:

I can't.

RACHEL:

What about Samuel? Will you come

back to take him to trial?

Book starts the engine:

72 CONTINUED:
72

BOOK:

(grimly)

There isn't going to

Rachel stares at him, not sure what he means. Then

backs away, closing the door. Book begins to turn the

car around in the barnyard.

ANGLE:

as Eli crosses to Rachel, his arm around Samuel.

ELI:

Who was that man?

RACHEL:

His name is John Book.

Eli is about to inquire further when Samuel cries:

SAMUEL:

Momma - look.

They glance in the direction Samuel is looking.

THEIR POV - BOOK'S CAR

The car has failed to take a bend in the road and is

now bouncing across an adjoining ploughed field. It's

knocked over a tall birdhouse by the roadside. The car

finally comes to rest against a bank of earth.

BACK TO RACHEL:

She stares...

CUT TO:

73 EXT. FIELD - DAY73

as Samuel races for all he's worth across the field,

negotiates the creek via a fallen log - Rachel, now,

also running toward the car.

73A EXT. STABLES - DAY73A

Eli works fast harnessing his mules to an open wagon.

He hops up to the front seat and urges them to trot.

73B ANGLE AT BOOK'S CAR73B

We see that Rachel has made Book as comfortable as

possible in the front seat of the car and is packing

the wound under his trenchcoat with material ripped

from her apron. Momentarily he comes awake:

RACHEL:

But John.....why didn't you go to

a hospital?

BOOK:

No, no doctor...

RACHEL:

(bewildered)

But why?

BOOK:

Gunshot... they'll file reports...

they'll find me.

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