Zodiac Page #14

GRAYSMITH:

It's a magazine ad for a watch

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 78.

118A CONTINUED:
(2) 118A

AVERY:

A Zodiac watch. Look at the face.

Graysmith does. And right in the center of the watch face is

the GUNSIGHT ZODIAC SYMBOL.

GRAYSMITH:

Oh, my goodness...

AVERY:

That's right. I think it's only

place that word and that symbol

have ever appeared together before

the letters. Guy stole his logo

off a watch.

GRAYSMITH:

Why would someone who's killed

thirteen people do that?

AVERY:

Claims he's killed thirteen

people. But which ones can we

actually confirm? The three in

Vallejo, the one at Berryessa, the

cabbie and that's it.

(off his look)

Bobby... you almost look

disappointed.

119 INT. TOSCHI'S CAR -- NIGHT 119

October 11, 1970. TOSCHI and ARMSTRONG. Sitting. We don't

know where. Toschi munches animal crackers.

ARMSTRONG:

Chief's pulling everyone off the

buses. Business as usual.

TOSCHI:

Something will shake loose.

ARMSTRONG:

Not a peep in four months. First

he can't shut up and now...

TOSCHI:

Maybe we drove him underground.

ARMSTRONG:

Maybe he's gone.

Toschi reaches down for another cracker. The box is empty.

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 79.

119 CONTINUED:
119

TOSCHI:

Happy Birthday.

ARMSTRONG:

Thanks.

Toschi puts the car in drive...

119A EXT. WASHINGTON AND CHERRY -- NIGHT 119A

...and we realize they've been sitting vigil at the Stine

scene. We hold on the corner as the two men drive away.

120 INT. SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE THIRD FLOOR -- MORNING 120

October 28, 1970. Graysmith in a chipper mood, buying a cup

of coffee from SHORTY.

GRAYSMITH:

Does it ever bother you that

people call you "Shorty"?

SHORTY:

Does it ever bother you that

people call you "retard"?

GRAYSMITH:

Nobody calls me that.

Shorty just stares at him. Confused, Graysmith walks over to

Avery, who's sorting through his MAIL and watching the TV on

the wall, which plays a PRESS CONFERENCE.

CANDIDATE:

(on TV)

I believe some clues were

overlooked in the murder of

Darlene Ferrin...

GRAYSMITH:

Who's that?

AVERY:

Florence Douglas, mayor of

Vallejo. She's running for

governor.

He opens one letter. Bill. Tosses it.

CANDIDATE (O.S.)

In the last year we have received

ten pieces of correspondence from

the Zodiac, and still are no

closer as to his identity...

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 80.

120 CONTINUED:
120

AVERY:

And sayonara police endorsement!

Good work, Flo.

Another letter. Junk. Tosses it.

GRAYSMITH:

Does anybody ever call me names?

AVERY:

You mean like retard?

GRAYSMITH:

Yeah.

AVERY:

No.

Another letter. Opens it. He STOPS COLD. Graysmith doesn't

notice. Still watching the television.

AVERY (CONT'D)

Oh, my God...

The sound of all Avery's letters, FALLING TO THE FLOOR.

Graysmith turns to see... A BLOODY PIECE OF PAUL STINE'S

SHIRT. Fallen from an envelope that bears Avery's name.

AVERY (CONT'D)

I touched it...

121 INT. EDITORIAL ROOM -- MORNING 121

Avery, Toschi, Armstrong, Peck, and Hyman sit, a GREETING

CARD between them. SKELETON on the front.

HYMAN:

Paul, we didn't run his last

letters. You wrote the bulk of

the Zodiac articles. It's only

natural for him to get frustrated

and try and communicate with you-

AVERY:

F*** "communicate" Read that.

The front reads:
FROM YOUR SECRET PAL.

Below that is a printed verse. Toschi reads aloud:

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 81.

121 CONTINUED:
121

TOSCHI:

I feel it in my bones, you ache to

know my name, and so I'll clue you

in...

Uses the tweezers to open the card. Finishing the rhyme:

TOSCHI (CONT'D)

...But then why spoil our game!

Boo! Happy Halloween!

Inside the card - another skeleton, pasted from a different

card and sketches of EYES PEERING OUT. Below that:

PEEK-A-BOO - YOU ARE DOOMED! 4-TEEN

Silence as they stare at it.

TOSCHI (CONT'D)

Didn't you call him a "latent

homosexual" in one of your

articles?

Avery raps his fist on the table.

AVERY:

I want a gun.

122 INT. GUN RANGE -- DAY 122

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! On a target as the bullets miss it

completely. Avery finishes emptying a HUGE GUN. Graysmith,

stands next to him, holding a newspaper. Reading aloud:

GRAYSMITH:

"...Paul Avery's investigation has

earned him a message from the

Zodiac himself warning - "You are

Doomed". As a result, several

Chron Newsman are wearing lapel

buttons reading I Am Not Paul

Avery'."

Graysmith lowers the paper. Revealing HE WEARS ONE OF THE

BUTTONS. Avery lowers his gun and we see he WEARS ONE TOO.

GRAYSMITH (CONT'D)

You should really be selling

these.

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 82.

122 CONTINUED:
122

AVERY:

(reloading)

It's been a windfall since they

published the threat on my life.

This one guy won't stop writing.

I'm gonna meet him tonight down

south in "Riverside". You want to

tag along?

GRAYSMITH:

Tonight? I kind of have a date.

Avery raises his eyebrows, reloading.

GRAYSMITH (CONT'D)

Who's this tipster?

AVERY:

He wishes to remain anonymous. I,

of course, wish to remain

infamous, so we're gonna get along

great.

He turns and UNLOADS THE GUN again. DEAFENING.

123 EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREETS -- EVENING -- (RAIN) 123

Using a newspaper as an umbrella, Graysmith hurries through a

light rain to a RESTAURANT. Late for his date...

124 INT. ITALIAN RESTAURANT -- EVENING -- (RAIN) 124

Graysmith enters, soaked. Late. Fumbles his way up to the

table where his date is sipping wine. Her name is MELANIE.

GRAYSMITH:

You must be Melanie.

MELANIE:

Which would make you Robert.

GRAYSMITH:

It would. Glynnis told me a lot

about you-Oh, good, you already

have wine.

MELANIE:

I do.

GRAYSMITH:

I'm so sorry, how late am I

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 83.

124 CONTINUED:
124

MELANIE:

Just a few minutes. I only justgot here-

He knocks over a GLASS. Grabs a napkin, dabs up the spill.

GRAYSMITH:

Sorry - I mean, good. Traffic was

terrible, I was at a gun range.

MELANIE:

Glynnis said you were a

cartoonist, what were you doing at

a gun range?

GRAYSMITH:

Reading. I think I need more

napkins-

(as he sits)

So, you work with Glynnis?

MELANIE:

For her, actually.

GRAYSMITH:

She seems very nice but my kids

are afraid of her-

MELANIE:

Me too. So, the gun range?

GRAYSMITH:

I'm kind of helping out on - you

know the Zodiac?

MELANIE:

Yeah.

GRAYSMITH:

Do you know who Paul Avery is?

MELANIE:

Why does that sound familiar?

GRAYSMITH:

He's the writer Zodiac threatened.

MELANIE:

Yes, I saw that on TV.

GRAYSMITH:

Well, I work near him - he's

following a lead tonight.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 84.

124 CONTINUED:
(2) 124

GRAYSMITH (CONT'D)

He went down to Riverside to meet

an anonymous tipster. Where is

Riverside?

MELANIE:

I think it's near L.A.

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