Zodiac Page #18

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 104.

153 CONTINUED:
153

TOSCHI:

We gotta go see this guy, Chief.

CAPTAIN LEE:

Where is he?

ARMSTRONG:

Vallejo, he works at Union Oil in

Pinole. He's also got a brother

who lives up there.

CAPTAIN LEE:

See 'em both. And bring Mulanaxin, it's his backyard.

TOSCHI:

Because that worked so well in

Riverside.

(off Lee's look)

Cooperation at all costs, that's

us.

154 EXT. PINOLE -- UNION OIL REFINERY -- DAY 154

August 4, 1971 - Vallejo. Establishing. A HUGE COMPLEX.

155 INT. UNION OIL REFINERY -- BREAK ROOM -- DAY 155

A FOREMAN leads Toschi, Armstrong, and Mulanax into the

cramped meeting room.

PINOLE FOREMAN:

You can talk to him in here. Coke

machine's busted, by the way.

Toschi looks over at the machine, out of order since 1957.

TOSCHI:

No kidding.

PINOLE FOREMAN:

I'll go get him for you.

The Foreman leaves. Mulanax turns to the others.

MULANAX:

How do you want to do this?

TOSCHI:

Bill talked to the informants. He

leads, we follow?

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 105.

155 CONTINUED:
155

MULANAX:

Okay by me.

Armstrong nods - "fine". FOOTSTEPS in the hallway. HEAVY.

The detectives turn to the closed door in anticipation. The

door opens... and ARTHUR LEIGH ALLEN fills it. Over 200 lbs.

Close cropped buzzcut with graying hair. Confused.

Armstrong steps forward, all business. Immediately:

ARMSTRONG:

Mr. Allen, I'm Inspector Bill

Armstrong, this is Inspector David

Toschi, and that's Sergeant Jack

Mulanax - we're investigating the

Zodiac murders in San Francisco

and Vallejo. Sit, please.

Allen does. Nervous.

ARMSTRONG (CONT'D)

An informant notified us that you

made certain statements eleven

months prior to the first Zodiac

murder and if they're true,

they're quite incriminating. Do

you recall having any such

conversation?

LEIGH ALLEN:

No.

MULANAX:

Have you ever read or heard about

the Zodiac?

Allen, surprised the second cop has joined in.

LEIGH ALLEN:

When it was first in the papers,

sure. I didn't follow up after

those first reports.

ARMSTRONG:

Why not?

LEIGH ALLEN:

Because it was too morbid. I told

all this to the other officer.

Now it's the detectives turn to be thrown.

ARMSTRONG:

Which other officer?

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 106.

155 CONTINUED:
(2) 155

LEIGH ALLEN:

From Vallejo.

Mulanax shoots Toschi a head shake - "I don't know"

ARMSTRONG:

Do you remember the officer's name?

LEIGH ALLEN:

No. But it was right after the

murder at the Lake.

MULANAX:

And what did you tell this officer?

LEIGH ALLEN:

I told him that I'd gone to Salt

Point that weekend to skin dive.

I was alone but I met a couple

there. I have their names at home

if you want them.

MULANAX:

That would be great, Arthur.

LEIGH ALLEN:

Leigh.

MULANAX:

What?

LEIGH ALLEN:

Leigh. Nobody calls me Arthur.

Also, that day when I came home,

my neighbor saw me. It was about

four. I forgot to tell the

officer about that.

ARMSTRONG:

What's your neighbor's name?

LEIGH ALLEN:

Bill White. But he died about a

week afterwards. Heart attack.

So I never called to follow up.

(suddenly)

The knives I had in my car with

blood on them, the blood came from

a chicken I killed for dinner.

The three detectives, stunned.

MULANAX:

What?

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 107.

155 CONTINUED:
(3) 155

LEIGH ALLEN:

That weekend, there were two knives

in my car. Maybe Bill saw them and

called the first cop on me.

MULANAX:

We'll be checking on that. Let me

ask you something else, were you

in Southern California at any time

during 1966?

LEIGH ALLEN:

You mean about the Riverside

killing?

A beat.

MULANAX:

Yes.

LEIGH ALLEN:

I guess I was down there around

the same time. I used to go down

a lot, I like the auto races.

Armstrong looks over at Toschi, who still hasn't spoken.

"Do you want to jump in?" Toschi stays quiet. Observing.

ARMSTRONG:

Our informant tells us you're

ambidextrous.

LEIGH ALLEN:

No. That's untrue.

ARMSTRONG:

You can't write with both hands?

LEIGH ALLEN:

They tried to make me when I was

little, but I couldn't. I'm left

handed.

MULANAX:

He also says you made statements

about killing school children.

Allen, becoming upset.

LEIGH ALLEN:

No. That's horrible. That's a

horrible thing to say...

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 108.

155 CONTINUED:
(4) 155

ARMSTRONG:

So you weren't angry about being

fired from Valley Springs for

touching your students?

Allen looks up at him. Tears in his eyes.

LEIGH ALLEN:

I am not the Zodiac. And if I

was, I certainly wouldn't tell

you.

Silence... And then Toschi finally speaks:

TOSCHI:

That's a nice watch.

LEIGH ALLEN:

Thank you.

TOSCHI:

Can I see it?

Allen holds it up for them. It's the Zodiac Watch.

TOSCHI (CONT'D)

Where did you get it?

LEIGH ALLEN:

It was a Christmas gift from my

mother two years ago.

TOSCHI:

That's sweet. Tell me something,

Arthur, do you remember anyone youmight have had a conversation with

regarding the Zodiac?

LEIGH ALLEN:

Maybe Ted Kidder or Phil Tucker at

Vallejo Recreation, but I'm not

positive. I used to work there...

(suddenly realizing)

Ohhhh, The Most Dangerous Game!

ARMSTRONG:

What?

LEIGH ALLEN:

The Most Dangerous Game! That's

why you're here isn't it? Best

thing I read in high school.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 109.

155 CONTINUED:
(5) 155

LEIGH ALLEN (CONT'D)

It's about this man who waits for

people to get shipwrecked on his

island because he's tired of

hunting animals, so he hunts the

people for the challenge.

TOSCHI:

Man is the most dangerous animal?

LEIGH ALLEN:

That's the whole point to the

story! Great book.

The WHISTLE outside the plant blows. Lunch.

LEIGH ALLEN (CONT'D)

May I go?

TOSCHI:

Yes. Thank you for your time.

Allen rises to leave...

LEIGH ALLEN:

I'm willing to help you in anyway

possible. I can't wait until the

day comes when police officers

aren't referred to as "pigs".

ARMSTRONG:

Thanks. We'll be in touch.

Allen exits the room. The detectives stand there.

TOSCHI:

So... does anyone think this

suspect warrants further

investigation?

156 INT. JOHN AND CATHERINE ALLEN RESIDENCE -- VALLEJO -- EVENING 156

Toschi, Armstrong, and Mulanax sit in the home of JOHN and

CATHERINE ALLEN - Allen's brother and sister-in-law.

Armstrong, laying out papers on the coffee table.

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