Zodiac Page #6

...it's a TOMMY-GUN. Coming from an old tape recorder.

Graysmith lays on the bed next to his son in the dark,

listening to a DICK TRACY radio program on cassette:

FLAT-TOP (O.S.)

Take that Tracy! Come on boys,

let's go!

The sound of squealing tires. Then pistol shots.

FLAT-TOP (O.S.) (CONT'D)

He shot our tires! Darn that

Tracy!

The sound of a car crashing. David giggles. Graysmith,

who's heard this a thousand times, mouths the next lines:

DICK TRACY (O.S.)

You boys are under arrest!

ANNOUNCER (O.S.)

(as the music swells)

Join us for the next incredible

episode of Dick Tracy!

Graysmith stops the tape. He rises, tucking David in.

GRAYSMITH:

Enough for tonight.

DAVID:

Dad, what's Zodiac?

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 29.

44 CONTINUED:
44

Graysmith pauses. Carefully:

GRAYSMITH:

He's a very bad man. A criminal.

DAVID:

Who is he?

GRAYSMITH:

Nobody knows.

DAVID:

Are you gonna catch him?

Graysmith smiles.

GRAYSMITH:

You should get some sleep.

He kisses David on the forehead and moves to the door.

DAVID:

Somebody's gonna catch him, right?

In the doorway, Graysmith turns back.

GRAYSMITH:

Who always catches the bad guys?

DAVID:

The good guys?

GRAYSMITH:

That's right.

45 INT. BEDROOM -- NIGHT 45

A couple, asleep. The PHONE RINGS. The man reaches for it.

Misses. Knocks over the bedside lamp. CRASH!

TOSCHI:

Ah, nuts...

His WIFE switches on her lamp. The man sits up and we get

our first real look at INSPECTOR DAVE TOSCHI. Handsome,

Italian-American. Groggy, he answers the phone.

TOSCHI (CONT'D)

Whoever this is, you owe me a

lamp.

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 30.

45 CONTINUED:
45

ARMSTRONG:

(on phone)

Cabbie's been shot three blocks

from the Presidio.

TOSCHI:

I didn't do it. I've been with my

bride all night, she can vouch.

ARMSTRONG:

You'll pick me up?

TOSCHI:

Let me just describe the lampyou're gonna buy for me-

CLICK. Armstrong, gone. Toschi hangs up. His wife sighs.

TOSCHI'S WIFE

I'll go put on the Folgers...

46 EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREET CORNER -- NIGHT 46

A lone cop stands waiting. Plain clothes. Silver hair.

Kind face. This is BILL ARMSTRONG. A CAR pulls up to thecorner, driven by Toschi. Armstrong gets in.

47 INT. TOSCHI'S CAR (MOVING) -- NIGHT 47

TOSCHI:

I was sound asleep.

ARMSTRONG:

Suspect's a Negro Male Adult.

Walt's on scene, he's locked off

the cab and secured the crowd.

TOSCHI:

Seriously, dead asleep. My eyeswere closed and everything.

Armstrong pulls a box of Animal Crackers from his pocket and

hands them to Toschi, who begins munching on them as he

drives.

ARMSTRONG:

You ever try Japanese food?

TOSCHI:

You mean like teryaki?

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 31.

47 CONTINUED:
47

ARMSTRONG:

No, like the urchin and raw fish.

TOSCHI:

I'm eating here, Bill.

ARMSTRONG:

I always wanted to try it.

TOSCHI:

So. Why don't you?

Armstrong stares out the window.

ARMSTRONG:

Haven't gotten around to it.

48 EXT. WASHINGTON AND CHERRY -- NIGHT 48

CHOOM! KLIEG LIGHTS on a Fire Department "Spotlight Vehicle"

snap on, illuminating the block. An AMBULANCE and CRIME LAB

VAN are already on scene. Uniforms work through the crowd,

comparing faces to a physical description they've gotten.

Toschi pulls to a halt at the edge of the scene and gets out

with Armstrong. Homicide INSPECTOR WALTER KRACKE approaches.

KRACKE:

Evening, gents. Lovely night for

a botched robbery, huh?

TOSCHI:

Third one this week. The end of

summer rush.

KRACKE:

I got foot patrols going through

the park and the dogs are on their

way. Victim's name is Paul Stine.

(gestures to the

Ambulance driver)

Dousette pronounced him at 10:10.

Suspect fired one shot, back of

the head, driver's wallet and car

keys are missing.

ARMSTRONG:

How do you know his name?

Kracke points to a distraught AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN.

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 32.

48 CONTINUED:
48

KRACKE:

Leroy there came down from Yellow

Cab to I.D him. Neighborhood'spretty high end for this kind of

thing, so I already set up transpo

for the cab and the coroner's

rolling.

Toschi, noticing the crowd of onlookers and other cops

lingering near the body and the car.

ARMSTRONG:

Any witnesses?

KRACKE:

Kids who called it in saw the

suspect from that window.

He points to a THREE STORY HOUSE across the street.

ARMSTRONG:

They hear a shot?

KRACKE:

No, they first saw him in the

front seat, thought he was a drunk

fighting with the driver. Oldest

kid ran downstairs to get a better

look from that window, described

him as a white male, glasses,

crewcut, stocky and wearing a dark

jacket.

TOSCHI:

I thought he was black.

ARMSTRONG:

That's the description that went

out to radio cars.

KRACKE:

We already corrected it. You guysneed anything else?

TOSCHI:

Nah, get outta here.

KRACKE:

Thanks.

(to Armstrong;

grinning)

Happy Birthday.

Toschi turns to his partner.

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 33.

48 CONTINUED:
(2) 48

TOSCHI:

No kidding, it's your birthday?

ARMSTRONG:

Yeah.

TOSCHI:

That's great. Happy Birthday.

ARMSTRONG:

Thanks. You want the body or the

scene?

TOSCHI:

Body.

The partners split up. A well practiced ritual. Toschi goesto the cab where LAB TECHS are photographing the DRIVER, who

lies in the bloody front seat. One tech, DAGITZ looks up as

Toschi approaches.

DAGITZ:

Dave. Looks like he wiped the cab

down pretty good but we've got

some blood over here.

He points to the door jamb. Toschi pulls out a flashlight to

examine it. Squinting:

TOSCHI:

Print?

DAGITZ:

Could very well be. We'll dust it

at the Hall. Odd thing is, we

also got gloves.

TOSCHI:

The suspect's?

DAGITZ:

There's blood on them.

Toschi flips open his notebook and begins to SKETCH the

scene. He works quickly, using a TAPE MEASURE to gauge

distances. When he's done:

TOSCHI:

Got enough?

The PHOTOGRAPHER nods. To Dagitz:

TOSCHI (CONT'D)

Help me roll him.

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 34.

48 CONTINUED:
(3) 48

He and Dagitz take hold of the body and hoist it out of the

cab and onto the pavement. The crowd MURMURS at the sight.

Toschi leans in to check the cab's floor. Discovering:

TOSCHI (CONT'D)

Got a casing. Single. Nine mil.

The Photographer leans in. Flashbulbs pop. Documenting the

position of the shiny copper casing. Toschi measures its

position. Adds it to the sketch.

TOSCHI (CONT'D)

Tweezers?

Dagitz hands him tweezers. Toschi gingerly bags the casing.

Straightens up, as Armstrong approaches.

ARMSTRONG:

Nothing from the crowd.

TOSCHI:

Okay - I'm your shooter, an Adult

Negro Male who happens to be a

stocky Caucasian. I flag a cab, Igive this address- Did he givethis address? Who's got the fare

book?

A UNIFORM produces the bagged book. Armstrong checks it.

ARMSTRONG:

Says Washington and Maple. One

block that way.

He points. Toschi jogs down the street a little towards the

other corner. Sees what he needs to and jogs back.

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