Scene 1 : Setting : The Motel : Characters : Mort Rainey, Ted Milner, Amy Rainey, Motel Manager.

Mort's Voice : [Windshield wipers move across car window] Turn around. [Windshield wipers] Turn around. [Makes a face and puts on his glasses] Turn the car around and get the hell out of here. [Placed a hand on steering wheel] Right now. [Shifts into reverse, turns around and backs the car up. Turns the car to the left angrily. Stops] Don't go back. [Shifts] Do not go back there. [Turns around. Shifts again and backs up] [Gets out of car, goes into motel lobby, grabs a key off the rack]
Motel Manager : [Puts on bathrobe, sees missing key] Hey. [Mort gets into car] Hey! [Mort drives further, stops abruptly, gets out of car. Unlocks and goes into a room] [Amy and Ted cower in their bed]
Mort : Ahhhh! [Grabs head and walks away]
Motel Manager : [Runs in] What the hell is going on in here?

Scene 2 : Setting : The Cabin : Characters : Mort Rainey, John Shooter, Chico.

[Shot pulls out of motel and fades into a scan of Tashmore lake]
COLOMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS
A PARIAH PRODUCTION
JOHNNY DEPP
SECRET WINDOW [Fades to red]
[Closes in on cabin]
JOHN TURTURRO
MARIA BELLO
TIMOTHY HUTTON
CHARLES S. DUTTON
LEN CARIOU
CASTING BY JOHN PAPSIDERA, CSA PAT MCCORKLE, CSA
COSTUME DESIGNER ODETTE GADOURY
MUSIC BY PHILLIP GLASS
EDITED BY JILL SAVITT, A.C.E.
[Enters cabin through secret window]
PRODUCTION DESIGNER HOWARD CUMMINGS
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY FRED MURPHY, ASC
[Moves toward desk]
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER EZRA SWERDLOW
PRODUCTION BY GAVIN POLONE
[Passes by computer monitor]
BASED UPON THE NOVELLA "SECRET WINDOW, SECRET GARDEN" BY STEPHEN KING
[Shot of mirror with Mort sleeping on the couch in the reflection]
[Goes into mirror]
SCREENPLAY BY DAVID KOEPP
DIRECTED BY DAVID KOEPP
[Mort sleeps on the couch, clock ticks]
SIX MONTHS LATER
*Snores* [Lifts his hand] [Someone twists the knob of the front door] [Mort is awakened, looks toward the door, puts on his glasses and gets up] *knock knock knock knock knock* [Mort opens the door]
Shooter : You stole my story. [Mort looks at a loss for words] Well?
Mort : I'm sorry.. do I.. I don't believe I know you.
Shooter : I know that. That doesn't matter. I know you, Mr. Rainey. That's what matters. You stole my story.
Mort : [Shakes head] You're mistaken. [He sees the manuscript] I don't read manuscripts.
Shooter : [Holds up manuscript] You read this one already. You stole it.
Mort : I can assure you that I--
Shooter : I know you can. I know that. I don't want to be assured.
Mort : If you want to talk to someone about some grievance you feel you may have, you can call my literary agent in New York.
Shooter : This is between you, and me. [The dogs circles Shooter's legs and whimpers] We don't need any outsiders, Mr. Rainey. It is strictly between you and me.
Shooter : Alright. Look, Mr. Who ever you are, I don't like being accused of plagiarism, if that is in fact what you are accusing me of. Chico, inside! [Dog looks up at Shooter]
Shooter : I don't blame you for not liking it, but you did it. You stole my story.
Mort : You're going to have to leave. I have nothing more to say. [Closes door]
Shooter : [Holds door back with curled manuscript] Yeah, I'll go. We'll talk more later. [Hands script to Mort]
Mort : [laughs] I'm not taking that.
Shooter : It won't do you any good to play games with me, Mr. Rainey. This has got to be settled.
Mort : So far as I'm concerned, it is. [Closes and locks door] [Looks through window, then at dog] [He hears noises coming from outside] [He sees Shooter go to his car and take his hat off. Mort looks a bit scared] [The car pulls out, Mort tries to see the license plates] [He opens the door, and sees the manuscript under a rock, looks up, then back to it] [Takes rock off, picks up manuscript] Sowing Season. John Shooter. [Goes back into the house] Never heard of you, pal. Never heard of your story. [Dumps it into the trash] [Washes hands, walks into living room air drying them] Now, [Lies down on couch] where was I? Oh. Oh. [Dog looks off to the side, then lies down in its bed]

Scene 3 : Setting : The Study : Characters : Mort Rainey, Chico.

[Shot of Tashmore lake]
*Vacuum noise* [Mort sits pensively at his computer, playing with his face] [Shot of computer] [Shot of clock] [Mort looks at the dog, stops playing with his face]
Mort : I'm open to suggestions. [The dog looks sad] [Mort continues to play with his face] [He stands up and looks over the railing, sees Mrs. Garvey vacuuming] [Mort looks at the dog] If you don't go and bite her, I'll kill her. [The dog turns away] [Mort sits down] [Plays with face, then rubs hands together]
Mort : [Shot on computer screen] Four days after George had confirmed to his own satisfaction that his wife was cheating on him, he confro--This is just.. bad writing. [Plays with slinky] Just bad writing.
Mort's Voice : So, you know what to do? [Mort stops playing with the slinky] Just do it. [Puts slinky down, goes forward and highlights text with the mouse] No [Presses delete] bad writing.
Mort : [Smiles, leans back and turns to dog] I think that solves it. *Dog whimpers* [Dog turns around in its chair]

Scene 4 : Setting : The Kitchen : Characters : Mort Rainey, Mrs. Garvey.

[Mort walks down the stairs eating something] [Walks into the kitchen and brushes his hands off on his bathrobe] [Opens fridge and pulls out a mountain dew] [Is shocked at seeing the manuscript on the table] [He walks forwards and examines it]
Mrs. Garvey : [Comes down the stairs and into the kitchen] Oh, I found one of your stories in trash, Mr. Rainey. I thought you might want it so I put it on the table. [While rummaging through a cupboard]
Mort : Yeah. I see that, Mrs. Garvey. [Pretends to shoot her] [He sits at the table and looks at the manuscript]
Mort's Voice : Todd Downey thought that a woman who would steal your love when your love was really all you had was not much of a woman. He, therefore, decided to kill her. He would bury her in the deep corner formed where the house and the barn came together at an extreme angle. He would bury her where his wife kept her garden. The garden that she loved more than she loved him.
Mort : [Jumps up, knocking the mountain dew over] Oh Shit! Aw, Sh--
Mrs. Garvey : [Comes to the kitchen] Oh, thank god. From the sound of you I didn't know what to think. Here. [She throws the manuscript into his hands] Here, let me get this. That's my job.
Mort : I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Garvey. I really am.
Mrs. Garvey : I'll take care of this, Mr. Rainey. Go on back to work. [Cleans up]
Mort : I didn't write this.
Mrs. Garvey : [Looks up] Oh. I thought you did. [Resumes cleaning]
Mort : No, it's not mine. Look. It says John Shooter right there [Pointing] John Shooter. It's not me.
Mrs. Garvey : [Looks up] Oh, I thought it was one of those um.. whatchamacallums.. Pseudonames or.. or nyms.
Mort : No, no. I never used one. I never used one.
Mrs. Garvey : Well, I can't imagine why you would. I mean, hiding behind some made-up name. [Bends down]
Mort : No, no. [Bends down] Mrs. Garvey, what I'm trying to tell you is that someone else wrote this story.
[Mrs. Garvey : [Looks up] Oh, okie dokie then. [Walks away] [Mort is left alone]

Scene 5 : Setting : The Study : Characters : Mort Rainey, Mrs. Garvey, Chico.

[Mort searches his bookshelf for something] [Picks out "Everybody Drops the Dime"] [Places it on the table] [Sits down and pushes back hair] [He opens the book to the contents page, traces down to "Secret Window"] [Flips to "Secret Window"]
Mort's Voice : A woman who would steal your love when your love was all you had wasn't much of a woman. That at least was Tommy Haverlock's opinion. He decided to kill her. [Mort adjusts his glasses] He even knew the place he would bury her. The exact place. The little patch of garden she kept in the extreme angle formed where the old and new parts of the house came together. He'd bury her in the garden she loved more than she loved him. [Mort looks off to the side]
Amy : Why don't you come to the flea market with me. It'll be fun. [Flashback fades in] We've got to get rid of some of this stuff. Look at this, it's awful. [She places a teacup on a ledge] [Grabs a chest of drawers and pushes it away] No wonder they left it. [She completely moves it over] Oh my god, look. There's a window! [She bends down and looks out of it] It's a secret window. [She opens it, revealing a garden below] Oh, this is perfect. I'm gonna put my garden right there. [She turns back] It's a secret window and it'll look down on a secret garden. [The flashback disappears]
Mort : [Turns away] Huh [He looks back at the stories and continues his examination] [He flips through the pages of the stories] Shit. [Shots of the two stories go by] [He closes the stories, rubs his face and breathes in] [He searches through his desk drawer, finds old Doritos. He closes that one and opens another] [After some rummaging, he turns up a pack of L&M cigarettes] [He glances towards the stairway, sees no one, smiles at the dog, then plops one into his mouth] [He turns back the dog] I didn't steal it. [The dog stares] What? [The dog looks down]
Mrs. Garvey : [From downstairs] Mr. Rainey!
Mort : [Smoking] Mmm? [He lowers the cigarette so it is out of view]
Mrs. Garvey : I'm all done. [Comes up stairs]
Mort : Really? [Smoke puffs out of his mouth] So soon? [Nods] I'll see you next time.
Mrs. Garvey : Mr. Rainey... There's something I want to say.
Mort : Oh, no.
Mrs. Garvey : Some women don't know a good thing when they got it.
Mortb : [Nods] Mm.
Mrs. Garvey : Some women don't know that they got the whole world and it's right in front of their nose.
Mort : [Quietly] Mmhmm.. [Nodding]
Mrs. Garvey : There. That's it. [Begins to descend stairs, then stops] Not another word from me. [Mort watches her go down bitterly, then resumes smoking] Mr. Rainey.
Mort : Hm..? [He hides the cigarette]
Mrs. Garvey : Can I make you something to eat?
Mort : No. I ate. Well.. earlier. I'm going to eat later. And I'll make it myself.
Mrs. Garvey : You're a good man, Mr. Rainey. [Nodding]
Mort : You too, Mrs. Garvey. [He watches her go down again] [He frowns, and continues to smoke]

Scene 6 : Setting : The Living Room : Characters : Mort Rainey, Amy Rainey, Ted Milner.

Mort : [Coming down the stairs and shooing away smoke] It's my personal business, Mrs. Garvey. Thank you very much. My personal business. [Sees couch] Oh! My pillows now. [He throws the pillows off the couch, and lies down] Her sticky weird fingers on my privacy. *Sighs* I didn't steal that story. [Closes eyes] [Turns to face forward] I don't think.. [Shot of clock] [Mort drifts off to sleep] [The door of the house shakes] [Mort drifts still] [Shooter walks in] *Phone rings* [Mort blocks away the sun] Wha--? Mm.. [He sits up wearily and searches for the phone] *Phone rings* [He stand up and brings the phone to the couch] [Lies down and answers] Hello?
Amy : [On phone] Hello Mort. *Mort groans* [In person] Are you alright?
Mort : Yeah, I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be alright?
Amy : [On phone] I don't know. [In person] You're up there all alone. Anything can happen and nobody would know.
Mort : [On phone] I'd know.
Amy : [On phone] Right. *sighs* Hey, hey. How's my little baby puppy? Did Chico ever get those cataracts removed?
Mort : *Scowls* Why did you call, Amy? What do you want?
Amy : I had one of those feelings I get. [Grabs wine and glasses] I know you think they're stupid, and you don't believe them but I believe them and um, [On phone] [Mort scowls and strangles the phone] I was making a sandwich and I had this sensation that you might not be okay. [Mort turns on the couch] I held off as long as possible, [Sets down the wine and glasses into a bag] um but then I couldn't anymore so here I am.
Mort : Well, I don't know what to tell you except I'm fine.
Amy : Nothing weird happened or anything? [She walks off]
Mort : [He hesitates] Do you remember Secret Window?
Amy : [On phone] What?
Mort : My story. You know, the one where the... [scratches face] the woman has the garden [On phone] And then the guy has the uh.. shovel?
Amy : [Walks] Not one of my favorites..
Mort : That's good to know.
Amy : [Laughs] Well, it was kind of hostile, don't you think?
Mort : [Sits up and grabs the phone] Gee, I miss your constructive criticism, I really do.
Amy : [Wipes lips in a mirror] What about the story, Mort?
Mort : [Goes to the kitchen] Oh, I was just wondering whether you think it's possible that I might have been influenced by anybody or anything at that time?
Amy : [Fixes hair] Other than Jack Daniels?
Mort : [Returns to couch, drops phone on table *ding*] I know that part, Amy, hence the question. [Sits down, wipes top of mountain dew can]
Amy : [On phone] I don't know. Yu got kinda weird on that one. You'd write it mostly at night. I think. [Mort blows on can] [Amy turns away from the mirror] What do you mean influenced anyway?
Mort : [On phone] I don't know.
Amy : [On phone] Like by another story?
Mort : Look, forget it.
Amy : Mort. [Sits on bed] You swore the one time was the only time.
Mort : [On phone] Forget it. Please, please. Just forget it. Come on. How's Ted?
Amy : *Sighs* He's fine.
Mort : I was thinking that he and I should get together sometime, have a drink because you know, we've been to a lot of the same places.
Amy : You know what? I gotta go.
Mort : So do I.
Amy : [Lies back on the bed] Okay.
Mort : Is he there?
Amy : [On phone] No. [In person] We're not together.
Mort : [Is amazed] Wow. Well.. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't on the verge of doing Snoopy dances. Heh.
Amy : No, Mort. [Sits back up] *sighs* What I meant was, we're not together at the moment. [On phone] He's coming over later. He hardly ever comes here, I usually go to his house.
Mort : [Smiles] There's a useful detail. Thanks for that. [Lies back down]
Amy : [Looks out window, sees Ted's car pulling in] Don't ask, then. It was working just fine that way.
Mort : [On phone] I think you should have him over the house more. [In person] Such a nice house, I like it, I mean I love it. That's why I bought it.
Amy : [Ted approaches the house] Goodbye, Mort.
Mort : Goodbye, Amy. [Both hang up] [Sits up, with head in hands] Oh, shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Scene 7 : Setting : Outside : Characters : Mort Rainey, John Shooter, Tom Greenleaf.

[Mort walks down the muddy path outside, holding a walking stick] [He slaps a mosquito on his neck] [He stops at the clearing, seeing Shooter's car]
Shooter : You read it?
Mort : I did.
Shooter : I imagine it rang a bell, didn't it?
Mort : Oh, it certainly did. [Approaches Shooter] When did you write it?
Shooter : I thought you'd ask that. [Sits on his car]
Mort : Well, sure. That's the whole point isn't it? When two writers show up with the same story, it's all about who wrote the words first. Wouldn't you say that's true?
Shooter : I suppose I would. I suppose that's why I came all the way up here from Mississippi. [Mort stops, sticks the walking stick in the ground leaning on it, and turns to the road] *Honk honk honk* [Mort waves, Shooter salutes with his hand] I wrote it seven years ago. 1997. How'd you get it? [Mort smiles] It's what I really want to know. [He goes up to Mort] How in the hell did a big money-scribblin' asshole like you get down to a little shitsplat town in Mississippi and steal my goddamn story?
Mort : Drop it. [Walks away]
Shooter : Drop it? Drop it? What in the hell do you mean, Drop it?
Mort : [Comes back] You said you wrote your story in 1997? i wrote mine in late '94. It was published for the first time in June '95 in a magazine. Nice try, Mr. Shooter, but I beat ya by two years. So if anybody's got a bitch about plagiarism, it's me. [Turns away]
Shooter : You lie! [Pins him against the car]
Mort : [Throws him off] No I don't!
Shooter : Prove it!
Mort : I don't have to prove a thing to you. Go look for yourself. Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine June 1995.
Shooter : And how am I supposed to find that?
Mort : That's not my problem.
Shooter : Am I supposed to drive down to your house in Riverdale New York and ask your wife Amy for it? [Mort looks shocked] [Shooter smiles] I read it on your book jacket.
Mort : [Gulps] That's not my house, that's hers.
Shooter : What the hell does that mean?
Mort : What do you think it means, you ignorant hick? I'm in the middle of a divorce! D-I-V-O-R-C-E -- di-vorce.
Shooter : You strike me as the kind of guy who's on the lookout for a head he can knock off with a shovel. But what you don't understand is if we do start to fight, it's not going to end until one or the other of us is dead. [Goes to the car] [Mort is nervous] Hold your water. I'm just gettin' m'smokes. [He offers one to Mort]
Mort : I don't smoke.
Shooter : I'll give you three days. You call your ex and get her to send you the magazine with your story in it, if there is such a magazine, and I'll be back. [Slips a cigarette into his mouth and lights it]
Mort : If I show it to you, will you go back to wherever you came from and leave me alone?
Shooter : [Puffs smoke] [Nods] Three days. [He returns to his car]
Mort : Always a pleasure to meet a reader.

Scene 8 : Setting : The Living Room : Characters : Mort Rainey, Chico.

[Shot of table with a sandwich with a bite taken out of it, Doritos, an open jar of Jif, an almost empty glass of milk] [The clock ticks] [Mort sits at the table, the dog on the floor] [The faucet leaks] [Mort looks down, then up] [The dog licks its lips] [Mort picks up the sandwich sadly]
Mort : [Sighs] I don't wanna call her. [Gets on floor, holds the sandwich out to the dog] [Lies down next to dog] I wanna go to sleep, I wanna take a nap. Huh? [The dog eats the sandwich] Okay. No nap. I give her a call about the magazine.. I go write some crap for a couple of hours.. [The dog isn't paying attention] And then I get to take a nap. *A dog barks from outside* [Chico looks away] Right? Chico? [The dog gets up and leaves, heading to the doggy door] [Mort turns his head to the dog] ChicoOoOoO don't be discouraAaAaAaged! [The dog walks out] Alright, go ahead and be discouraged, ya blind [Gets up] bastard. See if I care! [Unplugs the phone line] [Heads to the couch] And returned [Sits down] to the couch. *Sighs* [Takes of watch] In shame. Degradation. [Puts watch on table] [Takes off glasses and puts them on the table] [Takes off shoes] [Lies down] *Sighs* Sloth. Sloth. [The clock ticks] [The shot pulls away into darkness] [Mort tosses and turns on the couch] [He turns to the edge, and sees he's hanging over a waterfall] [He falls off, flustered] [He pushes back his hair and groans] [Picks up watch, then puts on glasses, then pushes back hair again] [Puts down watch and breathes in] [He gets up and goes over to the sink, fills a glass of water] [He places it up to his mouth to drink, but notices that his back door is open, and there's something white on the wall blowing in the wind] [Is curious, goes up closer to get a better look, places the glass on the counter] [He opens the door, and flips the light switch, but the light doesn't turn on] [He scowls, and goes in to get a flashlight] [Turns the flashlight on, and examines the light, noticing that there is broken glass on the floor] [He moves the flashlight around and looks elsewhere, then walks over to the garbage bin] [He moves the beam across trees, and his car] [Goes down the stairs, and over to the wall and finds a note attached to the wall HAve 3 days i am Not JokiNg NO POLICE"] [Mort turns to the garbage bin and sees a white blanket over something] [He focuses the flashlight on it, then turns away] [He turns back and approaches, then pulls off the blanket] [The dog with a screwdriver through its head is under the blanket] [Mort falls away] Oh! Uh. Ho.. uh.. [He looks at the dead dog, moves his flashlight all around him, breathing heavily] Shooter! I'll get you for this! You hear me? I'll get you for this! [Mort returns to the house and locks all windows and doors] [He walks forward and looks around the house] [The sun is coming up, and he buries the dog int he ground with a shovel] [He sticks the shovel in the ground]

Scene 9 : Setting : The Sheriff's Department : Characters : Mort Rainey, Dave Newsome, Secretary.

[A shot of Tashmore lake]
Dave : Chico? He killed Chico?
Mort : Yeah. Last night, around 9. I was asleep. [They walk towards the building] Look, he left this [Holds out the note]
Dave : [Takes the note] You have 3 days, I'm not joking. No police. Hahaha. Anytime somebody sits down and writes "No police" That's just about exactly the time that a fella should get himself over to the police. [He opens the door] [Mort goes in, then Dave]
Mort : Yeah, yeah. Well, that's what I figured. [They walk to Dave's desk] So what I've got is a detailed description of him, I've got a detailed [He turns to Dave] description of his ca--
Dave : Type a little harder. You have to get through the carbon [He points to the secretary's papers]
Mort : [Dave walks to behind his desk] [Mort is shocked at the rudeness] You know what, [He points] I didn't get the license plate number, but I'm sure they were Mississippi tags. [Dave puts his glasses on and sits down] I think that it started with an A.. 'cause that's what I see in my mind.
Dave : [Picks up needlepoint] Needlepoint! Can you believe it? Doc says it's good for the arthritis. [Does some needlepoint]
Mort : Yeah.. [Glances at secretary] [Sits down] Anyway, anything you can find out about this guy I would really appreciate--
Dave : I must cut quite an intimidating law enforcement figure, huh [Laughs]
Mort : [Is nervous] I-I'd like to know what I'm dealing with here, because maybe he's got a violent history.. uh... maybe you find him, you could talk to him. I think that would probably be better.
Dave : So, you got yourself a member of the crazy folks tribe?
Mort : Yeah.. I mean, they pop up every once in awhile, I suppose that's just the price of selling a few books.
Secretary : [On phone] Ha ha ha ha haa! [Mort looks at her, annoyed] Sorry..
Mort : [Smiles, then looks away] [He grabs something from his coat pocket] Here's the uh.. [He looks back at the secretary confusedly] The description.
Dave : Killing an animal is not like killing a man. I'm not even sure that it's a crime, come to think of.
Mort : Come on, it's gotta be. What about animal cruelty? What about destruction of private property? What about--
Dave : Yeah, yeah, yeah.. Maybe. Okay. First thing I'm gonna need [Puts down needlepoint and picks up a pen], is a description. [Looks up at Mort] [Mort looks shocked]

Scene 10 : Setting : Ken's Office : Characters : Mort Rainey, Ken Karsch, Secretary.

[Shot of New York buildings through a window]
Ken : Tell me the truth. Did you steal it? [A siren goes]
Mort: [Turns away from the window in shock] What!? No!
Ken : Kind of an amazing coincidence, don't you think? [Mort listens] The stories being so much alike?
Mort : Well, obviously the guy copied it from me. Would you like to choose a side before we continue?
Ken : I'm on your side, but I still need to know the truth. Which kind of situation is this? Is he a regular wacko, like you've had before in which case I can help? Or is this something you should be talking to your lawyer about?
Mort : [Shakes head] No, no. This guy is just simply out of his mind. I think that's all it is. [Sits down]
Ken : Fine. [Spreads hands] Okay. What do you want me to do?
Mort : I want you to help me in the same way that.. [Ken's secretary comes in bringing some food and places it on the desk] [Mort is distracted, stares at the secretary] In the.. same way that you.. did before.
Ken : He wasn't this crazy. [Reaches to food] That guy was just an obsessed reader who couldn't tell real life from the crap that you make up for a living. No offense. [Mort smiles] Now, this Shooter guy. He threatened your life?
Mort : He put a screwdriver through my dog.
Ken : [Eating] Well, he did break a law, but it doesn't seem to be an important law in Tashmore Lake. The sheriff... must be a cat person. [Smiles]
Mort : [Comes forward] Yeah, well I don't exactly feel safe with a 70 year old arthritic sheriff watching my back. Are you gonna help me, or not?
Ken : Uh.. Let's see. [Looks at plan book] I got a.... corporate loyalty thing I gotta be back for by Friday, but I can give you a couple of days.
Mort : [Nods] Okay. [Breathes in] My story came out a couple years... [Ken presses Mort's side of the chess timer] [Mort looks annoyed] before.. he says he wrote his. So I've got a copy of the original up at Amy's house. I was just gonna stop by on my way upstate and pick it up.
Ken : Amy's house?
Mort : Yeah. [Nods] Amy and I split up about 6 months ago.
Ken : I'm sorry.
Mort : [Nods] Yeah. Me too.
Ken : Amicable?
Mort : Not remotely.
Ken : What happened? Did you finally nail one of your groupies at a book signing? The Omaha Barnes & Noble? Hehehe. [Mort presses Ken's side of the chess timer] [Nods] That was a dick thing to say, you know? Rotten profession. I apologize. [Presses Mort's side of the timer again] You were saying?
Mort : I was saying... That if it's just proof that this guy Shooter wants, fine. I show him the magazine, but I think that maybe you should be with me when I show it to him.
Ken : No shit, I'm gonna be with you. You remember my rate?
Mort : Yeah. An obscene fortune, right?
Ken : Look, you'll see a black cadillac in the driveway tonight when you get home. Don't freak out, it's me. Keeping an eye on things.
Mort : Okay. [Gets up]
Ken : Get a good night's sleep. You don't look too hot. [Mort Leaves]

Scene 11 : Setting : Outside Amy's House : Characters : Mort Rainey, Amy Rainey, Ted Milner.

[Mort drives on the highway to Amy's house] [He gets into the neighborhood and slows down] [He stops across from the house and pulls into someone's driveway] [Amy and Ted emerge from the house, talking, Ted pointing at things] [Mort regards from the reflection in the car mirror] [Amy and Ted stop by their car, and kiss]
Mort's Voice : This is not..my beautiful house. [Amy and Ted get into the car] This is not.. my beautiful wife. [The car drives off] ... Anymore. [Camera focuses out of the picture and we see the mirror, "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear"] [Mort is sad, and plays with his face]

Scene 12 : Setting : The Cabin : Characters : Mort Rainey, Ken Karsch.

[The moon is out. Mort pulls into his driveway, and spot's Ken's black cadillac] [He stops the car, looks around and sees Ken's head against the window] [He turns the car off and gets out] [He walks towards the car slowly and carefully] [He bends down and sees Ken's head on the steering wheel] [He approaches, his reflection in the window, and taps on the glass] [Ken's head lifts]
Mort : [Jumps] Oh! [He turns away] [Ken opens the car door and gets out] [They both laugh] [Mort pushes back his hair and smiles] You scared the shit out of me!
Ken : Hey, hey. I'm sorry about that. This last week must've finally caught up with me.
Mort : That's very reassuring. Thanks.
Ken : Hey, relax Hemingway. I was only out for ten minutes, swear to god.
Mort : Hm..
Ken : Already checked the place, everything is fine. Just waiting for you to get back to let you know.
Mort : [Breathes out] [Looks off to the side] You think you'd be sticking around.. tonight or..
Ken : No [Smiles] Not unless you want me to.
Mort : No. [Looks away] No. No, I'm sure it's fine. In.. [Nudges to house] In there.
Ken : Nope. [Descends stairs] Heh. No monsters up here.
Mort : Did you check under my bed?
Ken : Even in your toy chest. [Mort comes out, holding a paddle] I'll be back in the morning, start asking around town. [Sees the paddle] What the hell you gonna do with that, sailor. Huh? [Takes the paddle away and goes to put it back] Find out who else saw your nut-job.
Mort : Tom Greenleaf. [Points]
Ken : Huh?
Mort : [Flashback of Tom honking *honk honk honk*] Tom Greenleaf passed by when I was talking to Shooter on Lake Drive and waived at us, so he must've got a good look at him.
Ken : [Walks into the next room] Hmm.. Tom Greenleaf. How do I get ahold of him?
Mort : Bowie's store. Breakfast every morning, 9 am.
Ken : Okay, I got it. Don't worry. [Comes back in] Once I find out where this Shooter's staying, I'll stop in for a little freak-me-out chat. Use the word "We" a lot. [Gestures with his hands, Mort nodding at each line] We know what you're doing. We want it to stop. We're watching you. Trust me, he'll hit the road so hard, it'll hit back. [Walks off]
Mort : [Stands there] Yeah. [Ken opens front door and steps out] [Mort follows] Hey, you know what. Are you staying in town tonight?
Ken : Yeah, some motel out by route 9. Uh.. Irv's lakesider, I think it's called. You know the place?
Mort : [Flashback of Mort backing up towards motel] [Nods] Yeah, I know, yeah I know the place.
Ken : Okay. good night. [Ken walks off] [Mort shuts the door and locks it]

Scene 13 : Setting : The Cabin : Characters : Mort Rainey.

[Mort stands in the cabin, drumming on his thighs] [Ken gets into his car] [Mort walks over to the window, hands behind his back] [Mort bends down and looks out the window] [He takes the string of the shade] [Something moves in the house] [Mort turns around rapidly, and looks up at the railing]
Mort : Hello? [Ken's car pulls out] [Mort scans the upper floor] [He sees Ken's car leave] Shit. [He walks forward, then stops. He picks up a fire poker from the holder] [He goes up the stairs slowly] [Mort looks around the upper floor, but sees nothing] [He turns and cautiously opens up a door with the fire poker] [He turns on the light, and looks around, but sees nothing] [He approaches another door, and begins opening it with the fire poker] [He hears something suddenly and jumps and turns to the bathroom] [He gulps, and moves closer] [He sees a figure in the mirror and becomes scared] I know you're in there, shithead! If you don't come out by the time.. I count to five.... I gonna come in swingin' [He looks at the figure] [Wipes his sweaty hands on his pants] One, two.... [He runs into the bathroom] Ahhhhhh! *Smash* [He attacks the mirror] [Turns on the light, and looks at his victim] I killed a mirror. *Squeak* [He turns to the shower and begins attacking again] Hu.. uh! *Smash* [Through the broken glass, he sees a mouse scamper through the tub] And my shower door.. [He slides open the busted door, and looks down at the mouse and sighs] [Throws down the poker and grabs a nearby towel] [Takes the mouse up in the towel] *Crash* [Part of the broken cabinet falls, scaring him] [He walks past it, and heads downstairs] [He pauses, and goes over to the desk] [He picks up the tattered packet of L&M's and holds them for a moment, then replaces them on the desk] [He continues downstairs, then stops and comes back upstairs. He grabs the L&M's and places one in his mouth and leaves] I don't care. I'm just gonna smoke. I'm just gonna totally smoke. I'll finish these, go to the store and get a brand new pack, smoke the shit out of that one. [He walks outside, takes the cigarette in his hand] [Bends down, and releases the mouse from the towel into the wild] [He strikes a match on the ground, and lights the cigarette back in his mouth]

Scene 14 : Setting : Outside : Characters : Mort Rainey, John Shooter.

Shooter : Thought you didn't smoke.
Mort : [Throws away the match] I took it up recently for my health.
Shooter : How are you, Mr. Rainey?
Mort : Oh, I'm just... Peachy, Mr. Shooter. How are you?
Shooter : Well, It sounded like you pitched a fit or something in there. [He bends down next to Mort] I don't think you're really all that well. Stealing from another man, that don't seem to have ever bothered you none. Being caught up on, though. [They both stand up] Or maybe it's just that successful writers like you throw tantrums when things don't go the way they expect. Why didn't you get that magazine? You were down there at her house today, weren't you?
Mort : If I get this story, and I show it to you, will you then kindly disappear?
Shooter : There isn't any.. Magazine with that story in it, Mr. Rainey. You and me, we know that.
Mort : Okay, then. [He leans against the shovel standing in the ground] What can we do [He places his hand on the handle] to make you feel better? [Shooter moves around, and Mort backs away from the shovel]
Shooter : I want you to fix it.
Mort : What would you like me to fix?
Shooter : My ending. The one you wrecked. I can't decide what's worse. [Shooter rubs his hand on the top of the shovel handle] Stealing my story, or ruining the ending. Mine was perfect.
Mort : I don't think I even read your whole story.
Shooter : Oh, I'll bet you did. I know I can do it, Todd Downey said, helping himself to another ear of corn from the steaming bowl. I'm sure that in time her death will be a mystery. Even to me. That's how the story ends, pilgrim. It's the only ending. You're going to write it for me and get it published and it's going to have my name on it.
Mort : I'd be more than happy to write your ending, Mr. Shooter.
Shooter : [Smiles and turns away] So, that wife of yours coming out of the house. [Grins] She's purty.
Mort : My wife? Why don't we just leave her out of this?
Shooter : [Turns to Mort] Would, if I could. But I'm starting to think you ain't going to leave me that option. [Mort becomes upset, and picks up the shovel. He tries to hit Shooter with it, but Shooter grabs it with one hand] Grrrr! [He pins Mort against the wall with the shovel to his throat] You want to wake up from one of your stupid naps and find Amy nailed to your garbage bin? Or turn on the radio some morning and hear she came off second best in a match with a chainsaw you keep out in the shed? [Mort chokes] [Shooter releases him and he falls to the ground, clutching his throat and gagging] Do ye? [Mort chokes] You can't get away with it. [Shooter walks away] I know what you did and I ain't quittin'. Until right gets put right. [Mort catches his breath on the ground and leans backwards against a tree]

Scene 15 : Setting : The Living Room : Characters : Mort Rainey, Amy Rainey.

[Mort lies in his bed, staring out. Then he turns and thinks for some moments] [He grabs his glasses and heads downstairs] [Shot of Tashmore Lake] [Mort sits on the couch scarfing Doritos] [He looks at the phone, then to the wall and realizes that it's been unplugged] [He gets up and plugs the phone back in] [He goes to sit back down] *Phone rings* [He pauses and looks at it in awe] [He puts his Dorito back in the bag and picks up the receiver]
Mort : Is that you, John Wayne?
Amy : [On phone] Mort? [Mort looks up] Are you there? Mort?!
Mort : [Shuts his eyes] Yes, Amy, I'm here! Just lower your voice a little. What is it?
Amy : [On phone] Where have you been? I have been trying to get ahold of you all night and this morning.
Mort : I was asleep.
Amy : [On phone] Oh, great. So you unplugged the phone!?
Mort : How may I assist you, Amy?
Amy : [On phone] Oh god.. Mort.. [Mort shoo's a fly]
Mort : [Grabs some Doritos and eats them] What happened, what?
Amy : [On phone] Someone burned down our house, that's what happened, okay?
Mort : [Stops chewing] What?
Amy : [On phone] Someone burned down our house!

Scene 16 : Setting : The Site : Characters : Mort Rainey, Amy Rainey, Ted Milner, Fire Chief Wickersham, Steven Bradley.

[A Shot of the site, firemen moving around, chatter of police radios in the background] [Mort walks forward, and lays his eyes upon what used to be his house] [Flashback fades in]
Amy : [Comes out of the house] Bye, babe.
Mort : [Comes out of the house] Pardon me, miss. I noticed that you, uh left 100$ on the dresser.
Amy : Shut up!
Mort : Well, surely the escort service told you that I was 3.
Amy : Shhhh! Please! [She runs off]
Mort : Mm.. Some guys are less. Some guys are a hundred if you like that kind of thing. Some guys are even less than that. But I'm 3. I happen to be 3. There's something on your mouth just there. [Amy gets in her car] Bye.
[The flashback fades out]
[Mort walks closer] [Amy and Ted appear, Amy spots Mort]
Amy : Mort! [She runs up, then walks] [She wraps herself up in her sweater] [When Mort sees her, he flashbacks to her making out with Ted in the motel] [He looks away from her sadly] Hi [She hugs him]
Mort : Hi. I'm really sorry about all this, Amy.
Amy : So am I.
Ted : [Takes off his sunglasses] Me too.
Mort : Thank you, Ted. [He turns away and makes a face]
Wickersham : Mr. and Mrs. Rainey!
Mort, Amy, Ted : No, Yes, Yes.
Wickersham : You the owners?
Amy : Yes.. we..ar.. we.. were the owners. [Comes forward]
Wickersham : [Mort looks down sadly] Were the owners? What do you mean? [Mort looks at Ted angrily] [They both go forward to Wickersham] You don't own it anymore?
Mort : Were Mr. and Mrs. Rainey. Are the owners.
Bradley : I'm Steven Bradley, I'm a detective with Riverdale P.D.
Ted : [Shakes his hand] How do you do? Ted Milner.
Bradley : [Pointing to Wickersham] This is Fire Chief Wickersham.
Ted : Chief [Holds out his hand]
Wickersham : Hi. [Shakes his hand]
Bradley : We won't take long, the insurance investigator needs to see you in the city at 3.
Wickersham : [Holds out a burnt champagne bottle on a tweezers] You are definitely the victims of arson. The fire was started by an incendiary device made.. uh.. with a champagne bottle and a couple of quarts of plain old gasoline.
Mort : Well that really works then, eh?
Bradley : So, first question. Enemies. You got any? [Mort looks down sadly once more]
Amy : No. No one.
Ted : No, no. Not a soul.
Mort : [Turns to Ted, annoyed] Bother you if I answer one or two of these, Ted? [Raises hands] [He makes his way over to Bradley] Yeah. [He turns and looks back at Amy then back to Bradley] I have an enemy.

Scene 17 : Setting : The Insurance Agency : Characters : Mort Rainey, Amy Rainey, Ted Milner, Fran Evans, Fran's Assistant.

[The shot is from outside the agency's window. Then it pulls in]
Fran : [Makes he way to the table] I'm sorry I wasn't there to meet you this morning. I spent most of last night poking around the site with a... flashlight and a Polaroid. [She places some papers on the table] Oops. [Sits down] Broke one of my own rules. [Pushes her chair in] I don't like to call it the site. It wasn't a site.. it was.. a house. Your house and I'm very sorry for your loss.
Mort : Thank you very much.. [Picks up papers and finds her name] ..Mrs. Evans.
Fran : [Smiles] It still says Mrs... Fran is fine. These meetings are hard. [Amy lowers her sweater] [Mort looks down at her] People in your situation are already upset and quite often they take [Amy drinks a glass of water] the presence of an investigator as an accusation that they've torched their own property. [Mort looks at her, then away, then back] And in this case you have certainly given us a plausible [Amy puts her sweater up again] suspect who we'll investigate aggressively along with the [Mort looks away, plays with his face] police. But, in the meantime, that's a list of your claimed insurable property. You look it over, then you sign an affidavit swearing that the listed items still belong to you and that they were still in the house when the fire occurred. I'm told there was a separation of residence recently? So that last bit might be particularly important.
Mort : We're going through a divorce. It's not final yet.
Amy : Well, the settlement agreements are done. Everything's negotiated. [Ted sighs, boredly] We're just waiting for it to be signed. By um.. both parties.
Mort : I moved out six months ago and just.. hadn't gotten around to hauling all the stuff out yet.
Fran : Been down that road. [Shakes head] Sucks.. [Ted is bored] These things just have to follow their natural course. It'll wrap up when everybody's ready for that to happen.
Mort : [Chugs his glass of water] That's been my feeling. [Plays with his face]
Fran : In the meantime, [gestures to list] Do the best you can with the list.
Amy : Thanks. [She looks down at the list] [Mort looks down at the list] [Ted is bored, he tries to glance over Amy's shoulder to see the list] [Amy sees that he can't see, looks at Mort, and nudges the list to Ted's direction] [Ted leans in close and clears his throat] [Mort looks up at Ted, annoyed. Then nudges the list back to his direction] [Amy looks angry]
Mort : I'm sorry. Excuse me. Do you actually intend to rubberneck?
Ted : I hardly think my concern could be construed as rubbernecking.
Mort : Amy. He's rubbernecking.
Amy : Okay.
Mort : I'm not going to freak out about this, but I mean.. this is our stuff.
Ted : What the hell's the point, man?
Mort : It's our stuff!
Ted : I'm just trying to help out here. I don't understand why it is so important.
Amy : No, no. Alright! Alright!
Mort : This our stuff!
Amy : [Turns to Ted] No, no. He's right. He's right, Ted.
Fran : He is right, Mr. Milner. The law says that you have no right to be looking at the list of items at all. We wink at something like this if nobody minds, but.. [She looks at Mort who looks angry] it looks like Mr. Rainey does.
Mort : [Nods] Yes, Mr. Rainey minds a lot.
Ted : [Looks around] Uhh.. Would it help matters if I um.. took um.. a walk around the block?
Amy : Yes. Thanks.
Ted : Sure. [He kisses Amy on the forehead] [He gets up and goes to the door]
Mort : [Stops playing with his face and looks up] Aw, heck Ted. Live a little. Make it two. [Ted pauses, then goes out the door] Rubbernecker.. [Amy gives him a sharp look] [Fran's assistant clears his throat and hands them the list]

Scene 18 : Setting : The Lobby Of The Insurance Agency : Characters : Mort Rainey, Amy Rainey, Ted Milner, Guy.

[Mort and Amy ride in the elevator down to the lobby. The's a dude at the back of the elevator who's chewing gum and listening to music through headphones quite loudly. Mort and Amy feel uncomfortable together. Mort looks up at the ceiling] *ding* [The elevator doors open. The dude from behind pushes his way out] [Mort looks pissed] [Mort and Amy walk out]
Amy : Mort. [Mort puts his tuque on] Wait. Mort I have to ask you something. [They walk towards the exit]
Mort : What?
Amy : This guy, Shooter. His story. I mean, is this a situation [Mort adjusts his glasses] like the other time? [Mort scowls] I'm sorry. I wouldn't bring it up. But it did happen once before.
Mort : [They stop in front of the door] Look, that was the only time I've ever even done anything remotely like that. I paid the guy everything he wanted. Never happened before, or since.
Amy : Okay.
Mort : Okay.
Amy : Okay.
Mort : [Turns to leave, then stops] Amy?
Amy : [Turns around, and walks back to him] What?
Mort : You and me and the lawyers. We're the only ones that know about that, right?
Amy : Right.
Mort : Because you haven't said anything to Ted, certainly not?
Amy : No.
Mort : Have you said something to Ted?
Amy : C'mon!
Ted : [Comes through the door holding two cups of coffee. He smiles] Well, do I have timing or what? [Hands one of the cups to Amy]
Mort : Yes you do. I'm real sorry you had to miss that. I know how much you like my things.
Amy : [To herself] Aw, Jesus.
Ted : You and me are going to have a little talk. [To Amy] Be back in ten minutes. [He opens the door]
Mort : [To Amy] I'm in trouble. [He and Ted go out the door] [Amy sits on a bench and sighs]

Scene 19 : Setting : Outside The Insurance Agency : Characters : Mort Rainey, Ted Milner.

Ted : Look, I've about had enough of your bullshit.
Mort : [Stops and goes up to Ted] You're a dick!
Ted : Do you feel better?
Mort : [Continues walking] Yes, I do.
Ted : Yeah, look, marriages end. I'm sorry but I didn't end yours. You know, it was done by the time I got there.
Mort : [Turns to Ted] Really? You must've thought her wedding ring was a little bit strange?
Ted : Oh, man! I- Listen. I apologized to you months ago. Now look, I know that you don't want me in your life. Guess what? I don't want you in mine either. But until this little divorce thing's done, not much we can do about it. But I'll tell you something. [Moves closer to Mort] I will not let you upset Amy anymore than you already have. So why don't we just wrap this little thing up, alright. And get out of eachother's lives--? *Zoom* [A bus brushes by, freaking out Mort] [He cowers] Are we.. uh.. gettin' the message I'm sendin'?
Mort : Where are we from, Teddy?
Ted : Tennessee.. Morty.. [He sips from his cup and walks off]
Mort : I was gonna say Mississippi.
Ted : [Turns around] No. Long way from there. Little place called Shooter's Bay. [Mort looks shocked] [Ted walks off] [Mort thinks]

Scene 20 : Setting : Mort's Cabin : Characters : Mort Rainey, Ken Karsch.

[Mort drives up his driveway at night] [He looks around, but doesn't see Ken's car]
Mort : C'mon, Karsch. $500 a day. Where are you when I need you? [He looks around and scowls, then drives the car further up the driveway. He stops and gets out] *Phone rings* [Mort runs up to the front door, and groans. He hurries to open the door] [He finally opens it, and places his key on the key-hook on the wall] *Phone rings* [He grabs the phone] What fresh Hell. [He picks up the receiver] Yeah?
Ken : [On phone] Where you been all day?
Mort : Ha, I might ask you the same question. [He goes into the bathroom and drops the phone on the floor *ding*]
Ken : [On Phone] Relax. You're fine. I checked the cabin an hour ago.
Mort : Yeah? [He unzips his fly] Well he showed up about an hour after you left last night.
Ken : [On phone] Oh, really? [Mort pushes back his hair and pisses] Then he had a busy night. [Shot scans into Ken's motel room. Ken is lying on the bed in his boxers] [In person] My office called me about your Riverdale house. I'm sorry.
Mort : [On phone] Well, the worst part is, I hadn't had a chance to get the magazine out. The one with the story he says I stole. That's gone up in smoke now.
Ken : Well, you still wanna go through with it? Meeting him? Showing him the magazine?
Mort : Hell yes! [Zips up his fly] [Flushes the toilet] I've had a shitty year. [Bends down and picks up the phone] I want it settled. Now. Everything. [Mort walks]
Ken : [On phone] Good. 'Cause I called your agent when I heard about the house. [In person] I figured he got a copy of the magazine. He sent the original by UPS. Overnight today. You can pick it up tomorrow after 3.
Mort : [Smiles] I knew there was a reason that I hired you. [Closes front door and locks it]
Ken : [On phone] There's something else. [In person] I caught up with your Tom Greenleaf today. The guy who drove past you and Shooter on the lake road? [On phone] Well, [Mort sits on the couch] here's a weird one. [Mort breathes out and puts crosses his feet on the coffee table] First he says he did go down to the Lake Drive on Tuesday and he saw you, like you said. But then he gets nervous and says, no no no. Come to think of it I didn't. Didn't see anybody. Wasn't even on Lake Drive on Tuesday.
Mort : Yeah, well... Tom's old. Maybe it just slipped his mind.
Ken : [Walks around] Don't be naive. He was scared shitless. Someone got to him. [He grabs puts something into a glass of water]
Mort : Come on, wait. [He laughs] Why would Shooter care if Tom Greenleaf knows he's here?
Ken : [On phone] Well, it depends.
Mort : On what?
Ken : [He sits down] On what he plans to do to you. I'm revising my opinion, Mort. I don't think Shooter's just some nut. [On phone] [Mort listens carefully] We need to consider the possibility that he was hired to do this. [Mort switches his feet] Someone with a grudge against you hires a tough guy to rattle you. Scare you to death. But, [In person] he hires the wrong guy. [He picks up a glass] Things get out of control. They go further than they're supposed to. Dead dogs. Burnt down houses. Now they can't call them off.
Mort : [His eyes open wide, he takes his feet off of the coffee table and bolts upright] Ted.
Ken : [On phone] Who?
Mort : [Pushes back hair] Ted. Amy's Ted. [Moves his fingers] The Ted that Amy left me for... Maybe that's why the guy calls himself Shooter. Ted wants me to know it's him. He's trying to intimidate me. He's trying to...uh.. send me a message.
Ken : Why? What does he want?
Mort : [On phone] I don't know.
Ken : [On phone] Did you piss him off?
[Flashback to Ted yelling at Mort in the motel bed]
Ted : Get the fuck out!
Mort : I might have..
Ken : [On phone] Okay. Here's what we do. [In person] What proof do you have that Shooter was there... [On phone] Other than the manuscript. [Mort rolls up his sleeve] Physical evidence, I'm talking about.
Mort : [He looks down at his arm] Bruises. [On phone] I got bruises on my arms from where he grabbed me.
Ken : Alright. [He gets up and places Mort on speakerphone] You and me are going to go see Greenleaf together.
Mort : [On phone] Alright.
Ken : [He picks up a gun from his suitcase and checks it] Bring the manuscript. Bring your bruises. [He walks] I'm gonna push the guy hard. Make it so that it's impossible for him to lie. If he'll tell the po-lice he was threatened too, [He places the gun on the nightstand] then we've got something.
Mort : Bowie's store? Breakfast?
Ken : 9 am sharp. [He picks up the receiver and takes Mort off of speakerphone]
Mort : [On phone] Alright. I'll see you there.
Ken : And bring your six-gun, pilgrim. [He hangs up] [Mort takes the receiver away from his ear, looks at it suspiciously then replaces it] [He gulps]

Scene 21 : Setting : Mort's Cabin : Characters : Mort Rainey.

[Mort lies in his bed, sadly thinking]
Mort : It is a good ending. [He places his hands behind his neck and thinks for another moment] [Then he sits up. He flexes his jaw] [He scowls] Oh, Shit. [He gets out of bed and puts on his bathrobe]
[Light pours through the Secret Window as the shot moves closer and closer to it] [The clock ticks] [Mort is sleeping on the couch. He stirs, then stretches] [He wakes up and glances at his watch] Shit! [He gets up from the couch] [He looks around, and spots his jacket on the floor] [As he puts it on, he notices that his car keys are missing from the key rack on the wall. He looks at it suspiciously, then pats himself down. But he returns no key from his search] [He puts on his tuque] [Opens the front door, to reveal Shooter's hat lying on the porch] [He looks around trying to spot Shooter, but doesn't find him] *Beep beep beep beep...* [The driver's door of his car is wide open and the car is beeping away] [He looks around again, then walks over to the car] [He approaches slowly, then sits in the car, being careful to touch nothing] [He quickly shuts off the motor] [Looks around the car, then spots some cigarette butts in the ashtray] [He eyes them carefully, then picks one up] [Studies it] Pall Mall. [He replaces it] Cracker bastard. [He goes back into the house, opens up a garbage bag and gathers the hat inside] [He puts the bag with the hat on the passenger seat in the car, starts it up and closes the door]

Scene 22 : Setting : Bowie's Store : Characters : Mort Rainey, Greta Bowie, Busboy.

[Mort walks up to the entrance of Bowie's Store, holding the garbage bag] [He tries to open the door, but it will not budge. He tries the other door and it opens. It slams behind him and everyone looks at him]
Mort : Sorry.. [He walks to the store's aisles] Ken? [He walks to a different aisle] Tom? [But no one appears] [He goes up to the counter, sits at a stool, and throws the garbage bag on the counter]
[The man sitting on his side gives Mort a dirty look] [Mort puts the bag on the stool next to him] [He looks around, and notices the busboy opening a box of Pall Mall's]
Busboy : [The boy sees Mort staring] Would you like a pack? [His mouth full of food as he speaks]
Mort : [Is caught offguard] I don't smoke. [Greta comes with a pot of coffee and pours it] Did a guy come in here looking for me around 9 o'clock?
Greta : [Looks up at him] Nope. [Shakes her head]
Mort : Big guy.. kind of a New York cop type?
Greta : [Looks up] No.. no. That doesn't ring a bell.
Mort : I overslept.
Greta : Well, maybe he did too. 'Cause he wasn't here.
Mort : [Nods] Yeah..

Scene 23 : Setting : The Gas Station : Characters : Mort Rainey, Ted Milner.

[Mort drives down a road] [He passes a gas station and spots Ted at the pump] [He stops, thinks and taps his finger on the seat, then decides to go back] [He backs the car up into the gas station, stops] [Ted looks at Mort's car and replaces the gas pump into the holder] [mort gets out]
Mort : What are you doing here?
Ted : Matter of fact, I was-I was just on my way over to your place.
Mort : Where's your buddy?
Ted : Came alone.
Mort : Sure you did. [He advances, and looks off to the side] [He breathes in and out] I know what you're up to.
Ted : Uh.. [He leans on his car] Look Mort.. uh.. A lot of what's going on right now is my fault.. Most of it, in fact.
Mort : What do you want?
Ted : I want you out of our life. [He reaches into the car's window] [He pulls out divorce papers] Gotta sign your papers Mort. [He slaps them onto the back of the car]
Mort : [He looks at the papers and nudges them] My divorce papers?
Ted : Mmhmm.
Mort : Tell her to send them to my lawyer.
Ted : Yeah. Well she did and, he said that you won't return his calls for weeks.
Mort : That's what this is all about? Gettin me to sign the settlement?
Ted : No, no. Just calm down.
Mort : Money! All about money.
Ted : No, it's not about money. No. What this is about.. is getting this thing done. 'Cause I'm afraid if we don't, well, who knows where it might go and I think you know what I'm talking about.
Mort : Well, Teddy. I think I do, but here's the problem : I don't respond well to intimidation, makes me feel.. [Shrugs shoulders] icky. You know.. [He pushes Ted]
Ted : Whoa. Heh heh. [Mort advances further] You know, I'm attempting to have a normal conversation, here.
Mort : I buried my dog, Mister! [Ted looks bewildered] This whole thing is out of your control now. You know it, and I know it. You started this shit. I'm gonna finish it. Now do me a favor, go back and tell that your filthy little friend [He pushes Ted in the face with 3 fingers]
Ted : [Ted tries to punch Mort, but Mort moves out of the way and Ted hits the closed window] Aghhh! God!
Mort : [Looks at him and walks off] Bummer, Ted. [Ted holds his arm]

Scene 24 : Setting : The Living Room : Characters : Mort Rainey, John Shooter.

[Mort enters his cabin, shuts the door and places his keys on the key rack on the wall] [He takes Shooter's hat out of the garbage bag and throws the hat on the coffee table] [He walks, takes his tuque off and pushes back his hair] *Phone rings* [Mort stops in his tracks, turns around, and stares at the phone which is covered by Shooter's hat] *Phone rings* [He starts over] *Phone rings* [He sits on the couch and takes the hat off of the phone] *Phone rings*
Mort : Yeah.
Shooter : [On phone] Go to where we met, the other day. Walk down the path a little way.
Mort : Why?
Shooter : [On phone] I'll catch up with you this afternoon. Anybody you call between now and then is your responsibility. [He hangs up] [Mort places the receiver back slowly, thinking]

Scene 25 : Setting : Outside : Characters : Mort Rainey, John Shooter, Tom Greenleaf, Ken Karsch.

[Mort runs down the path] [He stops dead at the clearing, seeing Tom Greenleaf's truck] [He walks forward, breathing heavily. His pace slows as he gets closer. He looks at the truck]
Mort : [Advances slowly and sees Tom] Tom? Greenleaf?
[Comes up to the open window and sees Tom Greenleaf with a screwdriver of Mort's sticking out of his head] [He coughs and gags] [He spots a bloody axe on the passenger's seat] [Blood is all over the truck] [He raises his head up and looks through the rear window. He spots Ken with his throat severed] [Mort backs away from the track] [His heart starts to beat quickly. He turns around and sees a squirrel in a tree. The squirrel chatters. Mort waits for the squirrel to continue up the tree, and his heart to slow down. but it never happens] [Mort's head begins spinning and he passes out of the ground] [After some hours, he wakes up] [He opens his eyes, bolts upright and tries to see what time it is on his watch, but his vision is blurry]
Shooter : Quarter past 2. [Mort rushes to his feet, grabbing the truck for support, and tries to run, but he falls down] You've been out about 3 hours. Your leg's sleepin'. you laid on the damn thing. He gets up again, but falls down. He gets up and hops away] Now I would've moved you, but I didn't want to wake you. Got tired of waitin'. Almost pinned a note on you. Decided not to. [He cleans his fingers] You scare too easy. I wouldn't go too far if I were you. I hooked you to those 2 men in more ways than you know. [Mort limps further away from Shooter]
Mort : You're insane. I'm going to the police.
Shooter : Who's screwdriver you think is in that fella's head? [Mort stops] If you leave 'em here and I disappear, you gonna find yourself standing with your head in the noose and your feet in crisco.
Mort : What do you want from me?
Shooter : [He walks towards Mort] Why, I told you that already, Mr. Rainey. I want you to fix my story. The one you stole. Or ain't you ready to admit it yet.
Mort : I did not steal [He turns to Shooter] your story.
Shooter : [Shooter stays where he is and cleans his fingers] Oh, I expect you to let yourself [He spits on his hand] go to Greenhaven for murder before you'll admit it. [He looks up at Mort]
Mort : I have the magazine you lunatic! I have the magazine! I have the goddamn magazine!
Shooter : [He advances] You have this so-called magazine right now?
Mort : On me, no. I was gonna go pick it up at 3 o'clock.
Shooter : There can't be any magazine! Not with that story in it. That story is mine!
Mort : [He goes up to Shooter] What do you want? You wanna kill me? Why don't you just do it. Just kill me.
Shooter : No sir! These others here [He turns and points to the truck] were going to get in our way of our business! [He turns back to Mort] I couldn't have that! [He looks at Mort] You bring me that story. If it exists. [He moves around Mort] Your house in 2 hours. You got some heavy lifting here first, I'd get to that if I were you. [He walks away] By the way. If you talk [He turns around] to that Sheriff of yours again, or if you don't show up at four o'clock, I will burn your life and every person in it like a cane field in a high wind.
Mort : And when I show you the magazine that has MY name on the contents page with MY story inside.. then what?
Shooter : Then I turn myself in. But I take care of myself before a trial, Mr. Rainey. Because if
things turn out that way, then I suppose I am crazy. And that kind of crazy man, has no reason or excuse to live. [He turns around] Listen. You [He points to Mort] got my hat. I want it. One way or the other. [He walks off]

Scene 26 : Setting : Outside : Characters : Mort Rainey, Tom Greenleaf, Ken Karsch.

[Mort approaches the truck. He looks through the window disgustedly] [He pulls his sleeve over his hand and opens the passenger door] [He looks at dead Tom and Ken] [The door opens a bit further, causing the truck to shake] [Mort sighs] [He climbs onto the passenger seat, onto the axe] [He pushes it onto the floor] [He goes up close to Tom and looks at him. He breathes in deeply, then blows out the air] [He places his hand up to the handle of the screwdriver, but then chickens out] [He looks at the floor and grabs a piece of wrapping] [His hand advances to the handle of the screwdriver] [Ken's body falls over]
Mort : [He jumps] Whoa! [He looks at Ken, then proceeds with removing the screwdriver] [His wrapped hand closes over the camera lens] *Squish* [Mort starts the truck, the parking break goes from P to D] [He slowly guides it down the path] [The truck builds up speed and Mort is now jogging with it] [The truck hits a bump in the road and sends Tom's head into the horn *Hoooonnnkk*] [Mort is flustered by it] Oh! [He pushes Tom's head off of the horn, to see that his hand is caught on the steering wheel by his watch] [Mort shakes his hand, trying to free himself] [The car is just about to go over the cliff] [Mort furiously pulls his hand and manages to get loose just in time before the truck crashes off the cliff and into the water] [Mort catches his balance and prevents himself from going over] [The truck hits the water and sinks below] [Mort watches it disappear]

Scene 27 : Setting : The Living Room : Characters : Mort Rainey, Amy Rainey, Ted Milner.

*Phone rings* [Mort walks through the front door] *Phone rings* [He grabs his keys off the key rack on the wall] [He thinks for a moment whether or not he should answer it] [He walks out of the house and closes the door] *Phone rings* [He walks back in and shuts the door] *Phone rings* [Mort picks up the receiver]
Mort : Hello?
Amy : [On Phone] Mort.
Mort : [He winces and pulls the receiver away] Aww.. [He puts it back up] Yeah, hi.
Amy : [Amy is lying on the bed] I've been so worried about you. Are you okay?
Mort: [Raises his eyebrows] I'm okay, I'm okay, Amy. What?
Amy : [On Phone] Are you sure? [In person] When I saw you yesterday you seemed [Sniffs] so strained. I mean.. [She breathes in]
Mort : What?!!
Amy : [On Phone] Do you..um.. [In person] Do you think things would've been different if.. we hadn't lost the baby?
Mort : [Scowls] Jesus Christ! I don't.. Amy. I don't know! [He walks around] Let me call you later. I-I gotta go. I-I gotta be somewhere. [Amy cries] [On Phone] What? What is it, Amy? [In person] Oh, just [Sits down] breathe. Breathe! Take a breath! [Amy sobs] Where are you? You at Ted's?
Amy : [On Phone] Yeah.
Mort : How we feeling about old Ted, these days?
Amy : [Turns over] I don't know.. I love him, I guess.
Mort : [His heart breaks] Oh.... That's good.
Amy : [On Phone] i didn't go with other men, you know. I always wanted to tell you that. I didn't go with other men. Only Ted, and only the last few months after you and me were already over.
Mort : Well. If we were already over while we were still together, you might have mentioned it. Because it was news to me.
Amy : That's because you weren't there anymore! You were gone all the time!
Mort : I worked at home, Amy!
Amy : That's not what I mean. [She sits up] Even when you were with me, you were gone up in your head. [On Phone] I don't think that I looked in your eyes and actually saw you looking back at me, I mean, really with me for the last 2 years.
Mort : You know what? You know what, you're right. You're absolutely right. It's all my fault.
Amy : [On Phone] No. [In person] I was a chickenshit. [She wipes her nose with a Kleenex] Ted wanted us to go and tell you together. He kept asking and I kept putting it off. [On Phone] I'll never forget that look on your face.. [Flashback to Mort screaming at Amy and Ted]
Ted : Get out! Get out!
Mort : You know what? I gotta go.
Amy : [On Phone] No Mort, wait. Can't we just--
Mort : No! N.. I-I've gotta go!
Amy : Will you call me if you need me? [Ted enters the room]
Mort : [On Phone] I doubt it.
Amy : [On Phone] Can I come up there?
Mort : Why on earth would you do that, Amy?
Amy : [Breathes in] You still haven't signed the papers yet, Mort. [Mort lowers his head] [On Phone] I know you don't want to deal with it. I don't wanna deal with it either. [Mort laughs, and pushes back his hair] But, c'mon, everything's been negotiated. We don't disagree on a thing. I don't understand why you won't sign. Do you wanna just get it over with?
Mort : [He shakes his head and smiles] Unbelievable... You were worried about me and I believed you... What an idiot..
Amy : [On Phone] I am worried! [On Phone] You sound like you did six months ago and I think it's my fault. It's my fault. And I wish I could take it back, but I can't.
Mort : Well then, I guess you shouldn't have fucked him then! [He slams the receiver down] [Amy jumps, and turns off her phone] [Mort flexes his jaw, and walks out of the house, slamming the door] [Amy grabs her jacket out of the closet and puts it on]
Ted : [Looks up from his reading] You're not going up there!
Amy : I'm not going to dance around this anymore. [She walks forward and adjusts her jacket] Once he signs the papers it'll be over. [She rummages through some papers on a desk] We won't have to have these horrible conversations every other day.
Ted : Yeah, well. I'm going with you.
Amy : It's just.. I really think I should go alone, Ted. [Amy looks for something in the cabinet under the sink] [Ted comes into the kitchen]
Ted : Well, that makes no sense..
Amy : Just the sight of you is going to send him. [She grabs her bag, and steps forward, but is blocked by Ted's arm in the way] I was married to the guy for 10 years. I know how to talk to him. All I want is for this be over. [She looks at Ted, and pushes his arm out of the way] Excuse me. [She walks off] I'll be back around 7. [She opens the door and leaves]
Ted : [Follows her to the door, and slams his bad hand on a beam] Agghhhh! [He stumbles around]

Scene 28 : Setting : The Post Office : Characters : Mort Rainey, Juliet Stoker, Dave Newsome, Ted Milner.

[A UPS truck pulls away to reveal the post office] [Mort gets out of his car, pulling on his face]
Dave : Hey! Mr. Rainey! I'd like to--
Mort : [He puts his finger up and continues to the post office] Yeah, yeah, yeah. [He steps in]
Juliet : Hey! Mr. Rainey! [Mort flexes his jaw and steps up to the desk] Mr. Rainey, are you alright?
Mort : [He turns his sick expression into a smile] I'm sorry, my throat just kinda double-clutched on me there for a second.
Juliet : You're very pale.
Mort : Yeah.. Thank you.... did the.. um.. UPS guy drop anything off for me?
Juliet : [Goes over to the back and picks up a package] Just the one thing.
Mort : [Thinks she said something else and looks shocked] Pardon me?
Juliet : [She places the package on the counter] Just the one thing, I said.
Mort : [Takes the package and is relieved] Oh, uh.. Thank you. [He turns away]
Juliet : Welcome. You know, post office would have a cow if they know that we handled the UPS guy's stuff.
Mort : [Turns to her] I know that, and I certainly appreciate it. [He turns away again]
Juliet : You won't tell them, will you?
Mort : [He turns and smiles at her] No way. [He walks away]
Juliet : Good..... 'Cause I saw what you did.
Mort : [He looks turns around and looks shocked] I'm sorry?
Juliet : I said they'd shoot me if you did. [Mort looks slightly relieved] You ought to go home and lie down, Mr. Rainey. You really don't look well at all.
Mort : Yeah.. that's.. that's a good idea. [He walks off]
Juliet : Ooh. cute. [Mort hurriedly goes back to his car and gets in] [He is about to open the package, when he sees Dave Newsome coming toward his car. He rushes to start it up, but doesn't make it in time]
Dave : [Leans into his window] Got a minute?
Mort : Well.. no. I really don't right now. But.. uh... I'll give you a call later.
Dave : [Nods] Okay. Sure. [He takes his head out of Mort's window]
Mort : [Mort backs out, then passes Dave and slows down] [He points at Dave] I'm gonna call you on the phone, okay? [He takes off]
Dave : [Watches him drive off] [Nods] Okay.
[Back at Ted's house, Ted sits down, playing with his car keys in his hand. He thinks] [He sighs and gets up and leaves the house]

Scene 29 : Setting : In Mort's Car : Characters : Mort Rainey.

[Mort pulls into his driveway] [He stops the car and picks up the package lying on the passenger seat] [He looks at it. It is partially open. He looks at it in fear and touches on the tab] [He rips it open and pulls out the magazine, throws the envelope on the passenger seat]
Mort : [He looks at the magazine] 1995. [He flips to the contents page] Contents.. [He traces his finger to Secret Window] 83. [He flips the pages quickly] 83. [He flips some more, then stops] 81. [He turns the page] 82. [He looks to the next page] 99. [He looks at the page numbers, flips back, then forward] 99? [He turns the magazine on a slant and sees that there are pages that are cut out of the spine] You cut it out.. [He traces his finger down the spine] You son of a bitch. [He looks at the open magazine] You..... cut it.. out of the magazine..
Mort's Voice : Wait a minute, how would he do that?
Mort : I don't know... But he did it.
Mort's Voice : Think about it. [Mort closes the magazine] How?
Mort : I don't know. [He gets out of the car]

Scene 30 : Setting : The Living Room : Characters : Mort Rainey, Mort Rainey.

[Shooter's hat sits on the coffee table] [Mort enters the cabin, breathes out and sits on the couch] [Looks down at the hat and swallows] [He picks up the hat, turns it upside down, and looks at it] [He suddenly puts in on his head] [Flexes his jaw] [He stands up and walks slowly to the mirror] [He looks at himself, adjusts the hat]
Mort : Why'd you put it on?
Mort : [Still touching the hat] I dunno..
Mort : Maybe he wanted you to.
Mort : [He stops touching the hat] Why would he want me to put his hat on?
Mort : Maybe he wants you to...
Mort : [He turns around] Maybe he wants me to what?
Mort : [Moves his fingers around his head] To get confused.
Mort : Oh, I'm already confused, pilgrim. [He takes the hat off] Plenty confused. [He walks away] So don't talk to me about confusion.
Mort : Wait a minute, now [He takes off his glasses and polishes them with his jacket] back up just a sec. What about that?
Mort : [He turns away and takes off his jacket] What about what? [He walks away]
Mort : Well, pilgrim, Shooter's Bay, and a half a dozen other details you've chosen to ignore. [He appears, leaning on the couch]
Mort : [He puts on his bathrobe] You know what? You're nuts. [He walks away] I don't need to listen to this shit from you.
Mort : [Appears in front of him] Are all these things coincidences? [He puts his glasses back on]
Mort : I'm wearing his bruises, aren't I? Aren't I?
Mort : Are you?
Mort : Well... [He rolls up his sleeve to reveal nothing] [He becomes confused] this doesn't make any sense.. [He walks away]
Mort : [Appears in front of him] Would you like to hear something that does make sense? Call the police. [Mort turns away, but Mort appears in front of him holding the phone receiver] Call Dave Newsome, tell him to get down here right this second and lock you up before you can do any more damage.
Mort : I'm gonna get a knife and cut you out of me.
Mort's Voice : [Disappears] Before you kill anyone else.
Mort : [He puts his head in his hands] I didn't kill anybody.. [Flashback to Mort yelling at Amy and Ted] [Flashback to Mort entering the room, holding a gun]
Mort's Voice : You had a gun.
Mort : [Still holding his head] Wasn't loaded..
Mort : Really?
Mort : No no no..
Mort : [He walks to in front of Mort] You almost killed them. You wanted to.
Mort : The gun was not loaded!
Mort : [Smiles] You still want to.
Mort : Shut up!
Mort : [He takes Mort's hands] Listen to me, because this is how it happens. This is happens to people.
Mort : [He looks up at Mort] Shut up!
Mort : There is no John Shooter.
Mort : [Turns away and looks up] Ra.. ra..?
Mort : There never has been. You invented him.
Mort : Ra! ra..!
Mort : Listen to me, [Mort looks like he's about to explode] not to him. Before it's too late.
Mort : Leave me alone! [He picks up the silex and hurls it at the wall] Huuu! *Crash* [The lamp falls off the table]
Mort's Voice : You are alone..
[ Mort Advances to the dent in the wall] [The dent begins to crack the wall, and the whole cabin splits down the middle] [Mort follows the crack] [Mort looks down]
Mort's Voice : You're not handling this.. What you're doing is-- Everything you're doing is wrong --is wrong. You've been eating potato chips this way for 30 years.. Everything you're doing is wrong.. For 30 years.. For 30 years.. [Mort catches a glance of himself in the mirror, but it is of his back even though he is standing in front of it] [He advances slowly to the mirror] ..Sister found out about the broken window. And the school had to be withdrawn from the competition... Sister found out about the broken windows.. out of the competition--competition.. Then she got up from the table. We didn't talk for the rest of the night.. rest of the night... [He is right up in front of the mirror, but he is looking at the back of himself] Todd Downey thought that a woman [He turns away from the mirror and looks around] who would steal your love-- What does Todd Downey have to do with it?.. Everything.. I'm starting to believe that Todd Downey was right.. Everything that you're doing is wrong. [He turns back to the mirror]
Mort : What is happening to me?

Scene 31 : Setting : The Living Room : Characters : Mort Rainey, John Shooter, Tom Greenleaf, Ken Karsch.

Shooter's Voice : Oh, I think you know. I think you have a real good idea.
Mort : You don't exist.
Shooter : [Descends the stairs] Me? I exist Mr. Rainey. I exist, because.. you made me.
[Flashback to Mort at a flea market trying on the hat in a mirror, Amy standing behind]
Mort : Check it out!
Shooter's Voice : You thought me up.
Mort : [He goes up close to the mirror] I'm a dairy farmer from Mississippi.
Shooter : [Comes down the stairs] Gave me my name, told me everything you wanted me to do. [Flashback of Mort lighting the champagne bottle, tossing it in the study, walking off wearing the hat, and the whole house going up in flames] [Mort thinks] I did them things.. so you wouldn't have to. [Flashback to Mort riding in Tom Greenleaf's truck with Ken]
Mort : [Points to the spot where Tom had honked the other day] Right up there, Tom. We were standing right there.
Tom : [Ken looks suspicious] Yeah, I know Mort. I saw ya. I didn't want to say it in front of him, but you were alone. [Flashback in flashback to Tom honking at Mort who is alone in the clearing *honk honk honk*]
Mort : I know, Tom. Look, just pull over there for a second. I wanna show you something. [Shot moves down to reveal that Mort is holding a screwdriver and an axe]
Shooter's Voice : [Mort thinks some more, a disgusted look on his face] You didn't have the stomach to do it yourself, but you knew I did. [Flashback to Mort stabbing Ken with the axe in the throat and stabbing Tom in the head with the screwdriver] Are we done yet? We got things all cleaned up around here? [Shooter comes over]
Shooter : What's the real reason I come for?
Mort : Fix the story.
Shooter : That's right.
Mort : Fix the ending. Gotta fix the ending.
Shooter's Voice : And how do you suppose we ought ta do that? [Shooter places the hat to Mort's chest]

Scene 32 : Setting : The Living Room : Characters : Mort Rainey, Amy Rainey, Ted Milner.

[A car approaches the house] [The shot pulls through the mirror to a car stopping in the driveway. The door opens and Amy comes out]
Amy : Mort? [She looks around and closes the car door] [She walks, but something is on her shoe] [She looks down, picks it up. It is a page from the magazine] [She looks confused] [She hears a noise, looks down and sees pages blowing away from Mort's car] [She walks forward, to the front door] [She lifts her hand to knock, hesitates, then knocks *knock knock knock* She looks down *knock knock knock*] [The door opens a bit, she opens it up]
Amy : Mort? Are you there? I saw your car outside. [She swallows and pushes the door open] Hello? [She steps inside. The house has been totaled] [She looks around, puts her bag down, and sighs] Mort? [She walks over to the corner and looks around] Chico? [She walks away and looks up. She sees the dent in the wall] [She looks to the coffee table and sees a bottle of Jack Daniels and a pack of Pall Mall's] [She goes over and nudges the bottle] That explains a lot.. [She walks over to the window] What the hell? *Floorboards creak from above* [She looks all around the cabin] [She goes up the stairs, stepping on the magazine] [She looks around the top floor] [Walks over to the table, there is a doll that looks exactly like her, the manuscript, the slinky, and some other papers] [She picks up the manuscript] ["John Shooter" She reads] [She notices something on the table. "Shooter" 5 times in a row is carved into the wood] [She puts the manuscript back down] [Her eyes go to the window, "Shooter" is written in white. "Shooter" is carved into the coffee table. "Shooter" is carved in the walls all around her] *Creak* [The door opens, revealing Mort wearing the hat]
Amy : [Jumps and Gasps] ["Shoot Her" is carved around him on the walls] [Amy covers her mouth and gasps] [Mort raises his eyes to look at her. He looks very mysterious] H-H-H-Hi. [Mort stares at her angrily] [Amy comes closer] Jesus, Mort. [She looks down at the front door which is open] W-Where-Where did you get that old thing? The attic?
Mort : [In a southern accent] It's mine. Wasn't ever anybody else's.
Amy : [Backs away a bit] [She breathes out] M-Mort.. What's wrong?
Mort : [Advances to her] You got you a wrong number, missus. [He puts his hand on the back of her head and takes out her ponytail] [She moves away from him, down the stairs] Ain't no Mort here. Mort's dead. [He advances, and she backs away down the stairs] He did a whole lot of squirmin' around but in the end, he couldn't lie to himself anymore. Let alone, to me. Now, I never put a hand on him, Misses. I swear. He took the cowards way out.
Amy : Why are you talking this way, Mort?
Mort : It's just the way I talk.
Amy : You're scaring me..
Mort : It don't matter. [He pulls out a pair of scissors from behind his back] You won't be scared long.
Amy : [Gasps] [Mort grabs at her hair with the scissor, pulling out a chunk of it] Ahhh! [She hits him in the face] [He falls down, the hat coming off his head] [Amy grabs her bag and runs out of the house] [She drops the bag and gets into the car and locks the door] [Mort slowly gets up, and puts the hat back on. The scissors with the hair are in his hand] [Amy mumbles to herself and tries to get the car going] [Mort puts the scissors down on the porch and picks up the rock with 3 fingers] [Amy struggles to get the car to go] [She looks up. Mort is walking to the car] [The car is stalling and won't go] [*Smash* he breaks the window with the rock] [He reaches in to get her] [She releases the parking brake and the car backs up, Mort hanging in the window trying to pull her out] [He pulls her through the window, the car hits a tree] [She drops on the ground. He drags her by the back of the jacket] Help! [He drags her through the front door]
Mort : I'm about done fussin' with you. [He drags her over to the table and grabs the screwdriver] [He plunges it into her right ankle]
Amy : Ahhhhhhh! [She turns around and kicks him in the face] [He falls down] [He gets up] [Amy gets up and walks to the door, leaving a trail of blood on the floor] [Mort kicks her out of the house] Ahh! [She lands on her head on a rock] Agh! Huugh..
Mort : [Comes out of the house] I am so sorry, Missus. But right is right, and fair is fair and something.. has got to be done. [He takes a shovel] [Amy looks up at him and struggles to breathe. Her face is all bloody and dirty] [He walks over to her] By the way, I want you to know that none of this was my idea, it was Mr. Rainey all along. [He hovers over her]
Amy : [Grabs his pant leg] But you are.. Mort.. Rainey.
Mort : [Smiles, his lip is cut open and there is blood on his face and in his mouth] I got a place for ya.
Amy : You are.. Mort.. Rainey!
Mort : I got it all picked out.
Amy : ... You are Mort.. Rainey.. [She breathes heavily] [Mort hears a noise and looks off to the side and his smile fades] [He turns around] [Then back to Amy] [Her grip slips from his pant leg] uhh.. Mort.. uhhh.. [He walks away] Ohhh! [Mort leans on the side of the house with the shovel] Mort..
Ted : Amy!? [Amy tries to lift her head] Amy!? [He comes through the door] [Amy coughs] Amy!?
Amy : [Whispers] Ted. Teeeeeeddddd! Nooohoho. [Ted pulls open the door] [*Bang* Mort smashes him in the face with the shovel. Ted's body falls to the ground] Teeeddd! Ahhhh! Ughh. [Amy sobs] [Mort looks over at her and smiles] [Amy tries to lift herself, but can't] [Mort shovels Ted] Nooooooooo!
Mort : Uh! Uh! [He repeatedly shovels Ted]
Amy : Nuuhhhh.. [She lies back down] Uh..
Mort : [Comes towards Amy] I know I can do it, Todd Downey said, helping himself to another ear of corn from the steaming bowl. [He advances] [He looks down at her] I'm sure that in time, [He puts the shovel down] her death will be a mystery.... [A shot of the cabin] Even to me.

Scene 33 : Setting : Bowie's Store : Characters : Mort Rainey, Juliet Stoker, Greta Bowie.

[The shot pans over Tashmore lake]
[Mort enter's Bowie's Store, all cleaned up]
Mort : Hi. [He walks and sees Juliet] Hi!
Juliet : [Walks to the counter uncomfortably and puts her stuff down] [She takes out some money] I'm uh.. [She looks over at Mort] kinda late.. [She smiles and gives Greta the money] [Greta does the checkout]
Mort : [Comes up behind Juliet] [He puts his face next to hers] Hi.
Juliet : [She turns around nervously] Hi... yeah...
Mort : [Points to his mouth] Braces..
Juliet : Yeah..
Mort : Getting a few things straightened out. [Juliet nods] Hey, you know, I was kinda wondering if.. um.. sometime you might possibly be interested in--
Juliet : I don't need a bag. [She grabs her stuff and leaves] [Mort watches her go, then he places his stuff on the counter : Salt, Butter, Napkins]

Scene 34 : Setting : The Cabin : Characters : Mort Rainey, Dave Newsome.

[Dave pulls his car into Mort's driveway] [He gets out and goes to Mort's front door] [The door is open. He stands in the doorway]
Dave : Mr. Rainey? [He looks around] Your front door is open. I'm coming in. [He steps inside] [He looks to the side and sees a weight lifting thing] [He walks over to the kitchen and sees piles of corn on the counter and corn boiling on the stove] [He turns away] Mr. Rainey? Mort Rainey!?
Mort : [Pops his head over the railing] Oh, hi Dave. I didn't hear you, come on up. [Dave walks up the stairs] Glad you're here. I could use the break. Working lunch.. I'm on a roll [Smiles]
Dave : [Nods] Yeah. Listen, both you and I know what you did.
Mort : Oh..
Dave : Maybe we don't have enough to put you away right now, but eventually.. we'll find those bodies, we'll tie you to them. [Mort looks away] And you're going away. [Mort picks up corn holders] In the meantime, I'd appreciate it if you didn't come into town anymore. [Mort brushes the holders together] Makes people uncomfortable. You can do your shopping in New London. [Mort rubs an ear of corn in some butter] Did you hear what I said?
Mort : [Turns back and sighs] Sure. No problem. [Dave nods and turns away] You know, [Dave turns back] the only thing that matters.. is the ending. It's the most important part of the story, the ending. And this one... [He points to his story] [He looks at Dave] ..is very good. This one's perfect. [Dave looks at him] [Mort flexes his jaw and puts some headphones on]
[The shot moves into the secret window]
Mort's Voice : I know I can do it, Todd Downey said, helping himself to another ear of corn from the steaming bowl. I'm sure that in time, every bit of her will be gone, [The shot goes down the corn stocks] and her death will be a mystery. Even to me. [The shot moves lower, then into the earth] [Mort takes a bite of corn]