Act
II
FADE IN
INT. BOMB SQUAD OFFICE - DAY
Richter stands next to Detective Paxton’s desk, with Chance and Diane sitting in front. The office door opens and in walks the police chief with a big-ass cop coffee mug. Richter and Detective Paxton stand up when he arrives.
CHIEF Please, sit down. I’m in your territory now. I just wanted to stop by and see how things were going here in the bomb squad.
DETECTIVE PAXTON Chief, please have a seat.
CHIEF Thank you. So have you uncovered anything new?
DETECTIVE PAXTON Yes, actually we have. Miss Smithers says her ex-husband doesn’t know a thing about explosives. He doesn’t have access to the necessary parts like blasting caps or C-4.
Detective Paxton points to Sergeant Smith in the next room talking with another policeman. Everyone looks. Sergeant Smith looks over. Everyone in Detective Paxton’s office breaks the stare.RICHTER But, from what it sounds like, he was very jealous of her. Jealous enough to pay a hit man to carry out his plans.Have there been any withdrawals from his account that would prove your theory? CHIEF
Yes. We know that he left his job without an explanation three days ago. That was when Miss Smithers book hit #1 on the bestseller list. He cleaned out his account that afternoon. He’s got enough money to effectively hide out, get a new ID and pay a hit man. RICHTER
I’ve been working with my favorite sergeant, Sergeant Smith... DETECTIVE PAXTON
DETECTIVE PAXTON ...about where we can find Mr. Smithers. He says that he has put out an APB and is working on tightening the security for the TV interview that Miss Smithers is scheduled for at three o’clock.
Chance watches her and smiles. She looks down at her lap and smiles graciously.CHIEF Well, Miss Smithers, I hope you don’t mind all the attention...No, not at all. DIANE
Everyone in the room gets up to leave.CHIEF ...and if we’re not distracting you too much from your interview later, we’ll be glad to escort you and make sure that your ex-husband doesn’t hurt you, OK?Thank you. DIANE
EXT. DETECTIVE PAXTON’S OFFICE - DAY
As they all make their way out of their office, we see Sergeant Smith watching them from behind.
Sergeant Smith doesn’t hear as he watches them all and makes eye contact with Diane. There is an awkward moment.POLICEMAN Sergeant Smith?
Sergeant Smith turns and looks.POLICEMAN Sergeant Smith!
As Sergeant Smith takes the phone he watches Diane leave and tries to avoid further eye contact. Diane looks back at Chance as they file away from the office, Chance looks at Sergeant Smith and tries to catch him looking. Sergeant Smith does not look up.SERGEANT SMITH Yeh.Did you page a guy named Bronson? He’s on the line. POLICEMAN
Yeah, give it here. SERGEANT SMITH
The chief, Detective Paxton, Diane, Richter and Chance begin to file out of the main office. Chance tries to listen in. He senses there is something wrong.SERGEANT SMITH Smith here!
Chance leaves the room staring at Sergeant Smith.SERGEANT SMITH Yeah, meet me at Tom’s.
INT. HALLWAY OF POLICE DEPARTMENT
Chance closes the door behind him and raises his hand to motion to Richter.
Richter turns around and looks back at Chance and stops. Chance catches up to her.CHANCE Psst, Richter.
RICHTER What’s up, Chance?Listen, I think you should keep an eye on that Sergeant Smith guy. I’ve had nothing but bad vibes about that guy all day. CHANCE
RICHTER Let me guess. Is this a gut feeling, intuition or are you becoming psychic?Yeah, ha ha ha. No, I’m serious. CHANCE
RICHTER I can tell, but when are you going to lighten up?
EXT. BLUE PLATE DINER - DAYCHANCE As soon as this is all over. I’m gonna take a vacation somewhere. Right now I’ve gotta get back to the diner.Can you meet us at Channel 66 at three o’clock? RICHTER
Yeah, sure. Is that where they’re taping her interview? CHANCE
Yeah. RICHTER
Well, I told Westin I’d meet her at the diner later. My car is in the shop. I don’t know if I can manage both. As a matter of fact, I think I’m going to bow out, OK? CHANCE
It would really help the investigation if you were there. I might not be able to explain, but strange things do happen around you. RICHTER
(pause)
Well, I’ll give you a ride to the diner, you see what you can do. Let’s go.
Blue Plate Diner Special courtesy of a beautifully angled shot.
INT. BLUE PLATE DINER - DAY
Chance enters wearing sunglasses and a fishing hat.
He pulls off his disguise as he walks to the counter.CHANCE Hey, Ange.
Chance grabs a stool. Angie plops down a coffee cup and pours caffeine.ANGIE Well, if it isn’t the Psychic Hero in his mild-mannered disguise.
CHANCE Aw, geesh! You heard about it, too!
ANGIE You’re plastered all over the radio. Heroes are big news and news gets around fast y’know.
CHANCE What did they say about the psychic?Who? ANGIE
The psychic. The author who wrote the book. She was the, uh, intended target of the bomb. CHANCE
ANGIE No, I don't know. Do you know her?
Angie smiles a funny smile. She opens up the register for no apparent reason other than mischief.CHANCE Just met her today.
ANGIE So, Chance? Are you...psychic?No. Why? CHANCE
Pick a number between one and ten. ANGIE
CHANCE OK. Five.(pointing at the register) ANGIE
Guess how many pennies I have in here?Don’t tell me. CHANCE
Well, we’ve established that you’re a hero about a billion times. And you find four leaf clovers like a charm. And you have an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time. I guess you could be... ANGIE
Angie smiles and walks away. The bell on the front door of the diner rings.CHANCE Don’t say it. There’s a big difference between being lucky and being some wacky psychic...guru or whatever.
Westin grabs a stool next to Chance.WESTIN Oh, you’re here early.
WESTIN I was going to leave these for you. I can’t meet you later at six.
(pause)
Once again, you have proven that you are psychic by being here when I am now, thus preventing you from missing me later.Or maybe you’re the one who’s psychic by knowing I would be here now because I am not going to be later. Oh, wait. I will be here later. Ugh, this psychic business sucks. I’m glad that I don’t know what I’m doing, I could lose my mind trying to figure it out. So, what do you have for me that couldn’t wait until later? CHANCE
Westin pulls out large eight-by-ten black and white photos. Angie approaches and checks them out.WESTIN Oh! The shots from this morning.
Angie hold up the shot of Chance staring into space with the disabled bomb in his hands.CHANCE These are nice.
Chance leafs through the pictures.ANGIE That’s you alright, Chance. Mr. “I-don’t-know-how-I-did-it-but-I-just-saved-the-world.”
Chance picks up the contact sheet and looks at it intently.CHANCE Are these the ones I shot?Yeah, I just made a contact sheet and one print. WESTIN
Chance sets it down and looks closer.CHANCE What’s that?
Westin pulls out the magnifier and hands it to Chance. Chance moves to use it on the contact sheet.CHANCE Westin, do you have a magnifier?Yeah, just a second. WESTIN
INT. CU MAGNIFICATION OF CONTACT SHEET - DAY
Sergeant Smith is walking away from the bookstore just in front of Chance with his hand blocking his own face.
INT. BLUE PLATE DINER - DAYCHANCE This is one that I shot when we got there. That’s Sergeant Smith; he was asking me questions after I defused the bomb. He seemed a little miffed because...
Chance looks up in the air seeming to see an answer up there.
Chance looks ahead at Angie in stunned amazement.CHANCE ...it was his bomb.
ANGIE Don’t look at me. I’m not psychic.
Chance looks over at Westin with his mouth still hanging open. Westin closes it softly by lifting his chin up with her hand.WESTIN Chance?...Yo, Chance!
WESTIN Aren’t you taking this psychic business a bit too far? Are you starting to believe that you, Chance Harper, can predict the future?
Chance abruptly dashes away from the counter.CHANCE I don’t know anymore. Diane and Richter both said I shouldn’t fight the idea. Maybe I am psychic.
Westin rushes after him.WESTIN Hey!
WESTIN Chance, you don’t have a car!
CHANCE Oh, yeah.
Chance stops and holds the door politely
for Westin.
Westin stands in the door smiling just before walking through.CHANCE Can you take me to the TV station?
Chance lightens up and smiles easily.WESTIN Only if I can have your autograph, Psychic Hero.
FADE OUT.
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