Winter Passing By Joseph Laramore

FADE IN: INT. DOMINIC PATINSKIS HOUSE - DAWN KITCHEN DOMINIC (DOM) PATINSKI, 32 years old and rugged, sits at his kitchen table, staring out the window into the dark pre-dawn morning. He wears a thermal shirt, a pair of wool pants, winter boots and a wool hat. A half-eaten bowl of oatmeal grows cold in front of him. A cordless phone sits next to the bowl. He picks up the cordless phone and presses REDIAL, placing the phone up to his ear. We hear what Dom hears, and the phone RINGS three times before an answering machine picks up. ANSWERING MACHINE (O.S.) Hey, there. This is Calvin. Either Im away or Ive seen your number on caller ID and decided not pick up! Ha! Dom turns to the clock hanging next to the refrigerator. The clock reads 5:28am. ANSWERING MACHINE (O.S.)(CONTD) Well, by now you know what to do. So, go on and leave a message! BEEP! DOM Cal, its me. Pick up. Dom waits, breathing steady, but Cal does not pick up. DOM (CONTD) Well...its the second day you missed. Ive got my truck warmed up now anyway. Id come get ya, but Im cutting it close to be at work on time... (sighs) I aint been late, and I cant start now, you know? If I dont see you there Ill stop by afterwards. Dom waits, anticipating that Calvin might pick up the phone after all. His pause only reaches the capacity of the answering machine, though, as it BEEPS to conclude the message.

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Dom hangs up the phone and stares out the window. A cold winter wind smacks lightly against the glass, RATTLING it and blowing puffs of snow outside. His left boot shifts, SQUEAKING against the dirty linoleum floor. He backs away from the table and stands to his feet. BLACK TITLE: WINTER PASSING CUT TO: EXT. DOMS TRUCK DRIVING TO WORK - DAWN Along dark tree-lined back roads, Doms truck moves through barely plowed snow from the night before. It travels a relatively slow pace, passing houses with long driveways and dark windows, except for a few with a light on here and there. The truck does not encounter traffic on the way to town (the town is GLADSTON, MICHIGAN, located in KEEWENAW COUNTY). Trees thin out and give way to fields, and then to houses lining the street. The houses date back a hundred years, squared off, bland, with steep roofs. Soon, Doms truck enters the center of town. Mostly obscured in darkness, a few street lights reveal old storefronts with large windows. Some of the storefronts have newer signs above their entrances. A few cars are parked on the side of the road, next to the sidewalk, with a heavy coat of snow covering them. The truck finally turns right, into the entrance of the GLADSTON BREWING COMPANY. The parking lot is mostly empty at this time of the morning, with a few vehicles clustered together on the far right, near the walkway to the front entrance. Doms truck parks in an empty space, somewhat away from the others.

3 . INT. DOMS TRUCK - CONTINUOUS Dom shifts the truck into PARK and scans the vehicles in the parking lot. He takes a slow and deliberate inventory of those who had already arrived to work. DOM (mumbling) Janice...Claire...Bobby...Mr. Durham...Freddie... His voice grows soft, to the point of an indiscernible whisper. EXT. PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS The vehicles range from four wheel drive trucks, older models from the late 80s, rough and worn, to newer cars. Most have a fresh layer of snow upon them, with the windshields and back window hastily brushed off. Parked at different distances from each other, they do not adhere to the lined spaces, which cannot be seen due to the packed snow. INT. DOMS TRUCK - CONTINUOUS DOM (sighs) You aint here yet, Cal? Dom grabs a pair of gloves, turns off the truck, and exits the vehicle. EXT. WALKWAY LEADING UP TO THE BREWERY - CONTINUOUS Dom walks alone down the path that leads to the front door of the brewery. He keeps his head down as a sharp wind cuts into his face. The wind has caused loose snow to drift into the walkway, nearly covering it. INT. BREWERY - CONTINUOUS Dom enters the front office, a sparse room with a reception desk off to the left, a number of chairs lined up against two walls, and a couple coffee tables with magazines strewn on top of them.

4 . Behind the old single rough, she monitor as reception desk, sits CLAIRE SANDUSKY, a 28 year woman. Though her appearance has worn a little is beautiful. She looks up from a computer Dom enters.

Dom stomps snow from the treads of his boots. CLAIRE Morning, Dom. DOM Morning, Claire. CLAIRE Tom wanted you to check out fermenter #3, when you get a chance. I guess its been acting up again? Sure. DOM

CLAIRE Hes got a number of conference calls with some suppliers this morning, so probably best not bug him. Sure. DOM

Dom walks through the office, towards a door in the back, but stops short and turns to Claire. DOM Cal. He call in or something? Nope. CLAIRE

A faint expression of concern darkens Doms face. CLAIRE (CONTD) Strange, huh? DOM Yeah, I suppose. CLAIRE You two been carpooling for awhile now. He hasnt called you or anything? Dom shakes his head.

5 .

CLAIRE (CONTD) I tried calling yesterday afternoon. He didnt pick up. DOM Ill head over his place today, after work. See whats up. Dom looks away from Claire, his eyes drawn back, not focusing on anything. CLAIRE Hope hes OK. Dom breathes for a moment. DOM Im sure hes OK. Its Cal. CLAIRE Ill keep trying to call him anyway. DOM OK then...later. Dom walks through the back door, down a hallway that leads past the brewery gift shop, through another door that leads into the brewery storage area, and continues on until he enters the REPAIR SUPPLY ROOM Dom enters his workspace and turns on an overhead light. The light reveals a small space cluttered with an assortment of tools, and a small desk with a wooden chair placed in the corner. Dom takes his hat and gloves off, throwing them in a pile next to the desk, and begins the task of gathering tools. He picks through wrenches and screwdrivers for a few seconds. His body suddenly slouches, losing interest. Dom sits at the desk as concern for Calvins sudden disappearing act weighs heavy on him. CUT TO:

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EXT. DOMS TRUCK DRIVING THROUGH TOWN - DAY In the gray afternoon, Doms truck slips through town. Traffic is light. Heavily clothed pedestrians dot the sidewalks. Large flakes of snow fall slowly, serenely. INT. DOMS TRUCK - CONTINUOUS Dom navigates the roadway with deep concentration. The sound of the trucks engine REVERBERATES through the cab. The floorboard of the passenger seat is littered with trash. The seat is worn and ripped in a few places. He drives away from the center of town, taking a road that cuts between two expansive fields. EXT. DOMS TRUCK - CONTINUOUS Doms truck crests over a hill, in an area where the fields are replaced with dense trees. The truck slows as it reaches the bottom of the hill. It turns into a driveway that snakes through the woods. EXT. CALVINS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Doms truck emerges from the constricted driveway, out of the protection of trees, and into the open area of Calvins front yard. Calvins house, an old two story farmhouse that has been restored through the years, sits dark and quiet. INT. DOMS TRUCK - CONTINUOUS As Dom slows down, he notices Calvins truck. Snow covers it, surrounding it, as it has not been driven in days. Dom stops his truck and puts it into park. He stares at the house as a chill runs through him. He takes a deep breath and opens the door, leaving the truck running. A plume of snow and exhaust waft into the cab as he exits.

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EXT. CALVINS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Dom cautiously walks up to the front door. At the front door, he KNOCKS. There is no answer, and with a mix of concern and agitation on his face he tries the doorknob. The door opens. INT. CALVINS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS LIVING ROOM Dom takes a step inside. DOM Hey, Cal, you in here? Dark and cold permeate the living room. The interior of the house may very well be colder than it is outside. Dom steps completely inside and shuts the door, looking around. Cal. DOM (CONTD)

The chill inside the house lingers, untouched, sharp with a sinister bite. DOM (CONTD) Cal. Its Dom. Dom walks through the living room, entering a HALLWAY until he enters the KITCHEN On the kitchen table sits a plate of half eaten food with a thin layer of crystallized ice upon it, a fork in the middle of the table, and a bottle of beer next to the plate, half empty and completely frozen. The label on the beer bottle reads: GLADSTON BREWING MIDNIGHT ALE. DOM (CONTD) Cal? You here? HALLWAY

8 . The hallway leads to a few rooms, nearly pitch black except for a swath of light that falls through one open door at the end. Dom walks through the gloom. He opens the door to the downstairs bathroom, finds it empty, then opens the door opposite it. The guest bedroom is also empty. He walks to the room at the end of the hallway, the room with the open door. COMPUTER ROOM Dom stands in the doorway of the computer room, his eyes adjusting to the light a large bay window provides. A computer desk houses an older model computer with a small CRT monitor crammed in one corner. Papers are strewn about the desk. EXT. CALVINS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS BACK YARD The wind picks up outside, HOWLING, and the snowfall increases its angle. Through the bay window of the computer room we see Dom looking outside for a few seconds before stepping away. INT. CALVINS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS UPSTAIRS Dom walks up the staircase. At the top, a hallway extends out to either side, with a bathroom directly in front. The bathroom is empty. Dom turns to the left, in the direction of the master bedroom, and finds the door open. Beyond the door, a curtained window barely allows light to enter the room, but Dom immediately recognizes a silhouette of a person framed in the middle of the window, as if sitting in front of it. DOM Holy shit, Cal. What the hell you doin? Dom rushes to the room. CALVINS ROOM

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Dom enters the room and immediately flicks on the light. CALVIN MILLER, 34 years of age with thinning black hair, in good physical condition, is not sitting in front of the window. He is hanging with a rope tied around his neck, the top of the rope tied to an old fashioned, heavy duty curtain rod. Dressed in a t-shirt and boxers, Calvins arms hang at his side, his legs bent, feet loosely resting on the floor. His eyes are open, crusted over with ice, pupils back inside his head. Dom stands in the doorway and stares in disbelief. CUT TO: INT. BREWERY - DAY FRONT OFFICE Claire sits behind the reception desk, staring off into space with tear stains running down her face. We hear the sound of the front DOOR OPENING. Without moving her head, her eyes slowly move in the general direction of the door. Sheriff SARAH LAHNAGAN, a 45 year old woman who has a spark of vitality in her eyes, walks through the door. She stomps snow from her boots, giving Claire a somber nod of recognition. Morning. LAHNAGAN

CLAIRE Morning, Sheriff. You here about Cal? LAHNAGAN Yeah...is Mr. Durham in? Claire nods, but her mind floats to a different place, momentarily forgetting about Lahnagan. Lahnagan takes a few steps into the office, realizing the delicacy of the situation. She offers a sympathetic smile. LAHNAGAN Hes...in his office?

10 . CLAIRE Yeah...hes been trying to... LAHNAGAN Yeah. I know. Ill see my way there, then. OK... CLAIRE

Lahnagan TAPS lightly on the desk, smiles, and walks to the back door. INT. BREWERY - CONTINUOUS TOM DURHAMS OFFICE TOM DURHAM, 40 years old with a body built like a barrel of beer, sits behind his desk, carefully perusing through a stack of files in front of him. The office is cozy, with dark stained paneled walls, amber lighting, and plush carpet. A wide window in the wall behind his desk looks down on the cooking operations center of the brewery. A KNOCK disrupts Toms concentration. Yeah? TOM

Lahnagan enters the room. She is holding her winter hat, quickly fixing her hair. Sheriff. TOM

LAHNAGAN Mr. Durham. They shake hands, and Tom gestures for Lahnagan to take a seat. A moment of silence follows. Lahnagan clears her throat. TOM Well...Ive been going through Calvins emergency contact info. Seems he didnt list his sister.

11 . LAHNAGAN Jennifer Miller. TOM Yeah. Jennifer. LAHNAGAN Dont worry about an address. Well track her down. (looks at paperwork on desk) Who did he list? Tom flips through a pad of paper with scribbled notes upon it, shaking his head with mild frustration. TOM For the first two years he listed his mother. After cancer took her, he listed... (rubs eyes) After that, he listed Dominic. LAHNAGAN They must have been close. TOM Very. They grew up together. LAHNAGAN Hmmm. They werent...you know. Together... TOM Oh hell no. They were like brothers. (pauses, eyeballs Lahnagan) And besides, Calvin had his fair share of girlfriends over the years. (sighs) He even dated Claire, our receptionist, for awhile... LAHNAGAN And Mr. Patinski? He a big dater? TOM Dom? Naw. Not so much. (thinks) Last I remember, hed dated Cals sister, Jennifer for a month or two. But that was way back. Back before she and Cal stopped talking.

12 . LAHNAGAN

I see.

TOM Poor Dom, though. What he had to see yesterday. I cant imagine seeing your best friend hanging like that. LAHNAGAN Yes...but Im surprised you let him come in to work today. TOM (shrugs) There was nothing I could do to stop him. I told him to stay home, to take the rest of the week off, but he refused, saying he needed to come in. (shakes his head) I dont know. Maybe he needs something to keep his mind occupied, to block out what he saw yesterday. I dont know. I asked Danielle Burke to stop by, to talk with him anyway. LAHNAGAN Dr. Burke, from the hospital? TOM Yeah. She has some experience with this kind of situation. She should be here sometime this morning. LAHNAGAN Whats Dominic doing now? TOM Eh...its 8:41 now...he might be on break. Why? LAHNAGAN Id like a word with him. Its actually the reason I stopped by. TOM His best friend in the world, his brother just committed suicide yesterday. He answered all your questions yesterday. What more could you want with him?

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LAHNAGAN Well, Id like to go over the past few days. TOM I dont see why... LAHNAGAN Well, Tom, because Ive been put in charge of a homicide. Homicide? TOM

LAHNAGAN Yeah. Autopsy came back early this morning. Calvin Miller did not commit suicide. The medical examiner found abrasions around his wrists and ankles. On closer inspection, he found trace amounts of tape residue. (waits for response) Anyway, looks like someone bound him, hung him, and tried to cover it up in the guise of a suicide. Tom can only look at Lahnagan, horrified. LAHNAGAN So, yeah. Eh-hem. Any help will be greatly appreciated. INT. BREWERY - CONTINUOUS BREAK ROOM The break room is small, with white brick walls and a white tile floor. Six employees of the brewery sit at a table, talking quietly. Tom and Lahnagan enter, and with a quick scan realize that Dom is not in the room. The employees look over to the two in the doorway. Dom? TOM

DONALD FRANKLIN, a middle aged, balding man, shrugs.

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DONALD We havent seen him. LAHNAGAN Where did you see him last? DONALD Last? Early this morning. Didnt he stop by to pick something up. He was by the lockers... TOM He hasnt been working this morning? DONALD Nope. Weve had Jeremy finishing the repairs to #3. Tom and Lahnagan look at each other, concerned. TOM (bewildered) He told me he had to be here... LAHNAGAN Yeah, but obviously it wasnt to work out his pain. (looks around) Wheres the lockers? Tom leads Lahnagan out of the break room, and around a quick corner. LOCKER AREA Behind the break room is a line of lockers, with a row of hooks next to them for winter coats and hats. Tom pulls out his cell phone and dials Claire at the front desk. With the phone to his ear, he points to one locker. TOM That one, there. Thats his. He doesnt use it much. Maybe to store things... Claire answers the phone. Hello... CLAIRE (O.S.)

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TOM Claire, did Dom leave this morning? Claire does not immediately answer. Claire? TOM (CONTD)

CLAIRE (O.S.) Yes. Yes. He left ten minutes after he got here. He needed to get some stuff...he had a duffel bag... Tom turns in a circle, running a hand through his hair. TOM Christ. I thought he meant he wanted to work. At the locker, Lahnagan slowly turns to Tom. LAHNAGAN Its empty. Tom shakes his head, breathing deep, until he notices another locker. The door is not completely shut. He walks up to it, the phone still to his ear. LAHNAGAN What is it? CLAIRE (O.S.) Mr. Durham? Whats going on? TOM (to Lahnagan) This was Calvins locker. Tom opens the locker, only to find that it too is empty. Shit. TOM

LAHNAGAN He emptied Calvins locker too? CLAIRE (O.S.) Mr. Durham?

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INT. BREWERY - CONTINUOUS FRONT OFFICE Tom and Lahnagan rush through the back door, heading out, but are stopped by the sight of DR. DANIELLE BURKE, a middle aged, neatly kept woman, brushing snow from her jacket next to the front door. BURKE Tom, there you are. She realizes that something is not right, analyzing Lahnagan and Tom, their concerned expressions. BURKE (CONTD) Tom. Whats the matter? TOM Doms not here. I thought he was working today... BURKE Thats what you said earlier... TOM But hes not. He cleaned out his and Calvins locker. Then left. Dr. Burke takes a moment, letting the information sink in. BURKE He cleaned his...and the locker of the deceased? Lahnagan nods. Behind the trio, Claire stands up behind the desk. She pays close attention to the conversation, deep concern etched upon her face. BURKE (CONTD) If...if he cleared out his locker...I could only assume he does not plan to return. A sudden sob escapes Claire. Tom and Lahnagan turn to see her quickly dash off through the back door. Claire... TOM

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BURKE This isnt good...we must find him. LAHNAGAN Good call, doc. His sudden leave of absence doesnt look so good. It comes across guilty. BURKE Guilty? Whatever are you talking about? Guilty of what? LAHNAGAN Thats what I came here to find out. What? Why? BURKE

LAHNAGAN Sorry. I gotta go find him... Lahnagan leaves the office, leaving Tom and Dr. Burke to stare at each other. CUT TO: INT. DOMS HOUSE - DAY KITCHEN Dom sits at the kitchen table, staring through the window out to the backyard. Through the window we see a storage/wood shed with its door open, and in front of the shed an idling snowmobile. Heavy snow is falling. He holds a bottle of whiskey, its contents half gone. He takes a drink, spilling some as his foot slips, causing his balance to shift to the left. The bottle hits the table hard, but still in his hand. He rights himself, almost knocking over the cordless phone. His eyes are red and lazy from the amount of alcohol in his system, with dark circles sagging under them. He breathes hard. As he looks at the phone, it RINGS. He only looks at it, drinking another swig of whiskey. The answering machine catches the call.

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DOMS ANSWERING MACHINE This is Doms phone. Leave me a message. The machine BEEPS. TOM (O.S.) Dom, you there? Its Tom. I thought you were here, and...well, but anyway...Dr. Burke is here and would like to talk with you. Id like to talk with you...Dom? Dom. Come on, pick up. I dont know...I dont know what youre thinking right now... But could you pick up? Theres a lot of us who need talk this out...with you, together. Dom. Theres probably a lotThe answering machine cuts off Tom with another BEEP. Dom blinks rapidly. His face holds no emotion. He picks up the phone and hits REDIAL, bringing it up to his ear. We hear the phone RING three times before an answering machine picks up. ANSWERING MACHINE (O.S.) Hey, there. This is Calvin. Either Im away or Ive seen your number on caller ID and decided not to pick up! Ha! Well, by now you know what to do. So, go on and leave a message. As the machine BEEPS, Dom breathes into the phone for a few seconds before hanging up. He turns in his seat and looks at the clock. The clock reads 9:20am. Dom stares at the clock as if it is meaningless, blinks rapidly again, and stands to his feet. He puts the cordless phone into its cradle on the wall, unplugs the cord, then puts on his jacket, hat and gloves, looking to the ceiling as he does. He then pushes the chair he had been sitting in closer to the table, and carefully walks out of the kitchen.

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EXT. DOMS HOUSE - DAY BACK YARD Dom exits the house through the back door, walking to the idling snowmobile, and sits on it. He looks at the house without expression, as if it holds no meaning, REVS the engine of the snowmobile a couple of times, and then rides out through the back field. He heads straight through the field, into the wooded area at the back, and disappears between the trees just as Lahnagans Ford Explorer roars down the road, heading for Doms house. EXT. WOODED AREA - CONTINUOUS Dom drives the snowmobile through the woods until he finds a trail that is barely used. He takes the trail and rides for a time, until the trail veers to the right and he goes straight, swerving around rocks and trees. He continues through the woods until the terrain begins to rise uphill. He takes a left, keeping to the flat land, and rides on until he arrives at a frozen stream and stops. EXT. WOODED AREA - CONTINUOUS WEST EDGE OF FROZEN STREAM Dom turns off the snowmobile and sits. The wind does not penetrate through the trees, only RUSTLING the branches high above, causing accumulated snow to fall. The area is peaceful, serene. Dom steps away from the snowmobile, walking to the edge of the stream. He looks at the frozen path cut into the ground, breathing hard, blinking quickly. Standing in the calm embrace of nature, Dom falls to his knees and screams up to the sky, maintaining the scream until he has no more air in his lungs. His head sags down to his chest. Dom sobs uncontrollably. Tears stream down his face. He cannot support his stance and falls forward, face-first in the snow. Dom screams into the snow, rolls over and screams again into the sky, lying on his back. Fresh tears carve valleys through the snow on his face.

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When it seems he is able to control his breathing, to stop his sobbing, he rolls over again and pushes himself up into a kneeling position. He is still breathing fast, shaking his head, looking to the ground. From his coat pocket he pulls out a .22 pistol. He does not look at it. He lifts his eyes from the ground to stare blankly ahead. Dom places the muzzle of the gun in his mouth. He breathes hard and fast for a few seconds, then holds his breath again. His finger curls over the trigger. He breathes hard and fast for another few seconds, then stops. His eyes catch something, and focus to the other side of the stream. EAST SIDE OF FROZEN STREAM A mysterious woman, CELESTE, in her mid 20s, slim with long blond hair, stumbles through the trees. She wears boots that are too big for her and a long white shirt. She falls to her knees, picks herself up, takes a couple more steps and then falls again. She does not move for a few seconds. WEST EDGE OF FROZEN STREAM Dom drops the gun from his mouth and looks at Celeste with curious disbelief. He quickly scans the area, but sees nothing else out of the ordinary. The woods remain as still as they had been before Celeste entered the picture. He looks back to her on the ground, trying to make sense of what he is seeing. After a moment he puts the pistol back in his pocket and rises to his feet. DOM (quietly, choked up) Maam... (waits, louder) Maam?

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Celeste does not move. Dom takes a step forward. Hello? She breathes slowly. He moves across the frozen stream toward her. EAST SIDE OF STREAM Dom approaches and kneels down to Celeste. DOM (CONTD) Maam...maam? Can you tell me your name? What are you...what are doing out here? Can you speak? He flips her over and brushes the hair from her face. She is stunning, beautiful, a woman Dom has never been so close to before, and he is taken aback by her. He cannot help but notice the curve of her breasts and hips outlined in the thin shirt, the shape of her legs exposed in the snow. He snaps out of his moment of hypnosis. DOM (CONTD) Maam, can you hear me? Are you awake? CELESTE (whispers) What...when... DOM You need to get out of this weather. Why were you... Dom shakes the questions from his by taking off his hat, gloves and coat on her, though, he remembers out of the pocket. He looks at it head and immediately acts coat. Before he places the the pistol and pulls it as Celeste stirs. DOM (CONTD)

He throws the pistol down next to a tree, where it falls through the snow. DOM (CONTD) Come on, then.

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Dom puts the coat on the woman, along with the gloves and hat. She is limp, barely breathing. He picks her up and shambles as fast as he can through the snow back to his snowmobile. EXT. DOMS HOUSE - DAY BACK YARD Dom pulls up on the snowmobile, close to the back door. Celeste is slumped over in front of him. He is freezing, and has to pry his hands from the handles. A light covering of snow coats his hair. His teeth chatter. He jumps off the snowmobile and gently picks Celeste up, carrying her up to the back door. INT. DOMS HOUSE - DAY HALLWAY Dom carries Celeste inside and down the short hallway. He turns left, towards the downstairs bathroom, and shakes his head, then turns to the right to a spare room. SPARE ROOM He turns on the light. Boxes fill most of the room, and they are labeled: GRANDMAS STUFF, in Doms poor handwriting with a black marker. At the back wall is a sofa with more boxes on it. DOM I should have done something with this stuff, I know... He sits Celeste on the end of the couch not cluttered with boxes. Certain she will not fall over, he clears the boxes away and lays her down. With his hand on her arm, he grows concerned. DOM (CONTD) Youre too cold. Celeste coughs.

23 . DOM (CONTD) Wait. I have spare blankets upstairs. He runs out. LIVING ROOM He runs through the mess that is his living room. Past his beat up couch and old television, pizza boxes, empty beer cans and unwashed clothes, by his front door and up the stairs. FRONT DOOR Through the dusty drapes of the window by the door, we see the driveway and a deputy sheriffs cruiser parked outside. Deputy MARK KINGSTON, a young man who looks to have just joined the sheriffs department, is standing next to the cruiser with the door open. He talks on his radio, looking in the direction of the house, obviously aware that Dom has returned home. As we hear Dom RUMMAGING around upstairs, Kingston nods his head and closes the door of his cruiser. He takes a quick glance at the road as a car passes by. Dom rushes back downstairs. When he reaches the bottom with an armful of blankets, he spots Kingston. Relief washes over him. He takes one look at the blankets, back to Kingston, and then decides to run back to the spare room. SPARE ROOM Dom enters the room, smiling. He drops the blankets, sorts through them, and proceeds to put them over Celeste. DOM Theres a cop outside. Let me cover you up here...and... He places the last blanket on her, just as we hear a KNOCK on the front door. DOM (CONTD) There he is...hold on... He makes sure the blankets are tucked around her, then turns. CELESTE What...where am I? Dom turns back to her, surprised that she has spoken.

24 .

DOM Youre awake! Where...? CELESTE

DOM My...my house. CELESTE What...city? DOM (pauses) Gladston...Gladston, Michigan. Celeste opens her eyes, keenly centering them on Dom. They are dark blue, and sparkle with intensity despite her condition. Wh...when? CELESTE

We hear the sound of Kingston KNOCKING again. What? DOM

CELESTE What day is it...? DOM Its...huh. Wednesday... CELESTE The...date? DOM (reluctantly) Its...February 16th. Or the 15th, I think... Wh...year? Year? Celeste nods. DOM (CONTD) (unsure) Its...2011... CELESTE DOM

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(eyes brighten) But hold on! Theres a cop outside! He can get an ambulance out here! Dom turns to leave. Wait. CELESTE

Her tone is forceful, giving Dom pause. We hear Kingston KNOCK again, forcefully, and Celeste looks vaguely in that direction. Dont... Dont? CELESTE DOM

CELESTE Dont let him know...Im here. DOM What? Why...what? Celeste shakes her head, breathing deep. Her nose crinkles, eyes furrow, and she pleads with her eyes. Doms not sure what she is talking about, but the sudden helplessness in her expression causes him to rethink reporting her presence to Kingston. We hear another KNOCK at the door, and it is so loud it sounds as if it could have broken the hinges. CELESTE Please. I beg you. Dont. I...I just need time to rest... Celestes eyes tear up. CELESTE (CONTD) Please. I...can rest here. Please... let me stay...here... Dom is dumbfounded. CELESTE (CONTD) Please...I...need you...

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KINGSTON (O.S) Dominic Patinski! I know youre in there. Please open up! I...I... DOM

CELESTE Please...Dominic. The delicate way she says his name only endears him towards her. DOM Oh...OK. You...stay here. Rest. And stay quite. Celeste smiles, the most genuine expression a woman has ever given him. It stops his breath for a moment. His face reddens. DOM (CONTD) Im...Ill just...just rest. Ill be back. CELESTE Thank you, Dominic. Dom nods and awkwardly exits the room, smiling like fool. HALLWAY As he closes the spare room door, Dom takes a minute to gain control of his composure. He straightens his posture before walking to the front door. EXT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS FRONT DOOR Agitated, Kingston raises his fist to knock on the door again, when Dom opens it, smiling. Hello. DOM

KINGSTON Mr. Patinski?

27 . DOM Yes. Thats me. KINGSTON Im Deputy Kingston. I was asked by Sheriff Lahnagan to keep an eye on your house, in case you happened to come back. The Sheriff has been looking for you this morning. DOM Oh. Really? Why? KINGSTON Its related to the Miller case. Calvin? DOM

KINGSTON Yes. Calvin Miller. DOM (breathless) What...what for? KINGSTON Perhaps it would be best if Sheriff Lahnagan explained it to you. Do you mind if I come inside and wait until she shows up? Dom nods his head, but not to allow Kingston inside. Kingston takes the nod the wrong way, though, and steps forward. DOM Yes, I do mind, actually. I... Kingston stops, agitated further. DOM (CONTD) I just, would like to be alone. KINGSTON I understand. (suspicious) But let me ask you. Youre not going to run off are you? When the Sheriff arrived here, she said she saw snow machine tracks leading away from here. You arent planning on going anywhere else are you?

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DOM No, sir. I...I, uh, will wait here until the Sheriff shows up. KINGSTON Ok. But Ill be listening. DOM Ill be here... KINGSTON Alright. (pauses) And hey, I heard you found Mr. Miller. He was a close friend, yeah? Dom nods, his demeanor now a solemn one. KINGSTON (CONTD) Im...sorry for the loss of your friend...Ill, Ill be in my cruiser if you need anything. Thanks... DOM

As Kingston steps off the porch, Dom continues to nod. He focuses inside the house. DOM (CONTD) OK...OK, then... Dom closes the door. INT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS SPARE ROOM Dom opens the door, peeking his head in. On the floor in front of the couch lays Doms jacket next to the over sized boots and white shirt Celeste had been wearing. The covers are completely covering her from neck to toe. Her head on a pillow, hair splayed out over it, she gazes at him. Thank you. CELESTE

She looks down at her clothes on the floor.

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CELESTE (CONTD) They were wet...uncomfortable. DOM Ummm...oh yeah. I didnt think about that. Everything just... CELESTE Its warm under here now. I can feel my toes again. She smiles, which transforms into a long sigh of relief. Dom nods. He wrings his hands, moving his mouth to form a question. When his voice fails him, though, he looks away, to the stacked boxes. CELESTE (CONTD) So, Dominic...looks like youre my savior. He looks to her with uncertainty, but glad she is still speaking with him. Her stare causes him to laugh uncomfortably. DOM Well...Um... CELESTE Do you want to know my name? DOM Oh, yeah...of course. Of course, yes! Celestes smile widens. She closes her eyes again, drawing her legs closer to her body under the covers, pulling the covers tighter around her shoulders. CELESTE My name is Celeste. She breathes her name with an air of confidence, as if her name is the only solid thing she has to hold onto in the world. DOM Like...an angel... CELESTE (pleasantly surprised) A what?

30 .

DOM A...an angel. Celestial...er. Heavenly. Um...Angels...from heaven. Celeste. My grandma used to take me to church when I was young. They talk about angels...and stuff. Dom grows flustered, embarrassed not only by his original comment, but also by his rambling explanation. CELESTE Well, then, what a pair we make. Youre my savior and Im your angel. He looks around. DOM Are you hungry? Ill make some soup. It will help. But...uh, the Sheriff is on her way here... CELESTE I know. These walls...sound travels through them. I heard your conversation. DOM Oh. Ok. I... CELESTE If you keep me being here between us...I would be very grateful. I just need time to rest...alone. DOM What...what were you doing out there...dressed like that? She offers a resigned expression, giving a long moment to pass before she answers. Hes not sure if he should have asked the question. Celeste, though, smiles with a sense of reassurance. CELESTE Lost, Dominic. I was very, very lost. Dom does not know what to say, but decides not to pursue the line of questioning.

31 .

DOM Ill...Ill make some soup. EXT. DOMS HOUSE DAY FRONT YARD Snow falls faster and heavier than an hour ago. Evergreen trees sway back and forth in the erratic wind. The clouds are darker. From the road, Lahnagans Explorer pulls into the driveway, towing a trailer with two snowmobiles on it. Kingston quickly steps out of his cruiser as Lahnagan stops her vehicle. Lahnagan gets out and meets with the deputy, talking with him for a few seconds before heading to the front door. INT. DOMS HOUSE - DAY KITCHEN Dom stands over a pot of chicken noodle soup, stirring it with a large wooden spoon. He glances down the hallway, to the spare room. We hear a KNOCK at the front door that diverts Doms attention. He whirls around, about to walk to the door, but takes a moment to calm himself. LIVING ROOM We hear Lahnagan KNOCK again. Through the window by the door, we see her stepping back, looking around as a gust of wind rattles the glass. Dom opens the door, and the wind brings in a flurry of snowflakes into the room. Dom braces himself from the sudden burst of cold. LAHNAGAN Can I come inside? Yes. Yes! DOM

He steps out of Lahnagans way as she enters, closing the door quickly. Lahnagan stomps snow from her boots as she removes her hat.

32 . LAHNAGAN Thank you, Mr. Patinski. DOM Dom, please. And its no problem. LAHNAGAN Alright, Dom then. Is there anywhere we can sit and talk for a bit? DOM The kitchen. Im making chicken noodle soup. This weathers getting bad. Dom leads Lahnagan into the KITCHEN LAHNAGAN Ill probably need some myself by days end. Dom nods, returning to the stove, as Lahnagan sits at the table. LAHNAGAN (CONTD) It seemed, for awhile there, I might have been spending the rest of the day on a snow machine. DOM Bad day to be out there, thats for sure. Dom openly questions why Lahnagan is paying him a visit with curiosity in his eyes. LAHNAGAN To be frank, I thought I was going to have to chase you down. DOM (confused) Chase me down...? LAHNAGAN I came by here just over an hour ago. Saw your truck. I also saw the snow machine tracks leading out into the field, and unless my memory is wrong, the Little Bear Trail is out that way.

33 .

DOM Yeah, it is... LAHNAGAN I also know that trail leads clear across town, pretty close to Mr. Millers house, and then the airport beyond. Maybe its just my over active imagination, but it seemed a good possibly your destination might have been one of those places. Nope. DOM

LAHNAGAN So you had no plans to run off? Run off? DOM

LAHNAGAN You cleared out your locker this morning. DOM (hesitant) Yeah... Why? LAHNAGAN

Dom turns to stir the soup. He shrugs. LAHNAGAN (CONTD) You dont know why? DOM Well...yeah. I do. LAHNAGAN Can you tell me what you were thinking this morning? Dom pauses. He controls his breathing. DOM I...I cleared my locker because I wasnt planning on going back there.

34 .

LAHNAGAN Yeah, well...thing is, nobody knew you had planned to quit. Your boss thought you were there, working. Why didnt you tell anyone? DOM No reason to. LAHNAGAN Hmm. So just to be straight. You quit your job. You dont tell anyone. You come back home. Take off on the snow machine. But you werent running away? DOM Running away on a snow machine sounds like a dumb idea. LAHNAGAN Yeah, maybe. But...maybe not. (pauses) Maybe my overactive imagination again, but there really isnt a better way to slip through police patrols than on a snow machine in winter. DOM What police patrols? LAHNAGAN (laughing) OK, good point. You wouldve been long gone before we couldve had the word out on the street. Still, though, what you did seemed...shall we say, suspicious. At least to me. Dom looks in the direction of the hallway, to the spare room, without moving his head. DOM Suspicious? Like I was up to something? LAHNAGAN Something like that. Sure. (pauses) So come clean, Dom. Tell me. Where were you going? What were you doing this morning?

35 .

Dom stares hard toward the spare room, his eyes moistening with tears. His hands ball up into a fist. DOM (resentful, soft) Kill myself... LAHNAGAN (pauses) Excuse me, what was that? DOM (louder) Kill myself. I took the snow machine out into the woods to kill myself. OK? Lahnagan shifts in her chair. She looks away from Dom, down to the kitchen table, then back over to him. She has suddenly lost her train of thought. Dom turns around to face Lahnagan, angry and sad that he has been forced into this conversation. DOM (CONTD) What do you want from me? All I did was take mine and Cals stuff? After I came back, I sat here and drank. So? I was in that chair there, looking out the window. It seemed right at the time. So...I went into the woods and put a pistol in my mouth... Dom stares out the window, past Lahnagan, as tears fall down his face. DOM (CONTD) Whats the big deal about that? You going to arrest me for putting a gun in my mouth? You going to ask me more questions about what I was thinking, or what was it like? You going to lock me up for driving off...on my snow machine? Doms face is red, eyes red, fists clenched, and it seems he is holding back more than he is letting out. Lahnagan remains calm, though, giving Dom the sudden respect of a person who believes his tale.

36 .

LAHNAGAN But you didnt...youre here. DOM (calming down) No. I didnt. Im here. LAHNAGAN Something changed your mind. Yes... DOM

LAHNAGAN May I ask what? DOM (calm) I...I saw an angel... An angel? An angel. LAHNAGAN DOM

LAHNAGAN OK...so youre about to take your own life when God sends an angel your way. DOM Well...I guess so. LAHNAGAN Youre a religious man, then. DOM I...guess I must be. You? LAHNAGAN Never had the need for faith when sharp wits and a good sense of my surroundings have served me just fine. (pauses) But...ok. So... DOM So...yeah...

37 .

LAHNAGAN Alright... (breath) Mr. Pat-I mean, Dom. The...the reason I wanted to see you this morning is to ask if you can tell me where you were three nights ago? Last Saturday night. Lahnagan pulls out a small notepad and pen from her shirt pocket. DOM Last Saturday night? LAHNAGAN Yes. Specifically between 8pm and midnight. DOM Umm...here I guess. Alone? Yeah. LAHNAGAN DOM

LAHNAGAN You didnt go anywhere? You were here all night? DOM Well...I uh...went to the movie store to get some movies. Ive seen all mine. LAHNAGAN You remember what time about? When you went out. DOM I dont know. It was dark. LAHNAGAN OK. And you didnt see Calvin Miller that night? DOM Uh...no. He said he was out on a date Saturday. He likes...liked to date girls. He was always looking for Mrs. Perfect...even if (MORE)

38 .

DOM (CONTD) he was dating someone, he was always looking. LAHNAGAN Do you know who this woman was? DOM Someone new, I guess. I never met her. I dont usually meet the girls Dom dated until he was with them for a little while. He always joked that he had to break them in first. LAHNAGAN He didnt give you any kind of details about this woman? Where they were going? What his plans were? DOM No...I dont think he even knew. He liked to wing it. LAHNAGAN And you didnt think it was odd when you didnt hear from him Sunday? Monday? DOM Not Sunday. If it was a good date, Sunday would be a date too. If...you know...she stayed the night. But Monday...a little, yeah. But I thought he might still be with her. Usually we carpool. When he didnt call, I thought they were on a third date. LAHNAGAN Alright, Dom, I think I have what I need for now, but Ill give you a call if I have any more questions. Lahnagan places the notepad and pen back in her shirt pocket. She stands to her feet and picks up her hat. DOM Why you asking so many questions anyway?

39 .

LAHNAGAN Listen, Dom, I believe you. I really do. Youre very distraught over the death of your friend. But in my line of work, thats not enough to get you off the hook. I wish it were, but its not. DOM Off the hook for what? Homicide. Homicide? LAHNAGAN DOM

LAHNAGAN Yes, Dom. Calvin Miller did not commit suicide. He was murdered. Dom leans against the stove, stupefied by the news. DOM Cal...Cal was murdered? Lahnagan catches her breath at the sight of Doms expression. LAHNAGAN Yes. He was murdered. (pauses) Someone killed him. (pauses) And as much as I hate it, I have to treat everyone as a suspect. Its just the way it is. You have a good day. Lahnagan nods and walks out of the kitchen, out of the house, leaving Dom to stand alone, frozen in place, caught in a moment of surprise and terror. EXT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS DRIVEWAY Lahnagan walks out of the house towards Kingston, who is standing beside his cruiser despite the wind and snow.

40 . KINGSTON Sarah, Annie just radioed in from the station. They tracked down Calvin Millers sister...Jennifer. Shes living down in Wisconsin. LAHNAGAN OK, Mark... Lahnagan looks down at her boots, rubbing her face, shaking her head. LAHNAGAN (CONTD) God... (pauses) You know, ten years on this job, and Ive never had to break the news to anyone that their friend or loved one was murdered. (pauses) After this investigation, I hope I never have to ever again. INT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS KITCHEN Dom continues to stand against the stove as we hear the sound of Lahnagans EXPLORER and Kingstons CRUISER EXITING the driveway, just as we hear the sound of the spare room DOOR OPENING on the other side. He does not look over as we hear the sound of SOFT FOOTSTEPS growing louder, walking down the hallway and into the kitchen. Celeste enters with a blanket draped around her. She is barefoot, the blanket falling loosely over one shoulder, exposing it. Her hair has not dried well, sustaining a wet look, falling straight down, bangs in her eyes. DOM (shocked) He...he was murdered... CELESTE Oh, Dominic... She moves close to him. Oh, Dom... CELESTE (CONTD)

She presses her body against his, her face nuzzling into his neck. She wraps an arm around him.

41 .

Doms eyes blink rapidly as he sobs openly. CELESTE (CONTD) Im here...Dom. Im here. Her lips move across his neck, up to his face, kissing his cheek. Her hand finds his, their fingers interlock. She kisses him again. Im here. CELESTE (CONTD)

Dom pulls his head back and they lock eyes. Her eyes are soft, caring, and determined to keep Dom anchored in the moment. His eyes are confused, a mix of sorrow for what he has learned happened to Calvin and surprised that Celeste is so close to him. She leans in closer to his face, kissing his lips, tenderly, slowly exploring different angles. Dom does not respond at first, but he cannot resist her touch and awkwardly follows her lead, kissing back. Soon, Celestes lips confidently guide Doms in a dance of rhythmic movement, their tongues meeting, gliding over each other. Celeste moves her other hand out from under the blanket, her fingers interlocking with his. The blanket slips off, revealing her naked body, and she gently forces him out of the kitchen. INT. DOMS HOUSE - DAY BEDROOM Doms clothes are strewn along the floor, creating a path from the doorway to his bed. Light streams in from the window onto the bed, where Dom lays on his back and Celeste is straddled on top of him. Their lower half is covered by a sheet, and Celeste slowly gyrates her hips beneath the sheet, one hand holding Doms, while the other hand caresses his face. EXT. DOMS HOUSE - NIGHT BACK YARD Snow continues to fall heavy, though the wind has died down. The storage/wood shed is dark, a silhouette. The snowmobile still sits by the back door, as light from the kitchen window spills onto it.

42 .

INT. DOMS HOUSE - NIGHT KITCHEN Celeste sits alone at the table, a cup of coffee cupped between her hands. She is clothed in one of Doms long, button down flannel shirts and a pair of shin-high black socks. There is another cup of coffee on the other side of the table. She glances slowly around the room when we hear a THUMP from below the floor. Her face angles down. BASEMENT Dom throws another log into the furnace, looks at the fire within, and closes the door to the furnace. A couple of bulbs hang from the ceiling, casting the basement in a warm glow. Behind him is a stack of wood. He walks to the basement door and exits. KITCHEN As Celeste takes a sip of coffee, we hear a DOOR OPEN and CLOSE from the direction of the hallway, and the sound of FOOTSTEPS until Dom enters the kitchen. DOM That should last a few hours. CELESTE (thoughtful) Seems like...a lot of work, heating this house with wood. Dom sits at the kitchen table. DOM It is...but its what this house has for heat. Always been like that. My grandma never liked gas or electric for heat. Said it wasnt the same. Said it fed too much into the greedy corporations, or whatever. (pauses) Had some local kids cut, split and pile for her until I was old enough to do it. Been doing it ever since.

43 .

CELESTE Guess people grow up fast in these parts, yes? DOM Have to. (thoughtful) But its not so hard as when my grandma was a kid. It was always work for them. Life was different then, she always said. Your skin thickens fast, she said. CELESTE Sounds like where Im from. (pauses) Though, its different... DOM So, uh...where...so youre not from around here? CELESTE No, Dom. Not even close to here. DOM Like...what? California? CELESTE California? DOM (awkward) Well...I dunno. You have such nice skin. Not many...people have nice skin around here. Its...nice. CELESTE Dom... (smiling) People dont notice such things where Im from. People...where Im from...theyre too busy worrying about other things. (thoughtful) Theres too much going on, I guess. So busy... DOM You come from a city?

44 .

Yes.

CELESTE

DOM A big city, huh... Very big. CELESTE

DOM Like New York? CELESTE New York... (looks around room) This place is different, though. Yes? Its not like...New York. DOM Not at all. Its the complete opposite. CELESTE Not so crowded, huh? DOM Lots of room around these parts. CELESTE So if I wanted to find someone, it wouldnt be so difficult, yes? DOM You looking for someone? CELESTE Three people, actually. Family? DOM

CELESTE Not family. No. DOM Not family, huh? (pauses) But theyre people you know? Friends? CELESTE Actually, no. I dont know them. I just know their names. I, uh...just (MORE)

45 .

CELESTE (CONTD) have something to tell them. Something thats kind of important. Its why Im here. Its why Im away from home. DOM And you dont know where they are? CELESTE No idea. Just, that they live in the general area... Oh... DOM

(thinks) But I guess...when you tell these people what you have to say...I guess youll go back home then. Huh? CELESTE The thing is, Dom, I cant go back home. (sighs) Right now...I have nowhere to go. I have nothing. Not even a sense of where I need to go. I really dont... (laughs sadly) I just know I have to do it. And after that...I dont know what Ill do. DOM Youre...all alone? CELESTE I...I was. Until...until I met you. DOM (smiling) Then maybe I can help you. Help you find these people you dont know. CELESTE Dom...I dont want to impose. DOM You wouldnt. I promise. (sighs) Im...kinda like you. Im...

46 .

Alone...

CELESTE

DOM Yeah...alone. And...I dont want you to have to be alone. CELESTE Its not good being alone. DOM No. No, it isnt... CELESTE Then...I suppose... Celeste stands and walks over to Dom, who remains sitting. He stares up her as she caresses his face. CELESTE (CONTD) I suppose were lucky to have found each other. Yes? DOM Yeah... (breathes deep) Ill...Ill do whatever I can to help you. I want to. I do... Oh, Dom... CELESTE

Celeste lowers herself in Doms lap, straddling him. His hands hover close to her legs, wanting to touch them. She grabs his face and lightly kisses him. CELESTE (CONTD) How did I get so lucky? CUT TO: INT. SHERIFFS OFFICE - NIGHT The Keweenaw County Sheriffs Office is a small building, though welcoming with light stained paneled walls, soft overhead lights, and open space. LAHNAGANS OFFICE

47 .

Lahnagan sits behind her desk, in a cramped room of an office. She has nothing personal displayed. Everything in the office is business. She has the phone to her ear, with Calvins sister, Jennifer, on the other end. She nods, sighs. LAHNAGAN OK, Jennifer. Alright. And again, Im so sorry for your loss. (listens to the phone) OK. Good night. Lahnagan hangs up the phone, rubbing her hands over her face. She looks sickened. Kingston walks in with a folder of paperwork in hand. KINGSTON Howd she take it? LAHNAGAN I know the Millers had it rough, what with the father passing away at a young age, and the mother with cancer. But Calvin was her brother, and all she could ramble on about was how he was a lying, cheating son of a bitch. What kind of sibling says that in light of death? Even if they didnt get along. KINGSTON Some people just cant find it in themselves to forgive, I suppose. (pauses) She gonna come up? LAHNAGAN Yeah. To arrange the memorial service. Though, trying to convince her it was the right thing to do took a little time. (pauses) But, Im going to post Dave outside the house tomorrow, to help the crime lab when they arrive in the morning. I dont want Jennifer Miller to have any kind of access to the house until the crime scene has been thoroughly processed.

48 . KINGSTON She wants access to the house? LAHNAGAN Yep. Something about her mothers jewelry in there somewhere, packed away. (laughing unbelievably) People sometimes...all they can think of is money. Even in the face of such a tragedy. KINGSTON Thats cold. LAHNAGAN Well, thats the world we live in, I guess. Lets just be glad those types are few and far between around these parts. KINGSTON Just a murderer... LAHNAGAN Yeah, tell me about it. So did you talk with the manager of Kleins Movie Rentals? About Mr. Patinski. KINGSTON Yeah. A Melissa Grant was working the night Dominic Patinski would have been at the store. I followed up with her, and she remembers him. I guess he goes there a lot. (pauses) And, uh, the manager looked through the records. Dominic rented three videos that night, at 7:15pm. And, uh, Melissa Grant also remembered smelling alcohol on Dominics breath, but added he didnt seem heavily intoxicated. LAHNAGAN 7:15. Thats outside our time of death. Patinski would have had time to string Miller up. KINGSTON You really think he was drunk, rented some movies, and then went to his friends place to kill him and make it look like a suicide?

49 . LAHNAGAN I doubt it. The man is wreck, for sure, but killing his best friend seems like a very long shot. (pauses) But, with no solid alibi, he stays on the list. (looks through file) What about the woman Miller might have been with that night? His supposed date. KINGSTON Dead end right now. We checked Calvins normal haunts, as well as almost all the places anyone would go around these parts. No one remembers seeing him that night. And his credit card hasnt been run for over a month. LAHNAGAN Phone records will be in tomorrow. Id like you to see if anything hits on that end. Sure. KINGSTON

LAHNAGAN Ill sniff around the brewery, see what I can dig up with those Miller worked with. Lahnagan looks at the folder Kingston is holding. LAHNAGAN That the full medical examiners report? KINGSTON Oh. Yeah. Here you go. Lahnagan opens the folder and searches through the paperwork until she stops and reviews a section. LAHNAGAN Well...Miller had been drinking that night, but not enough to be drunk. (pauses) And no other abrasions or bruising besides what he found on the ankles and wrists. Hmmm...

50 .

KINGSTON What are you thinking? LAHNAGAN No other bruising suggests that Miller must have been alive and conscious when he was hung. If hed died somewhere else, or was knocked unconscious, someone would have had to carry or lift him, leaving some kind of mark behind. KINGSTON So someone coerced him into the noose? Maybe. LAHNAGAN

KINGSTON Makes no sense. If the killer had the ability to put Calvin in that position, youd think he would have had the ability to just kill him. Why go through the trouble of making it look like a suicide? LAHNAGAN Its a mind boggler, thats for sure. CUT TO: INT. BREWERY - DAY TOM DURHAMS OFFICE Tom Durham sits behind his desk, turned away from it, looking out the window, down at the brewing operation. The phone RINGS. Yeah. TOM

CLAIRE (O.S.) Tom, hey, Dominic is on the line. Dom? TOM

(sighs, relief) Ok, put him on. Thank you, Claire.

51 .

The line switches over, and Tom takes the brief second to compose himself, as if he were speaking to Dom in person. Dom? TOM

DOM (O.S.) Hey...Mr. Durham. TOM Dom...holy hell, how are you doing? I spent all day yesterday trying to reach you. Are you OK? DOM (O.S.) Uh...yeah. Im much better today. INT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS KITCHEN Dom stands in front of the stove cooking scrambled eggs. Celeste hugs him from behind, her arms wrapped around his waist. DOM (CONTD) Im doing much, much better. TOM (O.S.) I spoke with the Sheriff yesterday evening. She told me everything. Dom, if you need anything, you know you can always come to me. DOM Yeah...yeah, I know. I...I dont know what I was thinking yesterday. INT. BREWERY - CONTINUOUS TOM DURHAMS OFFICE Tom is hunched over his desk. TOM If youd like, I can call Dr. Burke again and have her stop by to see you, if youd like. Shes pretty good when it comes to situations like this, you know?

52 .

DOM (O.S.) No, no, thats...oooo... Dom? TOM

DOM (O.S.) Thats OK. I think all I need is some time off. Just to, you know... TOM Of course. Of course. Take as much time as you need, Dom. I just, its just that...are you going to be OK, by yourself like this? I mean... INT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS KITCHEN DOM Uh...well, yeah. Im sure. Celeste has her hand up Doms shirt, rubbing his chest. He turns the heat off on the stove, drops the spatula and cannot help but turn around and face her. She leans in close to him, grabs his hand and places it around her, on her butt, which he gives a good squeeze. TOM (O.S.) Do you need anything? I mean, you know you can come to me for anything... DOM I know. Thank you. TOM (O.S.) Uh...I guess Calvins memorial service is going to be tomorrow...Jennifer, his sister, is taking care of it, I guess. Shes supposed to be here today. The thought of Calvin takes Dom out of his moment with Celeste, and she notices the change in his demeanor, giving him a light kiss and moving away. She pokes the eggs with the spatula. Oh...OK. DOM

53 .

TOM (O.S.) The service is at 6:00. DOM Ill...Ill be there. TOM (O.S.) Ill see you...then. Tomorrow night. DOM Yes. Yes, of course. INT. BREWERY - CONTINUOUS TOM DURHAMS OFFICE Lahnagan walks through the door, holding her hat. Tom motions for her to take a seat. TOM OK, then. And like I said. If theres anything...anything you need. DOM (O.S.) OK. Thank you. TOM OK, then. Ill talk to you later. Tom slowly hangs up the phone. Patinski? LAHNAGAN

TOM (skeptical) Yeah. Hes going to take a little time off. To be alone. LAHNAGAN Sounds like a bad idea... TOM Yeah, well, you know, if thats what he wants, then Ill let him have that. (sighs) So...I guess youre going disrupt production today?

54 .

LAHNAGAN Yeah...you know, an investigation is all about questions, questions, questions. (takes out notepad) I suppose...I can start with you. INT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS KITCHEN Dom fixes two plates of scrambled eggs. The eggs have bacon, cheese and spices mixed in it. Celeste sits at the table with a small, open notebook and pencil in front of her. Three names are written on the first page. DOM My grandma used to make me this all the time. Its my favorite breakfast. She taught me how to cook too. Said a man needs to know how to be self sufficient. CELESTE Im glad you know, because I cant cook at all. Never had to. Most everything back home... DOM Back home? Yeah? CELESTE Yeah, everything back home...just never tasted good. (smiles) Do you think its bad that I dont know how to cook? DOM No. Not at all. If...youd like, maybe I could teach you. You know, sometime. CELESTE Id like that very much. She pushes the notebook to the side as Dom puts a plate in front of her. She picks up the fork as Dom opens the refrigerator and pulls out a jug of orange juice.

55 .

CELESTE (CONTD) You must have loved your grandmother very much. DOM Yeah. She raised me how to live up here. It was different in Florida, before my parents died. It took me awhile to get use to the change. I wasnt very nice those first few years. Got into trouble a lot. But she put up with me. (smiles, pours o.j.) Down in Florida I had a lot of friends. They all lived on my block. But it was hard to make friends here. Everyone lives far apart. Cal was the only one who begged his mom to come over. We would build forts in the woods, and sometimes some of the other kids wanted to see them. But mostly, it was just me and Cal. CELESTE Did you have a girlfriend back then? When you were in Florida? DOM I...I think so. I dont remember much of Florida. Just that it was hot in the summer and we did a lot of swimming. Dom sits at the table, placing the glasses of orange juice down. His eyes are elsewhere, looking to the past, trying hard to recall his youth. CELESTE I would imagine so. DOM I was pretty young. I think there was a girl I liked. But...Im not too good when it comes to dating. Cal used to say I should open up more. CELESTE Like youre doing now?

56 .

DOM Uh...yeah. (laughs, embarrassed) I suppose so. CELESTE So you didnt date much. Thats ok. I didnt date much either. You? DOM

CELESTE Yes me... (laughs) There wasnt a lot of time for dating. We...always had to be doing something. Like work? DOM

CELESTE Yeah, like work. We were always busy with this and that. There were guys I liked, and guys who liked me, but they were busy too. DOM You didnt have any free time? CELESTE I...guess not much. I had a strict childhood. It really doesnt sound very nice, huh? DOM I dont know...you never had any fun? CELESTE Not much. And when I got older, I didnt have much fun either. Everything was so serious. Regimented. (pauses) Im actually really glad I dont have to go back to that life. Im glad to be with you, Dom. Im glad you found me and let me stay here.

57 . DOM Im...glad too. CELESTE I...really wish I didnt have to find these people, actually. (looks at names in notebook) But its why Im here. And...its pretty important that I find them. So I guess I dont have a choice. DOM So...you know they live around here? CELESTE Yeah...in the general area. Ive traveled a long way to get here. (thoughtful) I made a promise... (pauses) So you know how we can find them? DOM Cal used to let me use his computer. He said you can find everything on the internet. And you can. The library has some computers too, that anyone can use. Ive only been there a few times, though. But I suppose that is the best place. CELESTE The internet, huh? DOM Better than wandering through the woods. Dom laughs at his joke, and Celeste joins in. CELESTE Yes. Much warmer too, I would imagine. DOM Did you want to go to the library then? CELESTE Probably best if you go. Maybe Ill clean up a bit around here, if you dont mind.

58 .

DOM No. No, not at all. I guess Im kinda messy. CELESTE Well, its a good thing you have me. You cook, I clean. We really are a great team, yes? DOM Yes. A really great team. CUT TO: EXT. CALVINS HOUSE - DAY The driveway of Calvins house is blocked up with two state police cruisers, a forensics van, a sheriffs cruiser and a rusty Jeep. The Jeep has Wisconsin plates. As Lahnagans Explorer pulls into the driveway, she is forced to park at a distance. At the door of the house, Deputy DAVE HANSON, a middle aged, lanky fellow, and JENNIFER MILLER, a 31 year old woman with long auburn hair and thin body, are talking. Lahnagan exits her vehicle and walks up to the two. Jennifer is not pleased. She spots Lahnagan from the corner of her eye and whirls around. JENNIFER I hope youre the one in charge here. Im not allowed in the house I grew up in? LAHNAGAN You must be Jennifer Miller. JENNIFER Yes. I spent six hours driving here. I should be seeing to my brothers arrangements, but instead Im stuck here, arguing with this guy. Do you have any idea how much a memorial service runs these days? Its fucking insane. Im not a wealthy woman, you know. I have bills to pay.

59 . LAHNAGAN So youve come for the jewelry you mentioned last night. JENNIFER Yes! Fuck yes. I just need to find it. With all you cops hanging around here, Id think we could find it in no time. Im sorry, this house is allowed processed. night. LAHNAGAN but for the time being is a crime scene. No one in until it has been I told you that last

JENNIFER I know-but. Im fuckin stressing here. I gotta talk with some old guy at the funeral home. He wants to talk prices! Fucking prices! And Id just like to know-fuck! How long does it take to process a house? LAHNAGAN Its hard to say. Days. Weeks. JENNIFER Fucking weeks? Youre joking, right? Please tell me youre joking? Nope. LAHNAGAN

JENNIFER What the fuck you doing in there, throwing a fucking party? Having sleep-overs? A week? Really? LAHNAGAN Miss Miller, youre brother was murdered. Do you understand what I mean by murdered? Muuurderrrrred. Jennifer rolls her eyes, sighs. LAHNAGAN (CONTD) When was the last time youd even seen your brother? Years? Jennifer just stares at Lahnagan with contempt.

60 .

LAHNAGAN (CONTD) Huh? How many years? JENNIFER A lot of fucking years. OK? LAHNAGAN Well, let me tell you something, theres a very good chance that whoever killed your brother, they left evidence behind. The people who are in there now, theyre professionals. They know how not to disrupt a crime scene, and I cant have you tromping through there contaminating it. You havent been to this house in a good number of years. I think you can wait a little longer. JENNIFER So...fuck! So what? I gotta wait? LAHNAGAN As long as it takes. JENNIFER Shit. Well...shit! How fucking difficult is it to do your job? Bunch of back woods motherfuckers! Id be surprised you could find anything with your heads so fucking far up your asses! Jennifer stomps off to her Jeep, SLAMMING the door as she enters it. A black cloud of smoke erupts from the tail pipe as the engine ROARS to life. She nearly clips Lahnagans Explorer as she speeds down the driveway in reverse. Lahnagan stares at the Jeep for a second. She does not like Jennifer, but her mind also spins in the direction of suspects. She pulls out her cell phone and makes a call, looking at Hanson, shaking her head. She turns and walks to the house. LAHNAGAN (into phone) Hey, Mark, you know Calvins sister, Jennifer Miller? (listening) (MORE)

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LAHNAGAN (CONTD) Yeah, the cold one. Her. When youre done with the phone records, run her through the system, see if anything pops. (listening) Yeah, I know. But lets just check her out. She lives six hours away, apparently, and hating her brother is motive enough. And theres this thing about the jewels. She just doesnt sit well with me. (listening) Alright, thanks. Lahnagan closes the cell phone, walking into the house. INT. CALVINS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS LIVING ROOM Following Lahnagan, we see two members of the FORENSIC TEAM shining little flashlights at the couch, under it, as another team member walks out of the hallway carrying Calvins computer, taking it out the front door. A tall STATE TROOPER walks down the stairs and Lahnagan meets him at the bottom. She does not stop. LAHNAGAN Hows it going? TALL TROOPER They found a chair in the hallway closet. It has tape residue on it. Theyre printing it now. Thanks. UPSTAIRS Lahnagan reaches the top of the stairs, looks down the hallway, and finds another forensic team member, WALTER LOGGINS, an aged man who carries himself as a man with much experience, next to a chair. Loggins removes a clear piece of tape from the back of the chair and looks at the fingerprint on it. He seals it. LAHNAGAN Tape residue on the chair? LAHNAGAN

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LOGGINS A print too. (pauses) The only one. It looks like the chair was wiped down, but the perp must have been leaning on it when he did. LAHNAGAN And the tape residue? LOGGINS Its a match to the tape residue found on Mr. Millers ankles and wrists. It runs mostly along the sides and bottom of the chair, but there is a fair amount on the seat. LAHNAGAN No roll of tape on the premises? LOGGINS No roll found yet, but this a large house and theres a million different places someone could hide it. Or, the perp took the roll with him. (pauses) But I can tell you there is a high probability this chair was used in the murder. Used? Follow me. LAHNAGAN LOGGINS

Loggins leads Lahnagan to the MASTER BEDROOM At the foot of Calvins king size bed, in very close proximity to where Calvin was hanging, Loggins kneels and points to scratch marks on the floor. The scratches follow a linear path from the wall outwards a few feet. LOGGINS These scratches correspond to the width of the chair legs. See how they get more erratic as they proceed outward from the wall, but also, they are not as deep. The (MORE)

63 . LOGGINS (CONTD) closer you get to the wall, the deeper the scratches. LAHNAGAN What does it mean? I remember seeing them when we first responded, but didnt think anything of it. LOGGINS Yeah, well, most people wouldnt. But, as to what they might mean, my running hypothesis right now is that the perp had taped Mr. Millers ankles down to the chair like a hinge, so that Mr. Miller could use the chair for support when it was closer to the wall, but his feet would also follow the angle of his legs when the chair was pulled out, putting extreme pressure on Mr. Millers neck. What? LAHNAGAN

LOGGINS The perp could prolong Mr. Millers death. Mr. Miller could stand on the chair when it was near the wall. His weight would create deeper scratches. But the further it was pulled out, Mr. Miller struggled as the ligature tightened around his neck, and the scratches are not as deep, and erratic. LAHNAGAN Are you saying the killer was torturing Miller? LOGGINS Seems that way. But, like I said, its only a hypothesis. LAHNAGAN (stunned) Damn...that... LOGGINS Anyway, Ill run the print through AFIS and see if we get a hit.

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LAHNAGAN (stunned) Ok. Thanks. Lahnagan does not know how to process the information she has been given. The scratch marks had been nothing more that wear and tear on an old house when she had first seen them. Now, they are a thing of horror. Loggins does not immediately leave the room, but turns back to Lahnagan. LOGGINS You know, if such a scenario did happen in this house, the only two kinds of people I can think of who would do such a thing is someone looking for information or someone who is very sadistic. LAHNAGAN I...was thinking it was someone he was close to. Or was once close to. LOGGINS Yes, well, whoever it is, theyre quite diabolical. Loggins takes his leave. Lahnagan, now alone in the bedroom, continues to look at the scratches on the floor. LAHNAGAN What the hell is happening in this town... CUT TO: INT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Celeste walks through Doms house, picking up after him, cleaning, grabbing a couple dirty glasses and bringing them to the sink. She looks at the pile of dirty dishes, dropping the glasses in with everything else. She picks up a knife crusted over with old pizza crust and sauce, looking at it for a second before dropping it back in. CUT TO:

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INT. LIBRARY - CONTINUOUS Dom sits at a computer, looking at the monitor. He has the notebook with the three names upon it, and seems to be having trouble deciphering the information he is being given. He looks up at a couple passing students, as if they might help, but they ignore him and walk away. A guy is sitting next to him on another computer, laughing and typing. Dom thinks to ask him something, but decides against it and focuses back to his own monitor. He slowly types on the keyboard. CUT TO: INT. JENNIFERS JEEP - CONTINUOUS Jennifer is driving through town, talking on a cell phone. She has papers strewn about the passenger seat, and grabs a few, waving them around, shaking her head. She is irate, slowing to a stop. Very animate in her anger, she tosses the phone on the dash with disgust. CUT TO: INT. BREWERY - CONTINUOUS Tom sits in the brewery break room with Dr. Burke and Claire. He sits very still as Claire rambles on, venting her pain. Fresh tears run down Claires face. Dr. Burke sits and listens. CUT TO: INT. BARBER SHOP - CONTINUOUS Patrons of the barber shop discuss the front page of the newspaper, that Calvin Miller did not commit suicide but was in fact murdered. On the front page, the headline reads: LOCAL MAN, CALVIN MILLER, MURDERED. NOT SUICIDE. CUT TO:

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EXT. CALVINS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS WOODED AREA AWAY FROM HOUSE A man (MANNY, who we will meet later) stands in the woods, looking at Calvins house from a distance. We see only his back. He wears a dark green jacket with a hood pulled up over his head. For a moment he stands, then walks off. CUT TO: INT. CALVINS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Lahnagans bewilderment turns to disgust. She touches the scratches on the floor and looks up in the direction where Calvin had been hanging, staying there for awhile. CUT TO: INT. DOMS HOUSE - NIGHT BEDROOM Celeste sits on the bed, facing the window, reading a diary. She wears a short t-shirt, turning the pages of the diary with deep intent and focus. We hear a VEHICLE PULLING UP the driveway from the direction of the window. She closes the diary and stands, stepping up to the window. Through the window, we see Dom pulling up in his truck. The driveway has not been shoveled since the last snowfall, and he follows the tracks he had made going out. Celeste puts the diary back in the drawer beside the bed. EXT. DOMS HOUSE CONTINUOUS DRIVEWAY Dom exits the truck, almost dropping a folder and its contents in the snow. Once he has control of the folder, pulling it close to his chest, he sighs and ambles to the front door.

67 . INT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS LIVING ROOM Celeste walks down the stairs, facing the front door. She takes a deep breath, fixing her hair. From outside the front door we hear Doms FOOTSTEPS. Her demeanor is one of serious concern until the door begins to open and she smiles just as Dom enters the house. CELESTE Well, there you are. Hey. DOM

She gives him a light kiss. CELESTE I was beginning to miss you. DOM Well...looking for people is harder than I thought. (looks around) Hey, you really cleaned this place up good. CELESTE Thank you. It took me awhile to find the broom, though. You dont use it much? DOM Uh...well, no. I know I should, butCELESTE I wanted to cook you something, but Im still learning my way around the kitchen. And I had no idea what you like. DOM Thats OK. Ill cook something up. But I did find the people youre looking for. At least I think I did, their addresses anyway. I had to pay, but it wasnt much, on this one place...People Tracker or something. It wasnt so bad once I did that. You can really find out a lot about a person!

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CELESTE I knew you could do it. Youre my savior, remember? DOM Uh...huh, well... CELESTE You know what? What? DOM

Celeste takes the folder of information and lays it on the coffee table, then proceeds to take Doms jacket off. CELESTE With all this cleaning I did today, I feel a little dirty. Dust. Dirt. Cobwebs. (exhales slowly) I feel like a shower would do me a lot of good right now. Dom does not know what to say as Celeste hangs his jacket up next to the door. She continues to move towards the stairs, looking back, smiling. CELESTE Care to wash me up? A stupid smile forms on his face as he starts unbuttoning his shirt, following her upstairs. UPSTAIRS BATHROOM As Dom enters the bathroom, Celeste starts the shower. He has only managed to pull his flannel shirt off, but she helps him undress. She then holds out her hands and looks down to her shirt. Dom gingerly grabs the shirt and pulls it up over her head, off of her. She takes hold of his hand and leads him into the shower. They stand under the running water, Dom behind Celeste, pressed close together. Her hands guide his hands around her body. CUT TO:

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INT. SHERIFFS OFFICE - CONTINUOUS LAHNAGANS OFFICE Lahnagan sits at her desk, hanging up the phone. LAHNAGAN (calling out) Hey, Mark. Kingston enters. KINGSTON Yeah, Sarah. LAHNAGAN The fingerprint is a dead end, for the time being. Whoever it belongs to is not in the system. (frustrated) They have Millers computer at the lab now, maybe something will come of that. KINGSTON Well, I just ran Jennifer Miller through the system. Shes clean. No record. Not even a parking ticket. LAHNAGAN Millers phone records? KINGSTON Theres nothing unusual in Calvins phone records, except maybe for...Well, Dominic called on Monday and Tuesday morning. But then he called Wednesday...when he already knew... LAHNAGAN Dominic... (sighs) They used to carpool. He was trying to reach Miller. KINGSTON And Wednesday? LAHNAGAN He wanted to hear his voice one last time. (shakes head) (MORE)

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LAHNAGAN (CONTD) Sad, really. He really is all alone in this world now. CUT TO: INT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS BATHROOM Still in the shower, Celeste turns to Dom. The two have soap on various parts of their bodies. She squeezes shampoo into his cupped hand, then places his hands on her head. Doms fingers slide through her hair, lathering it. They both share a laugh. CUT TO: INT. SHERIFFS OFFICE- CONTINUOUS LAHNAGANS OFFICE KINGSTON This case gets colder and colder every passing hour. LAHNAGAN Yeah...but you know, after learning what Calvin Millers final hour might have been like, Im beginning to think it might not be anyone from our area. KINGSTON Like a drifter? LAHNAGAN Maybe. And Im getting this knot in the pit of my stomach we may never know what exactly happened. KINGSTON Boy, Sarah. You sound like youre giving up. LAHNAGAN Just being realistic. And it fucking grates at me to no end. (breathes slow) (MORE)

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LAHNAGAN (CONTD) I tell you, Mark, if this goes unsolved it will eat at me the rest of my life. KINGSTON Were not through, yet, Sarah. LAHNAGAN I know. I know. But it seems to me that the person who tortured and killed Calvin Miller, who brutally tortured and killed him, could not have come from our area. And right now, we have nowhere to look. CUT TO: INT. DOMS HOUSE - NIGHT LIVING ROOM Celeste sits on the couch next to Dom, looking through the information he had gathered from the library. They are sitting close to each other. Celeste has a hand on his back, her other hand holding a sheet of paper. CELESTE Kyle Donovan...Hes the closest to us? DOM Yeah. He lives in Lanse. Its about a couple hours away. We could give him a call... Celeste looks at the information on the sheet of paper as if staring at it long enough might reveal some great truth. CELESTE Actually...Id like to tell him in person. DOM You want to leave the house? CELESTE For this...yeah. I dont have much of a choice.

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DOM I printed out maps too, so getting there should be easy. Celeste puts the paper down and looks over to him with a gleam of admiration in her eyes. CELESTE How did I get so lucky? Youre such a magnificent person, Dom. DOM Uh...well... CELESTE You know...today I was cleaning your room and came across your...dream diary? You used to record your dreams? DOM Oh. Oh, that...yeah... CELESTE Why did you stop? Your last entry was four years ago. DOM I dont know. I used to have bad dreams when I was little. My grandma said that if I write them down, then I would never have that bad dream again. So I did... CELESTE The dreams I was reading didnt seem very bad. DOM Well, I liked writing down the good dreams too. Just so I could read them when I was feeling down. CELESTE You are a very loving dreamer... DOM (shy) Maybe I should start writing them again. I had a very nice dream last night...of you.

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Dom...

CELESTE

DOM But, uh, so, you dont want to call, huh? Go visit. CELESTE Yeah. Lets do that. (breathes) But I guess Ill have to borrow more of your clothes. I dont think a t-shirt will keep me warm enough. DOM Oh, yeah. Of course. CUT TO: INT. DOMS TRUCK - NIGHT Dom drives along a snowy, dark road. He wears the same clothes he had on all day, and Celeste is wearing a pair of his boots, pants, a black winter coat and a gray hat. She holds a pair of dark gloves in her lap. The two smile at each other. EXT. CITY OF LANSE - NIGHT Doms truck enters LANSE. The city sits on the eastern shore of Keweenaw bay, next to the frozen waters of Lake Superior. Traffic is light as Doms truck turns and descends downhill, into the center of town. INT. DOMS TRUCK - NIGHT Celeste looks at a map as Dom slowly creeps along the road. He looks at street signs. CELESTE We should be close... DOM There it is. Dom turns down a side street. He looks at the house numbers. Some of the houses have lights on, but there is no activity outside.

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CELESTE There. Looks like someones home too. Dom begins to slow down to pull into the driveway. CELESTE (CONTD) No, no. Park down at the end of the street, there. Oh? DOM

Dom continues on willingly. CELESTE Truth is...as important as what I have to tell him is, he might not like it. Its very personal, you see. And its just for the best for me to do this alone. Do you understand? Dom does not understand. For a flash of a moment all the questions he wants to ask Celeste appear, jumbled and distorted in his mind, but it is all too much for him. He lets his curiosity slip away and goes along with whatever she asks of him. OK... DOM

Dom parks the truck at the end of the road, two houses away from the house Celeste is going to visit. A few other cars are also on the road and Dom parks in front of one. Celeste takes a deep breath. CELESTE Ive been waiting for this moment for awhile now. My heart is racing a little. (laughs) For the longest time, I didnt think I would ever get here...but here I am, finally. DOM You a little nervous? CELESTE A little, yeah.

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DOM Doing something thats important to me sometimes make me nervous too. But I know if I do it, Ill feel better...and I think you will too. CELESTE Thank you, Dom...for believing in me. You mean so much to me... She leans over and gives him a kiss. CELESTE (CONTD) Wish me luck. Good luck. DOM

Celeste puts on her gloves, gives Dom one last look of admiration, and exits the vehicle. EXT. LANSE SIDE STREET - CONTINUOUS We follow Celeste as she braces herself against the cold night air. She walks at a brisk pace and bundles her hair to tuck it inside the coat collar. She puts her hands in the coat pockets, keeping her head down. She walks up the driveway of the house. The house is quiet, with a light on in the front window. At the front door, she KNOCKS and waits. KYLE DONOVN, 53 years old with salt and pepper hair, opens the door. He is wearing sweat pants and a sweater. KYLE Can I help you? CELESTE Hi, excuse me. Im looking for Kyle Donovan. Thats me. KYLE

Celeste does not hesitate. From the coat pocket, she pulls out a knife (the knife she had been looking at earlier in the kitchen sink) and stabs Kyle in the neck, hitting his

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jugular. Kyle can only express shock. With the knife still in his neck, Celeste pushes him back, entering the house and closing the door. INT. KYLE DONOVANS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS LIVING ROOM Celeste guides a shocked Kyle down to the floor and slowly runs the knife along his throat. She then pulls the knife out and wipes it on his sweater. The arterial spray from his jugular sprays away from her. She stands to her feet as Kyle can do nothing but lay there, gurgling. She moves to the KITCHEN Celeste appears as MRS. DONOVAN, a 43 year old who is slim and fit, turns from the kitchen sink. MRS. DONOVAN Kyle, who wasCeleste plunges the knife into Mrs. Donovans chest, hitting her heart, and she has no time to scream out as Celeste puts a hand to her mouth and guides her down to the floor, placing a knee on Mrs. Donovans throat and pressing down. She waits as Mrs. Donovans body spasms. As Mrs. Donovans eyes roll up into her head and her body goes still, Celeste rolls the body to the side, away from her, and pulls out the knife. She leaves Mrs. Donovan lying on her belly on the kitchen floor and walks into a HALLWAY She passes an empty bathroom before reaching SONS BEDROOM A TEENAGE BOY sits at a computer with ear buds on, his back to the open door to his room. He is enjoying the music that blasts through the buds. Celeste stops at the open door, but not for long. She walks up behind the teen and stabs him in the back, through the gaps in the back of the chair and through the heart, placing a hand over his mouth. The teen has no time to react. Celeste quickly removes the knife and cuts the teens throat.

77 . As blood sprays over the computer, Celeste pushes the teen hard. His head hits the keyboard, body convulsing. She backs away and walks out of the room. She checks the last room, the MASTER BEDROOM It is empty. HALLWAY On her way out, she passes the teen slumped over the desk, his body still. KITCHEN She looks to Mrs. Donovan, and her body has not moved. LIVING ROOM Kyle Donovan is lifeless. Celeste checks her body, does not see any apparent blood stains, and places the knife into the coat pocket as she walks out of the house. INT. DOMS TRUCK - CONTINUOUS The passenger door opens and Celeste hops in the truck. DOM That was quick. Howd it go? CELESTE Oh, better than I was expecting. Thanks for waiting for me. Celeste leans over and gives Dom a long, hard kiss. CELESTE (CONTD) Lets go back home. Dom smiles and starts the truck. INT. DOMS HOUSE - NIGHT LIVING ROOM Dom and Celeste enter the house, Celeste clinging to Dom, an arm around him.

78 . DOM I think I know the perfect meal for tonight. Its such a great night! CELESTE Oh...I cant wait. While you do, Im going to hop in the shower...being outside has chilled me to the bone. DOM You warm up. Celeste takes her boots off, but leaves on everything else as she walks up the stairs. She gives him a heartfelt look as she goes. INT. DOMS HOUSE - NIGHT Dom stands in front of the stove, cooking. We hear the sound of SIZZLING meat in the pan. He WHISTLES a tune. We move away from Dom, into the living room and up the stairs. The sound of SIZZLING and WHISTLING is slowly replaced by the sound of a SHOWER as we move upstairs and towards the bathroom. As we get closer to the door, there is also the sound of WEEPING. BATHROOM Celeste is curled up in the bathtub, naked, crying uncontrollably. CUT TO: INT. SHERIFFS OFFICE - NIGHT Sheriff Lahnagan puts on her coat as she closes the door to her office. Kingston is behind his desk, the phone to his ear. KINGSTON Ok. Alright. Thank you. Kingston hangs up the phone and stands to get Lahnagans attention. KINGSTON Sarah, have you given up on silver linings yet?

79 . LAHNAGAN

What?

KINGSTON Freddy Walters, who owns that gas station on the corner of 5th and Lexington, that was him on the phone. He didnt think anything of it, until he saw the news report again this evening about Calvins death. But it jogged his memory enough, and he remembers seeing Calvin on the day he died. Apparently, Calvin had stopped by to get some gas sometime that evening. But anyway, he remembers seeing a woman in the truck with him. He knows for a fact it was a woman, and it wasnt anyone he recognized. LAHNAGAN Hmmm...our drifter? KINGSTON If anyone could spot a stranger, its Freddy. Hes been running that store for thirty years. His familys lived in this area for three generations. Hes pretty well acquainted. If he doesnt know them personally, he knows of them. He made it a point that I keep that in mind. LAHNAGAN Well, ok, then. If were really lucky, we might get a description of this woman. CUT TO: INT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS UPSTAIRS BATHROOM Celeste looks at herself through the mirror, still wet from the shower. The mirror is fogged over, and though she can barely see herself, she does not wipe away the haze. She closes her eyes and controls her breathing. KITCHEN

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Dom places two full plates of food on the table as we hear Celeste WALKING down the stairs. He makes sure everything is perfect, moving her plate a little closer to the edge of the table. As he turns, she walks through the living room and stops shy of entering. She leans against the wall, wearing a white shirt, though she did not dry herself off after the shower and the shirt sticks to her body. Dom stops what he was doing. He is suddenly unable move, paralyzed by her beauty, and catches his breath as she smiles at him in a wry way. CELESTE Suddenly, I have the feeling that dinner can wait. She quickly moves to Dom and pounces on him with a hard, passionate kiss. They go to the floor, with Celeste on top of him. She grabs his hand and moves it under her shirt, to her right breast as they continue to kiss. Meanwhile, the two plates of food are ignored. CUT TO: EXT. FREDDYS GAS STATION - DAY The morning is calm. Lahnagan and FREDDY WALTERS, 66 years old and weathered, stand near the front door of the gas station. Lahnagan has her notepad out, writing. FREDDY He just filled up his tank, bought a candy bar and one of those energy drinks. I think it must have been four, five in the evening? LAHNAGAN And he paid with cash? FREDDY Yep. Had a fair amount of bills in his wallet too. You think he was robbed? LAHNAGAN His wallet was at the house. Those bills were mostly ones. Still there.

81 . FREDDY A thing like this beats the shit out of me. Been living here my whole life, aint never had something like this happen. Murder? This worlds going to hell, if you ask me. I bet the gas prices has something to do with it, drives people loony. People can hardly afford to put food on the table, but they got to go places! How you gonna go anywhere when it costs an arm and a leg? LAHNAGAN Do you remember what the woman looked like? Average. Average? FREDDY LAHNAGAN

FREDDY Yeah. I was pretty far away, and my windows arent all too clean, you know. A man at my age, lucky I can see anything at all! LAHNAGAN Uh...ok. Do you remember any details about when Calvin and the lady were here? Did she get out. Go to the bathroom, maybe. Did they talk, argue? FREDDY Nope. Thought it strange too. He only bought the candy bar and drink. I was thinking, is that just for him, or for her? At least people buy something for themselves and the one theyre with. LAHNAGAN You remember what they were wearing? Did it look like Calvin had been out on a date, perhaps? FREDDY Date! Date? Hell, how should I know? He looked as he always did.

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LAHNAGAN So...ok. He gets gas, buys a candy bar and drink, then leaves? He didnt do anything else? MaybeFREDDY Oh, shit. He did throw away something. Before he pumped his gas, he had a handful of stuff and threw it in the can, over there. Freddy starts to walk to the gas pumps. Lahnagan follows. LAHNAGAN Havent you already cleaned them out? Its been a week already. FREDDY Naw. People dont throw out much. I aint gotta empty them cept once every few weeks. LAHNAGAN Ok. Which one was it? FREDDY This one here. Freddy stops at a fairly large trash bin. It is big and modern, with a cover on top and a small open window that prohibits larger items from being tossed inside. LAHNAGAN Alright, Freddy, looks like Im going to have to confiscate your trash. FREDDY Have at it! But if you dont mind bringing the bag back. Them bags are expensive! Cost an arm and a leg! Lahnagan nods, holding back a sigh. CUT TO:

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INT. DOMS HOUSE - DAY LIVING ROOM Dom sits on the couch, looking at the information he had gathered from the library. The information for Kyle Donovan sits next to the information for Carol Danvers and Helena Carter. He tries to figure out what makes them so important to Celeste, just as Celeste walks down the stairs. She wears a black t-shirt. CELESTE Good morning. DOM Morning. You were having a good sleep. CELESTE Slept like a baby. Having your body pressed against mine in bed has a way that comforts me. I could sleep forever if you were there with me. She sits down next to him, rubbing his back. She looks down at the information. CELESTE (CONTD) Doing some morning reading? DOM Eh...yeah, well, I guess so. I was, I dunno, wondering... CELESTE About what? DOM Just...who these people are. They are important to you. And, I dunno. I was just curious, I guess. CELESTE (thinking) Hmmm, yeah. But, maybe, I dont know, if you could think of these people as part of my old life. Finding them is kind of like, I dont know, giving me closure. Closure, you know, so I can start my new life. (close) (MORE)

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CELESTE (CONTD) Dom, youre part of my new life. I...I think might be...falling in love with you. Yeah? DOM

CELESTE And I think youre in love with me. DOM Uh...Oh yeah. Very much... CELESTE You bring me so much hope. So much to look forward to. Without you, Id be lost. Alone. DOM Yeah...me too. CELESTE You dont have to worry about these people. Once I meet them, you wont have to worry about them again. Itll just be me and you. The two of us. DOM I like that. CELESTE So do I. So very much. Celeste curls up next to him, and he tenderly puts an arm around her. He stares at her, at her beauty, and in his eyes he knows he has found someone great, and is overjoyed. At the same time, though, he struggles with that joy, uncertain how to balance out the time he spends with her and all the questions he aches to know about her. As she takes his hand and places it on her face, caressing it, he sneaks one last look at the paperwork on the coffee table. CUT TO:

85 .

INT. SHERIFFS OFFICE - DAY CONFERENCE ROOM Lahnagan, Kingston and Hanson flatten out a sheet of plastic that covers a large rectangular table. They all wear white rubber gloves. Lahnagan seems satisfied by it and nods to Kingston, who takes the plastic bag of trash and dumps it out on the table. Kingston makes sure the bag is empty and sets it down as Hanson spreads the mound. KINGSTON So...what are we looking for here? LAHNAGAN Hopefully something more than empty wrappers and bottles of oil. (cringe) A receipt maybe. I dont know. Ok then... KINGSTON

The trio sift through the trash, moving all the normal junk to the side, taking prolonged glances at anything that might directly be linked to Calvin, saving all the crumpled receipts. No one seems overly optimistic, until Hanson looks at one receipt for an extended amount of time. LAHNAGAN You got something there? HANSON Uh...yeah. Its a receipt from the Four Winds Motel... KINGSTON Thats...yeah, I think thats out on 41. Its just outside Marquette. HANSON Well, its got Calvins name on it, and its dated last Friday... LAHNAGAN Last Friday? HANSON Yep. Looks like he checked in at 7:23 pm.

86 .

LAHNAGAN Let me see that... Lahnagan looks hard and long at the receipt. KINGSTON Why the hell would he go all the way out there to get a motel? LAHNAGAN To meet someone, Id suppose, Mark. Someone he didnt want anyone here in town to see, perhaps? KINGSTON But...he brought her all the way up this way, though. LAHNAGAN Maybe. (pondering) Regardless, it seems he met someone there. (determined) And you know what, Im going to give Steve Hoggins a call. Thats his jurisdiction. Id like to talk with the owner of the Four Winds. KINGSTON Why not just let Steve handle it? Lahnagan does not answer. While looking down at the receipt, she exits the room. Kingston and Hanson look at each other and shrug. CUT TO: INT. SHERIFF LAHNAGANS EXPLORER - DAY Lahnagan is driving down US 41. On the left side of the road, the waters of Keweenaw Bay are frozen over. The sun is out and the air is crisp. Lahnagan speaks on her cell phone with Kingston. LAHNAGAN So there wasnt anything particularly interesting on Millers computer?

87 .

KINGSTON (O.S.) Not according to the computer tech at the crime lab. I was thinking maybe Calvin might have hooked up on that online dating, but I guess not. LAHNAGAN What sites did he visit last? KINGSTON (O.S.) Porn sites, mostly. But he did visit a few sites Ive never heard of. Flannigus and Sons. Kelly Wadsworth. Foster Bennington. Dont know what they can be. LAHNAGAN How many times did he visit them? KINGSTON (O.S.) A couple times for each site... We hear a BEEP as someone else calls Lahnagan. LAHNAGAN Check the sites out, let me know what you find. I have another call. WillKINGSTON (O.S.)

Lahnagan does not wait. She switches to the other call. LAHNAGAN Sheriff Lahnagan. HARLAN (O.S.) Hey, Sarah, its Bob. LAHNAGAN Funny you should call while Im cruising through your part of the U.P. HARLAN (O.S.) Youre close to Lanse? LAHNAGAN Yeah, about twenty minutes away. On my way to Marquette to follow up on a lead.

88 . HARLAN (O.S.) Well...OK. Since youre close, Im at a house just off of Main and Appleton. If youre passing through, maybe you can take a minute and stop by. We can compare notes in person rather than over the phone. Notes? LAHNAGAN

INT. KYLE DONOVANS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Sheriff BOB HARLAN, 52 years old and pudgy, stands in the middle of Kyle Donovans house as a forensics team walks around him, taking pictures, collecting samples from the dead Donovan family. Bob Harlan looks down at Kyle Donovan, not sure what to make of the dead body. HARLAN Yeah, Sarah, notes. EXT. KYLE DONOVANS HOUSE - DAY Lahnagan pulls up to the crime scene. A number of cars and vans are parked in front. Yellow "DO NOT CROSS" tape runs around the house. Neighbors and onlookers have amassed on the sidewalk across the street. Lahnagan steps out of the Explorer and is met by Harlan. LAHNAGAN Bob, what the hell is going on? HARLAN Heard you were having trouble collaring a suspect in your investigation. LAHNAGAN Word travels fast. HARLAN Yeah, well, thought we could compare our two homicides. Maybe find a connection? Come on. They duck under the yellow tape and proceed to the house.

89 .

HARLAN (CONTD) A neighbor teen found them, a classmate of one of the victims. Saw the father through the front window. Called it in. LAHNAGAN One of the victims? HARLAN Yeah, one. Three in all. An entire family. Lahnagan is dumbstruck as they enter the house. INT. KYLE DONOVANS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS LIVING ROOM As soon as they enter the house, Lahnagan is taken aback by Kyle Donovan lying on the floor. A large pool of dried blood surrounds his head, soaked into the carpet. Kyle Donovans eyes are still open, staring at the ceiling, glazed and dead. LAHNAGAN Damn, Bob. This isnt anything like what happened in Gladston. HARLAN Yeah, I know. Actually, weve called in the FBI for this one. Theyre flying up as we speak. But I was thinking...escalation? LAHNAGAN This is an entirely different MO altogether, Bob. This...this is... HARLAN Yeah, well, I wanted to get your take before the feds came in. Since youre here...walk with me. Bob lays out his theory as they walk through the scene. HARLAN (CONTD) Theres no forced entry, so we think the perp knocks on the door. When Mr. Donovan answers, the perp knocks him down, stabs him in the throat, and then slits it.

90 .

(pauses) From there, our perp moves to the kitchen and surprises Mrs. Donovan. KITCHEN Two forensic officers are kneeling by Mrs. Donovan. They turn her over. Her expression is frozen in one of horror. HARLAN (CONTD) The perp rushes at Mrs. Donovan, knocking her down. I figure he must be pretty strong, as he crushed her throat while holding her down and stabbing her in the chest. SONS BEDROOM The teen is being moved out of the room as more forensic officers take pictures of the blood stained computer. HARLAN (CONTD) But heres the difference, Sarah. With the mom and dad, the perp is very practical, efficient and unfeeling. Nothing concerning the parents indicate anything other than killing in cold blood. But, as we move to Harry Donovan, a fifteen year old honor student, the killer catches him on the computer. The perp stabs the boy in the back and quickly slits his throat...but... (waits) Bruising around the boys forehead, and the smashed keyboard indicate he was shoved forcefully forward. As if killing the boy wasnt enough, the perps emotions got the better of him. Lahnagan takes a moment to let the information settle in. She looks around the room, at the dead body, then back to Harlan. LAHNAGAN What are you saying? HARLAN I really dont know, to tell the truth, but Im thinking the perp (MORE)

91 .

HARLAN (CONTD) felt something more for the poor kid. Anger. A lot of anger. LAHNAGAN What? You think the kid was the target, and...the parents were just in the way? HARLAN The thing is, the perp is acting cold and calculated with the parents. Dare I say...professional? Almost to the point of being responsible in the way he takes them out. Until he gets to this boy. And I remembered reading the crime lab report from your investigation. Your perp was methodical, acting in a similar matter. Professional. But sloppy by leaving that fingerprint. What do you think? LAHNAGAN (perplexed) Thats a bit of a stretch, Bob. (thoughtful) I...I dont know. Whoever killed Calvin Miller took his time, set things up, then tried to erase his evidence. And...and he was slow about killing. Its possible he tortured Miller before killing him. And this...I mean look at this. What happened here was very quick. HARLAN Yeah, maybe youre right. I thought it was worth a try. (pauses) I suppose when the FBI get here, Ill leave it to their expertise. I was just hoping I might be able to give them something more than my theory when they do arrive. LAHNAGAN Damn, Bob...I got nothing, unless you want to tell the FBI that theres an aspiring hit man out there trying to make a name for himself, be my guest. And if they (MORE)

92 .

LAHNAGAN (CONTD) want to clump my investigation in with yours, then Ill be more than happy to oblige. HARLAN An aspiring hit man...I think Ill just let them come to their own conclusions. LAHNAGAN Yeah. That might be for the best. CUT TO: INT. DOMS HOUSE - DAY KITCHEN Dom sits at the kitchen table, nervously wrenching his hands. He looks over to the clock on the wall. The clock reads 2:12pm. From above, we hear Celeste walking around, her FOOTSTEPS exiting Doms bedroom, moving down the hallway, and down the stairs. We follow Dom as he gets to his feet and moves into the LIVING ROOM He turns to the stairs as Celeste descends from above. She wears a pair of Doms boxer shorts and a loose t-shirt that is too short to cover up her mid rift. She holds clothes in one arm, clothes that she will put on. CELESTE You know, one of these days Im going to have to take you shopping. All of your clothes are the same color, all dark. (smiles) I think bright colors would look great on you. DOM Huh, uh, I...I dunno. They always work for me. And they dont look so bad when theyre dirty.

93 .

Celeste drops the clothes onto the couch as Dom continues to wrench his hands. She turns to him and loosely wraps her arms around him, leaning back, offering a winning smile. CELESTE Yeah, but when we go out and about, I want everyone to see you...to know how great you are. DOM Yeah...well. I suppose so. But, where would we go? CELESTE Oh, I dont know. Where do couples go around these parts? DOM I...I dont know. I always went to the bar. The Talbert Bar on 3rd Street. Only because Cal liked it...and I knew a few people. CELESTE Well then, we can start there. Well show your friends how happy we are together. But with you and I, where we go after that wont matter, because well have each other. (sighs pleasantly) Dom, well have the whole world in front of us. DOM Yeah... (smiling) Yeah, I guess so. We can go anywhere. CELESTE Thats right. She lets go of him, twirls around, picking up the pants. She drops down on the couch, puts her legs through the pants, and stands back up to raise them up to her waist. As she does, she notices Dom making fists at his sides. CELESTE (CONTD) Listen, you dont have to worry about me. Ill be fine.

94 .

DOM I really want to go with you...but I have to go to Cals service tonight. Celeste continues to dress. CELESTE I know. Hes very important to you. And as much as Id like you to come, I wouldnt feel right if you came, even though I know youre supporting me. DOM You couldnt...maybe wait? CELESTE Yes, I could. But, Dom. Im so happy with you. You and I are so perfect together, and I want us to start our lives together. My mind is driving me crazy right now because we cant. I want to put all this stuff behind me...and you need your closure too. (pauses, thoughtful) I cant even imagine what it must have been like for you to see your friend like that, what you told me you saw. You really need to see him at rest. Peaceful. And I need closure too. I need us to start moving forward. You know? (pouty) Do you think Im being too pushy about it? Dom immediately sighs, shaking his head. He lets his hands relax at his sides. DOM No...I mean, no, not at all. I want to move forward to. I...would really like to go out with you sometime. CELESTE Though staying here with me is pretty great too, yeah?

95 .

DOM Uh, oh yeah! CELESTE And just think how great it will be when were out and about together. Well make everyone jealous, I bet, yeah? Yeah. DOM

Celeste finishes dressing. She steps up to Dom and gives him a quick, spirited kiss. CELESTE I have your maps. I have the address. I can drive myself down to Crystal Falls. Im a really safe driver, you know. You havent seen me drive. Is that what youre worried about? DOM No, no. Not at all. Not that. CELESTE Its only a few hours from here. Ill be there and back in no time. DOM Im...Im just worried that when you tell that lady what you have to tell her, she might not like it. Id... CELESTE Dont worry, Dom. Itll be ok. If she doesnt like what I have to say, all I have to do is walk away. Ill have done what I promised to do. And Ill be fine. DOM Yeah, I suppose...but only if youre very sure. I mean... CELESTE Trust me, Dom, its fine. JustDOM

96 .

Dom.

CELESTE

Celeste puts on the same coat, picks up the same hat and gloves from last night, and takes a deep breath. CELESTE (CONTD) I love how much you worry about me. But please, have a little faith that I can take care of myself. (jokingly) Well, from time to time. But I think this is one of those times. Celeste gingerly places a hand on his chest as she moves her face over his shoulder. She rubs her cheek against his neck, closing her eyes. CELESTE (CONTD) Dom...you do what needs to be done. Ill do what needs to be done. (sighs) Well see each other tonight. And well spend it together. And Ill make sure that its the most memorable night yet. Yeah? Yeah... DOM

CELESTE I love you, Dom. DOM (catching breath) I-I love you too. EXT. DOMS HOUSE - DAY Dom stands in the doorway as Celeste, carrying the folder with Carol Danvers information, gets into the truck and starts it up. She waves to him and smiles before she backs out of the driveway. Dom stands in the doorway, looking on as Celeste drives down the road, out of sight. His tension is somewhat relieved for a moment, but hidden fears surface, and he cannot help but imagine that he may never see Celeste again. CUT TO:

97 .

EXT. FOUR WINDS MOTEL - DUSK Lahnagans Explorer pulls into the parking lot of the Four Winds Motel. In front of the door of the service lobby is another sheriffs vehicle. Lahnagan parks next to it, and she exits the vehicle, just as Sheriff STEVE HOGGINS, a young 35 years old and handsome, steps outside. LAHNAGAN Sorry Im late. HOGGINS I heard about what happened in Lanse. LAHNAGAN Yeah, its not pretty. HOGGINS Three family members? LAHNAGAN All stabbed. HOGGINS Holy shit. Any connection to your case? LAHNAGAN I dont think so. But what the hell do I know? The FBI have taken over the triple homicide. With their resources, I cant imagine what theyll come up with. HOGGINS Damn worlds going to shit. LAHNAGAN Yeah, well as long as it goes to shit somewhere else. HOGGINS Yeah. Damn. Well, I have the motel manager inside. She remembers your victim being here. Lahnagan nods with relief, and they enter the service lobby.

98 .

INT. FOUR WINDS MOTEL - CONTINUOUS SERVICE LOBBY The service lobby is adorned with faded wallpaper and a shabby carpet. But little touches of personality spread throughout, with pictures and ornaments and plants that give the room a bit of welcoming comfort. Behind the desk, DELORIS WASHBURN, 40 years old and overweight, stands to her feet as Lahnagan and Hoggins enter. DELORIS You the sheriff asking about a guest. That I am. LAHNAGAN

DELORIS Hmph. I remember those two. Those two? LAHNAGAN

DELORIS Oh yeah. Friday night. They came separately. Met in the parking lot, and the man came in and paid for a room. Being that it was well after seven when they arrived, and that it was a man and woman, I thought the purpose of their stay was for a quick hook up. That didnt please me too much. LAHNAGAN Do you remember what this woman looked like? DELORIS Nice looking. Skinny. She wasnt dressed all too warm. Just a sweater maybe. And a hat. But it was dark out there. Couldnt get the best look, you know. It always gives me a little relief when people come in here together when they get the room. When people hang back, Im not too sure about them.

99 .

LAHNAGAN And they both stayed the whole night? DELORIS Well, there you go! Thats the thing! They both stayed in the room for an hour, but the man, he just took off suddenly. I thought, you know, he was going to get some booze or score some drugs-you know, these people, they think they can do just about anything since it aint their room. But you know what, he never came back. I was open until eleven oclock, closed down, but stayed in the back doing paperwork well until one in the morning, and his truck never did come back. LAHNAGAN And what was the woman driving? DELORIS Well, there you go! You really know how to hit it out of the park, maam. Some say Im a bit of the nosy kind. I say, best to get down all the information I can about these guests. Never know what kind of shenanigans theyre up to. So, once I closed down, I snuck outside and wrote it all down, license plate and all, just for an occasion like this! Deloris throws an index card on the counter. It slides over, almost falling off, but stays. Lahnagan grabs the index card and looks what is written on it. Lahnagans eyes widen. The vehicle had been a Jeep with Wisconsin plates. LAHNAGAN Son of a...

100 . INT. SHERIFF LAHNAGANS EXPLORER - DUSK Lahnagan is speeding down the road, cell phone at her ear. LAHNAGAN Yes, Mark, run the plate, but dont do anything until I get there, got it? (listens) Ok. Bye. EXT. SHERIFF LAHNAGANS EXPLORER - CONTINUOUS Lahnagans Explorer speeds down the road. CUT TO: EXT. WILKES FUNERAL HOME - NIGHT A number of vehicles are parked outside the funeral home. People walk inside. It is a nice night, with no breeze and thick clouds overhead that keep the temperature at a decent degree. From a distance, we hear a SNOWMOBILE. It grows closer until a single headlight emerges in the wide gap between the funeral home and a hardware store. The snowmobile turns and parks on the far end of the parking lot. Dom turns off the machine and pulls his helmet off, fixing his hair as best he can. He steps off the machine and unzips a heavy coat, takes it off, and unzips his snowsuit. Under the snowsuit, he wears his best suit, which looks a little too small for him and has seen better days. He brushes snow from his shoes, walking to the entrance of the funeral home. INT. WILKES FUNERAL HOME - CONTINUOUS FOYER The funeral home has a solemn air to it. A picture of Calvin stands off to the right in the foyer, the words "In Loving Memory" below it. The SERVICE DIRECTOR, 60 years old and mild mannered, steps up to Dom. SERVICE DIRECTOR Good evening. Are you here for Mr. Millers service?

101 . Yeah... DOM

SERVICE DIRECTOR Right through the main door. DOM Thank you... VIEWING ROOM Dom brushes off a bit of snow he missed from his shoe, takes a deep breath, and walks into the main viewing room. People are either sitting or standing inside, talking in low voices. He knows most everyone there, those from work, those he met through Calvin in town, and Jennifer standing off in the corner trying to stay upright as people offer condolences. She looks as if she has been drinking. It has been years since he has seen Jennifer. The memory of their short time together surfaces and Doms eyes reflects that it is not a good memory. TOM (O.S.) Dom, you made it. Tom walks up to Dom with apprehension mixed with hopefulness. His eyes reveal that he is trying very hard to be delicate and cross checking every move he makes and every word he says for appropriateness. They shake hands. Yeah... DOM

TOM How have you been? DOM Umm...getting by. You know... TOM Everyone at the brewery miss you already. DOM Oh...well, I... TOM But, hey, you take the time you need. (awkwardly) Are you going to say something? Up there, about Calvin?

102 . I... DOM CUT TO: INT. DOMS TRUCK - SAME Celeste sits in the truck, in the dark, looking at one house that sits in a row of houses. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. CUT TO: INT. WILKES FUNERAL HOME - SAME TOM Its ok, Dom...you know, if its too much. DOM I...just dont know. TOM Well, I asked Jennifer, his sister, if I could speak first. She said yes. And after that, Im going to open it up to anyone else. So, you dont have to make a decision just yet. OK? The service director walks up to them, looking at his watch. SERVICE DIRECTOR Its six oclock, Tom. TOM OK. Thanks. (to Dom) Lets go. They walk into the room, Tom moving to the front, with Dom sitting somewhere in the middle. Jennifer sits up front. She is now obviously intoxicated as she eases down in her chair. TOM Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. If we could all take a seat...

103 . EXT. WILKES FUNERAL HOME - CONTINUOUS Lahnagans Explorer slowly pulls into the parking lot, followed by another cruiser. They stop in staff parking. Lahnagan exits the Explorer as Kingston and Hanson exit the cruiser, and they meet up behind the vehicles. Lahnagan looks at her watch. LAHNAGAN Damn. The service has already started. KINGSTON What do you want to do? LAHNAGAN Listen, this is a bad time for Miss Miller, and shes already an irate individual, but I dont see any other way. Mark and I will go inside and hold back... KINGSTON Pay our respects? LAHNAGAN Oh...oh, God. Yes. KINGSTON And to keep an eye on her, I suppose. LAHNAGAN Yeah...that too. (deep breath) She lied to me right to my face. She said she hadnt seen her brother in years, and I was too damn angry at her to think otherwise. If shes hiding something, memorial service or not, we need to find out why. HANSON You want me to stay out here? LAHNAGAN Yeah. Just keep an eye out.

104 . Will do. HANSON

Lahnagan and Kingston slowly walk up to the entrance, opening the door as quietly as possible. INT. WILKES FUNERAL HOME - CONTINUOUS FOYER Lahnagan and Kingston creep through, so as not to disrupt the service. From ahead, we hear Tom SPEAKING, but cannot quiet make out what he is saying yet. We follow Lahnagan and Kingston into the VIEWING ROOM We hear Tom wrapping up a short speech. TOM (O.S.) ...and, and thats the way I will remember Calvin. Lahnagan and Kingston take a seat in the back. Dom sits in his seat breathing hard, his hands clenched together in his lap. He is not looking at Tom, but at the casket behind him. He can barely make out Calvin lying inside from his angle. TOM (CONTD) You will be sorely missed as much as you were deeply loved. (pause) Is...is there anyone else who would like to say a word? Dom is seemingly unaware that Tom has opened up the podium, staring straight ahead as CUT TO: INT. DOMS TRUCK - SAME Celeste opens her eyes. A car has just pulled into the driveway of the house she has been looking at, and CAROL DANVER, a 30 year old wearing a business suit, and her YOUNG DAUGHTER, age 6, walk up to the house. Celeste opens the door of the truck and motions to get out as

105 . CUT TO: INT. WILKES FUNERAL HOME - SAME VIEWING ROOM Dom stands to his feet. He takes a deep breath as Tom signals for him to step up to the podium. He continues to stare at the casket for a moment, then takes a step forward as CUT TO: EXT. CRYSTAL FALLS SIDE STREET - SAME Celeste eyes Carol Danvers, walking towards the house that Carol and her daughter have stepped into. The front door of the house closes, and Celeste reaches the driveway as CUT TO: INT. WILKES FUNERAL HOME - SAME VIEWING ROOM Dom reaches the casket. He does not turn to those attending the service, but stays focused on Calvin. His face contorts slightly, eyes blinking rapidly. Calvin looks at peace. Tears begin to stream from Doms eyes. He takes a deep breath, placing a hand on top of Calvins folded hands as CUT TO: EXT. CAROL DANVERS HOUSE - SAME Celeste places a hand on the front door of Carol Danvers house. She pauses, closes her eyes for a second with her head down, and finally looks up. She KNOCKS on the door and waits a few seconds before it opens.

106 . Carol Danvers stands in the doorway. Her young daughter is beside her, looking up at Celeste with gleeful curiosity as CUT TO: INT. WILKES FUNERAL HOME - CONTINUOUS VIEWING ROOM Great sobs heave Doms chest. DOM You, you...you were the best friend a guy can have, Cal. You really were. And, and I never told you that enough. Never enough. Never. (sobbing) Im...Im glad to have been your friend. I am. I...because...you were so...so great and(sobbing) And I want you know that... (slight sad smile) And, you know...I was thinking about the great times we had. The, those times up in Copper Harbor. Camping...and you wouldnt stop fishing! You...you said we were gonna have fish for dinner and it was midnight and you never gave up! And we sat there...you and me...drinking the night away by the river. (pauses) You never gave up...ever. Not on me. Not on anything. You said...you said. Ha! You said better to make the wrong play than no play! Remember? You said that. (wiping tears) You did. And you were my best friend. You...treated me good. And...you will never be far, far from my thoughts and, and one day...one day Ill see you again. (sharp breath) I never told you I believed in all that stuff from church. You remember, the one my grandma took me too? You went a couple times too. Remember? You wanted to go swimming after! Yeah, that one. And (MORE)

107 . DOM (CONTD) I dont care what anyone says. Well see...see each other again. I know it. But...but(exhales) I love you, Cal. (breath) I will miss you so much. Dom nods with awkward affirmation, tears streaming from his eyes. He pats Calvins hands and turns from the casket. Everyone watches him, some crying, some not certain how to react, but Dom does not look at any of them as he steps down from the front and walks down the aisle. He continues to walk past the seat he had been sitting in, and heads turn as he goes through the door, into the foyer, and outside. CUT TO: EXT. CAROL DANVERS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS The front door is closed for a moment, and the house seems peaceful, until Celeste opens the door. She shoves the knife in her pocket as she exits. She does not look around, does not look back into the house, but calmly closes the door and walks down the driveway. Her expression is that of stone as she crosses the street to Doms truck. INT. DOMS TRUCK - CONTINUOUS Celeste enters the truck and starts it, putting it into gear. As she drives by the house, she does not give it a second glance. She looks straight ahead until she turns at a stop sign. A car passes her as she slowly drives up the road, and her breathing becomes heavy, quick. She looks in the rear view mirror, and the stone expression looking back at her turns into one of pain. Tears begin to fall down her face. Celeste screams. CUT TO:

108 . INT. WILKES FUNERAL HOME - CONTINUOUS VIEWING ROOM Tom Dunham steps up to the podium, breathing slowly as heads are still turned in the direction Dom had exited. TOM Oh...um...is there anyone else? Sitting in the front row, Jennifer takes a long nip from a flask, her head down, but does an awful job of hiding it. She suddenly jumps to her feet, trying to keep her balance. JENNIFER Yeah...yeah! Hell yeah! Fuck yeah! Jennifer eyeballs the crowd with drunken eyes, pointing a finger at all of them. JENNIFER (CONTD) You all loved my brother, yeah? He was such a great guy? Fu-fuck that! He was a fucking asshole! He didnt know how to take care of nothin! Jennifer stumbles over to the podium as Tom backs away rather than try to help her. She crashes into the podium, knocking it over. Lahnagan and Kingston stand to their feet, shocked. JENNIFER (CONTD) Oh! Sure! He could take care of mother! Always mother! Mother this, mother that! But what about me? Me? That...that motherfucker told me to get a job! Fend for myself! Fucker! Fuck him! He didnt give one rats assJennifer trips on the step leading up to the casket, dropping her flask, landing on her side. Lahnagan and Kingston move to the front and grab her. LAHNAGAN Come on now. Youre drunk and making a scene. JENNIFER Fuck off me! Im here for my brother! That son of a bitch! Let go!

109 . LAHNAGAN (to Kingston) Come on. Lift her up. Lahnagan and Kingston lift Jennifer off the floor and carry her towards the front entrance. FOYER Hanson stands at the front door, looking in with confusion, and Lahnagan motions with her hand to bring the car around, to which Hanson nods. JENNIFER He didnt care! Didnt care who I hung out with! Who I was fucking! Drugs? I was shootin up all hours of the night, that fucker, and hed be by her side! Never my side! Never! Fuck! Get away from me! Jennifer tries to struggle, but is too intoxicated to put up a real fight. As they exit the front door, Hanson pulls up. Kingston and Lahnagan toss her in the back seat. CUT TO: INT. DOMS HOUSE - NIGHT LIVING ROOM Dom sits on the couch, his head in his hands, when we hear the sound of his TRUCK PULLING UP outside. A swath of light enters the living room before the truck turns off, followed by the sound of the truck door SLAMMING shut. Dom composes himself and stands to his feet. The front door bursts open and Celeste tumbles inside, crying uncontrollably. She falls to the floor without closing the door. Celeste! DOM

Dom rushes over to Celeste, quickly closing the door, kneeling down to her.

110 . DOM (CONTD) Celeste! What happened! WhatCELESTE I cant...I cant...but...Oh, God, why me? Why me? DOM Are you ok? Celeste? WhatCELESTE I said I would! But I cant! I...but...why? Why would I? Im...Im(screams) Why! DOM Celeste! What happened? CELESTE I...I...I... DOM Are you hurt? What happened? Dom begins to examine her, feeling around her body, and does not discover anything until his hand pulls hand away from the coat. The palm of his hand is covered with dry and tacky blood. DOM (CONTD) Celeste. Is this yours? What happened? CELESTE Not mine...not...I... Dom quickly takes off her coat and sweater, examines her body and discovers nothing. DOM Oh, Celeste. Oh, God. Dom pulls her boots off and then her pants. He looks, but sees nothing to indicate that Celeste has been hurt. DOM Celeste. Celeste. What happened? The blood. What?

111 . CELESTE How could I. Why did...I... Dom grabs Celestes limp body and takes her to the couch. Her body shakes, and he momentarily sits her up until he takes a seat and lays her across his lap. He holds her. DOM Celeste! What happened? Oh, Celeste... Dom rocks back and forth with Celeste in his lap. He holds her close. Dom...I... Celeste... CELESTE DOM

Celeste stops crying, but is still shaken. She tries to gain control of her breathing, but is not successful. CELESTE Im...I didnt tell you. I...why didnt I tell you? I should have. I...oh, God, why didnt I tell you? DOM Celeste. Oh, God, Celeste. Tell me what? What is it? What happened? CELESTE Dom...Im...Im from the future, really. From the future. You see? A bad future... DOM Oh, God, Celeste...what...what are you talking...talking about? CELESTE See...I thought maybe...maybe youd tell. I was scared youd...youd see. It...wasnt it so obvious? DOM Celeste. The...future? CELESTE Yes. I...I came from the future. I need to help it. I have to stop them, Dom. Stop...oh, Dom, you love me, dont you?

112 . DOM Yes, Celeste. I love you. So very much. So much. Celeste looks up at him, breathing heavy, and Dom leans in. They kiss, lightly at first, until Dom presses in harder, hugging her tight. Dom finally pulls up for a breath. He breathes deep. DOM Celeste...I love you... CELESTE I know, Dom. You make me so happy. So happy... DOM I want you to be happy. CELESTE Dom...the future. Its a bad place. Very bad. I...I have to save it. Save it from those children who will make the infection. I...it cant be created...but they will...if I dont... (pause) You believe...me, yes? You believe me? I...I... DOM

CELESTE Do you still love me? Can you? Yes...yes! DOM

CELESTE I love you, Dom! (pause) If you hate me, I dont think I will live. I will be no more. DOM I love you! CELESTE Do you think Im crazy? You must. You have to...

113 . DOM Shhh...shhh. I... CELESTE Its OK. I love you so much. But...you dont know. You dont know... DOM Know what? What? CELESTE I did it for us. For our future. Dom is speechless for a moment. He looks at Celeste, loving her completely, but not sure what to make of her revelations. CELESTE (CONTD) Bad things will happen, you see. Many will hurt, suffer, die... I, I have to do this...to stop them before they meet. You see? If they meet when they grow up...Many will die. I...must stop them...for us. For our future. DOM Stop...stop them? Celeste does not answer verbally, but takes his hand, the hand with the blood on it, and places it on her chest, palm up, for him to see. She looks at him, fresh tears streaming down her face, as he looks at the hand. He stifles a sob, but cannot contain the tears that form in his eyes. Dom looks around the room, as if somewhere within it might find an answer to the sudden madness, and then back down to her with so many questions that the traffic jam in head prevents him from asking anything. CELESTE Please, Dom. Love me. Love me, Dom...please... DOM Oh, God, Celeste...Oh, God...I do. I do...

114 . She reaches up to his head, pulling it down to hers. The two hold each other on the couch, their faces pressed against each other, crying. CUT TO: INT. SHERIFFS JAIL HOUSE - NIGHT Jennifer sits in a jail cell, her body slumped, head down, hair over her face. She breathes slowly, sobbing in a low tone. Lahnagan sits in a chair on the other side of the bars. LAHNAGAN Thing I dont get...is if you hate your brother so much, whyd you come back? Was it for the jewelry? Jennifers body tenses, her knuckles white as she clutches the bench, and a low whining hum of denial accompanies every exhale. LAHNAGAN (CONTD) Why even bother with the memorial service? Jennifer begins to tap her foot. She sways her head. LAHNAGAN (CONTD) Did you feel guilty? Jennifer breathes faster. She digs her nails into the bottom of the bench, scratching slowly, as a leg twitches. LAHNAGAN (CONTD) Did you feel guilty because youre glad hes dead? Jennifer suddenly stops shaking and twitching. Her body relaxes, too exhausted to maintain the hardheaded foothold of anger and hate. She leans back against the wall and slowly lifts her face. Eyes red and puffy, mouth slack, and strands of hair plastered against the sides of her face, she focuses on Lahnagan with resignation. Tears fall from her eyes. JENNIFER He...my brother. Calvin. He... wanted us to be close again. He, he said its been too long(sobs) (MORE)

115 . JENNIFER (CONTD) Can you believe it? After all...all this time he wanted(sharp breath) He wanted me to move...move back here! This is not the response Lahnagan was expecting. She leans forwards, planting her feet firmly in front of her as if bracing for the truth. LAHNAGAN So...You met up with him in Marquette? JENNIFER (sad laugh) Uhhhh...he always knew how to get me moving. But, you know...did I trust him? Why would a sister trust her brother, huh? (terse) I was angry. So goddam angry...but, yeah. LAHNAGAN Marquette...it was the halfway point. You met him half way. JENNIFER I did that! I did... (sobs) And he knew. I dont...dont know how he knew. But he did! He knew. He knew I was bad. My...in a bad situation. (shaky breath) And he had a brooch...such a beautiful brooch. Mothers brooch...oh, God. Why did he give it to me? Why did I take it? So...fucking...stupid... LAHNAGAN Hed been researching online. Jewelry sites. Getting estimates. JENNIFER (fresh tears) Said he had more! Oh, Cal...why did you tell me? Why? (perplexed) He didnt know. Didnt know how...fucking angry...too angry. (MORE)

116 . JENNIFER (CONTD) But he wanted me out...away from...and to come back home. He wanted me home. With...moms jewelry, I could... (shaky) Just sitting in a box, he said! Sell it, he said! Get back on your feet, he said! LAHNAGAN But...what went wrong? JENNIFER My fucking life. My fucking life went wrong. And...I...fuck. His eyes lit up when I told him. I...oh, God what did I do? Its my fault. I know it. Now. I know it. I shouldnt have told him. Why did I? LAHNAGAN Told who? Told who what? JENNIFER (fearful) Manny. I told Manny. Oh, God, why? Why? Lahnagan writes the name down in her notepad, curiosity edging her towards the edge of her seat. LAHNAGAN Manny. Manny who? JENNIFER (fearful) It wasnt enough...not enough for him. And I should have known. Should have! But now...the lies. The liar. And I bought it. I bought his lies. LAHNAGAN Jennifer, whos Manny? JENNIFER (sobbing) My...boyfriend. He...Manny was gonna get a good price. Good price for the brooch! But...he was gone...for so long. Saturday afternoon...Sunday evening. So (MORE)

117 . JENNIFER (CONTD) long...so fucking long...too long... LAHNAGAN Manny came up for the rest of the jewelry? He came here to see Calvin? JENNIFER Did he...fuck! That bastard! (breathes heavy) Why did I tell him? Why didnt I...just...oh, Cal. Why did I let you down...why did you... Jennifer breaks down completely, falling to the floor as a high pitched scream pierces the room. She takes a breath and screams again. JENNIFER (CONTD) Noooo! Calvin! Nooooo! Lahnagan stands to her feet and wastes no time opening the cell door to grab Jennifer by the shoulders and steady her. LAHNAGAN Jennifer! Jennifer! (pause, thinking) He didnt get them, though. Calvin didnt tell him. (thinking hard) Hes here. Isnt he? Manny. Hes with you. For the jewelry. JENNIFER (screaming) I should have seen! I should have known! Wh...why? Oh, God, why? Calvin! Calvin! LAHNAGAN Jennifer! Where is he! Wheres Manny? JENNIFER (screaming) The fucking motel! CUT TO:

118 . INT. ECONO LODGE MOTEL - NIGHT ROOM 6 MANNY DELUGE, 29 years old and muscular, sits on a bed watching television in his underwear, a beer in hand. Clothes are strewn about the room, along with trash and empty beer cans tossed carelessly on the floor. On the back of a chair we see a hooded jacket (the hooded jacket that Manny was wearing while looking at Calvins house a day ago). The alarm clock on the night stand reads 8:00pm. With wild, drugged eyes, he looks at it, then the door, then back to the clock again. He shakes his head. MANNY Fucking bitch know Im bout outta beer? A loud KNOCK suddenly thunders from the door. POLICE OFFICER (O.S.) Michigan State Police! Open up! Startled, Tommy spills his beer and wiggles off the bed. He grabs into a pile of clothes and pulls out a pistol. Open up! Fuck you! POLICE OFFICER (O.S.) MANNY

Manny unloads three rounds through the door. MANNY (CONTD) Ha! Fucking pigs! Ha ha! Adrenalin courses through his veins, renewing his energy, and absolving himself from any care in the world. He grabs the remainder of his beer and chugs out of the can, just as the door blasts inward. Wood splinters fly towards him, bouncing off his face. He drops his beer and fires another shot towards the empty doorway. A second after he does, though, a state trooper pops out from behind the door frame and takes one shot. Mannys shoulder sprays with blood, and he is knocked backward, into the wall. The pistol flies from his hand.

119 . He sits against the wall in utter shock, breathing fast as the troopers enter the room and quickly subdue him. They secure the pistol and throw him onto the bed, cuffing him as he screams in agony. EXT. MOTEL - NIGHT Police cars are in the parking lot, red lights flashing into the night, as well as an ambulance. A cuffed Manny sits on the back of the ambulance as first responders look at his wound and two Michigan state troops overlook him. Lahnagan and Kingston stand next to Lahnagans Explorer as another state TROOPER approaches them. TROOPER I dont know if this is your guy, but hell be doing time regardless. LAHNAGAN Im pretty sure its him. TROOPER Well take him down to Houghton for interrogation. Youll get your piece of him too. LAHNAGAN Just as long as its his head on a stick. CUT TO: INT. DOMS HOUSE - DAY LIVING ROOM Dom is alone on the couch, sitting in the relative position he had been in while holding Celeste yesterday night. We hear the sound of his truck ENGINE starting outside, and it awakens him with a start. He looks around, confused for a moment, and notices that the boots are missing from the pile of clothes he had torn off of Celeste last night. Also, the information for Helena Carter is missing from the coffee table. It has been replaced by a sheet of paper. On the sheet of paper, Celeste has written: FOR US. Dom jumps to his feet, runs to the door and opens it.

120 . EXT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Dom jumps out onto the front porch as Celeste sits in the truck. The windows are iced over and her features are obscured. Celeste! DOM

He runs to the truck, slogging through the snow he has neglected to shovel, and opens the truck door. Celeste sits in the truck, dressed only in a t-shirt and boots. Hair mussed, eyes glazed over, exhausted and weary, she looks straight ahead. Not through the windshield, but through her pain and fears to the ultimate fate she has come to accept. DOM Celeste, dont. Please dont...please. She turns to him and offers a weak smile. As she places a hand on his cheek, the love she feels for him fills her eyes to the point of tears. CELESTE My love...my one and only, true love... DOM Celeste, please. Come back inside. Please, for me. Please, come back in, and...and we can be together. Just us... CELESTE (sad smile) Ive...never known...the truth of being loved. Of being known. DOM Celeste...please...please! CELESTE Dom...I...cant... (breathes heavy) I cant. I cant get it out of my head. And...and(sharp breath) And if I dont...if it...consumes me. I will...I know...I will no longer be...I...I-

121 . DOM No...no, Celeste. No. We can...we can... CELESTE No running, Dom. DOM Celeste...ICELESTE For us, Dom. To live... Celeste breaks down in tears, gasping for breath as she slams the truck into gear. DOM Celeste, no. CELESTE Please, Dom. Please let me go. CelesteDOM

Move!

CELESTE (screams)

She pushes him back, and he is too stunned by her outburst to resist. She slams the door shut and backs down the driveway. Celeste! DOM

He moves forward, as if to chase her, but he is sluggish with uncertainty and fear. She backs onto the road. Before driving off, though, she looks over to him and puts a hand up to the window. Celeste! She drives off. Celeste! DOM DOM

He stands in the driveway, looking on as his truck disappears from view.

122 . DOM Oh, God. No...Celeste, no. Please. I...I... He is conflicted between his love for Celeste and what she is about to do. His eyes flutter. His fingers twitch. He does not like or understand the situation he is in, and his inability to fully grasp a rational course of action frustrates him to tears. He breathes hard, turning in a slow circle. DOM Oh, God. Celeste...I...I... He suddenly looks to the house, shaking his head. DOM No no no no no... He runs back to the house, tripping and stumbling as he does. INT. DOMS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS KITCHEN Dom skids to a halt, grabbing for the phone. It almost tumbles from his hands, but he manages to catch it. He looks at the number pad, his thumb resting over the 9. Deep anguish wrenches his heart, trapped between his love for Celeste and doing the right thing. He screams, forcing his thumb to hit 9, then moving it to 1. Dom breathes heavy, opening his eyes with determination to do the right thing. But his resolve to turn Celeste in to the police is overtaken by his love for her. It is too strong, and the thought of losing her breaks his will. Defeat overtakes his body. He falls to his knees, drops the phone, and falls completely on the floor as agony racks his body. CUT TO:

123 . EXT. HELENA CARTERS HOUSE - DAY Celeste pulls into the driveway, behind a car, and gets out. Her eyes stare only into the bleak reality facing her, and she hates herself for being driven by such horrific actions. She walks up to the front door and rings the doorbell. Knife in hand, she has the blade pointed up along her arm, the handle cupped in her hand, hiding it from anyone standing in front of her. HELENA CARTER, 34 years old and pregnant, answers. By the size of her belly, she is very close to her due date. She sizes up Celeste in a second and realizes something is amiss. With questioning and concerned eyes, she looks around, as if maybe Celeste had been in an accident, and then focuses back to her. HELENA Oh, God, are you OK? Celeste can say nothing, though. She breaks down in tears, her free hand covering her face in shame. Helena leans out the door and puts a hand on Celestes shoulder, gently trying to comfort her. Celeste realizes she is being touched and looks up at Helena. The two lock eyes. INT. DOMS HOUSE - NIGHT KITCHEN Dom sits on the kitchen floor, his back to a wall, facing the entryway into the living room and to the front door. He has his head down, arms over his head. We hear the sound of Doms TRUCK PULLING INTO the driveway. Dom raises his head, and we stay on him as the truck ENGINE turns off, the truck door SLAMS shut, and the front door OPENS moments later. Dom stares straight ahead as Celeste enters the kitchen. We see Dom looking up at her. Fresh tears fall down his face at the sight of her.

124 . DOM Oh...Celeste... She is covered in blood, the killing knife in hand, shaking slightly, eyes filled with tears. Celeste... DOM (CONTD)

CELESTE Its...over, Dom. I...did...what... did what I...We can... Celeste kneels down to meet Dom at eye level, but also to grab the phone on the floor. Dom sits and sobs. CELESTE I love you so much, Dom... She looks to the phone. DOM Celeste...please...dont... Celeste dials 911. Dom has no strength to move, reaching out to her. Please... DOM (CONTD)

Celeste looks straight into Doms eyes with love and affection mixed with regret and pain. She smiles tenderly, though it does not reach her eyes. 911 RESPONDER(O.S.) 911. Whats your emergency? CELESTE Yes. I would like to report a murder. CUT TO:

125 . INT. SHERIFFS OFFICE - CONTINUOUS Lahnagan and Kingston stand near the reception desk. KINGSTON She had no idea? LAHNAGAN She had a hunch, but couldnt bring herself to face it. (pauses) I see no reason to hold her. KINGSTON Wow...and Manny? LAHNAGAN Hes not talking. But his fingerprint matches the one found in Millers house. With Jennifers testimony...should be enough to convict him. KINGSTON (thinking) Jennifer, though. She didnt say she had been here in town that Saturday. Who was Calvin with that evening? LAHNAGAN I dont know, Mark. Maybe he really was on a date. Hanson emerges through the door that leads from the jail house, walking Jennifer out. LAHNAGAN (to Hanson) Give me a moment. Hanson nods and moves to some other task. Jennifer has lost her hardened exterior. Sadness and pain soak her demeanor. She cannot look at any one thing for too long, and seems to constantly look for answers with every passing second. LAHNAGAN How are you?

126 . JENNIFER I...I...dont know. For once in my life, I just dont know. LAHNAGAN Jennifer...you cant blame yourself. JENNIFER Easier said than done. LAHNAGAN I know... (pauses) Come on. Walk with me. They walk to the entrance. LAHNAGAN Theres, uh, something you should know. JENNIFER Whats that... LAHNAGAN It...it seems when Calvin inherited the land, from when your mother passed, he had to name a beneficiary, in case something happened to him. (breathes) That person is you, Jennifer. He left it all to you. JENNIFER (disbelief)

What?

LAHNAGAN The land, the house, everything...it belongs to you now. JENNIFER I...what? I dont understand? Calvin, he... LAHNAGAN I guess, in all truth, he was always looking out for you.

127 . I... JENNIFER (teary)

LAHNAGAN (thoughtful) And for what its worth, Gladston isnt a bad place to grow up in, to grow old in, or to start over in. (watching her) Its something to consider. Jennifer can only stand with tears running down her face. LAHNAGAN And all in all...I think...youd be a nice addition to our town. (smiles) A deputy will drive you to your Jeep. Lahnagan nods and turns away, leaving Jennifer to ponder her past, present and future, as Hanson returns to escort her out. The two exit the building as Kingston stands up behind the reception desk. KINGSTON Sara, someone just called 911 to report a murder. What? LAHNAGAN

KINGSTON And the call is coming from Dominic Patinskis house. INT. DOMS HOUSE - NIGHT KITCHEN Celeste kneels in front of Dom, breathing heavy, an expression of fate and love, hope and doom etched into her eyes. The phone is behind her, still connected. She still has the knife in her hand. CELESTE You love a horrible person, Dom... DOM No...Celeste...no...youre not... youre...

128 . CELESTE Shhh...shhhh, my savior...my hero. You are the love of my life. And...you are so special...and now we can move forward...Im free...were free... Celeste laughs and cries, caught in the moments of her past and the freedom of her future. DOM Celeste...Oh, God...I love you. CELESTE Just you and I, Dom. Forever. We have the whole world in front of us now. Dont you see it? I...I... DOM

CELESTE Just us. We(sharp breath) We are going to make them all jealous... DOM Ill never stop loving you... CELESTE Ill never stop loving you... Celeste leans forward, careful to keep her arms away from him, as Dom leans forward and they kiss hard and long, mouths passionately intertwining. Lahnagan enters the house, assessing the situation, until she sees Celeste covered in blood with the knife in her hand. She draws her pistol, aiming it at Celeste. Lahnagan is screaming at Celeste to drop the knife, to get on her belly, to put her hands behind her back, but we cannot hear her. Dom and Celeste are caught up in a shared moment, and for a second it is just the two of them, free from the shackles of life, to open their hearts to each other, to bare their souls, to experience unending and undying love. The passion ends abruptly, though.

129 . Lahnagan grabs Celeste by the arm holding the knife and violently spins her around, so that Celeste skids on her belly with her arm behind her back. Celeste releases the knife, looking over to Dom through mussed hair. Dom stares into Celestes eyes as Lahnagan cuffs her. He mouths, "I love you." As Kingston runs up to Dom to as Lahnagan pulls Celeste off through the sadness and pain, enough strength in himself to make sure he is not hurt, and the floor and takes her away, tears and aching, Dom finds smile.

Celeste cannot look away from Dom as she is escorted away. She smiles lovingly back. CUT TO: INT. HOUGHTON INTERROGATION ROOM - MONTHS LATER - DAY A YOUNG FBI AGENT and an OLDER FBI AGENT sit directly across from Dom and his ATTORNEY. OLDER FBI AGENT So are you really sticking with the story that you met her, Celeste, in the woods? Yes. DOM

OLDER FBI AGENT And that she convinced you it was best if she stayed with you? Yes. DOM

YOUNG FBI AGENT Even though she didnt want anyone to know she was there? You didnt find that strange? ATTORNEY (to Dom) Dont answer that. (to FBI agents) The grounds for what Mr. Patinski believes is and is not strange does not apply to this interview, gentlemen.

130 . OLDER FBI AGENT OK, OK. So let me put it this way. Did Celeste do or say anything when you first met her to indicate that something was not quite right? Did she do anything that raised your alert? DOM (thinking) When I...I was in the woods, and I saw her...I saw her there, falling in the snow... Yes? OLDER FBI AGENT

DOM (thinking) It seemed to me...that God was there. And...and I had never felt such a thing before. Does that count? YOUNG FBI AGENT Uh...what about after that, during her stay with you? Anything...that gave you a negative reaction? DOM There is nothing negative about Celeste. YOUNG FBI AGENT No? What about when she told you she was a... (looking through notes) A time traveler from a...and Im quoting you here, Dominic. "A very bad future where people die and she had to keep that from happening." You didnt feel that maybe there might be something wrong? DOM I didnt know what to think. But I knew I loved her. OLDER FBI AGENT Dominic, you can be straight with us. You dont need to cover for her. Shes tied to three separate homicide investigations-

131 . ATTORNEY Gentlemen, Id like to stress that Mr. Patinski has been cleared of any direct involvement or knowledge of the murders... OLDER FBI AGENT Were not here to try and trip you up, Dominic. I would just like to stress that right now shes sticking to her story. The very one you confirmed, and her attorney has a very good chance of getting her off on a criminal insanity charge. And that does not sit well with me. (deep breath) She murdered children. ATTORNEY Come one guys. If you want Mr. Patinskis testimony you can read the transcripts. Everything youre covering is there. Were here as a courtesy, so get to the point. OLDER FBI AGENT Were here in the hopes that Dominic might recall something he might have forgotten during his testimony. Thats all. YOUNG FBI AGENT (opening file) You see, Dominic, what you havent been told is that the MO in Celestes three cases of killing fit the description of three other homicide cases in Missouri, and three more in Texas. All random, all involving families with children. This is very serious. And our question, Dominic, is if Celeste was directly involved with these murders, or was involved, perhaps, in a cult that believes they are doing some supposed good for the future. OLDER FBI AGENT There has been no leads or suspects in those cases. Theyve gone cold. And the only difference between (MORE)

132 . OLDER FBI AGENT (CONTD) those cases and this one is...well, to be frank, you. Youre the only one who has spent any amount of time with her. YOUNG FBI AGENT Listen, Dominic, to be fair, were just here trying to do our jobs. We know Celeste killed. You know it. OLDER FBI AGENT And to be honest, we cant connect her to those other murders. Not yet. So we were hoping maybe she said things to you, revealed certain details... Dom narrows his eyes and scrunches his face as he thinks, which provokes the FBI agents to lean forward a bit in anticipation. DOM Do you know where her home is? What? YOUNG FBI AGENT

DOM Her home. She said it was not a good place. Do you know where that is? The agents lean back in their chairs. YOUNG FBI AGENT (sighs) Other than the name, Celeste, shes not in any record or database, and no one has come forward claiming to know her. Which makes it extremely important for us that you try and remember if she told you anything. Anything that can help us track down where she came from or who she might be affiliated with. OLDER FBI AGENT And the truth is, Dominic, without any kind of background on her, its very possible she might get off on the insanity plea. Shell basically walk. And what do you think the (MORE)

133 . OLDER FBI AGENT (CONTD) families of those she killed will think if she does? Think about them for a minute. Dom takes a moment to think, until he shakes his head. DOM I dont know anything about Missouri or Texas or anything. Sorry. YOUNG FBI AGENT Alright, Dominic. I think weve wasted enough of your time. But if you do remember anything, if something sparks your memory, you be sure to give us a call. (to Older FBI Agent) Lets go. Dom watches as the agents leave the room. He does not know what to make of the information they spoke of, and he does not care. CUT TO: INT. SHERIFFS OFFICE - DAY Lahnagan stands at the reception desk with a newspaper in hand. The front page reads: MYSTERY WOMAN, "CELESTE", FOUND CRIMINALLY INSANE, SENTENCED TO LIFE IN LOWER MICHIGAN INSTITUTION. Down in the corner of the front page is a small blurb: MANNY DELUGE DIES, WITH TRIAL STILL ONGOING. INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY. Lahnagan sighs and throws the paper down. She looks around the station, at Kingston typing slowly on a computer at his desk, at Hanson talking on the phone, at the normal routine of the Sheriffs Department, and breathes in the stability of it, thankful for another quiet day. She picks up a ball cap, walking to the front entrance as CUT TO:

134 . INT. BREWERY - SAME Tom Durham walks through the brewery, checking up on the daily operations, talking with people, when Claire walks up behind him and taps him on the shoulder. She wants him to sign a document on a clipboard. Once he does, they smile at each other and Tom continues on his way. He passes the break room and turns the corner to the lockers. On Doms old locker, someone has placed a piece of tape on the door. Written on the tape is: RESERVED FOR DOMINIC PATINSKI. Tom looks at it thoughtfully for a second, then steps through a back door, out into a warm Spring day as CUT TO: EXT. CALVINS HOUSE - SAME Jennifer Miller sits on the front porch of her new house. The day is bright and beautiful, trees full of leaves and flowers blooming along the side of the house. She has old photo albums stacked beside her. She opens an album. The first photo is one of her parents, herself and Calvin on a beach, smiling at the camera. Her parents sit on blankets on the sand, as Calvin and Jennifer sit next to a sand castle, holding small plastic shovels. Jennifer cant help but touch the photo, recalling those moments of the past when they were young, when they were together. With a hand to her lips, she both laughs and cries. She looks up as tears fall from her eyes and a smile brightens her face. She wipes the tears as CUT TO: INT. DOMS HOUSE - SAME Dom sits at the kitchen table, staring out the window as the sun shines through. Outside the window, the field behind his house is awash in green grass and yellow flowers. He is wearing a white t-shirt and shorts.

135 . In front of him sits a letter and his dream diary. The letter is from Celeste, and it is written on paper with the letterhead: BURINGTON PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTION. In Celestes handwriting, the letter begins with: Dom, my love. Dom lifts the letter close to his face, enjoys how it smells, and puts it carefully down as he opens his dream diary. He writes (what he writes in V.O.): DOM (V.O.) I had another dream about Celeste last night. She was with me, holding me, and taking me down a long road. The road was straight, with great big fields to either side. And I could see a house at the end of the road. And I knew it was our house, and that we would stay there. She was always smiling. And I knew how much I love her. It was intense and very real. And I remember thinking that our future was going to be a good future... Dom puts the pen down and stares out the window, reveling in the vitality of springtime. His eyes are lit and vibrant. He turns to look at the clock. The clock reads: 1:45pm. He nods with a reassured smile, and pushes himself away from the table. Dom stands to his feet. BLACK THE END