Storm of the Century Read online

  112 INTERIOR: THE MARKET AFTERNOON.

  Lots of people milling around. Prominent among them is MOLLY ANDERSON, talking to CAT but mostly worrying about MIKE. We see RALPHIE halfway down one of the aisles and mooning over the sugary cereals.

  MOLLY

  (as HATCH enters) Where's Mike? Is he all right?

  HATCH Fine. Out back with the prisoner. I just have to let him in.

  Other people move in on him.

  PETER GODSOE Is he a local?

  HATCH I never saw him before in my life.

  Lots of relief at this. Others try to grab HATCH'S attention and ask questions, but MOLLY isn't among them the sooner HATCH does his job, the sooner she'll have her husband back. HATCH

  fights his way up the center aisle, pausing to ruffle RALPHIE'S hair. RALPHIE gives him an AFFECTIONATE GRIN.

  ROBBIE still has the sign; is tapping it angrily against his thigh. MOLLY sees it and winces a little.

  113 EXTERIOR: ON THE LOADING DOCK, WITH MIKE AND LINOGE.

  They stand facing each other in the DRIVING SNOW. There are several beats of silence. Then: 73

  LINOGE

  Give me what I want, and I'll go away.

  MIKE

  What is it you want?

  That smile shakes MIKE in spite of himself.

  114 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, WITH HATCH.

  He comes bustling in and hurries to the loading door. He turns the dead-bolt knob and tries to open it. The door still won't open. He pushes hard, then harder. No luck. As a last resort, he SLAMS

  HIS SHOULDER against the door. Nothing. The door might as well be dipped in concrete.

  HATCH

  Mike?

  MIKE (voice-over) Come on, hurry up! It's freezing out here!

  HATCH It won't open! It's stuck!

  115 EXTERIOR: RESUME LOADING DOCK, WITH MIKE AND LINOGE.

  MIKE is totally EXASPERATED everything has gone wrong with this piece of work; it's a complete Russian fire drill. LINOGE is still smiling his faint little smile. For him, everything's right on track.

  MIKE Did you unlock it?

  HATCH

  (rather hurt by this) Course I did, Mike!

  MIKE Then whale on it! There's probably ice in the jamb.

  116 INTERIOR: RESUME CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, WITH HATCH.

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  ROBBIE is standing in the door behind HATCH, observing all this with HEAVY CONTEMPT. HATCH

  rolls his eyes, knowing perfectly well the door isn't frozen; he already whaled on it. Nevertheless, he hits the door another couple of good shots. ROBBIE crosses the room, stopping on the way to drop the joke sign on MIKE'S constable's desk. HATCH turns toward him, startled. ROBBIE (who is a physically bigger man) moves HATCH aside, none too gently.

  ROBBIE

  Let me.

  He hits the door several more good shots, his look of confidence gradually subsiding. HATCH

  watches with subtle but understandable satisfaction. ROBBIE gives up, rubbing his shoulder.

  ROBBIE

  Anderson! You'll have to come around and take him through the store.

  117 EXTERIOR: RESUME LOADING DOCK, WITH MIKE AND LINOGE.

  MIKE ROLLS HIS EYES IN ANNOYANCE SEALS in the constable's office, still meddling. Oh, goody, better and better.

  MIKE Hatch!

  HATCH (voice-over) Yeah!

  MIKE Come around. (pointedly) Alone.

  HATCH (voice-over) Right there!

  MIKE turns his attention back to LINOGE.

  MIKE Be a little bit longer. Just stand quiet.

  LINOGE

  Remember what I said, Mr. Anderson. And when the time comes . . . we'll talk.

  He smiles.

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  118 EXTERIOR: MAIN STREET, LITTLE TALL ISLAND LATE AFTERNOON.

  The houses and storefronts are graying out, starting to look like mirages, as THE STORM

  INTENSIFIES.

  119 EXTERIOR: BREAKWATER AND LIGHTHOUSE.

  HUGE WAVES CRASH THE ROCKS. FOAM LEAPS INTO THE AIR. On this image, we: FADE TO BLACK. THIS ENDS ACT 4.

  Act 5

  120 EXTERIOR: THE ISLAND MARKET LATE AFTERNOON.

  In worsening conditions that now make moving a serious problem, MIKE, HATCH, and LINOGE

  come out of the alley and struggle toward the steps of the market. LINOGE has been made to walk in front of them, and now he LOOKS UPWARD, SMILING.

  121 EXTERIOR: ISLAND MARKET'S ROOF.

  Here is a little nest of radio antennas that serve the various two-ways inside the store. The tallest of these radio antennas SNAPS OFF and goes rolling down the backslant of the roof.

  122 EXTERIOR: FOOT OF THE MARKET STEPS, WITH MIKE, HATCH, LINOGE.

  HATCH

  (with a flinch) What was that?

  MIKE Antenna, I think. Never mind now. Go on.

  HATCH heads up the steps, giving LINOGE a healthy berth.

  123 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL.

  SOUND: That same TWANGING SNAP.

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  124 INTERIOR: TOWN OFFICE, WITH URSULA.

  She's at her radio, which is on a table below the STORM EMERGENCY/TAKE SHELTER poster.

  From the RADIO comes the LOUD SOUND OF STATIC.

  URSULA Come back? Rodney, are you there? Come back, Rodney!

  Nothing. After another moment or two of twiddling, URSULA racks the mike and looks at the useless radio with disgust.

  125 INTERIOR: THE MARKET.

  HATCH, coated with snow, steps in. The SHOPPERS react to the shotgun. Before, it was under his arm and pointed at the floor. Now he's holding it up against his shoulder and pointed at the ceiling, like Steve McQueen in Wanted: Dead or Alive. HATCH looks around at the SHOPPERS.

  HATCH

  Mike wants all you folks to move back on both sides, okay? No one in Aisle 2. We've got us a bad guy, and we can't use the back door to bring him in like we'd like to, so just move back. Give us some room.

  PETER GODSOE

  Why'd he kill her?

  HATCH

  Just move back, Pete, okay? Mike's standing out in the snow, and his feet must be pretty cold by now. Also, we're all gonna feel better when this guy's locked up. Move back, folks, give 'em a clear way up that second aisle.

  The customers move aside in two groups, leaving the center of the market clear. PETER GODSOE

  and ROBBIE BEALS are with one group (the one on the left, as you look toward the back of the market); MOLLY is in the other, standing with CAT and TESS MARCHANT, who has moved away from the cash register.

  HATCH surveys this and decides it'll do it'll have to. He goes to the door and opens it. He beckons.

  126 EXTERIOR: THE PORCH, WITH MIKE AND LINOGE.

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  LINOGE walks ahead, cuffed hands at his waist. MIKE is alert for anything ... or so he no doubt hopes.

  MIKE Not one wrong move, Mr. Linoge. You mind me, now.

  127 INTERIOR: THE MARKET, FEATURES HATCH.

  He lowers the shotgun to port arms, one hand on the barrel and the other wrapped around the trigger. LINOGE, coated with snow, eyebrows crusted white, comes in. MIKE follows closely, the gun now raised and pointed at LINOGE'S back.

  MIKE Right down Aisle 2. Nowhere else.

  But MARTHA'S killer stops for a moment and surveys the clusters of frightened islanders. Here is an enormously important moment. LINOGE is like a tiger that has been let out of its cage. The trainer is there (two of them, counting HATCH), but when it comes to tigers only bars lots of them, strong and thick are safe. And LINOGE doesn't look like a prisoner, or act like one. He stares at the residents of Little Tall with shining eyes. The residents look back at him with fear and fascination.

  MIKE

  (prods him with the gun) Come on. Let's go.

  LINOGE starts, then stops. He looks at PETER.

  LINOGE

  Peter Godsoe! My favorite seafood wholesaler standing shoulder to shoulder with my favorite politician!

  PETER flinches at being addressed by
name.

  MIKE

  (prodding with the gun) Come on. Andale. Let's just

  LINOGE (ignores him)

  How's the fish business? Not so good, is it? Lucky you've got the marijuana business to fall back on. How many bales have you got in the back of the warehouse right now? Ten? Twenty? Forty?

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  PETER GODSOE reacts violently. The shot has gone home. ROBBIE BEALS moves away from his friend, as if afraid of catching a flu germ. And for a moment, MIKE is too shocked to shut LINOGE

  up.

  LINOGE

  Better make sure you've got it wrapped up good, Pete there's gonna be a hell of a storm surge tonight when the tide comes high.

  MIKE reaches out and shoves LINOGE'S shoulder, good and hard. LINOGE stumbles forward, but keeps his balance easily. This time it is CAT WITHERS that his bright eye fixes upon.

  LINOGE

  (as if greeting an old friend) Cat Withers!

  She flinches as if struck. MOLLY puts an arm around her and looks at LINOGE with fear and mistrust.

  LINOGE

  You're looking well . . . but why not? It's just an in-office procedure these days, nothing to it.

  CAT

  (real agony) Mike, make him stop!

  MIKE pushes LINOGE again, but this time LINOGE won't budge; he's as firm as ... well, as firm as that troublesome stuck door out back.

  LINOGE

  Went up to Deny to have it taken care of, didn't you? Don't suppose you've told your folks about it yet? ... or Billy? No? My advice would be to go ahead. What's a little scrape among friends these days?

  CAT puts her hands to her face and begins to CRY. Any number of townspeople are looking at her with shock, wonder, and horror. One looks absolutely stunned. BILLY SOAMES, about twenty-three, is wearing a red apron. He's BETTY SOAMES'S son, also the market's produce man and janitor. He's CAT'S steady guy, and this is the first he knows of how CAT got rid of their child.

  MIKE places the barrel of his gun against the back of LINOGE'S head and thumbs back the 79

  hammer.

  MIKE Move, or I'll move you.

  LINOGE starts up the center aisle. He's not afraid of the gun to his head; he's simply finished with this bit of business.

  128 INTERIOR: BY THE CHECKOUT, WITH MOLLY AND CAT.

  CAT is SOBBING HYSTERICALLY, and MOLLY has her arms around her. TESS MARCHANT is dividing her attention between the sobbing girl and the incredulous BILLY SOAMES. All at once, MOLLY wakes up to a very important consideration.

  MOLLY

  Where's Ralphie?

  129 INTERIOR: AISLE 2, WITH LINOGE AND MIKE, HATCH IN BACKGROUND.

  As they approach the end of the aisle, RALPHIE comes tearing around it from the other side with a box of the sweet cereal in his hands.

  RALPHIE Mom! Mommy! Can I have this one?

  With absolutely no hesitation at all, LINOGE bends, picks RALPHIE up by the shoulders, and swings him around. All at once, MIKE'S son is between LINOGE and MIKE'S gun. The kid's a hostage. MIKE reacts first with shock and then with sickening, agonized fear.

  MIKE Put him down! Or

  LINOGE

  (smiling; almost laughing) Or what?

  130 INTERIOR: BY THE COUNTER, WITH MOLLY.

  She loses all interest in CAT and hurries toward the head of Aisle 2 so she can see what's happening. One of the ISLAND RESIDENTS, KIRK FREEMAN, tries to stop her.

  MOLLY

  80

  Let me go, Kirk!

  She gives a good, hard yank, and he does. When she sees that LINOGE has her son, she GASPS

  LOUDLY and her hands go to her mouth.

  MIKE gestures her to stay where she is without ever taking his eyes from LINOGE. Behind MOLLY, the MARKET CUSTOMERS begin to gather, staring tensely at the confrontation.

  131 INTERIOR: AISLE 2, WITH LINOGE AND RALPHIE, CLOSE-UP.

  LINOGE puts his forehead to RALPHIE'S, so the two of them can look intimately into each other's eyes. RALPHIE is too young to be scared. He looks into that shining, smiling, interested tiger's gaze with a kind of breathless interest.

  LINOGE I know you.

  RALPHIE You do?

  LINOGE You're Ralph Emerick Anderson. And I know something else.

  RALPHIE is fascinated, unaware of HATCH RACKING A SHELL into the shotgun, unaware that the market has turned into a powder keg of which he is the fuse. He is fascinated, almost hypnotized, by LINOGE.

  RALPHIE

  What?

  LINOGE plants a quick, light kiss on the bridge of RALPHIE'S nose.

  LINOGE

  You have a fairy saddle!

  RALPHIE

  (smiling, delighted) That's what my daddy calls it!

  LINOGE

  (returns the smile) You bet! And speaking of Daddy

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  He sets RALPHIE down, but for a moment he's leaning so close that RALPHIE is still, in effect, his hostage. RALPHIE sees the handcuffs.

  RALPHIE

  Why're you wearing those?

  LINOGE

  Because I choose to. Go on. See your dad.

  He turns RALPHIE around and gives him a light swat on the butt. RALPHIE sees his father and lights up in a smile. Before he can take more than a step or two, MIKE grabs him and pulls the boy into his arms. RALPHIE sees the pistol.

  RALPHIE

  Daddy, why have you got

  MOLLY

  Ralphie!

  She sprints for him, brushing past HATCH and knocking a bunch of canned goods to the floor. The cans roll everywhere. She pulls RALPHIE out of MIKE'S arms and hugs him frantically. MIKE, flustered and rocky (who wouldn't be?), returns his focus to the faintly smiling LINOGE, who has now had about nine billion chances to get away.

  RALPHIE

  Why's Daddy pointing a gun at that man?

  MIKE Moll, get him out of here.

  MOLLY What are you

  MIKE

  Get him out of here!

  She FLINCHES at the unaccustomed shout and begins to retreat with RALPHIE in her arms, 82

  toward the other people clustering timidly at the foot of the aisle. She steps on a can and it rolls out from under her. Before she can fall, KIRK FREEMAN catches and steadies her. RALPHIE, looking over her shoulder at his daddy, is finally upset.

  RALPHIE Don't shoot him, Daddy, he knows about the fairy saddle.

  MIKE

  (more to LINOGE than RALPHIE)

  I'm not going to shoot him. Not if he goes where he's supposed to.

  He looks toward the end of the aisle. LINOGE smiles and nods, as if to say, "Of course, since you insist," and starts that way, hands in front of him again. HATCH catches up to MIKE.

  HATCH

  What are we going to ?

  MIKE Lock him up! What else?

  He's terrified, ashamed, relieved . . . you name it, MIKE is feeling it. HATCH sees enough of MIKE'S emotions to be abashed and retires a bit into the background as MIKE shadows LINOGE to the upper end of the aisle.

  132 INTERIOR: ANGLE ON MEAT COUNTER AND CONSTABLE'S OFFICE DOOR.

  As LINOGE and MIKE get to the head of the aisle, LINOGE turns left, toward the constable's office, as if he knows where it is. HATCH follows after. And then, from Aisle 1, comes BILLY

  SOAMES. He's too angry to be scared, and before MIKE can stop him, he grabs LINOGE and THROWS HIM against the meat counter.

  BILLY SOAMES What do you know about Katrina? And how do you know it?

  MIKE has had enough. He grabs BILLY by the back of his shirt and HEAVES HIM against a rack of powdered herbs and fish fixin's. BILLY hits it hard and goes spawling.

  MIKE

  What are you, crazy? This guy's a killer! Stay out of his way! And stay out of mine, Billy Soames!

  LINOGE

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  Also, clean yourself up.

  We glimpse that STRANGE, BLACKISH WAVERING in his eyes again.

  133 INTERIOR: BILLY, CLOSE-UP.

  At first he sits there where he landed, looking question m
arks at LINOGE. Then his nose GUSHES

  BLOOD. He feels it, reaches up to catch the flow, and looks unbelievingly at the blood on his palms.

  CAT runs up Aisle 1 to where he is and kneels beside him. She wants to help him; she wants to do anything, really, that will take away the awful look of surprise and hurt anger on his face. But BILLY is having none of it. He shoves her back.