EXT.
SIR WEYDEN'S HOUSE TERRACE. DAY
Groups
of people drink and talk around a swimming pool.
27-year-old
bride TRACY kisses 34-year-old dark-skin RICARDO SAINT-
ANDRÉ
on the cheek. SAINT-ANDRÉ—whose most prominent feature
is
his protuberant aquiline nose, wears a black suit and a
white
scarf. 29-year-old GABRIELLE stands nearby. A
professional
camera hangs from Gabrielle's neck. She snaps
pictures
of people now and then. FRANK, a 70-year-old
steward,
serves drinks.
TRACY
(excited)
Ricardo!
I'm so delighted you made
it
all the way from America.
Tracy
embraces him.
RICARDO
Tracy!
Gabrielle--my wife.
TRACY
(cold)
Are
you? Of course! I'm so sorry I
couldn't
come to your wedding.
GABRIELLE
Never
mind. I sent the invitations
too
late.
Tracy
peruses Gabrielle.
TRACY
(to
Ricardo)
Five
years is a long time. Now
we are
married.
RICARDO
I'm
anxious to congratulate the groom.
TRACY
What
for? You could have married the
daughter
of a tycoon as well.
(to
Gabrielle)
How
did you like the University in
America?
GABRIELLE
I'm
glad it's over. I just finished
my
one-year internship with the US
government.
TRACY
I
see.
(to
Ricardo)
Is it
true that you intend to move
to
England for good?
RICARDO
Gabrielle
found a job in a
Manchester-based
consulting
company.
TRACY
Did
she?
GABRIELLE
We
are quite surprised as well--believe
me.
TRACY
I
believe you. An outcome
of
globalization.
(to
Ricardo)
Did
I hear that you are going to open a
detective
bureau--as in Portugal?
RICARDO
(smiling)
I'd
rather work as a Professor.
TRACY
Of
Spanish?
RICARDO
Of
theatre. I studied Drama in the US.
TRACY
Yes,
of course. What a pity.
Scotland
Yard requires with urgency
people
like you. There are too many
weirdoes
on the streets.
GABRIELLE
We
have also sent the sick and the desperate
to jail.
Tracy
opens her mouth, puzzled. She smiles.
RICARDO
I
beg you, don't take Gabrielle's remarks
too
seriously.
65-year-old
SIR WEYDEN approaches. 23-year-old ALBERT
accompanies
him.
Frank
serves a drink to Sir Weyden.
SIR
WEYDEN
Thanks,
Frank.
TRACY
Sir
Max Weyden, Albert Urwin, this
is
Mister Saint-André.
(staring
at Gabrielle)
Gabrielle--his
wife.
Albert
looks at her. Gabrielle looks at him. They shake hands.
ALBERT
Enchanté.
SIR
WEYDEN
How
was your flight from Portugal?
RICARDO
We
actually flew from Pennsylvania.
TRACY
Ricardo
just testified in a trial.
SIR
WEYDEN
Did
you?
RICARDO
We
did. Gabrielle was hired to gather
evidence
against a man accused of
having
murdered his second wife.
ALBERT
(laughing)
I
suppose those Quakers intend to
murder
him in return.
Sir
Weyden looks coldly at him.
RICARDO
Actually
Gabrielle proved his
innocence.
ALBERT
(surprised,
to
Gabrielle)
Are
you a lawyer?
GABRIELLE
I
have just developed an instinctive
sympathy
for victims, Mr. Urwin.
Albert
smiles and looks intensely at her. Tracy looks at him.
TRACY
Albert
and I study dentistry at
the
University of Manchester.
(beat)
Rachel!
65-year-old
red-hair RACHEL and 56-year-old white-hair MRS.
LAWN approach them.
RACHEL
Tracy!
(to
Sir Weyden)
Max!
(to
Albert)
How
are you, Albert?
ALBERT
Enjoying
this placid evening.
Thanks.
Are you still leaving your
French
guest locked outside, Mrs.
Lawn?
Albert
laughs.
MRS.
LAWN
(offended)
Monsieur
Philippe is blaming me
for
all the awful sicknesses he
has
developed while living in this
country!
It offends our sense of
justice.
He has gone so far as to
ask
me to pay for his medical
bills!
CUT
TO:
EXT.
IN FRONT OF MRS. LAWN'S HOUSE. NIGHT
MONSIEUR
PHILIPPE, a 55-year-old man, tries in vain to open
the
front door. He steps back and screams out at the windows.
ALBERT
(V.O.)
If
you locked him outside on a
winter
day, you must assume the
responsibility.
You were lucky he
didn't
get pneumonia.
It
snows. The windows are closed.
MRS.
LAWN (V.O.)
That
man is not suited for our
weather
conditions.
Monsieur
Philippe coughs.
BACK
TO SCENE:
EXT.
SIR WEYDEN'S HOUSE TERRACE. DAY
MRS.
LAWN
(to
Tracy)
I
have never left a creature
outside
my house in 35 years of
work.
GABRIELLE
Henry
Purcell, one of my most dear
composers,
was never locked out of
his
house until he was 35. One
week
later, he died.
MRS.
LAWN
Oh!
Are you... a foreigner?
GABRIELLE
I’m
a man.
SIR
WEYDEN
(to
Gabrielle,
impatient)
Mrs.
Lawn suffered a heart attack
last
week.
GABRIELLE
No
kidding!
RACHEL
(suddenly
smiling)
This
weather is extraordinary,
indeed.
(to
Sir Weyden)
In
our past celebration we had
rain
the entire evening, Sir Weyden.
ALBERT
I
remember. It was a simple
wedding.
(to
Tracy)
I
hope you don't mind, darling.
SIR
WEYDEN
Tracy
knows my life as much as I
know
hers.
RICARDO
May
I know, then, how many times
have
you been married, Sir?
SIR
WEYDEN
(ill-humored)
Four.
RICARDO
A
remarkable record. Is Tracy your
fifth
bride, then?
SIR
WEYDEN
Yes.
TRACY
(to
Rachel and Mrs.
Lawn)
Mister
Saint-André is an old
acquaintance
of our family. He
once
helped us resolving a family
dispute,
in Portugal.
RACHEL
Oh!
Sir Weyden owns a country house near Lisbon.
I love
the South of Portugal.
GABRIELLE
Do
you? Or do you rather love
Sir
Weyden’s company?
Sir
Weyden laughs. Mrs. Lawn and Rachel look uneasy.
MRS.
LAWN
(to
Ricardo)
How
do you like England, Monsieur?
RICARDO
Yes,
I do. It’s green and cold.
(to
Rachel)
Congratulations
on the sale of
your
house.
RACHEL
(surprised)
Have
we met each other before?
RICARDO
This
morning, in front of a
restaurant.
You came out of a
small
house on sale. A married
couple
followed you.
RACHEL
(offended)
Do
you both intrude always in other
people's
lives, Mister?
TRACY
Rachel,
please!
ALBERT
He was,
after all, a private
detective.
SIR
WEYDEN
(conciliatory)
You
have an admirable memory,
Mister...
RICARDO
Saint-André.
MRS.
LAWN
(skeptical)
Saint-André?
Are you French?
RICARDO
You
are not the first person surprised
by
my swarthy complexion,
Mrs.
Lawn. I was born in Bolivia.
Rachel
gazes at Sir Weyden with surprise.
RACHEL
(impatient)
Tracy!
Can you introduce us to
Hernán
Sousa?
ALBERT
The
football player?
Tracy
gestures in agreement. They walk away. Mrs. Lawn
follows
them.
RICARDO
I
find your house quite suitable
for
these kinds of festivities.
SIR
WEYDEN
(impatient)
What
do you do for a living,
Mister?
RICARDO
Well…
I translate books.
SIR
WEYDEN
No
wonder.
(scornful)
I
import goods from America. My
business
relationship
with
that young country is fairly
profitable.
RICARDO
I’m
sure that Tracy will help
you
to increase your wealth.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
SIR WEYDEN'S HOUSE TERRACE. DAY.
26-year-old
SARA and 31-year-old HERNAN walk along the
swimming
pool along a wooden fence.
HERNAN
They
have always preferred your
sister.
Didn't you see the car
they
bought her for her wedding?
SARA
We'll
get another. My step-mother
promised
me an equal share for our
wedding.
HERNAN
Right.
And the Cottage?
SARA
That
was a gift from Lord Halifax.
HERNAN
Ah!
Lord Halifax. That old bastard
removed
you from his will. They
must
consider your future. Sir
Weyden
is a gold digger. I do not
have
interest, whatsoever, in the investments
of
your family.
SARA
Quit
your job with the club. Let's
go
to Boston, Hernán!
HERNAN
(defensive)
A
soccer player is nobody in the United
States.
Sara
looks at Ricardo, who stands on the other side of the
swimming
pool.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
SIR WEYDEN'S HOUSE TERRACE. DAY.
65-year-old
MR. PERRY. who has a facial deformity, talks to
35-year-old
MRS PETRA. Seated close to her, 70-year-old MR.
BALTIMORE
reads a newspaper.
PETRA
Did
he sign the contract?
PERRY
All
the papers are in order.
PETRA
Wonderful.
(to
Mr. Baltimore)
At
this pace we'll be able to
print
the brochures before the end
of
the year.
Mr.
Baltimore has fixed his gaze on Ricardo.
PETRA
(continuing)
Darling!
MR.
BALTIMORE
Sara
has invited an exceptional
character.
PETRA
(looking
at Ricardo)
Who
is he?
MR.
BALTIMORE
Ricardo
Saint-André. He
worked
for me as a private
detective.
The diamond affair. Did
I
tell you?
PETRA
Yes.
I've heard something about it. Now I
remember.
Where is he from?
MR.
BALTIMORE
From
India or Brazil—I'm not sure…
Sara
and Hernán approach.
PETRA
You
bought a splendid dress, Sara.
Was
it another of your presents,
Mr.
Sousa?
SARA
My
father paid for it, Petra. Did
you
forget to check his accounts
this
morning?
PETRA
(smiling)
I
did.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Petra
has asked you a simple
question,
Sara. Be patient with us
today,
please.
PETRA
Congratulations
on your last game,
Mr.
Sousa.
HERNAN
Did
you receive the tickets on
time?
PETRA
I'm
afraid we couldn't get them.
But
I read an enthusiastic article
about
you.
HERNAN
I
will mail you another couple of
tickets.
SARA
They've
never been interested in
your
professional career, Hernán.
They
hope we'll split up before
Christmas.
HERNAN
(conciliatory)
You
almost succeeded in inviting
the
whole community, Mr. Baltimore.
MR.
BALTIMORE
(impatient)
This
is OUR community, Mr. Sousa.
You
will understand me better once
you
go back to your country.
SARA
This
is his country, Dad.
Albert,
Gabrielle, Rachel, Tracy, and Mrs. Lawn approach.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Is
it?
Petra
takes her husband's newspaper and reads it.
SARA
Gabrielle!
I'm so happy to see you
again.
Sara
embraces Gabrielle.
SARA
(continuing)
Where
is Ricardo?
Petra
hands out the newspaper to Albert.
PETRA
(to
Albert)
Albert!
Did you hear about that
wicked
dentist?
(to
Sara)
He
has been infecting his patients
for
30 years.
INSERT:
Albert
reads the headline: «Doctor Knox, portrait of a serial
killer.»
Beneath it there is a photo of DOCTOR KNOX--a 70-
year-old
bald man.
BACK
TO SCENE:
ALBERT
Actually,
he is one of our
professors.
A wicked genius.
Tracy!
Didn't you see him on the
day
they arrested him?
TRACY
It
was a nightmare.
ALBERT
How so?
TRACY
I don't
want to talk about it.
SARA
(to
Gabrielle)
Where
are you staying?
TRACY
Sara!
Let me introduce Hernán to
Albert.
Albert
and Hernán shake hands.
ALBERT
It's
a pleasure to meet you. I
hope
you will stay in Cheshire for
good.
HERNAN
I
cannot think of a better place
to
live. Sara's family has been
very
warm and hospitable.
RACHEL
(to
Sara, flattering)
I
heard you were planning to get
married.
Is it true?
SARA
You
don't know, darling, how much
gossip
Hernán's family has
motivated
among my relatives and
friends.
RACHEL
(smiling)
What
do you think about that, Mr.
Baltimore?
Would you like to
increase
your family all over
Brazil?
Tense
silence.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Sara
deserves the best.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
SIR WEYDEN'S HOUSE TERRACE. DAY.
Wagner's
nuptial march is interpreted by an ORCHESTRA, placed on
a small platform.
TRACY
Cheers!
200
guests, seated around a white-covered long table, raise
their
champagne glasses in a toast.
ALL
Cheers!
Tracy
and Sir Weyden drink from metallic cups, linking their
arms.
People laugh and talk. They scatter and cluster.
Hernán
and Sara walk away.
RICARDO
(O.S.)
Sara!
They
meet Ricardo and Gabrielle. Ricardo holds a cup in his
hand.
Gabrielle takes a picture of Sara.
SARA
Ricardo!
RICARDO
I
may presume you are the bride,
Sara.
You look splendid!
SARA
How
charming! This is Hernán Sousa.
Hernán
and Ricardo shake hands.
HERNAN
It's
a pleasure to meet you. Sara
has
mentioned you both in
the
most commendable terms.
RICARDO
That's
very generous of her.
HERNAN
I
understood you cleared her name,
after
her mother's death.
RICARDO
A
trifle.
GABRIELLE
(to
Sara)
We
were worried about you. Why
didn't
you answer my e-mails?
SARA
I
haven't had the strength... to
tell
you.
HERNAN
Sara
has been in psychiatric
treatment
for five months.
GABRIELLE
I'm
sorry.
(pause)
Are
you leaving the party?
SARA
(surprised)
Just
for a while. I see you met
the
groom... A bloody asshole.
RICARDO
A proud
and ambitious man.
HERNAN
No one
exceptional—by my
standards.
GABRIELLE
Your
dress is spotted.
Sara
looks at her white dress. There is a yellow spot over
it,
just above her belly.
SARA
Oh!
That's why I'm leaving.
Excuse
me… I'm so happy to see
you both!
A
tear runs down Sara's cheek.
Sara
and Hernán walk away.
CUT
TO:
INT.
SIR WEYDEN'S HOUSE. NIGHT
The
interior of a Victorian mansion. Petra plays Mozart's
second
movement of the piano sonata No 11, K. 331.
Of
all the characters introduced until now, only Gabrielle
and
Ricardo are present. Gabrielle listens attentively to the
music.
Ricardo looks across the room.
Waiters
serve drinks and snacks to the guests, who are
sprawled
on the canopies.
Behind
the guests there is a glass wall. Ricardo concentrates
his
sights on two silhouettes projected against it. One
figure
slaps the other across the face. The silhouettes
disappear.
Ricardo
concentrates on the music. He listens to a
conversation.
WOMAN
1 (O.S.)
(whispering)
They
have all left the party.
There
is no reason why we should
stay
here.
MAN
1 (O.S.)
They
will reward us with a piece
of
cake.
WOMAN
1 (O.S.)
If
we don't leave, Tommy, I will
fall
asleep in this chair.
Suddenly
a loud noise is heard--the sound of a car crashing.
People
spring up out of their seats and run outside.
Ricardo
moves towards a window. Gabrielle follows him.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
SIR WEYDEN'S HOUSE TERRACE. NIGHT
A
Mercedes is half-smashed against a wall. Inside, Hernán,
behind
the wheel, lies unconscious. His forehead bleeds.
Mrs.
Lawn comes out of the house and screams. She looks at a
nearby
tree.
Mr.
Baltimore raises his eyes.
Sara
hangs from the tree. A note is stuck to one of her hands.
Ricardo
looks at her from a window.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
MANCHESTER CEMETERY. DAY
All
the characters, but Tracy, listen to FATHER SAMUEL, a
tall
44-year-old priest. They wear mourning clothes and carry
umbrellas.
It rains.
FATHER
SAMUEL
Lux
aeterna luceat eis, Domine,
cum
sanctis tuis, in aeternum-quia
pius
es.
Ricardo
looks at Mr. Baltimore, who looks at the coffin,
where
Sara lies.
Petra
looks at Sir Weyden. She turns towards Ricardo. Ricardo
looks
at Father Samuel.
FATHER
SAMUEL (O.S.)
Requiem
aeternam dona eis, Domine,
et
lux perpetua luceat eis. Cum
sanctis
tuis, in aeternum, quia
pius
es.
Albert
looks at Gabrielle. Gabrielle looks at him. Ricardo
looks
at Gabrielle.
FATHER
SAMUEL (O.S.)
(continuing)
Gloria
Patri et Filio: et spiritu
sancto.
Sicut erat in principio et
nunc
et semper: et in saecula
saeculorum.
Amen.
Requiem
music. The coffin is lowered into the grave.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
MANCHESTER CEMETERY. DAY
Mr.
Baltimore opens the door of his car. Petra gets in. In
the
background, people get into their cars.
Mr.
Baltimore walks towards the driver's side door. A voice
stops
him.
RICARDO
(O.S.)
You
don't believe Sara committed
suicide.
Do you?
He
meets Ricardo.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Ricardo!
(sadly
smiling)
I
would like to agree with you.
RICARDO
Would
you agree to start a private
investigation?
Comme
en le vieux temps.
Mr.
Baltimore sighs.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Nothing
would be more pleasant
than
to question the tragic end of
my
child. But then, we must admit
she
was murdered. I'm a pacifist.
Punishment
won't
ease my pain.
RICARDO
Sara
was dear to us as well.
MR.
BALTIMORE
She
was always dear to strangers.
RICARDO
I
understand you didn't get along
with
her fiancé.
MR.
BALTIMORE
He
was a rude man. He even sent her
to
the hospital once.
RICARDO
En
serio?
MR.
BALTIMORE
She
never admitted it.
(almost
sobbing)
Poor
Sara! She claimed she was the
victim
of a burglar. But she was
just
protecting him, a... scum!
RICARDO
That
scum works for your football
club.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Always
money!
Mr.
Baltimore, unable to speak further, gets into the car.
The
car starts.
Ricardo
looks around. He sees Gabrielle, who talks to Albert.
Both
smile under an umbrella.
FADE
OUT:
TITLE
CARD
«One
Week Later»
FADE
IN:
EXT.
MANCHESTER'S CITY HALL. DAY
Ricardo
stares at the morning newspaper. On the first page is
written:
HEADLINE
«Forensic
report confirms suicide
of
Sara Baltimore».
Gabrielle
stands besides Ricardo. The camera hangs from her
neck.
A
Rolls Royce is parked by the sidewalk. Mr. Baltimore and
Sir
Weyden come out from city hall and get in.
RICARDO
Murders
are often committed by
ambitious
grooms.
GABRIELLE
(skeptical)
I'd
rather suspect the unsuspected.
RICARDO
(ironic)
Here
come our men.
The
Rolls starts. Ricardo walks towards the car.
Mr.
Baltimore looks out from the window and recognizes
Ricardo.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROLLS. DAY
MR.
BALTIMORE
(to
the chauffeur)
Charles,
stop for a moment, please.
BACK
TO SCENE:
EXT.
MANCHESTER'S CITY HALL. DAY
The
Rolls stops next to Ricardo.
Gabrielle
takes a couple of pictures of Ricardo, Mr.
Baltimore,
and Sir Weyden.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Would
you like a ride to your
hotel,
Señor Saint-André?
RICARDO
Thank
you. I have an appointment
with
Inspector Zayed.
SIR
WEYDEN
Do
you know him?
RICARDO
For
quite a while.
(to
Mr. Baltimore)
I
hope you will understand my
doubts,
Mr. Baltimore.
MR.
BALTIMORE
I
do, believe me, I do. If you can
prove
she didn't commit suicide,
I...
I...
Mr.
Baltimore covers his eyes with his hands.
SIR
WEYDEN
Why
is your life partner taking
pictures
of me?
RICARDO
She
is an grown up. You can ask
her.
GABRIELLE
(approaching)
I
was intrigued by the color of
your
hair, Sir.
SIR
WEYDEN
(ironic)
Thanks.
(to
Ricardo)
Do
you suspect I murdered poor
Sara
on my wedding night?
MR.
BALTIMORE
That's
a theory we haven't
considered...
Yet.
SIR
WEYDEN
Goodbye
Sir. Madame.
The
car starts.
Ricardo
notices INSPECTOR ZAYED, who stands close to them.
GABRIELLE
Daniel!
Zayed
embraces her.
CUT
TO:
INT.
MANCHESTER'S PUB. DAY
Ricardo,
Gabrielle, and Zayed drink glasses of water. Zayed
peruses
pictures of people at the party.
He
stares at the picture of Mrs. Lawn.
ZAYED
Kim
Lawn. She came from Birmingham
in
the early 50s. Her husband died
of
a heart attack last year. A
pro-life
activist during her
free
time, she owns and manages
a bed
& breakfast.
Zayed
stares at a picture of Petra.
ZAYED
(continuing)
Petra
Schreiber. Born in Austria,
she
came to England shortly after
the
second world war. Her parents
died
in a car accident. Ph.D. in
composition
from Oxford,
she used
to work as a
violin
teacher--she was, as a
matter
of fact, the music tutor of
the
Baltimore girls. Now she works
as
a pro-choice activist.
Zayed
stares at a picture of Albert.
ZAYED
(continuing)
Albert
Urwin. A student of
dentistry.
He owes about fifty
thousand
pounds to credit
institutions.
Zayed
stares at a picture of Rachel.
ZAYED
(continuing)
Rachel
Newton, a key property
manager.
Ex-nanny of the Baltimore
girls,
she still maintains a close
relationship
with Tracy.
Zayed
stares at a picture of Sir Weyden.
ZAYED
(continuing)
Sir
Maximilian Weyden. A gambler
and
a playboy, who spends his
holidays
in Monaco and Las Vegas.
Sara
opposed Tracy's marrying
him.
GABRIELLE
You
told us something about their
lack
of closeness, didn't you?
ZAYED
Sibling
rivalry. They were always
getting
involved in each other's
business.
Sara used to complain
about
the parties Mr. Baltimore
was
throwing for her sister in
Manchester.
Fifty thousand pounds
per
party--used to say Sara over
and
over.
GABRIELLE
(to
Ricardo)
Don't
you remember the day Tracy
visited
us in France?
RICARDO
Her
first question was about
Sara's
monthly allowance.
ZAYED
Family
tensions are commonplace.
(pause)
Do
you want to prove her innocence?
RICARDO
I
have reasons to suspect she was
murdered.
ZAYED
(skeptical)
I'm
afraid to tell you that I
agree
with the official report.
According
to her medical records,
Sara
had a history of depression.
The
fact that she chose her
sister's
wedding day to commit
suicide
does not surprise me at
all.
Did you read her suicide note?
RICARDO
Yes.
I took it out from her hand.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
SIR WEYDEN'S HOUSE. NIGHT
The
Mercedes is smashed against the wall. Groups of people
look
at the scene--which is cordoned off with plastic.
An
ambulance awaits the victims. Two nurses place Hernán,
unconscious,
inside. Gabrielle looks at Hernán's hand: he
grasps
a can of beer.
Petra
cries, leaning on the shoulder of Mr. Baltimore. Tears
roll
down Gabrielle's cheeks.
Two
policemen lower Sara's body from the tree. Gabrielle
peruses
the knot: a surgeon's knot.
Ricardo
advances and takes a small adhesive note from Sara's
corpse's
hand. He reads it.
RICARDO
(V.O.)
«Don't
blame anyone... Sara
Baltimore».
Ricardo
places it back to her hand. He walks under the tree
where
Sara was found. He finds several footprints on the
grass.
BACK
TO SCENE:
INT.
MANCHESTER'S PUB. DAY
Ricardo
looks at his empty glass of water.
RICARDO
Did
you see the footprints, under
the
tree?
ZAYED
By
the time we arrived, they were
no
longer visible--too many people
had
stepped underneath…
GABRIELLE
The
graphologist?
ZAYED
He
confirmed Sara's handwriting.
RICARDO
Yes, but…
ZAYED
Her own
relatives are not
interested
to
support an investigation.
RICARDO
Mr.
Baltimore authorized me to
proceed
with my own inquiries--just
about
thirty minutes ago.
ZAYED
I'm
surprised.
GABRIELLE
So
am I.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
OLD TRAFFORD STADIUM. DAY
Players
from the local team roll the ball over the grass.
Ricardo
and Gabrielle look at them from the stands--two
colorful
spots among hundreds of chairs.
Both
share a plate of fries.
25-year-old
goalkeeper DAVID BOGLE catches a difficult shot
under
the goalpost.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
OLD TRAFFORD STADIUM. DAY
Ricardo,
Gabrielle, and Bogle walk along the green, desolated
field.
BOGLE
I
don't like to gossip about
people's
private lives, Mister..
Bogle
reads a printed card he holds in his hands.
BOGLE
(continuing)
Saint-André...
Ricardo Saint-André.
RICARDO
You
can call me Ricardo.
BOGLE
(to
Gabrielle,
smiling)
Are
you French or Spanish?
RICARDO
I'm
from Bolivia, but my last name
is
French.
BOGLE
My
wife is from South America as
Well--from
Peru.
GABRIELLE
(cold)
She
has to be from somewhere.
BOGLE
Sara...
She was one of our
best
friends. She and my wife used
to
talk about politics. South
America
is a corrupt continent--
you
know it. Peasants are still
struggling
against feudalism. Have
you
visited Macchu Picchu?
RICARDO
Not
yet. Peru is far from Bogotá.
BOGLE
Yes.
There's a considerable
distance
between all South
American
countries... Anyway;
Hernán
and Sara wanted to go with
us
to the Incan city. We are
peers.
Players don't always get
along
with their coach. There are
factions.
One needs to rely on
someone
else...
GABRIELLE
As
in war.
BOGLE
You
understand my point.
(beat)
I
pray for Hernán... His head was
smashed
against a window.
Bogle
grasps his head with his hands.
BOGLE
(continuing)
God!
RICARDO
His
brain, nonetheless, is intact.
The
police believe he was confused
by
the sight of his girlfriend
hanging
from a tree.
BOGLE
Lies!
RICARDO
I
see we both agree on one point,
Mr.
Bogle.
BOGLE
Beware
the Baltimore family,
Mister.
They own half of this city.
(beat)
You
should meet my wife.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
ROAD BEFORE SIR WEYDEN'S HOUSE. NIGHT
Ricardo,
standing on the road, looks at Sir Weyden's house.
He
notices Tracy, who comes out of the house and stops
beneath
the tree where Sara died.
Tracy
peruses the ground. She sobs and kneels.
Sound
of airplane. She turns around. Ricardo walks away,
along
the opposite side of the road, towards a parked taxi.
He
notices a field to his right. He stops and looks around.
He
discovers a landing strip. A small airplane lands. Sir
Weyden
gets off the airplane. Frank, driving a Rolls,
approaches
to pick up Sir Weyden.
CUT
TO:
INT.
TAXI. DAY
Ricardo
and Gabrielle talk while the taxi moves along the
city.
RICARDO
Have
you realized how kindly all
the
suspects look at us?
GABRIELLE
A
cultural trait, Tico. British
politeness.
RICARDO
Do
you suspect Tracy?
GABRIELLE
Five
years can make a murderer out
of
a thief.
RICARDO
I
disagree.
(pause)
Did
Sara tell you something
important?
I mean, before she
stopped
answering to your messages.
GABRIELLE
She
was pregnant.
(Ricardo
looks
surprised
at her)
Obviously
she had a miscarriage.
RICARDO
(emphatic)
We'll
move between pro-life and
pro-choice
activists.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
TENNIS CLUB. DAY
Tracy
and Albert play tennis in an open grass court. The sun
is
scorching.
Ricardo
and Gabrielle sit down at a garden table.
Albert
hits the ball with style.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
TENNIS CLUB. DAY
Tracy
approaches the table while wiping her face with a
towel.
Albert sits down.
ALBERT
Gabrielle!
What a lovely surprise!
(to
Ricardo)
You
have chosen the best time to
visit
us, Señor Saint-André.
RICARDO
Forgive
me for being a nuisance.
(to
Tracy)
I
did not see you at your sister's
funeral,
Tracy.
TRACY
We
came back to late from the Bahamas.
What a
honey-moon. We’ll have in three
months.
RICARDO
Can we
talk?
TRACY
I'm
available for you
at any
time, Tico.
GABRIELLE
(cold)
We
heard Sara was planning to
marry
her fiancé--Hernán
Sousa.
ALBERT
(correcting)
Oh! The
American player?
GABRIELLE
North
American, Central American,
South
American... They are all
Americans
after all.
ALBERT
In
this country we learn to
distinguish
those
continents:
America and South
America.
GABRIELLE
Then
you should change. This country
should
think in terms
of
progress--of political
correctness.
ALBERT
To
what purpose, Mademoiselle?
Tradition
preserves the law.
GABRIELLE
Let's
not argue about law. I
hold a
degree in American and
European
History.
ALBERT
Do
you give lessons?
GABRIELLE
Once
in a while.
ALBERT
What
about this coming Friday?
Gabrielle
and Ricardo interchange smiles.
GABRIELLE
(to
Ricardo)
Do we
have any plans for this Friday?
RICARDO
I will
read Schopenhauer.
ALBERT
I’m
sorry. Would you allow her, Sir?
RICARDO
I rely
on my wife, Sir.
(to
Tracy)
Do
you think your family would
have
been ashamed of Sara marrying
an
outsider? A third-world country
foreigner?
TRACY
Nonsense.
RICARDO
(skeptical)
Nonsense?
TRACY
I
do not accept the idea she
committed
suicide, either.
RICARDO
Do
you suspect anyone?
TRACY
I
didn't say that.
RICARDO
You
implied it.
TRACY
(almost
sobbing)
I
just cannot accept the fact
that
she is dead. Poor Sara! Do
you
understand?
RICARDO
I
do. Please, don't be upset.
TRACY
(loud)
I'm
not upset! Although we never
got
along, we loved each other, in
our
own way.
RICARDO
Of
course.
TRACY
(nervously
laughing)
You
know what happened with the
diamond.
It was not my fault. I
didn't
mean to blame her. We lost
it.
You found it. We really thank
you--you
proved Sara's innocence.
RICARDO
To
your family. Now it's time to
prove
it to the world.
GABRIELLE
(conciliatory)
Did
Sara tell you about her future
plans
to travel to the United
States
of America?
TRACY
(surprised)
That's
absurd!
GABRIELLE
She
had been accepted by
Pennsylvania
University to study
business
administration.
TRACY
That
cannot be. That man,
Sousa,
was her first priority.
GABRIELLE
Perhaps
Sara was not his.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
TENNIS CLUB PARKING LOT. DAY
Ricardo
and Gabrielle walk towards a parked taxi.
GABRIELLE
Have
we come to the same
conclusion?
RICARDO
It
is too soon to entertain a
theory.
We should find out more
about
Sara's relationship with
Mister
Sousa.
A
Rolls Royce approaches--Sir Weyden is behind the wheel.
RICARDO
(continuing;
to
Weyden)
Sir
Weyden! Your wife just told us
you
had to postpone your honeymoon
for
three months. Are you still
planning
to go to the Bahamas?
SIR
WEYDEN
Are
you checking up on me,
Mister?
RICARDO
You
are a fortunate man, Sir. Your
wife
looks very cheerful--in spite
of
all the gloomy events of the
past
month.
SIR
WEYDEN
I
see you have interrogated
her.
I hope she will change Mister
Baltimore's
mind about your
presence
in Cheshire. He was
awfully
disturbed by your talk
this
morning.
RICARDO
Was
he?
(checking
the car)
We
always meet you in a new car,
Sir.
I sincerely hope you will cherish
your
new wife for the rest of your
life.
SIR WEYDEN
I
see you are very concern about
my wife.
CUT
TO:
INT.
RACHEL'S OFFICE. DAY
Rachel,
seated at her desk, talks on the phone. A man and a
woman
sit down in front of the desk: Ricardo and Gabrielle--
Rachel
does not acknowledge them until the end of her
conversation.
RACHEL
When
did he leave the country...
Are
you sure?... Well, Monsieur
Philippe
must be a busy man...
Working
day and night... If I were
you,
I would forget about that
bloody
frog...
Rachel
looks at Ricardo and Gabrielle.
RACHEL
(continuing)
Now,
excuse me, Mrs. Lawn... I
should
attend to Mister and
Mrs.
Saint-André...
RICARDO
Oh,
please, go on, don't worry
about
us.
RACHEL
I'll
call you later.
Rachel
hangs up the phone.
RACHEL
(continuing)
What
a surprise. How may I help
you,
Sir?
GABRIELLE
Have
you been in Egypt?
RACHEL
(defensive)
I'm
afraid I won't be able to
answer
to your questions.
GABRIELLE
You
are misinterpreting our
intentions,
Mrs. Newton. We would
like
to rent a house... Nearby.
RACHEL
All
our properties are about nine
hundred
pounds per month.
GABRIELLE
That
sounds reasonable to us.
RACHEL
(smiling,
to Ricardo)
This
is not the best way to gain
my
trust, Sir.
Ricardo
and Gabrielle stand up.
RICARDO
We
apologize for the
inconvenience,
. Good bye.
They
step away. Rachel follows them.
RACHEL
Mister
Saint-André...
Ricardo
turns around.
RACHEL
(continuing)
How
many rooms are you looking for?
CUT
TO:
EXT.
SAINT-ANDRÉ'S APARTMENT. DAY
Rachel,
Ricardo, and Gabrielle stand on a terrace. The
terrace
overlooks a wide open garden.
RACHEL
Two
bathrooms and a full kitchen.
GABRIELLE
(to
Rachel)
We'll
sign the lease tomorrow
morning.
RACHEL
When
do you plan to move?
GABRIELLE
By
the end of this week.
RACHEL
(remorseful)
I
owe you an apology for my
behavior
this morning.
RICARDO
Never
mind.
GABRIELLE
We
understand. I wonder whether
you
are willing to answer to
our
questions, Mrs. Newton.
RACHEL
Well…
Of course…
Rachel
looks up to a window, just above the terrace.
RACHEL
(continuing)
Would
you like to go for a walk?
There
is a beautiful garden, not
far
from here.
Behind
the window on the second floor, we see the silhouette
of
FRED, a 75-year-old bony man. He watches Ricardo,
Gabrielle,
and Rachel as they walk away.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
CHESHIRE'S GARDEN. DAY
Gabrielle,
Rachel, and Ricardo walk over to an immense garden.
RACHEL
(smiling)
I
got divorced when Mr. Baltimore
decided
to send us to Egypt. That
was
in 1978. I remember the exact
date.
The World Cup was taking
place
in Argentina at the same
time.
GABRIELLE
Did
you tour the Nile River?
RACHEL
With
Tracy, Sara, and the former
Mrs.
Baltimore. It was, on the
whole,
a stupendous experience.
GABRIELLE
Particularly
for the children I
bet.
Do you remember anything out
of
the ordinary that happened at
that
time?
RACHEL
No...
That was twenty-two years
ago.
An
airplane approaches, flying in the sky. Rachel waves her
hand.
RACHEL
(continuing)
That's
Sir Weyden on his way back
home.
GABRIELLE
From
where?
RACHEL
From...
I don't know. There are
many
landing strips in England.
(beat)
He
was, and I think he still is,
a
reserve pilot of your Majesty's
air
force.
RICARDO
Not
mine, please. How often
does he
fly?
RACHEL
(upset)
Two
or three times per week.
A
mobile phone rings. Gabrielle takes it out of her jacket.
RICARDO
Very
impressive.
RACHEL
Nowadays
almost everyone owns an
airplane,
Sir.
GABRIELLE
Hello?...
(smiling)
Albert?
Gabrielle
steps aside.
RACHEL
(beat;
whispering)
To
be sincere, Sir Weyden had
predisposed
me, somehow, against
you
both.
Ricardo
raises his eyebrows.
RACHEL
(continuing)
He
called me this morning.
RICARDO
Why
are you being so discrete?
RACHEL
(suddenly
blunt)
You
both are detectives, Sir.
You
deal with criminals. Now, if
you
excuse me, the police
report
was correct. Poor Sara
committed
suicide. All your
inquiries,
therefore, are not only
meaningless,
but disturbing--even
offensive.
We fear you will be a
cause
of distress for the
Baltimore
family, in particular
for
Tracy.
RICARDO
Tracy?
Oh, yes. We talked to her
yesterday
morning. I clearly see
you
and Sir Weyden are mistaken
about
our intentions, Mrs. Newton.
RACHEL
You
should get busy with a
more
proper endeavour.
Ricardo
raises his eyebrows.
RICARDO
How
is Monsieur Philippe?
RACHEL
Pardon
me?
RICARDO
Monsieur
Philippe. You were saying
something
about him when we step
into
your office. 'Bloody frog'
was
your expression.
RACHEL
Yes...
Well... He has disappeared--
it
seems. That's what Mrs. Lawn
told
me.
RICARDO
Oh, yes. You both are friends.
RACHEL
I wouldn't
say that. But in this
country we maintain a courteous
relationship with everyone,
Sir—even with our enemies.
Ricardo
looks at Gabrielle, who is still talking on the phone.
RICARDO
Did
you know Monsieur Philippe? I
mean,
before he came to England.
RACHEL
Not
at all. He works for Mr.
Baltimore.
RICARDO
Yes,
of course. Do you know who is his
direct
superior?
RACHEL
Mr.
Perry, I believe.
RICARDO
Your
ex-husband?
RACHEL
(surprised)
My
ex-husband.
(beat)
Have
you talked to him?
RICARDO
Not
yet.
He
looks at the sky, which is filled with dark clouds.
RICARDO
(continuing)
I
think it's about time for us to
return
to our hotel.
CUT
TO:
INT.
TAXI. NIGHT
Ricardo
and Gabrielle travel through the outskirts of
Manchester.
Ricardo
opens an envelope.
RICARDO
What
do you think of Sir Weyden?
GABRIELLE
The
more we dig into his past
the
more despicable he appears.
RICARDO
He
flaunts his wealth. People may
resent
of him.
Pause,
he takes a letter from the envelope and reads it.
RICARDO
(continuing)
The
Baltimores are inviting us to
dine
with them tomorrow evening...
At
nine.
GABRIELLE
I'm
afraid I won't be able to go.
RICARDO
Oh,
Dear. Do you have a dentist's
appointment?
GABRIELLE
He entertains funny ideas about us.
Ricardo
laughs.
RICARDO
(continuing)
I
hope he will enjoy your
company.
(pause)
Why
did you ask Mrs. Newton about
Egypt?
GABRIELLE
Oh!
To test her. Sara told
me
once that something
extraordinary
happened on that
trip.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
NILE RIVER. DAY
A
ship sails over the Nile river. Monumental statues can be
seen
on the horizon.
4-year-old
Sara stands on the deck, looking at the
landscape.
5-year-old Tracy grabs her hand.
Close
to them, healthy-face YOUNG PERRY talks to YOUNG DOCTOR
KNOX.
GABRIELLE
(V.O.)
It
happened close to the Karnak
Temple,
on the Nile. Sara was with
her
sister on the ship's deck,
surrounded
by water and strangers.
Perry
looks around. He sees 30-year-old FORMER MRS. BALTIMORE
and
43-year-old Rachel, who talk animatedly and smile,
pointing
out to the horizon.
GABRIELLE
(V.O.)
(continuing)
Mrs.
Baltimore and Rachel forsook
the
children for an instant--
surely
enchanted by the beauty of
the
landscape, and then, all of a
sudden,
Sara fell into the water.
A
scream is heard. Perry looks at the children. He only sees
Tracy,
who, standing up on the deck, peeps out into the water.
Former
Mrs. Baltimore and Rachel continue talking. The
remaining
passengers are undisturbed.
Perry
runs forward.
GABRIELLE
(V.O.)
(continuing)
She
screamed. She was engulfed by
the
water.
Perry
sees Sara struggling in the Nile's waters. He jumps out
of
the boat. Young Doctor Knox screams and throws a buoy in
the
water.
GABRIELLE
(V.O.)
(continuing)
Mr.
Perry rescued her.
Unfortunately
the stem post of the
boat
hit his head.
Sara
is lifted in a buoy. She pants. Over the waters Perry
floats
in a pool of blood. Young Doctor Knox jumps into
the
water.
GABRIELLE
(V.O.)
(continuing)
Doctor
Knox rescued him.
RICARDO
(V.O.)
The
serial killer?
Young
Doctor Knox rescues Perry.
GABRIELLE
(V.O.)
At
that time he was one of former
Mrs.
Baltimore's closest friends.
Mr.
Perry's skull got infected.
One
week later his doctors removed
half
the skin of his face.
RICARDO
(V.O.)
That's
something extraordinary,
indeed.
(pause,
horrified)
Do
you think...
GABRIELLE
(V.O.)
Mr.
Perry became an outcast. He
lost
his wife and developed a
bitter
feeling against men and
women.
He became one of the
founders
of a conspicuous British
pro-choice
society; «Eleutheria.»
Tracy
looks at the river. Former Mrs. Baltimore approaches.
She
looks at the water. She gazes at Tracy's empty face.
GABRIELLE
(V.O.)
(continuing)
On
the other hand, the former Mrs.
Baltimore
died suspecting that
Tracy
pushed Sara into the water.
BACK
TO SCENE:
INT.
TAXI. NIGHT
RICARDO
We
should keep an eye on her.
GABRIELLE
I'm
convinced, though, that Mrs.
Newton's
reluctance to speak about
this
incident is mainly due to her
nationalistic
attitude. She ranks
any
British citizen -right or
wrong-,
above the rest of the
world.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
ALTRINCHAM'S STREET. DAY
Ricardo
walks along the street, checking house addresses. He
stops
in front of a small building. There is a golden plaque
on
the wall.
INSERT:
GOLDEN
PLATE
«Wagnall's
Consultant Company»
BACK
TO SCENE:
Ricardo
enters the house.
CUT
TO:
INT.
PERRY'S OFFICE. DAY
Perry
types a document on his computer. Ricardo enters. Perry
looks
up at him and continues typing.
PERRY
Mister
Saint-André. Please, take
a
seat.
Ricardo
sits down. He looks around the office: it is crowded
with
portraits, statues, and photographs of cats. A white cat
lies
on the floor. Ricardo looks at a bookshelf nearby.
RICARDO
Do
you like dogs?
PERRY
(laughing)
I
find them a little bit dumb. I
pity
cats, in spite of their self-
sufficiency.
They are my family,
as
you can see.
RICARDO
How
so?
Ricardo
notices a shelf stocked with copies of the same book:
«New
Arabian Nights,» by Robert Louis Stevenson.
PERRY
Human
beings are cruel, Mister.
When
I was thirty-three my wife
left
me. From that moment on I
started
taking in strays.
He
raises the white cat to his desk. The cat purrs. Ricardo
thumbs
the book.
PERRY
(continuing)
I'm
glad to be the savior of
twenty-one
creatures. Once I
became
the manager of this
company,
I was allowed to bring
Jigs
to work.
(tender,
to the cat)
You,
little one!
RICARDO
Who
allowed it?
PERRY
Excuse
me?
RICARDO
Who
allowed you to bring Jigs to
your
office?
Ricardo
finds in the book a cut of a newspaper sheet. On it
there
is a photograph of a young girl. The title: «Teenager
drowns
her baby in a bathtub.» Ricardo shelves the book back.
PERRY
Oh!
The board of directors. Mr.
Baltimore,
the president, to be
specific.
He is a noble man.
RICARDO
Of
course. A noble man.
PERRY
I've
known his family for many
years.
I work sometimes as their
accountant
and financial
consultant.
(beat)
Poor
Sara! What a tragedy she has
caused
to her family.
He
hands a picture to Ricardo.
INSERT:
A
picture of the Baltimore Family: Rachel and Perry holding
hands,
former Mrs. Baltimore, Mr. Baltimore, 4-year-old Sara
and
5-year-old Tracy.
RICARDO
(V.O.)
You
have a good collection of
Robert
Louis Stevenson's books.
PERRY
(V.O.)
From
my childhood... yes.
BACK
TO SCENE:
RICARDO
I
really like «The Suicide Club»,
one
of his best short stories.
Have
you read it?
Perry
looks stern at him. Ricardo returns the book to its
shelf.
PERRY
I
prefer «Treasure Island.»
RICARDO
A
well-known tale. Do you remember
Doctor
Knox?
PERRY
(smiling)
Knox?
My best friend and my worst
enemy.
RICARDO
How
so?
PERRY
(with
uncanny good
humor)
He
saved my life once--in a river.
But
then he seduced my wife.
RICARDO
Do
you hate Rachel?
PERRY
Rachel?
Not at all. Knox left her
three
months later.
(smiling)
My only
hate is for Doctor Knox.
RICARDO
I
see you enjoy his fall. Do you
really
think he's guilty?
PERRY
Of
course he is. Knox was a
seducer.
He used to date his
youngest
students.
(laugh)
And
also the richest. He had though he
could
play the saint and the
villain
all his life.
RICARDO
What
do you know about Monsieur
Philippe?
PERRY
Oh!
He's back in France, I
believe.
A very efficient man. I
asked
him to continue working with
us,
at least until December. But
he
just disappeared.
(pause.
Ricardo's
sigh
is void)
Is
he the subject of your
investigation,
Sir?
RICARDO
Do
you have his contact number in
France?
Perry
searches among the documents on his desk.
PERRY
No,
I'm afraid. He was alone. I
received
a resignation letter from
him,
though. It should be over
here.
Perry
reads the letter.
PERRY
(continuing;
reading)
«I
was offered a new post in a
hospital.
I'll
contact you later
to
instruct you about my last
payment.
Best wishes, Philippe».
Ricardo
takes another letter from Perry's desk.
PERRY
(continuing)
Oh,
that's something else.
RICARDO
It
is signed by Mrs. Lawn.
PERRY
A
most charming lady.
RICARDO
Would
you be so kind as to make a
copy
of this document for me?
PERRY
(hesitating)
Sure.
Why not?
As
Perry photocopies it, Ricardo looks at the cat.
RICARDO
Do
you know, Sir, what did
Julius
Caesar say about men who
love
cats?
PERRY
You
tell us.
Perry
hands the photocopy to Ricardo.
RICARDO
He
said that such tender
affections
should be granted to
children
rather than to animals.
Perry
blushes.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
MANCHESTER STREET. DAY
Gabrielle
walks down the street. She stops in front of a
store
and reads a newspaper: «Baltimores Petrol Co. signs
drilling
agreement with the Bolivian government.» Beneath the
headline
is a picture of Mr. Baltimore shaking hands with a
Bolivian
POLITICIAN.
TRACY
(O.S.)
My
father has secured his fortune
for
another 50 years.
Gabrielle
turns around and meets Tracy, still dressed in
mourning.
GABRIELLE
Tracy!
What a coincidence!
TRACY
I
need to speak to you.
CUT
TO:
INT.
MANCHESTER'S PUB. DAY
In
an empty pub, Tracy and Gabrielle drink orange juice.
Tracy
wears a necklace. A huge diamond hangs from it.
TRACY
You
have reason to suspect me. I
was,
after all, the person who
stole
my mother's diamond.
GABRIELLE
That
was a family quarrel.
TRACY
My
sister was unfairly blamed. You
may
think I hated her. But you are
wrong.
I loved her. Have you asked
yourself
why I did it?
GABRIELLE
It's
not important.
TRACY
It
is! I buried it, to avenge my
mother.
My stepmother didn't
deserve
to wear her jewelry.
GABRIELLE
Petra?
TRACY
That
scandalmonger, hideous,
treacherous
woman!
Tracy
sobs. Gabrielle offer her a tissue.
TRACY
(continuing)
Thank
you... When my mother died,
Sara
was with you in Oporto.
CUT
TO:
INT.
HOSPITAL ROOM. NIGHT
Seated
next to a hospital bed, Tracy cries over the dead body
of
former Mrs. Baltimore. A NURSE and a DOCTOR look at her.
Their
faces are blank.
TRACY
(V.O.)
I
had to take care of my mother
during
her final days. Alone. My
father,
instead of being with us,
was
in Florida, frolicking with
that
bitch. I called him everyday.
«Nevermind!
The Doctors will take
care
of your Mother!»--that was his
reply.
Tracy,
tears in her eyes, dials a number in the phone.
TRACY
Dad?...
Mom passed away...
(she
sobs)
Aren't
you coming, Dad?... Dad!
She
drops the phone and falls sobbing on the ground.
BACK
TO SCENE:
INT.
MANCHESTER'S PUB. DAY
TRACY
I
know Sara never told you. She
felt
guilty too, somehow.
Gabrielle
looks at the diamond.
GABRIELLE
I
see you got the diamond, after
all.
TRACY
Oh!
My husband's wedding gift...
Tracy
hands several documents to Gabrielle.
TRACY
(continuing)
In
these documents you will find
proof
of our innocence.
GABRIELLE
Your
alibi?
TRACY
Max
and I spent the entire night
in
a hotel in Wales. You can check
the
phone number and the address.
GABRIELLE
Do
you suspect your sister was
murdered,
Tracy?... Or, should I
say,
Lady Weyden?
TRACY
Yes,
but...
GABRIELLE
Yes?
TRACY
I
hope you will understand, we
must
not see each other again.
GABRIELLE
Why
not?
TRACY
My
husband. He is extremely upset
by
your investigation.
GABRIELLE
I
don't understand, then, why do
you
risk upsetting him even more.
You
were expecting me...
TRACY
I’m
trying to help
you.
GABRIELLE
By
denouncing your stepmother?
TRACY
How
dare you? You are not polite
at all.
You share my sister's
indisposition
against me.
Tracy
stands up and gets ready to leave.
GABRIELLE
Sara
almost died twenty-two years
ago, in
the Nilo River, didn't she?
Tracy
looks at Gabrielle visibly shocked. Gabrielle smiles
with
irony.
TRACY
I should have talked to
Tico. But I
Didn’t
want to upset you.
GABRIELLE
I’m
aware of everything that
happened
between you and Tico, Tracy.
TRACY
Does
he still have a scarf on his leg?
GABRIELLE
(continuing)
You
have a wicked tongue,
Lady
Weyden.
Tracy
turns around with fear.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
BOWDON STREET. DAY
Ricardo
walks on the street. He holds a tourist brochure in
his
hand.
He
checks the names of the houses, until he finds a house
called
«Fox Lawn».
He
looks at the brochure.
INSERT:
A
photograph of Fox Lawn printed on a page of the magazine.
RICARDO
(O.S.)
(reading)
«Fox
Lawn specializes in hosting
foreign
visitors»
BACK
TO SCENE:
Ricardo
walks towards the house.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
FRONT DOOR OF MRS. LAWN'S GUEST HOUSE. DAY
Ricardo
knocks on the door. Mrs. Lawn opens the door.
MRS.
LAWN
(flattering)
Hello!
I was waiting for you,
Monsieur.
CUT
TO:
INT.
MRS. LAWN'S GUEST HOUSE--DINING ROOM. DAY
Ricardo
and Mrs. Lawn drink tea and eat cookies.
MRS.
LAWN
Unfortunately,
Monsieur Philippe
left
this house without notice. At
this
point he should be back in
Paris,
enjoying the splendid
weather
of the continent.
RICARDO
How
long did he live with you?
MRS.
LAWN
One
year.
RICARDO
Do
you know his new address?
MRS.
LAWN
I’m
not his mother. If for any
reason
you run into him, Monsieur,
please
remind him to contact me.
He
forgot to pay his last phone
bill.
RICARDO
What
was he doing in the United
Kingdom?
MRS.
LAWN
Business.
He worked for a hideous
consulting
company in Altrincham:
Wagnall's.
RICARDO
(playing
the fool)
Worked?
Doesn't he work anymore?
MRS.
LAWN
(smiling,
impatient)
Perhaps
they can help you better,
Monsieur.
I will write down their
address
for you.
Mrs.
Lawn stands up and approaches a table.
WHITNEY,
a 45-year-old woman enters the room. She holds a
white
envelope in her hand.
WHITNEY
Oh!
I wasn't aware you were with
someone
else.
She
steps back. Mrs. Lawn's voice stops her.
MRS.
LAWN
That's
fine. Inspector Ricardo,
Mrs.
Whitney Rush, my dearest
tenant.
Ricardo
and Whitney exchange smiles. Whitney hands over her
envelope
to Mrs. Lawn.
Ricardo
looks suspiciously at the envelope.
WHITNEY
I
should go.
She
leaves. Mrs. Lawn writes an address on a piece of paper.
RICARDO
Your
house is beautiful, Mrs. Lawn,
and
well-preserved.
MRS.
LAWN
Thank
you. The mortgage rate has
increased
outrageously during the
last
two years. We try to do our
best.
RICARDO
We?
I thought you live alone,
Madame.
MRS.
LAWN
I’m
soul and body, Monsieur.
RICARDO
Of
course… I have here a note you
wrote
to Wagnall's consultant
company,
three weeks ago.
Mrs.
Lawn stops writing. She looks upset at Ricardo.
MRS.
LAWN
You
have already been to
Wagnall's.
You don't need their
address
then.
RICARDO
(playing
the fool)
Did
you say Wagnall's? Excuse me.
My
mind gets very confused.
Anyway,
on this note, you
acknowledge
that Fox Lawn has
never
been, and will never be, a
BUSINESS
hotel, but a family house.
MRS.
LAWN
(upset)
That
was just an expression. But
congratulations.
You have caught
me
in my mistake. How else can I
help
you, Monsieur?
RICARDO
I
understand you are a pro-life
activist,
Mrs. Lawn.
MRS.
LAWN
And
I will continue to, till I
die.
RICARDO
Were
you aware that Sara Baltimore
and
her stepmother were pro-choice
activists?
MRS.
LAWN
Pro-murder,
Monsieur, pro-murder.
What
are you trying to prove? Do
you
suspect I poisoned her and
hang
her carcass from a tree? Do
you
deem me capable of killing
someone?
My main interest are the living.
Ricardo
stands up.
RICARDO
Of
course! Nobody murders for the
interests
of death. Thanks for the
cookies.
MRS.
LAWN
I
baked them myself.
RICARDO
They
were excellent.
MRS. LAWN
I could
have poisoned you.
RICARDO
I always
take my own precautions. Now,
excuse
me, I must go to the
hospital.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
NORTH WALES HOTEL. DAY
A
taxi arrives in front of the hotel. Gabrielle gets out of
the
car and walks toward the hotel. She stops and looks
up.
On
the top of a hill, she sees a bungalow.
CUT
TO:
INT.
NORTH WALES HOTEL RECEPTION. DAY
Gabrielle
approaches the RECEPTIONIST.
RECEPTIONIST
Good
afternoon. How may I help you?
GABRIELLE
I
talked to you on the phone this
morning,
I believe.
RECEPTIONIST
Mrs.
Saint-André?
Gabrielle
smiles.
RECEPTIONIST
(continuing)
Let's
see.
She
reads a document.
RECEPTIONIST
(continuing;
smiling)
I
will show you Sir and Lady
Weyden's
wedding room. Follow me,
please.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
NORTH WALES HOTEL BUNGALOW. DAY
The
receptionist drives a golf car. Gabrielle, seated besides
her,
observes the open grass field surrounding them. Far away
she
sees some bushes and trees.
They
approach the bungalow, on the edge of the field.
RECEPTIONIST
I
saw them at the reception about
eight
pm. A member of
our
staff brought them up here.
The
car stops. Gabrielle gets out.
GABRIELLE
An
open, quiet space, with no
neighbors
around. It may well be
a
golf course.
RECEPTIONIST
It
used to be.
She
goes to the terrace of the bungalow, from where she can
see
the hotel reception area.
GABRIELLE
Would
it be possible for them to
leave
the hotel without you
noticing
it?
RECEPTIONIST
Impossible.
We monitor all our
Entrances
with
video cameras.
CUT
TO:
INT.
HOSPITAL ROOM. NIGHT
Hernán
lies in bed. His head is bandaged.
Ricardo
enters, guided by Inspector Zayed. They meet the
Nurse.
NURSE
Only
a few minutes, inspector.
The
Nurse leaves and closes the door. Ricardo looks at
Hernán:
his blood-shot eyes stare back at him.
RICARDO
Do
you like children?
HERNAN
No,
I don't. Why are you asking?
RICARDO
I
have reasons to believe Sara
wanted
to have a child.
RICARDO
(continuing)
She
wanted many things I couldn't
give
her.
Hernán
sobs.
RICARDO
(continuing)
We
are glad to know you will be
well
by the end of this week, just
in
time to get ready for the
National
Championship.
HERNAN
I
should have died, instead.
Ricardo
looks at Zayed.
ZAYED
(to
Hernán)
What
do you remember?
HERNAN
I
asked Sara not to join the
wedding
party. It was not
comfortable
for me at all. Mr. and
Mrs.
Baltimore dislike me.
RICARDO
We
haven't been able to understand
how
Sara died. You were with her,
weren't
you?
HERNAN
We
went to a pub. We had an
argument
about our future plans.
Harvard
University offered her a
scholarship...
EXT.
ROAD IN FRONT OF SIR WEYDEN'S HOUSE. NIGHT
A
Mercedes parks in front of the house. Hernán, visibly
upset,
gets out of the car and opens Sara's door.
Sara
gets out.
HERNAN
We
still can settle our differences. Why
don't
we go to my apartment?
SARA
I
promised my father and Petra not
to
leave them alone tonight.
HERNAN
Fine.
Sara
walks towards the house. She disappears into the
shadows.
Hernán gets into the car. He starts and drives away.
HERNAN
(O.S.)
We
loved each other. But she
longed
for independence.
BACK
TO SCENE:
INT.
HOSPITAL ROOM. NIGHT
RICARDO
Why
didn't you support her?
Harvard
is a prestigious
university.
HERNAN
I
couldn't have lived alone.
Pause.
Hernán sobs.
RICARDO
At
what time did you drop Sara off
at
home?
HERNAN
(in
control)
At
about eight-forty.
ZAYED
And
you crashed into the wall
about
ten to nine.
CUT
TO:
INT.
HERNAN'S CAR. NIGHT
Hernán
drives swiftly on the road.
HERNAN
(O.S.)
I
drank a beer on my way back
home;
then I thought once more,
well,
we must sort out our
differences.
So, I returned to Sir
Weyden's
house...
CUT
TO:
EXT.
SIR WEYDEN'S HOUSE. NIGHT
Hernán
drives his car impetuously up to the house. He slows
down
in front of the main door.
HERNAN
(O.S.)
I
wasn't sure whether the party
was
still going on or not. I saw
the
Baltimores arguing inside of
the
house.
He
looks at the window. He sees Petra slapping Mr. Baltimore
in
the face.
HERNAN
(O.S.)
(continuing)
I
was anxious.
Hernán
turns on the lights inside the car. He picks up a box
of
cigarettes.
INSERT:
Hernán's
foot rests between the brake and the accelerator.
BACK
TO SCENE:
HERNAN
(O.S.)
Then
I saw her...
Hernán
looks left. He sees Sara, hanging from the
tree,
grasping her hands around her neck, kicking in the air.
Hernán
screams.
Hernán's
foot steps on the accelerator. The car crashes into
the
wall.
HERNAN
(O.S.)
(continuing)
I
wanted to step on the brake. But
I
couldn't. I couldn't!
BACK
TO SCENE:
INT.
HOSPITAL ROOM. NIGHT
ZAYED
(to
Ricardo)
That
explains everything.
RICARDO
Are
you sure she was grabbing her
neck?
With both hands?
HERNAN
I
will never forget it! I never...
Hernán
breathes with difficulty. Ricardo opens the door. The
Nurse
enters.
NURSE
(to
Zayed)
I
will take good care of him.
The
entire city needs him.
RICARDO
Specially
Mr.
Baltimore.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
MANCHESTER CAFE. DAY
Ricardo
and Zayed drink a cup of coffee. Pedestrians come and
go.
ZAYED
The
forensic report has ruled out
murder.
RICARDO
Except
by the note.
ZAYED
(sarcastic)
The
note? She wrote it—I told you
already.
RICARDO
How
could she die with a note in
her
hand? Hernán told us she was
struggling
to survive--her hands
on
her neck.
ZAYED
Come
on, Ricardo. I'm capable to
grab
several items in my hands at
the
same time.
RICARDO
Even
when you are dying?
ZAYED
Of
course. Think of a soldier--he
dies
clutching his weapon.
RICARDO
I
wouldn't compare a nervous
woman
with a soldier, Zayed. The
note
could have been written days
before
as well, and for another
purpose.
ZAYED
You
have an uncanny imagination,
Ricardo.
To what purpose, may I
ask
you?
RICARDO
To
excuse someone else. A
recommendation
letter, for
instance.
Zayed
gasps. He looks at Gabrielle, who approaches.
RICARDO
I
wonder whether Eleutheria has
been involved in any scandal
in the last two years.
ZAYED
The pro-choice society? No
that I know. They seem quite
harmless.
RICARDO
They own several buildings,
amongst them a 53-bedroom mansion
in Hale. The perfect scenario
for a hospital.
ZAYED
An abortion clinic?
Gabrielle kisses Ricardo and Zayed and sits down. A WAITRESS approaches.
GABRIELLE
How
was your day, mon chéri?
(to
the waitress)
A
cup of tea, please.
RICARDO
Unproductive. Though I have
persuaded
Inspector Zayed to help
us
to continue in this
investigation.
Zayed lays a folder on the table.
ZAYED
These
are the copies of Sara's
bank records.
CUT
TO:
INT.
MANCHESTER RESTAURANT. NIGHT
A
candle-lit restaurant. Albert and Gabrielle are attended
by
a WAITER.
GABRIELLE
(holding
the menu)
Canapés
aux écrevisses and Harengs
grillés
à la diable.
WAITER
Sir?
ALBERT
Consommé
à la florentine, and
carré
de mouton à la boulangère.
And,
please a bottle of red wine.
Jura
1994.
WAITER
Thank
you, Sir. Madame.
The
waiter leaves.
GABRIELLE
(thoughtful)
Jura,
1994...
ALBERT
Is
it OK with you?
GABRIELLE
What
a coincidence! That was
Sara's
favorite wine. Of course.
ALBERT
(vibrant)
Was
it? Oh, yes. You see... I
brought
her to this restaurant
once.
She must have influenced my
taste.
Do you really believe she
was
murdered?
GABRIELLE
My
husband suspects it. I trust
his
judgment.
ALBERT
Trust,
then, is a bastard of
suspicion.
Gabrielle
smiles dryly. Albert looks deeply at her.
ALBERT
(continuing)
Are
you thinking of settling down
in
England?
GABRIELLE
I
wouldn't like to return
to
France.
ALBERT
Are
you working on any other cases?
GABRIELLE
Only
this one.
ALBERT
How
do you make a living, then?
GABRIELLE
Ricardo
is a professional
translator.
ALBERT
I
don't understand how he can
allow
his wife to go out with a
stranger.
GABRIELLE
Stranger?
You?
ALBERT
Huh...
I'm not «any stranger», you
are
right.
(beat)
Do
you really love him?
GABRIELLE
What
do you mean?
ALBERT
I
mean, what's the deal between
you
both?
GABRIELLE
You
are asking too many personal
questions,
Monsieur.
ALBERT
(blush)
I'm
terribly sorry. I'm a fool!
You
just want to know...
GABRIELLE
About
Sara...
ALBERT
(dazzled)
Yes...
Of course...
(beat)
You
may wonder why I wasn't at the
main
hall at the moment of her
death.
Gabrielle
looks at him.
ALBERT
(continuing;
confident)
I
was in the reception hall, with
Rachel.
(beat)
I
know you loved Sara.
GABRIELLE
And...
did you?
Albert
looks at her. He shrinks in his seat. The waiter
arrives.
He serves the appetizers.
ALBERT
That's
why you accepted my
invitation.
(pause)
Sara
and I were only friends.
Tracy
introduced me to her. We
were
classmates.
GABRIELLE
(smiling)
Sisters
didn't get along with
each
other often.
ALBERT
I
got along with them both.
(he
looks around;
melancholic)
Yes.
I invited Sara to this place.
Six
months ago.
The
waiter looks fixedly at Albert. Gabrielle looks at the
waiter.
ALBERT
(continuing)
I
tried to persuade Sara to make
peace
with the world. But it was
hopeless.
The
waiter opens the bottle of wine.
GABRIELLE
What
arguments did you use?
The
waiter pour the wine into Albert's glass.
ALBERT
Family
life, tradition, to visit
her
parents, once in a while...
We
must become conservative in order to
survive.
I was glad when she got
engaged
to Hernán Sousa...
The
waiter pushes the glass. The wine spills onto Albert's
suit.
ALBERT
(continuing)
Damn!
WAITER
I'm
awfully sorry, Sir.
ALBERT
Shut up!
(to
Gabrielle)
Excuse
me.
Albert
leaves.
WAITER
I
apologize, Madame. This has
never
happened to me--not in the
last
ten years. Please, don't tell
Sir
Weyden about this incident.
Gabrielle
looks suspiciously at him.
GABRIELLE
Sir
Weyden?
The
waiter looks around.
WAITER
Mr.
Urwin is a close friend of Sir
Weyden...
How silly. I am
agitated.
Please...
GABRIELLE
(calm)
We
haven't talked to each other,
Sir.
WAITER
Thank
you.
GABRIELLE
(beat)
Is
it true what Mr. Urwin said?
Did
he dine with Miss Sara
Baltimore,
here, several months
ago?
WAITER
Most
certainly.
(he
points to another
table,
where a
couple
eats)
They
shared that table. It is a
pity
she refused to marry him. Mr.
Urwin
could have made Sara
Baltimore
a happy woman.
GABRIELLE
Of
course…
She
looks at Albert, who returns smiling. She smiles back at
him.
CUT
TO:
INT.
MR. BALTIMORE'S HOUSE. NIGHT
Ricardo
drinks a glass of wine. He shares a table with Petra
and
Mr. Baltimore.
Whitney
serves the dessert.
PETRA
Seventy-five
patients murdered in
the
past twenty-five years. By one
of
our dentists! His name was Doctor
Knox.
Our community is devastated.
Ricardo
looks at Whitney. She looks at him. Ricardo smiles.
She
avoids him.
RICARDO
Does
he claim to be innocent?
PETRA
He
does. Most wretched!
RICARDO
Why
are you so sure he murdered
his
patients?
PETRA
A
syringe filled with poison was
found
in his pocket, just minutes
after
his last victim died.
RICARDO
(to
Mr. Baltimore)
Did
you know him?
MR.
BALTIMORE
Oh,
yes. I was even one of his
patients.
Mr.
Baltimore stands up.
MR.
BALTIMORE
(continuing)
I
want to thank you, Mister
Saint-André,
for your concern
about
Sara's death. My secretary have
made
a transfer for twenty thousand
pounds
into your personal account.
Now,
excuse us.
RICARDO
I
appreciate your generosity, Mr.
Baltimore.
MR.
BALTIMORE
You
should.
Mr.
Baltimore walks away.
RICARDO
Nonetheless,
I cannot abort my
investigation
at this moment.
Mr.
Baltimore stops, turns around and looks defiant at
Ricardo.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Are
you still a practicing
Catholic?
RICARDO
I
try to be.
MR.
BALTIMORE
I
distrust of fellows who
attribute
any triumph or success
to
the will of God.
RICARDO
Chief
inspector Mr. Zayed, has
gathered
enough evidence to prove
that
your daughter was murdered.
PETRA
No!
Whitney
drops an empty wineglass on the floor. It breaks.
Ricardo
looks at her. She trembles.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Would
you leave us alone, Mrs.
Rush?
WHITNEY
But...
You may get hurt.
MR.
BALTIMORE
You
can pick it up tomorrow
morning.
WHITNEY
Yes,
Sir.
Whitney
leaves. Petra sobs.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Who
murdered Sara?
RICARDO
I
don't know... yet.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Do
you suspect anyone?
RICARDO
Everyone,
Sir.
MR.
BALTIMORE
Even
us?
Ricardo
looks at him, his expression unchanged.
MR.
BALTIMORE
(continuing)
What
a pity. You will get fifty
thousand
pounds once you finish
with
this affair, Inspector. Now,
again,
excuse me.
He
exits.
PETRA
(looking
at Mr.
Baltimore)
I'm
most willing to help you solve
this
mystery, Ricardo.
RICARDO
Thank
you, Mrs. Baltimore.
Ricardo
takes out a small notebook from his jacket.
PETRA
I
never got along with Sara. Did
you
know I taught her to play the
violin?
RICARDO
(indifferent)
Have
you ever heard of Eleutheria?
Petra
blushes. Ricardo stands up and peruses the hall.
PETRA
Eleutheria?
A Greek word for liberty…
RICARDO
According
to my
inquiry,
you have been an active
member
of this group since 1986.
PETRA
Yes.
I have.
RICARDO
As
Sara was, and as Tracy is.
PETRA
We
are about one hundred fifty
women and men, Herr Saint-André.
He
finds a series of DVDs on the top of the TV.
RICARDO
May
I know the purpose of
Eleutheria?
PETRA
It
is a private society, Sir.
RICARDO
I
understand. Are you a pro-choice
activist, Mrs. Baltimore?
PETRA
(reacting)
What
an offensive question. Of
course,
I am. I'm one of the main
advocates
for women's rights in
this
country.
RICARDO
Do
you like «Alien Creatures»?
PETRA
Excuse
me?
Ricardo
shows her the cover box of the DVD ALIEN CREATURES.
RICARDO
The
film.
PETRA
Well...
Many young people like it.
Yes.
RICARDO
Weren't
you afraid to see how this
ugly
creature gives birth to so
many
monsters in such a short
period
of time? Or worse, watching
how
its offspring are born at the
cost
of our lives.
Ricardo
notices a book over the TV: an old edition of Robert
Louis
Stevenson's book: «New Arabian Nights.»
PETRA
(O.S.)
I
understand your point, Herr Saint-André.
As
a man I don't think you are
capable
of judging the
disadvantages
of bringing children
to
this world.
RICARDO
I
don't know any other world,
Mrs.
Baltimore. But, please,
«don't blame anyone.»
Petra
puffs surprised.
PETRA
Will
that be all, Inspector?
RICARDO
Thanks
for the dinner. The dessert
was
excellent. Good night.
Ricardo
walks away.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
IN FRONT OF MR. BALTIMORE'S HOUSE. NIGHT
Ricardo
gets into a taxi. He looks up at the house. Mr.
Baltimore
is watching him from a dark balcony. Petra, crying,
approaches
Mr. Baltimore.
Ricardo
looks at them. The taxi leaves the property.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
PICADILLY HOTEL. DAY
Albert
and Gabrielle get out of a new Ferrari and walk towards
the
reception area.
ALBERT
I
can help you with your move
tomorrow
morning.
GABRIELLE
That's
very kind of you. But it
won't
be necessary. We have very
little
luggage.
ALBERT
Still,
your husband...
GABRIELLE
Yes?
ALBERT
Well,
he is a mongrel.
Gabrielle
stops.
GABRIELLE
You
would be surprised.
ALBERT
I'm
sorry... I didn't mean...
GABRIELLE
I
know you want to impress me.
Albert
grasps Gabrielle with violence and kisses her. He
looks
panting at her face
GABRIELLE
(continuing;
angry)
Are
you done?
ALBERT
I
have liked you since the moment
I
first saw you.
He
leans forward to kiss her again. Gabrielle hits him and
brings
him down to the floor. She manages to put her right
foot
over his neck.
GABRIELLE
Did
you say those words to Sara
too?
Albert
looks stunned at Gabrielle.
ALBERT
You
are mistaken, Mademoiselle.
GABRIELLE
Madame.
Get up.
Albert
stands up.
GABRIELLE
(continuing)
Now,
would you be so kind, as to
tell
me what did happen with Sara?
ALBERT
God!
He
cries.
GABRIELLE
What
did you do to her?
Inspector
Zayed and two policemen come out of the hotel.
Albert
opens his mouth. He is interrupted by Zayed.
ZAYED
(apprehensive)
Gabrielle,
where is Ricardo? He is
not
in the hotel.
GABRIELLE
He
should arrive at any moment. Is
there
something wrong?
ZAYED
We
found Monsieur Philippe.
ALBERT
(surprised)
Mrs.
Lawn's guest?
Ricardo
comes from the hotel. He carries a paper in his hands.
RICARDO
Inspector!
ZAYED
Ricardo!
You and
Gabrielle
must come with me at
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