| Orient Express. Mason is drinking at the bar. Mary and Steve come along looking for Christie. Steve: Hi... Excuse me. We're looking for people who knew Christie Duval when she used to work here. Mason: Mgh... Chrisie still hasn't shown up yet, hah? Mary: No, she hasn't. And we haven't even heard from her. Mason: Steve... Steve: Mason. Mason: Well, I'll tell you what. Just to show that there are no hard feelings, why don't we all have a drink on Dad? A moment later. Mason: .... Steve: Yeah, I know. Mason: Now the trick is to find the real rapist. Wouldn't wanna be in your shoes. Steve: What's that supposed to mean? Mason: Just that I don't think he'll be easy to find... That's all. Steve: Oh... yeah... Well, I... I hope you can excuse me... I gonna be asking around here, see if... anyone's heard from Christie. Mary: All right. Steve leaves. Mary: I apologise for Steve. I don't know why is he so pent up and tense. I... I guess I've been driving him crazy. Mason: How? Mary: Well, I'm so on edge about Christie, I just keep praying she's all right. Apparently she was, when she talked to Ted, right? Although... I didn't know about that until you told me. I... But, Mason, if nothing was wrong, why did she run away? Mason: It was not the first time, is it? Mary: No, but... Well... that was before when she was fed up with my mom's drinking and my... my step-father's abuse. That's all changed now. Mason: Some things are hard to forget... and forgive. Family's most of all. Mary: Why is that do you think? We... we don't have to be shaped by our unhappy memories. Why is it so hard to break away? Mason: I guess it's because precious few of us want to. Steve comes back. Steve: Mary. Can you take a cab home, you think? Mary: Sure. What... What did you find out? Steve: Ah, nothing. Nobody's here heard from her. But I'd like to try Jade and... I've got a few other names too. Mary: Yeah, I'll be fine. Steve: Thanks. Mason. Mason: (to leaving Steve) Steve. (to Mary) Well, I'm sure you'll hear from Christie before long. In the meantime if you need any help finding her... ahm... I make a pretty good blood hound. Mary: I bet you do. Mason, thank you for not throwing back in my face all those things I said to you about your family during the trial. I was really afraid that you would and... Well, not that you needed to... of course, I remember every word I said... Mason: You're forgiven. But as penance you will have to forego the cab and let me drive you home. OK? Mary nods in agreement. |
| Steve's apartment. Mary notices Steve's gun and picks it up. Along comes Mason. Mason: Mary... Mary turns around thus pointing the gun at Mason. Mason: Don't shoot. Mary: Ahhh... I was just a... straightening up... ahm... Steve's in... in a shower... I think. Was he expecting you? Mason: No... actually I... a... I came to see you. Your mother told me I'd find you here. I... mgh... I wanted to tell you I meant what I said last night. Mary: About what? Mason: About being willing to a... help you finding Christie. We can start right now if you like. Steve comes out of the bathroom. Steve: We want help. But we'll ask a friend. Not some mega rich shyster who's trying ease his conscience. Capwell, go home.We don't need your charity. Mason (soughs): Well... If you... ahm... change your mind you know where to find me. Mason leaves. |
| Steve's apartment. Mary closes the door. Mary: What has gotten into you? Couldn't you say "No, thank you"? You had to insult him? Steve (overwhelmed with anger, nearly hits Mary): Don't you tell me what to do!!! Mary (shocked): You were about to hit me. Like you did before a long time ago. Steve: Well, I lost... I lost my head. I'm sorry. Strain of this whole thing's starting to get to me. Mary, I would never hurt you. Mary: You did once. And I remember how scared I was after that... Steve: Nothing happened just now, did it? I told you I wasn't thinking for a second. Oh, it's been a rough few days, you know. Don't like losing. Old days are all behind us. Mary: Yes... and so did I. Mary: During the trial I felt like you were angry with Christie for not trying hard enough, for... for making mistakes. But, Steve, she was doing the best that she could and... and you were making her feel like she'd let you down somehow. Steve: Oh, look. It's all over now. I don't know why you keep dwelling on it. Mary: Because when she comes back I don't want you taking out these feelings on her anymore. Promise me you won't. Steve: I'll promise anything. I haven't done anything wrong. Mary: Steve, she is so nervous around you. Tell me something.. With all the... pressure and the... frustration you've been feeling... have you ever hit Christie? Just tell me the truth. Steve: Don't think I'm gonna dignify that with an answer. There is a knock on the door. That's Ted and Laken who came over to talk about Christie's disappearance. Christie called Ted and Mary figures out her sister's whereabouts. She is sure that Christie's in Ventura in their old family house. Steve pretends to call the police and ask them to check on the house. Later on that day Steve is dismissed from his post. Mary is still in Steve's apartment. She looks at his gun and old memories flood back. A few years back. Steve: I can't believe you're deserting us. Deserting your own mother. Mary: Oh, she doesn't even see me. All she sees is the bottom of the bottle. Steve: She still needs you, Mary. You can spend the rest of your life on your knees praying, and singing hymns, and pretending yourself holy, but the truth is you are walking out on all people who need you. You do this speaking about loving God, you don't even love your own family. Mary: What family? You call this a family?! The way your father's been. Steven punches Mary in the face. Steve: Mary... I'm sorry. Steve is back home. Steve: Lockridge, Capwell! Doesn't matter! They think they own us. Mary: Steve, you'll get another job. Now, may be this was meant to be. Steve: Oh, that's it? That's "extending your support"? Hey, thanks, Mary! Mary: All I'm saying is that ranting and raving at the Capwells is not gonna get you a job back. Try and concentrate on something positive. Steve: Positive?! You tell me what's so positive in my life right now! I lost my job. My family's turning against me. Mary: We haven't turned against you! What, are you crazy?! Steve (abruptly turns around and yells): You call me cr... Mary's memories of Steve's violence flood back again. Steve: Mary, I'm sorry. Cruz calls Steve regarding Christie. When asked if he knows where to look for her, Steve pretends that he hasn't got a slightest clue. Mary: Did Cruz say anything? Steve: Nothing. They are trying to find her too. Why is she worrying us like this? Mary: What could've frightened her? And why wouldn't she come to us to take care of her and protect her? I mean you could've arranged Police Protection, couldn't you? Steve: Or course. I'd stay with her round the clock. Mary: Then why did she run away? Steve: Do you think I know?! Who could explain what goes on in Christie's mind? It's not like she hasn't done this kind of thing before. Mary: Yeah, but why now? You know, I can't help feeling that you pressured her in going. Steve: Me? What are you talking about? Mary: Steve, you are so hard on her. I mean you must've frightened her. She always runs away when she is frightened. Steve: Her "can't cope with what's happening" or any other excuse. Mary: Well... Look how angry you are right now. Steve: It isn't anger. It's concern and... frustration at not being able to do anything. I'm gonna do something. Steve (phones police): Yeah, this is Steve Bassett. Have you come up with anything on my sister yet? ... Yeah, right. Steve (to Mary, mimicking the police officer he spoke to on the phone): "We're doing our best". "We're trying". It's all you can get out of them. Mary suddenly remembers walking in on Christie and Steve and how frightened Christie was. She stares at Steve in hock. Steve: What is it? Why are you looking at me like that? Mary: No reason. I... I... I didn't realise I was looking at you. A few minutes later. Mary: You've been real pos... possessive of Christie, haven't you? Steve: Possessive? I don't know what you are talking about I've always been protective of her. Mary: No, it's more than that. The way that you wanted her to move into the apartment with you or... or at least close by. Steve: Oh, whatever. You thought it was a pretty good idea... at the time yourself. Mary: Yeah, I did. But now I think we were both wrong. Steve: No, we weren't. If Christie'd been living with me, none of this would have happened. Mary: None of what? Steve: Oh, she'd have never met Ted or gotten involved with the Capwells or the Lockridges. She'd've never been raped. Mary: Wait a minute! Are you saying that... you still think... Ted did it? Steve: Oh, I don't think it, Mary. I know it! Mary: Steve! You can't be serious. Steve: Theda was right. Capwells got to her somehow. Either they bought her off, and that's what gave her the courage to run away like this. She thinks she's got high and mighty friends now, you know. Mary: I don't believe that! And I do believe that Ted is innocent. Steve: Well, I'm not surprised, Mary. They sold you a bill of goods. I've seen you talking to Mason. He's surely managed to charm you, hasn't he? Mary: Would you stop it! This has nothing to do with Mason. I was in that courtroom. I saw the same evidence that you did. And I saw Christie change her mind. And I have talked to her about that since. She wasn't acting under duress, she meant it. Ted is not responsible for this, Steve. Look, all right, it's true that I've got to know the Capwells better since the trial, but... that's just... showed me that I was wrong about them the same way you are wrong about them right now. Steve: Why don't you go out, Mary? What do you know about the real world? About judging people? You lived in a convent. I'm telling you, Christie is very confused right now. She doesn't know which end is up. There's no question that Ted did it to her. I'd stake my life on it. What confused Christie was seeing someone else wearing the same shirt the rapist wore. And for some reason she panicked. But lots of people wear shirts like that. That's what I was trying to tell her the day she ran off. They're commonplace. Mary: That's right they are. You had a shirt like that, didn't you? It didn't seem very important until now. Steve: What's important about it now? I did wear the damn thing months ago. Mary: Steve... don't... don't you find it kind of a strange coincidence that you should have a shirt... the same as the rapist wore? Steve: What's that supposed to mean? There's nothing strange about it, Mary. I told you a lot of men wear shirts like that. But there's nothing the least significant about it. I don't like it, 'cause you're thinking it might be. Cruz and Eden come by. Steve and Cruz discuss Steve's dismissal and Christie's case. Cruz: ...I want you to know that I'm gonna keep looking for the guy that raped your sister and I am going to find him. Steve: Well, you don't have to look very far. I know it's Ted, no matter what Christie said in court. Eden: Oh, what?! Cruz: It's so out of line, man. Eden: How dare you say something like that? Cruz: Mr Basset thinks somebody in your family's got to Christie and paid her off. And he... he has a tendency to believe what he wants to believe. Eden: That's ridiculous! And it's totally untrue. Steve: You're forgetting I was in Christie's hospital room the morning after she was raped. I'll ever see the fear in her eyes that I remember, hearing her say Ted's name. You've got to remember it too, Cruz. Remember that? Cruz: She explained it in court. Steve: Well, sure she did. After somebody got to her. Mary: Look, for what it's worth, I was in that hospital room that morning. I saw and heard the same thing that Steve did. The difference is I don't believe that Christie was accusing Ted when she named him, she meant something else by that. Steve: Mary, stay out of this! Nobody cares what you believe! Eden: Well, I care! At least one of you's come to their senses. Steve: I don't think I wanna hear anymore either of you, Miss Capwell. Cruz, what's been done to find my sister? Mary recalls the morning after Christie's rape. It dawns on her that Christie was scared of Steve and not Ted. Mary (talking to herself): Christie wasn't afraid of Ted that morning. She was afraid of... Oh, no! Steve: What's the matter? Mary: Ahm... Nothing... I just realised how rude we've been. We haven't even asked them to sit down. Steve: Well, I wasn't planning on to. They are not making a social call. Mary: Listen, aaa... at least sit down. Let me offer you something. Cruz: Ahh... No. Really. We have a lot to do, Mary. And.. I haven't got time to do it. Mary: Ahm... just a cup of coffee. I mean Steve doesn't have much around the house, but I'm sure it's possible... Steve: It they wanna leave, let them leave. Mary: Steve, I think that may be if we all got together, we could figure out places where Ted and Christie might have gone. I mean it might help, right? One of us might be able to come up with something. I am... getting to know Christie's habits pretty well. Eden: Cruz, we could stay for a little while, couldn't we? Cruz: Well, of course, sure. Why not. A few minutes later. Cruz: Did she ever run away like this? Steve: No, nothing. One minute she was right in this room, next minute she bolted. Even Mary and I couldn't figure out what got into her. Right, Mary? Mary: Right... Excuse me. I'm going to run down the... ahm... the hall, to my apartment. Steve doesn't have coffee cups. Eden: Why I don't go with you? Mary: You don't have to. Eden: No, I... I'd like to help, really. Mary and Eden leave Steve's apartment and carry on talking in the corridor. Eden: Oh... You know, I wanted to thank you for having so much faith in Ted. You know, I... I was thinking that it must've been awfully hard for you to... have left the convent. Probably, even harder for you to enter it. Mary: Oh, entering it was not a problem... In fact... I've just begun realising what it was that made me do that. Do you mind if I confide in you? Eden: Of course not. Mary: I know it seems like a really strange request but I... I mean, you know, sometimes it's easier to talk to people that you don't know very well. And I... I really need to talk to somebody right now. I've been really troubled lately. I've been remembering... some things... ahm... You know right before I went into the convent... I had this... this fight with Steve... And... and... he... he hit me. Ahm, I don't even remember what the fight was about but... afterwards... he was really nice and he... ahm... bought me flowers and he... took me to the beach. Eden: Yeah?... Mary: Well, we had a good time at the beach. But then... later on... that night... I don't know why... I am telling you this... something really strange happened... Oh... I haven't thought about this in a long time... ah... ah... I can't Eden: Mary... What is it? What's... what's wrong? You can trust me, you can tell me. Mary: I can't talk about this. Mary's memories Steve comes into her room when she is changing her clothes. Mary: Steve! Steve: You don't have to be so modest. Mary: Ah... Get out of here! I'm changing! Steve (closes the door): You're a beautiful girl, Mary. You could get just about any man you wanted. Mary: I don't feel like I could. I feel ugly. I haven't had a date now in I don't know how long. Steve: That's because you don't have enough confidence in yourself. May be if you... felt more like a real woman... you'd be better able to... handle men and... those kind of situations. It all has to start from inside you, Mary. Mary: Steve, I... I got to change my clothes. Steve: I could help you. There's a lot I could show you, if you... if you let me. I don't think I've ever really told you... how you make me feel about you, Mary. There's a... a special kind of... warmth that comes over me, when I'm close to you. (Steve is interrupted by a loud knock on the door.) Mary is back to reality. Eden: Mary. What it is? What's wrong? What's wrong? Mary: Oh... I just realised... when I went into the convent... I left Christie there all alone... unprotected. Oh, poor baby. Eden: Oh, Mary. Mary, look. I'm really sorry, but I don't still see what the connection is. What's wrong with you? Mary: Oh, nothing, nothing, nothing. Cruz and Steve come out of the apartment. Cruz: Oh, Eden. I'm... I was just coming for you. I'm sorry but we gonna have to take off. I was just checking downtown and there's something I gotta do. Eden: Oh, Mary, I'm sorry. You will have to forgive us. Ahm... Is it all right? Mary: Yeah, it's all right! It's all right. I'm... I'm sorry about the coffee. Eden: Oh, no. That's OK. We'll have... We'll take a raincheck. Steve: You two... been out here all this time? Eden: We were just talking. Ahm... Give me a call sometime and we'll get together, OK? (Mary nods) All right... Bye-bye. Eden and Cruz leave. Steve and Mary go back into the apartment. Steve: You don't look well. You're perspiring. May be you'd better lay down? Mary: No, I'm all right. Steve: Mary... You never did take care of yourself. Believe me it's better if you rest. You can't see how white your face looks. Mary: All right. Mary is haunted by flashbacks again. She keeps hearing Steve's voice saying: "You don't have enough confidence in yourself. May be if you felt more like a real woman... you'd be better able to deal with men..." |
| Mary is in Steve's apartment. She is making a phone call. Mary: May I speak to Eden please? Eden: This is she. Mary: Eden, this is Mary Duval. Eden: Oh, hi! Mary: You... you said I could call you. Eden: Yeah... yeah, so wh... what's the matter? Mary: Ahm... (gets frightened by noise coming from the front door) Oh! I... I can't talk now. I'm sorry! (she hurriedly slams down the receiver) Eden (bewildered): Mary? Mary are you there? Steve comes home. Steve: Hi. Picked up some stuff from the store. Eden: That was strange. Mary keeps staring silently at Steve. Steve: You keep staring at me. Quit it! Mary: Why does that make you nervous? Steve: What do you keep staring at me for? What are you thinking about when you're looking at me like that? Mary: I'm remembering. Steve: Remembering? Mary: I'm remembering... the time that you hit me. And then you were real nice to me after. It was really nice. But you hit me first. Steve: Agh, forget it! We... we've agreed we're not gonna bring that up again. You know how sorry I was. Mary: Yeah, afterwards. But... I can't help wondering... Did you ever hit Christie at all? Steve (yells): No! No... Never touched her. So... You're feeling better? Mary: Yeah... Steve: Oh, good. I was worried about you. I bought you some apple juice, vitamin C. I thought it'd be good for you in case you're coming down with something. You know. You wasn't just now? Mary: No, no, thanks. Steve: Oh. "What's new Steve?" You know what? I've already got a couple of job offers. I think people like someone who's hard on criminals, who's got a hard nose attitude towards crap. I'm not worried about losing my job as assistant DA any more. (Mary gets flashbacks and sees bleeding Christie.) Hell, I'm gonna come out even better than before. I made a lot of contacts here. Just some good friends too. (Steve notices that Mary is staring at him again.) Will you stop it?! I told you before to quit staring at me!!! (He swiftly approaches Mary as though going to assault her.) Mary (yells at the top of her lungs): Don't touch me!!! Don't touch me!!! Steve: You're driving me crazy!!! Mary: Why?! Why?! Steve: 'Cause I hate being stared at!!! Mary: I remember how you were that day... the way you touched me... and the way you looked at me. And you did that again this afternoon. Steve: Did what? Why are you... why are you backing away from me? What, now you don't wanna be anywhere near me? Mary: No! I don't!!! Steve: (unfortunately, the soundtrack is blurred) ...What makes all of you so scared? First you, then her, then both of you. Mary: What? What? Who? What do you mean? Christie too? Did she ever say: "Stay away from me!" Steve: No, no. I swear. No. Mary: I've known it for days. I've known it. Then I've been too scared to face it. You were the one who raped Christie, weren't you? (Steve shakes his head, then Mary starts yelling) Weren't you?!!! Steve: You are wrong. Mary: It was you all along that she was afraid of. I kept seeing it in her face, but I couldn't put it together. I just couldn't figure it out. And then you forced her... you forced all of us to accuse Ted, and you knew he was innocent. Steve: You stop! You stop blaming me! Mary: Every lie that you are saying is making me horrified. Steve: What do you mean "lie"? Mary: Your whole life has been lies! Just one blending into another one. May be you don't know the difference between truth and lies. Steve: No. Mary (talking to him very softly): Steve... You're sick. You need help. Steve (yells): No!!! Mary: Can you face the truth? Do you dare? Do you have strength to face the truth? You know it takes a lot of courage. Steve: All right. Mary: Thank God. Steve: But I'm not sick! That's not the reason. If you have to blame someone, blame yourself. It's all your fault. Mary: What? Steve: If you'd returned the affection I felt for you... everything would've been all right. But you went away and who did I have left to turn to, but Christie?! I... I'm... I'm so sorry. I... I've never... meant for it to happen. I would give... anything in the world if it didn't. I... I lost... lost my head. That's all. Mary: Stay away from me. Steve: Oh, common, common, common! Don't say that. You and my mother always looked down on me. And Dad. And Christie. I don't deserve it. Mary: You know what? Why I went into the convent? It was because I was afraid of you. I know that now! Steve: If you'd've stayed... none of this would've happened to Christie. Mary (yells): No! Don't you blame this on me! This was all you! Oh, God... Oh, God! Oh, God!!! (Mary tries to run away, however Steve gets in her way and grabs her. Mary yells trying to get herself fee.) No, no!!! Steve: No, Mary. No. No, you can't go. Can't let you leave now. Some time later. Mary: ...her too. (starts crying) Oh! Poor Christie... Steve: Oh, you shouldn't be afraid. I was good to her, Mary. I saved her from my dad beating up on her I don't know how many times. I was treating her with respect. Mary (screams): You raped her!!! Is that your idea of respect?!!! Steve (starts shouting too): Don't remind me what I've done again!!! The only reason it happened was because she said such bad things to me. You know how whe can be. I was trying to help her. That's all I've ever wanted to do. Just to love her and help her. But she didn't want any part of my help. She said she wanted me out of her life. She didn't wanna see me again. I lost my temper, Mary. Went a little crazy with it. Mary: How did you get her to name Ted instead of you? What kind of threats did you use? You could've ruined two people's lives. Steve: I... I know. I know. I did... I did... everything wrong. Mary: You've got to turn yourself into the police. Steve: No. No, I don't. Mary, I can't... I can't do that. I... I... I've got career, future to think of. Besides, everything is gonna be OK. I promise. Christie's all right. Ted is free. No one's been hurt. Mary (raises her voice): Christie's been hurt! She's scared. What you did is gonna be with her for the rest of her life. Steve: No, it won't. No. She.. She'll be OK. She'll be better. You'll see. She'll just... come back to me. I'll never cause her any problems ever again. Just... I just wanna... be with her. That's all. Mary: Steve... You need help. Steve (angry): Don't keep saying that to me! Mary (frightened): All right. I won't. I won't. You stay away from Christie! I swear to you, if you ever touch her again... (a phone rings) Steve: I'll get that. Might be from Christie. |
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Christie has shot Steve dead. Cruz and Mary arrive at the scene. Cruz: I'm Cruz Castillo with the Santa Barbara Police Department. Mary (hugging Christie): Oh, Christie! Oh, thank God! Oh... Cruz: Oh no... (at noticing Steve's corpse) Mary: I was so worried about you. Christie: What about Mom? Does she... does she know everything? Mary: No, she doesn't. But don't you worry. She will get here in a minute now. And I... I'll explain it all to her. Christie: I don't think there is any way to explain. Mary: I'll wait here for Mom and we'll be right over. OK? Christie: OK. Chirstie is being taken to the police station for questioning. Mary: It's all right. It's all right. Christie's all right. Theda: Ohhh... Where is she? Mary: They took her in for questioning. But we can go down to the police station to meet her. Theda: Oh. what... what could've happened here? (at seeing the covered corpse) What.. what is it? Mary: Mom... It's bad. Christie shot and killed... the man who raped her. But it was self-defence and the police understand that. Theda: Oh, I know... He tried to do it again, didn't he? I knew he would. I told everybody, but nobody would listen. Do they know? Mary: Who? Theda: The Capwells. Do they know their son is dead? Mary: Oh, Mom... It's not Ted. Ted wasn't the rapist. Theda: What are you talking about? Of course... of course he did... I don't have time to stand here. I have to get back to see my baby. Mary (takes her mom's hand): Mom... (she points toward the corpse with her eyes) Theda (shocked, when she opens the face of the corpse and recognises Steve) : Oh!!! |
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