Frameshift: Children of the Porn

Frameshift: "Children of the Porn"



TEASER

EXT. MAIN STREET-NIGHT

Turns out Keene's not all murderous back alleys and skeazy
warehouses. This part of town's clean, well-lit, the kind of
effortless, idyllic area only achieved through a decade of
development and committees. And some blackmail, probably.

It's cobblestoned and neat, full of shops, restaurants, bars.
Specifically, though, a coffee shop and a movie theater.
We'll get to the latter in a second, but first--

INT. COFFEE SHOP-SAME

JOSH:
I'm not saying it was bad, it's
just a girl's movie.

JOSH SHEPHERD sits across from his mom, ADRIENNE SHEPHERD at
a window table. Adrienne's got actual coffee, Josh the
bastard child of a threesome among Juan Valdez, Ben & Jerry.
The argument's lively, but hardly heated.

ADRIENNE:
So all romances are girl's movies?

JOSH:
Yes. Unless they star John Cusack.
Even I'd marry Lloyd Dobler.

ADRIENNE:
You lose ten years and gain a
prodigious knowledge of 80s movies?

Josh shrugs.

JOSH:
Blame Noah. But I find I'm all
around happier when I don't think
about it too hard.

ADRIENNE:
Is that healthy?

JOSH:
No, but I'm sure the therapist has
told you all about it.

ADRIENNE:
He has. But he didn't cover the
part where you hate romance.

Josh sighs.

JOSH:
I don't hate it, it's just not my
thing. The world will keep going.

Adrienne sort of pouts at her coffee.

ADRIENNE:
All right.

JOSH:
Look, what's the big deal? So I
don't like romances.

ADRIENNE:
It's not a big deal. I just
happened to write the book.

Josh blinks.

JOSH:
You wrote it?

ADRIENNE:
The book it's based on, yeah.

JOSH:
Why didn't you say so?

Adrienne shrugs.

ADRIENNE:
You never asked.

Josh stares at his mom and slumps a bit.

JOSH:
I'm an ass.

Adrienne looks up at him and takes his hand. Squeezes.

ADRIENNE:
You're not. You have bigger things
to worry about than what I do.

JOSH:
Still. It's been like three months.

ADRIENNE:
Speaking of, how's school?

Josh shrugs, takes his hand back by sipping the drink.

JOSH:
Fine. Except for the eating alone
half the time, intermittent
paralyzing social anxiety thing.

...

ADRIENNE:
Well, that's probably sort of
normal. I mean--

Adrienne fades out, into--

EXT. MAIN STREET-NIGHT (VISION)

GUNMAN'S POV

Someone walks fast. Head down, edges of a hood visible.
Weaves through the crowd, against the crowd of moviegoers.

EXT. MAIN STREET-MOVIE THEATER-CONTINUOUS (VISION)

He pauses at the theater doors, stares in on the concession
counter, where a girl (COUNTER GIRL) of 16, cleans.

Someone approaches the door. We step back, a MAN leaves, and
we slip inside the theater; a gun comes out at the same time.

INT. COFFEE SHOP-NIGHT

Josh sits bolt upright, eyes focused somewhere between
Adrienne and his drink. Under his breath--

JOSH:
Damn.

Adrienne frowns.

ADRIENNE:
What, honey?

Josh blinks again, focuses on her. Pats a pocket

JOSH:
Sorry. I, uh-- I lost my keys.
Think I left them in the theater.

Adrienne starts to get up.

ADRIENNE:
Oh. Okay. Let's go find them.

Josh pops to his feet.

JOSH:
No, it's okay. Stay here, I'll go.
I'll be five minutes, tops.

Adrienne frowns, but settles back down.

ADRIENNE:
Okay. Five minutes?

Josh flashes a reassuring smile. Well, tries.

JOSH:
Absolute most.

EXT. MAIN STREET-NIGHT

Josh sprints down the street, dodges past strolling couples,
singles, a late family or two. He sprints right past SARA
CARSON and her boyfriend ROB.

SARA:
Josh?

Josh doesn't slow, doesn't even glance. Sara stops, turns,
watches Josh. Then shoves her purse at Rob.

SARA: (CONT'D)
Hold on to this.

Sara jogs after Josh. Rob stands clutching the purse for a
second before he follows.

EXT. MAIN STREET-MOVIE THEATER-NIGHT

Josh stops at the doors. He had a lead. The GUNMAN, in a dark
hoodie, jeans, only a third of the away to the counter, gun
just coming up. Counter Girl hasn't noticed him yet.

Josh hauls open the door--

INT. MOVIE THEATER LOBBY-CONTINUOUS

Steps inside, takes a few quick steps, hauls the Gunman back
by his hood, slams a fist into his belly.

He doubles over, groans. Josh snatches the gun away, lightly
raps the Gunman on the head. He drops.

Josh kneels, puts him in the recovery position, then
straightens and takes a breath. The Gunman is-- You know
what? Let's say meth head.

Counter Girl stares. The door opens, Sara stops dead, stares,
Rob a second later, purse in hand. Josh waves at Sara.

JOSH:
Hey.

Sara raises a hand.

SARA:
Hey. You okay?

Josh looks down at the Gunman.

JOSH:
Oh yeah. No sweat.

SARA:
Good.

Josh looks at Counter Girl.

JOSH:
You're okay?

Counter Girl nods, wide eyes fixed on the Gunman.

SARA:
Hey, Beth.

Counter Girl/BETH keeps her eyes on Josh and the Gunman.

BETH:
Hi.

Beat. Josh glances at his watch.

JOSH:
Crap.

He heads to the door. Stops. Looks at Rob for the first time.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Congrats, you just saved the day.

Josh takes the purse, gives it to Sara, offers Rob the gun.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
You won't shoot yourself between
now and when the cops show up?

ROB:
No. My dad shoots.

Josh wipes the gun down. Hands it to Rob.

JOSH:
Okay. See you guys later.

Josh pushes past Sara and Rob and back outside.

INT. COFFEE SHOP-NIGHT

Josh sits back down across from his mom. He holds up and
shakes his keys.

JOSH:
Got 'em.

Sirens wail. A COP runs past. Adrienne stares after him.

ADRIENNE:
What's that about?

Josh shrugs.

JOSH:
Dunno. So, can I read your book?

EXT. MOVIE THEATER-PARKING LOT-NIGHT

A patrol car pulls out, lights on, the Gunman in the
backseat. Beth waves as it goes, then heads into the lot.

She gets to her car, an atypical first car, nearly new. Puts
the key in, unlocks it. Opens the door, gets in.

INT. BETH'S CAR-CONTINUNOUS

Beth starts the car. Music plays. She jabs the eject button
on the CD player, opens the glovebox to find something new.

SOMEONE in the backseat sits up, shows in the rear view.

Beth finds a CD, puts it in. Something in the vein of "Every
Breath You Take" is ideal, really.

Beth straightens behind the wheel, puts her seatbelt on (how
responsible), and checks the rearview mirror.

And, you know. Totally screams.



END OF TEASER
ACT ONE

INT. JOSH'S HOUSE-BATHROOM-NIGHT

Josh, shirtless, brushes his teeth. He looks in the mirror,
at the myriad faded scars on his torso, three bullet holes
being the clearest. He pokes the highest one with a finger.

Josh spits, rinses the brush. Then he looks up and in the
mirror. At... Sara.

Sara in underwear.

Josh turns. Blinks. Stares. At Sara. All of her.

SARA:
Hi, Josh.

Blink. Eyes up. Come on, eyes up.

JOSH:
Hey. What, uh, what're you doing
here?

Sara ignores him, takes a step closer.

SARA:
You were fantastic at the theater.

Eyes up!

JOSH:
Thanks?

Sara takes another step closer. Really, really close. Josh
takes a step back that turns into a stumble that seats him on
the counter. Sara makes up the distance. Within an inch.

SARA:
I like you, Josh. I always have.

Josh frowns. Looks past Sara at an empty hall. He slides
further back on the counter.

JOSH:
What about. Um...

His eyes drift back down.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Um. Rick? Ron? Rob! What about Rob?

Sara scoffs.

SARA:
Rob is a boy. You're a man.

She kisses him. Josh sort of spasms, makes a token effort to
pull away, then gives up and dives in.

Josh comes off the counter, turns and lifts Sara onto it and
they keep right on going.

And then every faucet in the room explodes.

INT. JOSH'S HOUSE-JOSH'S ROOM-MORNING

Josh opens his eyes, and he's not comfortable. He glances
left and right, frowns. Sits up a bit. Lifts the sheet and
looks down it.

Deeper frown.

JOSH:
What the fu--?

INT. JOSH'S HOUSE, LAUNDRY ROOM-MORNING

Josh slams the lid on the washer, cranks a dial. It starts.

He scoffs.

JOSH:
"Rob is a boy. You're a man." I'm
better than that.

INT. LIVING ROOM-MORNING

Josh enters with a spoonful of cereal half to his mouth. DAN
KENDALL sits on the couch with the paper and HALEY THE DOG.

Josh pauses. Half looks back towards the kitchen. But that
would be rude. He takes a chair. Dan glances over his paper.

DAN:
Good morning.

JOSH:
(through Lucky Charms)
Morning.

Dan flips a page back, glances back at Josh.

DAN:
Good movie last night?

Josh nods.

JOSH:
Um. Yeah. Would've been nice for a
heads up on the whole "Your mom's a
writer" thing, though.

Dan shrugs.

DAN:
Sorry.

Dan folds the paper in half, lowers it.

DAN: (CONT'D)
So is that it? Movie, coffee, home?

Josh looks up. Milk runs down the edge of his mouth. It
really ruins the staring contest he tries to win.

DAN: (CONT'D)
You've got a little--

Dan gestures. Josh wipes.

JOSH:
Thanks.

DAN:
Yeah. Nothing else?

Josh sets the bowl down.

JOSH:
I was supposed to just let him go?

DAN:
You have a cell phone. 911's there
for a reason.

JOSH:
Because a hostage crisis or panic
shooting is a good idea? How do you
even know?

DAN:
Small town.

Dan tosses the paper. Josh looks. Rob on a front page
sidebar, the headline "LOCAL TEEN PREVENTS ROBBERY".

JOSH:
Oh. Could've been Rob. He plays
football or basketball. Something.

DAN:
But it wasn't. You have any idea
how your mom would react if she
heard any of this?

Josh gives a hopeful smile.

JOSH:
Pride?

DAN:
Sure. If you hadn't disappeared for
ten years. But since you did--

JOSH:
I get it. I'm an ass. I can't help
people or Mom will be worried. But
I can't just not.

Dan sighs, rubs his eyes.

DAN:
Just call for help. Most people
don't do anything. Why do you have
to do everything?

Josh doesn't have an answer. So he plays with marshmallows.

EXT. PARK-MORNING

NOAH BOWDITCH laughs.

NOAH:
"Rob is a boy. You're a man."? Your
head has the worst dialogue ever.

Josh throws a frisbee, and Haley goes after it.

JOSH:
I can't get a little sympathy here?
It was weird.

NOAH:
It's not. You probably just forgot
the birds and the bees. Assuming
Dr. Moreau ever told you about
them, anyway.

JOSH:
So it's normal to... Do that?

Noah shrugs, gets really into frisbee tug-of-war with Haley.

NOAH:
Yeah. I think. I mean, usually,
you... "Argue with Henry
Longfellow" consciously, but, yeah.
It happens like that sometimes.

There's not really been much eye contact anyway. But there's
especially none here.

JOSH:
To you?

Noah stops with the frisbee and Haley runs off with it,
celebrating victory.

NOAH:
No. Never. I am a bastion of purity
and stuff. A bastion.

JOSH:
So yes?

Noah sighs.

NOAH:
Yeah.

...

NOAH: (CONT'D)
Okay, Worst. Segue. Ever. So, I did
some Googling last night.

JOSH:
And?

Noah shrugs.

NOAH:
Ah, the contemporary innuendo
blindness of amnesiacs.

JOSH:
What?

NOAH:
Googling. It's a-- Nevermind. There
are no pics of you, Josh Shepherd,
anywhere on the World Wide Web.

JOSH:
None?

Josh takes the frisbee from Haley, throws it again.

NOAH:
You took down your search blog, I
posed as a cop and advised news
sites that managed to remember you
that it was dangerous-- give the
kidnapper an idea where you are and
all-- and that's about it.

JOSH:
That's it?

NOAH:
Well, if they have pictures of you
at seven there might be trouble,
but if they had those, they'd know
who you are. So, yeah, you're
probably home free. For now.

JOSH:
Until Aaron wakes up.

Noah shakes his head.

NOAH:
No. Until you go save him. That's
like an extra four hours.

Josh's cell phone rings. He answers.

JOSH:
Hey, Sara.

Josh listens. Looks a bit annoyed... Slash worried.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Yeah. Yeah, I'll be right there.

Josh hangs up and looks at Noah.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
There goes our uneventful week.

NOAH:
"Our"?

Josh tosses a leash to Noah.

JOSH:
Like I could stop you.

EXT. BETH'S HOUSE-MORNING

One patrol car sits on the street, another in the drive
behind a minivan.

Across the street, Sara's parked. She leans on her door, eyes
on the house. Josh and Noah get out of Noah's car, join her.

JOSH:
Looks like the police have this.

Sara glances at him. Josh avoids eye contact.

SARA:
You could do it quicker.

Josh shrugs.

JOSH:
Maybe. But I didn't hit on this. I
even saw her before it went down.

NOAH:
That might not mean anything. If
the killer--

Sara glares.

NOAH: (CONT'D)
Kidnapper, right. If the kidnapper
didn't have emotions you might hit
on-- the lost father/son angle, the
universal taboo of cannibalism,
being someone you tried to blow up,
etcetera-- you might not hit on it
automatically. Might need a hook.

Sara smirks.

SARA:
Dear Exposition Diary, today I...

NOAH:
What?

Sara waves it off.

SARA:
Nevermind. So, what's the hook?

Noah shrugs.

NOAH:
I figure meeting the grieving--
sorry-- worried mom should do it.
Josh is kind of a softie for people
who aren't trying to kill him.

SARA:
True. So he just needs to meet her?

NOAH:
Could be. But then, it remains a
distinct possibility he's insane.

Josh clears his throat.

JOSH:
I am here, you know. Nice to be
included.

Sara and Noah look at him.

SARA:
Yeah?

NOAH:
What is it?

...

JOSH:
Nothing. Sounds about right.
Worried mom, some tears. Seeing her
room could help, too. But--

NOAH:
Pessimist--

JOSH:
--That house is going to be secure
now. Her room's as good as a crime
scene, and--

SARA:
I have a plan.

JOSH:
Really?

NOAH:
Really?

SARA: (CONT'D)
Yes, really. It's not my fault you
two don't ask. Follow me.

Sara crosses the street, Noah and Josh behind.

INT. GWEN'S LIVING ROOM-MORNING

CURTIS finally got to use plastic sheeting. On the WINDOW
CLEANERS. Two in the chest, one in the head, because why be
subtle? There probably won't be a body to find.

Curtis turns away and sprawls on the couch. There's no one
else in the room, so he must be talking to the cleaners.

CURTIS:
The window. The damn window. Do you
have any idea how dead I'd be if it
got out I let him out the window?

Curtis looks at the bodies. An "I guess you do" look.

CURTIS: (CONT'D)
And who the hell cuts the power?

There's a knock at the door. A man enters. About 30, in
shape, casual dress, a PHOTO OF AARON ROSS in one hand.

CURTIS: (CONT'D)
DOWNING. Any luck?

He shakes his head, sits where Gwen did two weeks before.

DOWNING:
None. If the boy is in this city,
he's either in a body cast or a
plastic surgeon's office.

CURTIS:
Is that possible?

Downing shrugs.

DOWNING:
Depends on how long he'd been
planning. If he knew what he was
doing, yeah. If he really doesn't
know anything, I doubt it. He's got
no money anyway. Even if he
remembers what he has, it's all
frozen. He's only got that stupid
card, and that's good as a flare.

Curtis draws a gun and tosses it between the cleaners.

CURTIS:
Could he have woken up?

DOWNING:
Anything's possible. He will
eventually, his doctors seemed sure
of that. He'd still need therapy,
though, and nothing's turning up.

CURTIS:
What about Canada?

DOWNING:
Why not? It's an extra barrier in
almost every way. It's where my
money is.

CURTIS:
Mexico?

Downing looks at Curtis like he's stupid.

DOWNING:
Please. Canada's safer. He's
guaranteed decent care, blend a lot
better, it's closer, less corrupt.

Curtis sits up.

CURTIS:
And how long until we find him?

DOWNING:
Assuming he kept relatively local?

CURTIS:
Assuming.

Downing does the math.

DOWNING:
A few days, if money's no issue.

Curtis nods.

CURTIS:
It's not.

Downing stands.

DOWNING:
Yes, sir.

Downing heads for the door.

CURTIS:
Downing?

Stops, turns.

DOWNING:
Sir?

Curtis waves a hand at the cleaners.

CURTIS:
Get somebody to take care of this.

DOWNING:
Yes, sir.

INT. BETH'S ROOM-DAY

Sara closes the door softly behind her. Noah and Josh look
around the room. Beth appears to be into computers. And
movies. Her desk is awash in camera and computer equipment.

JOSH:
I would've come up with doing a
paper together.

It's a small room, and Sara squeezes past Josh to look in
Beth's night stand. Josh spazzes, stumbles back onto the bed.

SARA:
Maybe, but you're insensitive.

JOSH:
Am not.

SARA:
Are too.

JOSH:
Who's the seven year-old here?

SARA:
Fine. But she knows me, she doesn't
know you.

Noah sits down at the computer.

NOAH:
Guys, there's a girl missing. Can
we please focus on probably
unnecessarily showing up the police
and saving the day?

Sara shrugs, pulls a pile of papers from the night stand.

SARA:
Sure.

JOSH:
Sounds like a plan.

Noah clicks around. Sara sits next to Josh, hands him papers.

Josh frowns at it, really puzzled.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
What is this stuff?

SARA:
Looks like old cards, birthday,
Christmas. Some notes. I didn't
know she was dating Jeremy Park.
Huh. And...

Sara cocks her head, purses her lips.

SARA: (CONT'D)
Hmm.

Josh leans over.

JOSH:
What? Oh.

SARA:
Yeah.

Photos of Beth. Not unlike Sara in Josh's dream. If she'd
been naked and wielding tiny, strategically placed pillows.

Sara shuffles the photos. Josh's eyes go wide, he looks away.

JOSH:
Wow.

SARA:
Yeah.

JOSH:
She's naked.

SARA:
Perceptive.

JOSH:
Well, it's hard to miss. She is
very naked. A lot naked.

NOAH:
Um, guys?

Josh and Sara get up and stand behind Noah.

JOSH:
What is it?

NOAH:
Um. Well, it's-- She-- They--

Noah gives up and just hits play on the open media player.

On black, giggling. Fade in on FOUR GIRLS, one of them Beth,
the other two maybe a year older, the other probably a year
younger. All very pretty. All in very skimpy sleepwear.

Playing Twister.

From behind the monitor. Sara, Noah and Josh's heads tilt to
the side as the giggles continue and descend into moans.

Noah clicks and the sound stops.

NOAH: (CONT'D)
There's about nine more. Looks like
the same cast from the thumbnails.
And we know one of them's not 18.

SARA:
None of them are.

NOAH:
You know them?

Sara shakes her head.

SARA:
Apparently not even a little.



END OF ACT ONE

ACT TWO

INT. SCHOOL BATHROOM-DAY

Sara leans against a sink, looks into a mirror. She finishes
make-up that makes her look about a week dead. The bathroom's
clean, there aren't any urinals, it must be the ladies' room.

One of two closed stall doors bangs.

JOSH:
Son of a-- Why didn't anyone say it
was Halloween?

In the other stall, a bare foot hops and then puts down a
foot shod in a bunny.

NOAH:
Because it's not. It's just when
the school does it.

JOSH:
I have to dress up why? I mean, I
like Halloween and everything, but
it's daytime.

Sara sighs. She opens a pair of contacts.

SARA:
Because the student council really
likes Halloween. A lot.

JOSH:
It's also a weekend. Doesn't their
authority fail outside the week?

SARA:
It's just easier to comply.

NOAH:
It really is. Freshman year, I
decided to boycott the mandatory
dress up. Long story short, I was a
locker for Halloween.

JOSH:
Why aren't you dressing up?

Sara puts a contact in.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Sara?

She gets it, blinks.

SARA:
I am.

She gets the second.

JOSH:
As what?

Sara puts a fake blood capsule between her teeth, bites,
grimaces, spits.

SARA:
Blech.

Josh's door opens, and he steps out dressed as, well, Harry
Potter. Sara stifles a laugh.

JOSH:
What? Harry Potter rocks. Hey, has
the series finished yet? Chamber of
Secrets was so good.

Sara nods.

SARA:
Yeah, it has.

NOAH:
Only it sucked. Wandlore is the new
deflector shield, man.

...

NOAH: (CONT'D)
I'm never going to be cool, am I?

Sara pats the door comfortingly.

SARA:
It's okay, we'll still hang out
with you. Even with...

Sara looks down.

SARA: (CONT'D)
Bunny slippers?

The door opens and Noah steps out.

NOAH:
Yes, bunny slippers.

Josh and Sara stare.

SARA:
You're homeless?

JOSH:
Don't care what anybody thinks?

NOAH:
I'm Chris Knight.

...

NOAH: (CONT'D)
Chris Knight? Real Genius. Best 80s
movie not starring Matthew
Broderick or the Brat Pack?

He's got the whole outfit, too, not just bunny slippers. "I
<3 Toxic Waste" t-shirt, everything. Total commitment. Val
Kilmer would be proud. And/or creeped.

...

NOAH: (CONT'D)
Trust me, it's cool.

They maintain a charitable silence.

NOAH: (CONT'D)
You're a zombie.

Sara nods.

SARA:
Yeah.

NOAH:
Not a... slutty zombie?

Sara shows fake blood-stained teeth.

SARA:
Yeah. I don't believe in the
Halloween where it's just an excuse
to dress skanky.

The bathroom door opens. A SLUTTY BUNNY stops short.

Josh and Noah gawk.

JOSH:
Why not?

SARA:
What?

JOSH:
Nothing.

SARA:
Then come on.

Sara leaves the bathroom, Josh follows and Noah takes up the
rear. He pauses in front of the slutty bunny, grins and nods
down to his slippers.

NOAH:
Menages a lapin?

INT. GYM-DAY

Noah takes a baggie of ice off the side of his face. A bright
red handprint's underneath. They're on the bleachers.

NOAH:
I'm no Val Kilmer.

Sara pushes the hand with the baggie back onto his cheek.

SARA:
Could've told you that. Val
Kilmer's not even Val Kilmer
anymore. And, "menages a lapin"?
Where does that work?

NOAH:
France? Watership Down?

SARA:
But this is Washington.

Noah sniffs haughtily.

NOAH:
Ethnocentrists.

SARA:
Yeah, sure. Josh, you going to come
out anytime soon?

Sara looks back along the edge of the bleachers. Josh sticks
his head out from under them. His eyes are on the rest of the
gym's population, girls as slutty _______s and guys as pretty
much anything but Harry Potter, decorating.

JOSH:
You couldn't have just said, "Don't
be Harry Potter"?

Sara frowns.

SARA:
Why? It's who you wanted to be.

JOSH:
What I wanted to be was not
embarrassed.

SARA:
You don't want to be Harry?

JOSH:
No.

Sara shrugs.

SARA:
Okay, take off the robe, stow the
wand and keep the glasses.

JOSH:
And then?

SARA:
You're a secret identity. Which is
barely a costume for you.

INT. GYM HALL-DAY

Josh, as a secret identity, and Sara come out into the hall,
where the younger girl from the video kneels over a banner.

SARA:
NIKKI.

Nikki looks over her shoulder.

NIKKI:
Hey, Sara. And, Josh, right?

Josh nods and doesn't quite look at her.

JOSH:
Yeah. Nice to see you again.

SARA:
Can we talk to you?

Nikki sets aside a brush and stands. She's about 15 looks
wise, very beautiful. But something makes her seem older.

NIKKI:
Sure, what's up?

SARA:
Um. It's about Beth.

NIKKI:
Have they heard anything? I wanted
to check in, but it takes a murder
to stop this thing.

JOSH:
Yeah, well, give it a few hours.

Sara and Nikki just stare.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Sorry. Cutting to the chase. We
found your sapphic Twister, Beth
hasn't got a boyfriend without an
alibi, she's liberal with info on
her mySpace page, her dad's dead.
Thus, creepy pedo-stalker rockets
to the top of the suspect list.
Thus, we need your client list.

... Nikki pales a bit, doesn't look at them. Doesn't stop the
attempt at a lie.

NIKKI:
Sorry, I have no idea what you're
talking about.

SARA:
We don't care why you do it. I
guess you need the money. Whatever.
We just want to find Beth.

Nikki's not giving in without a fight.

NIKKI:
Aren't the police supposed to be
handling this kind of thing?

Josh steps close, takes off the glasses and stares her down.

JOSH:
I'm sure they are. But they've got
about three detectives for a town
that has a pretty stunning amount
of crime for its size. And they
have rules. Which means it's going
to take them some time to find the
videos, find you and get you to
talk. I, on the other hand, have
all the time in the world and
relatively few lines when it comes
to helping someone.

Nikki shrinks away.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Don't worry, I'm not really
threatening you. In fact, I'm your
best friend here. With me doing
this, it's vaguely possible you
guys don't get busted for whatever
it is child producers/stars of
child porn get busted for. With the
police doing it, well, kiss-- what
college are you hoping to go to?

Barely more than a whisper.

NIKKI:
Brown.

JOSH:
Ooh, good school. Yeah, you can
definitely kiss Brown good-bye. So
the way I see it, you should be
dying to tell me who your clients
are. And I think you're starting to
see it my way, too, yeah?

Nikki nods.

NIKKI:
Yeah.

JOSH:
So?

Nikki shrugs.

NIKKI:
I don't know. I just... Perform.
Jess and Elisha are the ones in
charge of the business stuff.

Josh steps back and smiles. Puts back on the Potter specs.

JOSH:
Thanks. I hope this can be cleared
up without totally ruining
everyone's lives.

Josh turns away and Sara, who's a bit stunned by Josh's rapid
change, gives a half-smile to Nikki before following.

Sara catches up, Josh turns to her.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
You know Jess and Elisha?

Sara nods.

SARA:
Yeah.

JOSH:
They here?

SARA:
Haven't seen Jess. Elisha moved or
something. I know where Jess lives.

JOSH:
Fantastic.

SARA:
Josh?

Sara's the one not looking this time.

JOSH:
Yeah?

SARA:
You scare me sometimes.

Josh sighs and walks.

JOSH:
Me too.

INT. BASEMENT-DAY

Beth is tied to a chair. Pretty normal. The vanity, king-size
bed, pastel walls and white evening gown are stranger.

Beth stares into the mirror as Someone, face still unseen, in
khakis and a tucked in shirt comes up behind her.

He briefly touches her shoulder (she cringes), reaches
forward, comes back with a tube of lipstick, and proceeds to
make Beth up from behind.

EXT. JESS' HOUSE-AFTERNOON

JOSH:
They need the money?

They're not castles, but the houses here are solidly upper
middle class. Jess' is one of the grander ones.

Sara shrugs.

SARA:
Well, upper class tastes on the
middle class budget are hard.
Playing mall vulture only yields so
many finds.

JOSH:
Porn for Prada?

SARA:
If you must alliterate.

Josh looks around. An older man with a dog stares.

JOSH:
The Halloween costumes are weird
now, aren't they?

SARA:
Mine is. You just look like you
have bad taste in eyewear.

Josh starts to take the glasses off.

SARA: (CONT'D)
Don't you dare. I'm running around
like a zombie three days before
Halloween, then you're wearing
geeky glasses.

JOSH:
Okay. So, how do we do this?

Sara shrugs.

SARA:
The whole intimidation thing worked
really well, I think.

INT. JESS' HOUSE, KITCHEN-AFTERNOON

WHAM!

Josh staggers back, hands to his nose. JESS, clearly not as
easy to intimidate as Beth, glares at Josh.

JESS:
Who the hell do you think you are?

Josh takes his hands away. It's red but not bloody. Josh
touches to check.

JOSH:
I think I'm the one looking for
your friend. And, yeah, quite
possibly the guy standing between
you and jail.

Sara steps in front of Josh.

SARA:
Jess, I--

JESS:
Shut it, Sara. We haven't been
friends since eighth grade.

Sara shuts it like she'd been slapped.

JOSH:
Hey. Don't talk to her that way.

JESS:
Stop me.

JOSH:
Okay.

Josh takes out his cell phone. Looks between Sara and Jess.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
911's still the same, right?

Josh starts to dial. Jess snatches the phone away.

Josh smiles.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
We ready to act reasonable? We know
what you're doing, we need to know
more to find and stop the bad guy
and maybe help you.
Does any of this seem like it's
solvable by hitting me again?

Jess shrugs.

JESS:
It's worth looking into again.

JOSH:
Ha. So, your client list?

Jess shrugs again.

JESS:
Come on.

INT. JESS' HOUSE, JESS' BEDROOM-AFTERNOON

Jess, Josh and Sara enter. Jess stops short, turns to Sara.

JESS:
Sara, could you go downstairs and
keep any eye out for my parents?
They're back any minute and I'm not
supposed to have boys in the house.

Sara shrugs, ignores Jess as much as she can without actually
doing it.

SARA:
Sure.

She turns and leaves.

Jess watches her go, and then turns to her computer. Her
demeanor totally shifts. A lot closer to Beth's. She sits,
opens it up, clicks around.

JESS:
Sorry about hitting you. I didn't
know what to do. It's just...

Josh looks at her.

JOSH:
Yeah?

JESS:
Hang on, you'll see.

Jess opens a spreadsheet, filled with names, numbers, e
mails, addresses, credit card numbers. Upwards of fifty
names. Jess highlights one in the Cs, glances up at Josh.

Josh leans in. Reads. Eyes go wide.

JOSH:
Oh, man.

JESS:
Yeah.

The highlighted entry is one JOEL CARSON.

JOSH:
That's--

JESS:
Yeah.

JOSH:
Sara's dad.

JESS:
Uh-huh.

Josh sighs.

JOSH:
Well. This blows.



END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE

INT. JESS' HOUSE, JESS' BEDROOM-AFTERNOON

Josh shuts the door and turns back to Jess at her desk.

JOSH:
Okay. I need to know some things.
Are you cooperating now?

Jess nods at the highlighted name.

JESS:
I only wasn't because of this.

JOSH:
Right. Okay. What you're doing. Why
are you doing it?

Jess shrugs.

JESS:
There's no way to say it that
doesn't sound bad. I-- We-- It's
easy money. And a lot of it. And...
It's just making the Girls Gone
Wild thing work for us. No one's
forcing us.

JOSH:
Yeah, but sex for money--

JESS:
I get it. It's bad. And we're
underage, so it's worse. But it's
not sex for money. It's money for a
video of sex. Besides, if you're
going to do it anyway--

Josh does a great impression of a Chihuahua.

JOSH:
You were going to do it anyway?

JESS:
Well. Elisha and I were. Did.
That's how it started. We're-- We
were together. We made a tape. And
then we figured it was worth
something to some people. And-- It
sort of snowballed from there.

Josh runs a hand through his hair.

JOSH:
I know I missed ten years, but I'm
pretty sure you're young for this
stuff. I mean, you're having four
ways already? Selling your intimacy
out to whoever will pay?

Jess sighs.

JESS:
Josh, I know you're trying to help,
but you're not saying anything we
haven't thought about. We do this,
and it'll pay for college. Then we
can be whatever we really want to
be. Because that's not it.

JOSH:
But--

JESS:
It's not really a four-way anyway.
Technically.

Josh opens his mouth. Closes it.

JOSH:
Okay. Here's what's going to
happen. This shuts down today.
Invest whatever you've made, minus
an anonymous donation that'll pay
for whatever care Beth needs after
this. Maybe it'll work out. Now,
does Elisha know anything I need?

Jess shakes her head.

JESS:
Elisha left a few months ago. Her
parents found out about us and now
she's at boarding school.

JOSH:
Sorry for that. Next, then. I need
you to give me a copy of that list
sans Mr. Carson, then I need you to
delete every other copy you've got.

Jess nods, plugs a flash drive in.

JESS:
Okay. You're going to cover this?

He nods.

JOSH:
I don't have a lot of choice. You
don't deserve to have your futures
trashed, probably, and I can't
destroy Sara's life.

JESS:
What about the videos? The police
will find them.

JOSH:
Yeah. That had occurred to me. I've
got some ideas, though.

JESS:
What about the other clients?

Josh sighs.

JOSH:
I don't know. I'll figure it out.

JESS:
You're sure?

Josh steps to the window, looks out. A car's pulled in.

JOSH:
No. But your parents are home and
Beth is still missing, so what I
come up with will have to do.

JESS:
Josh?

JOSH:
Yeah?

JESS:
Thank you.

JOSH:
You're welcome. I think.

INT. NOAH'S ROOM-AFTERNOON

Noah, still in-costume, clatters away at a desktop and Sara,
returned to life, surfs mySpace on a notebook.

Josh paces back and forth, hands behind his head, eyes
closed. He drops his arms, opens his eyes and groans.

JOSH:
I'm getting nothing. What's the
point in having this if it won't
work when I need it to?

Noah doesn't stop typing and scrolling search hits.

NOAH:
Forcing it's not going to help. If
it's not coming, it's not coming.

JOSH:
But time's running out.

Noah stops and turns.

NOAH:
How do you know?

Josh stops.

JOSH:
I don't.

NOAH:
Maybe you do.

JOSH:
Yeah. I don't.

Sara looks up.

SARA:
I'm not getting in. Whatever her
password is, it's good. Or I don't
know her well enough. Given today,
I'm thinking the latter. From the
outside, it doesn't look like
anyone outside school was a
frequent visitor, though.

Josh leans on Noah's desk.

JOSH:
Okay. Her profile doesn't mention a
lot about the theater, her car. So
either he's out-of-town and really
careful, in which case we're all
screwed and heading for an
obstruction of justice conviction,
or he's local. Noah won't do well
in prison, so let's go with local.
Junk everyone more than 20 miles
out. What's left?

Noah types. 50+ names drop to--

NOAH:
Seven guys. I haven't checked any
of them. Even then, though, it's
just Google, not AFIS.

Josh's eyes go out of focus for a second, glance around
aimlessly. Then he's back.

JOSH:
Fine. Um. Read me the names.

Josh drops onto the couch, lies back and closes his eyes.

Noah glances at the monitor, back at Josh.

NOAH:
Darryl Fraser.

Josh's eyes go REM.

EXT. KEENE-AFTERNOON (VISION)

Soar overhead. Late afternoon, cars on the roads, buildings
lit up, soft rush of air.

EXT. PLAYGROUND-SAME (VISION)

DARRYL FRASER and DARRYL'S WIFE. A normal looking couple,
early thirties, dressed for the weekend. Darryl pushes a
LITTLE BOY on the swing while his wife folds up a blanket.

INT. NOAH'S ROOM-AFTERNOON

JOSH:
No. Hope he doesn't have a
daughter, though. Next.

Josh has tensed. One hand grips the couch arm hard.

NOAH:
Hoyt Marriman.

EXT. KEENE-AFTERNOON (VISION)

Overhead again. Faster.

INT. HOME OFFICE-SAME (VISION)

HOYT MARRIMAN, mid-40s, closes his office door and locks it.
Turns off the light and crosses in the late light to the
desk. He moves the mouse and the monitor comes to life.

INT. NOAH'S ROOM-AFTERNOON

Sweat coats Josh's forehead, his jaw is clenched. Sara's
moved closer, taken his hand. She watches him.

JOSH:
No. You've got the real thing you
don't go virtual. Next.

Noah glances at the monitor.

NOAH:
Wallace Bollinger.

Josh groans.

INT. BASEMENT-AFTERNOON (VISION)

SOMEONE/WALLACE'S POV

He approaches the bed. Beth, tied to it, still dressed, still
gagged. Candles all over the place now. He lights one, turns
his head to look at Beth's tear-streaked face.

BOLLINGER:
It's almost time, sweetie. Just a
little while longer.

INT. NOAH'S ROOM-AFTERNOON

Josh takes a deep breath and sits up. His eyes are bloodshot
and blood runs out of a nostril. Sara hands him a tissue.

SARA:
Are you okay?

Josh takes a breath and nods.

JOSH:
Have to be. It's Bollinger. I need
the address, and I need a car.

EXT. MOVIE THEATER-PARKING LOT-NIGHT

Dark's fallen. The theater's closed, double crime scene and
all. Two cars in the parking lot. One of Noah's luxury stable
and a police unmarked, just arrived. The lights go out.

Josh leans on the side of Noah's car. Detective WILL KINNIT
gets out of the unmarked, looks across at Josh neutral-faced.

KINNIT:
You said you had information?

Josh nods.

JOSH:
I do. Found the videos by now?

Kinnit nods.

KINNIT:
Yeah. Crazy stuff.

JOSH:
You're about to get an anonymous
tip. That tip will tell you where
to find Beth Randall and who took
her. I'll follow you there. You'll
knock on the door, show her
kidnapper her picture. He probably
won't crack, but I-- and when I say
"I", I mean "no one"-- will be
inside the house, ungagging Beth
and giving her the freedom to
scream, giving you the freedom to
take action. Okay?

Kinnit stares.

KINNIT:
How do you--

Josh holds up a hand.

JOSH:
Maybe I'll tell you someday. Not
tonight. And there's no time to
argue about it.

KINNIT:
I sense a "but" coming.

JOSH:
You sense right. But in exchange
for all this, those videos
disappear, those girls' lives don't
get destroyed. Deal?

Kinnit shakes his head.

KINNIT:
What about the buyers?

Josh shrugs.

JOSH:
You'll still get them, if what I'm
thinking pans out. But there's a
decent chance it won't.

KINNIT:
That's not acceptable.

JOSH:
You don't have a choice.

KINNIT:
What's yours? Let her die?
Videos'll come out anyway, only
you'll be in prison, too.

Josh pushes himself off the car, leans on Kinnit's. Looks him
right in the eyes.

JOSH:
You owe me for Hackett. But mostly,
Detective, you owe me for Keegan.

Kinnit's mouth drops open.

...

KINNIT:
You couldn't. The prints we found,
they weren't--

Josh shrugs again.

JOSH:
The explanation for that is part of
what I'm not telling you tonight. I
think. Probably.

KINNIT:
They can't go free. They're
dangerous predators.

Josh nods.

JOSH:
Almost certainly. But you're not
getting them this way, that's a
done deal.
The trail you need's erased. You do
it my way, or you don't even get a
chance.

Kinnit and Josh eye each other.

KINNIT:
You're 17. Seven, really.

Josh gives a sad smile.

JOSH:
I wish, Mr. Kinnit. Can we save
Beth now?

Kinnit's jaw is tight. But he gives in.

KINNIT:
Fine. The videos are gone. But any
of those guys go free, what they do
is on your head.

Josh doesn't reply. There's nothing to add.

EXT. BOLLINGER'S HOUSE-NIGHT

Kinnit's car rolls to a stop outside a modest two story. It's
well kept, lawn trimmed, paint immaculate. It doesn't look
like a pedophile's lair. But they never do.

Kinnit gets out, looks down the street. Noah's car sits a few
houses down, lights off, empty.

Kinnit rounds the car and heads up the walk.

EXT. NEIGHBOR'S BACKYARD-NIGHT

Josh drops over a fence and sprints across a darkened yard. A
dog unleashes a hail of barks just as he hits the next fence.

EXT. BOLLINGER'S HOUSE-NIGHT

Kinnit's at the door. He peers at a window, but curtains
block anything useful. He knocks.

INT. BASEMENT-NIGHT

Bollinger, a pleasant looking man of about 50, slightly
overweight, in a suit, kneels over Beth. He smiles.

BOLLINGER:
I can't tell you how happy I am.
I've been waiting so long, but it's
finally time.

He strokes her arm, from restraint down, past her elbow,
touching her underarm, toward her body. KNOCK, KNOCK! He
freezes, looks up towards the stairs.

BOLLINGER: (CONT'D)
Just a little longer, honey.

He smiles again, leans down. Beth tries to press herself into
the mattress, but he still kisses her, over the gag.

EXT. NEIGHBOR'S BACKYARD 2-NIGHT

Josh drops down another fences, sprints across another yard,
this time just ahead of a motion-sensing light. He throws
himself at the next fence.

EXT. BOLLINGER'S HOUSE-NIGHT

The door opens. Bollinger gives a curious smile.

BOLLINGER:
Yes?

Kinnit shows his badge.

KINNIT:
Wallace Bollinger?

BOLLINGER:
Yes, sir. Is anything wrong?

Kinnit reaches into his coat, takes out a photo.

KINNIT:
A girl's gone missing in the area
and we got some calls that she'd
been sighted in this neighborhood.
Have you seen her?

EXT. BOLLINGER'S BACKYARD-NIGHT

Josh drops over the fence, runs in a crouch to the house, up
the back porch. He pulls the door open--

EXT. BOLLINGER'S HOUSE-NIGHT

Kinnit hands over a picture of Beth. Bollinger looks at it,
doesn't give a thing away.

BOLLINGER:
I'm sorry. She does look a bit
familiar, but no, I haven't.

Kinnit eyes him, then his gaze shifts past Bollinger, because
Josh has just appeared in the hall behind him. He slips up
the hall, pulls a door open, and disappears behind it.

INT. BASEMENT-NIGHT

Josh descends the stairs, into the pastel bedroom. Beth on
the bed is hard to miss. She immediately struggles, trying to
scream through the gag. Josh puts a finger to his mouth.

Halfway to the bed, he stops. Looks left. At a corkboard
covered in photos. Black and white and older color. All Beth.

No. Just a RINGER for her. A twin off by forty years.

EXT. BOLLINGER'S HOUSE-NIGHT

BOLLINGER:
If that's everything, detective...

Kinnit takes the picture back, pockets it.

KINNIT:
Nearly, sir. Have you seen anything
strange in the neighborhood? The
littlest thing could help.

INT. BASEMENT-NIGHT

Josh approaches the board. Beth's Ringer and Bollinger.
Wedding, honeymoon. Assorted happy pictures.

Josh leans closer. Underneath a photo, a newspaper clipping.
The obituary page. Ten years ago, a drunk driver. Survived
solely by her loving husband Wallace.

JOSH:
Yeah, okay. That could do this. If
you haven't got both oars in the
water to begin with.

Josh turns and goes to the bed. Leans over Beth.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Hi, Beth. Can you listen carefully?

Beth's eyes are bright and full of panic. But she nods.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Great. First off, everything's
going to be fine, I promise. Now,
in a second I'm going to ungag you.
But you can't say a thing, can't
scream. I'm going to leave--

Beth shakes her head frantically. Josh nods.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Yes. But there's a detective right
outside the front door. 30 seconds
after I go up the stairs, you freak
out. Shriek like your life depends
on it since, you know, it does.
Detective takes Bollinger down,
you're free in another 45 seconds.

Josh pulls the gag down. Whispers:

JOSH: (CONT'D)
You understand?

Beth comes back even softer:

BETH:
30 seconds and scream.

Josh nods.

JOSH:
And then everything's shiny.

EXT. BOLLINGER'S HOUSE-NIGHT

Kinnit nods as Bollinger goes on.

BOLLINGER:
And a week ago, someone came
roaring through here three o'clock,
no muffler or something, woke me up
from a dead sleep.

Josh comes out of the basement. Kinnit perks up and his
attention shifts.

KINNIT:
Really?

BOLLINGER:
Oh yes. Seems like it happens every
other night. And two days ago--

Josh heads for the back--

BOLLINGER: (CONT'D)
Someone stole my paper. Right off
the front porch.

Josh disappears from the hall. A second later, a door shuts.

Bollinger looks round. And Beth goes banshee for Halloween.

Bollinger looks back and down the barrel of Kinnit's gun.
Kinnit growls:

KINNIT:
Freeze.



END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR

EXT. BOLLINGER'S HOUSE-NIGHT

Bollinger's led to a patrol car, put inside. OFFICER 1 gets
in, pulls away, lights flashing.

Three others police cars remain, plus Kinnit's. Flashes light
up the basement windows around the foundation.

Josh stands in the yard next door, out of most of the lights.

Kinnit stands by his car, phone to his ear. He nods.

KINNIT:
Thanks. Update me on everything.

He puts the phone away, walks over to Josh, who steps onto
the sidewalk.

KINNIT: (CONT'D)
She made it to the hospital okay.
So far, looks like he didn't do
anything. There was a wedding
license in the vanity down there.
Dated today forty years ago.

JOSH:
Starting fresh. Wow.

KINNIT:
Yeah. He's old enough and this is
strange enough he'll probably swing
insanity on it. But his computer--
even minus Beth's videos-- it's an
emporium. We're looking at busting
three or four rings.

JOSH:
And their clients. Might still end
up snagging most of these guys.

That doesn't cheer Kinnit.

KINNIT:
Might's not good enough. Whatever
you're thinking had better be good.

Josh nods.

JOSH:
I think it will be. It has to be.

Kinnit glances back at the house.

KINNIT:
I need to get back.

Josh nods.

JOSH:
Right. I've got work to do, too.
House call to make.

KINNIT:
House call?

Josh backs away.

JOSH:
One of those things I might tell
you someday.

Josh turns, walks slowly toward Noah's car.

INT. SARA'S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM-NIGHT

Joel Carson, a man trying and failing to stave off the
beginning of middle age, lounges on the couch watching TV.

KNOCK, KNOCK! Joel looks round, mutes the TV and gets up.

INT. SARA'S HOUSE, FRONT DOOR-SAME

Joel opens the door and Josh helps him by bursting in and
driving him back and onto his ass on the stairs.

JOEL:
Josh? What the hell are you doing?

Josh stands over him, eyes aflame, panting. He reaches inside
his coat-- Joel cringes-- and pulls out the client list and a
picture of Beth. Throws them at Joel.

JOSH:
You'll know her. Had to be an
awkward morning for you. Sara's
worried about her friend, you're
worried about dropping the soap.
Did you know their ages? Don't lie.

Joel stares at the pages. The picture's just a yearbook-y
shot and the spreadsheet's nothing on its own. He chances it.

JOEL:
I swear I didn't--

Josh slams a fist on the newel.

JOSH:
That's lying. This stuff wasn't in
wide circulation. It's got a niche
you can't find unless you're
looking. And you can't mistake it
once you do. Tell the truth.

JOEL:
I-- I--

Josh flashes teeth. It's sort of like a grin. For vampires
and big cats, at least.

JOSH:
"I'm a sick bastard." Yes, yes you
are. But you're also the father of
one of my best friends. And as much
as I'd like to, I can't justify
tearing her life up for a piece of
dung like you.

Joel just watches. Maybe with a bit of hope.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
So here's what's going to happen.
You're going to become Ward
frakkin' Cleaver. You love your
wife, spend quality time with your
family. No more flings, no more
kiddie porn. In fact, cancel
Cinemax. I don't care why you did
any of what you've done, I don't
want to know anymore because it's
going to take Lake Superior to make
me feel clean again as it is. All I
want is for you to be a model
husband and father. This is a
second chance. So make yourself
worth it, Mr. Carson. Joel. I think
I can call you that now. Because if
you don't... Or else. And believe
me, I can make "Or else" a very
interesting and prolonged
experience that would make Dante
shudder. Hmm. You must've been an
English major. Understand?

Joel frowns at that last bit, but nods. Josh steps back. Joel
pulls himself to his feet. Josh takes the papers back.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Well. This was... Yeah.

Josh turns and starts for the door.

JOEL:
Thank you.

Josh stops. Looks skyward. Then sighs.

JOSH:
Anyone asks, "walked into a door".

Joel frowns again. Josh spins and drops him with one punch.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Sainthood's overrated anyway.

Josh walks out the door, pulls it shut behind him.

EXT. SARA'S HOUSE-NIGHT

Josh walks towards his car and takes his phone out. Dials and
puts it to his ear.

JOSH:
Hi, Jess? Yeah, yeah, she's fine.
You can visit her, but I need your
help first. Meet me at the dance?

Josh hangs up, gets in the car.

EXT. KEENE HIGH, PARKING LOT-NIGHT

The entrance of the school is covered in decorations. The
theme is either none or "tornado hits Halloween shop". Kids
in costumes are everywhere.

Josh, behind the wheel of Noah's car, pulls into an empty
spot, shuts off the lights.

INT. NOAH'S CAR-SAME

Josh reaches into a pocket and takes out the Potter glasses,
puts them on. He checks himself in the mirror, then turns and
looks at the rest of the costume on the backseat.

INT. COMPUTER LAB-NIGHT

Josh, as Harry Potter, enters with Jess close behind. She's
not in costume. Rows of computers are dark, but one's lit up
and Noah's at the keyboard.

NOAH:
You're late, what took so long?

JOSH:
Kidnappers aren't punctual. You
almost ready?

NOAH:
I've been ready for 15 minutes.

JOSH:
They won't be able to trace it?

Noah shrugs.

NOAH:
It could happen, but I doubt it.
It'll be as anonymous as anything
on the Internet can be.

JOSH:
Got the e-mail addresses?

Noah nods to a piece of paper on the desk.

NOAH:
All the relevant task forces, news
anchors, addresses of empty houses
in each town. It's as solid as it
can be on four hours planning.

JOSH:
Blind carbon copies rock. All
right. Get up. Jess, sit down.

Jess looks at Noah and Josh like they're speaking gibberish.

JESS:
What's going on?

Josh shrugs.

JOSH:
Ad hoc "To Catch a Predator".

INT. DARRYL FRASER'S LIVING ROOM-NIGHT

Darryl and wife sit together on the couch, news on the TV. In
a corner of the room, a computer sits on a desk. It chimes.

Darryl looks round at it and gets up, leans over the
computer, blocking the monitor from his wife's view, and
opens a browser. Clicks on an e-mail from
"QuadrangleProductions@hotmail.com".

INSERT-E-MAIL

It reads: Dear Mr. Fraser,

Due to your fantastic patronage the past year, we'd like to
thank you by inviting you to a special live taping of our
latest production. We're based here in Keene and will be
filming tomorrow night at 12:30 a.m. at 1226 Ramsey Rd. We
hope to see you there.

Sincerely, Quadrangle Productions

BACK TO SCENE

Fraser glances at his wife still watching TV, then back. He
closes the browser.

INT. BOLLINGER'S BASEMENT-NIGHT

Kinnit watches as the cork board is photographed and CSIs bag
individual photos. His phone rings. He opens it. Text
message: CHECK YOUR E-MAIL.

INT. BOLLINGER'S OFFICE-NIGHT

Kinnit goes to Bollinger's computer, click and types and his
work e-mail is displayed, the same message Darryl Fraser got.

Kinnit grins and laughs.

INT. COMPUTER LAB-NIGHT

JESS:
But they'll still find the videos.

Josh nods.

JOSH:
Absolutely, yeah. But take a second
to think how often you see news
running screencaps from child porn
looking for the victims. Your
distribution's untraceable, the
police here agreed to cover the
videos, so local recognition's a
non-issue, and you say those tapes
make it clear what you're doing is
more or less consensual. Plus, you
tipped them off to over 50 of these
guys. Not much effort will go to
tracking you down. Probably
couldn't even if they tried. It
looks good.

JESS:
So it's over?

Josh nods.

JOSH:
Beth's safe, you're shut down for
good and you're as safe from the
police as you can hope to be. And
most of these guys will get picked
up in the next week, because who
can resist the real thing?

JESS:
Do we owe you? We've got money.

Josh shakes his head.

JOSH:
No money. Just. Maybe act your ages
from now on, yeah?

Jess nods and smiles a little.

JESS:
Yeah.

JOSH:
Okay. Since I'm dressed like a
twelve year-old, I'm going to the
dance to try and forage an alibi
for the night just in case. Noah?

NOAH:
Well I'm all dressed up.

JOSH:
You can call it that. Jess. Off to
see Beth?

Jess nods.

JOSH: (CONT'D)
Tell her to keep quiet about me.

JESS:
Of course.

JOSH:
Great. Then it's been really great
touring the porn-y underbelly of
the school. See you in History.

INT. GYM-NIGHT

Josh sits on the bleachers, eyes on the crowd. Specifically,
on Sara, now as Snow White, with Rob as evidently Prince
Charming, on the dance floor.

Noah drops down beside Josh and leans back.

NOAH:
If this were 1986, I'd be a hit.

Josh glances at him.

NOAH: (CONT'D)
I know. No one appreciates cult.

Josh doesn't look at Noah.

JOSH:
I can only see through the bad
guys' eyes.

Noah looks at the back of his head.

NOAH:
I'd noticed. Except Richard Davis,
at least.

JOSH:
Thought he was at the time.

NOAH:
Yeah. But it's something.

JOSH:
What's that about? Seeing the bad?

NOAH:
It's another question. But the
dreams you've told me about make it
seem like that might be the point.

JOSH:
To see into the bastards?

Noah nods.

NOAH:
When are the normal ever dangerous?

JOSH:
What happened to this town? It used
to be nice. Now it's....

Noah shrugs.

NOAH:
The economy took a nosedive five
years ago. That didn't help things.
But also, we grew up.

JOSH:
I didn't.

NOAH:
But you did. Had to.

JOSH:
Yeah. 10 years too soon and with
every sicko in this town's
fantasies flying through my head.

Noah sits up and looks across at Josh.

NOAH:
But, you do good.

Josh looks at Sara again. Slow song, happy with Rob. Not
remotely aware that her father's a freak.

JOSH:
Maybe. I'm not sure.

NOAH:
I am. Without you, even if the
police did find Beth, it would've
been too late in a lot of ways. And
you saved four girls' futures.
Probably busted 99% of their
clients. It may not be perfect, but
it is good anyway you cut it.

Sara looks up, sees Josh. She smiles, holds a thumb up
inquiringly. After a moment, Josh puts his own up in return.
Sara smiles bigger, continues dancing. Josh looks at Noah.

JOSH:
Maybe. But it doesn't feel like it.

Then Josh gets up, swishes out in his robes, and leaves Noah
on the bleachers, Sara on the dance floor.



END OF SHOW