The Skull Ring (42 page)

(taking her bags)

Can't it wait? I got reservations at The Blue Note, and it wasn't easy, let me tell you. Even Mitchell Austin has to grease a few palms to get a good seat in this town.

JULIA

Oh, do we refer to ourselves in the third person now?

MITCHELL

When you're as good as I am, we do.

(beat)

Hey. You're not wearing your ring.

JULIA

It was cutting into my finger.

Mitchell is not pleased.

CUT TO:

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY- LATER THAT NIGHT.

Mitchell walks Julia to her hotel room after dinner.

MITCHELL

I still don't see why you won't stay with me.

Julia reaches her door and turns, obviously not going to invite Mitchell in.

JULIA

I just need some time to think. Please.

For the first time, the monster inside Mitchell tries to crawl to the surface.

MITCHELL

What good has thinking ever done? Or remembering? Why don't you just marry me and let me take care of the past?

JULIA

No. Dr. Forrest says I need to deal with it or I'll never get better.

MITCHELL

Dr. Forrest. That's all you’ve talked about. Is she your latest savior?

JULIA

All you talked about was money.

MITCHELL

It's our future. It's our money—

JULIA

Money? What money?

MITCHELL

Forget it. You've got enough problems.

(flips his hand and walks away)

Crazy bitch.

JULIA

Mitchell!

Mitchell keeps walking. Julia enters the dark room.

CUT TO:

INT. HOTEL BAR- LATER THAT NIGHT.

Julia approaches a large black man at the bar. JAMES WHITMORE, 50's, bald, but husky, drinks a glass of milk. He looks strong enough to pick up the bar and break it in half with his bare hands.

JULIA

James Whitmore?

WHITMORE

You must be Julia. My, how you've grown up.

JULIA

(sits beside him)

Thanks for meeting me.

WHITMORE

A drink with a young lady? Best offer I had all day. Besides, when Mitchell Austin calls in a few favors, things tend to get stirred up. He's got a lot of pull in this city.

JULIA

He's the perfect control freak.

(to bartender)

Gin gimlet, please.

(to Whitmore)

So you worked my father's case?

Whitmore takes a drink of milk, now he has a milk mustache.

WHITMORE

I was just part of the investigating team. I wasn't the lead, that was Lieutenant T. L. Snead.

JULIA

Snead? He didn't happen to transfer, did he?

WHITMORE

I'm retired now, I don't keep up much. You've seen the case files and the incident report. I made copies of these.

Whitmore lays some photos on the bar. They show a mug shot of Douglas Stone, the crime scene, a broken window with blood on it.

WHITMORE (CONT'D)

We figure you were locked in your room and tried to crawl through the window. Other than that, no sign of any crime or violence. We put out an APB, circulated photos, dug into his background to see if anybody had a grudge.

(shows photo of young and scared Julia)

You were such a cute little thing. Even with those cuts on your belly, you were so brave.

JULIA

Probably braver than I am now. Anything else?

WHITMORE

He could have been into drugs, maybe he was dealing. Does it bother you to think that?

JULIA

I've imagined worse.

Julia motions the bartender for another drink. The band is going through its sound check, some rough Memphis blues.

WHITMORE

The day he disappeared, Douglas Stone taught class, picked you up at daycare, took you to the library, fed you at McDonald's. Apparently tucked you in that night. Then just up and walked off the face of the earth.

JULIA

What happened to his personal effects?

WHITMORE

They were held in the evidence locker for two years, then sold at public auction. Except the ring.

(sees Julia's confusion)

Didn't Mitchell tell you about the ring?

JULIA

The ring?

Flash fade to Julia's MEMORY, of the ring on the hand holding the knife.

WHITMORE

Yeah. Big silver thing, shaped like a skull. Had two rubies set in the eye sockets. That's why we figured the disappearance wasn't connected with a larceny. The ring was probably worth a few grand.

JULIA

What happened to it?

WHITMORE

Disappeared from the evidence locker. Too many cops walk both sides of the line.

Whitmore sips his milk. A man at the end of the bar lights a cigarette. Whitmore glares at the smoker, who picks up his drink and ashtray and heads for a booth.

JULIA

This may sound crazy out of the blue, but were there any reports of Satanic activity in Memphis?

WHITMORE

I don't believe the devil popped up and dragged your Daddy down to hell through the bathtub drain.

JULIA

I don't, either. But some people take it dead seriously.

WHITMORE

You heard of the West Memphis Three? Teenagers murdered three boys across the river, got called Satanists. Some think they're innocent, I don't know.

(shakes head)

Cops watch the news and read the papers, just like everybody else. Sometimes we'd see things that made us wonder, but there was one big problem.

JULIA

Same as with my father. No hard evidence.

WHITMORE

And none of them ever turned. You'd think at least one or two of the cult members would eventually become disillusioned and start blabbing.

JULIA

(taking a strong gulp)

Maybe the illusion is not so bad.

CUT TO:

EXT. JULIA'S CHILDHOOD HOME- NEXT MORNING.

Mitchell and Julia get out of his Lexus, parked in the driveway of a small worn house. Mitchell removes his shades and eyes the house like it's an insult to real estate. A hand-painted "For Sale" sign is in the driveway.

MITCHELL

(leans against car)

Why in the world would you want to come back here?

JULIA

Dr. Forrest said I have to own the past.

MITCHELL

Wonderful. Why don't we buy it and raise a family here?

Mitchell kicks at a beer can in the weeds and makes a show of checking his wristwatch.

JULIA

I just want to look.

MITCHELL

(swats at a bug)

All right, but hurry. You know how I feel about private property rights.

JULIA

Yes, I've heard the lecture. Several times.

Julia hurries to the rear of the house and looks through the window at a shabby empty room. Julia slides up the window and crawls inside.

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S CHILDHOOD BEDROOM.

As Julia approaches the door to the room, memory: She is four years old again, approaching the door, the digital clock on her dresser reads 4:06.

FADE IN:

INT. JULIA'S BEDROOM- PAST.

From Julia's POV, Douglas approaches, wearing a robe like the other three people. He slides hood over his head. Wheatley reaches out for her, skull ring on his hand. Julia slams the door—

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S BEDROOM—PRESENT.

Julia leans her back against the door and slides to a sitting position. She clutches her head in her hands.

JULIA

(to herself)

No, no, no. It didn't happen.

She regains composure, opens the door and walks through the living room to her father's old bedroom. It is empty.

CUT TO:

INT. DOUGLAS STONE'S BEDROOM.

Julia goes to the closet, looks inside, is about to turn when her foot hits a hollow spot in the shelves.

Julia stoops and runs her fingers in the space. She finds something and pulls it out.

It is a SKULL RING, only this one doesn't have rubies for eyes. Inscribed inside the band is "Judas Stone."

MITCHELL (O.S.)

(calling from window)

Julia! What in hell do you think you're doing?

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S BEDROOM.

Julia crosses the room, her face blank, crying a little.

MITCHELL

(seeing her tears)

I knew we shouldn't have come out here. Why in the hell do you do this to yourself? Why do you do it to me?

JULIA

It really happened.

MITCHELL

Get the hell out of there and let's get you back to the hotel. Christ, why do I want to marry a crazy woman?

JULIA

I'm not crazy, Mitchell.

(but she looks it)

Did the police mention anything about a silver ring?

MITCHELL

A ring? No. I gave you all the files and records I could find. Now come on, before somebody sees us. You know what a trespassing charge would do to my reputation?

Julia hides the ring in her pocket, looks out the window at the neighboring barn in its ragged pasture.

JULIA

You've never lied to me, have you, Mitchell?

MITCHELL

I'm as true as a deed book.

JULIA

I'm glad I can trust somebody.

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S HOTEL ROOM—THAT NIGHT.

Julia sits on her bed, staring at the skull ring.

JULIA

(to the ring)

Hello, ugly.

She digs her cell out of her purse, dials, speaks into it.

JULIA

Hello.

DR. FORREST (V.O.)

Julia. I've called three times. Where are you?

JULIA

Memphis. I flew in yesterday.

DR. FORREST (V.O.)

Memphis? Without my approval? Something like this could set us back months