Episode 12

Twinsburg - Episode 12


FADE IN:

INT. THOMAS HOME -- LIVING ROOM -- SATURDAY MORNING

The room has been completely redecorated. The hardwood floor is now covered with a thick wall-to-wall carpet. The new furniture is pale and somewhat spartan. WILMA emerges from the kitchen carrying a glass of milk. She walks across the room to where GALE is seated on the new sofa. In a chair near him sits CASEY.
CASEY
And when we got the floor done, it didn’t really match the rest of the room. I mean, it looked pretty bad, even to me. So we decided to do the rest of the room, kind of lighten it up.

GALE
I see.

WILMA
(hands Gale the milk)
There you are, Agent Gale.
She sits.
GALE
Thank you very much, ma’am. In consideration for your grieving process, Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Thomas, I have delayed as long as possible discussing with you the details of your daughter’s life. We have gathered sufficient evidence to enable us to build a case if we have an actual suspect, and therefore, I need to know some of the specifics of Megan’s personal relationships.

CASEY
We understand.

GALE
Did Megan have a boyfriend?

WILMA
No. No, she didn’t. The last boy she dated was Jeff Andrus. They broke up about four months ago. He dumped her for another girl.

GALE
Are you aware if she knew any young men in the neighborhood or was intimate with anyone in his early twenties?

WILMA
She didn’t have a boyfriend.

CASEY
She didn’t hang out with older guys.

GALE
I ask because the evidence leads us to conclude that Megan knew her attacker and allowed him into the house.

WILMA
Megan had so many friends, boys and girls. She was very sociable. It always broke her heart to hurt someone’s feelings. I can’t imagine anyone would want to hurt her.

GALE
Unfortunately, it is often the case that the identity of the perpetrators of such crimes comes as a shock to everyone involved.

WILMA
She was so kind to everyone. How could someone take advantage of her and be so... horrible--
Wilma breaks down crying.
CASEY
(crosses to her)
Aw, jeez. Honey, come on, now. Hey, come on.
Gale is patient and looks over at portraits of Megan and Bradley on the wall.

CU -- Bradley’s portrait.

CUT TO:
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD STREET -- MORNING

BRADLEY and JEAN are jogging.
BRADLEY
How was your night out?

JEAN
It had its ups and downs. Nicholas was very nice, but Penny seemed kind of upset about something. She left suddenly, so I think she might have been sick. I met a guy named James. Something sort of odd about him.

BRADLEY
James Clapsaddle?

JEAN
I think that was his name, yes.

BRADLEY
Listen, Jean, you just stay away from that guy. He’s bad news. That’s fair warning, and I’m serious.

JEAN
Why?

BRADLEY
Just steer clear of him, for your own good.

JEAN
Well, he seemed harmless enough. And frankly, I’m glad of the chance to meet people and not be stuck in the house every night.

BRADLEY
Look, I understand. And I really appreciate you coming and helping out. It’s taken a lot of the load off Mom.

JEAN
I’m glad to be of help.

ALBERT (O.S.)
Bradley!
ALBERT is across the street, jogging in the opposite direction. He crosses over to Bradley and Jean.
ALBERT
Good morning, Bradley.

BRADLEY
Hey, Mr. Collins. This is my cousin I was telling you about. Jean Bellew.

ALBERT
(stares at Jean)
Incredible. I mean, the resemblance to your sister, Bradley. It’s remarkable.

JEAN
Everybody seems to say so.

ALBERT
(vaguely disturbed)
It’s like Megan never went away. Like she’s right here.
Jean gives Bradley an uncomfortable look.

CUT TO:
EXT. SHERIFF STATION -- MORNING

CUT TO:
INT. SHERIFF STATION -- LOBBY -- MORNING

GALE enters, but all is quiet. He looks at Abigail’s desk, but it is empty. Gale looks around.

CUT TO:
INT. SHERIFF STATION -- CONFERENCE ROOM -- MORNING

GALE enters, but no one is there.

CUT TO:
INT. SHERIFF STATION -- SHERIFF’S OFFICE -- MORNING

GALE enters. No one is there.
GALE
Bob...?
The phone in the lobby rings.

CUT TO:
INT. SHERIFF STATION -- LOBBY -- MORNING

GALE comes out of Sheriff’s office. LYNDON rushes down the hall with an empty coffee pot and snatches up the phone.
LYNDON
Sheriff station. Deputy Pfi-- Sheriff station. No, there’s no one here by that name. No, you have the wrong number. The sheriff station. No, no Klaus. I’m sorry, you have the wrong-- Okay.
Lyndon hangs up.
GALE
Deputy, what’s going on?

LYNDON
I’m sorry, Agent Gale, but today is Abigail’s day off, but the substitute called in sick this morning, so I had to call the back-up sub, but she’s also a nurse’s aide and she’s working today at the hospital, so she said she’d have her sister come out and fill in, only she isn’t here yet.

GALE
I see. And the Sheriff?

LYNDON
Sheriff Armstrong hasn’t come in.

GALE
I see.
Gale quints.

CUT TO:
INT. TWINSBURG LIBRARY -- MORNING

PENNY enters with some books. She takes them to the circulation desk. The ELDERLY LIBRARIANS are working the desk.
1ST LIBRARIAN
Good morning, dear. May I help you?

PENNY
Good morning.
Penny slides the books toward the librarians.
2ND LIBRARIAN
Good morning.

PENNY
Good morning.

1ST LIBRARIAN
Do you have your library card, dear?

PENNY
I’m sorry?

2ND LIBRARIAN
You can’t check out books without your library card.

PENNY
I’m returning them.

2ND LIBRARIAN
What did she say?

1ST LIBRARIAN
She’s returning them.

2ND LIBRARIAN
You don’t need a card to return books.

1ST LIBRARIAN
I know. Only to check them out.

2ND LIBRARIAN
You only need your library card to check books out, dear.

PENNY
Yes, I’d like to return these. And please make sure you register it, because I received an overdue notice for books I had already returned.

1ST LIBRARIAN
Are these overdue?

PENNY
No. It happened last month.

2ND LIBRARIAN
Well, you should have said something before now.

PENNY
I did. We got it straightened out last month. Now I am returning these books. They are not overdue. Here they are.
Penny pats the books as she pushes them toward the librarians. Then she turns around to leave, spotting JAMES sitting alone at a table, reading a book. Penny walks over to James.
1ST LIBRARIAN
Some people.

2ND LIBRARIAN
The least little thing.
NEW ANGLE

Penny approaches James.
PENNY
James? Hi.

JAMES
Oh, hi, Penny.

PENNY
How are you?

JAMES
Oh, uh, fine. I’m fine. My parents are out of town for the day, so I’m just sort of hanging around. You know, reading.

PENNY
Yes, what is that?

JAMES
Just a book. It’s...

PENNY
(takes the book from him)
Let me see. Salem witch trials?

JAMES
Yeah, I like history.

PENNY
History’s cool. You’re so smart, James. School’s easy for you, isn’t it?

JAMES
Well, I don’t know...

PENNY
So many guys are really dumb. A girl likes a man she can talk to.

JAMES
Really? Yeah, I guess.

PENNY
James, do you like me?

JAMES
Well, sure, um...

PENNY
Why don’t we go out sometime? Just you and me, and have some fun, you know?

JAMES
Uh, sure. Yeah, that would be, um, great.

PENNY
How about tonight?

JAMES
Tonight. Well, uh, yeah, why not? Okay, Penny.

PENNY
Good.
NEW ANGLE

The elderly librarians are watching from the circulation desk, out of earshot.
1ST LIBRARIAN
Isn’t that sweet?

2ND LIBRARIAN
Young love.
They giggle.

CUT TO:
INT. ROSEMARY’S PASTRY SHOP -- MORNING

Close up of a cake being frosted at the counter by ROSEMARY. Pull back to reveal KENT sitting at one of the tables eating a doughnut. No one else is in the shop.
ROSEMARY
So, what did you and James get up to last night?

KENT
Not much. How was your date?

ROSEMARY
Oh, it was terrific. Oregon is such a neat guy. I’ve never met anyone like him. There was some of the most beautiful turquoise jewelry there. And some of the costumes were incredible. Oregon promised to help me design one to wear myself. That’ll be fun. We’re going back up there tonight. The event goes all weekend.

KENT
Great.

ROSEMARY
You know, Kent, I am so glad that you came to your senses. That Janet was just no good for you. It couldn’t have worked, she was just using you for heaven knows what. I can’t believe her. What a sleaze she is. You think you know somebody... I mean, you really think you know somebody, but people change.

KENT
(ominously)
Yeah... they sure do.
CUT TO:
INT. STEAKHOUSE -- SATURDAY AFTERNOON

GALE is seated in a booth at the back of the restaurant, sipping a glass of water. The MANAGER and the WAITER approach.
MANAGER
Agent Gale, this is John, one of the waiters. He’s the one who can help you.

GALE
Thank you. John, sit down, please.
The waiter sits across from Gale.
MANAGER
Is there anything I can get you, sir? A nice hot cup of coffee, perhaps?

GALE
No, thank you.
Gale turns to the waiter. The manager stands in place, smiling. Gale looks back at him.
GALE
Thank you.
The manager nods, still smiling, but stays put.
GALE
(smiling)
Leave us alone, please.
The manager acknowledges and moves away, smiling constantly. Gale turns back to the waiter.
GALE
All right, John. You were working the night of Friday, January 30th, is that correct?

WAITER
Yes, sir.
Gale produces a photo of Megan.
GALE
Megan Thomas, the girl murdered one week ago, had dinner here that night. Do you remember her being here?

WAITER
Yes, I do. She was here with a young guy I didn’t recognize.

GALE
Yes, James Clapsaddle. Did anything out of the ordinary occur?

WAITER
Boy, I’ll say. They had some kind of argument. Not loud or anything, but she stood up and walked out on him. She was pretty upset. They were making a real scene, you know. You remember that kind of thing.

GALE
Do you have any idea what the argument was about?

WAITER
Well, not really. But it sure looked like a lovers’ quarrel to me.

GALE
I see. Thank you.
Gale squints.

EXT. WOODS -- AFTERNOON

Long pan across the woods.

CUT TO:
EXT. SHERIFF’S HOME -- AFTERNOON

A rustic log house on the edge of the woods, with Sheriff’s cruiser parked in the driveway. Gale’s car pulls into the driveway and GALE gets out. He takes the mail out of the mailbox by the road and walks up to the front door of the house. A gunshot rings out and Gale throws himself to the ground. Then he gets up and walks around to the back of the house. He finds SHERIFF, unshaven and sloppily dressed, shooting a rifle at beer bottles at the end of the yard. Sheriff fires another shot, causing a beer bottle standing on a piece of firewood to explode. Gale walks up to Sheriff.
GALE
I brought your mail.

SHERIFF
Agent Gale, I’d really like to be alone.

GALE
The woman at the station last night.

SHERIFF
Yvonne Temple. Old friend. Alan Cartwright’s ex-wife.
Sheriff shoots another bottle.
GALE
You love her.

SHERIFF
We grew up together. Best friends. And as we got older, we got closer, and finally fell in love. We were together for one summer, then Cartwright stole her away. They got married, Duane was born. It all happened so fast. But somehow, we managed to stay friends. We just knew each other too well. And I could see in her eyes that she kept thinking she’d made a mistake. But we couldn’t go back, though I kept hoping. Eventually, they got divorced, but Yvonne said she needed to leave Twinsburg, to find herself. That was seven years ago, and I hadn’t seen her since... until last night.

GALE
Bob, I know that the human heart often takes us down roads we do not wish to travel, and in the tug and sway of emotion, we may find ourselves lost in utter darkness. But, as men of the law, you and I have a duty to resist the temptation to plumb the depths of our sorrow, for the people we have sworn to protect are counting on us not to falter. Even now, a man is at large who has brought the pestilence of drugs to the citizens of your town, and even the children are among his victims. And they are counting on you to bring him to justice. Twinsburg needs you, Bob. And so do I.
Sheriff takes aim again, pauses, then lowers the gun. Gale puts his hand on Sheriff’s shoulder.

CUT TO:
EXT. SHERIFF STATION -- AFTERNOON

CUT TO:
INT. SHERIFF STATION -- LOBBY -- AFTERNOON

GALE and SHERIFF, now cleaned up, enter. LYNDON is on the phone, still holding the empty coffee pot.
LYNDON
No, there’s no Klaus here. What number-- This is the sheriff station. What number are you calling?

SHERIFF
I don’t even want to know.
CUT TO:
INT. JAIL -- AFTERNOON

DUANE is sitting in his cell. GALE and SHERIFF approach. Sheriff unlocks the cell door and opens it.
SHERIFF
Duane, come with us.
CUT TO:
INT. SHERIFF STATION -- LOBBY -- AFTERNOON

GALE, SHERIFF, and DUANE enter. LYNDON takes the coffee pot and goes down the hall.
SHERIFF
All right, Duane. Go home and call the number Patrick gave you. When you get in touch with him, tell him you’ve been released and you need to see him tomorrow. When you’ve arranged the meeting, call me with the details. If for some reason you can’t get in touch with him, let me know right away. Now, have you got that?

DUANE
Yeah. But listen, Sheriff, Patrick’s nobody to screw around with. You’re gonna have to promise me some kind of protection after I blow the whistle on him.

GALE
Don’t you worry about that, Duane. It will all be taken care of.

DUANE
Okay, G-Man.

SHERIFF
All right, Duane, you’re free to go.
Duane turns and exits. Gale and Sheriff exchange glances.

CUT TO:
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD STREET -- AFTERNOON

DUANE walks along, glad to be out of jail. A car pulls into the driveway in front of him and stops, blocking the sidewalk. YVONNE gets out.
YVONNE
Duane, I called at the station and they said you’d just been released.

DUANE
Yeah.

YVONNE
Well, I can give you a ride home.

DUANE
No, thanks.

YVONNE
Duane, I know things haven’t gone well for us, but we really do need to talk. I want to.
Duane looks around, then down at the ground.
DUANE
Yeah, all right.
Yvonne holds out her hands to him, but Duane walks around her and gets into the car. Yvonne is sad.

CUT TO:
INT. SHERIFF STATION -- SHERIFF’S OFFICE -- SATURDAY EVENING

The office is dimly lit. SHERIFF sits at his desk, staring ahead blankly, feeling depressed. He remembers something, opens his desk drawer, and takes out a faded old fishing bobber. He looks at it, lost in memories, as GALE enters.
GALE
Any word from Duane?

SHERIFF
Not yet.
Gale sits down across from Sheriff.
GALE
Bob, I made an unexpected discovery last night.

SHERIFF
What was that?

GALE
I was making my customary end-of-the-day recording when I suddenly ran out of tape. I was surprised, because there should have been another few minutes of tape left. However, I sometimes set it on voice-activation at night, in case my subconscious should cause me to say something important in my sleep. But in this case, it caught what someone else had said. The Astronaut.

SHERIFF
You have him on tape?

GALE
Yes.

SHERIFF
What did he say?

GALE
“Deep within the maple trees, the brown turtle knows the passage.” I haven’t yet figured out its meaning.

SHERIFF
There’s a George Brownturtle who comes to town every now and then. He’s an expert on Native American myths and legends, especially from the local tribes. In fact...
Sheriff looks through the papers on his desk until he finds a flyer.
SHERIFF
Yeah, he’s supposed to be up at the Maple Lodge this weekend for a Wild West convention.

GALE
Maple Lodge. Brownturtle. Yes, the “passage” may be some clue in the Native American legends, perhaps a reference to the Electrical Man. I’m going to go up there and see if I can find him.

SHERIFF
Good idea. I’ll wait here for Duane’s call.

GALE
Okay.
Gale gets up and goes to the door.
GALE
You’re going to be all right?

SHERIFF
Yeah.
Gale gives him a thumbs up and exits.

CUT TO:
EXT. PENNY’S HOME -- EVENING

NICHOLAS rides his ten-speed bicycle up the driveway and leans it against the house. He goes to the front door and rings the doorbell. After a moment, MARY GARDNER, Penny’s mother, answers the door.
MARY
Nicholas!

NICHOLAS
Hi, Mrs. Gardner.

MARY
I’m afraid Penny’s not here.

NICHOLAS
She’s not?

MARY
No. She went out a little while ago with another boy.

NICHOLAS
Who?

MARY
I can tell her you stopped by. Good night, Nicholas.
Mary closes the door. Nicholas just stands there, stunned.

CUT TO:
EXT. MAPLE LODGE -- EVENING

CUT TO:
INT. MAPLE LODGE -- EVENING

ROSEMARY, OREGON, DAN, DON, and numerous other people dressed in ordinary, biker, and western outfits are socializing and having a good time. Then ALAN enters, wearing a suit and tie. He looks around a moment, then walks across the crowded room and goes up onto the stage.
ALAN
Excuse me. Can I have everyone’s attention? I have an announcement to make.

ROSEMARY
That’s Alan Cartwright.
Dan and Don boo loudly, and the other bikers join in, jeering Alan. He tries to quiet them, but they persist. A TEENAGER brings Alan a microphone.
ALAN
I understand what you people are feeling here, but I ask that you hear me out. Just listen to what I have to say, please.
The crowd quiets down.
ALAN
I know that there’s a good deal of resentment towards me, towards my company, and the actions we have taken concerning the Shadygrove development. But I have come to announce that I have called an immediate halt to the construction. I have decided to abandon all plans to develop the site and will instead finance a project to restore the campground, not only to its former state but to make it the best damn campground in the entire region, a place where we can all commune with nature at its most elemental.
The audience gives him polite applause.
ALAN
And, as you may know, there are some partial structures at the site that will need to be removed. And as the saying goes, ladies and gentlemen, there’s no time like the present. So I wonder if anyone here would be interested in volunteering for a little late-night demolition duty...
The bikers cheer and advance to the stage, where they take Alan up on their shoulders and carry him around the room like a champion. They follow Alan out the door, along with the rest of the crowd, all with great excitement.

CUT TO:
EXT. VALLEY -- SCENIC OVERLOOK -- EVENING

Pan across the scene of rolling hills of trees stretching into the distance, with lights twinkling among them, to NICHOLAS, sitting on the edge of a cliff, his bicycle leaning up against a tree. Nicholas looks out at the darkening sky, then hangs his head.

CUT TO:
EXT. CARTWRIGHT HOME -- SATURDAY NIGHT

CUT TO:
INT. CARTWRIGHT HOME -- DEN -- NIGHT

DUANE is sitting at the desk, waiting for a phone call. The phone rings and he picks it up immediately.
DUANE
Yeah? Hey, man.
INTERCUT -- DUANE in his father’s den and PATRICK in a dimly lit house as they talk on the phone.
PATRICK
I got your message.

DUANE
I’m out, man. Time to get back in business.

PATRICK
It’s about time. You’re my main man in the schools, Duane. Sales have been hurting this week.

DUANE
Listen, man, we gotta get together tomorrow. When I was inside, I caught wind of the cops putting together a sting.

PATRICK
How close are they?

DUANE
I can’t talk about it now, man. Let’s get together tomorrow.
Duane takes out a piece of paper and a pen.
DUANE
(writes)
Okay. Got it. I’ll be there, man. Later.
Duane hangs up, then dials again.

CUT TO:
INT. SHERIFF STATION -- SHERIFF’S OFFICE -- NIGHT

SHERIFF is sitting behind his desk. The phone rings and he answers it.
SHERIFF
Sheriff Armstrong. Duane, what have you got? Four o’clock tomorrow? Okay, good. Give me the address. 49371 Beaumont Lane... Wait a minute! That place belongs to the Box Lady!
CUT TO:
EXT. TWINSBURG HOSPITAL -- NIGHT

CUT TO:
INT. BOX LADY’S HOSPITAL ROOM -- NIGHT

The BOX LADY is lying in bed, unconscious but stirring. A NURSE enters with TERRENCE.
NURSE
Here, Doctor. She’s been restless and mumbling.

TERRENCE
Good, I’m glad you let me know. I want--
Box Lady suddenly opens her eyes and screams and starts to have a fit. She struggles violently as Terrence and the nurse try to restrain and calm her.

CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAYS -- NIGHT

Track down the hallways as the Box Lady’s screams echo through the building. Pan over to the door of another hospital room.

CUT TO:
INT. ELLIOTT’S HOSPITAL ROOM -- NIGHT

Close up of ELLIOTT lying in bed, unconscious. He stirs and opens his eyes groggily. A figure comes slowly into focus. It is NICHOLAS, who walks over from the window and sits down next to the bed.
NICHOLAS
Hey. Glad you’re back.
Elliott grasps Nicholas’s hand and smiles weakly.

CUT TO:
INT. JAMES’S HOME -- NIGHT

The house is dark, but rummaging noises can be heard as the shot tracks down the hall and into James’s bedroom, which is being ransacked by JANET. She is pulling out drawers, dumping them out, and searching through the contents. She pulls the drawer out of the nightstand and dumps it out, but does not find what she’s looking for. In frustration, she knocks the nightstand over. Duct-taped to the underside is a small cassette tape. Janet seizes the cassette and looks at it with a triumphant gleam in her eye.
JANET
You little bastard! Got you!
CUT TO:
EXT. MAPLE LODGE -- NIGHT

CUT TO:
INT. MAPLE LODGE -- NIGHT

GALE enters the now-deserted main hall and looks around. There is a rustling in the large red curtains across the stage. A spotlight comes on suddenly, illuminating the center of the curtains. Gale walks up onto the stage and finds where the two curtains meet. He turns and looks into the spotlight for a second, then parts the curtains and steps through. On the other side of the curtains, Gale finds BROWNTURTLE sitting in the middle of the floor with his eyes closed.
BROWNTURTLE
I’ve been waiting for you.

GALE
You know who I am?

BROWNTURTLE
I knew you’d come.

GALE
I need your help.

BROWNTURTLE
My people believe that the world was born when a great woman fell from the sky. The force of her landing was so great that she was divided into two halves, which became the day and the night. Throughout the year, each half would seek to dominate the other, and when night dominated, the snows fell upon the land, bringing hardship to the people. When day dominated, the sun shone warm and long, and food was plentiful. The people believed that the Dark Goddess was evil incarnate, as the Light Goddess was good. Each had her servants, and they ruled over the Earth from the spirit-realms. The servant of the Dark Goddess brought death in the guise of friendship to people throughout the ages. But it is prophesied that a great hero will come one day, led by the servants of the Light Goddess -- He Who Was Of The Moon and He Who Was Of The Lightning -- to destroy the servant of evil forever.

GALE
How? I need to find the Electrical Man.

BROWNTURTLE
You are on the right path. You have but to follow it. It will lead you to the End of the World, where you must use the root of good to destroy the root of evil. So says the prophecy.

GALE
Is that the “passage” I was to hear? The prophecy?

BROWNTURTLE
You will learn these things in time. All in good time.
Gale squints.

CUT TO:
EXT. WOODS -- NIGHT

The half-moon is reflected in the water of the pit surrounded by mossy rocks. The black-and-white CAT looks at its reflection, then turns to the camera and hisses.

FADE OUT


Cast of Characters


Special Agent Martin Gale, 34. FBI agent.
Sheriff Robert Armstrong, 36. Sheriff of Twinsburg.

Jean Bellew, 19. Megan’s lookalike cousin.
Bradley Thomas, 18. High school senior, Jean’s cousin.
Alan Cartwright, 50. Real estate developer, mall owner.
Penny Gardner, 17. High school senior.
Duane Cartwright, 18. High school senior, Alan’s son.
Lyle Terrence, 62. Local doctor.
Rosemary Clapsaddle, 40. Owns pastry shop/catering service.
Nicholas Grey, 17. High school senior.
Elliott Grey, 42. Owns bike shop, uncle of Nicholas.
Kent Clapsaddle, 16. High school sophomore, Rosemary’s son.
Janet Flynn, 39. Twinsburg native returned from England.

James Clapsaddle, 18. High school senior, Rosemary’s brother.
Lyndon Pfiffer, 26. Deputy.
Albert Collins, 48. Lawyer.
Patrick Clapsaddle, 33. Brother of Rosemary.
Casey Thomas, 41. Father of Bradley.
Wilma Thomas, 40. Mother of Bradley.
Mary Gardner, 45. Mother of Penny.
Box Lady, 53. Local eccentric.
Yvonne Temple, 36. Environmentalist, mother of Duane.
Oregon Blackthorn, 35. Wild West enthusiast.
Dan Barrett, 30. Motorcyclist, twin of Don.
Don Barrett, 30. Motorcyclist, twin of Dan.
George Brownturtle, 103. Native American mystic.

Elderly Librarians
Restaurant Manager
Waiter
Nurse
Teenager
Townspeople


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