"CRIME OF PASSION"

Story by Jo Montgomery - Teleplay by Doug Heyes, Jr.

ACT ONE

FADE IN:

EXT. LOS ANGELES - BY THE SEA - DAY (STOCK)

A spine-tingling HELICOPTER SHOT takes us in low, over the
sun-baked beaches below the Palisades. Miles of muscles and
curves, golden tans and perfect blond hair. The heat rises
in waves: the pulse of the MUSIC quickens. We PAN UP the
crumbling cliffs to FIND a glittering, luxurious,
residential tower overlooking the Santa Monica Bay.

INT. OCEANFRONT CONDO - DAY (DAY #1)

The MUSIC ENDS abruptly with a hard punch of grim reality as
we realize we're at the aftermath of a murder. A CRIME TEAM
is at work, dusting for prints, bagging bits of evidence.
A couple of guys from the Coroner's office are tending to
the body of the victim, a young, blonde, woman, who is lost
in the middle of the action.

HUNTER AND MCCALL

can be seen in the B.G., talking to the building manager, a
middle-aged oriental. The manager nods off toward another
corner of the room. Hunter and McCall glance off, thank the
manager, and start away in the direction indicated. The
MEDICAL EXAMINER, BARNEY, intercepts them on their way
across the room.

BARNEY
Deceased's name is Karen Parker.
Twenty nine, Caucasian. Blow to
the head put her out, then she
had her mouth and nose held shut
till she died.

MCCALL
Can you give us a guess as to
when?

BARNEY
Probably between two and five this
morning. Autopsy'11 narrow it
down to the hour.

Hunter and McCall nod their acknowledgment and move on. The
M.E. turns back to deal with the body. Our ANGLE SHIFTS
as Hunter and McCall move around next to the bar, where they
meet:

DENNIS STONE

Dennis is in his early forties, not tall, physical or
particularly attractive. His dark, thinning hair is longish
and a little on the oily side. He wears faded designer
jeans, a beat-up leather flight jacket, and sunglasses. A
film director, of sorts. Looking him over:

HUNTER
I'm Sergeant Hunter. My partner,
Sergeant McCall.

Dennis offers a hand. Hunter and McCall accept.

DENNIS
Dennis Stone.

HUNTER
Mister Stone - did the officer
you spoke to read you your rights?

DENNIS
Yeah, he did.

MCCALL
You've agreed to talk to us
without your attorney present?

DENNIS
Sure. Whatever I can do...

HUNTER
(flatly, re: the
victim)

What was your relationship with
Karen Parker?

DENNIS
She was an interior designer.
Doing my house in Bel Air.

HUNTER
That's it?

DENNIS
(curiously)
That's it.

MCCALL
Why did you come here this
morning?

Dennis's tone edges toward irritation.

DENNIS
We had a meeting.

MCCALL
Didn't she have an office?

DENNIS
What is this?! You're coming on
like I'm a suspect here!

MCCALL
We've got a problem, Mister Stone.
When you knocked on her door, she
didn't answer. Your next move
was to have the manager open the
door.

DENNIS
(defensively)
That's right.

MCCALL
That strikes us as a very strange
sequence of events.

Dennis's escalating irritation takes on a tone of
arrogance.

DENNIS
I'm a film director, Sergeant.
I'm used to having things run on
schedule. Karen Parker was very
punctual. When she didn't answer
the door, I knew something was
wrong.

Hunter and McCall just look at him, studying his reactions.
A young, uniformed COP comes up to Hunter.

COP
(indicating)
Sergeant? The deceased's husband
is here.

Hunter turns away from Dennis and walks toward:

ALEX PARKER

the dead woman's husband. Alex is 39, with brown hair and
just a touch of gray around the temples. He is powerfully
good-looking, in a way that is both rugged and refined. The
cut of his jacket is slim, his tailor expensive. He is
stricken to silence by the scene he now confronts. The body
of his wife has been loaded onto a gurney and covered with
a sheet. Alex walks forward numbly, turns back the sheet,
and looks at his wife's face. Though we can feel the weight
of his sadness and see the shock and grief on his face, Alex
doesn't cry. Hunter moves up next to Alex as he carefully
replaces the sheet. Alex looks at Hunter. His face is
sensitive, his eyes soft and full of pain. He says nothing.
Dennis Stone walks over, obtrusive without even trying.
McCall follows.

DENNIS
(to Hunter)
I have a production meeting in
forty minutes. You need me for
anything else?

HUNTER
We'll call you if we do.

Alex looks at Dennis, wondering who he is.

DENNIS
I'm really sorry, Alex.
(off Alex's puzzled
look)
I'm Dennis Stone. Karen was
doing my house.

ALEX
(barely connecting)
Oh, yes. Karen... mentioned
you...

DENNIS
(a beat)
Well, again - I'm so sorry...

ALEX
(what can he say?)
Thank you...

Dennis nods uncomfortably and turns away. Hunter and
McCall watch him leave, then:

MCCALL
(to Alex,
sympathetically)
We're going to need a statement
from you. Mister Parker. Do you
feel up to it now?

ALEX
Yes, I think so.

The same uniformed Cop comes up to Hunter again.

COP
Captain Devane on the phone for
you.

Hunter nods and moves off toward the phone.

DISSOLVE TO

EXT. LUXURY HOTEL - DAY - ESTABLISHING (STOCK) (DAY #2)

(Note: A reasonable facsimile will do.)

Splendor in pink and green. A long, WIDE-ANGLE SHOT fills
our eyes with inflated opulence. The MUSIC is gently
soothing Baroque.

EXT. HOTEL GARDEN RESTAURANT - DAY

Alex is at a sunny table. He rises as he sees:

HUNTER AND MCCALL

being directed toward the table by a waiter.

ALEX
Morning. I asked them to bring
you out here - they're still
cleaning up my room.

As Hunter and McCall take seats:

ALEX (CONT'D)
Some coffee? Breakfast?

HUNTER
No thanks.

MCCALL
Mister Parker: you were read your
rights yesterday. Do you
understand it's still in effect?

ALEX
(smiles)
If you say so.

HUNTER
You sure you don't want a lawyer
present?

ALEX
(slightly puzzled)
Am I going to need one?

HUNTER
We found out a couple of things
after we talked to you yesterday.
(a beat)
You told us you were at home in
Santa Barbara the night your wife
was killed. In bed, asleep.

ALEX
I was.

HUNTER
We spoke to your housekeeper.
She says your rooms are in
different wings of the house and
she'd have no way of knowing if
you got up and drove away, or not.

ALEX
That's true. But I didn't.

MCCALL
Is there anyone else who can swear
to that? Did you get any phone
calls? Make any?

ALEX
No.
(shakes his head
in disbelief)
Do you actually think I may have
killed my wife!?

Neither McCall nor Hunter answers that question. Like good
cops, they wait for him to talk. When he doesn't:

MCCALL
There were two liqueur glasses
on the coffee table, both with
fresh residue in them. One had
cognac in it, and your wife's
fingerprints on the glass. The
other one contained a Portuguese
liqueur called Piraca.
(off Alex's
connecting look)
We found a bottle of the stuff
back of the bar with your
fingerprints on it.

ALEX
(tense)
And on the glass?

HUNTER
They were smudged.

Alex thinks about this for a moment, then, with conviction;

ALEX
It sounds to me as if somebody's
trying to set me up.

Again, like good cops, they wait for him to do the talking.
This time, he does:

ALEX
Piraca's my favorite drink. I
poured one from that bottle three
days ago, when I went to visit
Karen.

MCCALL
The residue in the glasses had
been there only a few hours.

ALEX
That's what I mean: I don't even
drink Piraca from a liqueur glass.
I drink it from a tall glass with
ice and soda. Whoever set up
those glasses didn't know that.

Again, Hunter and McCall study him, wait.

ALEX
Is that all you have?

HUNTER
There was no forced entry. Your
wife opened the door for her
killer. And your fingerprints
are all over the place.

ALEX
I told you: I was there three days
ago. Karen and I may have been
getting a divorce, but for the
two years we were separated, we
were still good friends.

A look passes between Hunter and McCall.

MCCALL
Both your attorneys tell us you
were involved in a bitter property
dispute.

ALEX
(a tight laugh)
Whatever 'bitterness' there may
have been was between our
attorneys -- not between Karen
and me. In fact, I went over
there to straighten out something
I felt they were handling badly.
(a beat)
Maybe I should've asked my lawyer
to be here. It never crossed my
mind that I was a suspect.

HUNTER
You're the only suspect.

Off Alex's disturbed reaction, we:

CUT TO

INT. HEADQUARTERS - DAY - (DAY 3)

It's your typical hustle of busy phones, bad coffee and
paperwork. Hunter and McCall are sitting across from each
other, typing reports. Hunter rubs his forehead, looks up
and SEES:

DENNIS STONE

enters the squad room, looking a trifle disoriented. He asks
a uniform cop something we can't hear. The cop points him
toward Hunter and McCall.

HUNTER
Hey look, Fellini's here. Betcha
he wants to tell us why he had
that door opened.

MCCALL
I called him. He wasn't in, so
I left a message.

HUNTER
Thanks for the warning.

MCCALL
I didn't know you needed one.
Just follow my lead.

HUNTER
What's the dance?

MCCALL
How about - 'good cop, bad cop'?

HUNTER
Can I be the good cop, just this
once?

McCall flashes Hunter a look as she rises to meet Dennis.

MCCALL
YOU?

Dennis comes over.

DENNIS
I got a message you wanted to see
me.

MCCALL
(friendly)
Yes. Thank you for coming in.

HUNTER
(not so friendly)
Have a seat, Mister Stone.

Hunter reaches over and spins a chair around for Dennis.
Dennis gives Hunter an uncertain look, and sits. McCall
reacts to Hunter's abrupt manner.

MCCALL
Come on, lighten up, Hunter.
Mister Stone's not a suspect.
He's doing us a favor.

HUNTER
(low, slow and
intense)
I've had a really bad day.

Dennis tries his best to be disarming.

DENNIS
Hey, no problem. I'll bet the
action gets pretty intense in your
line of work.

HUNTER
I thrive on the action.

A beat, while Dennis realizes that his charm is being
wasted.

DENNIS
Okay, why'd you want to see me?

MCCALL
We'd like to know more about your
relationship with Karen Parker.

DENNIS
What's to know? I saw her work,
liked it, and hired her to do my
house.

HUNTER
Nothing more?

DENNIS
What are you getting at?

Hunter stands up suddenly, towering over Dennis, menacing
without even trying.

HUNTER
(abrasively)
We've got a real problem with the
story you told us. It just
doesn't make sense that you had
the building manager open Karen
Parker's door, just because she
was a little late for a meeting.

DENNIS
We went over that already!

HUNTER
We're going over it again.

DENNIS
I told you: you could set your
clock by that lady. And I didn't
have a lot of time to hang around.

Hunter gives him a look of silent disgust.

MCCALL
(gently)
Having a door opened like that
is a very odd thing to do. People
usually do that when they haven't
seen someone for days, not
minutes.

DENNIS
(a beat)
I thought you said I wasn't a
suspect.

Hunter and McCall say nothing. After a long, heavy beat:

DENNIS
All right. Can I level with you?

Hunter sits back down, watching Dennis.

DENNIS
Karen was up at my house almost
every day for two and a half
months. At first, it was strictly
professional. Time went by...
we started to get -- you know -
attracted to each other. When
she called and asked me to come
over, I got the distinct
impression that there was more
than business on her mind.

HUNTER
You mean sex.

DENNIS
To put it bluntly.

HUNTER
(almost
sarcastically)
And that's why you had the door
opened.

DENNIS
Yes. At first, I was ticked off.
I thought she was playing some
kind of game or something. Then
it occurred to me she just wasn't
that kind of lady. So I got
worried and had the guy open the
door. You know the rest.

HUNTER
If we knew the rest, we wouldn't
be having this conversation.

DENNIS
I have to tell you, Sergeant, I
don't like your attitude.

HUNTER
I'm not trying to sell it.

DENNIS
(heating up)
I was on location, fifty miles
out of town the night Karen was
killed. I'm sure you must've
checked that out by now. Then
I drove straight home, which my
wife and daughter can both verify.
So unless you have some specific
reason for harassing me, Sergeant
Hunter, I would appreciate it if
you would knock it the hell off!

Hunter gets up, walks over to the water cooler, draws
himself a paper cupful. Dennis turns to McCall in
frustration.

DENNIS
I came in here to try and help.

MCCALL
I know. And I appreciate it.
So does he. Really.

DENNIS
(tautly)
He sure has a strange way of
showing it.
(a beat, rising)
If you need me, you know where
to find me.

McCall gets up, offers her hand.

MCCALL
Thanks again for coming in. We'll
be in touch.

Dennis shakes her hand, then turns and heads out. Hunter
watches him go, then saunters back over next to Dee Dee.

MCCALL
Maybe I should've let you play
good cop.

HUNTER
When in doubt, badger the witness.

MCCALL
You badgered him right out of
here!

HUNTER
Hey, you called the play, McCall.
Besides, we got what we wanted.
He admitted he lied. Now his
story even makes sense.

MCCALL
Okay - but think about that.
Here's a married guy Karen's
known for only a couple of months.
The wife is around. Dennis is
working... hardly ever home. It
just doesn't sound like the start
of a great affair...

HUNTER
Maybe Dennis is a fast worker.
Maybe Karen was.

MCCALL
In that case, who's to say there
weren't ten other guys?

HUNTER
Let's not complicate this case
any more than we have to.

MCCALL
Then again, maybe that's what made
Alex Parker crazy enough to kill
his wife.

HUNTER
Good thinking, McCall. Don't let
it get away. We've got material
evidence, no alibi, and a
serviceable motive. Now let's
find somebody - anybody - who
can put Parker in L.A. on the
night his wife was murdered.

Then PHONE RINGS, cutting off Dee Dee's response. Hunter
snaps it up.

HUNTER
Homicide. Sergeant Hunter.

Hunter listens for a moment, raises an eyebrow.

HUNTER
Just a minute.

He punches the "hold" button, looking oddly at McCall. Off
her questioning nod:

HUNTER
Alex Parker.

MCCALL
Yeah?

HUNTER
He wants to talk to you.

McCall looks puzzled. She reaches for the phone. Before he
hands it over:

HUNTER
I'm on this case, too. Why
doesn't he want to talk to me?

MCCALL
Maybe you're not his type.

She takes the phone from Hunter and punches in the line.

MCCALL
(into phone)
Sergeant McCall...
(beat)
Yes. Hello, Mister Parker.
(longer beat)
All right, if you'd like... One
o'clock? I'll be there.
(hangs up; off
Hunter's look)
He invited me to lunch. At his
hotel.

HUNTER
With or without his lawyer?

MCCALL
He didn't say.
(thinking about
it)
Probably without.

HUNTER
Woman's intuition?

MCCALL
Tone of voice. This wasn't a guy
setting a meeting between a cop
and a lawyer. It was a man
inviting a woman to lunch.

HUNTER
He probably thinks you'll cut him
more slack than I will. He
doesn't know you're the tough one.

MCCALL
You got that right.

She punches Hunter affectionately on the shoulder. Hunter
rubs the spot, faking hurt. McCall grins.

MCCALL
Don't know my own strength.

She heads out. Hunter stops smiling, watches her leave.
Then:

HUNTER
McCall.
She stops, turns toward him.

HUNTER (CONT'D)
Do me a favor. Don't go to his
bungalow. Call him from the lobby
and have him meet you.

MCCALL
(smiles)
Hunter, don't forget: I'm a cop.

She turns and leaves as we

FADE OUT

END OF ACT ONE

************************************************************

ACT TWO

FADE IN:

EXT. HOTEL GARDEN RESTAURANT - DAY

A world away from gritty squadrooms. Alex and McCall have
just given their orders to a waiter, who nods graciously,
takes their menus, and moves off.

McCall studies Alex. Alex smiles, reading her.

ALEX
Is it my move?

MCCALL
That depends on the move.
(a beat)
Why didn't you want my partner
here?

ALEX
Sergeant Hunter is a burn-out -
nothing left but a hard nose.

MCCALL
What am I? A piece of cake?

ALEX
(laughing)
Not at all.
(not laughing)
I just thought I might stand a
better chance of - opening your
mind.

MCCALL
It's not closed.

ALEX
Why do I feel like we're getting
into a debate?

MCCALL
I'm a cop and you're a suspect.
It goes-with the turf.

ALEX
That's kind of a shame.
(soft beat)
I was very disturbed by what
Sergeant Hunter said yesterday
- about my being 'the only
suspect'. I want to know if
that's still the case.

MCCALL
(a beat)
Yes, it is.

ALEX
Then we all have a serious
problem. Because I didn't kill
my wife.

MCCALL
You could have told me that over
the phone.

ALEX
But could I have made you believe
it?

MCCALL
What I believe is irrelevant.
It's a matter of evidence. Right
now, it all points at you.

ALEX
That's my point. It terrifies
me that you and Sergeant Hunter
have decided I killed my wife.
That means you're not even looking
for whoever did. That terrifies
me even more.

McCall regards him sympathetically. Despite this:

MCCALL
There's just no evidence pointing
to anyone else.

Alex leans toward her. Very gently, very persuasively:

ALEX
Karen and I were deeply in love
for ten years. Even after our
separation, we were still the best
of friends.

ALEX (Cont'd)
(a beat)
Whatever 'evidence' you may have
against me, the fact remains I
didn't kill her. If you and
Sergeant Hunter won't do anything
about that, then I will.

McCall reacts, not sure of his meaning.

MCCALL
Such as what?

ALEX
I'll hire the best private
investigative firm in this city
and get them to do the job you
and Hunter aren't doing.

McCall studies him, sensing his sincerity. After a few
beats:

MCCALL
Did Karen have any boyfriends?

ALEX
We never talked about it.

MCCALL
What about... before you
separated?

ALEX
No. Karen fell in love with her
work, and got very successful.
We were both too busy to pay
attention to our marriage. It
died of neglect. Not because of
another man.

MCCALL
We just got a statement from
Dennis Stone. He says he was on
his way to Karen's apartment for
sex, not business.

This knocks Alex for a bit of a loop.

ALEX
You're serious...

MCCALL
That's what he said.

ALEX
I got a good look at Mister Stone,
and Karen wouldn't have gotten
within ten feet of him if they
were locked in a freezer together.

MCCALL
You sound awfully sure of that.

ALEX
Karen told me about him. She
didn't like him. He's lying.

McCall thinks about that.

CUT TO

EXT. POLICE YARD - DAY

Hunter and McCall swing out through the doors leading from
inside the station and walk briskly down toward their cars.
Hunter is shaking his head as though he's just heard
something he can't believe.

HUNTER
Maybe I gave you too much credit.
Sounds like old Alex really put
it to you.

MCCALL
Put what to me?

HUNTER
You've been conned. By a very
sharp guy, I'll admit.

MCCALL
He's right, Hunter! We were
zeroing in on him, and nobody
else!

HUNTER
You know as well as I do, unless
there's dope or crime, seventy
percent of the time the spouse
is the killer.

MCCALL
You ever hear of woman's
Intuition, Hunter?

HUNTER
Sure, from my grandmother. She
also believed in ghosts.

MCCALL
So do I. And my woman's intuition
is telling me maybe Alex Parker
didn't kill his wife.

HUNTER
You're wasting your time, McCall.
We've got almost enough to satisfy
the D.A. I'm gonna try to get
the rest. You want to check out
somebody else? Go for it!

MCCALL
I will!

She splits off toward her own car. Hunter looks after her
admiring her spirit.

HUNTER
Buckle up.

CUT TO

OMITTED

EXT. DENNIS STONE'S ESTATE - DAY

A glorious hilltop hideaway in the grand tradition of high
Hollywood glitz.

McCall drives in, stops and gets out of her car. She closes
her car door, looking around, and takes several steps in the
direction of the front door. Suddenly,

A HUGE GUARD DOG

comes bounding around the side of the house, barking his
vicious head off, headed straight for Dee Dee. Dee Dee,
trapped in the open space between her car and the front
door, does the intelligent thing. She doesn't move a
muscle. The dog skids to a stop a couple of feet from her
and continues to snarl, salivate, and bark like a thing
possessed. After a few terrifying beats, we HEAR:

JODY (O.S.)
Bismark! Heel!

Instantly, the dog cools out and trots pleasantly back in
the direction of the VOICE, whose owner, JODY STONE, now
comes walking around from the side of the house. Bismark
goes to her side like a nice doggie. McCall unfreezes with
caution, looking at Jody: a little over thirty, once pretty
but time, stress, and eating and drinking out of frustration
have taken a bit of a toll.

JODY
Don't worry about him.
(meaning the dog)
He's really such a meatball. I'm
Jody Stone.

MCCALL
Dee Dee McCall. Thank you for
agreeing to see me.

They shake hands. Bismark sits, raises a paw, and gives a
little whine.

JODY
See that? He likes you already.

MCCALL
Well, I'm glad about that. Good
dog.

She reaches out a hand to scratch behind Bismark's ears.
The dog drops into a crouch and growls menacingly. Dee Dee
snatches back her hand.

JODY
(very angrily)
No! Shame on you! Now go lay
down!

Bismark cringes, looks miserable, and slinks away.

JODY
I'm sorry. Purebreds can be so
unpredictable sometimes.

MCCALL
(relieved)
No problem...

JODY
Come on around back. The front
hall is still being redecorated.
It's a mess.

Jody leads McCall back around the side of the house.

EXT. THE BACK YARD

The MAID, MARIA, is standing by the pool holding a big
towel, while Jody's pretty, twelve-year-old daughter, STACY,
regards her defiantly from the middle of the shallow end.
Jody and McCall come in through the back gate, witnessing
the standoff.

STACY
I'm not ready to get out of the
Pool!

MARIA
Come on! You got to get ready,
Stacy!

STACY
I'll get ready when I'm ready.

JODY
(to McCall)
'Scuse me a second. A mother's
work, you know...

McCall nods and smiles. Jody crosses over to the scene of
the conflict. Her tone becomes quite severe as she speaks
to the child through her teeth.

JODY
Get out of the pool.

STACY
(a timid whine)
Mom...

JODY
Right now.

McCall glances at Jody then back toward Stacy, who now
turns away from her mother and splashes toward the edge of
the pool.

She's clad only in a one-piece suit and a bathing cap. Her
body hasn't yet begun to develop. Maria comes forward with
the towel and wraps it around the little girl, who now keeps
her back to her mother. Jody's tone softens:

JODY
Stacy?

Stacy doesn't respond. She pulls away from Maria in silence
and walks toward the house. Dee Dee watches, saying
nothing. After a beat;

JODY
I'm sorry. Come on in.

Jody leads the way. Dee Dee follows, and the two of them
disappear inside.

INT. THE HOUSE

A jewelbox. A designer's dream. The front room has high
peaked windows and a tile floor, sleek, modern furniture,

Tiant orchid plants and flowers of every description. There
is a tall, marble firelace, and great, colorful signed
abstracts on the walls.

There are a number of framed photographs on the wall, some
of Dennis at a slimmer age, and some more recent
professional shots of Stacy in a number of woman/child
attitudes. McCall takes it all in.

JODY
(sadly)
Wasn't Karen a talented
decorator.

McCall nods, moves up to some of the more provocative shots
of Stacy, zeroing in on one in particular, where she appears
to be screaming in terror at the camera.

MCCALL
(offhandedly)
Unusual picture...

JODY
(a chuckle)
Oh, yeah. That was from Dennis's
movie 'Night Shock'. That's
where Dennis and I met. Stacy
had a pretty good part.

MCCALL
Oh, then Stacy - isn't Dennis's
daughter?

JODY
We've only been married a couple
of years. But he takes care of
her like his own daughter.

MCCALL
So - he directs, and you -
manage Stacy's career?

JODY
Oh, no. Stacy hasn't worked since
Dennis and I got married. He
doesn't believe kids should work.
Especially in show business. But
I'm keeping her skills good and
sharp. She won't be a kid
forever. She's twelve now, you
know.

MCCALL
(a beat)
Jody: this might come as a bit
of a shock, but it's going to
come out, so I might as well be
the one to tell you.

Jody waits in silent tension, her eyes fixed on McCall's.

MCCALL
Your husband made a statement to
us that he went to Karen Parker's
apartment to have sex with her.

Jody looks at Dee Dee and says nothing. After a moment, she
expels a breath, turns, and walks over to the ebony bar.
She lifts the lid off an ice bucket, picks up a pair of
silver tongs and plops a few wedge-shaped cubes into a cut
crystal highball glass. She pours herself a shot. (BSP
NOTE: A Shot, not half a glass of booze.)

JODY
Drink?

MCCALL
No, thanks.

Jody takes a sip, swirls the ice around, polishes it off.
She puts the glass down, looking squarely at Dee Dee.

JODY
I tell myself it doesn't bother
Me.

MCCALL
It's not the first time?

Jody considers Dee Dee for a moment, then:

JODY
My husband is a film director.
Do you know how often he gets
propositioned by beautiful women?

MCCALL
Are you talking about Karen?

JODY
No. She had too much class to
be obvious.
(a beat)
I was very realistic when I
married Dennis. I promised
myself I wasn't going to get upset
over the occasional - other woman
- because that kind of thing sort
of - goes with the job.

Just now, Stacy rushes in from the other room. She's
dressed in a colorful, cotton sundress, now barefoot. Her
soft, blonde hair is combed out and she looks very pretty.
Maria hurries in after her, a pair of sandals in her hand.

MARIA
(edging on
exasperation)
She won't put on her shoes!

STACY
I don't have to wear shoes! It's
too warm out. Tell her I don't
have to wear shoes. Mom!

JODY
It's okay, Maria.

Maria turns and goes out, muttering at the heavens in
Spanish.

MARIA
... deme paciencia, Dios mio ...

Having won her point, Stacy turns to Dee Dee and looks her
over.

STACY
I haven't seen you here before.

JODY
Stacy, this is Dee Dee.

MCCALL
Hello, Stacy.

STACY
(suspiciously)
You the new decorator?

JODY
No, dear. Dee Dee's a friend.

STACY
Must be a new friend.

JODY
You'd better hurry up, sweetheart.
You don't want to keep Mrs. Talbot
waiting.

STACY
I hate Mrs. Talbot. She smells
like bathroom spray!

JODY
(a warning)
Stacy...

STACY
(irritated)
All right, Mom!

Stacy turns and goes out. Jody turns back to Dee Dee.

JODY
You got any kids, Dee Dee?

MCCALL
NO.

JODY
Don't be in a hurry.

McCall considers this, and we:

CUT TO:

INT. HEADQUARTERS - LATE AFTERNOON

McCall enters the squad room and crosses toward her desk.
Hunter hangs up the telephone and snatches a message off his
desk. Holding it aloft with two fingers:

HUNTER
The desk officer took this message
for Sergeant Dee Dee McCall from
one Alex Parker - who has
something very important to tell
her.

McCall snatches the message and looks at it.

HUNTER
Still doesn't want to talk to me,
I guess.

MCCALL
What can I say, Hunter? He thinks
you're a burnt-out case.

HUNTER
(a beat)
He's right.

McCall picks up the phone and starts to dial.

HUNTER
Hey, wait a minute. How'd you
do with Stone's wife?

MCCALL
She corroborated his alibi.

HUNTER
What did you expect?

MCCALL
Something like that. How about
you?

HUNTER
I showed Parker's picture around
the neighborhood.

MCCALL
Anything?

HUNTER
Nope. But in every neighborhood
there's a little old lady who sees
everything. I'm going to find
her.

MCCALL
(half-smile)
How do you know it's a little old
lady?

HUNTER
It's always a little old lady.

McCall shoots him a look and shakes her head, picks up the
phone and punches up the number.

CUT TO:

EXT. BEACH HOUSE - DAY

Alex is working at a drafting table on a deck overlooking
the ocean. He is deeply involved in sketching something
which, from this angle, we can't see. His cordless
telephone RINGS. He sets down his pen, still focused on his
drawing, flips out the antenna on the phone and switches it
on.

ALEX
Hello?

INTERCUT

MCCALL
It's Sergeant McCall. I'm
returning your call.

ALEX
I think I've got something very
important for you.

McCall picks up a pencil.

MCCALL
Fire away.

ALEX
I don't want to tell you over the
phone, but it is important.

MCCALL
Where are you? This isn't the
hotel number.

ALEX
A client of mine left for Europe
this morning. He called me up
and said: 'You built this place,
now live in it. It's in Malibu.

MCCALL
That's quite a way from here.
You sure you can't tell me over
the phone?

ALEX
Positive. Besides, I've just been
down to the rocks, and harvested
a whole bucketful of something
the Spanish call 'percebes'. I
was hoping I could persuade you
to share them with me.

MCCALL
I don't even know what they are.

ALEX
They are an absolutely
indescribable delicacy which you
have to taste to believe.

MCCALL
(a beat)
What's the address?

ALEX
It's 3428 Pacific Coast Highway
- You won't be sorry.

INT. THE SQUADROOM

McCall hangs up the phone and gets up to go.

HUNTER
What now?
(a guess; a jab)
Dinner in Malibu?

MCCALL
(nodding)
And something he won't tell me
over the phone.

HUNTER
You want me to follow you and
stand by?

MCCALL
I don't think you need to. I
honestly don't believe he's
dangerous.

HUNTER
In spite of all the evidence.

MCCALL
(pats his shoulder)
You just keep looking for your
little old lady.

HUNTER
Whatever you say, partner.

CUT TO:

INT. BEACH HOUSE - KITCHEN - LATE AFTERNOON

Alex lifts the lid off a steaming pot. Dee Dee looks into
it. A Beat, then:

MCCALL
Barnacles!

ALEX
Not barnacles...
(in fluent
Castillian)
'Percebes'.

MCCALL
They look like barnacles to me.

ALEX
To the untrained eye, perhaps.
But in Spain, you might pay
seventy, eighty dollars for a
bunch like this, if you could get
them. And...

He opens the refrigerator and produces a wine bottle with no
label.

ALEX
...Spanish Vino de Casa!

MCCALL
House wine?

ALEX
Yes. Cheap and good.

MCCALL
(laughs)
Sounds wonderful.

Alex pours a couple of glasses, hands one to Dee Dee, raises
his own.

ALEX
To barnacles and cheap wine.

They toast and drink. Dee Dee looks at him.

MCCALL
(a beat)
Not to digress... but didn't you
say you had something important
to tell me?

Alex sets down his glass, turns the flame on the stove to
simmer.

ALEX
These'll be ready in a minute...
(facing her)
I got a call today from my wife's
mother. She's got a letter that
Karen wrote about a month ago.
She's bringing it by tomorrow.
(a beat)
Remember I said Karen told me she
didn't like Dennis Stone?

MCCALL
Yes.

ALEX
Well, now we've got more than my
word on that. According to
Karen's letter, the only person
she could stand in that house was
the little girl. She described
her as 'lonely, afraid, and very
much in need of a friend'.
(a beat)
As far as Dennis Stone was
concerned, she was, quote:
'counting the minutes' till she
finished the job. She found him
absolutely revolting, and his wife
weird.
(a beat)
Now we know for a fact that he
lied.

MCCALL
Well, actually, all we know is
what Karen told her mother.

ALEX
Why would she write that to her
mother if it wasn't true?

MCCALL
(a beat)
Why couldn't you tell me that over
the phone?

Alex smiles, caught red-handed.

ALEX
Because of the percebes, of
course!

Dee Dee laughs. Alex grins and lifts the lid again.

ALEX
Which are now ready.

He takes the pot off the stove and shuts off the flame. Dee
Dee watches him, taking another sip of wine.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE DECK - SUNSET - A SERIES OF SHOTS (MOS/MUSIC OVER)

Alex demonstrates the proper method: break the "heel" and
pull. Out comes a tiny pink phallus; eat it and marvel at
the wonderful flavor.

Dee Dee tries it. Out comes the two-inch long piece of
meat. But before she gets it to her mouth it falls off.
She and Alex laugh.

Several CLOSE ANGLES of slippery fingers and lips, shucking
and peeling and eating with pleasure and panache; more wine
being poured and drunk. Eyes catching eyes, looking away,
looking back.

FULL SHOT - THE SUNSET

at its most breathtaking moment.

DEE DEE

is alone for a moment on the deck. The dinner dishes are
gone. She strolls over next to the table where Alex was
working earlier. Casually, she lifts the cover of the large
sketch pad lying there. Her expression turns to surprise
and delight at what she sees. Just now, Alex comes walking
back out with two cups of coffee.

MCCALL
Why didn't you show me this?

ALEX
(setting down the
coffee)
You weren't supposed to see that
yet. It's not ready.

MCCALL
Mot ready? It's beautiful!
Too beautiful!

The ANGLE ADJUSTS so that we, too, can SEE what they're
looking at. It is a masterful, unfinished, pencil rendering
of Dee Dee, in 3/4 profile, looking spectacular.

ALEX
What can I say? I have a
beautiful subject.

Dee Dee turns to him, a tangible current of electricity
between them. They are drawn almost involuntarily toward
one another. Their lips meet gently, tentatively. The
spark catches. Dee Dee pulls away before the fire starts.

MCCALL
This is where I better say
goodnight.

ALEX
You don't mean that.

Dee Dee steps back to an arm's length.

MCCALL
I do. I have to... I've had a
wonderful evening.

They look at each other from opposite sides of a gulf.
Finally:

ALEX
I'll be getting Karen's letter...

MCCALL
You can send it to me.

ALEX
Better still: you can come pick
it up.

MCCALL
Alex, I...

ALEX
Dee Dee, If you want the letter,
it'll be here.
(a beat)
So will I.

Dee Dee looks at him, saying nothing.

EXT. THE STREETS - DAY (DAY #4) (MOS MONTAGE/MUSIC OVER))

CLOSE ON Hunter's feet, flatfooting it down a sizzling
concrete sidewalk. The stuff fallen arches are made of.

HUNTER, in shirtsleeves, at a cab stand. Flashes Alex
Parker's picture to a young cabbie in sunglasses and a
hawaiian shirt. The guy shakes his head. Hunter thanks him
and moves on.

HUNTER'S FEET, crossing a busy street in a crowded
crosswalk.

ON THE STREET, Hunter flashes the picture to a frowsy
little old lady. She doesn't know anything and wishes
Hunter would go away and leave her alone.

HUNTER'S FEET on their relentless journey. PAN UP as Hunter
is passed by two beach lovelies with bikinis and long blonde
hair who go dancing by on rollerskates, checking him out
appreciatively. Hunter grins. The girls laugh and dance
away.

HUNTER on the "boardwalk" where the old men play chess
beside the beach. Sits down on a bench, pulls off his shoes
and starts to rub his aching feet. An old guy with a cane
hobbles up and sits down next to Hunter. Hunter smiles,
nods, flashes the picture. The old man gives Hunter a look,
and gets up to find another bench. Hunter sighs. It's
getting to be a long, long day.

27 EXT. THE STREETS - NIGHT

Hunter trudges out of a drugstore, photo in hand, and heads
up the street. We FOLLOW him until he turns into the next
place of business: a cocktail lounge.

VERY LATE. Hunter is all but wiped out by his fruitless
search. He approaches the door to a liquor store. Just as
he gets there, the guy inside locks the door and flips out
the "CLOSED" sign.

HUNTER
(through the glass)
'Scuse me...

In response, the guy gives Hunter a dirty look, points at
the sign, and turns away. Hunter decides to call it a
night.

DISSOLVE TO:

CLOSE ON A LETTER

in Dee Dee's hand. From this angle, we see only Dee Dee's
fingers and the back of the stationery. None of what is
written.

EXT. THE ROCKS - DAY (DAY 5)

Gentle waves splash against the jetty where McCall is seated
on a large rock, reading Karen's letter to her mother. She
looks out at the horizon, thinking about what she is
reading. Alex is down by the water line, dressed in shorts
and a blue workshirt. He comes up with a large bucket of
black mussels.

ALEX
Today's catch: Fresh mussels!

Dee Dee breaks from the letter and smiles.

MCCALL
Great.

ALEX
(re: the letter)
So? What do you think?

MCCALL
I think it's pretty clear your
wife thought Dennis Stone was
a jerk.

ALEX
Which means he's also a liar.

MCCALL
Or has an overly active
imagination.

Alex comes up and sits down beside her. McCall looks at
him, then:

MCCALL
But this is the first piece of
evidence in your favor.

ALEX
Besides the fact that I'm not
guilty.

MCCALL
(simply)
I believe you.

ALEX
(a beat)
That leaves Sergeant Hunter.

MCCALL
(smiles)
He's busy looking for a little
old lady.

ALEX
(quizzically)
What?

MCCALL
(laughs)
Forget it. He won't find her.

Alex smiles, getting the idea. He gets up and extends a
hand to Dee Dee.

ALEX
Come on. The tide's coming in.
And I'm starved.

MCCALL
Me too.

She takes his hand and he helps her to her feet. She
stands, facing him. He doesn't let go of her hand, nor she,
his. Their eyes lock. Neither can resist the magnetism
between them. They go into each other's arms and kiss with
mounting passion. We STAY ON them for some time from
SEVERAL ANGLES as they melt into each other, and we:

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. THE BEDROOM - NIGHT

Alex and Dee Dee are snuggled up together under the sheets,
happy and at peace. The flickering light of a fading fire
dances over them, as they seem to need nothing but one
another. Alex runs his fingers through Dee Dee's hair,
kisses her gently. She responds, bringing her lips up to
meet his, their hunger rekindled. The TELEPHONE RINGS.
Alex moans, turns, plucks the receiver from the bedstand.

ALEX
Hello?

Alex listens for a moment, looks puzzled and surprised, then
hands the phone to McCall.

ALEX
It's for you.

Dee Dee looks surprised and concerned. She takes the phone.

MCCALL
Hello? Hunter!?
(a beat)

INT. POLICE HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT - INTERCUT:

HUNTER
(grimly)
Sorry to bother you. Get up and
get your clothes on. We've got
another murder on our hands.

MCCALL
(sitting up)
Who?

HUNTER
Dennis Stone.

Dee Dee's expression goes stark, as a chill sets into her
bones.

FADE OUT

END OF ACT TWO

***********************************************************

ACT THREE

FADE IN

INT. MORGUE - NIGHT

BEGIN CLOSE on the cold face of Dennis Stone. PULL BACK
TO REVEAL Hunter, McCall and CARLOS.

CARLOS
For once I happen to agree with
the M.E. Whacked on the back of
the head.
(points them out)
See these cute little bruises
around his nose and mouth? A hand
was clamped over 'em till his EEG
went flat.

MCCALL
(wearily)
Exactly how Karen Parker was
killed.

HUNTER
(to McCall)
Then he was propped up behind the
wheel of his car and driven over
the side of Mulholland Drive.

MCCALL
And this happened when?

CARLOS
M.E. figures three, maybe four
this afternoon.

McCall glances at Hunter, sees that he is looking at her,
and looks away. Quietly:

MCCALL
No witnesses?

HUNTER
Body wasn't found till
eight-thirty, by a couple of kids
who went up there to get it on.
Wrecked their whole night.

MCCALL
Yeah. Mine, too.

She starts out. Carlos covers Dennis with the sheet.

CARLOS
(to Dennis )
Hollywood's gonna miss ya, babe.

INT. MORGUE - NIGHT

(Note: Adjust according to location and schedule
practicalities.)

Hunter and McCall walk out into the deadly silence, save
only for the buzz of the flourescent lights. McCall is
subdued.

HUNTER
(quietly)
What time did you get to Alex's?

MCCALL
About five thirty.
(a beat)
Which means you're right, Hunter.
He would have had the time to do
it.
(off Hunter's look)
But why would he? Dennis Stone
must've had lots of enemies.

HUNTER
Hey, McCall - whoever killed
Karen Parker also killed Dennis
Stone. It's exactly the same M.O.
If we had two suspects before,
now we really only have one.

MCCALL
Just don't jump to any
conclusions.

HUNTER
It's just a fact, McCall. On a
growing list of facts.

MCCALL
The man I spent the evening with
was not a man who had just
committed murder.

HUNTER
Speaking of jumping to
conclusions.

MCCALL
(hurting)
Damn it, Hunter!

Hunter says nothing, feeling nothing but sympathy for her,
but also feeling she's making a big mistake.

MCCALL
(continuing)
You know what I'm going to do?
I'm going to find out where Dennis
Stone's wife was this afternoon.

HUNTER
His wife? What makes her a
suspect?

MCCALL
To quote you, Hunter - unless
it's dope or street crime, the
spouse is quilty seventy percent
of the time. And this one is
weird.

HUNTER
The D.A.'s going to love that.

McCall burns him with a look and starts to move away.

HUNTER
You're going up there now? It's
three o'clock in the morning.

MCCALL
(a sigh)
I'm going home, Hunter. I'll see
her later. I'll see you later,
too.

He nods and steps back, a world of unspoken meanings between
them, too well understood by both. Hunter watches her go.

DISSOLVE TO

INT. HEADQUARTERS - DAY (DAY 6)

Hunter is at the typewriter, working laboriously on a
report. He makes an error, gets silently pissed, grabs a
bottle of white-out and paints out the error. As he resumes
typing, Dee Dee walks in, tosses her bag on her desk and
sits down heavily. Hunter looks up, not without sympathy.

HUNTER
Nothing, huh?

MCCALL
(shakes her head)
Like pushing on a brick wall.
And believe me, I pushed. But
both Stacy and the housekeeper
said Jody Stone was at home when
her husband was killed.
(a beat)
The little girl doesn't even know
yet. Mother seems to think she
couldn't handle it.
(off Hunter's look)
Hunter... there's something really
bizarre about that whole scene.

A VOICE, O.S., gets their attention.

DEAN (O.S.)
Sergeant Hunter?

Hunter and McCall both turn to FIND:

DEAN FORD

He's 27, with dark, curly hair and brash good looks. He
wears the uniform of a limousine driver, and carries a
folded newspaper.

HUNTER
That's right.

DEAN
My name's Dean Ford.

HUNTER
My partner, Sergeant McCall.

MCCALL
What can we do for you?

DEAN
Well, I was waiting for a haircut,
and I happened to pick up this
newspaper.

Dean opens the paper and sets it on Hunter's desk. Our
ANGLE COMPENSATES to allow us to READ the headline of a
small, featured story: "Architect Questioned In Wife's
Murder". Beneath the text of the story is a picture of Alex
Parker.

Both Hunter and McCall look at Dean with aroused curiosity.
OFF their looks;

DEAN
The article says this guy claims
he was in Santa Barbara Friday
night?

HUNTER
Yes?

DEAN
Well, I'm pretty sure I saw him
in L.A. that night.

Hunter and McCall trade looks. As the dust settles from
this bomb:

MCCALL
(sharply)
Where?

DEAN
I drive a limousine for City
Lights. I dropped some kids off
at a party near Westwood. -- Had
a couple hours to kill, so I
cruised up to Roy's Smokehouse
for a burger. It's -- kind of
a hangout of mine.

MCCALL
That's where you saw Alex Parker?

DEAN
I was coming out of the bathroom,
which is back behind the phones
there, and this guy was just
hanging up. He turned around,
and we almost bumped into each
other. He said "excuse me", and
I got a real, up-close look at
him.
(re: the paper)
This is him.

HUNTER
(to McCall)
I think I just found my little
old lady.

Off McCall's troubled reaction:

SMASH CUT TO

INT. LINEUP ROOM

Alex is on the line with several other candidates behind the
one-way glass. Hunter, McCall, CAPT. DEVANE, and a young,
black, Assistant D.A. named SHARON WILLIAMS are seated out
front with Dean Ford. Pointing to Alex:

DEAN
That's him. The one on the end.

DEVANE
You're absolutely sure about that?

DEAN
No doubt about it. I saw him
right up close. That's the guy.

A beat. McCall's face is hard and set as she stands up and
walks out of the room without a word to anyone. Hunter and
Devane share a look, then:

DEVANE
All right. Thank you, Mister
Ford.

DEAN
That's it?

HUNTER
That's it for now. But don't
leave town without telling us.
You just became a material witness
to a homicide.

Hunter passes a small pad and pen to Dean.

HUNTER
Why don't you give me a number
where I can reach you?

Dean writes a number on the pad. Hunter tears it off and
folds it into his pocket.

HUNTER
Thanks.

Hunter turns away, looking back at Alex. Dean gets up and
exits with uncertainty. Devane flips a switch on the
console activating the speaker behind the glass.

DEVANE
Thank you, gentlemen.

Behind the glass, Alex and the other men from the lineup are
led off by a couple of uniformed cops. Hunter and Devane
both turn to Sharon, who wears a look of consideration.

HUNTER
Well?

SHARON
It's not enough, guys. It's not
a prosecutable case - not yet.

DEVANE
(to Sharon)
I think we're handing you a damn
good case.

SHARON
Come on, Captain. No district
attorney in the state would take
a guy who looks like that in front
of a jury on the strength of what
you've got.

HUNTER
(has to say it)
We've got material evidence, no
alibi, and somebody who puts him
in L.A. on the night of the
murder. Which means Alex Parker
lied. What more do you want?

SHARON
I think they call it "the smoking
gun".

Hunter turns to Devane for assistance. Devane shrugs,
resigned to the facts.

CUT TO

INT. MCCALL'S APARTMENT - LATE AFTERNOON

McCall sits by a window and stares out into space, looking
shell-shocked. The TELEPHONE RINGS. She looks at it,
thinks about not answering, then picks it up. Listlessly:

MCCALL
Hello.

ALEX (V.O.)
Dee Dee... It's Alex. I...

Dee Dee slams the phone down, trembling inside. She stares
at the phone. After a few moments, it RINGS again. This
time, she stands up and rips the plug out of the wall.

DISSOLVE TO

INT. MCCALL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

A KNOCK comes at the door. After a moment, McCall comes out
of the bedroom wearing a bathrobe. She looks drawn and
very, very tired. Approaching the door:

MCCALL
Who is it?

ALEX (O.S.)
It's Alex...

MCCALL
Go away. I don't want to see you.

ALEX (O.S.)
Dee Dee - for God's sake... I've
got to talk to you.
(a beat; Dee Dee
is silent)
Open the door. Please?

McCall hesitates, deliberates, and finally opens the door as
far as the end of the chain. We INTERCUT ANGLES of Alex and
Dee Dee.

ALEX
I can't talk to you like this.

MCCALL
That's too bad. You're not coming
in.

ALEX
My lawyer told me someone placed
me in Los Angeles on the night
of Karen's murder.

MCCALL
That's right.

ALEX
Whoever that person is, is lying.

MCCALL
Sure.

ALEX
Damn it, Dee Dee, someone is
setting me up!

MCCALL
You said that the first time we
met. But it wasn't enough just
to get me on your side! You had
to get me into your bed. What
was that for? To make damned sure
you had me completely under
control?!

ALEX
No.
(a beat)
I thought I was falling in love
with you.

MCCALL
(bitterly)
Are you finished?

ALEX
Not quite. I want you to look
at me and tell me you honestly
believe I killed my wife, and then
killed Dennis Stone.

McCall looks at him hard, then, without blinking an eye:

MCCALL
That is what I believe.

ON ALEX

as she closes the door in his face.

ON DEE DEE

For a moment, she is lost somewhere between her anger and
her pain. She moves unevenly back to the chair beside the
window, sits down, covers her face with her hands, and
weeps.

FADE OUT

END OF ACT THREE

*************************************************************

ACT FOUR

FADE IN

EXT. WESTWOOD - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING (STOCK)

A sultry JAZZ GUITAR RIFF takes us in OVER a stylish,
sweeping shot of the trendy little college resort on a warm
weeknight.

INT. ROY'S SMOKEHOUSE - NIGHT

The MUSIC is coming from here, courtesy of a lone JAZZ
GUITARIST on a stool in the corner under a colorful light.
The place is small, cozy, expensive. Business is mellow.
We FIND:

HUNTER

at the bar. Flashes his badge to the bartender, a cool
black guy named JIM:

JIM
(slightly tense)
What can I do for you?

Hunter puts away his shield. In his most disarming way:

HUNTER
It's got nothing to do with you
or the place. I just want to ask
some questions about a customer
of yours.

JIM
(relaxing)
Shoot.

HUNTER
You know a guy named Dean Ford?

JIM
...Sure, I know Dean. Drives a
limo. He's in here all the time.

HUNTER
Was he in here last Friday night?

JIM
That I couldn't tell you.

HUNTER
Why not?

JIM
Me and my ol' lady flew to Vegas.
Took the weekend off.

HUNTER
(a beat)
But you'd usually be working on
Fridays?

JIM
Yeah. And I wish I had. I lost
six hundred bucks.

Hunter nods his thanks and moves away toward the back of the
place. Jim turns to a couple of pretty girls who have just
come up to the bar. With a glance at Hunter:

JIM
You girls got some I.D.?

AT THE PHONES

Just as Dean described - in the hallway near the restrooms.
Hunter takes the number out of his pocket, drops a quarter
in the slot and dials. We HEAR the RING. After a bit, we
HEAR Dean's VOICE:

DEAN (V.O.)
Hello?

HUNTER
Mister Ford? It's Sergeant
Hunter.

INT. DEAN'S PLACE - NIGHT (INTERCUT)

Small but comfortable. Dean leans on the edge of a table
and plays it cool.

DEAN
What can I do for you?

HUNTER
Could you tell me again the name
of the place where you saw Alex
Parker last Friday?

DEAN
Roy's Smokehouse.

HUNTER
In Westwood, right?

DEAN
Right.

HUNTER
Do you remember anything else
unusual you might have seen that
night?

DEAN
No - not really -

HUNTER
What's the bartender's name there?

DEAN
You mean Jim?

HUNTER
Jim, right. He was there Friday
night?

DEAN
Yeah.

Hunter registers this lie, and we:

SMASH CUT TO

INT. MCCALL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

A loud, persistent KNOCKING brings McCall angrily out of the
bedroom. She's still in a bathrobe.

MCCALL
Who is it?

HUNTER (O.S.)
McCall, it's me! Open the door!

She goes to the door, opens it quickly, admitting Hunter.
As she closes the door behind him:

HUNTER
You look terrible.

MCCALL
Thanks a lot.

HUNTER
You didn't answer your phone.

MCCALL
That's right.

HUNTER
Well, get your clothes on.

MCCALL
(wearily)
Another murder?

HUNTER
The guy lied!

MCCALL
(so tired)
Who lied now?

HUNTER
The limo driver! He wasn't at
that bar Friday night! He didn't
see Alex Parker!

CLOSE ON MCCALL

It hits her with a jarring combination of warming relief and
wrenching pain. We HOLD ON her look, and:

CUT TO

EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT

Hunter and McCall are waiting in front of a restaurant, as a
STRETCH LIMO pulls up to the curb. The driver hops out to
open the doors. It's Dean Ford.

DEAN
Evening! You folks call for a...
(recognizing them)
...limousine?
At which point, Hunter grabs him by the lapels and slams him
back against the limo.

DEAN
Hey, man! You can't do this!

HUNTER
Read him his rights, McCall.

MCCALL
You have the right to remain
silent. If you give up this
right, anything you say can and
will be used against you in court.

HUNTER
(overlapping; very
tough)
You can even call a lawyer before
you talk to us. In fact, I think
you better. Because you're into
it up to your eyeballs.

Dean's cool is beginning to peel away, but he tries to make
a show of balls.

DEAN
I'm gonna get you up on police
brutality!

HUNTER
In that case, I better kick your
butt from one end of this street
to the other.

MCCALL
Let him go, Hunter. I think he
gets the idea.

Hunter looks at Dean like he's ready to bite his head off,
and puts him down. Dean tries to smooth his jacket and his
ego.

HUNTER
You lied to us. Your bartender
friend was out of town Friday
night.

Dean blanches.

MCCALL
Which means you're either a
murderer, or somebody hired you
to lie for them.

DEAN
(sweating)
I don't have to tell you anything.

HUNTER
That's right. And after we take
you downtown and book you for
murder, you can even call a
lawyer.

Dean stares at them, recognizing the end of the line.

CUT TO

EXT. STONE ESTATE - DAY (DAY 7)

Jody Stone greets Hunter and McCall just outside the open
poolhouse door. Bismark, the killer watchdog, is at her
side, gentle as a lamb with two-inch fangs. Jody looks
pretty bad. Like she's been up drinking and doing coke for
a couple of days.

Hunter and McCall exchange looks. Jody seems to sense that
she'd better get it together. As best she can:

JODY
You said it was... important.

MCCALL
It is.

JODY
What is it?

HUNTER
You're under arrest, Mrs. Stone.
The charge is murder.

Before Jody can open her mouth, a SCREAM comes from just
inside the poolhouse. Stacy stumbles out from where she's
been hiding behind the door, hyperventilating her way to
complete hysteria. The tears pour out from her broken
emotional dam.

JODY
(to Stacy)
Quiet!

STACY
Mommy, no! What are they saying,
Mommy?!!

JODY
I said SHUT UP!

Hunter makes a move to restrain Jody. In a flash, Bismark
springs up with a savage bark and launches himself at
Hunter's throat. Hunter is knocked back by the tremendous
force. Stacy runs screaming back into the poolhouse.
McCall steps in and restrains Jody as the dog springs at
Hunter again. This time Hunter uses the beast's own
momentum to send it flying into the pool. Hunter rolls to
his feet and heads back toward McCall and Jody, taking out
his handcuffs. In the b.g., Bismark is trying to climb out
of the pool.

Jody sags, defeated, as Hunter snaps the cuffs on her. She
begins to cry, sinking to her knees, then all the way to the
ground.

MCCALL
(looking for Stacy)
Where'd she go?

HUNTER
Find her.

McCall heads into the poolhouse. Hunter reaches down and
pulls Jody to her feet, not roughly.

INT. POOLHOUSE

McCall makes her way through the front room.

MCCALL
Stacy?

No answer. McCall moves on. Suddenly, she hears a muffled
sob from the other side of a closet door. She approaches
the door, places her hand on the knob, and opens it slowly.

MCCALL
Stacy?

IN THE CLOSET

Stacy is huddled back in the corner and curled up in a fetal
posture, trembling in terror.

McCall bends down low and reaches out to her. Stacy pulls
back, trembling, her eyes full of panic-stricken tears.
McCall takes it easy, gently reassuring the terrified little
girl.

MCCALL
It's all right, Stacy. I want
to help you.

Dee Dee reaches again for the little girl, but freezes at
the sound of a low, manacing GROWL behind her. Barely
moving, she turns her head enough to SEE:

BISMARK

crouched down, short hair spiked up on his neck, still wet
from the pool and none too happy about it, salivating at the
scent of Dee Dee's throbbing jugular. Dee Dee loses her
color as:

MCCALL
Nice dog. Good doggie...

Bismark takes a step forward, baring his fangs and snarling
viciously. His haunches gather for a lunge. Just as the
dog is about to spring:

STACY
Bismark! No!

Bismark stops growling and lies down like a gentleman. Dee
Dee sags back against the closet door, breathes a sigh of
mortal relief, and turns to look at Stacy.

MCCALL
...thanks.

Stacy stares at her through wide, tearful eyes, sensing
McCall's goodness, but unable, for now, to let it in.

DISSOLVE TO

EXT. POLICE HEADQUARTERS - DAY (DAY #8)
TO ESTABLISH.

INT. HEADQUARTERS

Hunter and Capt. Devane come walking in.

HUNTER
...the limo driver turned out to
be Jody Stone's boyfriend. She
paid him five grand to tell us
that little story.

DEVANE
She's denied that. In fact, she's
denying everything.

HUNTER
You expect anything else?

DEVANE
Humor me, Hunter. Why did she
kill Karen Parker in the first
place?

HUNTER
(a beat)
We don't have the slightest idea.

DEVANE
You... what?!

HUNTER
Don't know.

DEVANE
You mean you booked a suspect on
suspicion of murder, and you don't
even have a motive?!

HUNTER
That about says it.

DEVANE
What the hell do you have?!

HUNTER
Jody must've told her husband
she killed Karen Parker. Dennis
decided to cover for her - clean
up the traces. Do a little
set-dressing.

DEVANE
Then she kills her accomplice?
That makes a lotta sense!

HUNTER
Dennis Stone got scared when
he realized we could pin an
accessory rap on him. Jody
decided she'd be safer if she got
rid of him.

DEVANE
That's all speculation, Hunter!
You've got less on Jody Stone than
you had on Alex Parker!

HUNTER
Captain, she paid her boyfriend
five grand to try to pin a murder
rap on Alex Parker. Nobody but
the actual killer would do that.

They walk around the corner and spot McCall hanging up the
phone at her desk, amid a pile of files and reports.

MCCALL
(excited, on the
move)
That was Alice in Juvenile...
She wants us down there fast!

CUT TO

55 INT. OFFICE - DAY

BEGIN ON Stacy, trembling slightly, a tear rolling down her
cheek.

STACY
...and my mother made me swear...
never to tell anyone... She said
we'd all... be sent to prison if
I told...

PULL BACK to reveal McCall, Hunter and a good-faced Latino
woman whom we can presume is Alice from Juvenile. McCall
sits right in front of Stacy, holding her hands, at once a
mother, a sister and a friend. Hunter and Alice stand by,
quiet and supportive.

MCCALL
...and... can you tell us now?

Stacy looks at McCall through big, hurt eyes.

STACY
(fighting it)
I can't.

A look passes between McCall and Hunter.

HUNTER
(ever so gently)
Stacy? Did you ever tell anyone
else?

Stacy just stares into space for a time, then nods her head.

HUNTER (CONT'D)
Did you tell Karen Parker?

Stacy looks around at the faces, reading them, trying to
trust them. Then, in a small, trembling voice:

STACY
Yes. She was nice to me. I -
I told her. And my mom found out.
She hit me a lot. She told me
never to tell anyone ever again...
But Karen never came back to the
house.

McCall leans in close, her voice soft and reassuring.

MCCALL
Please tell me. What was it you
told Karen?

Stacy says nothing for what feels like a long time. Then
her lip starts to tremble, the lump in her throat breaks,
and the tears come hard.

STACY
When I was working on that movie,
Dennis took me to his trailer,
and he... he took off my clothes
and he... took off his clothes,
and...

Stacy breaks off. A look of painful revelation flashes
between Hunter and McCall. Gently, with great sensitivity:

MCCALL
What about after? After he
married your mom?

This is the hardest part for the little girl.

STACY
He did it a lot. My mom said it
was okay. She told me to let him
do whatever he wanted, because
if I didn't... he would leave.
And we'd be poor again...

Stacy covers her face and sobs into her hands. McCall wraps
her arms around Stacy and holds her close, rocking her
gently. A tear rolls down McCall's cheek as she looks up at
Hunter. Hunter sags back against the wall, blows out a
breath. OFF his look of grim understanding, we:

FADE OUT

END OF ACT FOUR

TAG

FADE IN

INT. BEACH HOUSE - DAY (DAY #9)

Alex is coming into the living room, suitcase and hanging
bag in hand. As he crosses toward the door, the DOORBELL
RIGNS. Alex sets his bags down and goes to answer it.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Alex opens the door, REVEALING Dee Dee.

MCCALL
Hi.

ALEX
(pleasantly
surprised;
slightly reserved)
Hi.

MCCALL
Can I come in?

ALEX
Sure.

He steps back, allowing her to enter, closing the door
behind her.

MCCALL
(re: the suitcase)
Leaving?

ALEX
Going home. Santa Barbara.

She turns to face him. There is an obvious current between
them.

MCCALL
I'm not quite sure how to say
this, so I'm just gonna jump right
in, okay?

ALEX
Dee Dee, I,

MCCALL
Me first.

ALEX
All right.

MCCALL
Alex - I'm sorry. I was so
wrong. And I'm so sorry.

ALEX
You did what you thought you had
to do, and it hurt me more than
I want to say... but I do
understand.
(long, close beat)
I want you to have something.

He turns away and picks something off the table: It's the
portrait of Dee Dee he was working on, now complete, in full
color, and framed. He hands it to her.

MCCALL
Thank you. It's beautiful.

ALEX
Something to remember me by.

Dee Dee is struck by this: not what she expected or
wanted to hear.

MCCALL
(a loss for words)
...remember?
(beat)
I was... hoping -- we might be
able to - pick up where we left
off...

Alex looks at her for a long time. The flame is covered
up, but it hasn't gone out. Finally:

ALEX
I wish we could, Dee Dee, but what
you... No, what happened is always
going to be there like a wall
between us. You didn't build that
wall, circumstances did, but its
there and I'm afraid it will
always be there.

McCall is silent for a long moment, thinking about what he
has said. Finally:

MCCALL
I thought about that, driving out
here, and I... I understand...
You may be right...
(long pause)
But will you do me a favor?
(Off his nod)
I want you to have lunch with a
woman I know. Her name's Dee Dee
McCall. I'm sure she'd be more
than willing to make the drive
to Santa Barbara tomorrow...
Nothing too fancy. Just lunch.
Just to - meet for the first
time.

Alex thinks about this, never taking his eyes from hers.
Finally:

ALEX
I think I'd like that...

MCCALL
So would she.

She holds out her hand. Alex takes it.

FREEZE FRAME

THE END