Secret Window
Mort Yeah.. I mean, they pop up every once in awhile, I suppose that’s just the price of selling a few books.
Secretary [On phone] Ha ha ha ha haa! [Mort looks at her, annoyed] Sorry..
Mort [Smiles, then looks away] [He grabs something from his coat pocket] Here’s the uh.. [He looks back at the secretary confusedly] The description.
Dave Killing an animal is not like killing a man. I’m not even sure that it’s a crime, come to think of.
Mort Come on, it’s gotta be. What about animal cruelty? What about destruction of private property? What about—Dave : Yeah, yeah, yeah.. Maybe. Okay. First thing I’m gonna need [Puts down needlepoint and picks up a pen], is a description. [Looks up at Mort] [Mort looks shocked]
Scene 10 : Setting : Ken’s Office : Characters : Mort Rainey, Ken Karsch, Secretary.
[Shot of New York buildings through a window]
Ken Tell me the truth. Did you steal it? [A siren goes]
Mort [Turns away from the window in shock] What!? No!
Ken Kind of an amazing coincidence, don’t you think? [Mort listens] The stories being so much alike?
Mort Well, obviously the guy copied it from me. Would you like to choose a side before we continue?
Ken I’m on your side, but I still need to know the truth. Which kind of situation is this? Is he a regular wacko, like you’ve had before in which case I can help? Or is this something you should be talking to your lawyer about?
Mort [Shakes head] No, no. This guy is just simply out of his mind. I think that’s all it is. [Sits down]
Ken Fine. [Spreads hands] Okay. What do you want me to do?
Mort I want you to help me in the same way that.. [Ken’s secretary comes in bringing some food and places it on the desk] [Mort is distracted, stares at the secretary] In the.. same way that you.. did before.
Ken He wasn’t this crazy. [Reaches to food] That guy was just an obsessed reader who couldn’t tell real life from the crap that you make up for a living. No offense. [Mort smiles] Now, this Shooter guy. He threatened your life?
Mort He put a screwdriver through my dog.
Ken [Eating] Well, he did break a law, but it doesn’t seem to be an important law in Tashmore Lake. The sheriff… must be a cat person. [Smiles]
Mort [Comes forward] Yeah, well I don’t exactly feel safe with a 70 year old arthritic sheriff watching my back. Are you gonna help me, or not?
Ken Uh.. Let’s see. [Looks at plan book] I got a…. corporate loyalty thing I gotta be back for by Friday, but I can give you a couple of days.
Mort [Nods] Okay. [Breathes in] My story came out a couple years… [Ken presses Mort’s side of the chess timer] [Mort looks annoyed] before.. he says he wrote his. So I’ve got a copy of the original up at Amy’s house. I was just gonna stop by on my way upstate and pick it up.
Ken Amy’s house?
Mort Yeah. [Nods] Amy and I split up about 6 months ago.
Ken I’m sorry.
Mort [Nods] Yeah. Me too.
Ken Amicable?
Mort Not remotely.
Ken What happened? Did you finally nail one of your groupies at a book signing? The Omaha Barnes & Noble? Hehehe. [Mort presses Ken’s side of the chess timer] [Nods] That was a dick thing to say, you know? Rotten profession. I apologize. [Presses Mort’s side of the timer again] You were saying?
Mort I was saying… That if it’s just proof that this guy Shooter wants, fine. I show him the magazine, but I think that maybe you should be with me when I show it to him.
Ken No shit, I’m gonna be with you. You remember my rate?
Mort Yeah. An obscene fortune, right?
Ken Look, you’ll see a black cadillac in the driveway tonight when you get home. Don’t freak out, it’s me. Keeping an eye on things.
Mort Okay. [Gets up]
Ken Get a good night’s sleep. You don’t look too hot. [Mort Leaves]
Scene 11 : Setting : Outside Amy’s House : Characters : Mort Rainey, Amy Rainey, Ted Milner.
[Mort drives on the highway to Amy’s house] [He gets into the neighborhood and slows down] [He stops across from the house and pulls into someone’s driveway] [Amy and Ted emerge from the house, talking, Ted pointing at things] [Mort regards from the reflection in the car mirror] [Amy and Ted stop by their car, and kiss]
Mort’s Voice : This is not..my beautiful house. [Amy and Ted get into the car] This is not.. my beautiful wife. [The car drives off] … Anymore. [Camera focuses out of the picture and we see the mirror, “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear”] [Mort is sad, and plays with his face]
Scene 12 : Setting : The Cabin : Characters : Mort Rainey, Ken Karsch.
[The moon is out. Mort pulls into his driveway, and spot’s Ken’s black cadillac] [He stops the car, looks around and sees Ken’s head against the window] [He turns the car off and gets out] [He walks towards the car slowly and carefully] [He bends down and sees Ken’s head on the steering wheel] [He approaches, his reflection in the window, and taps on the glass] [Ken’s head lifts]
Mort [Jumps] Oh! [He turns away] [Ken opens the car door and gets out] [They both laugh] [Mort pushes back his hair and smiles] You scared the shit out of me!
Ken Hey, hey. I’m sorry about that. This last week must’ve finally caught up with me.
Mort That’s very reassuring. Thanks.
Ken Hey, relax Hemingway. I was only out for ten minutes, swear to god.
Mort Hm..
Ken Already checked the place, everything is fine. Just waiting for you to get back to let you know.
Mort [Breathes out] [Looks off to the side] You think you’d be sticking around.. tonight or..
Ken No [Smiles] Not unless you want me to.
Mort No. [Looks away] No. No, I’m sure it’s fine. In.. [Nudges to house] In there.
Ken Nope. [Descends stairs] Heh. No monsters up here.
Mort Did you check under my bed?
Ken Even in your toy chest. [Mort comes out, holding a paddle] I’ll be back in the morning, start asking around town. [Sees the paddle] What the hell you gonna do with that, sailor. Huh? [Takes the paddle away and goes to put it back] Find out who else saw your nut-job.
Mort Tom Greenleaf. [Points]
Ken Huh?
Mort [Flashback of Tom honking honk honk honk ] Tom Greenleaf passed by when I was talking to Shooter on Lake Drive and waived at us, so he must’ve got a good look at him.
Ken [Walks into the next room] Hmm.. Tom Greenleaf. How do I get ahold of him?
Mort Bowie’s store. Breakfast every morning, 9 am.
Ken Okay, I got it. Don’t worry. [Comes back in] Once I find out where this Shooter’s staying, I’ll stop in for a little freak-me-out chat. Use the word “We” a lot. [Gestures with his hands, Mort nodding at each line] We know what you’re doing. We want it to stop. We’re watching you. Trust me, he’ll hit the road so hard, it’ll hit back. [Walks off]
Mort [Stands there] Yeah. [Ken opens front door and steps out] [Mort follows] Hey, you know what. Are you staying in town tonight?
Ken Yeah, some motel out by route 9. Uh.. Irv’s lakesider, I think it’s called. You know the place?
Mort [Flashback of Mort backing up towards motel] [Nods] Yeah, I know, yeah I know the place.
Ken Okay. good night. [Ken walks off] [Mort shuts the door and locks it]
Scene 13 : Setting : The Cabin : Characters : Mort Rainey.
[Mort stands in the cabin, drumming on his thighs] [Ken gets into his car] [Mort walks over to the window, hands behind his back] [Mort bends down and looks out the window] [He takes the string of the shade] [Something moves in the house] [Mort turns around rapidly, and looks up at the railing]
Mort Hello? [Ken’s car pulls out] [Mort scans the upper floor] [He sees Ken’s car leave] Shit. [He walks forward, then stops. He picks up a fire poker from the holder] [He goes up the stairs slowly] [Mort looks around the upper floor, but sees nothing] [He turns and cautiously opens up a door with the fire poker] [He turns on the light, and looks around, but sees nothing] [He approaches another door, and begins opening it with the fire poker] [He hears something suddenly and jumps and turns to the bathroom] [He gulps, and moves closer] [He sees a figure in the mirror and becomes scared] I know you’re in there, shithead! If you don’t come out by the time.. I count to five…. I gonna come in swingin’ [He looks at the figure] [Wipes his sweaty hands on his pants] One, two…. [He runs into the bathroom] Ahhhhhh! Smash [He attacks the mirror] [Turns on the light, and looks at his victim] I killed a mirror. Squeak [He turns to the shower and begins attacking again] Hu.. uh! Smash [Through the broken glass, he sees a mouse scamper through the tub] And my shower door.. [He slides open the busted door, and looks down at the mouse and sighs] [Throws down the poker and grabs a nearby towel] [Takes the mouse up in the towel] Crash [Part of the broken cabinet falls, scaring him] [He walks past it, and heads downstairs] [He pauses, and goes over to the desk] [He picks up the tattered packet of L&M’s and holds them for a moment, then replaces them on the desk] [He continues downstairs, then stops and comes back upstairs. He grabs the L&M’s and places one in his mouth and leaves] I don’t care. I’m just gonna smoke. I’m just gonna totally smoke. I’ll finish these, go to the store and get a brand new pack, smoke the shit out of that one. [He walks outside, takes the cigarette in his hand] [Bends down, and releases the mouse from the towel into the wild] [He strikes a match on the ground, and lights the cigarette back in his mouth]
Scene 14 : Setting : Outside : Characters : Mort Rainey, John Shooter.
Shooter Thought you didn’t smoke.
Mort [Throws away the match] I took it up recently for my health.
Shooter How are you, Mr. Rainey?
Mort Oh, I’m just… Peachy, Mr. Shooter. How are you?
Shooter Well, It sounded like you pitched a fit or something in there. [He bends down next to Mort] I don’t think you’re really all that well. Stealing from another man, that don’t seem to have ever bothered you none. Being caught up on, though. [They both stand up] Or maybe it’s just that successful writers like you throw tantrums when things don’t go the way they expect. Why didn’t you get that magazine? You were down there at her house today, weren’t you?
Mort If I get this story, and I show it to you, will you then kindly disappear?
Shooter There isn’t any.. Magazine with that story in it, Mr. Rainey. You and me, we know that.
Mort Okay, then. [He leans against the shovel standing in the ground] What can we do [He places his hand on the handle] to make you feel better? [Shooter moves around, and Mort backs away from the shovel]
Shooter I want you to fix it.
Mort What would you like me to fix?
Shooter My ending. The one you wrecked. I can’t decide what’s worse. [Shooter rubs his hand on the top of the shovel handle] Stealing my story, or ruining the ending. Mine was perfect.
Mort I don’t think I even read your whole story.
Shooter Oh, I’ll bet you did. I know I can do it, Todd Downey said, helping himself to another ear of corn from the steaming bowl. I’m sure that in time her death will be a mystery. Even to me. That’s how the story ends, pilgrim. It’s the only ending. You’re going to write it for me and get it published and it’s going to have my name on it.
Mort I’d be more than happy to write your ending, Mr. Shooter.
Shooter [Smiles and turns away] So, that wife of yours coming out of the house. [Grins] She’s purty.
Mort My wife? Why don’t we just leave her out of this?
Shooter [Turns to Mort] Would, if I could. But I’m starting to think you ain’t going to leave me that option. [Mort becomes upset, and picks up the shovel. He tries to hit Shooter with it, but Shooter grabs it with one hand] Grrrr! [He pins Mort against the wall with the shovel to his throat] You want to wake up from one of your stupid naps and find Amy nailed to your garbage bin? Or turn on the radio some morning and hear she came off second best in a match with a chainsaw you keep out in the shed? [Mort chokes] [Shooter releases him and he falls to the ground, clutching his throat and gagging] Do ye? [Mort chokes] You can’t get away with it. [Shooter walks away] I know what you did and I ain’t quittin’. Until right gets put right. [Mort catches his breath on the ground and leans backwards against a tree]
Scene 15 : Setting : The Living Room : Characters : Mort Rainey, Amy Rainey.
[Mort lies in his bed, staring out. Then he turns and thinks for some moments] [He grabs his glasses and heads downstairs] [Shot of Tashmore Lake] [Mort sits on the couch scarfing Doritos] [He looks at the phone, then to the wall and realizes that it’s been unplugged] [He gets up and plugs the phone back in] [He goes to sit back down] Phone rings [He pauses and looks at it in awe] [He puts his Dorito back in the bag and picks up the receiver]
Mort Is that you, John Wayne?
Amy [On phone] Mort? [Mort looks up] Are you there? Mort?!
Mort [Shuts his eyes] Yes, Amy, I’m here! Just lower your voice a little. What is it?
Amy [On phone] Where have you been? I have been trying to get ahold of you all night and this morning.
Mort I was asleep.
Amy [On phone] Oh, great. So you unplugged the phone!?
