OUND: That same TWANGING SNAP.

124 INTERIOR: TOWN OFFICE, WITH URSULA.

She's at her radio, which is on a table below the STORM EMERGENCY/TAKE SHELTER poster. From the RADIO comes the LOUD SOUND OF STATIC.

URSULA Come back? Rodney, are you there? Come back, Rodney!

Nothing. After another moment or two of twiddling, URSULA racks the mike and looks at the useless radio with disgust.

125 INTERIOR: THE MARKET.

HATCH, coated with snow, steps in. The SHOPPERS react to the shotgun. Before, it was under his arm and pointed at the floor. Now he's holding it up against his shoulder and pointed at the ceiling, like Steve McQueen in Wanted: Dead or Alive. HATCH looks around at the SHOPPERS.

HATCH

Mike wants all you folks to move back on both sides, okay? No one in Aisle 2. We've got us a bad guy, and we can't use the back door to bring him in like we'd like to, so just move back. Give us some room.

PETER GODSOE

Why'd he kill her?

HATCH

Just move back, Pete, okay? Mike's standing out in the snow, and his feet must be pretty cold by now. Also, we're all gonna feel better when this guy's locked up. Move back, folks, give 'em a clear way up that second aisle.

The customers move aside in two groups, leaving the center of the market clear. PETER GODSOE and ROBBIE BEALS are with one group (the one on the left, as you look toward the back of the market); MOLLY is in the other, standing with CAT and TESS MARCHANT, who has moved away from the cash register.

HATCH surveys this and decides it'll do it'll have to. He goes to the door and opens it. He beckons.

126 EXTERIOR: THE PORCH, WITH MIKE AND LINOGE.

LINOGE walks ahead, cuffed hands at his waist. MIKE is alert for anything ... or so he no doubt hopes.

MIKE Not one wrong move, Mr. Linoge. You mind me, now.

127 INTERIOR: THE MARKET, FEATURES HATCH.

He lowers the shotgun to port arms, one hand on the barrel and the other wrapped around the trigger. LINOGE, coated with snow, eyebrows crusted white, comes in. MIKE follows closely, the gun now raised and pointed at LINOGE'S back.

MIKE Right down Aisle 2. Nowhere else.

But MARTHA'S killer stops for a moment and surveys the clusters of frightened islanders. Here is an enormously important moment. LINOGE is like a tiger that has been let out of its cage. The trainer is there (two of them, counting HATCH), but when it comes to tigers only bars lots of them, strong and thick are safe. And LINOGE doesn't look like a prisoner, or act like one. He stares at the residents of Little Tall with shining eyes. The residents look back at him with fear and fascination.

MIKE

(prods him with the gun) Come on. Let's go.

LINOGE starts, then stops. He looks at PETER.

LINOGE

Peter Godsoe! My favorite seafood wholesaler standing shoulder to shoulder with my favorite politician!

PETER flinches at being addressed by name.

MIKE

(prodding with the gun) Come on. Andale. Let's just

LINOGE (ignores him)

How's the fish business? Not so good, is it? Lucky you've got the marijuana business to fall back on. How many bales have you got in the back of the warehouse right now? Ten? Twenty? Forty?

PETER GODSOE reacts violently. The shot has gone home. ROBBIE BEALS moves away from his friend, as if afraid of catching a flu germ. And for a moment, MIKE is too shocked to shut LINOGE up.

LINOGE

Better make sure you've got it wrapped up good, Pete there's gonna be a hell of a storm surge tonight when the tide comes high.

MIKE reaches out and shoves LINOGE'S shoulder, good and hard. LINOGE stumbles forward, but keeps his balance easily. This time it is CAT WITHERS that his bright eye fixes upon.

LINOGE

(as if greeting an old friend) Cat Withers!

She flinches as if struck. MOLLY puts an arm around her and looks at LINOGE with fear and mistrust.

LINOGE

You're looking well . . . but why not? It's just an in-office procedure these days, nothing to it.

CAT

(real agony) Mike, make him stop!

MIKE pushes LINOGE again, but this time LINOGE won't budge; he's as firm as ... well, as firm as that troublesome stuck door out back.

LINOGE

Went up to Deny to have it taken care of, didn't you? Don't suppose you've told your folks about it yet? ... or Billy? No? My advice would be to go ahead. What's a little scrape among friends these days?

CAT puts her hands to her face and begins to CRY. Any number of townspeople are looking at her with shock, wonder, and horror. One looks absolutely stunned. BILLY SOAMES, about twenty-three, is wearing a red apron. He's BETTY SOAMES'S son, also the market's

produce man and janitor. He's CAT'S steady guy, and this is the first he knows of how CAT got rid of their child.

MIKE places the barrel of his gun against the back of LINOGE'S head and thumbs back the hammer.

MIKE Move, or I'll move you.

LINOGE starts up the center aisle. He's not afraid of the gun to his head; he's simply finished with this bit of business.

128 INTERIOR: BY THE CHECKOUT, WITH MOLLY AND CAT.

CAT is SOBBING HYSTERICALLY, and MOLLY has her arms around her. TESS MARCHANT is dividing her attention between the sobbing girl and the incredulous BILLY SOAMES. All at once, MOLLY wakes up to a very important consideration.

MOLLY

Where's Ralphie?

129 INTERIOR: AISLE 2, WITH LINOGE AND MIKE, HATCH IN BACKGROUND.

As they approach the end of the aisle, RALPHIE comes tearing around it from the other side with a box of the sweet cereal in his hands.

RALPHIE Mom! Mommy! Can I have this one?

With absolutely no hesitation at all, LINOGE bends, picks RALPHIE up by the shoulders, and swings him around. All at once, MIKE'S son is between LINOGE and MIKE'S gun. The kid's a hostage. MIKE reacts first with shock and then with sickening, agonized fear.

MIKE Put him down! Or

LINOGE

(smiling; almost laughing) Or what?

130 INTERIOR: BY THE COUNTER, WITH MOLLY.

She loses all interest in CAT and hurries toward the head of Aisle 2 so she can see what's happening. One of the ISLAND RESIDENTS, KIRK FREEMAN, tries to stop her.

MOLLY

Let me go, Kirk!

She gives a good, hard yank, and he does. When she sees that LINOGE has her son, she GASPS LOUDLY and her hands go to her mouth.

MIKE gestures her to stay where she is without ever taking his eyes from LINOGE. Behind MOLLY, the MARKET CUSTOMERS begin to gather, staring tensely at the confrontation.

131 INTERIOR: AISLE 2, WITH LINOGE AND RALPHIE, CLOSE-UP.

LINOGE puts his forehead to RALPHIE'S, so the two of them can look intimately into each other's eyes. RALPHIE is too young to be scared. He looks into that shining, smiling, interested tiger's gaze with a kind of breathless interest.

LINOGE I know you.

RALPHIE You do?

LINOGE You're Ralph Emerick Anderson. And I know something else.

RALPHIE is fascinated, unaware of HATCH RACKING A SHELL into the shotgun, unaware that the market has turned into a powder keg of which he is the fuse. He is fascinated, almost hypnotized, by LINOGE.

RALPHIE

What?

LINOGE plants a quick, light kiss on the bridge of RALPHIE'S nose.

LINOGE

You have a fairy saddle!

RALPHIE

(smiling, delighted) That's what my daddy calls it!

LINOGE

(returns the smile) You bet! And speaking of Daddy

He sets RALPHIE down, but for a moment he's leaning so close that RALPHIE is still, in effect, his hostage. RALPHIE sees the handcuffs.

RALPHIE

Why're you wearing those?

LINOGE

Because I choose to. Go on. See your dad.

He turns RALPHIE around and gives him a light swat on the butt. RALPHIE sees his father and lights up in a smile. Before he can take more than a step or two, MIKE grabs him and pulls the boy into his arms. RALPHIE sees the pistol.

RALPHIE

Daddy, why have you got

MOLLY

Ralphie!

She sprints for him, brushing past HATCH and knocking a bunch of canned goods to the floor. The cans roll everywhere. She pulls RALPHIE out of MIKE'S arms and hugs him frantically. MIKE, flustered and rocky (who wouldn't be?), returns his focus to the faintly smiling LINOGE, who has now had about nine billion chances to get away.

RALPHIE

Why's Daddy pointing a gun at that man?

MIKE Moll, get him out of here.

MOLLY What are you

MIKE

Get him out of here!

She FLINCHES at the unaccustomed shout and begins to retreat with RALPHIE in her arms, toward the other people clustering timidly at the foot of the aisle. She steps on a can and it rolls out from under her. Before she can fall, KIRK FREEMAN catches and steadies her. RALPHIE, looking over her shoulder at his daddy, is finally upset.

RALPHIE Don't shoot him, Daddy, he knows about the fairy saddle.

MIKE

(more to LINOGE than RALPHIE)

I'm not going to shoot him. Not if he goes where he's supposed to.

He looks toward the end of the aisle. LINOGE smiles and nods, as if to say, "Of course, since you insist," and starts that way, hands in front of him again. HATCH catches up to MIKE.

HATCH

What are we going to ?

MIKE Lock him up! What else?

He's terrified, ashamed, relieved . . . you name it, MIKE is feeling it. HATCH sees enough of MIKE'S emotions to be abashed and retires a bit into the background as MIKE shadows LINOGE to the upper end of the aisle.

132 INTERIOR: ANGLE ON MEAT COUNTER AND CONSTABLE'S OFFICE DOOR.

As LINOGE and MIKE get to the head of the aisle, LINOGE turns left, toward the constable's office, as if he knows where it is. HATCH follows after. And then, from Aisle 1, comes BILLY SOAMES. He's too angry to be scared, and before MIKE can stop him, he grabs LINOGE and THROWS HIM against the meat counter.

BILLY SOAMES What do you know about Katrina? And how do you know it?

MIKE has had enough. He grabs BILLY by the back of his shirt and HEAVES HIM against a rack of powdered herbs and fish fixin's. BILLY hits it hard and goes spawling.

MIKE

What are you, crazy? This guy's a killer! Stay out of his way! And stay out of mine, Billy Soames!

LINOGE

Also, clean yourself up.

We glimpse that STRANGE, BLACKISH WAVERING in his eyes again.

133 INTERIOR: BILLY, CLOSE-UP.

At first he sits there where he landed, looking question marks at LINOGE. Then his nose GUSHES BLOOD. He feels it, reaches up to catch the flow, and looks unbelievingly at the blood on his palms.

CAT runs up Aisle 1 to where he is and kneels beside him. She wants to help him; she wants to do anything, really, that will take away the awful look of surprise and hurt anger on his face. But BILLY is having none of it. He shoves her back.

BILLY SOAMES Leave me alone!

He lurches to his feet.

134 INTERIOR: BY THE MEAT COUNTER, WIDER.

LINOGE

Before he gets too self-righteous, Katrina, ask him how well he knows Jenna Freeman.

BILLY flinches, stunned.

135 INTERIOR: KIRK FREEMAN, IN AISLE 2.

KIRK FREEMAN

What do you know about my sister?

136 INTERIOR: RESUME MEAT COUNTER.

LINOGE

That horses aren't all she enjoys riding when the weather's hot. Right, Billy?

CAT looks at BILLY, stricken. He wipes at his BLEEDING NOSE with the back of his hand and looks anywhere but at her. His self-righteous, wounded anger has dissolved into a kind of slinking furtiveness. His face says, "lemme outta here." MIKE still looks like he can't believe how screwed up this whole thing has gotten.

MIKE Move away from this man, Cat. You too, Billy.

She doesn't move. Perhaps doesn't hear. There are tears on her cheeks. HATCH uses one hand to push her gently away from the door marked CONSTABLE'S OFFICE. He inadvertantly pushes her in BILLY'S direction, and they both shrink back.

HATCH

(kindly) Got to get out of his grabbin' range, darlin'.

This time she goes blundering past BILLY (who makes no move to stop her) toward the front of the store. MIKE, meanwhile, steps forward

and picks a package of plastic bags the kind you use to save leftovers off a display. Then he puts the muzzle of his gun between LINOGE'S shoulder blades.

MIKE Come on. Move.

137 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE.

The WIND is VERY LOUD, SCARY shrieking like a train whistle. We can hear SHINGLES CLAPPING and BOARDS CREAKING.

The door opens. LINOGE conies in, followed by MIKE and HATCH. LINOGE moves toward the cell, then stops as a PARTICULARLY HARD GUST OF WIND strikes the building and makes it shudder. Snow puffs in under the loading dock door.

HATCH I don't like the sound of that.

MIKE

Move, Mr. Linoge.

As they pass the desk, MIKE puts down the box of plastic bags and picks up a large combination padlock. From his pocket he takes his key ring, looking ruefully at the busted-off loading door key for a second. He hands the keys and the combination lock to HATCH. He also swaps weapons, giving HATCH his pistol and taking the shotgun. As they reach the cell:

MIKE Put your hands up and grab a couple of bars.

(LINOGE does) Now spread your legs.

(LINOGE does) Wider.

(LINOGE does)

I'm going to pat you down, and if you move, my good friend Alton Hatcher is going to save us all a lot of wear and tear.

HATCH gulps, but points the pistol. MIKE sets the shotgun aside.

MIKE

Don't even twitch, Mr. Linoge. You had your filthy hands on my son, so don't you so much as twitch.

MIKE reaches into the pockets of LINOGE'S pea coat and brings out the YELLOW GLOVES. They are BLOTCHED AND STAINED with MARTHA'S blood. MIKE grimaces with distaste and tosses them onto the desk. He rummages in the jacket pockets some more and finds nothing. He reaches into the front pockets of LINOGE'S jeans and pulls them inside out. They're empty. Checks the back pockets. Nothing but a few lint balls. He takes off LINOGE'S watch cap and looks inside it. Nothing. He tosses it on the desk with the gloves.

MIKE Where's your wallet?

(nothing from LINOGE) Where's your wallet, huh?

MIKE slaps LINOGE twice on the shoulder, first time sorta friendly, second time sorta hard. Still no response.

MIKE Huh?

HATCH

(uneasy) Mike, take it easy.

MIKE

Guy had his hands on my son, had his face right down in my son's face; guy kissed my son's nose don't tell me to take it easy. Where's your wallet, sir?

MIKE shoves LINOGE, hard. LINOGE crashes into the bars of the cell, but keeps his high grip on the home-welded bars and his legs spread.

MIKE

Where's your wallet? Where's your bank card? Where's your blood-donor card? Where's your discount card from ValuMart? What sewer did you crawl through to get here? Huh? Answer me!

All his frustration, anger, fear, and humiliation are on the verge of coming out. He grabs LINOGE by the hair and SLAMS HIS FACE INTO THE BARS.

MIKE

Where's your wallet?

HATCH

Mike

MIKE SLAMS LINOGE'S FACE INTO THE BARS AGAIN. He'd do it again, too, but HATCH reaches out and grabs his arm.