e see the BLOWN-OUT TV and MARTHA'S wing chair. Over the top of the chair, we see the top of LINOGE'S head. Very still. It's probably a man's head, but it's impossible to tell if the guy is alive.

81 INTERIOR: RESUME HALL DOORWAY, WITH MIKE AND HATCH.

They exchange a glance, and MIKE nods them forward. CAMERA FOLLOWS as they move in on the back of the chair, very slowly. Three steps into the room, MIKE gestures for HATCH to move out wider. HATCH does so. MIKE moves in a step closer to the chair (we can see it now, as well as the MEN), then stops as a BLOODSTAINED HAND appears. It goes to the table beside the chair and takes a cookie.

MIKE

(levels his gun) Freeze!

The hand does just that freezes in midair, holding the cookie.

MIKE

Raise your hands. Both hands, up over the chair. I want to see them clear as day. There are two guns pointed at you, and one of 'em's a scatter.

LINOGE raises his hands. He's still holding the cookie in his left one.

MIKE indicates that HATCH should circle the chair to the front on his side. As HATCH does, MIKE circles around on the right.

82 INTERIOR: MARTHA'S LIVING ROOM, ANGLE ON THE CHAIR.

LINOGE sits there, hands raised, face composed. There's no sign of a weapon, but the men react to his bloodstained face and coat. LINOGE'S calm demeanor is in sharp contrast to MIKE and HATCH, who are wound as tight as guitar strings. Maybe we see here how suspects are sometimes shot by accident.

MIKE Hands together.

LINOGE puts his hands together, wrist to wrist and back to back.

83 OMIT.

84 EXTERIOR: IN FRONT OF MARTHA'S HOUSE.

Several TOWNSFOLK hurry forward as far as the trunk of ROBBIE'S car. One is an older woman named ROBERTA COIGN.

ROBERTA COIGN

What's happened to Martha?

ROBBIE

(shrill, near hysteria) Just stay back! This is under control!

He points his pistol at the house again, and I think we have a real question about what may happen when and if MIKE and HATCH bring their prisoner out. ROBBIE is on a hair trigger.

85 INTERIOR: THE LIVING ROOM OF MARTHA'S HOUSE.

Extreme close-up, cuffs

MIKE (voice) If he moves, shoot him.

CAMERA DRAWS BACK TO INCLUDE LINOGE, MIKE, HATCH

LINOGE

(low, pleasant, and composed)

If he shoots, he'll get us both. That thing's still loaded with buckshot.

Both men react to this. Not because it's true, but because it could be true. Hell, HATCH might blow a hole through MIKE in any case; the two men are quite close together.

LINOGE

Also, he's still got the safety on.

HATCH reacts with terrified realization: he has forgotten to take off the safety. While MIKE inexpertly fumbles the cuffs onto LINOGE'S wrists, HATCH fumbles the safety off. As he does, the gun leaves the vicinity of LINOGE completely. We need to see that LINOGE could take these two courageous but fumbling locals any time he wants . . . but chooses not to do so.

The cuffs are on. MIKE steps back, very relieved. He and HATCH exchange a rather wild look.

LINOGE But you remembered to wear gloves. That was good.

He begins to eat the cookie, oblivious of his blood-streaked hand.

MIKE On your feet.

LINOGE finishes the last bite of cookie and gets obediently to his feet.

86 EXTERIOR: MARTHA CLARENDON'S PORCH.

Beyond it, the snow is now coming hard, with the wind driving it into slanting lines. The houses on the far side of the street are misty, as if seen through a veil.

MIKE and LINOGE come out side by side, LINOGE with his hands cuffed at belt level, a look all of us are familier with from the evening news. HATCH is walking behind them, with the shotgun at port arms.

In the street, there are now about a dozen people clustered by the rear bumper of ROBBIE'S Lincoln. When the men come out, ROBBIE crouches a little, and MIKE sees the man's little glove compartment gun pointed at them.

MIKE

Put that down!

Looking slightly ashamed, ROBBIE does.

MIKE Hatch, close the door.

HATCH

Is that wise? I mean, aren't we supposed to leave stuff pretty much like it is? It being a crime scene, and all

MIKE

We leave the door open and the crime scene's going to be under six feet of fresh powder. Now close the door!

HATCH tries. One of MARTHA'S shoes is in the way. He squats. Grimacing, he moves her foot with one gloved hand. Then he gets up and closes the door. He looks at MIKE, who nods.

MIKE What's your name, mister?

LINOGE looks at him. There's a beat when we're not sure he's going to answer. Then:

LINOGE

Andre Linoge.

MIKE

Well, come on, Andre Linoge. Let's get walking.

87 EXTERIOR: LINOGE, CLOSE-UP.

For just a moment, LINOGE'S eyes CHANGE. They SWIRL WITH BLACK, the blue irises and the whites disappearing. Then everything goes back to normal.

88 EXTERIOR: RESUME PORCH, WITH MIKE, HATCH, AND LINOGE.

MIKE blinks at the sight like a man trying to cope with a momentary attack of vertigo. HATCH hasn't seen it, but MIKE has. LINOGE smiles at him, as if to say "our little secret." Then we see MIKE'S rationality reasserting itself, and he gives LINOGE a poke.

MIKE Come on. Move.

They go down the steps.

89 EXTERIOR: ON THE CONCRETE PATH.

The storm blows snow past them, smacking their faces, making them wince. HATCH'S hat BLOWS OFF. As he looks helplessly after it, LINOGE gives MIKE that look again, the one that says they have a secret. MIKE is less able to shake it off this time . . . but he gets LINOGE moving.

FADE OUT. THIS ENDS ACT 3.

Act 4

90 EXTERIOR: THE LITTLE TALL LIGHTHOUSE LATE DAY.

The snow flies past it so thickly we can only make out its shape . . . and of course its light, each time it swings around. The waves CRASH HIGH on the rocks of this promontory. THE WIND SHRIEKS.

91 EXTERIOR: GODSOE FISH & LOBSTER LATE DAY.

This long building part warehouse, part retail fish market is far out on the dock. Waves smash into the dock, and foam splatters high, wetting the sides and roof of the building. As we watch, the WIND tears a door free of its latch. It begins to BANG BACK AND FORTH. Nearby, a tarp blows free of the boat it's covering and WHIRLS OFF INTO THE SNOWY DAY.

92 EXTERIOR: THE ANDERSON HOUSE LATE DAY.

A four-wheel drive is parked at the curb, by the WEE FOLKS sign. Its windshield wipers are clapping back and forth rapidly, but the glass is still snowing up. Its headlights cut twin cones through the snow-choked air. The WEE FOLKS sign swings back and forth on its chain. On the porch, MOLLY ANDERSON is handing over a bundled-up BUSTER CARVER and an equally bundled-up PIPPA HATCHER to their moms, ANGELA and MELINDA. THE CAMERA MOVES IN on the porch. All three women have to shout in order to be heard over the HOWLING WIND.

MELINDA

Pip, you sure you're all right?

PIPPA Yes. Don Beals hurt my feelings, but they're better now.

MOLLY I'm sorry I had to call you early, guys . . .

ANGELA CARVER

It's okay. The radio says they're going to keep the bigger kids over in Machias, at least tonight . . . the reach is too choppy to send them back on the water-bus.

MOLLY Probably for the best.

BUSTER Mommy, I'm cold.

ANGELA CARVER Coss you are but you'll be warm in the car, honey.

(to MOLLY) Are there more?

MOLLY Buster and Pippa are the last.

(to PIPPA) You had an adventure, didn't you?

PIPPA

Yes. Momma, I've got a smaller button!

She honks her own nose. Neither MELINDA nor ANGELA understand, but they laugh. It's cute; they understand that much.

ANGELA CARVER

We'll see you Monday, if the roads are open. Wave a bye, Buster.

BUSTER obediently waves a bye. MOLLY waves one back as the mothers carry their babies down the steps and into the increasing fury of the storm. Then she goes back inside.

93 INTERIOR: THE ANDERSON HOUSE FRONT HALL, WITH MOLLY AND RALPHIE.

There's a mirror about halfway down, by the telephone table. RALPHIE has pulled a chair over and is standing on it so he can look at that red mark on the bridge of his nose. It's a birthmark, but actually more cute than disfiguring.

MOLLY hardly notices him. She's relieved to be in out of the storm, and even more relieved that her little charges have all been packed home for the day. She shakes the snow out of her hair, then takes off her parka and hangs it up. She looks at the stairs, winces at the memory of PIPPA'S misadventure, then snorts laughter.

MOLLY

(to herself) The smaller button!

RALPHIE

(still looking in the mirror) Mommy, why do I have to have this?

MOLLY goes to him, plants her chin on his shoulder, and looks at him in the mirror. They make a rather lovely mother-and-son portrait that way. She reaches around and touches the little red mark on his nose with love.

MOLLY

Your daddy calls it a fairy saddle. He says it means you were born lucky.

RALPHIE Donnie Beals says it's a pimple.

MOLLY

Donnie Beals is a ... Donnie Beals is a nut.

She grimaces briefly. "Nut" isn't the word she'd probably use, if given a free choice.

RALPHIE

I don't like it. Even if it is a fairy saddle.

MOLLY

Myself, I love it... but if you still feel the same way when you're older, we'll take you to Bangor and have it removed. They can do that now. Okay?

RALPHIE How much older do I have to be?

MOLLY

Ten how's that?

RALPHIE

Too long to wait. Ten's old.

The phone rings. MOLLY picks it up.

MOLLY

Hello?

94 INTERIOR: THE MARKET, WITH CAT WITHERS.

She's on the phone behind the counter. TESS MARCHANT is running the checkout operation by herself for the time being. There's still quite a line, although with the storm now on the rise, it's thinned a bit. Those people that are left BUZZ EXCITEDLY about the police call to the CLARENDON house.

CAT

There you are, I've been trying to get you for almost ten minutes.

95 INTERIOR: THE ANDERSON HALL, WITH MOLLY AND RALPHIE.

[Through the rest of this conversation, the director will cut back and forth as he/she chooses, but we should see MOLLY almost unconsciously censoring her end, not asking all the questions she'd like to ask, because little pitchers have big ears.]

MOLLY

I've mostly been out on the porch, handing kids over to their parents. I sent them home early. What's up, Katrina?

CAT

Well ... I don't want you to be scared or anything, but we got word that there's been a murder on the island. Old Martha Clarendon. Mike and Hatch have gone over there.

MOLLY What?! Are you sure?

CAT

I'm not sure of anything right now this place has been a madhouse all day except that they went over there and Mike asked me to call you and say everything's under control.

MOLLY Is it?

CAT

How do I know? Yeah, probably . . . anyway, he wanted me to call before anyone else did it. If you see Melinda Hatcher

MOLLY

She just left here with Angie Carver. They're carpooling. You can get her at home in fifteen minutes or so.

Outside, the WIND RISES IN A SHRIEK. MOLLY looks toward the sound.

MOLLY Better give her twenty.

CAT

Okay.

MOLLY

There's no chance it's a ... I don't know, a joke? A prank?

CAT Robbie Beals called it in. He doesn't do humor, you know?

MOLLY Yeah. I know.

CAT

He said that the person who did it might still be there. I don't know if Mike would want me to tell you that or not, but I thought you had a right to know.

MOLLY closes her eyes for a moment, as if in pain. Probably she is in pain.

CAT Molly?

MOLLY

I'm coming down to the store. If Mike gets there before I do, tell him to stay put.

CAT

I'm not sure he'd want

MOLLY Thanks, Cat.

She hangs up before CAT can say any more. She turns to RALPHIE, who is still examining his birthmark in the mirror. He's so close to the glass that his eyes are rather charmingly crossed. She gives him a big smile that only a four-year-old could believe in; her eyes are clouded with worry.

MOLLY

Let's go down to the store and see your daddy, big boy . . . what do you say?

RALPHIE Daddy, yay!

He jumps down from his chair, then pauses, looking at her dubiously.

RALPHIE

What about the storm? We've only got the car. It slides around in the snow.

MOLLY grabs his coat off the tree by the door and starts getting him into it at superspeed. That big, false smile never leaves her face.

MOLLY

Hey, it's only a quarter of a mile. And we'll come back with Daddy in the truck, because I bet he's going to close the market early. How's that? Sound good?

RALPHIE Yeah, excellent!

She zips his jacket up. As she does, we see she is terribly worried.

96 EXTERIOR: IN FRONT OF MARTHA CLARENDON'S HOUSE.

The storm is still getting worse by degrees; people are now having some trouble standing their ground against the wind-driven snow . . . but no one has left. ROBBIE BEALS has joined MIKE and HATCH. His gun is still in his hand, but with the prisoner cuffed, he looks a little more at ease and has pointed the little pistol at the ground.

MIKE has opened the back of the Island Services vehicle. It has been outfitted to transport stray and sick animals. The floor is bare steel. There's a mesh barrier between this storage compartment and the backseat. Mounted on the wall is a plastic water reservoir with a tube.

HATCH You going to put him in there?

MIKE

Unless you want to sit in the backseat with him and baby-sit.

HATCH

(takes the point) Get in.

LINOGE doesn't, at least not immediately. He looks around at ROBBIE, instead. ROBBIE doesn't care for that.

LINOGE Remember what I said, Robbie: hell is repetition.

He smiles at ROBBIE. A private smile, like the one he gave MIKE. Then he gets into the back of the Island Services vehicle.