OBBIE

(nervous) He talks a lot of nonsense. I think he's crazy

LINOGE has to sit with his legs crossed and his head ducked, but this really doesn't seem to put him out in the least. He is still smiling, his handcuffed hands clasped in his lap, as MIKE swings the doors shut.

MIKE How does he know your name? Did you tell him?

ROBBIE

(drops his eyes)

I don't know. All I do know is that no sane person would want to kill Martha Clarendon. I'll come down to the store with you. Help you clear this up. We'll have to get in touch with the state police

MIKE

Robbie, I know this goes against your grain, but you have to let me handle this.

ROBBIE

(bristles)

I'm the town manager here, in case you forgot. I have a responsibility

MIKE

So do I, and our responsibilities are clearly divided in the town charter. Right now Ursula needs you over at the town hall a lot more than I need you at the constable's. Come on, Hatch.

MIKE turns away from the furious town manager.

ROBBIE Listen here !

He starts to chase them up the side the Island Services vehicle, then realizes he's being undignified in front of a dozen of his constituents. MRS. KINGSBURY stands nearby, with her arm around the shoulders of a frightened-looking DAVEY HOPEWELL. Behind them, ROBERTA COIGN and her husband, DICK, look at ROBBIE with poker faces that can't quite mask their contempt.

ROBBIE stops chasing MIKE. He sticks his gun in his topcoat pocket.

ROBBIE

(still furious) You're getting too big for your britches, Anderson!

MIKE takes no notice. He opens the driver's side door of the Island Services vehicle. ROBBIE, seeing them about to make their getaway, fires the only other arrow in his quiver.

ROBBIE

And get the sign off that damned dummy on your porch! It's not funny!

MRS. KINGSBURY puts a hand over her mouth to hide a snicker. ROBBIE doesn't see probably lucky for her. The Island Services vehicle starts up, and its lights come on. It heads upstreet, bound for the market and the constable's office contained therein.

ROBBIE stands, slump-shouldered and fuming, then looks around at the cluster of people in the snowy street.

ROBBIE

What are you standing here for? Go on home! Show's over!

He stalks back to his Lincoln.

97 EXTERIOR: LOWER MAIN STREET, IN THE SNOW.

Headlights appear in the SCREAMING WHITE, and a car eventually materializes behind them. It's small, light, and two-wheel drive. It's going slow and slipping back and forth; already there are at least four inches of fresh snow on the road.

98 INTERIOR: THE CAR, WITH MOLLY AND RALPHIE.

Up ahead, we see lights looming out of the snow on the left, plus the long porch and the hanging lobster traps.

RALPHIE It's the store! Yay!

MOLLY

Yay is right.

She turns into the parking area in front. Now that she's here, MOLLY realizes that coming out was dangerous . . . but who could have guessed the snow would pile up so fast? She turns off the engine and allows herself a small slump over the wheel.

RALPHIE

Mom? You okay?

MOLLY Fine.

RALPHIE Get me out of my car seat, 'kay? I want to see Daddy!

MOLLY You bet.

She opens her door.

99 EXTERIOR: THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE.

It turns left at the blinker and heads toward the market through the thickening snow.

100 INTERIOR: THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE, WITH MIKE AND HATCH.

HATCH

What are we gonna do with him, Mike?

MIKE (sotto voce) Keep your voice down.

(HATCH looks guilty)

We'll have to call the state police barracks in Machias Robbie was right about that much but what are the chances they'll be able to take him off our hands in this?

HATCH looks doubtfully out the window at the pelting snow. This situation keeps complicating itself, and HATCH isn't a very complicated guy. They continue to talk in low voices, so LINOGE won't overhear.

MIKE

Robbie said the TV was on, and I heard it when we were in the hall. Did you?

HATCH At first, yeah. The weather. Then the guy must have . . .

He trails away, remembering.

HATCH

It was busted. Busted all to hell and gone. He didn't do it while we were in the hall, either. You bust a TV picture tube, it makes a noise, like Boof! We would have heard.

(MIKE nods) It must have been the radio . . .

It's almost a question. MIKE doesn't reply. Both of them know it wasn't the radio.

101 INTERIOR: LINOGE, IN THE ANIMAL TRANSPORT COMPARTMENT.

Smiling. We just see the tips of the fangs in his mouth. LINOGE knows what they know . . . and in spite of their low tones, he hears them.

102 EXTERIOR: ANGLE ON THE MARKET IN THE SNOW AFTERNOON.

The Island Services four-wheel drive rolls past the parking lot in the snow (the little car MOLLY and RALPHIE came in is already wearing a

fresh coat) and then pulls into an alley that runs down the side of the store and around to the back.

103 EXTERIOR: THE ALLEY, FROM THE FAR END.

The Island Services vehicle comes toiling toward us out of the snow, HEADLIGHTS GLARING. THE CAMERA PULLS BACK as it reaches the snowy yard at the rear. There is a loading dock at the back of the market, with a sign that says DELIVERIES ONLY GO THRU MARKET FOR CONSTABLE BUSINESS. The vehicle pulls up here, backing into place. For this sort of deal, the dock is mighty convenient and MIKE and HATCH do have a delivery to make.

They get out and walk around to the back. HATCH is as nervous as before, but MIKE has got his own nerves under control. As they reach the rear of the vehicle:

MIKE Safety off?

HATCH looks first surprised, then guilty. He pushes the shotgun's safety off. MIKE, who has his own gun in his hand, nods in satisfaction.

MIKE You're up top.

There are stairs at one end of the loading dock. HATCH climbs them and stands with his shotgun at port arms. MIKE unlocks the back doors of the vehicle, then stands back.

MIKE

Step out on the dock. Don't approach my . . . partner.

Sounding like a guy on Adam 12 makes MIKE uncomfortable, but under the circumstances, "partner" is the right word.

LINOGE steps out, still awkwardly bent over but graceful. And still smiling that faint, corners-of-the-mouth smile. HATCH takes a step back to give him room as LINOGE mounts the steps. Their prisoner is cuffed and they have the guns, but HATCH is still scared of LINOGE.

LINOGE stands in the driving snow, as comfortable as a man in his own living room. MIKE climbs the stairs to the loading dock, searching in his pants pocket. He brings out a ring of keys, separates out the one that opens the back door, and gives it to HATCH. MIKE keeps his pistol pointed slightly down but in LINOGE'S direction.

104 EXTERIOR: HATCH, AT THE LOADING DOOR.

He bends and slides the key into the lock.

105 EXTERIOR: LINOGE, CLOSE-UP.

He's watching HATCH very closely . . . and now we see A FLICKER OF BLACKNESS in his eyes.

106 EXTERIOR: MIKE, CLOSE-UP.

He frowns. Did he see something? It was too quick to tell.

107 EXTERIOR: THE LOADING DOCK DOOR, CLOSE-UP.

HATCH twists the key. SOUND: A SNAP. And now HATCH'S hand is holding nothing but the head of the key.

108 EXTERIOR: RESUME LOADING DOCK.

HATCH

Aw, sugar! Snapped right off! Must have been the cold!

He begins to HAMMER ON THE DOOR with a gloved fist.

109 INTERIOR: THE ISLAND CONSTABLE'S OFFICE.

This was once part of the market's storage area. Now it boasts a desk, a few filing cabinets, a fax, a CB radio, and a bulletin board on the wall. There is also a jail cell in the corner. The cell looks sturdy enough, but homemade a kind of do-it-yourself project. It's a strictly temporary facility for weekend drunks and part-time hell-raisers.

SOUND: HAMMERING ON THE DOOR.

HATCH (voice-over) Hey! Anybody in there? Anybody?

110 EXTERIOR: RESUME LOADING DOCK.

MIKE

Forget it. Go around and open it from the inside.

HATCH

You want me to leave you out here alone with him?

MIKE

(stress breaking through)

Unless you happen to see Lois or Superman hanging around in the alley.

HATCH We could take him

MIKE

Through the market? With half the island doing their storm shopping? I don't think so. Go on, now.

HATCH gives him a doubtful look, then starts back down the stairs.

111 EXTERIOR: IN FRONT OF THE MARKET.

In snow that's thicker than ever, ROBBIE BEALS'S Lincoln comes SPINNING AND SLEWING into the parking area, almost broadsiding MOLLY'S little car. ROBBIE gets out and goes up the porch steps just as PETER GODSOE comes out of the market. PETER is a ruggedly handsome man in his early forties, father of SALLY, the little girl with the jam on her shirt.

PETER GODSOE

What happened, Beals? Is Martha really dead?

ROBBIE

She's dead, all right.

ROBBIE sees the mannequin with the sign around its neck GENUINE "ROBBIE BEALS BRAND" LOBSTERIN' GEAH and yanks the sign off with a snarl. He SCOWLS at it. HATCH has slogged around from the back just in time to see and react to this. PETER GODSOE follows ROBBIE back inside, to monitor developments. HATCH follows them both.

112 INTERIOR: THE MARKET AFTERNOON.

Lots of people milling around. Prominent among them is MOLLY ANDERSON, talking to CAT but mostly worrying about MIKE. We see RALPHIE halfway down one of the aisles and mooning over the sugary cereals.

MOLLY

(as HATCH enters) Where's Mike? Is he all right?

HATCH Fine. Out back with the prisoner. I just have to let him in.

Other people move in on him.

PETER GODSOE Is he a local?

HATCH I never saw him before in my life.

Lots of relief at this. Others try to grab HATCH'S attention and ask questions, but MOLLY isn't among them the sooner HATCH does his job, the sooner she'll have her husband back. HATCH fights his way up the center aisle, pausing to ruffle RALPHIE'S hair. RALPHIE gives him an AFFECTIONATE GRIN.

ROBBIE still has the sign; is tapping it angrily against his thigh. MOLLY sees it and winces a little.

113 EXTERIOR: ON THE LOADING DOCK, WITH MIKE AND LINOGE.

They stand facing each other in the DRIVING SNOW. There are several beats of silence. Then:

LINOGE

Give me what I want, and I'll go away.

MIKE

What is it you want?

That smile shakes MIKE in spite of himself.

114 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, WITH HATCH.

He comes bustling in and hurries to the loading door. He turns the dead-bolt knob and tries to open it. The door still won't open. He pushes hard, then harder. No luck. As a last resort, he SLAMS HIS SHOULDER against the door. Nothing. The door might as well be dipped in concrete.

HATCH

Mike?

MIKE (voice-over) Come on, hurry up! It's freezing out here!

HATCH It won't open! It's stuck!

115 EXTERIOR: RESUME LOADING DOCK, WITH MIKE AND LINOGE.

MIKE is totally EXASPERATED everything has gone wrong with this piece of work; it's a complete Russian fire drill. LINOGE is still smiling his faint little smile. For him, everything's right on track.

MIKE Did you unlock it?

HATCH

(rather hurt by this) Course I did, Mike!

MIKE Then whale on it! There's probably ice in the jamb.

116 INTERIOR: RESUME CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, WITH HATCH.

ROBBIE is standing in the door behind HATCH, observing all this with HEAVY CONTEMPT. HATCH rolls his eyes, knowing perfectly well the door isn't frozen; he already whaled on it. Nevertheless, he hits the door another couple of good shots. ROBBIE crosses the room, stopping on the way to drop the joke sign on MIKE'S constable's desk. HATCH turns toward him, startled. ROBBIE (who is a physically bigger man) moves HATCH aside, none too gently.

ROBBIE

Let me.

He hits the door several more good shots, his look of confidence gradually subsiding. HATCH watches with subtle but understandable satisfaction. ROBBIE gives up, rubbing his shoulder.

ROBBIE

Anderson! You'll have to come around and take him through the store.

117 EXTERIOR: RESUME LOADING DOCK, WITH MIKE AND LINOGE.

MIKE ROLLS HIS EYES IN ANNOYANCE SEALS in the constable's office, still meddling. Oh, goody, better and better.

MIKE Hatch!

HATCH (voice-over) Yeah!

MIKE Come around. (pointedly) Alone.

HATCH (voice-over) Right there!

MIKE turns his attention back to LINOGE.

MIKE Be a little bit longer. Just stand quiet.

LINOGE

Remember what I said, Mr. Anderson. And when the time comes . . . we'll talk.

He smiles.

118 EXTERIOR: MAIN STREET, LITTLE TALL ISLAND LATE AFTERNOON.

The houses and storefronts are graying out, starting to look like mirages, as THE STORM INTENSIFIES.

119 EXTERIOR: BREAKWATER AND LIGHTHOUSE.

HUGE WAVES CRASH THE ROCKS. FOAM LEAPS INTO THE AIR. On this image, we:

FADE TO BLACK. THIS ENDS ACT 4.

Act 5

120 EXTERIOR: THE ISLAND MARKET LATE AFTERNOON.

In worsening conditions that now make moving a serious problem, MIKE, HATCH, and LINOGE come out of the alley and struggle toward the steps of the market. LINOGE has been made to walk in front of them, and now he LOOKS UPWARD, SMILING.

121 EXTERIOR: ISLAND MARKET'S ROOF.

Here is a little nest of radio antennas that serve the various two-ways inside the store. The tallest of these radio antennas SNAPS OFF and goes rolling down the backslant of the roof.

122 EXTERIOR: FOOT OF THE MARKET STEPS, WITH MIKE, HATCH,

LINOGE.

HATCH

(with a flinch) What was that?

MIKE Antenna, I think. Never mind now. Go on.

HATCH heads up the steps, giving LINOGE a healthy berth.

123 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL.