Project 15: Part Four

EXT. KANSAS, VANDERBILT FARM - DAY

The Vanderbilt farm has a number of sheds and a large house on a property of two hundred acres. The house is painted blue but mostly worn off.

Elias strides up to the front door. A woman inside looks out, then closes the curtains. Elias knocks on the front door.

ELIAS: Mrs Vanderbilt?

MRS VANDERBILT (O.S.) (In a low voice): Go away

Elias takes a look around the yard. The wind blows some discarded cans and papers around. A barn door swings open and closes. Elias hears a car approaching and scampers to the milking parlour. 

MILKING PARLOUR

Elias peers out of the Perspex window. 

FARM YARD

Hank and Tad climb out of the car. They look around.

HANK: Come on out Mr Jordan. We know you’re here. We just want to talk.

They approach the parlour. Elias quietly hurries to the far end of the milking parlour and climbs some bales of straw to enter the adjoining barn.

Hank and Tad look around the milking parlour but see nothing.

HANK: We don’t mean you any harm. On my mothers grave.

Hank slides a gate across the milking parlour sealing off access to the barn.

FARM YARD

They exit the milking parlour and stride to the far end of the barn

STRAW BARN

Elias squats on the highest part of the straw bales hidden from view. Elias can see Hank and Tad approaching through a gap in the wood. 

Hank and Tad stop at the entrance.

HANK: We know you’re in there Mr Jordan. We’re not going to hurt you. 

Elias remains still

HANK: We don’t want this to be any more unpleasant than it has to be. Come out Jordan before it’s too late.

Hank removes a lighter from his clothing and lights the lowest bale. 

FARMYARD: The men leave and climb into their car. They drive away. Charlie cycles a bike towards them. They knock him off his bike. Charlie climbs to his feet - runs toward the barn.

INT. STRAW BARN

Elias tries to open a vent in the roof and climb out

EXT. STRAW BARN 

Elias is on top of the roof as the fire rages higher and higher. Charlie moves a wooden trailer with bales on it into position.

CHARLIE: Jump Mr Jordan

REAR OF STRAW BARN

Elias hesitates, then jumps. He falls off the trailer and lands in muck.

Police cars with SIRENS blaring can be heard approaching.

CHARLIE: They’re coming for me. I best go.

Charlie runs away. Elias makes his way towards the farmyard

FARMYARD

Three police cars stop outside the house and officers climb out of the car and point their guns at Elias.

KANSAS POLICE OFFICER: Put your hands where we can see them.

Elias sits up on his knees with muck on his face and front. He puts his hands above his head

INT. OFFICER GOODBODY'S OFFICE - DAY

Elias slouches opposite Officer Goodbody. The parole officer reads through Elias file. He holds a pen in his right hand.

OFFICER GOODBODY: You violated your parole Elias. 

Officer Goodbody stops reading and eyeballs Elias.

What am I going to say to the judge?

ELIAS: Don’t you ever get tired of the same old town officer?

OFFICER GOODBODY: You know, I had a good feeling about you. What con were you on Elias? Did you threaten the old lady Elias?

Elias doesn’t answer

OFFICER GOODBODY: Who were you working with? Give me their names. Was it Johansson again or Tuttleman? 

Officer Goodbody looks down at the report and clicks his pen.

I have a report about you from a Kansas police officer saying that you were going door to door visiting old ladies. Is this true Elias?

Elias doesn’t answer.

OFFICER GOODBODY: I need to know Elias or else you might be back in the slammer.

Elias doesn’t respond.

OFFICER GOODBODY: You know what Elias? This is your last warning. If there are any other incidents like this one, I’ll be recommending further time. I have superiors to answer to Elias. Do you understand?

INT. ISABELLE KAJINSKA'S HOME - DAY

OFFICER PATTON sits at the kitchen table when Isabelle puts a warm cup of tea in front of him.

OFFICER PATTON: Thanks mam

Isabelle sits down on a chair opposite him.

ISABELLE: What can I help you with officer?

Officer Patton sips the tea

OFFICER PATTON: Unfortunately mam, I have some bad news.

ISABELLE: Yes?

OFFICER PATTON: Your neighbour, Mr Duckworth is not who he says he is. He is not a police officer and he has spent time in prison for conning old ladies out of their money amongst other things.

ISABELLE: Well he seems like such a nice man.

Officer Patton takes another sip.

OFFICER PATTON: They all do mam. I’d have to warn you that he might be dangerous. I wouldn’t talk to him from now on. Guys like this are charming on the outside but cold as hell on the inside.

ISABELLE: But he was trying to find my boy.

OFFICER PATTON: He just pocketed the money mam and spun you a number of lies. All evidence suggests that your son is dead mam. He’s been gone seven years now. And with all due respect, paying that conman isn’t going to bring him back.

INT. FISH PROCESSING FACTORY - MORNING

Elias walks into the factory in his work uniform but a supervisor calls him over

SUPERVISOR: Forties, male, bald, average build, rule follower.

SUPERVISOR: Duckworth. Come here

ELIAS: Yes boss

Elias approaches him and they both retreat to the supervisors office. 

SUPERVISOR’S OFFICE

Elias takes off his head gear. The office is small. The desk has numerous papers scattered around it. The supervisor sits down.

SUPERVISOR: Duckworth, that stunt you pulled.. going missing for a week.. we don’t tolerate that kind of behaviour round here. You’ll have to find work elsewhere.

ELIAS: But I need the money. My mother was unwell...

SUPERVISOR: Do you know how many times I’ve heard sob stories when guys jobs are on the line?

ELIAS: It won’t happen again.

SUPERVISOR: I have people to answer to Duckworth and to do that I have to make decisions. Some are easier than others. Yours is an easy one. You’re lazy, you don’t show up for work on time... 

Elias strides out the door.

INT. ELIAS HOUSE (BEDROOM) - NIGHT

Elias wakes up in the middle of the night. He climbs out of bed and goes to the bedroom door. He hears the CREAKING of floorboards. Three men burst into the room and pin Elias down on the bed. One of them has a knife to his throat.

INTRUDER LEADER: We found your money Duckworth. Is this all of it?

ELIAS: Yes

Two more men enter the bedroom

INTRUDER LEADER: Search the place.

They proceed to tear the place apart. They then put the money they find on the bedroom floor and set it alight.

INTRUDER LEADER: If we hear of you snooping around asking any more questions, we’ll be back only we won’t be so nice.

The flames partly illuminate the face of the leader.

INTRUDER LEADER: I wouldn’t bother phoning the cops. We are the cops.

They leave and Elias desperately tries to put out the fire.

INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - DAY

DETECTIVE LACEY and DETECTIVE STANKOVIC approach the desk of Chuck Humphrey and lean against it.

DETECTIVE LACEY: 30’s, male, wearing an old and worn suit and tie, cold, cynical.

DETECTIVE STANKOVIC: Early 40’s, male, wearing casual clothes, loyal to Detective Lacey

DETECTIVE LACEY: I heard rumours that you and this grifter were lovers. Were you lovers Chuck?

Detective lacey clears some stationery off Chuck’s desk - sits on it.

CHUCK HUMPHREY: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

DETECTIVE LACEY: The guy you meet in that bar of yours. He goes by the name of Duckworth. He’s a low life, just out of jail. The Captain knows about it. Don’t tell me you didn’t even know.

Chuck does not respond. The other officers smile.

DETECTIVE LACEY: Which is it? Too dumb to realise he’s a grifter or too crooked? I’m sure the Captain would love your response. No wonder he has you on desk duty.

DETECTIVE STANKOVIC: Always a wuss, Humphrey. Cat got your tongue?

Detective Lacey picks up and plays with Chuck’s cap

CHUCK HUMPHREY: At least I’m an honest cop.

DETECTIVE LACEY: What does that mean? Should we take it up with the Captain?

Detective Lacey tosses the cap at Chuck.

DETECTIVE STANKOVIC: I’m sure he’d love it. The pencil pusher cavorting with an ex-con accuses real cops of corruption.

INT. ELIAS HOUSE - DAY

On Elias table are a pile of bills with overdue written on them. He dials a number on his phone.

ELIAS: Miss Tuchello, I applied for a job as a janitor about two weeks ago.

MISS TUCHELLO (O.S.): I’m afraid that the job has already been filled.

ELIAS: But I didn’t even get an interview.

MISS TUCHELLO (O.S.): We operate a very fair and transparent process for all job opportunities, Mr eh..

ELIAS: Duckworth

MISS TUCHELLO (O.S.): If you didn’t get the job, you didn’t meet the basic criteria.

ELIAS: What about giving a guy a chance?

MISS TUCHELLO (O.S.): Like I said, Mr Duckworth, the job has been filled

ELIAS: Yeah? Well, thanks for nothing.

Elias hangs up the phone.

EXT. OUTSIDE ISABELLE’S HOUSE - DAY

Elias rings Isabelle’s doorbell and steps back. Cassandra answers.

CASSANDRA: Elias

Cassandra stands in the doorway in front of Elias

ELIAS: I was kind of wondering why I haven’t seen you or your mother lately.

CASSANDRA: You’re lucky we don’t call the cops. You took her money. She believed you. I believed you.

ELIAS: So, what are you saying? Are you saying I didn’t read Josh’s writings? Are you saying that I didn’t go to Kansas?

CASSANDRA: I honestly don’t know what to believe. I know you were never a cop. I know you did time as a conman.

ELIAS: Initially, I took the money but then..

CASSANDRA: Just what I thought

Vernon emerges from the house.

Vernon: Late 30’s, male, average height and build, manipulative, shallow.

VERNON: Is this man bothering you?

CASSANDRA: Elias. This is my husband

ELIAS: What happened to never again?

VERNON: What’s that supposed to mean?

CASSANDRA: You have some nerve Elias. If you had any decency, you would return Isabelle’s money.

ELIAS: I spent it on a trip to Kansas, doing what she wanted me to do.

Elias walks away

VERNON: Don’t come back, you loser.

INT. ELIAS HOUSE - EVENING

Rick enters Elias untidy house. The living room is dust ridden, with papers strewn on the floor and beer cans scattered around it.

RICK THOMPSON: Early forties, male, clean cut, average build, con artist.

RICK THOMPSON: I’d like to say I like what you did with the place.

ELIAS: Yeah well, when you’re on welfare, you can’t even afford a beer.

RICK THOMPSON: I have a good opportunity for you Elias. It pays good money.

ELIAS: I don’t know, Rick.

RICK THOMPSON: You don’t know. This isn’t living Elias. You’re dying a slow death here. 

He picks up a bill from the floor.

RICK THOMPSON: You can’t even afford your phone bill.

He pauses

It’s easy money. Some rich old bat is looking to invest some money. She’s ripe for the plucking.

ELIAS: I told you, I can’t leave the state

RICK THOMPSON: It’s only sixty miles away. I told everyone, you would be in. It’s all set up. All you have to do is charm the socks off her. It’s happening on Tuesday. Everybody gets ten grand and I get what’s left. Ten grand for an hours work. Are you in?

INT. ALFREDO’S RESTAURANT - EVENING

MS BROOMHEAD is seated at a table in a restaurant. Elias saunters up to her with a confident smile.

MS BROOMHEAD: late 50’s, female, short haircut, slim, single.

MS BROOMHEAD: I have to say, Mr Chesney that I was expecting you to be much younger.

ELIAS: I get that a lot. You on the other hand look radiant. Exactly what I was expecting.

MS BROOMHEAD: Why thank you.

ELIAS: Have you taken the time to read our brochure?

MS BROOMHEAD: Oh, I flicked through it.

ELIAS: We are the best performing investment fund on the planet. Nobody else can compete with our statistics. A twenty five per cent average return means that you could afford to go cruising around the world throughout your retirement, or buy a couple of houses in Florida

MS BROOMHEAD: I don’t care much for Florida, Mr Chesney. Too many hurricanes, but I did always want to go to Rome and Athens.

ELIAS: Invest in us and you could spend as much time in the Coliseum or the Acropolis as you could dream of. We know when a stock is going to tank before everyone else does. We use algorithms. We know when it’s about to go up and when it is about to...

MS BROOMHEAD: Tank... I get the general idea. It’s just that Mr Broomhead left me with a lot of money and I wouldn’t like to waste it all.

ELIAS: We don’t waste money Miss Broomhead, we grow it. We only recommend setting aside what you can spare. The minimum investment we accept is eighty thousand dollars. On average you’ll earn it back in less than four years.

MS BROOMHEAD: Well I...

Cassandra strides over to the table

CASSANDRA: You didn’t take long.

ELIAS: Cassandra, can we take this some place else?

CASSANDRA: Is he taking your money too, the same way he took my mothers money?

MS BROOMHEAD: What is this about Mr Chesney?

CASSANDRA: His name is Duckworth. Elias Duckworth, but I could be mistaken. Maybe that’s not his real name. Who knows?

MS BROOMHEAD: Well, I never. 

ELIAS: I’m sorry Cassandra

Elias stands up and leaves

As he does so, Rick is talking into his earpiece.

RICK THOMPSON: What are you doing? The situation is still retrievable. Tell her she’s mad.

CASSANDRA: Run away you creep.

Elias quickly leaves the restaurant