The Glades (3 page)
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
EXT. RANDALL'S - BAR - NIGHT
Shoe-horned into the middle of downtown Tampa Bay.
INT. RANDALL'S - BAR - NIGHT
The place busy with a nighttime crowd. The MUSIC jazz-infused, the vibe, half drunk and sexy. Longworth enters, carrying a file. He looks around the bar, sees someone through the crowd, in the distance by the pinball machines.
He starts over, then stops when he sees Ogletree sitting alone at the bar, staring into a highball.
LONGWORTH
Hey.
OGLETREE
Oh. Hey.
LONGWORTH
What are you drinking?
OGLETREE
Bourbon.
LONGWORTH
You don't drink bourbon.
OGLETREE
Sometimes I do. Have a seat.
LONGWORTH
I'm looking for Carlos. His wife said he likes to come here for the old school pinballs.
OGLETREE
Haven't seen him.
LONGWORTH
He's right there.
Ogletree looks to where Longworth is pointing.
OGLETREE
I didn't even see him.
LONGWORTH
What was the name of that kid's brother?
OGLETREE
What kid?
LONGWORTH
Justin. Was it Lane?
OGLETREE
Lane? Maybe. Yeah. Why?
LONGWORTH
There's a shrine for him at the light at State Road 301 and Interlake. When was that accident that killed him?
OGLETREE
I don't know. A year ago, maybe.
LONGWORTH
To the day?
OGLETREE
Maybe. About that.
LONGWORTH
Are you okay?
OGLETREE
Yeah. Just fighting with my wife, is all.
LONGWORTH
You guys don't fight.
OGLETREE
We don't very often. She went to her sister's - whatever. Big drama queen, right? You want a drink?
LONGWORTH
Let me take care of this first.
OGLETREE
Sure, sure. I'll be here.
ANGLE ON CARLOS
Slamming into a pinball machine as Longworth approaches.
LONGWORTH
Why didn't you tell me there was a tooth?
CARLOS
What are you talking about?
Longworth pulls out the Medical Exam protocol.
LONGWORTH
It says you pulled a tooth from the vic.
CARLOS
A cuspid. From the alligator.
LONGWORTH
Why didn't you tell me?
CARLOS
What difference does it make?
LONGWORTH
Carlos, a tooth can tell us all kinds of things.
CARLOS
About the alligator.
LONGWORTH
Size, sex, migration...
CARLOS
Of the alligator.
LONGWORTH
Digestive system, is it fast, slow, one week, two weeks?
CARLOS
Okay.
LONGWORTH
It's been three days, maybe the head is still intact.
CARLOS
Are you out of your mind? How are you gonna find the one alligator in a swamp of alligators who fed on our Jane Doe?
LONGWORTH
With the tooth.
CARLOS
No wonder your partner hates you.
LONGWORTH
Don't be so lazy, Carlos.
CARLOS
Did you just call me lazy?
LONGWORTH
When's the tox screen scheduled?
CARLOS
Tomorrow.
LONGWORTH
I want to go with you.
CARLOS
I'm not taking you to the lab with me.
LONGWORTH
Why not?
CARLOS
The last time I did that they had a problem with you.
LONGWORTH
So. Professional courtesy.
CARLOS
Professional courtesy? You told them they had their head up their ass.
LONGWORTH
They do. Or they did. I have no idea if it's a recurring problem or not. I'll keep an open mind.
Longworth heads off before Carlos can object. Carlos slugs more coins in, cajoling the pinball machine back to life.
Longworth returns to where Ogletree was sitting, his empty bourbon and a beer sit there. Money on the bar to pay for both.
LONGWORTH
Excuse me? What happened to the guy who was sitting here?
BARTENDER
Said he was tired. Beer's for you.
INT. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA - DAY
Longworth with DANIEL GREEN, 23, grad student in Herpetology, who looks at the alligator tooth in a plastic baggie --
GREEN
Melanosuchus, would be my guess. Genus, phylum, can't be certain without more research. But all members of the chordata family are territorial.
LONGWORTH
And digestion is what, long, short?
GREEN
Very slow, like ten days. Let me hang on to this, do some blood work, I can probably give you size, sex, coloring. Will that help?
Longworth hands the kid his business card.
LONGWORTH
Call me.
EXT. CALLIE'S HOUSE - BACK PORCH LANAI - NIGHT
Longworth and Callie. The case file on a table between them as she studies a crime photo of the DRESS the vic wore --
CALLIE
J.T. Landers? Never heard of it.
LONGWORTH
It's a regional clothing chain operating out of the Southwest.
I'm not much on the fashion habits of women, but does that look like something you'd order online?
CALLIE
Depends. Was I exceedingly drunk?
He grins as she sets the photo down.
LONGWORTH
The victim also had high levels of capsicum in her stomach from eating spicy foods.
CALLIE
Like Southwest spicy?
LONGWORTH
And trace amounts of tricresyl phosphate in her lungs, a neurotoxin found in motor oil that humans get by breathing recycled air, like on most commercial airline flights.
CALLIE
So you're thinking she's a tourist.
LONGWORTH
Tourist, in town on business. Although I'm trying to avoid thinking anything specific just yet.
CALLIE
That would explain why she hasn't been reported missing. Traveling alone, family back in Phoenix...
(off his look)
-- not to suggest anything specific. Is she a mom? If she is, I'm sure one of her kids is trying to get a hold of her.
LONGWORTH
See, I said the same thing to my
guy, and he said I was nuts.
CALLIE
Oh, you have a guy?
LONGWORTH
He's not my own personal guy. I have to share him with the rest of the county.
Callie is mildly amused despite her best efforts.
CALLIE
So you were shot by your captain for not sleeping with his wife and ended up in Palm Glade.
LONGWORTH
More or less. Got a little money for it. Not a fortune as it turns out, but thanks to a rash of short sells, enough to land comfortably. But trust me, if it ever gets too busy or too dangerous, I'm out of here.
(off her grin)
Do you have a beer or something?
CALLIE
Because I find you mildly amusing?
LONGWORTH
Or, because I'm thirsty.
CALLIE
Look. I don't want my son to think there's something going on here.
LONGWORTH
Can't we just tell him there's nothing going on as I sip my beer?
CALLIE
Technically, I'm still married...
Longworth, stealing a quick look to the ring on her finger.
CALLIE
Yeah sorry, I wash my hands about a million times a shift, so...
(hence no ring earlier)
-- and Jeff likes to dialogue with his father about my activities.
LONGWORTH
Where is he?
CALLIE
Well he's supposed to be in his room not doing his homework. But my guess is he's spying on us.
LONGWORTH
I meant his father. The man you're technically still married to?
Callie takes a beat.
CALLIE
Raiford.
That's a really bad prison in Florida.
LONGWORTH
Impressive.
CALLIE
Yup.
(beat)
Jeff?
(then over her shoulder)
Jeff?!
Then, from inside the house --
JEFF (O.S.)
What?
CALLIE
Homework.
JEFF
I finished.
CALLIE
All of it?
JEFF
What part of finished is confusing to you?
She looks at Longworth. That's my son. As Jeff joins them.
JEFF
What are you guys talking about?
CALLIE
Like you haven't been listening.
JEFF
Is that the woman you guys found?
(snatching up one of the photos)
Cool. What happened to her head?
CALLIE
Okay, these are going bye-bye.
She snatches up the photos, stuffs them in the file.
JEFF
Did she offer you a beer?
LONGWORTH
No. And I even asked nicely.
JEFF
I'll get it.
CALLIE
He won't be here long enough. Now say good night and go finish your homework.
A look from Mom cinching it. Jeff shrugging his apology.
JEFF
Sorry about the beer.
Longworth gives him a smile, and Jeff returns inside. After a beat, when she's sure he's gone --
CALLIE
Armed Robbery. My husband.
LONGWORTH
I wasn't going to ask.
CALLIE
Now is there anything else, or can we say good night?
LONGWORTH
When did you lose your virginity?
CALLIE
Okay, look at the time.
LONGWORTH
No, I'm serious. One of my suspects may or may not have used hers to wrap some guy around her finger. Now, I've heard rumors about you people...
(off her look)
-- is it possible to "lose your virginity" to more than one guy in order to manipulate him?
CALLIE
Sure. I lost mine three or four times.
LONGWORTH
Really? And we just fall for that?
CALLIE
Every time. And are you sure he wasn't using her?
LONGWORTH
Not entirely. But you haven't seen this girl. And he was pretty hammered.
CALLIE
So you've never been so drunk you couldn't quite piece together an evening you'd rather forget?
LONGWORTH
Never.
(off her look, beat)
And he did lose his brother to a motorcycle accident with a tourist.
CALLIE
Ugh, I remember that. That shrine. Totally freaks Jeff out.
(beat)
Revenge is a pretty strong motive.
LONGWORTH
But whose? I mean, was he setting the girl up as his alibi? Or was she using her sexuality against him. Lying about her virginity.
CALLIE
How old is she?
LONGWORTH
Sixteen.
CALLIE
Oh yeah, I'd go with lying. And if the question is, do we lie to guys to get you to think we're giving you something special so we can manipulate the hell out of you? Yeah. We do that, too.
Off Longworth, letting that sink in.
EXT. PALM GLADE PRESERVE - FISHEATING CREEK - DAY
The surface teeming with bouncing, buzzing, annoying insects.