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.