Puppet Master (working title)

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Genius serial killer gets funded by government to
create a psychologist cocktail that would program
humans to kill themselves.
by:
M.J. Moneymaker
Copyright 2011
INT. APARTMENT BUILDING CORRIDOR - DUSK
A beautiful, exotic MS. JOHNSON stands in front of the
apartment door 428. She turns the key in the lock with an
ECHO.
Ms. Johnson walks into a completely empty apartment. She
glances around the room reflecting its emptiness.
She slips off her shoes, places them by the door. Then her
keys on the counter with a resonating CLANG.
She walks through the hollow apartment where nothing graces
the counters, shelves, and rooms; nothing fills the
cupboards, closets, and refrigerator.
INT. BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS
Ms. Johnson undresses completely. She takes herself in on the
bathroom door's full-length mirror.
On the sink are two objects precisely set out on the edge of
the sink's counter: a pair of scissors and a razor blade.
Ms. Johnson pulls her hair into a ponytail and cuts it off.
She fills the tub, then rummages through her clothing pulling
out a stick of lipstick.
She lowers herself into the bath tub, lays her head back
against the tub's edge and looks up at the ceiling.
She raises the razor blade and closes her eyes for her
eternal sleep.
INT. APARTMENT BUILDING CORRIDOR - DAY
SUPER: A Week Later
MARSHALL anxiously stands next to LANDLORD in front of the
door 428.
MARSHALL
It's unlike her not to at least
call and its been a week.
LANDLORD
She a very private person. I am
sure everything is fine.
The Landlord BANGS on the door.
LANDLORD (CONTD)
Ms. Johnson, are you alright?
MARSHALL
Would you just open the door!
The Landlord apprehensively puts the key into the lock.
LANDLORD
(calling into the
apartment)
Sarah, are you there?
MARSHALL pushes past the Landlord into the empty apartment.
MARSHALL
...what the...
Ms. Johnsons well-dressed colleague steps over the
threshold.
MARSHALL (CONTD)
Sarah! Sarah! What the hell!
Marshall bulls through the hollow apartment splashing through
the water. He opens the bathroom door.
He jumps back. Landlord backs away.
Sarah's naked body lay in a pool of deep red.
Marshall frozen, registers Sarah's chosen grave and sees its
gravestone.
The bathroom mirror, in red lipstick:
LONELINESS - Being without companions: lone. Devoid of
people: unfrequented. Dejected. Me.
INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
Four men dressed in Army uniforms sit at the end of a long
mahogany conference table with the U.S. Army emblem etched
into the center of it.
The shadowy figures listen to the man that sits at the head
of the table. The ribbons that grace his chest make it
obvious he is a man of prestige and power. His name tag reads
DONALDSON.
2.
DONALDSON
His unconventional, but he gets
results. We will give him his
space. Thats all for the agenda.
The others leave.
INT. OFFICE SPACE - LATE DAY
SUPER: Three Months Later
Twenty-eight year old, ILENE DEROKO, in a crisp navy business
suit and stoic face enters her Boss's office.
Annoyed her boss sits back in his chair at his imitation oak
desk.
ILENE
Mr. Thompson, I quit.
Ilene exits. She moves through the office of drones to her
desk and packs her things.
INT./EXT. ILENE DEROKO'S CAR - CONTINUOUS
Ilene lets her forehead fall against the steering wheel.
ILENE
Shit.
She starts the car, pulls out almost hitting another car and
speeds off.
INT./EXT. ILENES CAR PARKED ON MOUNTAIN FIREROAD - DUSK
Ilene watches the arrangement of purples, golds, and oranges
of the horizon from her car. Her cell phone RINGS.
ILENE
(pause)
Yes.
Ritualistically, she performs her next tasks.
SERIES OF SHOTS
-- Ilene extracts two full canisters of gasoline and a can of
red spray paint from the trunk of her care.
3.
-- She covers the exterior of the car meticulously with the
gasoline.
-- Shes takes the second canister of gasoline and coats the
inside of the car.
-- She returns to the driver's seat.
END SERIES OF SHOTS
INT./EXT. ILENES CAR PARKED ON MOUNTAIN FIREROAD -
CONTINUOUS
Ilene takes a photo of her family out of her purse, runs a
finger over it. She puts down the photos and picks up her
cigarettes from the center console.
She puts a cigarette between her lips and proceeds to light
it. She inhales while she picks up the photo, sets it a flame
and drops in on the console. She exhales a rings of smoke.
INT./EXT. ILENES CAR PARKED ON MOUNTAIN FIREROAD - NIGHT
DISPATCHER
There's been an explosion on
Blackmail's peak. Expedite.
Firemen arrive to flames blazing from Ilenes car at the end
of the main fire road.
They advance upon the car rapidly and put out the fire within
minutes. The firemen save a car's frame and the scolded,
burnt body of Ilene.
The men stand in silent mourning of the dead. The firemen
turn from the car to leave it for the police to investigate.
FIREMAN
(points to a large rock
across from the road)
Guys.
Red spray paint glistens on a rock across from them by the
fire trucks headlights:
LOST - Unable to find one's way. Not won or used. No longer
practiced or possessed: gone. Unable to function: helpless.
Me.
4.
INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
Donaldson and CAPTAIN KARL MARINSKI, stand at the end of the
same conference table with the U.S. Army emblem.
MARINSKI
I am sorry, Sir. I just don't trust
him.
DONALDSON
Marinski, I understand your
concerns. But, hes a genius and
invaluable to the mission.
MARINSKI
Hes killing people.
DONALDSON
We dont know that. We only know
hes getting us results.
MARINSKI
My instinct is telling me--
DONALDSON
(bangs the table with his
had)
Instinct Captain? This is about the
mission not your instinct. But, if
it will get you off my back, I
grant you permission to keep a
close eye on him. No interference.
Understood.
MARINSKI
Understood, Sir.
Marinski salutes and exits.
INT. CHILDRENS BEDROOM - NIGHT
SUPER: Three Months Later
The room is an array of colors from the reflecting light of
the moon that spills in from a large window.
Twin beds rest on either side of the room; in one a three
year old boy and in the other her five year old girl.
Their young MOTHER enters.
5.
She kneels down beside her sons bed, kisses him. She does
the same for her daughter. Then kneels between the beds to
her rosary.
A telephone RINGS. She runs into the living room to answer
it.
MOTHER
(listens)
Yes.
EXT. BACKYARD - CONTINUOUS
The Mother, trance-like, walks over to the deep end of the
pool to look at her reflection in the water.
SERIES OF SHOTS
-- The Mother removes from her hiding place a cinder block
and rope on a blanket to the edge of the pool.
-- She ties one end of the rope snug through the cinder block
and the other end to her legs.
-- She slides over to the ledge of the pool.
-- Underwater bubbles escape from her mouth as she prays.
EXT. BACKYARD - MORNING
The POOL MAN enters the RHINEBECK'S backyard through the
servant's entrance. He walks over to inspect the pool.
As he dips the meter into the water and notices dark shadow
at the deep end of the pool. He reads the measurement.
Normal.
He goes over to the deep end of the pool. He crouches downs.
POOL MAN
(he crosses himself)
OH MY GOD!
The pool man races to the back door yelling. He BANGS
hysterically. No one answers.
He runs out the backyard and runs into Mr. Rhinebeck nearly
knocking him to the floor.
6.
MR. RHINEBECK is a tall, lean awkward man in rumpled clothing
from working the night shift.
Raul grabs him and leads him to the pool
POOL MAN
Your wife, Mr. Rhinebeck!
MR. RHINEBECK
Raul, what's going on--
Raul points to the deep end of the pool. Mr. Rhinebeck sees
the dark shadow. He looks at Raul.
POOL MAN
Your wife.
He dives in and quickly returns to the surface.
MR. RHINEBECK
Call 911!
The pool man pulls out a pocket knife and hands it to his
boss.
POOL MAN
Seor.
Mr. Rhinebeck takes the knife and drives down.
It takes him two attempts before he comes up with his wife's
body. With the pool mans help, he gets her onto the deck. He
attempts CPR on her lifeless body.
Sirens BLARE in the distance. Mr. Rhinebeck shakes his wife,
slaps her, shakes her.
MR. RHINEBECK
Grace! Grace!
He notices a waterproof pouch in the dead bodys hand.
Mr. Rhinebeck pries the pouch out of her hand, opens it, and
pulls out the note inside:
LORN - forlorn : bereft. Abandoned. Deserted. Hopeless. To
deprive of something; especially a loved one by death. Me.
7.
INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT
CARRICK CASS O'GRADY sits in his dark, dank apartment in a
old beaten chair staring down at his antique desk at three
pictures with post-its are tacked to each.
He goes up and down the line from Sarah, Ilene and Ms.
Rhinebeck reciting...
CARRICK
Three women... black hair,
brunette, redhead... three months
apart... Three words... suicides.
He grabs the bottle of whiskey on his desk and takes long
drag.
CARRICK
What's the fucking connection?
Carrick shoves the photos into a folder. He pulls out a
cracked picture frame from the bottom drawer of his desk.
Its of Carrick and Ms. Rhinebeck having a good time on the
Santa Monica pier.
He takes another drag from the bottle of liquor then slams it
down.
Carrick snatches his shoulder holster and puts it on, slips
his badge into a pocket and leaves on a mission.
INT. PENTHOUSE SUITE LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
SUPER: Three Months Later
The lights of the city illuminate the living room.
A blonde woman sits naked on a sofa with her legs curled up
to her chest rocking. Shes MADISON SCHAFFER.
She waits.
A CLICK of a key signal her HUSBANDs return. She moves
quickly, picking up the gun beside her and approaches the
door.
HUSBAND
Why is it so dark in here?
Madison shoves the gun in his side.
8.
MADISON SCHAFFER
Put your stuff down and head
straight for the bedroom.
INT. BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
Madison waves the gun at her Husband.
MADISON SCHAFFER
Undress. Now.
Her Husband does as she asks. She motions for him to get onto
the bed. She points to the handcuffs that are on each of the
bed posts.
MADISON SCHAFFER
Lock yourself in.
She pulls back the hammer of the gun for emphasis pointing
the gun at her husbands head.
HUSBAND
Kinky.
She pistol whips him.
HUSBAND
FUCK!
MADISON SCHAFFER
Get in the handcuffs!
Madison has him handcuffs his leges first then one of his
hands. She locks in his last limb.
Madison grabs a chair from the corner of the room, places it
at the foot of the bed, and sits. She stares at her Husband.
MADISON SCHAFFER
I don't know what I ever saw in
you.
HUSBAND
Why are you doing this?
The telephone RINGS. She answers it, never taking her eyes
off her Husband and pointing the gun even though he is in
handcuffs.
MADISON SCHAFFER
Yes.
9.
She takes a razor blade from the dresser, moves onto the bed
and straddles her husband.
She leans forward, etches into the wall with the razor then
leans in close to his ear.
MADISON SCHAFFER
It's your turn.
In one swift movement, she drops the razor, grabs his face
and forces him to look her. She quickly puts gun to her chin:
BANG.
SIRENS ring through WILD MUSIC.
INT. PENTHOUSE SUITE LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
SMASH. The police arrive storming in the front dood. They
clear the living room.
They continue through the penthouse to the bedroom where they
hear the SHRILL SCREAMS of a man.
The police enter to a blood covered bed and the sight of a
naked Madison Schaffer laying on top of her naked Husband
with the back of her head blown out.
The police lower their weapons as the Husband pulls at the
handcuffs yelling and crying from under the dead woman's
body.
Etched on the head board:
LAMENT - To express sorrow or regret over: mourn. To weep:
wail. Expression of sorrow and regret. Him.
EXT. OFFICE BUILDING PARKING LOT - DAY
Marinski sits in an unmarked government vehicle reading an
FBI profile of BARTHOLOMEW SIMON WISCOTT III.
INT. OFFICE BUILDING - PSYCHIATRIST OFFICE - DAY
CLOSE UP, glass office door with the name DR. BARTHOLOMEW
SIMON WISCOTT III, Psychiatrist.
Receptionist sits busily typing at her computer.
An attractive brunette with piercing eyes and an air of
arrogance waltzes into the room. She is SUSAN DEL SANTO.
10.
INT. BARTHOLOMEWS OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
TELEVISION NEWS ANCHOR (V.O.)
Police broke into CEO of Micro
Force International's apartment
today to find Mr. Schaffer
handcuffed to his bed with his dead
wife lying on top of him. Specific
circumstances of the death have not
been released. In further news...
Bartholomew Simon Wiscott, III, sits in his lush office chair
with his feet propped up on his desk watching the news. When
the commentator finishes, Bartholomew hits a button on his
desk that sends the television into hiding.
He smiles to himself as he looks out of his office's large
windows that face the ocean. He is obviously very content
with what he has just heard on the television.
A buzzard goes off from the intercom on his desk. He reaches
over and hits the button. His secretary, MARTHA RAWLINGS,
sultry voice is heard over the intercom.
MARTHA
Your next appointment is here.
Bartholomew stands from his chair.
BARTHOLOMEW
Send her in.
The distinguished-looking, handsome psychiatrist approaches
his office door and opens it for Susan, the news anchor that
was just on the his television.
BARTHOLOMEW (CONTD)
Hello, how are you feeling today?
He waves his arm to his office sofa. Susan dutifully relaxes
onto the sofa.
SUSAN
Did you see my morning's news
report?
BARTHOLOMEW
Actually, I just saw the repeat of
it.
SUSAN
Can you imagine?
11.
He turns away, smiles and walks over to his mini bar.
BARTHOLOMEW
Some women just don't like to ask
for help.
With his back still to her, he continues smiling. He starts
to pour two scotches neat.
BARTHOLOMEW (CONTD)
You will have a drink with me, yes?
SUSAN
I suppose. (pause) This job is
taking its toll on me Bart.
Her mood rapidly swings. A sadness and pain are seen in her
eyes that weren't there when she initially walked in, giving
her words meaning.
Bartholomew hands her the drink.
BARTHOLOMEW
Its special ordered. You must tell
what you think.
She knocks back a long swallow.
SUSAN
Smooth, smoked flavor. It's nice.
(pause) What am I to do?
BARTHOLOMEW
(soothingly)
It's understandable. You're already
feeling lonely, lost. Then you have
to report tragedies everyday. What
do you want to do?
Susan finishes her drink. She stares at him blankly.
CUT TO:
INT. BARTHOLOMEWS OFFICE - LATER
The session finishes.
BARTHOLOMEW
Till next time.
Susan kisses Bartholomew with an unusually long kiss good-
bye.
12.
SUSAN
Do you do house calls?
Bartholomew laughs. Opens his office door.
BARTHOLOMEW
(to Martha)
I will need to see Ms. Del Santo
next week. (to Susan) Call me if
you need anything.
SUSAN
Thank you.
Bartholomew closes his office door. He goes to his desk and
sits. He pulls out a small day calendar and counts out three
months. He takes a red pen and circles the date.
His phone RINGS.
Intercut with Donaldson in his office on his office phone:
DONALDSON
Dr. Wiscott.
BARTHOLOMEW
Ah, always punctual. I like that.
(listens) Yes, well, as scheduled
you will receive my full report on
my recent procedures in three
months.
DONALDSON
You do understand that I am going
out on a limb with this project.
BARTHOLOMEW
Of course. And I greatly appreciate
the opportunity to prove that my
techniques work and that they are
of value to our government.
DONALDSON
Cut the crap and stay within our
contractual agreement. I don't want
any other organizations involved
other than the Army.
BARTHOLOMEW
Yes, Sir.
Donaldson hangs up.
13.
Bartholomew turns to look out of his office windows. He sits
enjoying the view for a moment, then turns and hits the
intercom on his desk.
BARTHOLOMEW
Martha, it looks like I am done for
the day. Would you be so kind as to
close up.
INT. POLICE STATION - DAY
Carrick Cass O'Grady walks into the detectives department
with the morning paper. He angrily throws it onto his desk.
A female detective looks up from her desk where a nameplate
reads DETECTIVE CARTER.
DETECTIVE CARTER
OGrady?
Carrick snarls at Carter. She raises her hands.
CARRICK
Another suicide, three months to
the last. No one finds this
strange?
CARTER
Coincidences maybe. Strange,
criminal, No. Sad, depressing, Yes.
Carrick rounds his desk and slumps into his chair. He looks
up at the ceiling shaking his head.
Carter approaches and leans against his desk.
CARTER (CONTD)
O'Grady, the world is filled
mayhem. Some people just decide
that they don't want to be a part
of it anymore. It happens.
CARRICK
It's not that. It's more.
CARTER
They are suicides O'Grady. Every
inquiry has come to the same
conclusion. Theyre tragic, but
that's it.
14.
Carrick says nothing. He continues to stare at the ceiling.
Detective Carter returns to her desk.
Carrick, finally, sits up and looks at the mess on his desk.
He realizes he is too stirred up to sit around and do
paperwork. He grabs the newspaper and leaves.
15.