Boonville

Scene 2

INT. OFFICE. MORNING.

Sheriff HOLDEN sits behind the desk with DANNY across from him. RANDY is exiting.

DANNY: Look, those guys started it. They were saying shit to me, and Travis embarrassed them in front of their friends. After that they tried to jump us outside. Corrine and Nikki were even yelling at them to stop. If they came crying to you that they got beaten up, they deserved it.

HOLDEN: And what happened after that?

DANNY: Nothing. We left.

HOLDEN: You went back to Stanton’s apartment?

DANNY: Who told you that?

HOLDEN: Is that what happened?

DANNY: So what if I did?

HOLDEN: Want to tell me what happened?

DANNY: I drank a beer and left.

HOLDEN: Then what?

DANNY: None of your god damned business!

HOLDEN: What did Stanton talk about?

DANNY: I don’t remember.

HOLDEN: Did he talk about Frank and Jesse?

DANNY: No.

HOLDEN: He didn’t talk about revenge or anything?

DANNY: Revenge? He beat the shit out of those two! They barely landed a punch before he had them on the ground. There was nothing to get revenge for. He won.

Danny is getting desperate.

DANNY (cont): Those guys are twice the size of him! They jumped us in the parking lot.

HOLDEN: Jesse Simpson is missing. Frank Styles says they were followed by Stanton and attacked when Jesse got out of the car to urinate on Murtha Road.

DANNY: (shocked) Murtha Road?

HOLDEN: That mean something to you?

DANNY: No.

HOLDEN: Sure sounded like it did.

DANNY: Nothing at all.

HOLDEN: You sure?

DANNY: What were Frank and Jesse doing out there?

HOLDEN: They were just driving around. For all know, they were smoking a joint, and if I find one I’ll give Frank a ticket. Until then, I’m more concerned with a missing boy. I think that drifter knows something.

DANNY: Travis isn’t a drifter...

HOLDEN: Not a drifter? He’s had thirteen residences in five states in the last twelve years. That’s only as far back as I’ve checked.

DANNY: You found all that this morning?

HOLDEN: Look here, Miss. You may be the trusting sort, but when a stranger blows into my town, I start looking him up.

DANNY: So you’re ready to start pointing fingers when something goes wrong?

HOLDEN: You want to tell me he wasn’t out there?

HOLDEN stands.

HOLDEN (cont): I’m putting two and two together here, Danny. I don’t have four yet, but the numbers are all pointing in the correct direction. At this point, all I need to figure out is how much you know that you aren’t telling me.

DANNY: (smug) Well, Sheriff, you can call off the investigation, because Travis was with me. We came back from the bar and didn’t leave his apartment until after the sun came up. Whatever Frank and Jesse are up to, Travis has an alibis.

HOLDEN hesitates.

HOLDEN: Fine. I’ll let you get back to work then.

DANNY exits. HOLDEN leans back in the chair. RANDY enters.

RANDY: You’re not arresting her?

HOLDEN: That might change when I have a crime, but right now I don’t think she’s involved.

RANDY: Of course.

HOLDEN: I didn’t tell her I picked up Stanton. I think we should keep that quiet a couple hours, and see if I can confirm her alibis. No need for her daddy to hear what Danny is doing in the evening.

RANDY: No problem, Sheriff.

 Continued 7/20