Black Butterfly (2017) Movie Script
It's pretty good, though.
Come back here.
Oh, come on.
Yeah, yeah.
- Sam, you get the blanket.
- Okay.
- Sorry.
- Catch it, aj!
Come on, kid.
Maybe we should
go help mom, huh?
Come on, come on.
Come on!
You go back and get the
blanket so mom doesn't kill me.
Yeah.
Did you see my wife?
No, sorry.
Nancy!
Nancy!
Nancy!
Nancy!
Nancy!
It's beautiful, isn't it?
More secluded than I thought.
It was sunny 10 minutes ago.
Hey. I love it. This is exactly
what I've been looking for.
Mr. Lopez, I'm sorry
to show up like this.
- I tried to call you.
- The reception here is very bad.
I'm sure it's just my phone.
Is it okay if I show
Mr. and Mrs. Owen around?
Hey. Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- Paul. Hey.
Eh, sure, look around.
I can't stay, I'm afraid.
- I was on my way out.
- Oh, no, that's okay.
It's probably better
if you're not here.
Hey, listen. The house is a real
mess, especially the kitchen.
Oh, I'll take care of it.
I'll tell them you had guests.
Yes, really messy guests.
- Don't worry.
- All right.
Hey, can we meet for a
late lunch this afternoon?
Eh, just to talk about
the house and some other stuff.
- Oh, yeah, of course.
- Alright, Brent's two o'clock?
- Sure.
- Good, good.
- Good.
- All right.
- See you then. Okay.
- Cool.
Uh, hope you like what you see.
Come on, I'll show you inside.
To recap our top story,
police have confirmed
that a young woman
has been murdered
in Jefferson county.
This is the fourth young
woman in three years.
In other news, the rockies
lost another close one
as the mets came to town
and annihilated them.
Hey, pat.
Hey, Paul.
Hey, do you know they
pay $36,000 a year
to house one convict?
Yeah, read it in the paper.
School teachers make less.
Bring your list?
Uh, yeah.
Uh, a few additions.
There you go.
- You gonna square up?
- Uh.
I'll give it to Hank
on delivery, Wednesday.
Is that all right with you?
- Go hunting today?
- Just got back.
- Get lucky?
- Yeah. I got a goose.
Nice one.
Hey, Marty?
Hey, Paul, what's going
on? Did you get my messages?
I've been clogging up
your voicemail.
Reception sucks in here, man.
So, listen,
did you get the script?
Yeah. I sent it
back already with my comments.
You sent it back?
I thought we were
rolling out with it.
You didn't incorporate
any of their notes.
If I sent it back as is, they'd never
read anything of yours ever again.
You understand that Paul?
Once in a while,
you gotta compromise,
show that you're functional.
I am.
Not within the system,
you're not.
Look, we both know you
need the money, right?
Well, yes, I need the money,
but not at any cost, you know?
Good line, but I
thought you had bills to pay.
Uh-huh, exactly. Look,
just pull yourself together.
Okay, I gotta go. Bye.
Marty. Marty?
Fucker.
What the fuck is going
on with this guy?
Come on!
Jesus Christ.
What the fuck, man?!
...confirm Nancy barrows, 46...
...of Greenville, Colorado
is the fourth victim
- of the roadside killer.
- Okay.
Hey, Paul, what's up?
- Hey, Judy.
- Okay, thanks, I'll be there.
- Wanna sit at the counter?
- Ah... over here.
All right.
- Mr. Lopez.
- Laura. I'm sorry I'm late.
- No, it's okay.
- All right.
So, the Owens
aren't interested.
Oh.
- You still wanna buy me lunch?
- Of course.
It's my way of
keeping you motivated.
Actually, I can
only stay a few minutes.
I had to commit to
another appointment.
- Oh.
- If you'd been here just five minutes earlier...
- Not even a cup of coffee?
- Already had one.
- Just coffee.
- Judy.
Thank you.
I have to admit
I'm a bit in awe.
I've never known
a writer before.
Well, don't be.
I don't know any either.
Why do you say that?
I haven't written
in a long time.
Nothing good, anyway.
You know, can't get it started.
How long?
Two years, more.
It's embarrassing.
But listen, uh,
let's talk about real estate
and selling my house instead.
The Owens, uh, are not interested,
so, what is the next step?
I'm not sure.
Wait.
I'm not supposed to say that.
No, no,
you're just being honest.
Yeah, I haven't been
doing this very long.
Can you tell?
Actually, you're my first.
Your first, what?
- My first victim.
- Oh, that's okay.
- I don't mind.
- No, it's not okay.
I'm sure I can get another
appointment in a couple weeks.
- How long can you hold out?
- Couple of weeks.
So do you think it's
gonna take a long time?
Well, it depends.
I mean, this time of year,
there's hardly anybody in town.
I mean, in the summer is better.
- Summer?
- Well, with the tourists and-
that was you back there, right?
What?
- You know that guy?
- Hey, hey, hey.
Listen. Listen.
Something happened
on my way over here.
It was just a bad driver.
Just forget it.
Anyway, um, I thought
we would have, you know,
an easier time selling the
house, being close to Denver-
your house needs
a little fixing up,
and, secondly,
it's not that close to Denver.
I mean, it's a two-hour drive
just to hit the suburbs.
Have dinner with me.
- Uh, Mr. Lopez, i-
- no, no, no.
It's Pablo, actually.
But I like Paul better.
Listen...
We have seen each other,
what, eh, three times now?
But every single time,
it's bad news.
I can't tonight.
But how about Saturday?
- Great.
- Okay.
Eight o'clock?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Good.
- Okay.
- Bye, Paul.
- Bye.
- Judy.
- Yeah? Coming.
That was a real
smart move back there.
I shouldn't have done that.
- I know,
- yeah.
You know, I used to meet a
friend of mine in places like this
until an asshole like you
ran him off the road!
- Hey!
- What?
- Can you keep it down? I'm trying to watch the TV.
- Hey, fuck off!
I... I'm sorry.
- Just, just drop it now.
- I won't just drop it!
Hey, that's it!
Should we call someone?
Everything's okay,
guys, don't worry.
- It's over.
- - Thank you.
Hey, I, I don't know
how to thank you.
I'm sorry, Judy.
I, I...
I'm sorry.
- It happens.
- Give me that.
No, it's, it's fine, really.
He was an idiot. Jesus.
Sorry, man.
Really sorry.
No worries.
Thank you.
Where are you going?
Just drop me
wherever suits you.
I'm Paul.
Jack.
You hunt?
Uh, yeah, I got a
goose this morning, yeah.
- What do you do?
- I'm a writer.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- Books?
- Yeah, books, yeah, long time ago.
Must be hard work.
- Listen, uh, can I ask you a question?
- Sure.
In the fight back there,
what did you say to that guy?
- What did I say?
- Yeah, the man was terrified.
I told him I liked
my lunch quiet.
Hm.
So you gonna tell
me where you're going?
Just enjoying the road.
You like living like that?
Nothing better.
How do you get by?
I do what I have to do.
Then I move on.
Nothing you miss?
You know, hot shower.
Some storm, huh?
Yeah, pretty bad.
Took out power
and telephone lines.
Power only just came back.
Listen, uh,
I... I don't wanna
drop you on the road
with this weather
coming out there.
The weather, man.
They always get it wrong.
Well, we are
close to my place,
and I got a guest room.
You can use it for the night,
have a hot shower.
Look, don't feel like
you owe me, okay?
Ah, it's the least I can do.
I would be in the hospital
without you back there.
Appreciate it.
Here we are.
You like it?
Yeah, I like it.
Good.
You must have
sold a lot of books.
- I did all right.
- Hey, let me help you.
Take that bag.
Nice kill.
Well, I can be a good shot
if I do say so myself.
Uh... it is messed up.
You gotta be careful.
There...
All right.
Sorry, maid's day off.
You have a maid?
Uh... no.
Not anymore.
Probably working for my ex.
Is that a joke?
Let me show you to your room.
Ah, fuck. Hang on.
Yeah, watch your step.
My wife made me
put these safety bolts
on all windows.
She was scared, you know.
- Of what?
- I don't know.
Isolation?
All right. Here we are.
Bathroom is over there,
and it has a shower.
Sheets and towels in the closet.
Thanks, Paul.
Yeah, make
yourself comfortable.
Uh-huh.
You have cleaned up.
You hungry?
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
- The water is freezing.
- Yeah, it is.
- Makes you feel alive.
- Could just pinch yourself.
Thanks for breakfast.
I noticed that this door
has to be completely reframed.
Now, I found a few
spare planks outside,
but I'm gonna be able to fix that
before i leave this afternoon.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
You don't have to fix anything.
- Paul, I want to.
- I'm moving.
I need to sell this place.
Why would you
give all this up?
Because I can't
afford to stay.
You know,
can't sell any of my work.
Besides, there's nothing
left for me here.
Not without my wife.
I can help you.
- No.
- No, really. I mean, it's not that much work.
- I could have it done in maybe, uh, three days.
- Jack.
- Perhaps a little bit longer.
- Jack, I can't pay you.
- Come on.
- Don't worry about it.
I'll do the cooking, deal?
Your wife?
Ah, it's the last
picture of her,
before she left me.
You know, I should clean
this place up too, right?
No, no.
I like it like this.
Thank you.
You write these?
Mm.
El ultimo hombre.
Yeah, the last man.
Hm.
Right.
Phone is still not working.
No Internet.
Paul, fuck it.
- Yeah.
- You don't need 'em.
Yeah.
Anyway, I thought a writer
would actually appreciate
being cut off from the world.
You know?
The seclusion.
Be able to get some work
done, no distractions.
Well, the irony is that we are
always looking for
a distraction.
Procrastination,
writers thrive on it.
This stew is excellent.
Thank you.
So... tomorrow I'm gonna
start working the shed.
Needs a new coat of paint.
And there's some tiles on
your roof that need fixing.
You'll never have time to do
all that in three days, Jack.
I said it might take a
little bit longer, didn't I?
Right.
I don't mean to pry, but,
don't you writers
make a good living?
Well, that depends
on the writer.
What kind of writer are you?
I had my first novel published,
uh, when I was 25.
My first bestseller
before I turned 30,
and critics really liked me.
They liked me a lot, so you
know, the word got around,
and suddenly, well,
this American literary agent
flew out to meet me in Madrid,
and he said that the
studios were interested,
eh, to adapt, some of
my books to the screen.
And so, for all my sins,
I signed with him.
So he sold the book, and uh,
they got me to write
the screenplay,
and suddenly out of
the blue, you know,
they forgot
the agreement, entirely.
And they gave it to
somebody else to write.
So they kicked you
out of your own movie?
Can't get any worse
than that, I guess.
Oh, yes, it can.
It can.
The worst part is that
they did make the movie,
and the only thing left
of my book was the title.
Yep.
I married the
woman of my dreams, I had money,
an apartment in the
Wilshire corridor,
you know, tons of needy friends,
and it all went away.
Even the woman.
We're all free men.
We choose what we want.
You did this to yourself.
Well, no, all i
choose was this place.
I told my wife it
would help, you know,
I needed isolation to write
and th... that was my sacrifice!
All writing is sacrifice.
You know,
in most movies I see,
the characters are
just what they are,
characters in a movie.
Nothing seems real.
Nothing is like how
life really is.
I don't disagree.
Maybe it's just
'cause I travel a lot.
You know, I watch what's
going on around me.
I watch people.
I'm not a recluse.
Must be it.
You know...
I'd really like to read
one of your scripts.
If that wouldn't be a problem.
Okay.
- Yeah?
- Yeah, I'll...
All right, this is
the last one I wrote.
My hail Mary pass
to get something sold.
Nobody wants it.
My agent says it's crap.
Under the clock.
Yeah.
I think I've
heard this title before.
Even the title, then. Hah!
Yeah.
I'll tell you what.
I'll give you the opinion
of the common man.
It's gotta count
for something, right?
It counts
for more than my agent's.
Yeah, yes, enjoy it, man.
Good afternoon.
How was your nap?
Not good. Not good.
- Delias kristianiae.
- Huh?
Black butterfly, from Indonesia.
Very rare.
Very hard to catch.
- Ironic, really.
- Ironic?
Yeah, I had it done in prison.
You looking for these?
I needed to work on the shed,
i had to unlock it.
You gonna work today?
No... I'm not in the
right frame of mind,
and I have to sell this house.
Hard to work when you
got to worry about money.
You know you have to
do yourself a favor.
Eh? And what is that?
You know...
You have to stop drinking.
I mean, you gotta stop it cold.
Ai-yi-yi-yi.
- You could be a great writer.
- Oh.
But your stories
are not good enough,
and it's because
of your drinking.
You know, I think you
just need a good idea
to jumpstart your career.
You know, I was thinking
this morning, I got an idea.
- Ah, of course you do.
- No, really.
I mean, I want you to hear it.
All right, look,
I know it'd be like god taking
advice from a lowly priest.
Ah, I am listening, yes.
All right.
Okay.
You tell our story.
- What story?
- Our story.
Okay, it goes like this.
A writer travels to the U.S.
looking for inspiration,
gets himself a beautiful house
in a remote area.
And so, uh...
He's had some success,
short-lived.
He can't write anymore,
so, uh, he drinks.
He's become an alcoholic.
And he lives like a recluse
to hide his decline.
So, this writer
goes into a diner.
He's got a...
A date with a pretty girl.
But today is not gonna
be his lucky day.
He gets into it with some
pissed off truck driver
looking for trouble,
who frightens off the girl
and then gets into a fight
with the writer.
So for sure, this writer's
gonna get his ass kicked.
But then a stranger intervenes
and, uh, helps him out.
So the writer is driving
home, still a little shaken,
and he sees this stranger
walking along the road,
so, naturally, he pulls over
and gives the guy a lift.
The writer and the
stranger start talking
and the writer offers
the stranger some work
'cause he feels sorry for him.
But even then,
he's kinda concerned
'cause he doesn't
know who this guy is.
I mean, he could be anybody.
So by the time they
get to the house,
the writer's already beginning
to regret his offer-
no, no, no.
It's not like this.
Paul.
It's just a story.
Yeah.
Eh, it's a good start.
Go on.
You're the writer, man.
You write it.
But you gotta be committed.
Okay, sure, yeah.
When do you think
you'll be done?
Who said you could
read the script?
Why not?
Because I'm still
working on it.
You can't read this.
It's called a work
in progress, you know?
That's not the problem.
This story, the way it happens,
it's too easy.
- Too easy?
- Mm-hmm.
- It's exactly what happened.
- Really?
Are you sure about that?
he's just some guy standing
at the counter of a diner.
But what do we really
know about him?
What do we know?
You know, maybe, uh,
you know, maybe he
was partnered up
with the truck
driver who barged in.
Maybe they
worked it out in advance,
Jack and the truck driver.
You know, they said,
"when this guy comes in,
you start a fight with him.
Then I'll come in, save his ass,
and he'll be
eternally grateful. "
And later, in the parking lot,
what Jack whispers in his ear,
is, uh, "thanks, buddy.
Now he's mine. "
Then Jack takes
off down the road.
And then later the
writer's driving home,
so what does he do?
I mean, he wants
to be a nice guy,
so he offers him work-
so if, if Jack
had some kind of, uh,
relationship with the
truck driver, that,
that would be very interesting.
I mean...
You're the writer, right?
- Yeah.
- Maybe the truck driver
should come back into the story,
towards the end.
I have a better
ending in mind.
Hard to speak
a single word, isn't it?
That's where your script fails.
That was the only
way to show you.
The woman on the
run in your script,
she's about to have
her throat slit.
What the fuck? And you have her
pleading with him.
If she reacted
like you just did,
that would be realistic.
I just wanted to
show you some real.
Sorry for the scare.
Jack!
Jack!
What's up?
Did you hear that scream?
- Scream?
- Just now.
- You didn't hear it?
- No.
It was a woman's scream.
I heard it from inside.
You didn't hear it?
You mean that?
- Hm?
- Nah.
Mm.
You expecting somebody?
It's the grocery store.
I got a standing order.
They deliver every week.
Paul, not too far.
What are you doing?
He's a fucking delivery man.
Put it down!
- Hi.
- Oh, hey, Mr. Lopez.
- Hank's not working today?
- No, not today.
- Here's your delivery.
- Oh, yeah.
Oh, by the way, Mr. Lopez,
pat mentioned
- you may have a check for him.
- I can't pay you today.
You know, and I told pat that.
Yeah, he also said
a postdated check would be fine.
I don't have that for you today.
I'm sorry.
Well, I don't really wanna
get in trouble my first day.
You won't. I... I...
I know pat, a long time.
It's gonna... you're gonna
be fine, all right?
Just leave it there... good.
- Thank you.
- Okay, bye.
All right. Okay, bye.
Paul.
Where are you going?
We had an agreement.
Now you're breaking it.
An agreement? You had a
gun on me, a gun, Jack!
I don't know what your
fucking game is, not anymore.
- Listen to me.
- No, you listen to me!
You point a gun at me, just
because someone was at the door!
- Come on!
- I'm a little paranoid.
So what?
Where you going, Paul?
Wherever the fuck I want to.
What about the
woman's scream, eh?
I imagined that, right?
I imagined that?!
You know, you're a real
disappointment, Paul.
I invite you to my home, and
I'm a prisoner in my own house?!
Hey!
Look at what you
made me do, Paul.
Hey, don't make me hurt you.
Do not!
Don't, make me, hurt you.
Don't make me hurt you.
You know, I don't
know what you're talking about
with that woman screaming.
And, yeah, you bet
strangers make me nervous
as you would be, if you'd
just got out of prison.
They're looking for you,
aren't they?
Doesn't matter.
I ain't never going back.
Get some rest, Paul.
Got a lot of work
to do tomorrow.
Shit.
Now, in the movies,
you grab two wires from
under the steering column,
touch 'em together,
engine starts, right?
- Right.
- What's in the bag, Paul?
We had an agreement.
What do you want me to say?
All right.
I, I was going to drink.
Alone.
That's why you're stuck, Paul.
Come on. Come with me.
Come on!
Grab your bag.
Take the booze out of the bag.
You don't have to be
afraid of me, Paul.
I'm here to help you.
Now, I want you to smash it
against that wall over there.
Smash it.
Come on.
Get back to work.
Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me...
...fuck me.
- Laura.
- I've been calling you for days.
I... I'm confused. I mean,
maybe you don't want me to be
your real estate agent anymore,
but you asked me out.
- I mean, maybe I got that
wrong- - yeah, yeah, yeah.
What happened to your face?
Get in your car
and leave right now.
- Why?
- There is no time.
- What's going on?
- There is someone else here.
- Who?
- Give me the keys.
Trust me. Get in.
What's going on?!
I'll explain
to you later, I'm sorry.
Tell me later?
Paul, what is going on?
You have to tell me.
Where are you going?
I'll explain later!
Out! Out!
Do what he says.
Do what he says.
Move! Now you, Paul,
take the keys out!
Jack, calm down,
just calm down!
Get out! Move!
You, go!
Jack, calm down, man.
Calm down, please.
Take off the hand brake, and start
pushing the car into the pond.
You, help him!
Move!
Move! Faster! Faster!
Now move.
Get up to the house.
I'll get it.
Marion?
- She's the babysitter.
- Ah.
Please, let me go.
I have a baby, please, let me...
Please.
You see how
disorientated people get
when their future is uncertain?
They always tend
to imagine the worst.
You too, Paul.
You always imagine the worst.
- What's the sheriff doing here?
- No idea.
Come on.
You're both smart enough
not to try anything, right?
Right.
Paul.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Deputy carcano.
How can I help you?
You shouldn't leave your tools out
in this weather, they'll get rusty.
Yeah. I'll get around to it.
You know, it's been busy.
Listen, we're
looking for this woman.
I was wondering if by any
chance you've seen her?
Michelle Emerson?
Uh, no, no, no, I'm sorry.
You know, I haven't.
Hm, she works
for the post office.
she was due to deliver a package
earlier today from Los Angeles.
- Here?
- Yeah.
Huh, hold on,
hold on, hold on.
I was expecting something
from my agent, yeah.
But I, I never got it,
and I, I didn't see this woman,
- that's for sure.
- Huh.
Do you have a mailbox
elsewhere on the property?
Perhaps she left it there.
No, no, no.
Everything I get is dropped
off here at the house, yeah.
Right, right. Well, listen,
thanks for your time, huh?
- If you see something...
- Right.
You know where to find me.
Carcano!
Get down!
- Get up! Get up!
- Okay, alright!
Come here.
Come here, come here.
- Get in the trunk!
- Get that window, that window!
Get in! Move, move!
- Shit.
- - What?!
Bolt it, bolt it!
- Shit!
- Stay right there!
Who's shooting?!
He shot the cop?
- That's very good, Paul!
- Paul!
You're finally starting to
show some fucking imagination!
He needs us alive,
just in case the cops come back.
Well, I got a great
fucking imagination, too!
- He's gonna kill us.
- He's gonna kill us.
Come on!
Come here.
Jesus Christ.
He just killed a cop.
He just killed a fucking cop!
Laura, please!
Stop it!
It's about thinking now,
all right?
Psst.
How old is your kid?
Two.
Two.
I can't think
about that right now.
We're gonna, hey, listen.
We're going to get out of here.
- We can't just sit here.
- Hold on, hold on, hold on.
You hear that?
What?
Yeah, there is a railroad
two miles from here.
A train goes by
every half an hour.
- He's on the roof.
- What's he doing?
What's he doing?
This is our chance.
This is our chance, we gotta go.
We gotta go,
we gotta go, go, go.
You have to run
as fast as you can.
Straight to the forest,
straight for the train,
and don't look back, all right?
Now, go, go, go, go, go.
Come on, come on!
Come on!
Come on!
The train is over this hill!
Come on!
Come on!
Come on.
- Ow, ow, ow!
- Hey.
- I can't, my ankle.
- Oh, yes, you can.
We're almost there,
almost there.
Are we finished playing
fucking games, Paul?!
Get back to the fucking house!
Come on, Laura.
You okay?
Where, where is he?
Uh, downstairs, I think.
Why is he here?
Oh.
I picked him up
on my way back here.
Come downstairs.
I'm not going down there.
Not there.
There.
You've been disloyal, Paul.
You forgot
all about our agreement.
- Our agreement?
- Uh-huh.
You're completely
out of your mind.
You know that, right?
You just killed
the fucking sheriff,
and you're talking
about the agreement?!
You have been here three days.
First you put a
knife to my throat,
then a gun to my head.
And maybe I am crazy, too,
because why I didn't
toss you out, day one,
is baffling to me.
You still don't get it,
do you, Paul?
I'm the one writing the story.
I mean, I gave you your chance
until you had that brilliant
idea to open the door.
It's your fault
the sheriff's dead.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
I didn't kill anybody.
You did! You did!
This is fucking insane!
Wh... why are you
still sitting here?
They're gonna storm this place,
and you are definitely
going back to prison.
Now, how is that
for an ending, Jack?
You know...
...none of that happens
unless I say so.
And if I do decide to
let them in and kill me...
...you get to write the story.
You have to let her go.
Hey...
What the fuck is her name?
- Laura.
- Thank you.
Laura!
How does it feel
to see a real murder,
not just one in the movies?
You stab someone,
you slit their throat,
they fall to the ground
in seconds. Done, dead.
Well, you know, I'm not
interested. You're a sick person.
You make your life-
hey, let her go!
- Stay right there.
- You don't have the guts, Paul.
Shoot!
No, don't, stop!
Ow!
Jack!
What the fuck?!
You let her go, Jack!
Come on!
Where is she?
What did you do to her?
What did you... fucker.
Which actor should play me?
A fucking maniac.
You know, you'd have killed
me without a second thought.
Hm.
I like that.
Why are there
scalpels in your bag?
The trinkets?
The journal?
Is that what it is?
What does it mean, Jack?
It means you have no manners.
Going through
a guest's belongings.
Nothing worse than betrayal.
I'm gonna finish
our story, Paul.
You're not capable of it.
You finally found
some imagination.
What did you do, Jack?
Where is your knife?
Throw it over there.
It's okay.
Nobody knows she's here.
We'll get rid of the body, it'll
be like nothing ever happened.
Come on.
We got some work to do.
- Let's put an end to this-
- stay right there!
This is gonna end
the way I want.
There's only one
way this'll end, Paul.
We clean this shit up
before the cops come here
- and find out what we did.
- We didn't do anything.
You did! Alone!
And I need the police
to find that out.
- You need the police?
- Yes, I do.
I can recognize a
sign from Providence
when I come across one
because I have received so few.
Oy, come over here.
Hands on your head,
get on the ground.
I am grateful to you, Jack.
I know it doesn't look like
that right now, but I am.
And you know why?
Because you have
been sent by god.
A drifter, barely a
step ahead of the cops,
running and killing these women,
so vulnerable,
stolen away and butchered
somewhere in the
dark of the woods.
But chance has made me
the one to stop you.
- I didn't kill these women.
- You don't have to convince me.
You know why I have
never been caught?
When Providence signals to me,
I recognize it instantly.
A woman alone in her car
waiting for her boyfriend
to get out of work. He's late.
She rolls down her window
to have a cigarette.
Her hand hangs outside.
Adjusts the
rear-view mirror and...
...and it feels so clear.
Or a housewife out in the woods
apart from her family
just long enough.
Just long enough for me to know
that Providence is smiling
at me, this very moment.
But...
...you have to be...
...able to embrace it.
The drifter on
the side of the road.
Don't let him walk away.
Pick him up.
Dress him for the part.
I mean, you know, I have to say
you really made me earn this.
Wow. Yeah.
You think you know more
than me about reality?
I'm only a writer, right?
I'm gonna show you reality.
You build it.
Now stand up.
Stand up!
All right, Jack.
This is how the story ends.
- Go to zone two.
- - Yeah.
Cover your ears.
We'll ship the
DNA samples off, right away.
- You okay?
- Yeah, I'm good, I'm good.
- He's mine.
- Okay, go get him.
Oh, I'll take care of it.
I'll tell them you had guests.
Where's the k-9 unit?
Over here?
Well, I got a great
fucking imagination, too!
He's on the roof.
This is our chance. We gotta go,
we gotta go, we gotta go.
Did you check the prints?
- Hey, boss.
- Good job.
Thanks.
Hey.
How you holding up?
- Good.
- You good?
Yeah.
I'm proud of you.
You hung right in there.
Look, Jack, he's a little
crazy, but he's my guy.
Okay, guys, clear out.
Here.
Make the most of it.
It's gonna be your
last for a while.
We've been tracking you
down for three years.
Never found a crime scene
until it was too late.
And even then...
...you left us nothing.
Until now.
We're out in
the open here, Paul.
No more secrets.
Perhaps you'll remember this.
Know why
I have never been caught?
When Providence signals to me,
I recognize it instantly.
A woman alone in her car waiting
for her boyfriend to get out work.
I hate myself
for not catching you
before you got to Nancy barrows.
I'll carry that to my grave.
Four victims.
Now, we found all the bodies,
all except, uh, one.
The first, your wife, Renee.
Tell me where you buried her.
How can I?
I haven't seen her...
...since she left me.
Come on, buddy. Tell me
where you buried your wife.
The jury will see it as
a gesture of goodwill.
It'll help you when
you come to sentencing.
Give Renee's family
some closure.
They deserve it,
don't you think?
I don't know what
you're talking about,
whoever you are.
Okay.
We're gonna convict you of
every murder you've ever done.
You're going to convict me?
Mm.
With what?
Everything you have
in that bag is tainted.
Planted.
You're...
...so in need of a scapegoat
that it's pathetic.
You come into my house
with a bag of evidence
Bodies you had access to,
and trying to hang it on me?
The tape?
Do you think
that's my confession?
I was thinking
my screenplay aloud. So what?
It was dialogue for a character.
Method writing,
if you wanna call it that.
Isn't that what we were doing,
you and I, when you
held a knife to my throat?
If you are so fucking
sure of yourself,
why harass me
for my wife's body?
You had me at gunpoint!
I was a hostage in my own house!
Where did you think you're going
with this harebrained scam?!
Are you guys completely insane?!
Is that the way you're
gonna play it, Paul?
Okay.
An innocent man would have
just said, "i didn't do it. "
Hey, there, deputy carcano.
Dive team says there's
nothing in the pond.
Nothing from k-9 unit.
Fuck.
Have them keep looking.
Ah, doesn't look good.
Got physical evidence that
he's gonna say you planted.
We got him on tape,
and I don't know
how you get into this
storytelling thing,
but he's gonna say that's
what he was doing there,
and that creates
plausible deniability.
His word against mine?
Well, you don't have
to convince me, Jack.
Look, you've worked
too hard on this one
for it to not go our way.
I don't think
i have to tell you,
without a confession,
we're fucked.
Fuck.
- Jack.
- Yeah.
The boss is gonna book him.
They want you inside.
All right.
Look at this photograph.
- Oh, my god.
- Yeah.
Better times, huh?
Your beautiful wife,
outside of your rustic retreat.
But something's missing.
Tell me something, Paul.
If I was to dig
underneath your pond,
I mean, really
underneath your pond,
would I find your wife?
All right, Jack.
Your odds in court went up,
no question.
Can I talk to you,
just you and me?
Clear the room, guys.
Let's go.
I'm all ears.
You have no idea...
...the pain I'm holding inside.
Just don't! Listen to me.
Hear me out.
This is an idea for a...
For a deal.
Full confession.
I'll give you every detail
of every one
of the victims' remains,
for every crime scene,
everything.
I have a great memory.
I wrap up your case
neatly with a bright bow.
But no needle.
Lock me up in a mental institution,
whatever, but no needle.
I deserve
to live with this pain.
You had your chance with me.
- I'm done.
- No, listen to me!
You owe this to me.
It was up to me to pick
you up on the road.
My decision, my idea,
it was always my story.
Was it real enough for you?
It seems like it was.
I gave you all of this!
But you owe me my ending.
I like my ending better.
Come back here.
Oh, come on.
Yeah, yeah.
- Sam, you get the blanket.
- Okay.
- Sorry.
- Catch it, aj!
Come on, kid.
Maybe we should
go help mom, huh?
Come on, come on.
Come on!
You go back and get the
blanket so mom doesn't kill me.
Yeah.
Did you see my wife?
No, sorry.
Nancy!
Nancy!
Nancy!
Nancy!
Nancy!
It's beautiful, isn't it?
More secluded than I thought.
It was sunny 10 minutes ago.
Hey. I love it. This is exactly
what I've been looking for.
Mr. Lopez, I'm sorry
to show up like this.
- I tried to call you.
- The reception here is very bad.
I'm sure it's just my phone.
Is it okay if I show
Mr. and Mrs. Owen around?
Hey. Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- Paul. Hey.
Eh, sure, look around.
I can't stay, I'm afraid.
- I was on my way out.
- Oh, no, that's okay.
It's probably better
if you're not here.
Hey, listen. The house is a real
mess, especially the kitchen.
Oh, I'll take care of it.
I'll tell them you had guests.
Yes, really messy guests.
- Don't worry.
- All right.
Hey, can we meet for a
late lunch this afternoon?
Eh, just to talk about
the house and some other stuff.
- Oh, yeah, of course.
- Alright, Brent's two o'clock?
- Sure.
- Good, good.
- Good.
- All right.
- See you then. Okay.
- Cool.
Uh, hope you like what you see.
Come on, I'll show you inside.
To recap our top story,
police have confirmed
that a young woman
has been murdered
in Jefferson county.
This is the fourth young
woman in three years.
In other news, the rockies
lost another close one
as the mets came to town
and annihilated them.
Hey, pat.
Hey, Paul.
Hey, do you know they
pay $36,000 a year
to house one convict?
Yeah, read it in the paper.
School teachers make less.
Bring your list?
Uh, yeah.
Uh, a few additions.
There you go.
- You gonna square up?
- Uh.
I'll give it to Hank
on delivery, Wednesday.
Is that all right with you?
- Go hunting today?
- Just got back.
- Get lucky?
- Yeah. I got a goose.
Nice one.
Hey, Marty?
Hey, Paul, what's going
on? Did you get my messages?
I've been clogging up
your voicemail.
Reception sucks in here, man.
So, listen,
did you get the script?
Yeah. I sent it
back already with my comments.
You sent it back?
I thought we were
rolling out with it.
You didn't incorporate
any of their notes.
If I sent it back as is, they'd never
read anything of yours ever again.
You understand that Paul?
Once in a while,
you gotta compromise,
show that you're functional.
I am.
Not within the system,
you're not.
Look, we both know you
need the money, right?
Well, yes, I need the money,
but not at any cost, you know?
Good line, but I
thought you had bills to pay.
Uh-huh, exactly. Look,
just pull yourself together.
Okay, I gotta go. Bye.
Marty. Marty?
Fucker.
What the fuck is going
on with this guy?
Come on!
Jesus Christ.
What the fuck, man?!
...confirm Nancy barrows, 46...
...of Greenville, Colorado
is the fourth victim
- of the roadside killer.
- Okay.
Hey, Paul, what's up?
- Hey, Judy.
- Okay, thanks, I'll be there.
- Wanna sit at the counter?
- Ah... over here.
All right.
- Mr. Lopez.
- Laura. I'm sorry I'm late.
- No, it's okay.
- All right.
So, the Owens
aren't interested.
Oh.
- You still wanna buy me lunch?
- Of course.
It's my way of
keeping you motivated.
Actually, I can
only stay a few minutes.
I had to commit to
another appointment.
- Oh.
- If you'd been here just five minutes earlier...
- Not even a cup of coffee?
- Already had one.
- Just coffee.
- Judy.
Thank you.
I have to admit
I'm a bit in awe.
I've never known
a writer before.
Well, don't be.
I don't know any either.
Why do you say that?
I haven't written
in a long time.
Nothing good, anyway.
You know, can't get it started.
How long?
Two years, more.
It's embarrassing.
But listen, uh,
let's talk about real estate
and selling my house instead.
The Owens, uh, are not interested,
so, what is the next step?
I'm not sure.
Wait.
I'm not supposed to say that.
No, no,
you're just being honest.
Yeah, I haven't been
doing this very long.
Can you tell?
Actually, you're my first.
Your first, what?
- My first victim.
- Oh, that's okay.
- I don't mind.
- No, it's not okay.
I'm sure I can get another
appointment in a couple weeks.
- How long can you hold out?
- Couple of weeks.
So do you think it's
gonna take a long time?
Well, it depends.
I mean, this time of year,
there's hardly anybody in town.
I mean, in the summer is better.
- Summer?
- Well, with the tourists and-
that was you back there, right?
What?
- You know that guy?
- Hey, hey, hey.
Listen. Listen.
Something happened
on my way over here.
It was just a bad driver.
Just forget it.
Anyway, um, I thought
we would have, you know,
an easier time selling the
house, being close to Denver-
your house needs
a little fixing up,
and, secondly,
it's not that close to Denver.
I mean, it's a two-hour drive
just to hit the suburbs.
Have dinner with me.
- Uh, Mr. Lopez, i-
- no, no, no.
It's Pablo, actually.
But I like Paul better.
Listen...
We have seen each other,
what, eh, three times now?
But every single time,
it's bad news.
I can't tonight.
But how about Saturday?
- Great.
- Okay.
Eight o'clock?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Good.
- Okay.
- Bye, Paul.
- Bye.
- Judy.
- Yeah? Coming.
That was a real
smart move back there.
I shouldn't have done that.
- I know,
- yeah.
You know, I used to meet a
friend of mine in places like this
until an asshole like you
ran him off the road!
- Hey!
- What?
- Can you keep it down? I'm trying to watch the TV.
- Hey, fuck off!
I... I'm sorry.
- Just, just drop it now.
- I won't just drop it!
Hey, that's it!
Should we call someone?
Everything's okay,
guys, don't worry.
- It's over.
- - Thank you.
Hey, I, I don't know
how to thank you.
I'm sorry, Judy.
I, I...
I'm sorry.
- It happens.
- Give me that.
No, it's, it's fine, really.
He was an idiot. Jesus.
Sorry, man.
Really sorry.
No worries.
Thank you.
Where are you going?
Just drop me
wherever suits you.
I'm Paul.
Jack.
You hunt?
Uh, yeah, I got a
goose this morning, yeah.
- What do you do?
- I'm a writer.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- Books?
- Yeah, books, yeah, long time ago.
Must be hard work.
- Listen, uh, can I ask you a question?
- Sure.
In the fight back there,
what did you say to that guy?
- What did I say?
- Yeah, the man was terrified.
I told him I liked
my lunch quiet.
Hm.
So you gonna tell
me where you're going?
Just enjoying the road.
You like living like that?
Nothing better.
How do you get by?
I do what I have to do.
Then I move on.
Nothing you miss?
You know, hot shower.
Some storm, huh?
Yeah, pretty bad.
Took out power
and telephone lines.
Power only just came back.
Listen, uh,
I... I don't wanna
drop you on the road
with this weather
coming out there.
The weather, man.
They always get it wrong.
Well, we are
close to my place,
and I got a guest room.
You can use it for the night,
have a hot shower.
Look, don't feel like
you owe me, okay?
Ah, it's the least I can do.
I would be in the hospital
without you back there.
Appreciate it.
Here we are.
You like it?
Yeah, I like it.
Good.
You must have
sold a lot of books.
- I did all right.
- Hey, let me help you.
Take that bag.
Nice kill.
Well, I can be a good shot
if I do say so myself.
Uh... it is messed up.
You gotta be careful.
There...
All right.
Sorry, maid's day off.
You have a maid?
Uh... no.
Not anymore.
Probably working for my ex.
Is that a joke?
Let me show you to your room.
Ah, fuck. Hang on.
Yeah, watch your step.
My wife made me
put these safety bolts
on all windows.
She was scared, you know.
- Of what?
- I don't know.
Isolation?
All right. Here we are.
Bathroom is over there,
and it has a shower.
Sheets and towels in the closet.
Thanks, Paul.
Yeah, make
yourself comfortable.
Uh-huh.
You have cleaned up.
You hungry?
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
- The water is freezing.
- Yeah, it is.
- Makes you feel alive.
- Could just pinch yourself.
Thanks for breakfast.
I noticed that this door
has to be completely reframed.
Now, I found a few
spare planks outside,
but I'm gonna be able to fix that
before i leave this afternoon.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
You don't have to fix anything.
- Paul, I want to.
- I'm moving.
I need to sell this place.
Why would you
give all this up?
Because I can't
afford to stay.
You know,
can't sell any of my work.
Besides, there's nothing
left for me here.
Not without my wife.
I can help you.
- No.
- No, really. I mean, it's not that much work.
- I could have it done in maybe, uh, three days.
- Jack.
- Perhaps a little bit longer.
- Jack, I can't pay you.
- Come on.
- Don't worry about it.
I'll do the cooking, deal?
Your wife?
Ah, it's the last
picture of her,
before she left me.
You know, I should clean
this place up too, right?
No, no.
I like it like this.
Thank you.
You write these?
Mm.
El ultimo hombre.
Yeah, the last man.
Hm.
Right.
Phone is still not working.
No Internet.
Paul, fuck it.
- Yeah.
- You don't need 'em.
Yeah.
Anyway, I thought a writer
would actually appreciate
being cut off from the world.
You know?
The seclusion.
Be able to get some work
done, no distractions.
Well, the irony is that we are
always looking for
a distraction.
Procrastination,
writers thrive on it.
This stew is excellent.
Thank you.
So... tomorrow I'm gonna
start working the shed.
Needs a new coat of paint.
And there's some tiles on
your roof that need fixing.
You'll never have time to do
all that in three days, Jack.
I said it might take a
little bit longer, didn't I?
Right.
I don't mean to pry, but,
don't you writers
make a good living?
Well, that depends
on the writer.
What kind of writer are you?
I had my first novel published,
uh, when I was 25.
My first bestseller
before I turned 30,
and critics really liked me.
They liked me a lot, so you
know, the word got around,
and suddenly, well,
this American literary agent
flew out to meet me in Madrid,
and he said that the
studios were interested,
eh, to adapt, some of
my books to the screen.
And so, for all my sins,
I signed with him.
So he sold the book, and uh,
they got me to write
the screenplay,
and suddenly out of
the blue, you know,
they forgot
the agreement, entirely.
And they gave it to
somebody else to write.
So they kicked you
out of your own movie?
Can't get any worse
than that, I guess.
Oh, yes, it can.
It can.
The worst part is that
they did make the movie,
and the only thing left
of my book was the title.
Yep.
I married the
woman of my dreams, I had money,
an apartment in the
Wilshire corridor,
you know, tons of needy friends,
and it all went away.
Even the woman.
We're all free men.
We choose what we want.
You did this to yourself.
Well, no, all i
choose was this place.
I told my wife it
would help, you know,
I needed isolation to write
and th... that was my sacrifice!
All writing is sacrifice.
You know,
in most movies I see,
the characters are
just what they are,
characters in a movie.
Nothing seems real.
Nothing is like how
life really is.
I don't disagree.
Maybe it's just
'cause I travel a lot.
You know, I watch what's
going on around me.
I watch people.
I'm not a recluse.
Must be it.
You know...
I'd really like to read
one of your scripts.
If that wouldn't be a problem.
Okay.
- Yeah?
- Yeah, I'll...
All right, this is
the last one I wrote.
My hail Mary pass
to get something sold.
Nobody wants it.
My agent says it's crap.
Under the clock.
Yeah.
I think I've
heard this title before.
Even the title, then. Hah!
Yeah.
I'll tell you what.
I'll give you the opinion
of the common man.
It's gotta count
for something, right?
It counts
for more than my agent's.
Yeah, yes, enjoy it, man.
Good afternoon.
How was your nap?
Not good. Not good.
- Delias kristianiae.
- Huh?
Black butterfly, from Indonesia.
Very rare.
Very hard to catch.
- Ironic, really.
- Ironic?
Yeah, I had it done in prison.
You looking for these?
I needed to work on the shed,
i had to unlock it.
You gonna work today?
No... I'm not in the
right frame of mind,
and I have to sell this house.
Hard to work when you
got to worry about money.
You know you have to
do yourself a favor.
Eh? And what is that?
You know...
You have to stop drinking.
I mean, you gotta stop it cold.
Ai-yi-yi-yi.
- You could be a great writer.
- Oh.
But your stories
are not good enough,
and it's because
of your drinking.
You know, I think you
just need a good idea
to jumpstart your career.
You know, I was thinking
this morning, I got an idea.
- Ah, of course you do.
- No, really.
I mean, I want you to hear it.
All right, look,
I know it'd be like god taking
advice from a lowly priest.
Ah, I am listening, yes.
All right.
Okay.
You tell our story.
- What story?
- Our story.
Okay, it goes like this.
A writer travels to the U.S.
looking for inspiration,
gets himself a beautiful house
in a remote area.
And so, uh...
He's had some success,
short-lived.
He can't write anymore,
so, uh, he drinks.
He's become an alcoholic.
And he lives like a recluse
to hide his decline.
So, this writer
goes into a diner.
He's got a...
A date with a pretty girl.
But today is not gonna
be his lucky day.
He gets into it with some
pissed off truck driver
looking for trouble,
who frightens off the girl
and then gets into a fight
with the writer.
So for sure, this writer's
gonna get his ass kicked.
But then a stranger intervenes
and, uh, helps him out.
So the writer is driving
home, still a little shaken,
and he sees this stranger
walking along the road,
so, naturally, he pulls over
and gives the guy a lift.
The writer and the
stranger start talking
and the writer offers
the stranger some work
'cause he feels sorry for him.
But even then,
he's kinda concerned
'cause he doesn't
know who this guy is.
I mean, he could be anybody.
So by the time they
get to the house,
the writer's already beginning
to regret his offer-
no, no, no.
It's not like this.
Paul.
It's just a story.
Yeah.
Eh, it's a good start.
Go on.
You're the writer, man.
You write it.
But you gotta be committed.
Okay, sure, yeah.
When do you think
you'll be done?
Who said you could
read the script?
Why not?
Because I'm still
working on it.
You can't read this.
It's called a work
in progress, you know?
That's not the problem.
This story, the way it happens,
it's too easy.
- Too easy?
- Mm-hmm.
- It's exactly what happened.
- Really?
Are you sure about that?
he's just some guy standing
at the counter of a diner.
But what do we really
know about him?
What do we know?
You know, maybe, uh,
you know, maybe he
was partnered up
with the truck
driver who barged in.
Maybe they
worked it out in advance,
Jack and the truck driver.
You know, they said,
"when this guy comes in,
you start a fight with him.
Then I'll come in, save his ass,
and he'll be
eternally grateful. "
And later, in the parking lot,
what Jack whispers in his ear,
is, uh, "thanks, buddy.
Now he's mine. "
Then Jack takes
off down the road.
And then later the
writer's driving home,
so what does he do?
I mean, he wants
to be a nice guy,
so he offers him work-
so if, if Jack
had some kind of, uh,
relationship with the
truck driver, that,
that would be very interesting.
I mean...
You're the writer, right?
- Yeah.
- Maybe the truck driver
should come back into the story,
towards the end.
I have a better
ending in mind.
Hard to speak
a single word, isn't it?
That's where your script fails.
That was the only
way to show you.
The woman on the
run in your script,
she's about to have
her throat slit.
What the fuck? And you have her
pleading with him.
If she reacted
like you just did,
that would be realistic.
I just wanted to
show you some real.
Sorry for the scare.
Jack!
Jack!
What's up?
Did you hear that scream?
- Scream?
- Just now.
- You didn't hear it?
- No.
It was a woman's scream.
I heard it from inside.
You didn't hear it?
You mean that?
- Hm?
- Nah.
Mm.
You expecting somebody?
It's the grocery store.
I got a standing order.
They deliver every week.
Paul, not too far.
What are you doing?
He's a fucking delivery man.
Put it down!
- Hi.
- Oh, hey, Mr. Lopez.
- Hank's not working today?
- No, not today.
- Here's your delivery.
- Oh, yeah.
Oh, by the way, Mr. Lopez,
pat mentioned
- you may have a check for him.
- I can't pay you today.
You know, and I told pat that.
Yeah, he also said
a postdated check would be fine.
I don't have that for you today.
I'm sorry.
Well, I don't really wanna
get in trouble my first day.
You won't. I... I...
I know pat, a long time.
It's gonna... you're gonna
be fine, all right?
Just leave it there... good.
- Thank you.
- Okay, bye.
All right. Okay, bye.
Paul.
Where are you going?
We had an agreement.
Now you're breaking it.
An agreement? You had a
gun on me, a gun, Jack!
I don't know what your
fucking game is, not anymore.
- Listen to me.
- No, you listen to me!
You point a gun at me, just
because someone was at the door!
- Come on!
- I'm a little paranoid.
So what?
Where you going, Paul?
Wherever the fuck I want to.
What about the
woman's scream, eh?
I imagined that, right?
I imagined that?!
You know, you're a real
disappointment, Paul.
I invite you to my home, and
I'm a prisoner in my own house?!
Hey!
Look at what you
made me do, Paul.
Hey, don't make me hurt you.
Do not!
Don't, make me, hurt you.
Don't make me hurt you.
You know, I don't
know what you're talking about
with that woman screaming.
And, yeah, you bet
strangers make me nervous
as you would be, if you'd
just got out of prison.
They're looking for you,
aren't they?
Doesn't matter.
I ain't never going back.
Get some rest, Paul.
Got a lot of work
to do tomorrow.
Shit.
Now, in the movies,
you grab two wires from
under the steering column,
touch 'em together,
engine starts, right?
- Right.
- What's in the bag, Paul?
We had an agreement.
What do you want me to say?
All right.
I, I was going to drink.
Alone.
That's why you're stuck, Paul.
Come on. Come with me.
Come on!
Grab your bag.
Take the booze out of the bag.
You don't have to be
afraid of me, Paul.
I'm here to help you.
Now, I want you to smash it
against that wall over there.
Smash it.
Come on.
Get back to work.
Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me...
...fuck me.
- Laura.
- I've been calling you for days.
I... I'm confused. I mean,
maybe you don't want me to be
your real estate agent anymore,
but you asked me out.
- I mean, maybe I got that
wrong- - yeah, yeah, yeah.
What happened to your face?
Get in your car
and leave right now.
- Why?
- There is no time.
- What's going on?
- There is someone else here.
- Who?
- Give me the keys.
Trust me. Get in.
What's going on?!
I'll explain
to you later, I'm sorry.
Tell me later?
Paul, what is going on?
You have to tell me.
Where are you going?
I'll explain later!
Out! Out!
Do what he says.
Do what he says.
Move! Now you, Paul,
take the keys out!
Jack, calm down,
just calm down!
Get out! Move!
You, go!
Jack, calm down, man.
Calm down, please.
Take off the hand brake, and start
pushing the car into the pond.
You, help him!
Move!
Move! Faster! Faster!
Now move.
Get up to the house.
I'll get it.
Marion?
- She's the babysitter.
- Ah.
Please, let me go.
I have a baby, please, let me...
Please.
You see how
disorientated people get
when their future is uncertain?
They always tend
to imagine the worst.
You too, Paul.
You always imagine the worst.
- What's the sheriff doing here?
- No idea.
Come on.
You're both smart enough
not to try anything, right?
Right.
Paul.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Deputy carcano.
How can I help you?
You shouldn't leave your tools out
in this weather, they'll get rusty.
Yeah. I'll get around to it.
You know, it's been busy.
Listen, we're
looking for this woman.
I was wondering if by any
chance you've seen her?
Michelle Emerson?
Uh, no, no, no, I'm sorry.
You know, I haven't.
Hm, she works
for the post office.
she was due to deliver a package
earlier today from Los Angeles.
- Here?
- Yeah.
Huh, hold on,
hold on, hold on.
I was expecting something
from my agent, yeah.
But I, I never got it,
and I, I didn't see this woman,
- that's for sure.
- Huh.
Do you have a mailbox
elsewhere on the property?
Perhaps she left it there.
No, no, no.
Everything I get is dropped
off here at the house, yeah.
Right, right. Well, listen,
thanks for your time, huh?
- If you see something...
- Right.
You know where to find me.
Carcano!
Get down!
- Get up! Get up!
- Okay, alright!
Come here.
Come here, come here.
- Get in the trunk!
- Get that window, that window!
Get in! Move, move!
- Shit.
- - What?!
Bolt it, bolt it!
- Shit!
- Stay right there!
Who's shooting?!
He shot the cop?
- That's very good, Paul!
- Paul!
You're finally starting to
show some fucking imagination!
He needs us alive,
just in case the cops come back.
Well, I got a great
fucking imagination, too!
- He's gonna kill us.
- He's gonna kill us.
Come on!
Come here.
Jesus Christ.
He just killed a cop.
He just killed a fucking cop!
Laura, please!
Stop it!
It's about thinking now,
all right?
Psst.
How old is your kid?
Two.
Two.
I can't think
about that right now.
We're gonna, hey, listen.
We're going to get out of here.
- We can't just sit here.
- Hold on, hold on, hold on.
You hear that?
What?
Yeah, there is a railroad
two miles from here.
A train goes by
every half an hour.
- He's on the roof.
- What's he doing?
What's he doing?
This is our chance.
This is our chance, we gotta go.
We gotta go,
we gotta go, go, go.
You have to run
as fast as you can.
Straight to the forest,
straight for the train,
and don't look back, all right?
Now, go, go, go, go, go.
Come on, come on!
Come on!
Come on!
The train is over this hill!
Come on!
Come on!
Come on.
- Ow, ow, ow!
- Hey.
- I can't, my ankle.
- Oh, yes, you can.
We're almost there,
almost there.
Are we finished playing
fucking games, Paul?!
Get back to the fucking house!
Come on, Laura.
You okay?
Where, where is he?
Uh, downstairs, I think.
Why is he here?
Oh.
I picked him up
on my way back here.
Come downstairs.
I'm not going down there.
Not there.
There.
You've been disloyal, Paul.
You forgot
all about our agreement.
- Our agreement?
- Uh-huh.
You're completely
out of your mind.
You know that, right?
You just killed
the fucking sheriff,
and you're talking
about the agreement?!
You have been here three days.
First you put a
knife to my throat,
then a gun to my head.
And maybe I am crazy, too,
because why I didn't
toss you out, day one,
is baffling to me.
You still don't get it,
do you, Paul?
I'm the one writing the story.
I mean, I gave you your chance
until you had that brilliant
idea to open the door.
It's your fault
the sheriff's dead.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
I didn't kill anybody.
You did! You did!
This is fucking insane!
Wh... why are you
still sitting here?
They're gonna storm this place,
and you are definitely
going back to prison.
Now, how is that
for an ending, Jack?
You know...
...none of that happens
unless I say so.
And if I do decide to
let them in and kill me...
...you get to write the story.
You have to let her go.
Hey...
What the fuck is her name?
- Laura.
- Thank you.
Laura!
How does it feel
to see a real murder,
not just one in the movies?
You stab someone,
you slit their throat,
they fall to the ground
in seconds. Done, dead.
Well, you know, I'm not
interested. You're a sick person.
You make your life-
hey, let her go!
- Stay right there.
- You don't have the guts, Paul.
Shoot!
No, don't, stop!
Ow!
Jack!
What the fuck?!
You let her go, Jack!
Come on!
Where is she?
What did you do to her?
What did you... fucker.
Which actor should play me?
A fucking maniac.
You know, you'd have killed
me without a second thought.
Hm.
I like that.
Why are there
scalpels in your bag?
The trinkets?
The journal?
Is that what it is?
What does it mean, Jack?
It means you have no manners.
Going through
a guest's belongings.
Nothing worse than betrayal.
I'm gonna finish
our story, Paul.
You're not capable of it.
You finally found
some imagination.
What did you do, Jack?
Where is your knife?
Throw it over there.
It's okay.
Nobody knows she's here.
We'll get rid of the body, it'll
be like nothing ever happened.
Come on.
We got some work to do.
- Let's put an end to this-
- stay right there!
This is gonna end
the way I want.
There's only one
way this'll end, Paul.
We clean this shit up
before the cops come here
- and find out what we did.
- We didn't do anything.
You did! Alone!
And I need the police
to find that out.
- You need the police?
- Yes, I do.
I can recognize a
sign from Providence
when I come across one
because I have received so few.
Oy, come over here.
Hands on your head,
get on the ground.
I am grateful to you, Jack.
I know it doesn't look like
that right now, but I am.
And you know why?
Because you have
been sent by god.
A drifter, barely a
step ahead of the cops,
running and killing these women,
so vulnerable,
stolen away and butchered
somewhere in the
dark of the woods.
But chance has made me
the one to stop you.
- I didn't kill these women.
- You don't have to convince me.
You know why I have
never been caught?
When Providence signals to me,
I recognize it instantly.
A woman alone in her car
waiting for her boyfriend
to get out of work. He's late.
She rolls down her window
to have a cigarette.
Her hand hangs outside.
Adjusts the
rear-view mirror and...
...and it feels so clear.
Or a housewife out in the woods
apart from her family
just long enough.
Just long enough for me to know
that Providence is smiling
at me, this very moment.
But...
...you have to be...
...able to embrace it.
The drifter on
the side of the road.
Don't let him walk away.
Pick him up.
Dress him for the part.
I mean, you know, I have to say
you really made me earn this.
Wow. Yeah.
You think you know more
than me about reality?
I'm only a writer, right?
I'm gonna show you reality.
You build it.
Now stand up.
Stand up!
All right, Jack.
This is how the story ends.
- Go to zone two.
- - Yeah.
Cover your ears.
We'll ship the
DNA samples off, right away.
- You okay?
- Yeah, I'm good, I'm good.
- He's mine.
- Okay, go get him.
Oh, I'll take care of it.
I'll tell them you had guests.
Where's the k-9 unit?
Over here?
Well, I got a great
fucking imagination, too!
He's on the roof.
This is our chance. We gotta go,
we gotta go, we gotta go.
Did you check the prints?
- Hey, boss.
- Good job.
Thanks.
Hey.
How you holding up?
- Good.
- You good?
Yeah.
I'm proud of you.
You hung right in there.
Look, Jack, he's a little
crazy, but he's my guy.
Okay, guys, clear out.
Here.
Make the most of it.
It's gonna be your
last for a while.
We've been tracking you
down for three years.
Never found a crime scene
until it was too late.
And even then...
...you left us nothing.
Until now.
We're out in
the open here, Paul.
No more secrets.
Perhaps you'll remember this.
Know why
I have never been caught?
When Providence signals to me,
I recognize it instantly.
A woman alone in her car waiting
for her boyfriend to get out work.
I hate myself
for not catching you
before you got to Nancy barrows.
I'll carry that to my grave.
Four victims.
Now, we found all the bodies,
all except, uh, one.
The first, your wife, Renee.
Tell me where you buried her.
How can I?
I haven't seen her...
...since she left me.
Come on, buddy. Tell me
where you buried your wife.
The jury will see it as
a gesture of goodwill.
It'll help you when
you come to sentencing.
Give Renee's family
some closure.
They deserve it,
don't you think?
I don't know what
you're talking about,
whoever you are.
Okay.
We're gonna convict you of
every murder you've ever done.
You're going to convict me?
Mm.
With what?
Everything you have
in that bag is tainted.
Planted.
You're...
...so in need of a scapegoat
that it's pathetic.
You come into my house
with a bag of evidence
Bodies you had access to,
and trying to hang it on me?
The tape?
Do you think
that's my confession?
I was thinking
my screenplay aloud. So what?
It was dialogue for a character.
Method writing,
if you wanna call it that.
Isn't that what we were doing,
you and I, when you
held a knife to my throat?
If you are so fucking
sure of yourself,
why harass me
for my wife's body?
You had me at gunpoint!
I was a hostage in my own house!
Where did you think you're going
with this harebrained scam?!
Are you guys completely insane?!
Is that the way you're
gonna play it, Paul?
Okay.
An innocent man would have
just said, "i didn't do it. "
Hey, there, deputy carcano.
Dive team says there's
nothing in the pond.
Nothing from k-9 unit.
Fuck.
Have them keep looking.
Ah, doesn't look good.
Got physical evidence that
he's gonna say you planted.
We got him on tape,
and I don't know
how you get into this
storytelling thing,
but he's gonna say that's
what he was doing there,
and that creates
plausible deniability.
His word against mine?
Well, you don't have
to convince me, Jack.
Look, you've worked
too hard on this one
for it to not go our way.
I don't think
i have to tell you,
without a confession,
we're fucked.
Fuck.
- Jack.
- Yeah.
The boss is gonna book him.
They want you inside.
All right.
Look at this photograph.
- Oh, my god.
- Yeah.
Better times, huh?
Your beautiful wife,
outside of your rustic retreat.
But something's missing.
Tell me something, Paul.
If I was to dig
underneath your pond,
I mean, really
underneath your pond,
would I find your wife?
All right, Jack.
Your odds in court went up,
no question.
Can I talk to you,
just you and me?
Clear the room, guys.
Let's go.
I'm all ears.
You have no idea...
...the pain I'm holding inside.
Just don't! Listen to me.
Hear me out.
This is an idea for a...
For a deal.
Full confession.
I'll give you every detail
of every one
of the victims' remains,
for every crime scene,
everything.
I have a great memory.
I wrap up your case
neatly with a bright bow.
But no needle.
Lock me up in a mental institution,
whatever, but no needle.
I deserve
to live with this pain.
You had your chance with me.
- I'm done.
- No, listen to me!
You owe this to me.
It was up to me to pick
you up on the road.
My decision, my idea,
it was always my story.
Was it real enough for you?
It seems like it was.
I gave you all of this!
But you owe me my ending.
I like my ending better.