LORD OF ILLUSION

CHAPTER 14

INT. QUAID'S OFFICES - WAITING/FORTUNE TELLING ROOMS - NIGHT :

(°^CONTINUATION^°)

If she wants me off the job, I want to hear it from her. VALENTIN She doesn't want to see you. She's had enough pain. Enough churning over the past. She wants it all left alone. HARRY Left alone? Somebody's been murdered. VALENTIN Yes. It's regrettable HARRY Fuck regrettable! I want to know why. VALENTIN What for? You need to stay busy? HARRY (a confession) I like to know why things happen. VALENTIN Why people die? (shakes his head) Give it up, D'Amour. Go home. HARRY No. Harry crosses to the door, brushing past Valentin. VALENTIN Don't try and see her, D'Amour. Just leave her alone. Let her heal. He glances back at Valentin. HARRY Lock up, will you? CUT TO:

EXT. ST. LUKE'S SANITORIUM, PASADENA - DAY:

ON THE ADDRESS BOOK, in Harry's hands. Harry looks up - with some surprise - not at a house but at a building, the sign on which reads, "St. Luke's Sanitorium".

INT. ST. LUKE'S SANITORIUM - DAY :

The place is bland and functional throughout, the walls decorated with sun-faded reproductions of great paintings. Nothing disturbing. Harry is talking to D.A. TOFFLER - black, fortyish, softly spoken - and a Nurse.

TOFFLER Jennifer's only ever had one visitor. HARRY A Mister Quaid? TOFFLER Right. And he's dead, isn't he? I saw it on the news. Jennifer doesn't know. And frankly, this isn't the best tine for her to be told. HARRY I won't say anything.

INT. ST. LUKE'S SANITORIUM - CORRIDORS AND WARD - DAY:

Toffler excorts Harry through -the place. There are distressing scenes on every side. Nothing melodramatic no screaming, no fits. Just a subtle, pervasive air of despair. Blank, empty FACES in blank, empty rooms. TOFFLER Jennifer's been with us four years.

She was coming on nicely. But just the last month or so, she's worse than ever. HARRY What's her problem? TOFFLER She has no real grip on reality. HARRY (a joke) Does anybody? TOFFLER (deadly serious) Oh yes. We have to agree what's real and what's not. That's what holds us together.

HARRY And what does Jennifer think's real? They've come to french windows, which are wide open. Sitting outside in the sun is Jennifer, with her back to us. TOFFLER (quietly) Jennifer thinks the Devil's coming for her. (louder) Jennifer? Jennifer turns. She looks terrible.

EXT. ST. LUKE'S SANITORIUM - GROUNDS - CITY STREET - DAY :

Harry and Jennifer walk amongst the flower-beds, with the Nurse keeping a watch from a discreet distance. Throughout the scene we HEAR the SOUND of earth being dug, which steadily gets louder as they walk. JENNIFER Have we met before? HARRY No.

JENNIFER Only I forget. They give me pills, you know, to keep me... even... and... I forget things, HARRY Well, you didn't forget me. I just came because I wanted to know if you knew a man called Butterfield. JENNIFER Maybe... I... don't... HARRY What about Philip Swann? JENNIFER I knew Swann. (sudden vehemence) He's a fucking liar.

A WORKMAN saunters past, carrying pipes. HARRY Why's that? JENNIFER He said he knew how to protect us. But he didn't know anything. He made us think it was over and done with. HARRY What is? JENNIFER (tears nearing) I don't want to think about it. If I think about it he'll hear me.

He'll find me. HARRY Swann? Ahead now, the site where the workmen are digging a hole, laying pipes. The CAMERA doesn't focus on this action, but we're aware of it. JENNIFER I told you. I don't -- She stops. Looks ahead of her. Her face is suddenly ashen and clammy. Harry follows her gaze to: The hole. Somebody is in it, digging. Earth emerges in shovelfuls, piling up beside the hole.

JENNIFER (CONT'D) (screaming) God no! Oh God no! She backs away from the hole. The Nurse grabs hold of her. NURSE Calm down! She delivers the Nurse a backhand SWIPE. The Nurse is flung back. JENNIFER He's not going to get me! She races down towards the street. Harry goes after her. JENNIFER (CONT'D) He's not! He's not! HARRY Who's not? He catches up with her. JENNIFER Nix! Nix! HARRY Is he the Puritan? JENNIFER Yes! Yes! HARRY And he's dead? JENNIFER No.

He's coming back. He's digging his way out! The Nurse appears behind Harry. NURSE I'll take care of her now. Jennifer struggles in Harry's grip. NURSE Let go of her, Mr. D'Amour! The Nurse breaks Harry's hold on Jennifer, who slips away instantly, racing towards the street. HARRY Jennifer! She scrambles up over a wall, and flings herself from the top.

There's a SCREECH of brakes, then the smashing of metalwork and glass. Harry gets to the wall before the Nurse. Hoists himself up onto it. Looks down.