411 "Rose"
(Original Air Date: February 19, 2000)

Written by Lorin Wertheimer; Directed by Julia Rask; (as "fanscribed" by Janet)

Scene: Night. Retired Detective turned Private Investigator Marion "Zeke" Crumb is sitting in his car outside of a motel. He’s taking pictures of a man with the aid of a telephoto lens.

Crumb: Okay, Jack, where’s Jill? (Cellular phone rings) Yeah? Oh, hello, Mrs. Miller. Yeah, I’m very close to getting those pictures. Now, you have that check we talked about? Yeah, yeah, we’re all beasts. But that check - - it’s certified, right? (Sees a woman arrive and enter the motel room the man entered earlier.) I-I got to go now, Mrs. Miller. Bye-bye.

Scene: Gary is walking down the street with his paper and a fire extinguisher in hand. Headline reads: Two die in motel fire.

Scene: Crumb sitting in his car has just spotted Gary as he arrives at the motel

Crumb: Oh, no. (Gets out of the car carrying the camera. Confronts Gary.) Oh, no, you don’t.

Gary: Crumb.

(Inside motel room the couple is coming on strong to one another.)

Crumb: Don’t tell me. You got to get inside.

Gary: There’s going to be a fire.

Crumb: Save it. I don't wanna hear it. You can’t go inside, Hobson, not for another five minutes.

Gary: A friend of mine, he’s an electrician. He told me there’s faulty wiring in that room.

Crumb: You know what your problem is, Hobson? You got too many friends.

Gary: I'm serious. I’ve got to get in.

Crumb: I'm serious. You're not gettin' in.

Gary: I’m getting in.

Crumb: You’re not.

Gary: Crumb!

Crumb: Hobson!

(Inside the motel the lovers have caused a candle to fall over and ignite a fire.)

Woman: Jack! (Couple hastily exits the motel room leaving the door open. Gary rushes in with fire extinguisher and attacks the flames.)

Gary: Crumb, behind you.

Crumb: I’m not falling for that –

Man: Fire! Fire!

Crumb: Hold it, buddy! If I could just get one more picture! Hobson!

(Cue Opening Credits and first commercial break.)

Scene: Street outside motel. Police and fire department have arrived. Red & blue lights flash in the background. Crumb is bawling Gary out for his interference. Gary just stands there and shifts his weight.

Crumb: Five minutes! That’s all I needed. Five minutes to establish extramarital relations. But you couldn’t wait could you? Oh, no, no, no. You had to barge in and ruin everything.

Gary: Look, two people were going to burn to death.

Crumb: How do you know that? Don’t tell me. (Holds left hand up to forestall Gary’s explanation.) I don’t want to know. (Notices Gary seems to be favoring his right hand.) What happened to your hand?

Gary: Nothin'.

Crumb: You burned it.

Gary: It’s fine. It's nothing.

Crumb: You never learn, do you? The world will continue to spin without you pushing it all the time.

Gary: I am well aware of that.

Crumb: (Heading toward his car) Come on.

Gary: Where you going?

Crumb: My office isn’t too far. We’ll patch that up.

Gary: I’m telling you - - it doesn't - - I'm fine!

Crumb: (Turns back toward Gary with a stern look on his face.) Hobson, get in the car.

Scene: Crumb’s office. Little more than a hole in the wall. Crumb hangs his coat up on the coat rack by the door. Gary does the same.

Crumb: It’s not much, but…

Gary: Ahh, it’s nice. Hey, what are you doing in Chicago anyway? I thought you were in Idaho.

Crumb: I lost everything when my cabin there blew up - - No insurance.

Gary: So now you’re, uh, spying on people. Is that what you're doing?

Crumb: It’s a living, Hobson. As soon as I build up a stake, I’m out of this lousy city once and for all. I’ll get you some ice.

(Crumb leaves the main room to go to the kitchen. A young woman enters the office.)

Young Woman: Excuse me. I need some help. The police gave me your name.

Gary: Oh, no, no, no, I think you’re looking for… (Crumb re-enters the room holding a package)

Crumb: All I got is frozen peas.

Gary: Him.

Young Woman: Marion Crumb?

Crumb: And you are?

Young Woman: I don’t know.

Crumb: Excuse me?

Young Woman: I don’t know who I am. I can’t remember. (Sits and takes her hat off.)

Crumb: (Leans forward and smells her breath while Gary watches.) Well, you haven’t been drinking.

Young Woman: No. I, um, I hit my head. I came to a few hours ago, and there - - there were church bells. (Puts her right hand to her head.)

Gary: Uh, amnesia.

Crumb: Thanks, Hobson.

Young Woman: I think somebody tried to kill me.

Crumb: Naturally. (Walks away)

Young Woman: You don’t believe me?

Crumb: No, no. Most women who come in with amnesia, someone’s trying to kill them.

Gary: Hey, uh…hey, uh…(Bends down to look at her head.) You got a pretty nasty bump over there. Come on. Why don’t you sit down here? (Helps her to a different seat) Go on, have a seat. Here, set this on it. (Hands her the frozen peas.) Maybe it’ll take the swelling down a bit. Go on. It’s all right.

Young woman: Thank you. (Holds the peas to the bump for a few seconds.)

Crumb: Okay. You don’t know your name, you don’t know what happened, and someone may or may not be after you. What do you want me to do about it?

Young Woman: The police said that you could help.

Crumb: Who?

Young Woman: Um…Detective, uh Loman.

Crumb: Lomax?

Young Woman: Yes, that’s right.

Crumb: Good old Walt.

Young Woman: I need to find out who I am, Mr. Crumb, and what’s happened to me.

Crumb: (Hands her a form from his desk while Gary appears unhappy with Crumb’s attitude and treatment of the girl.) Fine. I get $500 a day plus expenses. There’s a $2,000 retainer. That’s up front.

Gary: $2,000?

Crumb: I take all major credit cards.

Young Woman: I don’t have any money. I don’t even have a purse.

Crumb: That’s what I figured. Thanks for stopping by.

Young Woman: No, please. (Starts to sob.)

Crumb: Oh, can the waterworks, honey.

Young Woman: I don’t have anywhere to go. Please.

Crumb: Go back to Lomax.

Young Woman: The police couldn’t help me.

Crumb: Well, I'm sorry. I can’t help you either.

Young Woman: Mr. Crumb, please.

(Crumb helps her up and takes the peas as she leaves and Gary watches in disbelief.)

Crumb: I hope everything works out for you. (Off Gary's look:) What? She’s a kook.

Gary: Well, you were willing to take her case a few minutes ago.

(Camera switches back and forth between Gary and Crumb.)

Crumb: That’s when she was a kook with money.

Gary: Crumb, what if she was telling the truth?

Crumb: She’s not telling the truth, Hobson. I doubt she even knows what the truth is.

Gary: You think that lump on her head just came out of thin air? Maybe she’s really in trouble.

Crumb: Well, that would fall under the category of "Not My Problem". (Leaves the room.)

Gary: What’s wrong with you? (Grabs his jacket and goes after the girl. Comes up behind a woman he thinks is her.) Excuse me. Excuse me. (Realizes he’s made a mistake.) Oh, I’m sorry.

Scene: Skyline outside McGinty’s. Changes from night to day.

(Cat meows)

(Newspaper drops)

Scene changes to interior of the main dining room. Gary is seated at the bar and Marissa is standing behind it.

Marissa: You got to cut him some slack, Gary. Crumb’s been a cop for 30 years.

Gary: What's that have to do with anything?

Marissa: He’s spent his life dealing with criminals. You learn not to trust people, not to mention that the last woman he fell in love with turned out to be a crook. That kind of thing could make anyone cynical.

Gary: No, no. This was more than cynical. This woman came for help. She had nowhere to turn. He pushed her out the - - he literally pushed her out the door.

Marissa: All I’m saying is try and look at it from his point of view.

Gary: This is her. (Looking at headline in the paper: Unidentified body pulled from river.)

Marissa: What? Who?

Gary: The woman from last night. "Unidentified body pulled from river." She was telling the truth.

Marissa: How do you know it’s her?

Gary: Because it mentions the tattoo.

Marissa: What tattoo?

Gary: The tattoo. She had a tattoo. I saw the tattoo behind her ear. It doesn’t say when, where, or how. It doesn’t give me anything to go on.

Marissa: There’s got to be something.

Scene: Crumb’s office. He’s sleeping on the couch with a quilt thrown over him.

Gary: Crumb! (Knocks on the door and then opens it and enters the office.) Hey, Crumb! Crumb. Crumb. Hey, Crumb, Wake up.

Crumb: Go away Hobson.

Gary: Crumb this is very important.

Crumb: What time is it?

Gary: It’s around 9:00.

Crumb: I open at noon.

Gary: Crumb, come on, wake up.

Crumb: Jeez, Hobson.

Gary: That… that woman, from last night. I’ve got to find her.

Crumb: Why?

Gary: Because I believe her. I think she’s in trouble.

Crumb: You’re better off staying away from that broad. Believe me, Hobson.

Gary: Listen, Crumb, please.

Crumb: You know her name, where she lives? (Sits up.)

Gary: No, I don’t.

Crumb: Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Gary: I’ll pay you. You find her, I’ll pay you.

Crumb: You that hard up for a date? Even if I were so inclined, how am I supposed to find her?

Gary: Because she’s got a tattoo. A tattoo on the neck.

Crumb: She had a tattoo. (Gets up from couch.) That’s some help. Go away, Hobson. I got paying customers that need proof that their loved ones are cheating on them.

Gary: $500 a day plus expenses.

Crumb: What kind of tattoo? (Looks back at Gary.)

Scene: Exterior of street with light traffic. Gary and Crumb are on foot.

Gary: Is this what you do all day? You go from place to place asking the same questions over and over?

Crumb: I’d rather be fly-fishing if you know somebody who will pay me to do that. C'mon Hobson, this is only number six on our list. You know you're learning the most important part of detective work - - comfortable shoes. Now just keep quiet and let me do the talking ok?

(They enter a building with a sign – Cornerstone Community Center - - over the door.)

Scene: Interior of the mission. Lobby area with counter.

Preacher: Small, next to the ear. Chinese character maybe.

Gary: Like a Roman Numeral Two?

Preacher: That’s right. Poor thing, she’s scared of her own shadow. I’d say it’s her first night on the street.

Crumb: Can we see her?

Priest: I'm sorry, she left over an hour ago.

Crumb: She say where she was going?

Preacher: I’m sorry.

Gary: It’s very important.

Crumb: Did she speak to anybody?

Preacher: She might have talked to Gretchen.

Crumb: Gretchen. Which one is she? A life may be at stake here, Father.

Priest: I’ll bring her out. (Exits lobby.)

Crumb: (turns to Gary) Give me 20 bucks.

Gary: For what?

Crumb: Expenses.

Gary: What expenses?

Crumb: Just give a twenty, all right? (Gary pulls out his wallet.)

Gary: You think we’ll find her?

Crumb: You’d be better off if we didn’t.

Gary: Now, why do you say that?

Crumb: She’s lying.

Gary: How do you know she’s lying? You don’t even know her.

Crumb: Oh, and you do? (Gary has somewhat sheepish look on his face.) I’m just playing the odds, that’s all.

Gary: It wouldn’t have anything to do with your last girlfriend turning out to be - -

Crumb: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. (Looks angry with where the conversation is going.) That is a door we do not open, understand?

Gary: Yeah. (Priests returns with an older woman. The camera switches back and forth between the different members of the group.)

Priest: Gretchen, this is…

Crumb: Crumb, and this is Hobson.

Gary: Gary.

Gretchen: That poor sweetheart hit her head. She didn’t know which way was up.

Gary: Any idea where she went?

Gretchen: Back to where she woke up so she would remember.

Gary: You don’t, by chance, know where that is, do you?

Gretchen: Somewhere down in the west side docks.

Crumb: Down by the water?

(Priest leaves. Crumb hands Gretchen the $20 and leaves. )

Gary: Thank you very much (Gretchen nods at Gary.)

Scene: Exterior by the riverfront. Gary and Crumb are walking along. Crumb stops and faces Gary. Gary also stops. He is holding his hands in front of him.

Crumb: So now we lay out a grid and start walking.

Gary: We’re running out of time.

Crumb: What do you want me to do, Hobson, get a crystal ball?

(Bells are heard pealing.)

Gary: Bells. When she came to, she…she said she heard bells.

Scene: Exterior of a large church. A U.S. flag hangs over the doors. Crumb and Gary are climbing the stairs.

Crumb: Now, Hobson, once we’re inside - -

Gary: Yeah, yeah, let you do the talking.

Crumb: That’s good. You’re learning.

Gary: Hey.

Scene: The young woman that Gary & Crumb are looking for comes out of an alley. A man on the corner follows her. She looks back and sees him and starts running. A little way down the street a man’s hand reaches out and taps her on the shoulder. She looks back and faints into Gary’s arms.

[Commercial]

Scene: Street outside a store. Gary and the young woman are sitting on a bench. Crumb stand behind them close by.

Crumb: (looking at gawkers) What are you looking at? Go on, get out of here! Move it!

Gary: It’s all right. You’re okay.

Young Woman: No, he was after me.

Crumb: Nobody’s after you.

Gary: You’re safe now.

Young woman: He was chasing me. He followed me here.

Gary: The same guy as before?

Crumb: What did he look like?

(Camera switches back and forth between them.)

Young Woman: I didn’t get a good look.

Crumb: Yeah, all right. Hobson are we done?

Gary: (Looking up at Crumb) Did you hear what she said?

Crumb: I heard what she said. Our deal was to find her. Well, I found her. If you want to keep playing Mother Teresa, that’s up to you. I got better things to do with my time. You’ll get my bill. (Walks away.)

(Gary turns back to the young woman.)

Gary: Hey, look, it’s all right. I’m not going anywhere. Can you tell me more about this guy?

Young Woman: He was running after me. He was about to catch me.

Gary: I believe you.

Young Woman: Thank you.

Gary: Can you stand up?

Young Woman: Yeah. Oh, God. (Starts to faint again. Gary catches and holds her.)

Gary: When’s the last time you had something to eat?

Scene: Exterior street outside a restaurant. Sign reads: Green Mill Cocktail Lounge. Vehicle traffic and pedestrian traffic go by. Shifts to interior. Gary and the young woman are seated at a table talking.

Young woman: He was tall. Um… I didn’t get a good look.

Gary: Do you have any idea why he might be after you?

Young Woman: Um…I’m not usually like this. Er, I don’t know what I’m usually like, but it probably doesn’t involve being chased by a killer.

(Waitress approaches with drink in hand. Places it on the table in front of the young woman.)

Gary: Excuse me. What is this?

Waitress: Scotch and soda.

Gary: I'm sorry, we didn’t order this.

Waitress: It’s her usual.

Gary: Whoa. Uh… do you know this lady?

Young Woman: What’s my name?

Gary: If you could help us out. You see, she’s having some, uh well, short-term memory loss problems. We’re just trying to fit the puzzle back together here.

(Waitress stops & turns back when Gary speaks. Gary looks up at her when she approaches the table again.)

Waitress: You really don’t know your name? (Looks at the young woman.) Look, all I know is scotch and soda and don’t expect much of a tip.

Gary: You wouldn’t know where she lived, would you?

Waitress: Look, Mister, two months she’s been coming in here. She’s said three words to me -- scotch and soda. No hellos, no thank-yous. I’m real sorry about your problem, Miss, but I got customers. (Walks off)

Young Woman: Well, at least we know I start the day with a nutritious breakfast. (Looks down at her drink.)

Gary: You must live around here or work around here. If she recognized you, Someone else is going to know more.

(Young woman takes a sip of her drink and grimaces.)

Gary: What is it?

Young Woman: Oh, it’s terrible.

Scene: Exterior street. El train passes overhead. Gary and the young woman are walking down the street.

Gary: Is anything familiar at all – the buildings or the storefronts?

Young Woman: I don’t know.

Gary: Well, how about the street signs? Does anything ring a bell?

Young Woman: I don’t know. Maybe. I can’t tell.

(Man at newsstand calls to them and waves them over.)

Man: Rose! Rose!

Gary: Come on.

Man: Hey, Rose, Thursday was five days ago.

Young Woman: What?

Gary: You know her?

Man: Real cute. 28 bucks, and no more "you’re getting your paycheck" or "just one more day."

Gary: $28?

Man: Cigarettes.

Young Woman: I smoke?

Man: Very funny.

Gary: here. Here you go. Keep the change.

Man: Thanks. I don’t mind running a tab - -

Young Woman: You don’t know my last name, do you?

Man: What?

Young Woman: Archer. My name is Rose Archer.

Gary: Thanks.

Young Woman (Rose): Rose Archer.

Gary: Are you sure?

Rose: Absolutely.

Gary: You all right?

Rose: I just need some rest.

Gary: All right come on.

Scene shifts to brief exterior shot of McGinty’s. Then changes to interior. The door to Gary’s loft opens. Gary & Rose walk in. Rose removes her coat.

Rose: I don’t want to impose Gary.

Gary: No, no, no. You’re not. I offered, and this way I’ll know you’re safe.

Rose: Why are you being so nice to me?

Gary: Look, you can sleep all you want. I got some sheets for the couch and a towel if you want to take a shower. (Gary walks over to his closet and the bathroom and back.) I’ll be downstairs if you need anything else. (Rose has fallen asleep on top of his bed. Gary smiles down at her.)

Scene: Crumb’s office. Gary & Crumb are on the phone to each other.

Crumb: Are you nuts? You don’t know the first thing about this woman.

Gary: And that’s where you come in. I’ve already looked up all the Rose Archers in the phone book. (Gestures with his left hand and turns the pages in the phone book.) She doesn’t live in Chicago.

Crumb: Yeah, so?

Gary: She wants to know who she is, Crumb. Crumb.

Crumb: $500 a day.

Gary: I already hired you for the day.

Crumb: New assignment. Hey, I got a business to run here.

Gary: All right, fine. (Rubs his left hand over his face.)

Crumb: All right. Archer, Rose. I’ll be in touch. (Crumb and Gary hang up their respective phones.)

Scene: McGinty’s Office. Marissa enters using her cane. Gary looks up at her suspiciously.

Marissa: Gary?

Gary: Yeah?

Marissa: She still asleep?

Gary: Yeah.

Marissa: Hmm.

Gary: What?

Marissa: It’s just, you seem awfully involved with this woman.

Gary: Marissa, what am I supposed to do, give up ‘cause someone stops being a headline?

Marissa: Of course not, but the police - -

Gary: The police aren’t going to to anything that could help her.

Marissa: How about a doctor? It's just that I think, before you get in over your head - -

(Rose enters wearing a shirt belonging to Gary. Gary rises from his chair.)

Rose: Am I intruding?

Gary: No.

Rose: I hope it’s okay, I borrowed your –

Gary: No, that - - that’s fine.

Marissa: I’ll be at the bar. (Indicates door with her head and leaves.)

Gary: Uh, look Rose, I - - I was thinking that, uh, well, maybe it would be a good idea if you saw a doctor.

Rose: No, doctors cost money.

Gary: No, don’t worry about that.

Rose: Gary, I’m feeling better. (Starts to get dizzy again.) Whoa.

Gary: You all right?

Rose: Maybe a doctor’s not such a bad idea.

Scene: Brief exterior shot of the El passing by. Switch to interior of doctor’s office. The doctor is showing Gary and Rose the x-rays she took.

Doctor: That’s a nasty knot on the back of your head, but it didn’t cause your amnesia.

Rose: It didn’t?

Doctor: Hemorrhaging in the frontal lobe might affect memory, but a hemorrhage would show up as a dark spot on these scans. (Turns back to Gary and Rose.)

Rose: So you think I’m making this up?

Doctor: Oh, not at all. When a person experiences a great emotional shock like you did, the brain can shut down. We call this a dissociative episode.

(The camera switches back and forth between the three of them.

Rose: And that’s what I have?

Doctor: Quite possibly.

Gary: But she will get her memory back?

Doctor: In most cases.

Gary: How soon?

Doctor: No way to tell.

Rose: Would a shock like this account for a change in personality? I mean, would it make a smoker not want to smoke anymore?

Doctor: The literature is filled with strange cases. There’s a lot about the brain we still don’t know.

Scene: Exterior of the streets. Rose & Gary are walking. Vehicular and pedestrian traffic passes them as they move along.

Rose: I hate this. I hate not knowing who I am.

Gary: Rose - -

Rose: It’s a nightmare. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up, and I’ll be home. I want my memory. I want my life.

Gary: You’ll get it back.

Rose: How soon, and what happens when I do?

Gary: Well, I don’t know.

Rose: Will I go back to being who I was?

Gary: Why wouldn’t you?

Rose: From what people are saying, I’m not a likable person. I stiff waiters. I don’t repay loans.

Gary: Well, if it’s any consolation, I like you.

Rose: You don’t know me. I don’t know me.

Gary: (They stop and Gary turns to face her.) Look Rose, trust me on this. You’re a good person. (After a second he takes her by the arm and they continue on.) Come on.

Scene: Crumb’s office. Crumb is on the phone.

Crumb: You sure? Larceny, racketeering, conspiracy to defraud? (Reaches over to remove paper from the fax machine.) Yeah, yeah, it’s coming through right now. Thank you. (Fax machine beeps.)

CONTINUE TO PART 2

Many thanks to Janet for sharing her fanscription of "Rose" – Thank you!

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