Remembrance Photo: The Screenplay

PARTMENT - DAY

  Richard descends the front steps, slides his coat under his arm. He feels something in the coat pocket, reaches in, pulls out a small card. Willie's customer survey form.

  EXT. GREY LINE TERMINAL - DAY

  Richard taps on the ticket window. The TICKET ATTENDANT opens up.

  TICKET ATTENDANT

  Yes?

  RICHARD

  I'm trying to find one of your guides. I took his tour. Willie Williams.

  TICKET ATTENDANT

  He ain't here. Laid off last week.

  RICHARD

  Do you have his address?

  TICKET ATTENDANT

  I can't give out information like that. How'd you like it if somebody showed up at your place of business asking where you lived?

  The attendant slams down her window. Richard taps again.

  TICKET ATTENDANT

  (irritated)

  What?

  RICHARD

  Phone book?

  The attendant slides out a phone book, slams the window shut.

  EXT. WILLIE'S HOUSE - NIGHT

  Richard steps up the walk of a small, red-brick tract home. AMANDA, a young black teenager, is on the porch.

  RICHARD

  I'm looking for Willie Williams.

  AMANDA

  (calling into the house)

  Dad! It's for you!

  Willie appears, gives Richard the once over.

  RICHARD

  I'm sorry to bother you. My name is Richard Haggerty.

  WILLIE

  I know who you are. Everyone in this community knows who you are. You may have been gone for ten years, but we haven't forgotten what you did.

  RICHARD

  What I did was prosecute Danny Wells based on the evidence of his guilt. What I did was my job.

  WILLIE

  Well... that's some job you did, alright. What do you want from me?

  RICHARD

  I took your tour in February. You said you were working on your Master's in History at Tulane.

  WILLIE

  So what?

  INT. WILLIE'S KITCHEN - NIGHT

  Richard and Willie at the kitchen table. Richard opens the manila envelope, removes the historical photos, hands them to Willie. Willie glances at them.

  WILLIE

  (sarcastically)

  You a history writer now?

  RICHARD

  Just... doing some research.

  WILLIE

  Yeah? Sorry, can't help you. I've got a thesis to submit by the end of the month and --

  RICHARD

  I'll pay you twice what Grey Line was paying you.

  Amanda enters, opens the refrigerator, pulls out a soda. She smiles at her father and returns to the living room. Willie lays the photos out on the table, carefully looks them over. He picks up the one of the paddlewheel.

  WILLIE

  This is from the riverfront. The boat's long gone, but there's a new one there now. Runs the tourists up and down the Mississippi. The "Creole Queen."

  Pointing to the other photos.

  WILLIE

  Don't know about these. I'll have to do some research. Leave them here, I'll get back to you in, say, two weeks.

  RICHARD

  I don't have two weeks. I need to know now.

  WILLIE

  What's your hurry?

  RICHARD

  I'm on a deadline.

  WILLIE

  Alright, I'll go out to Tulane in the morning.

  RICHARD

  Thank you.

  WILLIE

  I don't want your thanks. Just your money.

  INT. STALEY'S OFFICE, SHERIFF'S DE