“HorrorScope”

Murder under a bad sign.

by Steven Donnini
and Lana McCauley

(PRODUCTION BOOK)

The "HorrorScope" is the tale of two brothers Lenny and Richie

Ruth, who had frightening and tragic lives.

TRUE. Lenny at the age of 6 was burned with gasoline

over 75% of his body.
TRUE. His hospital photographs were sold as a cover story to the
National Enquirer by his mother.
TRUE. A young woman was crucified, nail to a citrus tree by
Richie.
Which one of the brothers became a death row inmate, waiting to
end his life in Florida's "Old Sparky"?

Were they born under bad signs?

1
FADE IN

EXTERIOR NIGHT: MOTORCYCLES RUNNING UP RT 441 TOWARD MT.

DORA. THEY ARE A CHAPTER RIGHT OUT OF THE “OUTLAWS McGANG.”

MUSIC UP: TURN YOUR LIGHTS ON BY CARLOS SANTANA.

Hey now, all you sinners

Put your lights on, put your lights on
Hey now, all you lovers

Put your lights on, put your lights on

Hey now, all you killers

Put your lights on, put your lights on
Hey now, all you children
Leave your lights on, you better leave your lights on

Cause there’s a monster living under my bed

Whispering in my ear
There's an angel, with a hand on my head
She say I’ve got nothing to fear

There’s a darkness deep in my soul

I still got a purpose to serve
So let your light shine, into my hole

God, don’t let me lose my nerve

Lose my nerve

Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now

Woo oh hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now

Hey now, all you sinners

Put your lights on, put your lights on
Hey now, all you children
Leave your lights on, you better leave your lights on

2
Because there’s a monster living under my bed
Whispering in my ear
There's an angel, with a hand on my head
She say I’ve got nothing to fear
She say La ill aha ill allah
We all shine like stars
La ill aha ill allah
We all shine like stars
Then we fade away

EXTERIOR NIGHT: MT.DORA ORANGE GROVES. THE STARS AND

GALAXYS TURN ABOVE IN THE CLEAR NIGHT SKY.

WOMAN VO:
The constellations hold many
secrets. For thousands of years
people have looked to the stars
for answers to life’s most
puzzling questions.
The Horoscope can illustrate the
tendency for love, wealth,
happiness, or the dark side
of worry, fear and death.
At birth, the planets set the
stage for a lifetime.
Here, no one is created equal
and Evil is one of the many
possibilities.

INTERIOR: FLORIDA, STATE PRISON ELECTROCUTION ROOM.

A reluctant death row inmate is strapped into the electric

chair. His neck, arms, hands and legs are strapped to the
chair by uniformed guards. A crown of steel with wet
sponges is placed on his shaved head. Electrodes are
attached to the crown and temples of his head with steel
screws. A leather hood is pulled down over his face. The
warden watches a large clock on the wall as it ticks down
to midnight. Then the switch is thrown and 2 thousand
volts of electricity flows through the man’s head to his
feet. Blood flows out from behind the leather mask,
dripping down his neck and splatters off his quivering chin
to the walls and floor. The electricity flows through the
man’s brain, with wisps of smoke leaking out through the
mask and into the room. The electricity continues to flow
through his body until 120 seconds after midnight. The

3
electricity is shut off while a doctor checks for signs of
life. Then, electricity is turned on again for 30 seconds
just to make sure the execution was successful.

INTERIOR: EXECUTION VIEWING GALLERY.

The execution viewing gallery is filled with the victim’s

family and media reporters. They are watching the
execution as 2,000 volts of electricity runs through the
condemned man’s head. We can hear what each person is
thinking as the execution continues.

REPORTER
(Talking to himself while writing on a note pad.)

The executions in “OLD SPARKY,”

Florida electric chair, were violent

that it set off a shock wave that
rippled around the world. The Florida
Supreme Court ruled, yet again, that
execution by electrocution is not
unconstitutional.

MOTHER
(Talking to herself)
I hope you can feel everything,
you dirty, rotten, bastard!

REPORTER
(Talking to himself while writing on a note pad.)
One Florida woman, in an email
to the court, described the
photographs as “wonderful.”

SISTER
(Talking to herself.)
Die you son of a bitch, die!

BROTHER
(Talking to himself.)
Jesus! Look at the smoke coming
out of his head!

4
 REPORTER
(Talking to himself while writing on a note pad.)
As Justice Baker declares, the
United States is the only
country in the world that
uses electrocution
as a means of execution.
In the United States only
four states still
use this method of execution.

MOTHER
(Talking to herself)
This is gross. I can’t watch
anymore of this. I feel sick.

SISTER
(Talking to herself.)
Why don’t they stop?

BROTHER
(Talking to himself.)
Fuck him! He’s a piece of crap.

REPORTER
(Talking to himself while writing on a note pad.)
Justice Shaw described in
detail this recent execution
where the execution went
out of kilter.

MOTHER
(Talking to herself)
I wonder if the Devil himself
is feeling the pain?
Pastor Wolmack would really
get off on this.

REPORTER
(Talking to himself while writing on a note pad.)
He points out that not only did
the inmate die from electrocution,
but, he was also smothered by the
large, leather strap that held him
to the chair.

5
 SISTER
(Talking to herself)
This was supposed to be over by
12:20. What’s the problem?

MOTHER
(Talking to herself)
Wow, flames are coming out of his
head. Must be Hell inside that
brain!

BROTHER
(Talking to himself)
What he did to her was worst
than this. Suffer you ass hole,
suffer!

REPORTER
(Talking to himself while writing on a note pad.)
He’s been convicted of murdering
young women and men.
That his crimes were heinous
is not in dispute.
In his signed confession he
took total responsibility.
What is controversial is how
he was executed.
His execution was so bungled
that the cause of death was
due to asphyxiation as well as electrocution.

MOTHER
(Talking to herself)
God put you in Hell for that
not me.
I had nothing to do with it.
I need to pee.

REPORTER
(Talking to himself while writing on a note pad.)
In killing him in this way,
the State of Florida sank into
barbarity. There are those
who don’t care that Florida
violated Ruth’s civil rights.

6
 REPORTER (cont.)

Some in fact, applauded

the cruel and unusual punishment.
All I can say is I hope you
are satisfied.

SISTER
(Talking to herself)
I feel like I’m going to throw up.

MOTHER
(Talking to herself)
I wonder if I can leave now?
Or, should I wait until the
smoke clears?

REPORTER
(Talking to himself while writing on a note pad.)
But what of the victims of
his crimes?

BROTHER
(Talking to himself)
How cool! Wait till I tell guys
about this. They won’t believe it.
I wish I could’ve taken a picture.

REPORTER
(Talking to himself while writing on a note pad.)
The malfunctioning electric chair
resulted in a violent scene with
foot-long flames leaping from
his head.

SISTER
(Talking to herself)
How am I going to explain
this to Dad.
I wish he would have come.

REPORTER 1
(Talking to himself while writing on a note pad.)
Did he get what he deserved?

MOTHER

7
 (Talking to herself)
God forgive me.
I feel so much better.

INTERIOR DAY: MT. DORA PSYCHIC OFFICE.

SUPER: 5 years earlier.

Richie Ruth walks into the darkened interior reading room

of a Mt. Dora psychic palm reader Delois Shaw. She has
been in the Mt. Dora area for years.

DELOIS
Welcome. You have been here
for readings before with
your mother.
Sorry to here about her passing.

RICHIE
Yeah. I want to check up on
my future. You know.

DELOIS
Sit down, I’ll be right with you.

RICHIE
(Very nervous and rude.)
I got things to do. OK?

DELOIS
I hear you.

Delois walks to the table and sits across from Richie.

DELOIS
Let me see your palms.

She turns over his hands to study his palms.

RICHIE
Tell me everything. No bullshit.

DELOIS
Well, I see you are facing a
time of uncertainty and pain.

RICHIE

8
Yeah. So what?

DELOIS
I’m just telling you what I see.
Your life line has been marked by
anger from the mother.

RICHIE
Tell me something I don’t know.

DELOIS
You will become well known.
Infamous.
Your time is short.
(She looks into his eyes.)
You going to hurt me…

RICHIE
Just keep going.

DELOIS
Your younger brother, Lenny,
was burned very badly while
playing with gasoline.

RICHIE
That was years ago, keep going.

DELOIS
Yes, he was just 6. Your Mother
sold photos of him to the
National Enquirer for $75,000.

RICHIE
Why are you bringing that up?

DELOIS
She made a mistake that caused this.

RICHIE
She made many mistakes.
But, she’s gone, good riddance.

DELOIS
Do you want to know why all this
happened? She’s here to explain.

9
 RICHIE
OK, tell me.

DELOIS
She was collecting donations
for the March of Dimes several
months before Lenny’s fire
accident and she keep
the money for herself.
In the world beyond…
I see there are forces that
react to evil.

RICHIE
No. The kid next door was
playing with him in the garage.
He poured the gasoline
over my brother’s head,
and lit a match to him.
It was the other kid that
caused it.

DELOIS
Yes, it was the act in this world.
But, it was an ordered action from
the other side.

RICHIE
All I know is the hospital
bills were more than my Dad
could ever pay for in his
sorry ass life.
Besides that’s old news.
Move on.

Delois hands Richie a deck of Tarot Cards.

DELOIS
Choose 5 cards and lay them
in a line in front of you.

10
Richie chooses the cards. Card one The Devil, card two the
10 of Swords card, third card Death, fourth card the
Hanging Man and fifth card the Eight of Swords. Delois
looks over them carefully and places them in the horseshoe
pattern.

DELOIS
Choose one more card.

Richie chooses “Justice”. Delois looks deep into Richie’s

dark eyes.

DELOIS
There are many demons that
dwell deep within you.
You are an evil boy.
You can only stop this
evil madness by being
bathed in the blood of
the lamb, Yahshua.

RICHIE
What’s that?

DELOIS
The blood of the innocent.
Speak to your Shaman,
Minister or Priest,
they may be of some help.

RICHIE
But, they can’t protect you
now, bitch!

DELOIS
The Death Star told me that
today would be the day I die,
and I chose to die doing what
I love. I decided to let
Death come to me.
I’m not afraid of you.
You’ve come to send me home
to my Maker, my Elohim…
my loving Yahweh.
I knew it was you Satan sent
when you stepped through my door.

11
 DELOIS (cont.)

I forgive you for murdering

me so that we will have no
more Karma between us.
Now, I am ready to go home…
(SHE CLOSES HER EYES AND STARTS TO OMM…)

Richie pulls out a pistol and coolly shoots Delois between

the eyes as she makes the sign of the cross. He picks up
the 6 cards from the table and puts them in his shirt
pocket. He walks out of the office to the parking lot
where he climbs on “Scorpio,” his chopper motorcycle, and
drives off.

INTERIOR DAY: RESTAURANT MIKE AND JANET ARE EATING.

MIKE’S CELL PHONE RINGS A TUNE,THE DEATH MARCH.

JANET
Where did you get that?

MIKE
It was a freebie download from
Amigone Funeral Homes.

JANET
Expecting the worst?

MIKE
Just another day in Mt. Dora.
(He answers the cell phone.)

Hi, this is Mike Dunn.

(He listens to the 911 dispatcher.)

DISPATCHER
Mike, I just got a call from
the husband of the Gypsy Palm
Reader Delois Shaw.
He found her shot in the reading
room at the shop on 14th.

MIKE
I’m on my way. I’ll call in when
I get there. Send a deputy over.

12
 JANET
What’s happening?

MIKE
We’ve got cold one at the
Palm Readers.

JANET
You mean Delois’?

MIKE
I think so.

JANET
I’m coming along.

EXTERIOR DAY: DELOIS SHAWS PALM READER SHOP.

Mike and Janet arrive to discover high school kids Sarah,

Julia and Paul looking through the window. Mike and Janet
get out of the police cruiser.

MIKE
What are you kids doing here?

SARAH
Just reporting the news as
it happens.

JULIA
Yeah. Like Geraldo.

PAUL
More like Snoopy.

JANET
You guys need to stay out
of the way.
OK?

SARAH
Who elected you queen bee?

13
 MIKE
I did. Just stand back I can’t
have your finger prints
everywhere.

SARAH
What about freedom of the press?

JANET
Freedom of the press? I’ll
just tell the coroner that
it’s your fingerprints pressed
all over the place destroying
critical evidence!
Then you will be in the press!

SARAH
You’re right. But, I’m staying
right here so I don’t miss
anything.

MIKE
Now, you’re being a smart
reporter.
Just stand right were you are
and don’t move an inch.

INTERIOR DAY: DELOIS’SHAW’S PALM READER SHOP.

The shop is darkened. Her husband is crouched over Delois’

lifeless body.
DELOIS’ HUSBAND
(He is inconsolable)
My Delois. How could this
happen?
She was the sweetest woman
I’ve ever known.

MIKE
When did you find her?

DELOIS’ HUSBAND
Just a few minutes ago.

14
 DELOIS’ HUSBAND
I to get us some lunch and came
back and found her like this.

MIKE
Does she keep a calendar,
or, an appointment book?

DELOIS’ HUSBAND
Yes, it’s on the desk over there.

Mike walks over to the appointment book. He reads down to

the last entry.

MIKE
Here we go. Richard Ruth.
Do you know him?

DELOIS’ HUSBAND
Yeah, that little bastard.
He’s just a criminal, drugs,
theft, mugging.
You should know him.

MIKE
Well, he just became my number
one suspect. Where does he live?

JANET
I know his mother. Let’s
check her out.
She may know something of
his whereabouts.

Mike walks over to Sarah.

MIKE
I don’t want you guys getting
into things you can’t handle.
So, let me take it from here.
And, keep your mouth shut.
Got it?

SARAH
But, what about my scoop?

15
 MIKE
That will have to wait until I
catch up with Richie.

SARAH
I know we could find him faster
than you. People will talk
to the press before they’ll talk
to the police.

MIKE
That remains to be seen.

EXTERIOR DAY: ONE WEEK LATER, MIKE GETS CALLED TO A CITUS

GROVE IN MT. DORA, FLORIDA. MIKE ARRIVES TO FIND A
PARTIALLY NUDE BODY OF A YOUNG WOMAN HANGING ON AN ORANGE
TREE.

Her arms were stretched out and nailed crucifix fashion to

the tree in the posture of Christ, her hands and feet
dripping with blood. Two citrus workers photograph each
other in the foreground of the gruesome scene. Detective
Mike Dunn arrives in an unmarked police car and walks to
the scene.

(Mike angrily with the citrus workers.)

MIKE
What the hell do you think
you’re doing?
Hell, can’t you show some
respect for the dead?
What are you? Perverts?
Put that camera away!
Now, you guys
are going to help me take
her down.
You hear me!

WORKER 1
Sorry. I’ve got a ladder
on my pick-up.

(He leaves to get the ladder.)

16
 MIKE
When did you get here?

WORKER 2
About 30 minutes ago.
Who is she?

(The workers shake their heads. Worker 1 returns with

ladder. Mike climbs up to face level.)

MIKE
Your guess is as good as mine.
You guys hold this thing steady
while I climb up to get her.

WORKER 2
Is she the missing Hanley girl?

MIKE
Could be. I don’t really know,
her face is pretty banged up.

(Suddenly, the girl screams in Mikes ear. He is startled

and lurches back, almost falling off the ladder.)

MIKE
Holy shit! She’s still alive!

(Mike takes out his cell phone. It falls to the ground.

He descends the ladder and calls for help.)

MIKE
Hey, Jimmy! I need help out here
in the groves off 441.
You’ll see my car from the road.
And make it fast!
I’ve got a live girl crucified
to a tree!

JIMMY
Do you mean she’s actually nailed
to a tree?

MIKE
Yeah. Hurry!

17
 JIMMY
How high up is she?
What do we bring?

MIKE
High enough for the fire
truck boom.

JIMMY
So you want me to bring out the
department’s big truck?

MIKE
That’s what I said.
Don’t be stupid.
Just get in the truck and get
out here fast. She’s still alive.

JIMMY
She’s alive?

MIKE
Why do I always have to repeat
everything?
Yes, she’s alive, but she may
not be for long if you don’t
hurry the hell up!

JIMMY
I’ve never heard of a crucifixion
like that.

MIKE
We’re going to need a big pry bar.
The next thing I want to hear is
your siren. Get it on!

JIMMY
OK, OK! I’m on the way. Jesus!

(Mike climbs the ladder. He leans close to the girl and

raises his hand to touch her artery with his finger.)

WORKER 2
Is she still alive?

18
 MIKE
Just barely, there’s a weak pulse.

As Mike makes his way down the ladder he sees a tarot card
nailed to the orange tree just below her feet. It is the
card of the Hanging Man. He puts on latex gloves and pulls
it off and turns it over to reveal the astrological symbol
of Scorpio drawn on the card with a black marker. He puts
it in an evidence envelope.

MIKE
What the hell is this about?
A calling card?

INTERIOR: MT. DORA EMERGENCY EXAMINING ROOM.

Hospital Emergency examining room. Mike takes out a

printed flyer with a photograph of a missing girl. She’s
the same girl who has been missing from Apopka, Florida
several days earlier, Heather Hanley.

(Calls out to his friend Janet on his cell.)

MIKE
Hi, I need some help.
Two citrus workers
found a girl crucified to a tree.

JANET
What happened?

MIKE
I said, there’s a girl nailed to
a tree. It looks like she’s the
missing girl.

JANET
So you found her nailed to
a tree? Who is she?

MIKE
I believe she is that missing girl
from Apopka.

JANET
She’s been missing for a week or
so now. She’s still alive?

19
 MIKE
By the time we got her down and
over to the E.R. she died.
The Orange County Coroner will
have to take her from here.

EXTERIOR NIGHT: SUV DRIVING MT. DORA’S COUNTRY ROADS.

Teens Paul, Sarah and Julia are out for the evening.

SARAH
I can’t believe that girl was
nailed to a tree.
JULIA
(text messaging on a cell)
How disgusting.

PAUL
Let’s go check it out.

SARAH
That’s just crazy.

PAUL
I’m just an ambulance chaser
at heart.

JULIA
I smell money.

SARAH
Like the lawyers you see on TV?

PAUL
Yeah. Those guys make big bucks.

SARAH
Can’t make any money on this one,
she’s dead.

PAUL
When I’m a lawyer, I’ll make
lots of money representing
people like O.J.

20
 JULIA
What a pig.

SARAH
You would help a murder get off?

PAUL
Sure if I can make a buck.
That’s what lawyers do.

SARAH
You’re disgusting.

PAUL
Hey, if I gave you a Mercedes
with the money I made defending
some guy, what would you do?

SARAH
Hypothetically? I’d have to
think about that.

JULIA
Go for the Mercedes, Sarah.

PAUL
What’s to think about?

SARAH
If the guy was allegedly guilty,
then it’s OK because you’re
defending his civil rights.

PAUL
See. I knew it. You’d take
the money.

SARAH
All I know is some people are
guilty and some are not.
Taking money from the guilty
guy to set him free is bad.

PAUL
So, taking money from innocent
people is OK?

21
 SARAH
I don’t know, given the choice,
I’d rather take money from
a criminal.
But, it’s still blood money.

JULIA
Blood money spends the same as a
gift card. It’s just a pay check
for a lawyer.

PAUL
No matter which way you look
at it, someone’s going to pay
for a crime.
That’s the beauty of being a
lawyer, you always win,
even if you loose.

SARAH
I guess I’ll take the Mercedes,
but I want the 500SL, not the
cheap little one.

JULIA
Now you’re talkin.

EXTERIOR NIGHT: CITRUS GROVES

Paul’s SUV headlights illuminate the citrus trees. The

group gets out of the truck with flashlights. They walk
around looking for the tree where the girl was crucified.

SARAH
Just look for the yellow tape
the cops use. Look there it is!

(She shines the light on the tree with tape and blood on
it. The group joins her. Paul kneels at the bloodied tree
trunk. He touches it.)

22
 PAUL
This is spooky. The blood
is still sticky.
I’m touching her DNA.

(He points the flashlight on the branches where the girl’s

arms were nailed to the tree.)

PAUL
Look at the branches.

JULIA
I think… I want to leave.

PAUL
Don’t be afraid.
There’s nothing to get scared
about.

JULIA
Whoever did this is a psycho.
And, they always go back to
the scene of the crime.
Don’t you watch
those forensic TV shows?

SARAH
Quite. I just heard something
over there.

PAUL
Now, you’ve got me hearing things.

(Yells out into the orange groves.)

Come out so we can see you.

(Two pit bulls come out from behind a tree.)

JULIA
Look over there.

SARAH
I don’t like big dogs.
They’re scary.

23
 PAUL
Yeah, let's get out of here.

(The dogs walk away into the darkness.)

JULIA
It’s spooky. The Mt. Dora
cemetery is on the other
side of those groves.

SARAH
Let’s go there.

PAUL
What are we waiting for?
Let’s go.

Paul, Sarah and Julia get into the SUV and drive through
the groves toward the cemetery. The gates are locked, so
they climb the fence and walk around looking at head stones.

SARAH
This is spooky. I love spooky.

JULIA
What’s that smell?

SARAH
Smells like a dead animal.

PAUL
Road kill probably.

Paul points his flashlight to the ground, then to his feet.

PAUL
I must have stepped on a dead
animal.
It’s all over my shoes.

SARAH
Me too. Yuck.

JULIA

24
 There’s a bloody slime all over
everything, look.

PAUL
It reminds me of fishing on
Uncle Jim’s boat.
The fish blood would get all
over the deck and it was slippery.
Let’s get out of here before I hurl.

INTERIOR DAY: Mt. DORA POLICE STATION. MIKE’S OFFICE.

Mike is looking at the three nails that were used to hold

the Hanley girl to the tree. He’s talking on the
speakerphone to the Orange County Medical Examiner as he
studies the nails.

MIKE
These are 8 penny nails.
My grandfather
was a master carpenter.
I remember he had nails like
this in his toolbox.

MEDICAL EXAMINER
OK, send them down so I can
take a look.

MIKE
We don’t get many homicides
up this way. Everybody’s
freaked out. Thanks for your
help.

MEDICAL EXAMINER
Sure thing.
I’ll email you the report
when I’m finished, so you can
release her body to her family.

MIKE
Yup. That’s one call I don’t
want to make.

(He hangs up the phone and dials Janet at her book store.)

MIKE

25
 Hello there, gorgeous.

INTERIOR DAY: JANET’S BOOKSTORE.

The store is crowded with Astrological posters, tarot

cards, calendars, crystals, incense and books.

JANET
Hi. How’s the case developing?

MIKE
I’ve got this bad feeling in
my gut that won’t go away.

JANET
I’m not surprised.
This is your
challenging month and Mercury
is retrograde.
It’s always hell on
Virgo’s and Gemini’s.

MIKE
I guess so. I have these three
big nails and a bloody tarot card
with the sign of Scorpio drawn on
the back.

JANET
Is that the card you found at the
scene? That’s a real clue about
what kind of person would do something
like this. May I see them?

MIKE
I need to send it to the
Medical Examiner.

JANET
You know objects have a psychic
imprint of the event locked into it.
One can pick that up and see
the event and the people involved
if sensitive enough.

26
 MIKE
And, that “one” would be you,
right? That won’t go over well
with the folks around here.

JANET
It never has, but they don’t
have to know do they?
Just let me touch them and we’ll
see if I can get anything.
Let’s go to lunch.

MIKE
I’ll come by the store and
pick you up. Bye, darlin’.

EXTERIOR DAY: MT. DORA Paul and Sarah riding in his SUV.

PAUL
Everyone is talking about
what happened to that girl.

(Sarah is reading an abnormal psychology text book.)

SARAH
I was reading in my abnormal
psychology book about people
who commit this type
of murder.

PAUL
Must be a psychopath.

SARAH
That’s a given. There’s more…
Here’s a profile.
This is a ritual sacrifice,
so the killer will be a
male 25 to 35 years old,
living alone.
Someone that everyone thinks
of as a normal guy.

27
 SARAH (cont.)
He’d be white male,
someone who blends in unnoticed.

PAUL
This guy needed help to get
this girl up into that tree.

SARAH
It could be a group of
cult weirdo’s.

PAUL
(Lifting a shotgun from under the front seat.)
I’m carrying my snake charmer
with me from now on.

SARAH
I don’t like guns.
But, in this case
I’ll make an exception.
I didn’t think anything like
this would happen around here.

PAUL
Do you know the Ruth brothers?

SARAH
Not really, but I’ve heard
about them.

PAUL
They hang with that gothic freak.
You know her?

SARAH
She’s just a theater club witch.
They just dress the part.

PAUL
Richie and his brother Lenny are
always getting into trouble.

SARAH
Like what?

PAUL

28
 Fighting, doing speed, huffing
glue, stuff like that.

SARAH
Didn’t they have a band at
one time?

PAUL
They call themselves Brain Dead,
a heavy metal group.
Lenny is very freaky looking too.

SARAH
Maybe I could get extra credit
for cracking this case for my
journalism class.

PAUL
Hey, why not?

SARAH
I’ll write a short piece about
our trip to the citrus grove and
just see what happens.

INTERIOR DAY: THE GROVE RESTUARNT

Mike and Janet are eating lunch at the Grove, a popular Mt.
Dora restaurant. Janet is holding one of the nails used in
the crucifixion.

JANET
After lunch I’d like to drive
out to the orange grove where
it took place. I feel a very
strong attraction toward
that place. And, the area is
imprinted with what happen, too.

MIKE
Just don’t tell anybody about
this. Or,
I’ll be the laughing stock of my
department.

29
 JANET
You should know, this has
happen before.

MIKE
When?

JANET
Let’s take this lunch with us.

MIKE
OK, but I think I’ve just lost
my appetite.

JANET
Me too.

EXTERIOR DAY: MT. DORA ORANGE GROVES CRIME SCENE

Mike and Janet are walking through the woods toward the
spot where the girl was hung.

MIKE
This was a lot creepier the
other day.

JANET
She didn’t know this was going
to happen. She was out for an
adventure with this guy. She had
no idea what was about to happen.

MIKE
What are you saying?

JANET
Young woman will get involved with
dangerous men. They find them
mysteriously attractive.

MIKE
So, she was looking for excitement?

30
 JANET
Not this much excitement, but love.
Show me where you found the
tarot card.

MIKE
Over here at the base of this tree.

EXTERIOR DAY: RUTH FARM, OLD WORK SHED

A high school girl, Sandy Ellis, was picked up by Richie on

her way home from school and is now lying on the wooden
floor of an old work shed. She is being wrapped in duct
tape and is struggling, trying to scream for help.

RICHIE
Stop the screaming and I
won’t hurt you.
Do you want to see your card?

Sandy shakes her head yes.

RICHIE
OK. Here take a long look.
He shoves the card her face.
It’s the 10 of Swords.
It means you are in for
some major changes.

Sandy is horrified, the card shows a woman laying on the

ground with 10 swords stuck in her back.
Richie turns the card over and starts to draw the
astrological sign of Scorpio on it.

RICHIE
My mother was a Capricorn.
This card signifies her.
You’re a Capricorn right?
A know it all.
Now, let’s take this moment
to enjoy each other’s company.
Shall we?

31
 SANDY
What are you going to do to me?
Why are you doing this?

RICHIE
Let’s just say it’s about love.

SANDY
I’m afraid you’re going to hurt me.

RICHIE
You always think the worst.
I’m just on a journey like you.
This journey we will take together.

SANDY
I just want to go home.
Please let me go home.

RICHIE
I had a vision that changed
everything.

(Sandy starts to cry.)

RICHIE
In the vision I saw the Earth
as a resting place for weary
souls traveling through the
Universe.
It’s the last stop in a long
journey.
A bone yard.

SANDY
Please don’t kill me! Let me
go home!

RICHIE
Capricorn is an earth sign.
You should know that, stupid girl.

32
EXTERIOR DAY: MT. DORA ORANGE GROVES CRIME SCENE

JANET
I can see another girl being
wrapped in tape. There’s a young
man with tattoos all over his arms.
I see a tarot card with the sign of
Scorpio drawn on it. It’s lying on
the floor with blood dripping on it.

MIKE
Where is this place?

JANET
The name Ruth comes to mind.

MIKE
There’s the old Ruth house.
Let’s take a ride over there.

INTERIOR DAY: PAUL’S SUV IS RIDING DOWN A COUNTRY ROAD.

Paul, Sarah and Julia are listening to the radio.

Paul turns on his police radio scanner, Mike is calling the
Mt. Dora Police HQ.

MIKE
I’m riding out to the old farmhouse
near the groves. Look up the name
of the owner to the farmland out
there and get back to me.

JIMMY
It’s the old Ruth place. I’ll never
forget the Ruth boy, Lenny. He was
always doing crazy things like cutting
up road kill. I think he moved away
after old man Ruth ran off with a
woman from Deltona.

MIKE
I’m going over to check things out.
Thanks for the info.

33
INTERIOR DAY: MT. DORA, MIKE’S POLICE CRUISER.

JANET
I feel like the girl can’t
breath. Let’s hurry.

MIKE
If this turns out to be a big
nothing, I’m going to look
like a fool.

JANET
You’re going to have to explain
how you decided to go out there
in the first place,
that’s for sure.

INTERIOR DAY: PAUL’S SUV.

Sarah, Julia and Paul are driving around after school.

SARAH
Let’s go out there, too.
This would be a great follow
up story for my morning school
TV Show.
I’ve got my camera phone.

JULIA
Just like a true detective.

SARAH
You read too much of that stuff.

JULIA
There’s something fishy going on
out there, that’s for sure.

34
INTERIOR DAY: RUTH FAMILY FARMHOUSE.

Mike opens the front door of the abandoned farm house. He

and Janet walk around the living room and into the kitchen.
Dinner plates are in the sink and there is dust covering
everything except for two places at the dinner table.
They hear a door slam from the basement. Mike and Janet
walk down to the darkened cellar. They walk around looking
with Mike pocket sized flashlight. The outside cellar door
is cracked open. They walk toward it. But, they stop when
they hear footsteps coming from above them inside the
house. Mike takes out his gun.

MIKE
Be still.

JANET
Great, this is my challenging day,
and the Sun is void. Plus, we
just went into Mercury retrograde.

MIKE
Quite, they’ll hear you.

JANET
I knew I shouldn’t have left the
house. People always die on their
challenging day.

MIKE
Shhh, keep quiet!

The basement door from the kitchen opens slowly and Paul
sticks his head through the basement door.

PAUL
Is anyone here?

MIKE
What are you kids doing out here?

(Mike and Janet walk up the stairs.)

35
 SARAH
We just heard you on Paul’s police
scanner. So…

MIKE
So, you decided to check things
out for yourself, right?

SARAH
(Carrying her cell camera.)
Well, I do the morning TV report
at school and I need to have
something to report.
I get extra credit for it.

JANET
There’s nothing better in court
than a picture.
You know that Mike.

INTERIOR DAY: RUTH’S FARM WORK SHED.

Sarah pushes a door open and points her camera into

darkened room. Mike walks over to a window and pulls back
several boxes covering a window. The daylight streams into
the room. In the corner is their school friend, Sandy,
tied on the floor face down with one large knife stabbed
between her shoulder blades. She has 9 other stab wounds.
Nailed at her feet is a bloody tarot card, the “10 of
Swords” on the back of the card is the sign of Scorpio.
Mike walks over to Sandy and reaches down to pickup the
card. He slips on the blood soaked floor, and falls to a
pool of blood. He gets up with blood all over his clean
white shirt.

MIKE
Shit, I hope I didn’t mess up
some evidence! Everyone stay where
you’re at until I can see
exactly what we have.

Mike walks over and finds the light switch, but it’s not
working. He moves some boxes that covering the windows and
light floods the room to reveal the gruesome scene.

36
 MIKE
Let’s make sure she’s dead.

JANET
But, this isn’t what I picked up.
I saw a different the tarot card.

SARAH
And, just what are you talking about?

JANET
Oh, nothing, just a strange scene
that popped into my head.

SARAH
Oh, kind of like those psychic
detectives on TV?

JANET
Well, sort of. I haven’t developed
my psychic ability to that extent.
This town thinks I’m possessed anyway,
so please keep this quite. OK?
MIKE
She’s right. And, I don’t need the
towns people talking about me either.

SARAH
OK for now, but you have to promise
me I can break the story first. Deal?

MIKE
Deal!

JANET
Thank you, Yahweh!

PAUL
(Talking to Mike)
How long do you think she’s
been dead?
I didn’t even know she was
missing, did you?

37
 MIKE
Her parents called and said she
was missing, but we have to wait
24 hours before we can start an
investigation. Kids her age run
away all the time. We have to
make sure they’re not runaways.
Then we look for foul play.

SARAH
But, isn’t the first 48 hours
the most important in solving a case?
Then 24 hours would be gone if ya’ll
thought she was a runaway.

MIKE
Yes, you’re right.
But, rules are rules.

PAUL
But, we aren’t bound by those rules,
only you are, because you’re a cop.

SARAH
That’s right, let’s get going
and see what we can turn up.

MIKE
Now, you kids be careful.
There is obviously a freak out
there killing kids like you.
And, if you do find something,
call me right away.

PAUL
Yeah, right.

MIKE
I mean it, I don’t need any
more missing kids.

Paul and Sarah exit. Mike turns to Janet.

38
 MIKE
When you’re a kid you think
you’ll
never die. It’s hard to believe
anyone can be so cold blooded.
I need help with these killings.
The department doesn’t have that
kind of budget to handle this.

JANET
Call in the F.B.I.

MIKE
Yeah. In the meantime I’m going
to look through the cold cases.
There might be other cases with
similar evidence that we might
have over looked.

INTERIOR DAY: MT. DORA POLICE RECORDS ROOM

Janet and Mike are looking through old missing persons

files. Janet opens the file of missing person Raymond
Twittle a Mt. Dora High School Student. He disappeared
after a rave dance at a local concert hall in April.

Another Mt. Dora youngster Sally Jacobs went missing a

month later on May.
Then 17 year old, Susan Henry, disappeared after school
exactly 4 weeks later on June.

JANET
Mike here’s three kids missing
without a trace in as many months.
All this happened before the girl
was nailed to the tree.

MIKE
These kids could’ve got in a
fight with their parents and
just took off.

JANET

39
 You know serial killers are
progressive. They start small by
killing animals then the first
thrill killing of a friend or
person they hardly know.
Then they seek fame.

MIKE
OK. I get your point.
But where’s the evidence?
So, far we have two
dead kids and two tarot cards.

JANET
If we look closer we’ll find more
connections to these murders.
These kids are all connected somehow.
And that will lead us to the killer,
maybe before he can strike again.

INTERIOR: DAY MIKE’S Mt. DORA POLICE OFFICE

Mike and Janet begin to diagram the killings on a white

bulletin board. Mike lists all the missing kids and their
dates of disappearance.

Diagram the killings

1. Raymond Twittle a Mt. Dora High School Student. He

disappeared after a rave dance at a local concert hall.
Born -----Died Date ---- Photo at crime scene.

2. Sally Jacobs missing a month later.

Born---- Died Date------

3. Susan Henry disappeared after school 4 weeks later.

Born--- Died Date-----

4. Gail Hanley Nailed to the tree. Photo at crime scene

Born: March 5, 1996 Died Date----- Pisces – Tarot card
Hanging Man astrological sign Pisces

5. Sandy Ellis 16 years old, tied to a chair in Ruth’s

shed. Photo at crime scene.
Born: Jan. 2, 1993 Died Date---- Capricorn – Tarot card 10
of Swords astrological sign Capricorn.
JANET

40
 This guy won’t stop until we
catch him, or he runs out
of cards.

EXTERIOR NIGHT: RICHIE RUTH’S 70’S MOTOR HOME IN THE WOODS.

It has long since turned into junk. No working motor or

electricity. However this is where Richie calls home.
A chopper named “Scorpio” sits beside the motor home.

INTERIOR NIGHT: THE MOTOR HOME IS LIT BY A COLEMAN LANTERN

The interior is meticulously neat and clean. The walls are

covered with survivalist print material including paper
shooting targets with outline of FBI man’s silhouette. On
a small table lies a samurai sword, drug scales and ounce
of white power. A neat pile of disposable cell phones lie
on a chair. Richie picks one up and carefully cuts open
the plastic wrapper with a single edged razor blade.

EXTERIOR NIGHT: TWO LANE HIGHWAY.

Richie is seated on his chopper on a two lane country road.

He punches in a phone number.

INTERIOR NIGHT: MIKE DUNN’S HOME

Mikes cell phone rings.

MIKE
This is Mike.

RICHIE
Well, Mister Detective,
I understand you’ve been looking
for me.

MIKE
Who’s this?

RICHIE
If you don’t know, it’s your part
of the game to find out. There’s a
piece of the puzzle waiting
for you the old boat house on the
Mt. Dora reservoir.

41
 MIKE
I hope to Christ you’re just kidding.

RICHIE
No. This is a biblical moment.
You see, when this child was
bathed in the blood of the lamb,
it was the beginning of my
transformation.

MIKE
How so?

RICHIE
My devotion to God was tested by
fire. The angels became devotees
of the beasts of hell, but were
left alive to eternal suffering
on earth.

MIKE
I’m going to stop you.

RICHIE
That’s not going to be easy.
Because the beast is hungry.

MIKE
I see you have a taste for it.

RICHIE
It’s been a long time coming.

MIKE
Can you put it back in the bottle?

RICHIE

42
No. In the beginning, I was very
squeamish about the warm blood.
But, I spent time with my new
acquaintances in their transitional
moments. It calms my anguish about
living.

MIKE
Where did you get the nails?

RICHIE
I have a private collection of
such unique and interesting items.
All to illuminate my taste for the
unconventional.

MIKE
So, you’re a carpenter?

RICHIE
A cobbler, a wood butcher,
a tree hacker.

MIKE
Can we meet somewhere to speak
in person. I have so many
questions that only you can answer.

RICHIE
Don’t call me. I’ll call you.

MIKE
I have one more question before
you go. How did you get my cell
phone number?

RICHIE
It’s almost effortless for a
career criminal. Some of us have
computer skills, despite impressions.
Identity information is everywhere
including your trash. I suggest you
burn your phone bill statements.
It’s too easy to reconstruct a
shredded document.

MIKE

43
 You mean you sat down and pieced
together my shredded phone bill?

RICHIE
Precisely. With the help of a
precious stone.

MIKE
What is your next move?

RICHIE
It maybe time for an interlude.
A break from the mundane.

Richie tosses the cell phone into the brush along the
roadside.

MIKE
Are you there? I can’t hear you.

Mike can hear the motorcycle engine start and drive away
down the road.

EXTERIOR DAY: Mt. DORA HIGH SCHOOL

Julia and Sarah are walking out of Mt. Dora high school to
meet Paul waiting in his SUV. They get in.

PAUL
Did you hear about the other
missing girl?

JULIA
Yeah, she had her head cut off.

SARAH
She must have been an Aries.

JULIA
Who told you that one, Janet?

SARAH
I know things.

JULIA

44
So, share. Don’t be so secretive.

PAUL
Look, if we want to help in the
investigations we’d better get it on.

SARAH
I know who the crazy zodiac killer is.

JULIA
We’re waiting.

PAUL
Come on Sarah, out with it.

SARAH
I think there are two, Richie Ruth
and his brother, Lenny.

JULIA
We know about Richie but what
about Lenny?

PAUL
He’s a gang banger. I saw him
crash a party one night at
my friend Nancy’s house.

SARAH
That’s what I heard.

PAUL
What else.

SARAH
He’s been seen with Richie trying
to pick up girls at Sonic.

PAUL
OK. But that doesn’t make him
a killer.

SARAH
Yeah. Well Richie had some help
with nailing the girl to the tree.

PAUL

45
 We’re messing with two very bad
dudes. Maybe we should let Mike
do the sniffing around.

JULIA
He’s got a point Sarah.

SARAH
To be a great investigative
reporter like Geraldo you have
to take chances.

PAUL
I don’t want to find you hanging
from a meat hook.

JULIA
No guts, no glory. Besides I’ve
got a story hook. I’m calling it
the HorrorScope Murders.

SARAH
Oh, I like that. Can I use it?
Yeah, the HorrorScope murders,
very memorable. See, I knew all
those mystery books would pay off.

JULIA
OK. You can use it once, but after
that you have to give me credit.

PAUL
I’ll call Mike and tell him about
Lenny. Maybe he’s on the radar.

INTERIOR DAY: MIKE’S MT. DORA POLICE OFFICE.

Mike and Janet are going over the evidence on the

Horrorscope murder cases.

46
 JANET
There’s a lot of information on
this Richie Ruth. But, I don’t
get what makes him want to kill
these kids.

MIKE
If it’s the motive you’re
looking for,
I think he’s just plain crazy.

JANET
This guy is very methodical.
When we find his living space,
we’ll be surprised
at how organized he is.

MIKE
Trust me, I’m the one who talked
with him. He’s stalking all of us.

JANET
Then Sarah, Julia and Paul are
in danger.

Janet opens an evidence bag from the Delois Shaw crime

scene and takes out the Tarot card deck found on the
reading table. She lays out the cards. There are six
missing cards from the deck.

JANET
He took all the cards that was
used in the Delois Shaw reading.
I’ll figure out which ones
are missing.

MIKE
I’ll go looking for Richie.
You should keep tabs on the young
journalists.

EXTERIOR DAY: MT. DORA RT 441.

47
Raymond Twittle is hitch hiking home from school. He is
walking along the edge of the Mt. Dora orange groves.
Riding his chopper, Richie Ruth sees Ray hitching. Richie
slows down and picks him up.

RICHIE
Where are you headed?
Aren’t you’re from Mt. Dora?

RAYMOND
Sure. Love the bike.

RICHIE
It’s a long walk to the
trailer park.

RAYMOND
Some days it’s OK. But, in
the morning I’m always late
to school.

RICHIE TAKES OFF MOTORCYCLE NORTH ON RT 441.

RICHIE
They don’t like that.
I was always in trouble for
being late.

RAYMOND
They told me they were going
to kick me out.

RICHIE
Well, all I know is I felt a lot
better when I wasn’t around
Principle Martin.

RAYMOND
Yeah, he’s a real dick when it
comes to using the paddle.

RICHIE

48
I remember when they used to
paddle me.
But, one day, the Coach decided
it was time for my hair to be cut.
He came at me with scissors
in his office.

RAYMOND
I heard about that one.

RICHIE
Yeah, I pushed him away.
But, he kept coming.

RAYMOND
I heard you both went through the
office window into the showers.

RICHIE
That’s when he tried to whip
me with his whistle chain.

RAYMOND
He’s a nasty bastard.

RICHIE
I got my hand tangled up in the
chain and it broke.
Boy was he pissed.

RAYMOND
Then what?

RICHIE
I tried to get away through the
window, but he still came after me.

RAYMOND
Holy crap.

RICHIE
Yeah I was just 13. The
office was a mess. I wound up in
The Principle’s office.
Got 20 whacks.

RAYMOND

49
That must have hurt.
They stopped doing
that, because of what happened.

RICHIE
The Principle was sadistic.
When he finished beating me I
told him he would never do
that again.

RAYMOND
What did you do?

RICHIE
I went home and told my Dad.
He was a Marine.
He didn’t like anyone beating
me up but him.
After the first time
he beat me I didn’t cry.
I guess I just got used to it.

RAYMOND
What happened to the Principle?

RICHIE
We went over to his house and
got his dog out of the backyard.
Tied it to
a tree in the front and beat
it with a baseball bat.
My Dad left a note.

RAYMOND
What did the note say?

RICHIE
I don’t know, but I think he
got the message.
The Dean never touched me again.

RAYMOND

50
 Sounds like a common cure
for an asshole.

RICHIE
It works every time.
I need to stop at the house
to feed the dogs.
I’ve got some beer there.
I’ll give you a ride home later.

RAYMOND
OK. Great no one will be home
until late anyway.

Richie and Raymond arrive at Richie’s motor home in the

orange groves. He parks the chopper next to the front
door.

RICHIE
Here we are.

RAYMOND
This is cool. What a great place
to bring the lady’s.

RICHIE
It’s out of the way. No one ever
comes out here but the Mexican
pickers. And, then it’s only
for a few days a year.
The rest of the time
I’m here alone.

Richie opens the door and walks into the motor home.
Raymond follows.

RICHIE
Get yourself a beer from the frig.
No charge.

RAYMOND
Cool.

Raymond gets a beer and looks around at the Nazi posters

that are carefully taped to the walls.

51
 RAYMOND
I guess you don’t have much use
for Jews?

RICHIE
I hate them. They own all
the banks and control the money.

RAYMOND
I’ve always thought it would
be fun to make my own money
on photoshop and pass it off
as real.

RICHIE
Have another beer.

RAYMOND
Sure.

Raymond goes to the frig and gets another beer.

Richie turns on the radio. A metal band is playing.

RAYMOND
Great music.

Richie walks back into the bedroom and comes out with
handcuffs.

RICHIE
What do you think of these?

RAYMOND
Wow. Are those real.

RICHIE
They’re trick cuffs.
The trick is to know how to
get them off without a key.

RAYMOND
Those are crazy.
Let me try them on.

52
 RICHIE
OK. But, watch me do it first.

Richie put on the handcuffs and quickly opens them and

hands them to Raymond. He puts them on.

RICHIE
Don’t cheat. Make them close tight.

RAYMOND
OK. Now how do I get them open?

RICHIE
That’s the trick.

Raymond takes a sip of the beer.

RAYMOND
Yeah. How do you do the trick.

RICHIE
Do I have to show you again?

RAYMOND
Just tell me. I want to do it.

RICHIE
I can’t do that. Magicians never
tell how their tricks work.
They sell that kind of information.
Just try a few ways to get them
off while I go out and feed the dogs.

RAYMOND
I didn’t see any dogs.

RICHIE
I keep them in the back room.
I’ll bring them out for you to
meet them.

53
Richie opens the bedroom door. Two male pit bulls walk out
and stand in front of Raymond.

RAYMOND
I don’t think they like me.

RICHIE
They’ll like you just fine.
Let’s go outside.
I want to give the dogs
a little fresh air.
They been cooped
up in here all day.

Raymond is trying his best to get free from the cuffs but
with no success. Richie opens the door and lets the dogs
out.
RICHIE
I bet their bladders are full.

RAYMOND
That’s nice. But, I don’t
think I can get these cuffs off.

RICHIE
Your not much of a magician
there Ray.
Come on out here you’ll
get them off somehow.
Remember the old saying
try and try again.

Raymond walks down the steps out of the motor home.

The two dogs come over to him and smell him.

RICHIE
They are the best fighters in
Orange County. That’s how I
make money. They never loose.

RAYMOND
They’re a little scary.

RICHIE

54
 They’re supposed to be scary.
That’s the idea.

RAYMOND
So, you take them out to
fight other dogs?

Richie lovingly pets the dogs.

RICHIE
Yeah, every weekend.

RAYMOND
I can see why. I bet they
tear up the other dogs.

RICHIE
They have what I call team work.

RAYMOND
Do they fight at the same time.

RICHIE
Oh yeah. I trained them myself.
My Dad did breeding and fighting
on the side. Truth is he made more
doing that that his job at
the police department.

RAYMOND
Your dad is a cop?

RICHIE
Yeah, he was a Marine then
joined the police department
in Orlando where he trained
police dogs.

Raymond takes out his wallet and shows his police id and
badge.

RICHIE
Pretty cool?

RAYMOND

55
 But are you a cop?

RICHIE
Might as well be. I’ve got
all the toys.
No one ever questions me, never.
I just say I’m in undercover
narcotics.

RAYMOND
I need to get going.
My mom is a pain about me being
there when she gets home.

RICHIE
OK. Then go. There’s nothing
holding you here.
But I can’t go now. I got
to feed the dogs.

Richie walks over to Raymond and takes off the cuffs.

RICHIE
Come here I’ll get those pesky
cuffs off. Now get going, don’t
be late.

Raymond walks off into the dark orange grove.

Richie snaps his fingers at the dogs. They run off after
Raymond. After a few seconds Richie can hear the screams
coming from Raymond as the pit bulls take their dinner. He
pulls out a tarot card the Devil.

RICHIE
Born to die.

EXTERIOR DAY: BEN’S CONVENIENCE STORE ON RT 441.

Mike parks his cruiser out front and walks into the store.

INTERIOR DAY: BEN’S CONVIENCE STORE

Mike meets a store attendant.

STORE ATTENDENT
Can I help you?

56
 MIKE
Yeah, I’m looking for this guy.

Mike shows a mug shot of Richie Ruth.

STORE ATTENDENT
Oh yeah, that’s one of my regulars.

MIKE
When does he come in?

STORE ATTENDENT
Usually after midnight for beer
and cigarettes.

MIKE
Do you ever talk to him?

STORE ATTENDENT
He’s not much of a talker.
He comes in on his chopper,
or a black Ford 150.
He picks up a pack of
Pall Mall’s and a 12 pack of Bud.

MIKE
That’s it? Does he use a
credit card?

STORE ATTENDENT
He’s a cash man.

MIKE
Does he come around about
the same time every night?

STORE ATTENDENT
Just like clock work until the last
two weeks. He must be off his orbit
or out of town. He comes in on a
motorcycle named Scorpio. It’s got
a real cool paint job with Scorpio
on the tank.

MIKE

57
 Any security videos I can look at?

STORE ATTENDENT
Hell, man I record over those tapes
after the weekend. I don’t think
you’ll see him on them. But, he has
the most tattoos I’ve ever seen.

Mike hands over his card to the store attendant.

MIKE
Here’s my card. Please call
me when you see him again.

STORE ATTENDENT
Yeah, sure. No problem.
What’s he been up to?

MIKE
He’s got a long history
with the law.

STORE ATTENDENT
Any armed robbery?

MIKE
Yeah.

STORE ATTENDENT
That’s a good thing to know.
We get these crackers in here
looking for a quick buck.

MIKE
I hear ya. Talk at you later.

EXTERIOR DAY: MIKE WALKS TO HIS CRUISER.

He gets on the radio and calls into the police station.

MIKE
Hey, Jimmy.

OFFICER JIMMY COWMAN

58
What’s happening? Everyone is
asking about the Horrorscope murders.

MIKE
Where did you hear that.

OFFICER JIMMY COWMAN

It’s all over town. Kinda catchy.
What should I tell them?

MIKE
Look don’t comment. Just say
“No comment at this time.
We are investigating.”

OFFICER JIMMY COWMAN

All the networks are calling too.

MIKE
They’ll just have to wait till I
get something worth reporting.

OFFICER JIMMY COWMAN

I know, but the Mayor is calling.
She wants to talk to you.

MIKE
Oh great. The Queen of Mt. Dora
is looking for someone to blame.

OFFICER JIMMY COWMAN

Yeah, the election is coming up.

MIKE
I completely forgot about that.

OFFICER JIMMY COWMAN

She’s been on your case about this
for the last few days.

MIKE
They’re looking for a scapegoat.

OFFICER JIMMY COWMAN

59
 I’ll just tell them you’re out.

MIKE
That will have to do for now.

OFFICER JIMMY COWMAN

OK. No problem. Jesus!

MIKE

Would you please stop saying that.

EXTERIOR NIGHT: ORANGE AVE. ORLANDO.

Sarah and Julia are driving to meet friends at the Crazy

Pelican Club. Sarah parks the car. They exit the car and
spot Richie in his pickup truck as he passes by them.

SARAH
There’s Richie in that truck,
don’t stare at him.

JULIA
Talk about staring at people, you
always do that. It’s embarrassing.

SARAH
I think we should follow him
and see what he’s up to.

JULIA
But what about Paul? He’s waiting
in the club.

SARAH
We can call him while we
follow Richie.

The girls get into the car and chase after Richie.

60
INTERIOR NIGHT: SARAH’S CAR.

Julia is trying to keep the line of site on Richie’s truck.

Sarah calls Paul on the cell.

SARAH
Hi. It’s me. Julia and I
are following that
Richie Ruth guy.
He’s driving around downtown.

PAUL
Where are you?

SARAH
We’re on Orange Avenue.

PAUL
Don’t follow too close or he’ll
see you.

JULIA
I think he’s turning again.

PAUL
I don’t like this.
It’s not a good idea.

JULIA
Look he’s stopping over there.

SARAH
We’ll just drive by him.

PAUL
Just come get me and we’ll go back
there together.

Sarah turns the next corner and drives back to pick up Paul
at the club.

EXTERIOR NIGHT: CHUBBY’S POOL HALL COLONIAL AVE. ORLANDO.

61
Sally Jacobs (dressed in black gothic style) waits for a
drunken friend to give her a ride home after a night of bar
crawling. Richie Ruth sitting in his parked Ford pick up
watching her from across the street. Sally is becoming
more anxious as time passes.
Sarah, Julia and Paul are parked down the street from
Richie waiting for his next move. Richie opens the door to
his truck and walks across the street and offers Sally a
cigarette.

RICHIE
How about a smoke?

SALLY
I quit. But OK.

INTERIOR NIGHT: SARAH’S CAR COLONIAL AVE. ORLANDO.

JULIA
He’s going after that girl.
I’m sure of it.

SARAH
Just stay put, he hasn’t
done anything yet.

PAUL
(Half asleep)
What’s happening?

SARAH
I wish I knew.

JULIA
He’s going after that girl.
See. Call the cops.

PAUL
He’s just talking to her.
There’s no law against that.

SARAH

62
 Let’s just watch before we
jump to conclusions.

JULIA
All I’m saying is this guy
is a creep.
Just look at him.

Richie standing next to Sally on the street corner.

RICHIE
I’ve been sitting over across the
street watching you.

SALLY
I’m expecting a friend to pick me
up any minute now.

RICHIE
I have been waiting to pick up a
complete stranger.

SALLY
It’s 2:30 in the morning.
You must have a lot of time
on your hands.

RICHIE
Well, I got a call from the
Tooth Fairy that you would
be waiting for me.

SALLY
Very funny. My cell battery
is dead.

RICHIE
I’ll try to make things interesting.

SALLY
So what do you want from me?
The usual?

RICHIE

63
 I was just looking for a little
excitement. I can’t sleep.

SALLY
Yeah, well I need to get home.
I’ve got school in the morning.

INTERIOR NIGHT: SARAH’S CAR COLONIAL AVE. ORLANDO.

SARAH
Don’t do it girl.

PAUL
She looks like a hooker.

JULIA
She’s just out for the night
dressed in goth clothing. So what?

SARAH
She does dress a little trashy.

PAUL
I think she turns tricks.

JULIA
What’s kind of tricks?

SARAH
Never mind.

EXTERIOR NIGHT: RICHIE WALKS CLOSER TO SALLY.

RICHIE
I can give you a ride, if that’s
acceptable. Or, we can just stand
here waiting for the Orlando PD to
arrest us.

SALLY
What for? I’m just waiting for a ride.

RICHIE

64
 They’re sticklers for details.
A great looking young woman
standing on a street at 2:30am
looks bad.

SALLY
Good Point. So where do you live?

RICHIE
Not far.

SALLY
Ok. But if you turn out to
be a serial killer,
I’m going to be very mad.

RICHIE
If I was a serial killer,
I couldn’t be a detective.

Richie takes out his fake police ID and hands it over to

Sally.

SALLY
Are you going to arrest me?

RICHIE
No. I’m just a concerned citizen
looking out for your safety.
It’s like the school safety
patrol, only at 2:30
in the morning.

An Orlando police cruiser pulls up along side the sidewalk.

A policeman rolls down his window.

POLICEMAN
What are you folks doing out here
at this time of night?

RICHIE
We were just getting ready to
head home.

SALLY

65
 I’ve been out at the clubs
tonight.
Richard is driving me home.

POLICEMAN
Let me see some ID from both of you.
There’s a lot of working girls out
here this time of night.

INTERIOR NIGHT: SARAH, JULIA AND PAUL SITING IN SARAH’S CAR

COLONIAL AVE.

SARAH
Oh my God! The cops are going
to break it up.

PAUL
We better get a move on before
we get a ticket.

JULIA
Wait let’s just stay here for a
little bit and see what happens.

EXTERIOR NIGHT: COLONIAL AVE. ORLANDO.

Richie and Sally hand over their ID’s to the policeman.

He walks to his cruiser and runs their Florida drivers
license numbers.

SALLY
Just tell him you’re a cop.

RICHIE
Can’t. I’m under cover in
narcotics.
We don’t want the others to know
about us. They talk too much.
Could get me killed.

POLICEMAN
OK. You can be on your way
Tattoo Boy.

RICHIE
You got something against tattoo’s?

66
 POLICEMAN
Just remember smart mouth, it’s bad
business for people hanging around
here at 2:00am. The tourist think
it’s dangerous downtown.
We don’t want folks to get the wrong
impression. So, get along home
little doggies before I change my mind.

RICHIE
Yes sir. You have a compelling case.

POLICEMAN
Are you getting a smart mouth again?
Cuz, I can change my mind.
And, I have nothing better to do
right now.

SALLY
Let’s get going.

RICHIE
Your wish is my command.
(He bows to the policeman as if in a royal court)

Richie and Sally cross the street and get into his Ford
pick-up truck. They drive off with the Policeman watching.

SALLY
What did you do that for? Do you
want to get us put in jail?

RICHIE
It’s not so bad. Granted the menu
stinks. The people are mostly
drunks, drug dealers and pimps.
But, it’s a
great place to get drug connections.
A highly undervalued experience.

INTERIOR NIGHT: SARAH CAR, COLONIAL AVE. ORLANDO.

Sarah, Julia and Paul are sitting in Sarah’s car.

(The song “Hungry like a wolf” is playing on the radio.)

SARAH

67
 Oh my God, look she’s going
off with him.

PAUL
What’s wrong with that girl?

JULIA
She thinks he’s harmless.

SARAH
I’m going to follow them.

PAUL
OK. Should we call for help?

JULIA
He hasn’t done anything.

INTERIOR NIGHT: RICHIE’S TRUCK, COLONIAL AVE. ORLANDO.

Richie and Sally are sitting in his pickup.

SALLY
Look I don’t want to go to jail
or have sex. I just need a
ride home.
So don’t try anything funny. OK?

RICHIE
I have a very simple view of women.

SALLY
So, how does that effect me?

Richie backhands her across the face.

RICHIE
Women talk too much. The say a
woman uses more than three times as
many words a day than a man does.
What do you think?

SALLY

68
 (Crying)
Why did you hit me?

RICHIE
I just want you to know who’s the
boss here.

INTERIOR NIGHT: RICHIE’S TRUCK, COLONIAL AVE. ORLANDO.

Sally opens her small purse and takes out a tissue to wipe
her lip. She has a concealed in the tissue a small key
chain can of mace.

RICHIE
I don’t hit a girl on the first
date, unless I have a reason.

SALLY
OK, I get it you’re the boss.
Shit man, you’re an ass hole.

Sally reaches over to Richie’s face a sprays him in the

eyes with the mace. He jerks the steering wheel and the
truck side swipes a car parked on the street. She sprays
him again and again. He slams on the brakes and the truck
stops. She try’s to open the door, but there is no handle
or window crank. She is trapped. Richie tries to punch at
her but misses and hits the front window. Over and over he
misses. She opens her purse to get a small knife her dad
gave her as a birthday gift. It is only 3 inched long
blade, but razor sharp. She opens it and cuts his fist and
arms as he swings wildly at her. His blood is all over the
inside of the truck. He throws a lucky blow and she is
knocked out cold, her head against the dash board. He
grabs a bottled water and clears his eyes and face of the
mace. Then he raps his hand and arms in his t-shirt.

INTERIOR NIGHT: SARAH CAR, DOWNTOWN ORLANDO.

Sarah, Julia and Paul follow the pick up into the back
streets of downtown Orlando.

INTERIOR NIGHT: RICHIE’S TRUCK, DOWNTOWN ORLANDO.

69
Richie is driving as fast as possible with his lights out
to loose the car following him. He crosses an intersection
and just misses a city bus.

EXTERIOR NIGHT: SARAH CAR, DOWNTOWN ORLANDO.

Sarah’s car comes to a stop inches from the bus.

INTERIOR NIGHT: SARAH CAR, DOWNTOWN ORLANDO.

Sarah and Julia are holding their hands over their eyes.
They loose the pickup.

PAUL
I guess that’s what cut to the
chase means.

EXTERIOR NIGHT: RICHIE’S TRUCK, MT. DORA ORANGE GROVES.

Richie is parked in front of his motor home looking through

Sally’s purse. He sees her drivers license.

RICHIE
Fuck. This one’s a throw away.

Sally is awake, but faking unconsciousness.

RICHIE
(Wiping blood from his face.)
What a fucking waste of time.
Too young. What the hell is
a 14 year old girl doing out
this late anyway.
Shitty parents.

Richie squirts water in her face, but she doesn’t move.

He gets out of the truck and goes to her door. She slides
over to the drivers seat and starts the motor puts it in
gear and floors the gas peddle. The truck takes off though
the citrus grove hitting trees as she goes. Richie is
thrown clear and runs for his chopper.
He starts the engine and spins out after her. In the
darkness she can’t see.

SALLY
Thank God, Daddy showed me

70
 how to drive a truck.
Where the hell am I?

Richie cuts across the grove to cut her off at the road. He
blocks the road with his chopper and stands on it in the
middle of the dirt road holding a shotgun.

She drives right for him and floors the gas peddle and puts
her head down. The truck hits Richie on the motorcycle.
and he flies over the truck. His cycle had saved his life.
The truck rolls over and Sally flies out of the open
drivers door and lands in the grass beside an irrigation
ditch.

Richie gets up to his feet.

RICHIE
I didn’t plan to have this
much fun tonight.

RICHIE WALKS OVER TO HIS CYCLE AND CHECKS IT OUT.

RICHIE
Now, I’m really pissed.

He walks over to Sally laying on the ground. She hears him

coming and sits up.

SALLY
So, what’s next? What you gonna
do without that motor between
your legs?

RICHIE
I gave it my best shot.
I guess we can’t be friends.

SALLY
Everyone has told me to watch
out for guys like you.
But, I have a secret weapon.

RICHIE
Tell me about it.

SALLY

71
 I’m smarter than you.

RICHIE
How’s that?

SALLY
Looks like you got the worst
of it.

RICHIE
I got you in my truck and
I could have killed you
at anytime.
(He falls to his knees.)

SALLY
I been riding cycles for years.
I heard that when a guy gets
hit on a cycle, the first thing
to go is his manhood.
It’s hard to walk with all that
blood running down your leg.

RICHIE
That maybe true, but I’m the one
with the gun.

SALLY
I’m betting you ain’t got no ammo
and you can’t crawl this far.

RICHIE
What’s your secret weapon again?

SALLY
I’m just lucky. And, you’ll
always be a looser.
Just look at you.

Sally falls over in the ditch.

INTERIOR NIGHT: MT.DORA HOSPITAL ER.

72
Richie walks to the emergency room at Mt. Dora Hospital. By
the time he gets there he’s more than half dead. They admit
him. His pants are soaked with blood.

The ER nurse looks at Richie and picks up the telephone.

NURSE
Can you tell me what happened.

RICHIE
Someone hit me on my bike.

NURSE
We have a motorcycle accident
out here.

INTERIOR DAY: HOSPITAL ROOM

Richie is lying in a bed next to a window. He is

recovering from surgery to repair his crushed leg from the
accident. He has a visitor, his brother Lenny is sitting
nervously next to the bed. Lenny’s scars from the facial
burns he has suffered with for so many years are hidden by
a floppy hat. He is truly difficult to look at.

LENNY
Are you still awake?

RICHIE
Yup. I’m coming off the
pain meds.

LENNY
Yeah, that stuff is the best
until it isn’t. Then it’s the
worst shit ever.

RICHIE
The voice of experience
rings true.

LENNY
Selling that prescription stuff
is the best. The house wives

LENNY (cont.)

73
will pay anything to get their
hands on it.
$10.00 a tab or $100 for a reload
script is easy pickin’.

RICHIE
When we were kids you were such a
nice kid. What happened?

LENNY
Don’t go there. I have enough
bullshit in my life.

RICHIE
Here I am with three balls and
a crushed pelvis.

LENNY
Is there anything you need done?

RICHIE
Yeah. What about the dogs?
Have you been out there to let
them out.

LENNY
They get better treatment than
I do.
But, they still don’t like me.

RICHIE
Just stop kicking them and they’ll
be alright.

LENNY
I don’t do that.

RICHIE
Every time you come over I see
you kicking them out of your way.

74
 LENNY
They’re too big to be in that
little place out there.

RICHIE
Just don’t kick them around like
that or someday they will turn
on you. Trust me you don’t
want that.

LENNY
What about the girl?

RICHIE
I told you to dump her in the
weeds on 441. It would look
like a hit and run. Now I’ve
got more shit to do when I
get out of here.

LENNY
I didn’t want to get caught
with her in the back of my
pick-up. So, I put her in the
freezer at the house.

RICHIE
Mom is going to find her.
Jesus Christ! What the fuck is
wrong with you!

LENNY
I just figured you weren’t
finished with her.
Plus, it was your mess to
clean up and this way when you get
around to it she’ll still be fresh.

RICHIE
Mom’s a babbling fool now anyways.

LENNY
If she finds the body, she’ll
think it’s the Christmas turkey.

RICHIE

75
 Cut her up with the ban saw
and dump her in Mt. Dora Lake.
Can you do that for me?

LENNY
I dropped off “Scorpio” at the
bike shop. Al says you will
need a new frame, transmission,
oil pan, bars and back wheel,
plus tires. He’ll throw in the
rest, because
You’re such a good customer.

RICHIE
Tell him I don’t want cannibalized
parts. Just new stuff only.
I got the best insurance.
He needs to do it right.

A nurse and Mike Dunn enter the hospital room.

NURSE
The police need to get an
accident report.

RICHIE
I don’t remember much.

MIKE
I just need to ask a few questions.

RICHIE
OK.

MIKE
What happened?

RICHIE
I was riding out on 441 about
2:30 in the morning and this
car pulled out in front of me.
That’s all I remember.

MIKE
Well, I guess we have a hit

76
 and run here.

LENNY
Even if Richie hit the car
from behind?

MIKE
That’s still a hit and run,
because the other driver
didn’t stop to render
aid or report the accident.

LENNY
That doesn’t seem fair.

RICHIE
Lenny. This isn’t your deal.
Just let me do the talking.

LENNY
I just don’t think it’s fair
to blame someone if you hit them.
Jesus.

MIKE
It’s just the law. No one can
leave the scene of an accident
without reporting it to the police.
What happened to your motorcycle?

LENNY
I picked it up off the side of
441 and took it to be fixed.

RICHIE
Yup, he picked it up. Officer
please excuse my brother.
That’s all I can say about
what happened.

Mike hands Richie a card.

MIKE
Here’s my card. Please call
me if you remember anything else.
MIKE (cont.)
Oh yeah, did you see a young

77
 woman walking out on the road
that night?

RICHIE
No can’t say as I did.
There aren’t many folks out
that late.

MIKE
Just one more thing.

Mike reaches into his pocket and takes out photos of the
Horrorscope murder victims. He lays them out across the
bed.

MIKE
Do you know any of these young
people?

Richie looks closely at each photo. He separates them into

two piles.

RICHIE
This group are local kids.
The others are from out of town.

MIKE
Can you tell me who they are?

RICHIE
I don’t know their names.
But I’ve seen them around town.

MIKE
So you know these kids.

RICHIE
No. I’ve just see them around town.
It’s a small town. You see a lot of
people around town.

MIKE
What about the others.

RICHIE
They must be from out of town.

78
They could be visiting.

MIKE
What about you Lenny?
Do you know these people?

LENNY
Yeah, I’ve seen them around town.

MIKE
Any names come to mind?

LENNY
I don’t have many friends.

MIKE
Why is that?

LENNY
(He takes off his hat.)
Just look at me. Who would want
to hang out with me.
People run the other way.

RICHIE
Is this really necessary?

MIKE
Well, yes it is. I’m investigating
the disappearances of several
young people.

RICHIE
We don’t know anything about that.

MIKE
(Talking to Lenny)
How about coming down to the office
when you’re finished here and take
a look at some more photo’s?
They might jog your memory.

LENNY
I don’t know anything.

RICHIE
Hey man, back off. He doesn’t

79
 know anything. I’ll come in when
I get discharged. How’s that?

MIKE
You won’t make me come looking
for you. Will you?

RICHIE
My word is good. My dad taught me
to never lie to a cop.

MIKE
Oh yeah, he was a cop in Orlando.

RICHIE
That’s right.

MIKE
OK, then we have a deal.

Mike picks up the photos and walks out of the room.

RICHIE
Prick. I don’t need this shit.

LENNY
Is he on to you?
RICHIE
If he is, it’s your ass too.

INTERIOR DAY: HOSPITAL NURSES STATION

Mike walks to the nurses station. A nurse is standing

there. He shows his badge to her.

MIKE
I need a DNA sample from Richard
Ruth in room 235. Can you do
that without making him suspicious?

NURSE
Piece of cake. I’ll be right back.
(She returns with his water glass.)
This should do it for you.

MIKE

80
 Thank you, Ma’am!

INTERIOR DAY: MIKE’S OFFICE.

Janet and Mike are looking over the Horrorscope crime

timeline diagram.

JANET
OK, we have one thing that
stands out to me.

MIKE
Yeah. We have the missing
kid’s bodies to deal with.
Where are they can you tell?

Janet walks over to a map of the area around Mt. Dora. She
draws a circle out from the Mt. Dora City Hall. She pushes
pins in where the crime locations are and uses white string
line to connect the dots. She puts pins in and it creates
part of a pentagram. She finishes it by placing pins where
the pentagram would be.

JANET
That’s where you’ll find the
others.

MIKE

That’s crazy. Why would anyone

do this?

JANET
That’s what crazy does!

MIKE
I would like to lockup that
Richie Ruth guy. There’s
just something
about him that’s not right.

JANET
I agree. But, what can you
hold him for?

MIKE
Nothing so far. But, I’m

81
 calling in some favors from Orlando.

INTERIOR DAY: STARBUCKS

Starbucks in Winter Park. Sarah, Julia and Paul are sitting

at a table drinking coffee. Julia has her WiFi laptop open.

SARAH
Julia, Google that Richie Ruth
guy.

JULIA
OK. (She types in Richie Ruth.)

PAUL
Got anything?

JULIA
I’m going to try Richard Ruth.

SARAH
How about Lenny Ruth?

JULIA
Hold on! That coffee has
you bouncing off the walls.

SARAH
So, you say…

PAUL
If you’re going to fight I’m
going home.

SARAH
So far you haven’t done anything.
So leave if you want.

JULIA
Bingo! Look at this! This guy
has been busted for stalking
a girl. The girl was from
Altamonte Springs.
He was a cop there for 5 years.
JULIA (cont.)

He lost his job over it.

82
 SARAH
Great! I bet he was pissed.

JULIA
Wait, there’s more.

PAUL
I told you this guy was dangerous.

JULIA
I must have missed that part.
Anyway, here the Orlando Sentinel
says, “Richard Ruth acquitted in
the death of his father, William
Leonardo Ruth.”

SARAH
How did he kill him?

JULIA
He was accused of arson. He set
fire to the farm house where
his family lived with his
dad inside.

PAUL
Go on.

JULIA
He was seen running from the house
just before the fire broke out.
The fire investigators discovered
green kitty litter and vegetable oil
in the spot where the fire started.

SARAH
What does that have to do with
the fire?
PAUL
We had a demonstration of dangerous
materials by the fire department
last year.

PAUL (cont.)
They took a tray of green

83
kitty liter and poured vegetable
oil over it. With fifteen
minutes there was a fire.

SARAH
This guy is a public menace.

PAUL
I think we’re in over our heads.

JULIA
If we can help, that’s all
that matters.

PAUL
I think you’re both crazy.
Look at the things he’s done.
This ain’t no wayward boy
we’re playing with here.

SARAH
Do you want to spend the rest
of you’re life making burritos
at Taco Bell?

PAUL
I’m going to be a famous
photographer.
Making burritos is just a
temporary stop along the way.

JULIA
(Typing on the laptop.)

No guts no glory.
Here’s some good news.
My friend Matt is working
as an intern at the
Sprint store in Winter Park.
He can get the cell phone
number of Richie Ruth for us.

SARAH
Great! Let’s give him a call.

84
 PAUL
Are you nuts? He’ll get your
number that way.

JULIA
Just push in *67 first and
your number will come up
as “unknown”.

SARAH
See that was easy.

PAUL
What are you going to say?

SARAH
I don’t know. Let’s see
what happens.
I just want to interview him.

Sarah gets the number and uses the Starbucks restaurant’s

land line, dials *67, then dials in Richie’s number.

EXTERIOR DAY: MOTORCYCLE SHOP IN MT. DORA.

Richie is checking out the repairs on his motorcycle

“Scorpio”. His cell phone rings.

RICHIE
Yo, who’s this?

SARAH
I’m Lynn Staples a news reporter
with the Orlando Sentinel.

RICHIE
What do you want?

SARAH
I’m doing a story about the
Horrorscope murders and your
name came up in connection with
a missing girl.

RICHIE
I don’t know anything about that.

85
 SARAH
Well, you were seen picking
up a young woman the night
she disappeared.

RICHIE
Don’t know anything about that.

SARAH
How about the killing of
Mt. Dora’s psychic and palm
reader Delois Shaw?
Know anything about that?

RICHIE
Never visit psychics, that’s
bullshit.

SARAH
Well, it would appear you
were at her shop on the morning
she was killed.
There’s an appointment in
your name.

RICHIE
That may be, but I didn’t
kill her.
That was a tragic thing,
but it wasn’t me.

SARAH
Can you explain why your name
was on her appointment list.
Or, is it your brother Lenny?

RICHIE
I’ll make a deal with you for an
exclusive interview.

SARAH
If you’re not involved, why
would I want to do that?

SARAH (cont.)
You know. Since you’re not

86
involved in the case.

RICHIE
It’s the only way I can clear
my name.
The police want to tag me
with this.

SARAH
It’s true the police have
you on their radar.
So, you must know something.
Look at it this way, someone
is going to get credit for
breaking this case.
It might as well be me.
I believe your brother Lenny
is involved.

RICHIE
Leave him alone! You hear me!

SARAH
See I know that much. OK.
Where should we meet?

RICHIE
I’ll call you.

SARAH
I don’t give out my number.
I’m a freelance reporter.
I don’t have a desk at the
newspaper.
How about we meet at the
Winter Park, Train Station at
noon on Friday.
If you’re there fine, if not…
I’ll know you’re not interested.

RICHIE
I should be able to make it.
Unless this conversation gets
to police. No traps.

SARAH

87
 OK. I won’t talk to them.
But this interview will be
on the record.

RICHIE
I wouldn’t have it any
other way.

EXRERIOR DAY: HIGHWAY 441

Lenny is racing toward Mt Dora in his Honda “Tuner”. A

Florida State a Trooper is hiding by the side of the road
with his radar gun pointed at Lenny’s Honda. He clocks him
at 85 mph. The Trooper takes off after him. Lenny
accelerates to over 100 mph. The Trooper struggles to keep
up and he looses Lenny going around a curve next to the Mt.
Dora citrus groves. Lenny turns down the dirt road toward
Richie’s motor home. The Trooper drives by a dirt road
with a cloud of dust rising from Lenny’s tuner. He stops
his cruiser and follows the road into the groves. Lenny
parks his car in front of Richie’s motor home. The Trooper
slows down as his car approaches the motor home. He lifts
his radio hand set and calls in his location and the tag
number of Lenny’s car.

INTERIOR DAY: RICHIES MOTORHOME IN MT. DORA CITRIS GROVE.

Lenny is walking around inside the motor home looking for

guns and ammo. He finds a 12 gage snake charmer in the
bedroom. He loads it and knocks out a bedroom window to
get a clear shot at the Trooper. He fires a shot into the
radiator and another into the windshield. Then another
toward the Trooper who is crouching behind the front of the
cruiser. The Trooper opens the trunk and retrieves a huge
riot gun. He takes aim at the motor home bedroom window
and fires. The shot opens a giant hole in the side wall of
the bedroom. He then loads a tear gas grenade and fires it
into the opening in side of the motor home.

Lenny opens the bedroom door releasing the two pit bulls.
He crawls to the bathroom and jumps from the bathroom
window into an orange tree. He climbs to the top of the
motor home and takes aim at the Trooper hiding behind the
cruiser.

88
The dogs surprise the Trooper. He tries to get to safety
inside the cruiser, but it’s too late. The dogs jump on
him and he falls to the ground. Lenny finishes the job
with a blast from his shot gun.

Lenny gets the dogs off the Trooper’s face and puts them
into his Honda. They race off down the dirt road toward
441.

EXTERIOR DAY: CENTRAL PARK TRAIN STATION, WINTER PARK.

Richie is sitting on a park bench next to a water fountain.

Sarah walks up to the water fountain and sits across from
Richie.

RICHIE
You must be Sarah.

SARAH
Yup.

RICHIE
I didn’t expect such a
pretty girl.

SARAH
Really? It this the way
you seduced your victims?
With flattery?

RICHIE
I find you get more with
honey than vinegar.
What do you think?

SARAH
Your honey has a foul odor.

RICHIE
I didn’t come here to be
insulted. And, you didn’t come
here to smell my vinegar.
Get on with the interview.

SARAH
Fair enough. If you are the
Horrorscope killer, why did

89
 you kill those kids?

RICHIE
(looking around the park)
First I’m not admitting to
anything.
But, it looks to me that
you guys are looking for the
Frankenstein monster.

SARAH
The Frankenstein monster was
a troubled reconstruction of
a murderer.
Is Lenny that monster?

RICHIE
Lenny is a troubled kid, he
has his reasons.

SARAH
Yes, I’ve heard his story.
Very sad.

RICHIE
But, I assure you he hasn’t
hurt anyone I know about.
And, I would be the
first to know.

SARAH
Well, there’s only two suspects
in the murders and he’s one
of them.

RICHIE
Who’s the other?

SARAH
I’m staring at him.

RICHIE
(He gazes across the park to see a Winter Park Police
cruiser going down Park Ave.)

90
Let’s get to the nut
cutting here.

SARAH
Like the park squirrels.

RICHIE
They aren’t so lovable.
You may know that one of them
attacked a little girl the
other day. It had to be put
to sleep.

SARAH
So, you’re the squirrel and
I’m the little girl?

RICHIE
You’re catching on.

SARAH
You didn’t answer my first
question.

RICHIE
I didn’t have a job.
So I created one.
Just about everyone in
Florida is underemployed.
When you come here you’d
better have money.

SARAH
So, torturing and killing
people is your job?

RICHIE
That’s pretty much it.
It’s steady work
like stuffing bags at a
supper market.
Or chopping pigs up at a
slaughter house.

RICHIE (cont.)
Ever been to a slaughter

91
house or a rendering plant?

SARAH
No.

RICHIE
Maybe you would like to take
a field trip with me?

SARAH
I don’t think so. I’ll pass.

RICHIE
You think you’re smart?

SARAH
Pretty much.

RICHIE
You know why I’m not going
to kill you right now?

SARAH
No.

RICHIE
Cause I haven’t drawn your
card yet. Miss Gemini.

SARAH
How did you know my sign?
You’re a very dangerous man.
Is there anything
else you want to say?

RICHIE
I know I’m running out of
time here.
But, just tell the boys in
Mt. Dora, I didn’t dislike
those kids. It’s just
the luck of the draw,
it was in the stars.
Understand?

SARAH
No, I don’t.

92
 RICHIE
That’s how the game is played.

SARAH
What do you mean?

RICHIE
When you’re born, you get a sign.
Then somewhere along the way you
pull out your cards and that’s it.
The rest is playing out each card
until the cards are used up.
That’s all.

SARAH
So, this is a game to you?

RICHIE
No. It’s my career, it’s
who I am.

SARAH
I’ll pass that along.

EXTERIOR DAY: CENTRAL PARK, WINTER PARK.

Police and Orange County Sheriffs are moving around the

train station. Sarah stands up and backs away from the
fountain. Richie surveys the park and station looking for
an escape route. The Am Track Train pulls into the station
and stops. As passengers disembark and baggage is
unloaded, there is unanticipated confusion about where
Richie is. The police enter the train searching for him.
They search in the Club car and sleepers. But, Richie is
nowhere to be found. Unsuccessful, the Police release the
train to continue on to it’s next stop in Sanford, Florida.

INTERIOR DAY: WINTER PARK TRAIN STATION HOUSE.

Mike and Janet walk into the train station to discover

Sarah and Julia hiding inside the train station.

MIKE
What happened to Richie?

93
 JANET
He’s a slippery little Devil.

JULIA
I’ll bet he’s on that train
on his way to New York.

SARAH
(Sarah shows everyone a small tape recorder.)

I got it all on tape.

And, I got
some great photos on my cell.

MIKE
I’ve gotta to hear this.

JANET
That was a very dangerous thing
you girls did.

JULIA
Danger is her business.
Right, Sarah?

SARAH
That was too scary for me.
This guy is a maniac and he’s
not going to stop until you
catch him, or kill him.

INTERIOR DAY: CHAIN GANG BAR ORLANDO.

Lenny is sitting at the bar drinking beer. He is talking

to a biker named Nelson.

LENNY
(sipping his beer)
Richie is going to screw
things up here.

NELSON
He’s got to stay away till
things cool off.

94
 LENNY
Can you keep the dogs at your
place?

NELSON
Sure. But where are you going?

LENNY
I’m heading for Miami. I still
have a few friends there.
But, I need some cash, fast.

NELSON
Bear owes me a grand. Will that
cover expenses? Richie called me
this morning.

LENNY
Where was he.

NELSON
I didn’t ask. I know better.

LENNY
I’m always the last one to know.

NELSON
Here he comes, he can tell
you himself.

Richie walks up to the bar with his cane and slaps Lenny on
the back, then orders a drink from the bartender. He
stands at the bar next to Lenny.

RICHIE
A beer and a bump.

LENNY
Everyone is looking for you.

RICHIE
I’m sure they think I’m
riding the
rail up North.

LENNY

95
 I’m thinking we should go
to Miami.

RICHIE
What happened to the motor home?

LENNY
I torched it after I shot the
Trooper. You know I’m a pyro.

RICHIE
That was unnecessary.

LENNY
The Hell you say!
It destroys the evidence,
you know that!
(Pointing to the window.)

BARTENDER
The Gestapo is here.

RICHIE
They’re all out looking for us.

LENNY
They’ll never take me to the
freak show.

Lenny takes out a hand gun and points it at the Troopers as

they come through the door. He starts shooting at them
cutting them down one by one.

BARTENDER
Oh great. Now I’ve got a
clean up job. You guys
better get the Hell out of here.

LENNY
(He shoots the Troopers as they lay on the floor.)
There. Just wanted to make sure
they don’t tell fairy tales.

BARTENDER
Those guys were regulars.
They come in everyday after

96
 their shifts you ass holes!

RICHIE
Sorry, Lenny has never had
much cool.
Let’s hit it.

LENNY
I just don’t like people
staring at me like that.

RICHIE
They’re dead. Their eyes
are open that’s all.

LENNY
Well… that’s the same thing
to me.

Lenny and Richie walk out the back door of the bar.

LENNY
I have a very bad feeling.

RICHIE
Yeah. Let’s put some miles
between us and this place.

Lenny opens the back door to the bar. Standing there are a
group of 5 Troopers with guns pointed at them.

INTERIOR: FLORIDA, STATE PRISON ELECTROCUTION ROOM.

SUPER TITLE: 5 years later.

The inmate is strapped into the electric chair. His neck,

arms, hands and legs are strapped to the chair. Electrodes
are attached to the crown and temples of his head with
steel screws. A leather hood has been pulled down over his
face. The warden watches a large clock on the wall ticking
down to midnight. Then the switch is thrown and 2 thousand
volts of electricity flow through his head to the his feet.
Blood flows out from behind the leather mask. It drips
down his neck and splatters off his quivering chin. At 20
minutes past midnight, wisps of smoke leak out through the
mask and into the room. The electricity continues to flow
through his body for 20 minutes after midnight. Then the

97
electricity is shut off while the doctor checks for signs
of life. The electricity is turned on again for 30 seconds
just to make sure the execution was successful. The Doctor
lifts the leather mask to reveal Lenny Ruth has been
successfully electrocuted for the killings of the two
Florida State Troopers and the HorrorScope Murder victims,
all inclusive in his signed confession to prosecutors. The
Tarot card of “Justice” falls from Lenny’s hand to the
floor.

EXTERIOR DAY: GROUNDS OF GULFSTREAM THOROUGHBRED RACE TRACK

IN HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA.

Richie is walking through a crowded group of thoroughbred

racing gamblers. They are all fixated on the beginning of
the featured race of the day.

EXTERIOR DAY: VIEWING STANDS AT GULFSTREAM THOROUGHBRED

RACE TRACK IN HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA.

Looking through field glasses, Sarah passes Julia the

glasses as they follow Richie through the crowd at the race
track edge railing.

Richie reaches into his pocket and retrieves his ticket for
the 8th race. The card he uses to pick a race horse is the
“8 of Swords.”

FADE TO BLACK

98