X-MAN SCREENPLAY by BRIAN R. LUNDIN (ereader for comics txt) 📕

Ringo.

O’SHEA
We’ll talk about this later.

Evetta entered the office smiling.

EVETTA
You certainly know how to piss him off.

A few minutes later Charley Turner entered and removed a report from his briefcase.

TURNER
Good news Boss, we got a print and a match from the registered letter.

EVETTA
Great!

TURNER
The writer is a Mariah Woodberry, thirty-five, one arrest for panhandling and one for shoplifting baby clothes at Wal-mart.

RINGO
Address?

Turner looked at the report.

TURNER
Nope,homeless.

EVETTA
Shit!

INT. EVETTA’S HOME-15 MAY 2008

Evetta was preparing dinner for her family when her cell phone ranged. Her husband and two boys were playing a video football game on the machine.

CALLER
Mama?

EVETTA
What’s up BULL?

BULL
Might have something for you, where and when can we meet?

Evetta looked at her family in the living room. JACOBE, eight was sitting on the pillow next to JAMARE, ten. JASHAUN, three was sitting in his father’s lap. Jacobe was frantically working the controls on the video game and her husband La Shaun was rooting loudly as Jashaun yelled.

JASHUAN
Touchdown.

EVETTA
What about Sarge’s Joint in Roseland?


BULL
Cool, meet you in an hour.

Evetta walked into the living room.

EVETTA

Time out! LASHAUN come into the kitchen a minute.

LASHAUN
Be right back, guys. What’s up?

EVETTA
Got to go to work baby, got a call from a snitch that might have some information on the X-Man.

LASHAUN
Its late babe, can’t it wait until tomorrow?

EVETTA
Got to go to work baby, got a call from a snitch that might have some information on the X-Man. I’d better go; it might save a young woman’s life.

LASHAUN
Is John going with you?

EVETTA
He’s my snitch he might not talk if John’s there, but I’ll call him for backup.

INT. SARGE’S LOUNGE-NIGHT

Sarge’s Lounge was located on the far south side of the city in Roseland. It was a “police bar,” with dark paneling and an equally dark ceiling. LEROY ELLISON a retired police sergeant owned the bar and most of his customers were police officers. Evetta arrived at Sarge’s Lounge an ten, two men were shooting pool and a couple was dancing to the music of the 4-Tops.


LEROY
Hey beautiful, guys this is Detective Lunden, I broke her in, I mean on the job. These mopes are ELTON MCMANN and WILLIAM JARVIS; they work out of the fifth district.

The two police smiled and nodded.

What your poison?

EVETTA
Nothing right now, maybe later.

LEROY
It’s on the house, how is that boss of yours?

EVETTA
John is doing fine, I’ll tell him you asked.

LEROY
Tell him to not forget his old friends now that he big-time.

EVETTA
Will do.

Evetta spotted Bull sitting in a rear booth a can of Budweiser beer sat on the table. Evetta slipped into the opposite seat.

BULL
What’sup mama?

EVETTA
What you got?
I put the word out about the broad who got whacked on 43rd Street. Well one of my guys who work the alley on told me that the broad always walked around her apartment nude or damn near nude. This dude, a little dude, doesn’t know his name was a regular customer and he and my guy would watch this broad parade her naked ass around. The customer was a weirdo and seemed to get off watching and he had a funny sounding voice. Well on the night the broad got whacked my guy said he saw this guy hanging around the gangway. My guy had to take care of some business and when he looked around the guy was gone. He later spotted him in the room with the broad. He couldn’t hear anything but the broad, naked seemed to be trying to get away from him. My guy got distracted again and when he looked in the window, he didn’t see the guy or the broad, also he said he saw the same guy walking with the broad got whacked on King Drive.

EVETTA
Think your guy could point him out from photos?

BULL
Don’t know, I asked him that. You know with all the busts I’ve had with you guys I know the routine, but he said he only saw the guy at night in the dark alley.

EVETTA
What about a description?

BULL
My guy said the dude was a little guy, but looked like a weight lifter or something and had a funny voice, that’s all he got.

EVETTA
Thanks, man, owe you one.

BULL
Owe me nothing, mama.

EXT. RINGO’S VEHICLE

Ringo was waiting outside the lounge for Evetta who got into his car and told him of the conversation with Bull.

RINGO
Good work, Evetta, let’s get the team together in the morning and see what we’ve got.


INT. SPECIAL CRIMES BUREAU CONFERENCE ROOM-18 MAY 2008 MORNING

The following morning, Lieutenant O'Shea, Evetta, Charley Turner and CRISTY JONES met.

RINGO
Let’s see what we got. Want to go first Turner?

TURNER
We believe that our boy killed two young women in Gary and maybe his foster parents. We know that all of his victims except the Reverend were killed on the tenth of the month. No makes on fingerprints or ID from witnesses. We believe that he is or was a member of the Melony Fitness Center. We found a condom with sperm in the garage, sent to the lab for DNA tests waiting for the results. According to the Doctor Dixon there was a small bit of dermal specimen under her fingernail that suggest a hyper pigmented dermis, in other words the killer was probably non-Caucasian, not Caucasian as originally thought, he’s waiting more results from the FBI Crime lab. Also at each crime scene the bloody X found carved into the victim’s torso and on the mirrors contained the victim’s blood type, we also still waiting on those DNA reports. In all of the cases there are no apparent motives, most of the victims didn’t have money or jewelry the only things taken were their underwear.

RING0
Evetta?

Evetta told them of her conversation with Bull.


EVETTA
According to Bull’s guy, the guy he saw on both occasions was a regular customer and a small man with a funny voice that jives with the shoe print in Louise garage and the description given by our witnesses. The last killing was on 10 May so hopefully we have nearly a month before he strikes again.

EXT. SPECIAL CRIMES BUREAU 20 MAY 2008-MORNING

It was a beautiful spring morning sunny with just an early morning nip in the air. The air was fresh and clean as Mariah Woodberry stood outside the building breathed in deeply, she had been here before but never went in. She walked slowly up the front steps, big men rushed passed her, focusing on where they were going and no one paid her any attention. She made her way to an unformed officer who sat behind a thick glass.

OFFICER
May I help you?


MARIAH
I would like to speak to Sergeant John Ringo.

OFFICER
Can you tell me what it’s about?

MARIAH
(she said lowering her eyes)
I would rather talk to the sergeant.

OFFICER
Just a moment I’ll see if he’s available, could I have your name please?

MARIAH
Tell him my name is Mariah Woodberry.
OFFICER
You can have a seat and I’ll call the sergeant.

Mariah had barely sat before a man walking with a cane and a large woman came down the stairs.

EVETTA
Mrs. Woodberry?

MARIAH
Yes.

EVETTA
I’m Detective Lunden and this is Sergeant Ringo.

RINGO
I am so glad to meet you, Come with us.

Ringo quickly gave her the cop’s once over, she looked homeless-torn jeans; two different colored sweaters covered a dingy white blouse, not dirty, just old and frayed. Her hair was cut short and covered by a black dew-rag. Her dark skin was ashy-as if she had washed her face, but no make-up

EVETTA
Can I get you something to drink, coffee, tea or something cold?

MARIAH
Coffee will be fine thank you.
INT, RINGO’S OFFICE
Mariah sat in a seat in front of the desk. The detective made a call and in a few minutes a beautiful woman entered holding a cup of coffee.
RINGO
Mrs. Woodberry this is Monique Brown, she works with us.
Monique handed the woman the coffee and took a seat in the rear of the office.

RINGO
Did you send me the registered letter?

MARIAH
(holding her head down)
Yes, I was so afraid, but I knew in my heart I had to talk to you to tell you what I saw, maybe it will help.
RINGO
I can understand why, you witnessed a terrible act by a terrible man. I want you to take a deep breath, relax and when ready tell us what you know, okay, tell us what you saw at the church?

Mariah nodded, sipped the coffee, closed her eyes and laid her head on the back of the chair. Slowly she opened her eyes and stared down at the cup of coffee.
MARIAH
I’m alright now. I was sitting in the pew on the far side of the church waiting for the reverend he was always kind to me and my children, he gave me money for food and sometimes arranged for us to stay in one of the vacant rooms at the center, he told me to meet him after he finished his rounds at the senior center and he would see if he could find a permanent place for us to stay. There were three people in the church, an older woman sitting alone, a man was slouched in a pew, he seemed to be asleep and another man was praying. I noticed this little man come in and sat beside the older woman, they talked for awhile and they seemed to pray together, I heard her say Amen and she left, but the man continued to sit, soon after the man praying left and then I saw the man walk over to the man sleeping, pull out a knife and without a word cut his throat, and sat back down.

EVETTA
Did you get a good look at him?”
MARIAH
Not really, I was about five isles over and it was dark, but he was real short but muscular, he was wearing a short dark jacket and had a funny sounding voice. About twenty minutes later the reverend came in and walked to the pulpit, the little man followed him.
RINGO
Did you hear anything he said?
MARIAH
In a high pitched voice I heard him ask the reverend if he could use the washroom.

Mariah hands were shaking as she took another sip of coffee as she placed the cup on the desk she removed the dew rag and placed it in her lap.
EVETTA
You okay, want another cup of coffee or a glass of water?
MARIAH
No thank you.
RINGO
Do you think he saw you?
MARIAH
(shaking her head)
No, he looked around but I was in the shadows lying down in the pew, I‘m sure he didn‘t see me.
RINGO
Okay, when you ready, tell us what else happened?

MARIAH
tears in her eyes)
As the reverend and the