HENRY SENIOR

Your mother is going to do what

she wants.  You can’t stop her. 

I sure can’t.

 

HENRY

I know.

 

Another police officer, BILL, gets out of the car that has pulled up behind them.  BILL walks to HENRY SENIOR’s window.

 

BILL

I see you found him first.

 

HENRY SENIOR

Yeah.  He was scared and didn’t know

what to think, but he’s co-operating now. 

 

BILL

You want to me to take him in,

Henry?  If it was my kid, I--

 

HENRY SENIOR

No need, Bill.  I’m taking him

home.

 

HENRY

Home?

 

BILL

Home?

 

HENRY SENIOR

Yeah.  Henry ran off last night

from his mother’s house.  That’s

true.  But I went after him. 

Mona can verify that.  And I found

him.  He didn’t want to go back to

his mother’s house, so I took him

to mine.  He was with me all last

night.

 

BILL’s and HENRY SENIOR’s eyes meet.  BILL nods.

 

BILL

Okay.  I’m glad to hear that.

 

BILL bends down to look into the car at HENRY.

 

BILL

(to HENRY)

I’m glad to know you were at

your dad’s house all night.

That’s good.

 

HENRY SENIOR

Thanks, Bill.

 

BILL

No problem.

 

BILL walks back to his car, gets in, drives away while HENRY SENIOR and HENRY talk.

 

HENRY

I don’t want to go back to Mom’s.

 

HENRY SENIOR

No?

 

HENRY

No.

 

HENRY SENIOR

Where then?

 

HENRY

How about your house?

 

HENRY SENIOR nods.

 

HENRY SENIOR

Okay.  But I’m on duty.  I’ve got to

work the rest of my shift. 

You’d have to hang out with Jenny

until I get off.

 

HENRY

Does she have any tattoos?

 

HENRY SENIOR

What?

 

HENRY

Never mind.

 

HENRY SENIOR starts to put the car in gear.

 

HENRY

I didn’t think you would.

 

HENRY SENIOR

Would what?

 

HENRY

You know . . . .  Save me.

 

HENRY SENIOR nods, and they drive away.

 

FADE OUT:

 

FADE IN:

 

“ONE MONTH LATER”

 

INT.  WALES HOUSE   DAY

 

MONA and DOG are sprawled on the sofa, drinking beer and watching the video Animal Attacks! 

 

MONA’s midriff is bare, and the head of a cat tattoo is visible above the top of her jeans.

 

INT. TACO YUMMY   DAY

 

KREBS stands in the doorway of his office, leering at BRANDY, who is wrapping a burrito in the grill area.  She looks over at him, and he wiggles his eyebrows.  She gives a little nod, and he turns and goes into his office, leaving the door open. 

 

BRANDY enters his office and closes the door behind her.

 

EXT.  WOODS OF PUBLIC PARK   DAY

 

Paint splattered, HENRY is stealing through the woods, his paintball gun at the ready, apparently trying to sneak up on someone.  He hears someone approaching.  He jumps behind a large tree and presses himself against it.  He prepares to ambush his opponent. 

 

When he jumps from behind the tree, however, he sees no one, is confused, whirls frantically, and then is shot in the chest. 

 

HENRY grins as HENRY SENIOR comes out from behind a tree, carrying a paintball gun and, like HENRY, the father is paint splattered. 

 

HENRY SENIOR grins, too. 

 

Father and son walk out of the woods together into an open area of the park where JENNY is waiting. 

 

JENNY smiles at them.  She is pushing a stroller holding a small baby dressed in pink.

 

They all move toward each other.

 

FADE OUT.

 

END