12. INT. INTERROGATION THREE - CONTINUING
SEELY is with VANCE MAKRIS, the third student. SEELY is standing, propped up
against the wall, arms folded across his chest, listening to VANCE’S story.
SEELY raises his eyebrows, clearly wondering if this guy is trying to hide
something.
VANCE looks the detective clearly in the eyes.
WOODY is holding tourist pamphlets in his hands and shuffling through them
as he and Jordan are walking down the sidewalk in DC, eating ice cream.
WOODY appears slightly uneasy. He’s never really liked HALEY and still thinks
somewhere in there, the profiler has a thing for JORDAN and she for him. He
re-arranges his flatware nervously.
WOODY
(almost under his breath – almost) |
| I’m sure you don’t. |
They chit-chat for a moment or two as they place their drink and meal orders.
|
| JORDAN |
| Married… Mr. FBI-Profiler getting married. |
| DREW |
| It was bound to happen sooner or later. |
| WOODY |
| Who’s the lucky woman? |
DREW unfolds his napkin and places it in his lap.
| DREW |
| Nancy. Her name is Nancy Craven. |
| JORDAN |
| I guess we’ll meet her tomorrow? |
He pauses as the waitress sets down their drink orders.
| DREW (cont’d) |
| She would have loved to come with me today, but she’s got a list as long as my arm of things she has to get done before the wedding. |
| WOODY |
| I’m sure… so how did you two meet? Profile her, too? |
He winces as JORDAN casually kicks him under the table.
DREW has long since caught the tension between the two.
| DREW |
| Um, no. As a matter of fact, Nancy is a school teacher. |
| WOODY |
| And you were show and tell? |
He winces at another kick.
| JORDAN |
| He gets really cranky on car trips... |
DREW
(eyeing WOODY closely) |
| … and cracks jokes when he feels threatened. It’s one of his defense mechanisms. |
DREW
(to JORDAN) |
| My only question is why do you deal with it? |
ACT THREE
17. TRACE – LATER AFTERNOON
BUG, KATE and RENEE are in trace. RENEE looks worried out of her mind. BUG and
KATE are being very factual, but behind the scientific façade, you can tell
they’re worried, too.
| RENEE |
| None of the three suspects’ DNA match? |
| RENEE |
| How many times have you run the tests? |
RENEE
(tense) |
| Run them again. |
KATE’S voice is patient and measured, but has the same underlying tension as RENEE’S does.
| KATE |
| Look, Counselor, we can run these damn tests from here ‘til eternity and the results are going to be the same; these three boys’ DNAs do not match either of the two male DNA traces found on the victim. We can’t make them match. |
| BUG |
| No DNA, no evidence they touched her. (beat) Everyone may have to face the facts that they’re telling the truth. |
RENEE is back to pacing; she runs a hand across her forehead.
| RENEE |
| Do you know what we’re facing here? Do you have any idea what’s going
on out there? |
She motions towards the window.
| RENEE (cont’d) |
| What’s being said? |
Her voice lowers with worry.
| RENEE (cont’d) |
| How high emotions are running? |
KATE
(eyes sympathetic) |
| I know. But we can’t - and aren’t - going to manufacture evidence… or hide the test results. |
RENEE speaks wearily - the weight of the possibility of more riots and racial unrest are heavy on her.
| RENEE |
| I’m not asking you to… I’m just want to know… what are the possibilities that the tests could be wrong? |
| BUG |
| Not a snowball’s chance- |
KATE
(interrupting) |
| We can always run them again… it’ll take a few hours to get the results back, |
RENEE
(nodding) |
| Do that. Meanwhile, I’m going to contact LabCorp out of North Carolina. Get them to run some independent tests to back up yours. |
BUG is obviously displeased and not liking the way things are going; he remembers what it’s like to be wrongly accused.
RENEE
(shakes head) |
| The more evidence I have when I go public with the results… the better the chance that we won’t have riots. |
| KATE |
| That is if you can appeal to the voice of reason…. |
NIGEL comes through the door then, with a box of evidence bags, all the same size.
| NIGEL |
| And that voice just may have gotten a little louder. |
Everyone looks at him like he’s crazy.
| NIGEL (cont’d) |
| Seems the word has gotten out that the uniforms didn’t do a proper picture ID with the victim - they just showed her a team photo of the lacrosse players and she picked our three suspects out of that. |
He raises his eyebrows at RENEE.
| NIGEL (cont’d) |
| Since the guys said they had nothing to hide, the team’s attorney suggested they submit their DNA samples. |
He looks at KATE and BUG.
| NIGEL (cont’d) |
| So, we have our work cut out for us… |
KATE
(counting the bags) |
| We have fifty DNA samples to process? Because of improper police
protocol, our lab now has to test fifty DNA samples. |
She pauses and then continues with anger in her voice towards RENEE.
| KATE (cont’d) |
| Does anyone in your office have any idea how badly this is gonna slow our trace lab down? |
| RENEE |
| I know… and I’m sorry. (beat) Fifty samples, done twice. (sighs) And I know you guys are good… but please… make sure all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed? |
KATE nods but her words are a warning to RENEE.
RENEE turns to exit.
| RENEE |
| I know… meanwhile, get another set of samples ready to send LabCorp. I’ll call them and let them know we’re air expressing them to PTI this afternoon. |
NIGEL, KATE, and BUG all nod wearily and begin to get to work.
18. EXT. OUTDOOR WEDDING – NEXT AFTERNOON
WOODY and JORDAN are sitting in the groom’s side. WOODY is in a suit and JORDAN
is dressed to the nines. WOODY’S still obviously very skeptical about HALEY’S
ability to have “true wedded bliss” and JORDAN is very much in pre-bride mode
– not quite a bridezilla, but getting there – taking in the music, bridesmaids’
dresses, flowers, etc. We hear the ceremony going on in the background as the
camera is fixed on WOODY and JORDAN.
JORDAN
(whispering to WOODY) |
| Isn’t this beautiful? |
WOODY
(whispering back) |
| Yeah, sure… if you like dodging bees… and birds |
He looks up at a flock of birds, wondering if they’re going to unload on the
crowd.
The PRIEST goes on in the background.
| PRIEST |
| Do you, Drew Haley…. |
| JORDAN |
| Shh... this is the good part! |
WOODY glances at her like she’s crazy; this is obviously a side of JORDAN he hasn’t seen.
She gets a sort of dreamy look in her eyes.
| JORDAN (cont’d) |
| You know… in sickness and in health… forsaking all others… |
| WOODY |
| … ‘til death you do part. (beat) Wonder what kind of rock ol’ Haley sprung for? |
LARGE WOMAN in large hat in front of WOODY and JORDAN turns around and gives them a “SHHHHHHH” and a mean look. The couple is silent for a moment. But just for a moment.
JORDAN
(sniffs) |
| I’m sure Drew found a wonderful set of rings… besides, it’s not the size of the diamond, it’s the love behind it. |
WOODY
(under his breath) |
| I bet. |
| WOODY |
| I said, “I’ll be sure to remember that.” |
They both are quiet for the next few moments as the PRIEST finishes with the vows and the rings are exchanged. A bee decides that WOODY’S his next target and begins buzzing his ears. WOODY tries to discreetly shoo the insect away.
| JORDAN |
| What’s wrong with you? |
| JORDAN |
| Shh… they’re getting ready to pray. |
WOODY and JORDAN automatically cross themselves and bow their heads. As Woody bows his, he’s still dealing with the bee as discreetly as possible. The PRIEST drones on for a moment, and WOODY’S movements become more frantic as the bee is now diving for his nose. Prayers are finally over and HALEY kisses his bride. JORDAN sighs in satisfaction.
| JORDAN |
| That was simply lovely. |
WOODY
(still backhanding the bee) |
| Lovely… yeah… Wonderful |
JORDAN is annoyed at his bee-shooing efforts.
| JORDAN |
| Can’t you be still… you know, if you don’t bother him, he won’t bother you. |
| WOODY |
| So says the woman who isn’t allergic to bee stings. |
JORDAN takes his arm as they begin to walk out of the ceremony.
| JORDAN |
| You know… an outdoor wedding might be nice. |
WOODY gives her the “Are you crazy?” look again.
| WOODY |
| You’re kidding, right? |
| JORDAN |
| No… we could have it on the beach- |
| WOODY |
| The beach is cold in Boston until the Fourth of July… and then it’s only warm for fifteen minutes. We’d get dive-bombed by sea gulls and… bees. |
JORDAN is in total wedding/bride mode.
| JORDAN |
| We could have it at sunset… with candles… |
WOODY firmly leads her away from the ceremony toward the reception area, praying that there’s enough booze there to get her out of this mind frame.
| WOODY |
| I don’t know, Jor… I’m kind of a traditionalist… I was hoping for a church wedding… at St. Inez… full mass and everything… |
JORDAN gives him that look again — yeah, you remember the one.
| JORDAN |
| But I’m not a traditionalist. You know that |
WOODY realizes that they could be just that far away from another fight.
| WOODY |
| We could do some non-traditional things, too. |
He is not in a rush to make things right.
| WOODY |
| I mean… we can do whatever … |
| JORDAN |
| But an outdoor wedding is… out. |
| WOODY |
| All I’m sayin’ is that when you have an outdoor wedding, you’re leaving a lot of chances out there to happen… you’re at the mercy of Mother Nature’s elements… |
JORDAN
(indignant) |
| So we have to get married inside a church? |
WOODY
(small voice) |
| I’d like to… |
JORDAN
(narrows eyes) |
| And it has to be your way… |
| WOODY |
| Yes. I mean no… I mean… (sweating now) I mean… didn’t you say something about after the wedding we could go back to the hotel and get out of these uncomfortable clothes and get more… comfortable? |
He raises his eyebrows suggestively.
JORDAN simply gives him ‘the look’ before kicking him in the leg again.
| WOODY |
| Hey! Next time try the right leg. The left one’s already bruised. |
JORDAN
(glaring at him) |
| Next time I will! |
She turns and stalks over to the reception area, leaving WOODY to try to catch
up. Meanwhile the bee makes a reappearance and we watch as our boy alternately
limps and swats his way over to the reception.
19. INT. RENEE’S OFFICE – SAME TIME AS WEDDING SCENE
It’s full of community leaders, white and African-American, but primarily African-American.
They are crowding her, nearly pushing her back against her desk. She’s trying
to calm their concerns and fears, but it’s an attempt in futility. They’re angry…
very angry.
RENEE holds up her hands, trying to get everyone to calm down a little.
| RENEE |
| Please… everyone… please. If you’ll just give us time- |
| LEADER ONE |
| Time? We’ve given you forty-eight hours… and nothing! No charges, no indictments… nothing! The three suspects haven’t been charged yet. |
| LEADER TWO |
| What’re we supposed to do? Let you have time enough to get these white boys out of town? |
| LEADER ONE |
| … so you can’t charge three wealthy white boys with raping a young, poor, black woman? |
There are lots of voices chiming in now. Everyone is talking at once. RENEE holds up her hands again and raises her voice to try to restore order.
| RENEE |
| Let me assure you, that’s not what’s happening- |
| LEADER ONE |
| Then what exactly is happening? ‘Cause from our point
of view, nothing is happening! |
| RENEE |
| We’re running tests right now… DNA tests… from the victim and from every lacrosse player on Harvard’s team. But these tests take time. |
LEADER TWO
(eyes narrow) |
| How much time? |
| RENEE |
| There were fifty samples. We’re running each one twice… and we’ve sent samples to an independent, out-of-state lab. |
| LEADER TWO |
| So we’re still talkin’ weeks here, aren’t we? |
| RENEE |
| Days… more like days… a week at the outside. |
There is more grumbling.
| LEADER ONE |
| But if this had been a white girl – |
RENEE cuts him off before he finishes and continues vehemently.
| RENEE |
| This is standard procedure, regardless of race, gender, religious or sexual orientation. It’s not taking any longer, and we’re not cutting any corners. Trust me. |
RENEE pauses and then lowers her voice, but there’s meaning behind each word.
| RENEE |
| Because I’m after the truth just as much as everyone else here in this room is. If it turns out that one of these boys… or all of these boys… harmed the victim, let me assure you, they will pay to the fullest extent of the law. I will prosecute them just as I would anyone – black or white. |
There is another pause as her words sink into the crowd and a few nod. Then she continues just as strongly.
| RENEE (cont’d) |
| Let me also reassure you and everyone else out there, that if the evidence doesn’t point to these young men… if they are innocent… they will be let go. |
| LEADER TWO |
| In other words- |
RENEE cuts him off in order to keep control.
| RENEE |
| In other words, the truth will win out, either way. (beat) And
I expect our city leaders… all our city leaders… to respect the truth. I’m
not going to hide evidence… or manufacture evidence to make a few people
happy. That’s not going to happen… not on my watch. |
RENEE cuts him off again!
| RENEE |
| And anyone who tries to stand in the way of that truth… to prevent
me or the police from finding out what really happened… will also be prosecuted
to the fullest extent of the law. Understood? Any additional questions? |
The leaders nod and grumble. CAPRA comes to the door of RENEE’S office as the community leaders begin to gradually file out. The detective waits until they are out in the hall before she speaks to RENEE.
| CAPRA |
| Dr. Switzer just called with their test results. |
RENEE crosses her arms and takes a deep breath.
| CAPRA |
| The two male DNA samples on the victim don’t match any of the
lacrosse players’ samples. |
RENEE
(another deep breath) |
| So… it looks like our victim… |
She pauses as she considers the ramifications of these findings.
RENEE
(nodding) |
| LabCorp’s results should be in this afternoon… if their results back up the morgue’s results… |
She pauses and gives CAPRA a meaningful look.
| CAPRA |
| We question the victim again… harder, this time. |
RENEE
(slowly but deliberately) |
| Do what you have to. |
CAPRA
(nods and pauses) |
| This could get ugly again, Counselor. |
RENEE
(resigned) |
| Sometimes the truth isn’t pretty, Detective. |
END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
20. EXT. OUTDOOR WEDDING RECEPTION – CONTINUING
We see the guests clustered in small groups. JORDAN and WOODY are drinking champagne.
HALEY and his new bride make their way over to them. HALEY leans over to kiss
JORDAN on the cheek.
| JORDAN |
| I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. The big, bad FBI profiler now all married. |
HALEY
(to WOODY and JORDAN) |
| This is my wife, Nancy. |
All of them exchange pleasantries.
JORDAN
(To NANCY) |
| Thank you so much for inviting us. It was a lovely wedding. |
| NANCY |
| Thanks for coming. I understand you worked a case with Drew a few years ago. |
WOODY
(nodding) |
| More Jordan than me. |
JORDAN and HALEY exchange looks. JORDAN gets rid of what could be an awkward silence.
| JORDAN |
| So… tell me. Just how does a teacher end up with a profiler? |
HALEY gives his wife a meaningful, long look in her eyes before turning back to JORDAN and playing profiler again.
| HALEY |
| How’d you end up with Woody? |
JORDAN opens and closes her mouth a few times, not knowing exactly how to answer.
| JORDAN |
| We… we… we… (swallows) We worked together… and… |
HALEY
(raises eyebrows) |
| And eventually found that you couldn’t live without each other? |
JORDAN, dumb-struck, just nods.
| HALEY (cont’d) |
| And that he balances you out… he’s the yin to your yang, so to speak? |
HALEY gives his wife a loving look.
| HALEY |
| And that’s what I found with Nancy. |
He glances between WOODY and JORDAN.
| HALEY (cont’d) |
| Good luck you two. And we expect to get a wedding invitation. |
He and NANCY turn to walk over to other guests.
WOODY blows out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.
| WOODY |
| Well. That was different. |
JORDAN
(nodding numbly) |
| Yeah. But she seems very nice. He’s a lucky guy. |
| WOODY |
| That he is. And I guess she’s lucky to have found somebody. |
JORDAN pauses and looks down at her shoes.
| JORDAN |
| My feet are killing me. Can we go now? |
The bee is back and he swats at it all the way to the car while still limping.
21. INT. PRECINCT WAITING ROOM - AFTERNOON
Total chaos reigns. Community leaders are still there, demanding answers. The three suspects’ lawyers are there, demanding answers, too. RENEE is present, trying to calm everyone down, as tempers and racial tension are now at a boiling point. EDDIE WINSLOW is observing everything, as all officers are now on high alert. EDDIE speaks to RENEE.
| EDDIE |
| Want me to call in all the off-duty officers? |
RENEE now looks tired beyond words and stressed to the max.
| RENEE |
| Things aren’t looking any better than they were twenty-four hours ago. All the tests - the morgue’s and LabCorp’s - came back negative for any of the lacrosse players’ DNA. |
EDDIE
(nods) |
| So I heard… it could get pretty bad. |
| RENEE |
| It might. (pause) The guys’ lawyers want the charges dismissed now. If I do that, that might put them at risk. |
| EDDIE |
| And if you don’t, and they are innocent, the lawyers can come after you for not dismissing the charges when you knew they didn’t do it. |
RENEE
(laughs ruefully) |
| Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. |
| EDDIE |
| Rock and hard place…. |
Both look over into the waiting area where the group of community leaders is angrily demanding justice and to the group of lawyers and the young men’s families demanding that they be removed as suspects. Neither of them notices a tall, slim man who gets off the elevator and makes this way over to them. The MAN pauses at EDDIE’S side.
| MAN |
| Excuse me, sir? Are you Detective Winslow? (off EDDIE’S nod) The policemen downstairs… said you’d be here and that I’d need to talk to you . |
The MAN looks around, taking in the chaos before he quietly continues.
| MAN |
| That girl… who said she was raped… |
| RENEE |
| The woman in the lacrosse case? |
| MAN |
| Yeah. That one. (pauses) See… I think… I have some information you may be needin’. |
RENEE pulls the MAN out of earshot from the other people. EDDIE follows.
| MAN |
| I’m a long distance truck driver, see? And the last time I was in this area was Friday morning… |
| EDDIE |
| The day of the alleged rape? |
MAN
(nodding) |
| That’s right. I stopped at this rest stop… and this … girl… was there… |
| RENEE |
| And you think this… girl… might be the same one that’s involved with this rape case? |
| MAN |
| Could be. (pause) It didn’t take a genius to realize what this girl was sellin’ at the truck stop… I asked her how much… she gave me a price… we went back to my truck. She did what she told me she would do, I paid her, she left. We had sex, but it wasn’t any rape. |
| EDDIE |
| What makes you think that this is the same woman? |
MAN
(slightly ashamed) |
| She… she was real … nice… you know? So afterwards, I gave her a little more money than we originally agreed on… and I asked her why a nice girl like her was doing this hustle… she told me that she had bills to pay like everyone else, but that this wasn’t her only gig… that she was a dancer, too. |
| EDDIE |
| And this makes you think it’s the same woman? There’s gotta be hundreds of women - |
MAN
(interrupting) |
| She told me she had a gig that night with some fancy ball team from Harvard… |
RENEE still looks stressed as she runs a hand down her face.
| RENEE |
| That’s all very interesting… but why’d you wait so long to come forward. Mr…? |
| MAN |
| Mr. Langley… Dan Langley… Like I said, I’m a long distance truck driver… I didn’t hear anything else about her until I rolled back into Boston today… and then it’s all over the news and she’s claiming rape. Then I hear that the DNA evidence don’t match any of those boys… I don’t want anybody going to jail for something they didn’t do… |
| EDDIE |
| But you’re willing to be charged with solicitation? |
The MAN bows his head. He didn’t think about that. He blows out a deep breath.
| MAN |
| I guess if it comes to it. |
He pauses and thinks for a minute.
| MAN (cont’d) |
| But I’ll willingly give you a DNA sample… see if it don’t match what you got from her… that’s bound to count for something. |
RENEE nods and smiles for the first time in days.
| RENEE |
| It does… and if it matches, I’ll make sure the charges are dropped. (turns to EDDIE) Take him over to Bug and Dr. Switzer… quietly, please. Don’t cause any scenes. Tell them to run the tests ASAP and get back with me. Meanwhile, I’m going to tell them… |
She motions to groups in the waiting area.
| RENEE (cont’d) |
| … that I’ll be holding a press conference late this afternoon with my decision. |
MAN
(somewhat hopefully) |
| So, my wife doesn’t have to know about any of this? |
EDDIE nods as he leads the MAN out to the elevators and to the morgue.
| EDDIE |
| Oh, she’ll know, Mr. Langley… she’ll find out. Trust me. Your name may not be mentioned anywhere in the press, but women? They have a way of finding out the truth. |
RENEE speaks to EDDIE’S back and under her breath.
| RENEE |
| Yes, we do… we really, really do… |
22. EXT. COURTHOUSE – LATE AFTERNOON
There’s a press conference set up on the steps. RENEE is at a podium flanked by dozens of microphones. KATE and BUG are off to the side, along with GARRET. A large crowd has gathered. The African-American community leaders are to RENEE’S right and VANCE, ZACH, and CODY along with their lawyers, are to her left.
| RENEE |
| Two weeks ago, an alleged incident took place in our city that could have sparked off the same riots and destruction that swept through Boston a year ago… The allegations were very critical ones and I want you to know that I, along with my staff, and the Boston Police Department, did take the initial accusations of the alleged victim very seriously. |
There is a long pause.
| RENEE (cont’d) |
| DNA tests were run… twice by our own trace labs and once by an independent lab in another state that did a blind study on the samples. All three of the results were the same. The DNA from the three accused did not match any of the DNA of the alleged victim. |
She takes a deep breath and pauses again.
| RENEE (cont’d) |
| As a result, these cases are over, and no more criminal proceedings will occur concerning the three young men up here. It is our hope that these students can continue with their studies at Harvard and their lives will not be interrupted by this again… |
Shouts erupt from the crowd gathered, many racially slurred. RENEE holds up her hands, urging them to calm down.
| RENEE (cont’d) |
| Consultations were made with the Massachusetts Department of Justice and it is their opinion that these three men are innocent of all charges, based on the multiple verifications of evidence, witness reports, and inaccuracies of the victim’s statements. |
There is another pause as RENEE reaches deep within herself to finish her press conference.
| RENEE (cont’d) |
| It is my personal hope and prayer that our city and its residents can move beyond this… beyond the issue of skin color and look at each other as simply people… people who can be flawed and make mistakes… and forgive one another and move forward to make Boston a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. I am proud to say that this time, our city remained a safe place to work and play… that no property or businesses were destroyed. I think a great deal of credit should go to our community leaders and the citizens of Boston, whose common sense prevailed…. |
She goes on for a minute or two and then begins to take questions. After about
a half an hour, it’s over. BUG and KATE walk down the steps and back to the
morgue. The podium is moved off and the reporters and crowd slowly fade away.
Only GARRET remains.
GARRET gently takes her arm.
RENEE looks totally exhausted and shakes her head.
| RENEE |
| Thanks… I don’t know if doing good is going to help me keep my job. |
GARRET
(shrugs) |
| Well… you just ran for re-election. I think it’s safe for a while… |
RENEE leans against one of the handrails on the steps.
| RENEE |
| Yeah, I suppose so… (closes eyes briefly) at least for the next four years. |
GARRET takes both of her hands in his.
| GARRET |
| Plenty of time for somebody else to screw up and people will forget all about today… |
RENEE
(glumly realistic) |
| I dunno… prejudice just never seems to fade away. No matter how sophisticated we get as a society, old habits just die hard. |
| GARRET |
| And sometimes they don’t die at all. (smiles grimly) So you know you’ll take political heat from this. |
RENEE
(nodding) |
| I know. But I can sleep a whole lot better at night knowing that the truth won out rather than thinking that I manipulated evidence in order to make a certain segment of society happy. |
| GARRET |
| Not everyone needs to be happy all the time… |
| RENEE |
| But the truth? Everyone deserves the truth… |
23. EXT. COURTHOUSE STEPS - SUNSET
The sun is setting. GARRET and RENEE are still talking. The convertible pulls
up; WOODY and JORDAN get out and begin to walk up to where GARRET and RENEE
are.
| WOODY |
| I’m glad we finally settled that. |
JORDAN
(sheepishly) |
| Me, too… okay… no outdoor wedding… you convinced me. The last thing I want to happen is for you to get stung by a bee and swell up like a balloon on our honeymoon… |
WOODY
(shuddering at the picture) |
| Hives, Jordan. I get hives and itch all night- |
| JORDAN |
| -And then you swell up like a balloon. |
WOODY
(exasperated) |
| I do not swell up like a balloon- |
JORDAN stops him and wraps her arms around his waist.
| JORDAN |
| I know… I was just yanking your chain… but still… (kisses him lightly) … I want you healthy, whole, and in a non-itchy state on our honeymoon. |
| WOODY |
| Agreed. So it’s an indoor wedding. |
JORDAN nods and gives him a sly grin.
| JORDAN |
| Yeah. I want other parts of you to be able to swell. |
WOODY
(blushing furiously) |
| Jordan! |
JORDAN is still smiling, proud of her desired response.
WOODY
(deep breath) |
| Yes… yes, I do. |
He leaves his arm around her waist as they begin to walk towards GARRET and RENEE.
| WOODY (cont’d) |
| So it’s agreed… a semi-traditional ceremony, in any indoor place of your choosing. |
| JORDAN |
| That will be performed by a priest… for your sanity. |
WOODY stops and kisses the tip of her nose before they continue on.
JORDAN looks sheepish again for a minute.
| JORDAN |
| About what happened in DC… I’m sorry I started acting like a Bridezilla. |
WOODY only nods and leads her up to where GARRET and RENEE are.
| WOODY |
| ‘Sokay. You tend to… act out of character when you leave the Boston city limits anyway… should’ve expected it. |
JORDAN thumps him on the arm as they reach RENEE and GARRET.
| GARRET |
| How was the wedding? |
| JORDAN |
| Gave us a few ideas about our own. |
| WOODY |
| Like not having it outside. |
| JORDAN |
| And what we both expected… and didn’t want. |
GARRET smiles knowingly and steals a look at RENEE.
| GARRET |
| So it was an exercise in tolerance? |
She gets the drift that his last statement meant more than just hers and WOODY’S
wedding plans. She looks between GARRET and RENEE.
| JORDAN (cont’d) |
| So what happened while we were gone? |
RENEE
(cryptically) |
| Exercises in tolerance. |
WOODY and JORDAN exchange “clueless” looks.
| WOODY |
| Anything I should know about? |
GARRET pats WOODY on the back as they begin to walk down the steps.
| GARRET |
| No… nothing right now. I’m sure Detectives Capra and Winslow will be happy to fill you in tomorrow. |
WOODY nods, but still knows there’s a vibe going on he needs to know about.
| WOODY |
| Are you sure I don’t need to know anything now? |
RENEE stops and takes in the sunset and the seeming peace that is now surrounding Boston.
| RENEE |
| I’m sure detective. It’s been the same ol’, same ol’ while you were gone… truth, justice… and old habits that just won’t die. |
END
Author’s Note: Old Habits Die Hard is based
on the Duke University Lacrosse Team case that rocked North Carolina last summer.
Unless you lived in the state, it might be hard to imagine the racial unrest
that this case brought to North Carolina. In many sections of the state, racial
tensions were a veritable powder keg, just waiting for any spark to set them
off.
I did graduate work at Duke University and have always been proud of my alma
mater. This particular incident had me shaking my head at the university, the
state, and Mike Nifong. For the first time in my life, I was ashamed to admit
where I came from.
Mike Nifong wouldn't give me the time of day. Others involved with the case
freely talked to me, one with the iron-clad request that I not use his name.
He, however, is very interested in how this little epi plays out.
Thankfully for North Carolina, tempers cooled and common sense prevailed.
The NC Attorney General pronounced all three of the defendants innocent
- not just not guilty, but innocent -- meaning they did not
have a thing to do with the alleged crime. Due to his incompetence, Mike Nifong,
(a prosecutor for North Carolina) was disbarred. Now he, the state, and Duke
University are facing numerous lawsuits.
We all like to believe that we are racially unbiased -- that we are truly color-blind.
I'm no different. But sometimes all it takes is one case... one headline...
and we're ripped out of our comfort zones and forced to look ourselves in the
mirror and ask, “Do old habits really die?”
Next time on Crossing Jordan:
"How Does Your Garden Grow?"
