Concerned office mates set off on a mission…
Fran and Doogie are in pursuit of Julie…
FADE IN
INT. FRAN’S CAR
DOOGIE
So, what do you think? Where would you go if you found out the hard way that you weren’t invited to a meeting you’d been prepping for ..forever.
FRAN
If it were me?? Well I’d be super pissed. And there’s no way I’d return early to the office. That would be humiliating . I’d probably go home, put on my running stuff and find the biggest, baddest hills I could find. And then I’d keep running those hills until my legs and lungs hurt more than my heart and head.
Doogie looks at her a moment before speaking.
DOOGIE
Spoken like someone who’s been there, done that (pauses). You have? You did?
Fran smiles.
FRAN
Yeah. I hide the scars well.
DOOGIE
Okay. Wow. I never knew.
FRAN
Like how would you… know that is. It’s not something I’d ever broadcast.
DOOGIE
Right, of course. Do you know where she lives? Didn’t you give her a ride back from the airport?
FRAN
No and No, silly. She left her car here, remember?
DOOGIE
Oh yeah. Maybe she’s listed in the phone book. I’m sure my receptionist pal would…
Fran cuts him off.
FRAN
Get in.
DOOGIE
What? What about?
FRAN
Just get in already.
CUT TO:
INT. FRAN’S CAR
Doogie straps himself in and turns to Fran. She hands him a small, crumpled piece of paper.
He looks at it and smiles.
DOOGIE
A luggage tag?
FRAN
Yeah. She didn’t have one on her carry-on, so I fished her one out of my side pocket. Then she didn’t like the way she wrote it and asked for another… Can you make out what it says underneath the crossout?
DOOGIE
Humm… looks like… the City is Los Gatos? Wow! That’s way cool.
I would have pegged her for someone living closer to the office… But LG? Nice! I used to love going there to hike and then hang out and drink coffee at the roaster.
Fran smiles and point her car in the direction of Los Gatos.
FRAN
I’m a Palo Alto girl myself. The call of the train. The old restored movie theater. But LG had its pluses… like being the gateway to Santa Cruz. (pause)
Can you make anything else out?
DOOGIE
There’s no number… but it looks like it says University Avenue.
FRAN
Okay, let’s give it a shot.
CUT TO:
INT. FRAN’S CAR
They are cruising very slowing up a tree-lined, car-lined street. Doogie’s head is sticking out the window as he studies the house they drive by, looking for some sort of clue.
DOOGIE
What color is her car again?
FRAN
Light blue… It was a light blue Honda or Acura, I believe.
She reaches into her backpack and pulls out a piece of paper and shows it to Doogie.
FRAN
I just remembered. This was the plate number I had the guard write down in his notebook.
DOOGIE
Cool! Hey, look up there. I think that’s it!
They pull over close to, but not in front of, a house that has a light blue Acura in its driveway (no garage or carport). Fran turns off her engine and Doogie starts to bolt out the door. But Fran reels him back in.
FRAN
Hang on, Dude. You know, she may not be exactly in the welcoming mood.
DOOGIE
So?
FRAN
So? (pause) So how ’bout we step back and scope out the situation for a minute before springing into action… Okay amigo?
DOOGIE
Si.
They watch the house in silence, like cops on a stakeout.
DOOGIE
I hear music.
The faint music starts getting louder and then levels off.
Fran smiles.
DOOGIE
What?
FRAN
She’s following the pattern to a T… (pause) She even has Benatar cranking.
She gets out of the car and Doogie follows her.
FRAN
Wow… I thought she slept through most of what Gayle and I were talking about.
They head up the front walk.
CUT TO:
INT. JULIE’S HOUSE
The door to Julie’s bathroom is slightly open and steam is pouring out of it. Julie can be heard singing at the top of her lungs.
CUT TO:
EXT. JULIE’S HOUSE
Doogie and Fran are on the porch –ringing the doorbell and knocking. From outside the house they can hear the music, but not necessarily Julie’s singing. Worried, they ponder their next moves.
DOOGIE
You wait here. I’ll walk around the side.
FRAN
What are you, crazy? You know she’ll flip if she sees you.
DOOGIE
(confidently) Then I’ll just make sure she doesn’t see me.
Fran shakes her head as Doogie tip toes around the side of the house. As he gets closer to the bathroom window, he hears Julie’s voice, but no music.
JULIE
I said go away. And leave me alone. I can’t stand you no more.
Doogie stops dead in his tracks and looks up at the window.
DOOGIE
Oh crap. She saw me. Fran’s right. What an idiot I am!
Doogie moves quickly and as noiselessly as possible back to the front porch.
FRAN
Satisfied.
DOOGIE
You were right. I think I just blew it big time. You may have to go it alone. I’ll hang back. (pause)
Fran gives him a funny look.
DOOGIE
I promise… This is too important.
FRAN
Okay, here goes…
Fran tries the door, and to her surprise it opens. She shakes her head.
FRAN
Silly woman. Leaving the front door open… who does that these days?
The camera follows as Fran enters, leaving the door open. She sees the flung briefcase. She sees running shoes and a sweaty top near the door. The place is eerily quiet.
FRAN
Oh man, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
A voice whispers comes from behind.
DOOGIE
A bad feeling about what?
Fran jumps and then turns around abruptly.
FRAN
Dude… what the hell are you doing? You scared the crap out of me.
DOOGIE
You left the door open. … So… I figured you wanted me to follow you…
Fran shakes her head and then looks and points towards the hallway where the steam is pouring out of the bathroom.
FRAN
(whispering) It’s too quiet…
Doogie nods.
FRAN
(whispering) …Got a bad feeling about this…
Doogie starts moving up the hallway. Fran grabs his arm and pulls him back towards the living room.
FRAN
Wait outside… Please…
Raising his voice.
DOOGIE
But…
FRAN
No buts about it, man. Can’t shake this feeling, so I need to do this… ALONE. Seriously. Hang back. I’ll give you a shout if I need you.
The door closes quietly behind Doogie and Fran turns and begins tip-toeing down the hall.
FADE OUT
###
To be continued in Toll House Tales #127
Bonus content:
[…] To be continued in Toll House Tales #126 […]