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SEASON THREE
EPISODE NINE
"Murder 101"
Writers: Andrew Dettman &
Daniel Truly
Director: Scott Lautanen
The Centre
Miss Parker's Office
(Miss
Parker is sitting at her desk, a pencil held in her hand.
She snaps the pencil in half, looks at photograph of Catherine Parker
holding her as a baby. The phone rings, she answers it.)
Parker:
What?
Jarod:
(He is standing in an office.)
How well do you know your father?
Parker:
Better than you know your's.
Jarod:
Yes, well I'm working on that one.
Parker:
Why the call, Jarod?
(Sydney enters her office.)
Jarod:
You and your father are close, but how close? Does he share
important things with you? Would he tell you about the big
developments in his life.
Parker:
I'd be insanely optimistic to think that this little quiz show had
a bonus round, wouldn't I?
Jarod:
Check your mail Miss Parker.
Parker:
Why?
Jarod:
Because we all have a lot to learn. Including me. Gotta
go. Don't want to be late for my first day at school.
(He picks up an apple and
bites into it and then disconnects.)
Parker:
Jarod!
(She starts to search through
her mail. She finds the letter she is looking for and opens
it.)
Sydney:
What did he have to say?
Parker:
A lot less than he knows, that's for sure.
(She looks at the letter.)
Sydney:
Parker?
Parker:
It's a copy of a letter to my father from his attorney. He's
changing his will.
Sydney:
Hmm.
(Broots enters and hands Miss
Parker a piece of paper.)
Broots:
Miss Parker, statistician from the Brooksbury field office swore
that she saw Jarod on a lunch break.
Parker:
Call Brooksbury. Get a local sweeper team moving. Now!
Broots:
Okay.
University of Hanover
Connecticut
Auditorium
(A
number of students sit around the front of the auditorium.
They are relaxed, some with feet up on the chairs, some talking,
joking, having a good time. Jarod walks onto the stage, moves
to the chalk board and scrapes his finger nails across its surface.
Some of the students let out a grown but they all stop talking and
watch Jarod as he writes "The Criminal Mind" on the chalk board.
Jarod turns to face them.)
Jarod:
Well well well. The Vanguard Program. The finest minds
at the university. I'll have to do my best to keep up.
(He walks down the stairs
to stand on the same level as the students sit.)
Welcome to Graduate class 523. Psychology of the Criminal
Mind. I'm your new professor, Doctor Gardner. (He
sits on the edge of the stage.)
But please, call me Jarod.
(The door at the back of the
auditorium bursts open getting Jarod's attention. He sees
two men in suits. Several of the students also turn to look.
Jarod turns, jumps back onto the stage and runs towards the wing.
Another man in a suit steps out from the wing, a gun raised and
aimed at Jarod. Jarod slides to a stop on the polished timber
floor, turns and runs towards the opposite wing. The man shoots
Jarod in the back. Some of the students scream. Jarod
falls to the floor. One of the men picks up one of Jarod's
legs and drags him off into the wings. A student stands and
runs through a side entrance.)
OPENING
CREDITS
University of Hanover
Auditorium
(There
is general confusion, with many students talking at the same time,
looking around, not sure what to do.)
Gwen:
What the . . .
Matthew:
Somebody get some help.
Student:
Call 911.
(Jarod sticks his head out
from behind the curtain of the wing.)
Jarod:
You can cancel that call. (He
steps out onto the stage.)
Student:
What?
Jarod:
I may be a little sticky (He
waves a bottle of fake blood at them.)
but otherwise I'm just fine. Oh the gunmen, they were some
drama students that I recruited. And the shots, blanks.
Richard:
I assume there's a point to scaring the hell out of us like that.
Jarod:
Oh yes sir. There's absolutely a point. (He
jumps off the stage and walks up to the student.)
I'm the cop. You're the witness. (He
leans down to get very close to Richard.)
Describe the gun man to me.
Richard:
Tall. Dark suit?
Jarod:
How tall, how dark?
Richard:
Uh?
Jarod:
"Uh" don't cut it. I need details. What colour
hair did have?
Gwen:
Brown, maybe a little reddish.
Student 3:
No it was blond.
Jarod:
Straight or wavy?
Student 3:
Straight.
Student 2: Wavy.
Jarod:
Any distinguishing features? Scars? Facial hair?
(He points at a student
who shrugs in response.)
What kind of shoes was he wearing? (He
points at a different student.)
Student 4:
Shoes? All I saw was the gun. I couldn't even tell
you whether the guy had feet.
(Jarod and the students
laugh, the tension broken.)
Jarod:
This is a highly charged situation. Your adrenalin is pumping.
Here's my point. That even the most brilliant minds can
miss a thing or two.
Claire:
Speak for yourself. (She
stands in her seat which is at the back of the group. She
has been sitting on her own except for two other students who
sit immediately in front of her.)
Your killer, Jarod was a white male, six one, a hundred and seventy.
He had straight brown hair, blond if you count the cheesy shampooed
in highlights. And except for the played out 90210 sideburns he
was clean shaven. Clothing wise, and that's where the real
crime was committed. He wore an off the rack J.C. Penny
special, charcoal grey, with lapels which screamed Bush administration.
Oh and start your man hunt in the financial aid office because
nobody with even ten bucks in their pocket would be seen wearing
those shoes. (The
students laugh and nod in appreciation of her eye for detail.)
Jarod:
Very good, Miss . . .
Claire:
Dunning. Claire.
Jarod:
Ah yes. Top of the vanguard class.
Claire:
Grady and Matthew here (She
places her hands on their heads and then pushes them to one side,
almost like someone would do to a puppy.)
were close but ah, no cigar though.
Jarod:
Even with their vast intellect it would be pretty difficult to
keep up with someone who joined Mensa at aged thirteen.
Claire:
I'm kinda curious as to your qualifications doc.
Jarod:
Well you frame a couple of diplomas, you slap your name on a few
of dissertations and voila, people think that you're a genius.
Gwen:
So what kind of genius surprises are we in for next?
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