ROCKLAND COUNTY – EPISODE #10 – MAY 18, 2005 “THE KEY”

WRITTEN BY ROGER NEWCOMB

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NEW YORK

INT. ROCKLAND PSYCH CENTER - DAY

CAROLINE HART has arrived to see DAN LEVIN and is talking with DR. ANGELA GIVENS and NURSE KAREN GRISSOM at the nurse’s station.

 

CAROLINE

Angela, thanks so much for the call.

 

ANGELA

I called you as soon as Dee Levin approved your visit with Dan.

 

CAROLINE

I promise you that I will try not to upset Dan.  I know he knows something about my sister’s murder.

 

KAREN

Julia’s murder was ruled an accident, right?

 

CAROLINE

Officially, yes.  But I know Paul Ramos had something to do with it and it’s been my mission in life to prove it.  With Dan’s help, I know I can.

 

ANGELA

If Dan gets the least bit upset, Caroline, I want you out of there.  You got it?

 

CAROLINE

Of course.  Dan is my friend, Angela.  As much as I want to prove Paul was involved with Julia’s death, I won’t do anything that hurts Dan.

 

ANGELA

Fine.  Why don’t you go inside and I’ll be in shortly.

 

CAROLINE

Thank you so much.

 

Caroline walks away.

 

KAREN

Do you think she’s right?  Did Paul Ramos kill his wife?

 

ANGELA

It seems like the delusions of a bitter sister to me.  But who knows.

 

KAREN

Do you have some kind of problem with Caroline Hart?  What’s going on?

 

ANGELA

It’s nothing.  Brian and I ran into Manny and Caroline at Legal Seafood’s last night.

 

KAREN

I got your voice mail that you made it home safe and sound.  Tell me what happened?

 

ANGELA

Well, Brian was everything I hoped for and more.  And you were wrong about his picture.  He’s even more gorgeous in person.

 

KAREN

Nice.  So what were Manny and Caroline doing there?

 

ANGELA

I don’t know.  But I’m already not liking having Manny back in town.

 

KAREN

Could that be because you’re not over him completely?

 

ANGELA

Wrong.  I am way over Manny Ramos and just wish he’d leave Rockland yet again.

 

INT. ROCKLAND PSYCH CENTER - DAY

CAROLINE HART has just entered DAN LEVIN’S room.

 

CAROLINE

Hello Dan.

 

DAN

Caroline.  I didn’t think you’d be back.

 

CAROLINE

I wanted to give you some time to get settled back in here.  How are you feeling?

 

DAN

I’m alright.  I’m on some new medication now so we’ll see how it goes.  I feel mellow all the time.

 

CAROLINE

Dr. Givens is a good doctor.  I’m sure she’ll do what’s best for you.

 

DAN

I like her.  She’s so much better than my doctors at Westside.

 

CAROLINE

That’s good. (beat) So Dan, you must know why I’m here.  I need to talk to you about Julia.

 

DAN

I don’t want to talk about that, Caroline.

 

CAROLINE

I know, Dan, and I hate to talk about it too, but you were there the night she died.  You are the only person who can tell me what really happened.

 

DAN

She fell and hit her head.  That’s all I know.

 

CAROLINE

Dan, before you left for Westside, you said something to me.  Do you remember what it was?

 

DAN

My mother used to always say that’s it’s best to just let things go sometimes.  You should let this go.  It was a long, long time ago.

 

CAROLINE

Julia was my sister, Dan.  If her death wasn’t an accident, I need to know.  Please tell me what you know.

 

DAN

I can’t, Caroline.  I’m sorry.  I just can’t.

 

INT. RAMOS ESTATE - DAY

PAUL RAMOS is searching through the desk in his study as maid MIRANDA PHILLIPS looks on.

 

MIRANDA

Can I help you find something, Paul?

 

PAUL

No, Miranda.  I’m fine.  Now if you’ll excuse me.

 

MIRANDA

Sure.  I’m on my way out to the market now.

 

PAUL

Fine. 

 

Miranda leaves as Paul continues to search through his desk.

 

PAUL

Dammit.  I have looked everywhere for this key.  It has to be in here.

 

Paul rummages through some papers and finally finds the key he’s been looking for.

 

PAUL

Wait.  Here it is.  Oh, you’re a sight for sore eyes.  Now I can finally find out what’s in that damn safety deposit box.

 

Barbara walks in.

 

BARBARA

Talking to yourself, Paul?

 

PAUL

Barbara, uh, hi. 

 

BARBARA

What’s going on in here?  Are you rummaging through your desk again?  What the hell are you looking for?

 

PAUL

Nothing.  Anymore.  I had just misplaced something.  Nothing for you to worry about.

 

BARBARA

Well, I wasn’t worried.  But every day for the past week, you come home from work and start digging through your desk drawers.  It’s a little odd if you ask me.

 

PAUL

If you must know, I’ve been looking for this key.  And now I’ve found it.

 

BARBARA

Okay.  (confused)  What is the key for?  It’s like pulling teeth here.

 

PAUL

I can’t really get into it, Barbara, but there’s some very valuable information that I’ve been needing to get my hands out and this key will allow me to do that.

 

BARBARA

And this information is related to L&R or something else?

 

PAUL

It’s personal information.  When the time is right, I will be able to tell you more.

 

BARBARA

(getting suspicious)

I don’t suppose this has anything to do with that little book you brought home from your cousin’s house, now does it?  What was that?

 

PAUL

You’re a smart woman, Barbara.  Let’s just say, my cousin, Carlos, had something that belonged to me, and now it’s back in my hands, and I’ll be able to take the appropriate action necessary.

 

 

INT. BRIAN MORGAN’S APARTMENT - DAY

BRIAN MORGAN is talking with his sister, ARDEN, and her new friend, DANTE RAMOS.

 

BRIAN

Dante, I want to thank you for doing this.  You hardly know my sister, and yet you’re willing to go to Vermont with her to help get this mess straightened out.

 

DANTE

Hey, I’ll do what I can to help.

 

ARDEN

I appreciate it too, Dante.  I don’t think I could take going back there alone.

 

DANTE

And now you won’t have to.

 

BRIAN

Look, you both have my cell phone number and pager number so call me the minute you know anything.

 

ARDEN

Where do you think we should go first?

 

BRIAN

I would start with Mom.  Find out why she confessed to shooting Cliff.

 

DANTE

She probably did it to protect Arden, right?

 

BRIAN

You never know with that woman.  That’s almost too reasonable and logical for her.

 

ARDEN

And what if she did confess to protect me?  What do I do then?

 

BRIAN

You have to very carefully tell the police what you told me, that it was self-defense.  That Cliff was coming after you, you struggled with the gun, and it went off.  That’s the truth.  You have the truth on your side, Arden.

 

ARDEN

What if they don’t believe me?  I don’t want to go to jail, Brian.

 

DANTE

I’m not going to let that happen, Arden.  I swear I won’t.

 

ARDEN

Why is it when you say it, I believe it?

 

DANTE

Because it’s true.  My dad may think I’m irresponsible, but I am a man of my word.  You can count on me.

 

BRIAN

Listen to Dante.  Everything will be alright.

 

ARDEN

I hope you both are right.

 

DANTE

So are you ready to go?

 

ARDEN

Sure.  I only have one change of clothes so it’s not like I have to pack or anything.

 

DANTE

Then let’s do it.

 

INT. ROCKLAND PSYCH CENTER - DAY

CAROLINE HART is on her way out when she runs into student intern, CYRUS CONNOR

 

CAROLINE

You!

 

CYRUS

Hello, Ms. Hart.

 

CAROLINE

Look, I’m in a hurry, have a nice day.

 

CYRUS

Wait.  I need to tell you something.

 

CAROLINE

Look, you’ve told me quite enough already.   I’m not sure what your problem is but you don’t go around telling people they’re in danger.

 

CYRUS

I’m sorry about that.  That’s all I wanted to say.  I didn’t mean to scare you, really.

 

CAROLINE

You didn’t scare me, you just weirded me out, okay.  So go sell your psychic visions to someone else. 

 

CYRUS

I just wanted to apologize.

 

CAROLINE

And now you have.  Goodbye.

 

Caroline stomps off and walks out into the parking lot.  A car comes around the corner and is headed straight for her.

 

CAROLINE

Oh my God!  (screams out)

 

 

INT. NYACK POST OFFICE - DAY

PAUL is opening CARLOS’S post office box with the key he found earlier.

 

PAUL

Let’s see what we have here.

 

Paul takes out some papers.

 

PAUL

I know it’s here somewhere. 

 

Paul finds the paper he’s been looking for and is devastated.

 

PAUL

No!  No.  This can’t be right.  This cannot be true!!!  No!