INT. Momma's house - Day

MOMMA, a tired looking mother wearing worn and thin clothes watches her 16 year old daughter pack suitcases into the trunk of a Checker Cab. She has a sad look on her face and is standing in the house, behind the screen door. The daughter, CLAIRE TILL, comes to the porch and Momma opens the screen.

CLAIRE

(in a slightly Southern accent)

I'm leavin' now.

MOMMA

(in a heavy Southern accent)

I know.

Momma suddenly grips Claire into a hug and sighs. Claire is a little surprised but keeps her arms down. She's ready to go. The Cabby outside honks the horn.

MOMMA

Be careful. The city is very scary. Don't talk to strangers and don't stay out at night. The men there are full of sins. Stay close to your brother, he will protect you.

CLAIRE

(rolling her eyes)

I know, Momma. I'll be okay.

The horn honks twice and Claire slowly pushes Momma away. She grabs up her last suitcase and flits down the front walkway. She runs sideways a moment to wave at her mother.

CLAIRE

(shouting)

I'll be okay!

slowly fade to black and then to next scene

INT. Chicago Courtroom - Day

Claire is 23 years old now. Dressed in the day's high fashion, looking like a queen. She sits behind a wooden desk in the court with her brother SEAN TILL on her left, and their lawyer BENJAMIN GATSON on her right. Cameras are flashing from the seats all the way to the left- newspapers. The JURY is filing in from a back room into their pedestaled seats. The JUDGE plops himself into his own high chair and bangs the gavel. The whole courtroom is silent and they are alert with anticipation.

JUDGE

We have heard the cases of prosecutor Sent and defense Gatson. What does the jury say to the charged peoples Claire and Sean Till?

Every person in the court room and at home listening on their radio is on the edge of their seats. In one home a child sitting on the couch is laughing about the antics of his baby sister and his mother, sitting next to him, slowly puts her hand over his mouth to silence him. Her eyes are wide and excited and she leans closer to the radio.

JURY

The jury finds the Till siblings-

LAST WORD UNHEARD THROUGH NEXT SCENES TRAIN HORN

SWITCH TO NEXT SCENE

EXT. Chicago train station - day

Claire (16 again) steps off the train and looks at the camera. She leans her head in a little and speaks to the camera man and audience.

CLAIRE

Thought you would see the end without the whole story?

(laughs like Colombia in "Rocky Horror Picture Show")


She looks around with excitement. A bag-man came to stand beside her with a trolley that held all her bags. They both stood patiently and looked around at all the pedestrians. A man walked by them and did a double-take. A grin smeared his face and he ran to Claire with arms open. She recognized him and ran to him as well.

CLAIRE

Sean!

They hugged and pulled apart.

Sean

It's been so long! I was sure that I wouldn't find you, but you've gotten so tall. You're beautiful.

He cupped her cheek in one hand and kissed her forehead. He takes her hand and waves to the bag-man to follow. They walk to Sean's car and pack it all in.

EXT. Sean's Apartment - DAY

Sean's car pulls up to a luxurious apartment complex: 56th Street's Windermere House. Claire climbs out in awe, surprised that her brother lives in such expense. Just as one foot touched the cement, her brother is there to be a gentleman and take her hand. A valet in the complex's uniform colours receives Sean's keys.

SEAN

Thank you! Make sure these bags get to my home; Miss Till will be living with me from now on.

The valet nods and gives a sharp whistle. In the background as Sean and Claire walk into the large building, the bag man is gathering her luggage onto a trolley.

CLAIRE

I'm to live with you? I thought I would get my own apartment.

SEAN

Well of course! Where were you going to get the money to live on your own? You haven't a job and I'm sure Mom didn't give you much.

CLAIRE

Oh... I forgot about that. But-

SEAN

No buts! Stay with me. I will help to get you a job and everything will be perfect.

INT. Sean's Apartment - Day

They both smile at each other. They get into the elevator and travel to the 11th floor. The last door at the end of the hall is Sean's. He unlocks it and pushes it open for Claire. She goes in and gapes at all the beautiful things inside. The sofas are white, the beds are white, the kitchen and bathrooms white too. The furniture is dark cherry wood and always intricately designed like they are made for royalty with gold leaf inside the patterns. You can tell he lives in high society. There are trinkets that you only bought if you had the money to toss away for such meaningless items.

CLAIRE

Sean! How did you get all these things? How can you afford all this?

SEAN

Well I'm... I'm a business man. I... People give me their money and I... invest it for them in other businesses.

CLAIRE

You're a stock market broker?

SEAN

No, but it's something like that.

Sean watched his little sister explore his home and the man with her bags arrived. Claire took them from him and set them on her new bed in her new room. Sean handed the man a rolled bill of who knows how much money and the man looked at it and went happily away. Sean leaned against the wall as he watched Claire pick up his knickknacks and examined them.

SEAN

Hey, I was thinking about getting a pet sometime. Like a cat or something. Just some comforting companion to hang around the place.

Claire's eyes light up. She has never had a pet before. At least, not one you could cuddle.

Sean

Want to come get one with me?

Claire

Right now?

SEAN

(laughing)

Why not?

Claire

Ooooh!

SEAN

Come on.

He beckoned her to follow and headed out the door. She trotted along after and shut the door.

INT. Pawn Shop - Day

Sean, in a pressed white suit and black and white tie, comes into the Pawn Shop with a small disguise. He wears glasses and slicks his hair back and has a small, pointy mustache above his lip. As he gets to the counter he taps his cane on the glass, getting the mans attention behind it.

Pawn Shop Man

Well, good morning sir! Have you come to browse some merchandise? I can assure you we only have the finest quality of anything here.

SEAN

(in a British accent)

A rather good morning indeed. All you Americans with your scurrying about to get away from the "cold", you are so very spoiled. In the Queen's land we freeze our buttocks even by the fire! Ha! And you think it is cold this morn. No, sir, I have brought trinkets to be sold to you.

Sean pulls a small red satin bag out of his coat pocket and empties the contents onto the glass counter top.

SEAN

I received these trifles from family of late and, having no female counterpart in my life, I have no use for them. Perhaps they will make a poor woman's neck shine a little brighter if left here.

The employee sifted through the necklaces and noted clarities and qualities of the diamonds and gold plating and other jewels that adorn the chains.

PAWN SHOP MAN

I would give you 100 dollars for em.

SEAN

100 dollars?! This one necklace alone is worth half that price. Look a the size of the diamond there, surely you can also see its quality.

The man does see it and he knows the worth of them but thinks he could cheat Sean. He thinks for a second and knows he cant sneak away from this one.

PAWN SHOP MAN

Well what price were you thinking?

SEAN

Something of 1000 or whereabouts. These are true gold with real gems.

PAWN SHOP MAN

300.

SEAN

800.

PAWN SHOP MAN

500 dollars.

SEAN

Seven-hundred and fifty. This is my final offer, sir, I shall not barter to the last penny like a savage.

The Pawn Shop Man grunts. He turns around to the back shelves and opens a box full of wrapped bills. He brings the money to the counter and counts out the said amount. Although Sean wants to smile every time another bill touches the glass, he keeps his face straight and serious with a hint of condescension. An "Englishman" to the end. After the $750 are laid out, Sean picks up the money, folds them and pushes them into his breast pocket. He begins to exit the shop.

SEAN

Wonderful doing business with you, chap. I shall return soon with more goods for your store. Cheerio!

When Sean gets home, he ruffles his hair and goes to the bathroom to shave his mustache off. He carries the cane to the fireplace and just before he puts it in its place on the mantel, he reads the engraving on the collar: "H. Simmons". Sean smiles and puts the cane up.

Int. Sidley Austin Law Firm - Night

In an office lit only by a single desk lamp with a green glass shade, sits a young man sifting through a pile of papers. He looks frustrated and tired. There is a knock on his door but he doesn't hear it. An even younger man slowly opens the door a crack.

Assistant

Mr. Gatson?


Benjamin

(startled)

What is it?

ASSISTANT

I brought you some coffee.

BENJAMIN

Oh. Thank you.

The Assistant comes in and sets a mug on Benjamins desk. He hovers around the desk and Benjamin looks up at him.

ASSISTANT

There was another robbery today. Train.

BENJAMIN

Mmhmm.

ASSISTANT

Been a lot of robberies lately. Train robberies mostly. They say its the Gentleman Outlaw again.

Benjamin stays silent. He doesn't really know what this kid wants by telling him all this. Then again, he's just new here, maybe he's trying to get to know Benjamin. Either way, he is annoyed- he has a lot of work to do.

ASSISTANT

Do you think they'll catch him soon?

BENJAMIN

Mmmm... probably not soon, but their luck runs out eventually.

ASSISTANT

I suppose so.

The two men look at each other in awkward silence for a moment.

BENJAMIN

Well, thank you for the coffee.

ASSISTANT

Oh. Of course, sir. I'll be going home now. Goodnight.

The assistant shuffles out of the office. Benjamin sighs and downs the coffee brought to him. He sits in his chair for a few more minutes and does no work. He just sits and stares at the mountains of papers on his desk. Snapping out of his daze he opens a deep drawer in his desk and sweeps all the papers into it. Benjamin puts on his coat as he leaves his office and locks the door. He heads outside into the world.

EXT. Chicago streets - Night

Benjamin pulls his coat tighter around him and the wind blows the ends of it around his legs. It's raining out and very few cars are on the road. It is very early in the morning after all. He walks down the sidewalk a couple blocks, still clutching his coat, and jogs across the street. He waves his hand in thanks at a car that slowed for him to cross. Approaching a tall apartment building he takes his keys from his coat pocket and lets himself in the front door.

INT. Benjamin's Apartment - night

Benjamin slowly strolls down the hall past other apartments to get to his. On the way he smells lingering scents of dinners and sometimes, people talking. Some people kept their front doors open, who knows why, but on occasion a dog or cat would peep out of the doors, curious as to who or what was going by. Tonight a sleek white cat follows Benjamin to his home. It rubs against his legs as he goes and purrs.