ACT TWO

 

EXT. CRIME SCENE NEAR DESERT - DAY

 

It’s daylight now. The scene of David’s death is much
grotesque than previously thought.

 

Wendy Gogh’s billboard blocks the raging sun hitting its
rays on David’s car.

 

His driver’s side door is left open.

 

Blood covers almost the entire windshield.

 

The interior is in worse condition with the seats taking
most of the blood damage and whatever flesh and bone is
still sticking to it.

 

FLIES swarm the area like moths to light. They BUZZ wildly
not letting a TEAM of POLICE and CSI do their jobs.

 

                    POLICE 1
          God damn it, it stinks!

 

David’s car stereo FLICKS ON. It’s a religious radio
station.

 

                    PASTOR ON RADIO (V.O.)
          ...and ye shall not swear by my
          name falsely, neither shalt thou
          profane the name of thy God: I
          [am] the LORD.

 

The PASTOR’S voice trails off. The voice of an older BLACK
MAN. A voice with power, a voice with confidence, a voice
that cares. (Recurring character)

 

A latex glove flips the power off.

 

CLICK!

 

A tattooed hand belonging to Valente.

 

In the daylight, Valente looks like he doesn’t belong in
the police force, but he’s been undercover for way too
long.

 

Something that is seemingly hard for him to break free
from. Like being stuck in a nightmare, but he goes on with
his police duties.

 

A LOW RUMBLE followed by muffled MUSIC.

 

                                                                29.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          Anyone hear that?
   

It’s David’s phone. Stuck in between the seats, cutting off
the loud noise.

 

Valente searches for the sound locating the phone. He takes
it and reads the MESSAGES left by David’s friends from last
night.

 

Valente looks through the messages.

 

                    CARL PHONE TEXT (SUBTITLE)
          Yo gots 2 get us that morning info
          with that broad you were with, you
          dawg you. Lol. :P HIT ME UP YO!

 

Valente goes to the next one.

 

                    FRANKIE PHONE TEXT (SUBTITLE)
          Please tell me U had protection
          man. That chick was pretty damn
          hot AF! Chicks like that sleep

          around, bro. Bedda watch urself!

 

Valente bags the phone. He hands it to a CSI CREW passing
by.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          Here, take this to evidence.

 

Valente steps back looking at the crime scene. A strange
odd scene where the body of David is nowhere to be found.

 

Just drying dark blood and flies swarming.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA (CONT'D)
          Where’s the body?

 

He looks down at the spilled blood, at the chunks of flesh
and chewed bone lying on the dirt ground and at a puddle
with a trail leading off into the desert.

 

                    POLICE 2
          There’s David...

 

He points at a body part. He looks down and points at that
bloody bone.

 

                    POLICE 2 (CONT'D)
          ...There’s David...

 

He looks at a CSI CREW bagging a shredded bloody hand.

 

                    POLICE 2 (CONT'D)

          ...There’s David.

 

                                                                   30.

 

Valente gives him a sarcastic look. He’s not ready for that
type of humor today.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          Thanks for the help.

 

Police 2 walks away.

 

                    POLICE 2
          Anytime.

 

Valente follows the bloody trail, noticing it going past
the billboard of Wendy Gogh and further into the desert.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          No way an animal did this.

 

                    LESLIE OWENS (O.S.)
          And you’re right to say that.

 

Valente looks up. It’s Leslie and Esperanza, shaded by the
sun behind them.

 

Valente uses his hand to shade the light from his eyes.

 

                    ESPERANZA CARRASCO
          Hi, you must be detective Valente
          Elita.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          And you are?

 

Esperanza and Leslie show their badges at Valente.

 

                    ESPERANZA CARRASCO
          Special Agent Esperanza Carrasco
          and this is my partner Special
          Agent Leslie Owens.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          You two taking over? If you are,
          by all means, take over. I need to
          attend some other matters at hand.

 

                    ESPERANZA CARRASCO
          No, this is still your
          department’s case, we’re just here
          to help you.

 

Valente makes a look of disdain. He really wanted to leave
the area.

 

                    LESLIE OWENS
          We’re following a similar
          crime-related scenario.

 

                                                                  31.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          This isn’t the first time you’ve
          come across a scene like this?

 

                    LESLIE OWENS
          We can’t disclose too much
          information but, yes, these
          murders are closely related.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          Murder?

 

                    ESPERANZA CARRASCO
          We have reason to believe that
          these deaths are all related. They
          have the same M.O.

 

                    LESLIE OWENS
          Same blood bath, same missing
          body.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          Well, I can tell you right away
          the “vic” was with someone. A
          woman.

 

                    ESPERANZA CARRASCO
          How so?

 

Valente walks the FBI Agents through the scenario he has
already partly unraveled in his head.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          Well, the passenger’s visor mirror
          is open, indicating the woman was
          applying make up.

 

Leslie and Esperanza both look.

 

                    ESPERANZA CARRASCO
          You got that from an open visor?

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          There are smudges of glitter and
          lipstick on the visor. Could be a
          fingerprint there.

 

Valente spots a CSI CREW dusting fingerprints.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA (CONT'D)
          Hey!

 

The CSI Crew turns to him in mid dust. He lifts his
eyeglasses back up to his eyes.

 

                                                                  32.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA (CONT'D)
          Dust for prints on the sun visor
          too.

 

                    CSI CREW FINGER PRINTER
          You got it.

 

He commences his dusting.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          And I think whatever animal killed
          these two, dragged them into the
          desert. There’s a drying bloody
          trail headed that way. Probably
          will need K-9 Unit for that one.
          Plus I recovered the “vic’s”
          smartphone in the seats. Several
          messages from his friends about
          last night. Easy way to contact
          them.

 

                    ESPERANZA CARRASCO
          Thank you detective. We’ll look
          into it today.

 

Leslie hesitates then answers. Almost bashful.

 

                    LESLIE OWENS
          You’re welcome to come along with
          us if you wish.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          No, I’m fine. Need to be headed
          out soon. Like I’ve said, got some
          matters to attend to.

 

Valente looks at the billboard.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA (CONT'D)
          You may want to look through the
          surveillance footage. Probably
          caught the whole thing on video.

 

Esperanza and Leslie turn to look.

Esperanza is impressed. She shows that look of interest.

 

                    ESPERANZA CARRASCO
          We’ll do that.

 

                    VALENTE ELITA
          See you around.

 

Valente walks away removing the latex gloves. He tosses it
into a trash can marked, CSI PROPERTY.