Some dialogue to get familiar with (not the finished screenplay)

EXT. RIVER BED DAY

A limp, hooded figure lies prone in the dirt, next to a gently flowing river. The person’s gloved hand hangs loosely around a metal bar, and his foot rests lifeless in the water. Dustin approaches the body from upstream, his progression marked by a series of approaching crossfades. He crouches besides the body, examining it. His eyes follow the figure’s blood downstream until his gaze comes to rest on a model train, perched on a bed of leaves.

INT. TRAIN CAR EVENING (AFTER WORK, 7PM)

The train rushes by. Inside, Todd and Dustin converse after another typical day at work. Both are sitting. Todd reads the newspaper, while Dustin texts on his phone. The opening shot focuses on the newspaper’s front cover as the dialogue begins. As they talk, the shots highlight the various aspects of their business attire – black, polished dress shoes, a briefcase, dress pants, a dress shirt, a tie, a wristwatch.

TODD
(reading the paper)
Hey, says here New York’s the safest big city.

DUSTIN
(texting, not paying attention)
Oh yeah.

TODD
Yeah, record low crime rate. The mayor says the streets are safer than ever before.

As Todd says this, the camera shifts from the back of the paper to Dustin’s text message. It reads: “THX 4 THE DINNER, MAGS. GOOD LUCK @WORK 2NITE. B CAREFUL. <3.” As he finishes typing and sends it, he replies.

DUSTIN
C’mon T, you know you can’t believe that stuff. You should hear the stories Maggie tells me about people roaming the platforms and the roads at night. She’s sworn she’s been followed a couple of times. You ask me, I’d say it’s as dangerous as ever out there.

While he’s in the midst of saying this, the train comes to a stop. They both get up and head to the door. The train door opens, and they walk out onto the platform.


TODD
Well your always gonna have a few nuts, but on the whole, nowadays seems like heaven compared to those stories that Mr. Baker used to tell us back in the day.

DUSTIN
(smiling)
Ah, Mr. Baker’s stories. O man, he’d waste so much time telling us how great he used to be before he became a teacher.

TODD
(recalling too)
Yea, and how we’d keep asking him questions so he’d keep going.

DUSTIN
(acting it out by raising his hand)
Mr. Baker, Mr. Baker! What about the time you got to shake hands with Neil Armstrong?

TODD
(playing along, adjusting his pants and using his fingers to make glasses)
Well, boys, you see it was just one of those days where I knew everything was going my way. . .


Todd continues on, as they make their way up the platform’s stairs. The sound of the cars on the road and music drowns out the rest of their dialogue, as the two walk away laughing.

INT. KILLER’S Basement INDETERMINE TIME

In a dimly light, tight space, the killer methodically tinkers with his train.