The Plot Thickens

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In Chapter 33 of FRANKENSTEIN IN LOVE, Vita hears on the radio about the cops' manhunt for Frankie. Meanwhile, Beck and Chet search Frankie's basement, and find the secret science lab equipment that he used to bring Shayla back to life ...


INT. VITA’S HOUSE - FOYER - DAY
Vita comes in. Shuts the door.
Looks sad. Angry. Freaked out.
Peggy rushes up to her.

PEGGY
There you are.
I just heard on the radio
that the police are
looking for Frankie --

Vita looks away.
Heads for the stairs.

VITA
I don’t want to talk about it.

PEGGY
It’s okay, honey.
Let me fix you something to eat.

VITA
I’m not HUNGRY.

And she RACES upstairs.

INT. VITA’S ROOM - DAY
Vita turns on her laptop.
Looks at the screen.
Finds the local news.

ON THE SCREEN
We see a screaming headline
in big, bright bold letters:

POLICE MANHUNT FOR FRANKIE STEIN
AND CAPTIVE SHAYLA PETRIE.

VITA
Stares at the screen.
A tear rolls down her check.

VITA
Oh, Frankie -- what have I done?
(beat)
What have I done?

EXT. FRANKIE’S BASEMENT LAB - DAY
Chet and Beck search the room,
examining his electronic equipment.
Video games. Kid-stuff experiments.

CHET
Looks like ordinary teenager stuff to me.

BECK
Maybe he was tipped off --

CHET
And hid the evidence --

Beck walks over to a
cabinet against the wall.
Fingers the padlock on the door.

BECK
Bingo.

CHET
We’ll have to get a warrant.

Beck pulls a couple of hairpins out.
Her hair falls down luxuriously.
She smiles. Holds them up.

BECK
But I’m not a cop.

CHET
Yeah, but I am.

BECK
But I work for the government.

CHET
Knock yourself out.

She nods. Goes to work on the lock.
Chet’s cell phone RINGS.

CHET
This is officer Beverage --
(listens)
Holy SHIT. Really?
(listens)
Uh-huh --
(listens)
Damn --
(listens)
We’re at his house.
We’ll let you know what we find.
(listens)
Copy that.

He CLICKS the phone shut.
Looks at Beck.

CHET
A ten-year-old blind boy
was found dead in the park.

BECK
Do you think it’s connected?

CHET
Well, his name was Willis,
and the bottom half of his face
was chewed off, so I’d say YES.

BECK
Damn.

CHET
There’s more. We got a
call from Josh Bohner’s mother --
he’s Frankie’s best friend --
and she says he didn’t
come home from school.

BECK
Maybe he had some
extracurricular activity?

CHET
Negatory. His mother said
he’s a complete shut-in.
Always comes right home
after school.

BECK
The plot thickens.

CHET
No shit.

She goes back to
work on the lock.
It CLICKS open.

She opens the cabinet doors.
We Frankie’s real lab equipment inside.

The transformer. The gauges.
Wires. The works. Chet whistles.

CHET
Looks like we’ve got our man.

BECK
Let’s go check out
the tree house --