The Mentalist Draft Pilot - Part 2 - Scripts - File Catalog

INT. AUTOPSY ROOM. RIVERSIDE COUNTY MORGUE - DAY

Lisbon, Jane, Cho, and Gilzean are with the MEDICAL EXAMINER, a matronly blonde lady; looking at the BODIES OF ZACHARY TANNEN AND ALISON RANDOLPH - laid out naked on adjacent work tables. Jane is not grossed out or freaked, just deeply saddened by the bodies. If Lisbon, Cho, or Gilzean feel anything, they don't let it show.

MEDICAL EXAMINER (with help of clipboard) So. We have Zachary Tannen, Caucasian male, 43, single. Death caused by several blows to the back of the skull, consistent with a bloodied golf club found at the scene. The female is ah...Alison Randolph, 27, married, no children. They were found at her listed residence. On Alison we have tight black plastic ligatures. A precise incision from perineum to upper thorax using a very sharp knife or scalpel. Abuse of the viscera. Textbook Red John. Time of death was Tuesday, mid-evening, near enough.

LISBON Not as many defense wounds as usual.

MEDICAL EXAMINER Fainted early perhaps... Jane tenderly strokes Alison's hair, as if soothing her.

MEDICAL EXAMINER Don't do that.

LISBON Sorry. (to Cho) Who found the bodies?

CHO This one's husband, at six this morning, coming home from the airport with his brother. He's a pro golfer.

GILZEAN (sports nut) Oh yeah?

GILZEAN (shrugs) Never heard of him.

LISBON And these two? What's their deal?.

CHO He's on file as one of her physicians.

LISBON Making a house call?

JANE No, this one's gay.

GILZEAN Come on. He's naked and dead. No jewelry, no tats. You can't tell.

MEDICAL EXAMINER Doctor Wagner might know what their relationship was. He's here to make the formal ID?

INT. HALLWAY. RIVERSIDE COUNTY MORGUE - DAY

An older man. in a white lab coat stands up - DOCTOR LINUS. WAGNER - roused from a sad reverie by Lisbon and Jane, Cho and Gilzean talking with the M.E. in BG.

LISBON Doctor Wagner, I'm Agent Lisbon, CBI. You know the victims?

WAGNER Yes I do. I work with Zachary. And the Randolph family are long-time clients of our practice.

LISBON Are house calls the norm at your practice?

WAGNER No. Zach and Alison were close friends.

JANE Lovers? WAGNER No. Zach was gay...

Lisbon throws Jane a look halfway between 'well spotted' and 'okay smartass'.

WAGNER Just friends. What in God's name happened to them? Who could have done such a terrible thing?

LISBON Looks like Red John.

WAGNER Who's Red John?

LISBON Good question..

EXT. RANDOLPH HOUSE. THE LAKES - DAY

A cordon of yellow tape around the house. Various official vehicles. POLICE, CSI, and MEDIA CREWS going about their business. The CBI team arrive in the white mini-van, Gilzean at the wheel, headbanging to KROQ on the van radio.

INT. GROUND FLOOR. RANDOLPH HOUSE. THE LAKES CSI TECHS nibble away at the evidence collection process. These CSI people are not the hipsters that you see on the TV shows. These are plump middle-aged guys in Dockers, exuding all the glam drama of a Scrabble tournament. CSI leader is BRETT PARTRIDGE - exuding a very slight Ricky Gervais vibe; two phones and blackberry bolstered, on his belt. ACTING IT OUT, he takes Lisbon and Jane through the crime scene, starting at the jimmied back door.

PARTRIDGE Red John enters here...

Partridge creeps toward the front of the house where the position of Tannen"s body is indicated by tape and copious blood stains on the carpet. He crouches down in an alcove near the front door.

PARTRIDGE ...He sits and waits for her, expecting her to come home alone. Only she comes home with Tannen, for a Richard Gere and ice.cream orgy. So John improvises. He takes a five iron...(swings) ...And crushes Tannen's skull. Then takes his own sweet time dealing with Alison, how he likes.

INT. UPPER FLOOR. RANDOLPH HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Jane enters the bedroom. The bed soaked in blood. Alison's body indicated with tape. The big smiley face drawn in blood on the wall. Her messy dressing table with silly photos stuck in the mirror. An inspirational diary, with Tuesday's message - 'Today is the first day of the rest of your life.'

FLASHBACK INT. TV STUDIO - DAY

Jane, five years younger. Slick and arrogant, dressed in hip showbiz black, performing a psychic medium act before a live audience on a local L.A. MORNING TV SHOW. The lights are dimmed. The audience is hushed ..and still.

JANE Jenny, your father's kneeling now. There are tears in his eyes. He says... he says that he's sorry for all the pain he caused you and your mother. Deeply sorry.

In the audience, homely JENNY, 32, is totally buying it, hand over her mouth, eyes brimming.

JANE He asks you to forgive him. Do you Jenny? Can you do that?

Jenny nods, unable to speak.

JANE He needs to hear it.

JENNY (weeping) I forgive you daddy. I forgive you.

JANE He's smiling now. There's such joy in his eyes. He says God bless you and keep you. (beat) He's gone.

Jane comes out of his semi-trance. Jenny is sobbing. The audience applauds, deeply moved. Jane takes - a seat with DAVIS and KELLY, the hosts.

KELLY Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.

DAVIS She's amazed. Daniel, I understand you're also a sort of paranormal detective. Is that right?

JANE I help the police when I can.

DAVIS And you've been helping them hunt this scary serial killer?. What's his name? Red John?

PARTRIDGE (O.S) Thar she blows. . .

INT. BEDROOM. RANDOLPH HOUSE - DAY

Lisbon .entering, followed by Partridge. Only a few seconds have passed.

PARTRIDGE ...The classic Red John smiley face. I'm stoked to finally see one in the flesh.

JANE Pretty exciting huh..

PARTRIDGE You kidding me? These are the cases you live for.

JANE This isn't Red John.

PARTRIDGE Ri-i-ight. Oh-kay. And you know that how?

JANE Red John thinks of himself as a showman, an artist. He has a strong sense of theater. In every previous killing, he made sure that the first thing anyone sees is the face on the wall. You see the face first, and you know. You know what's happened, and you feel dread. And then, and only then, you see the body of the victim. Always in that order. Here, it's the opposite. The first thing you see is the body. You have to look around to see the face. It doesn't play nearly as well, does it?

LISBON Depends on your taste I suppose.

JANE No. Come on. The killer- could have painted on the correct wall, here. But he didn't. Because he didn't know better. Because he's not Red John.

PARTRIDGE Wow. Interesting. Good luck with that my friend. (to Lisbon) Who is this guy?

JANE You know what your problem is? You enjoy your work a little too much. You're a ghoul.

PARTRIDGE How dare you?

JANE If you don't get wood reading Fangoria, I'm Shirley Temple.

LISBON Get out of here. Jane.

JANE I'm sorry. He irks me. He's irksome.

EXT. RANDOLPH HOUSE. THE LAKES - DAY

Jane and Lisbon walking back to the rental van.

LISBON (seething) Nice work with the quiet and the watching and the learning.

JANE Come on, the man's a gigantic nimrod. Lisbon takes a deep breath to calm herself. .

LISBON A nimrod we have to work with. This is a job. A profession. There's a way to behave.

JANE Yes. But you agree, right? It's not Red John.

LISBON ' We don't know that.

LISBON No. We don't.

INT. WHITE RENTAL VAN IN MOTION - DAY Gilzean driving.

GILZEAN I don't see it. A copycat. Sexual psychopaths do their own thing, they don't copy others.

JANE This wasn't done by a psychopath. This was done by someone close to the woman, trying to lay a false trail. Husband or a lover probably.

GILZEAN Cut up like she is? Nah. That's psycho work.

JANE With love, anything is possible. Would you drop me at the airport?

GILZEAN The airport? It's way out of our way man. Sherriff's' department is just along here.

LISBON You're leaving?

JANE Well, I have to get my shoes X-rayed anyway, so you know...

LISBON And off you go on your merry way. If it's not Red John, these lives lost here mean nothing to you.

JANE Not nothing. I'm confused. I thought you don't want me here. I'm going because it's not Red John, and you don't want me here.

LISBON We don't know it's not Red John, and what I want is not the point... Oh wait, I get it. You're not going anywhere. You're just trying to get me to ask you to stay.

JANE Why would you think that?

LISBON Because A, you have nowhere to go. And. B, you're an egomaniac. You think it's impossible that I really truly do not want to work with you. You think deep down I have a grudging respect for your genius. But the truth is deep down, I'm scared of you. You have no boundaries. You have no common sense. You're filled with..., with stuff that you refuse to acknowledge. One day, you're going to explode and create one mother of a shitstorm for yourself and everyone around you. I do not want to be there when that happens. So we'll drive you to the airport, no problem. It's not that far out of our way. Take a-left on Bob Hope.

Jane smiles tightly, wounded, and trying to conceal how firmly she has struck home. Cho and Gilzean try to pretend they are not there.

JANE That's okay. You can just let me out here.

GILZEAN We can drive you. No problem.

Gilzean slows down and changes lanes...

Jane and Lisbon both wear expressions of lofty resolve.

EXT. STRIP MALL. STREETS OF INDIAN WELLS - DAY

The Minivan pulls over and Jane gets out. The van drives off and is quickly out of sight round the corner. Jane is marooned on a lonely corner of a block size chain store mall, on the shore of a little island of improbably green grass, rubbery desert foliage, and a good size Japanese waterfall tumbling over fiberglass rocks. Jane almost immediately regrets the way he handled things and curses himself for a damn fool.

JANE Stupid stupid stupid stupid.

He kicks a fiberglass rock.

ACT TWO INT. TOILET CUBICLE. MEN'S ROOM - DAY

Jane sits on the loo, pants down, playing Tetris on his cell phone.

INT. CBI TEMP OFFICES. SHERRIFF'S DEPARTMENT - DAY

An almost bare room. In BG Van Pelt is efficiently supervising the arrival of office furniture. Cho, Gilzean, and Lisbon gaze at a lap top computer screen - running through Hi-8 CRIME SCENE FOOTAGE from the Red John files. A macabre montage that makes clear Jane was right.- In all previous Red John killings the face comes first, then the body. In the killing of Alison Randolph, the body comes first.

LISBON (grudging) Okay, so yes. This one doesn't fit the pattern.

CHO So Jane was right. We have a copycat.

LISBON Or we have Red John trying new things. Or Red John making a mistake. We don't know. We'll see what CSI has to say, and work the evidence. Meanwhile, go talk to the husband.

GILZEAN Will do boss.

CHO We think you were too hard on Jane.

Gilzean nods agreement.

LISBON What are we in high school now? Go do your job.

They still don't move.

GILZEAN It's not that what you said isn't true. He's a loon. After the shit he's been through, it's only natural. But we can manage him.

CHO He clears cases.

LISBON This unit cleared cases before he came and we will clear cases after he's gone. Thanks for the input.

Tacitly dismissed, Cho and Gilzean exit. Lisbon takes long beat, sighs, and reluctantly picks up her phone. Taps in a number. Gets an immediate answer.

LISBON Hey. So I think you might be right, about this case. Might be. Thanks for the insight. (listens) Yes. (listens) No. Did I say that? No. I'm not asking you to do anything. I'm simply acknowledging that you may be right. That's all. I mean, if you wanted to come back, I couldn't stop you. (listens) Yes. That's, what I'm saying. (listens) Because. Because you're useful to the team. (listens) Fine. Fine. I am asking you to come back. (listens, bristles) No. No, I won't say please. Go screw yourself.

She shuts her phone - Clack! Like a castanet. Sits back in her chair. Blows air.

Right then, Jane walks in the door, very casual. Lisbon restrains herself and just taps busily at the keyboard as if he weren't there.

VAN PELT Can I help you?

JANE You must be Van Pelt. A pleasure. Daniel Jane..

VAN PELT (enthusiastic) Oh, hi! Good to meet you. Agent Cho said you had left town.

JANE No. Nowhere to go.

VAN PELT Okay. You want that desk over there or this one? That one gets more light.

JANE That one, thank you. More light, by all means.

Van Pelt bustles away.

JANE What a pleasant addition to the Serious Crimes family.

Jane pours himself a cup of coffee. Lisbon continues on the keyboard. Jane smiles taking in the familiar surroundings. A dusty anonymous office, the gold chain around Lisbon's neck, Gilzean's dumb Tasmanian Devil screen-saver. Crap coffee. He's home, thank christ.

JANE Thank you for taking me back. I won't let you down. I'm going to watch and learn, like you wanted me to.

Lisbon pretends she just-now notices him.

LISBON Oh, hi. When did you get here?

INT. LIVING ROOM. EVELYN RANDOLPH'S HOUSE - DAY

A big mid-century showpiece. At one end, Eli Randolph on a big overstuffed sofa, teary eyed, a tumbler of bourbon in hand using the remote to re-run the same brief sequence over and over on a big flatscreen TV - FOOTAGE from a lo-fi video camera of ALISON RANDOLPH, in a garden on a summer day. Trying to dodge someone off-camera spraying her with a garden hose. She finally gets mad and shouts at them angrily and the clip ends..

Brother Tag is seated at a table watching the video also. At the other end of the room, EVELYN RANDOLPH enters with Gilzean and Cho. She's a chic fake wasp in her late sixties - yellow candyfloss hair, pearls. Torturing herself into a size 2 is her lifelong religious vocation. She stops the Agents...

EVELYN You will be low key won't you? My son is still very fragile. He was very fond of poor dear Alison.

CHO What did you think of her?

EVELYN (a scary smile) Oh, a lovely girl. Always well groomed and well mannered.

A MOMENT LATER Cho and Gilzean watch the Alison video with Eli; his mother beside him.

ELI I lost a beautiful precious angel.

GILZEAN Yes sir. Good looking woman.

CHO You were in Fresno from Sunday night to Wednesday morning, is that correct?

GILZEAN Where did you stay in Fresno?

ELI I don't know. The Westin something.

TAG The Westin Valley Regal, Room 310.

CHO You missed the tournament cut Tuesday morning, yes? But you didn't come home' until Wednesday. What did you do with the rest of your time in Fresno?

ELI I was in my room. Room 310.

CHO Is there someone who could vouch for that?-. A room service waiter perhaps? A maid?

ELI What is this? You people can't catch Red John so you want to lay this on me. Is that what's going on here?

GILZEAN We're not accusing you of anything sir. We have that confirmation of where you were, it lets us exclude you from the investigation.

EVELYN Eli, socks up now. We must let them do their job.

Eli glances, awkwardly at his mother.

ELI I was with a massage therapist.

Evelyn looks pained.

ELI I don't recall. She was from the yellow pages.

CHO What was the name of the service you called?

ELI It had 'lady' in there somewhere. 'Classy Lady', something like that.

EVELYN (embarrassed murmur) Forgodsake Eli.

ELI Oh, I'm sorry to embarrass you mother. Really. Believe me, I don't feel so good about it myself.

Eli folds up and begins to sob. Evelyn takes him in her arms, and-lets him cry it out. WE SEE, but Gilzean. and Cho don't, that Tag wears an ILL CONCEALED LOOK OF CONTEMPT as he leaves the room.

INT. WAGNER'S OFFICE. WELLNESS CENTER - DAY

Doctor Wagner scrolls through a file on his desktop computer. Lisbon seated, waiting. Jane moving round the room, which is more like a gentleman's study than a doctor's office. Filled with books and art and photography, much of it African. A little statue of a fertility goddess. Photos of Wagner receiving and giving awards. Several cool masks.

WAGNER We're a .full service private practice. We deliver primary care, cosmetic surgery, psycho-therapy, sports medicine, you name it.

JANE Just so long as you're stinking rich and fully insured.

WAGNER (cheerfully) Exactly.

JANE What's-the African connection?

WAGNER It's what this place is all about. Half of our profits go to build and staff basic health clinics in poor african communities.

JANE Wow.. Okay. That's cool.

WAGNER It's a selfish pleasure really. There's no better feeling than saving kid's lives. Here we are. It's a thin file. Alison was a healthy young woman.

LISBON Psychiatric history?

WAGNER She didn't have one.

Jane studies Wagner's bookshelves. Amongst the medical textbooks there's a section on forensics and criminal psychology. Jane casually pulls out a book - "The sociopathic mind - case studies in criminal psychology"; leafs through it, half listening to the Q&A.

LISBON STDS? Abortions? Unexplained injuries?

WAGNER No. No. Aside from routine check-ups with me, it's all Tannen. All aesthetic work.

JANE What about Tannen? Did he have any enemies?

WAGNER None that I ever heard of.

JANE Did he keep a diary? Our last case was solved because the victim kept a diary.

Lisbon rolls her eyes.

WAGNER A diary? I don't think so. I take it from this line of questioning that you no longer suspect Red John.

LISBON We're pursuing all lines of inquiry. Getting back to Alison Randolph. How was her marriage d'you think?. Happy? Unhappy?

WAGNER (rueful smile) I've known the Randolph family for nearly twenty years and happy is not a word that springs to mind when their name is mentioned. Evelyn is a crocodile, and Eli's something of a mama's boy. Jealous to boot. Kept Alison on a tight leash.

LISBON Did he have reason to worry? Wagner hesitates.

WAGNER About six months ago, Tannen asked my advice. Alison Randolph had asked him to get her a year's supply of birth control pills. Off the books. Which is strictly against AMA code. I said sure, do it. Better us than some Tijuana drugstore.

LISBON Why the secrecy?

WAGNER Eli Randolph had a vasectomy. April of '02. Cedars.

LISBON Thanks for your help.

WAGNER Please, if there's anything else I can do to help...

JANE Actually, yes there is. I'm out of sleeping pills. Could you fix me up? Anything strong will do.

WAGNER Sure. Come in for a consultation. We could squeeze you in this afternoon.

JANE Oh. No. I was hoping you could give me something, now. Without the chitchat.

WAGNER I'm sorry. Narcotic drugs are a very different thing from contraceptives. I wouldn't be comfortable prescribing without some sort of 'chit chat'.

Jane's already halfway out the door. No way.

JANE I understand. No problem. I'll call you, maybe.

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