scene 14

scene 13

INT. HUNTER'S GUEST ROOM - DAY

Framed print of Georgia O'Keeffe's The Beyond above headboard of queen bed aimed at wall-mounted TV. Tom's suitcase on bed. Lamp on both nightstands. Dresser near closet, Tom's hat on rack near open door to hallway. Open door to guest room bathroom. Wall to wall carpet and Tom sitting in the chair at the desk with window view to back yard. Lamp, pen and pencil near guest book, and etch-a-sketch on the desk. Tom stares out the window at the far-off stationary COYOTE seeming to look back at him as Tom taps phone on desk before finally speaking into it.

TOM: Ruth. 

EXT. ROADSIDE PEACH STAND - DAY

Describe. 

Texas plates on Mazda Miata convertible, newish Ford F-150 pickup, early-90s Volvo wagon.

RUTH, 70-something - tennis shoes, knee-length shorts, untucked button-up short-sleeve shirt and sunhat - walks a bag of peaches to the Volvo, while the phone in a back pocket RINGTONES the Willie Nelson instrumental, Bandera. She sets down the bag, gets phone.

RUTH: Hey there.

Same Fredericksburg peach stand as last year. Where are you?

(Her face expresses perplexed surprise as she listens.)

I'm here. Tom, did you know you were going to do this when you left?

So what's the plan?

Alright. Well, take a picture, okay?

I wish I could've seen her face. Have you told Gil?

That'll be good.

K, love you too.

(She pockets phone, opens back of Volvo, puts in peaches, closes door, goes to driver's door as she gets keys from pocket.)

INT. VOLVO 

She gets in behind wheel, gets purse from under front seat, sets it in seat, opens purse, pulls out Foglost, opens to About the Author page, stares at Hunter's photo, finally closes book, shaking her head, sets it next to purse, starts engine, drives out of frame.

scene 13

scene 12

EXT. S. 5th STREET - DOWNTOWN LARAMIE, WYOMING - DAY

Wanda and Daisy, each with purse in crook of elbow, walking north on the sidewalk toward the Wyo Theatre, made evident by signage above the marquee. 

DAISY: Did you know that Ellen Burstyn wanted the role that Cloris Leachman won the Oscar for? 

WANDA: I did not. Who would you have given the Oscar to?

DAISY: I guess I think they mostly got it right. I'd probably flip a coin. 

WANDA: Now didn't Ellen Burstyn get Best Actress for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

DAISY: She did. Who won Best Supporting? 

WANDA: Hmmm. Hint.

DAISY: Albert Finney.

WANDA: Murder On the Orient Express. Ingrid Bergman.

DAISY: Ding ding ding. Although my vote would have been for Diane Ladd. Who did, by the way, win a Golden Globe Supporting Role for the TV show Alice, if you remember that.

WANDA: Of course. She was Belle Dupree, briefly.  

DAISY; Very briefly.

Daisy stops them at the Wyo, its front boarded up, the boards painted a scene from the 1964 film, Cheyenne Autumn. The mural depicts Richard Widmark's character, Captain Archer, standing and facing us, burning Conestoga wagons behind him. Wanda steps them back for a wider view.

WANDA: Besides Richard Widmark, I'm drawing a blank.

DAISY: Cheyenne Autumn, John Ford, nineteen sixty-four.

Wanda's PHONE RINGTONES the If I Needed You instrumental as previously. She gets phone from back pocket. 

WANDA: Hey there.

Standing in front of the Wyo on the way to the car from the library where we watched Last Picture Show. Where are you?

(Her face expresses perplexed surprise as she listens.)

I'm here. So what's the plan?

Alright.

I'll be waiting.

I love you too. Oh Tom, if you can, maybe take a picture.

Okay. Talk to you tonight.

(Wanda pockets phone, brow furrowed.)

DAISY: Whence the furrowed brow, she inquired nosily.

WANDA: Oh. Tom met someone he knows in Las Cruces and is spending the night.

DAISY: Someone you know too?

WANDA: Know of. I've never met him. Onward to ice cream?

Daisy nods. Wanda walks them out of frame. 

[CUT TO: Tom in HUNTER'S GUEST ROOM - DAY.]