14 - I Heart Murder

I HEART MURDER
Written by
Tom O'Donnell
BLACK
TITLE: I HEART MURDER
SUPER: GLENCOE, WEST VIRGINIA. FOUR YEARS AGO.
Click.
INT. DORA BISHOP’S HOUSE - BASEMENT - NIGHT
The basement of an old house, dusty and cluttered, lit by a

single hanging bulb that gently sways.
A human figure is on the floor. DORA BISHOP (27), a former

beauty queen, suddenly snaps awake with a GASP. As Dora
blinks, groggy, she realizes that her arms and ankles are
bound around a support column.
Dora SHRIEKS and violently struggles against the ropes. No

use. She SCREAMS at the top of her lungs for help.
Nothing. Dora slumps back down and starts to sob.
A NOISE. A SHADOWY FIGURE shifts in the darkness behind her.

Dora turns. The figure is looking for something on the
basement shelves. Dora’s eyes widen in terror.
DORA
(whisper)
...Who are you?
The figure says nothing, continues rummaging.
DORA (CONT’D)
What do you want from me?
No answer.
DORA (CONT’D)
Please. You can take anything. My
bank card’s upstairs in my purse.
My car keys are on the...
Nothing. Dora loses it.
DORA (CONT’D)
Why are you doing this? WHY ARE YOU
DOING THIS? WHY?!
ANA (V.O.)
Why?
2.
At last, the figure finds what they’ve been searching for: a

gas can. Dora sees it glint in the dim light.
DORA
No.
ANA (V.O.)
Why did the killer use fire?
The dark figure pulls the stopper and begins to splash gas
all over the floor around Dora, careful to not get any on
her.
ANA (V.O.)
After all, torching a house is
hardly the most convenient way to
kill someone. Especially in the
state with the 3rd highest gun
ownership rate in America.
DORA
(sobbing)
Please don’t. Please don’t. Please
don’t...
ANA (V.O.)
Fire was a choice.
The dark figure steps forward into the light at last.
ANA (V.O.)
We can’t know what Dora Bishop saw
that night.
REVEAL: A man wearing a fetish dog mask made of glistening

black latex. Dora lets out an inhuman SCREAM of pure anguish.
ANA (V.O.)
We can’t know how she felt; how
terrified she was in her final
moments. But even though she’s
gone, Dora can still tell us
things...
She begins to thrash and scream hysterically at the top of

her lungs again. The Dog-Masked Man pauses for a moment to
watch her flail helplessly. He puts down the gas can and
makes a “Shh” gesture with his finger. Dora doesn’t stop.
ANA (V.O.)
Bruising on her forehead tells us
that she was struck with a hard
cylindrical object.
3.
THWIP. With a flick of his wrist the Dog-masked Man whips out
a telescoping baton. THUNK! He smashes Dora across the face
with it. Dora slumps and her screams become a low, ragged
moan.
ANA (V.O.)
No such weapon was ever found at
the crime scene.
The Dog-Masked Man carefully folds his baton. Dora continues

to moan. The Dog-Masked Man cocks his head.
ANA (V.O.)
The .035 milligrams per liter of
oxycodone the coroner found in her
bloodstream tells us that, like so
many others, Dora had a drug
problem.
The Dog-Masked Man inserts a syringe into a medical vial and

fills it with clear liquid. He flicks it. Once, twice. Then
he jams the syringe into Dora’s neck. She goes quiet. Her
breathing is barely audible now.
ANA (V.O.)
She was probably too high that
night to even fight back.
The Dog-Masked Man steps backward and strikes a match. It

burns for a moment between shiny black-gloved fingertips.
ANA (V.O.)
Dora Lynn Bishop burned to death on
the night of June 21st, 2015. That
fire was a choice.
The Dog-masked Man flicks the match through the air. WHOOMP!
The gas ignites.
ANA (V.O.)
See, fire isn’t the easiest way to
kill someone or dispose of a body.
As the flames grow higher around Dora’s unconscious form, the

Dog-masked Man unzips his pants and starts to masturbate.
ANA (V.O.)
But it is a damn good way to cover
your tracks. Dora’s death could
have been logged accidental. House
fires happen. Especially when you
live alone in the middle of
nowhere.
4.
The fire spreads and Dora’s flesh starts to sizzle and burn.
The Dog-masked Man’s breathing accelerates.
ANA (V.O.)
There would have been no
investigation. No unsolved murder
case. And most importantly no me --
in your earbuds while you’re
sweating away on the elliptical --
trying to solve it.
As the flames burn hotter, the Dog-masked Man finishes. He

quickly pulls out a wet wipe and cleans up.
ANA
Too bad for the killer, it didn’t
go down like that.
The Dog-masked Man disappears up the basement stairs.
EXT. DORA BISHOP’S HOUSE - NIGHT
The Appalachian mountains. A beautiful old Victorian house

stands alone in the moonlight. All around are deep, dark
woods. A curvy two-lane mountain road passes by it. Black
smoke pours from the basement windows.
ANA (V.O.)
A storm came. Five inches of rain
in five hours. Local record.
Lightning dances in the distance. THUNDER rumbles. The Dog-

masked Man walks down the front steps of the house.
ANA (V.O.)
Enough rainfall to slow the burn at
Dora Bishop’s house until the local
fire department arrived at 5 AM the
next morning and put out the blaze.
The man removes his mask and gets into a nondescript gray
sedan and drives off, leaving the house to burn.
ANA (V.O.)
So instead of ashes we a body.
Instead of smoke we have evidence.
Instead of an accident we have a
mystery.
A patter of rain starts to fall.

5.
INT. DORA BISHOP’S HOUSE - BASEMENT
Dora’s flesh is half melted off now, blackened and bubbling.
ANA (V.O.)
But it won’t be one forever. We
will catch the person who did this.
Because I won’t quit...
SMASH TO:
INT. PODCASTING STUDIO - RECORDING BOOTH - DAY
ANA COHEN (29), a cute hipster in cool glasses, sits at a

desk in a soundproof booth. She reads from a script into a
microphone.
ANA (CONT'D)
...until there is justice for Dora
Bishop.
A beat. Ana takes a sip of water. She looks at a different

sheet of paper.
ANA
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ANA
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Ana takes another sip of water and rolls her neck a little.
ANA
How was that?
6.
On the other side of the glass is SETH HOWARD (30), non-

threatening and noticeably less trendy than Ana. Seth also
wears headphones and operates a mixing board. He gives Ana a
thumbs up. Ana nods, clears her throat and continues.
ANA
This is I Heart Murder, the podcast
where we investigate the killing of
Dora Bishop. I’m your host, Ana
Cohen...
ANGLE ON Ana’s in-studio cork board, connecting various

photos, articles and documentary evidence from the case with
red yarn. At the top is a photo of Dora with the date
6/21/2015. Below are photos of her 3 main suspects.
ANA
Fire was a choice. Disguising a
homicide as a house fire suggests
premeditation. Planning. I think
our killer knew Dora had the murder
weapons -- a gallon of gas and 30
feet of rope -- just sitting in her
own basement. Maybe it was someone
close to her...
ANGLE ON a photograph of JOE IVEY (mid 40s), a tall, fit man

in a khaki sheriff’s uniform. A little smirk on his face.
Handsome and he knows it.
ANA
Someone like Joe Ivey? To recap
Episode 4 -- currently available on
iTunes, Spotify and everywhere you
get your podcasts -- Joe is the
married Sheriff’s Deputy who was
allegedly having an affair with
Dora at the time of her death. And
Joe certainly does seem to have a
mean streak...
ANGLE ON a newspaper article “OFF-DUTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY

ARRESTED IN BRAWL”
ANA
Arrested in 2014 for beating a man
unconscious. Dude lost an eye, by
the way. Numerous Excessive Force
complaints on the job. Yeah, we
FOIA’ed those. Maybe Dora wanted to
break it off and Joe got mad? Or
maybe she threatened to tell his
wife and he needed to shut her up?
Then again...
7.
ANGLE ON a mugshot of CODY VARGA (15) a hulking, dead-eyed

Goth kid with long, stringy black hair. He looks like every
mass shooter ever.
ANA
...perhaps the killer was an
outcast. A creep who studied the
details of Dora’s life from the
shadows. In that case, Cody Varga
might just be our man. Or boy, I
guess.
ANGLE ON printouts of various social media posts that say

things like: “burn it all.” and “everything is an illusion.
only the pain is real. but the fire will outlast you-- the
last thing that you feel.”
ANA
Judging from his social media
profile, Cody is a pyro. The kid
reputedly tortured animals. He was
known to ride his 4-wheeler up and
down the trails behind Dora’s
house. And his classmates claim he
was obsessed with “Ms. Bishop” ever
since he took her Marketing class
in 8th grade.
ANGLE ON a Newspaper article “SUSPECT ARRESTED IN MURDER

INVESTIGATION”
ANA
Oops, almost forgot! Cody was
arrested for the murder. Though
later released without being
charged...
(beat)
But maybe our killer was a bit of
both: a psychopathic outsider with
a foothold in Dora’s personal life.
Consider Ronnie Burnett...
ANGLE ON: A smiling mugshot of RONNIE BURNETT (50s) a

leathery convict with a patchy goatee. He has a Screaming
Eagle tattoo on one side of his neck and a pair of S.S.
Lightning Bolts on the other. His eyes bulge. He looks wrong.
Evil.
ANA
The local Neo-Nazi drug dealer who
allegedly sold pills to everyone in
town. Could that explain the
Florida pain clinic’s worth of Oxy
found in Dora’s system?
(MORE)
8.
ANA (CONT'D)
Oh, and I don’t have to say
“allegedly” for this one: Ronnie
Burnett served eleven years in
prison for murdering his own wife.
ANGLE ON an old newspaper clipping with the headline “GLENCOE

MAN CHARGED WITH WIFE’S MURDER”.
ANA
Joe Ivey, Cody Varga and Ronnie
Burnett: the I Heart Murder Holy
Trinity. In the coming weeks we
will continue to examine these
three men’s motivations, their
relationship to Dora and of course
their alibis for the night of June
21, 2015.
(beat)
As always, if you have any tips,
leads, fan theories -- or, hey, if
you just want to confess -- you can
contact me on social media
@iheartmurder or email the show
through our website. Maybe you
could be the one who breaks this
thing wide open.
(beat)
And don’t forget to join us next
week for another episode of I Heart
Murder.
INT. PODCASTING STUDIO - OFFICE SPACE - DAY
Seth and Ana walk out of the recording booth into a converted
Brooklyn loft. Artful, framed mugshots of famous killers hang
on the walls and a large, neon I HEART MURDER logo is
suspended from the ceiling. It would be a pretty cool space
if it weren’t so cluttered with boxes and papers.
Ana shows Seth her phone: a nicely framed shot of the

evidence cork board and an accompanying social media post:
“the connections are becoming clearer mwahahahaha” [upside

down smiley face emoji]”
ANA
...How’s that look?
SETH
Like every detective show ever. You
sure somebody’s not going to sue
us?
9.
ANA
Please. You can’t copyright the
“crazy wall”. I’m posting it.
She does. Nearby the podcast’s lone employee SHARON (22), a

chipper intern, sits at a laptop.
ANA
Speaking of which, Sharon, we need
more push pins for the crazy wall.
Red ones to match the yarn. The
assorted colors look... too crazy.
SHARON
On it.
Ana notices the iTunes podcast rankings open on Sharon’s

computer.
ANA
Where are we at?
SHARON
Last week’s episode is still in the
Top Ten!
SETH
Nice!
ANA
What spot?
SHARON
Well... ten.
Ana scowls.
SHARON
Also happy to report #RonnieDidIt
and #CodyDidIt are both trending in
the U.S.
SETH
Man, nobody ever thinks #JoeDidIt.
Guy’s too handsome.
ANA
That’s good. I’m posting that.
Ana whips out her smartphone and posts Seth’s comment to

social media.
ANA
Anything from the message boards?
10.
SHARON
Yeah, 400 new threads. The hot
theory is that Dora was the victim
of a heretofore unknown serial
killer the fan community has dubbed
“The Mountain State Murderer”.
ANA
Ha. Love it. Our fans are bonkers.
SHARON
And a package came. Addressed to
you.
ANA
Does it look like anthrax?
SHARON
Hmm. Kind of.
Sharon holds out a dirty, beat-up manila envelope sealed with

lots of tape. Ana takes it gives a cursory glance. No return
address.
ANA
Anything else?
SHARON
Mmm. Somebody named Dan Pedrossian
from Netflix called.
Ana and Seth freeze.
ANA
...Okay, Sharon, I know this is
your first media job or whatever
but that’s what we journalists call
“burying the lede”.
SETH
Pedrossian is their True Crime
development guy.
SHARON
I took his number.
Sharon holds up a Post-It. Ana snatches it and continues

toward the door.
SETH
Thank you Sharon. Good job. You
can, uh, take a break now or
whatever.
11.
SHARON
No thanks. Happy working.
Sharon puts her earbuds in and turns back to her computer.

Seth catches up with Ana.
SETH
(to Ana)
...So you’re a “journalist” now?
Ana rapidly scans social media on her phone, liking and

sharing various I Heart Murder-related posts.
ANA
Of course I’m a journalist. The
Times called me “Truman Capote in
Warby Parkers”.
She points to a recent New York Times article about the

podcast, framed on the wall.
SETH
Eight months ago you were a fact-
checker at Ladies’ Home Journal
Googling unsolved murders at work.
Ana pinches Seth’s cheek.
ANA
And aren’t you lucky I found one?
Ana goes back to her phone. Seth looks around the office and
takes it all in.
SETH
God. This is nuts... right?
Ana looks up.
ANA
Nuts?
SETH
Like, we have a hit podcast and a
real office and Dan Pedrossian is
calling and we’re-- well you’re,
like, quasi-famous because of it.
ANA
Hey. Quasi-famous? I got recognized
at the gym this week. I think I’m
at least semi-famous.
12.
SETH
You better watch out for the
paparazzi at the panel thing
tonight.
ANA
Ugh. Do I have to go to that?
SETH
Ana. It’s the American Podcast
Festival. They’re giving the show
an award.
ANA
Getting an award for best podcast
is like winning a beauty contest in
the burn ward.
Seth shakes his head.
SETH
Jesus. She’s already outgrown the
medium that made her. Journalist
Ana Cohen truly has become semi-
famous.
(yelling to no one)
I knew her when, folks. I knew her
when.
Across the office, Sharon pulls her earbuds out, confused.
SHARON
Huh?
ANA
Nothing, Sharon. Get back to work.
INT. NYU AUDITORIUM - THAT NIGHT
Ana sits on a panel onstage with OTHER PROMINENT PODCASTERS

and a MODERATOR before a LIVE AUDIENCE. This is the Q and A
portion of the panel.
A GRUFF COMEDIAN speaks to the crowd.
GRUFF COMEDIAN
...You know a lot of comics try to
be tough guys. They don’t come on
my show intending to cry. But I get
‘em all eventually.
Audience CHUCKLES. Ana’s phone BUZZES. She discretely checks

it.
13.
ANGLE ON a social media Direct Message from an anonymous

account called @southwillrise88:
“why are you poking your nose where it don’t belong bitch?”
PODCAST SUPERFAN (O.S.)

Question for Ana.
Ana is startled. Out in the audience a SUPERFAN of the show,

wearing an official I Heart Murder t-shirt, holds a
microphone.
MODERATOR
Go ahead, please.
PODCAST SUPERFAN
Hi. Huge, huge fan of your work.
What you’re doing is so important.
ANA
Thanks. Cool shirt.
PODCAST SUPERFAN
So... can you just tell us who you
think did it?
The audience LAUGHS. Ana grins. Coy.
ANA
I could... But I won’t. I need
proof. Until I have it my mind has
to be open to every possibility.
SUPERFAN
OK. I respect that. Blink once if
it’s Ronnie Burnett.
The audience LAUGHS again. Ana laughs too this time.
ANA
I will say this: there are three
suspects in this case. I am certain
one of them murdered Dora Bishop.
One day -- soon I hope -- we will
all know, beyond a shadow of a
doubt, which one of the bastards
did it.
The audience APPLAUDS. The Superfan beams at this answer and

sits down. The Moderator scans the crowd.
MODERATOR
Another question?
14.
A mousy UNDERGRADUATE takes the mic. She stares at her feet

and mumbles her question.
UNDERGRADUATE
Yeah, um, what about the other two?
ANA
The other two?
UNDERGRADUATE
Like, the two guys that didn’t kill
her. What about them?
ANA
They get to not go to prison.
The audience LAUGHS.
UNDERGRADUATE
No, but I mean their lives are--
ANA
Look, you’re young so you may not
understand this yet, but the world
is a fucking dark place. Our only
glimmer of hope is the truth.
Before we started investigating, it
had been four long years of nothing
on the Bishop case -- no progress
from the bumblefuck keystone cops
down in Glencoe. Think about what
that must have felt like for Dora’s
family.
UNDERGRADUATE
I read online that the family won’t
even talk to you--
ANA
I Heart Murder has over 30 million
downloads. The Bishop case is
actually in the news again. Not to
brag, but that’s because of us. We
are closer than ever to solving
this thing. Is there going to be
fallout from that? Sure, maybe. I
can’t control that.
UNDERGRADUATE
OK. But how are you not, like...
exploiting a tragedy?
15.
ANA
How about the murderer who is
currently walking around free? How
about the police who get paid to
solve crimes and don’t? Me? I have
no power. I have no authority. I
have a microphone. All I’m trying
to do is tell a story. Hopefully I
can tell it well enough that it can
make some small measure of
difference against the darkness.
The audience APPLAUDS drowning out the undergraduate.
UNDERGRADUATE
I mean, do you really think it’s
that black and--
MODERATOR
Please. Let’s give everyone a
chance to ask their question. You.
The undergraduate reluctantly gives up the mic to a WILD-

HAIRED WOMAN who blinks strangely.
WILD-HAIRED WOMAN
I have a question for Ana.
GRUFF COMEDIAN
(under his breath)
Jesus. Seriously?
WILD-HAIRED WOMAN
Do you think the fact that Dora
Bishop’s murder took place on June
21, 2015 is significant.
ANA
How-- how do you mean?
WILD-HAIRED WOMAN
June 21st. That’s the Summer
Solstice. Litha. A holiday of great
significance to pagans and
occultists everywhere.
ANA
Are you suggesting that Dora Bishop
was murdered by... witches?
16.
WILD-HAIRED WOMAN
Well, as you just said: demonic
influence seems to be pervasive in
our sick, modern society.
SMASH TO:
EXT. MANHATTAN STREET - NIGHT
Ana steps out onto the dark, rain-slick street with the rest
of the crowd. She clutches a small lucite podcasting award
for “Outstanding Achievement In The Medium”.
As Ana walks toward the subway, she looks only at her phone,
liking and sharing more I Heart Murder content.
ANGLE ON iTunes Rankings. “I Heart Murder - Episode 19: The

Choice of Fire” is currently at #8.
Ana grins.
Then she rereads the threatening message from earlier:
“why are you poking your nose where it don’t belong bitch?”
She types back: “It’s a living.”
Send. A beat. Ana’s phone BUZZES with a new message:
“not for long”
Ana glances around. The crowd has thinned now. A few

stragglers here and there, hypnotized by their phones.
An OLD MAN in a stained, threadbare suit sits on a nearby

stoop, clutching a bottle in a brown bag and glaring at Ana.
They lock eyes. The old man doesn’t blink. His gaze is pure
hatred.
ANA
...What?
OLD MAN
I’ll eat your pussy.
ANA
Fuck off.
The old man gives a joyless HISSING LAUGH revealing that all
of his front teeth are missing. Ana keeps walking.
17.
INT. PODCASTING STUDIO - DAY
Ana sits at her desk talking on her phone.
ANA
Yes, hi. I’m calling for Dan
Pedrossian.
(beat)
Ana Cohen. Right, mm hmm. From the
murder podcast. Oh, thank you.
That’s very flattering... Well, if
I told you who did it, you wouldn’t
keep listening! Ha ha. OK. Sure
just have him give me a call back
when he gets in. Thank you.
She hangs up and sees Seth standing nearby. He gazes

longingly at the little podcasting award now sitting on the
corner of her messy desk.
SETH
Did they, by any chance, give you
another one of these? For your,
ahem, producer?
ANA
No. You can have that one.
SETH
Cool.
Seth takes the award. He places it on his own desk three feet
away.
ANA
Hey, check this out. Somebody wants
me dead.
Ana shows Seth the creepy messages on her phone.
SETH
Jesus.
ANA
Yeah. It’s only 20% worse than what
I usually get online but still.
SETH
I mean... Should we stop doing the
podcast? Do I need to update my
résumé?
(beat)
Do you think I could be, like, a
rodeo guy?
18.
Ana cracks a smile.
INT. PODCASTING STUDIO - RECORDING BOOTH
Ana records I Heart Murder - Episode 20.
ANGLE ON a detailed county map of West Virginia.
ANA
...West Virginia. Wild and
wonderful. Forty-ninth poorest
state in the union. Fiftieth in
life expectancy. Coal mining is
dead. Opioid addiction is alive and
well. It’s a place where too many
bad things happen to too many
people. What’s another tragedy,
more or less?
ANGLE ON a photo of DALE HAMMOND (50s), a portly red-faced

man practically bursting out of his sheriff’s uniform.
ANA
At least that seems to be the
attitude of Corbett County Sheriff
Dale Hammond. You’d think solving
the grisly murder of a local high-
school-teacher-slash-former-Miss-
West-Virginia would be the
department’s top concern. Nope. Not
for
(hillbilly accent)
Sheriff Dale.
ANGLE ON Ana’s crazy wall-- again the newspaper article with

headline that reads “SUSPECT ARRESTED IN GLENCOE MURDER
INVESTIGATION”
ANA
The day after the murder, deputies
made a single arrest: Cody Varga.
Discharged without explanation 48
hours later. Cool.
ANGLE ON Cody Varga’s mugshot.
ANA
And since then... nothing. No more
arrests. No indictments. No press
conferences. Nada.
Ana grabs a sheaf of printouts from a nearby stack and reads.

19.
ANA
In the meantime, however, these
amazing supercops have made... 19
collars for underaged drinking, 8
for marijuana possession, and 3
for, get this, cow tipping. Oh and
in February the whole department
went to Morgantown to do a ropes
course for “team building”.
Priorities.
ANGLE ON Joe Ivey’s picture.
ANA
Needless to say, the department has
never acknowledged Deputy Ivey’s
alleged affair with Dora, despite
the ample evidence that we, here,
at I Heart Murder were able to dig
up on social media.
ANGLE ON: Printouts of old Facebook posts between Joe and

Dora that strongly hint that the two are dating.
ANA
That is, before Joe deactivated or
deleted all his accounts. Enjoy
that digital detox, Joe. Sometimes
I wish I could unplug too.
ANGLE ON Ronnie Burnett’s mugshot.
ANA
Ronnie Burnett wasn’t even
questioned. Despite witnesses
claiming they heard him say he
would “like to choke that stuck up
bitch”. Despite the fact that he’s
got a mile-long rap sheet
culminating in second degree
murder.
ANGLE ON various arrest records for Ronnie Burnett, mostly

for assault and possession of narcotics.
ANA
Weird. Ronnie Burnett spent his
entire adult life in and out of
prison until approximately November
8, 2011. The day Dale Hammond, was
elected Sheriff of Corbett County,
West Virginia. Fun fact: I recently
discovered that Dale and Ronnie are
first cousins.
20.
ANGLE ON a printout of a family tree from a pro genealogy

website, connecting Ronnie Burnett and Dale Hammond.
ANA
Yep. Thanks ancestry.com. Isn’t
that quite a coincidence? But hey,
everybody down there is related,
right? And people can change. I
used to love kombucha. Now I can’t
stand the stuff. Maybe Ronnie, the
wife-murderer with the Nazi neck
tattoo simply woke up one day in
2011 and decided not to do any more
bad stuff. Maybe it’s got nothing
do with his cousin running the
local police. Yeah. Maybe...
Ana picks a printout of a press release.
ANA
But it seems I’m not the only one
who’s disappointed in the Corbett
County Sherriff’s Department. I’m
thrilled to report that today the
West Virginia State Police released
the following statement:
(reading)
“After years of stalled progress,
the West Virginia Bureau of
Criminal Investigation’s cold case
unit will officially open an
investigation into the 2015 murder
of Dora Lynn Bishop. We believe in
devoting the resources and manpower
necessary to finally solve this
case. There will be justice for
Dora.”
Ana puts down the printout. She grins.
ANA
Progress. And not for nothing
but... it sounds we have some new
fans of the podcast.
INT. TRENDY RESTAURANT - THAT NIGHT
A loud, hip restaurant. Ana is on a Tinder date with JASON a

square finance bro. She is already fairly drunk.
As he drones on about his job Ana discretely compares him to

his profile photo. Photo is much better looking.
21.
JASON
...So that’s basically what
automated high-frequency currency
arbitrage is all about.
ANA
(quietly)
Jesus Christ, I’d kill myself.
JASON
(yelling over the noise)
Huh?
Ana downs the rest of her glass of wine.
ANA
So, if I’m understanding correctly,
your job is to make money for
someone... somewhere?
JASON
And hopefully myself.
ANA
That’s what you want to spend your
life doing?
JASON
Sure. You should see my apartment.
ANA
What about, you know, right and
wrong? The greater good? Morality?
Jason laughs.
JASON
In my experience, every do-gooder
claiming to help other people is
just as self-centered as me, only
they can’t admit it. You know, Ayn
Rand said that true altruism
doesn’t even exist.
ANA
Yep. You just dropped Ayn Rand.
That means its time for the check.
Ana gestures to a passing SERVER but Jason laughs and waves

them off.
JASON
No, no. I want to hear how exactly
you make rent that’s so noble?
22.
ANA
I host a podcast. Investigate
unsolved murders.
Jason shudders.
JASON
Morbid. That’s what you want to
spend your life doing?
ANA
Yeah.
JASON
Why?
Ana considers this for a long moment as she pours herself

another glass of wine.
ANA
...When I was 11 my cat Juniper got
sick and died.
JASON
I’m... very sorry for your loss?
ANA
Only something was off. Juniper was
young; healthy. And one day he just
barfs up a bunch of blood and keels
over? Plus my neighbor Jenny
Chung’s cat had just died two weeks
earlier. Something was off. I knew
it. So I froze him.
JASON
You froze your dead cat?
ANA
Yep. And I mailed his corpse to the
Cornell University College of
Veterinary Medicine requesting an
autopsy.
JASON
Did they... do that?
ANA
For some reason-- maybe it was the
adorable sixth-grade-girl
handwriting on loose leaf notebook
paper-- they did. Six weeks later I
got a letter.
(MORE)
23.
ANA (CONT'D)
Cause of death: venlafaxine
poisoning. Do you know what
venlafaxine is?
JASON
No. No I don’t.
ANA
It’s an antidepressant. Fatal to
cats.
JASON
So, what? Juniper got into the pill
cabinet?
ANA
Nope. Nobody in my house was on
antidepressants. Probably should’ve
been. But they weren’t. So I start
going through neighbors’ trash.
JASON
Oh my God.
ANA
Sure enough, I find an empty pill
bottle in Mrs. Shapiro’s garbage:
Effexor. That’s the commercial name
for venlafaxine. So I stake out the
Shapiro house.
Jason has become visibly uncomfortable.
JASON
Uh.
ANA
Four months I watch from the
bushes. Before school. After
school. It’s tough for a kid, you
know. But one day I catch her. Mrs.
Shapiro steps out on her back patio
and puts out a plate of cat food.
Mrs. Shapiro doesn’t have any cats.
After she’s gone, I check the food.
There’s some crushed up white
powder on it.
JASON
No.
24.
ANA
Yep. Mrs. Shapiro killed Juniper.
She killed Jenny Chung’s cat. She’d
been doing it for years.
JASON
But... why?
Ana shrugs.
ANA
Bitch didn’t like cats. And you
know what happened when I called
her on it?
JASON
What?
ANA
I’m the one who got in trouble.
Ana takes another swig of wine.
ANA (CONT’D)
That’s when I learned that I don’t
give up. And I don’t back down. And
I don’t let people get away with
it.
JASON
But didn’t she get away with it?
ANA
Nah. She left the neighborhood six
months later. Couldn’t handle the
thought of someone out there
knowing who she really was.
Ana stares intently at Jason for a long moment, sizing him

up.
ANA (CONT’D)
Most people can’t.
Jason waves to the server.
JASON
(meekly)
Yeah, can we get the check?
25.
EXT. BROOKLYN STREET - NIGHT
Ana, drunk, walks alone down an eerily deserted Brooklyn

street. Her phone BUZZES. She stops and looks at it.
ANGLE ON another Direct Message from @southwillrise88:
“i told you to drop it jew cunt”
Ana looks around. The dark street is empty.
Suddenly SOMEONE lurches into the streetlight ahead. Ana can

only make out a silhouette charging toward her, arms
flailing.
Ana stumbles backwards as the figure bears down on her. She

turns to run, but trips over a pile of garbage and falls
backwards.
The person rushes past her toward a nearby trashcan and

starts to LOUDLY VOMIT into it. Ana can see now that he is
just a drunken COLLEGE STUDENT.
A group of LAUGHING COEDS follows behind, making fun of their

hammered friend. Ana catches her breath.
ANA
(weakly)
Watch it, asshole.
The puking kid doesn’t hear her.
INT. SUBWAY TRAIN
Ana stares at her phone. She overhears two nearby PASSENGERS

discussing her podcast.
MALE PASSENGER
...Cody absolutely did it. He is a
textbook psychopath.
FEMALE PASSENGER
How can you, just, like diagnose
someone from afar like that?
MALE PASSENGER
No, I read a book about it.
There’s, like, this test you can
do...
Ana smiles despite herself, and looks at her phone again. Ana
replies to @southwillrise88:
26.
“Please, Jew Cunt was my mother’s name. Call me Ana.”
A beat. Ana’s phone BUZZES again.
“laugh now. soon you’ll scream”
Ana frowns. She gets up and exits the train at the next stop.
INT. PODCASTING STUDIO - NIGHT
Ana enters the darkened studio and flicks on the lights.
Ana hits a vape pen and studies her crazy wall: photos of
Ronnie Burnett, Cody Varga and Joe Ivey connected to other
pieces of evidence.
She looks at her phone again. Across her desk she notices the
manila envelope.
Ana rips it open. Photocopied pages tumble out. She starts to

read them. Her face lights up.
ANA
Holy shit.
INT. SETH’S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Seth and his girlfriend LISA sit on the couch watching a

baking competition show.
ONSCREEN a nervous BAKING CONTESTANT attempts to bake a

Swedish Princess cake.
SETH
Never going to win with that
showstopper, Brett.
LISA
The layers are so uneven.
Suddenly there is a POUNDING on the door, startling them

both. Seth and Lisa look at each other. Seth gets up and
tentatively goes to answer it.
SETH
Hello?
ANA
(through door)
Seth! Open up!
Seth opens the door to see Ana standing on the other side.
27.
SETH
Ana, Jesus, it’s nearly midnight.
Ana barges in.
ANA
You have to look at this. Now.
She hands Seth the manila envelope. Seth takes out the pages
and reads them.
ANGLE ON photocopied pages of Corbett County Sherriff’s

Department Letterhead. It’s a confession written in an ugly
childlike scrawl.
SETH
(reading)
My God. This is a handwritten
confession. From Ronnie Burnett.
ANA
Yep. Taken down on Corbett County
Sheriff’s Department letterhead.
Only nobody’s ever mentioned that
Ronnie confessed to anything. They
covered it up.
SETH
This is proof. If it’s real.
ANA
I think it is. And I think he knows
it’s out there now. That’s why he’s
fucking with me online. He can’t be
happy about the state police taking
up the case.
SETH
Wait. You’re saying the death
threats are coming from Ronnie
himself?
ANA
I looked it up and after he lost
his murder trial he used the exact
same phrase
(re: her phone)
He called his lawyer a “Jew Cunt”--
LISA
Uh, hi, Ana.
28.
ANA
Oh. Hello, Lisa. Sorry I’m being
loud. Me and your boyfriend are
solving a murder in your kitchen.
LISA
OK. Well... I guess I’m going to
bed?
SETH
Don’t worry, I’ll come soon--
Lisa exits without another word to Seth.
SETH
(to Ana)
Dude. You don’t have to be rude to
her.
Ana shrugs.
ANA
I’m rude. I thought I was clear
about that. Anyway, we need to get
down there. ASAP.
SETH
Down there? To-- to West Virginia?
ANA
Yeah.
SETH
Why?
ANA
We have to confirm the authenticity
of this confession and nobody at
the Corbett County Sheriff’s
Department will return my calls.
Plus I’d like to get something on
tape with Ronnie himself.
SETH
Seriously? An interview with the
dude who wants to kill you?
ANA
I don’t think he really wants to
kill me. He’s trying to scare me.
SETH
Ana, he’s a convicted murderer.
29.
ANA
Think about it: it would be super
dumb of him to do anything to me.
Semi-famous, remember? Anyway, yes,
we need to go to Glencoe.
SETH
But we’ve-- our podcast has forever
associated that town with a
horrible murder. I--
(lowering voice)
I’m not sure they like us very much
down there.
Ana shrugs.
ANA
Being liked isn’t the goal.
SETH
Plus it’s a bad time for me to
travel right now. Lisa is going
through some drama at work and--
Honestly, can the show actually
afford a big trip like this? The
budget is--
ANA
Seth, this is why the show exists.
I need you buddy. This thing has
always been me and you. Looking for
answers -- the truth. Nobody’s
going to hand it to us. And there’s
only so much we can do hiding in a
recording booth in Brooklyn.
(beat)
Plus I don’t know how to drive.
Seth sighs deeply. A smile slowly spreads across Ana’s face.
ANA
I know that sigh. That’s a “yes”
sigh.
SETH
...When do we leave?
ANA
Tomorrow.
(checking phone)
Today, actually.
Ana types a social media post:

30.
“Time to take this show on the road. New evidence has come to
light and we’re traveling to Glencoe to investigate.
[Sherlock Holmes emoji] #IHeartMurder”
Send.
INT. FILTHY GARAGE - NIGHT
ANGLE ON a heavy duty garbage bag open in the trunk of a car.

An UNSEEN FIGURE breathes heavily as Ana’s disembodied voice
plays through tinny speakers somewhere nearby.
ANA (AUDIO)
...the coming weeks we will
continue to examine these three
men’s motivations...
A black gloved hand tosses a roll of duct tape into the bag.
ANA (AUDIO) (CONT’D)

...their relationship to Dora and
of course their alibis for the
night of June 21, 2015.
A hacksaw follows the duct tape.

As always, if you have any tips,
leads, fan theories -- or, hey, if
you just want to confess...
A pair of pliers. A sledgehammer.

...you can contact me on social
media @iheartmurder or email the
show through our website.
A blowtorch. A ski mask.

Maybe you could be the one who
breaks this thing wide open.
The figure cinches the garbage bag closed.

And don’t forget to join us next
week for another episode of I Heart
Murder.
The trunk SLAMS shut.

31.
EXT. CHARLESTON AIRPORT - DAY
A SMALL JET lands on the runway of a tiny airport.
SUPER: CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA
INT. RENTAL CAR AGENCY - DAY
Ana and Seth, carrying clamshell cases filled with recording

equipment, enter a rental car agency. A RENTAL CAR AGENT
stands behind the counter.
ANA
Hi. I have a reservation. Nissan
Versa for Cohen.
RENTAL CAR AGENT

Alrighty Ms. Cohen. Just need to
see your drivers license.
ANA
Welp, you called my bluff. Seth?
Seth puts his license on the table. The agent takes it then
types something into his computer.
RENTAL CAR AGENT

(while typing)
Would you like to sign up for the
supplemental insurance to--
ANA
Nope. Supplemental insurance is a
scam.
RENTAL CAR AGENT

Hmm.
(typing, to Seth)
Brooklyn, huh? You know we have two
new brewpubs, right here in town.
Ana ignores him, looking at her phone.
SETH
Cool, man. That’s... great.
The agent finishes up.
RENTAL CAR AGENT

And... you’re all set, Mr. Howard.
Welcome to West Virginia.
If you don’t mind me asking, where
are y’all headed today?
32.
SETH
Um. Corbett County?
The Rental Car Guy grins mischievously. He whistles the theme

from “Deliverance.”
EXT. CAR - AFTERNOON
Seth drives the winding mountain roads -- beautiful, green

woods dotted with abandoned, burned-out houses and occasional
pockets of post-industrial squalor: slag heaps, rusting
mining equipment, disused train tracks, covered in kudzu.
INT. CAR - CONTINUOUS
SETH
Jesus, these roads. I’m going to
throw up.
ANA
(looking at phone)
See? This is why I could never
drive.
SETH
So what’s the plan when we actually
get there?
ANA
Check in to the motel. Then swing
by the Sheriff’s department and try
to talk to Hammond. After that, I’d
like to pay a visit to the State
Police cold case unit. See what
they know. Then maybe grab a bite
to eat at...
(checks phone)
Either the Black Diamond Diner or
Burger King, I guess?
SETH
Hmm. I could really go for some
Thai food.
ANA
Great. Looks like the nearest Thai
restaurant is...
(checks phone)
134 miles away. In Pittsburgh.
33.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - AFTERNOON
Their car tops a mountain. In the valley below, a tiny

defunct coal mining town of about 1,300 people glows in the
afternoon sun.
ANA
Glencoe, West Virginia.
As the car descends into the valley, closer to town they pass
an abandoned drive-in movie theater, overgrown with weeds.
The letters on the old rusty marquee say “I KILLED DORA”.
SETH
Well, that’s not spooky at all.
Ana leans out the window snaps a photo with her phone, which
she immediately posts to social media.
EXT. MOTEL PARKING LOT - AFTERNOON
The car pulls into the parking lot of the town’s only motel,
the CHIEF LOGAN INN. There are only two other cars in the
parking lot. The sign features a huge (racist) statue of a
stoic Indian chief. Seth winces.
SETH
I feel like staying here might
technically be a hate crime.
ANA
It’s this or sleep in the car.
INT. MOTEL - FRONT OFFICE
A bell on the door jingles as Ana and Seth enter the front
office of the motel. It’s deserted. Seth grins.
SETH
Hey, check it out.
On the counter is a small spinning rack of bootleg I HEART

MURDER keychains. Ana frowns and starts to manually jingle
the bell on the door. She doesn’t stop until an elderly man,
MR. MULLINS, emerges from a back room, blinking.
MR. MULLINS
Sorry, just catching my forty
winks. Four in the afternoon but
the hospitality industry demands
strange hours of a man. How can I
help you fine folks?
34.
ANA
Room for two please. Two beds.
Obviously. And one of these.
She takes a keychain and slaps it on the counter.
MR. MULLINS
Oh are y’all fans of the podcast?
ANA
Heard a couple episodes. You like
it?
MR. MULLINS
Honestly, that girl’s voice gets to
me--
Ana grits her teeth.
MR. MULLINS (CONT'D)

--but, hell, it put this little
nothing town on the map. Folks
around here hate it. But no press
is bad press, you ask me.
Mr. Mullins tips his bifocals down
MR. MULLINS
You know, if y’all are interested,
I do an informal I Heart Murder
tour for out-of-towners. I can take
you around to the high school, the
trailer park where the Varga boy
lives, Dora’s house. All the main
attractions, so to speak. Very
reasonable rates.
ANA
Mmm. Maybe next time.
MR. MULLINS
(lowering voice)
My two cents? It was Ronnie Burnett
killed her. That boy always had a
devil in him...
He hands them two sets of keys.
MR. MULLINS
Okey-doke, Room 126.
Not gonna lie, the toilet is...
tricky.
35.
INT. MOTEL ROOM - A FEW MINUTES LATER
Ana and Seth enter their motel room: acrylic bedspreads,

nicotine-stained wallpaper, Abstract Expressionist water
damage on the ceiling.
Seth instantly recoils.
SETH
(choking)
Jesus it smells like somebody died
in here.
ANA
Oh my god, how great would that be
for the podcast?
They toss their suitcases on the bed. Ana snaps a photo of

the room with her phone and attaches it to a social media
post:
“Just checked into the Ritz-Carlton Glencoe, WV. Let the

sleuthing begin! #IHeartMurder #IHeartShagCarpeting”
Send.
INT. CORBETT COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT - EVENING
A one-story fluorescent-lit Sheriff’s Department office. A

receptionist, MRS. SYKES (50s) sits at a desk.
Her office phone RINGS. After a single ring, she presses a

button to send it to voicemail. A beat. The phone RINGS
again. She sends it to voicemail. The calls don’t stop. Each
time, a single ring and sent to voicemail.
Ana and Seth enter. Seth carries a microphone and digital

recorder.
MRS. SYKES
Can I help you?
ANA
Yes, hi, my name is Ana Cohen and
I’d like to speak to the Sheriff
about the Dora Bishop case.
Mrs. Sykes’s eyes narrow. The phone RINGS. She sends it to

voicemail.
MRS. SYKES
Cohen?
36.
Ana nods. The phone starts RINGING yet again.
MRS. SYKES
You got a lot of nerve showing your
face down here.
ANA
Do I? I’m just looking for the
truth, ma’am.
The phone keeps RINGING.
MRS. SYKES
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days
a week, this damn phone rings.
ANA
Yeah, I noticed that. I left six
messages. Nobody ever got back to
me.
The phone keeps RINGING.
MRS. SYKES
Lunatics from all over the world
keep calling, thinking they cracked
the damn Bishop case!
ANA
And I’m sure your officers are
rigorously chasing down every lead.
MRS. SYKES
Thanks to your little website--
ANA
Podcast
MRS. SYKES (CONT'D)

--it has become impossible to get
anything done around here!
Mrs. Sykes slams the button sending the call to voicemail.
ANA
Oh, I think the department wasn’t
getting anything done long before I
came along.
Ana peers past Mrs. Sykes through a glass door beyond. On the
other side, she spots Sherriff Hammond. He is having a heated
argument with Deputy Joe Ivey -- inaudible thanks to the
glass. Another deputy TONY YATES (mid 50s) -- a small, trim
man with a gray mustache -- watches impassively.
37.
Joe is stricken with rage, veins bulging out of his neck. He

angrily points toward the front reception area. Hammond puts
a hand on Joe’s chest, trying to stop him from doing
something rash.
ANA
(to Mrs. Sykes)
Is that Deputy Ivey? I’d love a
word with him, too.
For an instant Ana and Joe’s eyes meet. He looks furious,

like an animal.
MRS. SYKES
Deputy Ivey is not available for
comment at this time.
ANA
(still staring at Joe)
That’s fine. Happy to direct all my
questions to Sheriff Hammond.
MRS. SYKES
Nobody is available for comment at
this--
Sheriff Hammond steps out from the back office with an

unctuous grin on his face.
SHERIFF HAMMOND
Howdy. Can I help y’all?
INT. SHERRIFF HAMMOND’S OFFICE - EVENING
Ana and Seth sit across the desk in Hammond’s office. Hammond
takes a big sip from a “HILLARY FOR PRISON” mug.
SHERIFF HAMMOND
Welcome to Glencoe, West Virginia.
(to Seth)
First things first, I’m going to
need you to turn off your recording
device, son.
Seth looks at Ana.
SETH
Uh.
38.
ANA
Nope. We’re journalists. We have a
Constitutional right to record
here.
SHERIFF HAMMOND
Do you? Well maybe we can call the
New York City ACLU to come sort it
all out. In the meantime, I’m going
to have to insist.
Long beat as the Sheriff stares them down, weird, fake grin
still plastered on his red face. At last, Seth turns his
recorder off.
SHERIFF HAMMOND
...There’s a good boy. Now, what
brings the liberal media to our
little corner of the Mountain
State.
ANA
Dora Bishop. You remember her. Or
maybe not?
SHERIFF HAMMOND
Regarding the Bishop case: it is
not the policy of this department
to comment on ongoing
investigations.
ANA
That’s fine. I just need to check
your letterhead to authenticate
this confession.
Ana holds up Ronnie Burnett’s confession. Sheriff Hammond’s

smile drops.
SHERIFF HAMMOND
Confession?
Now Ana smiles.
ANA
Yep. Your cousin Ronnie’s.
SHERIFF HAMMOND
He’s not my-- Look, I barely know
that man-- We don’t-- No comment.
No comment, goddammit.
ANA
You seem agitated, Sheriff.
39.
SHERIFF HAMMOND
I don’t know a damn thing about a
confession! You’re trying to stir
up trouble. Come down here and make
our town look foolish with your
“gotcha” questions. Now you got the
damn State Police breathing down
our necks. For what? Look, I’m
sorry you came all this way for
nothing. No comment.
Sheriff Hammond stands and gestures toward the door.
ANA
You sure you don’t want to get out
ahead of this Sheriff?
SHERIFF HAMMOND
It’s fake news. You need to leave
right now, Ms. Cohen.
Ana hesitates.
SHERIFF HAMMOND
Leave right now or I reckon you’ll
be staying the night.
Ana lights up.
ANA
...Are you threatening to arrest
me?
EXT. SHERIFF’S OFFICE PARKING LOT - A FEW MINUTES LATER
Seth and Ana walk back toward their car.
SETH
...Was that, er, how you were
hoping that would go?
Ana is ebullient.
ANA
Absolutely. The Sheriff of Corbett
County threatening to lock me up
for solving the case? Audio gold.
SETH
The recorder was off, Ana.
ANA
Not mine.
40.
Ana holds up her iPhone. She plays the audio.
SHERIFF HAMMOND (AUDIO)

...He’s not my-- Look, I barely
know-- We don’t-- No comment. No
comment!
Ana stops the recording.
SETH
I’m torn. That’s pretty impressive
but the audio quality is...
(shuddering)
atrocious.
ANA
I’m sure you can clean it up in
post. Now let’s talk to some real
cops.
BEHIND THEM Joe Ivey stares out through the glass as the sun
sets on parking lot casting long, strange shadows. His face a
tight grimace, both his fists are balled tight.
EXT. GLENCOE STREET - NIGHT
Fully dark now. Ana and Seth walk Glencoe’s deserted main
street lined by mostly vacant storefronts. The town’s best
days are 100 years behind it. Seth still carries the digital
recorder. Ana stops at a storefront that clearly used to be a
dentist’s office.
ANA
This is the address.
She peers through the window. Inside, it’s mostly empty.

Ratty carpet and the ghostly outlines of dental hygiene
posters that used to hang on the walls. A single cheap desk
is piled high with file boxes. An uncovered fluorescent light
flickers overhead.
Ana knocks on the front door.
ANA (CONT’D)
Hello?
After a moment, TERRY WEBB (early 20s) a smooth, baby-faced

man in an ill-fitting suit rushes out of the bathroom toward
the door, still drying his hands with a paper towel.
WEBB
Sorry, folks. This isn’t a
dentist’s office anymore.
41.
SETH
Hi. No. We’re actually looking for
the, uh, State Police cold case
unit’s field office?
Webb brightens.
WEBB
Oh. You’re in the right place then.
Come on in.
Seth and Ana enter.
INT. STOREFRONT OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
WEBB
Trooper Terry Webb. Bureau of
Criminal Investigation.
Webb awkwardly hands Ana his card.
ANA
You’re eleven.
WEBB
Twenty-two, ma’am.
ANA
Great. Is there someone we can
speak to? Like a sergeant or...
maybe a parent?
WEBB
Nope. Just me.
SETH
You’re the... unit?
WEBB
Yes, sir. Got my own office and
everything.
He proudly waves to the grungy space around him. Off Seth and
Ana’s look, he catches himself.
WEBB (CONT’D)
...Pardon the mess. We’re still,
uh, settling in.
42.
ANA
So let me get this straight, after
that big announcement about
“manpower and resources” the State
Police devoted exactly one
detective to solving the Bishop
case?
WEBB
No ma’am. I’m not a detective, not
yet anyway. This is actually my
first plainclothes assignment. So
far it beats writing speeding
tickets out on I-64 all day.
ANA
This is bullshit--
Seth cuts Ana off before she can go any further.
SETH
What my colleague means to say is:
here is some evidence that the
Bureau of Criminal Investigation
might find, uh, compelling.
Seth hands Webb a photocopy of the confession. Webb starts to

read it. A beat.
ANA
...You don’t strike me as a fast
reader, so I’ll summarize: It’s
Ronnie Burnett’s signed confession.
WEBB
Uh huh. Interesting... And, um, who
is that, exactly?
ANA
Dude. Seriously?
Webb waves to the file boxes.
WEBB
Ma’am, I just started this detail
three days ago and I’m still
familiarizing myself with all the
ins and outs of the investigation.
But for something like this,
(uncertain)
I’d probably need to pass it along
to the state crime lab for
analysis.
43.
SETH
And how long will that take?
Webb thinks about this for a moment.
WEBB
Four to six weeks? Could be longer.
EXT. GLENCOE STREET - MINUTES LATER
Seth and Ana walk away from the office. Ana nods to Seth’s
recorder, still running.
ANA
You get all that?
SETH
Oh yeah.
ANA
Call me a cynic, but Trooper Terry
Webb didn’t strike me as the
world’s greatest crime solver.
SETH
His fly was down the whole time.
INT. PARKED CAR - CONTINUOUS
SOMEONE sits in a parked car, clutching the steering wheel

with black-gloved hands and breathing heavily. They watch
Seth and Ana distance as they walk down the dark street.
EXT. GLENCOE STREET - CONTINUOUS
ANA
So yet again it falls to us to do
the cops’ job for them.
SETH
Can we at least get dinner first?
ANA
Yeah, we-- wait.
Ana freezes. In the distance she spots a hulking figure

walking across a gas station parking lot.
ANA
Seth, I’m pretty sure that’s Cody
Varga.
44.
SETH
Really?
Ana starts to fast walk and then jog toward the him.
ANA
Cody? Hey, Cody, I’d like to talk
to you!
Cody Varga -- a big teen with bad skin, dark baggy clothes,
and long black hair -- sees Ana stalking toward him.
CODY
No.
Cody turns and bolts back across the parking lot.
ANA
Cody, stop!
Ana chases after him and finds herself at a chainlink fence.

Beyond it are train tracks surrounded by tall weeds. Cody has
climbed over and disappeared into the darkness beyond the
streetlights.
Seth arrives a few moments later, winded.
SETH
(panting)
He... dropped something... back
there...
ANA
What?
Seth holds up a half-eaten pack of Skittles.
INT. THE BLACK DIAMOND DINER - NIGHT
A quaint, small-town diner full of LOCAL PATRONS, many

elderly, chatting amiably as they eat.
Ana and Seth enter, mid-conversation.
ANA
I still say you should’ve gone over
the fence.
SETH
And catch Lyme disease? No thanks.
Why didn’t you do it if it was
so...
45.
The diner falls quiet. Everyone in the place turns to stare

at them. It is instantly clear that they all know exactly who
Ana and Seth are.
Seth hesitates.
SETH
(quietly to Ana)
Um. Maybe... ah, Burger King?
ANA
That’s ridiculous. Don’t be scared
of these yokels.
The two of them take a seat at a booth by the window. A

WAITRESS appears. She pulls out her pad and silently glares.
ANA
Good evening. I will have the
(re: menu)
Western omelette with a fruit salad
instead of home fries.
SETH
And I’ll take the burger. Thanks.
The waitress snatches their menus and disappears into the

kitchen. The other patrons still stare at Ana and Seth in
awkward silence. A few whisper darkly amongst themselves. It
is intensely uncomfortable.
Seth struggles to maintain eye contact only with Ana.
SETH
(to Ana)
So... how about... the weather?
LYNETTE (O.S.)
Y’all can get back to eating your
dinner now. Go on now. It’s rude to
stare. Even for hillbillies.
The noise of the diner resumes, though at a somewhat lower

pitch. A cute, freckle-faced woman, LYNETTE HAGAN (30s),
approaches Seth and Ana’s booth. She sits down beside them.
LYNETTE
Don’t mind them. This town just
happens to be populated by a bunch
of judgmental, dumbshit hicks.
Pardon my language.
46.
ANA
The guy who runs the motel seems
cool.
(extending hand)
My name’s Ana by the way.
LYNETTE
Oh honey. Everyone knows who y’all
are.
She shakes Ana’s hand.
LYNETTE
I’m Lynette. I’m-- I was friends
with Dora.
SETH
(looking around)
You sure you want to be sitting
with us, Lynette?
LYNETTE
Everybody in Glencoe already hates
me. In case you didn’t know, I’m a
slut and a home-wrecker.
ANA
Wait, Lynette Hagan? You work at
the high school, right?
Lynette nods.
LYNETTE
Administrative assistant. I just
want to say I appreciate everything
y’all are trying to do.
(beat)
When-- when it happened. Those of
us who knew her got... no answers.
Nothing. And now the people around
are more pissed off about your show
than they ever were about Dora’s
murder. Makes me sick.
INT. PARKED CAR - CONTINUOUS
Same car, now parked across the street from the Black Diamond
Diner. The gloved driver watches Seth and Ana talk to Lynette
through the window of the restaurant.
The car pulls out and drives off down the street.
47.
INT. THE BLACK DIAMOND DINER - CONTINUOUS
ANA
Well, we’re here for a couple of
days. Anything you think we should
know?
Lynette grips Ana’s arm intensely and lowers her voice.
LYNETTE
It wasn’t Joe Ivey. He’s got a
temper on him. But... he would
never do something like that.
Never.
ANA
Who then?
SETH
Cody sure didn’t seem eager to talk
to us.
LYNETTE
Boy’s certainly odd. Can’t say I
really know him. But my money is on
Ronnie Burnett. Ronnie’s a son of a
bitch. And Dora-- Well I’m not
telling you anything you don’t
already know: Dora had a wild side.
(lowering voice)
She bought pills from Ronnie from
time to time. We both did. Hell, I
probably introduced him to her--
CLANK. The waitress plops two plates of food down in front of

them. She leaves without a word.
Seth gingerly opens his burger with his fork. Sure enough
there is a distinct glob of phlegm in it. Seth swallows.
SETH
...I don’t want to think about
what’s in the omelette.
INT. CAR - NIGHT
The gloved driver barrels down an empty two-lane road through

the dark woods. Thirty miles over the speed limit.
The driver plugs an audio jack from their five-year-old

smartphone into the car stereo. Ana’s voice comes over the
car speakers. I Heart Murder - Episode 20.
48.
ANA (AUDIO)
...Isn’t that quite a coincidence?
The driver accelerates. On the road ahead, a small animal

shape scuttles out of the underbrush and onto the shoulder.
Its eyes glow in the darkness.
ANA (AUDIO)(CONT’D)
...But hey, everybody down there is
related, right?
EXT. CAR - CONTINUOUS
A POSSUM is frozen in the headlights of the oncoming car.
...And people can change.
The driver floors it.
...I used to love kombucha.
At the last moment, the driver swerves toward the creature.

THUNK.
...Now I can’t stand the stuff.
EXT. TWO-LANE ROAD - CONTINUOUS
The car rolls to a stop.
Maybe Ronnie, the wife-murderer
with the Nazi neck tattoo...
The possum SQUEALS in agony. A nightmare sound. Its back half

has been crushed by the vehicle’s tires and its guts are
smeared across the asphalt. Somehow it is still alive.
...simply woke up one day in 2011
and decided not to do any more bad
stuff...
The vehicle’s trunk pops open. The driver gets out and walks
to the back. They remove something and approach the dying
animal.
49.
...Maybe it’s got nothing do with
his cousin running the local
police.
With a downward overhand swing -- CLANK -- a sledgehammer

bursts the creature’s head, splattering its brains onto the
pavement.
Yeah. Maybe...
Beat.
A black gloved hand picks up the dead possum by its tail and
starts to walk back toward the car’s open trunk.
EXT. CHIEF LOGAN INN - MOTEL ROOM - LATER
Ana and Seth approach their room at the motel, carrying

Burger King bags.
SETH
OK. This time I’m holding my breath
because I know what to expe--
The door is unlocked. Ana examines it. It has been smashed

open.
Ana and Seth look at each other. They look around. The
parking lot is still virtually empty. Beyond are dark woods.
Ana nudges the door and it slowly swings open to reveal the
motel room beyond. Seth flicks on the lights.
The room has been ransacked and vandalized with swastikas

with threatening graffiti “LEAVE TOWN NOW BITCH”
“FUCK OFF JEWS” has been spray painted above the beds.
SETH
(confused, to himself)
...but I’m not Jewish.
Ana notices something.
ANA
Oh God.
REVEAL a bloody, mutilated animal carcass lies in the middle

of the floor. Seth sees it and wretches.
50.
Ana covers her nose and mouth with her sleeve and pulls out
her iPhone to snap a picture.
Seth stumbles backward, pale and shaking.
SETH
What--what is it?
ANA
Hard to tell. But I think it’s a
possum?
SETH
Does that mean maybe it’s just...
pretending to be dead?
Ana looks at Seth.
ANA
No, Seth. It’s not just pretending
to be dead. Get the manager.
Seth runs off toward the front office. Ana begins a social
media post:
“First night here and the locals have graciously invited us

to try a local delicacy! Yum! #IHeartMurder”
Ana attaches a photo of the bloody, dead possum.
Send.
A moment later, Mr. Mullins arrives with Seth. Mullins does a

double-take.
MR. MULLINS
(re: room)
Aw, what in the hell is this? Did
y’all do this?
ANA
Yes. You solved the case, Columbo.
We’d like to turn ourselves in.
Ana sarcastically holds out her wrists to be cuffed.
MR. MULLINS
Ain’t no time for jokes, missy.
Jesus this looks like
(appraising)
$400 worth of damage!
ANA
Can we see your security footage?
51.
MR. MULLINS
Cameras are all fake.
SETH
What? Seriously?
MR. MULLINS
You think I’m made of money?
ANA
Did you happen to notice anything
strange? See anyone coming or
going?
Mr. Mullins shrugs and shakes his head.
MR. MULLINS
Lady, I was asleep.
ANA
Well I’m calling the cops.
Ana pulls out her phone and dials. A beat.
ANA
...aaaand it went straight to
voicemail.
(leaving voicemail)
Hi. My name is Ana Cohen. I’m
staying at the Chief Logan Inn and
somebody broke into our room. Call
me!
She hangs up.
ANA
OK. Well we need to switch rooms.
SETH
Ana, shouldn’t we just leave. I
mean...
Seth gestures toward the bloody possum.
SETH (CONT'D)
...If we start driving now we can
probably still find another hotel
somewhere in Maryland before--
ANA
Nope. That’s what he wants us to
do. Run. We’re staying right here
at the racist Indian motel.
52.
MR. MULLINS
Look, that sign is from a different
era, OK? You can’t just erase the
past. And again the cost to replace
it would be--
SETH
Is there anyone else here?
MR. MULLINS
Just one other room occupied.
SMASH TO:
EXT. MOTEL - ROOM 207 - MINUTES LATER
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! Ana pounds on the door to Room 207. Seth
stands behind her with a mic and digital recorder.
After a beat, FEMALE MOTEL GUEST in a Garfield nightie

cautiously cracks the door. Her HUSBAND, a large bald man in
glasses, sits on the bed in his underwear.
FEMALE MOTEL GUEST

Can I help you?
ANA
Hi, my name is Ana Cohen. I’m the
host of the hit podcast I Heart
Murder. If you hereby consent to be
recorded, don’t say anything.
A beat.
FEMALE MOTEL GUEST

Uh...
ANA
Cool. Earlier our room was broken
into and I need to know if either
of you saw anything.
The woman looks at her husband.
FEMALE MOTEL GUEST

Well, I didn’t see anything happen
but...
ANA
But what?
53.
FEMALE MOTEL GUEST

I did notice someone, a man, in the
parking lot. He looked... a little
creepy. Kind of made my skin crawl.
ANA
Could you describe him?
FEMALE MOTEL GUEST

He was white. Probably in his
fifties. Not fat but not exactly
skinny either. Goatee. And it
looked like he had a bunch of
tattoos.
Ana reaches in her bag.
ANA
Is this him?
Ana pulls out a crumpled printout of Ronnie Burnett’s

mugshot. The woman nods.
INT. MOTEL ROOM - LATER
Ana and Seth toss their bags and recording equipment onto the
respective beds in their new room.
Seth puts the deadbolt and the chain lock on the door. He
closes the curtains and peeps out through a gap.
Ana flops onto her bed and begins scrolling through social
media on her phone.
SETH
...Ana, this a bad idea. What if
Ronnie comes back?
ANA
Then I’ll interview him. Oh my God,
check it out.
She shows him her phone.
ANA (CONT'D)
Dead possum pic already has 3,000
Likes.
SETH
Nice... I guess? But there’s no way
I’ll be able to sleep tonight.
54.
ANA
Good. You can keep an eye on the
door.
SETH
An eye on the door?
ANA
Yeah. The locks here clearly suck.
Seth stands by the curtain peering out onto the empty parking
lot.
Ana rolls over and turns out the light. A moment later her
phone BUZZES. She checks it.
ANGLE ON a new message from @southwillrise88
“came calling. nobody home. see you soon bitch”
Ana furrows her brow. She replies:
“How does tomorrow work for you?”
Send.
THE NEXT MORNING
Seth snaps awake in the chair where he was keeping watch. He

moans and rubs his neck.
SETH
Jesus. My neck.
Ana yells from the bathroom.
ANA
(O.S.)
What’s wrong? Did somebody murder
you, Seth?
Ana steps out of the bathroom, already showered and dressed,

drying her hair. Annoyingly energetic. Seth groans.
ANA
C’mon. Get ready.
SETH
Why?
ANA
We’re gonna go interview Ronnie
Burnett.
55.
SETH
Again, I’d like to register my
complete objection to this idea.
ANA
OK, registered. Now hop in the
shower so we can get a move on.
SETH
That’s not how my complete
objection works!
ANA
Seth, this is it. This is what
solves a literal murder and takes
the show to the next level.
Everything we’ve worked for. We
nail him. On tape. We’re heroes.
Justice for Dora. Case closed.
Seth takes a deep breath and they stare at each other.
ANA
Look at me: Ronnie Burnett is not
going to hurt me.
SETH
Cool. What about me?
Ana pauses and considers this for a moment. She cocks her
head.
SETH
...Ana, what about me?!
ANA
I’m joking. You’re safe, Seth. And
honestly I’d go without you but,
you know...
Ana pantomimes turning a steering wheel and beeping a horn.

Seth frowns.
SETH
That’s not how driving works.
EXT. TWO-LANE HIGHWAY - DAY
Seth and Ana drive the twisting backroads of Corbett County.

Forested mountains loom on either side of the road, casting
deep shadows into the valley.
56.
Ana attempts to make a phone call as Seth drives.
ANA
Hi... right, yes. This is Ana Cohen
from I Heart Murder... Ana Cohen..
I’m just returning Dan Pedrossian’s
call... Hello? Hi, I can’t--Sorry,
breaking up... Hello?
The call is dropped.
ANA
Damn it. The cell service is
terrible around here.
SETH
Ana, I’m having a slow-rolling
panic attack. If we’re really doing
this shouldn’t we at least... buy a
gun or something? I mean, you can
just do that here, right?
Ana laughs.
ANA
What would you do with a gun, Seth?
SETH
(mumbling)
...I could use a gun... I could
shoot a guy with my new gun.
WHOOP! WHOOP! Ana sees a Sheriff’s Department cruiser in the

rearview mirror, lights flashing.
SETH
Aw, Christ.
Seth pulls over.
EXT. TWO-LANE HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS
Joe Ivey, gets out of the car and walks toward the vehicle.
Deputy Tony Yates reluctantly follows.
SETH
Was I, uh, speeding or something,
offic--
JOE
Shut the fuck up.
57.
SETH
OK.
Joe stares at Ana, his face a mask of rage. He’s breathing so

hard he’s practically panting.
ANA
Hello, Joe. We meet at last.
JOE
You ruined my life.
ANA
Just doing my job. Speaking of
which...
Ana holds up her iPhone and starts to film the interaction.
ANA (CONT'D)
...just want to let you know you’re
being recorded.
JOE
It’s all some kind of game to you.
But I had a family. My wife left
me. Took my kids. People I’ve known
my whole life think I’m a fucking
murderer now.
TONY
Easy, Joe.
ANA
I’d say the wife thing’s on you if
you didn’t run the whole “open
relationship” thing by her first.
But I’d be happy to do a formal
interview where you set the record
straight about Dora’s death--
CRACK! Joe punches the back driver side window, making a

spiderweb crack. Ana and Seth flinch back. Blood trickles
down Joe’s knuckles.
ANA
...I guess that’s a “No”?
Tony stares at the ground and chuckles nervously.
TONY
All right, Joe. Losing it is the
last thing you need to do right
now.
58.
JOE
I’m in control, Tony.
Joe slowly turns toward Ana. She sees one of his eyes has
burst a blood vessel. He speaks very slowly, almost calmly.
Terrifying.
JOE
This is a warning: you have no sway
down here. You’re nothing in West
Virginia. You poke around where you
don’t belong and you will get hurt.
Maybe worse.
Joe turns and walks back toward the cruiser leaving Tony
awkwardly standing there.
TONY
Uh. Sorry about that. He’s just--
well, that’s Joe for you.
Tony shrugs and follows Joe to the car. The cruiser PEELS out
speeding past Seth and Ana’s Nissan.
A beat. Seth exhales.
SETH
This goddamn place. Is this what
the rest of the country is like?
ANA
Couldn’t say. But that guy sure is
mad. Suddenly I’m way less sure
that Ronnie Burnett is guilty.
Also... I think I might have a
crush on him.
SETH
Aw, come on!
EXT. TWO-LANE HIGHWAY - LATER
Seth and Ana’s Nissan turns off the main road onto a gravel
side road heading up the mountain and into the woods.
INT. CAR - DAY
Ana spots a ramshackle house at the end of the road.
ANA
This is the place.
59.
Seth pulls over and takes a deep breath.
ANA
Relax. The whole world knows
exactly where we are.
EXT. BURNETT HOUSE - DAY
Ana and Seth, carrying recorder and microphone, slowly walk

onto a rundown property at the end of a dark holler. At the
edge of the woods stands a dilapidated one-story house. A
rusty black Ford truck is parked out front.
The patchy front yard is littered with junk: an old washer-

dryer, a rusted out lawnmower, a pile of cinder blocks and
more. A faded Confederate flag and a Nazi flag flutter side
by side on the side on a flagpole.
SETH
Jesus.
Flies buzz around a flayed deer that hangs on a tree. Clearly

dead awhile. It reeks and maggots continuously boil out of
its eye sockets. Nearby a hunting knife, encrusted with fur
and dried blood, is jammed into a tree stump.
Seth frantically fumbles with his phone.
SETH
(quietly)
Goddammit. Still no service. Ana if
something happens we can’t even--
THUNK! A crossbow bolt lodges in the deer carcass 3 feet

ahead of them. Seth SCREAMS. Ana whirls and scans the woods.
Her heart is racing. Nobody there. The dead deer spins lazily
from the impact.
ANA
...Hello?
A beat. From the weeds a filthy blond boy, TRAVIS (10),

emerges laughing. He tosses a heavy hunting crossbow onto the
ground.
ANA
...Is your father home?
TRAVIS
He ain’t my Daddy bitch.
RONNIE
But I am home.
60.
REVEAL Ronnie Burnett is now standing, shirtless, in the

darkened doorway of his house.
RONNIE
Might as well come on in.
Ronnie turns and disappears inside. Seth and Ana look at each
other. They follow him.
INT. BURNETT HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
The inside of the house is dark and squalid, flies circling

piles of trash and rotting food. It’s a backwoods drug den.
Two rail-thin women, who might be 20 or 50, MISTY and AMBER,

nod off on the floor. Ronnie steps over them. He cracks a
beer and sits down on his ratty couch. Ronnie gestures to a
pair of folding lawn chairs. Seth and Ana awkwardly sit. A
porno DVD plays silently on the TV behind them.
RONNIE
Now...
Ronnie moves a Tweety Bird blanket to reveal an AR-15 with a

CeraKote Confederate Flag design on it, laying on the couch
beside him.
RONNIE (CONT'D)
Tell me why I shouldn’t blow your
fucking heads off for trespassing
on my goddamn property.
A beat. Ana tries her best not to react.
ANA
Because we’re just here to listen.
To your story.
RONNIE
‘Course. You people are always so
inquisitive, ain’t you? Some would
say nosy.
Ana doesn’t take the bait. Ronnie picks up the AR-15. In the
half light, his eyes are bloodshot, crazy.
RONNIE
But I’m an honest American and I
got nothing to hide. So here’s what
we’re gonna do: I’ll answer your
questions long as you answer mine.
And you tell the truth now...
61.
Ronnie chambers a bullet.
RONNIE (CONT'D)
Or I’m gonna get real unhappy.
ANA
Works for me. We rolling Seth?
Seth checks the equipment and nods. Ana leans in.
ANA
Ronnie Burnett, I want to ask you
for the record, did you murder Dora
Bishop?
Ronnie gives a rancid grin.
RONNIE
Nope. My turn: You scared right now
honey?
ANA
Of course.
RONNIE
That’s good. You should be scared
of a white man. A white man is
powerful.
ANA
Great to know. Did you break into
our motel room? Have you been
sending me threatening DMs?
RONNIE
The fuck are “DMs”?
ANA
Direct messages. Like email on
social media.
RONNIE
(indicating house)
Bitch, you see a computer anywhere?
Ana looks around the small house. She doesn’t.
RONNIE (CONT'D)
I don’t touch that shit. It’s how
the fucking feds keep tabs. ‘Course
I don’t have to tell you that now
do I, Cohen?
62.
ANA
You could use an app on your phone.
RONNIE
You mean this piece of shit?
Ronnie tosses her a 10-year-old Nokia flip phone. Ana

inspects it. It sucks.
ANA
You’re a drug dealer. Why don’t you
have an iPhone?
RONNIE
My business is face to face.
Personal connections. Trust. Plus
there ain’t no damn service out
here.
Ana hands the phone back to him.
ANA
Fine.
RONNIE
My turn again: Do you think you’re
somehow better than me?
ANA
Yes.
RONNIE
Bullshit. You’re exactly the same
as me. You do what you do no matter
who you fuck over.
ANA
Well I didn’t murder my wife, for
starters.
RONNIE
I paid my debt to society and that
bitch deserved it. But you won’t
admit you’re a bloodsucking
parasite. You don’t give a shit
about that dead Bishop girl.
ANA
I do--
Ronnie levels the AR-15 at Ana’s face.

63.
RONNIE (CONT'D)
(ice cold)
Go on. Say it. Say “Ronnie, I’m a
fucking parasite.”
ANA
...Ronnie, I’m a fucking parasite.
Ronnie lowers the gun and smiles.
RONNIE
(to Seth)
Ha. You get that, you little
faggot?
Seth nods, terrified.
ANA
Next question, Ronnie: Did you
write this confession?
Ana hands Ronnie the photocopied confession. Ronnie scans it

and laughs joylessly.
RONNIE
Nice Jew trick. Ain’t my
handwriting. You come here thinking
you were somehow gonna nail my ass
with this bullshit?
Long beat.
ANA
Yes.
RONNIE
Well I got news for you, honey, I
did 11 years at Mount Olive
Correctional Complex. I was locked
up with all types of racial
mongrels and crazy-ass
motherfuckers. Shit like this don’t
mean nothing to me anymore. I’m
invincible, bitch. Now... you get
one more question.
ANA
OK. What’s with all the Confederate
flags?
Ronnie balks. For the first time he’s flustered, taken off
guard.
64.
RONNIE
...What?
ANA
You have Confederate flags
everywhere. Why?
RONNIE
It’s about my goddamn heritage you--
ANA
No it isn’t. This is West Virginia.
RONNIE
So?
ANA
West Virginia fought against the
Confederacy in the Civil War.
Ronnie darkens.
ANA (CONT'D)
Get a computer and Google it,
Ronnie.
RONNIE
Get the fuck out of my house. Now.
SMASH TO:
EXT. BURNETT HOUSE - DAY
Ana and Seth walk back across Ronnie Burnett’s front yard.
Seth is ghostly. He looks like he might faint at any second.
Behind them Ronnie fills the doorway, still clutching the AR-
15.
RONNIE
You come around here again and I
ain’t gonna be so nice. On this
land I’m a goddamn sovereign
citizen! Anything I do is legal.
You hear me?
Travis snickers from the weeds.

65.
Seth and Ana jump into their car and slam the doors. Seth
peels out. He’s shaking all over, practically
hyperventilating.
SETH
Jesus. Christ. What-- what was
that?
ANA
The best damn interview I ever did.
SETH
We almost died, Ana. That--that
man’s insane.
ANA
I don’t think he did it.
SETH
What?
ANA
I’m saying Ronnie Burnett is
innocent.
SETH
Are you kidding me?
ANA
My gut says he was telling the
truth about his handwriting. Ten to
one says the State Police crime lab
tells us the same thing in four to
six weeks. And he’s not the person
who’s been threatening me either.
No computer; no Internet on that
phone. Speaking of which...
Ana waves her own phone around as the car descends the twisty
road down from the holler.
ANA (CONT'D)
Still can’t get reception with
these mountains--Wait, hang on, two
bars!
ANGLE ON Ana’s phone. She quickly begins to type a social

media message:
“Finally interviewed RB (charming host!). At the moment,

honestly feeling like he didn’t do it. Next week’s episode
will be a real doozy. #gutfeeling #IHeartMurder”
66.
Send.
There is a quiet moment as they drive and the adrenaline

wears off.
SETH
...You said on tape that we’re, uh,
parasites.
ANA
You can just edit out all the stuff
I said. Except for the Confederate
flag thing. I really nailed him
with that.
Ana’s phone BUZZES. She checks it.
ANA (CONT'D)
Wow people do not want to believe
Ronnie could be innocent.
ANGLE ON social media replies to her post, pouring in:
- @glitzwell86: “Can’t be true. #Ronniedidit”

- @RyeCatM: “Do not trust him. He’s a snake. Look deeper.”
- @monophyte: “No. No. No. This man is a MURDERER!”
- @theliza: “He is guilty and should burn in hell.”
She scrolls through dozens more just like this.
SETH
...I mean, we did just spend the
last 20 episodes convincing all our
listeners he’s a monster.
Ana starts to argue but before she can, her phone RINGS. It’s
an unlisted number. She answers.
ANA
Hi. Uh huh. Yes, this is her. OK.
Yes, we’ll be there in 20 minutes.
Ana hangs up. She looks thunderstruck.
SETH
Who was that?
ANA
The Bishop family. They finally
want to talk.
67.
EXT. DORA'S MOM'S HOUSE - DAY
Ana and Seth’s car pulls up in front of a well-kept two-story

house closer to the center of town. Seth and Ana get out.
ANA
OK, this is a very delicate
situation. We need to tread lightly
here.
SETH
And you think I’m the one who won’t
do that?
Ana rings the bell. After a moment a woman answers the door.
JOYCE BLAIR (late 40s) looks strangely dressed up, too much
make-up with big hoop earrings and a sparkly sequin sweater.
ANA
Hello, we spoke on the phone.
JOYCE
Welcome, welcome. Nice to finally
meet you. Come on in.
INT. DORA'S MOM'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Inside, the house is a shrine to Dora Bishop. Photos from

childhood, her beauty pageants, college graduation, all the
way through 2015, cover nearly every surface. Heartbreaking.
Ana and Seth follow Joyce through the eerily quiet house.
ANA
I’m sorry, I didn’t even think to
ask your name over the phone.
JOYCE
It’s Joyce. Joyce Blair.
She extends her hand. Ana shakes it, looking a little

confused.
JOYCE (CONT'D)
Can I get y’all anything? Sweet
tea? Coke?
Ana shakes her head.
SETH
I’m good. Thank you.
68.
Joyce leads them into a living room. More photos of Dora

stare back at them from the walls.
In a wheelchair in the corner sits BERNICE BISHOP (60s) Dora

Bishop’s mother, breathing from an oxygen tank. She looks
terrible, broken. Her skin is gray, her hair is unwashed, her
eyes are hollow. She silently stares at nothing.
ANA
(quietly to Seth)
Dora’s mother.
An awkward beat.
ANA
Hello, Ms. Bishop. I-- I just want
to say how sorry I am for your
loss.
Bernice doesn’t respond.
JOYCE
Bernice is not feeling well today.
Joyce grabs the wheelchair handles
JOYCE
(loudly to Bernice)
OK IT’S TIME TO GO WATCH TV NOW.
Joyce wheels Bernice into the adjoining TV room. She returns,

closing the door behind her. She takes a seat at the dining
room table.
JOYCE
She’s been through so much.
SETH
Would another time be better? We
could always come back--
JOYCE
No, I’m happy to answer your
questions.
ANA
Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but--
Seth places a calming hand on Ana’s arm.
SETH
We were really hoping it would be
possible to speak with Dora’s, ah,
immediate family.
69.
JOYCE
I represent the family.
ANA
And who are you again?
JOYCE
Joyce Blair.
ANA
Yeah. You said that.
JOYCE
My mama is a Bishop. She and
Bernice are first cousins. So I’m
Dora’s cousin.
ANA
Second cousin.
JOYCE
Exactly. Now, before we get
started, I just wanted to ask...
how much do y’all pull in a week
from those mattress ads?
SETH
What?
JOYCE
I’m sorry. Was that rude? I only
ask because I happen to be an
fellow entrepreneur myself. I have
two passions in life: wellness and
business
SETH
OK?
JOYCE
I own a multi-level marketing
franchise called ZoobaLife, which
is an herbal energy drink system.
She hands Seth a business card with a picture of a strange

green beverage on it. Seth looks at it for an awkward moment.
SETH
Mmm. Gotcha.
He tries to hand the card back to her. Joyce doesn’t take it.
70.
JOYCE
So, what I’m looking for is the
opportunity to create some, ah,
synergy between our two brands.
SETH
I’m sorry, I don’t really follow.
JOYCE
(re: card)
I have an online store.
SETH
Oooh. OK. I see. Well, we don’t
really do advertising like that.
Joyce’s eyes narrow.
JOYCE
As I said, I have information that
may be crucial.
SETH
Don’t you want to solve your
cousin’s murder for its own sake?
JOYCE
Second cousin. And I don’t see why
we can’t both benefit here.
Ana and Seth look at each other. Ana takes the business card
from Seth.
ANA
This the URL?
Joyce nods. Ana types something into her phone.
ANA
There. Just posted it from the
show’s account. You’re welcome.
Joyce immediately softens.
JOYCE
Excellent. You should know
Zoobalife increases your baseline
energy level to maximize daily
potential without all the harmful
chemicals in caffeine. An spot on
your podcast would really--
71.
ANA
We can talk business later. What’s
the information?
JOYCE
Well, it pertains to the letter I
mailed you.
Ana’s eyes widen.
ANA
Wait, you’re the one who sent the
envelope to our studio?
Joyce nods. Ana holds up Ronnie’s “confession”.
ANA
How did you get this?
Joyce is confused.
JOYCE
I mean, that boy sent them right to
Dora’s house. I found them when I
was going through her belongings.
She kept everything, poor girl.
SETH
Found the confession?
JOYCE
...The letters. Cody Varga sent
them to Dora.
Seth is about to say something but Ana stops him.
ANA
Can we see them?
Almost despite herself, Joyce flashes an unseemly grin and

produces a shoebox. She opens it dramatically to reveal that
its full of handwritten letters in opened envelopes.
JOYCE
The boy sent 244 of these to her.
He was obsessed. Everyone says he’s
some type of Satanist. Y’all know
that right?
Ana takes one of the letters out of its envelope. The

handwriting is small and strange; words crowded onto the
page. She reads it.
72.
ANA
“I know the time is not right and
you have said it will never be but
I know we can be together. The
things I feel must be true, and
even if you don’t feel them maybe
you will one day? I will be here,
always, waiting for that moment.”
JOYCE
They’re all like that.
SETH
Yikes.
ANA
And you say you contacted our show
about these?
Joyce is extremely confused now.
JOYCE
Yes, I sent you a letter... and you
wrote me back?
SETH
No. We never recei--
ANA
Can I see what I said to you?
JOYCE
Sure?
Joyce looks through he box and pulls out another envelope.

She hands it to Ana.
ANA
(reading)
“...Thank you for bringing this
material to our attention. For now
we’d like to keep this quiet as it
pertains to our ongoing
investigation of the Bishop case.
But when the time is right, we’d
like to discuss further. Sincerely,
Ana Cohen.”
Ana checks the envelope. The return address is P.O. Box 1810
Terrace Park, OH.
JOYCE
I figured since y’all were here in
town, the time was right.
73.
ANA
How did you get this address?
JOYCE
When I found the letters, I reached
out to the podcast through social
media. Your assistant replied and
gave it to me.
ANA
Do you remember the assistant’s
name?
Joyce shrugs and chuckles.
JOYCE
Couldn’t say. You must have a lot
of people working for you if you
can’t keep track of all of them. I
hope to get to that point with my
business.
ANA
Can I take these letters?
Joyce puts her hand on the box, a little too quickly.
JOYCE
...I’m not sure Dora would want
them out there. I mean she was a
very private person.
Awkward beat.
ANA
You know, maybe we could record a
30-second post-roll ad for your
Zoobalife store?
JOYCE
Oh my God, that would mean the
world to me! I really, really
believe in the product.
Joyce slides the box over to Ana.
ANA
Before we go, do you think there’s
any chance we could talk to
Bernice.
JOYCE
I don’t see why not.
74.
INT. DORA'S MOM'S HOUSE - TV ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Ana cracks the door and Seth follows close behind. Bernice
sits in her wheelchair staring past the muted TV at nothing.
ANA
Hi again, Mrs. Bishop. I just
wanted to talk to you. For our
podcast.
Bernice doesn’t respond.
ANA
We’ve been working really hard to
try and tell your daughter’s story
Long beat.
BERNICE
...My daughter’s story.
ANA
Yes.
BERNICE
Her story? Her story. Her story is
over now.
ANA
No, what I mean to say is--
Bernice turns and stares Ana right in the eyes. Perfect

clarity.
BERNICE
You don’t have children do you?
ANA
No. I’m not sure that’s in the
cards for me.
BERNICE
When you have a child your soul
goes into them. Your own soul. It
lives outside your body now. It’s
in another person.
ANA
I can only imagine.
BERNICE
Yes. You can only imagine.
When Dora died, I died. Only...
(MORE)
75.
BERNICE (CONT'D)
(regarding her own hands)
my body is somehow still alive?
ANA
Mrs. Bishop, I’m trying to find the
person responsible.
Bernice suddenly stands, causing Ana to flinch backwards.
BERNICE
Don’t you understand? It doesn’t
matter who’s responsible because
it’s NOT going to bring her back.
NOTHING will ever bring her back.
Nothing.
Bernice grabs Ana by the shoulders, implacably strong. She

pulls Ana closer against her will.
BERNICE
And whoever did it? They killed
Dora once. But you? You keep
killing her. Every week. Over. And
over. And over again...
ANA
I--
BERNICE
YOU KEEP KILLING MY DAUGHTER! YOU
KEEP KILLING ME!
Ana struggles and breaks free of her grasp but stumbles

backward, knocking over a coffee table. Seth helps her
scramble out of the room.
BERNICE
(yelling after them)
YOU KEEP KILLING ME!
INT. CAR - A FEW MINUTES LATER
Seth and Ana get into their car. For the first time Ana looks
pale and frightened. Seth goes to start the car and then
pauses.
SETH
You can’t... It’s not really about
you... she’s a grieving mother
so... you know.
76.
ANA
Just drive.
(re: box of letters)
We have to find Cody Varga.
EXT. VARGA TRAILER - LATER
Seth and Ana exit their car at a small trailer park by the
train tracks and surrounded by woods. They approach a
tumbledown double-wide that is completely covered in
graffiti. “MURDERER”; “FRY IN HELL DEVIL WORSHIPPER”; “YOU
DID IT” are spray-painted on the outside.
Nearby a Yamaha 4-wheeler, much cleaner than the trailer, is

parked under a blue tarp nailed between three pine trees.
Ana knocks on the door.
JACKIE VARGA, a wary-eyed woman in her late 40s who looks

much older, cracks the door. She keeps the chain lock
fastened.
JACKIE
What?
ANA
Hello, Ms. Varga. We’re looking for
your son.
JACKIE
Grandson. What did he do?
ANA
We’d just like to talk to him.
JACKIE
Well I don’t know where the hell he
is. He don’t tell me nothing. Four-
wheeler’s here so try the school.
Reckon he still goes sometimes.
SETH
Ah. Well, maybe you wouldn’t mind
answering a few--
She slams the door in Seth’s face.
INT. GLENCOE HIGH SCHOOL - LATER
Ana and Seth walk across the parking lot toward the high
school.
77.
It’s lunch time and a few hundred HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS mill
around outside. Seth attempts to somehow hold his recording
equipment in an inconspicuous way.
SETH
...So are we going to clear this
with the front office or what?
ANA
There’s no way they’d say yes.
Forgiveness not permission, Seth.
Haven’t you learned that yet? Just
be discrete--
RANDOM TEEN
Hey, murder lady!
Ana turns to see a group of TEENS standing in a cluster.
ANA
That’s Ms. Cohen to you, but yes.
A RANDOM TEEN steps forward. His face is totally ashen. He

looks around nervously.
RANDOM TEEN
Look, I have to tell you something.
ANA
What?
RANDOM TEEN
I know who killed Ms. Bishop but...
(nervous whisper)
I’m scared to say.
ANA
Who was it?
RANDOM TEEN
...Me!
His friends burst out laughing.
ANOTHER TEEN
Don’t listen to him. He’s just
trying to protect me. I did it. I
killed her. And I’d do it again,
too!
TEEN #3
I honestly think it was Principal
Lynch. Guy’s an asshole.
78.
More laughter.
LYNETTE
All right. Break it up geniuses.
Lynette Hagan approaches and the teens disperse. Still, most

of the other students and a few of the FACULTY are staring at
Ana and Seth from a distance now. Everyone knows who they
are.
LYNETTE
(quietly)
I really don’t think y’all are
supposed to be here.
ANA
We just wanted a quick chat with
Cody Varga.
LYNETTE
You... really think he did it?
Ana shrugs.
LYNETTE
Well when he bothers to show up for
school, Cody has vo-tech up in
Blackwell for half the day. If you
want to talk to him, he gets back
at 3. But you didn’t hear it from
me.
Lynette disappears into the crowd.
INT. CAR - AFTERNOON
Ana and Seth wait in the rental car. Seth watches the school
parking lot while Ana talks on her phone.
ANA
Yep... Just returning Dan
Pedrossian’s call. Mmm hmm. Ana
Cohen. From the podcast. No, yeah,
cell service is terrible where I am
so I was hoping... OK, thanks for
taking the message.
Ana sighs. Outside a school bus pulls up and students to

start get off. Seth perks up.
SETH
Ana. There.
79.
EXT. GLENCOE HIGH SCHOOL - CONTINUOUS
Cody Varga exits the bus alone. He has no friends.
Ana approaches, all smiles.
ANA
Cody, hi, again.
CODY
I don’t want to talk to you.
Cody starts to walk away. Ana grabs his arm. Cody stops and
turns back. He towers a foot over her at least.
ANA
Cody we want to hear your side.
Ana holds up a new pack of Skittles. Peace offering. Cody

stares into Ana’s eyes for a moment. He easily yanks his arm
out of her grasp.
CODY
No, you don’t actually.
ANA
I promise you we want to
understand. That’s all.
CODY
You want a prop. You want a creep,
or a devil-worshiper, or a school-
shooter because that’s the role
you’re casting. Right?
ANA
You don’t think I know what it’s
like to be an outsider? Please. I
had purple hair and a favorite
serial killer at my all-girls prep
school
SETH
I played Dungeons & Dragons until I
was 19.
CODY
Yeah, that’s right. Empathize with
me. Then I’ll confess everything.
ANA
...Is there something you want to
confess.
80.
Cody sighs and rolls his eyes. Unbelievable.
CODY
Look, I’m sorry things were tough
for you at your rich girl school
but I am completely alone in this
town. I doubt you have any idea
what that’s like.
ANA
I-- I guess I don’t.
CODY
The world does one thing to people
like me. It’s just a matter of
when.
Cody puts a pair of earbuds in and starts to walk away.
CODY
Don’t contact me ever again. I
don’t want to talk to you.
ANA
We have your letters.
Cody stops.
CODY
What did you say?
ANA
The letters you sent to Dora.
Cody turns, his eyes burning.
CODY
Those are not for you!
He lunges toward Ana. Seth steps in his path.
SETH
Hey, c’mon. Easy, big guy.
CRACK! Cody decks Seth who crumples to the ground. Cody leaps
on top of him and starts pummeling him. Ana tries to get him
off, but Cody easily throws her aside, knocking her down.
ANA
Help! Somebody help!
JOE
Get off him, freak.
81.
Joe Ivey drags Cody off of Seth by the hair.
JOE
You’re 18 now, Cody. That means big
boy jail.
CODY
Fuck you.
Enraged, Joe rears back to slug Cody. Tony grabs his arm.
TONY
Not again, Joe.
Joe somehow masters himself. Instead, he violently wrenches

the boy’s arms behind his back and cuffs him.
Seth moans on the ground, his face bloodied.
ANA
Thank you. I don’t know what we--
JOE
Shut up.
(to Seth)
You. Up. You’re under arrest.
Disorderly conduct.
ANA
What? But he attacked us!
JOE
That’s for a fucking judge to
figure out. You shouldn’t be here
on school grounds. That’s why we
got called. I’m hauling your ass in
too.
He grabs Ana by the wrist. A CROWD of students and faculty

has formed now, staring at the scene. Lynette Hagan steps
forward.
LYNETTE
C’mon now, Joe. I saw the whole
thing. She wasn’t part of the
fight. You can let her slide on the
trespassing, can’t you?
Joe stares at Lynette hard for a long moment, nostrils

flaring. Lynette holds her hands out and something unspoken
passes between them. Almost imperceptibly, Joe softens.
82.
JOE
...Fine.
(re: Seth and Cody)
But the other two are mine.
Tony steps forward and helps Seth up. He shrugs

apologetically.
TONY
Sorry, son. Not up to me.
Tony handcuffs Seth, who is still groggy from the beating.
ANA
Don’t worry Seth. I’ll get you out.
You hang in there...
Seth doesn’t answer. Ana watches as Cody and Seth are both
loaded into sheriff’s cruisers and are driven away.
RANDOM TEEN
...Wow. That sucks, murder lady.
ANA
Shut up.
Ana carries the recording equipment across the parking lot to

the rented Nissan Versa. She looks at the car, then looks at
the keys. She sighs.
Ana pulls out her phone and types a social media post:
“No Uber in Glencoe, WV so I’m about to walk the 3 miles back

to my motel. Oh and my producer just went to jail. [cowboy
hat smiley-face emoji] #outlaws #IHeartMurder”
Send.
EXT. TWO-LANE HIGHWAY - EVENING
The sun sets and darkness gathers as Ana, laden with

recording equipment, walks along the shoulder of a two-lane
highway. Every few minutes a car whizzes past. Otherwise it’s
deathly quiet.
A vehicle behind Ana slows down to her walking speed. Ana

keeps walking. The car continues to follow. Ana stops and the
vehicle stops. She turns but she can’t see anything in the
glare of the headlights.
ANA
...Hello?
83.
A woman leans out of the window of the green Toyota. Ana

recognizes her. It’s the female guest from the Chief Logan
Inn.
FEMALE MOTEL GUEST

You need a ride, honey?
INT. GREEN TOYOTA - CONTINUOUS
Ana climbs into the passenger side of the vehicle. The driver
is TRACEY MILBANK (40s), plump and cheerful.
ANA
Thank you so much, ah... I don’t
think I got your name the other
night.
TRACEY
Tracey Milbank. Glad I recognized
you from the road. Did your car
break down?
ANA
Something like that... I don’t
technically know how to drive.
TRACEY
My gosh. How do you get anywhere?
ANA
Take the subway. Maybe a Lyft if
I’m feeling rich. I live in New
York.
TRACEY
Oh, I visited New York City one
time. Don’t think I could live
there. Too crowded. Plus there’s
all the gangs and whatnot.
ANA
Fun fact: the state of West
Virginia actually has a higher
murder rate than New York City.
Awkward beat.
ANA (CONT'D)
...OK maybe it’s not a fun fact per
se.
84.
TRACEY
Well, I’m from Ohio, anyway. So
what brings you down this way? You
said it was a “podcast”?
ANA
Yep. Hoping to solve a murder.
TRACEY
The awful one I heard about on the
news?
ANA
Probably.
TRACEY
Doesn’t everybody think the drug
dealer man did it?
ANA
At this point I’m not so sure.
TRACEY
They said he’s got a criminal
record. Didn’t he kill his wife or
something?
ANA
Yeah, but something doesn’t quite
add up.
Tracey pulls into the parking lot of the Chief Logan Inn.
TRACEY
Come to think of it, the man I saw
in the parking lot last night
looked a lot like the picture I saw
on the news... Oh my gosh, maybe it
was him?
ANA
Yeah, maybe... Anyway looks like
we’re here. Thanks for the ride.
Ana gets out of the car.
TRACEY
Alrighty. Good luck solving your
mystery, Ana!
Tracey smiles cheerily as she pulls away.

85.
EXT. BURNETT HOUSE - NIGHT
A gloved hand wrenches the bloody hunting knife out of the

stump in Ronnie’s yard.
INT. LYNNETTE’S HOUSE - BEDROOM - LATER
Lynette lounges on her bed in her underwear and talks to

someone in the next room.
LYNETTE
...I don’t know. I can’t believe it
was Cody. Dora always had a soft
spot for that boy--
JOE (O.S.)
He was stalking her. He’s a goddamn
psycho.
LYNETTE
He’s strange sure. But he just
doesn’t strike me as the type.
Ronnie Burnett on the other hand...
Joe steps back into the bedroom, wearing only his boxers. His
jaw is clenched tight and his eyes are intense.
JOE
It was Cody, Lynette. And it was my
fucking fault he got off. I roughed
him up during the arrest and his
goddamn lawyer made hay over it.
LYNETTE
All right. Calm down, Joe. You’re
the cop. I’m just the high school
admin assistant. I believe you.
Joe softens. They kiss. Joe pulls away and starts to put on
his pants.
LYNETTE
Stay.
JOE
Can’t.
Lynette frowns. Joe continues to get dressed.
LYNETTE
This is about your wife.
86.
JOE
She’s the mother of my kids,
Lynette. People can’t know that
I’m... You were Dora’s best
friend... It’s just not the time
for us to... go public with this.
LYNETTE
“Go public”. Jesus.
JOE
Damn it. You know what I mean.
Joe goes to kiss Lynette again and she turns away. He frowns
and finishes buttoning his shirt. He leaves.
Lynette sighs and turns on the TV. Infomercial. She changes

it. Rockford Files episode. She changes it. Weather Channel.
She hears a noise. Lynette sits up in her bed.
LYNETTE
Joe?
Nothing. Lynette gets out of bed.
LYNETTE
Joe is that you?
INT. LYNETTE’S HOUSE - KITCHEN
Lynette creeps into her darkened kitchen. She flicks on the

lights. Nobody there. Lynette breathes a sigh of relief.
Then she notices that the backdoor is ajar.
A HULKING FIGURE wearing an orange ski-mask steps out of the

pantry behind her. Lynette turns and screams.
The hulking figure lunges toward her and Lynette bolts.
INT. LYNETTE'S HOUSE - BEDROOM
Lynette dives inside her bedroom. She slams the door behind
her and locks it. She frantically searches for her phone. At
last she finds it on the dresser. She starts to dial.
CRACK! The huge masked figure bursts through the door,

splintering the wood of the frame. Lynette SCREAMS again.
The figure tackles her to the ground. Lynette screams again

as the figure clamps a gloved hand over her mouth. Her eyes
bulge with terror.
87.
The figure drags the blade of a stained hunting knife across

her throat slicing it open in a fountain of blood. Lynette
shudders violently and lets out one last ragged gargle.
INT. CORBETT SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT - THE NEXT MORNING
The office phone RINGS. Mrs. Sykes presses a button to send

it to voicemail. She scowls as she sees Ana walking through
the front door.
MRS. SYKES
You again.
ANA
(overly cheerful)
Good morning to you too! I’m here
to post bail for Seth Howard.
INT. CORBETT COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT - HOLDING CELLS
Tony Yates leads Ana back into the department’s four holding
cells. Seth slumps on a bench inside his cell. Cody Varga
broods silently in the next cell over.
Tony unlocks Seth’s cell door.
TONY
All right, Mr. Howard. You’re free
to go.
SETH
Great.
Seth glares at Ana, clearly pissed. She now sees he’s got a
wicked black eye.
ANA
Seth, your eye. Jesus.
SETH
I know, right? But hopefully we got
some good audio of me getting my
ass kicked.
Before Ana can respond, Seth elbows past her out of the cell.
Ana notices Cody staring at her.
ANA
...What?
CODY
I don’t torture animals.
88.
ANA
OK?
CODY
You said that on your show. You
said I torture animals. But I
don’t. There was a turtle that some
asshole shot with a BB gun. It was
dying, so I put it out of its
misery. I didn’t torture it.
ANA
OK. Sure. I’ll issue a correction.
(beat)
Is somebody coming to bail you out?
CODY
Ha. You think I’m worth $500?
ANA
What about your grandmother?
CODY
There was exactly one person who
ever gave a shit about me. And she
died 3 years ago.
Cody crosses his arms and turns away. Ana’s phone BUZZES.
It’s a new message from @southwillrise88:
“i did it again. you’re next.”
Before Ana can reply, a YOUNG DEPUTY rushes toward Tony.
YOUNG DEPUTY
Tony it just came in over the
radio. We have a Code 12 at 2750
Redbud Drive.
The color drains from Tony’s face.
TONY
...Code 12?
YOUNG DEPUTY
Yessir.
TONY
Good Lord.
Tony and the young deputy rush out of the station toward
their cruisers.
89.
Ana hurries after them. Seth follows.
EXT. CORBETT COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
Ana frantically Googles on her phone as they exit the

building.
ANA
Seth, Code 12 is the Corbett County
Sheriff’s Department code for
homicide.
Seth stops walking.
SETH
Stop it with the Nancy Drew shit
Ana. I’m not fucking doing this
anymore!
ANA
What?
SETH
You get me beat up. Thrown in jail.
What’s next?
ANA
Please, Seth. I know I don’t say
this often enough or actually ever,
but... I’m sorry, OK?
Ana holds up her phone.
ANA (CONT'D)
Please. 2750 Redbud Drive is
Lynette Hagan’s address.
Seth sighs deeply.
SETH
Fine. But after this I’m going
home. You’re on your own down here.
ANA
OK. The car is still parked at the
high school so we need to hurry.
Seth and Ana head off on foot, almost at a jog.

90.
EXT. LYNETTE’S HOUSE - LATER
Seth pulls up to Lynette’s house. The whole yard has been

cordoned off with police tape. Various DEPUTIES take photos
of the crime scene and collect evidence.
Sherriff Hammond stands to the side and talks on a cell

phone. As he sees Ana and Seth approaching he tries to ignore
her..
ANA
Excuse me. What happened here?
SHERIFF HAMMOND
Can’t talk about it.
ANA
Is Lynette Hagan dead?
SHERIFF HAMMOND
This is an active crime scene. Move
along. Now.
ANA
How was she killed?
SHERIFF HAMMOND
Move along, dammit!
As Seth and Ana walk back toward their vehicle, they notice
Joe Ivey sitting in his cruiser. He stares straight ahead,
both hands gripping the steering wheel, knuckles white. He’s
virtually catatonic.
Ana taps on the window. Joe turns toward her. She is

surprised to see his eyes are full of tears.
ANA
Joe, what happened.
JOE
Lynette’s been... Somebody...
somebody cut her throat.
ANA
Who?
JOE
I don’t know... but when I find
them they’re fucking dead....
Joe starts to sob. Ana doesn’t quite know what to do.

91.
ANA
I’m... sorry, Joe.
Joe doesn’t respond. Ana regroups with Seth.
ANA
This is connected to Dora. The
creep account messaged me again.
She shows Seth the latest message from @southwillrise88 on

her phone.
SETH
And Cody couldn’t have done it. He
was locked up with me all night.
ANA
Damn it. I was wrong. I mean I was
right all along. It’s got to be
Ronnie.
Ana returns to Sheriff Hammond, who again tries to ignore

her.
ANA
Sheriff, you need to arrest Ronnie
Burnett.
SHERIFF HAMMOND
Here we go again with this bull
puck. Did you see something,
darling?
ANA
No.
SHERIFF HAMMOND
Then you can’t just throw around
wild accusations--
ANA
Accusations against your cousin?
SHERIFF HAMMOND
That’s not-- That don’t have dick
to do with it. You need evidence to
arrest somebody!
ANA
Fine. We’ll get it.
Ana turns and heads back toward the car. She starts to unload
the recording equipment cases. Seth watches her.
92.
SETH
What are you doing?
ANA
You don’t have to drive me to
Ronnie’s place. I can walk. It’s
only...
Ana checks her phone.
ANA (CONT'D)
5.2 miles.
Seth grits his teeth and shakes his head.
SETH
Don’t be an idiot. Get in the damn
car.
A small smile spreads across Ana’s face as Seth wearily

climbs into the driver’s seat.
ANA
I just need to make one quick stop
first.
INT. CORBETT COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT - DAY
Mrs. Sykes sighs and closes her eyes. She smiles. For once
the phones are silent. Someone walks through the front door.
She opens her eyes and sees Ana. Mrs. Sykes glares.
MRS. SYKES
Oh, hell no.
ANA
Yep. Just can’t stay away.
MRS. SYKES
What do you want this time?
ANA
I’d like to post bail for Cody
Varga.
Ana slaps some bills down on the desk and turns to leave.
Mrs. Sykes is confused. She counts the money and sees that
under the bills is a pack of Skittles. The phone starts to
RING.
93.
EXT. BURNETT HOUSE - AFTERNOON
Seth and Ana exit their car and cross Ronnie Burnett’s yard.
His truck is gone. The rotting deer carcass slowly twists in
the wind. Ronnie’s ramshackle house looms ominously ahead.
Seth notices something.
SETH
Look. The knife is gone.
Sure enough the stump no longer has the crusty hunting knife
lodged in it. Ana takes a deep breath and looks around. The
woods are eerily quiet. She pounds on the door. There’s an
instant of unbearable silence.
Misty -- one of the two women Seth and Ana saw before --
answers the door. She seems bleary-eyed and disoriented in
the light of day.
MISTY
What’re you... what do y’all want?
ANA
We’re looking for Ronnie.
Misty shakes her head.
MISTY
Ain’t here.
ANA
How long has he been gone?
MISTY
I don’t... I’m not...
Misty is thoroughly befuddled. The boy, Travis, edges forward

from behind her.
TRAVIS
He’s been gone since yesterday.
SETH
Did he say where he was going?
Travis grins.
TRAVIS
Yeah. Up your ass.
94.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Someone watches Ana and Seth from the trees as they walk back
toward their car and get in.
INT. CAR - DAY
Seth and Ana drive along the curvy ridgeline road back toward
town.
SETH
So what do we do now?
ANA
I guess we try to find Ronnie, but
I don’t know where to--
Ana’s phone RINGS, startling her and Seth. A moment of decent

cell reception. She slowly answers it.
ANA
...Hello?
INT. PODCASTING STUDIO - CONTINUOUS
Sharon sits at her desk in front of her computer screen.
SHARON
Hi, Ana it’s me.
ANA (O.S.)
Jesus, Sharon. You scared the shit
out of me.
SHARON
I’m... sorry?
ANA (O.S.)
No, no, it’s fine. We’re just kinda
busy right now. What’s up?
SHARON
I wanted to touch base and make
sure you guys are OK. I’ve been
checking the forums and... Was
there, like, another murder?
95.
ANA
Yeah. Somebody already posted about
it?
SHARON (O.S.)
Mmm hmm. This morning.
(reading off computer)
“Just read about another killing
down in Glencoe. Lynette Hagan,
Dora’s best friend, has been
brutally murdered. Looks like
Ronnie Burnett struck again. When
will this animal be locked up?”
ANA
Who posted it?
SHARON (O.S.)
Somebody called RyeCatM.
ANA
Is there a timestamp on the post?
SHARON
Uh, 6:52 AM. I tried to Google the
murder but... I couldn’t find
anything.
It slowly dawns on Ana.
ANA
That’s because there haven’t been
any news stories about it yet...
Thanks Sharon, I have to go.
SHARON (O.S.)
OK. Stay safe.
Ana hangs up. She takes a deep breath.
ANA
Seth, I think somebody’s trying to
frame Ronnie Burnett. And I think
they might have killed Lynette to
do it.
SETH
What?
ANA
First they pretend to be Ronnie
online to bait me.
(MORE)
96.
ANA (CONT'D)
Then they send that fake-ass
confession. Now they’re talking up
Lynette’s murder online like Ronnie
did it.
SETH
I don’t know, Ana. It’s a big
coincidence, sure, but--
ANA
They implicated him before the
police even knew!
SETH
It’s weird... but couldn’t it just
be some local busybody who already
heard about it somehow? Like, from
whoever called it in maybe? Gossip
seems to be the fastest-moving
thing around here.
Ana considers this.
ANA
We could do a test. If I say Ronnie
is innocent again, I bet they’ll
react...
ANGLE ON Ana’s phone as she composes a social media post:
“Wow. Just received some very compelling new evidence that

completely exonerates Ronnie Burnett. Stay tuned Murder
Hearters! #IHeartMurder”
Send.
Ana lowers her phone. Immediately it BUZZES.
ANA
It’s a reply. From RyeCatM.
ANGLE ON a direct message on Ana’s phone:
@RyeCatM: “what evidence?”
Ana chews her lip. She types back:
“I know you’re involved in Lynette’s murder. I know you’re

trying to set up Ronnie Burnett. Tell me who you really are.”
Send.
SETH
...Anything?
97.
Ana waits. Nothing. She sags, disappointed. Then she types a

direct message to @southwillrise88.
“Maybe you prefer using this account?”
Send.
A beat. With a horrendous CRASH their car is t-boned off the

side of the road. It tumbles over the lip of the ridge into
the trees below.
SMASH TO BLACK
EXT. SIDE OF THE ROAD - DAY
Ana flashes in and out of consciousness.
-Ana’s face is covered in blood. She’s still strapped in the

passenger seat and a fire is burning somewhere nearby.
-Someone, face obscured, drags Ana out of the burning car,

but leaves Seth inside.
-The person looks at Ana’s phone and types something on it

then tosses it onto the ground. Then they gingerly set the
cases containing the podcast’s recording equipment on the
grass beside her. Ana tries to say something but she can’t
speak. Can’t move. Blood drips into her eyes.
-The figure notices the shoebox full of Cody’s letters, reads

one, then sets them alight on the burning car, before
leaving.
-Ana lies on the ground, staring up at the trees. The sky is

beautiful. Flashing blue lights mingle with the flickering
oranges of the burning car nearby. Ana loses consciousness
once more.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN:
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT
Ana awakens with a GASP. She looks around to see that she’s
in a dark, quiet hospital bed. She has bandages on her face
and neck and her right arm is in a cast. An IV drip gives her
fluid.
Behind her a dark figure rises from a chair. Ana whirls,

panicked. Joe Ivey holds both hands out.
98.
JOE
Easy.
ANA
Where am I? What-- what happened?
JOE
Methodist Hospital in Booneville.
You had a car accident. You’re
lucky to be alive. If I’d gotten
there a couple minutes later...
Ana tries to get up but winces and slumps back down.
JOE
Look, I need to find him.
ANA
Who?
Joe’s face hardens into a tight grimace.
JOE
Ronnie Burnett. His truck was
abandoned in the parking lot of
your motel. I know you know where
he is. I need to get to him...
before anybody else does.
ANA
Why?
JOE
You know why.
ANA
Joe, he’s innocent.
A little of Joe’s anger gives way to confusion.
JOE
He confessed.
ANA
What?
JOE
You posted the damn video.
Joe pulls out his phone and shows the latest post from
@iheartmurder:
99.
VIDEO of Ronnie Burnett. He’s in a dark room. A bright light

shines directly in his face. Ronnie looks dazed and speaks in
a hoarse whisper.
RONNIE (VIDEO)
My name is Ronald James Burnett and
I’d like to confess to the murder
of Dora Bishop four years ago and
the murder of Lynette Hagan
yesterday.
The shaky video cuts off.
ANA
No. It’s wrong. Somebody’s forcing
him to say those things. Where’s my
phone?
Joe looks around and picks it up off a side table and hands
it to her. There’s a crack in the screen from the crash, but
otherwise it works. Ana checks it. She’s locked out of her
social media accounts.
ANA
Damn it. He’s using my account. He
changed the password.
JOE
Who?
ANA
Whoever ran us off the road.
Ana starts to get up. She pushes through the pain yanks the
IV out of her arm.
JOE
What the hell are you doing?
ANA
If he’s not already dead, Ronnie
Burnett’s life is in danger. It’s
the same people who killed Lynette.
I have to go.
JOE
No goddamn way.
ANA
I know where he is, Joe.
JOE
Where?
100.
ANA
I’ll tell you when we get there.
Where’s Seth?
INT. SETH’S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT
Joe waits in the hall as Ana, now wearing her own clothes
again, enters another hospital room.
All of her resolve drains as she sees Seth lying in a

hospital bed, unconscious, bandages covering his burns. One
arm and both legs are in a cast. His injuries are far worse
than Ana’s.
ANA
(quietly)
Seth?
No answer.
ANA
Seth, are you--
SETH
(hoarse whisper)
Yeah.
Tears start to well in Ana’s eyes.
ANA
How-- how bad is it?
SETH
It’s bad.
ANA
Jesus Christ. What the fuck am I
doing? What the have I done to you?
Ana breaks down and begins to cry.
ANA (CONT'D)
I’m sorry, Seth. I’m so sorry.
SETH
Yeah.
ANA
What was I thinking? It was stupid
to come here. We have to get back
to New York. We have to--
Seth lets out a horrible, raw sound. He’s laughing.

101.
SETH
Are you fucking kidding me?
Ana blinks.
ANA
What?
SETH
This is where you stop? This is
where you finally give up?
Unbelievable.
ANA
No. You were right all along. I
can’t let anyone else get hurt. I
can’t be re--
SETH
You are responsible! And for once,
you are going to fucking listen to
me.
Ana wipes the tears away from her eyes.
ANA
OK, Seth. OK. I’m listening.
SETH
You’re going to finish what you
started. You’re going to make this
matter.
ANA
But--
SETH
Make this mean something!
Seth slumps back in his bed, asleep or unconscious.
Shaken, Ana stumbles backward out into the hall. Joe checks
to make sure the coast is clear, and leads her toward the
elevator.
INT. JOE’S CRUISER - NIGHT
Ana sits in the passenger side. Joe stares straight ahead as

he drives. The lights of the oncoming cars cast strange,
dancing shadows on their faces.
102.
JOE
Ronnie Burnett is a human scumbag.
The worst of the worst.
ANA
I agree. But killing him is still a
crime.
JOE
If we get there, and you’re wrong
about Ronnie being innocent... I’m
going to do what needs to be done.
ANA
I probably can’t stop you.
JOE
So where the hell are we going
anyway?
Ana turns to look Joe in the eyes.
ANA
Dora Bishop’s house.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Cody Varga races his 4-wheeler down a mountain trail in the

darkness. He’s traveling way too fast. Branches claw at him.
Tree trunks whip past and he barely manages to avoid them. He
seems to have a death wish.
Cody screeches to a hard stop where the trail crosses the

road. A instant later Cody watches Joe’s cruiser speed past,
headed up the mountain.
Cody rips off his helmet.
EXT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Joe’s cruiser pulls up to Dora’s house. It’s abandoned now,

falling apart, with black soot stains climbing up from every
window.
ANA
Look.
There is already a car parked here, a green Toyota with a

huge dent in the hood.
JOE
Fine. You’re right.
103.
Joe speaks into his radio.
JOE
This is Officer Ivey requesting
immediate backup out on County Road
655 at the old Bishop place. Over.
Joe takes a deep breath, draws his gun, and exits the
cruiser. Ana starts to follow him.
JOE
What the hell are you doing? Stay
in the car.
Ana frowns as Joe stalks toward the front steps of the house.
INT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - FOYER - NIGHT
Joe slowly opens the door, flashlight in one hand, gun in the
other. Inside the house is dark. It’s been burned out and
empty for 3 years. The floorboards are warped. Mold and
spiderwebs and even a few stray vines creep up the walls.
INT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Joe proceeds into the ruined dining room, checking it with

his flash light. All clear. Joe hears a MUFFLED WHIMPER. It’s
coming from the basement. Joe slowly opens the basement door
and descends into darkness.
INT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS
Joe descends, each step groaning under his weight, into the
charred basement. Another WHIMPER.
His flashlight beam lands on Ronnie Burnett. Ronnie is

completely nude, bound to a blackened chair. His mouth is
covered in duct tape but otherwise his face and neck are
untouched. The entire rest of his body, however, is marked
with burns, bruises and open wounds. Several bloody
implements of torture -- pliers, hacksaw, sledgehammer,
blowtorch -- are piled on the ground at his feet.
JOE
Jesus.
Ronnie WHIMPERS again. His eyes are practically bulging out

of his head. He’s looking at something behind Joe. Joe turns.
At the top of the stairs a hulking figure in a ski mask now

darkens the basement door.
104.
The masked figure lunges and Joe raises his gun but it’s a
moment too late. BANG! Joe fires wide and the pistol clatters
out of his hand, as he is knocked to the floor.
The two men scuffle on the ground, masked man on top. Joe is
strong but the masked man is much bigger and heavier. Joe
reaches for his gun but the masked figure stabs the hunting
knife all the way through Joe’s palm pinning his hand to the
floor. Joe SCREAMS in pain.
The masked figure wrenches the knife free and goes for Joe’s
neck when--
WHAM! Ana swings a hardshell sound equipment case right into

the masked man’s face, knocking him off Joe.
JOE
I told you to stay in the car!
ANA
I’m not a great listener, Joe.
The masked man moans and tries to push himself up off the
ground. Joe grabs his gun with his left hand.
JOE
Hands up shithead!
The masked man slowly raises his hands.
JOE
Take the fucking mask off!
The man removes his mask. He’s a bald, doughy man who looks
more like a Little League coach than a murderer. Joe doesn’t
recognize him. But Ana does: it’s the man staying in Room 207
of the Chief Logan Inn.
JOE
Who the fuck is that?
Before Ana can answer -- THUNK -- crossbow bolt sprouts from

Joe’s throat. He wobbles for a moment then falls to the
ground, bleeding out of his mouth and neck.
Ana turns.
ANGLE ON Tracey Milbank holding Ronnie’s hunting crossbow.

Her hair is wild and she wears a blood-stained “I Heart
Murder” t-shirt. She smiles strangely, tears welling in her
eyes.
ANA
...Tracey?
105.
TRACEY
Ana, I’m such a huge fan.
Tracey loads and cocks another bolt into the crossbow.
TRACEY
Sorry I lied to you earlier. But I
had to be undercover to help solve
the mystery. And I did.
She grins and points to Ronnie Burnett.
ANA
...Uh huh.
Ana’s eyes flit to Joe’s gun. The big man, now on his feet,
kicks it away.
TRACEY
Did you see the video we posted? It
took awhile but Stu and I got
Ronnie to confess. Oh gosh, where’s
my head, I didn’t introduce you to
my husband Stu.
STU extends a meaty hand. Ana shakes it.
TRACEY
He loves the podcast almost as much
as I do. We listen to each episode
over and over again to make sure we
don’t miss anything. It got us
through some real tough times.
Ana speaks very carefully, hoping not to upset anyone.
ANA
...I’m glad you like my show... So
now that you’ve captured the real
killer, we should take him to the
police--
TRACEY
NO!
Tracey’s face twitches strangely.
TRACEY
They’ll just let him go. They don’t
care.
Tracey spits at Joe’s corpse.

106.
TRACEY
What we want is justice for Dora.
Tracey aims the crossbow at Ronnie and a horrid smile spreads

across her face.
TRACEY
Justice for Dora.
She shoots. The bolt lodges in his chest with a THUD. Ronnie
shudders violently against his ropes and goes limp.
Ana makes a break for it, darting up the basement stairs.
TRACEY
GET HER!
Stu lumbers after Ana.
INT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Ana bursts out of the basement door and stumbles through the
darkened house. With no light, she keeps colliding with
objects, tripping over burned, broken furniture.
Ana fumbles with her phone as she flees. She wants to call
someone, anyone. “No Service”
ANA
(almost crying)
God damn it!
She tries to open the front door but she can’t. Tracey has
padlocked it shut. Ana slams her shoulder into it once.
Doesn’t budge.
Ana hears the sounds of Stu in pursuit. She runs up the

stairs to the second floor.
INT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
Ana races down the hallway and ducks into a bathroom. Stu’s
heavy footfalls echo on the stairs behind her.
INT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS
Ana hides inside the bathtub and yanks the moldy shower
curtain closed after her. She’s winded, but she tries her
damnedest to not even breathe.
107.
Ana hears Stu’s steps as he walks down the hallway outside

the door. He pauses for an unbearable moment at the bathroom
to listen. Then he continues on.
Ana breathes an inaudible sigh of relief. Her phone RINGS.
ANA
Fuck!
Ana answers it frantically and screams into the phone.
ANA
I’m at Dora Bishop’s house and
they’re trying to kill me!
INT. STUDIO OFFICE - DAY
A beautiful office space in Beverly Hills. A tan, handsome

man in a deep v-neck black tee shirt, DAN PEDROSSIAN (45)
sits at a desk and talks into a speakerphone.
DAN PEDROSSIAN
Um... Hi, this is Dan Pedrossian
calling for Ana Cohen?
ANA (O.S.)
PLEASE! YOU HAVE TO--
The phone goes silent.
DAN PEDROSSIAN
...Hello?
Dan Pedrossian looks at his ASSISTANT. She shrugs.
INT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS
Stu holds Ana’s iPhone that he just crushed in his meaty

hand. Ana makes another break for it but Stu grabs her with
one arm and hurls her across the room. Ana’s head smashes
against a radiator. She instantly loses consciousness.
FADE TO BLACK.
INT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - NIGHT
Ana comes to. She’s been tied up to the same support beam
where Dora was burned alive. Joe’s body, bolt still
protruding from his throat, lies on the ground beside her in
a pool of blood.
108.
Ana looks up to see Tracey sitting on the stairs nearby,

staring at her with unblinking eyes. Stu looms silently
behind.
ANA
(weakly)
Let me go.
TRACEY
I can’t. You were looking for
answers. And I knew they were out
there. I wanted to lead you to the
truth. And gosh I thought you would
be happy that all has finally
become clear.
She gestures towards Ronnie’s corpse.
ANA
He didn’t do it.
TRACEY
Yes. He. did.
ANA
You two killed Lynette Hagan just
to frame him.
TRACEY
You were losing the thread! You
needed more clues!
ANA
She was an innocent victim.
TRACEY
Read the message boards! The pieces
are all there! Lynette used drugs.
She was Ronnie’s accomplice. They
murdered Dora Bishop together. Poor
Dora.
Tracey starts to cry. Her body heaves with big, too-loud

sobs. Stu puts a big hand on her shoulder.
ANA
...You’re insane.
Tracey wipes her eyes.
TRACEY
I really hoped it wouldn’t have to
come to this.
(MORE)
109.
TRACEY (CONT'D)
But you’re just like the others,
you want to bury the truth.
Tracey nods to Stu. The big man places a cheap digital

recorder onto the ground in front of her. He plugs in a ten-
dollar microphone.
TRACEY
So we’re going to have to record
the final episode of I Heart
Murder, right here, right now. You
need to tell the whole world, once
and for all, that Ronnie Burnett is
guilty of Dora Bishop’s Murder.
Stu turns the recorder on. Slowly, Tracey levels the crossbow
at Ana.
ANA
...
THUMP. A muffled noise from upstairs. Stu and Tracey look at

each other.
EXT. DORA BISHOP’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Tony Yates kicks at the front door of his house.
TONY
Joe? Joe, are you in there?
Tony kicks again. And again. This time the padlock splinters
off the doorjamb.
INT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS
Stu chambers a bullet in Joe’s gun and creeps up the stairs,

surprisingly quiet for such a large man.
Still aiming the crossbow at Ana, Tracey puts a finger to her

lips. Shh.
Both of them listen. Footsteps creaking the floorboards above

them.
TONY (O.S.)
(muffled)
Hey, who the hell are--
Gunshots -- BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! -- a body falls. Silence.

Then a single set of quiet footsteps make their way back
toward the basement door.
110.
Tracey’s sick grin returns as she turns back to Ana and holds
up the mic.
TRACEY
Now repeat after me: My name is Ana
Cohen and you’re listening to I
Heart--
BANG! The top of Tracey’s head explodes, splattering Ana with

blood and gore. Tracey flops forward onto the digital
recorder.
Tony Yates descends the stairs, smoking gun in his hand.
TONY
Well, looks like I got here right
in the nick of time.
ANA
You saved my life... I’m sorry...
Joe didn’t... He’s...
Ana starts to cry. Tony looks at Joe then he stares at her

for a long moment as he strokes his jaw.
TONY
Well, shoot. You probably shouldn’t
have come down to West Virginia.
Ana looks up.
ANA
...What?
TONY
Bad luck for you. Still, probably
for the best. I can’t have you
poking around here anymore.
ANA
What are you talking about?
TONY
Too much attention, what with all
the amateur detectives and now the
Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Who knows what somebody might turn
up if they actually look? No, no,
no. It just won’t do.
Ana struggles against the ropes.
ANA
Untie me, Tony. Please.
111.
He doesn’t. Instead he moves toward Tracey’s body.
TONY
Hmm. This is a little messier than
I like to do it. But hopefully we
can wrap up all the loose ends.
He crouches and places the gun he just fired into Tracey’s

limp hand. Curls her fingers around it and fires into the
basement wall -- BANG -- causing Ana to flinch backwards. For
the first time she notices Tony is wearing shiny black
gloves.
TONY
There. You and Joe came here to
save Ronnie. These two maniacs
killed Joe and then themselves. And
I arrived
(checks watch)
20 minutes from now? But by that
time the fire was already out of
control. Luckily no rain in the
forecast this time.
ANA
What fire?
Tony chuckles and holds up a 32 oz. bottle of lighter fluid.

He starts to squirt it onto the piles of partially burned
debris all around Ana.
TONY
Haven’t you noticed? Look around
these hills. So many of these
people are just... trash. Pill-
heads and meth-heads and whores.
They’re trash. Lazy, disgusting
trash. Ana, my job is to burn the
trash.
Tony pulls on a black latex dog mask.
TONY (CONT'D)
On behalf of decent folks
everywhere.
ANA
You... murdered Dora.
TONY
Yes. And many others. Though most
of them weren’t so photogenic.
(MORE)
112.
TONY (CONT'D)
Just toothless hillbilly drug
addicts so nobody bothered to
investigate. Lesson learned.
Tony chuckles again.
ANA
...Why her?
TONY
Dora Bishop was fornicating with a
married man.
He nudges Joe’s lifeless head with his toe.
TONY
Trash.
Ana struggles against her ropes and screams at the top of her
lungs.
ANA
HELP ME! SOMEBODY! HELP!
Tony shakes his head.
TONY
You really need to calm down. This
should help.
Tony crouches close to Ana and starts to fill a syringe from

a vial of oxycodone.
With an unexpected lurch, Ana headbutts Tony’s hands, sending

vial and both clattering away into the darkness. Under the
mask, Tony’s face twists in fury. Then he catches himself and
slowly smiles.
TONY
So you want to do it the hard way?
Quick as a snake, Tony whips out his telescoping baton and

cracks Ana across the face, silencing her. She slumps, dazed
by the blow.
Tony steps back and strikes a match. He admires it for a

moment and tosses it onto the ground. WHOOMP! The lighter
fluid around Ana goes up in flames. Tony unzips his pants,
closes his eyes, and starts to masturbate. Pure bliss.
As the flames burn higher, Ana blinks and sees something

glinting in the firelight. She twists and stretches and
manages to get two fingers around the crossbow bolt poking
out of Joe Ivey’s neck.
113.
By straining and wrenching her weight she somehow manages to

rip the bloody bolt out of Joe’s throat. Using the arrowhead
she starts to saw at her ropes.
Tony’s pace quickens and his breath starts to accelerate.
With a pop, Ana cuts through the ropes. She leaps over the
gathering fire and dashes up the basement stairs.
EXT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Black smoke billows from the basement window. Ana bursts out
of the front door of the house, racing full speed toward
Joe’s cruiser. She throws open the door.
BANG! A bullet shatters the side mirror. Tony stands on the

porch, still in his dog mask, dick out, gun in hand.
Ana jumps into the driver seat and slams the door behind her.
INT. JOE'S CRUISER - CONTINUOUS
Tony walks calmly toward the vehicle as Ana fumbles.
ANA
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
The keys are still in the ignition. Ana starts the car. The
engine whines as she turns the key too far.
CRASH! Another bullet shatters the driver side window in a

hail of tinkling glass.
Ana floors the gas. The engine roars. The car doesn’t move.
ANA
What?
Ana pulls the gearshift into drive and the car leaps forward.
EXT. DORA BISHOP'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Ana speeds away down the twisty mountain road, tires

SQUEALING. Tony zips up his pants, climbs in his own cruiser
and follows.
INT. JOE’S CRUISER - CONTINUOUS
Ana speeds and swerves down the nightmarishly twisty road,

struggling to keep control of the vehicle.
114.
She barely misses a copse of trees, overcorrects and nearly

goes over the ridge. Utterly terrifying.
With a CRASH, Tony’s car rams Ana’s from behind. The impact
nearly forces her off the road. Somehow she keeps vehicle
from going over the edge.
Tony tries to ram her again and Ana swerves at the last
second, causing him to spin out.
Ana pulls away. Tony backs up and floors it to catch her.
Ana is nearly at the bottom of the mountain now. She’s going

to make it.
INT. TONY’S CRUISER - CONTINUOUS
Tony leans out the window and fires his gun bursting one of
Ana’s tires.
Ana loses control of the car and skids into a ditch,

crumpling the front bumper against a tree.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - CONTINUOUS
Tony slows to a stop behind her and gets out of his cruiser.
He rolls his shoulders and slowly walks towards Ana’s
vehicle, gun in hand. Tony clucks his tongue.
TONY
I’m very frustrated with you right
now. Very, very frustrated.
Ana is dazed. As the airbag deflates, she fumbles with the

seatbelt. It’s locked. She can’t seem to get it undone. Her
fingers don’t quite work right. Her vision is blurry.
Tony stops as he hears a WHINING sound coming from the woods.

It’s an engine. Tony squints in the headlights as a 4-wheeler
pulls up to the main road. Cody Varga jumps off.
115.
CODY
Leave her alone!
Tony shoots at Cody but misses. Cody slams into Tony and, for
a moment, it seems like he might be able to overpower the
smaller man and wrestle the gun away. Cody yells at Ana.
CODY
Go on! Drive!
Yet with his other hand Tony whips out his telescoping baton.
He beats Cody repeatedly across the face and shoulders with
it, forcing the boy back. With a final blow to the head, he
knocks Cody to the ground.
In the rearview mirror Ana sees Tony slowly point his gun at
Cody’s head.
ANA
No.
Ana starts the car. She throws it into reverse and floors it.
The tires SCREECH as she backs over Tony Yates at 30 miles an
hour -- KATHUNK -- instantly crushing him to death.
Ana, stumbles out of the cruiser and helps a groggy Cody to

sit up. She sits on the ground beside him and the two of them
stare out into the night.
The headlights of another car approach. A two-door compact

with a police flasher on the dashboard rolls to a stop.
Trooper Terry Webb stumbles out, gun in hand.
WEBB
Call came in over the radio. Came
as fast as I could. Are you OK?
ANA (V.O.)
...Am I OK? I have a broken arm,
two fractured vertebrae, and scars
on my face that won’t ever heal. I
wake up screaming some nights. But
hey, this turned out to be one hell
of a podcast, right? Now I know
you’re probably wondering: is this
the end of I Heart Murder?
SMASH TO:
116.
INT. PODCASTING STUDIO - RECORDING BOOTH - DAY
Ana sits in the recording booth. Bandages gone, she now has
bright scars across her neck and forehead. Her arm is still
in a cast.
ANA (CONT'D)
...I think it is. For now. When I
started this podcast I had no idea
where it would lead me or what it
would mean to people. But I hoped
what I would find in the end was
the truth.
ANGLE ON Ana’s cork board with the photos of Dora, Joe,

Ronnie and Cody, connected by red yarn.
ANA
Along the way, good people got
hurt. Others died. I almost did.
And I found the truth. Or I guess
it found me. But the question I
keep asking myself is: was it worth
it?
Ana sits in silence for a long moment.
ANA
...Well, was it?
INT. PODCASTING STUDIO - OFFICE SPACE - DAY
Ana steps out of the recording booth -- she walks with a

slight limp now -- followed by her new producer LEO (30) a
non-threatening quasi-hipster, bubbling with enthusiasm.
Sharon sits at her laptop.
LEO
Sharon, what’ve we got?
Sharon points to the iTunes podcast rankings on her computer

and grins.
SHARON
Still #1.
LEO
Hell yeah!
SHARON
Eat shit Ira Glass.
117.
ANA
Anything else?
SHARON
Oh, and it looks like Pedrossian’s
office messengered the final
contract over.
Sharon hands Ana a manila envelope.
ANA
Thanks.
Ana limps to her desk and sits down. She opens the envelope
and starts to look over the contract. Leo follows. He hovers.
ANA
What?
LEO
...So I know we’re basically in
preproduction with Netflix, but I
just wanted to float a couple
things your way.
Ana rolls her eyes.
ANA
Leo, c’mon.
Leo places a sheet on her desk. It’s an FBI missing persons

poster showing a pretty, young AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN.
LEO
Chantal Goodwin. Detroit, Michigan.
Missing since 2011. Only her
brother swears she’s still alive.
We’ve done the whole creepy
backwoods hillbilly thing. This
would have more of a hardscrabble,
Midwestern urban vibe.
Ana shakes her head.
ANA
Seriously I really can’t even think
about this right now.
LEO
No? How about Kristina Wythe-
Rockefeller?
He puts down another. A printout of an article about a murder

with a photo of an elegant BLONDE DEBUTANTE.
118.
LEO (CONT'D)
Murdered last year in New Canaan,
Connecticut right in her own
kitchen. No arrests. Lotta crazy
suspects. And yes, it is those
Rockefellers.
ANA
Stop.
LEO
Just one more. Kim Ricci. Lived in
Bushwick. Body found in a park in
Staten Island in February of 2015.
They put her mailman in jail, only
the DNA doesn’t match. For this one
you wouldn’t even have to leave the
city.
He places another printout: this one shows a PRETTY HIPSTER

in cool glasses.
ANA
You done?
LEO
OK, OK, I’ll drop it.
(beat)
Anyway, Sharon and I are going to
Costello’s for a few. Apparently
she’s got an idea for a podcast she
wants to pitch me. It’s like
relationship advice but also sketch
comedy somehow? I don’t really get
it. Anyway, you’re welcome to come
along, if you like.
ANA
Nah, I think I’ll just finish up
here.
LEO
Okay don’t work too hard.
(yelling)
Sharon! Let’s ride!
Sharon and Leo leave Ana alone in the office, poring over the
contract.
Ana pauses. She sucks at her teeth as if trying to decide

something. Then she pulls out her phone.
119.
INT. SETH’S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Seth sits in a wheelchair, both legs still in casts, bandages

still covering the burns on his arms face and neck. He and
Lisa watch another episode of the same baking competition
show as before. This time Seth isn’t smiling.
Seth’s phone BUZZES. He looks at it. On the screen he sees

the name “Ana”.
A beat. Seth declines the call.
INT. PODCASTING STUDIO - OFFICE SPACE - NIGHT
Ana puts down her phone. She looks around the empty office
and drums her fingers on her desk. She sighs.
Then she picks up the article about Kim Ricci and starts to
read...
SMASH TO BLACK

14 - I Heart Murder

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I HEART MURDER

TITLE: I HEART MURDER

SUPER: GLENCOE, WEST VIRGINIA. FOUR YEARS AGO.

INT. DORA BISHOP’S HOUSE - BASEMENT - NIGHT

The basement of an old house, dusty and cluttered, lit by a

A human figure is on the floor. DORA BISHOP (27), a former

Dora SHRIEKS and violently struggles against the ropes. No

Nothing. Dora slumps back down and starts to sob.

A NOISE. A SHADOWY FIGURE shifts in the darkness behind her.

The figure says nothing, continues rummaging.

Nothing. Dora loses it.

At last, the figure finds what they’ve been searching for: a

The dark figure steps forward into the light at last.

REVEAL: A man wearing a fetish dog mask made of glistening

She begins to thrash and scream hysterically at the top of

The Dog-Masked Man carefully folds his baton. Dora continues

The Dog-Masked Man inserts a syringe into a medical vial and

The Dog-Masked Man steps backward and strikes a match. It

As the flames grow higher around Dora’s unconscious form, the

As the flames burn hotter, the Dog-masked Man finishes. He

The Dog-masked Man disappears up the basement stairs.

EXT. DORA BISHOP’S HOUSE - NIGHT

The Appalachian mountains. A beautiful old Victorian house

Lightning dances in the distance. THUNDER rumbles. The Dog-

A patter of rain starts to fall.

INT. DORA BISHOP’S HOUSE - BASEMENT

Dora’s flesh is half melted off now, blackened and bubbling.

INT. PODCASTING STUDIO - RECORDING BOOTH - DAY

ANA COHEN (29), a cute hipster in cool glasses, sits at a

A beat. Ana takes a sip of water. She looks at a different

SUPER: PRESENT DAY.

On the other side of the glass is SETH HOWARD (30), non-

ANGLE ON Ana’s in-studio cork board, connecting various

ANGLE ON a photograph of JOE IVEY (mid 40s), a tall, fit man

ANGLE ON a newspaper article “OFF-DUTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY

ANGLE ON a mugshot of CODY VARGA (15) a hulking, dead-eyed

ANGLE ON printouts of various social media posts that say

ANGLE ON a Newspaper article “SUSPECT ARRESTED IN MURDER

ANGLE ON: A smiling mugshot of RONNIE BURNETT (50s) a

ANGLE ON an old newspaper clipping with the headline “GLENCOE

INT. PODCASTING STUDIO - OFFICE SPACE - DAY

Ana shows Seth her phone: a nicely framed shot of the

“the connections are becoming clearer mwahahahaha” [upside

She does. Nearby the podcast’s lone employee SHARON (22), a

Ana notices the iTunes podcast rankings open on Sharon’s

Ana whips out her smartphone and posts Seth’s comment to

Sharon holds out a dirty, beat-up manila envelope sealed with

Ana and Seth freeze.

Sharon holds up a Post-It. Ana snatches it and continues

Sharon puts her earbuds in and turns back to her computer.

Ana rapidly scans social media on her phone, liking and

She points to a recent New York Times article about the

Ana pinches Seth’s cheek.

Ana looks up.

Seth shakes his head.

Across the office, Sharon pulls her earbuds out, confused.

INT. NYU AUDITORIUM - THAT NIGHT

Ana sits on a panel onstage with OTHER PROMINENT PODCASTERS

A GRUFF COMEDIAN speaks to the crowd.