CARVER, the next watch. They go up the steps.
14 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE.
MIKE and HATCH have just finished putting a blanket over PETER we can see GODSOE'S
fisherman's boots poking out when a HAMMERING on the back door begins. HATCH gasps and lunges for the desk, where the pistol sits beside the makeshift sign, which the men took off the suicide's chest. MIKE grabs HATCH'S arm.
MIKE
125
Relax.
He goes to the door and opens it. KIRK and JACK come in with snow swirling around them, stamping their feet.
138 STEPHEN KING
KIRK FREEMAN Right on time, by God, storm or no st
(sees the blanket-covered corpse) What ! Mike, who's that?
JACK CARVER (sick to his stomach) Peter Godsoe. I reckinize the boots.
JACK turns to look at LINOGE. KIRK follows his gaze. These men are new to the situation, but still understand instinctively that LINOGE has been a part of what has happened they feel his power.
In the corner, the CB RADIO CRACKLES.
URSULA (radio voice)
. . . ike . . . come in, Mike An . . . have a bad sit ... town hall . . . Lloyd Wish . . . gency . . .
emergency . . .
That last word, at least, comes through clearly. MIKE and HATCH exchange a startled, worried look what now? MIKE goes to the shelf where the CB sits and snatches up the microphone.
MIKE
Ursula, say again! Say again, please . . . and go slow! The roof antenna's snapped off and I'm barely picking you up. What is your emergency?
He lets go of the button. There is a tense pause. HATCH reaches past him and TURNS UP THE
VOLUME. SOUND OF STATIC, then:
URSULA (radio voice)
. . . oyd . . . shman . . . Ferd says . . . Robbie Beals . . . Henry Bright . . . have . . . can . . . hear me?
MIKE looks frustrated, then has an idea.
MIKE (to HATCH)
Go out front and get her on the Island Services CB. Come back as soon's you know what her trouble is.
HATCH
Right.
STORM OF THE CENTURY 139 He starts away, then looks back doubtfully.
HATCH You'll be okay?
MIKE He's locked up, isn't he?
HATCH looks more doubtful than ever, but he leaves.
KIRK FREEMAN Mike, do you have any idea what's going on here?
MIKE holds up a hand, as if to say, 'Not now.' He reaches into his coat pocket and brings out the Polaroids he took at MARTHA CLARENDON'S house. He shuffles through them until he finds the one from over the door. He lays this down in the corner of the paper he and HATCH took from around PETER GODSOE'S neck. They are identical even the drawing of the cane over MARTHA'S living 126
room door looks the same as the ones dancing on the sheet of paper.
JACK CARVER
What in God's name is happening?
MIKE starts to straighten up, then sees something else.
15 INTERIOR: THE OPEN POWERBOOK, FROM MIKE'S POINT OF VIEW.
The entire grid of HATCH'S crossword has been filled in with variations of 'GIVE ME WHAT I WANT AND I'LL GO AWAY,' plus the little cane-icons in the black squares.
16 INTERIOR: RESUME CONSTABLE'S OFFICE.
MIKE I'll be damned if I know.
17 INTERIOR: THE TOWN OFFICE, WITH URSULA NIGHT.
She's working the CB microphone for all it's worth. Behind her, looking anxious, are a number of men and women, SANDRA BEALS and CARLA BRIGHT among them.
140 STEPHEN KING
Mike, are you there?
URSULA f
MOLLY, also understandably worried, works her way through the knot of onlookers.
MOLLY Can't you get him?
URSULA
The wind's knocked the damned antennas down! Over here . . . over there ... all over the island, most likely.
HATCH (staticky radio voice) Ursula, do you read me? Come on back.
URSULA I'm here! I read you! You gettin' me, Alton Hatcher?
HATCH (radio voice)
You're breaking up some, but it's better than it was. What's your problem?
URSULA
Ferd Andrews says Lloyd Wishman has killed himself over at the firehouse HATCH (radio voice) What?
URSULA
only it doesn't sound like any suicide I ever heard of ... Ferd says Lloyd cut his own head open with an axe. And now Robbie Beals and Henry Bright have gone over there. To investigate, Robbie said!
HATCH (staticky radio voice) And you let 'em go?
i
STORM OF THE CENTURY 141 CARLA takes the mike from URSULA.
CARLA
127
There was no way to stop Robbie. He practically shanghaied my husband. And there could be somebody there!
