Suddenly the prisoner sits up, his eyes widening. JACK elbows MIKE to get his attention. MIKE
turns to look. As he does, LINOGE extends one hand with the forefinger pointed down. He revolves it once in the air.
62 INTERIOR: SUPPLY SHED, WITH CAT AND BILLY NIGHT.
BILLY turns back to the shelf, so his back is to her. This move exactly mimes the turning gesture LINOGE made with his finger.
BILLY
What's that supposed to mean?
CAT
That I'm not stupid. If I'd come to you when you were still chasing after Jenna, I know what you would have thought 'Little bitch got herself pregnant just to make sure I wouldn't get away.'
BILLY You did a whole lot of my thinking for me, didn't you?
CAT
You ought to thank me! You sure haven't been doing much for yourself!
BILLY
And what about the baby? The one you murdered? How much thinking did you do about the baby?
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(no reply from CAT) Get out of here. I can't stand listening to you.
STORM OF THE CENTURY 169
CAT
Dear God. You're unfaithful, and that's bad, but you're a coward, and that's worse too chicken to own up to the part of this that belongs to you. I thought maybe I could save us, but there's nothing to save. You're only a stupid kid, after all.
She turns to go. BILLY'S face cramps with rage. He stands facing the shelves, and now he sees: 63 INTERIOR: THE CANS OF JUICE, FROM BILLY'S POINT OF VIEW.
'McCALL'S BRAND' at the top has been replaced by 'McCANE'S BRAND.' The ripe apple on the labels has been replaced by a black cane with a silver wolfs head. And instead of 'GRADE A FANCY,'
each can reads 'GRADE A BITCHY.'
64 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, FEATURES LINOGE. LINOGE puts out his hand and MIMES GRIPPING AN OBJECT.
KIRK
What's he doing?
MIKE shakes his head. He doesn't know.
65 INTERIOR: THE STORAGE SHED, WITH BILLY AND CAT.
He takes one of the cans off the shelf, gripping it like a club as CAT, headed for the door, steps over the half- loaded toboggan behind him.
66 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, FEATURES LINOGE.
MIKE What's up, sir? Mind telling me?
LINOGE takes no notice. He's totally absorbed. He makes the twirling gesture with his forefinger again, then scissors his fingers in the air to mime WALKING.
67 INTERIOR: THE SHED, WITH BILLY AND CAT.
She's at the door, back to him, when BILLY turns with the big can of apple juice. He steps toward her
170 STEPHEN KING
68 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE.
MIKE walks toward the cell as LINOGE gets to his feet and raises his arm above his head. His hand is cupped, as if holding an object that only he can see.
69 INTERIOR: THE SHED, WITH BILLY AND CAT.
As CAT steps out into the storm, BILLY raises the can over his head.
70 INTERIOR: THE CELL, WITH LINOGE.
He raises his other hand, now MIMING A TWO-HANDED GRIP.
71 EXTERIOR: OUTSIDE THE SUPPLY SHED, WITH CAT NIGHT.
She stands just outside the door on the rapidly disappearing toboggan track. She wipes the tears from her cheeks with her gloved palms, then readjusts her scarf.
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It gives BILLY plenty of time. He appears behind her in the doorway with the can raised over his head in both hands, his face twisted into a hateful grimace.
72 INTERIOR: THE CELL, WITH LINOGE.
MIKE stands outside the bars, looking at his prisoner with perplexity and fear. The other men huddle behind him. LINOGE ignores them all and BRINGS HIS HANDS DOWN.
73 EXTERIOR: THE SUPPLY SHED, WITH BILLY AND CAT.
BILLY almost does it. We see the heavy can of apple juice actually start an arc of descent that would mime the one described by LINOGE'S hands, and then it stops. The expression of BLIND
RAGE on BILLY'S face breaks up into one of bewilderment and horror my God, he's almost caved her skull in! *
CAT neither knows nor intuits any of this. She begins trudging back toward the town hall with her head lowered and the ends of her scarf blowing in the gale.
STORM OF THE CENTURY 171
74 INTERIOR: THE CELL, WITH LINOGE.
He's still bent over, his linked hands swinging by his knees, the picture of a man who has just delivered a hard blow with a heavy object. But he knows he's failed. His face is BEADED WITH
SWEAT, and his eyes are hot with fury.
LINOGE She's right. You are a coward.
MIKE
What in the hell are you
LINOGE
(roaring) Shut up!
On the table, one of the Coleman gas lamps BLOWS APART, glass spraying. The men by the desk CRINGE.
LINOGE wheels around, looking wild and distracted more like a tiger in a cage than ever and then throws himself facedown on the cot, with his arms wrapped around his head. He's MUTTERING.
MIKE leans as close as the cell bars will allow, listening.
LINOGE The back step . . . the back step ... by the back step . . .
75 EXTERIOR: THE BACK STEPS OF THE TOWN HALL NIGHT.
We're looking through the snow-filled panes into the kitchen, where CORA still sits, observing the bustle of JOANNA and MRS. KINGS-BURY. They have now been joined by CARLA ST. PIERRE and ROBERTA COIGN these two are loading the dishwasher. It all looks cozy and pleasant, especially given the HOWLING WIND and DRIVING SNOW just outside.
THE CAMERA PANS DOWN. Beside the snow-covered stoop is a milk storage box. And leaning against the milk box, buried to half its length in a snowdrift, is LINOGE'S CANE. The wolf's head glares.
172 STEPHEN KING
CAT'S GLOVED HAND comes down and touches the silver head. One finger runs over the wolfs snarling muzzle.
76 EXTERIOR: CAT, CLOSE-UP NIGHT. Wide-eyed. Fascinated.
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