The Making of 'The Mean Season' Page #2

AT THE NEW YORK TIMES.

.

I TOLD YOU:

I LIKE THE TOWN.

I LIKE THE PAPER.

I EVEN LIKE:

YOUR PARENTS.

BUT YOU DIDN'T TELL

NOLAN YOU'RE QUITTING.

I HAD TO GO COVER

THAT MURDER.

I'LL TELL HIM

IN THE MORNING,

SOON AS I WALK:

IN THE DOOR.

REALLY?

PROMISE.

[Nolan]

IT'S GOOD WORK, MAL.

COMPETITION:

DIDN'T DO SO WELL.

THOUGHT ABOUT A FOLLOW-UP?

YEAH.

"FEAR STALKS

QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD

"

"IN WAKE OF

TEENAGER'S MURDER.

MALCOLM, YOU HAVEN' BEEN AT THIS LONG ENOUGH

TO BE AS BURNED OU AS YOU LIKE TO THINK

YOU ARE.

I'VE DONE IT, BILL.

EIGHT YEARS.

I'VE DONE IT TO DEATH.

WHAT? WHAT THE HELL

DOES THAT MEAN?

WHAT DO Y--

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

I DON'T KNOW.

JUST WANT WATERGATE,

RIGHT?

I DON'T WANT TO SEE

MY NAME IN THE PAPER

.

NEXT TO PICTURES

OF DEAD BODIES ANYMORE

REPORTERS REPORT,

WHICH HAPPENS TO BE

THE ONE THING:

YOU DO REALLY WELL.

I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU

TO SOME SMALL-TOWN PAPER

IN COLORADO, MAL.

I APPRECIATE IT, BILL.

MAL, WE'RE NO THE MANUFACTURER.

WE RETAIL.

NEWS GETS MADE:

SOMEWHERE ELSE.

WE JUST SELL IT.

??[Scary music]

MALCOLM?

AAH!

.

HONEY. HONEY, WAI

HONEY.

HA HA HA!

AH--WAIT!

I'M GLAD YOU STOPPED BY.

I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU.

HONEY, DID YOU

GET MY OTHER SUI

OUT OF THE CLEANER'S?

WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME?

I'M SERIOUS.

OH.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS SERIOUS.

WHAT?

NOW, IF WE'RE

REALLY GOING TO MOVE,

I'VE GOT TO TELL

THE SCHOOL:

SO THEY CAN PLAN

FOR SEPTEMBER.

TELL THEM.

REALLY?

REALLY.

YOU SHOULD BE SLAPPED.

YOU SHOULDN' SCARE ME LIKE THAT.

I HATE THAT!

OH, GOD. WHAT A DAY.

BILL,

I WANT TO TALK.

MALCOLM,

TELEPHONE'S FOR YOU.

TELL THEM:

I'LL CALL BACK.

I AM NO YOUR SECRETARY.

FIVE SECONDS?

I'LL BE THERE.

ANDERSON.

[Man]

HELLO.

YEAH, HELLO.

LISTEN,

I'VE BEEN READING

YOUR STORIES:

ABOUT THE MURDER

OF THE YOUNG GIRL.

UM, WELL-WRITTEN.

I MEAN, THEY SEEM

VERY ACCURATE.

WELL,

I APPRECIATE THE CALL,

AND I AM KIND OF BUSY

RIGHT NOW.

[The man] I HAVE

A SPECIAL INTERES IN YOUR STORIES.

I SEE.

WHY IS THAT?

BECAUSE IT WAS ME.

I KILLED HER.

??[Suspenseful music]

WHO IS THIS?

[Laughs]

YOU DON'T REALLY

EXPECT ME TO ANSWER

THAT, DO YOU?

IT DEPENDS ON:

WHY YOU CALLED.

I GET 30 CALLS LIKE THIS

EVERY DAY--

PEOPLE CLAIMING:

RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYTHING.

WHAT MAKES YOU:

SO DIFFERENT?

UH...

I CALLED:

.

BECAUSE:

I WANT TO HELP YOU

HOW COULD YOU HELP ME?

HER RIGHT REAR POCKET.

WAS THERE SOMETHING IN IT?

UM...

I HOPE:

YOU'RE AS BRIGH

AS I ASSUMED:

YOU WERE.

UM...

LISTEN.

CAN YOU BE:

AT YOUR PHONE:

AT, SAY, 3:
00?

[Crackle]

HELLO?

[Dial tone]

HEY, RAY.

SO, YOU GUYS

DECIDED:

?

TO HOLD OU:

T ON ME, HUH

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

WE GOT A COURT APPEARANCE.

MAKE IT FAST.

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