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SOUND: CAR INTERIOR CONTINUED UNDER MARK: Here we are, International Falls. Home sweet home. JULIE: (TEXAS ACCENT) Thank the Lord we�re finally here. Home sweet home? That�s strictly you�re opinion. MARK: Wait until you see the town; you�ll love it. JULIE: (UNDER HER BREATH) Yeah, about as much as a snake bite. (NORMAL VOICE) Tell me again why you brought me 2,000 miles to see this. MARK: I told you, I want to investigate the property mentioned in Grandpa Bill�s will. JULIE: What on earth for? MARK: Good place to build a home and raise a family. JULIE: Icebox boy, no kids of ours are going to be raised in the back woods of nowhere. MARK: We�ll discuss it later. Here�s Uncle Ned�s place. JULIE: The house is nice. What�s that little shack next to it? An outhouse? MARK: (HARDY LAUGH) No, it�s Uncle Ned�s ice house. JULIE: His what? MARK Ice house. In winter he pulls it on the frozen lake to go ice fishing. Just drill a hole in the ice, sit back in comfort, and fish. JULIE: I don�t believe what I�m hearing. He puts that building out on the ice and then drills a hole in the ice to �. No way am I ever doing that! MARK: We�ll see about that. Come on, let�s go see Uncle Ned. SOUND: KNOCKING ON DOOR. DOOR OPENING MARK: (CALLING OUT) Uncle Ned, you here? NED: (DISTANT CALL BACK) Come on in, been expecting ya. JULIE: Darlin� what on earth are you doing? MARK: Taking off my shoes. Take off your boots. JULIE: Pardon me? MARK: Here it�s customary to take off your shoes when entering a house. JULIE: (DISBELIEF) Why? They afraid you�re going to escape? MARK: (LAUGHS) Nah, it�s just you track in so much dirt, mud, ice, snow. Better to take off your shoes. JULIE: (SKEPTICALLY) Okay. I wouldn�t want to be inhospitable. SOUND: BOOTS HITTING FLOOR. MARK: Julie this is my Uncle Ned. Ned, this is my wife Julie. NED: Well Missy you sure are something different, I�ll give you that. MARK: (NERVOUSLY) Ned, I know you don�t see too many Texans around here. The way Julie dresses and her accent may stand out a bit, but you�ll see, in no time she�s gonna fit right in. NED: (NONCHALANTLY) I suppose so. JULIE: What�s wrong with my clothes? MARK: Nothing honey. NED: Don�t get many folks all dolled up in western outfits like yours here. JULIE: Not my fault they don�t have any sense of fashion in this place. NED: You folks just make yourselves at home. I�ll get us something to drink. JULIE: That�s mighty nice of you Mister Ned. I�m as parched as a frog on the desert. NED: (WALKS OFF CHUCKLING TO HIMSELF) JULIE: (QUIET VOICE) Uncle Ned seems a bit quiet. Tell me more about him. MARK: Not much to tell. Like me, he�s got Ojibwa blood in him. He�s lived most of his life in The Falls. He was a logger in his younger years, and then he worked in the paper mill. He�s been retired for several years. Dad says he�s lost interest in life since Aunt Grace died. SOUND: CLINK OF GLASSES. MARK: Here Ned, let me help you with that. NED: Thank you boy. Have a seat. SOUND: SITTING IN CHAIR JULIE: Nice place you have here. NED: Thanks. � So Mark, you brought your little woman up to show her where you were raised, huh? MARK: That and I want to investigate some property mentioned in Grandpa Bill�s will. NED: What property is that? MARK: The will mentions something about the �Icebox Property�. I didn�t know what that meant, so I asked my parents about it. NED: What did they say? MARK: Dad thought it was tribal land. Mom thought it might be property Grandpa bought and never did anything with. NED: It�s probably nothing. If it�s tribal land you don�t even want to open that kettle of worms. MARK: Why not? NED: Cuz it�s probably part of an old rumor. Nothing to it, trust me. JULIE: Rumor? NED: At one time the state was thinking of taking over management of some of the tribal property. Some folks thought they had rights to the property, and said it had been handed down to them through the tribe. All a bunch of hog wash. MARK: So you�re trying to tell me there�s no land at all? NED: Maybe there is, maybe there isn�t. Who knows? MARK: Worth looking into, don�t you think? What if mom�s right and the property has nothing to do with tribal land? JULIE: Ned, do you mind if I look at the pictures on the mantel, while you two have your little pow wow? NED: No, go right ahead Missy. � Mark, show Julie around town. Forget about this property thing. MARK: Nope. I�m looking to settle here. If there is property, I want to know about it. JULIE: Ned, what on earth are you doing in this picture? Looks like you�re holding a turkey or something. NED: The Turkey Bowl. That�s the year I won the event. JULIE: Sugar, what on earth is a Turkey Bowl? NED: Your bowling ball is a frozen turkey JULIE: You are joking � right? MARK: No honey, he�s serious. They take frozen turkeys, and use them like bowling balls. JULIE: Mercy, you folks are hard up for entertainment. ALL: (LAUGHTER) JULIE: Honey, what�s this picture of your dad? It looks like he�s running in the snow. NED: That was the year Mark�s dad won the Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run. MARK: I remember that. It was the year before we moved. JULIE: Don�t mean to interrupt y�alls memory fest, but pray tell, what is this Gizzard Blizzard Run thing? MARK: It�s a 5k and 10k race that is run during Ice Box Days. It�s held during the winter, when it�s normally bitterly cold, hence the name Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run. JULIE: Do you fools all enjoy torture yourselves. Or is it just something in the water up here? You go out on a frozen lake to fish. You run in weather that would send a sane man locked indoors by a cozy fireplace. MARK: Wait until you experience it. You�ll love it. JULIE: Oh darlin� you�re never getting me here when it�s 40 below, or whatever it gets here. NED: No different than now. Just put on a few more clothes. JULIE: Sugar, it�s cold to me now, and Mark tells me this is warm weather. You gotta remember I come from Texas. We call ninety degrees warm weather, not fifty degrees. We are looking for long johns at fifty degrees. NED: Ah you western wimps! MARK: You�ll like Ice Box Days. Besides the Frozen Turkey Bowl, and Gizzard Run, they�ve got ice sculpting, talent contest and there�s a big bonfire at Smokey Bear Park. JULIE: Bonfire, that sounds pleasin�. Ice sculpting? � Like those pictures you were showing me back home. Now that was impressive. NED: I�m a comin� Grace, something the missy likes. MARK: Don�t be so hard on her. She�ll come around. She just needs to see the good side of the town. NED: Maybe she�d like to attend the concert at Backus tomorrow. MARK: Who�s playing? NED: The Boogie Boys, they play old 50�s and 60�s music. MARK: What do you think Julie? JULIE: (DOUBTFUL) Sounds like a happenin� thing to do. MARK: Speaking of Backus. They still have that old tunnel under the building? NED: Why do you want to know about that? MARK: Just curious. NED: It�s been bricked up now. County owns one building and private sources own Backus, so for security reasons they closed it off. MARK: That�s too bad. NED: Don�t know if they boarded up the old store room or not. Think most people forgot it was there. MARK: Store room? Oh, wasn�t that where they found Howard Travis�s body? NED: Yep. JULIE: Body? MARK: Yes, body. Howard was the star quarter back for the Bronco�s. He was murdered in his senior year. JULIE: And he was killed in some spooky old tunnel? NED: Nah, they said he was killed somewhere else and his body stashed there. JULIE: Gruesome! MARK: Ned, did they ever find out who murdered him? NED: Yeah, they arrested a Dave Blaney from Virginia, who played for the Blue Devils. MARK: As I recall, they couldn�t figure out how the perpetrator got access to the storeroom. NED: Correct, the door to the storeroom was not a regular door and you needed a key to get in. MARK: Dave must have had inside help. NED: Back then, the sheriff told me they suspected the assistant coach had a part in it, but they could never prove it. JULIE: So he got off Scot free? NED: Weeell, some folks may have thought so. But he died in an automobile accident a couple of years later. MARK: Speaking of that storeroom. You think it�s still there? NED: Have no idea. They could have cleared it out and boarded it up when they bricked up the tunnel, or they might not have known about it and it�s been sitting there all these years. Why? SOUND: KNOCK ON DOOR NED: (CALLS OUT) It�s open! FRITZ: Hi folks! Mark, heard you we�re comin� to town MARK: Fritz, long time no see. FRITZ: Yep. MARK: This is my wife Julie. � Julie this is an old school mate, Fritz. His name is really Fred Fitzgerald, but everyone just calls him Fritz. JULIE: Glad to make you�re acquaintance, Mr. Fritz. NED: (MUTTERS) Wouldn�t say that if you knew him well. FRITZ: What you muttering about old man? NED: None of your business. FRITZ: Grumpy as ever. NED: You ain�t changed none either. FRITZ: Mark, you and I�ll have to go for a beer sometime. You can tell me all about how you met up with this sweet southern woman of yours. MARK: (Insincerely) Yep, have to see if I can find some time for that. FRITZ: Why�d you come back to town? MARK: Just showing Julie where I grew up. FRITZ: Enjoy your visit. I�ll be moseying along. Just stopped in to say hi.� SOUND: FOOTSTEPS AND DOOR CLOSING. NED: Don�t know what he�s up to, but whatever it is, it�s no good. JULIE: Ya�ll saying he�s as welcome as a skunk at a lawn party. NED: (CHUCKLES) That�s a good way a putting it missy. MARK: Don�t know why Fritz looked me up, but he ain�t all that bad. So What do you say, Julie? The concert tomorrow, then a little exploring over at Backus? JULIE: Sugar, as long as it don�t involve freezing my gizzard, I�m game. MUSIC: TRANSITION MARK: Julie, come on. JULIE: Darlin, where are you taking me? MARK: To the basement. I want to check out something. JULIE: Oh no! You�re not going to try and find that dang store room. MARK: Why not? JULIE: (ADAMANTLY) No! No! No! There was a dead body in there! MARK: Come on sissy, won�t hurt to try. JULIE: (LOUDLY) Mark Perrault you let go of me right now. MARK: Shhhh quiet. I don�t want to draw attention. JULIE: Icebox boy you have lost your marbles. MARK: Think of it as an adventure. JULIE: Yeah right. Why do I feel like a kitten in a doghouse? MARK: (SNICKERS) Follow me. JULIE: Said the Big Bad Wolf to Miss Riding Hood. SOUND: TRYING DOOR KNOB MARK: Here�s the door to the old tunnel. JULIE: See it�s locked. Now come on, let�s go. MARK: Give me one of those things out of your hair. JULIE: Pardon me? MARK: One of those pin things, you pin your hair up with. JULIE: You mean my hairpin? MARK: Yes JULIE: Don�t tell me you�re going to try and pick the lock with my hairpin. MARK: (BEGGING) Pleeeeease. JULIE: (BIG SIGH) Here, I don�t know who�s crazier you or me. SOUND: PIN PICKING LOCK MARK: I got it! SOUND: SQUEAKY DOOR SOUND MARK: Quick, get in. SOUND: DOOR CLOSING JULIE: It�s pitch black in here and smells musty. I bet they haven�t opened this place in years. MARK: I brought a pen light. I know the store room door is right here somewhere close. JULIE: I don�t see anything that looks like a door. Now let�s get out of here. MARK: Wait. SOUND: TAPPING ON WALL JULIE: What are you doing? MARK: Trying to see if I can find the door. Help me look for the lock. JULIE: This is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Forget it. MARK: No. SOUND: SNAP OF FINGERNAIL BREAKING. JULIE: Ouch! MARK: What did you do? JULIE: I caught my nail on something and it broke. MARK: Let�s see. � No, not your nail, the place you caught it on. JULIE: I could have broken my finger and all you care about is looking for that darn old door lock. MARK: It was just a fingernail, not the end of the world. SOUND: KEYHOLE FIND SOUND MARK: (SUDDENLY EXCLAIMS) I found it! JULIE: Now what? You don�t have a key. MARK: Yes I do. JULIE: Where did you get that? MARK: Out of Aunt Grace�s jewelry box. She used to work in this school, and Uncle Ned told me she kept a master key. So I went looking for it. JULIE: You sneak. MARK: No harm, no foul. JULIE: You�re going to be the death of me! SOUND: DOOR UNLOCKING AND SLIDING OPEN � SOUND: LIGHT SWITCH JULIE: (SHORT SCHREECH) You scared me with that light. MARK: Would you rather be in the dark? JULIE: Amazing the light still works. MARK: Yep. JULIE: There sure are a lot of books in here. MARK: It was a school. JULIE: True. � What�s all this? MARK: Looks like costumes from old plays or something. JULIE: A pirate�s hat. How do I look? MARK: The sexiest pirate I ever saw. JULIE: (TEASINGLY) Aye matey talk like that will get you captured. MARK: (INTICINGLY) Tempting prospect, but� JULIE: What have you got there? MARK: An old box. JULIE: What�s in it? SOUND: BOX OPENING MARK: Looks like some old documents and receipts. Hey, this one has grandpa�s name on it. JULIE: Quiet! � I hear someone coming to the basement. SOUND: DISTANT FOOTSTEPS MARK: (WHISPERED) They don�t know we�re here. JULIE: Don�t want to take any chances. Let�s vamoose before we�re locked in here for the duration. MARK: (EXASPERATED) All right, let�s go. SOUND: TRANSITIONAL MUSIC JULIE: What was this box doing in the storeroom anyway? NED: Knowing Grace, she probably put it there for safe keeping. Dad was always asking her to keep something for him. MARK: Look at this! It�s a property deed. NED: Let me see that. JULIE: Couldn�t be to the Icebox Property, could it? MARK: Who knows? What I out to do is go to the court house tomorrow and check it out. NED: Boy you�re just looking for trouble if you do that. MARK: So be it. Gotta know what this is all about SOUND: TRANSITIONAL MUSIC JULIE: What a fabulous old building. MARK: Wait until you see the inside. I could tell you some stories about this place. JULIE: Really? MARK: Yep. It�s another town building with secrets. See that old tower? JULIE: Yes. MARK: There�s some haunting tales about that spooky place, too. JULIE: Ice houses, underground tunnels, spooky tower and stories of murder. Town does seem to have a lot of character. MARK: Not as boring as you thought, huh? JULIE: Hold on - Isn�t that you�re friend Fritz? MARK: Yep. FRITZ: (COMING ON) Mark, Julie, what are you two doing here? MARK: Could ask you the same question. FRITZ: Just stopped by to see my girlfriend. She works here. How about you? MARK: I�m just showing Julie around town. FRITZ: Courthouse is a bit boring; unless you like old buildings. JULIE: I love seeing fine old architecture. FRITZ: Yeah. (Pause) Well, enjoy. MARK: We will. FRITZ: Mark, How about that game of pool tonight? MARK: Sorry, promised Uncle Ned we�d take him out to dinner. FRITZ: Another time. MARK: Yep. FRITZ: See ya. MARK: Yep. SOUND: CLIMBING STAIRS JULIE: Why didn�t you tell him why you were really here? MARK: Something about him just doesn�t sit right with me. SOUND: OPENING DOOR JULIE: Darlin� you were right; this is a beautiful old building. I may be judging this town a little too harshly. MARK: See, I knew you would start coming around. SOUND: COUNTER BELL RINGING. CLERK: Help you? MARK: I�d like to look up information on this old deed. MUSIC TRANSITION JULIE: I swear, it was like this town is fixin� to know nothing. (IMPERSONATING OTHERS) talk to this person - well I wouldn�t know about that -you�ll have to see so and so. (NORMAL VOICE) Then there was that lady that said something about it all being a mistake. MARK: It was frustrating. For the most part I think they wanted to help, just didn�t know how. I admit that one lady seemed to know more than she was telling. NED: I tried telling you let sleeping dogs lie. MARK: Uncle Ned, why won�t you talk to me about this? I can more or less understand these other people claming up, but we�re family. PAUSE NED: (HEAVY SIGH) You�re a young whipper snapper, just like your old man. (PAUSE) Remember Ida Mae? MARK: Wasn�t she a distant relative or something? NED: A cousin. She lives out on Harbor Island. An elder; knows a lot about the tribal lands and real estate around here. (SHORT PAUSE) I still think you�re making a mistake, but you could talk to her. MARK: Give her a call, please. I�ll talk to her right now. MUSIC TRANSITION SOUND: PHONE HANGING UP JULIE: So was Ida Mae any help to you? You sure were talking on the phone a long time. MARK: Yes, a big help. She�s certain this land is near her place, and invited us over tomorrow to take a look at it. NED: Look puzzled boy, what�s wrong? MARK: Don�t know. Ida had me repeat the deed number a couple of times and then she said she was going to check out something and we�d talk about it tomorrow. JULIE: Did you say she lives on an Island? MARK: Yep JULIE: So how do we get there? NED: I�ll borrow you my boat. JULIE: You�ll what? NED: Borrow you my boat. JULIE: You don�t borrow someone something, you lend them whatever. You people sure do talk funny. Everything is �for to� this and �for to� that. You say, �borrow you� instead of �lend you.� NED: (LAUGHS) This coming from the chick that calls everyone darlin� and sugar, and you�re always �fixin� to� do something. MARK: See honey, different strokes for different folks. Just depends on where you�re from. JULIE: Okay darlins you got a point. NED: Speaking of where you�re from how did a Texas girl like you hook up with a guy from Minnesota? JULIE: My father�s company transferred him from Texas to Oregon to help get the plant there started. That was when Mark wa living there. Mom and Dad were only there for 3 years, and then they moved back to Texas. By that time I�d fallen in love with Mark and we�d gotten married. NED: Surprised you ain�t moving to Texas. MARK: Not me; too hot there. JULIE: That�s just cuz you�re an Icebox Boy with ice water in your veins. NED: Icebox Boy? JULIE: That�s my nickname for him. He�s always talking about how wonderful this place is, and that he�s proud of being from the icebox of the nation. MARK: True - Ned, you up to taking us out to Ida Mae�s tomorrow? NED: You know where her place is, don�t ya? MARK: I might be able to find it, but would rather you go with us. NED: I guess I could do that. Haven�t seen that old gal in a while. JULIE: Wouldn�t want to get lost out on that big lake. NED: Speaking of my boat, you better change those boots. You ain�t getting in my boat with those clod hoppers on. JULIE: (INDIGNANTLY) I�ll have you know those are the finest boots made in Texas. They are not clod hoppers. MARK: Julie, its not footwear for a boat. Put on your sneakers. JULIE: Alright. MUSIC: TRANSISITIONAL FADING TO BOAT MOTOR SOUNDS AND BIRDS. NED: I called Ida Mae before we left. She�ll be expecting us. Said she�d have a bite for us to eat. MARK: Julie, look up there at that tall tree. See that eagle in its nest? JULIE: Where? � Oh way over there. I see it. Oh my! MARK: There, it�s taking off. JULIE: Wow! Look at the wing span. I�ve never seen anything like that. He�s huge and so graceful. NED: Would ya call that Texas size? JULIE: (SLIGHT LAUGH) Yep that would qualify for Texas size. NED: There�s Ida Mae�s dock. - You got your deed you wanted to show her? JULIE: I got it, right here in my purse. MARK: I�ll get the line. SOUND: DOCKING SOUNDS. NARRATOR: Twenty minutes later, around an ancient kitchen table, Ida Mae is considering the deed; while Ned, Mark and Julie finish their lunch. MARK: So Ida Mae, you believe that property out the window there, over by that big boulder, is the Icebox Property, mentioned in the will. IDA MAE: I do. Like I was telling you, your grandpa may or may not have held rights to tribal land out by the burial grounds, but it�s doubtful. All that land is now deeded to the tribe. There are stories of land passed down, but most are just that � stories. MARK: Suppose grandpa would have wanted it that way. IDA MAE: Now this deed property, here on the island, is not tribal land. I remember when your grandpa got it. He was planning on building a summer place on it. Then your grandma fell ill and he just seemed to lose interest. MARK: You started to tell me about a problem with the deed. IDA MAE: Oh yes. I use to work for the courthouse, so I had a gal I know look up this number. JULIE: You did? Why would they help you and not us? MARK: That�s one of the quirks about the Icebox; it often (all) depends on who you know. IDA MAE: As I was saying, seems old John Fitzgerald, Fritz�s father, filed a lost deed to this property and it�s in the process of being deeded to him. JULIE: Well if he ain�t a skunk smellin� jackal. NED: Told you that no good was up to something rotten. IDA MAE: I double checked the information on this deed this morning. You�ve got the original, so you won�t have any problem proving in court that you � or should I say your father � is legal owner of the property. MARK: So we�ve got to go to court to settle this? IDA MAE: I imagine so. We can talk to old Judge Jethro. He was the one that handled the transfer of property. NED: Sure is good grub Ida Mae. I�ve eaten so much I think I�m going to bust. IDA MAE: Glad you like it. � Julie, Mark tells me you�ve never had wild rice before. How�d you like it? JULIE: It was different. Didn�t quite taste like rice to me, but it was very good. NED: I�m partial to that smoked Walleye and Venison brats myself. JULIE: I do have a question though, you folks allergic to spices or something? NED: Why do you say that? JULIE: Everything is so bland. There�s no spice of any kind in anything. NED: Of course there is. MARK: You got to understand. Where Julie comes from there is a lot of barbecues and Tex-Mex food. We�re talking jalape�o peppers, Cajun spice and hot sauce. She�s use to food with a little heat in it. NED: We don�t like to crispy fry our taste buds here. JULIE: That�s obvious. IDA MAE: Well folks what do ya say we walk over and take a look at that property? It�s a real nice piece of land. MARK: I can�t wait to see it. Let�s go. NED: Think I�ll just sit on the porch and wait for you folks. MARK: Sure you don�t want to come? NED: I�m sure. SOUND: WATER LAPPING ON SHORE IDA MAE: This shoreline has rock under it. JULIE: Is that good? IDA MAE: Oh yes. It won�t get flooded in spring. Some of the shoreline along here turns into a bog in the spring. MARK: This little knoll looks like a good place to build a vacation home. IDA MAE: You got a good eye. Nice tree drop in the back and brush back over there to give you a wind break. MARK: Nice view of the lake from here too. JULIE: Icebox boy, you are bound and determined to put down roots here, aren�t ya? MARK: Yep. I told you that was always my plan. JULIE: I gotta admit it is beautiful, but I don�t know about living here. SOUND: A GUN SHOT RINGS OUT. JULIE: What on earth! MARK: GUNFIRE! Everyone down. JULIE: (ALARMED) Is someone shooting at us? MARK: QUIET! (WHISPERS) Ida Mae you okay? IDA MAE: (QUIETLY) Just fine. I see the shooter. It�s Fritz, up there by the Miser�s boulder. MARK: (YELLS) Fritz I can see you. What the hell you think you�re doing? FRITZ: (DISTANT) Warning off trespassers. You�re on private property. MARK: Put down that gun and we�ll talk. FRITZ: You think I�m stupid? MARK Keep the gun then; I don�t care. Just come look at the deed before someone gets hurt. IDA: He moved I can�t see him. SOUNDS: RUSTLING BRUSH. JULIE: I hear something. (SURPRISED) Oh! There he is. MARK: Halt right there Fritz. Now put down the gun. (WHISPERS) Julie get over by Ida. IDA: That�s a girl you stick by me. JULIE: Why�d he take my compact from my purse, when he got the deed? IDA: Don�t know. MARK: Here�s the deed. See? Nice and legal. FRITZ: You trying to cheat me, like your grandpa did my pa? MARK: I don�t know what you�re talking about. IDA MAE: Fred Fitzgerald this isn�t about that poker game, is it? MARK: What poker game? IDA MAE: That�s how your grandpa Bill came to own this property in the first place. He won it from Fritz�s father in a poker game. FRITZ: He cheated. IDA MAE: Did not. I was there. Your pa was so drunk he didn�t know one card from another; and was out of money. He thought he had a straight. Bill told him if he thought he had a hand to beat him to put up his island land. The fool did it, and lost. FRITZ: No poker game is worth losing land over. MARK: Don�t raise that gun. FRITZ: You ain�t stealing this land again. MARK: Don�t be a fool. You might be able to shoot us, but I�ll get a call into 911 before you pull the trigger. JULIE: Land isn�t worth killing over. IDA MAE: She�s right. FRITZ: What are you doing Mark? MARK: Calling for help. FRITZ: Okay, gun�s on the ground. Put that thing down. SOUND: BOAT MOTOR AND SIREN FRITZ: (DISBELIEF) You really called the cops? MARK: Nope � didn�t have a phone. FRITZ: What�s that you just stuck in your pocket? MARK: Wife�s compact. PATROLMAN: (DISTANT) Howdy folks! What�s going on here? FRITZ: Howdy officer. Nothing to bother the Border Patrol with; we�re just having a little discussion. PATROLMAN: (COMING ON) I was in the area and heard a gunshot. Who�s rifle? FRITZ: Uh mine! SOUND: CLEARING RIFLE CHAMBER. PATROLMAN: Recently shot. What we�re you shooting at? JULIE: He was shooting at us! MARK: Julie! PATROLMAN: This true sir? FRITZ: It�s not like that. PATROLMAN: Uh huh. Okay folks think you need to come with me. MUSC: TRANSITIONAL SOUND: LAKE SOUND UP, THEN DOWN AND UNDER NED: I was about to give you guys up for lost. What took you so long? JULIE: You not gonna believe this one. IDA MAE: Ah Fritz caused a little trouble, but it�s all squared away. NED: Fritz? He the one doing the shooting I heard? MARK: Yep. Border Patrol heard the shot and came to investigate. We had to go to the station. NED: I tried to call for help, but couldn�t figure out how to use this darn contraption of yours. SOUND: LAUGHTER: MARK: Anyway, we got Fritz to admit that he talked his dad into filing that phony lost deed claim. IDA MAE: It�s official. The land is theirs all nice and legal. NED: Glad it worked out for ya. Better let your dad know about all this. MARK: Already did. We had to call him and have him fax us a copy of the will. NED: He surprised? MARK: Oh yeah, and excited. Says there�s room enough for both of us to build a place. JULIE: Guess this means your dead set on building here, huh? MARK: Yep; always my plan. JULIE: Reckon you can talk me into spending summer vacations here. After all August in Fort Worth is no place for an Icebox boy. MARK: And Rainy Lake in winter is no place for a Texas gal. NED: You�re right; she�s not nearly tough enough. JULIE: I take that as a challenge.(PAUSE) How cold did you say it gets here in the winter? NED: See that lake out there missy? JULIE: Yeah. NED: Six months from now the ice will be thick enough to hold fifty ice houses, along with a pickup for each. (PAUSE) JULIE: Mark, darlin�, will this place of ours have a window in it? MARK: Of course. Why? JULIE: Cause I need a warm place, by a cozy fire, to look out at the icebox boys and laugh. THE END |
| ICEBOX PROPERTY by Kenna Clayton |
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