The MAYOR on the steps of the police department, flanked by three uniformed officers; in the foreground, twenty or so townspeople. As he speaks, it begins to rain lightly and the townspeople begin to put up umbrellas.)
People might say, no man is quite as good, or quite as bad as he seems; but there is such a thing as a good man, and we were privileged to know such a man . . .
(Angle: The group of bystanders. A PRIEST listening.)
Charley Hopkins defined for me the meaning of Community Service, and, as I think he did for all of us, helped define the meaning of Community.
(A young man of eighteen walks in front of the PRIEST. They nod to each other.)
BILLY BATES: Morning, Father . . .
PRIEST: . . . Billy.
(BILLY moves out of the frame.)
MAYOR (voice over): Chief of Police, Past President of our Local Post of the VFW, active in Scouting, a grandmaster of the Masons. Many might say, those who did not know the Chief might say, “A joiner, a booster, a ‘babbitt’ . . .”
(Angle: The MAYOR.)
MAYOR: But who among us, does not have a Charley Hopkins story? Of the things he might have taught you . . . of a good word he put in for you, at school, to get a job, you never found out ‘til years later . . . I remember one time . . .
(Angle: The PRIEST. PRICE now comes into the group. It has started raining heavily. PRICE stands next to the PRIEST. We hear the MAYOR’S voice in the background, as PRICE and the PRIEST converse. The PRIEST motions for PRICE to come share the umbrella with him. PRICE demurs.)
PRIEST: . . . Come on, don't get yourself wet.
(PRICE moves under the umbrella with him.)
. . . our Chief of Police. Chief Hopkins.
(PRICE nods.)
One year anniversary, his death.
(PRICE nods.)
Hell of a thing. Good man. Very good man. Died last year. Hunting accident.
PRICE: Uh-hmm.
PRIEST: A hunting accident.
PRICE: His family here?
PRIEST: Didn't have one. Someone more poetic might say the Town was his family.
PRICE: Sounds like a rare man.
PRIEST: Yes. He was.
(Angle: PRICE and the ground in the foreground. The MAYOR, et cetera beyond.)
MAYOR: I have in my hand telegrams from twenty states, from police departments, from Chiefs of Police, and from Officers that Charley met on his travels, as part of his activity in the Law Enforcement World. I will read one . . . (He reads:) "Any officer is touched when a brother gives his life in the Line of Duty. What great example, also, of a man who gave his life to a life of Duty. We learned from him, and we will miss him . . .”
(The MAYOR concludes his speech and nods. The little groups start to break up in the rain.)
(Angle: PRICE and the PRIEST. Several people come up and say good-bye to the PRIEST.)
TOWNSWOMAN (to PRIEST): We'll never see his like.
PRIEST: . . . Mary . . .
TOWNSWOMAN: You know, I owe him my boy's life.
PRIEST: No, I didn't know that.
TOWNSWOMAN: That time, he got into an accident, the 302. (Beat. She moves off.) Father . . .
(The PRIEST is left alone with PRICE.)
PRICE: Hard to replace a man like that.
PRIEST: Yes, it would be. Life goes on, though, doesn't it?
PRICE: I've noticed.
PRIEST: . . . problems of a Town . . . someone has got to deal with them.
PRICE: Yes.
PRIEST: Can't live in the past, now, can you?
PRICE: No, you can't.
PRIEST: Brings you here today?
PRICE: I . . . I came here to pay my respects. (Pause.) Pay my respects to the man.
(The PRIEST nods. They have stopped walking.)
PRIEST: I walk you somewhere?
PRICE: Uh, no thank you. I'm going right here.
(They look up, they are at the Police Station.)
PRICE: I'm the new Police Chief.
PRIEST: Figured you were.
(PRICE starts up the steps. Camera follows him through the doors, marked “Police Department, Town of Bradford.”)
INTERIOR: BRADFORD POLICE STATION.
A woman DISPATCHER on the radio.
DISPATCHER: . . . that is a 201 three miles north of the Interstate on Highway Five. Bradford PD. Out . . . (She turns to PRICE:) I help you . . . ?
PRICE: Officer in charge, please.
DISPATCHER: . . . say who is calling . . . ?
(PRICE goes in his pocket, takes out a badge, shows it to her.)
DISPATCHER: One moment, please.
(ANGLE INTERIOR: BEHIND THE BARRICADE. The DISPATCHER gets up from the desk, over her shoulder, to an assistant.)
THE DISPATCHER: . . . mind the phones, please.
(Camera follows her to an office marked “Chief of Police.” Inside the office is BOBBY BARNES, thirty-five, fit, in a police uniform, talking with two deputies.)
BARNES: . . . all kinds of static, insurance this, Arson that, we got the fellow from the State, and the insurance man, coming down tomorrow, ‘til then let ‘em gossip all they want, I think it was an accident. Now: we got a noise complaint, the kids, back from the Liquor Store. You lean on that man, go in there, he knows they're drinking, got it from the older boys.
DISPATCHER: Bobby . . .
BARNES: One moment: he knows, they're wild, they got it from his store, you tell him that, he'll get the message . . .
DISPATCHER (leans in, whispers to him): Bobby.
BARNES: Thank you. You fellows ‘scuse me for a moment. (To DISPATCHER:) Show him in.
(The two officers leave, as does the DISPATCHER.)
BARNES (into the telephone): Helen, and tell ‘em
