Meet Hunter, intro to Chloe, Tom arrives

AKA scene 7

INT. NOVELIST'S HOME OFFICE - DAY

Requisite loaded bookshelf, desk and window. 

The shelf takes up most of the wall that faces an old leather sofa against the opposite wall, under a framed Ad Reinhardt abstract painting.

Wood desk aimed at big window view to up-close Organ Mountains. Blank whiteboard on wall behind desk, near open door to hallway, near hatrack with old-school California Angels baseball cap. Globe on printer on stand next to desk.  

Navajo rug on hardwood floor.

A clipper ship in a bottle, new-white baseball in a clear case near a Nolan Ryan California Angels bobblehead, antique typewriter, and G.I. Joe action figure next to a same-era Barbie adorn the bookshelf. 

A chair and lampstand at one corner of the window, stool and telescope in the other. 

The desk is held down by a short stack of yellow legal pads near pens and pencils in a cream coffee mug identified by NMSU in crimson; a worn-brown baseball; a framed 8x11 photograph of a sunshine-smiling 15-year-old girl in a wetsuit standing on the beach next to the pink surfboard she holds, the Pismo Beach pier in the background; and the computer attended by HUNTER, early-50s, in a swivel chair, typing at the keyboard. We can discern text reflected in his glasses but not the words.

He is fit, in jeans, running shoes, untucked and unbuttoned Hawiian-style short-sleeve over colored tee. Phone peeks from shirt pocket. His WATCH BEEPS THREE TIMES, he types briefly before closing the file to reveal his screensaver: 

the girl in the photograph, long hair in a tail, in soccer uniform on field with other girls in one or the other of two jerseys, her kicking leg at 10 o'clock, having struck the ball past the diving goalie, the ball nearing the net, the photo taken from right behind it. Hunter smiles at the picture, powers down the computer, pockets his glasses, leaves into the hall.  

INT. KITCHEN - MOMENT LATER

State of the art appliances, handsome cabinets and cupboards, stone counters and center island, view into adjacent dining room and, through the window above the sink to the covered patio - grill, table and chairs - and smallish xeriscaped yard fenced by a low stone wall, beyond which stretches open land to the mountains. Door with window from kitchen to patio. Bananas in a bowl on center island near keys and stack of mail. 

Calendar magnetized to refrigerator turned to July, the picture for which features the girl in the screensaver and framed photograph, in a selfie she has taken that includes Hunter from where they sit in the front of a roller-coaster descending a steep section of track, both smiling ear to ear, Hunter flashing a peace sign. The box for the 7th of July is populated by CHLOE written in blue marker.

Hunter enters from hall, gets bottled water from fridge, sets it on center island near keys, retrieves a full plastic bag from a bin in a closet, ties it off, leaves into hall.

EXT. HUNTER'S HOUSE - MOMENT LATER

Southwest meets modern minimalism. Neighbors' homes widely spaced along the road. 

Garage door open to feature newish Range Rover with New Mexico plates. A brown trash bin near where the driveway meets the mailbox and road along which homes are widely spaced. And Tom's truck slowly nearing, then finally stopping in front of the house.

INT. TRUCK  

Tom, aviators on, idles and stares at the house, finally raises phone to take a picture. The moment he has it framed Hunter enters the garage through door to house, bag in hand. He notices the truck, Tom takes the picture, drives away. Hunter in the rearview mirror as he walks the bag to the bin, gaze aimed at the truck.

EXT. DRIVEWAY

Hunter arrives at the bin, watches the truck turn onto another street and not emerge into view from behind the house near that corner. He drops the bag into bin, walks back to the garage, eyes aimed up the road, waiting to see the truck that does not drive into view. He enters garage and house.

INT. TRUCK

Tom, idling and pondering in front of the house he has used to conceal himself from Hunter's view, finally makes the U-turn, turns the corner back toward Hunter/s house.

Tom Nearing 1

AKA scene 6 

INT. TRUCK - DAY

Tom driving a two-lane road nearing what it's signage makes clear is The Talavera Fire Department east of Las Cruces, New Mexico, where the high desert meets a community of handsome homes heavy on southwest style near the base of the Organ Mountains under a brilliant sun in a cloudless blue sky.

The portable GPS on the seat tells him in a WOMAN'S VOICE to turn left onto Soledad Canyon Road. He does so and drives straight at the mountains under a brilliant sun in a blue sky. He gets aviator sunglasses from sleeve on driver's visor, puts them on, looks around.

Yucca Springs Motel

 AKA scenes 5a and 5b 

INT. MOTEL ROOM - SUNSET

Basic room lit through the crack where the curtains meet. We hear a CAR DOOR SHUT before the KNOCK OF BOOTS ON CONCRETE before the form of a man in a cowboy hat passes the curtains before Tom enters, closes the door, puts hat on rack, bed on suitcase, parts the curtains to the view of monsoon clouds gathering above the Albuquerque skyline, obscuring the Sandia Mountains. A neon sign shows Tom is staying at the Yucca Springs Motel; a third of its parking spaces are taken, Tom's truck in the one nearest his door. He gets phone from pocket, sits at desk, speaks into phone.

TOM: Wanda.

Hey baby, just remembered you and Daisy are at Bingo. Just now in my room, 'bout to run a bath, have Chinse delivered, maybe finish the book. Gimme a call. Love ya.

(He walks to the window, frames the view in his phone's camera, takes the picture, back to call function, speaks.)

Ruthie.

Hey sis.

Just now landed.

Alright, well tell her I said hi and I'll call when I'm leavin' about six.

Love you too.

(He sets phone on desk, unbuttons shirt, sits, removes boots, walks to and enters the bathroom. We HEAR THE SQUEAK-TURN OF FAUCET a beat before a BATH BEGUN before a FAINT RUMBLE OF THUNDER.)

EXT.  MOTEL - SUNRISE

The wet and puddled lot under a clear sky and the Sandias painted pretty. Tom comes out of his room, hat on, suitcase in one hand, keys in the other, phone in a pocket of a new shirt.

EXT. INT. TRUCK 

He opens the driver's door, slides suitcase to passenger side of seat, gets in, closes door, puts key in ignition, sets suitcase in well below seat, sets hat on seat, starts the engine, lets it idle, turns on RADIO, finds STATIC, tunes to find the BEGINNING OF FREDDY FENDER'S SONG, I Love My Rancho Grande. He raises the volume, drives away out of lot onto street and out of view.