[Fraser’s apartment]
[Dief is looking out the
window]
Fraser: I’m
making up two bowls. One for lunch and one for dinner.
Make sure he finishes them and no snacking in
between.
Willie: He
won’t eat it. He hates vitamins.
Fraser: Well,
they’re good for him. He’s been looking a little peaked of
late.
Willie: He just
wants to get out, you know. Don’t you, boy?
[dogs bark, and
Fraser goes to the window]
Fraser
: Hmm. Them again.
Willie: They’re
not bad.
Fraser: Oh, I’m
not saying they are.
[to
Dief] But
you think you could exercise better judgment when choosing
friends, don’t you?
[Dief
whines]
No, no. Don’t start with me again. You know what happened
last time.
Willie: Oh come
on! They’re dogs, they’re supposed to knock over trash
cans!
Fraser:
Thirty-seven trash cans, all in a row?
Willie: So,
they got excited.
Fraser: So did
the sanitation engineer! And I didn’t notice either of you
offering to carry him to the hospital.
Willie: He
weighed three hundred pounds and besides, all he did was
faint. Okay, I’ll watch him this time. He’ll never leave
my sight.
Fraser: He’s
already had one walk today so you feed him, and when I get
home from work, we’ll all take a walk together.
Willie: You
gave me the job, why won’t you trust me with it?
Fraser: Well I
do trust you, I do. It’s just that...
[outside dogs are barking, Dief is wistfully looking out the window]
Fraser
: [aside to
Willie]
It’s that he just seems sort of... well, he’s out of sorts
lately, and I don’t know what the problem is, because he
won’t open up and talk to me, but I think once he and I
have had a little chat--
Ray:
[bursting
in] Okay,
I’m here. If you want a lift, let’s get in the car.
Willie: I
thought he blew it up.
Fraser: He
did.
Ray: We’re not
talking about that, okay? We don’t mention it, we don’t
discuss it.
Willie:
Sure.
Ray:
Fine.
Ray
: Let’s go.
[exits]
Willie:
[aside to
Fraser]
What’s he driving?
Ray: Heard
that!
Fraser: Be
right there, Ray. All right, try and have a good day.
[exits]
Willie: Hey,
boy. Yeah, I know. How about a nice game of Monopoly. No,
huh?
[loaner car, engine
coughing & sputtering]
Fraser: Nice
glove box. [the knob
comes off in his hand, then the box pops
open] Very
spacious. Good seat covers. Motor pool?
Ray: I thought
we agreed not to talk about it.
Fraser: Ah, of
course, of course. The loss of a loved one is always a
shock.
Ray:
Fraser.
Fraser: Well,
I’m sorry, Ray, but-but I do understand. You’d be
hard-pressed to find a finer example of Detroit’s
automotive engineering than the 1971 Riviera.
Ray: Enough!
Okay? Enough. All right? You took the Riv, you drove it
all over the countryside, you gave it to a convicted
felon, you ran it into a ditch and you forced me to blow
it up. You’ve done enough.
Fraser: Lives
were saved, Ray.
Ray: And yours
was spared. I loved that
car. [car
dies] Not
a word.
[Fraser’s apartment]
[Dief still watching out window; dogs downstairs are all
barking]
Willie: Can’t
you tell them to shut up? Somebody’s going to call the
cops. They’re your friends. Do something. You heard
Fraser. You’re grounded.
[Dief
whines]
Forget it. [Dief
groans]
Okay? You’re a bad influence on me you know that?
[Dief
grumbles]
Okay, okay.
[Willie opens the window & Dief heads straight for his pack, barking like crazy]
Willie : Hey Diefenbaker! Diefenbaker, wait up! Hey! Hey! I’ve got Milk Bones. Anybody want Milk Bones? [Dief & friends run off] Oh no! I’m dead!
<Doo Mah>
[alley; dogs running & barking (little one bringing up
the rear); Willie chases them... Dief heads for a house,
gets another dog (Maggie), then they run off after the
rest... animal control truck is cruising; dog catcher sees
the pack and
follows]
[street]
[loaner car hits a pothole, and the front seat caves in. Vecchio & Fraser now sit at a 30° angle...]
[alley]
[Dog Catcher (Arnold Benedict) follows pack, almost catches the little one (Pekinese), but Dief distracts him, making him crash his truck into a pile of garbage, and the pack escapes]
Arnold Benedict : Damn dogs. [walks to back of truck & sees Maggie] Well, well, just what the doctor ordered. [loops noose around her neck] Nice and easy. Nice and easy. Nice and easy. Come here. Come here. Yeah, that’s good. [looks at her collar] Maggie, is it? Well, not anymore. [removes collar and tosses it away] Come on. Come on. [puts Maggie in truck]
[Dief & the Peke see all this, and run after the
truck... Willie sees Dief running down the alley at full
speed]
Willie:
Diefenbaker! No!
[dog pack is running
straight for
him!]
Ahhhhhhhhhhh!
[they run by, and he thanks the heavens before running
after
them]
[street]
[loaner car is limping along, and Vecchio stops to allow
an elderly lady to cross in
front]
Fraser: It’s
not a bad ride. I mean, we’ve been driving -- how far we
have we driven?
Ray: Two
blocks.
Fraser: Ah.
[they start to
go] Ooh,
Ray.
[Vecchio slams on the brakes and the Animal Control Truck zooms past]
Ray : Idiot.
[they start to
go]
Fraser:
Ray!
[Vecchio slams on the brakes and a wolf runs past]
Fraser
: Diefenbaker...?
Ray: I know, I
know, follow the wolf.
[they start to
go]
Fraser: Oh,
Ray, whoa!
[Vecchio slams on the brakes and a group of dogs runs
past, then a second group, then the
Peke]
Ray: Ah, great.
Is it safe now, or should I wait for the cattle
drive?
Fraser: No, go
ahead.
[they start to go, and almost run over
Willie]
Willie: Hey,
watch it, birdbrain!
[loaner car
dies]
Fraser: You
know, Ray, I think I’m just gonna--
Ray: Good
idea.
[they both jump out and start running after the parade: animal control truck, Dief, the pack, the Peke, Willie, Fraser, then Vecchio]
[alley; Dief stands in the path of the truck; Arnold accelerates...]
Willie
: Dief!
[Willie stands
beside Dief, and Arnold is forced to stop]
Ray : Get that, kid? If I find you or the wolf, you’re both dead!
[Benedict gets out of the truck with the noose, and
advances on
Dief]
Willie: Hey,
back off, all right?
Fraser: Excuse
me, sir, I’m Constable Benton Fraser, Royal Canadian
Mounted Police. May I help you?
Benedict: Not
unless you have a gun.
Fraser: Well,
I’m afraid I’m not actually--
Benedict: And
this animal is under arrest.
Ray: All right,
I’m the cop
here. I’ll say
who’s under arrest.
[to
Fraser]
Who’s under arrest?
Benedict: This
wild animal. He chased me for six blocks. He not only
violated the leash law, he’s also guilty of disturbing the
peace and creating a public nuisance.
Fraser:
Officer, uh, Benedict?
Benedict: Yeah.
Arnold Benedict.
Fraser:
Diefenbaker is my wolf, and I’m afraid I’m entirely
responsible for his unfortunate behavior.
Willie: No
you’re not. I am. Look, I’m sorry. He just looked so sad
cooped up inside that apartment--
Fraser: We’ll
discuss your part in this later. In the meantime, I have
his license right
here. If you’d
be so kind as to write up a ticket--
Benedict: Hey,
I don’t care if you have a license. That animal is crazy,
I told you, he tried to attack me.
Ray: All right.
Look, buddy, obviously there’s been a misunderstanding
here. So the wolf and his friends got a little frisky.
Can’t we settle this without going through all that nasty,
time-consuming paperwork?
Benedict: No
dice. [advances with
his noose]
[Dief growls]
Willie : Hey!!
[Dief attacks Benedict]
Fraser
: Diefenbaker!
Benedict: He
bit me!
Fraser: That’s
enough!
[Dief barks]
Fraser
: I’m terribly sorry, officer, it’s not at all like
him.
Benedict: Sorry
isn’t enough, Constable. That is a dangerous animal. He’s
going into quarantine.
Fraser:
Quarantine?
Benedict: You
don’t like it? Talk to a judge.
[pound]
Officer
Cuthbert: Could be rabies. Or it could be he just had
a bad day. We’ll know soon enough.
Fraser: Thank
you, officer.
Cuthbert: Oh,
don’t worry. We’ll take good care of him.
Fraser: Yes,
sir. [Cuthbert
exits] It
just isn’t like him. What could he possibly have been
thinking?
Ray: I don’t
know Fraser, for some reason wolves rarely share their
innermost thoughts with me. Now you’re gonna have to go to
court, and even if he isn’t sick you’re still gonna have
to prove that he isn’t a chronic biter.
Fraser:
Diefenbaker has never bit a person in his life. I have all
of his papers, his shots are up-to-date. He must have had
a reason.
Ray: He does
have a reason. He’s a wolf.
Fraser: That’s
a popular misconception, Ray. Wolves only attack human
beings if they’ve been severely provoked.
Willie: So, did
you spring him?
Fraser: No. I
can’t do that, Willie. Diefenbaker’s broken the law. We
have to let justice take it’s course.
Willie: You
gotta be kidding me.
Fraser:
Hmm-mm.
Willie: Come
here. [leads the
both onto the other side of door, points to Officer
Cuthbert]
See the way I figure it, that guy in there is really soft,
so let’s just slip him a few bucks.
Ray: Good
idea.
Fraser: That
would be bribery.
Willie &
Ray: Right!
Fraser:
Absolutely not! The only way that we’re going to help
Diefenbaker is to insure that he receives a fair
hearing.
Ray: Oh come
on, Fraser, he bit the guy. You saw him, I saw him. The
wolf’s guilty.
Fraser: But
what happened before we got
there? There
could be extenuating circumstances, witnesses to those
circumstances.
We won’t know this until we’ve completed our
investigation.
Ray:
Our
investigation? Look, I’ve got a full case load with crimes
involving humans. I think that takes precedence.
Fraser: You’re
right. You’re too busy.
Ray: Oh come
on, Fraser--
Fraser: No. No
I mean this, Ray. You have more important things to do.
We’ll manage.
Ray: The kid?
You’re gonna send a known felon out to solve a
crime?
Willie: Hey,
I’m strictly misdemeanors, and you know that.
Ray: Fine. Do
it on your own! See if I care!
[to self]
Probably
wouldn’t even make it past the first witness.
[Fraser’s apartment
building; door slammed in Vecchio’s face]
Ray: Well, it
seems the wolf has made a less than favorable impression
on your neighbors.
Fraser: Well, I
can’t see why. I mean he’s very personable once you get to
know him.
Ray: Really?
Let’s review. One: runs with pack of motley stray
dogs.
Fraser: Ray,
they’re not dangerous. They just haven’t had a bath.
Ray: Two:
knocked over fifty-seven garbage cans while leading the
aforesaid pack.
Fraser:
Thirty-seven, he helped clean them up afterwards.
Furthermore, he is not their leader.
Ray: Three:
suspected of killing and eating missing neighborhood
pets.
Fraser: Ray,
really, that’s another misconception. Wolves only kill
when they’re ravenous and their preferred prey is large
hoofed animals. I don’t see how Mrs. Pumputis’s Pekinese
can bear a passing resemblance to a caribou.
Ray:
Well....
Fraser: Even if
it was wearing shoes.
[street]
Fraser: Well we
haven’t actually found anyone who saw Diefenbaker harass
Officer Benedict.
Ray: Yeah, we
haven’t found anyone who said Benedict provoked him
either.
Fraser: The
burden of proof rests with the opposition, Ray.
Ray: Aw, come
on, Fraser. Think. We got a wolf on one hand, animal
control officer on the other. Who’re you going to
believe?
[woman is putting up
flyers]
Fraser: Excuse
me, ma’am, I couldn’t help noticing that you’re--
Jackie
Alexander: Oh have you seen her? She’s a husky. Gray
and white. About 35 pounds?
Fraser: Uh, no.
I’m afraid not. How long has she been missing?
Jackie: So
you’re the Mountie? That wolf is yours, isn’t he?
Fraser: Well, I
do own a wolf, yes.
Jackie: Well,
how can you bring a wild animal into this neighborhood?
Don’t you have any conscience at all?
Fraser: Well,
I’m sorry, ma’am, I’m not sure that I understand what
you’re suggesting.
Jackie: That
wolf of yours has been hanging around these alleys for
weeks. Now, I was so scared, I couldn’t even let my son
take the dog out for a walk!
Ray: All right
lady, the wolf’s in custody, there’s nothing to worry
about.
Jackie: My dog
is missing. I’ve been talking to the people in the
laundromat. They’ve lost pets, too. Now, some of them
right out of their own backyard!
Ray: So call
animal control.
Jackie: Well, I
did! None of them were picked up. They just disappeared
like Maggie! I swear to you, if that animal of yours hurt
our dog--
Fraser: Ma’am,
if that is the case, then I will personally see to it that
this situation is immediately and irrevocably dealt with.
However, if you don’t have any actual evidence against my
wolf...
Jackie: This is
my evidence. [hands
him a missing dog
poster] I
just better find my dog, you understand?
Street guy:
Constable. I just picked this up in the alley and I
thought you might want to see it. Some might call it
evidence. [hands
collar to
Fraser]
Could send a certain wolf up the river for a long
time.
Fraser: Thank
you very kindly.
[street guy salutes and
leaves]
Ray: Great. A
dog collar.
Fraser:
[reads the name on
the
collar]
Maggie.
[pound]
[Maggie whines; Dief
is in next cell, and answers her, barks; all the dogs
start barking]
Benedict: Cut
it out! Shut up, you stupid mutts!
Cuthbert: All
right, all right, everybody settle down.
[dogs stop
barking]
Thought that room was supposed to be empty.
Benedict: A
stray. Just brought her in.
Cuthbert: Want
me to write it up?
Benedict: No.
I’ll do the paperwork later. Thanks.
Cuthbert: Now
you behave, hmm?
[exits]
[Benedict slides food to
Dief]
Benedict: Shut
up in there.
[Dief barks again,
then gives up]
[courthouse]
Judge Sherman:
Next. Okay. Case number
ninety-five-dash-M-one-dash-three-five-two-seven-three-nine.
The City of Chicago versus...Diefen...bakia?
Fraser: That’s
Diefenbaker, sir.
[stands]
Judge: Uh-huh.
Constable Fraser, is it?
Fraser: Yes,
sir.
Judge: Okay.
What I have here is a statement from animal control, blah
blah blah... Okay, it seems pretty straight forward.
Anything you care to add before I give you my
ruling?
Fraser: Yes,
there is your honor, may I?
[judge motions & Fraser steps
forward]
Willie: He’s
going to tell the truth. We’re dead!
Ray: Just give
him a chance.
Fraser: On
Tuesday last, the accused, that is my wolf,
Diefenbaker--
Judge:
Wolf?
Fraser: Well
yes, sir. He’s a wolf. Uh partly anyway. I’m not sure what
the other part is.
Judge:
Wait-wait-wait. You let a wolf run loose in the streets
and he attacks somebody? Why doesn’t that come as a
surprise to me?
Fraser: Uh,
well you see, sir, that’s a popular misconception. The
fact is--
Ray: Benny,
fall back. [steps
forward]
Your honor, Detective Vecchio.
Judge:
Uh-huh.
Ray: Let’s cut
to the chase. So the wolf took a piece out of the animal
control guy. He’s a city bureaucrat. I mean, come on,
wouldn’t you do the same if you had the opportunity?
Willie: Oh
great!
Fraser: Uh,
Ray.
Judge: *Ray*
Vecchio?
Ray: Uh yes,
Your Honor?
Judge: You’re
the cop that got Justice Powell committed to county
psychiatric!
Ray: Hey look,
just because a judge gets carried out of court on a
stretcher screaming a particular detective’s name--
Judge:
No-no-no-no. I’m very honored. Really. See I’ve always
wanted to know just how many members of his immediate
family did you actually indict?
Ray: Well, four
including the toddler. But that was an unfortunate
error--
Fraser: Uh,
Your Honor, about my wolf?
Judge: Right.
Okay. Uh, how many people has he actually attacked?
Fraser: Well
none. I mean, except in the line of duty.
Judge: Excuse
me?
Fraser: Well
you see, sir, as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police, I tend to run across desperate criminals on
occasion, and Diefenbaker has often been extremely
instrumental in bringing about their capture, and their
subsequent incarceration. As a matter of fact, I have a
letter of gratitude here from an Inuit elder in
Tuktoyaktuk--
Judge
: No, that’s okay. Thank you very much. Has he ever
killed?
Fraser: No, of
course not. Well, at least not without cause. There was a
nasty incident involving a wolverine on a Northumberland
sound--
Judge: Okay, so
the answer to my question is ‘Yes.’ Tell me, Constable.
Just how long have you had this animal in captivity?
Fraser: Well,
I’ve never really thought of him as captive, Your Honor.
You see, Diefenbaker was born in the wild, but he came to
live with me of his own free will.
Judge: You mean
he’s wild? He’d not domesticated?
Fraser: Oh.
No-no, no. He’s very sociable, if that’s what you
mean.
Judge: No,
Constable, that is not what I mean. What you have here is
a wild animal living in an apartment. By your own
admission has bitten more than one individual and is
responsible for killing at least one other animal. This is
not Lassie! Order the animal be put to sleep.
Willie: You
can’t kill him! He didn’t mean to hurt anybody. Look it
was my fault!
Judge: Son, why
don’t you let the grown-ups--
Ray: Your
Honor, you can’t euthanize him just because he’s wild. Why
don’t you send him back to the woods from where he
came?
Judge: I can’t
do that, Detective. Not so long as there’s any question
about him being a danger to man. Sorry.
[exits]
Willie: You
can’t let them do
this! Fine. To
hell with the law, and to hell with you!
[Fraser is stunned,
speechless]
[pound; Fraser is
sitting in Dief’s cell]
Fraser: Well,
the good news is that Ray says we have nothing to worry
about. It turns out, luckily for us, that he’s very
well-acquainted with a number of sitting judges, and he’s
confident that one of them is bound to grant us a stay of
execution. [Dief
whines]
Well, I know, but it’s not inconceivable that he would
know one of them, and the least we can do is let him try,
don’t you think? ...You know, I was thinking today about
that time you pulled me from the Sound and, uh...I know I
never really... You did want to come here, didn’t
you? I just
took it for granted. I know we never really discussed it,
but I would hate to think you came here and stayed here
all of this time just out of some kind of misplaced sense
of duty. You wouldn’t do that, would you?
[Dief whines, Fraser
smiles] I
didn’t think you would. You know, I-I could stay if you’d
like. I, uh, I brought my bedroll. Okay, well, if you’d
rather be alone then....
[goes to
leave]
[Dief looks at the wall and whines; clearly agitated, Dief
starts
barking]
[Maggie’s cell; Benedict is muzzling Maggie]
Benedict
: There you
go.
[Dief’s cell; Dief barks]
Fraser : Diefenbaker what’s wrong? Diefenbaker!
[Benedict wheels Maggie out in a wire crate]
[Dief’s cell]
Fraser : All right. I’m leaving now, I’ll be back in the morning.
[Fraser opens the door; Dief sees Maggie and tries to get past Fraser]
Fraser : No!
[Dief has bitten Fraser on the
wrist]
[27th
precinct]
Elaine: Poor
Diefenbaker.
Ray: I said not
to worry.
Didn’t I say
that? This is
America, land of the lengthy appeal. I can tie this case
up for years faster than you can say ‘Judge Wapner’
Elaine:
Sure.
Ray: Now I know
some judges that are big dog lovers. A couple of calls and
bing bang boom. Dief is as good as a free puppy. You know,
I had a loss of my own recently, Elaine, and you didn’t
say anything about that.
Elaine: It was
a car, Ray.
Ray: Can we not
talk about
this?
[Elaine exits]
Ray : [on phone] Hello! Judge Axelrod? Yes, Detective Vecchio here...Uh, yes, sir...uh, no....Why thank you, sir. Yes it has been a long time...Well, I thought it was an open-and-shut case myself too, sir...Dinner plans? ...Of course, I’ll get right to the point. Now you are a pet lover, are you not, sir? I mean, I recall seeing a picture of Prince, I believe his name was...Your wife’s dog...And the divorce proceedings aren’t going well...Well gee, I’m really sorry to hear that, sir...Bitten as a child? ...Uh, well, you know, if I was in your shoes, sir, I’d do exactly the same thing, yes...Uh, my call? [Fraser arrives] Well, ah, you know what, sir? That’s really not important. I mean you got enough, uh, yes....Fine. Well thank you, sir, and God bless, yes.
[hangs up & sighs heavily]
Ray
:
[cheerily]
It’s going great. I mean I put in a lot of
calls and, you know, this animal is as good as
sprung.
Fraser: I
appreciate you trying, Ray.
Ray: No-no-no.
This book--see this book here? This contains the names of
over fifty jurists and law makers. I have compromising
photos of several. I mean, you know, we have not yet begun
to fight. [leafs
through
book]
Let’s see, Gold...Gold...Harry Gold.
[pound]
[Cuthbert is padlocking Dief into a wire
cage]
Cuthbert: There
you go, boy. I know, we don’t like to do it, but when an
animal bites its owner, well... Hey. I brought a little
something extra for ya. Against the rules but a condemned
man needs more than a bowl of kibble and a chew
stick.
Benedict:
[bursting in,
carrying a
cage] Oh!
What are you still doing here?
Cuthbert: Uh,
last meal for 21B. A little steak.
Benedict: Why
bother?
Cuthbert: Any
dog that’d bite you, can’t be all bad, can it?
Benedict: Oh
that’s funny. Yeah.
Cuthbert: A new
one?
Benedict: No, a
mistake. I’m taking him back to his owner.
Cuthbert: Well,
lock up.
Benedict: Oh,
yeah.
Cuthbert: Good
night, guys.
[exits]
[knock knock knock]
[Benedict opens the bay
door]
Devereaux:
Bring us your injured, your weak, and your homeless.
Caulfield: The
wretched refuse of your teaming shore.
Benedict: You
don’t pay me enough to listen to your stupid jokes.
Devereaux: We
do pay you to deliver, and you’re not the only worm around
here that’ll steal people’s pets just to earn a few extra
bucks. Where’s the husky?
[Benedict unveils Maggie in
cage]
Benedict:
Beauty, huh? Just like you ordered.
Devereaux:
Yeah, too bad. Cause she won’t be when those lab people
get through with her.
[they load several
cages onto the truck]
Benedict: Hey.
Where’s my money?
Devereaux: We
get paid on delivery. You get paid when we get
paid.
Caulfield
: See you
tomorrow.
[Willie sneaks into pound... Dief sees him and
barks]
Willie
: Hey boy, it’s me. Boy, you don’t look so good. What have
they been doing to you in here? Ah no, don’t tell me, I
can imagine. Hey-hey-hey, look, I’m here to help, okay?
We’re gonna have you out of here in no time.
[gets out wire
clippers from his
bag] Sit
back and relax.
[Dief groans
loudly]
You sure you’re okay? I mean, what that judge said about
you just ain’t so, is it? You know, that you’re mad from
not being in the wild and all?
Well, even if
you are, it doesn’t matter. Now you won’t bite me, will
ya? I mean,
we’re friends, aren’t we? I mean, you wouldn’t go and bite
a friend, now would you?
[cuts the
chain]
There, you see? This is going great. I’m here, boy. I’m
here. See? I told ya. I didn’t give up on you. How you
doing, boy?
Yeah. Come on. We better get out of here.
[27th
precinct]
Ray:
[on
phone]
Vecchio. V-E-C-C-- What do you mean he doesn’t remember
me? How can he not remember me? ...Alzheimer’s. Well, all
right, fair enough.
[hangs
up]
Fraser: It’s
all right, Ray.
Ray: Ah, look
Fraser, even I know that animal’s your best friend.
Fraser: Yes,
but he is an animal.
Ray: Oh, and a
Riviera is just a car?
Elaine: Judge
Maxwell’s office just called. He died two years ago.
Fraser: Thank
you, Elaine.
[Vecchio tears out
and crumples a page from ‘The
Book’]
Ray : Well, those pictures weren’t worth much anyway. [phone rings] Yello? ....Hold on. [hands the phone to Fraser]
Fraser
: Hello?
Cuthbert: It’s
the ACC. Your wolf seems to have escaped.
Fraser:
Escaped?
Cuthbert: It
looks like he might have had some help. It could have been
one of those groups who release pets from labs. It’s the
fashion these days.
Fraser:
Willie.
Cuthbert:
What’s that?
Fraser: What
will you do now?
Cuthbert:
Notify the authorities and send an armed officer out to
track him down. He has been ordered destroyed.
Fraser: I
understand. Thank you.
[to
Vecchio]
Can you take me home?
Ray:
Sure.
[Fraser’s apartment;
he unlocks a trunk (‘Sgt. R. Fraser’) and takes out a
rifle]
[loaner
car]
Fraser: Did you
get them? [Vecchio
shows him a box of
shells]
Could you hold them ‘til I ask for them?
Ray: It that
your father’s rifle?
[Fraser
nods] Why
don’t you let me do this for you?
Fraser: No,
he’s my
wolf.
[roadside; Willie and Dief are hitchhiking; a big rig
stops]
Trucker: How
far you going?
Willie:
Canada?
Trucker: Jump
up.
Willie: Come
on, boy.
[pound]
Cuthbert:
Imagine running away to try and release him. Kids got
spirit.
Ray: Kid’s a
pain in the ass.
Fraser: Would
you please notify all the border control points? Thank
you.
Ray: What he’s
taking him to Canada?
Fraser: He’s
taking him back to the wild.
Ray: Hey,
that’s out of my jurisdiction.
Fraser:
Willie’s in danger, Ray.
Ray: From what,
Diefenbaker?
[Fraser shows Vecchio the bandage on his
wrist]
[semi truck]
[Dief is barking
wildly]
Trucker: What’s
with him?
Willie: I don’t
know. Diefenbaker? Come here, boy.
[trucker lets them
off]
Thanks. [Dief runs
off into the
woods] Aw
come on, man, this isn’t Canada! Diefenbaker, wait
up!
[follows
him]
[loaner
car]
Ray: Want to
talk about it?
Fraser:
No.
Ray: Come on,
you love that wolf.
Fraser: You
loved your car.
Ray: Yeah, but
a car isn’t a person. I mean, a car is nothing but a hunk
of metal, steel, bolts, and leather. I mean, I know that.
But the wolf, it’s the damnedest thing. It was like
there’s a person inside of him.
[Vecchio is driving
in the slow lane]
[snowy
wood]
Willie:
Diefenbaker, where you
going? That’s
the wrong way! We just came from there. Canada’s that way.
[Dief keeps
going]
Hey! Hey!
[loaner
car]
Ray:
[into the
radio]
That you, Elaine?
Elaine: Just
got word from a Lake County Dispatcher. A trucker reported
picking up a kid with a wolf.
Ray: Ya got to
hand it to the kid, he’s got fugitive in his blood.
Elaine: Trucker
said he dropped them outside of Waukegan. I checked the
map. There’s an interchange there that serves the
I-94.
Fraser: We’re
coming up on it now.
Ray: Thank you
kindly,
Elaine.
[snowy
field]
Willie: Do you
know where you’re going? You’re stubborn, you know that?
Stubborn and stupid. Hey Diefenbaker, wait up. Dief, wait
up. Where you going, boy? Wait up! Come on boy!
Diefenbaker!
[snowy wood; Vecchio
& Fraser (with rifle) tracking on foot]
Fraser: This is
odd. These tracks, they’re headed south.
Ray: That’s
back where we came from. Doesn’t the kid know where north
is?
Fraser: Well,
of course he does. I gave him a compass.
Ray: Yeah, I
got a compass for my 10th birthday. Every
direction I turned, it pointed north.
Fraser
: Well it
wouldn’t matter, Ray. Even if Willie was confused or the
compass was broken, all he had to do is follow the
highway. Yet these tracks go the other way.
Ray: Good,
maybe he got smart and he’s going back home. Look Fraser,
the wolf’s
crazy. Why
don’t you let the animal control guys take it from
here?
Fraser: He’s
not crazy. [examines
a tree trunk that’s been shredded]
Ray: He did
that?
Fraser:
Yes.
Ray: Oh. I
wouldn’t call peeling the bark off a tree normal behavior,
even for a demented wolf.
Fraser: It’s
hunting behavior. When a wolf kills its prey, he peels off
the hide. It’s more efficient for digestion. But I don’t
see a carcass anywhere.
Ray: This is a
good sign?
Fraser: Every
wolf raised in the wild is born with the instinct to kill.
For food or self-preservation or to protect its own. His
anxiousness lately, running with that pack of strays, now
this. I think he’s returning to his wild state.
[snowy field,
leading to a farm]
Willie: Is that
where we’re going? Oh man! And what was with that bark
thing? If you
were hungry, all you had to do was say so. I mean, gee. I
did pack sandwiches. Oh man! Fraser’s going to kill me.
Wait up, Diefenbaker!
[inside; man is
examining Maggie’s teeth]
Buyer: She’ll
be fine. Can’t use the others.
Devereaux: What
do you expect me to do with them?
Buyer: Bone
cancer clinic in Skokie. Call them.
[hands him an
envelope]
Benedict:
[into
phone]
Yeah, no problem. I’m heading North on I-94 right now...
Don’t worry, I’ll get him.
Devereaux:
What’s that?
[they start divvying up
cash]
Benedict: I
gotta go. That crazy wolf? He got loose.
[silent, mimed discussion: Benedict: Hey, where’s the rest
of my money?! Devereaux: Hey, don’t look at
me.]
[outside. Music: ‘Dief’s in Love’ (original
score)]
Willie: Where
are you going? Diefenbaker, wait up! This isn’t our
property, you know. Diefenbaker!
[Dief enters
building, Willie close behind]
[snowy field; Vecchio & Fraser get closer]
[inside; Dief growls, runs, jumps, and knocks over two
buyers; barks at Maggie and she follows
him]
Benedict:
[to escaping
Maggie]
Hey, you! I’ll
get the wolf.
[Devereaux lowers
the door, and Willie is trapped]
Devereaux
: [to
Caulfield]
Get the husky!
[outside; Fraser and
Vecchio arrive... Fraser hears a noise, turns and spots
Dief running off at full speed... Benedict stops near
them, and he aims his rifle]
Ray: Hey, what
are you doing?
Benedict: I got
orders.
Ray: Yeah, well
now you got new ones. Back off.
Fraser: Give me
a bullet, Ray.
Quickly.
[he
does]
[inside]
Devereaux:
[to
Willie]
Come here. All right.
[Willie elbows him &
runs]
[outside; Fraser puts the bullet into the rifle and takes aim...]
[Maggie runs out of building, Fraser is aiming...]
[Willie runs out of building, Fraser is aiming...]
[Dief is running, Fraser is
aiming...]
Benedict: Do
it!
Willie:
Nooooooo!
[Dief is running,
Maggie is running after him; she barks, and he
stops]
[Fraser spots the
dog]
Fraser:
Maggie?
Ray:
What?
Fraser: The
collar. Maggie!
[Benedict cocks his rifle, aims at Dief...]
[Fraser turns and shoots rifle from his
hands]
Willie: There’s
more guys inside!
Fraser: It’s my
wolf.
[Vecchio takes Benedict’s rifle & leads him away... Willie romps with Dief & Maggie]
[inside]
Benedict: You
can’t do this. We haven’t done anything illegal.
Caulfield:
Well, not strictly.
Ray: Tell it to
the judge.
[locks all bad guys into a large
cage]
Fraser:
[to
Dief] You
know, you could have told me about this. It’s not as
though we’re complete strangers.
[whispers
conspiratorially]
I think she seems to be a very good choice.
Ray: That’s
what this was about? He’s got a girlfriend?
Fraser: Well,
actually it’s a little more complicated than that, Ray.
[whispers to
Vecchio] This dog is with child.
[Maggie’s
house]
Willie:
Puppies? Wow!
Boy (Mack):
[hands puppy to
Willie]
His name is Buster.
Willie : Hi, Buster. Cool!
Mack
: [offers puppy to
Vecchio]
Her name is Sunshine.
Ray: Yeah,
that’s real nice, kid, but try not to get the wolf hairs
on my clothes.
Jackie
Alexander: You sure you don’t want one?
Fraser: Oh, no
thank you. One wolf in the family is enough.
[Dief
whines]
Well, we can visit. I’ll bring you.
Jackie:
Actually I think he can find his own way. But you’re
welcome to join him, anytime.
Fraser: Oh well
uh, thank you kindly, but I-I-I wouldn’t dream of--
Jackie: I’ll
cook.
Fraser: We’d be
delighted. [to
Dief]
Wouldn’t we?
[street]
Ray: Ah, I
guess it’s a kind of a nice cyclical thing. You blowing up
the Riv, and me saving your wolf. On the other hand my Riv
can’t be replaced, and your wolf seems to have
tripled.
Fraser: Why
can’t it be replaced?
Ray: Fraser,
‘71 Rivieras are extremely rare. I traveled all the way to
Buffalo to find that car. They’re impossible to
find.
Fraser:
Huh.
Ray: Huh?
What?
[Fraser points toward the street as a green Riv goes by, with a For Sale sign in the window]
Ray
: Oh my God! [runs
after it]
Hey wait! Wait, stop! Police! Stop! Stop! Hey, hey! Stop!
Police! 555-2663. 555-2663. 555-2663. Hey! Hey! Wait
up!
End