My phone dings with a text from Billy the valet.
I read his message and laugh. "It seems that Mr. Sharpe's Porsche is somehow missing from the club's parking lot. He just about blew a gasket."
Cooper and the cop both start laughing hysterically, part of which is probably just a release from the stress of tonight.
I giggle too. "Gosh, that felt good. To finally feel in control. I'm still worried he's going to hurt someone, though. Are you sure they're watching him 24/7?"
"Yes, a two-man team. Off duty cops."
"Do the cops know there's also a two-man team from Garrett's company watching all of them?"
"Naw," Cooper says, "I didn't think they needed to know."
A few minutes later, the helicopter sets down on the roof of the Moran Movies headquarters and lets us off.
Damian is waiting for us at the rooftop door.
He sighs with relief, gives me a big hug, and I introduce him to Cooper.
He looks at Cooper and squints. "You've got to be the hot soccer coach."
Cooper and I both laugh.
"It all went well. And his Porsche went missing for good measure. I mean, just in case the coffin and all wasn't enough for him."
Damian shakes his head. "I'm glad I wasn't there. I wouldn't have been able to watch you get put into a coffin."
"If it weren't for all the adrenaline," Cooper says, "I wouldn't have been able to either."
Vincent goes home, strips off his clothes, and showers off the stench of the day. Then he lies in his king-sized bed, using the remote to close the wall of curtains showcasing a gorgeous city view, and turns on the television.
"You've gotta be shitting me," he says, upon seeing that A Day at the Lake is airing.
He tosses his remote across the room in a fit of anger.
Then watches the movie, knowing that this time it will end differently.
It has to.
On the flight back home, Cooper and I are both too pumped up to sleep.
"Let's watch the rest of the movie."
"Maybe we should just fast forward to the end. I mean, more people are gonna die and all that will be left is Matt, Lacy, and Vince."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
We watch in fast motion as the dead bodies pile up, Cooper stopping on a scene where Lacy and Matt are in a storage shed.
"It's Vince that's killing everyone. He wants you to go with Egypt with him, doesn't he?"
Lacy sobs into his chest. "I think so."
He pushes her away, holding her at arm's length. "We're leaving now. Running. We'll find someone somewhere."
"He said there isn't anyone for ten miles."
"He's been killing everyone, Lacy. Wake up. He's a liar. I'll keep you safe, baby. I promise. And if you want, I'll go to Egypt with you."
Lacy smiles through her tears and leans in to kiss him.
WHAM!.
Vince hits Matt in the back of the head with a shovel.
Matt falls to the ground.
Dead.
Lacy screams as Vince starts moving toward her.
"It's just you and me now," Vince says creepily.
Lacy takes a step back, picks a life jacket up off a counter, and tosses it at him.
Vince moves sideways, avoiding the jacket and taking another step toward her. "When you first told me you might not go, I asked you if you wanted this as badly as I do. You told me yes."
"Wait, stop!" I shout.
"What?" Cooper says, almost jumping out of his seat.
I place my fingertips on my forehead, like it will help me remember. "Play that again."
"When you first told me you might not go, I asked if you wanted this as badly as I do."
"He said that exact line to me. About making his movie. You want this as badly as I do, don't you?"
"That's creepy," Cooper says as he rewinds and presses play.
". . . You told me yes."
Lacy screams, "Well, I changed my mind!"
She takes another step backwards.
"No! Don't give me that bullshit. Matt changed your mind! You came crying to me about it! I told you to figure it out."
Lacy has a flashback of telling Vince she didn't think she was going to study abroad and indicating that Matt wasn't very supportive. Vince offers to take her for a walk to discuss it.
Lacy laughs. "I don't think you can solve my boyfriend troubles, Vince, but thanks."
Vince says, "Maybe you need to solve them yourself."
And I have a flashback of my own.
I'm standing on the deck at a party, turning down a walk on the beach. "Thanks for the offer, Vincent. It's sweet of you, but I don't think anyone can solve my boy problems."
"Maybe you need to solve them yourself."
The movie keeps playing.
Vince is yelling at her, taking another step toward her, backing her into a corner. "But you didn't fucking listen to me. You listened to him."
Realizing she's trapped, she pleads, "Don't do this, Vincey. Tell me what you want and I'll do it."
He doesn't stop moving toward her.
And he doesn't reply.
He grabs her by the neck and starts dragging her out of the shed. "I want you, and I'm going to have you. All to myself."
"Holy shit," I mutter, another scene flashing in front of my eyes.
Vincent is dragging me and I plead, "Stop. Please, Vincent. Just tell me what you want, and I'll do it. I promise I'll make the movie with you. Just please don't do this. Please."
He doesn't stop.
And he doesn't reply.
He just keeps dragging me, closer and closer to the door.
When we're almost to the door, he says, "I want you, and I'm going to have you. All to myself."
"Keatyn, what?"
"He did the same thing, said the same thing, as he was dragging me out the door. That he was going to have me all to himself."
Cooper takes his jacket off and lays it across the top of me. "You're shaking. Stop thinking about it."
"I'm glad you're here, Cooper. Thank you for everything. For going along with my crazy schemes."
"Somehow I doubt Garrett would have gone for the cage dancing." He smiles at me and pats the top of my hand. "I'm really proud of you."
"Thanks, Cooper. Let's keep watching."
Just when you think Vince is about to take her out the door, Matt stands up and staggers toward him.
Matt is holding a boat anchor that he swings up into the air and then slams into Vince's head.
Vince drops to the ground, bleeding profusely.
But he's not dead yet.
He says, "We're still going to Egypt together, Lacy." His voice starts to fade as he nears death. "And it will be perfection."
"You've got to be kidding me! Did he memorize the whole damn movie?"
"Did he say that to you?"
"At some point, yeah. Actually, no, I think it was in the note with the photos."
Lacy helps Matt stagger outside.
She suggests they try the boat again.
It still doesn't start, so Lacy lifts the motor cover. "Just the battery cable." She pops it back on and starts the boat. "Let's get out of here!"
"Before we do, Lacy. I'm sorry. If you really want to go to Africa, we'll figure out a way to stay together. I don't want to lose you, and I don't want to stand in the way of your dreams."
"You are my dreams, Matty." Lacy throws her arms around him, smothers him with kisses, and then they drive off in the boat as the sun is rising on a new day.
The End Cooper shuts my laptop. "So, in this, Vince is the bad guy who dies. Do you think he changed that in the new script?"
"He said he was changing a lot of it. Special effects, stunt scenes. He made it sound like the new Lacy was supposed to be some badass heroine, but if she were, she'd save all her friends. And if she saved them, there'd be no story. No plot. I remember him saying something about getting someone ugly to play my boyfriend and not having any kissing scenes. I suppose young Vincent was jealous of Matt."
"Because he wants Lacy for himself."
"I think we need to get a copy of that script."
"How are we going to do that?"
"That's another thing agents are for."
Vincent falls asleep before the movie is over. And he dreams of the ending he and Lacy deserve. One where Matt is forever out of the way, either dead or in jail.
Lacy's family is dead.
The dream he had was brilliant. Something straight out of a huge blockbuster movie.
He knows the special effects will be costly, but well worth the effort.
This is the ending that no one will see coming.
Back at school the next day, Keatyn sends a message to her mom's agent at the Warren Taylor Agency.
-Is there a way you could discreetly get a script for The Day at the Lake remake? I might know someone interested in it.
I'm shocked to get a quick response, especially since it's 4:30 in the morning on the West coast.