Chapter 13 (The Figure of Death)

Chapter 13 (The Figure of Death) is the thirteenth chapter of The Clearwood Murders: Episode I - The Figure of Death. It was written by Donald Newton and published on May 14, 2021.

Plot
The Figure is revealed.

Full Chapter
INT. OLD BEAMER HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Andrew and a chair bounded Clarence have found themselves being confronted by the Figure.

ANDREW: Who are you? What is it that you want from us?

The Figure removes his black hood from his head. Then he removes his goggles, revealing his GREEN EYES. Andrew slowly starts to recognize the eyes.

ANDREW: No...it can't be.

The Figure removes his mask and is revealed to be -- A VERY MUCH ALIVE AND WELL JENNA MCKINLEY.

Jenna has an evil smile on her face as the truth is hitting Andrew hard.

JENNA: Hey, Baby! I bet you didn't see this coming.

Both Andrew and Clarence are shocked by Jenna's reveal.

ANDREW: But...how? Scott said he found your dead body.

JENNA: Well, the oldest trick in the book...the killer always pretends to be dead to cover their tracks.

ANDREW: But why? Why are you doing this?

JENNA: Because of my father...

Andrew has an idea and realizes the current pattern.

ANDREW: Paul Brownwell? You've been killing the children of the people responsible for putting him away. Aaron Berkman, Cheryl Reid, Anthony Bishop, and Kris Bridges...who by the way is still alive.

JENNA: I'll deal with her and the others later. But you're wrong about Paul Brownwell. He's not father. My father...died in this very house. Along with my big brother.

This revelation shocks Andrew and Clarence, who has come to realize who Jenna's true identity is.

ANDREW: You're the Beamer daughter...the one who escaped the fire with the mother.

JENNA: That's right. My name birth name is Jenna Beamer. My father...my real father was Phillip Beamer. It's his death I'm avenging.

Andrew is confused by this.

ANDREW: But Paul Brownwell. He...

JENNA: Was innocent. He was NOT the one responsible for his death. It was my so called "adoptive father", along with his friends; Cheryl's father Thomas Reid and Kris's father Shane Bridges, who then pinned the fire on Paul Brownwell by claiming to have witnessed him setting the house on fire. Then they were assisted by their friends; Anthony's father Richard Bishop as the jury foreman and Aaron's father Kurt Berkman as the Prosecutor, to find Paul Brownwell guilty...so that they can get away with my Father's murder.

ANDREW: But why? Why did Principal McKinley kill your father?

Jenna prepares for the big reveal, showing a sweet but also sad memory. It shows that his cold hearted killer actually has some humane to herself as she thinks of something beautiful to her.

JENNA: My mother...Ellen...she was so beautiful in her teen years. She was the most popular girl in school. Everyone wanted her...including John McKinley. He tried to get my mother to fall for him. I mean, he was the most popular guy in school at the time. So it only seem fitting to him that he got the most popular girl in school. But no...Ellen choose another guy; Phillip Beamer, who was the most UNPOPULAR guy in school. He belonged to a poor family from a poor background. But my mother, beautiful and popular, looked past that and fell for Phillip for who he was inside. This, of course, did not go well with McKinley. How could the biggest loser in school have the most popular girl in school? So...when I was two years old, John McKinley and his friends conspired to kill my father and frame Paul Brownwell for it. So that...

Andrew realizes the resulting truth behind it all...

ANDREW: So that McKinley can be there to comfort your mother and in her vulernable state...make her fall in love with him and marry him.

JENNA: Exactly. It was all a conspiracy. My father Phillip Beamer and Paul Brownwell were victims of John McKinley's disgusting lust over my mother. After my mom married McKinley, he adopted me, and they gave me his last name...covering my true identity for all these years.

ANDREW: Okay...so I get why you targeted Kris, Cheryl, Anthony, and Aaron. But why us? Why my family? My father had nothing to do with the conspiracy...right?

CLARENCE: I had no part in it. I had no idea that this was the truth.

JENNA: But you went along with it. Because Thomas Reid was a friend of yours. You belived in his story. You didn't look at the bigger picture.

CLARENCE: I followed the evidence. The evidence told me that Paul Brownwell murdered your father.

JENNA: You mean just like the evidence told you that Bud Lane murdered Cheryl Reid?

The irony hits Clarence.

JENNA: Twice now...has somebody murdered someone and you were led to believe that someone else had killed the victim. You're incompetent. You are ignorant of the big picture. Your blissful ignorance is your failure as Sheriff. Because of it...justice was NEVER served. My father's killers got away with it and an innocent man, feeling hopeless, had taken his life over being framed. You're just as guilty for Brownwell's death as John McKinley, Thomas Reid, Shane Bridges, Richard Bishop, and Kurt Berkman.

CLARENCE: (crying) I'm sorry. I was just trying to do what was right. I didn't know.

JENNA: Sorry isn't going to help. You allowed five men to get away with taking my father's life away from me. So I took their children's lives away from them. Just as I'm going to take your son's life away from you!

Andrew sees that Jenna is going to go for the attack. So he takes out the knife hidden under his shirt and pants and attempts to swing it at her. But Jenna anticipated this and slashes his hand. This results in Andrew shrieking in pain and losing the knife.

JENNA: You idiot! I knew you'd bring a weapon with you.

ANDREW: Fuck you!

JENNA: You've already done so. It was good while it lasted. But it's time to end it. Consider this me "Breaking your heart."

Jenna goes to stab Andrew in the heart. But Andrew quickly grabs her wrist as he falls backwards onto the floor. The two are struggling. Andrew is much stronger. But Jenna is full of rage. They're almost equal in their strength.

Jenna inches the knife closer and closer to Andrew's chest. Andrew is frightened that she might actually stab him. So he does quick thinking. He headbutts her in the face. Jenna grabs at her face as Andrew kicks her off of him.

Andrew rises as Jenna recovers from the blow to the face.

JENNA: YOU FUCKER!

Jenna charges at Andrew. But before she can stab him, Andrew grabs her wrists and throws her against the wall.

Andrew then goes on the attack and punches her in the face.

ANDREW: I was always told never to hit a girl...but for you...I'm making an exception.

Andrew punches her again. Jenna responds by swinging the knife at him. But Andrew is able to dodge it. She continues to swing the knife at him, making Andrew walk backwards.

Eventually -- Jenn successfully slashes Andrew across the chest, which makes him gasp in pain.

CLARENCE: (worried) ANDREW!

Andrew is wounded and shocked to concentrate on defending himself. This allows Jenna the opportunity to kick Andrew down to the floor. He lands hard on the floor. Too weak and injured to do anything.

Jenna hovers over her ex-boyfriend and raises the knife at him.

JENNA: Goodnight, my sweet love.

Jenna goes to stab to Andrew.

CLARENCE: (horrified) ANDREW!!!

Jenna swings the knife down. But before the blade can reach Andrew -- BANG!

Jenn slumps off of her Andrew. Appears to be dead.

Andrew and Clarence turn to the living room entry to find -- Scott with Mr. Bridges's gun.

ANDREW: Scott!

Scott rushes over to Andrew.

SCOTT: You okay, dude?

ANDREW: I don't know.

Scott checks Andrew's wound. It's not very deep.

SCOTT: You'll be okay. You just need to see a doctor.

A not-so-dead Jenna slowly regains herself, grabbing the knife.

Clarence sees this.

CLARENCE: Boys!

Jenna is right above them with the knife aimed at them. Scott feels this and quickly grabs the gun and -- BANG! A bullet goes into Jenna's head and she drops to the floor...

Jenna McKinley/Jenna Beamer, the Figure Killer of the story, is dead.

Andrew and Scott sigh in relief. It's all over.

EXT. BRIDGES HOUSE - DAY

Kris's house is surrounded by police and paramedics. Kris is being strolled to an ambulance by paramedics. Nick is by her side.

NICK: I'm not leaving you. I'm coming with you.

Kris smiles.

KRIS: Thank you...I forgive you.

NICK: I don't deserve it. But I am sorry. I love you, Kris.

KRIS: I love you, too, Nick.

Kris is loaded into the ambulance. Nick jumps in with her.

Cole, Charlie, and Lorraine stand around as they watch Brett and Paige's sheet covered bodies being strolled to the morgue van.

LORRAINE: I can't believe that Jenna was responsible for all of this. And now she's dead, too.

Cole has extreme sadness as he watches Paige's body being loaded into the morgue van.

COLE: I can't believe that my girlfriend is dead. I thought she'd survive this.

LORRAINE: I lost my boyfriend.

CHARLIE: Andrew has lost his girlfriend. And I lost my best friend.

LORRAINE: It seems that we've all lost someone special to us.

CHARLIE: At least your brother and father made it.

Lorraine smiles.

LORRAINE: Yeah. I'm happy about that.

Cole puts his arms around Charlie and Lorraine and the three of them walk away together.

Deaths

 * CD = Chapter Death (Deaths in the chapter)
 * SD = Story Death (Overall deaths in the story)

Trivia

 * Jenna McKinley is revealed to be the Figure, the daughter of Phillip Beamer, and younger sister of Elijah Beamer.
 * It is revealed that it was John McKinley, Thomas Reid, and Shane Bridges who set the Beamer house on fire and framed Paul Brownwell for it.
 * John McKinley's motive for killing Phillip Beamer was because he was in love with his wife Ellen (Jenna's mother) and killed Phillip to get him out of the way. McKinley used Ellen's vulnerable and emotional state to woo her over to him.
 * Final appearance of Jenna McKinley/Jenna Beamer.