Chapter 3 (The Figure of Death)

Chapter 3 (The Figure of Death) is the third chapter of The Clearwood Murders: Episode I - The Figure of Death. It was written by Donald Newton and published on May 14, 2021.

Plot
When the school learns of the murders, we learn of the town's dark past.

Full Chapter
INT. CLEARWOOD POLICE STATION - SHERIFF'S OFFICE - DAY

Clarence is sitting at his desk and looking at old case files. He seems really focused on one. He pulls up a crime scene photo of a house that was burned but not destroyed.

Clarence pulls up a newspaper clipping headlined; "HOUSE FIRE KILLS FATHER. SON MISSING." Nearby by is the family photo of a MAN (the victim), his WIFE, YOUNG DAUGHTER (toddler), and his SON (6).

Clarence pulls up another newspaper clipping headlined, "BROWNWELL CONVICTED IN ARSON AND MURDER." Below is a photo of Clarence escorting PAUL BROWNWELL (late 30s) in handcuffs. There is something about Brownell's eyes that makes wonder what happened. He looks scared, confused, and devastated.

Clarence pulls up one final newspaper clipping headlined; "BROWNWELL DEAD BY SUICIDE."

Clarence brings up a crime scene photo of PAUL BROWNWELL'S DEAD BODY. He killed himself by hanging himself with his prison bed sheets.

Clarence's radio has static as someone speaks in the radio.

OFFICER ON RADIO: Sheriff, you are needed at County Prosecutor Berkman's house. It's bad, Sheriff.

CLARENCE: (into radio) On my way.

Clarence gets up from his desk.

CUT TO:

EXT. BERKMAN RESIDENCE - DAY

FLASH! A police investigator has just taken pictures of the crime scene at Aaron's house. The dead bodies of Aaron, Maya, Jessie, and Robby are covered by white sheets.

Clarence drives up to the house. He gets out of the car and is approached by one of his deputies, DEPUTY JAY CLIFFORD (30s)

CLIFFORD: You're not gonna believe what happened, Sheriff.

CLARENCE: Where are the bodies?

CLIFFORD: Right this way.

Deputy Clifford escorts the Sheriff to a white sheet covered body with blood stained on it. A morgue staff with gloves unveils the body to show Clarence. It's the body of Aaron Berkman. Clarence recognizes him.

CLARENCE: It's the County Prosecutor's son.

CLIFFORD: Wasn't Kurt Berkman the Prosecutor that...

CLARENCE: Put Paul Brownwell away...Yes.

Ominous music plays as Clarence realizes the HUGE coincidence this is. He was just looking over the file on Paul Brownwell. Could this murder be related or just a coincident?

INT. CLEARWOOD UNIFIED SCHOOL - CAFETERIA - DAY

Andrew, Jenna, Cole, Paige, Nick, Kris, Cheryl, Charlie, and Brett are having their lunch together.

BRETT: (to Cheryl) Are you sure we can't convince you to throw a party tonight?

CHERYL: I'm sure. I'll be grounded forever.

ANDREW: What about you, Brett? Your parents are never home and whenever they are, they don't give a shit about anything.

BRETT: Have you seen my house? It's so damn small that you can't do shit there.

JENNA: (to Cheryl) Aren't you afraid to be home alone with the janitor stalking you?

CHERYL: A little. But I honestly think that he's harmless.

They turn to the Bud, who is pretending to wash a table not far from them. He's staring at Cheryl with a disturbing grin on his face.

COLE: I'm willing to kick his ass for you.

CHERYL: He ain't worth the trouble.

COLE: I wouldn't mind.

CHERYL: (at Bud) What are you staring at, you fucking perv?!

Bud turns away from her and walks off screen.

This was witnessed by Scott and his best friend ANTHONY BISHOP (16).

SCOTT: (about Bud) He's going to fuck up his life if he keeps this shit up.

ANTHONY: I don't blame him though. Cheryl Reid is pretty hot.

SCOTT: I could careless about how hot she is. I care about what will happen to Bud. He's an asshole. But he is my brother. I just don't want him to fuck things up more than they already are for us.

ANTHONY: I feel ya, man.

JOHN MCKINLEY (49), Jenna's father and the school's principal, approaches Bud.

MCKINLEY: I see what you're doing.

BUD: Doing?

MCKINLEY: You're pretending to wash the tables. Get your act together or you're fired.

BUD: Yes, sir.

McKinley walks off.

BUD: (to himself) Asshole.

Vice Principal DAN DESSLER (50s) passes by him.

DESSLER: I heard that.

BUD: You think he is, too.

Bud starts actually washing the tables.

McKinley passes by Andrew's group's table.

MCKINLEY: (to Jenna) Hey, honey.

JENNA: Hey, Dad!

Suddenly -- EVERYONE'S PHONES STARTS BUZZING.

ANDREW: Something big is happening.

They all start grabbing their phones and looking. Everyone starts gasping and reacting to some news with shock.

COLE: (confused) What the hell is going on?

KRIS: (reading her phone) Aaron Berkman, Maya Sharpe, Jessie Dupree, and Robby Ranson were all murdered last night.

CHERYL: What?!

BRETT: The fuck?

ANDREW: What happened?

EXT. BERKMAN HOUSE - DAY

ROSE WINTERS (33) stands outside the Berkman house and reports the news about the murders.

ROSE: I'm standing outside the home of Clearwood County Prosecutor Kurt Berkman. Berkman's youngest child, Aaron was murdered late last night along with his girlfriend Maya Sharpe, and their friends Jessie Dupree and Robby Ranson. Kurt Berkman, of course, is known state-wide in his role in convicting Paul Brownell nearly fourteen years ago for...

CUT TO BLACK.

It's revealed that Andrew, Jenna, Cole, Paige, Nick, Kris, Cheryl, Brett, and Charlie are all watching this on a phone.

COLE: Wait, I was listening to that. Who is this Paul Brownwell that they were talking about?

BRETT: (shocked) You don't know who Paul Brownwell?

COLE: Not really. No.

JENNA: You've been friends with us for a long time and you've never heard of him?

ANDREW: Believe it or not...our families have a weird connection with him.

COLE: Really? What happened?

BRETT: Well, fourteen years ago, Paul Brownell set a house on fire to kill the entire Beamer family. The father, Phillip, mother Ellen, and the toddler escaped. But the older brother, the six-year old son, Elijah was trapped in the house. The father went back into the house to save his son. But immediately after running back inside, the house exploded, killing Phillip Beamer. Elijah was never found. Brownwell had maintained his innocence, even after being convicted. So, leaving a letter behind in his cell, stating that that nobody will ever believe him to be innocent, he hung himself.

COLE: Interesting. So how are your families involved?

BRETT: Well...there were five fathers involved; Jenna's father, our Principal, was driving by when he witnessed Paul Brownwell set the house on fire, Kris's family lived next door at the time, and her father saw the incident from their window, Cheryl's father was walking their dog that morning and found the house on fire and saw Brownwell standing there. Then, of course, Andrew's father arrested Brownwell, and finally...Aaron Berkman, last night's murder victim...his father was the prosecutor who put Brownwell away.

COLE: That's some crazy ass shit there. (referring to Brett, Charlie, and Paige) Were any of your families involved?

BRETT/CHARLIE/PAIGE: Nope.

PAIGE: I didn't move here until a few years after the incident.

BRETT: My family didn't live in that part of Clearwood when it happened.

CHARLIE: My family saw nothing and didn't know anyone. So no connection with mine.

ANDREW: But the rest of us...will forever be connected to Paul Browenll's legacy here in Clearwood. We're apart of it.

COLE: Damn.

Deaths

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

Trivia

 * First appearances of:
 * Principal John McKinley
 * Vice Principal Dan Dessler
 * Anthony Bishop
 * Deputy Jay Clifford
 * The town's dark past is revealed; Paul Brownwell allegedly set the Beamer family's home on fire, which killed the father, Phillip Beamer, when he stayed in the house to find his son Elijah. But his wife and daughter escaped. Elijah was never found. Paul Brownwell was convicted when Jenn's father John McKinzie (the school's principal), Kris's father Shane Bridges, and Cheryl's father Thomas Reid all testified as witnesses. Aaron's father was the Prosecutor in Brownwell's case. Andrew's father was the arresting officer.