The Turin Shroud Secret by Sam Christer Read Free Book Online

prefer?’

16
    ANTERONUS FILMS, CULVER CITY
    An uncomfortable fifteen minutes pass before there’s a knock on the CEO’s door. A pencil-thin young woman in a light-brown
     suit steps in and looks to Nolan, who nods towards the two cops. ‘Sarah Kenny,’ she says. ‘I’m from production and I’m here
     to take you to the set.’
    As they walk out, Mitzi sees she’s red-eyed and guesses she’s been told the news. ‘Did you know Tamara well?’
    ‘Not before the movie. She was always very nice to me.’
    The well-dressed graduate doesn’t say much more as she drives them half a mile across the lot to a security barrier, where
     she shows her ID to a guard. They drop the kart and walk towards what she proclaims is the studio’s biggest stage – a vast
     space the size of three aircraft hangars, housing an historic landscape.
    ‘Sheesh, it looks like the whole of the Middle Ages just fell through a time tunnel and ended up here,’ says Mitzi, feeling
     like a tourist.
    ‘Thirty-three AD to be precise,’ says Sarah, still sounding sad. ‘You’re looking at Pilate’s house in Jerusalem. Mr Svenson
     had a team of historians in here for weeks supervising the build just to ensure accuracy. He’s such a perfectionist.’
    Nic reads the signs. ‘You got a thing for him?’
    ‘No.’ She blushes a little, then motions off-stage to an area filled with drapes, dead-eyed lights and unmanned cameras.
    ‘Sure you have,’ Mitzi insists. ‘Honey, be careful what you do. Tongues wag like you’ll never believe. Things you do,
people you do,
right at the start of your career – they have a nasty habit of coming back and biting you in the ass.’
    Sarah turns bright red. She reaches across a table filled with scripts and pulls over a copy each for her guests. ‘The scene
     about to be filmed is just after the execution of Christ.’
    They hear a male voice shout ‘Action!’ and dip their heads to the script.
    EXTERIOR . Pilate’s House. Night. Building illuminated by strong torchlight in plush green gardens. Centurions pacing on guard
     duty.
    Scene 31
    HIGH CRANE SHOT, SLOW ZOOM IN TOWARDS GRAND PILLARS. CUT TO –
    INTERIOR
    Scene 32
    PONTIUS PILATE sits on an ornate red and gold chair on an elevated platform as befits his position. He looks anxiously (camera left) as
     an out of vision SERVANT makes an official announcement:
SERVANT
    Nicodemus of the Pharisees and Joseph of Arimathea, my Lord.
    PILATE gets to his feet and forces a business-like smile as he steps from the podium. He glances towards the SERVANT.
PILATE
    Leave us. Clear the room.
    PILATE walks towards the two men and embraces Nicodemus, a man he knows is a powerful figure, capable of causing him immense problems
     – or doing him considerable favours.
PILATE (continued)
    Nicodemus, guiding light of the Sanhedrin, always a delight to see you – though I suspect it is
not
pleasure that brings you to my home in the dead of night.
    NICODEMUS
    Indeed it is not pleasure – but it is the dead that have me disturb you at such an irreverent hour –
    (He gestures to his right)
– this is Joseph of Arimathea. You have heard of him?
    PILATE
    I have.
    PILATE cautiously considers the baby-faced man in rich robes and extends his arm. They grasp each other’s wrists in Roman fashion.
You are a relation of the man we crucified – Jesus the Nazarene. The uncle of the woman claiming to be both a virgin and his
     mother.
    JOSEPH (defiantly)
    I am.
    PILATE
    Then I need not explain to you the difficulties I have had – the problems your kin have thrown in my way.
    JOSEPH (pointedly)
    Under Roman law the body of an executed man must be laid in a common grave for a year before the family is permitted to collect
     it.
    PILATE
    That is the custom.
    JOSEPH glances to NICODEMUS for support.
JOSEPH
    I wish to
break
with custom. I wish to take the body now and hold it in my own tomb.
    PILATE (shocked, responds in ironic tone)
    Of course you do. How could I have the