Scream for Help

My name is Christina Ruth Cromwell.

I'm 17 and I live in New Rochelle.

I think my stepfather is trying to murder my mother.

I've told people that my stepfather

is trying to murder my mother

Nobody believes me.

So, I'm writing this down,

in case, something happens to me.

It began several weeks ago.

I was having a nightmare, when a strange sound echoed up

through our house.

Hi, Christie.

I heard a weird noise.

Like some kind of banging on the pipes.

It must've been me.

I was in the study doing some paper work.

At this hour?

I couldn't sleep.

But I'm tired enough now.

Aren't you coming?

I think I'll have a snack.

Make sure you turn off the lights.

Good looking, isn't he?

Nice too.

Which is how he stole my mother away from my dad.

He says, he's been working in his study.

But his study is not back here.

I should've sensed that something was wrong that night.

But I didn't.

If I had, things might've been different the next day.

What happened?

Just an accident.

I thought this house had good wiring, though.

You lived here long?

Four months.

When were you last in the basement?

Me?

Did you notice it?

I was up here, waxing the floor

when I heard this crackling sound like frying bacon.

That's when the lights began flickering.

About what time exactly did you find it?

Mom?

Shh.

What's going on?

Man from the power company came to read the meter

and electrocuted himself.

How did it happen?

Mrs. Fox.

Well, that's the lights on.

Can I ask you a few questions?

Of course.

How long's it been since you had the wiring checked?

Dumb son of a bitch.

He never should've touched that box, not when it was wet.

Must've seen the busted water pipe.

Yeah, but who'd have seen it on the floor?

Not me.

Yeah, could've happened to anybody.

Janey, I've got to talk

to you.

Jesus Christ, Cromwell!

Don't you ever knock?

Christie, wait in the kitchen.

What's bothering you?

You promised to tell me before you did anything

with a boy, remember?

It's because you're still a virgin, isn't it?

That's why you're so upset.

I'm upset because my stepfather

just tried to murder my mother.

No shit.

I'm telling the truth, Josh Dealey.

Your father is over at my house investigating it right now.

What happened, anyway?

A man from the power company touched that fuse box

and got electrocuted.

What's that got to do with Paul Fox?

Well, he fixed it to kill mom.

Anybody ever tell you you watch too much TV?

Janey, you've gotta help me.

I need your car to follow him,

find out what's going on.

Why don't you borrow your mother's?

She's only got a dinky learner's permit.

Shouldn't have flunked driver's ed.

I didn't flunk.

I dropped out, because I was sick.

Yeah, in the head.

Janey, please help me.

No.

Why not?

You've been crazy to get Paul Fox

ever since he married your mother.

That's why you went to that shrink to get over

your nutty fantasies.

It wasn't a fantasy.

I found the love letters Paul Fox wrote mom.

They were mailed while she was still married to dad.

That doesn't make him a murderer.

Doesn't exactly make him a nice person, like my dad is.

And when mom realizes that, she'll want him back.

Christie, I said, no.

I knew I was right about Paul Fox.

I ditched school the next day.

I waited outside the dealership my mom owned.

She'd inherited it from her dad,

along with a lot of the rest of the town.

Paul Fox was just the salesman there when she met him.

Okay, Mrs. Karen is coming in at three o'clock.

And I want that car ready.

I was embarrassed last time.

I'm sorry, It'll be taken care of.

- Okay, Marty. - Okay.

He took a left then I lost him.

The next day, I waited where he turned off.

And sure enough, he came by again.

Right on the other side.

It was kind of discouraging,

but I'm not the sort to get put off.

I just came back a third day.

I missed you.

Won't be long before we're together all the time.

What?

Hey, you!

It's Christie.

He's back.

Christie?

Yes.

Would you come in here a minute, please?

I saw you at the Bohle house.

Would you leave me alone, Paul?

Peering through windows?

That's wrong.

Wrong?

Well, what about you?

Or don't you consider cheating on my mother wrong?

Would you come in here, please?

We have to talk.

I don't have anything to say to you.

Christie, I know you'd rather have your father here

than me.

But that's no reason for you to make up lies about me.

Christie?

I know that man getting electrocuted was no accident.

I know you were in the basement that night

shorting that fuse box.

You can't be serious.

Hello?

Anybody home?

Mom?

I caught him cheating on you.

What?

That's just...

He also fixed that fuse box that killed that man

that was meant to kill you.

Sweetie, calm down.

You're hysterical.

What is all this about?

I gave a demonstration ride

to a prospective customer today.

Brenda Bohle.

Christie did see us together.

You never gave her any ride.

I was about to, until you interrupted.

Ms. Bohle asked me to pick her up at her house

because she couldn't get to the agency.

That's bullshit.

Christie, don't talk like that.

He's having an affair with this Bohle woman.

I've been following him.

Following him?

How?

On my bike.

On your bike?

Yeah, I just waited wherever I lost him the day before.

Christie, would you please just stop?

Okay, don't believe me.

Just wait until he kills you.

Christie, do you realize how you're hurting me?

You're accusing the man I married of trying to murder me.

But he is.

Paul told me all about this Ms. Bohle.

She's a nice girl.

She works in Green's Department store.

She even supports her older brother.

He's out of work.

Yeah.

You should've seen the way she lit his cigarette.

Everything getting straightened out up here?

I'm afraid not.

One thing I know for sure.

You lied to me the other night

about being downstairs working.

You were in that basement.

I know you were.

You left the door open.

You better show her, Paul.

Look, Christie.

This is just for you.