"(BEEPlNG)" "Come on!" "(shouting lNDlSTlNCTLY)" "(BEEPlNG continues)" "(CAR ALARM sounding)" "(police radio CHATTER)" "But you realize I know nothing about politics?" "You voted for him, didn't you?" "Adam Lang?" "Of course I did." "Everyone voted for him." "He wasn't a politician, he was a craze." "Well, there you go." "Look, it's a new ghostwriter he needs, not another goddamn politico." "He was paid $10 million for these memoirs, but rumor has it the manuscript's a crock of shit." "Rhinehart's lending him his house at the ocean so they can fix it, and the pressure must have gotten to McAra." "Pathologist said his blood was, like, three parts booze." "You mean he drowned by accident?" "Accident, suicide, who cares?" "It was the book that killed him." "Well, that's encouraging." "(CHUCKLES DRYLY)" "Who is this McAra?" "Should I have heard of him?" "Yeah." "He was some kind of aide to Lang when he was Prime Minister, so don't admit that you haven't." "He was with him for years." "(sighing) I don't know, Rick." "This is a great opportunity for you." "Plus the money is good." "Kids won't starve." "l don't have any kids." "l do." "Roy." "(BEEPlNG)" "Who're you expecting to bomb you, Random House?" "We're publishing Lang's memoirs." "That's enough to make us a target, apparently." "Thank you." "How many have you seen?" "Five." "You're the last." "(CARD READER BEEPS) I must be honest." "I don't think you're the right man for this assignment." "Then it's a good job it's not your decision, Roy." "John Maddox, chief executive of Rhinehart, New York." "Sir." "Sidney Kroll, Mr. Lang's Washington attorney." "Mr. Kroll." "And Nick Ricardelli I believe you know." "All right, Rick." "JOHN:" "All right, I gather from Rick you're aware of the situation?" "Perhaps you can enlighten us and tell us what exactly you're gonna bring to this project." "Nothing." "(laughing)" "No, I'm not gonna pretend to be someone I'm not." "You have my CV." "His last effort was the autobiography of a magician, I Came, I Sawed, I Conquered." "Yeah, and it went straight to number one, so.. ." "After you turned it down, Roy." "Look, I don't read political memoirs." "Who does?" "And I gather you've spent $10 million on this book." "How much of that are you gonna see back?" "Two?" "Three?" "It's bad news for your shareholders." "And it's worse news for your client, Mr. Kroll." "Adam Lang, he wants a place in history, not in the remainder tables." "Oh, please!" "It's because I know nothing about politics that I'll ask the questions that get right to the heart of who Adam Lang is." "And that is what sells autobiographies." "Heart." "Wow!" "That's nicely done." "What utter balls." "You think so?" "John, of course." "Adam Lang's a world historical figure." "His autobiography is gonna be a world-publishing event." "Yeah, well, I got warehouses filled with world-publishing events waiting to be pulped." "Sid?" "Adam is obviously still very upset by what happened to Mike McAra." "He was irreplaceable." "irreplaceable, and yet he has to be replaced." "Adam can certainly appreciate the benefits of trying someone different." "In the end, it's about chemistry." "Do you work out, maybe?" "Not really." "That's a pity." "Adam likes to work out." "Actually, I know a good writer on the Guardian who uses a gym." "(rick SCOFFS)" "Okay, maybe we could just run over the publishing schedule, yeah?" "We need to wrap this up in a month." "GHOST:" "A month?" "Yes." "You want the book in a month?" "We already have a first draft." "Yeah, well, it needs a lot of work." "That's why I like your résumé here." "You're fast, and you deliver." "You name it, he ghosts it. (CHUCKLES)" "And you're a Brit." "The ghost should be a Brit." "(lMlTATES british ACCENT) To get the jolly old tone right, right?" "(chuckling)" "Do you have any family commitments?" "No, I have no family." "Why?" "Adam is locked into a US lecture tour, also a fundraising program for the Adam Lang Foundation." "It's a month in the States." "That's okay." "Couldn't I bring the manuscript back here to work on?" "I'm afraid not. lt's in a secure environment in Marty Rhinehart's own house." "Only a few people are allowed to handle it." "Sounds more like a bomb than a book." "(CHUCKLES) I will need to see it myself at some point." "I am supposed to be editing it." "Yeah, in theory." "Actually, we need to talk about that." "JOHN:" "How soon can you get over there?" "As soon as you want." "He'll fly tonight." "Rick." "(SOFTLY) lt's okay." "Okay, you're in." "Oh!" "(GRUNTS) Congratulations." "Thank you." "Thanks." "Rick." "Thank you." "Actually, I have something here" "you might want to look at." "ls that.. ." "is that.. ." "No, no, no, this isn't Adam's book." "No, it's another client of mine." "Yeah, perhaps you can let me know what you think." "Sure." "JOHN:" "Okay, if you're gonna get that evening flight, we'd better talk contracts with Rick here." "Wanna show our friend to the door?" "Would you?" "Roy?" "rick:" "Call you in an hour, buddy." "JOHN:" "Hey!" "Remember.. ." "(lMlTATES british ACCENT) Heart." "There's something not quite right about this project." "What?" "Me, you mean?" "Obviously you." "And McAra." "Suicide?" "He didn't strike me as the suicidal type." "Always nice to see you, Roy." "ROY:" "Good luck." "Oh, God." "taxi driver:" "Thank you." "(GRUNTlNG)" "(CELL PHONE ringing)" "Yeah?" "rick:" "Congratulations!" "On what?" "On having me as your agent." "Yeah, I can hardly believe my luck." "Are you packed?" "I just got mugged." "Shit!" "Are you okay?" "Yeah, all they took was the manuscript that Sidney Kroll gave me." "What?" "Why?" "I don't know." "You tell me." "Are you hurt?" "No, I'm fine. I think they must have followed me from Rhinehart's." "Why would they do that?" "Well, maybe they thought I had Lang's book." "I knew this whole thing was a bad idea." "You're still okay to fly tonight, right?" "For God's sake, Rick, I'm in shock." "Well, here's another shock for you." "For one month's work on a manuscript that's already written," "Rhinehart lnc. is willing to pay you $250,000, plus expenses." "Window seat or aisle?" "FEMALE NEWSREADER: ..." "Islam has issued a statement claiming responsibility." "We hope to bring you more on that later in the bulletin." "Meanwhile, former British Prime Minister Adam Lang is back in the news tonight." "According to leaked documents, Mr. Lang authorized the illegal use of British special forces to seize four suspected al-Qaeda terrorists in Pakistan and then hand them over for interrogation by the ClA." "The men, Nasir Ashraf, Marwat Sayed, Salim Khan and Faruk Ahmed, all British citizens, were seized in the Pakistani city of Peshawar five years ago." "All four were allegedly transferred out of the country to a secret location and tortured." "Mr. Ashraf is reported to have died under interrogation." "(PHONE ringing)" "Such an operation would have been illegal under..." "rick:" "Yeah?" "Where are you?" "Heathrow, like you." "Waiting for my flight to New York." "Can you see the news?" "The Lang story?" "Yeah, I'm watching it now." "What have you gotten me into?" "I got you into a quarter of a million bucks, pal, that's what I got you into." "They're calling my flight. I gotta go." "Listen, I just realized" "Sidney Kroll could have given me that manuscript deliberately so it would look like I was carrying Lang's book." "Why the hell would he do that?" "I don't know." "To use me as a tethered goat?" "Get some sleep on the plane." "You're sounding weird." "(SCOFFS) "A tethered goat." l'll call you next week." "FEMALE NEWSREADER:" "...and long-term psychological trauma." "In other words, torture." "Hello, sir." "Would you like a newspaper to read?" "Have you got the Evening Standard?" "We do, yes." "Thanks." "Thank you." "STEWARDESS:" "Hello, madam." "Would you like a newspaper to read?" "WOMAN:" "Yes, please." "Thank you." "(ship HORN sounding)" "(CELL PHONE BEEPS)" "Passport?" "RUTH:" "This is an absolute scandal!" "Amelia Bly." "Welcome." "(DOOR slamming) I'm Adam's assistant." "Adam's in New York, unfortunately, and won't be back until later this afternoon." "RUTH:" "Actually, forget I said that, it's bloody ridiculous!" "(DOOR SLAMS again)" "(CHUCKLES) Oh, dear. I'm so sorry." "I'm afraid Ruth's having one of those days." "If this isn't a good time, I could go to.. ." "No, no." "She's keen to meet you." "Right." "Shall we make a start?" "Right." "How was your journey?" "Long." "amelia:" "We're a small team." "GHOST:" "Thanks." "amelia:" "This is Alice." "Lucy's traveling with Adam." "We need another pair of hands, but Adam couldn't bring himself to replace Mike." "They were together so long." "How long were you with him?" "amelia:" "Eight years." "I'm an attachment from Number 10." "Ah." "Poor Number 10." "Before I show you the manuscript, I need you to sign this confidentiality agreement." "Sign here." "And here." "And here." "GHOST:" "Wow, quite a place." "Don't you get lonely at night?" "It's my husband I miss the most." "Are you married?" "I noticed you don't wear a wedding ring." "I can't, sadly. it's far too large." "lt bleeps when I go through airport security." "Oh." "Here we are." "(electronic beeping)" "The manuscript is not to be removed from this room. lt's not to be copied." "You have six hours before Adam gets in from New York." "Can you finish by then?" "l'll try." "I'll ask Dep to bring you up a sandwich for lunch." "Thanks." "Have fun." ""Langs are Scottish folk, originally, and proud of it." ""Our name is a derivation of 'long,' the Old English word for 'tall,'" ""and it is from north of the border that my forefathers hail.' '" "Fuck." ""My great-grandfather, Ebenezer Lang," ""was born in 1862 in Pitlochry, Scotland." ""One of nine children, seven of them boys.' '" ""The American President was much taller than I had expected.' '" "(laughing)" ""This year's European summit was particularly interesting.' '" ""l always found the Queen, in private, to have a delightful sense of humor.' '" "Thanks." "(reading lNDlSTlNCTLY)" ""l've always been an optimist." "The present is where we live." ""Ruth and I look forward to the future, whatever it may hold.' '" "As bad as that?" "Oh, hello." "Well?" "How bad is it?" "You haven't read it?" "Not all of it." "Well, let's just say it needs some work." "How much work?" "Well, all the words are there." "They're just in the wrong order." "Come on." "You look like you need a break." "You were my idea." "I was?" "You wrote Christy Costello's memoirs, didn't you?" "You read those?" "We stayed at his house in Mustique, last winter." "The book was beside the bed." "l'm embarrassed." "No, why?" "It was brilliant, in a horrible sort of way." "How you turned his ramblings into something vaguely coherent." "I said to Adam, "Here's the guy to write your book, not Mike.' '" "(sighs) God, I miss home." "It's like being married to Napoleon on St. Helena." "Why don't you go back to London?" "RUTH:" "I don't feel I can leave him alone." "There's something not quite right with him at the moment." "Amelia told me he was very upset at the death of Michael McAra." "Oh, she did, did she?" "Quite when Mrs. Bly became the expert on my husband's emotions, I'm not sure." "Losing Mike was a blow, of course, but it's not just that." "It's having to relive everything, year by year, for this bloody book." "Oh, dear." "You must be wondering what you've let yourself in for." "Fine, fine. I'll tell him." "They're just about to land." "On Thursday, he's in Chicago." "Actually, I think I'll go and meet him." "Amelia can stay here and polish her nails or something." "Why don't you come, say hello?" "Fine. I'll travel in the backup car." "I can do my nails in there." "(chuckling)" "Hi, darling." "How was New York?" "Short and sweet." "Hi, Barry." "Hi, Amelia." "Hello." "Who are you?" "I'm your ghost." "Right." "Don't worry." "He isn't always such a jerk." "This place really comes alive at night." "You'll be with us for four weeks, is that right?" "I'm afraid so." "And the bill goes directly to the Rhinehart Corporation?" "Good." "That doesn't include the mini-bar." "(SNORlNG)" "All right." "He's ready for you." "How's your hotel?" "Quiet?" "Monastic." "That's nice." "No distractions." "Thanks, love." "Hi, man." "You ready to start?" "Absolutely." "(electronic beeping)" "GHOST:" "is the manuscript loaded on this?" "lt is." "Can I have it?" "amelia:" "I'm sorry, that would be a security risk." "You mean I've got to retype the whole manuscript?" "Have you really got my entire book on that little thing?" "We can get 100 books on it, Adam." "And it can be copied in a flash." "That's the trouble." "Amazing." "You know the worst thing about my life?" "You get so out of touch." "Everything's done for you." "You don't drive, you don't carry money." "If I need cash, I have to borrow it from the protection boys." "This is the kind of details we need in the memoirs." "I couldn't put that in." "People would think I was a complete idiot." "No, not at all." "No, this shows what it's like being Prime Minister." "That's exactly what the readers want to know." "How does it feel to run a country?" "How does it feel to be so cut off?" "How does it feel to be so hated?" "Thanks a lot." "(STAMMERS) And so loved." "Amelia, what do you think?" "I think I should leave you two alone." "(DOOR CLOSES)" "So, how do we go about this?" "I interview you." "I turn your answers into prose." "Here and there, I'll add linking passages, imitating your voice." "Okay." "You heard about Mike?" "Yes. I'm sorry." "We should put in something nice about him." "I think his mother would like that." "Of course." "Well, um, the first thing that struck me was, you became such a successful politician precisely because you didn't appear to be a politician." "It's certainly not something I wanted to do when I was younger." "I thought most student politicians were complete nerds." "Well, I'm with you there." "So, what turned you on to politics?" "(CHUCKLES)" "Turned me on, indeed." "Let's see, I was 23, something like that, a couple of years out of Cambridge." "And I remember it was a Sunday afternoon, it was raining." "I was still in bed." "And someone starts knocking at the door." "And, you know, I'd been out the night before and had a few drinks and what have you." "So, I get the pillow and I put it over my head, and it starts up again." "Knock, knock, knock, knock!" "And I get up, I'm swearing, I go to the door and there's this girl." "She's soaking wet, but she just launches into this speech about the local elections." "And that's it." "l'm in love." "And this is Ruth?" "This is Ruth." "And the only way I can see her again is to join the party and hand out leaflets." "This is great." "You want to use this?" "Use it?" "I think we should open the whole book like this." ""l went into politics out of love," ""not love for a party or an ideology, but out of love for a woman.' '" "Could you transcribe this as quickly as possible, please?" "Of course." "Thanks." "How's it going?" "Pretty well." "He keeps calling me "man.' '" "He always does that when he can't remember someone's name." "There are sandwiches in the kitchen." "(inaudible)" "(electronic beeping)" "(metallic clanging)" "(ALARM wailing)" "(GRUNTlNG)" "Oh, shit." "It's awful." "I'm sorry, sir." "I didn't realize there was anyone up there." "What on earth is going on?" "It's just a security drill, sir." "We have it once a week." "So, there you are." "I'd rather lost track of you." "I'm a big boy now." "Can't keep your eye on me all the time." "Don't wander around on your own." "The security boys don't like it." "Gotcha." "Did you win?" "Didn't play tennis." "Gym." "Gym?" "What's he in training for?" "The Olympics?" "Here's your transcript." "(COMPUTER chimes)" "Cambridge." "Let's talk about that." "Sorry?" "Um.. ." "Cambridge?" "It was such a long time ago, I can hardly remember." "You did a lot of acting?" "Some." "It must have been good training for politics, acting?" "It was a good way to meet girls." "Let's not put that in, by the way, okay?" "Still, acting must have been very important to you." "Okay, let's say I enjoyed it." "You know, you go on the stage, pretend to be somebody else, and people actually applaud you for it." "Good, that's more like it." "Let's put that in." "No." "Why not?" "Because these are the memoirs of a Prime Minister." "And whenever my opponents were stuck with something to hit me with, they always said I was a bloody actor!" "Do you know what the Times of London said the day I resigned?" ""Kindly leave the stage.' '" "So, no, we won't dwell, if you don't mind, on my student days as an actor." "We leave it exactly the way Mike wrote it." "Would you like to take a break for a minute?" "Actually, that would be a good idea, thank you. I need to make a call." "(DOOR OPENS)" "amelia:" "What a bastard." "Look at this." ""Former British Foreign Secretary Richard Rycart" ""has asked the lnternational Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate allegations" ""that the former British Prime Minister Adam Lang" ""ordered the illegal handover of terrorist suspects" ""for torture by the ClA.' '" "(PHONE ringing)" "Don't!" "(CELL PHONE ringing)" "The pack is on the move." "Unplug all the phones." "is Ruth still out walking?" "Shit!" "She is, isn't she?" "Barry!" "Barry!" "Yeah." "Would you please find Mrs. Lang and get her back here as soon as you can?" "Right." "AMELlA:" "Let's go." "Rycart has made a statement." "Yes, I know." "He just called me." "AMELlA:" "It's unbelievable." "He wanted very much to let me know it was nothing personal." "He wanted very, very much to tell me that it was only because of his well-known stand on human rights that he couldn't keep quiet any longer." ""His well-known stand on human rights.' ' Dear God!" "Sorry to lose my temper earlier." "Forget it." "And have you told her?" "ADAM:" "Yes." "Just called her." "amelia:" "And how did she take it?" "Sorry, Adam." "This is running on AP." ""According to sources in The Hague," ""the prosecutor's office of the lnternational Criminal Court" ""will issue a statement in the morning.' '" "amelia:" "Oh, Adam." "Thank you, Alice." "Why weren't we given some warning of this?" "Where's Downing Street?" "The phones are disconnected." "Switch is probably trying to get through now." "Now?" "What freaking use is now?" "What are you people doing?" "I mean, you're not telling me that the Cabinet Office didn't know this was coming?" "The war crimes court doesn't warn a suspect who's under investigation." "That's what Adam is now, a suspect?" "You need to call Sid Kroll." "I think we should call London first." "Adam!" "If it suits them, they will hang you out to dry." "You need a lawyer." "Call Sid." "(ADAM sighs)" "Get Sid on the line." "What about the media?" "Issue a holding statement, something short." "This is when we need Mike." "I'll write something." "Let him do it." "He's supposed to be the writer." "Hang on a minute." "ADAM:" "I should sound confident." "Not defensive, that'd be fatal." "But I shouldn't be cocky." "No bitterness, no anger, and don't say I'm pleased at this opportunity to clear my name or any balls like that." "So, you're not defensive, but you're not cocky." "You're not angry, but you're not pleased?" "ADAM:" "That's it." "Then what exactly are you?" "(laughing)" "Told you he was funny." "I've always been a passionate supporter.. ." "No, scrub that." "I've always been a strong, no, committed supporter of the work of the lnternational Criminal Court." "Has he?" "You're the writer." "The struggle against terror is too important to be used for the purposes of personal revenge." "Very good." "You could be the new Mike McAra." "(CELL PHONE ringing)" "Hello?" "JOHN:" "John Maddox." "This is gonna be big." "This can only be good for us." "Could be." "Here's the first chapter right here." "Okay." "What've you covered so far?" "Um.. ." "The early years, childhood, university." "All right, forget that crap." "Get him focused on the war crimes." "And he can't talk to anybody else, all right?" "Right." "lt's gotta be our exclusive." "Any chance of you finishing the manuscript sooner?" "Sooner?" "Yeah, yeah, sooner." "Well, how much sooner?" "I'm thinking two weeks." "Jesus." "Look, I know it's tough, but if anyone can do it, you can." "I'm relying on you." "We'll talk." "(DlSCONNECTS)" "Shit." "I'd never have guessed you smoked." "I only allow myself one at times of great stress or contentment." "And which is this?" "Very funny." "Maddox just called." "He wants the book in two weeks instead of four." "Christ." "Good luck." "Yeah, I wouldn't mind a lift back to my hotel. I could get on with some work there." "You're not planning on taking that manuscript" "out of here, are you?" "Course not." "Because you do realize how serious this is getting, don't you?" "You can search me, if you like." "That won't be necessary." "All right." "Fetch your stuff." "I'll get one of the boys to take you." "Mr. Lang insisted he had always been a committed supporter of the work of the lnternational Criminal Court." "Mr. Lang added, quote," ""The struggle against terror is too important" ""to be used for the purposes of personal revenge."" "Same again, sir?" "This is being widely interpreted as..." "Yes, thanks." "... an attack on the former British" "Foreign Secretary Richard Rycart, who has asked..." "Could we change the channel?" "Sure." "Thanks." "At issue is the practice of so-called waterboarding, an interrogation technique considered a war... (MALE ANNOUNCER chattering)" "Something to eat?" "What've you got?" "Club sandwich." "Clam chowder." "Chowder will be fine." "MAN:" "You're English?" "GHOST:" "And so are you." "Indeed I am." "You here on a holiday?" "No, I'm working." "So, what's your line?" "Just this and that." "Excuse me." "I hear Adam Lang's on the island." "is he?" "So I hear." "You don't happen to know his whereabouts, do you?" "No." "No, I'm afraid not. lf you don't mind." "MALE ANNOUNCER:" "Raymond to Naslund and to Mattias Ohlund." "A slap pass to Lukas Krajicek." "He's in trouble against" "Barret Jackman and the referee..." "Asshole." "...and Ohlund can't hold it in again, and this power play is just about over." "Keith Tkachuk almost set to come back on." "Hello?" "(DlNGS BELL)" "Can I help you?" "Hi." "(stammering) Yeah, can you tell me, has anyone gone up to my room?" "No, sir." "Did anyone ask for me?" "No." "What about that other guest?" "The, um.. ." "There's an Englishman." "You're the only guest in the hotel, sir." "(TELEPHONE ringing)" "Hello?" "AMELlA:" "You need to check out of the hotel immediately." "Things have changed." "A car is on its way." "What?" "See you then." "Hello?" "(CAR HORN honking)" "(dial TONE SOUNDS)" "(TRUCK BEEPlNG)" "(indistinct chattering)" "MAN:" "Okay." "Just check on that." "Okay?" "lt's getting big, huh?" "So I see." "Who're you with?" "I'm on my own." "Oh, sod it." "Here we go again." "(PEOPLE clamoring)" "(PHONE ringing)" "rick:" "You've reached the office of Rick Ricardelli." "Leave a message." "Hi, Rick." "Now they want the book in two weeks." "Thanks for getting me this job." "Can't talk." "Some peace protestors are trying to kill me." "You're working for a murderer!" "You're working for a murderer!" "WOMAN:" "Liar!" "Liar!" "Liar!" "(EXHALES)" "Are you ill?" "No, I'm aging." "This place is Shangri-La in reverse." "amelia:" "I tried to call you several times last night." "You didn't answer." "GHOST:" "I forgot to charge my mobile phone." "Really?" "And the hotel phone?" "I'm a heavy sleeper." "Well, you can do your heavy sleeping here from now on." "Here?" "AMELlA:" "We're under siege." "You can't run the media gauntlet every day." "Eventually, they'll discover who you are." "And that would be horrid for you." "So, this is where you put the granny." "No." "This is where we put Mike McAra." "We haven't had a chance to clear it yet." "The sheets have been changed, though." "Actually, I make it a rule never to stay in a client's house." "But now you can have constant access to the manuscript." "Isn't that what you want?" "Besides, Sid Kroll will be arriving any minute." "Why don't you settle in, and then come up and join us?" "You're practically one of us now." "l am?" "You drafted the statement yesterday." "That makes you an accomplice." "(DOOR CLOSES)" "So, here's the score." "You're not being charged, you're not being arrested." "None of this is gonna amount to a hill of beans." "The only thing the prosecutor is asking for is permission to launch a formal investigation." "lnvestigating me for what?" "Connie?" "Either crimes against humanity or war crimes." "Well, that's absurd." "It's not exactly genocide." ""Under Article 25, a person shall be guilty of a war crime" ""if that person facilitates the commission of such a crime" ""or aids, abets or otherwise assists in its commission.' '" "That's rather sweeping." "Well, if it's any comfort, you're in no jeopardy as long as you stay here, among friends." "Are you saying I can't leave the United States?" "As your attorney, I strongly advise you not to travel to any country that recognizes the jurisdiction of the lnternational Criminal Court." "Well, just about every country in the world recognizes the lCC." "America doesn't." "Who else?" "SlDNEY:" "Josh?" "Iraq, China, North Korea, Indonesia, Israel." "And that's it?" "JOSH:" "There are some parts of Africa." "Wait!" "I wish to make a short statement." "I won't be taking questions." "This morning, I was granted power to investigate the former British Prime Minister, Mr. Adam Peter Bennett Lang, under Articles 7 and 8 of the 1998 Rome Statute of the lnternational Criminal Court." "I shall shortly be contacting Mr. Lang and the British government to ask for their full cooperation." "Thank you." "(CELL PHONE ringing)" "Oh, God." "Okay, we need to get you to Washington, Adam, right away." "My plane is at the airport." "We can get you in to see the Speaker of the House at lunchtime and have a photo-op with the Secretary of State in the afternoon." "Won't it look as if I'm panicking?" "No, they'll both say that the meetings were fixed weeks ago." "Well, what the hell are we supposed to be discussing?" "sidney:" "aids?" "Poverty?" "Climate change?" "Who cares?" "The important thing is to show the world it's business as usual." "What do you think, Ruth?" "l think it's a terrible idea." "You'll look as though you're America's whipping boy, running crying home to daddy." "So, what would you do?" "RUTH:" "Fly to London." "The government will support you." ""The British government will cooperate fully with the investigation.' '" "Really?" "And what makes you think that?" "I'm not thinking it, Ruth, I'm reading it." "...believe we can now go live to the UN in New York, where the former British Foreign Secretary, Richard Rycart, is about to make a statement." "I watched the announcement in The Hague today with great shock and sadness." "Adam Lang was and is an old friend of mine." "You cheeky bugger!" "I regret that he's chosen to bring this down to a personal level." "This isn't personal." "This is about justice." "This is about making sure every political leader knows when they make a decision, they will be held to account by international law." "Thank you." "MALE REPORTER:" "If you're called to testify, sir, will you go?" "richard:" "Certainly, I'll go." "Of course you will, you little shit!" "That settles it." "Washington it is." "RUTH:" "I still say it'll look bad." "Not as bad as being led away from Heathrow in handcuffs." "It would show you had some guts." "Well, then why the hell don't you just fly back without me?" "If the British government wants to hand me over to this kangaroo court, then sod them!" "I'll go where people want me." "Amelia, tell the boys we're leaving." "Have one of the girls pack me a bag." "You'd better pack one for yourself." "Why don't you share a suitcase?" "It's so much more convenient." "I'll see you tomorrow." "I'm sorry to abandon you." "At least this might help sales." "Perhaps Rhinehart's PR department organized the whole thing." "(LAUGHS)" "Well, tell them to stop it, will you?" "Okay, people, remember, happy, happy faces." "MALE REPORTER:" "So, just to summarize what we know so far, it's now official, the special prosecutor of the lnternational War Crimes Court is to launch an investigation the special prosecutor announced she was going to investigate Mr. Lang," "well, there was a big cheer, I can tell you." "So, let's talk to some of these protestors." "You, sir, you're English, I believe." "l am." "So, what brings you so far from home?" "My son." "He was killed in one of Mr. Lang's illegal wars." "Lang's never visited the injured." "He's never apologized." "I was in the British Army for 30 years." "It's a disgrace!" "Thank you." "Can I ask you the same question?" "(PROTESTERS clamoring)" "You're a murderer, Lang!" "You're a war criminal!" "CROWD: (chanting) Liar, liar, liar!" "WOMAN: (OVER BULLHORN) Lang, Lang, Lang!" "CROWD:" "Killer, killer, killer!" "WOMAN:" "Lang, Lang, Lang!" "CROWD:" "Liar, liar, liar!" "WOMAN:" "Lang, Lang, Lang!" "CROWD:" "Killer, killer, killer!" "MALE REPORTER 1 :" "Over here, Mr. Lang!" "I apologize for keeping you waiting so long in the cold." "MALE REPORTER 2:" "What's your reaction to Mr. Rycart's statement?" "I'd like to say a few words in response to the news from The Hague." "These are strange times when those who stand for freedom and justice are accused of being criminals, while those who incite hatred and seek to destroy democracy" "are treated as victims." "WOMAN:" "War criminal!" "Let me make one thing perfectly clear." "While I have breath in my body, I shall fight terrorism..." "MAN:" "Liar!" "...whether it's on the battlefield or, if necessary, in the courts." "Thank you very much." "FEMALE REPORTER:" "Have you spoken to the President, Mr. Lang?" "(switches TV OFF)" "(RUTH SOBS)" "(sobbing continues)" "Oh, for God's sake." "God." "Shit!" "(knocking ON DOOR)" "One minute!" "Yes?" "Sir?" "You want lunch?" "That would be great." "Give me five minutes, thanks." "P. Emmett?" "(dialing)" "(PHONE ringing)" "richard:" "Richard Rycart." "Who is this?" "(CELL PHONE ringing)" "(sighing)" "Dep?" "Sir?" "is there a map of the island that I could borrow?" "(CELL PHONE ringing)" "Look. it's rain soon." "I don't know. I think it will be all right." "Why don't you take the car?" "It's for guests." "Here's the key." "For our guests, it's very nice car." "Oh." "Yes." "Mr. McAra loved this car very, very much." "Do you know.. ." "I'm gonna take the.. ." "I'm gonna take the bicycle." "Thanks." "This is.. ." "Just a moment, just a moment." "It's rain. I give.. ." "I give you my hat and my gloves." "That's very kind, thank you." "Good luck for you." "Thank you." "Thank you, yeah, bye." "Bye-bye." "Just one moment." "(CAR HORN honking)" "(thundering)" "God, you frightened me." "You're British." "l am, yeah." "It's okay, you can shelter." "Sheltering's free." "(DOG barking)" "No, no, no, no!" "Rosie, Rosie!" "In you go. ln, in." "Here." "So, you're British, huh?" "Yeah." "You anything to do with this fellow, Lang?" "ln a way, yes." "Seems intelligent." "Now why did he go and get himself mixed up with that damn fool in the White House?" "Well, that's what everyone wants to know." "What brings you to this part of the island?" "I'm sightseeing." "Well, you sure picked a heck of a day for it." "Someone I knew was found washed up on the beach there." "You mean the British guy from the ferry?" "That's right." "Now that was a funny business." "What do you mean?" "No way should that current have carried him that far west." "No?" "No way!" "Are you sure?" "I've lived here 54 years." "Did you mention that to the police?" "The police?" "At my age, I've better things to do, young man." "Annabeth's the one dealing with the police." "Your wife?" "Annabeth Wurmbrand, Mars Wurmbrand's widow." "She's the one who told them about the lights." "Lights?" "The flashlights on the beach." "When?" "The night the body was washed up." "Could, could you, um.. ." "Could you point me in the direction of Mrs. Wurmbrand's house?" "Oh, sure." "You just.. ." "Here." "Follow it down the beach there." "It's the house nearest the ocean." "But she won't talk to you." "Why not?" "She's in a coma." "Fell down stairs a week ago." "Been in a coma ever since." "RUTH:" "Come down!" "Come down!" "Dep told me you were here!" "What?" "I said Dep told me you were here." "We came to get you before the storm came." "What are you doing?" "Just taking the air." "No, really." "I wanted to see where Mike McAra was found." "Why?" "Adam's asked me to write something about him in the book." "Where's your bike?" "Up there." "Barry, will you come around with the car?" "We'll meet you out by the road." "I can't do that, I'm afraid, Mrs. Lang." "Have to stay with you at all times." "For God's sake!" "If we meet any terrorists, I'll text you." "All right, well, stay on the path." "Don't speak to anyone." "We won't talk to a soul, Officer, I promise." "Poor Mike. I can't bear the idea of him ending up so far from home." "I wonder if we'll ever know whether it was accident or suicide." "Can't help you. I never met him." "I suppose it doesn't really matter." "He was drunk." "He drowned." "End of story." "What was he doing on the ferry?" "No idea." "Funeral's on Monday, in London." "I'm thinking of going." "One of us should put in an appearance, and it doesn't seem likely to be my husband." "I thought you didn't want to leave him." "Rather seems as though he's left me, wouldn't you say?" "(EXHALES)" "(DOOR opening)" "Hello?" "Sorry. I did knock. lt's just me." "l brought you some dry clothes." "That's all right. I can manage." "Dinner's in an hour, okay?" "Fine, thanks." "For God's sake." "(distant thundering)" "GHOST: "lt was at the time of the London elections" ""that I first got to know Ruth." ""She had gained a First at Oxford" ""and then done a year's postgraduate research as a Fulbright scholar."" "Ruth." "Mmm." "Perfect fit." "Now all you need is a drink." "What are we having?" "Biodynamic white wine from the Rhinehart Vinery in the Napa Valley." "Rhinehart." "He doesn't own a distillery, I suppose?" "(CHUCKLES)" "Mmm." "Evening news." "FEMALE NEWSREADER: ... for war crimes." "Our political editor has more." "Christ, we're the lead story." "Pour us some more wine, will you?" "I may have to get drunk for a change." "MALE NEWSREADER:" "In Washington, Mr. Lang received firm promises of support, both from congressional leaders and the Secretary of State, before going on to a private dinner tonight with the Vice President." "Adam Lang has stood by America's side in the war against terror, and I'm proud to stand by his side this afternoon." "Adam, good to see you." "ADAM:" "Thank you." "Thank you very much, indeed." "It's good to see you." "Don't grin." "MALE NEWSREADER:" "In Iraq, a suicide bomber..." "For God's sake!" "(switches TV OFF)" "(RUTH sighs)" "(CELL PHONE ringing)" "Adam." "Calling to find out how I think it went." "Let him sweat." "Does he always ask for your advice?" "Yes, and always usually takes it." "Until lately." "Are you married?" "Certainly not." "Gay?" "No." "Did you have a.. ." "l had a.. ." "Um.. ." "What?" "Girlfriend?" "Well, a bit more than that." "Partner?" "A bit less than that." "I don't know, 40,000 years of human language and there's no word to describe our relationship." "It was doomed." "(CHUCKLES)" "Come on." "Let's eat." "How's it going?" "The book?" "Well, it's not, to be honest." "Sit there." "Can I ask you something?" "Of course." "I find it difficult to understand certain things." "What things?" "Well.. ." "I can't understand why this good-looking lad who goes to Cambridge without the slightest interest in politics and who spends his time acting and chasing girls," "suddenly ends up.. ." "Married to me?" "Oh, no, not that." "No, not that, at all." "No, what I don't get is why, at 22, he's suddenly a political activist." "l mean, where does that come from?" "Didn't you ask him?" "He said he joined the party because of you." "Told me a great story about you turning up at his place in the rain." "l was gonna start the whole book with it." "And now you're not?" "No, I can't. lt's not true." "lsn't it?" "Well, you know it's not." "He'd been a member for two years before he met you." "How do you know that?" "I've got a copy of his original party membership card." "Mike McAra found it in the archives." "Typical Mike, to ruin a good story with too much research." "Did he find anything else?" "Not much." "Cambridge stuff mainly." "You were more political than he was." "I was certainly a change from his Cambridge girlfriends." "All those Jocastas and Pandoras." "And so his marriage to you must have been pretty vital, your knowledge and your contacts in the party." "And I thought he married me for my body." "Did you ever want to be a proper politician in your own right?" "Of course." "Didn't you want to be a proper writer?" "Ouch." "I'm sorry. I've hurt your feelings." "I suppose even ghosts must have feelings." "We are sensitive spirits." "Talking of spirits, could you.. ." "Let me get you a proper drink." "White wine, never really seen the point of it." "That's the sort of thing Mike used to say." "Ah!" "At last, something in common." "Do you know the coroner reckoned he'd drunk nearly half a bottle?" "That's convenient." "What do you mean?" "Nothing." "You think his death was suspicious?" "Don't you?" "Yes." "Yes, I do." "Today at the beach, I met a man, an old timer who was familiar with the currents." "And he said that there was no way that a body from the ferry could have washed ashore on that spot." "You're kidding." "He also said that there was a woman who saw flashlights on the beach that night." "And then she fell down the stairs, and now she's in a coma." "That's all I know." "That's all you know?" "Jesus." "Can I borrow your phone?" "Why?" "I need to call Adam." "What?" "Nothing." "Aren't you gonna call him?" "Later. I'm going out for a walk." "But it's pitch black. lt's pouring with rain." "lt'll clear my head." "Well, I'll come with you." "No." "Thanks, but I need to work this one through on my own." "Stay here." "Have another drink." "Don't wait up." "(DOOR opening)" "Are you awake?" "Well, I am now." "l'm sorry." "It's all right." "Hang on." "What time is it?" "l don't know." "I called Adam." "And?" "Can I come in?" "The day before Mike died, he and Adam had a terrible row." "I've never told anyone this before, not even the police." "What about?" "l don't know." "But it was furious." "They never spoke again." "(distant thundering)" "When I asked Adam about it, he refused to discuss it." "After what you just said, I felt I should ask him again." "And what did he say?" "He was having dinner with the Vice President." "That bloody Bly woman wouldn't even give him the phone." "(sobbing) Oh, God." "Oh, dear God." "What's he got himself mixed up in?" "It's all right." "Everything'll be all right." "I'm scared." "I've never been scared in my life before, but I am now." "(crying)" "Your hair's all wet, you're drenched." "Let me get you a towel." "(SOFTLY) Bad idea." "Do you mind?" "Course not." "The modesty of the morning after?" "I'm sorry. I thought you were asleep." "You mean you thought I'd be gone?" "You've taken out the family tree." "He's very proud of the Langs." "You know, if you want a family tree, go to a garden center." "Why have you underlined my name every time?" "I was surprised there wasn't more about you." "Why?" "I'm just the wife." "Yeah, even so." "You ought not to be written out of history." "Why not?" "Most women are." "Then I'll reinstate you." "I'll put in all the occasions that he's forgotten." "How kind." "Like the boss's secretary that remembers his wife's birthday for him?" "Something like that." "But then, like you say, I'm not a proper writer." "What are you planning to do?" "Leave." "It's not necessary, as far as I'm concerned." "I'm afraid it is, as far as I am." "Where will you go?" "Back to the hotel." "Look, I'm sorry. I should never have stayed in a client's house." "lt always ends up with.. ." "With you screwing the client's wife?" "No, not always." "But it does make it hard to maintain a professional distance." "And the thing we discussed last night?" "What do you propose to do about that?" "That's none of my business." "Well, you can't just ignore it." "Look, I'm his ghostwriter." "I'm not an investigative reporter." "What are you gonna do about it?" "Perhaps I'll write my own memoirs." "Ex-Prime Minister's Wife Tells All." "Well, if you ever decide to do that, give me a call." "You think I need someone like you to produce my book?" "I don't want to be in his bloody memoirs." "He's on his own. I'll get a divorce." "And she can do the prison visits." "Morning, sir." "Finished for the night, have we?" "Why don't you just piss off?" "(AUTOMATED FEMALE voice) BMW ConnectedDrive." "Traffic is clear to your destination." "Join the road when possible." "In 200 yards, turn left." "Sorry, lady, but the hotel is right." "Turn around when possible." "This is getting ridiculous." "Turn around when possible." "All right, you win." "In 50 yards, turn left." "Turn left." "You've got to be joking." "Single or return?" "Return. I hope." "Forty bucks, please." "Have a good one." "Ta." "Okay, come on." "Come on, keep coming." "A little more." "Stop." "In 50 yards, turn left." "Please proceed to the indicated road." "In 200 yards, take the next exit." "In half a mile, make a sharp right turn." "Turn left." "In 200 yards, you will have reached your destination." "You have reached your destination." "Paul Emmett?" "Professor Paul Emmett?" ""Professor Paul Emmett of Harvard University" ""has written of the unique importance of the English-speaking peoples" ""in the spread of democracy around the world." ""As these nations stand together," ""whenever they have faltered, tyranny has gathered strength.' '" "(ringing)" "NANCY:" "Hello?" "ls that Mrs. Emmett?" "Who is this?" "I wondered if I might have a word with Professor Emmett." "Do you have an appointment?" "It's about Adam Lang." "I'm assisting him with his memoirs." "Just a moment, please." "PAUL:" "This is Paul Emmett." "I think you must have made a mistake." "But you were at Cambridge with Mr. Lang?" "We were contemporaries, yes, but I can't claim to know him." "I have a photograph of you together." "Come on up to the house." "I make it a rule never to see anyone without an appointment." "But your mention of a photograph rather tickled my curiosity." "Please, come in." "Thank you." "Yes, he's here now." "May I?" "Sure." "NANCY:" "Yes." "Yes, he's on his own." "He didn't say." "British, about 40." "Well, well." "I literally have no recollection of this." "But that is you?" "Yes, it is." "I was on the board of the Dramat." "I had quite a time of it, as you can imagine." "The Dramat?" "l'm sorry." "The Yale Dramatic Association." "I maintained my theatrical interests when I went to Cambridge for my doctoral research." "Could I keep this?" "No, I'm afraid not." "l'm sure I could get you a copy." "Would you?" "That would be kind." "Maybe you could tell me how you came by it." "I'd be happy to." "Come into my study." "Yes, the wall of ego." "We all have one." "It's our equivalent of the dentist's fish tank." "(chuckling)" "Have a seat." "So, the picture." "Um.. ." "I've been working with Adam Lang on his memoirs." "Yes, I know, you told me." "Yes, poor Lang. lt's bad business, this posturing by The Hague." "As for Rycart, the worst British Foreign Secretary since the war." "Lang was right to fire him." "How well do you know Lang?" "Hardly at all." "You seem surprised." "He mentions you in his memoirs." "Oh, really?" "Well, now it's my turn to be surprised." "What does he say?" "(clearing THROAT)" "(reading lNDlSTlNCTLY)" "That's very decent of him." "As Prime Minister, he always had good instincts." "But that doesn't mean I know him." "But the.. ." "That." "That was taken at a reception in London to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Arcadia." "Arcadia?" "Yeah, it's a little organization that I ran." "Very highbrow." "No reason why you should have heard of it." "The Prime Minister graced us with his presence." "What can you remember of him from Cambridge?" "l'm sorry, you don't mind, do you?" "No, not at all." "Go ahead." "It's just that I'm rather bewildered." "No one's mentioned the Cambridge connection between us in all these years." "But you performed together?" "ln one production." "It was the summer revue." "I can't even remember what it was called." "Can I show you something else?" "lf you must." "(clearing THROAT)" "Oh, my." "(chuckling) ls that what I think it is?" "Let's hope he didn't inhale." "But that is you standing behind him, isn't it?" "I do believe it is." "And I do believe I'm on the point of issuing a stern warning to him on the perils of drug abuse." "is Mr. Lang really going to use these pictures in his memoirs?" "If so, I would prefer it if I weren't named." "My children would be mortified." "They're so much more puritanical than we were." "Can you tell me about any of the others?" "No, I'm afraid not." "The whole summer is a blur, a very happy blur." "Now, you were going to tell me about these pictures." "I got them from Michael McAra." "And he is whom, exactly?" "My predecessor on Lang's memoirs." "He resigned?" "No, he died." "I'm sorry to hear that." "Yes, a couple of weeks ago." "He drove up here to see you." "And he died a few hours afterwards." "He drove up to see me?" "No, I'm afraid you're mistaken." "How did he die?" "He drowned." "Poor fellow." "I've never really believed the myth that death by drowning is painless, have you?" "Seems to me it must be agonizing." "And the police never said anything to you about this?" "I've had no contact with the police." "But were you here that weekend?" "This would have been January, the 1 1th and 1 2th." "(CHUCKLES)" "A less equable man than I might start to find your questions impertinent." "Nancy?" "Nancy?" "Our visitor wishes to know where we were on the 1 1th and 1 2th of January." "Do we possess that information?" "That was the Colorado weekend." "Yes, of course, the Aspen Institute." "Bipolar relationships in a multi-polar world." "Sounds fun." "Yes, it was. I was the main speaker." "Look, just to return to Cambridge.. ." "No, if you don't mind, let's not return to Cambridge." "I've said all I have to say on that subject." "I'm an avid reader of political memoirs." "I'll get hold of Mr. Lang's when they appear." "Perhaps he'll send you a copy, for old time's sake." "I doubt that very much." "The gate will open automatically." "Be sure to make a right when you get to the end of the drive." "If you turn left, the road will take you deeper into the woods and you may never be seen again." "(AUTOMATED FEMALE voice) BMW ConnectedDrive." "(breathing heavily)" "When is the last ferry?" "You're just in time." "Here, I've got a return." "All right." "(ship HORN sounding)" "FERRY MAN:" "Ticket?" "Uh.. ." "Okay." "Okay." "(indistinct chattering)" "Shit." "MAN:" "Hey, you!" "Stop!" "Don't do that!" "Where you going?" "WOMAN:" "Man, get out of here!" "Get out of here, asshole!" "Shit!" "(dialing)" "(PHONE ringing)" "rick:" "You've reached the office of Rick Ricardelli." "Leave a message." "Piss off." "What can I do for you, sir?" "You wouldn't happen to know if there are any flights leaving the airport tonight, would you?" "Not unless you've got your own private jet." "I lent it to my butler." "(laughing) You Brits!" "There's a flight to Boston" "8:30 tomorrow morning." "Shit!" "How much for a room?" "For you, $89." "l'll pay cash." "Who's got your card?" "The nanny?" "(chuckling)" "(dialing)" "(PHONE ringing)" "richard:" "You rang back." "Are you going to stay on the line this time?" "Yes." "I've been trying to call you." "I know, I'm sorry.. ." "It didn't seem right, speaking to you." "Who are you?" "I'm the new ghostwriter.. ." "No names, don't use any names." "How did you get this number?" "It was in my predecessor's effects." "The.. ." "The thing is, I'm in trouble." "is it because of your client?" "Yeah." "There's something wrong, but I didn't know who to talk to." "Where are you?" "Without being too specific." "On the island?" "I'm in the.. ." "No, I'm on the mainland, on the.. ." "This motel by the ferry." "Room number?" "201 ." "Have you got the book with you?" "Yeah." "Okay." "Stay there." "Hatherton?" "(SOFT music playing)" "MAN:" "With $35 billion of funds at its disposal, the Hatherton Group brings together a family of companies devoted to defense and security." "And with unrivaled expertise in the Middle East, including the services of two former Presidents, three Prime Ministers and two directors of the ClA," "Hatherton is proud to stand at the forefront of the struggle against terror." "Hatherton, a shelter from harm." "(music STOPS)" "(typing)" "(reading)" ""According to cla whistleblower Frank Molinari," ""Yale graduate Paul Emmett" ""was reported to have joined the Agency as an officer in 197 1," ""and was assigned to the Foreign Resources Division of the Directorate of.. .' ' 197 1?" "It's 197 4." "(CELL PHONE ringing)" "Hello?" "RUTH:" "You're alive." "Yeah, just about." "I've been worried sick." "The police called to say they'd found the car on the ferry." "Again!" "I'm so sorry. I parked it, and then, and then I got off the boat." "What the hell were you doing on the mainland, anyway?" "l drove to New York." "Why?" "I needed to see John Maddox." "And where are you now?" "I'm still at the ferry terminal." "I missed the last crossing." "You really are bloody hopeless!" "I just had Adam on the phone, trying to get hold of you." "He's flying back tonight." "He sounds in a right state." "You didn't tell him about us, did you?" "God's sake, Ruth!" "(knocking ON DOOR) I've got to go. I'll call you back." "Who is it?" "Mr." "Rycart sent me." "Hold on." "Just gonna do a quick check, if you don't mind." "Get your stuff together." "We're leaving." "Hey!" "That's private!" "He's clean." "richard:" "Thanks, Frank." "Sorry about that." "Please, get in." "You thought it was a trap?" "lt crossed my mind." "You do work for Lang." "Yeah, for three days. I hardly know the guy." "Who does?" "I worked for him for 15 years, till he fired me, and I still can't fathom him." "Yeah, his wife said more or less the same." "There you go. lf someone as sharp as Ruth can't get him, what hope do we have?" "Tough day?" "Yeah, you could say that." "You have the book?" "FRANK:" "Yeah." "He's got it." "Before we go any further, I wonder if I might take a look at that book." "No." "Before we go any further, there's a few things I'd like to know first." "Such as, why did Mike McAra have your number?" "Okay." "Sure." "He was helping me." "McAra?" "How?" "Mike found the documents linking Lang to the torture flights." "What?" "It was McAra who gave you the documents?" "Yeah, Mike McAra." "The loyalest of the loyal." "But why?" "He didn't like discovering he was working for a war criminal." "Would you?" "Oh, I forgot." "You are." "The book?" "Well, don't tell me you're gonna read it now." "Not all of it." "Just the beginning." "There's something very important about it." "Yeah. lt's the cure for insomnia." "There you go, guys." "Can I get you anything else?" "No, thanks, love." "Mike said he'd discovered something new." "It's the last time he called me." "He said it explained everything that had gone wrong when we were in government." "What was it?" "He wouldn't say over the phone." "He just kept saying if anything happened to him, the truth was in Lang's memoirs." ""lt's all there in the beginning.' '" "The beginning?" "Then he means Cambridge." "What the hell's this?" "That is Lang, and that is Paul Emmett." "Emmett?" "The Arcadia guy." "So what?" "On the day that Mike McAra died, he drove up to see Emmett, and I think he was murdered on his way home." "What?" "l went to see Emmett today, and two guys followed me from his house." "That's why I called you." "At the time that this photograph was taken," "Paul Emmett was an officer in the ClA." "Emmett?" "Foreign Resources Division." "Oh, my God." "You realize how important this is, don't you?" "This explains why Lang went into politics." "Everyone knows he didn't have a political thought in his pretty little head." "This is why he rose so quickly, with a little help from his friends." "Well, do you think it's possible.. ." "Okay, a quiz for you." "Name one decision Lang made in 10 years as Prime Minister which wasn't in the interests of the USA." "Well, come on, it's not a trick question." "Iraq, Middle East policy, Star Wars defense, buying American nuclear missiles, support of terrorist rendition." "The sacking of any minister Washington didn't like, including yours truly." "McAra was right." "This explains everything." "(CELL PHONE ringing)" "It's Amelia Bly." "Answer it." "Hello, Amelia." "Good evening. I have Adam for you." "(SOFTLY) Lang." "ADAM:" "We're coming to get you." "What?" "Ruth tells me you're stuck at the ferry terminal." "We've just taken off from New York." "Pilot says we can stop by and pick you up." "Really?" "There's no need." "We've got a book to write, remember?" "Hold on a sec, Adam." "(SOFTLY) He said he wants to pick me up in his private jet." "Say yes." "What if it's a trap?" "If you refuse, he'll get suspicious." "Tell him yes." "That'd be great, Adam." "Yeah, thanks." "I'll get to the airport." "See you there." "He sounds worried." "I really don't think this is a good idea." "You have no choice." "Emmett must have told Lang that I'd been to see him." "So, what's he gonna do about it?" "Dump you in the ocean?" "Well, it happened before!" "Which means it can't happen again." "He can't drown two ghostwriters, for God's sake." "You're not kittens." "All this is just theory." "We don't have any proof." "You'll get us the proof." "Me?" "You're his ghostwriter." "Presumably, he lets you tape him." "l use discs, actually." "Discs, tapes." "You've got to confront him with this." "Record his reaction." "Even if he denies it, it's something." "I'm in a tricky position here." "I signed a confidentiality agreement." "It's a bit late for that." "lt means the discs are his property." "The court can subpoena them." "And what if I don't record any discs?" "Then you'll be subpoenaed and forced to repeat this whole story." "Then I'll deny it." "Then I'll give them this." "Frank is recording every word." "Aren't you, Frank?" "Oh!" "Come on!" "Don't look so shocked." "What did you expect?" "That I'd come into a meeting with a man working for Lang without taking any precautions?" "Except you're not working for Lang anymore." "You're working for the good guys." "You know all this is pointless, don't you?" "In the end, he'll just retire over here with his cia pension, and he'll tell you and the bloody war crimes court to go and fuck yourselves." "Good evening, sir." "Hatherton welcomes you aboard." "Thank you." "It's my first time in a private jet." "Well, let's hope it's not your last." "Hi, man." "Take your seat." "Thanks." "Hey, bring my ghost a Calvados." "Yes, sir." "Do you mind?" "Leave it off for now." "Ruth said you were in New York to see Maddox." "That's right." "How was he?" "He was fine." "Full of energy?" "You know John." "Yes, I do know John." "As a matter of fact, I was just with him." "You never saw him today, did you?" "No." "Do you have something to tell me?" "I went to see Emmett." "(laughing) That windbag!" "Why?" "I know about you and Emmett." "Me and Emmett?" "l know that he was your.. ." "My?" ".. .handler, if that's what they're called." "My handler?" "Yeah, that he was your handler in the ClA." "(coughing)" "(laughing)" "Oh, my God." "You're serious, aren't you?" "When McAra found this, he went to Boston to show it to Emmett, and he died on the way home, and I think he was murdered." "I think you've had a few too many of those already." "It was McAra who believed that Emmett told you to go into politics in the first place." "Emmett?" "I barely knew the man." "And that story of yours about why you joined the party and Ruth and the canvassing, well, the dates don't fit." "I got the dates wrong." "Big deal!" "Then when he found this photograph, and he heard the rumors about Emmett being in the ClA.. ." "Rumors?" "lt's on the Internet." "I've never heard such utter balls in my entire life." "Mike would never have believed such crap." "He was too clever." "Too loyal." "Mike betrayed you to Rycart." "How do you know that?" "He told me." "Rycart?" "He's lying." "This phone number on the back of the photograph, it's Rycart's." "The handwriting, that's McAra's." "Mike." "Mike, Mike." "And you knew he was disillusioned." "You had a big row with him just before he died." "Yes, I know, but he never mentioned this." "This is just.. ." "This is grotesque." "I've never taken orders from anyone." "Whatever I did, I did because I believed it was right." "What, even supporting illegal kidnapping for torture?" "Oh, for God's sake, spare me the bleeding-heart bullshit!" "Do you know what I'd do if I was in power again?" "I'd have two queues at airports." "One for flights where we'd done no background checks, infringed on no one's civil bloody liberties, used no intelligence gained by torture." "And on the other flight, we'd do everything we possibly could to make it perfectly safe." "And then we'd see which plane the Rycarts of this world would put their bloody kids on!" "(shouting) And you can put that in the book!" "(PROTESTERS clamoring)" "MAN:" "Go home!" "WOMAN:" "Go home!" "MAN:" "Here comes the killer!" "WOMAN:" "Prosecute for torture!" "FEMALE REPORTER:" "Over here, Mr. Lang!" "Mr. Lang!" "Mr. Lang, will you live in America?" "(PROTESTERS clamoring)" "Mr. Lang, will you take American citizenship?" "(PROTESTERS BOOlNG)" "When we get back to the house, we need to have a meeting." "(GUNSHOT)" "RUTH:" "Oh, my God!" "Murderer!" "BODYGUARD:" "Firing from the roof!" "(indistinct shouting)" "RUTH:" "Let me go to him!" "No!" "No!" "Move, move, move!" "(police radio CHATTER)" "fbi AGENT 1 :" "How long had you known Mr. Lang?" "Couple of days." "ln what capacity?" "I was his ghost." "His ghostwriter." "Do you recognize this man?" "He was one of the protestors." "His son was killed in Iraq." "Did you ever speak with him?" "He was in the bar one night in the hotel where l was staying." "fbi AGENT 2:" "But did you speak with him?" "He asked me if I knew where Adam Lang was staying on the island." "l told him that I didn't." "Did you report this conversation?" "Sorry?" "Did you report this conversation to Mr. Lang's protection team?" "No." "What was Mr. Lang's demeanor this evening?" "He was.. ." "He was fine." "He seemed fine." "One witness said she thought she heard Mr. Lang shouting at you." "No." "We're gonna need your passport." "Why?" "A serious crime was just committed in US territory, and you're the key witness." "We need to keep you close." "MALE REPORTER:" "Like a fallen soldier, Adam Lang went home today, home to a shocked and grieving nation." "Not just his family, but friends and political opponents joined in tribute." "A great colleague and a true patriot." "We had our disagreements, but we always stayed friends." "My heart goes out to Ruth and the family." "(knocking ON DOOR)" "And I would like to say Adam will be... (switches TV OFF)" "(knocking continues)" "Who is it?" "rick:" "Congratulations!" "On what now?" "Still having me as your agent." "Hmm?" "They don't need you anymore." "You're free to go." "You ready to get back to work?" "l don't think I can, Rick." "l'm sorry." "Not after all this." "Don't be a jerk." "This is a hot book now." "It's Adam Lang's voice from the grave." "The guy, he's a hero." "l just want to go home." "You can." "Go." "Go home." "And finish the book from London." "I don't know, Rick." "Here we are." "Oh, here we are." "(sobbing)" "I'm sorry." "I think I'm over it, and then suddenly I realize I'm not." "Are you sure this is all right?" "Of course." "My invitation said plus one." "Only I wondered if you might've wanted to bring your husband." "That didn't work out." "I hadn't appreciated quite how bored he was with being my plus one." "Shall we go in?" "Yeah." "(indistinct chattering)" "Amelia Bly, plus one." "Thank you." "(PEOPLE laughing)" "That was a bit of a turn-up, for the books, you calling me." "I heard you weren't invited, and I thought you should be here." "Ghosts are never invited to the launch party, as a rule." "We're an embarrassment." "Like a mistress at a wedding." "Sorry." "I brought you a present." "Thank you." "(CHUCKLES) That's very funny." "I thought, seeing as you were so keen to hold onto it, you might like it as a souvenir." "Between you and me, it wasn't us, it was the Americans." "They thought the book was a potential threat to national security." "But there's nothing in it." "Something about the beginnings." "I think that's what I heard." "The beginning?" "No, beginnings." "The beginnings." "Beginnings?" "You all right?" "Do you know that man?" "The one who's speaking to Ruth." "Paul Emmett?" "What's he doing here?" "Well, he was Ruth's tutor at Harvard when she was a Fulbright scholar." "Why shouldn't he be here?" "Do you mind if I have that back a second?" "I'm.. ." "waitress:" "Madam?" "WOMAN:" "No, thank you." ""Langs are Scottish folk, originally.' '" ""Wife and child in tow, I decided to.. ." ""l decided to settle.' '" "MAN:" "Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention, please." "Thank you." "I'd like to ask Ruth Lang to say a few words." "(GUESTS clapping) I miss Adam all the time." "But never more than tonight." "Not just 'cause we're meeting to launch his wonderful new book and he should be here to share the joy of his life story with us, but because he was so brilliant at making speeches and I'm so terrible." ""Langs are Scottish folk.' '" ""Wife and child, Langs are Scottish.' '" ""Wife, Langs." "Lang's wife.' '" ""Lang's" ""wife Ruth" ""was recruited" ""as a cla agent" ""by Professor Paul Emmett of Harvard University.' '" "RUTH:" "Well, you'll be relieved to hear I'm not making a speech this evening." "I just want to thank our wonderful publishers," "Marty Rhinehart and John Maddox, and our attorney and friend, Sidney Kroll." "And finally, but especially, Mike McAra." "Mike, our thoughts are with you." "In these very difficult few months, I've drawn great comfort from this book, from knowing that, despite the terrible double tragedy of losing both of them," "Mike and Adam did at least live long enough to complete it." "And I really believe that, as people read these pages," "Adam's voice will keep on coming through for generations to come, eloquent, strong and full of hope." "Thanks to his words, he is with us still." "If I've left out anyone's name, I hope you'll forgive me." "But now I must make a toast." "To the memory of a great man and a great patriot, a wonderful husband and a devoted father." "To Adam!" "ALL:" "To Adam!" "(ALL clapping)"