At remote farms where lone women's masked attacks stump local police, a disgraced female TV reporter escapes her big city past, returns to her home town and becomes the next victim. She battles small town prejudice, angst and secrets that had turned an innocent childhood act to adult jealousy and violence.

SYNOPSIS:

‘RELATIVE CONTACT’ Synopsis

by Christine J. Whitlock

'RELATIVE CONTACT' is a suspense/thriller female-driven feature film script.

Newly divorced and disillusioned with her previous fast-track life in the big city, Lisa Taylor returns to her small hometown. Her first new job as a police reporter at the local TV station covers a serial assaulter terrorizing senior women who have sold their properties for a new development. Her news director was against her hiring and informs her of her 30 day probation. Nerd obnoxious cameraman, Dave Gould is assigned to Lisa. At the first police media conference, she meets twice-divorced Brad Turner, the police media relations officer, who announces details of another attack.

Downtown, Lisa unexpectedly runs into her favourite maiden aunt Vivian Powers and cousin Jake Green. After interviewing a criminal psychologist in the big city, Lisa runs into her ex-husband Tom Blake who now works a rural development company. After selling the family farm homestead, Aunt Vivian has a picnic and garage sale to which Lisa takes Brad and sees Jake and Tom. That evening her aunt is brutally assaulted.

To get some leads from the community on the assaults, the police meet with the local TV station to plan a special 'crime-stopper' TV segment. Lisa has to fight to get to produce the segment and gather information from the hospital. With her mother being the first victim, Zena Olson, director of the sexual assault centre is reluctant to help Lisa with her research. During the crime-stopper shoot, Lisa sees both her cousin Jake and ex Tom watching the proceedings at a distance. Lisa finds out that a former female reporter had charged Brad with sexual assault. After joining an evening event, Lisa is almost run down in the parking lot. Out of the hospital, Lisa's aunt moves into her apartment to recover before entering her seniors’ building. By delivering flowers approved by Lisa, someone gains access to Lisa’s apartment. Lisa, out at Brad’s apartment looking at photographs, comes home and finds that her aunt has ended her life after a second assault.

At the aunt's funeral from his photographs, Brad recognizes that both Jake and Dave have a ring similar to that used in the assaults. Brad checks both their criminal backgrounds. After the funeral reception, Lisa rejects both Dave’s and Tom’s condolences at her apartment. While Lisa draws a bath, the next knock on the door is cousin Jake dressed as an old woman who forces his way in. Brad tries to call Lisa but her phone is dead. Wielding a knife, Jake tries to drown Lisa. Brad kicks down the door but is knocked out by slipping on a rug. Soapy-wet, Lisa escapes from Jake who makes a lunge at Brad with his knife. Lisa stops Jake with a bullet from Brad’s fallen gun. Outside her apartment, her news director allows her to give a personal account of her attack.