DECKHOFF

A stage play by

Ben Sherman

2023
All rights reserved.

bensherman@comcast.net

206-914-7880

www.shermanauthor.com
 ii.

RUNNING TIME: APPROXIMATELY 105 MINUTES WITH ONE INTERMISSION

CAST

4M, 4F

(F) PHYLLIS SORICHETTI

(M) BARTENDER AND AGENT WILLIAM CLEMENSON

(M) MISTER (CAPTAIN) DECKHOFF

(F) LUCINDA ROBINSON

(F) PERKINS/AGENT FARRELL

(M) DUTTON/AGENT NELSON

(M) DETECTIVE FURTADO/LIEUTENANT FRANCO COUPÉ

(F) DETECTIVE LANG/AGENT KASIS

 1.

PRELUDE

Mister DECKHOFF enters and takes a position in the pool of a

single light, downstage center, in front of a full screen photo
of his head and shoulders. He is not smiling in the picture, nor
in person. He addresses the audience.

DECKHOFF
I would not call this a happy day. There
will be no raises, no promotions, no new
hires, and you will all cut your operating
budgets by twenty percent. At our current
rate of losses, I don’t imagine us being in
business at this time next year. A twenty
percent cut is an emergency response to
stop the bleeding. Twenty percent means
people. Is that clear? I want lists of your
cuts and revised budgets on my desk by five
o’clock Friday! No excuses.

He makes a military turn and exits.

BACKGROUND FADES
TO DARK
MUSIC THEME UP
AND OUT

ACT ONE, SCENE 1 - DECKHOFF’S OFFICE

Holding a thin manila folder, SORICHETTI stands in front of

Deckhoff who is sitting behind his desk.

DECKHOFF
I’ll review your budget over the weekend.

SORICHETTI
I’d like to talk about the cuts I’ve made.

DECKHOFF
If there’s anything to discuss, I’ll let
you know. Drop it and leave. I’m busy.

Sorichetti puts the folder on the desk, turns, walks away then
stops, turns, and waits for Deckhoff to look up.

SORICHETTI
It doesn’t have to be this way.

DECKHOFF
It IS this way. The time to do anything
inventive about it has passed.

PERKINS enters with a stack of slim folders, ignores Sorichetti,

and places them on the desk.

PERKINS
These are most of them. I’m waiting on
three more. Oh, is that one there? Okay.
Two aren’t in yet.
 2.

DECKHOFF
I can count! Leave them and go. Anything
else, Sorichetti?

SORICHETTI
I’d like a chance to explore some options
with you.

DECKHOFF
Options? Spare me. I’m busy trying to save
what’s left. I’ve got no time and no
stomach for your maudlin attempts to save
your friends. Grow up, Sorichetti. This
company needs a miracle, not mercy.

Sorichetti follows Perkins out. Deckhoff picks up his phone and

punches in four digits.

DECKHOFF (CONT'D)
Valdo? Deckhoff. I’ve got all but a couple
of revisions here. Be ready Monday for a
list of layoffs. Meanwhile, you can prepare
exit paperwork for Sorichetti. (beat) Yes.
Phyllis Sorichetti. (beat) What does that
matter to you? I’ll be taking over her
duties until we can get out of this mess
and find a replacement. (beat) She’s gone
permanently but call it a layoff for now.

BLACK OUT
MUSIC UP AND OUT

ACT ONE, SCENE 2 - THE BAR, LATER

Sorichetti sits on a stool at an empty bar, talking to the

BARTENDER.

BARTENDER
Why so glum?

SORICHETTI
Trying to save about thirty jobs.

BARTENDER
Cut backs?

SORICHETTI
Yeah. Twenty percent across the company.

BARTENDER
And personnel is the easiest way to come up
with that kind of savings.

SORICHETTI
We’ve had severe cutbacks in our accounts,
but we still have the same people working.
This isn’t a time for people to be leaving
their jobs for a better offer elsewhere. I
don’t know where to look for more sales.

BARTENDER
Is your whole market down?
 3.

SORICHETTI
We sell internationally so we’re always
dependent on the political climate, but we
have predicted problems before and been
able to ride them out.

BARTENDER
You aren’t accustomed to asking for help.

SORICHETTI
I don’t need help, I need a miracle.

BARTENDER
You can’t afford a miracle.

SORICHETTI
How do you know?

BARTENDER
Your shoes.

SORICHETTI
My what? Oh. Yes. I wear practical shoes.
I’m on my feet all day. No heels. Sorry.

BARTENDER
A significant sign, a person’s shoes, how
they choose them, how they maintain them.

SORICHETTI
Well, the babes with the best shoes are
hookers. What does that say about me?

BARTENDER
That you make a decent living at an office
close to here with wide aisles and waxed
floors.

She takes off a shoe and examines it.

SORICHETTI
Both true. But, I don’t see anything that
would lead you to those conclusions.

BARTENDER
You have none of the telltale scuffs that
are common with cubicle workers who
navigate through small spaces.

SORICHETTI
Very good. But I see no wax on this shoe.

BARTENDER
Coming in, your shoes squeaked when you
walked across the entry tile.

SORICHETTI
I wasn’t aware. I wonder if I squeak all
the time. How did you know my office was
near here?
 4.

BARTENDER
You didn’t arrive in a car or cab, and you
didn’t walk far enough to rub off the wax.

SORICHETTI
I am intrigued. You are very observant. Is
that part of your work?

BARTENDER
Absolutely essential. I’m a human observer
and I apply that craft to making magic
happen for people like you.

SORICHETTI
Like me? What do you know about me?

BARTENDER
I know that you don’t ask for help from the
right resources. Otherwise, you’d be
seeking professional advice rather than
telling your problems to a bartender. And I
know all about your shoes.

SORICHETTI
Magic you said, like professional or a
hobby?

BARTENDER
Not like that. I’m not an entertainer. I
work with what seems impossible and find a
way to make it possible.

SORICHETTI
You are not an everyday bartender.

BARTENDER
Far from it. I’m a human researcher.

SORICHETTI
Can you do some magic for me?

BARTENDER
You can’t afford it.

They continue to chat as...

FADE SLOWLY TO
BLACK
BRIEF MUSICAL
INTERLUDE

ACT ONE, SCENE 3 - BREAK ROOM

PERKINS and DUTTON are huddled together at a break area table

speaking barely above a whisper.

PERKINS
A friend in Human Resources told me.

DUTTON
Who? Can you trust them?
 5.

PERKINS
Never mind who. Yes I can.

DUTTON
There’s a list?

PERKINS
Deckhoff said twenty percent cuts and
ordered a list of those being cut. Both of
us are on it. And, Sorichetti!

DUTTON
Sorichetti? No way. She’s making the cuts.
She’s not going to cut herself.

PERKINS
That’s what I heard. In three weeks, the ax
falls. We’ll get two weeks severance and
that’s it. G’bye. G’luck.

DUTTON
You gotta tell me who told you this.

PERKINS
Not possible. If it got back to my source,
I got no more source.

DUTTON
What are you gonna do?

PERKINS
I’ll have to move. I’m putting my resume
out as far as I can.

DUTTON
You can’t do that without people here
knowing. You need references.

PERKINS
Those will be supplied after I get past the
application process and have an offer in
writing, not before.

DUTTON
You can do that?

PERKINS
Employers understand the need for
discretion. What about you? Any ideas?

DUTTON
I ain’t leaving. I’ve been here too long to
be undone by some suit. I got other ways of
dealing with Deckhoff.

PERKINS
What do you mean other ways?

DUTTON
I got resources, too. Okay? I can’t tell
you anymore than you can tell me.
 6.

PERKINS
I said source. What does “resources” mean?

DUTTON
We both got secrets. Only difference is,
mine’s got teeth!

Robinson, the receptionist, enters and speaks while walking to

Perkins and Dutton.

ROBINSON
What’s all this business going on after
hours?

PERKINS
Can’t have these discussions during the
day. Rumors are running all over the place.

ROBINSON
You two all bothered about layoffs? What
else is new? You ain’t the only ones.

DUTTON
We’re talking about who is going, who is
staying. You got any idea?

ROBINSON
I got one idea only. Keep my eyes half shut
and my ears wide open.

Dutton hurriedly exits without looking at Robinson.

ROBINSON (CONT'D)
What’s with Dutton? He looks like he seen a
ghost... or his ex-wife. (laughs)

PERKINS
I’m worried about him. He was hinting at
some scary ways to solve our problems.

ROBINSON
He can be weird sometimes. Always talkin’
‘bout his “connections” like he’s in a drug
cartel or something.

PERKINS
Maybe he is.

ROBINSON
Dutton? Pah-leas! He’s a two-bit hustler
wearing an ego that’s three sizes too big.

PERKINS
I hope you’re right.

ROBINSON
He hangs with some dubious dudes in the
projects. Doesn’t have to. He makes good
enough money to stay away from bad alleys,
but I guess he likes the rush of gangster
life in the Urbs!
 7.

PERKINS
He’s around violent types?

ROBINSON
What did he say?

PERKINS
Something about resources.

ROBINSON
That’s “street” for hired thugs.

PERKINS
Like, killers?

ROBINSON
Maybe. They say you can make anybody go
nighty-night if the price is right.

PERKINS
I can’t believe we’re having this
conversation.

ROBINSON
Look, Deckhoff’s got everybody jittery.
People say stuff. It don’t mean nothin’.

PERKINS
It does mean something. Sorichetti turned
in a budget with twenty percent cuts.
People are losing their jobs.

ROBINSON
Deckhoff needs to bellow once in a while to
make himself feel big and sassy. He’s a
jerk. How they going to make this place
work without the people we have now?

PERKINS
That’s the problem. It’s not working.

ROBINSON
Speaking of which, I better get back and
lock up. You comin’?

Robinson exits. Perkins slowly follows.

FADE TO BLACK

ACT ONE, SCENE 4 - THE BAR

BARTENDER
Sounds like the main problem is Deckhoff.

SORICHETTI
Yes. And, he owns the company and answers
to no one.

BARTENDER
What brought you to work for him?
 8.

SORICHETTI
More money than I could imagine. A top spot
in admin. Anonymity, with him traveling
most of the time.

BARTENDER
You said what you need is a miracle.

SORICHETTI
Magic is always ruined when you see behind
the curtain.

BARTENDER
Such a cynic. I didn’t say anything about
magic, although I like the illusion of
making things disappear.

SORICHETTI
I wish you meant Mister Deckhoff.

BARTENDER
He’s in over his head.

SORICHETTI
What?

BARTENDER
His company is failing. He’s cutting, not
growing. He believes in intimidation, like
he can muscle away his problems.

SORICHETTI
Exactly.

BARTENDER
But, he can’t bully a spreadsheet. He can’t
scream profanities at profits and losses
until they change their attitude.

SORICHETTI
Do you have miracles for problems like him?

BARTENDER
Yes. In fact, they are the heart of my
business.

SORICHETTI
What business? Bartending? Have you been
hitting the hard stuff back there?

BARTENDER
Working here pays my bills. My avocation is
producing miracles.

SORICHETTI
So you’re the second coming?

BARTENDER
Not in the least. Do you think Jesus is the
only miracle-worker? You don’t wear sarcasm
very well.
 9.

SORICHETTI
I’m practical. I don’t buy woo-woo.

BARTENDER
What I do has many names. You were the one
who said she needed a miracle, so I went
with that.

SORICHETTI
And, then you said I couldn’t afford it.

BARTENDER
I did indeed.

SORICHETTI
How do you structure compensation? Do you
work by the hour?

BARTENDER
I charge by the miracle. Fortunately for
you, however, I do not deal with currency.

SORICHETTI
Really? What does the average miracle go
for nowadays?

BARTENDER
It depends on the problem and the solution,
but you can’t afford what I charge anyway.

SORICHETTI
I have personal means.

BARTENDER
Miss, uh, what is your name?

SORICHETTI
Ms. Sorichetti. Call me Phil.

BARTENDER
Phil?

SORICHETTI
Phyllis is too old and grumpy.

BARTENDER
Ms. Sorichetti, I am not paid by the usual
means. My work is more like barter. I help
you, you help me.

SORICHETTI
Should I jump to the obvious conclusion?

BARTENDER
No, you should not. My pay has nothing to
do with relationships, tawdry or otherwise.

SORICHETTI
Darn!

BARTENDER
You have far more to give than that.
 10.

SORICHETTI
You think so?

BARTENDER
That doesn’t matter. My position here at
the bar puts me in contact with many people
with needs. You pay me what somebody else
needs, and the payment goes forward, maybe
several times, before it gets back to me.

SORICHETTI
And, with every exchange, the price grows?

BARTENDER
Very old school. Based on our rich history
of agriculture, farming and ranching. I
deal in more modern commodities, but the
idea is the same.

SORICHETTI
And you assume that I cannot afford my part
of a barter in “modern” commodities?

BARTENDER
It sounds like your problem is rather large
and your willingness to believe in my
ability to solve it is rather small.

SORICHETTI
What would be an example of what you might
want from me?

BARTENDER
Let’s see if I have a solution first,
before we start down that road.

SORICHETTI
You can’t give me suggestions without
anything from me though. Right?

BARTENDER
Right. But, I can invest some time
listening. Then, if I think I can help, we
can move on from there.

SORICHETTI
With a miracle?

BARTENDER
Isn’t that what it’s going to take?

SORICHETTI
Those were my words.

BARTENDER
You want another drink?

SORICHETTI
How many have I had?

BARTENDER
Not enough to leave, too many to drive.
 11.

SORICHETTI
Fair enough. Set me up and I’ll call a cab
later.

BARTENDER
Good idea.

SORICHETTI
Looks like I’m your only customer.

BARTENDER
Tonight, you are.

The Bartender walks to the door, flips the sign from open to
closed, returns to take the stool next to Sorichetti.

SORICHETTI
Are you married?

BARTENDER
Tonight I am.

FADE TO NEXT

ACT ONE, SCENE 5 - AN ALLEY

Dutton approaches a hooded man whose identity is impossible to

discern. They speak briefly. Dutton shows him a picture. The man
nods. Dutton displays a wad of bills in an envelope. The hoodlum
folds the picture, puts it in with the money, and stuffs the
envelope down the front of his pants. He pulls his hood down
tighter and walks away. Dutton exits in the opposite direction.

BLACKOUT
MUSIC: INTERLUDE
PASSAGE OF TIME.

ACT TWO, SCENE 1 - RECEPTION OFFICE, THE NEXT MORNING

Robinson sits behind a desk. Two suited police detectives, LANG

and FURTADO enter and wait as she completes a call.

ROBINSON
I will relay your message to him when he
arrives.

She looks up as she returns the phone to its base.

ROBINSON (CONT'D)
May I help, uh, are you...?

LANG
Yes. We called. I am Detective Lang. This
is Detective Furtado. We’re here to see
Mister Deckhoff.

ROBINSON
When you called, I thought he was, well,
he’s always early. But he’s not here yet.
 12.

LANG
And, he hasn’t called?

ROBINSON
I have not heard from Mister Deckhoff,
Detective. Can you come back at another
time?

LANG
Thank you. We will be in touch.

The two detectives turn and begin to exit, then Furtado turns
and steps back to the reception desk.

FURTADO
Does this seem out of order to you?

ROBINSON
What, Mister Deckhoff being late, or two
detectives showing up?

FURTADO
Does Mister Deckhoff keep a flexible
schedule?

ROBINSON
Ha! Are you kidding? He’s a Swiss
timepiece. He’s always here before I get
here and stays after I’m gone.

FURTADO
How do you know he’s not here now?

ROBINSON
I call him when I get here and before I
leave. He’s very particular about timing.

FURTADO
And you called this morning?

ROBINSON
There was no answer.

Lang returns to join Furtado at the desk.

LANG
But, when we called earlier, you said he
was here.

ROBINSON
You called when I walked in. Hadn’t even
put my purse away yet. I didn’t call Mister
Deckhoff until after you hung up. I assumed
he was here like always.

FURTADO
Do you mind if we take a look in Mister
Deckhoff’s office?

ROBINSON
Not at all, right after you show me your
search warrant.
 13.

FURTADO
For what? We’re not investigating Deckhoff.
Would you like to go in there instead and
see if his office is empty?

ROBINSON
Look, you gotta give me something here.
Nobody sees Mister Deckhoff without an
appointment, and he’s pretty stingy
granting those. Unless you can give me some
kind of reason, or warrant...

FURTADO
We’re following a lead we were given. It’s
a private case, one which we think Mister
Deckhoff would like to participate with us
in bringing to conclusion.

LANG
And now, given his routine that you
suggested, we’d like to be sure nothing has
happened to him. You know, like a heart
attack or a fall or something.

ROBINSON
Such an imagination you have. You been
watching too much TV.

LANG
We’re police officers. Why don’t you pacify
our natural curiosity? If he’s there and
doesn’t want to see us, we’ll come back at
a more convenient time.

ROBINSON
I never go in that office unless invited.
Our communication is this phone right here.
(picks up the receiver and pushes four
numbers) It is ringing. (pause) He is not
there. He never lets it ring twice.

LANG
I understand. Doesn’t that make you wonder?

ROBINSON
I’m not paid to wonder.

Detective Furtado walks around the Receptionist’s desk, opens

the door to Deckhoff’s office and looks in. Robinson stares
straight ahead. Detective Lang walks around to join Furtado.
They both enter the office, leaving the door open behind them.

FADE TO BLACK

ACT TWO, SCENE 2 - RECEPTION OFFICE, LATER

EMTs are rolling out a gurney with a bagged body. The two
detectives observe silently.
 14.

A distraught Robinson is seated in one of two waiting area

chairs while being comforted by Sorichetti sitting in the chair
next to her. The two detectives follow the EMT’s out.

FADE TO BLACK

ACT TWO, SCENE 3 - BREAK AREA

Robinson, Perkins and Sorichetti are recovering with coffee.

PERKINS
I don’t understand how someone got into his
office.

ROBINSON
Must have been last night. I was in here
before I locked up. It’s gonna come down on
my head. I shouldn’t have left my desk
before locking the door.

PERKINS
You weren’t in here more than a minute. How
could somebody get in the front door
without us hearing?

ROBINSON
Creeps me out. That killer was hiding
somewhere in my office. All the other doors
were shut and locked.

SORICHETTI
Are you sure you locked the door when you
and Perkins left?

ROBINSON
Absolutely. I never want to come in here in
the morning if that door has been left
unlocked. I’m first one here, after
Deckhoff, and he always locks the door
after he comes in.

SORICHETTI
Where is Dutton?

PERKINS
Not in yet.

SORICHETTI
Doesn’t he have a key?

ROBINSON
We all do.

PERKINS
I don’t like this. Dutton said some things
that left me feeling like he was up to
something awful.
 15.

ROBINSON
I told you, he’s full of himself. He likes
to act like he has connections, but it’s
all hot air. Dutton’s a weasel, but he
ain’t dangerous.

SORICHETTI
So, where is he?

PERKINS
Yeah. Right.

SORICHETTI
I’m sending everybody home through the
weekend. The cops are sure to descend on us
with warrants.

ROBINSON
But, it’s only Thursday.

SORICHETTI
Send out word that we’re closing at noon.
We’re all on paid leave until Monday.

ROBINSON
Got it. Nobody’s going to get much work
done anyway.

PERKINS
I’m history. See ya.

SORICHETTI
I’ll check around Deckhoff’s office to be
sure there’s nothing important lying
around. Then, we’ll lock up.

FADE TO BLACK

ACT TWO SCENE 4 - THE BAR

Sorichetti is sitting on her regular stool.

BARTENDER
You’re kinda early. What’s up?

SORICHETTI
Deckhoff’s dead. Killed early this morning
in his office.

BARTENDER
Kinda solves that problem.

SORICHETTI
That’s not funny. You are very droll.

BARTENDER
Why are you here?

SORICHETTI
Sent everybody home till Monday. I gotta
think out loud with somebody who can think
with me.
 16.

BARTENDER
Thanks. I like that.

SORICHETTI
I checked Deckhoff’s office for anything
that might implicate anybody. Not really
sure what I was looking for, but I was
curious if he was in the middle of
something that might not look good if made
public.

BARTENDER
Should you be worried?

SORICHETTI
Well, it’s a crime scene now, so the police
will look at everything.

BARTENDER
You never really said what kind of business
you’re in.

SORICHETTI
I couldn’t unlock his files, but I looked
through the papers on his desk and in a
couple of drawers.

BARTENDER
Find anything?

SORICHETTI
Nothing out of the ordinary, neat piles of
boring papers. There’s a gun, but that’s
typical of him.

BARTENDER
You didn’t touch it...

SORICHETTI
I didn’t touch anything. I used a hanky to
open the drawers.

BARTENDER
What’s the motive?

SORICHETTI
For murdering the prick? You know about the
twenty percent reduction, and he’s managed
to piss off everybody else, so there are
motives everywhere you look.

BARTENDER
For murder?

SORICHETTI
That’s a bit steep. I don’t know if any of
those people are capable. (pause) Except
me, of course. I gotta tell you, I’m not
real broken up about this.

BARTENDER
He’s that bad?
 17.

SORICHETTI
WAS that bad. Yes. I have often had
fantasies of stepping on him like a bug.

BARTENDER
This sounds like great testimony for when
the police catch up to you. Did they say
what killed him?

SORICHETTI
Throat was cut.

BARTENDER
What did the scene look like?

SORICHETTI
A blood pool between the door and his desk.

BARTENDER
How big?

SORICHETTI
I stepped around it. Probably two feet
wide.

BARTENDER
The middle of the office you said?

SORICHETTI
I didn’t see his body. The EMTs took it
out. But there was no furniture out of
place or any signs of a fight.

BARTENDER
How far from the door?

SORICHETTI
I don’t know, six feet, eight feet?

BARTENDER
(Thinking aloud) Hit from behind as soon as
he entered, didn’t see it coming, then cut
where he lay. He wasn’t behind his desk. No
struggle. One pool. Nothing disturbed. In
and out. Murder was the only intention.

SORICHETTI
Seems accurate.

BARTENDER
Outside job.

SORICHETTI
Why?

BARTENDER
If it was an angry employee, they’d want
him to see who it was.

SORICHETTI
Oh god! Where do you get that?
 18.

BARTENDER
Psychological profiling. Anger causes
actions that are stupid. They want to win
over the tyrant, but what good is it if he
doesn’t even know who beat him?

SORICHETTI
A paid killer doesn’t want anybody to know.

BARTENDER
Correct! Especially the target.

SORICHETTI
One of our employees might be missing. He’s
kind of a big talker who nobody takes
seriously. But, in the context of the
layoffs, he used the word “resources” which
our receptionist says is street jargon
meaning hitmen.

BARTENDER
Which fits my scenario of a thug-for-hire.

SORICHETTI
All too well. I’ve tried to reach him to
say we’re all off till Monday, but no reply
to texts or phone messages. Maybe I should
check out his apartment.

BARTENDER
I, uh, wouldn’t do that. You’re getting
ahead of yourself.

SORICHETTI
I’m so damn curious. But, you’re right.
I’ll have a chance to say all this to the
police on Monday.

BARTENDER
If they don’t find you first.

SORICHETTI
Right. Can I sleep here?

BARTENDER
For four nights? No. I don’t think that’s
appropriate.

SORICHETTI
I’ll get a hotel.

BARTENDER
Why? What is different between if they call
you in tonight, or you wait until Monday?
You only know what you know. If you
suddenly disappear, like your fellow
employee, it’ll raise suspicions about you.

SORICHETTI
You’re right again. But, I’m so jittery.

BARTENDER
You said two police detectives were there.
 19.

SORICHETTI
Yes. That’s strange too. What were they
doing there? Did they know something?

BARTENDER
Why did they say they were there?

SORICHETTI
The receptionist said they called earlier
wanting to see Mister Deckhoff. Said it was
a personal thing, information sharing,
nothing concerning the business.

BARTENDER
They were tipped.

SORICHETTI
Sounds like it to me.

BARTENDER
And they had a chance to survey Deckhoff’s
office.

SORICHETTI
They were in there for an hour after the
EMTs left. They put tape over the door when
they left and asked us to lock it.

BARTENDER
So, they’re not going to be eager to talk
to you. They’ve got enough evidence to keep
them busy for awhile. How about talking
about something else?

SORICHETTI
Like what?

BARTENDER
Like, didn’t I tell you that I could make
miracles happen?

SORICHETTI
Yes, but...

BARTENDER
Didn’t Mister Deckhoff recently vanish from
your life?

SORICHETTI
Oh! That’s freaky.

BARTENDER
Okay, now that I have your undying
admiration, let’s talk about something
nice. Let’s talk about you.

BLACK OUT
MUSICAL
INTERLUDE
 20.

ACT TWO, SCENE 5 - RECEPTION OFFICE, MONDAY

Robinson is alone at her desk. Detectives Lang and Furtado

enter.

FURTADO
Detectives Lang and Furtado to see Ms.
Sorichetti.

Robinson rolls her eyes, picks up the phone and punches four
numbers.

ROBINSON
Phil? Two police callers beg your
attendance. (Hangs up) She’ll be here in a
shake.

FURTADO
Thank you.

LANG
Did you have a nice holiday?

ROBINSON
We were all too rattled to work. We closed
the office and made it a long weekend.

FURTADO
No matter. The janitorial service let us in
with our warrant. We got what we needed,
and they were nice enough to clean up the
mess you left in there.

ROBINSON
I left? I beg your pardon?

LANG
Good thing that blood wasn’t left through
the weekend, or you’d have to replace the
carpet.

Sorichetti enters and the two detectives motion for her to join
them downstage in the reception area.

FURTADO
Phil?

SORICHETTI
For Phyllis. Why do you want me?

FURTADO
We have received word from the killer.

LANG
And you have been asked for by name.

SORICHETTI
Who asked for me?

LANG
The killer.
 21.

FURTADO
The alleged killer or killers or somebody
saying he...

LANG
Or, she...

FURTADO
.. is the killer. (Aside to Lang) Thank
you.

SORICHETTI
First, let’s talk.

FURTADO
About what?

SORICHETTI
What you two were doing here in the first
place. Did somebody call in a murder? I
would think that would be where to start.

LANG
That’s a different matter entirely.

FURTADO
Right now, we need to deal with the message
we received from the killer.

LANG
A ransom note.

SORICHETTI
Ransom? The man is dead.

FURTADO
It’s a ransom for his body to be returned.

SORICHETTI
Deckhoff’s body?!

LANG
It is no longer in the morgue.

FURTADO
Apparently Mister Deckhoff foiled an
attempted kidnapping and force was used...

SORICHETTI
They murdered the bastard. I’m a big girl,
Detective.

LANG
They failed at the first kidnapping, but
then succeeded at the second one.

SORICHETTI
Is that what they said in the note?

FURTADO
We’re trying to piece it all together.
 22.

SORICHETTI
Now they want money for the corpse?

FURTADO
In a nutshell, yes.

LANG
A million bucks wired by Mrs. Deckhoff to
some offshore bank.

FURTADO
It said to have Mrs. Deckhoff take it from
their savings and wire it to an account in
the Caymans.

LANG
They say that Deckhoff isn’t going
anywhere, it’s his money, and he deserves a
nice funeral, especially because he was so
brave right up to the end. Fought like a
true soldier.

FURTADO
And, the note said not to contact the FBI,
or they’ll embarrass everyone by telling
the media that the police lost the body of
a murder victim before he was even cold.

LANG
And, it would be smart for us to wait to
announce that Deckhoff has passed away
until the million has landed and his body
has been retrieved.

FURTADO
Mrs. Deckhoff has three days.

LANG
And that’s all we can tell you.

SORICHETTI
Why are you telling me anything? What do
you want from me?

FURTADO
Two things. First, they don’t want us
involved. The note specifically asked that
whoever is now in charge here, in
Deckhoff’s place, needs to ask Mrs.
Deckhoff for the ransom.

SORICHETTI
That’s all? And that’s only the first of
two? What else shall I do, catch the
criminals?

FURTADO
We deserve that, and we’re very sorry.

SORICHETTI
For what? This is nuts. Nobody can stand
the creep. Why would we do anything at all?
 23.

Robinson says from her desk.

ROBINSON
You couldn’t swing a dead snake around here
without hittin’ a suspect... including me!

The detectives ignore her.

FURTADO
We need you to identify the body.

SORICHETTI
You don’t have a body!

LANG
Pictures of the body. Photos taken by the
coroner when they brought him to the
morgue.

FURTADO
He was a mess. The killer used a knife, and
the coroner had to clean him up before he
could take a picture, but I’m sure you can
make a positive ID.

LANG
And, you can’t tell anybody. It said so in
the note.

SORICHETTI
Of course it did. So, why me? Where’s Mrs.
Deckhoff?

FURTADO
Uh... Missing.

Sorichetti throws up her hands and paces back and forth.

LANG
Temporarily, we hope.

FURTADO
For now. Because you also need to find her.
She’s not returning our calls, and she
needs to get the money sent.

SORICHETTI
You do this? You pay extortionists?
Killers? Body snatchers?

FURTADO
Mrs. Deckhoff pays them, with her husband’s
money.

SORICHETTI
That is where you should start this
investigation. What was Deckhoff doing with
a million in savings? He doesn’t make that
kind of money.
 24.

FURTADO
That might be why we were trying to visit
him yesterday, but with him deceased, that
will wait for later. Suffice to say he may
have well over a million.

LANG
May have had.

FURTADO
Exactly. May have had, but it appears that
his wife or some other party now has it.

SORICHETTI
Very well, let’s go. Let me get my purse.

FURTADO
You can do it here. We brought the
pictures.

Detective Lang produces an envelope. Sorichetti snatches it out

of her hand and pulls out a photo, looks at it, puts it back in
the envelope, and hands it to Lang.

SORICHETTI
I think you should rethink whatever case
you were investigating and who might be
after Mister Deckhoff. And, although those
appear to be my boss’s clothes, this poor
deceased fellow, with the large gash in his
neck, is not Mister Deckhoff.

BLACK OUT
MUSICAL
INTERLUDE

ACT TWO, SCENE 6 - A STREET

Dutton is talking on his phone, under a streetlamp, hat pulled

down over his face.

DUTTON
I gave him some money to put a scare into
Deckhoff. He said for another hundred
bucks, he could make Deckhoff go away for
real! I said no three times. When he kept
trying to sell me on it, I tried to get my
money back but he took off with it. (pause)
What? I know! Far away from there. (pause)
No. I ain’t telling you or anybody. I
cashed out and split. I may be a suspect,
but they won’t find anything ‘cause I
wasn’t even there, and that street punk
can’t ID me. (pause) I was wearing a mask
and I threw my clothes away.

FADE TO NEXT
 25.

ACT TWO, SCENE 7 - THE BAR

BARTENDER
Are you absolutely certain?

SORICHETTI
It wasn’t anybody I’ve seen, and that
includes Mister Deckhoff.

BARTENDER
Then we must assume that Deckhoff is alive.
It couldn’t have been staged or we wouldn’t
have a corpse.

SORICHETTI
We don’t have a corpse.

BARTENDER
Right. So who is advantaged by swiping the
body?

SORICHETTI
Who is advantaged?

BARTENDER
Crime is first about motive. You can
assemble stacks of clues and evidence, but
it’s easier if there’s a motive.

SORICHETTI
Okay. Whoever contacted the police has a
yen for a million bucks cash.

BARTENDER
That has to be somebody who knows Deckhoff
isn’t the victim.

SORICHETTI
But, still wants the ransom.

BARTENDER
Maybe Deckhoff wants to remain dead.

SORICHETTI
Why?

BARTENDER
To find out who tried to get him killed
before they know he isn’t dead.

SORICHETTI
And, meanwhile, tap a million of his own
money? Why would he do that?

BARTENDER
Plenty of reasons. When a company’s losing
ground, usually the man at the top gets the
ax. Maybe he needs escape money. Maybe he
needs to make a payoff to somebody.

SORICHETTI
But somebody did try to kill him.
 26.

BARTENDER
Do we know that? Or did Deckhoff bring a
corpse to work with him? You said he
arrives before anybody else. How about
security?

SORICHETTI
There’s no security until the building
opens at seven, but there are cameras
everywhere.

BARTENDER
Can you get to them?

SORICHETTI
Why? Isn’t that an obvious job for the
police?

BARTENDER
Okay. Okay. You can play it straight, but I
think there’s something in this for you.

SORICHETTI
I don’t think detective work is in my job
description, if that’s what you’re
suggesting.

BARTENDER
You wanted Deckhoff gone, admit it. You got
that, but for how long? Helping convict him
of a crime might make him gone for good.

SORICHETTI
I’m listening.

BARTENDER
Let’s assume Deckhoff is alive. That’s very
likely as we have only one corpse, and it
isn’t him. So, who sent the ransom note?
The police got the note before you told
them the body wasn’t Deckhoff. Who knew
that? Not the police. Nobody at your work.

SORICHETTI
They took the corpse out in a black bag, so
I didn’t know, the receptionist didn’t
know. The two detectives saw the corpse,
but they don’t know Mister Deckhoff. They
were there to see him presumably for the
first time.

BARTENDER
And Deckhoff. He certainly knows he’s not
dead. He wants money and the corpse is
missing because he wants to stay dead. He
doesn’t know the coroner took those
pictures. What other possibilities are
there?

SORICHETTI
I’ll check the videos. And, the morgue
would have cameras also, wouldn’t they?
 27.

BARTENDER
One would guess. But, stick with the plan
where you have jurisdiction.

SORICHETTI
Thanks. This is almost fun.

Sorichetti grabs her purse and exits.

FADE TO BLACK

ACT THREE, SCENE 1 - DOWNSTAGE

Deckhoff stands in a lone spotlight in a corner downstage,

dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and street clothes, talking on
his cell phone.

DECKHOFF
Look, dipshit, there was a guy waiting for
me in my office before the goddamn sun came
up! This hoodlum gets into the building and
into my locked office! (Pause) Gang banger
with a knife. (Pause) No trouble. Not a
scratch. But, it could’ve been different.
What the hell am I paying you people for?
(Pause) EMTs took him out on a gurney in a
bag. They thought it was me. Well, I helped
a little by giving him my clothes. (Pause)
You better hope so. But we don’t have long
before they find out it isn’t me on that
slab. (Pause) Yes. I do have a plan. I
thought it up while I was busy cutting the
bastard’s throat. Now, listen and shut up,
will you?

FADE TO NEXT

ACT THREE, SCENE 2 - RECEPTION, TUESDAY

Dutton enters. He’s disheveled. Robinson is sitting back, filing

her nails.

ROBINSON
You look like you lost a fight.

DUTTON
I’ve been on a dozen Greyhounds for the
past four days. I haven’t been home to
shower or anything.

ROBINSON
What are you doing here - returning to the
scene of the crime?

DUTTON
What crime?

ROBINSON
Well, Deckhoff was taken out of here on a
gurney by the morgue.
 28.

DUTTON
It wasn’t him.

ROBINSON
Where do you get that?

DUTTON
At the police station. The corpse was
somebody else.

ROBINSON
Should I ask what you were doing at the
police station?

DUTTON
At Greyhound, some cop recognized me from a
bulletin. Already! Like it only happened
last Thursday. They were looking for me as
a “person of interest” in a murder case.

ROBINSON
You don’t have the cajones (ka-HON-es.)

DUTTON
No. I hired a guy.

ROBINSON
And then confessed?

DUTTON
I didn’t get a chance to confess.

ROBINSON
This is ridiculous.

DUTTON
I wasn’t read my rights or fingerprinted,
so I figured I wasn’t really arrested. They
said there was a body found in Deckhoff’s
office. They asked me what I knew. I made
up some stuff about seeing a creepy guy
sniffing around the back entrance of the
building.

ROBINSON
You’re quick with the stories.

DUTTON
I said I ran him off, but was worried about
him coming back after me, so I took a
little vacation. They had pictures of a
stiff taken at the morgue. Guy was cut in
the throat.

ROBINSON
Now you’re going to tell me it was the thug
you supposedly hired?

DUTTON
I didn’t pay him to kill anybody. I wanted
Deckhoff roughed up and warned that he’s
dead if he goes ahead with the layoffs.
 29.

ROBINSON
And the picture wasn’t Deckhoff?

DUTTON
Nope. But it wasn’t the guy I paid either.

ROBINSON
Where were you Thursday morning?

DUTTON
I told you. I was scared. I took a bus to
wherever it was going.

ROBINSON
Today is Tuesday. We came back yesterday.

DUTTON
I called in Thursday afternoon and got the
phone message that we were closed ‘til
Monday. That freaked me out. This place
barely closes for holidays. I kept taking
busses, looking for a job and a place to
rest. I only had a little cash and I didn’t
want a credit card traced. I couldn’t
sleep. So I came back to prepare a little
better, hide out with friends or something.

ROBINSON
Go back to the police now. Tell them the
truth.

DUTTON
I can’t.

ROBINSON
You can if you ever wanna sleep again.

Perkins enters, going to work, stops at the sight of Dutton.

PERKINS
What are you doing here?

DUTTON
Going to work, same as you.

PERKINS
Where were you the past five days?

DUTTON
Too sick to even call in sick.

ROBINSON
He’s sick alright.

PERKINS
That sick?

DUTTON
Did you miss me?

PERKINS
That would be a hard NO.
 30.

DUTTON
Why’d you close?

PERKINS
What with everybody feeling so bad about
Deckhoff and all...

DUTTON
Who cares about Deckhoff?

PERKINS
Well, that’s pretty cold.

ROBINSON
Nobody wants to talk about it (aside to
Dutton) or should want to talk about it.

DUTTON
I’m going home to change. See you all on
the flip side.

He exits in a hurry.

PERKINS
Did he really say “flip side”?

ROBINSON
I’m afraid yes. I think that means
tomorrow.

Perkins exits. Robinson punches in a number on her phone.

ROBINSON (CONT'D)
Hello. May I speak with Detective Furtado?

FADE TO NEXT
MUSICAL
INTERLUDE

ACT THREE, SCENE 3 - RECEPTION OFFICE, LATER

Sorichetti enters with Detectives Lang and Furtado.

SORICHETTI
Look what I found outside.

ROBINSON
Good afternoon, Phil. Yes. I called them.

FURTADO
Can we huddle somewhere private?

ROBINSON
I’ll clear the break room. Deckhoff’s
office is too freaky.

FURTADO
Understandable.

FADE TO NEXT
MUSIC INTERLUDE
FOR SCENE CHANGE
 31.

ACT THREE, SCENE 4 - BREAK ROOM, MOMENTS LATER

The two detectives, Sorichetti, and Robinson sit at a table.

FURTADO
Ms. Sorichetti said to include you in this
investigation since you’re going to find
out anyway.

ROBINSON
I’ll take that as a compliment.

FURTADO
Let’s go over what we know.

LANG
First, the body wasn’t Deckhoff so we
assume he’s alive.

ROBINSON
So I hear.

FURTADO
The note we got was typed on a computer and
printed at the public library, and they
don’t have video surveillance in that
section.

LANG
Mrs. Deckhoff came in to the morgue to make
the ID. She said it was indeed her husband,
then dissolved into sobs. She asked for a
few minutes, so the coroner left her alone.
When he came back, the missus was gone, and
the body was back in the drawer. He figured
somebody else had come in and put it away.

FURTADO
When they opened the drawer the next day,
Saturday, they found the body was gone.

LANG
The coroner went straight to the video room
and found that the whole system had been
turned off since the day before.

FURTADO
That’s when he brought us a copy of the
photo, saying it was Deckhoff because his
widow said it was. We showed it to you and
you said it wasn’t, and you were very sure
about that.

SORICHETTI
I look more like Mister Deckhoff than that
thug did.

FURTADO
Do you have access to surveillance videos
of this building?

SORICHETTI
Yes.
 32.

FURTADO
We’ll get a warrant, which should not be
difficult, although time-consuming.

SORICHETTI
How about I look at them first, then let
you know if a warrant is worth your time?

FURTADO
We’ll be the judge of that.

BLACK OUT

ACT THREE, SCENE 5 - THE BAR

SORICHETTI
It looks like Mister Deckhoff overpowered
the thug, slit his throat with his own
knife, then swapped clothes with him and
smeared blood all over his face.

BARTENDER
This Deckhoff isn’t what I had imagined.

SORICHETTI
Retired Navy Seal. Don’t anybody forget!

BARTENDER
That fits. What else?

SORICHETTI
This is strange. Mrs. Deckhoff showed up at
the morgue and said the corpse was her
husband. She was alone with him a short
while then left.

BARTENDER
So, the missus is involved somehow.

SORICHETTI
She’s been missing ever since. Oh, and the
video of the morgue was turned off before
she came. There’s no evidence that she was
even there.

BARTENDER
Off only during her visit?

SORICHETTI
From a few hours before she came on Friday
until when they found the empty slab on
Saturday and immediately checked the video
records.

BARTENDER
If she took the body, she wouldn’t be able
to get back to reset the surveillance
system.

SORICHETTI
What about the ransom?
 33.

BARTENDER
Time’s up on the ransom. I don’t think
they’ll ever see the corpse again. What
about your suspicious employee?

SORICHETTI
They brought in Dutton as a “person of
interest” and he made up some stories so
they let him go. Then Dutton told our
receptionist that he hired a guy to “rough
up” Mister Deckhoff and warn him against
making any employee cuts. She told him to
go to the police and come clean. He refused
and made up more stories. She called the
detectives. They arrested Dutton, charges
pending, and now he’s out on bail.

BARTENDER
I don’t know how they can charge him if he
keeps his mouth shut.

SORICHETTI
He’s already said too much. They’ll get him
for something. But, here’s the part I don’t
understand. I watched our office tapes from
Wednesday at closing to after the EMTs left
Thursday morning. I found nothing.

BARTENDER
Blank? Erased?

SORICHETTI
No. The cameras were all working, but
nobody was there after hours or before we
opened Thursday morning. The only thing
different was when the detectives showed
up, went into Deckhoff’s office, then the
EMTs came, one left and came right back
with a gurney, and then they both left
rolling out the body bag a half hour later.

BARTENDER
Does Deckhoff’s office have a camera?

SORICHETTI
He wouldn’t allow it. Everywhere else is
covered, but not his office.

BARTENDER
Any windows?

SORICHETTI
A large picture window that doesn’t open.
You understand, even Mister Deckhoff wasn’t
on the tapes.

BARTENDER
Deckhoff didn’t come to work?

Sorichetti takes a note pad from her purse and reads.

 34.

SORICHETTI
Nobody except the night custodian came into
the building between seven Wednesday night
and eight Thursday morning, when the
receptionist came to work. She got a call
when she was still standing, I think it was
the police, then she made a phone call,
probably checking in with Mister Deckhoff.
She hung up without saying anything. She
worked at her desk until shortly before
nine when the detectives arrived. Between
eight and nine, several employees came
through reception going to work. I know all
of them.

BARTENDER
Have you found out who tipped the police?

SORICHETTI
Some unrelated case. They say it’s a
coincidence they found the body in
Deckhoff’s office.

BARTENDER
Is there a closet or anywhere somebody
could hide?

SORICHETTI
A bathroom. He has his own bathroom with a
sink, toilet, shower and a small window!

BARTENDER
How small?

SORICHETTI
Large enough for someone to get out and
drop twenty feet or so into the
landscaping.

BARTENDER
But, they’d need a ladder to get in from
the outside?

SORICHETTI
Yes, and I’m sure he keeps that window
locked.

BARTENDER
Aha! You need to go back to view the videos
from Wednesday, starting in the morning.
See if Deckhoff comes in early, before
Robinson, and if anybody else goes into his
office during normal hours.

SORICHETTI
I get where you’re going. The receptionist
says there are whole days when she doesn’t
communicate with Deckhoff after she checks
in.

BARTENDER
So, this all could have happened Wednesday
rather than overnight or early Thursday.
 35.

SORICHETTI
Okay. I gotta go back to the office and
watch more video. Ugh!

Sorichetti slides off her stool, grabs her purse and heads for
the door. Suddenly she stops, thinks, then turns back.

SORICHETTI (CONT'D)
How did you know her name is Robinson?

QUICK BLACKOUT

ACT FOUR, SCENE 1 - POLICE STATION, INTERVIEW ROOM

Sorichetti is sitting in a chair beside Detective Lang’s desk

who is transcribing their conversation on a laptop. Detective
Furtado is sitting on the side of the desk asking most of the
questions.

SORICHETTI
Shipping pipes and other materials to the
Middle East Oil fields.

FURTADO
Could you be more specific? The Middle East
is a big place.

SORICHETTI
Pretty much anyone who owns a pipeline, but
the principles are Iran, Iraq and Saudi
Arabia.

FURTADO
And, what do you do?

SORICHETTI
Everything except sales.

FURTADO
How is your product shipped?

SORICHETTI
Almost a hundred percent containers on
ships off-loaded onto trucks in the
destination port.

FURTADO
How many clients do you serve?

SORICHETTI
Ranges between fifty and seventy.

FURTADO
With different languages, cultures,
business practices... it must be a
nightmare.

SORICHETTI
Not so bad as it seems. We’re selling
American pipe. To buy from us, you need to
adhere to U.S. Regulations, our practices,
and our language.
 36.

FURTADO
Can I ask what your shipping company
grosses a year?

SORICHETTI
It’s public record, but every year is
different. Every quarter is different. Our
business is highly influenced by world
economies and politics. We do okay though.

FURTADO
When we shared the ransom information, you
said that Deckhoff didn’t have that kind of
money. Really? With a business the size of
yours, wouldn’t he be making seven figures?

SORICHETTI
His salary is also public information, but
I can tell you his whole compensation
package is not near seven figures.

FURTADO
What did he do before shipping pipe?

SORICHETTI
Over twenty years a Navy Seal, severely
wounded, then repositioned to the Pentagon
where he stayed for about a year and
couldn’t stand it. He retired for a couple
of years then showed up in the pipe
industry as owner and CEO of our company.

LANG
No experience?

SORICHETTI
Plenty of experience in how to bully
people, if that’s what’s required.

FURTADO
I’ve known ex-Seals who were great people
and honest gentlemen.

SORICHETTI
I haven’t had that honor. I have only known
Mister Deckhoff.

FURTADO
Well, let’s get to the surveillance tapes.

SORICHETTI
I don’t expect you to believe me, or trust
my expertise at reviewing the tapes, but I
found nothing.

LANG
Nothing?
 37.

SORICHETTI
No person unknown to me came into view on
any of our cameras from an hour before we
opened the office on Wednesday to when the
EMTs rolled the body out at ten after ten
Thursday morning.

FURTADO
And those are all internal cameras?

SORICHETTI
We have four outside, two at the entrance,
one on the alley door that is always bolt-
locked, and one that covers the whole roof.

FURTADO
And, inside?

SORICHETTI
Seventeen. Four corridors, reception,
twelve workrooms and offices. The only
places not on camera are the restrooms and
Deckhoff’s office.

FURTADO
And, you’re saying that there were no
visitors during that time?

SORICHETTI
The mailman comes at about two each
afternoon, gives the mail to the
receptionist, and is gone in less than a
minute. The night custodian comes in around
eight, meticulously works through all the
offices and restrooms, then leaves about
midnight. The only other non-employees were
you two and the two EMTs.

LANG
And, the guy on the gurney.

SORICHETTI
I didn’t see him come in, and when he was
taken out, he was in a bag.

FURTADO
We’ll have one of our people pour over the
tapes.

SORICHETTI
Sure. I can set that up for you any time.

FURTADO
Thank you. We will need a warrant if we
find anything incriminating.

SORICHETTI
No need. There’s nothing, I tell you.
Meanwhile, you haven’t said anything about
the missing corpse or the ransom request.
 38.

FURTADO
It’s moot now. Nobody has heard from the
body-nappers.

LANG
No subsequent instructions have been
received. No ransom has been paid.

FURTADO
Given the timing and the surveillance gap,
the corpse could have disappeared with Mrs.
Deckhoff.

SORICHETTI
And, you’re telling me this, because...?

FURTADO
No matter.

SORICHETTI
Yes it matters! Why do you share things
with me that nobody else knows? That’s not
how police work is done.

FURTADO
That’s fair. You’re right. There is a
reason. We’re getting a lot more from you
than you are getting from us.

SORICHETTI
Okay. So, it’s your turn now. What the
freaking hell is going on?

LANG
So far, you have cooperated in every way
we’ve asked. Why wouldn’t we trust you?

SORICHETTI
Well, I certainly wouldn’t trust the one
person in the whole company who was closest
to Mister Deckhoff and had reason to hate
him more than anybody. I’d put her as
number one on my suspect list.

FURTADO
How do you know you aren’t?

There is a long pause as they stare at each other.

LANG
You aren’t. He’s kidding around.

FURTADO
Sort of.

SORICHETTI
I must have missed the humor. Look, there
is one thing I have left out. I don’t know
why.

FURTADO
What is that?
 39.

SORICHETTI
One of our employees was supposed to come
to you on his own and make an important
confession. Apparently, he hasn’t.

FURTADO
Mr. Dutton?

SORICHETTI
Oh, great. He has! What a relief!

FURTADO
Not exactly. We have picked him up twice
now and found him to be quite the story-
teller.

LANG
Dutton is currently in jail awaiting
arraignment on charges of hiring a person
to bring harm to your boss.

FURTADO
He gave two hundred and fifty dollars to a
street thug with instructions to rough-up
Mister Deckhoff and warn him against firing
anyone. He even gave the thug a photo. He
told the guy where to hide and how to get
into Deckhoff’s office.

LANG
The problem was, that street thug was
Sergeant DePolo, an undercover police
officer.

SORICHETTI
Geez. Dutton can’t even commit a crime
right.

FURTADO
I don’t know if anybody wants to throw the
book at such a loser. But, he’ll do some
cell time to think about what a gangster he
is not!

SORICHETTI
But, who was the corpse?

FURTADO
The big question. One for which we have no
answer. When we finally found the mortuary
who did the cremation of a body picked up
at the police morgue on the same date, they
produced an original death certificate
filled out and signed by the county coroner
naming Deckhoff as the deceased.

SORICHETTI
Good grief! You folks should not be proud
of your system.

Sorichetti stands, takes her purse and starts to leave.

Detective Lang moves to intercept her.
 40.

LANG
We aren’t quite finished.

SORICHETTI
Oh?

FURTADO
We have an Agent Clemenson who has asked to
speak with you.

SORICHETTI
Agent?

FURTADO
He’s with the CIA.

SORICHETTI
The what?! Do I need an attorney?

FURTADO
I repeat, you are not a suspect. You have
been very cooperative. We hope you can help
Agent Clemenson as well.

There is a soft knock on the door and The Bartender enters.

[From here on, he will be referred to as Agent CLEMENSON]

SORICHETTI
What the hell?!

FURTADO
Ms. Sorichetti, Agent Clemenson from the
Central Intelligence Agency.

CLEMENSON
Hello.

SORICHETTI
What? Oh my.

FURTADO
I believe you two have met.

CLEMENSON
We have.

SORICHETTI
And, you are all in on this?

FURTADO
Agent Clemenson briefed us and asked us to
make a local inquiry with Mister Deckhoff.

CLEMENSON
We didn’t want to disclose what we already
knew and the CIA showing up would have done
that in a second.

SORICHETTI
You are really really good at what you do.
 41.

CLEMENSON
Thank you. That is welcome praise. I
thought this would be awkward.

SORICHETTI
Did we sleep together?

CLEMENSON
No! What do you mean?

SORICHETTI
That would be awkward. This is really more
fun than I’ve had in years. So what brought
the CIA into my life?

CLEMENSON
The company you work for has surfaced
several times in an international
investigation we have been conducting.

SORICHETTI
You were working undercover as a bartender?

CLEMENSON
Yes.

SORICHETTI
Did you plant yourself at the only bar I
frequent?

CLEMENSON
Yes.

SORICHETTI
To investigate me?

CLEMENSON
You have convinced me that you have had
nothing to do with or any knowledge of what
we have been investigating.

SORICHETTI
But, all we have talked about is Mister
Deckhoff, the missing man, the fake corpse.

CLEMENSON
Correct.

SORICHETTI
Is it Deckhoff you are investigating?

CLEMENSON
I can’t say that. He is definitely a person
of interest.

SORICHETTI
Why protect him from me? These guys will
attest that I’m very willing to fry the
bastard. And, you know that, too.
 42.

CLEMENSON
The case is still unfolding. You can
continue to help, now with more
transparency on my part. But I cannot
disclose any person who might be a target
of our investigation. For now, let’s leave
it at the institution where you work.

SORICHETTI
Where I am the chief operating officer. If
the company is doing something criminal,
especially on a CIA level, I should know.

LANG
Maybe someone in the company is using it as
a cover to commit a crime, without your
knowledge.

FURTADO
Maybe not. The pipes are in containers that
are loaded onto ships, and they sit there
for a long sea voyage. The whole operation
could be happening during the trip.

CLEMENSON
Well put. Can we leave it at that for now
and go back to having you help us gather
information?

SORICHETTI
Certainly. It’s nice to know that you’re
not some kind of psychic.

CLEMENSON
When you caught me saying Robinson’s name,
I knew my cover was blown.

SORICHETTI
I thought it was just another bizarre thing
about you.

CLEMENSON
I’m really a very straight-laced government
employee. There’s nothing woo-woo about me.

SORICHETTI
Do you have a first name?

CLEMENSON
Bill.

SORICHETTI
Of course it is. Now what do you want that
you don’t already know, Bill?

CLEMENSON
Do you mind if I record our conversation?

SORICHETTI
Not at all. Is this the first time you have
recorded me?
 43.

CLEMENSON
Not at all.

FADE TO NEXT
MUSIC INTERLUDE

ACT FOUR, SCENE 2 - SAME INTERVIEW ROOM, LATER

The detectives have gone. Clemenson and Sorichetti remain. Each

are noticeably tired.

SORICHETTI
What now? I go back to work like nothing
has happened?

CLEMENSON
And keep shipping your goods. We don’t want
anybody abroad knowing that something’s up
over here. If it does involve Deckhoff,
he’s going to surface soon.

SORICHETTI
Black market Freon...

CLEMENSON
It doesn’t take much to amount to a lot of
money. But it’s bulky. The canisters have
to be smuggled in something common.

SORICHETTI
Like pipes headed for the oil fields.

CLEMENSON
That would work. We know your pipes are
clean when they leave America and when they
arrive at their final destination. If they
are being used to smuggle Freon, we need to
track them every step of the way.

SORICHETTI
How many Freon tubes are we talking about?

CLEMENSON
How many pipes do you ship per month?

SORICHETTI
Six to eight hundred.

CLEMENSON
How many pipes in a single container?

SORICHETTI
Ten forty-footers.

CLEMENSON
Can you elaborate?

SORICHETTI
The containers are eight feet wide, eight
feet tall, and forty feet long, so that’s
10 pipes per container.
(MORE)
 44.
SORICHETTI (CONT'D)
They go in four wide on the bottom, then
three, two and one stacked and secured in
an eight-foot tall pyramid. A forty-foot
pipe with a half-inch wall weighs five
thousand pounds. Most containers max-out at
fifty-nine thousand.

CLEMENSON
You’re using fifty thousand pounds of your
allotted fifty-nine?

SORICHETTI
Yep. That would give a smuggler nine-
thousand pounds to play with before a
weight alarm would go off. And, those
containers vary as much as a ton in the way
they’re made, so take away two thousand and
they could carry seven thousand pounds of
undetected cargo.

CLEMENSON
The commercial grade Freon we’re tracking
comes in two-hundred-fifty pound
cannisters. How many two-fifties are there
in seven thousand? Twenty eight?

SORICHETTI
How wide are the tubes?

CLEMENSON
Twenty inches. And about eight feet long.
Twenty could disappear in a container of
ten forty-foot pipes and be well under
seven thousand pounds.

SORICHETTI
And pretty secure inside a twenty-four-inch
pipe. What does Freon cost?

CLEMENSON
After the Kyoto Protocol, on the black
market today, three to five thousand.

SORICHETTI
Each?

CLEMENSON
Depending on the market, not less than
three thousand a piece. The world ban on
Freon has pushed the price up. The entire
oil-rich Middle East has become well-
accustomed to their air-conditioned
buildings, homes and cars.

They both think for a moment.

SORICHETTI
I’m toast. Can we continue later?

CLEMENSON
You’ve given me a lot. It will be at least
a week before I need to talk to you again.
 45.

SORICHETTI
Thank God! No offense.

CLEMENSON
Thanks for understanding all the stealthy
business. In the beginning, we always have
to assume that anyone could be involved.

SORICHETTI
Sorry to disappoint you.

CLEMENSON
You have been far from disappointing.

SORICHETTI
Such a flirt.

CLEMENSON
I mean it on the most professional basis.

SORICHETTI
I guess I won’t be seeing you at the bar?

CLEMENSON
I was only there during the hours you were
known to come in. The regular bartender is
still on the job.

SORICHETTI
Well, don’t be a stranger.

Sorichetti rises, picks up her purse, and slowly walks to the

door as Agent Clemenson watches.

FADE TO BLACK

ACT FOUR, SCENE 3 - RECEPTION OFFICE

Detective Lang is sitting in a waiting room chair opposite

Robinson.

ROBINSON
I’ll help any way I can, but there’s not
much more I can say that you don’t already
know.

LANG
I’m here to talk about Mrs. Deckhoff.

ROBINSON
Oh. Her I can talk about. I know her better
than anybody around here.

LANG
Good. Let me toss some random words that
may or may not describe her and you take it
from there.

ROBINSON
Free Association?
 46.

LANG
In a way. Yes. You game?

ROBINSON
Always.

LANG
Orderly.

ROBINSON
The most. Her house is spotless. “A place
for everything,” you know. I used to house
sit for them while they were away. It was
mostly dog-sitting. But, even with one or
two dogs around, the place was always a
showcase of tidy and clean.

LANG
How about curious?

ROBINSON
Not so much. Does her own thing, mostly
shopping. Never comes around here.

LANG
Smart?

ROBINSON
Oh yeah. She’s a serious reader and knows
all things social and political. Graduated
suma-something from Brown. She’s got a
framed diploma in her study. The time I had
alone with her went way over my talk level.

LANG
Computer savvy?

ROBINSON
Absolutely. I call her if I have troubles
with tech stuff at work, so the people here
don’t catch onto how slow I am. She gets
that, though, and is always willing to help
me figure out things. I always tell her she
should teach at a college.

LANG
Frustrated?

ROBINSON
Not that I’d notice. She has an unlimited
expense account, if you catch my meaning.

LANG
Passionate? Quick to anger or laugh or cry?

ROBINSON
Loves her dogs. She’s had several, one for
a long time. They went everywhere together.
Never seen her laugh or cry. If she’s ever
angry, no one would know.

LANG
Likable?
 47.

ROBINSON
To me? You bet. I’m a big fan. But, I’m the
only one here who knows her, and that’s
because of the house-sitting thing. Other
folks here don’t know her.

LANG
Friends?

ROBINSON
She’s the ring-leader of a few gals who
play bridge, shop together, hit Vegas for a
few days once a year, then maybe a week in
Cabo during winter. She’s the organizer and
her gang does what she wants.

LANG
An affair?

ROBINSON
If you’re wondering why she’s missin’, that
ain’t it, and I would know.

LANG
How so?

ROBINSON
I got a sixth-sense for shenanigans, and
I’m seldom wrong.

LANG
Any chance Mrs. Deckhoff hired the killer
then removed the body from the morgue to
hide her guilt.

ROBINSON
Sure. A little risky for her, but I
wouldn’t put it past her.

LANG
Last question.

ROBINSON
Praise be! You were starting to worry me.

LANG
Any idea where she is?

ROBINSON
Far from here. I figure that she finally
decided that she had enough of playin’ the
obedient wife part, if you catch my
meaning, and she split.

LANG
Without a trace.

ROBINSON
Without a sniff of a trace. Unfortunately,
“without a trace” often becomes, “found in
a shallow grave.”
 48.

LANG
Let’s hope not. All indications say that
she left on her own.

ROBINSON
She’s the smartest woman I know, and I
think she’s had plenty of time to plan and
save up for her great escape, if that’s
what this is.

LANG
Any idea about why she’d leave?

ROBINSON
Only about a hundred starting with the
asshole she lives with.

LANG
They never had kids?

ROBINSON
No. Praise the Lord. Really, there’s
nothing to keep her around here. She
doesn’t have any living family. Shopping
might get boring after twenty years of
doing nothing else. She never goes anywhere
to wear the clothes she buys. She’s got a
dedicated closet for shoes.

LANG
Yes. And they all look they’ve never been
worn.

ROBINSON
To match the unworn clothes in three other
closets.

LANG
Yes. I noticed that. I wonder what she took
with her.

ROBINSON
Jeans and a couple of tops, one pair of
good running shoes. (laughs)

LANG
It sounds like you helped her pack.

ROBINSON
I wish I had.

LANG
Thank you Mrs. Robinson.

ROBINSON
Call me Lucinda.

LANG
Thank you, Lucinda. It’s probably crazy to
imagine, but if she gets in touch, please
tell her to call me so we know she’s okay,
and we can close this missing person case.
 49.

ROBINSON
I will. Not going to happen, but if she
called anybody, it’d probably be me.

They rise, shake hands, and Detective Lang exits. Robinson looks
straight up and makes praying hands.

ROBINSON (CONT'D)
Bless you, darlin’. I hope that’s what this
is.

FADE TO BLACK
MUSIC IN/OUT

ACT FOUR, SCENE 4 - POLICE INTERVIEW ROOM, EVENING

Detectives Furtado and Lang are questioning Deckhoff.

LANG
Are you sure you don’t want an attorney
present?

DECKHOFF
Why would I? I haven’t committed a crime.
Why am I here?

FURTADO
Why indeed. Let’s see... A dead body was
found in your office with his throat cut.
You disappeared. Your wife identified the
body as you.

DECKHOFF
She what...?!

LANG
Then, the body disappeared.

FURTADO
As it happens, the coroner had taken a
picture of the corpse after having cleaned
an amount of smeared blood off its face,
and then it disappeared. A person who works
for you said it certainly was not you. Now
that I see you, I agree.

DECKHOFF
Oh, for Chrissake! My wife was at the
morgue?

FURTADO
So, you see, we have some investigating to
do here. And it keeps coming back to you.
Would you like to save us all some time and
tell us what the hell is going on?

DECKHOFF
Okay. Okay. I was attacked from behind in
my office. I quickly dispatched the
attacker with his own knife.
 50.

FURTADO
You are a decorated Navy Seal.

DECKHOFF
He was an amateur. A pro would have shot me
in the back of the head using a silencer.

LANG
And, you put your clothes on the body.

DECKHOFF
To throw people off long enough for me to
disappear for awhile -- to be free to find
whoever sent the punk assassin.

FURTADO
How’s that going?

DECKHOFF
Not well.

FURTADO
But, you instructed your wife to identify
the body as you?

DECKHOFF
No. I did not. I didn’t know she did that
until right now. And, I have no idea where
the body went.

LANG
We have been unsuccessful at contacting
your wife.

DECKHOFF
So have I.

FURTADO
So, there was a killing. I’ll buy it was
self-defense, but I’m not the judge of
that. You will need to come back tomorrow
and make a report.

DECKHOFF
I was protecting myself.

FURTADO
I believe you, but my opinion doesn’t
matter. The two of us aren’t charging you
with anything. Come in tomorrow, with your
lawyer, and fill out an official police
report.

DECKHOFF
What’s the down side? Why do I need a
lawyer?

FURTADO
Depending on what the district attorney has
to say about it, you could be formally
charged with whatever they think is
appropriate.
 51.

LANG
Involuntary manslaughter, maybe?

FURTADO
You’re going to want to share everything
you know. Don’t go off looking for somebody
on your own. Let the police do their work.

DECKHOFF
And, how’s that going so far?

LANG
Not well.

FURTADO
Don’t assume anything, but bring your
lawyer.

Deckhoff rises.

DECKHOFF
Thank you, detectives Lang and Furtado. I
will be leaving now.

FURTADO
You are as free as when you walked in.

Deckhoff exits

LANG
He doesn’t know where his wife is.

FURTADO
The cameras were turned off when she
visited the morgue.

LANG
Did Mrs. Deckhoff hire that guy to kill her
husband?

FURTADO
Let’s go with that. She’s called to the
police morgue. First, she thinks her
husband’s been murdered. So, she intends to
get his body out of there and cremated
before any evidence can be pulled that
could link the corpse to the killer.

LANG
And then she saw the killer on the slab
instead of her husband.

FURTADO
She sobs a bit, asks to be left alone, and
goes ahead with the plan. Best to remove
the corpse anyway.

LANG
And the private mortician is waiting with
his gurney at the back entrance where
bodies are picked up regularly. No
suspicion there.
 52.

FURTADO
Straight to cremation, a death warrant for
her husband is filed and she inherits
everything. Except nobody knew the coroner
took pictures. Or, are they in this
together?

LANG
Yeah. It could even be Deckhoff who took
the corpse after his wife identified the
body. He’s trained to get in and out
without anybody seeing anything.

FURTADO
Maybe he shut down the cameras.

LANG
Then, who is the missing dead guy?

FURTADO
Some stiff. No problem for Deckhoff. There
are John Doe bodies at every morgue in
town.

LANG
Motive?

FURTADO
Business debts with the wrong people. All
his money offshore. Best that nobody’s
looking for him when he makes his move.

LANG
And why did his wife disappear?

FURTADO
To meet up with him later or, by now, she’s
dead too.

FADE TO NEXT

ACT FOUR, SCENE 5 - POLICE STATION, EXTERIOR (DARK)

Deckhoff has stopped to use his phone under a street light. He

is not happy.

DECKHOFF
Look, don’t worry about who the guy was.
You need to find my wife. Where the hell is
she? (pause) You have access to our
accounts. Check any credit card activity
and get right back to me. She can’t go two
days without buying something and it’s been
almost a week! Find out where she is!

He hangs up and exits.

BLACK OUT
 53.

ACT FOUR, SCENE 6 - THE BAR

Robinson and Clemenson are sitting at the bar talking. Wearing a

typical government suit and tie, he is no longer masquerading as
a bartender.

CLEMENSON
Thank you for coming, Mrs. Robinson.

ROBINSON
My pleasure. Call me Lou or Lucinda. I am a
missus not a miz, but Mrs. Robinson is all
coo, coo, ca-choo, and I’ve had enough of
that, thanks to Simon and Garfunkel. Phil
says you’re an okay guy.

CLEMENSON
For a federal agent?

ROBINSON
Yeah, I was disappointed that her new
bartender friend turned out to be a cover
for an undercover. I had hoped she had
something brewin’. (Aside) That girl needs
a different kind of undercover.

CLEMENSON
Well, don’t count me out. This case won’t
last forever.

ROBINSON
Good. Phil needs a solid guy in her life.
So, Clem, I know it ain’t my good looks
that got me here.

CLEMENSON
There are questions that Ms. Sorichetti
couldn’t answer. She said I’d do better
with you, and that I could trust you to
keep what we say to yourself.

ROBINSON
I’m all that. Go ahead.

CLEMENSON
Let’s start with Deckhoff.

ROBINSON
Asshole... in a word.

CLEMENSON
I’m getting that impression.

ROBINSON
One-of-a-kind unpleasant turd.

CLEMENSON
(Laughs) Okay. The two detectives picked up
your boss at his private club where he’s
been trying to stay out of sight.

ROBINSON
I knew he wouldn’t stay missing long.
 54.

CLEMENSON
They questioned him about the dead body in
his office, and got the expected “self-
defense” story.

ROBINSON
“I over-powered an attacker and proved once
again what a brave soldier I am!”

CLEMENSON
They’re going to get a report filed. I
mean, a dead body, you know.

ROBINSON
Yes. That is sticky.

CLEMENSON
I’m wondering about the million bucks
ransom. How would he have that kind of
cash?

ROBINSON
That’s what Phil said. I wonder also.

CLEMENSON
What can you tell me about your boss that I
don’t already know?

ROBINSON
Navy Seal, twenty years, but no
millionaire.

CLEMENSON
Got mustered out to a desk job after he was
injured in action.

ROBINSON
Never got over it, obviously, but says
nothing about any of that.

CLEMENSON
You’re saying he carries a grudge?

ROBINSON
Big as Texas! Look here, darlin’, Deckhoff
is the angriest man I know.

CLEMENSON
How so?

ROBINSON
Everyone’s against him. Nobody is smart as
him. Nobody works as hard, thinks as smart,
prepares as strategically... Hell, he’s
invincible. I can hear him in his office
doing push-ups and sit-ups every day. A
hundred. Two hundred.

CLEMENSON
Why is his business failing?
 55.

ROBINSON
According to him it’s all our fault. The
employees.

CLEMENSON
But, doesn’t he write most of the
contracts?

ROBINSON
All of them. We just fill the orders and
handle the transportation of thousands of
pipes each month. Never had a shipment
arrive late. Never any complaints about
quality. And, we’re talking some pretty
serious people in foreign lands.

CLEMENSON
Never any complaints?

ROBINSON
I would see that message first, and I
haven’t seen anything other the usual
questions about timing, or requests to
defer payment for a while.

CLEMENSON
Sorichetti says your company is in the
black by a healthy margin.

ROBINSON
That’s according to her books. Absolutely.
But, being the sole owner, Deckhoff
transfers most of our profits to his own
private accounts.

CLEMENSON
Before or after taxes?

ROBINSON
Yeah, well that might be an issue, but
don’t get me balled up in that. I don’t
know enough to get into that kind of
trouble.

CLEMENSON
And he never talks about his service?

ROBINSON
Zero. It’s the “Code,” don’t you know.

CLEMENSON
Doesn’t reunite with war buddies?

ROBINSON
A guy who was one of his Seals came for
lunch a few years back. They were out less
that an hour and Deckhoff didn’t look too
thrilled when he returned. Before they
left, the dude started hitting on me. I
flirted right back, but it didn’t seem like
anything until he called for an official
date a few weeks later.
 56.

CLEMENSON
You go?

ROBINSON
Yeah, but all he wanted to talk about was
Deckhoff and their time together in the
service. He had a lot to say.

CLEMENSON
Anything significant?

ROBINSON
Not unless you like blown-up war stories. I
listened. It’s the first I’ve heard
anything about the boss I have been sitting
twenty feet from for five years. And, this
chatterbox had a mouthful.

CLEMENSON
Have you stayed in touch?

ROBINSON
Never called me again. But, that’s my
fault. After all the Black Ops talk, he got
handsy, so I shut him down quick. That’ll
guarantee a spot in the no-call zone.

CLEMENSON
I’m interested in what he said about
Deckhoff and the Navy Seals.

ROBINSON
Oh, all hush-hush. What they were into was
so secret that there’s no records anywhere.
From what I could tell through a lot of
descriptions about how tough his buddies
were, the story was they were behind
borders where they didn’t belong, messin’
with defense systems and communications
technology, like cell towers and satellite
tracking stations.

CLEMENSON
That doesn’t sound too scary.

ROBINSON
He said those operations were high-paid
fraternity pranks. Other stuff, like hits
on bad actors, he couldn’t talk about.

CLEMENSON
Typical. What about Deckhoff?

ROBINSON
He called him “The Captain.” All business,
definitely The Man. He led all the way from
inception to fulfillment, and everybody who
worked for him was hardcore loyal to the
death.

CLEMENSON
My experience is that you never get a word
out of true Black Ops guys.
 57.

ROBINSON
Well, that’s more like Deckhoff. I’ve never
heard him say boo. But this guy was clearly
upset with The Captain.

CLEMENSON
Do you remember the guy’s name?

ROBINSON
It was awhile ago. He left me no reason to
remember. Franco! That’s it. And his last
name was something French. Now, why’d that
come to me all of a sudden?

CLEMENSON
Franco Coupé?

ROBINSON
Yeah, that’s it. You know him?

CLEMENSON
He was in Deckhoff’s group. That much he
told you was true.

ROBINSON
He was mostly a clown. That’s all I know.

CLEMENSON
You’ve been more than helpful and I
appreciate it.

ROBINSON
Any word on Deckhoff?

CLEMENSON
He surfaced and is cooperating with the
police.

ROBINSON
Do you think we should plan on seeing him
at work again?

CLEMENSON
I think you’ll meet his replacement soon.
He’s got other business on his plate now.

ROBINSON
I bet he does. Now, give Phyllis Sorichetti
a call... a social call, you hear what I’m
sayin’?

CLEMENSON
You think so, huh?

ROBINSON
I know so.

FADE TO BLACK.
 58.

INTERMISSION

Starting with Act Three, the scenes change to CIA Headquarters

in Washington, D.C. Except for Clemenson, Sorichetti and
Deckhoff, the other characters are new and can be doubled by
actors in the previous acts.

ACT FIVE, SCENE 1 - EXTERIOR

Deckhoff is talking on a cell phone.

DECKHOFF
Four separate numbered accounts are gone.
Two in the Caymans and two in Switzerland.
All closed in the same two days. All
receipts removed. I don’t need to remind
you what those funds amount to. I wish it
were not so, but the person who set up all
of that and has all the passwords is my
wife. Get help if you need it, but for
god’s sake, keep it discrete. These guys
aren’t fooling around. It’s international
espionage to them.

BLACKOUT

ACT FIVE, SCENE 2 - LANGLEY CIA HQ - CONFERENCE ROOM,

CIA Agents FARRELL and KASIS are seated on one side of a table.

KASIS
You have read the report from Clemenson.
He’s outside with his informant, Phyllis
Sorichetti.

FARRELL
First, we should be clear on any questions
we have. They have yet to locate Mrs.
Deckhoff?

KASIS
We’re letting the locals take the lead in
finding her, but we’re assisting with tech
and research. We’ll take charge if they
tell us she’s fled the state.

FARRELL
Let’s ask this Sorichetti gal. She knows
the Deckhoffs.

KASIS
Neither of the two people who saw Mrs.
Deckhoff at the morgue were able to
positively identify her from a photo line-
up. It may not have even been her.

FARRELL
That’s not helpful.
 59.

KASIS
No, ma’am, it’s not. Her husband told the
police that he’s been watching their credit
cards and there has been no activity since
before the day he was attacked.

FARRELL
The so-called ransom note for the missing
body led to nothing?

KASIS
A public library computer. The police spent
hours with Deckhoff and believe he truly
knows nothing... about that anyway.

FARRELL
He’s a tough ex-Navy Seal, trained to
resist interrogation.

KASIS
And there’s the fact that he is still in
contact with others from his unit.

FARRELL
Anything else?

KASIS
The Freon theft.

FARRELL
Let’s wait for Clemenson and Sorichetti for
that discussion. Bring them in.

Agent Kasis walks to open the door. Agent Clemenson and Phyllis
Sorichetti enter. They take the two available seats.

CLEMENSON
I see you have my report in front of you. I
wish it answered all of the questions we
have. Many things are still to be resolved.

FARRELL
Thank you, Ms. Sorichetti, for coming all
this way. I hope your travels were
comfortable.

SORICHETTI
It was my first time on a private jet and
I’m staying in a five-star hotel. I would
call that more than comfortable.

FARRELL
Agent Clemenson has written in his report
how valuable you have been to our
investigation. I shall begin by warning you
that all he has shared with you, and any
conversations we have here, should be kept
strictly confidential. Clearly, you have
shown your discretion in the past, and for
that we are all grateful.

SORICHETTI
Who would believe me?
 60.

FARRELL
Indeed. (To Clemenson) The math you
provided in your report, with Ms.
Sorichetti’s help, has made a good argument
for the regular pipe shipments being used
for smuggling stolen Freon.

SORICHETTI
Can you explain this Freon thing to me?

FARRELL
It’s complicated, but let me summarize. The
U.S. prohibited R-22, trademarked Freon, in
1997, the same year as the Kyoto Protocol.
Our EPA set a phase-out plan. Congress
approved and Clinton signed an emergency
budget amendment for a multi-million dollar
buyout of all existing Freon. Thousands of
full tanks were bought by the EPA from
private companies, shipped to a large
abandoned silver mine in Nevada, buried,
and sealed forever. The location was so
remote and the seal so secure, that the EPA
stopped guarding the site in 2016 when
their budget suffered severe cuts.

CLEMENSON
Willingly or not, your company is one of
several that is capable of providing a
method for smuggling tanks of Freon.

KASIS
Our people in the Middle East estimate that
between twenty and thirty thousand tanks of
Freon were sold on the black market between
2016 and 2020.

FARRELL
There are thousands of abandoned silver
mines in Nevada, and about a quarter of
them could conceal thirty thousand tanks.

CLEMENSON
And nobody in the world was making that
kind of quantity.

KASIS
A likely assumption is that the EPA
depository was compromised.

SORICHETTI
How would Mister Deckhoff know where the
Freon was buried?

FARRELL
The whole buy-back plan was a political
football for a few months. A lot of people
attacked the EPA and Clinton for the
expense of their plan.

KASIS
We even had arguments about it in the
Agency. It was a big deal.
 61.

CLEMENSON
Keep in mind, the military was guarding the
mine up until 2016. Your boss is pretty
bright. During his year in the Pentagon as
a desk-jockey, he was archiving military
records. Maybe he discovered a reference to
the buried Freon and the location of the
silver mine.

FARRELL
We’re having to go through a judge to get
the EPA to release the location, but if the
R-22 is not there, there’s one ex-Navy Seal
who might be our best suspect.

SORICHETTI
How would Mister Deckhoff get into a sealed
mine?

KASIS
He certainly has the expertise and
experience. This would be right in his
wheelhouse in his old position.

FARRELL
He was a Navy Captain. That’s equivalent to
a full Colonel in the other branches. And,
we know now that he has loyal manpower
standing ready to serve.

CLEMENSON
Between 2016 and 2020, your company shipped
over fifteen-thousand pipes to the Middle
East. That’s why I was sent to see what I
could find out about your operation.

FARRELL
Agent Clemenson and you did the math that
fifteen-thousand tanks could easily have
been smuggled.

CLEMENSON
Especially if Deckhoff, back in his role as
owner of your company, was directing the
smuggling, off your books of course.

FARRELL
Which is between ninety and a hundred-fifty
million dollars on the black market. Plenty
enough to pay his crew and keep them quiet.

SORICHETTI
He certainly hasn’t been living like a
millionaire.

FARRELL
None of them have. We have eyes on those
who served under Captain Deckhoff during
his espionage days. It’s a small number and
they are easy to track. But, they have no
signs of big bank accounts or expenditures.
 62.

CLEMENSON
They could be waiting for word from him.

FARRELL
Or plotting to use the proceeds for
something bigger.

CLEMENSON
Like?

FARRELL
What’s the motive? What do these guys agree
to be true?

SORICHETTI
That the Pentagon screwed them.

FARRELL
Yes. Our finding exactly, but how did you
come up with that?

SORICHETTI
Our receptionist went out with one of the
crew. He spent their date talking about
good old-time operations and his current
political anger. He said he wasn’t alone in
that.

CLEMENSON
Robinson is in my report. I interviewed
her, but the guy she dated seemed a loose
cannon that didn’t amount to much more that
a braggard.

FARRELL
I read that part and came away with the
same idea, that is, until we picked up
Franco Coupé and had a chat.

KASIS
He’s impatient and angry. He’s full of
talk, and he sorely needs an outlet.

FARRELL
Fits with our theory that they’re sitting
on a bundle of cash without either a
mission or access to spend any of it.

KASIS
We researched the others and they seem like
soldiers who would follow their captain
with or without any promise of monetary
reward. They are typical ex-Dark Ops. We
have some here in the Agency. Most move on,
accept new challenges; some harbor
resentment as silent unknown heroes who
should be enjoying the rewards of their
brave service.
 63.

FARRELL
I would add that with the escalating
political divide in our country, it has
become almost impossible for some in
services to remain above the muck, as has
always been our most esteemed practice.

KASIS
Veterans too.

CLEMENSON
Which answers the motive question for
Captain Deckhoff and his crew of ex-Seals.

FARRELL
My bet is that the whole bundle from four
years of black marketing is sitting in an
offshore bank.

CLEMENSON
Owned and controlled by Deckhoff.

FARRELL
We know his expertise as a soldier. Ms.
Sorichetti, how is he at money matters and
tech stuff?

SORICHETTI
In a word, miserable. He detests all things
high tech. He doesn’t use a computer. He
writes notes on yellow pads with a blue Bic
pen. Only a blue Bic pen. Any one who has
tried to bring him into this century has
been lambasted, me included.

FARRELL
Who manages his personal finances?

SORICHETTI
Oh dear.

CLEMENSON
What?

SORICHETTI
That would be Mrs. Deckhoff.

BLACKOUT
MUSICAL
INTERLUDE

ACT FIVE, SCENE 3 - CIA HQ, OFFICE OF AGENT FARRELL

Agent Farrell is seated behind the desk. Agent Kasis is

briefing.

KASIS
It’s called Silver Pit, officially EPA
Disposal Site NV-88210. It’s well off any
major highway. We have agents there now.

Agent Kasis places sheets of paper on Farrell’s desk.

 64.

FARRELL
What are these?

Kasis puts his finger on a location.

KASIS
This highway map shows the route east of 95
and north of Paradise Valley. Silver Pit is
about here. If they were trucking a lot of
convoys over a few years, they wouldn’t go
south to 80 then through Reno.

FARRELL
They’d go north on 95 through Eastern
Oregon, then take backroads north and west.
There’s nothing out there. They could make
it to somewhere in a lot nobody cares about
east of Portland and store a mess of
containers there, them ship them in small
batches through the port in Portland.

KASIS
That’s where we’re being led, but it puts
them on the wrong coast to ship to the
Middle East.

FARRELL
Not if they want to avoid attention. It
would take longer to go by sea through
Eastern Asia, around the south of India,
but it would draw a lot less attention.

KASIS
Sorichetti confirmed that they ship their
oil field pipes from Washington State ports
in Vancouver, Olympia, and Tacoma.

FARRELL
Why not Portland and Seattle?

KASIS
Those others have less traffic and fewer
trade agents.

There is a call. Agent Farrell pushes a speaker button.

PEPPER
(over speaker)
This is Agent Pepper.

FARRELL
Got you loud and clear. I take it you have
arrived?

PEPPER
Our crew arrived at 0600 and waited until
we had enough daylight to investigate this
site. At first review, the surrounding
chain link fence and sealed entrance showed
no sign of tampering or any vehicular or
pedestrian traffic.
 65.

FARRELL
So, it’s a dead end?

PEPPER
No, Ma’am. Not by far. We brought detailed
maps showing where the old silver mine goes
under ground. Walking the mile or so above
the mine, it wasn’t hard to find four
sealed air chimneys, the last of which had
been recently breached and resealed. Within
a hour or so of digging, we were able to
open a 10 foot round air vent that runs at
about 70 degrees for 300 feet down into the
back of the mine.

FARRELL
Were there signs of traffic at that end?

PEPPER
All over the place. This was a major truck
stop and turn-around for a period of time.

KASIS
At the back end of the mine?

FARRELL
Out of sight, of course.

PEPPER
The EPA chose well. There isn’t a highway
for sixteen miles, only a dirt road to the
front of the mine from Hwy 65.

FARRELL
Is that high desert or mountainous?

PEPPER
A mixture of both, but not conducive to
hunting, fishing or hiking. It’s perfectly
lonely out here. The closest regular air
traffic is fifty miles south and a hundred
miles north.

FARRELL
Have you been down into the mine?

PEPPER
Our agents are headed down now. No cell
towers out here so we’re relying on old two-
ways. They fade out after about a hundred
feet into the shaft.

FARRELL
I trust you’re staging communication posts.

PEPPER
Affirmative. We’re standing by, but I
wanted to let you know we’re confident
we’ll find the Freon storage.

FARRELL
Good work. Keep me up to date. Be safe,
y’hear?
 66.

PEPPER
That’s a roger, Ma’am. Out.

The phone goes dead.

FARRELL
I’ll bet there isn’t a single tank left in
that mine.

KASIS
I’m not taking that bet.

FADE TO NEXT

ACT FIVE, SCENE 4 - CIA HQ, INTERVIEW ROOM

Deckhoff is being interrogated by Agent Clemenson.

CLEMENSON
You’re here as part of an investigation
that has to do with the theft of government
property and how it wound up for sale on
the black market in the Middle East. To be
as forthcoming as I’m allowed, we suspect
that someone might have tampered with your
pipe shipments while they were in route.

DECKHOFF
Interesting. Smuggling? How can I help?

CLEMENSON
I understand that there have been some
disturbing events in your life in the
recent past. That may be a good place to
start.

DECKHOFF
I stabbed an attacker with his own knife in
my office a couple of weeks ago. Right
about that same time, my wife went missing
and remains so.

CLEMENSON
Did you know the attacker?

DECKHOFF
No.

CLEMENSON
Could you describe him?

DECKHOFF
It happened very fast.

CLEMENSON
You were not there when the paramedics
arrived.

DECKHOFF
I escaped out my bathroom window.
 67.

CLEMENSON
The assailant was dead. Why did you need to
escape?

DECKHOFF
Flight after fight, I suppose. I was pretty
amped-up after reversing the attack.

CLEMENSON
Yet, you had time to undress the dead
attacker, and yourself, and switch clothes
without time to register an ID?

DECKHOFF
Okay. I’m a trained combatant, and that
includes escape, diversion, and survival
techniques.

CLEMENSON
Does that training include smearing blood
on the attacker’s face?

DECKHOFF
I needed to throw off whoever wanted me
dead long enough to do my own detective
work. I had some suspicions.

CLEMENSON
You have been attacked before?

DECKHOFF
Never in my office.

CLEMENSON
Can we talk about how your wife got
involved?

DECKHOFF
She identified the dead attacker in the
morgue as me, her husband.

CLEMENSON
And she then went missing?

DECKHOFF
Yes.

CLEMENSON
Have the police been any help in finding
your wife?

DECKHOFF
They are as motivated as I am to do so.

CLEMENSON
Have you assisted the police in their
search?

DECKHOFF
I have been watching our bank account and
credit cards daily. The police have left
that to me, trusting that I will inform
them as soon as there is any activity.
 68.

CLEMENSON
You said you had some suspicions. Any of
those provide anything?

DECKHOFF
Not that I can talk about, yet.

CLEMENSON
Three weeks and nothing?

DECKHOFF
Correct.

CLEMENSON
Is this all new or has your marriage been
in trouble?

DECKHOFF
Is that why I’m here, to talk about my
marriage?

CLEMENSON
We don’t need to pursue that. No offense.

DECKHOFF
No offense taken. The answer is I don’t
know. I suppose my wife would have a story
to tell about my long history of neglect.
Fact is, I don’t have a marriage story to
tell you, and that, she would say, is the
exact problem with our marriage.

CLEMENSON
You mean, this is the familiar male-female
debate. She dwells on the relationship, he
doesn’t even know there is one?

DECKHOFF
I hate that it’s as simple as that, Sir. I
am zealous about my work, making money,
leading an enterprise as a sole provider.
She is busy shopping and redecorating.

CLEMENSON
Are you worried about her?

DECKHOFF
She hasn’t spent any money in three weeks.
What is she living on? That worries me.

CLEMENSON
Any chance of another guy?

DECKHOFF
Not a chance in hell.

CLEMENSON
Why are you so sure about that?

DECKHOFF
Am I here to talk about my marriage?
 69.

CLEMENSON
Okay. That’s far enough down that path.
Let’s get to our main interest.

DECKHOFF
That’s probably better.

CLEMENSON
Do you still have contact with men who
served under your command during your time
in the Seals?

DECKHOFF
No.

CLEMENSON
I believe you led the same nine Seals for
your last six years on active duty.

DECKHOFF
Until I was injured in the field and was
assigned a desk job at the Pentagon. Yes.

CLEMENSON
How long were you there?

DECKHOFF
Too long. It’s no secret that I hated it. I
mustered out of the service after about a
year. I already had thirty-two years in,
twenty-five as a Seal, so nobody squeaked
when I filed for discharge.

CLEMENSON
But no contact with your team?

DECKHOFF
In our line of work, reunions aren’t on the
agenda. One guy visited me in person,
unexpectedly, a few years ago. The others
have moved on with their lives.

CLEMENSON
Are any of them still in the service?

DECKHOFF
Not one. They left shortly after I did.

CLEMENSON
But, they didn’t all have your years of
service and some were a bit younger.

DECKHOFF
Maybe they were as pissed as I was. Nobody
cared how valuable we were as a team. My
injuries were not life-altering. I could
still do my job and lead others in doing
theirs. They all knew that.

CLEMENSON
With Black Ops, nobody wants to know what
you do.
 70.

DECKHOFF
We don’t use that expression.

CLEMENSON
You’re out. You can call it what it was!

DECKHOFF
Yes. I am out. My team didn’t get swept
under the rug, we got swept right out the
door.

CLEMENSON
Captain Deckhoff, Sir, your Pentagon phone
records show over a hundred calls to
members of your Seal Team in the year
following its decommissioning. That’s over
ten calls apiece.

DECKHOFF
That is likely accurate. During the year I
was sitting at a desk with no purpose, no
real tasks or assignments, I made a lot of
calls to my team who were transitioning and
hurting. They looked to me for counsel and
support.

CLEMENSON
Not for work?

DECKHOFF
I was not in a position to have anyone
transferred to the Pentagon or anywhere
else in the military.

CLEMENSON
No past mates you could call for a favor?

DECKHOFF
You clearly don’t understand the nature of
our operations. Other than my team, I
didn’t have “mates,” as you suggest.

CLEMENSON
How long has it been since those calls
stopped?

DECKHOFF
Since I retired.

CLEMENSON
And, once again, no contact in the last,
say, six years?

DECKHOFF
I answered that. Except for that one short
visit at my office with an ex-seal.

CLEMENSON
Purely social?

DECKHOFF
Purely. In fact, Coupé took time to hit on
my receptionist.
 71.

CLEMENSON
You do know that by answering questions
from us in CIA Headquarters, you are
assumed to be under oath and any tiny fib
could be considered as perjury.

DECKHOFF
That was my briefing before coming in. Are
you suggesting something?

CLEMENSON
I’m sorry to be redundant, and I mean no
disrespect by it, but this is very
important to what we are investigating.

DECKHOFF
Your haranguing will not change my memory.
If you are investigating me or any member
of my team for the theft of government
property, to which you referred in the
beginning, I can save you time and expense
by personally vouching for each of them.
They are true patriots without the
slightest blemish on any of their records.

FARRELL
Yes. We know that. Thank you, Captain, that
will be all for now. This has been quite
enlightening.

DECKHOFF
I wish I could say the same. Good day.

Deckhoff exits.

BLACK OUT
MUSICAL
INTERLUDE

ACT FIVE, SCENE 5 - CIA HQ, AGENT FARRELL’S OFFICE

Farrell is still at her desk. Kasis is pacing. The phone rings.

Farrell again hits the speaker button.

FARRELL
Farrell and Kasis. Hello Pepper. You’re on
speaker.

PEPPER
Sorry it took so long, Chief. We wanted to
make a full report and not waste your time
with preliminaries. Everybody is back on
the surface.

KASIS
I have no fingernails left, but that’s
okay.

PEPPER
Me neither. I was stuck up here waiting and
didn’t even have two-way contact for a
couple of hours.
(MORE)
 72.
PEPPER (CONT'D)
I figured they must have found something or
they would have been right back.

FARRELL
That’s exactly what we assumed. What have
you got for us?

PEPPER
Not a single tank to be found. Major
operation, Ma’am. They even moved the
trolley tracks, from the front of the mine
to the rear, to wheel items to this end.
Except for that, there’s no sign.

FARRELL
That would take some time.

PEPPER
Exactly. That’s probably why the tracks
weren’t moved back when they left. Other
than that, the interior is clean as new
snow. Not a footprint to be seen. This was
one high-class operation.

FARRELL
You’re saying the place is entirely empty?

PEPPER
Not even the evidence of anything ever
being there. But the back end, where we are
now, was definitely opened. While I was
waiting, I took some photos of places where
I think there was heavy machinery placed.
I’ll send them to you right away.

FARRELL
Like what?

PEPPER
You’ll see evidence of rectangular
impressions in the sand. This place is such
a desert, they would have had to use
stabilizers for a large apparatus.

FARRELL
You’re saying they brought in a crane?

PEPPER
Had to be.

FARRELL
Unbelievable. In bright daylight?

PEPPER
There is absolutely nothing out here.

FARRELL
But, a crane?
 73.

PEPPER
They needed some kind of conveyor to lift
thousands of tanks up a seventy percent
incline, and that would require a crane to
put it in place. That’s my assessment. If
you could see this long steep air shaft, I
think you’d say the same.

KASIS
Where did the tanks go once on the surface?

PEPPER
Container trucks is my guess. There’s flat
area, enough to turn an eighteen-wheeler
around, about fifty yards downhill from my
location. I’ll send pictures of that too.

FARRELL
Fifty yards?

PEPPER
Another conveyor apparatus. Once the two
conveyors were in place, the crane could go
away. It would be easy to camouflage the
external conveyor.

FARRELL
Thank you, Pepper. You guys have proven our
theories. Wrap it up and come on back.

PEPPER
Already starting. We’re going to leave it
like we found it. Out.

Farrell reaches forward and pushes the button on the speaker.

KASIS
Black Ops?

FARRELL
Who else?

BLACK OUT
MUSICAL
INTERLUDE

ACT FIVE, SCENE 6 - CIA HQ, AGENT FARRELL’S OFFICE

Agent Farrell is seated behind a desk. Agent Clemenson and Kasis

are seated in front of the desk. Farrell flips off the switch on
a recording device.

FARRELL
Let’s debrief what we each heard on the
tape. Great job, by the way, with your
interrogation.

KASIS
It sounded more like a casual interview.
You’re good enough to have a job here.
 74.

CLEMENSON
I do have a job here.

KASIS
That’s funny. We never see you.

FARRELL
And you’re flying back to Sorichetti after
this meeting?

CLEMENSON
Put that way, it sounds kind of personal.

FARRELL
Isn’t it?

CLEMENSON
Let’s get back to the captain.

FARRELL
Okay, what are your impressions?

CLEMENSON
He’s angry at the military. Maybe the
reassignment hurt more than the wounds. He
truly doesn’t know where his wife has gone,
but there’s more to that than what he said.

FARRELL
I don’t believe he has had zero contact
with nine men he was engaged with for a
decade in seriously dangerous activities.

KASIS
He doesn’t have much respect for Lieutenant
Coupé. I mean, he gave you his name so
easily. That’s not loyalty, especially
given Coupé’s rep as a talker. And, I agree
that there’s more to the wife’s
disappearance than marital problems.

FARRELL
It’s not a lover’s spat. She’s been gone
too long. Is it true she’s not using credit
cards or her checking account, or was that
Deckhoff blowing smoke?

KASIS
I’ll follow up on that. We’ll hack their
bank if we can’t get a subpoena.

FARRELL
Geez, Kasis. Some things are better thought
than said aloud.

CLEMENSON
What did you think of the Captain?

FARRELL
I think Deckhoff could put a lie detector
to sleep. No interrogation tactic is going
to cut that granite exterior. My gut says
he’s hiding something huge.
(MORE)
 75.
FARRELL (CONT'D)
I think we have our man. Let’s find retired
Lieutenant Coupé and get him in here ASAP.

BLACK OUT
MUSICAL
INTERLUDE

ACT FIVE, SCENE 7 - CIA HQ, CONFERENCE ROOM

Lieutenant Coupé is seated at the table across from Agents

Farrell, Kasis and PEPPER. Pepper pushes an item across the
table to Coupé.

PEPPER
Does this knife belong to you?

COUPÉ
Maybe. It looks like the standard issue
Diamondback Tonto, costs about ten bucks.

PEPPER
This one is a Kershaw. It’s more like fifty
bucks, then add the pearl handle and it’s
about two hundred.

COUPÉ
Mighty fine knife.

PEPPER
There’s a serial number hidden in the
shaft. Did you know that?

COUPÉ
You don’t say?

PEPPER
The store where you bought it keeps
records, including the date of purchase,
the serial number, and a photo of the
driver’s license of the purchaser. You
remember giving them your license?

Coupé shrugs.

FARRELL
Where did you misplace your knife,
Lieutenant Coupé?

COUPÉ
I’m not here to talk about knives, am I?
Maybe I sold it.

FARRELL
Agent Pepper brought that very knife back
from an abandoned silver mine in Nevada.
Does that shake your memory?

COUPÉ
If you’re so sure this is mine, may I have
it back?
 76.

FARRELL
Cut the bull, Coupé! We found your knife at
the site of a crime. You want to keep this
up, or would you like to consult with an
attorney?

COUPÉ
I was arrested for espionage and before I
could talk to an attorney, they brought me
here to talk about Captain Deckhoff. That’s
all I agreed to. They said you could get me
leniency.

KASIS
We’ll get to that. Meanwhile, what do you
think the CIA would like to know about the
Captain?

COUPÉ
I did some work for him and never got paid.
I kept my mouth shut, but now I have no
other choice. It’s been three years. I got
bills and obligations.

FARRELL
Have you spoken with Deckhoff about this?

COUPÉ
Once. He said it was in process. Now, he’s
not taking my calls.

FARRELL
Does that work relate to why you were
arrested?

COUPÉ
I don’t know. (pause) Probably.

FARRELL
Over a period of three or more years, you
were part of an operation with others from
your old Seal team, to first excavate the
airshaft of an abandoned silver mine, then
extract a large number of tanks and move
them from that secluded site in Nevada to
another in Oregon.

COUPÉ
I want one hundred percent immunity, in
writing, before we talk about that.

FARRELL
What you’re looking at is twenty to forty
in a federal penitentiary based on the
singular evidence of your knife being found
in that mine, at the scene of that crime.
You think you’re going to live another
forty years?

COUPÉ
Not really. It would be a life sentence.
That’s why I want immunity.
 77.

FARRELL
This is an international crime. It’s not
only theft of government property, it also
involves selling stolen goods on the black
market in the Middle East. You are in no
position to bargain.

COUPÉ
I want a lawyer before I say anything more.

FARRELL
We can wait. But, if you’re looking for
leniency, you might be sitting with your
best friends right now.

COUPÉ
Oh, thanks!

FARRELL
Well, who do you fear the most?

COUPÉ
You don’t know the captain.

FARRELL
Yes I do. That’s why I asked.

Coupé rises and paces a bit, not going toward the door at all.
He looks at each of the agents as if searching them. Finally, he
returns to his seat.

COUPÉ
Okay, first let’s get some things straight.
A Navy Seal team has two officers and
fourteen enlisted men. The man in charge is
a Navy Commander, 0-5, like a Lieutenant
Colonel in the army.

KASIS
But, you were ten.

COUPÉ
Correct. We were trained as Navy Seals, but
we were not a Seal Team.

KASIS
What were you then?

COUPÉ
We had a name, but it’s not anywhere you
would find in military records. Call us
Special Ops. That’s close enough.

KASIS
Okay. Please describe these ten Special Ops
personnel. You were still military?

COUPÉ
Yes. Absolutely. We were led by a Captain,
that’s 0-6, equal to a full Colonel in
other branches. All nine of us are
officers.
(MORE)
 78.
COUPÉ (CONT'D)
Three Lieutenants, 0-3s, three Lieutenant
Commanders, 0-4s, and three Commanders, 0-
5s.

KASIS
Why all officers rather than a regular Seal
Team?

COUPÉ
We all led Seal Teams, we trained Seal
Teams. We passed our qualification tests in
diving, parachuting and demolitions and
then taught others.

PEPPER
Which isn’t a walk in the park.

COUPÉ
And, we were all officers first. After Seal
Training, we each had experience leading a
team in the Delta Force.

FARRELL
Most highly trained force in the military.

COUPÉ
Correct. Then, we were taken to additional
training at Guantanamo and, from there, to
special assignments.

FARRELL
For which there are no records and if
you’re caught, you’re dead.

COUPÉ
The Department of Defense only has records
that you joined the Navy then quit after
minimum service.

FARRELL
Yet you were still officially in the Navy
for almost a decade.

COUPÉ
Not if caught. We carried no military ID.

PEPPER
After you were all out of the service, you
came together for another mission with your
old captain?

COUPÉ
Affirmative, Sir.

FARRELL
Where did this civilian mission go wrong?

COUPÉ
It didn’t. It was perfect!

FARRELL
But...?
 79.

Coupé looks down for a moment, then...

COUPÉ
Until a short while ago.

FARRELL
What happened?

COUPÉ
The money is missing.

FARRELL
All of it?

COUPÉ
Ninety million dollars.

FARRELL
What was your cut?

COUPÉ
Two million.

KASIS
How did you become involved?

COUPÉ
The Captain started planning this and
calling us while he was here in D.C.

KASIS
All nine went for it?

COUPÉ
We were ordered to.

FARRELL
Ordered to execute an operation that was
clearly illegal?

COUPÉ
Everything our team ever did was illegal.

KASIS
Each guy was to get two million?

COUPÉ
No. Remember the three levels. The 03s were
to get two million each, the 04s three, and
the 05s four.

KASIS
And, so far...

COUPÉ
Not a dime. That’s the only reason I’m
sitting here.

FARRELL
Never mind that you are under arrest for
espionage?
 80.

COUPÉ
Yeah. There’s that. Are you gonna help me?

KASIS
Do you know where the money went?

COUPÉ
Numbered accounts offshore. Somebody hacked
the captain and took it all.

KASIS
How do you know that?

COUPÉ
I don’t... uh... I don’t know for sure. I
figure it has to be something like that.

KASIS
Was this the only operation you commenced
as civilians?

COUPÉ
This was supposed to be a one-and-done.

KASIS
And, your team had done far more dangerous
missions before. Was this operation for
spite, or all about the money?

COUPÉ
The captain has plans to run for political
office, and that’s what the rest of the
money was for after the twenty-seven
million for the team. We were all behind
him and were standing by to assist anyway
we could in his campaign.

FARRELL
May I ask which office?

COUPÉ
The obvious one.

PEPPER
President?!

COUPÉ
That would be his revenge.

FARRELL
To be Commander in Chief over the people
who he believes screwed him.

PEPPER
And you all supported that idea?

COUPÉ
The Captain is not one to take orders from
people he considers to be less than his
equal. As a Special Ops team, our missions
were so deep, we didn’t report to anybody.
(MORE)
 81.
COUPÉ (CONT'D)
They lit our fuse and threw us as far as
they could. That’s how he liked it. We
never failed.

PEPPER
And that relates to politics, how?

COUPÉ
Maybe that’s the kind of leadership this
country needs.

PEPPER
We all know where that philosophy comes
from.

FARRELL
That will do for today. We’ll be in touch.
You’re free to go, but not far.

KASIS
It’s probably a good idea for you to get
lawyered up before our next get-together.

The Agents rise. Coupé sits thinking for a moment, then exits.

PEPPER
What part, if any of that, did you believe?

FARRELL
He’s a sorry case, for sure, but I believe
every word. This guy is an officer and, in
his mind, a brave soldier. He’s not
intimidated by us, and he’s not a liar.

FADE TO BLACK
MUSICAL
INTERLUDE

ACT SIX, SCENE 1 - THE BAR

Phyllis Sorichetti and Agent Clemenson are holding hands across

a table with two glasses and a half-empty wine bottle.

CLEMENSON
A Grand Jury is very intimidating, and none
of them had been paid any of the millions
promised.

SORICHETTI
They lost their honorable discharges, their
pensions, and all rights as veterans?

CLEMENSON
That was part of the deal.

SORICHETTI
Mistaken loyalty. They thought they were
being good soldiers, following orders.

CLEMENSON
Actually, they were all leaders, ranking
officers, none of them were grunts.
(MORE)
 82.
CLEMENSON (CONT'D)
Even so, the hierarchy was firmly in place
right down to the pay scale.

SORICHETTI
They avoided jail, and Mister Deckhoff is
doing their time.

CLEMENSON
What’s happening with his company?

SORICHETTI
Gone. Deckhoff had huge debts, none of
which I knew about. As sole owner, he used
the company as collateral and, with him
behind bars, the debtors are lining up.

CLEMENSON
And, what about you?

SORICHETTI
The lawyers are filing for bankruptcy, and
I let everybody go. When the cupboards are
bare, I’ll turn in my own paperwork to the
attorneys.

CLEMENSON
You should apologize to Furtado and Lang.

SORICHETTI
What for?

CLEMENSON
I think you said something snarky, like
they shouldn’t be very proud of their
system in reference to cremating a body
officially documented as Deckhoff.

SORICHETTI
Yes. I said that. But it was true.

CLEMENSON
And what about thousands of tanks of Freon
being smuggled on your watch? How was your
system working then?

SORICHETTI
Fair enough. It’s fortunately all dead now,
though.

CLEMENSON
Any chance you would consider a move to the
nation’s capitol?

SORICHETTI
I suppose I can look for work anywhere, but
what will I do for fun? You’ll still be a
travelling spook.

CLEMENSON
Maybe not for long.

SORICHETTI
Huh?
 83.

CLEMENSON
Since meeting you, I’ve been having settle-
down thoughts.

SORICHETTI
Is that a proposal?

CLEMENSON
That is a lousy proposal. When we figure
this out, I’ll definitely get down on my
knee.

SORICHETTI
Figure what out?

CLEMENSON
What we’re both going to do.

SORICHETTI
Let’s start figuring.

CLEMENSON
What have you never even dreamed of doing?

SORICHETTI
That doesn’t eliminate much. How old are
you?

CLEMENSON
Old enough. How old are you?

SORICHETTI
Pfft. How much money do you have?

CLEMENSON
Tons. I never spend anything, and I’m
starting to feel like changing all that.
How much do you have?

SORICHETTI
You don’t have a house somewhere with two
cars in the garage?

CLEMENSON
Nope.

SORICHETTI
Do you want that?

CLEMENSON
Yep. More so every day.

SORICHETTI
And, you think I’m the one?

CLEMENSON
Never been more sure of anything.

SORICHETTI
You say nice things to me.

CLEMENSON
Yes, I do.
 84.

SORICHETTI
You keep saying “I do” Agent Clemenson. I
like the sound of that.

They raise their glasses and clink, then sip.

CLEMENSON
This case is wrapped, Nobody is even
working on who took the money. The DOE
wants the whole story to stay out of the
news, so they’re not pursuing anything.

SORICHETTI
Over ninety millions dollars?!

CLEMENSON
Different administration, different budget
year. A drop in the bucket when it comes to
federal funding mistakes.

SORICHETTI
Obviously, the missus has the money.

CLEMENSON
And where is she?

SORICHETTI
I have a longshot idea.

CLEMENSON
What is it?

SORICHETTI
She told me that she never pried into
Deckhoff’s military past. We agreed that
would be a bad idea. She said that she had
her own past to keep under wraps. We were
both a little tipsy, and she went on
talking, so I kept drinking and listening.

CLEMENSON
I’m intrigued.

SORICHETTI
Her grandparents came to America from
Sicily. They fled because they were Jewish
and the Nazis were in Italy.

CLEMENSON
Their last name was probably changed at
Ellis Island to protect them.

SORICHETTI
Exactly. She got serious for a moment, even
leaned forward and put her hands on my
cheeks. She said that Mister Deckhoff must
never know she was part Jewish.

CLEMENSON
Deckhoff sounds very German to me. That
might have been her point.
 85.

SORICHETTI
She said her grandparents never spoke of
where they came from, but her mother told
her. She longed to go there one day.

CLEMENSON
The mother?

SORICHETTI
Yes. She was into genealogy and there were
no records in America. She wanted to find
the family name in Sicily and go from
there. But she died before she could make
the trip. It stuck with Mrs. D.

CLEMENSON
You’re saying that maybe she’s in Sicily
now, fulfilling her mother’s lost dream?

SORICHETTI
She told me that she gave the name of the
city to favorite dog. She sort of mumbled
that the dog was dead and started sobbing a
little.

CLEMENSON
You’re thinking that if we had the name of
the pet dog, and it sounds Italian, we
might have a trace on where the grandmother
came from...

SORICHETTI
...And that may be where Missus Deckhoff
now resides.

CLEMENSON
I love your mind. And you don’t know the
dog’s name?

SORICHETTI
Way before my time.

CLEMENSON
Who would know?

SORICHETTI
Lucinda Robinson. She house-sat for the
Deckhoffs over the years before I joined
the company. I bet she’d know.

CLEMENSON
Call her!

Sorichetti pulls her phone from her purse and punches in a

number. She puts in on speaker.

ROBINSON
Hey Phil! How you doin’ girl? Thanks for
the job leads. I’m playing two of them to
get more money and paid vacation. Am I on
speaker?
 86.

CLEMENSON
Hey Lou!

ROBINSON
Hey Clem! How’s the spy biz?

CLEMENSON
Very slow. We’re actually discussing my
future right now.

ROBINSON
You two at the bar?

SORICHETTI
Right up the street.

ROBINSON
I’ll be there in three minutes!

FADE TO NEXT
MUISCAL
INTERLUDE

ACT SIX, SCENE 2 - THE SAME BAR, MOMENTS LATER

Robinson enters huffing like she has walked hastily. On her way
to their table, she pulls over a third chair and joins
Sorichetti and Clemenson. Agent Clemenson stands and helps with
her chair.

SORICHETTI
Such a gentleman.

ROBINSON
What up, Clem! To what honor do I owe the
sudden phone call in the middle of the
afternoon?

SORICHETTI
We’re both still working, sort of.

ROBINSON
I thought the bad guy was behind bars.

SORICHETTI
We’re curious about the missing ninety
million.

ROBINSON
The missus got it.

SORICHETTI
That’s what everyone thinks, but where is
she?

ROBINSON
Thin air. With that kind of dust, she could
disappear... completely reinvent herself:
new face, new body. She could be a guy now,
for all we know. What is she, fifty-
something?
(MORE)
 87.
ROBINSON (CONT'D)
An average-looking middle aged paunchy dude
would be hard to find. (beat) So why’d you
call me?

SORICHETTI
Do you remember her mother’s dog?

ROBINSON
Sure. Enna. Why?

SORICHETTI
We’re making up an investigation game,
having to come up with questions. What
happened to Enna?

ROBINSON
She outlived the old lady. The Deckhoffs
loved that mutt. She became stone deaf in
her old age, and they finally had to put
her down. They were so depressed. They said
they’d never get another pet.

Clemenson has been typing in his phone.

CLEMENSON
Eureka!

ROBINSON
Something I said?

CLEMENSON
No. (Puts his phone away) I won a bet from
a friend.

Robinson rises.

ROBINSON
I’m gonna get a glass and finish your wine.

She walks to the bar.

CLEMENSON
(Whispering) Enna is a city in Sicily.

FADE TO BLACK
MUSICAL
INTERLUDE

ACT SIX, SCENE 3 - CIA HQ, AGENT FARRELL’S OFFICE

Agent Kasis sits in front of Farrell who is perched on the front

of the desk.

FARRELL
No money. No accounts. No traces of the
rented equipment. No tracks at the scene.

KASIS
The rails were left where they had been
moved which proves somebody was in there.
They didn’t have the wrong mine.
 88.

FARRELL
Not even a footprint, inside or out.

KASIS
And, none of the thousands of Freon tanks
that were brought in from the front, and
the entrance was sealed with tons of
cement.

FARRELL
Quite an operation.

KASIS
How did this come to us in the first place?
Do you know?

FARRELL
Saudi Arabian agents were tracking the
black market when they discovered these
huge shipments of highly valued and hard-to-
find Freon. Millions of dollars were being
sent offshore, specifically going to a
numbered account in the Caymans, and the
Saudis were trying to figure out who was
behind the sales.

KASIS
And Deckhoff’s company, a pipe distributor,
why them?

FARRELL
Some desk jockey here took the bait and
started cross-checking anybody who shipped
containers to the Saudis around the same
time as the Freon was being sold. She came
up with a short list of companies.

KASIS
And, that’s when we started getting curious
about what was in those containers?

FARRELL
For over a year, we drew nothing but blanks
until Saudi Arabia found some tanks with
American logos on the sides. They called
the administration, and it went right to
the EPA who called us.

KASIS
Do you have any guesses about the money?

FARRELL
I agree with the Mrs. Deckhoff theory.
She’s still missing.

KASIS
Where do you think she is, and where’s the
ninety million?

FARRELL
Where doesn’t matter. The guilty have been
caught and punished. Case closed.
 89.

KASIS
Nobody is thinking about the money?

FARRELL
The very people who should care the most,
the folks over at Ecology, have no
interest. It’s old news that makes their
buy-back program look stupid and that’s
political ammunition. They’d like it all
forgotten.

KASIS
And buried?

FARRELL
Funny.

KASIS
The Agency has no leads. Mrs. Deckhoff
would be one, if we could find her, but no
activity on her cards or accounts. They
think she’s dead.

FARRELL
Always a possibility, but we checked
records and photos for every Jane Doe
corpse in America for the six months since
she vanished and got nothing even close.

KASIS
Well, I will always wonder.

FARRELL
That’s all anybody can do.

KASIS
Sure is a lot of money out there somewhere
like a pirate’s hidden treasure.

FARRELL
Literally a pirate’s hidden treasure.

FADE TO BLACK
LONG MUSICAL
INTERLUDE

EPILOGUE - THE BAR, A YEAR LATER

The sign on the door facing in says “Open” which means the
“Closed” side is facing out. Clemenson is behind the bar, drying
glasses. He has a full moustache and longer hair. Sorichetti is
bussing glasses and bottles from several tables and bringing
them to him. Her hair is a year longer also. They are each
dressed as bar staff.

CLEMENSON
Great crowd tonight. Not too rowdy even
though they drank a lot.

SORICHETTI
That’s the kind of night I like. I did
great on tips.
 90.

Clemenson approaches with a couple of beers and sits at a clean

table. Sorichetti takes her last glasses to the bar then comes
to sit with him. He lays some papers on the table.

CLEMENSON
They finally came.

SORICHETTI
Are those...?

CLEMENSON
The title and deed. Yes they are.

SORICHETTI
You don’t feel guilty?

CLEMENSON
I only feel retired.

SORICHETTI
At least semi-retired.

CLEMENSON
I mean, from the agency.

They drink their beers, think, smile at each other.

SORICHETTI
Sicily was nice.

CLEMENSON
Nice? I’d call it spectacular!

SORICHETTI
I can’t believe she bought us this place.

CLEMENSON
As long as we didn’t pass along how we
found her.

SORICHETTI
She didn’t want to keep running. And, with
our mouths shut, she could stay put in her
lovely secluded villa.

CLEMENSON
Who would put together the birthplace of
dead grandparents with new names and no
records from the old country?

SORICHETTI
I think I’m the only person who even knew
that story and that she was part Jewish.

CLEMENSON
Deckhoff could never put that together.

SORICHETTI
And, the connection to her mother’s dog?

CLEMENSON
No one would have found the money once it
was hers anyway. She’s too smart.
 91.

SORICHETTI
The price Deckhoff paid for being such an
insensitive husband.

CLEMENSON
If she handled his finances, did he trust
her with the millions going offshore? I
doubt it, but maybe she stumbled upon an
account number and a password.

SORICHETTI
Or, they were in it together all along, and
when it came to show time, she tossed him
overboard and sailed away.

CLEMENSON
That theory works for the missing corpse,
and the cameras shut down in the morgue

SORICHETTI
If someone caught up with her, could they
make a case with no evidence?

CLEMENSON
No footage of her at the morgue. No
activity on any of the Deckhoff accounts.
You can’t convict somebody on a theory.
(pause) Did I say, I like this place?

SORICHETTI
Every hour. You know, we’re going to have
to pay inheritance tax some day.

Pause to think, then...

CLEMENSON
Let’s just don’t.

SORICHETTI
Right. How do we get out of taxes?

CLEMENSON
We leave it to the children.

SORICHETTI
What children?

CLEMENSON
The ones we’re going to have.

SORICHETTI
We are?

CLEMENSON
Yes, we are!

SORICHETTI
Then, why are we hanging around here?

They both laugh and go to the door, flip off the lights, and
exit. The door locks. Sorichetti squeals.

BLACK OUT
 92.

END