Lies and Love

by Samuel Kinch

615-473-8907 4/24/2023
samuel.kinch23@montgomerybell.edu
 Character List

Julia Vaughn: Inspector Cain's protege, aspiring detective wanting to learn

from the best. Intelligent and persistent.

Harvey Cain: Primary detective of his own private eye firm. Incredibly smart,
detailed, and a masterful investigator.

Lilly Larson: Ex-girlfriend of Cain. Educated and confident. Broke up with him
to date her best friend, Claire Schultz, before she died.

Jack Glaser: Regular guy who works in insurance. Has a reputation for being
romantically involved.

Sarah Morales: An actuary who works for the same company as Jack, Lewis, and
Claire. Prone to jealousy.

Lewis Murdock: Higher up in the corporate pyramid than his friends. Has no
romantic history.

Claire Schultz: Has no speaking roles, only mentioned by name, is dead before
the play starts. Described as energetic, funny, life of the party. Certainly
serves the role of idealistic ex-lover, known only by happy memories.
1 SCENE 1 1

("Pictures of Childhood" by Aram Khacaturyan is played with a

three second fade in. The office of a private detective and his
assistant. Cain is seated at his desk upstage right working on a
case. On his desk are his nameplate, some papers, and general
office supplies. His desk is precise and orderly. His assistant,
Julia Vaughn, has a desk stage left connected to his via a door.
Her desk is arranged similarly to her boss's, but without the
attention to detail. She is off-stage with a letter for him)

Once the music dies down, Vaughn enters and walks into
Cain's office.

VAUGHN
(holding letter)
Mr. Cain, you have a letter from Ms...(checking the name on the
address)...Lilly Larson.

CAIN
(taking the letter)
Thank you.

With interest Cain takes the letter out of Vaughn's

hand and begins reading. Lilly reveals herself on the
unused part of the stage and a spotlight illuminates
her.

LILLY
(reading from paper)
Dear Harvey, I know it's been awhile since we've talked, and I'm
sorry it has to be under these circumstances, but I really need
your help. Five weeks ago, my friend, Claire, was murdered. I went
to the police, and they quickly determined it was a suicide, but I
know it wasn't. I don't know where to go from here, you're the
only person I know who knows anything about things like this.
Just, if you can, please meet me at our old spot down at the river
at midnight on Friday. I really need your help, Harvey. Yours,
Lilly.

After reading the note, Cain holds it and thinks. When

he is done, he folds it and puts it in his pocket and
exits his office, grabbing his jacket and putting it on
as he walks. When Cain reaches Vaughn's desk he stops
and begins setting his watch. She notices his entrance
and looks up.

CAIN
(while setting his watch)
Vaughn, what time is it?

VAUGHN
(checking her watch and calendar)
It's 11:20 PM, Friday, August the 18th.

CAIN
(still looking at his watch)
Thank you.
 2.

Cain finishes setting his watch, pushing in the crown.

He tosses the folded letter from his pocket onto
Vaughn's desk and resumes his exit.

CAIN
I'll be gone for a couple hours.

Cain exits stage left and Vaughn begins reading the

letter.

2 SCENE 2 2

(Waterfront, midnight. There is a railing upstage and a bench

behind it facing the water. Lilly is sitting down on the stage
right end of the bench. She has her bag by her feet)

Cain enters stage left and sits on the other end of the
bench. After a short moment, Lilly breaks the silence.

LILLY
Harvey, I'm... I'm glad you could make it. (turning to Cain) How
have you been, are you doing all right?

CAIN
I'm doing well, Lilly.

LILLY
(pause) Look, I know we haven't seen each other in a while and
things didn't end great between us, but...this is really serious
Harvey, this is bigger than you and I.

CAIN
(calmly)
I understand, just, tell me what happened.

LILLY
It was five weeks ago when my friend, Claire, and I were at a
dinner party hosted at our friend Lewis's house.

Cain takes out his notepad and starts writing.

LILLY
Everything was fine until we heard a scream from Sarah. She was
standing in front of the bathroom and was yelling and being
hysterical, and we couldn't understand what she was saying at
first until she moved, and...there Claire was.

Pause while Cain is writing.

CAIN
(turning his gaze to Lilly)
So you think she was murdered?

Lilly nods her head.

 3.

CAIN
Why did the police drop it?

LILLY
Lack of evidence. There wasn't a murder weapon, and everyone at
the party was accounted for, so they dropped the case.

CAIN
Do you have any of the case files from the police's investigation?

LILLY
Yes.

Lilly slides to the other side of the bench to pull a

file out of her bag, then hands it to Cain. He accepts
it and puts it down on his side of the bench.

CAIN
(with his notepad)
How many people were at this party?

LILLY
Five.

CAIN
What are their names?

LILLY
Sarah, Jack, Lewis, Me, and Claire Schultz, my friend.

CAIN
How does everyone know each other?

LILLY
Claire and I met in college, and Claire knows Jack, Sarah, and
Lewis from work. We used to hang out all the time.

CAIN
How often do these parties happen?

LILLY
We have them every month on the 14th.

CAIN
(writing, with his head still down and
looking at his notepad)
Talk to me about the party.

LILLY
What about it?

CAIN
(looking up now, gesturing with pen in
his hand)
Where was it, anything out of the ordinary, any specifics about
the night.
 4.

LILLY
Lewis usually hosts our get-togethers. He has a big house a bit
outside of the city that he inherited from his parents. It wasn't
like how our parties normally are. It was kinda of sad and almost
weird because we knew it would be the last time we could meet as a
group before Sarah left to start her new job.

Cain keeps writing in his notepad then looks up.

CAIN
What about Claire?

LILLY
What do you mean?

CAIN
How was she?

LILLY
(somberly)
I don't know. She was normal, I guess.

CAIN
Did she mention anything to you before she died?

Lilly gets up from the bench, pulling out her lighter

and lighting a cigarette, going over to the railing to
smoke.

LILLY
She said she had something to tell me. I asked her what it was,
and she said she would tell me after the party. A couple minutes
later she walked into the bathroom.

CAIN
Did you have any idea if she told anyone else at the party?

LILLY
No idea.

CAIN
Hmm. What about the others, were they acting unusual?

LILLY
No, not really.

CAIN
(looking at notepad)
Not Jack, or Lewis?

LILLY
Well Jack wasn't there for very long anyway. He said he had to
leave.

Lilly takes another hit.

 5.

CAIN
(inquisitively)
Did he say where he was going?

LILLY
He said he was going home. Ever since he and Claire broke up, he
has started leaving early.

Lilly returns to the bench, with the cigarette still in

her hand.

CAIN
They were dating?

LILLY
Yes, they split up around three months ago.

CAIN
Why did they break up?

Cain writes in his notepad.

LILLY
They never really said why. Claire told me they both wanted to see
other people.

Cain keeps writing in his notepad.

CAIN
Do you think there is any reason why Claire would have committed
suicide?

LILLY
No. It never made sense to me. I mean, she was happy. She had a
stable job, friends.

Lilly, while thinking of happy memories, throws her

cigarette at her feet and stamps it into the ground.

LILLY
She was in love with life. She would never do something like that.

Cain writes in his notepad.

CAIN
What do you remember about the crime scene?

LILLY
Nothing. It's in the coroner's report.

Cain writes again.

CAIN
Can you tell me anything about the party?
 6.

LILLY
No, not really. Everything seemed normal until it happened. After
that everything's just a blur.

Cain pauses.

CAIN
All right, I think I have everything I need.

Cain stands and grabs the file that Claire put down.

LILLY
Thank you for seeing me, Harvey. Really, I appreciate it. (pause)
Can you take it?

CAIN
I can do it. I'll keep you updated with anything I come across,
I'll conduct some interviews and then I'll go from there. (pause)
I'm sorry for what happened to your friend. I'll see what I can
do.

Cain turns around and begins exiting.

LILLY
(stopping Cain)
Harvey.

Cain stops and turns around.

LILLY
It was good seeing you.

Cain pauses before responding.

CAIN
It was good seeing you too.

Cain exits. Lilly stays seated on the bench and watches

him walk away.

3 SCENE 3 3

(A combination of three interviews conducted by Cain combined into

one space. Three desks and chairs are upstage, spaced out from
each other, with one additional desk and chair downstage. All of
the desks are facing the audience and the suspect's desks are
adorned with a nametag)

Jack and Sarah enter stage right and take the first two
seats while Lewis enters stage left and takes the final
seat. The suspects stare straight ahead at an imaginary
interviewer in front of them. After a pause, Cain
enters stage left with a notepad and a pen and takes
his seat.
 7.

CAIN
(to all)
Shall we get started?

The suspects don't respond.

CAIN
(to all)
You were attending the party the night Mrs. Schultz died, correct?

ALL
(in unison)
Yes.

CAIN
(to all)
And, what was the occasion for the party?

JACK
It was Sarah's last night with the group. She was moving away for
work.

SARAH
It was my going away party, we had it at Lewis's house.

LEWIS
We were meeting for one last time as a group before Sarah left
town.

Cain writes in his notepad.

CAIN
(to Sarah)
Why were you leaving the city?

SARAH
I took a job upstate, in Saratoga Springs.

CAIN
What do you do?

SARAH
I'm an actuary.

CAIN
And why did you leave your job here?

SARAH
(perhaps nervously)
I felt like I needed to advance my career.

CAIN
Must be hard leaving the company where all of your friends are.

SARAH
Yeah, I guess.
 8.

Cain pauses to write in his notepad.

CAIN
(to all, looking at his notepad and
writing)
Could you give me a rough description of what happened that night?

JACK
We ate, drank some, caught up with each other...

Cain looks up from his notepad.

JACK
I had to leave early so I wasn't there when it happened. Lilly was
the one who told me.

SARAH
(with growing somber)
It was mostly a regular night. We talked, had some drinks. Jack
had to leave early as usual... And then, I noticed that Claire had
been in the bathroom for a while, so I knocked, and when she
didn't answer, I opened the door, and...

Sarah is close to tears, but she gathers herself.

SARAH
...I saw her there. She was on the floor...and...I didn't know
what to do. I don't remember much of the night after that.

LEWIS
It was an ordinary dinner party. Before, of course, Claire went
into the bathroom. Sarah, I believe, was the one who found her,
poor girl.

CAIN
(to Jack)
Why did you have to leave the party early, Jack?

JACK
Um, I had work in the morning, and I haven't been getting enough
sleep recently.

Cain seems a little suspicious of this answer, but

still writes it in his notepad.

CAIN
(to Sarah)
What else was in the bathroom?

Sarah pauses to think.

SARAH
The sink was running on full blast. That's about all I can
remember. I shut it off before the police came.

Cain writes in his notepad for longer than usual.

 9.

CAIN
(to all, gesticulating with his pen)
Did you notice anything strange, anything out of the ordinary?

JACK
(thinking, then answering)
Just before I left, I remember seeing Claire and Lewis enter a
room together. There was yelling, but I couldn't make out
anything. They left looking pretty upset.

SARAH
(pausing, debating with herself on
whether she should say it)
You know...you're going to think I'm crazy. I never mentioned it
to anyone, it's probably nothing, but...at around ten I stepped
outside to take a phone call, and, I saw something move. It was
dark outside so I couldn't really make it out, but, I swear I saw
something.

LEWIS
(thinking, then answering)
Jack was acting a little strange before he left, before all of it
happened. I mean, he's usually upbeat, but something felt wrong
about the way he acted.

CAIN
(to Jack)
Do you have any idea what Claire and Lewis could have been talking
about?

JACK
None. I don't remember anything coming between them before. It was
probably just work stuff.

CAIN
(to Sarah)
You are sure you saw someone?

SARAH
(pause) I'm not sure.

CAIN
Where did you see it, exactly, where on the property?

SARAH
It was back by the fence, then I saw it move toward the house.

CAIN
What did it look like?

SARAH
It was very large. It was crouched down next to something. I
guess, it could have been a person.

Cain writes in his notepad.

 10.

CAIN
(while looking down)
Curious.

CAIN
(to all)
What did you notice about Claire that night?

JACK
She was off.

SARAH
She wasn't how she usually is.

LEWIS
(dismissively)
Claire was fine.

CAIN
(to Jack and Sarah)
How was she not like she usually is?

JACK
I assume it was just the argument with Lewis. Even when she
arrived she looked a little stressed. The talk with Lewis didn't
help.

SARAH
She looked morose, maybe she was sad about something? She barely
even talked much to Lilly, who she normally has a great time with.

CAIN
(to Lewis)
She was fine?

LEWIS
Yes, everyone mentioned after it happened how she was "off" or
something. I think they're just saying it to explain how it
happened. Look, Claire was my friend, and I don't see it in her,
but sometimes it doesn't make sense. People like to search for
answers especially when they aren't there.

CAIN
You do not believe she was murdered?

LEWIS
Maybe. All I know is that sometimes there isn't an explanation.

CAIN
(to all)
What was Claire like with you and the other members of the group?

JACK
She was, nice, friendly with everyone, and not just with the
people in our group. She was a person you felt like you could talk
to.
 11.

SARAH
Claire was, interesting, peppy. Always talking to Jack and Lewis.

LEWIS
She was cool, very energetic, I never had any problems with her.

Large pause as Cain writes.

CAIN
(to all, looking at his notepad)
Have there been any romantic relationships between you or anyone
else in the group?

Jack changes his posture.

JACK
(looking a bit uncomfortable)
(pause) I had a relationship with Claire three months ago. As for
everyone else, I don't think there's been anything.

SARAH
There haven't been any.

LEWIS
Famously there was Jack and Claire, until they broke up and Lilly
and Claire got together. And-

CAIN
(interrupting Lewis)
Wait, Lilly and Claire got together after Claire broke up with
Jack?

LEWIS
Yes.

CAIN
How long after her breakup did she start dating Lilly?

LEWIS
About a month, maybe less.

CAIN
On what day exactly?

LEWIS
It was on June 14th. I know because they announced it when we had
our party that month.

CAIN
Interesting. (pause) I interrupted you, were there any more?

LEWIS
Yes. It's really not my business, but even though she won't admit
it, Sarah has had a thing for Jack, ever since they started
working together.
 12.

CAIN
Thank you.

Cain writes in his notepad.

CAIN
(to Jack)
How long was your relationship with Claire?

JACK
About four months.

CAIN
How serious was it?

JACK
Pretty serious. We met each other's parents, that whole thing.

CAIN
Why did you break up?

JACK
She said she didn't love me anymore. She said she didn't feel the
spark that she once felt. She said she's moving on to someone
else.

Cain writes.

CAIN
(to Sarah, incredulously, with emphasis
on the 'no')
There have been no relationships between anyone in your group?

SARAH
Correct.

CAIN
Are you sure?

SARAH
I'm very sure.

Cain writes.

CAIN
(to Lewis)
Did anything end up happening between Sarah and Jack?

LEWIS
Not that I know of. Sarah could never work up the courage to ask
him out.

Cain pauses to write in his notepad for a final time.

 13.

CAIN
(to all)
Thank you for coming.

Subjects relax and walk out.

4 SCENE 4 4

(The office evidence room. There is a board upstage that contains

the clues of the case, including photos of the victim's wounds,
and a table stage left that has papers strewn across it. Cain and
Vaughn are poring over the evidence, with Cain standing back,
looking at the board, and Vaughn looking for a piece of paper on
the table. Cain has his sleeves rolled up and is in thought)

Vaughn finds her paper and walks to the board, adding

it to the mess before walking back to the table. As
Vaughn is walking to the table, Cain says something.

CAIN
Look at the file that Ms. Larson gave me again, please.

Vaughn finishes her walk to the table and flips open

the first page of the report.

CAIN
Read the initial police report again.

Vaughn looks down the page.

VAUGHN
Dispatch received a 911 call at 11:15 PM reporting a murder at 305
Crestwood Avenue...

CAIN
(interrupting)
Skip to the crime scene.

VAUGHN
Victim Claire Schultz was found dead in the first floor bathroom.
The bathmat and sink were covered with the blood of the victim.
There was no murder weapon left at the scene.

CAIN
What did the coroner's report say about the victim's body?

VAUGHN
Victim had lacerations across the anterior right and left wrists.
The wounds are precise and clean, across both radial arteries,
clearly done by a sharp object. All evidence indicates a likely
suicide. No other injuries noted other than bruising of two
centimeters in diameter to the left lateral neck just superior to
the left clavicle.

Cain is still thinking. Vaughn is arranging the papers

on the table.
 14.

CAIN
(looking at the evidence)
It doesn't make sense.

VAUGHN
What do you mean?

Cain walks to the board where the photos of the

incisions are.

CAIN
(looking at photos of Claire's wounds)
If she was murdered, then it was done by someone skilled. Someone
who practiced. Come here (gesturing to board), look at these
incisions.

Vaughn walks over to the board to examine what Cain is

looking at.

CAIN
Perfect cuts. The suspect we're looking for is far more careful
than any of ours.

VAUGHN
Maybe they've gotten confident?

Cain moves to the table while Vaughn stays at the

board.

VAUGHN
(facing the board, then turning to Cain)
Well what about the argument that Claire and Lewis had? And the
thing Sarah saw outside? Or the fact that Jack left early?

CAIN
(messing with the papers, putting them
into a stack)
Work argument, raccoon... He said he was tired. (pause) It's just,
they're all so naive. They're all lying about their girlfriends
and crushes and petty arguments. It's just schoolgirl gossip, all
of it.

Cain leaves the stack of papers on the table and walks

to the board.

CAIN
(taking the pictures and documents off
the board and putting them into a
separate stack)
We're looking for a killer. No one here's a killer. I mean,
really, to think that one of them killed another human being, it's
not possible, they don't have it in them.

Cain takes these papers to the table and puts them on

top of the other papers and puts them into a file. He
begins to exit stage right.
 15.

VAUGHN
(grabbing Cain's attention quietly, then
loudly)
Cain, Cain! Give the case to me. Even if it's hopeless. You said
you would give me a chance.

CAIN
Julia, this case... I know her friends think it wasn't a suicide,
but they have lied to me about everything they have told me. There
is no case here.

VAUGHN
I understand, just, give me two weeks, please.

CAIN
Look, the woman who gave me the case, she was desperate, I was
doing her a favor.

VAUGHN
(with her hand out)
Please.

Cain, with a firm grip so that Vaughn has to pull hard,

reluctantly hands her the file.

CAIN
(a bit too sternly)
You asked for this.

Cain exits. Vaughn takes the files and sets them down
on the table. She opens the files and begins reading.

5 SCENE 5 5

(An office used for questioning. There is a large desk and three
chairs center stage containing Jack, Sarah, and Lewis. There is a
second large desk in the upstage right corner that is tilted to
face the suspects in the same way as scene three. Vaughn is seated
on the corner edge of the desk with transcripts and notes about
their interrogation with Cain placed on the table. Vaughn has a
pen in her hand)

VAUGHN
Shall we get started?

The suspects don't respond. As Vaughn starts to speak,

she gets up and paces in front of her desk slowly,
facing the suspects.

VAUGHN
(with confidence, gesturing as she
speaks)
You all are here today, in the same room, all together, because
last time I don't think you all fully understood the gravity of
the situation you're in. As you're very well aware, on July 14th
(more)
 16.

VAUGHN (continued)
your friend Claire Schultz was murdered in the bathroom of a
dinner party that all of you attended. (pause) Despite this,
during your interrogation with Inspector Cain, all of you lied at
some point during your testimony. (pause) Unless we start telling
the truth, that's 5 years in a federal prison. (pause) I
understand all of you were friends with Claire. Your honesty is
the best chance we have at giving her justice.

Vaughn finishes her speech at the stage right end of

the desk then walks around it and takes her seat.

VAUGHN
(clicking her pen, looking up at the
suspects)
Let's retry.

VAUGHN
(looking at the transcript)
I think we all agreed it was Ms. Morales's going-away party.
That's a good start. And again, Ms. Morales, why are you leaving
the city?

SARAH
(nervously)
I got a new job upstate.

VAUGHN
A better one? Higher paying?

SARAH
Yes.

VAUGHN
Where?

SARAH
Saratoga Springs, it's upstate.

VAUGHN
You're going upstate? You're advancing your career in insurance by
going upstate? Where are you going to live?

SARAH
I'm moving in with my parents.

VAUGHN
So you aren't advancing anything, you're fleeing from something.
What are you fleeing from?

SARAH
(tentative to answer)
Our friend group. With all the breakups and then Claire and Lilly
dating, it was falling apart. (looking over to Jack) You guys said
you would still be friends, but, it was never the same.
 17.

Vaughn looks back at her notes and tries again.

VAUGHN
Jack, you left early from the party that night, correct?

JACK
Yes.

VAUGHN
Why?

JACK
(tentatively, realizing that his lie
kind of sucks)
I was tired, I had an early meeting the next day.

VAUGHN
(to the other suspects)
You all work at the same firm, is this true?

LEWIS
No. We don't have morning meetings on Saturdays.

Vaughn turns to Jack.

JACK
(nervously)
I don't have a reason, I just... Sarah was right. Lilly, Claire,
and I never acted the same after the breakup happened. Hanging out
with you guys, it never felt right again.

VAUGHN
Where did you go after you left?

JACK
My apartment.

VAUGHN
Do you have proof that you weren't at the party when the crime
happened?

JACK
I came home on the subway, I have the ticket somewhere.

Pause while Vaughn takes notes.

VAUGHN
Mr. Glaser, you mentioned that Mr. Murdock and the victim entered
a room together privately near the end of your time at the party.
And apparently it got heated?

JACK
Yes.

VAUGHN
Mr. Murdock, can you confirm this?
 18.

LEWIS
I can.

VAUGHN
But you also said that you never had any problems with Claire?

LEWIS
Yes, I did.

VAUGHN
Why did you feel the need to lie?

LEWIS
My discussion with Claire was about sensitive information about
our company. I did not feel that it was pertinent to Mr. Cain's
investigation.

VAUGHN
(slightly angrily)
So you will not tell me what you discussed?

LEWIS
No, it's private.

VAUGHN
(sharply)
If you can't tell me now, you will do so on trial under oath.

LEWIS
(reluctantly)
(pause, taking a breath) The disagreement had to do with her
branch's new budget and the additional work allocated to her team.

VAUGHN
And why did this conversation happen after work hours?

LEWIS
Claire received a message that alerted her to the new policy plan.

VAUGHN
Why did the disagreement turn to yelling?

LEWIS
Claire felt like I was doing her and her team unfairly, and that I
was making her life unnecessarily more difficult.

VAUGHN
And then?

LEWIS
I told her I was doing my job and that I was following the same
model that I had for the previous quarter's budgets. She didn't
believe me. She told me she submitted a written complaint, and
that's when the yelling started.
 19.

VAUGHN
(taking notes)
Can you provide an official fax of the complaint?

LEWIS
Yes.

Vaughn writes.

VAUGHN
(pause) After your conversation with Claire, what did you do for
the rest of the night?

LEWIS
I mostly talked with Lilly. My conversation with Claire happened
toward the end of the night, so not much happened before...you
know. I don't remember the specifics of what Lilly and I talked
about, if that's what you're asking. I doubt anyone remembers
much.

VAUGHN
Thank you Mr. Murdock.

Vaughn writes.

VAUGHN
Ms. Morales, you also mentioned that there had been no romantic
relationships between anyone in the group?

SARAH
I did.

VAUGHN
And you know that isn't true?

SARAH
Yes.

VAUGHN
Why did you feel the need to lie?

SARAH
I don't... I don't know.

VAUGHN
Mr. Murdock, do you remember how you described the romantic
history of the group?

LEWIS
I believe I said what the truth is. I mentioned Jack and Claire's
relationship, their break-up, and Claire and Lilly's.

VAUGHN
Yes, but you mentioned one other thing, do you remember what it
was?
 20.

LEWIS
I do not see how this is relevant to the case.

VAUGHN
Excuse me?

LEWIS
I don't see how my friend's relationships are important to the
case.

VAUGHN
That isn't your concern, Mr. Murdock. It is up to me to decide
what is relevant to this case. Please continue.

LEWIS
(reluctantly)
I mentioned Sarah and-

SARAH
(interrupting, turning to Lewis)
Lewis, its fine, I've got it. I know you mentioned my interest in
Jack, and I would like to tell you that...

Sarah stands up with Jack.

SARAH
(grabbing Jacks arm)
We're dating now. (small pause) We started getting closer after
Claire's death, and up to now, it was too recent to tell everyone,
but I guess now is a good time.

LEWIS
(turning to Jack and Sarah then
standing)
Seriously? Guys, that's great.

Lewis embraces both of them.

VAUGHN
Could everyone sit down please.

Everyone sits down. Vaughn searches her notes and the

transcripts for other marked inconsistencies. She stops
after she thinks she has found one.

VAUGHN
(her eyes on the papers)
So, Jack, your...

Vaughn realizes she hasn't found an inconsistency and

starts to search more franticly.

VAUGHN
(her eyes on the papers)
Ah, Sarah you...
 21.

Vaughn again realizes she still hasn't found anything

else that doesn't line up. She searches more
frantically still.

VAUGHN
And Lewis, you and Claire...

Vaughn is still searching through her papers, but

eventually realizes that she has nothing left to ask
them. All holes have been filled, they all have
reasonable deniability.

VAUGHN
(coming back to reality)
Thank you all for coming.

Vaughn gathers her papers and leaves briskly. The

suspects talk among themselves as they get up and walk
out.

6 SCENE 6 6

(The same evidence room as scene four. The board and table are
covered with Vaughn's updated evidence. Headshots and profiles of
Jack, Lewis, Sarah, and Lilly are displayed prominently on the
board. The headshots of the first two suspects have x's over them.
The table now has a landline phone on it. On the unused side of
the stage, there is a small stand topped with another landline
phone. Vaughn is looking over her notes on the table with a pen in
her hand)

Looking over the evidence Vaughn's concentration turns

to frustration and she walks to the board and crosses
out the final suspect's headshot. Standing back, she
reviews the board, and in frustration throws her pen
across the room. She then walks over to the table and
broods over the table. Soon after, Cain enters through
a door stage right.

CAIN
(seeing the pen on the floor, sensing
Vaughn's frustration)
No leads?

VAUGHN
(seeing him, then turning her head away)
(pause) They all have explanations. Reasons why they lied or did
something suspicious.

CAIN
(moving to centerstage, then looking at
the evidence board)
That's how it is sometimes.
 22.

VAUGHN
But there is also no evidence that Claire actually killed herself.
That's why this doesn't make sense.

CAIN
Lewis might have been right. Sometimes people don't have reasons.

VAUGHN
But there was no murder weapon left at the scene. If it was a
suicide, then there would be one.

CAIN
There are ways to get rid of a knife.

VAUGHN
Not while you are bleeding out. Besides, why would she? She's
going to be found anyway.

CAIN
All I am saying is that you should open your mind up to new
possibilities. This is a difficult case. In this line of work
giving up is sometimes a necessity.

VAUGHN
(transitioning from the table to the
board)
Something happened to her. I need to keep searching.

Vaughn peruses the evidence with her eyes.

CAIN
All right. You know I won't stop you.

Cain begins to slowly exit through the same door that

he entered from. Vaughn locks eyes with Lilly Larson's
headshot.

VAUGHN
(stopping him, getting his attention)
Wait. How do you know Lilly Larson, the client who gave you the
case?

Cain hesitates.

CAIN
She's an old friend from grad school.

Cain finishes his exit through the same door he came.

Vaughn ruminates on Cain's words before taking Lilly's
page down from the board and bringing it to the table.
While looking at Lilly's file, she brings the telephone
receiver to her ear and dials the number listed. During
this action, the small stand on the blacked out side of
the stage is illuminated, and the telephone starts
ringing. After two rings, Lilly enters from stage left
and answers the phone on its third ring.
 23.

LILLY
(in a friendly tone)
Lilly Larson.

VAUGHN
Good evening Lilly, this is Julia Vaughn, I work with Inspector
Cain and his firm... I think we need to talk.

Lilly's expression changes.

7 SCENE 7 7

(Night, waterfront. The set is the exact same as scene two. Vaughn
is sitting on the stage left side of the bench)

Lilly enters stage right. Vaughn sees Lilly and stands

to greet her.

VAUGHN
(shaking her hand)
Hi Lilly, I'm Julia.

LILLY
(sitting down with Vaughn)
Hi Julia, I understand you work with Harvey, how can I help you,
is everything all right?

VAUGHN
Yes it is, for now. I just need to ask you some more specific
questions about the case.

LILLY
Oh, okay I'm happy to help.

VAUGHN
(pause) Would you be comfortable talking about your relationship
with Claire? I know it's still very recent and I don't want-

LILLY
(stopping her)
Yes. I loved Claire. I have nothing to be ashamed of about our
relationship.

VAUGHN
Your relationship, how did it happen, you know, being friends for
so long?

LILLY
For me our connection was instant. We met in college, she was in
my dorm, I quickly got to know her and we became friends. Her
presence, her energy was special. When she laughed it felt like it
reverberated through the floor and bounced off the walls. Claire
was smart, funny- I wasn't the only one who had a crush on her. So
we stayed friends, until June when she broke up with her boyfriend
at the time, Jack, and she told me that she felt the same way that
I did. We dated for a month or two before she died.
 24.

Vaughn takes a quick but decisive pause, realizing that

this question is cutting close to Lilly.

VAUGHN
Do you think there is any reason, any way, she might have killed
herself? Did she have depression, any mental health issues leading
up to the party that might have affected her like that?

LILLY
(almost insulted)
No, never. Not in a million years.

VAUGHN
Were you dating anyone when Claire told you how she felt?

LILLY
Yes, well you know him of course, Harvey.

VAUGHN
(shocked)
Really? He just said you were an old friend, I didn't realize...

LILLY
Oh yes. I really felt bad for him. None of it was his fault.

VAUGHN
How serious was your relationship with him?

LILLY
Very. We started dating just after grad school which was about
three years ago.

VAUGHN
How did you meet him?

LILLY
At a party funny enough, through a coworker.

VAUGHN
How did he react after you broke the news to him?

LILLY
Not very well, as I'm sure you can imagine. You know he's not
usually a very emotional guy, but he was really hurt. He didn't
leave his apartment for days. I was the only one who could talk
him out of leaving.

VAUGHN
Well, what was he saying?

LILLY
All sorts of things. He wasn't in the right state of mind.

VAUGHN
Did you remain in contact with him after?
 25.

LILLY
No, not really. I never tried to reach out, and I don't think he
did either, until this case of course.

VAUGHN
When you told Harvey that you were breaking up with him, did you
say that you were getting together with Claire?

LILLY
Yes. He didn't like it.

Pause while Vaughn gathers herself and realizes what is

true, what she didn't want to believe.

VAUGHN
Harvey told me and the members of your group that you hadn't. He
also wouldn't tell me how you knew him. He wouldn't tell me
anything about you, in fact. (pause) Lilly... I think Harvey
killed Claire.

Lilly pauses, shocked. Vaughn remains calm.

LILLY
What, what do you mean? No, no, he didn't...

VAUGHN
I did another interview of your friends, and they were lying, but
for other reasons. I was completely out of options until Cain came
in. He really wanted me to drop the case. And I was, until I saw
your profile. I asked him how he knew you and all he said was that
you were an old friend. So I started to connect the dots, and it
all lined up.

LILLY
But... He couldn't have, not Cain, I thought...

Vaughn stands and walks stage left.

VAUGHN
(while standing up and walking)
Come, I'll show you.

Lilly stands and follows Vaughn. Vaughn walks stage

right to the unused side and turns around the board
used in scene 6 to reveal new evidence. Once the board
is revealed, Vaughn stands on its stage right side,
looking at it.

VAUGHN
(looking at the board)
In June, you two broke up, and a month later Claire was dead.
(gesturing to the calender on the board) Exactly a month later.
You broke up with Cain on the 13th of June and announced your
relationship with Claire on the 14th during your monthly party.
Cain knew about these parties, so he made a plan. Because he
(more)
 26.

VAUGHN (continued)
consults for the state, he could have easily found Lewis Murdock's
address. All he had to do then was practice how he would do it.
(gesturing to a photo of the crime scene) It's summer, so he knew
the window would be open. He came in through the open window,
subdued Claire, turned on the faucet to reduce any noise, killed
her, then left. Claire was the only one who saw him. (pause) Only
he could have done it.

Lilly stands in shock for a beat, staring at the board

and starting to fully take in what Vaughn has shown
her.

LILLY
(her breathing starting to hasten, tears
beginning to form)
It's not true. It's not true. It can't be (pause) Why? Why!

Lilly turns upstage, venting her emotions away from the

board. She is near the climax of her emotions. Vaughn
averts her eyes

LILLY
Why, why did he... I knew he was upset but he...

Lilly's sadness hits a climax, but she does not cry.

8 SCENE 8 8

(A living room of a house. There is a door upstage right. An

armchair and a couch are across from each other with a ottoman or
coffee table between them. The armchair has a side table beside it
garnished with a liquor set and has Cain's coat draped over it)

Vaughn knocks on Cain's door. Cain opens it and holds

eye contact with her for a beat. With tacit
understanding about why she is here, he lets her in.
Cain walks over to his armchair.

CAIN
Take a seat.

Cain sits in his chair and Vaughn sits on the couch.

Cain grabs a bottle of liquor from the side table and
pours himself a glass.

VAUGHN
(staring at him)
(pause) Why'd you do it?

Cain takes a sip.

CAIN
(not meeting her gaze)
How'd you figure it out?
 27.

VAUGHN
It was just as you said. None of them are killers. None of them
had the motive. (pause) Except you. After I talked with Lilly it
became clear.

CAIN
You talked to Lilly? Nice work. I was afraid of that.

VAUGHN
(irritated)
(pause) Why'd you do it?

CAIN
(slowly, not meeting Vaughn's eye
contact)
I couldn't handle it. Her being with someone else.

VAUGHN
And your solution was to kill her?

CAIN
You don't understand.

VAUGHN
(very upset, now standing)
I clearly don't, Harvey. She's dead! From your knife! She was
innocent, Harvey! Innocent! Those perfect cuts-you thought you
were clean. You got cocky. You're just as sloppy as those suspects
you call idiots!

Vaughn takes a pause and sits down, calming down a

little.

VAUGHN
You know, after all of this, what never made sense to me? Other
than your slip up, you had it all perfect. You left not one shred
of physical evidence. You fabricated all of the diversions, made
it so there was not one soul on this earth who thought it was you.
And when Lilly wrote to you about the case, all you had to do was
say you couldn't do it. Why didn't you? It could have been over
from the start!

Cain is still silent. Vaughn is still pressing,

searching Cain's eyes for the answer. Cain is looking
away, not meeting her gaze.

VAUGHN
(realizing)
Oh, my, God. You thought you could win her back. That's why you
had to accept it. Give her the grand investigation she wanted. In
the end say there was nothing more you could do. Use that to get
nice and cozy with her, right? That's what you did?
 28.

CAIN
(standing up)
She was everything! I am nothing without her, and she is nothing
without me, I did what I had to do for her!

VAUGHN
(interrupting, standing again)
Obsession!

CAIN
We were in love! I was going to propose to her, we were going to
get married! So I made a choice. I was not going to sit around
while the love of my life makes the worst mistake she'll ever
make! I've been without her before.

VAUGHN
You're repulsive! Think about those suspects, Jack and Sarah. What
they have is love, normal people love. What you have is obsession,
and you did it because you're weak and you couldn't handle not
being the center of the universe. Not everything is about you
Cain! Her leaving you wasn't a mistake! It's a choice she made
just as you made yours. Her life doesn't revolve around you. She
was happy! Now all of it, it's over because of you.

CAIN
(coldly, quietly)
So be it.

Vaughn and Cain sit back down. (pause)

VAUGHN
I used to admire you. Do you know what I gave up to be your
goddamn assistant? I was the best student out of my class. I was
offered a six figure job as a federal agent. I would have had my
own office, my own goddamn secretary. But I didn't accept it.
Because Harvey Cain was hiring. The best inspector in the world
everyone said.

Silence falls on the room as no one knows what to say.

VAUGHN
This wasn't how this was supposed to go. I was going to solve the
case, you were going to trust me more and give me more cases and
make me your partner...and then I would leave. And do my own
thing. That all I ever wanted.

Everyone and everything pauses for a couple seconds.

CAIN
(quietly)
I shouldn't have dragged you into this. (stuttering) I tried to-

VAUGHN
(interrupting)
It's too late! You shouldn't have done it!
 29.

Pause for a couple beats.

VAUGHN
If you don't have anything else to say I'm going to leave

Vaughn checks her watch.

VAUGHN
You don't have much time until the police arrive. I also gave them
your plates, so don't bother running.

Vaughn stands and begins to walk out.

CAIN
(standing now, stopping Vaughn)
Julia.

Vaughn stops and turns.

CAIN
(quietly)
I'm sorry.

VAUGHN
(quietly)
It's over.

Vaughn exits. Right as she does, the same tune that

played in scene 1 plays now, fading in softly. Cain,
after sitting for a while, rises, walks around to the
back of his chair, and picks up his coat, taking his
time. With perfect movements he carefully flattens it
out in his hands, before flinging it over his shoulder.
As he flattens the coat, flashing police lights arrive
softly through the house. Taking his time still, he
walks to the center of the stage with his eyes down and
his right hand in his pocket and turns his gaze
upstage, looking at the audience. When Cain feels it is
right, he looks back to the floor in front of him and
makes his final exit off stage. The music begins a 3
second fade. While this happens, the lights do a 4
second fade to black. End of play.