Jefferson and Green By Emily Fedor

Cast of Characters Bob: Melissa: Captain Reynolds: Madeleine: Nurse 1: Thug: Ms. Jenning: Officer: Skeptical, determined Weepy, loving, faint-hearted Good actor, seemingly good but evil Spunky, young, intelligent No personality Stupid, strong, gruff Pleasant, simple-minded Busy, tries to do the right thing

JEFFERSON AND GREEN SCENE: 1 INT. SUPERMARKET - LATE MORNING () SOUND: REFRIGERATORS HUMMING SOUND: CRYING MELISSA: (SOBBING) Bob? BOB?! Are you here, Bob? BOB: (PLEASANTLY) Melissa! Oh, hello Melissa darling! Fancy seeing you here in the supermarket, I thought you would be at work - Wait, are you crying? Whats wrong? MELISSA: Oh, Bob! Ive just had the most terrible news! Our little sister, our dear Madeleine - is dead! She was knifed in a back alleyway. Captain Reynolds, the officer who found her, called me immediately, seeing as Im her sister. He tried your place as well but reached the answering machine. I went to your house immediately and your wife said you were shopping - so here I am. Oh, Bob! BOB: (IN A CHOKED VOICE) No! Madeleine? Dead? But... she was a black belt in karate! She wouldnt have been overcome by some run-of-the-mill thief! MELISSA: (QUIETING) I know, I told the police so. Theyre conducting a very small investigation, but they think that she was probably just ambushed and stabbed before she had time to react. BOB: (IN DENIAL) That cant be right. Shes always had the reflexes of a cat! Somethings not right here. Im going to contact the police in charge of the investigation and get to the bottom of this.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

2.

MELISSA: Bob, theres no use. Shes dead. Youre in denial. The Captain says that the faster we come to terms, the easier itll be. They found her body. She was identified. BOB: (TEARING UP) No. NO! Im going over to the police station right now! SCENE: 2 INT. POLICE STATION - LATE MORNING SOUND: RUSTLING PAPER SOUND: MUTED VOICES SOUND: WALKIE-TALKIE SOUNDS BOB: Captain Reynolds? Im Bob Adams, the brother of Madeleine Adams, the girl who was stabbed today. Youve already met my other sister Melissa. CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: Ah, yes. May I say how deeply sorry I am for your loss? BOB: (INTERRUPTING) Thank you, but somethings fishy about this. Madeleine was a black belt in karate-CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (INTERRUPTING) Ive heard this from Melissa, and its being taken into account in our investigation. Thats the only reason there is an investigation. Although (SHARPER), to be perfectly honest and not at all condescending, were likely wasting our time by pandering to your whims. Everyone can be surprised, everyone can be distracted. Maybe shed had a bad night the night before and was worrying about an upcoming test - I hear that thats fairly common among university students. BOB: (HUFFILY) Of course, that is an option - though in my opinion, not a very likely one. CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (TIREDLY) Mr. Adams...

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

3.

MELISSA: What if we see the body? Thatll surely allay any doubts. BOB: (CHOKING UP) Yes, Id like to see her... body. CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: That shouldnt be a problem, sir. Ill give you directions to the mortuary in which shes being held. MELISSA: (HEARTFELT) Thank you, for all youve done, sir. CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: Just doing my duty, maam. SCENE: 3 INT. HOSPITAL - LATE MORNING SOUND: MUTED VOICES SOUND: HOSPITAL NOISES MELISSA: Excuse me, Nurse - is this the way to the mortuary? NURSE 1: Yes, maam. Keep straight here and hang a left when you reach the T-junction at the end of the corridor. MELISSA: Thank you! SOUND: FOOTSTEPS SOUND: DOOR OPENING MELISSA: Excuse me, is this the mortuary? MS. JENNING: Yes, maam, I am the head mortician, Ms. Jenning. How can I help you? BOB: We were told that our sister was taken here, a Miss Madeleine Adams - is this the place?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

4.

MS. JENNING: (INSINCERELY) Yes, I personally received and processed her body. My condolences to you. BOB: Wed like to see her body, please. MS. JENNING: (SURPRISED) But... I was told to have her cremated! All I have to show you is an urn of ashes. BOB AND MELISSA: (INCREDULOUS) What?! BOB: (FURIOUS) Who gave that order? MELISSA: (BABBLING) We never asked to have her cremated! MS. JENNING: Im terribly, terribly sorry for this misunderstanding, Miss - I was given the express order to cremate the body, and told that her family wished it done. BOB: (FRUSTRATED) Thats it, theres a conspiracy surrounding this supposed death! Somethings NOT right here! Come on, Melissa, lets get back to the police station. SCENE: 4 INT. POLICE STATION - LATE MORNING SOUND: RUSTLING PAPER SOUND: MUTED VOICES SOUND: WALKIE-TALKIE SOUNDS BOB: (ANGRILY) Captain Reynolds, the body was cremated when we got there! CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (WITH SURPRISE) What? Last I knew, she was still whole, and waiting for her family to pick her up. Why was she cremated? (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

5.

MELISSA: (WAILING) We dont know! The mortician said that she was told that the family wanted it done! CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: This is most strange indeed - our efforts in the investigation will double, I promise you. BOB: (FIRMLY) Thats not enough. Well go to the scene of the crime ourselves. CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: Sir, I dont think I can permit you to do that. Its a crime scene and youre civilians. I have several trained men on the job! Theres nothing you can do, and there could be more thugs lurking - a threat with which my men are prepared to deal, and you are not. MELISSA: (SADLY) Sir, shes our sister, for goodness sakes! We need to find out what happened to her. CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (IMPATIENTLY) And we will! And the best way to find out what happened to her is to leave this task up to trained police officers! To be very blunt, Miss Adams, you will only get in our way. BOB: (CIVILLY) Fine, Captain. Good day. CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (SOMEWHAT SURPRISED AT BOBS ACQUIESCENCE) Id better get to the scene of the crime myself. See if theres anything my men have overlooked. Good day to you. MELISSA: (PUZZLED) Bob, why on earth did you do that? Dont you want to go to the crime scene? You were so adamant about it before! BOB: Because Reynolds wasnt going to let us. No matter what we said, he wouldnt tell us exactly where to go. Well just have to ask one of his underlings, someone who (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

6.

BOB: (contd) wont know better. (RAISING HIS VOICE) Oh, excuse me, sir! OFFICER: (BORED) Yes, how can I help? BOB: Our sister was knifed to death recently - where was that? The name was Madeleine Adams. Were her siblings. OFFICER: Oh, corner of Jefferson and Green. Sorry about your sister. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS WALKING AWAY. MELISSA: Thank you, officer! Oh Bob, youre brilliant. To the corner of Jefferson and Green! SCENE: 5 EXT. CORNER OF JEFFERSON AND GREEN - LATE MORNING SOUND: CAR ROLLING TO A HALT SOUND: CAR DOORS OPENING AND SLAMMING MELISSA: This is it - Jefferson and neighborhood, isnt it - I people who live here could Madeleine. Look at all the BOB: I can see yellow tape over there - thats probably where Maddie was found. MELISSA: (DOUBTFULLY) But Bob - should we really leave the car here? If people here have no hesitations about murder, I doubt they would leave a nice new Sedan unmolested. BOB: (GRIMLY) We have little choice, Melissa. I just want to find my sister. Who cares about Sedans? CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (CALLING FROM A DISTANCE) Mr. and Ms. Adams! I thought I told you to keep away from here! (CONTINUED) Green. Its quite a rough can almost believe that the be violent enough to kill graffiti and trash.

CONTINUED:

7.

BOB: (CHEERFULLY) Sorry, sir! We were driving home and got lost. What a coincidence that we ended up here! CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (SNORTS) Stay out of our way. We could only spare a few men for this job, and I dont want to have to spend a man coddling you two when he could be investigating. MELISSA: (EARNESTLY) Of course, well be no trouble, sir. Well stay out of everyones hair. CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (THREATENINGLY) Youd better. We have no good leads yet, and if you mess up a print or scuff, you may have just ruined all chances of finding your sisters murderer. BOB: (CHEERILY) Well be careful! CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (QUIETER, FROM FARTHER AWAY) Get to work, boys, these two wont bother us! BOB: (HALF-WHISPERING) Melissa, this is what well do - its getting close to lunch, and theyll probably all take a break. When that happens, well sneak past the yellow tape and have a look around. Maybe we can find some clue - after all, we know Madeleine personally! She might have left a message that no one else would understand, a piece of her clothing could have torn and caught on something, maybe... I dont know! But Ill feel much better once Ive actually done something. MELISSA: All right, Bob. I understand what you mean. I feel wretched about this whole event. But, Bob? Do you really think that well be able to do anything for the investigation? Do you really believe that she left a clue, or that well find anything that the police didnt? Were not trained. Maybe Reynolds has a point. BOB: (HEAVILY) (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

8.

BOB: (contd) I know, Melissa... Odds are that we wont find anything worth finding. But itll make me feel like I did something for her. COMMERCIAL BREAK SCENE: 6 EXT. CORNER OF JEFFERSON AND GREEN - NOON BOB: Quiet now, Melissa. The men are on their break, but theyll be back soon. This is our chance. MELISSA: (INDIGNANT) I still think its disgraceful how few officers there are here, and how little equipment. There was a murder here! And a suspicious one at that. BOB: (EXPLANATORY) They dont think its suspicious at all. They havent spent time with Madeleine, they dont realize how good her reflexes are. Im actually surprised theyve even managed to spare even this many men. When youre a police officer in this area, you see a lot of murders, muggings, theft, and so on. Maddies death isnt that unusual to them. MELISSA: (RELUCTANTLY) I suppose youre right. Here we are. BOB: (IMPRESSED, PROUD) Wow! My little Maddie put up quite a fight. Look at all these overturned crates - is that a broken window over there? And theres a bloodstain by your foot. MELISSA: And this crate is completely crushed - she must have thrown her attacker into it. Wait - Bob! This completely disproves everything Reynolds has been saying! Theres evidence of a fight, so she cant have been surprised! If she wasnt surprised, it cant have been a common thug who killed her! It must have been a trained fighter if they brought her down even after she started fighting in earnest. Theres definitely something fishy behind this.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

9.

BOB: (AWED) Youre right, Melissa - youre right! We should go tell Reynolds right away. He cant be a very competent police officer if he didnt realize this. Come on. SOUND: RUNNING FEET SOUND: VOICES FADING IN BOB: Captain Reynolds, sir! CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (DISPARAGINGLY) God help us, its you again. I thought I heard you agree to keep out of our hair! And youve been to the scene of the fight too, Ill bet. What is wrong with you that you cannot obey even the smallest of commands-MELISSA: (INTERRUPTING) But sir! Its as you said, the scene of the FIGHT! She obviously wasnt surprised, there are signs of a tussle all over - a broken window, smashed and overturned crates. Dont you see? It must have been someone trained to take her down! CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (EXASPERATED) Heavens above, woman, this is a rough neighborhood. The window was probably already broken, and I doubt that people here neatly stack their crates so as to maximize cleanliness. You dont know that it was Madeleine who did that. BOB: (CONFIDENTLY) No, sir, really! And anyhow, theres too little blood for a knifing unless the dagger was left in the wound and in a rough neighborhood like this, who would just leave knives lying around in their victims? Melissa CANT have been stabbed like you said she was. CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (COLDLY) I see. If we cant get rid of you by putting up a good front... (SIGHING) I hadnt wanted it to come to this. My quarrel was with Madeleine alone. I didnt want to drag her family into it.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

10.

MELISSA: (GASPS) What? You had something to do with this? BOB: (INCREDULOUS) This entire investigation wasnt legitimate? You were faking it to keep up appearances to get rid of us? CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (ANNOYED) Oh, shuttup. Men, chloroform, I think. MELISSA: (ALARMED) What are you doing? No, stop-SOUND: STRUGGLING NOISES SOUND: MUTED CRIES OF ALARM SCENE: 7 INT. THUG HIDEOUT - EARLY AFTERNOON MELISSA: Ohhhh, my head... Bob? Bob!? Where are we? Why is it so dark? Why am I tied up? BOB: (OBVIOUSLY TRYING HARD TO BE CALM) Shh, shhh, Melissa. Calm down, youll hurt yourself. Do you remember anything? MELISSA: (CONFUSED) There was a handkerchief... it smelled funny Reynolds! He was a traitor? He had something to do with Madeleine! Oh, Bob - we have to get out of here! He killed Maddie and hell kill us too! BOB: Shhhh, Melissa, think! If he wanted to kill us wed already be dead - hes no reason to wait until we woke up to dispatch us. And I dont think hes killed Maddie either. Something about how he talked about his quote-quote quarrel with Maddie - I mean, you cant have a quarrel with a dead girl, can you now? And anyway, think - were tied up hands and feet in a pitch-black room. How exactly were you proposing to get out of here?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

11.

MELISSA: (AUDIBLY CONTROLLING A TREMBLING VOICE) So we just wait here? BOB: (RESIGNED) I dont see that we have a choice. SOUND: DOOR OPENING SOUND: LIGHT SWITCH FLIPPING SOUND: GROANS FROM MELISSA AND BOB BOB: Turn off the light! It hurts our eyes! MELISSA: Its too bright! THUG: Shut up! Reynolds will be along shortly with your sister. Rest quiet now, and youll have a nice little reunion before the triple funeral. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS WALKING AWAY. THUG: (DISTANTLY) Theyre awake, Captain, sir. You can bring in the sister now if you like. CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (DISTANTLY) Fetch the girl! Ill attend to this myself. THUG: Sir. SOUND: 2 SETS OF FOOTSTEPS GETTING CLOSER MELISSA: Madeleine?!? BOB: Youre alive! MADELEINE: Melissa? Bob? What are you doing here? BOB: We came looking for you!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

12.

MADELEINE: (TEARFULLY) You idiots, I love you so much! CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: (COMMANDINGLY) Silence, the three of you! Let me explain to you two imbeciles why youre here. Madeleine dear owes me a large sum of money, and shes missed her deadline for repayment. Ive had spies follow her and know that she has enough money to pay me back, but is refusing to bring the money of her own accord or give us her bank account information that we can retrieve whats ours. Now that we have bargaining chips, things will be different. I give you ten minutes for a happy reunion. After those ten minutes, I come back. If youve still decided to clam up, Melissa will be tortured to death in front of you. If you still decide to keep silent, Bob will follow. Is the money you owe worth more to you than your siblings? Think about it. SOUND: DOOR SLAMMING BOB: Maddie! I cant believe youre still alive! MELISSA: When we heard that you were dead, I went out of my mind! MADELEINE: Yes, Im alive! But not very well off, I must admit. BOB: Why did you borrow money from that thug? And why didnt you pay him back? MADELEINE: (EMBARASSED) I borrowed in the first place for normal reasons. My college tuition had to be paid. Rent needed taking care of. And my part-time job just wasnt cutting it! I was too proud to come to you - so I borrowed. Only after this did I find out what Reynolds was. I thought I was borrowing from a friend, a police officer - but hes not what he seems! My friend told me in strictest confidence one day of all his illegal dealings, and when I found out the extent of what hes done, I was horrified! I told myself that I wasnt going to give him back his money, because it was just going to go towards prostitution and gambling and scams - and better I steal it than he use it. I tried to go to one of his deputies to tell them about their leader, but (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

13.

MADELEINE: (contd) they all laughed it off. Hes a police officer, and somehow therefore untouchable and incorruptible. I had no hard evidence, so I suppose their attitude was understandable. MELISSA: (WEEPING) Oh, Maddie! You should have come to us! We would have helped you. MADELEINE: (QUICLKY) I realize now how stupid I was. But listen - I have a plan to get out of here. These walls are made of hard clay. While I was in my cell next door, I spent all my time scraping at the wall with a piece of wood lying on the floor, trying to make a tunnel to another room to escape. This is that room. If we just knock on the wall to our left, we can find the partial tunnel, carve our way through the rest - theres only about a centimeter left - and go through to the other room, which is no longer locked (seeing as theres no one in it). The door of that room is on a different side from the door to this room, so we might be able to slip away. With the testimony of three people and the reappearance of a girl reported dead by Reynolds, well be able to convince the other policemen to apprehend him, Im sure of it. Here, Ill undo your knots with my teeth, and we can get free that way. BOB: Are you sure that this will work, Maddie? MADELEINE: No, but its better than giving the money back or watching you tortured to death. We have to try. Turn your back to me, Bob. SOUND: GRUNTING AND STRAINING MADELEINE: There! Now untie us, Bob. SOUND: RUSTLING BOB: There you are. Lets try to find a scrap of wood or metal to use on the wall. MELISSA: Heres a loose board with a sharp edge. And theres a loose nail too, but its quite small.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

14.

MADELEINE: Hand me the board. Keep talking - act like youre trying to convince me to hand over the money - so that I can knock on the wall and find the tunnel without being heard. SOUND: RHYTHMIC KNOCKING MELISSA: (LOUDLY AND SOMEWHAT FORCED) Maddie! Im so glad to have been reunited with you! But really - listen here, you must hand over the money. Id really like to live through the next day, and Im sure Bob does too! BOB: (LOUDLY AND SOMEWHAT FORCED) Yes, Madeleine, you must reconsider! Please, I have a wife! And dont you love us? SOUND: KNOCKING STOPS MADELEINE: I found the tunnel. Keep talking as I scrape at it. SOUND: SCRAPING BOB: (LOUDLY AND SOMEWHAT FORCED) Maddie, please. I know you want to keep the money but hell kill us all and eventually get the money back anyway. I beg of you. MELISSA: (LOUDLY AND SOMEWHAT FORCED) Yes, dear Maddie. You love us, dont you? Id like to die peacefully in my sleep of old age, if you dont mind, not on some torturers rack. SOUND: SCRAPING STOPS MADELEINE: Im through! Help me with these last bits to make it large enough for us to fit through. Keep talking. SOUND: LOUDER SCRAPING MADELEINE: That should be good. Come on through, one after the other - thats it. SOUND: GRUNTING SOUND: BODIES SCRAPING ON FLOOR (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

15.

MADELEINE: (QUIETLY) Hush. The door to this cell is ahead. Now, there are two exits to this complex - I was awake and kicking when they brought me in and I got a good look at the place. Well exit from this cell and sneak around to the secondary exit. We wont have to pass the main room where all the guards are if we take the back exit. Follow me closely. SOUND: DOOR OPENING QUIETLY SOUND: HINGES CREAKING FAINTLY SOUND: BOISTROUS, FARAWAY LAUGHTER SOUND: SHALLOW BREATHING SOUND: MUTED FOOTSTEPS MADELEINE: (VERY QUIET WHISPER) This is the back door. They dont really use it, so its only bolted, not properly locked. SOUND: BOLT BEING PULLED BACK SOUND: DOOR OPENING SOUND: MUTED FOOTSTEPS SOUND: DOOR CLOSING QUIETLY MELISSA: (RELIEVED) Were safe! BOB: (CAUTIONARY) Not so fast, Melissa. We have to get out of here entirely, and back to the police station. MADELEINE: I know the way. Come on. SOUND: RUNNING FEET MELISSA: Bob, theres our Sedan! BOB: (ANNOYED) Someone scrawled graffiti all over the hood!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

16.

MADELEINE: Be thankful its still there. SOUND: CAR DOORS OPENING AND SLAMMING SOUND: CAR REVVING MELISSA: Lets get to the police station and be done with this. SCENE: 8 INT. POLICE STATION AFTERNOON SOUND: RUSTLING PAPER SOUND: MUTED VOICES SOUND: WALKIE-TALKIE SOUNDS OFFICER: (INCREDULOUS) So, Mr. Ms. and Ms. Adams, youre telling me that Captain Reynolds is actually some sort of illegal loan shark dabbling in scamming, gambling, prostitution, and more? BOB: (THOUGHTFULLY) Hmmmmm... that sounds about right. MADELEINE: (CHIMING IN) And he kidnapped us and threatened to torture Melissa and Bob to death! OFFICER: I hope you realize how ridiculous this sounds. MELISSA: (RESIGNED) Yes, yes, we know. But maybe the reappearance of a girl Captain Reynolds reported to have seen dead with his own eyes will convince you that Reynolds is a liar and make the rest of this more believable. OFFICER: Ill have to do some checks to see that this is the same Madeleine Adams that Reynolds reported as dead. Youll also have to relinquish the money you borrowed. It will go to the state.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

17.

MADELEINE: Yes, of course. I had every intention of paying it back - until I realized what Reynolds would do with it. OFFICER: Well, sir and madams, youre all lucky to be alive. BOB: We know, officer. MELISSA: We know. EPILOGUE NARRATOR: All was well with the Adams family after the incident. Reynolds and his whole crew were apprehended thanks to the heroic efforts of the three Adamses. Madeleine went on to become a much sought after martial arts teacher and lived comfortably until the end of her days. Melissa finally realized her secret ambition of writing novels, and married several years later. Bob became CEO of his lucrative furniture company and had three children. And none of them were ever drugged, kidnapped, threatened, or or in any sort of mortal peril ever again. THE END