Play 120: Didn’t Do Anything

CHARACTERS
MAN, late 20s
COP 1, early 30s
COP 2, mid 30s

(The man is sitting in a chair behind a bare table in a small, bare room. Cop 1 is sitting on the other side of the table. On the far wall, there is a one-way mirror, and next to it is a door.)

COP 1
Look, we know what you did.

MAN
What are you talking about?

COP 1
You don’t have to tell me.

MAN
Tell you what?

(The cop laughs.)

MAN
What’s so funny?

(The cop keeps laughing.)

MAN
And why the hell did you bring me down here anyways?

(The cop laughs even harder.)

MAN
(Angrily.)
What?!

(The cop smiles.)

COP 1
Is that how you felt?

MAN
What?

COP 1
Embarrased, angry?

MAN
What are you talking about?

COP 1
Is that how you felt?

MAN
When?

(The smile vanishes from the cops face, and is replaced with a cold look with a hint of anger.)

COP 1
You know damn well when.

MAN
Seriously, I have no idea what you’re talking about.

(The cop laughs.)

COP 1
When you shot him.

MAN
When I what?

COP 1
Don’t act surprised.

MAN
But I didn’t shoot anybody.

(The cop laughs.)

COP 1
Don’t play innocent with me. Did you really think I wouldn’t catch you?

MAN
I—

COP 1
(coldly.)
I didn’t say you could talk.

(Beat.)

Did you really think we wouldn’t find you after all the evidence you left?

MAN
I didn’t do—

COP 1
(Yelling.)
I didn’t say you could talk!

(Beat.)

(Cop 2 enters.)

COP 2
So what have we got here?

COP 1
(Staring directly at the man.)
A real punk.

COP 2
Oh really?

MAN
I didn’t do—

COP 2
(Angrily.)
Did he tell you you could talk?!

MAN
I—

COP 1
No!

MAN
I didn’t—

(Cop 1 grabs him by the collar of his shirt.)

COP 1
(Yelling.)
You shot him!

MAN
(Screaming.)
I didn’t do anything!

COP 1
(Grabbing the man closer, their faces are only inches away.)
You shot him in the leg, and then when he fell over you shot him three times in the chest!

MAN
(Screaming, tears are starting to form on the edges of his eyes.)
I didn’t!

(The cop tosses the man back into his chair.)

COP 1
(Calmly whispering.)
You shot him.

(He takes a step back.)

COP 1
(Shaking his head and muttering to himself while looking directly at the man.)
Sonofabitch.

(He walks out of the room.)

(Cop 2 shakes his head, and walks out.)

(The man remains seated in the chair, he is shaking slightly.)

(He stares straight ahead at himself in the one-way mirror.)

(Blackout.)