Play 175: What Do We Have Here?

CHARACTERS
COP
VETERAN DETECTIZVE
ROOKIE DETECTIVE

(Two detectives have just arrived at a crime scene. There is a dead man sprawled out in a chair, there is blood splattered around.)

VETERAN
So, what do we have here?

COP
His ID says he’s Gerald Brown. He appears to have been shot three times--twice in the stomach, and once in the leg.

ROOKIE
Any witnesses?

COP
No, no one else was here when we arrived.

(The veteran starts looking around the room.)

VETERAN
So rookie, what do you think happened?

ROOKIE
Well…

(He paces around, looking carefully.)

ROOKIE
Judging by the magazine lying on the ground a bit away from the chair, I’d say he was probably reading here when the shooter came in…

(He pauses in his pacing.)

And, I’d guess the shooter caught him by surprise, he must have dropped it after the first shot.

VETERAN
I disagree.

ROOKIE
Yeah, I guess it is possible he saw the shooter, and dropped the magazine as he tried to get up and then caught the first bullet.

VETERAN
No.

ROOKIE
So you think I was right?

VETERAN
(Pacing around.)
No.

ROOKIE
What do you think happened?

VETERAN
Anything look odd to you?

ROOKIE
No.

VETERAN
Look over here.

(He points to the back of the chair.)

(The rookie looks at it.)

(Beat.)

ROOKIE
So?

VETERAN
And here.

(He points to two shells lying on the ground.)

ROOKIE
What?

(Beat.)

Oh, that there are only two of them? That’s not surprising, maybe the third’s lying around somewhere else, or the killer picked up only that one for some reason.

VETERAN
That’s not what I meant.

ROOKIE
Then what?

VETERAN
They’re 45s.

ROOKIE
I know. So?

VETERAN
How many holes you see in the chair?

(The rookie looks.)

ROOKIE
Two.

VETERAN
And…

ROOKIE
What?

VETERAN
That doesn’t seem odd to you?

ROOKIE
No, one could’ve gotten stuck.

VETERAN
Could’ve.

(Beat.)

But look…

(He points.)

The one hole that’s missing would be right behind this wound.

(He points to the body.)

It’s a clear path. If the other two went through, this one should’ve too.

(The rookie looks with an expression of confusion.)

ROOKIE
That is odd.

VETERAN
And, doesn’t his pose look a little off?

ROOKIE
I guess it’s a little strange.

(Beat.)

What’s your point?

VETERAN
He wasn’t killed here.

ROOKIE
What?

VETERAN
The first shot to the stomach killed him, the killer than brought him here and fired off the other two shots to make it look like this was the scene of the crime.

ROOKIE
But why?

VETERAN
Well, that my friend…

(He pauses.)

Is our job to find out.

(Blackout.)