Five Television Plays (David Mamet) (5 page)

P
RIEST:
Figured you were.

(P
RICE
starts up the steps. Camera follows him through the doors, marked “Police Department, Town of Bradford.”
)

INTERIOR: BRADFORD POLICE STATION.

A woman
D
ISPATCHER
on the radio.

D
ISPATCHER:
. . . that is a 201 three miles
north
of the Interstate on Highway Five. Bradford PD. Out . . . (
She turns to
P
RICE:)
I help you . . . ?

P
RICE:
Officer in charge, please.

D
ISPATCHER:
. . . say who is calling . . . ?

(P
RICE
goes in his pocket, takes out a badge, shows it to her.
)

D
ISPATCHER:
One moment, please.

(
ANGLE INTERIOR: BEHIND THE BARRICADE. The
D
ISPATCHER
gets up from the desk, over her shoulder, to an assistant.
)

T
HE
D
ISPATCHER:
. . . mind the phones, please.

(
Camera follows her to an office marked “Chief of Police.” Inside the office is
B
OBBY
B
ARNES,
thirty-five, fit, in a police uniform, talking with two deputies.
)

B
ARNES:
. . . all kinds of static,
insurance
this, Arson
that,
we got the fellow from the State, and the
insurance
man, coming down tomorrow, ‘til then let ‘em gossip all they want, I think it was an accident. Now: we got a
noise
complaint, the kids, back from the Liquor Store. You lean on that man, go in there,
he
knows they're drinking, got it from the
older
boys.

D
ISPATCHER:
Bobby . . .

B
ARNES:
One moment:
he
knows, they're wild, they got it from his
store,
you tell him that, he'll get the message . . .

D
ISPATCHER
(
leans in, whispers to him
): Bobby.

B
ARNES:
Thank you. You fellows ‘scuse me for a moment. (
To
D
ISPATCHER:)
Show him in.

(
The two officers leave, as does the
D
ISPATCHER.)

B
ARNES
(
into the telephone
): Helen, and tell ‘em to hold all the calls this office five, ten minutes, will you . . . ?

(P
RICE
comes in. The two men face each other.
)

B
ARNES:
Afternoon . . . sit down . . . ?

(P
RICE
comes over, offers his hand.
)

P
RICE:
John Price.

B
ARNES:
Robert Barnes. (
Sighs.
) I've been acting Chief of Police, since Mr. Hopkins’ death. (
Pause.
) Wasn't expecting you until tomorrow.

P
RICE:
Well, I thought I'd come in a bit early, and get
settled,
you know.

B
ARNES:
Yes. I do. We had a, uh, we had a
memorial
today for Chief Hopkins.

P
RICE:
Did
you?

B
ARNES:
Yes. We did. We had, they had a
monument
that they unveiled . . . (
Pause.
) Testimonials . . . (
Pause.
) These
plaques
that you see, twenty-five years he served as Chief here. (
Pause.
) We've got a case now . . . building burnt on Main Street, The Emporium . . .

P
RICE:
Uh-huh . . . Any leads on it . . . ?

B
ARNES:
"Leads” on it? Mister, all I got, a building burnt, we called in the
adjustors,
the State Boys, come in t'morrow, we'll see what they say, you know, it's just a
building
burnt. Eh? This is a kind of a quiet town. You see what I'm saying? Where
you
come from, I'm sure it's more
active
down there.

P
RICE:
That's right. I'm sure that it is.

B
ARNES:
You'll probably miss that action.

P
RICE:
Part of me will, I'm sure.

B
ARNES:
. . . aaand, we do things a little
differently
up here. You know, Chief Hopkins . . . (
pause
)
.
. . you see, we had a crime, we had a
situation,
something happened, he'd sit down, sit down in here, close the door, whatever it was, you see, he had the
time
for that, think: Now, who would be likely
do
a thing like that? Whatever it was, eh, from their
motives,
what he
knew
of them. He would think, then he'd call them up, and they'd come in, they'd sit in that chair,
he'd
confront
them, and then they'd confess. (
Pause.
) I bet you think that's rather “folksy, “
don't
you . . . ?

P
RICE:
I, uh, you know, I wish I lived in that sort of world. I'm glad he did. (
Pause
) I wish I had those talents.

B
ARNES:
Do
you . . . ?

(B
ILLY
B
ATES
walks in, comes over to
B
ARNES.)

B
ILLY:
Mr. Barnes . . .

B
ARNES:
Well. It was a nice
service, wasn't
it?

B
ILLY:
Yes sir, it was.

(O
FFICER
sticks his head in the door.
)

O
FFICER:
Chief, we got a complaint, a prowler, again, out the new Estates.

B
ARNES:
Gettem’ out there quiet, park the car, go in on foot, and take it easy, prolly’ just them kids.

(A S
ECOND
O
FFICER
comes in.
)

S
ECOND
O
FFICER:
Chief, I talk to you a minute . . . ?

B
ARNES:
You'll excuse me.

(B
ARNES
pushes past
P
RICE,
who rises.
P
RICE
is standing alone in the office. Looks around at the plaques on the wall.
)

(
Angle point of view: The plaques. Community Service, Boy Scouts, From a Grateful Community, Hunting Safety Instructor, et cetera.
)

D
ISPATCHER
(
voice over
): You have a place to live in Bradford, Mr. Price . . . ?

(P
RICE
turns to see the
D
ISPATCHER,
who has come into the office to take her coat off of the coatrack.
P
RICE
turns.
)

P
RICE:
Pardon me.

D
ISPATCHER:
You find a place to live? A place to live you're here?

(P
RICE
takes a card out of his pocket.
)

P
RICE:
The Mayor, he suggested the, the Idle Hour Apartments.

D
ISPATCHER:
Come with me, walk me out, will you . . . ?

(
Angle: The two of them walking out of the chiefs office, through the small police station squad room. They walk out of the station. The
D
ISPATCHER
looks over her shoulder.
)

Bobby Barnes’ a good man.

P
RICE:
Yes?

(
Camera follows them down the street. The rain is letting up, the sun is going down.
)

D
ISPATCHER:
You a good man, Mr. Price . . .

P
RICE:
Well, I guess others would have to judge that.

D
ISPATCHER:
You think of yourself as a good man?

P
RICE:
I try. But perhaps we aren't the best judge of ourselves.

(
They walk a while.
)

D
ISPATCHER:
My name is May.

P
RICE:
John.

D
ISPATCHER:
’S'a long way out the Idle Hour, cold winter night.

P
RICE:
Is it?

D
ISPATCHER:
Be more
comfortable,
find a place in Town. You a single man?

P
RICE:
Yes, I am.

(
They stop. The
D
ISPATCHER
gestures.
)

D
ISPATCHER:
S'here is Anna Moore's House, lives here, her
daughter,
said that she was
thinking
maybe let a
room.
You might try here. (
Beat.
) Anybody say “Welcome to Bradford"?

P
RICE:
No
.
(
Beat.
)

D
ISPATCHER:
Welcome to Bradford.

P
RICE:
Thank you.

(
The
D
ISPATCHER
nods, gestures at the house.
P
RICE
moves up the walk, knocks on the door.
)

INTERIOR: ANNA MOORE'S HOUSE. DUSK.

A neat small Victorian House. The door is opened by a fifteen-year-old girl.
P
RICE
is standing at the door.

G
IRL
(G
INNY):
May I help you?

P
RICE:
Um, Mrs. Moore . . .

G
INNY:
Mother . . . ! Mother! There's a
man
here for you . . . one moment please. Will you come in?

(
Camera follows
P
RICE
into the foyer.
)

A
NNA
(
offstage
): Ask him to come in.

G
INNY:
I'm Ginny Moore.

P
RICE:
John Price.

(
She extends her hand. They shake hands.
)

A
NNA
(
offstage
): Ginny! Will you ask him to come in. I'll be . . .

G
INNY:
It's alright, Mother. (
To
P
RICE:)
Um . . . Mr. Price . . . Do we know you . . . ?

P
RICE:
No
,
if this is a bad time to . . .

(A
NNA
M
OORE,
a very handsome woman in her late thirties, comes into the foyer, taking off an apron.
)

A
NNA:
Yes. Good evening.

(
The phone rings.
)

G
INNY:
I'll get it.

P
RICE:
If this is a bad time, I . . . Looks like you're making din . . .

A
NNA:
I'm just finishing up din . . .

P
RICE:
I . . .

A
NNA:
May I help you?

P
RICE:
My name is John Price. I was referred here by May . . . May . . .

A
NNA:
May
Fowler?
The Police Station . . . ?

P
RICE:
Yes. I am . . .

A
NNA:
You're the new Chief of Police.

P
RICE:
Yes.

A
NNA:
Welcome.

P
RICE:
Thank you.

A
NNA:
We have a fairly peaceful town. I think. We hope you like it.
We
do
.

(
Pause.
G
INNY
reenters.
)

G
INNY:
Mother: Can I go out this evening with Jimmy Clain?

A
NNA:
Excuse me . . . no. I'll be with you in a moment, Sweetie.

(G
INNY
goes back into the other room. Pause.
)

P
RICE:
Um, I was told . . .

(G
INNY
reenters.
)

G
INNY:
Excuse me, why not?

A
NNA:
Well, the short answer is “because, “ let's talk about it over dinner. Mr. . . . ?

P
RICE:
Price.

A
NNA:
You
,
um, what brings you here?

P
RICE:
Mrs. Fowler said you were considering taking in a
boarder,
and I thought . . .

A
NNA:
Mrs. Fowler said that?

P
RICE:
Yes.

A
NNA:
Un-huh. Well, no, no, it's something I had, I had
talked,
but I think I'd
mentioned
it at one time, but . . .

P
RICE:
I'm very, very sorry, please forgive me if I've inconven . . .

A
NNA:
No
,
no, not at all. It's just something. It's something, frankly, we're not quite ready to
do,
there's nothing.

P
RICE:
. . . No. I underst . . .

A
NNA:
I hope you'll
forgive . . .

P
RICE:
Not at all.

(G
INNY
reenters.
)

G
INNY:
Mother, the dinner's on.

A
NNA:
Yes. (
Pause.
) We'll. We look forward to . . .

G
INNY:
Mother. It's Mr. Price's first night in town.

(
Pause. The two women look at each other.
)

A
NNA:
Ah. Would you join us for dinner tonight, Mr. Pr . . . ?