Five+Guests

= Five Guests = By Harrison Pyros //(Onstage are Lana riding in a car. Robert gets out and opens the door for her)// Robert: We’re here, Miss Henderson. //(He helps her out of the car)// Lana: Thank you… um, I’m sorry, I never caught your name. Robert: That’s quite all right. It’s Robert by the way. //(While he is talking he is walking Lana up to the front door. He opens it for her)// Lana: //(She walks in and turns around)// Aren’t you going to come in? Robert: No, Miss Henderson— Lana: Please, call me Lana. Robert: Okay… Lana. I won’t be joining the rest of you for dinner tonight. Mr. Kenton has given me the night off. Lana: Oh, that’s too bad. You and your stories will be missed. Tell your wife hello for me. She sounds like such a fascinating woman. Robert: Will do. Have a nice evening. Lana: I will. //(They both exit)// //(Lana is back onstage with the host, Gordon)// Gordon: Hello, Lana. I’m Gordon Kenton. Welcome to my home. Let me take you coat. Lana: Thank you. //(Looking around)// This is a very lovely house. Gordon: I pride myself in it. The other guests are down the hall in the dining area. Lana: Um, might I ask if Holly has arrived yet? Gordon: Ah, yes, your friend. Well, didn’t she tell you? She called me and told me she was too ill to attend the party. A shame. Lana: You know, tomorrow I’ll go and visit her and see how she’s doing. Gordon: I think she’ll like that. We are still waiting on one more guest. She should be here any moment now… You should go and make yourself comfortable at the table. Dinner starts as soon as Katherine arrives. Lana: Okay. //(She starts to walk away and says her next thought out loud)// Katherine… I’m sure it can’t be the //same// Katherine. //(Both Gordon and Lana exit)// // (Onstage, seated around the table are Carter, James, and Eric. They look uncomfortable with each other and are avoiding eye contact and not speaking. After a few moments of silence, Carter talks) // Carter: Maybe this is just a coincidence. James: It’s not a coincidence, it’s a sick joke. It’s painful reminder. Eric: You don’t know that. The other two aren’t here yet. It’s probably just a mistake. James: And you’re //probably// just in denial. Eric: Well, I’m sorry if I can’t forget a day that has been permanently burned into my damn mind! Carter: Eric, relax. James: Shut up, Carter! No one wants to hear from you. Carter: Don’t tell me what to do, you stupid moron! If it’s anyone who no one wants to listen to, it’s you. All you are is a bitter, complaining man who can’t let go. James: I wouldn’t be so “bitter” if it wasn’t for your homicidal cousin. Carter: //Do not// bring Shawn into this. //(Lana enters and sees the three men at the table. Shocked, she stands unmoving with her eyes wide)// Eric: Oh my God… She’s here. //(There is a few moments of silence as the characters take Lana’s arrival in)// Lana: Why are you all here? James: A colleague of mine invited me. He hasn’t shown up yet. Eric: My brother asked me to come with him to this party. Unfortunately, he had to work late and couldn’t go, but insisted that I still come. Lana: //(To Carter)// And you? //(She doesn’t like Carter very much)// Carter: Gordon invited me through letter. I didn’t invite anyone else. Lana: Good enough. //(She takes a seat)// We’re waiting on a certain Katherine to arrive. Eric: The same Katherine? Lana: Well, I would assume so. If four of us are here, most likely the fifth is going to attend. James: So, Lana, why are you here? Lana: My friend, Holly, invited me to come along with her, but she got sick and couldn’t come. So now I’m stuck here with you people. Carter: I’m glad to hear that your opinion of us has so much respect. Lana: Carter, do you want to know what it feels like when my fist breaks you two front teeth? Didn’t think so. //(Katherine enters and has the same reaction as Lana)// Katherine: Oh my… Oh my God. James: Isn’t this one big happy reunion? Katherine: Vivian was supposed to meet me here. Where is she? Gordon: //(Entering)// I just received a phone call from her. She was going to drive here, but her car won’t start. Katherine: Than have one of your drivers pick her up. Gordon: I’m sorry, but I only have two and Robert is off duty and I can’t get a hold of Xavier. James: What about my— Gordon: A man named Hunter called me to inform you that he cannot make it tonight. A family emergency came up; he said you would understand. //(James nods)// So! //(He claps his hands together)// The main course should be ready right about now. I will bring it in and we can let the dinner begin. //(He exits)// Katherine: So it’s only you four here. Fantastic… I’m leaving. //(She starts to get up)// Eric: Katherine, wait. Katherine: //(She turns to him)// Eric, I know you want to be the nice guy. I know you want to be the peacemaker, the guy who can help put all this behind us, but I can’t do that. My husband //died//. I can’t bring him back. And he wasn’t only my friend //(she gestures to Eric)//, and he wasn’t my cousin //(she gestures to Carter)//, he was the man I fell in love with. He was the man who danced with me at the prom when no one asked me to come, he was the man who stood by me when I found out I couldn’t become a mother, and now he’s gone. And I don’t need this //(she gestures around the room)// reminder that I can never see him again. James: //(Firmly)// Hey, Katherine. I lost my wife on that day, but you don’t see me running away. It’s been two and a half years; you need to start moving on. Yes, I’m angry sometimes that it happened to Wendy and I, but that doesn’t mean I need to totally isolate myself from everyone and go hide under a rock. So get some courage and live your life, a life that you were lucky didn’t get taken away from you on that day. Katherine: I don’t need to hear this from you James. My life got totally screwed up when that day happened. Don’t act like it didn’t mess up yours too. //(Gordon reenters carrying a platter)// Gordon: Um, are— are you all right Katherine? Katherine: Fine. I’m fine. //(She sits back down and whispers her next line)// I’m going to stay. Gordon: Fantastic! //(He sets the platter on the table)// Let dinner begin. Lana: Steaks. They smell good. Gordon: Well, go on. Take one. //(Everyone, including Gordon, grab a steak with their fork and start to eat and sip their water)// Carter: All right, I’ll be the one to say it. Why did you invite all of us? Gordon: Well, I showed my employer, Mr. Johnson, a plan that would change lives. He said I should present it to some of you and the people that are missing today. Like you James, I was hoping that your college would be here, but unfortunately that is not the case. So, incase this very thing happened, we had you to relay the information to him. James: Understood. Lana: And when do we find out what this magnificent plan is? Gordon: Right after dinner. Carter: Mr. Kenton, you still haven’t answers my question. Why did you invite us here? Us five. Gordon: What is so important about you five? James: You can’t be serious! You never read about in the paper about the five deaths at the café and the missing money? Gordon: I can’t say that I have. How long ago was this? Katherine: Two years, six months, and seventeen days. James: //(Mumbles)// But who’s counting? Lana: It started out as a normal day. I was having lunch with my brother, Oliver. James: I was with my wife Wendy. Katherine: My husband, Cyril, and I were discussing the car. Eric: I was catching up with my best friend, Gary. Carter: And I was alone. Lana: A man comes in by the name of Shawn. Carter: He was my cousin. Gordon: Was? Carter: Yes, he’s dead now. James: Anyway, Shawn goes in and demands the cashier to give him all her money. Everyone at the café, oblivious to this proceeding robbery, continues to talk and eat. Eric: The cashier then leads Shawn into the back and he walks out of the café with a bag full of money. He puts it in his car and then comes back in. That when someone screams out that he has a gun. Katherine: Startled, he points the gun at the screamer. A lot of people, including me, started to scream and hit the ground and cover their heads. But then my husband stands up behind Shawn, ready to hit him over the head. But… But…

James: //(Quickly)// But then Shawn turns around and shoots Cyril dead. I then take my wife’s hand and try to lead her out of the café when I hear two shots go off and look back to see Wendy fall to the ground.

Eric: Gary then gets up from the ground and grabs the now shocked Shawn by the hands and demands to let go of the gun. Another shot goes off and Gary flies backward onto the floor.

Lana: I stand up to make a break for the back door with my brother when Shawn turns around and points the gun at me. He says that he’s sorry but he had to do this and pulls the trigger when Oliver jumps in front of me taking the bullet. He falls to the ground when—

Carter: When I scream Shawn’s name. He turns to look at me when Lana, fueled by hatred and adrenaline, takes the knife from the table over and plunges it into Shawn’s back twice.

James: Shawn’s falls to the ground dead and thus ends the shooting as fast as it started. At the end of the day, the body count was five. My wife, her husband //(Motions to Katherine)//, Eric’s best friend, Lana’s brother, and Carter’s homicidal cousin.

Gordon: Yes, I see that all as very unfortunate and sad, but it was just a shooting. What’s so special about it?

Eric: It all wasn’t just a shooting. It was also a robbery. You see, the shooter, Shawn came in and demanded all the money from the cashier. The cashier was the lady who ran the café, and the café was literally her home, she had a bedroom and bathroom and living room on the other side of the café, so she had a bunch of money with her. So Shawn took the money and put it in his car, and then came back for a second bag when the shooting started.

Katherine: But when the police arrived and searched the car, the money was missing… and us five were the prime suspects. We all were out of the café before the police arrived and no one yet had come to see what was going on. The next day, the bag of money was found just lying in front of the café. There were no fingerprints on it and no video surveillance caught anyone. But the weirdest thing of all was that //all// the money was returned. Every cent.

Gordon: Well, that it rather quite peculiar… but I must say that this story has put a depressing mood over the whole dinner.

Lana: So what’s this big plan of yours? We’ve all been waiting.

Gordon: I will announce it after a toast of champagne. Everything is a lot more fun when you toast to it. //(He exits and returns with a bottle of champagne. He pops the bottle and pours each person a glass including him. He raises his glass after a few moments)// To a new beginning!

//(Everyone takes a drink from their glass when Gordon starts to choke. The glass falls from his grasp and his hand grabs his heart. He then falls on the ground and does not move)// Katherine: //(Screams)// //(Everyone jumps from their seats in alarm, except for Lana who stays in her seat next to where Gordon was sitting and stares at the body with a neutral expression)// Eric: Oh God, is he dead? Carter: Some one check his pulse. Eric: I’m not touching him. James: I’ll do it. //(He bends done and presses his fingers to Gordon’s neck. He looks up at everyone else)// He’s… dead. Katherine: //(Whispers)// Oh my God. James: What happened to him? Carter: It looked like he had a heart attack. Katherine: But he was so young. He looks like he’s only in his mid twenties. Lana: Still young enough to have a heart attack. I’ll check the bathroom if he has medication or something, someone call 911. //(She exits)// Katherine: I’ll call the police. //(She exits)// Eric: //(Sits down)// I should have never come. //(There is a long pause)// Carter: Do you… Do you suppose it wasn’t a heart attack? James: Well, then what do you suppose it was? Carter: Maybe it wasn’t a heart attack, but… poison. Eric: //(Disbelievingly)// Are you suggesting that someone murdered him? Carter: That’s exactly what I’m saying. //(Lana reenters. She is carrying a bottle of pills. She tosses them to James who catches them)// Lana: Nitroglycerin. To lessen the chance of an attack. Gordon got the short end of the stick. James: Yes, //(Shooting a hard gaze at Carter)// a very unfortunate accident. With no poison involved. Lana: Poison? Katherine: //(Enters)// They said they’d be here in about 10 minutes. They said it might take a little longer because they have to trace the call, since none of us have any idea where this house is. Do any of you know? //(They all shake their heads)// Well, they advised us to all stay put in the house until they arrive. Eric: I wasn’t going to go anywhere anyway. James: What should we do with the body? //(The three reenter with// Carter: Drag him into his bed, I guess.   //(James and Carter grab Gordon’s arms and legs and haul him offstage while the other three follow)//    //(All five of them are sitting in a room with a couch and a chair or two)//    Katherine: This is ridiculous! It’s been half an hour and no one has shown up yet. I’m going to call the police station. //(She exits)//    Lana: Forget the police! I’m leaving. Where are the car keys? You know what, I’ll find them myself. //(She leaves)//    Eric: This whole night was just ruined.    //(James gets up to leave)//    Carter: Where are you going?    James: I going to try and find another phone so I can call my colleague. //(He exits)//    Eric: I’ll be in the other room, Carter. I need to be alone right now.    //(Eric exits)//    //(Lana is onstage. In her hand are car keys. She walks up to one of the car and opens the door. She slips into the seat and tries to start the car. There is no sound at all. Frustrated, she gets out of the car and slams the door behind her. She then pops up the hood and looks at the engine)//   Lana: Where the heck is the battery? //(She slams down the hood and exits)//    //(Katherine is onstage. Obviously, she is in a bad mood. She picks up the phone, presses it to her ear and starts to dial. In the middle of dialing, she stops and looks at the phone with confusion)//   Katherine: Where’s the dial tone? //(She hangs up and picks up the phone again. Her eyebrows come together and she looks behind her, suddenly having the feeling of being watched. She turns back and starts to dial when you hear a gunshot and Katherine falls to the floor dead)//   Carter: //(Runs onstage)// Did anyone else hear that?    James: //(Runs onstage)// Yeah, what was that?    Eric: //(Also runs onstage)// It sounded like a gunshot!    Carter: Where’s Katherine and Lana?    James: Lana left and Katherine went to call the police.    Eric: Oh God… Katherine! Katherine, where are you? We have to find her!  // (They all run offstage) //  //Katherine lying in the middle of the floor and the phone dangling from its wire)// James: Oh my God! Carter: She’s been shot! Eric: //(Distressed)// What do we do? James: Someone call the police. //(Eric, making sure to not go near the body, takes the phone and presses it to his ear)// Eric: There’s no dial tone. Carter: Are you telling me the phone lines are cut? Lana: //(Enters)// Why is everyone yelling? //(Sees Katherine and gasps)// James: Where were you Lana? Lana: Trying to get the hell away from this place. James: Then why aren’t you gone? Lana: Because someone took the battery out of the car. Will someone tell me what happened?! Carter: Someone shot Katherine. Eric: //(Hysterically)// And the phone lines are cut! Lana: Someone, as in, one of us? James: It would seem that way. Lana: Why are you looking at me, James? It could’ve been someone else who wasn’t at the dinner. Like a servant or something. They could have shot her. Carter: No, that’s impossible Lana. Gordon said that his maid and cook and drivers were all off for the night. Plus, Gordon popped a new bottle of champagne, so no one could have tampered with that bottle. So there are only two possible answers: he actually had a heart attack or he was poisoned. And in less Gordon’s death was an extreme unrealistic coincidence, I’d say that this isn’t a murder, but a double murder. James: //(Whispers)// And only one of us could have done it. Eric: Oh God, I knew it! I knew it! I knew it had something to do with the café. I knew it! Lana: //(Shoving her face into his)// No, Eric, it’s has //nothing// to do with the café or Shawn. Do you know why? Because the unstable freak who shot up the place is dead. And I was the one who killed him, you got that? //(There is a long awkward pause)// James: What are we going to do? We have nowhere to go and no one to contact. We have to murders and, this terrifies me greatly to say, a killer among us. Carter: There’s got to a cell phone around here somewhere. I know I brought one with me. Lana: Where is it? Carter: It’s in my coat pocket. James: Well, where did Gordon leave the coats? Lana: Here’s a guess: how ‘bout the coat rack or closet? Carter: Well, that’s a start. I’ll go with Lana and try to find the coat rack. James, you take Eric and find the closet. //(They all exit)// //(Onstage are Eric and James. They are walking through the dining room)// James: Are you all right, Eric? Eric: I’m stuck in a house with a murderer. Of course I’m not all right! James: Jeez, I’m sorry, but— Eric: //(Staring at the table)// Oh my God. Oh my God! What is this? Oh my God! Oh my God! James: Eric, what? Eric: Look at this! James: //(Coming over)// What is it? Eric: What does it look like? It’s a picture of Katherine after the shooting, and someone stuck a steak knife in it right where her eye is! Oh God, someone here is crazy! They’re going to kill us all! James: Eric, shut up! //(Lana and Carter enter)// Carter: What is going on? James: Look at this. Lana: //(Looking)// Oh my… Carter: That’s sick. Eric: //(In the corner shaking)// They’re going to kill us. We’re all going to die. Someone help. Someone please help me! James: Eric, for God’s sake, shut your trap! Lana is handling this better than you. //(To Lana)// No offense intended. Lana: There better not be. Carter: Well, we found my cell phone… on the floor next to the coat rack smashed to bits. James: Great. I thing the best thing to do right now is stick together. Carter: I agree. //(They all start to walk out except for Eric who stays put)// James: Eric, let’s go. Eric: No, no, no. I’m not going anywhere with you people. James: Fine. Stay here and rot. See if I care! //(He exits)// //(Eric exits the stage)// //(Lana, Carter, and James are sitting back in the room with the couch when Eric hesitantly walks in)// James: Whatever happened to not going anywhere with “us people”? Eric: I’m sorry; I just lost control of myself. I don’t know… I don’t know what happened to me back there. Carter: Well, now that we’re all here, I’d like to discuss something that’s probably on everyone’s minds. Who would want to kill Gordon and Katherine and why? James: Carter, I think you already know this, but I’m going to say it anyway. You are the main suspect right now. Your psycho of a cousin kind of branded you with that title, and even on the day of the shooting your presence was pretty suspicious. I mean you, without any company, just conveniently happened to be at //that// café at //that// time on //that// day. The same day Shawn decides to shoot up the place. And then this money goes mysteriously missing. A lot is pointing straight at you. Carter: Yes, that is all very true. But it wasn’t a coincidence I was there, Shawn //asked// me to be there. He didn’t tell me why, he just said be there today at this time. Why he would want me to be there to witness a failed robbery and shooting I have not the slightest clue. And you James, where were you when Katherine got shot? James: I was looking for a phone like I said. Carter: Can anyone vouch for that? James: Can anyone vouch that you stayed in this room and didn’t kill Katherine? No one has a provable alibi. Lana: I was trying to get the car to start. Eric: I was in the other room. James: None of this would be happening if your stupid cousin hadn’t gone all postal. Carter: Hey James, shut up. James: You aren’t denying it, are you? Carter: Do you think it was my fault your wife died? James: It practically was. Eric: James, relax. Lana: That’s hilarious coming from you, Eric. One moment you’re sure we’re all going to die and the next moment you want to play peacemaker? You should be ashamed of yourself. You had no courage back in that café and you have none now. All you did was stare and scream. You too Carter. I,  the woman, had to step up and stop the whole thing. My brother had enough courage to take a bullet for me, you two don’t have enough guts to look at a body for more than a minute. And you James, you need to shut up and move on. We’re all tired of you crying over something that happened over two and a half years ago.

James: That’s some pretty big talk from someone who killed another person.

//(Eric, hands over his ears, runs offstage)//

Lana: Do you blame yourself for your wife’s death, James? Is that why you can’t let go? You think she should have been out that door first and you should have been shot. And every day since, you’ve been feeling that terrible crushing feeling of guilt, so you yell at Carter saying that it’s his fault, but deep down inside you know that it’s all //your// fault. //(Her voice softens and she puts her hand on his shoulder)// But let me tell you something… Man! Up! And get over it!

James: Shut your mouth you stupid woman!

//(She slaps him across the face)//

Lana: If you treated every woman, including your wife, like you just treated me, Wendy was probably glad she was shot… so then she could finally get away from you. //(She storms offstage)//

Carter: Do you see what you cause, you idiot? //(Walking offstage)// Lana, wait!

//(James stays onstage for a moment thinking about what Lana just said and then exits)//

//(Lana is onstage)//

Carter: //(From offstage)// Lana? Lana, where are you?

Lana: What do you want, Carter?

Carter: //(Enters)// I’ve been calling your names for like ten minutes. Why didn’t you answer?

Lana: Really, because I couldn’t even hear you until now. But even if I did hear you, I wouldn’t have answered because I didn’t want to talk to you. I still don’t.

Carter: Well, what you said back there, it’s… it’s totally true. //(He hangs his head)//

Lana: Of course it’s true or else I wouldn’t have said it. //(Pause)// Wait, where’s Eric and James?

Carter: I don’t know.

Lana: Oh my— Eric! Where are you? James? Answer me!

James: //(Enters)// Ready to tell me I’m such a terrible person again?

Lana: Where’s Eric? James: How should I know? Carter: Oh God. Eric? Eric where are you? //(They all exit the stage)// //(All three reenter in the dining room. They all are calling, “Eric? Eric!”)// Carter: Eric? Eric where are— Oh, what is that weird smell? James: Wait was is that? Lana: What is what? James: That, right there, on the table. //(Goes over to it)// It’s a steak knife sticking into the table. And the not the same one from the picture thing. Lana: Ugh, what is that smell? James: //(Still looking at the knife)// Oh my God. There’s blood on this knife! Carter: What? //(Runs over to James)// Lana: //(Stays put staring at the corner. She speaks in a small voice)// Eric? Carter: Eric? Where? //(Lana raises a shaky hand to point at the body slumped in the corner under a small table)// James: Oh— Oh my… His throat’s been cut. Carter: //(To Lana. Putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder)// Are you okay? Lana: Don’t touch me! //(Carter flinches backward)// One of you killed him and I’m not going to let that //(Points at Eric’s body)// happen to me! You both stay away from me or I swear to all that’s holy, I will kill you. //(She runs offstage)// James: //(Grabs a knife from the table and points it at Carter)// You stay away from me. //(Runs offstage)// //(Carter looks at Eric for a moment longer and then walks offstage)// //(Lana slams the bathroom door behind her and locks it. She then sits on the toilet seat and buries her face in her hands)// Voice: La-na? //(The Voice is deep and scratchy, the voice of a killer. You cannot tell if it belongs to Carter or James. It’s line was broken up into two syllables with a sing-song characteristic added to it so it sounds more creepy)// Lana: I told you to stay away from me! Voice: Come out and tell me that to my face. Lana: I’m not an idiot. I’m not coming out. Voice: Come on, come out and play. Lana: I’m going to break that damn jaw of yours! Voice: Then come out and do it. But remember, this time there’s no one to take the bullet for you. Lana: Listen up, you stupid— Voice: //(It’s voice gets deeper and scarier)// No you listen up, you worthless piece of trash. You’re going to die tonight and I’m going to be the one who kills you. There’s only a thin little door between you and me, and that door won’t hold forever, I guarantee it. So why don’t you stop this torture of yours and open the door right now. Lana: //(She is basically in tears now)// Go away! Voice: Open this door! Lana: No! I won’t! Voice: Open it or you’ll die, just like your brother! Lana: //(Covering her ears)// Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! //(Then is a long silence where it seems that the Voice has left)// Lana: //(Uncovers her ears, grabs the top of the toilet, and slowly creeps towards the door. About halfway there two shots go through the door. Lana screams and drops the top of the toilet. It shatters when it hits the ground. Lana goes to the corner of the bathroom and slumps in the corner hugging her knees to her chest and crying)// Voice: I’m going to kill you, Lana. I’m going to shoot you like I shot Katherine. I’m going to slit your throat just like I did to Eric. And I’m going to enjoy it. //(James is onstage. He is sitting on the couch and looking at the knife in his hand when Wendy enters)// James: //(Disbelievingly)// Wendy? Wendy: //(Casually)// Hi. //(She sits down next to him)// So whatcha doin’? James: Am I going crazy? Wendy: No, silly. A crazy person wouldn’t think of someone this hot. //(She strikes a pose and then they both start to laugh)// So what are you doing? James: I’m, uh— I’m trying to figure out who it could be. Wendy: What’s with the knife? James: That’s if that someone decides I’m next. Wendy: I see, said the blind man. //(She smiles)// So why don’t you just leave? You know, just walk away from the house. James: Wendy, we don’t know where we are. We could be walking for miles, for days, before anyone finds us. Wendy: So what are you going to do? James: Well, I had a thought… Wendy: And why don’t you go and see if that thought is right? You don’t have forever, James. James: You’re right. //(He stands up)// It’s now or never. Come on. //(He takes Wendy’s hand and gently pulls her offstage as she giggles)// //(James and Wendy are onstage. They are holding hands)// Wendy: It sounds like you’ve had a hell of a night. James: Yeah, but if I’m right, it’s all going to be over. I think we’re here. //(He hesitates)// Wendy: Well, James? James: All right. Here it goes. //(He pushes the door open)// //(Wendy slips offstage oblivious to James)// //(He is looking into the room)// Oh my… Oh my God! //(He turns around to run back into the hall when a gun goes off and James falls back onto the floor dead)// Carter: //(He’s onstage. He is outside the bathroom where Lana was hiding)// Lana? Lana? Did you hear that, Lana? Why are there holes in the door? Lana, please open this door! //(He tries the knob and the door swings open. There is no one inside. Carter slowly creeps in. His voice is small and scared. The cabinet door is slightly agar)// Lana? //(The porcelain of the broken toilet top crunches under his feet)// Are— Are you there? //(He opens the cabinet door and slaps his hand over his mouth to stifle a gasp. He looks to the doorway and then grabs something from the cabinet and exits)// //(Lana is onstage. She has her arms wrapped around her and her eyes are wild and scared. Carter enters)// Carter: //(Calmly)// Hello, Lana. Lana: Carter? I thought I told you to stay away from me. Carter: Oh, you did. Lana: //(Looking around)// Where’s James? Carter: You can drop the act now. We both know James is dead. Lana: James is dead? Carter: Yes and you’re the one who shot him, didn’t you? Lana: What? I didn’t… You’re trying to trick me. Get away from me, Carter! //(She is about to run away when Carter pulls out a gun and points it at her)// Carter: Don’t you move your sorry ass! Lana: Carter? What are you doing? Carter: I should have expected it was you right from the beginning. Everything pointed straight to you. Lana: What are you talking about? Carter: All of the murders! You were sitting right next to Gordon. You could have easily slipped a pill into his drink and then boom! We have a dead host. Then you go into the bathroom and bring out the pills of Nitroglycerin you brought along and blame his death on a heart attack. And plus, you’re the only one who didn’t react when Gordon died. You just sat there and watched. Then, with everyone shaken up but not scared, since we all think it was a heart attack, you announce you are going to leave right after Katherine goes to make a phone call. So there you go outside with the car keys, and maybe just in someone is watching, you put on a little show on how the car won’t work. So once, you’re sure no one can see you, you make your way to the window of where Katherine is going to make her call, open the window, and bang! You shoot Katherine. Lana: That is a lie! And how do you explain the police not coming? How could I have done that? Carter: It’s obvious that the phones were faked, and the voice Katherine heard was nothing but a recording. Lana: That’s insane! Carter: But it’s possible! It was risky. Betting that Katherine would say the right thing and then the recording would get the timing right. Extremely risky. So risky that something weird may have happened. The recording may have cut Katherine off and she started to think something was going on, and that’s why she died first. And then you come back into the house acting all innocent, but not before smashing my cell phone and stabbing the picture for us to find later. Lana: No! That’s not true! Carter: And that whole rant on how all us men were cowards and how James felt guilty, brilliant! Split us all up. That’s when Eric went. I remember calling your name over and over, but I got no answer. I now realize it was because you were to busy killing Eric and hiding his body! And when we found him, //you// were the one who found him. You hid him too well and had to point him out to us. There was no way to see his body if you hadn’t been //looking// for it! Lana: No! Carter: Yes, Lana! You know this is all correct! So then you lock yourself in the bathroom and scream your freaking head off. Just to make a show. And you fire a gun into the door twice, just to make it more theatrical. Or you finally went from homicidal to total loony-bin crazy! I don’t know. But then once that’s over and no one comes to your aid, you sneak out of the bathroom and find James who saw something he wasn’t supposed to. So, right there in the middle of the hall you shot him down. You had no time to hide his body, so you ran back downstairs and hid the gun back in your little hiding place and wandered out here looking like the scared little girl we all thought you were. Just waiting for you last victim. Me!

Lana: Carter, I’m telling you I didn’t do it!

Carter: But do you know how I know it’s you? Because I went into that bathroom you were hiding in and found this little toy. (Shakes the gun) And then I found James, and the only people left are you and me, and I know it’s not me. And now, Lana, all that’s left, is to wonder why? Why would you kill everybody? How about this: you, after the untimely death of your brother slowly went crazy. Blaming first Shawn, and then blamed //everybody// there, except for the cashier that is, for the death of your brother. They all played a little part in getting him killed. So to exact your revenge, you pose as Mr. Johnson, Gordon’s employer and tell Gordon to invite these certain people. Once they were all there, you could give some phony reasons on how the guest’s friends and stuff didn’t show up and then the real party begins. Gordon was just a puny pawn you needed to get rid of; he was exposition, act one. All the others died in order of how responsible they were for Oliver’s death. And look, all that’s left is I, cousin of the man who murdered your brother. Is that a good enough explanation? But sadly, you won’t get the satisfaction of killing me, because I’m going to kill you.

Voice: //(From offstage)// That was a very nice speech, Carter. //(Enter Gordon who then stabs Carter in the back)// But you got it wrong. //(Carter falls to the floor and does not get up)//

Lana: Carter! //(She screams while she says his name and is gripping her hair with both hands)//

Gordon: So, Lana. Didn’t expect this, did you?

Lana: You’re a killer! A murderer! You killed them!

Gordon: Wow, Lana, you’re //so// smart. I just wanted to ask you one thing: where is the money?

Lana: You’re supposed to be dead.

Gordon: I slipped a pill into my champagne right before I drank it. It practically puts you into a drug-induced coma where a doctor may not even be able to fell your heartbeat or pulse. Now where’s the money?

Lana: What money?

Gordon: I’m not a very patient man, Lana.

Lana: You’re not a very stable man either.

Gordon: //(Laughs)// Touché. But I’m doing what I have to do. I’d like to know where the money is. Lana: What money? Gordon: The money you got from selling that necklace that you got from the day of the café! Lana: I didn’t take any necklace, and it was only money in that bag. Gordon: You know damn well it wasn’t just money. Lana: How would you even know if it there was something else in that bag that wasn’t money? Gordon: Because I’m the one who blackmailed Shawn into robbing that café, you dumb broad! Lana: Wh—What? Gordon: Yeah, I told him that I had a girl named Susan with me and I’d kill her if he didn’t do what I asked. Funny thing was, I just took a recording from her home videos, took a few words and merged them to make a sentence, and then play the recording over the phone. He believed me right away. Told him to rob the place and when that lady wasn’t looking, take the necklace out of her jewelry box. But then things got out of hand at the café and a few people died and then the bag of money and my 5 million dollar necklace went missing. Lana: //(Disbelievingly)// 5 million dollars? Gordon: Yes, five million big ones. That lady at the café had no freaking idea how much money she had just lying in her jewelry box. I saw her wearing it once and tried to buy it off of her, but she said no, something about it being in her family for however many years. So my idea is to force some nobody into robbing the place, and when the lady’s not looking take the necklace from her jewelry box. The next day, I’d return the money and the lady, overjoyed with the return of her cash doesn’t notice that her necklace is missing. And when she finally does figure it out, she disregards it as being nothing but misplaced. Lana: And what does this have to do with me? Gordon: What does this have to do with you?! You’re the one who took the necklace! Lana: No I didn’t you insane piece of— Gordon: //(He grabs her and pulls her close so that her face is in his. He then takes his knife and gently caresses her jaw line)// Don’t make me cut your pretty little throat so soon. Lana: Get off of me! //(She tries to push him away)// Gordon: //(He grabs a fist full of her clothes and pulls her back)// I’m not going anywhere until I find out where the money is. Lana: Think about this, Gordon. Even if I had the money, why in the hell would I tell you where it is? Gordon: //(Letting go of her)// Oh, you’ll tell me. Eventually. Everything has a way of getting out. The truth always gets out, even if you have to force it into the open. For two and a half years I have been searching for this freaking money. I broke into Katherine’s house… Lana: That was you? Gordon: //(He continues as if she had not spoken)// I poured over bank deposits, I tracked nearly jewelry purchase. I did everything and yet I came up with nothing! Lana: And you deserve nothing. //(He slaps her across the face. It is quick and unexpected. Lana’s head is thrown to the side with the force of the slap and she slowly brings her head back into a normal position. Her hair hangs in her face and her head is lowered; she is stunned, but gives no remark)// Gordon: I deserve everything! And what was worse was when I see on the front of the magazine cover, a rich celebrity with //my// necklace hanging around her throat! My necklace! It said she paid over 5.5 million dollars to the person who gave it to her, but she won’t say who. I don’t know how you hid the money from me Lana, but I have you give you credit, however you did it was incredibly smart. Lana: //(Through clenched teeth. Her head is still down)// I hate you. Gordon: So that’s when I decide to invite all five of you for a happy reunion and figure out who took the necklace. The four who were innocent were going to die anyway. They messed up the perfect plan at the café. They were in the way and deserved to die. Katherine and Eric were first; I knew at once they didn’t take the necklace. James then saw that my body wasn’t in my bed and I had to kill him, besides by then I already knew it wasn’t him. I was trying to decide between you and Carter so I put the gun in your bathroom and either one found it I would see how either one of you reacted. I crossed Carter off the list pretty quickly after that speech. Lana: You caused five deaths and killed four other people by your own hand just for a damn necklace?! Gordon: It’s not just a necklace, Lana. It’s a piece of art. It was my fortune. Everything about it was perfect. Every diamond. Every sapphire. Every karat of gold. It was all perfect! It was a necklace whose worth was so great royalty couldn’t even wear it. So they buried it. A treasure molded by the gods. It was found centuries later, but was stolen almost immediately. Since then, it has been lost. When I saw that cashier wearing it, I knew it was //the// necklace. Her grandmother or whoever gave it to her probably thought of it

as nothing more than a piece of costume jewelry or maybe she did know what it was worth and didn’t want to part with it, I don’t know. But I do know, that necklace is mine. That fortune is mine. It is rightfully mine! And I want what’s rightfully mine, Lana! So where’s the money!?

Lana: //(Dropping to her knees)// I don’t know!

Gordon: Lana, you better tell me where the money is or God help me I’ll—!

Lana: Ha! “God help me”! No God is going to help you. You’re going straight to hell!

Gordon: I’m going to cut your throat if you don’t tell me where you are hiding my—

Lana: Are you deaf or just stupid?! I. Don’t. Know! //(At the last word, she throws her high-heeled shoe at him. The reason she dropped to her knees was to take them off without Gordon noticing. The shoe hits Gordon as he’s ducking away and her drops the knife as the second shoe hits him. Lana jumps up from the ground and punches Gordon in the face. She throws another punch, but Gordon grabs her wrist and pushed her to the ground. He snatches up the knife and stands over Lana with the knife raised)//

Gordon: Now you’re going to die, Lana!

//(A gun goes off twice and the knife drops from Gordon’s hand. He staggers forward as Lana dives for the knife. Carter has the gun in his hand, still on the ground, pointed where Gordon was standing)//

Carter: Should’ve made sure I was dead.

//(Lana grabs the knife and turns to Gordon, who making one last final attempt to get the knife, lunges forward. Lana rears back and stabs him in the chest. Gordon falls back onto the stage dead)//

Lana?

Lana: Oh God, Carter! //(She runs over to him)// I’m going to get you help.

Carter: Lana, I took the necklace.

Lana: You?

Carter: Yes, Shawn told me about the situation with Susan and the robbery and he said if things went wrong to take the necklace. That way the freak who blackmailed him wouldn’t get their prize. So I took it, and sadly, I couldn’t give it back to the woman so I kept it. Then I told her I had her necklace and had found out how much it was worth, so we sold to a celebrity who gave a check to the cashier and the cashier gave me 150,000 dollars in cash. That was the reason Gordon didn’t track the deposit because it was all in cash.

Lana: Just stay still, Carter. I’m going to get help.

//(The scene ends)// //(Lana is onstage. A reporter runs up to her)// Reporter: Lana! Lana Henderson!’ Lana: What? Reporter: You are the only one, Carter Newman being in the hospital and doctors not allowing us to talk to him, who was in that house. Do you know if Carter will be okay? Lana: The doctors say he’s going to make a full recovery. Reporter: So, Lana, tell us, what happened in there? Katherine Willows, Eric Harris, James Welsh, and Gordon Kenton all dead! Plus, Carter stabbed in the back! We’re all dying to know! //(Their pencil and notepad are eagerly posed at the ready)// Lana: Okay, you better listen up, because this is a long story. THE END