Infinite Black Suitcase Script

Scene 7: Fragile

(Two o'clock in the afternoon.)
(The front room of the Kalinski house, which they never use.)
(A small table, covered with a crocheted doily, holds a coffee pot, cups and saucers, and a matching sugar bowl and creamer. Several old-fashioned, straight-back chairs
are set around.)
(STAN leans against the wall, holding a small, delicate cup and saucer carefully in his hands. He is still wearing his dark suit but the tie around his neck has been pulled loose, and the top button of his shirt is undone.)
(JANIE sits near him, staring at the floor.)
(KAL pushes into the room. He is wearing the same clothes as before. He looks around, looks at JANIE, then goes over by STAN.)
(STAN watches him approach.)
STAN. Where were you?
KAL. I came in.
STAN. We waited half an hour.
KAL. There's somethin' not right about-
STAN. (glances at JANIE) Keep your voice down!
KAL. I wanna talk to the police.
(STAN grabs KAL's arm and pulls him away from JANIE, almost losing his cup and saucer in the process.)
STAN. You say that in fronta her.
KAL. I got questions.
STAN. What?
(KAL stuffs his hands in his pockets. They're quiet for a moment.)
KAL. When did you see him?
STAN. Thursday night.
KAL. Thursday night?
STAN. I told you. He brought back my scroll saw. He wouldn't come in the house.
KAL. What did he say?
STAN. (bause; slowly) He wouldn't come in the house. We were havin' fish sticks, like it's fuckin' Lent, an' I said "I wouldn't come in for that either."
(They are silent for a moment, not looking at each other.)
STAN. He kissed me.
KAL. What?
STAN. On the cheek. When he went, he just-
KAL. An' you didn't think-
STAN. No!
(Silence.)
KAL. You think it was money? With the job an' all?
STAN. I don't know, Kal. What do I look like?
(pause)
I remember the first one I went to. Uncle Val. You remember? No. You were too little. Me an'...They took me an' Johnny.
(pause)
He looked like a doll. Like they dipped him in plastic, then painted him over.
KAL. I'm not trying to bust your balls, I'm just tryin' to-
STAN. I know.
(Silence.)
Janie called me first.
(KAL looks up sharply at STAN.)
STAN. I went over there and...
(pause)
STAN. I went over. I s-
(beat)
I went over there. I'm the one who called the police. I never called that number before.
(beat; glances over at JANIE)
She's all a wreck. I don't even know what to do.
(pause)
I don't know why he didn't tell me he was...he was feelin' like...
(bause)
He coulda told me anything.
(Silence.)
KAL. You never said you.....you saw.
STAN. Yeah.
(Silence.)
(Behind the two men, JANIE pulls her legs up and wraps her arms around them, and rests her head on her knees.)
KAL. Nobody told me that.
(STAN's coffee cup begins to rattle against the saucer in his hands. He lays one hand over the top of the cup, then
abruptly sets it away, on a table.)
STAN. Yeah.
KAL. Nobody said shit about that.
STAN. Yeah.
KAL. (pause) So, it's- it's true. He really-
STAN. Yeah.
(They are quiet for a long moment.)
KAL. Fuck.
STAN. Yeah.
(KAL's face crumples. He turns his head away.)
STAN. Fucking asshole. Cocksucking son of a bitch.
(beat)
He coulda told me anything.
(beat)
He bled all over the fucking floor. You don't clean that shit. There's no way to clean that.
(JANIE covers her head with her arms.)
KAL. Stop.
STAN. You wanna know.
KAL. Stan.
STAN. He used Pop's gun.
KAL. No.
STAN. You gotta fucking know. You gotta know everything. He blew his fucking brains out. All right? Is that what you want to know? I picked him up in my hands.
(KAL shoves STAN.)
STAN. It's right here in my head. I can't get it outta my fuckin' head, Kal, an' I'm trying to keep all of you- And you won't shut the fuck up for one fucking minute. You think you gotta know. You wanna know?
(KAL shoves STAN again.)
KAL. Please.
(STAN turns and exits.)
JANIE rocks a little, in her chair.)
(KAL wraps his arms around himself.)
(Lights.)