Iris

ACT FOUR - Phone call

Characters: Iris Ash, taxi driver, policeman, Sashique

Policemen are milling around a house that is obviously the center of a heavy crime investigation, sporting flashing lights, police tape, all the works. A tearful woman is talking to a man in a suit as a body covered in a tarp is wheeled out of the house and into an awaiting ambulance. A taxi pulls up to the house and the scene changes to show the inside of the vehicle.

TAXI DRIVER: [uncertainly, watching the scene outside] You sure this is the right address?

IRIS: [breezily] Yes, thank you.

She hands him a significant amount of money, obviously much more than her fare was, judging by the widening of the man's eyes. As she climbs out of the taxi, her driver rolls down the window to speak to her.

TAXI DRIVER: [confused] Hey - you forgot your change -

IRIS: [dismissively, without glancing back] Keep it.

She stops at the police tape as the taxi pulls away and then starts walking around the side of the house, careful to stay outside of the yellow barrier. A policeman sees her and hurries toward her.

POLICEMAN: [hurriedly, starting towards her] Ma'am - ma'am -

IRIS: [sweetly, turning to him] Is there a problem, officer?

POLICEMAN: [apologetically] Civilians aren't allowed back here.

IRIS: [soothingly] I'm just taking a shortcut home. I live in the neighborhood.

She smiles sweetly at him as he looks conflicted. Finally, he shrugs.

POLICEMAN: [rather uncertainly] Be safe, then.

IRIS: [brightly] I will, Officer.

She watches him until she is sure that he has fully returned to his investigations. Then, glancing around to make sure nobody is watching her, she ducks under the police tape and walks quickly to the backyard deck of the house. Using the deck as a boost, she leaps up to a ledge that is too tall for a normal human to reach by jumping. From there, she can climb directly into one of the windows.

The inside of the house is dark and quiet. Footsteps and muffled talking can be heard from other rooms, but the bedroom that Iris is in isn't actively part of the investigation - yet. Hurriedly, she starts going through drawers, peering under the bed, and checking in the closet. Finding nothing, she sneaks into the hallway. As a policeman hurries up the nearby staircase, she presses herself into the wall and closes her eyes, disappearing from sight. Once the man has passed, an Iris-shaped shadow opens her blood-red eyes, peels away from the wall, and follows him, gliding over the floor.

The man enters a room that is obviously the hub of the crime scene. A photographer is snapping pictures of a wall with blood spattered on it, and a policeman is taking notes. The Iris-shaped shadow climbs the wall and latches to the ceiling without being noticed. She notices a policeman wearing gloves delicately placing a note in a plastic bag. As he slides it into his pocket, the shadow jumps down from the ceiling to land silently behind him and reaches into his pocket, removing the note and slipping out of the window before anyone even notices she is there.

Outside, Iris re-materializes, still clutching the bag. She opens it and extracts the paper to read the note. It reads, "We have her. We will have you." A scribbled sequence of numbers is below the words.

Iris pulls out her phone and takes a picture of the note. She sends it to Sashique with the caption, "??" Sashique replies within seconds with, "Phone #?"

Shrugging, Iris tries calling the number. Her phone rings several times before someone on the other end picks up.

MYSTERIOUS MAN: [over the phone] Ah. Iris. Finally. Good work, darling. I wasn't certain you'd be able to get the note amidst such a raging crime investigation.

IRIS: [furiously] Who are you and what have you done with Sara?

MYSTERIOUS MAN: [over the phone] Sara's fine. We won't harm her as long as you do what we say.

IRIS: [coldly] What do you want? Money? Power? I can give you either. Or both.

MYSTERIOUS MAN: [over the phone, chuckling] Darling, I already have both of those. Try again.

IRIS: [trying to control her temper, grinding out the words] Just tell me what you want.

MYSTERIOUS MAN: [over the phone] I want to finally have the pleasure of meeting my daughter.

Iris's face goes slack with shock as he continues to talk.

MYSTERIOUS MAN: [over the phone] Meet me at that nice Italian restaurant near your little headquarters. Try to be discreet - and calm, for a change. I would like to be able to return to this particular restaurant.

The man hangs up and Iris stares in fury at the phone for several seconds before slipping the note back into her pocket, keeping her cell in her hand. She climbs down from the roof and returns to the road, starting to walk down it as she dials Sashique.

SASHIQUE: [over the phone] Did you find her?

IRIS: [dryly, slightly disbelievingly] I've got dinner reservations with her kidnapper. My father.

SASHIQUE: [over the phone, shocked, confused] What?

IRIS: [mock casually] You know that Italian restaurant by headquarters?

SASHIQUE: [over the phone, disbelievingly] You're kidding me.

IRIS: [sighing] Just have it secured by the time I get there. I'm taking the bus.

She hangs up and puts the phone in her pocket, walking faster and with purpose in her steps.