Appeal of Murder

Scene 1

Sirens flash and wail and we hear the Miranda rights are being read. No one is visibly seen yet. The lights slowly come up on TESSA who is now dressed in an inmate uniform, handcuffed to a table upstage right. She is staring straight ahead, zoned out and dazed. Next to her is MAX RICHARDS, a lawyer. He is dressed in a suit and tie with a brief case by his side. On the table is a file with documents and details pertaining to TESSA's case, and a yellow legal pad and pen.

MAX RICHARDS: Tessa...Tessa? Are you even listening? I need you to focus and tell me everything.

TESSA snaps out of her daydream and looks at MAX RICHARDS.

TESSA: ... Everything? Ok so when I was 10 I was playing around with my sister and we'd just gotten these new bikes and we were racing them down a hill and then we crashed and both scraped our knees. Oh and another time when I was 14 I stole a candy bar from the local convenience store on a dare. Then when I was 16 I lost my virginity in the backseat of a pick-up truck—

MAX RICHARDS: I meant the details pertaining to your case...

TESSA: You did say everything though. Maybe you should be clearer next time...

MAX RICHARDS: Look here, I don't have time for games.

MAX RICHARDS gets up to leave the room.

TESSA: Ok, ok fine.

MAX RICHARDS frustrated and exhausted sits back down across from TESSA

TESSA: So I did it and I'm not going to pretend and tell you that I didn't. I looked right at him and shot him and I'm not even sorry. He deserved what he got.

MAX RICHARDS: You know you are not helping your case here right? Why did you do it? Do you want to spend the rest of your life in jail?

TESSA: I may have done it but I had my reasons. That bastard deserves to rot in hell. He had it coming and if it wasn't me it would've been someone else. Eventually he had to pay for what he did.

MAX RICHARDS: What did he do?

TESSA: Why should I tell you? You won't believe me. Nobody does. He fooled them all, they thought the devil was an angel, but I saw through it all. I knew the truth but I'm the only one left who did.

MAX RICHARDS: Okay... I'll ask again. What did he do? If he was threatening to you or a danger to you in some way, we can claim self-defense and it may help your case.

TESSA: I can't tell you...

MAX RICHARDS: I'm here to help you, but I need all the facts to build your defense. Any information you have against the victim can greatly help you.

TESSA: I got nothing to prove it. I don't have any concrete evidence. It's all word of mouth and it's kind of unlucky for me that the other mouth was silenced.

MAX RICHARDS: Are you saying that he was a killer?

TESSA: Yeah... that's exactly what I'm saying but I don't have the "real" proof that the police look for. Believe me, I tried so damn hard to find it but couldn't come up with shit. It came down to my word against his.

MAX RICHARDS: We need something to go on. You'll be locked up for life otherwise.

TESSA: He was a wicked man. One of those mean nasty drunks with no regard for anything but himself and his booze. However that was only him behind closed doors. In public he was a manipulative charmer who could make you believe almost anything with a witty joke and a false smile. A horrible man.

MAX RICHARDS: That's interesting information on his character, but how does this prove that shooting him was justified?

TESSA: Because behind those closed doors another person lived with him, and she...

TESSA is getting upset. Lights crossfade JESSALYN enters, standing behind TESSA, watching her for the rest of the scene.

MAX RICHARDS: Go on...

TESSA: She... I can't. I can't talk about it right now. Not yet... not now.

MAX RICHARDS: Why not?

TESSA: It's too painful. If I say it out loud it means she's gone. She's really gone.

MAX RICHARDS: Tessa, this may be difficult to talk about, but I need you to finish telling me. We may have something to go on if you can say it.

TESSA: He... he killed her...

TESSA begins to cry. MAX RICHARDS takes down everything that TESSA says.

MAX RICHARDS: Who was she? The girl who was killed, who was she?

TESSA stares ahead not looking at the MAX RICHARDS.

TESSA: My sister. She was my sister.

MAX RICHARDS takes more notes and TESSA continues to look off into the distance crying silently and the lights fade out.