A Thousand Cuts

SC1 INTERIOR. DAY. APARTMENT
Thirtysomething couple, the Andres, are fighting. Man, Van, is short, pudgy and balding. Woman, Adrianne, is tall, slim and fit.

Apartment is modern and upscale. The only things out of place are the cowboy boots on the floor next to a coffee table holding a cowboy hat and a Slim Pickens album.

VAN
We’ve been over this a zillion times. It never changes.

ADRIANNE
And since when are you so damn perfect.

Voices escalate.

VAN
I’m not perfect, but marriage is a compromise and when one person really hates–

ADRIANNE
And how much do I hate about you? Let’s start with pot belly and balding head?

VAN
Every argument it goes back to that. It’s my genetics.

Both are pacing, clenching fists. Adrianne picks up a piece of heavy cut glass.

ADRIANNE
Your mom and dad are both smart, so where do you get your stupidity?

VAN
If I’m stupid then you’re a slug.

ADRIANNE
God, you can’t even argue right!

VAN
And you have no taste.

ADRIANNE
Taste! You dare talk about taste!

VAN
You drive me crazy!

ADRIANNE
You drive me crazy!

SC2 INTERIOR. DAY. APARTMENT
Apartment is quiet, seems empty. A hand sticks out from behind the coffee table. There is blood on it from several cuts. The cowboy boots are lying down, sprinkled with blood.

SC3 INTERIOR. DAY. SURGERY/ ME EXAM ROOM
Small sparse surgery. Little equipment beyond a steel table, a light and a second table holding a tray. Tall, thin, dour man, Dr. Crane, bends over body on a steel table. The body is draped from head to torso and from feet to hips. The torso area is covered with blood. Dr. Crane mumbles to himself as he touches the blood.

CRANE
I wonder if there was a lot at the crime scene?

He pulls up the lower sheet to reveal cowboy boots and smiles.

CRANE
Nice boots. Think the blood will come out?

SC4 INTERIOR. DAY. SURGERY
Detective Abe Kates bursts into surgery. He is short, muscular and intense and carries a large black evidence bag.

KATES
Dr. Crane? Detective Kates.

Crane extends a gloved, bloody hand. Kates ignores it.

KATES
Got my COD?

CRANE
I’m working on it. I’ll have the report tomorrow or the next day. After I open the chest and see the pictures from the scene.

KATES
I got family breathing down my neck.

CRANE
The body was just delivered today.

KATES
And how long does it take?

CRANE
Long enough to do it right.

Kates sucks in a ragged breath.

KATES
Anything I can do to help?

CRANE
Are you a doctor?

Kates backs from the table and paces and Crane pulls off the boots and socks. He pokes around at the feet.

KATES
What’d the feet tell you?

Crane hands Kates the boots. Kates quickly puts on gloves, before taking and bagging them.

CRANE
I’d like them back when you’re done with them?

KATES
What? The boots? They’ll go to the family.

CRANE
Too bad.

Kates does an exaggerated eye roll. It’s lost on Crane, who is digging around in the cuts on the torso. Crane’s face lifts as he pulls out a bloody black chip. He rubs off the blood with a cloth as Kates, more excited than usual, opens the original evidence bag.

Crane brandishes a thin uneven triangle as Kates pulls out a bloody vinyl LP album with a chip missing.

Crane slips his chip into divot. It fits.

SC5 INTERIOR. DAY. SURGERY
Kates and Crane’s moment of jubilation is past. Kates is back to pacing as Crane readies his instruments.

A man, Van, bursts through the door. He sees his wife on the slab, then sees the bloody Slim Pickens album on the table by the instruments.

Van breaks down, falling to his knees, crying.

VAN
She wouldn’t stop playing it. I just couldn’t listen to that man sing “Darlin’ Commit Me” one more time.

Kates cuffs Van and begins reading his rights.

KATES
You have the right…

Crane picks up the LP.

CRANE
Country music will do it every time.

Image by Becky Kjelstrom