THE DEMISE OF MACY PETERS

(The stage is set up as an old,simplistic 

                      living room, with a red and gold rug. There

 two lounge chairs across from each

other on opposite sides of the rug, with

A couch in between them facing the audience.

Everything in the room has a rustic feel to it

And there is faint mysterical music in the

background. The lights are dim with a soft spotlight

on the couch where Noah, Anna and Pacey are sitting.)

DETECTIVE SMITH

(Enters stage left and walks behind the couch to question the three suspects)

Well, well, well. As I’m sure all three of y’all know, Miss Macy Peters was found dead four days ago. Her cause of death is currently unknown, but I know that one of you three know more than I do and I don’t have time for no games. Coming clean right now is the best thing any of y’all could do. Any takers? ... 

(All three of them look at each other in silence, quickly turn their heads, and look down avoiding eye contact) 

So we’re gonna take the long road huh? 

NOAH

(Smugly)

Seems like it.

DETECTIVE SMITH

Oh so we’ve got an attitude problem here?

ANNA

He’s always got an attitude like this.

(Sitting next to Noah, puts her hand on her thigh and jokingly shakes it)

DETECTIVE SMITH

(Aggressively)

Well I suggest he drops it and now.

PACEY

(Annoyed)

Okay, okay. Attitudes, gone. Can we get this conversation going? My bed and TV are calling my name. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

(Walking over towards Noah and standing behind him)

Yes, let’s. Noah, so Macy is your ex-girlfriend ,correct?

NOAH

Unfortunately, yes.

DETECTIVE SMITH

(Questioning)

Unfortunately? Were there problems in your relationship or what happened?

NOAH

(Angrily)

Yeah, it was toxic as hell. Lies, upon lies, upon lies. That’s what our whole relationship was. Not to mention the infidelity. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

Lying? Infidelity?

(Noah nods head)

Hmmm, interesting. And Anna, you’re Noah’s girlfriend currently?

(Takes a few steps over to be behind Anna on couch)

ANNA

(Happily)

Yes, yes I am. 

(Looks at Noah and smiles, takes a hold of his hand to interlock theirs)

DETECTIVE SMITH

So... Pacey, you were Macy’s current boyfriend. Aren’t you devastated?

(Takes a few more steps over, to be standing behind Pacey)

PACEY

I can’t believe she’s really gone. I loved her, but I was planning on breaking things off soon. I’m going to miss her more than anything in this world, but our messed up relationship, that’s something I won’t miss.

DETECTIVE SMITH

More relationship problems? 

PACEY

(Upset)

Lots of them, but really, I don’t want to talk about this right now. Can we figure this out tomorrow morning or something? All I really want to do right now is lay in my bed and drown everything else out. It’s been hard, okay?

DETECTIVE SMITH

I understand that Pacey, I really do, but that being said, this is really important. 

PACEY

(Pleading)

I know Detective Smith, but please? I can’t handle any more talking about her right now. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

We can’t just end like this. I’m going to give you a few hours to regroup and rest your mind for a bit. Let me walk you to your car. 

(Steps around the couch and extends his hand to help Pacey out of his seat and they both begin to walk towards the door. Pacey exits stage right. As they are doing that, Noah takes out his phone quickly and sends a paranoid text.)

DETECTIVE SMITH

(walks back towards the couch, standing behind it, in between Noah and Anna)

And then there were two…

NOAH

(jokingly)

Real funny Detective.

DETECTIVE SMITH

So are either of you going to own up to it? Or are we gonna have to sit here all day? 

NOAH

Detective, I really don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s crazy to think that me and Anna would ever even have a reason to do something like that. We’re in a happy relationship and we have been for a while, right babe? 

(looks over at Anna, smiling)

ANNA

Yes baby. We’re so in love that Macy hasn’t even impacted our lives at all in the past few months. It’s like she hasn’t even been a part of our lives. Why would we even think of killing her? Why would we risk lives in jail, if she wasn’t even bothering us?

DETECTIVE SMITH

(interrogating)

Maybe you aren’t telling the entire truth? Are you absolutely positive that she wasn’t bothering you guys at all? 

NOAH 

(looks over at Anna in panic) 

Well.... Maybe.

ANNA

(said simultaneously with Noah’s line)

Yes. We’re positive. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

So.. Some miscommunication or argumentation between the two of you? Tell me more. Noah, you first. 

NOAH

(looks at Anna wearily before speaking)

I didn’t really tell Anna about this, but Macy kept messaging me a few weeks back. She was so desperate. She kept asking me to hangout and she always wanted me to come over, but I really didn’t want to. She’s psycho, I mean I don’t know why she would ever think I’d want to see her again.

ANNA

(visibly upset)

So that’s who you’ve been talking to behind my back all this time? How could you keep it a secret from me? I wouldn’t have even cared, but the fact that you lied every time and told me it was just your guy friends. 

NOAH

Calm down Anna. It really isn’t a big deal. 

ANNA

(angrily)

Why wouldn’t it be a big deal??? You were in love with her for three years and then you were talking to her behind my back? That sounds like a pretty big deal to me. 

DETECTTIVE SMITH

(his phone rings, it is Pacey calling)

I hate to get in the middle of this, but Pacey’s ringing me. Hold your arguements, I’ll be back in a minute. 

(he walks over towards stage right, almost off stage to answer the phone. Anna and Noah stop talking and face away from each other, with their arms crossed, visably upset with one another)

(A spotlight goes onto stage right, making it so that Anna and Noah cannot be seen on stage. There is a divider to show both Pacey’s apartment and Detective on the phone)

PACEY

Detective, you won’t believe what I just found. 

DETECTIVE SMITH
Well, what’d ya find kid?

PACEY

A trap phone. 

DETECTIVE SMITH
A trap phone? What does that have to do with anything?

PACEY

It was hers. It had to have been hers.

DETECTIVE SMITH
You think it was Macy’s?

PACEY

Yes. I know it was hers. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

How do you know that?

PACEY

She’s the only person who has been in my apartment within the last five months. It has to be hers because it sure as hell ain’t mine. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

So you found it in your apartment?

PACEY

Yes sir.

DETECTIVE SMITH

(Very seriously)
This information could be crucial, son. I’m going to need you to be a bit more specific. 

PACEY
How so?

DETECTIVE SMITH

Where exactly did you find this phone?

PACEY

It’s actually really odd, now that I think about it. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

(intruiged)

Hmmmm, I’m listening. 

PACEY

I found it in a little box, underneath a pile of dirty clothes under my bed. 

DETTECTIVE SMITH

You just randomly found it? Were you cleaning your room or something?

PACEY

No, actually. I was sitting on my bed, trying to fall asleep for a quick nap. 

DETECTIVE SMITH
And?.....

PACEY

And I heard a dinging noise. I had never heard it before and I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

So you started looking around?

PACEY

Yes. I was searching my whole entire apartment for something that could have possibly made that noise. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

And you looked through the stuff under your bed and found the phone in a little box?

PACEY

Yep. That’s how that happened. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

So, why’d it make a noise then? 

PACEY
I’m not sure. Maybe a text message?

DETECTIVE SMITH

It could be. 

PACEY

But wouldn’t it be weird for someone to be texting her now that she’s dead?

DETECTIVE SMITH
It’s more common than you’d think. Sometimes people do that to get their feelings out without having to talk to anyone. 

PACEY
Still seems weird to me. Macy wasn’t close with anyone, I don’t know why they’d feel the need to text her. 

DETECTIVE SMITH
Well you have the phone. Can’t you just look at who texted her?

PACEY

I can’t actually. Her notifications are blocked and the phone has a passcode. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

You should be able to figure out the code, girls aren’t that smart. 

PACEY

I don’t know, I can try I guess. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

What’s her birthday?

PACEY

December 15, 1998.

DETECTIVE SMITH
Okay, so try 121598. 

PACEY

(holding phone in his other hand, entering passcode)
Okay, one sec I’m trying it. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

Okay, son you do that. 

PACEY

Wow, maybe girls really aren’t that smart. That was easier than what I thought. 

DETECTIVE SMITH
So, you now have the phone open?

PACEY
Yessir. 

DETECTIVE SMITH
Go to her messages and tell me if you see anything weird or suspicious. Anything at all. 

PACEY

(Scrolling through her texts)

That’s really weird. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

What’s weird? Tell me everything.

PACEY
Her most recent text conversation is one with Noah’s number. That can’t be a coincidence. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

That is definitely not a coincidence. Have you read through the conversation? Can you tell me what Noah has said to her?

PACEY

She wanted him to hangout with her. On the night that she died. He was so mean to her. He told her he hated her and wished she was dead. 

DETECTIVE SMITH
Now that is interesting. 

PACEY

(cell phone dings, a new text message comes through, says it’s from five minutes ago but it was delivered late)

She just got another text. It’s from Ethan’s number too? He said I wish I never did it, now they’re gonna know. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

Okay Pacey. I think I’ve got everything I need now. Get some rest. I’ll stop by later. 

(hangs up the phone, and uses walky talkie to signal for backup at his location and walks back towards Anna and Noah quietly,they don’t hear him coming back. the lighting returns to how it started originally and Anna and Noah are arguing again)

ANNA
Noah. I just don’t understand. I hate you and Macy so much right now. I wish I were the one that killed her. 

NOAH

Woah, don’t say that. 

ANNA

Why? You don’t want me to blow my cover? I know you did it and you know you did it. At this point, Pacey and Detective Smith probably know too. 

DETECTIVE SMITH

(walks up behind them)

You damn right I know. 

(Backup comes barging through the door, with handcuffs in their hands)
Noah. Stand up. You’re under arrest for the murder of Macy Peters. 

NOAH

But. This. This isn’t fair. 

DETECTIVE SMITH
Too bad. 

(they handcuff him and take him away through the doors on stage right. Anna collapses to the ground crying and all the lights go dark) 

THE END.