By Karen Carson
EXTERIOR: SPRING. AFTERNOON. AERIAL SHOT OF BOSTON MARATHON.
PRUDENTIAL CENTER. BOYLSTON STREET. BOSTON.
CUT TO EXTERIOR. CROWD OF ONLOOKERS BEHIND POLICE BARRICADE. A RUNNER GRABS PAPER CUP OF WATER FROM AN EXTENDED ARM.
CUT TO INTERIOR. LOBBY OF BEACON MUSE CONDOMINIUMS.
UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICERS AND FORENSIC OFFICERS PUT ON RUBBER GLOVES AND HANG YELLOW POLICE TAPE AND EXAMINE FURNITURE AND FLOOR. OFFICERS WITH CLIPBOARDS TALK TO RESIDENTS IN LOBBY.
(DETECTIVE BAHITI PATEL: 50ish DETECTIVE KENYATTA GROSSMAN: 40ish.
UNIFORMED OFFICER TODD VINCENTE, 30ish, APPROACHES THEM)
DETECTIVE BAHITI PATEL (TO VINCENTE): We’re from BPD. I’m Detective Bahiti Patel. This is my partner, Detective Kenyatta Grossman. What have we got here?
OFFICER VINCENTE: Come with me,detectives. Deceased white male. 50s. Ian Chenoweth. Vice President of Malarkey Management. Found dead in bed with white female. 60s. Possible homicide but no exit wounds. No wallet. No weapon found yet. Still looking. Woman upstairs in bedroom. It’s a bloody mess!
(EMTS ROLL CHENOWETH’S BODY PAST THEM ON A STRETCHER)
DET. PATEL: (NODDING) So what are we looking at? Wife kills husband? Lover kills lover?
DET. GROSSMAN: A weapon has to be somewhere around here. Was she injured?
OFFICER VINCENTE: Seems to be in shock. We didn’t book her.
DET. PATEL: Hmm. (POPS A LIFE SAVER IN HIS MOUTH. OFFERS ONE TO GROSSMAN. SHE DECLINES. THEY GET INTO THE ELEVATOR.) (TO VINCENTE) Bring me up to speed, Officer. Her name?
OFFICER VINCENTE: Viveca Chatworth. Middle-aged--
DET. GROSSMAN: Chatworth? The Viveca Chatworth of the publishing empire? She’s an heiress. Old money. Bigger than Knopf and MacMillan. Combined! I haven’t heard about that family for years! I thought she was dead.
DET. PATEL: Apparently not. I’m an old kid from the Lower East Side. PRE gentrification! The only Empire I know is the Empire State Building--
DET. GROSSMAN: Viveca is the youngest of the Chatworths. The only one left.
DET. PATEL: So what’s little Miss Rich Girl doing here? I mean this is a nice condo but shouldn’t an heiress have her own island? Or at least a yacht?
DET. GROSSMAN: Lost her money. I heard she’d been spending it like water since the ‘80s.
OFFICER VINCENTE: Word on the street says she tried to be a movie star. Had a bunch of TV and movie walk-ons in the ‘70s. You know: Kojak, Columbo, The Odd Couple. Horror movies too. She played Lily Munster’s sister in “Munster, Go Home”. And...oh...she was a zombie in that black and white movie they made for a couple of dollars with students..uh...in Pennsylvania. What was that name? Dead, something. Dead Spirit? No. Dead...dead (THINKING)....Night and Dead...No. What was that name….Damn it…
DET. GROSSMAN: Night of the Living Dead!
OFFICER VINCENTE: Yeah! Yeah! Night of the Living Dead! That’s it! She was one of the dead people who ate the guts of that couple who ran to the pick up truck…
DET, GROSSMAN: Yeah! And then the truck exploded before they could get away and they ate their intestines! I heard they used real guts for that scene!
OFFICER VINCENTE: No! Really? Man that was a great movie!
DET. PATEL: With her fortune she could have bought her way to stardom! What was she thinking? Or she could have been smart and invested the money.
DET. GROSSMAN: She did. Lots of investments. None of them good. There was a waste management company. That turned out to be a sham. She was supposed to put together a reality show on Easter Island (TO VINCENTE) Remember that?
OFFICER VINCENTE: Yeah. Then she thought she’d be an inventor. Had a commercial for this gum that was supposed to be organic and low cal--
DET. GROSSMAN: --Onion-flavored gum! Can you beat that?
DET. PATEL: Onion-flavored gum? What in the world?!
OFFICER VINCENTE: Beats me. Rich people. Waddaya gonna do, huh? All I know is she’d been lappin up liquor since she was a kid. She’s had a regular stool at the bar at Cheers since way back in the day when it was still the Bull and Finch. Now she’s fallen on hard times. That’s why she’s kept out of the limelight. Livin on royalties from her movies. A little coaching for actors. The drinking got so bad nobody wants to be seen with her.
DET. GROSSMAN: Yeah. Those years hangin out at the Kennedy compound are long gone.
DET. PATEL: Poor little rich girl. So this should be a slam dunk. Did she shoot him? Did you see exit wounds? Who called it in?
(COLIN SEAMUS O’SHEA IS RIGHT AT THE ELEVATOR WHEN THE DOOR OPENS)
COLIN: I called it in! Viveca Chatworth, that crazy drunk! She shot Ian Chenoweth! She’s got the blood on her hands! Arrest her! Aren’t you going to arrest her?
DET. GROSSMAN: What’s your name, sir? You called this in? Did you know the deceased?
COLIN: My name is Colin Seamus O’Shea. I’m Treasurer of the condo association. Of course I knew him! Ian Chenoweth was my best friend. I want that woman arrested! (HE RUNS TO THE BEDROOM WHERE VIVECA CHATWORTH IN BLOODY PAJAMAS SITS ON THE EDGE OF THE BED HER HEAD IN HER HANDS) (THE DETECTIVES AND VINCENTE ENTER THE ROOM. THE ROOM IS FILLED WITH FORENSICS POLICE AND DRAPED IN YELLOW POLICE TAPE. PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKE PICTURES)
FORENSICS OFFICER FLOR JIMENEZ: (HOLDING UP CELL PHONE) Detectives---
DET. GROSSMAN: Bag it. Have forensics run a preliminary DNA. (COLIN RUSHES TOWARD VIVECA. DET. PATEL HOLDS HIM BACK)
DET. PATEL: I don’t want to have to arrest you, sir. Let us do our job. First, I have a few questions. What happened? Were you here when Mr. Chenoweth was killed? (TAKES OUT HIS PAD)
COLIN: No. No, I wasn’t. I called Ian. We’d planned to go to the marathon this afternoon to meet some friends who were running. He was late. He’s never late. I came on over. The door was open and I came into the bedroom. She was already standing over him with a gun. He was already dead. I couldn’t get a signal on my cell phone so I ran into the hallway and took the elevator to the lobby and found someone with a phone and called the police. Why aren’t you arresting her?
DET. PATEL: Where is the gun?
OFFICER VINCENTE: There was no gun, Detective.
DET. GROSSMAN: (TO VIVECA) Ms Chatworth?
VIVECA CHATWORTH: (CRYING. GROGGY. COVERING HER FACE) What happened? What am I doing here?
COLIN: You’re not on the set now, Viveca! Stop playing the diva! You killed Ian and you know it!
DET. PATEL: Please sir. Let’s start over. You said Ms Chatworth had a gun and stood over Mr. Chenoweth. Was anyone else in the room? Did anyone leave?
COLIN: We’re wasting time! Do you see this blood?!
VIVECA: (CRYING OUT) What’s going on? What’s happening?
DET. GROSSMAN: Ms Chatworth? Are you in pain? Are you hurt?
VIVECA: (STANDING, STARING IN DISBELIEF) Blood! Whose blood is this?
DET. GROSSMAN: When did you get here, Ms Chatworth? Did you meet with Mr Chenoweth? What time?
VIVECA: All I remember is that I had a condominium board meeting last night.
DET. GROSSMAN: (WHISPERING TO PATEL)
B, she’s hysterical. We’re not going to get anywhere. And there’s no sign of a gun, a knife, or anything else.
DET. PATEL: They’ll have to search this place from top to bottom. This doesn’t make sense. We’ll have to take her down to the station.
FORENSICS OFFICER LUCY ALEXANDER: (GIVING CUP TO VIVECA) This is just water, Ma’am. It’ll help. (VIVECA SIPS) Feel better? (VIVECA NODS)
DET. GROSSMAN: How did you get here, Ms Chatworth? Did you come alone? Did you come here to pick up Mr Chenoweth? For the meeting, I mean. Were the two of you...involved?
VIVECA: Involved? Ian Chenoweth and I were never “involved”! We were on the board. But I barely knew him.
DET. GROSSMAN: Ma’am. I’m confused. You were found standing over a dead man with a gun with blood on your hands and clothes. Where is the gun? Just tell us. We need to get you to a hospital to have you checked out. Are you hurt, Ma’am?
COLIN: (YELLING) Where is the gun, Viveca?! Where is it?
(AN OLDER VERSION OF ACTOR DENZEL WASHINGTON DRESSED IN A DESIGNER TEE SHIRT WITH A RUNNER’S RACE NUMBER ON THE FRONT, RUNNING SHORTS, AND EXPENSIVE SNEAKERS, ENTERS THE ROOM. DR. BLAISE WASHINGTON IS 100 YEARS OLD BUT LOOKS HALF HIS AGE)
DR. BLAISE WASHINGTON: (SMILING. HOLDING UP A BAGGIE CONTAINING A GUN)
Oh, you must be looking for this.
DET. PATEL: (IN AWE) Dr. Blaise Washington!
DR. WASHINGTON: Detective Bahiti Patel! I heard you’d retired early. Changed your mind?
DET. PATEL: Something like that. I didn’t know you were still working...uh..What’s going on, Dr? The gun--
DR. WASHINGTON: I came out of retirement myself. I’m a private investigator now. (LAUGHING) Why Detective Patel, you look like you’ve seen a ghost!
DET. GROSSMAN: (EXTENDING HER HAND TO HIM) Dr. Washington! I’m Detective Kenyatta Grossman.
DR. WASHINGTON: How do you do, Detective Grossman. What’s a beautiful professional like yourself doing stuck with this guy? (GROSSMAN SMILES) I must say, though, he is one of the best!
DET. PATEL: I’ll take that gun, sir. I can’t have anyone tampering with evidence.
DR. WASHINGTON: Nothing of the kind, Detective. But I’ve already had it checked for fingerprints. It’s been wiped clean. Don’t worry. Call your captain. Check me out. I’m legal! Oh, and Ms Chatworth will be coming to headquarters with me. (GROSSMAN AND PATEL EXCHANGE LOOKS)
DET. PATEL: Dr! You know you can’t interfere with a crime scene! You’re not authorized to--
DR. WASHINGTON: (TO UNIFORMED OFFICER CHU) Officer Chu, please arrest Ms Chatworth. And be gentle.
DET. PATEL: Dr. Washington! You can’t interfere with a suspect! Dr. Washington, who are you working for?
OFFICER CHU: (TYING HANDCUFF TIES ON VIVECA) Please stand up Ma’am. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do or say can and will be used against you…(CHU, DR.WASHINGTON, AND VIVECA EXIT)
FORENSICS OFFICER LUCY ALEXANDER: Dr. Blaise Washington answers to no one. He’s a legend! He’s one hundred years old and still going strong! Decorated army officer, lawyer, worked on cases with Thurgood Marshall for the NAACP. Worked on the famous Boston Strangler case. Was on retainer for Senator Bobby Kennedy. Law consultant for Robert Reford on “The Sting” and for Paul Newman on “Absence of Malice”. Worked for NASA---
DET. PATEL: Ummhmm. A descendant of Thomas Jefferson and his slave wife Sally Hemmings…
DET. GROSSMAN: A legend. Sounds too good to be true…
DET. PATEL: (LOOKING AFTER CHU AND WASHINGTON AS THEY LEAVE) Oh, it’s true, all right. He stormed the beach at Normandy too on D-Day in 1940...and after his battalion was wiped out, saved the life of the last guy left in the group...my father…
(GROSSMAN STARES AT PATEL. PATEL’S CELL PHONE RINGS)
DET. PATEL: (ON PHONE) Patel...Yeah. Yes. Got it. (RING FROM CELL. PATEL LOOKS AT PHONE. SHOWS SCAN OF 100K CHECK TO COLIN ON SCREEN) (TO GROSSMAN) Forensics matched something from the cell phone.
DET. GROSSMAN: Viveca Chatworth?
DET. PATEL: No, but this scan is of a 100K check to Colin O’Shea from Massachusetts Solar Panels. And the captain wants to see us. Let’s go, K.
(CUT TO STREET. UNIFORMED OFFICER HELPS VIVECA CHATWORTH INTO BACK SEAT OF SQUAD CAR. PHOTOGRAPHERS EAGERLY SNAP PICS OF DR. BLAISE WASHINGTON AT THE CONDO ENTRANCE. HE SMILES AND WAVES AND GETS IN THE CAR. THE POLICE CAR SPEEDS UP BEACON STREET UNTIL IT TURNS ON COMMONWEALTH AVENUE AND DISAPPEARS FROM VIEW)
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About the Author
Trained at Emerson College in Boston and Herbert Berghoff (HB) Studios in New York City, with a Masters degree from Rider University, Karen has been interviewed by U.S.1 newspaper, and featured on “Your Career is Calling” on WRRC 1077.7FM, and NJTV’s “Classroom Close-up”, on her original collection of monologues about job loss presented throughout New Jersey at a play festival, bookstores, libraries, and Princeton’s Theatre Intime.
Also a contributing writer for Trenton Daily’s online publication, Karen has written a memoir about volunteerism and being a struggling artist in New York City. She has also written entertaining crime stories and scripts like “The Case of the Drunken Heiress”.
Karen may be contacted at karencarson21@yahoo.com.