Larry joins Carol in the CAMERA shot.
LARRY
Uh, the dead woman passed you on a bus? Which bus was this, the bus to Heaven?
Larry walks away toward the kitchen. Carol follows him.
CAROL
No, but I'm not, I'm not joking. I mean, I'm telling you something. I'm telling you, I really saw her. I actually saw her.
INT. Kitchen
Larry is checking his dinner-in-progress.
LARRY
Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
CAROL
Yeah.
Larry takes two wine glasses out of the sink.
LARRY
You want to lie down for a while? We'll put a cold compress on your head, or a hot compress on your back, or...
CAROL
No, Larry, you know, I was at the wine-tasting, right? And I was just... I was sitting at, you know, a bay window. I- I happened to look out. A bus passed, and she was on it, Larry.
LARRY
Remember I said to you? Yes, remember I said to you, spit it out?
CAROL
I...
LARRY
I said don't drink it. You said you were going to a wine-tasting?
CAROL
But?
LARRY
You said you were going to taste wine all afternoon? I said spit it out?
CAROL
Yeah...
LARRY
I said don't swallow it? You swallowed it. And that's why you're this way.
CAROL
I know. I know. Okay. I - I... Yeah. I had a few drinks, but it's- it's not... I mean, I saw her.
Larry puts the glasses on the table.
LARRY
Yeah, I'm sure you saw her.
CAROL
I ...
LARRY
How could you see her? She's dead. Not only is she dead, she's been cremated. It's not even Halloween.
INT. Sitting-room
They enter the room.
CAROL
Okay. Are you telling me that you... That, that, that, that you... That I didn't see her? Is that what you're saying?
LARRY
I think it's a pretty fair assumption that if a person is dead, they don't suddenly turn up in the New York City transit system.
CAROL
I just... I just don't know what's happening, Larry. I-I-I don't know what's going on.
LARRY
What's going on?
CAROL
What's... yeah.
LARRY
Let me put it this way: total psychotic breakdown. Okay? Is that enough?
CAROL
I...
LARRY
Maybe, look. Maybe she's a twin. That's possible. Now forget this.
CAROL
Why?
LARRY
Taste my tuna casserole. Tell me if I put in too much hot fudge.
He opens the dish.
CAROL
Honey, you're getting so closed-minded these days. I just...
The phone rings.
CAROL
Oh. Oh, God.
She picks up the phone from the wall. Larry sits at the table.
CAROL
Hello? Ted. Ted.
LARRY
Oh, Ted. Ted.
CAROL
(on the phone)
Ted, you're not going to believe this, but, Ted, I saw Mrs. House. Yes, Mrs. House. Yeah. Mrs.... The murdered woman. That's right.
Larry opens a bottle and pours some wine in his glass.
LARRY
She wasn't murdered. It was a coronary. It was a coronary, folks. It was a coronary. She wasn't murdered. I don't know what they're talking about.
CAROL
Yeah. No, I'm sure. I'm sure I saw her. She was on a bus, you know? I mean, I- I saw her just moments after you left. I was looking out the...
Larry puts the cork back in the bottle.
LARRY
He was at the wine-tasting, too. Sure, why not.
CAROL
(on phone)
Would you?
LARRY
They're both at the wine-tasting.
CAROL
Would you really? Oh, that would be so great. You'd just run a check on Paul and Lillian House.
Larry stands up and walks toward Carol.
LARRY
Don't run a check. Don't run a check.
He takes the phone from Carol's hand.
CAROL
What are you talking...
LARRY
Stop.
CAROL
What are you doing? I mean...
Larry talks to Ted on the phone.
LARRY
Listen, could you call back later, because my marriage is falling apart.
He hangs up the phone.
CAROL
Larry, what are you... But, what?
LARRY
Forget it. Will you? If you're gonna have an affair with the guy, you don't need a murder to do it.
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{screenplay / Manhattan Murder Mystery}
paintings by Leonid Afremov
-30-
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