Aaron
I’m at home in bed. Why?
Aaron
But it’s midnight! What are you doing at the pier?
Mandy
I thought I was meeting you!
Aaron
Why would you think that?
Mandy
Um, because of the note you left me?
Mandy
I got a note that said to meet you at the pier at midnight.
Mandy
It was in your handwriting.
Mandy
You didn’t send it?
Mandy
Omg, then who did?!
Aaron
Listen, I think you should get out of there, fast.
Mandy
Wait a minute…there’s something at the end of the pier.
Aaron
What kind of something?
Aaron
Mandy? Just get out of there!
Mandy
No. It’s a piece of paper, taped to the railing.
Mandy
I’m going to get it.
Aaron
Leave it. Just get back in your car.
Aaron
Seriously, I have a bad feeling about this. Get out of there.
Mandy
It’s a photo. I don’t know what to do.
Mandy
Yes. Your girlfriend. My bff.
Aaron
What? That’s so creepy.
Aaron
Why is there a photo of Emma taped to the end of the pier?
Mandy
Aaron…she looks terrified in it.
Mandy
When did you last speak to her?
Aaron
She should be. I talked to her a couple of hours ago.
Aaron
She told me she had another graveyard shift tonight.
Aaron
You know how she thinks that’s funny because she works in a morgue.
Mandy
Aaron…there’s something else about this photo.
Mandy
I recognize the curtains behind her.
Mandy
She’s in my apartment.
Aaron
I’m going over to your place right now.
Mandy
Wait, there’s something written on the back of the photo.
Mandy
The writing is the same as the note I got.
Mandy
It says ‘I know what you two did.’
Aaron
Wait, what does “you two” mean?
Mandy starts running back to her car.
Mandy
I’m really creeped out.
Mandy
I have to get back to my apartment.
Aaron
I’ll meet you outside.
When Mandy arrives at her apartment block, the streetlight is out.
Mandy
Aaron? Where are you?
Mandy
I can’t wait. Emma’s in there.
Just as Mandy gets to the door, the fire alarm starts blaring.
People start streaming out of the door and Mandy can’t get in.
Just as Mandy asks someone what’s going on, she gets another text.
Mandy
Aaron! Where are you?
Aaron
My cab didn’t show up so I started walking. I’m almost there.
Mandy
I think there’s a fire in my apartment block.
Aaron
What do you mean, ‘you think?’
Mandy
The alarm’s going off.
Mandy
But there’s something weird about it.
Mandy
I can’t see or smell any smoke.
Mandy
Okay, I just talked to someone who came out of the building.
Mandy
They couldn’t smell any smoke either.
Mandy
I think I should go in anyway. Emma’s in there!
Suddenly, a man shouts that he sees smoke.
The crowd moves back from the building.
Mandy hesitates and then moves too.
And then, she looks up at the corner apartment on the top floor.
Smoke is pouring out of it.
Mandy
Aaron, omg. There really is a fire.
Mandy
And it’s in my apartment.
Sirens wail in the distance.
Aaron
WHAT?! I’m running as fast as I can.
Aaron
Are the cops there? The fire department?
Mandy
I don’t know what to do.
Mandy
I’m so scared, Aaron.
Aaron
Don't worry, I’m almost there.
Firefighters arrive and rush into the building.
One of them ushers the crowd back to a safe distance.
Aaron runs down the road to Mandy—
But a firefighter steps in and asks him to move away from the scene.
Lost in a crowd, he texts her.
Aaron
Mandy? Are you okay?
Aaron
What’s going on? They won’t tell me anything!
Mandy
I’m okay. But I couldn’t get in there, Aaron.
Aaron
Try not to worry. The firefighters are in there now, right?
Mandy
I know. I’m just so scared.
Mandy
Oh god, they’re coming out.
Mandy
Aaron, they’ve got…
Aaron
Mandy, I can’t see.
Gasps and murmurs ripple around the crowd.
Someone asks the firefighters about the body.
They are told it’s a young woman.
Mandy
Oh god Aaron, it’s her.
Just then, Mandy feels a hand grab her shoulder.
She spins around, to see a figure sidestep behind another building.
She’s wearing a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up.
Mandy races over to get a closer look.
Mandy
EMMA? Oh my god Emma, what’s going on?
Emma
Geez, you say that like you’re afraid to look your best friend in the face.
Mandy
That’s because I thought that was you in the body bag.
Mandy
I saw pictures of you in my apartment.
Emma
Yeah, I’m hoping that’s what the cops think too.
Emma
Especially since I’ve altered the body’s dental records to match mine.
Mandy
What?! That’s insane.
Mandy
You just found a body and changed its teeth?
Emma
Oh, come on, Mandy. You know where I work.
Emma
All I had to do was wait for a Jane Doe to come in.
Emma
Took two months though.
Emma
Then I just had to orchestrate the fire.
Emma
Didn’t you notice anything unusual about it?
Emma
Really? Wasn’t it strange that all the tenants came out of the building before the fire started?
Emma
It was almost like whoever did this wanted the building to be empty…
Emma
So no one would get hurt.
Mandy
Are you proud of yourself for saving people?
Mandy
Even though you set fire to a BUILDING??
Mandy
Emma, this is so messed up.
Emma
It’s really not. Is he there yet?
Emma
I’d like you to see his face when he’s arrested.
Mandy
What are you talking about? Why would he be arrested?
Emma
For poor Emma’s murder, of course.
Mandy
But that body isn’t you!
Emma
That’s not what the police will think.
Mandy
Okay, fine. But what does all this have to do with Aaron?
Emma
You really can’t guess?
Emma
I’ll explain then. What did the first note you got say, Mandy?
Mandy
It said to meet on the pier at midnight.
Emma
Who did you think it came from?
Emma
Why’d you KNOW it was from him?
Mandy feels her face heat.
She recognized Aaron’s handwriting.
But can she tell Emma that?
Emma
Come on, Mandy. What did the note on the back of the photo say?
Mandy takes the photo out of her pocket and turns it over.
Mandy
Oh god. It was from you all along.
Mandy
And it says ‘I know what you two did.’
Emma
See? I knew you’d go to meet Aaron if you thought the note was from him.
Emma
Even if it was midnight.
Emma
Because I knew my BFF is sleeping with my boyfriend.
Mandy
You…that’s the reason you did all of this?
Mandy
Why you planted a body that looks just like you in my apartment?
Mandy
You set my apartment on FIRE?
Emma
Don’t be silly Mandy. I didn’t do anything.
Emma
I’m dead now, remember?
Emma
They just found Emma Wright’s dead body.
Emma taps her chin with one finger.
Emma
I think the police will probably look very closely at Aaron.
Emma
Especially when they find out you two were having an affair.
Emma
And when they see the photos on his hard drive?
Emma
The ones that look exactly like the one in your hand, duh.
Mandy
You can’t do this to him, Emma!
Emma
Oh, he’s not the only one I’m doing this to, Mandy.
Mandy
What does that mean?
Emma
Whose apartment was the body in?
Emma
Good luck explaining that to the police.
Mandy
Wait! You can’t do this!
Emma
Now if you’ll excuse me, bff, I have a plane to board.
And before Mandy can register what her best friend just said…
Emma slips away into the night.
