Abby
Brad! Come quick! I just saw something terrible!
He sighs when he sees Abby looking out the window.
Abby
I saw someone in Carly’s apartment across the street.
Brad’s face changes when he hears this.
Brad
Okay, tell me exactly what you saw.
Abby
I was sitting right here by the window.
Abby
She was watching TV in the dark.
Abby
I could see her face lit up by the screen.
Abby
Then there was someone behind her.
Abby
Someone wearing black.
Abby
And they — they reached around…
Abby
And they strangled her!
Brad
You’re sure you saw another person?
Abby
I just called the police.
Abby
But they didn’t believe me.
Brad’s been trying not to look at the wine glass by Abby’s chair.
But now he glances at it.
Abby
So I had a glass of wine, okay?
Abby
But I know what I saw.
There’s a bottle of wine by the side of the chair.
Brad
Maybe the police didn’t believe you because—
Abby
Because I got it wrong a couple of times before?
Brad
Abby, you told them our neighbor had been murdered.
Abby
I thought she had been!
Abby
Her husband was putting garbage bags in his car at midnight!
Brad
They had garbage in them, Abby.
Abby
But this is different.
Abby
Someone really did kill Carly.
Abby
We have to do something.
Brad peers through the window to the apartment across the street.
Carly’s apartment is dark.
But there’s a flickering in the corner.
He can’t make out any other movement.
But then Abby would know he has Carly’s number.
Brad
What did this other person look like?
Abby
So you DO believe me?
Abby breathes a sigh of relief.
Abby
And they were wearing black.
Abby
I didn’t see a face.
Abby
Reaching around her neck.
Abby
It was horrible, Brad.
Abby puts her hands over her face…
And buries her head in Brad’s chest.
Brad strokes Abby’s head.
But he’s not thinking about Abby.
He’s thinking about Carly.
Abby MIGHT have seen someone putting their arms around Carly from behind.
But not because she was being strangled.
Maybe she’s seeing someone.
Abby
Brad! You’re hurting me!
Brad
I just want to hug you so tight.
Abby
We have to go to her apartment.
He can’t have Abby and Carly together.
Not when he’s been sleeping with Carly behind Abby’s back for three months.
Brad
It might not be safe.
Brad
I want you to stay here.
Brad
And watch through the window.
Brad
That way, you can call for help if you need to.
Brad
Not that you’ll need to.
Abby nods, and stations herself by the window.
On the way, Brad pulls his cellphone out of his pocket.
And get her to come to her window.
When Abby sees she’s fine…
Then he can go back to their apartment…
And forget Abby’s paranoia for a while.
An uncomfortable feeling spreads inside him.
What if something DID happen to Carly?
She’s always forgetting to lock her apartment door.
And just for once, Abby could be right.
His heart pounds as he knocks on Carly’s door.
He puts his ear to the door.
The screen throws crazy shadows onto the wall.
He creeps warily into the apartment.
Brad
Carly? Where are you?
His cellphone rings, making him jump.
He glances at the screen.
He can’t believe he fell for Abby’s nonsense yet again.
She’s been acting so weird lately.
He hits accept on his cellphone screen.
Brad
It’s so good to hear from you.
Brad
You’re not going to believe where I am right now.
Brad
You left the door unlocked again, by the way.
Carly
What are you doing there?
Brad
Abby swore you’d been strangled by someone.
Brad
She’s getting worse.
Brad
I’ve got to do something about her.
Carly
What kind of something?
Brad
We’ve talked about it before.
Carly
Maybe I just want to hear you say it.
Brad
I’m going to get rid of her, okay?
Brad
I only want to be with you.
Brad
Hey, where are you anyway?
Carly
Did you check the bedroom?
He runs into the bedroom.
Brad
I can’t be too long.
Brad
Abby’s crazy paranoid.
He shakes Carly’s shoulder.
And her limp hand falls out from the covers.
Carly’s eyes are wide and glassy.
There are bruises around her neck.
Brad full on panics for ten seconds…
Before his shaking hand holds his cellphone back to his ear.
Abby
Don’t you recognize your own girlfriend, Brad?
Abby
Or is it confusing since you have so many?
Abby
I did tell you she was dead.
Abby
I just neglected to mention that it was me who made her that way.
Sirens sound down the street.
Brad runs to the living room.
Abby is standing in their apartment window.
He finds his hand rising in response before he catches himself.
Abby
It doesn’t look good for you, Brad.
Abby
You’re in an apartment with a dead girl…
Abby
And your DNA is all over the place.
Brad
Did you call the police??
Abby
Someone’s been killed, Brad.
Brad
The police won’t believe you!
Brad
You’ve called them with so many false alarms.
Abby
I’ve never called the police in my life.
Abby
Well, until about five minutes ago…
Abby
When I saw a suspicious-looking man in the apartment across the street.
Brad
But you’ve been paranoid about everything!
Brad
You’ve been calling the police.
Brad
You’ve been drinking.
Abby
I just thought my boyfriend was sleeping with someone else.
Abby
I’ve known for weeks.
Brad
But…you called the police before.
Brad
They’ll know you’re lying.
Abby
I never saw the neighbor doing anything.
Abby
And I never called the police.
Abby
Just because I tell you something happened…
Abby
Doesn’t mean it did, Brad.
Abby
But on the other hand, I DID tell you someone killed Carly.
Abby
And that turned out to be true, didn’t it?
Abby
It’s nice that one of us can be honest.
Brad
Why would you do any of that?!
Abby
I saw your texts to Carly.
Abby
I knew what you two were planning.
Abby
How you were going to get rid of me?
Abby
I thought it would delay you if you thought I’d called the police a few times.
Abby
I just needed enough time to make my own plans.
Abby
As you can see, they’re going pretty well.
Abby
Okay, I have to go now, Brad.
Abby
There’s a great show about to start outside my window.
Abby ends the call, dismantles the cell phone, and destroys it.
She sits back with a glass of wine as Brad darts out of Carly’s apartment building…
Just as two police cars screech to a halt.
Brad looks up as he’s cuffed.
His face is twisted with rage.
