Vanished

 

SFX: Construction sounds-jackhammer, tractor, etc.

 

Paul: All right guys, I’m heading home.

 

Stacy: Bye

 

Guy: Goodnight.

 

SFX: Paul getting into car, closing door, starting car, radio plays- classic rock.

 

VO-Paul: Just another long day at work

 

Radio: You’re listening to 109.9

 

SFX: Queen- Another One Bites The Dust

 

Paul: (singing) Another one bites the dust, bump bump bump, another one bites the dust.

 

SFX: Car diving away, music fading out.
            Car pulling into driveway.

 

Radio: You’re on the air with 109.9 what’s up.

 

Caller: Vanished…She just vanished man.

 

Radio: Woah woah woah what are you talki-

 

SFX: Car turning off.

 

Paul: Crazy

 

SFX: car door closing, footsteps, unlocking house door, door opening, door closing.

 

Paul: Honey, I’m home.

 

SFX: footsteps

 

Paul: Hi honey, you already asleep?

VO-Paul: I usually don’t see my wife Barbara very often and even though we had only been married 4 years now, I knew she still loved me, and I loved her.

 

SFX: Paul getting into bed, gives Barbara a gentle kiss on forehead.

 

Paul: Goodnight honey.

 

-Silence-

 

VO-Paul: I never thought that would be the last time I would say goodnight to my wife…

 

SFX: Clock alarm, sheet ruffle, hand hitting alarm clock.

 

Paul: (yawns) Good morning hon-

 

SFX: Sheets ruffle, footsteps.

 

Paul: Barbara, sweetie. Are you home? (Pause). Hmm.

 

SFX: Footsteps, picking up phone, dialing numbers, ringing, service unavailable message.

 

Paul: Strange

 

SFX: footsteps, front door opening.

 

VO-Paul: Her car is still here

 

SFX: door closing, footsteps, phone, dialing, ringing.

 

Paul: I’ll call Melissa

 

VO-Paul: Melissa was Barbara’s best friend. I didn’t know her very well but she knew Barbara better than anyone else, maybe even better than I did.

 

Melissa: Hello.

 

Paul: Hey Melissa it’s Paul, have you seen Barbara or heard from her today?

 

Melissa: No, not today. I thought she was gunna be at work.

 

Paul: Well her car is still here, and she usually doesn’t take rides with other people.

 

Melissa: Hmm that’s strange. Try calling her work.

 

Paul: All right, thanks Melissa.

 

Melissa: No problem Paul, and I will let you know if I hear from her.

 

Paul: Ok bye.

 

Melissa: Bye.

 

SFX: Phone hanging up, dialing, ringing.

 

VO-Paul: I called everyone looking for her- her work, her friends, even the local coffee shop. No one had seen her. Finally I decided to call the police.

 

SFX: dialing, ringing

 

911: 911 emergencies how may I help you.

 

Paul: Yes, my wife has gone missing.

 

911: All right sir, how long has she been missing?

 

Paul: Well only since this morning.

 

911: Sir do you understand that we don’t investigate missing persons until 24 hours has passed.

 

Paul: Yes I understand, but no one has seen her she could be in danger.

 

911: I’m sorry sir but you’re going to have to wai-

 

Paul: Please mam. Just send one officer here, please.

 

911: (pause) all right. Just give me your address and I will send a car right over.

 

VO-Paul: I knew she would give in. Police in this town have nothing better to do anyways.

 

SFX: Doorbell, door open.

 

Paul: Hello officer.

 

Officer: Hello, uh, Paul is it.

 

Paul: Ya that’s right.

 

Officer: So Paul, you say your wife is missing.

 

Paul: Yes sir. She hasn’t answered her phone, no one has heard from her, her ca-

 

Officer: Paul how long has she been missing?

 

VO-Paul: What a jerk. He knew how long she had been missing, he just wanted me to look stupid.

 

Paul: Uh, well only since this morning but like I was saying her car is still here and-

 

Officer: Do you have a picture of your wife?

 

Paul: Ya there’s one right here.

 

SFX: footsteps

 

Officer: Beautiful wife you have here Paul. I’ve seen her around before, but I don’t see you very often.

 

Paul: Well I work a lot, and it’s not easy managing one of the best construction companies in the area, ya know?

 

Officer: Right, right. Well, I’ll start a search for her and I’ll uh keep this photo and ask if anyone has seen her.

 

Paul: Ok thank you officer.

 

SFX: door opening

 

Officer: I’ll keep you notified if anything comes up.

 

Paul: Ok thanks agai-

 

SFX: door closes

 

Paul: (quietly) jackass.

 

SFX: footsteps

 

Paul: I can’t just sit around and wait.

 

SFX: footsteps, door open, door close, lock door, get into car, start car, drive off.

 

SFX: car stopping, turning off. Paul getting out, footsteps on concrete sidewalk. Busy downtown sounds.

 

Paul: Frank? Hey buddy how are you? Nice looking plate of food you got there.

 

Frank: Huh, oh hey Paul.

 

VO-Paul: Frank was a good friend of mine. He didn’t work at the yard as much but he still managed to stay wealthy. I could always count on him for anything.

 

Paul: Listen Frank I was wondering if you have seen Barbara around.

 

Frank: No, of course not. Uh, I mean I only ever see her with you.

 

Paul: Really, are you sure because I don’t know where she is. No one has seen her, she hasn’t answered her phone, she…

 

Frank: You know what Paul I really have to get going.

 

Paul: But Frank, can you…

 

SFX: silverware hitting plate, chair moving, footsteps walking away rapidly.

 

VO-Paul: That’s strange. He never acts like this.

 

SFX: Paul getting up, footsteps.

 

VO-Paul: I continue down the street. Maybe she is one of these shops.

 

SFX: footsteps, cell phone ring tone, reaching into pocket, opening phone.

 

Paul: Hello

 

Paul: Hi Stacy

 

VO-Paul: Stacy was a co-worker of mine. She is friendly to everyone, especially to me. Other workers call her the peacemaker because she always tries to resolve any conflicts that arise.

 

Stacy: Hey I didn’t see you at work today. Are you sick?

 

Paul: No Stacy. It’s my wife she

 

Stacy: What is she keeping you home?

 

Paul: No, she’s gone missing.

 

Stacy: Wow… well you didn’t miss much anyways there was a storm and we had to stop working. It should be heading your way.

 

SFX: man bumping into Paul.

 

Paul: Hey.

 

Stacy: What was that?

 

Paul: Nothing some guy bumped into me, but I think he was wearing heels.

 

Stacy: Weird. Anyways, do you think you will be in

tomorrow?

 

Paul: I don’t know Stacy. I’ve got to go.

 

Stacy: Ok Paul. Bye.

 

SFX: cell phone closing, Paul getting into car, starting car, driving away, wind blowing, thunder, rain falling.

 

Paul: Great, just great. Where can I look next? (Pause) The lake. Hopefully Barbara is there.

 

SFX: car driving off, weather still same. Car stopping, Paul getting out, water hitting lake, footsteps on wet dirt.

 

VO-Paul: Lake Zepol. It looks better during the summer.

 

SFX: footsteps, weather

 

VO-Paul: The cabin is just as I left it. But there is something wrong. The light is on and no one has been here in years.

 

SFX: footsteps speed up.

 

Paul: Barbara! Are you in there!

 

SFX: footsteps on the wooden steps, squeaky cabin door opening.

 

Paul: Barbara!

 

SFX: walking on wooden floor, grabbing phone from table.

 

VO-Paul: Her phone. It’s broken.

 

Paul: Barbara are you in here!

 

SFX: rapid footsteps

 

Paul: Barb- (gasps)

 

SFX: thunder. Crime scene sounds- camera shutter, footsteps in background.

 

Paul: I never thought that night would be the last time I said goodnight to my wife.

 

Officer: Alright Paul, so you’re telling me that your wife went missing this morning and then you found her here like this tonight.

 

Paul: Yes sir.

 

Officer: And you don’t know what happened.

 

Paul: No

 

Officer: And you don’t know of anyone who would want to do this.

 

Paul: (pauses) No, I don’t.

 

Officer: Well Paul, we are gunna do what we can to solve this mystery. In the mean time we will be checking up with you about this, you know, ask you some questions.

 

Paul: You think I’m a suspect?

 

Officer: You are the most likely suspect.

 

Paul: Ridiculous.

 

Another officer: (background) All done with the clean up sir. We are ready to go.

 

Officer: All right start heading out. So we…

 

Paul: Do you still have that photo I gave you?

 

Officer: Uh, I must have misplaced it at the office. I will get it back to you if I find it.

 

VO-Paul: Shouldn’t have given him the picture from the beach.

 

Officer:  Ok Paul, I will let you gather yourself tonight but tomorrow we’ll come by to visit.

 

Paul: looking forward to it.

 

Officer: Good night.

 

SFX: footsteps walking out, cars driving away, light driz zle outside.

 

Paul: (to himself) It doesn’t make sense.

 

SFX: footsteps on the cabin, reaching into pocket.

 

Paul: Huh?

 

SFX: taking hands out pocket.

 

VO-Paul: Her hair? But how did it get in my pocket.

 

SFX: Paul getting out of chair, footsteps, car starting, driving.

 

VO-Paul: What should I do? I need help. Not the police.

Frank. I’ll call Frank.

 

SFX: cell phone, dialing, ringing

 

Paul: Damn. He should be home though.

 

SFX: driving, car stopping, footsteps.

 

Paul: Frank! Are you home! Fra-

 

VO-Paul: The door was open.

 

SFX: footsteps

 

Paul: Frank are you home?

 

SFX: footsteps

 

Paul: Frank?

VO-Paul: When I walked into the living room I saw Frank standing there covered in blood and at his feet was another woman’s body.

 

Frank: Paul

 

Paul: Frank what the hell is going on!?

 

Frank: I can explain Paul. You see-

 

VO-Paul: I step forward and notice a bloody knife on the floor next to the body, and when I look at the body I realize who it was.

 

Paul: Oh my God Frank! You killed Melissa!

 

Frank: Really Paul I can explain. I found out that she had been killing other woman and when she found out she came to my house. I was just defending myself.

 

Paul: How can I believe that Frank?

 

VO-Paul: I pick up the knife and point it at him.

 

Frank: Wait Paul, you have to believe me. I saw her dragging a body into her house on my way home. I was too afraid to say anything.

 

SFX: Paul yelling and thrusting knife into Frank. Body hitting floor.

 

Paul: Barbara!

 

VO-Paul: I take a look at Frank he’s bleeding a lot. I look over at Melissa and notice something familiar.

 

Paul: What have I done?

 

VO-Paul: Her heels. They were the same as the person that bumped into me. I reach into her pocket.

 

Paul: No…

 

VO-Paul: I pull out a small bag of different hair clippings. During my blind rage I had put a death sentence on the wrong suspect.

 

Paul: No…Frank…I’m sorry. 

 

SFX: sirens in distance

 

Paul: (whisper) Why?

SFX: sirens getting closer

 

Paul: Why?

 

SFX: sirens outside of house, footsteps running.

 

Officer: Freeze! Get on the ground!

 

Paul: (louder) Why?

 

Officer: I said get on the ground!

 

SFX: officer drawing gun

 

Paul: Why?!

 

SFX: footsteps running, yelling, gun hitting head, silence.

 

VO-Paul: Damn that hurt.

 

SFX: jail cell opening

 

Officer: Rise and shine Paul.

 

Paul: Aghh my head.

 

Officer: yeah sorry about that. You got a little restless so I had to take you down.

 

Paul: Agh

 

Officer: Listen Paul I need some information from you. I think you know what I’m talking about.

 

VO-Paul: I tell him the whole story, even that I killed Frank.

 

Officer: Wow Paul that’s quite a day you had there.

 

Paul: … did you find out why Melissa killed Barbara?

 

Officer: Well we went to her house to figure that out. When we got there everything seemed normal. Normal house, normal furniture, normal everything.

 

Paul: So did she do it?

 

Officer: I’m getting to it.

 

Paul: …

 

Officer: So we continued to search the house and came to a room.

 

Paul: What was in it? Were there bodies? Was ther-

 

Officer: Will you let me finish.

 

Paul: Go ahead.

 

Officer: So we walked in and the walls were covered with pictures, and they were all pictures of the women that she had killed. Each one was killed in a different way, and she had the location of where she left the bodies next to each picture.

 

Paul: So she killed them for no reason?

 

Officer: I’m afraid so Paul. She was just another one of those psycho killers.

 

Paul: I can’t believe this.

 

Officer: Yup. (Pause) Well Paul I hate to put even more bad news on you but you have a court hearing tomorrow for killing Frank.

 

SFX: Officer walking, jail cell closing.

 

Officer: In the mean time you will be staying here.  Don’t worry though. I got a radio to keep you entertained.

 

SFX: turning on radio, Queen- Another One Bites The Dust.