by David Mamet
(Pause. GINNY reenters.)
GINNY: Mother: Can I go out this evening with Jimmy Clain?
ANNA: Excuse me . . . no. I'll be with you in a moment, Sweetie.
(GINNY goes back into the other room. Pause.)
PRICE: Um, I was told . . .
(GINNY reenters.)
GINNY: Excuse me, why not?
ANNA: Well, the short answer is “because, “ let's talk about it over dinner. Mr. . . . ?
PRICE: Price.
ANNA: You, um, what brings you here?
PRICE: Mrs. Fowler said you were considering taking in a boarder, and I thought . . .
ANNA: Mrs. Fowler said that?
PRICE: Yes.
ANNA: Un-huh. Well, no, no, it's something I had, I had talked, but I think I'd mentioned it at one time, but . . .
PRICE: I'm very, very sorry, please forgive me if I've inconven . . .
ANNA: No, no, not at all. It's just something. It's something, frankly, we're not quite ready to do, there's nothing.
PRICE: . . . No. I underst . . .
ANNA: I hope you'll forgive . . .
PRICE: Not at all.
(GINNY reenters.)
GINNY: Mother, the dinner's on.
ANNA: Yes. (Pause.) We'll. We look forward to . . .
GINNY: Mother. It's Mr. Price's first night in town.
(Pause. The two women look at each other.)
ANNA: Ah. Would you join us for dinner tonight, Mr. Pr . . . ?
PRICE: No, I really . . .
ANNA: Ginny, would you put another pl . . .
GINNY: I've already done it.
PRICE: Thank you.
(ANNA and GINNY take PRICE into the living room, where we see three place settings in a lovely Victorian room.)
INTERIOR: THE DINING ROOM. NIGHT.
PRICE and ANNA sitting at the table. GINNY brings in a platter. Sits. Beat.
ANNA: Are you a religious man, Mr. Price?
PRICE: Ma'am, I was raised as one.
ANNA: Perhaps you'd like to say Grace . . . ?
PRICE: Well, it's been a while . . .
ANNA: Won't you please? (Pause.)
PRICE: Lord, for these, thy gifts, make us truly grateful. Amen.
(The three say “Amen")
ANNA: What brought you to Bradford, Mr. Price?
PRICE: Ma'am, I served twenty-five years, the City Force, I took retirement. I saw a notice, interviews, for the job of your Chief. I got the job, and here I am.
ANNA: Won't this be quite a different job from the one you're used to?
PRICE: Some ways, yes, of course, in some ways not so different.
GINNY: How is that?
PRICE: Human nature's the same, anywhere you go.
ANNA: Is that true? Yes, I suppose it is.
GINNY: What would you say, a woman, wouldn't let her grown daughter go out with a perfectly nice boy, simply because it fell afoul of an arbitrary rule that said no dating on a school night.
PRICE: Well, I'd say, first thing I learned, down the City Force: if you can help it, never get involved in a domestic argument.
(The phone rings, GINNY goes to the phone.)
ANNA: Tell him “no.”
GINNY: I already told him "no, “ but I told him to call back in case you changed your mind.
(GINNY leaves the room, leaving ANNA and PRICE alone.)
ANNA: Was it a hard life down there?
PRICE: Yes. In many ways. It was a good life.
ANNA: Quite a bit of violence, wasn't it . . . ?
PRICE: Yes, Ma'am, yes. It was.
ANNA: . . . more peaceful here.
(GINNY pops back in.)
GINNY: Mother, he's going to come by, we're going to study here. (She exits.)
ANNA: Fine. Turn on the outside 111 . . . (Pause. To PRICE:) What was I saying?
PRICE: You were asking if my life was violent in the City. (Pause.) One reason that I came up here (pause) was to change. (Pause.) To . . .
ANNA: I understand. (Pause.) We're all alone here, my daughter and I, Mr. Price.
PRICE: Yes Ma'am, I see that. (Pause.)
ANNA: Would you be keeping guns in the house?
PRICE: Yes, Ma'am, I would.
ANNA: . . . they'd be locked up . . . ?
PRICE: It's been my habit for some years.
ANNA: Ginny understands about that.
PRICE: Yes, Ma'am, I'm sure that she does.
ANNA: Then, Mr. Price, we'd be happy to have you stay here. Welcome, and we can discuss the terms tomorrow. Would that be alright?
PRICE: Yes, Ma'am, that would. Thank you.
ANNA: Not at all.
(She stands, extends her hand. He shakes her hand.)
Would you mind turning on the porch light, please, for Ginny's friend?
PRICE: Not at all.
ANNA: Just out the door and on your right.
(PRICE moves to the front door.)
(ANGLE EXTERIOR: THE HOUSE, THE DOOR. The door opens, PRICE comes out on the porch. He stands alone on the porch for a moment. In the background, we see the quiet street, PRICE, his back to us, looking at it. He turns and looks back at the house.)
(Angle point of view: In the kitchen, ANNA, who has just come in to tell GINNY about the new boarder. GINNY seems pleased. ANNA picks up a platter, both go back into the dining room.)
(Angle: PRICE, looking in the window. Turns to the door, opens the door.)
INTERIOR: POLICE STATION SQUAD ROOM. DAY.
The MAYOR holding forth to two newsmen, several functionaries, police officers, et cetera.
MAYOR: Mr. John Price, late Captain (consulting his sheet) many times decorated captain of the Metro Police . . . (Gestures to sheet.) You have his biography, the preeminent choice of all our applicants, and we are most, most happy to have him, and to welcome him, now, Chief of Police, Mr. John Price.
(Applause. PRICE comes forward.)
PRICE: Thank you. This is a big job. It's an important job. Much of it is within my experience, and a certain amount of it is not. I look forward to working with and learning from the Bradford Force. I'll do my best, and I thank you for your trust.
(The meeting breaks up. BILLY comes by.)
BILLY: Congratulations, Chief.
PRICE: Thank you.
(The PRIEST comes by. Hands him a card.)
PRIEST: Congratulations, Chief. Gimme’ a call. Let's get together.
PRICE: Father, be assured I will.
PRIEST: We'll talk about “Social Problems.” (He scribbles on a card.)
PRICE: Long's we can do it over a drink.
PRIEST: We'll do it tonight.
PRICE: Nothing better. I'll call you.
(The MAYOR waves his good-byes. A REPORTER comes up to Price.)
REPORTER: What are your plans, Chief?
PRICE: Take it easy, take it slow, learn the town, catch up on the occurrences, and ease into it.
REPORTER: Any thoughts about the arson?
PRICE: What arson?
REPORTER: The Emporium Building, yest . . .
PRICE: Well, we don't know that it's arson, we're going to be taking it slow . . . fellow, I've just been here five minutes . . .
SECOND REPORTER: What particularly are you going to be concentrating on?
PRICE: Crimes against the Person, Crimes against Property, Crimes against the State.
SECOND REPORTER: You think you'll be able to fill the shoes of Chief Hopkins?
PRICE: That's going to be for you to judge.
SECOND REPORTER: What will you do, specifically, to fulfill, in the Eyes of the Community . . .
PRICE: I'm going to do the job I was hired to do, to the best of my abilities. And I look forward to meeting you all personally, at some more leisurely . . . (Starts to pull away.)
REPORTER (as PRICE starts to pull free): You going to be working on his murder?
PRICE: I . . . uh . . . on his murder?
REPORTER: That part of your . . . ?
P
RICE: It was my understanding he died in a hunting accident. (Pause.) Uh huh . . .
REPORTER: S'that high on your list?
PRICE: I'm going to jump into all open cases . . . you'll excuse me . . . ?
(Camera follows him into the chiefs office, where BARNES is talking with the officers. They all turn to look at PRICE.)
BARNES (trailing off): . . . the possibilities, and check the alibis of. . . Good morning.
PRICE: Good morning to you all.
(Everyone acknowledges him.)
Right away, please, before we do anything, let's get, whoever's got the shift on Main Street, cordon off that building: let's get a rundown on the chain-of-ownership . . .
BARNES: It's a simple . . .
PRICE: . . . one moment. While it's fresh, and anybody poking in the ashes, bring ’em in . . .
BARNES: If, may I?
PRICE: Please.
BARNES: It's a simple fire. There's . . .
PRICE: Uh huh. Lookit, one thing I've learned, most rumors are true. Okay? Three people saying “Arson,” then . . . (Shrugs.)
BARNES: You're making a mist . . .
PRICE: Uh-huh.
BARNES: You're making a mistake, Mister, there's a way that we do things up here, there's a way we are, don't got nothing to do with “Police” work, it's . . .
PRICE (to the other officers): . . . would you excuse us please . . .
(The others look at BARNES, and PRICE, and file out.)
PRICE: You know these people pretty well up here . . .
BARNES: Well, they're my people.
PRICE: Went to school with them, dated their sisters . . .
BARNES: All of that.
PRICE: Uh-huh . . . Been on this force long?
BARNES: Since I got back from the Navy.
PRICE: I suppose lot of the people hereabouts think you should have been made chief. (Pause.)
BARNES: Well, Mister, that's true.
PRICE: . . . and I know that you're one of ‘em. And maybe you should have. Maybe you are the better man, but that's not the way it happened, is it . . . ?
BARNES: No, it's not.
PRICE: So, I'm gonna play out the hand I was dealt. Are you? (Pause.) It's decision time, the way you want it, so: you want to stay on the force, or you want to give me your badge? (Pause.) No shame in it, Officer, but you answer me.
BARNES: Alright.
PRICE: Okay, then let's see where we go.
BARNES: Alright. We'll do that.
PRICE: And I suppose you'd better start calling me “Chief.”
(PRICE goes and opens the door. Camera follows him into the next room. The group turns to look at him.)
Now: I want the Occurrence Sheets, I want every open case, I don't care how far back it goes, May: start me with the last six months. I get through them, take me back a year, so on. I want a Community Calendar, who's meeting where, what night, the Masons, the P.T.A., who's working on this Arson case . . . ?
OFFICER: I am, Sir.
PRICE: My office, ten minutes, please, a full report . . . thank you, all, I've been twenty-five years the business, never saw a group of people couldn't work together, if they felt like it. (Pause.) I'm very proud I got this job, I mean to do my best. Anybody's got something to say, you say it, and I will, too. Okay . . . ? (He goes back into his office.) May, one moment, please . . . ?
(Camera follows him and MAY, the dispatcher, into the chief's office.)
PRICE: Oh . . . kaaay . . . get me, please, also, the file on Mr. Hopkins’ death. That's carried as what?
MAY: Shooting accident.
PRICE: Was it?
MAY: Far as I know.
PRICE: Get me that, aaaand . . . who burnt down that building?
MAY: . . . I don't know.
PRICE: Who do you think? (Pause.) Who benefited from it?
MAY: Mrs. Amos owns the store.
PRICE: She stand to gain?
MAY: No. People up the Mall, another clothing store, the downstate folks. The Developers.
PRICE: That Mob Money . . . ?
MAY: I think it is . . .
PRICE: Un-huh. (Pause.) I'm gonna get out on the street today. I wanna meet you back here, four o'clock, let's go over the sheets. (He turns back to look at the plaques.) Get this stuff off the wall, box it and store it, please, have the wall repainted. All of that, the time I get back this afternoon, would you, please?
MAY: Yessir.
PRICE: Meeting here in three minutes.
MAY: They heard it. How do you like your coffee . . . ?
PRICE: Hot, black, straight up.
MAY: Any brand?
PRICE: Just so it don't run out.
(She nods, goes out of the door. Beat. PRICE puts his briefcase up on the desk. Takes out his service revolver and holster, straps them on, takes off his jacket and hangs it over the back of his chair. Sits down. Picks up his badge off the desk.)
(Angle point of view insert: The badge, Bradford Chief of Police.)
(Angle: PRICE holding the badge. He puts it in his shirt pocket. Puts on eyeglasses. Takes out a file from his briefcase, goes to work on the file.)
OFFICER (voice over): You ready, Chief . . . ?
(PRICE keeps writing, does not look up.)
PRICE: Yes, tell them to come in.
EXTERIOR: BURNT BUILDING.
The building is being cordoned off with “Police Line” tapes. PRICE looking on. Continues down the street and into the firehouse. A fireman is polishing the engine. PRICE walks over to him.
PRICE: Morning.
FIREMAN: Morning.
PRICE: John Price.
FIREMAN: Yep. I know. Jerry Bates. Glad to meet you.
PRICE: Whaddaya got on those buildings?
(FIREMAN moves back into the ready room, PRICE and camera follow.)
FIREMAN: Too early to tell, we get the report.
PRICE: What's it look like?
FIREMAN: Could go either way, way it spread. Not an expert, but it could go either way. The flame pattern, electrical fire, or could be arson.
PRICE: Uh-huh . . .
FIREMAN: Wouldn't want to swear to it.
PRICE: Hmm-mmm.
(They walk around the fire engine. PRICE refers to a deer head on the wall.)
You take that buck?
FIREMAN: Son, Billy. Trophy buck.
PRICE: Some animal.
FIREMAN: Yup. One shot. 30-06, two hundred yards, paced it off.
PRICE: Good shooting.
FIREMAN: . . . say it was.
(The FIREMAN walks PRICE to the front of the firehouse and out onto the apron. There is BILLY about to get into his car, parked next to the firehouse.)
PRICE: Well, I've got a few calls to make. Good meeting you, Jerry.
FIREMAN: Billy. Billy come over here.
(The young man walks over.)
This is Chief Price, new Chief.
PRICE: We met over the Station House.
FIREMAN: Billy's going into Law Enforcement.
PRICE: Are you?
FIREMAN: You bet he is. Starting when . . . ?
BILLY: . . . tomorrow.
PRICE: Really . . .
FIREMAN: Yep. Goes into the Air Force. Signed up for Air Police. Billy, Billy, uh, Billy was very close to the Chief, to Charley Hopkins . . . it was the chief that influenced him to go into the law.
BILLY: That's right.
PRICE: You going to make it a career?
BILLY: Yes, sir, I am.
PRICE: Well, you picked a good one. Could you point me toward . . . (consults book) the Old Town Road . . . ?
FIREMAN: You go . . . you go, uh . . . tell you the quick way, but you'll never find it. Billy!
BILLY: Yessir?
FIREMAN: You want to ride with Chief Price here, show him the Newman's Place, .the Old Town Road.
BILLY: Yessir, glad to.
PRICE: Not necessary.
FIREMAN: It's a treat for the boy . . . you take him out there now.
; PRICE: Well, thank you, I appreciate it.
(BILLY and PRICE start across the street. A TOWNSMAN comes over to them.)
TOWNSMAN: Heard you read out Bobby Barnes this morning.
PRICE: Word travels fast, eh?
TOWNSMAN: Mister, it's a small town.
INTERIOR: POLICE CAR. DAY.
PRICE driving, BILLY riding.
PRICE: You spent some time with the Chief?
BILLY: Quite a bit, Sir.
PRICE: Un-huh.
BILLY: He was my Hunting Safety instructor . . . and, you know, I spent a lot of time around the station house.
PRICE: Always wanted to go into the law?
BILLY: Yes, Sir, I did.
PRICE: ’One have any reason hereabouts to do him harm? (Pause.)
BILLY: I . . . no, sir. No one I can think of. Why do you ask?
PRICE: . . . fellow asked me a question. Stuck in my mind. What do you think about the Arson, Main Street?
BILLY (thinks): No, you mean “Who"? I . . . the book says, Arson, many times, the crime of a disturbed adolescent.
(PRICE laughs.)
PRICE: You've been doing your homework.
BILLY (shrugs): . . . other motives, of course, including revenge, and, of course, personal gain, either through collection of insurance, or elimination of a competing commercial concern.
PRICE: Son, how old are you?
BILLY: Nineteen years, sir . . .
PRICE: You want to think seriously about joining on this force, instead of going in the Air Police, you come by, we'll talk.
BILLY: I, well, Sir, you know.
PRICE: It's okay, just a thought. We all need allies.
(The car stops at a rural farmhouse. Camera follows the two out of the car.)
PRICE: You can come along, you want. What we got here, a complaint. Mr. Newman, it would seem, ‘s being accused tearing down the “No Trespassing—No Hunting” signs, his neighbor's . . . Mr. Kiernan's place. What's that mean “accused"?
BILLY: Means he was doing it.
PRICE: Why?
BILLY: Um, didn't like, folks come up, the summer folks, change the way folks live.
PRICE: Uh-huh.
BILLY: His folks been hunting on that land a long time, now man comes and posts it. (Pause.)
PRICE: That's the way a hunter would think.
BILLY: Yessir.
PRICE: Uh huh. Your dad showed me, that's some trophy buck you took last year. Some shooting.
(Camera follows them to the porch of the house.)
BILLY: A lucky shot.
PRICE: You going out this year?
BILLY: Already been. Didn't get nothing.
