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Story-line: Where do all fictional characters live when they are out of the story? What happens when an author abandons his characters? Who knows?
At rise: LIGHTS up on Irish pub. San Francisco - Jan. 11, 1935. A DETECTIVE (40) and DASHIELL HAMMETT (41) are sitting at a table.
HAMMETT
You lost the fact.
DETECTIVE
Sir... it's not fiction.
HAMMETT
I suppose that Liza killed John.
DETECTIVE
What? Liza is missing.
HAMMETT
I presume that was her alibi: the wife disappears; the husband hires a private detective to find her; then, the wife kills her husband.
DETECTIVE
I think it's cheap.
HAMMETT
Really? I already wrote this story.
DETECTIVE
I think so.
HAMMETT
I don't remember, maybe, it was a screenplay.
DETECTIVE
Do you know what's worse, Mr. Hammett?
HAMMETT
What?
DETECTIVE
I fell in love with her.
HAMMETT
What?
(LIGHTS change to DETECTIVE's office. JOHN (35) is sitting at a table. DETECTIVE is coming out from the toilet.)
JOHN
A friend of mine warned me: never fall in love with Texas Girls, 'cause their hearts are harder than a rock. They need a lot of time and water to soften it.
(DETECTIVE pulls his chair and sits down in front of JOHN.)
DETECTIVE
She may be in Texas, huh?
JOHN
I think not. I'd been in Texas with her family and some friends, and they didn't know where she was.
DETECTIVE
All right. Do you have a pic of her?
JOHN
Of course.
(LIGHTS up on the left side of the stage. LIZA (25) is there. She is standing like a statue. They approach her. She does sexy poses like she was posing for pictures.)
DETECTIVE
With due respect, your wife is very beautiful.
JOHN
I know... I love her.
(LIGHTS change to Irish pub. HAMMETT and DETECTIVE are in the same position.)
HAMMETT
Did you fall in love with a photo?
DETECTIVE
Unfortunately. She never got out of my head.
HAMMETT
It is what I call a man with an empty heart.
DETECTIVE
(Breathing heavily.)
I need to know her whereabouts.
HAMMETT
Your client is dead. Case closed.
DETECTIVE
By the way, I was hired to find her.
HAMMETT
Have you ever thought to investigate the husband's house?
DETECTIVE
The access is restricted only to the police!
HAMMETT
Don't you have friends? I mean, in the police?
DETECTIVE
Yeah... but...
(LIGHTS only on HAMMETT.)
HAMMETT
Well, try to go into the house.
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on DETECTIVE's office. He is talking with LIEUTENANT WILLIAM (45). Dialogue in progress.)
LIEUTENANT
No way.
DETECTIVE
Why not, Bill?
LIEUTENANT
Pretty simple. You're an Angel.
DETECTIVE
I came from LA.
LIEUTENANT
Whatever!
DETECTIVE
Please, let's not put baseball between our friendship, Lieutenant.
(There's a brief silence.)
LIEUTENANT
Why would I risk my job?
DETECTIVE
Because I will pay...
LIEUTENANT
How much?
DETECTIVE
What's your price?
LIEUTENANT
Something that matches with my low aspirations, and of course, with your high conditions.
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on JOHN's house. DETECTIVE enters. He begins to search for clues.)
(DETECTIVE finds out a card and picks it up.)
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on Irish pub. A few days later. HAMMETT is sitting. DETECTIVE enters.)
HAMMETT
So?
(DETECTIVE sits down and hands a card to HAMMETT.)
DETECTIVE
I found this card in the John's house.
HAMMETT
(Reading.)
The Blue Cat.
DETECTIVE
It's a nightclub.
HAMMETT
I know.
DETECTIVE
I discovered that Liza worked there.
HAMMETT
What?
DETECTIVE
I have a friend, Romero, he is waiter at The Blue Cat. I was there yesterday.
HAMMETT
Was she a waitress?
DETECTIVE
Dancer. She worked there before marriage.
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on The Blue Cat. AUDREY PALMER (25), a beautiful singer sings on the stage.)
(DETECTIVE is sitting at a table. ROMERO, the waiter, holding a tray with a bottle, approaches him and serves another drink.)
(AUDREY is still singing. Then, she leaves the stage and comes to the DETECTIVE table. AUDREY finishes the song in front of the DETECTIVE table. We hear the voiceover of the host.)
HOST (V.O)
Audrey Palmer, ladies and gentlemen! She is the voice that Cole Porter loves so much.
(We hear a few claps while AUDREY sits at the table.)
AUDREY
Romero said you wanted to see me?
DETECTIVE
Yeah... it's about Liza.
AUDREY
What's the matter with her?
DETECTIVE
She's missing.
AUDREY
Missing?
DETECTIVE
You're her best friend. Do you know where's Liza?
(Silence.)
DETECTIVE
Trust me, it will be good for Liza. She could be involved in a crime.
AUDREY
What?
DETECTIVE
Her husband was murdered.
AUDREY
Oh my God!
DETECTIVE
Please, you must tell me everything you know. I need to find Liza before the police.
(Silence.)
DETECTIVE
Do you want to help your friend or not?
AUDREY
Of course.
DETECTIVE
Tell me everything.
(Silence.)
AUDREY
Liza was here last week.
DETECTIVE
What did she want?
AUDREY
Say goodbye. She told me she was going to New York.
DETECTIVE
When?
AUDREY
That same day. It was last Wednesday.
DETECTIVE
She said something about the death of her husband?
AUDREY
No… She… She…
DETECTIVE
What's the matter? I need to know everything. I want to help, but I need to know the truth.
AUDREY
She was a little worried.
DETECTIVE
Why?
(LIGHTS only on AUDREY.)
AUDREY
Because of the trip to New York, you know, New York always scares.
(Fade.)
(LIGHTS on AUDREY. She is the only one at the table. LIZA comes in and sits down in front of AUDREY.)
LIZA
So?
AUDREY
He thinks you're already in New York.
LIZA
Did you say anything about New York?
AUDREY
Sorry! I didn't get…/
LIZA
That's okay. New York is a big city. Thanks, Audrey.
AUDREY
When do you go?
LIZA
Tomorrow.
(ROMERO comes in and serves a drink to Liza.)
ROMERO
This never happened.
(To Liza.)
You've never been here, and I never saw you here this day, right?
LIZA
Thanks, Romero.
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on Irish pub. DETECTIVE and HAMMETT are in the same positions from the last scene, sitting at the table.)
DETECTIVE
Are you still thinking that Liza is the killer?
HAMMETT
I don't know. Maybe she didn't kill John. But she could have paid someone to do that.
DETECTIVE
Only Liza could explain everything, for example, "why did she disappear"; "why did she go to New York"? These kinds of questions, do you understand?
HAMMETT
You need to go to New York.
(DETECTIVE shows a travel ticket.)
DETECTIVE
Bingo! I'll take a train tonight.
HAMMETT
Wow!
DECTETIVE
It won't end until I find Liza.
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on Railroad Station. LIZA gets on the train. Moments later, DETECTIVE appears and gets on the same train.)
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on a passenger wagon. Liza is sitting. A man is sitting in front of her.
LIZA is reading a book.)
MAN
I love traveling by train.
LIZA
Me too...
MAN
You're from San Francisco?
LIZA
Texas.
MAN
I'm from Chicago. But now I'm living in Los Angeles.
LIZA
Excuse me, I want to finish reading my book.
MAN
Sorry...
LIZA
No problem. That's okay.
(Silence.)
MAN
(Getting up.)
I'm going to the bar... I need a bourbon.
(He leaves. Liza closes the book. Moments later, she falls asleep. LIGHT dims slowly. We see the shadow of LIZA. Suddenly we see the silhouette of two hands strangling LIZA.)
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on Irish pub. HAMMETT is sitting at a table, reading a newspaper. A waiter comes to the table.)
WAITER
Mr. Hammett, there's a telephone call for you.
HAMMETT
Thank you.
(HAMMETT goes to the telephone booth, picks up the phone.)
(LIGHTS up on DETECTIVE. He is on the other side of the stage, holding a phone, too.)
HAMMETT
(On the phone.)
Hello?
DETECTIVE
(On the phone.)
Mr. Hammett? It's me. Detective Spencer. I'm in New York.
HAMMETT
(On the phone.)
Hi! How're you?
DETECTIVE
(On the phone.)
Liza is dead. She was strangled on the train.
HAMMETT
(On the phone.)
What the hell are you talking about?
DETECTIVE
(On the phone.)
It's a long story. She was on the same train that I was.
HAMMETT
(On the phone.)
Did you talk to her before that?
DETECTIVE
(On the phone.)
No. I did not have time.
HAMMETT
(On the phone.)
What will you do?
DETECTIVE
(On the phone.)
I'll stay in New York to investigate the passenger's list. I presume they have one.
HAMMETT
(On the phone.)
I don't know what to say. This story is very complicated.
DETECTIVE
(On the phone.)
If I get some new clue, I'll let you know.
HAMMETT
(On the phone.)
I wish you luck.
DETECTIVE
(On the phone.)
Thanks.
HAMMETT
(On the phone.)
Bye.
(The two hang up.)
(HAMMETT comes back to the table and sits down.)
HAMMETT
(To the waiter.)
Another bourbon, please?
(The MAN that was on the train with LIZA, enters and sits down at HAMMET's table.)
MAN
It seems that your story failed.
HAMMETT
Mr. Chandler! What are you doing here?
(The man from the train is the writer RAYMOND CHANDLER.)
CHANDLER
Mr. Hammett, It's a pleasure to see you. I came here to save your story.
HAMMETT
What?
CHANDLER
You've built a weak character. He doesn't even have a name. Detective? Come on?
HAMMETT
What're you talking about?
CHANDLER
Your story. Liza and John…/
HAMMETT
Oh, my God! You got inside my story.
CHANDLER
Yeah. Let me tell you what had happened before the train.
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on a movie theatre. JOHN is watching a movie. DETECTIVE approaches and sits down next to him.)
DETECTIVE
Are you enjoying the movie?
JOHN
You? Got Liza?
DETECTIVE
Yeah. I found her.
JOHN
Where is she?
DETECTIVE
Unfortunately. Your wife has a lover.
JOHN
What?
DETECTIVE
She is seeing someone else. Because of that that she left home.
JOHN
Bitch! Who's the man?
DETECTIVE
Juan Galhardo.
JOHN
The baseball player?
DETECTIVE
No. The bullfighter. They are living in Mission Dolores.
JOHN
Give me the address.
(DETECTIVE hands a piece of paper with the address written on it.)
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on GALHARDO's house. He's kissing LIZA. Then out of the blue, JOHN appears and punches GALHARDO. LIZA screams. GALHARDO and JOHN fight. JOHN takes a gun from his pocket and shoots GALHARDO in the chest. The bullfighter falls dead on the ground. John puts the gun in his pocket.)
(JOHN stares at LIZA. She is holding a gun against him.)
(JOHN tries to reach his gun.)
LIZA
Don't do that. Raise your hands.
JOHN
(Raising his hands.)
Is that what you want to do?
LIZA
I hate you!
JOHN
I thought you would love me.
LIZA
Me too.
JOHN
Liza, we had a happy world to follow. What happened?
LIZA
You will never beat me again. You made my feeling disappear like foam in the bathtub. Everything I felt went down the drain.
JOHN
Do you have courage? Look, I hired a detective to find you. He will know what has happened here if you…
(JOHN tries to get his gun. LIZA fires two shots at JOHN, who falls dead on the floor.)
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on Irish pub. HAMMETT and CHANDLER are in the same positions.)
HAMMETT
(Disappointed.)
Is it? Did Liza kill John like that?
CHANDLER
Yeah.
HAMMETT
No way. No way. Bullshit!
CHANDLER
You know, love kills more than diseases do.
HAMMETT
You shouldn't have killed Liza.
CHANDLER
The story needed to move on.
HAMMETT
It's bullshit.
CHANDLER
Alright. I will not kill Liza. She will be fine.
HAMMETT
Liza is my character. I decide what might happen to her.
CHANDLER
That's right.
(Thoughtful.)
What do you think if the detective meets Liza on the train? Maybe the two could be happy in New York, huh? Everybody is happy in New York.
HAMMETT
No, no, no. By the way, I don't believe in the love between Liza and the detective. It wasn't real. He saw a picture of her and fell in love. I don't believe it. It's weak. It's so weak like the character. Horrible! The killers can't get along. You forgot that crime doesn't pay.
CHANDLER
You created all that crap. As for crime doesn't pay, you know very well that it just works in literature, not for real life.
HAMMETT
You got inside my story to break it.
CHANDLER
Sorry. I was trying to fix all that.
HAMMETT
I think you should get out of my story.
CHANDLER
Is Liza dead?
HAMMETT
Liza didn't die. She's alive. And the bullfighter never existed. At least, in my head.
CHANDLER
The bullfighter existed in my version.
HAMMETT
I don't remember when I had you as my partner.
CHANDLER
The story will belong to you when you write down "the end". Meanwhile you don't write that, it belongs to all minds. The ideas are out there, in the air, until someone finds it.
HAMMETT
I give up this story, and all these characters. I'm not interested anymore.
CHANDLER
Sure?
HAMMETT
If you want, you can take it for youself.
CHANDLER
I don't want that either.
HAMMET
Alright, then we will let this story wander around like a stray dog, maybe someone can get her.
CHANDLER
Maybe.
(Blackout.)
(LIGHTS up on the other side of the stage. A drifting boat with DETECTIVE, LIZA, AUDREY, ROMERO, GALHARDO and JOHN.)
DETECTIVE
We were rejected by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.
AUDREY
What will we do?
ROMERO
Find another writer to finish our story.
GALHARDO
Nobody wants to know about us.
JOHN
I've an idea. We should go to Italy.
LIZA
Italy? Why?
JOHN
There's an author named Luigi Pirandello.
ROMERO
I heard about him.
JOHN
He once got characters without an author.
AUDREY
Then we should try to find him.
LIZA
But he's an Italian writer, we are pulp characters from America. Will he know how to handle our stories?
ROMERO
Will he want to get us?
GALHARDO
It's ridiculous, six characters in search of an author.
DETECTIVE
It could be worse. If we already are into a story? What will happen with this boat? They love to sink a boat, just to get rid of the unpopular characters.
AUDREY
It's true. It happens when the writer doesn't have a good idea to write.
LIZA
(Staring ahead, scared, crying out.)
The wave!
(Blackout. We hear screams for all.)
CURTAIN
THE END
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