vimurder

The Banner Headline:
"Artist's Manager Killed at Opening of Vernon Inn" ...

December 2-5, 1983

At the opening of the Vernon Inn, Scott Edgar slips outside into the garden and remembers his instructions: "Be sure Renaldi is in the hotel garden at precisely ten o'clock tonight. My people will do the rest."

DORIAN finds him outside: Scott, what on earth are you doing here?

SCOTT: I'm just out catching a little fresh air. Oh, actually Dorian, I'm meeting David here later. We're going to try to patch up our differences. I'm thinking of taking him on again as a client.

DORIAN (skeptical): I doubt very much that he'd agree to that.

SCOTT (laughs): Perhaps you're right ... let's go inside before we catch our death.

DORIAN: Yes.

Inside, as David chats with Clint Buchanan, Dorian keeps a watchful eye on him, and wonders if what she has been told by men posing as U.S. government officials is true, that David is involved in espionage ...

Later, David is very happy to see Jenny, who walks in with Mrs. Gray and little Mary. Brad Vernon jealously watches this encounter ...

When David finally runs in to Scott and wants to give him the money, Scott quickly shakes him off: "Not here, there are too many people" ... he tells David he'll find him later.

As partygoers take part in a treasure hunt, Scott and David meet in the garden, and David gives him the money.

SCOTT: I appreciate this. I'll pay you back as soon as I can. (As someone in the shadows takes aim from behind ...) I'm sorry it had to end this way. I think very fondly of our association together. All the best ...(Scott extends his hand ...)

As a shot is fired, Scott collapses ...

DAVID (alarmed): Scott! Scott! What happened?!!

SCOTT: (barely able to talk) ...supposed....to....be....you David. It was supposed to be ...

As DAVID jumps up and yells, "Hey, somebody, help us out here. Somebody!" ...from behind the bushes, the shooter throws the gun out beside of SCOTT, and DAVID, hearing the sounds of someone running away, also runs off in that direction.

DORIAN walks outside at this moment, and seeing SCOTT on the ground, she tries to help him.

SCOTT (gasping): It ... was ...

DORIAN: What ...?

SCOTT: David.

DAVID comes back at just this moment, and kneels down beside Dorian and Scott.

DAVID: Is there any hope for him?

DORIAN: He's dead.

DAVID: My God!

DORIAN: Why did you do it?!

DAVID: What are you talking about?

DORIAN: His last words were: "It was David".

DAVID: Dorian, we were standing there, talking ...he turned away. Suddenly he crumpled. I heard this ...

DAVID looks down at that moment, and notices the gun: Omigod, it's a silencer .... it's my gun! This is my gun!

DORIAN (whispers): Give it to me!

DAVID: What are you doing?

DORIAN: It's your gun, we have to wipe your prints off.

DAVID: Don't do that! The killer's prints could still be on it, though I doubt it.

DORIAN (exasperated): David, why do you keep pretending with me?!! I saw you run away! Scott said that you killed him!

DAVID (angry): I didn't kill him, Dorian.

DORIAN (upset): Why don't you keep running? Don't you realize you're going to be arrested? You're going to be put in jail!

DAVID (trying to be calm): Dorian, I didn't kill Scott.

DORIAN: I know why you did it. You did it because you found out that he was a spy too. That's why you killed him, isn't it? I know all about you David, but none of that matters, because now we've just got to protect you.

DAVID: Now listen to me. I am innocent Dorian.

DORIAN (not hearing him): We've got to come up with an alibi, all right? Fine ... say that, um, we were talking inside, and we decided to come outside to get some fresh air ...

DAVID (his lowered voice slowly becomes very loud) : Dorian, I don't need an alibi because I didn't kill him!!!

HERB stands in the doorway leading to the garden.

Next scene:

Herb joins David and Dorian in the garden, and sees Scott's body.

HERB: What happened?

DAVID: He's been shot.

HERB: He's dead?

DORIAN: Yes.

HERB: Ed Hall's inside. I'll get him.

DORIAN (grabbing his arm): No, Herb...please. He'll arrest David.

HERB (who at this point is unaware of David and Dorian's past life together): It is not your duty to protect this man.

DORIAN: Ed Hall is going to question me.

DAVID: And you're going to tell him the truth.

DORIAN: My testimony could convict you!

DAVID: Dorian, I wanna know where you heard that I was involved in espionage.

DORIAN: David, I have read your entire file. It was shown to me by the men who Scott Edgar worked for ...they wanted me to help them by spying on you.

DAVID (pleading): All right, now listen ...this is something you do not need to tell Ed Hall about. Please, I beg you, keep it to yourself ...

DORIAN (whispers): I will.

At that moment, Ed Hall runs outside and kneels by the body.

ED: We've gotta call Headquarters.

DAVID (handing him the gun): Captain, this was found by the body.

ED: What are you doing with it? There might be prints on it. Now we're going to find yours.

DAVID: You would anyway. It's my gun.

ED, HERB and DORIAN all look at DAVID suspiciously ...

ED HALL takes DAVID into an office for questioning.

ED: Now, why don't we just begin at the beginning, hmm?

DAVID: Okay, Scott Edgar asked me to lend him five thousand dollars. He said he was strapped, and he wanted to leave town. I agreed, and we arranged that I would give him the money at the party tonight. In fact, I tried to give it to him earlier, but he was worried, he didn't want anyone else around, he wanted to make sure we were alone. He said that he would feel embarrassed if anyone saw me giving him money.

RAFE: Excuse me Captain.

ED: Yes, Rafe, what is it?

RAFE: The coroner just took the body to the morgue, and homicide is combing the garden for evidence.

ED: Okay, good ... go on , please, Mr. Renaldi.

DAVID: Then, then ...somebody came in and announced that the treasure had been found, and everybody started going to that room, and Scott at that point approached me, and said that this would be a good time, and insisted that we go out to the garden.

ED: He insisted?

DAVID (considering this): Yes, yes ... he did insist. I remember that ... anyway, we went out to the garden, I gave him the money, we talked briefly, we shook hands, he turned to leave, and suddenly he just ... I dunno...he let out a groan, and he just crumpled to the ground. I yelled "Scott, Scott, what happened ..." ... I kneeled down next to him and there was blood all over his shirt, and then a gun came flying through the bushes, it seemed, and landed right at my feet, and I took off in the direction that I think, or I thought the gun had come from, hoping to maybe see somebody. And I didn't see anybody, and after a few seconds I came back, and Dorian was kneeling over Scott, and she said he was dead.

ED: Yeah. You know anybody who would want to see Mr. Edgar dead?

DAVID (shaking his head): I haven't an idea in the world.

ED: I see. You ... uh, I understand he was not working for you anymore?

DAVID: No, uh, I had fired him almost a month previously, although I still let him tell people that he'd quit on his own.

ED: Why'd you fire him?

DAVID: Oh, you know how it is. I guess we'd just been getting on each other's nerves for a long time. And I really, bottom line, didn't need a manager anymore. I had a permanent job in one place.

ED: Was there any animosity between you?

DAVID: Ah ...there was some animosity, I guess. But not of the sort that would drive me to kill him, if that's what you're driving at.

ED: Yeah, well, maybe you didn't kill him, but your gun certainly did. Can you explain that?

DAVID: No, no ...except to say that my gun disappeared ....stolen ...disappeared ... from my apartment several days ago.

ED: Stolen ... disappeared , huh? Why would a conductor of a symphony orchestra need a gun in the first place.

DAVID: I guess for the same reason anybody else would feel that they needed a gun, to protect themselves if necessary.

ED: You have a permit, yes ?

DAVID: Yes, perfectly legal.

ED: Well, a silencer isn't legal, Mr. Renaldi.

DAVID (firmly): Okay, the silencer is not mine.

ED: You reported the gun stolen?

DAVID: No, but I sure wish I had now. I meant to do it, just slipped my mind.

ED Slipped your mind. Anything else missing from your apartment?

DAVID: No, and I thought at the time that that was very strange, although I see now that somebody is obviously trying to set it up to look like I killed Scott Edgar.

ED: Yeah. And they did a pretty good job of it too.

Meanwhile, as DORIAN and HERB wait to be questioned:

HERB: Did you see David shoot him?

DORIAN: No, I told you, I arrived in the garden just as he was running into the shrubbery.

HERB: Did David have the gun in his hand?

DORIAN: It was lying on the ground.

HERB: Then why would you assume he was guilty?

DORIAN: Because, Herb, that's the way it looked.

HERB: And what motivation would he have to do such a thing? (Dorian hesitates, and he asks:) You know something?

DORIAN: Scott Edgar also worked for the Central Security Bureau.

HERB: He was an agent, keeping an eye on Renaldi?

DORIAN: Yes.

HERB: Did David find out, is that why he fired him?

DORIAN nods "yes".

HERB: So there was some motivation?

DORIAN: Yes, but I'm not going to say anything to Ed Hall about it when he questions me. First of all, I'm sworn to secrecy to the Bureau. And also, it would just make things ...

HERB (finishes for her): Make things worse for David?

DORIAN (as if that's obvious): Well, it certainly would, wouldn't it?

HERB (not wanting to ask): How deep are your feelings for him?

DORIAN: How can you possibly ask me that?

HERB: Well, there has to be some reason why you'd want to provide him with an alibi?

DORIAN: I told you! I was confused, and I didn't know what had happened, and he said that he did not do it, so I thought it was best that we made something up.

HERB: But why? He's suspected of being a terrorist. You were ordered by the United States Government to spy on him, and instead you're standing there, trying to lie for him, trying to save his neck!

DORIAN: I told you I was confused.

HERB: Confusion? I'm sorry. I'm sorry, darling. Confusion would lead you to run away, to go to the police, to be afraid of David. Not to stand there and plot how to save him.

DORIAN: Because .... I did it because I do not believe, and I never will believe, that David is capable of murder.

HERB: You must believe he is capable of it if you were willing to provide an alibi!

DORIAN: I did that because of what Scott said.

HERB: What did Scott say?

DORIAN (emotional; she hesitates): Just before he died, Scott said that David did it.

HERB (surprised): Well, in that case, my dear, you were willing to help a killer.

DORIAN (suddenly shrill, even more upset): I don't want to talk about this anymore, okay?! I really don't! Not one more word, no more questions ...

CASSIE runs in, near tears.

CASSIE: Dad! Mom, is it true?

HERB: I'm afraid so baby.

CASSIE: I don't believe it. There are rumors going around that David did it!

HERB: Well, no one knows for sure yet.

CASSIE: Mom, you saw it?

DORIAN: No, I arrived just after it happened ... I really didn't see anything.

Confused, CASSIE looks at DORIAN and HERB for answers.

CASSIE: David would never kill anyone ... would he?!!!

ED continues to question DAVID: You said that Mr. Edgar had asked you for five thousand dollars. Had he ever asked you for any money before that time.

DAVID: No. What are you driving at?

ED: Well, I think blackmail has to be considered.

DAVID: Rather foolish of me, don't you think, to pay him five thousand dollars and then shoot him? I mean, if I really had an intent to kill him, why not keep the money and then blow him away. Captain, someone is obviously setting me up here!

ED: Who?

DAVID: Unfortunately, I haven't a clue.

ED: Yeah, that is pretty unfortunate, Mr. Renaldi. Well, okay, thank you very much. You can leave. Uh, I hope you don't leave town, however. We'll probably want to talk to you again, as this investigation proceeds.

DAVID: I'm sure you will.

DAVID walks out to the hall where CASSIE, HERB and DORIAN are waiting ....

Next Scenes:
Brad Confronts Jenny;
Cassie Questions David

Back To
Truly Madly Deeply:
Memories of David and Jenny