Trey is being interrogated after running from the police. He is handcuffed and sitting on the curb, while the other officer is running his driver’s license through the system.
OFFICER PALMER
Why did you run?
TREY
Why did I run? (smirks) Well you’re the cops. Whether I did
something bad or not, you’d still be hassling me. As you can see, I didn’t want
to be hassled.
OFFICER PALMER
Sounds more like you did something guilty.
TREY
Guilty? Guilty? Now what could a 12 year old do?
OFFICER PALMER
I dunno. Something like, shooting a man?
TREY
Who? I don’t recall shooting anyone in the past 24 hours…
OFFICER
Don’t joke. Doesn’t look good for your case.
TREY
I have a case?
OFFICER
There are witnesses putting you at the crime scene. The
victim’s son said it had to be you. Said that you’ve talked about killing his
father months ago…
TREY
(leans forward with his hands folded) Really? (long pause)
Sammy, Sammy, Sammy…
OFFICER
So you admit you know the boy?
TREY
I never denied it.
But yea I do. He was… still is my best friend.
OFFICER
And you killed your best friend’s father.
TREY
STEP-father, mind you. Do you know what he was like? (chuckles)
of course you don’t. You’re just a cop.
OFFICER
I wouldn’t say, JUST a cop.
TREY
And why not? That’s what you are.
OFFICER
Just watch your tone, young man.
TREY
You’ve ever been to this house before?
OFFICER
I don’t recall…
TREY
Something about a domestic dispute? Maybe five, six times within the last six months? How about this one time, he beat her so bad in the face, that half of it was black and blue and her lip was split twice. Don’t recall any of that?
OFFICER
Doesn’t mean you take the law into your own hands.
The other officer returns and signals him to come over.
OFFICER STONE
Trey Louis. No prior arrests or convictions. Pretty clean kid. Never had a run in with the law, until now. Just a normal sixteen year old boy from…
OFFICER PALMER
What did you say? Say that again… sixteen?
OFFICER STONE
Yea, why?
OFFICER PALMER
Son of a bitch’s been claiming he’s been 12 this whole time. Now why would a sixteen year old do that?
The two officers turn to look at Trey, who’s been staring at them the entire time.
Notes from Roy:
ReplyDeleteGood scene. Good encounter between Trey and the police. And good surprise at the end of the scene. This advances the story, the character, and opens a lot of dramatic avenues to explore.
I think the encounter between Trey and the Office works well. Although Trey does seem to admit to an awful lot awfully fast. It shows a kind of arrogance that works well for the character, but I have to wonder if he might not be more nuanced in his response - like maybe claiming he didn't do it while also justifying it.
There's lots that this scene leaves open to more exploration. What were the events that led to this moment from the opening scene we say between Trey and Sammy? Why did Sammy finger Trey? Did they do it together? Did Trey take off on his own and do it? And is Trey really 16? And if he is, why has he pretended to be 12, even to people like Sammy? Is he really 16, and if so, has he gone so far as to go to school as a 12 year old. That's a fascinating possibility.
Roy