“Business Matters Matter”
~~~Boddy Mansion-Billiard Room- 9:00 am~~~
A tall man in a light brown bathrobe takes a shot at the pool table. He has dark hair and a look of confidence on his face. He is John Boddy. Another man begins to take his shot. This man is in his late forties. He is Mr. Miles Meadow-Brooke.
“Nice shot.” Mr. Boddy smirks, watching the firm lawyer take his turn.
Mr. Meadow-Brooke goes over to the bar and takes a sip from his daiquiri.
“I’d love to shoot pool all day, but I’ve got an important meeting with your Uncle.” Mr. Meadow-Brooke says
“Then come by later. Bring the missus.” Mr. Boddy puts the cue stick in the rack
“We’re having dinner at your uncles’.” Mr. Meadow-Brooke says in his usual, stern, firm, and harsh voice.
“Seems like Uncle Hugh!” Mr. Boddy says, “Always having the fancy parties and rubbing shoulders with the rich people!”
“I ought to be going.” Miles says, not giving any heed to Mr. Boddy’s complaints, “I’ll show myself out.”
Mr. Meadow-Brooke leaves and Mrs. White enters in a maid’s uniform.
“Beryl, do you have any plans tonight?” Mr. Boddy asks
“No sir, I don’t.” Mrs. White says with wonder
“How’d you like to go to my uncle’s house for dinner tonight?” asks Mr. Boddy
“I’d love to!” Mrs. White says, “If it’s alright with him…”
“Of course.” Mr. Boddy smirks, “I invite myself over to his house many times…”
~~~Green Estate-Front Yard/ Driveway- 9:30 am~~~
A limo stops in front of the luxurious mansion. Forest Green and Mr. Yale get out of the limo, followed by the clients, whose hands are duct taped behind their backs. Mr. Green pushes the last one out with the barrel of his gun.
Mr. Yale opens the front door…
~~~Green Estate-Study- 9:31 am~~~
Mr. Thallo Green, a large man with a look of diligence sits behind his desk. Forest and Mr. Yale enter with the hostages.
“This is a living hell!” one of the clients shouts, “You’ve dragged us through alleys and taken us in various limos. Now what? Are you going to put us to work as your slaves?”
“Are you done?” Thallo asks in a gruff voice
“As a matter of fact, no!” the person continues, “I have a wife and three kids. If you kill me, it’ll be as if you killed them too! If you think that you can get away with killing us, then you are mistaken. I have a meeting with the governor and when I don’t show up he’ll send a search party!”
“Are you done yet?” asks Thallo in his usual gruff tone
“Yes, yes I am.” The client says
Thallo pulls out his pistol and shoots the man clean through his heart.
“Who’s next?” Thallo asks
~~~Lula Café-Main Restaurant- 9:48 am~~~
Miss Scarlet and Mr. White are sitting across from one another. Mr. White hands Miss Scarlet a box.
She eagerly opens it to see the necklace she wanted.
“Robert! You didn’t have to.” Miss Scarlet enthusiastically puts it on
“I’d do anything for the woman I love.” He says, “You know that!”
Miss Scarlet smiles happily, “So?”
“‘So’, what?” asks Robert
“Are you going through with the divorce?” she asks
“It’s undecided.” Robert sighs, “Beryl has her mind set that she never wants to see me again.”
“And you?” Miss Scarlet asks
“I just can’t decide.” Robert says, “My daughter is on my wife’s side, my son… he being a doctor, doesn’t much care about our family.”
“Sounds like my family.” Miss Scarlet smirks, “I need to go.” She says standing up and leaving.
Robert sighs
~~~Green Estate-Lounge- 10:00 am~~~
Mr. Yale pours a scotch for himself and Forest. He sets the drinks on the coffee table.
Presently, the elder Mr. Green enters with only four of the eight clients.
“Forest, Donald, these are our new friends.” Thallo smiles evilly as he sits in a great big olive colored armchair.
“Wonderful.” Forest smiles, “Dad, Mr. Yale here has the plans for the spa we are building over South Cicero.”
Mr. Yale smiles opening his brief case and taking out several folders. He hands them to Thallo.
“You are building 22,000 square feet… for the parking lot?” Thallo says, “Make it 35,000 and we’ve got a deal.”
“Alright, we can do that.” Mr. Yale says. Thallo hands the blueprints back to him.
“You don’t want to see the rest of them?” asks Mr. Yale
“Listen carefully.” Thallo stands up, “I don’t care what you do to the building, so long as I get 70% of the shares you receive.”
Forest smiles.
“That means I get 15%.” Mr. Yale frowns, “Your son also gets 15%, and since you two always put your shares together, you are getting 85%!”
“Is there a problem?” asks Thallo
Mr. Yale realizes he ought to answer in a way to please the elder Green.
“No, sir.” Mr. Yale sighs
~~~Peacock Residence-Foyer- 10:00 am~~~
Miss Scarlet enters in a hurry, passing the Drawing Room. She hurries upstairs…
~~~Peacock Residence-Drawing Room- 10:01 am~~~
Mrs. Peacock sits on the settee with Jayne Meadow-Brooke.
“And did you hear what he said to her?” Mrs. Meadow-Brooke asks, sipping a glass of tea
“She left him took everything?” Mrs. Peacock inquires
“And I don’t blame her!” Mrs. Meadow-Brooke says, “If Mrs. Papaver would have stay in the Netherlands, her husband would have killed her!”
“Distastful.” Mrs. Peacock says as Miss Scarlet walks past the Lounge door, “Vera?” Mrs. Peacock stands
~~~Peacock Residence-Front Porch- 10:02 am~~~
“Vera, where are you going?” Mrs. Peacock asks
Miss Scarlet slams the car door and drives off.
“Girls.” Mrs. Meadow-Brooke rolls her eyes, “My two are grown up.”
“Speaking of children, how is your grandson?” asks Mrs. Peacock
“Travis? Oh he’s normal for a toddler.” Meadow-Brooke chuckles, “I raised four myself.”
“It’s a shame you son and daughter-in-law couldn’t take care of him.” Mrs. Peacock sighs
“They are too busy traveling the world.” Mrs. Meadow-Brooke sighs, “And get this, she’s pregnant again, and wants Travis to have a sister to live with.” Mrs. Meadow-Brooke rolls her eyes
“Is Miles alright with this?” asks Mrs. Peacock
“Miles is never home!” Mrs. Meadow-Brooke begins to get upset, “He’s either at work, the Boddy Mansion, or dragging me along to the Black Estate for a party.”
“That’s what it’s like Jayne.” Mrs. Peacock adjusts her sapphire brooch on her shoulder, “You are new to this lifestyle, only months ago did Miles move here, to Arlington Heights.”
“And it is lovely.” Mrs. Meadow-Brooke looks around her.
~~~Peacock Residence-Drawing Room- 10:02 am~~~
Mr. Tenné sees Mrs. Meadow-Brooke’s purse lying on the sofa. He walks over to it and opens it…
~~~Black Estate-Library- 11:00 am~~~
Sir Black opens the door to see a man in a red shirt standing next to the large oak desk. Sir Black nearly faints when he recognizes the face.
“I’ll save the explaining.” The man says fondling with a silver plated letter opener, “You and Alice killed a poor man, my client to be exact, and then you dumped his corpse in the junk yard.”
“No!” Algernon Black says, “You can’t be alive. I know we killed you.”
“Samson Copper.” The man, James Scarlet says, “That was his name, Samson Copper.”
“You are lying.” Sir Black sinks down in his armchair, “It can’t be you!”
Mr. Scarlet comes very close to Algernon, “Ah, but it is.”
“No!” Sir Black shouts, his voice echoing in the Library.
Mr. Scarlet pours a glass of whiskey and hands it to Sir Black, “If it’s too much for you to handle…”
“Too much for me to handle?” he shouts, “Thank you.” He takes the glass and downs the whiskey, “I’ll tell you what’s too much to handle!” he throws the glass into the empty stone fireplace. It breaks.
“Al, calm down…”
“Shut up! Don’t tell me to calm down! And leave!” Sir Black shouts
“I’m not sure I can do that.” Mr. Scarlet says, “Have Alice come over tonight.”
“She’s supposed to be here for a party…”
“Good, then she won’t suspect a thing.” Mr. Scarlet says
“You’ve got to leave.” Sir Black says seeing Professor Plum’s car pulling up in the driveway.
“I told you I can.” Mr. Scarlet points the letter opener at Black.
~~~White Cottage-Foyer- 11:30 am~~~
Mr. White enters the front door and enters the Living Room and Dining Room.
“Poor Beryl.” He sighs
~~~White Cottage-Den- 11:31 am~~~
Mr. White enters the Den and sits behind his desk. He sees that he never logged off his computer after all the hassle the night before. He quickly logs off and closes the running window. He stops.
“What on earth.” He looks at the slightly opened French Windows. He closes them and locks them.
“I let Vera out the front door…” he says to himself, “I remember locking these last night.”
~~~Green Estate-Study- 2:35 pm~~~
Thallo Green sits behind his desk. The bodies of the clients have been removed. Mr. Green picks up the phone and dials a number. He gets the voicemail, “Hey, Al, it’s me. I’ve got some news for you. Call me when you get this.”
~~~Black Estate-Entrance Hall- 7:00 pm~~~
Mr. Boddy, Mrs. White, Mr. Meadow-Brooke, and Mrs. Meadow-Brooke enter the front door, all dressed in their finest.
Mrs. Meadow-Brooke opens her purse and searches for her lipstick. The atmosphere is still.
“I can smell the luscious food already.” Mr. Boddy smiles.
Miss Peach and Professor Plum come from the other end of the house.
“Professor?” Mr. Boddy raises an eyebrow
“John, did your uncle call you?” Professor Plum asks
“Pardon?” John looks shocked, “I told him I was bringing Mrs. White.” Mr. Boddy says
“He’s not in the Library.” A woman’s voice says as Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard join them in the Entrance Hall, “Hi.” Mrs. Peacock smiles at John and the Meadow-Brooke’s
“Who’s not where?” asks Mrs. White
“It appears Sir Black is not here.” Professor Plum says, “Or if he is, he doesn’t want us to know where he is…”
TO BE CONTINUED