Hitchcock's: I Saw the Whole Thing

ACT I

Scene 1

It is 1961 in Greensdale,a small populated city in New Jersey, a young woman is standing outside a department store angrily waiting for someone to arrive.

Cathy: [exhaling with frustration] He better get here and fast.
Dale: Hey there Cathy! Missed you at my party last night.
Cathy: [even more frustrated] Gosh Dale can’t you take a hint!
Dale: Come down Cathy, I’m just saying hello.
Cathy: [a little regretful of her previous tone] Sorry Dale, but I told you I wasn’t interested. And you know Jeff freaks so you better leave before he gets here!
Dale: [voice gradually getting lower as he walks away] Alright but he can’t get mad I was just passing by, this is a public street anyway!
Cathy: [her foot starting to tap as her anger increases]If he doesn’t get here I swear..

STREETCH!! CRASH.
A car just ran the stop sign and a motorcycle unable to stop his already increasing speed crashed into the car. The man is ejected off his motorcycle and crashes hard to the pavement.

Cathy: [concerned she runs to the aid of the victim]

Several other witnesses run to the man to see if he is alright. One of them calls 911 and and the paramedics are there shortly.

SCENE END

SCENE BEGIN. At the city police station, a man walks up to the counter. He waits for one of the officers to hang up the phone and speak with him.

Officer: Yes? How can I help you?
Fred:[hesitantly] I think I need to turn myself in
Officer: Okay, for what?
Fred: You know that hit and run that happened yesterday?
Officer: Yes what about it?
Fred: [remorsefully] Yeah… well… I was the driver.
Officer: [after picking up the phone and making a phone call to the detective he points him into an interrogation room] I see. Step into this room here and make a statement with the detective.
Detective Nash: So my officer informs me that you were the driver of the hit and run yesterday. State your name and tell me what happened.
Fred: My name is Fred Barnes. And well you see, after stopping at the stop sign, a motorcycle in the other lane just slammed into me.
Detective Nash: We have 3 witnesses’ that say otherwise. They say you ran the stop sign and hit the cyclist.
Fred: [becoming defensive] THAT IS NOT TRUE!
Detective Nash: Calm down, Barnes. You’ll have your day in court.
Fred: How is the other driver anyway?
Detective Nash: He’s in critical condition, but the doctor’s say they think he will pull through.
Fred: That’s good. Well what happens now?
Detective Nash: Go home, find a lawyer and wait for your court date.

SCENE END

ACT II

SCENE BEGIN. Inside Fred Barnes home office. Fred walks in with his friend Marshal Erikson, who is a defense attorney. He pours them both a glass of scotch and they start discussing the situation.

Fred: [putting the cork back on the bottle of scotch] So you see why I can’t tell June, she’s under enough stress with the baby being born premature.
Marshal [looks at Fred with concern]: They’re both still in the hospital?
Fred: [exhaling] Yeah, the doctor said two weeks tops.
Marshal: Well keep me updated. So we need to get you ready for trial. Now when I ask you questions, you have to act confident and speak clear—
Fred: [cutting Marshal off] Actually Marshal, I’m going to be representing myself.
Marshal: [shockingly] WHAT! Are you crazy? This is serious, a hit and run is a felony. You could get 15 years for this! They have---
Fred: [interrupting Marshal again] I know, I know. But I really didn’t do anything wrong. How can they find me guilty?
Marshal: Well what’d you call me down here for then?
Fred: I’ll need you for the legal work.
Marshal: [still in disbelief] Are you sure, Fred?
Fred: [unsure but determined] Yes. Now I’ll need you to research the witnesses and teach me how to speak in court.

SCENE END.

SCENE BEGIN.

Inside the Greensdale City court with Judge Judy Donnely, and witnesses Miss Cathy Beard, Mr. Jack Peabody, and Lt. Sam Sanders and Distinct Attorney Henry Lawson.

The Bailiff says “All Rise” and court begins.

Judge Donnely: [sternly] On one count of leaving the scene of a crime and causing injury to another, Mr. Barnes how do you plead?

Fred: Not guilty your honor.

Judge Donnely: D.A. Lawson, you may proceed.

Lawson: The state calls Miss Cathy Beard to the stand.

Bailiff:[raising his right hand and swearing in Cathy] Please raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Cathy: Mhm.
Bailiff: [slightly offended] Please answer with a “Yes” or “No”.
Cathy: [childishly] My bad… Yes.
Bailiff: Have a seat.
Lawson: Miss Beard, please tell me where you were before the accident.
Cathy: [smacking gum] I was waiting outside Marley’s Boutique, waiting on that slime ball to show up.
Lawson: [becoming angry at Cathy’s immaturity] So you were outside the shopping mall, facing the scene of the crime correct?

[Cathy nodding]

Lawson: Then what happened?
Cathy:[pointing to Fred] I saw that man run the stop sign, hit the guy on the motorcycle then keep going.
Lawson: [heading back to his seat] Okay, thank you Miss Beard.
Cathy: [smiling and acting like she provided enough evidence for the guilty verdict already] Your Welcome.
Fred: In the beginning of your statement you said “slime ball,” right?
Cathy: [irritably] Yes, and I’d rather not talk about that piece of dirt.
Fred: [excitedly and curious] Why what happened?
Cathy: He left me waiting there all day. Never called or anything!
Fred: Okay, and what were you thinking?
Cathy: I was thinking how I was never going to talk to him again. Then I heard the crash.
Fred: [jumping on the hole he might have just found in her story] So you were not even looking at the accident. You only looked once you heard it?
Cathy: [confused and defensive] No… I saw the sports car run the stop sign and hit the motorcyclist.
Fred: But you said you were thinking then heard the crash. You did not really see the accident at all.

[The jury is taken back and their mood changes]

Cathy: Well… I meant…
Fred: No more questions Judge Donnely, Thank you.
Cathy: [exasperatedly walking off ] Ugh
Judge Donnely: D.A. Lawson, you may call in your next witness.
Lawson: The state calls Lieutenant Sanders to the stand.

[Enter Lt. Sanders. The bailiff swears him in.]

Lawson: How are you Lt. Sanders? Now tell me about the accident.

Lt. Sanders: [answering the D.A.’s first questions kind of hasty] Fine. Well I was two cars back at the adjacent stop sign, when I saw the driver of the sport’s car, run the stop sign. Then, hit the motorist and not stop to check.

Lawson: And you’re sure of this?

Lt. Sanders: Yes sir, I was right there watching.

Lawson: Thank You Lieutenant.

[Lawson sits and Fred approaches]

Fred: Good afternoon Lieutenant, are you positive of the story you just told the court?

Lt. Sanders: [angry that his statement has been questioned] Yes! I telling was you and I told him, I was at the adjacent stop sign and the sports car ran the stop sign, hitting the innocent man on the motorcycle.

Fred: [Timidly] One last question, what were you thinking during the accident?

Lt. Sanders:[gladly speaking his mind] How irresponsible some people are! Innocent lives are in danger all the time!

Fred: Wasn’t one of your soldiers in an accident earlier this year?

Lt. Sanders: [eyes dropping to the floor, reliving the horrific accident] It was not an accident! He was murdered by an enemy solider in a tank. Just ran him straight over; he was under my direction too.

Fred: [aiming around his weakness] Do you think about this a lot?

Lt. Sanders:[self-disciplining then defensive] I blame myself every day. But you clearly ran the stop sign and hit that man!

Fred:[ feeling accomplished ] Thank You, Sir. No more questions.

[The jury looking at each other, reaching a familiar conclusion about this witness]

[Lawson looking stressed and shuffling papers]

Judge Donnely: Your last witness Mr. Lawson?

Lawson: [shaky] Um, yes. The state calls Mr. Jack Peabody to the stand.

[Mr. Peabody enters and the bailiff swears him in]

Lawson: Mr. Peabody, can you tell me what you saw?

Mr. Peabody:[firmly] I was gardening in my garden, when I saw one of those dang flashy cars, run a stop sign and hit that poor man on the motorcycle.

Lawson: Which direction were you in?

Mr. Peabody: I was directly facing the accident, I saw the whole thing.

Lawson: Thank You, Mr. Peabody. No more questions

Judge Donnely: Mr. Barnes, your witness.

Fred: Mr. Peabody, I just want to ask you what I have asked all the other witnesses, and that is, what were you thinking when you witnessed the accident?

Mr. Peabody: That those dang brazen sports cars should be outlawed. Nothing good comes from them. They go too fast and their uncontrollable.

Fred: Mr. Peabody, do you have kids?

Mr. Peabody:[reluctantly] No.

Fred: [sympathetically] Did you once have kids?

Mr. Peabody: [almost tearful] Yes…one. My boy, Johnny. He was a miracle because Betsey and I were so old. We just figured we were not met to have kids.

Fred: What happened?

Mr. Peabody: [staring at a floor board with a few single tears falling] I was watching him play from the kitchen window. He was playing with his red and blue tin wind up airplane when I turned my head for one second…his plane managed to get into the street and a car did not see him.

Fred: I’m Sorry Sir. I just have one final question, what kind of car was it? That hit your son?

Mr. Peabody: [grudgingly] It was a dark blue, 1961 ford mustang with two white stripes going from the hood to the back of the car.

Fred: Thank You. No further questions.

Judge Donnley: [bangs gavel] Alright court will take a short recess for lunch then resume at 1 P.M today and the defense will take the stand.

Fred: [shocked as if his uvula turned into a rock and dropped to the bottom of his esophagus. He lean over to Marshal] What? I have to take the stand?

Marshal: [pleased with his training] Don’t worry about it you did great! Man, I never thought you’d pull it off but there’s no way the jury can find you guilty now!

Bailiff:[refolding a letter he just read that an officer outside the court room handed him and gains the whole courts attention] Excuse me, your honor, but the victim has just died in ICU.

[The Bailiff and Judge talk in the background, the jury and other people inside the courtroom continue to pack up and leave ]

Marshal: Oh dear.

Fred:[now not only nervous but confused] What? What does that mean Marshal?

Marshal: Well, it means your charge of hit and run just turned into a vehicular manslaughter.

Fred: [sits back in his courtroom chair]

[Fades to black with Marshal’s hands on Fred’s shoulder with an inaudible conversation.]

Act III

[Fades back to court room scene, set like it was before but it is now 1:00 P.M]

Bailiff: All rise for the honorable Judge Donnely

Jude Donnely: You may be seated. D.A. Lawson, call your next witness.

Lawson: The defense calls Fred Barnes to the stand.

[Bailiff swears Fred in, he nervously accepts the oath]

Lawson: Mr. Barnes---

Fred:[loudly] I plea the fifth!

[The jury is filled with quiet taking and gasping. They have all reached the same conclusion. The judge and D.A. Lawson are both shocked but it is possible action]

Judge Donnley: You may return to your seat.

Lawson: [pretentiously smiling] The state rests.

Judge Donnley: Mr. Barnes?

Fred: the defense rests.

Judge Donnley: Alright, the jury must now deliberate.

[The jury is escorted out by the bailiff]

[Almost hours pass and the jury returns with a verdict]

Judge Donnely: Has the jury reached a verdict?

Juror: No, you honor.

[Indiscriminate speech is heard in the background]

Judge Donnelly: [bangs gavel] The result of the verdict is a mistrial. Fred Barnes is free to go.

Fred: [ throwing his fist in the air] YES!

Marsal: [joyously shaking Fred] I can’t believe you did it!

Fred: I know! now I got to go visit Besty.

SCENE END

SCENE BEGIN. Fred and Marshal are walking down a hallway outside the neonatal hospital unit. They stop outside the window and are looking at the new born babies.

Marshal: Hey Fred, so if you did not really run the stop sign why wouldn’t you take the stand.

Fred: Well Marshal, because I couldn’t commit perjury. I wasn't even there and I wasn't driving my car that day.

[the nurse places Fred’s baby in a bed in front of the window]

END