A WOMAN FOR ALL REASONS
BY PAUL CHANDLER AND NICK GOODMAN
EPISODE THREE: TRACING IN THEIR FOOT-STEPS...
BY PAUL CHANDLER
MAIN CHARACTERS
MATTHEW - AN ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN
BOB - A DEPUTY THEATRE MANAGER
DEBS - BOB'S WIFE
AUNTIE ALICE - DEB'S AUNT
EMILY - SENIOR LIBRARY CLERK
KIRSTEN - LIBRARY CLERK
OTHER CHARACTERS - TO BE UPDATED SOON
THE STORY SO FAR:
MATTHEW IS TRYING TO HELP HIS BEST FRIEND, BOB, THROUGH A WRITER'S BLOCK - INVOLVING HIM IN A LOCAL MYSTERY INVOLVING AN INHABITANT WHO POSSIBLY APPEARS TO BE OVER-150 YEARS OLD... THEY BEGIN TO PIECE TOGETHER A NUMBER OF CLUES BY SPEAKING TO A RATHER ECCENTRIC LIBRARIAN CALLED EMILY - MEANWHILE, BOB'S WIFE - DEBS - ISN'T COPING SO WELL WITH HER HUSBAND GALLAVANTING AROUND THE TOWN AT ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT...
PLEASE NOTE:
THE EVENTS OF THIS EPISODE OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME AS SOME OF THE EVENTS DURING EPISODE 2... SCENE 7 AND 8 TAKE PLACE DURING THE AFTERNOON BETWEEN SCENE 5 AND 6 AND SCENE 9 TAKES PLACE AT NIGHT AFTER SCENE 6...
SCENE 7. INT. BOB'S HOUSE. AFTERNOON.
(Debs is on the phone to her Auntie Alice - Debs sounds upset and Alice is quick to notice this...)
ALICE:
So then - what are your plans for today, dear?
DEBS:
Oh, you know... The day's almost over...
ALICE:
Not at all... You have the afternoon ahead of you... Where's that husband of yours? Not working from home today?
DEBS:
He's actually on a fortnight's leave...
ALICE:
Really!? You never mentioned going away...
DEBS:
We're not - we can't afford it...
ALICE:
I'm sure that's not true... Honey, if you need a little loan - or an early birthday present...
DEBS:
No... No... I can't expect you to bail us out...
ALICE:
I told you... It would be my treat - my pleasure...
DEBS:
No... Really, Auntie... Thank you... It's my own fault... I need to get off my arse and find another job - Bob's been really good about it...
ALICE:
Don't be so hard on yourself - I know things have been tough since you lost that job at the post office... Such a shame that place closed down...
DEBS:
They didn't need two so close together, you know that... I am looking for something else - but I'm... I'm not exactly asserting myself...
ALICE:
You're being a bit choosey about what jobs you're applying for... I don't blame you...
DEBS:
That's the trouble though... Neither does Bob - and yet now we've not been able to go away...
ALICE:
But you can have days out, surely? What have you got lined up...
DEBS:
Nothing! Really... Nothing... We've not even discussed it...
ALICE:
Bob is happy to sit at home?
DEBS:
No... He's got a project... He's off doing that...
ALICE:
So why aren't you over here having lunch with me - you do realise I have nothing better to do...
DEBS:
Don't be silly, Auntie... You always have plans... I thought you were sorting through the jumble today for the church bazaar...
ALICE:
I am, dear - but I wouldn't say no to a helping hand...
DEBS:
Well, why didn't you say - I could have come over... I could do with the distraction, to be honest...
ALICE:
Hmm! I knew there was more to this than you were telling me... What's wrong, love? Where is he? Where's Bob?
DEBS:
Off researching with his pal, Matt...
ALICE:
The librarian?
DEBS:
That's the one...
ALICE:
Come on! What's going on here? Those two can be trouble when they get together... What's this project exactly?
DEBS:
I don't know... It's early days... Neither of them are saying... It's getting me down...
ALICE:
They're not just off down the pub somewhere... This whole project thing might just be a way of covering it up...
DEBS:
I don't think so... I mean, I was grateful when I first heard about it... You know that Bob's been struggling with his writing for years...
ALICE:
His writing? You make it sound all rather grand... It was only a hobby, wasn't it?
DEBS:
Auntie! You can't say that... I may have just been a hobby - but it was a big part of who he is...
ALICE:
Okay... So, what? Matt was going to do... what? Teach him how to write again?
DEBS:
Stop it!! It's not funny... You can't teach somebody how to write - but he was going to try and help... There was some story that he thought would make a good writing project for them both...
ALICE:
So... Where did they say they were heading?
DEBS:
The library...
ALICE:
Fair enough...
DEBS:
Only they were gone all night...
ALICE:
You're kidding! What did they say about that?
DEBS:
Something about a mystery... About getting locked into a cupboard and having no phone signal...
ALICE:
Right... And you believe him? Bob is usually pretty honest about things like this - you know, when you ask him stuff - he's usually tells it you straight - even if it doesn't paint him in a very good light...
DEBS:
Yes... You're right there... Only... Well... This wasn't what Bob said - it's what Matt told me when I asked him...
ALICE:
What Matt said!? Well, what did Bob say?
DEBS:
He was catching up with his sleep - he didn't really say much at all...
ALICE:
Then wake him up and ask him...
DEBS:
I can't, Auntie...
ALICE:
And why not? He'd be cross? It's you who should be cross?
DEBS:
No... I can't because he's gone out again... With Matt... To do more research...
ALICE:
Deborah, my girl! You're your own worst enemy here! So where do you think they'll be?
DEBS:
I really have no idea...
ALICE:
Then you need to get an idea... You need to be part of this or it's going to drive you two apart...
DEBS:
Oh, I don't think it'll come to that...
ALICE:
But it might. No... You've got to make it clear... You need to be involved... What does Matt's wife say?
DEBS:
He's not married...
ALICE:
His girlfriend, then?
DEBS:
He's not got one of those either... To be honest Matt doesn't seem very interested in dating... He's married to his writing...
ALICE:
How ridiculous! How pretentious for that matter... Listen... If you don't know where they are then you're going to have to start at the beginning of the trail...
DEBS:
I don't get you...
ALICE:
Get thee to the library, Deborah... Find out what they've been doing there... And why?
DEBS:
Oh... I can't do that...
ALICE:
You jolly well can... Grab your coat... I'll be round in the car in twenty minutes... We'll do it together...
DEBS:
AUNTIE!!
BUT AUNTIE ALICE HAS RUNG OFF AND DEBS IS LEFT HOLDING A SILENTLY PURRING PHONE...
SCENE 8. INT. LIBRARY. AFTERNOON.
(No more than 45 minutes has passed since the previous scene - Debs reluctantly enters the library - she is as good as led by her Auntie Alice - a tall woman who dresses precisely and wears a rather nice maroon hat that matches her dress; making her look a little like she is headed to a garden party.)
ALICE:
Are you sure we're in the right part of the library, dear? It's very quiet...
DEBS:
Yeah, Auntie... It's a library... Library's usually are quiet...
ALICE;
Yes... I know that, dear... So who is it that we're looking to meet up with? Do you have any idea?
DEBS;
You do know that I'm feeling very silly even being here...
ALICE:
Don't tell me you're banned from here or something? They didn't rescind your library card or something, did they? Oh my goodness, they did? Whatever did you do? Not... Not the old trouble, surely?!
DEBS:
AUNTIE!! No... I've not wet myself since I was about four... (mutters) The old trouble... Really!
ALICE:
I'm sorry... It's just that it sticks in your head... Your mother used to call me and...
DEBS:
Yes... Thank you... But not recently, right!?
ALICE:
So... What DID you do?
DEBS:
I DIDN'T do anything!! I haven't had my library card removed - I am NOT banned... I'm just having second thoughts about being here - on checking up on my husband...
ALICE:
Well, dear - if that's the problem then I really wouldn't let it worry you... If Bob won't tell you the full story then it is your responsibility to find out the truth yourself...
DEBS:
It's not that he's been lying to me...
ALICE:
Hard to do when you're asleep...
DEBS:
Yes... Fair enough... But Matthew did tell me a lot of it - it's just that it all sounds a bit ridiculous...
ALICE:
Probably because it is... So... Do you know who it is we're looking for? You don't have to worry yourself - I'll speak to him...
DEBS:
Her...
ALICE:
Her! Oh dear... How do you know it's a HER!?
DEBS:
I found a name and a number written in his desk diary...
ALICE:
And you rung that number?
DEBS:
I did... And Emily picked up...
ALICE:
I hope you said it was a wrong number...
DEBS:
I was stuck for words - I just put the phone down...
ALICE:
Hmm... Never mind... Better than saying too much! So then... This Emily... She works up here in the Reference Department, then? Which one do you think she is?
DEBS:
I don't actually SEE a librarian at the moment... Do you?
ALICE:
I do hope she's on duty after all this... I think perhaps we should just ask?
DEBS:
There may be another way... Something that Bob had written by her name - it was the title of a book and I didn't understand it at the time... There was a big question mark by it... I'm wondering now if it wasn't some kind of code...
ALICE:
What ARE you going on about, love?
DEBS:
Help me find a book - Arthur Askey: The McCarthy Letters to be exact...
ALICE:
Are you making this up?
DEBS:
No... It must be here somewhere...
(One of the readers up in the Reference Section lets out an indignant "Shhhhh..." and Debs and Auntie Alice duly drop their volume - searching about the shelves in the media section where they presume this book would be shelved... Little do they notice that they are being approached...)
VOICE:
Hello... Can I help?
(Debs and Alice spin round - a librarian with short spiky hair and a KISS t-shirt is standing there, attempting to hide her displeasure at seeing them there, but failing. Debs flounders and so Auntie Alice speaks up...)
ALICE:
Hello, my dear - two things... First things first - we're looking for a particular book... Arthur Askey: The McCarthy Letters... I'm sorry, we don't know the author... (turning to Debs) Do we, dear?
DEBS:
No... Sorry... We do know that it's meant to be up here in the Reference department though...
(The librarian, who they note from her badge is called Kirsten simply nods and beckons to them)
KIRSTEN:
I know the book... Follow me...
(They follow Kirsten, but she seems to be leading them away from the book-stock and towards the staff offices behind the scenes - Debs turns to Auntie Alice and is clearly quite nervous...)
DEBS:
Where do you think she's taking us?
ALICE:
To the head honcho, I expect...
(Before Debs can say any more they arrive at their destination - Kirsten opens the door, sticks her head around and speaks to the occupant of the room before returning and ushering Debs and Alice in. As they enter they see another lady who is busily cataloguing a pile of new library books...)
Emily, I presume? Nice office, by the way...
(The woman looks up, she is smiling smugly though and does not seem too surprised....)
EMILY:
Ah! Thank you! Wish it was mine - it's Neville's - he's the boss up here - but he's away today...
DEBS:
Oh yes... I've heard Matt mention him...
ALICE:
Anything good?
EMILY:
I doubt it... There's nothing much nice to say, I'm afraid - never mind, pleased to meet you... I take it that you're the wife?
ALICE:
No dear, not me... Her...
EMILY:
I meant her...
DEBS: (stepping forward)
I'm sorry... May I ask...
EMILY:
Who I am? I'm Emily... I met your husband - Bob, wasn't it? Matt's friend...
DEBS:
That's the one... You locked them in a stationary cupboard too, I hear... That was true, I take it?
ALICE:
I'd not heard about that...
EMILY:
Oh yes... True... Indeed! Yes, I did lock them in there - it was necessary... Needed doing...
DEBS:
I must say it did seem a little bit of over-kill...
EMILY:
Oh, but over-kill and drama can be fun; gets people in the mood... I was under the impression that Bob needed need a bit of excitement - some adventure...
ALICE:
I do hope you didn't try and manhandle the gentlemen... Well, Bob anyway...
DEBS:
Matt wouldn't have been too keen either...
ALICE:
Oh... Is he... Apologies, I'd forgotten...
EMILY:
Nobody manhandled anybody... Sorry, who are you, again?
DEBS:
She's my Aunt...
ALICE:
I'm her Aunt!
EMILY:
So, I hear... Listen, I do hope you're not going to accuse me of kidnapping your husband - because I, most certainly, did not...
DEBS:
No... No... I know that... They came back to the house after they were here...
EMILY:
But presumably they don't know you're here? They didn't tell you much?
DEBS:
They don't and they didn't, no... They went out again - and we want to know where you sent them...
EMILY:
Do you, now?
ALICE:
Yes - this is why we're here... To find out what's going on...
EMILY:
Really... Well, I don't know if I can be bothered with the projector again,.. Believe it or not they're always threatening to limit the hours that we're allowed to have our lights on in the library... Can you believe it?
DEBS:
It is a bit strange - how are your readers meant to read?
EMILY:
I guess they're not - especially during the winter... They'd rather see us closed than using up their precious electricity and running up bills!
DEBS:
You'd think they'd be desperate to educate more people - we must have more stupid people in this world than ever...
ALICE:
Look at Europe - look at the United States!! Tell me I'm wrong!
EMILY:
I'm not sure we've got time for that, but thank you - you're quite right... Still, I'm glad we're all on the same score card with this one...
DEBS:
What's all this business about needing a projector - can we get back on the plot...
EMILY:
Here... I've got a pamphlet - it's much the same as what I showed the boys on the screen...
(Debs takes the pamphlet, which contains a sepia still of an old lady crossing a medieval square...)
Walsh! A resident of the area as you can see . Outwardly a kindly old lady in unflattering stockings for a woman of her age... Inwardly – a dark enigma! She has a bequest that has bank rolled the Mother's Union, four local stores and the local Boy Scouts for 150 years! (yawns) Blah-de-blah-de-blah!
DEBS:
I'm sorry... Are we keeping you up? Do you do this little talk a lot?
EMILY:
This is only the second time - maybe third; but I do so hate going over and over the same territory all the time... Anyway - you read the pamphlet - I'm not going all over this again...
ALICE: (taking it from Debs)
Where did this actually come from? Is it something you give out in the library?
EMILY:
Of course not, no... I got one of my girls to knock this up the night your husband and his friend came over - we had a loose wire on the projector and I thought I was going to have to resort to print... In the end I didn't have to - so these were never used... I was hoping you'd show up so I'd get a chance to use them.. Here, Debs - have this... (nodding to Alice) You can keep that one...
ALICE:
So kind...
EMILY:
Now... Please... Read...
(There is a silence for a moment - it doesn't take the two ladies that long to read through it from end to end... Debs looks confused, but Auntie Alice seems to have got the measure of the material...)
ALICE:
Are you suggesting that this woman is... What? Eternal? Benefiting from some manner of elixir?
DEBS:
It would certainly appear that she's been around quite some time... Almost as long as you, Auntie...
ALICE: (mutters)
Writing you out of my Will... (turning back to Emily) So, let me see - the mystery here is two-fold... You suspect that this woman has been walking around for a good 150 years or more and it would appear that someone - possibly her - has been doing their level best to keep anybody from finding out this fact; even going so far as possibly wiping computer records that should be freely available on the Internet...
DEBS: (whispers)
You got all this from the pamphlet?
ALICE:
I did... I suspect that you just skimmed - you never were much of a reader... Your mother used to tear her hair out over it - but there was nothing that could be done... Anyway... I can assure you that it's all in there - Emily's team has done a good job at presenting the story in a precise manner... Your library training, no doubt!?
EMILY:
Something like that... I'd always intended to be a vet - but you can never be quite sure where life will lead you...
ALICE:
As your husband is probably beginning to realise right about now...
EMILY:
Listen - let's cut to the chase, shall we... I've got work to do and what might well be the beginning of one of me migraines... I'll give you CB's address same as I did Matt and his mate...
DEBS:
Bob...
EMILY:
No, thank you - I'll stay sat down, thank you... (she hands Debs a yellow post-it note with an address written on it., but Alice stretches forward and takes it first..)
ALICE:
Who's this CB, then?
EMILY:
Let's just say rumour has it that he's in contact with Lady Walsh...
DEBS:
In person or via a Ouija board?
EMILY:
Honestly, I don't know - if you find out please let me know... Should I call Kirsten - or can you see yourself out?
ALICE:
We can see ourselves out...
(Emily just nods - she puts a blindfold over her eyes and leans back in her chair...)
EMILY:
Turn the light out when you go...
ALICE:
Turn the light out, dear - will you?
DEBS:
Sure... (she does so...) I hope the migraine goes... Thanks again...
(But Emily does not reply and Auntie Alice and Debs depart the library office in silence...)
SCENE 9. INT. VIADUCT. EVENING.
(Early evening the same day. Emily and Alice pull up in Alice's car by the viaduct, Alice is driving and Debs looks quite frazzled...)
DEBS:
Auntie, I don't like this... Neither Bob or Matt are picking up their phones and look where Emily's address has brought us - this dump... What if she's behind all this - what if she's the culprit!
ALICE:
Calm down, dear - culprit for what!? Nothing's happened yet... Also I'm not getting any reception anyway - so if Bob and Matt are in this area they might be having the same problem...
DEBS:
So? What do you suggest we do - poke around under the viaduct until we find a hidden doorway through to some magical dimension?
ALICE:
Um... No... No, did I ever say that? That would be completely ridiculous... We can't see from the car - presumably there is a door or some such and we'll just knock on it and ask for Bob and Matthew...
DEBS:
Okay... Well, shall we just get on with it? It's getting dark... I don't want to be here...
ALICE:
Well yes, that's evident... I thought you wanted to know what was going on with those two? We've come this far... You can always stay here...
DEBS:
NO! NO! IT'S FINE!!
(Debs unbuckles her seat-belt and opens the car door striding ahead, attempting to look confident...)
ALICE:
So glad to see you've changed your mind... Look now - I can see some sheds... Should we head for those? I can see a light... Looks like somebody is home... Maybe they'll do us a cup of tea - I'm parched!
DEBS:
Are you serious? You really want to go over there?
ALICE:
You don't? Have you got the wrong shoes on again!?
DEBS:
It's not that... Actually... It is that... (suddenly Debs looses her balance and falls into a patch of scrub that appears to be growing between the bridge and the shed) Oh, dammit!
ALICE: (turning back with concern)
Oh, darling! Do you need a hand?
DEBS:
No! No... I'll be fine... (she begins to pick herself up - then double-takes...) Gad zooks! Auntie... There's a body over here - AN ACTUAL CORPSE!!
ALICE:
Are you kidding?
DEBS:
I'M NOT KIDDING!!
ALICE:
Okay! Okay! It's probably not real... Let me see...
DEBS:
AUNTIE... IT'S REAL... IT'S REAL...
(Auntie Alice hurries over - Debs is already on her feet - staring with horror and backing away... Alice draws close - looking down with some reluctance at the shape that Debs is indicating, she shakes her head - muttering under her breath...)
ALICE:
I don't believe it... This can't be happening...
TO BE CONTINUED...
FACTFILE:
Having read the second episode during the week beginning 25th July I wasn't immediately sure where to turn for episode three - which was my second episode for the series. I was aware that I didn't want to spoil any ideas that Nick might be thinking up leading off of his cliff-hanger and so I left the script for a few days, returning to it whilst away in Kent on Thursday 4th August 2016. It was whilst having a long bath that morning that I decided that what I really wanted to explore next was what Debs might have been up to... I began working on the plot between the 4th and 5th of August and started the actual writing on Sunday the 7th August - writing Scene 7 in one sitting that morning. Scene 8 took a little longer as I was back to work - but I wrote it during lunchbreaks between Monday 8th and Wednesday 17th August 2016. The final scene, number 9 I wrote on Friday the 19th August 2016, the majority of it at work during my lunch break. The ending of the episode was originally going to go on slightly longer beyond the point where Alice saw the body, but I decided that it was better to end things at the point that I did and leave a question mark over what has been unearthed...
Originally Auntie Alice was going to appear on the phone in Scene 7 and then appear in Scene 9 - but she came across so strongly when I was writing Scene 7 that I couldn't see Scene 8 without her and thought it worked better to have her threatening the librarian during that scene. I also made notes for Scene 8 where Auntie Alice pretty much threatened Emily to get the information that they needed - as good as grabbing her by the scruff of the neck and pushing her up against the wall - in the end this didn't seem to fit into the scene or with Auntie Alice's more urbane personality.
This post and all contents are Copyright Paul Chandler and Nick Goodman, 2016.
