A 'girl' goes missing from the Drag lineup, Maurice suspects the worse.
Angel and May is an audio-only podcast, produced by a not-for-profit group of community theatre supporters.
See more on our website: www.angelandmay.com
Please support us through our Patreon page as we have no other source of income.
A 'girl' goes missing from the Drag lineup, Maurice suspects the worse.
Angel and May is an audio-only podcast, produced by a not-for-profit group of community theatre supporters.
See more on our website: www.angelandmay.com
Please support us through our Patreon page as we have no other source of income.
S3-E15-MISSING IN ACTION
INT. MISSING IN ACTION - 6 - 1
LOCATION: RETROGRADE - GANDER's OFFICE
MAURICE flags that one of the girls from his shows is
missing. The other girls are refusing to appear in public
until this is resolved. GANDER immediate sends out the
Cherries to go and search for him/her.
MAURICE
GANDER do you have a minute?
GANDER
Yes of course MAURICE for you
anytime.
MAURICE
Thank you, but I have some news
that fills me with dread, I need
to share my thoughts with someone.
I'm quite besides myself!
GANDER
Oh, so what's the matter?
MAURICE
Well, one of the younger 'girls'
did not turn up for a show, and
it's definitely out of character.
She is a lovely girl, and I am
very worried. You know how much I
fuss over the girls, and she is so
new to this game. I have a six
sense for when something is wrong
and its definitely ringing now. I
questioned some of the other
'girls', who she is close to, and
they are completely at a loss!
GANDER
So, you don't think you might just
be overreacting. Perhaps she has
just ran away, or got cold feet
about the whole performance
lifestyle?
MAURICE
No, no, its definitely out of
character, she has been so
enthusiastic up to this point.
She has been helping to make her
costumes, and JUDE has been
helping her refine her look.
It's all been going swimmingly
well, until yesterday. She even
had a small party with some of the
other girls coming up. She was
really looking forward to it.
GANDER
That does appear slightly strange.
Has anyone checked her home? What
about her family?
MAURICE
Well, JUDE and RITA went over to
the flat and there was no answer.
I called her home, but got a very
curt reply from her father,
basically saying he wanted to have
nothing to do with him and for me
not to call again, otherwise he is
going to the police.
GANDER
Charming, and in this day and age,
you would have thought the old
prejudices would die!
MAURICE
I'm afraid not. I actually didn't
realise it was so bad at home,
otherwise I think I would have
requested accommodation at the
inn.
GANDER
Yes, sometime us oldies forget how
difficult coming out can be, and
what a terrible toll it can take
on a young person. OK what was
her name, I'll get RUDI and the
Cherries involved?
MAURICE
Stage name or real name?
GANDER
Better give me both
MAURICE
OK the stage name is "Monica" and
her real name was Peter Dolton. He
lived at Talbot Place.
GANDER
Was that the family home? Its a
bit of a rough area.
MAURICE
Oh, not at all, that was his small
flat, the family home was from the
owners cavern.
GANDER
Posh, boy gone to the dark side as
far as his parents are concerned.
Doesn't sound like we will get any
support from them.
MAURICE
RITA and JUDE went around
yesterday. Couldn't get an answer.
They then got JACINTA to break in
for them. No sign of him at all,
and no disturbance of the
apartment. He just vanished after
he left the Retrograde on
Thursday.
GANDER
Well, you know we look after our
own MAURICE, so I will have a word
with RUDI. I think we should get
SHARROW and ALEX involved, but in
the mean time I will get some of
the young Cherries to do an
initial first search of the
alleyways off the route from the
Retrograde back to his flat.
MAURICE
OK, GANDER thank you, as always,
I'll let you know if I hear
anymore.
GANDER
MAURICE don't worry you're not on
your own with this, you have the
full team on the case now. Go and
grab a drink at the Bar and I will
call you in a couple of hours.
MAURICE
Thank you GANDER but I think I
need to get back to the office,
the girls need to see me and we
have a show to put on.
GANDER
Good idea, I think we need to keep
this low key for the time being,
no announcements at the show or
anything OK.
MAURICE
OK
INT. BAD NEWS - 6 - 1.1
LOCATION: BENCUBBIN - TALBOT PLACE
GANDER dispatches several teams of RCBS Cherries to do a
search of the local paths and alleyways leading off the
route that Monica would have taken back to his way
apartment. They find him still dressed in DRAG in an
alley a few hundred meters from the inn. This upsets RUDI
and GANDER not only because of the boy's death but
because she was working at the Retrograde Inn, it's a
challenge to their control of this part of the Bencubbin.
RUBEN (CHERRY 1)
Pist. MAX where are you, I need
backup. I've found an alley, its
narrow, it looks kinda spooky and
dark.
MAX (CHERRY 2)
Its probably a garbage bot
corridor, it doesn't need much
lighting, they use infra-red. I'll
be with you in five, hold until I
get there.
RUBEN
Phew it stinks in here. Looks
like the sort of place to do bad
stuff.
MAX
(Out of breath after jogging) OK,
Oh, I see what you mean!
RUBEN
Oh, this is not good, can you
smell that.
MAX
Its a garbage corridor, of course
it smells.
RUBEN
Yes but not this kinda smell, its
musky, like death. Argh! I can't
see anything yet. I'm putting my
headlight on.
MAX
That's better. Look behind those
cardboard boxes, they look like
they have been deliberately piled
up. (Pause) No wait, don't touch
anything, put on your gloves,
remember what RUDI said about
contamination.
RUBEN
OK!
SOUND OF SURGICAL
GLOVES
RUBEN
OK, here goes, argh, look I can
see a leg.
MAX
Oh, the smell. Agh I think I'm
going to be sick.
RUBEN
Don't you dare. Look just pull
away, the box so we can see a
face. We need to identify the
body. Use your implants to do a
face recognition.
MAX
The stink.
RUBEN
Once smelt never forgotten.
MAX
Oh shit, its him, look at those
eyes.
RUBEN
Put the box back in place,
carefully, don't touch anything.
Lets just back away carefully.
(Pause) SARGENT code 10-78.
JACINTA
Roger, is it what we expected?
RUBEN
Yes I'm afraid so. The, ah target
is in a garbage bot service alley.
I'm sending my location, we will
hang around at the face end to
stop any onlookers. Its in a
jurisdiction zone but close to the
edge.
JACINTA
Roger. Sending Team.
INT. GRIM DISCOVERY - 6 -1.2
LOCATION: RETROGRADE - GANDER's OFFICE
JACINTA dispatches crew to the scene of the crime to
secure area and informs RUDI of the situation. GANDER
and RUDI spring into action.
JACINTA
Marm, we have a 10-78, bad news,
we are going to need a crew to
establish the scene of crime and I
think this is one for SLIM and our
two detectives.
RUDI
OK soldier, I'll convey the bad
news. Can you deal with the
security aspect, whilst I deal
with GANDER and get the others
over. Can you keep this low key,
wear civvies we don't want the
press on this, we need to keep
this news in house OK, no leaks.
JACINTA
Yes Marm, I'm on it. (Pause)
COSTA's we have a job.
RUDI
GANDER, the very worst news I'm
afraid.
GANDER
On, no, what happened, was it an
accident?
RUDI
Look we don't know, I've issued an
order to secure the area in a very
low key way, troops are in
civvies. I've just sent the
location.
GANDER
OK, thanks. I'll get SLIM and our
two detectives, down there.
Tackaminia I've got to go and tell
MAURICE and the 'Girls'.
RUDI
Shit GANDER I hate it when we
loose one. I feel responsible.
Shit!
We're supposed to be protecting
them from all this stuff.
GANDER
RUDI, we do our best, and we have
a great record, but obviously
someone has figured out a way of
cutting through our defences. We
need to fix the fort and find the
killer.
RUDI
Agreed my friend, well we are on
it now, its just a little too
late.
INT. CRIME SCENE - 6 - 1.3
LOCATION: BENCUBBIN - TALBOT SQUARE - CRIME SCENE
SLIM, SHARROW and ALEX investigate the crime scene and
take detailed forensic evidence.
SLIM
JACINTA could you please get the
Cherries back up to the mouth of
the alleyway, perhaps just put
some tape out of site of the main
street but across the alleyway. I
don't want contamination of the
scene. ALEX and SHARROW we have
some fairly ghastly business are
you going to be OK? I can't have
people being sick or otherwise not
performing.
SHARROW
We are good we have been to quite
a few crime scenes SLIM.
SLIM
OK, because we are going to do
this by the book.
SHARROW
Is there any other way?
ALEX
SLIM, SHARROW, can you just pull
back. JACINTA can you get the
cherries up by the tape. Everyone
just stand back please. I just
want to 3D scan the whole area and
take micro images, before we
disturb anything. Thanks.
DRONE AND PICTURES
WITH SCANNING
NOISE.
SHARROW
Say SLIM you got any of those nose
filters.
SLIM
Sure have, here.
SHARROW
Thanks. OK just talk me through
what you can see here. I'll add my
notes.
SLIM
Well, looks like he urghh she, god
dam what do I call the victim?
SHARROW
Well, I spoke to SOPHIE and she
thought that the victim was very
feminine, but she said he still
wanted to be a male so I think we
respect the wishes of the dead.
SLIM
Well, I see a male body, looks
like it has been moved and then
hidden under that cardboard. Blood
on clothes, looks like knife
wounds, then he bled out. Killer
probably fled the scene once they
moved the body. You see the blood
trail?
SHARROW
Yes the evidence is consistent
with a body being dragged semi
conscious, from the mouth of alley
and then dumped.
SLIM
Once we have our scene of crime
evidence, we get the body back to
the Doc for a post mortem, I
think.
SHARROW
Do we have a body bag?
SLIM
JACINTA has one and we have
transport. So as I was saying we
need to collect the evidence and
go from there.
If ALEX concentrates on the
photometric and data centric, I'll
do the collection of any trace
materials I have brought my kit.
You're the biologist on the team
so are you OK with getting the
biological evidence.
SHARROW
Sure I have plenty of swabs and
sample containers. Can I have a
couple of shoe covers please? Who
do we have that is good with
latent finger prints?
SLIM
I believe old COSTAS here did a
course last year, she has been
keen to get out here with her
fingerprint kit.
SHARROW
Jeez that's a little grim, but
then that's COSTAS for you! Say
SLIM is that a shoe print on the
thigh?
SLIM
Yes I think you are correct, it
looks like a mans boot print. ALEX
can you get some pictures of this
detail please.
ALEX
Of course.
SLIM
So COSTAS after she did the basic
finger print course, she was
trying out her skills on GANDER's
whisky bottles. GANDER was
convinced that someone was
stealing her whisky. COSTA's used
so much cyan-o-acrylic that GANDER
got stuck to one of the bottles.
She wasn't happy.
SHARROW
I'll bet. Did they find a
culprit?
SLIM
No, but it kept COSTA's happy for
several weeks.
(Pause) Say JACINTA could you
arrange a detail finger search of
the whole alleyway after we have
moved the body and could you also
get COSTAS over here, with her
fingerprint kit say in about an
hour.
JACINTA
Jesus SLIM you sure, she's like a
girl guide on a windy day with
that bloody kit. She could
contaminate the scene.
SLIM
Oh don't worry we will get her in
last and control where she sprays
and fumes.
JACINTA
Mate, I've been trying to do that
for years!
ALEX
She's not a skunk!
JACINTA
You sure?
SLIM
ALEX are you done with the
location around the body I want to
move some of these boxes. JACINTA
can you get a large sample bag and
then bag these boxes up and seal
them.
JACINTA
Roger that.
ALEX
OK I'm done at this end, all
captured.
SHARROW
Ah, SLIM you might want to see if
there is evidence on the cardboard
before you move it.
SLIM
You think I hadn't thought of
that, you young whipper snapper,
I'll have you know I hold a
certified crime scene analysis
certificate class one. What do you
have?
SHARROW
Same. Sorry, SLIM, didn't want to
teach you to suck eggs and all
that! ALEX did a scene re
constructionist course when she
was in the CIS investigation
division.
SLIM
Oh was she now. The more I find
out about you two the more I think
we have a lot in common.
SHARROW
Sure, well if you get bored of
propping up the bar and riding you
horse, then look us up.
SLIM
Well, that's unlikely, unless that
cold hearted machine Ms GHOST
completely cleans me out. (Pause)
Say, could you hand me the sample
bags, I use micro tweezers don't
worry I'm not using any
ultraviolet, well at least until
you have all the samples you need.
Once I have done a sweep I'll move
them so you can swab and then
COSTA can have her ghastly way
with the evidence. At least it
will get her warmed up before we
move the body.
CARDBOARD BEING
VERY CAREFULLY
MOVED.
SHARROW
Oh, jeez, will you look at that,
who would do such a thing. Look at
the lacerations.
SLIM
Some evil bastard who we will
shortly bring to justice, that's
who. Now lets focus, we only get
one chance at this, so lets make
it good.
INT. EVIDENCE - 6 - 1.4
LOCATION: VR SUITE ANGEL and MAY's OFFICE
ALEX, ZED, SOPHIE, SHARROW and SLIM kick around the
initial evidence and decide what to do next.
They think this killer is someone who visits the
Retrograde and sees the DRAG shows, then picks a target,
this does not look like a professional killing.
ZED
So as you can see this is the
lateral sweep of scene.
GANDER
Hold, it there. Oh, will you look
at the poor boy.
SLIM
Yes three main lacerations, a
violent attack. What is of note is
that the nature of the cut would
indicate a folding knife.
Vibranium blade I believe. I've
seen this cut before.
GANDER
You mean personal experience?
SLIM
A Hmmm! Possibly but they all
deserved it!
GANDER
Dah, that's what they all say. So
how familiar?
SLIM
Intimately. Its consistent with
the killer pulling the victim from
behind, then spinning them around
and slashing. It looks like a
weak slash though. The first two
didn't inflict the mortal blow, is
was the third blow that did the
damage.
GANDER
Dr SEATON, What are your thoughts
on this?
SEATON
The body was about eight hours
old, when it was discovered, give
or take an hour either way. So
she, sorry he, was dispatched late
in the evening of Thursday. There
was a struggle, see these
contusions, these are consistent
with some sort of hammer blow to
the skull, before the vibra-blade
finished him.
RUDI
Was there any sign of a rape or
other sexual activity?
SEATON
None, no evidence of penetrative
sex, no seminal fluids nothing.
The one strange thing that I could
determine is that the victim was
already dead before the stab
wounds. The wounds were made
almost carefully and then the
weapon was moved around inside to
do the most damage. The killer was
not frenzied at all. Death was
from two blows to the head as
mentioned. There are circular
contusions consistent with a
hammer attack. So my question is
why bother to make the knife
wounds?
GANDER
Thank you Doctor we appreciate
your help.
SEATON
It's a ghastly business, if there
is anything else I can do.
GANDER
I will be in touch immediately.
SLIM
The other strange thing was that
the body had been arranged. Head
towards the head of the alley,
legs apart towards the entrance.
It was almost like the body had
been arranged for display. We
should know more soon. As you
know we are awaiting the
laboratory results on a number of
fronts, we have a long inventory
log, so we have three different
labs working on this.
GANDER
PINKIES friends?
SLIM
Well, if he can be said to have
friends, but yes, its not going to
be cheap.
GANDER
I don't care this is a direct
attack on our own, a disgusting
mutilating murder and we don't
spare any expense to get to the
bottom of this, understand
everyone!
RUDI
ALEX did we collect the entrance
profile to this alleyway in the
3D?
ALEX
Yes we did, and its a perfect
spot, for an attack. Narrow,
dark, unassuming. It would be the
best place, a quick knockout blow,
then drag the body into the alley
to finish them off.
RUDI
So there were scuff marks on the
shoes? Anything on the concrete?
ALEX
Yes, exactly as you might expect,
hence the hypothesis including a
blood trail.
RUDI
That means the killer had to get
close. Probably had to have spoken
to the victim, its not a complete
stranger murder.
SLIM
No, but I don't think its family
or partner either, its something
in between. Very few kill those
they don't see or don't know at
all.
GANDER
But poor MONICA was a DRAG
performer, so lots of people
potentially would have sight of
that. Could it be someone that
perhaps comes to the Retrograde?
This person watches the shows,
picks a target, then does the
deed.
SLIM
Perhaps, I would venture that, its
a strong probability.
GANDER
Either way we need to up our
security game. We need
comprehensive and full monitoring
of all public area's. Our
detectives can examine the
existing footage from the bars and
see what they can see. I do
however think is time to set up a
few more camera's, they will be
hidden of course, we don't want to
scare off the killer.
SLIM
The actual killing was by multiple
methods i.e. Hammer then knife. In
other words it was not a clean
kill. Now I've done enough
cleaning in my time, and this was
definitely amateur not
professional at all. It looks
ritualistic but considered. The
killer was basically stabbing and
slashing unnecessarily after the
victim was already dead. That
implies something about the mental
state of the killer. This is a nut
job, not a hired killer.
GANDER
I'm thinking that I need to have a
word with some of the other owners
around here. See if any of their
staff met with a similar fate.
This looks like it could be a
sequence to me.
SHARROW
I think I should have a chat with
MAURICE and his girls and extract
as much information as possible.
SOPHIE
Good idea SHAS, I'm fairly close
to JUDE and I know she was friends
with MONICA, I'll see what I can
find out first then you can come
in and perhaps see if I have
missed any questions.
SLIM
I have been 'whipping' PINKY into
get results as quickly as he can
no expense spared. I will pop over
tomorrow and see how the little
rat is doing, perhaps whip up a
little acceleration.
ALEX
So you guys, looks like you all
have things to do, except for me.
GANDER
ALEX no, you're with me and I need
ZED's expertise. I need you to
both work with RUDI and beef up
the surveillance and security in
the main bar and entrance
corridors. We also need some state
of the art facial recognition. No
expense spared, I really want to
catch this bastard and camera's
will be our first line of defence.
ALEX
ZED buddy looks like you and me
are heading down to C&C.
ZED
Well, I'm bringing my sandwiches,
because I know RUDI's briefing
sessions and the food situation
down there. You could starve
standing around those holo-tanks!
ALEX
Agreed old buddy, sandwiches it
is, can't plan on an empty
stomach! Oh, lets sneak in a
couple of beers, piss RUDI off!
ZED
Well, its your funeral!
END