38: In Pursuit of what they Want

Janet’s Living Room. Janet sleeps on the couch. Michael comes in quietly and quite dirty. He goes immediately to his closet room. The telephone rings. It wakes Janet up and she answers frantically.

Janet: Hello?

Wendy is at home in the same position nearly 24 hours later.

Wendy: Hello. I’m fucking Rapunzel.

Janet: I don’t know a Rapunzel.

Wendy: Sure you do. From the tales?

Janet: I don’t know a Tales. Mrs. Tales?

Wendy: It’s me. Wendy.

Janet: Oh.

Wendy: I’m a mess, Janet. A mess.

Janet: Does that mean Rapunzel?

Wendy: No. No. No. You know the fairy tale. Rapunzel?

Janet: No. I only know Pinocchio.

Wendy: You and your Pinocchio. Geez.

Janet: I love him.

Wendy: I’m ruined, Janet. Ruined. Paul left me last night.

Janet: Really?

Wendy: Yeah. Mother has forbid him to come here again and if I want to see him, I have to go to HIM.

Janet: Is that so bad?

Wendy: Yes! Didn’t you hear about that sex criminal on the loose?

Janet: No.

Wendy: Well there is and he moved into my neighborhood.

Janet: Oh.

Wendy: And your friend, your friend Paula!

Janet: What about her?

Wendy: She had Paul and I in for marriage counseling yesterday afternoon.

Janet: Where is she? Where is she now?

Wendy: I don’t know. How should I know?

Janet: She’s missing.

Wendy: I hope she’s dead. She ruined it for Paul and I.

Janet: Don’t say that Wendy!

Wendy: I don’t care. I’m so mad right now.

Janet: Her son is alone. Nobody can find her. The police are looking.

Wendy: I told you I don’t care, Janet!

Janet: You are a mean person, Wendy.

Silence

Wendy: (attempting to squeeze out tears from dry ducts) Oh I’ve been crying all night. Don’t make me cry anymore.

Janet: Don’t say mean things about Paula. She’s the nicest woman I know. Nobody knows where she is.

Wendy: Good. I never want to see her again.

Janet: Are you that mean?

Wendy: Janet. She told me that I was a recluse and that I needed to get out more. I get out fine. What does she know?

Janet: When? When do you go out?

Wendy: The point is I do. Not when or how often.

Janet: Fine. Just don’t be mean to Paula. I’m very worried about her.

Wendy: I’m sorry, Janet, but we just might not have the same friends.

Janet: I know. I know that. I hope Paula comes home. Her son is at the police station. He had to go there after Michael and I waited all night for Paula to come home.

Wendy: I don’t care right now, Janet. I only care about seeing Paul.

Janet: Doesn’t sound very hard. Go over to his house.

Wendy: But mother. . .

Janet: Is she holding you down?

Wendy: No, but she would be disappointed.

Janet: My mother once said sometimes children make their parents mad, but in the end, the children are okay. Sometimes you have to make your mommy mad. That’s what my mommy says.

Wendy: I see. Hmmmm.

Janet: Don’t worry. Everything will get better.

Mildred enters Wendy’s room.

Wendy: Don’t you knock?

Mildred: Tomato soup and grilled cheese at the kitchen table. I think you should eat something.

Wendy: I think I’m going to cry more.

(simultaneously)
Mildred: Suit yourself. Starve. Who are you talking to?
Janet: Go eat, Wendy.

Wendy: It’s just Janet. My friend. Don’t worry. It’s not him.

Mildred: I’m not worried. I know you’ll make the right decision. You’re a big girl.

Mildred exits.

Wendy: She’s gone.

Janet: Your mom said that you’ll make the right decision.

Wendy: She means the one that she has made for me. To live in this house an old spinster.

Janet: No, she wants you to make your own choices. What’s a spinster? Is that somebody who puts records on and spins them around?

Wendy: No. It’s a pathetic, old woman alone.

Janet: I see. That doesn’t sound very fun.

Wendy: What does Paula know! She’s not even married. How can she tell people how to behave?

Janet: That’s her job. People do that all the time.

Wendy: I don’t buy it. Janet. I just don’t!

(simultaneously)
Janet: Stop yelling!
Mildred: (off) Stop yelling, Wendy!

Wendy: (quieter) Maybe you are right.

Janet: I think I am.

Wendy: Of course you do. You have made me feel better.

Janet: Good. That’s what friends are for.

Wendy: So how are your wedding plans coming?

Janet: Good. Well. We haven’t made any plans yet. (pause) Am I still going to wear a dress in your wedding?

Wendy: We’ll see.

There is a knock on Janet’s door.

Janet: Wendy. I have to go. Somebody is here. It could be Paula!

Wendy: Fine. Fine. But call me soon. I’m going to be lonely locked up here.

Janet: Has someone locked your door?

Wendy: No, but. . .

Janet: Who’s stopping you from leaving?

Wendy: Nobody, but-

Janet: Wendy. Just do what you want to do.

Wendy: Fine. I will. Somehow.

Janet: Good.

Another knock.

Wendy: Okay. Bye.

Janet: I’ll call you soon. Bye.

Janet opens the door. Bill stands there.

Janet: How did you get in? Who are you?

Bill: My name is Bill Meriwether. (He flashes a badge.) I’m with the local police department. Are you Janet Windhover?

Janet: Yes. Why?

Bill: I’m here investigating the disappearance of Paula Pluckston.

Janet: Oh. Yes. Please come in.

Bill: Are you okay?

Janet: I’m fine. Why?

Bill: You look very tired.

Janet: I am tired.

Bill: I am tired myself. I haven’t been to bed much last night.

Janet: Why?

Bill: I have been going over the evidence that I have collected so far. You are the first person that I am talking to about this.

Janet: Oh. Did you find Paula? Is she okay?

Bill: We hope so. We really do.

Janet: I hope so too. I’m so worried. Paula is my bestest friend.

Bill: I understand that. Would you mind answering some questions for me?

Janet: Sure.

Bill: According to phone records of this apartment, you phoned Paula a few nights before she disappeared.

Janet: Yes. I was worried.

Bill: Okay. Why?

Janet: I called her early in the morning because my boyfriend didn’t come home. I’m going to marry him. What’s that called?

Bill: What’s what called?

Janet: When you are going to marry someone? What are they called?

Bill: The husband? The wedding. I don’t know what you are referring to.

Janet: He’s my financial.

Bill: I think you mean fiancée.

Janet: That’s it. My fiancée didn’t come home.

Bill: I see.

Janet: So I called Paula because she has always looked after me.

Bill: Why wouldn’t you phone your parents?

Janet: They don’t care about stuff like that. Paula’s my bestest friend.

Bill: She’s your best friend. There’s no bestest.

Janet: Oh.

Bill: Now. What happened then?

Janet: She came over to be with me. She brought her son. The stayed the night until my boyfriend came back.

Bill: Where was your boyfriend?

Janet: He was at work.

Bill: Oh.

Janet: So I was wrong. He wasn’t in trouble. He was just at work.

Bill: I see. What happened when he arrived home? Was Paula still here?

Janet: Yeah. She was.

Bill: What happened then?

Janet: We all talked. Paula yelled at him.

Bill: Wait. She yelled at your fiancée?

Janet: Yes.

Bill: Why?

Janet: Because he made us worry, but he told me that he had told me he was going to be to work and that I had forgot.

Bill: Did you forget?

Janet: I don’t think so, but I might have forgot that he told me. So I might have.

Bill: Are you of sane mind and body, Janet?

Janet: What does that mean?

Bill: Do you have any medical conditions or?

Janet: I don’t think so.

Bill: I see.

Janet: But-

Bill: Yes?

Janet: I have down syndrome.

Bill: You do?

Janet: Yes.

Bill: I see. (writes, pause) That day what happened next?

Janet: Paula left with her son. Said she had to go to work.

Bill: Uh huh.

Janet: Do you know where she might be? I miss her so. I really do, Mr. Bill. I miss her.

Bill: I understand. Her son misses her too. He’s at the precinct. Do you know of any relatives that Ms. Pluckston has? That we might contact? There seems to be no one we can contact about her son.

Janet: You can contact me.

Bill: And I have contacted you. She had many notes about you in her office and since she was here like I suspected the morning of her disappearance, I am very glad that you spoke with me today.

Janet: Do you know anything?

Bill: Not really. Not really that I can disclose at this time.

Janet: Oh I’m so worried. (Janet begins to cry. Bill stares after her.) Paula is the only person –well- besides my boyfriend that I think I love.

Bill: You don’t love your family?

Janet: I do. But not as much.

Bill: I see.

Janet: You don’t know where she went?

Bill: She had an appointment yesterday with a couple at her office and then I can’t visibly find a trace of her. Her car is still at the Beverly Judith Berry House where she worked. But it is empty and any identification belonging to her is missing.

Janet: Is that good or bad?

Bill: Not anything yet. Do you know any reason why Paula would want to run away?

Janet: No.

Bill: Would Paula ever abandon her work?

Janet: Never. Duty was her saying. She told me that once.

Bill: Good to know. Did anybody hate Paula?

Janet: Hate her?

Bill: Maybe that’s too harsh of words. . .did anybody not really like her that you knew of?

Janet: No. Everybody liked-

Bill: Think.

Janet: Wait.

Bill: Yes?

Janet: I just talked to my friend. I don’t think she liked Paula.

Bill: Who is your friend?

Janet: Her name is Wendy Pierce. She hates people.

Bill: Really?

Janet: Why do you want to know this?

Bill: Janet. When somebody doesn’t like someone, they may want to harm them. You know what harm is?

Janet: Like slap them? Yes. I know what that is.

Bill: Good. Somebody may have wanted to harm or hurt Paula. Do you think that Wendy would do that?

Janet: I don’t think so. She doesn’t like to get near people.

Bill: I see. Well, I shouldn’t tell you this, but Wendy is the last recorded person to have seen Paula yesterday. I think this is suspicious. I do need to speak with her.

Janet: Oh. You don’t think-

Bill: We don’t make conclusions about anything until we have evidence of something, Janet. Don’t worry about that. Right now I just need to talk to her. Do you know where I can find her?

Janet: Yes. She lives with her mother. On Pine Lane.

Bill: I know exactly where that is. (writes, pause) Do you know why Wendy hated her?

Janet: I don’t think she hated her. I think she didn’t like her. She said Paula said mean things. But I think Paula said right things.

Bill: What did Paula say to Wendy? What did Wendy say that she said?

Janet: Wendy said that Paula ruined her chances with her boyfriend, Paul.

Bill: Were Paul and Paula intimate?

Janet: What’s intimate?

Bill: Were they close?

Janet: I don’t know. I don’t think so.

Bill: I see. Janet, thank you very much for your time. I don’t think that I will need anything else from you today. I will be calling you back though, I have no doubts about that. Here is my card. If you ever, EVER need anything from me or want to know anything about Paula, call this number. If you also think that you hear or see anything about Paula, I need you to call this number. Do you think that you can do that?

Janet: Yes. Yes of course.

Bill: I have to speak with some other people now. But let me know if you think anybody else would hurt Paula. Can you do that?

Janet: Yes. I think. I know how to use a phone.

Bill: Good.

Janet: Do you want anything to eat or drink, Mr. Bill?

Bill: Oh, I’m okay. Thank you.

Janet: Paula taught me that I’m always supposed to ask people if they are hungry when they come to my house and offer them something.

Bill: That’s very good of her. (He begins to leave.)

Janet: Mr. Bill-

Bill: Yes?

Janet: Do you think that you will find her?

Bill: I hope so. Is your boyfriend here?

Janet: No. I don’t think so.

Bill: Does he live here?

Janet: (Silence.)

Bill: I may want to speak to him.

Janet: I understand.

Bill: I will try back later. Thanks again.

Bill exits. Janet sits down and Michael comes out of the closet. He comes up behind Janet.

Michael: How are you doing?

Janet: UH! You scared me.

Michael: I’m sorry.

Janet: Did you hear the Mr. Bill man from the police station?

Michael: Yes. Yes I did.

Janet: Why didn’t you come out?

Michael: I was taking a nap. I had to work. Janet?

Janet: What?

Michael: Don’t tell him about me at all. Will you?

Janet: Why?

Michael: I am scared of him.

Janet: Why?

Michael: Police scare me sometimes. They are not always honest. They are like Pinocchio.

Janet: Then I like them. He’s trying to find Paula. Maybe his nose will be so big, he’ll find her!

Michael: No. (pause) They haven’t found her yet?

Janet: No.

Michael: I think of the giant whale in the story, Janet. I don’t think of Pinocchio when I think of police. I think of a giant whale that swallows you whole and will not let you breathe or see. I think of being inside a whale my whole life and I get scared.

Janet: Don’t be scared. They are trying to do good.

Michael: I try.

Janet: Are we going to get married?

Michael: Yes. Of course. Why do you ask?

Janet: Why don’t we act like it?

Michael: We do. I- I- I-(quickly) love you.

Janet: We should plan our wedding soon. We should.

Michael: We will. Maybe Paula would like to help. We can start just as soon as she turns up.

Janet: I hope she turns up soon.

Michael: Me too.