• Serial Criminal
    By Mike, Jeff, Tony, Nathan, Jami

    Mike- The Killer
    Jeff- The Detective
    Tony- Reporter Morino
    Nathan- Victim & Victim's Ghost (The Detective’s brother)
    Jami- The Cop

    (Curtains open with the Victim’s Ghost (Detective’s Brother), Detective Z, and Reporter Morino sitting on elevated platforms. The Killer is on the floor down stage right from the others)

    Killer- Not Fair! Why am I in hell, while you are all in Heaven?

    Victim- I don’t know maybe it has to do with you killing everyone.

    Killer- But, I was a big help to society!

    Reporter Morino- How did it help society to kill me!?!

    Killer- I believe the Universal answer is…meh.

    Detective- Who cares were all dead now anyway.

    Victim- Maybe, but lets tell them our story. (Pointing to the audience)

    Detective- Fine, this is our story.

    (Victim & Killer go right while Detective Z and Reporter Morino go left.)

    (From stage right comes the victim, running for life and looking behind him. He trips in center stage and falls on his back. He crawls on the ground trying to get away but stops on the edge of center and left center. Then the murderer approaches the victim.)

    Killer- For the crimes of murder, rape and drug dealing, the punishment I decree...is death!

    Victim- No! I did not do any of those things!

    Killer- For the crimes of murder, rape and drug dealing, the punishment I decree … is death!

    (The killer holds a gun pointed at the victim. Taking aim briefly, he fires. The bullet hits the victim in the gut leaving only enough time for the victim to say.)

    Victim- My…my brother…he will catch you.

    (The killer fires again and the victim is silent. The killer walks off stage right. Then the cop leads a detective.)

    • Nathan Ghost- Such a pity, I cannot warn my brother of my killer.

    Cop- The murder happened two days ago sir, so being Friday that would make the murder on Tuesday…no wait…

    (The cop counts on her fingers looking very confused. The detective ignores her and walks over to the victim. He kneels down behind the victim facing the audience and buries his face in his hands.)

    Detective- Only if I joined this case sooner. (He starts to weep) My brother might not be...dead.

    (The cop is still counting on her fingers.)

    Cop- I got it! The murder happened on Friday!

    Detective- Today is Friday.

    Cop- Wow, we got here fast!

    (A reporter runs in quickly holding a notepad and a pen. He runs into the cop knocking them both over. The detective steps to his right and they all fall on the ground.)

    Detective- Reporter Morino, how do you do?

    Reporter- Oh no, I know your game Detective Z; you act all nice to me and then trick me into leaving as you always do.

    Detective- Why I would never do such a thing

    Morino- Oh yes you would. You did it on the BB gun killing case and the poison gas incident. Oh and there was the time where you tricked me out of the biggest story of my life at the Super Bowl scandal! That scandal was the only reason the Colts won! I had big money on the Bears too. “Sniffle”

    Detective- Well I would never think of doing that to you this time Morino. In fact, I want you to help with the investigation.

    Morino- Really? You want me to help!?!

    Detective- Yes, I do. I need you to go to my car and get my briefcase. It has all my investigation gear in it.

    Morino- Okay, I will do it, I will not let you down sir.

    (The reporter runs out of the room happily shutting the door behind him. The detective then locks the door behind him.)

    Cop- But sir, I thought you brought your briefcase with you when we came in.

    Detective- I did.

    Cop- But why did he…?( confused she starts mouthing words to herself and counting on her fingers pointing in random directions.)

    Detective- Stop thinking, it is bad for you. Now I need to make a call. Be quiet for a moment.

    (The cop stops moving completely and the detective steps onto front left. He places a call. The killer steps onto front right and picks up his phone.)

    Killer- Light Ralston speaking.

    Detective- Light its Z.

    Killer- Z? You only introduce yourself as Z when you are on a case. So which is it this time?

    Detective- The serial criminal case.

    Killer- “Gasp” you are on that one!?! That serial killer has over a hundred victims and all of them are people that were criminals or people that got in his way. Are you sure you want that one?

    Detective- He killed my brother. I am going to put him away for that.

    Killer- Oh, I see. Why did you call me then?

    Detective- Isn't it obvious, L? You are the second greatest detective on the planet besides myself. I want your help on this one, my old friend.

    Killer- Jack was a good friend of mine. I will help to avenge your brother, Z, no matter what. Where are you? I will be there as soon as I can.

    Detective- Remember that old Restaurant we met at on our first case? Meet me there in half an hour.

    Killer- That's no problem, I will be there as soon as possible. See you there Z." Click"

    (The killer snickers to himself and laughs maniacally)

    Killer- Oh how I knew you would invite me to the case Z! You are such a fool...but then how could you know, that your best friend is... the serial criminal!?!

    • Nathan's Ghost- Such a fool, my brother will catch you and you will join me in death

    (More laughing he leaves stage right. The cop and detective are seen at a table waiting for L. After a moment L walks in the door, and seeing them, takes a seat at a table. The cop, not noticing L, turns and is scared almost to death. She jumps a mile in the air.)

    Cop- Oh my God! Where did you come from?

    Killer- Wow, I am a good detective. I scared a cop!

    Detective- No, watch this. Hey cop. There's someone behind you.

    (The cop looks)

    Cop- No there is not.

    Detective- Now there is! I swear he keeps moving.

    Cop- Whoever is behind me, go away!

    Detective- You see?

    Killer- Oh its “that cop." Why do you carry around the dumbest cop in New York with you?

    Detective- Dumb muscle. Now, down to business, my brother is dead and the only clue we have to this guy is that he only targets criminals or cops that try to stop him.

    Killer- What kind of clue is that? There's no way we can track him down by just that.

    Detective- I suppose you are right, but we have to try something.

    Killer- You know I have to wonder why we are doing this.

    Detective- What do you mean?

    Killer- Well, what I am saying is the crime rate of the entire East Coast has gone down forty percent since the serial criminal has come a long. Maybe it is for the best that he is here.

    Detective- No, he is a murderer just like the others and must be stopped!

    Killer- Yes, but what happens if we do capture him? The crime will only go back up again.

    Detective- Whether or not that is true we have to catch him for murder.

    Killer- I do not see how that is fair. He is helping the community by putting himself at risk. I think we should commend him.

    Detective- If you think that way, you should leave this case.

    (The Killer stands up and walks away with his back to the detective, he says

    Killer- I will stay on the case because you are my friend and only for that reason.

    (The killer walks up center stage and discovers Morino eavesdropping and injects him with a lethal poison. The killer exits stage right.)

    (The Cop and Detective are at the table, reviewing note and discussing the discussion between the killer and the Detective.)

    Detective- Morino did you get all that?

    (Morino turns up from the left and sits between the cop and detective)

    Morino- Yes, I did. It seems he is a big fan of the serial Criminal.

    Detective- Yes, it seems he is. Okay, I am suspecting that L may actually be the serial criminal. So we are going to put out a rumor that there is a criminal on the loose. We will make it so that only L can find him then when he goes to the house, we ambush him.

    (The reporter clutches his stomach and losses his balance falling to the ground.

    Reporter-The killer barked a challenge, he said catch him if you can!

    (Morino cries from pain and dies. The detective rushes to the reporter and checks for a pulse.)

    • Nathan's Ghost- I hate you even more now, when you die, I will make it hell.

    Detective- Quiet Poison. That killer is smart. You see, (Detective explaining to the cop) Quiet Poison is a poison that takes a long time to work. It also gives the victim amnesia so he will not remember the message given, until he dies. Now, let’s finally put a stop to this mayhem.

    Cop- are we going to go along with the rumor thing?

    Detective- Yes, if L is the killer then he would not have been able to hear this. We can still catch him. Go set the rumors.

    (The cop leaves and the detective stand and turns his back facing the audience. Nathan's Ghost comes from up right and faces the audience.)

    • Nathan & Morino's Ghost- The cop set the rumors telling the press to show the face of a loose criminal and indicate where he is suppose to be. The killer seeing this rushes to the area and sneaks past the cops searches the houses until he finds the one he is looking for. The criminal is inside looking around anxiously as if waiting for something. The killer enters the home.

    (Nathan’s Ghost walks off stage and the detective/ Criminal is sitting down on a cube looking everywhere and shivering. The killer comes back on stage)

    Killer- For the crime of murder, you must die!

    (The fake criminal jumps at hearing him and falls off his chair while backing away. The Detective then stands and says.)

    Detective- For the crime of mass murder, you are under arrest.

    (The killer looks confused turns, looks across stage to see the cop standing with a gun pointed at him. The killer looks between Z and the Cop and laughs hysterically. The killer then stares at Z, coldly.)

    Killer- No, Z my old friend. I am not going to jail. Anyone who stands in the way of Justice is evil and must die. I am Justice! So you must die!

    (The killer raises his gun and shoots Z. The cop quickly shoots L and both detectives fall to the ground. L is dead, but Z has a few moments left.)

    Detective-
    From every depth of good and ill
    The mystery, which binds me still:
    From the torrent or the fountain,
    From the red cliff of the mountain,
    From the sun that round me rolled
    In its autumn tint of gold,
    From the lightning in the sky
    As it passed me flying by,
    From the thunder and the storm,
    And the cloud that took the form
    (When the rest of heaven was blue)
    Of a demon in my view.

    ( Z dies and the cop stands between the two detectives.)

    Cop- Now, it ends. Crime goes up. Cops go down.(To the audience.) I wonder, what would you have done?

    (Nathan, Morino, Z and/or L come to the top center of the stage and recite.)

    “Dear Friends,
    Never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, “I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,” says the Lord.
    Instead, do what the Scripture say: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.” Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.”

    - Romans 12:19-21

    (Nathan, Morino, Z and/or L exit stage left)