Scene 1: Introduction
Setting//Inside the House
Eight people dressed in party clothes are standing around a dinner table. They look cheerful, especially one girl sitting at the head of the table. The guests appear to be watching her. The atmosphere is pretty dark and the sound of rainfall, wind and slight thunder can be heard. The maid brings out a birthday cake with 21 candles and places it in front of the birthday girl. One of the guests makes a toast to her.
Bonnie: (raises wine glass) To Stella, our birthday girl. You will always be close to our hearts.
All Guests: (raising their glasses) Make a wish!
Stella thinks for a minute of a wish to make, brightens up as if she has an idea, and gets ready to blow out the candles. Right as she is about to blow them, a strong clap of thunder is heard, the candles are blown out, and someone screams.
Scene 2: Opening Credits
Setting//Outside the House
Music// (simultaneous with scream) The Unicorns - The Clap
Party guests are shown driving up and then walking to the front door. Each guest is carrying a present and umbrella. Guests hand their coat to the maid, and shake hands with Stella who is also at the door. Character name vs. actor shot of each person.
Scene 3: The Accusations Begin
Setting//Inside of House
Music//Blonde Redhead - Futurism vs. Passeism
Back in the house, all of the characters are in shock. They crowd around the body wondering what happened. Voices overlap.
Stella: What happened?
Bonnie: Is she okay?
John: Did she just fall?
Nicholas: Maybe she had too much to drink.
Cynthia: Someone should check if she's okay.
John kneels next to the body to check Michele's pulse on her neck.
John: I don't feel anything. I think she's dead.
Lauren: Are you sure? Maybe you just can't feel it. Maybe she'll wake up.
Cynthia: Maybe she'll be okay. Does anyone know CPR?
John: I don't know if that will help. I don't know what to do. I think she's really dead.
Stella: We need to do something. We can't just stand here like this.
Bonnie: We should call 911.
Stella starts walking to the phone and Bonnie follows her. The rest of the guests continue talking.
Lauren: She's dead. Oh god, she's dead!
Looking down and distraught, Lauren walks away from the body to the TV. John follows to comfort Lauren. They hug.
John: It's going to be okay, Lauren. We'll figure out what's going on.
Nicholas: No, it's not! Michele is dead! (points at victim) She is lying there dead on the floor!
Lauren: How did this happen?
Nicholas: I don't know. This is crazy.
John: Wait, wasn't she arguing with someone?
Lauren: Yeah, she was!
John: But who?
Lauren: (points at Cynthia) You were arguing with her. You...you killed her!
Cynthia: I didn't kill anybody. It was probably you! (points back at Lauren)
In the other corner, Stella and Bonnie have already called the cops. The other guests can be heard arguing in the background.
Stella: I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe this!
Bonnie: (hugs Stella)
Shot back to other guests. Bonnie and Stella can be heard in background.
Cynthia: Is she really dead?
Nicholas: (points at Cynthia) You wanted her out of the way!
Cynthia: That's insane.
Lauren: (looking at Nicholas) Where were you when this happened?
Nicholas: (just looks scared)
John: He was standing right there! (points)
Lauren: (turning to Nicholas) So you killed her! You were closest!
Stella: (walking back to other guests) Why would someone kill her? I don't understand what is going on.
Cynthia: Calm down, Stella. No one is accusing anyone of anything. We all know Nicholas did it.
Nicholas is pacing back and forth near the hors d'oeurves table. Suddenly, the lights go out again. Shuffling and a crash are heard and someone screams. Lights go back on. No one is dead. There is a broken plate on the floor near Nicholas and he is holding a glass shard.
Bonnie: Who screamed?
Nicholas: (looking sheepish) That was me. I hit the table.
Lauren: Why are you holding that? It had to be you! You killed her!
Nicholas: (looks scared and nervous) I can't believe you think I did it. You're crazy. All of you are crazy. Stay away from me.
All the guests starting accusing and pointing fingers at Nicholas. Nicholas looks scared and crazy.
Bonnie: (yelling) Everyone stop! Put that down, Nick. We're not going to get anywhere arguing and accusing each other. The cops are on their way. We'll figure everything out soon enough.
Guests agree to wait for the cops and sit down.
Scene 4: Back at the Office
Setting//Inside an Office
Music//???
In what appears to be a private office, a detective is shown sitting at a messy desk with her feet propped up. Papers are strewn everywhere and a fan is blowing them on the floor. The detective is holding a newspaper and seems to be concentrating very hard on something she is reading. Next to her is a coffee cup and file folders with a coffee ring on one of them. A closer camera shot shows that the detective is actually working on a crossword puzzle. The question is a 6-letter word for intentional death.
Detective: (thinking to self) A six-letter word for intentional death...intentional death...What could it be?
A phone rings in the background and a secretary is heard answering it. Meanwhile the detective is still thinking of the answer. Seconds later, the secretary rushes in looking hysterical.
Rosie (The Secretary): (yelling) MURDER!
Detective: Aha! I knew I could count on you, Rosie! (proceeds to fill in crossword)
Rosie: (looking confused, yells) No! There really has been a murder!!
Rosie hands the detective a sheet of paper with an address scribbled on it. The Detective jumps to her feet and grabs the paper from Rosie's hand.
Detective: Well, why didn't you just say so?!
Rosie: (just stands there looking exasperated)
Scene 5: The Scene of the Crime
Setting//The House
Music//The Faint - Take Me To The Hospital
The house has somewhat calmed down. The crime scene has been marked off and taped. There are numbered placecards on each piece of evidence: a broken glass, a pool of liquid, a knife, and the body. Two cops are seen questioning party guests. The rest of the guests are seated on a couch discussing something. No audible dialogue can be heard. The detective arrives at the house and walks up to one of the cops.
Cop 1: Detective Gray, thanks for coming.
Detective Gray: I'm glad to help. Tell me officer, why haven't you arrested anyone?
Cop 1: Well detective, we don't know who did it yet. That's why we asked you to come in.
Detective Gray: What do you mean? You don't have any suspects at all?
Cop 1: Everyone is accusing everyone else. And no one saw anything. Apparently, there was a blackout when it happened.
Detective Gray: How convenient.
The other cop finishes talking to the guests and walks up to the detective and cop.
Cop 2: It looks like that guy over there (pointing to Nicholas) probably did it. He picked up some broken glass and threatened everyone. We should just book him.
Detective Gray: Not so fast, officer. Everyone here is a suspect. Let's hear their stories first.
Cop 2: But we already got their statements.
Detective Gray: Yet, you haven't come to a conclusion. I want to hear everything firsthand. Show me the crime scene.
Cop 2 looking annoyed looks over to Cop 1 for help. Cop 1 just shakes his head.
Cop 1: Right this way detective.
The cops lead Detective Gray to the crime scene. Detective Gray kneels down and carefully looks at the evidence. She takes out a notepad and begins writing notes. She pulls some latex gloves out of her pocket, puts them on and picks up a piece of glass. She holds it up to the light and looks at it carefully.
Detective Gray: (still looking at the glass) Have you gotten everyone's prints yet?
Cop 2: No detective, we figured we'd just do that at the precinct when we had the suspect.
Detective Gray: (shaking head) Make yourself useful, officer, and get everyone's prints. We're going to solve this thing right here if I can help it.
Cop 2 walks away. Detective Gray takes a pouch out of her pocket and opens it. Inside is some powder and a brush. She dusts the piece of glass she is still holding. A fingerprint appears. She takes the glass and puts it in a small plastic bag. Cop 1 just watches.
Detective Gray: Officer, do me a favor and dust the rest of these pieces for prints. I need to know exactly who held this cup.
Cop 1: But what does the glass have to do with anything? We don't even know what happened yet.
Detective Gray: On the contrary officer. This is the glass that held that liquid pool over there. And if I am right, this person's glass was poisoned.
Cop 1: But that's Ms. Song's wine glass. It has her insignia. And she's still alive (points at Stella).
Detective Gray looks at Stella and moves closer to the spill. She touches the liquid, puts it up to her nose and smells it.
Detective Gray: There is no doubt that this drink has been poisoned.
Cop 1: But that means..
Detective Gray: Exactly! Someone was trying to kill Ms. Song. This poor other girl got in the way.
Cop 1: But who would want to kill Ms. Song? And why?
Detective Gray: That is a question the guests will have to answer for us.
