Conniving Souls Scenes 4-6

Scene 4

Cylash sits gracefully on the couch in her living room dressed in a fancy outfit reading comic books.  Chuck enters.

CHUCK:  Hi, Cylash.

CYLASH:  coldly.  Hello, Charles.

CHUCK:  How has your day been?

CYLASH:  drops her comic book on the coffee table.  What’s that supposed to mean?

CHUCK:  blinks.  Wha—?

CYLASH:  stands up.  Really, Chuck, I’m tired of you always sticking your nose in my business!

CHUCK:  But—

CYLASH:  You’re my husband, not my jailer!

CHUCK:  Cylash!

CYLASH:  I just can’t take this!  Not tonight!  Turns with a dramatic flourish.  I’m going out!  Leaves.

CHUCK:  Say, what gives?

Scene 5

Cylash and Crane are together.  The camera is close in on them, so it isn’t clear where they are.

CYLASH:  It was terrible, Crane!  He said such awful, malicious things!

CRANE:  It’s okay, sweetheart.  You’ll be fine.  You’re with Dr. Crane Sextopoulos now; Chuck can’t hurt you.

CYLASH:  I want to leave him right now!

CRANE:  I know, baby, but you can’t.  Not yet.

CYLASH:  When?

CRANE:  When Ms. Stellation gets proof that he’s having an affair.

CYLASH:  I don’t know how much of that ogre’s abuse I can take.

CRANE:  Patience, doll-face, patience.  When our private investigator does her job, divorcing Stanton will be simple.  And you’ll be able to snatch up most of his assets.

CYLASH:  calm now.  You’re right.  I can suffer through this.

CRANE:  Of course I’m right.  Kisses her forehead.  You’ll see.  Any day now.

CYLASH:  wraps her arms around Crane.  You’re so good to me.  Lets go someplace more private.  Tries to kiss him.

CRANE:  Not now, Cylash, I’m busy.

Camera zooms out to reveal an operating room.  Crane is in the middle of brain surgery.  Nurses stare at Crane and Cylash with wide eyes.

Scene 6

Chuck in his house.  He’s still in his work clothes, but his tie is loosened and his top button is undone.  He’s playing video games and singing along to Weezer.  The phone rings.  He pauses the game and the music and answers it.

CHUCK:  Hello?

CONNIE:  Hi.

Pause

CHUCK:  What can I do for you?

CONNIE:  Is this Chuck Stanton?

CHUCK:  Yeah.

CONNIE:  Don’t mind me; I’m just testing the tap on your phone line.

CHUCK:  laughing.  Oh, yeah?

CONNIE:  Yeah.  Don’t worry; it’ll just take a minute.

CHUCK:  So you’re spying on me, are ya?

CONNIE:  I prefer to think of it as “surveillance.”  “Spying” has bad connotations attached to it.

CHUCK:  So who do you work for?  The CIA?  CSIS?

CONNIE:  Oh, I’m independent.

CHUCK:  I see.  So why are you keeping me under surveillance?

CONNIE:  I dunno.  Gotta watch someone.

CHUCK:  laughs.  I guess everyone needs a hobby.

CONNIE:  Exactly.  Pauses.  Okay, I’m done.  You have yourself a good night.

CHUCK:  Hold on, you never even told me who you are.

CONNIE:  I work with your wife.

CHUCK:  She isn’t here right now.

CONNIE:  I know.

CHUCK:  blinks.  Did you want to leave a message?

CONNIE:  No.  Bye.  Hangs up.

Chuck shrugs, hangs up, and goes back to his video games.