File = DR.html
Last update = September 9, 1996

The Diningroom Script

Time = 0130


(Alberto and Luisa enter the diningroom.) LUISA I can't believe he hasn't moved out yet. ALBERTO He's obviously staying open til the last minute. Maybe he'll make a sale tonight. LUISA I thought we'd be alone. ALBERTO Alone in Montigo Bay wasn't enough for you? Come on, this is supposed to be festive, a celebration, a christening. LUISA I'm so excited to see Ana. We were inseparable when we were teenagers. ALBERTO When's the last time you've seen her? LUISA After graduation, her mother took her to Spain. I lost track of her. ALBERTO What good fortune to run into her here. [cut 1 speech] Time = 0200 (Guillermina enters). GUILLERMINA Excuse me - you are the new owners? (Alberto and Luisa are surprised by the question.) ALBERTO We are. I don't believe we've met. (Guillermina takes out identificiation that has been hidden on her person.) GUILLERMINA Police. (Alberto and Luisa look at the I.D.) LUISA I don't understand. GUILLERMINA I don't have time to explain everything now. But I'm going to need your help here. ALBERTO Do you have a search warrant? I don't think you should be-- . . . *GUILLERMINA I'm sorry, I don't have time to be polite. I've been working undercover for several months now. The gallery has been a front for, well, let's just say for illegal activity. It's all very complicated. But I'm worried because no one was supposed to be here except the woman who is buying the painting. Did you see the two gentlemen in the livingroom? ALBERTO I believe one is Francisco Larrain, the art critic for the "Revista Paula". GUILLERMINA That's correct. Do you know what he's doing here? ALBERTO Why is anyone still here? The entire house was supposed to be vacant by now. I assume Juan is after a last minute sale. LUISA He has to be out by noon tomorrow. Juan assured us he'll make the deadline. GUILLERMINA Do you know the younger man? $ALBERTO I don't. LUISA He looks like an artist. Bohemian. GUILLERMINA He's Eduardo Meza, an artist indeed. ALBERTO Let me make sure I understand. You're saying Juan has been using the gallery as a sort of front for crime? GUILLERMINA That's close enough. LUISA Drugs? GUILLERMINA I don't want to tell you more than necessary. It's for your own good. ALBERTO What do you want from us? (She hands Alberto a slip of paper.) GUILLERMINA If something should go wrong tonight, I want you to call this number immediately. Ask for Rodrigo. LUISA Are we in danger? GUILLERMINA Probably not. LUISA Probably! GUILLERMINA I'm just trying to cover all the bases. By the way - what are you doing here tonight? ALBERTO We came for a quiet romantic christening of our new home. LUISA We just returned from our honeymoon in Jamaica. GUILLERMINA What were you going to do now if I hadn't talked to you? LUISA Go upstairs. Open the champagne. Wait for Ana to join us. Her mother is buying the art, I believe. GUILLERMINA You know Ana well? LUISA I did in school. GUILLERMINA And her mother? LUISA I never liked her mother. GUILLERMINA Then you'll be upstairs? ALBERTO Do you prefer that we leave? GUILLERMINA I prefer that you go upstairs - and don't leave until you hear from me. And if you don't - call Rodrigo. (Guillermina leaves, returning toward the livingroom area. She moves into the kitchen. [0330] (Alberto and Luisa are stunned). ALBERTO My God. LUISA I don't like this at all. ALBERTO Well, there's nothing we can do about it - except what she says. LUISA I can call the police. ALBERTO Luisa, she IS the police. LUISA For backup. We may have a very dangerous situation here. *ALBERTO She's obviously working undercover - we could put her in danger. Come on, we're going to do exactly what she says. We're going upstairs and pretend nothing happened. LUISA You still want to celebrate? ALBERTO I don't know what else to do. I don't want to fight with you, Luisa. Come on. (He leaves and Luisa follows. They move upstairs into the master bedroom. [0400] * [1130] Carmen and Eduardo enter. EDUARDO What do we do now? CARMEN We wait for them to show their true colors. It shouldn't take long. I expect to find Francisco passing by very soon now. Then we let them know that we know - and the laugh last is ours. Especially after I add my own surprise. EDUARDO What surprise is that? CARMEN I don't want to spoil it for you. EDUARDO Perhaps afterwards we can go to my gallery. CARMEN My schudule today is very full, I'm afraid. EDUARDO You don't want to see my paintings? CARMEN I'm sorry, I just don't have time. (Guillermina enters. GUILLERMINA Here you are. CARMEN Eduardo was showing me the house before we go. GUILLERMINA I hate to pry into your affairs, but I think your daughter is right. You may hate the painting, but I have reason to believe it is an excellent investment. CARMEN And why is that? GUILLERMINA You mentioned passion in an artist. The artist is someone I know something about. CARMEN She's a friend of yours? GUILLERMINA A friend of a friend. At any rate, the word is that she has become the mistress of one of the wealthiest men in the United States. Once his patronage and influence get behind her work, as surely it will - why else would she go to bed with him? - then you can imagine how much the value of her work will increase. CARMEN Tell me, which plays better in the marketplace, the suicide of an artist - or the adultery of one? GUILLERMINA It depends on the circumstances, I'm sure. CARMEN If Guillermina would have accepted you, Eduardo, and later you committed suicide - with both influences behind your work, your corpse would have become wealthy indeed. GUILLERMINA Are you making fun of me? CARMEN You don't make the rules of the marketplace. GUILLERMINA What I tell you is true. CARMEN I'm sure it is. But I've already made a commitment to Eduardo, and I am limited to how much I can take out of the country. GUILLERMINA How do you know about me? CARMEN Eduardo and I have become quick friends. EDUARDO I told her everything. GUILLERMINA Dear Eduardo - I didn't know you were carrying a torch for me. EDUARDO But your heart belongs to Francisco. CARMEN Which proves that there's no accounting for taste. To pass up such passion for a stuffy old critic - or are you just making a career move for yourself? GUILLERMINA My personal life is not your business. CARMEN Indeed, it isn't. If you'll excuse us, we have more of the house to see before we go. I'd like to see upstairs, Eduardo. EDUARDO Of course. They leave for upstairs. [1300] (Guillermina speaks to the audience:) GUILLERMINA The challenge of undercover work is going with the flow, being flexible, making adjustments on the spot to whatever surprises take place. But this is more challenge than I bargained for. (Alberto and Luisa enter.) LUISA I need to speak to you. GUILLERMINA I told you to wait upstairs. LUISA This is my home, and I demand to know what is going on. In case you don't know it, that man who was stabbed is up and walking around. GUILLERMINA I am perfectly aware of that. But you can only get in the way down here. You have to trust me and go back upstairs - or better yet, go home. LUISA I am not going home! ALBERTO If we go upstairs, you will come up and let us know what is going on, won't you? GUILLERMINA Yes, as soon as I can. ALBERTO We should do as she says, Luisa. LUISA You promise. GUILLERMINA Of course. LUISA Very well. But I demand a full report. (Alberto and Luisa return upstairs.) [1330] (As soon as they are gone, Guillermina hurries to the livingroom.) * [2300] (Ana leads Luisa into the diningroom.) ANA Luisa, before we see the painting, I must ask something else of you. LUISA Something's upset you, hasn't it? ANA I think we'll find a crowd in the livingroom, where the painting is. What if you took it off the wall and brought it home right now? I'd help you. Then we could ship it first thing in the morning. LUISA Take it now? ANA We're about to leave to dinner anyway. It would save a special trip tomorrow. LUISA That would be fine. But what's worrying you? I could always tell when you were upset. ANA That was so long ago. LUISA Certain things don't change. ANA No, they don't. Luisa, this gallery belongs to Pedro Pablo's brother. It did anyway, before you bought the building. LUISA Juan is Pedro's brother? ANA Yes. LUISA He was leasing from my grandmother. When she passed away, she left the house to me. ANA Small world. LUISA But what about Pedro Pablo? Where is he? ANA It's so tragic - he killed himself. (Eduardo enters. If early, he spies and waits for this line to enter on.) [2330] EDUARDO Or did he know too much? ANA This does not concern you, Eduardo. *EDUARDO Pedro Pablo was my friend. LUISA You know him, too? EDUARDO When he was alive, yes. ANA The police clearly established it was suicide. (Eduardo laughs.) EDUARDO You, of all people, believe what the police tell you? What if they were covering up? LUISA What would they have to cover up? EDUARDO Ask Ana. ANA (to Luisa) He has some kind of conspiracy theory about Violeta Parra. LUISA Violeta Parra! What on earth does she have to do with anything? ANA My feelings exactly. EDUARDO She's the very soul of social justice. She has to do with everything, always. &LUISA But what about Pedro Pablo? How do you know him? &EDUARDO I knew Juan first. We go way back. I knew about Ana and Pedro Pablo in school. Juan talked about his brother all the time. Pedro Pablo was the first one to meet Jorge Torres. &LUISA Who's Jorge Torres? EDUARDO Ask Ana. She and Juan talked to him a lot before he died. LUISA Ana, what on earth is he talking about? &ANA Some conspiracy he's making up. So who was this Jorge Torres? EDUARDO Since you won't admit the truth, I'll tell your friend what I know. (To Luisa) Juan met Jorge Torres just before he became ill. Cancer. He went very quickly, as they often do with cancer. But before Jorge died, he told the full story to Juan. To Ana, too, I believe. Didn't you visit the hospital with Juan? ANA I never heard of Jorge Torres. EDUARDO Of course not. ANA (to Luisa) He must be on something. EDUARDO If you must deny everything, then I can't help you. ANA I don't need your help, believe me. I have no idea what you are talking about. LUISA What does this have to do with Violeta Parra? EDUARDO Jorge Torres worked for the CIA. He told Juan and Ana that the CIA murdered Violeta, then set it up to look like suicide. He showed them proof. ANA That is absurd! (To Luisa) Let's get the painting. EDUARDO Violeta was shot through the left temple - but she was right handed! (They ignore him and go to the livingroom. Eduardo follows.) [2500] * [2700] (Guillermina catches up with Luisa and Ana and moves them into the dining room.) GUILLERMINA (flashing her badge) You're under arrest. ANA Let me see that. (She inspects Guillermina's badge.) LUISA You don't think Ana is involved in this. (Luisa's knowledge surprises Ana.) ANA You're in on this? LUISA No, I have no idea what is going on here. ANA And what are you charging me with? GUILLERMINA Theft. ANA Of what? GUILLERMINA Theft from the estate of Violeta Parra - of a cassette tape of her last unrecorded songs. ANA And where is this tape? GUILLERMINA You are coming to the police station to answer questions - which is where you will learn that it is in your best interests to tell us the truth. ANA I deny everything. LOUISIA Do you have proof for this? GUILLERMINA She was working with Jorge Torres just before he died. He'd been employed by Violeta Parra at "La Carpo de la Reino." He'd been stealing from her for years, making secret recordings of her rehearsals. He waited almost 30 years before putting her last songs on the market. Age, of course, increased their value. LUISA What does this have to do with Ana? GUILLERMINA You were his contact to get the material out of the country. ANA Preposterous! How much can some old songs by Violeta Parra be worth? GUILLERMINA You tell me. ANA Very little. Certainly nothing worth the risk that you claim I made. GUILLERMINA And Jorge Torres made. ANA Whoever he is. LUISA I hear accusations - but I see no proof here. GUILLERMINA We have proof - which is none of your concern. LUISA When you told me there was a crime going on here-- . . . ANA You knew she was police all along? GUILLERMINA And didn't tell you. What kind of friend is that? ANA That's not what I meant. LUISA I thought Juan was involved with drugs or something. GUILLERMINA We'd better go to the station. ANA And if I refuse to go? GUILLERMINA You have no choice in the matter. ANA I want to call my lawyer. GUILLERMINA You can do that from the police station. ANA I have a right to do it immediately. GUILLERMINA Okay, lady, I've been patient with you long enough . . . (Guillermina now displays physical skill in getting Ana onto the floor and putting handcuffs on her, as a shocked Luisa watches.) (Guillermina gets up, helping Ana to her feet.) GUILLERMINA I don't want any more trouble from you. *LUISA I'll have your mother phone a lawyer right away. GUILLERMINA We're out of here. [2830] (They head for the door: Ana and Luisa leave first, then Guillermina turns and speaks to the audience.) GUILLERMINA Her mother bought her the best lawyer money can buy. We couldn't make anything stick. We did find a cassette tape, hidden behind the canvas of the painting she had with her. But there weren't songs on the tape. Instead there was considerable babbling by Jorge Torres, claiming to have worked for the CIA during his employment by Violeta Parra, claiming to have been the inside man who was responsible for her assassination. I thought this was an incredible discovery - but the chief disagreed. He gave no credence to Torres' claim. The cassette tape was quickly destroyed. (They go to the livingroom to await their entrance for the coda.) [2830] * End of the Dining Room script