THE MEETINGHOUSE MURDERS ______ A Play in Three Acts by Bonnie McMeans

2418 Merwood Lane Havertown, PA 19083 267-312-7588 [email protected] Characters AMY HARLAND: A single mother in her early 40s and a caretaker for Sun Valley Friends Meeting. FRANK TUCCI: A middle-aged police detective with a short miltary style haircut. One side of his face is badly scarred. RYAN HARLAND: Amy Harland's 20-year-old son, a college student. NANCY CLARK: The 60-something clerk of Sun Valley Friends Meeting; a feisty peace activist. BEN BARNES: The middle-aged excavator for the Sun Valley Friends Meeting Burial Ground.

KEVIN WHITBY: Father of Sean Whitby.

MELISSA WHITBY: Mother of Sean Whitby.

BILL STEWART: Treasurer of Sun Valley Friends Meeting. POLICE OFFICER: Assistant to Detective Frank Tucci MEETING MEMBERS

Setting A quiet suburban community near Philadelphia during the Iraq War. ACT I SCENE 1

AT RISE: (Lights rise on a corner of a burial ground adjacent to an historic Quaker meetinghouse. The burial ground has neat rows of headstones no higher than a foot. A sign near the front of the meetinghouse reads: "Sun Valley Friends Meeting, established 1683." Another sign reads: "William Penn worshipped here in 1684." AMY HARLAND, wearing head phones and dressed in jeans and hiking boots, is using a gas-powered weed wacker around a small headstone. She does not hear NANCY CLARK approach.) NANCY (tapping AMY on the shoulder) Amy.

(AMY turns off weed wacker and removes headphones.) AMY Hi, Nancy. NANCY We missed you at Noah's memorial service. AMY How did it go? NANCY As well as could be expected. His son Sam spoke. A lot of other people did too. AMY That's good. I'm sorry I wasn't there. NANCY You don't need to explain. You found Noah's body. That must have been very traumatic, considering what you've been through. AMY Thanks for understanding. (MORE) I-1-2 AMY (CONT'D) I still can't believe Noah was murdered, just a few feet from where you and I are standing right now. NANCY Actually, a detective named Frank Tucci wants to talk with you about the murder. He came by the meetinghouse right before the service and left his card. (She hands it to AMY.) AMY I gave a statement to police already. NANCY Well, the detective wants more information. I gave him your name. He said he would stop by your place later. I hope that was okay. AMY Do I have a choice? NANCY We always have a choice, Amy. ACT I SCENE 2 AT RISE: (AMY sits opposite BEN BARNES at a small table in the kitchen of her carriage house on meetinghouse property some time later.) BEN So when are you burying Mr. Winslow? AMY The family has to wait until after the police autopsy. Then they will have the body cremated. It could be a few days or a few weeks. (AMY hears a knock at the kitchen door.) It's open! (FRANK lets himself in and shows AMY his badge.) FRANK Amy Harland? I'm Detective Frank Tucci. Do you have a few minutes? AMY Yes. Nancy told me you would be stopping by. FRANK May I sit down? BEN (getting up) You can take my seat. FRANK Thanks. And you are? BEN Ben Barnes. I dig the graves at the burial ground. (to AMY) I'll be going now. FRANK (to BEN) I may need to talk with you later, Mr. Barnes.

BEN Whatever I can do to help, officer. I-2-4 FRANK Detective. BEN Sorry. Detective. (BEN leaves. FRANK sits and takes a small, spiral notebook and pen from a sport coat pocket.) FRANK Now, your minister told me — AMY We don't have ministers. Nancy is our clerk. She oversees the meetinghouse business and affairs. FRANK Okay. Did you know the victim very well? AMY Yes, I knew Noah Winslow. FRANK How long? AMY More than 20 years. He was part of my clearness committee when my husband and I decided to get married. FRANK What's a clearness committee? AMY When Friends are about to take an important step in their lives, they will sometimes ask for a clearness committee to be formed. The clearness committee meets with the individuals and tries to determine whether they have carefully thought through the decision or action they are contemplating. FRANK Does the committee get to approve or disapprove someone's decision? AMY No, the committee's job is to simply offer advice or guidance that may be helpful. The final decision rests with the individual. Friends, as a rule, are not very dogmatic.

FRANK Meaning? AMY We do not impose a lot of rules on our members. I-2-5 FRANK We could use a little more of that in the Catholic church. (He continues writing in his notebook.) What's your husband's name? AMY Steven Harland. But he's deceased. FRANK How long? AMY Four years. FRANK What happened? If you don't mind my asking. AMY He was killed in Iraq. FRANK I'm sorry. Marines? AMY AFSC. FRANK What's that? AMY The American Friends Service Committee. It's a Quaker organization that promotes peace and social justice. My husband was overseeing the restoration of a water treatment plant. FRANK I was in Kuwait and Iraq. AMY My husband and I were against the Gulf War and the Iraq War. FRANK Why? AMY Most Friends are pacifists. FRANK Is that one of the few rules Friends follow?

AMY It's not a rule. It's more of a principle. I-2-6 FRANK So Quakers — AMY We prefer the term Friends. FRANK So Friends don't believe in fighting for any reason? AMY Well, it's a little more complicated than that. Some Friends have served in the military if they thought the war was just. For instance, we have a number of World War II veterans in our burial ground. But, generally speaking, Friends do not support violence as a way to resolve conflict. FRANK Seems a bit unrealistic, but okay. AMY What else do you need to know, Detective? FRANK How long have you been the caretaker here? AMY Five years. FRANK Do you have another job besides this one? AMY Yes, I'm a landscape architect. FRANK Do you have any children? AMY A son, Ryan. He's 20 and a student at NYU. FRANK What were you doing the day before and the day of the murder? AMY The day before, I was moving Ryan back to school. I didn't get home until very late. Then I got up very early the next morning to mow the cemetery. FRANK How early? AMY About six o clock. I like to get the work done before it gets too hot. I-2-7 FRANK And you didn't notice the meetinghouse cellar door was ajar? AMY No. FRANK Or Mr. Winslow's car parked on the other side of the meetinghouse? AMY No. FRANK Do you have a key to the cellar? AMY Yes. FRANK How about the meetinghouse? AMY Of course. FRANK Anyone else? AMY Nancy Clark, naturally. And Noah. FRANK What did Mr. Winslow do for a living? AMY He was a retired real estate attorney. FRANK Can you think of any reason why he would be at the meetinghouse so early in the morning? AMY Noah was a member of our trustees committee. He often made small repairs to the building. He might have been looking at something that needed fixing. FRANK But you are the caretaker. Wouldn't you have been aware of something that needs fixing?

AMY Ordinarily, he would inform me that he wanted to fix something. But this time he didn't. I-2-8 FRANK Can you think of anyone who would want to kill him? AMY Not a soul. FRANK I guess, being pacifists, Quakers... or Friends don't make a lot of enemies. AMY It sounds like you're making fun of us, Detective. FRANK Sorry. When did you find Mr. Winslow's body? AMY About 9:30 in the morning. FRANK Please describe exactly what you saw. AMY He was lying face down, at the bottom of the steps into the cellar. He was...covered in blood. A knife was in his back, between his shoulder blades. I felt for a pulse, but knew he was dead. I called 9-1-1. FRANK Did you think the murderer could be close by, perhaps in the cellar? AMY Actually, that never crossed my mind. I was too upset, I think. FRANK Tell me something about the other members of the trustees committee. Was there any tension between members of the committee? AMY No, not that I was aware of. Do you honestly think Noah could have been killed by a member of our meeting? FRANK Is that so impossible? AMY Highly unlikely.

FRANK Because you don't believe in violence? I-2-9 AMY Because Noah was what we call a "weighty friend." He was well liked and respected, sort of like a church elder. FRANK Yet I noticed you did not attend the memorial service. AMY How do you know that? FRANK I was there, sitting in the back. Observing. AMY (wanting to change the subject) Are you wearing a gun? (He opens his sport coat and shows her the gun in a shoulder holster.) AMY You'll offend a lot of Friends if they know you're carrying a weapon inside the meetinghouse. FRANK Why? I'm law enforcement. AMY The meetinghouse is not just a place of worship. It's meant to be a sanctuary from violence, corruption and injustice in the world. If you bring a weapon into such a place — FRANK I get it. AMY Anyway, how do you know the murderer wasn't an intruder trying to rob the meeting? FRANK Was there anything worth stealing in the cellar? AMY (reluctantly) No, probably not. FRANK Besides, there was no sign of forced entry to the cellar. And how would the killer have gotten inside the cellar without a key? There are no windows. I-2-10 AMY He could have followed Noah inside. FRANK In that case, the killer would have probably known that Mr. Winslow was going to be there. AMY Am I a suspect, Detective? FRANK Not at the moment. (pause) I would like your help though. AMY I have told you everything I know. FRANK I may need some more information on the Society of Friends, how a meetinghouse operates, and so forth. AMY You want me to give you a crash course on what it means to be a Quaker? FRANK I guess, yeah. (AMY stands, signaling it's time for FRANK to leave.) AMY Let me think on it. FRANK Fair enough. (He tucks his pen and notebook inside his jacket pocket, walks toward the kitchen door, and stops.) You feel okay staying here by yourself? I can send a patrol car to keep an eye on things, if you want. AMY I'm all right. Thanks. ACT I SCENE 3 AT RISE: (Amy's kitchen later that evening. Two bags of groceries are on the table. A broom is propped up against the kitchen counter. Amy is unpacking groceries when the door opens. It's RYAN, her son.) AMY Ryan! (They embrace.) What are you doing here? RYAN I wanted to make sure you were okay. (He puts his backpack down on a kitchen chair.) AMY I'm okay, all things considered. RYAN I wish I could have attended Noah's memorial service. AMY I know. RYAN How was it? AMY Good. Nancy said it was good. RYAN You didn't go? AMY No. (She busies herself putting groceries away.) RYAN That's kind of weird, don't you think?

AMY Nancy understood. She told me so. I-3-12 RYAN But Noah's family? They must have been hurt. AMY Ryan, I'm not ready to return to meeting. RYAN Dad's been gone for four years. AMY What's your point? RYAN It's time to stop hiding. AMY Oh, for heaven's sakes. What am I hiding from? RYAN Dad's connection to the meeting, his belief in the peace testimony. AMY Ryan, you know nothing about what I've been feeling or have felt since your dad died. Besides, if I were hiding, do you think I could still take care of the burial ground for the meetinghouse? RYAN Maybe you're more comfortable with dead Friends than living ones. AMY (sharply) Oh please. RYAN Okay, sorry. AMY Hey, let's have a truce and go out to dinner. Anywhere you like. RYAN Can we make it breakfast tomorrow instead? I'm having dinner with some high school friends. AMY Sure. RYAN Why don't you join us? My friends would be glad to see you.

AMY No, but thanks. I just got back from the store, so I have plenty of options. I-3-13 RYAN I won't be late. (He gives her another hug, then departs. AMY continues to unpack groceries. Suddenly, she senses someone is lurking outside near her kitchen door. She stops.) AMY Ryan, is that you? (There is no answer. She grabs the broom and cautiously uses the other hand to open the door, ready to pounce. FRANK steps inside, amused.) AMY (exasperated) What are you doing here? FRANK Did I frighten you? AMY Of course you frightened me! (She props the broom up in a corner by the back door.) FRANK I'm sorry, but I wanted to tell you in person and make sure you were okay. AMY Tell me what? FRANK Another member of your meeting has died. (Stunned, Amy slumps into a kitchen chair.) FRANK It happened late this afternoon. Judith Hall was struck and killed by a hit and run driver on Maple Road while she was apparently jogging. AMY Was it an accident? I-3-14 FRANK No, according to an eyewitness. But the witness was unable to write down the license plate number. AMY Oh my god. Poor Judy. FRANK We have a description of the vehicle, and we will be contacting local garages to see if someone brings in a car with a damaged fender, grill or hood. But my guess is that the car will be found abandoned with the plates removed if the hit and run was deliberate. AMY How did you know Judy was a member of our meeting? FRANK Nancy had provided me with a membership list. (pause) I was hoping you could tell me something about Judith Hall. (He takes out his notebook. AMY gets up from her chair.) AMY I need a cup of tea first. (She puts a kettle of water on the stove.) Do you want some? FRANK No thanks. (AMY sits down.) AMY Judy was a pediatrician. She's been a member of the meeting for about three years.

FRANK What can you tell me about her family? AMY I don't know much about them. She came here from the west coast. I don't recall her mentioning parents or siblings. She wasn't married. She didn't have children.

FRANK Was she well-liked at meeting? I-3-15 AMY Definitely. Judy was a very compassionate person. She was involved with Doctors without Borders for awhile. FRANK Was she involved in any meeting business? AMY Let me think. (pause) She volunteered at First Day School for about a year. FRANK What's that? AMY What we call Sunday School. She taught third graders. FRANK Did the parents like the way she taught...First Day School? AMY For the most part. Some Friends asked her to include more Bible lessons, but I understand why she didn't. FRANK What do you mean? AMY Most Friends don't believe in taking the Bible literally. They believe it's a book written by humans who were inspired by God, not written by God. Bible stories are just that. Stories. FRANK Why would some Friends then ask her to teach Bible stories? AMY Around the time Judy was teaching First Day School, more conservative Friends started attending the meeting. They were, what some would call, Christ Centered. They put more emphasis on the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. It made some members uncomfortable. FRANK But don't Friends consider themselves Christian? AMY Yes. But Friends are often called "seekers," because they seek the truth in their own way, yet rarely profess to know the truth. It's why so many people of different faiths join the Society of Friends. We don't pretend to have all the answers. Each person is ultimately responsible for his own spiritual journey. I-3-16 FRANK Sounds like a lot of work.

(FRANK puts his notebook away.)

Okay, get some rest. We can talk more tomorrow. AMY Wait. (She stands up and rummages through a kitchen drawer, then pulls out a document and hands it to FRANK.) FRANK What's this? AMY Those are members of our trustees committee. I just remembered that Judy became a member in January. FRANK So both Judy and Noah were members of the trustees committee. AMY Yes. (She removes the whistling tea kettle and pours hot water into a cup on the counter.) FRANK What exactly do the trustees do again?

(AMY rummages through the same kitchen drawer and pulls out a book.) AMY They oversee the building and property, approve a budget, things like that. (She hands the book to FRANK.) That's a copy of Faith and Practice. It will tell you everything you need to know about the Society of Friends and how a meeting house operates.

FRANK Thanks. (MORE) I-3-17 FRANK (CONT'D) (He walks toward the back door and AMY follows him. He stops and picks up the broom near the door.) By the way, what would you have done with this broom if I had been an intruder? AMY I don't know. FRANK I mean, being a pacifist — AMY Good night, Detective. FRANK Good night. (pause) Be sure to lock your doors and windows. I'll have a patrol car keep an eye on your house for a few days. AMY Do you really think that's necessary? FRANK Yeah, I do. ACT II SCENE 1 AT RISE: (An office inside the Sun Valley Friends Meetinghouse. AMY enters and sees NANCY CLARK hurriedly grabbing files out of a file cabinet and placing them in a box.) AMY What are you doing? NANCY Detetective Tucci is coming here with a search warrant to seize all our records. AMY I thought you already gave him a list of members. NANCY I did, but now he wants the minutes from business meetings and trustees committtee meetings. I've already saved some files to an external hard drive and deleted them from the meetinghouse computer. AMY How do you know he's getting a search warrant? NANCY Because he called me early this morning and asked for all our records, and I refused to turn them over. (BEN enters. NANCY hands him a box.) Please put these in the trunk of my car. (BEN leaves. AMY puts her hands on the next batch of files NANCY is trying to put into a box.) AMY Wait a minute. Let's think about this. (NANCY wrestles the files away from AMY.) NANCY There is nothing to think about, Amy! These records are historic, private documents. Do you really want the police carelessly going through them? Photocopying them? II-1-19 AMY The police are trying to figure out why two members of the trustees committee have been murdered. I'm sure Detective Tucci won't want trustees minutes going back more than a decade or so. NANCY That's not the point! This meetinghouse is a sacred place. I don't want police poking around, disturbing documents pertaining to meeting business. We have war tax resistors here and young men who have not registered for Selective Service. If we turn these records over, we may never get them back. They may be submitted as evidence and become the property of the district attorney's office. (FRANK and two police officers enter the office while AMY stands by helplessly.) FRANK (to NANCY) Mrs. Clark, we have a warrant. Please put those files down and step away from the file cabinet. (NANCY clutches the box of files.) NANCY I will not. FRANK We are just trying to do our job, Mrs. Clark. NANCY Do you think I'm afraid of you? I was arrested eight times during the sixties. I spent more than one night in jail protesting the Vietnam War...I wasn't afraid of police then, and I'm not afraid now. FRANK (to an officer) Take the box from her. (The officer attempts to do so, but NANCY clutches the box even tighter and turns away. BEN enters, and NANCY tries to give him the box. The police officer intercepts it. BEN stands there uncertainly.) AMY Please, everyone, just calm down. II-1-20 FRANK I don't want to arrest you, Mrs. Clark, but I will. (He nods to the other police officer who approaches Nancy with handcuffs.) AMY (to FRANK) There's no need for that! (The phone rings. AMY answers it. NANCY struggles with the officer trying to arrest her.) NANCY Take your hands off me! (The other officer takes * the box of files and carries it out.) FRANK (to the officers) Put her in the patrol car. (NANCY is led away.) NANCY Amy, call my lawyer! (FRANK notices AMY on the telephone. She is listening in stunned silence. He waits for her to hang up the phone.) FRANK Who was that? AMY (in disbelief) Sibyl Darby, the daughter of another member. Her father was found dead this morning in a nursing home, and the staff has contacted police. He had dementia, but was healthy otherwise. (pause) Mr. Darby used to be a member of the trustees.

BEN That's three graves now. ACT II SCENE 2 AT RISE: (Sun Valley Friends Burial Ground. Amy stands looking down at an open grave just large enough to hold an urn. BEN, the excavator, enters.) BEN What time's the service? AMY Ten o'clock. They're coming down from upstate New York. I'm not sure how long people will hang around afterwards. BEN (He looks around the burial ground.) You do a nice job taking care of this burial ground, Amy. Folks are grateful to you. AMY Thanks, Ben. I couldn't do it without you. BEN Grave digging's not a bad business. It's quiet. It suits me. I do worry I'll get pretty busy if this war keeps up. AMY Do you know anyone fighting in Iraq, Ben? (BEN shakes his head.) BEN My boy's only 16. But if there's a draft... AMY There won't be a draft, Ben. Try not to worry. (AMY and BEN notice family and friends starting to arrive and move a respectable distance from the grave. Mourners gather around Judy's grave and stand in silence.) BEN (to AMY) I'll be back to close up in a couple of hours. AMY Thanks, Ben. II-2-22 (FRANK enters the burial ground, but keeps his distance. AMY approaches him.) Are you here for Judy's burial? FRANK Yes. AMY Why are you standing all the way over here? FRANK (half joking) I don't want to risk another encounter with Nancy Clark. (pause) We didn't charge her with anything...just so you know. AMY She told me. And I think you will find that Nancy was right. Those records will not help you. FRANK Don't the trustees oversee the budget? AMY Yes. FRANK Often, where there's money, there's murder. (pause) Why didn't you tell me Judy was gay? AMY I didn't think it was relevant. FRANK Unless that's why she was murdered. AMY Oh, c'mon! Noah wasn't gay. Neither was Sibyl's father. FRANK What about the more conservative Friends? Wouldn't her being gay bother them if she was teaching their kids? AMY I don't think so.

FRANK The thing is, you don't get to decide what's relevant or not during a murder investigation. That's my job. Judy's lifestyle — II-2-23 AMY Sexual orientation. FRANK Okay. Her sexual orientation may not have had anything to do with why she was killed, but it could be a piece of the puzzle. Don't throw out any pieces. That's all I ask. AMY Fine. I have to go. The service is starting soon. FRANK Wait. Can you think of anyone who would be angry with a decision the trustees made? AMY No, I can't. As Nancy told you, I don't attend meeting anymore. I just clean the worship room, change light bulbs and mow grass. FRANK But you get a copy of the business minutes each month. AMY Yes, but I rarely read them. FRANK Mind if I ask you a personal question? (AMY is silent.) Is your husband buried in this cemetery? (pause) I mean, I'm just curious. If he were buried here, and you took care of the cemetery, that would be kind of hard on you. Wouldn't it? AMY My husband is not buried here, Detective. He is not buried anywhere. It's unlikely that his body is even intact. Do you understand? (She walks towards the mourners.) ACT II SCENE 3 AT RISE: (Sun Valley Friends Meeting. NANCY sits on the facing bench. On the other benches are AMY, BILL STEWART and other members. A MEETING MEMBER sits next to Nancy, ready to take notes. They conduct a moment of silence before beginning.) NANCY Good morning, everyone. (to AMY) Thanks for joining us, Amy. (pause) We'll begin with a reading of the minutes. MEETING MEMBER Twenty-three members and attenders were present at the meeting for business August 12... (FRANK and a POLICE OFFICER enter the meeting house.) NANCY What is the meaning of this? (FRANK and the OFFICER approach BILL STEWART.) FRANK Are you William Stewart? BILL (standing) Yes. FRANK (to the OFFICER) Cuff him. (The OFFICER spins BILL around and slaps handcuffs on him. FRANK addresses BILL.) You're under arrest for the murder of Noah WinsloW. (NANCY jumps to her feet.)

NANCY Are you mad? II-3-25 FRANK (to BILL) You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law... AMY Wait a minute! NANCY On what grounds...

(BILL calls to AMY over his shoulder as he is being led away by one of the officers.) BILL Amy, call my wife! Tell her... (AMY runs up to BILL.) AMY Tell her what, Bill? (FRANK gestures to the office to stop.) BILL (hanging his head in shame) Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her...I'm so ashamed. NANCY Bill, what do you mean? (NANCY and other MEMBERS follow the OFFICER and BILL outside.) AMY (AMY angrily turns on FRANK) I've known Bill for most of my life. He's our treasurer. He could not have murdered anyone. FRANK Well, let's see. He's stolen thousands of dollars from the meeting's burial ground account. AMY (shocked) Are you sure? (FRANK nods.) But that doesn't make him a murderer! II-3-26 FRANK And he has no alibi for the morning that Noah Winslow was killed. AMY I don't care. You're making a mistake. And you had no right to arrest him here this morning. FRANK Was there a better time? AMY I mean, here, in a place of worship. FRANK Oh, now you're a believer? (He starts to walk away.) AMY Wait! (FRANK stops.) Don't come to me for help anymore. I mean it. FRANK Okay. (He leaves and NANCY returns.) NANCY (to AMY) Didn't I warn you? ACT II SCENE 4

AT RISE: (Inside AMY's kitchen later that evening. AMY sits at the kitchen table, going through a box of photographs and other items belonging to her late husband. RYAN walks in. He is wearing a backpack.) RYAN I'm going to spend the night at Patty's, then head back to school tomorrow. You gonna be okay? AMY Of course. Hey, look at this. (She hands him a photograph. RYAN looks at it.) RYAN Your wedding day. (He laughs.) No offense, but your dress looks like you were starring in an episode of Little House on the Prairie. AMY (chuckling) Yeah, I guess so. But remember, it was the seventies. RYAN (staring at the photograph) You look kind of serious. AMY Oh, I was just nervous. I never liked to be the center of attention. That was your dad's thing. RYAN Did Dad need much convincing to be married at the meeting? Considering he was not a Friend at the time? AMY Not really. I think your Dad was a Friend long before he officially became a Friend.

RYAN My philosophy professor says people who convert to a religion tend to be more devout than people born into one. II-4-28 AMY Well, I certainly think that was true for your father. RYAN And what about you, Mom? Do you still consider yourself a Friend? AMY I don't know what I am, Ryan. Sometimes I don't even feel connected to the human race, much less a spiritual entity. RYAN You know, the way Dad died was hard on me too, Mom. But you never seem to want to talk about that. AMY (startled) Ryan, I'm always here for you. Do you want to talk now? RYAN No,I'm just saying, when it happened, I felt like you went down a very deep hole, and I was left to fend for myself. And when Sean died, it was the same thing all over again. AMY Ryan, I'm sorry. RYAN You didn't attend Sean's service either. AMY He didn't have a service at the meeting. RYAN But his parents had one at the funeral home. Why didn't you go? AMY I don't know. It didn't feel right. RYAN Not feel right? It was the least you could you have done. AMY Why are you bringing this up? What's done is done. I can't change what happened to your dad, to you, to Sean, or to me. RYAN Okay, Mom. (He heads towards the kitchen door, then stops.) You could have saved Sean, you know. Dad would have. AMY That's not fair, Ryan. (MORE) II-4-29 AMY (CONT'D) (RYAN shrugs and leaves. AMY stares at the box of items on the kitchen table. She removes a baseball glove from the box and examines it before laying it on the table. She quickly looks through other photographs. Then she puts them back inside the box and dumps the box's contents into her kitchen trash can. All that remains is the baseball glove.) ACT II SCENE 5 AT RISE: (A small tool shed next to AMY's carriage house, later that evening. A small window is to the left of the shed door, which is slightly ajar. Inside a small ax rests near the door.) (AMY is carrying a bag of potting soil inside the shed and stops to rest. Suddenly, someone lurking nearby in the shadows tosses a tear gas canister into the shed, then slams and padlocks the door.) AMY (From inside the shed) Who's there? Let me out! (She breaks the small window and struggles to climb through, but it is too small. Tear gas billows out from the shed.) Help! Help! (FRANK appears and tries to break down the door with his shoulder.) AMY (AMY hands him the ax through the window) Break the padlock! (FRANK breaks the padlock and opens the door. AMY stumbles outside. He leads her away.) FRANK Are you okay? Can you breathe? (AMY's eyes are shut, and she gasps for breath.)

AMY I'm trying to. ACT II SCENE 6 AT RISE: (Inside AMY's kitchen some time later. FRANK sits at the kitchen table and watches AMY walk in, towel drying her hair. She has showered and changed her clothes.) FRANK Did you get a look at your attacker? AMY No. It was too dark. How did you happen to come by? FRANK I've been riding by every night just to check on you. You're sure you're okay? AMY I'm okay. (pause) Don't you have a family to go home to in the evening? FRANK I'm divorced. AMY Any kids? FRANK A daughter Natalie, but I only see her every other weekend. Natalie has Downs Syndrome. AMY How old is she? FRANK Fourteen. AMY It must be a challenge to raise a special needs child. FRANK Her mom does most of the work. Natalie's in a bowling league. Pretty good bowler, actually. Her team won the championship last year. I took this picture.

(He shows AMY a photo on his cell phone.) AMY How long have you been divorced? II-6-32 FRANK About ten years now. I came back from the Gulf War pretty messed up. It was hard on my wife. AMY You were injured. FRANK Yeah, I was out on patrol in Mosul. We were trying to take the city back. An IED went off. Lost a couple of buddies. I was badly burned, as I'm sure you've noticed. AMY That must have been horrible. FRANK Sure, but I survived at least. (pause) Haven't been to Mass since. Didn't seem to be much point to it. So, you and I have more in common than you think. AMY (ignoring his comment) Will you release Bill Stewart now? Since the killer is obviously still out there? FRANK Yeah. He'll stand trial for the embezzlement charges, assuming the meeting presses charges. But he can post bail to get out until then. AMY There is something else you should know. FRANK What's that? AMY I've never served on the trustees. ACT II SCENE 7 AT RISE: (AMY's kitchen the next morning. AMY is at the kitchen sink, doing dishes. Her back is to us. RYAN, her son, tiptoes from stage right to surprise her. He puts his arms around her from behind.) AMY Ryan! What are you doing here? RYAN I came home to check on you before going back to school. AMY That's very thoughtful, honey. RYAN (peering out the kitchen window) Why are there two patrol cars out front? AMY Something happened last night. RYAN What? AMY Someone locked me in the shed after throwing a canister of tear gas inside. RYAN My god, Mom! Are you okay? AMY I'm fine. By coincidence, Frank was nearby and got me out. RYAN Who's Frank? AMY Detective Frank Tucci. He's investigating the murders. RYAN And you're on a first name basis?

(There is a knock at the back door. RYAN opens it. FRANK steps inside. He is holding two cups of coffee.) II-7-34 FRANK Good morning. Are you Ryan? (He gives AMY one of the coffees.) RYAN Yes. AMY Ryan, this is Detective Tucci. RYAN (They shake hands.) Hello. AMY (to RYAN) Are you hungry? I could make breakfast. RYAN That sounds great. I'll be right back. (He walks out the back door.) FRANK (leaning against the counter.) When did Ryan get home? AMY He came home to check on me a couple of days ago. But he's returning to school today. (Suddenly, they hear a piercing WHOOP, WHOOP, WHOOP! FRANK peers out the kitchen window.) FRANK What the hell... (RYAN reenters the kitchen, this time, accompanied by POLICE OFFICER.) OFFICER The security alarm at the meeting went off. (He leaves.)

AMY (to RYAN) The meeting recently installed a security system. Were you trying to get inside the building? II-7-35 RYAN Yeah, I was trying to get my bike out of the cellar. AMY You must have triggered the alarm when you opened the door. FRANK (to RYAN) How did you open the cellar door? RYAN I have a key. AMY You have a key? FRANK (to AMY) I thought only you and Nancy Clark had keys to the building. AMY I thought so too. (to RYAN) Where did you get a key? RYAN I made a copy a while ago. AMY Why? RYAN I needed to get some things out of the cellar once in a while. I didn't want to always ask you for the key. FRANK What kind of stuff? RYAN (resenting Frank's question) My bike...and stuff. AMY Why didn't you just ask me if you could make a copy of the key? RYAN Because I knew you would hassle me...just like you're doing now. FRANK What did you store down there? II-7-36 RYAN (exasperated) Why the third degree? I put stuff in there I needed once in a while. FRANK Without your mom knowing. RYAN Okay, yeah, without my mom knowing. (pause) If you must know, I used to put beer down there. AMY Beer? RYAN I used to hide it behind the water heater. FRANK For drinking in the cemetery? (RYAN nods.) AMY What? (to FRANK) How did you know? FRANK I probably chased him and other kids out of the cemetery when I drove a patrol car. It's a favorite drinking spot. AMY Who drank with you? RYAN Charlie Hollis, Matt Conroy... (looking hard at AMY) Sean Whitby. (At the mention of Sean Whitby's name, AMY looks away.) FRANK (taking notes) Sean Whitby. That name sounds familiar.

AMY (to RYAN) I can't believe you snuck beer down there. II-7-37 RYAN Dad knew. He caught me once. AMY (mystified) He never told me. FRANK Anyone else make a copy of the key? RYAN Yes. FRANK Who? RYAN All of us. FRANK Are these friends of yours still in the neighborhood? RYAN Seam Whitby died in Iraq about two and half years ago. I'm not sure about my other friends. I lost touch with them when I went to NYU. FRANK Did these friends belong to the meetinghouse? RYAN No. But Sean... FRANK Yes? AMY (quickly interrupting) I can fill you in later. FRANK Okay. (FRANK's cell phone rings.) Excuse me. I have to take this. (He steps outside.) RYAN Does Detective Tucci bring you coffee every morning?

AMY Of course not. II-7-38 RYAN He likes you. AMY You're being silly. What do you want for breakfast? RYAN How did he get that scar on his face? AMY He was in the Gulf and Iraq Wars. RYAN Really? AMY Don't start, Ryan. RYAN I wonder what Dad would say if he knew you were dating someone who stands for everything he opposed? AMY First of all, I'm not dating Detective Tucci. And second, you should not be so quick to judge people. RYAN Is he married? AMY Divorced. Do you want breakfast or not? RYAN I'll eat at school. (He exits, passing FRANK as FRANK steps back inside the kitchen. FRANK takes a seat at the kitchen table. AMY joins him.) II-7-39 FRANK I think Ryan is feeling threatened. AMY Do you? FRANK Sure. You were almost killed. That's enough to scare any kid, no matter how old he is. AMY I guess so. FRANK He seems like a good kid. AMY He is...most of the time. Steven's death was very hard on him. They were close. (pause) Did you enjoy being a Marine? FRANK Yeah, strangely enough, I did. Semper Fi and all that bullshit. Excuse my language. But it's true. I served with guys who would die for me, and vice versa. How many people can say that about their co-workers, or even family members? That doesn't mean I'm proud of everything I did over there. AMY What do you mean? FRANK I mean, in war you make tough choices that can bother you later. AMY What do you think of our involvement in Iraq now? FRANK It's a mess. But what's the alternative? AMY We never should have invaded in the first place. FRANK No argument there. AMY My husband felt strongly that U.S. troops should withdraw immediately. FRANK Do you feel that way? II-7-40 AMY Yes. FRANK That's not the answer, believe me. More lives will be lost if we pull out too soon. AMY How much worse can it get? FRANK A lot worse. Chaos. Civil war. (They sit for a moment in silence.) FRANK Tell me about Sean Whitby. AMY His family joined the meeting when Sean was about twelve. He and my son became friends right away. FRANK Was Sean's family already members of the Society of Friends? AMY No, I think they used to be Catholic. They were the kind of Friends I told you about. More Christ-centered. Anyway, Sean was...troubled. Many parents felt he was a bad influence on their kids. FRANK How so? AMY He cut school, smoked pot. He was arrested for shoplifting. FRANK I know. I arrested him a couple of times myself. What were his parents like? AMY They seemed okay. They tried to do the right thing. He was the oldest of four, and I think they had their hands full. (pause) I don't see how any of this matters if Sean is deceased. FRANK It probably doesn't matter. But we need to talk to anyone who could have had a key to the meetinghouse cellar. And that includes Sean's family. Were they still members of the meeting when Sean was killed in Iraq? II-7-41 AMY No, they left the meeting before then. FRANK Did you have any contact with Sean before he went to Iraq? AMY Very little. He and Ryan had drifted apart when Sean dropped out of high school. They reunited briefly for a time when Ryan was helping him to prepare for the GED. Then Ryan went off to NYU, and Sean enlisted in the National Guard. FRANK So when was the last time you saw Sean? AMY About two years ago. (She puts a hand up to her forehead, thinking.) FRANK What's wrong? AMY I know what I have in common with the other murder victims. FRANK Tell me. AMY We served together on a clearness committee. FRANK What was the purpose of your committee? AMY To see if Sean qualified for conscientious objector status. He was in the Guard only a few months when we invaded Iraq. When Sean's unit was to be deployed, he contacted the meeting and asked us to help him achieve CO status. FRANK Is that even possible if you're already in the military? AMY Yes, but it's a long and difficult process. There is a lot of paperwork to fill out and the government requires proof of the religious or moral conviction that prevents you from serving in combat.

FRANK Which is where your committee comes in. II-7-42 AMY Nancy put together a clearness committee consisting of me, Noah, Judy and Sibyl's father. We met with Sean to determine what his religious or moral convictions were. FRANK And? AMY He didn't seem to have any. What I mean by that is, he didn't seem to believe in the peace testimony. He just wanted to avoid going to Iraq. FRANK What was the committee's decision? AMY I felt we should keep Sean out of the war, no matter what. But the others felt it was hypocritical for us to say that Sean opposed the war for religious reasons if he really didn't. He hadn't attended meeting in years, and the committee worried about its own credibility in the CO application process should another person seek our help and be legitimately against the war for religious or moral reasons. FRANK So you were out-voted. AMY No, Friends operate by consensus. They needed me to either agree with them or stand aside so they could move forward. FRANK What did you do? AMY I...stood aside. FRANK And Sean went to Iraq and was killed. AMY Yes. FRANK You know for a fact that Sean was killed in Iraq? AMY Yes. I heard that his family met his coffin at Dover Air Force Base. FRANK Someone close to Sean may be avenging his death by killing off everyone on the clearness committee. II-7-43 AMY Do you really think one of his parents could be the murderer? FRANK It's possible. You mentioned that Sean had siblings. Do they live in the area? AMY I don't know. FRANK Okay, I'll run a check on that. If I can locate Sean's parents, I would like you to be there when I talk with them. AMY Why? FRANK It might put them at ease. I won't bring them down to the station. We can talk in the meetinghouse. AMY I don't know if I can face them, after what I did. FRANK You're tougher than you think. By the way, how did Ryan react to Sean's death? AMY Why do you ask? FRANK You said they were close at one time. It must have been hard on Ryan, after losing his father a couple of years before. AMY It was hard on him. It still is. ACT II SCENE 8 AT RISE: (FRANK and AMY sit at a table inside the Sun Valley Friends Meeting the next day. KEVIN and MELISSA WHITBY enter.) MELISSA (leaning forward to grasp AMY's hand) It's so good to see you, Amy. AMY It's good to see you too, Melissa. I've wanted to pay my respects since I heard the news about Sean. I'm so sorry for your loss. (AMY gestures to FRANK) This is Detective Frank Tucci. KEVIN We heard about Noah's death. He was terrific guy. MELISSA And Sibyl's father too. Such a shame. We have fond memories of everyone at Sun Valley Friends Meeting. AMY We lost someone else too. I don't know if you remember her. Her name was Judy Hall, and she was killed by a hit and run driver. MELISSA The First Day School teacher? Terrible! FRANK As I said on the phone, Mrs. Whitby, I'd like to ask you and your husband a few questions. KEVIN Of course we will cooperate in any way we can, but we haven't attended Sun Valley for a few years now. FRANK Mrs. Whitby... MELISSA Call me, Melissa, please. FRANK Melissa, Kevin, what do you know about Sean's activities before he was deployed? KEVIN How do you mean? II-8-45 FRANK Were you aware he applied to be a conscientious objector before he was deployed? KEVIN No. (looking at his wife) Were you? (MELISSA shakes her head no.) MELISSA But I'm not surprised. He was terrified of being sent to Iraq. AMY Sean asked for a clearness committee to help him with the CO application process. KEVIN Really? I thought he stopped going to meeting after we did. AMY That's true. But when he heard he was going to be deployed, he came back to meeting. KEVIN (with cynicism) That's just like Sean. Always trying to find an easy way out. MELISSA Don't, Kevin. KEVIN Enlisting was completely his idea, Detective. We tried to talk him out of it. MELISSA (quietly) He never listened. AMY This must be very hard for you. KEVIN You don't know the half of it. (KEVIN clutches MELISSA's hand.)

AMY This is very difficult for me to say, but the clearness committee decided not to help Sean apply for CO status because he... did not seem to be doing it for religious or moral reasons. II-8-46 MELISSA Oh. FRANK All the members of the clearness committee that decided not to help your son gain CO status have been murdered, except for Amy. And the killer has already made an attempt on her life. KEVIN Good lord. FRANK Can you think of anyone in your family who would be so angry about Sean dying in Iraq that they might want to commit murder? MELISSA Of course not! KEVIN What you suggesting? That one of our other children — MELISSA How dare you! FRANK Please calm down. I know it's unlikely, but I have to ask these questions. MELISSA Is that why you invited us here today? To accuse someone in our family of murder? AMY Melissa, no — KEVIN If the meeting had helped Sean, he would be alive today and no one would be murdered! AMY You're right, Kevin. FRANK I realize this is very upsetting, but I will need to speak to Sean's siblings at some point. MELISSA (with contempt) Do what you have to do, Detective. Our family has nothing to hide. KEVIN Are we free to go? II-8-47 (FRANK nods.) The next time you ask us questions, we'll bring a lawyer. (MELISSA AND FRANK exit.) II-8-48 AMY I don't think my being here helped at all. FRANK Maybe not. But it was worth a try. (pause) Is Ryan okay? AMY Why? FRANK I don't think he likes me very much. When he was leaving yesterday, he told me he has not registered for selective service. AMY Oh, for heaven's sake. FRANK I think he was looking to pick a fight. AMY Steven encouraged him not to register. FRANK Doesn't that affect his financial aid? AMY Yes, but Steven's parents were pretty well off and left a sizable trust fund for Ryan's education. FRANK Doesn't seem fair, does it? AMY What doesn't? FRANK Kids with no trust funds can't afford to take a stand like that. They have to register if they want to go to college. AMY Well, it's no secret that the military exploits low-income students with a promise of a steady paycheck and money for college. FRANK I guess you could consider me exploited then. (Suddenly, lights inside the meetinghouse flicker and go out. FRANK draws his gun and motions to AMY to be still. He cautiously looks out the window.) II-8-49 AMY We blew a fuse. (FRANK is unconvinced. He slowly approaches the door to the meeting, gun ready.) AMY Really. Our system is very old. (FRANK opens the door and looks outside. Satisfied, he puts his gun back inside his holster.) FRANK Where's the fuse box? AMY In the cellar. I'll show you. FRANK No, stay here. I'll find it. AMY Don't be silly. FRANK (firmly) Stay. Here. (FRANK exits. AMY gets up from the table and sits down on one of the benches used for worship. She closes her eyes and places her hands on her knees. She breathes deeply. She sits quietly for a few moments. FRANK reappears and watches her from a distance. Her eyes open.) AMY Did you find the fuse box? FRANK Yes, but you're out of fuses. You really should convert to circuit breakers. You know, join the 21st Century. Got any candles?

AMY Candles aren't permitted in an historic building. FRANK What were you doing a minute ago? Praying? II-8-50 AMY No. I was trying to remember what it felt like to be in meeting for worship. FRANK So what's a worship service like? AMY Friends sit quietly, waiting for the spirit to move them. FRANK For how long? AMY About an hour. FRANK And people just sit there, not speaking, the whole time? AMY Pretty much. The Bible says, "Be still and know that I am God." FRANK No one speaks at all? AMY One or two people might speak. FRANK About what? AMY It varies. Sometimes someone will offer a small prayer or quote a passage from a spiritual book, like the Bible, or even the Torah, or the Koran. Often, the person just makes an observation. FRANK An observation? AMY Yes. Something like, "Today I noticed how beautiful the autumn leaves are, and it made me realize what a gift our planet Earth is." FRANK Did you ever speak? AMY No. Steven spoke enough for both of us. (MORE) II-8-51 AMY (CONT'D) (FRANK sits down next to her. He makes a point of sitting like she is, with his hands on his knees. He closes his eyes, then opens one and looks at her. AMY shakes her head and laughs softly.) FRANK Have you dated anyone since your husband passed away? AMY Not really. Do you date? FRANK Rarely. It's kind of difficult, with my hours and taking care of Natalie on weekends. But sometimes I think I'd like to get married again. You? AMY What? Get married again? No, I don't think so. FRANK How did you and Steven meet? AMY In the Peace Corps. Botswana. We were organizing food banks. FRANK Sounds noble. AMY I know it does, but do you want to know a secret? FRANK Shoot. AMY I didn't join the Peace Corps to help people. I joined to get away from my alcoholic father after I graduated from college. I was drawn to Steven because he was so altruistic... FRANK Meaning... AMY Genuinely interested in helping people.

FRANK Ah. II-8-52 AMY I found his compassion very sexy. FRANK Sexy? (He looks around.) Can you say that word in the meetinghouse? AMY Don't be ridiculous. FRANK I have a confession too. AMY What's that? FRANK I didn't join the Marines because I was patriotic. AMY No? FRANK I was looking for a family. AMY What happened to your own family? FRANK I don't know what happened to my old man. He split when I was very young. My mom was bipolar and had trouble holding down a job. I remember one Thanksgiving the church dropped off a turkey, along with some other stuff. My mom was depressed and didn't want to cook it. But I kept pestering her. So she put it in the oven and told me when to take it out. I was really excited. A few hours later, I opened the oven, and there was the turkey, still in the plastic wrap. It was melted to the skin. We couldn't eat it. AMY What did you do? FRANK I took some change out of her purse and walked down to McDonald's. The place was empty, except for me, sitting there with a coke and some fries. (He laughs awkwardly.)

AMY How sad. FRANK Yeah, well, I turned out okay, thanks to the Marines. II-8-53 AMY But it sounds like you found a family at a terrible cost. FRANK It may seem like that to you, but I got more than I lost. Because of the Marines, I'm a better father to my daughter than my parents ever were to me. AMY I'm sure that's true. FRANK Hey, was he good looking? AMY Who? FRANK Your husband. AMY Why would you want to know that? FRANK Because I want to know if you're only attracted to good-looking men. AMY Are you self-conscious about your scars? FRANK Sometimes. AMY You needn't be. I think they give you character. FRANK Well, that's a new one. (They sit quietly for a moment.) AMY May I ask you a question? FRANK Sure. AMY Why police work? Wouldn't dealing with violence bring back painful memories of your time in the war? FRANK It does sometimes. (MORE) II-8-54 FRANK (CONT'D) For awhile, I went to a support group for vets with PTSD. But I came to realize that dealing with violence may be all I know. It pays the bills. And I have my daughter to support. AMY Are you very close? FRANK Close enough, I guess. Teenage girls are tricky, even when they have Downs Syndrome. AMY I bet she's very special to you. FRANK Sure. Whenever I feel upset, you know, feel like my blood pressure's going up, I call her. Just hearing her voice calms me down. She has this...I don't know what you'd call it. A kind of light around her. AMY Friends believe there is that of God in every person. Sometimes we refer to that divine presence as the Inner Light. FRANK I don't think that's true, God being in every person. I've seen too much. AMY I'm not saying I believe it all the time either. I guess that makes me a hypocrite. FRANK Or human, like me. (They sit quietly for another moment or two. ) AMY Perhaps it's time we end our meeting for worship. FRANK How do we do that? AMY Give me your hand. (FRANK gives AMY his hand, and she shakes it.) ACT II SCENE 9

AT RISE: (AMY'S kitchen later that evening. AMY and FRANK enter the kitchen. Empty beer bottles are on the kitchen table. RYAN is leaning against the kitchen counter, waiting for them.) AMY Ryan, why aren't you at school? RYAN My classes were canceled so I came home for the weekend. Where have you been? AMY At the meetinghouse. (RYAN studies FRANK) RYAN How's your investigation going? Is my mom being a big help to you? FRANK (understanding RYAN's meaning) Take it easy, son. Nothing's happened. RYAN (to AMY) Sibyl's been trying to reach you. AMY Oh, my gosh, I completely forgot we are burying her father in two days. I better call Ben right away. (She exits.) RYAN (to FRANK) Why are you still here? I can take care of my mom. FRANK I know you can.

RYAN So how long were you in the Marines? II-9-56 FRANK Fifteen years. (RYAN takes an unsteady step towards FRANK.) RYAN You know, my father devoted his whole life to cleaning up the messes your kind make in the world. FRANK Why don't you sit down? (RYAN takes another step toward FRANK. AMY enters.) AMY It's all arranged. I reached Ben and he is free to open the grave tomorrow morning, thank heavens. FRANK (to AMY) I think Ryan could use some coffee. AMY (looking at RYAN) Are you drunk? RYAN A little. (AMY tries to take RYAN's arm.) AMY Well, sit down. RYAN (shaking off her hand) No! The detective and I are getting to know each other. Aren't we, Frank? FRANK (to AMY) It's been a long day. I'll give you a call tomorrow. RYAN (to FRANK) Wait a minute. I'm not done talking with you.

FRANK Sleep it off, son. We'll talk later. II-9-57 RYAN Did my mother tell you how my father died? AMY Ryan! RYAN (to FRANK) Maybe you saw it on tv. It was in all the papers too. (AMY holds her arms out, as if trying to stop RYAN from speaking.) AMY Ryan, no. RYAN The Taliban ambushed him on his way to work. They dragged him from the car, put a hood over his head — AMY (tearfully) Why are you doing this? RYAN They took him to some remote location where they could videotape him pleading for his life — AMY Ryan, please. (She sits down, puts her head in her hands.) FRANK (to RYAN) You're upsetting your mother. Let's talk about it another time. RYAN NO! You're going to hear about it now. They said they would release him and other hostages if we withdrew our troops. (pause) Did we withdraw our troops? (agitated) Did we? FRANK No.

RYAN That's right. We didn't. So they cut off his head. Not fast. Slow. Really slow. Then they poured gasoline on his body and lit a match. II-9-58 FRANK I'm going now. Take care of your mother. She's upset. RYAN I'm not finished! They dragged his charred body through the streets. Big celebration! People poked at it with sticks. I still have the photo from Time Magazine, if you wanna see it. (FRANK shakes his head.) No? Course not. But you should know something, Frank. I'm at peace with my father's death. Wanna know why? Because my father died trying to build up the world, not tear it down. He didn't drop bombs on civilians. He didn't shoot up families at checkpoints. AMY (She jumps to her feet.) Stop it! * FRANK It's okay, Amy. RYAN (to FRANK) Go to hell. (to AMY) You too. (AMY slaps RYAN'S face hard. He reels backwards, clutching his cheek in shock.) RYAN Mom... AMY Go to bed. NOW! (RYAN exits.) FRANK Amy... AMY Please go, Frank. (He hesitates, then exits.) ACT II SCENE 10 AT RISE: (AMY's kitchen the next morning. AMY is making a pot of coffee. RYAN sheepishly enters, towel drying his face. He comes over to where Amy is standing and puts his head on her shoulder.) RYAN I'm an ass. AMY (tenderly) Yep, you are. (She pours him a cup of coffee and they both sit down.) RYAN I have something to ask you, and I want you to be honest with me. AMY Okay. RYAN Are you attracted to Frank Tucci? AMY Maybe. But not in the way you would expect. RYAN How can you be, after being married to a man like Dad?

(Amy hesitates, searches for the right words.) AMY Your father always knew who he was. He never questioned himself or pretended to be someone he was not. That's a very rare quality. RYAN I know. AMY But people like your father often see the world in terms of two extremes. Right and wrong. Black and white. No gray. No compromises... I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I'm saying I don't see the world the same way. II-10-60 RYAN You see the gray. AMY Yes. Don't you? RYAN Maybe. AMY You saw the gray in Sean Whitby. RYAN Yeah. AMY (reaching for Sean's hand) I loved your father. But it was exhausting being married to him. People who have such strong convictions often have very high expectations of themselves. And others. RYAN I know. That summer he caught me hiding beer in the cellar he fined me half my summer's pay at the library. AMY That sounds like your dad. (to herself) I've been so angry with him lately. RYAN You have? AMY For leaving us. And getting killed. RYAN It wasn't his fault, mom. AMY I know. But I wish he had stayed here and...I don't know...been a plumber or something. RYAN Frank could get killed too. AMY I realize that.

RYAN So what do you see in the guy? II-10-61 AMY (thoughtfully.) He's vulnerable. Like me. I don't think he has all the answers. I think he sees the gray. (AMY stands up.) Come here. (She pulls Ryan to his feet to give him a hug.) RYAN Do you forgive me? AMY Do you have to ask? RYAN That was the first time you ever hit me. AMY Not true. I spanked your bottom when you were three years old because you wouldn't keep your seat belt on. RYAN Some pacifist you are. (They stop hugging.) RYAN What time is Sibyl's dad being buried tomorrow? AMY The memorial service is at nine, so the burial will be around ten. Why? Are you attending? RYAN I thought I would. (He puts his coffee cup in the sink.) I was thinking it would be nice to do something for Sean in the burial ground. We could plant a tree in the Peace Garden in memory of him. (AMY begins loading the dishwasher.) AMY That's a lovely idea. We could invite his family to dedicate it. Although, they may not want to attend. They are pretty angry with me right now. RYAN Even if they weren't mad at you, I wouldn't count on them. His home life was pretty messed up. II-10-62 AMY Really? RYAN I think so. The Whitbys were a little nuts. AMY How so? RYAN Before they joined the meeting, they home-schooled their kids to protect them from negative influences in the outside world, Sean told me. AMY Just because they home schooled doesn't mean they were bad parents. RYAN I know, but they were pretty extreme. Religious fanatics, Sean said. They believed God told them to adopt all their kids. (AMY stops loading the dishwasher.) AMY Sean was adopted? RYAN Yeah. All the kids were. You didn't know that? AMY How old was Sean when he was adopted? RYAN Eight or nine, I think. He lived in foster care for quite a while first. AMY Poor kid. RYAN He found his dad though. AMY Are you serious? RYAN Why? What's wrong?

AMY When did he find his father? II-10-63 RYAN (shrugging) After the Whitbys left the meeting. Before he graduated high school. He found his father searching some kind of database. AMY Who was he? RYAN I don't know. He never told me. I just know he found him. AMY This could be important, Ryan. (She picks up the phone and calls FRANK.) Darn. (to RYAN) It went to voice mail. (into phone) Frank, this is Amy. I have some information about Sean Whitby. He was adopted. His birth father may be in the area. Please call me right away. RYAN Why is it such a big deal that Sean was adopted? AMY Because someone is so mad that Sean died, he's willing to murder anyone who may have been responsible. And if he found his birth parent... RYAN He could be the murderer. AMY I have to check on Ben's progress up at the burial ground. I will take my cell phone with me in case Frank calls me back. RYAN I'll come with you. RYAN AMY No, stay here in case Frank calls the house phone. My cell phone reception at the burial ground is not always the best. (AMY grabs a backpack and exits.) ACT III SCENE 1 AT RISE: (Sun Valley Friends Burial Ground. BEN is sitting on the ground, his back resting against a headstone. He seems dazed. AMY rushes to BEN and leans over him.) AMY Ben! Are you okay? BEN I'm okay. I just felt faint for a minute. AMY (She removes her backpack and places it on the ground next to her. She rifles through it and pulls out a water bottle.) Drink some water. BEN No, thanks. I just got tired. You know, digging graves...it makes a man think. AMY I'm sure it does. Let me help you up. (BEN gets up. They both look at the small grave he has just dug.) AMY At least you're digging graves for urns instead of caskets. BEN Yeah, that' true. AMY I will feel so relieved when this business is over. BEN Do the police have any leads? AMY Yes, I think so.

BEN That's good. Hey, I have something to ask you. III-1-65 AMY Yes? BEN Do you think I could be buried here? Even though I'm not a member of the meeting? AMY Of course. BEN You see, I need to make a plan. AMY Are you all right, Ben? BEN I got Colon cancer. AMY I'm sorry. Are you in treatment? BEN Nah. It's pretty far along. I decided not to do chemo. Doctors didn't think it would do much good. AMY That will be rough on your boy. BEN Yeah, I know. But you will bury me here, won't you? You give me your word? AMY I give you my word, Ben. BEN (He takes up a shovel.) I better get back to work. (FRANK enters.) FRANK Amy, I got your message. Can we talk? (They move to another corner of the burial ground while BEN continues to dig the grave.)

AMY So you got my message that Sean was adopted. FRANK That's what Ryan told you? III-1-66 AMY Yes. FRANK That may not be accurate. AMY What do you mean? FRANK Ryan has not been truthful with you, Amy. AMY What are you talking about? FRANK I had to check on everyone's alibi for Noah Winslow's murder, okay? It's routine. I contacted NYU. Ryan hasn't been attending classes. His roommate hasn't seen him for a couple weeks now. That's why he's been coming home so often. AMY You had no right to call his school. FRANK Amy, be reasonable. I have to check everyone's alibi. AMY You can't be suggesting that my son is a murderer! He grew up with members of our meeting. They are like family to him. FRANK But he was close to Sean too, wasn't he? Didn't he resent the meeting for not keeping Sean out of harm's way? AMY But that would mean my own son tried to kill me! FRANK He may have known you would be able to get out of the shed. Pretending to threaten you may have been a way to avoid suspicion. AMY You're crazy. FRANK Your son has strong convictions. You know that.

AMY He's not a killer! (becoming more upset) You need to leave now! III-1-67 FRANK Let's go back to your house, where we can both talk to Ryan. AMY No! I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm going to talk with Ryan alone and get him a lawyer. FRANK Okay. Just try to stay calm. AMY How can I stay calm? You're accusing my son of murder! Maybe he stopped going to classes because he is troubled, or depressed. It's true he hasn't been himself lately. That doesn't make him a killer. FRANK (FRANK tries to take AMY'S arm, but she shakes it off.) AMY Let go of me! (Suddenly BEN charges over, shovel raised above his head. He brings it down on FRANK's head. FRANK collapses.) Ben, what are you doing? (AMY kneels down next to FRANK's unconscious body. BEN stands over FRANK'S body, breathing heavily.) BEN He was hurting you, wasn't he? AMY No, he wasn't. You've attacked a police detective. You're going to be in a lot of trouble now. BEN I'm not afraid. AMY (AMY stands up and tries to call 9-1-1 on her cell phone, but BEN grabs her phone.) AMY What's wrong with you? III-1-68 BEN I don't want you calling the police. AMY But Detective Tucci is hurt. (BEN holds AMY's phone out to her.) BEN Call Ryan. Tell him to come here. AMY Why? BEN I need to see him. AMY Why? BEN A son for a son. (They stare at each other.) AMY You're Sean's father. BEN That's right. AMY I thought your boy was 16. BEN He was, when he found me. Sean was all I had after his mother left. They had no right to take him from me. AMY Who? BEN The social workers. Stuck him in foster care. Said I was crazy. AMY You're not crazy, Ben. Just upset. Help me take care of Detective Tucci, and we can talk. BEN You don't know how it was! I was stuck in a hospital. My boy helped me get out of there. Said he would take care of me. He got a job, joined the National Guard. "Extra paycheck, pop," he told me. Then the war started. At first, I wasn't too worried. (MORE) III-1-69 BEN (CONT'D) Sean told me he was a Quaker. I said, "You mean, you don't believe in driving cars and using electricity?" And he laughed. "That's Amish, pop," he told me. Then he said being a Quaker was going to get him out of the war. (pause) You were supposed to help him. AMY I know. BEN When he died, I almost killed myself. Then I had another idea. I took some money Sean saved and bought a back hoe. I thought I could dig graves for a living...until I could make you people pay for what you done to my boy. AMY So you killed Noah... BEN I had a key to the cellar. Sean showed it to me once. I found the meetinghouse directory. I called Noah. I pretended to be a neighbor complaining about kids hanging around the meetinghouse at night. I told him the light was out over the cellar steps. You know about the others, I guess. AMY Ben, you need help. (BEN holds the phone out again to AMY.) BEN Call Ryan. AMY I can't do that, Ben. (BEN pulls a knife from an inside pocket of his jacket.) BEN Call Ryan or I kill the detective. AMY I can't! (BEN kneels down and places the knife against FRANK's neck.) III-1-70 BEN Call him, I said! AMY (AMY takes her phone and dials it. She tries to sound composed.) Ryan, it's mom. Can you come to the burial ground? No, everything's okay. I'm just thinking about... all we've been through. Listen, Ben and I need your help getting ready for the memorial service. (She hangs up the phone.) BEN Is he coming? AMY Yes. What will you do when he gets here? BEN I'm going to tell him what I told you. A son for a son. AMY Please don't hurt him, Ben. He's all I have. BEN Sean was all I had! (AMY kneels down on the ground next to FRANK's body, looks up at BEN.) AMY If only you knew how guilty I feel about Sean's death. BEN That doesn't help me! AMY And killing Ryan will? BEN People have to pay for their sins, Amy. AMY I know what you're feeling, Ben. BEN How can you? AMY My husband was killed in Iraq, not long after Sean died. (MORE) III-1-71 AMY (CONT'D) I thought maybe I deserved it, because I did not keep Sean safe. I should have stood up to the meeting, insisted we protect Sean. But I was weak. I'm sorry. BEN I believe you. When I put the tear gas in the shed, I didn't want you to suffer. I wanted it to be quick. You were always kind to me. But then I realized it would be better to just take Ryan. AMY (in desperation) But Ryan never did anything to Sean. They were friends! Ryan doesn't deserve to die. BEN But I want you to know what it feels like to lose a son. That's the whole point, Amy. C'mon now. AMY Would Sean really want you to kill Ryan? BEN Sean's dead. He no longer feels any pain. (BEN sees RYAN approach.) BEN There he is. (RYAN stands uncertainly a few yards away, trying to assess the situation.) RYAN Mom, what's going on? Is Frank okay? BEN No, we think he had a stroke or something. We called 9-1-1. RYAN (taking a step towards FRANK) Did you try CPR? (BEN secretly readies the knife.) AMY Ryan, don't come any closer! (to BEN) Don't do it, Ben! I mean it! (BEN takes a step closer to RYAN.) III-1-72 AMY Ben! (BEN lunges at RYAN with the knife. AMY shoots BEN with FRANK's gun, which she has secretly removed from FRANK's inside jacket holster. BEN stumbles and falls while RYAN looks on in horror.) ACT III SCENE 2 AT RISE: (Sun Valley Friends Meeting, some time later. Meeting for Worship has just ended. MEMBERS are leaving the meetinghouse. AMY is among them. FRANK stands nearby, waiting for AMY to notice him. When she does, she walks towards him.) FRANK Morning. AMY Morning. FRANK How's Ryan? AMY He's managing. FRANK And you? AMY The same. Ryan and I are in counseling. FRANK That's good, I guess. AMY It is. I hadn't realized how much our relationship was in trouble. FRANK You also go to meeting now. AMY Yes. FRANK Does it help? AMY Sometimes.

FRANK I hope you're not praying for forgiveness, Amy. You had no choice. III-2-74 AMY Nancy Clark once told me, we always have a choice. FRANK Okay, so you chose life for your son. AMY I know. I'm not praying for forgiveness. I just try to hold people I care about in the Light. FRANK What people? AMY Sometimes it's my son or my husband. Sometimes it's Ben and Sean. And sometimes it's you and your daughter. FRANK Really? AMY Yes. FRANK What does that mean exactly, holding someone in the Light? AMY Would you like me to tell you over a cup of coffee? FRANK Sure. (They begin walking towards AMY's carriage house.) AMY Afterwards, I have to stop by the burial ground. I want to check on a Eastern redbud tree that was delivered. We're planting it for Sean in the Peace Garden. FRANK And his father? AMY He'll be buried beneath it. FRANK The meeting doesn't mind burying someone who murdered their own? AMY Well, I told the meeting that I promised Ben he would be buried there. And Friends believe there is that of God in everyone, even those who lose their way. III-2-75 FRANK That's a tough one to wrap my mind around. AMY I know. FRANK I have another question. AMY Okay. FRANK What do Friends say when they hope for an answer to a problem? I read something about it in Faith and Practice, but I don't recall it exactly. AMY We say, "Way will open." FRANK I like that. (to himself) Way will open. AMY What problem are you trying to solve? FRANK I'm trying to get to know someone better. But it's complicated. I'm not sure it will work out. (They stop at her front door.) AMY Maybe you should come to meeting sometime. FRANK That would be kind of strange, don't you think, considering my occupation? AMY Not really. Didn't I ever tell you the story of William Penn and George Fox, the founder of the Religious Society of Friends? (pause) William Penn became a Quaker but refused to stop carrying a sword. When Penn asked George Fox what he thought of that, Fox replied, "Wear the sword as long as you can."

FRANK Meaning? III-2-76 AMY Meaning...it was up to William Penn to decide when he was able to put down his sword. No one could make that decision for him. FRANK Smart man, that George Fox. AMY We think so. (FRANK takes AMY's hand and they walk inside her carriage house together.)