Act 7, Scene 1: Munch’s Apartment, aka: the fence
Munch’s apartment is a mixture of good
furniture and stacked boxes; most have labels indicating high value merchandise.
Munch may be male or female, older (middle-aged), business type but
slightly seedy although well enough dressed.
As lights come up, Munch is seated at a
table with a laptop computer and a calculator.
He/she is using one hand to punch numbers on the calculator and appears
displeased with the results. The other hand is holding a phone to his/her ear.
Stage right, the burglar is seated in the
back seat of an automobile (or automobile seat) with three packages visible in
the passenger’s seat. One is a
briefcase, the second a “day-tripper” bag and the third is a longer tube,
long enough to contain the katana sword. He/she
is holding a cellphone to his/her ear.
Burglar: “Forget it! I’ve told you before, I don’t do jobs to order.” (covers mouthpiece with hand, addresses audience) “I don’t do jobs at all now. I’m retired. But there’s no profit in telling him(/her) that.” (uncovers mouthpiece) “Aside from which, I believe you still owe me for some gem stones. I don’t like waiting.”
Munch: “I told you; you’ll have the money in a few days.”
Burglar: “All of it by the end of the week, okay?”
Munch: (punching numbers again) “Thirty, okay?”
Burglar: (grimaces) “Forty-five and quit trying to screw me.”
Munch: (angrily) “I’m not …”
Burglar: (interrupting) “Just pony up the forty-five and quit arguing.” (covering the mouthpiece, addressing the audience) “If he doesn’t, he’ll regret it – about two kilos of coke worth. He’ll never find it but, with a tip, the police will.” (uncovering the mouthpiece) “I’ll talk to you when the money’s in my account. Until later …” (breaks the connection)
(pause)
Voice
from offstage (as if taxi driver): “You
said Northwest right, buddy?”
Burglar:
“Northwest Air, right! First stop
Tokyo Narita, change to
Voice: “You traveling on business?”
Burglar: “More like pleasure, I’ve just retired.” (smiles, looks at audience) “Definitely retired. A little business, of course, since Mister Nakamoto will meet me at the airport – the Executive Lounge – to take possession of a valuable artifact.” (grins broadly) “Looks a safe guess that he also has the headlines written: ‘Japanese Businessman Recovers National Treasure.’ No, make that ‘Prominent Japanese Businessman…’ He certainly will be if he’s not already.” (pause) “Hell, I can retire on what he’s paying alone – if it weren’t for the principal of the thing, Munch’s forty-five would be petty cash.” (clasps hands behind head, still smiling) “You know, I think I owe the newlyweds something. Something nice. Think they’d like a valuable copy of the Kama Sutra? … Delivered anonymously, of course. … But maybe with a note: ‘Sorry about the picnic’?”
(fade to black both sets, curtains remain open, cast gathers for curtain call)