Fragments by Julian Simpson
Teenager Kelly Ryan and her parents move to Pleasant Green, an exclusive village forty minutes from London.
They are a nice ordinary family with plenty of money.
She has a good education, never been in trouble.
But two months later she has murdered a seventy year old retired Royal Marine.
Why?
CAST:
John Carlisle (Grant)
Lesley Sharp (Mrs Ryan)
Philip Glenister (Mr Ryan)
Sarah Smart (Kelly)
Daniel Ryan (Carter/Gym Instructor)
Sean Gallagher (Haynes
Nicola Walker (Mrs Wilson)
Will Keen (Dr Mortimer/Estate Agent).
Broadcast Assistant: Sarah Tombling
Sound Engineer: Nick Russell Pavier
Producer: Karen Rose
Friday Drama: Fragments
First broadcast: Friday 31st August 2007, 21:00 on BBC Radio 4 FM
Testing testing 1 2 3 of everywhere the mar went the lamb was my name is Major John BR Ro Marines the TS this is Operation Pleasant gree operant I don’t know who is listening to this yeah looks like the place command and control this is a real operation look at
All this stuff what we got there listing devices bugs and stuff he must have planted tapes uh yeah yeah a box of them down here labeled by date he’s got back mons what a leing I’ve got rubber stamps print outs posters you are not safe so
This is where those came from too the range can we play those tapes he’s got a machine you want to play them here oh while we’re looking around CH the earliest one in testing testing one two three that in yeah Mary a little lamb it’s fleece as white as
Snow sweet and everywhere that Mary went the lamb was short to go my name is Major John Grant Ro Marines the ties this is Operation Pleasant green I don’t know who is listening to this I don’t know if I’m alive or dead a hero or a
Villain I don’t even know what I’m about to do will work whoever is listening to this I hope my actions May sense or I hope at least that this account will make sense of them pause it a second Carter you were at Grand’s house in his shed yeah out
Okay all right thanks for letting me know yeah we’re heading back now then hospital he died 12 minutes ago we should get back bring the tape so let see the crime take care of all these other bits Pleasant green population 676 40 mi from Central London there’s
Been a settlement here since sometime in the Middle Ages I think I should look back up really doesn’t do to be shy say sometime in the middle ages for now I’ll come back and the point is tradition the point I’m trying to make taped interview with Kelly Ryan
September the 16th 2007 I’m detective inspector Michael Carter also present detective Sergeant William Haynes Miss Ryan has declined legal representation okay Miss Ryan is indicating that she’s happy to continue you need me to speak I’m sorry for the tape you asked if I was okay I nodded you need me to
Say something we can cover that I need you to concentrate on answering the questions but you could be wrong you could misinterpret what I’d do we’ve been doing this a long time I’m just saying I could shrug or something and it might not mean what you think it means
Could give the wrong impression of me well if you’re worried about that you should try to answer everything verbally yes I think that would be better you’re happy to proceed I am happy to proceed yes John Grant died Kelly When about an hour ago was he was he in any
Pain would it bother you if he was I don’t think it would bother him why not he was a soldier he wasn’t frightened of pain I don’t think he was frightened of anything we just want to get to the bottom of this I understand are you going to help us well
That’s why I’m here you’re here because we arrested you for attempted murder you’re now facing an actual ual murder charge I understand that so why did you do it to get the neighbors talking I’m not against modernization far from it this is not the voice of
Some old fogy who wants everything to be as it was progress defines us as human beings and you can’t stand in the way of it you can’t but something is happening to Pleasant green something that looks like progress but isn’t something like a virus whatever it is it’s it’s fooling
People and it’s destroying us all it’s electric gates and CCTV cameras and Pates there’s a book I read long time ago a virus had infected the planet turned everyone into vampires except this one man the last man on earth I feel like that man I Am Legend lifetime
Opportunity then you don’t say no to it would you wipe your feet K packed everything up put it into storage taking the first available fight over there lucky then we’ love to go to Hong Kong you hate going abro Robert’s job takes him all over the world come on
Through this V just stays everything is is part of the lot yeah and what if we don’t want it Robert collects antiques well I can email the owners and ask them to make arrangements for any items that you don’t want and as you can see views out to the
Front and rear of the property Kelly don’t wander off and as you can see the high fences provide total privacy we couldn’t get planning permission for where we are now well Pleasant green has become a very popular destination for wealthy people after a place in the countryside obviously privacy and
Security are a concern so the local Council has should we say relaxed its rules over the past few years do those cameras work abs absolutely there’s complete CCTV coverage of the exterior of the property also a state-of-the-art alarm system on all the doors and windows with motion
Sensors in all the rooms and all linked up to the local police station obviously nothing’s perfect but this is as close to in the proof as you’re going to get oh is there a lot of crime in the Area CCTV coverage of the exterior of the property also a state-of-the-art alarm system on all the doors and windows with most in all the room we found the listening devices up behind the curtain rail voice activated broadcas into a recorder out in the field on the other side of the garden
Fence so we must have put it there before the ran were shown round how I talked to the estate agent Grant made an appointment to view the place as soon as it went on the Market about a week before the Ryan saw it the agent remembers him says he didn’t look like
He had two pennies to rub together but showed him around anyway they get a lot of people just wanting to have a nose he must have planted it then and just recorded random stuff all these tapes just Snippets of conversation sounds him talking occasionally just running off at the
Mouth what is this what is the point search me maybe there is my point an 18-year-old girl moves to Pleasant green with her family a nice ordinary family plenty of money she’s got a good education good kid she’d never been in trouble two months after they move in she’s murdered a 70-year-old retired
Royal Marine who it turns out has been planting bugs all over the village and secretly recording all this this rubbish somewhere in here somewhere there’s a point you want to talk to her again leather sweat I want to go back in there with something okay keep going none ironically none at
All pretty much everyone has a system like this which is probably why too much bother you’re average criminal that were true in London well Pleasant green certainly isn’t London what’s that face for K I lived in London myself for 12 years loved it but don’t worry you soon make the
Adjustment Wild Horses wouldn’t drag me back to clap them there there’ll be people your age it’s quite a few actually and here’s Pleasant green they are pop stars actors they seem to think it’s a pretty cool place let me show you the kitchen I think you’re going to be impressed this
Is time keep up Kelly there was a barn on the edge of the Johnson’s Farmland a big old solid watland door building I remember Mr Johnson telling me it dated from tutor times there was a trapo in the corner that led down into this tiny Cellar apparently they used it
As a pries hold to hide Catholics the point is it had been there a long time I used to play there as a kid they turned it into a fitness Center 9 months ago I’m not allowed to join I’m too old apparently their insurance wouldn’t cover me if something
Happened he recorded you Kelly did you know that I’m shrugging hidden listening devices we found them in your house in the kitchen the bedrooms the lounge living room excuse excuse me the sofa in the living room not the C in the lounge I don’t follow you in a restaurant what
Is the thing you tuck into your shirt to keep food off your tie Ser yet I’m smiling should we cut this crap out now are you allowed to say crap I can say what I like because we are being recorded so I’m shrugging John never swore is that why
You killed him I’m rolling my eyes none of this makes any sense to me Kelly because you’re out of practice am I how many crimes do you investigate a year here within my jurisdiction or just in Pleasant green just here outside of the cold blooded murder of an elderly
Man I’m sighing the tape got that there’s almost no crime in Pleasant green there will be in here did you see the person see him no this came through the door what with the post I don’t know there was no other post today so it could have been put through by someone
Else maybe it’s some kind of promotion you are not safe that’s it I know what kind of a promotion is that uh what do they call that Viral is it viral marketing I don’t like having junk put through the door oh what can you do there must be someone to
Complain to who well when it becomes clear what they’re promoting I’ll right to them and complain it might not be a promotion what then well what if what what if we’re the only people that got it what if it’s for us a message from who I I don’t know well did the
Neighbors get it I haven’t asked we haven’t met them yet we haven’t even seen them yet well people keep themselves to themselves throw it away you don’t think it’s anything it’s a promotion yes where’s Kelly today uh out looking around I suppose getting the LIE of the land alone I suppose
Okay we should know where she goes I’ll mention it I mean it’s not to be controlling I mean she’s old enough to do what she wants just um just so we know I’ll say something I don’t like people putting junk through the door I mean it’s not to be controlling
When she’s old enough to do what she wants just um just so we know I’ll say something come in oh Mrs Wilson good morning take a seat thank you Doctor good morning just um bear with me one second it’s just for a repeat prescription I understand yeah
Ah and you feel it’s working I feel better in myself because it’s been it’s been six months hasn’t it since that you’ve been on this medication well I I haven’t really been keeping track I if if that’s what it says on there give I’ll take a few days is that bad in what
Sense the two have been taking pills for that long any side effects uh not that I’m aware of I think it’s all right we’re only treating the symptoms though well I don’t I don’t think therapy was that what you were about to say therapy yes I think we talk I don’t think I’d
Have anything to say you talk don’t you while they listen sometimes I don’t think I’d have anything to say you just talk about whatever’s on your mind problems concerns uh everyday things often I don’t really think like that Jeff with been working late a lot um
They have a big project on oh so you’re not seeing much of him first thing in the morning last thing at night and Sarah they’ve just put her into the uh tennis team so she’s over the moon oh I didn’t feel like she played or badminton maybe it’s badminton not tennis and
You pastimes Hobbies well who who really has the time these days that you fill your days oh oh yes I yes and your son’s at University isn’t he abedine he loves it is he home for the summer actually no uh he’s traveling around Europe with some friends and
Sarah’s going away for a few weeks with the school so something came through the letter box the other day oh yes a piece of paper it said it said you are not safe not safe that’s all it said all it said yeah we got one
Of those at home and here at the surgery I imagine it’s a it’s a promotion of some sort for what I don’t know you know how these things are I’m sure all them come clear in time it didn’t bother you not really you no you were thinking of joining the
Health club um oh yes last time we spoke did you get around to that no no well a good exercise regimen might be diet and exercise they say don’t they they do maybe I’ll look into the health club yeah good all right then well it’s nice to see you Mrs
Wilson you can collect your prescription on the way out I’m wrestling with a mission statement something that will make my intentions clear so that people will understand what I’m doing and why it runs contrary to what I know to what I’ve been taught never let them know your gay
Plan but I am waging a war the war must H State goal otherwise it becomes perpetual and I don’t have perpetuity a piece of paper it Said that’s all it said you are not safe you are not safe that’s all it saids he was dying anyway did you know that Kelly my face is blank you don’t have to keep doing that why don’t you videotape these interviews because we don’t that’s your answer Kelly did you know he was
Dying see I think it’s better if I say something better than just sign don’t you think he had prostate cancer he’d been given 6 months at the most he must have been in a lot of pain did you feel sorry for him I’m staring Straight Ahead why are you doing
This you’re not denying what you’ve done you’re not explaining it you don’t want a lawyer maybe I watch too much television what’s that supposed to mean your detectives detect as opposed to there was no mission statement he never defined Victory what victory he worried about that he didn’t ever outline the
Parameters of Victory there should have been boxes to tick so that we’d know when we’d Won Won what a war I’m shrugging war against who whom against whom what do you think you’re investigating the murder of Major John Grant and that’s it that is the crime that’s been
Committed and if I confess Case Closed if you tell us why I think you have to find out why now through the tapes there is a hint of a smile on my face the tapes explain nothing then you’re not really listening I spent my savings on audio equipment video would have been better
Probably but I simply couldn’t stretch it as it is I’ve had to take both my credit cards up to their limits it has occurred to me that my skills might have been put to good use against the credit companies government licensed loan Shar is all
They are if we all just stood up refused to play they’d Grumble overnight and I’m 70 years old I know well can’t pick that fight now my tiny Victory is that I’ll die owing the money and leave no one to pay it back sometimes I wonder if I’m doing
This just to sit down at the table one more time to play one more hand but if there’s a fight to be had you’re joining the right side does it matter what your motives are last night I broke into Dr mortimer’s surgery had a look through the patient files and prescription
Records the most prescribed drug in this little slice of paradise is anti-depressants I don’t like being smart mouthed by a teenage girl I’m getting sick of it she’s bright though doesn’t give her license if we go in there and start closing her down she won’t tell us a thing oh oh because
She’s really spilling the beans at the moment well she is in her way she doesn’t want to tell us anything but she she does want us to find out and she’s pointing Us in the right direction the types you said yourself they’re a mess but what if they’re not Hey what if
They’re exactly what Grant wanted them to be a portrait of this community warts and all what warts this place is like happy days where do you live you know where I live why don’t you live in Pleasant green on what we get all right if you could afford it would you move
Here the misses would would you no why not not my kind of place because it’s uh Snoopy a bourbon boring I suppose and you grew up around here was it always like that no no no my dad he used to take us to the uh the three
Horses for Sunday lunch once a month a proper Pub it was then proper food regulars propping up the bar till closing thick fog of [Â __Â ] smoke clinging to the ceiling and some Muppet turned it into a gastro pub 100 different kinds of wine food you can’t even pronounce and
Out in the rain with you if you fancy a puff it’s not just the pub the whole place is that now isn’t it what’ you mean Health Club Golf Course every house in the place has got CCTV High walls or Hedges they’ve sterilized it rich people
Want privacy they want yeah but is that what they need I don’t get you no I think I’m starting to get John Grant we interrupt this broadcast for an Urgent Message to the people of pleasant green you are not safe in your living rooms your kitchens behind your closed circuit cameras and
Your security systems double triple lock your dos and windows barricade yourselves into your hes you are not Safe yeah I’ve been calling you for half an hour is that true I’m not accustomed to having to traes all the way upstairs to talk to my daughter because her music is playing so loudly she can’t hear me calling really because you have to do it every day I thought you would be
Accustomed to it by now would you talk to your father like this if I ever saw him he works all the hours God sends to provide for us a little gratitude wouldn’t go a miss you didn’t come all the way up here to tell me what a mar dad is did
You these clothes both smell of smoke do they they wkak of smoke what kind of smoke you know very well what kind some of the people at school smoke do they now well they’re over 16 it’s not against the law well it should be I’m not interested in other people why do
Your clothes smell of smoke because I was standing with them while they were smoking well they must have been smoking an awful lot no there was an awful lot of them smoking a cigarette each you wouldn’t lie to me Kelly a it would be unheard you know the dangers of smoking
I think I do yes and it’s not clever no it’s not and there are other ways to be popular casual sex you mean that’s not funny and we don’t use that kind of language in this house we have your best interests at heart you know okay then Kelly I know
Mom you do I’m not trying to be some kind of Nag you’re 18 years old you’re not a child you need your space and we respect that all we ask is that while you live under this roof rentree that you respect the rules of this house no
Blacks no Irish I assume that’s a joke I didn’t understand it just be reasonable Kelly is all we ask if you say you weren’t smoking then I believe you because we have trust in this family do you understand I do yes good then we’ll say no more about it how was school fine
Good all right then my program’s about to start I’ll be downstairs okay Kelly yeah I’ll I’ll be Downstairs the RS moved into Pleasant green on the second second of July on the 15th of September Kelly Ryan kills John Grant when was that last tape 23rd of July there’s no indication they’ve even met the the Ryan house is on um Grove cresant grove cresant Grove cresant the car alarms
Um yeah yeah that was Grove prison yeah date 31st of July is there a date for that yeah yeah put it in hi Bob it’s Steven Mortimer good good how are you uh no no surgery starts in a couple of minutes so I thought I’d um but B
Have you been down to the club in the last few days really oh okay well well you know that piece of paper you said got pushed through your door we had the same thing at home and here at surgery You’re Not Safe that’s right yeah well someone spread it on the
Clubhouse wall Bob letters about fo or so high done with one of those stencils well it would have been in the middle of the night no one saw anything well there’s the thing I asked CL about it and he said whoever it was must have been standing in the blind
Spot of the cameras it’s uh well clyve was talking about this anti- graffiti paint you can get um no not for an isolated incident but um if it carries on exactly okay well well I should go um yes I’ll see you then you too bye
Yeah you have to let this one come down as slowly as you can that’s where it’s doing all the work a lot of people think it’s in the lifting but in this case it’s not it’s all about easing it down nice and slow mhm it’s quite heavy isn’t it too heavy
Because it’s about repetition so it shouldn’t feel too heavy for you Mrs Wilson I’m sure it’s fine all right well it’s 20 of those I’m writing all this down for you do you want to jump up and we’ll have a look at the next one well we’ll wait until this lady’s
Finished seems uh very busy well everyone’s moving from machine to machine in the circuit so you never have to wait more than a couple of minutes it it took me a long time to pluck up the courage if I’m honest you’ve been in Pleasant green a while oh 18 months or so now
Yes back when this place was an old bar yes you really transformed the place where did you live before London and my husband’s in the um city we were just off Baker Street wow nice change your pace here well we we didn’t um feel there was much of a sense
Of we have two children grown up almost now but um we we wanted a sense of a community if you can understand that well suppose in London you’ve got the restaurants and and and theaters and everything but no real sense of who your neighbors are yes no real contact no
With other people I guess whereas here it’s different what totally different kler fish I was quite active in in London oh was that right it was quite active Place little while to adjust yes how long does it take tell me how how long does it take to adjust well Um oh oh good that machine over there is free now oh for God’s sake what is that what does it sound like what time is it that noise is not enough you have to turn the light on it’s quter 3 what the hell is going on
It’s every bloody car out there in the street part in the drives half the streets wa now what the hell is going on car thieves the fastest car thieves in history don’t be snippy it’s a qu 3 in the bloody morning did I set the car alarms
Off his hours going off yes well stop it I’m going back to sleep good luck Blood go out to wait now is going on cigarette I don’t smoke that’s not true is it what is it about middle class kids you’re in a police station under arrest for murder and you’re worried about your parents finding out you smoke this is a workplace and you can’t smoke in a place
Of work it’s against the law we can be the judges of that I don’t think so your job is to catch people who break the law you don’t get to disregard it do you think we enjoy hearing all this clever talk from an 18 year old hadn’t given it
Much thought are you here for your own enjoyment no Kelly we’re not then it’s not really relevant is it I tell you what is relevant the 31st of July the car alarms do you remember the car alarms I slept through them no you didn’t John Grant recorded everything
Remember there was a hidden microphone in your room at the time the car alarms were going off you climbed back in through your window and closed it your window opens out onto the roof of the garage you were out there smoking a cigarette you have proof of that I I don’t need
Proof Kelly because beneath all this sarcasm and childish behavior my eyes you want us to know why you did it you want us to understand I I think you need us to understand my face is registering amazement at such deep psychological insight Sergeant Haynes just hit the
Desk I think he’s trying to scare me you were smoking a cigarette on the roof of the garage when the car alarm started going off you saw him then didn’t you Kelly that was the first time you saw John Grant Listen to August the second looks like it’s the whole street again
It’s four nights in a row this is ridiculous maybe it’s to do with the weather why is someone not doing something what can they do Patrol the street with a bloody gun all night what are you doing what does it look like I’m doing if I’m not going to
Be allowed to sleep I’ll get up then you’ll be tired tired tired I’ll beond tired CLA tired was Tuesday oh I hate it when you use my name like that where are you going well since you’re too busy gping I thought I might at least get our car to shut
Up 8 months ago the Johnson Farm itself was bought by a pop star and her husband a wall went up around the property with a big heavy gate and a Hightech security system occasionally you see a car with darkened Windows going in or coming out the public footpath that runs through
The property has been closed by order of the council in a newspaper interview the pop star said she moved to England from America because she had fallen in love with the English Countryside people their way of life in the eight months she has lived in Pleasant green no one has ever seen
Her are you going on a rampage hello are you planning to go crazy with a shotgun this is private property who’s there a trespasser can I come in I’m going to open the door if you have a gun you probably ought to give me some kind of verbal warning okay
People actually do spend time in guarden shs around here what do you want I love what you’ve done with the place you should get it on the Telly was that a low frequency emitter you were using to set off the car alarms I saw you the night before
Last your take recorder is still on you’re Kelly Ryan interesting I recognize your voice CL don’t shout Robert what what is it bloody Jokers what is it well clearly it isn’t enough to be woken up at all hours of the Night by these asbo cases do they not think for one second that
Some of us have to get up in the morning and earn a living what’s happened now tax all over the driveway metal tax scattered all over the driveway by the gate to what end to what end go outside and take a look at the two flat tires on
The car that’s to what end please don’t raise your voice to me Robert I haven’t had any more sleep than you bloody Jokers and you think this is deliberate think think I got out of the car and looked down the road there’s four other people standing there staring at their
Shredded tires CLA and we’re the first five people to leave this morning every single house has bloody tax in its driveway what’s going on they friends are yours who don’t start these bastards who think it’s so funny to inconvenience ordinary hardworking people am I supposed to know what he’s talking about
No you’re not Robert I understand you’re upset damn right I am but shouting at Kelly well that’s it I’m not going to be going to work today am I no one is by the look of it I’ll be in my room if anyone wants me Kelly you don’t have
To Robert what was the point in taking it out on Her I think that worked what’s Next instant reports for Pleasant Green from August the 2nd onwards acceleration God did no one comment on this at the time in addition to the car alarms which were reported going off in various sections of the village almost every night they the tax in the road vandalism
The golf club graffiti the cricket pitch what about it August the 4th someone got hold of the machine you that they um paint the white lines with by someone you mean John Grant yeah and wrote you are not safe across the whole length of the pitch and on the 5ifth of August
Every car parked on Rose Lane had its window shared and white paint poured all over over the Interiors they left over from the cricket pitch and on the same night the residents of Middle Lane woke up to find their Hedges on fire all the Privacy gone up in
Smoke you remember what Kelly Ryan said when we first interviewed her I asked her why she murdered Grant and she said to get the neighbors talking she was just being smart or honest maybe she was just telling the truth Gordon blackwoods the local butcher he took over the business from
His father who bought it from the previous owner just after the war Gordon says he’ll have to close the shop in 3 months time because he no longer gets enough custom to meet his overheads Gordon says the people of pleasant green buy their groceries on the internet nowadays and have them
Delivered to their door oh Mrs Wilson isn’t it hello again hello sorry no no it’s good to be out of breath 20 minutes a day a good cardiovascular exercise yeah I’ve been here every morning oh good for you starting to feel the difference H I’m not
Sure I think so have you thought about signing up for any classes the uh aanga yoga on Tuesdays and the Pilates class on Thursdays are both 4 1 2 3 4 and repeat and repeat and repeat good morning Pleasant green the staff and management of exercise in futility
Welcome you to the portion of your life you have devoted to exercise we would like to take this opportunity to make you aware of some of the facilities available to members to make your time with us even more worthwhile firstly some of you will have noticed that in between the ground floor
And the first floor mezzanine we have recently installed some stairs stairs hairs are a great way to build muscle strength in the legs increase mobility and improve cardiovascular fitness outside the club thousands of miles of roads have been provided to serve many of your Fitness needs for our
More adventurous members roads are a great place to walk jog run or cycle on those days when the exercise room is busy of course we also continue to provide an entirely artificial environment in which to fulfill the daily exercise requirement dictated by the magazine of your choice and before
You return to your dreary offices and your sterile homes please take the opportunity to spend £350 on the juice from two oranges in our fashionable organic juice bar thank you for listening Pleasant green the staff and management of exercise INF futility wish you another predictable empty day in the short run
Up to death and remember remember with our help you can prolong your life without ever living it wison have a seat so this is for aeat uh no excuse me it’s not for a repeat prescription oh oh I’m sorry uh what can I do for you there I’ve brought them
Back the rest of the pills the remainder of the prescription they don’t work Dr Mortimer um I I see um well perhaps we need to look at the um the dosage um we we could we could try an alternative I have looked into some Alternatives I was thinking of increasing my alcohol
Intake excuse me or experimenting with drugs I I don’t think it’s the same thing isn’t it really as the pills it’s just another way of keeping the world out I canceled my membership of the health club you weren’t enjoying it I felt uh Stupid there I think we ought to try a
Different type of medication no I’m sorry no I think we got off on the wrong foot um you’re a doctor I should only come and see you when there’s something wrong with me and there isn’t anything wrong with me those sheets of paper that came through everyone’s door that said you
Are not safe when I first saw that it frightened me because I thought it was some kind of threat yes but I don’t think it was a threat I think it’s an affirmation I don’t want to be safe Dr Mortimer the pills made me think I was so I don’t want them
Anymore Pleasant green stirs but there must be a final Act something that will resonate that will echo through the darkness long after I’m gone and note that sustains that keeps these sleepers awake hello CLA you sitting in the dark CLA why are you sitting in the dark it wasn’t dark when I sat
Down but people don’t sit in the dark this one does this one’s been in the dark for a while we’ve been drinking that would have been a good idea and then what just sitting Robert you’re not making any sense CLA I’m so sorry where’s Kelly out who knows where she
Goes is there supper no have you eaten no one of those takeaway menus kitchen drawer do you want anything no how did you find out an envelope came through the door an envelope there were photographs who put it through the door I don’t know there was no note just
Photographs old photographs CLA you were wearing the tie I bought you for your birthday 3 weeks ago what does it mean mean for us I don’t know do you love her no do you love me no is that why Kelly John Grant took those photographs and put them through your
Door John Grant ripped your family apart is that why you killed him hey I understand that anyone would a judge a jury bright young girl relocated to a new place away from her friends nothing to do Falls in with this this fun old guy who wants to play some pranks on the
Village things get a little out of hand there’s some property damage but no one gets hurt and then the old guy gets nasty he turns on her does something like this in the Heat of the Moment overwhelmed by the whole thing you do something I think anyone would understand Kelly he broke
Everything I didn’t know what else to do I’m crying Tides turn and turn again everything has its herb and Flow in some small way in this small place we have had success we have brought down the barriers between people we’ve opened the door and leted the outside world into Pleasant
Green we’ve Shone the light into the dark Corners where the cowards hide but the light goes out the door closes the tide turns the flow ABS an animal raising captivity cannot survive in the wild these few people we have freed will soon return to this prison or one like it of their own
Accord the cameras and the alarms and the hedges will return Pleasant green is our future as the world becomes more and more challenging those who should rise to that challenge will instead Retreat behind higher and higher walls they’ll watch the whole thing fall apart on television one man can’t make a
Difference take it from one who tried my ears are ringing oh you were I I wasn’t expecting it to be that loud is it off yes it’s definitely off you saw me switch it off and you’re not recording anywhere else like where I mean in here there’s
No other recorder look around I know you I’d never find if it was here there’s nothing recording Kelly trust me you ready for this I don’t want to be in here when you do it good I’ll wait in the house I’ll come back in afterwards and get everything
Ready you don’t have to do this what was the point otherwise this way at last the light stays on he can die with me no are you ready I’ll wait outside Dear Mr policeman you’re going to find me in a few hours time Kelly Ryan will confess to my
Murder her fingerprints will be on the gun and there will be traces of gunpowder on her hands this will be because of the previous shot which she fired into the floor of the shed as she will tell you she fired twice and at the first shot missed my hands will be clean
Because I wearing gloves which she will have disposed of Kelly believes that Pleasant green will not be able to return to its previous state after this it will forever be the place where an 18-year-old girl murdered a 70-year-old man over a bizarre series of pranks that went too
Far it will be analyzed and written about and the wound will never be allowed to heal she’s probably right but I can’t allow an 18-year-old girl to ruin her life for this Pleasant green simply isn’t worth it if it is a hell it is a hell of its
Own making let it change or let it stay the same but let it not destroy Kelly Ryan listen to her listen to the tapes I am trusting you to find this last one which will set the record straight an exonerator of any blame my name is Major John Grant this was Operation Pleasant Green goodbye John and good luck now where did you hide that other Recorder my name is Kelly Ryan I was released from prison 2 months ago after serving 18 months for manslaughter due to diminished capacity the property prices in Pleasant green haven’t recovered I didn’t kill John Grant he took his own life no one knows that but me I found the tape the police were
Meant to find John Grant didn’t take photographs of my father I did that I sent them to my mother to free her from the prison that her life had become she remarried a man exactly like my father an animal raised in captivity can’t survive in the
Wild they said I wouldn’t be able to live a normal life with the Press attention that would be on me so they relocated me and gave me a new identity I’m your next door neighbor I’m your new best friend I’m the woman at the desk next to
Yours behind you in the supermarket at the next table in the cafe sitting beside you on the bus lock your doors close your curtains install the new alarm system take the pills shut out the world refuse to participate I am watching you I’m smiling you are not safe
1 Comment
This is a very clever play.Julian Simpson has written some amazing plays!