Scene: A bare room with no apparent windows. A youth dressed in school uniform sits on a hard chair in the centre of the room; he is perhaps sixteen years old. Bright lights are being shone on him from either side. Two uniformed policemen sit either side and are grilling the youth, who is sweating profusely.
Inspector: ALL RIGHT, MALCOLM, LET’S GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING, SHALL WE?
Youth: OH NOT AGAIN; I’VE TOLD YOU ALL I KNOW.
Sergeant: THEN TELL US AGAIN, KID.
Inspector: NOW YOU SAY YOU GOT HOME FROM SCHOOL AROUND HALF PAST FOUR?
Youth: HALF FOUR, QUARTER TO FIVE.
Inspector: THEN YOU SAY YOU STAYED HOME DOING YOUR HOMEWORK UNTIL SEVEN.
Youth: THAT’S RIGHT.
Sergeant: THAT’S NOT WHAT YOUR GIRLFRIEND SAID.
Inspector: SHE SAYS YOU MET HER AT FIVE FIFTEEN.
Youth: SHE’S WRONG.
Sergeant: YOU SAYIN’ YOUR GIRLFRIEND’S LYIN’?
Inspector: WHY WOULD SHE?
Youth: I NEVER SAID SHE WAS LYING; I SAID SHE WAS MISTAKEN.
Inspector: MISTAKEN?
Youth: YES.
Sergeant: THAT’S NEARLY TWO HOURS, KID.
Inspector: HOW COULD SHE HAVE BEEN THAT MISTAKEN?
Youth: (Becoming confused and sounding tired) I DON’T KNOW. MAYBE SHE’S NOT LYING AT ALL.
Inspector: BUT WHY SHOULD SHE LIE?
Sergeant: SHE’S GOT NOTHING TO HIDE.
Inspector: BUT MAYBE YOU HAVE.
Youth: NO! (Shouted) LOOK, MAYBE I DIDN’T SPEND TWO HOURS DOING MY HOMEWORK.
Inspector: MAYBE YOU DIDN’T DO IT AT ALL; MAYBE YOU WERE SOMEWHERE ELSE?
Youth: NO!
Sergeant: COME CLEAN, KID.
Inspector: YOU TELL THE TRUTH NOW, AND MAYBE WE CAN DO A DEAL.
Youth: (Suspiciously) WHAT KIND OF DEAL?
Inspector: (Leaning forward) KID, THIS ISN’T THAT SERIOUS, OR IT NEEDN’T BE. YOU’RE YOUNG; WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES WHEN WE’RE YOUNG. DON’T YOU THINK I WAS YOUNG ONCE? DON’T YOU THINK I DIDN’T DO THE SAME?
Youth: (Incredulously) YOU?
Inspector: SURE, THAT’S RIGHT. SERGEANT SIMPKINS?
Sergeant: (Leaning forward too, so that they hem him in) SURE IS KID. NOW WHY DON’T YOU COME CLEAN?
Youth: (Thinking) IF I DO, DOES MY MUM HAVE TO KNOW?
Inspector: THAT DEPENDS.
Youth: ON WHAT?
Inspector: HOW MANY TIMES YOU DONE THIS?
Youth: JUST THE ONCE.
Sergeant: YOU SAYIN’ THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME?
Youth: WELL, MAYBE I DID IT ONCE BEFORE, BUT THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO.
(Short pause).
Inspector: SO WHAT YOU TRYIN’ TO SAY, KID?
Youth: (Resolutely) ALL RIGHT, I CONFESS, I DIDN’T DO MY HOMEWORK. I WENT STRAIGHT TO MY GIRLFRIEND’S HOUSE AFTER SCHOOL, AND WE WENT SWIMMING.
(The door opens and the main light is flicked on. A woman enters dressed in carpet slippers and apron. She addresses the Inspector).
Woman: REGINALD, WILL YOU LEAVE THAT BOY ALONE? YOUR SUPPER’S ON THE TABLE.
Inspector: (Standing up) I WAS RIGHT, MAVIS, HE DIDN’T DO HIS HOMEWORK LAST NIGHT!
Youth: (Standing up and shouting) DAD, YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN’T TELL HER!
Inspector: (Cuffing his son round the ear) THAT’S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU; GET UPSTAIRS AND FINISH YOUR ALGEBRA AT ONCE.
Youth: (Stomping past his mother and out of the room) I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN I COULDN’T TRUST YOU; YOU ROZZERS ARE ALL THE SAME.
Woman: (To the Inspector) REGINALD, I DO WISH YOU’D ACT LIKE YOU WERE OFF-DUTY ONCE IN A WHILE.
(Fade).
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