Leaving Rhode Island: Oklahoma City

     (PAUL standing in front of a bathroom mirror.  ELEANOR enters behind him.  He doesn’t see her at first.  Then he does.)

PAUL:  Sorry about the party.

ELEANOR:  You think I care about the party?  I’m just…happy to have you back.

PAUL:  What did you tell everyone?

ELEANOR:  That you weren’t feeling well.  That we could…try again in a few weeks.

PAUL:  So I have a few weeks to get my shit together?

ELEANOR:  That’s just something  I said, Paul.  It doesn’t have to mean anything.

PAUL:  It doesn’t have to mean anything…

ELEANOR:  What?

PAUL:  Sometimes phrases…lately, they…stick.

ELEANOR:  You know, when we were kids, you used to tell me everything.

PAUL:  When we were kids, I didn’t have that much to tell.

ELEANOR:  Fair enough.  You going to stick around?

PAUL:  I just got back.

ELEANOR:  So that’s a ‘Yes?’

PAUL:  I…I’m not comfortable here.

ELEANOR:  Nobody’s going to make you leave again.

PAUL:  Is that what your boss promised you?

ELEANOR:  Paul—

PAUL:  Did he specifically tell you he’s not going to make anyone leave again?

ELEANOR:  That’s—

PAUL:  Or just me?

ELEANOR:  I can’t talk about it.  And you know I can’t talk about it.

PAUL:  I’m not sure how we’re supposed to be—brotherly/sisterly now.

ELEANOR:  That’s fine.  Maybe we can start somewhere else.

PAUL:  What—

ELEANOR:  I don’t know.  As acquaintances?  Old friends?  New friends?  Something.  Or would you rather we just give up on this and you can—pack a bag and go hitchhiking?

                (A beat.)

PAUL:  You have to go somewhere.  So I came here.

                (He looks away from her.  A moment.)

ELEANOR:  You know, all you people coming back has made…It’s gotten a lot of people thinking about everything that’s happened over the past five years.

PAUL:  You people?

ELEANOR:  Don’t be sensitive.

PAUL:  Ha.  You used to say that when we were kids.  Don’t be sensitive.  For years, I thought ‘sensitive’ was actually a bad thing.

ELEANOR:  The exiles coming home—it’s making people remember a lot of stuff they’d rather not remember.  You should be prepared for some—backlash.

PAUL:  Blame the victims, huh?

ELEANOR:  If you want to stay here—

PAUL:  I don’t know what I want to do.  Maybe you could give me a day to figure it out.  Would that be asking too much?

ELEANOR:  You make me nervous, Paul.

PAUL:  Why?  Because you don’t know me anymore?

ELEANOR:  Because I know who you used to be.

                (A moment.)

PAUL:  Is there something you’d like to ask me?

ELEANOR:  You were in Oklahoma City in January, weren’t you?

PAUL:  I don’t remember.

ELEANOR:  You don’t remember spending a month in—

PAUL:  I’ve been all over the place, Eleanor.  I don’t remember a specific—

ELEANOR:  Three girls went missing in Oklahoma City in January.

                (A beat.)

Two went missing the month before that in Texas.  Same town, right on the border of the two, uh—and then there was—

PAUL:  What are you—

ELEANOR:   --Five girls missing last summer.  Eight the previous spring.

PAUL:  I don’t—

ELEANOR:  All exiles.  All of them.  Missing.

PAUL:  Their state tells them to disappear—so they do.  I don’t know why you’re surprised.

ELEANOR:  I’ve been tracking you, Paul.

PAUL:  Tracking me?

ELEANOR:  You got yourself on a kick, didn’t you?

PAUL:  I’ve been in Haiti, Eleanor.  Did you know that?  Did your tracking tell you that?  I was in Haiti—helping people.  Building schools.  Handing out first aid kits.  I was in India—

ELEANOR:  India where Laurie Somers went missing?

                (A beat.)

PAUL:  You always wanted to be a detective.

ELEANOR:  No, I didn’t.  I just grew up having to keep one eye open while I slept.

PAUL:  I never hurt you.

ELEANOR:  Yeah, I was just really clumsy as a kid.

PAUL:  You were.

ELEANOR:  Falling down stairs, out of bed—almost out of the treehouse once, do you remember that?

PAUL:  You’re better at remembering stuff than I am.

ELEANOR:  I need to know where you’ve been.

PAUL:  You just said—

ELEANOR:  I need to hear it from you.  And I want to know where you were on the days when those girls went missing.

PAUL:  Is this an interrogation?

ELEANOR:  This is for my peace of mind, Paul.

PAUL:  You want me to make you a little map with stickers on it?

ELEANOR:  Please don’t make light of this.

PAUL:  But I find it funny.

ELEANOR:  Do you think the parents of those girls think it’s funny?

PAUL:  Those girls aren’t missing.

ELEANOR:  Paul.

PAUL:  They’re not.

ELEANOR:  And how would you know that?

PAUL:  Nobody’s missing, Eleanor.  Everybody’s gotta be somewhere.

ELEANOR:  If you’re going to stay here—

PAUL:  I’m not.  Staying here.

ELEANOR:  Fine.  But either way, I need to know.

PAUL:  You need to know if your brother’s a murderer?

ELEANOR:  I already know the answer to that.

                (A beat.)

I need to know about the girls.

PAUL:  I told you.  They’re not missing.

ELEANOR:  Based on this philosophical idea you have about lost and found?

PAUL:  They should all be coming home soon.

ELEANOR:  Please, Paul.  Some of them have been missing for years.

PAUL:  But everyone’s coming back.  Didn’t you hear, Eleanor?  Didn’t your boss at the state house tell you?  We’re all coming home.

                (A beat.)

ELEANOR:  Is Jess coming home too?

                (Something changes in PAUL.)

PAUL:  Jess wasn’t an exile.

ELEANOR:  Not officially.

PAUL:  She was a runaway.

ELEANOR:  Bullshit.

PAUL:  She was my sister too.

ELEANOR:  So where is she, huh?

PAUL:  You’re never satisfied until you’ve crossed the line.

ELEANOR:  I’m running.

PAUL:  Running?

ELEANOR:  In November.

                (A beat.)

PAUL:  You’re kidding.

ELEANOR:  No, I’m not.  So…there are things I need to know.  So I can…figure out the best way to handle them.

PAUL:  You’re not going to handle me, Eleanor.

ELEANOR:  Paul…

                (She takes a step towards him.)

There are things…that run in a family.  That occur in all members of—

PAUL:  Eleanor—

ELEANOR:  Let me finish.  There are things, that’s all I’m saying.  And it would be very unwise of you to assume that you’re the only dangerous one in this room right now.

                (A moment.)

PAUL:  I wouldn’t run if I were you.

ELEANOR:  Why?  Because my brother’s insane?

PAUL:  No.  Because you came looking for me.  When you were tracking me?  You took a few trips, didn’t you?  To Oklahoma City, and Texas, and India.

                (A moment.)

ELEANOR:  I’d like you gone in the morning.

PAUL:  Don’t run.

ELEANOR:  Ten am, please.  Have some breakfast first and then go.

                (She starts to leave.)

PAUL:  Even if they don’t find out about the girls, they’ll find out about Jess.

ELEANOR:  For your sake, I hope they don’t.  While you’ve been helping people, I’ve been building a case.  And it’s airtight.  Do you understand me, Paul?

                (A beat.)

PAUL:  Yes.

ELEANOR:  Good.  I’m glad we understand each other.

                (She exits.  PAUL looks in the mirror again.  Lights.)