INT: The Intensifying Heart Club & Leisure Centre, in the bar

MARCIA walks in, casts one look at the man standing at the bar, gasps, and throws her purse and fancy hat to the floor in a fury.

MARCIA

So this is where you’ve been hiding, you two timing jerk? You haven’t been answering my Short Message Service text messages for two whole days. Probably because you were in the loving arms of some other woman, weren’t you!

 

PJALTUR

I’ve never heard such accusations. Why I’m more or less outraged.

 

MARCIA

Please tell me the truth just this once. I can’t handle another betrayal after everything that happened with DR. ADAMSON and those poor children at the Gastronomy Institute. The abiding heartbreak!

 

PJALTUR

Listen, babe. You have to forget about those children and move on with your life – our life – at some point. You gotta remember, the damages were all paid for by the Institute, and those damned pigeons weren’t even supposed to be there. No one blames you after all these weeks.

 

MARCIA

(Panicked, hyperventilating crying)

 

PJALTUR

You gotta understand, MARCIA, I’m the most wealthy, eligible, and sensual man in the city. I can’t have my lovely fiancee be worried about my whereabouts and doings when I have important work to be getting on with together with famed sports journalist SALINA “THE ROOSTER” RASKOVA. We’ve both known her for years, you know nothing is going to happen between us. It would be, by and large, out of the question.

 

MARCIA

(Wistfully) Maybe… Do you remember the times we spent at the ice hockey rink? Do you think we can relive those memories again and have everything we’ve always dreamed about and never argue or experience misfortune and be reunited with all of our old friends and make a larger-than-the-national-average salary?

 

PJALTUR

(Enthusiastic) Well sure, babe! I’ll have a talk with FRANK and we’ll work something out.

 

MARCIA

(Suddenly happy, clutching at PJALTUR’s lapels) Oh you’re going to get FRANK in on this? Thank the Heavens, in that case it will all be fine, better than fine, perfect! Our lives are about to begin!

 

Suddenly ANGÉL GABRIÉL enters.

ANGÉL GABRIÉL

Listen up everyone, THE MAYOR’s here and he’s packing heat. Seems like he’s upset about the missing DRUG MONEY and his suspicions have fallen on you two. I sure hope you can explain these discrepancies in simple, direct language that THE MAYOR can interpret and come to the conclusion that it was someone else who took off with his 200 000 000 American dollars in DRUG MONEY.

(CONT)