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A LATTE WITH A SHOT OF MURDER

An original radio drama

by Emma Smith
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A LATTE WITH A SHOT OF MURDER

CAST
DYLAN WILSON Narrator, Main Character, and teenager
SAM ANDREWS Waitress, teenager
COLE LOUIS Customer, A teenager
BRITTANY ASHTON Customer, A teenager
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A LATTE WITH A SHOT OF MURDER

SCENE ONE: EXT: SIDEWALK OUTSIDE COFFEE SHOP

(NARRATOR – DYLAN)
MUSIC: UPBEAT MUSIC
DYLAN (NARRATOR): Our story takes place in a diner.
The heart of this so great small town. On the
outside, it seems so normal, with normal
people, normal cars, normal lives. It almost
feels like a dream. Beyond all of this, we
became so attached to it that we never had
expected whether that would all just go away.

SOUND: SOUND OF WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK, CARS

DRIVING, AS THE DOORS OF THE COFFEE SHOP OPENS, THE
BELLES RING WHEN THE DOORS OPEN.
MUSIC: UPBEAT MUSIC TRANSITIONS TO BEING THE MUSIC
PLAYING INSIDE THE COFFEE SHOP.

SCENE TWO: INT: INSIDE COFFEE SHOP - AFTERNOON

DYLAN(Narrator): The only coffee shop that is open

in 15 miles, became the sweet spot for all
college students in town. But on this very
day, it was occupied by four teenagers, all
with something to hide…

DYLAN: Hey Sam, how are you?

SAM: Not too bad. Been working all day, and you?
SOUND: THE CHAIR MOVES SLIGHTLY AS DYLAN SITS DOWN BY
THE COUNTER.
DYLAN: Yeah, I’m good.
SOUND: INTERRUPTED BY TELEPHONE RINGING
SAM: HI. Oh, I see.
SOUND: PHONE IS PUT DOWN.
SAM (A little louder voice): Um, Brandon Parker’s body was just
found by some hiker on a hiking path. He’s
dead. He was murdered.
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Sound: BRITTANY, DYLAN, AND COLE GASPING OUT OF SHOCK

DYLAN: Wait, what? How? Why?
SAM: I, I don’t know.
DYLAN: I was with him just yesterday. He was fine. We
were sitting on top of the hill together,
watching the sunset. Why would anyone do this.
COLE: He had many enemies that was hidden in places
he didn’t even realise.
SAM: Yeah, but he was a good person though.
Sound: Walking on floorboards
COLE: Was he actually?
DYLAN: I mean I knew him so well, he felt like a
brother. We played football all our life
together. Come on Sam, you knew him just as
well as I did. We grew up together and he is
dead now.
BRITTANY: He wasn’t a good person. We dated for like two
months. And it wasn’t even a great
relationship. I cared way too much about him,
and he never reached that level of caring. He
broke my heart.
SAM: But, how was he not a good person then?
BRITTANY: He didn’t treat me well. He did drugs, and
things that will get you in prison. He knew
really bad people.
DYLAN: Yesterday, I left him there at the edge of the
hill. He said he just wanted to stay a few
minutes longer. Was he meeting someone?
SAM: He could have met someone there.
COLE: It doesn’t matter. I never really liked him.
That selfish human being only cared for
himself and had the entire town wrapped around
his finger.
Sound: LIGHTS TURNS OFF, MUSIC SUDDENLY STOPS.
COLE: Well, - there goes the power. Are there any
candles or something Sam?
SAM: I think there is behind the counter.
Sound: DRAWS OPENS AND CLOSES. CANDLES BEING PUT ON
TABLE. THE FLICKER OF THE LIGHTER IS HEARD.
SAM: This is weird. The power never goes out.
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Sound: THE WISPY SOUNDS OF THE DOOR BEING SLAMMED

SHUT.
BRITTANY: What was that?
Sound: DYLAN RUNS TOWARDS THE DOOR AND TRIES TO PULL
IT OPEN.
DYLAN: It’s not opening up. It’s not even windy
outside.
SAM: Someone locked us in.
BRITTANY: Right, I am going to the toilet to freshen up.
Get away from this scary, whatever this is.
Sound: BRITTANY GETS UP AND WALKS TOWARDS BATHROOM.
SAM: Cole, Dylan, do you guys want some coffee left
over. We could have iced coffee?
DYLAN: Yeah, sure.
COLE: Fine by me.
SCENE THREE: INT: INSIDE COFFEE SHOP - AFTERNOON
Sound: POURING OF WATER INTO COFFEE CUPS.
Sound: FADED HIGH PITCH SCREAM IS LET OUT FROM
BRITTANY WHILE BEING FATALLY STABBED. THE
OTHERS RUNS TOWARDS BATHROOM.
SAM: What was that?
DYLAN: Brittany!
INT: BATHROOM IN COFFEE SHOP - AFTERNOON
COLE: There is no one here.
SAM: She’s dead. Someone must have done this. It
wasn’t any of us.
DYLAN: Someone is here.
SCENE FOUR: INT: INSIDE COFFEE SHOP - AFTERNOON
Sound: Walking back to the main area of coffee shop
SAM: Is someone trying to kill us?
DYLAN: Who was with Brandon when he was murdered.
SAM: Maybe Brittany could have known? She knew him
better. She said he knew bad people.
COLE(with hesitation): She knew too much. (Slight pause) I used
to hang out with him a lot. Smoking was a part
of it. I, I was there last night but I didn’t
talk to him. I did see him with someone. I
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thought it was Dylan. But he looked a little

different. I left a few minutes later but they
started to argue a bit.
DYLAN: Why didn’t you say anything earlier?
COLE: I didn’t want to say anything cause it makes
me look bad.
SOUND: WALKING ON FLOORBOARDS
SAM: (ANGRILY)Two people have died Cole. And if we
don’t figure out who it is, we might be next.
So if you have any more information. Please
share it with the rest of the class.
COLE: Alright. Fine. Is this about your thing with
Brandon that happened a month ago.
SAM: Cole, don’t even go there.
DYLAN: What’s he talking about Sam?
COLE: Yeah. Sneaking around. He told me all about
it. He used to work here didn’t he. But then
he quit.
SAM: (BURST OF OUTRAGE) Yeah we did go out for a
bit. Brittany is right, he wasn’t a good
person. But I don’t know why he changed.
SOUND: DYLAN STEPPING BACK
DYLAN: Why didn’t you tell me this?
SAM: You know we were so close for years. It just
happened. We stopped hanging out after the
relationship ended.
DYLAN: Brandon didn’t tell me everything after all.
(SILENCE)
COLE: Got any more coffee SAM?

SCENE FIVE: INT COFFEE SHOP – AFTERNOON

SOUND: SLIGHT SOUND OF BURNING
COLE: Does anyone else hear that fire burning smell
SAM: That bigger candle is lighted. I didn’t even
light that one.
SOUND: SOUND OF THE CANDLE AS IT CATCHES THE CANVAS
ABOVE IT, ON FIRE, CANVAS BURSTS INTO FLAMES
DYLAN: Where is the fire extinguisher SAM?
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SOUND: OPENING CUPBOARD

SAM: It’s missing. What do we do?
COLE: WATER!
SOUND: PHONE PICKED UP
SAM: Hello, we need the fire department. There’s a
fire at the coffee shop on David Street.
SOUND: WATER BEING THROWN AGAINST WALL. SIRENS OF THE
FIRE TRUCK.
MUSIC: ROLLING IN EMOTIONAL PIANO MUSIC AS THE THREE
OF THEM TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT THE FIRE
OUT.
DYLAN (NARRATOR): At first we began with four. Now three is
left. Be careful about the choices you make.
Some just might catch you where you didn’t
think you’d be caught.
THE END.