Note:
I dedicate this chapter to all 3 of my followers.
Due to exams, I will be on hiatus for 1 month. In the meantime, please enjoy this alternative direction of Act 3. I cut it because it messed with the whole "Alex alone against the world" thing, and it didn't make sense to develop Tom so much, and then ignore him for the duration of this play.
Alternative direction 1:
TOM
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Did you see the game last night? Bloody mental! I almost put my foot through the telly!
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ALEX
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Nah, missed it.
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TOM
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Oh yeah, because you were at the-
(he catches himself just in time)
-you were busy.
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ALEX
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God I wish people would stop tiptoeing around it! Yes, my uncle's dead! Yes, I'm feeling alright! No, I don't need to see the bloody councilor!
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TOM
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(taken aback)
Whoa mate, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-
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ALEX
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No. No, it's fine. I'm sorry, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have lashed out.
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Tom waits for him to keep going.
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ALEX
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It's just that, I don't know, I'm kind of stressed. I… we can't find his will, I don't know what will happen to the house, and Jack's visa's only good for another year, and to top if off, weird things have been happening.
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TOM
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Like what?
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ALEX
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(hesitates)
At the funeral, the president of the bank Ian worked at was there. Except he had squad of cars to escort him, and he had 3 body guards with guns.
Then when we got back, the house had been robbed by people disguised as movers, and get this, they only took things from Ian's office. And I mean everything, the desk, the chairs, all the furniture, everything.
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TOM
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Sounds like a cover up to me. And a pretty slick one too.
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ALEX
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(relieved)
You believe me?
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TOM
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You're not smart enough to make this shit up.
What are you going to do now? Go to the police?
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ALEX
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They've got the police fooled, they're sure it's a car crash. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I need to know the truth.
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TOM
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Hell no, I'd stay as far from this a possible. You're not Nancy Drew, this shit is dangerous. These guys, they're powerful, yeah? If they can cover up an accident like that they can hurt you. Make you disappear, like Area 51.
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ALEX
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Area 51's in America-
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TOM
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You get my point!
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ALEX
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(serious)
Tom, he's my uncle.