Title: “Fred’s case at the Hostal Santo”
Author: Manuel Martínez
7 characters:
- FRED- 38 years old, cunning and intelligent. He visits the Hostal with his wife Margarita, forced by the bad weather. He is a police inspector.
- MARGARITA- 35 years old, Fred’s wife accompanies Fred on the trip and stays with him at the Inn.
- MARTIN- 43 years old, manager of the hostel. Lives bored with his wife at the hostel, waiting for his life to change.
- JUAN- 28 years old. Client of the hostel.
- ELENA- 26 years old. Client of the hostel.
- OLD MAN- 63 years old, client of the hostel, he is passing through while studying the birds in the area.
- POLICE AGENT
ACT I
Hostal Santo, located in the middle of a road, is a place of passage for travelers. The rain lashes the windows of the reception room, the manager Martin waits bored to enter his hostel.
Detective Fred and his wife Margarita enter soaking wet, hurriedly looking for shelter.
Fred (shaking his hair): Good evening, although good is relative.
Martin nods his head.
Fred: Do you have rooms?
Martín: Sure, this is a hostel.
Fred and Margarita look at each other strangely for a moment.
Fred: Yeah… I meant free, if you have free rooms.
Martín: Oh, yes, yes. Right now there is only my wife, a married couple and an old man who investigates the local birds.
Margarita: Do you have a double room with its own bathroom?
Martín: No, none of the rooms has its own bathroom. There is one bathroom on the floor for all the rooms.
Margarita: And do you have a hairdryer?
Martin: No, but I can leave you one of my own, it is old but it works.
Margarita: Great, thank you very much.
Fred: We will only stay one night.
Martin opens the room book and starts to fill it in.
Martin: Name?
Fred: Do you need both names?
Martin: One is enough for me.
Fred: Fred Milton.
Martin: Let me see some ID.
Fred takes out his ID from his wallet and gives it to Martin, who begins to fill out the sheet with the identification data. Suddenly a woman’s scream is heard in the distance. Everyone is frightened.
Margarita: What was that?
Martín: I don’t know. I’m going to ask.
Fred: I’ll go with you.
Martin: No, stay here, it’s my responsibility.
Fred: Excuse me, I’m a policeman.
Martin: What?
Fred: Police inspector, I think it’s better if I accompany you.
ACT II
Hallway of the hostel. The rain hits the window at the end of the corridor. In front of the open door of the room is Margarita. Juan and Elena, the couple from another room and the old man approach.
Old man: What happened?
Margarita shakes her head.
Juan: I don’t know anything from the looks of it.
Martin: (From the room. Voice-over) No, no, no… My poor wife, who did this, I’m going to finish whoever did this.
Martin runs out of the room and crosses the corridor without looking at the others.
Old man: Mr. Martin…
Fred leaves the room and joins the others.
Fred: Let him go.
Elena: Poor man.
Margarita: And what a pity to say so.
Fred: Before everyone goes to their rooms. Could you tell me what you were doing now.
Juan: We were in the room, we were about to go to bed.
Old man: Who are you to ask anything, what do you think you are, Sherlock Holmes? Besides, I was going over my notes while listening to the radio. I didn’t hear the scream, I heard all the commotion in the hallway and that’s why I went out to see.
Fred: All right, go to your rooms, the police officers will come in a while, when the rain has subsided. And you will have to talk to them.
The old man goes back to his room.
Juan: If we can help with anything, just let us know.
Juan and Elena go into their room.
Fred: Margarita, go to the room, I’m going to talk to the other guest, although I’m telling you there’s something strange about all this.
Margarita: What do you mean?
Fred: Well, the body has greenish lips and I think I’ve seen that before. Besides, Martin has gone to that room without hesitation, he hasn’t hesitated in other rooms.
Margarita goes to her room.
ACT III
Living room of the hostel. Martín together with Margarita, Juan and Elena, and the old men; they are seated facing each other. The rain has stopped.
Martin: As soon as the police come, I’m going to make them take him away, old man.
Old men: Me?
Martin: Yes, you, it had to be you who killed her. Who else would have done it?
Juan: Let’s all calm down and wait for the police to come, I’m sure everything will be solved then.
Martin: I don’t care about the police, I’m sure you snuck into her room and because she got scared, you killed her.
Old men: But why should I have done it? Your wife hadn’t done anything to me.
Martin: So, did they do it, this young couple?
Margarita: The pain is speaking through your mouth, Martín. I’m sure everything has an explanation.
Old man: Yes, that one of us had to kill her, one of us had to kill a woman we didn’t know at all in an inn where we only came for one night, in the middle of nowhere.
Martin: You are confirming my thoughts, it had to be you.
Old man: I didn’t do anything to her, but I feel like drowning you…
Martin: I knew it, I knew it!!!!!
Fred and the policeman enter the room.
Fred: Everybody relax. And escort the agent.
Martin: Right, take this old man away!
Fred: No, Martin, it’s you who has to accompany the agent.
Martin: Me?
Fred: Yes, you. Your wife’s death was familiar to me, the green lips are a clear symptom of a hallucinogen that oppresses the pharynx, suffocating the person who takes it.
Martin: So, what does that have to do with me????
Fred: The stain on your sleeve that you are trying to hide is purple like the hallucinogen.
Martin: But, but…
Fred: Don’t spoil the situation any more and accompany the officer.
The police officer handcuffs Martin and they leave the room.
THE END