[The jail cell was dingy and just dark enough that JUDY couldn’t see her hands in front of her face. On the back wall, next to a nearly decomposed cot, was a tiny window encased in bars. Staring through the bars sat JUDY, unsure of whether to be furious or terrified.]
JUDY
[To nobody in particular]
How the HELL did this happen!? I…how…what am I supposed to do now?
[From the far, back corner of the cell came a voice.]
CELLMATE:
Are you talking to me, or yourself? Cuz if you’re talking to me...I don’t care, and if you’re talking to yourself already…that’s a bad sign.
JUDY:
[startled]
Oh. The man speaks, huh?
CELLMATE:
Lady, don’t mess with me. I ain’t got no tolerance for people’s bulls***.
JUDY:
What’re you in for?
CELLMATE:
Honey, I’ve done things you couldn’t even imagine. I’ll spare you the details. What’d you do?
JUDY:
Nothing. I didn’t do anything! I was just shopping for my mom’s birthday present and the cops surrounded me. Next thing I know I’m sitting in this cell with no clue what the hell is going on.
CELLMATE:
[smirks]
Uh huh. That’s what they all say.
[JUDY remains in the corner, not muttering a word the rest of the night. Meanwhile, CELLMATE lays snoring on the opposite side of the cell. JUDY tries, but is too terrified to sleep.]
[Bright and early the next morning, JUDY and CELLMATE get a pleasant wake up call. An officer, rattling the cell bars, yells and instructs JUDY to follow him. While walking down the hallway JUDY says…]
JUDY
You mind telling me what the hell I’m doing here? I’m pretty anxious to hear your explanation considering I didn’t DO anything.
OFFICER
Playing dumb, huh? Interesting strategy. It’s not going to work this time. You’ve been a danger on these streets for far too long and I would love nothing more than to watch you go down.
JUDY
[angrily]
I don’t know what you’re talking about. You obviously have the wrong person. I’m the least dangerous person you will ever meet.
[They arrive in the interrogation room. A long steel table with two chairs were the only objects in the room. JUDY sits in one chair.]
OFFICER
I’m sick and tired of punks like you that think you can get away with whatever you want. Here’s the plan. I ask, you tell. Got it?
JUDY
I’ll tell you what I know.
OFFICER
And what’s that?
JUDY
[persistently]
I didn’t do anything.
OFFICER
[now yelling]
Smartass, huh? There’s no use denying anything Judy. We have evidence. Cold [drastic pause], hard [drastic pause] evidence.
JUDY
I don’t see how that’s possible. You’ve got the wrong girl, I swear it on my life.
OFFICER
[now furious and screaming]
You’re telling me that you didn’t rob that bank back in ’79? And you didn’t steal those cars in ’82? ARE YOU TELLING ME that you didn’t rob Edward Jons’ house in ’83 and that you didn’t single handedly organize that drug trade across the Mexican border? You can deny it all you want Ms. Roberts, but I got you. I got you red handed. There’s no way out.
JUDY
[shaking]
Whoah Whoah Whoah. Sir, I work at a church. I teach Sunday School every weekend at St. Vincents . I volunteer four times a week at a soup kitchen and I pick up garbage if I see it on the ground. Does that sound like the makings of a criminal to you? Now…don’t I get a phone call?
OFFICER
[officer escorts JUDY to a phone and leaves her to make her call. JUDY, without hesitation, calls her mother.]
JUDY
[to phone]
Oh thank god, mom. I don’t know what to do! I’m in jail. Me of all people.
MOTHER
Your WHAT? There must be some mistake.
JUDY
This jerk of an officer thinks I’m some kind of psychotic criminal, but mom, I swear I have no idea what he’s talking about! He has photos of me mom…videos and evidence that shows me doing horrible things. But I didn’t! I swear! It’s like somebody else has my face!
MOM
[long, tense silence]
JUDY
[questioningly]
Mom…what…?
MOM
[with sympathy and panic in her voice]
I…oh no. I’m so sorry baby. There’s something I never told you.
JUDY
If it can help me get out of this place then you sure as hell better tell me right now mom. This is no joke.
MOM
You…you have a sister. You and her were 12 years apart, but it was uncanny how much you looked alike. She was a bad kid, Judy. She got into a lot of bad things and completely consumed herself in them. When you were 4she ran away and we were never able to find her. If you say you didn’t do any of this then I believe you. I trust you. It must be her…There’s no other explanation.
JUDY
I…wow. I should be furious with you right now. But this is the one thing that can save me so I don’t care what it takes. We’re finding her. I’m not going down for something I didn’t even do.
MOM
I don’t know how we can do that….Nobody could find her then, how are we supposed to find her now? And what makes you think she’s going to confess?
JUDY
You owe me. Find a way. GET ME OUT OF HERE! I’ll worry about the rest.
[The next two weeks was hell for JUDY. Day after day went by with no word from her mother. She was losing hope and losing it fast. Then one day, three weeks into her jail stay…]
OFFICER
[walks in looking confused beyond reason]
You…you have a visitor. She...well, she…she looks just like you.. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m sure as hell going to find out. Come with me.
[JUDY walks into the visitor cell to a mirror image of herself, plus a few wrinkles and inches in height. Instant shock and pure rage hit her at the same time]
JUDY
[bitterly]
Why are you here? How did you know?
SISTER:
Your mom found me. I thought I covered all my tracks, but apparently not. She’s good.
JUDY
She’s your mom too.
SISTER
Yeah…I prefer not to think of it that way.
JUDY
Whatever, I don’t want to do this whole sisterly bond thing. Just tell them I didn’t do anything and get me out of here.
SISTER
And why would I want to do that? Sacrifice myself for you? I don’t even know you.
JUDY
I don’t like it either, believe me, but you’re my sister. You’re the one that ran away. You’re the one with no conscience and no regard for other people. You’re the one that screwed me over. I had a life. I had family, friends, and happiness. You took it away from me. I’ll be damned if you get away without giving me my life back.
SISTER
[As her cold, emotionless face begins to give way to emotion, tears begin to fall down her cheeks.]
You’re right.
JUDY
[surprised]
I am?
SISTER
Yeah. You are. I’ve done a lot of terrible things in my life. I left you. I left my family. And for what? For a life of running and crime? You’re absolutely right.
JUDY
So…you’re going to confess?
SISTER
Yeah. I’ll admit, I’ve been a selfish criminal, but family is another story. You’re happy. Even a heartless wench like me doesn’t want to destroy that. I don’t want your life to become mine just because I’m too selfish to own up to my actions. Looks like you’re off the hook, little sister.
JUDY
Well…that was almost a touching moment…but that doesn’t mean I forgive you. OFFICER!
[The officer, who has been listening in the whole time, comes out with a look of shock on his face. SISTER tells him the truth and watches his face as he realizes that JUDY had been telling the truth. Careful to avoid a direct apology, he says…]
Looks like you got lucky.
SISTER
[while being hauled away in handcuffs, looks back at JUDY]
You might hate me and I might be a criminal, but I’m still your sister. I’m sorry.
[JUDY gets released from her handcuffs and walks gallantly down the stone steps of the jailhouse.]
JUDY
I’m a free woman again… Now what?
JUDY
[To nobody in particular]
How the HELL did this happen!? I…how…what am I supposed to do now?
[From the far, back corner of the cell came a voice.]
CELLMATE:
Are you talking to me, or yourself? Cuz if you’re talking to me...I don’t care, and if you’re talking to yourself already…that’s a bad sign.
JUDY:
[startled]
Oh. The man speaks, huh?
CELLMATE:
Lady, don’t mess with me. I ain’t got no tolerance for people’s bulls***.
JUDY:
What’re you in for?
CELLMATE:
Honey, I’ve done things you couldn’t even imagine. I’ll spare you the details. What’d you do?
JUDY:
Nothing. I didn’t do anything! I was just shopping for my mom’s birthday present and the cops surrounded me. Next thing I know I’m sitting in this cell with no clue what the hell is going on.
CELLMATE:
[smirks]
Uh huh. That’s what they all say.
[JUDY remains in the corner, not muttering a word the rest of the night. Meanwhile, CELLMATE lays snoring on the opposite side of the cell. JUDY tries, but is too terrified to sleep.]
[Bright and early the next morning, JUDY and CELLMATE get a pleasant wake up call. An officer, rattling the cell bars, yells and instructs JUDY to follow him. While walking down the hallway JUDY says…]
JUDY
You mind telling me what the hell I’m doing here? I’m pretty anxious to hear your explanation considering I didn’t DO anything.
OFFICER
Playing dumb, huh? Interesting strategy. It’s not going to work this time. You’ve been a danger on these streets for far too long and I would love nothing more than to watch you go down.
JUDY
[angrily]
I don’t know what you’re talking about. You obviously have the wrong person. I’m the least dangerous person you will ever meet.
[They arrive in the interrogation room. A long steel table with two chairs were the only objects in the room. JUDY sits in one chair.]
OFFICER
I’m sick and tired of punks like you that think you can get away with whatever you want. Here’s the plan. I ask, you tell. Got it?
JUDY
I’ll tell you what I know.
OFFICER
And what’s that?
JUDY
[persistently]
I didn’t do anything.
OFFICER
[now yelling]
Smartass, huh? There’s no use denying anything Judy. We have evidence. Cold [drastic pause], hard [drastic pause] evidence.
JUDY
I don’t see how that’s possible. You’ve got the wrong girl, I swear it on my life.
OFFICER
[now furious and screaming]
You’re telling me that you didn’t rob that bank back in ’79? And you didn’t steal those cars in ’82? ARE YOU TELLING ME that you didn’t rob Edward Jons’ house in ’83 and that you didn’t single handedly organize that drug trade across the Mexican border? You can deny it all you want Ms. Roberts, but I got you. I got you red handed. There’s no way out.
JUDY
[shaking]
Whoah Whoah Whoah. Sir, I work at a church. I teach Sunday School every weekend at St. Vincents . I volunteer four times a week at a soup kitchen and I pick up garbage if I see it on the ground. Does that sound like the makings of a criminal to you? Now…don’t I get a phone call?
OFFICER
[officer escorts JUDY to a phone and leaves her to make her call. JUDY, without hesitation, calls her mother.]
JUDY
[to phone]
Oh thank god, mom. I don’t know what to do! I’m in jail. Me of all people.
MOTHER
Your WHAT? There must be some mistake.
JUDY
This jerk of an officer thinks I’m some kind of psychotic criminal, but mom, I swear I have no idea what he’s talking about! He has photos of me mom…videos and evidence that shows me doing horrible things. But I didn’t! I swear! It’s like somebody else has my face!
MOM
[long, tense silence]
JUDY
[questioningly]
Mom…what…?
MOM
[with sympathy and panic in her voice]
I…oh no. I’m so sorry baby. There’s something I never told you.
JUDY
If it can help me get out of this place then you sure as hell better tell me right now mom. This is no joke.
MOM
You…you have a sister. You and her were 12 years apart, but it was uncanny how much you looked alike. She was a bad kid, Judy. She got into a lot of bad things and completely consumed herself in them. When you were 4she ran away and we were never able to find her. If you say you didn’t do any of this then I believe you. I trust you. It must be her…There’s no other explanation.
JUDY
I…wow. I should be furious with you right now. But this is the one thing that can save me so I don’t care what it takes. We’re finding her. I’m not going down for something I didn’t even do.
MOM
I don’t know how we can do that….Nobody could find her then, how are we supposed to find her now? And what makes you think she’s going to confess?
JUDY
You owe me. Find a way. GET ME OUT OF HERE! I’ll worry about the rest.
[The next two weeks was hell for JUDY. Day after day went by with no word from her mother. She was losing hope and losing it fast. Then one day, three weeks into her jail stay…]
OFFICER
[walks in looking confused beyond reason]
You…you have a visitor. She...well, she…she looks just like you.. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m sure as hell going to find out. Come with me.
[JUDY walks into the visitor cell to a mirror image of herself, plus a few wrinkles and inches in height. Instant shock and pure rage hit her at the same time]
JUDY
[bitterly]
Why are you here? How did you know?
SISTER:
Your mom found me. I thought I covered all my tracks, but apparently not. She’s good.
JUDY
She’s your mom too.
SISTER
Yeah…I prefer not to think of it that way.
JUDY
Whatever, I don’t want to do this whole sisterly bond thing. Just tell them I didn’t do anything and get me out of here.
SISTER
And why would I want to do that? Sacrifice myself for you? I don’t even know you.
JUDY
I don’t like it either, believe me, but you’re my sister. You’re the one that ran away. You’re the one with no conscience and no regard for other people. You’re the one that screwed me over. I had a life. I had family, friends, and happiness. You took it away from me. I’ll be damned if you get away without giving me my life back.
SISTER
[As her cold, emotionless face begins to give way to emotion, tears begin to fall down her cheeks.]
You’re right.
JUDY
[surprised]
I am?
SISTER
Yeah. You are. I’ve done a lot of terrible things in my life. I left you. I left my family. And for what? For a life of running and crime? You’re absolutely right.
JUDY
So…you’re going to confess?
SISTER
Yeah. I’ll admit, I’ve been a selfish criminal, but family is another story. You’re happy. Even a heartless wench like me doesn’t want to destroy that. I don’t want your life to become mine just because I’m too selfish to own up to my actions. Looks like you’re off the hook, little sister.
JUDY
Well…that was almost a touching moment…but that doesn’t mean I forgive you. OFFICER!
[The officer, who has been listening in the whole time, comes out with a look of shock on his face. SISTER tells him the truth and watches his face as he realizes that JUDY had been telling the truth. Careful to avoid a direct apology, he says…]
Looks like you got lucky.
SISTER
[while being hauled away in handcuffs, looks back at JUDY]
You might hate me and I might be a criminal, but I’m still your sister. I’m sorry.
[JUDY gets released from her handcuffs and walks gallantly down the stone steps of the jailhouse.]
JUDY
I’m a free woman again… Now what?
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