The Whisperer - Dialogue

The Ghost Interactive Dialogue Example Crime/Thriller Genre Written by Mary Alexandra Mayo [[PLAY?]]

*Scenario: Lila, a detective, sits across from Aiden, her informant, in a small and grimy diner late at night. The pair sits at a booth in the nearly empty establishment, both nursing cups of coffee that are regularly topped up by the tired server.* [[Play as Lila?]] or //"Play as Aiden?" - coming soon!//

LILA: Sometimes I wonder if The Ghost is even real. Every lead we follow just…vanishes. Like they were never there. If it weren't for the bodies and the calling card I'd think they weren't connected at all. AIDEN: Kind of why they call him "The Ghost". You know he's just a guy, right? You’re acting like you're looking for something impossible when it’s flesh and blood doing the dirty work. LILA: [[You make is sound simple...]] OR [[I know how to do my job...]]

LILA: Flesh and blood with no DNA at the scenes, no history, no fibres, no witnesses and no fingerprints? //No chemicals?// You make it sound simple. AIDEN: It’s not simple but it's real. You keep thinking he’s some kind of otherwordly mastermind because you’re looking for something that fits — all I've been hearing is "patterns, motives and H.O.s", no, "M.O." Whatever. But what if there isn’t one? LILA: [[Like a cleaner?]] OR [[Like a hitman?]]

LILA: I know how to do my own job, Aiden. Flesh and blood, right? With no DNA at the scenes, no history, no fibres, no witnesses and no fingerprints? //No chemicals?// No CCTV? No vehica- AIDEN: I get it! All I'm saying is that you keep thinking he’s some kind of otherwordly mastermind because you’re looking for something that fits — all I've been hearing is "patterns, motives and H.O.s", no, "M.O." Whatever. But what if there isn’t one? LILA: [[Like a cleaner?]] OR [[Like a hitman?]]

LILA: You mean like a hitman? You think I haven’t considered that? Payment is the first motive we looked at, Aiden. I'm sure you know more about that than I do. AIDEN: I don't do that anymore. I'm helping the investigation, arent I? LILA: There’s silence. //That’s// what bothers me. It’s not the crimes. There's got to be people who know him, know something, clients or - just //someone//, alright? LILA: [[You knew one of the victims...]] OR [[You used to work at the factory...]]

LILA: You mean like a cleaner? You think I haven’t considered that? Payment is the first motive we looked at. I'm sure you know more about that than I do. AIDEN: I don't do that anymore. I'm helping the investigation, aren't I? LILA: There’s silence. //That’s// what bothers me. It’s not the crimes. There's got to be people who know him, know something, clients or - just //someone//, alright? LILA: [[You knew one of the victims...]] OR [[You used to work at the factory...]]

AIDEN: Caleb, yeah. LILA: Why would Caleb have been at the factory at that time? AIDEN: We've talked about this. I've told you everything I know. Can't say I'm eager to go over all the ways he got his face smashed in. LILA: [[I'm sorry...]] or [[You're not telling me everything...]]

AIDEN: A little while. LILA: And you were there when the victim's body was found? AIDEN: Caleb. Not "the victm". I've told you everything I know already. Can't say I'm eager to go over all the ways he got his face smashed in. LILA: [[I'm sorry...]] or [[You're not telling me everything...]]

LILA: I'm sorry...I know he was an old frend of yours. AIDEN: Not that old. He was just a solid guy, I crashed on his couch sometimes. Makes great pancakes. Seeing him all messed up like that wasn't cool, what can I say? LILA: [[Was Caleb involved in crime at all?]] OR [[You seem shaken, Aiden...]]

AIDEN: I've told you all I know. No. He worked in the factory and went home to binge Brooklyn 99 or whatever. Why are you so focused on Caleb anyway? It's random, sure, but there's literal crime bosses and politicians on the hit list. LILA: Those make sense. Caleb doesn't. He could be involved in ways we don't know, he could have witnessed something or, maybe, //it was personal.// So, I'll ask you nice and slow... [[What do you know about Caleb?]]

LILA: You're shaking... AIDEN: Because, believe it or not, it's pretty damn unsettling to see a pal with his face scraped along the floor. I've told you all I know. Why are you so focused on Caleb anyway? It's random, sure, but there's literal crime bosses and politicians on the hit list. LILA: Those make sense. Caleb doesn't. He could be involved in ways we don't know, he could have witnessed something or, maybe, //it was personal.// So, I'll ask you nice and slow... [[What do you know about Caleb?]]

LILA: I feel lke you're not telling me everything. I don't buy that normy little Caleb was worth the trouble of calling in The Ghost. AIDEN: I don't know what to tell you, alright? He was just a solid guy, I crashed on his couch sometimes. Makes great pancakes. LILA: [[Was Caleb involved in crime at all?]] OR [[You're hiding something, Aiden...]]

AIDEN: I've told you all I know. Why are you so focused on Caleb anyway? It's random, sure, but there's literal crime bosses and politicians on the hit list. LILA: Those make sense. Caleb doesn't. He could be involved in ways we don't know, he could have witnessed something or, maybe, //it was personal.// So, I'll ask you nice and slow... [[What do you know about Caleb?]]

AIDEN: Nothing. LILA: [[I don't believe you...]] OR [[You can talk to me...]]

AIDEN: Well boo-fucking-hoo. There isn't anything else to talk about. Can I go now? LILA: No, there are other matters to cover //and// you're avoidng the subject. AIDEN: I'm not avoiding. I told you; there's nothing to it. Caleb was just unlucky, end of. LILA: [[Someone's getting defensive...]] OR [[Alright, let's move on...]]

LILA: I hope you know that you can talk to me. It's not like we don't know you have a criminal past and we have bigger fish to fry than any petty stuff you've been getting up to with Caleb. Or is it personal, you said you crashed on his couch? AIDEN: Can't some things just be private? I've told you everything that's relevant and more. There's nothng left. LILA: [[Someone's getting defensive...]] OR [[Caleb is dead...]]

LILA: Someone's defensive. If you're trying to hide something, you have to do better than that... AIDEN: You know what, I'm out. When you want to ask me actually useful questions, you have my number but I'm done repeating myself. LILA: Hold on, we have more to go over and this is important. Aiden?! [[END OF SAMPLE]]

LILA: Alright...let's just move on. I can't say I'm buying it, Aiden, but I'll drop it for now. So... AIDEN: Finally. [[END OF SAMPLE]]

LILA: Caleb is dead. Privacy takes a knock when there's a body. It's awful but it's true and I know it's hard. Trust me, I do. I just want to understand everything I can about Caleb and you're the only person that seems to actualy know him as anything more than an employee or passerby. [[Help me understand...]] OR [[Stop messing around...]]

LILA: Help me to understand. Caleb sounds like a good guy and someone - The Ghost - put him in the morgue. He deserves for someone to figure out what happened to him and why...and I feel like you can tell me more than you like to admit. Please. //For Caleb.// AIDEN: I just...I don't see how any of it's relevant. LILA: That's okay. Just tell me what you know. We've got nothng, anything will be better than that. AIDEN: ...okay. [[END OF SAMPLE]]

LILA: Stop messing around. This is serious and you're making things harder than they need to b- AIDEN: I'm not messing around. You act like I'm not bending over backwards to help you out. Whatever, I'm out. When you want to ask me actually useful questions, you have my number but I'm done repeating myself. LILA: Hold on, we have more to go over and this is important. Aiden?! [[END OF SAMPLE]]