Page 166 of Murder on Charity Lane

He had me!

(Karina shoves Pax, who stumbles backward. Ocean grabs for Pax but he windmills his arms, then tumbles backward offstage, to the sound of slamming, crashing, and a fatal crack. Ocean follows him offstage.)

KARINA

Oh, no, oh, god!

LILY-ANN

An ambulance is already on the way.

OCEAN

(from offstage)

Too late for Pax. I really need to stop finding dead bodies.

KARINA

I killed him. I killed him.

MRS. B

Yes, dear. On the other hand—not to say the bright side—he did murder your old friend.

LILY-ANN

That won’t impress the police.

MRS. B

Surely, they’ll understand! We all make mistakes.

KARINA

I didn’t mean to! It was an accident! I just shoved him and I … I’m going to be sick.

(A siren sounds in the distance, warbling closer.)

MRS. B

Oh my shit, as the kids say. Lily-Ann, think of something!

LILY-ANN

Yes. Well, we all witnessed Karina push Pax down the stairs to his death. After blaming CJ for doing the same to Frank.

KARINA

Because she did! I saw her!

LILY-ANN

Still, I’m not sure Karina deserves to spend the rest of her life locked in a cell. Alone, suffering, forgotten. So let’s agree that she merely stood abruptly and shouted a few intemperate words. Pax took a step backward and fell accidentally. Karina didn’t touch him. If we say that’s what happened, then—

KARINA

Would you? Please, I never—I didn’t mean … When I heard Frank went behind my back, to, to escape me, to—