The policeman standing up with his arms crossed and brow furrowed looks to be in his early thirties. He occasionally paces around in stark contrast to his partner, an older cop with sweat stains dotting his uniform who sits partially slumped in another chair near the single door. Young Cop scrutinizes you while Old Cop distractedly brushes imaginary dust off of his pants leg.
Suddenly Young Cop lunges forward, planting his hands on the table in front of you with a slight whack sound that is quickly swallowed by the claustrophobic room you sit in. They're going to try to get you to talk.
Young Cop: "Confess, Tough Guy! We both know damn well you did it, and when I put you away I'll be doing this city a favor."
Old Cop: "Even if we do put 'em away, there's fifteen more just like 'em waitin' in line. I seen it again and again. After every bad guy, there's even worse guys waiting."
Young Cop: "Don't listen to him, Tough Guy. Getting scum like you off these streets will make the city a better place, it'll make a difference. Now, confess!"
Old Cop: "Confess if y'want." He sighs. "Go free if y'want. It ain't gonna matter. This city gets worse every single day. When I joined the force I had hope, I wanted to clean up these grimy streets. But blood don't wash off concrete so easy..."
Young Cop: "Stop it! Look Tough Guy, he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. I got a wife and a kid at home, with another one on the way. When I get you behind bars, I'll be providing a better life for them."
Old Cop: "I wanted a family once. I coulda had one. In fact, I was even engaged once...a pretty young gal, thought I was the greatest...for a time. She weren't no fool, though. She knew I was married to the force. When it all fell apart, I thought even though we wasn't gettin' married I could at least do right by her by makin' the city she lived in a safer place."
Young Cop: "Do you hear that, Tough Guy? Do you? This man here chose the job because putting trash like you away where you can't corrupt decent folk is that important. Confess!"
Old Cop: "She was murdered the day before our wedding. Killer never was found, neither. If only I'd known how pointless it all is I woulda put this place in my rearview mirror and married her somewhere quieter. Ain't never gonna know now if I coulda just maybe had one year of blissful love instead of chasin' scumbags and dopeheads like some impotent old bull."
Young Cop: "God damn it dude you are so totally not helping!"
Old Cop: "I'm too old to help. It ain't no good to no one. Too old to play the good guy and pretend that chasin' down the bad guys is anything more 'n a game. No matter how hard I fought crime, they still got her. They killed her."
Young Cop: "But I still have so much time, I know I can do better! Maybe I can help restore this city for the better so my wife and children will be safe in their beds at night! If I can just get Tough Guy here to confess, then in some way your fiance's death wouldn't have been for nothing!"
Old Cop: "It was for nuthin'. All of it were for nuthin'."
BLAM!
The gunshot is deafening in the enclosed space. The old cop sitting across from you drew his sidearm and pulled the trigger with his lips around the barrel without another word.
Young Cop: "Noooooo!"
Your ears are ringing and the room is spinning, Young Cop is frantically attempting CPR on the limp body of Old Cop as your vision blurs with tears, but it's too late. You feel your head violently rocking back and forth and realize Young Cop's face is now inches from yours and seething with rage. His blood-streaked hands clench your lapels and flecks of spit hit your skin as he screams in your face.
Young Cop: "DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU DID!? LOOK AT WHAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR! BIG TOUGH GUY LIKE YOU BROKE HIS SPIRIT AND IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU. HIS DEATH IS ON YOUR HANDS! CAN YOU LIVE WITH THAT!? CAN YOU!?"
You can't. You just know you can't, it's too much. You break down and you spill everything. You tell Young Cop the truth. You rigged your cable box to get Cinemax for free. You just wanted to see the new hot season of the UK-based spy drama Hunted, may God have mercy on your soul.
Young Cop: "Ha! Works every time. Boys, call the morgue. And while you're at it, get this sorry excuse for a human being out of my sight and book his criminal ass. I'm outta here...I've got a city to protect."
