He goes over and tries to hold her, to calm her.

JESSICA: Are you going to tell me?

SIMON: Jess, I can’t. /

JESSICA pushes him away.

JESSICA: I have to know.

Tell me or I’ll leave.

SIMON: It’s me! Wait!

A long uncomfortable moment. SIMON goes and gets the trunk, bringing it to JESSICA.

He gets out a key and hands it to her.

You can’t break the lock.

But you already know that.

[Sadly] Don’t you?

JESSICA hesitates, takes the key.

SCENE SIX

JESSICA is at Simon’s trunk, she approaches it and opens it.

LACHLAN, in earphones, reads the news announcement.

LACHLAN: The town is gathered for a candlelight Christmas Eve vigil amidst fading hope of seeing little Denis Pritchard alive again. With Christmas only hours away, his mother is distraught.

Police say they have fresh leads in the case and are investigating around the clock.

JESSICA takes out the toys and starts to smile, she looks at the children’s clothes. She lays them out, as if in preparation for someone.

SIMON enters and JESSICA continues to sort through and lay out the clothes.

JESSICA: What’s all this stuff?

Beat.

Is it for our baby?

SIMON shakes his head.

Is it from when you were young?

But it’s all new.

So—

I don’t understand.

What’s this got to do with your name being Richard?

SIMON: I collect it.

JESSICA: You collect kid’s clothes—

Why? /

SIMON: I don’t know why. It just feels right to do it.

JESSICA is confused.

I collect it for him.

JESSICA: Him?

SIMON: Jess, the crime.

When I was a kid.

JESSICA: What about it?

SIMON: There was a little boy—a two-year-old.

JESSICA: I don’t understand.

SIMON: He was killed.

JESSICA: What?

SIMON: The stuff is for him.

She drops the stuff on the ground.

JESSICA: Did you know him—the two-year-old?

SIMON: No.

JESSICA: So?

I don’t get it?

Did you know his family? /

SIMON: It was a group of boys.

JESSICA: That’s fucking awful Simon.

SIMON: One of the boys,

His name was Richard.

Back then.

JESSICA: Richard?

Simon?

SIMON: I’ve wanted to tell you.

JESSICA: What are you telling me?

No. I don’t believe you.

Why are you scaring me—

You’re lying.

He goes to kiss her.

She’s crying but she responds slightly then violently pulls away and tries to undo the kiss.

You killed a little boy?

SIMON: Yes.

JESSICA: No. You couldn’t have—

SIMON: Yes.

JESSICA: No. I would have known.

SIMON: I was ten years old.

JESSICA: You’re saying you’re a child murderer.

That’s why you were in prison.

SIMON: Juvenile Detention.

Till I turned eighteen.

JESSICA: You killed a baby boy.

SIMON:—

JESSICA: And you never told me.

You owed me.

I loved you.

SIMON: Loved?

No Jess don’t say—

I would’ve told you—

But—

Andy—