Coroner... it's a Living

INT. CORONER’S HOME - NIGHT

A young woman is laying on the couch with her feet kicked up
on the arm. There are headphones in her ears, and her feet
bounce to the tingy sounding music we can barely hear. This
is ZOE BELLE, late teens, beautiful, with black hair and
sporting some pajama pants and a tank top.

Somewhere in the house a phone rings. Zoe doesn’t hear it
and continues to fiddle with the cell phone/mp3 player in
her hand. Zoe’s mother yells from off screen.

ZOE’S MOTHER
Somebody get that! 

The phone continues to ring. A man, 50s, slightly overweight
and angry looking, walks into the living room. This is the
town coroner, ED BELLE. He grumbles something and picks up a
cordless phone, but not before the answering machine does
its job.

ED BELLE
Y’ello? 

ED BELLE (ANSWERING MACHINE)
You’ve reached the Belle residence.
We can’t take your call right
now... 

ED BELLE
Damn machine. 

ED BELLE (ANSWERING MACHINE)
... but please let us know who’s
calling and we’ll ring you back- 

He bangs on the machine and it stops.

ED BELLE
Yeah, this is Ed. 

He pauses as he listens to the voice on the other line.

ED BELLE (CONT’D)
Is that right? Well, give me a few
minutes to get dressed and I’ll
head out there. And make sure they
cover it up. 

He hangs up the phone. Zoe watches her father stand by the
end table a moment, then pulls one of the headphones out of
an ear.

ZOE
Somebody die? 

ED BELLE
(beat)
Yeah, darling. Afraid so. 

ZOE
Town coroner... it’s a living. 

Ed laughs and charges toward her.

ED BELLE
Someone thinks she’s a comedian. 

He tickles her and she kicks her feet.

ZOE
No, daddy, no! 

They share a laugh and he sits down by her as they catch
their breath. He runs a hand through her hair.

ED BELLE
Let me know when those jokes start
earning us some money. Then I can
quit and you can pay the mortgage
before people stop dying and I’m
out of a job.
(kisses her on the head and
stand up)
I need to get into town. Don’t stay

up too late. 

Zoe puts the headphone back in her ear and smiles at her
dad.

ZOE
Love you, daddy.