Murder Mystery: Murder in Mexico

I’ve written a number of murder mysteries for performance by our drama group. Here are the opening scenes of Murder in Mexico. For the full text and performance permissions, please contact me via the ‘Contact’ page.

Murder in Mexico!

A Murder-mystery Evening Script

by

Marsali Taylor

SCRIPT

Copyright Marsali Taylor, July 2011
CHARACTERS:

Juana Chilada, the owner of a prosperous family taberna.  Late 50s / early 60s, very proud of the business she and her husband built up.    Costume:  Respectable Mexican matron, with high-necked white blouse, full, dark skirt and embroidered shawl around her shoulders.  Tights and heeled dark shoes.  Dari or greying hair up in a bun.

Nacho, their son.  30s, good-looking, but rather sullen and suspicious, in the shade of his outgoing father.  Costume:  Dark trousers, a white shirt, a bright waistcoat.  ‘Bandit’ moustache and knife in pouch on hip.

Taco Belle, Nacho’s wife.  Late 20s, flirtatious and teasing, but also fond of Juana and protective of Salsa.  Returns as American tavern rival, Urma Fullabucks.  Costume:  Mexican gipsy style, with an off-the-shoulder gathered blouse, a full skirt, mid-calf length, a coloured shawl around her waist and a scarf around her neck.  Bare legs and pretty flip-flops.  Dark mascara but not too much other make-up.  Dark, long curls wig.

Salsa, their daughter.  17, very pretty and emotional – in love for the first time. Costume:  a pretty dress, flowered or plain white, full-skirted with a modest neckline. She could wear a small cross on a chain. Sandals.  Dark hair styled back from her face, perhaps tied with a ribbon or flower band.

Rocky Fullabucks, Urma’s son, in love with Salsa, but also chatting up Taco Belle – dies in scene 1, returns as the detective, Lieutenant Con Carne.  Early 20s, an American golden boy with that style of charm.  Costume: wealth dressing down:  suit trousers and an open-necked Polo shirt, shoes.

Urma Fullabucks.  Successful tavern owner, but also a former girlfriend of Pedro Chilada. She was once a dreaming hippy, Moonflower, who was disillusioned by Juana stealing her man. Now she’s rich in everything but dreams. Costume: pencil skirt, white vest top, jacket, court shoes with heels, hair in sleek roll, eye-shadow and scarlet lipstick.

(Taco Belle / Urma Fullabucks– this is a very quick change, but perfectly possible if you are organised.  Wear Urma’s skirt and vest top under Taco’s costume, and have a dresser or Salsa standing at the ‘street’ door with the jacket, shoes and make-up ready.  Do the sleek hair do beforehand and wear a wig on top for Taco.  Your brilliant acting will then carry off the character change.)

Lieutenant Con Carne  the detective, from the Acapulco CID.  Laid-back style that suddenly turns into menacing accusation.  Costume:  suit, shirt, ‘Columbo’ style raincoat and soft hat, shoes.

Scene 1:

Guests have been shown in and seated by Taco Belle and Salsa, who also take their drinks / first course orders. Taco Belle is confident, charming, flirtitious; Salsa is modestly shy, perhaps a little over-done.  At one table, by the ‘street door’, probably the doors into the main hall, decorated only with a string of lanterns,  Rocky is sitting, and Taco Belle takes every chance to pass that way – a suggestion of closeness between them, which Nacho watches angrily.  Salsa is watching Rocky too, but there is no hint of jealousy – she believes Rocky loves her.

Juana enters from the ‘street door’ – probably the main hall entrance.

Juana:  Welcome, my friends, welcome to your evening in the best inn in Acapulco, the Taberna Chilada.  I’m Juana Chilada, your hostess, and the owner of this establishment, since the death of my poor husband, God rest his soul.  Ah!  he built up this business from a small bar -

Taco Belle:  Mama, our guests don’t want to know about that.

Juana:  My daughter-in-law, Taco Belle, who should be minding your meal in the kitchen instead of telling her poor Mama off.

Taco Belle:  I’m going, I’m going.  Just don’t bore them with Papa’s rags-to-riches story.

Juana:  Your pretty waitress is my daughter, Salsa.

Salsa:  Welcome, senors, senoras, senoritas.

Taco Belle:  She’s far too young to be serving out at the tables. 

Juana:  Ah, that was how I met my poor Pedro.  I was the pretty daughter of this taberna then, friends.  (sentimental) One look, and my heart was lost.

Taco Belle: (teasing)  After seeing his Americana girlfriend off.

Juana:  Never did he regret it.  She was not good for him.  Moonflower, that was her name.  She was a hippy, with long hair and bare feet, and stars in her eyes – not serioso.

Taco Belle:  Being the boss’s daughter didn’t do you any harm, either.  Just remember that, when the young men come calling for Salsa. (exits in direction of ‘kitchen’, pausing at the door)

Taco Belle:  Moonflower – muy bonito.  What happened to her?

Juana:  Her rich parents came and took her back to America to learn to be sensible.

Taco Belle:  But she came back here, where she had dreamed.

Juana:  No.

Taco Belle:  I thought –

Juana:  No, I say. 

(Under her gaze, Taco Belle shrugs and goes into the kitchen. We hear clattering of pans, off, and a rattle of instructions in Spanish. Eg Entrada, rapidemente!  Idiota! )

Juana (to herself): Why should she come back?  There was nothing for her here. 

(Change of tone – pushing the past away)

Juana:  Your bartender is my son, Nacho – as you see, we’re a family firm. (to Nacho, at the bar) And make sure you get the drinks orders right this time.

Nacho:  Even an idiot can manage drinks orders.

Juana:  I only said –

Nacho:  I heard what you said.

(Salsa and staff begin to distribute the drinks.)

Juana (to whole room):  I’m delighted to see so many new guests here tonight.  Let’s hope you all become regulars, like this young man here.  We will have to put a sign on your table, senor, permanantly reserved.  How are you settling in in Acapulco?

Rocky:   Well enough, ma’am.  My work keeps me pretty busy.

Juana:  Not too busy to eat here every night.

Salsa:  Rocky says our food is better, far far better, than the student restaurants at Harvard.

Juana:  Well, I would hope so.  Rocky ... your face is familiar, somehow.  Let me think -

Taco Belle: (returning and drawing Juana aside.  Salsa takes the chance to murmur sweet nothings to Rocky. ):  Mama, a phone call.  There is another cancellation, from tomorrow’s coach party.

Juana:  Another one!  Don’t tell me.  They have found a better price somewhere else. 

Taco Belle:  And we know where. 

Juana:  That Americana woman, Urma Fullabucks, with her fancy menus. 

Taco Belle:  Why does she target us?

Juana:  Because we are the best.  But how does she know who is coming here? Where is she getting her information. You would not tell her, I know, Taco Belle. (She looks at Nacho)

Taco Belle:  Nacho would not betray you.

Juana:  He’s the only other person who knows what our bookings are.

Taco Belle:  I don’t believe it.

Nacho:  Like you just said, I’m too stupid to do anything.

Juana:  Stupid enough to throw away all that Papa and I worked for, out of spite?

Taco Belle:  Juana, you know this is nonsense!

 (Juana suddenly turns on Rocky) 

Juana:  Wait a moment.  Rocky.   I know your face –

Rocky (charming smile):  I’m a regular, ma’am, you just said so.

Juana:  You’re her son!

Rocky:  Sorry, ma’am?

Juana:  I saw your photo in the paper. Just this week, I saw it, your graduation photograph.

Rocky (rising, as if for a hasty exit):  Sorry, ma’am, I’m not following you –

Juana:  You are her son!  That Americana woman who is ruining our business.  She’s sent you here to spy on us.

Salsa:  No!

Taco Belle:  I don’t believe it!  He is just a customer –

Juana:  He’s her son! Rocky Fullabucks, that is his name.  Deny it if you can.

Rocky:   Yes, ma’am, that’s my name, and I’m not ashamed of it.  But, ma’am, I have to talk to you about something more important.

Juana:  Listening to us talking – taking notes of our bookings – reporting back so his mother  can phone them with a better offer -

Rocky:   Now, listen, ma’am -

Salsa:  No, no, it is not true!  He comes here to see me!

Nacho (over Salsa, coming out from behind bar, suddenly menacing):  You are a spy for that Americana?

Taco Belle (trying to restrain him):  Nacho, you do not know that.

(Nacho pushes her away, and stands eye to eye with Rocky)

Juana:  Get out of here!  Get out!  

Nacho: (He hustles Rocky out of the room)  If ever I see your face again here, I will kill you. 

Juana:  Girls, be about your business.  Our guests are waiting for their first course.

Taco Belle, Salsa and Juana exit in the direction of the kitchen. 

The first course is served by catering staff.

Scene 2:

Guests are now finishing their first course.  Taco Belle and Salsa are standing at the side, near the bar. Taco is looking tired; she pauses and stretches her back, one hand on her belly. We see Rocky at the door; Salsa sees him, but not Taco; a look around, then Salsa slips out to him.

Juana:  Taco Belle, perhaps you should not be working so hard.

Taco Belle:  You must speak to Nacho, Mama.  You must tell him that you misjudged him.

Juana:  Yes, I was wrong.

Taco Belle:  It was not he who was giving the information to the Americana, but that spy, that son.

Juana:  I am so relieved.  I feared it was Nacho.  I feared he wanted this taberna to fail. 

Taco Belle:  I am a bad wife.  I feared it too.  And all the time it was that American boy.  I cannot believe it.  He seemed so – so sincero. 

Juana:  I will talk to Nacho later.  (exits to kitchen)

Taco Belle: No, I cannot believe it.

(Seeing that she is alone, Salsa waves goodbye to Rocky, who slips back out of the door.  Salsa comes over to Taco Belle.)

Salsa:  Taco Belle, you have to help us.

Taco Belle:  What do you mean?

Salsa:  Mama would listen to you.

Taco Belle:  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.

Salsa:  You know that’s not true.  She always says that you were the best thing ever to happen to Nacho, that he would be nothing without you.

Taco Belle:  How can Nacho be anything when his own mother is always running him down? 

Salsa:  We need your help, Rocky and I.  We love each other.

Taco Belle:  What!

Salsa:  We are in love, we wish to marry, he is not a spy!  He came only to see me, me!

Taco Belle:  He has made love to you?

Salsa:  We are in love, Taco.

Taco:  But …  he has used you, then, to find this information.  You have told him in all innocence what coaches are expected, and he has told his mother, and then she has phoned them to offer a better price.  How can you love a man like that?

Salsa:  I don’t believe it.

Taco Belle:  I could kill him myself, for taking advantage so.

Nacho:  Taco Belle, are you alright?  (He sets a chair for her, and she sits)

Salsa:  You will support me, will you not, big brother?  Rocky is not spying for his mother, that is just an idea of Mama’s.

Taco Belle:  Did you know all the time, then, who he was?

Salsa (obviously lying):  Yes, of course. 

Taco Belle:  He deceived you then.

Salsa:  I knew only his name, Rocky, and that his mother would not approve of us.  He would have told me soon.

Nacho:  Forget him, little sister.  If he comes here again I will give him the beating he deserves. 

Salsa:  No!

Taco Belle:  Our guests!  Lower your voices.

Nacho:  Get on with your duties.  (He pushes Salsa away and turns to Taco Belle.) As for you, did you know who he was?

Taco Belle:  No.  No!  I did not know, he did not tell me.

Nacho:  I don’t believe you.

Taco Belle:  Believe me or not, I didn’t know he was the Americana’s son.

Nacho:  What did you know, then?  How well did you know him?

Taco Belle:  He was a customer here.  He came often.

Nacho:  We will talk about this later.  (Taco flounces out of the ‘street’ door and returns immediately with a tray – this is to establish the street / kitchen access.  They begin to move about the room, clearing plates, Juana helping too. It’s important that they should be seen to handle table knives. Each must leave the room at least once, either by the ‘street’ or ‘kitchen’ door. Nacho is last out, and when he returns, his hands are hidden under the tray he is carrying.