EXT. FRONT PORCH – MORNING

SERGEANT GROUSE, Old Mill Police Department, heavyset, mid 40s, close-cut hair stands, hands on hips, staring at a broken window.  Gathered around him are DEPUTY BRIGGS, Late 30s, thin to the point of emaciation, his gunbelt nearly falling down where his hips should stop it, ALICE, a slender, attractive, well-dressed woman and her husband Bob, dressed for work in shirt and tie.

GROUSE

Looks like someone broke in.

ALICE

(incredulous)

We called you and told you someone broke in.  That’s why you’re here.

GROUSE

Uh, well, yeah.

(scratches his chin)

Not much glass.

BOB

They threw the brick in through the window.  The glass is on the inside.

BRIGGS

(scowling)

Who’s the PO-lice officer here, anyway?  We’ll get to it, just hold your horses.

BOB and ALICE turn and stare at one another.  The two officers turn away from the window.

GROUSE

We’ll need to look around inside.

ALICE

You think?

BOB grabs ALICE by the arm and pulls her to the side, trying to silence her.

ALICE (CONT’D)

(struggles)

But...

BOB

I know, but we have to let them do their job.

(to the officers, louder)

Right around this way.  We can go in the back.

GROUSE

They break in through the back did they?

ALICE starts back toward the officer, but BOB grabs her.

BOB

Uh..no.  They went in through the window...kind of why they broke it, I think.

BRIGGS

There he goes again...

CUT TO:

INT. FAMILY ROOM – MOMENTS LATER

The group is gathered in front of an entertainment cabinet.  Wires dangle, and most of the equipment is gone.  On the floor, in a pile of broken glass, is a brick.

GROUSE

Took your DVD player, did they?

BOB

And the stereo, the Play Station, the Nintendo Game Cube and a VHS.  They left the remote for the DVD player...guess they won’t be able to do much with that.

BRIGGS pulls out a soiled handerchief and carefully lifts the remote.  He drops it in a ziplock bag and seals it carefully.

ALICE

Why did you take that?

BRIGGS

Evidence.

ALICE

(losing patience)

If they’d seen that, wouldn’t they have taken it?  The only prints you’ll find on that are ours.

GROUSE

Oh, we won’t be taking any prints.  We got the equipment back at the station house, but no one’s trained to use it.

(beat)

Well, that’s not exactly true.  Bessie White can do it, with the ink and the cards...but...

ALICE

Then how are you going to find them?

BRIGGS

I got me a plan.

(taps his head)

You’ll see.

GROUSE

(ignoring Briggs)

We know pretty much all the boys likely to have done this.  We’ll bring them in.  Might find some of your stuff.

BOB

Do you need a report?

GROUSE

About what?  They threw a brick, they broke your glass, they took your stuff. No one saw them, that about it?

ALICE

Yes, but ...

BRIGGS walks over and lays a grubby hand on Alice’s arm.  She pulls back and looks at him.

BRIGGS

You don’t worry, Ma’am. I’m gonna be on the streets tonight, and I’m gonna find ’em. You watch.

ALICE

How?

BRIGGS

(grins)

This here re-mote control is the key.  I’ll wait until the little buggers are watching their shows tonight, and then I’ll have ’em.

BOB

How?

BRIGGS

(winks)

I’m gonna walk down the street and flick this here re-mote until something either goes on, or goes off.

The room goes silent.  GROUSE scratches his paunch and frowns, as if lost in thought. BOB and ALICE stare at one another.  BRIGGS salutes and turns.  He steps out through the broken window, and is gone.

BOB

Is he crazy?

GROUSE

Like a fox, I’d say.  That young man has one sharp head on his shoulders.  Thinkin’ about putting him in charge of the Crime Lab...Worry for my job, at times, I surely do.  You folks have a nice day.

GROUSE eyes the small window for a moment, shakes his head, and turns.  He exits through the back door.  ALICE bends and reaches for the brick, but BOB grabs her

BOB

Now...honey...