[PAGE]
Optimus Feedback
Back

THE FAT LADY SINGS

Present day private investigator must journey from Duluth to Ohio to solve a case within three days in order to pay his bookie, then the PI and client must deal with the tragedy involving the person they are searching for.

The story begins in present day Duluth, the picturesque San Francisco of Minnesota. Byroan Dexter, mid-thirties, small-time private investigator is named after his Grandfathers, Tyrone and Ben.

Byroan is hired by a high-profile politician's wife. The political party is grooming her husband for the Governorship and eventually suiting him up for President.

The wife wants to find an Ohio plumber she only met on the internet years ago. The plumber was a sympathetic ear, and she hopes he will be again, since her husband is too busy with his political career to have much time for her.

Neither Byroan or the client knows they are now in way over their heads. The party shadows them, even watches the wife before she hires Byroan. The party's determined to use any means to protect their candidate from possible future scandal.

Byroan can't afford a secretary. Ace librarian Mabel does his research. She's in love with the romantic ideal of a P.I. He's the only eligible bachelor P.I. in town. She's working up to him, but so far can only take about 40 seconds of Byroan in person.

He has 3 days to pay up his gambling debt. The P.I. trails the elusive plumber through the wilds of Ohio, sees his bookie's henchmen shadowing him at every turn.

Ricky, Byroan's competition's eighteen year old nephew, decides he will have Byroan teach him the business. It doesn't seem to matter how much Byroan discourages Ricky. Ricky even follows Byroan to Ohio for on the job training.

Byroan learns the plumber was a college computer major, tuition paid by boxing. Too many hits to the head, he fell to correspondence school plumbing, odd jobs, then skid row.

The plumber, hanging out at a boxing match, is shot just as Byroan finds him, hears his final words. A political party dirty trickster did the shooting. The trickster's killed by an intentional hit and run driver.

Byroan hasn't proof about the political party, settles for chewing out his client at the ballpark, and taking his fee.

As he leaves the park, Byroan's beaned by a homerun ball. The bookie's muscle grabs the money and the ball. People throw change in Byroan's fedora as a street musician sings over Byroan like a New Orleans wake. Fade to black

Script Excerpt Interviews
Written by:
Format:
Screenplay
Budget:
Low
In the Vein Of:
THE PARALLAX VIEW
MURDER, MY SWEET
CHINATOWN
Posted:
03/16/2010
Updated:
02/20/2024
Author Bio:
Co-wrote and helped edit a true story pod cast series, DECEIVED. Nominated for the Arthur Rosenfeld Award For Excellence In Dramatic Writing. Named one of the Top 100 Indie Writers in Del Weston’s book of the same name. The holiday comedy short that I wrote, ALL CHOKED UP, premiered in Minneapolis, MN. My comedic cautionary tale short script, JUST A TIC, was both nominated for Best Lead Actor in a short film, and won a Script To Screen Award at the Barebones Film Festival.

Show More

Contest Results:
Emerging Screenwriters Suspense (Quarterfinalist) [2023]
Wiki Contest (Semifinalist) [2020]
Actors Choice Awards (First Place, SCSFe) [2007]
Show More
Go Pro!