All the Best Poets Sit in the Smoking Section:34

 

 

INT- POWER RECORDS SALES FLOOR - DAY

 

TITLE: Thursday, August 24, 2000.  2:31PM.

 

JEFF is moving CD singles around on the wall as LORI approaches.  

 

‘Kick’ by Alan St. Jon plays overhead.

 

LORI

Anything new by U2?

 

JEFF works while talking.

 

JEFF

Nothing new domestically, but the UK import of the ‘Electrical Storm’ single has a William Orbit remix. I’d get the Japanese copy though because it combines part one and part two from the UK versions and has the Nice Mix and the Nasty Mix of the song New York from the Pop album.  Plus, there’s a really cool live ten-minute medley.  It should be here sometime next week.


LORI

Oh, I just wanted to know if they had any new songs out, I’m not into remixes and b-sides.

 

JEFF

So you should just buy the album then.

 

LORI

Yeah, I know. I already got the promo.  I was just trying to be nice to you by asking about singles.

 

JOE (O.S./INTERCOM)

Jeff to the security office, please.  Jeff to the security office!  

 

JEFF repositions Faith Hill’s ‘Breathe’ single before heading to the Security Office.

 

JEFF (V.O.)

Oh God, what have I done this time?

 

INT – POWER RECORDS SECURITY OFFICE – DAY

 

TITLE: POWER RECORDS SECURITY OFFICE

 

JOE sits at his desk looking over papers.

 

JEFF (V.O.)

It’s Joe, the head of Security.  Nicknamed Barney Fife because he always thinks he is onto something big.  In actuality, he’s just milling around in his own incomprehensible paper trails.

 

JOE’S security office is the biggest office in the store.  

 

Inside the office is a FULL SIZED CAGE. 

 

JEFF (V.O.)

That’s designed to jail shoplifters until the police arrive.  More often, it ends up imprisoning overstock, toy action figures and storage accessories.  


FIVE bulging POWER RECORDS BAGS with the years 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 sit above him on the top shelf.  

 

JEFF (V.O)(CONT’D)

You’re probably wondering what those are. They’re filled with security stickers that have been removed illicitly from stolen product.  Employees find them lodged behind racks and kicked underneath displays out on the sales floor when they sweep.  A big part of the closing duties involves gathering all the lost security tags and giving them to Barney so it looks like he is actually doing something.  To me this seems to prove he isn’t doing anything.  But somehow this gains him praise from upper management.  Perhaps counting the torn stickers proves the electronic security system just isn’t enough, thereby justifying Joe’s existence.  Who knows?  

 

JEFF enters security office.

 

JEFF

What’s up Joe?

 

JOE

(looking up)

Sit down Jeff.  Please shut the door.

 

JEFF

Yeah?

 

JOE

We’re doing an investigation on Dick Williams and we’ve decided to interrogate some of the senior employees.  Since you are a Supervisor and ring up employee’s sales, have you noticed anything odd about his purchasing habits?

 

JEFF

No, not really.  I mean he does buy a whole lot of crappy Todd Rundgren stuff, but that’s not really odd, it’s just a matter of bad taste.


JOE

Well the transaction log shows Dick making purchases at times when he isn’t even here!  One purchase, for instance, was made while he was on that fishing trip.  The only thing we can figure is that he gave one of his friends his employee number and his friend is coming in to buy stuff using his discount. And does Dick seem like the Lords of Acid type?

 

JEFF

Well isn’t it okay for friends to use our discounts?

 

JOE

Only if you are there and make the purchase for them.

 

JEFF

Oh.

 

JOE

Well, if you haven’t noticed anything—

 

JEFF

Nope.  By the way, what is Dick’s employee number?

 

JOE

Why do you ask?

 

JEFF

Well it’s a long shot, but I thought I might remember someone coming in using his number to make a purchase.

 

JOE

Well, we’re not supposed to give it out, but I guess under these circumstances it would be appropriate, otherwise we’d have no other way to do our investigation.

 

JOE looks at his notes and whispers

 

JOE

It’s zero-one-zero-three-one.

 

JEFF

Zero-one-zero-three-one?  Hmm?  No, don’t recall that one.

 

JEFF (V.O.)

I am surprised Dick’s CD soul mate isn’t asshole!  But I guess Pussy is the next best thing.

 

JOE

Okay then.

 

JEFF

Bye. 

View daddyo's Full Portfolio