INT. CARL'S BASEMENT - EVENING

Carl is sitting on a sturdy metal stool. His hands are tied behind him, and his feet are tied to the stool's legs. A bright lamp shines on his face. Vera is sitting opposite to him, resting her arms on the back of her chair, looking at Carl and holding the kitchen knife in her hand.

VERA

I know what is going on. Someone is framing me for the attack. I know I didn't do it, and my best guess is that it was you. I'm going to make you confess.

When I was thirteen, I was beaten up and raped by a drunk on my way home from school. When I was fifteen, I was gang raped by the high school football team. I know about pain.

CARL

You're crazy.

Vera slaps Carl on the face.

VERA

You don't want to make me any more angry.

CARL

You don't really think you can torture me here without getting caught?

VERA

Sure I can. Nobody knows I'm here. Even your father hasn't seen me. Everybody knows you never go out in the evening. I'm safe here until you're late for work tomorrow. We have all night.

So, coming back why you are framing me. Start speaking.

CARL

If you didn't do, you should give yourself up to the police. That's the right thing to do.

VERA

Don't be stupid.

CARL

No, I mean it.

VERA

You really do, don't you? You always do things by the book. Exactly by the book.

CARL

Of course. It is the right thing.

VERA

Wake up and smell the coffee, you prick. Do you have any idea what the police will do if they lay their hands on me?

CARL

Yes. They'll interrogate you and if there's any evidence on your side they'll...

VERA

No, that's not it.

CARL

Of course it is. That's regulations.

VERA

You're the one who follows regulations. Nobody else does. What the feds will do to me is to beat me up, lock me up, and shut me up.

CARL

Still, you'll get a chance to prove your innocence in court.

VERA

Who'd believe me? Anyway, the real bad guys would run free for weeks or months. Speaking of the bad guys, that's you.

CARL

I'm not.

VERA

Even if I wanted to believe you, which I don't, you'll have to come up with something to convince me.

CARL

And you'll have to convince me that you didn't do it.

VERA

What an interesting impasse. I feel like hurting someone.

CARL

I helped the FBI access the logs to our distribution server. The code was modified using your account.

VERA

That doesn't prove it was me.

CARL

It's a pretty strong indication, if you ask me. Those logs can't easily be faked. I set them up myself.

VERA

That just proves you could have faked them yourself.

CARL

I have a suggestion. If you can prove where you were when the code was modified, you can convince me that it wasn't you. Then we can discuss whether it was me.

VERA

OK.

CARL

Where were between midnight and noon? I'm not saying the exact time.

VERA

Let's see. I was in bed until 3 AM, then visited the Big Orange warehouse, they'd screwed up a box installation again. It took about half an hour. I gave the guy good scare, he'll certainly remember I was there.

CARL

And afterwards?

VERA

I went to my lover's lovenest, and slept there. It was nearer, I didn't feel like driving back across town.

CARL

Not much of an alibi, but you're in luck. The modification was done at 03:37 AM. I guess it wasn't you.

VERA

If you aren't bluffing, I guess it wasn't you either, or you wouldn't provide me with my proof of innocence. I have no way of checking what you said, though.