SAME - MOMENTS LATER

               Goober and Floyd are sitting in their chairs like naughty
               school boys again.

                                      ANDY
                          I'm ashamed of both of you.  Making up
                          stories just to get your name in the
                          paper.  Now I'm gonna give you one last
                          chance to come clean, but there's only
                          one interview I'm gonna accept and
                          that's the true confession of the real
                          murderer.  So what's it gonna be?

                                      FLOYD & GOOBER
                          Well...

                                      ANDY
                          And I don't want to hear no more tall
                          tales.

               They both fall silent and stare at the floor.  Opie wanders
               in from the street.

                                      OPIE
                          Hey, paw.  Aunt Bee wants to know if
                          you'll be home for supper.

                                      ANDY
                          Not now, Ope.

                                      OPIE
                          What's Goober and Floyd doing here?

                                      BARNEY
                          You better run along now, Opie.

               Opie eyes Goober and Floyd suspiciously as Barney ushers
               him out the door.

                                      ANDY
                          Now you boys have had your fun.  And I
                          didn't go to college, so I can only
                          imagine what that's like.  But this is
                          serious.  This here's a murder
                          investigation, I can't have no horsin'
                          around.  Whichever one of you's
                          responsible is gonna have to take
                          responsibility.

               Goober and Floyd shift uncomfortably.

                                      ANDY
                          Now I know you're both honest fellas
                          deep down.  Even if one of you's a
                          murderer now.  So I want you both to
                          take a good, hard look at yourself and
                          remember what kinda man you are.  And
                          tell the truth.

               Goober hangs his head in shame.

                                      GOOBER
                          You're right, Andy, I apologize.  I
                          shouldn'ta said I was a cold blooded
                          killer if I ain't.

                                      ANDY
                          Floyd?

                                      FLOYD
                          I'm sorry, too, Andy.  It was wrong of
                          me to confess like that.  How could I
                          have been so selfish?  
                                (gets a crazed look)
                          I don't know what came over me!  I was
                          like an animal--

                                      ANDY
                          That's enough, Floyd.  Howard, I'm
                          sorry.  I guess you didn't get your
                          story after all.  Thanks for the help.

               Howard is scribbling furiously on his steno pad as he heads
               for the door.

                                      HOWARD
                          That's quite all right, Andy.  Thanks
                          anyway.  I gotta go.

               Howard hurries off to file his story.

                                      FLOYD
                          You can put us in the same cell now if
                          you want.

                                                         FADE OUT



                                    END ACT THREE