We Know

HAMILTON
Mr. Vice President.
Mr. Madison.
Senator Burr.
What is this?
JEFFERSON
We have the check stubs. From separate
accounts...
MADISON
Almost a thousand dollars, paid in different
amounts...
BURR
To a Mr. James Reynolds way back in
seventeen ninety-one.
HAMILTON
Is that what you have? Are you done?
MADISON
You are uniquely situated by virtue of your
position—
JEFFERSON
Though ‘virtue’ is not a word I’d apply to this
situation—
MADISON
To seek financial gain, to stray from your
sacred mission—
JEFFERSON
And the evidence suggests you’ve engaged
in speculation—
BURR
An immigrant embezzling our government
funds—
JEFFERSON/MADISON
I can almost see the headline, your career
is done.
BURR
I hope you saved some money for your
daughter and sons .
BURR/JEFFERSON/MADISON
Ya best g’wan run back where ya come from.
HAMILTON
Ha! You don’t even know what you’re asking
me to confess.
JEFFERSON/MADISON/BURR
Confess.
HAMILTON
You got nothing. I don’t have to tell you
anything at all.
Unless.
JEFFERSON/MADISON/BURR
Unless?
HAMILTON
If I can prove that I never broke the law,
do you promise not to tell another soul what
you saw?
BURR
No one else was in the room where it
happened.
HAMILTON
Is that a yes?
JEFFERSON/MADISON/BURR
Um, yes.
BURR
“Dear Sir, I hope this letter finds you in good
health
and in a prosperous enough position to put
wealth
in the pockets of people like me: down on
their luck.
You see, it was my wife who you decided to –”
JEFFERSON
Whaaaat –
HAMILTON
She courted me.
Escorted me to bed and when she had me
in a corner
that’s when Reynolds extorted me
for a sordid fee.
I paid him quarterly.
I may have mortally wounded my prospects
but my papers are orderly!
As you can see I kept a record of every check
in my checkered
History. Check it again against your list n’ see
consistency.
I never spent a cent that wasn’t mine,
you sent the dogs after my scent, that’s fine.
Yes, I have reasons for shame
but I have not committed treason and sullied
my good name.
As you can see I have done nothing to provoke
legal action.
Are my answers to your satisfaction?
JEFFERSON
My God.
MADISON
Gentlemen, let’s go.
HAMILTON
So?
JEFFERSON AND MADISON
The people won’t know what we know.
HAMILTON
Burr!
How do I know you won’t use this against me
the next time we go toe to toe?
BURR
Alexander, rumors only grow. And we both
know what we know.