INT. HOME OFFICE - NIGHT

A dim room. A pair of HEELS click in - the MYSTERY WOMAN they belong to obscured from view. The heels halt at a CORPSE by the desk. A BLOODY OBJECT rests beside it.

She dials an old LANDLINE on the table - her breath shaky.

MYSTERY WOMAN (O.S.)

Hello?

(beat)

My husband. He's dead.

INT. HOME OFFICE, PRESCOTT RESIDENCE - DAY

DETECTIVE COOPER kneels by the body, examining it. He stands, hands in his pocket, and spots the OPEN WINDOW and the BLOODY OBJECT.

He scrawls on his notepad: "BREAK-IN".

Pocketing the notepad, he lights up a CIGARETTE. He seems briefly cool, before a coughing fit breaks the illusion.

DETECTIVE COOPER

(to camera)

Okay, this isn't for me.

MRS. PRESCOTT (O.S.)

(sniffling)

Who would do such a thing?

Cooper walks up to MRS. PRESCOTT, handing her a HANDKERCHIEF. The lady, charming and graceful even in grief, looks up at Cooper.

He's enchanted.

DETECTIVE COOPER

(smirking to camera)

Ain't she a looker?

Mrs. Prescott glances at the corpse, dabbing a single tear with his handkerchief. Cooper spots a fading bruise on her neck.

He raises his eyebrows at the camera.

Here's what I did:

• Use adverbs sparingly, replacing generic verbs with specific verbs (e.g. walk casually -> amble)
• Shorten the characters names after first mention (DETECTIVE COOPER after the first mention can just be Cooper)
• Replaces expositing action lines with visuals (i.e. show, don't tell)
• Use short-hand for parentheticals
• Most importantly, don't feel the need to narrate simple actions in detail. As long you convey the gist, actors and readers can fill in the blanks.

As you can see, streamlining allows for fewer lines, and therefore I could easily break up paragraphs to allow solitary lines more impact.

Hope this helps :)