Decisions, Decisions
Episode 218
Fade In: We pick up where we left off at the last episode. Jim is embracing Lena, who has a black eye and her arm in a sling.
Lena: Oh, Jim, I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t shown up. I think he would have killed me.
Jim: It’s all right, Lena. He can’t hurt anymore.
Lena: Not with you around. Once you saw me running out you took me away from him. I can’t go back to him. Please don’t make me go back.
Jim: It’s all right. Calm down. Sit here. (She sits.) He’s not going to hurt you ever again.
Lena: You don’t know that.
Jim: I do know that. Lena, Noel’s dead.
Lena: What?
Jim: Noel was found dead on the kitchen floor from two-gun shot wounds.
Lena: Oh, Jim, no you didn’t–
Jim: No I didn’t kill him.
Lena: But why were coming to the restaurant anyway? It was so late at night.
Jim: Because of what he’d done to Kathy. She almost had a mental breakdown because of him. He’d been an asshole to everyone I know and love. I couldn’t let him get away with it anymore. So I went to your restaurant to kill him. I wanted to but I didn’t. You came running out, I put you in my car and I then I went in and beat the shit outta him. I left him there on the floor bleeding but I didn’t kill him.
Lena: I believe you, Jim.
Jim: I’m glad you do. I’m not sure anyone else will but e have to get back to Maple Falls. You can get treatment for your eye and your arm.
Lena: No I don’t want to go back–
Jim: Lena, you have too.
Lena: Oh, that’s right, I have to be there for Declan. I wasn’t even thinking of him.
Jim: Lena, you can hate me for this if you want–
Lena: I could never hate you, Jim. I love you. I know you don’t love me that way but I do love you. That’s why I married Noel. To make you jealous.
Jim: Lena, listen to me. After I took you here, I went back and Declan was still sleeping. I took him and gave him to Kathy.
Lena: To Kathy?
Jim: You know he belongs with Kathy, don’t you? Be honest. Don’t you? Kathy and I will give him a good home. Maggie wanted Kathy to have him.
Lena: You don’t have to say anything else. I know he should be with you and Kathy. Noel and I never would’ve taken him from you. It was wrong of us. What about Noel? Do they know who killed him?
Jim: Yes or at least they think they do. They arrested Paula.
CUT-TO: Interior. Ginny’s office. She is seated behind her desk as Olive is seated in front of it. Another cop is there writing down Olive’s story.
Ginny: So let me get this straight. You’re telling me you were there the night Eddie Romano was shot and killed by Tom Moore?
Olive: Yes. I’m an eye-witness.
Ginny: Go ahead. Tell me what happened.
Olive: Well I had been drinking that day. Too much I guess because I ended up sleeping in the grass at The Maple Falls Motel.
Ginny: Uh-huh and what time was this around?
Olive: When I fell asleep?
Ginny: Yeah.
Olive: I guess it was late afternoon.
Ginny: And?
Olive: I woke up that night. I heard a car pull up. I looked and it was Tom Moore and he was taking a satchel and putting it in his car. Then I heard Eddie say “Tom” and then Tom turned around and shot Eddie right in the forehead. Eddie went down and Tom took off.
Ginny: And what did you do?
Olive: I took off and I went to check on my Rosie like I always do.
Ginny: Rosie?
Olive: She’s my little girl.
Ginny: So let me understand this. You left your little girl to go drinking for the day to fall asleep in some grass and wake up and saw Tom Moore kill Eddie Romano. Why didn’t you call the police?
Olive: I dunno.
Ginny: Some mother you are.
Olive: (Rises): Don’t you talk to me about being a mother. I’m a good mother. I take care of my Rosie and no one can say I don’t.
Ginny: Well if I’m too believe your story you certainly didn’t that day.
Olive: I knew she was safe.
Ginny: How would you know that?
Olive: She’s lives at Crest Haven. She’s a patient there in Room 3 on the first floor. I check on my Rosie every day. That’s why I need the fifty thou. I need it for her care. Now you wanted an eye-witness to come forward and I have. I seen it. Now gimme the money.
Ginny: Sit down, Olive. Please. (Olive sits) I’m sorry for what I said about you not being a good mother. I can see how much you love Rosie and I can see you are a very good mother willing to do or say anything to get money for your daughter’s care. But you’re not getting the money today and possibly never because other than your love for Rosie and where she lives I don’t believe one word coming out of your mouth.
Olive: (Rises): But I told you–
Ginny: I heard the story. It’s been recorded and I’ll go back and see where you were that day. You’re a nurse at Crest Haven and I know you frequent Clarke’s and O’Leary’s. So let me check out those details and then we’ll see.
Olive: (Lunges): Why you! Who are you anyway? Coming here to Maple Falls and bossing people around. Nobody knows anything about you but boy if I found out something then everyone would know.
Ginny: I am the Chief of Police in this town and you’d better check yourself or else you’ll end up sleeping next to Paula in the cell. Now get outta here and go about your business. Now.
(Olive exits.)
Cop: Wow. She’s a tough one.
Ginny: Who is she anyway?
Cop: She’s Grace Donahue’s cousin. You know. The lady’s whose husband died in the fire? Ralph Donahue. You okay, Chief?
Ginny: Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m fine.
CUT-TO: Exterior. Maple Falls Cemetery. It’s cloudy and starting to drizzle. Grace stands by Ralph’s grave that he’s just been buried in. Father McShane is there as well.
Grace: Thank you, Donald. It was a wonderful funeral even though we were the only ones there.
Father: We were the only ones there physically but certainly not spiritually.
Grace: Oh, of course, Don–(He clears his throat) I mean, Father.
(Jen comes running in. She’s a little winded.)
Jen: Grace, I’m–
Grace: Oh, Jennifer!
Jen: (Catches her breath): I’m sorry I missed the funeral. Things got hectic at the hospital–
Grace: I completely understand.
Jen: Hello, Father.
Father: Jennifer.
(Awkward pause)
Grace: Well it was good of you to come anyway. I wonder where Olive was.
Jen: Let me take you out to lunch.
Grace: No that isn’t necessary.
Jen: Ok, well if–
Father: I think it would do you some good, Grace.
Grace: Do you, Father? Well if you think so. (To Jen) Where should we go?
Close up of a faintly smiling Jen
CUT-TO: Interior. Kathy’s kitchen. She is cradling Declan giving him his bottle as Dot sits.
Dot: Oh, isn’t that wonderful. Jim is such a good husband.
Kathy: Yes he is.
Dot: I mean to get Declan and give him to you like that. They don’t make them any better than Jim.
Kathy: No, they don’t.
Dot: Kathy, what is it?
Kathy: It’s nothing really. It’s just–
Dot: What?
Kathy: He handed me Declan and then he took off. I don’t know where he is. He’s not picking up his phone and then you told me Noel was killed and I’m worried that–
Dot: You don’t think that he could have killed Noel?
Kathy: We all know how much Jim hated Noel.
Dot: No, Kathy, not Jim.
(Patrick enters holding his phone)
Patrick: Mom! You’re not going to believe this!
Kathy: Patrick, what is it?
Patrick: (Reading his phone): Alyson Wembly, heir to the Wembly Fortune, has run off and eloped with Count Giovanni Frangelico.
Dot: That girl was always a problem. Oh poor Richard!
Patrick: What’s Declan doing here? I thought he was with Noel and Lena.
Kathy: He’s going to be staying here for a while. Did you hear about Noel?
Patrick: Yeah. I heard. Someone shot and killed him.
Dot: You don’t seem very upset about it. (Patrick shrugs.)
Kathy: They arrested your Aunt Paula.
Patrick: Oh. Wow. You don’t think she–
Kathy: No of course not.
Patrick: You don’t think Dad–
Kathy: No! Why would you say something like that?
Patrick: I saw him last night go out of the house. I didn’t know where he went or anything and I couldn’t see too good cause of the rain and everything but
Kathy: But what, Patrick?
Patrick: I’m pretty sure he was carrying a gun.
(Declan starts to cry.)
Close up of Patrick, Dot, Kathy
Fade to Black
Everlasting Love 