Kathy and Jim
Episode 220
Fade In: Interior. Kathy’s kitchen. She is pacing back and forth as Paula bangs on her door.
Kathy: Paula! (Opens the door) What are you–
Paula: It’s Jim!
(Lena enters quietly from the stairs and remains on them)
Kathy: What about him?
Paula: He’s in jail.
Kathy: What? Why?
Paula: They just released me because Jim confessed to killing Noel! (Kathy and Lena both gasp. She sees Lena. To Kathy) What is she doing here?
Kathy: I don’t time to explain that. I have to go to Jim. (She grabs her car keys and her pocketbook.) The kids?
Paula: Don’t worry about the kids. I’ll call Dot. She’ll come stay with them. Go.
Kathy: Thank you, Paula. (She hurriedly exits.)
Paula: (To Kathy): Be careful. (Sees Lena heading up stairs.) Where in hell do you think you’re going?
Lena: I have to get my things and go to Jim. He needs me.
Paula: He doesn’t need you. He has Kathy. His wife. Remember her?
Lena: Yes.
Paula: (Goes to the refrigerator, takes out of half full bottle of wine, opens it, takes down a glass and pours it in.): No I don’t think you do. (Takes a swig of the wine) I think you are under some delusion that Jim’s in love with you even though I’m positive he has told you repeatedly that he only loves Kathy.
Lena: Yes he told me that but if that’s true then why is he always there to help me when I need him?
Paula: Because Jim is and always has been and always will be a good, decent person who feels badly for anyone who is hurt and does his damnedest to make sure that person is never hurt again. And you and I are takers. We take and take and take until someone as good and kind and wonderful as Jim ends up sitting in jail and confessing to a crime he didn’t commit. Now I’m going to call Dot to have her come stay with these kids. You go upstairs and get your things.
Lena: But where I am to go? I can’t go back to the restaurant. It’s a crime scene and Jim told me to stay here.
Paula: I don’t care what Jim told you. I’m telling you to go upstairs and get your measly belongings. You’re staying with me.
Lena: I don’t want to stay with you.
Paula: Dot’s not going to take you in after the trouble you’ve caused. So it’s either my house or the street. You choose but understand one thing, Lena, I’m watching you and if you cause any more trouble for my brother Jim or his wife Kathy I’m going to make sure you’ll end up where Noel is right now.
CUT-TO: Interior. Jim’s jail cell. He is seated as the door opens and Kathy comes rushing in. The cop opens the cell.
Kathy: Jim!
Jim: (Rises immediately): Kathy! (They embrace. To the cop.) Can we have a few minutes alone, please? (The cop closes the cell and exits.) Kathy, what are you doing here?
Kathy: What am I–Jim what are you doing here? Paula came to the house and told me you confessed to killing Noel?
Jim: Yes. I killed him.
Kathy: No. You couldn’t have.
Jim: I’m telling you I did.
Kathy: No you’re only saying that to protect Paula.
Jim: Paula didn’t kill him.
Kathy: And neither did you. You could never take someone else’s life.
Jim: What are you talking about? I almost killed him in the Church at Hugh’s funeral.
Kathy: But you didn’t.
Jim: Because Max and Dad pulled me off of him.
Kathy: No you never would have–
Jim: Kathy, you’ve me known for years. You know that when I get angry. I mean really angry all I see is red. I only saw red when I found out that you knew about who hit Mom with a car and kept it from me for twenty years. That’s why we split up. I saw red at the Church when Noel told everyone at his son’s funeral that Paula’s a lesbian and I jumped over the pew and started choking him and I saw red again when you came home the other night and almost had a breakdown because of wanting Declan and not being able to have him because of Noel. So after Brooke came and gave you a shot to calm you down so you could sleep and everyone went home I went downstairs (Slowly dissolve to showing these images of Jim going downstairs, etc, as he tells this story.) and went into the basement. I got out my tool box, unlocked it, and took out my gun. I put two bullets in it and I headed over to Romano’s. I got there and it was dark and raining and I went around back. I opened the kitchen door to see Noel beating Lena. I saw red like I’d never seen it before. I pulled him away from Lena and grabbed her and brought her to our car. Then I went back into the restaurant and beat the shit outta Noel and when he was laying on the floor unable to move I reached into my pocket and I shot him. He moved and I shot him again. I dropped the gun, went out to the car and drove Lena to a safe place. I went back to the restaurant, grabbed Declan, and brought him to you. (Dissolve back to the jail cell. Kathy is seated crying and Jim is standing.) Then I heard Paula had been arrested for Noel’s murder so I got Lena and brought her to the hospital and then I brought her to our house where I knew she would be safe. I left you with Declan and went to the station and confessed to the crime. That’s how it happened.
Kathy: Yes I have known you for years. (Slowly dissolve to these images as she is speaking) Since we were little children playing together, teenagers going through high school together, when you were went to college and I worked at my mother’s bar, when we got engaged and you went to law school, when we got married and when we had Colleen and Patrick all the way up til now. (Slowly dissolve back to her in the cell) I have known you and loved you forever. You a good decent honorable and loving man. You are my entire world, Jim, and there is no way that I am going to allow you to sit in prison for a murder you didn’t commit. It isn’t going to happen.
Jim: Kathy, if you get yourself involved in this they’ll take away Declan.
Kathy: They are not going to take away Declan or anything else from me ever again including you. Now I don’t know what’s been happening with you the last few days. I’m guessing it’s a reaction to my running away with Declan but whatever it is we are going to work through this together. You’ve gotten yourself into a real mess this time but I’m going to get you out of it the same way you’ve gotten me out of the messes I’ve made. Do you understand me, Jim?
Jim: But, Kathy–
Kathy: (Firmly): Do you understand me?
Jim: Yes, I understand you.
(They passionately kiss)
Fade to Black
Everlasting Love 