The Stew
Episode 232
Fade In: Interior. Kathy’s kitchen. Kathy, Dot, Colleen, Patrick, Adrian, Andrew are all seated at Kathy’s table. The stew is in the bowls and the bread, etc. is on the table.
Kathy: I still don’t understand how you got Andrew to come eat with us.
Adrian: You tell it, Colleen.
Patrick: No, you tell us, Adrian. You tell stories much better than Colleen.
Colleen: Hey!
Patrick: Well she does.
Dot: Well somebody tell us!
Adrian: All right. I’ll tell it. (To Kathy and pointing at the stew) What do you call this again?
Kathy: Irish stew. Why?
Adrian: Well I had your chop suey the other night and it was delicious so I guess I’m ready for another great dinner.
Kathy: Thank you, Adrian.
Adrian: (Takes a sip): It’s delicious. Can you pass the bread please? Now let’s see…
Dissolve to a sunny blue sky day that was earlier in the day around one o’clock. We see the exterior of Burke’s Corner Store and we slowly dissolve to the interior showing Adrian, Colleen, and Patrick standing at the counter with Martin behind it.
Adrian: So this is your Grandfather?
Colleen: Yes.
Adrian: (Holding out her hand): I’m Adrian Shapiro–
Martin: (Grabbing her hand and shaking it): I know who you are. You’re here to set my Jim free. He’s innocent you know.
Adrian: (They stop shaking hands): Yes, I know. (Looking around) Cute store you have.
Martin: Mo and I bought it when we came to Maple Falls I don’t know how many years ago now. Actually, we bought it before we came.
Adrian: Before you came?
Martin: Sight unseen. We were living in Boston. I had come over from Ireland. County Cork. You know of it?
Adrian: No but I’ve heard of it. Can I get a carton of cigarettes? Go on.
Colleen: I’ll ring it up, Grampy.
Martin: So where was I? Oh yes I’d come over from County Cork met Mo here–
Adrian: Mo?
Martin: My wife Maureen. (Adrian nods. Exchanges the money with Colleen who rings it up and hands her the carton of cigarettes which Adrian leaves on the counter.) We met in Boston, we fell in love, got married, and we were working and living in Dorchester. Do you know Dorchester?
Adrian: No but I’ve heard of it too.
Martin: So one day Mo was reading the newspaper and saw an ad to buy an old country store and here we are.
Adrian: Your wife is deceased?
Martin: Yes.
Adrian: Colleen and Patrick told me about her. She was in a coma for twenty-five years?
Martin: Yes. They didn’t get to know her as well as they should have but they visited her at the hospital when they could.
Adrian: Yes, they told me that too. I’m sorry for your loss, Mister Burke.
Martin: It’s Martin. Call me Martin.
Adrian: Your grandchildren love you very much as does your friend Melanie.
Martin: You know Melanie?
Adrian: Yes I’m staying with her while I’m on this case.
Martin: But she has only–
Adrian: Bedroom? Yes. Melanie and I are-how do they say it on Facebook-in a relationship.
Martin: I see.
Adrian: I asked Colleen and Patrick to show me around Maple Hill–
Martin: Falls. Maple Falls. (Adrian nods.) So what do you think of it so far?
Adrian: Well I haven’t seen all of it yet, (questioningly) have I? (Colleen and Patrick shake their heads no.) Good. You see I’m from New York. The Bronx originally. I grew with a Max Goldman. I understand he’s a doctor here.
Colleen: Yes he’s on staff at the hospital.
Adrian: Oh okay and he’s married to Sylvia–
Patrick: (Not looking up from his phone): Their not married anymore. They got divorced because he had an affair with Jen Crane who just got married to Richard Wembly!
Colleen: What?
Martin: Patrick, what are mumbling about?
Patrick: Look, it’s on my phone. (He shows them. They ooh and ahh except for Adrian.) I’ll have to call Mom.
Colleen: No I want to call her.
Patrick: Maybe she already knows.
Martin: Go outside and call her. I got a business to run. (They run out. Adrian starts to exit.) Adrian, your cigarettes.
Adrian: Thank you, Martin. Colleen mentioned that her boyfriend Andrew saw you the night of Noel’s murder leaving O’Learys and going to Romano’s. He saw you walk up the alley to the restaurant. Do you remember anything about that? She told you said he must have seen it wrong.
Martin: Well I’m glad you mentioned it. I had forgotten all about it. I drank a lot that night and walk up with pounding headache and a bump on my head. I didn’t think much of it until the other day I remember
Dissolve to that rainy dark night as Martin is coming around the alleyway to Romano’s fired up and then suddenly he gets hit on the head and falls.
Dissolve back to the store.
Adrian: So you were hit on the head and then out in the alley. So you didn’t see or hear anything.
Martin: No nothing.
Adrian: Thanks, Martin. It was good meeting you. I’m sure I’ll see you around soon.
Martin: You, too, Adrian. You’ll find the killer and getting Jim out of jail?
Adrian: I’m only here to do one thing, Martin. Get the jury to find Jim innocent. I don’t know who killed Noel Tremayne and I don’t really care. (She exits.)
CUT-TO: Exterior. Main Street. Adrian is seated in the passenger seat as Colleen is driving and Patrick is seated in the back.
Patrick: I’m amazed that Sheri is now the daughter of the one of the richest men in the world! She’s now as rich as Alyson!
Colleen: Sheri’s not his daughter. She’s he’s stepdaughter idiot.
Patrick: Whatever.
Adrian: Whose Sheri?
Colleen: She’s my best friend. We all grew up together. She lives next door to us.
Patrick: Well she did until she went to Florida to make a movie!
Adrian: They make movies in Florida? Who knew? What’s that over there?
Colleen: That’s our grandmother’s Bed and Breakfast and that’s my Dad’s office building that also has an office for Andrew’s mother, Doctor Eaton.
Patrick: She has an apartment there too.
Colleen: Patrick! Let me tell her!
Patrick: Sorry!
Adrian: You can both tell me. So where exactly does Sylvia Goldman–
Colleen: She’s Mrs. Moore now. She was married to the police chief–
Patrick: Until he took a nosedive off a cliff.
Adrian: Wow! A lot of shit happens in this town. You don’t mind if I smoke, do you? I’ll open the window.
Colleen: Go ahead. It’s okay.
Adrian: (Lights her cigarette after putting the window down): Take to where this Sylvia Moore lives. Where are we going?
Colleen: To Mrs. Moore’s house. She doesn’t live in this part of Maple Falls. She has a house on a hill. At least that’s what we call it.
Adrian: Okay. Patrick, while we’re going for the ride fill me in on how the police chief fell off the cliff.
CUT-TO: Exterior. Sylvia’s driveway. We see Colleen’s car pull in. They all exit the car.
Adrian: This is some place! (She takes her cigarette and stamps it out on the driveway.) Have you ever been inside?
Colleen: No.
Adrian: All the years you’ve lived here you’ve never been inside?
Patrick: We weren’t allowed too.
Adrian: Who says?
(Adrian goes up to the front door and Colleen and Patrick look at each other and then run in back of her. )
Adrian: (To them): Ready? (She presses the doorbell.)
CUT-TO: Interior. Sylvia’s foyer. Charlie enters and opens the door.
Charlie: May I help you?
Adrian: We’re looking for Sylvia Gold-
Colleen: Moore.
Adrian: Moore. Is she here?
Charlie: She can’t see you right now. You’ll have to come back another time.
Adrian: (Hand on the door): I’m Adrian Shapiro. This is Colleen and Patrick Burke. Their father is in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. I’m his attorney and I want to see Mrs. Moore about it. So could you go get her?
Charlie: Like I said. She’s busy.
Adrian: Well tell her when she’s unbusy we’re coming back. This is a serious matter. (Hands him her card) Here’s my card. Make sure she gets it. Come on, kids. (They go to the car.) You don’t look right.
Charlie: Huh?
Adrian: You don’t look right. Like a butler. You don’t look like a butler.
Charlie: I’m busy.
Adrian: Your busy. She’s busy. These kids have their father in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Would you know anything about being in jail for a crime you didn’t commit?
Charlie: I’ll tell her you came by.
Adrian: Do that. (She exits and the door is closed.)
CUT-TO: Exterior. Colleen’s car is exiting Sylvia’s driveway.
CUT-TO: Interior. Colleen’s car. Colleen, Adrian, and Patrick are all in the same positions.
Adrian: Go left. What’s down there?
Colleen: That’s Eaton Estates but we probably shouldn’t go there.
Patrick: There seems to be moving vans. Maybe it’s Richard and Jen!
Adrian: So Richard Wembly lives at Eaton Estates?
Patrick: Yes he’s Alyson’s father and Violet Eaton’s brother-in-law.
Adrian: Where’s Alyson’s mother?
Patrick: She’s dead.
Adrian: So Alyson’s mother is Violet Eaton’s sister, right? (Patrick nods.) So that’s how she’s related to Richard who just married Jen. (Patrick nods.) Gotcha! I like you, Patrick, I really like you.
Colleen: We really shouldn’t go there.
Adrian: Why not?
Patrick: Colleen’s boyfriend lives there and Violet won’t let Colleen see him.
Colleen: Patrick, shut up.
Adrian: Is that true? How old is this boyfriend?
Colleen: He’s eighteen.
Adrian: Oh, Andrew, right. He’s the one who can see again? So why won’t she you let you see him?
Patrick: She doesn’t like Colleen because we’re Burkes and their Eatons.
Adrian: Oh, got it. They think they are better than you because you’re poor and their rich, right? Andrew doesn’t think that, does he?
Colleen: No.
Adrian: Just the old bat, right?
Patrick: Right. Andrew’s a cool guy.
Adrian: Okay. Got it. (Colleen starts to turn the car around.) Where are you going?
Colleen: I don’t want–
Adrian: Stop! Turn the car back around.
Patrick: We’re going in and going to save Andrew!
Adrian: I like you, Patrick, I mean I really like you!
CUT-TO: Interior. Richard’s home. Violet is ordering the moving men around as Adrian appears and knocks on the open door.
Violet: Who are you?
Adrian: I’m Adrian Shapiro.
Violet: And what are you doing here?
Adrian: I came to speak to Paula Tremayne. She’s the sister of my client–
Violet: I know who she is. (To the moving men) Be careful with those paintings! (To Adrian) What do you want?
Adrian: I think I told you what I want. Does Paula live here?
Violet: No she lives in the white cottage on the right of the property near the pond.
Adrian: Thank you.
Violet: Where do you think you’re going?
Adrian: To see if Paula is in.
Violet: You are not allowed on the property. Do you see that sign. It says No Trespassing.
Adrian: I can read. If you don’t want me on your property why don’t you call Paula for me and I’ll meet her up here.
Violet: I don’t speak to her. I don’t have her phone number.
Adrian: All right. Then I have to go see if she’s in. Excuse me.
Violet: I told–
Adrian: Listen, what’s your name?
Violet: I am Violet Eaton. I own this estate hence the name Eaton Estates. Now kindly remove yourself from my premises or I will have to call the police and have your arrested for trespassing.
Adrian: Go ahead. Call them and I’ll have you arrested for breaking and entering.
Violet: I beg your pardon.
Adrian: I have it on very good authority that this house now belongs to Richard and Jennifer Wembly so what you are doing is breaking and entering so if i were you I’d stop all this nonsense and put everything back where it was or else you are going to be spending the night in jail.
Violet: How dare–
Adrian: I dare because I’m Adrian Shapiro. You may scare everyone else in this one horse town but I don’t scare easy and I’m certainly not impressed at all.
Patrick: (Entering running up to Adrian): She’s not there.
Adrian: Thanks, Patrick. Go back to the car.
Violet: What do you–(Colleen and Andrew run by and Adrian motions for them to go to the car.) Andrew! You’re kidnapping my grandson.
Adrian: Nobody’s kidnapping anyone. If he wants to come back he will. He’s going over to his girlfriend’s for dinner that’s all. (Violet lunges for Andrew as Colleen and Andrew go to the car. She grabs Violet and tosses her back.) Like I told you I’m Adrian Shapiro and you’re not!
Close up of Adrian
CUT-TO: Interior. Kathy’s kitchen. They are all seated around the table as before food mostly finished and they are laughing.
Adrian: Kathy, do you have any more stew?
Fade to Black
Everlasting Love 