Everlasting Love

The Aftermath

Episode 246

Fade In: Interior.  Grace’s room at Crest Haven Nursing Home.  It is a plain simple room with a table, chair, tv set, and bed and bureau.  Brian’s newscast is on the background.  Grace enters with a steak that has been microwaved.  She closed the door and sits down at the table that has a steak knife, fork, napkin, cup.  She places the plate down on the table and turns up the tv enough for her to hear but not to wake the patients or to alert anyone she’s living there.  She begins to cut her steak and puts a piece in her mouth when she hears:

Brian: A startling event occurred in the courtroom when Olive Benson confessed to killing Noel Tremayne.

(Grace gasps and a part of the steak gets caught in her throat.  As Brian drones on, Grace has trouble dislodging it but she manages to after sipping her cup of tea.  She swallows and push the steak away.  Her phone that is sitting on the bureau rings.  She rises to answer it and sees that it is Maple Falls Jailhouse.)

Grace: Certainly not.  Goodbye, Olive.  (She pushes the ignore button on her phone.)

CUT-TO: Interior.  O’Leary’s.  Everyone is there except for Grace, John, Olive, Violet, Brooke, Nancy, Father McShane, and Lena.  Elsie is there with Declan, Judy as well as everyone else.  They are all celebrating and are scattered throughout the tavern.

Dot: Praise Jesus everything worked out well.

Martin: You can say that again.

Kathy: I can’t even express how happy I am to finally have you free and home with us.

Jim: You couldn’t be any happier than I am.

Kathy: Now we’ll have to decide on what we’re going to do about Declan.

Jim: What do you mean?  We’re adopting him, of course.

Kathy: Oh, Jim, do you really want too?  Before you said–

Jim: Kathy, I had a lot of down time sitting in that jail so I thought if I got out the only thing I care about is making you and the kids happy.  Declan is now one of our kids.  So we’re going to adopt him and that’s that.

Jen: I’m so happy for you both.  Jim, you’re right back where you belong.

Jim: And I don’t plan to ever go away again.

Martin: I’ll drink to that.

Dot: I think you’ve had enough to drink.

Martin: Not nearly.  For God’s sake, Woman, like it says in the Good Book, the son who was lost has come home.  Mel, killed the fatted calf and we’ll all celebrate!  I think I’ll do an Irish jig!

(Martin starts his jig and everyone starts clapping and Judy dances as well as everyone else in some form or another.  They are all laughing and having a great time and then Lena comes in.)

Kathy: Lena.

Lena: Hello, Kathy.  Can I speak with you?  Privately.  Outside.

Kathy: Yes.  I wanted to speak to you too.  (To the others) Keep dancing.  I’ll be right back.

CUT-TO: Exterior.  Nighttime. O’Leary’s.  We hear the music has gone back on and the revelry continues as Lena and Kathy enter and stand in front of the tavern.

Lena: I just wanted to say again how sorry I am for the trouble I caused.  I’m hoping someday we could be friends again.

Kathy: (Taking Lena’s hands): We friends again now, Lena.  If you hadn’t gotten up on that witness stand and took back everything you said about you and Jim I’m not so sure he’d be a free man now.

Lena: It was the right thing to do.  I just got all caught up in my own feelings and petty jealousy.

Kathy: If you want my opinion I think everything fell apart for you when your Father was killed.  It was truly a senseless act and that must have hurt very deeply.  Your Father was a wonderful man and he didn’t deserve to die that way.

Lena: (Crying): No he didn’t and I miss Poppy so much.

Kathy: (Embracing her): I’m sure you do.  It’s been a difficult time for all of us but we’re having fun now.  Come on inside and join us.

Lena: Are you sure you want me to join you?

Kathy: Yes.  Come on.  (Takes Lena’s hand.)

CUT-TO: Interior.  O’Learys.  Kathy and Lena enter with Kathy holding Lena’s hand.

Kathy: Lena’s going to be joining us.

Dot: (Rushing over): Welcome, Lena.  Let’s get you some food.  Come on.

(Everyone cheers)

Jen: Well how do you like that?  I never thought I’d see the day when you two got along?

Kathy: (Laughs and then looks around): Is that Max with Doris Crandall?

Jen: It sure looks like it.  I thought I heard that Doris and John Kelly had a thing going.  I guess not.

Richard: (Appearing with a plate of food): Here’s some food for you, darling.

Jen: Thanks.  Aren’t you eating?

Richard: I already ate.  This is a wonderful party, Kathy.

Kathy: It sure is.  It feels like all of Maple Falls is here.

Richard: I believe it is except for Violet and Brooke.

Jen: Can you believe she’s the one who hit poor Rosie Benson with her car and then just left her there?  How can she live with herself?

Kathy: I wouldn’t be able to go to sleep at night.

Richard: Violet is a deeply troubled person.  She always has been as long as I’ve known her but my feeling is she’s done far worse things that leave poor Rosie by the wayside.  We have to be very careful, Jen.  Now that everyone knows about her involvement with Rosie Benson all sorts of truths are going to come out about Violet.  She won’t like that and she’ll do whatever she can to be certain it doesn’t happen.

Kathy: Richard, you make her sound like she’s some kind of homicidal maniac.

Richard: Kathy, that’s exactly what she is.

Close up of Kathy

CUT-TO: Interior.  Violet’s cottage.  Brooke is seated on the couch as Violet enters from the bedroom.

Violet: Oh, Brooke, you’re here.

Brooke: Yes, Mother, I’m here.  Did you have a nice rest?

Violet: Yes.  I really needed it.  (She sits next to Brooke.)

Brooke: (Rises): Here I made you a cup of tea.  It’s still hot. (Handing it to her.)

Violet: I don’t wish to drink anything right now, Brooke.  Leave it on the table.

Brooke: (Sits opposite Violet): Andrew called.  Jim is innocent and has been set free.

Violet: (Laughs): I find that so peculiar.  Only in Maple Falls could a man confess to killing someone then recant it and be found innocent.  Now they’ll have to spend our tax dollars looking for the killer.

Brooke: It’s Olive Benson.

Violet: What do you mean it’s Olive Benson?

Brooke: She confessed to killing Noel.  Something about a reward of fifty thousand dollars if someone had seen who killed Eddie Romano.

Violet: I don’t understand.

Brooke: It turns out that Tom killed Eddie.

Violet: Tom?

Brooke: Tom was blackmailing Dot Shea because he had found out that Kathy and Sylvia were her biological daughters and she didn’t want anyone to know that.  So she dropped the money off at The Maple Falls Motel.  Tom went to pick it up and when he heard Eddie say Tom’s name he shot and killed Eddie.  Noel saw this and wanted to get the reward but for some reason he didn’t.  Instead he told Olive about it and she said she wanted half and he refused and she shot and killed him.  She said she needed the money for Rosie.  That the money you were giving wasn’t enough anymore.

Violet: Well that’s that.  I’ll have my tea now.

Brooke: Is that all you have to say?

Violet: What else is there?

Brooke: Mother!  You do a hit and run on a little girl Rosie Benson and you have nothing to say about it?

Violet: It was an accident.  I didn’t mean to do it.

Brooke: So that makes it all right?

Violet: I never said it was all right.  Is it my fault she ran into the street after her ball?  Children should watch where they are going.

Brooke: I don’t believe this.

Violet: (Takes the tea and sips it and makes a face and puts it down): The tea’s cold.

(Brooke picks up the tea-cup and throws it against the wall so it smashes.)

Brooke: Who cares about the fucking tea?

Violet: Brooke Eaton I will not have you talk to me in that way!

Brooke: Mother, do you understand or have the slightest remorse in causing that little girl to live the rest of her days on machines?  She was a little girl and you took her life away and all you care about is your Goddamn tea?

Violet: I think it’s time you leave.

Brooke: Do you understand that you ruined not only Rosie’s life but Olive’s?  Do you even give a shit about all the disaster you’ve caused.

Violet: I didn’t cause disaster, Brooke.  She was a stupid little girl and her mother is slime.  They were poor.  Who cares about them?

Brooke: So because they are poor they are nothing?  Their lives don’t matter, is that it?

Violet: Brooke, you’re hysterical.  After the accident my father agreed to pay for Rosie’s care for as long as Rosie lived.

Brooke: That eases your conscience wait a minute no you don’t have a conscience to ease.

Violet: I think I’ll go back to bed and you can come see me when you are in a better mood.

Brooke: Where’s Connie, Mother?

Violet: Who?

Brooke: Miss Caswell.

Violet: How would I know?

Brooke: And Silas and Father?  Where is my Father?  You know where he is.  Where is he?

Violet: Your Father left a long time ago, Brooke.  Let it go.

Brooke: And what about Tom?

Violet: You’re not going to blame me for his death too are you?  I wasn’t there when he fell off the cliff.

Brooke: Were you glad he died?

Violet: I suppose I should ask you the same question.  After all, he is the father of your son.

Brooke: But what was Tom to you, Mother?

Violet: He was nothing to me.

Brooke: Really?

Violet: I find this whole conversation tiresome.  Just say what you want and then leave me alone.

Brooke: I never married Tom even after having Andrew.  Do you want to know why?

Violet: Not particularly but I’m sure you’ll tell me anyway.

Brooke: It was because of you and Tom.

Violet: Tom and I?

Brooke: I never married him because I always felt–no believed–that you and he had been lovers.  Not while I was with him.  At least not at the beginning but at some time you and Tom were lovers.  Is the true?

Violet: Yes.  Tom and I were lovers and then you came home from boarding school and he wanted you so I let him go and you became pregnant and you had his child and I assumed that you would marry but you never did and now I finally understand why.  It’s all my fault.  What else is new?  Tom and I had wonderful, passionate sex.  He was the best lover I ever had and I was the best he ever had and I know that for a fact because he would tell me that repeatedly.  Are you happy now, Brooke?  ARE YOU HAPPY YOU FINALLY KNOW THE TRUTH?

Brooke: Oh I know the truth and I’ve known it about you for a long time.  I’ve tried to overlook it, pretend it isn’t there but no matter what I do or where I go it’s always staring right in the face and the truth is you are one MALICIOUS CUNT!

(Violet charges for Brooke and holds her down.)

Brooke: What are you doing, Mother?  Will you kill me like you killed Rosie and Silas and Connie and (Pushing Violet off of her) Father?  (Violet reels back.) It’s over for you.  You understand that, don’t you?  I’ve packed Andrew’s things and I’m leaving here and we are both leaving you for good.  Don’t reach us or talk to us or have anything else to do with us ever again.

Violet: No, Brooke, no.  Andrew won’t ever leave.  He loves his Gran-mere.

Brooke: Not after I tell him everything you just did.  (Picks up Andrew’s suitcase.) I know better than to turn my back on you and the funny thing is I always did know it.

(Brooke exits while looking at Violet and then closes the door.)

(Violet tosses lamps around the room and turns tables over and then crumbles to the floor.)

Violet: This is all Richard’s fault.  You’re going to pay for this Richard.  If it’s the last thing I do you’re going to pay.

Close up of Violet

Close up of Jen smiling and laughing at the party.

Fade to Black