The Jack Deveraux Story, Episode 272

SCENE ONE: IT IS THE NEXT DAY AND JACK HAS ARRIVED AT THE LOFT EARLY TO SEE JENNIFER. HE HALF OPENS THE DOOR AND CALLS HER THEN ENTERS.

JACK: Hello. (Beat) Miss Horton, front and center. May I remind you that a murder weapon in the hand is not worth two in the bush, as long as we don't have the fingerprints. Hello!

JENNIFER STILL HAS NOT APPEARED BUT THERE IS A KNOCK AT THE DOOR.

JACK: I'll get it. GET YOUR INQUISITIVE LITTLE MIND DOWN HERE.

JACK OPENS THE DOOR AND IT IS JO.

JO: Hi.... oh I couldn't stand the suspense. Well? How did the dinner go last night?
JACK: Oh the dinner.

JO: The dinner.
JACK: You didn't remember, huh?

HE PUTS HIS HANDS UP TO HIS FACE LIKE BINOCULARS AND SMILES.

JACK: Well the dinner was.... I don't know, it was rather tasty.
JO: Tasty?

AT THAT MOMENT JENNIFER COMES RUNNING DOWN THE STEPS TALKING TO HIM.

JENNIFER: Jack, I came up with this brilliant idea. I came up with the perfect person to help us solve this murd....

JENNIFER FREEZES WHEN SHE SEES JO THERE.

JENNIFER: Jo.... ah, I didn't know you were here.
JO: Obviously.

JENNIFER: Ah, Mrs. Johnson, I have a reason why I said that. I mean I can explain.
JO: I wish you would because I'm a little confused.

JO: I thought you said you lost the gun. How can you solve a murder without the gun?
JACK: Well where there's a will, there's a way. I mean we'll be able to solve this thing with or without a gun.

JO: Jack I don't like this one bit.

JACK: Oh you think we do? Don't you think I'd like to just go to work and forget about it? If this is the only way to get us to Lawrence Alamain, we'll have to take it.

JO: Son, I know you want your revenge especially after what he did to Steve, but this man is very powerful. I mean he's capable of almost anything. I mean going up against him could be almost suicidal.

JACK: Ah.... he doesn't scare me.

JO: Oh well, what about Jennifer? He could hurt her you know.
JACK: Well Miss Horton knows what she's dealing with. For better or for worse, right Miss Horton?

JENNIFER IS SILENT BUT LOOKS A BIT SCARED.

JACK: Anyway, I guess the point is that.... ah.... if this is the only that we're going to get to Lawrence Alamain, this is what we're going to have to do.
JO: Well I can see that you determined to go through with this.

JENNIFER: Yes we are Mrs. Johnson.

JO: At least I'm glad you're doing it together.

JENNIFER: Listen can I get you something? Like juice or tea or....

JO: No, listen I've got some errands to run. I've got to get going.

JENNIFER: Alright, well thanks for coming by and thanks again for the dinner.

JO: Oh you're welcome and I'll see you both later.
JENNIFER: Okay. Bye, bye.

SHE SHUTS THE DOOR AND JACK BREATHES A SIGH OF RELIEF.

JACK: That was close.
JENNIFER: Yeah, that was too close Jack.

JACK: Maybe we better do something very soon or this whole thing is going to blow up in our face.

JENNIFER: I know, I have an idea about that.

JACK: No, I don't want to hear about the police. It's out of the question.
JENNIFER: Jack I....

JACK: We have to do something now because I have to get this damn thing out of my pants.
JENNIFER: Jack?

JACK: What?

JENNIFER: I said.... I had an idea.

JACK: Well go ahead and tell me. I'm not the amazing Kreskin.
JENNIFER: I found some one who can help us and fortunately he can also lift fingerprints off a gun and I called him and he said he'd come right over.

THERE IS A KNOCK ON THE DOOR.

JENNIFER: That's him.
JACK: That must be him.

JENNIFER: I know it's him.
JACK: Yes, well just let's hope it's not Jo with words of wisdom.

SCENE TWO: JENNIFER OPENS THE DOOR TO BO.

JENNIFER: Hi Bo, come on in.
BO: Hey Jen. Hi Jack, welcome back.

JENNIFER: Thanks for coming.

BO: Sure, what's going on? What did you want to see me about?

JENNIFER: We need a favor and it's kind of a big one.

BO: Yeah, what?

JENNIFER: How would you feel about helping us trap someone?

BO: Depends on who it is.
JENNIFER: Lawrence Alamain.

BO GETS BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE. JENNIFER AND JACK GO ON TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

BO: So let me get this straight. You found the gun and it was on the train, in behind some kind of grate.
JACK: Well I have to admit I was in a prone position at the time.
BO: Listen, you know how many people are after that gun? The police would probably kill to get their hands on it.

JENNIFER: Yeah, but you're not going to tell them, right Bo. I mean it's important to us that Jack and I do this our own way. I mean you can't imagine what we went through on that island [ed. villa] before you showed up. He did a lot of terrible things and as long as he's in Salem, the threat is still there. Alright, so I'm just saying that we have to do something to stop him. And I though because he did some terrible things to you, you might want to help us.
JACK: Of course, if.... if you don't want to get involved, we'll understand.

BO: No, no, wait a minute Jack, I didn't say that.

JACK: No, I'm just saying we will understand because obviously your brother is one of Salem's somewhat finest.

BO: Yeah well, he doesn't tell me his business, I don't tell him mine.

JENNIFER: So what does that mean? Does that mean you're with us?

BO: (Beat) Yeah, I'm with you.

JENNIFER: Great. Thanks Bo.

BO: On one condition. As soon as we get enough to nail Larry, we give that gun to Roman. Withholding evidence in a murder case is pretty steep stuff okay.

JACK: Well....

JENNIFER: Yeah.

BO: Deal?

JENNIFER: Yeah, it's a deal, definitely. How soon can you get back to us?

BO: Well if we're lucky, very soon.

JACK: Alright, then, here's your luck piece.

JACK PULLS AND PULLS AND MANAGES TO GET THE GUN OUT OF HIS PANTS.

IT IS STILL WRAPPED IN THE OLD CHIP BAG.

JACK: Lucky charm.
BO: Interesting hiding place there Jack.

JACK: Well it's a trifle uncomfortable but it did the trick.

JENNIFER: Jack give me that.
JACK: Careful.

JENNIFER HANDS THE GUN TO BO.

BO: Okay, I'll do my job and I'll see you guys a little later, okay.
JENNIFER: Right, thanks a lot. Thanks for coming over.
JACK: Yeah.

BO LEAVES.

JENNIFER: Alright, all we have to do is wait and see what Bo finds on that gun.
JACK: Yeah. That's about the size of it.

JENNIFER: What if he doesn't find anything on the gun?

JACK: Please don't start worrying now.

JENNIFER: Jack we have waited so long and we have worked so hard for this.

JACK: I tell you what rather than worrying over this, let's do something really fun until Bo gets back. How about.... ah.... Chinese checkers?

JENNIFER: Ah, you know what, I've had something else that's been keeping me pretty busy these days.

JACK: You can think of something that's better or busier than Chinese checkers?
JENNIFER: Indoor gardening.

JACK BOWS HIS HEAD IN BOREDOM.

JACK: Aye.... aye.

JENNIFER IS WALKING TOWARDS THE JADE PLANT WHEN SHE STOPS SUDDENLY.

JENNIFER: Jack, Jack, look. Look at this plant. Come over here.
JACK: What?

JENNIFER: Come here.

JACK: It's dead, right. It finally died.

JENNIFER: No it's not dead.

JACK: You put too much water on it.
JENNIFER: It's not dead. Look Jack.

SHE HOLDS IT UP FOR HIM TO SEE.

JENNIFER: It's just the opposite. It grew.
JACK: Imagine that.
JENNIFER: Yeah, imagine that.

JENNIFER BEGINS FIDDLING WITH THE JADE PLANT AND MEASURING IT.

JACK: So what should I call you now, Miss Herbivore? This is the fourth time in the last half hour you've been playing with that thing. You think it's going to grow when you look at it?
JENNIFER: Jack, you know what, I wouldn't put anything by this plant. That's why I use a regular ruler instead of a stake because then I can watch it grow. It grew a quarter of an inch in one day.

JACK: (Unimpressed) Wow.... maybe you should see about raising the roof in this place?

JENNIFER: You can make fun all you want Jack but I think it's a good omen.

JACK: I think it's good manure.
JENNIFER: You know you don't have to say it Jack but I know that that plant means as much to you as it does to me. And it's going to pull through just fine.

THERE IS A KNOCK ON THE DOOR.

JENNIFER: Oh, woops hold on. Bo, hi, that was quick.
BO: Yeah, we're in luck. I was able to get the prints off the gun.

JENNIFER: You're kidding. That's great.

JACK: Yeah, well what's next?
BO: What's next is we have to get the prints off all the murder suspects and compare them to the ones I got.

SCENE FOUR: JACK AND JENNIFER HAVE ORDERED PIZZA AND THEY ARE SITTING AT THE KITCHEN BENCH EATING IT. JACK GETS TWO SODAS OUT OF THE FRIDGE AND HANDS ONE TO JENNIFER WHILE HE MUNCHES.

JACK: It should be simple, at least for Eve. I'll dust off every single expensive item in my penthouse and her little prints should be on one of them.
JENNIFER: Hmmm. How are we going to get April's prints?

THEY EACH HAVE A MOUTHFUL OF PIZZA.

JACK: April's prints?
JENNIFER: Huh, uh.

JACK: How are we going to get Johnnie's prints? How are we going to get my new father-in-law, Captain Donovan?
JENNIFER: Jack this is going to take forever, if we get this job done at all. Do you realize that?

JACK PAUSES AND THINKS FOR A FEW SECONDS.

JACK: Maybe not.
JENNIFER: What, what are you thinking?
JACK: I'm thinking that there may be a way to get everybody's fingerprints at the same time.

JACK GOES ON TO EXPLAIN HIS SCHEME.

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