oldEpisode Two-hundred-eighty-nine:
Lawrence Is Arrested for Trying to
Spread a Disease; Julie Holds a
Party Jack Visits Jo at Bayview.
[Air date early June 1991]
SCENE ONE: IT IS THE NEXT DAY AND JACK ARRIVES AT THE LOFT.JACK: Newsflash Miss Horton, are you ready? It appears Lawrence Alamain has been arrested.
JENNIFER: Has been arrested. I read it in the paper Jack.
JACK: The Spectator, I hope. Well tell me something, if you already knew it why didn't you choose to go to the roof and shout hallelujah to the sky?
JENNIFER: Well I don't think it's cause for that much celebration. I mean I still have a legal score of my own to settle with him, remember?
JACK: Well that's precisely my point. Anything that paints Lawrence in a negative light, which being arrested tends to do, is going to be in our favor.
JENNIFER: Our favor? What, as in you and me?
JACK: Well correct me if I'm wrong but I thought we were working on this together.
JENNIFER: Well we are, I mean except for that little snag that you're married to.
JACK: You mean Eve? Oh don't worry about her. It's just a minor point, a minor detail.
JENNIFER: Oh really Jack, I wish I had your optimism, but I find it really hard to believe that any problem with Eve could be minor.
JACK: Look I.... I know how to deal with a woman scorned.
JENNIFER: How?
JACK: Just suffice to say that I've come up with an idea. I'm going to make her an offer that she cannot refuse and into the bargain, make myself a bachelor, practically by the end of the day.
JACK PICKS UP A PAPER AND STARTS TO READ.JENNIFER: Well come on Jack, don't leave me hanging, I mean tell me what this plan is of yours.
JACK: I'm sorry I can't really divulge the contents of the plan until my partner gets here.
JENNIFER: Your partner?
JACK: Yes my part....
JENNIFER: Who's your partner?
THERE IS A KNOCK AT THE DOOR.JACK: Well that must be him right now. I'M COMING. I'M COMING.
SCENE TWO: JACK HURRIES OVER AND OPENS THE DOOR.JACK: FRANCOISE!
JENNIFER: Frankie is your partner? JACK NODS. FRANKIE: I am? Well that's news to me. What's going on?
JENNIFER: I don't know, I was just wondering the same thing Jack.
FRANKIE: Well then you can explain it since you were the one that called the meeting.
JACK: Yes. Well why don't we just make ourselves comfortable. Get comfy, grab a seat.
JACK TAKES A SEAT FACING THEMJACK: Alright, the plan, if you will, it's simple yet brilliant. In fact you could say it's.... it's brilliant because of its simplicity. It's.... ah....
FRANKIE: Jack get to the point!
JACK: Ah.... the point is, if I am not going to be detrimental to Miss Horton's case I've got to get a divorce, badly. That's where you come in Francoise. You've got to get Eve off my case, off my back and hopefully onto yours. This is what I want you to do. You've got to woo her, you've got to wine her, you've got to dine her. Do whatever it takes whether it rhymes or not. Get her right where you want her. When she's finally bought the whole thing, swallowed it hook, line and sinker, you say, Eve I love you. I want you. I want to marry you but there's only one problem, you're not free. She realizes that she has to divorce me, so she does. So the moment I get cut loose from the old ball and chain, you can turn around and drop Eve like the.... well like the.... ball and chain that she is, if you will. Well what do you think?
FRANKIE: Jack, that has to be the most sneaky, underhanded, diabolical scheme I've ever heard in my entire life. And you just wasted our time telling me about it.
JACK: Well.... you're not even going to consider it?
FRANKIE: Consider it? I thought of it first.
JENNIFER IS SHOCKED THAT FRANKIE COULD BE AS SNEAKY AS JACK.JENNIFER: Frankie you came up with the same idea as Jack?
FRANKIE: Ah, that's pretty scary, isn't it?
JACK: Ah wait a minute, I think I should resent this.
FRANKIE: You see Jen, I.... I been thinking about it and I think it's the only way to get Eve to come around.
JENNIFER: Wait a minute, are you sure that you want to do this for Jack, to get this divorce?
FRANKIE: I'm not doing this for Jack. I'm doing this for me.... and you.
JENNIFER: For me?
FRANKIE: Yeah. You've been through a lot. You deserve to be happy.
JENNIFER: I really appreciate that Frankie. I just don't want this to backfire. I really don't.
FRANKIE: It won't. Everything's going to be just fine. I'll take care of Eve, right.
JENNIFER: Okay.
JACK: Well I tell you something Francoise, if you pull this off, I'm going to seriously reconsider making you my pal, my chum, my mate, my....
FRANKIE AND JENNIFER: Shut up Jack!
JENNIFER: Yes. Well I mean that though, I really do.
FRANKIE GOES TO THE DOOR.FRANKIE: Listen I'll see you later, alright.
JENNIFER: Thanks Frankie.
JACK: I mean I love man.
JACK SHUTS THE DOOR AND LAUGHS DEVIOUSLY.JACK: Perfect, perfect. A brilliant scheme being pulled off even as we speak.
JENNIFER: I don't know. It's like a big giant deception Jack. I don't know if I want to be a part of this. I....
JACK: The end justifies the means.
JENNIFER: What? That sounds like something Lawrence would say and look how he ended up Jack.
JACK: Yes, much to the delight of many of the happy people of Salem.
JENNIFER: Yeah. Well you know there's one person that's not in Salem right now who would probably love to hear this news.
JACK: Oh really, who?JENNIFER: Jo.
JACK: Jo? (Beat) Oh I'll give her a call.
JENNIFER: No Jack, that's not what I meant. I think that she should hear this from you, in person.
JACK: What, you think that I'm.... I'm going to go all the way out there to tell her something that she's probably already heard on the radio? I mean I don't want to throw a big wrench into her day. Her schedule is set. She.... you know she shucks the peas, she does her hair, she, you know.... she weaves the baskets, she....
JENNIFER: Jack, stop, you're making up excuses. The only reason you don't want to go to Bayview is that you're afraid to see your mother in a sanitarium. (Beat) It's true Jack. The thought of seeing Jo in a sanitarium scares you to death. And I know how you feel.
JACK: Scares me to death, huh? How do you know that?
JENNIFER: How do I know that? I had the same kind of experience with my mother, remember. Only with my mother she.... Jack my mother is so bad off she can't even talk to me. You know what that was like, trying to face that? I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to go see her. But I had to. I had to force myself to do it.
JACK: So what happened?
JENNIFER: Nothing happened. I mean I don't even know if she realized I was even there. But it made me feel better. I mean to be around her and to hold her hand. And to look into her eyes. And on some level I really believe it made her feel better too. (Beat) And I think that would be great for you and Jo. I mean Jo needs you Jack and whether you admit it or not, you need her. So will you go to her, will you do it?
JACK: Well I.... I wouldn't like to have to make her rely on the kindness of strangers.
JENNIFER: You're doing the right thing you know.
JACK: Oh I am?
JENNIFER: Hmmm, you'll see.
JACK GOES OFF TO BAYVIEW.
SCENE THREE: JENNIFER GOES TO WINGS WHERE JULIE CALLS TOGETHER SOME OF LAWRENCE'S ENEMIES SO THAT THEY CAN QUIETLY SHARE THEIR FEELINGS AND GIVE JENNIFER SOME SUPPORT.
SCENE FOUR: OUT AT BAYVIEW, JO IS PACING HER ROOM. SHE PICKS UP A BOOK AND TRIES TO READ WHEN THE DOOR OPENS AND NURSE SHOWS JACK IN.JO: Jack! Oh I'm so glad that you're here.
SHE GIVES HIM A BIG HUG BUT HE'S VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.JACK: Ah, yeah, yes.... so how are.... how are you doing?
JO: Oh well believe it or not, I'm okay.
JACK: Hmmm. Huh, uh.
JO: This isn't exactly the Curtis mansion but it's alright. I'm alright.
JACK PICKS UP THE BOOK SHE WAS READING THEN LOOKS AT HER AGAIN.JACK: Right! (Beat) Well I guess I should just get to the point of why I'm here. Um, there's some news from Salem and Miss Horton thought it best that you hear about it.
JO: What news are you talking about?
JACK: Lawrence Alamain is in jail.
JO: Are you serious? What for?
JACK: He was caught attempting to spread some kind of deadly disease.
JO: Oh, well there must be some justice in this old world after all. Putting that man behind bars where he belongs.
JACK: Yes, apparently not quite enough I'm afraid. At least not enough for Miss Horton. She.... I think she still wants to see Lawrence's head on a platter and she's willing to face a rape trial to do it.
JO: She's got you to face it with her.
JACK: Yeah, there's the rub, huh! Her closest ally is a married man who has a history of sexual violence identical the man she's trying to convict. I don't for the life of me see why she persists in saying she needs my help.
JO: Um...for support, for encouragement...for love
.
JACK FROWNS.JO: Jack I know this has been very difficult for you and considering your past it took a lot of courage to stand by Jennifer. And before this is over you're going to need more courage. But I know you won't let her down.
JACK: I see. You've been looking into a crystal ball?
JO: Make all the jokes you want. It doesn't stop me from telling you how proud I am of you. And I am.... very proud.
SHE GIVES HIM A BIG HUG.
SCENE FIVE: JACK ARRIVES AT WINGS TO MEET JENNIFER.JENNIFER: Jack, Jack, how did it go? Did you see her?
JACK: Oh, it was.... alright. But that's enough right now Miss Horton. I believe that ah.... oh I believe Operation Desert Eve is right underway.
HE LOOKS ACROSS AT FRANKIE CHATTING TO EVE.JENNIFER: Oh yeah, heaven help Frankie.
SCENE SIX: THE LITTLE PARTY GETS UNDERWAY AND JACK AND JENNIFER SIT AT A TABLE WITH TOM AND ALICE. JUST AS THE MUSIC STARTS, LAWRENCE WALKS IN. THE MUSIC STOPS AND EVERYBODY STARES AND GASPS.
