oldEpisode Two-hundred-ninety-four:"
"A Contra mundum Kind of Day": There
Is One Day to the Trail. Shane Stakes
Out Lawrence's to Find the Tape; Jack
Secretly Goes Too, and Sets off the Alarm.

[Air date early June 1991]

 

 

SCENE ONE: IT IS A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, JENNIFER IS ON THE PHONE AT THE LOFT.

 

JENNIFER: No, no, that's great. Thanks for letting me know Glynnis. Alright, alright, goodbye.

 

JACK ENTERS AS SHE IS HANGING UP.

 

JENNIFER: Ah that was Glynnis Turner.

JACK: Huh, uh.

JENNIFER: They just finished jury selection.

JACK: So I guess it's really going to start tomorrow then.

JENNIFER: Yeah. No turning back now.

JACK: No second thoughts either?

JENNIFER: No! I mean I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. I mean Lawrence has the letter. What if they let him use it as evidence? You know maybe the jury will start to sympathize with him.

 

THERE IS A KNOCK AT THE DOOR AND JENNIFER ANSWERS IT.

 

JENNIFER: Um....

JACK: You get it.

JENNIFER: Who is it?

SHANE: Shane.

JENNIFER: Shane, hi.

SHANE: Hi Jennifer. Jack hi. Look, I need to talk to you both. I might have news about that video tape.

JENNIFER: You're kidding. What about it?

SHANE: There's a good chance I might be able to put my hands on it today.

JACK: Wait a minute, you're going to be able to get the tape today?

JENNIFER: How?

SHANE: Kimberly and Lawrence are going to be away from the house today so it seems to me that today might be a good time to check the place out.

JENNIFER: You mean you're going to break in.

SHANE: Well I'm certainly going to try. I think I should be able to locate the tape. At least find out where they've put it.

JACK: Okay how do we do it?

SHANE: Well first things first. I need to talk to Lila. Now she's here right. I think she can be useful to us.

JENNIFER: Yeah. She's right in the guest room.

JACK: Right, are we going to be good cop, bad cop?

SHANE: Ah Jack....

JACK: I guess that raises the question, who's going to be the good cop, who's going to be the bad cop?

SHANE: Jack, look, I know how much this means to you.

JACK: Ah.... wait no, oh no, no, no, no, no. You're not going to shove me out of this. Shane you're not....

SHANE: Jack, listen to me, listen to me. I'm going to handle this, okay. (Beat) Okay.

JACK: Wait a minute, I'm the one who told you about that tape. Shane I told you about it. You'd have nothing to handle if it wasn't for me. Shane?

JENNIFER: Jack.

JACK: Did you hear him? He thinks he's going to handle this whole thing. It's not.... if he thinks that he's going to think again.

JENNIFER: Jack, Shane can do it. He seems very confident. He thinks he can find the tape and he has a plan.

JACK: He has a plan, huh?

JENNIFER: Yes.

JACK: And he's confident?

JENNIFER: Yes.

JACK: How's this for confidence? Listen to this. I think we can get that tape. I think we can get in there, get out of there and have that tape and nobody's going to stop us. How's that for confidence?

JENNIFER: Jack, don't!

JACK: What? I am not going to sit here and let him handle the whole thing. Not in this case.

JENNIFER: Shane knows what he's doing Jack.

JACK: And I don't know what I'm doing? Is that what it sounds like? I don't know what I'm doing.

JENNIFER: No, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying he has experience. You should let him run the show.

JACK: Let him.... let him run the show. Let him just....

JENNIFER: Yes.

JACK: .... run with it. Just let him.... let him just run with it. Just run away.... just run.... just let him run with it. Yeah, sure why not. Let him just run with it.

 

JACK HAS NOT CONVINCED HIMSELF TO LET SHANE RUN THE SHOW.
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SCENE TWO: A BIT LATER JENNIFER GETS A CALL FROM ALICE.

 

JENNIFER: Yeah, yeah tonight Grandma. That sounds great. Yes Jack would love to come.

 

IN THE BACKGROUND JACK IS SIGNALING A BIG NO.

 

JACK: No, no.

JENNIFER: Okay, alright, bye.

 

SHE HANGS UP.

 

JENNIFER: I didn't think you'd mind.

JACK: Oh no, why should I mind if. I mean you might as well go to dinner with your grandmother. Everybody else around here thinks I'm useless for anything else.

JENNIFER: Jack, stop moping.

JACK: Moping? I was fuming.

JENNIFER: Alright, alright already, just let it go. Forget about it.

JACK: I can't let it go. I'm not going to let it go, alright. I.... I can't. The point....

 

LILA HAS BEEN STAYING AT THE LOFT. SHE ENTERS THE ROOM.

 

JENNIFER: Hi Lila.

LILA: Hello.

JACK: Lila, just the person I wanted to talk to. (Beat) Lila why don't you tell me.... tell us, what was your little conversation with Captain Donovan about? How did it go? I mean what was the basis of your conversation? We.... ah.... did we talk about something say.... ah did we talk about.... Lawrence?

LILA: You know I really don't want to talk about this.

JACK: No, no, please I will not ask you to divulge any state secrets here.

LILA: I can't, I can't.

JACK: What do you mean, you can't?

JENNIFER: Jack, don't.

JACK: I mean you can if you want to.

JENNIFER: Jack, can't you see?

JACK: See what?

JENNIFER: Can't you see that she's scared?

JACK: Well....

JENNIFER: It's okay Lila. You have a right to be scared but is it something that Shane said to you?

LILA: Look you don't know what you're getting into, okay. You're going up against Mr. Lawrence. He is mean and powerful. You don't know what he can do to people. (Beat) Yes you do. I'm sorry.

JENNIFER: But I mean you're still going to testify in court?

LILA: I don't know, I don't know.

JENNIFER: Lila you have police protection and you have us. He's not going to be able to hurt you, okay? Please, you can't.... you can't back out now, please?

LILA: Alright, I'll testify.

JENNIFER: Thank you Lila, I....

LILA: No please let me go to my room, please.

 

SHE WALKS AWAY.

 

JENNIFER: What?

JACK: Nothing, just.... not very.... not very reassuring that's all.

JENNIFER: Jack, she said that she'll testify.

JACK: Huh, uh. I certainly hope that.

JENNIFER: Well what else can we do? We have to count on Lila.

JACK: Yes on her and Shane and everyone else. Meanwhile you and I have to go to dinner and have donuts and green tuna casserole with your grandmother.

JENNIFER: Jack, my grandmother doesn't even make green tuna casserole and you're the one who said in the first place that we can't stray from the plan. We can't go out on our own.

JACK: I said that?

JENNIFER: Yes, you said that. So let's not argue anymore, my grandmother is waiting for us.

JACK: I forgot.

JENNIFER: What did you forget?

JACK: I.... I forgot I'm supposed to go see Jo at the sanitarium and get her a new book on basket weaving, wait a minute.

JENNIFER: You didn't mention anything about going to see Jo.

JACK: Well it's a.... I mean it's me. It's this advanced case of senility I seem to be falling into. The whole brain just disintegrating just like that. I'm going, going, going, going. Speaking of going, we should get over. I'll drop you on the way, alright. I'll drop you on the way to see your grandmother.

JENNIFER: Okay Jack. But don't you try....

JACK: No, no, no, no, no. Don't tell me any buts. I swear I won't remember another thing if I don't go right now. Thanks.

SCENE THREE: JACK HAS DROPPED JENNIFER OVER AT ALICE'S. SHE AND ALICE HAVE A HEART-TO-HEART CHAT. SHE WISHES THAT HER PARENTS COULD BE THERE.

SCENE FOUR: MEANWHILE JACK GOES OVER TO LAWRENCE'S MANSION TO LOOK FOR THE TAPE. HE IS DRESSED IN BLACK PANTS, A BLACK TURTLE NECK SWEATER, AND HAS BLACK FACE PAINT UNDER HIS EYES WITH A BLACK SKI MASK OVER HIS HEAD. HE IS SNEAKING THROUGH THE BUSHES WHEN SHANE SPOTS HIM AND TACKLES HIM TO THE GROUND CAUSING THE ALARMS TO GO OFF.
oldEp294B
SHANE: Jack you bloody idiot. You set off the alarm system. I told you to stay out of this.

JACK: Well, how do you know I did it. Maybe it was you squatting over in the shrubbery over that side of the sentries.

SHANE: If you're going to do this, you're going to do it my way, the safe way or we don't do it at all, right?

JACK: Alright, we'll do it your way. What way are we going to use now to get that tape?

SHANE: I know what we're going to do but not tonight. We're going to get out of here before we get caught.

JACK: Alright, you lead the way Captain.

SHANE: I will, you follow me.

JACK: Aye, I will Captain.

SCENE FIVE: BACK AT THE LOFT: JENNIFER IS SLIGHTLY FRUSTRATED WITH HIM. HOWEVER, SHE ALSO CANNOT BE TOO MAD WITH HIM BECAUSE SHE REALIZES HE WAS ONLY TRYING TO HELP HER. SHE PULLS OUT TISSUES FOR HIM TO WIPE THE BLACK PAINT OFF HIS FACE.

 

JENNIFER: So the bottom line is you didn't get the tape?
oldEp294C
JACK: No, no, that's not the bottom line. The bottom line is Shane has another plan up his sleeve, another arrow up his quiver, another fish to fry.... thank you....

JENNIFER: And?

JACK: And he's finally come to his senses and he's.... he's going to let us help him.

JENNIFER: Well that's good, that's good Jack.

JACK: It's good?

JENNIFER: Yeah.

JACK: So you're feeling hopeful and confident about this?

JENNIFER: Yeah. It's a little touch and go but I'm getting there.

JACK: Well that's good, that's good. That means the whole evening wasn't a wash out.

JENNIFER: No! And you also learned a lesson tonight, right?

JACK: A lesson?

JENNIFER: Yes, not to take matters into your own hands Jack.

JACK: Well that's something I've always known. I guess I was just remembering it. You know, I mean you understand Miss Horton. If we're going to do this, if we're going to accomplish this mission we have to do it together. No running off on your own. You have to.... you know stand together, all for one and one for all. Don't tread on me and all that.

JENNIFER: That's what I just said.

JACK: Well.... so that's a promise. As long as we both stay in line here.... we'll get through this business.... together. That's a promise, it's you and me.

 

SHE TAKES A TISSUE AND STARTS TO WIPE HIS FACE.

 

JACK: Thank you.

 

JACK RUNS HIS HANDS DOWN HER ARMS AND SHE MOVES CLOSER.

 

JENNIFER: Well I never doubted that you would stand by me and support me but it's nice to hear you say it.

JACK: Yes well, that and a subway token will get you on the subway.

 

HE WANDERS OVER TO THE WINDOW AND SITS DOWN ON THE SILL.

 

JACK: A lot, yes.... a lot to take care of you.

JENNIFER: Well I think it's a little bit more than that Jack.

JACK: It's going to have to be more than that when you start facing reporters, photographers.... all the folks from the other stations, not to mention Mr. Marchand, the defense attorney, who's preparing as we speak to take you apart, limb by limb.

JENNIFER: Well we're just going to have to find that tape and prove him wrong.

JACK: I guess it's going to be a contra mundum kind of day.

 

HE PULLS OFF HIS CAP AND SHE RESTS HER HEAD ON HIS SHOULDER.

 

JENNIFER: You and me against the world?

JACK: Yeah.

JENNIFER: I just hope it's enough.

 

THEY BOTH STARE INTO SPACE.
oldEp294D

[Transcribed by Carol Vaughan
added material by Sally A. Wilson]