oldEpisode Three-hundred-eighty-three:
Jack Gets a Letter Telling Him the
Bank Has Foreclosed on the Penthouse.

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[Air date mid-February 1992]

SCENE ONE: IT IS A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER HAWK IS ARRESTED AND THERE IS A MESSENGER AT THE PENTHOUSE.

JACK: Yes.

MESSENGER: Special delivery for a Mr. Jack Deveraux.

JACK: Ah, I'm Jack Deveraux.

MESSENGER: Will you sign here please?

JACK SIGNS THE SHEET.

JACK: Yeah.

HE IS ABOUT TO SHUT THE DOOR.

MESSENGER: Hey man what about my tip?

JACK: What about it?

JACK SHUTS THE DOOR IN THE GUY'S FACE.

JACK: I have enough problems without people asking for tips.

HE RIPS OPEN THE ENVELOPE AND HIS FACE DROPS.

JENNIFER: Jack, who was at the door?

SCENE TWO: JACK IS SURPRISED BY JENNIFER; HE DOES NOT WANT HER TO KNOW WHAT THE LETTER SAYS, SO HE HIDES THE LETTER FROM HER.

JACK: Ah, it was a.... it was this messenger who was lost. He was at the wrong building.

JENNIFER: Oh, okay, are you ready to go to the hospital, to see Vern and Julie?

VERN AND JULIE WERE BOTH INJURED IN AN EXPLOSION.

JACK: Oh yes, to see Vern and Julie.

JENNIFER: Yes.

JACK: Ah well I was just thinking. I have a very important errand I need to run so why don't you run over there without me and I will meet you over there.

JENNIFER: Wait a minute Jack, why does it seem like you're trying to get rid of me? What, is there something wrong?

ACK: Wrong.... no, no nothing's wrong.

JENNIFER: Why do I get the feeling that something funny is going on?

JACK: There is nothing funny going on, nothing at all. Believe me.

HE GIVES HER A BIG KISS AND THAT MAKES HER MORE SUSPICIOUS.

JACK: Nothing at all.... nothing.

JENNIFER: Then I'll see you at the hospital?

JACK: Absolutely. I'll see you at the hospital.

HE KISSES HER AGAIN AND SHE'S SURE SOMETHING FUNNY IS GOING ON. SHE LEAVES ANYWAY. HE RUNS BACK INSIDE TO READ THE LETTER AGAIN. IT IS A LETTER OF FORECLOSURE FROM THE SHERIFF. THE BANK HAS CALLED THE LOAN ON THE PENTHOUSE.

JACK: Oh no!

SCENE THREE: DOWN AT THE HOSPITAL, JENNIFER CHECKS WITH MARCUS AND FINDS OUT THAT BOTH VERN AND JULIE ARE BOTH DOING WELL AND SHOULD BE OUT OF HOSPITAL SOON. MARCUS THEN ASKS HOW SHE AND JACK ARE GOING.

MARCUS: How are you and Jack?

JENNIFER: You know Marcus, I wake up every morning and I wonder if life was meant to be this good. Then I look over at Jack and I know it is. And it's only going to get better.

SCENE FOUR: BACK AT THE PENTHOUSE, JACK HAS ASKED JO TO COME OVER.

JACK: Good, you're here. Come on in.

JO: Oh Jack you look upset. Not that that's unusual lately. What's wrong?

JACK: Ah...nothing.

JO: Nothing?

JACK: Nothing. As in not a zip, bubkus.... I just wanted to see you.

JO: You wanted to see me?

JACK: Huh, huh.

JO: Well I was on my way over to see Vern when you called and considering the fact that he is lying in a hospital bed I think he needs a friend a little bit more than you do.

JACK: Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Just because everything look hunkie dorie with me doesn't mean you can just dash away. I mean it's not like we've spent our lifetime together. I thought that we could.... have a little heart to heart, a têtê á têtê, maybe a little pow wow if you will.

JO: Well, fine.

JACK: Fine, fine. Come right this way. Have a little cup of tea. So tell me, how are things going with the new apartment?

JO: Fine.

JACK: Fine, good. Not having any trouble with the.... rent?

JO: No, no.

JACK: Good. (Beat) What about your other bills? Having any trouble paying those?

JO: No.... er....

JACK: Sit, sit please. Sit.

JO: Fine jack. Uh, well I think that it's very nice of you to want to loan me money but I don't think that.... well I mean Jack I'm perfectly able to take care of myself.

JACK: Huh.... I'm.... glad. I just wanted to make sure that's all.

JO: You know I do have a small little nest egg that I've saved up for a rainy day. I'll manage.

JACK: Nest egg, really?

JO: Yes.

JACK: How very smart of you?

JO: Son, how much do you need?

JACK: How much?

JO: Huh.

JACK: What...

JO: How much?

JACK: Well not really that much.... just um.... eighty-four hundred dollars.

JO: Oh My ....

JACK: Just.... just eighty-four hundred dollars. It's not that much. I mean any nest egg would have it. The point is I need it now.

JO: Jack if I had.... wait a minute. If I had that kind of money I would give you every penny of it. But I don't have that kind of cash.

HIS FACE DROPS.

JO: I'm sorry.

JACK: Not half as sorry as I am. (Beat) But that's alright, don't worry, don't worry.

JO: Wait a minute, what happened? Why do you need that kind of money?

JACK PICKS UP THE LETTER AND HOLDS IT OUT TO HER.

JACK: Read it and weep.

JO: Oh Jack, this is terrible.

JACK: Huh, huh.

JO: Oh this is terrible.

JACK: Huh.

JO: I wish there was something I.... does Jennifer know?

JACK: No! And you're not going to tell her either.

JO: Why not? She needs to know.

JACK: Because I've dropped the ball with her enough in the last six months. I'm not going to do it again.

HE PICKS UP THE WEDDING PICTURE.

JO: You know if you show Jennifer that you are determined to make a success, she's not going to think that you failed her.

JACK: Well she may not but the important thing is, I will.

SCENE FIVE: LATER THAT EVENING, JACK IS OUT ON THE BALCONY HUNCHED UP WITH A CHILL IN THE AIR AND WORRY ON HIS MIND. JENNIFER COMES OUT TO TALK TO HIM.

JENNIFER: What are you doing out here in the freezing cold?

JACK: Getting used to it.

JENNIFER: What?

JACK: Nothing, nothing. I was just thinking.

JENNIFER: Well cryogenic people can't think. So come inside.

SHE PULLS HIM INSIDE.

JENNIFER: I made some hot tea. And maybe you can tell me why you didn't meet me at the hospital.

JACK: Ah.... I just.... started thinking about other things.... off track.

JENNIFER: Like what?

JACK: I was thinking that.... that.... you know this place is really too big for us. It really is. I think that we should look for a smaller apartment.

JENNIFER: Really, smaller?

JACK: Yeah.... yeah, I mean look at this place. This place is not you, it's not me. And we certainly haven't filled it up with very many happy memories. I say we go out tomorrow and find ourselves another smaller apartment.

JENNIFER: You know I say you tell me what's going on. And don't say nothing because I know better.

JACK: Fair enough.

HE WALKS OVER AND GIVES HER THE BANK LETTER.

JACK: How about losing.... the roof over our heads.

JENNIFER IS OBVIOUSLY UPSET AS SHE READS THE LETTER.

JACK: I suppose you have every reason to walk out on me now.

JENNIFER: You know Jack, I am partly to blame for this. I mean when you were gone I was completely irresponsible with the bills. I had too much on my mind and I wasn't thinking....

JACK: Oh of course. No, no, I'm sorry, I forgot, you were too busy taking your trust fund money and putting it into my newspaper to keep my employees employed. Didn't have time to pay the mortgage. I'm very sorry about that. I was going to ask you what kind of a wife could you be to do that sort of thing.

HE IS SO UPSET.

JENNIFER: Jack, come on, come on. It's okay. Come over here.

JACK: It's not okay.

SHE WRAPS HER ARMS AROUND HIM.

JENNIFER: If a penthouse is the only thing I have to give up I consider myself pretty lucky you know. I don't care where we have to live, I really don't. As long as you're with me.

JACK: You mean that? Even if it means we have his and hers matching shopping carts?

SHE NODS REASSURINGLY.

JENNIFER: And you and me will roll till the wheels fall off.

JACK: Alright.

JENNIFER: Come here.

THEY HUG EACH OTHER BUT THEY ARE BOTH VERY WORRIED.