oldEpisode Four-hundred-eighty-eight :
Billie Tells Jack That Tony
Wants His Money, and That He
Would Kill Jack and Even Hurt
Jennifer and Abby to Get it Back.

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[Air date mid-February 1993]

 

SCENE ONE: AFTER BILLIE LEAVES JACK GOES TO WORK AND TAKES ABBY. HE IS ON THE PHONE WITH ABBY IN HIS OTHER ARM.

 

JACK: No, no, I don't understand your position at the bank. I don't. Look.... you gave several millions dollars to a couple of developers who built a h strip mall that Salem doesn't need. Why can't you give me $100,000 dollars to put into a newspaper that Salem does need? (Beat)It's just a.... hello! Are you there? Mr. Hall, are you there? Hello!

 

JENNIFER COMES IN THE DOOR.

 

JENNIFER: Jack! Where's my baby? Hi Abby.

JACK: She's right here. Right here. Well tell me how did it go with the editors? Were you able to edit everything together?

JENNIFER: Let me tell you Jack, Sid is a genius. He took moments of my best shows and he edited them all together and it's wonderful. And then he added music and he's going to segue from one segment to the other with music. It's wonderful.

JACK: Wonderful. That's wonderful. I'm sure that anyone over there with a brain is going realize that only the new improved Jennifer Deveraux will be able to get those ratings up where they want them to be.

JENNIFER: Yeah, if I can get anyone to look at the tape Jack.

JACK: Oh I don't think that should be such a problem. I mean you haven't had any trouble having people look at your editorial. We've had call after call since the thing hit the streets this morning. At this point I would say the calls are running ten to two against Sandra Stevens.

JENNIFER: Yes, Sandra was furious about it, by the way.

JACK: She was one of the two. (Beat) No, I have a feeling that between your tape and the editorial you might be running your own show again.

JENNIFER: Yeah and in the process save some very good people from getting hurt.

SCENE TWO: MEANWHILE, BILLIE GETS A CALL FROM TONY AND HE IS COMING BACK TO TOWN TO GET HIS MONEY BACK.

SCENE THREE: JACK GETS BACK TO WORK EVEN BEFORE JENNIFER HAS LEFT. HE GOES TO SEE VERN AT HIS DESK.

 

JACK: Just give it to me. I don't want to hear any excuses.

VERN: All right. Just take it.

JACK: Not a single excuse.

JENNIFER: Can you watch Abby for a little while. I mean I shouldn't be long and before I go I need to use your computer because I need to get some information to incorporate into my tape.

JACK: Ah, sure, sure. Go right ahead.

JENNIFER: And you know, just a few more edits and I'm going to set up a big screening for Philip and all the big wigs from Chicago.

JACK: Good. That's good and when they see it they're going to realize that you're the only person for the job.

JENNIFER: I want it. I want it real bad.

JACK: If you want it, then you go for it. Just don't let people push you around.

JENNIFER: No, no I'm not. From now on I am in charge of my life Jack.

JACK: Well that's who should be in charge of your life. You. I'll.... I'll be in charge here. At least for a couple of hours.

 

HE TAKES ABBY FROM JENNIFER.

 

JENNIFER: All right. All right, you're sure you'll be okay.

JACK: I'm very sure. Everything will be just fine.

JENNIFER: All right. I just.... I want to thank you for being so wonderful and supportive through all this. I appreciate it.

JACK: It was nothing. I'm just....

 

SHE KISSES HIM.

 

JACK: Jennifer.

JENNIFER: What?

JACK: The staff.

 

JENNIFER LAUGHS.

 

JACK (CONT.): I'm just trying to keep you happy, that's all.

JENNIFER: You and Abby make me happy.

JACK: Well if you get this job back I'll be more than happy. I'll be ecstatic.

JENNIFER: You'll be ecstatic? I'll be more than ecstatic. Now shall I use this computer right here?

JACK: No, no, use the one in the office. You'll distract Vern too much. Vern, get back to work, you old snoop.

SCENE FOUR: AS JACK AND JENNIFER GO INTO HIS OFFICE, BILLIE ARRIVES AT NEWSPAPER.

BILLIE: Oh please listen to me Jennifer. My life and your family's depend on it.

 

SHE SITS DOWN TO WAIT.

SCENE FIVE: INSIDE THE OFFICE, JENNIFER IS TYPING ON THE COMPUTER WHILE JACK IS HOLDING ABBY AND TRYING TO READ SOMETHING. THE PHONE RINGS AND JENNIFER IGNORES IT. HE PUTS ABBY IN THE TRAVEL COT AND ANSWERS IT.

 

JACK: Ah.... I'll.... I'll get it. (Beat) Hello Jack Deveraux, Spec.... ah yes. (Beat) It's for you.

 

JACK SIGHS AS THE PHONE IS ALWAYS FOR JENNIFER. SHE TAKES THE PHONE. IT IS PHILIP AND HE TELLS HER THAT THE NETWORK PRESIDENT IS IN TOWN AND SHE SHOULD COME STRAIGHT OVER AND SHOW HIM HER TAPE.

 

JENNIFER: All right, Jack, did you hear that?

JACK: No, I....

JENNIFER: I'm going to show my tape to the network president.

JACK: The network president!

JENNIFER: Yes.

JACK: Hmmm, he'll like it.

JENNIFER: Is this mine? Yes. I hope you're right.

JACK: Of course, I know I'm right.

JENNIFER: I hope he'll like it. I've got this, this. Here I go. Goodbye.

JACK: Okay. Don't worry.

JENNIFER: Goodbye. Wish me luck.

JACK: Wished luck.

JENNIFER: Goodbye baby. Wish me luck. I'll see you later, okay.

JACK: Everything's going to be fine.

JENNIFER: I know.

JACK: Just fine. Don't worry about a thing.

 

JENNIFER RUNS OUT THE DOOR AND STRAIGHT INTO BILLIE.

 

BILLIE: Ah Jennifer, Mrs. Deveraux, I need to talk to you about something.

JENNIFER: I can't, I'm in a hurry. I'll talk to you some other time.

BILLIE: No, no, really, wait. I need....

 

JENNIFER RUNS OUT AND JACK GRABS BILLIE.

 

JACK: What are you doing here?

BILLIE: I want to talk to your wife.

VERN: Listen Jack, if she's bothering you I'll show her out.

JACK: No, no, no Vern. Just stay out of this. Everything's just fine. We're just talking about an ad. Miss Reed, please, into my office.

 

JACK FOLLOWS HER INTO HIS OFFICE AND SHUTS THE DOOR.

SCENE SIX: BILLIE HAS JUST BARRAGED INTO JACK'S OFFICE.

 

JACK: All right, Billie, what do you want?

BILLIE: What do you think I want Jack? I want the money.

JACK: Wait a minute, we have been through this. I asked for more time and you agreed.

BILLIE: Well your time just ran out Jack.

JACK: My time just ran out.... again.

 

JACK TENDS TO ABBY WHO IS SQUEALING AND LAUGHING IN HER COT THEN HE GETS BACK TO BILLIE.

 

JACK: All right, now what was this you were saying about time?

BILLIE: I need the money today Jack.

JACK: Billie I thought we made this perfectly clear. There's not time for that. It's impossible.

BILLIE: Well you're going to have to make it possible. I just got off the phone with Tony. He was calling me from the airport.

JACK: From the airport. I thought.... wait, you told me that he was in jail in Las Vegas.

BILLIE: Well he got out of jail.

JACK: I see.

BILLIE: Yeah and you know he could hop a plane and get here in a couple of hours. He could show up at anytime. And when he does and he finds out the money is missing we are dead meat man. deadmeat.

JACK: Thank you so much for including me. Let me tell you something. If I am going to be a part you have to start taking some advice. First piece of advice is, the last thing we want to do is panic.

BILLIE: Well what is the first thing we have to do Jack?

 

SHE LOOKS DOWN AT ABBY AND THEN PICKS HER UP.

 

BILLIE: Oh look at this big girl. Look at this big girl. You have a very beautiful family Jack.

 

ABBY SQUEALS AND GIGGLES.

 

BILLIE: That's right, that's right.

JACK: Yes.

BILLIE: Yes, Tony and his friends, they don't care.

JACK: No, they don't, do they.

BILLIE: I'm serious about this.

JACK: I hope so. We don't want anyone hurting my family Billie, do we?

BILLIE: No.

SCENE SEVEN: DOWN AT THE STUDIO, JENNIFER CONFRONTS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NETWORK AND PRESENTS HIM WITH HER TAPE AND ASKS FOR HER JOB BACK.

SCENE EIGHT: BACK AT THE SPECTATOR.

 

BILLIE: These guys get around Jack.

JACK: So you've told me.

BILLIE: Guys like him you know, they don't mind whacking people.

JACK: Yes, you told me that too.

BILLIE: And if he doesn't do it, the guy he works for, he'll get somebody else to do it.

JACK: Really. Well thank you Billie for all that information. You've made me aware of the situation. You've made me aware of the danger to my family. But the fact remains there is not enough time to get that money together.

 

ABBY BURPS.

 

BILLIE: Oh dear, oh dear.

 

JACK LOOKS CAREFULLY AT BILLIE.

 

JACK: Do you want to feed her?

 

ABBY SQUEALS AND REACHES OUT FOR JACK.

 

JACK: I think perhaps she'd like her father to do that.

 

HE TAKES ABBY FROM BILLIE.

 

BILLIE: I think you'd better. Yeah.

JACK: Just come right over here. Get the old bottle over here and feed right away, yes.

HE GIVES ABBY A BOTTLE.

 

JACK: Yes, that should hit the spot just fine.

 

HE GLANCES AT BILLIE WHO IS CLOSELY WATCHING HIM WITH ABBY.

 

BILLIE: She really is a very beautiful baby.

JACK: Yes, she certainly is that. (Beat) This paper is very good to me Billie. I'm not going to lie to you about that. Getting it back has been one of the best things to happen to me in.... in I don't know how long. Under different circumstances I could handle the situation very well but as it stands I have a wife and a child depending on me.

BILLIE: Yeah.

JACK: Yeah. (Beat) I'm not about to give up on all of this (he glances around the office) or this (he looks down at Abby) just because some guy named Tony has to get his dirty money right away.

BILLIE: Why did you have to be the one who found the money?

JACK: I don't know why. Ours is not to wonder why. Ours is but to do and.... die.

 

BILLIE HAS TEARS IN HER EYES.

 

BILLIE: Listen to me. I do, I feel really bad for you. But I got to protect myself.

JACK: I understand that. And I'll give you my word as a gentleman. I'll come up with that money. Just stay away from my wife.

 

BILLIE LOOKS OVER AT A PICTURE OF JACK, JENNIFER AND ABBY.

 

BILLIE: All right, when Tony comes, that's it. You just better have the money.

 

BILLIE LEAVES AND JACK PUTS DOWN ABBY'S BOTTLE.

 

JACK: Rest assured.... I will.

 

HE LOOKS DOWN AT ABBY.

SCENE NINE: AT THE STUDIO, THE PRESIDENT OF THE NETWORK WATCHES JENNIFER'S TAPE AND DECIDES THAT SANDRA IS DOING THE SHOW HARM AND HE FIRES HER ON THE SPOT AND GIVES JENNIFER HER JOB BACK IMMEDIATELY. SHE HAS TO GO ON AIR IN FIVE MINUTES.

SCENE TEN: LATER, JACK, JENNIFER AND ABBY GO TO BRADY'S PUB TO CELEBRATE.

 

JENNIFER: You wouldn't believe it.

JACK: Yes.

JENNIFER: I mean I thought my heart was going to jump out of my throat.

JACK: Well you thought that but obviously it didn't and you did what you had to do.

JENNIFER: I know, it's incredible, isn't it? I can't believe it.

JACK: I can believe it. Like I always tell you Jennifer. If you put your mind to something, you do it. And you did what you wanted to do.

JENNIFER: You're right and I really wanted my show back.

JACK: And now you're back. You're back and better than ever.

JENNIFER: And you have the newspaper Jack. You know what, I really feel things are really coming together for us. I have a great feeling. For Abby too, huh.

 

JACK LOOKS INTENTLY AT THEM BOTH.

SCENE ELEVEN: OUTSIDE, BILLIE IS WALKING HOME WHEN A MAN COMES UP TO HER. IT'S TONY AND HE WANTS HIS MONEY BACK.