oldEpisode Five-hundred-seventeen:
With Robards Dead, Jack Thinks Things
Are Hopeless, However, He Gets a Fax
from a Mysterious Backer. Meanwhile,
Tony Is Back in Town and Threatens Billie.

---

[Air date early May, 1993]

 

JACK AND JENNIFER ARE STILL IN THE OFFICE. JACK STANDS UP.

 

JACK: I was so certain. I was so certain that all our efforts would pay off this time. So certain.

JENNIFER: Well if poor Mr. Robards hadn't have had a heart attack and died.

JACK: It's the end for him. It's also the end for us. It's the end of everything.

JENNIFER: What are you saying Jack? No it is not the end for us. It's not the end at all. We're going to get through this. We'll get through this together. We'll come up with a new dream. We'll find a new hope to keep this paper.

JACK: It's over. It's finally over. It's almost a relief you know in a way. But I have to tell you something. It was nice while it lasted. It was nice.

 

HE LOOKS AROUND THE OFFICE.

 

JACK: Nice.

JENNIFER: Well so much for the virtues of a vegetarian lifestyle.

 

SHE RIPS OFF THE FAX AND READS IT.

 

JENNIFER: Oh my gosh. JACK....

 

JACK RETURNS QUICKLY.

SCENE TWO: MEANWHILE, VICTOR HAS ARRIVED AT THE PENTHOUSE GRILL WHERE HE RUNS INTO KATE AND HE INSISTS SHE JOIN HIM IN A TOAST TO JACK'S INCREDIBLE BAD LUCK.

SCENE THREE: AT THE SPECTATOR, JACK READS THE FAX.

 

JENNIFER: Jack this is so incredible. I mean we thought this was a vegetarian recipe from your friend at Yale and look at this. This is unbelievable.

JACK: Unbelievable, yes. A mystery backer by fax.

JENNIFER: All right there has to be someone here at the newspaper who can trace this number for you.

JACK: Not at this late hour, no. But I do wonder. Is Victor up to his old tricks?

JENNIFER: You think Victor sent this?

JACK: Listen Victor's the only other person in town who knew I was getting backing from Robards.

JENNIFER: Yes but you had lunch at the Penthouse Grill. I mean anyone could have seen you and known why you were meeting.

JACK: Victor is the only other one in the United States who wants The Spectator as much as I do. He wanted to make a deal with me. Buy The Spectator and keep me on as editor-in-chief, remember?

JENNIFER: Yes, I remember, but you turned him down.

JACK: Yes and Victor hates to be turned down. He probably wanted to make this deal at the last minute just so that he could pull the rug out from under me.

JENNIFER: What are you going to do Jack?

JACK: I tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to find out if Victor is behind this fax.

 

HE STARTS TO WALK OUT.

 

JENNIFER: Wait, wait. Jack, wait, wait for me, wait.

SCENE FOUR: JACK ARRIVES AT THE PENTHOUSE GRILL WHERE VICTOR IS STILL SITTING WITH KATE.

 

JACK: Victor.

VICTOR: Jack, what are you doing here?

JACK: Kate I wonder if it would be all right if I could speak to Victor for a moment, privately.

KATE: Sure, no problem.

JACK IS REALLY ANGRY.

 

JACK: Victor, perhaps we could speak by the bar?

 

VICTOR HAS A SLY GRIN ON HIS FACE.

 

JACK: I assume you've heard the news about Clayton Robards?

VICTOR: Yes, terrible tragedy. For you as well. I understand he was going to invest in The Spectator.

JACK: Yes I was looking forward to a pleasant association with the man.

VICTOR: As opposed to an unpleasant one with me.

JACK: Victor I've learned a lot in the last few weeks. One of the things I've learned is that I'd much rather give away The Spectator than work with you or for you on it.

VICTOR: Well Jack, you should have accepted my offer weeks ago. Now I'm afraid it's too late. So unless you can come up with a buyer in the next hour or so I would suggest that you start cleaning out your desk because I am going to buy The Spectator and when I do I wouldn't have you as editor if you were the last one on earth.

 

JACK LOOKS SURPRISED.

 

VICTOR: Well now I used to see an expression like that on Harper's face everytime I bested him in a business deal. Like father like son.

 

JACK GIVES A HALF SMILE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT VICTOR WAS NOT THE ONE WHO SENT THE FAX BECAUSE HE HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WILL NEVER MAKE A DEAL WITH JACK.

 

JACK: I don't know Victor. I wouldn't.... I wouldn't count me out just yet. What I mean to say is that I still have time to meet with my newest backer. Excuse me.

 

JACK GOES BACK TO THE TABLE, LEAVING VICTOR VERY PUZZLED.

 

JACK: Jennifer, Kate, sorry to interrupt this evening. We have business to do Jennifer.

JENNIFER: Goodnight.

KATE: Goodnight.

 

JACK AND JENNIFER LEAVE.

VICTOR SITS DOWN WITH KATE AND TELLS HER THAT JACK SAYS HE HAS ANOTHER BACKER. HE WONDERS IF HE IS BLUFFING.

JACK AND JENNIFER ARE WAITING FOR THE ELEVATOR.

 

JENNIFER: All right, but look if Victor didn't send the fax that means you have a legitimate backer.

JACK: Not if I don't make my reply soon. Then I loose the backer, The Spectator and everything else. Come on.

 

THE ELEVATOR OPENS AND THE GET IN.

SCENE FIVE: THEY GET BACK TO THE OFFICE AND ANOTHER FAX HAS JUST ARRIVED.

 

JENNIFER: Oh.

JACK: Here it is.

JENNIFER: What does it say, what does it say?

JACK: Hmmm.

JENNIFER: What, what?

JACK: Well it's an offer similar to Victor's. They want to keep me on as editor-in-chief with a fairly healthy salary and bonuses for increases in circulation and ad revenue. Hmmm. You have thirty minutes to reply or I'll consider our discussions terminated.

JENNIFER: What time was this fax sent?

JACK: Twenty minutes ago.

JENNIFER: You have ten minutes to say yes. All right, what do you want to say?

JACK: Jennifer, you have to remember that this.... this paper is the nearest and dearest thing to my heart.... next to you and our child of course.

JENNIFER: That's why you have to yes or it's goodbye to The Spectator forever Jack.

JACK: Wait a minute. We are talking about millions and millions of dollars here. You can't just make deals by faxing merrily back and forth. That's crazy.

JENNIFER: I know it's crazy but it's the only way for you to stay involved in the newspaper right now.

JACK: You're right. You're absolutely right. You're right.

 

JENNIFER SETS UP THE TYPEWRITER TO TYPE OUT JACK'S REPLY.

 

JENNIFER: All right, we're going to make it short and to the point.

JACK: Short, sweet and to the point, yes.

JENNIFER: Yes, I'll accept your terms.

JACK: Wait, NO! Absolutely not.

JENNIFER: What do you mean no?

JACK: Jennifer we can't just accept the first thing that comes along. We have to make a deal here. I'm a Deveraux. Don't buy a pig in a poke.

JENNIFER: What are you talking about? You don't have time to check this out Jack. It is now or never. That's it. JACK: All right, now or never. You're right. Begin again.

JENNIFER: Go.

JACK: The deal is this. I want $100,000 more per year. I want a 25% increase in bonus. I want 50% ownership of The Spectator.

JENNIFER: Jack.

JACK: What part didn't you understand?

JENNIFER: You're asking for too much.

JACK: Jennifer, what do I have to lose?

JENNIFER: A job for one thing.

JACK: Jennifer this is not just a job. The Spectator is a life. It's my life. I came in owning The Spectator. It's ours. And I'll be damned if we're not going to go out owning part of it too.

JENNIFER: All right, let's go for broke Jack.

 

SHE TYPES IT OUT.

 

JENNIFER: That's it. There you go.

 

JACK TAKES IT AND IMMEDIATELY FAXES IT BACK.

 

JACK: That's it. What's that fax number? Give it to me again.

JENNIFER: Oh. 555....

JACK: 555.

JENNIFER: 8053

JACK: 8053.

 

HE SENDS IT OFF.

SCENE SIX: MEANWHILE, TONY IS BACK IN TOWN AND HE GOES TO SEE BILLIE TO GET HIS MONEY. SHE TELLS HIM SHE INVESTED IT IN A NEWSPAPER. HE THREATENS HER SO SHE TRIES TO CALL JACK BUT GETS HIS ANSWERING MACHINE.

 

JACK'S VOICE: This is Jack Deveraux. I can't take your call now. Please leave your name and number after the beep.

 

SHE LEAVES JACK A MESSAGE TO CALL HER URGENTLY.

SCENE SEVEN: AT THE PAPER, JACK GETS A FAX BACK.

 

JACK: Salary and bonus money acceptable. (Beat) Refuse 50% ownership but will offer 5%.

 

JACK THROWS DOWN THE FAX.

 

JACK: 5%! What kind of a patsy do you think I am.

JENNIFER: Jack, this is a good deal.

JACK: It's not good enough Jennifer. Not good enough. Once more unto the breaches. All right, let's do it again. One more time. You sit and type. I'll come up with the rest.

JENNIFER: Hold on. All right, go.

JACK: My final deal. 10% ownership or no deal at all. In addition I want a guarantee that as The Spectator increases in circulation and advertising revenue, that I will be given the opportunity to buy larger and larger interest in The Spectator.

JENNIFER: Ready, go.

 

JACK FAXES IT AGAIN.

 

JACK: All right, okay.

 

JACK IS EXTREMELY TENSE AND NERVOUS.

JACK: Come here. I can't do this on alone Jennifer. I need you with me.

 

JENNIFER: Okay. Here sit down.

 

THEY BOTH SIT ON THE DESK AND WATCH THE FAX MACHINE. HE HOLDS BOTH HER HANDS TIGHT AND SHE KISSES HIM ON THE CHEEK.

 

JACK: I don't know what that was for. I may have just blown our whole future.

JENNIFER: You know it doesn't matter what that fax says because I will always be by your side, forever.

SHE KISSES HIM AGAIN AS THE FAX BEEPS.

 

JACK: All right let's do it. I can't do it. You do it please. Jennifer, tell me what it says.

JENNIFER: We.... have.... a.... deal!

JACK: We have a deal?

 

SHE SHOWS HIM THE FAX.

 

JENNIFER: We have a deal.

JACK: We have a deal.

JENNIFER: We have a deal.

JACK: We have a deal.

HE GRABS HER AND THEY SCREAM WITH DELIGHT AS THEY DANCE AROUND THE OFFICE.

 

JACK: We have a deal. We've done it. We've done it. We've got The Spectator. With the money that's coming in I'm going to be able to make all the changes I need to make. I'm going to be able to expand the foreign desk. Get a new correspondent. I'm going to start buying more and more interest in The Spectator. I'm going to expand the Living section. I'm going to make.... I should be able to give Vern.... it's amazing. I'm going to be able to change everything.

 

JENNIFER IS SCREAMING AND JUMPING UP AND DOWN.

 

JACK: I'm telling you.... Jennifer, Jennifer, we have to go.

JENNIFER: No.

JACK: Yes.

JENNIFER: I just got an idea.

JACK: What?

 

JENNIFER STARTS TO KISS HIM PASSIONATELY.

 

JENNIFER: I want to go home.

JACK: Home? No, no. We have to.... we have to go to the Penthouse Grill. I have to give Victor the good news. I can't wait to see the look on the old stone face.

JENNIFER: I would really rather go home.

JACK: Jennifer, we've got to celebrate. It's time for champagne, caviar, lobster. We're going to celebrate and dance till dawn. Don't you understand? We have a deal. It's time to go.

JENNIFER: All right, let's go.

JACK: Let's go. It's now or never.

 

THEY RUN OUT TOGETHER. JUST AFTER THEY LEAVE, BILLIE LEAVES ANOTHER URGENT MESSAGE ON JACK'S MACHINE.