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EPISODE 12
“LOSS”
ACT ONE
Scene: Black and Blue; a bar where mostly cops hang out. Det. Eric Lassiter is sitting at the bar alone, downing another bottle of beer. It’s a dark, smoke filled bar, rock music blared throughout the room. He shoves the bottle forward, motioning to the female bartender, a middle aged, busty red-head to give him another.
Eric: Another one, Rusty.
Rusty: (reaching into the beer cooler, pulling out a long necked bottle and twisting open the cap) Sure, honey, but don't you think you're hitting it kind of early?
Eric: I just got off a plane a few hours ago, I'm suffering from jet lag. As far as I'm concerned, it's after dinner.
Rusty: (chuckling, handing Eric the beer) Any excuse, huh?
Eric: (taking a long swallow as Rusty walked away to serve another customer) You got it.
Jake: (walking up) Thought I'd find you here.
Eric: You lookin' for me?
Jake: Yeah, you seemed pretty upset when you stormed out of the Captain's office. I assume he gave you the bad news about Pete and Elizabeth.
Eric: Can you believe it? The Captain's just giving up; letting a killer go free. How could he do that? They deserves better than that; a hell of a lot better.
Jake: Eric, none of us are happy about this. We all think it’s lousy. No one wants to have an open case on the books, especially when it's one of our own.
Eric: So you understand why I told him I’m not giving up on this case.
Jake: I understand that… (Pause as Jake hesitated) But he’s right.
Eric: (glaring up at Jake) You agree with him? You think we should just abandon trying to find the people who murdered Pete?
Jake: It’s not that cute and dried and you know it. I would never want to give up… if I thought there was something to go on. But there isn’t. We haven’t had one lead… and we’ve got too many cases on the books and too few cops working them to put so much manpower into this one case. Eric, I know you don’t want to let it go, but you’ve got to. And not just because the trail has gone cold.
Eric: What the hell does that mean?
Jake: (hesitating) You’re not dealing with this very well, Eric, that’s obvious.
Eric: To who?
Jake: To me. To everyone. You just got back from a week of drinking and gambling and here you are working on your next bender and it’s barely even noon. And you’ve been like this for months, ever since Pete died. You haven’t dealt with this and you need to or you’re going to ruin your life… personally and professionally.
Scene: Covington Bay Medical Center; the third floor nurses lounge. Dana Cooper and Natalie Lassiter are there. Dana is pacing the floor.
Dana: Natalie, it was awful being trapped in that elevator with Danny. It was just awful.
Natalie: Well, exactly what happened? Did he threaten you? Did he try to hurt you?
Dana: No, not really. He said he wanted to talk to me, that he had something to say, but instead he . . .
Natalie: (as Dana hesitated) He what? What did he do that's got you so upset?
Dana: It doesn't take much to upset me where Danny is concerned. I thought that man was out of my life; I thought I'd never have anything to do with him again. But, here he is, trying to make me miserable all over again.
Natalie: I doubt if you'll be seeing him again anytime soon. His brother is being released tomorrow so he won’t have any reason to be coming to the hospital.
Dana: (sitting on the sofa next to Natalie) Good. Believe me, I have no desire to run into Danny James again.
Natalie: You still haven’t said what he wanted to talk to you about.
Dana: (shaking her head) I never found out. The elevator doors opened and he disappeared before he could say what he wanted.
Natalie: Then what could it have been? I mean, do you think it could've been important?
Dana: Danny James has never had a important thing to say since the day he was born. I doubt if that's going to start now. He probably just wanted to bring a little misery to my life. Lord knows he's damn good at that.
Natalie: You don't want to know what he wanted?
Dana: (shaking her head) No. I could care less about what that man says or does.
Natalie: And what about Zachary?
Dana: What about him?
Natalie: Well, he's bound to have questions about what happened today. Are you going to explain the whole story?
Dana: You mean tell him I used to be married to Danny? Are you kidding? Our relationship would be over in a second if he knew that.
Natalie: Why? So you had a bad marriage. You wouldn't be the first.
Dana: Maybe, but Danny's brother killed Zachary's sister.
Natalie: That hasn't been proven. And you know Zachary doesn’t believe that.
Dana: It's only a matter of time before it is proven. And even if that weren't the case, Danny's done some hard time himself. I'm not going to taint what I have with Zachary with the sordid details of my history. I don't want him or anyone else to know, become fodder for the hospital's rumor mill. This could ruin everything I've worked for the change my life after my divorce, negate all I've done to put my past behind me.
Natalie: I think you're exaggerating, your life will hardly be ruined if Zachary learned the truth, which he will eventually. It’s better if it comes from you. I think you should tell Zachary about this. These things have a way of getting out whether you like it or not.
Scene: The hospital cafeteria. Zachary is in the line, purchasing a few items. He pays and is about to leave when he sees Dr. Gloria Lassiter-Dailey sitting alone, drinking a cup of coffee, looking very distressed. He starts to leave, then paused and after taking a deep breath, walks over to her table.
Zachary: Hi.
Gloria: (looking up) Hey, Zachary.
Zachary: You don't look any better than when I saw you this morning.
Gloria: Well, I don't feel any better.
Zachary: Hey, if you're looking for a shoulder to cry on or an ear to bend, mine are available.
Gloria: I'm surprised you're still speaking to me after how I treated you this morning.
Zachary: (sitting down at the table) You were upset. I understand.
Gloria: That's still no excuse for my behavior, especially since you were only trying to help. What makes it even worse, you were thoughtful enough to send A.J. to see how I was.
Zachary: So he came by to see you?
Gloria: He certainly did.
Zachary: And did it help? I figured if there was something wrong, he would be someone you’d want to talk to.
Gloria: He was… at first.
Zachary: What does that mean?
Gloria: It means that I’m starting to have a lot of questions about my life… the choices I’ve made where Eric and A.J. are concerned. I love both my sons and I thought I did a good job with them, but I’m starting to wonder about that. Somewhere, someway, as a mother I went wrong.
Scene: Velvet Freeze, an ice cream shop. Richie Stone is sitting alone at a table. Kevin comes over to the table and hands Richie a soda from his tray, which also holds a burger, fries and a cup of coffee. Kevin sits down at the table and unloads his tray.
Kevin: Are you sure you don't want anything?
Richie: No, this'll be fine. I'm not really hungry. I can't believe you're eating that. I never thought burgers and fries were your style.
Kevin: Well, growing up in the Lassiter Mansion, burgers and fries weren't exactly a menu item, but I used to come here when I was a teenager with A.J. and my brother Brandon.
Richie: Brandon. I’d forgotten you had a younger brother.
Kevin: (nodding) Well, it’s been so long since he was part of my life that sometimes I forget too. Though I can’t really forget… not after everything that happened with him.
Richie: I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have brought him up.
Kevin: Actually, I brought him up. He’s been on my mind lately. I guess because of Alec… I’ve been thinking a lot about the people in my life that I have loved and lost.
Richie: Do you ever hear from him?
Kevin: No… and I don’t expect to. Not after all this time. Not after all that’s happened. (Pause as Kevin forced himself to change the subject) You know Alec loved this place too. We ate here all the time.
Richie: (smiling) I know. Dad and I used to come here with him too. They do have the best burgers in town.
Kevin: That's for sure. (He took a bite of his burger) When Alec was the hospital, especially towards the end of his life, he used to ask me all the time to sneak them to him in the hospital.
Richie: Did you ever do it?
Kevin: Of course. I couldn't never refuse him anything, you know that. I'm not ashamed to admit he had me tied around his little finger.
Richie: Well, he was able to do that with most people, including Dad. (Pause) At least until. . .you know.
Kevin: (sighing) I know.
Richie: (sipping his soda) Like you, I been thinking about Uncle Alec a lot lately. It’s hard to believe he’s been gone for five years. (Pause) I know you’ve gone to his gravesite every year at this time. Will you be going again?
Kevin: Of course. Would you like to come with me?
Richie: Uncle Kevin, I'd really like that, but Dad would never approve. He can't accept the fact Uncle Alec was gay, much less that he died of AIDS. He refuses to even talk about him. It’s almost as if he wants to pretend Uncle Alec never even existed.
Kevin: I know… he wrote Alec off long before he was gone.
Richie: And they used to be so close. We had such good times when I was growing up. It was so cool having a famous director for an uncle who knew all the big stars and had these great stories to tell. But he never acted like that, he never put on airs or anything with us. He was the guy who played football with us, watched horror movies, went fishing or just hung out and made stupid jokes. And he and Dad were so close, they talked all the time, even when Uncle Alec was off filming a movie in Europe or Greece or Africa or something. No matter what they always seemed to make time for each other. But that all changed when Uncle Alec met you and then came out, Dad cut him completely out of his life. He basically banished him from our house and our lives. At least he tried to. Thank God Mom intervened and insisted that I be allowed to see you and Uncle Alec whenever I wanted. Otherwise I would've missed out being in involved in an important part of his life. The times we had together meant a lot to me.
Kevin: I know it meant a lot to Alec too, especially towards the end.
Richie: I'll always be grateful to Mom for being so adamant with Dad about that.
Kevin: Do you hear from your mother very often?
Richie: (sighing) About every couple
of weeks or so. She really loves her new job in
Kevin: (nodding) I think that's what I miss most about my mother. It was so good to have her to talk to and confide in, especially when I realized I was gay. I don't know how I couldn't gotten though those years without her.
Richie: I'm sorry, Uncle Kevin. Here I am going on and on about missing my mother because she moved away when you lost your mother in the worst way possible.
Kevin: Richie, don't worry. My mother died a very long time ago and I’ve dealt with that… at least as much as I can considering how she died.
Richie: I don't see how you do it. Your mother, your brother, and Uncle Alec. How do you cope with all the losses?
Kevin: I don't know. Sometimes I'm not sure I really have.
Scene: The third floor nurses lounge. Dana and Natalie are there.
Natalie: I think you're making a big mistake not telling Zachary about you and Danny James. Do you really want to risk his finding out and you not having told him yourself?
Dana: I'm willing to take the chance because it isn't just my relationship with Zachary that's on the line, it's my job. How do you think Dr. Dailey will feel when he finds out about my connection to the man who killed his daughter?
Natalie: Ignoring the fact that it hasn't been proven that Nathan killed Candice, Dr. Dailey can't hold that against you. It has nothing to do with you.
Dana: Maybe, but he's a man grieving his murdered daughter. Who could blame him for lashing out at anyone he sees tied into to her death? Besides, you know as well as I do he's not the most reasonable man in the world.
Natalie: That's true, but just the same, I don't think you have anything to worry about. . .as long as you're up front about the whole thing from the start. It's only keeping secrets that leads to problems.
Dana: There are some things a man is better off not knowing about a woman and this is one of them. (Dana glanced at her watch) I wonder what's taking Zachary so long? He should be back by now.
Natalie: Maybe he's being delayed by an emergency with a patient or the cafeteria lines are long. You know how that can happen.
Dana: Yeah, you're probably right. (Pause) You know, I really like the way he was eager to help me, so concerned and all. It's nice to be involved with a man who knows how to treat a woman.
Natalie: True, but I can hardly say that you and Zachary are involved. After all, you've only been on two dates.
Dana: Maybe, but that's just the start. Believe me, I've hardly begun with Zachary Dailey.
Scene: The hospital cafeteria. Gloria and Zachary are talking.
Zachary: (shaking his head) Married? Gloria, I can't believe it. Out of all the things you could of told me about A.J., his being married isn't one of them. I met his wife at the courthouse and A.J. seemed reluctant to tell me who she was. Now I see why.
Gloria: Well it’s no surprise he wouldn’t want everyone to know what a terrible thing he’s done. I'm shocked by A.J.'s level of irresponsibility in this. I knew he'd always been immature when it came to relationships, but this is just stunning. (Pause) And I'm afraid I didn't take it very well. I really lit into A.J. and told him precisely how upset I was.
Zachary: And how did he respond?
Gloria: He was surprised. I guess he thought I would treat this as lightly as he does. But I can't, not when it comes to something as important as marriage. Especially considering what it does to Melody. She doesn't deserve this, especially since she's been so good to A.J..
Zachary: Do you think she'll forgive him?
Gloria: I hope she can. She's level headed, responsible and caring; just the kind of woman A.J. needs. And it’s those very qualities that may make her unable to forgive A.J.. And I wouldn’t blame her.
Zachary: So what does A.J. plan to do regarding the marriage?
Gloria: He says he'll end the marriage and it'll be as if it never happened. He’s treating the whole thing so lightly. He can’t take this as seriously as it really is. (Pause) Both he and A.J. have made terrible mistakes and their way of handling it doesn’t make the situation any better. Did I do something wrong to have them make such terrible life choices?
Zachary: Gloria, you can hardly blame yourself because your sons have made some stupid choices in life. I mean, for the most part, both A.J. and Eric are intelligent, responsible men. They have respectable jobs that they are very good at. They care about the people around them, including their mother. They're not in drugs, in trouble or in jail. I'd say you had something to do with that. And you did it alone.
Gloria: Maybe. I know that deep down they are good kids and I'm proud of them both. But I'm also disappointed in what they've done. I guess some of that disappointment is rubbing off on me.
Zachary: It shouldn't. You say you're proud of them. Well, save some of that pride for yourself. They wouldn't be the decent, good men they are if it weren't for the woman behind them.
Gloria: (smiling) You know, you should've gotten into psychology because you always know exactly what to say to make me feel better.
Zachary: I do my best.
Gloria: You certainly do. I can always count on you to be there when I need a friend, Zachary.
Zachary: Good. I hope from now on you remember that.
Gloria: Oh, believe me, I will.
(They smiled, staring warmly at one another)
Dana's Voice: (as she approached the table) Zachary, you're still here.
Zachary: (looking up, startled) Dana, hi.
Dana: What's going on here? I'm not interrupting anything, am I?
Scene: Black and Blue. Eric and Jake are at the bar talking.
Jake: Eric, I realize you're upset, and you should be, the whole thing sucks. But you have got to let it go as hard as it may be and move on.
Eric: Move on? You mean I should forget about Pete and Lizzie, not do everything I can to get at the person who killed them? Someone ambushed them, shot him in cold blood and left them on the docks to die. They laid there for hours, bleeding to death and I'm just supposed to forget that and move onto the next case? No way in hell. I don't give a damn how long it's been I am not giving up on this case! (He took a long swallow of the beer) And if that’s all you have to say to me Jake, then you can just get the hell out of here.
Jake: Eric, I’m just trying to help you. The Captain…
Eric: The Captain? That’s the second time you’ve mentioned him. (Eric eyed Jake suspiciously) Did he send you over here? Did he order you to talk some sense into me? Is that you’re here?
Jake: Of course not. You know Capt. Stone better than that. He does his own dirty work, he doesn’t get other people to do it for him. I came here because I give a damn… as hard as you make it.
Eric: You done?
Jake: (shaking his head) God you’re an ass. I’m heading back to the office. You planning on showing up sometime soon or have you made your afternoon plans here on that bar stool?
Eric: I’ll be there soon enough.
Jake: Why do I even bother?
Eric: (draining his bottle of beer as Jake stalked away) Good riddance. (He motioned to Rusty) Another, Rusty.
Rusty: Honey, I'm wondering if that's such a good idea.
Eric: Rusty, this is me. I can hold my booze with the best. How many times I drink Pete under the table?
Rusty: (frowning) Too many. (Pause) You driving?
Eric: Look, I already got a mother to scold me, so why don't you just give me another beer?
Rusty: Eric, I. . .
Melissa: (walking up) Oh, give him another one, Rusty. I'll see he gets home safely.
Rusty: (popping open another beer and sliding it over to Eric) Sure. (She walked away)
Eric: Thanks, I was about to lose my temper.
Melissa: (sarcastically) You? I find that hard to believe. (Pause) So, when did you get back into town and why didn't you call me when you did?
Eric: I got back this morning and I was gonna call you tonight.
Melissa: (smiling, sliding onto the bar stool) Good answer. How was your trip?
Eric: I had a great time. How'd you track me down?
Melissa: It wasn't hard. You forget I am a cop's daughter.
Eric: And you forget we are supposed to hardly know each other, much less be chatting it up in a bar, a cop's bar no less. What do you think your Daddy's gonna say when he finds out? And he will find out.
Melissa: He won't like it. But then I do a lot of things my Daddy wouldn't like.
Eric: (smiling) And am I grateful for that.
Melissa: You got any plans for this afternoon?
Eric: (a lusty grin creeping across his face) If I did, I just broke 'em.
Scene: Velvet Freeze. Richie and Kevin are there.
Richie: I think you're handling all that's been thrown at you just fine; certainly a lot better than I have. I don't think I could deal with all you have without going insane.
Kevin: Richie, you're a lot stronger than you think. You've dealt with a lot for someone your age. Losing Alec was hard on you too, not to mention your parents divorce, your mother moving and remarrying. It's tough.
Richie: Nothing compared to what you've been through.
Kevin: Let's not compare life's difficulties. We've all had our problems, big and small. (Pause) Richie, that's why I brought you here. I know something is bothering you. You said earlier that you were in trouble, that something was wrong. Is there anything I can do to help, even if it's just listening?
Richie: (nervously) Uncle Kevin, I may have exaggerated a bit.
Kevin: Richie, you're not prone to exaggeration. I know we're not as close as we used to be, but you know you can tell me anything and I'll never judge you. You have to believe that.
Richie: I know, but this whole thing is such a mess. I don't know what to do.
Kevin: Are you talking about Candice Dailey's murder? I know that Nathan James is a good friend of yours and he's on trial for her murder. Is that why you're so upset?
Richie: Yeah. Nathan didn't kill Candice, Uncle Kevin, I know it. I hate seeing him going through this.
Kevin: And it’s pretty obvious that this is all eating at you. (Pause) But Richie, you said you were in trouble. Does it involve the murder? And if so, how? (Kevin noticed as Richie grew more easy and uncomfortable) You can tell me, whatever it is. You know you can trust me. Anything you say, no matter what it is, won't go anywhere. It'll stay between us.
Richie: (hesitating) Uncle Kevin, I trust you. And I want to tell you. In fact, I think it's time I got this off my chest.
To Be Continued. . .
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