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EPISODE FIVE

 

“WHO CAN IT BE NOW?”

 

 

Scene: The Covington Bay Heights; an apartment complex. Dr. Gloria Dailey is walking down a hallway. She stops at the door marked 3-F and knocks. There was no answer, so she knocked harder.

 

Gloria: I know Eric is here, I saw his car downstairs. (She knocked again, and this time the door opened slightly, causing Gloria to look alarmed) It's unlocked.

 

She pushed the door open and peered inside.

 

Gloria: Eric? (She entered the apartment) Eric, are you here? It's Mom. (She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she passed the kitchen, nothing the overflowing garbage can and the sink full of food encrusted dishes. Beer cans also cluttered the area.) I see my son has the same cleaning service he did when he was a teenager.

 

Gloria continued walking through the apartment, going into the living room. Along with a disturbing number of beer cans, empty pizza boxes, fast food containers, ashtrays full of cigarette butts and ashes, and piles of dirty clothes were all over the tables, chairs and furniture. The television was on; a baseball games was playing.

 

Gloria: This is disgusting. How can anyone live like this? (She continued through the apartment, going to the bedroom door, which was slightly ajar) Eric? (She knocked, but got no answer) Eric, are you here?

 

Gloria pushed the door open and stopped short, stunned by what she was seeing.

 

Gloria:  (with a gasp)  Oh, my God.

 

 

Scene: Covington Bay Courthouse; outside the courtroom where the trial is to be held. A.J. Lassiter is about to walk into the courtroom.

 

Voice: A.J.?

 

Stopping, A.J. turned to see a dark-haired young girl there. She was pretty and slender with hazel eyes. She wore a pair of jeans and a soft blue silk blouse. With her was a lanky teenager with curly strawberry blond hair and pale green eyes. The young man was dressed in khakis and a red pin striped shirt.

 

A.J.: Well, hello Nikki. What a surprise. (He hugged the girl, giving her a kiss on the cheek) It's good to see you.

 

Nikki: You too, but I should've known you'd be here. You're always covering the hottest stories in town.

 

A.J.: (shrugging) They keep asking me to do these things, and I can't bring myself to turn them down.  (Pause)  Hey, Richie.

 

Richie:  Hi, A.J.

 

A.J.:  I guess you’re here to support Nate.

 

Richie:  Of course.  He’s my best friend and I want to do whatever I can to help him.  (Pause)  Have you seen him?  Do you know how he is?

 

A.J.:  No.  I doubt if he’s allowed to see anyone but his lawyer with the trial just about to start.  But you should be able to see him in the courtroom, have a few words.  (Pause)  And what about you Nikki?  Why are you here?

 

Nikki:  I’m here to support Nate… and Richie.

 

A.J.:  (smiling)  And I’d bet you’re also going to cover it for the school paper?

 

Nikki:  Someone has to continue the grand Lassiter tradition of bring hot stories to the students of Covington Bay High School.

 

A.J.  Good to hear.  But surely the school isn’t letting you miss school to do a story on the trial?

 

Nikki: (hesitating) Well, I. . .

 

A.J.: Nikki, don't tell me you're playing hooky?

 

Nikki: And what if I am? It's nothing less than what you did when you wrote for the school paper. Your exploits are legendary, people still talk about the time you exposed that the construction company building the school's new library were using defective materials.

 

A.J.: (grinning) That was one of my better pieces, but Nikki, I got in a lot of trouble with Mom for blowing off school to chase scoops. I'll bet Uncle Steven and Aunt Pamela won't like it any better.

 

Nikki: Maybe, but they're not going to find out, are they?

 

A.J.: (nodding) I see, you want me to be your co-conspirator. All right, never let it be said I stood in the way of a reporter's byline, unless they were the competition of course.

 

Nikki: Thank you, A.J.! (She kissed him on the cheek) I knew there was a reason why you were my favorite cousin.

 

A.J.: Really? And in this family you have so many to choose from. Just don't make a habit of it, okay? Assuming you haven't already.

 

Nikki: I won't, I promise.

 

A.J.: Well, I've got to get into the courtroom. See you later.

 

Nikki: Bye.

 

A.J.: You too. Keep her out of trouble will you?

 

Richie: It's difficult, but I'll try.

 

(A.J. walked away.)

 

Richie: He’s a cool guy.

 

Nikki: My cousin A.J. is the coolest. He's everything I want to be when I grow up.

 

Richie: (grinning) Yeah? He is good looking, but is the operation really worth it?

 

Nikki: (jabbing Richie in the belly) You know what I mean. (She paused as she gently rubbed his face) It's good to see you laughing, Richie. With everything that's been going on, I was starting to wonder if I'd ever see that beautiful smile again.

 

Richie: It may be a while before you see it again, depending on how the trial goes. Nikki, I am so worried about Nate. He has to be cleared of this murder, he has to be. I still can't believe it's come this far.

 

Nikki: Neither can I. Unfortunately, they've got some pretty strong evidence against him.

 

Richie: But it's all circumstantial. If a rich family like the Daileys hadn't of insisted there be a quick arrest, they would've taken the time to do a proper investigation, rather than grabbing the first black guy that came along.

 

Nikki:  I’d like to think that Nathan’s race didn’t factor into his arrest, but I’m not that naïve.  But at least we’ve got Sabrina Collier on our side.  She’s one of the best attorneys in the state. She's won some pretty tough cases and I'll bet she'll win this one too.

 

Richie:  I know Sabrina has a really good reputation.  But I don’t like standing around doing nothing.  I wish there was more that I could do.

 

Nikki:  You're testifying for the defense, what you have to say is bound to help.

 

Richie:  My only testimony is that Richie and Candice were lovers, that’s it.

 

Nikki:  And that’s going to go far in helping to clear Nathan.  Remember that much of the defense’s case rests on that Nate and Candice weren’t involved, that he was obsessed with her, couldn’t have her and that’s why he killed her.  You being able to refute that is going to help a lot.

 

Richie:  (doubtfully)  I hope so.

 

Nikki:   I will, I believe that.  (Pause)  But Richie, as much as you want to help Nathan, have you thought about what testifying for him means?  Have you told your father yet?

 

Richie:  (shaking his head)  No.

 

Nikki:  Don’t you think you should?  He should hear this from you rather than someone else.

 

Richie:  I know, I know.  I’ve been putting it off because I know he’s not going to take the news well.  Hell, he’s going to go ballistic.  (Pause)  If only there was a way for him not to find out.

 

Nikki: Richie, your father is head of Homicide. It was his office that headed the investigation that got Nathan arrested. Do you really think he won't find out his son is testifying for the defense? When it gets out, it'll be front page news.  I can’t believe he hasn’t found out already.  You better tell him and you better tell him soon.

 

 

Scene: Covington Bay Courthouse; a waiting room. Sabrina Collier and Michael Tamakai are there. Michael is staring out of the window as Sabrina sits at the table in the room, going over notes on a thick yellow pad of paper.

 

Michael: How many times are you going to go over that opening statement?  It’s perfect… you can’t make it any better.

 

Sabrina:  Trust me, Michael, I don’t doubt my ability.  But I’ve got the time, I may as well give it another run-through just in case.

 

Michael:  I'm sure you'll blow them away.

 

Sabrina: I have to. Evan Maitland's a damned good attorney. I can guarantee he's gone over his opening statement within an inch of it's life. I can't afford to make one mistake, one misstep, not with this guy.

 

Michael:  Does it really matter how good you are?

 

Sabrina:  What does that mean?

 

Michael:  Do you really think we have a chance of winning this case?

 

Sabrina: (sternly) Michael, I don't want to hear that. There is no place for that kind of talk; especially now.

 

Michael: I'm sorry, Sabrina, but you know I've felt this way from the start.

 

Sabrina: I'm more than aware that you are unhappy about Collier and Associates having taken this case, but our office requires us to do a certain amount of pro bono work.  When Judge Fitzpatrick said that we had the case, it was ours like it or not.

 

Michael: I realize we didn't have much of a choice. It just would be nice to be spending my time working on a case that we can win.

 

Sabrina:   Michael, you know better than to have this kind of attitude going into a case. How can you do your best for your client feeling that way?

 

Michael: How can I help but feel otherwise? The evidence against Nathan James is overwhelming. He was seen quarreling with the victim more than once, including the day of her murder. Her father says she told him he was scared of him, that he wanted more than friendship from her and she didn't want to give it to him, so he started threatening her. She was raped and beaten and the semen found on her body was a DNA match to his. Furthermore, Nathan has no alibi. And all he can say is that he loved her and could never hurt her. That's not much of a defense. Do you really believe given all that, we have a chance in hell?

 

Sabrina: I know it looks bad, but everything you just said can be read two ways. Yes, the DA will present it the way you just detailed it, but believe me, I can get the jury to see our version of those same details. And that's what I'm going to do. It's what we are going to do.

 

Michael: Sabrina. . .

 

Sabrina: Michael, I know you would like nothing better than to walk away from this case, but that is not going to happen. With Whitney in Louisiana taking care of family business, I need a good trial lawyer as co-counsel and you're the one with the most courtroom experience. Face it, you are part of this case and you are going to do your damnedest to provide our client with the best possible defense. It's your job, it's what you are paid to do. End of story.

 

Michael: (shaking his head) I know what my job is Sabrina, and when I take a case, I do what it takes to help my client. But, I didn't become a lawyer to get murderers off. And if we win this case, that is exactly what we are doing because you and I both know Nathan James killed that girl. Don't we?

 

Sabrina: (hesitating for a moment) Michael, I. . .

 

Voice: Hi, guys.

 

Sabrina: (looking up to see a slender young black man standing in the doorway, wearing an ill-fitting grey suit. A blue garbed guard stands imposingly behind him) Nathan. Hello.

 

Michael: (hardly able to look at Nathan) Hello, Nathan.

 

Nathan: Well, from the looks of it, I'd say the three of us had a problem. So, what are we going to do about it?

 

 

Scene: Eric's apartment. Gloria is standing in the doorway, looking at Eric's prone body, naked save a pair of boxers, lying across the bed. The room, like the rest of the house, was a mess.

 

Gloria: (murmuring)  Eric, how can you live like this?

 

Gloria went over to the bed, kicking aside strewn clothing and beer cans. She leaned over, shaking Eric.

 

Gloria: Eric!? Eric!? Eric, wake up! (She continued to shake him) Eric!?

 

Eric: (moaning, moving slightly) Hmmm. . . Oh. . . (He looked up at Gloria, his eyes bloodshot) Mom? What are you doing here?

 

Gloria: (wrinkling her nose) Eric, you reek of liquor! (She got up and walked over to the shades)

 

Eric: (starting to get up) Isn't that what you said the last time you saw me?

 

Gloria: (nodding) Yes and sadly, it's getting to be a habit.

 

Eric: (wincing, holding his head) Oh, my head. (He slumped back down on the bed) I think I'll just lie here and die.

 

Gloria: (pulling open the shades, filling the room with light) From the looks of you, you're halfway there.

 

Eric: (turning away from the light) I'm really in no mood for your ranting about my life right now. So why don't you go to the hospital and save a patient? Or even better, why you go tell A.J. how wonderful he is, you know how he loves compliments.

 

Gloria: Eric, I'm really in no mood for your smart mouth.

 

Eric: Then why come here unless you expect to be offended?

 

Gloria: For some reason I was worried about you.  A lot of people been trying to get a hold of you for days and since you haven’t returned any phone calls I thought I’d thought I'd drop by and see if you were still breathing.  It seems you are… just barely.  (She sighed, surveying the filthy room)  So where have you been?

 

Eric: (sitting up in bed)  As if it is any of your business, I went to Atlantic City for a little R and R.

 

Gloria:  Atlantic City?  That’s where you’ve been?   That’s why you missed the date you had with your daughter on Saturday?

 

Eric:  What in the hell are you talking about?  What date?

 

Gloria:   You were supposed to go swimming with Vicki at the Lassiter Estate and you never showed.  Vicki was very upset.  She’d really been looking forward to spending some time with her father.  But as usual you let her down.

 

Eric:   How do you know about any of that?  Did Monica call you crying about what a horrible bastard I am?  She did it enough during our marriage.

 

Gloria:  No, I happened to be there visiting Pamela and I saw her disappointment for myself.  Fortunately, we were able to calm her down and we ended up having a lovely afternoon.

 

Eric:  Then it sounds like the problem was solved.  Everyone had a good time.  (Pause)  Now, are you finished?  I need to get ready for work.

 

Gloria:  I’m here to deliver a message from Kevin.

 

Eric:   Kevin?  What does that faggot want with me?

 

Gloria: (angrily) Eric, I will not tolerate that kind of talk, especially about family.

 

Eric:   That queer is no member of my family as far as I’m concerned.  And whatever he wants, I’m not interested.

 

Gloria:  Well, you should be.  (Pause)  Kevin wanted you to remind you that the annual board meeting of Lassiter Pharmaceuticals is Friday.  Like everyone else in the family you're supposed to be there.

 

Eric:  You’re kidding.  You can’t really expect me to come to that after everything that’s gone down?

 

Gloria:  I think it’s best you don’t show up, but for some reason Kevin thinks you should attend.  (Pause)  Hopefully you'll be in better shape then.

 

Eric: What an warm invitation. And here I thought you were incapable of motherly love.

 

Gloria: (gritting her teeth) Good-bye Eric.

 

Gloria stalked out and Eric heard the front door slam a few moments later.

 

Eric: I managed to get rid of her in less than five minutes. I'm getting better at this.

 

Sighing, Eric lie back down. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Eric pretended not to hear it, but it rang again.

 

Eric: Go away Mom, I won the argument, not need to come back to congratulate me. (The doorbell rang again) Go away. (It kept ringing, only faster) Damn it, Mom, you really want me to tell you off, don't you!?

 

Eric got out of bed and began staggering to the front door. The tore it open, expecting to see his mother. He was surprised by the appearance of an attractive dark-haired woman nearly shaking with anger.

 

Eric: Monica, what are you doing here?

 

Monica: (bitterly) Eric, how dare you do this to me. . again!?

 

 

Scene: The Covington Bay Courthouse waiting room. Sabrina, Michael and Nathan are there. Sabrina and Michael look caught off guard.

 

Sabrina: Nathan, what are you talking about? What sort of problem?

 

Michael: Look Nathan, what you just walked in on is. . .

 

Nathan: (holding out his arms) I'm talking about this suit. (He was referring to the tan suit he wore, which hung shapelessly on his slender frame) This thing is a little big on me. I guess that's what happens when you can't try something on before you wear it.

 

Sabrina: (relieved) I see. (She looked at the guard) You can leave us alone. (The guard nodded and walked out) Nathan, don't worry about it, if it really bothers you, we can get you another one.

 

Nathan: But what about today? I thought you said the jury has to see me in a positive light, that they have to look at me and believe I'm not capable of murder?

 

Michael: Right Nathan, but you look fine, I don't think it's really going to matter much in the end.

 

Nathan: Maybe. . .probably not. I guess I just don't want to take any chances. I want to do all I can to make those people see I didn't kill Candice. They have to know how much I loved her and I wouldn't have hurt her.

 

Sabrina: They will, Nathan, they will. We'll see to it.

 

Nathan: God, I hope so. (He sat down, hanging his head down) It's so hard to believe she's gone. I know she's been dead for months, but I still can't believe she's gone. I been dreaming about her you know. Sometimes when I wake up at night I can smell the perfume she wore or hear her voice. Course, it doesn't take but a second for me to realize it's all in my head. Still. . . (He paused, closing his eyes, squeezing back the tears) I guess I shouldn't be doin' this, huh? We probably need to talk courtroom strategies and stuff, don't we?

 

Sabrina: There are a few details to discuss before we go to the courtroom, yes.

 

Nathan: Okay. (Pause) You know, part of me doesn't care what happens, that it wouldn't matter if the jury convicted me.

 

Sabrina: Nathan, how could you say that?

 

Nathan: Because whether you get me off or not, Candice will still be dead. I'll still be without the girl I loved. And I don't know how or if I can live with that. I don't know if I want to.

 

 

Scene: The corridor outside the courthouse. Nikki and Richie are standing there.

 

Richie: Yeah, I know I have to tell him and I will. I just have to wait for the right time.

 

Nikki: Is there ever a right time for these things?

 

Richie: No. There never seems to be the right time for anything these days.

 

Nikki: (concern growing on her face) Richie, is there something bothering you? Something more than Nathan and the trial, I mean?

 

Richie: No, what else could there be?

 

Nikki: I don't know, but I. . .

 

A.J.: (approaching them) You guys better get in there, the trial's going to start any minute.

 

Richie: Thanks, A.J..

 

Nikki: Shouldn't you be headed that way?

 

A.J.: (holding up a cellular phone, which was ringing) I was, until this started ringing.

 

Nikki: You better answer it, it could be a hot scoop.

 

A.J.: (as Nikki and Richie walked away) One can only hope. (He answered the phone) Lassiter.

 

Voice: A.J. Lassiter?

 

A.J.: Yeah, who's this?

 

Voice: A friend.

 

A.J.: Well, I got lots of friends, who's this one?

 

Voice: One who can help you prove Nathan James didn't kill that girl. You interested?

 

Patricia: (walking up) A.J., I saw you rush out of the courtroom. Is everything all right?

 

A.J.: (holding his hand over the receiver) Patty, not now, go away!

 

Patricia: A.J., what is going on? Who is that?

 

to be continued...

 

 

In the next episode of Covington Bay...

 

·      Women cause headaches for the Lassiter men.

·      Zachary tries to help Gloria.

·         Richie looks for answers.