09x04 - Half-Truths

[bunniefuu]

How did this spindle get on the floor?

Wait a minute, Gil.

-You're out of bounds. -[Gilbert] Now hold on.

Don't say another word. You hold on.

-You wait a minute. -It fell while we were arguing!

Abby's not a m*rder*r.

Oh, I really admire a man

who's so loyal to his ex-wife.

We'll talk about this when I get back.

What makes you think I'm gonna be here

when you get back?

-It's all my fault. -Why is it your fault?

The only reason she k*lled Peter was to protect me.

Olivia!

[theme music playing]

[♪]

You k*lled Peter Hollister?

Yes.

It was an accident.

-[Gilbert] An accident? -That's right.

Wait a minute, Abby,

don't say another word without an attorney.

I don't need an attorney, Mack.

I don't have anything to hide anymore.

I should have admitted what I knew from the very beginning.

Abby, don't do this.

Peter and I argued.

He, uh...

He started to get a*usive.

In what way, Mrs. Ewing?

Just verbally at first, and then, uh,

he started to get physical.

He started pushing me, and, uh...

I was scared. I tried fighting him off, and, uh...

Then he slipped and fell.

-He slipped? -And fell.

[Gilbert] And then what?

He, uh,

he fell on... a spindle

that we-- that we use for receipts at the club.

And how did the spindle get on the floor?

Gil, you're out of bounds. Abby, don't say another word.

[Gilbert] Come on, wait-wait a minute now.

-It fell while we were arguing! -[Gilbert] Wait a minute.

Let me get this straight now.

The spindle fell on the floor,

and Senator Hollister fell on top of it.

Is that right? Is that what you're saying?

-Abby-- -[Gilbert] Come on, Mack.

Mrs. Ewing knows she doesn't have to

say anything to me she doesn't want to say.

And she also understands that

she's volunteering this information.

-Isn't that correct, Mrs. Ewing? -Yes.

-I understand. -[Brian] Mom!

It's all right. It's all right. Nothing's wrong.

I want you both to understand.

Everything's gonna be fine once I explain to them

what happened.

Mrs. Ewing, I'm afraid you're gonna have to come with us.

Why, mom?

I just have to talk to them, honey, that's all.

-[Brian] But why? -[Mack] Brian, wait a minute.

Come here. Brian. Brian, listen.

You come and you take a ride with me,

and we'll go see Aunt Karen, okay?

-[Gilbert] Mack, come on, this is a homicide.

-[Brian] No! -You come on.

My wife is their aunt.

And we'll take care of the kids if that's all right with Abby.

-That's fine. Thank you, Mack. -All right. All right.

But I'm gonna have to take Olivia in for questioning, too.

No. Mommy.

It's all right. It's all right.

Just don't tell them anything, honey.

Let me handle it.

Make me proud of you. Okay?

[Gilbert] Mrs. Ewing, you have the right to remain silent.

If you give up the right to remain silent,

anything you say can and will be

used against you in a court of law.

You have the right to speak with an attorney,

and to have the attorney present during questioning.

If you so desire and cannot afford an attorney,

an attorney will be appointed for you without charge

before questioning.

[crickets chirping]

Mom?

Abby just confessed to k*lling Peter Hollister.

How?

I don't know. She claimed it was an accident.

Look, I've got to go to the police station

and pick up Olivia and Brian.

-Well, I'll-I'll drive. -No. You stay here, okay?

[Michael] Mom?

She wouldn't have.

You don't think?

Well, Mack doesn't think she did.

He thinks for some reason she's lying.

Why would she lie about something like that?

I don't know.

What is it?

Abby's just confessed to k*lling your brother.

I don't feel relieved.

I mean, I was convinced that she k*lled him.

And now she's confessed that she k*lled him.

I don't feel relieved.

She claims it was an accident.

[scoffs] Well, what do you think she's going to say, Gary,

that it was premeditated?

Abby's not a m*rder*r.

Oh, no! No, she's a saint.

I mean, she did what any law-abiding citizen would do

in a case of an accident, huh?

I mean, instead of phoning the police?

After she accidentally k*lled him?

What, she accidentally took him to a construction site

and then she accidentally put a few tons of cement on him?

Jill...

No, Gary, I don't want to hear any more

excuses for your ex-wife.

Trust me, she will have enough of her own.

Look, it was bad enough that you defended her before,

but after she confesses?

I mean, come on.

-I gotta go. -What?

The kids may not have a place to stay tonight.

Oh, you're going because of the kids?

Yes. Why?

Oh, I really admire a man who's so loyal to his ex-wife,

even if she is a m*rder*r.

We'll talk about this when I get back.

What makes you think I'm going to be here

when you get back?

Boy, they've sure been in there a long time.

Uh-huh.

-Are you hungry? -[Brian] Gary!

Hi. Where's Abby?

-They're being questioned. -[Gary] They?

Olivia, too.

Uh, Brian, uh, did you happen to see

a coffee machine around here anywhere?

-Yeah, down the hall. -Yeah? Oh, great.

Listen, uh, go get me a cup, will you?

-Sure. Uh, black, right? -Right.

-Why Olivia? -She was the primary suspect.

They found fibers from her sweater on the corpse.

They were arresting her...

when Abby confessed.

[Cox] Were you in love with Peter Hollister?

That question has already been answered.

No one's on trial here, Counselor.

We're just trying to understand.

[counselor] Asked and answered.

I'm not sure it has been answered.

Miss Cunningham has admitted to

having a crush on the senator,

not to being in love.

[Mrs. Bailey] An irrelevant semantic distinction.

Olivia, if you have nothing to hide--

Don't badger my client, Detective.

All you've said is, I don't know anything

about how Peter Hollister died.

Now, is that really the truth, Olivia?

[Mrs. Bailey] Asked and answered.

I thought Peter had left Lotus Point

after our argument earlier.

I needed to check on some things in the club,

and when I went in there, I was very surprised to see him.

He was agitated.

He may have been drinking. I don't know.

Why don't you tell us what you do know, Mrs. Ewing?

What did you argue about?

My client doesn't characterize the conversation as an argument.

Yes, I do.

-We argued. -About what?

-My daughter. -[Gilbert] Specifically?

I insisted that he take back a locket

that he had given her as a gift.

Why didn't you give the locket back to him earlier?

What?

Well, you talked to him earlier that morning.

Why didn't you return the locket then?

I just forgot, I guess.

I see.

So you carried the locket around with you all morning,

and then you suddenly remembered it again

when you found Peter at the club.

Yes.

What was he doing when you found him?

-Sitting. -Alone?

-[Abby] Yes. -What did you say to him?

I don't remember exactly,

but I-I told him that I thought

that his giving a gift like that to Olivia was...

inappropriate, and I asked him to take it back.

-And that upset him? -Yes.

I thought you said he was already

agitated when you got there.

[Abby] Well, he was.

But my-my asking him to take

the locket back upset him even more.

I see, so you could tell that he was upset

by his quietly sitting in a chair.

As we both know, detective,

body posture doesn't necessarily indicate an emotional state.

Right.

How did you know he was upset?

-By the way he spoke to me. -[Gilbert] And how was that?

He was insulting.

Was that before or after you gave him the locket?

Both before and after.

What prompted you to hit him?

[Mr. Sobel] My client didn't say that she hit him.

She pushed him away in self-defence.

Well, you must be a lot stronger than you look, Mrs. Ewing.

Peter Hollister was over six feet tall.

Well, I was angry. I was very, very angry.

I-I must have caught him off guard, I guess,

and he stumbled.

[Gilbert] What hand did you push him with?

I pushed him with both hands.

-And he fell over backwards? -[Abby] Yes.

It was a...

it was a terrible, terrible accident,

and no one could be any sorrier about it than I am.

I didn't think, though, that anyone

would believe that it was an accident.

So I buried him.

I think I really was in love with Peter.

The only reason...

Doesn't it bother you if I talk about him?

No.

You know it was Abby's fault that we didn't get married?

-Abby's fault? -[Paige] It's true.

She hadn't interfered.

Oh, she must have been jealous.

You know, she pretended that she was interested in Peter

so that he'd stop seeing me.

He told me that she set us up.

But I was so angry that morning that I didn't give him a chance

to explain.

I wish I had.

You know, it's so terrible to know that...

the last time that you saw someone, that you fought.

Yeah.

God, I hate Abby.

[lock rattling]

Okay. Here we go.

Oh. Oh.

Hi, we've got guests.

Michael, why don't you take Brian upstairs to Eric's room

and help him get situated?

-[Michael] Okay. -Okay.

-And Olivia, you can-- -She can stay in my room.

I can sleep on the couch.

I wouldn't ever sleep in your room.

I don't even want to be in the same house as you.

I just want to go home.

[Karen] Honey, you can't.

I am not sleeping in her room.

Michael, why don't you get a sleeping bag

and you and Brian can double up.

And Mack can sleep in Eric's room.

And Olivia, you can sleep with me.

[Greg] Have they, uh, formally charged her yet?

-Homicide. -[laughs] I love it.

It should be first degree m*rder.

But they'll probably go with second degree.

And they'll knock it down to manslaughter.

And she'll go in front of the jury

and she'll bat her baby blue eyes.

And they'll let her off on self-defence.

Give her an A for effort

for trying to rehabilitate my brother.

And then they'll probably give her a fat paycheck

for the amount of time she spent at trial.

I don't believe she did it.

What do you mean you don't believe she did it?

She confessed, didn't she?

Her story was all over the place.

I mean, it was like she made it up as she went along.

But the police,

they were convinced, weren't they?

Yeah. I'm not.

Well, the mighty MacKenzie instinct.

Hey, Gregory, right now that's all I've got to go off.

And that's what led you here, huh?

Gregory, he was your brother.

You know, you knew all about him.

You knew what he was working on.

You knew who he was seeing.

And anything that you can give me

on Peter might help.

Well, you knew that he was seeing your daughter, right?

And he was seeing Abby.

Actually, he was seeing a lot of women.

Insecure, I bet.

Has it ever dawned on you

that the mighty MacKenzie instinct could be wrong?

That maybe, just maybe,

because she so rarely tells the truth,

when she finally does, you're totally confused by it.

[sneezes and coughs]

[somber music plays]

[♪]

[phone rings]

-Hello? -[Abby] Karen.

It's Abby. Did I wake you?

[sighs] Oh.

No.

Uh, are you...

Yeah, I'm out on bail. How's Olivia?

She's-she's fine.

She's asleep.

-And Brian? -[Karen] He's fine.

They're both fine.

[Abby] Good.

Look, Karen, it's so late, maybe it...

maybe it'd be better to leave them stay at your house.

If you don't mind.

That's no problem.

Okay.

Well, I'll just let them sleep.

I think that would be best.

-Good night. -Good night, Abby.

-[intense music plays] -[Paige breathing rapidly]

No!

[Paige gasps]

It's all right.

She's just having a bad dream.

Paige?

Paige?

Paige, easy, easy, easy, easy, Paige.

Paige. It's just a dream.

It's just a dream. Paige?

[birds chirping]

Oh, great pancakes, Mack.

[Michael] Yeah, Mack, great pancakes.

-[doorbell rings] -Oh!

Uh, kids, that must be your mom.

[doorbell rings]

Oh! Oh! Oh, honey.

Oh, it's so good to see you two.

I told you everything would work out.

[Olivia] Has it?

I'm here, aren't I?

Mom?

Yes, you beautiful kid, you.

You didn't really k*ll him, did you?

It was an accident.

It was the worst thing that could possibly

happen to anyone, but...

it was an accident.

I knew it. I knew you didn't k*ll him.

Okay, now, I've got to go to work for a couple of hours,

but, uh, you two can stay home from school.

And then when I get back, we'll celebrate.

Okay?

Okay.

Karen!

Say thank you to your Aunt Karen, all right?

Oh! Oh!

Muah! Muah!

Thanks for everything, Aunt Karen.

-Oh, it's okay. -Thank you.

-Say goodbye to Mack. -Thanks, Mack.

-You're welcome. -[Brian] Bye, Mack.

-Bye-bye. -Bye.

Oh, those were great pancakes!

Hey, my kind of guy!

Thank you.

-[Paige] Is she gone? -Yeah.

Well, I'll see everyone later.

[Karen] Uh, you wanna ride with me?

Oh, I've got a lot of errands to do on the way,

but thank you anyway.

-[Karen sighs] -She blames everything on Abby.

She really thinks Abby k*lled Peter.

Well, I don't, I don't know if she thinks that,

but she blames Abby for breaking up her engagement.

She said that Peter tried to explain it to her,

but that she was too angry to listen.

When did he try to explain?

[Michael] She said that morning.

What morning?

Well, that morning it sounded like.

The day he was... That he, that he died.

[♪]

[Abby] I'll be home from work early.

All right, no school!

What if they find you guilty?

They won't.

Yeah. But what if they do?

I don't think you have to worry about that.

But I am worried.

Honey, it'll never come to that.

They have no evidence beyond my word.

And with nothing else to go on, the D.A. will drop the charges.

[Gary] What's the worst thing she could be charged with?

Probably manslaughter. Possibly second degree.

And if she's convicted of second degree?

I won't be convicted.

But if you are...

Her attorneys will appeal.

And if they lose the appeal?

I won't.

But if you do...



Honey, it won't happen.

[phone ringing]

[knocking on door]

You know, there were times that I thought

I was being really stupid not to marry you.

But I was worried about the involvement of your ex-wives.

Well, I don't feel so stupid anymore.

Abby shouldn't go to jail just because she's my ex-wife.

I'm not saying that.

I never said that.

-But if she's guilty-- -[Gary] She's not.

-But if she is-- -She's not, Jill.

Gary, look. I agree.

If Abby is innocent, she shouldn't go to jail.

-That's all I'm saying. -[Jill] Good.

And all I am saying is,

leave the investigation of your ex-wife

to the criminal justice system.

I can't.

Gary, it is really difficult for either of us

to be objective about this.

But I promise to stay out of it if you will.

I can't.

I'm sorry. I can't.

I got a lot of paperwork.

I can't believe this is happening.

A man I know personally is k*lled at Lotus Point

and my sister-in-law is charged.

I mean, this is something that happens on television.

It's a soap opera.

It doesn't happen to real people like me.

[Valene] Yeah, I know what you mean.

What's this?

"One night, Daddy Bunny

was snuggled in his big feather bed."

-Don't read that, Karen. -Why not?

"He was sleeping snug as a bug

because he knew that Mommy Bunny..."

-Karen! -"...and Betsy Bunny

and Bobby Bunny were right there sleeping too."

-Please, come on. -"Then suddenly

"the Daddy Bunny heard of sound.

-Thump, thump." -Come on, now. Give me a break.

-It's kind of cute. -Oh!

-Do not say "cute" to a writer. -Cute.

No, don't say cute.

Say eloquent, moving, brilliant,

-but don't you dare say cute. -And why'd you write it?

I wanted to give the kids a way

to deal with their father's absence

because I want them to know the truth.

But I have to tell them the truth

in a way that I know they can understand.

-Read it to me. -Oh, Karen, no.

-No way, no. - I wanna hear it.

-Come on. -[Valene] No.

-Valene. -Karen.

You laugh and I swear I will never speak to you again.

"So the Daddy Bunny got out of his warm bed.

"He opened the door and listened.

"Thump, thump.

Was that a tree branch bumping the window?" [laughs]

"No, the wind wasn't even blowing. Thump, thump.

Now the Daddy Bunny was getting angry."

Oh.

Go on.

"What was making that awful noise?

"Daddy Bunny did not want anything,

"not even a thump,

"to bother his family.

So he just..." [sighs] Karen, this is so embarrassing.

It's beautiful.

"So he decided to go looking

"for that thump, thump in the night

"and make it go away forever

"so that Mommy Bunny and Betsy Bunny

"and Bobby Bunny would always be safe and sound.

And no matter how long it took..."

See, the idea is that Daddy Bunny, Ben,

still loves us very much

and he's just out there somewhere taking care of us.

Hi.

Hi.

You know, mom doesn't want me to talk to you.

Well, uh,

uh, let's say you were, you were outside

and I just happened to be passing by

and you started talking to yourself

and I just happened to overhear you.

That way it's not your fault.

You know, you've grown up so much

I hardly know how to talk to you anymore.

You used to laugh at my corny jokes.

Let's go inside.

Honey, I don't want your mother to go to jail.

I don't either.

Well...

what can we do about that?

I don't know.

[sighs] And it's all my fault.

Why is it your fault?

The only reason she k*lled Peter was to protect me.

She k*lled him?

To protect me.

You think your mother k*lled Peter?

Gary.

Olivia, do you think your mother k*lled him?

[sighs] Yes.

[laughing]

Am I going to have to say that in court?

You're innocent. You're innocent. Did you see it?

I just saw him dead.

Did you see your mother k*ll him?

-No. -[laughing]

[birds chirping]

Olivia did not k*ll Peter.

-I know that. -[Gary] No, no, no.

I mean, she really didn't k*ll him.

-I know that, Gary. -I don't think you do.

I think you believe she k*lled him,

and now you're trying to cover up for her.

-Gary-- -But you don't have to

because she didn't k*ll him.

Why don't you just get out of here, Gary?

[Gary] Listen to me.

Olivia and I had a long talk.

I thought I told you to stay away from her. Where is she?

She's at home. She didn't want you to know

that she talked to me.

I know Olivia didn't k*ll Peter.

Ask me how I know. Ask me how I know for sure

Olivia didn't k*ll Peter Hollister.

I don't have to ask you, Gary.

You know that I just admitted that I--

[imitates buzzer] Wrong answer.

How do I know? Because...

because, dear Abby, she thinks you k*lled him.

Yeah, she does.

She thinks you k*lled him to protect her from him.

[light orchestral music plays]

Well, I-I suppose sh-she could have assumed...

[Gary] No, no, no, no, no. She really believes it.

And if she believes it,

there's no way she could have done it.

So you're off the hook.

You can stop lying for her now.

You know, sometimes you're just downright unholy.

[Gary laughs]

Anyway, don't take my word for it. Go ask your daughter.

I gotta go talk to Mack.

[♪]

[sighs]

So, you're willing to let Abby Ewing get away with m*rder?

She's been doing that for years.

Yeah, but this time it was your brother.

[Gary] Listen, it's not up to me, counselor.

As much as the thought of Abby Ewing behind bars

sparks the imagination,

this is a matter for the police, you, Macho Mack,

and the rest of the posse.

Even though this was your brother,

you just don't give a damn.

Why do you give a damn whether or not I give a damn?

Abby didn't have anything to do with Peter's death.

Did you tell her that?

-Olivia didn't either. -No one's accusing Olivia.

Well, I did. Her mother did.

Look, when this whole thing started,

I accused Abby of having k*lled Peter.

She didn't even blink an eye, but later,

when I told her that I thought Olivia had done it, she lost it.

Mack, I know when that woman is threatened,

and she was only threatened when I accused Olivia.

That's what convinced me that Olivia was guilty.

And now you're convinced she's not?

Because I just found out that Olivia

thinks her mother k*lled Peter.

That's something she'll have to tell the court.

[Gary] Mack!

The only reason Abby ever confessed

was that she was convinced Olivia had k*lled him.

She was protecting her daughter

when her daughter didn't need protection.

-Olivia! -She went for a walk

on the beach, Mrs. Ewing.

[serene music]

[suspenseful music]

Olivia!

[tense music]

Olivia!

What's wrong?

Oh!

[laughs] Oh, honey! Oh, thank God!

-Oh! -What is it?

Olivia, Gary said...

Oh, I know I wasn't supposed to say anything. It just came out.

It's all right, it's all right. I understand.

-I am glad you talked to Gary. -You are?

This is very, very important.

I want you to tell me exactly

what you think happened the day Peter died.

Please.

After we talked to him outside the club.

I waited until I could stop crying,

and then I followed him inside the club.

-I gave him the locket. -You gave it to him?

I-I threw it at him, and then I just ran outside.

That's it?

-That's all? -I was so angry.

I went back inside to tell him.

I don't know, yell at him.

And there he was, lying on the floor.

There was blood everywhere.

At first, I didn't understand what was wrong.

[gasps] Oh, my God!

Oh, my God! Peter!

[Olivia] And then I saw you.

You had the towel in your hands.

And you ...

I was what?

You were wiping the blood off your hands with the towel.

Dear God.

Olivia, I was in the ladies' lounge,

and I heard you crying.

I came out, and...

I was wiping my hands in the towel

because I'd been washing my hands.

That's all.

I came in and saw him lying on the floor

with you holding him, and you had blood all over you.

And you thought I k*lled Peter.

And you thought I k*lled him.

Yes.

-[sighs] -[emotional music plays]

[both laughing]

Oh, mom, we gotta start talking to each other more often.

[serene music]

[click]

[Paige] I'm sorry I missed you.

It's just, hmm,

I know it sounds corny, but

I think we can still be friends.

Well, that's what I wanted to tell you.

And, uh, right now I've got 15 minutes

to beat the lunch crowd to the club.

You can call me there.

Or I'll try to reach you after work.

[voicemail beeps]

[tape winding]

...right now I've got 15 minutes

to beat the lunch crowd to the club.

You can call me there.

Or...

[♪]

[instrumental music]

[dogs barking]

[♪]

I was beginning to worry about you.

Paige asleep?

Yes.

Did you talk to her about...

Did you talk to her?

I didn't have a chance.

You didn't have a chance, or you didn't want to?

I think that's up to you.

Yeah, well, I think...

I think you're right.

[Mack sighs]

-Good morning. -Morning.

Why didn't you tell me?

-[Paige] What? -Paige...

why didn't you tell me that you saw Peter the day he died?

Well, it didn't seem important.

And it still doesn't.

You thought he was your uncle?

Yes.

You thought he didn't tell you,

even though he knew all along.

Well, I was wrong.

You didn't know that before you saw him.

You were furious with him.

Well, yes. Wouldn't you have been?

Paige...

why were you so friendly to him

in the messages that you left on his answering machine?

Well, what can I say?

I, uh,

I hate to burn bridges.

I missed you. You've gotten so big since you went away.

You must have been eating like a tank.

Ooh. Where are the boys?

I've been shamelessly pursuing their affections

with, uh, material possessions.

I left them with Richard.

You're kidding.

The guy has proven himself to be chronically unstable

and you leave our boys with him?

Well, he's-- he's their father,

and-and he's not such a bad guy these days anyway.

So what am I, chopped liver?

No, this doesn't have anything to do with you.

Oh.

It's all right.

So how long do you intend to subject the boys

to dear old dad?

I'm sorry I spoiled the surprise for you.

I really should have called and told you

there was a change in plans, huh?

That long, huh?

I guess you've got a lot of presents to open, sweetheart.

[indistinct chatter]

I'll tell them we're here.

What if they don't believe us?

Well, hey, they give you too much trouble,

I'll take them on.

Truth is usually a pretty good defense.

I'll be right here.

Honey.

I want you to tell them everything.

-I know. -I mean everything.

Don't try to hide anything.

[sighs] I won't.

They already know that Peter and I had an affair

and they know he told you about it.

Peter didn't tell me about that.

-Well, then how did you know? -Paige told me.

Why did Peter stop you?

He said he was looking for Paige.

He was wondering if I knew where she was.

-Did you? -No, um...

I told him he might have missed her in the club.

Yeah, I saw Senator Hollister. I poured him a Scotch.

[Mack] That early, huh?

He seemed impatient, maybe.

What kind of mood was he in? Was he in a good mood, bad mood?

[bartender] That I couldn't tell you.

I could tell you he was waiting to see somebody.

Waiting for who?

Your daughter, Paige.

She'd been working at the table over there behind you.

[somber orchestral music plays]

Paige.

Oh, hi, dad. I wasn't expecting you.

No?

Would you like to have lunch?

You certainly don't need a reservation.

I want you to tell me everything.

Tell me what really happened the day you argued

with Peter Hollister.

[narrator] Next on Knots Landing.

I think she had something to do with the m*rder.

-What are you going to do, Mack? -I don't know, Karen.

I will see you rot in hell

before I let you get away with this.

Do you have official business here, Ms. Bennett?

You know, I don't know how you fool people.

You're so obvious to me.

You won't drop the charges?

I have matching fibers from Olivia's sweater.

I have a confession from you. What do you expect me to do?

My mother didn't k*ll him.

-When's Ben coming back? -We don't know. We're not sure.

-Bet the kids miss him, huh? -[Valene] Gary, don't.

I am perfectly able to take care of your kids.

[theme music playing]