06x14 - #14 With a b*llet

[bunniefuu]

I want the case on Valene Ewing closed,

for good.

[doctor 1] Well, the b*llet hasn't done anything.

Let's hope we don't.

This one brings Val home. This one keeps her away.

How much money do you want?

Money isn't everything.

When you feel the doctor touch your foot,

blink your eyes.

[theme music playing]

[mellow music playing]

[Karen] What are you testing me for now?

[doctor 2] I'm trying to determine how elastic your muscles are.

[Karen] Ugh.

[doctor 2] Try to relax.

-[Karen] Why? -[doctor 2] When you relax--

[Karen] Why is the elasticity important?

[doctor 2] Everything's important.

So your muscles can be a big help to us

during the operation.

You have to be strong.

Physically and mentally strong. Now, flex.

Come on. Is that the best you can do?

[Karen] It hurts. It hurts.

Ugh.

-Very good. -[sighs] My muscles?

-No, your threshold for pain. -Seriously.

-Seriously? -Yeah.

You have a body of a 30-year-old.

-Now, you ready for some X-rays? -Let me at them.

Uh.

-But I... -Sorry.

[mellow music continues]

[screams]

Again.

Stop!

[screams]

[screams]

[sighs] Oh!

Oh, God.

No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Okay. Okay.

[beeping]

Oh, don't do this to me.

You know that I can't be late.

Oh, come on, it can wait.

I wish it could.

We're gonna have to learn how to eat lunch faster.

We're going to have to learn how to diet.

[sighs]

[laughing]

Oh, God. Oh, you... Oh, God.

Boy, this show must mean an awful lot to you.

Val means a lot to me.

[breathing heavily]

You mean a lot to me.

Verna Ellers?

Cute, huh?

She took it from her book, Nashville Junction.

I swear to you, she is incurable.

You ever read it?

I'm not particularly fond of Valene's writing.

-What else did you find? -Nothing exciting.

She's completely integrated into the community--

-job, friends, even a lover. -You're kidding.

If you ask me, she's having a good time

-and doesn't want to be found. -Huh.

Well, then why should we ruin it for her?

And not tell anyone else?

I don't know what the point would be.

You've convinced me she's not in any danger.

And from what you tell me,

she's happier there than she ever was here.

A lot of people are still worried about her.

They'll get over it. They'll all get over it in time.

So, looks like your job is finished.

I see.

Why don't you just go on home, unpack,

and when you feel up to it, come on into the office

and give me your report and your bill?

[dramatic music playing]

Report?

Well, I always think a report makes things more official,

don't you?

Be creative.

I want the case on Valene Ewing closed for good.

Here you go, sir.

[soft music playing]

[gasping]

Can you stop?

-It took you so long. -I couldn't get...

This is ridiculous.

-This is great. -[laughter]

Yeah, but we're in a food locker.

It's better than the dry cleaning racks.

How would you know?

-I'm just guessing. -Uh-huh. I bet you are.

Never met anybody like you, Verna.

Never met anybody quite like you either, Parker.

[dishes rattles]

Someone's going to hear me. I'm going to get fired.

Shh.

[both laugh]

You wanna go to a movie tonight?

Stop. We went to a movie last night.

Drive in.

I don't think I could trust you to drive in.

Oh, you can trust me to drive in.

What's playing in here, huh?

-Big Red One. -Oh, come on.

We saw that one last night.

[laughs]

What are you doing?

I don't know. [laughs]

[soft music fades]

[phone ringing]

Oh, Mack.

I had no idea they could test the human body so many ways.

Nothing was left untouched.

My back, my legs, my nerves, my arms, my heart, my blood,

my-my everything.

And tomorrow, they said they're going to test

my hearing and my eyesight. Why would they do that?

Test my... Mack?

[mellow music playing]

What are you doing?

Playing.

Look at that smile.

You're not going crazy on me, are you?

Mm-mm. No chance.

[mellow music continues]

Good morning.

[suspenseful music fades]

But I don't have anything to do with MacKenzie.

Cut the crap.

-His family raised you. -Someone had to.

Your careers have crossed each other a dozen times.

I'm putting you to sleep with this.

Including most recently,

his work for your infamous crime commission.

-A bad idea. -No kidding.

Look, maybe you haven't noticed.

But MacKenzie and I do not have a relationship anymore.

I'm not asking you to have a relationship with him.

-Good. -Just tell him

to drop the Tidal Basin case and move on to something else.

Whatever MacKenzie's up to is none of my business.

-It will be someday. -Never.

Never say never.

-Paul. Hi. -Hi, Mrs. Ewing.

Wasn't that Greg Sumner's car I saw you just get out of?

Well, as a matter of fact, yes.

Well, how is Greg?

I haven't talked to him for a while.

Oh, you talk to him quite a lot, do you?

-Yes, I do. -Really? Well, that's nice.

I don't mean to be presumptuous,

but if you ever need me to put in a good word,

please, feel free to ask.

Hm.

Well, you didn't have to bother bringing these for my signature.

Aren't yours and Abby's enough?

-That's not the point. -What is the point?

I still can't get over the price the land Galveston's selling us.

There's gotta be something wrong.

It's as good as anything we got at Lotus Point.

Okay, if you think we're making a mistake,

get this operation over with and get back to work.

Thank you for keeping our secret.

I'm sorry, you and Mack had a fight about it.

Ah, what are friends for if you can't share secrets?

Have you heard from Ben?

He's on his way back from Arizona.

He followed a lead they got at the station.

What about the detective you hired?

Nothing so far.

And the longer he's out there, the more I worry.

When you were in school, Mr. Freilich,

uh, did you have a problem in creative writing?

I've been thinking things over.

This is not the report I expected.

No.

This one is, but it's a lot more expensive.

[melancholic music playing]

What kind of game are we playing?

An adult game.

You decide which report you want me to present

to your partners at tomorrow's meeting.

This one brings Val home. This one keeps her away.

How much money do you want?

Money isn't everything.

[soft music playing]

-[Abby] Honey? -[Gary] Huh?

-[Abby] Can we stop for a minute? -[laughs] Sure.

[mellow music continues]

[Abby sighs]

-Whoa, whoa, whoa. Baby. -Oh.

-You okay? -Yep, thanks.

All right. We'll go.

-Is something wrong? -No. Nope.

Everything's perfect.

You know, between this place and Lotus Point,

I've never seen such beautiful land in all my life.

Listen to you, the city girl.

Well, not the city. The city's beautiful, too.

Oh, yeah, beautiful.

The crowds, the noise, the smoke.

The jewelers, the furriers, the salons, the couturiers.

Well, don't forget the banks.

Oh, I won't forget the banks. Mm-mm.

[sighs]

What just happened to your face?

[chuckles]

This land. What's your feeling?

Something Val said at the grand opening.

She wanted to know if she could bring her twins out

to the ranch every now and then just to run around.

She said she wanted them to know what it felt like

to have dirt under their feet.

What do you have planned for breakfast?

I don't know. Maybe something... al fresco?

[chuckles]

I'd like a number four...

-Right. -...on rye.

-Mommy. -And an order of onion rings...

-Uh-huh. -...large.

[baby cries]

-And a chocolate milkshake. -Okay.

-Make that large too. -Okay.

Oh, and just bring him a plate. He'll share my lunch.

He needs it for lunch.

I'd-I'd like a number five on white toast, please.

And a side order of French fries, large.

And I'll have a vanilla shake. And make that large too.

Okay, fine. What would you like, sugar?

-Kaka. -Kaka.

What have I told you about using that word? Huh?

How many times have I warned you?

-You are getting soap for lunch. -[kid screams]

-Stop that. Stop it. -[kid screams]

Okay, Ron, we got one number four on rye,

one onion rings large, one number five on white toast,

one fries large, one chocolate shake large,

and one kaka. Small, I guess.

You're looking mighty chipper this morning.

Well, that's your fault.

Early to bed, early to rise.

Yeah.

-You're k*lling me. -Parker Winslow.

It is your rush.

No rush.

You want to go out tonight?

This girl's going to stay home and take a nice hot tub.

-Sounds great. -Alone.

-[baby cries] -[cutlery clink]

Mommy!

Excuse me?

You're driving me crazy, Verna.

You're wearing me out, Parker.

-[bell rings] -[Ron] Order up.

Right there, Ron.

-I got to see you tonight. -Tonight, huh?

Tonight.

Well, if you must, then you must.

-[bell rings] -Verna.

Right there, Ron.

Okay, number four on rye, number five on toast.

A large order of onion rings, large order of French fries,

and, uh, one small kaka.

Well, I'll say this about the food.

It's truly inedible.

[laughs] You're lucky. You had to be there this morning.

Michael made breakfast.

-What did he make? -No one knew.

He said it was French toast.

-[laughs] -[woman over PA] Dr. Burrows,

-please call 125 West. -Hi. Um...

How are they? Are they okay?

[Mack] Yeah, they have everything under control.

I'm a little worried about Michael, though.

-[Karen] Well, why? -Well, two nights in a row

he brought the same girl home, you know? It's not like him.

Well, that's just a sign of stability.

He's a little young for that, you know?

I think he should be playing the field.

-No, he's too young for that. -[woman over PA] Dr. Ward, 501.

Oh, they're-they're coming to get me.

Well, give them everything you got, kid.

[Karen] I will if you will.

Mack?

Karen, remember, I love you.

Not as much as I love you.

I'll-I'll talk to you later.

Bye.

-How's she doing? -Tests are good.

She could be operated on as quickly as tomorrow.

Leave us alone.

Word around the schoolyard has it

that you're investigating the Tidal Basin murders again.

Hot stuff, huh? Fascinating case.

-Dangerous case. -That too.

Have you found any connection

to Galveston Industries yet?

[chuckles] All right.

What do you know?

Nothing yet.

I thought if you weren't looking in that direction,

you should be.

You know, Senator, every time you get involved

in one of my cases, I get a little nervous.

This is not like the Wolfbridge Group

or Mark St. Claire.

-No? -No.

People like Galveston eat people like St. Claire for breakfast.

Galveston one of your buddies?

[soft music playing]

Like I said...

if you're not looking in that direction, maybe you should be.

That's it?

No. Uh, give my best to Karen.

Nice seeing you again.

[mellow music playing]

Wait. No. Don't get me wrong.

I don't disagree with what you're doing.

I just think we ought to use the bank's money

-instead of ours. -That's what we intend to do.

Without putting Lotus Point up for collateral.

We have contracts for collateral.

Government contracts.

Well, those are good as gold, aren't they?

[laughs] Better.

Excuse me, Gary.

But Mr. Freilich asked to see you right away.

Yes, of course. Thank you.

I don't like the look on your face.

-What look is that? -It's defeat.

-Too harsh a word? -No.

I'm sorry. I've reached a dead end.

I can continue to look,

but frankly, it's a waste of time and money.

-Money's no object. -I'm afraid my time is.

In my opinion, I'm not going to find that lady.

I'd rather take a case I can solve.

You say the last time anybody spotted her was in Kansas City?

I can't be certain, but that's where I stopped looking.

I prepared that report in case you wanted to hire somebody

to pick up the ball from here.

[Gary] Thank you.

[suspenseful music playing]

Don't give up hope.

[Gary] So when will Ben be back?

He's on his way in from the airport now.

-Cathy. -Hi.

Hi. [laughs] You don't work here too, do you?

-Oh, I'm just a fan. -Oh, yeah, I've seen him.

He's terrific. I hope he has better luck

at reaching Val than everybody else has.

Have you heard anything at all?

Nah, the detective we hired couldn't find her.

-He's given up. -I'm so sorry.

Look, I'm in kind of a hurry, and he seems to be busy.

So would you do me a favor?

Would you tell him that the detective couldn't find her?

Yeah, I will. And I'll tell Lilimae too.

Thank you. And thank you for the tour.

When Ben gets back, would you ask him to give me a call?

-You bet. -Thanks.

Bye.

Hi, I'm Cathy Geary.

P.K. Kelly. Excuse me.

[Ben] You know, I always thought I would have liked Arizona.

[Mack] Hey, we'll find her. You wait and see.

It's just so frustrating.

How's Karen? When's she going for surgery?

Tomorrow some time.

Talk about frustrating, she's scared.

-I'm scared. -I'd like to go in with you.

-Yeah, me too. -We'll wait it out together.

Great.

-Hold on, guys. -What the hell are you doing?

[suspenseful music playing]

Man, I knew I shouldn't have taken this job.

[car horn honks]

Some people shouldn't be driving.

Look, Mack, would you mind just telling us

what the hell it is we're about to die for?

[car horn honks]

It is him.

[car engine revving]

What the hell?

MacKenzie...

[grunts]

Come on.

Leave me alone. Leave me alone.

Leave me alone.

-[groans] -Hey, Mack, who is it, man?

Let's go. Let's go.

[groans]

Enough! Come on, Mack.

[Mack] Let's go. Leave me alone.

-Relax. -You all right?

You see this scar? Huh?

Who is he?

Wolfbridge paid him to beat me up.

Nice meeting you, buddy.

[soft music playing]

Glad you could make it, Mr. Freilich.

Mr. Galveston. Nice of you to invite me.

You like horses, Mr. Freilich?

Not especially, no.

They're wonderful animals. Smart.

Not like some detective who can't find a missing person.

You know, I'm trying to figure out

your business arrangement with Abby Ewing.

My business with Mrs. Ewing is a private matter.

Not anymore, it isn't.

I have a feeling that Mrs. Ewing paid you more to fail

than Mr. Ewing paid you to succeed.

-Like I said-- -I haven't finished yet.

Now, I'm gonna do you a favor.

In exchange for you answering some of my questions,

I'm not going to hurt you.

Now, what did Abby Ewing pay you to do?

She wanted me to find where Valene Ewing had gone to

and whether or not she had her kids.

Kids? What kids?

I don't know, because she didn't have any when I found her.

Where was that?

Shula, Tennessee.

Shula, Tennessee.

Did you like Shula, Tennessee, Mr. Freilich?

Like it?

Because you're going to wish you'd stayed there.

I said I wouldn't hurt you.

These guys didn't promise you anything.

[ominous music playing]

Hi.

-Hi. -Mind if I come in?

[laughs] Not at all. You up for a spin?

Yeah. Nothing like a little fresh air and exercise.

I should be doing that. Watching TV all the day.

It's the pits.

Well, join me.

Okay.

[grunts]

You been in the gift shop yet?

No.

Hey, you're pretty good at that.

Lots of practice.

I'm a... I'm a klutz in this thing.

Give yourself time.

Yeah.

The first six months, I broke everything in the house.

After a while, it's not so bad.

You, um, you-you're here for an operation.

Yeah. They're going to try something new.

See if they get some feeling back.

Wait till you see the gift shop.

-It's great. -Okay.

[mellow music playing]

Wait. Wait for me.

[knocking on door]

We're ready for you. Are you ready for us?

I'm sorry. I was expecting somebody else.

So was my father.

Damn you.

That's funny.

Well, it's just a different approach to your idea.

Humor can be a very effective tool.

Where did you learn to edit like this?

I was an English major.

I'm impressed.

What did you mean by this here?

Well, I thought if you held back the fact

that this letter was written by an 11-year-old

till the very end, it might have more impact.

Nice surprise.

Surprise can be an effective tool, too.

You're a surprise.

[mellow music continues]

And, uh, this is all the stuff

that was in Easton's Washington office?

Right.

And these are some things he left on the airplane.

I don't understand them.

Adoption papers?

[soft music fades]

Mm.

Verna.

-What? -You are too good to be true.

-Whew. Oh, I-- -Wait a minute.

You just eat your dessert, Parker.

Then give me a kiss first.

You're gonna wear my lips out, you know that?

-Parker. -I want to wear all of you out.

No, you just eat your dessert instead.

Okay.

-Did you make this, too? -Of course I did.

You know, I think you ought to make Ron do the waitressing

-and you do the cooking then. -[laughs]

-Good, huh? -Mm-hmm.

How come you never settled down?

What do you mean?

Well, didn't you ever want a family or anything?

-You mean kids? -Yeah.

Oh, no way.

That's all I can do to serve them c*ck down in the cafe.

I mean, they're just not my idea of fun.

Well, making them can be fun.

I feel like some music.

[soft music playing]

Come on. Let's dance.

[chuckles]

♪ Sometimes the innocents pay ♪

♪ For an old man's sin ♪

♪ But when the tears are gone And we stand as one ♪

♪ All I want to feel ♪

♪ And when every light of daylight's gone ♪

♪ All I want to hear ♪

♪ Is the beat of a heart ♪

♪ Just a little light To get away ♪

♪ The beat of a heart ♪

♪ You come And take me far away ♪

♪ The beat of a heart ♪

♪ Just a little light To get away ♪

♪ The beat of a heart ♪

♪ You come And take me far away ♪

♪ The beat of a heart ♪♪

[applause]

[announcer] Folks, Cathy will be back in 15 minutes.

Cathy.

[sighs]

I waited for two hours.

Where? When?

Did you forget what we were supposed to tell Lilimae?

About Val?

-The detective? -Oh, Cathy.

Oh, Cathy. I sat there for two hours

not knowing what to say. I felt like an idiot.

-I forgot. -Oh, you forgot.

Where were you? You didn't even come home for dinner.

You didn't even call.

We were worried about you.

I had to stay late and work at the station.

I had to prepare my material for tomorrow's show,

and Abby was good enough to stay and help me.

Oh, Abby was good enough to help you.

I'm so sick of hearing about Abby.

Abby this, Abby that.

I think that's the only thing you care about is Abby.

That's not true, Cathy.

You don't come home to your mom. You don't come here to me.

-Stop this. -Why don't you go home to Abby?

-Cathy, stop this. -Put me down.

-Put me down. -I'll put you down

-when you shut up. -You don't care about me.

All you care about is your show and Abby. Put me down.

-When you stop. -[screams]

[sighs] Okay, I'll stop.

[grunts]

All I want is you. And all I ever wanted was you.

I want you.

[mellow music playing]

Actually, there's a reason he's been seeing her every night.

-Eric! -He's just a little afraid of--

-No! -Oh, what's going on?

Wait a minute, wait a minute. I'll handle this.

-What's going on? -Nothing.

Come on, you can tell me. What's going on?

Nothing is going on.

Do I have to squeeze it out of you?

Hey, come on. Mom and Mac will understand.

-[Mack] Yeah, we'll understand. -Yeah, we'll understand.

I'll handle this.

Look, it's just that she's really a great cook.

And with you working all the time--

Wait a minute.

And then coming home to sweat over the stove--

-Wait a minute. -It just seems like

-it's too much to ask you. -You don't like my cooking?

-No. -[Mack] Huh?

Mack, I do like your cooking. It's great, truly great.

-You knew about this? -Hey, I had to eat too.

Hate to be a party pooper,

but I have to get you ready for surgery, Karen.

Why don't you give us a minute, all right?

Sure.

Why don't you guys say good luck to your mother

and get out of here?

Just good luck.

Nothing more.

If you want me to be strong, you've got to be strong.

[mellow music playing]

Good luck.

They're such nice guys.

Hey, I won't let you down. I'm stronger.

And I wanted enough because of you.

I'll meet you back here tonight.

I'll bring the champagne.

I know.

You love me.

And you love me.

Last night at my AA meeting,

a guy was sharing about how he'd wake up after a binge

in a completely strange city,

sometimes over 100 miles away from home,

his wife and his kids.

[sighs] He'd get drunk,

go into a blackout, drive all night.

Then he'd wake up, figure out where he was, and drive home.

And his wife was always there waiting for him, always.

Then one day she joined Al-Anon,

and she found out she was doing the wrong thing.

She was enabling him to drink.

And part of that enabling behavior

was that she was providing a safe place for him

to come home to.

So, the next time he woke up in a strange city,

figured out where he was, and drove home,

the house was empty.

She'd taken the kids and left. Gone.

[scoffs] He was shocked, outraged, angry...

and scared to death.

He joined AA, and he got sober.

But he lost his family.

Gary... are you thinking about drinking again?

[scoffs] No.

No, I was, I was just thinking about Valene.

All the time she should have left home and didn't.

Well, we'll find her, Gary. Don't worry.

Yeah.

Good day?

Yeah, I guess so.

About ready?

Mm-hmm.

Here.

What's that?

Dinner?

And breakfast and lunch.

Didn't eat anything all day.

[sighs]

I'm not really hungry.

Is everything all right with you and Parker?

Yeah, Parker's just fine.

Just one of those days, I guess.

I got the blues, and I got no idea why.

Look, uh, won't you come on home

and have dinner with Bonnie and me?

I don't think so, Ron. Thanks.

Thanks.

Sometimes I just get... lonely.

Night.

Night.

[soft music playing]

[doctor 1] Clamp.

Give me time.

[machine beeping]

Here's that little devil.

[ominous music playing]

[doctor 3] Jammed in there. Scissors.

Well, nothing looks severed.

It's just crimped badly.

Well, the b*llet hasn't done anything.

Let's hope we don't.

Billy, what do you got?



Maggie?



She's strong.

Well, let's make her well.

[doctor 3] Okay, here we go, folks.

[gloomy music playing]

[doctor 3] Okay, that's it.

Good job, g*ng. Everything looks good.

Maggie, let's start bringing her out.

Let's see what we've done.

Surprise.

-Paul. -Mr. Galveston.

May I come in?

Please.

It's just you and me.

Would you like a drink?

Some other time maybe.

I'm in a bit of a rush right now.

I've done you a favor, Mrs. Ewing.

I've asked that amateur detective to leave you alone.

[scoffs]

Well, is that supposed to be good news or bad news?

What were you going to do?

Let that cretin blackmail you the rest of your life?

I suppose you have something more creative in mind.

I'm not sure what I have in mind for you yet.

I found Val.

Now I'm going to find the babies.

Then I'm going to find out what the hell you had in mind

-when you started all this. -Me?

Then, unless you give me an incredible explanation,

I'm going to turn it all over to Gary.

What?

Then you better come up with a good one.

[gloomy music playing]

[Maggie] She's coming around, doctors.

Hi, Karen.

Can you hear me, Karen?

Can you talk?

That's all right. Just relax.

Karen, can you close your eyes for me?

Good.

Now, can you open them for me again?

Very good.

You've got a simple job to do.

-Do it. -Okay, Maggie.

Karen.

Karen. The doctor's going to touch your foot.

When you feel the doctor touch your foot, blink your eyes.

Okay?

Now can you blink your eyes for me?

Good. Very good.

We're ready, doctor.

[suspenseful music playing]

If you feel anything, you blink for me.

Just relax. It's Okay.

Relax.

Karen?

Karen, can you feel that?

Great.

[sobs]

[doctor 3] Do the other foot, Karen.

Can you feel that?

[Maggie] It's great.

[doctor 3 laughs]

[sobs]

[mellow music playing]

[theme music playing]