DALLASTALK
presents
STARRING:
(in alphabetical order)
PATRICK DUFFY (BOBBY)
LINDA
GRAY (SUE ELLEN)
SUSAN HOWARD (DONNA)
STEVE KANALY (RAY)
SASHA MITCHELL (JAMES)
CATHY PODEWELL (CALLY)
VICTORIA
PRINCIPAL (PAM)
TED SHACKELFORD (GARY)
CHARLENE
TILTON (LUCY)
CO-STARRING:
OMRI KATZ (JOHN ROSS)
DEBORAH KELLNER (BECKIE)
DAVID MARSHALL GRANT (WILL)
SCARLETT JOHANSSON (MAGGIE)
JENSEN ACKLES (BOBBY)
RANDOLPH
POWELL (ALAN)
KIMBERLY FOSTER (MICHELLE)
SPECIAL APPEARANCES BY:
HOWARD KEEL (CLAYTON)
SUSAN SARANDON (MADELEINE)
and
HALLE BERRY
as
DEBBI
PORTER
"If you wanted to kill me, I´d already be dead. You used to be a
very impulsive girl" – James answered, holding his arms up. – "By the
way, you looked better as a blond..."
Michelle pointed with the gun to the driver´s seat. "Get into the
car. We got a long way to go..."
James carefully got into it, watching out for some other driver who
might make Michelle nervous. But she was very self-assured: she sat at the
other seat, pointing at James´s crotch. "One false move, I´ll shoot
this..."
James swallowed saliva and drove
the car off, still nervous. The woman by his side was not that former girlfriend
he had had both great and bad times with...
"We´re leaving Dallas,
darling. We´re going to the sea: to Galveston."
At the Southfork manor, Bobby and Cally were reporting the detective
about James´s suspicious absence.
- I don´t think that´s reason
enough to order your nephew´s search, Mr. Ewing...
- But it´s clear that there´s a
killer at large, and Michelle is the prime suspect...
- Sorry, but it´s not that clear:
she is the prime suspect, but it still might be a case of unlawful entry...
- You mean that it could be just
a burglary? – a surprised Cally asked.
- Yep: some paintings that Mr.
Beaumont had in his house were very valuable, especially the ones you gave him
– the Detective looked at Cally, trying to put a smile in his face – though the
safe box was intact.
- Isn´t that reason enough? James
has been part of a very big company, until recently...
- You´ve been questioning Teresa,
– Cally remarked – she told you that someone called pretending to be my brother-in-law
John Ross, and asked for James, but his voice sounded differently though...And
nobody could track him down in the last hours. Neither him nor John
Ross...
- What was I supposed to be
tracked down for? – John Ross had just entered the room and surprised
everyone. - Have you met James today? We
must know right now...
John Ross looked at Bob, then at Cally and, finally, at the
detective:
- No, I´m sorry. I ain´t seen him
for a few days.
Far from there, near other highly
populated Texan city, Houston, a sixteen-year-old girl was smoking one
cigarette after another, as she waited for his brother to come out of the
closest office. Her name was Betsy Ewing, but she preferred the name of Beth.
Suddenly the door opened and the private school principal called her in to join
her brother.
- Young lady, you must know that we´re going to call your parents and
tell them our decision. It was uneasy, because your family is very appreciated
all over the State, but this school is not the right place for you: you are
going to be expulsed.
- Expulsed? but why? If nothing
was going on...
- That is not the version we have. You do know that there was a third
person involved in it and he confessed the truth. Our center has a impeccable
reputation in the Dallas´s society...especially about female education...
Bobby, her brother, looked at her in a shock and she looked back,
feeling under control of the situation.
- Please expulse me but not him,
Mr. Principal. Don´t blame him...
The man put his glasses off and
got up:
- I wish I hadn´t to make this
choice but you earned a troublemaking reputation and only have been here for 3
months...Your absences have been rather frequent and your qualifications do not
justify your...behavior.
Beth started to cry mockly, but
the principal asked them to leave.
Once they were out and the door closed, Beth changed her look and walked
faster than her brother, who followed and asked her to wait for him. When they
turned the corner, bumped into another student of their same age: a
dark-haired, blue-eyed young man who looked at Bobby and then at her, blushed
up:
- We´re off – he told him –
Sorry, I had no choice: my family would kill me if they knew the truth.
- It´s not the 20th Century,
sweetheart – Beth interfered – As far as I know, you´d complete the family
history... – she said, leaving them alone.
- Can we talk for a minute Bobby?
– he asked.
- There´s nothing for us to talk
about. Too late...
Bobby ran away and tried to reach
his sister...
Meanwhile, on the Dallas´s streets, James was driving the way out of the
town.
- You´re a swell driver James.
Just forgot how good you use your hands...
- Tell me something Michelle: did
ya kill my mother?
- You mean if I´m a killer? Or
just sorry I spoiled your big Southfork wedding...? That ranch ain´t what it
used to be...I liked the other house better...
- OK – James tried to go the
point – How much? Say and you´ll get it tomorrow...
- You won´t have to. If
everything goes fine, I´m gonna be out of the country by then. Just take me to
Galveston...
James noticed a scar that could
be barely seen under Michelle´s T-shirt. She showed it off to him:
- This is the palpable proof of
my prison holidays. It was the result of the most thrilling moment I
lived...during the week one.
The young man frowned and looked
ahead. The lights went don´t walk again and the couple continued their drive...
The sun was down when the Southfork entry welcomed a car, unfamiliar for
the Ewings, going under the "SF" sign. It belonged to Will Barnes,
Cliff and Pamela´s cousin. Once arrived at the manor´s front, she got out of
the car, indeed driven by Will.
- Come on, don´t play the hard
guy; I know you´re dying to say hello to Bobby and the others.
- Oh sure. Only that maybe it´s
not the best moment. Besides, I´m still thinking that something worries
you...
- Entering the Ewing ground
thinking about worries is a bad way to enter, that´s for sure. Come on in. –
she said as was holding his arm.
Bob was saying goodbye to the
detective when they walked into the main door.
- Please keep us informed.
- I will Mr. Ewing. We´ll
immediately give the order for it.
- What happened Bobby? – she
asked.
- We don´t know yet – Bobby
looked at the stranger coming with his wife. She did not wait for him to ask
and made introductions. Behind Bobby came Lucy.
- Hi – she said, smiling – So
you´re old Jimmy...
- Nobody calls him Jimmy now,
Lucy. – Pam corrected. – He´s my cousin Will.
She said hello to him and they
all went into the house. Will admired the luxury entrance of the manor,
decorated tastefully and not tacky at all.
- I´m glad you finally called on
us. Though it´s not our best day maybe...
- After twenty years away, any
day is good...to meet Ewing family again...
Lucy stood behind, watching the
newcomer...and muttered to herself:
-Who knows? There might be another
interesting Barnes in the family...This can be fun.
Half an hour later Gary came into the main house. He had left Valene at
the airport, from where she was going to fly to California. Bobby, Pam, Lucy,
Ray, Donna and Will were sitting at the dinner. As he saw his brother´s
serious-looking face, Bobby invited him to sit down with them and introduced
him to Will. Gary agreed to, though hesitantly, as he explained the reason of
Val´s absence:
- His mother Lilimae is sick:
today we´ve got a call from our former neighbor Karen Mackenzie about it.
- I remember her. She was that
hospitable, fast-talking brunette who welcomed us the day we arrived at Knots
Landing, wasn´t she? – Bobby asked.
- She still is, both things. We
have been thinking that Val would better stay with her mother for a while,
until she´s recovered...
- Hope it´s not serious Gary –
Pam said.
- Will is a top executive at
Cattlemen´s Bank...The family worked with them for many years, especially with
Franklin Horner...
- ...What about your marital
status? If we may know...
- Lucy, don´t push on our guest!
– Gary said.
- My dear granddaddy Jock used to
say: no business talk at dinnertime...and just wanted to keep the tradition –
she graciously said.
- Single, though actually I
should say separated.
- You didn´t tell me that, cousin
– Pam complained.
- We haven´t brought each other
up to date, I´m afraid – he apologized.
Gary stood up and excused himself
to Will.
- I´m sorry but I have an early
meeting tomorrow. Glad to meet you Will. – Bob looked at Pam with complicity
and added:
- Sure you don´t wanna stay with
us a little longer?
- No, thank you Bobby – Pam
watched her husband and noticed a concern expression, probably about his
brother. But she couldn´t guess anything more...
At that moment, James and Michelle were checking in a road motel, about
sixty miles away from Dallas, as Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Once inside the room, she
exclaimed:
- You don´t know how I´ve longed
for this moment, James Beaumont...
James looked all over the room
and stopped at the not too big double bed. Then he looked back at
Michelle...
(Fade out)
- You don´t think I´m silly enough to sleep with you in that bed, do
you?
Michelle openly smiled.
- Sleeping is not what I was
thinking about – then she took the gun out of her purse. – Turn around right
now – she said as took a pair of handcuffs out with her other hand. James wide
opened his eyes.
- What´s on your mind? – he
said.
- Just taking a shower. But not
gonna take any chances and find you´re missing when I´m finished in the
bathroom. Lay down on the bed, your arms upside.
James did so and then she made
him put his fists together to be able to put him the handcuffs. Afterwards she
tied them to one of the bed´s legs.
- Well well James darlin´. Wait
has been worth awhile I think – Next she tore his shirt off and left him
bare-breasted.
- I´ll get a shower honey. And
remember I never fail when shooting...
The next morning Clayton and Madeleine went over the graveyard of Miss
Ellie´s, located at the familiar cemetery, close to J.R.´s. Respectfully
Madeleine left the man alone with his memories. Clayton´s mind travelled ten
years back: right before his second wife Ellie died of cancer. The illness was
in its last phase, after the couple had spent a couple of years searching for a
proper treatment.
- Ellie you gotta rest,
everything´s under control at home, more quiet than ever. And they´re all
waiting for you impatiently.
- You always were the kindest man
I ever met, Clayton. Even before we married...Remember when we first met at
Southern Cross?
- Don´t force yourself, you know
what the doctor said...
Clayton looked at her
wife: even being over seventy, her face always looked luminous and happy.
- Please listen up: it´s
important to me.
- All right – the old man
tenderly smiled.
- You´ve been under a lot of
pressure since we married and tried hard to get along with everybody, even J.R.
I wanna thank you for keeping my illness secret during last year. So many
tragedies had happened that this would just have worsened things, if they
knew...
- Your family is as strong as a
rock, Ellie. They all overcame their hardest times...But I respected your
decision...
- Bobby...my little Bobby...he
belongs to Pamela, and Christopher should be living with both of them...A few
days ago, I asked Bobby to give Pam another chance, forget about the past and
understand her accident´s consequences...Nobody should spend life alone.
Neither should you. If anything happens to me, I want you to continue your
life, Clayton, and, if you would find another woman, try to be happy with
her...Don´t waste the rest of your life. If I had, I wouldn´t have married you...
Clayton returned to present. His emotions had overflown, beneath his
strong, quiet appearance. Madeleine got closer, silently.
- Are you alright Clayton? – she
asked, when noticed his tears.
He looked down, as he dried his
tears with a handkerchief.
- Yes... – he whispered – it´s
time to go...
"See you soon sweet
Ellie" – Clayton muttered. Never the Southfork meadows had looked
lonelier...
At the Southfork stables, one mile away, Bobby was looking for his
brother Gary. He eventually found him at his old horse Banjo´s stable.
- Hi Gary. Though you were in
Dallas...
- Nope. Actually I gave you an
excuse yesterday... – he admitted to his younger brother – it was a real tough
day.
- Is Val´s mama that bad?
- I didn´t specify anything
because of Will, but Lilimae came up at our old house in Knots Landing and
settled down there...
- But, if you sold it out years
ago, when moved here...
- Yeah I know. We don´t know how but
she got in there and its current owners couldn´t make her out. Val is afraid of
her suffering Alzheimer...
- Oh mine Gary...If I can help
you anyhow...
- Thanks. One more thing.
Yesterday the high school Principal called me to tell me that Bobby and Betsy
have been expulsed.
- But what for?
- They seem to be good students
but got several reprimands for improper behavior and, a couple of days ago,
they found Betsy...with a boy.
Bobby half smiled.
- Wow, I got it now...Weight of
years suddenly fell over you...
- Something like that. It´s been
changing times lately: the Ewing Group being split off, the boys sent to the
academy, the trouble with James...and now, all this.
- I admit that going thru this
phase can be difficult, but it´s temporary: your new company will soon run
alone and the kids will fit in the academy. If you want me to talk to the
Principal just say it, and about James...James only wanna do what I wanted to
do when married Pam. And your reaction reminds me J.R.´s sometimes: James is
not a threat to you at all and never has. He´s lived without a dad most of his
life and made a lot of mistakes after J.R.´s death. He must do a number of
things by himself, not against ya.
- You´ve always been my fav
brother, Bob, but got one fault: sometimes you lose sight of reality .
- If you really believe that,
you´re less clever than I thought you were. All Jock Ewing´s sons have been
getting ahead out of heart and courage, not led by wrath or fear. Count on me
for whatever, Gary, but I won´t listen to your complains without telling you
what I thought. This old horse Banjo, remember the way you tamed it and made
everyone believe I had? That´s what you gotta do Gary: take your problems and
do with them what you did with the horse...
At
the offices of the TV network recently acquired by Cliff Barnes, Pamela Ewing
proceeded to interview each and every one of the candidates for director. She
still felt a little dizzy, but obliged herself to do the interviews personally,
as asked by her brother. One of the first interviewed persons was Debbi Porter,
a slim thirtysomething woman who caused an excellent first impression on
Pam.
- I´m really impressed by your CV, Debbi. We´re looking for a person who
gives a more cosmopolitan focus to the network, but keeping some hit
shows...
- Like the Afton Cooper Show? –
Pam was surprised about the woman´s hindsight.
- Yes, exactly. Afton will return
in some months and we assume that she´ll get her show back. Honestly, Debbi:
Cliff Barnes, Afton´s husband, is the network´s new owner and my brother too.
He´s asked me to find the right person for this job to take care of all the
responsibilities, for both successes and failures. We want to innovate and
avoid a certain kind of sensational TV so frequent currently...
- Talking of what people cares
about without getting the camera inside their homes, I know what you mean, Pam.
When I was working in a Californian network, I produced a show like that: “Open
Mike”. Her host was Karen Mackenzie, maybe you heard from her... – Debbi smiled
showing her perfect teeth off.
- In California? Well...if it´s
the same person, yes, my husband do know her. As far as I know, she couldn´t be
a better reference...We must end now, but I´ll make a choice today and call you
tomorrow to tell you one thing or another.
Pam shook hands with Debbi and
she walked to the door. Seconds later, she heard Pam fainting, falling by her
desk. Debbi called the secretary and she called an ambulance.
(Fade
out)
At noon, Michelle obliged James to stop by a small drugstore close to a
gas station. Then they went in, after she reminded James about the gun in her
leather jacket´s pocket. At one of the place´s corridors, with surveillance
thru mirrors, Michelle held James´s head tightly and kissed him in his
mouth...intensely, as she was pressing him with her gun´s cannon, through the
jacket.
- Ya know something? Right now
I´m so disgusted, Michelle, that I don´t even feel pity about the scar...
Michelle took a chocolate bar
pack and made him pay for it. Then Michelle took the gun out and pointed at the
clerk, demanding her all the money in the box. She did so and put her hands up
afterwards. Finally, an astonished James ran away from the place following
Michelle...
- But whatcha done? Now they´ll
think I helped you rob the shop...
- We´re united forever, one way
or another... – she said as they got into the car – Last night you didn´t have a
good time handcuffed to the bed but tonight we could make our new relationship
advance...and do something more exciting.
At Dallas Memorial Hospital,
Pamela had been examined by her personal gynecologist, besides of the Emergency
doctor.
- I don´t know what
happened...Sorry, Anita: I ought to have come before...
- Yes you do, Pam. We know each
other for a long long time, before your nephew John Ross was born. I expected
your visit for years, but learnt you had moved to Toronto with Bobby.
- Yeah...Am I pregnant?
Anita smiled with sympathy in her
eyes. She had always liked Pam´s candid sincerity - No, of course not. You´ve
lost some blood on the way to the hospital but this had to happen sooner or
later. As happens to all the women of our age...
- You mean...menopause?
Anita nodded, smiled and put her
hand on her arm.
- Funnily enough...Just forgot it
had to happen some day. After adopting Christopher...and all the problems I had
with my pregnancies, I think that, somehow, felt this never had to come. What´s
really funny is me thinking I could be pregnant, at my age...
- It´s not funny, just...shows
the way you are and have always been, in spite of the passing of time. Count on
me for whatever, Pam.
Both women embraced, not as a
patient and a doctor, but more like two friends who had come to a turning point
for one of them.
Michelle went out of the motel
bathroom with her hair dyed blond again. James was handcuffed to the leg of the
bed again.
- And now, what´s next, Michelle?
Getting another car?
- You said so. We´ll leave as
soon as I get dressed. I´ve seen a couple of old cars that won´t resist to
me...In the dark everything will be a pan cake...Besides, I´ve given quite a
tip to the manager to not be disturbed: I told him we´re on our
honeymoon...
- You and your damned twisted
fantasies... – James watched her half-naked getting closer to him and laying
over him...
- Remember how we were in bed,
James? Is that country girl Cally up to me...?
When Michelle got her face closer
to James´s, he spitted on it.
- Not even living a hundred
years, you´d never be up to Cally. You abandoned your sister, took her money
when she died and used it to buy Ewing Oil and me...
Michelle slapped him and then
took the handcuffs off him, as she added:
- Get dressed and fast. We´ll go
shopping. Need a new car...
At Ewing Group offices, now belonging to the Westfork Industries, name
owned by Gary since the California days, he and Alan Beam were having a critical
meeting.
- We´ve acquired most of former
Ewing Group and need to close a really big deal as soon as possible, otherwise
we´ll soon be out of cash, and banks don´t give loans as easily as they used
to...
-
Don´t tell me that a Ewing doesn´t have carte blanche in any Texas bank.
Besides I think that you had dinner with the VP of Cattlemen´s Bank a few
nights ago.
- Obviously you´re very well
informed Alan. Will Monahan is my sister-in-law Pamela´s cousin, that´s all.
But we didn´t speak of business, that´s a taboo subject at dinner time...
- Got an ace under my sleeve.
It´s someone looking for a partner in a really grand investment, and he´ll soon
come to Dallas. The deal is very very big and could be the coup de grâce for
the Westfork Industries, and make forget the town of Dallas that you´re J.R.´s
middle brother.
- Sounds great but I got too many
things on my mind. Need you to take care of the first contact. Get the biggest possible
data and shall move on, and fast. And what´s the name of that ambitious
guy?
- I can´t reveal his name yet,
but there´s a say in San Francisco about him: two things in life may cause
panic: one is a violent death and the other...our potential partner.
That afternoon Bobby came home and found Clayton´s black limo parked in
front of the Farlow house.
- Hello Howard. Is Mr. Farlow
leaving?
- Yes, we´re leaving to San
Angelo.
Clayton walked over carrying a
bag and gave it to the chauffeur.
- What a surprise
Clayton...Thought you´d stay longer.
- Yes...but I think it´s time to
go back home: my other home, Bobby. Here I got you but at Southern Cross, it´s
Dusty and his wife Carrie. I want Madeleine to meet´em...
- Clayton, honestly, I think
you´ve been very lucky to find her. Hope you´re happy together.
Right then Madeleine was coming
out with her handbag, followed by Pam, Lucy and Cally.
- Damn, seems a hurricane
happened at my bathroom, I just can´t find my medicines where I had left
them...Sure it´s the maid´s fault...
Lucy listened to the woman and
played innocent...Then she walked on to Clayton, warmly saying:
- I´m sorry if I´ve ever gone too
far. Love you so Clayton...
- Me too sweetheart... – grandfather
and granddaughter embraced. Madeleine spoke a little louder to be
listened:
- Clayton, love, if we don´t
hurry, we´ll miss the plane... – Lucy raised her eyebrow...
Madeleine waved goodbye to
everyone and got into the car. Clayton took a last look at them and the
house:
- I don´t recognize the house as
Southfork, but this is the Ewing family...
At that moment came the Krebbses,
including Maggie, who gave the old man a gift especially done by her for
him...
- I´ll be missing you all... –
Clayton said. Right away Madeleine told the chauffeur to drive off and he did,
though he didn´t speed up.
There remained Pam and Bobby, Ray
and Donna, Cally and Maggie, and, of course, Lucy...
(Fade out)
Michelle and James were getting
closer and closer to Galveston. They had intended to arrive that day, though
Michelle couldn´t have confirmed the ship´s departure, that would take her away
from there, illegally, indeed.
Suddenly a motorized policeman
came up after them. James decided to take all chances and asked Michelle:
- Did you kill my mother? Tell me
the truth or I´ll turn the wheel and hit that tree and you´ll get the policeman
on you in a minute.
- At long last, your J.R. gene is
up, James. If you wanna straight answer, truth is I didn´t...
James slowed speed until the
policeman drove away from them and he eventually parked the car at a nearby
open field. Leant on the wheel he asked:
- Will you explain to me what
happened?
- Yeah...before leaving:
tonight...
At the Southfork living-room, Lucy found Cally depressed.
- What´s on Cally? Don´t worry
about James, they´ll find him for sure. You heard the detective, they´d been
tracked down at a motel and...
- And they missed´em again. Maybe
it´s still not a good idea being together Lucy...
- Don´t say nonsense and listen
to me. James is not my fav cousin but he survived J.R. and that takes a lot of
credit. As you told me, he even put him into a sanitarium to get even on
him...and take a look at him now: the young execs special shows fight for him.
Your daughter got a new dad and a new brother, and that´s the main thing: being
happy all together. We never could make it in my family.
- But Lucy, how shall I tell
Ellie that James is her stepbrother too, besides of a dad and a daughter?
- Oh babe, relationships were not
simple here at Southfork...Worry about that at the right moment. Soon James
shall be here and you´ll live here at Southfork if you like to...
- Lucy, you´re a real pal...I
wish you got all you´re looking for...
- By now I´m OK with little
Pete...tough it´s time to face truth...and Alan.
That night, at the darkest corner in the Galveston harbors, a small
woman wearing a black leather jacket walked as fast as a pray bird. Michelle
got aboard the ship that would take her away from Texas, more specifically to
Shanghaii. She had contacted with a Chinese young girl in prison whose father
used to make clandestine sea trips for former jail mates of his daughter,
indeed for a big sum of money. Michelle had got it through an account she had
opened after leaving Dallas, before April´s death. She had made a pension
scheme and it had generated its interests. Enough for the ticket.
Michelle walked by the car robbed
the previous night, parked at a corner. Inside James was thinking over and over
wondering if Michelle had been honest to him...How could he get to know how his
mother had died?
Gary Ewing was driving through the Dallas´s streets heading for the
highway that led him out of town, to Southfork. Suddenly he saw a lighted small
bar and decided to stop and go in. He didn´t know why but needed to go into
that bar. It was practically empty but the bartender offered to serve him the
very last drink.
Gary kept on reading the bourbon
and vodka branches exposed in front of him and finally said to the bartender as
he gave him a five dollar bill: - A Ginger Ale, please no alcohol...
At the Galveston harbor, Michelle
was telling a sad tale:
"I´d be spying on you and
intended to cause a little havoc at the wedding, not killing anyone. When I was
out of prison, found that my jail mate Sheree was obsessed with the idea of
killing you, but I didn´t want that, I wanted to get you back. So I just had to
get rid of her. She was hooked on and it wasn´t hard to me, nor either making
believe that I was the one that had been killed. I slowly brought myself up to
date about your executive and family man career and I decided to make you
apart.
"At the wedding´s day, when you came into the apartment, I was
hiding in the house´s garden already. You picked up your bride Cally, and took
her away from your mother, leaving her alone. Then I came in from the terrace.
- Michelle...! – a shocked
Vanessa exclaimed.
- Wow the groom´s mum... – Michelle
watched around and saw the house´s decoration – You didn´t disappoint me, James
is living a higher way of life than he used to, when repaired bikes...
- I´m so sorry Michelle... –
Vanessa had took a little gun out of her purse. – I am determined to do
anything to let this wedding happen – Vanessa pulled the trigger and a bullet
skimmed Michelle´s shoulder. Then she threw herself onto the woman and they
began to fight for the gun. All of sudden Michelle got the gun and pushed her
away. Vanessa fell down and her head knocked a metal fixture that immediately
killed her...Michelle, as she saw the blood all around, went frantic and began
to destroy everything she saw, until noticed Cally´s signature in some
pictures, picked the fireplace poker and torn them in a rampage...”
-...And all this could´ve been
helped just if I had arrived sooner and had killed your blushing bride...from
the terrace. So I did not murder your mum James...you did.
A police car was watching them from the distance, protected under the
night´s darkness...
Far away back to Dallas, Lucy was ringing on the bell of Alan Beam´s
apartment...He had put Peter and Lucy´s photo in a drawer before he opened the
door.
- I didn´t expect to see you here...
– he said as let her in. – In fact, you´re the last person I expected to see
here.
Lucy
looked all over the apartment and said:
- I didn´t know you were such a
well-paid attorney to afford an apartment like this Alan.
- You don´t know a lot of things
about me... – he added as poured himself a drink and made her a gesture as an
invitation. Lucy refused it.
- You´re right...That´s why I´m
here – she made herself comfortable in one of the armchairs, as did Alan in
front of her. After that she took a photocopied document out of her handbag. –
Since you returned to Dallas, our encounters have been rather
strained...especially on the wedding´s day. So I made up my mind – she said
showing him the document.
Alan read it carefully, looking
serious, and then darker and darker, expressing disappointment.
- Sorry, Alan. I know you thought
Peter was your baby, because we had an affair nine months before he was born.
But the baby was premature: he was 7-months born, casually too at a wedding that
never happened: James´s and Mandy Winger´s. I didn´t wanna be forced to do this
but, after all, if you´ve got right to know if you have a son, you´ve also the
right to know that you don´t...Peter was fathered by someone else...
Lucy got up and said:
- Don´t worry: I will agree to
have a paternity test done if you want it...Hope you´re happy with your new
life in Dallas, working with my father...
After saying those words, Lucy
walked out of the apartment. Alan stood up, took the photo out of the drawer
and threw it onto an ashtray, and then set it on fire with a match.
- This will change my plans... –
Alan muttered to himself, as he dialed a number with the California code in it.
– Hello, this is Alan Beam. Yes, everything´s ready here. Gary Ewing is longing
for meeting our friend. Right. No better place than the Oil Barons´ Ball for
someone like Richard Channing to debut in Dallas...
Once he hang, Alan whispered:
- All right Lucy. I´ll forget you
and your son. But not your dad. He´ll pay for all that J.R. Ewing did to me,
and the family will go back where it belongs...
In Galveston, Michelle was about to say goodbye to James, as the ship´s
owner hurried her up...
- Well James...I think it´s time to say goodbye...– the young man tried
to look her straight in the eye, but his resentment didn´t let him to – Your
mother seemed to handle guns very well, I´d never have expected it from someone
so classy...
- You don´t deserve to name my
mother. I hope you´ll get what you deserve, wherever you go... – James turned
around and heard a noise, near a warehouse – Wish I could say that I loved you,
but instead you made me hate you...more than I ever hated my father...
Michelle was chilled, and turned
to the ship´s direction. Then she turned around and, when looked back at the
ship, she realized that it was moving. The oriental little man had cast off.
She had already given him the money so began to run towards the ship.
At that moment James looked back,
again towards the warehouse, and saw several gunned men coming out of
there.
- Stop, police! Throw your guns,
hands up! – a voice shouted.
Michelle took her gun out of her
pocket as called out the ship´s captain: "Please wait for me".
Suddenly James gave up seeing
Michelle as the person who had kidnapped him, or might have killed his mother.
He saw April´s sister, felt protective about her and put his hands up, standing
between the police and Michelle...
- Don´t shoot! – he desperately
shouted – her gun is unloaded – he assured, showing them the bullets he had
taken out of it, in one of her scarce careless moments...
Michelle was paralyzed, while the
ship was sailing away. A little further, the harbor´s patrol boat was
awaiting...
The police quickly came closer
and handcuffed Michelle, as her right were being read, and so did later with
James, whose left wrist was bleeding. The lesion caused by the car accident had
worsened due to the pressure of the handcuffs used by Michelle. The couple was
put into the police car and it went straight to the closest police
station.
Two days after, Vanessa´s funeral eventually took place in presence of
all the Ewings except Val, still in California, and Clayton. James was also
there, wearing his wrist plastered again.
After the funeral, Bobby and Pam walked away from the others, while
their friends expressed condolences to James and Cally.
- Hope everything´s over for
good... – she said.
- Sure it is. Michelle will go
back to prison and, fortunately, the police have believed James´s version: he
was just Michelle´s victim. Poor Vanessa...
Somewhat aloof of the situation, twins Bobby and Betsy chatted near one
of the limousines...
- So now we´ll see how we´re
gonna get out of this...
- Watcha mean, little
sister?
- Come on don´t pretend you don´t
know: you were lucky I could get into the room before the Principal, and turned
things over...but I won´t help you next time: you´ll gotta accept what you and
I know, and before the whole family. You got us out of the academy...
- I´ll compensate you for it
Beth...I promise.
- You better will. Cause, when
it´s time, I´ll ask you to return me the favor...
Betsy got into the limo, as Bobby
stood up looking at James, dressed in black, not too far from them...Betsy
pulled the window down and watched her brother:
- Sometimes I think you´re not my
brother, despite of being twins...
- Do you? Why?
- I´ve never been keen on brunet
guys as you do...
Bobby smiled, slightly blushed
up, as looked at his cousin James again.
The family Ewing had entered into
a new age, full of unsolved enigmas...though they ignored it. Was the frenzy of
the past coming back?
END OF EPISODE 8
Guest Stars:
(in the flashbacks)
GAYLE HUNNICUTT (VANESSA)
and
BARBARA BEL GEDDES
as MISS ELLIE
"EWING EMPIRE" is a web-based Fan-Fiction
written and edited by PAM´S TWIN SISTER and TONI DÍAZ. The main characters of
this net super soap were created by DAVID JACOBS for the shows
"DALLAS" and "KNOTS LANDING".
This episode is affectionately dedicated to
recently deceased HOWARD KEEL, our dear CLAYTON FARLOW on DALLAS.