pc dec 24 JULIE: I PICKED UP CHRIS' STETHOSCOPE AND WENT IN BEHIND HER. IT WAS SO EASY. IF I'D KNOWN VICTOR WAS IN THE BATHROOM, I WOULD HAVE STRANGLED HIM AS WELL. EVE: YOU DIDN'T FOOL ANYONE BY KILLING GRACE. YOU WERE STILL THE NUMBER ONE SUSPECT. JULIE: YES, WHICH IS WHY WE DECIDED TO POISON MY WATER BOTTLE WITH MORPHINE, TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE I WAS A NEAR VICTIM. KEVIN: "WE DECIDED." "WE DECIDED." OR GREG DECIDED? GREG: OH, GOOD OLD PREDICTABLE KEVIN. STILL TRYING TO DRIVE A WEDGE BETWEEN MARCIA AND ME. CAN'T BE DONE. WE'VE DEVELOPED TOO STRONG OF A BOND. JULIE: HE'S RIGHT. KEVIN: SO JUST WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO TRY TO PIN THE MURDERS ON ME? GREG: THAT WAS OUR PLAN RIGHT FROM THE START. AND I MUST ADMIT OUR INABILITY TO DO SO HAS BEEN MY ONLY GENUINE DISAPPOINTMENT IN THIS WHOLE AFFAIR. MARCIA WENT TO SUCH LENGTHS PLANTING THE CLOWN SUIT AND THE NOOSE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE. JULIE: OH, AND NOT TO MENTION LEAVING YOUR COAT BUTTON BEHIND IN MATT'S BATHROOM. GREG: BUT TRY AS WE MIGHT, NO ONE IN THIS PATHETIC TOWN WOULD BELIEVE THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY KILL SOMEONE. ONLY MARCIA AND I KNOW YOU FOR THE LOWLIFE SCUM THAT YOU ARE. JULIE: IT BECAME EVIDENT WE WOULD HAVE TO FRAME SOMEONE ELSE. GREG SUGGESTED I WEAR A WIG LIKE EVE'S AS A DISGUISE WHENEVER I VISITED HIM. GREG: WE'RE GOING TO HE TO SET SOMEONE UP AND MAKE THEM CONFESS. JULIE: WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THAT? GREG: NOBODY WOULD VOLUNTARILY. I WAS THINKING MORE ALONG THE LINES OF A SUICIDE NOTE. JULIE: OH. GREG: THE NURSES BALL GIVES USUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUS TYOU CAN STILL KILL LUCY COE. IT'LL BE EASY TO SWITCH DRESSES THERE AND ARRANGE A SUICIDE, TOO. JULIE: DO YOU HAVE ANYONE IN MIND? GREG: YEAH. JAKE MARSHAK IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING VICTOR COLLINS OUT OF HIS VEGETATIVE STATE. I THINK HE SHOULD BE PROPERLY REWARDED. JULIE: I CAME UP FROM BEHIND, AND JAKE LITERALLY NEVER KNEW WHAT HIT HIM. THEN I SLIPPED A ROPE AROUND HIS NECK, AND WITH A LITTLE LEVERAGE, HOISTED HIM TO THE RAFTERS. I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE AREA SO I COULD WATCH HIM BEING LOWERED FROM A DISTANCE. GREG: WELL, I DON'T KN ABOUT THE TWO OF YOU, BUT A ROUSING TALE LIKE THIS WORKS UP AN APPETITE FOR ME. I'M GOING TO GO SEE IF I CAN FIND SOME POPCORN. AND DON'T GET ANY BRIGHT IDEAS. THE WINDOWS ARE WIRED. WE'LL KNOW IF YOU TRY ANYTHING. JULIE: OH, WE'D HATE TO HAVE TO SHOCK THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOU, BUT WE WILL. KEVIN: WE NEED TO FIND A PHONE JACK OR SOME OTHER WAY OUT OF HERE BEFORE THEY GET TO THE LAST CHAPTER. EVE: THE LAST CHAPTER? KEVIN: US. FRANK: HOW DID YOU DO IT? HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH WITHDRAWAL? KAREN: I SWEATED. I PACED. I CURSED OUT EVERYBODY IN THE DETOX CENTER. I TRIED TO THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE. FRANK: IT'S ALL I THINK ABOUT. KAREN: WELL, THEN LET'S DISCUSS SOMETHING ELSE. COME ON. FRANK: LIKE WHAT? KAREN: I DON'T KNOW. ANYTHING THAT INTERESTS YOU. FRANK: I'VE ONLY GOT ONE INTEREST -- DL-56. KAREN: OK, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT GROWING UP WITH JOE. FRANK: THERE'S NOTHING TO TELL. KAREN: COME ON, FRANK. YOU KNOW, AS A KID, WHAT WAS THE ONE THING THAT YOU LIKED TO DO MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE? FRANK: PLAY BASEBALL. JOE: I FOUND SOME BRANCHES AND STUFF, SO WE CAN BUILD A LEAN-TO TO STAY OUT OF THE WEATHER. COURTNEY? HEY. COURTNEY: OH, I'M SO COLD. MY HANDS. JOE: GIVE ME YOUR HANDS. YOU'RE RIGHT. YOUR PULSE IS SLOW. LISTEN TO ME. LISTEN TO ME. COURTNEY, YOU CANNOT FALL ASLEEP, ALL RIGHT? YOU NEED TO STAY AWAKE AND KEEP ACTIVE. COURTNEY: JOE, I'M TIRED. JOE: HERE. THERE. I NEED TO KEEP YOU WARM. YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR CIRCULATION GOING. IS THAT BETTER? COURTNEY, LISTEN TO ME. HEY, YOU GOT TO STAY AWAKE. COURTNEY: OH -- OK. OK, MAYBE -- MAYBE IF YOU TELL ME A STORY. JOE: OK, WHAT KIND OF STORY DO YOU WANT TO HEAR? FUNNY? SCARY? TRUE LIFE? COURTNEY: SOMETHG WITH A HAPPY ENDING. JOE: HAPPY ENDING. OK, I CAN MANAGE THAT. COURTNEY: AND TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING WHEN YOU WERE A KID, OK? JOE: DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THE TIME THAT I ALMOST BROKE MY FINGER PLAYING PEE-E BASEBALL? COURTNEY: UH-UH. BROKEN FINGERS? THAT HAS A HAPPY ENDING? JOE: WELL, IF I TOLD YOU THE ENDING AT THE BEGINNING, IT WOULD KILL THE SUSPENSE, WOULDN'T IT? COURTNEY: JUST GO AHEAD. JOE: OK. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS ENTIRE WORLD I LOVED TO PLAY BASEBALL. THERE WAS THIS ONE TIME -- I MUST HAVE BEEN ABOUT 6 -- FRANK TOOK ME TO THE BASEBALL FIELD AND WAS TRYING TO TEACH ME HOW TO CATCH. AND HE THREW THIS ONE AT ME REALLY HARD. AND I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO REACT. AND I PUT MY OTHER HAND OUT, AND IT BENT BACK. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS BROKE. HE ENDED UP TAKING ME TO THE HOSPITAL AND PUTTING MY FINGER IN THE CAST. JULIE: YOO-HOO! GREG: REFRESHMENTS ANYONE? KEVIN: NO, THANK YOU. GREG: WHAT'S THE MATTER? DON'T YOU TRUST ME? KEVIN: WELL, IT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE DRUGGED A DRINK, WOULD IT? GREG: HOW ABOUT LITTLE MISS SMARTY PANTS? EVE: PASS. GREG: SOME PEOPLE ARE SO SUSPICIOUS. AH. SO, SIS, WHERE DID WE LEAVE OFF? JULIE: JAKE'S UNFORTUNATE SUICIDE. KEVIN: WHICH DIDN'T FOOL THE POLICE FOR VERY LONG. GREG: OH, BUT YOU WERE SWEATING BULLETS, WEREN'T YOU, KEV? BECAUSE YOU WERE FEELING RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THOSE DEATHS, JUST AS I HAD PREDICTED. JULIE: WE DECIDEDR. MAY SHOULD BE NEXT. KEVIN: WHY DRMAY? THAT BROKE THE PATTERN OF THE BOOK. GREG: I REALIZED THAT MAKING THE KILLER ILLOGICAL WOULD DRIVE YOU EVEN CRAZIER BECAUSE YOU'RE SO DAMN LOGICAL. JULIE: DURING MY APPOINTMENT TO SEE DR. MAY, IT WAS SO EASY TO PLACE THE GUM LACED WITH CYANIDE IN HER PURSE AND TAKE OUT HER COMB AT THE SAME TIME. AND WHILE EVERYONE WAS SWARMING AROUND DR. MAY, I STOLE THE SPARE KEY TO CHRIS' APARTMENT. THEN I WAITED TILL BOTH YOU AND CHRIS WERE ON DUTY AND WENT BACK TO THE APARTMENT TO CREATE YOUR SHRINE TO THE MURDER VICTIMS. KEVIN: WELL, WHAT ABOUT JOHN KANELOS? HOW DID HE FIT INTO ALL OF THIS? HE'S NOT CONNECTED TO YOU OR ME OR VICTOR. HE'S NOT IN THE BOOK. WHY KILL HIM? GREG: THE BEST LAID SCHEMES OF MICE AND MEN OFTEN GO ASTRAY. JULIE: BEFORE MATT AND ELLEN'S HALLOWEEN PARTY, I INJECTED POISON INTO AN APPLE. KNOWING THEY HAD PREPARED TREAT BAGS FOR EVERYONE, I COULD JUST SLIP IT INTO SCOTT BALDWIN'S. NOW, NORMALLY YOU COULD GIVE BALDWIN A WHEELBARROW FULL OF APPLES AND HE'D GOBBLE DOWN EVERY ONE. NO, BUT NOT THIS TIME. GREG: ONE DOOR CLOSES, ANOTHER OPENS. JULIE:WHAT SHOULD I DO? GREG: MOVE TO THE NEXT PERSON ON THE LIST. IS JOE SCANLON THERE? JULIE: YES. KEVIN: SO, KILLING JOHN KANELOS WAS NOTHING BUT A MISTAKE? JULIE: I TOLD YOU THAT WHEN I CALLED YOU ON THE RADIO SHOW. I LIFTED VICTOR'S SAMURAI SWORD WHEN HE WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION, FOLLOWED JOE INTO THE FUN HOUSE. THEN I LOST HIM IN THE MAZE. AND I THOUGHT I'D FOUND HIM AGAIN. IT WAS MY ONLY MISTAKE. GREG: BUT NO HARM DONE. HERE WE ARE WITH KEVIN AND EVE AT OUR MERCY. WHO SAYS THERE'S NO JUSTICE IN THE WORLD? EVE: THAT'S ENOUGH. I CAN'T LISTEN TO THIS ANYMORE. KEVIN: EVE. JULIE: THAT ANKLE BRACELET IS NOT A FASHION ACCESSORY. IT DELIVERS QUITE A JOLT. YOU WANT TO SEE? EVE: GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE. GREG: OH, THANKS TO SPAZOID HERE, I HAVE TO CLEAN THAT UP. EVE: NO. I'LL CLEAN IT UP. GREG: OH. THANK YOU. A LITTLE COOPERATION IS NICE. - I THINK OF MYSELF AS A SUPPORTIVE MOM. - GO VIKINGS ! JOEY COUNTS ON ME TO BE THERE FOR WHOLE GAME. - WIN ONE FOR MOM, JOE ! - EVEN WHEN I HAVE A SORE THROAT. JOEY ! JOEY ! WATCH IT, PETERSON ! I KNOW YOUR MOTHER ! SO I COUNT ON CHLORASEPTIC. FIVE SPRAYS GIVES ME FAST LONG-LASTING RELIEF... SO I DON'T HAVE TO MISS A SECOND OF THE GAME. ALL RIGHT, KIDS ! WE'RE GOING INTO OVERTIME ! LET'S KICK SOME COUGAR BUTT ! CHLORASEPTIC-- YEA, CHLORASEPTIC. (ENGINE CRANKING)(CRANKING CONTINUES) ANOTHER NOKIA DISCOVERY: DEAD BATTERIES... ARE INCONVENIENT. THAT'S WHY NOKIA MAKES WIRELESS PHONES WITH MORE THAN FOUR HOURS OF TALK TIME AND 200 HOURS OF STANDBY TIME. INSPIRED TECHNOLOGY WITH A HUMAN TOUCH. (PHONE RINGING) THE OTHER DAY I'M DRIVING DOWN BROADWAY WHEN THAT PASTRAMI ON RYE CATCHES UP WITH ME. HEARTBURN BIG TIME. MY PASSENGER SAYS "HERE, TAKE A ZANTAC 75." I SAY, "WHAT ARE YOU, A DOCTOR?" AND HE SAYS, "YEAH." THE MEDICINE IN ZANTAC 75 IS THE #1 DOCTOR-PRESCRIBED ACID REDUCER. IT RELIEVES EVEN YOUR TOUGHEST HEARTBURN CONTROLLING ACID FOR UP TO 12 HOURS. A REAL GENTLEMAN, THAT DOCTOR. ZANTAC 75 FOR TOUGH HEARTBURN. KAREN: JOE BROKE HIS FINGER, BUT HE KEPT PLAYING ANYWAY. FRANK: I TAPED IT UP. HE HIT A BASES-LOADED DOUBLE THAT WON THE GAME. KAREN: OH. YOUR FATHER MUST HAVE BEEN PROUD. FRANK: HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN IF HE'D SEEN IT. KAREN: HE MISSED A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. WOW. WAS HE WORKING? FRANK: NO, HE WASN'T FEELING WELL. KAREN: WAS HE SICK? FRANK: SORT OF, YEAH. KAREN: "SORT OF"? COME ON, FRANK, THERE'S SOMETHING YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM? FRANK: HE WAS DRUNK, OK? HE DIDN'T COME TO THE GAME. HE DIDN'T COME TO ANY OF THE GAMES -- JOE'S OR MINE. KAREN: WHY NOT? FRANK: NOTHING JOE OR I EVER DID WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR HIM. NOTHING. SOMETIMES HE'D GET SO ANGRY THAT HE'D -- KAREN: HE DRANK A LOT, RIGHT? FRANK: JOE TELL YOU THAT? KAREN: YEAH, HE DID. AND HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT YOUR FATHER WAS PHYSICALLY ABUSIVE. FRANK: HE DIDN'T MEAN TO DO -- KAREN: YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR HIM. WHAT HE DID WAS WRONG. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. FRANK: I SWORE TO MYSELF I WOULD NEVER BE LIKE HIM. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? ON DL-56, I AM MY FATHER. KAREN: I DIDN'T END UP LIKE MY MOTHER. YOU DON'T HAVE TO END UP LIKE YOUR FATHER, FRANK. ALL IT TAKES IS THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND THE WILLINGNESS TO CARRY IT THROUGH. NOW, CAN YOU DO THAT? JOE: FEEL ANY BETTER? COURTNEY: -HMM. MUCH BETTER. JOE: GOOD, BECAUSE I'M ALMOST RUNNING OUT OF STORIES TO TELL. COURTNEY: IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ATE, DRANK, AND SLEPT BASEBALL WHEN YOU WERE A KID. JOE: YEAH, WELL, BASEBALL WAS PRETTY MUCH THE BEST PART OF GROWING UP FOR ME, AND I HAVE FRANK TO THANK FOR THAT. COURTNEY: WHY FRANK? JOE: BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST STARTED, I COULDN'T HIT A BALL TO SAVE MY LIFE. BUT FRANK PRACTICED WITH ME EVERY NIGHT UNTIL I WAS HITTING WITH THE BEST OF THEM. COURTNEY: WASN'T YOUR FATHER INTERESTED IN SPORTS? JOE: NO. MY FATHER WASN'T INTERESTED IN ME. ALL HE CARED ABOUT WAS HIS BOTTLE. BUT FRANK -- EVEN IF FRANK WAS PLAYING IN ANOTHER LEAGUE, HE WOULD MAKE IT A POINT TO BE AT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF MY GAMES. HIS SUPPORT MEANT THE WORLD TO ME. COURTNEY: YOU SOUND MORE LIKE A SON TALKING ABOUT HIS FATHER THAN ONE BROTHER TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER. JOE: THAT'S BECAUSE FRANK WAS MORE OF A FATHER TO ME THAN MY ACTUAL FATHER WAS. COURTNEY: KIND OF LIKE HOW YOU'RE MORE OF A FATHER TO NEIL THAN JOHN EVER WAS TO HIM. JOE: WELL, I AM NEIL'S FATHER. AND WHEN WE GET BACK WITH HIM, I'M GOING TO SHOW HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY HOW MUCH I LOVE HIM. KEVIN: WELL, HAVING YOU RE-CREATE THE MURDERS FOR US LIKE THIS IS VERY REVEALING. I CAN SEE NOW THAT YOU ONLY DID WHAT GREG TOLD YOU TO DO. JULIE: THAT'S NOT TRUE. WE PLOTTED THESE MURDERS TOGETHER. KEVIN: IT WAS GREG'S IDEA TO KILL BENNETT DEVLIN. IT WAS GREG'S IDEA TO USE "GENERAL HOMICIDE" AS A MODEL. AND WHEN THINGS DIDN'T GO AS PLANNED, LIKE TRYING TO POISON SCOTT BALDWIN, INSTEAD OF ACTING ON YOUR OWN, YOU RAN STRAIGHT BACK TO GREG. GREG'S BEEN CALLING THE SHOTS EVER SINCE HE KIDNAPPED YOU OVER A YEARGO. JULIE: YOU MAKE ME SOUND LIKE I'M SOME KIND OF ROBOT, AND I'M NOT. I MADE MY OWN CHOICES. EVE: WHAT CHOICES? TELL US ONE THING THAT YOU DID THAT WAS YOUR IDEA ALONE. KEVIN: MARCIA, WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO FINALLY BE OUT FROM UNDER GREG'S THUMB ONCE AND FOR ALL? GREG: OK. NOW THAT YOU KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED, YOU CAN CONCENTRATE ON FINISHING THE BOOK. AS I SEE IT, WE LACK ONLY ONE ELEMENT. KEVIN: WHAT'S THAT? GREG: OH, A BIG SPLASHY ENDING! NOW, I'VE BEEN GIVING THIS SOME THOUGHT. IN THE NOVEL, EVE'S CHARACTER IS SHOVED INTO A FREEZER BECAUSE SHE'S SUCH A HOT TAMALE. BUT -- THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE. SO, KEVIN, I WANT YOU TO PUT ON YOUR THINKING CAP AND COME UP WITH A REALLY CREATIVE WAY FOR US TO KILL EVE.