The Guardian (2001) s03e05 Episode Script

Shame

That's the deal the D.
A.
's offering.
One year.
Second degree sexual assault.
I thought you said we could win this.
I know you're worried about your wife and daughter.
But one year in jail is a lot better than ten.
So where's Marty? He's retiring, Mr.
Fallin.
He sends his regards.
Oh.
Oh, Ken, this is my son Nicholas.
- Hi.
- Um, pleasure.
Well, I'm sorry to hear that Marty's leaving.
He, uh, he had our account for thirty years.
Mr.
Fallin, we have a slight problem.
That extra million we extended on your credit facility was due two weeks ago.
Well, we're good for that.
We're just waiting for some receivables.
With all due respect, that's not our problem.
Ken, I appreciate that you're new with the bank.
Wanna impress the bosses.
But, uh we're not exactly in the game of strong-arming our clients.
Mr.
Fallin, my bosses sent me here.
Truth of the matter is, they don't want to be in the business of financing your delinquent clients.
So I hope we can take care of this by the end of the week.
Yeah, well, uh Say hi to Marty.
Well, he has a point.
I mean, we can't keep letting these people slide.
They're old clients, Nicholas.
They owe us a million dollars.
Your friend Jed Tobin is one of 'em.
You want to tell him he's six months late? Ahh Hey, Nick.
Did you see this new Jupiter putter? - No.
- Carbon steel.
Perfectly balanced.
The guy that designed it is like one of the top putter designers of all time.
It's very ugly.
- You ever play Oakmont? - No.
- You want to? - Not really.
No, Nick.
No, the guys from Jupiter have set it up as a thank-you for all the good work we're doing.
Oh, you play.
Nick.
Oakmont! If you need a fourth, Alvin Masterson says he's a decent golfer.
Alvin? That guy's got a terrible slice.
[Elevator door dings.]
What floor, buddy? That's a nice suit.
Thank you.
I don't like it either when people talk to me in an elevator.
- What are you doing here? - Excuse me? Not you.
Him.
- Louisa.
- Please leave.
I just I want to talk to you.
Get the hell outta here! - Uh sir, you you - Stay outta this.
[Knocking.]
Is he gone? Yeah.
You all right? Yeah.
Uh in your office.
Lucas Farr.
He's twenty years old.
Social Services took his younger brothers out of his care yesterday.
So the shelter hearing's this afternoon.
Yeah uh this guy what It's my father.
I've got a lot to do.
~ Well, there is trouble ~ ~ In my mind ~ ~ There is dark ~ ~ There is dark and there is light ~ ~ There is no order ~ ~ There is chaos ~ ~ And there is crime ~ ~ There is no one ~ ~ Home tonight ~ ~ In the empire of my mind ~ ~ There is trouble in my mind ~ My mother died three years ago cancer.
And, uh my dad's been gone forever.
So it's just me and my two brothers.
Okay.
So last night there's this knock at the door, and some woman from Social Services comes in with a cop, and they take John and Glenn.
Says here you locked your brothers in the apartment.
Well, I can't always find people to look after them when I go to work, right? Where do you work? At Bucky's Coffee.
It's on the North Side.
It says that your brothers were lighting fireworks inside the apartment and dropping burning rolls of toilet paper from the fifth story window.
That would be Glenn.
He's got some problems.
He's enrolled in a special needs school.
He's not retarded.
He's just got problems with reading, you know? It's attention stuff.
Well, clearly you can't lock them in an apartment.
It's just not safe.
I know that, okay? I mean, I'm not stupid.
It's just I have to go to work, and I cannot afford to pay a babysitter right now.
Well, there's a shelter hearing this afternoon.
We'll see what we can try and work out.
Listen, these guys from Social Services are walking around talking to the neighbors and, you know, like, people in the building are talking about how I'm like Liberace with the men coming in and out.
It's totally untrue.
Well, your private life is your own.
Yeah, of course it is.
As long as you conduct yourself appropriately in front of your brothers.
My brothers know that I'm gay, okay? It doesn't matter.
- Okay.
- Whadaya mean, okay? You know if you're not into this, I can just go get a real lawyer.
My boyfriend's an expensive lawyer.
I just don't feel like bothering him with something like this.
Right.
Well, if you want to replace me, then just replace me.
Don't bother sparing my feelings.
All right.
Look if you think you can handle this, I won't call him.
Nick.
Hey, um Sorry about that I mean, with my father.
It's kind of a long story.
It's fine.
Anyway, listen, I, uh I have this idea about, uh maybe setting up a relationship with your father's firm.
- With your firm.
- Relationship? Yeah, it's just a pro bono thing for Adoption Day.
We need a law firm to sponsor it.
And, uh we process fifty adoptions in one day.
And it's great.
It's really really a happy thing.
All right.
I'll look into it.
Great.
Thanks.
- You smoke? - No.
That was, uh Lulu can be a hellion sometimes.
It's embarrassing for a father to have his kid yell at him like that.
- Yeah, well, uh - She's always had a tough time with men.
And, her mother There's a piece o' work.
Sir, I have to go, so I heard Lulu got married.
Actually, heard she got divorced before I heard she was even married.
Guess that makes sense.
Right.
Uh, Sadie.
How's the Alex Kaller case coming? Good.
Good.
You know, it's a tough one.
His wife and his daughter.
He's been humiliated.
He owes us a hundred and sixty thousand dollars.
What? Well, he hasn't paid a cent in the past five months.
Nick, the guy's facing ten years for sexual assault.
Right.
Well, just see if you can get him to pay.
Normally, Judge Damsen, we don't like to break up a family but we're not comfortable sending the kids back into an environment where they're left unattended.
Lucas.
Do you want to be responsible for your younger brothers? Yes.
You cannot leave them unattended.
I've seen terrible things happen.
I will do better.
Well, you have to.
I'm giving you one week to come up with a plan that works.
And I'm warning you, I don't like taking chances.
I can't pay a babysitter.
I'm broke.
I can maybe ask that lawyer friend I have.
He'll probably just give me the money.
You should probably just show the Judge you can make the money yourself.
I you know, I gotta be honest with you.
I'm not thrilled with your attitude.
I'll just try harder.
Jed.
Dude! Hey.
Good to see you, brother dude.
You never come around, which is insane because the women are insane.
Where you been? Well, working.
Working.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Wow.
So what's up? Well, uh Jed, your bill is It's overdue.
What, I'm like an hour late on my payment? It's six months overdue, Jed.
Think after all these years, I'd earn a little goodwill.
You do.
You do.
Think there's a problem, your father would come down here personally.
Jed, it's not It's not that big a deal.
You and your dad work for me.
You do know that, right? Well, are you gonna pay, or not? Remember, my family put you through law school.
My father put me through law school.
I talked to my wife and, uh we don't want the deal.
I'm not going to go to jail for something I didn't do.
I think the jury believes me and I know they believe you.
Let's go for it.
- Alex? - Yeah? This is very awkward.
My partners are concerned about the status of your bill.
I gave you a retainer.
Right.
Right.
We burned through that months ago.
Right.
Sorry.
Uh I've been so wrapped up in this, you know, I haven't even checked the mail.
I'll take care of it tonight.
Thank you.
So you're sure about all this? Positive.
I'll let the D.
A.
Know.
Nick, you remember Alex Kaller.
- Hey, Alex.
- Hi.
- Good luck with the trial.
- Yeah.
It's pretty scary, you know? I'm really scared.
Talk to him about the bill? Yeah.
He said he'd take care of it.
Oh, hey, Nick.
We got Freddy Evans.
- Who? - Freddy "Bam Bam" Evans.
He signed to be Jupiter Golf's spokesman.
We're gonna meet Friday with his attorneys and negotiate the endorsement agreement.
- Great.
Great.
- Yeah.
So now look Oakmont.
- You sure you don't want to play? - I'm sure.
All right.
Okay.
Well, back to work.
Lucas.
- Mr.
Fallin.
- What're you doing here? You want to see me, you make an appointment at Legal Services.
You don't come here.
Right.
Okay.
Sorry.
[Muffled conversation.]
Hey.
Hey.
Uh you leaving? Yeah.
Yeah.
Um well, if you're headed down, I'll ride down with you.
Yeah.
So you'll review the endorsement contract.
Sure.
Sure.
- Terrific.
- Okay.
So there's this kid.
Works at the coffee shop I go to on weekends.
Nice kid.
Sad story.
Says, uh small world.
You're-you're working with him at LSP.
Yeah.
- Lucas, right? - Right.
Good kid.
Small world.
Hey.
Thanks for coming over.
I just, uh was a little bit nervous.
- What is it? - And it's probably nothing.
But, uh well, my father's been calling.
[Beep, dial tone.]
And there's nothing, I know.
But there's eighteen nothings.
Okay.
You know, my dad is kind of We just have a strange relationship.
Has he done this before? Yeah.
It was a long time ago, though.
You want to sit down? Sure.
Look, my my mother slept around.
I mean, you know that.
And, you know, my dad was in the Navy at that time, and when he found out about her affairs, he just was Right.
Anyway, I don't know, I guess when, you know, years later, when he came back into my life I just always reminded him of my mother I guess.
How? [Knock at the door.]
You expecting anyone? It's him.
Hi, Mr.
Archer.
Uh, it it's not a great time.
I just need a word with Louisa.
Well, it's not a great time.
Louisa, I just need to talk to ya! I said it's not a good time.
Hold the door.
- Hey, 'morning.
- Morning.
So you get the invitation to Kevin Elder's birthday party? - Um - You going? I'm going.
Sounds like, uh They're gonna have synchronized swimmers in the pool.
Sounds kinda weird.
You bringing a date? - No.
- Oh.
I'm bringing that girl Janet from the, uh cosmetics counter Lightstone's.
Remember her? Oh.
Huh, you will when you see her.
[Ding.]
So uh we'll just go through that Jupiter stuff later.
- Great.
- Great.
Nick, uh Oakmont.
I mean, I'm gonna play anyway.
You told me.
Okay.
Great.
I, uh I just got off the phone with some jerk named Harold Schwartz.
Claims he's representing Jed Tobin.
Representing Jed? Yeah, Jed fired us.
- Now he's threatening to sue us.
- He fired us? - Yeah.
Claims we mismanaged his Trust.
- You're kidding.
- What'd you say to him? - Nothing! You know I worked with his dad for forty years.
I'm Trustee of the kid's estate, for God's sake.
I walked into his club, and I told him he was late.
That's it.
So what do we do now? - We could sue.
- No.
No.
You go back and see him again.
You give him another chance.
Now, Louisa seems to like you Mr.
Archer, do not force me to call the police.
I will call them.
- You tell her something for me.
- What? Tell her I need a few bucks, is all.
It's not a big deal or anything.
I'm just It's for some medical problems.
It's just for some stuff I have to have.
All right.
Hey.
I saw you talking to my father from the window.
Yeah.
And what was he saying? Uh, says he has some medical issues and he needs some money.
Right.
- Is he still calling you? - Yeah.
Well, Lulu, you know, you could talk to the police.
No, I'm just just gonna give him money.
He usually goes away when I give him money.
Hey, Nick.
Oh.
Hey, listen.
About showing up at your office, I should've called.
It was rude of me.
Okay.
I got the money for the babysitter.
You did? So now we just tell the Judge, and we're all set, right? Right.
Well, uh We'll see.
We'll see.
[Knock on door.]
- Hey.
- Hey.
Ah so we're meeting with the Jupiter people on Friday to go over the endorsement deal.
Right.
Right.
Did did you give Lucas Farr, uh money? What? What'd he what'd he say to you? Well, he just said he got some money from a friend.
I I didn't give him any money.
Well, if you did, you may be asked to testify.
Why? The Judge is concerned about his financial stability.
She's gonna want to know if this is reliable income or just some Did you have a chance to look at the endorsement contract yet? - No.
- 'Cause Freddy Evans wants equity plus three percent revenue plus creative control.
I'll look over it.
Yeah.
When you get a chance.
Thanks.
[Knock on door.]
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Can I come in? - Yeah, of course.
So uh what'd you tell Nick? - What? - About me? Wh-what'd you tell him? I told him that I had a friend who was a lawyer downtown.
What kind of friend? You know, that we date occasionally.
We don't date.
- We don't? - No.
You're a guy.
Oh, well, so what about That's that's different.
That's just something we do.
I'm sorry.
I didn't I didn't know that you weren't, uh That I weren't what? Out.
There is nothing to come out of okay? Nothing.
Okay.
I'm sorry.
Okay.
I gotta go.
Jake, uhm look, I I know this is I really might need you to come to court and help me.
Come come to court? It won't take very long.
[Sighs.]
Are you outta your mind? I mean, do you think I mean, if you could think that just by walking into my firm that you might destroy my life and my career! Did you think about that? I'm sorry.
Right, uh Sorry.
Listen, d'you want a drink or something? Hey, Nick.
You got a second? - I'm a little late.
- Just come in for a second.
I read your contract.
- Yeah.
- It's, uh Overall structure's pretty good, but I do have a problem with some of the language.
I gave Lucas the money.
- Right.
- Yeah.
Uhm Last night, I didn't want to You know, it's not that it's a big deal or anything, giving him some money.
I mean, he's a good kid.
I'm trying to help him out, you know? Sure.
I mean, this is, uh I mean, the whole thing I don't know where to begin.
Jake, you don't need to explain.
Look, I'm not gay.
- Jake - I'm not.
I've worked too hard for something like this to happen.
Way too hard to have people talking about me like I'm some kind of faggot.
I I just I can't have it around here.
- I just I just I can't.
- It's okay.
I mean, it's just once in a while.
You know, it's not like It's not romantic or anything.
It's not my business, Jake.
It just kinda happened about a month ago with Lucas.
Pittsburgh's a small town.
It's okay.
No, it's not.
How'd you get in here? It's not hard.
I just I just need a few bucks, is all.
How much? Just a few thousand.
I just I need to pay for some prescription drugs.
I got this damn cancer thing happening and pills are expensive, is all.
I don't know why I scare you so much, sweetheart.
I mean, I'm just your daddy.
Please.
I'm just your daddy.
Please take your money and leave.
Who gave Lucas the money for the babysitter? A family friend.
Is he or she present? Not available, Your Honor.
Well, I'll need to speak with him before I make a ruling.
Why is that? I beg your pardon? Your Honor, you asked us to come up with a plan.
He hired a babysitter.
And what happens two months from now when Lucas needs more money? We have to trust that Lucas can come up with it on his own.
Well, I'd still like to speak Judge Damsen, you gave Lucas a directive.
He followed that through.
Mr.
Fallin, do not interrupt me.
I'm sorry.
Let's not make this about a third party.
Mr.
Farr, this is your last chance.
[Pounds gavel.]
Your new lawyer called my father.
I heard.
Come on, Jed.
This is ridiculous.
We're talking about ninety-three thousand dollars.
You should probably be talking to my lawyer about this.
We can be nice to a point.
Are you threatening me? If we can't work something out here we're gonna have to sue, and you're gonna end up spending a lot of money on legal fees as well as paying us.
Your father charges me sixty-five thousand dollars a year to oversee my Trust.
Sixty-five thousand dollars to review bank statements to make two phone calls a month both of which are annoying to tell me what I can't do, that I'm an idiot, that my father was a genius.
Well, that's just my father.
You know him.
I'm broke.
The Club is killing me.
How much money do you owe? Almost two million dollars.
If you're broke, drop the suit.
Let us help you.
I can't pay.
I've tried.
I've called friends.
I talked to the bank.
I just don't have the money.
After the rape charge, I got fired.
I was already over-extended.
Private school.
New house.
Now I can't find a job.
I mean, who's gonna hire me? Why why would they? I might be going to jail.
Alex, what Nick and Burton are most concerned with is creating some kind of payment schedule.
Well, all I have left is my house.
And my wife she doesn't she doesn't know about my about our financial situation.
I know I told you I could pay you, but to do that I'd have to sell my house, and I haven't told my wife.
All right, look I'd like to not continue this right now.
You got a tough day in court tomorrow.
Why don't we take this up after the trial? Mr.
Fallin, I'll pay you.
I promise, I'll pay you.
Well Well I have to prepare for tomorrow.
Yeah, thanks, Sadie.
Tough business.
Nick, have you seen Jake? No.
Those guys from Jupiter Golf are waiting in the conference room.
I called Jake's cell phone.
He's not answering.
All right.
Mr.
Kruczek.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Oh, no.
No worries.
Where's Jake? Uh, client emergency.
He'll be he'll be back pretty soon.
So uh I, uh, read over your endorsement agreement.
It's a good start.
You want a coffee? Water? Soda? No, we're good, thanks.
Okay.
Well, first issue is the royalty payout.
Uh, my paralegal is putting together some comparables right now.
So Oakmont.
I'm trying to clear my schedule.
Have to extricate myself from a wedding in Scranton of all places.
So what time is tee-off? - 7:06.
- Great.
What's your handicap? Handicap.
Six.
Six? You'll play with the pro, then.
You're outta my league.
Well, that's if I can get out of the wedding.
Of course, I understand.
Hope to see ya.
- Any word from Jake? - No.
- You try his apartment? - Four times.
Lucas.
A little bit of fag-bashing.
I guess Jake wanted to make a point that he's not gay.
Right.
Is he here? No.
He's gone.
He he was drinking.
He came into the apartment.
We had some words.
I said some stupid things, I guess.
So uh if you'll excuse me, I have to clean up and get to work.
Jake, hey, it's Nick.
Call me as soon as you get this message on my cell or LSP.
Thanks.
I didn't know if you were aware, Mr.
Moloney, but Duquesne Union Bank has agreed to match any personal donation made to my clinic that's over five thousand dollars.
Right.
And I certainly don't want to sound unappreciative, but I noticed that if you increase your donation by another five hundred, then my clinic will get an extra five thousand.
Lulu.
Your father's just been rushed to the hospital.
Mr.
Moloney, can I call you right back? Thanks.
- What? - Yeah, out on the street.
They just put him in the back of an ambulance, and they're taking him to the hospital.
I can take you right down there.
No no, thanks.
Are you sure? Yeah.
It's fine.
I'll just call over there.
Okay.
Did you did you, um ever speak to your father about the Adoption Day thing? Uh, yeah.
Yeah, Dad uh he wants to have lunch with you.
Hmm.
Is there anything I can do to help you? Least now I know where he is, and my phone won't be ringing as much, so - Uh, hey.
- Hey.
What are you doing here? Oh, it's just you you missed the, uh, Jupiter meeting yesterday, and, uh It's seven o'clock in the morning, man.
Yeah.
Are you all right? Well, you are the way you are.
Who cares? Who cares? What the hell does that mean? - Well I - The way I am? - Okay - Look man, I am not gay.
Okay? If that is what you're implying.
- Okay.
- Okay, so don't treat me like I'm some guy that you need to pity or that you know anything about me, because you don't! All right.
Well, we close the Jupiter deal at ten.
Hey.
My daddy did some things.
Okay.
It's hard to explain.
I had this boyfriend when I was fourteen.
He was a football player.
He was cute.
My dad was, uh was in Youngstown then, I think, working in the scrap yard.
And, uh and I was a cheerleader.
And I would look up into the stands, and I would see my father.
He would just stare at me and he would leave me notes about what a whore I was.
And, uh one night I was I was with this boy, uh and we were just walking home, you know holding hands.
My dad was drunk, and he pulled up in his truck, and he got out and, uh It was terrible.
Hey, Jed.
Burton.
How ya doing? Get you something to drink? Uh I don't think so.
Thanks.
Jed, why didn't you, uh why don't you tell me what's going on here? So you can tell me that you were right? No.
I was never against the club.
Yes, you were.
No it's just a nightclub.
That's a risky venture.
Not a business your family ever knew anything about.
I just need a little time to get this place on its feet.
That's all.
Right.
So you'll cut me a break? Jed, you know, your father and I Hell, I was at the hospital the day you were born.
I I always thought of you as a son, but, uh I can't do that.
I'll drop the suit.
Well, I appreciate that, but, uh we've got to be paid.
It would not be right to let it slide.
I don't believe this.
I'm broke.
Jed, just close the club down and sell your assets.
Believe me, I I'll be doing you a favor.
A favor.
Come by the office tomorrow.
We'll figure out some way to get you back on your feet.
I fired you, Burton.
I know that.
I can't pay you.
Well just come by the office tomorrow.
In the matter of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vs.
Alex Franklin Kaller On charge one: Rape, a felony in the first degree, we the jury find the defendant Not Guilty.
On charge two: Aggravated Assault, a felony in the first degree, we the jury find the defendant Not Guilty.
Sadie.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Nick.
Congratulations.
I just talked with my wife, and, uh we can Well, we're gonna sell the house, all right? We're gonna pay this thing off.
Okay.
Okay.
Well congratulations.
Hey.
I'm not God, Lucas, I'm so I'm sorry.
I mean, I was What I did was inexcusable.
Look, I hope that we can keep this I mean, you have every right to to do whatever you want.
I I'm not gonna call the cops, Jake.
Thank you.
I mean, you helped me.
So Lucas, look, I, uh I can't I mean Even if you wanted to, I can't see you again.
Why? Because whatever this was, it's just it's just isn't who I am.
'Cause your friend found out? No.
No, because Right, I forgot.
Because you're straight.
So I mean, uh - Hey.
- Hey.
All right, I, uh collected half a million this week.
Good.
Spoke to Richard Stein.
The Malinger people.
They paid.
- In full? - Yeah.
Yeah.
Good.
As for Alex Kaller, uh I thought maybe we could work something out.
It's a win for Sadie and he brought Checkpoint to us.
Ah it's a hundred and sixty thousand dollars.
Yeah, well, he's ready to sell his home, Dad.
Well, we owe the bank a million dollars.
Right.
So Right.
We get paid.
Sadie.
Congratulations.
Good job.
Thank you.
Can you tell Alex that, you know, I know it may take some time to sell the house? It's okay.
- Right.
I will.
- Okay.
Gretchen.
- The guys from Jupiter Golf in there? - Yeah.
- What about Jake? - I didn't see him.
So supposedly, a turkey ran across the seventh green, right? A second later, a fox comes bolting out after it.
Goes right over Ernie Els' ball.
- Hey, Nick.
- Hey.
Uh sorry I'm late.
No, it's okay.
We're, uh we're good here.
- We're just getting started.
- Great.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We're we're good here.
Jake? I just, uh l I just, uhm Uh, Jake, you want me to take over? No, let's just let's just talk about royalty structure.
Salary should be an advance against future royalties.
Now they wanted three percent.
I got 'em down to two percent.
I think everyone's gonna be happy all the way around.

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