EPISODE 5/27/02
Simon Is Off The Hook

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May, 2002


MONDAY, MAY 27, 2002

Scene 1:
Location: Oakdale Memorial Hospital
Scene: Dahlia Ventura's room

SIMON FRASIER, MARGO HUGHES, KATIE FRASIER, DAHLIA VENTURA

>> Katie: I still can't believe Dahlia's dead. Now we're never going to be able to force her to tell the truth.
>> Margo: Well, no.
>> Simon: I guess I better take your advice and Tom, huh?
>> Orderly: Excuse me, I need to get Ms. Ventura downstairs.
>> Margo: Yes, yes.

Scene 2:
Scene: Hospital corridor outside of Dahlia Ventura's hospital room

SIMON FRASIER, MARGO HUGHES, KATIE FRASIER

>> Margo: All right. Well, do you want me to talk to Tom about representing you then?
>> Simon: Yeah. Yeah, that would be good, thanks.
>> Katie: Why would D.A. want to file charges against Simon? They're gonna know it was an accident. I mean, the banister that she fell from was the same one that she rigged in the first place.
>> Margo: Well, whatever happens, it's going to take a while. The D.A. isn't gonna move fast on this. I mean, they gotta wait for the police report. They gotta wait for the autopsy from the medical examiner's office. Any tapes that we may find -
>> Katie: Tapes?
>> Margo: Yeah. Yeah, Dahlia may have made tapes from the bug that she planted in your cottage. But whatever, it's going to be a lot to process.
>> Katie: All right, can we go home?
>> Margo: Yeah, why don't you. There's a black and white waiting for you downstairs to escort you back to the cottage. And then I'll meet you there when I'm finished up here.
>> Katie: Okay.
>> Simon: Sure. Thanks.

Scene 3:
Location: The Cottage

SIMON FRASIER, KATIE FRASIER, MARGO HUGHES

[Katie sighs.]
>> Katie: What a night. I feel like someone's just sucked the energy right out of me.
>> Simon: Yeah. And her name's Dahlia.
>> Katie: Simon, if you hadn't found that bomb, you, me and Margo would - I don't want to think about it.
>> Simon: Then don't. Don't. Just relax, okay? Dahlia's gone. She can't run us out of here, and she can't run us away from each other.
[Margo Hughes enters]
>> Margo: Yeah, well, Dahlia couldn't get you to leave here, but I'm going to have to.
>> Katie: Why? You said we could come back home.
>> Margo: Yeah, just for a change of clothes, Katie. It's a crime scene. I can't have you tampering with anything in case Dahlia left any other surprises.
>> Katie: Oh, come one, we won't touch anything, I promise.
>> Margo: No, no, really. Until I get my lab guys in here and go over the whole place with a fine-tooth comb, you guys are out of here. It's for your own protection.
>> Simon: Our own protection? How's that?
>> Margo: Listen to me, it's vitally important right now that you let us conduct an investigation, that it cannot be compromised.
>> Katie: Why do you sound so - ominous? Has something happened?
[Margo holds up a tape recorder]
>> Simon: Is this what Dahlia used to record us on?
>> Margo: Yes. She set up a listening station in a shed. I listened to the tape on the way over.
[Margo Hughes plays the tape.]
>> Dahlia: Katie, it's a trap! He's got a bomb!
>> Katie: Get away from me!
>> Dahlia: He's got a bomb!
>> Katie: Get away from me! Simon!
[Margo Hughes stops the tape.]
>> Margo: So, you've just heard what the D.A. is gonna hear. Dahlia warning Katie that you're about to attack and no where does she threaten Katie herself.
>> Simon: That's it? Come on, there's had to be some other tapes there.
>> Margo: That's it. That's the only one.
>> Simon: Oh, that's convenient, isn't it?
>> Margo: Well, in any case, that's the only one the D.A. is gonna hear.
>> Simon: Yeah, which makes Dahlia sounds like the victim and not us.
>> Katie: Simon, you found the bomb. He saved our lives. Doesn't that mean anything?
>> Margo: Sure, it does. It means that the D.A. is probably gonna conclude that the reason Simon found the bomb so quickly is he's the only one who knew where it was.

Scene 4:
Location: The Cottage

SIMON FRASIER, KATIE FRASIER, MARGO HUGHES, TOM HUGHES

>> Simon: This is unbelievable. I find a ticking bomb and save us all from decorating the insides of this cottage with our insides, and what are you saying? That no one's gonna believe that I didn't put it there?
>> Margo: I'm telling you, given the circumstances, a zealous Assistant D.A. is gonna construe it the wrong way. Do you understand now how important it is that you and Katie remove yourselves from this and let the police do their job?
[Tom Hughes enters.]
>> Simon: Yes. Tom, thank you for coming. Although you could've waited till tomorrow.
>> Margo: Well, I'm glad you didn't. Did you talk to the D.A.'s office?
>> Tom: I did, and I tried to explain the mitigating circumstances as best I could.
>> Katie: Yeah, Dahlia's trying to switch it around. She's trying to make it look like she's our victim.
>> Tom: Which is why the district attorney wants to know if you and Simon are willing to take a polygraph.
>> Katie: A lie detector? Yeah, of course. Definitely. You?
>> Simon: Yeah, absolutely. I've got nothing to hide. Fine.
>> Tom: Good, good. Even though they're not necessarily admissible in court.
>> Katie: Wait-hold on. We have to go to court?
>> Tom: No, we just wanna cover every eventuality. I mean, even if the test is never introduced into evidence, it's gonna go a long way in convincing the D.A. that there's basic honesty here.
>> Margo: All right. So can I set this up at the station tomorrow morning, say 8:00? Is that okay?
>> Katie: Yeah, definitely.
>> Simon: Yeah, sure. Great.
[Cell phone ringing.]
>> Margo: Excuse me.
[Margo Hughes receives phone call.]
>> Margo: Detective Hughes. Yeah, well, what's she want? Why don't you just put her on the line? Any details? All right, thanks.
[Margo Hughes hangs up the phone.]
>> Margo: That was Jack.
>> Katie: Was that about us?
>> Margo: Yeah. Do you know a Detective Melinda Rubens from Sacramento?
>> Simon: Yeah. Yeah.
>> Katie: Simon, who is she?
>> Simon: You're kidding. She was the lead investigator into Monique's death. She was the one who tried to pin the murder on me.
>> Margo: Well, she's on her way here now. And it sounds like she means business.

Scene 5:
Location: The Cottage

SIMON FRASIER, KATIE FRASIER, MARGO HUGHES, TOM HUGHES, DETECTIVE RUBENS

>> Detective Rubens: Detective Rubens, Sacramento police.
>> Margo: Margo Hughes. I was expecting you. I'm actually kind of surprised that you came all the way out here to see me. It must be important.
>> Detective Rubens: Hello, Mr. Frasier. It's been a long time.
>> Simon: Yeah, yeah.
>> Detective Rubens: And is this the new wife?
>> Katie: Yes. And I really don't want you in my house, so -
>> Margo: Katie, Katie.
>> Tom: Detective, I'm Tom Hughes, legal counsel for Simon and Katie Frasier. Is this official business?
>> Detective Rubens: It is. I came to Oakdale to make an arrest in the death of Monique Frasier. I hope this doesn't interfere with your own ongoing investigation.
>> Tom: Well, before I allow you to actually speak to my client, I'd like to know what are the charges. What proof do you bring?
>> Detective Rubens: I'm sorry. I think you've misunderstood my intentions.
>> Margo: This is an arrest warrant for Monique's killer. But it's not for Simon. Detective Rubens is here to arrest Dahlia Ventura.

Scene 6:
Location: The Cottage

SIMON FRASIER, KATIE FRASIER, TOM HUGHES, MARGO HUGHES, DETECTIVE RUBENS

>> Detective Rubens: I was aware of Dahlia's vanishing act, but according to Detective Snyder, you have her in protective custody at the hospital?
>> Margo: Uh, yes, well-we did, but unfortunately, Dahlia Ventura died. We were at her bedside.
>> Detective Rubens: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
>> Simon: Wait a second. Look, I don't understand something-last time I saw you, you were desperate to bring me down for Monique's death.
>> Detective Rubens: You're right, I was. The whole department had you for Monique's murderer. But then Dahlia began "finding" evidence to convince us that you were aboard Monique's boat the day she drowned. We began to wonder if we hadn't been looking on the wrong branch of the family tree.
>> Katie: Yeah, well, Dahlia's very good at planting evidence. It's her forte.
She planted plenty of it around here.
>> Simon: Yeah, so she went to all the trouble of setting me up because she knew the police was closing in, right?
>> Katie: So are you saying Dahlia killed her own sister?
>> Detective Rubens: That's right.
>> Margo: Well, what proof do you have that Dahlia did this?
>> Detective Rubens: An eyewitness.
>> Simon: All right. Okay - whoa, whoa. What's that mean for me? Tom, Margo, surely this is gonna help my case, yes?
>> Tom: Once the D.A. gets a look at this California warrant, they'll probably abandon any thoughts of bringing charges.
>> Katie: Oh, my God! Simon, can you believe this? We're free of her! We are finally free of her!
>> Simon: Yes, we are, and I promise, baby, I am never gonna let anyone ever come between us ever again.

Scene 7:
Location: The Cottage

SIMON FRASIER, KATIE FRASIER, TOM HUGHES, MARGO HUGHES, DETECTIVE RUBENS

>> Margo: Good night.
>> Detective Rubens: Good night. Thank you.
>> Margo: Thank you, thank you.
[Margo smiles looking pleased]
>> Margo: Huh? Proof every once in a blue moon, a cop does good work, and everything turns out okay? Huh? How do you feel?
>> Simon: Like a drowning man just been pulled from the brink. It's great. >> Katie: Thank you, thank you, thank you.
[Katie hugs Margo]
>> Margo: What are you thanking me for? I didn't know anything about that detective.
>> Katie: I know, but you believed in us the whole entire time, even when I wasn't sure what was going on. You brought Tom over here in the middle of the night, and you've just helped us so much.
>> Margo: Well, my goodness, I am a judge of good character, huh? [Cell phone rings.] Hold on. Hughes. What?! Oh, man, I don't believe this! Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm on my way.
>> Tom: What is it?
>> Margo: Oh, I don't believe this. The coroner pulled back the sheet to examine Dahlia, and it was another woman.
>> Katie: Who?
>> Margo: I don't know who. But she was very much alive and none too thrilled at the prospects of being autopsied.
>> Simon: So where's Dahlia?
>> Margo: They don't know. Her corpse has vanished from the hospital.

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May, 2002