Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II (1976) s01e18 Episode Script

Last on "Rich Man, Poor Man - Book ll": Here's to the distinguished junior senator from New York, and may he never find out what hit him.
I'm afraid he's just stunned.
Now's the time to put him away for good.
The investigatiors dead.
I delivered the eulogy this morning.
I want him buried alongside it.
Mr Estep also has ambitious plans for Annie Adams.
Keep three weeks open on her schedule after the 12th.
- Why? - She'll be appearing at the Tricorp Hotel.
All right.
You've delivered your message.
Now get out.
- I'm not interested in a soul-searching - What about our marriage? You still have a passing interest in that? - Senator Jordache isn't here.
- What? He's in Colorado.
He left in a hurry.
It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing.
Yeah.
I bet I know the spur.
Rudy Jordache, ski bum.
Diane, I'm not here to see the shows.
I've got something to do.
- I'll help you.
- You can't help me.
All you can do is get in the way.
I believe that we have a mutual, uh, interest.
You mean, uh Jordache? Senator Dillors on the rampage, demanding that the Judiciary Committee investigate you for tampering with testimony.
I am not sorry about last night.
Me neither.
- Fill me in.
- Dillon forced a committee meeting.
He filed a censure motion against you.
They must vote it out of Paxtors committee first.
- A comforting thought.
- They won't do it.
Those are your friends.
A simple majority of them are my friends, I hope.
If they censure you, I give up on the government and the country.
If guys like you give up, I'll know we're going to hell.
I can come during my lunch hour, but I'll have to be back at one.
- I'll be there.
- Good morning.
Senator Paxton wants you to call right away.
And, um, there's something else Maggie.
Well, Senator Jordache.
- My, how well you're looking.
- What are? But then, of course, an Aspen tan is always so very attractive, isn't it? - I tried to call you.
- (laughs) Did you? I heard you were kidnapped.
Dragged out of here at gunpoint.
Much of a struggle? Listen, I wanna tell you about Aspen, but calmly.
Can we discuss it over dinner? I've got to see Paxton.
There's a move to censure.
I know all about it.
I've been here over the weekend.
- Then you know it's important.
Wait - I have been waiting, Rudy.
I am getting nowhere being Maggie the good team player.
- This is important.
At least, it is to me.
- All right, fine.
Let's talk it out.
- No.
Let's fight it out.
- Slow down.
Why? Because I am acting like someone who is angry and hurt and jealous? - I happen to be all of those things.
- Fine.
Just go right ahead.
I intend to.
I have about five speeches planned, the nicest of which starts out, "Dammit, Rudy, how could you do this?" I don't know.
I just don't know.
- That's not good enough.
- It has to be.
It's all I've got.
Oh, come on now, Rudy.
I know you.
You're the all-time rational man.
You plan, you think, you know This isn't a courtroom.
I'm not a hostile witness.
You can't cite me for contempt if you don't like my answers.
Then help me.
I'm entitled to know.
I wanna know.
I wanna know why, I wanna know what.
Maggie, believe me.
If I knew those answers, I'd tell you.
But I don't! Then start someplace.
Do you love her? Do I love her? - I don't even know what happened! - That's no answer, it's an excuse.
- (buzzer) - Better get that.
May be Aspen.
- Maggie.
- (buzzer) Wait a minute.
Maggie, don't go! - I don't want this to end like this.
- Are you kidding? I've got four other speeches you haven't heard yet.
- Where have you been? - I had personal business to You look pretty casual for a man who's going under.
You need a simple majority in the committee to quash this censure move.
All right.
Who can I count on? - Can you fly your mother in? - You don't think I have enough support? You've turned a plurality into a neck-and-neck contest.
Just by telling the press about Dillon? Rudy, I told you nobody would like that.
Nobody did.
This is one hell of a time to be short of friends.
How short am I? Well, you can't vote on your own censure.
Dillors against you.
Mclnerney too.
- What about Zukovsky? - Shaky.
I'd say against.
- That leaves Brendel and Jones.
- Brendel's solid.
Jones With a little luck, yes.
And your vote will tie it up and kill it in committee.
That doesn't exactly thrill you, does it? You still think I'm a bad boy who ought to have his wrists slapped.
I think you're a freshman brat, Jordache.
Maybe when you grow up you'll learn to respect the traditions and rituals of power.
Don't hold your breath.
You can sit up now.
Oops.
Dizzy? - A little.
- Well, that's normal.
Miss Scott, you are pregnant.
Well, you knew that, didn't you? (sighs) Yes.
You waited quite a while before you saw a doctor.
I guess I was hoping it wasrt true.
Do you know who the father is? Yes.
What kind of relationship do you have with him? It only happened once.
I don't expect you to believe that.
I believe that.
It doesn't seem quite fair, though, does it? - It's my fault.
I deserve what I get.
- Hey.
Pregnancy isn't a punishment.
It's a consequence.
Well, let's talk about what you can do about it.
Do? Well What about your parents? Will they help you? If they could, but um, my mother died when I was ten and my father died this year.
I'm sorry.
What about the father? Is there a chance that you could make a life together? With Billy? I don't know.
Do you think you should find out? There is adoption to consider, so give it all some thought.
I'm going to be seeing you regularly from now on, so we'll have plenty of time to talk about the alternatives.
Alternatives? Miss Scott, this is 1968 and attitudes towards terminating pregnancy are changing.
You mean abortion.
Well, legitimate clinics are still the exception.
The old-time butcher is still the rule, unfortunately.
If you should decide to go that route, please, come to me.
You? A baby I delivered came back to me when she was 14.
I diagnosed her as pregnant, and the next time I saw her was in a hospital emergency room.
Not pregnant, just dead.
- She went to one of those doctors? - He wasrt even a doctor.
That will never happen to one of my patients again.
Billy? Ramona.
Hi.
Same pretty lady.
Come on, sit down.
- What's going on? - Moving up.
We're merging with a label in Detroit.
Congratulations.
Does that mean you'll live in Detroit? Uh, home base, actually.
I travel too much to live anyplace any more.
You like that? Travelling all the time? I mean Yeah.
You gotta keep moving to get ahead, you know.
So, what's happening in your life? Still working for Rudy.
But there's not too much to do any more.
His investigation fell through.
Yeah.
Yeah, I heard.
That's too bad.
Uh let me get you a drink.
What's your pleasure? - Oh, nothing.
- Ah, never heard of the word.
Ah.
So, what brings you to New York? - I wanted to see See what? Uh, the house in Whitby.
I thought I thought I'd better check on it.
You still got that place? What for? Well, for the memories, I guess.
Or maybe I just hoped Word of advice - rent it or sell it.
Your memories are costing you by the hour.
To life.
- What's the matter with you? - Nothing.
Hey, do you always look like your pet goldfish just died? I'm fine.
You're not still letting what happened between us get to you? Ramona, everybody makes mistakes.
We were a mistake, that's all.
I know.
- Then just let it go.
- I'll try.
Wait.
What are you doing tonight? I have to get back to Washington.
Pack your bags.
I'm flying to Vegas tomorrow with Annie, and there's somebody there who'd be very happy to see you.
In Las Vegas? He won't come to you.
His pride's beat up.
But if you go to him Wes? You two could get it together.
Forget everything that happened.
(sighs) I can't.
Ramona, don't go stubborn on me.
If you want him, say so.
Tell him.
It's simple.
No, it isn't.
It isn't simple at all.
Excuse me.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Are you alone? I hope not.
You're not gonna be if I can help it, little girl.
Come on.
(phone rings) - Yeah.
- (Diane) Wes? Yeah.
It's me.
- Who? - Diane.
Diane.
I I would have called somebody else, but I don't know anybody here.
Wes, could you come, please? I really need you badly.
Well where are you? The Starbrite Motel, room 16.
It's near the strip.
Las Vegas? Diane, I put you on a bus to New York.
- Wes, I'm sorry.
- Whatever the story is, it better be good.
Diane? - My God! What happened? - He just went crazy.
- Who? - The man.
- What man? - I don't know what his name was.
- How did he get in here? - With me! Oh, Wes, don't be mad at me, please.
I didn't want to bother you.
I just didn't know who else to call.
I won't go home.
I didn't know where else to go, so I came back to Las Vegas.
The first guy, he was nice to me.
He bought me dinner.
We just sat and talked for a long time.
He was all alone too.
So we went to a motel.
We held each other, mostly.
But when I woke up, he was gone.
And there was a hundred dollars in my purse.
What the hell are you telling me? The next guy He wasrt as nice.
Diane, that's stupid.
What are you trying to do? Don't yell at me.
Just don't yell, OK? I know what I am.
It's what everybody always thought I was, ever since I knew what the word meant.
So I said, "I'm not gonna fight it any more.
" "I'm just gonna be exactly what they think I am.
" Diane Oh, Wes.
I'm really sorry.
Get dressed.
I'll take you home.
Is it always so dry here? Yes.
And no.
- (knock at door) - What is it? (Estep) Room service.
Just a minute.
Come in.
- Good morning, Mrs Estep.
- Charles.
- Breakfast is served.
- Oh, how nice.
This morning we have coddled eggs, broccoli with hollandaise sauce and honeydew melon.
And, of course, coffee.
My compliments to the management.
The management accepts.
Gratuity for the waiter? Come on.
Eat up.
We got a busy day ahead.
- Tennis at ten, riding at 11:30 - Charles, could we cancel the riding? Well, of course.
What do you wanna do instead? Have a chance to breathe.
I mean, we've been going and doing ever since we got here.
Well, maybe you're right.
We could use some time alone.
Why don't we cancel the rest of the day and stay here and deal with each other? Oh, Charles, stop! - What's the matter with you? - Stop fawning on me.
And stop planning my life as though I were a child.
Stop playing games.
- What are you talking about? - We are not a honeymoon couple.
We are people with a marriage in pieces.
That's why we came to Vegas - to see if we could put it back together.
I'm the only one doing anything about it.
You're keeping me distracted so I don't know how I feel about you and Sarah.
Oh, for God's sakes, Claire! Stop spending all your time and energy brooding about me and Sarah Hunt.
- What do you expect me to do? - Get past it! - Just like that? - That's right.
It's over, finished, done with.
And if she were still alive? But she isn't alive.
And that's what's real.
Hm? If you want to indulge your feelings and punish me with them, that's your privilege.
Only, I don't have to stand around and take it.
Not for one minute.
Nobody is supposed to be Where are my manners? I'm sorry.
Things on my mind.
Forgive me.
How nice to see you, Miss Adams.
- Abbott.
Did you have a nice flight? - Yeah.
Fine.
- Good.
Everything OK here? - We came here straight from the airport.
Then you should go to the showroom, make sure everything is in order, while I show Miss Adams to her accommodation.
Catch you later, Abbott.
Yeah, catch you later, Abbott.
- I hope you'll find this comfortable.
- Oh, I'll try my hardest.
So how come you're doing all of this? What "all" are you referring to? Well, the big boost in my career, the royal treatment.
Well, you're a lady of talent.
And talent should be rewarded.
And bringing me to Vegas is your idea of a reward? Do I detect a note of displeasure in your voice? Like I was telling Billy, becoming a saloon singer was never really my big dream.
I'm sure it wasrt.
But it is a necessary step in your career right now.
I've come up with a way of dealing with unfortunate necessities.
- Really? - Mm.
You have to indulge yourself in another area.
Like? Like, uh, find something, or someone, to enjoy, and enjoying them.
I can dig that.
Tell me, do you happen to play tennis? - (laughs) Terribly.
- Good.
- Good? - Mm-hm.
I'll help you improve your game.
We have a court at ten o'clock.
That's in 15 minutes.
- But I don't have any clothes to play in.
- There's a boutique in the lobby.
I would say that size seven, beautiful, should not be too hard to come by.
Are we playing doubles? - Doubles? - Your wife, is she playing? Oh, Claire.
Claire is keeping to herself these days.
- Yes, she had the flu the last time.
- Well, I try to respect her wishes.
- How do you do that? - By leaving her to herself.
Shall we, Miss Adams? Why not, Mr Estep? - Hi! - Hello, Victoria.
Do you like your gig? I like it.
It's fine.
I got your message and, uh I guess you're here with Annie Adams, huh? - Not so you'd notice.
- No? Inside joke.
Um, did you get the money I sent you for Wes? Yeah, I got it.
- Set it up for me to bump into him.
- How come? Look, first you ask me to send him some money and not tell him who it's from, now you want me to set the thing up between both of you.
- Were you guys in a fight or something? - Just do it.
Oh, I will.
I will.
I just wanna understand.
You like your gig here? Think you'd like playing 42nd Street better? Hm? - I'll set it up with Wes.
- Thank you.
All right, let's get this show on the road.
- Sure you wanna go through with this? - Yes.
What kind of a question is that? I wonder what you hope to accomplish.
I'm gonna nail Jordache for tampering with evidence and coercing a witness.
And teach him a lesson for giving you a bad PR, huh? How are you gonna nail him? It's his word against yours.
- You haven't got one shred of evidence.
- I don't have a shred, I have a pile.
- Let's see it.
- At the committee.
You're asking us to vote without facts.
Exactly.
The same way he asked us to vote on the Estep hearings.
Only this time the shoe's on the other foot, junior.
You wouldn't let me see evidence.
You won't get within a hundred miles of mine.
Or a thousand.
Where's your evidence being manufactured? In Dallas? Mr Chairman, let's call the vote before these two start throwing punches again.
- Jordache, do you have anything to say? - There is no evidence, either hard or soft.
I am guilty of nothing but trying to bring a criminal to justice.
All right.
Call the vote.
Thank you, Senator.
All right, file your motion.
I move that the full Judiciary Committee investigate charges against Senator Jordache on falsifying evidence and attempting to coerce a witness into lying before a senate subcommittee.
Second.
So moved.
The vote will now be polled.
- Senator Dillon.
- Yes.
- Senator Zukovsky.
- Yes.
- Mclnerney.
- I'm with Senators Dillon and Zukovsky.
- Senator Brendel.
- No.
Senator Jones? I say no.
I believe it's your turn to vote now, Mr Chairman.
The chair abstains.
I beg your pardon? Abstain.
Then the motion carries by a simple majority.
Shouldrt have turned out this way.
I don't understand Paxton.
Well, well, Senator Jordache.
What goes around finally comes around.
And now you know how it feels to be on the receiving end.
- Why? - I did what I had to do.
You sat here with me working out strategy, figuring who we could count on.
- I warned you this could happen.
- Warned me? That you'd put my career on the line as a reprimand? Is that your idea of slapping my wrists? You've brushed aside the matters of bribery, payoffs, murders? Shut up, Jordache! Quit bleating about everyone else's sins unless you're sure your own house is in order.
It is.
And you know it.
- Well, mine isn't.
- What? You know how I happen to be sitting here? - Illegal campaign contributions.
- That's impossible.
Without them I'd have lost the election.
I don't believe it.
You wouldn't accept illegal contributions.
Actually, I didn't.
I was always above handling my own campaign finances.
I left matters of that sort to others.
All right.
Some overzealous staff member took advantage of your preoccupation.
- In my own best interests.
- That's an oversight, Ben, it's not a crime.
Not when you deliberately look the other way.
Not when subsequently you pay back the debt with favours.
Did you? Yes.
Why? Because if I hadrt, a real crook would be occupying my seat right now.
My opponent had connections that would curl your hair.
And a PR budget bigger than the Pentagors.
Who found out? - You don't know? - Estep.
Estep.
Vote yes on censure or read about my fiscal crimes on tomorrow morning's front page.
- That blackmailing son of a - I abstained.
I tried to save some shred of dignity at little expense, but it has the same effect.
Ben, go to the press yourself.
Make a public confession.
Expose Estep's attempt to manipulate you.
And discredit every piece of legislation I've worked 32 years to accomplish? Well, what's the alternative? Estep's not about to let you resign.
Or are you gonna cosy down in his pocket along with the rest of the crowd? I haven't been feeling very well lately.
The whole last hour, as a matter of fact.
I called my personal physician before I came into this meeting.
I'm checking into Walter Reed tonight, for tests.
For how long? Indefinitely.
Through the censure hearings? Definitely.
You know what they're gonna find on those tests? An advanced case of cowardice.
There's a part of you I envy, Rudy.
You've always had a very clear picture of right and wrong.
But that distinction begins to blur with age.
And after a while, you're left with nothing but the least-offensive alternative.
When you realise that, maybe you'll begin to understand what I did.
- You've examined the alternatives? - Yes.
And you've made a decision? I I used to go with someone.
I've found out where he is.
And you think you and he could have something together? You don't think he would accept the child? How could he? OK.
I'll explain the procedure.
It's a process that's routine with most of my older patients.
Well, it will be given under a mild anaesthesia.
You may experience some discomfort afterwards, and that's all.
There.
Can I pay you for this a little at a time? If you want, but I'm not gonna charge you more than the cost of a regular office visit.
- Really? - I don't do this to make a profit.
I'll just finish with these preliminaries, and then you can get undressed.
Lf if I do this, will the baby? Feel it? Know life is ending? Well, science says no, but I think it's more than just a scientific question.
I don't know for sure.
No one does.
Get undressed now.
Um, anything else? Yeah.
Do you have guacamole with the chips? - Oh, I forgot.
Coming right up.
- Thank you.
- What are we doing here? - I don't know what you mean.
I feel like it's my birthday and you've lined up a big surprise.
- Only it's not my birthday.
- But it's going to be a big surprise.
- This your idea of a big surprise? - It wasrt my idea, it was Billy's.
He didn't tell me what it was about.
What is it about? Hey, Wes.
How goes it? How have you been? What's happening? (sighs) I'd like to talk to you.
Can I sit down? - Sorry you have to leave.
- So am I, but, like I say family reunion here.
I have something to say.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm sorry I hurt Ramona.
Maybe you don't believe me.
Maybe I wouldn't believe myself, either.
But I know what I feel.
And I mean what I said.
- Why did you do it? - Stupid reason.
Somebody I wanted didn't want me.
It was all a hype, to soothe my wounded ego.
You know me.
I got all the right lines, all the right moves But the funny thing was, it meant more to me than it did to her.
Look, Wes, she's a beautiful person.
She can really love someone.
She does.
You.
Billy.
- Just leave 'em.
- It's OK.
- They're fine there.
- I don't mind.
I mind.
I like 'em there.
If you want something to do, there's a bowl in the sink.
You can wash it.
- Where are you going? - Out.
- What's that? - Nothing.
Is that a gun? I told you before, I've got something to do here.
- Wes, are you in trouble? - No.
Look, it's a one-man problem.
I don't want anybody else involved.
So rest up, get better, and then figure out where you're gonna go.
Wes, don't you like me? - What does that mean? - Don't you care about me? - Yeah, I care about you.
- Look you don't have to love me as much as I love you.
But I can really make you happy if you'd just let me stay.
Diane, I don't love you at all.
I don't want you to stay here.
- What are you doing? - I got your message.
- Where are you going? - I don't know.
What are you gonna do, pick up guys? What difference does it make? What's the matter with you? Stay.
We'll talk about it when I get back.
You're a half-hour early.
Kate.
What are you? In a half-hour, I'll be on a plane back to Aspen.
Then you're supposed to walk in and find the note I taped to the refrigerator door.
And, uh, what will this note say? I'm not sure yet.
Maybe that's why I'm leaving.
You jumped on a plane, flew across the continent, to leave a note on my refrigerator door? Well, there I was at the airport after I dropped you off.
And as I started to drive home, I got this empty feeling.
I missed you.
So, I got on a plane too.
But now you're going? I got scared, Rudy.
I sat up there and was thinking about when you came home.
"Suppose he looks at me with that typical Rudy Jordache glare?" The one you've got on your face right now.
"And suppose he doesn't want me to be here.
" Kate, why are you here? Because you were in trouble.
And I wanted to be with you.
(car horn beeps) That's my cab.
Kate I don't know what to say.
That's all right.
You've got a lot on your mind.
Forgive me for being so silly.
(car horn beeps) Well, Senator, win your fight.
And remember, your Aspen fan club will be rooting for you.
Kate.
Kate? Stay.
- What the hell are you doir? - Save it.
Let's do business.
- Business? - Talk about Falconetti.
- I don't handle that kind of case.
- You've just changed your mind.
Look, uh, why don't you stop playing cops and robbers and go home to your mother? Do you really wanna buy it for a guy like Falconetti? Tricorp Hotel.
He works as a security guard.
You sure? Cross my heart.