The Grifter

Nicole pours a drink and her fantasy continues. She imagines a world without DOOL.

Nicole is on her knees astride Sami with the pillow squished into her face. She lets up, "Ooh, this gives me the willies." Sami springs to life and starts choking Nicole, who reciprocates and we have a choke-off. If today is our lucky day, they will finish each other off. Nicole pops back to reality and spills her drink.

Lucas broods, "I had a feeling something was going on with those two but seeing it for real burned like a 45 slug going right into my foot. And believe me, I've shot myself in the foot plenty of times. Not that I could blame Phillie. She was a hot tomato with that tight little bun. The other one drooped, though. You could count on her. Not like my two timing floozy of a wife." Lucas flashes back to walking into Club Marlowe and seeing Chloe and Phillip kiss.

Sami screams, "Let me go you crazy she-devil." Nicole finishes the job and decides she needs a drink.

She walks over and looks at herself in the mirror, "I look better than you ever did. No one messes with my man and gets away with it." Suddenly she hears a sound in the other room, "That must be EJ."

Nicole pops back to reality, "Since this is my fantasy, I don't get caught."

Nicole drags Sami's body behind a screen and straightens herself up. EJ comes into the room, "Samanther?"

Nicole comes out from behind the door and asks, "Not who you were expecting Junior?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," says Junior, "And don't call me Junior." Nicole says she thought he was going out of town. He tells her he forgot something and insists there is no other woman. Nicole tells him Sami isn't there and gets upset because he doesn't deny his relationship with her. "Looks like you got me cold," he says.

Nicole asks, "Wasn't I woman enough for you?"

"I love you," says EJ, "I do. It's just the way I am and have always been. You are the only girl for me but I just can't stay faithful. It's not your fault, it's me. I'm a grifter. You don't deserve me."

Nicole tells EJ, "I'm the right woman for you — better than that tramp you were going to run away with."

EJ says, "In time I would have cheated on her, too."

"Then this was all for nothing," says Nicole.

EJ asks, "What did you do, Nicky?"

Lucas tells Chloe whatever she does on her own time is her own business. Phillip doesn't want trouble. Lucas tells him they were in a previous relationship, "She worked for me, but there was nothing between us. I'm a married man." Lucas turns to Chloe and tells her it wasn't right for him to ask her to wait. He says he knows what he has just walked in on, "I'm going out for some air." Phillip stops Chloe from following. He says he knows how Chloe and Lucas feel about each other. Chloe thinks leaving Lucas was a big mistake.

Phillip says he can give her all the things Lucas can't, "You leave me, you've got nowhere to go. Go get dressed. Wear something tight and low." Chloe leaves. She comes back with a rubber band around her ankle.

Nicole tells EJ she wasted the best years of her life on a two timing loser. EJ knows Sami was there and wants to know what Nicole did. Nicole insists she did nothing. EJ says he thinks Nicole is too classy for him and never should have married him, "I'm going. Too bad kid — them's the breaks." She begs him not to go but he leaves.

Nicole stands alone, "I may be down but I'm not out. I have to figure a way to get that heartbroken sucker of a Shamus to do my dirty work."

The heartbroken Shamus paces in his office and laments his bad day. He pours a drink, "I had been jilted by two dames in the same day. I thought maybe I should join the French Foreign Legion and devote my life to sand and camels." Speaking of Camels, he lights one up.

Lucas answers the phone. Nicole tells him, "I did it Lucas. I took care of her."

"Did what," asks Lucas.

"Get over here and I will show you.," says Nicole, "I'm at 711 Ocean Drive."

Chloe sings "Whatever It Takes To Make You Love Me." Phillip watches.

Chloe finishes, "Thanks Sam, we'll finish up later."

"Will that be when I play it again," asks Sam.

Chloe walks down off the stage to talk to Phillip. "I've been thinking," he says.

"I thought there was more smoke in this room than could come from one cigarette," says Chloe.

"You have a smart mouth," says Phillip.

"My mouth has what my brain lacks," says Chloe. Phillip wants her to stay there and work for him. Chloe asks, "How do I know you won't fire me if I don't play ball?"

"You'll just have to take my word for it," says Phillip.

Chloe says she knows she can't go back to work for Lucas now that he knows how she feels. She also knows he'll never leave his wife. Phillip thinks she needs someone to help her forget Lucas. Chloe says she doesn't want to be alone. Phillip moves in and helps out with that.

Nicole files her nails and waits on her bedroom chaise. Lucas comes in, "You thinkin' of comin' on to me?"

"I'm not that hard up," says Nicole, "Besides, I don't think you'd go for it."

Lucas wants to know what's up. Nicole stalls and offers a drink. "Is this about my wife," he asks, "Where is she?"

Nicole shows him the body. Lucas stoops down, "I'm not taking the rap for this."

"I see you're really shook up," says Nicole, "And I'm sure the cops will understand you had nothing to do with this. You could get the electric chair or worse — life with Louie's boys in the pen."

The audience chants, "The chair! The chair!"

"Help me hide the body," begs Nicole.

"No way," says Lucas, "He draws his gun, "Just shut your trap."

Nicole asks, "You think you're man enough to do it?"

Phillip pulls away. Chloe whines, "Don't you want me?"

"What I want," says Phillip, "is for you to want me. I'm not playing second banana to your old boss."

"I'll always love him," says Chloe, "You're a better lug than I gave you credit for. I need to go to him." Phillip tells her if she walks out she's not coming back. Chloe rips up the sheet of music she is holding. Phillip seems to take things in stride and tells her he knows there is no percentage in being a sore loser. Chloe thanks him and leaves.

Phillip wanders as EJ comes in and asks if he's open. "No," says Phillip, "But stay and have a drink — on the house."

"I'd rather have it in a glass," says EJ. Phillip asks about Sami. EJ tells her they were going away together. Phillip thinks Sami must have ditched him.

"No piece of skirt has ever ditched me," says EJ, "I think something happened to her. I got a bad feeling about it."

Nicole sweats, "Big gun."

Lucas says, "You should see the size of the hole it makes."

Lucas puts the gun away, "I don't rub out dames. They usually don't let me get close enough." Nicole decides she has nothing to live for. Lucas hands her a backup piece, "Here... it's taped and won't leave any prints."

Nicole asks, "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"That's up to you sweetheart." Lucas leaves. Nicole picks up the gun.

Chloe comes into the office looking for Lucas. The office is empty. She thinks her chances with him are gone. Pan to the picture of Sami as Chloe looks out the window.

EJ gets off the phone and tells Phillip he can't locate Sami anywhere. Nicole walks in. She tells EJ she's looking for him. He tells her she's through.

Chloe contemplates the drop, "Twelve stories. A long way to fall. Maybe I should consider going downstairs and going out the first story twelve times instead."

The audience chants, "Jump! Jump! Jump!"

Lucas comes back and pulls her out of the window. She insists she wasn't going to jump, "It's so hot and I was just trying to get air." Lucas pours a drink. "It's rude to drink alone," says Chloe. Lucas pours her a drink as she tells him she quit her job. She says Phillip treated her swell but she gave it up because, "You've always been the man for me."

"That's just music to my ears," says Lucas. He kisses her.

Chloe asks, "What about your wife?"

Phillip serves drinks and leaves Nicole and EJ alone to talk. She tells him his little girlfriend isn't coming with him, "I killed her." EJ laughs. He doesn't buy it. Nicole says she wants EJ back. He says, "If Samantha is dead that will never happen."

"Then there is nothing left to do," says Nicole. She gets in her purse and pulls out the gun, "If I can't be with you I'll kill you and then kill myself."

EJ changes his tune. He tells her he's always loved her but doesn't like being taken for granted. She tells him she didn't kill Sami with the gun. EJ has her hand him the gun nice and easy. He can't believe she killed for him, "No one has ever loved me that much."

"I love you more," says Nicole, "What if I get caught?" EJ asks what she did with the body. Nicole tells him she put it in a trash bin. EJ tells her they can be together again, but she has to leave Salem. It's that or the electric chair. He says he will leave with her. Nicole grabs a drink on the way out but leaves the gun.

Lucas says there is one more thing he has to do. He makes a phone call.

EJ and Nicole rush into the bedroom and pack. EJ swears faithfulness forever. Nicole begs, "Prove you love me." EJ moves in.

Back to reality. Nicole asks, "I wonder if EJ would love me if Sami was really out of the picture? EJ may always love Sami and any possibility of him falling for me is nothing but a fantasy."

Nicole starts to undress EJ but a knock interrupts the festivities. Nicole begs him not to answer it. EJ thinks it may be the cabbie and says he will tell him to come back later.

Instead Roman and Abe bust in. Roman asks, "You goin' somewhere Mrs. D?" She says they are packing for a vacation.

Abe says, "You're going away, but not on a vacation. We're here to arrest you for the murder of Samantha Horton."

Lucas tells Chloe he turned Nicole in, "I got the luckiest break of all. Sami's blithering is only a memory now."

Chloe says she loves him even more now, "And as far as whining goes, you ain't seen nothin' yet." Lucas is just looking for a fresh start and a clean break.

Nicole says she doesn't know what they are talking about. Roman and Abe say they know where the body is. "That dame is stone cold dead and you iced her," says Roman.

"You don't have proof," says Nicole.

Roman tells her they found a locket with a picture of EJ and Sami together. "That's motive," says Abe.

"You're done, toots," says Roman, "Time for you to go downtown."

Lucas and Chloe leave. Lucas takes one last look at the office as he walks out.

Roman cuffs Nicole. Nicole begs EJ for help, "You gonna wait for me, baby"

"Sorry dollface," says EJ, "I'm not that kind of guy."

"There won't be much to wait for," says Roman, "You are going to the electric chair." Nicole screams on her way out and gives EJ a look.

Alone, EJ gets in her purse and takes a wad-o-cash.

Back to reality. Nicole says, "I can't even get EJ in my own imagination. I have to find out what's going on at the hospital." She walks out of the room.

Previews
========

You can watch the previews later today on our PREVUZE II website. Prevuze II should be up no later than noon, Eastern Time.