GHOSTWRITER'S RETURN – PART FOUR
Opening scene: Max is looking at a newspaper clipping, running his hand through his hair. Sally sighs and pats his hand.
Sally: Well…I think it's best if you just sit on this for now…and wait for your mother to get here. She can tell you if your…theory…is correct.
Max: Yeah. And even if she won't…I should be able to tell.
Sally: Perhaps. In any case, I'm going to get dinner started…and you'd better help.
Max: You're not that bad…
Sally laughs and they start cooking together.
CUT TO: A few days later. A woman comes into the loft and hugs Max. Granddad Max and Sally smile at them and make their way out.
Granddad Max: We'll be back later, Lenni.
Lenni: Thanks Dad.
Max: Bye Granddad. Bye Grandma.
Sally: Bye Max. Bye Lenni.
Lenni: Bye Sally.
Max bites his lip as his grandparents leave and his mother sits down and drinks some coffee.
Max: Tired?
Lenni: Exhausted. I'm getting too old for this.
Max: Yeah. Maybe you should stick to producing.
Lenni: It's getting more tempting all the time. And I should be here with you. I mean…you sprung up at least three inches.
Max: (laughs) Yeah. I'm gonna need new jeans by the way.
Lenni nods and Max peers at her.
Max: Seems I'm gonna be tall…like my father.
Lenni does a double-take.
Lenni: Your father?
Max: Yeah. That is…if my guess is right.
Lenni: (muttering) I was afraid of this.
Max: Mom…I know you don't like talking about it. But…can you at least tell me if…if it's who I think it is?
Lenni says nothing but looks at Max, who takes a deep breath.
Max: Mom…was my father…Rob Baker?
Lenni bites her lip and closes her eyes. Max sees a tear and nods.
Max: That's what I thought.
Lenni: Max…
Max: Mom…I'm fifteen now. I just…I just want to know who he was, that's all.
Lenni: (sighs) I know. And…you're right. You should know who he was. I just…I just wish I knew what happened to him.
Max: (raises his eyebrows) What…happened to him?
Lenni: (nods) Yeah. It's…kind of a mystery in itself.
Max looks at his mother, who stares out the window.
FLASHBACK: An Air Force Base. A younger Lenni is walking around, talking to the soldiers and thanking them for their service. A handsome airman walks up to her and flashes a smile.
Airman: That was a great show, Miss Frazier.
Lenni: Thanks. I do what I can to support you guys.
Airman: Really?
Lenni: (sighs) Not again.
Airman: You uh…could really help a guy out by uh…keeping him company for a while.
The airman touches her chin but Lenni shakes her head.
Lenni: Sorry. But I don't do that.
Airman: Oh come on. Don't you want to serve your country?
Lenni: I'll serve America by singing, thank you.
Airman: You can sing at the same time.
Another man: She said no Blackwell!
Lenni turns around and sees another man, glaring at the first one from behind a pair of shades. Blackwell makes a face.
Blackwell: Mind your own business, Baker. I saw her first.
Baker: (walking over) Oh no. I saw this girl long before you did.
Lenni gasps as Baker takes off the shades and pokes them at Blackwell.
Baker: Now are you gonna scram? Or do I break your fingers?
Blackwell frowns but stalks off as Baker puts his sunglasses in his shirt pocket. Lenni stares at him in disbelief.
Lenni: ROB?
Rob sighs and gives a shy smile.
Rob: Hey Lenni. Long time no see.
Lenni stares at him before laughing and jumping into his arms. Rob smiles and hugs her tight before she finally lets go and stares at him.
Lenni: I don't believe this! What are you doing here?
Rob: Serving my country like everyone else. Paratrooper, 34th division.
Lenni: Wow. But…I didn't think you wanted to join the military.
Rob: Yeah well…I kinda changed my mind.
Lenni: What happened?
Rob: (narrows his eyes) What happened? New York was attacked!
Lenni gasps as Rob gives a sigh, shaking his head.
Lenni: And…that's why you're here?
Rob: Yes it is. I wasn't just going to stand by in some other country while terrorists are attacking the only place that ever felt like home.
Lenni nods as Rob shakes his head and looks at her.
Rob: Is everyone okay?
Lenni: They're fine. I mean…Alex was in the hospital for a while. He was one of the police responders…and got debris in his lungs when the towers fell.
Rob: But he recovered?
Lenni: Yeah. In fact…it got Tina to go out with him again. They're married now…and having a baby.
Rob: Seriously?
Lenni: (chuckles) Yeah. Jamal's engaged to Jasmine too. He's working for NASA in Houston.
Rob: Cool. Didn't he have a cousin staying with him?
Lenni: Casey. She got to go home to Detroit.
Rob: How about Gaby?
Lenni: She's getting a degree in journalism. Wants to be the next Fannie Mae Banner. (grins) And uh…she's going out with Victor Torres.
Rob: (gasps) WHAT? When did this happen?
Lenni: (laughing) It's been going on for a while, Rob. Alex wanted Tina go to the senior prom with him, but she would only do it if he got a date for Gaby. So Alex got Victor to take her…and they've been dating ever since.
Rob: (shaking his head) Man. Really shouldn't have stopped writing.
Lenni sighs and shakes her head.
Lenni: Why did you stop writing Rob? I mean…Hector was still hearing from you. It's just that he moved to Philadelphia and we lost track of him.
Rob: Oh he's still there. Has a tiny studio with a bunch of crazy roommates…and goes by Willie for some reason. Sends a postcard at least once a month.
Lenni: Oh. But…if you knew he had left…why didn't you keep writing to me?
Rob sighs and looks at her.
Rob: I just…couldn't do it.
Rob bites his lip as Lenni swallows.
Lenni: Is it…because I was dating Tuan?
Rob sighs and gives a nod as Lenni shakes her head.
Lenni: I'm sorry.
Rob: No…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let my feelings keep me from writing.
Lenni: But…you were really that jealous?
Rob: Well…yes. I mean…I couldn't even bring myself to write to someone else on the team…because I knew they'd probably tell me about you…and him.
Lenni: I guess. But…that's been over for a long time. Tuan went off to college…and I haven't dated anyone else.
Rob: (raises an eyebrow) No?
Lenni: Not really. If I had a boyfriend, I wouldn't have so much trouble from soldiers wanting a lady's company.
Rob: Oh yes you would. Beautiful girl like you? Stuff I was hearing in the barracks this morning was worse than hearing about your boyfriend.
Lenni: Oh! Was it that bad?
Rob: Gotta love the military. At least I knew Tina's brother would treat you right.
Lenni swallows and takes his arm.
Lenni: Well uh…would you mind…taking me back to the hotel then? I wouldn't want to run into anyone…that would hurt me.
Rob: (smiles) I can do that.
They walk through the crowd, the load of soldiers watching Lenni hungrily and looking at each other.
Soldier: Man. How did Baker get a looker like that?
CUT TO: The Frazier Loft. Lenni sits teary eyed as Max stares at her.
Max: So uh…Dad stayed the night…with you.
Lenni: (nodding) Yes. He didn't have to report in…until the next morning.
Max: So…what happened then?
Lenni: We just…said goodbye…all over again. He was headed for Afghanistan.
Max: Oh. So…were you able to keep in touch with him…at all?
Lenni: (shaking her head) No. I didn't even try until you were about four years old. I figured…I could try to tell him about you…now that I wasn't in the spotlight anymore. But when I contacted the air force, they said he had been discharged…and couldn't tell me anything since we never married.
Max: (nods) Yeah. But…would they be able to talk to me?
Lenni: (raises an eyebrow) To you?
Max: Yeah. I'm his kid. I mean…didn't you at least put him down as my father when I was born?
Lenni: (sighs) I should have…but I left that part blank. I was afraid of the press making a big deal about it.
Max: Oh. Well…maybe I could still try the VA or something. I mean…if he served in Afghanistan…there's gotta be some way to find him.
Lenni shakes her head and starts to laugh. Max raises an eyebrow.
Max: What?
Lenni: Nothing. It's just…Rob was just as determined when he would set out to look for someone.
Max: He was?
Lenni: Oh yes. He once went looking for his homeless friend…Double-T. And he wound up getting trapped in a subway tunnel.
Max: A subway tunnel?
Lenni: Yep. It was a place where Double-T used to sleep…but it caved in and trapped Rob inside. But uh…the team was able to work together to find Double-T…and he helped us find Rob.
Max gets a thoughtful look on his face and nods.
Max: Yeah...I heard about your…team of detectives.
Lenni: Yeah. Those were great times. Seems you guys are forming your own now.
Max: (shrugs) Sort of. I guess.
Lenni: (smiles) Well…you should form a team. If you work together, maybe your friends can help you figure out what did happen to your father.
Max raises an eyebrow as Lenni gets up.
Lenni: I used to write down…Rally L…and send it to all my friends. They would know to come here so we could work on the case.
Max: Rally…L?
Lenni: L for Lenni. Rally was just a code word we used to get together. My but I miss those days.
Max nods as Lenni yawns.
Lenni: Well I'm going to lie down for a while. You can rally your friends over if you like. Just don't be too loud.
Max raises his eyebrows as Lenni goes off to her room. He then takes out a pen and pauses.
Max: I wonder…if it really works. (writing) Rally M.
Max sees a ball of light reading the message and it writes back to him.
GW: Ha ha! We haven't had a rally in a good long time!
Max: (smiles and writes) My mother was hinting that she used to do this. You may have to explain it to the others.
GW: I can do that!
CUT TO: Torres Hardware. Gina and Carlo are carrying boxes to the back room with Victor.
Victor: Thanks guys. Now Uncle Quincy can get around without hitting stuff.
Carlo: No problem, Uncle Victor.
Gina: Hey look!
Gina points to a sign, which used to list various tools, but now reads something else.
SIGN: Rally M – Max's house.
Carlo: Um…since we're done here…how about we go see Max?
Gina: Yeah we should. Is that okay, Dad?
Victor: He's just upstairs, go right ahead. I presume you're talking about the younger one.
Carlo: We are. Granddad Max is too old for Gina.
Gina: Hey!
Gina chases Carlo out of the store as Victor shakes his head.
CUT TO: Jackie's basement. Linda is putting a tablet back together as Jackie shakes her head.
Jackie: Keep this up and Dad's gonna make you move in.
Linda: Oh ha ha. (gets up) That should do it. But tell your mom to please try not to drop her devices in the kitchen. Tile floors are a force to be reckoned with.
Jackie: Be glad it was her and not my dad. He always drops his phone in the toilet.
Linda: Oh gross.
Jackie laughs as words fly from the old computer and write in the air.
GW: Rally M – Max's house.
Linda: Rally?
Jackie: I guess…we need to go to Max's house. Maybe he figured out who is dad was.
Linda: Oh. Well…I'm all done here. Let's go.
CUT TO: The Frazier Loft. Max lets in Jackie and Linda and Carlo and Gina are on the sofa already.
Max: Wow. A rally message really works.
Jackie: Did Ghostwriter tell you to do that?
Max: No. My mom did. She said she would send a rally message to her friends when they were working on a case.
Carlo: Does this mean you figured out who your dad is?
Max: I did. And better yet…Mom says I'm right.
Gina: Well that's great!
Max: Yes…and no.
Linda: No?
Max: (sighs) I know who he is…but Mom doesn't know where he is. She lost touch with him…and he doesn't even know about me.
Jackie: Oh no.
Carlo: Oh yes.
Linda: This is a good thing?
Carlo: Sure it is. It's our next case!
Gina: Hey yeah. We can solve the mystery…like our parents did!
Max: And Ghostwriter should be able to help us.
Gina: So what's the scoop Max? Who was your dad?
Max leans forward and starts talking to the others about what he knows. From the doorway, Lenni watches with tears in her eyes.
Lenni: (whispering) I'm so glad you're back Ghostwriter…even if I can't see you. Just please…please help Max find Rob.
