ROCKLAND COUNTY – EPISODE #50 – DECEMBER 15, 2005 “MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES”

 

WRITTEN BY

Roger Newcomb

 

STARRING (in order of appearance)

Brandon Delaurentiis as Ian Levin

Erika Crocco as Caroline Hart

Delaina Dixon as Dr. Angela Givens

Jeffrey Richardson as Dr. Brian Morgan

Kelly Christopher as Karen Grissom

Steve Anderson as the Narrator

 

INT. CAROLINE HART’S OFFICE AT ROCKLAND CONSTRUCTION - DAY

CAROLINE is talking with IAN who has just arrived to discuss his father, Dan.

 

IAN

Caroline, you know all the history.  Fill me in.  Please.  My mother won’t talk about my father, and neither will my Aunt Dee.

 

CAROLINE

What exactly do you want to know, Ian?

 

IAN

Tell me what happened to my father.  Why is he not getting any better?

 

CAROLINE

Well, as you know your father is autistic.  And he has suffered quite a bit of trauma in his life, starting with his father’s death.

 

IAN

My grandfather?  His name was Peter, right?

 

CAROLINE

Yes.  Peter died under very mysterious circumstances when Dan was six years old.  He closed up at that point and he’s never been the same ever since.

 

IAN

What do you mean “mysterious circumstances”.  Are you saying my father killed his father?

 

CAROLINE

I don’t know, Ian.  A lot of people speculated that.  But Daniella always denied it.

 

IAN

That’s my grandmother, right?  Tell me about her.

 

CAROLINE

Daniella was a very interesting woman.  After Peter died she collected a very large insurance policy.  People were surprised Peter would have a policy that large, but he did.  Anyway, a few years later, she met Richard Ramos, who was a struggling construction businessman.  The two of them teamed up to form Levin and Ramos Construction, or L&R as it’s known today.

 

IAN

My grandmother owned L&R?  That company is worth a fortune now.

 

CAROLINE

Exactly.   After Daniella and Richard died, Dan split the inheritance and company with his sister, Dee, and his step-brother, Paul Ramos.  But somehow, someway, Paul managed to gain control of their shares.

 

IAN

He stole my father’s share of the company?

 

CAROLINE

I don’t know exactly what happened but I wouldn’t bet against that theory.  Paul is a very shrewd businessman.  He was close to Dan as a teenager, but they drifted apart. 

 

IAN

And Paul’s wife was your sister?

 

CAROLINE

Yes.  Julia.  She died way too young.  And also under mysterious circumstances.  The police say it was an accident but I’m convinced there is more to it.  Dan was there that day, at the Ramos estate, when Julia fell down the stairs.  I’ve been trying to get him to tell me about it for years, but he refuses to talk about it.

 

IAN

Oh my God.  Dan killed your sister?

 

CAROLINE

No, no.  Dan loved Julia.  He never would have hurt her.  I’ve always suspected Paul knew more than he was saying about Julia’s death, but the police have closed the case.

 

IAN

It sounds like Paul Ramos has a lot of the answers I’m looking for about my father.  I think it’s time I meet this man.

 

INT. DR. ANGELA GIVENS OFFICE AT THE ROCKLAND PSYCH CENTER - DAY

ANGELA is talking with BRIAN relaying the story of Damien’s visit to Karen’s apartment.

 

ANGELA

Karen kicked Damien out of her apartment.  He said she was acting strange.

 

BRIAN

I can believe it.

 

ANGELA

Maybe there’s something going on with her that hasn’t talked to me about.

 

BRIAN

Did Damien ask her about the love letters?

 

ANGELA

He tried to bring it up and that’s when she really got upset.

 

BRIAN

I know you think I’m grasping at straws here, Angela, but have you even considered the possibility that it was Karen who wrote them?

 

ANGELA

Look, I know you’re trying to find a logical explanation for all this, but Karen is my best friend.  No matter how weird she may be acting right now, she would never do something like that.

 

BRIAN

You keep saying that.  But you said yourself that Karen was away from Rockland for a few years before she came back last fall.  Maybe something happened and she’s a different person now.

 

ANGELA

Brian, we work together and spend a lot of time together outside work as well.  I think I should know what my best friend is capable of, don’t you think?

 

BRIAN

Hey, let’s stop thinking about this for a few minutes.  We’re just going in circles.  I have to head back into the city in a few minutes and I want to spend out last bit of time together doing anything but talking about Karen Grissom.

 

ANGELA

Oh yeah?  Anything?  Or do you have something specific in mind?

 

BRIAN

Well, I haven’t kissed you in at least ten minutes.

 

ANGELA

Oh, then we better rectify that, doctor.

 

BRIAN

My pleasure.

 

Brian kisses Angela as Karen barges into Angela’s office.

 

KAREN

Angela, we…. Oh, hello.

 

ANGELA

Karen, hi.  Is something wrong?

 

KAREN

No.  It can wait.  I’ll leave you two alone.

 

BRIAN

Karen, hold on.  We were just talking about you.

 

KAREN

It didn’t look like talking to me.

 

BRIAN

We were just trying to figure out why you would lie to Angela about what happened between us.  And I was trying to figure out why you would write those love letters to your best friend.

 

ANGELA

Brian, let’s not do this.

 

BRIAN

I’m sorry, Angela, but I’m sick of this dark cloud hanging over us.

 

KAREN

I don’t know what you’re talking about, Brian.  Someone wrote a letter to me to.  And my money is on you.

 

BRIAN

Just admit it, Karen.  You don’t want Angela and me to be together.   Now if I could only figure out the reason why.

 

KAREN

You think I want my best friend with a guy who grabs me and threatens me.  You’re no good for her.

 

BRIAN

Oh but long before your bogus allegations against me, you were plotting to keep us apart, weren’t you?

 

KAREN

Don’t be ridiculous.

 

ANGELA

Karen, you and I have always been honest with each other.  Brutally honest at times.  Tell Brian, and me, that you had nothing to do with those letters.  If you look me in the eye and swear it, I will believe you.

 

KAREN

I didn’t write those letters, Angela, how could you accuse me of such a thing?

 

ANGELA

No, Karen.  Look me in the eye, face to face, and say it.

 

KAREN

I didn’t do it, Angela.  I swear to you.

 

BRIAN

She’s lying!

 

ANGELA

Oh.  My.  God.  No, this can’t be.  You’re lying to me, Karen.

 

KAREN

Angela, I just told you I didn’t write them.  Why would I do something like that?

 

ANGELA

You tell me.  You wrote those letters?

 

KAREN

I’m not going to stand here and be accused of something I didn’t do.

 

ANGELA

Hold it, Karen.  You’re not going anywhere.