Hearthville Serial: Book 6 – Episode 10 (now in script form)
Any Truth, Proper Grammar, or Correct Spelling is totally coincidental if not accidental.
All characters are fiction. This story is fiction. This story makes no claims about any real person.
By Charles Peters
Copyright 2020
All Rights Reserved
Chapters / Episodes
INT. DUDDLEY HOME, LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
The television is on. JUDY DUDDLEY is curled up on the
floral love seat and is reading a book. VICTOR DUDDLEY is
reclined back in a recliner and staring at the ceiling.
STEWART DUDDLEY is on an exercise mat in front of the TV.
He is doing pushups.
STEWART DUDDLEY
So are you and Tabitha going to
start dating?
VICTOR DUDDLEY
No. We had a rather odd
conversation. We are going to date
other people.
JUDY DUDDLEY
What? So you were already dating
her? And she broke up with you
using the "we should see other
people" line.
VICTOR DUDDLEY
No. We weren't dating.
STEWART DUDDLEY
Where is dad at? I want to talk to
him.
VICTOR DUDDLEY
He is over at the Smith Junkyard.
He wanted me to go with him but I
am feeling weird.
Stewart stands up. He walks over to where Victor is
reclined back.
VICTOR DUDDLEY
You are standing in my light.
STEWART DUDDLEY
Are you seeing a psychiatrist? I
think maybe you should.
VICTOR DUDDLEY
I am not going to go see a
psychiatrist. Have you been
talking to dad?
STEWART DUDDLEY
I was talking to Arthur and Clarice
Ramsey.
VICTOR GEORGE DUDDLEY
Maybe they want to have me put in
the room next to Rachel Ramsey.
------------------------------ 2. --------------------------
Stewart's mouth falls open. He cocks his head. He is
puzzled and is not sure what he should or should not say.
STEWART DUDDLEY
I really need to talk to dad but I
do not want to go over to the
junkyard.
JUDY DUDDLEY
So, call him on the phone.
Stewart leaves the room.
JUDY DUDDLEY
What happened between Stewart and
you today.
VICTOR DUDDLEY
Damn if I know. He was acting all
weird on the ride back from Harry's
grandparents place. He was crying
and hugging me. I think maybe he
needs to see a psychiatrist.
JUDY DUDDLEY
Where he can't play football any
more, you know that has to be rough
on him.
VICTOR DUDDLEY
I know. Do not ever think I do not
love you and Stewart.
JUDY DUDDLEY
I know and I love you. That is
when I am not hating your guts. Why
do you have to be so mean to Steed.
VICTOR DUDDLEY
At the garage where he works, he
rips people off and that pisses me
off.
JUDY DUDDLEY
He does not rip people off. He
agrees that some of the garage's
policies are not right. He fusses
about that.
INT. DUDDLEY, STEWART'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
STEWART DUDDELY is talking of his father ELLIOT DUDDLEY on
the phone.
STEWART DUDDLEY
Dad, I need to talk to you about
Victor. I am worried about him.
------------------------------ 3. --------------------------
ELLIOT DUDDLEY (V.O)
Why? What is going on?
STEWART DUDDLEY
Arthur and Clarice Ramsey were over
at the Walsh farm. They told me
some things. I now know what
Victor has gone through.
ELLIOT DUDDLEY (V.O)
Victor is doing okay.
STEWART DUDDLEY
Is he? And do you know who Steed
Ramsey is? And Victor did not even
know him.
ELLIOT DUDDLEY (V.O)
What do you mean? I do not
understand.
STEWART DUDDLEY
He is Mark Ramsey. He is Arthur
Ramsey's on.
ELLIOT DUDDLEY (V.O)
Shit. I did not know that. Why
should Victor know that?
STEWART DUDDLEY
They were close. And there is
something strange about Tabitha and
Victor. I thought he was lying
about Tabitha but she kissed him.
It was a hell of kiss. And then
they took a rowboat out on the
lake. And Victor seemed confused
about being on the lake with
Tabitha.
ELLIOT DUDDLEY (V.O)
Victor sometimes disossociates? It
is a coping mechanism. Anyway,
what did Arthur and Clarice tell
you.
STEWART DUDDLEY
For one, that Jossette is dead.
For two, Rachel Ramsey and Rita
Aghar tried to kill Victor. Why
hasn't Victor been going to a
psychiatrist?
ELLIOT DUDDLEY (V.O)
I consult with someone. And
sometimes he meets with Victor and
me over at the junkyard. We both
felt that was better than formal
meetings in an office situation.
------------------------------ 4. --------------------------
STEWART DUDDLEY
Okay. Dad, why didn't you tell us?
ELLIOT DUDDLEY (V.O)
It is complicated and why
complicate you and Judy's life.
Victor did not want that. And
there is other stuff.
STEWART DUDDLEY
Tell me the other stuff.
ELLIOT DUDDLEY (V.O)
No. You need to be Victor's
brother You need to love Victor.
STEWART DUDDLEY
I do love Victor. But I want to
know. I want to understand.
ELLIOT DUDDLEY (V.O)
I may tell you. But. I've got to
think about it. And I do not want
to talk on the phone about it any
more than we already have.
STEWART DUDDLEY
Okay.
INT. MCTWIST HOUSE, DEN - NIGHT
Small, quaint room that opens up to a larger sunroom just
off the patio and swimming pool. TABITHA AGHAR is wearing a
bikini swimsuit as she sits down at a 1950's style metal
table with a bowl of ice cream. ARTHUR RAMSEY is seated a
small three seat bar.
ARTHUR RAMSEY
I am afraid we'd been drinking too
much of Manny's moonshine and had
looser lips than we should have.
We told too much. You should
probably warn George.
TABITHA AGHAR
Knowing that Victor sent Belial to
hell, I've become afraid of George.
ARTHUR RAMSEY
It did not look that way when you
kissed him.
TABITHA AGHAR
I guess. But I am. I know on some
level it does not make much sense.
I know George or Victor would not
hurt me. Not intentionally. And I
do love them, but when I think
------------------------------ 5. --------------------------
about it, the thought of that much
power scares me.
ARTHUR RAMSEY
Rachel loves George and yet was
terrified of him, and with reason.
Theirs was a strange relationship.
She had killed Victor and yet there
was George. I think there was a
part of Rachel that wanted George
to kill her for what she had done.
TABITHA AGHAR
Now that we are living in
Hearthville I've thought about
visiting Rachel. Would you or
Steed object to my visiting her.
ARTHUR RAMSEY
I will ask him but I do not know
why he might object. Of course
sometimes he is like his mom and I
don't understand the way he thinks
any more than I could always get a
read on Rachel.
TABITHA AGHAR
Rita tried to explain to me why she
came to hate Steed. I am not sure
I undertood it. I am not sure she
understands. I am not even sure
that it is true. I would not be
shocked if my sister does not still
love him on some level.
ARTHUR RAMSEY
Steed will never forgive Rita for
what she and Rachel did to Victor.
But back to what I was saying.
Stewart now knows that Jossette is
dead and also about how Rachel and
Rita tried to kill Victor.
TABITHA AGHAR
Tried?
ARTHUR RAMSEY
Well, even drunk I was not going to
tell Stewart how Victor died and
was brought back to life and
traveled back in time to prevent
his own death.
TABITHA AGHAR
George has wondered if you and your
friends brought Jossette back from
the dead.
------------------------------ 6. --------------------------
ARTHUR RAMSEY
I don't know where Jossette's soul
is. If she was brought back to
life I was not party to it.
TABITHA AGHAR
Who would be so powerful to do
that? It took a full coven to
bring Victor back to life.
ARTHUR RAMSEY
Was it the coven that brought
Victor back to life or was it
Victor himself? It was always
doubtful that even joined together
that we would be powerful enough to
bring him back to life.
TABITHA AGHAR
Wait. Are you suggesting that
Victor might have brought Jossette
back to life and not remember it.
That George would also not remember
it.
ARTHUR RAMSEY
I don't know. Victor sent Belial
to hell and opened all the cages on
Pluto Viso and thinks it was all a
dream. If Victor did bring
Jossette back to life and even if
he remembers it on some level, he
might think it was just a dream.
TABITHA AGHAR
Well, like I told George, if
Jossette were still alive there
would be some clue. She would have
some urge to visit the people she
loves. I know I would.
ARTHUR RAMSEY
She could have amnesia. She could
taken on a personality from a past
life.
TABITHA AGHAR
Mom is afraid that the Witches
Council had her caged.
ARTHUR RAMSEY
Why? What reason could they have
to cage Jossette?
TABITHA AGHAR
I don't know.
------------------------------ 7. --------------------------
INT. HARRY WALSH HOME, LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
HARRY WALSH and his father JERRY WALSH are seated at a table
chess board that is in front of a large aquariam.
HARRY WALSH
I found out that Jossette is dead.
Stewart found out also. Arthur and
Clarice Ramsey told us. I guess
that day at the beach when Victor
swam out into the lake, that had
something to do with Jossette's
death.
JERRY WALSH
I know you had pretty much already
figured that out.
HARRY WALSH
Yeah, but I didn't tell Stewart
until Arthur and Clarice were
talking about it. But you know
there is more than just Jossette's
death that has Victor messed up.
JERRY WALSH
What?
HARRY WALSH
Rachel Ramsey and Rita Aghar tried
to kill Victor. I didn't
understand the full details. There
was something about the boot of a
car. He was locked in the boot.
But there was more than just that.
I didn't understand. Arthur said
there was something supernatural
involved.
JERRY WALSH
Supernatural? Anyway. Poor Victor.
Why did they try to kill him?
HARRY WALSH
Rachel found Victor and Jossette
naked together. She thought Victor
had been fucking both her son and
niece. She went crazy.
JERRY WALSH
She didn't have far to travel.
That woman has always been off.
Had Victor been having sex with
both of them?
HARRY WALSH
No.
------------------------------ 8. --------------------------
INT. MCTWIST HOUSE, DEN - NIGHT
STEED RAMSEY enters the den. TABITHA AGHAR is still in her
bikini swimsuit and seated at the metal table. ARTHUR RAMSEY
is now curled up on the couch with his wife CLARICE RAMSEY.
They are watching television.
STEED RAMSEY
Hey, mom and dad.
TABITHA AGHAR
(laughs)
So, Steed, you missed our company
over at the Walsh farm.
STEED RAMSEY
On the phone, dad told me. I guess
I am going to have to be honest
with Judy. I sure would like to
have sex with her before she breaks
up with me.
TABITHA AGHAR
That is awful. Don't you have
feeling for her? Or are you just
using her?
STEED RAMSEY
I have feelings for her but you
know when I tell her that my dad is
a gangster, I've had sex with my
stepmom, and that my mother is in a
mental institution she is going to
want to end things with me. And oh
yeah, my mom tried to kill her
brother. I don't stand a chance
with her but I would like to have a
memory of us having sex. Does that
make me awful?
CLARICE RAMSEY
Yes. Pretty much so.
ARTHUR RAMSEY
I am sorry. I just...
STEED RAMSEY
No. You are not sorry. I had sex
with Clarice and you are still
angry at me. You wanted to hurt
me. That is why you told Stewart
what you told him.
CLARICE RAMSEY
I told Stewart part of it. It was
not all your father. In fact your
father did not want to tell Stewart
all that was told. I am sorry.
------------------------------ 9. --------------------------
TABITHA AGHAR
I was out on the lake with Victor.
I didn't tell them anything.
ARTHUR RAMSEY
Stewart may not tell Judy what he
has learned. He may try to
blackmail you. Are you willing to
become Stewart's homosexual lover
to keep him quite.
STEED RAMSEY
Why would your brain even go there?
ARTHUR RAMSEY
(laughs)
I don't know. Mayber I am still
angry that you had sex with my
wife.
STEED RAMSEY
But seriously, you think Stewart
might not talk.
TABITHA AGHAR
It does not matter whether he talks
or does not talk. Be honest with
Judy. She deserves to know who she
is dating.
STEED RAMSEY
Well, I've got to run. Tabitha, I
put the new battery in your car
before I came in. I also replaced
a cable but the battery was bad.
EXT. DUDDLEY HOME, PORCH - NIGHT
STEED RAMSEY rings the door bell. STEWART DUDDLEY opens the
door and steps out on the porch with Steed. The door is left
partly open.
STEWART DUDDLEY
We need to talk. You have to be
honest with my sister and Victor to
who you are. As far as the rest, I
understand that might hurt Victor
if he is told but they need to know
who you are.
STEED RAMSEY
I know. I guess. Are you sure?
You know Judy is going to want to
break up with me and that is going
to make her as miseable as it makes
me. Why invite misery?
STEWART DUDDLEY
You've got to tell her.
------------------------------ 10. -------------------------
STEED RAMSEY
Maybe I will just break up with
her. That might be the best thing
for Victor.
STEWART DUDDLEY
Did your mom really think you were
having sex with both Victor and
Jossette?
STEED RAMSEY
Victor and I never had sex. That
was my mom's insanity. And Victor
and Jossette never had sex.
JUDY DUDDLEY opens the door all the way open. She steps out
onto the porch.
JUDY DUDDLEY
Why would you be telling Stewart
that you never had sex with Victor.
I am confused.
STEED RAMSEY
Judy. I am sorry. God. I have
freaked this up so bad. Please
know that I love you.
JUDY DUDDLEY
You love me.
Judy studies Steed's face. She then turns and looks at
Stewart.
JUDY DUDDLEY
I am confused.
STEED RAMSEY
I am Mark Ramsey. Arthur Ramsey is
my father. He is a gangster. I
know I should have told you.
Rachel Ramsey is my mother. She is
in a mental hospital. Once Victor
was my best friend and now he
doesn't even remember me. Victor
does not remember but my mom and
Rita Aghar once tried to kill
Victor. My mom thought Victor was
having sex with both me and
Jossette. He was not having sex
with either one of us.
JUDY DUDDLEY
Tried to kill Victor.
Judy looks pleadingly toward Stewart.
JUDY DUDDLEY
When was this?
------------------------------ 11. -------------------------
STEWART DUDDLEY
The best I can figure out, it
happened before the Ogleby family,
Jossette and Roger, moved to
Atlanta.
JUDY DUDDLEY
Victor didn't tell us. Mom and dad
did not tell us.
STEWART DUDDLEY
Victor does not clearly remember.
Dad did not tell us because Victor
can not handle remembering what
happened. Dad says he
disassociates.
JUDY DUDDLEY
Victor does not remember Mark. He
didn't realize that Steed and Mark
are the same person.
STEED RAMSEY
He did not know me. He does not
know me. But know, I think the
world of Victor. He was my friend
when I needed a friend more than
you will ever know.
STEWART DUDDLEY
Judy, there is something else you
should know.
JUDY DUDDLEY
What?
STEWART DUDDLEY
Jossette is dead. Do you remember
when Victor took the overdose of
pills.
JUDY DUDDLEY
Of course.
STEWART DUDDLEY
That was after she died. I don't
know the details of how she died.
STEED RAMSEY
Food poisoning. My Uncle Lawrence
made sure that Victor was there to
say bye to her. From what I have
been told, she died in Victor's
arms.
JUDY DUDDLEY
I've got to get up to my room. I
am fixing to break down and squall.
------------------------------ 12. -------------------------
Judy runs inside the house.
INT. DUDDLEY HOME, VICTOR'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Victor opens a drawer to the bedstand next to his bed.
Inside the drawer is a Glock 43. Next to that is a pill
bottle. Next to that is a knife. Next to the knife is a
rope. Victor closes the drawer. VICTOR GEORGE DUDDLEY
picks up the cellphone off the top of the bedstand. He
makes a call to TABITH AGHAR.
VICTOR GEORGE DUDDLEY
Tabitha, this is George. Do you
think maybe you and I can have sex
tonight.
TABITHA AGHAR (V.O.)
No. I am sorry George, but no.
Victor George presses the phone icon disconnect button and
throws the phone down on the bed.
VICTOR GEORGE DUDDLEY
I am so damn horny.
INT. DUDDLEY HOME, JUDY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
JUDY DUDDLEY sits down on her bed. STEED RAMSEY enters her
bedroom.
JUDY DUDDLEY
Please leave.
STEED RAMSEY
Do you hate me?
JUDY DUDDLEY
I have been dating my brother's
boyfriend.
STEED RAMSEY
No. We were friends. We were
never gay together.
JUDY DUDDLEY
I saw the pictures of you skinny
dipping with Victor.
STEED RAMSEY
How? Why? I know Rita showed them
to my mom and Jossette but to you
also?
JUDY DUDDLEY
Rita showed them to dad and they
were left laying where I saw them
before dad burned them.
------------------------------ 13. -------------------------
STEED RAMSEY
It was just skinny dipping. We
were not gay.
JUDY DUDDLEY
Be honest. You were in love with
my brother.
STEED RAMSEY
I love Victor. But not in a gay
way. Victor loved Jossette. He
loves Jossette. You know that.
And I love you.
JUDY DUDDLEY
No. You don't. You were just
using me to get close to my
brother.
STEED RAMSEY
Your brother doesn't even remember
me. It was never about Victor.
And remember. You pursued me. I
didn't pursue you. But I am glad
you came back to the garage to
flirt with me.
JUDY DUDDLEY
I will never get the image of you
skinny dipping with my brother out
of my head.
STEED RAMSEY
You said you came up here to cry
but you are not crying.
JUDY DUDDLEY
Go. Get out of here. I don't want
to ever see you again.
STEED RAMSEY
Did you never have any feelings for
me?
JUDY DUDDLEY
I had feelings. I have feelings.
But you are just a liar. You are
just a queer gangster who was using
me.
STEED RAMSEY
Do you hate Victor?
JUDY DUDDLEY
No!
------------------------------ 14. -------------------------
STEED RAMSEY
I think maybe you do. I think you
hate your brother. I think you are
a liar, just pretending to care
about him, because he is rich. You
just learned that he was almost
murdered. You just learned that the
love of his life is dead. And you
are not crying. You pretended like
you were going to cry, but you are
not crying. You don't care.
JUDY DUDDLEY
I do care. But you know what, I
bet you know every crime that your
father has committed. I bet you
know every pain he has suffered.
When you go to visit him, you are
not a stranger in his house. But
here I sit. And I feel like I am a
stranger in this house. I do love
Victor but how much could he love
me, if every word we speak are just
words that one causual stranger
might say to another casual
stranger. And say I had given in
to you when you wanted us to have
sex. We would not have been as two
souls united as one. We would have
been like two strangers, gays,
fucking in some public restroom.
STEED RAMSEY
I know you. You are no stranger to
me. And I love you. And with all
my heart I am sorry that I did not
trust that you might love the real
me. But here we are. And you deny
me. You want to push me away.
Maybe our love was more real when I
kept myself a stranger to you and
but a fantasy that you might use
like a vibrator.
JUDY DUDDLEY
Vibrator?
STEED RAMSEY
Get to know me. Please do not push
me away.
JUDY DUDDLEY
I am too confused right now to
think. Call me tomorrow. I know I
am not thinking clearly.
Steed starts to exit Judy's bedroom. As he is leaving he
hears Judy talking, wishing the dead Jossette might hear
her.
------------------------------ 15. -------------------------
JUDY DUDDLEY
Jossette, I didn't know you were
dead. I am so sorry for all the
things I thought. I just thought
you had hurt Victor by breaking up
with him. I didn't know you had
died in his arms.
STEED RAMSEY
My mom convinced Terence that the
four of you should not see each
other again. Your mom agreed but
don't blame your mom. Jossette and
Roger thought you all were snubbing
them. And I guess you all thought
the same. It was not the most
cruel thing my mom did but I know
it hurt the four of you. At least
Jossette and Victor learned the
truth before the end. I did not
know what had been said or agreed.
My father only recently explained
it to me.
Judy stands up from the bed. She walks to Steed. She takes
Steed in her arms.
JUDY DUDDLEY
I do not want to lose you. I do
not want our last hug to be on a
death bed.
VICTOR DUDDLEY standing at door.
VICTOR DUDDLEY
You are Mark!