Episode Transcript
Quorum: The Gambler’s Tale
“All That Glitters,” Part 4
ANNOUNCERLAND
MUSIC: THEME MUSIC BEGINS
ANNOUNCER
There has always been a gray area between the just and the unjust. The lawful and the lawless. A nebulous region where the trappings of authority share little crossover with the course of justice. And where those who attempt to shine light into the dark recesses of power are often the least expected.
(BEAT)
July 2012. After a series of misadventures in Las Vegas, poker player Jimmy Harmon has returned to Los Angeles both to rebuild his bankroll and learn more about who was behind the death of his friend Will Archer. But his plans are interrupted when his former girlfriend, Robin Freeman, shows up on his doorstep, desperate for help.
(THE FOLLOWING EXCERPTS ARE REPLAYS OF THE SCENES FROM PREVIOUS EPISODES)
SOUND: NEWSPAPER RUSTLING
JIMMY
“David Turner, Los Angeles County Office of the Assessor, killed outside his home in what appears to be a hit-and-run accident. Police have no suspects.”
ROBIN
That’s my boss… I started with the County Assessor’s Office about… nine months back. I got this call… Said to look into the White Bluff Restoration Trust… I bring this tip to the investigations team. Next day the person I give it to and the branch director and my boss get… whatever.
JIMMY
Damn… Why come to me?
ROBIN
A name the caller said, right before they hung up: Wiktoria Sałkiewicz.
(BEAT)
She’s that… woman who used to bankroll you, right?
ANNOUNCER
Advising Robin that her safest course is to return to work and keep a low profile, Harmon proceeds to the most exclusive private poker game in Los Angeles, a game frequented by film stars and wealthy amateurs. But Harmon’s motives are more than merely financial, as he relays to Wilmer Crick, bodyguard and enforcer to Wiktoria Sałkiewicz, the very person who arranged his seat at that exclusive table.
JIMMY
I finally got into the poker game Wiktoria put me in for. So first of all, I wanted to thank her for that.
CRICK
She’ll be thrilled. Get back to paying what you owe.
JIMMY
Relax, the game went fine. But I wasn’t able to find out who your old buddy Watson was really working for. You know, your bestie. Guy who killed my friend Will.
CRICK
Yeah, whatever.
ANNOUNCER
Following the game, Jimmy accepts an unusual assignment from fellow player and venture capitalist Anton Kreitzer — an assignment shared with the enigmatic Eleanor Wallis and the overtly dramatic Ken Ford.
KREITZER
I need you each to carry these… items of interest for me… They are neither illegal nor dangerous in themselves. That said, there may be… parties who seek to obtain them.
ELEANOR
In for a penny, as they say.
FORD
Dench. Money’s good, I’m on it like a car bonnet.
ANNOUNCER
Kreitzer’s warning proves prescient, as Harmon returns home to discover his apartment ransacked. Attempting to secret the package in a nearby junction box, Harmon finds the perpetrator lying in wait for him.
SOUND: GUN HAMMER COCKING
MALONE
So what ya got there?
ANNOUNCER
Jabberwocky Audio Theater presents: Quorum: The Gambler’s Tale. Tonight’s presentation: “All That Glitters,” episode four.
JIMMY’S APARTMENT – OUTSIDE
MUSIC: THEME MUSIC ENDS
MALONE
Don’t have all night. Asked what you got there.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS TURNING AROUND
JIMMY (V.O.)
Beast with the oversized pistol pointed square at me was a sight to behold, and not just the way his shock of rabbit-white hair and matching complexion seemed to glow in the dark. His bearing made him seem twice his otherwise average size. A pro, through and through.
JIMMY
Good evening, kind sir. Fancy seeing you here at… nine PM. Long day?
MALONE
Someone would like a word with you.
JIMMY
Several people would like a word. I’m a popular guy. But it’s been a long night, so you’ll understand if I beg off. We haven’t even been properly introduced.
MALONE
Oh, forgive me. Malone. And you’re Harmon. Pleasure. Now open that service box back up.
SOUND: FABRIC RUSTLING
JIMMY
Seriously? Waving a gun around in broad daylight? Well… nightlight? Kids live around here.
MALONE
(BEAT)
Um… whatever. What did you put in there?
JIMMY
I can’t tell you, actually.
MALONE
Can’t, or won’t?
JIMMY
Well… both. I don’t really know, and even if I did, it’s not mine to divulge.
MALONE
Hand it over. I’m done asking nice, dirtbag.
JIMMY
I’m going to have to respectfully decline.
MALONE
Excuse me?
JIMMY
Oh, I’m sorry, I’ll put it into smaller words so you’ll be sure to understand. Me no open box for you.
MALONE
You think you’re so smart?
JIMMY
No, not at all. Well, except in comparison with a card-carrying Neanderthal such as yourself. Next to whom the Kardashian clan would seem Rhodes scholars.
MALONE
Huh?
JIMMY
Wow, you’re thick. What’s it take to get through to you? You’re an idiot! A moron! A mouth-breathing —
MALONE
That’s it. You’re dead, you son of a —
SOUND: METALLIC CLANG
MALONE
Uhhhh…
SOUND: BODY FALLING TO THE GROUND
JIMMY
Wow, serious glass jaw there. One smack with a cheap metal door…
SOUND: METAL DROPPING ON GROUND
SOUND: DISTANT SPLASHING
JIMMY
And… into the sewer for your little elephant gun. Don’t want you taking shots at me when next we meet, Malone. Better yet, not meet. It’s been…
JIMMY (V.O.)
Then I saw it. On the pale goon’s belt. The badge he hadn’t bothered to show me. LAPD. Malone was a cop in this town. Detective, even. Son of a bitch.
SOUND: MOANING
JIMMY (V.O.)
The guy was dazed, but moving. Good sign. Getting hit in the head’s not like the movies. Real world, take a hit like that and lose consciousness more than a minute, likely not waking back up. Which I’d feel guilty about. Probably. In any case, had to move.
SOUND: RUNNING FOOTSTEPS
JIMMY (V.O.)
Good bit of luck, no doubt. Real win was getting away with my stupidity: not checking if whoever’d ransacked my place was still here. Idiot. Especially after making a show of keeping Robin safe, driving around her block three times to check for anything out of the ordinary. That said, getting the drop on that guy? Observation and deduction, staples of a good poker player.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS RUNNING UP STAIRS
SOUND: DOOR PUSHED OPEN
JIMMY’S APARTMENT – INSIDE
JIMMY (V.O.)
Way he kept on about opening the junction box meant he hadn’t seen what I’d put in, or couldn’t be sure. Else he’d have just overpowered me and taken the package. So probably under orders not to shoot me until he had Kreitzer’s box in hand. Made him frustrated enough for me to put him off his game — on tilt, as we say.
SOUND: CLOTHES RUSTLING, PACKING
JIMMY (V.O.)
Had to take a chance running back in to grab a few things. Hope Malone wouldn’t be getting up too quickly. And didn’t have a partner. Didn’t think so, or they’d both have taken me outside. But my heart was pounding.
SOUND: DOOR OPENING, CLOSING
JIMMY (V.O.)
Good thing I keep my bolt bag handy. Looks like my earlier advice to Robin was paying off.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS RUNNING DOWN STAIRS
JIMMY (V.O.)
That Malone’s a cop adds a wrinkle. Why not show his badge straight away? And that cannon of his sure as hell isn’t LAPD issue. So… not on duty, keeping the badge in reserve. In case he ran into trouble… after he’d gotten the box and finished me off. Wonderful. Didn’t have a clue what to do next. Fact they’d come here meant they knew I had the box, and who I was, or wouldn’t have found my place so quick. Had only been a few hours since the meeting at Kreitzer’s office.
SOUND: CAR DOOR OPENING, CLOSING
SOUND: CAR STARTING, DRIVING OFF
LOS ANGELES STREETS – JIMMY’S CAR
(CAR DRIVING SOUNDS THROUGHOUT)
JIMMY (V.O.)
If they’d been at Kreitzer’s, why not come at me sooner? So… they lost me. Hence the tossing of my apartment — for all they knew, I’d come straight home to hide the box. But it’s not like I’d been hiding since I left the office, or watching close to see if I was being followed. So maybe… maybe they were at Kreitzer’s, but didn’t have enough people to follow three separate targets…
SOUND: PHONE DIALING, RINGING
FARAH
(FILTERED, OVER PHONE)
Mr. Harmon…? I hadn’t expected to hear from you so soon. What can I do for you?
JIMMY
Farah, listen. Mr. Kreitzer said to call you if we had any questions. Not really a question, but my place was tossed, and I got into a… disagreement with a goon, called himself Malone, interested in our little prize. Looks to be a cop, but not on city payroll tonight.
FARAH
Did he…?
JIMMY
I’ve still got it. All secure. And I’m okay. It’s just… I’m pretty sure they were at Mr. Kreitzer’s office earlier. I think they might have followed Eleanor. Ms. Wallis. Or Ford. Maybe both of them.
FARAH
I see.
JIMMY
They knew who we were, or at least who I was. Maybe before, maybe after, I don’t know. But since they knew we’d gotten the assignment, either somebody told them, or they were watching, waiting.
FARAH
I’ll check on your fellow assignees’ situations. Thanks for the warning.
JIMMY
I could give Eleanor a call myself, if you gave me —
FARAH
Thank you, Mr. Harmon. That won’t be necessary. I suggest you take care of yourself, and let me worry about Ms. Wallis.
JIMMY
Okay. Bye.
SOUND: PHONE DISCONNECTING
JIMMY (V.O.)
I know what you’re thinking. That was a thinly veiled, semi-creepy way to get Eleanor’s phone number. But that’s not it. Not… entirely it. All right, as I think we’ve clearly established to date, I’m far from Mr. Upstanding Citizen. I’m working on it.
SOUND: HORN HONKING
JIMMY
Whoa!
SOUND: CAR TIRES SCREECHING
JIMMY (V.O.)
Still on an adrenaline high. Every instinct said stay in public, don’t let anyone get the drop on me. Not again, anyway. But at some point I’d have to find somewhere to roost. Didn’t see anyone following, but as we’ve seen, my spy skills are suspect. Can’t very well meet Robin tomorrow if I’m being followed myself. How savvy were these guys? Malone likely had cop resources at his disposal, even if he was moonlighting as a hired thug. Could he track me from a credit card at a hotel? Had cash in my bolt bag, but not much. If I’d closed out in cash after the poker game, I’d be golden… though maybe not — Malone’d likely have found it when he tossed my apartment.
SOUND: PHONE RINGING
SOUND: PHONE PICKUP
JIMMY
Hello? Who is this?
ELEANOR
(FILTERED, OVER PHONE)
Don’t tell me I made so forgettable an impression.
JIMMY
Eleanor? Are you all right? Did Farah get in touch with you? I think somebody might have followed you from Kreitzer’s office. Or Ford. Or both, I’m not sure.
ELEANOR
Someone tried to, yes. Easier said than done, especially in a bright red Subaru.
JIMMY
Oh… okay. Um, sorry to get all… freaked out.
ELEANOR
No apology needed. I’m flattered by your concern. From what Farah said, we’ve both had less-than-favorable interactions with less-than-desirable characters.
JIMMY
With less-than-optimal results for them.
ELEANOR
Fortunately for us. To that end, I thought we could both benefit from a little note-sharing.
JIMMY
What about all that business about staying separate?
ELEANOR
Well, Farah indicated you were interested in bending that particular condition, so I figured… what the hell? We certainly have a lot to discuss.
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES IN
LOS ANGELES STREETS – ELEANOR’S MUSTANG
(THE SOUNDS OF THE CITY IN THE EVENING: CARS, PEOPLE, THE END OF THE WEEKEND)
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES OUT
JIMMY (V.O.)
Apparently, Farah had given Eleanor my number — guess Eleanor was as willing to reach out as I’d been. Maybe not for the same reasons, but who am I to question fate? I stashed my car in a parking garage in Granada Hills, and met up with Eleanor around eleven.
SOUND: MUSCLE CAR ENGINE DRIVING
JIMMY
Way I figure, at most they only had a couple people at Kreitzer’s. This Malone guy may be a cop, but he’s working way outside official duties. Hasn’t looped in his uniformed pals. Yet. When we left, they took a chance and decided who to follow. I lucked out, at least as far as them not coming after me ’til later.
ELEANOR
I can’t speak for Ford, but I spotted my tail as soon as I left the building. Not especially subtle, but they probably figured evening LA traffic would give them more cover than it actually did.
JIMMY
So they didn’t give you any difficulty?
ELEANOR
Let’s just say I have a particular set of skills.
JIMMY
And a ride to match. This is a Mustang? Not what I expected. My dad had one in the ’90s, but it wasn’t… well, this. His was an automatic. We called it the Barca, as in Barcalounger. More lazy than exciting.
ELEANOR
Probably a Fox-platform V6, pre-New Edge. This is an oh-eight Bullitt commemorative edition. Couldn’t resist. Based on the Mustang GT, but the four-point-six-liter V8 packs a punch over the baseline GT. Only made about sixty-five hundred of these.
JIMMY
So you had no trouble outrunning them, I take it?
ELEANOR
Losing a tail isn’t about speed as much as agility and geography. Century City’s not strict city-grid territory. But there are a few side roads to turn down, long as you know how not to get stuck in a dead end.
JIMMY
You get more impressive by the hour. So do you have your package —
SOUND: PHONE RINGING
SOUND: PHONE PICKUP
ELEANOR
Farah. I’m here with the formidable Mr. Harmon. You’re on speaker.
FARAH
(FILTERED, ON PHONE)
I’m… not sure what the process here should be, but I haven’t been able to reach Mr. Ford. Mr. Kreitzer is at his function, and doesn’t appear to have his phone on. I’m concerned about things being left too long.
JIMMY
So you’d like us to pay Mr. Ford a friendly visit?
FARAH
I realize it’s not within your mandate. And I’m not even sure you’ll be able to find him. He’s supposed to be staying at the Expedition Inn Motel up in Burbank, near Olive and Verdugo. Room twenty-three. I’m worried Mr. Kreitzer would want to keep you away from there, but without him to give a specific answer…
ELEANOR
I think we can spare a moment for a courtesy check. Should take about twenty minutes to get there from here. We’ll be in touch.
SOUND: PHONE HANGING UP
ELEANOR
Not to cast any aspersions as to your stamina, but how are you holding up? If we hope to avoid a compromising outcome, I need you on your A game.
JIMMY
Let’s not rule out compromising outcomes just yet. I’ll be fine. Given my usual work schedule, this is effectively midday. Let’s go see how our up-and-coming silver screen star Mr. Ford is faring.
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES IN
EXPEDITION INN MOTEL – ROOM 23
(DISTANT CITY SOUNDS HEARD THROUGH OPEN DOOR)
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES OUT
SOUND: DOOR CREAKING OPEN
ELEANOR
Door wide open… not the most promising of signs.
JIMMY
And here I thought my place was messy.
ELEANOR
Once again, you reveal a bit more about yourself than you might intend.
JIMMY
They do say great minds tend to be disorganized.
ELEANOR
Unkempt and humble. A stellar combination.
(BEAT)
Take care not to touch anything.
JIMMY
Right. Don’t know how long he was here, but it looks like he never bothered to unpack all the way. Still living out of the suitcase there.
ELEANOR
More likely in the middle of packing it back up when our mysterious pursuers arrived.
JIMMY
Maybe. Doesn’t look like he’s here, though.
ELEANOR
No, but the item in his charge is.
JIMMY
What…? Oh, his package.
ELEANOR
The box, anyway. Which they didn’t bother to open gently. Whatever treasure it concealed is long gone.
SOUND: BATHROOM DOOR CREAKING OPEN
JIMMY
Whoa. Looks like I spoke too soon. Ford is here after all. Or a highly perforated version of him, anyway.
ELEANOR
And here I could swear I just admonished you against touching anything.
JIMMY
And I was listening. I used my sleeve to nudge the door open. No fingerprints left behind.
ELEANOR
Honestly don’t know what I expected to find here…
JIMMY
I’ve seen worse.
ELEANOR
Is that a matter of actual fact, or poetic hyperbole?
JIMMY
Unfortunately true. Last year, desert near Vegas… never mind. Suffice it to say, less than palatable.
(BEAT)
Don’t suppose this could be… self-inflicted?
ELEANOR
Don’t imagine most people with suicidal intent take time to shoot themselves in the chest and head. Safe to say this is likely courtesy of your cop friend Malone and whoever he’s working with.
JIMMY
Figured as much. Bit of straw-grasping on my part. See anything else interesting in the room?
ELEANOR
Multitalented though I may be, this isn’t exactly my area of expertise. Just… if we’re going to poke around, let’s not do anything that’ll leave traces.
JIMMY
Gotcha. Forgot that the last time I searched a room.
ELEANOR
I gather that’s another Vegas story.
JIMMY
Same story. Different episode.
SOUND: TISSUE BOX
JIMMY
Here. We’ll handle everything through these tissues. Poor man’s substitute for latex gloves.
SOUND: RUMMAGING AROUND
JIMMY
Though I don’t know quite what we’re looking for.
ELEANOR
There’s a passport in his suitcase… Kenneth Ford. Born in Greenville, California.
(FLIPPING PAGES)
Doesn’t look like he’s ever even been to England.
JIMMY
Can’t say I’m surprised. Bit too eager to play up the cockney dialect.
(BEAT)
An acting class brochure. Suppose that part was true. Still, I have to wonder how he and Parker Wells linked up. Both actors, but wildly different circles.
SOUND: RUMMAGING AROUND
JIMMY
Not seeing anything especially illuminating. Wait a sec… what about the package? Kreitzer’s box?
ELEANOR
Do you think it’s any different than ours?
JIMMY
Maybe. Clearly took whatever was inside it, but left the box itself. Maybe that’ll tell us something.
ELEANOR
Okay… symbols on these wheels look comparable to those on my box. Letters on the first, Cyrillic… Roman numerals on the second… Mine has a lot of Arabic text and a third dial with dots that could be morse code, but his just has the two dials. How’s it compare with yours?
JIMMY
Mine’s a little different. Some kind of writing on the bottom… gibberish, maybe encoded. Doesn’t have wheels, but… dials, like on a combination lock. Seven of them, with Greek letters.
ELEANOR
Mr. Kreitzer’s entrusted us with puzzle boxes.
JIMMY
Puzzle boxes?
ELEANOR
I’ve seen some this outfit in Austin makes. These are quality material. Golden braid pattern on Ford’s here is top-notch.
JIMMY
Fits with what Kreitzer said about this all being some kind of game. Though they didn’t bother to try and solve it — just smashed it open.
ELEANOR
They’re more entertainment than security. Not really meant to repel a determined treasure seeker.
JIMMY
So… next question is what was in the box.
ELEANOR
The twenty-thousand dollar question.
JIMMY
Fifteen thousand, actually, but yeah.
ELEANOR
Assuming our boxes contained the same thing — or near enough — there’s one sure way to find out. Kreitzer didn’t tell us not to open them…
JIMMY
And perhaps that was intentional. Hoping we’d exploit that loophole in his instructions.
ELEANOR
Not to mention we’re already violating one of his conditions by coordinating our efforts.
JIMMY
If memory serves, he phrased that more as a request. His concern there was keeping the boxes separated.
ELEANOR
And given that Farah eventually put us in contact, one might infer at least tacit endorsement there.
JIMMY
Assuming she’s not as in the dark as we are. After all, she hasn’t been working for him long.
(BEAT)
Not sure I’m quite ready to take that step. Even assuming we could figure it out without breaking the boxes. If there were something we needed to know, that might be different. But at this stage it feels more like we’d just be indulging curiosity.
SOUND: POLICE SIRENS APPROACHING FROM DISTANCE
ELEANOR
It seems we’ve overstayed our welcome. Unless you’d care to explain our presence to the boys in blue.
JIMMY
Besides the whole Malone situation, I don’t have the rosiest history with the police.
ELEANOR
Let me guess: Vegas.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS RUNNING OUT DOOR
EXPEDITION INN MOTEL – OUTSIDE
(CITY SOUNDS MORE PROMINENT)
ELEANOR
Okay, slow down. Keep casual. Just two motel guests.
JIMMY
This’d be quicker if you’d parked in the motel lot.
ELEANOR
Quicker, granted, but penned in the courtyard. Ultimately untenable. Here, down the stairs and out the back, through the service corridor.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS WALKING DOWN STAIRS
ELEANOR
Hold on… all right, we’re clear. Maintain cool. Here, take my hand.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS WALKING DOWN STREET
JIMMY
And here I thought we were keeping it professional.
ELEANOR
A strolling couple doesn’t provide grounds for police suspicion. Brain fills in a story automatically. Especially a cop brain — hardwired to stick things into neat little prepackaged boxes. Good guys, bad guys. This way, we don’t flag as criminals. Just two people enjoying the marginally cooler evening.
JIMMY
Marginally. Still feels like ninety out here.
SOUND: SIRENS GOING PAST
ELEANOR
And my point is proven. Just a bit farther to go.
SOUND: CAR DOOR CHIRP
JIMMY
That was close.
SOUND: CAR DOORS OPENING
POLICE OFFICER
(DISTANT)
You two — hold on a minute!
ELEANOR
You had to jinx it.
SOUND: CAR DOORS CLOSING
SOUND: MUSCLE CAR ENGINE STARTING, REVVING
SOUND: CAR PEELING OUT
MUSIC: ACTION MUSIC CUE
ELEANOR
Put your seat belt on. Safety first.
SOUND: TIRES SCREECHING
JIMMY
Whoa! Yeah, yeah, you got it.
SOUND: SEAT BELT CLICKING
SOUND: POLICE CAR SIREN
BURBANK STREETS – ELEANOR’S MUSTANG
(SIREN SOUNDS CONTINUE THROUGHOUT)
ELEANOR
Okay, need to get off Verdugo, fast. Keep off the thoroughfares. Too easy for them to track us.
JIMMY
Um… have to trust you on that.
ELEANOR
Streets are mostly grid layout around here, but I think I can keep ahead of ’em. For a moment, anyway.
SOUND: GEARS SHIFTING
SOUND: TIRES SCREECHING
JIMMY
Am I overly naive in hoping you have a plan?
ELEANOR
First, keep far enough ahead he can’t get a read on the plate. It’s dark, so that works in our favor. Next, hope we can get out of the area before he decides to get someone to cut us off.
SOUND: TIRES SCREECHING
SOUND: CAR HORNS HONKING
JIMMY
Not an easy task in city traffic, even at this hour.
ELEANOR
And third, don’t do anything so outrageous that he sends a chopper our way. Marginally tougher to evade.
JIMMY
Maybe we can lose them if we head up to the studio lots. If we can get through the security gates —
ELEANOR
Your plan is to drive to where they have more cameras than you can shake a stick at? And love how you glossed over that part about getting past security.
JIMMY
Um… okay. I’ll leave the driving to you.
SOUND: TIRES SCREECHING
ELEANOR
Looks like our boy’s still trying to take us down solo. Play hero. That’s good. Predictable — textbook cop mentality. Two more quick turns…
SOUND: TIRES SCREECHING
SOUND: ENGINE REVVING
SOUND: TIRES SCREECHING
ELEANOR
And… there. That driveway looks like it turns around the back, past the car port. Hang on.
SOUND: TIRES SCREECHING
SOUND: TIRES BUMPING ON PAVEMENT
JIMMY
Whoa! Holy…
SOUND: CAR STOPPING QUICKLY
SOUND: ENGINE STOPPING
ELEANOR
Now keep still. If I timed that right, didn’t kick up any tire smoke, he won’t have seen us turn in here.
SOUND: SIREN GOING PAST
JIMMY
Had to do something like that myself once. Well, I wasn’t actually the one driving, but I pulled the emergency brake while we turned, so they wouldn’t see our brake lights. Drifting.
ELEANOR
Drifting? Seriously?
JIMMY
Didn’t know what it was called then, but it worked.
ELEANOR
It’s not… hang on. A few more seconds… Okay, now to vacate before the owner of this house gets curious as to why there’s a car parked next to his swimming pool.
SOUND: ENGINE STARTING
SOUND: CAR DRIVING
ELEANOR
Since we turned in from the east, I’m betting he’ll have turned west at the intersection. Should be clear to backtrack a bit to get out of the vicinity.
SOUND: CAR TURNING, ACCELERATING
JIMMY
Very well done.
ELEANOR
As I said, I have a particular set of skills.
JIMMY
One among many, I’m sure. Definitely would have put Ford to shame.
ELEANOR
And what you did wasn’t drifting.
JIMMY
What?
ELEANOR
What you were saying before. Was it rear-wheel drive?
JIMMY
Um… it was an old Honda, I think. Civic, maybe?
ELEANOR
So front-wheel drive. Not drifting. At best, a controlled slide. More likely uncontrolled.
JIMMY
Um… yeah, that’s probably more like it.
ELEANOR
Drifting’s a specialty. Dramatic, but way slower than a controlled turn. I’d never do it in real-world driving. Especially not with the asphalt hot as it is right now. Intentionally oversteer, sacrificing traction. This Mustang could drift, especially since I turned off traction control. But no better way to draw attention than wagging the tail and sending smoke signals. Best to choose the proper braking point, turn in to set the car, then power out using the throttle to steer.
JIMMY
Sounds like you… really know what you’re doing.
ELEANOR
A bit. You got crazy lucky. Best case, destroy your tires, more likely smash into pieces.
JIMMY
That’s… actually kind of what happened in the end.
ELEANOR
Figures.
(BEAT)
Oh, relax. Don’t mean to be short. Kind of adorable, your wanting to impress. I’m almost flattered.
JIMMY
Yeah, well… I’ve learned my lesson. Again.
(BEAT)
Do wish we’d been able to find more at the motel.
ELEANOR
Farah’s request was just to check on Ford’s status. I’d say that mission was fairly well accomplished.
JIMMY
Yeah, but… hang on. The room was messy, right?
ELEANOR
Are you saying Ford was a fellow “great mind”?
JIMMY
Maybe not all messy people are great thinkers. But… I didn’t see anything actually broken, did you? The door was open, but wasn’t kicked in or anything.
ELEANOR
I gather there’s a point you’re building to?
JIMMY
Just… what if there wasn’t a struggle? I mean, the place is disorganized, but that’s just his normal state. Not like my place, which they ransacked.
ELEANOR
So… the bad guys show up and he just lets them in?
JIMMY
Malone might have flashed his badge. He didn’t want to play cop with me, at least not right away, but it might have been an easy way to prompt Ford to open up. And then… I didn’t say anything before, but pegged Ford as likely to turn the moment he saw a better offer. Not so much from his behavior tonight, but when I first met him, last night. Con artist through and through.
ELEANOR
So you’re saying… Ford just handed the box over?
JIMMY
Could be. They’d have had to offer something decent. Our deal was for fifteen thousand. Not a fortune, but not chump change. Ford also implied Kreitzer had something on him.
ELEANOR
As indicated by his immediate assumption that we were in similar circumstances.
JIMMY
Exactly. Malone, or whoever, makes an offer good enough to beat that. Money or leverage. Maybe both. Ford’d likely smile and take it.
ELEANOR
But why bother to make a deal? Why not just take the box? Like he tried with you?
JIMMY
Ford looked like he could take care of himself. Had to be, what, six-two? Six-three? At least insinuated he’d done time — his mention of the “shovel and pick.”
ELEANOR
But his hardened criminal claims could just as easily been part of his ruse, like the whole cockney accent.
JIMMY
Right, but Malone probably thought it was true. Back to what I said before, each of us playing to our strengths. I’m an observer. Not… always the best, I’ll admit, but that’s what I have. From what I’ve seen of your driving, I’m betting Kreitzer figured that’d come into play. And Ford? Brute force, I’d guess.
ELEANOR
Makes sense enough.
JIMMY
Close quarters like the hotel room, Malone might not have wanted to chance it. And maybe the package wasn’t visible offhand. Malone wasn’t willing to shoot me until he was sure he had the box.
ELEANOR
But in the end, he decided to kill him anyway.
JIMMY
I guess so. Was probably the plan all along. No loose ends. Just trying to develop a working theory.
ELEANOR
See? You may not know much about driving, but you have your own moment to shine.
SOUND: PHONE RINGING
SOUND: PHONE PICKUP
ELEANOR
Farah. Impeccable timing.
FARAH
(FILTERED, ON PHONE)
Were you able to find out anything about Ford?
JIMMY
Unfortunately. Looks like the interested parties managed to find Ford and… cash him out, so to speak. And they got the contents of his package.
FARAH
(FILTERED, ON PHONE)
Mr. Kreitzer is not going to be happy to hear that. Are the two of you safe now?
ELEANOR
I wouldn’t go so far as to say we’re safe, but we appear to be out of the immediate line of fire.
FARAH
Good. I finally spoke with Mr. Kreitzer, and he wants to accelerate the timeline. Probably even more so once he hears about Mr. Ford’s… condition.
JIMMY
So… where and when do we fulfill our obligations?
FARAH
Not sure just yet. He needs to make some calls. I’ll be in touch shortly. In the meantime… please be careful.
JIMMY
Even if out of pure self-interest, I’ll do my best.
ELEANOR
We’ll take care of ourselves.
SOUND: PHONE DISCONNECTING
JIMMY
Well… now what to do? The evening is still young.
ELEANOR
As tempting as the staggering array of possibilities might be, I’m afraid it’s time for us to part ways.
JIMMY
Part ways? Already? But we just got —
ELEANOR
Not that our little escapade hasn’t been captivating, but I do have other matters to attend to. And I have confidence that, despite this evening’s obstacles, you can manage to take care of yourself from here.
JIMMY
Maybe. I could point out we’ve already abandoned our stay-apart mandate. Thought we wanted to compare notes.
ELEANOR
We have. Given what we’ve learned, it’s best we chart our separate paths. Resume separation. We know Malone has at least one accomplice — whoever was driving the red Subaru after me while Malone accosted Ford.
JIMMY
Or the other way around. We don’t know for sure it was Malone who killed Ford. That part’s still speculation.
ELEANOR
True enough. But two pursuers, in either case. Best not give them a single target. Do cheer up, Mr. Harmon. Take heart in knowing you’ll see me again soon.
JIMMY
At which point I’ll hold you to that drink.
ELEANOR
I still don’t recall making any promises.
JIMMY
I’m the eternal optimist.
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES IN
LOS ANGELES STREETS
(DAYTIME CITY SOUNDS)
SOUND: MUSCLE CAR DRIVING OFF
JIMMY (V.O.)
Eleanor drove back by the garage to pick up my car. Gracious enough to wait until I was out safely — I’ve got a bit of checkered history with cars and garages.
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES OUT
SOUND: CAR ACCELERATING
JIMMY (V.O.)
Given Eleanor’s driving, I felt fairly sure Malone and his crony, whoever he was, weren’t watching me now. Had to gamble Malone wasn’t bringing in the LAPD rank-and-file, at least not yet. Should be able to lose myself in a city of four million. Ten million, you consider the whole county. Stay away from my regular haunts. Maybe hit the beach, find a place to park, nod off for a few hours. Assuming I’d be able to sleep in this heat. Safer to head out of town entirely, but I did still have to meet Robin tomorrow. That had to be my top priority. Still a lot of corner pieces missing in this puzzle, and I’d need to be sharp. I was way out of my comfort zone. Deeper I got, the less this felt like poker and more like chess — a game of no-holds-barred conquest, a literal analogue to war. And despite Kreitzer’s assurance we weren’t the ones playing, I had a feeling we were the expendable pawns in this game.
MUSIC: CLIFFHANGER MUSIC CUE
ANNOUNCERLAND
MUSIC: CLOSING MUSIC BEGINS
ANNOUNCER
You’ve been listening to Jabberwocky Audio Theater. Tonight’s production: Quorum: The Gambler’s Tale — “All That Glitters,” episode four of ten. Produced by Jabberwocky Audio Theater, in association with WERA-LP: Radio Arlington, ninety-six point seven FM, Arlington, Virginia.
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Featured in the cast were Cameron McNary as Jimmy Harmon, Ariana Almajan as Eleanor Wallis, Liz Christmas as Farah, Ricardo Padilla as Malone, Tom Kramer as Tom, James Whalen as Paul and the police officer, and Bob Hurley as the racing announcer
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Recorded at Tulgey Wood Studios in Springfield, Virginia, with supplemental recording at a variety of independent studios across the region.
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Music by Brooks Tegler. For specific music information, see our show notes at jabber audio dot com.
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This week’s episode was produced by Bjorn Munson, and written and directed by William R. Coughlan.
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For all the latest episodes and information on Jabberwocky Audio Theater, visit jabber audio dot com.
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If you’re enjoying Quorum and the other yarns we spin at Jabberwocky Audio Theater, be sure to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or your podcast provider of choice. Check out our Patreon page at Patreon dot com slash Team Jabberwocky for exclusive content, and to help us continue to bring you further tales of mysterious suspense and high adventure.
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Until next time, this is Marsha Rehns, saying thanks for listening… and tune in next week for the next episode of Quorum: The Gambler’s Tale!
MUSIC: CLOSING MUSIC ENDS
INGLEWOOD PARK CASINO – RACETRACK
(RACETRACK AMBIENCE, BUSY CROWDS)
RACING ANNOUNCER
(FILTERED, OVER LOUDSPEAKER)
Don’t miss next Saturday’s big concert, featuring the Jacob-Rachael Connection. A perfect way to celebrate the best in thoroughbred racing.
SOUND: PAPER SHUFFLING
TOM
Paul, this is my big day, I can feel it. So close last time, so close. Tell me what I need to seal the deal.
PAUL
Tom, lemme show you what I got. In race one, take the one horse, Sleepy Dan. Even at three-to-one, he’s a bargain. But that’s just the appetizer. Won’t hurt to take a look at Trundle. To make a mint on that horse, the four horse, place a four-dollar exacta… put it on four, three… and another two dollars on four to win. Or if you want to hedge a little, maybe use a three-dollar exacta wheel on four… with three, two.
TOM
Never was one to play things safe, Paul, you know that. Gotta play big to win big!
Text © William R. Coughlan, under license to Jabberwocky Audio Theater. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.