Out on a Limb

Okay, find a seat. Sit down, please.

My name is Miss Clayton, and I'm your new teacher.

And since today's our first day together,

I think we should get to know one another.

So I'm gonna ask each of you to tell us about your summer vacation.

Who wants to start?

What's your name?

Priscilla Johnson.

You want to tell us about your vacation, Priscilla?

I got the measles.

Oh, the measles. That's too bad.

Was that at the beginning of vacation or the end?

The beginning.

Well, good. Then you had all of August to rest up.

What did you do in August?

I got the mumps.

You didn't.

I did. But it was okay.

It was a neat vacation with lots of presents.

And everyone was very nice to me.

Oh, good.

Except Daddy got nervous when he got the mumps.

But aside from that, it was great.

Is that all?

Isn't that enough?

Sure. Yes.

Thanks, Priscilla.

And what's your name?

Elliot Field.

Go ahead, Elliot. We're listening.

I went to summer camp.

Okay. What'd you do at summer camp?

We threw cottage cheese at each other.

And then what?

Ketchup.

And aside from having food fights, did you do anything interesting?

No, but that was interesting.

Yes, it was. Thank you, Elliot.

And let's see. What's your name?

Marci Campbell.

Tell us about your vacation, Marci.

Well, during my vacation, my brother lost his job,

my mom almost lost her mind

and my stepfather was murdered by his twin brother.

What kind of story is that, Marci?

It's not a story. It's the truth.

It happened in Buzzsaw.

That's a little town up north.

My stepfather was the mayor.

I don't remember any story about a mayor

being murdered by his twin brother.

Okay, Marci, go ahead. Tell your story, we're listening.

It was a dark night.

Actually, it was a dark and stormy night.

A big truck came to my stepfather's lumberyard.

A very big truck.

And in the truck was a killer.

His name was Matt Skearns

and he was very tall like my stepfather

and very ugly like my stepfather.

And he couldn't see without his glasses, like my stepfather.

But that was normal,

because he was his twin brother.

Matt Skearns had come back to town to get his revenge.

He'd been in jail for 15 years for a crime he didn't commit,

so you can imagine how mad he was.

Matt had an accomplice, Virgil,

a man he'd met in prison.

Virgil was mean too, but not as mean as Matt.

Yo, four eyes. You're late, four eyes.

Don't call me that.

So, how are the boys in the joint?

They don't miss me and they sure as hell don't miss you.

Now here's the phone number.

And the name is Van Der Haven. Mayor Van Der Haven.

Good luck. I'll meet you tomorrow night.

I couldn't sleep because of the storm,

so I was relaxing and watching a funny movie on TV

when the phone rang.

Hello?

Mayor Van Der Haven?

Who's calling? Who is this?

Hiya, Petey.

Ah, hold on.

Matt, how nice to hear from you after all these years.

I want $150,000, tomorrow,

at your lumberyard!

$150,000?

Okay, okay.

You'll get your goddamn money, you little shit!

Just keep your end of the bargain.

If I ever see or hear from you again,

I'll personally kill you! Understand?

I'll kill you!

That night I discovered that my stepfather,

who everybody thought was so honest and so respectable,

wasn't the man he pretended to be.

That night I discovered that my stepfather was a criminal.

Wow.

Are you watching too many horror movies, Marci?

No, why?

Well, one thing's for sure. You have a very active imagination.

This isn't imagination. It's the truth.

Are there any comments?

Yes?

It may be too soon to judge, but I have to say I'm really not convinced.

It's so overstated, so melodramatic.

I'm sorry, Julius, I disagree.

So far, it works for me.

It's the most outrageous summer vacation I've heard in years.

Should I go on?

Yeah!

Go ahead, Marci.

I needed help. I needed it fast.

Only one person to turn to.

My big brother, Bill.

Book on Echo Tech, please.

A.R.V. put in an order for 200,000 at 26.

Tell 'em it's gonna get done at 75 with or without 'em.

All right. Odds for a hundred.

Damn, every time. Evens for 200.

Do you read minds?

It's a question of reorientation, Steve.

I know what you're gonna do before you know what you're gonna do.

Jerry Beck had a heart attack last night.

My God, he's only 36.

34. No time for condolences.

You're taking over Daisy Cellular deal.

Background, two days ago, Daisy's C.O. Leonard Hathaway dropped dead.

Controlling stocks slipped into hands of Julie Holland, niece, must sell.

Jerry was to meet today.

Decided to have heart attack instead.

Such poor judgment will cost Jerry.

You will take this meeting.

How much me offer?

160 million ceiling.

I want it bad. Really bad.

Watch out. Travis of Travis, Jacoby and Travis is doing the legal.

The elder Travis?

Yes, Count Dracula himself.

Big bonus if you win.

Let's play poker.

I got a figure in the back of my mind.

Let's see how close you can get to it.

A hundred million.

If we auctioned it off, it'll get done at 175.

Maybe five years ago.

Not with a market this unstable.

160.

110.

Excuse me, Mr. Travis. Telephone call for you.

Excuse me.

It's too bad we have to go through all this.

It's just gonna get done at 140.

How's that?

Oh, Travis is gonna come back in here.

He's gonna say that the two of you have to go somewhere.

That's supposed to make me think he's got another offer.

Watch this.

I'm terribly sorry, but something important has come up.

Julie.

I'd be willing to go 155, but...

120.

You know, there are 100 strategic buyers in Tokyo who will do this for 150.

I've got a figure in the back of my mind,

and you haven't even come close to it yet.

Well, young man, you drive a hard bargain.

140 million, then, eh?

I can live with that.

Bravo, bravo. Very impressive, Bill.

I almost forgot it was my money.

I'm going to my house in Oaxaca for the weekend. Let's do the paperwork there.

Terrific. I can fly there Saturday.

That would be wonderful.

There's no phone, so here's my caretaker's number

and he'll make arrangements for a car to pick you up.

All right. Well, thank you.

And bring your bathing suit.

Or don't.

No. "No" what?

No, you can't have the weekend off.

How do you do that?

Well, every time you want something from me, you interlock your fingers.

Sorry, Jenny. I need you here all weekend.

I'm going to Mexico to close Daisy Cellular.

Your sister's on line one. She's been calling all day.

Hmm.

Hello. Hi, Bill.

Hey, Marci.

Bill, you've got to come up here right away.

Peter's being blackmailed and...

Whoa, slow down. How's Mom?

Mom's fine. Listen, the guy who's blackmailing him is coming to Buzzsaw tomorrow.

Peter talked to him on the phone and said he's gonna kill him.

Please come, just for the day. You got to come, Bill. Please?

Ah, no, I'm sorry, Marci. I'm very, very busy. I really can't.

But, Bill, you don't understand. I mean, this is real.

Anyway, you promised you'd come if I ever needed you.

You've got to come. Please?

Hello?