Special Correspondents Page #8

---

up for public auction.

- What?

- You must be thrilled by the results.

- I am over the moon. I am so blown away.

- She sold my Marvel collectibles.

- They're just models.

- They're not models.

They're perfect original figurines.

And the sum will be added to

the donations of the American people.

I thank them from the bottom of my heart

in the name of my husband, Ian Finch.

[Claire] Why did you choose to sell

this particular collection?

[Eleanor] Well, first of all,

all the characters are extremely popular

and the most rare originals around,

and I just thought they would

raise the highest amount.

What good are plastic superheroes,

when my husband, a real hero,

is off languishing in God knows where?

- Ecuador.

- Ecuador.

We haven't even asked for a ransom

and she's already sold my collection.

She wants to be ready

for when they make demands.

- She already has the cash.

- Who's "they"?

- The kidnappers.

- There are no... We're the kidnappers.

And I'm not about to ask my wife

for so much money

that she has to sell

my prized possessions.

We're not gonna ask for money.

That's not the point.

- So why she sell your dollies?

- Oh, for...

They're not dollies. Listen, please.

Keep up. They're collectibles.

[Brigida]

They look like dollies.

[upbeat song plays]

[inaudible dialogue]

[inaudible dialogue]

[laughing]

Yeah, you know, I am anguished. [chuckles]

There's a lot of sorrow.

There's, um, a lot of grief.

I never got a chance to say, "I love you."

I didn't get that chance.

At the same time, there's so many

blessings that are coming my way.

- Right. Okay.

- I mean, the fact that the song is

number one on iTunes

for two weeks running, right?

- Two weeks. Right.

- I mean, that's a dream come true.

I know you do want to reach out

to the kidnappers

and let them know that you're willing

to pay for their release.

Of course. And I also wanna

let my fans know that,

um, I'm working on another album.

[audience applauds]

- On a bona fide album.

- I've got a shitty wife.

- What do you mean, exactly?

- She doesn't care about us. About me.

This is just promoting herself.

...move away from that, you know?

Um...

She does seem

a little happy about things.

- Just a bit. Loving it. Although...

- [Frank] Yeah.

[laughing]

...I don't really care

that she's left me anymore.

See? I knew you'd get over her.

Well, I can see her for

what she really is now. And it's...

Nah.

[sighs]

- I can see her side a little bit, too.

- What do you mean?

Well, she did leave her family and friends

behind to follow you to New York.

Probably pictured both of you

making it big

and suddenly she finds herself

in a one-bedroom apartment

with a guy who likes to spend

his spare time with comic books

- and playing video games.

- I thought she was happy. Sorry.

I'm glad you're over her.

You can move on with your life.

You've got a big fan out there. So, who

are some of your musical influences?

How do you know I live

in a one-bedroom apartment?

Hmm?

"She finds herself

in a one-bedroom apartment."

I don't know that it's a one-bedroom

apartment. It's a figure of speech.

"One-bedroom apartment"

is a figure of speech?

It's like, "Oh, I don't live in the

mansion I thought I was gonna live in."

I don't literally mean

a one-bedroom apartment.

I literally live

in a one-bedroom apartment.

- So, it sounds like a diss.

- Oh, no, no. I didn't mean it like that.

I live in a one-bedroom apartment.

So, it's not a bad thing.

- You made it sound bad.

- No.

And you made the playing video games,

reading comics a bad thing, as well.

- It's not what every woman likes in a man.

- Good. Because I don't want...

I don't like her to want me anymore.

Because I don't want her anymore.

[Claire] As the world waits and worries

about our two journalists in Ecuador,

the whole station joins me

in thinking of Ian Finch,

- whose birthday it is today.

- [Frank] Happy birthday.

- This is Claire Maddox...

- I'd forgotten.

Claire remembered.

She always does.

Everyone's being so nice.

I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry.

I'm calling it a day.

- [chuckles] Calling it a day? Really?

- Yeah.

- What are you gonna do?

- I don't know. I can't do this anymore.

We can't just walk across the street

and say, "Hi, we're home."

- No, I know. No.

- Can we?

We have to get to the U.S. embassy

in Quito.

Which means,

we have to go to Ecuador for real.

- Why do we have to go to Ecuador?

- It's that or we go to jail.

Why did we do all this

if we've still gotta go to Ecuador?

This was all your idea, and we didn't know

it was gonna get so out of hand.

What do we do? How do we get there?

We gotta get across the country. I guess

we drive. We get to the West Coast.

From there, we get on a boat

and we go down to Quito.

Illegally, because we don't

have any passports.

Oh, God.

This is a good birthday present, isn't it?

"Oh, sorry. Happy birthday.

You've gotta go to Quito after all."

[Frank sighs]

- [Finch] Thanks for everything.

- [Domingo] Anytime.

- If you hadn't been there...

- I was there.

Sure. And don't worry about your car.

I'll get it back to you.

Return safely, that's all I ask.

You give those kidnappers hell.

There aren't really... Yeah. Okay.

- We gotta go.

- Okay.

- You need money?

- [Finch] We're on our way to get money.

- I know where there's lots of money.

- [Brigida] Where?

[door creaks]

- [Finch] She's in bed.

- [Frank] I'll wait here.

- It'll be all over in five minutes.

- Well, come in with me.

- No, we agreed I wouldn't have to.

- Why?

- We just did.

- But why did we?

- No reason.

- Well, come in with me, then.

- Okay, but don't wake her up.

- Shh.

- Why do you even have a safe?

- In case I get burgled.

I've got expensive comics.

I've always wanted one, as well.

They're really cool.

[safe beeps]

- [Finch] How much shall I take?

- [Frank] A few more, just in case.

[Frank sighs]

Hiya. Uh, surprise.

Um, Frank Bonneville,

this is my wife, Eleanor.

- Hi.

- What are you doing here?

Aren't you glad that

we're alive and well?

See what I mean?

You'd have more chance with her than me.

- Definitely not.

- No.

Before you explain why you're not being

held hostage in Ecuador, tell me,

- why are you stealing my money?

- We need it, to, um,

bribe our way into Ecuador. To...

[clears throat]

Because I threw away the tickets

and passports at the airport.

- What do you mean?

- I didn't mean to.

I thought I was throwing away the letter

that I wrote you. That, um...

- What are you talking about?

- It's a long story.

- It's not your money.

- Excuse me?

It's not your money. People gave that

money so we wouldn't be in danger,

but we're not in danger,

so it's their money,

but they don't need to know that.

So, it's definitely not yours.

So, now I got nothing again.

You ruin everything.

Well, weren't you gonna spend it anyway,

to pay our ransom?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes