:F2000

         (F) -  /en4/ /en5/  TIME CODE: 20:00

        Lylla and Justin move into the area.

                                LYLLA
                So Maxine joined the church.

                        JUSTIN
                The question is, why?  And what influence does
                she have on Trudy?

                        LYLLA
                Answers to which suggest we may be allies, after all.

                        JUSTIN
                I'll accept that.

                        LYLLA
                One question: I haven't seen your client
                anywhere.

                        JUSTIN
                She's not here.

                        LYLLA
                Mrs. Brodey missed the wedding?

                        JUSTIN
                Apparently so.

                        LYLLA
                It doesn't make sense.  She sent out the
                invitations, surely an appearance would be
                part of the charade.

                        JUSTIN
                I expected her to be here.  Susanne believes
                she is, hiding somewhere, waiting for an
                opportune time to make a grand appearance.

                        LYLLA
                From what I know about her, it sounds
                possible.

                        JUSTIN
                I don't think so.  I think something happened
                to make her miss it.

                        LYLLA
                That sounds sinister.

                        JUSTIN
                Not necessarily.  You're right about the
                charade: this whole business of Trudy joining
                the church upset her greatly.  It was all she
                could do to send out those invitations.  I
                think a part of her wanted to dismiss it, to
                just pretend it wasn't happening.

                        LYLLA
                Whose idea was it to get married in Portland?

                        JUSTIN
                I'm not sure.  Why?

                        LYLLA
                Trudy could've married anywhere.  If it was
                her idea to come home to marry, then that was
                rather like putting her mother on the spot.

                        JUSTIN
                You're still hinting at a relationship between
                Maxine and Trudy, siding  against Helen.

                        LYLLA
                The possibility should interest you.

                        JUSTIN
                Maxine gave state's evidence against Helen.
                It's our contention that the murder was
                Maxine's idea in the first place, that Helen
                didn't take it seriously even if she knew
                about it.

                        LYLLA
                Did she?

                        JUSTIN
                She says she did.  It was never explicit.
                Maxine hinted at the possibility of poisoning
                the cheesecake before giving it to the
                doctor.  And that's exactly what she did.

                        LYLLA
                And then turned state's evidence against Helen
                -- and then joined the church.  But I don't
                see the connection.

                        JUSTIN
                Nor do I -- yet.  It would be interesting to
                clarify the relationship between Maxine and
                Trudy.

                        LYLLA
                You know that they're lovers?  Or used to be,
                at least.

                        JUSTIN
                Yes.

                        LYLLA
                Then it's very likely Trudy herself may have
                motivated Maxine's actions.

                        JUSTIN
                Perhaps.

                        LYLLA
                My interest, of course, is to contest Trudy's
                claim to the estate.  Conspiracy in the murder
                of her father would do that very nicely.

                        JUSTIN
                You have a lot of work to prove it.

                        LYLLA
                We both have a lot of work.

                        JUSTIN
                This isn't the best place to do it.

                        LYLLA
                But while we're here, why not find out what we
                can?

                        JUSTIN
                Your use of "we" is getting a little
                presumptuous.

                        LYLLA
                All I mean by it is that we both may come upon
                information the other can use.  We have
                antagonists who may be in this together.

                        JUSTIN
                True enough.  But let us assume no more than
                helpful cooperation.

                        LYLLA
                If you're worried about my stealing some of
                your limelight--

                        JUSTIN
                That's not what I meant.

                        LYLLA
                Then I should apologize.

                        JUSTIN
                Then do.

                        LYLLA
                I can see why you're so tough in the
                courtroom.  I apologize.

                        JUSTIN
                What we have in common, if our speculation is
                correct, is that we have clients to defend
                against, if you will, a similar, or somewhat
                similar, enemy.  And that's it.  We aren't
                rivals, for headlines or anything else.

                        LYLLA
                I've never had a headline in my life.

                        JUSTIN
                Then don't pin your jealousy, if that's what
                it is--

                        LYLLA
                It isn't.  I've never wanted a headline.  I
                don't see what headlines have to do with
                justice.

                        JUSTIN
                A moment ago I thought we were here to discuss
                common legal interests -- now I understand
                what you really want to do is--

                        LYLLA
                Wait -- I apologize again.  Sincerely.  That's
                not what I meant at all.

                        JUSTIN
                Are you misunderstood this often in court?

                        LYLLA
                Touche.

                        JUSTIN
                If the shoe fits . . .

                        LYLLA
                Why don't we plan a strategy?  It might be
                less obvious if I corner Maxine and you corner
                Trudy.  Then we can compare notes.

                        JUSTIN
                I doubt if we'll learn much under the
                circumstances.

                        LYLLA
                I've never met Maxine.  She may not even know
                I'm an attorney.

                        JUSTIN
                Trudy knows me, of course.

                        LYLLA
                But it would be quite natural for you to offer
                your congratulations.  We get in the spirit of
                the wedding, let them talk, and see what
                happens.

                        JUSTIN
                An inefficient methodology -- but since I'm
                here anyway, why not?

                        LYLLA
                Why not, indeed?

                        JUSTIN
                After you . . .

        But Angelo enters as they are about to leave.
        /en13/  TIME CODE: 23:30

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