One More Birthday Surprise

Video Clip: One More Birthday Surprise

Time: Shortly after Eden and C.C. get a chance to chat for a while.

Setting: Capwell atrium

Characters: Mason, C.C., Ted, Eden, Kelly, Peter, Veronica, and Lionel.

Peter (Offscreen): Well, it looks like all of the presents have been opened.

Mason: Dad?

C.C.: Yes.

Mason: I wonder if we could go on with what we were talking about before Eden arrived?

C.C.: I'm sorry, what was that?

(The sound of rustling paper and voices are heard in the background as the others clear off the gift table.)

Mason: Well, you were saying something about making me general counselor at Capwell Enterprises.

C.C.: Oh, yes, yes, well...Mason, this isn't exactly the time to talk business. Let's talk about that some other time. All right?

Mason: (Disappointed.) Sure.

C.C.: Eden!

Eden: Yes.

C.C.: I have been wondering where did you get all the money to buy me an airplane?

Eden: (In a teasing tone.) Well, I happen to have friends in very high places. I get all my planes from them.

C.C.: Well, whatever you been doing, keep it up because you look beautiful.

Eden: Well, thank you. It's really nice to be home. (They hug again.)

Ted: Hey! These haven't been opened. Dad, you got two other presents over here.

C.C.: Well, I don't know, how did I miss these? (Approaches the gift table with Mason.)

Ted: They were shoved under all this wrapping paper. (Hands C.C. the larger of the two.) Here, um, no card for them though.

C.C.: Maybe they're inside. (He starts opening the first gift.) What is this? Oh, a tape recorder.

Ted: (Reading the note taped to it.) It says, "Play me." Play me?

Mason: Well, here dad, (takes the tape recorder from C.C.), let me set that up for you.

C.C.: Thank you.

Kelly: I wonder where it came from?

Peter: Maybe the tape will say.

Mason: (Opens the cassette holder and lets the cassette fall to the floor.) Oops. Now, wait a minute. (He steps forward as if to pick up the tape.)

Kelly: Mason, watch it!

Mason: (Steps on the tape demolishing it.) Oh, I'm sorry. That was clumsy of me.

Ted: (Picks up the remains off of the floor.) Well, we'll never hear this tape.

C.C.: Well, I'll never know who sent it now.

Mason: Gosh, I'm sorry. That was extremely awkward of me. (He puts the cassette player down on the table.)

C.C.: Well, it couldn't be helped. (Ted hands C.C. the other gift.) Now what's this one? (Opens the second package to find another cassette. Mason sees it and looks ill.) That's odd, could this be a duplicate?

Ted: (He snatches up the cassette player from the table and takes the cassette from C.C.) Maybe. (Ted puts the second cassette into the player and hits the play button.)

Mason's recorded voice from the tape: Dad lives pretty much as he's wanted to; the family just has to fit in around him.

C.C.: (Stops the cassettes and turns to Mason.) I don't understand. Is this some kind of a joke?

Mason: I don't know anything about it dad.

C.C.: Let's find out. (Starts playing the cassette again.)

Mason's recorded voice: He rules firmly with velvet-covered brass knuckles.

Veronica's recorded voice: Oh, that's not true. You have a lot of responsibilities at Capwell Enterprises.

Mason's recorded voice: Oh, that's true but he rides herd over every one of them. No matter what I do I'm never able to really please him. I never seem to be able to do things exactly the way he would have done them. Which of course is the way God himself would have done them.

Ted: That's your voice Mason.

C.C.: Shh!

Mason: No it isn't.

C.C.: Be quite!

Veronica's recorded voice: Well, he is a very powerful man.

Mason's recorded voice: But power is ugly when it's wheedled to hide a personality problem. Hitler was powerful, so was Ivan the Terrible. Hardly admirable men.

Veronica's recorded voice: Mason! Your not comparing C.C. Capwell to those men?

Mason's recorded voice: You didn't have to suffer the agony of being his son. You know when I graduated Harvard he missed my graduation because of some South  America deal. But if Channing were competing in some National Equestrian event, he would drop everything to be there.

Veronica's recorded voice: Really?

(Kelly turns and glares at Peter when she notices that he's looking very pleased and is suppressing a smile. Her look doesn't stop him.)

Mason's recorded voice: Yeah, oh he's always wanted to be in the history books. I've often thought, privately, that it would be amusing if one day his story ends up argued over who was worse, C.C. Capwell or Attila the Hun.

C.C.: (Turns off the cassette and turns to Mason.) All right! Now, I'm waiting for an explanation.

Mason: I don't have one. It wasn't me. I admit it did sound a lot like me but I never said those things.

C.C.: Does anyone else know where this tape came from or who made it? Is this supposed to be some kind of a joke? And what about that woman's voice? Does anyone recognize it?

Peter: Well, I'm not sure C.C., but it sounds like my secretary, Veronica.

C.C.: Your secretary? Then I want you to get her on the phone, right now. Call her! I want to find out if she knows about this?

Peter: (Walks over to a phone and dials.) Veronica, it's me, Peter. I'm at the house, Capwell house; C.C. wants to talk to you.

Veronica: Me?

Peter: Yeah, hang on.

Veronica: (Covers the phone and whispers to Lionel who is standing over her listening to the conversation.) C.C. Capwell is getting on the phone himself.

Lionel: (Looking happy and excited as he whispers back.) Just as I predicted.

Mason: (To C.C.) Don't you see what's happened, someone has gone to great lengths to play a vicious joke on us? Those voices are obviously fake.

C.C.: That's what I intend to find out.

Mason: You mean you don't believe me.

C.C.: (Speaks into the phone.) Veronica.

Veronica: Yes, Mr. Capwell?

C.C.: I'm going to play part of a tape for you. I want to know if you can identify it, just a second.

Veronica: All right, sir, I'll try.

C.C.: Here it goes. (He plays a piece of the tape while holding it next to the phone receiver. Peter is standing next to C.C. looking very happy about this.) Did you recognize it?

Veronica: Uh, Mr. Capwell, it was a little bit garbled, and it wasn't very clear. It was hard for me to hear it.

C.C.: Then perhaps it would be better if you came over to my house, listen to it in person.

Veronica: (Flashes a pained expression to Lionel, who puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.) I'll be right over.

C.C.: Thank you. I appreciate it.

Veronica: (Hangs up the phone and talks to Lionel while looking distressed.) I don't know if I can pull off what you're asking me to do? I mean, I'm supposed to go over there and face him in person.

Lionel: Do exactly what I described. I know you can handle it.

C.C.: (To Mason) She'll be here very soon. Now we can get to the truth of it.

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