Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye Fan Fiction: "Bank On It" - Part 4 (Conclusion)

"Bank On It," by B.A. Rogers

Continued from Part 3 . . .

SCENE 11 - In the bullpen.

Myles is alone in the bullpen. He looks up as Lucy walks in.

Myles: (nicer than usual) She lives! Must be nice to start your day at (checking his watch) four o'clock.

Lucy: Just stopping by for a few minutes.

Myles: Well. It's nice to see you back.

Lucy: Myles . . . I just want to say . . . Thank you. And you were a good sport to not make a big stink about being called "Mr. Dotson." Repeatedly.

Myles: (shrugs; contemplates for a moment) To tell you the truth---

Lucy: (not liking where this is going) Myles.

Myles: I'm perfectly clear on how you feel about my behavior in the past. I've admitted that I was a world-class cad, a jerk and a loser when we were . . . (searching for words)

Lucy: Whatever we were.

Myles: Yes. (taking a deep breath) But, I admit, sometimes I think---

Suddenly Julie Linden walks into the bullpen.

Julie: Hello, Myles, Lucy. (turning to face Myles) Myles.

Myles: (taken aback) Julie.

Julie: I heard from the District Attorney's office in Virginia this morning. The D.A. told me this is all going to be over, case closed, soon.

Myles: Uh-huh.

Julie: So. When that happens, I'd like it if we could have dinner together.

Myles: You would?

Julie: Yes. (thinking) We could ride the horses down to the Shenandoah --- it's a beautiful trail, I know you'll love it --- and, when we get back, I'll cook. Yes. How about it?

Myles: I'm no equestrian champion, but I am rather at home in the saddle. You know, I spent---

Julie: ---(repeating what Myles has told her previously) --- "all those summers in the Canadian Rockies with my cousin, Toby, eh?" Yes. And you know my views on that. Nothing too good for a cowboy.

Myles is pleased with himself. Then he remembers what he and Lucy had been talking about.

Myles: (looking at Lucy) Um---

Lucy: That sounds lovely, Myles.

Julie: Lucy is exactly right. How about it?

Cut to the bullpen.

Julie Linden has just left, so has Lucy. Jack, Bobby and Dimitrius walk into the bullpen, looking as though they have just escaped from a dreadful meeting.

Bobby: (as he's walking past Myles, noticing his demeanor) You okay, Myles?

Myles nods that he's okay.

Jack: (as he's walking past Myles) Myles? Everything fine here?

Myles shrugs.

Jack, Bobby and Dimitrius go to their desks, They toss down papers and folders they were holding. Then they take their jackets off.

Dimitrius: So, I heard we have chili duty again this afternoon.

Bobby: Bring it on.

Tara walks in with a ladle in her hand.

Tara: I've set your third and final tasting up in the conference room. Sue and I are confident that this will be this year's chili cook-off winner in the "Hot to Trot" category. Follow me, please.

Jack, Bobby, Dimitrius and Myles laugh and get up to follow her.

Cut to the conference room.

The door to the conference room is open to a receptionist area. In addition, there is a large window in the wall between the conference room and the receptionist area. We can see inside the conference room. Jack, Bobby, Dimitrius, Myles and Tara are inside the conference room. Each of the men have a bowl of chili and a spoon.

Just as Sue is about to go inside the conference room, Troy catches up to her. Sue turns to talk to Troy and they end up with their backs toward the conference room window and doorway. (When they sign, subtitles appear on the screen.)

Troy: (signing) Hi. I was in the neighborhood. Thought I'd check on how things are going with the chili.

Sue: (signing) We're on our third experiment. We're feeding it to the guinea pigs now.

Troy: (signing) They say the third time's a charm.

Sue: (signing) We'll see.

Cut to inside the conference room.

Tara: Does everyone have a spoon? Gentlemen, you may begin.

Tara leaves the conference room.

Tara: (to Sue, still standing there with Troy) I'll be right back. Just going to unplug the crockpot.

Cut to inside the conference room.

Jack, Bobby, Dimitrius and Myles take a spoonful of chili and react favorably. They continue to eat more chili as they talk.

Jack: Hmm. Now that's getting there. Good.

Dimitrius: And they were bragging about how hot it was going to be.

Myles: Much more robust. I like it.

Bobby: And a fine bouquet, don't you think?

Cut to Sue and Troy.

Troy: (signing) What did you call this one?

Sue: (signing) "So Hot, I Can't Hear You Screaming."

Troy: (signing) "So Hot, I Can't Hear You Screaming"?

Sue nods "yes" and she and Troy laugh.

Cut to Jack, Bobby, Dimitrius and Myles inside the conference room. They are really starting to feel the heat of the chili now. They are beginning to stammer and gasp.

Jack: Whoa. That's . . . getting hot.

Cut to Sue and Troy.

Troy: (signing) That name is hilarious. On many levels.

Cut to inside the conference room.

Dimitrius: (choking) Wowzer.

Bobby: And the longer it's in my throat, the worse it is. I'm not kidding . . .

Myles looks as though he cannot breathe.

Myles: Throat? (lifting his chin up) Can anyone see my throat? Does it have a hole in it? Right here?

Cut to Sue and Troy. They are still laughing, unaware of what is transpiring behind them.

Troy: (signing) Is it really hot?

Sue: (signing) I don't know. Tara and I haven't tried it.

Sue and Troy crack up even more.

Myles: (yelling from inside the conference room) Ta--ra!

Tara walks up. Her eyes are wide because she hears the guys "screaming" about how hot the chili is. She quickly signs "hi" to Troy, then grabs Sue by the shoulders to usher her out.

Tara: Sue, trust me on this. Time to go.

There is a lot of loud exclaiming coming from the conference room.

Myles: Ta---ra!

SCENE 12 - At the Chesterfield School Auditorium.

The stage curtain has a big banner hung on it that says "Chesterfield School Annual Chili Cook-off." There is a podium on stage and a woman making announcements. We see Sue, Tara and Lucy in the audience, looking a bit nervous.

Woman: Before we get started on our delicious quest for this year's winning chili, I have to announce that we already have one entry that is sold out!

The crowd cheers. Sue, Tara and Lucy applaud and look at each other, like "cool."

Woman: Yes, fans of this chili pot swooped in and bought up all its tickets before it even hit the ladle. So, we want to thank our agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their wonderful support for this year's cook-off. And for giving us our first sold-out chili of the evening --- (looking at a card in her hand) --- that would be the entry named . . . Wow . . . "So Hot, I Can't Hear You Screaming." Well, there you go. Thank you again, Team FBI, for your generous support!

Crowd goes wild.

Sue, Tara and Lucy look at each other puzzled. Then Jack catches Sue's eye from across the room. Sue tells Tara and Lucy to look across the room. They see Jack, Bobby, Myles and Dimitrius.

Cut to the auditorium.

Jack, Bobby, Myles, Dimitrius, Lucy, Tara and Sue are talking together as the chili tasting gets underway around them.

Jack: (to Sue) We couldn't just let you unleash that on an unsuspecting public.

Myles: (to Tara) We had to do it. For the children.

Dimitrius: (to Tara) I have kids, you know.

Jack: (as an aside to Sue) And guess what? Ms. Lancaster dropped her assault case. Turns out her incident with Mr. Prost was just a misunderstanding between friends . . . at the Senior Center.

Sue laughs.

Sue:(to all) I say we celebrate. Lucy's back ---

Jack: Sue whacked me on the head and I lived to tell about it---

Lucy: Myles answered to "Mr. Dotson"---

Dimitrius: What?

Myles: Forget about it.

Tara: Our chili sold out.

Bobby: I'd say it all spells "dinner."

Sue: Great!

Lucy: We can all go to our place. We have lots of leftovers, don't we, Sue?

FREEZE FRAME

THE END

***

You just finished reading Episode 6 of my fanfic "Season 2.5" of Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye. Want more Sue? Check out these additional episodes, and enjoy!:

Episode 1 - "Missed Connections"
Episode 2 - "Ships at Sea"
Episode 3 - "Fly"
Episode 4 - "Dreaming of a White Christmas"
Episode 5 - "Without Words"
Episode 6 - "Bank on It"
Episode 7 - "Blarney"
Episode 8 - "Fame"
Episode 9 - "Viper"

Or check out the Season 2.5 Complete Episode Guide - did you know Julie Linden appears again in Episode 9, "Viper"?

What's the real Sue Thomas up to? Find out!