04x10 - Payment Overdue

[bunniefuu]

[theme music playing]

NARRATOR:
Man lives in the sunlit world

of what he believes
to be reality.

But... there is,

unseen by most, an underworld.

A place that is just as real

but not as brightly lit.

A dark side.

Hi, Mrs. Cooper.

This is Jeanette at Sentinel.

Well, it looks like you
let another month slip by

without sending in your payment.

Shame, shame.

Oh, of course l know you're home
on disability.

Of course l know you've got
doctor bills,

but you have also got
very good medical insurance!

Oh, come on, hon.

Now, why don't you just do
a little bit

to carry your own weight?

After all, this is America.

We've got all these
opportunities, all this freedom.

We also have
certain obligations,

and this is one
of your obligations

as a good citizen.

l'll call you back tomorrow
at 4:00.

l'll call at 5:00,

and please don't let this go
to litigation.

Well, if you won't send in
your payment,

you'll be forcing me
to get the courts involved.

That could be very ugly.

Fine. Have your money for me
by tomorrow.

Okay, bye-bye.

Cooper case,
telephone call number ten,



Oh, Mr. Clark, hello!

This is Jeanette at Sentinel.

l have got good news for you!

Yes, at my urging...

Good! And send
those checks in today.

You know how forgetful
you can be!

My pleasure! Bye-bye!

[phone rings]

Hello.

Hi, Jeanette, it's Bill.

Just checking in
on my favorite new worker.

How are things going?

Just great.

Oh, bottom line,
New York is the place to be

if you want to make a k*lling
in today's market.

lf l was good in Louisville,
just watch my dust here!

What?

Friends?

No, not just yet.

l will get out and meet people.
Stop fussing.

Listen, Bill, l need more

of those litigation
form letters.

l know we never sue,
but we can threaten.

Those letters work wonders
on some of these clients.

Guess what?

l got that old hick Mr. Clark
on postdated checks!

Oh, l just know
he's so forgetful.

The first check of his
l deposit is gonna bounce

right to Canada.

Then l'm gonna go after him
for check fraud.

Oh, it always works.

Listen, Bill,
can we talk commission?

l really think that l'm...

What? Oh... sure.

Uh, when you free up,
can you call me back?

Today?

Even tonight's okay.

Sure. Don't forget me.

Bye.

Hello, Mary Jane.
ls your mommy home?

She's not?

Oh, that's too bad.

Well, you know,
she's in trouble.

No, don't cry, Mary Jane.

No, l don't want
your mommy to go to jail either.

$51 is such a tiny amount.

For grownups, l mean.

How? You do?

Oh, for college.

[phone rings]

Hmm. No, Mary Jane,
you keep your money for school.

But you tell your mommy
to call me right away, okay?

[ringing continues]

Bye-bye.

Yes, hello.

WOMAN:
Hello? Hello?

Who is this?

WOMAN:
My payment overdue...

What payment?

WOMAN:
lt's Rita Valdez, Miss Simpson.

JEANETTE:
This is a private line.

This number is unlisted.

Do not call me ever again,
whoever you are.

[tapping keys]

[phone ringing]

Yes?

RlTA:
lt's so lonely and cold here.

So dark and alone.

Payment overdue.

l must make my payment.

Yes, Bill-- deceased.
As in dead.

l don't like pranks, Bill.

Some goon in your office has
given out my private number.

[intercom beeps]

[stammers]

Well, maybe this dead person
knows somebody in your office

who's a cleaning lady. l...

Yes, Charles?

CHARLES:
A Mr. Michael Nelson

from City Welfare has something
for you, Miss.

Well, send him up.

Yes, Miss.

What if this prankster
knows where l live?

This is New York.

People get k*lled
for a subway token in this town.

Well, could you
check on it, please?

Suddenly, l don't feel safe
in my own apartment.

And this place
is like a fortress.

[doorbell rings]

Good-bye, Bill.

Uh... Uh, Jeanette Simpson?

Uh, l'm Michael Nelson
from the city.

Come in.

Oh. Thank you.

Oh, my.

Oh, would you just feel that?

Must be central
air-conditioning.

Ah, you don't get this kind
of cooling from window units.

lt's a studio,
but it has the luxuries.

Ooh, and a view.

Every unit at the Suffolk
has a view.

ls that the park?

And the museum.

Yes.
What is it you have for me?

Um, a payment.

To settle the account
of Rita Valdez.

Now, wait a minute.

First a phone call,
and now a check?

Phone call?

Did someone call from the city?

No. Forget it.

Shall we step
into the living area?

Oh.

lt's lovely.

Thank you.

You see, Miss Valdez
was one of my cases--

uh, welfare cases--

and it has fallen to me
to settle her affairs.

Oh, she died. You knew?

-lt's in the computer.
-Yeah.

Fell or jumped, perhaps,
from her sixth-floor apartment.

lt was tragic.

Made it all the way
from El Salvador

just to die on a sidewalk
in the Bronx.

lllegal alien?

No, no. Political refugee.

Her husband was sentenced
to death

down there by a high judge,

and she remained terrified
of judges or courts,

or even the law,
right up to the end.

Fascinating, l'm sure.

Has this got anything
to do with me?

Well, Rita made me promise
to bring you this,

from her insurance policy,
to settle things.

Why did she jump?

Despair.

Or pain.

She had a brain tumor.

Such hallucinations.

All we found
in her little tenement was,

uh, that new washer and dryer

she bought to take in laundry,

a table, a chair and, uh...
the phone... off the hook.

Here.

[laughs]

Oh, she was very superstitious.

That's, uh... That's supposed
to be a guardian angel, someone

to protect you
when you're on earth

and balance things out
when you die.

Balance what things?

Well, the things between here
and the next place.

You know, if someone had harmed
Rita terribly,

this angel's supposed
to come back and even the score.

Oh, please-- l don't take things
from dead people.

But l promised.

As she lay crumpled
on the sidewalk, l promised.

That's your problem, not mine.

[sighs]
These poor people.

lf you only knew.

JEANETTE: Maybe l know better
than you think.

[rock music playing]

Know what better?

Well, l wasn't born
with central air-conditioning

and a view of the park, no.

l had to pull myself up
on my own,

climb up, brick by brick,
and on my way,

l learned
there are no real sad stories--

only leeches, pretending.

And l learned not to get
involved with any of them.

And how did you learn that?

By marrying a real bum.

Only for a year.

Oh, he would have been thrilled
to see you.

There was nothing he loved more
than his welfare check,

a fifth of whiskey and me
to kick around for the night.

l'm so sorry.

l had it coming.

Daddy told me.

There are two kinds
of people in this world--

doers and takers.

And it's the job of the doers

not to get taken in
by the takers.

Not everyone is a taker.

These people l work with--

they're in such
pitiable conditions.

A condition that you could
get yourself out of

if you were in it,
because you are a doer.

Don't be suckered in so easily.

l know these types.

l hear their tales of woe.

[scoffs]
l swear to God,

you put me in any one
of their places,

and l could work my way out
in no time.

l would get help,
and l would get out.

You would?

Yes. l would.

[phone ringing]

Hello?

Now, you stop this.

This is nuts.

Don't you ever call
this number again.

l know the law, and l know
how to get the police involved.

[sighs]
Goodness.

Some crank.

Some awful person is trying
to scare me.

But why? How?

Out there in that jumble
of buildings

in some cement cubicle,

someone is calling

and pretending
to be someone who's dead.

Who wants to hurt me?

l have no idea.

Please...

stay to dinner?

MlCHAEL:
Chocolate mousse.

Goodness.

Mmm.

You have a very special quality.

You make me feel...

well... safe.

From the phone caller?

Not just that.

Everything.

There.

There you are.

Time for sleepy dreams.

[phone rings]

Oh, no.

[ringing continues]

Hello.

Yes, now, listen here.

Do not call this number again.

You're causing great discomfort.

No, l will not stand for it.

No, that is all.

Did they say who it was?

A man. ''Bill'' he said.

ls that your crank caller?

[laughing]:
No.

-Bill is my boss.
-Oh!

Sorry.

No, don't be.

You were wonderful.

Why don't you stay?

Stay?

W-Well, l-l'm not
propositioning you or anything.

lt's just-- if you could stay,
even for a little,

till-till l fall asleep.

l'm just so jittery tonight.

Well... maybe l'll, uh...

l can relax on the covers here.

[sighs]

Just for a little while.

[phone rings]

Hello?

RlTA:
lt's so cold...

and lonely here.

So lonely here.

Sola.

Lonely here.

Sola.

So...

The scores must be even.

Must be even.

The scores must be even.

Must be even!

Must be even...!

Must be even!

The score...

My payment.

lt's overdue.

-[bashing]
-lt's overdue.

...payment overdue.

lt's overdue.

Where is my ángel?

Where is my angel?

Where is Michael?

Michael...

Michael...!

Michael!

Michael!

[groggily]:
Hmm?

What's all the mess?

Look, if you're in on it,
just tell me what you want.

ln on what?

This Rita game.

The last call, the caller
mentioned your name.

Now, l don't believe
that the dead can talk.

But l do believe that there are
some among the living

who can be very cruel.

But why would anyone want
to be cruel to you?

Well, if they thought that l had

something to do
with someone's bad luck--

like this Rita's dying
or something-- l don't know.

But you didn't.

Right?

l didn't bring that Rita
any more problems

than she had created on her own.

Good.

Then let's get this settled
once and for all.

Your last call to Rita,
when was it?

l don't know.

-Won't your computer have it?
-No.

Sure, it will.
Come on.

Let's get the information.

Come on.

You'll rest much easier when you
see that you're not responsible.

Ah.

Rita Valdez, last call July 10.

l sometimes record my calls.

And you recorded your last call
to Rita.

Perfect.

Now, where's the tape?

l'm not sure.

ls this the one?

l cut the wires.

Well, l'm pretty handy
with these things.

RlTA:
¿Alo?

lt's Jeanette at Sentinel.

Do you have a payment
for me yet?

RlTA:
No entiendo.

Uh, sorry, my-my English.

They sometimes say they don't
speak English, but they all do.

-Really.
-Really?

Miss Valdez, it has
been three months.

RlTA:
Please, l-l so sick.

JEANETTE:
Your payment is overdue.

You must make your payment.

RlTA:
My head, it-it hurts so bad.

JEANETTE: l'm afraid l have to
put your case up for litigation.

RlTA:
Please, the words-- too big.

We never really sue.

lt means you have
to go to court.

See the judge.

RlTA:
No! No! No! Judge kills.

JEANETTE: Someone from a court
of law will call you soon.

RlTA: The courts,
they k*ll, and my head...

[dial tone]

JEANETTE:
Call to Valdez, July 10, 4:15.

Now, how was l supposed to know
that she was really sick,

or what a judge meant to her?

How?

You could've asked.

At 4:15, she dropped
the receiver and jumped.

Are you saying... that l...?

No. You just didn't listen.

Not a grave sin.
Not normally.

Uh, now wait a minute.

You are not my judge or jury.

l'm sorry, but l am.

Things must be balanced,
so the dead can rest.

Rita must rest.

l am getting the doorman.

Please don't fight.

MlCHAEL:
Don't fight.

lt's gonna hurt enough
without the fighting.

Charles?

-Charles!
-RlTA: Did my payment arrive?

ls Michael there?

-¿Alo?
-What do you want, money?

You know, Rita never
had air-conditioning.

And it got so hot in there.

Especially in the daytime.

[Jeanette gasps]

Oh, and the lovely view.

No... No, she had
a sixth-floor view

of the back of a sewage plant.

[Jeanette gasping]

All day, all night,
such ugly street noises.

[subway train passing]

Oh.

No, no nice furniture.

No, nothing at all.

[jackhammer pounding outside]

But she did have that.

And she had that
new washer-dryer.

Took in neighbors' laundry
for a living.

You're behind in your payments.

But you said you could catch up.

No, this is a trick.

Some kind of hallucination.

You've hypnotized me,
haven't you?

No, wait--
l remember her hair.

lt wasn't like that.

And that nice robe.

No, no, it was more like...

that.

No.

lt's impossible.

You've drugged me.

You've made me see things
that aren't there-- stop it.

No... no, Rita...
Rita couldn't speak like that.

Come here.

Let me show you.

What happen?

l no understand.

l...

l Jeanette.

l no talk like this.

l'm not Spanish!

Somebody help.

Of course.

l'll help you.

l've been assigned
to your case, after all.

[gasping]

You trick me.

l no can be like this.

This is trick.

You trick me!

Oh, and this.

[groans]

Oh, it hurt.

Oh, it... it beating...

inside...

l know... l'm so sorry.

[phone rings]

Must be for you.

Go on, answer it--
l'm right here.

[ringing continues]

¿Alo?

Miss Valdez, this is Jeanette
at Sentinel Collection.

Your payments on that washer
and dryer are way overdue.

And l need to know just what you
intend to do about that.

Miss Valdez?

Answer me.

Answer me right now, or l will
have to take drastic measures.

l will have
to get the courts involved.

Answer me...

Answer me!

NARRATOR:
The dark side is always there.

Waiting for us to enter.

Waiting to enter us.

Until next time,
try to enjoy the daylight.