Episode 10

"Windmills of my mind"

The night sky echoed a cold chill as Pamela sat in the lounge of her house, the clock on the wall ticked to 2am.

Pamela sat holding the mini cassette she had been blackmailed into purchasing. She walked over to the phone and picked it up, flicking through a directory by the phone and dialed the airport

"Reservations please" Pamela stated

"Can you tell me when your next available flight is please from Dallas Fortworth to Rome, Italy" she asked, "Yes I can hold" she said pausing.

Christopher walked in, unknown to Pamela, he watched from the open door.

"Hi, yes (pause), yes that's fine, it's for a Mr Christopher Ewing" Pamela stated "Yes, we have an account, one moment let me get the number"

Pamela turned and looked up, startled to see Christopher

"Mom, what's going on?" Christopher asked sternly.

Pamela hesitated

Credits roll

At Cliff's house a loud knocking on the door woke the family

"Alright already" Cliff shouted as he jumped out of bed

"What's the time?" Afton asked partly asleep

Cliff ran down the stairs as the knocking continued

Cliff opened the door, two men stood in the doorway.

One man showed his ID card

"I'm Detective Cronin with the Dallas Police Department, I'm here to see Pamela Rebecca Ewing"

"Do you know what time it is?" Cliff asked

Becky stood at the top of the stairs looking down.

"It's ok dad, let them in" Becky stated as she walked down the stairs

"Mrs Ewing?" The Detective asked

"Yes, what's wrong?" Becky asked

"We are investigating the death of your husband, John Ross Ewing" he stated coldly.

"At this hour?" Becky asked

"We have reason to believe the helicopter that crashed was tampered with, we believe someone wanted to kill your husband" the detective stated.

Becky looked shocked as Cliff put his arm around her.

Sue Ellen sat in the Southfork kitchen drinking a coffee, her eyes were tired.
Gary walked in and smiled

"Hello Gary" Sue Ellen stated

"How are you Sue Ellen?" Gary asked

"How do you expect me to feel?" she replied

"I'm sorry Sue Ellen" Gary stated

"It would be so easy right now to go to bar, any bar and drink and drink until I feel nothing" she said rubbing her forehead

"But you're not going to do that are you!" Gary stated

"No, of course I'm not, it cross's my mind, but then I think about John Ross and I remember what my drinking did to him, so no, no I'm not" Sue Ellen replied

Gary nodded

"I'm sorry Gary, in all this I haven't even asked you about Lucy" Sue Elen said

"No change, nothing. " Gary replied

"What about Valene? Is she coming" Sue Ellen asked

Gary took a breath "Val is with the twins, you know, the terrible teens and all that" he said

Sue Ellen nodded "I'm sorry Gary but I have to be blunt, if Val really cared about Lucy she would be here now, stop making excuses for her. Maybe now is an opportunity to be honest about how you really feel."

JR walked into the kitchen

"Sue Ellen I need to talk to you" JR said straight to the point ignoring his brother

Gary stood up

"I'll let you know how Lucy gets on" Gary stated to Sue Ellen, she smiled back

Gary looked at JR and the two men did not speak as Gary left the room.

"I can't sleep, I can't get this whole situation out my head" JR stated

Sue Ellen nodded

"It's going to be difficult JR, but we need to take one day at a time" Sue Ellen replied

"Stop being so rational, my god, we've lost our son" JR snapped

"This isn't being rational JR. I'm trying to cope and if I let my defenses down for moment I'm scared I will totally fall apart and right now I can't let that happen" Sue Ellen shouted back at him

"I just feel so angry" JR replied

"I'm angry too, I want to understand and I can't, I can't even see him, just to see him at peace, I can't do that, my own son, I just want them to find him, I just want to see him, I want to say goodbye, I want to hold his hand and touch him, I can't and I hate that, and part of me wants everyone else to feel my pain, but I can't let that take over" Sue Ellen said

JR paused "What if it's true? What if Becky is pregnant with John Ross's child? That's our grandchild she is carrying, our flesh and blood"

"I know, I keep thinking about that" Sue Ellen said quietly

"Do you want that woman, a known drug user, to bring up our son's child?" JR asked

"Of course not" Sue Ellen stated

"If its true, if she is really pregnant with John Ross's child, we need to get custody" JR stated bluntly

Sue Ellen took JR's hand

"That child will not be a substitute for John Ross" she stated emotionally

"No Sue Ellen maybe not but he or she is all we have left" JR replied

"I can't do this right now, we have to sort out a proper farewell for John Ross, maybe we can find a compromise with Becky" Sue Ellen suggested

"You're right but then we have to make decisions about the future" JR stated

Sue Ellen nodded