ANGELA BAILIFF BLAKE BOBBY CITY_CLERK CITY_DRIVER COATS DERRICK DRIVER HOST IMANI JESSICA JUDGE_GREEN KERI LILLIAN MALONE MCGANN MORRISON NICK NIVENS ORGANIZER OSCAR PROTESTERS SONG_LYRICS VENDOR OSCAR Ms. Pearson? Everything okay, ma’am? JESSICA I’m fine, Oscar. Thank you. SONG LYRICS Ooh… SONG LYRICS Always working against yourself… CITY DRIVER Home, Ms. Pearson? JESSICA I’m going to walk tonight. SONG LYRICS Oh, you’re always working against yourself… Oh…Oh… SONG LYRICS Oh… JESSICA Calumet and Sixty-First. SONG LYRICS Always taking your load… KERI Hello? JESSICA Is he with you? SONG LYRICS Oh… JESSICA I need to know. KERI Look, I’m kind of in the middle of this. JESSICA He’s supposed to meet me and he’s not here. KERI He’s not with me. I swear. JESSICA Have you spoken to him? KERI Jessica, what’s going on? Where are you? JESSICA Stay on the line. KERI You’re scaring me. Where are you? Jessica. SONG LYRICS Vicious circle… BOBBY Steph said she told you to come in the house. NICK It’s family time. I didn’t want to intrude. BOBBY This again? I mean, Christ, we’ve been over this a million times. NICK It’s not about that. I like the fresh air. BOBBY What, you like the fresh air? NICK Yeah, I do. How’s she doing, by the way? BOBBY Who, Steph? She’s fine. NICK You’re the man. You know best. BOBBY What’s going on in that head of yours? NICK Nothing. BOBBY Bullshit. I know you. You got a bug up your ass. I want to know what it is. NICK It’s this Pearson woman. BOBBY What about her? NICK You don’t know her, Bobby. BOBBY I know she was smart enough to get Pat McGann by the balls. NICK I’m serious. Don’t bring her inside. Find out what she wants and then… BOBBY I’ve given her what she wants. I run a big city here, alright? I know what I’m doing. What are you worried about? NICK I worry, okay? It’s my job to take care of you. BOBBY It’s your job to get me to Stan’s before they run out of glazed. NICK You’re an asshole. BOBBY I was going to say treat yourself, but... NICK Let’s get out of here. JESSICA Hmm. This is a nice way to start the day. MALONE Mm-hmm. Doesn’t have to end here. JESSICA Mm. MALONE I’ve earned myself a few sick days. JESSICA I haven’t. Mm. Oh. MALONE You are really doing this. JESSICA Jeff. MALONE I’m not looking for a fight, Jessica. I’m trying to have your back. JESSICA You had all weekend to have my back. Dropping this on me when I’m on my way out the door? That’s a fight. MALONE I gave you the weekend because I thought that you would come to your senses. JESSICA You know, I made a promise to my father. MALONE To reconnect with your family, not work for a professional liar. JESSICA All politicians are professional liars. At least this way, I can actually help my family. MALONE Oh, Jessica. JESSICA No, don’t you get it? I’ve spent years doing nothing but making money and fighting to keep my name up on a wall. My life needs to be about more. MALONE And it has nothing to do with you missing the action. JESSICA You know what? For a man who doesn’t want to start a fight, you’re doing a lousy job. MALONE Jessica, wait. I’m sorry. This is the last thing that I wanted. JESSICA No, I know what you wanted. You thought you’d tell me about some rumor that your friend at Justice heard and that I’d just forget about the whole thing. MALONE It is not a rumor. The man who went up against the city was found murdered. JESSICA If your friend knows something, tell him to show you. MALONE I can’t go to him now. You’re about to be the mayor’s brand new right hand. I live with you. And that makes me a part of it. JESSICA Oh, so, that’s what this is about. MALONE No. Don’t make me the bad guy. JESSICA You are allowed to look out for yourself, Jeff. I wouldn’t want to be with a man that didn’t. But you’re going to have to decide whether or not you want to be a part of this. Because like it or not, I’m taking that job. And I won’t have this same conversation every morning. DRIVER Ms. Pearson. City Hall, ma’am? JESSICA Just drive. IMANI This is stupid. Can I go, please? ANGELA No, you can’t. They’ve still got to get your blood sugar up. So, sit still. IMANI You’re creeping me out, lady. ANGELA Jessica. ANGELA What are you doing here? JESSICA Can I talk to you? It will just take a minute. ANGELA In case you hadn’t noticed, this is an emergency room. So, unless it’s an emergency... JESSICA I’m dropping your mother’s lawsuit. ANGELA What do you mean, you’re dropping it? JESSICA The mayor offered me a job… JESSICA …if I let it go. And I’m taking it. I just want to be straight with you. ANGELA Wow. You’re not even trying to soft peddle it, are you? JESSICA Angela, please. ANGELA Please what? That poor girl’s starving herself out at Franklin… ANGELA …and you walk in to tell me you’re selling us out to further your career? JESSICA Franklin? ANGELA The strike? The hunger strike? What do you want with me, Jessica? JESSICA All I want is for you to listen to why. ANGELA Well, I don’t have time to listen. Because while you’re out here cutting yourself a deal… ANGELA …I have to find my family a place to live. JESSICA We could have dragged that lawsuit out for months. When it was over… JESSICA …we were going to lose. I take this job, I can do more than just save… JESSICA …one housing project. ANGELA Do more? You don’t even know what’s going on down the street. Look, I didn’t expect you to do this thing for us in the first place. ANGELA But my mother, she put her hopes in you. She may put on a brave face, but trust me, the minute you left… ANGELA …she cried her eyes out. ANGELA Shit. You didn’t even tell her. JESSICA I’m going to. ANGELA Uh-uh. JESSICA I was… ANGELA I see what’s going on here. You were hoping that I’d tell her for you. ANGELA Let me tell you something, cousin. I do enough dirty work around here. ANGELA You have to do that yourself. DERRICK Hold up, big guy. Not so fast. DERRICK Lunch with Local Nineteen. DERRICK We have to talk about messaging. BOBBY What’s to message? BOBBY All they’re going to do is bust my balls about the docks drying up. DERRICK Hey, I’ve been saying we should start talks to upgrade the Port. BOBBY Are you my policy guy now, too? DERRICK Maybe I should be. BOBBY Oh. Okay, fine. BOBBY That’s what we’ll tell them. DERRICK You’re not serious. BOBBY No, you sold me. They won’t know what we’re talking about and it will buy us time. DERRICK So, now, we’re lying to the Longshoremen. BOBBY Hey, Derrick. You do know the tooth fairy was your dad, right? DERRICK I’m just saying instead of bullshitting them, how about we actually upgrade the ports? At this rate, the unions will be dead in… BOBBY Your point’s been made. What else? DERRICK The press found out that your buses have been delayed again, and they’re pushing me for a statement. You can’t blame them. BOBBY Goddamn it. DERRICK You told them you’d be fully electric by the end of last year. And now, nearly half the old fleet is either broken down… BOBBY Or off the road. I’m aware. Just figure out what to say. Don’t make me look stupid. DERRICK You? Look stupid? Never. BOBBY Let me and Keri have a minute. KERI Derrick. BOBBY Fucking guy’s going to be the death of me. KERI You love him. BOBBY Yeah, well, I’m not going to tell him that. What’s going on with the buses, Keri? I’m taking a beating here. KERI You know what’s going on. Nivens is an asshole, and he’s flexing his muscles because you didn’t give him the Lansing contract. BOBBY You have too much on your plate. KERI I know what I can handle. BOBBY A city attorney who burns out after a year doesn’t do me any good. KERI I’m not going to burn out. I’m going to get this done for you like I do everything else. BOBBY I’m not saying you won’t. I’m just saying maybe Jessica Pearson can make some headway. KERI That’s funny. Oh, my God. You’re not kidding. BOBBY I’m not. KERI Since when does she do anything for you? BOBBY Look, I know you don’t like her. But she ran a huge New York firm. She’s got skills and free time, and she wants back in the game. KERI This is crazy. She’s going to work for you while she has a lawsuit against the city? BOBBY There is no lawsuit against the city. KERI There was as of yesterday. BOBBY There is no lawsuit. KERI Well… I don’t know what you expect from me. BOBBY I expect you both to be professional. KERI How is that going to work? I took her law license for you. BOBBY You took her license for you. KERI Regardless, she knows I’m the one that took it. And she accused me of sleeping with you. Nothing? Okay. Is that it? BOBBY Keri. KERI Is that it? BOBBY That’s it. I just didn’t want you to be blindsided, that’s all. Just stay in your lane. I’m sure she’ll stay in hers. PROTESTERS ORGANIZER We need to tell them that we do matter. Our teachers matter. ORGANIZER And our children matter. JESSICA Let me out here. ORGANIZER It’s not just our schools we’re fighting for. There’s at least twenty others on the chopping block. And all from the West and South sides. JESSICA The low-income neighborhoods. ORGANIZER Mm-hmm. City says it’s because of poor performance. But how are our kids supposed to perform when they’ve been letting our schools rot for the last thirty years? JESSICA Well, what about your local alderman? He must be fighting to save it. ORGANIZER Miss Sell-Out? All she talks about is trying to privatize. She doesn’t give a damn about anybody but herself and her fat cat donors. JESSICA Well, if that’s the case, then she probably doesn’t care about that young girl that collapsed this morning. ORGANIZER I’m sure she doesn’t. What’s your point? JESSICA My point is, this is all well and good. But it doesn’t get you a seat at the table. ORGANIZER Who did you say you were again? You “ain’t” from around here. That much I know. JESSICA Well, what if I told you I work for the mayor? ORGANIZER If you do, I would tell you both to go to hell. His child has a school. If this plan goes through city council, mine won’t. SONG LYRICS Oh, there’s a shakedown in my town… SONG LYRICS Said I cannot make it… Come a long ways from faking it… JESSICA Which floor is the mayor on? OSCAR Fifth floor. SONG LYRICS Don’t want to crucify me… For being a believer… Sometimes I see what they see… BOBBY Granted, it’s not a New York law firm, but it’s the best we had. JESSICA If I wanted a view of the park, I’d have stayed in corporate law. BOBBY You’re late, Ms. Pearson. JESSICA Would you like to know why? BOBBY I have a feeling I don’t. JESSICA I’m late because I paid a visit to one of the schools you’re shutting down. BOBBY If you’re talking about what’s going on at Franklin, that’s a decision the City Council’s making based on budgetary concerns. JESSICA And that’s a bullshit line a politician gives when he knows he’s on the wrong side of an issue. BOBBY You’re going to learn pretty quickly around here that issues are often less important than relationships. JESSICA Alderman Coats. BOBBY See? You’re a quick study. JESSICA Oh, I did the math. You need her allegiance. She needs her big-money backers. And when they tell her to jump, you say how high. BOBBY Debbie Coats is a friend and an ally. And right now, I need all the allies I can get. JESSICA Even if that ally is selling out the black community. BOBBY No one’s selling anyone out. And the strike will blow over. In the meantime, try focusing on what I brought you in to do. JESSICA Electric busses. Mm. Can’t wait to dig in. BOBBY May not be as sexy as a good old-fashioned hunger strike, but it affects a hell of a lot more people on the South Side than whether Franklin High School stays open. And right now, this is what I want. JESSICA In that case, I look forward to getting up to speed. BOBBY Way to tie in the bus motif. JESSICA I’m here all week. BOBBY Welcome to City Hall. Don’t be late again. MCGANN His Honor. Where’s your detail? BOBBY Resting outside comfortably on the city’s dime. MCGANN Old Man Daley wouldn’t take a shit without a cop outside his stall. BOBBY Lucky cop. MCGANN What’s this? BOBBY It’s the lawsuit against North Park. Go ahead and rip it up. VENDOR Yo, Pat. Your dog’s up. MCGANN I hope you made better deals when you were a public defender, because you just gave away the store. BOBBY What are you talking about? MCGANN What the hell are you thinking bringing Jessica Pearson into City Hall? Are you a goddamn idiot? VENDOR Here you go. BOBBY I had no choice. She was going to crack open your books and tie your dirty money to me. What was I supposed to do? MCGANN Figure something out. You don’t give her the keys to the kingdom. BOBBY I’m giving her an office. That’s all. And if anyone’s to blame for this mess, it’s you. MCGANN Hey. Watch yourself, Bobby Boy. BOBBY Oh, now, it’s Bobby Boy? When it’s the middle of the night and you’ve been played like a chump, then it’s, “Do something for me”… MCGANN Alright. BOBBY …”Mr. Mayor.” MCGANN Without me, you’re a lifer on the City Council making speeches about opposite side of the street parking. BOBBY I know what I owe you. MCGANN Do you? Because you better not have any illusions about letting this woman get between us. BOBBY I don’t know what that means. MCGANN It means that now that you know what she’s capable of, are you going to use her to come after me? BOBBY Jesus Christ. I told you. I know where I stand. MCGANN What about where she stands? Okay? That shit with North Park is nothing compared to what she could find. She’s a threat to both of us, Bobby. BOBBY And that’s why I hired her. Someone once taught me to keep my enemies close. MCGANN Well, you remember that the first time she pulls on her leash. VENDOR Bobby Novak in the house. JESSICA There are plenty of good restaurants in your ward. Norm’s, I hear, has a fabulous gumbo. COATS Well. I’m not required to eat in the community I serve, ma’am. JESSICA No, but you are required to serve that community. And from what I gather, you’re falling asleep on the job. COATS I don’t mean to be rude, but who are you? JESSICA I’m working on behalf of those nice people who are starving to keep their school open. COATS You can tell those nice people instead of blaming me, they should be thanking me. JESSICA Now, I know politicians like to take credit for everything, but you’re going to have to walk me through that one. COATS Did you know I grew up just down the street from Franklin? JESSICA I know all about you. COATS Then you also know I took a bus twenty-one miles round trip every day because my parents wanted me educated at a magnet school. I hated every minute of it, but it was the best thing for me. JESSICA Are you saying you know what’s best for the people of your ward? COATS I’m saying if they let me, I’m trying to lift them up. JESSICA The only person you’re interested in lifting up is yourself. COATS You look like you’ve been doing pretty well for yourself, too. And I know all of the community organizers in this town, so I will ask you again. Who the hell are you? JESSICA I work for your friend, Bobby Novak. And if you think he’s going to sacrifice his re-election to keep you in office, you’re sadly mistaken. JESSICA I’m assuming you’re the “me” in “See Me”. BOBBY Did you tell Debbie Coats I was going to sell her down the river? JESSICA I told her it wasn’t in her self-interest to close down that school. BOBBY Goddamn it, let’s be clear here. I gave you an assignment. And not only did you ignore it, you alienated one of my closest allies. JESSICA First of all, I’m not your student. I don’t take assignments. Secondly, you ally yourself with that woman, you’re going to be a one-term mayor. BOBBY You don’t know anything about politics. JESSICA But I do know about power. And if you sit around waiting for this thing to blow over, you won’t have any. BOBBY Please. You’ve been here all of two minutes. JESSICA And it took half that to see what they think about you on the South Side. These aren’t stupid people, Mr. Mayor. BOBBY Oh, I know that. JESSICA They’re smart. BOBBY I agree. JESSICA They’re passionate. And all they want is for their children to… BOBBY Thank you for the civics lesson. JESSICA …go to a decent school. BOBBY I’m a product of public schools. I would love nothing more than to pour money into Franklin and every other school about to close. It breaks my heart when I see what’s going on out there. But I have to make choices. JESSICA Then make the right choice now. BOBBY This isn’t going to work. JESSICA Oh. Come on, baby, this is our first fight. Don’t be like that. BOBBY I’m not joking around. You knew what the deal was when you took it. You may not be my student, but you do take assignments. And if you can’t do that, we’ll shake hands and call it a day. JESSICA So, you’d be willing to cut ties right here and now. BOBBY In a New York second. JESSICA Well, what makes you think I won’t toss that little grenade I have on you and Pat McGann? BOBBY If you really thought that would get you what you wanted, you’d have done it already. JESSICA And what is it that you think I want, Mr. Mayor? BOBBY The opportunity to stand where you are right now. JESSICA You’re moving out? MALONE I’m taking that trial in Miami. JESSICA The one you said you weren’t interested in two weeks ago? MALONE Well, Dana convinced me that they could really use my expertise. JESSICA How long are you going to be gone? MALONE It’s a “RICO” trial, Jessica. You remember what those are like. JESSICA So, do you want to get into it now? Or do you want to run away and pretend we don’t have things to talk about? MALONE I’m not running anywhere. My firm needed my help on… JESSICA Don’t lie to me, Jeff. You’re better than that. You need space, say you want space. But don’t pretend you didn’t call them and volunteer. MALONE You want the truth? I did go to them and volunteer. I should go. I’m already cutting it close. I’ll call you in a day or so. JESSICA So much for having my back. MALONE I do have your back, Jessica. But there are two people in every relationship. Two. And right now, I need to look after my own. IMANI No offense, but I am not going to miss this place. ANGELA Well, I don’t want to see you back here either. You better listen to what that nurse said about your shots. IMANI Screw that. But I’ll listen to you. Because you’re the best nurse here. ANGELA Well, to be honest, I’m not actually a nurse. IMANI You got the outfit. ANGELA Yeah, it’s called a Certified Nursing Assistant. But what I mostly do is change sheets and clean bed pans. IMANI I would hate that. ANGELA Yeah, I don’t love it either. But I never had a chance to get an education. That’s why what you’re doing to save the school is so important. IMANI Thank your cousin for that. ANGELA What do you mean? IMANI She came by to see me last night. Said she knows the mayor, and that she’d do all she could to help. ANGELA She said that, huh? IMANI That was nice of her to check in on me. She didn’t have to do that. ANGELA KERI I know. It’s just what everybody’s doing these days. I’m telling you, you don’t look a hundred. You don’t look a day over ninety-nine. I’ve got to call you back. Okay. Bye. JESSICA Hello, Keri. KERI Ms. Pearson. I understand you’re joining our happy little family. JESSICA I am. And because I know what a busy woman you are, I’ve taken it upon myself to whip up the first draft of a lawsuit. KERI This shouldn’t be news to you, but you’re not a lawyer anymore. JESSICA Like riding a bike. KERI City of Chicago “V” Midwest Portage. You want to sue the bus manufacturer. JESSICA The mayor gave me an assignment. I’m just following orders. KERI Do you know why we don’t go after our supplier, Ms. Pearson? JESSICA Because you don’t know what a simple breach of contract looks like? KERI Because we have an existing relationship with the C.E.O. that stretches back over ten years. JESSICA That sounds like patronage to me. KERI And suing only draws attention to the fact that one of the mayor’s signature issues is failing. JESSICA Well, let me guess. You’d rather handle it with endless lunches on the taxpayer’s dime. KERI Like I said, it’s a relationship. And you have a lot to learn about the way things are done around here. JESSICA And you still have a lot to learn about being a lawyer. KERI I understand the concept of a bluff. Is that what this is? I’d just like to know, since obviously you have a plan. JESSICA It’s a kick in the ass. Which is why the mayor brought me in. Nice to see you, Keri. DERRICK Mrs. Pearson. JESSICA Ms. Pearson. DERRICK Right. Uh… I just wanted to say that I heard what you’re doing with the hunger strikers. And if you need any help with anything... JESSICA I’m sorry. Who are you? DERRICK I’m Derrick Mayes, ma’am. I’m the mayor’s press secretary. JESSICA Oh. In that case, maybe you should talk to him. DERRICK I talk to him all the time, but it doesn’t seem to change anything. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Bobby’s like Superman to me. But he straddles the fence on too many issues. I’m glad someone’s here to push him. JESSICA You shouldn’t go behind the mayor’s back like this. DERRICK It’s good for him. JESSICA He won’t see it that way. DERRICK Isn’t that what you did with the alderman? JESSICA Someone likes to listen in on conversations. DERRICK My ear’s to the ground, ma’am. Not outside his door. JESSICA Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Derrick Mayes, but the strikers are on their own. DERRICK This is the exactly the kind of thing we should be fighting for. JESSICA Then take it up with Superman. DERRICK I’m taking it up with you. KERI Am I taking orders from this woman? I just want to know what the ground rules are. BOBBY Keri, keep your voice down. KERI Stay in her lane. She’s not only out of her lane, she’s swerving into oncoming traffic. BOBBY What happened? KERI What happened is that she waltzed into my office like Marie Fucking Antoinette, telling me who and what to sue as though I were an associate at her law firm. Midwest Portage. Ring a bell? BOBBY I told you I was having her look into it. KERI So, you’re okay with this. BOBBY Yeah, I’m okay with it. In fact, I’m happy as hell because it shows me someone’s actually listening. KERI That’s amazing. Day two, it’s already come to this. BOBBY Keri. KERI Why is she here? Really, why is she here? Don’t give me some bullshit excuse about clearing my plate. I know you cut a deal with her. BOBBY It’s not what you think. KERI Is this your way of marginalizing me? Because we’re… BOBBY Marginalize you? I’m trying to protect you. I know it made you sick to help McGann, to kick those people out on the street. There’s too much dirty shit I have to do, including why I cut a deal with her. And I value you too much to have you mixed up in it. KERI Then tell her to back off and let me do my job. BOBBY You tell her. KERI Bobby. BOBBY I miss you. It’s been weeks. It’s killing me. KERI I… I have worked too hard to be seen as that girl. BOBBY No one sees you as that. KERI She does. The woman that you brought in to keep me clean. She sees me as that. And every time I see her, it’s a reminder. BOBBY So, now, she’s the reason we’re not sleeping together? KERI It’s ironic, isn’t it? MCGANN Oh. I love the whole Deep Throat thing. NICK I shouldn’t be seen with you. MCGANN Relax. You’re a cop. Oh, and here’s the money I owe you for failing to intimidate Jessica Pearson when she came to town. NICK I don’t want it. MCGANN Come on. Think of it as a retainer. NICK Listen, Pat, I’ve been thinking. MCGANN Ah, don’t think. Just do your job and let me know what Bobby’s doing with this woman. NICK You want me to spy on my brother? MCGANN Just keep your eyes and your ears open. Don’t get all dramatic. NICK I’m getting a little tired of you telling me what to do. MCGANN Alright. Easy. NICK I’m his brother. MCGANN You’re his half-brother. His bastard half-brother who he won’t even acknowledge because he cares more about his political future. Hey, look. I’m not saying Bobby doesn’t care about you. I know he does. But if this woman pokes her nose in things and blows everything up, you’re not a Novak. That’s all I’m saying. So, if not for me, do it for yourself. NIVENS When you said you wanted to meet after work, I was hoping it would be a Bulls game, not a charity event. KERI Oh. Well, I can’t justify a thousand dollars on somebody who’s already welching. NIVENS Okay, I admit. We’re behind on the buses. Guilty as charged. KERI I appreciate the mea culpa, Dennis, but the mayor still thinks that you’re punishing him because you didn’t get the Lansing deal. I’d hate to think you’re that petty. NIVENS That’s not what this is about. The God’s honest truth is that our supply chain is broken. JESSICA Blaming the supply chain. That never gets old. NIVENS I’m sorry. You are? JESSICA Jessica Pearson. I thought the two of you would be discussing settlement? NIVENS Settlement? What is she talking… KERI I’m sorry, we must have gotten our wires crossed. We were just discussing a plan for expediting the delivery of the buses. JESSICA Oh, a plan never starts with “The God’s honest truth”. That’s an excuse. And the mayor has had enough of them. I believe this is yours. NIVENS You’re suing me. KERI No. Nobody’s suing anyone. Ms. Pearson is new and she doesn’t understand how things are done in Chicago. JESSICA She’s right. In New York, when someone’s serving up bullshit excuses, it doesn’t matter if they’re backed up by a stringed quartet. They’re still bullshit. NIVENS What’s bullshit is you pulling this good cop/bad cop act on me. I still have a lot of pending deals with your office, Keri. KERI Yes, you do. And unless you’re willing to start honoring your contract today, I may want to rethink all of them. NIVENS I don’t appreciate being played. KERI Neither does the city. See you in court. JESSICA I like the way you went with that. You almost remind me of a young me. KERI What the hell do you think you’re doing? JESSICA At the moment, your job. KERI That would be impossible since I’m the actual lawyer. JESSICA That didn’t stop me from getting one of the twenty eager lawyers in your office to draft that for me. KERI Oh, is that what this is about? You want to humiliate me? JESSICA Humiliate you? I just raised your stock. You’ve finally shown him you have a spine. LILLIAN No, no, no, no. No, no, no. Not the million! Ooh. Thank god. ANGELA She didn’t lose the money, did she? Please tell me she didn’t lose it. LILLIAN No, thank God. But that red ball bounced ten times before it landed. ANGELA The kids asleep? LILLIAN Yeah. I put them down about an hour ago. ANGELA Be nice to see them awake once before they’re eighteen. LILLIAN ANGELA Thanks, Mom. Hmm. You hear from Jessica? LILLIAN No. Is something wrong? ANGELA No. She showed up at the hospital yesterday, got all up in my business. LILLIAN What happened? ANGELA You remember those kids on T.V.? They’re trying to save Franklin? One of them landed in my E.R. LILLIAN Dear Lord. ANGELA In walks Jessica making big promises to this poor girl about keeping her school open. LILLIAN Maybe she’ll do it. ANGELA What makes you say that? LILLIAN What? I… ANGELA Look. These kids are starving themselves and no one gives a damn if they live or die. But some outsider strolls in and they’re just going to keep the school open? LILLIAN She is a successful woman, Angela. People, they… they listen to her. ANGELA Yeah, well, people listen to a lot of folk who are full of shit. LILLIAN You are being a little too hard on her. ANGELA She’s all talk, Mom. And the sooner you realize that, the better. HOST We have one red ball left. DERRICK The mayor went home. JESSICA I’m not looking for the mayor. I’m looking for you. DERRICK Look. I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds. I can get a little overzealous. JESSICA No, overzealous is good in the right hands. It gets things done. DERRICK You want something from me… JESSICA Mm-hmm. DERRICK …don’t you? JESSICA You want to make a difference, all you have to do is get me the last three tax returns for Alderman Coats and tell me where she lives. DERRICK Is this legal? We’re not doing anything illegal, are we? JESSICA We’re putting our money where our mouth is. BOBBY Hey, don’t forget. We’ve got that fundraiser up in Glencoe before the council meeting tomorrow. NICK I’ve got a lane on ninety-four in case we’re running late. BOBBY Good man. NICK I saw McGann today. BOBBY That’s funny. I guess he didn’t like what I had to say. NICK What’s that supposed to mean? BOBBY Come on, Nick. You know what it means. He tries to divide us. That’s his thing. NICK Maybe so. But he’s not wrong about that Pearson woman. BOBBY That fat piece of shit. You see, he’s doing it already. Suddenly, it’s you and him on a side. NICK I don’t want to be on his side, but I need an ally. BOBBY We’re together every day. NICK What, this? I took this bullshit job for you, Bobby. To serve and protect one man. You. BOBBY I don’t believe this shit. NICK Where am I in all this? What happens if the truth comes out? BOBBY Nothing’s coming out. NICK Who’s going to look out for me, Bobby? BOBBY All I’ve ever done is look out for you. From the minute I knew, I treated you like my own flesh and blood. I protected you. I’ve confided in you. And I got you on this bullshit detail that every other cop in the city wants because you’re family. You’re the one that doesn’t come inside the house. You’re the one. That’s on you. NICK BOBBY It’s you and me. NICK BOBBY I love you. SONG LYRICS No space… BAILIFF All rise. SONG LYRICS For seven… BAILIFF Please be seated. JUDGE GREEN Next on the docket, Finley “V” Broder. Is everybody here? KERI Your honor, Keri Allen representing the City of Chicago. We were first up on the docket after lunch. JUDGE GREEN “Were” on the docket. Not anymore. KERI What? Why? JUDGE GREEN Well, that’s a question for one of your colleagues. Someone from the mayor’s office called and said the matter had been settled. Now, would the parties from the case I called please approach the bench? Thank you. SONG LYRICS KERI You’ve got some nerve. Hijacking my meeting is one thing. But hanging me out to dry in court is another. That affects my reputation, and I won’t stand for it. JESSICA You should have thought about reputation before you took my license. KERI Have you ever thought about why I took your license, Ms. Pearson? JESSICA Oh, I know why. You were pissed because I made your office look like shit with the Thirteenth District case. KERI Wrong. You made the Thirteenth District look like shit. My father was a police officer. And he didn’t go out there and risk his life every single day so you could call him and the other cops animals. JESSICA I didn’t know about your father. KERI You do now. JESSICA And I didn’t call them anything. I went after specific men who did specific things. KERI Let me be specific with you right now. You want to come at me, come at me. But stay the hell away from my department and any of the lawyers who work for me. Or I’ll make disbarment feel like jaywalking. JESSICA Are you threatening me? KERI I’m warning you. I’ve been underestimated my whole life because I don’t look like a policeman’s daughter. But I’m thirty-three years old, and I’m the City Attorney. I didn’t get where I am by being stupid. CITY CLERK The Council will come to order. I’ll now call the roll. Alderman Blake. BLAKE Present. CITY CLERK Alderman Morrison? MORRISON Present. CITY CLERK Alderman Coats. COATS Uh, if I may. Before we begin, I’d like permission to speak. As you know, I believe a math and science education is vital to the future of our young people. That’s why I supported the Richard Feynman School of Science and Engineering, a charter school on the North side, to replace my ward’s aging high school. As I said, it’s a short distance for our kids to travel, but it will take them far in their careers. However, in light of the community’s incredible commitment to keep Franklin open, and the mayor’s personal plea, I have decided to withdraw my support… ORGANIZER COATS …for closing the school. ORGANIZER Yes! PROTESTERS COATS Please, please. If you will. Effective immediately, I have also decided to resign as alderman of the Fifty-Fourth Ward to pursue opportunities in the private sector. It’s been an honor to serve and work with you all. DERRICK BOBBY What the hell is going on? I’m going to look like an idiot if I don’t make some kind of statement. DERRICK This has all the information about the alderman’s new position, as well as a commitment to rebuild schools in Kenwood and the surrounding communities. BOBBY You knew about this? DERRICK I did. BOBBY JESSICA What do you think? Oyster White or Charleston Blue? BOBBY I’m just curious. Since you’re the one who got her the job, what exactly is Debbie Coats going to be doing at Midwest Portage? JESSICA She’s going to make it a priority to ramp up production and deliver your fleet of electric buses. BOBBY You went behind my back, Ms. Pearson. JESSICA I made you look good, Mr. Mayor. You just ended a twenty-three day hunger strike. BOBBY Did I? I mean, the strike only ended because a greedy alderman took a cush “V.P.” job. JESSICA And now you have sixty days to replace her with someone who better represents the community. You might want to make a statement about that, so the strikers know you heard them. BOBBY You mean this? JESSICA I like that Derrick. He is on top of everything. BOBBY You know, you may not know this, but I was the youngest alderman ever elected. Twenty-six. I’d done a year at the public defender’s office. I was ready to take on the world. First month in, I tried to raise the minimum wage to seven dollars and twenty-five cents. Seven twenty-five is half what it should be. You’d have thought I was a Leninist. But I didn’t back down. And I pushed it through. JESSICA See, I knew there was a dreamer hiding in there somewhere. Look where you are now. BOBBY I’m where I am right now because right after that, the oldest member told me what might happen if I bit off too much too soon. JESSICA I can’t tell if that’s advice or a warning. BOBBY You saved the day today. But everything we do here has real life consequence. JESSICA You think I don’t know that? BOBBY I think you’re a smart woman who doesn’t understand that when shit happens, it’s my name on the door, not yours. JESSICA This is all new to me, Mr. Mayor. And it’s going to take a little bit of time for me to get used to not calling the shots. But I don’t think you want me taking smaller bites. BOBBY No? JESSICA No. I think you have a problem you need solved. And that’s why you brought me in. Now you’ve seen what I can do. Why don’t you tell me what Pat McGann has on you? BOBBY I’d go with the blue. JESSICA LILLIAN Oh, Jessica. Hey, why don’t you come in? JESSICA I don’t think I should. LILLIAN Is something wrong? JESSICA Lillian, I need to tell you something that I… I should have told you days ago. I dropped your lawsuit in exchange for a job with the mayor. LILLIAN I know. JESSICA Angela said she didn’t tell you. LILLIAN She didn’t have to tell me. I know when something’s going on with my daughter. JESSICA Lillian, I’m so sorry. LILLIAN Don’t be sorry. But the question is, is why? Why didn’t you tell me? JESSICA I didn’t want to tell you that I’d failed. LILLIAN You didn’t fail, Jessica. JESSICA No, I made a promise to save your home. And I couldn’t make it happen. LILLIAN Come on. Come inside. JESSICA Not tonight. LILLIAN Are you sure? JESSICA Yeah, Jeff is waiting for me. Um… another night? LILLIAN Okay. KERI You’ve got a death wish. BOBBY I heard what happened in court today. You okay? KERI Nothing a glass of chardonnay won’t fix. You shouldn’t be here. BOBBY We’re not doing anything. KERI Then why are you here? BOBBY I’m concerned about you. You left work early. KERI Don’t be. I’m fine. BOBBY Is that number three or four? KERI You think you know me so well. BOBBY I do. And it’s not like you to run from a fight. KERI Oh, fuck you. BOBBY There’s my girl. KERI No. I’m not your girl. And I don’t need you coming around here checking on me. BOBBY Well, maybe I need you. Did you ever think of that? KERI You should have thought of that before you brought that woman into my office. BOBBY She’s not here to replace you. KERI Believe me, I’m not sticking around to find out. BOBBY What does that mean? Keri. I don’t care who has power in the office or what she does. I’m here risking every goddamn thing in my life because you’re the person I need. KERI Your wife is the person that you…