Time After Time

I DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS, CARL.

YEAH, WELL, YOU SHOULD,

IT'S A GREAT PIECE.

THE SOURCE IS QUESTIONABLE.

IT'S TOO SOON TO RUN WITH IT.

YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY,

THIS IS HOW THE BUSINESS WORKS THESE DAYS, RICHARD.

PASSING OFF RUMOR AS TRUTH?

DESTROYING CAREERS?

I'M TIRED OF BEING AN ASSASSIN.

LOOK, RICHARD, THE 24/7 NEWS CHANNELS

AND THE BLOGS ARE KILLING US.

IT'S EITHER KEEP PACE OR DIE.

CARL, JUST GIVE ME ANOTHER DAY TO GET MORE SUBSTANTIATION.

SORRY.

GOT A DEADLINE!

KFZH HAS JUST LEARNED THAT DAN JANKOWSKI,

THE CHIEF SUPERVISOR

OF THE CITY COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE

IS DEAD.

JANKOWSKI WAS THE SUBJECT OF A STORY BY RICHARD KERM,

THAT BROKE IN THIS EVENING'S STANDARDBEARER,

ACCUSING HIGHER-UPS IN THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE

OF MISAPPROPRIATING FUNDS.

INITIAL WORD

FROM A TULSA POLICE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON

IS THAT IT'S A POSSIBLE SUICIDE.

HI.

HI.

DUSTY, WHERE'S MY EDITORIAL--

WOW, LOOK AT YOU.

YOU KNOW, YOU BROKE MY HEART

WHEN YOU LEFT ME FOR THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CLARION.

OH, COME ON, DEL, I WAS 19.

A BUCK 75 AN HOUR INCREASE WAS A LOT OF MONEY THEN.

LOST TRACK OF YOU AFTER THE HERALD.

WHAT HAPPENED?

HEY, MY PULITZER PRIZE, WHERE'D I PUT THAT?

MUST HAVE I LEFT IT IN MY OTHER PANTS.

THE, UH...

TOWN HASN'T CHANGED.

YEAH, WELL, NEITHER HAS THE NEWS.

I'M JUST ABOUT TO PROOFREAD THE STORY

ON THIS YEAR'S PIE-EATING CONTEST.

WOW, THEY'RE STILL DOING THAT, HUH?

REMEMBER THE YEAR I LET YOU COVER IT,

AND YOU TRIED TO DO AN EXPOSE ON THE WINNER

FOR EATING HALF-FILLED PIES?

YOU WERE ONE HARD CASE, KID.

WELL, THAT WAS THEN.

SO, WHAT BRINGS YOU BACK TO MAYBERRY, OPIE?

UH, YOU KNOW,

I DON'T KNOW.

YOU KNOW, I JUST LOST EDIE BREWER TO MOTHERHOOD,

SO I'M IN THE MARKET FOR A REPORTER,

ESPECIALLY A BUM OF YOUR CALIBER.

THANKS, DEL,

BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG I'M GOING TO STICK AROUND--

GOOD, YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OLD OFFICE.

HI!

I JUST WENT ON A COFFEE RUN.

HERE.

THANKS.

WE KIND OF MET EARLIER AT THE OFFICE?

RIGHT. RICHARD KERM.

I KNOW.

WELCOME ABOARD.

WOW, WORD TRAVELS FAST.

NOT REALLY SURE IF I'M STAYING.

I'M EDITOR OF THE CLASSIFIEDS.

I REMEMBER DOING THE CLASSIFIEDS.

I WAS PROMOTED FROM THE MAILROOM.

I KNOW. YOU WERE 16.

COPYWRITER AT 17.

THEN YOUNGEST COPYWRITER AT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CLARION.

THEN YOUNGEST JOURNALIST AT THE CLARION.

NOTICE I SAID "JOURNALIST," NOT "REPORTER".

I HATE "REPORTER."

YEAH, ME TOO.

YOUNGEST WRITER AT THE TIMES.

QUIT.

A YEAR AT THE BOSTON GAZETTE.

QUIT.

VANCOUVER POST, QUIT.

ROCHESTER AMERICAN, QUIT.

SEEMS TO BE A THEME HAPPENING HERE.

SACRAMENTO BEE, FIRED.

WHOA, HOW DID THAT GET IN THERE?

TULSA STANDARDBEARER, QUIT,

AND THAT BRINGS US BACK TO "DOE."

HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL OF THIS?

WHEN YOU QUIT HIGH SCHOOL

TO GO INTO THE NEWSPAPER BUSINESS,

IT WAS A BOOK THAT INFLUENCED YOU.

"ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN."

I'M ABOUT AN INCH AWAY FROM BEING FREAKED OUT.

THANKS FOR THE COFFEE.

AND WHEN YOU LEFT HERE FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE,

YOU PROMISED JACKIE YOU'D MARRY HER

AS SOON AS YOU GOT YOUR FIRST RAISE,

BUT YOU NEVER CAME BACK.

OKAY, THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE.

SHE'S STILL OVER AT THE RESTAURANT, BY THE WAY.

WHO ARE YOU REALLY?

I'VE GOT COFFEE TO DELIVER, BUT I'LL SEE YOU AROUND.

HERE YOU GO.

PRETTY GOOD SWEET POTATO FRIES,

HUH?

I LIKES IT.

SO YOU PROBABLY WANT ME TO TELL MOOSE.

MM-HMM.

OKAY... HEY, MOOSE!

THE BLANE KIDS LIKE YOUR FRIES!

MOOSE, THE USUAL FOR TUG!

AND THE BLANE KIDS STILL LIKE YOUR FRIES.

TUG, STOP STARING AT MY BUTT.

HMM? OH!

I'M NOT. I...

I JUST, UH, DROPPED MY FORK.

OH, MUST HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE RUBBER FORKS,

'CAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR IT.

GEEZ, JACKIE!

I'M SORRY, OKAY?

UH, T-TUG, YOU REMEMBER RICHARD KERM?

HUH?

OH, YEAH,

YOU SAT NEXT TO ME IN GEOMETRY.

I COPIED OFF YOU.

YOU'RE SOME KIND OF NEWSPAPER BIGSHOT.

NO, NOT REALLY.

OKAY, WELL, I GOTTA GO CHANGE MY PANTS.

THIS ONE SPILLED COFFEE ON ME.

BE CAREFUL, SHE'S ONE ANGRY SKIRT.

I DIDN'T TELL HIM

I WAS COPYING FROM THE GIRL IN FRONT OF US,

WHO, I'M PRETTY SURE WAS COPYING FROM HIM.

YOU LOOK GREAT.

OH, THANKS.

SO...

HOW'S YOUR MOM?

SHE'S OKAY.

SHE TRAVELS A LOT.

BEEN AROUND THE WORLD A BUNCH OF TIMES.

I GET THE OCCASIONAL POSTCARD, PHONE CALL.

SO SHE NEVER REMARRIED?

NO.

I THINK SHE STILL HASN'T GOTTEN OVER DAD.

LOOK, JACKIE,

I, UH...

I OWE YOU AN APOLOGY.

NO. NO, YOU DON'T.

JACKIE, BE HONEST,

DOES THE CILANTRO OVERPOWER THE LEEKS?

MOOSE, LOOK WHO'S HERE.

KERMIE?

NO WAY, MAN!

I DON'T BELIEVE IT!

THE BIG CHEESE NEWSPAPER REPORTER.

THE, UH, THE GOURMET CHEF.

EVER THINK YOU'D HEAR THE WORD "CILANTRO"

COMING OFF THESE LIPS?

HEY, MOOSE, REMEMBER WHAT YOU USED TO DO

WHEN YOU WERE CREAMING AN OPPOSING QUARTERBACK?

HEY, MY FANS AWAIT.

LATER.

HEY, REALLY GOOD TO SEE YOU, MAN.

YOU TOO, BUDDY.

ALWAYS LOVED THE MOOSE CALL.

SO...

UH, CATCH ME UP.

OKAY, UM, LET'S SEE...

GRADUATED.

WENT TO EUROPE TO FIND MYSELF.

FOUND MYSELF,

AND THEN I PUT OFF COLLEGE

TO HELP MY FOLKS WITH THE RESTAURANT,

AND THEN THEY RETIRED TO ARIZONA,

SO THAT WAS THE END OF JACKIE'S LAW CAREER,