Gail O'Grady credited as playing...
Susan Parker
- Andrew Martin: [offscreen] Girls, you wanna stand up straight, please? Thank you.
- [crowd begins filing in]
- Susan Parker: [sympathetically] Andrew.
- [embraces him, then the girls, followed by her husband and other close relatives]
- Kathy: [comes up to Andrew in the receiving line and embraces him.] I'm so sorry for your loss, Andrew.
- Andrew Martin: Thank you, Kathy; I appreciate that.
- [turns to girls]
- Andrew Martin: Okay, girls, you wanna give Aunt Kathy a hug and then go grab our seats, okay?
- [leads the youngest one by her back and one of them gives an "hmmhmm" in response]
- Kathy: [sighs after the girls leave] This is a devastating shock for all of us; most of all you. If-If you need any help with anything: Getting things in order or the girls - anything - I...
- Andrew Martin: Thank you, Kathy, but I think we just need to keep moving forward. I'm gonna return to work at the church tomorrow.
- Kathy: Really?
- [obviously startled]
- Kathy: Are you sure you don't want to take some time off? I mean, I'm sure your congregation would understand.
- Andrew Martin: The Lord was with me when I came back to the church after Natalie died. I'm just gonna do the same this time. He'll give me the strength to carry on.
- [touches Kathy's arm]
- Andrew Martin: I think it's what Debbie would want me to do, too.
- [she walks away with a forced smile on her face; the first stirrings of suspicion toward him. Andrew turns to Rob]
- Andrew Martin: Rob.
- Rob: Andrew.
- Andrew Martin: Mary.
- [embraces her]
- Pastor: This was Debbie's. I used it in the service; I think you should have it.
- Susan Parker: Andrew didn't want it?
- Pastor: [hesitantly] No...
- Susan Parker: Thank you, Pastor. For - For everything.
- Pastor: [Sees Tom come over] God bless.
- [Tom puts arm around Susan and kisses her on the left side of her head and they walk forward together]
- Susan Parker: [scenes of the town, the church, Debbie's grave and and upward camera rotation transition into the Parkers' yard where Susan, Kathy and Laura are having a light meal] Everyone at work has been so understanding. But I - I feel like I can't trust myself; I'll be going along, just fine and - and then it'll just hit me and I'll burst into tears.
- Kathy: Give it time; it's only been a couple of weeks.
- Susan Parker: I know. It's just that now that the shock has - has worn off, I... I just... I miss her so much.
- Kathy: Mmmhmmm.
- Laura: Have you heard from Andrew?
- Susan Parker: I've called over a few times to talk to the girls but they were busy.
- Laura: Has he ordered a headstone yet?
- Susan Parker: No, not yet, but I offered my help and he... he said he'd take care of it.
- Kathy: Susan, did you ever talk to the police?
- Susan Parker: The police? About what?
- Kathy: About why there wasn't an autopsy.
- Susan Parker: Tom talked to them. The... the night of... her death. They said that Judge Carter had already ruled that it... that it wasn't necessary.
- Kathy: Why not?
- Susan Parker: Because... it was a suicide.
- Kathy: Well, you see, that's what we were wondering about.
- Laura: Aunt Susan, we don't believe Debbie killed herself.
- Susan Parker: What are you talking about? The police said...
- Kathy: Yeah, we know what the police said; it doesn't make any sense. Debbie was a happy person. She had her friends, she was excited about her new job at the school and most of all she had her girls.
- Susan Parker: I know. It's... it's hard to believe.
- Kathy: It's not just that. There are things that don't add up.
- Susan Parker: What things?
- Kathy: Like all those pills. Debbie didn't take pills like that.
- Susan Parker: We don't know that.
- Laura: And they found her naked. That's not the Debbie we know; she was way too modest for that.
- Susan Parker: She was in a desperate place.
- Laura: Then what about the suicide note? If you were really in that state of mind would you take the time to type and print a note? She didn't even sign it.
- Susan Parker: I don't understand; what are you saying?
- Kathy: Susan, we think Debbie was murdered and we think that Andrew is responsible.
- Susan Parker: No, no. You are wrong!
- [stands up]
- Susan Parker: He loved her and he would never do anything, anything to hurt her.
- Kathy: Susan, I'm not trying to upset you.
- [words buried under Susan's upset ones]
- Susan Parker: I can't believe this. I'm sorry
- [shouts and talks over Kathy's placating words]
- Susan Parker: I cannot hear this!
- Kathy: Susan...
- [stands with Laura and follows Susan into the house]
- Kathy: Susan!
- Susan Parker: [yelling emotionally] You have NEVER liked Andrew; you've made it very clear over the years but that does not make him a murderer; he is my son-in-law!
- Kathy: Susan, listen, you don't think it's strange that he went right back to work; that h-he didn't even cry at the funeral; that he won't let you see the girls...
- Susan Parker: He is the father of my grandchildren!
- Laura: We would never say anything unless we really felt like we had to. Aunt Susan: Andrew is not a good man!
- Susan Parker: He is a minister! He's a minister! He's a man of God. And he would never... he would never...
- Kathy: Susan, for God's sake, be honest with yourself. You can't tell me you never had doubts. I mean, even before they were married, didn't you think there was always something wrong?
- Susan Parker: I appreciate both of you coming, but this conversation is just making things worse.
- Laura: Aunt Susan!
- Susan Parker: [emotionally] Andrew and those girls are the only connection I have left to Debbie! I want you... I want you to back off and I want you to drop it, do you understand? Do you understand?
- Kathy: It's dropped.
- [Susan exits the kitchen and Kathy sighs]
- Laura: [turns to Kathy] So we're just going to drop it, just like that?
- Kathy: Absolutely not.
- [sighs]
- Debbie Martin: [coming down the stairs in flashback] So? Mom?
- Susan Parker: Oh!
- Debbie Martin: [twirls in wedding dress] What do you think?
- Susan Parker: [sincerely] You look beautiful.
- Debbie Martin: Did the seamstress get everything? It's pulled in enough?
- Susan Parker: Oh, it's perfect!
- Debbie Martin: Really? You think so?
- Susan Parker: [nods and laughs] You should be on the cover of a magazine.
- [they hug]
- Susan Parker: Deb, this might not be the right... time to say this, but... your father and I are worried. Everything's happening too fast.
- Debbie Martin: Mom, I told you, we don't wanna wait! Andrew wants to marry me right away.
- Susan Parker: I know, but you're so young, and... well, you don't really know him...
- Debbie Martin: Mom, stop! Please.
- Susan Parker: Where is his family? Where - where are Andrew's friends? And why is your cousin his best man instead of one of his friends?
- Debbie Martin: Mom, Andrew doesn't have any friends. That's why he needs me!
- Susan Parker: What kind of man doesn't have friends.
- Debbie Martin: Mom. I love him. I know what I'm doing. He's a good Christian man.
- Andrew Martin: [Susan gets out of car at Andrew's house and closes door while Andrew has boxes] Oh, hi, Susan, how are you? I'd give ya a hug, but I got my hands kinda full here.
- Susan Parker: Oh, that's alright. I just wanted to drop this off and see how you and the girls are.
- Andrew Martin: Oh, we're just fine. Just fine. You really don't need to come over and check up on us.
- Susan Parker: I'm not... checking up on you, Andrew. Are - I want to see the girls; are they home?
- Andrew Martin: Oh, they're with friends.
- Susan Parker: Alright. I'll... I'll come back tomorrow.
- Andrew Martin: You know, right now they're so busy with school and homework.
- Susan Parker: I haven't seen the girls in weeks, Andrew.
- Andrew Martin: Oh, okay. Well, uh, why don't we make some plans ahead of time?
- Susan Parker: All right. What you got there? Are those pictures?
- Andrew Martin: Thanks for coming by, Susan. I'll be sure to tell the girls you say hello.
- [takes the food from her hands and begins going back toward the house]
- Andrew Martin: Alright. Give Tom my love.
- [Susan gets back in the car and Andrew waves from the front porch]
- Brianna Daniels: [emerges from house when Susan is almost gone from view] Everything okay?
- Andrew Martin: [puts his hand on her hand, which is on his shoulder] Yeah, it's great. Just great.
- Tom Parker: Well, he seems to be holding it together pretty well.
- Susan Parker: A little bit too well, don't ya think?
- Tom Parker: What do you mean?
- Susan Parker: I mean, he doesn't look like a man who just lost his wife.
- Tom Parker: What does he look like?
- Susan Parker: Happy
- [glances at Andrew]
- Susan Parker: . Happy.
- [meanwhile, Andrew cheerfully talks to exiting members and Tom holds the car door for Susan]
- Susan Parker: [cooking] I went to see Andrew and the girls today.
- Tom Parker: And how are they?
- Susan Parker: I didn't see 'em. Andrew said they weren't home; they went to a friend's.
- Tom Parker: That's good. I mean, they should be with friends; have some fun.
- Susan Parker: Hmm. Andrew met me out front. He was carrying a box. He - he was hiding it from me. What was inside.
- Tom Parker: Well, did you ask him about it?
- Susan Parker: He basically ran away from me. There was a moment when the box top slid open and I swear, Tom, there were pictures of Debbie inside of it. He was throwing it in the trash. The TRASH!
- Tom Parker: Oh, Suze. There's gotta be an explanation.
- Susan Parker: Oh, I don't know. There was somethin' wrong about the whole thing.
- Tom Parker: People... grieve... differently. Uh, uh, maybe it was too painful for him to have those photos around.
- Susan Parker: No. There's something else going on here. I can't stop thinking about what Laura and Kathy said about the note.
- Tom Parker: Oh, Suze. We already talked about this.
- Susan Parker: Tom, there are so many unanswered questions and Andrew is acting so strangely; I just... I think - I think we should do something.
- Tom Parker: Nothing we do is gonna bring her back.
- Susan Parker: [emotional] I need to know, Tom. I need to know if Debbie took her life or if someone took it from her.
- Tom Parker: So what do we do?
- Susan Parker: We start asking questions.