Spoken like a true peacekeeper
Jason: Max?
Claudia: This stuff is awful. Sonny should really keep his day job.
Jason: What are you doing here?
Claudia: Your boss wasn’t interested in a deal of mutual satisfaction, what about you?
Jason: If you’re here about business or a truce, I’m ready to listen to you. If you’re not, there’s no reason to stay.
Claudia: Most guys who look like you are looking for a quick fix.
Jason: Okay, Sonny’s kid is missing, Kate Howard’s been shot — most likely, you and your family are involved. Sonny is understandably upset. You want to keep the peace? You tell me what you know.
Claudia: I don’t know. I don’t know who took his son, I don’t know who shot Kate Howard — not that I care. Why do you look like you don’t believe me?
Jason: Because most women who look like you know how to lie.
Claudia: Huh. What’s he see in her anyway — the bedridden magazine queen?
Jason: That’s a — that’s a question for Sonny.
Claudia: Well, I have a question for you.
Jason: Oh, yeah?
Claudia: What’d you want to be when you grew up?
Jason: You know what? I really don’t have time for these questions.
Claudia: Well, I haven’t offered my proposal yet, so –
Jason: Well, so offer it.
Claudia: No. Answer my question — what did you want to be when you grew up?
[Jason sighs]
Jason: Um — they tell me I wanted to be a doctor.
Claudia: Oh, you don’t remember?
Jason: No, I don’t.
Claudia: I wish I had that kind of selective memory.
Jason: Well, it’s not selective, it was an accident.
Claudia: Oh, you were in an accident? You’re damaged goods? We have that in common.
Jason: I answered your question. What’s your proposal?
Claudia: What would Sonny say if I said I could offer a truce between our families?
Jason: He’d say, “I don’t believe it.”
Claudia: Okay, well, I think you’re an independent thinker. What do you say?
Jason: You’re being too vague for me to have an opinion. Look, I — I know what the Zaccharas trade in, okay? We’re — we’re not even going to touch it.
Claudia: We’re going to give Sonny something to look the other way.
Jason: No, Sonny doesn’t want drugs in this town, so unless you lied about Michael, you have nothing he wants.
Claudia: Oh, what — what does Sonny ship? I mean, come on, what does he stick between his beans — hot chocolate?
Jason: We’re done.
Claudia: No, we’re not done.
Jason: Well, you better have something else you want to put on the table!
Claudia: Fine, how about Trevor Lansing?
Jason: That might get Sonny’s attention.
Claudia: Yeah, especially given their tortured past.
Jason: How — how do you bring down Trevor without bringing down your whole organization?
Claudia: You let me worry about that, okay? I have ways. I know things. And in time, I will know more things.
Jason: All right, I’ll pass that along.
Claudia: Okay, before you do, I have one more question, and I better get the answer I’m looking for.
Claudia: My brother didn’t come home last night. So either he got lucky or he got unlucky. You know where he is?
Jason: No, I don’t.
Claudia: I think that’s truth by omission, but I’ll take it. You know Sonny’s done something with my Johnny.
Jason: maybe.
Claudia: No, “maybe” — that’s as good as a “yes.”
Jason: That’s as good as a “maybe.”
Claudia: No, you — why would you not know for sure? You’re Sonny’s right-hand man. But I think you’re a lot more than that. I think you are all logic and reason, and Sonny is all passion and emotion and sweet — overreaction. It’s wasted on Kate Howard, wasted. Who are you wasted on?
Jason: No one.
Claudia: An answer with the colors of a double meaning. Imagine that — hmm — a thinking man’s hit man. That could give a girl a chill. Okay, back to my brother. Here’s what I think. I think something tells me that between Trevor’s greed and need to get back at Sonny, and Sonny’s ego and need to keep Trevor at bay, John should already be dead. All right, as long as we’re talking in maybes, maybe the only reason he’s not is because of you. You see something in him maybe? And you see that he is the product of a twisted childhood like so many of us are. You see that he’s green, he’s rash, but he’s caught up in Trevor’s web — there’s still a chance for John. There’s still a chance for him. He can make something of himself outside of this war, this violence, and revenge.
Jason: Okay, okay. Johnny’s a decent guy. He’s just very confused.
Claudia: John still has his soft spots. He still — he still believes in love. He believes in right and wrong, though he’s seen precious little of it. And he has his pride, and he has his father’s empire. I’d like to see him hold on to one and turn the other one over to me, because I can take what comes with it. I can take it, and I can dish it right back. I don’t give people the benefit of the doubt, and I doubt you do, either, but for some reason, I think you’ve given it to John.
Jason: Yeah, maybe I have.
Claudia: Okay, so pick up the phone and call Sonny and tell him to release –
Jason: Sonny doesn’t like orders, I don’t like orders.
Claudia: Great. Okay, you know what? Think of it as a suggestion, that’s all. But it’s got a time limit. You got 20 minutes, and then all bets are off.
Claudia: And if John’s hurt –
Jason: No — no, Sonny, you’re not — you’re not hearing me. Claudia Zacchara is offering a deal.
Sonny: What I know is my son is still missing. What I’m hearing is you going soft. What I hear is you trusting a conniving witch like Claudia Zacchara, and now you’re trying to convince me to give up my ace in the hole. What I hear is you being this big brother for Johnny, and I’ll tell you what, I am not going to tell you where he is. As a matter of fact, what would you do if your son was missing?
Jason: Leave Jake out of this.
Sonny: You know what? Leave Johnny out of this. Because what I need you to do is find my son. I want you to find whoever shot Kate. Stop getting yourself tied up in things that don’t matter and confusing your priorities.
Jason: I also got to find the guy who killed my sister — I’m working on everything. Don’t tell me what my priorities are.
Claudia: Sonny’s bad taste in Jamaican blue is rivaled only by his bad taste in blondes. What did he say?
Jason: I can talk to him.
Claudia: Obviously you can’t.
Jason: This is — this is his son we’re talking about.
Claudia: This is — Johnny is someone’s son, too. This is a shame, you know that? Me and Sonny started out on such a good note. You knew that, right? You suspected, but you were discreet.
Jason: It’s none of my business.
Claudia: Well, I’m wondering, would it be Kate Howard’s business?
Jason: There are ways to play this that can make things better or a lot worse.
Claudia: Spoken like a true peacekeeper. Something tells me you’re going to have your hands full trying to do that after today.
