Table Read - More Than One Idiot Brother - Act 2 / Part 2

Episode Date: May 23, 2023

ACT 2 / PART 2: In Northern Michigan, DUTCH NYBERG was set to quit the rust-belt town of Twelfth, forever. However, on the eve of her departure – her three idiot brothers: JP, RAIF and MORT, murdered the right-hand-man of the billionaire, KURT THOR, whose plans to build an autonomous car factory in Twelfth have been thrown into turmoil by the killing. Believing her late father would have wanted her to help her brothers, DUTCH risks everything in a desperate, dangerous attempt to keep her brothers out of jail. All the while knowing, that the very family she’s trying to save, have only ever looked out for themselves ____ MORE THAN ONE IDIOT BROTHER: When an industrialist is murdered in an impoverished Michigan backwater, a misfit veteran must choose between saving her three idiot brothers from life in jail, or escaping her toxic family forever. Written by: Pearse Lehane ____ Follow Table Read (@TableReadPodcastLA) on Instagram for more info! Visit: https://www.tablereadpodcast.com/ Contact: [e-mail]   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey, podcast fans. It's Jack Levy. I'm an executive producer on Table Read, the number one fiction podcast on Apple with a phenomenal 5.0 rating. And now we partnered with Mackie for an extraordinary giveaway, introducing the DLZ creator, a complete podcast studio in a box with its virtual assistant. Even if you're not tech savvy, mixing is a breeze, the touch of a button. And we're here to guide you every step of the way. To enter the contest, email us at hellotablereadpodcast.com and share what you love about our show and what we'll love about yours. One lucky winner will be announced on July 4th and will receive the full DLZ Creator package.

Microphones, arms, cables, system, a $3,600 value. With our white glove service and expert guidance, your home or office will be podcast ready in no time. Don't miss this opportunity to launch your own podcast. Email us today and watch your show climb the charts. And hey, good luck. Out on the front stoop. Dutch comes out of the house, passing Rafe, Mort, and Luna,

who were sitting on the bench Mama Nyberg sat on while watching the brutal hockey stick fight between JP and Dutch. Dutch heads for her truck. Upstairs in JP's bedroom, JP watches out the window as Rafe goes after Dutch. Mama Nyberg comes into the bedroom, looks at J.P. Out in the front yard, Rafe catches up to Dutch. Hey, hey, you said we need to stay together tonight. Come on now. We're all of us in this together, right?

Dutch looks up to the bedroom window, sees J.P JP and Mama Nyberg looking down at her. Mort, bring Luna here, now. Mort looks darkly at Dutch. You said I could have her for tonight. You promised. Mort, bring her now, or I'm coming up to take her. Don't make me. Mort remains fast in his seat. Dutch walks aggressively back to the stoop, but she catches herself when she sees the tears in Mort's eyes.

You promised. Promised. I promise you, she'll be okay. You knew this had to happen. It's just sooner is all. And what about Chancellor, huh? He'll do nothing about Chancellor now. Mort, Mort, look at me.

Look at me, Mort. I'm going to see to that. You have my word. If you take Luna tonight, your word don't mean nothing to me. And if my protecting you means you thinking less of me, so be it. Dutch takes the lead from Mort, then makes her way back to her truck with Luna, gets in. What about your alibi?

Dutch starts the engine. I got Luna. She'll vouch for me. In English and Spanish. Dutch drives away. Exterior, bridge over Edison Creek, dawn, moving. Dutch looks out over Edison Lake as dawn breaks. She sees a beautiful white mare running across a field by the lake. She's taken by the beauty of the scene for a moment. Then her gaze falls back on the road, grim determination in her eyes.

Exterior police kennels, dawn, moving. Dutch rolls past the kennels, closely observing the scene. Seeing nobody's about, she pulls up, puts Luna's canine lanyard back on, feeds her a milk bone, gets out of the truck. Dutch walks Luna into the still-open kennel. Good girl, Luna. Dutch takes off her lead, gives Luna one last milk bone, steps out of the kennel, locks the gate. Hey, Dutch.

Dutch freezes, turns slowly to see Deputy Vagel coming across the field towards her. Dutch pockets the lead. Whatcha doing there? Dutch holds up the packet of milk bones. You got me, Deputy. What's that now? Animals ain't allowed on the trailer park, so sometimes when I'm passing, I can't help myself. You shouldn't do that.

She don't mind. No matter. Dutch looks over Deputy Vagel's shoulder, sees the 4x4. You sleep in the 4x4? Didn't hear you roll up, is all. Interfering with a police dog will get you a year in county. Just so we understand each other. Dutch sniffs rather theatrically.

We do, now. Dutch walks back to her truck. Vagel looks at her with a mix of suspicion and trepidation. Luna barks to see Dutch go. Interior, Nyberg family home, bedroom, night. Dick Nyberg, 65, in his dying bed, drip in his arm. Dutch sitting next to her father, reading him true grit. I know what they said, even if they would not say it to my face.

People love to talk. They love to slander you if you have any substance. Dick's eyes open. He looks at Dutch. Dutch glances up from the book, meeting her father's gaze. Dick says something inaudible. Dutch stands, leans in. What is it, Papa?

Everybody has to waste their life on something. Only on this. Not on this. Not you. Please, Dutch, go on now. Go. Go. Shh, Papa.

Dutch takes her father's hand. Shh, Papa. Dutch takes her father's hand. Shh, Papa. Settle now. Friday's coming. Friday's gone. Exhausted, Papa Nyberg leans back, immediately dozes off. Dutch hears the squeak of a floorboard, goes to the door.

Dutch looks down the landing, sees Mama Nyberg standing at the top of the stairs, staring right at her. Dutch looks back to her father, who's now mumbling in his sleep, then back at her mother, but she's no longer there. Instead, sitting quietly, looking right at Dutch, is Mort's favorite long-dead dog, Rascal. Rascal barks at Dutch. Dutch hears a rattling behind her. Rascal whines, runs immediately down the stairs. Dutch sees a knot of rattlesnakes slithering out of her copy of True Grit, falling onto the floor around her father.

Dutch rushes back into the bedroom, rattlesnakes now swarming across the floor around her father. Dutch rushes back into the bedroom, rattlesnakes now swarming across the floorboards. Dutch tries to lift her sleeping father out of bed, but he's too heavy to shift. Come on, Daddy. Come on. Help me. Help me raise you up. Come on. A rattlesnake bites Dutch's scarred hand. Now in Dutch's bedroom, Dutch's eyes pop open out of sleep.

She violently kicks the duvet from off her bed, as if expecting rattlesnakes to be under there. Jesus! Fuck! Fuck! After a moment, she looks at the alarm clock. Eleven-thirty. Interior. Abandoned AMC plant, corridor, day.

Dutch being led by an armed guard through the desolation of the rustling AMC plant towards the old assembly line. Inside the cavernous, crumbling, cathedral-like space is an anomaly. A snow-white, seed-shaped office about the size of three shipping containers. Close to this, a long rack of identical white bicycles. The armed guard walks up to the heavily secured office door, pushes a buzzer, responds to the answer tone.

It's the neighbor woman. After a moment, Dr. Thor opens the door. Dutch, why don't you come inside? The armed guard walks away. Dutch ascends the steps into Dr. Thor's private office. If the folks at Apple designed a Bond villain's lair, this would be it. All sleek, all white, absurdly shiny.

Dutch is shocked to see, sitting on a white leather couch, Mayor Gimbel, Sheriff Taylor, and Deputy Vagel. You know the Mayor, Sheriff Taylor, and Deputy Vagel? I do. A long, uncertain silence. So, what can I do for you, Dutch? You look like you're busy. Maybe another time. No, no, that's good.

Is it about the job? No. What then? Dutch knows full well this little gathering is to do with Dr. Sandberg's disappearance. Time to stay ice cool. It's about my brother. Rafe? Dutch looks pointedly at Deputy Vagel. No. Time to stay ice cool. It's about my brother. Rave? Dutch looks pointedly at Deputy Vagel.

No. Mort. What about him? You killed his dog. Did I not? He believed so. What do you believe, Dutch? I believe Chancer was run over on South Lindbergh.

I believe your driverless vehicle... Phoenix 4F. The Phoenix 4F will no doubt have a bunch of cameras pointing out at a million different angles. I believe if you gave a shit, you'll have someone check the tapes for Tuesday Gone, South Lindbergh. Kurt Thor looks over at a technician, nods. The technician departs for the media center behind the leather couch. You remember Dr. Sandberg from the town hall? Sat up front, I've heard. Ran chicken when Jeb Sando flung his chair at the mayor.

Kurt Thor turns a monitor to Dutch, showing the GPS markers on a Google map for the two bicycles and Dr. Sandberg's cell. Well, Dr. Sandberg has a lady friend in town, Julie Cleverley. She has a 13-year-old daughter, Eve. Last night, around midnight, he left this office here to call in on Julie. I told him, why not bring a bike down for Eve? He thought that was a fine idea. He never made it to Julie's. Eve, he thought that was a fine idea. He never made it to Julie's. He had a 8.30 meeting this morning, only he didn't show. Cell's dead. Bikes have a GPS security tracker as standard. They both went dark here on Ford Avenue at 1258. Cell too, same time and place. He'd been in and around that location for approximately 38 minutes. Then at 143, fire department got a call out on a fire at the exact same location. You know out of town Brown?

Sure. His private bolt hole up on Ford. Abandoned logging cabin. Last night, Deputy Vagel was rolling on Fort Avenue. Little after midnight. She didn't see Dr. Sandberg or Mr. Brown. But she did see your brother Rafe in your truck up by the cabin. And?

And we were going to drive up there now. Want to tag along? Why would I do that? Same reason I'm looking for the footage for you. It's neighborly. Interior, Phoenix 4F, Ford Avenue, day, moving. A slightly surreal scene as Dr. Thor sits in the driver's seat with his hands off the wheel. Sitting next to him, Mayor Gimbel.

In the back, Sheriff Taylor, Deputy Vagel, and Dutch. Behind the driverless auto, the fleet of support vehicles. Practically the whole time, Dr. Thor staring at Dutch in the rearview mirror. Dutch looking back at him, fearlessly. As the convoy approaches the cabin, they're witness to a large section of the road being blocked off. the cabin, they're witness to a large section of the road being blocked off. Several vans marked Michigan Farm Bureau and U.S. EPA parked up at the side of the road, as men in biohazard suits times 15 power spray the road with disinfectant. What the fuck? The convoy pulls up at a barrier, beyond which is the section of road where Dutch dumped the shot deer, which itself has been moved next to a van marked Incinerator.

They exit the Phoenix 4F. Mayor Gimbel approaches Todd Opgard, 50, who's clearly running the scene. What in the hell's going on here? Michigan Farm Bureau. Emergency deep clean operation. You're going to have to stop all this. Right now. I order you to... This is a federally mandated scene, Sheriff. EPA got jurisdiction over local law enforcement. Biohazard. Biohazard? What biohazard? Todd shows a picture of the scene on an iPad. The carcass of the shot deer is being feasted upon by a dozen badgers. TV, nothing

affects the badger population faster than a roadkill mass feeding event. From there, TV goes into the cattle population. From there, herd slaughter from Petoskey to Grand Rapids. That ain't happening on my watch. Dr. Thor looks to the side of the road. A line of a dozen shot badgers is being bagged up for the incinerator van. The entire stretch of road, including up to the ashes of the cabin, has been power sprayed with disinfectant. Dutch can now see that the large bloodstain

where she placed the shot deer has been completely washed away. Who called this in? Anonymous citizen. Sent us the picture on the iPad I showed you. Dr. Thor looks at Dutch, but her eyes are elsewhere, as she's just seen out-of-town Brown sitting on a tree stump. Out-of-town Brown looks at Dutch. After a moment, he nods at her. Dutch nods back. Is it usual for that many badgers to jump on a carcass like that? Why'd you think we got here so fast, huh?

Lucky it was called in. Todd Opgard walks toward EPA officers times five in the distance. Dutch looks at Dr. Thor, sees him staring at her. Hey, Carol. What? So, what did you and Rafe talk about last night? Deputy Vagel looks deeply uncomfortable at the question. Back in Dr. Thor's private office, Dutch sitting alone on the white couch.

Outside the door, she can see Dr. Thor, Mayor Gimbel, Sheriff Taylor, and Deputy Vagel in an intense conflab. Technician number 225 approaches Dutch. We're ready for you. Dutch follows technician number 2 into the media center. Technician number 2 sits at an edit bay, rolls the footage from Tuesday on South Lindbergh. I think I found what you're looking for. Take a look. Technician number 2 plays the footage from the cameras onboard the moving Phoenix 4F and the support vehicles behind.

A wounded deer emerges from the woods ahead of the convoy. The Phoenix 4F decelerates, allowing the limping deer to cross in front of it. See? It slows here. The Phoenix 4F then accelerates down South Lindbergh, passing a beat-up pickup truck going the opposite direction. No canine. Case closed. Can you go back on that? Show me the pickup going the other way? Sure. Technician number two rewinds the footage, freezes on the pickup.

I'll be goddamn. What? Inside the pickup, Dutch recognizes the bearded driver, 60. Abe Gudermsen. Who's Abe Gudermsen? Inside the pickup, Dutch recognizes the bearded driver, 60. Abe Guttermsen. Who's Abe Guttermsen? Interior, Mort's bedroom, day, flashback. Dutch, 10, and Mort, 8, looking at the decapitated body of a small terrier on the floor. Best keep a secret than spin the wheel, no doubt.

But is your secret truly a secret? How do you know it's that? For certain. Back in the media center. Man with a long memory. You think this gutterson dude ran over your brother's dog on purpose? If it were an accident, he would have stopped. Motherfuck bad luck. Parking lot outside the abandoned AMC plant. Dutch walking past the sparkling support vehicles. Her battered truck is a sorry sight at the end of the line. Sorry for your loss.

Dutch turns to see Dr. Thor following her. Dr. Thor nods towards the front of Dutch's truck. The doll. You've lost it. Dutch looks at the grill. The doll is indeed it. Here's I have. Wonder where it'll turn out. Now it's common for children with disabilities to project their condition onto their toys. What's uncommon is to find an able-bodied child who believed their raggedy ass doll had a disability.

Due to polio, for example. I think that that child might have a weakness for helping her kinfolk. No matter what ingenious trouble they got themselves into. I don't know, shrink, but... that sounds about right to me. Whatever you were paying that Dr. Sandberg, it weren't enough. What do you want me to tell his wife, Dutch,

and his two kids about what really happened to their daddy last night up at that cabin. I don't know. Make something up. You're good at that. Badger cake, right? Smeared all over the shot deer Deputy Vagel saw in the back of your truck. EPA charge up there.

Sterilize the whole crime scene. Un pissant intelligent. Dr. Sandberg had an IQ of 167. That's genius level, Dutch. sterilize the whole crime scene. En passant l'intelligence. Dr. Sandberg had an IQ of 167, that's genius level Dutch. And I'm smarter than him. How much smarter than you, you think that makes me? Guess we're about to find out. The motor catches. Dutch drives away. End Act 2, Part 2.

Give me a yell!