TEXT: Act 1 Scene 1 - Cafe Nervosa [Fade in. Frasier, Roz and Niles are at a table together.] Frasier: You know, I heard the most extraordinary thing on the radio today. Niles: I know. Rubenstein's torrid survey of the Copin mazurkas. It took all my strength not to turn the car around, drive home and ravish my wife. Roz: That Daphne is one lucky lady. Frasier: No, I was referring to the fact that Maris has been released on bail. Niles: Oh, yes. Of course she's still under house arrest until her murder trial. Poor thing, has to wear an electronic tracking device on her ankle. She can't keep the press off her back, they're printing the most vicious stories about her. Roz: I saw one of those. Is it true that she fired one of the gardeners because she found a worm on the front walk? Niles: Well, to be fair, Maris has always been frightened and disgusted by them. Roz: It's just a stupid worm. Niles: No, I'm talking about gardeners. [Martin walks into the coffee shop.] Martin: Hey, guys. Frasier: Oh hey, Dad. Why don't you pull up a chair? Martin: Oh, thanks. [Niles moves over so Martin can sit down.] Roz: You're looking sharp. I don't think I've ever seen this jacket. Martin: Well, that's because I don't wear it too often. But you know, when I do, sometimes I find all kinds of junk in the pockets. It's like putting on a time capsule or somthein'. [he pulls out a letter] Oh, here, here's something from the world of yesterday. [Frasier takes the envelope.] Frasier: Dear God, Dad, that's my home insurance payment. I asked you to mail this three months ago. Martin: Oh, sorry, Fraizh. But you see what I mean about the jacket? I can still see him givin' me that envelope. [Frasier
SUMMARY:
Martin discovers an envelope in the pocket of one of his jackets, which contains a check for Frasier's home insurance renewal and should have been posted months previously. Realising this, Frasier makes a hasty call to the company, and is horrified at the amount he would have to pay now to renew. Roz advises him to consult Ann Hodges, whom Frasier remembers from their disastrous date ( The Placeholder ). He reluctantly agrees, and invites her round to survey his home, where she slips on a mayonnaise spillage in the kitchen and breaks her leg. Anxious to avoid a lawsuit when he has no insurance, Frasier decides to invite Ann to stay at his place for a few days while she recovers - a decision he soon regrets. Meanwhile, Maris has been released on bail , and is being kept under house arrest with an electronic tracking device on her wrist. Niles learns that she plans on auctioning some possessions to help pay legal costs. She offers him the chance to look over them first, so he seizes the opportunity to reclaim a "quasi- erotic " portrait of himself as Pan . Little does he realize that he is about to act as a decoy in her escape plan.