Ex Marks the Spot Chapter 6

"Ex Marks the Spot Chapter 6" is the sixth episode of the first season of *Privates,* a segment of *It's All Been Done Radio Hour*. It was the third segment of Show XLVI. It was performed on April 13th, 2019. It was released as podcast episode 227.

**Written by** Jerome Wetzel

**Directed by** Nick Arganbright

**Previous episode**: "Ex Marks the Spot Chapter 5"

**Next episode**: "Ex Mas"

## **The Story**

Picking up just before the previous episode left off, Jake Cotton and Dame Judy Bench are happily back together. Judy asks manservant Johan to fetch her bags so she and Jake can go home. Johan insists they have a drink to celebrate their reunion. Judy declines. Jake says he'd be delighted, and asks Johan to fetch the others so they can celebrate together,

As soon as Johan is gone, Judy tries to convince Jake to run away with her now. When Jake resists, Judy asks him if he knows. He replies he does, being a detective, and will improvise this next part. She'd prefer if he had a plan, but she says she trusts him.

Dame Cordelia Bench and Frank Berry join the couple and heartily offer their congratulations as Johan brings the drinks. (Frank's gift for Cordelia was himself.) Jake attempts to get Johan to have one, as well, but the manservant refuses. Jake swipes Johan's gun and asks for something to tie Johan up. A delighted Cordelia offers Frank's tie and Frank cluelessly asks what is going on.

Jake lays it out. Cordelia is being blackmailed for money, but her coffers have begun to go empty and she's had to sell off not only her own possessions, but those of others, as well, including Spot, as a leopard is very valuable on the black market. Judy had genuinely come to Jake without knowing where Spot was, unaware of the issue or she would have asked for Jake's help in finding the blackmailer, so she could join in. As Judy protests, Jake reveals she wanted to run away and leave the others in the hands of a criminal.

Frank, shocked, reaches for a drink, which Jake warns may be poisoned. Jake then says Johan was getting in over his head with four of them here and wanted to remove at least a couple from the equation. Frank asks why Cordelia would kidnap them and bring them to the blackmailer, but Cordelia says she was telling the truth; she didn't kidnap them. Jake backs her up, she being happy he got her signal of being cold towards him, and they agree Johan was here in Africa. It was Harry Styles, Jake's former client, who was paid off to hit Jake over the head. Frank wants to know why he was nabbed, too, and Jake helps him put together that Theodore, Cordelia's butler, set Frank up. Cordelia was glad to see Frank because she didn't want to break up, she just didn't want him to get hurt, and missed him terribly.

Jake calls for Theodore to come out, and he does. Frank is furious at Theodore for betraying his employer, but Theodore doesn't have any love for Cordelia. He admits he saw her finances dwindling and wants to get his before the money was gone. As Theodore pulls a gun, Jake swipes Judy's own weapon, which confuses Frank further. Until Jake reveals Judy wasn't in on things from the get-go, but has joined in and is blackmailing the blackmailer. Theodore and Judy came to Africa together. This surprises Cordelia, and Theodore wishes he had killed Judy instead of working with her.

Jake tosses Frank a gun and it's all over. In his closing monologue, Jake thinks he misjudged Judy, and maybe Frank, too. He's now left alone in his office, drinking well bourbon.

## **Guest Starring**

* Kristin Green as Dame Judy Bench
* Shane Stefanchik as Frank Berry
* Samantha Stark as Dame Cordelia Bench
* Joe Morales as Theodore
* Dan Condo as Johan

## **Trivia**

* There is lots of laughter from the live audience near the end of this segment. That is due to using actual gun props, that the cast wielded in humorous ways.