What's In My Cake?

Reggie Kent and his family become the victims of a
negligent poisoning by a deadly pesticide.

Synopsis

Reggie Kent, a brilliant automotive engineer, has developed a revolutionary competition racing engine for an Indy-type race car that is about to make its debut at the Indianapolis 500.

Expectations run high, both in the Futura Motor Company private viewing booth atop the Speedway where Reggie and two company officials anxiously await the command, "Gentlemen, start your engines!" In Dayton, Ohio, two important people in Reggie's life are planning to watch the race on TV: Linda Kent, Reggie's second wife of one year, and Donna Bain, Reggie's daughter, who is struggling to cope with her one-year-old son Adam, while dealing with a plugged-up garbage disposal and a slight case of flea-festation, courtesy of the family pooch, Pluto.

During the next few hours, events will transpire-- in Dayton and in Indianapolis -- that will change forever the lives of these people and their loved ones.

In Indianapolis, the Kent-designed engine, in "Cinderella" car number 42, piloted by Ace Bramwell, will emerge as the engineering story of the day, going from next to last place at the start of the race to complete the grueling 500-mile run among the top finishers. Detroit's Big Three car makers are sure to bid for the manufacturing rights to the engine for use in the production models.

Donna Bain, frustrated by the clogged Speed-Queen, is angered even further by the arrival a day early of Ray Garland, who works as an exterminator for Andrew's Pest Control. He is her former high-school sweetheart, who has since earned a reputation as a thoroughly disagreeable cad and womanizer.

(Donna's husband, Vince, a petroleum engineer, has been on assignment in Saudi Arabia for several months, thus providing Garland many opportunities to "hit upon" Donna on his frequent "work-related" visits to treat the house for pests. Donna finds these unwanted attentions both irritating and provocative.)

Garland is equally angered by the constant rejection by the 20ish and pretty Donna, with whom he hopes to rekindle their former romantic relationship. He makes a crude sexual advance, which she repels. In tears, she runs out of the kitchen, grabs her baby, rushes from the house, and drives away.

As we watch the disgruntled Garland go about his duties carelessly and contemptuously, we realize that "dangerous" is the operative word here. In the kitchen he sprays his name "Ray" on the upper cabinets. The deadly pesticide drips off a cabinet into a cake bowl. He begins to spray the baseboards when he runs out of the fluid. He mixes another batch of the pesticide at the kitchen counter, discarding what is left of the full strength, undiluted ingredient into the clogged garbage disposal unit. For parting shots, he squirts the chemical into the dog's bowl and bed.

It is against this background that a tale as horrific as any hatched by Hitchcock unfolds -- ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances, seemingly beyond their control.

Over the next few days we witness Reggie's unparalleled success at Indianapolis become virtually insignificant. First, Donna is felled by the pesticide. Then, others in the family are stricken. They have all eaten some of the birthday cake prepared for Adam by Linda in Donna's kitchen. Even Pluto, the dog, becomes ill.

But it is the hapless Reggie, who cuts his hand while trying to repair the garbage disposal, who gets the full impact of the undiluted pesticide. In the early stages of his body's reaction to the poison, Reggie inhales some of his own vomit, which causes a progressive, incurable lung disease.

Over the next three years, a living nightmare, Reggie is in and out of the hospital with its attendant mounting expenses, losing more and more time from work. He is eventually forced to stop work altogether, losing his medical insurance, his pension, and his professional dream. His marriage suffers form increasing social isolation, feelings of depression, and sexual impotence.

All appeals to Andrews' Pest Control are met with hostile denials of culpability. Finally, Reggie sees no alternative but to file suit.

While it appears that Reggie has a solid case against the pest control company, Andrews and the sleazy Ray Garland divert the attention of the jurors with a sordid tale of sexual aggression on the part of Donna Bain. That Garland's account of Donna's behavior is pure fiction does not seem to matter. The jury finds for the defense.

Andrews, having had to keep Garland as an employee until after the trial to ensure his favorable testimony, summarily fires the troublemaker. Andrews threatens to tell Garland's young wife, Mary, of his other sexual transgressions against customers should Garland cause any more trouble.

Garland, without his pay-check or vacation money, angrily contemplates his dilemma - how to get even with Andrews and still save his marriage. Garland resolves the issue by telling Mary that he was forced by Andrews to lie in court, swearing that he never touched any other woman, and contending that the grossly negligent pesticide spraying was merely accidental.

With two young children tugging at her apron strings, Mary Garland has to accept Ray's story. Relying on his protestations of innocence of intentional misconduct, she insists Ray disclose his perjured testimony and the reason for it to the judge.

In the final scene, Reggie, well enough to resume his hobby, is constructing a model racer in his workroom. Linda, tears in her eyes, enters to tell him the judge has granted a new trial.

For  coverage of  this teleplay, go to Mike.

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