- Clifton Briggs secretly worked with Damien.
- Helen gave Marina information on Leia’s past.
- Kirsten and Adrian re-established their friendship.
- Someone kidnapped Greta Wilkinson...
[.....]
[.....]
Scene One:
507 Auburn Rd., Stone Creek. [Wilkinson Cottage]
Gideon, Daphne & Penelope’s Home.
Daphne Wilkinson sat in the dinning room deep in thought.
She had spent the entire night in the kitchen cooking and baking so that everyone would have something to eat when they arrived the next morning to watch her husband’s broadcast over the television about Emily Roscoe’s death and their daughter’s recent kidnapping.
But now that the sun was up, Daphne needed somewhere to hide. When her children were babies she would often sit in this exact chair early into the morning and pray that nothing would happen to them. Ever since they were born she feared for their safety and it was rightly so. It was comforting to know that the sun still hid behind the curtains as covered the huge east window. The few rays that did break the barriers of the curtains weren’t strong enough to reach the dinning room table and left the room on the brisk of dawn and dimly lit.
The sound of the doorbell echoed through each room, faintly making it to Daphne’s eardrums. But she couldn’t bother breaking from her tiresome thoughts. Somewhere along the way, when she was trying to set up the living room for her future guests, the dark-skinned forty-seven year old beauty sat down to get some rest. Then her thoughts turned to her children and she began praying.
She could hear the faint sound of the door bell ring one last time before her mother-in-law answered it and greeted their first guest. “Daphne!” Penelope Wilkinson called out, a weak undertone of anger in her words. “Lady, where the devil have you ended up?” Penelope put her hands in her hips when she found Daphne sitting down in the dining room. “People are arriving, please, for jesus christ keep it together right now. We still don’t know if Greta is in danger. So let’s not shut down and ignore the doorbell.”
Daphne just nodded her head.
“I wasn’t too sure if you wanted anyone over, I baked a pie. But Leia took a slice of it and told me to stop trying to bake so she made a better one from scratch.” Diem Joplin spoke, she leaned against the doorframe to the dining room with the pie in her hands and looked at Daphne with sympathetic eyes. She pouted. “I thought I’d come over a little early and see if you need some help, honey.”
Penelope sighed. “I’ll leave the two of you alone.” She turned to Diem. “Your uncle Jeremy is supposed to be coming over this morning as well. I’ll set the television to that dim-wit Damien Crenshaw, but I won’t pay him with any of my attention...”
The older woman trailed off, leaving both Diem and Daphne.
Diem placed the cherry pie on the dining room table and pulled her hands together. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m here, everyone said they were coming over and I didn’t want you to have to get things together on your own. So I just got ready and sped here. Am I crossing the line?”
“No. That’s fine.” Daphne articulated. She looked up at Diem with a pained smile. They haven’t seen much of each other lately, at least not just the two of them and yet Diem is here by her side when she needed a friend the most. “We don’t get to talk as much as we should.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Diem shook her short brown bob of hair and pulled up a chair next to Daphne, she placed a hand on hers and left it there. “What matters right now is that we all stay strong for your little girl and pray that she makes it back home as swiftly and harmlessly as possible. When I heard that she was missing, the first thing I thought of was that night-”
Daphne pulled her hand away. She shuttered, continuing Diem’s train-of-thought in her mind and wishing that it wasn’t such a sore reminder of a time when Daphne was so weak. So vulnerable.
“I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Diem noticed.
“That was two decades ago and still...” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. Instead she turned to the cherry pie, the smell of toasted cherries and bread calming her mind. “How about we get a knife for this pie and get it ready? Would you like to help me set-up a table for food? I couldn’t stop myself from baking this morning. Trying to keep it off my mind.”
Diem jumped up before Daphne could. “I’d love to help with anything. I actually talked to Gideon yesterday. It seems that our new Mayor is playing his cards right this time. Who would have thought that that slithering snake, Damien Crenshaw, could actually be useful for anything?”
“Don’t give him too much credit.” Daphne croaked, entering the kitchen.
She could feel Diem following her with her eyes, itching for an explanation so once Diem had successfully followed her into the kitchen, Daphne continued. “My husband is the Chief of Police and our daughter is missing, Damien has no choice but to go public with the information. Him announcing Greta’s disappearance is as much about him as it is about Greta.”
Diem weighed the new information. “Either way hon,” she gathered some dishes, “The more people who are out there searching for Greta, the better chances of finding her. After Leia baked us that pie, she immediately went to The Ledger to talk to Seth-”
“I understand he’s your new boyfriend.” Daphne smirked.
This caused Diem to blush. “We’re taking things slow.”
“He seems like a good guy.” Daphne opened the fridge and pulled out a plate of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, this garnered an appetizing look from Diem. “I made them fresh this morning but I put them in the fridge to cool down. You can have one if you’d like.”
“Go on.” Daphne encouraged, holding the plate out.
Diem took a cookie and nibbled on it. “She’s going to be just fine, Gideon is going to find Greta. For now why don’t we build the best home base here. Do you know who else we are expecting? I did invite Seth if that’s alright with you? Having someone in the press around I know it can be a little daunting.”
“The more the merrier.” Daphne replied, she looked around. “The more people we have here the more likely I am to take my mind off everything. I have no idea where my mother-in-law ran off too but I’m sure she is getting herself into some sort of trouble.”
[.....]
Scene Two:
980 Cutler St., Stone Creek. [Faustino Cottages #7]
Charlie, Kirsten, Charlene & Megan’s Home.
“Hey!” She could almost hear the urgency in his voice as Kirsten Thurlow moved across the room and tugged her sweater over her head and peered out the window. “Are you going to invite me up?”
They had been doing this since he was able to slip out of his house unnoticed. Adrian Stone would head to his room after dinner and then grab his bag and jump on his bike, pedaling it as fast as he could to her house and waiting until Kirsten would open the window and let him in.
She giggled when he asked for an invitation. After all, they both knew that if he really wanted to all he had to do was climb up to her window and open it.
Before, they would sit in her room with a night light on and play board games all night long. Stifling laughs and whispering their dreams for the future to one another. Kirsten had told him about how she wanted to become a lawyer one day and ban their curfews. While he would tell her about how he wanted to leave Stone Creek behind and find a real big city to start a band in.
It always ended the same, until one night it didn’t. The Summer before their Freshman year of High School, Kirsten and Adrian both had spent most of that Summer together, glued at the hip. He sat before her and wouldn’t stop smiling and the second Kirsten caught him she asked what he was thinking.
‘I’m thinking of you,’ Adrian had told her. He moved up onto his knees and scooted closer to Kirsten. ‘I’ve always been thinking of you.’ How those simple words had caused Kirsten to turn red and lose all control of her will power, she hadn’t known. But moments later they were lip-locked.
Now they were Fifteen and had been together for a whole year. “Did you get it?” She asked letting Adrian in through her bedroom window and kissing him on the lips. She could feel him pull her into his grasp, his hands moving along her body as Kirsten giggled. He brought her to the bed. “Stop! There’s not time for that. If my father catches you again, we are going to be in trouble!”
Adrian snickers. “As long as I’m with you.”
“You won’t be if he catches us.” She reminded him, then she grabbed his bag. “So, tell me Adrian, did you bring it or what?” Kirsten jumped up from the bed and opened the bag. Adrian propped himself up on her bed and watched as she dug through the bag. “You told me-”
He smiled, knowingly. “I’d never forget it.”
Kirsten spun around, nearly in tears. “Thank god! I thought I lost it in the rain. Thank you for going back!” She squealed when she collected a necklace from the bag. The necklace was gorgeous and it had supposedly been in her family for years. Kirsten snuck it into her purse to wear for Winter Formal.
He pulled her back onto the bed. “I’d do anything for you, Kirsten.”
Kirsten exhaled the smoke as a cigarette sat snug in-between her fingers. The morning landscape as the sun bounced off the mountains and beamed through the forest trees wasn’t enough for Kirsten to calm her nerves today. So she had snuck out for a cigarette before Charlie woke-up. She knew her husband wouldn’t understand the thoughts she had been having of Adrian Stone late at night.
How everything was so easy for them when they were kids. Kirsten put the cigarette to her lips and inhaled once again as she thought back to their break-up. How Adrian began to spend more time ditching school with some older kids and Kirsten began talking to Kent Wallace, one of the wealthier boys on the football team.
“Kirsten!” She startled, nearly loosing her balance and dropping the cigarette. Kirsten Sutton turned around swiftly and faced her husband, choking on the smoke and hiding her cigarette behind her back. “I thought you told me you quit smoking. Did you lie to me?”
[.....]
Scene Three:
Stone Creek; Now Town
Stone Creek Courthouse; Outside Podium
Gillian Sutton stood in the background as both her husband, Damien Crenshaw, the mayor of Stone Creek and one of his previous enemies, Chief Gideon Wilkinson, talked to one another on the steps of the Courthouse. She held her hands as she tried to idle herself.
“I’m really sorry about your daughter, Greta,” Damien Crenshaw sympathized. He looked at Gideon, who took the kind words with a nod. “I don’t know what else I can really say. After everything that I’ve been through with Caitlyn and the Thurlow family-”
“Stop Crenshaw.” Gideon spoke, he held a hand up.
But Damien shook his head. “I have to get this out Gideon, because we have all started off on the wrong foot and albeit, it was mostly my fault,” He watched as Gideon grumbled. “Okay, fine, it was all my fault. But clearly we are here for different reasons now and I would like for at least one of our conversations not to end in me getting arrested.” He spoke, truthfully.
Gideon sighed. “Fine. Thank you for setting this all up so that we can hopefully find my daughter before this day is over. The Station doesn’t have the funds to make a request this big and it does change the way I view you, as a political candidate and our Mayor.”
“But this doesn’t change how I feel about you.” Gideon remarked, he stared daggers into Damien.
This got Damien to shrug. “I really don’t understand you people in this town and how you all hold grudges!” He lowered his voice, “Maybe you should pay more attention to the case at hand? I’m helping you try to find your daughter, Gideon-”
“And I thanked you already.”
Damien licked his lips. There was an anger boiling in him because of Gideon and how stone wall he had become at the mention of a possible friendship between the two. Before he could reply, Gillian stepped up to the two of them and smiled warmly. She patted her husband’s shoulder and greeted Gideon.
“We need to get this Press Release on the roll, gentlemen.” She acknowledged, getting both of them to calm down enough to agree with her. Gillian looked at her husband. “Why don’t you go and get ready, your assistant wanted to run something by you early but he couldn’t seem to find you, dear.”
His eyes never left Gideon’s eyes, but he agreed with his wife that his removal from the situation was probably for the best. Damien shook Gideon’s hand and excused himself.
“I’m really sorry for your recent losses, Chief Wilkinson, but please,” Gillian stated, “Making a public outburst isn’t the way to find Greta. My husband is doing you a great favor in putting out a press release and I don’t need to remind you-”
“Why are you with him Gillian?” Gideon asked, still fumed.
She sighed, heavily. “That’s none of your business, Chief.”
Gillian flashed an awkward smile. “Actually there is something I’ve been wanting to ask you.” She removed her sunglasses and moved a strand of blonde hair out of her face, scrunching her eyes as they adjusted to the bright sunlight. “Is it true that Emily Roscoe’s death could be directly linked to Greta’s disappearance?”
“We’ve considered it.”
“So it’s true that a Serial Killer could be on the loose.” Gillian gasped, stunned with the confirmation. She held her arms in front of her as she turned from Gideon and looked out down the steps of the Courthouse and onto the canvas of Stone Creek.
[.....]
Scene Four:
Stone Creek; Now Town
HEAT Headquarters; Helen Schmidt’s Office
“How do I salvage this?” Helen Schmidt muttered as she looked at each picture for no longer than a second. She could already tell that the shots wouldn’t be up to par as the previous ones. It was enough to get her blood boiling after the departure of Natalie Marlowe. How one of her brightest photographers would have left her, Helen had no clue. But it bugged her because now she had to rely on less than stellar photographers.
She sighed, there was once a time when Helen garnered the attention of only the best photographers. Tossing the pictures into the trash, she picked up the phone to let her assistant know she wanted the photographer to schedule another photo shoot with their models. But before she could even dial for her assistant, her very assistant buzzed in a call from Patrick Sutton.
Helen smirked.
Had the day started off with a call from Patrick Sutton, it probably would have caused for a better mood. She thanked her assistant and picked up the call. “Patrick, what do I owe the pleasure to?”
“Helen,” He greeted, his voice engulfing her nerves and calming them. She pressed the phone to her ear and smiled in pleasure. “I can’t concentrate for the life of me today. All of this shit with Damien and my daughter, Gillian, and not having any control over Stone Creek-”
He stopped. This gave Helen the time to lean in her chair and twirl the cord of her office phone with he free hand. She was listening to every word he fed her.
“Quite frankly I just need a distraction.” Patrick admitted.
She smiled. “What do you have in mind?”
“I was hoping that you would already have a solution.” He replied. “I once thought I was the shoe-in for Mayor of Stone Creek and that didn’t pan out. Then the daughter I wanted to keep away from Damien Crenshaw thought stealing my company from me was a better idea-”
“Have you even talked to Gillian about that?” Helen interrupted. “You told me that Gillian’s corporate take-over was to protect The Sutton legacy from that dubious husband of hers. Is that not true anymore? Because seriously if it isn’t I have no idea what Gillian is thinking. Letting a criminal like Damien Crenshaw warp her pretty little mind.”
Patrick chuckled. “There you go, distracting me.” He stopped speaking, leaving Helen on edge.
“Come over.” The man suggested. “I’m at the office, I guess my daughter did one thing right by letting me keep my office even if I’m only sitting on the board now. Forgive me for sounding so bitter, but I really am and I could use a way to relieve some stress. So come over? Right now.”
“Is Patrick Sutton begging?”
He grumbled. “I don’t beg, Helen.”
“Right.” She replied, looking around her desk she found her planner and flipped it open hastily. Noticing that she had nothing truly scheduled, at least nothing of importance she returned her attention to the phone call. “I’ll be over in an hour, don’t get yourself too strung out.”
“I’ll look forward to you.” Patrick replied, hanging up.
Helen peered out around her office completely enamored with herself. After everything that her husband David Schmidt had been putting her through with their recent divorce battle she knew being around Patrick would be exactly what she needs. The buzzing of her personal phone on the desk jolted her back into her real life. She looked at her phone and noticed her daughter, Marina, was calling. Instead of answering Helen ignored the call and grabbed her things to prepare for a visit to Patrick.
[.....]
[.....]
Scene Five:
Stone Creek; Now Town
The Stone Creek Ledger; Editing Room One
Marina Thurlow placed her cell phone on her desk and sighed heavily. The fact that her mother had been ignoring her phone calls wasn’t anything knew. Helen was notorious for not being the best mother in the world, it was true that she wouldn’t be winning any awards for it. But she had hoped her mother would have at least been there for her this once because she was having second thoughts. Could she really go through with humiliating Olivia?
“Knock, knock.” Leia Joplin spoke, stepping into the editing room she shared with Marina. She held papers in her arms and smiled suspiciously. “I know I should have been here earlier, but I was out doing some researching and I thought I would come over immediately and share the good news with you.”
“What is it Olivia?” Marina asked calling Leia by her birth name, pulling away from her desk.
The other woman passed the papers over to her co-editor. “I know it was your idea but after the pitch you gave I thought that I would show appreciation and do my part. When you told us that you wanted to go undercover as battered housewives I wasn’t sure it was a good idea.”
“How so?” Marina edged.
Leia forced a smile. “It doesn’t matter now because I went out today and talked to a couple of shelters with our idea of going undercover. There were a lot of guidelines and rules we had to agree too, but I think I have found us the perfect shelter.” She motioned towards the papers.
“These are?” Marina looked at them, she fingered through the first couple. “Are these contracts?”
“You didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you? There are a lot of guidelines we have to follow like I said before. We can’t mention any names, there can’t be any background on certain women in the shelter because they want to protect their current inhabitants as much as they want to protect future ones.”
There was an excitement in Leia’s voice that stung Marina to her core. She had wanted for Leia Joplin to recoil and quit working at The Stone Creek Ledger by trudging up the woman’s past. Marina didn’t think that Leia would embrace the project and take initiative to help it succeed. Somehow, this angered her. “I can’t believe you went through all this trouble.” She seethed, passive-aggressively.
“Oh, I just wanted to make sure that we both do our part, equally.” Leia sassed, her eyes locked on Marina. It was as if her newest rival had caught onto Marina’s schemes. But she didn’t really know the truth and she didn’t want to say anything to let on. Now Marina really had to go through with the undercover project and with Leia by her side while doing it.
Marina smiled in spit. “Let’s get this started, shall we?”
Before she knows it, Marina is shaking Leia’s hand welcoming the beginning of their partnership.
[.....]
Scene Six:
980 Cutler St., Stone Creek. [Faustino Cottages #7]
Charlie, Kirsten, Charlene & Megan’s Home.
Kirsten stepped on the lit cigarette butt and made a mental note that she was going to have to wash it out of the wood later on. She looked up at her husband and tried to smile through her nerves. “I-I...” The blond ran a hand through her hair as she tried to calm her nerves. “Okay, Charlie I know it looks bad and I did tell you that I was going to quit smoking, but-”
“You lied to me Kirsten.” He looked back towards the house. “Right now our daughter doesn’t need to see you smoking a cigarette. We have worked so hard to try and shield her from everything else, you know what happened when my mother collapsed on Christmas. I don’t want Megan to deal with losing you.”
“She’s not going to lose me.” Kirsten rebuffed, she looked out at the view of the trees and tried to re-strategize the conversation. “She’s not going to lose me Charlie because I didn’t lie to you. I quit smoking, I haven’t picked up a cigarette in a really long time. It’s just with everything that is happening...”
She shook her head and looked down. “Greta Wilkinson is missing. She could be dead.”
Charlie stepped closer to her. “We don’t know that yet.”
Kirsten looked back up with wet eyes. “Exactly, we don’t know. There could be a Serial Killer out in Stone Creek and we have no idea if it’s true because Greta is still missing. I’m terrified for our lives, Charlie, and quite frankly I don’t know how else to deal with all this stress other than smoking. It’s hard. I know you don’t want me to do it, but... I don’t know what else to do.”
“You come to me.” Charlie replied, touching a hand to his chest.
“I should have, I realize my mistake now.”
He nodded. “We need you to be strong for Megan. I understand that cigarette’s have always been a way to cope with stress but you need to know that you have a whole family here to help you cope. What happened to Emily is devastating but we don’t know if her death is connected to Greta’s disappearance.”
“And if it is?” Kirsten asked.
Charlie pulled his wife into a hug. “We will all figured it out when it comes to that. I can’t imagine how Bentley is feeling right now, after Emily’s death and now his sister’s disappearance. But being there for him and his family is the best thing we can do.”
“You’re right.” Kirsten replied, her nerves calming now that she knew Charlie wouldn’t ask any further into her smoking habit. She knew that she was lying to him about smoking, but it was such a small detail that Kirsten didn’t see why she had to stop. Especially since there was so much more on her mind.
“Of course I’m right.” He said. “After this press release if there seems to be anything more than just Greta disappearing than we will work together to keep our daughter safe.”
He pulled Kirsten into a kiss. “Let’s get back inside.”
“I love you.” Charlie assured her.
“I know, I love you too,” Kirsten leaned against him. “I can’t believe you kissed me with my cigarette breath.”
“Well, hopefully, I won’t have to do that again.” He led her to their room so that she could change and get ready to head over to the Wilkinson Cottage for the press release.
[.....]
Scene Seven:
507 Auburn Rd., Stone Creek. [Wilkinson Cottage]
Gideon, Daphne & Penelope’s Home.
“Oh, Uncle Jeremy.” Diem Joplin called out once she seen him enter the house. She walked over to her uncle and gave him a hug. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you here today, especially with the past Penelope and you shared all those years ago. But things have changed. We all have changed.” She smiled.
Jeremy chuckled. “We certainly have.”
She watched as he looked around the Wilkinson home. There was always a sense of warmth and comfort in the house for anybody that stepped foot into it. It was something that Daphne Wilkinson was able to maintain when the home was passed down to her by Penelope.
“So, has anyone else arrived? Or are we the first guests?” He asked, as she guided him into the dining room where they had an entire table set out for them. “Oh wow, it looks like someone has been busy today. I spoke to Daphne a couple days ago at the hospital and she was so focused on trying to help Bentley with Emily’s death.”
“That poor girl.” Diem sighed, her arms folded upon her chest.
Jeremy nodded. “Yeah, god bless her soul. I don’t know what we are dealing with here, but now that Greta is missing I really don’t see things in Stone Creek getting any better right now darling. I would love it if you got Leia out of here, but I know the both of you and how stubborn you can be.”
“I would agree, but right now she is trying to prove her spot at the Ledger so I doubt Leia would agree to leave town because of this. She’s a journalist so she’d rather stay here and see what all the fuss is about.” Diem handed her uncle a cup of water. “But do you really think we have to worry here? Do you think it’s been more than isolated?”
He shrugged.
“That’s what I was afraid of.” Diem admitted. She looked around the room and noticed that nobody was around. Then she leaned in closer. “If this is true, if Emily and Greta have both been in contact with the same son-of-a-bitch then we have a lot more on our hands than we can do with uncle. God bless us all.”
He kissed his niece on the forehead. “Have you seen Penelope?”
“In the kitchen.” Diem motioned, she furrowed her brow. “Are you sure it’s wise of you to be hanging around dear old Penelope Wilkinson? You know as well as I do that she is still married to Grady. I know, he isn’t in the best shape right now-”
“He has Alzheimer’s Diem, he’s not dead. I know that and that’s why I am here. Penelope needs my help in confronting her fears about Grady’s Alzheimer's. Do I see a future with her? Of course I do,” Jeremy smirked. “I always have. But I’m not going to push anything onto her.”
Diem patted his chest. “You’re a good man Uncle Jeremy.”
After hugging Diem, Jeremy Joplin made his way to the kitchen where he found Penelope talking to her daughter-in-law, Daphne. Both women turned towards him and smiled. “Daphne, would you excuse us for a moment? I’d like to talk to Dr. Joplin alone.”
“Of course.” Daphne replied, she greeted her old friend and went to entertain Diem in the dining room.
Jeremy turned back to Penelope. “Thank you for inviting me over, I was going to watch the press release at the hospital with a couple other doctors but after you invited me here I could’t think of a better place to be. I haven’t been around this house in a long time.”
“I’m not too sure I should have invited you here.” Penelope said.
Her words were enough to cause Jeremy discomfort. “If you want me to leave Penelope, I can do just that.”
“No,” She blurted. “God damn, I don’t want you to leave. I don’t know if I want you to stay because the last time you stepped foot in this house was more than twenty years ago and that was the night we had sex on the living room floor. That’s all I can see when I see you standing here in front of me, Jeremy.”
Jeremy stepped closer to her, holding a hand out. “Was it all that bad? Because I didn’t think so.”
“Oh for god sake Jeremy Joplin, I cheated on my husband with you and then everyone found out. I had to leave Stone Creek to escape my own humiliation and when Cory nearly died in that boating accident.” She stopped, took a moment to collect her mind. “I almost lost my little boy.”
“But you didn’t. I saved him.” Jeremy reminded her.
“You did.”
“What are we even fighting about right now? We need to focus on your granddaughter and pray that she’s alive-”
“She is alive!” Penelope snapped, she pulled away from Jeremy and repeated. “She is alive and no god damned prayer is going to help bring her back right now. Why do you do that? Pray for forgiveness? Pray for answers? The only people who can forgive us is ourselves and the only one who can give an answer-”
The tension between the two of them rose. “I’m sorry, I need to calm down. I’m acting like a damned sixty-year old teenager. Jeremy we need to find Greta, she’s way too innocent for something bad to happen to her. Something like what happened to Emily.”
“Greta will be alright, I promise you that she will be found.” Jeremy replied.
[.....]
Scene Eight:
1509 Mango Ln., Stone Creek. [Briggs Home]
Clifton, Cassie & Lucian’s Home
She definitely entered a different type of living. Cassie Lakhani moved across the kitchen and placed Lucian’s bowl of cereal in front of him. Kissing her son she looked around the room. There was something about the grand kitchen that made Cassie uneasy about it, she felt like she was going to dirty it somehow. Or at the very least, break something. Which she hoped she didn’t since everything looked expensive.
“How did you sleep?” Clifton Briggs asked from behind her.
Cassie spun around and smiled. “Fine. Lucian woke me up a couple hours ago and he wouldn’t go back to sleep. But I do think he is finally getting back into a sleeping pattern. At least I hope he is, I don’t know what I’ll do when I have to go back to school next semester.”
“You’ll still have me around.” Clifton reminded her. He walked over to the fridge and poured himself a cup of orange juice. Then he turned back to Cassie. “If you do need time to relax we can hire a nanny so that you can study for school. I wouldn’t mind covering the costs.”
It was nice of him to offer, but Cassie didn’t really know how she’d feel if someone else was taking care of her child. Bad enough she didn’t get to spend much time with him as it was between trying to figure out a way to help her brother and then her meetings with Deborah. Not to mention her father now being in town. “I couldn’t ask that of you.”
“He’s my son too.”
“I know that. Don’t get me wrong, I really do appreciate you letting us stay with you.” She stole a glimpse at their son. “Ever since my accident I just didn’t really feel safe being in the apartment. It’s nice to be here with your help with Lucian.”
Clifton tugged at his suit’s sleeves. “You’re more than welcome to stay as long as you need.”
“Thank you.” Cassie watched as he messed with the sleeves to his suit. She walked over and helped him adjust them, folding the sleeve to show the button-up he wore underneath. “I didn’t know you had a meeting today. It must be a really important one if you’re wearing your lucky blue suit.”
Cassie hoped he didn’t find it weird that she had already had all of his suit’s memorized in order of their importance. Spending her time her at Clifton’s home, Cassie had found herself taking notice to the little things that he did. “Did you have something planned?”
“I’m going over to the Courthouse for the press release.” Clifton said. He moved around the kitchen, making himself something to eat. “Mayor Damien Crenshaw asked me to join them.”
“I didn’t know the two of you knew each other.” She replied, hesitant to know any further. There was a time when she doubted the good in her son’s father. After he had saved her from being another victim of Catalina Cortez he turned possessive towards her and Lucian. It took them awhile, but they had finally moved past that. Reaching an understanding. Now she was finding out that Clifton has a connection to Damien Crenshaw, a man that Cassie knew was more than a handful of trouble.
Cassie folded her arms. “What’s your business with the Mayor?”
“He asked me to be a member of the city council.”
“Um,” Cassie spoke, she scrunched up her nose. “Should I congratulate you? I just... Clifton it’s not that I’m not happy for you. It’s just that I know what Damien did to the Thurlow family and I happen to be really close to them. I don’t know if you taking offers from him is a good thing. What did he ask for in return?”
“I’ll be fine.” He snapped. “How about you take Lucian over to the Wilkinson house? Didn’t you tell me the other day that everyone was gathering over there? I’m sure getting a glimpse of Lucian will help everyone ease their worry about Greta Wilkinson. I don’t want you to be here alone.”
She softened to his words. “I’ll be alright.”
“But you said it yourself that you’re close to the Thurlow family and they will be there today.” He said. “I’d feel better knowing that you are watching the press release at the Wilkinson Home. I know nothing is going to happen to you Cassie. Just go. Be with your friends.”
“Okay.” She nodded her head.
[.....]
Scene Nine:
Stone Creek; Now Town
The Stone Creek Ledger; Editing Room One
‘You’ve reached Helen Schmidt, if you have any business with HEAT Magazine call my work number. If you need to reach me for personal reasons, or have an emergency, leave your-’
Marina hit the SPEAKER button and placed her work phone back on it’s cradle. She held her head in her hands and sighed heavily, how could she had been so naive to believe that her mother would be there when she needed her the most. Marina gulped. After Olivia walked into their editing room and handed over the paperwork for their undercover project she couldn’t shake the feeling that her plan wouldn’t work. It was a distant sting in her gut, but it was clear as day and she was having trouble keeping it down.
“What am I to do now,” she mumbled and picked up the nearest black pen. Marina looked over the paperwork that Olivia had brought her and noticed that most of it was personal information and a couple of ‘your death is not our fault’ bullshit that really creeped her out. But she knew it was only for legal purposes. She had been on a couple undercover projects that were nothing but boring.
There was a time when she enjoyed being in the editing room alone. Marina would imagine being far away from Stone Creek and covering the latest drivel that came out of the president’s mouth. Or even traveling the world and experiencing a foreign culture. Each time she dozed into her thoughts her mind took her further and further and it brought her at ease. But now. Here alone all Marina wanted to do was scream.
She looked at a picture on her desk, it was one of her and Ian Kiefer at a time when both of them were happy. How could they have become such silhouette's of their former selves. Marina had felt happy with Ian, sometimes it was forced, but at least it was certain. Not like with Ryan when she felt there was always a new side to him that she would have to learn about, to learn to love.
With Ian, there was nothing that surprised her and he was as easy to read as a book. She knew that Cassie assured her that things would work out. Marina and Ian had broken up before and they always found their way back to one another. But something told her to go visit him. She ached to apologize to Ian about Ryan.
Marina jumped up from her chair and looked back down at the phone. Her mother had failed her and so had her own feelings. She had felt betrayed and yet she knew now that she had to take the reigns and gain control again so she grabbed her car keys and headed for the door.
[.....]
Scene Ten:
Stone Creek; Now Town
Sutton Enterprises; Patrick Sutton’s Office
“I cannot believe you found my favorite wine.” Helen Schmidt proclaimed as she handled the bottle of wine and pour them each a glass. She stood with her back to her companion with her toes angled inwards and her feet resting on three-inch heels. She thanked Mac Kern for installing an emergency closet in her office while he worked for her. Especially for emergencies like this--when Patrick Sutton wanted her to entertain him.
Had she felt like a cheap whore? Helen couldn’t tell you the actual truth but as she poured the drinks she knew that not only did she want to be there, but Patrick wanted her to be there as well and that was well worth looking like a whore. She turned towards him with both drinks and smiled.
“Do you think I would have forgotten?” He exclaimed, taking the glass she had offered to him.
Helen put her glass to her lips and sipped on the blood red wine. “It’s not that you would have forgotten, that worried me. It’s that you seemed to have it already in stock on your shelf. Which tells me one of two things; out of the billions of people that don’t know this brand exists--we are the two that do. Or you were expecting me in your office sooner rather than later.”
At this he cheers to them, which answered Helen’s question without any words. She looked over at the man and smirked at his craftiness and how easily she was to sway into the arms of Patrick Sutton. Although she had to admit once upon a time she had so desperately ditched his advances now all she wanted to do was touch her lips to his instead of the glass of red wine.
She placed the wine on the desk, careful not to mess with his paperwork. “So,” Helen started, trying to get a real answer out of Patrick, at the very least wanting him to say it out loud, “why did you invite me here? I know you wanted me to help distract you. But that’s not a clear answer Patrick Sutton.”
Their eyes met and Helen walked around the desk and once she was in arms reach she sat down, moving his papers around. With one leg crossed over the other she rested her hands on her knees. “Is there more than just sharing wine with a close friend?”
“Do I have to spell it out?”
“Start with the first letter.” She mused.
But instead Patrick grabbed a hold of her right hand and pulled her into his lap. Helen leapt willingly and wrapped her arms around his sturdy neck. She could feel her heart beat heavily as the man caressed her neck and closed the gap between their lips. There had been many months where Helen wanted to know what Patrick tasted like and in the mix of the bitter taste of wine she could taste him, the man that stopped her heart was turning her on.
They moved apart and Helen blushed. “I think I found my answer.”
“You entice me.”
Helen turned away and lifted herself from Patrick’s lap. “It doesn’t feel like it was so long ago,” she stated, she lingered around his desk before turning to face him. She grabbed her wine and continued, “I remember standing in this very office, of course the decor was ferocious then, and we planned on starting up my dream magazine. A year later HEAT Magazine was constructed and three years after that it became a top seller.”
“This very room.” Patrick echoed.
“We did great things here.” Helen sipped her wine.
“We can do even more great things.” He spoke with certainty. Patrick rose from his seat behind his desk and accompanied her in the middle of his office. Wrapping his arms around Helen’s waist he pulled her closer to him and kissed her once again. This time with determination.
She became putty in his arms.
Patrick slipped her black dress off her light brown shoulders and let it fall in a pile on the floor. She took a deep breath as he ran a hand through her reddish brown locks and shifted her weight to his feet as he guided her to his desk. It had been the moment she waited for for so long. Years ago when she had wanted to sleep with Patrick Sutton she knew that he was off-limits so instead she had an affair with David Schmidt and eventually married him. Now she found her way back to the very man that helped start her empire and gave life to her dreams.
He knocked the papers off his desk and lifted her onto it, tugging at his belt she leaned back and knocked his glass of wine off the desk. It crashed onto the white carpet and rolled to the side, spilling it’s entire contents on the floor. Neither aware of anything other than the other’s presence.
[.....]
Scene Eleven:
507 Auburn Rd., Stone Creek. [Wilkinson Cottage]
Gideon, Daphne & Penelope’s Home.
Miles Fowler stood in the living room of the spacious Wilkinson Cottage with a glass of water in his hands. “I haven’t been able to sleep much. I’m just really glad that Chief Wilkinson placed me back on the case. I’d rather be the one to find Greta over someone else, it just wouldn’t feel right if I couldn’t find her.”
“We are glad to have you here with us darling.” Diem Joplin said, she patted Miles’ back and continued to watch her Uncle Jeremy talking to Penelope Wilkinson on the couch behind Miles. “Having everyone here today has been a huge blessing.”
“Diem’s right.” Kirsten spoke, she wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist with her head rested on his chest. “Having as many people here has put Daphne at ease. I think she just needed to know other’s care for Greta just as much as she does. Besides, it’s better to have you here and not at the press release with Damien Crenshaw. If it’s anyone who can make my stomach turn it’s that man.”
“Well, I admit that Damien’s not my favorite person in the world, but he did put this whole thing together.” Miles reminded her, almost chastising Kirsten for the bad words against the man. She shrugged at the mention. “Without him I don’t think the word could have spread so fast.”
Kirsten rolled her eyes. “Don’t put him on such a high pedestal. He’s only human and I can smell someone itching for attention a mile away. Right now our Mayor is licking himself with gratification for putting this together. Come on, everyone will eat it up.”
“Maybe you’re being a little insensitive.” Charlie scolded.
Her eyes locked with Miles’ “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t care how awful of a man he is. My only concern is getting the word out about Greta’s disappearance.” The four of them stood around the TV in silence. Each with their own trail of thoughts. Miles folded his arms and waited for the broadcast to start. “I just wish I could’ve found something in the evidence.”
“What did Greta’s assistant say?” Charlie asked, he rubbed Kirsten’s shoulder sensing that she felt victimized for her words earlier. “You had said something about Greta calling you about seeing a client the day she went missing. Did her assistant reveal who the client was?”
“It was anonymous.” Miles said.
“Can that happen?” Diem asked, flabbergasted. “I’ve done numerous background checks for clients and I have never personally ran into a rental place that took anonymous clients. Do you think the assistant is hiding something or do you really think Greta went out to meet a complete stranger? Down to their name.”
Miles shrugged. “It goes either way. Greta was eager to find new clients in the area so I wouldn’t put it passed her to scoop up any potential client she could find. I’m sure she thought she would be able to get down their information afterwards or during the sell. We have no other leads. The team that searched the house came up empty-handed so there’s no trace of her ever being there that day.”
“Are you sure?” Diem asked. “Those homes, the ones that Greta was trying to sell have a hidden storage in the basement. One could miss it, even if they aren’t aware of the homes structure. I remember playing in them when I was a little girl.”
“They checked everything.” Miles assured her.
Their attention falling back onto the TV screen.
[.....]
Scene Twelve:
2121 Mason St., Stone Creek. [Hoffman Village Apartment #34]
Ian Kiefer’s Home
Exiting the elevator Marina rushed to her ex. boyfriend’s apartment. She tried to remain calm, tried to keep the apology she had in her head to a minimum so she wouldn’t mess anything up or go on too long. All she could think about though once she stood in front of his door were the memories they shared.
Marina Thurlow knocked on Ian’s door, making sure she knocked hard enough for him to hear her if he was in his room. For some reason the structure of the apartments left the master bedroom far enough from the front door that they sometimes left the occupant unaware of a visitor.
In the midst of her third knock she began knocking on air as the door swung open. “Ian. Oh, shit! I don’t even remember why I came over.” Marina winced in embarrassment. “I just had this feeling that I should come over and I don’t know why. But I had this feeling that I needed to see you and it couldn’t wait.”
“So you drove over here in your bunny pajamas.” He mused.
She looked down. “I guess it was urgent.”
Ian leaned against the doorway. “So urgent you forgot what it was?”
“Can I come in?” She frowned. Now that he had pointed out her attire Marina was starting to feel uncomfortable being out in the perfectly lit hallway. She wrapped her arms around her pink tank top. “One of your neighbors is going to come out here and see me like this.”
“I want a kiss first.” He teased.
Marina smirked. “I thought we said we were taking us slow? Especially after the whole incident with Ryan and Natalie. I still can’t believe your sister had the nerve to tell Ryan about us. I still can’t believe any of that happened. How humiliated I was.”
“You drove here in your pajamas.” Ian pointed out. “So I just assumed that you wanted to speed things up between us. But if you want to wait Marina, I’d be happy enough to oblique and let you go back home. You know I care a lot about you. I don’t want to-”
She pressed her lips against his.
Marina pounded on his apartment door frantically. How could she have been so cruel to Ian and cheated on him with Ryan Bauer of all people! Not only did she cheat on Ryan with Ian, but she did the same thing to a sweet guy like Ian. No wonder why he wasn’t answering his door. She tried the door knob and felt it loosen after she twisted it. She pushed it open.
The door was already unlocked.
“What’s wrong?” Ian asked, moving out of the way so that Marina could step into the apartment. She didn’t say a word. Just stood right in front of Ian. Their eyes locked on one another.
She didn’t know what to make of the situation. They last left things extremely uncertain. He poured out his heart and Marina told him that they couldn’t be together. But here she was. Right in front of him.
Marina leaned into Ian. A kiss she was certain she needed. Locking lips with Ian she felt like the luckiest woman on the planet. She could feel Ian pull her closer to him and the two began to make-out. Harder.
Both needing each other.
Starting to slip off each other’s clothes. Ian led Marina to the bedroom, closing the front door with his foot. She didn’t know what this meant but she just wanted to be close to Ian tonight and every night after that.
Standing there in the middle of what was once Ian’s living room Marina Thurlow felt her heart sink a little. Because what was once the completely boring and predictable home of her ex. boyfriend Ian’s was now an empty and cold room. Her arms fell to her side as she gently began to weep. There was nothing more she could do. Everything was packed and gone.
Marina stopped at the water fountain to take a breather, if Cassie knew she went for a run by herself, her friend would be hurt. But Marina just needed to get away from everything.
“You alright?” A man asked from behind, she turned around to face him. “You look a little flushed.”
“I was just jogging.” She replied, her face turning darker. “I’m fine, just clearing my mind. Morning jogs do that for me.”
He smirked. “Me too.”
This man, he looked like he was new to town. But Marina couldn’t tell, it had been awhile since she actually paid attention to the town of Stone Creek. For months she had shut herself off from everyone but the station.
“My name’s Ian.” He offered a hand.
Marina accepted. “Marina.”
“Nice to meet you Marina.” Ian responded, “I’m fairly new to town, moved here a couple weeks ago. The scenery is amazing.”
She nodded in agreement. “Stone Creek is proud of its landscape, I think that’s one of the best things about this town. Have you had a tour around? My sister owns a coffee shop called Alice’s Haven.”
“Are you inviting me for coffee?”
Marina blushed. “I honestly don’t know what I am inviting you to do.” She brushed her hair out of her face and caught Ian’s eye. “But coffee does sound good right now. It’s actually not that far from here. We can walk there if you don’t have anything planned.”
Ian nodded in agreement. “My schedule is pretty much clear today.”
“Good.” Marina could feel her insides burning at the thought of Ian joining her for coffee, the troubles that previously bugged her were gone with the breeze as they walked towards Alice’s Haven Cafe.
Scene Thirteen:
Stone Creek; Now Town
Stone Creek Courthouse; Outside Podium
Everyone began to move around, the reporter’s all took their places on the steps of the Stone Creek Courthouse. The sun shone brightly upon Leia Joplin as she made her way to the front of the pack and readied her tape recorder. Her eyes darted around the makeshift stage looking for any signs that the Mayor was ready to give his speech to the resident’s of Stone Creek.
“Give me that.” Damien Crenshaw nervously yanked the speech out of his speech writer’s hands. He looked over the pieces of papers and then back at the man. “I must confess that this is marvelous work. It’s as if I wrote this myself, I’d congratulate you with a round of beers if I weren’t already paying you a hefty paycheck.”
The man, Austin, smiled. “You said you wanted to get sympathy out of Stone Creek and there’s no other way to do it than this. Besides once a tragedy like this comes up there really isn’t a bad speech one could come up with. It sort of writes itself. So if I were you, I’d silently thank whoever kidnapped Greta Wilkinson.”
“You’re a bastard!” Damien chuckled.
He looked around the entrance to the Courthouse to see who was around to watch the two men celebrate. It was true that Damien did feel partly sorry for the terrible things happening to the Wilkinson family but it wasn’t as if he weren’t mourning as well. After all it seemed everyone in Stone Creek knew that Emily Roscoe was his daughter except for him. So who could actually judge him for seizing this moment to gain the public’s affections?
Clifton Briggs entered through the huge double glass doors and Damien waved to the man. Finally somebody he knew and trusted was here. Well, someone he was blackmailing into trusting him that was. Either way, having someone from his circle around calmed him down. “Austin, do me a favor and make sure that Mr. Briggs is standing close to me. I could use a friend to get through this debacle.”
“But sir,” Austin gulped, “Clifton Briggs is the one who rigged-” He stopped himself from finishing his sentence. Instead he licked his lips, wiped his sweating hands on his sleeves and turned his attention to Clifton. He hushed his voice. “If people see the two of you together don’t you think they’d speculate your character?”
“I think you give these people too much credit.”
“I’ll do as you say. But I don’t advise it one bit Mayor Crenshaw.” replied. “He was a huge influence in your election and I must admit that Clifton Briggs has been the center of a lot of heat in the past here in the city. It’s bad enough that you elected him to the City Council, but any more public meetings-”
“Did I hire you to give me advise?” Damien snapped.
Austin shut his mouth.
“Exactly.” Damien said. “Now go make sure that Clifton Briggs is standing next to me. If I can make everyone in Stone Creek see a different light to myself than just maybe I can get them to fall in love with Clifton Briggs as well.” He watched as everyone started to file outside onto the steps where the press release would start. “I need my business arrangement with him to stay strong.”
“Is everything alright?” Gillian Sutton called, approaching the two men. She stopped short of their immediate standing and folded her arms. “I hate to break up this little love fest but I need my husband to walk outside with me.” Gillian reached out for Damien’s hand. She watched as Austin scurried off. “Now, what was that about?”
“Just business talk.” Damien told her, pulling her into a kiss and linking arms with Gillian. “How about we get this show on the road? The most powerful couple in Stone Creek is about the make their first huge press release. They will be talking about us for weeks.”
She shook her head. “You’re forgetting the point.”
“We are the point.” Damien reminded his wife.
[.....]
Scene Fourteen:
507 Auburn Rd., Stone Creek. [Wilkinson Cottage]
Gideon, Daphne & Penelope’s Home.
Diem Joplin called out to everyone in the house. Taking note of who was all there and ready to hear the press release about Greta Wilkinson’s disappearance. She placed a hand on her chest as she watched both Damien Crenshaw and Gillian Sutton walk out of the Courthouse. Their hands linked together. Diem snarled.
On the TV camera’s flashed. Damien deposited his wife next to Gideon Wilkinson and Clifton Briggs and made his way to the podium where he greeted the citizens of Stone Creek and started his opening speech about how honored he was to be the Mayor of Stone Creek and how much he wanted to help make a change and bring the city to the future along such cities like San Diego and New York City.
In the Wilkinson home, Daphne made her way to the front of the group. She stood in front of the TV with her hands folded upon her breast in a nervous pout. James Thurlow rubbed her shoulders from behind in hopes to comfort his old friend.
“In order to triumph as a city, however, we need to learn to take care of our own and I am sure everyone here is aware of the recent criminal activity that has plagued our city. I will not, as Mayor of Stone Creek, tolerate such violent acts and as I join the Police Force,” Damien looked back at Gideon who nodded his head, “I will stand for justice to be served for every criminal act.”
The reporters on the steps before him came alive with questions, allegations and statements about the recent death of Emily Roscoe and the disappearance of Greta Wilkinson. Although most of their words got lost in the chaos of speech, some didn’t fall on deaf ears. Damien looked down at Leia Joplin as they caught eyes.
He smirked. “Chief Wilkinson has a strong Police Force investigating the death of Emily Roscoe and although we are closer to her murderer everyday we ask that anyone who might have any answers come forward to help the investigation. We are all neighbors, friends and family and being so we must help our brothers and sisters in turmoil. The same goes for the disappearance of local real estate agent Greta Wilkinson. We hope and pray for her safe return to her family.”
“Does the Chief of Police have any leads?” Barked one of the reporters.
“Indeed he does.” Damien fibbed. “I have been told of the major leads that are being followed upon as we speak. Whoever is responsible for Ms. Wilkinson’s disappearance will be found. You have my word as your Mayor that we will find them.”
Daphne turned away from the TV screen and walked through the group of family and friends. It was all becoming too much for her to handle. So instead she wanted to busy herself elsewhere, she found her way to the kitchen.
[.....]
Scene Fifteen:
Stone Creek; Now Town
Sutton Enterprises; Patrick Sutton’s Office
“Shit.” Helen Schmidt spoke as she checked her voicemail’s and found a message from her daughter. The panic in Marina’s voice told Helen that she made the mistake of ignoring her phone call from earlier. She turned to face Patrick Sutton as he pulled on his slacks, zipped them and began working on his leather belt.
The woman smirked at what just happened between the two of them. Slipping her dress back on, Helen began to mess with her hair. Had she just made sex with Patrick Sutton or had they made love? It really wasn’t a question that would dishearten Helen either way. “I should get back to my office. I cannot believe I let myself get so carried away and ignored my daughter’s phone call.”
“Is it anything important?” Patrick strung.
Helen sat on a chair and began to slip her heels back on. “It’s my daughter, of course it’s important.”
“I’m just saying. Marina could be a little dramatic,” He spoke, “and don’t tell me that you can’t agree to that one. Remember the Founder’s Ball when she had both those young men fighting over her? I must admit, I admire her passion and manipulations-”
“She isn’t manipulative.” Helen defended.
Patrick shook his head. “My apologies.”
“Look, she hasn’t called you in the last hour. I’m sure that Marina is just fine and well on her way to her next big story. Which reminds me. You heard about the press release today about the Wilkinson girl. I’m sure you have also heard that Damien Crenshaw is leading this circus of a PR meet. We need to get him out of office Helen. That man is despicable and not because he beat me in the election.”
She slithered over to his side and kissed him. “Patrick I already told you everything I know about Damien Crenshaw. That argument he had with Clifton Briggs hasn’t really given us anymore leads other than the fact that he really doesn’t like Clifton Briggs.”
“We need to bring Damien down.”
“We will.” Helen said. She seductively placed a leg over Patrick’s chair and sat down on his lap. “But right now I need to find my daughter and see what exactly is so wrong with her that she had to call me three times. I’m not turning your offer down, trust me, I’d love to see that man burn. If only for my own amusement. But my children need to come first Patrick.”
He scowled. “You never cared about your children before.”
“That’s the problem.” Helen mumbled.
[.....]
Scene Sixteen:
Stone Creek; Now Town
Candle Light City Park; Playground
“Thank you for meeting me here.” Cassie Lakhani kissed her brother’s cheek. She watched as he leaned down and shook Lucian’s little hand. “He has been looking forward to meeting you all day. He just didn’t know it until now.” Cassie beamed.
“Well he sure is a striking young man.” Callum mused, leading her to a bench so they could have a seat. “He must get it from his Uncle Callum, I’m sure... I’m really glad that we’ve been able to re-connect Cassie but I have to warn you that our father isn’t exactly the same man as before.”
The sun light gleamed off of Cassie’s dark hair as she looked down at her fingers. “I hate to tell you this but Stavros was never really the nicest father to me while I was younger. He favored you and pretty much ignored me. Not that I’m really complaining, he really didn’t have much to say to anyone in our family. Listen, Callum, what happened in our past. I’ve forgiven you for all of it.”
“You shouldn’t.” Callum objected.
“But I do.” Cassie looked up at him and found herself being so dramatic. She turned away from him and stifled a smirk. How ridiculous had she been lately? “I need your help in clearing the charges against you and with Stavros here in Stone Creek. Maybe we can ask him for help?”
“No!” Callum shouted.
He caught himself. “Cassie, you have to listen to me. You can’t talk to our father about any of this. I want to tell you something... After Miles released me from jail I tried to flee Stone Creek because I didn’t want to be charged for any of this. I got scared. But our father...”
Callum sighed. “He wouldn’t let me leave.”
“So he wants you to go to prison?” Cassie replied angrily.
Callum shook his head.
“Then what Callum?” She turned Lucian to face her and picked him up from the stroller. Cradling him in her arms as she tried to think of a reason for Stavros to want Callum to stay in the city. “Do you think he is just trying to teach you a lesson or do you think he knows who possessed you to shoot us?”
“I’m not possessed.” Callum chuckled. “This isn’t The Exorcist.”
Cassie frowned. “Don’t joke about this.”
“I’m only meeting you here because I want you to stay away from our father... Cassie, I want you to stop looking into the case against me and I think that we should stop talking as well. I’m really happy that we got to re-connect. You’re my twin sister and I will always love you. So listen to me when I tell you that this is for your protection.” He gulped, nervously. “Now I have to go before someone sees us together. You don’t need to be involved with a man like me anymore.”
“You’re my brother.” Cassie gasped, her eyes watering. “My twin brother at that.”
“And I’m your father.” Stavros Lakhani smiled.
Both the Lakhani siblings looked up to see their father hovering over them. Callum quickly diverted his eyes and he could see Cassie’s grip on Lucian tighten as she locked eyes with her father for the second time in years. “Stavros... what are you doing?”
He looked at Lucian. “I want to get to know my grandson.”
[.....]
Next Time, On Concrete Shelves
+Marina recalls what happened when she went to Ian’s Apartment.
+James Thurlow reveals who he wants to work alongside Frank.
+Patrick gives his daughter, Gillian, some advice.
