TANGLED WEB, PART EIGHT

Alone in the kitchen of Carlino's, Remy opened the refridgerator and found a large bottle of Diet Coke, three-quarters full.

"Perfect!" she said, and added the contents of the bottle Nikos had given her.

****

Meanwhile, at the Cory Mansion, Rachel and Paulina were filling Matthew and Lila in on the latest news.

"Jo'dan Stahk is Alexanduh Nikos? Are you sho'?" said Lila.

"We will be - once we confirm that Remy is Stark's daughter Zoe." said Paulina.

"Nikos?" said Matthew, "It was Nikos who kidnapped Jasmine?"

The doorbell rang; it was Jake.

"I searched the Herald's database for pictures of Zoe Nikos, and I found - this!" he said.

He took a clipping out of his briefcase and handed it to Rachel. The photograph showed two French policemen, wrapping a girl in a blanket.

Rachel read the caption aloud: "Asked what she was doing naked in the fountain, Zoe Nikos said: 'The back stroke'."

The others crowded around for a look. "Is that her?" said Matthew.

"It's so small!" Paulina complained, "I can't be certain."

"That's what I thought." said Jake, "So I made a blow-up." He handed it to her.

Closeup, it was clear that the girl in the picture, though dark-haired, was the same one Paulina had known as Remy. "That's her." she said, "Remy is Nikos' daughter Zoe."

"So it's true!" said Matthew, "Stark is Nikos!"

"Matt, didn't you date Zoe Nikos, when you were in France?" said Paulina.

"Yeah; as a matter of fact, she's the one who introduced me to her father."

"Then - why didn't you recognize her when she was pouring your coffee at the restaurant? You've been there plenty of times!"

"Oh come on, Paulina! Who actually looks at a waitress?"

"I've got to get back to the paper." said Jake.

Paulina walked him to the door. "Thanks a lot, Jake."

"Any time. This is going to give the Herald one heck of a scoop!"

"You won't print the story yet, will you?"

"Not until you give the word." said Jake, and licked his finger. "See this wet/see it dry," he said, holding it up, "Strike me dead if I tell a lie!"

"I've got another news flash for you," said Paulina, "I'm divorcing Joe."

"What brought that on? You love the jerk!"

"Loved," said Paulina , "Past tense. It's all over between us."

"Then - congratulations on coming to your senses."

When Paulina got back to the living room, Matthew was saying, "Nikos is Stark! I wanted to get rid of Carl, so I brought Nikos to Bay City, and the result was that my daughter was kidnapped, her life was put in danger - she could have died in that dumpster! What if she hadn't been found? Babies are delicate! They can't stand cold weather! - This is all my fault!"

He jumped to his feet and ran out through the French doors.

"Should we tell him the rest of it?" Paulina asked.

"Interrupt Matthew when he's just beginning to feel remorse for his actions?" said Rachel, "I think not! Time enough for that when Gary actually finds Carl!"

****

Down at her Mission, Sister Sally was handing out coffee and sandwiches to all comers.

"I could use a cup of that coffee."

Sister Sally looked the newcomer over with a practiced eye. He wasn't her usual class of customer: his clothes were new and clean, and he had shaved recently. He was holding out a dollar bill.

"The coffee is free." she said, pouring a mug.

" "Please. Take it." he said, "I don't feel right about takin' somethin' for nothin'."

"Donations are always welcome." she said, and put the bill in her pocket.

"I'm looking for a friend of mine - old guy, skinny - British accent. Has he been in here?"

"We get all kinds here." said Sister Sally.

"Hey, Buddy! You're holdin' up the line!" Somebody behind him said, and poked him in the ribs with a sharp fingernail.

"Okay! Hold your horses!"

Gary (who else?) made his way to a corner from which he could look over the room. Twenty or thirty people were milling around, most of them with coffee cups and sandwiches. Could any of them be Carl in Disguise?

***

Lila had followed Matthew out onto the patio.

"Matt, why did you try to get rid of Carl?" she asked, "Didn't you wawnt Rachel to be happy?"

"Happy?" said Matthew, "Happy with Carl? It made me sick to see them together! Carl couldn't keep his hands off Mom! He was always pawing her, kissing her - and she'd act like a - a teenager! She's my Mother! She's supposed to have Dignity! When Carl got her pregnant, that was the final straw! I kept picturing him - on top of her!"

Lila looked at him with distaste. "You sound like a little boy!" she said, "Ya'll grown-up, Matt! Yo' Jasmine's father! You shouldn't still be wawnting to suckle on yo' Mamma's tit!" She went back inside.

Matthew suddenly remembered a confrontation he had had with Carl, shortly before he left for Europe: "I'm the man of this family," Carl had said, "Whereas you are acting like a boy! Whether you like it or not, my place is here: your mother and I love each other, and we're going to have a child!"

Maybe it's time I started acting like a man, Matthew thought.

****

Later that day, down at Carlino's, Paulina, flushed and sweaty from preparing the day's specials, reached into the refridgerator for a cold drink -

"Paulina!"

"Oh! Sofia! You startled me."

"Sorry! I just came to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?"

"I'm goin' back to New Yawk. If I wanna make a success in the music business, I gotta go where the talent is." said Sofia, "Besides, if I stay in Bay City, I'm afraid I'll keep runnin' into Matt or - his wife."

"Maybe it would be a good idea for you to get away - at least for a while." said Paulina, "Promise you'll stay in touch?"

"You bet!" Said Sofia. She glanced at her watch. "My plane leaves in forty-five minutes. I gotta run! Give my love to Joey!"

"I will!" said Paulina, "If I happen to see him around."she added, as Sofia left the restaurant.

****

"There's a guy in the Mission, asking questions." said Wally, "I think he's looking for you!"

Carl peered through the window. "Which is he?"

"There at the back, in the blue windbreaker."

"Ah!" said Carl, "Gary Sinclair! He's a private detective. I wonder who his employer might be?"

****

Paulina reached into the refridgerator, took out the bottle of Diet Coke, uncapped it, and raised it to her lips -

"NO!" cried Remy, "Paulina, don't drink that!"

She grabbed the bottle before Paulina could gather her wits, and upended it over the sink.

"It's a really funny colour!" said Remy, "It must have gone bad!"

Paulina gaped at her, shocked speechless by a sudden suspicion. Remy could see it in her eyes.

"I - I - I'm sorry!" Remy turned and ran.

Paulina pulled herself together, and looked at the bottle. About a teaspoon full of liquid remained in the bottom. She dialled 911.

"Please send a officer to Carlino's restaurant." she said, "I think - someone - just tried to poison me!"

NOTES