SUSPICIONS, PART SEVENTEEN

"Great news, Lila!" said Cass, "The charges against you have been dropped!"

Lila squealed with delight and threw her arms around him. Cass immediately wrapped his own arms around her, and kissed her passionately.

"Cass!" she said, when they came up for air, "Ah nevuh -!"

"Don't you know that I adore you, Lila?" said Cass, "From the top of your scheming head to the tips of your dainty little toes, I worship the very ground you walk on!"

"Why, Cass -!"

"Lila!" Matthew was less than delighted to see her in Cass' arms, "I think I hear Jasmine crying!"

Lila jumped away from Cass and hurried upstairs. The two men exchanged glares.

"Stay away from her!" said Matthew.

"You don't want her yourself, but you don't want anyone else to have her, is that it?" said Cass.

Just then, Rachel arrived home, with the Lone Gunmen.

"Oh, Hello Cass!" she said, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room, "I'm glad you're here! Mr Byers, Mr Langley, Mr Frobisher -"

"Frohike!"

"Oh, I beg your pardon - Mr Frohike - this is my son, Matthew Cory, and our lawyer, Cass Winthrop."

Everybody said "How do you do?"

"Please, make yourselves comfortable while I ask Helen to make us a pot of coffee."said Rachel, and headed for the kitchen.

"So - how do you know Rachel?"said, Cass, as they all seated themselves in the living room.

"We don't, really." said Byers.

"We just met." said Frohike.

****

When Joe arrived back at the room he had rented after Paulina kicked him out of her life, he found a bulky envelope lying on his bed. He took out a pencil and poked it, experimentally. Then the telephone rang.

"Carlino!"

"Open the envelope." said a voice.

"Who is this?"

"A friend. Don't worry - it won't explode."

Warily, Joe obeyed. It contained a small tape recorder.

"Turn it on!" Joe did.

"Any attempt to pick the lock on the shackle causes an alarm to sound."said a strange voice.

"What the heck? What is this?" Joe demanded.

"It's a conversation between an electronics expert named Thomas Howard and Grant Harrison." said Stark (Who else?), "The subject is how Grant can elude surveillance for the purpose of killing his wife. "

"Cindy isn't dead" Joe scoffed.

"No, but your sister almost died - because she was wearing the headscarf Cindy had dropped. It was dark, and Grant made a mistake."

Joe didn't say anything, but it would not have seemed strange if flames had started coming out of his nostrils.

"I just thought I'd do my part as a good citizen by bringing these facts to your attention." said Stark, and hung up.

****

"So that's what happened to Jimmy Hoffa!" said Cass, "Interesting as it is, though, it doesn't really answer our questions."

"Like 'Who is Jordan Stark?' and 'What does he want?'." said Matthew.

"I think I know." said Rachel, "It would be easier to explain in my studio. This way."

She went out through the French doors. The five men followed her.

"Yesterday, I got a good look at Jordan Stark's face." said Rachel, "This is what he looks like."

She passed around her sketch; Matthew had seen it before, but the others gagged in disgust.

"This guy's got ugly he hasn't even used yet!" Frohike muttered.

"I used that sketch as the basis for a clay bust." said Rachel, indicating an object shrouded in a cloth, "Then I removed the scar tissue, and the facial distortions, and I got - This!"

She threw back the cloth. Matthew and Cass made exclamations of shock. The Lone Gunmen looked from the bust to them and back, puzzled.

"Who is it?" Byers asked, finally.

"He called himself Scott Guthrie." Rachel explained, "Then, later, he said that his real name was Hutchins, that he was my husband's younger brother. I don't know if that's true or not."

"He died in an explosion, three months ago!" said Matthew.

"Apparently, he didn't die." said Cass, "Though he'd be better off if he had. I could almost feel sorry for him!"

"Don't." said Rachel, "Carl would say that his soul is finally showing on his face, like Dorian Grey. He wants what he always wanted - the Cory money, and revenge!"

"But - how could Guthrie have put together this whole elaborate Lumina Foundation in just a couple of months?" said Matthew.

"I have no idea!" said Rachel, "Maybe he killed the real Jordan Stark, and took his place."

****

As soon as Grant opened the door of his suite, Joe burst in.

"Captain Carlino!" said Grant, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I know everythin', You Sack of-!"

"Everything?"

"Yeah - how you got an electronics expert to mask the signal from that shackle so you could go down to the docks and kill your wife! Only you attacked the wrong woman! You nearly killed my sister!"

"Did a little bird tell you all that?" said Grant, "You can't prove a thing."

"I got all the proof I need!" said Joe.

"A tape recording, perhaps?" said Grant, "It's not admissable! Still, if it will make you feel better, go right ahead and arrest me!"

"Who said anythin' about arrestin' you?" said Joe, bunching up his fists.

****

"So, now what do we do?" said Matthew.

"Stark has been cultivating an acquaintance." said Rachel, "I think I should just play along with him - until I get evidence we can take to the police."

"You're not going anywhere near the Lumina Foundation again, Mom!"

"Darling, I must!" said Rachel, "It's the only way to get him out of our lives for good!"

"I hate to say it, but Rachel's right." said Cass.

"Maybe we can help." said Byers, "We have a few tricks up our sleeves."

*****

After plans had been made, Cass offered the Lone Gunmen a lift.

"We left our van in a parking lot about a block from the Lumina Building."said Frohike.

"Until tomorrow, then." said Rachel, "Thank you for your help."

"Thank us after we've helped you." said Byers.

As soon as they were alone, Matthew suddenly said, "I've decided to marry Lila."

"What about Sofia?" said Rachel, "When she gets her memory back - "

"She's got it back." said Matthew, "She says she was just infatuated with me; it's Nick that she loves."

"Oh." said Rachel, "Still, a disappointment in love is not good reason to leap into matrimony. Marriage is a major committment."

"If I don't marry Lila, someone else will!" said Matthew, "I don't want my daughter to grow up calling Cass Winthrop Daddy!"

"You'd do that - for Jasmine?" said Rachel, "Because it's clear to me that you don't want Lila at all."

"Of course I want her!" said Matthew, "She's beautiful!"

"Oh, you want to go to bed with her. What man wouldn't?" said Rachel., "But if there was a way you could have Jasmine and Sofia together, you'd throw Lila out in a heartbeat!"

""My mind is made up, Mom!" said Matthew, setting his jaw.

"I'll support whatever decision you make, Darling." said Rachel, "Just think about what you're doing!"

****

Joe answered his pager. "Carlino!"

"Captain! Grant Harrison's broken his house arrest!" said one of the night shift. "His transmitter sounded the alarm, then went dead! He must have destroyed it!"

"Put out an APB."