SUSPICIONS, PART EIGHTEEN

When Joe arrived at the Cop Shop the next morning, Josie took one look at his bandaged knuckles and said: "What happened to your hand?"

"Oh - I hit a punchin' bag down at the gym too hard."

****

Meanwhile, at the Cory Mansion:

"I've come to a decision, Lila." said Matthew, "You and I should get married. Jasmine deserves a real home, and a real family."

"If yo' sho that's whut you wawnt, then Ah accept yo' proposal." said Lila.

"Good." said Mattew. "I'll go and get the license as soon as City Hall opens, and we can get married this afternoon."

"Matt, don' be silly!" said Lila, "Ah couldn' poss'bly make all th'arrangements by this aftuhnoon!"

"Arrangements?"

"Yes - the guests, the flowahs, the caterer, mah weddin' gown -"

"This isn't going to be a big society wedding, Lila."said Rachel, "You won't need any of those things."

"Mom's right."said Matthew, "We can't afford to spend a fortune on a fancy wedding. We need every cent we've got to keep Cory Publishing afloat."

"Besides, I've never been good at hypocrisy." said Rachel, "I'm not going to pretend that I think my son is marrying the woman of his dreams. Matthew is no more in love with you than you are with him."

"How kin you say such a thang?" Lila protested.

"It's the truth." said Rachel, "The only chance a marriage between the two of you has of working is if you both walk into it with your eyes wide open, and don't pretend that it's anything more than a convenience."

"Maybe we can learn to love each other." said Matthew.

"Yes, and maybe Carl isn't dead, and will come walking through the front door." said Rachel. She looked Lila in the eyes. "What Matthew is offering you is the Cory name, and a wedding ring. Take it or leave it."

"I'll take it, for Jasmine's sake." said Lila, "But Ah wawnt a wedding' gown! If y'all cain't afford one, mebbe Ah kin find somethin' in a thrift shop!"

"You can have a gown." said Matthew, "But it will have to be off the rack."

****

Josie stuck her head into Joe's office.

"Captain, we found Grant Harrison - floating facedown in the bay!"

"Suicide?" Joe suggested.

"I don't think so, Somebody laid a pretty good beating on him, before he went into the water. That may be what killed him."

"You and Dolan are on it." said Joe, 'Start drawin' up a list of suspects."

"Why don't I just copy down every name in the phonebook?" said Josie.

****

Meanwhile, Rachel received a phonecall from Jordan Stark.

"I was hoping we could reschedule our lunch date for today." he said.

"Not today." said Rachel, "My son is getting married, and I have things to do."

"Oh? Is the lovely Ms Carlino out of the hospital already?"

"Matthew and Sofia have decided to go their seperate ways." said Rachel.

"You intrigue me, Rachel. Who is the lucky bride?"

"I'm sure you can guess." said Rachel.

****

"Where were you last night?" Said Josie.

"I'm a suspect?" said Cindy, "That's ridiculous! Grant and I had reconciled! He was going to move back in with me at the end of the week! As for last night, I was at the Cineplex, watching DEEP IMPACT. Tea Leoni can't act."

She fished in the pocket of her coat. "Here! My ticket stub!"

" I'll check it out." said Josie.

****

"I have a task for you, Zack." said Stark, "Find Lila Roberts, and claim credit for the fact that she is about to become the bride of Matt Cory. Tell her she can thank Lumina for her good fortune."

"But - we didn't do anything." said Zack.

"Lila doesn't know that." said Stark, "She will owe us a debt of gratitude, and I shall see to it that she pays in full."

"It seems so - so dishonest."

Stark shook his head. "Petty considerations of that sort don't concern us. We must think of the bigger picture!"

****

"The Medical Examiner called." said Josie, "Grant died of drowning. He was alive, but probably unconscious, when he entered the water. The beating would probably have killed him, though."

"I guess the perp wanted to be sure he was dead." said Joe.

"Then, why not empty a gun into him? Why dump him in the bay?"

"Bullets can be traced." said Joe, "As for the other - where else do you throw garbage?"

****

Lila was trying on gowns at the bridal shop when Cindy spotted her through the window and came in.

"I thought it was you!" she said, "You're just the person I want to see!"

"Why?" said Lila.

Cindy looked around to be sure none of the staff were within earshot, and lowered her voice.

"I hear you have a very special talent for - copying other people's handwriting."

"Whut about it?" said Lila defensively.

"I don't know if you heard that Grant is dead."

"Really?" said Lila, "Ah hope a pack of wild dawgs tore him to pieces!"

"Nothing that colourful." said Cindy, "But it was sudden. So sudden that Grant didn't get a chance to sign this."

She took a document out of her purse and handed it to Lila; it was a will leaving two-thirds of Grant's estate to 'my beloved wife, Cynthia Brooke Harrison'."

"Whut about Grant's liddle boy?'

"Kirkland still gets a third." said Cindy, "It's not like the kid needs Grant's money. Between what he inherited from Michael Hudson, and what he stands to inherit from Donna Love, and from Vicky, he's not exactly going to be on the dole! I earned that money! It's mine!"

"Why should Ah help you?"

"Because I'll cut you in, of course!"

"Ah am jist about to become Mrs Matt Cory." said Lila, "The Corys are rich!"

"Not as rich as they used to be." Cindy pointed out. "Besides, it's always good to have a little money of your own, in case the marriage doesn't work out."

"How much?"

"A million dollars."

"Ah'll need an example of Grant's handwritin'."

"You got it!"

****

"Rachel, I don't know if you should trust those three guys." said Cass, "They seem pretty flaky to me."

"We need all the help we can get, flaky or not." said Rachel.

Just then, Lila came in, with Cindy in tow.

"I hope you don't mind my barging in." Cindy gushed, "Lila and I ran into each other downtown, and she invited me to the wedding."

"Wedding?" said Cass, aghast.

"Yes, Matthew and Lila have decided to get married." said Rachel, "The minister will be here in half an hour."

"I'll help you get dressed, Lila." said Cindy.

"Lila, No! Don't do it!"

"Mah mind is made up, Cass." said Lila, and headed upstairs.

****

"Oh thank you, thank you!" said Cindy, carefully folding the newly-signed will, and putting it in her purse.

"You and Ah have a lot in common, Cindy." said Lila, "We both know that we have to fight fo' whut we wawnt, because nobody is gonna hand it to us on a silvah plattuh!"

"And both of us are getting what we want." said Cindy.

Lila surveyed herself in the full -length mirror.

"How do Ah look?"

"Beautiful! Too good for Matt Cory."

****

When Lila and Cindy went downstairs, they found that the minister had arrived.

"Are we ready to begin?" he asked.

"Yes." said Matthew, "We've got the license, the rings, the witnesses - what more do we need?"

"Love?' Cass suggested.

Ignoring him, Matthew and Lila took their places, side by side in front of the minister. Rachel sighed and shook her head.

"Dearly beloved - "

"Don't do it, Lila! Don't throw yourself away on a man who doesn't love you!" said Cass.

Lila bit her lip, and said nothing.

"We are gathered here -"

"Wait! " said Lila, "Ah cain't do this!"

"Yes!" Cass exulted.

"Ah cain't get married without Jasmine! Ah wawnt' mah baby heah when Ah marry her daddy!"

****

Josie paid a visit to the gym on her lunch hour.

"Hi, Seymour." she said, looking around. "The punching bag looks fine - or did you have to have it replaced?"

"What do you mean?" said the owner.

"Well, Joe Carlino hit it hard enough to bark his knuckles. I thought maybe he'd made a hole in it."

"When was this?"

"Last night!"

"Joe wasn't in here last night."

****

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Matthew kissed Lila's cheek.

"Well Lila, you got what you wanted." said Cass.

"Yes!" said Lila, "Ah did!" She kissed the top of Jasmine's head.

"Congratulations, Mr Cory" said Claudia, "Shall I move Mrs Cory's things into your room, or your things into her room?"

"Neither." said Matthew, "Just leave everything where it is for the time being."

If the housekeeper was surprised, she gave no sign of it, simply murmuring "Yes Sir."

"I guess sex wasn't part of the bargain either." said Cass.

"Matt is bein' a gentleman." said Lila, "He knows Ah need time to - to get used to th'idea of bein' his waff."

"Planning to consummate the marriage on Jasmine's twenty-first birthday, are you?"

Cindy came to Lila's rescue.

"Cass - I need your help to get Grant's will probated!"

To be continued.