WHAT GOES AROUND, PART TWELVE

    The entire squad room watched,in silence, as Joe (who had been suspended from his job as Captain) put the contents of his office into a cardboard box. 

    Joe glanced around  to see if he had forgotten anything, then headed for the door, looking neither left nor right, until he came to Toni Burrell's desk.  He stopped and looked at her ;  Toni turned her head away; after a moment, Joe exited.

    A collective sigh of relief went around the room.  Josie got up and started moving the contents of her desk into what was now her office.

    "Congratulations, Josie." said Tibbs.

    "That's Acting Captain to you, Officer."

    "Jeez, you've only been in charge for thirty seconds, and you're already on a power trip!"

    "You know what they say," said Eliot, "Power corrupts."

    "I hope not!" said Josie.

                                                    ********

     "Rachel?" Carl looked in the living room, then on the terrace. "Rachel?"  Just then, the housekeeper entered the room. "Claudia, have you seen my wife?"

    "She said she was going to visit Mr Cory." she replied.

    The front door opened, and Shane and Patrice came in.

    "How is your physiotherapy progressing?" Carl asked.

    "It's comin' along." Shane replied.

    "He's doing very well," said Patrice, "He should be walking again soon."

    "That's excellent." said Carl.

    "Walkin' with two canes." Shane explained.

    The doorbell rang; it was Cass.

    "I've brought the legal change-of-name papers for your signature, Shane," he said, "Or rather, Bobby."

    "You'll have to get all your i.d. switched to the new name." said Patrice, "Your driver's license, social security ..."

    "I'll take care of all that." Cass assured them.

    As Cass was leaving, Carl stopped him in the foyer.

    "You know, Cass, there was no need for you to sneak copies of the restructuring documents to Rachel.  I would have told her all about it, in my own time."

    "I promised Mac Cory that I'd always look out for Rachel's best interests." Cass replied.

    "Mac Cory!  It always comes down to Mac!  He's dead, but he's still making his presence felt!"

    "Most of us take comfort in that thought, Carl."

    "We could do with a lot less Mac in our lives!"

                                                     *********

    Meanwhile, Rachel had made her way to Matthew's suite.

    "I'm surprised to see you, Mom." he said, "I thought I was in disgrace."

    "You are, but you're still my son, and I love you." said Rachel.

    Rachel was using the bathroom when Amanda arrived unexpectedly.

    "Matt, we have got to decide what to do about Carl!"

    "Uh, Mom - " Matthew said.

    "She's so besotted with Carl that it's no use even talking to her!"

    " - She's standing behind you."

    "OH!"  Amanda started like a guilty thing.

    "I suppose this is about the restructuring Carl is doing at Cory Publishing." said Rachel.

    "Of course it is!" said Amanda.

    "Carl is going to have total control!" said Matthew.

    "He's had that for some time." Rachel pointed out, "Ever since I made him CEO."

    "Well yes, but - we used to have a say in how the company was run."

    "You gave it up." said Rachel, "Both of you resigned rather than work with Carl, remember?  And you, Matthew, you sold him all of your Cory stock.  So, in what way do the changes at Cory Publishing concern you?"

    "Well, of course it concerns us!" Amanda whined, "It's Daddy's company!"

    "Mac's company!" said Rachel. "No wonder Carl feels the need to change things, to make it his!  The restructuring makes sense on a number of levels."

    "And you approve?" said Matthew, "Don't you wish Carl had come to you before making all these changes?"

    "I wish that You had come to me before bringing Alexander Nikos into our lives!" Rachel replied, "I wish Amanda had come to me instead of putting on a disguise and pretending to be Carl's non-existent mistress!"

    "What do I have to DO to get you to forgive me?"  Amanda whined.

    "Stop plotting against Carl." said Rachel.  "That's all.  Neither of you needs to worry about Cory Publishing.  It's in good hands; Carl is an excellent businessman."

    "Yes, but -"

    "Carl needs total control over the company to keep you and your brother from making an end run, as you did before."

    "If you think it will be all right, Mom, then - that's good enough for me." said Matthew, "I trust your judgement."  He nudged Amanda.

    "Uh, Matt is right." she said.

    They were capitulating far too easily; Rachel looked at them; their eyes were as opaque as stones.

    "I'm glad to hear it." she said.

    After Rachel left, Amanda rounded on her brother.

    "Why did you say that?" she demanded.

    "It was what Mom wanted to hear." he shrugged.

    "You didn't mean it, did you?"

    "What do you think?" said Matthew. "Did you get that handkerchief?"

    "Yes.  Here it is."  Amanda took it out of her purse.  Like all Carl's handkerchiefs, it was monogrammed CH.

    "Excellent!" said Matthew.

    "What are you going to do with it?"

    "Let me worry about that.  All you need to know is that Carl will be out of our lives, permanently."

                                                 *********

    Joe had dumped his cardboard box into the trunk of his car, then headed for Sassy's bar.  Grant found him there, halfway through a bottle of rye.

    "Why, Captain Carlino!" he said, "Or rather, Mr Carlino, because you can take it from me that your career in the Bay City Police is over!"

    "Take a hike, Harrison." said Joe.

    "What are your plans for the future?" Grant continued, "No other police department will hire you, of course, but I'm sure you can begin a rewarding new career in the food service industry.  I understand that McDonalds is hiring."

    Joe got up and lurched out of the bar; Grant followed.

    "I hear your wife left you, too." he said, "Not that Paulina's any great loss.  You're better off without a fat junkie who got high and burned down the house!  Of course, you probably won't be seeing much of your son in future, but - "

    With a roar of rage and hatred, Joe locked his hands around Grant's neck.  They struggled briefly, then fell off the dock into the dark waters of the bay.  No one noticed the splash.

                                         *********

    "Rachel, I missed you!'' Carl hurried to embrace her as she came in the door.  "Where have you been?"

    "I went to see Matthew."

    "Yes, of course you did!" said Carl, "Matthew - and Amanda - they're always pulling at you - pulling you away from  me !  I'm afraid that I'll lose you."

    "That's not going to happen."  Rachel assured him.

    "Why not?  I've lost everyone else I loved:  Perry ... Ryan ... my father."

    "I'm here, and I'm going to stay here." said Rachel.

    "Are you?  Does your heart belong to me - or to Mac?"

    "Mac died a long time ago." Rachel said.

    "But he's still here!  Like a shadow, between us!  I run Mac's company, I live in Mac's house, I sleep in Mac's bed, with Mac's wife..."

    "I'm YOUR wife!"  Rachel came to a sudden decision. "We could move."

    "Move?"

    "It was selfish of me to demand that we live here after we married." said Rachel, "You and I should have established a home of our own, something that belongs only to us, the way the Florida beach house does."

    "You love this house."Carl pointed out.

    "Not as much as I love you.  Matthew and Amanda can have it; you and I will find ourselves a new home."

    "You'd do that - for me?"

    "I'd do a lot more than that! I love you!"  Rachel flung herself into his arms; they kissed passionately.  Rachel took a deep breath; there was no time like the  present.

    "Darling, there's something you can do for me."

    "What, Love?"

    "See a doctor."

    Carl took a step back, his face hardening.  "What sort of doctor? A psychiatrist?  You want me in therapy?"

    "I didn't say that."

    "Who put you up to this?" Carl raged, "Was it Matthew and Amanda?  You go back to them and you tell them that the plot didn't work!  Carl will NOT be committing himself to the funny farm!"

    "I am not plotting against you!" said Rachel, "I threw Matthew out of the house for you!"

    "But he's won!  Your love, your loyalty - you've given them to him!"

    "How can you say I'm not loyal?  I killed for you!  Darling, can you hear yourself?  You suspect me - ME- of plotting to do you harm!  You're not acting like yourself at all!  All I'm asking is that you get a complete checkup, so we can find out what's wrong!"

    "There is nothing wrong with me!" Carl raged.

    "What about the headaches?  You never used to have them! Maybe they're caused by stress, but maybe it's something more serious!  Please, please, see a doctor!  If you won't do it for me, do it for Cory and Elizabeth!"

    Carl deflated, like a balloon losing air.  "If that's what you want, Rachel, I'll make an appointment first thing in the morning."

    "Thank you, Darling!"

To be continued.