Episode 45

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Episode 45

Scene 1:

Ryan Corday used to be an angry man. When he was younger that is. These days, he was pretty decent. At least that was what his clients said about him. And he was pretty decent. Except when it came to Phoebe. The thought of her alone was enough to make his blood boil. He didn't love her. Hadn't in years. But she had disappeared on him. No one disappeared on Ryan Corday. No one treated him that way. It was disrespectful and he could not tolerate disrespect.

She had kept herself hidden from him for years. And good thing too. If he had found her just after the divorce, he'd likely have killed her. But time had passed and he had grown up a little and now he knew there were other ways to get even with lying whores like his ex-wife. After five years of moving around, he had finally tracked her down. She'd gotten sloppy too. Running that byline on the AP was her first mistake. Her second mistake was being so public with her life. He'd found her with little trouble and now he was here to see her.

He knocked on her door once. She was home, he'd seen her arrive. She would be surprised that he would be so bold. She would be surprised at a lot of things, he thought grimly. She had avoided him so far, but this would be her day of reckoning. The door to apartment opened, the chain still in place. He saw her face go slack with surprise on the other side of the door and smiled warmly.

"Hi Phoebe." She didn't slam the door immediately, that was a good sign. "I know I'm the last person you want to see," he continued.

"You'd be right about that!" Phoebe interrupted. "Go away Ryan or I'll call the police."

"That shouldn't be necessary, Phoebe. Can't we just talk? It's been a long time after all."

"No. We can't talk, Ryan. I don't want to have anything to do with you. Can't you take a hint? Quit following me!"

"I'm not following you. I live here now."

"What? You live here?" Phoebe's face turned white. "I mean it Ryan, if you ever come near me, you'll regret it." She slammed the door in his face, leaving him grinning in the hallway. This would be fun, he thought, turning on his heel. She was going to make this easier than he could have hoped for.

Scene 2:

Hallie sat with her back straight and her head tilted, a small smile on her face. She was sure she looked positively angelic but inside, her emotions were tumbling around twisting her into knots. Here she was sitting for Morgan Birch, the man who quite possibly could help her find out whatever it was that Gwen was hiding, and where was her fiancé? At work of all places! She was still angry with him. No one had ever thrown her out before. And to have him do so in front of Stephen was humiliating to say the least.

Oh and wasn't that just a disaster too? Stephen had confessed his love to her and she had been cold and unfeeling...until he had threatened to kiss her. And wouldn't you know it, Hallie wanted him to kiss her! She had wanted to feel his arms around her again and hear him whisper "I Love you," just as he used to. But he hadn't. In fact, he had laughed at her! She was angry with Stephen too! Angry with the world, as her mother used to say.

She wasn't angry though. Not with either of them really. She was embarrassed that Luke could get the better of her. And she was annoyed with herself for letting her feelings for Stephen resurface. Because they had in a big way. She thought about him constantly now. Couldn't shake his face from her mind, as a matter of fact. Not even thoughts of taking over ME could loosen his grip on her. What was she to do? She wondered.

"I think I have enough for now, Hallie," Morgan told her laying down his charcoal. "I've done the sketch. It should only take a few weeks to get the actual painting done. You were a marvelous subject." Hallie eyed him suspiciously. He was entirely too nice to her. Nice and aloof. She hated aloof.

"Thank you Mr. Birch. I can't begin to show you my gratitude for doing this for me. It means a lot to me," she replied offering him a winning smile. "You and my aunt must be having a wonderful time playing catch up." She watched his face closely, but he gave nothing away.

"Oh yes. Gwen and I have known each other for so long though. It's as if I never went away," he answered, folding his easel. "You're aunt is a gracious woman, Hallie."

"I know that." His remark wasn't lost on her. He was obviously trying to dodge whatever Hallie might throw at him. "She's allowing you to stay at Four Winds. Outsiders aren't usually welcome." Morgan narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth as if to say something but Hallie continued. "She must feel like you're one of the family, Mr. Birch. I know you two go back quite a ways. Weren't you living in the Glen when Jamie was born?"

"I-I was," he stammered back. "But I left shortly after." Hallie nodded knowingly. She hadn't known that though.

"Oh? Well, artists never earn money in small towns. I wonder...how long have you known my aunt?" She asked conversationally. Morgan paused in his clean up efforts and thought for a moment.

"You know," he said with a smile. "I can't remember a time when I didn't know Gwen. She's like a soul mate. We dated once upon a time. Then she met James and I was history. But, we loved each other enough to stay friends."

"Uncle James broke up your love affair? How sad!" Hallie exclaimed with just the right hint of sorrow.

"No, it wasn't sad at all. I still have my mementos from our 'affair.' And there are things that Gwen and I shared that she and James never did..."

"Morgan!" Gwen Mason snapped from the doorway, her eyes blazing fury. Morgan stopped and met her eyes and fell silent.

"Why! What's the matter Gwen?" Hallie asked innocently. Morgan could be counted on to spill it all, she realized. It just took the right conversation. And obviously, whatever it was he knew, Gwen most certainly did not want Hallie, or anyone else, to know.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I sound upset? I didn't mean to, it's just that your secretary is on the phone Morgan. She sounds rather upset. I guess it rubbed off on me," Gwen answered smoothly. Likely story, Gwen, Hallie thought meeting her gaze. Well, if it was going to be like that, let the games begin. She would think about her messed up emotions later. There was business at hand.

Scene 3:

The last of Derek's belongings were boxed and on a van to the Salvation Army. Cynthia Mitchell surveyed her house without a tear. This house had always been more like a prison than a home. The only time it hadn't felt so awful to live here was when Jude worked for Derek. She was happy then. And she had ruined her happiness too. It was a stupid thing to tell Derek about it, but she made him positively furious the way he carried on with that woman from his old law firm! He was making a fool of himself and her.

Poor Jude. He had been caught in the middle and hadn't known she had told until Derek confronted him. He had stood up for them though. He had told Derek exactly where he could put his threat too. But not even Jude could stand up to Derek. All Derek had to do was mention that she would be hurt the most if he made her affair public and Jude folded. Turned tail and ran. And God! How she had hated him that day!

Everything was different now. She was free of Derek and Jude was still close to her, still had feelings for her no matter who he was dating in that impossibly backwards little burg. She paced around the room like a caged animal. There wasn't anything for her in Washington now that Derek was gone. She had to decide what she wanted to do now. No, there was no decision to make. She knew what she wanted. She wanted Jude back. She wanted the one man who had made her happy in her lifetime.

She stopped pacing, her pause leaving her gazing out the window . She wouldn't be able to make Jude come back to her, not with his new position at Mason Enterprises, she thought, watching a squirrel dart across the yard. She would have to go to him and live in that ridiculous town. The thought irritated her. She would make the best of it, but once she had Jude firmly back in her life, that town would only be a memory to them. She smiled at that and moved away from the window, ready to begin her move to Conlan's Glen.

Scene 4:

"What are you doing?!" Gwen exploded as her office door closed behind her. "Are you planning on telling Hallie everything?"

Morgan flushed a bright red under Gwen's murderous glare. "No...she was just making conversation," he muttered dropping his eyes in embarrassment.

"Oh Morgan," Gwen sighed. "How could you be so blind? She was pumping you for information." She shook her head sadly and began to pace the room, thinking aloud. "She's always been so determined to win at any cost. I only wish I knew why she needs to know any of this! Before Jamie came back, she was actually manageable. Now...well, now she's an utter terror. I know she's never liked Jamie...or Jude. She's always wanted what they had....," Gwen trailed off as a realization set in.

"Gwen I didn't know...," Morgan started but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Why didn't I see this before? She wants what the boys have and what they have is ME. How utterly simple! Oh Hallie, my dear girl. No wonder you were so angry when Jamie forced you out."

"What does that have to do with our secret?" Morgan asked confused.

"What did I ever see in you, Morgan? You have no imagination at all! She is planning on using my dirty little secret to blackmail someone into forfeiting their shares of ME. It's a very simple power play."

"What are you going to do then?"

"Get a little insurance...but just what..." She was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. "What is it?" She barked over her shoulder as Maggie opened the door shyly.

"Mrs. Mason? Hallie received some flowers but she left just after you and Mr. Birch came in here. What should I do with them?" Her secretary asked showing her a box of long stemmed red roses.

"I am surrounded by idiots," Gwen muttered. "Leave them here Maggie, I'll make sure she gets them. Do you mind?" Maggie shrugged and left the flowers on Gwen's desk. "Now where was I?" Gwen said after Maggie had closed the door again.

"You were saying something about insurance," Morgan supplied.

"Oh yes," Gwen replied touching the roses absently. Her fingers snagged the card and she looked down at it. "Insurance. Hallie must have a weakness...Luke won't do me any good. She treats him like a sidekick...."

Gwen trailed off as the words on the card jumped at her. "Dearest Hallie, Forgive my behavior on the elevator. I meant it when I said I love you. Stephen." Stephen? Stephen Roth was sending Hallie flowers? And he was still in love with her? Oh could this be any more perfect? She turned a smiling gaze to Morgan.

"I think I've just found my insurance."