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Post by heroicmuse on Feb 10, 2015 22:50:50 GMT -5
Rory will you ever learn. Rory is Rory. LOL. Though hopefully someday he will get it. |
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Post by André DiMera on Feb 10, 2015 22:50:56 GMT -5
Great chapter, heroicmuseI really liked the Nicole and Daniel scene. I just hope Nicole doesn't take advantage. I really feel bad for Marissa. Wow, Rory! He still has quite a bit to learn. |
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Post by unavitasegreta on Feb 10, 2015 22:51:55 GMT -5
The best part of working way too late and getting like 1.5 weeks behind? BINGE reading! It's awesome fun. I feel like I need snacks and drinks so I can enhance the experience. I can literally 'see' your stories playing out in my head as I read. It's like a movie. I wish the show were this creative and fascinating. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find Nicole and hug her...
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Post by heroicmuse on Feb 11, 2015 5:28:34 GMT -5
Roman spent the first part of the next morning going over the reports on the robbery case again and again, looking for something new that didn’t seem to be there. Rafe knocked on his door. “You wanted to see me, boss?”
Roman looked up. “Yeah. Have a seat and fill me in on the latest in this case. And please tell me you know something I don’t, cause from where I’m sitting, we’re at a dead end.”
“Sure.” Rafe sat down. “Shouldn’t we wait for Hope to get here, though? She’s the one who interviewed our so-called victim.”
“She’s gonna be late. She had something she needed to do for Ciara. Anyway, whatcha got for me?”
Rafe looked through his notes. “Hope and I deliberately set up Jeff Adkins to think we were workin’ round the clock just for his benefit.”
“And?”
“And nothing about him adds up. According to Hope’s notes, he was belligerent, uncooperative… she felt like he was trying to wrest control of the interview away from her. Her feeling is, and mine too, he had something to do with these robberies. Now the kid he fingered, his story matches what we know about this perp. Guy grabbed him from behind, held him at knifepoint, demanded his stuff. The only difference is, he chose a victim who knew enough about self-defense to get one over on him.”
“So you think this Jeff guy is our robber?”
“I’d put my money on it. The thing is, though, we can’t prove it yet. He hasn’t slipped up, not once, except for getting beaten at his own game by Rory, and let’s face it--that kid’s not exactly an ideal witness. He’s a stoner, he was high at the time, and even when he’s sober he doesn’t take a single thing seriously. There’s no physical evidence, no weapon, no signs of missing property being sold or used. It’s just one kid’s word against another, and no judge’s gonna issue a search warrant for Jeff’s property based on a gut feeling about which one is telling the truth.”
“Damn it, Rafe, we gotta get a step ahead of this robber somehow.”
“I know it.” Rafe sighed. “What do you want to do, boss? We could put a tail on this Jeff, see what he’s doing, but I don’t know if it would do any good. I mean, the kid’s smart. He’s probably not gonna strike again til enough time’s passed that the heat’s off him. Not that I want anyone else to get hurt, but as long as he’s laying low, we don’t have much of a chance of tying anything to him.”
“Maybe, maybe not. If we put some bait out there, do you think he might take it?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Get that head of campus security on the phone--what’s his name, Peterson--to set up a meeting. That way I don’t have to repeat myself. In the meantime, go over the list of stolen merchandise. I know it sounds like busy work, but maybe we’ll get lucky and some of that stuff will turn up somewhere. After all, what the hell kind of robber goes to all that trouble just to sit on his loot?”
Rory was finishing up his breakfast when Aiden came around the corner. “Mr. Adams,” Aiden said. “We have a few minutes before your date with the judge, so I thought this would be a good time to talk about how things are going to go today.”
“Wait… who are you?”
“I guess JJ didn’t have an opportunity to get in touch with you after he left my office. I’m Aiden Jennings. I’m going to be handling your bail hearing.”
“And you’re on my side?”
“Strangely enough, yes.”
“Damn it.” Rory sat down on the bed. “I told JJ I didn’t need any fancy lawyer. It’s just a weed charge, how long can they keep me locked up? Even the cops said I’m gonna get out of here today.“
“First piece of advice: stop talking to the cops. They’re not your friends, they’re here to do a job, and that job is to get everything out of you they can to try to make a case against you. In fact, the nicer they are to you, the more important it is you keep your mouth shut. When they’ve got someone on the other side of these bars, they’re only friendly when they want something, and that something is facts they can use to keep you where you are. Understood?”
“So, like, does this mean you’re my lawyer whether I like it or not?”
“For the moment. But if I were you, I wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Someone out there cares enough about you to get the best possible representation so that you can get out of here and on with your life. Take it.”
Rory sighed. “I, um, I appreciate it, but…”
“But what?”
“I don’t have a rich mom like JJ does. I can’t pay you the big bucks.”
“I told JJ and I’m telling you, don’t worry about that. Now, we’re wasting time, cause any minute now a guard is going to come down here to put cuffs on you and escort you to the courthouse. So let’s get down to business. What’s gonna happen today is that as soon as we get to court, I’m going to talk to the DA and try to make a deal to get you out of here. If I can’t get her to budge, I will do my best to convince the judge that there’s no reason to keep you locked up until your trial. Hopefully we can get you released so that you’re free to come to my office to discuss what’s going to happen next.”
The guard came into the holding area just then. “Time for court. Let’s go.”
As Rory stood and put his hands behind his back, Aiden said, “Whatever happens today, my advice is just sit tight and let me do the talking. One way or the other, we’ll get you past this.” He patted Rory’s shoulder, since he couldn’t shake his hand, as the guard took him out of the cell.
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Post by fluffysmom on Feb 11, 2015 10:15:11 GMT -5
I hope Rory takes Aiden's advice.
I'm glad the cops realize Jeff is the guilty one.
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Post by Kpatch on Feb 11, 2015 21:49:41 GMT -5
I love seeing Roman, even if he has no answers and relies on his officers to do all the thinking. LOL.
I don't think Rory has any idea how fortunate he is that people are looking out for him.
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Post by unavitasegreta on Feb 11, 2015 22:21:29 GMT -5
I am worried that Rory isn't going to be able to take Aiden's advice and keep his mouth shut! I hope it goes okay for him, but he's in good hands with Aiden.
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Post by heroicmuse on Feb 12, 2015 6:28:14 GMT -5
Nicole got up super early so that she could run over to her hotel room and change before heading to work--she hadn’t planned on staying over and for once didn’t have anything with her except the dress she’d been wearing the day before. She didn’t think Daniel was up and that was fine with her; she didn’t want to have any serious conversations with him before her first cup of coffee, and anyway, he really needed his sleep.
When she was about ready to go, she made a quick phone call to JJ. “Any progress on what we talked about?”
“I’m on my way to my friend’s bail hearing. I figured after that I’d try to catch Jeff at the cafeteria or something. He lives on campus so he shouldn’t be hard to track down.”
“See, there’s those instincts I’m talking about. Listen, I’m glad you’re going to that hearing.”
“Why?”
“It saves me the trouble of going down there to try to cover it.”
“Cover it? How? What should I do?”
“Relax, first of all. It’s not a Supreme Court confirmation, it’s just a bail hearing in Nowheresville. You still breathing or do I need to get Daniel on the line to give you the verbal equivalent of CPR?”
“I’m all right.” JJ wanted to ask Nicole a ton of questions about Parker and also about whether she’d moved back in with Daniel, but now was not the time.
“In that case, listen. Try to sit in the front row--I mean if you weren’t planning on it already--and keep your eyes and ears peeled for anything interesting. When you’re done drop by my office, mainly so you can tell me about it, but also so you can prove to Miles’ satisfaction that you actually exist. Think you can handle that without backup?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“That confident attitude should win Pulitzers. But I guess if you set the bar low, you can’t do anything but exceed your own expectations. All right, check in with me later.” Nicole hung up. She tossed her phone into her purse and walked into the living room, where she was so startled to see Daniel sitting on the couch, doing something on his laptop, that she squealed a little.
Eve wandered around her apartment, not sure what to do with herself. It’s funny how big this apartment feels today, she thought. It seemed so small and unworthy of my daughter when I first came back to Salem.
Paige’s bedroom door was still closed, allowing her to pretend for a second that her daughter was still there and just hadn’t woken up yet. Eve sighed deeply as she put her hand on the doorknob. For so many years it had been her and Paige, just her and Paige.
Eve found out she was pregnant two days after Paige’s father left. It was Christmas Eve, too, the first of many Christmases she expected to spend all by herself. When she got the news, she started driving, not knowing where she was going. Somehow, she ended up at her father’s. She hoped Kim wasn’t there, even though at the same time she thought maybe this one time Kim would be understanding.
When she got there it seemed like it took forever for her little half sister Jeannie to get Shane and Kim into the living room. Kim said to Eve, “I’m so glad you could join us for Christmas this year.” Then she turned around and told Jeannie to go play. Jeannie went to the top of the steps to spy on them and Kim’s smile faded. “What’s really going on?”
“He left me,” Eve said, surprising herself with how quickly she got to the point. “Yeah, that’s right, I got kicked out of the garden of Eden. Again. And I know, you’re going to say this is all my fault, and he probably thinks so too.” Eve blinked back tears. “I really thought he was different than all the others. He was a good man, a man with a sense of decency and honor, the kind of man that usually goes for someone like Jennifer Horton. How stupid was I, thinking he’d ever stay with someone like me?”
“Well, maybe that’s the problem,” Kim said. “Just because he’s right for Jennifer doesn’t make him right for you. There’s more than one kind of good man in the world, Eve. There’s one out there for you if you would stop trying to be something you’re not.”
“Spare me the psychobabble,” Eve said bitterly.
“Darling,” Shane asked, “why do I have this feeling there’s more to this story than you’ve told us so far?”
“There is.” Eve blinked hard. “This isn’t exactly how I planned it, or how I imagined it going, but, Daddy, before he left, he… he made you a grandpa.” She scanned Shane and Kim’s shocked faces. “Go ahead, tell me how I screwed up this child’s life before it was even born.”
“What a blessing,” Kim said softly. Eve turned towards her, incredulous. “At least one good thing came out of this whole mess. You’re going to be a mother, Eve.”
“How is she going to - “
“We’ll help her, won’t we, Shane? And Andrew and Jeannie can learn to do little things for the baby, too.” Shane didn’t look happy, but Kim said, “The circumstances might not have been ideal, but we don’t want this child to ever know that it was anything but completely loved and wanted. Of course it’s up to Eve what to do, but if we can I want to help give that baby a blessed life.”
Eve found tears running down her face again now. She had tried so hard to give Paige the life Kim had talked about, to make something good come out of the mess she’d made with Paige’s father. She’d given her music lessons and art lessons and gone to all sorts of events and encouraged her interests… and they had been so close. And now… now Paige practically hated her.
She picked up the phone and called her daughter. “Sweetheart, it’s Mom,” Eve said, feeling instantly better when she heard he daughter’s voice. “How are you baby?”
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Post by Kpatch on Feb 12, 2015 8:26:50 GMT -5
I feel like Nicole is pushing JJ too hard.
Thanks for the insight and backstory for Eve. It really made me feel sympathy for her and made her more relatable.
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Post by heroicmuse on Feb 12, 2015 9:25:55 GMT -5
I feel like Nicole is pushing JJ too hard. Thanks for the insight and backstory for Eve. It really made me feel sympathy for her and made her more relatable. There's a reason for why Nicole is pushing JJ a bit, which will come out later on. I do think she hasn't thought through the difference between an intern just learning the ropes and a full-fledged assistant reporter. I'm glad re: Eve. I wanted to make her a bit more relatable and not just an overbearing mother for no reason except the standard Salem excuse of having had a poor childhood herself. |
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Post by fluffysmom on Feb 12, 2015 16:38:39 GMT -5
I really liked finding out more about Eve's life. It was nice to see Kim being supportive of her.
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Post by heroicmuse on Feb 13, 2015 7:25:24 GMT -5
After hanging up with Nicole, JJ had a few minutes to spare. As he tightened his tie, he checked out his notifications on his phone. He had a Salem U Social friend request icon; he clicked on it and Marissa’s profile came up.
Marissa had asked him if he smoked weed right before the cops rolled up on them. What would she have said if he’d had the chance to tell her the truth?
JJ shook his head. “Sorry, Marissa, it’s better you don’t get to know me. You won’t like what you find out any more than Paige did.” He put his finger over the DELETE REQUEST button, but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to touch it.
He slid the phone into his pocket just as his mom came down the stairs. “You look great, honey,” Jen said. “Where are you going, all dressed up?”
“Um, Rory’s bail hearing is this morning.”
“Oh. So were you able to make arrangements with Aiden Jennings to take his case?”
“He’s gonna do today’s hearing,” JJ said wearily, sensing an argument coming and not wanting one.
“Is he - “
“I really gotta go, Mom.”
“You know, JJ, maybe I didn’t make this clear the other day, but I really do hope for the best for your friend.”
“Do you?”
“Of course I do.” Jen automatically straightened JJ’s collar. “Just because I don’t like who you become when you’re around Rory doesn’t mean that I wish bad things for him. I do feel sorry for him, especially after what you told me about his home life, and I hope he gets what he needs in order to get on a better path. I just think he needs more than you can possibly give him, and I don’t want to see you throw your life away for him. That’s all.”
“Mom! I’m not doing that. I want to finish college and make something of myself--don’t you know that?”
“Yes, of course I do. But when it comes to Rory, sometimes I wonder if there’s anything you won’t do.”
“I’m gonna be late.” JJ pulled his coat on and hurried out of the house.
Jen sighed as she closed the door after him. Why can’t I ever say the right thing when it comes to my son? she thought.
Chloe had barely opened her eyes when the lab tech came back with the x-ray machine. “Do you have to do that now?” she asked, glancing at Parker. “He just woke up; can’t you give him a few minutes before you start poking and prodding him?”
“Sorry. Dr. Collins needs this as soon as possible. As soon as she has the second image, she can make a decision about treatment.”
Chloe sighed. She glanced at Parker and said, “Can you be a big boy this time and just let the doctor take the picture?” Parker shook his head. Chloe sighed and got down on her knees so she was looking at Parker at eye level. “Please, angel? The machine won’t hurt you, I promise. It’s just going to take a picture of your insides to give to the doctor so she can see what’s making you sick.” Chloe blinked back tears, wanting to be strong for her son. “Just roll over on your tummy, you won’t even see it.”
“Nooo,” Parker said.
“Come on buddy,” the lab tech said. “What’s it gonna take to get you to cooperate?”
Parker shook his head. Chloe said, “Tell Mommy.” Parker whispered something in her ear and she said, “We can’t go home now, baby. We just can’t.” She blinked hard. “Please angel, just roll over.” She reached for him to help him roll over, but he grabbed onto the sides of the bed and held on tight, starting to cry.
Chloe couldn’t stand it. She looked around desperately for someone, anyone who could help. Maxine was passing by, so she called to her, “Maxine! Can you come in here for a minute please?”
“Of course.” Maxine came in and Chloe said, “This is impossible. This x-ray machine scares the living daylights out of him and they say they need to take another one, but he won’t… and maybe Daniel could get him to cooperate, but he’s not here and I just can’t take this.”
“Don’t you worry. I know how to handle this boy.” Maxine came and sat down. “Now Parker, we talked about this. Do I need to ask Dr. Brady to come in here and give you a big needle full of medicine to make you calm down?”
While Maxine went on talking to Parker, Chloe slipped out of the room for a second. She hated to leave Parker, but she couldn’t handle seeing him this upset, or the machines, or the whole situation. She chose her boyfriend's number from the top of her recent calls list, smiling through her tears for a second as his picture came up. “Hi,” she said into the phone, barely controlling the tears. “No, nothing’s happened, not really. They’re... they’re still running tests, and Parker's not cooperating and it's just... He just screams and carries on and I feel like it's such torture, and for what? Are they ever going to find answers?” Chloe sniffed. “Look, stop asking so many questions! Of course I want you to know everything about what’s going on. I just... there’s nothing to tell and I hate having to keep saying I don’t know. What? Yes, of course... I stayed with him alone last night and... and I wished you were here and then I felt bad for wishing anything but that he would get better. You're right, you're right... but no, don't come down, not yet. It would just create extra complications. It's not that I care what anyone thinks, but I don't want to deal with certain people's damn opinions on top of Parker's illness. I love you too. Always.” She hung up and collapsed against the wall, hugging the phone against her heart.
“What’s wrong, Mom?” Paige asked, pressing the phone to her ear and playing with her keys. She and Daphne had just been about to go grab some breakfast at the cafeteria when the phone rang. “You sound terrible.”
“Let’s go,” Daphne mouthed to Paige, but Paige held up her finger.
“Everything’s fine,” Paige said. “No, nothing happened. It’s been nice and quiet. Today? Daphne and I are going to go to breakfast and she wants to show me around campus before class. Mom... listen, I’m fine. Okay, okay, yes I can do that. I will find time today to come get the rest of my things. Daphne can - Why? Okay, fine, I’ll come alone. See you later.”
Paige groaned as she got off the phone. “Oh my God, my mom!”
“You didn’t have to pick up,” Daphne said.
“She’s my mom. Of course I’m going to talk to her.”
“Well yeah, but you’re already homesick and she’s not helping. You’re on your own now, Paige. You get to decide when you want to talk to her. You don’t have to jump every time she calls anymore.”
Paige squeezed her keys. “Can we please just go?”
“I know you feel like I’m being hard on your mom, but Paige, I’m just trying to look out for you. She’s trying to make you feel sorry for her so you’ll move back home, and you can’t let her do that.”
“Nobody needs to look out for me! That’s why I moved away from my mom in the first place, remember?”
“You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry I said anything.” Daphne pulled her purse on and walked quickly away. Paige sighed before following her.
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Post by André DiMera on Feb 13, 2015 10:02:03 GMT -5
I actually kind of like Jen in this story. I know that she's being overprotective, but it sounds much more caring in this story than on the actual show. I'm glad that J.J. didn't automatically press the "Delete Request" button. Chloe's having a really hard time with this. I feel bad for her, and especially for Parker, since he's the one who's sick. Great story, heroicmuse! |
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Post by Kpatch on Feb 13, 2015 20:36:22 GMT -5
I laughed when Jen wondered why she can't ever say the right thing to her son. It's because her mouth is moving. LOL.
Chloe is projecting her fear on Parker. She's definitely not helping the situation. I am hoping it was Philip on the other end of that phonecall! I mean, what other boyfriend would be asking so many questions about Parker's condition?
I agree with Daphne. Paige needs a clean break.
Can't wait for more of this great story.
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Post by fluffysmom on Feb 13, 2015 20:43:20 GMT -5
I'm hoping Chloe's boyfriend will come to Salem soon. She really needs some support. I'm hopeful as to who he might be.  I think Daphne may get tired of Paige soon. Jen is worried about JJ. I liked her admitting to herself that she often says the wrong thing when dealing with him. |
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