|
|
Post by Kpatch on Mar 24, 2015 9:10:52 GMT -5
Good for Jennifer! I can't believe Jill mentioned Eve's name to Jennifer. But I'm glad she did. I hope Paige caught onto Bev's sort of subtle warning, but I doubt it. I really look forward to reading a new chapter of this fabulous story every day. Thanks heroicmuse! |
|
|
|
Post by André DiMera on Mar 24, 2015 10:05:24 GMT -5
This is a great story, heroicmuse, and it just keeps getting better by the day! That was a very interesting warning that Bev gave Paige. I hope she listens, but I'm not sure that she will. Go Jen! I can't believe that Jill actually mentioned Eve to Jen. That could have undone all of their plans. |
|
|
|
Post by fluffysmom on Mar 24, 2015 20:54:42 GMT -5
I'm glad that Jennifer didn't fall for Jill's lies.
I feel like Bev's warning was foreshadowing Paige getting hurt.
|
|
|
|
Post by unavitasegreta on Mar 24, 2015 21:02:43 GMT -5
Yay, Jennifer!!! I loved her catching on to Jill. This is the Jen I remember and love!
|
|
|
|
Post by heroicmuse on Mar 25, 2015 6:53:24 GMT -5
Bev hated going home, but she had no choice right now. She didn’t have the kind of parents she could tell stuff to, but she had to get her phone canceled and her cash replaced, and her dad would do that much.
He was in his home office, looking at something on the computer, when she knocked. “Beverly!” he said. “What a surprise.” He checked his calendar. “Wait, it isn’t a break from school, is it? Spring break or whatever?”
“No, silly.” Bev came all the way into the room. “Can’t I come visit just to visit?”
“You never come around if you don’t want something,” her father said. There was no hurt or anger attached to it; he just seemed to be stating a fact. “What kind of trouble have you got yourself into now?”
Bev’s eyes widened. If only you knew, she thought. “Nothing major,” she lied. “I, um… stupid me, I left my purse in the student lounge. Don’t know where my head was. Anyway… someone gave it back to me but um - “
“Let me guess. Your Good Samaritan helped themselves to all your cash.”
Bev nodded. “And my phone.”
“Beverly!” her father shook his head. “First of all, I can tell you where your head was. It was lost in a cloud… a cloud of green smoke.” Bev started to say something, but he said, “Don’t try to deny it, Beverly. I’ve known for a long time what you do. I’ve ignored it, thinking kids will be kids, but you’re not a little girl anymore. You’re in college, and it’s time you started taking responsibility for yourself.”
“But Dad, it wasn’t like that. I - “
“The answer is no. No, I am not giving you any money to replace whatever was stolen.I will cancel your phone, but it’s staying canceled. I’m not paying for another one.”
“You don’t understand,” Bev said softly.
“I think I do. Now, is there anything else?” Bev thought for a minute, then shook her head. “In that case,” her father said, “I have work to do. And Beverly, I suggest you stop hanging out with stoners and thieves and start getting your act together. You’re a smart, beautiful girl, but if you don’t use what you’ve been given you’ll get nowhere in life. You have to start making better decisions or you’re going to come to a bad end.”
Bev’s father turned his back to her. She said, “Dad?” but he didn’t answer her. “What if it’s not that easy?” she asked. “I mean, what if I can’t… what if they won’t let me stop hanging out with them?”
“That’s not their choice to make. It’s yours.”
“But it’s not that simple!” Bev nearly choked on her own tears. She coughed, then swallowed hard to get in control of herself. “Dad, I can’t just - “
Her father looked up, and for a second Bev thought she saw fear in his eyes. But all he said was, “Is there something you need to tell me about what you’ve been doing?”
Bev shook her head. Her father turned back around, not even asking if she was sure, not saying that he could tell she was in trouble. She could feel him judging her. “You’re right,” she said. “I have to make some different choices.” She stomped off.
Hope played with the cord on her office phone, trying to control her irritation. “You’re right, Pete. We don’t have a warrant, though I’m sure we could get one. Look, aren’t we both on the same side here? Believe me, we don’t want to make trouble for Salem U--we want to catch this guy and restore your campus’ reputation for safety just as much as you do. What? You know what, I’m sorry you feel that way, but the fact is that violent crime happened on your campus, and you called us for help with it. That’s not harassing your students. That’s trying to keep them safe.” She slammed down the phone.
“Trouble in paradise?” Rafe asked, coming into the doorway of Hope’s office.
“You could say that. I have a viable lead--or thought I did, anyway, but that security officer over at Salem U is tired of being inconvenienced by us trying to catch the person who is terrorizing his students.”
“All that guy cares about is preserving the illusion that the campus is completely safe so that admissions don’t fall.” Rafe sighed. “So what was it you were trying to get from our friend over at Salem U?”
“Nothing much. Just class lists. You’d think I was asking for the Pentagon papers.”
“I can help with that.” Rafe took out his phone. “I still have contacts at the FBI--they’ve got ways around stubborn security guards and the like to get the intel we need.”
“Thanks.” Hope sighed.
“What?”
Hope glanced at her computer before answering. “Nothing. I’m just tired of getting stonewalled, I guess. We have so few leads on this case as it is, and every time we take a step forward, it seems like someone’s in the way. I haven’t heard back from Marissa Hunter yet about doing the re-enactment, and she’s in the best position to help us. And then this security guard…” Hope shook her head. “I can’t help thinking that any minute now, Roman’s going to call us in again and tell us that there’s nothing more we can do. We’re so close, Rafe. We know it’s this Jeff character, but we just can’t get the proof. And even if he never commits another robbery again, I don’t want him getting away with this.” She sighed deeply. “I keep seeing the look in Marissa’s eyes when we interviewed her. She’s been through a lot because of this guy, and so have the other victims. And I’m afraid we’re going to end up letting them down.”
“We are not going to let them down, Hope. It just takes time, that’s all. Look let me make a few calls, and then maybe… a break won’t be such a bad thing.”
“What do you mean, a break?”
“Look, I don’t wanna abandon the case any more than you do, but I think maybe taking a step back will help us see things more clearly. There’s plenty of other crime in Salem we could get to work on while we’re waiting for some calls back. How about you and me take a ride out to that abandoned motel on the outskirts of town?”
“What, the one the kids all think is haunted?”
“Yeah. There’s been isolated reports of vandalism and break-ins there again, and it’s not Halloween time so we can’t even blame people’s wild imaginations. I know it’s not as exciting - “
“It’s not about excitement,” Hope said flatly. “It’s about doing something for these kids. They’re on the cusp of adulthood, away from home for the first time, and they need to know that there’s good in the world despite what happened to them.”
“I get that.” Rafe sat down on the edge of Hope’s desk. “Look, no one’s talking about giving up. But right now we’re stuck, waiting on Jeff making his next move so we can make ours. So let’s just get out there and do something to make Salem safer. Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and the suspect will be nosing around the same things we are.”
A voice behind them said, “Excuse me? Are you... are you talking about the Salem U robber?”
|
|
|
|
Post by Kpatch on Mar 25, 2015 10:45:24 GMT -5
In your world, the characters are all logical. I love that.
Bev's father's advice was really good. Too bad it was a one-way conversation and Bev doesn't feel like she can confide in her father.
And Rafe's advice to Hope was sound. I wonder who just walked into the cop shop.
I am on pins and needles waiting for Chloe's talk with Daniel!
|
|
|
|
Post by fluffysmom on Mar 25, 2015 20:27:50 GMT -5
I felt bad for Bev as she left her dad's office. It's sad that she doesn't think she can confide in him.
I wonder if Jeff walked into Hope's office.
|
|
|
|
Post by unavitasegreta on Mar 25, 2015 20:54:56 GMT -5
I feel so bad for Bev! You really know how to make readers invest in the characters.
|
|
|
|
Post by André DiMera on Mar 25, 2015 21:01:21 GMT -5
I never thought I would, but I feel bad for Bev! It sucks that ahe doesn't feel that she can confide in her father!
|
|
|
|
Post by sevenna92 on Mar 25, 2015 21:05:49 GMT -5
I love how you would take characters that a lot of people won't normally use, much less care about, and actually flesh them out to the point where we get invested and care about them. This is a great story and I enjoy reading it!
|
|
|
|
Post by heroicmuse on Mar 26, 2015 6:58:40 GMT -5
Hope looked up. Bev was standing in the doorway. The girl’s clothes looked like they’d been all torn up and she was wearing sunglasses.
“Can I help you?” Hope asked uncertainly, knowing who Bev was and not sure why her gut wasn’t telling her that a scam was underway.
Bev nodded. Coming all the way into the office, she said, making herself sound even more scared than she really was, “I, uh, I have info about the guys who are doing it. Want it?” She took off her sunglasses; both her eyes looked bruised, as if she’d been hit recently.
“What happened to you?” Rafe asked her.
Bev bit her lip and made her eyes widen. “Arrest me,” she pleaded, “so I can tell you.”
Daniel had got Victor to agree to some private time with Parker so that he and Chloe could talk in the hall outside the room. Daniel leaned against the wall now, his arms crossed. “So when exactly were you planning on telling me that Philip is back in your life?”
“I wanted to see how things were going to go with him and Parker first,” Chloe said, “but obviously that was before our son developed a life threatening heart condition. Speaking of which, can we table the judgment and the arguing until we know for sure that Parker’s going to be okay?”
“No judgment,” Daniel said. Chloe glared at him. “Really. Look, even if I wanted to I couldn’t say much, not after the number of times Jennifer and I have gone back and forth.”
“You’re right,” Chloe said, “but even though it was terrible for Parker for her to be in and out of your life, I didn’t say anything, because that was for you to work out with him someday. And again, that was B.H.”
“B.H.?”
“Before heart condition. Why are we still talking about this?”
“Because,” Daniel said, “whatever happened between me and Philip in the past, that’s ancient history. And because I want to see the mother of my son happy, even though everything was over between us a long time ago. And most of all, Chloe, most of all… I want to make sure that Parker is okay, no matter what you decide. So please tell me… please tell me you’re gonna make sure it’s permanent before you bring Philip back into Parker’s life. The poor little guy’s been through enough without getting attached to someone who might get distracted by the next shiny thing.”
“You mean like Jennifer did?” Chloe bit her lip. “Look, Daniel, we can either stand in the hall and have a knock-down fight to the death about who gets to judge more about the other’s relationship, or we can do what I said in the first place and forget it for now. I mean, with Parker like this you haven’t heard me tell you that you and Nicole will be better off if you never go beyond friendship, have you?”
“Nicole? What…. she and I are never going to be more than friends again, Chloe, and if you’ve heard anything other than that, it’s a straight out lie.”
“Hit a nerve, didn’t I?” Chloe’s eyes widened. “So, still want to go on like this, or should we talk about something a little more relevant, like what we should do about this big test Parker’s supposed to get?”
|
|
|
|
Post by unavitasegreta on Mar 26, 2015 7:23:28 GMT -5
Look at Chloe being the voice of reason! You go, girl!
I'm curious about Bev. Very curious!
I'm kinda sad I saw this chapter so early. Now I have to wait a whole day to find out what happens next!! (Poor me!)
|
|
|
|
Post by Kpatch on Mar 26, 2015 9:46:16 GMT -5
Go Chloe! Don't let Daniel judge you. He needs to look in the mirror first. But I'm a little surprised he's this calm, considering Philip had an affair with Daniel's wife and broke his daughter's heart all in one fell swoop.
Did Bev really get beaten up??? Is she really looking for police protection or is this part of a setup?
|
|
|
|
Post by André DiMera on Mar 26, 2015 9:59:01 GMT -5
I am also curious about Bev.
At last Chloe is the voice of reason! Go Chloe!
|
|
|
|
Post by heroicmuse on Mar 26, 2015 17:37:10 GMT -5
Go Chloe! Don't let Daniel judge you. He needs to look in the mirror first. But I'm a little surprised he's this calm, considering Philip had an affair with Daniel's wife and broke his daughter's heart all in one fell swoop. My take on it is right now Philip is still a bit of an abstraction. He's not in Salem so Daniel thinks he's gotten over what happened and can focus just on how Chloe's relationship might affect Parker. But the idea of Philip/Chloe and actually seeing them interact are two different things. |
|
