Breaking Ties: An Ensemble Story (Read 240,058 times)

[lumiforeverandalways]

Glad Gabi is home

[heroicmuse]

Week 331 - 3


Abe sighed. “I am concerned about Hannah as well. But it is out of our hands. We had to question her, Hope. Of all the people sitting in that courthouse, she and her boyfriend had the strongest motives to take justice into their own hands, and she was close enough to the front of the room to have been able to fire the fatal shot, and if we didn’t rule her out despite our personal beliefs in her innocence, we wouldn’t be doing our jobs.”

“I’m aware of that,” Hope said quietly, “but you know how this is going to play out now. Hopefully she will report the police contact to probation like she’s supposed to so that they can’t take her in on a failure to report, but after that… she’ll be called in to explain herself and when they hear that she was a person of interest in a murder…” She shook her head. “Do we really have to file the paperwork on this?”

“You know we do.” Abe’s voice was quiet. “The law is the law and if we go around changing it for people we like, we’re no better than whatever vigilante shot Marcel Simmons in the back.”

Hope sighed. “I know you’re right and yet… what kind of justice is it if someone like Hannah Martin is going to end up having her probation violated simply because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Her original arrest was unfair. She served a year in jail for an open container. And now, if probation violates her… she’s basically being returned to jail for that most minor of crimes. It just doesn’t seem right.”

“No,” Abe said, “it doesn’t, but we have to work within the system we have. I hate to think that Hannah will again be subject to injustice after everything she’s been through. But the best we can do is hope that our report helps convince probation to be fair in this matter. If not, if a hearing is scheduled to determine whether her probation should be permanently revoked, I will testify in her behalf. I will appeal to a judge to be better than her probation officers have been. I will do everything I can to assist Aiden in getting her free again. But what I cannot do is ignore the law. Now let’s look at that security footage, because there are some officers eager to take Kenneth Hansen into custody for this shooting and I would like to prevent a second miscarriage of justice.”

“Right.” Hope sighed as she put the flash drive into Abe’s computer. “So you think Kenneth is innocent too?”

“Most likely,” Abe said. “I made it clear to him that if he did shoot Marcel, the evidence would not be hidden forever and he looked me in the eye and told me he didn’t do this. Perhaps it is foolish to believe him, but I do not think he is the kind of person who not only could shoot a man in cold blood but could tell me with a straight face that he did no such thing. I am hoping the footage will help clear his name so we can move on to more viable suspects.”

Hope nodded. She clicked on the mouse to open the security footage. .

Abe frowned as he stared at the footage. “Go back,” he said. Hope did and he said, “Do you see what I see?”

“It’s not conclusive,” Hope said as she watched Kenneth shift his weight. It was hard to tell from the camera angle,but it looked like he’d taken his hand out of his pocket, as if he was taking out a gun. But she couldn’t see what was in his hands, if anything. “We can’t see his hands so we don’t know what that was.”

“I agree,” Abe said, “but it is another piece of evidence against Kenneth.” He sighed. “Let’s hope the forensic evidence doesn’t suggest he touched that gun we found because otherwise…”

Hope’s phone buzzed and she glanced at it. “We won’t be waiting long,” she said. “The forensics report is ready.”


Valerie ran after Hannah, who was hurrying toward the courthouse exit. “Hannah, wait!” she called. “Please.”

Hannah turned and glared at her. “I gotta get out of this stupid court,” she said. “If they’re not messing with me they’re messing with Kenneth. I should have known not to come to Marcel’s hearing no matter what the lawyer said. It had to end like this cause nothing ever goes right when it comes to me and the cops.”

“Let me walk with you then,” Valerie said. “Please, baby, I want to help you. Don’t push me away when I can see you need me.”

Hannah crossed her arms. “I don’t need for you to tell me how Kenneth’s guilty when he’s not. This is the night you let me sit in jail all over again, you jumping to conclusions and messing everything up.”

“So that’s what this is about.” Valerie’s voice was soft. “You don’t know how much I regret that. One split-second, wrongheaded decision ruined your life. You spent a year in jail and now it seems like you’re on this never-ending probation and every time you leave the house I have to hold my breath and pray that the police don’t find some ridiculous reason to take you away from me again.” She shook her head. “But we have come too far to go backwards now, baby girl. When you were first released you were so full of anger at me or maybe at the system for what it did to you in that jail, I don’t know. But we got through it and you began to put your life back together and to find a way to forgive me not only for that but for what I did to your father while he was in San Francisco.” She put her hands on Hannah’s shoulders and said, “I know how the world has hurt you. I know that Marcel hurt you and then the police threw you in jail and that this whole mess must have stirred up so many old feelings from the past, and to not know whether Kenneth is all right has to be terrifying to you. What can I do, baby? How can I help?”

Hannah hesitated. “You can start by telling me you believe Kenneth’s innocent. Cause he is. He was sitting right next to me and I hear gunshots when there aren’t any so there’s no way I would have missed it if he pulled out a gun and shot at Marcel.”

“Just like I knew you didn’t do it.” Valerie’s voice was soft. “I wasn’t trying to accuse him, baby. I was just letting you know, the evidence is piling up against him and that means he could be arrested. If he’s convicted he won’t do time in a minimum security place like you did. They’ll be sending him to Statesville.”

Hannah’s face trembled. “The one who belongs there is Marcel.”

“Well, he did get his,” Valerie said. “He’s gone, baby, he’s in the ground.”

“And the last thing he did was get Kenneth in trouble for something he’d never do.” Hannah shook her head. “You’d think I’d be relieved Marcel’s gone but I’m not. You know what Mr. Berger told me right before Marcel came in? The DA might be able to press charges against him for all the times he held me down and whatever else he said he was playing at. I was hoping he’d get thrown back in jail and the DA would get him for that too while he was waiting on the trial for what he did to Kenneth. And now whoever shot him for real took it all away. You’re telling me Kenneth could be headed to Statesville and now I don’t get any justice for Marcel…” She paused, finding it hard to get the word to come out of her mouth. “For Marcel raping me,” she said at last, her voice breaking.

Valerie reached for her, but Hannah pulled away. “Don’t. I don’t want pity. I want… I want justice and I don’t know how I can get it now.”

“I don’t pity you,” Valerie said softly. “I love you and I hate seeing you in all this pain. Come on, baby. Let me take you home. Or if not home, how about we go see Daddy at the hospital so he can see for himself that we made it out in mostly one piece?”

“I guess,” Hannah said flatly. “It would help if I knew Kenneth was all right. I don’t want to have to tell Daddy that he might be locked up already for all we know.”

Valerie put her arm around her. “There’s ways to find out,” she said. “Why don’t you call JJ? He was looking for a story when you came up to us and he’s gotta have ways of finding out who’s been arrested even before it’s public knowledge.”

“Maybe,” Hannah said. “Or maybe I’ll see if I can go on the air and tell the world that this shooting was no justice at all and I want whoever really did it locked up so they can leave my boyfriend alone.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Valerie said.

“Gotta do something,” Hannah said. Her phone buzzed just then. “Well, one mystery solved. That’s Kenneth.” She answered. “Thank God. The cops work you over or what? What? Slow down. I don't know what you're talking about. All right. I'm on my way."

“What was that all about?” Valerie asked.

“Nothing,” Hannah said. “Kenneth just got let go but he’s all shaken up. I’m going to head over his place and get him calmed down.”

Valerie grabbed Hannah’s arm. “Hannah, wait. I have the same bad feeling I did the night you let Nat get you in trouble. Don’t - “

Hannah hesitated, then said, “Kenneth needs me.” She pulled away and rushed out of the courthouse.

“I love you!” Valerie called after her, but she was already gone. Valerie crossed herself and stared up at the ceiling. “Please, God, keep my baby safe,” she said, tears in her eyes.


When Claire walked into her English class, Ciara was sitting in a seat near the back. Ciara looked up; Claire looked away from her.

“Psst… Claire,” Ciara whispered as Claire took her seat.

Claire’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

Ciara looked hurt. “I thought maybe without your posse around you would actually be willing to talk to me,” she said. “But I guess you really do hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Claire said. “I just don’t like the way you treat my friends, and I can’t be friends with someone who acts that way.”

Ciara bit her lip. “Fine,” she said. “Be that way. But I’m better as a friend than an enemy, so maybe you should think twice.”

Claire swallowed hard as Ciara turned away, not sure what to do.

[lumiforeverandalways]

I wonder what Ciara is up too

[André DiMera]

It really sucks that Hannah might have to go back to jail, and that there’s not much Abe and Hope can do except appeal to a judge when and if there’s a hearing, Things really aren’t looking good for Kenneth!

Makes sense that Hannah’s upset since she didn’t get the kind of justice she deserves. Interesting that Valerie has a bad feeling about her going to see Kenneth.

Glad Claire is standing her ground. If Ciara really wanted to be her friend, she should be nicer, both to Vicki and in general.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

I really wish Hope would see the kind of person Ciara really is. She'd be horrified.

[heroicmuse]

Week 331 - 4


Vicki started to open Mr. Woods’ door, then remembered she needed to knock.

Mr. Woods took off his reading glasses and rubbed his temples. On his phone, he had already opened his texting app to text Nan whatever the news was after this meeting. “Come in,” he called.

Vicki came in. “Don’t worry, Uncle Malcolm,” she said. “I’m doing fine with school and everything. Except for Ciara, but Mrs. Harrison gave me a second chance and I’m going to find a way not to let her get to me, I promise.”

“I’m sure you will.” Malcolm smiled but his voice sounded tired and sad to Vicki.

She sank down into her seat. “All right,” she said. “What did I do that you have to punish me for?”

“Hopefully nothing,” Malcolm said. “Is there something I need to know about?”

“No,” Vicki said. “You just had a tone like Mom gets when she’s disappointed in me.”

Malcolm sighed deeply. “Your brother was here earlier,” he said. “He had some very bad news. Apparently the man who hurt him was shot and killed on the way out of court.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Vicki said. “That man didn’t deserve to live after what he did to us.”

Malcolm said, his voice very quiet, “Do not talk like that, and not only because I do not like it. The police are looking for the person who shot Marcel and it is bad enough that they are thinking about arresting Kenneth without giving them reason to think you were involved.”

Vicki gasped. “I can’t believe they think Ken did it. And they can’t suspect me. I was here fighting with Ciara so I couldn’t have been in court shooting anyone.”

“That is true, but…” Malcolm sighed. “I guess I’d better come right out and ask. Vicki, did you steal a lockbox from Kenneth’s bedroom this morning?”

Vicki pulled at a pigtail, anxiously. “No. Why?”

“Because,” Malcolm said, his voice so quiet it scared Vicki, “that box had a gun in it and without it Kenneth has no proof that he was not the one who shot Marcel.”

Vicki’s eyes widened but she said, “Wasn’t me who took it. Who told Ken to be dumb enough to buy a gun anyway?”

“That is an excellent question,” Malcolm said. “The best I can understand is that Kenneth decided on his own to buy one even though he was told it was a bad idea. But the more important question at the moment is: if you didn’t take Kenneth’s lockbox, who did?”


Maxine had insisted on having coffee with Daniel in the hospital cafeteria. Daniel had brought a bunch of papers he had to fill out about Marcel’s death.

“That kid’s death wasn’t your fault,” she said softly as Daniel stared into space, stirring his coffee with a wooden stick. “You know that, right?”

“Course.” Daniel made himself smile. “He was shot at close range and the back’s less dangerous than the stomach but once the bullet lodged in his liver, that was it. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you lose, and when there’s nothing else you can do, you just gotta let reality sink in.”

Maxine frowned. “Something tells me we’re not talking about Marcel Simmons anymore.”

“We’re not, but I got all this paperwork to fill out and a meeting to prep for so this isn’t a good time for anything else.”

“Seems like as good a time as any,” Maxine said, “since you’re not gonna concentrate on those papers any better than you did in the OR while you got whatever this is weighing you down. So out with it. What’s eating you?”

Daniel sighed. “You know those problems we were having with Parker?”

“Mmm hmm. Weren’t you and Jennifer going to go on over to Philip and Chloe’s to try to work it out?”

“We did,” Daniel said, “but the way it worked out is Parker, um… he wants to live full-time with Philip and Chloe. They’re willing to let me visit as much as I want but I… I never wanted to be that father who just comes and takes the kid out for ice cream and does all the fun stuff without really being a dad. But Parker, that’s what he wants. He’s sick of being shuffled back and forth and he made his choice and Philip’s who he wants as a dad, not me.”

Maxine gave him one of her signature looks. “You ever stop to think maybe you’re looking at this wrong? He didn’t choose Philip over you. Uh uh. He chose to live with Philip and Chloe and that adorable little sister of his, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have room for two Daddies in his life. Now shut down that pity party and start thinking how you can be Parker’s Daddy without living with him cause if you want any kind of relationship with him, that’s what you’re gonna need to do.”


In Kenneth’s room, Kenneth said to Hannah, “Thanks for coming over.”

“Course I did,” Hannah said. “You don’t know how relieved I was to hear you weren’t in jail.” She put her arm around Kenneth. “How brutal was it?”

“Pretty bad,” Kenneth said. “They’re pretty convinced I did it. If it wasn’t for Abe Carver I’d be behind bars right now.” He swallowed hard. “You know I didn’t…”

“I never thought for a second you did.” Hannah sighed. “My mom’s another story, though. I had it out with her once already for her thinking you might go to jail but I don’t know if she believed me or what.”

“Yeah, well, can’t say I blame her, not after that conversation I had with your dad that time. He tried to talk me out of the whole gun thing after your mom got all freaked out about me saying I was gonna put a stop to Marcel one way or the other. At the time I thought she was overreacting but now I get it. Should have known something was gonna go down at this hearing. Marcel had a billion enemies and I got a motive to kill him. I didn’t do it, but…” He sighed deeply. “Guess your parents are never gonna think much of me now, huh?”

“I don’t know,” Hannah said. “If we can prove you’re innocent maybe they’ll come around again. Anyway, I don’t care. I love you and I want to be with you and it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. Even if they lock you up they can’t tear us apart. Not really. I’ll fight for you to come out and I’ll be waiting right here when you do.”

“Unless they give me life or the electric chair or something.”

Hannah gasped. “Don’t even say it,” she said. “I don’t wanna think…”

Kenneth shook his head. “Someone’s doing a pretty good job of framing me up for what happened to Marcel. Just the gun being under my seat and him threatening me right before would be enough to arrest me if they wanted to.” He swallowed hard. “Hannah, I… I gotta tell you something and you’re not gonna like it. I just hope you forgive me.”

Hannah’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t guess what you could do that you think I wouldn’t…” Her eyes widened again. “You went ahead and bought a gun before this went down, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. That day Vicki was playing at the Pub, um… when I went walking - “

“I told you not to go buying a gun off the street!” Hannah’s voice rose even though she was trying her best to stay calm. “You promised me you wouldn’t do any such thing!”

“I didn’t!” Kenneth said. “I got it legal… well, mostly, anyway.” Hannah crossed her arms and Kenneth said. “You’re mad and you should be cause I screwed up really bad.”

“Yeah,” Hannah said quietly. “You did. Tell me this. Were you armed while we were at the Pub?”

Kenneth hesitated, but he didn’t want to lie to Hannah. “Yes,” he said, bowing his head in shame.

Hannah turned her back on him. “You know what would have happened if the cops found a reason to do a stop and search? I would have gone back to jail, that’s what! I told you, I can’t be around guns while I’m on probation. And you went hanging out with me at the Pub with one on you anyway.”

“I didn’t have a choice!” Kenneth said. “I couldn’t ask your mom to take me home so I could ditch it before I went to meet you. She’d have asked too many questions.”

“So you knew you were doing wrong then,” Hannah said. “And all it would have took was one person at the Pub not thinking people like us belonged there and calling the cops to get me arrested, but you didn’t care.”

“That wasn’t gonna - “

“You didn’t know that. It’s happened before to me and I know it’s had to have happened to you too. A couple weeks after I got out, Paige had her birthday in my grandma’s yard and some neighbor who didn’t like Black people called the cops on me, said I broke in there. If Abe wasn’t already at the party introducing me to everyone I don’t know what might have happened. And don’t forget half the reason I went to jail in the first place was cause that store owner didn’t like the idea of Black girls from East Salem in his store and he called them on me and Nat over nothing. So don’t tell me it couldn’t have happened in the Pub too. Don’t tell me it couldn’t have ended with me getting locked up on a probation violation.”

Kenneth’s jaw trembled but he said, his voice very quiet, “Abe was there that night too, wasn’t he? He wouldn’t have let - “

“Not the point,” Hannah said. “You didn’t think of all that before you went into the Pub with a gun. And what if Vicki got it off you during her break or something? Isn’t that the whole reason your mom didn’t want one in the house?”

“Yeah. It was.” Kenneth was quiet. “Look, I know I more than screwed up and you got every right to be mad, but you gotta understand how it was for me.”

“I do understand,” Hannah said. “That’s what makes this so hard, cause I know you and I know you thought you were doing right by your family even though you could have got me locked up. And I can’t hate you even though I do cause you’re my one and only, you’re the man I stayed up nights crying for and praying for when Marcel had you, you’re the one I would have sacrificed my freedom and my life for to get you home safe, but you… you were so hung up on this dumb idea you had that a gun would stop it from happening again that you were willing to throw my freedom away.” Tears rolled down her face.

Kenneth swallowed hard. “There’s nothing I can say to make you forgive me, is there? You don’t even wanna hear my side of it, how it ended up happening. I didn’t even plan to do it, Hannah, I didn’t plan to get a gun that night. Like I said I just went walking to try to calm down after we heard Marcel could get out.”

“Then why did you do it?” Hannah demanded. “Answer that and maybe we’ll have something to talk about!”

“I’m trying but you won’t let me!” Kenneth ran his hands through his hair. “Look, I didn’t go to the park looking for that gun guy, okay? I was walking and walking, trying to outrun that voice in my head saying that I let my dad down and let Vicki down and let everyone down cause I didn’t protect her from Marcel the first time and that he was gonna get out and I had to be prepared this time. So. I walked past this gun shop and it was like… like God was giving me a sign. Or at least that’s how it felt.”

“The Devil’s more like it,” Hannah said. “Doesn’t it say in the Bible somewhere he’ll trick you into following your own sinful desires, something like that?”

“I see that now,” Kenneth said. “Boy, do I see that now. But that moment… I don’t know how to explain. Maybe there isn’t an explanation, I don’t know. All I know is, no matter how hard I tried to keep on walking I couldn’t do it and next thing I knew I was in there asking the guy behind the counter how much for this gun.” He shook his head. “I screwed up going in there and then when he said I could have it now when the law said I had to wait three days… guess that was the devil tempting me too cause it seemed like a good idea.”

Hannah blinked back tears. “You’re telling me that gun’s not even legal?”

Kenneth bit his lip. ‘On paper it is. I got it from a dealer, not off the street and he took a copy of my ID and my gun license. But if the cops find out he fudged the application to make it look like I did the waiting period when I didn’t I don’t know what could happen to me.”

“They’ll arrest you and try to get you to confess to shooting Marcel while they’re at at, that’s what,” Hannah said. “They’re not gonna give you any benefit of the doubt.” She swallowed hard. “Sure wish you’d called me when you had that devil whispering in your ear to go get yourself a gun. I’d have talked you down for sure.”

“I know.” Kenneth reached for Hannah’s hand, then got scared she wouldn’t take it and shoved his hand in his pocket instead. “I screwed everything up,” he said, his voice shaking. “My gun’s missing now and the cops think it means the one they found’s mine.”

“WHAT?” Hannah said. “How could - you weren’t even careful with putting it away?”

“I was!” Kenneth snapped. “I locked it up in a box my dad gave me that Vicki doesn’t have the combo to. But the cops took me here to get it for them and the whole box was gone. So all I could think was Vicki took it cause who the hell else would take the whole thing?”

Hannah said, “You’d better hope she didn’t. All we need is her using it to settle things with some bully.”

Kenneth hung his head. “Yeah, that’s what Uncle Malcolm said. That and if she has it he has no choice but to turn her in and that means juvie if not real jail.” He rubbed his temples. “I did all this to protect her and I might have ruined her life.”

Hannah was quiet. She wanted to put her arm around Kenneth but at the same time she was still too mad to be good to him that way. “I can’t tell you this is all gonna be okay,” she said, “cause there’s no telling whether it will.”

“I know,” Kenneth said. “Can you tell me one thing? Are things gonna at least be okay between us?” Hannah said nothing and he said, “Please. I know how bad I screwed up. You could go to jail and so could Vicki, all cause of me. Uncle Malcolm’s mad as hell and I don’t know what he’s gonna do to me and I don’t know what’s gonna happen to my sister, but if I at least know I still got you…”

“I don’t know,” Hannah said. “I’m not breaking up with you, not by a long shot, but right now I don’t know I can be around you.” She got up.

“Hannah, please!” Kenneth didn’t like the feeling like he was begging, but there it was. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get right with God and with you and with everyone, I swear I will.”

“Then you’d better start by getting on your knees and praying,” Hannah said. She turned so he wouldn’t see her struggling not to cry. ““I told my mom you had my heart no matter what and I meant it but right now...” She shook her head. “I gotta go.” She hurried out of the room before she could change her mind.

[André DiMera]

Glad we know for sure now that Vicki didn’t take the gun. Wonder who did.

Good advice, Maxine! I hope Daniel listens.

Well a least Hannah knows now. So glad she didn’t let Kenneth off the hook and told him how much he screwed up. Whether he already knows or not, he needed to hear about it from Hannah, and I’m glad she let him have it. This is gonna take a while to get through for the two of them.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

I just now realized that Malcolm and Mr. Woods are the same person. I love that!

Not surprised by Daniel's reaction. I figured that's what's bothering him. I heart Maxine. I love this relationship/interpersonal stuff in your story. I want more of this.

[lumiforeverandalways]

I wonder who took the gun.
Glad to know Vicki is in the clear

[heroicmuse]

Week 331 - 5

“Let’s go over it one more time before we go in,” Horowitz said as she and Prescott pulled up in front of the gun shop. “So what’s this guy’s deal?”

“Don’t know exactly,” Prescott said. “All I know is, a lot of guns keep coming out of his shop that shouldn’t be. Guns going to people who aren’t supposed to have them, they claim they went through the background check and everything and when we check this guy’s records… sure enough there’s always a clean check even if the perp’s got a rap sheet a mile long.”

“So he’s probably faking background checks, giving guns to whoever wants them. Think he’s getting paid extra under the table?”

“Wouldn’t doubt it,” Prescott said. “Thing is, if Kenneth Hansen didn’t need a gun quick, why would he get involved in this? Kid’s got no record and he’s got a concealed weapon permit. So if he was really looking to protect his family, he would have got it done the right way.”

“Maybe,” Horowitz said. “But from what I heard he’s been real big on this protection thing since his kidnapping. Maybe he just let slip he wants the gun ASAP and this dealer saw an easy mark.”

“Or maybe he knew he was cutting it too close to when Simmons was due in court and he needed someone who was gonna come through for him right away.”

Horowitz shot Prescott a look. “Seems to me Kenneth’s not that dumb,” she said. “Look, he had a permit, right? So if he wanted to kill Marcel -- which maybe he did, but I don’t think he went through with it. But anyway, he could have got the gun legally a week or two ago and still went through with the same plan except he’d have no shady dealer who might turn him in to save his own skin. A lot less risk to him. So why would he do this if he was planning to kill someone the next day?”

Prescott shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t think of it til the last minute. Look, he’d been saying for weeks he was gonna protect his sister and his girl and everyone else from Marcel, right? So maybe the day before he’s thinking, what if he gets out tomorrow? What am I gonna do? And then it hits him, he can put an end to Marcel permanently and solve the problem. So he goes in to get the gun and the guy initially says he can’t have it for 72 hours. He starts panicking, the dealer offers to give it to him right now, and just like that his problem’s solved.”

“Maybe, but something just doesn’t add up there. Look, Marcel had a lot of enemies, so don’t you think it’s more likely some other hardened criminal who had a beef with him offed him than the kid with no record?”

Prescott shrugged. “He tortured Kenneth. Sometimes you push the wrong person’s buttons, you’re not gonna like what comes out.”

“And sometimes your mind’s made up before it should be,” Horowitz said. “Just like with Paige Larson. I was the only one who said she was innocent, and guess who turned out to be right? And don’t forget I spent the better part of last year trying to get you all to back off of my nephew for luring boys to secluded locations, and turns out he wasn’t the one who kidnapped Johnny Dimera either.”

Prescott sighed. “You got a point there. All right, I’ll look into the possibility that Hansen’s innocent. But do me a favor.”

“What’s that?”

“Look into the possibility maybe he’s not. Just cause your instincts are good doesn’t mean you’re infallible, and I’m telling you, this kid was up to something.”

“What I’d like to know is how he or anyone else got a gun into the courthouse,” Horowitz said. “Seems to me that’s a better avenue of pursuit than messing with this dealer who’s not gonna tell us a word. But this is what Commander Carver wants so I guess we’d better go do it.”

As she and Prescott got out of the car, they could hear raised voices coming from inside the gun shop.

“Look, ma’am,” the dealer was saying. “All sales are final, and you were not the one who bought the gun anyway. So there’s nothing I can do for you.”

“I told you,” a woman’s voice replied. “My son bought this without permission and I don’t want it in my house.”

“Not my problem,” the dealer said. “He’s over 18. He doesn’t need permission from his mama.”

Horowitz put her finger on her lips as she looked through the window to see what was going on. She turned back around and whispered to Prescott, “You wouldn’t believe this.”

“You know that lady?” Prescott whispered back.

Horowitz nodded. “That’s Kenneth Hansen’s mother. And it sounds like she’s trying to dump his gun back on the dealer.”



JJ leaned on his phone as he pulled into his parking spot at SPN. “Sorry I didn’t call you back earlier, baby,” he said. “I was busy trying to chase a story that didn’t wanna be caught.” He sighed. “Now I gotta face the music cause my new boss wants to see me and I’ve got nothing, but hey, at least I didn’t get shot, right?”

“Don’t even joke about that,” Paige said through the phone. “And don’t worry. It had to have been chaotic after the shooting and you couldn’t do anything that would get you in trouble.”

“Yeah,” JJ said. “As it was I almost got arrested cause I was busy taking photos when the cops came in and they thought my phone was a gun.” Paige gasped and JJ said, “I’m fine, don’t worry. But I got questioned twice before they let me go and then they wouldn’t say a single word on record. Oh, you should call Hannah next.”

Paige stiffened. “They don’t think she did it, do they?”

“Uh uh, but they worked her over pretty good,” JJ said, pressing the button for the elevator up to his floor. “And from what I hear, they got Kenneth in their sights. All that talking he did about wanting to get Marcel back has them thinking stuff they got no business thinking and Hannah’s beside herself.”

“Course she is,” Paige said. “All right. I’ll call her. And stop saying you didn’t get a story, because you did. Maybe your boss’ll let you look into who really killed Marcel.”

“Nicole would,” JJ said, feeling a pang of sadness all of a sudden, “but Harriet? I dunno.” The elevator dinged. “Here’s my elevator,” he said, “so I guess I’m gonna find out soon enough.”


Bev was walking through the Square with Mason, on her way to Berger’s office to talk to him about her custody case. She had made Mason put on a suit and tie.

“Bev!” someone called, and Bev turned to see Ian. He smiled at her and said, “Wow. You look really nice.”

“I had to,” Bev said. “I’m on my way to see my lawyer, so I can’t really talk right now.”

Ian frowned. “Your lawyer? Is something wrong?”

“Something’s wrong, all right,” Bev said. “My stupid ex is…” She glanced at Mason, who was staring up at Ian with big eyes. “C-U-S-T-O-D-Y B-A-T-T-L-E,” she said.

“Crap,” Ian said. “I wish I was a paralegal instead of an EMT so I could help you out. Is there anything I can do?”

“I don’t think so,” Bev said. “The lawyer’s my only hope right now, so I guess I’d better head over there.”

“I can walk you over if you want,” Ian said. Bev hesitated and he said, “I’m not trying to be creepy or anything. I know you said I come on too strong and I don’t want to overstep, I really don’t. But I hate that this is happening to you and I can’t do anything to help, so if I could at least walk with you or be your shoulder to cry on or something…”

“That’s sweet,” Bev said. “Okay, I guess you can walk with us.” She turned toward Mason. “You remember Mr. Ian, right?”

“J-just Ian,” Ian said nervously. “How you doing, big guy?”

“I’m gonna be six soon!” Mason said.

“Oh yeah?” Ian said. “That’s a special birthday. You really are getting big, huh?”

Cole was watching from the bushes as they walked off. “Damn it!” he said to himself. “ I’d think she’d get rid of this loser if it meant I’d back off. There has to be some way to get her away from him.” He followed Bev and Ian across the street, keeping his distance for now.


Hannah had gone to the park without really knowing where she was going. Now she was sitting on a bench, sobbing and hugging herself. After a second, she pulled herself together and tried to call Paige, but the line was busy.

“What’s with this phone?” she said to herself, annoyed. “If she’s on the line already I should get her voicemail, not that stupid buzzing.”

She almost threw the phone across the park but stopped herself just in time. “Get ahold of yourself,” she said under her breath. “You have to be tough, at least til you get home, cause if a cop sees you acting like a fool it’s game over.”

She let her breath out slowly. Okay, so Paige wasn’t available when she wanted to talk to her. Well, it wasn’t like Paige knew that Kenneth had been enough of an idiot to get himself a gun and into this whole big mess that could get Hannah sent back to jail. Maybe Eric could squeeze her in, since she really had no one else to talk to.

She was about to call him when her probation officer showed up, followed by two uniformed cops.

“This her?” one of the cops said, and her probation officer nodded.

“Ms. Martin,” he said. “We just got word that you had a police contact you didn’t inform us about.”

Hannah said, nervously, “I was about to call you, I swear. It just slipped my mind for a minute but - “

“You’re gonna have do better than that,” Officer Trenton said. “You have 30 seconds to give me a real good reason I shouldn’t have these officers arrest you for a probation violation, and ‘I forgot’ doesn’t count.”

[lumiforeverandalways]

Poor Hannah

[André DiMera]

Ah, so it was Nan who took the gun! I’d be relieved if this hadn’t caused so much trouble already. But I’m glad it’s not in the hands of anyone who might misuse it. Also glad Horowitz is trying to get Prescott to stop hyperfocusing on the idea of Kenneth being the killer.

Glad J.J. filled Paige in on what’s going on. Her suggestion for a story sounds good.

Cole can go away anytime. I don’t trust him not to try to do something that will end up hurting Bev.

Of course. Of course Trenton’s looking for a reason to arrest Hannah. This is ridiculous.

Can we please have previews, heroicmuse?

[Kpatch]

Go away Cole!

[heroicmuse]

Thank you André DiMera , Kpatch , and lumiforeverandalways for your comments this week.

I'm excited about several developments next week. Read on for spoilers!

Coming Up on Breaking Ties...

It is not a great week for Hannah. Though she manages to talk her probation officer out of arresting her in the park, she’s required to allow the cops to escort her to his office, where he comes at her hard over why she didn’t call him right away to report being questioned by the police.

Hannah is more and more sure as the interview goes on that it’s going to end with her being dragged off to jail over nothing, and on top of that, she doesn’t want to tell her officer about the fight she had with Kenneth, as that could get them both in trouble.

Her probation officer lets her off “easy,” warning her that this is her final chance and if she breaks the rules again, she’s going to jail. By the time she is released, an incensed Hannah is ready to tell the world how probation treats her. She meets with JJ, ready to tell her story, but could that make things worse for her?

Meanwhile, Abe and Hope’s conversation with the forensics expert leaves Hope convinced that Kenneth is guilty, and though Abe isn’t sure, he considers asking a judge if they have enough to issue a warrant for Kenneth’s arrest. However, before he can make the call, Horowitz returns with Kenneth’s gun and suggests an alternative theory about who might be responsible for Marcel’s murder.

Elsewhere, Gabi’s homecoming isn’t as smooth as she hoped it would be. Having been released with nothing but the clothes she had on when she was arrested eight years ago, she’s depressed to realize she has to depend on donations from the Horton Center and worried that Ari will be too ashamed of her to want to spend any time with her. Rafe and Nicole do their best to comfort and support her, but none of them know that Sonny is wary of Gabi and has told Will that he wants to limit Ari’s contact with her to phone calls until he’s sure he can trust Gabi to stay out of trouble.

Allie is relieved that Vicki isn’t in trouble, but when she finds out that she was asked about Kenneth’s gun because of the courthouse shooting, she panics, knowing that her mom and brother were there and convinced something’s happened to them. Allie runs out of the school to try to find Sami and Vicki ignores her insistence that she do this alone, following her to try to talk some sense into her.

Allie and Vicki’s conversation makes Allie aware of how much more deeply Marcel’s breaking into her house affected Vicki than it seems. The girls come up with a plan, but before they can put it into action, an adult catches them playing hooky from school

Finally, JJ’s meeting with his new boss goes better than he expected, Philip shares his dream for Charley’s future with Chloe, and Cole threatens Ian.

[lumiforeverandalways]

A big week to come.
I cant wait to see the Vicki and Allie friendship explored further.