An Accidental Murder (Read 637 times)

[Kpatch]

Chapter 1

Philip meets with Nick at the pier as the fog rolls in.

Nick: “Philip, thank you so much for getting me sprung from prison.”
Philip: “No problem, man. I told you that Gene Brisco was a genius.”
Nick: “I always thought he was a corporate attorney.”
Philip: “He is. But he also specializes in divorce law and criminal law.”
Nick: “Well, thanks again. If you ever need anything….”
Philip: “As a matter of fact, I do need you to do something for me.”
Nick: “Oh?”

Philip: “Remember how you took care of Willow and Trent? Well, I need you to do the same thing to someone else.”
Nick: “Who?”
Philip: “Melanie.”
Nick: “You’re kidding, right? Why do you want me to kill Melanie?”
Philip: “Because she’s screwing with my love life. Every time I get close to this particular woman, Melanie rears her ugly head and interrupts.”
Nick: “So what? You’re a big boy. You should be able to handle it.”
Philip: “You don’t understand. I need to get…um…I haven’t…um…I’ve been celibate for over six months now and I can’t take it anymore.”
Nick (laughs): “Only six months? That’s nothing!”
Philip: “For you maybe, but I’m dyin’ here.”
Nick: “No dice Philip. Did you forget I’m in love with Melanie?”
Philip: “Did you forget I got you out of prison?”

Nick: “I don’t know. If I do what you ask, I’m just gonna end up back in prison when they figure out who killed Melanie.”
Philip: “Hmm. You’re probably right. Well, don’t worry about it. Forget I asked... Say, how’s that little habit of yours?”
Nick: “What are you talking about?”
Philip: “Pain killers.”
Nick: “I didn’t get too much of it in prison. But, come on Philip. You’re no drug dealer.”
Philip: “You know that Titan has a shipping business, right? Well, from time to time we get a shipment of…shall we say, contraband. Good stuff. Imported. The real thing, y’know?
Nick: “So what?”
Philip: “I can get you all the stuff you could ever want.”
Nick: “Wow, you REALLY want Melanie out of the picture, don’t you?”
Philip: “So, what do you say?”
Nick: “Deal!”

The two men shake hands.


To be continued....
______________________________________
Copyright ©2008 kpatch. All rights reserved.

[Kpatch]

[Nick lurks around Salem Place wearing a disguise (trench coat, sunglasses, and baseball cap). He freaks out when he sees Chelsea approaching, but she walks right past him and goes into the Cheatin’ Heart.]

Chelsea: Hi Max.
Max: Chels! Wassup?

[Nick enters the Cheatin’ Heart and takes a seat at a barstool.]

Chelsea: I have something I want to ask you.
Max: Shoot.
Chelsea: Well, my grandfather invited me to Titan’s New Year’s Eve party at the Penthouse Grill.
Max: That’s cool.
Chelsea: Yeah, but I hate to go alone.
Max: Will Stephanie be there with Philip?
Chelsea: Does that matter? Actually, I can’t imagine that Stephanie would want to be there, y’know, because of Melanie.
Max: Melanie?
Chelsea: Yeah, she’s basically running the whole event.
Max: You’re kidding me.
Chelsea: For some reason, my grandfather has taken her under his wing and is letting her run the party.
Max: Wow. Sounds like she might be in over her head.
Chelsea: Actually, I hear she’s loving it.
Max: Would you excuse me. I have to take care of this customer.

Max: What’ll it be, pal?
Nick: The usual. Uh, I mean, hot cocoa.
Max: Hey look, mister, we serve hard drinks in here for men who want to get drunk fast and we don't need any characters around to give the joint atmosphere. Is that clear or do I have to slip you my lip for a convincer?
Nick: Oh. In that case, I’ll have coffee, black.

[Max pours the coffee and returns to Chelsea.]

Max: Sorry. You were saying?
Chelsea: Yeah, about the New Year’s Eve party.
Max: What time should I pick you up?
Chelsea squeals with delight, runs to the other side of the bar and gives Max a big hug.

To be continued…

[Kpatch]

Titan’s Executive Offices

[Stephanie arrives at the office looking fetching, and peers around to see if the coast is clear.]

Marie: She’s in with Mr. Kiriakis.
Stephanie: Who is?
Marie: Melanie. Isn’t that who you are trying to avoid?
Stephanie: I just get so tired of her acting like she owns the place and ordering me around. She’s making my life a living hell. Correction, she’s ALREADY made my life a living hell.

[Philip emerges from his office.]
Philip: Then it must be HOT in your world.
Stephanie: Where’s Melanie? I thought she was in there with you.
Philip: She’s with my father.
Stephanie: I don’t know why your father gives her the time of day.
Philip: I agree, and there’s not much I can do about it any more. But I have a feeling that things are going to get better soon.
Stephanie: Why’s that?
Philip: No reason. Just a feeling. Let’s not talk about Melanie any more. Why don’t you step into my vault so we can go over the 4th Quarter projections.

[Philip and Stephanie head for the vault. Victor and Melanie come out of Victor's office.]
Victor: It sounds like you have everything under control, Melanie. I’m pleased.
Melanie: Yes sir. I have the menu, the music, the flowers, the champagne, the confetti, balloons, noisemakers… Everything’s all set.
Victor: And you’ve spoken to the Penthouse Grill manager about the cash-only bar, correct? We don’t want our employees overdoing it.
Melanie: Yes, but I’ll follow up and remind her.
Victor: I know you won’t let me down.

[Meanwhile, back in the vault…]
Philip: So, Steph, are you coming to the New Year’s Eve party?
Stephanie: I don’t know. It’s for Titan employees and, technically, I’m not an employee.
Philip: I see. So you’re waiting for a SPECIAL invitation to the party.
Stephanie: Engraved would be fine.
[Philip moves in for a kiss. Melanie interrupts.]

Melanie: Oh, so sorry. I was looking for a file with the florist’s phone number.
Stephanie: I would think you’d be more likely to find it in a Rolodex than in a vault.
Melanie: And I’d think you would be more likely to find an appropriate wardrobe at Macy’s than at Frederick’s of Hollywood. By the way, Stephanie, I’m still waiting for that productivity report I asked you for last week.
Stephanie: And you’ll be waiting until hell freezes over….
Philip: Ladies, ladies, let’s all calm down. Stephanie, why don’t you take the rest of the day off.

To be continued…

[Kpatch]

The Penthouse Grill on New Year’s Eve

Philip: That was a very nice speech, Dad. Very heartfelt.
Victor: Thank you, son. I liked your speech as well. We need our employees to know how much we appreciate them.
Philip: Yeah, especially since the Christmas bonus wasn’t quite so generous this year.
Victor: They understand, I’m sure. These are troubled times and they should be pleased they got any bonus at all. Excuse me, I’m going to make my rounds shaking hands.

[Stephanie walks up.]
Philip: Are you having a good time?
Stephanie: I’d have a better time if I could be alone with you for two straight minutes.
Philip: Sorry about that. I AM one of the hosts, you know. Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?
Stephanie: I believe you did, but don’t let that stop you from repeating yourself.
Philip: Then dance with me, beautiful.

[Max and Chelsea are sampling food off the buffet table.]
Chelsea: Are you okay?
Max: Why? Just because I have to watch Stephanie shamelessly throw herself at Philip all night?
Chelsea: Well, you don’t HAVE to watch.
Max: You’re right. I apologize. I should be paying more attention to YOU. Have you seen Melanie?
Chelsea: I saw her flitting around somewhere, looking like she thinks she’s the queen of the ball. Why? What’s wrong?
Max: I can’t put my finger on it, but I have a really bad feeling about tonight. I’m going to go and check on Melanie.
Chelsea: No Max, don’t go. Don’t leave me by myself. I'm sure she's fine.

[Nick walks into the Penthouse Grill wearing a waiter’s coat, sunglasses, and a baseball cap. Melanie sees him.]

Melanie: Hey you, Waiter. I need you filling everyone’s glass with champagne by ten minutes to twelve.


To be continued….

[Kpatch]

The Penthouse Grill on New Year’s Eve

[Technical note: This episode is shown in real time from 11:00 p.m. to Midnight. A clock ticks away in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.]

[Nick walks into the Penthouse Grill wearing a waiter’s coat, sunglasses, and a baseball cap. Melanie sees him.]

Melanie: Hey you, Waiter. I need you filling everyone’s glass with champagne by ten minutes to twelve. ... Helloooo. I'm talking to you! Do you understand me?
Nick: Yes ma’am.
[Nick rushes away. He takes out his cell phone and makes a call.]

[Philip and Stephanie are slow-dancing]
Philip: Alone at last.
Stephanie: I guess so, if you consider being in a crowd of 300 people “alone.”
Philip: You’re a hard woman to please.
Stephanie: Not that hard, actually.

[Philip’s cell phone rings and he excuses himself to answer it.]
Nick: Philip, I’m not sure I can go through with this.
Philip: I told you never to call me!
Nick: I was thinking…wouldn’t it be easier for you to just fire Melanie?
Philip: I tried that and it didn’t stick.
Nick: I just don’t feel right about this.
Philip: [hears dishes clanking in the background] Where ARE you? Oh, nevermind, I don’t want to know. Our deal is still on. Now go take care of it!

[Philip returns to Stephanie. Meanwhile, Nick sneaks a knife from out of the restaurant’s kitchen. He then maneuvers himself near a window and hides behind the curtain. Melanie comes into view and stands next to the curtain. Nick peers out from behind the curtain until he sees other people coming. He retreats behind the curtain and hears muffled voices.]

Melanie: Damn it! Where is that Waiter with the champagne? It’s five minutes to twelve!

Philip: I’m sorry about that. Now where were we?
Stephanie: We were about to ring in the New Year together.

A voice over the loudspeaker: “It’s 11:59 and 50 seconds. Ten, Nine, Eight…”

[Philip and Stephanie move closer to each other, their lips almost touching. Nick quivers and his gloved hand sweats as he grips the knife tighter and gets ready to thrust it through the curtain.]

Seven, Six, Five…
[Philip and Stephanie move closer to each other.]

Four, Three, Two, One.



To be continued….

[Kpatch]

St. Luke’s Chapel where mourners have gathered on New Year’s Day.

[Caroline stands at the podium.]

Caroline: It was less than a year ago that we buried my beloved Shawn. And now, here we are again, this time mourning my sweet Max. The only comfort I can take in all this is knowing that Shawn is not alone. He and Max are together now.
Chelsea: It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t asked Max to the party, he’d still be alive. It’s all my fault.

[In the pews are all the Bradys, Hortons, Johnsons, Kiriakises, etc. Stephanie is weeping uncontrollably on Philip’s shoulder when his cell phone vibrates. He excuses himself and goes outside to take the call.]

Nick: Philip, it’s Nick.
Philip: You idiot! You know what you did?
Nick: Of course I do. I accidentally murdered my best friend.
Philip: You can’t call me anymore.
Nick: I have to leave town. I need money.
Philip: Fine. I’ll get you some.
Nick: I want $250,000 in unmarked bills.
Philip: OK, I’ll get it to you. Meet me at the pier at 5:00.


[Later that day, at the pier.]

Philip: Nick, you look like a wreck.
Nick: I just can’t believe how wrong everything went.
Philip: Neither can I. How did you get away without being seen?
Nick: I tied a rope outside the window and I slid down it.
Philip: All the way down from the penthouse?
Nick: It was a long rope. Did you bring the money?
Philip: Here it is, in this briefcase.
Nick: I don’t know where I’m gonna go now, but it has to be somewhere where no one knows me. Maybe China, or Russia, or Dubai. Fuel and energy are big industries in Dubai. I could probably find a job there.
Philip: Don’t tell me where you’re going. I don’t want to know. And don’t contact me again. Ever!

To be continued….

[Kpatch]

Salem Police Department

[Bo, Hope, and Steve are in Bo/Roman/Abe’s office questioning Melanie.]

Bo: So, you’ve done it again Melanie.
Melanie: I didn’t do anything.
Hope: And that’s why you were standing over Max’s body holding a bloody knife?
Melanie: For the billionth time, I did not stab Max. I found the knife on the floor by the curtain.
Bo: Yeah, right. Likely story.
Melanie: Why would I want to kill my own brother?
Hope: We haven’t figured out your motive yet.
Bo: We also haven’t searched the place for evidence or interviewed any witnesses, but we’ll get around to that in the next few weeks.
Melanie: I want a lawyer. You guys are trying to railroad me again.
Hope: That’s not true. This time we’re playing it by the book.
Bo: That’s right. Before, when your father got killed, we didn’t really care. But this time, it’s personal. Max was my brother too.

[Steve points to the white board with the list of suspects.]

Bo: Well would you look at this, Hope. Melanie is the only name on our suspect list.
Melanie: Didn’t the knife have any other fingerprints on it?
Hope: Hey, don’t tell us how to do our jobs!

[Roman bursts into the office.]
Roman: We have to let her go. She made bail.
Bo: What the…?

To be continued….

[Kpatch]

The Brady Pub

[Chelsea is sitting at the bar with her head in her hands, moaning, “It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault.” She is so lost in her own world that she doesn’t even notice when her grandfather walks in, but Caroline notices.]

Victor: I came to see how you’re doing, Caroline.
Caroline: Victor, you’re not welcome here anymore.
Victor: Why not? What’s wrong?
Caroline: I heard that you put up the bail to get that little murderer out of prison.
Victor: I’m not sure where you heard that, Caroline, but Melanie’s no murderer.
Caroline: No? And are you the judge and jury now?
Victor: Certainly not, but I am a good judge of people.
Caroline: Really? Well I knew as soon as that girl came to town that she was trouble. But I gave her the benefit of the doubt because she was Max’s sister and because of what she’d been through at the hands of her father.
Victor: Well, have you ever heard the phrase, “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer?”
Caroline: Sure.
Victor: I agree with you that she’s trouble, Caroline. That’s why I decided to take her under my wing -- so I could keep an eye on her and keep her as far away from Philip as I could.
Caroline: So there’s a method to what I thought was your madness?
Victor: Of course. Actually, Melanie reminds me a lot of me when I was young. She’s scrappy. A survivor.
Caroline: What you’re saying is that you have a soft spot for her.
Victor: I have empathy for her. I have a soft spot for YOU.
Caroline: Oh Victor.
Victor: If there’s ever anything you need, Caroline, I want you to know I’m here for you.
Caroline: Just like always.


To be continued….

[Kpatch]

The Kiriakis Mansion

[Philip is in the study.]

Philip: [talking out loud to himself] If Stephanie knew that I was responsible for Max’s death, she’d never forgive me. That’s why she can never find out the truth.

[Stephanie enters the room.]
Stephanie: I can never find out the truth about what?
Philip: Steph! I didn’t hear you come in.
Stephanie: What must I never learn the truth about?
Philip: How much I’m starting to care about you.
Stephanie: Why wouldn’t you want me to know about that?
Philip: I just don’t want to get hurt again.

[He leans in to kiss her.]

Stephanie: Philip, I can’t.
Philip: What? Why not?
Stephanie: I can’t stop thinking about Max and the horrible way he died.
Philip: [mumbles] Budget cuts can be brutal.
Stephanie: What was that?
Philip: I said I know, it was brutal.
Stephanie: I just can’t believe everything that has happened since Melanie came to town. This is all her fault, you know.
Philip: I know.
Stephanie: Philip...I have something to tell you. I came to say good-bye.
Philip: What do you mean “good-bye”?
Stephanie: I’m leaving town.
Philip: What???
Stephanie: I’ve taken an internship in Chicago for two years.
Philip: Um, I think you’re reading Morgan’s script.
Stephanie: Oops. I mean I’m going back on the racing circuit. I want to honor Max’s memory by driving his racecar.
Philip: How long will you be gone?
Stephanie: I’m not sure. A year. Maybe more.
Philip: Then spend the night with me tonight.
Stephanie: I can’t. You’re a good guy Philip. Don’t wait for me. [Turns to go, then pauses.] You know what’s ironic? When Soap Opera Digest said that another young actress would be leaving, I never thought it would be me.
Philip: You should have negotiated harder.


To be continued….

[Kpatch]

Titan’s Executive Offices

[Philip is in the vault looking through some files when Victor enters.]

Philip: I’ll have that productivity report on your desk by the close of business today.
Victor: Good. And the 4th Quarter projections?
Philip: I’m almost done with those too. You know, Dad, it seems really quiet around here today.
Victor: That’s probably because Melanie’s gone.
Philip: What do you mean “gone”?
Victor: She had outgrown her usefulness, so I sent her away.
Philip: Just like that? What about the alternative fuel project?
Victor: You’ll appreciate this. I had a meeting with Melanie and Gene Brisco yesterday. I told her I had some papers drawn up to patent the invention and protect her future interests.
Philip: And?
Victor: She signed the papers.
Philip: But it wasn’t to protect her interests?
Victor: Hardly. She didn’t know it at the time, but she signed over the entire property to Titan.
Philip: Wow. That’s great. But Melanie must have been really mad when she found out.
Victor: She was. But money talks and she was handsomely paid to walk away.
Philip: Hmm, I wish I’d thought of that. So she’s not working for Titan anymore?
Victor: Actually she is. I felt sorry for her so I gave her a job in one of our offices abroad.
Philip: She left the country?
Victor: That’s right. But do you know that the little conniver tried to play me to the very last minute?
Philip: How?
Victor: She tried to get me to send her to our Marseilles office. But I knew that she would just fall back in with that bad crowd she was part of before she came to the States. If she’s on my payroll, I want her working, not partying.
Philip: That was good thinking. So which office did you send her to?
Victor: Dubai.


The End.
[See next post for the Epilogue.]

[Kpatch]

Salem PD, Three Months Later

Hope: You didn’t sleep well again last night, did you?
Bo: The last time I had a decent night’s sleep was December 30, 2008.
Hope: Before Max was murdered, I know. Are you still having those visions?
Bo: Yeah. There’s this recurring one I’ve been having for the past three months. I see two men talking on the pier. I can’t shake this feeling that they have something to do with the murder.
Hope: Who are they?
Bo: I can’t see their faces. It’s too foggy. But Hope ... I think I know them.
Hope: I don’t know what to tell you, Brady.
Bo [exasperated]: My visions are useless. They’re no better than the circumstantial case we had against Melanie.
Hope: Why don’t we go over the evidence one more time?
Bo: Sure. We’ve got the bloody knife, the rope that the killer used to escape, and interviews with restaurant staff who said there was a waiter there that night who definitely didn’t work for the Penthouse Grill. You’d think that would be enough clues, wouldn’t you?
Hope: I thought you had a lead on the waiter.
Bo: It turned out to be a dead end. That waiter has disappeared into thin air.
Hope: What about your theory that Stefano is involved and this has something to do with his vendetta against the Bradys.
Bo: I haven’t been able to connect the dots between the murder and Stefano. I just have to face it, Hope, the trail has gone cold.

[Maggie enters]
Maggie: Hi there. Anyone up for lunch?
Bo: Sorry, I have some things I need to take care of. But you ladies go ahead.
Hope: I’ll be with you in a minute, Aunt Maggie.
Maggie: Great! I just got a letter from Nick in Dubai. I’ll share it with you.
Hope [to Bo]: Are you going to be okay?
Bo: I’ll be fine. This isn’t the first unsolved crime in Salem history.

[Hope leaves. Bo places the evidence from the Max Brady case into a carton. Using a permanent marker, he writes “Brady, Maxwell” on the outside of the box. He takes the box to a storage room and places it on an upper shelf with all the other cold cases.]


The End

[fluffysmom]

Great story kpatch. The victim was a shock.