Previously...

Brooke emotinally shut down after news of Ethan's death.  Brett's former girlfriend and business partner, Devon Graham, arrived in town and threatened to expose him as a con man if he didn't give her half the money he took from Bailey in Las Vegas.  A nervous Brett insisted that he had nothing to do with Bailey's fall from the hotel window.  After Alex and Jordan made up, Alex began questioning her motives for considering Will's marriage proposal.  Brett became suspicious of Stormy and Lauren's relationship so he steered Heather to believe that there might be something going on between them.  James was forced to accept the high risk loan from Cutty Sallis at H&Q Consolidated.  Later, Will paid Sallis, who was an actor he'd hired as a front.  

Episode 12

"Search and Destroy"

Brett grabbed Devon’s arm and pulled her back into the lobby at the club, covering her mouth with his hand to keep her from screaming.  She struggled to get free of his grasp as he carried her across the lobby and threw her into a utility closet.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she screaming, pounding on the door.

“I’m sorry to have to do this to you, Devon,” Brett said, looking around for something to brace the door with.   He grabbed a chair and propped it underneath the doorknob.  “But I can’t have you ruining my big night.”

“You can’t leave me in here, you bastard!” Devon shrieked.  “I swear to God I’ll scream my head off until someone lets me out!”

Brett sighed with frustration and rushed to the DJ booth in the restaurant, turning the volume up on the music that was being piped through the sound system.    Hopefully no one would be able to hear her yelling from the closet.   As soon as the night was over, he’d let her out and deal with her then.

He turned around just as Stormy and Heather approached him, dressed in their best evening attire.

“Everything looks great so far,” Stormy said, looking around happily at the crowd who had gathered to hear Lauren’s debut.   “You really outdid yourself, Brett.   Did you know there’s a reporter here from Rolling Stone magazine?”

Brett gave him a cocky smile.  “Of course.  I told you I’d make sure all the right people were here to see Lauren.”

“I have to give you credit,” Stormy said, shaking his hand.  “You’ve earned your mark as Lauren’s manager.”

Heather rolled her eyes and broke away from his side.  She didn’t even know why she came tonight.   She was miserable.  Everywhere she turned people were talking about Lauren and what a great discovery she was.  They made it sound like she was the atom.

She turned and saw Lauren making a b-line across the room to where Stormy was standing.    She looked upset, and of course Stormy was all too happy to console her with an arm around her shoulder and his usual seductive bedroom eyes transfixed on her.  He didn’t know when to turn it off, she thought to herself.

“I need to talk to you,” Lauren whispered to Stormy, watching Brett out of the corner of her eyes.  She didn’t know what was going on with him and the girl he’d been arguing with in the lobby, but something was up.  She knew it. 

“You’re not getting nervous, are you?” Stormy asked.

Lauren shook her head.  “No, it’s about Brett.”   She always knew there was something fishy about her manager, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.  Then yesterday he started asking questions about her relationship with Stormy.   Now she just saw him turn pale as a ghost when that girl showed up.   It all seemed suspect to her.

“He’s done a great job tonight, don’t you think?” Stormy asked, looking around at the restaurant buzzing with activity.  “Can you believe he put this whole thing together himself?  Lauren, there are reporters here from every industry magazine.  Your name is going to be on everyone’s lips come tomorrow.”

She managed a smile, realizing that she did have a lot to look forward to.  And as suspicious as she was about Brett, she did owe a lot of it to him.  Maybe she was being a little too judgmental about his shady personality. 

“So what about Brett?” Stormy asked.  “Is everything okay?”

Lauren nodded and smiled.  “Yeah.  I just wanted to thank you both for everything you’ve done for me.”

Stormy pulled her into a friendly embrace.  “I’m just happy that your dreams are going to come true,” he said.

Across the room, Heather glared at them, balling her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white.   After what Brett said to her earlier that day, she was more suspicious about Stormy and Lauren’s relationship than ever.    She’d held her tongue so far, but she could only hold it in so long before she burst.

Their champagne glasses clinked together as Alex and Will sat on the sofa in his hotel suite at the Peninsula.    Alex put her feet up on his lap and he massaged them seductively.

“You are a genius, Will Thomerson,” she said joyously, then sipped her champagne. 

“Well thank you.”

“What do you think James will do when he finds out you were the one who lent him that money?” Alex asked, taking a deep breath and smiling.

“He’ll be powerless,” Will replied.  “All I have to do is call in that loan early, when he’s incapable of paying it back, and then I’ll become owner of Sunset Studios.  He can say goodbye to his reputation and his power in Hollywood. There’s not a thing he can do to retaliate.”

“Are you sure about that?  James is a very resourceful man.  Revenge is one of his specialties.”

Will laughed and shook his head.  “Let him try.  I’ll be the leading producer in Hollywood.  I’ll have his studio, and I’ll have his lovely ex-wife.”

Alex smiled coyly.  “We’re very sure of ourselves, aren’t we?”

“You can’t tell me after I pull off this coup that you’ll be able to turn my proposal for marriage down,” Will said.  “I’ll be irresistible to you.”

Drifting off into a daze, Alex thought back to her lunch with Jordan.  He’d made a very valid point, and one that she couldn’t seem to overlook.  After Will’s revenge on James was complete, what would be left of their relationship?   The only reason she was so turned on by him was because he had the same passions that she had.   Revenge against the man who exiled her from her own home.   Beyond that, she had no real feelings for Will.

She definitely had a tough choice to make.   Ideally she could continue seeing them both.  Then once Will’s plot had run its course, she would gently but quickly let him down and devote her full attention to Jordan.   Then and only then would she deliver her final blow to James by telling Will that Ethan was his son.

Meanwhile, in Santo Domingo, Brooke sat on the bed in her hotel room, holding the phone in her hands and staring at it blankly.   She knew she had to call James and tell him about Ethan.   As much as she hated to call him under those circumstances, she knew he had a right to know.

She realized she should forget about everything that had happened lately and do what was right.  Nothing else mattered now.  Not her marriage to Philip and not the way James turned on her after he found out about it.   Ethan was gone and that was all that mattered.

Taking a deep breath, she dialed the number to the Blackthorne mansion.  After a few rings, Leilani answered and Brooke let out a sigh of relief.

“Leilani, it’s Brooke,” she said breathlessly.  “Is James home?”

“He went out for a while, Miss Taylor,” Leilani replied.

Brooke started to cry.  “Leilani, I have terrible news,” she sobbed.  “It’s about Ethan.”

Stormy approached the microphone at the club and the room grew quiet as all of the guests looked at him in anticipation.

“I’d like to thank everyone for coming out tonight,” he began.  “This a very special night for Good Times Records.  We’ve been lucky enough to have found a talent that is without a doubt going to be the voice of the new decade.  Ladies and gentlemen, It’s my pleasure to introduce Lauren Spencer.”

The crowd applauded as Lauren came out onto the stage and the band began playing a jazzy number.   Stormy kissed Lauren’s hand and she took her position at the microphone and started singing.

Brett watched from the first table, seated between Miranda and Heather who stared with contempt at Lauren as she sang her heart out.

Out in the lobby, Devon yelled hoarsely and banged her fists on the door to the utility closet, hoping someone passing by would hear her.   She heard live music playing from the dining room and sighed in frustration.   Now no one was going to find her.

“Damn you, Rick,” she mumbled to herself.  “I’m going to get you for this.”

James arrived home from meeting Jack and started upstairs to his bedroom.  It was late and he wanted to go to sleep and forget about his troubles.   He felt a sense of relief after paying Jack his money.  At least that was one thing he could take comfort in.   His business relationship with the Fallmonts was very important and jeopardizing that was something he refused to let happen.

As he reached the top of the staircase, Leilani came running down the hall toward him, her arms flailing and her voice trembling.

“Mr. Blackthorne, I have terrible news,” she exclaimed.

James frowned.  “What is it Leilani?”  He’d never seen her so worked up in the fifteen years she’d worked for him. 

“Miss Taylor called from Santo Domingo,” she explained.  “She was there with your nephew and there was an accident….an explosion of some kind.”

“What?” James asked with wide eyes.  He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Your nephew is dead, Mr. Blackthorne,” Leilani finished, her face horror-stricken.

“No!” James shouted, taking a step back.   “That can’t be!”

Leilani nodded her head.  “It’s true, Mr. Blackthorne.  Miss Taylor seemed very upset."

James brought his hands to his mouth and slowly sat down on the top stair as he tried to comprehend the news.   A million questions filled his mind.  What were Brooke and Ethan doing in the Dominican Republic together?  What kind of explosion?  Was Brooke hurt as well?

Staring at the floor in a daze, he tried to figure out what he was going to do.  He had to do something.  Ethan was his nephew.  His own flesh and blood.   He owed it to his sister Georgie to get to the bottom of what had happened.

Lauren sat in her dressing room after the performance, dabbing sweat from her forehead with a towel when the door opened and Heather came barging in.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve!” she yelled at Lauren, her eyes flaring.

Frowning, Lauren stood up and backed away from her.  “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t think I don’t see the way you flirt with my husband,” Heather continued, standing only inches away from her.  “The way you bat your eyelashes at him.  The way your face lights up when he’s in the room.   The way you secretly love it when he hugs you or touches you.”

“You’ve got it all wrong!” Lauren insisted.  “I’m not interested in your husband.  We work together.  That’s all.”

“Don’t try to act innocent with me!” Heather continued.  “I know girls like you.  You think because you have pretty blond hair and a figure that you can have any man you want.  Well I’ve got news for you, you can’t have mine!”

“You act like he’s a piece of property,” Lauren said, shaking her head.  She was beginning to regret feeling sorry for Heather.  It was becoming clear to her that this girl was nothing but a spoiled rich brat.   “He’s not a prize, Heather.  He has a mind of his own.”

“He’s my husband.  I think I know better than anyone what he wants.”

Standing her ground, Lauren refused to back down from her.  She wasn’t going to let her bully her and make her feel bad about something she hadn’t even done.  “What about love and trust?” she asked.  “Doesn’t that factor into your marriage?  Or are you so consumed with jealousy that you just see him as a possession that you can control?”

“I have no interest in controlling him,” Heather replied.  “Besides, it’s not him I don’t trust.  It’s you.”

Lauren folded her arms and stared at her suspiciously.  “Let’s cut to the chase, Heather,” she began.  “It’s not that you don’t trust me, it’s that you’re jealous that Stormy is helping me with my career, while he ignores yours.”

Filled with rage, Heather had to restrain herself from physically attacking the girl.  “I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” Lauren asked, her eyes challenging her.  “Just admit that that’s the reason you hated me from the get go.  It has nothing to do with me or my relationship with Stormy.  It’s that you think that should have been you up there tonight, isn’t it?”

Heather was through listening to her.  She wasn’t going to let her turn everything around on her and make her look like the bad guy.  “I’m warning you,” she hissed.  ‘If you don’t keep it professional with my husband, I will make you sorry.”

Slightly unnerved by her tone, Lauren watched as Heather turned and raced out of the dressing room.  She didn’t know what to do about her.  It was obvious they would never be friends.   She had too much rage and resentment built up.

The door opened again and Stormy and Brett entered the room, cheering and hollering with excitement as they handed Lauren a glass of champagne.

“You were fantastic!” Stormy said, picking her up and twirling her around as she laughed.  “Everyone out there is saying how outstanding you are.   You’ve done it, Lauren.  You’ve officially launched your career tonight.”

“We did it, “Lauren corrected him, smiling happily.  “You really think they liked me?”

“Liked you?” he asked.  “They loved you!”

“I can’t believe this,” Lauren exclaimed as she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

Brett stood by, watching with a forced smile on his face.  Obviously the suspicions he’d relayed to Heather hadn’t done much to tame Stormy and Lauren’s connection.  He would have to work a little harder to make sure that nothing progressed between them.

Suddenly he remembered Devon.  She was still in the utility closet and people would be leaving the restaurant soon.  Someone was bound to hear her yelling her head off and then he’d have a lot of explaining to do.

He quickly excused himself and raced out to the dining room, then proceeded out into the waiting area.   The sound of fists hitting the inside of the door triggered alarms in his head and he looked around to see if anyone had noticed.  Just then, a waiter brushed past him and approached the door.

“Is someone in here?” he asked, moving the chair away from the door.

“Wait!” Brett exclaimed, trying to stop him.

But his plea was no use.  The door quickly flew open and Devon came charging out of the closet in a panic.   Wheezing and trying to catch her breath, she pointed at Brett and gritted her teeth.

“Someone better do something about this guy!” she yelled.  “He locked me in that damn closet for over an hour!”

“Miss, are you alright?” asked the waiter.

“She’s fine,” Brett interrupted, grabbed Devon by the arm and attempting to lead her out the front doors.

“No I’m not fine!” Devon insisted, pulling away from him.

Just then, Miranda appeared in the lobby.  Brett turned to her with wide eyes, realizing he was in trouble.  Of all people to show up at that minute…

“Brett, who is this woman?” she asked, walking over and stopping at his side.

“She’s no one,” Brett replied quickly, trying to get Miranda back into the restaurant.

“No one?” Devon asked.  “I slept with you for two years and now all the sudden I’m no one?”

“Brett?” Miranda began in confusion.

“His name isn’t Brett, honey,” Devon announced as a crowd of onlookers assembled around them.  “It’s Rick Shively.  And I’m sure his name isn’t the only thing he’s lied to you about.”

“Rick Shively?” Miranda asked, more confused than ever.  She put her arm around him and looked into his eyes.  “What is she talking about?”

“Oh no, don’t tell me you fell for his lies and got involved with him too,” Devon continued with a smirk.  “Honey, you’ve screwed yourself.  What are you?  Some rich debutante that fell for his charms and good looks?   Did you sign over your trust fund to him too?”

“I’m his wife,” Miranda replied evenly.

Devon laughed out loud and covered her mouth.   “Oh my God, you are one dumb girl,” she said, then looked at Brett.  “How did you get her to marry you?  Did you tell that you were dying?  Or that you’re the successor to the throne?  Which con was it this time, Rick?”

“Devon, I think you’d better leave now,” Brett said anxiously. 

Stormy arrived on the scene with Heather, both wondering what all the yelling and commotion was about.  Lauren followed seconds later.   She recognized the girl from earlier.  She knew something was up, and now she’d find out exactly what.

“Let me tell you something else, Sweetie,” Devon said, moving toward Miranda.  “I wouldn’t just be afraid of losing my money.  People have lost their lives because of this guy.”

“That’s enough,” Brett said, grabbing hold of Devon’s arm.

“Let go!” she shrieked.  “I warned you, Rick.  I gave you a chance to make things right and you chose to ignore me.  You locked me in a closet to shut me up.  But there’s nothing you can do to shut me up now.   You’re going to be very sorry you crossed me.”

She turned and stormed out of the restaurant, leaving Brett and Miranda standing behind with blank expressionless faces.   Brett looked around the room, realizing everyone was staring at him as if waiting for an explanation. 

“I told you!” Brett said a while later as he and Miranda paced around their bedroom at the Blackthorne mansion.  “Devon and I met in high school.  We used to be involved.  I broke it off and she isn’t taking it very well.”

“Well what was all that about people losing their lives?” Miranda asked, her hands on her hips and she stared at him.  “What did she mean by that?”

Brett shrugged and stammered out a reply.  “She’s exaggerating, of course,” he said