Previously...

Before her lunch date with Renee, Adrienne was strangled to death by an unknown assailant.  Jack was arrested for suspicion in the murder, but insisted that whoever Adrienne was having the affair with killed her.  Brooke and Ethan made love.  Afterwards, James showed up and flew into a rage over their renewed relationship, vowing that they were through once and for all.  David and Miranda made plans to go away for the weekend pending her recovery from the miscarriage. Brett and Heather made love again.  Renee cut Jordan loose and told him to go back to Alex.  Alex gave Seth ten million dollars to create Stratotech, a secret offshoot of Blackthorne-Reynolds, which she would be named sole owner of. Logan Mackenzie warned Seth that they might not be able to trust Alex, then indicated that Adrienne gave them the same problem, and reveals that Seth was the man having the affair with Adrienne.  Choosing their words carefully, Seth and Logan each accused each other of killing Adrienne for threatening to squeal about the Costa Mesa deal.  

Episode 69

"The Weekenders"

Gossip and rumors spread through Hollywood like wildfire.  It was one downfall of living there that most people had grown accustomed to.  Whether you wanted to or not, you often learned the most disturbing secrets from the most unlikely source.

In the case of Adrienne Fallmont’s murder, the news traveled quickly.  Eddie told Stormy, who told Miranda, who called Alex, who had lunch with Marilee Walker, who had a tennis date with Leigh Purcell where they gossiped over the gruesome details.

“I heard he strangled her with her own pantyhose,” Marilee gasped after they finished their set and sat down at a table at Hotel Terranova for a glass of lemonade.   “Can you even imagine?  Her own husband."”

“But they released Jack days ago.  They said his alibi was concrete.”

Marilee scoffed and dabbed her forehead with a towel.  “Are you kidding?” she said. “With as much money as the Fallmonts have, he could have easily paid someone to lie for him.  You know that as well as I do, Leigh.”

“Yes, but-“

Their conversation was interrupted when Seth appeared from behind and placed his arms gently around Marilee.  “What are you two talking about so seriously?” he asked and kissed her on the neck.   “Am I interrupting?”

Marilee shivered from his touch and smiled adoringly.  “No, of course not, Darling.  Leigh and I were just talking about that scoundrel, Jack Fallmont and what he did to poor Adrienne.”

Seth grinned and sat down at the table.  “That scoundrel was cleared and released from jail,” he said matter of factly.

“Oh Seth, I love that you see the good in people,” Marilee said with a wink.  “So what are you doing here in the middle of the day?  I had no idea the life of a Congressman was so leisurely.”

“Is there anything wrong with me wanting to say hello to my beautiful wife?” he asked and kissed her again, the whole while eyeing Leigh out of the corner of his eye.  “Besides, I’m meeting Brett here to go over some press releases.”

“So now the truth comes out,” Marilee joked.  “That’s okay.  Leigh and I are going shopping anyway.  You and Brett can work as late as you need to.  Leigh, are you ready to go?”

She nodded awkwardly.  “Sure.  I think I’ll just go in and powder my nose first.”  She got up and went inside the hotel, ambling across the lobby toward the lounge.  She ordered a drink at the bar and collected her thoughts.  Her hands trembled nervously and she grabbed for the drink and swallowed it down in two big gulps. 

“Can I buy you another?” asked a voice from behind. 

Leigh turned and spotted Logan Mackenzie sitting at a table nursing a cocktail.  She let out a deep breath and attempted to skirt past him but he shot to his feet and pulled her aside.

“Don’t you think it’s kind of inappropriate to be having lunch with Seth’s wife while you’ve been sleeping with the man behind her back?” Logan asked under his breath.  “My, my, Leigh, your nerve never ceases to amaze me.  Much like your attending poor Adrienne Fallmont’s funeral the other day.”

“You’re one to talk,” Leigh said and looked at him bravely.  “I hear you paid Alex Reynolds a visit the other night.  What was that all about?”

“She’s our new partner,” Logan declared.  “Is there anything wrong with me welcoming her to the fold?”

“Not when she doesn’t know what she’s even partners in.  How are Seth and I supposed to know that you won’t tell her everything and risk this whole deal?  We could all go to prison if the truth gets out about that land in Costa Mesa.”

“That’s what Alex Reynolds is for,” Logan reminded her.  “She owns Stratotech.  We collect the profits and she gets left holding the ball.”

“Until she finds out what’s going on and threatens to tell.  Just like Adrienne.”

Logan folded his arms and regarded her carefully.  “Well, we both know how that ended for Adrienne, don’t we?”

With that, he turned and started through the lobby.  Leigh shuddered with uneasiness and walked over to meet Marilee on her way in from the terrace.

Miranda sat in the exam room at Cedars-Sinai, chilly in her hospital gown as she waited for the results from her checkup.  Dr. Mitchell jotted a few things down on a clipboard and then looked up, removing her glasses with a shrug. 

“Everything seems fine, Miranda,” said the doctor.  “I don’t see any signs of complications from the miscarriage.  You’re very healthy.”

Miranda smiled with elation.  “So that means I can go away this weekend?”

Dr. Mitchell sighed and contemplated the question.  “You still have to take it easy.  I don’t want you hiking or skiing in your condition.  But I don’t see any reason why you can’t go away for a couple of days.  You seem to be out of danger.  Maybe the fresh mountain air will do you good.  Just make sure that you have my pager number in case anything should go wrong.”

“Thank you, Dr. Mitchell,” Miranda said and jumped down from the exam table.  “I promise.  I won’t get out of bed all weekend.  It’ll just be so nice to get away for a few days.”

“Well, have a good time,” Dr. Mitchell said before leaving the room.

Miranda quickly dressed, eager to phone David to tell him the good news.  When she’d initially brought up the idea of going away together several days before, he made her promise to get the all-clear from the doctor first.  Now that she had, there was nothing stopping them.  After all their ups and downs, interruptions, and bad luck, being alone together was something she felt they needed to do if they were going to find out if they were compatible.  And she hoped they were.

After she got dressed, she walked out into the reception area and ran directly into Brooke.

“Miranda, I’m so glad I ran into you,” Brooke said, pushing a long lock of blond hair from her eyes.  “I’ve been wondering how you were feeling.  Were you just in seeing Dr. Mitchell?  What did she say?”

“I know it’ll disappoint you to hear it, Brooke, but Dr. Mitchell said I’m doing fine.  She even gave me the all clear to have another baby.”

“Why would that disappoint me?” Brooke asked in exasperation.  “Miranda, I’m happy that you’re doing better.  And I hope that someday you do meet the right man and have a baby.  I don't know why you think I wouldn't want that for you."

Miranda rolled her eyes and folded her arms harshly across her chest.  “Maybe I already have met the right man,” she said.  “David Jenner and I are going away this weekend.  If things go as planned, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.  And then who knows?  Maybe he and I will get married and have a baby together.”

“I just want you to be happy, Miranda.”

She looked at her step-mother and laughed.  “You mean as long as it doesn’t mean giving my father a grandchild.”

Brooke frowned in confusion.  “No, I think that would be wonderful.  I-“

“Because we all know that since you didn’t give James a child, you don’t want anyone else to either.  Not even his own daughter.  You’re so selfish, Brooke.  All you care about is yourself and being the most important person in my father’s life.  Well guess what?  You’re out of his life now.  I heard him talking to Kenny this morning about drawing up divorce papers.”

The news startled Brooke.  Granted, she knew it was coming, but the finality of it was hard to accept.  She and James had been through so much together.  Now it was over just like that.

“So what are you doing here, anyway?” Miranda asked, sufficiently satisfied that she’d gotten to Brooke.  “Not expecting, I hope.  Lord knows if you’re carrying another one of Ethan’s babies you’ll probably try to pass it off as my father’s just so you can hold on to him again.”

“No, I’m not pregnant,” Brooke replied defensively.  “I’m just here for my annual checkup.”

“Good.  The last thing we need is another bastard of yours running around the word,” Miranda said before brushing past her and starting to the elevators.

Brett arrived at Hotel Terranova and met up with Seth outside on the terrace.  Seth ordered them a round of drinks and they dove into a stack of press releases and public appearance schedules.

“That takes us through the end of next week,” Brett said after they’d covered the last bit of material. 

“Good,” Seth replied and gazed adoringly at a passing blonde in a short tennis skirt and skin-tight polo.   “Anything else happening at the office today?”

Brett handed him a stack of phone messages and then opened a notebook.  “There was one thing that I wanted to ask you about,” he began.  “Your accountant called regarding a donation you pledged to a wildlife preserve on the south coast.  He wanted to know if the check should be made out to Kenny DeWitt or to the Land Commission’s treasurer?”

Seth quickly dodged the subject.  “I’ll call the accountant myself,” he said. The less Brett knew about that the better.  “Anything else?”

Brett could read him like a book.  Part of the advantages of being a con man for so many years.  He could spot a con a mile away.  “That donation wouldn’t have anything to do with your variance, would it?  I mean, I know you were denied drilling permits for that land you were looking to buy some time ago, then suddenly the Land Commission changed their minds.”

Impressed with the young man’s savvy, Seth swallowed a gulp of his drink and leaned forward.  “Brett, part of your job as my PR person involves the ability to know when your services are needed and when they’re not.  This would be one of those times when they’re not.  From now on, if anything comes through the office that has to do with Costa Mesa or the Land Commission, I want to handle it personally.  Is that understood?”

Red flag.   Brett bit down on his lip and realized he had a lot of work to do if he was going to find out what Congressman Walker was up to.  Whatever it was, it wasn’t legal.  Bribery of a city office was a big no-no for a Congressman.

“So Reno is off the schedule for this weekend?” he asked, deciding to change the subject for the time being.

Seth shook his head.  “No, I can’t make it.  You’ll have to go in my place and extend my regrets.  Book a flight out today an be back by Monday.  Make a weekend out of it.  You deserve it after all the disappointment you've been through lately.”

Alex was in her office at Blackthorne-Reynolds when the door opened and Jordan entered, a bouquet of roses in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other.

“What’s this?” Alex asked and looked up from her paperwork. 

“Love in the afternoon, what does it look like?” Jordan replied with a smirk and kissed her tenderly.   “I thought I’d be the one to make the first move.”

“The first move?” Alex asked, a perfectly waxed eyebrow arched to oblivion.   “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

Jordan popped the cork on the bottle and withdrew two glasses from the bar.  “Well, we’re both free agents again and neither one of us can deny that there’s been quite a bit of sexual tension ever since our divorce became final.  We made love the day we got the final papers, after all.  And now that Renee and I have ended things, I think we owe it to ourselves to explore where this is going.”

“Where this is going?” Alex asked and rose to her feet in a huff.  “I’ll tell you where this is going, Jordan Rydell.  Nowhere.”

“Come again?” he asked, handing her a glass of champagne.

Angrily, she took the glass of amber liquid and poured it over his head, dousing his hair and watching the champagne pour down his face. 

“What the-“ he yelled and took a step back.  “What the hell is wrong with you?” 

“You and Renee didn’t end things,” Alex spat.  “It was not an amicable split.  She dumped you.”

“What’s the difference?” he asked in a shrill voice, dabbing his face and hair with a towel. 

“Would you be here today with roses and champagne if Renee hadn’t called things off with you?” Alex asked, her arms folded.  “Or would you be in her bed fawning all over her and Nathan's illegitimate daughter.”

Jordan clenched his teeth angrily.  He hated it when she got like this.  Everything had to be so damn difficult with Alex Reynolds.  Always had and always would.  “What’s with the what if’s?” he asked.  “The point is that I’m here now.  I love you and I haven’t stopped.  I think that you love me too.  Now why can’t you just accept that and forget the how’s and the why’s?”

“Because I have something called self respect,” Alex insisted.  “I’m nobody’s sloppy seconds, and I’m certainly not going to be a rebound from Renee DeWitt.”  She turned and went back to her desk.  “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

Jordan stood, wet and flabbergasted.  Nothing about his gesture had gone according to his plan.  Of course, with Alex, nothing ever did.  He grabbed the roses, turned and marched out of the office, slamming them into a garbage can on his way. 

Just as he passed through the reception area, Renee emerged from her office and witnessed his tirade.  Obviously her setting Jordan free hadn’t phased Alex in the slightest.  She stormed into her office and glared at the woman in frustration.

“You really are a very dumb woman, you know that?”

“Go to hell,” Alex said spitefully.

“I handed you Jordan on a silver platter and you tossed him aside,” Renee continued. “Do you realize what you’re giving up?  Do you think there are men out there waiting in line to put up with your theatrical antics?  Well let me tell you something, lady, there aren’t.  You need to take it where you can get it.”

With that, she turned and stormed back out of the office, leaving Alex to brood over her actions once again.  Yes, she still loved Jordan, but her pride - or maybe her stubbornness - wouldn't let her take him back without at least making a point.  

Brett left Hotel Terranova and headed home to pack for his trip to Reno.  On his way, he stopped off at City Hall to pick up some reading material for the plane ride.  After laying a thick layer of charm on Sharice, the large African American woman who worked at the counter in the records office, he was granted full access to every land purchase in the past six weeks.

He learned that Stratotech, a company based in California, had purchased the land and acquired a variance for the purpose of drilling for oil.  The company was listed as a corporation, so no owner was given, only the name of its CEO, M. McCormack.  But Brett was certain it was the same piece of land that Seth had expressed interest in.  Why else would he have given such a sizeable donation to the Land Commission?    What was his game?  He decided he’d have to do some more research when he returned from Reno.

When he got home to his condo at the marina, he started packing.  A knock at the door broke his concentration and he quickly ran over to answer it.  To his delight, Heather was standing on the other side of the door, looking radiant as ever. 

“Hi,” he said, gently taking her hand and pulling her inside.  “What are you doing here?”

“Well, until today we’ve spent every day this week together,” Heather replied.  “I thought maybe you were missing me.”

Brett grinned and drew her into a kiss.  “I was missing you,” he said, relishing the feel of her in his arms.  The past few days she’d been there for him in his grief over Miranda’s miscarriage.  He couldn’t remember anyone ever making him feel happier. 

“Are you going somewhere?” she asked when she noticed his open suitcase. 

“Reno,” Brett replied and went on with his packing.  “Seth overcommitted himself again and can’t make it to a speaking engagement for a bunch of conventioneers.  I have to go up and give his regrets in person.”

“When will you be back?”

“I was going to make a weekend out of it, but-“  He paused, turning to her and placing his hands on her shoulders.  “Why don’t you come with me?  We can have our own little weekend away together.  Do some gambling, see a show or two, stay in bed…”

Heather grinned and ran her hands down his back.  “Are you kidding?  I’d love to,” she said and broke away in excitement.  “Just let me run home and pack a bag.”

“I’ll pick you up in an hour,” Brett said with a grin, kissing her again before she raced out the door.

Back at Hotel Terranova, Brooke rushed around her suite gathering last minute items into a suitcase when a knock at the door led her away from her task.  Michael was crying in his crib and Ethan was on his way over to pick her up for their weekend away.  She walked to the door and pulled it open, frowning at the sight of a statuesque man standing in the hall.

“Brooke Blackthorne?” the man asked.

“Yes.”

“You’ve been served,” he said, handing her an envelope before turning and walking quickly away.

Brooke knew what it was before she even opened it.  Sighing, she closed the door and walked over to Michael, picking him up in an effort to quiet his cranky state.   Bouncing him in one arm, she opened the envelope and withdrew the divorce papers from James’ attorney. 

Before she could brood too heavily over the impending divorce, Ethan arrived, jiggling his car keys in one hand and holding the door open with the other.

“You ready to go?” he asked. 

Brooke glanced at him and then back down at the divorce papers.  She set them down on the desk and nodded, forcing a smile on her face as she ran a hand through Michael’s blond hair.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” she said.  “Just trying to get Michael’s things together.”

“I’ve got a bellman on the way up to get your things,” Ethan said and walked over, kissing her and Michael both on the forehead.   He detected a hint of despair in her eyes and he placed a hand alongside her face.  “You okay?”

She nodded.  “I’m fine.  Just looking forward to going away for a few days."

Ethan took Michael from her while she quietly gathered the rest of their things. He wondered what had gotten to her so suddenly.  Whatever it was, he hoped that this weekend would seal their renewed relationship and they'd finally be able to pick up where they'd left off years before.  Nothing could stand in their way this time.

“Eddie, what are we doing here?” Stormy asked as they walked into the bedroom at Jack and Adrienne’s house in Glendale“This is where she died.  It’s creepy.”

“Jack hired me to find out who killed his wife,” Eddie explained, looking around the bedroom, glancing behind dressers and inspecting every surface in the room.  “Where else would I start but the scene of the crime?”

Stormy groaned and followed him through the room.  “The police have already searched he place with a fine tooth comb.  What do you think you’re going to find that they didn’t?”

“The police don’t have my keen sense of observation, bud,” Eddie said, flashing a pen light around and opening a drawer in the bureau.  He lifted a pair of lacy black panties with a set of forceps and examined them closely.

Stormy rolled his eyes.  “Let’s stick to actual clues,” he said and forced the underwear back into the drawer.  “Now come on.  I want to get this over with and get out of here.  I have things to do at the studio.”

“Well, until I find my Gal Friday, you’re doing to have to fill in.  What’s the problem, anyway?  We’re no strangers to recon missions.   Raiding the nurses office in high school, spying on the competition when we started Good Times Records, now a murder investigation."

Stormy groaned and ran his fingers through his hair.  “Look, we’re not going to find anything here.  Jack says he thinks whoever Adrienne was having the affair with killed her.  So we should be trying to find out who this guy is.  Start with bank records and find the money trail.  She withdrew ten million dollars from a Fallmont Industries account.  She had to have used it for something, and my bet is she gave it to him.”

Crawling on the floor and peering under the bed, Eddie stopped and looked up at him.  “Why didn’t I think of any of that?” he asked.  “I’m supposed to be the private investigator here.”

“No offense, Eddie, but I think you’re still back in the nurses office at West Beverly High.”

He offered a wry grin and climbed to his feet.  “Okay, so let’s go find this bastard, and the ten million dollars he ran off with.”

Alex felt like she was in the middle of nowhere.  The dirt road was overgrown by grass and weeds and the air was dry and dusty.  She never in her life thought that she’d be in the middle of the god forsaken country with nothing but filth as far as the eye could see.

She made it to the old wooden fence where Seth had told her to meet him, and she turned off the car and waited for him to arrive.  Minutes later, he pulled up on schedule.  She waited for him to approach her car before climbing out and gazing around.

“This is it?” she asked.  “Sure doesn’t seem worth twenty million dollars.”

Seth grinned and led her along the fence.  They came up to a hill, the other side furnished with construction trailers and tons of heavy machinery that Alex didn’t quite understand, or really care about.  All she knew was that this land was going to make her a lot of money, and label her independent from the likes of Renee and James.

“It’s what’s underneath that counts,” Seth said.  “Believe me, our money is going to good use here.  We’ll be striking oil any day now.”

Alex peered over the hill, spying the few men working in the field.   “Seth, I realize I don’t have much knowledge about the technical goings on in the oil business, but I don’t see any drilling going on.  What exactly are those men doing?”

“You’re right, you don’t know the technicalities,” Seth cut her off.  “But luckily you don’t have to.  All you have to know is that in a few days the smell of oil will fill this entire field, and you’ll be millions of dollars richer.”

Alex decided to trust in that he knew what he was doing and that their crew did too.  “I’m curious about one thing,” she said as they continued walking along the fence.  “Why me?”

‘Why you what?”

“Why come to me with this deal?” she asked.   “You didn’t need the money.  You could have gotten that ten million dollars from Marilee.  She’s your wife, and she’s very wealthy.”

Seth evaded her question expertly.  “You’re right, I could have.  But mine and Marilee’s marriage has always been about being equals.  I wanted to do this on my own, without her help, and without those society types accusing me of riding on my wife’s coat tails."

Alex nodded.  “I have to give you credit for that,” she said.  “And this former partner?  The one who reneged on the deal?”

“She became something of a silent partner,” Seth said with a grin.  “With her ten million dollars she’ll have a lifetime of happiness.”

“She?” Alex asked with a curious furrow in her brow.  “I sense your preference in doing business with the opposite sex.  Any reason why?”

“Women not only make wonderful lovers, but the best business partners.  It’s as simple as that.”

“And Logan?”

“What about him?”

‘He’s very handsome and very charming, but he’s so serious.  I wonder if he takes this as lightly as you do.”

“Logan’s put a lot on the line for this deal.  He wants his payback and he won’t let anything stand in the way of that.”

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t get greedy,” Alex said.

Seth considered her remark carefully, wondering if there was anything to her concerns.  Logan was nothing more than a frontman – a geologist to make it appear that things were legit at the drill site.  And for that he was being rewarded handsomely.  He was almost possessive about the deal.  His attitude toward Adrienne had been hostile to say the least.  And Leigh was downright afraid of him.  One thing was for certain, he would have to keep a watchful eye on Logan Mackenzie.