Episode 40, originally published 08-May-97

The Best Laid Plans

Hiding behind a small shed, Christine and Paul watch through binoculars as Michael Baldwin leaves the prison. "I can't believe they let him out!" the Bug whispers angrily to Paul. "Well, Chris, that's what you get for not going to testify..." "Well, I just thought they'd let him out whether I testified or not ..." Paul looks confused. "So then why can't you believe they let him out?" he asks innocently. "Paul!" she chides him. "Can't you be just a little supportive?" He sighs, not understanding why simply paying attention to her words and trying to make sense of them is counted as a hostile act, but his need to contemplate the issue is cut short as Michael's car starts to pull away. "Come on, let's follow him," Cricket says. They rush back to their car, where they see Mary Williams spreading a large red checkered tablecloth on the ground.

Danny, having forgotten his music when he left the house, re-enters the apartment to see Sasha on the couch. "I didn't expect to find you here," he says. "Oh, Danny, .... hi," Sasha says. "I was waiting for Phyllis." Danny stops and sits with her for a moment. "There's something strange going on, isn't there?" he asks. Sasha blushes, "I don't--" Danny cuts her off, "I can tell there's something strange between you and Phyllis... she says you're going through some rough times together. Would you do me a favor--a personal favor?" he asks. Sasha is strangely attracted to Danny. "Well, Danny, I--sure, what's the favor?" "I know a guy who's a therapist--a good one--and maybe you could talk to him--I'll pay. Just to kind of get your head clear, you know?"

Sasha is uncertain how to respond but concludes that it's harmless to agree. "Well, Danny, I'm not sure if it's really any good, but if it'll make YOU happy, sure, I'm sure it couldn't do any harm. And, in return, maybe you could do me a favor?" Danny nods, just happy that she's agreeing to his suggestion, "Sure, what?" "No, now I'm embarrassed," Sasha says. "No, really, what is it," Danny says. "A hug?" she says. Danny grins. "Are you kidding? Absolutely--my fans are always after me for hugs--and a lot more--so it's the least I could do for a friend of my wife's..." "Really?" she says. He slides closer to her on the couch and they hug... a lot. If more happens, we don't find out now.

"Mom!" Paul whines. "With that big bright tablecloth, you're going to give away our cover." "Well, that's a fine `how-dee-do' for a son to give his mother," Mary grumbles. "Oh, Mary, it's just that we're on a case and this isn't the best time..." Christine starts to say. "You can't just go running off into a chase without a proper lunch," Mary says. "What if you run out of fuel while you're chasing him? Now sit down, and let your mother fix you a good meal..." "Mom!" Paul says, "While you're talking, he's getting away and there isn't going to BE a chase!"

Sharon sits at the dining room table in her house, talking to Nick. "So let me get this straight," she says to him. "With this new plan you got from the internet, you can make thousands of dollars in just a few hours using only your own home terminal and with absolutely no risk?" "That's what the offer said," Nick says excitedly. "In fact, it said that bad fortune comes only to those who ignore the opportunity! Don't you see, Sharon? This is the answer to our dreams--a chance to prove to Dad that I do have some business sense after all. And I can do it all while sulking in my bedroom and pretending I'm still not back from Seattle!" "It sounds too good to be true," Sharon says prophetically. "Oh, Nicholas, I'm so proud of you!"

"You're worried there won't be a chase?" Mary laughs. "Now, Paul Williams, don't you think your mother has learned a few things in all my years? Give an old lady a bit of credit..." Paul looks genuinely stumped. He is apologetic but also very frustrated. "Well, of course, Mom, but--" She interrupts him by pointing off into the distance. Paul and Chris look through their binoculars to see a group of elderly women stopping Michael's car and making him get out. Mary explains, "Those are my friends from Church--and you perhaps recognize that new woman, Betty Arnold, who came in from Kansas? Ex-criminals like Michael Baldwin need a healthy lunch, too, you know, to make sure they have sufficient vitamins and minerals that their brain can make the intelligent choices to keep them from turning to evil. There now. You eat while he eats. When everyone is properly fed, you can all get back to your nice little chase and I'll go about my business." Paul looks at Christine, who shrugs and sighs. Resigned to the situation, they let Mrs. Williams put bibs on them and they sit down for the picnic lunch she has prepared them.

* * *

Days later, Christine is in an office building with a fancy camera with a very long lens focused at a building across the street. She has recording equipment set up all around the room. We hear Michael Baldwin on a speaker saying cheerfully, "Well, time to call it a day." Cricket watches through the camera for a moment and then sits down as she hears the door click and presumably sees Michael exiting. She picks up the phone and presses a speed dial key. She punches another button and we hear the phone ringing over a speaker. "Paul Williams Investigations," comes the voice answering. "It's our private line, Paul. I know it's you," she reminds him. "Oh, sorry, Chris--force of habit," he says. "Anyway, Michael's on his way over," she says.

Sasha is with Tim in his office. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Miss Greene. Please, feel free to tell me about yourself and what brought you here," he prompts her. "Well, I'm doing this as a favor to a friend," she says. "A friend? Well, the husband of a friend. Danny Romalotti," she says, blushing. "Danny--uh, Mr. Romalotti--sent you here?" he asks, trying to maintain his professionalism when realizing how close Sasha's circle of friends is to his own. "That's right. He asked me and... well, I think I have a crush on him, so I couldn't say no, could I?"

"This is all confidential, right?" Sasha asks Tim. He nods uneasily, "That's right. I'm bound by ethics to keep this all to myself." She smiles. "No matter how kinky or weird..." "Absolutely," Tim says. "Complete confidentiality--even if you've broken the law.... you haven't, have you?" "Funny you should mention that, Doc," Sasha says, "There is this little thing going on and I've been really without anyone to talk to about it, so..." Tim covers his face with his hands so she can't see him rolling his eyes in dismay. "Go on..." he says. "Well, you see," she says, "this guy--Danny--his baby-- well, the baby he thinks is his--it isn't really. And I think I'm the only one who knows .... and this woman Phyllis, Danny's wife? She's tricked him into marrying her because he thinks it is his kid. So I've told Phyllis I wanted $20,000 to keep from going to the tabloids--I never imagined she'd get the money--she must have some poor sugardaddy wrapped around her little finger. So I found out the tabloids would pay $50,000 for the story... so I figured, if she can get $20,000 that easily, she can probably get me the rest to match the tabloids..."

Paul is on a headset talking to Christine by some sort of cellular phone as he moves about. "I'm in his apartment now--I was just checking over the setup to make sure all our bugs are working." The Bug (the one he has not just checked, that is) nods, "Ok, Paul, but you better get out of there before he gets back!" Paul calmly goes back into the closet and crosses back into Danny's old apartment. "Ok, Chris, I'm home again. Good thing we saved this old apartment--who'd ever have thought we could make such a good re-use of the hole in the wall that Michael dug when he was stalking you?" Paul remarks as he swings a bolt down to assure that Michael can't come back through the wall.

In the middle of Sasha's explanation about the blackmail arrangements, the phone rings and Tim answers. "Dr. Reid," he says. "It's Phyllis," a voice whispers. "I have to see you." "Now is not a good time," he says. "I'm with a patient and will return your call later," he says, putting down the phone. He motions her to go on, saying, "Sorry about the interruption--please go on--you were coming to perhaps a concern that asking for this money was not ethical?" he says hopefully. "No, I don't care about that. I'm just wondering--I mean, I really like this guy Danny. Do you think there's any way I could--well--to be blunt--get the $50,000, but still break up the marriage, but end up with Danny in the end?" Tim looks like he's reached his limit. He glances at the clock. "Well, I see our time has expired for today--how about if we pick up here next time?" he asks. Sasha looks uneasy. "You're not just copping out on me, are you? You'll really have an answer for me if I come back?" "Oh, absolutely," Tim says, wondering if he's lying to her but unable to explain the truth of his situation. "Ok, then. I'll be back soon," Sasha says.

* * *

Paul and Cricket are together in a car, many days later. "You're sure you want to confront Michael?" he asks her. "Don't you see, Paul, it's the only way!" she says with a kind of manic gleam in her eye. "Look, Chris, I hate to say it but I really think this investigation is going nowhere--we've been tracking Michael for weeks and there's no sign he's up to anything at all. Maybe we should just give it a rest..." "Paul! Don't you see? That's exactly what Michael wants! He's trying to wear me down. And he's not going to do it," Cricket says with her usual air of certainty. "Ok, whatever you say," Paul says. He pulls up at Michael's office. "Go for it," he says. Cricket disembarks and heads purposefully indoors.

"Dr. Reid? Dr. Reid? ..." Sasha waves her hand in front of his eyes. "You promised me you'd have an answer for me? Some way for me to get the money out of Phyllis... and her husband...?" After a bit more of a pause, he looks at her and says solemnly, "This is a very complex situation." She blushes and nods. "I guess you don't usually hear things quite like this." Tim chuckles, "No. It's safe to say that your situation is unique. And I find myself in a complex ethical dilemma about how to resolve your matter. But I believe I can in fact suggest a somewhat unusual resolution that, in an odd way, is both ethical for me and answers your request for advice." She stares at him, surprised but happy. "Ok, Doc, fire away..."

"Christine," says Michael. "How very nice to see you," Michael says with complete confidence. He presses a button under his desk but there is no immediately obvious effect. "Cut it, Michael. It's me, remember? I know you're up to something, I just don't know what. When you went away to prison, you said you had a plan to get back at me, and I want to know what it was..." Security men enter and Michael points them to Christine. "This is the woman who's been stalking me, gentlemen," Michael says. "Stalking you? How did you--" "How did I find out about it? Come now, Christine, you're soooo.... predictable. I didn't even have to check--I just knew." He turns back to the officers, who are cuffing Cricket. "I think if you'll check downstairs, you'll find her accomplice waiting in a getaway car. Then if you check my apartment, you'll find they've dug a tunnel from their apartment into mine... their fingerprints all over the place should confirm what they've been up to."

Dr. Reid clears his throat. "Well, first, I have a professional obligation to you to keep your affairs confidential, but I have no such professional obligation to my friends to keep their affairs confidential. I will, however, ask you politely to keep what I am about to tell you to yourself." "Oh, absolutely," Sasha says eagerly. "Fair is fair." "So it is," Tim agrees. He goes on, "First, I am the sugardaddy from which Phyllis obtained the $20,000." Sasha looks immediately uneasy, and mutters a quiet "uh oh". "No, I think this is going to work out ok. Now, you have an agreement with Phyllis to keep quiet for that money, but that's really my money, and I think it would be better spent if I simply tell you it's yours as my gift. I think you should sell the story to the tabloid because I have no more money to give her to match their offer. That would mean you'd get $70,000 in all."

Sasha questions his reasoning. "But then Phyllis will be mad at me," Sasha says. "She will," he admits. "But Danny will not. He'll be grateful. They will surely break up over this, and you can be there to help Danny in his ... shall we say ... time of need?" "You'd do all this for me? What's in it for you?" "Well, strange as it may seem, I'm in love with Phyllis. And I could be there for her in her time of need as well," he says. "If that happens, my $20,000 is money well spent... which is more than I can say for how Phyllis was dealing with it," he sighs. Sasha thinks for a while. "You're right... It does seem like a strange arrangement. But it sounds like it would work." Suddenly she gets worried. "But what if it fails?" Tim shrugs, "Then you can afford $70,000 in therapy to help you get over it."

"But I don't understand," Cricket protests as the police start to tug her out the door. "Understand?" he says, taunting her. "Yes," she replies. "Your plan--what was it? I have to know!" "Oh, my plan," he says, smiling enigmatically. "My plan was to ignore you..." "Ignore me? You could never do that--it was too important for you to get even with me. You could never ignore me!" Michael smiles. "But I did ignore you, Christine. It's you who couldn't ignore me. And now you'll pay for that. The stalker becomes the stalked, and vice versa. A bit of role reversal--just like old times, eh, Christine? The master is always one step ahead of the student." He smiles a mocking kind of smile at her. "Good bye, Christine. Enjoy prison," he says, adding, "Do say `hi' to all my friends there. I've told them to expect you..."

That's all for this episode. Hope you learned something. Don't miss Episode 41!
If you missed any older episodes, see the index.

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