Episode 48, originally published 16-Jun-97

I'm Reading You

Sharon looks up from her knitting as Nick comes in the door from school. "Nick!" she says, running to him. He hugs her. "And how's m'boy?" "Oh, he's wonderful--but Nick, I'm wishing I could get out a little more." "Well, we could get Miguel or my mom to come sit for us," Nick says. "I feel like we do that too much... Nick, I've got another idea." "You do?" "Now don't say `Yes' or `No' right away--just hear me out, ok?" "Ok." "I was thinking we should ask Grace to move in with us." "You mean like to live here?" "Exactly. Don't you see how perfect it would be? Grace has been short of money, and we could pay her a little. In return, she could watch over Noah. And she wouldn't have to pay any rent, so it would be cheap for her to live. And she could bring that adorable little girl Cassie to live with us, too."

Across town, Grace says to Cassie, "Come on, Cassie, let's put you down for a nap." "Oh, please, will you read me a little story?" Grace looks at her watch. "Oh, please, please, please!!!" Cassie says. "If you read me a story, I won't be any trouble." "OK, Cassie, how about that one we were in the middle of yesterday when you fell asleep?" "Oh, that one--I forgot about that. Ok--maybe it will put me asleep again." She climbs under the covers and Grace sits beside her, picking up a book called ``Beth and the Kidnappers''. "Do you remember where I was when you fell asleep?" "Uh, huh... The kidnappers were just asking for a ransom for Beth!" "That's right," Grace says, and she reads:

Freddie hangs up the phone and turns to Jim. "They say they need time to get the money together." Jim nods and opens the door to peek in at the sleeping child in the next room. "She still asleep?" Freddie asks. "Yep," Jim nods. Then Jim says, "But what if they don't pay?" "Then we get rid of her," Freddie says. "But she has a family that has lots of money, so it shouldn't be any trouble.

"Cassie?" Grace asks gently, seeing the little girl seems to have drifted already to sleep. "She has a family with lots of money," Cassie says, half consciously, and then rolls over. "They're going to rescue her." Grace lays the book on the table and leaves her to sleep.

Nick looks thoughtfully toward Sharon. "So, we'd be sorta like Mormons--I'd have two wives and..." Sharon hits him with a pillow. "Nicholas Newman! You have such a dirty mind." "Ok, ok," he grins. "I was just kidding--but a guy could get confused with two beautiful women running around all the time, ya know." She puts her hands on her hips in her best "huffy" pose. "No, I don't know," she says. "Now will you quit kidding and agree that this is the best idea you've heard in a long time?" "This is the place where I'm allowed to say `Yes' or `No'?" he says. "Well, `Yes' anyway," Sharon giggles. "Ok, then `yes' it is. Ask her. I think it's a GREAT idea," Nick says. "Grace is practically like family anyway, and it sounds like it would give you and me a lot more time together. Let's go for it--oh, but what about Tony?" "Oh, I talked to Grace about that," Sharon says. "She's not sure what's between her and Tony. She's mostly dependent on him because she can't get a babysitter, so this would help her out that way, too." "She doesn't even like Tony?" "Well, I don't know about that--but she'd be happy to have a choice in the matter, I think. I'm not talking about moving him in here, too, anyway!" "Oh, ok. 'Cuz you know me--I'm very territorial-- one husband is enough," he winks, immediately ducking to avoid the pillow he knows will follow shortly.

Tony is with Grace in their apartment. They are arguing over Cassie in their now well-established way. Cassie wakes from her nap, unseen by either of them, and peers around the corner, finally curious about what the content of these never-ending arguments is. "Grace, I'm telling ya, this is going nowhere. So we gotta get rid of her." "Tony!" Grace says uncomfortably. "Look, Grace, I'm getting really tired of this. It's too late to get her back to Millie--you got no other choice. It's time, Grace. The kid's gotta go you know where...." Cassie's eyes get huge and round as silver dollars and she runs back into her room and dives back under the covers shivering.

Grace and Cassie have arrived on the Newman Ranch. Cassie is shown inside by Miguel, offering cookies as Grace stands on the porch saying to Sharon, "I can't believe you want us to come live with you." Once inside, Nick smiles at little Cassie, and says, "So you're coming to live with us, huh?" Cassie smiles and nods her head up and down in a very long arc. "I hope so. Things were getting really scary and I'll feel much safer here." "Yes, Cassie, the Newman home is very safe," Miguel says with confidence. "I don't get it, though," Nick says. "What was so scary about where you were?" "Well, let's see," Cassie says thoughtfully. "I guess it was mostly that Tony wanted to kill me." "Excuse me," says Miguel. "Did you say Tony wanted to kill you?" "Yes," she says with the kind of tone that only a child can do--a kind of blending total precision, strong intensity, and complete innocence of the real depth of what she is saying. "I heard him telling Grace. It was making me and Cindy QUITE uncomfortable." After an uncomfortable pause, she adds. "I think Tony and Grace kidnapped me from Millie." "Millie?" Nick asks. "Yes, Millie is my grandmother." "And you think they kidnapped you from her?" Nick asks. "Well," says Cassie again in an analytic tone, "I never really did understand why Millie let me go. She didn't seem very happy about it. They told her something secret and then after that she said she had no choice. So they took me. And now Tony's tired of me and he wants to kill me." "Is Millie Grace's cousin?" Miguel asks. "Oh, Grace isn't related to me. I'm sure of that. Grace is just holding me. Until the ransom comes in, I suppose. But Tony doesn't think it's coming, so he wantd to get rid of me."

"Miguel, could you watch Cassie? I have to go talk to my wife and Grace," Nick says. "Certainly, Nicholas," Miguel says. "Thanks." He walks out onto the porch. "How's Cassie settling in?" Sharon asks. Nick shakes his head in a non-committal kind of way, "Oh, she's doing great. She's full of surprises though--apparently Grace has been keeping secrets from us." "I knew it," Sharon says immediately. "I have not. What are you talking about?" Grace lies. "I'm talking about someone named Millie and why you've been keeping Cassie at your apartment," Nick says. "You are?" Grace says. "Yep. I guess Cassie's been aware of a lot more than you think--she just filled me in on the whole story--I know all about it, Grace. So what do you say? Want to tell us your side of it?" Nick says.

HALF TIME

It's late at night and Victor is very tired as he stares at his computer screen. He's apparently trying to make a chart of some data.

 > HCART
 No such command "HCART"

Victor sighs and removes his bifocals for a moment, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He mumbles "Connie, why did I ever agree to give you the evening off? Don't you know I'm not good at this typing thing?" He types again.

 > CHAT
 Newman Enterprises In-House Chat System.
 There is one other user connected.
 Your Name: DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?? I'M VICTOR NEWMAN!
 This is your first time with us DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?? 
        I'M VICTOR NEWMAN!
 Please type your password: I don't need no damned password.
 Please type your password again:  I still don't need no
        damned password.
 I'm sorry, it didn't match.  Try again.
 Your Name: VICTOR
 Please type your password: NO
 Please type your password again: NO
 Accepted.
 *

Victor mumbles, "Finally, a program that knows its place." He types again:

 * CHART

But nothing happens. "Damn!" he says. Before he can try something else, the screen types out again on its own.

 Dark_Lady: hello

Victor mumbles, "What's this? It's talking to me. Who the hell is Dark Lady?"

 Dark_Lady: are you there?

Victor types:

 * OF COURSE, I AM HERE.  WHERE ARE YOU?
 Dark_Lady: You're shouting.
 * WHY DO YOU SAY I'M SHOUTING?  MOST PEOPLE THINK
   I'M ALWAYS MUMBLING.
 Dark_Lady: Turn off "CAPS LOCK".
 * Is that better?
 Dark_Lady: Much.
 * Now, you can start by telling me who you are.
 Dark_Lady: I think I like the mystery.
 * So you're not going to tell me who you are?
   Do you know who I am?
 Dark_Lady: I assume you're Victor Newman.
            And you sound very stressed.
 * Well, I AM stressed.  I'm trying to
 Dark_Lady: to get a chart made.
 * That's right.  How did you know that?
 Dark_Lady: I sense things.  You need a massage.
 * I need that damned chart is what I need.
 Dark_Lady: You think so, but I understand you better.
            You need a massage.
 * Why do you think that?  Who are you?
 Dark_Lady: Don't feel bad, but I must go.
            Will I see you again?
 * Can you see me now?
 Dark_Lady: *giggle*  You're cute.
 * How can I find you again?
 Dark_Lady: I'll be here tomorrow night.
            Type "chat" like you did tonight.
 * And tonight?
 Dark_Lady: Tonight I must go.
            Use your imagination, hon.
 User "Dark_Lady" has quit.
 * Hello?
 There are no users here to hear you.
 Type "quit" to exit.
 * quit

Victor stares at the screen. "What in the hell was that?" He reaches up and rubs his shoulders. "She was right, though, I do need a massage..." He punches up Diane on the phone. "It's Victor. Can you come by my office tonight? I have something to discuss with you." "Oh, tonight's bad, Victor. I was just on my way out. Raincheck, ok?" Both hang up silently. Victor calls Jack. "Jack? I was working on some financial projections I need by tomorrow, but I'm unable to finish them tonight. I wonder if I could prevail on you, too--" "The Clarke deal?" "That's the one." "Yeah, I guess I can handle that--I was going to go in later to work on some things related to that anyway." "Thanks, Jack." Victor says and then hangs up. He looks at his clock. A moment later, the phone rings. It's Diane. "It looks like my plans for the evening have cancelled. I'm all yours," she says. Victor gets a broad grin and chuckles silently. "The Private Dining Room in a half hour?" Victor asks. Diane looks surprised but hides it. "Ok, Victor, I'll be there." Sensing the end of the conversation, both hang up without further ado. Victor is left staring at his screen, where the lingering image of his conversation still glows. "Dark Lady? Could it be you, Diane? Well, well, well. We shall see, I guess..."

[this thread will continue in a future AWO episode]

That's all for this episode. Hope you learned something. Don't miss Episode 49!
If you missed any older episodes, see the index.

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