Episode 69, originally published 20-Oct-97

Come and Get It

Michael Baldwin arrives at his office to find Kevin Andrews, Phyllis Romalotti, and a few extras (presumably other lawyers and administrators). There are balloons all around. A banner sign says "Congratulations Kevin and Michael." "Kevin!" Michael says, surprised. "You're up and around!" "Thanks, Michael! Thank you for taking over in my absence." Michael sees the sign. "What's this? Congratulations to me?" Kevin hushes everyone and says, "Michael," I got this letter today." He reads:

  Dear Mr. Andrews,
  
  It is with great pleasure that I announce to you the State Bar's 
  decision to reinstate Michael Baldwin as a lawyer with all privileges
  and honor.  
			Sincerely,
		        Judge Ittolamor Sillyhp
			State Bar

"Wow, I never expected...." Michael says. Phyllis holds out a glass of champagne to him. "Drink up, COUNSELLOR!" she says.

Alice Johnson, dressed in a black rescue jacket, rings the door at Katherine Chancellor Sterling's. Esther answers the door. "Can I help you?" Alice looks her up and down, obviously noticing the maid's uniform. "Nice outfit. I hope I didn't take you away from something kinky with the man of the house." Esther looks at her outfit. "Oh, no, there is no man of the house. And Mrs. S--she always has me wear this when I'm working." Alice rolls her eyes and says. "Never mind. Look, I'm looking for this girl--my daughter Cassie Johnson--ya seen her?" Esther thinks for a moment. "No, I don't think I've seen her..." Alice sighs and starts to walk away. Esther calls after her, "Yoo hoo... Hello... I didn't mean to be so negative. I do know where she might be." Alice looks warily back at Esther, who says, "I hear there's a young girl, Cassie, who visits the Newman Ranch sometimes." Alice looks interested. "The Newman Ranch?" Esther nods and says. "VICTOR Newman? You know, the multi-billionaire? He practically owns this town." "And Cassie lives there?" "Well, I don't think so, actually. But I hear she visits." "Can you give me directions?" Esther nods. "Just a minute. I'll get you a map." She ducks out of sight.

It's late afternoon. Cricket bursts into Paul's office. "I can't believe it! Do you know what he's done now? Somehow he's gotten someone to get him reinstated." "What are you talking about?" Paul asks. She hands him a copy of the same letter that Kevin got. Paul chuckles. "Hey, that's funny." "What's that?" she asks. "This judge's name is Phyllis Romalotti spelled backward." "Paul! That's it. There is no Judge named Sillyhp. This is all a lie."

Alice knocks on the door of the Newman Ranch and Miguel answers. "Have you seen my daughter Cassie?" Miguel nods. "Of course," says Miguel. "She's at Sharon's house around back. I'll be happy to show you down there." As he leads her through the house and down the path, he says, "I had been wondering if you would come around. Grace had said you were having some problems and had been forced to give up the child for a while. I trust things are better now?" Alice nods. "Yeah, sure. Much better. Hey, you got a smoke?" "I'm sorry. I'm afraid the ranch is a non-smoking area. Can I offer you some gum?" Alice looks at him in disbelief. "You're serious, aren't you?" "Yes, ma'am." They arrive at the house. "Sharon!" Miguel calls inside. No answer. "Hmm," says Miguel. "Perhaps they've gone out riding. Could I offer you a--" The phone rings and Miguel answers it. "Newman residence. Miguel speaking... yes, Mrs. Landers. Right away." He hangs up the phone and peeks into the nursery, then turns to Alice. "Noah is still here so she can't have gone far. I have to return to the main house. You can wait here. I'm sure Sharon and Cassie will be right back." She smiles, grateful to be unescorted. "Yeah. Sure."

A short while later, Christine is in the chambers of Judge Miller. "I'm sorry, Ms. Williams. This letter looks perfectly authentic to me. And it matches our internal computer records." Chris is going ballistic. "But your honor, don't you see--Phyllis Romalotti is a computer whiz. And that's her name backward on the letter." "Why would Judge Sillyhp sign Phyllis's name, frontward or backward? Also, Judge Sillyhp is obviously Indian, and Ms. Romalotti is obviously Italian." "There ISN'T any Judge Sillyhp," Chris says. "Can't you see it's Phyllis Romalotti, spelling her name backwards?" she whines. Judge Miller looks at her skeptically. "That could just be coincidence," she says. She picks up the phone and calls 411. "Information? The number for a Judge Ittolamor Sillyhp... you have one? Ok." She jots down the number on a pad.

Trisha is home with Megan in the living room. "Trish, you have to pull yourself out of this," says Megan. "I just can't help it, sis. I'm so worried for Ryan. He's locked up in prison without a lawyer..." The doorbell rings and Megan gets up to answer it. It's John Silva. "Hello? Can I help you?" Megan asks. "I'm John Silva. Jill's lawyer." "Oh, please come in," says Megan. "My sister and I were just discussing--" She turns to Trisha who has pulled out a gun. Megan's eyes widen. "What ARE you doing, Trisha? Have you completely lost it?" "I just can't take it any more," Trisha says. John Silva rushes to stop her as Meg goes to the phone and dials 911. There is a struggle and a shot. "Come quickly, someone's been shot!" Megan tells the 911 operator.

At Phyllis's house, the phone rings, but it's not the usual ring. Michael and Phyllis are entwined in each others' arms on the couch. Michael sits up. "Don't you have to answer that?" he asks. She shakes her head. "Nope. It's all--well, you'll see." She opens the wall to reveal her computer setup and presses a button on one of the modems. "Judge Sillyhp's office," answers a woman's voice apparently controlled by the computers. Michael says, "That sounds like Joani's voice." Phyllis giggles. "It was all I had to work with at the time I programmed it up. It's just a simple voice recognition system coupled with a rule-driven pattern matcher and autoresponse system," she whispers proudly. The voice from the machine goes on, "He's not in right now. I'll leave him the message, but I can tell you he's not going to be too happy about having his decisions challenged this way... I typed the letter you're referring to. I'm sure it's legit... Ok, thank you." Michael stares at Phyllis. "It was you? You got my record cleared and got me reinstated? Phyllis giggles. "It was the least I could do..."

Detective Bates and Wiley arrive at the Dennison household to find Trisha has been short. John Silva is cradling her head in his arms. A medical team arrives shortly thereafter and slowly, clumsily removes her to a waiting ambulance. Wiley and Bates bag the gun and ask John if he's touched it. "Of course I touched it. I was trying to wrestle it free from Ms. Dennison here as she tried to kill herself." Wiley looks to Bates and whispers, "Sounds like he's just trying to explain off the likely presence of prints to me. Bates nods. "Hey, wasn't she the woman who was going to testify against Ryan in the Webster trial--and aren't you his lawyer?" Detective Bates asks. "I decline to answer until I'm represented by a lawyer." John says. "Sounds guilty to me," Bates says. Wiley nods, and then says, "John Silva, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of Trisha Dennison."

Nicholas, Sharon, and Cassie are on a picnic blanket behind their house. "It's time I should get you home, Cassie," Sharon says. She turns to Nick. "Honey, can you check on Noah?" He nods. "Sure." She looks around at the mess they've made and says, "And these dishes--" Nick frowns and says, "I dunno. I'm pretty tired. I was all set for a nap." Sharon glares at him. "Ok, ok.... I'll take care of it. You're right anyway--it IS my turn to call Miguel..." Sharon kisses him and takes Cassie by the hand and they head off to the car. Nick wanders back into the house and picks up the phone. "Hey there, Miguel. It's Nick. We made a big mess in the back yard with a picnic and--would you? ... No problem--whenever you can get to it.... Thanks, Miguel. You're the best." He yawns--exhausted from his cleaning chore--and lays down on the couch.

Back in the Judge Miller's chambers, the judge hangs up the phone. "Well?" Christine asks. "Well, it appears you've been wasting my time. Everything is in order. Good day, Counsellor," Judge Miller tells her. "But--" Chris protests. "Something I forgot? Perhaps you want I should call Judge Sillyhp back and ask if YOU could be disbarred?" Chris sighs. "No, knowing Phyllis, she'd probably do it... Thanks for nothing, Judge." The judge looks up at Christine as she starts to leave. "Please make sure the door is tightly closed? We're having a problem with crickets. They seem to hop in here and chirp incessantly until we have to beat them with a broom." Chris lets out one more loud sigh and slams the door behind her.

It's early evening. Nick wakes because he hears some noise on the baby monitor so he goes to check on Noah. "Hey, hey," he whispers. "Everything ok?" The baby starts cooing and goes back to sleep. Just then he sees a leg sticking out of the nearby bed and blonde hair on the pillow. "Sharon?" he asks. No answer. "Of course it's Sharon," he says. "No, wait, I'm NOT going to fall for that one again," he says. He goes to the phone and dials. "Grace? Hi, it's Nicholas Newman... oh, no special reason. Just curious what you were up to... She did? Just a little while ago? Well, I'm glad Cassie got home safely. Thanks, Grace. I gotta go." He hangs up and goes back to the nursery, doffing his clothes and switching off the lights. "Sharon?" he whispers. Alice gropes him a bit and finally replies in a whisper, "Sharin'? Hmm? Uh, yeah, sure..."

It's a little while later. Nicholas is in the dark. (No, I mean the lights are out. In the room.) He whispers, "Why'd you come sleep in here anyway?" She says, "Just looking for my daughter Cassie." Nicholas is shocked. "Cassie? She's your long lost daughter?" "Uh,huh..." "Oh my God, I never imagined. I... I... have to go and think. I'm sorry." He races out of the house, not realizing he is wearing nothing. He runs back into the house, where Sharon has just come down the stairs. "Sharon, I--forgot my pants." "I can see that, Nicholas. Is everything ok? You look... upset." "Upset? I just learned Cassie is your long lost daughter. Of course I'm upset." "Cassie is my long lost daughter?" "Yes, of course she is. You just told me." "Nicholas, I didn't just tell you any such thing." "He's right, you know," says a voice from behind her. "I did." Sharon and Nick turn to see Alice at the door of Noah's room. Sharon says, "You told Nick Cassie was my long lost daughter?" "No, I told him Cassie is MY long lost daughter." "Nicholas, you were talking to this woman without any clothes on?" Nicholas blushes. "Well, we weren't doing that much talking." "Nicholas!" "Quite a house, you have here," says Alice. "Very homey. I haven't received such a warm welcome in a loooong time." Sharon looks at Nick, "Nicholas! Tell me you didn't sleep with this woman." Nick looks very frustrated. "Honey, I--look, nobody's perfect, ok? At least this time I checked to make sure it wasn't Grace..."

At the hospital, Meg comes in to see Trisha. "Hi, Megan," Trisha says weakly. "Hi, Sis," she replies. "You had us really worried." "I was doing it for Ryan," she says. "Doing what? You almost killed yourself." "No, John Silva-- did they arrest him?" "Of course they did--Trisha, they think he was trying to kill you. You have to tell them he wasn't." "Where is he now?" "In jail with Ryan!" Trisha smiles and breathes a sigh of relief. "I feel so much better now." "Huh? Trisha, you're not making any sense." "Of course I am, Meg. Don't you remember I said I was so worried for him because he was locked up in prison without a lawyer? Well, now he's locked up in prison WITH a lawyer, so I can rest easy..."

That's all for this episode. Hope you learned something. Don't miss Episode 70!
If you missed any older episodes, see the index.

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