Heart & Soul

Episode 31

Dangerous Liaisons

By Allan Craig

 

Carrie sat upright, the stiff back of the wooden chair keeping her back from slouching. Her hands, tired of trying to break free from the thick plumbing tape around her wrists, flopped motionless behind her back, as she breathed through the cloth gagging her, keeping her silent. Her tear stained eyes looked on at Nate, who stood with his back to her as he smoked a cigarette, letting the smoke fill the room. Carrie tried not to inhale the smoke for her baby’s sake, murmuring as she tried to get Nate’s attention in vain, as he peered out of the window, scanning the bleak landscape for any traces of movement.

 

The Abbot House: Alex’s Bedroom

 

Alex woke up in darkness, watching as the clock beside her bed reached 7 o clock. She rolled over to see Matt’s sleeping face, and her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. There was no way she could ever end things with him; after all, he was the man who had been kind, sweet, considerate and loving towards her for the past few years, during the lowest point in her life. She couldn’t end it with him, and she knew that.

 

"You sure did pick a great time to come back." Alex thought, "Your son’s a borderline alcoholic, your daughter’s totally boy mad and as for Wesley…"

 

Josh & Jessica’s

 

Josh’s eyes opened to see the living room ceiling of the apartment he shared with Jessica, surrounded by a feeling of unfamiliarity despite the fact it was his home. He moved the blanket that was draped over him and sat up on the sofa, still wearing the same clothes from yesterday, albeit a little more crushed. He could smell the brewing coffee as he looked over to see Jessica standing on the balcony. Josh got up and walked out onto the balcony, smiling awkwardly.

 

"I cant believe we stayed up all night talking," Josh leaned against the terrace, avoiding eye contact with Jessica. He didn’t know quite how to act around her.

 

"I know, I haven't done that since…forever," Jessica felt the tension and responded the best she could, trying her best to hide her nervous tone.

 

"I know I should have let you give me your side of the story about Will, and that technically you’d done nothing wrong," Josh tried to fix his hair, doing his best to eliminate his bed head, "I just overreacted, I just…sorry." Josh sighed

 

"Let’s just do our best to put it behind us and start again," Jessica edged closer to Josh, "Forget the past."

 

"Wait, Jess," Josh backed away, "I didn’t say I was ready to get back together."

 

"I’m sorry…I…I thought…" Jessica ran back into the apartment and right through to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

 

The Sterling Mansion; Foyer

 

Greg stood by the telephone waiting for Carrie to pick up her cellphone. Voicemail again. Greg hung up just as the doorbell rang. He walked over and pulled open the door to see a petite blonde girl standing on the porch, wrapped up in a large winter coat and scarf, with her silky blonde hair scraped back into a ponytail with just a small sweeping fringe adorning her doll like face. Her porcelain skin was clear enough to be that of a pre-teenage girl, but her dark, ripe eyes showed she was already in her twenties. She smiled cheerfully, an awkward silence already beginning.

 

"Hi, I’m Julie Moore, I’m meant to start working here today," she could see that Greg was not expecting her, and quickly referred to the sheet of paper in her pocket, "This is Hollow Pines, right?"

 

Greg looked confused, scrunching his forehead, "Uh, yeah, come in…" he stood aside and let Julie in before closing the door and approaching the foot of the stairs, "Kendall, the new maid’s here!…She’ll just be a second."

 

"Thanks," Julie looked around the foyer, admiring the high ceiling and the clean, elegant lines of the house, "This house is…amazing. Has it been in your family long?"

 

"My mom and dad had the place custom made after the original mansion burned town just after they got married, and then during the divorce my dad signed it over to my aunt so my mom couldn’t get it, and then my aunt died and now my cousins own it," Greg’s blunt nature puzzled Julie, "and this is one of them now. Kendall, this is Julie, the new maid."

 

"Yeah Greg I know, it was me who interviewed her," Kendall looked at Greg like he was one of the stupidest men on earth, "Hey Julie, let me show you around the place and then we can get you settled into the attic."

 

1142 Winchester Boulevard; Penthouse

 

Loretta DiCenzo stood in front of her bedroom mirror, getting ready to visit her mother when her cellphone rang. She picked it up to see ‘Nate’ appear on the caller ID. Her eyes lit up as she pushed the button to accept the call.

 

"Isn't this a little risky? Michael could be with you any minute…well, I suppose you’re right, god knows it wouldn’t be like him to slum it although I don’t know where he gets that from considering he grew up right around the corner from me when we were kids back in Brooklyn and that wasn’t exactly luxurious but then again my ma always said…" Loretta realized she was going off on a tangent and stopped herself before Nate could, "sorry. So are ya missing me?" Loretta picked up a diamond necklace Michael had bought her and put it around her neck, watching every single diamond sparkle as she moved. "I know, and as soon as we can get enough money together without him knowing we can leave the country, but it’s gonna take some time or Michael will figure out that somethin’s up and then we’re both up the creek without a paddle and I’m not ready to watch him kill you before he kicks me out on my ass without a penny to my name…yeah, I know…look I better go now, there’s a driver waiting to take me to my ma’s…of course I miss you but I gotta go now…okay, love you too."

 

Loretta ended the call and dropped the phone into her purse, checking her hair and makeup one last time before smoothing down her dress and picking up her jacket as she strolled out of the room.

 

The Abbot House: Front Porch

 

Alex stood gazing out onto the empty street, breathing in the fresh mid-morning air. She watched as Matt walked up the front path, a newspaper tucked under his arm, and smiled as he winked at her.

 

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" Matt kissed Alex on the cheek and rested one arm on her hip.

 

"I just needed some air." Alex sat down on the bench, followed quickly by Matt. Although she had decided to stay with Matt, she couldn’t get the thought of Wesley out of her head…what if she took that chance and followed her heart instead of her head…it could be amazing; or it could be miserable. Alex wasn’t letting herself forget the bad times she shared with Wes, but somehow it all seemed worth it because deep down in her heart, she knew Wesley was the man for her.

 

Somewhere in Oakridge

 

Carrie sipped some lukewarm tap water out of a mug, held by Nate, as tears ran down her face.

 

"Why are you doing this to me?" she cried, her voice heavily strained and extremely croaky from the crying.

 

"No talking." Nate sighed, he felt so sorry for this poor woman, but he knew he couldn’t do anything to help her, "I’m just doing my job and keeping you here until DiCenzo gets here."

 

"DiCenzo?"

 

"Don’t play dumb, Megan, you ripped him off big time," Nate couldn’t help but pity her, he knew fine and well what was to await her, "And nobody rips off Michael DiCenzo and gets away with it. He’s a very powerful and dangerous man."

 

"Megan? There…there must be s-some mistake," Carrie stuttered, overcome with nerves, "My name is Carrie."

 

"So you’re not Megan Sterling?" Nate had a sinking feeling, she looked just like the girl in the picture. She must be lying to him. Suddenly, the door swung wide open and Michael marched in.

 

"Nate, I’d like to thank you for you’re….who the fuck is this?" Michael frowned upon seeing Carrie."

 

"The girl in the photo," Nate insisted.

 

"Jesus! I put you in charge of a big job like this and you fuckin’ blow it? I knew I shoulda got someone else on this job, now I’m gonna have to kill this broad and then start all over again."

 

"Please, no!" Carrie cried.

 

"Shut it! And once I’ve killed her, do you know what I’m gonna do?…no?…I’ll tell you what I’m gonna fuckin do, I’m gonna kill you!"

 

"Why you gonna kill me, boss?" the colour drained from Nate’s face, his icy cool, confident exterior shattered.

 

"Well apart from the fact you screwed up royally, I know about you and Loretta."

 

Josh & Jessica’s

 

Josh perched on the arm of the sofa, flipping through the latest issue of People. However, not even the latest photos of Cameron Diaz on the beach could capture Josh’s attention as he waited for Jessica to emerge from the bathroom. He heard the clicking of the lock being undone as the door opened and Jessica walked out

 

"I thought you’d have left," Jessica smiled awkwardly, trying her best to wipe the remnants of her tears from her face.

 

"I just wanted to see if you were okay." Josh tossed the glossy magazine onto the coffee table, "I didn’t mean to give you the wrong idea, I’m not ready for us to get back together…not yet, anyway."

 

"So there’s still a chance for us?"

 

"Well yeah, Jessica I’m still in love with you…I just don’t know if I can go back to such a strong commitment when there’s a lack of trust…I need to get to know you all over again."

 

"Then that’s what we’ll do…" Jessica decided, "We’ll start all over again."

 

The Sterling Mansion; Conservatory

 

Greg sat on the edge of his seat, clutching his cellphone as Diane sauntered into the room and sat down next to him.

 

"I see Kendall’s hired a new maid," Diane ran a finger along the table checking for dust, but found none, "A little on the young side mind you."

 

Greg rolled his eyes, "Give it a rest, mom…don’t you ever get tired of picking faults with everyone?"

 

"Did I say anything?" Diana shrugged, "Greg, there’s something I need to ask you…your Uncle Joseph has asked me to move in with him…the mansion’s getting a little crowded these days what with Kendall and Leo moving in, and Joseph had a spare room so we thought it seemed like the best solution."

 

"Go for it, mom…" Greg stared at his cellphone again, "I mean I thought you’d at least wait until you divorced dad until you moved on but it’s your life…I need to make a call."

 

Greg got up and left the room as Julie walked in holding the vacuum.

 

"Oh sorry I didn’t realize anyone was in here, I’ll come back later," Julie smiled politely and turned to leave.

 

"No it’s okay, clean away," Diane sat back in the chair, "So, is this your first job as a maid?"

 

"Well I worked for a family in New York for three years," Julie adjusted the cushions on the sofa, "But they decided to move to Europe and I couldn’t go with them at the time because my grandmother was quite ill, so I took care of her until she passed away last year…"

 

"Sorry," Diane got up, "I’ll leave you to clean in peace, if you need any help with where some of the cleaning products are or anything, just give me a shout."

 

Diane got up and walked away as Julie returned to her cleaning.

 

Somewhere in Oakridge

 

Nate stood, motionless, as his heart sank to the pit of his stomach. His mind went into overtime trying to think how Michael could have found out…they had been so careful…trying to think of a way to explain…trying to think of a way to tell Michael he was wrong.

 

"Well?" Michael tapped his foot impatiently, "What do ya got to say for yourself?"

 

"I…I don’t know what you’re talking about, boss." Nate insisted.

 

"Don’t you dare lie to me Rutledge," Michael raised an eyebrow, his intense, dark eyes could strike fear into the hardest of hearts, "I know you’ve been sleeping with my wife…MY WIFE!…so don’t you even try and lie to me you piece of shit!"

 

Carrie’s heart began to beat faster…she wasn’t sure of what was going on but she knew it was bad. She tried to block out the confrontation and think of an escape, but her desire to be distracted was not being fulfilled; all she could concentrate on was the confrontation in front of her.

 

"Like I thought, you’d have nothing to say," Michael reached inside his pocket, "Well you leave me no choice." Michael pulled out a gun.

 

Carrie looked down at her hands as they went into overdrive, frantically trying to undo the knots keeping her wrists bound. She watched as Michael raised the gun, pointing it at Nate.

 

Joseph’s Penthouse; Lounge

 

Joseph handed a glass of champagne to Diane as they approached the balcony of the apartment. They watched as the sun set over the city of Oakridge, the glittering lights from endless buildings coming on in a quick procession as the sky turned red.

 

"To us," Joseph raised a glass, "To our new beginning, to our new home…and to our new business venture."

 

"Let’s not put all our eggs in one basket," Diane warned, rolling her eyes, "You haven't got Sterling Enterprises from Kendall just yet."

 

"It’s practically a done deal," Joseph chuckled, "Kendall trusts anything I tell her to. If I say that it’s just a routine paper, she’ll sign it, no questions asked."

"Then why haven't you got round to it yet?"

 

"My lawyer’s been busy with another case, but Madison assures me she’ll have the papers for me by the end of the week."

 

"Well then lets not go toasting our success until then…but to our new home…" Diane raised a glass.

 

The Abbot House: Lounge

 

Ashley slouched down on the sofa, clutching her cellphone in her hand as she watched her favourite soap opera, When Tomorrow Comes, as her favourite young couple, Justin and Molly, were pronounced husband and wife. She glanced away from the TV screen and checked the screen of her phone, hoping that there was a missed call or text message from Leo that she hadn’t noticed. Wishful thinking, but he hadn't been in touch for a week. Maybe something had happened to him…maybe he’d lost his phone…there was no way it could be just because he wasn’t interested.

 

Alex strolled into the lounge carrying two large mugs of hot chocolate and a plate of cookies. She sat down next to Ashley and handed her a cup.

 

"So what have I missed?" Alex was a closet soap junkie, always eager to find out what was happening without letting anyone know she was an addict. The only person who knew of her addiction was Ashley, it was one of the things they had bonded on upon her return to Oakridge.

 

"Well, Paulina told Roberto that she knew he killed Ryder, but then Roberto pulled a gun" Ashley enthused, "…and then Ginny tried to stop Justin and Molly getting married but Angelica threw her out of the church."

 

"Oh my god…" Alex took a bite of her cookie, "Hey, do you wanna go shopping after this? There’s a mega sale on at the Versace store…we could pick up a few bargains."

 

"That would be so great," Ashley glanced at her phone again, "But I might be doing something with Leo."

 

"Well why don’t we go, and if he calls I’ll drop you off wherever you’re meeting him?" Alex suggested, desperate to spend some time with her daughter and take her mind off of Leo, as well as taking her own mind off of her current situation.

 

"I better just stay in…sometimes I cant get a signal downtown," Ashley sipped her hot chocolate.

"Suit yourself." Alex jumped as she watched an explosion fill the TV screen, as the closing titles rolled, "Well I’m not missing out on the bargains…if I see anything nice for you I’ll just buy it."

 

"Thanks mommy," Ashley joked, slumping down on the couch as her mother got up.

 

Somewhere in Oakridge

 

Michael pointed the gun, aiming it perfectly at Nate. Nate’s heart began to race, getting faster and faster and faster until it almost burst through his chest. Sweat dripped down his forehead as Carrie watched on, helpless. She didn’t know him, and she didn’t particularly like him, but she didn’t want to see him die. All she could think about was how she wasn’t going to let her baby die…her face got redder and her eyes filled with rage, determined not to let Michael kill Nate. Suddenly, her maternal instinct kicked in and she broke the ropes binding her wrists together clean away, leaping forward and knocking the gun from Michael’s hand and watching it slide across the dirty floor. Michael began to dive for it, but Nate quickly pulled out his gun, not giving Michael enough time to retrieve it. Michael lunged at Nate, grabbing the gun as Nate clutched onto it with all his strength. The men fell to the floor and began to struggle for it.

 

Bang.

 

Carrie ducked as she heard the gunshot…she wanted to run away…she knew she had to run away…but her feet wouldn’t let her…not until she knew who had been hurt.

 

TO BE CONTINUED