EPISODE 58

“BATTLELINES”

Nikki Lassiter and Richie Stone walk into the living room of the Lassiter Estate.

“Richie, what do I have to do to convince you that you coming along during my meeting with James Greyhawk is a bad idea?” Nikki said, exasperated.

“This whole situation is already a bad idea, Nikki.” The teenage boy grumbled. “What were you thinking when you agreed to meet James on his families’ yacht?”

“It’s where James wanted to meet.” Nikki explained. “It’s one place where we could get together with no one seeing us. I don’t like it, but I had no choice…not if we want this plan to work. James has to believe that I'm working with him to prove that Nathan did kill Candice and that you and Nate are trying to frame James for the murder. I have to spend time with him if he and I are going to come up with a plan to stop the conspiracy against him.”

“Nikki, you're not telling me anything I don't know.” Richie shook his head. “But this is dangerous. What if James catches on to you?”

“He won't.” Nikki insisted. “I’ll be careful. The bigger risk is for you to try and be aboard that boat. If you get caught then the whole plan goes up in smoke.”

“I will not let you go into this without some sort of backup.” Richie insisted. “I’ll find a way to get on board.”

“How are you going to do that? How do you even know what the yacht looks like?"?”

“There was an article on the yacht earlier this year when the Greyhawks christened it. It’s called the Cassandra after James’ mother and it’s the biggest, gaudiest boat there.”

“And you don’t think the marina is going to be crawling with security?”

“Nikki, you can’t talk me out of this.” Richie insisted. “I’m going to protect you whether you want it or not.”

“I don't know if I should be flattered that you want to be there for me or insulted that you don't think I can take care of myself.” Nikki teased.

“I know you can handle yourself, but there's nothing wrong will having a safety net just in case.”

“I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?”

Richie’s green eyes were sharp with determination. “No. Sometimes I can be as stubborn as you. Not often, but sometimes.”

“I love you.” Nikki chuckled as the phone rang. She answered it. “Lassiter Estate.”

“Nikki.” The voice on the phone was instantly recognizable and sent her into a slight panic.

“James?” She asked, and Richie suddenly looked alert…and annoyed.

“Can we talk? Are you alone?” James asked.

Nikki looked up as Richie stared at her. “Yes, we’re alone. What is it? What do you want?”

* * * * * *

“I couldn't catch Michael.” Sabrina Collier walked into her office at Collier and Associates, where Lucas Greyhawk waited for her. “He must've ran out of here at the speed of light.”

“Mikey did run track in high school if I remember correctly.” Lucas’ blue eyes danced playfully.

"Lucas, this isn't funny!" The raven haired attorney snapped. "I just had my co-chair in a murder trial quit on me. I need him for this case."

"And I think you’re better off without him. He obviously didn’t have his heart in his case." Lucas pointed out. "He believes Nathan James killed Candice Dailey and he's having trouble defending the kid. Mikey always did have the moral streak a mile wide. Probably one of the reasons I find him so damned irritating."

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" Sabrina accused. "I can't afford to lose him, Lucas. I don't have the time to bring a new associate up to speed, everyone else is too busy to be pulled of their current cases. And besides myself, Michael has the most experience at murder cases in this office. I need him."

“It's not my fault he quit.” Lucas defended himself. “Mikey just can't set aside his personal feelings and focus on doing the job.”

“And you know it’s more than that. Michael has always had qualms about being part of this case and hiring you didn’t help matters given how he feels about you.” Sabrina said. “But I guess the final straw was this silly plan of your father’s to ruin the Lassiters, using his sister Patricia as a weapon. I guess Michael finally had all he could take.”

“Well if you ask me you’re better off without him.” The private detective said. “As for him being your co-chair, any associate in this office can file papers or get your coffee. And they can do it without the complaining.”

“Michael was much more than a glorified gofer.” Sabrina insisted. “It’s going to be tough without him. I don’t know, maybe I should’ve seen the conflict when I decided to hire you. Maybe that was a mistake.”

“I see.” Lucas nodded. “Are you telling me I’m fired? Am I about to get my walking papers?”

* * * * * *

“A.J., what do you mean things will never be the same?” Barton Lassiter asked as he, his nephew A.J. and his brother Steven stood in Steven’s office at Lassiter Pharmaceuticals. “Exactly what is going on? “

A.J. held up a newspaper. “This article about me in the Times was more than just that rags attempt to sell papers. A lot more.”

“Meaning?” Steven asked.

“Yes, A.J., spit it out.” Barton grumbled. “I know you have a flair for the dramatic, but I'm in no mood for it right now.”

“When I saw that article, I was outraged.” A.J. said. “I was furious. I couldn’t believe Patricia would write something like this. So I went to the Times offices to confront her.”

“And what did she say?” Barton asked. “Did she have any explanation for what she’s done?”

“Actually, she didn't know anything about it...she was as surprised as I was.” A.J. informed his uncles.

"And you don't think she may have been pretending?" Barton asked.

"I think I'm pretty good at reading people and Patty is not that good of a liar." A.J. said.

“Then who wrote it?” Barton questioned.

A.J. shrugged. “I’m not sure who wrote it, but it was engineered by Quentin Greyhawk.”

“Greyhawk!?” Barton was stunned. “Are you certain?”

“Oh yes.” The investigative reporter nodded. “He was there waiting for me when I arrived. And he took great pleasure in informing me that the article was designed to not only hurt me, but to serve as a warning to the rest of the family as to what is to come. Quentin Greyhawk is out to destroy this family -- again -- and he's got a dangerous new toy to use as a weapon.”

“But we haven't clashed with the Greyhawks in years.” Steven said. “I was hoping maybe that stuff in the past had finally been laid to rest.”

“Clearly it hasn’t.” Barton slammed his fist into his open palm. “And that’s what the Greyhawks were counting on. We let our guard down and they used to chance to hit us...and they hit us hard.”

“And I'm afraid this is only the start.” A.J. signed.

“Well, then.” Barton mused. “Looks like we're at war.”

* * * * * *

Standing in the living room of the Lassiter Estate, Nikki looked up nervously at her boyfriend Richie as she listened to James Greyhawk as he spoke to her on the phone.

“James, why are you calling?” Nikki asked. “What couldn't wait until we meet later?”

“I wanted to know what you are wearing this evening.” James sounded oddly buoyant and upbeat.

“Why?” Nikki asked suspiciously, starting to grow more uncomfortable about an evening she was already uneasy about.

“You'll know soon enough.” James promised. “So tell me, what are you wearing tonight?”

“Something simple, I guess.” Nikki shrugged. “Probably a pair of dress slacks and a blouse, maybe my pale blue one.”

“Great.” James said. “Thanks and I'll see you soon.”

“Bye.” Nikki hung up, noting the concerned look on Richie’s face matched her own.

“He called to ask what you were wearing? What for?” Richie demanded.

“He wouldn't say.” Nikki said

“Don’t you think that’s strange?” Richie wondered. “If I didn't know better, I'd swear he was planning for a date or something.”

“No, of course not.” Nikki shook her head as James passionately kissing her earlier today suddenly flashed through her mind.. “It can’t be. James and I don’t even like each other. And he knows I have a boyfriend.”

“Whatever he's up to, I guess we’ll find out together, won't we?” Richie asked.

“Yeah, I guess we will.” Nikki said, growing more and more uneasy about this impending evening.

* * * * * *

Steven Lassiter leaned against the desk in his office, resting his hands atop his considerable paunch. “War? Come on, let’s not overreact here.”

“I wouldn’t call declaring war an overreaction.” Barton sneered. “Shooting Quentin Greyhawk with a sawed off shotgun, now that’s an overreaction.”

Steven shook his head as A.J. couldn't help but smile. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to get involved in another battle with the Lassiters. Do we really want to put ourselves through all the grief? Haven’t we learned from the past that this war only leads to pain and destruction for everyone involved?”

“You’re right, Uncle Steven.” A.J. concurred. “The last thing I want is to start going at it with the Greyhawks again, but we don’t have a choice. Quentin Greyhawk has set out to ruin this family and he won’t stop until he’s destroyed each and every one of us. And we certainly can’t stand by and do nothing while that happens.”

“Exactly. We have to strike back, hard and fast.” Barton insisted with a little too much relish. “We can’t let them cause us anymore damage, especially with the stockholder’s meeting coming up.”

“Maybe we have to do something.” Steven agreed reluctantly. “But I don’t want to stoop to the level of the Greyhawks. Surely we can go through legal channels, sue them for that article. You said it’s full of inaccuracies and half truths, A.J.. That has to be libelous.”

“Yes.” The dark haired reporter nodded. “It is libelous, but suing isn’t an option.”

“Why not, if you have a case?” Steven asked.

“Because I need Patricia’s corroboration.” A.J. replied. “And she’s not giving it.”

“I thought you said she wasn’t in on it with the Greyhawks?” Barton said.

“She didn’t write the article, no. But she is sticking with the Greyhawks from this point forward.” A.J. said. “Quentin damn near promised her a Pulitzer if she stayed on his side.”

“So that girl is turning against this family after all we’ve done for her!?” Barton spat. “She grew up in our home. We treated her... all the Tamakai's extremely well. But none of that means anything?”

“She’s selling her soul for fame and fortune.” A.J. said. “Surely you can relate, Uncle Bart.”

“Cheap shot, A.J.” Barton retorted.

“Well, the truth isn’t always expensive, is it?” A.J. snarked.

“Let’s not attack each other.” Steven said. “It’s exactly what Greyhawk would want. A.J., you couldn’t talk some sense into Patricia, make her see the huge mistake she was making?”

“I tried but she wasn’t listening.” A.J. shrugged. “All she could hear was Quentin’s sweet nothings about being tops on the field. The fact that he is only using her to hurt people who thought of her as family mattered little to her.”

Steven gave A.J.’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. “A.J., I’m sorry. I know you and Patricia were close friends at one time. That must’ve hurt.”

“She was like the annoying little sister I never had.” A.J. mused. “So yeah it does hurt a little.”

“You never did know how to handle the women in your life.” Barton snapped. “Look, I don’t give a damn about your relationship with that traitor or how she hurt your feelings. She’s sided with the Greyhawks so she’ll go down with them when all is said and done.”

“And what do you propose we do?” A.J. asked. “I suppose you have an idea?”

“Well, I know where to start.” Barton said.

“And where would that be?” A.J. wondered.

“With you, A.J.” Barton replied mysteriously. “With you.”

* * * * * *

Sabrina Collier shook her head, sitting behind her desk in her office at Collier and Associates as she looked up at Lucas Greyhawk. “No, Lucas, I’m not going to fire you. I need you.”

Lucas grinned. “Now that’s what a guy likes to hear. But what about Mikey?”

“I’ll take care of Michael.” Sabrina said. “I’m sure once he has had some time to cool off and I’ve had a chance to talk to him, he’ll realize what a big mistake he’s made and come back.”

“Maybe.” Lucas crossed his muscular arms, sitting on the edge of Sabrina’s desk. “He always was a bit of a hothead.”

“But when I do get him back.” Sabrina said with a warning finger. “You have got to do your part to end this bickering between the two of you. We’ve got a lot of work to do and this fighting is the last thing any of us need.”

“As fun as it is going toe to toe with Mikey, I’ll cut him some slack. But are you sure you can get him back? The guy is stubborn.”

“Like I said, I’ll handle Michael. You worry about the case. Speaking of which, have you made any progress? Have you found any evidence that might poke holes in the prosecutions case?”

Lucas hesitated. “I’ve got some irons in the fire. I should have something in the day or so.”

“Let’s hope so.” Sabrina said. “We need to come up with something. The only good thing about what happened today is that we have a little more time to mount a defense."

"What do you mean what happened today?"

“I guess you haven't heard. Right before Nathan was about to leave the hospital and go back to jail, he had a heart attack.”

Lucas’ eyes widened in surprise. “What? That’s a hell of away to avoid jail.”

She leaned back in her office chair. “Somehow I don’t think that was his motivation.”

“But he’s just a kid. Unless there was some history in his family, it’s it strange for him to have heart problems?”

“Yes.” Sabrina nodded. “And according to the doctors, there is no history of heart disease in Nathan’s family.”

“Could they have missed something?”

Sabrina shrugged. “Maybe. But there’s an angle I need you to look at.”

“What would that be?”

“I think someone might be trying to kill.our client. I need you to find out who.”

* * * * * *

Richie Stone looked at his watch. “What time are you meeting James?”

“In a couple hours.” Nikki said, sitting next to her boyfriend on the sofa in the living room of the Lassiter Estate. “Why?”

Richie got to his feet. “I’d like to stop by Uncle Alec’s grave and pay my respects, but first I need to get some flowers.”

“Oh, of course.” Nikki said. “Would you like me to come with you?”

“No.” Richie shook his head, wiping unruly locks of his shoulder-length hair out of his eyes. “I’d rather do it alone. You understand, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"I feel so bad about missing the memorial service this morning. But between Dad throwing a stink about me going and everything else… I just missed it. I should’ve been there though. I should’ve given Uncle Kevin the support he needed.”

“I’m sure Kevin understood.”

“I hope so.” Richie said. “I’m going to look for him later, see how he’s doing.”

“I think he’d like that.” Nikki smiled.

“Yeah.” Richie nodded. “Well I’m gonna…. Oh, one last thing about Greyhawk….”

Nikki groaned. “And here I thought we’d go five minutes without talking about him. We’re both going to be spending the evening with him.”

“Believe me, there’s nothing more than I’d like to pretend this guy doesn’t exist. But this is kind of strange.” Richie said. “I saw Greyhawk at the hospital today.”

“Really?” Nikki was puzzled. “When?”

“Right after Nate had his heart attack.”

“Why was he there?”

Richie shrugged. “I don’t know. I never found out. He was leaving when I spotted him.”

“Maybe he was visiting a friend… or having a check up.” Nikki suggested.

“In the middle of the day when he should be at school?” Richie countered.

“You have a point.” Nikki agreed. “But I’m sure there’s a logical reason. I mean, you were there too in the middle of the day when you should be in school, right?”

“Right.” Richie nodded. “Probably not a big deal. I just think it’s a good idea to always question what this guy does.”

* * * * * *

Barton gets the blame for the latest salvo in the Lassiter/Greyhawk war. Barton will suggest A.J. use the paper and A.J. will refuse.

Richie seems James at the flower shop making plans for his date with Nikki. A confrontation ensues.

Sabrina discussed the details of her notion that someone is trying to kill Nate.