In the second part of this saga after 'No Rhyme Or Reason', a week has passed since Roger made the unwise to decision, not to have Dr. Weston return Holly back to her real self. She is still Hayley Keyes, the murderous, tempestuous side-kick and mistress to James Stenbeck.
Or make that 'former' mistress.
For now Hayley is very much a part of Roger's life, while still posing as Holly Reade. Roger is more in love than ever, but knows he is living on borrowed time, until either Weston betrays him and returns to restore Holly to her real persona, where in which there is every chance that she will realize that she has been carrying on an affair with Roger...
But there are other concerns, of course.
Phillip was unsuccessful in trying to buy Roger out of Spaulding and the FAA has officially cleared him of any wrong doing, in the Spaulding plane crash that killed Alan and Amanda Spaulding. It is the morning of the funeral, which Roger decided to let Alex handle, much to her relief.
And what of Alexandra Spaulding-Stenbeck? She has asked the help of old family lawyers, who are quietly helping her look into James's claims that he is indeed her brother. And unfortunately, someone else Alex would rather not see, has come to Springfield for the funeral: another one of James's ex-wives, Lucinda Walsh, who is also a 'frenemy' of hers.
Poor Fletcher has been temporarily blinded, ever since Holly/Hayley, flung bleach at him in a snit. Ross is representing him with the criminal charges 'Holly' pressed against him in the incident.
Then there is James Stenbeck, who is very unhappy. He has failed to get Roger out of his hair with regards to Spaulding, and he is very aware of how much influence he's wielding over his 'creation'. He can't find Dr. Weston anywhere so that he can order him to turn Hayley back into Holly, and worse yet, Alan-Michael AND blind Fletcher are staying in the mansion!
But our tale starts with the morning of the Spaulding funeral...
James scowled as he read the headline, 'Thorpe Cleared Of Any Wrong Doing in Spaulding Crash'.
The article went on to stress that funeral services for Alan and Amanda Spaulding would be held today and that it was a private affair. But James could've cared less. Today he planned to get rid of another Spaulding. At first he thought about Nick, being that he was Alex's son and annoying. But ever since that little whipper snapper, Alan-Michael had moved in here, James's had shifted from Nick, to him, as being the next to die.
Alan-Michael appeared in the dining room, said good morning to Vera, then sat across from James, helping himself to various foods. James slowly set down the paper and sighed.
"Good morning, Alan-Michael. This is a sad day, isn't it?"
"You're still married to my aunt, so yes." Alan-Michael replied blithely, while munching on some toast.
James smiled tolerantly.
"Alan-Michael, today is a day of our family coming together."
Alan-Michael wiped his hands on a napkin.
"Oh I agree. My family should come together on this sad day. My father and sister were murdered. But YOU are not family."
James rolled his tongue around in his mouth before responding to that.
"I'm really trying here."
"I know. Trying to kill us all off. I'm watching you. No one believes Aunt Alex fell in a 'shower', okay? Plus you're apparently sleeping with Holly Reade."
"Oh, so you believed that slander?"
Alan-Michael gave him a 'get the fuck out of here' look.
"Fletcher is living here now. He's not at home with his wife."
"Mr. Reade CAN'T go back home. There is a restraining order against him. He raised his hand to his wife. Threatened, Holly defended herself."
"Yes well I don't believe Fletcher laid a hand on Holly. Plus it looks as if she's shacked back up with Thorpe. That doesn't make you a bit jealous, James?" Alan-Michael asked slyly.
"Holly was never in this house, Alan-Michael. Your aunt's fall played with her head. Alex realized that and didn't embarrass herself, or this family, by officially telling that tale to the police. And...I am the one that should be hurt here."
"Excuse me?" Alan-Michael asked in disbelief.
"Clearly your aunt, my wife, has decided to privately give into her delusions that I was carrying on with Holly. That is why Fletcher Reade is in this house. It is a ploy to hurt me."
The sound of tapping could be heard. Alan-Michael sighed.
"Thank God! If someone else had not come in here to have breakfast, I was going to take my plate and leave." Alan-Michael said to James in an off-hand manner. James scowled slightly, now determined to make Alan-Michael the next Spaulding to die. He looked over at the dining-room entrance and saw Alex walk in, one arm linked with Fletcher's. He wore dark sunglasses and was tapping his cane wildly.
"I've got it, Alex!" Fletcher griped. Alex was about to say something, when James burst out laughing! He couldn't help it! The point of the damned cane was to serve as a guide to a blind person. But this fool here had a cane, which he clearly didn't know how to use properly AND someone helping him. For his sake and the priceless furniture that could be threatened, James hoped Reade got his eyesight back soon!
"Who the hell is that laughing?!" Fletcher snapped. "Alex, is that your criminal husband?"
"Yes," Alex drawled out, giving James a dirty look, "present and not in prison someplace."
Alan-Michael smirked but James's facial expression was non-expressive for a few moments, before he spoke.
"Alex? May I speak with you-in private?"
"Let me make sure that Fletcher is settled in his chair."
"Alan-Michael can do that." James said curtly.
"I want to see to it, 'darling'." Alex replied.
"Oh...well...then I guess I'll just tell a story while you get your former lover 'settled' in a chair a blind goat could find. And it's about how I want my 'sister' to come for a visit."
Alan-Michael frowned. What the hell was James talking about? Alex slowly let go of Fletcher, who could feel her stress. It was true about losing one of the senses and the others becoming stronger. He could feel that something about what James had just said, troubled Alex. He didn't have to look at her.
"Alex," Fletcher began, "it's alright. See to the criminal."
Alan-Michael got up and helped Fletcher into a chair, as Alex, jaw clenched, followed James out of the dining room. Alan Michael stared after them, then sat back down.
"What the hell was that? James has a sister?"
Fletcher nodded.
"Yes. Ariel Aldrin. She was next on my list to talk to for the Stenbeck biography, when all hell broke loose here. I didn't think they were on good terms though." Fletcher noted.
Meanwhile, Alexandra could not believe what James was saying to her.
"No," Alex said coldly, "absolutely not."
"I want you back in our room. I can assure you, there will be no sexual overtures on my part. But we do have our roles to play, darling."
"I'm not sleeping in the same room with you," Alex told him point blank, "I would hate to awaken and find you taking advantage of me."
"Unless you can make yourself look like Barbara, that won't be happening." James assured her. "Now, I have some errands to run...oh...I want Fletcher Reade out of this house after the funeral. He does not belong here."
Alex said nothing to that and watched James's back as he walked off. She was still thinking about that remark he had made about Barbara. Barbara...but not Holly? And with the way she had been acting these days, Alex was now 150% sure that something had been going on between James and Holly. But the rumors swirling about were that Holly had essentially shacked up with Roger-again.
Vera approached her.
"I hate to tell you this, peanut, but you have a visitor."
"Uh oh. I don't like the way you said that. Who is it?" Alex asked.
"Mary Ellen Walters." Vera said, folding her arms. Alex just shook her head. Mary Ellen Walters was the born name of World Wide mogul, Lucinda Walsh. Her and Alex went way back and not in a good way. Vera remembered the whore as well.
"I'll deal with her." Alex said, nodding to Vera as she walked past her and found Lucinda standing in the foyer.
"Lucinda. The services are at two." Alex said matter-of-factly.
"Why darling, is that all you have to say to me? I came here to offer support."
"Why? I didn't realize you knew Alan and Amanda that well. I do remember you having sex with my father, on a couch in the study, while my mother lay dying upstairs. Now, as I told you before, the services are at two." Alex said and turned to walk away. But Luncinda's voice stopped her.
"I'm here about James. I just saw the bastard leave. You know I came out of concern for you. I think we all know you didn't fall in a shower. You're lucky to be alive."
Alex slowly turned back to stare at her former friend.
"But I am alive. Is that all?"
Lucinda walked up to her.
"I just wanted to let you know, that I know what it means to be a 'Stenbeck Wife'. It means enduring at least one murder attempt from him. Look, I'm here because the Springfield Times is part of World Wide. Holly Reade's paper doesn't seem to care about getting to the heart of what's going on in this town and with your family."
Alex peered at her. She wasn't hearing concern.
She was hearing a threat.
"What's going on with my family? What's going on is that my brother and niece have been killed. Probably by Roger Thorpe. So print that."
"Now darling. We all know Roger Thorpe was cleared of those charges. I even heard he plans to speak at the services today. What I plan to print, is how James Stenbeck wants the Spaulding dynasty all to himself. I just don't quite see HOW he plans to do it, even if he kills all of you off. You're a smart woman, Alex. Surely you made it impossible for James to inherit the company, didn't you?"
"The services are at two 'Mary Ellen'. And I think you're forgetting yourself. I have a story I could tell as well. To the tabloids. Now you have a nice day." Alex said coldly, then watched as Lucinda smiled just as coldly back at her, turned and walked out of the front door. Alex shook her head as the door closed. Hopefully, that bitch had gotten the hint that mud slinging could be a two way street.
Holly/Hayley, parked her car next to Roger's in the undercar garage to his apartment building, got out and began whistling as she headed for the elevators.
"Hayley!"
Holly/Hayley stopped abruptly and looked around. James was behind a concrete pillar. He moved from behind it, looking around. When he reached her, he flung something at her, that dropped to the ground.
"Holly's mail. Apparently no one has picked it up in a week." James said coolly, appraising her. The woman was actually wearing an eyepatch and a trenchcoat that made her look...well...sexy.
Holly/Hayley bent down, picked up the mail that James had been so nice to rubber band together, then tucked it away in one of her trenchcoat pockets.
"Thanks, precious. Now if you don't mind..."
"You have someplace to be? Like Thorpe's bed?" James asked wryly. "Have you seen Dr. Weston, per chance?"
"No. Why do you ask?" Holly/Hayley asked innocently.
"Because I have never not been able to get in touch with him. Until now. Until you took up with Thorpe, which is very 'Un-Holly' like! The real Holly would be by her blind husband's side. Then again, the real Holly wouldn't have blinded her own husband!"
James abruptly stopped yelling, since his voice was beginning to carry. Holly/Hayley looked around as well, before answering him.
"What is the matter with you? You can't see that I'm doing ALL of this for you?"
"Really?" James asked sarcastically.
"Yes, really! I told you Roger has a CIA file as big as a giant's fist in his apartment. There's a lot of things in there that could put you away for a long time. I'm just protecting you."
"There are things that BOTH of us did, darling." James reminded her. But Holly/Hayley grinned.
"Yeah, see, there's a problem with that. I've actually read the file. They can't seem to identify me. They just know a red-headed woman, may have been seen with you on a few occasions, but other than that, it's ALL you. Now if you don't mind, I have to get going. Roger was a little nervous the other day about the speech he was going to give at Amanda's funeral."
James's eyes grew huge!
"He's actually going to speak?! That's nervy."
"Yes, isn't it? Though the poor guy was having trouble coming up with anything. I snuck a look at the notepad he was writing on. It said Amanda was a human being with curly hair." Holly/Hayley said, shaking her head.
"That's all he has written down?! I could come up with more than that to say about Alex!" James noted.
"I'm sure you could, lover. Anyway, I have to get going."
"Tell me, dear, are you wearing any clothing under that trenchcoat?"
"Not a stitch." Holly/Hayley said, blowing him a kiss before walking towards the elevators. James watched as she got on one and proceeded to pull out the mail packet James had given her.
Once the doors closed, James scowled! He knew 'Hayley' better than she knew herself(obviously!). She was enjoying sex with Thorpe and he doubted very much she was thinking about himself or anyone else when she was doing the deed!
Then again, he could be wrong. But maybe it was time to make Hayley prove her loyalty to him. With that thought in mind, James turned to head back to his own car. He had a funeral to attend and a murder to commit.
Holly/Hayley stepped out of the elevator and headed towards Roger's apartment door. There was something in the back of her head, that told her she should stop and turn around. Something that told her that there was something different about this 'assignment', than any of the others she had ever done for James.
Yes, they had both pretended to like or even care for other people, while in the midst of cheating them or even eventually, murdering them. Holly/Hayley smiled as she remembered one man in particular. Holly/Hayley had cozied up to him only because James said he was dying, and that they would soon have his fortune. So she hadn't had to do anything sexual with him, because of his unfortunate medical condition.
But this man had had a girlfriend or some woman, who began yelling at James, as soon as she saw them both. The man had been about to leave in a hot air balloon, Holly/Hayley could not remember why exactly, but James let it get into the air, before firing a shot at it.
Holly/Hayley didn't stick around to see if it crashed, because she chased the screaming woman into a house, wrestled with her on the second floor, then kicked her down the stairs! Holly/Hayley had wanted to make sure the woman was dead, but for some reason, James wanted it left alone.
Holly/Hayley saw nothing in Roger's file about that incident, so she had to assume the woman died and everyone assumed she fell down the stairs. The man probably died in his hot air balloon crash.
Holly/Hayley was now in front of Roger's door. She closed her eyes. She had been in a ten year coma and James hadn't touched her once. Roger looked at her with longing, not lust. But longing. And she knew he was seeing Holly Lindsey but she let it go. It was nice to be looked at like that.
Before Holly/Hayley could knock on the door, it opened and Roger pulled her in and into his arms, slamming the front door behind her! He began kissing her like a man half starved and it only took seconds for Holly/Hayley to forget her earlier thoughts and give in. Roger was wearing nothing but a silk robe, and while kissing her, he pulled her back towards the couch, sat down and unbelted the robe...
Hayley stood before him, took off her trenchcoat and melted within his wanton gaze. Roger reached forward, clasping her waist and lowered down onto his shaft.
Holly clung to his shoulders as she was only seated on his manhood partway, then began to rise and fall repeatedly at a leisurely pace. Roger moaned and cupped Holly's buttocks as she continued moving up and down. Holly/Hayley soon sped up her pace a little and her breasts began to jiggle slightly, catching the attention of Roger's mouth, as he managed to capture one of them between his lips.
It was as Roger's mouth closed around one of her nipples, that Holly/Hayley sank down completely on his manhood, taking all of him in!
The lovers cried out in unison and Roger removed his mouth from her breast to kiss her, and Holly/Hayley answered his demanding lips hungrily. She couldn't wait to reach the height of fulfillment with this man...
A loud pounding on the door, rudely interrupted their lovemaking! Holly/Hayley moaned in despair! Who the hell was it?
"Roger, I know you're in there! It's Barbara Ryan!"
"In the bedroom." Roger rasped against Holly/Hayley's lips. "I'll be in as soon as I get rid of her!"
Holly/Hayley nodded and they both had to wait a few moments, before they could disentangle themselves. Roger handed Holly/Hayley her trenchcoat, then grabbed her face to pull her to him for a hard, forceful kiss, before letting her go. His hand was on the small of her back, as he moved her towards the small staircase that lead to his bed.
It had been their bed for a week now.
Roger waited until he heard the door close, then tied his own belt robe securely, before opening the door to an angry looking Barbara.
"Barbara? What a nice surprise. As you can see, I'm getting ready for my wife's funeral..."
"I bet. This won't take long," Barbara said, barging in, "I just want to know why Jack Snyder suddenly thinks I might know more about the time James was on the run."
Roger slowly closed his apartment door.
"I don't know what you mean. Would you like a drink?"
"No. What I would like is an answer. See it's common knowledge that you're working with the federal authorities in trying to catch James. Suddenly, Jack Snyder calls me, wanting to meet with me-today. When I asked him what it was in regards to, he said he's been given information, that lead him to believe that I might 'unwittingly' know something about the years James was on the run, doing God knows what!"
"Well, it doesn't sound as if Agent Snyder thinks you're deliberately hiding anything. Again, why are you here?"
"Agent Snyder never had any questions for me, with regards to James's faked death before! The first time I found out he was alive, was when I awoke to find him breathing in my face! But ever since you returned here and word has gotten around that you're working with the authorities, suddenly my name is being brought into this!"
Roger set down his drink and focused on her.
"I told Jack Snyder," he began, "that I thought it was odd that you would try and attack Holly, after she revealed that embarrassing bit about being married to Stenbeck."
Barbara's eyes grew larger than they already were!
"I attacked Holly? That's rich! She tried to choke me!"
"Unprovoked?" Roger asked blithely.
"Unprovoked." Barbara lied to his face. "And of course by telling Jack that, the purpose was to make me seem desperate to what? Find out if Holly remembered seeing me when she was married to James?"
Roger shrugged carelessly.
"It's not for me to judge. I just passed on the information about the fight."
Barbara smirked!
"So have you been 'updating' Jack on the fact that you're sleeping with Holly again?"
"I'm not sleeping with anyone, Barbara. My wife just died."
"Oh...yes...of course. I forgot. As did you, the moment you came back here. I plan to point Jack back in the right direction. You're covering for Holly for some reason and I'm going to let him know that too." Barbara told him, before turning to walk towards the door. She paused to turn and stare at him again. She spoke.
"Ed is still a little too concerned about Holly for my tastes. Worry about keeping her away from him instead of framing me for whatever. I can account for every second that that bastard was running around pretending to be dead. Holly, cannot. Since she was 'hypnotized'."
And with that, Barbara Ryan opened up the door, flung it open and did not close it after herself. Roger walked over and slammed it closed behind her! Damn! That was the first person that had voiced the suspicion aloud, that Holly could've been involved with James's schemes back in the day.
Holly/Hayley re-appeared, looking confused.
"I heard every word that she said. James hasn't told me the truth once, since I came out of my coma. I thought I could count on you to be straight with me."
Roger did not answer, but turned away. Holly/Hayley continued talking.
"What is happening? Why is everyone convinced that Holly didn't remember being married to James? And you are framing Barbara, aren't you? Why? I'm James's co-conpsirator, not Holly. She didn't do anything wrong."
Roger didn't want to talk about these lies. These web of lies that got larger and harder to get out of, with each passing day. He just knew that he wanted to be with this woman that was standing behind him. Only she was not really at herself.
No, she was someone equally as desirable.
He turned back to face her.
"Come to the funeral with me."
Holly/Hayley's eyes widened!
"I can't go to that funeral...Fletcher will be there. I'm supposed to be scared of him, remember? You'll be alright." Holly/Hayley said soothingly, closing the distance between them and running a hand though his hair.
"I can't think of anything to say about Amanda. I couldn't think of anything but you...Holly... all of those years..."
"Roger, no one is going to fault you if you don't speak! Just don't say anything."
Roger suddenly kissed her passionately! Holly/Hayley frantically untied his robe, while Roger pushed her trenchcoat off of her shoulders. It dropped to the floor and Roger pulled Holly/Hayley down to the floor on top of it, entering her with a force comparable to a fist punching through curtains. Their bodies began an undulating rhythm akin to a racing heartbeat.
After, Holly/Hayley finished gasping from the shock of it all. She was lying on top of Roger, caressing his face. She then moved to nibble on his ear.
"I'll be at the funeral." she murmured. Roger clasped both of his arms around her. Holly or Hayley, whoever she was at this time, was in his arms. Roger could get through anything today. Even the task of giving a memorial speech about a woman he did not love.
Meanwhile, James returned home and parked his car in the garage. It would be safe from the explosion in there.
He then left the garage and gave a surreptitious glance about the grounds. The gardner was headed to the greenhouse. James saw no other staff around.
It was at that moment, that he chose to bend down by the back wheel of Alan Michael's Rose Royce. He attached a putty shaped mound on the inner part of the car near the wheel.
The putty had a wire attached to it.
James rose quickly and looked around. The plan was to have Hayley call Alan-Michael pretending to be Hope. She would insist that Alan-Michael pick her up. Once Alan-Michael came out to the car to start it, James would be rid of one less 'family member'.