Amanda yanked on her hands, glancing around. Kendall and Bianca were sitting in the corner of Confusion. Bianca was pale, much paler than she normally looked, and Kendall was stroking her hair. Greenlee was standing in front of two officers, hands on her hips, eyes furious. She was trying to get the officers to let them upstairs, as it was their place of work. Officer Burke was shaking his head no, because as he had explained many times to her, it was a crime scene. Greenlee stamped her foot, yelling that her husband was upstairs. Amanda sighed. She wasn't quite sure what to do. Erin was dead. They were friends… sort of. She was Jonathan's sister.
Greenlee was in the middle of another screaming fit, when the words died on her lips. Ryan and Jonathan had entered Confusion. Greenlee looked away, her face red. Bianca looked down as well. Kendall tried to meet Ryan's gaze, but he was staring straight at the elevator doors. The officers let them go up. Greenlee sighed, admitting defeat, and walked over to the bar. She poured herself a drink.
Amanda stared at her shoelaces. What the hell was she doing here? They all waited in awkward silence for something. Anything. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Derek came down with a stretcher. Erin's body. They wheeled her away, everyone watching silently. A few officers came next, and finally Leo, Ryan, Jon, and another cop. The cop walked over to Kendall, telling her they couldn't go upstairs just yet, and to come back to work tomorrow. Leo walked over to Greenlee, kissing her hello.
"Good Morning," he whispered.
"Morning," she replied. "Not exactly good."
"I'm going to drive Ryan over to the funeral home to make arrangements," Leo told her. "He's not exactly fit to drive." Greenlee nodded.
"Hey," Kendall greeted Ryan, pulling him over to the side. "You okay?"
"Why didn't I just tell her to come with you last night?" he asked her, his eyes a little wild. "I was on the phone with her. Why didn't I just say come over?"
"There was no way to know," Kendall told him.
"I should've known," Ryan whispered.
"Why?" Kendall asked. "Because you're Ryan the Invincible? The Superhero? Ryan the Omnipotent? There was no way you could've guessed anything."
"I should've protected her."
"From what?" Kendall asked, a little incredulous. "A glass of champagne that you didn't even know I had poured for her?"
"Thanks for trying to help Kendall, but…"
"Too soon?"
"Yeah."
"Go with Leo, okay? And listen to what he says because he has much better taste than you. And I'll head over to your place and pick up Spike, so you don't have to worry about him, okay?" Ryan nodded. Kendall leaned up hugging him. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Me too." Kendall squeezed Ryan's hand and then watched him leave with Leo. Greenlee sidled up to her.
"Stop it," she told her.
"Stop what?" Kendall asked.
"I heard what you said to Ryan."
"Eavesdropping isn't a flattering trait, Greenlee."
Greenlee continued on, ignoring her words. "The drink you poured for her? It doesn't take a genius to know what you meant by that phrasing. You didn't know that champagne was poisoned," Greenlee told her.
"We still don't," Kendall snapped back.
"Oh please," Greenlee cried. "Bianca told us what happened. She was poisoned like Simone was. And you blame yourself, and I'm telling you to stop it because it's not your fault and this company has enough trouble right now without you feeling miserable over something you didn't do, got it?
"I need to go see my son." Kendall replied, and walked out. Greenlee let out a frustrated breath before leaving herself. Amanda looked over at Jon, who was still standing near the elevator, shaking.
"Jon?" she asked, walking towards him. Her hands grazed his forearm lightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's not fair." He snatched his hand away.
"It's not fair?" he seethed. "Someone cutting you in line at the supermarket isn't fair, Amanda. This is beyond not fair!" He started pacing back and forth. "Who the hell would do this? Why Erin? What the fuck did she ever do?"
"Nothing, she did nothing," Amanda replied, watching fearfully as Jonathan continued to rage silently. His face was contorted, his fists clenched, all the muscles in his back taut.
"And they're sitting there talking about funeral arrangements and flowers and coffins and who the fuck cares? Why don't they care who killed her?"
"They do, Jonathan," Amanda replied, reaching up to touch his face. "We all care." This was clearly the wrong thing to say. Amanda stepped back as Jonathan growled at her, hit her hand down, and turned to face the wall. He let out a low guttural sound, slamming his fist into the wall repeatedly. Amanda watched in horror, as blood started to gush from his knuckles, little rivulets of pain.
"Stop!" she cried, grabbing his arm from behind. He pulled back, sending her flying into a nearby table, and turned.
"My sister just died!" he yelled. "Don't tell me what to do!" Amanda rubbed her back as Jonathan slammed out of Confusion, heading god knows where.
"Amanda?" a small voice from the corner of the room asked. "Are you okay?" Bianca got up from her seat and walked over to her, helping her up.
'He's upset," Amanda told her.
'Doesn't make it okay," Bianca replied. "Listen Amanda, this might not be my place but… watch out with Jonathan."
"Why?" Amanda asked defiantly, crossing her arms, and sticking her chin up in the air.
"Because he's dangerous," Bianca replied quietly.
"I know all about his past, Bianca," Amanda told her. "I know it was the tumor."
'Was Maggie the tumor?" Bianca asked. "Was his last girlfriend? If the tumor had been large enough to affect him back then Amanda, it would've killed him before he got to Pine Valley."
"You don't know that. You're not a doctor."
"David had Jonathan's file sent to one of his old friends from school, a neurosurgeon. He specializes in brain tumors, and he told us that. An impartial, educated, third party."
"So what are you saying?" Amanda asked, quietly.
"I'm saying that maybe the murders weren't his fault," Bianca told her. "Maybe that was out of control. I do believe that. But the repeated violence against his girlfriends? We're talking about a guy who was abused as a child, who thought violence was normal. It's not really his fault, but we can't wave a magic tumor wand and pretend it all went away. He still has stuff he needs to work out."
"His sister just died," Amanda insisted.
"Yes, and look at how he handled it," Bianca countered. "That wasn't normal Amanda. I don't think he even felt the wall. Just, just think about it okay? Jonathan may need some help, some real help, before he's ready to be in any sort of relationship with a woman."
"Did Jamie send you?" Amanda asked.
Bianca rolled her eyes. "I haven't spoken to Jamie since Simone's funeral. Why?"
"How did you know Jonathan and I…"
Bianca rolled her eyes again. "Oh, please." Amanda half smiled at her, but it soon disappeared.
"Do you really think that he needs help?"
"Yes," Bianca affirmed. "And I hope he gets it." Amanda nodded, and walked out. Bianca sighed, and flipped open her cell phone. It went to three rings before she heard the voicemail and the beep. "Hey JR, it's Bianca. I talked to her. I think… I think maybe some of it got through."
