Julie Grey let the new year in at the bar where she worked. For once she was sober and as she walked home she began to feel upset. Earlier that day she had attempted to reach out to her parents by telephoning them to wish them all the best for the new year. Her father had been cold to her on the phone followed by her mother who had been positively glacial. She had made a mess of her life and now had one chance to redeem herself but the prospect worried her. JR Ewing was a dangerous man and she had seen at first hand during her time as his secretary just how conniving and evil he could be. Blackmail, bribery and corruption were the weapons in his armoury and he wasn't afraid to use them. Cliff Barnes had no idea what he was dealing with, she mused as she entered her trailer.

She was shocked to find Cliff sitting at her table. "My God! How did you get in here? How dare you!" she shrieked. "I just showed my ID badge to the manager of the park and he let me in. Don't be afraid, Julie. I reckoned that while everyone else, no doubt JR included, were partying it would be perfectly safe for me to come here. You see, I'm not sure that I can trust you and I have questions to ask that you need to answer." Julie's blood ran cold. He's on to me, she thought. Trying to remain casual she offered Cliff some coffee. "Yes please, it sure does get cold in here." She didn't respond. Whilst appearing cool on the surface inside she was panicking. She took her time and attempted to collect her thoughts. Surely JR hadn't told him of her approach to him? Why would he? Might it have been Sue-Ellen?

Settling down across the table from Cliff, two cups of coffee between them, Julie stared at him. "So, Cliff what's on your mind?" "There's a gap in your story." Cliff paused. Julie continued to make eye contact with him. "Go on." "You told me when we last met that JR had you run out of Dallas. Now that doesn't make sense. He didn't fire you, he just transferred you elsewhere in the company, you then resign and go somewhere else instead. Why would he need to have you fired from there and then banish you from town? Doesn't add up."

Julie realised that she couldn't get out of the hole she was in without confessing. "There was something that I held back from you, foolishly I now appreciate because of the job you do. On the day that Mrs. Ewing went into premature labour I was with her, at Ewing Oil. I told her a number of home truths about me and JR and I didn't pull my punches. Whether it was the shock I don't know but her waters broke and she went into labour. I was the cause of JR having a premature baby and his wife hating him, at least for a time. You know how he operates. He was never going to let me get away with that. I didn't tell you all of that because, to be completely frank, I was ashamed of myself and didn't know how you would feel about me if you knew the truth. All I know was that on that day I really hated Sue-Ellen Ewing. In fact I still do!"

Julie thought that their hand of virtual poker was at an end. It was the truth and it put into perfect context why she was prepared, at least on the face of it, to co-operate with Cliff. However, Cliff was still suspicious. "How do I know that what you have just told me is the truth?" "Because I rang for the ambulance! You can check with the ambulance service. In fact I insist that you do." Cliff sat back in his seat. His body language told her all she needed to know. He visibly relaxed and smiled. "There's no need for that. I believe you. You do realise that it isn't wise to withhold anything about your dealings with JR from me don't you?"

"Yes, I'm sorry" Julie replied. "Have you made any further progress with your plan?" It was her turn now to pump Cliff for information that would be useful to her when she met with JR. Cliff nodded vigorously. "I can't go into detail, not at this point. Let me just say that a plan is emerging which can go into operation from early new year. At that point JR will be back in the office and his wife's routine will become more settled and predictable. I will engineer an accidental meeting with Sue-Ellen" Cliff emphasised the word "accidental" and made apostrophe gestures with his hands "at which I will repeat my interest in her. After that is where you come in. We have to let Sue-Ellen know, subtly at first, that you are back in town and then manipulate a situation in which she sees you and JR together. Not quite figured that part out yet. That's the trickiest bit. From everything I know about the young Mrs. Ewing and with a little more manipulation from me the sight of you and JR together will send her running from Southfork straight into my arms."

"Gosh! That's really good" Julie responded. She wanted just a tiny bit more without arousing his suspicion again. "I have to say that I don't know what you and JR see in her. Why do you want her that badly?" "Why do you think? I've no interest in a long term relationship with her. For a start I wouldn't want to have to bring up a Ewing child, particularly not one of JR's. No, I'll get what I want from her physically and then send her back to JR as damaged goods. It will drive him crazy and let him know just how painful it is to have something so important to him taken so cruelly and peremptorily away. Just like what his father did to my daddy." Cliff's eyes gleamed as he fantasised about the carnage that would ensue if he was successful.

"Wicked but truly brilliant! Julie deliberately flattered him. "I'm in. You just tell me what to do and when and I will do it. Remember though, you have guaranteed me a job and protection. I fancy Florida where my sister lives. A complete fresh start in the sunshine." "Oh I never go back on my promises, unlike the Ewings." Cliff got up. "Now that my mind is at rest I can start to make more concrete plans. I'll be in touch, Julie, real soon." Cliff left. What an asshole, Julie thought to herself as she locked up and started to get ready for bed. She began to feel almost sorry for Sue-Ellen. However, she reminded herself that her feelings had nothing to do with this. Her mission was financially motivated only and at this rate it might be worth as much as thirty grand to enable JR to double cross him and preserve the dignity of his young wife.

tbc