Chapter 4: The Proposition
The group exchanged pleasantries as they assembled in the dining room, nix Brady and Sami who still, to this day, had no love for each other. The dining area was quite large while the oak wood table, set in the center, was quite small in comparison. The royal blue carpet complimented the deep, cherry red drapes that lined the walls. The lighting was dim; the air was cool and a hint of cinnamon hung in the air. The visitor's took their seats, Brady, Belle, Shawn, Sami and Lucas on one side and Chloe, John, Marlena, Hope and Bo on the other. With a swift movement, the door to the dining room opened revealing a frail, old man in a gray suit: Dr. Wilhem Rolf. "Good evening."
The group remained silent as they watched the man slowly saunter to his seat. He'd aged rather rapidly these past few years. Ever since Stefano left, he'd had a short stint as top man to Lexie but soon that fizzled as she grew a conscience and left the underhanded world behind. Rolf had stayed in this house though. He'd attempted more schemes to torture various Salemites but all of those schemes failed, rendering him the butt of many jokes about the town. You almost had to feel sorry for the guy. Almost.
"Well, well, well," he smiled as he shakily took a seat. "Everyone has shown up. I knew you vould. I knew the thought of finding out one very deep, dark secret about one of your fellow Salemites vould have you all running over here with your tongues hanging out." He coughed, the dry cough soon turning wet-sounding as he wheezed a few times as well. The guests crumpled up their faces in disgust and waited until Rolf's coughing spell had ceased.
He cleared his throat. "As I was saying: Bart, it's time to eat."
Bart snapped his fingers and just like magic a whole array of servers quietly brought out minestrone soup. John raised an eyebrow in irritation. "Just what the hell is this about Rolf?" Marlena put a restraining hand on her husbands arm.
Rolf smiled devilishly. "Patience, patience my friend. We can't discuss matters of steep importance on empty stomachs, now can we?"
The edgy assemblage consumed their soup in silence as the storm outside increased in fury. The tension in the air was thick and Lucas sighed in irritation as the servers came to take the empty soup bowls up and bring the next course in the meal. "So, what's going on Rolf? Care to clue us in? A hint? Anything."
Rolf slowly, deliberately wiped his lips with his napkin and let one of the servers take his empty soup bowl to the kitchen before he spoke. "I suppose a tease of some sort is required. You all made it through the first course of the meal vithout pestering me. It's only fair that I-"
"Just get on with it," Sami snapped.
"As you wish Sami Brady...Roberts I mean. But I don't think any of you vill like vhat I have to say." He took a lengthy, calculated pause until Chloe rolled her eyes and Hope scoffed in annoyance. "You see I know that each of you, each and every one of you, has something to hide. Each of you harbors a dark secret and that's vhy I invited you here tonight."
Brady sneered. "I'm sorry? I'm not following. Each of us has some deep dark secret and so you thought you'd invite us here for dinner and drinks because of it? Well, you might as well have invited all of Salem Rolf 'cause there ain't anybody in this town that doesn't have something to hide."
Rolf furrowed his brow. "Must you alvays be so snappy Brady?"
Chloe smiled. "He must."
Brady glared at his wife. Rolf continued, ignoring Chloe's spear at her husband. "You didn't even let me finish Brady. Yes, there are oza people in Salem with secrets to hide. But few are as prominent as you all are. Few vith such monetary and social influence."
Bo turned up his lip. "So, you invited us here because you're here to blackmail one of us?"
Rolf cocked his head to one side and shrugged. "Vone of you, all of you. Vhat's the difference?"
Lucas spoke up. "Plenty. You got nothing on me Rolf and if you do, you got nothing I care if anybody finds out about. I have no shame."
Rolf only smiled and stood as he circled the table of tense guests, the rain pounding against the windows. "Are you sure Lucas Roberts? Are any of you certain of anything?"
Belle took a sip of her iced water and crunched on the ice. "Oh, for goodness sakes, I'm certain I'm hungry as hell. I'm certain of that much." The lights illuminating the mansion blinked off and on several times, a sign that the storm was worsening.
Rolf cocked an eyebrow and turned to Bart. "You may bring the salads and the main course out as vell Bart. Vhat vas I saying before I vas so rudely interrupted?" He scratched his head with a wrinkled finger. "Ah, yes, as I vas saying. Are any of you certain of anything? I vouldn't invite any of you here unless I vas completely sure the secrets you vere hiding vere potentially damaging career-vise or shady enough as to knock you off the top of that prestigious social ladder you are all perched upon. Like you John Black, Mr. Traveler Extraordinaire. If I reveal your secret to all of Salem, I hardly think you and your wife vill have the time or money to pay for all of those expensive vacations."
Marlena tensed and grappled at John's arm. "John, what is this man talking about?"
John's only response was one raised eyebrow and a slight puckering of his lips. Rolf answered for him. "That is for me to know and me to decide if I reveal his or any of your secrets. Don't think you are immune to this either Dr. Marlena. Or you opera diva Chloe Black. Or you sweet, innocent Belle Brady."
Shawn grew defensive. "You leave my wife out of this."
Ignoring Shawn's request, Rolf prattled on. "I have planned this out very carefully. Each of you is hiding something that I'm sure you vould give anything to protect. I know this to be true. And I am not ashamed to say, I can be bought."
In true Bo Brady fashion, Bo gritted his teeth. "Just how much do you want Rolf?"
Rolf was about to answer but was cut off by a sardonic-sounding Brady. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's hold on here, back up, rewind the tape. How the hell do we know that you actually do in fact know anything of significance and aren't in fact trying to get as much money as you can by pretending to know all of our and I quote 'deep, dark secrets'? I mean come on, this is a joke." Laughing lightly, he took a swig of his wine.
Rolf smiled. "Perhaps, perhaps not...Brady, do the initials 'S.R.' mean anything to you?"
Brady nearly choked as face fell into a frown, to which Rolf let out an evil laugh. Catching his breath, "That's vhat I thought. I-" Bart was 'psst-ing' for Rolf to meet him in the hallway. "Vhat is it Bart?" Peeved he had to take a break from manipulating his guests, Rolf briskly walked out of the room. Suddenly, finding a great interest in the fancy pattern on their plates and the color of the cotton tablecloth, the guests remained silent, completely convinced that Rolf did indeed know something intimate about each and every one of them. There was a break in the storm now as the rain now tapped lightly against the draped windows. Eerily, the wind could be heard howling in the distance as a nearby tree cast moving shadows in the dim room.
Rolf returned quietly and took his seat, the only noise in the room was the sound of his chair rubbing across the carpet as he sat. Apparently fuming from something he'd discussed with Bart, Rolf spoke. "Bart vill be bringing out the food, however slowly, because evidently the caterer and servers have gone. Evidently my imbecile for an employee, Bart, stupidly only paid them for two hours."
"Sorry boss," Bart winced as he came in to the room, wheeling a serving cart with eleven bowls of Caesar salad on the top and eleven steaks and mashed potatoes on the bottom tray. "Here we are," he laid the food out for each guest.
Chloe turned up her lips in disgust. "I don't eat that," she pointed at the thickly sliced, twelve-ounce steak sitting idly on a bed of sautéed mushrooms and herbs.
"I do," Brady volunteered as he leaned over the table and stuck his fork through her steak and placed it on his plate next to his own. "Mmmmmooooo." he moaned. "Cow is so good." He took a large bite, chewing slowly, amused at the look of disdain on his wife's face.
The table of guests burst into a quiet laughter, quickly easing their frayed nerves. Rolf frowned in annoyance that the guests were becoming at ease with the dinner party. "On to important business matters. I have decided that vhat I vant from you, each of you, is. money."
"Stop the presses," Brady muttered as he took a sloppy bite of salad and tore of a piece a dinner roll, causing another break in tension.
Rolf ignored Brady's sarcasm. "Ah, but that's not all I vant. I vanted $500, 000 from each of you. But I've thought of my predicament and I need more. Make that a cool million-"
Lucas threw down his napkin. "What!? Are you kidding me!? For what!?"
"For keeping your secret Lucas Roberts. All of your secrets. Brady.Chloe.John.Marlena.Hope.Bo.Shawn.Belle.Sami."
"What else?" Bo asked through gritted teeth.
"Ah, someone who is listening. I vant to be on the society pages again," Rolf stated wistfully. "I vant the money, the fame, the respect. I vant it all and I vant you all to get it for me, no holds barred."
"And if we don't?" Hope asked with raised eyebrows.
"Then the reluctant one's secrets will be revealed to Salem society and even if I go down, I vill take you with me." Rolf laughed evilly, his laughter reverberating off of the walls and floating through the house.
The rain increased as it pounded against the windows and a large rumble of thunder shook the house, followed by a flickering of the lights. Suddenly the power went out, blanketing the entire house in darkness. The group began to murmur about the lights being off and waited, fully expecting the lights to come back on shortly.
"Ooohhhh.scary," a male voice boomed.
"Oh, shut up."
Someone giggled. "You guys are crazy."
Someone began to sing a sad rendition of 'Tonight, Tonight' from West Side story. "Tonight, Tonight.the lights are out tonight."
"Oh my G-d, shut up."
"That's pitiful."
"You're pitiful."
More laughing from the group.
"No lights on. What to do? What to say?" the singing continued.
"I can't see my food."
"Is that what blind people feel like?"
"That's so true. How would a blind person know if something nasty crawled into his food?"
"He could be like, eating bugs."
"It's protein."
The group laughed.
"Eww..gross."
"You are so immature."
"Who keeps stepping on my foot under the table?"
"Gosh." Someone whined.
"What is up with this rain?"
"Oh, I know. I feel like I'm at some nineteen forties English manor on some foggy moor or something."
"Who said that?"
"Is that you Belle?"
Someone whined. "I can't see."
"Who gives a f&ck? Neither can I."
The lights flickered back on. It took a while for everyone's eyes to adjust to the light.
"Ugh," Chloe whined. "There's a fly in my chardonnay."
Brady rolled his eyes, shook his head and smiled. "There's just no pleasing her Rolf." He turned to look at the old man. "Rolf? Rolf?" The group's eyes roamed to the head of the table wearily. Rolf sat in his chair, his eyes, slightly unfocused, staring straight ahead. Strangely, the tip of his white cloth napkin hung loosely from his smiling mouth. Then, like a falling tree in a forest, Rolf's head hit the table, his face falling into his mashed potatoes. It was only then that everyone noticed the sharp blade protruding from his back.
"Oh my G-d," Hope cried, a trembling hand flying to her mouth.
Brady stood and felt for a pulse at Rolf's neck. He frowned and shook his head, bewildered. "He's dead."
Lucas spoke to the room of stunned guests. "Okay, I'll be the first to admit the steak was a little tough and the mashed potatoes a tad dry, but you guys didn't have to kill him."
The group exchanged pleasantries as they assembled in the dining room, nix Brady and Sami who still, to this day, had no love for each other. The dining area was quite large while the oak wood table, set in the center, was quite small in comparison. The royal blue carpet complimented the deep, cherry red drapes that lined the walls. The lighting was dim; the air was cool and a hint of cinnamon hung in the air. The visitor's took their seats, Brady, Belle, Shawn, Sami and Lucas on one side and Chloe, John, Marlena, Hope and Bo on the other. With a swift movement, the door to the dining room opened revealing a frail, old man in a gray suit: Dr. Wilhem Rolf. "Good evening."
The group remained silent as they watched the man slowly saunter to his seat. He'd aged rather rapidly these past few years. Ever since Stefano left, he'd had a short stint as top man to Lexie but soon that fizzled as she grew a conscience and left the underhanded world behind. Rolf had stayed in this house though. He'd attempted more schemes to torture various Salemites but all of those schemes failed, rendering him the butt of many jokes about the town. You almost had to feel sorry for the guy. Almost.
"Well, well, well," he smiled as he shakily took a seat. "Everyone has shown up. I knew you vould. I knew the thought of finding out one very deep, dark secret about one of your fellow Salemites vould have you all running over here with your tongues hanging out." He coughed, the dry cough soon turning wet-sounding as he wheezed a few times as well. The guests crumpled up their faces in disgust and waited until Rolf's coughing spell had ceased.
He cleared his throat. "As I was saying: Bart, it's time to eat."
Bart snapped his fingers and just like magic a whole array of servers quietly brought out minestrone soup. John raised an eyebrow in irritation. "Just what the hell is this about Rolf?" Marlena put a restraining hand on her husbands arm.
Rolf smiled devilishly. "Patience, patience my friend. We can't discuss matters of steep importance on empty stomachs, now can we?"
The edgy assemblage consumed their soup in silence as the storm outside increased in fury. The tension in the air was thick and Lucas sighed in irritation as the servers came to take the empty soup bowls up and bring the next course in the meal. "So, what's going on Rolf? Care to clue us in? A hint? Anything."
Rolf slowly, deliberately wiped his lips with his napkin and let one of the servers take his empty soup bowl to the kitchen before he spoke. "I suppose a tease of some sort is required. You all made it through the first course of the meal vithout pestering me. It's only fair that I-"
"Just get on with it," Sami snapped.
"As you wish Sami Brady...Roberts I mean. But I don't think any of you vill like vhat I have to say." He took a lengthy, calculated pause until Chloe rolled her eyes and Hope scoffed in annoyance. "You see I know that each of you, each and every one of you, has something to hide. Each of you harbors a dark secret and that's vhy I invited you here tonight."
Brady sneered. "I'm sorry? I'm not following. Each of us has some deep dark secret and so you thought you'd invite us here for dinner and drinks because of it? Well, you might as well have invited all of Salem Rolf 'cause there ain't anybody in this town that doesn't have something to hide."
Rolf furrowed his brow. "Must you alvays be so snappy Brady?"
Chloe smiled. "He must."
Brady glared at his wife. Rolf continued, ignoring Chloe's spear at her husband. "You didn't even let me finish Brady. Yes, there are oza people in Salem with secrets to hide. But few are as prominent as you all are. Few vith such monetary and social influence."
Bo turned up his lip. "So, you invited us here because you're here to blackmail one of us?"
Rolf cocked his head to one side and shrugged. "Vone of you, all of you. Vhat's the difference?"
Lucas spoke up. "Plenty. You got nothing on me Rolf and if you do, you got nothing I care if anybody finds out about. I have no shame."
Rolf only smiled and stood as he circled the table of tense guests, the rain pounding against the windows. "Are you sure Lucas Roberts? Are any of you certain of anything?"
Belle took a sip of her iced water and crunched on the ice. "Oh, for goodness sakes, I'm certain I'm hungry as hell. I'm certain of that much." The lights illuminating the mansion blinked off and on several times, a sign that the storm was worsening.
Rolf cocked an eyebrow and turned to Bart. "You may bring the salads and the main course out as vell Bart. Vhat vas I saying before I vas so rudely interrupted?" He scratched his head with a wrinkled finger. "Ah, yes, as I vas saying. Are any of you certain of anything? I vouldn't invite any of you here unless I vas completely sure the secrets you vere hiding vere potentially damaging career-vise or shady enough as to knock you off the top of that prestigious social ladder you are all perched upon. Like you John Black, Mr. Traveler Extraordinaire. If I reveal your secret to all of Salem, I hardly think you and your wife vill have the time or money to pay for all of those expensive vacations."
Marlena tensed and grappled at John's arm. "John, what is this man talking about?"
John's only response was one raised eyebrow and a slight puckering of his lips. Rolf answered for him. "That is for me to know and me to decide if I reveal his or any of your secrets. Don't think you are immune to this either Dr. Marlena. Or you opera diva Chloe Black. Or you sweet, innocent Belle Brady."
Shawn grew defensive. "You leave my wife out of this."
Ignoring Shawn's request, Rolf prattled on. "I have planned this out very carefully. Each of you is hiding something that I'm sure you vould give anything to protect. I know this to be true. And I am not ashamed to say, I can be bought."
In true Bo Brady fashion, Bo gritted his teeth. "Just how much do you want Rolf?"
Rolf was about to answer but was cut off by a sardonic-sounding Brady. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's hold on here, back up, rewind the tape. How the hell do we know that you actually do in fact know anything of significance and aren't in fact trying to get as much money as you can by pretending to know all of our and I quote 'deep, dark secrets'? I mean come on, this is a joke." Laughing lightly, he took a swig of his wine.
Rolf smiled. "Perhaps, perhaps not...Brady, do the initials 'S.R.' mean anything to you?"
Brady nearly choked as face fell into a frown, to which Rolf let out an evil laugh. Catching his breath, "That's vhat I thought. I-" Bart was 'psst-ing' for Rolf to meet him in the hallway. "Vhat is it Bart?" Peeved he had to take a break from manipulating his guests, Rolf briskly walked out of the room. Suddenly, finding a great interest in the fancy pattern on their plates and the color of the cotton tablecloth, the guests remained silent, completely convinced that Rolf did indeed know something intimate about each and every one of them. There was a break in the storm now as the rain now tapped lightly against the draped windows. Eerily, the wind could be heard howling in the distance as a nearby tree cast moving shadows in the dim room.
Rolf returned quietly and took his seat, the only noise in the room was the sound of his chair rubbing across the carpet as he sat. Apparently fuming from something he'd discussed with Bart, Rolf spoke. "Bart vill be bringing out the food, however slowly, because evidently the caterer and servers have gone. Evidently my imbecile for an employee, Bart, stupidly only paid them for two hours."
"Sorry boss," Bart winced as he came in to the room, wheeling a serving cart with eleven bowls of Caesar salad on the top and eleven steaks and mashed potatoes on the bottom tray. "Here we are," he laid the food out for each guest.
Chloe turned up her lips in disgust. "I don't eat that," she pointed at the thickly sliced, twelve-ounce steak sitting idly on a bed of sautéed mushrooms and herbs.
"I do," Brady volunteered as he leaned over the table and stuck his fork through her steak and placed it on his plate next to his own. "Mmmmmooooo." he moaned. "Cow is so good." He took a large bite, chewing slowly, amused at the look of disdain on his wife's face.
The table of guests burst into a quiet laughter, quickly easing their frayed nerves. Rolf frowned in annoyance that the guests were becoming at ease with the dinner party. "On to important business matters. I have decided that vhat I vant from you, each of you, is. money."
"Stop the presses," Brady muttered as he took a sloppy bite of salad and tore of a piece a dinner roll, causing another break in tension.
Rolf ignored Brady's sarcasm. "Ah, but that's not all I vant. I vanted $500, 000 from each of you. But I've thought of my predicament and I need more. Make that a cool million-"
Lucas threw down his napkin. "What!? Are you kidding me!? For what!?"
"For keeping your secret Lucas Roberts. All of your secrets. Brady.Chloe.John.Marlena.Hope.Bo.Shawn.Belle.Sami."
"What else?" Bo asked through gritted teeth.
"Ah, someone who is listening. I vant to be on the society pages again," Rolf stated wistfully. "I vant the money, the fame, the respect. I vant it all and I vant you all to get it for me, no holds barred."
"And if we don't?" Hope asked with raised eyebrows.
"Then the reluctant one's secrets will be revealed to Salem society and even if I go down, I vill take you with me." Rolf laughed evilly, his laughter reverberating off of the walls and floating through the house.
The rain increased as it pounded against the windows and a large rumble of thunder shook the house, followed by a flickering of the lights. Suddenly the power went out, blanketing the entire house in darkness. The group began to murmur about the lights being off and waited, fully expecting the lights to come back on shortly.
"Ooohhhh.scary," a male voice boomed.
"Oh, shut up."
Someone giggled. "You guys are crazy."
Someone began to sing a sad rendition of 'Tonight, Tonight' from West Side story. "Tonight, Tonight.the lights are out tonight."
"Oh my G-d, shut up."
"That's pitiful."
"You're pitiful."
More laughing from the group.
"No lights on. What to do? What to say?" the singing continued.
"I can't see my food."
"Is that what blind people feel like?"
"That's so true. How would a blind person know if something nasty crawled into his food?"
"He could be like, eating bugs."
"It's protein."
The group laughed.
"Eww..gross."
"You are so immature."
"Who keeps stepping on my foot under the table?"
"Gosh." Someone whined.
"What is up with this rain?"
"Oh, I know. I feel like I'm at some nineteen forties English manor on some foggy moor or something."
"Who said that?"
"Is that you Belle?"
Someone whined. "I can't see."
"Who gives a f&ck? Neither can I."
The lights flickered back on. It took a while for everyone's eyes to adjust to the light.
"Ugh," Chloe whined. "There's a fly in my chardonnay."
Brady rolled his eyes, shook his head and smiled. "There's just no pleasing her Rolf." He turned to look at the old man. "Rolf? Rolf?" The group's eyes roamed to the head of the table wearily. Rolf sat in his chair, his eyes, slightly unfocused, staring straight ahead. Strangely, the tip of his white cloth napkin hung loosely from his smiling mouth. Then, like a falling tree in a forest, Rolf's head hit the table, his face falling into his mashed potatoes. It was only then that everyone noticed the sharp blade protruding from his back.
"Oh my G-d," Hope cried, a trembling hand flying to her mouth.
Brady stood and felt for a pulse at Rolf's neck. He frowned and shook his head, bewildered. "He's dead."
Lucas spoke to the room of stunned guests. "Okay, I'll be the first to admit the steak was a little tough and the mashed potatoes a tad dry, but you guys didn't have to kill him."