Thursday Nov. 29

Emily Chandler was sitting with Elizabeth Richards in Elizabeth's Tuxedo Park residence.

"What upsets me most is that Susan never said a thing about any of this," Emily was saying. "I assume Don was equally silent with you, too, Liz."

"I noticed he was rather quiet last Saturday at the birthday party, but I simply chalked it up to stress and fatigue following his trip to Atlanta." Elizabeth sighed. "But what do you think, Em? Do you really think someone is deliberately setting out to harm Susan?"

"I just don't know. But what I am is worried, upset and just plain mad that someone would be doing this, even as a joke. Susan just doesn't realise how much I worry about her - and Don - especially after Alexander Wright. It's true, you know…even when your children grow up, that instinct in you to mother them and protect them never goes away."

Elizabeth nodded in agreement and sympathy.

"It's funny, you know. I didn't always worry about her like this. Sure, there were times when she was in the D.A.'s office that some of her cases gave me cause for alarm, but it was usually Dee who gave me palpitations. Modelling all over the world, weeks, sometimes months going by when we wouldn't see her. I'd always wonder: 'Is she safe?' 'Is she happy?' 'Is she being taken care of?' I was so glad and relieved when she settled down with Jack Harriman; my only misgivings being that it caused such heartbreak to Susan, and that they moved so far away. But by then Jack was almost like a son to me…I knew he'd be good to Dee. But I also knew how much their marriage crushed Susan. It was the first time I think, that I was ever really concerned about her. And then when Jack was killed so suddenly while skiing…if Susan had been holding on to even the faintest hope that they'd ever be together, it died a bitter death then. My heart ached for both my daughters that day." 

"I can understand," Elizabeth said softly. "Don was so lost when Kathy drowned, and there was absolutely nothing I could do, and it didn't help that they didn't recover  poor Kathy's body. Such helplessness in the face of such grief made me realise that even though we love someone very much, not even that love can snap them out of it. It tore me up that Don had no grave to visit, because instead he'd go down to that lake, and just stare and stare and stare into that water. Sometimes I feared he'd throw himself into its frigid depths and drown himself. I kept hoping he'd find someone; that he'd fall in love again and move on…but as the years went by, I was secretly afraid he would resent me for telling him he should get on with his life. Then one day he came by with a suitcase filled with the last of the pictures with Kathy and Kathy's things inside that he wanted me to keep for him in the attic. I knew something was going on, but I didn't pry. It was later that week that Alex Wright tried to…kill Susan."

"I thank God every day that Don felt something was wrong that night," Emily said fervently. "Susan admitted to me later that she had had her misgivings about Don and was even on the verge of suspecting him in the deaths of those missing women because of his background in cruise ship directing, his travelling schedule, and the fact that the Gabrielle was his favourite ship...But really, I think she was looking for excuses to push him away. She didn't want to risk getting close to someone again, and I think she sensed that Don could be that someone for her, even from the beginning."

"I don't think I have to tell you how happy I am they found each other," Elizabeth said, the joy in her voice apparent. "I had told Don I wanted to see him happy again, with someone whose eyes would light up when he entered the room. And I can remember the first time I saw that in Susan's face. It was just weeks after that awful time, at that first Thanksgiving when all of us met formally at your place in Rye…"

Emily nodded, remembering how she had been so nervous about having Elizabeth as a guest without ever having met her. Nervous, too, because of the presence of 'the new boyfriend' of Susan's.

"…Anyway, Don had excused himself from your living room to use the facilities," Elizabeth continued, "and when he returned, Susan was just looking at him with this beautiful, radiant smile on her face, and she said simply: 'Hey, you', and he sat down next to her and they put their arms around each other. She said it with such warmth, it surprised me. Yet it seemed so natural and spontaneous, it honestly sent shivers down my spine – of the good kind, of course. I knew right then my son was going to be just fine."

"I couldn't be happier myself," spoke Emily, then cast her eyes down. "I just wish I could shake the sense that something terrible is going to happen. This sort of thing isn't supposed to happen to people. Not to my daughter and son-in-law."

"You'd rather it happen to someone else?" Elizabeth questioned, eyebrows raised.

"I'd rather it not happen at all. I hope to God they catch whomever is doing this. I couldn't take it if…" Emily's voice trailed off.

"I know," whispered Elizabeth, "I know..." And I know that my son wouldn't be able to take it, either. None of us could.

* * *

When Susan arrived at her practice following the radio program, Dana was just about to hang up the phone when she spoke into the receiver: "Oh, wait; she's just walked through the door. I'll just put you on hold for a moment, okay?"

"For me?" Susan asked.

"Yes. It's someone by the name of Chris Ryan. He says he has some information for you about 'the Subject'..? Said you'd know what he meant by that."

Susan felt her heart beat a little faster. "Great," she replied, trying to curb her enthusiasm. "I'll take it in my office right away." She swiftly made her way to her private space and shut the door securely.

"Hello, Chris," she greeted the retired FBI agent, "what have you got for me so far?"

"First things first, Susie," the older man replied. "I've been hearing about your problems on the news. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

 "Good. Not so sure the blanket statement to the press this morning was such a great idea, though."

"Why not?"

"Now you've got them all waiting for the next sound bite. They're going to want updates even though you've made it clear you'd rather not be bothered. You sure you don't want me to drop what I'm doing for you now and turn my attention to catching the creep that's been threatening you?"

Susan laughed lightly. "Uh-uh…What I have you doing is important to me. And I have confidence in the Boys in Blue. Now quit stalling. Have you got something for me, or not?"

"You sure don't like wasting any time, do you? Okay, here's what I was able to dig up so far…"

For several long minutes Susan listened intently to the information Chris was relating to her. Some things she already knew, others surprised and unsettled her. She knew that she would have to compartmentalize much of what she was hearing in order to make sense of it all later.

"Of course I don't have to tell you I'll need a subpoena to get access to bank records, if in fact there are bank accounts registered to any of those aliases," Chris was saying.

"You mean you haven't done that yet?" Susan chided merrily. "You're slipping, Chris."

"Very droll. The problem is probable cause, Susie. We both know we have nothing to give to a judge that would warrant the investigation of personal bank records. People change names. It's not against the law."

"There's got to be something," Susan said, a little frustrated. "A criminal record somewhere along the line that shows a pattern of fraud or theft…"

"I told you from the start that I had my misgivings about this investigation," Chris reminded her.

"Only because you know it's personal," Susan replied. "If you find definite proof that there have been prior convictions, I'll just have to deal with the fallout."

"Okay," Chris sighed. "I'll see if I can locate any criminal records at all this time. If we find something, then maybe we can elicit a judge's John Henry on a search warrant into some banking records. No promises, though."

"There's got to be somebody still left in the bureau who owes you one, Chris," Susan said, "it may be unlikely, but I want to cover all angles. A thorough check through the FBI's database would be much appreciated."

"I'm owed more than one," Chris said with mock indignation, "and I'll see what I can do. They're very stingy with their records, you know…And Susie,"

"Yes?"

"Please be careful."

"I will."

"Listen, if you want, I can have one of my guys from the firm camped out in front of your house; escort you and Don to work, you name it -"

"That's a very kind offer, Chris, but it's not necessary."
"I figured you'd say that."

"'Bye, Chris," Susan said firmly, heard him respond in kind, then hung up the phone. She looked at her watch and realised she had mere minutes to ready herself for her one o'clock patient. Knowing that the information Chris was digging up would definitely start causing problems, Susan knew she would soon have to decide how to meet those problems head-on before they got out of hand. But for the moment, that would have to wait: her patient was in the waiting area and was ready to come in for the appointment.