Rendezvous in Central Park
'Okay,' Chandler said, to get everyone's attention. They were sitting in Central Park, out of earshot over everyone else. Rachel was huddled on a park bench, Monica on one side and Ross on the other, trying in vain to comfort her. She wasn't crying or shivering but she was looking quite ill. Phoebe and Mike were arm in arm, standing alongside the bench.
Everyone looked up at Chandler, who was standing in front of them all.
'This is where we're going to meet. We're going to meet here at 6 pm every day. That way we don't have to find a way to communicate by phone to say where we're going to meet.' The others nodded.
'What if we get followed?' Mike said.
'I don't think that matters. We can be followed by anyone,' Chandler said as Rachel shivered. 'When we all arrive, we'll move to some other place in the park — I'll choose and you all follow. They can't bug every park bench.' Suddenly Ross got off the bench and started examining the underside.
'You don't even know what you're looking for,' Rachel said.
'Well it's better than nothing. We've got to do something,' Ross said sharply. 'We can't just sit here and let ourselves get bugged.'
'I don't think there could be anything there,' Chandler said, 'No-one knew we were coming here.' Ross had to admit the sense of that and rejoined Rachel.
'So what are we going to do, when we meet?' Phoebe asked. She too was looking pale, leaning against Mike.
'We talk,' Chandler said, 'We tell each other everything weird that's going on.'
'Whatever it is,' Mike said.
'So has anything else been happening?' Chandler asked. They all shook their heads. 'Does anyone think that… this is too way out.'
'We've got the bugs,' Mike said. 'And some weird behaviour, like Julie.'
'And Tag,' Rachel said suddenly. 'He was so weird, not like himself at all. He was just watching. It was creepy.'
'Okay,' Chandler said, 'So what are the common factors here? People?'
'Julie and Tag don't know each other,' Monica said.
'How do you know that?' Chandler challenged.
'Well really do you think they'd have anything to say to each other?' Monica asked.
'Well there's a lot of things we don't know, I don't think we can afford to rule anything out.' Monica looked doubtful. Chandler said. 'Let's leave that angle alone. what about timing?'
'Timing?'
'Yeah, why is whoever it is bugging us and opening letters now? If whoever it was had always found us fascinating then they'd have been doing it all along, right? So there's something about now.'
'Well,' Phoebe said brightly, 'the only thing is the wedding.' Silence fell on the group. Phoebe continued nervously, 'Well that sort of, kind of links in with Julie asking all those questions.' No-one spoke. 'Crazy as it seems that she could be involved in something weird to do with the wedding,' Phoebe added.
'Someone wants to stop the wedding?' Rachel asked in horror. 'Our wedding?' Ross gripped her tightly.
'No-one's gonna stop our wedding. I'll find Julie and I'll make her tell what's going on.' His reluctance was gone now.
'What's it got to do with Tag?' Monica asked, 'He's just an ex of Rachel's.'
'Julie is an ex of Ross's,' Chandler said. 'Is that the connection?'
'How could they be in cahoots?' Monica asked.
'I don't know, maybe they're not, maybe Tag's a coincidence, and he's acting weird and staring for some other reason, but Julie has to be our number one suspect for being involved and that means you've got to find her Ross and get her to talk.'
'She'll just say no,' Rachel said. 'She'll deny everything. She'll pretend it's got nothing to do with her.'
'She's gone to a lot of trouble,' Phoebe pointed out. 'Opening letters, getting fake telephone repairmen.'
'Maybe it's not just her, maybe she's doing it with someone else. Tag or — '
'Someone else?' Ross asked. 'One of our exes? But that could be… '
'Lots of people,' supplied Monica. Ross glared at her.
'Oh my God,' Rachel said putting her head in her hands. Chandler gave a start.
'Oh Janice couldn't be involved, she's my crazy ex.'
'She did date Ross for a while.'
'Thanks for reminding me,' Ross said, annoyed.
'So now we know what we're looking for,' Mike said, 'Or at least you do, I don't.'
'Any of Ross or Rachel's exes,' Chandler confirmed.
