Roy Hinkley was normally a cool logical guy. Thought everything through carefully using reason. However this was not one of those times. He was anything but calm and collected. The normally rational professor of science was anything but rational. His beloved Ginger was missing and he wanted her back yesterday. He wanted his beautiful vivacious redhead in his arms at that very moment. No he was not going to listen to the police have to…just let the private investigator…you have to believe… Roy was having none of it. He refused to listen to anymore which is why he had now barricaded himself in Ginger's luxurious gold bedroom or was it their bedroom…didn't matter the point was he no longer wished to be around the others. He simply could not take it anymore.
The Professor sat at Ginger's desk looking at a photograph of him and the lovely starlet. "She's so beautiful." He thought out loud to himself. His eyes then drifted to a small leather bound book sitting on the dark wooden desk. His hand grazed the cover which had the initials GG imprinted with gold. Ginger's diary. He picked up the book and opened it. There inside was Ginger's beautiful elegant handwriting praising her love for him.
Dear Diary,
Roy is the most romantic man in the world! You know what that wonderful man did?
He brought me breakfast in bed! I know that doesn't seem like much but there is more.
On my breakfast tray was a small black box. I picked it up and when I opened it I could not believe my eyes. Inside was the most stunning pair of emerald earrings I have ever seen! And if that was not enough he then presented me with two tickets to this musical I've been dying to see! I love him so much!
I don't have the slightest idea what I would ever do without my darling Roy!
He smiled reading the entry from a few months ago. Ginger had been so thrilled she did not stop smiling for days. Of course that was fine with him. He loved seeing her beautiful smile. It was one of the things that kept him going on that island. The Professor then turned to another page…
Dear Diary,
I know I say this a lot but it's worth repeating. Roy is the best thing that ever came into my life. That wonderful darling man had a nice hot bath waiting for me when I returned home from the set. He lit a bunch of candles and had my favorite record playing.
It was exactly what I needed. I do not know how he knew that but somehow he did.
Of course later we made incredible love. I love being in his arms. There really is no other place I would rather be then in his loving arms.
Roy sighed recalling that night not too long ago. He had seen how worn out Ginger was from the movie she was filming to the one she was helping to produce. A nice long soak in a hot bubble bath seemed to be what she needed. There wasn't a single thing he would not do for that beautiful movie star. The Professor flipped through a few more pages and found an entry from when they were on the island.
Dear Diary,
I'm so mad at that darn Professor I could scream! How dare he!
He just escorts me right out of his hut! The nerve of that man! Like he didn't enjoy me showing up in the middle of the night like that! Hmmph!
I see how he looks at me. I know he desires to be with me! He is not fooling anyone despite what he believes in that so-called logical head of his. I'll show him!
He could not help but laugh at that particular entry. Clearly she wrote it after the whole attaché case debacle. Boy was that redhead ever steamed. He had not forgotten her icy stares. Her green eyes narrowing whenever he came into view. The way she would rudely pass whatever at dinner time to him. He truly had no idea why she was so upset with him and that is why he approached her and that is when the whole truth came out that she was head over heels in love with him and really did wish to be with him that night. Ginger did admit she was very curious about the contents of the case but she thought she could get the best of both worlds. Him and the case.
A few more pages were flipped through and he found another memorable entry..
Dear Diary,
I cannot believe what just happened. I made love with the Professor.
The Professor made love to me. We made love.
It was so…I don't know if I have the proper adjectives to describe it. Amazing perhaps?
All I know is that it is one experience I intend to have over and over again.
Being loved by this man is like a dream. No other man ever made me feel so loved.
They only cared about their own…gratification I would assume is the word. Well at least that is how it was with Tom. Tom never cared about me…he just wanted…that's all he cared about. What a louse! And Bill was not any better. Bill was awkward and so mechanical….ugh…it was horrible!
But the Professor. My dear darling Roy…he's incredible. Everything was just so..wonderful.
Ginger had gone into much further detail but he decided to skip over that. It was enough for him to know that the actress felt no other man could ever measure up to him. She had told him that several times. And he knew she meant it. Writing it in her diary confirmed it was true. The Professor set the diary down and opened a drawer in the desk. He found another small diary with the same initials imprinted. He opened that as well and read.
Dear Diary,
I am shipwrecked on some deserted island. I cannot believe it.
There are six others here with me. This is a nightmare. We have no way of contacting anyone back home as our transmitter is broken.
I do not know if the boat can be repaired. The captain of the ship assured us that he is certain a plane or another boat will be along before we know it.
Whether or not that is true I don't know but I appreciate him trying to keep our spirits up.
In the meantime we are stuck here. I'm not sure how I'm going to get through this however I must confess it's not all that bad. There is this really cute man with us.
His name is Roy Hinkley. He is a professor and he is very smart. I'm sure he can find a way to get us off this island. If he does I'm going to be sure to slip him my phone number.
He's too cute to pass up!
The Professor turned red a bit reading that entry. He had no idea Ginger thought…so early on that he...She was attracted to him and then fell completely in love with him. This is why he knew that phony letter he found was not from Ginger. He knew Ginger's heart and that cold letter was not it. There was no way in the world she would just up and leave him. She had no insecurities about their relationship. The movie star knew perfectly well how much he loved her. Yes the vicious gossip did get to her, how could it not? Having people say horrible cruel lies about you was hard to take but it did not deter the redhead from believing that he loved her. She knew he did and told him as much.
Setting the diary down he rubbed his eyes. How were they going to find her? There had to be someway of getting her back. But how?
Downstairs
The others were still gathered around the living room worried about the academic upstairs. They knew how hard this was on him and hoped that he knew they were all there for him.
Daryl had arrived a few minutes ago and confirmed that Diana did in fact audition for the movie and he provided the police with her headshot. The police did locate some of the employees of the boutique and two of them confirmed to helping Diana with her shopping and three others recalled seeing the incident in which the blonde had been rude to Ginger. There descriptions of her matched with the photograph that Daryl provided and each one of them recognized her in the photo.
Mr. Howell's private investigator was able to find out the green van was for a phony cleaning company. Neighbors surrounding did remember seeing the words Claude's Cleaning Service painted in orange letters. They all found it odd since that company had gone out of business three years ago. The owner, Claude Schneider, had closed it down and retired to Florida. Officer Green did contact him and he confirmed he sold off his cleaning van to a nun's charity. This piqued the officer's interest as not too long ago The Sister's of the Sacred Heart had reported a van being stolen. They had planned on repainting it but one night it was stolen right out of their garage. He had asked them if the van was green and had Claude's Cleaning Service painted on the side. Sister Mary Andrew verified that was correct. She and Sister Mary Luke were tasked with purchasing the van and they remembered clearly the somewhat faded orange paint spelling out those words. The group hoped this would help them get closer to finding their favorite starlet.
Mary Ann was terrified of what Ginger was going through however she knew how strong the movie star was and knew that she would hold on knowing that they would find her.
Gilligan hated seeing the Professor like this. He always believed him to be a good guy and thought Ginger did herself good by snagging him. If anyone could take care of that redhead it was Roy Hinkley. Nobody else understood her like he did. Gilligan liked Ginger as if she was his own sister. She was always nice to him and never acted stuck up.
He thought to the time she made him believe that she could see into the future. Telling him he was the captain of his own ship. It made him feel good. And he remembered when he ate those seeds and Ginger was trying to help him figure out how he was able to read minds. He then handed her some seeds and that is when she determined they were the reason for it. The first mate smiled thinking of how the Professor did not believe any of it and then the Skipper suggested that he allow Ginger to read his mind and Ginger said without any hesitation 36-22-36. The look on the academic's face was priceless. He tried saying it was the atomic weight of something that the sailor could not remember but Ginger was not buying it and neither did Gilligan who attempted to inform him that he knew he was really thinking of Ginger's curves.
"You think he will be okay?" Mrs. Howell asked of the Professor.
"Of course he will Lovey." Mr. Howell assured. "The Professor is strong. He knows we will get Ginger back and that we are doing everything in our power to assure that."
Skipper nodded. "I agree Mr. Howell." He said. "Sure this is tough but the Professor will manage. He's a calm logical guy. I'm sure he's thinking of something right now to locate Ginger."
"I'm sure you're right." Mrs. Howell stated. "But I feel that I should go up and talk to him. I'm worried about that dear man." She stood up and before anyone could stop her, made her way up the winding staircase.
The socialite came across the closed white door to the bedroom and gently knocked.
"Go away!" The voice on the other side said.
"Professor it's Mrs. Howell. Please may I come in?"
"No." The Professor snapped. "I want to be alone. Can't I just be left alone! You people constantly hounded me on the island wanting one thing or another. I want to be alone!"
"Professor dear please I just want to talk to you."
A few seconds later the door opened revealing a disheveled looking man. His eyes were red and puffy. It broke Lovey's heart to see him in such pain. She felt as if she was seeing her own son suffering.
She walked inside noting the uneaten plate of food that Mary Ann had brought up a bit ago. "Professor really you should eat. You need to keep up your strength."
"I don't need to eat." He snapped. "What I need is my Ginger."
"Of course you do." Mrs. Howell said sitting down on the bed thinking to herself how lovely the gold colored blanket was. "We all love her. Mr. Howell and I think of her as our own daughter."
"I know." The Professor said in a more soft tone as he sat on the chair in front of the desk.
"This is a horrible ordeal for you I know. I can't imagine how I would feel if something happened to Thurston. I remember when we thought he had died. How my heart broke! I honestly did not want to go on living without him. Life meant nothing to me."
"Yeah but it turned out he hadn't died." The Professor said matter of factly.
"Yes he hadn't. He was returned to me. Just like Ginger will be returned to you. You have to keep your faith."
"I'm trying." The Professor sighed. "You know it's not easy."
"No it's not easy but you must hold onto it. I bet right now Ginger herself is thinking of a way to get back to you. She is one tough woman. You remember when that ape man was on our island what was his name…Tongo? Yes…you recall how he snatched her and she got away from him?"
The Professor smiled a bit. "Yes I remember." He had been proud of the starlet for thinking quickly and smashing a coconut on that Tongo's head.
"Well that proves that she is not helpless. She can find a way out of a predicament and I'm sure she will find a way out of this one." Lovey assured.
"Yes Mrs. Howell but this is not the same thing. This isn't some pathetic actor...this is a real psycho wishing to erase Ginger from Hollywood."
"I know but Ginger will prevail. You know she is not going to allow this Diana or Eva to destroy what she worked so hard for. And Professor even if Diana/Eva was in fact successful in getting her fame in Hollywood you know that Ginger would be okay as long as she still had you. You are more important to her than Hollywood. Yes when we were on the island she dreamed of being back in Hollywood but I must say there were times when I believe it to be an act."
"An act?" The Professor said. "What do you mean?"
"Professor I saw the way Ginger would look at you. Given the choice between Hollywood and you she would pick you. Remember the eye of the idol? She picked you over returning back to stardom. She said Hollywood can wait. She did not want to leave you. I know that Mary Ann piped up first but I believe that she would have said the same if it was anyone else. Ginger was conflicted. She longed to return to her life but she also loved you. She did not want to be forgotten but she also did not want to forget you. That's why in the end she decided to stay. She loves you Professor and she will not let anyone keep her away from you."
Roy sighed. "I suppose you are right." He relented.
"I am right." She said confidently. "Now I want you to get yourself together and let us go and find that beautiful starlet so the two of you can be married!"
Roy laughed a bit. "Okay Mrs. Howell..you win."
"Good." The socialite said with satisfaction.
The two walked to the door and headed back down the stairs.
Mary Ann looked up and smiled feeling glad that Mrs. Howell got through to the scholar.
"You feeling better Professor?" She asked.
"Yes I am." He said. "As good as I can be. I just want to get my beautiful starlet back. And that's all I want. So let's put our heads together and figure out how we can make that happen."
Hideaway
Ginger sat on the bed trying to come up with someway of freeing herself. Think Ginger Think! There had to be something. Something that could help her.
Her mind recalled when the Professor once told her about using logic to solve a tough predicament. A small smile came to her face as she thought of him. She then shook her head and focused. Her eyes scanned the room looking for anything that could be used to unlock the handcuff. She came up empty but then the solution presented itself. Duh!
Her hairpins! Why had she not thought of that before! Before she was taken she had been in the middle of sweeping her hair up on her head. She had pinned a few strands…Of course! That was the answer! "Oh Roy you are so smart!" She said to herself. "Logic is the answer to solving a tough problem."
Grinning, Ginger removed a pin from her hair and began working the lock. It would budge but she was determined that she was going to get free and be back in her love's arms in no time.