Chapter Three: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
Jack Devereaux was glad to be back in Salem, glad to be back with his wife and daughter. Luckily, not much had changed while he was off somewhere, presumed dead. He looked around his home office and shuffled through papers, opened and closed drawers, reacclimating himself to his surroundings. He noticed a trunk in the corner, locked still after who knows how long. He supposed Jennifer was never curious enough to open it and see what it contained. Jack, however, was feeling nostalgic, and decided to take a peek. The key was long since lost, but that was no problem for a sneak like him. He quickly had it picked and was digging through the trunk's contents. Down towards the bottom Jack found a manila envelope with an unmarked cassette tape in it. He held it in his hand, thinking…
*flashback* "So, Victor thinks you gave him the only copy of that tape, does he?" "Yes, Jack, for some reason he does. Either he's slipping in his old age, or he just doesn't give me enough credit." "Well, are you going to use it?" "Not just yet. It may be better that he thinks he has me under his thumb. I'll just save that extra copy for a rainy day. Never know when I may need it. You sure you don't mind holding onto it for me?" "Not at all- hey, what are friends for?"
"Wow," Jack thinks to himself, "I'd forgotten all about this. Obviously she has, too. I mean, they're engaged now, right? It's been so many years, I wonder if I should just dispose of this, but then, she did ask me to hold onto it… hmmm…." Jack fishes in his pocket, pulls out his cell phone, and dials. "Hey, Sami! Long time! How about joining your old friend for lunch tomorrow? We've got some catching up to do."
Jack and Sami sit at their table, laughing about old times. The two of them had always been just enough alike to get along but not so much alike that they became enemies. Jack looks at Sami and wishes that Jennifer had just a little bit of that spark that resides within her. "So, Jack, what's really on your mind? I mean, this is great, but I think you wanted to meet me for a reason." Sami brings Jack back to reality with her questioning. "No fooling you, eh, Sami?" Jack laughs. Sami just shakes her head. "Really, Jack, what's going on?" For a moment they both turn serious as Jack relays to her his recent discovery. Sami's face goes blank when he asks her what she wants to do. "I don't know, Jack. I mean, I haven't even thought of, well, you know, in so long, I really couldn't say. It seems like maybe the best thing would be to just throw it out, but then, burning bridges has never worked well for me. Let me think about it?" Jack leans across the table and takes her hand, rubbing his thumb across her bent knuckles. "Sure," he says, "you just let me know what you decide." Sami turns both their hands over to look at her watch. "Oh crap! Jack, I hate to cut this short, but I've got tons of wedding stuff to do. Do you mind horribly?" "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," he laughs, "but you go have fun and we'll meet up again soon. Let me know if I can do anything for you." "I'll hold you to that," Sami replies, brushing his cheek with her lips and giving him a hug before rushing out the door.