Okay how did that happen exactly... 400 chapters? It just feels like I passed the 300th mark?!
Thank you everyone still reading and reviewing, I love it when I find out we're on the same wavelength!
SPOILERS - this week - JR bumps into Annie, Dr Stanhope uncovers the real cause of Miranda's nightmares and Marissa makes an unexpected discovery whilst packing for the trial...
...
As soon as news got out about the Inquirer's twist of the Hello article those affected quickly realised something had to be done. At the end of the day a group consisting of Erica, Krystal, Jackson, Marissa, Bianca, Jesse and Tad gathered at the Martin's house for a council of war. Jackson had brought an addition guest as well, Derek Nassir the DA who would be prosecuting JR's case.
"Surely we can sue them for libel now." said Marissa, glaring at the latest cover of the Inquirer. Under the ridiculous headline LESBIAN TURNS HER SON INTO A GIRL they had picked out any little thing they could in the HELLO photograph to make AJ look as girly as possible; picking up on his long hair and in the background of the picture the doll house and a princess dress poking out of the play-closet he shared with Miranda and Gabby. Right down to a Mini Mouse coaster by his bedside that had been a gift from Gabby when they were in Disneyland.
"We have to be careful when dealing with that paper." said Krystal. "Although they are certainly showing signs of desperation of they think anyone is going to swallow that garbage!"
"But we have a case." insisted Marissa. "This is defamation of character with no factual base what so ever. They haven't got a leg to stand on!"
"But they unfortunately have the video." said Krystal sadly.
Bianca groaned,
"But they wouldn't use it?"
"Video?" asked the DA leaning forward.
Marissa's cheeks turned red and Bianca looked uncomfortable.
Jackson cleared his throat.
"JR, in an attempt to keep custody of AJ, secretly recorded Marissa and Bianca in bed together with an aim to blackmail them. We believed the video was destroyed, but it would seem that JR kept a copy."
"And he's handed it to the papers?" Derek asked.
Erica picked up the story,
"We spoke to the Inquirer editor and he was the one who told us that they had images from the video. He said he was sitting on it for the moment… but then he also said he would try to keep the children out of it… The real problem is Rupert Henderson; he seems to be managing a personal vendetta against Marissa."
"Do we know why?" asked Jesse, making his own notes as the conversation went on.
Tad cleared his throat.
"I think I can answer that question." he said. "Erica and Krystal asked me to look into any connection between Rupert Henderson and Carol Robinson. It has taken some digging but I think I've found the link…"
He had everyone's attention now.
He picked up a file from the table beside him.
"I thought there must be some legal link between the two but he seemed to keep his hands pretty clean. The only legal case I could find against Rupert Henderson, outside his papers misdemeanours, is over twenty-five years old and actually affected his son Nathan Henderson. Young Nathan was arrested for manslaughter and dangerous driving after a Porsche in the family's ownership crashed into a New York bus stop at high speed killing one man and maiming a nineteen year old girl."
"Twenty-five years ago… it's too long for Carol to have acted as his lawyer." said Jackson.
"I haven't got to the worst part yet." said Tad, pulling out a newspaper cutting. "Nathan was released without charge that same day and the chauffeur's son, David, confessed and was charged and served fifteen year. He came out of prison a very rich man… a very very rich man…"
"That sounds like a payout." said Jesse.
"You are suggesting a cover up?" asked the DA, a frown of disbelief on his face.
"And what has this got to do with Carol Robison? If she wasn't the lawyer..?" added Jackson.
"That is where things get really interesting." said Tad. "Eighteen year old Carol Minchin was a key witness after the crash. It was her best friend that lost her arm. Carol in fact was the one to identify David Colman, the chauffeur's son, in the line-up. Miss Minchin then went on to study law at Harvard after winning a very generous college grant from a charity which has traceable links to the Henderson media empire. There she met and fell in love with Edward Robinson, they married just seven years later."
Krystal frowned with confusion.
"I may be being a little dense here but what exactly are you suggesting?"
Tad sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"Present company please accept that this is just speculation…" he said nodding in the direction of the DA, "… but I am saying that Carol Robinson, or as she was, Carol Minchin took part in a cover-up resulting in the imprisonment of an innocent man. That is the hold Carol Robinson has over Rupert and his newspaper empire."
"You have proof?" Derek asked.
Tad sighed.
"Not in so many words." said Tad, "But it must be there somewhere and I'm going to keep digging until I find it! If it looks fishy, and smells fishy, you'll usually find a fish!"
The DA shook his head in horror.
"You are suggesting that one of the leading media moguls in the country covered up an act of man-slaughter?"
"And is now being blackmailed for his pains." finished Tad. "The truth is, if we want to stop the filth flowing from the pages of the Inquirer, the person we really need to bring down is Carol Robinson!"
…