Chapter 44 – Desperate For Diamonds

"D-D-Daddy and Uncle K-Kevin a-a-are n-not the s-s-same p-person…Daddy a-a-and U-U-Uncle Kevin…a-are…not th-the s-same…person…Da-addy a-a-and…U-Uncle…K-Kev-vin…a-a-are…n-n-ot…the s-same…p-erson…"

Esme had been repeating these words on the boat ride back to Wyndemere, unaware of the cold rain falling onto her, and how badly she was shivering. Each time she said it, her stammering became worse, and Nelle was growing very concerned. Once inside, Nelle immediately went upstairs to get towels as well as dry clothes for both Esme and Ace.

*Esme is sitting in front of the fireplace in the Wyndemere living room, staring at the flames*

Nelle: Esme?

*Esme continues to stare at the fire*

Esme: D-Daddy…and…Uncle…K-Kevin…a-are not…th-the s-same…p-p-erson…

Nelle: I've got a towel for you to dry off with, and also a dry outfit.

Esme: Daddy a-a-and U-U-Uncle Kevin…a-are…not th-the s-same…p-person…

*Nelle takes one of the towels and wraps it around Esme, who doesn't seem to react. She then dries Ace off, changes his diaper, and gets him into his dry outfit. After washing her hands, she goes back to the living room, holding Ace on her lap, while watching Esme still staring at the fire*

Nelle: Esme?

Esme: D-Daddy…and…Uncle…K-Kevin…a-are not…th-the s-same…p-p-erson…

Nelle: Esme, I've got some dry clothes for you.

Esme: Daddy a-a-and U-U-Uncle Kevin…a-are…not th-the s-same…person…Da-addy a-a-and…U-Uncle…K-Kev-vin…a-a-are…n-n-ot…the s-same…p-erson…

*Nelle starts to panic. She had never seen Esme like this before. She was rocking back and forth in front of the fireplace muttering those same words repeatedly. She was also gripping her wrist very tightly with her other hand and twisting her arm, as if struggling to escape her own grasp. The skin on her hand was red and irritated*

Nelle: Esme?

Esme: D-Daddy…and…Uncle…K-Kevin…a-are not…th-the s-same…p-p-erson…

*Nelle grows more worried. She thought Esme felt comfortable and safe with her Uncle Kevin. Was it perhaps something he said? She knew Kevin urged her to start re-integrating back into society, which Esme seemed hesitant to do, and Nelle neither thought she was ready, and she had her reasons for wanting Esme to stay. Did Esme feel that Kevin was trying to take her away from Nelle, and give Ace to Nikolas?*

Esme: D-Daddy…and…Uncle…K-Kevin…a-are not…th-the s-same…p-p-erson…

*Either Esme was having an anxiety attack (which Nelle experienced a lot of herself) and simply needed something to snap her out of it, or she was having a nervous breakdown, which Nelle hoped wasn't the case as it might entail Esme needing to go to the mental hospital, or she was experiencing confusion as a result of being out in the cold. Regardless, Nelle was worried about her potentially hurting herself because of how hard she was rubbing her wrist. No doubt it would be sore in the morning. Nelle ponders if she should try and make her let go and how she may react, but eventually decides it's worth the risk*

Esme: Daddy a-a-and U-U-Uncle Kevin…a-are…not th-the s-same…person…Da-addy a-a-and…AAAAGH!

*Nelle had touched Esme's hand which she was gripping her wrist with, causing her to instantly let go and look up at Nelle, who is startled but ultimately relieved*

Esme: Daddy and Uncle Kevin are not the same person…right Nelle?

Nelle: That's right, they're not.

*Esme looks at her wrist*

Esme: What happened to my wrist? Did Daddy do it?

Nelle: Esme, your dad is dead. He's been dead for about a year now.

Esme: Then who did this to me?

*There was no way for Nelle to say it other than to be brutally honest*

Nelle: You did. You were rubbing your wrist really hard.

Esme: Daddy used to grab me by my wrist really hard whenever he was angry at me. He did it when I came to visit him after he found out about the revenge porn. He was so angry at me. Not that the stuff he was making me do wasn't also horrible, even though I genuinely hated Ava and didn't care that I was ruining her life and her marriage.

Nelle: Why did you want to ruin her marriage, aside from the reasons why Ryan was making you do what he did?

Esme: *Her voice chokes up* Because Spence hated her and wanted her gone. *Sniffle* And I loved Spence and wanted to make him happy! I will never stop loving Spence!

Nelle: Well, they didn't find his body so it's possible he might still be alive, but in the meantime, you're pregnant with his baby, and the best thing you can do right now would probably be to change out of those wet clothes.

Esme: *Sniff* Okay.

*Nelle helps her change her clothes and wrap her hair in the towel to help it dry. Esme then sits back down in front of the fireplace*

Esme: That was Uncle Kevin we were talking to at the hospital though, right?

Nelle: Yes, that was Kevin.

Esme: How do you know? He and Dad…Ryan…were identical twins!

Nelle: Well for one thing, Kevin still has two hands.

*Esme looks down at her wrists and realizes that it's her left wrist which she had been gripping so tightly with her right hand. Ryan was missing his right hand, and used his left hand to grab her right wrist. Esme finally looks relieved, but Nelle was curious what made her think Ryan might still be alive (other than the fact that he had faked his death on more than one occasion, though it was before Esme came to Port Charles)*

Nelle: Does your Uncle Kevin make you feel uncomfortable?

Esme: No. I feel very safe around him and want him to be part of my life. Aside from Heather, who I want nothing to do with, and my kids, he's the only family I've got. He's a good person, and he wants what's best for me. I guess it was him encouraging me to move back in with him and Laura that made me uncomfortable. I understand why he might be concerned about me, as well as Ace and the new baby, but I want nothing to do with Nikolas, which is why I'm MUCH more comfortable here at Wyndemere.

*She chuckles*

I know it's kind of ironic because this was where Nikolas and the rest of the Cassadines lived for so many years, but it's our house now. You've remodeled it so it doesn't look the same as it did when they were living here, and I especially like what you did with the North Tower as it's actually really cozy up there now even though I don't spend much time there. But it's also because we're on an island, and even though every time I'm on the launch I feel seasick, I nonetheless like that it's the only way to get here, and you've instructed the pilot to not let anyone on board unless they have permission to be here. And I know you sealed off the entrance to the Catacombs on the island, so Nikolas has no way of getting here.

I don't know. I guess it felt like Uncle Kevin was trying to get me to go somewhere where I don't feel safe, and I would feel totally fine at their penthouse if it weren't for the fact that Nikolas can drop by any time he wants. I'm not even scared of Nikolas. I'm scared that he's going to try to take Ace away from me. He hurt Spence so badly which is why their relationship was so strained, and I worry about him hurting Ace too.

Nelle: Well, the difference between Spencer and Ace is that Spencer's mother died shortly after he was born, so Spencer never got to know her. I know that there were various women Spencer looked up to when he was younger such as my cousin Britt Westbourne, but at the same time, they never filled the role of a mother. I'm not saying a person's mother has to be one who gave birth to them, but they still need to be a constant presence in their life and have the unconditional love that a parent and child ideally should have. But Nikolas was the only parent Spencer grew up with, and he was absent for a good portion of his life.

That's not the case with Ace. You've been in his life from Day 1. Even though I'm helping you take care of him, which I'm happy to do for as long as I'm around, you are very much a part of his life. And the judge saw that you were better fit to be a parent than Nikolas was which is why you were awarded custody. It's true that your own parents were such horrible people, but you've already proven that you have what it takes to be a good mother to Ace. Nikolas has a long way to go.

Esme: Well I'm glad to hear you say that, though Nikolas, in typical Cassadine fashion, isn't the type to let that sort of thing stop him. I'm almost positive that if he tries and fails to get even visitation rights, he'd resort to kidnapping Ace.

Nelle: And if he were to try to do that, then back to prison he goes!

Esme: I hope so.

Nelle: You and I both have had our brushes with the law, some of which were pretty serious, but you got custody. Nikolas didn't, and instead he went to prison. Again, this is saying something. Ace needs his mommy, and you're the only parental figure who has been a constant presence in his life.

Esme: I know, and I don't want to leave him. Nor do I want anyone to whisk my new baby away after the baby is born.

Nelle: And you won't. Trust me!

Esme: I do.

*Nelle smiles at Esme*

PINE VALLEY

Anna Devane was growing desperate. Her granddaughter, Emma Scorpio-Drake had been kidnapped. Anna figured out the identity of Emma's captor. His name was Ramó n Salazar and was the head of the Salazar crime family based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Like most mob kingpins, he was extremely rich and lived in a large mansion. He was married with a teenage son, but, not surprisingly, was rumored to have had numerous extramarital affairs over the years with much younger women.

Unlike Sonny Corinthos, who, despite being a mob boss, was loved by many in Port Charles and known for being charitable, Salazar was said to treat even the highest-ranking members of his organization as if they were nothing, despite many of them sacrificing everything for him. He was also known for his extremely volatile temper, and people often found themselves walking on eggshells while talking to him, not knowing what they might say or do that would make him launch into a tirade. Why he was targeting her family she didn't know. Salazar was demanding that Anna find a stash of diamonds and bring them to him in exchange for Emma's release. The problem was, Anna was under the impression that the diamonds that Salazar wanted were lost years ago.

At the time, Anna had been living in Pine Valley, where she served as Chief of Police. She was married to David Hayward, and pregnant with Leora. David had two younger half-brothers. The youngest, Leo du Pres, was married to a woman named Greenlee Smythe. Their mother, Vanessa Bennett, who was later revealed to be the drug lord Proteus, never accepted Greenlee. One night, right as Leo and Greenlee were preparing to leave on a trip to Paris, Vanessa kidnapped Greenlee and took her to Miller's Falls, where she held her hostage on the overlook. She demanded that Leo find a stash of diamonds hidden in a cave near the waterfall and bring them to her. Leo found the diamonds, but Vanessa refused to let Greenlee go and instead tried to kill her. Leo dropped the diamonds into the water and tried to get the gun away from Vanessa. As the two of them fought while standing on the rickety wooden bridge overlooking the waterfall, a section of the bridge's railing broke, causing them to both fall into the river. Neither of their bodies were ever recovered, nor were the diamonds.

However, according to Salazar, there was a second stash of diamonds, supposedly hidden in a mansion in Pine Valley, though he didn't specify which one. Pine Valley had been home to many wealthy families, including the Chandlers, the Cortlandts, and the Maricks. Anna knew that Vanessa had been married to Palmer Cortlandt and that both of David's twin daughters, Babe Carey and Marissa Tasker, had been married to J.R. Chandler, and J.R. had a son with Babe, though Anna wasn't sure if J.R.'s son was close with David. She thought it was highly unlikely that the diamonds were hidden at the Chandler Mansion. As for Palmer, after he had divorced his previous wife, Opal, he had moved out of Cortlandt Manor and into a suite at the Valley Inn and had later been swindled out of his money. Following Vanessa's death, he rekindled his romance with Opal but died before they could get married again, and Opal eventually sold Cortlandt Manor.

This left Wildwind, where Anna and her sister Alex lived when Alex was married to Dimitri Marick before Dimitri and Alex left for Europe shortly after Princess Gillian Andrassy was killed. More recently, David had moved into Wildwind as a tenant and lived there for two years until he was forced to move out by Palmer, who had purchased the mansion shortly before his death so that his estranged nephew Caleb Cooney could live there. Caleb eventually moved out and sold the mansion back to Dimitri's family. She had heard that Dimitri, after many years of living a reclusive life in Europe following his divorce from Alex, eventually returned to Pine Valley and lived at Wildwind with his new wife, Brooke English, though Dimitri eventually died. She learned that the current owner was Dimitri's son Anton, though he didn't live there. Despite it being many years since David Hayward had lived here, she concluded that Wildwind was where the diamonds likely were hidden. She didn't know if anyone was currently living there, nor how she would possibly go about asking if she could search the property for the diamonds.

*Anna is in her room at the Valley Inn trying to get some rest when her phone rings, startling her*

Anna: Hello?

Emma: Grandma, it's me, Emma!

Anna: Emma! Oh my god, are you all right?

Emma: Please Grandma, if you don't find the diamonds, he's going to kill me!

Anna: No he's not!

*Anna hears a sneering, nasally voice*

Salazar: Oh yes "he" will!

Anna: Hello Mr. Salazar.

Salazar: We had a deal. You find the diamonds and bring them to me, and your granddaughter goes free, though probably not back to UC Berkeley since she likely will be expelled for causing the flood that destroyed the dorm building!

*Anna has a feeling that Salazar was likely the one who triggered the sprinkler which flooded the building*

Anna: I haven't forgotten.

Salazar: Mmm hmm. Have you forgotten that you have three days to do it?

Anna: No, I haven't.

Salazar: Well, time is running out.

Anna: It's only been one day! I could find them faster if you gave me more information about where they might be hidden, if they even exist!

Salazar: THEY DO EXIST, AND I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU WHERE THEY ARE!

Anna: No you haven't. You told me they were hidden away in a mansion!

Salazar: That's right. I would've thought you would've been able to find them by now, given your decades of experience with the WSB!

Anna: I no longer am with the WSB, and even if I was, I wouldn't be able to find them based on the very little information you've given me. It's been years since I've been to Pine Valley and I have no ties to anyone who currently lives there.

Salazar: You were married to the late Dr. David Hayward. I understand you had a daughter with him too. So tragic, what happened to her.

Anna: DON'T YOU DARE MENTION MY DAUGHTER!

Salazar: DON'T YOU DARE RAISE YOUR VOICE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO ME!

Anna: You do not know who you're dealing with!

Salazar: Well, you just said it yourself. You're no longer with the WSB, so you're quite powerless. I could easily eliminate you!

Anna: Oh I'd sacrifice my life if it meant allowing my granddaughter to go free!

Emma: Please don't kill my grandmother!

Salazar covers the mouthpiece (though Anna can still hear him) and looks over at Emma*

Salazar: SHUT UP YOU WHINY LITTLE BRAT!

*He clears his throat*

Salazar: Listen lady, you've got two days left to find those diamonds, catch a flight to SFO, and hand them off to me! I have no more information than you do regarding where they might be, but if you can't find them with the information you have, I can understand why the WSB decided to cut you loose, as you were useless to them on top of traitorous! And don't even think about bringing any of your former colleagues, nor anyone else with you. If you do, I will know, and they will pay!

*He hangs up before Anna can say anything else*

Emma: Please, Mr. Salazar! I will give you anything you want, just don't hurt my grandmother!

Salazar: Your grandmother said herself that she's willing to die so that you can live. How generous of her! Unfortunately, she's now raised the stakes! Should she fail to find the diamonds, you both will die! Now, if you're a good girl and don't say another word, I just might bring you a little something to eat.

*He exits the room and slams the door*

THE NEXT DAY

Anna knew it was highly unlikely that what she was about to do would work, but decided it was worth a shot. She drove to a large office building with mirrored glass windows and parked in the underground garage, then took the elevator up to the fourth floor where the Kenyon-Wallingford Law Firm was located.

Anna enters the office suite and is greeted by the receptionist*

Receptionist: May I help you?

Anna: Yes, I have an appointment with Mr. Kenyon.

Receptionist: I'm sorry, he isn't with our firm anymore.

Anna: No, there must be a mistake. I spoke with him on the telephone yesterday and he told me to come to the office.

Receptionist: Are you sure you have the right number?

Anna: Positive. Besides, your sign outside says "Kenyon-Wallingford Law Firm"

Receptionist: They haven't changed the sign yet, but Mr. Kenyon is no longer with us.

*Anna thinks something very fishy is going on. Not only does the sign read "Kenyon-Wallingford Law Firm" but there was also a tray of business cards on the front desk with Mr. Kenyon's name on them*

Anna: Then who was it I spoke to?

A man comes out from the hallway to the reception area*

Man: It was me, Ms. Devane. Please come on back.

*Anna hesitates but follows him to his office. Once inside, she sits down in one of the chairs in front of the desk and sees a plaque which reads "Damon Martin Wallingford, Esq." She is somewhat surprised to see the usage of the term "Esq" as she felt it was both formal and dated, especially considering that the man in front of her looked very young, almost as if he had just graduated from law school*

Man: I'm Damon Wallingford. I apologize for not introducing myself when we spoke on the phone yesterday. Things here are rather hectic at the moment. But I'm happy to answer whatever you were wanting to discuss with my colleague, though from what it sounded like from when we spoke on the phone, you were calling about something that I unfortunately am not able to discuss since it concerns one of our other clients.

Anna: I know. My late husband, Dr. David Hayward. I'm here to discuss his estate.

Damon: From what I understand, you and Dr. Hayward were not married for very long and your divorce occurred over twenty years ago.

Anna: That is correct Mr. Wallingford, but we have a daughter together.

Damon: A daughter who I understand died when she was only a few months old. I'm very sorry for your loss Ms. Devane, but I don't understand what this has to do with why you're here. Unless you're here to consult about stuff pertaining to your own estate, there isn't much I can help you with.

*Anna decides to drop her act*

Anna: Mr. Wallingford, you have to help me! My granddaughter is being held hostage by a known criminal who is demanding that I hand over the diamonds from the Proteus fortune in exchange for her release.

Damon: Oh my god, that's horrible!

Anna: I know, and that's why I wanted to talk to Mr. Kenyon! Not only is he my former brother-in-law, but he knew about the Proteus fortune!

Damon: As do most of us who were living in Pine Valley during Proteus's reign of terror. But those diamonds are long gone. You should know this, as from what I understand, at the time you were the Chief of Police.

Anna: Yes, I know about that particular stash of diamonds! I was on the scene during the hostage crisis. Leo dumped them into the river shortly before he and Vanessa fell in. But there's a second stash of diamonds hidden somewhere else in Pine Valley, and I need them in order to save my granddaughter!

Damon: Ms. Devane, I know you are very concerned about your granddaughter-

Anna: THAT IS A MAJOR UNDERSTATEMENT!

Damon: But unfortunately I can't help you!

Anna: If you cannot help me then give me Mr. Kenyon's telephone number so I can contact him myself and explain the situation!

Damon: I can't do that either because he's no longer with our law firm-

Anna: I don't believe you as otherwise you would've changed the name of your law firm and gotten rid of his business cards. Now tell me how I can contact him!

Damon: I can't do that!

*Anna stands up, pulls out her gun and points it at Damon, who puts his hands up!*

Damon: WOAH! WOAH!

Anna: I don't believe for a second that you can't do it! I think you won't do it!

Damon: I CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE EVEN IF THERE IS ANOTHER STASH OF DIAMONDS HIDDEN AWAY SOMEWHERE I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY WOULD BE!

Anna: WELL THEN GIVE ME MR. KENYON'S CONTACT INFORMATION SO I CAN CONTACT HIM MYSELF!

Damon: HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT LADY? I CAN'T!

Anna: DON'T MAKE ME SHOOT YOU, I DON'T WANT DO!

Damon: THEN LOWER THE DAMN GUN!

Anna: NOT UNTIL YOU EXPLAIN WHY YOU CAN'T TELL ME!

Damon: I CAN'T TELL YOU BECAUSE HE'S DEAD, OKAY?!

*Anna is quiet for several seconds, then slowly lowers the gun*

Anna: He's dead?

Damon: Yes, he's dead. He was shot by a guy who was trying to rob him. It happened very recently.

*Anna is quiet again. She was sorry to hear that Mr. Kenyon was dead, though she didn't know him very well, and his own reputation was less than stellar*

Anna: Okay, well I'm sorry to hear that. I'm guessing whoever shot him was doing what I was trying to do.

Damon: No, they weren't. You have a granddaughter who is being held hostage by someone who is wanting something from you that most likely doesn't exist.

*Anna is quiet again*

Damon: Look, I understand the urgency of your situation. I really do! You're desperate to save your granddaughter. I understand this. I wish I could help you, but I can't. Like I've been saying, I don't know if these diamonds exist, nor where they would be hidden. And even if I knew where they were, I wouldn't be able to give them to you, as they belong to their rightful owner. It would be theft.

Anna: *Sigh* I understand. Well, thank you for your time.

Damon: I really hope you are able to get your granddaughter back. I have a meeting with a client, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave now.

Anna: Right. And thank you.

Damon: I'll walk you out.

Anna: Okay.

*The two of them make their way to the reception area, where a man is seated in one of the chairs looking rather uneasy*

Damon: I'll be right with you sir. Good luck Ms. Devane.

Anna: Thank you.

*Anna leaves the office suite and takes the elevator back down to the parking lot*

Receptionist: Everything okay in there?

Damon: Yeah, just another legal dispute that got a bit out of hand.

*He goes back to his office, takes his phone out, and dials a number*

Damon: It's me. I was just held at gunpoint in my office by Anna Devane! She knows about the diamonds! What? No, of course not. These diamonds are ours!