Chapter 45 – Treasure Hunt
PINE VALLEY
Attorney Damon Wallingford, still shaken up after being held at gunpoint by Anna Devane, was in his office on the phone. While he didn't think Anna would have shot him, he still knew he had to do something about her, though he knew he couldn't involve the police. There was too much at stake.
Damon: No, I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't meaning "ours" in terms of me expecting you to give me half of the diamonds. I have no use for them. But I did just tell Anna that she can't have the diamonds because they belong to their rightful owner.
Man on the other end of the line: That's right, they do.
Damon: And you're wanting me to help you take them.
Man: That's right.
Damon: Honestly, I'm very surprised that you are going to do this, because you went to prison for an extremely serious crime that could potentially have gotten you put away for life! You were given a very gentle slap on the wrist with the deal you got!
Man: I know, which is why we are going to have to be discreet about this.
Damon: And that's what makes me nervous! You have too much to lose. We both do. I'm helping you steal something! I'm literally helping you commit a crime!
Man: It isn't stealing if it's something that's rightfully yours.
Damon: They aren't yours though!
Man: At the end of the day, no, they aren't mine. But I wouldn't be doing my job if we don't find them.
Damon: Alright, I'm extremely confused now. Are you working for the mob or something?
Man: No.
Damon: Then who are you working for? What type of "job" are you doing?!
Man: I'll explain but not over the phone. Once we have the diamonds everything will make sense.
Damon: *Sigh* Alright. When will we go get the diamonds?
Man: Tonight. I'll tell you where they are hidden and when to meet me later.
*He hangs up*
Leora and Ian were getting ready to leave on a vacation of sorts. Ian's band was going on another mini tour, though they would not be going to Port Charles this time, as the tour was strictly in Pennsylvania. Among the places on their itinerary were Nixon Falls, where Ian used to live in a trailer park, as well as Llanview, which would be their last stop before returning to Pine Valley. Leora, despite having lived in Pennsylvania for most of her life save for the few years she had lived with Nelle in Port Charles, had never been to Llanview, despite it not being located very far away, though she had heard a lot about it.
Ian had a pickup truck with a camper, which Leora had been looking forward to staying in even though it was very much the opposite from her comfy bed at Wildwind. It was sunset, and since Ian was used to driving at night, they were just now loading their stuff. Ian had driven the camper around to the front of the mansion so they could load everything more easily.
*Leora finishes loading her stuff into the camper*
Leora: Okay, I'm ready when you are.
*There is no answer*
Leora: Did you hear me?
*Still no answer. She assumes he must have forgotten something, so she heads back up to the mansion. Walking in through the front doors, she sees all of Ian's things (his bass guitars, amp, various accessories, as well as his suitcases) still in the foyer*
Leora: Ian?
*She goes into the living room*
Leora: Ian?!
*She finds herself on the verge of a panic attack when Ian walks in*
Leora: There you are! I was getting worried!
*Judging by the expression on Ian's face, he is worried too*
Leora: What's wrong?
Ian: There are footprints outside. I think someone's been watching us!
Leora: Are you sure?
Ian: Positive.
*They go outside. It had rained a few days earlier which had made the ground soft and muddy. They notice the footprints which seem to walk around the outside of the building. The footprints near the larger windows seem especially deep, as if the person had been staring in at them*
Ian: These are the footprints.
*Leora looks at her own shoes*
Leora: I think these are women's shoes. They're about the same size as mine. See?
*She points at her own footprints*
Ian: I guess so. I don't think I could really tell men's shoes apart from women's shoes based on the size of the footprint. It's kind of difficult to tell what type of shoes they were wearing. I only just noticed them, but it looks like they've been here for at least a few days, as they don't look as fresh as ours.
*They continue to follow the tracks all the way around the building, pausing at the window of the downstairs suite in which they both were now sleeping. The footprints near this window are especially deep, and unlike the windows at Wyndemere, the glass is clear*
Leora: Ian, that's our bedroom window! Oh god I hope they weren't watching us while were having sex!
*She remembers how Esme recorded the revenge porn video. Even though Esme was very remorseful about it, and Leora understood and didn't let it affect her opinion of the person Esme currently is, she nonetheless began to panic*
Leora: Oh my god! I hope they weren't recording us!
Ian: What made you arrive at that conclusion?
Leora: Because…I don't know actually. I don't want to judge Esme too harshly because she's a great friend, she knows what she did was wrong, she's been working on herself and has come a long way, but I don't know, I guess feel like this person must have had some reason for spying on us. This mansion is huge and if they were looking for something valuable to steal, they probably would have tried to break in and take it. But I don't see anything that makes me think they did that. I'm definitely going to be closing the drapes in the bedroom from now on though, which sucks because I really love the moonlight, and that room has a great view.
*She checks her watch. It was getting close to the time they were supposed to leave*
Leora: *Sigh* Well, we're going to be out of town, and I've already loaded my stuff into the camper. Why don't you load your stuff while I have a look at the security camera footage.
Ian: Good idea.
*They make their way around to the front of the building, being sure to wipe their feet before going inside. Once in the living room, Leora pulls up the home security camera app. She has to look back a few days, but eventually she sees somebody walking around the outside of the building. The person is wearing a face covering and hood, so they can't see their face or their hair, though Leora is able to tell that the person most likely is a woman and is wearing what look like designer boots with very high heels. Leora thinks back to the woman they briefly saw at the Tempo Magazine office, who was wearing heels of a similar length. Ian walks back inside*
Ian: I'm almost done. Did you find anything?
Leora: I did!
*She shows him the footage*
Leora: I think this is the woman we overheard talking to Brooke when we were at the Tempo office, whose voice sounded like Esme's!
*Ian is skeptical*
Ian: What made you arrive at that conclusion?
Leora: I was looking at her as she walked out the door when we were talking to the receptionist. I couldn't get a good look at her face, but I noticed her heels and thought they seemed extremely high. Didn't you notice them?
Ian: I wasn't really paying attention.
*Leora gives him a gentle slug on the arm*
Leora: Ian, you don't have to pretend that you don't notice other women, especially since we haven't been together very long and are taking things slow.
Ian: I'm not pretending. I didn't really notice anything other than how her perfume made my eyes start watering.
Leora: Yeah, that was one of the other things I noticed as she was leaving. But look at the date of the camera footage. It's the same day we went to the office.
Ian: So, you're thinking she followed us here?
Leora: I don't know.
*They continue to look at the camera footage. The woman seemed to only have been there the one day. She seems to stop at all the large windows trying to look in. They aren't able to tell one way or the other if she was recording them*
Leora: I'm going to call Maddie and let her know.
Ian: Why not Anton?
Leora: Because Anton is all the way in Budapest and most likely is asleep.
Ian: Good point.
Leora: I'll be right back. I hope you're not in a hurry.
Ian: No, it's fine. This stuff is important.
Leora: Okay, I'll be right back.
*Leora goes upstairs to the bedroom while Ian paces around the living room. Even though he was used to living in his trailer with little more than the bare necessities, he enjoyed living at Wildwind. He hoped that whoever it was who was watching them wasn't doing it regularly, and if she came back, hopefully they'd catch her. He eventually hears Leora come back downstairs to the living room*
Leora: Okay, I sent the footage to Maddie. She said she'll check the camera footage regularly while we're gone. If they come back she'll report them to the police. She's also arranged for security guards to keep an eye on everything while we're gone.
Ian: Okay. Listen, I can understand if maybe you're not comfortable going with me, and you'd rather stay here.
Leora: Are you kidding? I've been looking forward to this! Besides, I'll be lonely without you.
Ian: Okay.
*They load the rest of Ian's stuff into the camper. By now the sun had set to the point where it was almost completely dark*
Ian: Ready?
Leora: One moment.
*She walks back up to the house to make sure that the alarm system is armed, then closes and locks the front door and makes her way back to the camper*
Leora: Okay, let's go!
*Ian starts the truck and drives around through the front gates, which automatically close behind them*
Leora: So, we're going to Llanview?
Ian: Yeah, but it's not going to be until we're on our way back home. Why?
Leora: Oh, no real reason. Jan would occasionally talk about Mitch Laurence during her seminars, and I remember her mentioning that he was from Llanview.
Ian: Mitch Laurence? Really?
Leora: Yeah. Have you ever heard of him?
Ian: Oh yes, and I've heard some, uh…not-so-good things about him too.
*They drive away, passing by several identical black cars parked along the side of the normally quiet country road. The armed guards in black uniforms get out of the cars and make their way to the gates*
Guard Captain: Secure the premises! Do not let ANYONE enter without verifying their identity first and only allow them entry if their name is on the list! Are we clear?!
All: Yes sir!
*He enters the security code on the keypad next to the gates and watches as they open*
Guard Captain: Alright, get into position! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!
*The guards rush onto the property and take their positions at the entrances to the various buildings, with two of them standing outside the front gates, their guns drawn. A masked man hiding in the nearby bushes takes out his phone and dials a number*
Masked man: They're at Wildwind. I'll tell you where to look when you get here.
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA
A black Lincoln drove through the entrance to the parking lot an upscale hotel in the Berkeley Hills. A valet driver walked up to the car door. The window rolled down, revealing a man with oily dark hair. He took the cigar he'd been puffing on out of his mouth and blew a plume of smoke along with his words.
Ramón Salazar: What do you want?
Valet: Your keys.
Salazar: Why?
Valet: So I can park your car.
Salazar: I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself. I was going to ask you where I can find a spot. I didn't think this place would be so crowded.
Valet: Sorry, hotel policy. If you don't like it, feel free to stay somewhere else.
*Salazar gives the man a death glare, then reluctantly turns the car off and gets out*
Salazar: No joyriding. If I see any extra miles you'll be reimbursing me next time I take the car for its routine service. And don't even think about adjusting the seat.
*He shoves the spare key into the driver's hand and begins to walk away*
Valet: No offense but you seem like the kind of guy who would have a chauffeur drive this thing for you. Or if you prefer to drive yourself, you'd be driving something more exotic like a Lamborghini.
*Salazar walks back to the driver and yells at him, inches away from his face*
Salazar: DON'T YOU DARE QUESTION ANYTHING THAT I DO! Your policies mean nothing to me, but nonetheless if your superiors tell you to park their cars then that's what you do! Now go on and freaking park my car!
*He begins to walk away again*
Valet: Y-y-yes sir. Oh, and, uh, no smoking inside the hotel.
*Salazar gives the man another death glare, then throws his cigar on the ground. He walks inside the hotel, checks in, and takes the elevator up to the seventh floor. He then takes his key card and opens the door of the suite, where a much younger woman in a red dress is lying on the bed on her side, seemingly waiting for him*
Terri Thomasen: There you are. I was beginning to worry that you had ghosted me.
Salazar: Oh, I would never do that to you. Ramón Salazar is a man of his word.
Terri: I should hope so. Just don't tell your wife.
Salazar: Oh I won't.
*They both laugh as Salazar walks over to the bed. The two of them make out as Terri takes off his coat and plays with his necktie*
Terri: I'm going to hold you to that when it comes to giving me what I want.
Salazar: Patience, my love. Good things come to those who wait.
Terri: Speaking of waiting, now that you're here, shall we order room service?
Salazar: Anything for you.
*The kiss one more time, then Salazar gets up and undoes his tie as he walks over to the bathroom. When he's not looking, the flirty smile on her face disappears, replaced by a look of sheer disgust. She reaches for her purse, takes out a tin of mints, and pops one in her mouth*
Elsewhere in the Bay Area, Emma Scorpio-Drake was having a much less comfortable night. She lay on an old, worn-out couch in the back office of the old warehouse where she was locked up. She hoped that Anna would be able to find the diamonds. She knew that her grandmother was not somebody that anyone would want to mess with, but after everything Anna had been through over the past few months, Emma felt that she was probably more vulnerable than she normally would be. She feared for Anna's life as much as her own. Meanwhile, even if she survived the whole ordeal, she wasn't sure what her life was going to be like. She was worried that she would be expelled from UC Berkeley for triggering the sprinkler that caused her dorm to get flooded, even though the sprinkler had been triggered by Salazar. She knew that innocent people were still often unjustly punished. Salazar was rich and powerful and would likely have the best attorneys on retainer.
Right now though, all she could do was try to get some sleep. She was very tired, having not slept at all the previous night due to her dire situation, but whenever she started drifting off, she was jolted awake by the deafening roar of the BART trains as they passed over the elevated tracks which were right next to the building. Perhaps, she felt, it would be best if she relocated back to Port Charles. She was well aware of the fact that the city had a long history of organized crime, but it nonetheless was where she grew up, and after everything she had been through these past couple of days, she worried that her enjoyment of the Bay Area was forever ruined.
PINE VALLEY
A masked figure wearing all black carefully made their way over to the Wildwind mausoleum, one of the few parts of the estate that wasn't flanked by security guards. A black bag hung from the crook of their arm. Knowing they needed to be extremely careful, they walked inside and looked around. The floor near the vault was still stained slightly red from where Esme fell and hit her head. They then looked up at the wall with the plaques, and saw the empty hole which had been concealed by the plaque with Maria Santos-Grey's name on it. The plaque was on the floor, leaning against the wall. Next to the plaque was a crowbar.
The figure picked up the crowbar, then walked over to the side of the wall. They carefully looked at the mortar between the stones until they saw a small gap. They reached into their pocket, pulled out a metal skewer, and inserted it into the gap, opening the hidden door. They made their way down a flight of steps to a hidden room. They put the skewer back in their pocket, then took out a small flashlight, and looked around the room. There were more plaques on the wall near the stairs, and on the opposite wall were a pair of shackles hanging from hooks. Carefully looking at the plaques, they notice one which had the name "Leann Danielle Harris," with no dates of birth or death.
The figure walked closer to the wall and carefully looked at the area around the plaque. At the bottom, there was a slot which was just large enough for the end of the crowbar to fit into. They inserted the crowbar and carefully pried it upwards until it was open just enough for them to open it the rest of the way with their hands. It did not fall off the wall, as the underside of the plaque was attached concealed hinges. Inside the hole was a small metal box. They took the box and put it in the bag, closed the plaque, and quietly sneaked back out.
PORT CHARLES
Josslyn Jacks was lying in bed when her phone rang. She was surprised to see that it was Cameron who was calling.
Joss: Cameron, it's kinda late to be calling me since we're no longer together, and haven't been for over a year now!
Cam: Yeah, because you cheated on me! But it's whatever, I've moved on, and I want to put this whole thing past us. We've been friends for much longer than we had been together, I have a new girlfriend now and we're happy, and you're with Dex.
*Joss feels a mix of emotions. Sad that her relationship with Dex was over, jealous that Cam had moved on and was happy while she was single, and angry with both Dex for lying to her, and Esme for ruining her and Cam's relationship*
Joss: Well I'm glad you're happy but Dex and I just broke up. He lied to me, and claimed that Sonny ordered him to stay quiet, but…you know what, I'm not going to discuss my relationship problems with you, since you just said that you're happy. So unless you're calling about something important, I'll be going to bed now.
Cam: I am calling about something important. Esme's here in California. She's a person of interest in the flood that destroyed the dorm building that Emma was staying in at UC Berkeley.
Joss: No, Esme is here in Port Charles with a baby to care for and another one on the way. I'm glad that she wasn't the one who drugged Spencer and Trina, and I shouldn't have punched her at Spencer's memorial as I went to jail for it.
Cam: I don't blame you for believing that she drugged Spencer and Trina. She's the one who deserves to go to jail. I wanted to believe that she had changed too, but now that she's a person of interest in yet another crime, I now know that's a lie.
Joss: How do you know that she's the person of interest. Have they specifically mentioned Esme as the person of interest?
Cam: No, but I just saw a news report with a screenshot from the camera footage, and she looks exactly like "Old Esme!" She has Esme's long hair, and there were interviews with some of the guys who saw her who wondered who the "mysterious hot girl" with the long silky hair was and why they somehow never noticed her before, only to have everyone running out of the dorm building from the flood a few minutes later! And that's why they know that she wasn't a student there!
Joss: Last time I saw Esme which wasn't all that long ago, she had a very large bruise on her nose and looked extremely exhausted. She's got better things to do than to fly all the way to San Francisco, sneak onto the UC Berkeley campus which neither of us attend, and trigger a fire sprinkler!
Cam: No Joss. Esme was on the plane when I was flying back home after Spencer's memorial. She was claiming that her name was Terri and that she was going to UC Berkeley to study criminology, and was telling me how fascinating she found it. It seemed like she deliberately sat next to me on the plane too. She was acting like she didn't know who Esme was, but when I looked at her and heard her talk, she gave off the same vibe that she did before she lost her memory. And get this, I was telling her a little bit about myself. In hindsight it was a bad idea, but she already knew who Spencer Cassadine was, and that he had died.
Joss: Cam, Spencer is sort of famous in Port Charles because he's a Cassadine and is also the grandson of the mayor, and his death was all over the news when it happened.
Cam: So was the news about Emma's disappearance and the flood! I've been so worried that it's all I can think about! Oh, and another coincidence, they're saying she likely came onto the campus as the same time as the man who kidnapped Emma, and if they are correct about his identity, he's a mobster!
Joss: Look, Cam, Emma and I have had our differences but I'm sorry to hear that she's missing and I hope they find the person who really triggered the flood, whom I highly doubt was Esme. You're probably tired, and sometimes people's brains play tricks on us when they're tired. Esme is far from the only "hot girl with long hair." I already made the mistake of blaming Esme for something that it turned out she didn't do and as a result, spent the night in jail, had to pay her money, am required to take anger management classes, and have a restraining order against me. I'll admit I let my emotions get the better of me. Don't make the same mistake. Goodnight Cameron.
*She hangs up, sighs, puts the phone down, turns the light out, and tries to sleep, but she can't. She turns the light back on and searches for "uc berkeley flood person of interest." She sees the article, and looks at the pictures. The girl definitely had the long, brown, flowing hair that Esme had, but her face was too blurry for Joss to see what she looked like, but definitely knew why Cam thought she looked like Esme. She sighs again and puts the phone down.*
Joss: Come on Esme, leave us alone!
*She turns out the light*
PINE VALLEY
Another figure in black carefully sneaked into the Wildwind mausoleum, also with a bag hanging from the crook of their arm. They picked up the crowbar on the floor next to Maria's plaque, took a metal skewer from their pocket and opened up the hidden door, made their way down the stairs and into the secret room. They pried open the plaque using the crowbar and felt around in the empty hole.
Man: Damn it!
*He closes everything up and sneaks out, trying to be quiet, then runs back to his car parked at the side of the street far enough away from Wildwind to draw much attention to it. He takes off his mask, starts the car, and makes the drive back into town, stopping at the nearest convenience store. He then takes out his phone*
Damon Wallingford: It's too late, she's taken the diamonds!
Man on the other end of the line: No she hasn't.
Damon: What do you mean she hasn't?! I went over to the mausoleum and looked where you told me they were, and they aren't there!
Man: I needed to make sure she took them.
Damon: So you helped Anna take the diamonds?!
Man: No I didn't.
Damon: Alright, look man, this vagueness really is very frustrating. You know you can trust me. Can you please tell me what this is all about?!
Man: I know, and I'm sorry. I promise I will explain everything once we have the diamonds. Like I said earlier, you'll understand my reason for not sharing the details over the phone. Meet me at the cemetery. Put your mask on before you get out of the car, and bring the bag with you.
*He hangs up. Damon heaves a frustrated sigh, then starts the car back up and drives to the cemetery, parking at the side of the road. He puts his mask back on, picks up the bag and walks up to the entrance, where another masked man is hiding in the shadows*
Damon: *Whispering* Look, it's late, I've had a long day and I want to go home. Will you please tell me why we're here?
Man: Like I've been saying, I will tell you everything once we get the diamonds. They're over here!
*The man leads Damon over to a small headstone located a short distance away from David Hayward and his family*
Man: Hold the flashlight while I dig!
*Damon sighs and takes out his flashlight, shining it on the ground near the headstone. He watches as his friend digs up the rather soft soil in front of the headstone, embossed with the name "Vanessa Bennett." He unearths a small metal strongbox and brushes off the dirt with his hand.*
Man: Do you have the bag?
*Damon holds open the black bag. His friend puts the metal box into the bag, then rather hastily puts the soil back with the shovel, patting it down*
Man: Alright, let's go!
Damon: Where are we going?
Man: My house!
*The two of them get back into Damon's car. Damon takes his mask off, starts the car, and drives away*
BERKELEY
*Salazar and Terri are sitting at the table in their hotel suite, "enjoying" a late dinner. Salazar pours them both glasses of wine*
Salazar: What should we drink to?
Terri: How about…getting what we both want?
Salazar: To getting what we both want!
*They clink their glasses and drink. As they are putting their glasses down, Salazar's phone rings*
Salazar: If you'll excuse me for just a second…
Terri: Only for just a second.
*Salazar answers his phone*
Salazar: Well?
Anna Devane: Well, I've got the diamonds.
Salazar: Very good. But when will I get the diamonds?
Anna: Anywhere from five to eight hours, depending on whether or not my flight is delayed.
Salazar: Well get here as fast as you can. There's a young lady here eagerly waiting.
Anna: Please tell me she is okay!
Salazar: Oh she's fine. So fine. Fine as the wine we've been enjoying together!
Anna: What the hell have you done to my granddaughter?!
Salazar: Oh, I'm sorry. I'm a little distracted right now. In that case, nothing. Not yet, anyway. Now if you'll excuse me I was in the middle of something.
*He hangs up*
Terri: Does this mean I'll be getting what I want?
Salazar: All in good time, my love.
*They "lovingly" look at each other as he caresses her hand, then kisses it*
*Damon pulls into the driveway. He and the other man get out of the car and bring the metal box to the basement. Damon watches as the other man cleans off the box. He is stunned to see that there is no lock other than a snap-latch. The other man walks over to the lavatory sink and washes his hands, then opens the box. Inside is a small velvet bag. The man puts on a pair of cotton gloves*
Damon: Well, we have the diamonds now. Can you please tell me who you were working for and what job you were doing? I'm sorry that I'm so impatient. I'm just tired and would like to go back to my house so I can get some sleep, and I'm also worried because of your criminal record. I would hate to see you go to prison again.
Man: Well don't worry, because I'm doing the same thing that you and I both do every day at our law office; managing an estate. Only this one came with additional responsibilities because it belonged to my late brother, who named me the executor. I buried this box several weeks ago for one of the beneficiaries to find, but because of the recent news about what happened at UC Berkeley, and who they think is responsible for it, I realized I was being very careless, so I had to go get it and bring it back here.
*The man reaches into the bag, pulls out a note, and hands it to Damon to read*
Note: Congratulations on finding the diamonds and learning about who you are and where you came from in the process. I thought that this little treasure hunt would be a fun way of figuring it all out, and more importantly, I hope they are compensation for the life you never got to live. If you have any questions, you know where to find me. -T.K.
*The man removes his mask, then reaches into the bag again, takes out one of the diamonds and holds it up to the light*
Trey Kenyon: These diamonds are part of a trust I had set up for my niece, Leora Hayward.
