From: Robert Willers <willers@trombone.sps.mot.com>

THE CITY Update for Friday, June 21:

OK, most of the storylines are really nothing more than lining up the
suspects, but here's an attempt...

STORYLINE: SOMEONE'S MAD AT JARED
 (location: Angie's apartment)
* None.
* Tess is explaining her deal with Jared to Angie.  Angie says that Buck
 is going over everything with her lawyers and they should be able to
 straighten this mess out.  She says that with Jacob gone, her place is
 big and lonely, and Tess would be doing her a big favor if she would
 stay with her.  Tess says that's a *big* lie and thanks her.  No, says
 Angie, she'd sleep better if someone else was there.  Tess admits that
 she could stay for a few days until she gets things straightened out.
 She says that the sleepwalking has been going on for a while now, and
 Angie says it is under control.  Tess suggests to Angie that maybe she
 could "walk into Jared Chase's bedroom and drive a stake through his
 heart...if you could find it."  "I'm tempted."  Tess can't believe it!
 Angie tells her that Jared was responsible for the bomb.  Tess says,
 "Wow.  He rapes, he pillages, he blows up buildings.  He's just your
 all-around psychopath.  If Jared Chase was standing in front of me,
 and I had the hardware, I'd blow a hole so big in him you could drive
 a truck through it."
* Angie notes that Jared has done his job pretty well, making the two
 of them that angry.  Then, says Tess, there's the woman he raped.  She
 isn't fishing to find out who that is, but she says she was always
 taught that when you're slapped, you slap back -- hard.  Unfortunately,
 everyone has missed Jared.  Angie says she wasn't raised to just take
 it, either, and that Frank is the most important thing in her life, and
 Jared will pay for this, one way or the other.  Tess says he won't get
 it from either of them tonight -- Angie is exhausted and Tess needs a
 much stronger drink than the one Angie poured for her.  Angie admits
 to being tired and suggests that they just go to sleep.  No way, says
 Tess, she's way too wired.  Besides, she's meeting Buck for dinner
 after his meeting with the lawyers.  Angie hands Tess a key.  "Thank
 you."  She says she hasn't had many female buddies, and she would have
 bet the house that the two of them would never have become friends, but
 she is glad that they are.  Angie hugs Tess: "Me, too."  Tess leaves.
Angie goes to a cupboard and grabs a bottle of pills.  As she opens
 the bottle, she says, "Just this once."
* Angie is laying on the couch.  Her eyes open.  She gets up and jogs
 to the door (in her nightgown), and leaves.

STORYLINE: SOMEONE'S MAD AT JARED
 (starting location: City Bar)
* None.
* Zoey enters and says she hasn't seen Nick anywhere.  Lorraine says
 that she will call the police.
[In the basement.]
Nick is still lying on the ground, motionless, bottle in hand.
* [At the bar.]
Zoey tells Lorraine that she still can't find Nick.  She offers to round
 up a posse to go look for him.  She goes to the bar and taps Richard on
 the shoulder: "I need your help."  "You need *my* help?"  She tells him
 to "get over yourself" and pulls him aside, telling him that it's about
 Nick.  "This is serious.  He's missing.  He has some sort of medical
 problem, I don't know."  Richard turns to mush and asks if she has any
 idea where he might be.  No.  "OK.  It'll be OK."
[In the basement.]
Nick stirs, then wakes up.  He sees the bottle in his hands.  "Jared."
 He pulls himself up (using a plumbing pipe).
* [At the bar.]
Richard and Zoey enter.  Zoey says that maybe he got cold feet.  If
 that's the case, he could be dead anyway, points out Richard.  She
 suggests that they stick to the building, going floor to floor. He
 says that's a good idea and they leave.
[Outside.]
Nick struggles into the alley where Danny dumped the gun.  He collapses
 near the dumpster.

STORYLINE: SOMEONE'S MAD AT ...LOU!
 (starting location: Stairwell, outside Danny/Tony's apartment)
* Danny can't believe what he just heard: that Jocelyn was a whore.  He
 asks if she is kidding.  She says she wishes she were.  She says she
 wanted to tell him the truth, but she didn't have the courage until
 now.  He asks her to tell him that she's making this up -- to tell him
 anything, because he doesn't believe this -- he *won't* believe this.
* [Inside Danny/Tony's apartment.]
 He asks her how long this has been going on.  Since Law School.  He
 asks why she is telling him this now.  Because she doesn't want there
 to be any more secrets between them, and she didn't want him to keep
 believing that Lou was right about him.  She says he hurt both of them
 in ways you can't even imagine.  He asks what Lou did to her -- did he
 touch you?  No, his friends did.  He passed me around his friends.
* Jocelyn is telling Danny the story.  [Adding an angle I hadn't heard
 before -- that the other men also brought their daughters.]  Danny says
 that he "could kill him."  Jocelyn tells him no, he can't hurt us any
 more unless we let him.  Danny asks, what about what he did to her?  It
 was horrible, and she would like to think he is sorry, but they can't
 change him.  The three of them could become a family again.  Danny asks
 if she really believes that.  Yes, because if she's wrong, he has made
 them into disgusting monsters like himself.  After a pause, she asks
 if he is OK.  Yeah, how about you?  She says telling him this is the
 hardest thing she has ever had to do, and she doesn't want him to do
 anything crazy.  "You know something?  I almost did."  She asks what he
 means.  Nothing, it doesn't matter.  He leaves to "go walk this off."
 She calls to him, asking him to promise he won't do anything crazy.
 "I'll be OK."  "Danny, I love you."  "I love you too, Jocelyn."  They
 hug, then the elevator opens and Danny gets in.
[Later, outside.]
Danny goes into an alley.  He takes his gun out of his jacket pocket
 and wraps it in a newspaper.  He tosses the bundle into a dumpster
 and leaves.
* [At Lou's house.]
Danny enters.  Piano music (Chopin?) is playing in the background.  Lou
 turns around and asks if he has ever heard of knocking.  Danny screams,
 "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you, right here, right
 now!!"

STORYLINE: SOMEONE'S MAD AT JARED
 (starting location: Penthouse)
* Sydney asks Maria for her help: she is going to have a late dinner
 with Danny (he'll arrive after 9:00), but if anyone asks, tell them
 that the two of them were together for the whole evening.  The very
 perceptive Maria suddenly sees Danny on the sofa, enjoying a drink.
 She asks if this means that Mr. Chase won't be spending any more time
 there.  Sydney says that's a safe bet.  Maria says it is long overdue,
 and Sydney agrees.
* [At the bar.]
Sydney asks the bartender for a bottle of Dom Perignon; he leaves to get
 it.  Richard approaches and observes that she is "drinking with the
 commoners tonight."  She says she's just picking up some champagne.  He
 asks if she would drop some cyanide in his glass if he rounds it up.
 "That's not funny."  Actually, says Sydney, the champagne isn't for
 Jared.  She's working on a business deal with Danny, and they're going
 to work right through dinner.  Richard implies that more is going on,
 but Sydney says they're just finalizing plans for the coffee bar.  He
 says that *something* seems to be off.
* Sydney repeats that nothing is going on between her and Danny -- she's
 just trying to "smooth out the rough edges."  Lorraine brings the Dom
 to Sydney, and she has her put it on her tab.  Richard calms down a bit
 and says that she just seems different; would she like to talk about
 it?  No, she's just under a lot of strain lately.  Richard invites
 himself up to join them and have a party: "we'll sing, we'll dance."
* [In the Penthouse.]
Sydney is pacing.  Maria comes up and points out that it is after 9.
 "I know, Maria."  Maria leaves.  Sydney says to herself, "Oh, Danny,
 don't let me down."

STORYLINE: SOMEONE'S MAD AT JARED and JARED BUYS THE FARM
 (starting location: the stairwell outside the Agency)
* Alex asks Tony how he knows Jared won't be there.  Tony says he did
 his homework: it's his anniversary and he's out with Sydney.  He knocks
 on the door, nobody answers, so that proves it...and he tells Alex to
 "do your stuff, please."  Alex gets some tools out and starts to pick
 (or drill) the lock, and Ally comes down the stairs.  "I just knew you
 guys would be here."
[In Jared's office.]
Jared is doing a Hillary impersonation (shredding documents) and the
 phone rings.  "Yes?  No, no, everything's going along like clockwork.
 Well, to be perfectly honest, I've had my fill with the miscreants at
 212 Greene Street.  *What* new information?  What?  What an incredible
 masquerade.  No, no, I never would have imagined."
* Tony asks if she forgot about their deal.  No, says Ally, but I was
 there at the beginning and I should be here at the end.  He tells her
 that it is dangerous, and to go back upstairs.  She says she won't.
 While Alex turns back to picking the lock, they go back and forth, and
 Alex finally asks them to shut up!  <Click.>  Alex says he got it, and
 they all start to go in.  Alex asks Ally where she thinks she's going.
 "I'm going inside!"  (Alex and Tony together:) "No, you're not!"  "Yes,
 I am!"  "No, you're not!"  She threatens to scream, and Alex tells her
 to stay close and shut her mouth.  They all enter, and Tony turns his
 flashlight on.  But...they're too late.  They all walk up to a hole in
 the wall.  Tony says, "I don't believe this!  We're too late."  "No,
 no, no --" Jared enters from behind a wall "-- you're just in time."
* Tony asks Jared what he did with it.  Excuse me?  Tony asks what he
 did in that wall and what he did with it.  Jared says he hasn't the
 faintest idea what Tony is talking about.  Ally repeats the question.
 Alex walks up and says that they have a false wall which something was
 stored in.  Correction, says Jared, what we have here is a clear-cut
 case of breaking-and-entering.  He asks why he shouldn't call the cops.
 Tony says because he set Tess up, like he set he and Ally up the night
 Joey took the bullet.  Jared asks if he is quite finished, and as Tony
 starts up again, Alex says no, they're just leaving.  He and Tony turn
 to leave, but Ally gets in Jared's face, asking what was in the wall,
 and why did he have to "resort to all this."  Alex pulls her away and
 they start to leave.  As they leave, Jared says, "If you must know, I
 have discovered the joys of redecorating.  It's not a crime, is it?"
[In the stairwell.]
Alex asks what they were thinking.  Tony and Ally want them to call the
 cops and have Jared arrested.  On what?  Tony snaps, saying that this
 was their big chance to get this guy.  "I don't care who he is.  This
 guy gets whatever he wants in life!  He wipes his feet on whoever he
 wants.  And you know the worst part?  He gets away with it.  You know
 why?  Because we let him!"  Alex offers to have a tail put on Jared,
 but Tony says he's done "Mickey Mousing around" with Jared.  Alex
 asks where he is going.  "Leave me alone, Alex!"  Ally tells him to
 wait for her.  Tony points his finger at her: "Ally, you heard me."
 He gets in the elevator.  Ally starts to follow, but Alex stops her,
 telling her that he is just going to let off some steam.  She's not so
 sure, though.
[Inside the Agency.]
Jared sighs in relief.  "Well, not a moment too soon, as it turns out.
 Now, it's just a matter of spiriting away my beloved wife."
* [At the City Bar.]
Ally and Alex enter.  Ally is worried about Tony, but Alex promises to
 go looking for him.  He asks her to get them some food and meet them
 back upstairs at the apartment.  OK, fine, says Ally.  Alex reassures
 her that he's just blowing off steam, and he'll be fine.  He leaves.
[Inside the Agency.]
Jared's cellular phone rings.  It's "old friend" Malcolm calling.  Jared
 says this is a surprise.  "You don't know the half of it."  Jared asks
 what he is doing calling him -- they're no longer in business together.
 Well, says Malcolm, I've found another employer.  Good for you, says
 Jared, non-sincerely.  "I have already finished my first assignment:
 a little matter of re-routing a certain shipment of golden pipes."  He
 says that Jared's precious fortune never made it to his private jet.
 "I'm afraid it's fallen into other hands."  "I trust this is your idea
 of a sick joke."  "If so, Jared, the joke's on you.  Oh incidentally,
 my new boss sends her regards."  "'Her?'"  "Yes, maybe you've heard of
 her.  Her name is Sydney Chase."  "Malcolm, I swear I'll--"  Malcolm
 hangs up.  "Damn it!  Malcolm!"  He furiously redials the phone, as we
 walk in the door with a hand-held camera.  "If you think that you can
 get away with this..."  Jared turns around and sees the killer.  "You!
 No!!"  A gloved hand raises, then fires, the gun.  Jared falls to the
 floor.

-----
|  "...You're shaped like a croissant is..."           |  Bob Willers  |
|  --Hugo (a gargoyle, voice talent: Jason Alexander)  |  Phoenix, AZ  |
|    to Quasimodo, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME         | MY opinions!! |
+------------ willers@trombone.sps.mot.com ------------+---------------+

