From: Susan Richmond <susan@webspan.net>

Hi everybody!

I was kind of disappointed today.  Even though they said the Masquerader 
wasn't going to be revealed today, I was hoping after Wednesday's ending 
that today might be the day anyway. Oh, well. Anyway, today's show 
begins at the hospital with Nick...


				THE CITY UPDATE
		    	  Thursday, September 5, 1996

BLOOD BROTHERS -
Location: Nick's hospital room

*Nick, on the phone with Zoey from his hospital bed, convinces her to 
stay at home. "The operating room is sold out", he tells her.  He loves 
her too.  Nick hangs up the phone and tells Lorraine that Zoey sounded 
strange.  Lorraine tells him not to worry about it.  Richard comes in. 
He wants to talk to Nick. Lorraine reminds him that Nick's about to go 
into surgery.  Nick says he has a minute for "the man who saved his 
life" (by giving blood).  Nick says it's a rare blood type, they "must 
be blood brothers or something".  "Something like that", Richard says, 
smiling.  Nick accuses Richard of sounding awfully strange, just like 
Zoey did.  Nick wants to know what's up.

*Lorraine leaves to check what is holding up the surgery.  Richard 
notices the large vase of flowers from Sydney at the end of Nick's bed. 
"Typical of Sydney", Richard says, " a big gesture that means exactly 
zip".  Aren't Richard and Sydney getting along, Nick wants to know.  No 
different than usual, replies Richard.  Richard should have known Sydney 
in the old days, she was different then.  Does Nick think about it a 
lot? No, not much.  How about the baby, Richard asks.  Yes, Nick thinks 
about the baby often.  He thinks the baby might be alive.

*Why does Nick think that?  Because when he asked Syd, she claims not to 
know were the baby was buried, Jared had made all of the arrangements.  
Nick doesn't buy Sydney's story.  Nick guesses that Syd was ashamed that 
she gave the baby up for adoption, so she told everyone the baby died. 
"That's a good guess", says Richard,(not telling Nick exactly how good 
of a guess that was).  Is it hard for Richard to talk about it, Nick 
asks.  No, Richard wants to talk about it, it's important to him.  Why?
Because Richard's been living in the shadow of this baby ever since 
Sydney adopted him, he tells Nick.  Has Nick tried to find his son? No, 
he doesn't want to mess up his son's life. "Being a father's not just a 
biological thing, you've got to be there, you've got to put in the 
time." Sydney never gave Nick that chance, Richard says.  Nick tells him 
that Sydney thought he was too selfish to be a father then, and maybe 
she was right.  And now?  "And now, the end is near", Nick sings.  I 
hate that song, Nick says.  Richard replies, "You're wrong Nick, it's 
not [too late]".

*That's nice of Richard, but it's too late for Nick to become a dad to 
his son.  You're wrong, Richard says, "there's something you don't 
know."  Lorraine comes in just then with a nurse and an orderly.  It's 
time for Nick's surgery. "To be continued", Richard says.  They wheel 
Nick out of the room on his bed.  Lorraine tells Richard that Zoey told 
her everything last night.  It's Richard's place to tell Nick, but she 
doesn't think now is the right time.  But if Nick doesn't make it 
through the surgery, there won't be a right time, Richard tells her.  
Lorraine hugs him.


THE MASQUERADER'S LIST -
Starting Location: former Wilder Agency

*Alex and Danny help Jocelyn to the chair behind the desk and Ally 
brings her a glass of water.  Tony is sitting in front of the computer 
on the desk.  Joc says the file has to be there, she was printing it out 
before.  Alex points to the ashes on the desk.  Whoever hit Jocelyn 
burned the print-out.  Tony finds the correct directory.  Joc tells him 
to look for a file named "HAPPY", she was reading it when she got hit.  
It has to belong to the Masquerader.  There's no HAPPY file, Tony tells 
them.  Alex says that "they" obviously deleted it.  What does Joc 
remember about the file?  It's a list of names and numbers and "proves 
that 'our friend' killed Jared."  "It also proves that he lives in the 
building."

*It doesn't make sense, Tony says.  Why would this "nutjob" use this 
computer for his/her files? "He might as well leave his name and 
number".  Maybe the killer wants to be caught, Alex has seen cases like 
that before.  Joc tells them that it looked like the same type-face as 
on the notes.  Molly, who has been standing quietly through all of this, 
suddenly says, "I can't listen to any more of this. I'm sorry" and runs 
out of the room.  Danny calls her name, but doesn't go after her because 
he doesn't want to leave Joc.  Joc convinces him to find her.  Danny 
leaves.(see below)  Joc wants to go upstairs.  Alex helps her up.  She's 
very unsteady and almost falls.  Alex helps her and tells Tony to bring 
the computer.

*(In Ally and Joc's apartment) Tony is on the phone with someone named 
Manny, who he wants to help them by recoving the deleted file.  Alex 
wants to take Joc to the hospital to get checked out, but Joc wants to 
tell them what she saw on the list first.  The first page was the note. 
The second page was a list of names and numbers.  It had Ally's and 
Sydney's names on it, and Jared's name with the date 6/21, the day he 
was killed.  The second name was Mike, which puzzled her until she 
remembered that that was the name of the loanshark whose testimoy put 
Danny in jail.  So his death wasn't an accident? All Joc knows it that 
his name was on the list.  Tony says now we know the Masquerader is not 
just a nut, he's also a murderer. "A murderer who knows I'm on to him", 
Joc adds.

*Alex promises Jocelyn that the Masquerader won't get to her again, he's 
going to stick to her like glue.  Tony's going to bring the computer 
over to Manny at the police station.  Ally goes with him to give him a 
hand.  They leave with the hard drive.  Alex realizes that Joc really 
isn't fine. She was terrified that she was going to suffocate in there, 
she tells him.  Joc wants to take him up on his offer, to stay with her 
all the time.  Good, because she didn't have a choice.  Alex kisses Joc.


EXIT - STAGE LEFT -
Starting location:  Stairwell at Greene St.

*Danny finds Molly sitting in the stairwell after running out of 
Sydney's new offices (See above).  She apologizes for running out, she's 
such a wimp.  Danny understands, this nut is making them all crazy. "If 
I ever get my hand on that psycho..", he tells her.  Molly doesn't want 
Danny to go anywhere near the Happy Now nut.  Molly tells him that she 
has to go to a special rehearsal now, just for herself and the director 
because he doesn't think she's doing a good job.  She apologizes for 
complaining about a musical when Joc almost died.  Is Danny alright? 
Danny can't believe what's been happening, it's like the building is 
cursed.  Who would do something like that to Joc?  Danny tells Molly 
that he believes in her, no matter what the director says.  They kiss 
and head down the stairs to get Molly a taxi.

*Molly gets to her rehearsal and overhears the director, Jason, telling 
someone else that the only reason he hired Molly was because Sydney 
asked him to in return for her backing the show.  He thinks this 
rehearsal with Molly is "an exercise in futility".  Jason's last two 
shows didn't do too well and he's desparate, "so turn me in to the 
director's union".  Molly pretends that she's just coming in.  She tells 
Jason that she got a pilot in L.A. and she's very sorry, but she has to 
leave the show.  Jason shuts his eyes and whispers "Thank you".  Molly 
tells him she feels bad for putting him in this position and thanks him 
for understanding.  Molly starts to leave, then turns and says, "Jason, 
give my best to the director's union", letting him know she overheard 
his earlier conversation.


SYDNEY, THE #ITCH -
Starting Location: Sydney's penthouse

*Sydney is sitting on her couch, looking at a framed picture of Richard. 
Maria, the maid, tells her to "give it a while, he'll forgive you".  
"Not in this lifetime", Sydney replies.  Syd is having breakfast with 
Danny, is everything ready?  Her work is all Sydney feels she has left.

*Syd calls Richard and leaves a message on his answering machine that 
she's not giving up on them, she loves Richard with all her heart.  Syd 
hangs up.  Maria asks where Danny is.  Danny hasn't shown up yet.  
Sydney's going to go down to the office and work.  What should Maria 
tell Danny? "Tell him to take a flying leap", Sydney says and leaves.

*(Sydney's new office) Danny comes in looking for Joc (who's gone 
upstairs already).  Sydney wants to know what happened. Who wrecked her 
place she rants, looking at the hole in the wall.  And where was he for 
their breakfast meeting, she demands to know.  And where's Joc? Probably 
with Alex, Danny tells her. "Oh, brilliant. I'm probably the only person 
in the world who would give her a job...". Danny shuts her up by telling 
Syd that Joc almost died, the Masquerader sealed her in the wall. "Sorry 
about the mess, boss", Danny says sarcastically.  Syd feels bad, she'll 
call Jocelyn later.  Syd asks him how his business dinner last night 
went.  He doesn't want to talk business right now.  His sister was 
nearly killed and all Syd's worried about is a dinner meeting! If he 
doesn't like it, he's welcome to quit, Syd says. "You got it, lady", 
Danny tells her and storms out.

*Sydney's sitting at her desk. Danny walks back in the office.  He's not 
going to give up the best job he ever had just because she's being a ...
"What, Danny? Rhymes with witch?"  Danny wants to know what's wrong.  At 
first she denies anything's wrong.  Then she tells him she just lost the 
only thing in life that ever meant anything to her.  They start kissing. 
Molly walks in and see them.


That's it for today.  See you next Thursday.

-- 
Susan

FCC Tony


