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

LOVING Speedy-Update for Friday, August 4:

STORYLINE: PARANOIA
 (starting location: mortuary)
* Deborah screams, "Oh God, get him off me."  Tony pulls Clay's body off
 of Deborah.  She runs out, screaming that she is being punished.  Tony:
 "Boy, this guy gets more action as a stiff than I get alive."  He asks
 for Curtis' help getting him back in the coffin, but he is laughing too
 hard.
* [In the park.]
Tony says he was sorry to hear about his dad.  Curtis asks why everyone
 keeps saying that.  He keeps answering Tony's comments and questions
 curtly, and Tony says he is paranoid.  Curtis says anyone would be if
 everyone was trying to lock him up.  Curtis asks why Tony was there in
 the first place.  Tony says a friend of his was being "laid out" in the
 next room.  Curtis says Buck is the crazy one -- he should be locked up
 for killing "the woman I love."  Tony asks why he is so sure it is him.
 Curtis says he knows Buck -- he might have everyone else fooled, but
 not him.
* Tony says he can't even imagine losing his father.  Curtis says he
 can, he even used to fantasize about it.  Curtis invites Tony to stop
 by the Rodeo some time and talk about things.  He says he owns the
 place, so the drinks are free.  Tony asks what Clay died of.  Curtis
 tells him it was a heart attack, which is ironic, since so many people
 didn't think Clay had a heart.
* None.

STORYLINE: VICTIMIZATION
 (starting location: Richard's/Stephanie's hotel rooms)
* Richard is on the phone, telling somebody that Tess is right in the
 middle of all of this.  He hangs up, then calls Stephanie.  She runs
 into her hotel room and picks up the phone.  When she finds out who is
 calling, she looks very unenthusiastic.
* Richard invites Stephanie to a late lunch to apologize to her.  She
 asks why she would go to lunch with a reporter who is trying to exploit
 her.  He says this would be strictly personal.  She doesn't buy that.
 He then tries the excuse that he doesn't know many people in Corinth.
 Another "no sale."  He turns rather shy and says he is really asking
 her out on a date.  She tells him that she has a root canal scheduled
 for tomorrow.  She says she didn't check the weather, but since this
 is August, it must not be Hell freezing over.  He says she hasn't hung
 up on him *yet*.  She hangs up on him.
She takes her shoes off.  Deborah bursts into the unlocked door.  She
 screams that she needs to take a shower, a corpse just fell on her.
 She runs into the bathroom, baffling Stephanie.
The phone rings.  Richard calls again, saying that they must have been
 cut off.  Deborah sticks her head out the bathroom door and tells
 Stephanie not to go anywhere; she has *so* much to tell her.  Stephy
 tells Richard to be in her lobby in ten minutes.
* [In the park.]
The two of them get hot dogs.  Stephanie says she didn't think Richard
 was a hot dog type of guy.  He says he is a simple, unassuming guy.
 She asks why he got into TV.  He says his father got him involved in
 journalism.  He tells her about how his father died.  He says that
 he didn't know how sleazy TV journalism would be.  He asks how things
 are with Tony.  "Fine."  He brings up Tess, and Stephy says she would
 rather not talk about Tess.  He pushes, she says it again, and she
 walks away.
* He follows her and apologizes.  She says she is sorry, it has been a
 bad day.  Oh, yes, Clay's death.  Stephanie says she is particularly
 upset because he was being intimate with somebody.  Oh yes, Tess.  He
 asks her out again.  She says no.  How about being friends?  OK.  He
 takes her hand and kisses it.  Tony sees that.

STORYLINE: CLAUSTROPHOBIA
 (location: Tess' loft)
* Tess pushes the thug, Howie, out of the loft.  He says he read that
 the "Forbes woman" is dead, and he wants to know what she got him into.
 Alex walks up and suggests "Accessory to Murder."
* Tess says she has never seen this man before in her life.  "Then how
 did I get this?"  He flashes her business card.  She says she doesn't
 exactly keep them under lock and key.  Alex invites him in and they
 will discuss things.  Tess says this isn't his apartment.  He says they
 can do this at the station -- he can have a squad car there in two
 minutes.  "You're a cop?"  "Surprise."  Jocelyn advises Tess not to
 talk.  "Good.  They she won't interrupt Howard and I."
* Howie says Tess says she would pay good money to have Stacey dead.
 Alex releases Howie, but Jocelyn asks if she can ask some questions.
 She asks what day the meeting was.  He says it was Thursday, no,
 Friday.  She says she has at least six witnesses who can place Tess
 in her office on Friday.  OK, he says, it must have been Thursday.
 She asks how much they had to drink.  A little...no, a lot.  About a
 fifth -- boy, that woman can drink.  *Some* woman, says Jocelyn.
 No, he is sure it was Tess.  She asks if the ring on his left hand
 is a wedding ring.  Yes.  Where was his wife while he was getting
 drunk with some woman?  None of your business.  That's all, she says.
 She looks forward to some time in court with him.
* Alex says she is *good* -- sleazy as a $10 hooker, but good.  He
 tells Tess that he isn't done with her.  Jocelyn says he had better
 get an indictment and book her.  He laughs and says maybe he'll do
 just that.  He opens the elevator.  "After you."  No, she says, she'll
 take the stairs.  He pulls her in, saying he *insists*.  She asks what
 he is *doing*?  He gets the elevator going down and says they're going
 to have a talk.  He asks how someone so smart defends people who are
 obviously guilty.  She reminds him of the constitution, which says a
 party is innocent until proven guilty.  Suddenly, the elevator stops.
 Alex plays with the controls, but can't get it going.  Jocelyn pushes
 him out of the way and starts throwing all the levers, with no results.
 He tells her to calm down and push the emergency button.  No alarm.
 Jocelyn starts screaming for help, and Alex starts laughing.  "You're
 claustrophobic."  "It's NOT funny!"  Alex says no, it's not funny, it's
 hysterical.

STORYLINE: VENGEANCE
 (location: Pins)
* None.
* Ally is adding some of her own stuff to Casey's journal.  Ava asks 
 her about it.  She says that the Aldens' experiences lately brought it
 all back, and this is the best way for her to get through it.
Buck enters.  Kate asks what she can get him, and he says, "How about a
 shotgun."  He changes his mind, though, and orders a seltzer.  Kate
 tells him that Rose (Stacey's mother) sent the keys to Stacey's house
 to her to give to him so that he can stay there until they decide what
 to do with the house, and she gives them to him.  He says he thought
 she hated him.  Kate says she never thought he had anything to do with
 her murder, and neither did Rose or anyone else.  She also has a card
 and some other stuff which the kids sent to him.
* First is some beadwork from Heather.  Then, some pictures from J. J.
 They are photos of the two kids -- so that he won't forget what they
 look like.  Buck promises he won't.  He asks how they are doing.  Kate
 says J. J. is angry and acting up a bit.  Ava says he broke all the
 garage doors at the camp.  Buck promises to call and talk to him.  Ava
 leaves.  Ally walks up to Buck and tells him that she is really sorry
 about Stacey.  He says thanks and that she, of all people, knows how
 he feels.  She says if he ever needs to talk, to call her.  He says he
 might take her up on that.  She leaves to make a phone call.
She calls Danny and leaves a message thanking him for helping her with
 her hand.  She hangs up, and says that Casey was right: don't get mad,
 get even.
* [At Ally's house.]
She is playing Itsy-Bitsy Spider with Tyler.  Meanwhile, just outside,
 we see the picture go to black and white, and hear the murderer's
 (celeste/music box) version of Itsy-Bitsy Spider and the pen clicking.

-----
|  "Bring in Wapner -- that dude can handle two whole  |  Bob Willers  |
|  cases in a half an hour!" -- #5 of the Top Ten ways |  Phoenix, AZ  |
|  to speed up the O.J. trial (_Late Show_, 06/23/95)  | MY opinions!! |
+------------ willers@trombone.sps.mot.com ------------+---------------+

