From: GRAHAM@process.com

Debbie Minett (regular Monday updater) is due back on August 28th! And 
now, on to Corinth....

Curtis comes into Burnell's looking for Ava. He tells a salesperson 
that he wants to find a gift for a lady friend of his. What's she 
like? She's hated by most of the people in this town, Curtis says. 
What? the salesman asks him. Not him, though, Curtis says. 

Meanwhile, Tess is tearing Bree's area apart looking for a microtape. 
Danny comes in. Tess tells him to help them look for the tape. He says 
she's a supermodel, he doesn't "search". Tess goes into her office 
followed by Danny. She gives him some grief and tells him to look for 
a little one inch tape. Like that one? Danny points to the TV. There 
is Richard, the sleezy reporter, on TV, holding the tape. He says that 
the contents of the tape will rip apart the little town of Corinth 
apart at the seams. From the mansion on the hill to an ad agency in 
the town.

Joselyn, standing in the nightie outside the dressing room, looks past 
Alex and asks her fairy godmother how she looks. Alex turns around and 
sees that Ava is there. Alex stammers and Joselyn collects her clothes 
and leaves. Ava asks what he's doing here. He wants to ask his 
favorite girl to dinner. Who's that? Ava asks. Before Ava can answer, 
Joselyn comes in and says "Detective, you may want to see this". The 
three of them go out to hear Richard mention that the reason he has 
the tape and not the cops is because the cops had it, but they just 
weren't interested. 

Meanwhile, Steffi is collecting her things in the hospital room and 
Tony is laughing about the nurse thinking he was her husband and the 
proud father-to-be. Steffi laughs. Ally comes in to get Steffi. They 
watch TV and Richard is on (ed. note: is this the only channel 
available in Corinth?). He mentions that there is a serial killer in 
Corinth. Tony is *not* happy. Steffi and Ally look worried.

Tony turns the TV off. He thinks he'll take the scenic route, past 
Richard Wilkin's office. He tells Steffi to keep it off, pointing to 
the TV; he doesn't want the kid listening to that trash. He leaves. 
Ally agrees. This was a false alarm, but next time may not be, she 
tells Steffi. 

Meanwhile, Richard continues his tirade. 

At Burnell's, Joselyn leaves. Ava tells Alex that she has been uneasy 
ever since Uncle Harry...Alex tells her not to panic. Not to make this 
out to be something it's not. Alex leaves, telling her she really is 
his best girl.

At the studio, Richard promises to play the tape...after the 
commercial. "And we're off." The makeup guy comes onto the stage and 
tells Richard he needs more than pancake...maybe a bath for all this 
mud you're slinging. Richard is not pleased. "You're on in 3, Dick". 
That's RICHARD! The logo plays. He plays the tape where Tess is 
telling Curtis about not telling the police he was there watching when 
she and Clay were making love. 

At the Agency, Tess is upset. Danny wonders if Sing Sing has double 
cells. Joselyn comes in and Tess kicks everyone out. Tess wants to sue 
Richard. Joselyn is more worried about what Curtis is gonna do when he 
finds out she taped the conversation.

At the studio, Richard ends the show. Tony comes in and Richard 
motions for them to continue taping. Tony attacks Richard. Alex pulls 
him off. Richard says he thinks the public will want to know why the 
police are hastling the media instead of trying to find the killer.

Alex pulls Tony off Richard again. No, Richard says, let him go - it 
will make for a great story. Alex wants to talk to Richard alone. They 
depart for the control room. Alex tells Richard that by airing the 
tape, he's causing a panic and letting the murderer stay one step 
ahead of the police. Richard says that the public has a right to 
know,a nd if the police aren't going to tell them, he will. On the 
stage, one of the stage people says he's sorry that they pulled Tony 
offf; he'd pay to see their star decked. Richard kicks someone out of 
the control room. Alex asks Richard how he sleeps at night. In boxer 
shorts. Ale says this is not over, and he leave the control room. Back 
on the stage, Alex wants to know where Tony was.

At the hospital, Ally tells Steffi she has to relax, if not for 
herslef, then for the baby. Steffi says she never knew how much she 
loved the baby until she almost lost it.Good thing Tony was around, 
Ally says. Steffi says once he got past the tough-guy act. He's a good 
guy to have around, Ally says. Yeah, Steffi says. Seems like she's 
doing a Whitney thing, Ally laughs, she fell in love with her 
bodyguard, too...too bad Steffi can't sing, Ally laughs.

Frankie gives Danny a hard time. How can he do his model thing when 
Casey is 6 feet under? Bree comes in and tells Frankie to cool it. She 
wants to be with him, but not at her house, her mother is having Jacob 
for dinner. They can't think of a place to be together. Bree offers to 
buy his parents dinner, just to get them out of the house. They kiss 
and decide to go. In her office, Tess wonders why everything she does 
backfires. Joselyn tells her to be more worried about what Curtis will 
do when he finds out she taped that conversation.

Meanwhile, Curtis finds Ava and asks for her help picking out a 
present for Tess. Between his mother, Ava and Tess, those are the only 
people who are still his friends. Ava says, "You don't know?" Then she 
tells him that Richard Wilkins just played the tape Tess made of their 
conversation about his being in the mansion the night of the murder. 
Curtis tells her to cancel the gift, and he leaves, upset. Ava tries 
to call after him, but he doesn't stop.

Tony tells Alex he was with Steffi, it was an emergency. The stalker? 
No, the stalker business is over. What is it? It's just between them? 
Tony asks. Yes, Alex says. Steffi's pregnant. Tony mentions that she 
is alone, without a husband. Alex tells him to watch out, some women 
nowadays don't think of that as a requirement before having a baby. 
Richard, of course, is still in the control room, watching the 
monitors. He smiles. Alex asks how Steffi and the baby are. Tony says 
it was a false alarm. Alex tells Tony to never touch anyone like that 
again. On or off duty. Alex says they have to get back to the station, 
they need to examine the photos. Are they connected? Tony asks. Yes, 
Alex says, and they don't want to find another piece. Richard, still 
watching them in the control room, looks deep in thought.

At her store, Ava looks at the picture of Uncle Harry. She tells the 
picture that she wishes that she didn't have to be in a coma to talk 
to him. Things are getting weird around here and she wants to talk to 
someone. She'd talk to Alex, but he doesn't take her 
seriously. Someone asks Ava for help.

Back in the hospital room, Steffi complains that she needs a 
wheelchair to leave the hospital. Steffi and Ally are talking about 
what two unmarried mothers are going to do. They are poor, unemployeed 
and have no prospects. They decide to go into business together. 
Steffi says there isn't much need for a pregnant model. And Ally says 
she can't make money obsessing on Danny. Steffi thought that was a 
non-issue. Ally leaves to check on the wheelchair.

At the agency, Joselyn asks Danny why Ally didn't resign the 
restraining order. Danny thinks she's falling for him. Joselyn asks 
him out to dinner. He's got plans, he says. She complains about 
getting the makeover and not being able to get a dinner date. They 
leave. Curtin comes in. Tess is on the speaker phone, she gets Curtis' 
answering machine. Dame it, Curtis, where are you? he bursts into her 
office and says right her, FRIEND!

With-friends-like-Tess-who-needs-enemies-hanger

deb
(graham@process.com)

