Episode 3.13, Devil’s Night, Part 2 ----------------------------------- At the Police Station Toni – “The bomb squad is working on the device at St. Mary’s. A K-9 handler has confirmed the device at St. Peter’s. We still haven’t been able to contact anyone from St. Paul’s.” Will – “Get a search warrant. Have the officers on the scene start knocking on doors. Maybe they can find someone who is a member of the church. Keep calling, but either way, we’ll enter the building when the bomb squad is finished at St. Peter’s.” At Home Joan has completed her poetry reading and has written her analysis. She has even finished her calculus assignment. She begins to look at the list of things Adam told her earlier. Too much information! She walks over to her dad’s record collection and leafs through. She finds an album called “Grand Funk Railroad.” She remembers them from the “Behind the Music” marathon. She puts the record on and turns the volume down low. She picks up the list again and gets an idea. She goes out to the garage where she has hidden some of her journals and retrieves those from last year. She goes through them, comparing what she had written with Adam’s perception of the same events. They correlate, but with different points of view. Why didn’t Adam tell her about his feelings? She gets to the part with Roger. A few songs have played through on the record and a song called, “Heartbreaker” begins to play. She reads what God had told her, “Real love is hard work. You have to decide if you want it in your story. Or...if you’d rather just stay in the dream.” She begins to cry as she comes to the realization of what God was trying to tell her. She says to herself aloud, “I didn’t work hard enough!” Grace has come downstairs and hears Joan’s words, “Work hard enough on what?” Joan quickly closes her journal and tries to dry her eyes, “Nothing. How are you doing?” Grace – “I’m okay, but you’re not. Tell me what’s wrong.” Joan – “No, let’s talk about you. I was thinking, maybe you should go back to Alateen. I’m sure Luke will go with you again, and I’ll go with you if you’d like.” Grace – “Yeah, I probably will, but no changing the subject. Tell me what is bothering you.” Joan can see that Grace isn’t going to drop the subject. She doesn’t want to burden Grace now, but she really wants to talk to her about Adam. After a pause, she responds, “I had a talk with Adam this morning. I asked him to tell me why he had sex with Bonnie. I really wasn’t expecting to hear what he told me.” She picks up her list and hands it to Grace, “This is what he told me. I’d like to know what you think.” Grace takes the notepad and reads through Joan’s notes. She thinks for a few moments and says, “Some of these points can be disputed, but I think Adam is telling the truth, from his point of view.” Joan – “I know and that’s what is so sad. Did you know he felt this way?” Grace – “We’ve talked about it, but it was something that you and Adam needed to work out.” Joan – “Grace, why didn’t you tell me?” Grace – “Because you wouldn’t have believed me, and then you would have gotten mad, and I didn’t want to lose you as a friend.” Joan – “But you should have told me because you are my friend! Friends do that.” Grace – “You know, I only have two real friends, and you and Adam have made me walk a tightrope between you. Don’t lecture me on what I should have done, because no matter what I did, I would have come out the loser.” Joan – “Wait, what about Luke?” Grace – “That’s different; he’s more than a friend.” Joan – “I don’t want to fight with you over this. What I want is for you to tell me these things in the future. Will you do that?” Grace – “Girardi, you just need to start paying attention and get your head out of yourself.” Joan – “I know I have zero perception on a lot of things, but I need your help. Tell me when I’m messing up.” Grace – “And I’m supposed to believe you won’t get mad when I do it?” Joan – “I promise. Please! I want to try again with Adam, but I want to do it right this time. Be my friend. Help me.” Grace reluctantly agrees, “Okay. First of all, after you came back from crazy camp, you picked up with Adam as your boyfriend, but you stopped being his friend. You need to be both…” At Arcadia College Professor Steinholz can’t execute the network capture until he logs into the other computer. Ryan’s bookmarks are the key. “Auto password fill-in is quite a convenience! The computer is monitoring Ryan’s stock investments. It could be legitimate, but it’s odd that he is streaming almost identical data back out to the same network address. We’re going to have to find someone who understands this.” Luke – “My dad has a friend in the FBI. He can probably figure it out.” Professor Steinholz – “Okay, I’ll write down all the steps to get there. You’ll have to give them Hunter’s log-on.” Friedman – “I’m having dinner with Luke tonight. We’ll talk to his dad after dinner.” Professor Steinholz – “Which reminds me, we skipped lunch. Shall we get something to eat?” At Home Helen and Kevin come in the front door together. Helen is carrying some of Kevin’s things. Kevin – “Hi Joan, Grace. I just hit a motherlode of a clothes sale. Let me show you what I bought.” Joan would rather continue her conversation about Adam, and Grace is dying to hear what Helen has to say, but they both act interested in Kevin’s purchases. Kevin begins to pull items out of the bags, “See this shirt? Only five dollars! He pulls out a pair of pants, “Only seven dollars!” This continues until he has shown everything he has purchased. Joan and Grace provide the appropriate compliments. Helen speaks up, “Grace, we need to talk, but it can wait until you and Joan are finished.” Kevin begins to leave as Joan continues talking to Grace, “Okay, so tomorrow, Roger and Cee-Cee will be coming by…” Kevin overhears Cee-Cee’s name and asks, “Are you talking about Cee-Cee Lin?” Joan – “Yeah, I’m having lunch tomorrow with Cee-Cee, her fiance Roger, and Adam. Do you know her?” Kevin – “Yeah, we are sort of friends. How do you know her?” Joan – “I don’t, I’ll meet her for the first time tomorrow. I know Roger. He was my tutor for a while last year.” Kevin – “She’s really nice. You’ll like her.” Kevin rolls into the kitchen as Helen prepares dinner, “Mom, are you planning to question Cee-Cee and Roger tomorrow?” Helen – “That’s the plan. We won’t be too hard on them. It’s something your dad and I feel we need to do.” Kevin – “Mom, please don’t ask Cee-Cee too many questions. Just keep them about the last few years.” Helen – “Does she have something to hide?” Kevin – “It’s nothing you need to be concerned about. Trust me on this.” Helen – “Okay, I’ll talk to your father and we’ll limit our inquiry.” Kevin – “Thanks. I need something to eat.” Helen – “We finished the roast beef, but I bought ham, bologna, and Swiss cheese.” Kevin – “I’ll pass on the bologna and go for the ham and cheese, please.” At Rebecca’s Apartment Rebecca wants to show Lilly the quilting project she’s working on, so while Lilly sits on the couch, Rebecca retrieves her project from the other room. She spreads it out on the carpet. Rebecca – “I’ve gone with a Maryland theme. This is the Naval Academy in Annapolis, and the boats represent the Chesapeake Bay. The Raven is for Edgar Allen Poe who lived in Baltimore. The black bear is for western Maryland. It was once near extinction, but hunting restrictions have allowed it to come back. The Blue Crab is for the bay, and the Old Bay® seasoning is for cooking them. The…” At St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Lt. Daghlian has received the search warrant, and the bomb squad is on its way from St. Peter’s. They have determined that, if they enter using the service entrance in the rear of the church, they can do so with the least amount of damage. Mike orders his officers to break in the door. Just as they begin, there is an explosion. The interior of the church becomes engulfed in flames, and shattered stained glass flies in all directions. Although badly injured by flying glass, Mike makes the call for help. At Rebecca’s Apartment Rebecca finishes showing her quilt, and Lilly notices the VCR and DVD player attached to Rebecca’s television, “Can you show me how the DVD is hooked up?” Rebecca – “Sure, it’s easy. You know, I bought this TV the day Kevin’s dad saved that girl at the community theater.” She has Lilly look at the back of the TV and DVD with her, “See, there are just two cables. This one is the video, and this one is the left and right audio. They’re color-coded. You just plug them in the right spots on the back of the TV and DVD.” She picks up the remote to demonstrate how it works. When Rebecca clicks on the TV, they see “Special Bulletin” painted across the screen. A studio reporter begins speaking, “Moments ago, there was an explosion at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. The police were on the scene, preparing to search the building for the bomb they had learned was planted there. Many of the officers at the scene were hurt in the blast. They are being taken to area hospitals. We have a crew en route to the scene and will provide on-site coverage as soon as they arrive.” She pauses to pick up some papers just placed on her desk. “The Arcadia police have been working most of the day disarming bombs they learned about from an anonymous tip. Bombs at the Church of Hope, St. Peter’s Catholic Church, and St. Mary’s Convent were successfully disarmed. Unfortunately, it appears that the last bomb was detonated before they could disarm it. We will provide additional information on this unfolding story as we receive it.” Lilly grabs the phone and calls the Girardi’s home. Kevin picks up, “Girardi residence.” Lilly – “Kevin, turn on the TV. I’ll be there soon.” She hangs up and heads for the door. At Home Kevin alerts everyone and they gather around the television. “…the fire department has arrived on the scene and is working to contain the fire. University Medical Center has reported receiving three police officers and Arcadia General has reported receiving two. Their identities and conditions have not yet been released. To recap the events unfolding, the Arcadia police were preparing to disarm a bomb at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church when it was detonated. At least five of the officers at the scene were injured. The police have been busy during the day disarming other bombs located at the Church of Hope, St. Peter’s Catholic Church, and St. Mary’s Convent. The last bomb was detonated before they could disarm it…” Joan – “Oh God, here we go again! Mom?” Helen is already dialing. When Will answers she says, “Will, are you okay?” Will – “Yeah, I’m fine. I wasn’t there. In fact, I’m on the way to UMC, and then I’ll be going to Arcadia General to check on the others. My cell phone never works once I get inside, so don’t worry.” Helen – “I love you.” Everyone has overheard Helen’s part of the conversation and knows that Will is okay. Lilly arrives, followed shortly by Luke. Both are given an update on what has happened. Luke wasn’t aware of the explosion, but obviously knew of its possibility. He does a good job of acting surprised, but he is only able to convince Helen and Lilly. The others plan to grill him later. Luke sits beside Grace, “Hi, I didn’t know you would be here.” Grace – “Well, I didn’t expect to be here, either. We need to talk.” Luke – “Ah, okay, let’s go up to my room.” Helen – “Grace, I’ll make an exception this time, but you know the rules.” Grace – “Got it, Mrs. Girardi.” Grace pushes a puzzled Luke toward the stairs, “Come on, brain boy, I’ll explain it to you.” Lilly sits down next to Kevin and says, “I guess this means your father won’t be here for dinner tonight.” Joan and Helen both begin to speak, but Joan lets Helen continue, “We have already canceled our dinner plans with the Goetzmann’s tonight. Will called earlier and told us he would have to work. Now, we know why.” Joan is relieved that Helen didn’t mention Grace’s problem at home. Lilly and Kevin will probably find out anyway, but she hopes it won’t be until after Grace is back at home. At the University Medical Center Will arrives at the hospital to find Carlisle is already there. He asks him, “What do we know?” Carlisle – “Mike is still in surgery. A shard punctured his carotid artery and they had to repair it. Now they’re repairing the smaller cuts.” Will – “Hmm… Blackburn, Lancashire. But he’ll be okay, right?” Carlisle – “The doctor said that he would be.” Will – “How about the others?” Carlisle – “Officer Cattrall received a lot of cuts like Mike, but none of them are life threatening. Darcy also got a lot of cuts, but she’ll be okay, too.” Will – “Darcy?” Carlisle – “Cattrall’s dog.The initial report was wrong. The third officer was Cattrall’s dog. Oh, and Officer Cattrall threatened to beat the crap out of the doctor when he refused to treat Darcy. A nurse, Susan Jordan, took Darcy and is treating her. I don’t know if the doctor plans to press charges. That’s a problem you may have to deal with.” Will – “I’ll have a talk with Officer Cattrall and then with the doctor. When I’m done, I’m going over to Arcadia General. Call me if there’s any change in Mike’s condition.” At Home Grace – “…so that’s what happened. She’s been lying the whole time, sneaking booze when no one was around.” Luke – “Are you sure? Maybe this was an isolated incident. A relapse.” Grace – “There is no such thing as an isolated incident for an alcoholic. Either you are or you aren’t. She has to stop or I’m not going back.” Luke – “Yeah, I remember that from one of the Alateen meetings. Do you want to start going back to them?” Grace – “Yeah, but only if you go with me.” Luke – “Of course.” Grace – “Joan said she would go with me too, but I don’t know. It’s so personal and it was hard enough allowing you in.” Luke – “Whatever you decide, but you know Joan cares for you, too.” Grace – “Yeah, I know. That’s why I might reconsider, but not yet.” Downstairs, Joan learns to make Aunt Olive’s paella as initially planned. It’s been such a confusing day, but Grace really helped to put things into perspective. She’s actually in a good mood now, feeling optimistic about the future. Helen begins to tell a story about Aunt Olive, and Joan roars with laughter when she gets to the punch line. In the living room, Kevin and Lilly hear Joan laughing in the kitchen. Lilly says, “Hey, I would like to show you some things I bought today.” She goes out to her car and comes back. “I bought these books for Joan. They’re not a present, just something I thought she would like, but this is what I wanted to show you.” She pulls out the drawing of Joan of Arc. “Do you think she’ll like it?” Kevin – “Yeah, she really enjoyed reading that book this summer.” Lilly – “That’s what I was thinking, too. I’ll give it to her on her birthday.” She places it back into the bag and pulls out the statue of Athena. “I got this for me. Do you like it?” Kevin – “It’s very pretty. Who is it?” Lilly – “Don’t you know your Greek mythology? It’s Pallas Athena.” Kevin – “Well, I remember the name, but I just didn’t recognize the statue. Isn’t that kind of paganistic?” Lilly – “I’m not going to worship her, I find her story interesting. It’s just something pretty to look at.” Kevin – “Well, again, it is very pretty. Let’s go up to my room. I want to show you what I bought today.” At Arcadia General Hospital Will arrives in the ER to find Officer Palmer sitting with his wife and daughter. “Hello Mrs. Palmer.” He directs his attention to the little girl, “And what’s your name?” Officer Palmer’s daughter – “Stacy.” Will – “You have a very brave daddy.” Stacy – “I know, he’s a politeman.” Will smiles, “Jim, how are you doing?” Officer Palmer – “I’m okay. I have a lot of little cuts, but only two required stitches. It just hurts like a million paper cuts.” Will – “Well, I’m glad to see you weren’t hurt worse. Any word on your partner?” Officer Palmer – “Greg got about the same amount of glass as me, but he got some in his left eye. They’ve called in a specialist.” Will – “Is his wife here?” Officer Palmer – “She’s in pre-op with him.” Will – “Can I arrange a ride home for you?” Mrs. Palmer – “No, I drove, but thank you.” Will looks at Jim, “Well, you take whatever time of you need.” He leaves to visit Officer Gleason and his wife.” At Home Luke calls to cancel his evening with Friedman. Friedman is disappointed, but he understands Luke’s reason for wanting to spend the evening with Grace. Helen calls out, “Dinner is served.” They all gather around the table and Helen asks, “Joan, would you say the blessing tonight?” Joan – “Okay. God, please take care of the policemen that were hurt today and thank you for my friends and family.” Helen – “Thank you.” They serve the meal and Joan comments, “Ha, ha, hahaha, I know how to make this now.” Kevin – “Well, I’m just as happy not knowing what’s in it. I’ll bet those seven herbs and spices include ingredients like essence of cricket, ground Amazon ants, and eye of toad.” Joan gives him a smirk, “Well, you’re close.” Lilly gets a horrified expression on her face, so Joan smiles and continues, “Okay, there’s no eye of toad.” Kevin looks at Lilly, “It’s okay, just eat it.” After dinner, Helen gives Grace a brief synopsis of her conversation with Grace’s father. Luke and Grace spend the remainder of the evening talking on the couch. Kevin and Lilly decide to go out for ice cream. Helen and Joan do the dishes, then retire to their rooms to read. Joan browses through the topical Bible, then puts it down on her desk. As she does, she notices the paper she had the left there the other day, “1 Corinthians 6:18 – 20.” She remembers the dream, “Cory Callahan! Corinth… Corinthians.” She opens her journal from this summer and finds where she wrote about the accident. Judith - Cory Callahan - 12:09 - Raphaela? She then opens the Bible (NASB) and leafs through until she finds 1 Corinthians 12:9. She reads the passage, “to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit.” She lays the book down and slips into bed. She wonders as she goes to sleep, ‘I do have faith. I’ve seen the ripples. God knows that, so why bother to tell me that in a dream? And who is Raphaela?’ When Joan wakes up, Grace is sleeping beside her. She loves her, but she will never become accustomed to her snoring. Mental note: Always go to sleep before Grace. She quietly leaves her bedroom and goes downstairs. Luke is there having breakfast, “Whatcha eating?” Luke – “Coco Puffs, breakfast of champions.” Joan gets herself a bowl, spoon, and sits down beside him, “Well, I don’t know about champions, but for low blood sugar, it’s a must.” They eat quietly for a while, then Joan breaks the silence, “I have a name, but I don’t know who it is. Do you think if I put it in your computer it will give me an answer?” Luke – “It will probably give you more answers than you want. Google is a great search tool, but you’re not touching my computer.” Joan – “When we’re done eating, can we go up to your room and see?” Luke agrees and when they finish, they go up to his room, “Okay, what is the name?” Joan – “Raphaela. I’m not sure how to spell it. Try R-A-P-H-A-E-L-A.” Luke types it in, and starts reading through the responses, Raphaela’s Kaifuu, Saint Raphaela Maria Porras, Behind the Name: View Name: Raphaela, Raphaela Pope…” Joan interrupts, “How about the saint?” Luke selects it and it calls up a biography. Joan reads it through and sees that she taught children, but she’s not sure if this is what she is looking for. “Go back to that name thing.” Luke does and it gives some information, but nothing that seems to help. “Try adding ‘name’ to the search.” He does while Joan watches, “There, ‘Name Meanings,’ click on that one.” When the screen comes up, she reads the meaning, “Divine healer or healed by God.” Joan stands stunned, now realizing the connection to the Bible verse. Luke – “Earth to Joan. Is this what you were looking for?” Joan – “Yeah, I think it is. Thanks.” She leaves and walks downstairs. Grace is coming out of the bedroom, “Morning, Luke’s awake in his room.” Grace – “No can do, rule number one, Luke and Grace can never be alone together in the same bedroom. Mom’s orders.” Joan – “Well, I’m going to take a shower. Why don’t you go downstairs and fix yourself something to eat?” Grace rushes into the bathroom, “Nature first, then a shower.” Later, Joan, Luke, and Grace are in the living room. Luke and Grace are talking about what they might do this afternoon. Joan is still wondering about the dream. She thinks to herself, ‘This is insane and I was bonkers when I had the dream.’ She decides she needs to take her mind off it, if only for a little while. She walks over to her father’s record collection, and leafs through it. “Sounds of Silence, just what I need.” She puts the record on and it begins to play. She sits quietly listening, while Luke and Grace continue to talk. Will comes downstairs and hears the record playing, “Joan, what are you doing?” Joan – “I’m sorry, I’ll put it away.” Will – “No, you can listen to my records. I’m just wondering why?” Joan begins to blush a little, “Well, I… I like some of your music. Not all of it, but some of it.” Will smiles, “I told you that you had good taste.” He continues into the kitchen and Joan follows. “Dad, how are your police officers?” Will – “They’ll all be fine. Don’t worry.” Joan – “Hey, Cee-Cee and Roger won’t be here for awhile. Would you like to play a game of chess?” Will – “I’m fine, really. Besides, you are too good for me.” Joan – “No, you’ve won several games.” Will – “And I know why.” He kisses her on the forehead. “I love you, too.” Joan is both disappointed and happy that he knew, but she still feels she needs to do something, “Hey, why don’t I fix you breakfast? What would you like?” Will – “Oh, how about a ham and cheese omelet, with hash browns and toast.” Joan looks sadly at him, “I haven’t learned how to make that yet. Can you show me?” Will – “A father-daughter project. I’d love to.” After the meal is prepared, Joan sits with her father and watches him eat. “Are you going to have to work today?” Will – “Maybe, but I’m going to try to do it all over the phone. Right now, I just need to coordinate everything and make sure it all gets done.” Joan – “Do you like doing this better than being a detective?” Will – “Yes and no, but mostly yes. I’m finally going to meet the new mayor on Monday. I’m not sure how it will pan out.” Joan – “Max Doherty?” Will – “Yeah, he seems like a good guy. He only bent the rules once that I know of, but I may have done the same thing in his situation. Still, I have a bad taste in my mouth from the last mayor, so I’ll believe it when I see it.” Joan – “Some things have to be believed to be seen.” Joan pauses briefly, a little puzzled, wondering where that came from. “What did he do?” Will – “Never mind. Are you still going to the hayride tonight?” Joan – “Yeah and there’s a party in the barn, too. It should be a lot of fun.” Will – “And Luke and Grace are still going?” Joan – “Grace was not going to go, but I talked her back into it. She needs to have some fun.” Helen, Lilly, and Kevin return from church. Helen walks into the kitchen, “What smells good?” Will – “Joan cooked me breakfast.” Joan – “Well, I had a little help. Would you like an omelet?” Helen – “No thanks. I’ll wait and just have lunch… maybe leftover paella.” After a while, Adam arrives, and Joan meets him at the door. Instead of inviting him in, she walks outside with him. “We don’t have a lot of time, but I want to tell you something. Have a seat.” They sit on the step and Joan continues, “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you told me yesterday. I’m really sorry that I didn’t know how you were feeling, but you have to admit, having sex with Bonnie was over the top.” Adam – “Yeah, I agree. I shouldn’t have and I’m really sorry.” Joan – “Well, I forgive you, but that doesn’t fix everything. Why didn’t you tell me that you felt so distant from me?” Adam – “I was afraid. I loved you so much and I still love you. I just didn’t know what to do.” Joan – “What you need to do is talk to me. And not just about the little stuff, but the important stuff, like how you really feel. I will try to pay closer attention, but you have to be more open with me, too. I believe that’s the only way it’s going to work for us.” Adam – “I’ll try, but you know I don’t like to talk about myself that much.” Joan – “Then how am I supposed to know what you’re thinking? I’m not psychic!” Adam – “Okay, I’ll try.” Joan sees that he’s getting a little defensive, but she knows she’s made her point. She gives him a quick kiss, “Grace needs to tell you something.” They walk back inside, and Joan says to Luke, “Hey, square pants, kitchen! Grace and Adam need to talk.” Grace tells Adam about her troubles at home and that she has moved in with Joan’s family. As expected, Adam offers to do anything he can to help. They finish their conversation just as Roger and Cee-Cee arrive. Grace hurries into the kitchen, and Joan invites them in and introduces Adam. She shows them to the couch and goes to the stairs and calls, “Mom, Dad, Roger and Cee-Cee are here.” Will, Helen, and Kevin come down. Roger and Cee-Cee stand back up as Joan makes the introductions, “This is my dad, mom, and my brother Kevin.” Cee-Ceeimmediately recognizes Kevin and becomes uncomfortable, not knowing what Kevin will say. Kevin defuses the situation by saying, “Hi, Cee-Cee, it’s been awhile. It’s nice to see you again.” Will is speechless at first, overcome by Cee-Cee’s exquisite beauty. He’s married, but still a man, and he’s definitely not blind. Helen frees him from his stupor by commenting, “That’s a lovely dress you are wearing.” Cee-Cee– “Thank you, Mrs. Girardi. It’s very nice to meet both of you.” They all have a seat, and Helen begins the conversation, “Joan tells me that you attend Dawson State and major in dance.” Cee-Cee– “Yes, I love to dance. I actually have two majors. I am also studying American history. I love this country so much. I just can’t learn enough about it.” Will is impressed and is poised to ask, ‘When did you come to this country?’ when Helen elbows him in the ribs. She continues instead, “That’s really impressive, having two majors. That must be hard work.” Cee-Cee– “It is, especially with all the reading, but Roger has been helping me with that.” Will catches his breath and decides to join the discussion, “So Roger, Joan tells me you used to be her tutor.” Roger – “Yes, last year for awhile. She was such a fast learner that she didn’t need me for long.” Will – “And you attend Dawson State as well?” Roger – “Yes, I’ll graduate in the spring. I’m majoring in English literature and plan to write and teach.” Joan – “Roger is so good with poetry. He really helped me to understand what I was reading.” Helen directs her question to Cee-Cee, “You are having lunch today at your family’s restaurant?” Cee-Cee– “Yes, my uncle has the finest Chinese restaurant in Arcadia. You should come by and try our food, if you haven’t already visited.” Kevin has been sitting quietly, but decides to comment, “I can vouch for that. I’ve eaten there many times.” Will – “Well, it was nice to meet both of you. You all have a good time today.” When Joan, Adam, Cee-Cee, and Roger leave, Will asks, “Why did you jab me in the ribs?” Helen – “Because I knew what you were going to ask, and because your tongue was hanging out. I told you, no questions about her past.” Kevin was still there listening, “Thanks for going easy on Cee-Cee.” Helen – “She seems like a very nice girl.” Will goes back upstairs and continues his phone calls. He calls Toni to check on her status. Toni – “We’re just about done. The K-9 handler has checked out the barn and along the route the hayride will take tonight. Nothing was found.” Will – “Good. I thought it would be okay, but I wanted to be sure. You’re still going to be there tonight, right?” Toni – “Yeah, I will be in the barn and be the substitute driver when Joan and her friends take their ride. I have my Jason mask and costume in the car. I’ll be back here about a half an hour before they arrive. I have even memorized a haunted story for the hayride. It’ll be fun.” Will – “Thanks for doing this.” At Lin’s Family Restaurant The waitress escorts them to their table, where everyone has a seat, “Hi, I’m China Faye, I hope you enjoy your meal. May I take your drink order?” Cee-Cee– “You don’t have to be so formal. You know Roger. This is Joan and Adam.” China Faye – “It is nice to meet friends of my sister.” Technically, China Faye is a cousin, as is her father, but ‘sister’ and ‘uncle’ are the terms they have come to embrace to describe their relationship, and the technicalities are just that. Joan and Adam reply with the appropriate responses. Joan continues, “What drinks are available?” China Faye – “We have hot tea, sweet tea, Pepsi and Diet Pepsi, coffee, regular, and decaf, and we have just started offering sweet green tea.” Joan – “I would like the green tea.” The others order sweet tea. Music has been playing softly over the PA, but it suddenly stops. As China Faye leaves, she comments, “I’ll put another record on and be back with your drink order.” They all get up to fill their plates with a variety of food. When they return to their seats, they find China Faye has brought their drink orders, and they begin to enjoy their meal. Joan strikes up a conversation with Cee-Cee, “What kind of dance do they teach at Dawson State?” Cee-Cee– “Actually, I was surprised that a state college offered such a fine program. We study all kinds of dance, classical, pop, ballet, Middle Eastern, Scandinavian, Russian, even belly dancing. It’s really a lot of fun.” Joan – “That sounds neat. What other courses do they offer?” Cee-Cee– “I don’t know them all, but I can think of nursing, photography, geography, forestry, several courses in the sciences, mathematics and the arts, and of course, English literature. I know there are more, but I just can’t think of them all.” Roger – “The school’s web site has a listing of the available courses. I can e-mail you the link.” Joan – “That would be great! My email address is Joan1412@arcadia.com.” Adam – “We went there last year to take a look. They offered me a scholarship, but the art teacher just didn’t impress me. I’ve been seriously considering the North Carolina School of the Arts. Jason Welsh is the head instructor. Some of his work was put on display last year here at the Arcadia Museum of Art. He is a brilliant artist.” When they finish their meal, Adam and Joan begin to get money out to pay their part of the bill. Cee-Cee interrupts, “No, it isn’t necessary. My uncle wants today’s meal to be a gift, and he hopes you will choose to return.” Joan – “That’s very nice. Please thank him for us, but your sister still deserves a tip.” She and Adam both leave money on the table. They leave the restaurant and walk out into the mall. Cee-Cee asks Joan, “Come on, let’s go for a walk and look at some of the stores.” Roger asks Adam to join him, but Adam responds, “I really don’t like the mall.” Roger offers a compromise, “Okay, let’s take a walk outside.” Joan knows why Cee-Cee wants to talk to her alone, so she begins the conversation, “Okay, I kissed Roger once, but I was confused. I do like Roger, but I love Adam.” Cee-Cee– “I know, Roger told me about it. I know he loves me, but we are both beautiful and intelligent women.” Joan – “Oh, I’m nowhere as beautiful as you. And smart? You haven’t seen my report card.” Cee-Cee– “Oh, but you are very pretty and intelligent. Being beautiful has always been a problem for me. In the past, my boyfriends seemed to be disappointed when they didn’t wake up next to Gilda. I know Roger loves me for who I am. That’s something I cherish.” Joan – “And I know he loves you, too. I’m sure you will be very happy together.” Cee-Ceepauses for a moment, “Joan, do you believe in God?” Joan – “Yes, I believe, with all of my heart.” Cee-Cee– “I’m glad to hear that. When I was young, my mother taught me about God, but we had to keep our beliefs a secret. Just before I left home, my mother told me to always do what God asks me to do. Anyway, one day there was this big confusion and I heard God calling me. I ran to him. It changed my life.” Joan begins to wonder, “God talks to you?” Cee-Cee– “Yes, but I just hear him in my head and I feel him like a warm blanket over me. That day, his voice was really loud, but usually, he just whispers. I’ve only told my mother, Roger, and now you.” Joan – “Why me?” Cee-Cee– “On the way to your house, I heard Him again, just two words, ‘Tell her.’ I know it was only two words, but somehow I knew what He meant. I don’t know why He wants you to know, but I do as He asks, because when I do, things always work out.” Joan – “But how do you know it’s really God talking to you?” Cee-Cee– “Some things have to be believed to be seen.” Joan is speechless, amazed by Cee-Cee’s last remark. She simply smiles in agreement. Cee-Cee– “Let’s go find Roger and Adam.” When Adam and Roger are outside, Roger starts the discussion, “I know you don’t like me, but I hope that will change. I’m not sorry for what happened between Joan and me, but my heart belongs to Cee-Cee now. You don’t have to worry.” Adam – “Then why did you kiss Joan?” Roger – “For the same reasons you do. She is a wonderful person, so easy to fall in love with.” Adam – “But you don’t love her now?” Roger – “Love is something that never goes away, and I will always cherish the memory, but Cee-Cee is my life now. I can promise that Joan and I will just remain friends. You see, love is a decision, not just a feeling. I’ve chosen Cee-Cee. I’ve let go of Joan.” Adam – “So, I am to believe you won’t try to steal her from me?” Roger – “No one will steal her from you. You will have to lose her. Love is hard work. It’s your job to keep her.” With that, they turn around and head back into the mall. They meet up with Joan and Cee-Cee and Roger takes them home. At Home Luke knocks on his parent’s bedroom door and enters. Will is still talking on the phone, so Luke quietly takes a seat. When Will finishes, Luke says, “We discovered something else yesterday. Ryan has another computer that is monitoring stock investments. Professor Steinholz thinks it’s strange that it is also sending nearly the same information out again. Do you think your FBI friend could take a look?” Will – “I don’t know, but I’ll certainly ask.” Luke hands him the paper with the information. “Thanks, Luke. You and Friedman have been a great help.” Luke – “Friedman came up with something yesterday. He referred to us as AoJ, Army of Joan. I think that’s neat.” Will – “Catchy title, too bad no one but us will ever know about it.” When Luke leaves, Will calls Victor. When he picks up, Will says, “Victor, Will Girardi. Do you remember that fraud case involving Ryan Hunter you have been investigating?” Victor – “Yeah, how can I forget? It’s been a dead end for years.” Will – “Well, I think I have your smoking gun.” When Joan arrives home, she finds Kevin and Lilly sitting on the couch. Kevin asks, “Where’s Adam?” Joan – “Roger dropped him off at home. We’ll pick him up later for the hayride.” Kevin – “Lilly and I have been talking. Would you mind if we went with you?” Joan – “No, it’ll be fine. In fact, can Adam and I ride with you?” Kevin – “Sure, but what about Luke?” Joan checks to make sure Luke isn’t around, “Quite frankly, it scares me to ride with him at the wheel, and he always gets mad when I point out his mistakes.” Kevin – “Ah, the backseat driver. I’ve ridden with him. He’s not so bad.” Joan – “Just the same, I would rather go with you.” She pauses to think for a moment. “Friedman was going to drive, too, but with you going, he and Glynis can ride with Luke… or maybe Luke and Grace can ride with him. I’ll talk to Luke and we’ll work something out.” Lilly – “Great.I’ll run home and get makeup and mousse, and be back in a few minutes.” Joan – “Makeup?” Lilly – “In a past life, I was Goth girl. Kevin and I will be the Goth kids tonight.” Joan – “Wow!” Joan begins to wonder why the house is so quiet. “Where’s Grace?” Kevin – “Grace forgot to pack her hat for tonight, and Mom took her home to get it.” Joan – “I sure hope there aren’t any fireworks.” Lilly – “That’s why Helen went with her. They should be back soon.” Luke comes down stairs, “Hey, can you help me hem my pants?” Joan – “Yeah, I can do it. Mom showed me how to use the stitch witchery stuff.” Luke – “How was lunch? Wasn’t it great? Kevin took me there this summer.” Joan – “The food was delicious! And Kevin, you were right. Cee-Cee is a wonderful person.” Kevin – “I knew you would like her.” When Helen and Grace return, Joan asks, “Did everything go okay?” Grace – “They weren’t home. What do you think of my hat?” The\ `hat `__\ is from the early 60’s, similar to one John Lennon used to wear. Joan – “It’s kind of odd looking, but the color goes well with your outfit.” Grace – “That’s why I bought it, and because it’s radical, dude.” They have an early dinner, and Glynis, Friedman, and Adam arrive. Everyone is thrilled with Glynis’ costume. Glynis– “Hi, I’m Kimberly and I’m the coolest Power Ranger. Make fun of me and I’ll blast you.” Luke chuckles, so she pulls out her Blade Blaster and squirts him twice in the face, “That goes double for you.” Joan lowers her voice to imitate Napoleon Dynamite, “Ah, well, ah, yah know, that’s cool. Can I hold it?” Glynis– “Okay, but just this once.” Joan takes it and squirts Adam, “Hey, stop it, you’ll make my emblem fall off.” Joan – “Huh, some wizard you are.” Luke – “Hey bugsy, if you guys don’t behave, I’ll have to fill you full of lead.” Friedman – “Or we’ll make you cement overshoes for the evening.” Lilly – “Hey, Marilyn and I can think of a few worse things to do to you.” Kevin – “Yeah, like I’ll make you wear this nose ring.” Will and Helen enter the living room.Helen observes the motley crew, “You all look wonderful tonight, a classic collection of sub-defectives.” Grace – “Oh, gee, no way, for sure, how could you ever compare me to them? They’re so yesterday!” Helen smiles, “And you’re all in character. I’m sure you’ll have fun tonight.” At the Orban Farm All of them, except for Lilly and Kevin, have prepaid. This allows them to go ahead of the line. It’s good that Grace read the fine print on the flyer. When they get up to the table, Joan asks, “My brother and his girlfriend have decided to join us. Can they come in too?” A rather tall person in a Jason mask gives a nod. “Thank you.” Kevin and Lilly pay the fee and they all enter together. The organizers have been controlling the entry, so there is a good size crowd in the barn, but it’s not overcrowded. There are a lot of children and adults. All are playing games and appear to be having a great time. Over the PA, a rather odd song is playing. Joan asks, “Hey, ah, that looks cool, does anyone want to play pin the electrode on the Frankenstein?” Grace – “No way, that’s so uncool. It’s for kids. Act your age.” Joan – “Not tonight. Anything goes.” Adam – “I’ll do it with you. I’ll wand you in the right direction.” The others join in and none of them gets the electrode in the right place. When Glynis finishes, she squirts the cardboard Frankenstein, blows the imaginary smoke of her Blade Blaster, and says, “So there.” They enter the dark room, which is used to store Frankenstein’s spare parts. They touch brains, intestines, eyeballs, and various other disgusting, slimy things. Eeeuw, yuck, and gross mix with laughs and chuckles. Joan has been struggling for some time, but finally must submit, “Hey, I’ll be back in a few minutes. I have to brave the Port-a-Potty outside.” She walks outside and stands in line. A man comes up behind her, “Don’t you just love long lines when you really have to go, Joan.” She turns around and lifts his mask. She then lets it snap back into place, “Don’t you think it’s a conflict of interest for God to dress like the devil?” God – “Why is it that no one will believe that I have a sense of humor?” Joan – “Well, I’m not in the mood to get it from you. What’s with the dream? Was it real?” God – “By definition, no dreams are real.” Joan – “Come on, Socrates, you know what I mean. Is that why you told Cee-Cee to talk to me? What does ‘Chun Chen’ mean in English? Is she come kind of healer? If so, what am I supposed to do with her? And, I thought you said no miracles?” God – “What, where, when, why, how, you know I don’t answer questions. And I didn’t say, ‘no miracles’. I said, ‘miracles happen within the rules’.” Joan – “So what are the rules?” God ignores her, “All you need to know is that both you and Cee-Cee are in the process of fulfilling your nature. Embrace it, and remember, some things…” Joan interrupts, “…have to be believed to be seen. Yeah, yeah, that’s the third time I’ve heard that today. What does it even mean?” God – “You already have faith, Joan. You’ll figure out the rest.” A woman next in line behind them speaks out, “Hey, if you’re not going in, I really have to go.” Joan can see this conversation is going nowhere, so she gets into the Port-a-Potty and slams the door.