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 Valentine's Cove Book 1-Secrets By NightWriter
   Introduction to Valentine's Cove: Book 1-Secrets By NightWriter
   This is a new project, which has been sort of a story I have been
carrying for years in my head.  Being a soap opera fan for many years was
inspiration for this whole idea.  However, I wanted something a little more
"adult oriented" and with writing, I am able to create my own story without
having to censor it due to too much violence or sex.
   Valentine's Cove is a fictional town where most of the key characters
have lots of secrets.  The biggest secret of all is a 40 year old murder
and of course 5 of the main characters are responsible for it.  I actually
owe the basic concept of the story to a soap opera known as "Guiding
Light."
   For any "Guiding Light" fans who recognize the basic idea, you will
recognize what storyline that this is vaguely familiar to.  A couple of
years ago, "Guiding Light" introduced 5 of its main characters to an old
story of an accidental death in which I found vaguely similar to Peter
Straub's "Ghost Story".
   On "Guiding Light" 5 of its main characters were responsible for the
death of a young woman, which took place 30 years earlier.  The characters
of Alan Spaulding, Josh Lewis, Billy Lewis, Ed Bauer and Buzz Cooper were
indirectly responsible for the death of a woman they had been drinking with
and hoping to get laid.  In order to help it along they slipped an
experimental drug similar to Ecstasy in the drink of the woman, Marianne
Carruthers.
   It resulted in the death of her and then of course the 5 of them tried
to hide the evidence after a car accident resulted in her death or so they
believed.  They dumped the car in the Springfield River and then kept the
secret for 30 years.  However, it wasn't exactly a secret as Marianne's
aunt "Carrie" witnessed everything and then tried to get the men to take
responsibility by trying to use Buzz Cooper's granddaughter, Marina, Ed
Bauer's daughter, Michelle and of course Josh Lewis's daughter and Billy
Lewis's niece Marah, to bring the 5 men down.  The end result was the 5 men
were never guilty.  Carrie had killed Marianne in anger afterwards after
the girl managed to survive.  In a fit of anger Carrie lost it telling
Marianne she was a disgrace to the Carruthers name and then killed her in
rage.  She in her own warped mind blamed it on the 5 men.  Had they not
been with Marianne and gotten her into trouble then Carrie wouldn't have
killed her.  However, Carrie got her own just desserts when she tried to
kill the 5 men and was shot and killed by Marah.
   Now those of you that will read this, as I said the basic idea is the
same but this story is totally original and created by me.  This is not any
rip off from any soap opera.
   Originally, when I started this story it was just going to be a serial
rapist storyline with other "soap opera" type stuff but then "Guiding
Light" did their storyline which I thought was done quite well so I then
decided to use the basic concept for this story as I have always enjoyed
stories on soaps that go back into the history of its characters so they
you get to understand them more so you either love them or you hate them
more than you may have before.*LOL* So while I'm thinking of it, a thank
you to "Guiding Light"*S*
   As well as the main story, you will also see other secrets revealed with
the main characters as well as their families.
   I plan on continuing with the Valentine's Cove soap opera novel series
until I run out of ideas or anyone reading it gets bored.  So for now
please enjoy this fun and very "adult oriented" story and get to know the
Valentine's and the St Clair's as well as their friends and family in
Valentine's Cove.  If I'm actually doing what I'm trying to do, hopefully
these people will be as real to you as they are to me as I create them and
their stories.
   In the meantime, enjoy the ride.*S*
   NightWriter
   Authors Note: This story is totally fictional.  None of the characters
mentioned in this story are real nor do they resemble any real people
living or dead.  The story created here is strictly from the authors
sometimes over active and vivid imagination.  NOTE: THE AUTHOR DOES NOT
CONDONE OR SUPPORT THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOR MENTIONED IN THIS STORY
   WARNING: This story contains both very graphic violence and sex which
also include both RAPE and MURDER.  If you are easily offended or do not
enjoy this sort of thing, PLEASE DO NOT READ IT!!  For those that do read
it, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
   NightWriter
   Valentines Cove: Book 1 - Secrets By NightWriter
   Prologue
   It was a hot summer night in Valentine's Cove in the year of 1964.  The
air was humid and for most of the people, it was too warm and windows and
doors with screens were left open to hopefully cool down some of their
places unless of course, you were lucky to afford air conditioning or a
decent fan.
   However, those that werent using fans had been pumping fluids into them
as if it was their last drink.  The Valentine's Cove Lodge had a very busy
day which carried on long into the night.  The last of the Valentine Lodge
patrons stumbled out of the bar and into the alley.  He had consumed large
amounts of beer and was definitely feeling no pain.
   Lenny Baxter stumbled out into the alley of the Valentine's Cove Lodge
and looked around.  Lenny was drunk as well as horny.  He looked around
more and muttered under his breath.  " Come on!  Where the fuck is she?"
   As soon as he muttered that, a young girl appeared.  She was short. 
About 5 feet tall with long flowing red hair and small pert breasts which
her nipples were showing through the tank top she was wearing.  She looked
at Lenny and then approached him and wrapped her arms around him and
started to kiss him.
   Amy Rogers was seventeen years old and had met Lenny in the Valentine's
Cove Lodge pub earlier that day.  Amy had lived all of her life in
Valentine's Cove and hated it.  Tonight with meeting Lenny, she was happy
because Lenny promised her that he would be her ticket out of Valentine's
Cove.
   As Lenny looked at the young beauty before him, he licked his lips.  He
loved them young and had played this game many times before.  No matter
what town he travelled in when doing construction work, he always found
some young hotty to bed by saying all the right words.  He chuckled to
himself.  " They are all the same...all have ideas and they want to leave
these small pathetic towns and are too fucking stupid to know that men like
me are just looking for a good fuck with a nice hot teen and we will say
anything to get it...God what a dumb bitch!"
   Amy was like most teenage girls in Valentine's Cove.  She had dreams of
getting out as there was really nothing for young people including a decent
job to help keep her in spending money.  Amy saw Lenny as a dream come
true. Lenny would get her out of here and then she would be somebody.
   As she looked at him, he then grabbed her by the hair and pulled her in
behind the lodge dumpster and then pushed her to her knees while fumbling
with the fly on his pants.  With no further guidance needed, Amy helped him
pull out his flaccid shaft and with no further comment took Lenny's penis
into her mouth and began to suck it.
   Lenny groaned with pleasure as Amy began to suck his tool which despite
the amount of alcohol he had consumed was now beginning to harden and he
began to relax as he leaned against the building of the lodge while Amy
took care of him.
   As Amy continued to suck him, there was a shuffling noise and then Amy
felt her head being ripped from Lenny's hardened manhood as a hand grabbed
her roughly by the hair and pulled her hard away from Lenny.
   Lenny who was very much into what Amy was doing had been leaning against
the lodge with his eyes closed caught up in the moment of Amy's hot little
mouth when he felt her stop.  He then opened up his eyes and said to Amy
"Why the fuck did you stop you stupid bitch?" As he said it he then looked
and was shocked.  He stood there with his mouth hanging open.
   When Lenny opened his eyes there were five men standing there with
baseball bats and one of them had grabbed onto Amy.  The one holding Amy
appeared to be the leader when he said to her.  " Amy get your ass home now
before Mom finds out you are missing."
   Amy looked at the red headed man who was about two years older than her
and said" No!  You might be my big brother but you can't make me leave. 
He's my meal ticket out of here and you can't stop me from being with him."
She yelled at the older man who it was now apparent to Lenny was her older
brother.
   Lenny was about to open his mouth when the older boy took his hand and
slapped Amy and said.  "Get your ass home now or I will tan your ass so bad
that you won't sit down for a month."
   Amy looked up at her brother and her defiance now turned to fear as she
then knew that it was best she say nothing.  She knew her brothers temper
and his temper while growing up had gotten him in lots of trouble so she
knew full well arguing with him was pointless.  She then got to her feet
and then said to her brother.  " Ok!  I'm going." She then pulled herself
from her brother and ran from the five men, not even looking back at Lenny.
She knew that there would be others and that someday someone would take her
away from this hell hole.
   Lenny watched as Amy ran away.  He looked that the red headed young man
and then around at the other four and despite the fact there were five of
them, he worked up the courage to say to them as he faced the red headed
young man.  "Look, I don't see what the big deal was.  She's a hot lil slut
and if you had wanted some, I would have shared." With that he smiled at
Amy's brother with a smug grin.
   However, the older boy didn't find it funny and with no warning took the
baseball bat he was holding and smashed it against Lenny's knee cap.  He
then took the bat and smashed the other one and then the other boys with
him joined in.
   Lenny's smug grin turned to terror as he was beaten with the baseball
bats and with a final blow which cracked Lenny's skull, Lenny crumpled down
behind the dumpster and was dead before he hit the ground.
   The five young men looked around and then one of them said.  " Oh my
god! This wasn't supposed to happen Bobby.  You promised we were only gonna
scare him and maybe beat him...not kill him!"
   Bobby who was Amy's older brother said to the young man who spoke. 
"Look, he had it coming.  You know damn well this bastard has been doing
this to half of the girls in our town, Jeff.  Remember what he did with
Tammy?"
   Jeff looked at Bobby and said.  " Yes I know.  You don't have to remind
me..  My god Tammy was my girlfriend but I still didn't want him dead just
beat up."
   One of the older boys in the group looked at both of them and said. 
"Look you two.  Forget that shit and lets just get rid of the body right
now.  Someone could come any moment."
   The other three boys agreed and the five boys took and carried the body
to a car in which the other two boys who had remained quiet throughout had
then went and got the car they had driven in to the lodge.  The other three
boys loaded him into the back seat and then got in themselves.
   They then drove to a small wooded area and then dumped the body in a
small pit and then Bobby Rogers lit a match in the pit and the body of
Lenny Baxter slowly began to burn...The five boys then waited and smelled
the stench of burning flesh as the body burned.
   Regardless, of the smell, none of the boys left until the body had been
burned to ashes.  Once the body was burned, Bobby Rogers looked at the
other four young men and said.  " Ok you guys.  We need to make a pact. 
What happened here..  No one must ever know about.  We can't tell anyone
including Amy.  This pig got what he deserved and I am glad we gave it to
him.  Are we all in agreeance."
   The other young men all agreed although the young man Jeff wasn't quite
sure but he also didn't want to go against his friends so he did agree.
   For the next month, the police had searched for Lenny Baxter after
receiving a missing persons report from Lenny's construction boss but they
never found a body or any other clues to his disappearance.  Amy suspected
that her brother was behind it but was afraid to say anything for fear of
what he would do to her.  She also was afraid to tell her parents because
she would have also had to admit she had been to the bar and her father
would skin her alive as his temper was just as bad as her brothers..She
actually wasn't sure which one was worse.  Her brother's or her father's?
   So the secret of the disappearance was never ever revealed.  The five
young men agreed that no one could know and all of them would take that
secret to their graves.
   However, what no one knew was that one of the other construction workers
that night had followed Lenny and saw the whole altercation with Lenny. 
The witness was Lenny's younger brother who was about 22 and 5 years
younger than his brother Lenny.
   Randy was disgusted by his brothers behavior and had seen everything
including his murder.  He had followed the boys in his own car at a
respectable distance and watched as they burned his body.  He was furious.
He may not have liked his brother's behavior but Lenny was still his
brother and what those five did was uncalled for.
   As he hid in the bushes as they left, he fumed in silence.  One day,
those five would pay.  In fact, the whole town of Valentines Cove would
pay. The Baxter brothers had pretty much been made to feel not welcome in
the town of Valentine's Cove.  Had Randy been thinking clearly, he would
have realized that he wasn't the reason that they were snubbed by the town
but his brother Lenny was the real problem..  The town was sick and tired
of it and there had been talk amongst many of the towns people about Lenny
Baxter...Randy just happened to be caught in the middle because of being
Lenny's younger brother.
   So not even taking that into consideration, Randy sat back in the bushes
and waited and as soon as he saw the five boys leave and heard their car
drive away, he then went to the pit and stared down at the now ashes of his
brother Lenny and said.  " Lenny, my brother.  I swear to you, I will get
those bastards and this whole fucking town..I don't care how long it takes.
You and I may not have agreed on your behavior but we are still family and
I swear all of Valentine's Cove will pay no matter if it takes all of my
life to do it."
   With that he turned and left the wooded area and proceeded off into the
night.  The town of Valentine's Cove would pay and it wouldn't stop until
everyone that had hurt Lenny and Randy Baxter had paid...Randy could
wait....and wait he did.
   Chapter 1
   Valentine's Cove was a small town just up the coast near California. 
The town was founded in 1910 when a logger by the name of Adam Valentine
had arrived with a crew of loggers wanting to set up a business for himself
and establish a homestead for his family away from the hustle and bustle of
California which was where Adam's family had come from.
   Once Adam Valentine established a business which actually became a pulp
and paper mill, the small desert town actually became a thriving little
community and began to flourish but even though it grew over the years, it
never got so big that it lost its charm or got so big that it became like
California which was growing so big that you could hardly breathe.
   Adam Valentine died in 1970 leaving the paper mill and the other small
businesses he had built for the town to his family which consisted of his
wife Muriel Valentine and his three children.  Ted who was the oldest, his
son Mark who was the middle son and his daughter, Eleanor who was the baby
of the family.
   Ted Valentine being the oldest took over the running of the family's
interests and set up a trust to help keep the town running while he decided
to branch out on his own and move to California as he felt that as much as
he loved his family and the legacy his father left him, he wanted to have
his own fortune without depending on his fathers name to help him go
places.
   Over the years he had done just that and like his father Adam had, he
also made his own fortune and still made sure that his family's interests
were looked after and had done a wonderful job of keeping the town running
despite the fact he no longer lived in Valentine's Cove.
   The town of Valentine's Cove didn't have a lot of crime only petty
crimes such as break ins or corner store robberys.  Only once had there
been a crime and to this day no one was even sure that a crime had been
committed back in 1964 when a young construction worker named Lenny Baxter
disappeared one night after a night of drinking.  No one was ever really
sure if a crime had been committed as Lenny had a reputation for drinking
and disappearing on jobs whenever he had a taste of alcohol.
   There was talk by some of the towns people that actually remembered that
he had been seen in the bar that night with a young woman who may not even
have been of legal drinking age.  However, when the police tried to find
anything on the possible girl who may have been with him, they came to a
dead end.  There was also talk that some of the towns people may have done
him in given that Lenny had a reputation while drinking to have a taste for
young teenage girls.  However, again it was never proven and as far as the
people in the town who actually remembered, there was never a body found so
the police had closed the case figuring that Lenny just went off on a
bender and went to parts unknown.  Since then as far as anyone knew there
had been no real crime however the sleepy little town of Valentine's Cove
was about to have that change.
   The air was stifling hot in the summer of 2004 as Jamie Rogers walked
out of the Valentine's Cove Lodge.  She was tall about 5 feet and 7 inches
tall with long flowing red hair.  Red hair seemed to be a trade mark for
all her family and at 22, she was a very striking young woman with a tight
body which she looked after well and small but firm breasts.  With the heat
as bad as it was tonight, the flower covered sundress she wore to the
Valentine's Cove Lodge pub was clinging tightly to her and her large
nipples could be seen through the dress.
   As Jamie stood outside trying to get some air, she took deep
breaths..she hated this heat although she had put up with it all her life.
She was sick of Valentine's Cove and most of all sick of her family.  One
person in particular, her grandfather.  Ever since her mother had
disappeared about 10 years ago, her grandfather and grandmother had raised
her.  When Jamie was 14 her grandmother died of cancer which left her alone
with her grandfather.
   Jamie loved her grandfather despite the fact that he was very
overprotective.  Although she never fully understood what it was all about
she knew it had something to do with her aunt who was in an institution
after being raped over 30 years ago.  Her grandfather was a very protective
man but from what she also understood, in his younger days he also had a
temper but when it came to her aunt, he was very protective as well as the
rest of her family.  However, Jamie was 22 and deserved to have her own
life and one day her grandfather would have to realize that.
   As Jamie stood in the alley of the Valentine's Cove Lodge deep in her
own thoughts she was unaware she was being watched.  The figure in the
shadows was hiding near the lodge's dumpster just studying her.  He knew
who she was.  He had watched her for many years as well as the rest of her
family.  He knew her name and everything and tonight he would take her life
but he also wanted her to know that he was gonna take her life.  As he
watched her, he felt the stirrings in his body and he knew that he would be
taking his pleasure first because it was owed to him just as the Rogers
family as well as the other four men who changed his life had owed him and
all of their families would pay.  Tonight was only the beginning.
   He then got up from behind the dumpster and approached her from behind.
In his hand he held a baseball bat.  He then took the baseball bat and
swung it hard smashing the back of her left leg.  Jamie Rogers felt the
sharp pain as well as the bone of her left leg snap as she went down and
before she could scream, a figure in black grabbed her and placed a hand
over her mouth and then pushed her to the ground before she could let out a
scream.
   As Jamie fell she knew her leg had been broken and then the figure
loomed above her and then rolled her on to her back and then smashed his
fist into her face hard enough to stun her but not kill her.  He wanted her
to know that her life was being taken and that it was her family's fault
and that she could take to the grave with her.
   As soon as he smashed his fist into her face he heard another crunch and
knew that her nose had been broken.  By this point Jamie was too stunned to
move or to even fight as she heard the sound of a zipper being undone and
felt the figure push something inside her vagina.  She knew that it was his
manhood and heard him groan with pleasure as he thrust roughly into her. 
Too stunned to fight, she let it happen.
   For what seemed like hours, he thrust into her over and over again and
all you heard from Jamie were soft whimpers of pain.  Then finally she
heard a loud groan of pleasure and she knew he had ejaculated into her. 
After it was over, the figure lay on top of her.  His breathing heavy and
then he pulled himself up extracting his whithered penis from her and got
up and did his pants up.
   Jamie looked up at him, with pain filled eyes as well as the silent
tears that had clouded her vision and only saw a dark shape.  She couldn't
see the features of this man but knew he was a man as she had definitely
felt him.
   The man then raised what appeared to be a club until it appeared a
little more into the light.  She then knew it was a baseball bat.  The man
stared down at her and then said these words to her in a low whisper but
loud enough to hear.  " You lil cunt are going to die and the person who
killed you was your grandfather and his friends.  They took from me what I
will take from him starting with you."
   With that the figure smashed the baseball bat into her skull with a
sickening crunch and then proceeded to continually smash her skull in until
her head had exploded like a watermellon which luckily for her sake her
suffering had been short as the first blow had already killed her
instantly.
   After he was done, he then looked around and deliberately left the
baseball bat down beside the dead girl which was soaked in her blood.  He
smiled and evil smile.  This would be a reminder to them of what they had
taken from him and how many years ago they had taken one he loved and they
were all gonna pay.  Every last one of them.
   He then looked around one more time to make sure that things were as he
wanted them and then once he was happy with his handy work with the placing
of the dead girl and the baseball bat he then took out a black marker and
wrote something on it then rolled it up and then leaned over the dead girl
and inserted the rolled up note directly into her vagina.  Once that was
completed, he slipped off quietly into the night.
   Chapter 2
   While the town of Valentine's Cove slept, the peaceful night silence was
broken with the sounds of sirens as two police cars headed in the direction
of Valentine's Cove Lodge.  The sirens woke a few of the towns people up
and like most people in a town and you were curious what the police were up
to and owned a scanner, you could get a little information.  However
tonight due to the nature of the crime there was very little mentioned over
the police channel other than a body had been found at the Valentine's Cove
Lodge behind a dumpster.
   The Valentine's Cove police department knew that most of the towns
people owned scanners and had a policy that if a crime was serious, as
little information was to be aired over the radio as possible as not to
panic the citizens of Valentine's Cove.
   However, it was not common to find a dead body in Valentine's Cove so
the few that were awake immediately phoned their friends and family and
some even headed to the scene of the crime.  By the time the two police
cars arrived there was a small crowd of people already there.
   Deputy Chief Jeff Markham got out of the first car to arrive.  He had
drawn the late shift as he and his boss Chief Robert Rogers took turns each
week running the night shift while the other did the day shifts and would
rotate back and forth with two other officers covering weekends.
   As Jeff Markham got out of his car, he looked around and then went to
the scene of the crime.  Behind a dumpster lay a body which had been
covered by a sheet.  Standing near the body was a couple.  A young man in
his late thirties or early forties as well as a young woman who looked a
little younger.  The officer from the other car went over to check the body
while Jeff went to talk to the couple.
   As he approached the couple he realized who they were.  Valentine's Cove
was not so big that most of the towns people didn't not know each other and
tonight was no exception.  Jeff recognized the woman as Dana St Clair. 
Dana was the daughter of one of Jeff's old friend's Gerard St Clair.  The
man standing beside her was her boyfriend Tony Bannister who was also the
night janitor for the Valentine Lodge.
   Jeff looked at Dana and said to her.  " What happened Dana?"
   Dana looked at Jeff.  Her eyes were red and swollen from crying as she
did her best to tell Jeff what happened.  " Its Jamie...She's dead.  I
found her outside behind the dumpster.  We were inside having a drink.  She
had been upset all night and had been drinking a lot.  She has been
continually fighting with her grandfather and from what I managed to get
out of her, they had words.  Her grandfather is very protective of her. 
You know what he's like.  Anyway she told me she needed some air so I let
her go.  I know her.  She is just like her grandfather and when she gets
that way, I have learned to just let her cool off.  Well when she didn't
come back, I went looking for her and came out here and found her."
   As soon as she finished she burst into tears.  Her boyfriend Tony
Bannister held her tight as she cried in his arms.  Jeff was stunned as he
listened to the story because he now knew who the body was.  He immediately
moved to the body and lifted the sheet and then looked at the body.
   What was left was far from pretty.  Jeff knew right away despite the
fact she had been beaten to a pulp, it was Jamie Rogers.  He felt his
stomach start to churn and surprisingly, he found himself doing something
he had never done during the entire time he had been a policeman.  He began
to vomit uncontrollably at the scene of a crime.
   He thought to himself.  " My god.  This is Bobby's granddaughter.  How
am I going to tell him this?" He then began to sob and then cut himself
off. He had no choice.  This was a crime scene and he had to stay in
control.  If he didn't, it would only panic the people that were here more
than they already were.
   He managed to get himself under control and then he looked down at the
body of Jamie and saw a baseball bat which was covered in blood.  As soon
as he saw the blood covered baseball bat, his face went white and he then
was taken back to a time that he remembered.  A time many years ago.  His
blood ran cold.  He immediately shook himself and reminded himself that he
was different now and that he couldn't afford to go back there.  What
happened had happened forty years ago.  He was not the same person.  In
fact none of the men who were involved in that awful night forty years ago
were the same especially not Bobby Rogers.
   He then placed the sheet back over the body of Jamie Rogers and then
looked at the other officer from the other police car and said.  " Ok.  I
want you to get a Crime Scene Investigation team down here on the double. I
also want you to call Jack Dobbs and tell him we have a body down here but
under no circumstances are you to tell him who it is.  He will know when he
gets here.  I don't want the Chief to find out about his granddaughter that
way.  I also want you to get these people the hell out of here and call
some back up to do it.  I am going to the Chief's house now to tell him."
   As soon as Deputy Chief Jeff Markham issued his orders, he got into his
car and drove and proceeded to drive off in the direction of Chief Robert
Roger's house.  As he pulled out, he looked around and noticed that the
crowd of people was getting bigger and he knew that it wouldn't be long
before news got out about Jamie Roger's murder.  He then pressed his foot
on the gas pedal and then sped to his bosses house.  He wanted to get there
before someone else did and told Bobby.  He just had no idea how he was
gonna tell him.  He really wasn't sure that Bobby could take it.  He had
already lost enough over the years.  He sped the car in the direction of
the the house of his long time friend.  This was gonna be a long night.
   The figure watched as Jeff Markham drove away towards Bobby Roger's
place.  He was intently watching everyone.  It had been perfect.  No one
had suspected him.  He was here amongst all these people and none of them
knew he had done it.  It was wonderful and he was proud.  Soon those five
men who had destroyed his life and the lives of his family would pay and he
was going to be able to sit back and watch as they all suffered while none
of them would be aware he was involved.  After all why would they?  He had
been amongst these people for many years and they all looked at him as part
of the town.  He was one of them.
   He reached into his pocket and pulled out a list of names.  On it were 5
names that were highlighted in black under each name were the list of all
living family members of each of the 5 people involved in that fateful
night forty years ago.  He would make sure that all the family members they
loved were killed off one by one and when he was done, he would then make
sure that they themselves paid for their crime.  He gazed at the list one
more time and smiled.
   The list of names on the piece of paper that were highlighted were:
   1. Bobby Rogers 2. Jeff Markham 3. Ted Valentine 4. Jack Dobbs 5. 
Gerard St.  Clair
   He then placed the list back in his pocket.  As he did so, more police
cars arrived and started to encourage the people to go back to their homes.
He left with the rest of them.  He was ok with that.  His work was done for
now but it was far from over.  Tonight was only the beginning and soon
enough the people of Valentine's Cove would know real terror especially the
5 people on that list as well as their families.  It was payback time and
all those involved would be paid back in full.
   Chapter 3
   The afternoon following the murder of Jamie Rogers, Gary Valentine woke
up late that afternoon.  He had been working at the Valentine's Lodge pub
as a deejay and had been doing it now for about 2 years.
   At 38, Gary was tall with short dark hair and a goatee on his chin.  He
was fairly muscular and kept himself in pretty good shape.  One thing he
never did very often was sleep in even after a late night playing at the
pub.
   However, the events of the murder of Jamie Rogers had kept him and the
rest of the staff of the pub at the pub due to questions that the police
needed answers to till very well into the early morning.  By the time Gary
had gotten home, it was about 4am.
   As he awoke, he heard his grandmother, Muriel on the phone with her
sister, who was his great aunt, Nellie.  As he came into the living room,
he could hear the conversation and of course it was about the body found
outside the lodge last night.
   He shook his head as he listened to the conversation.  It was apparent
that his aunt had already found out a lot of the juicy details and was
passing them on to his grandmother.  About a half hour later, his
grandmother got off the phone and said to him.  " Why didn't you wake me up
last night and tell me about the body they found?"
   Gary looked at his grandmother and frowned and said "Look Grandma, this
isnt something to gossip about.  Someone died last night after being raped
and beaten to death with a baseball bat.  In fact, the police asked all of
us not to discuss it with anyone.  How the hell did Aunt Nellie get the
info so fast?"
   Gary loved both his aunt and grandmother but both were gossips and if
there was anything to be learned in Valentine's Cove, it would be them that
would know about it.  Gary was still shaken after hearing about what had
happened and although he didn't know Jamie Rogers, he knew that Chief
Rogers was an old friend of his Dad's, Ted and that Chief Rogers was
Jamie's grandfather.  Finding out about a murder in Valentine's Cove had
rocked him to the core and knowing that it was someone that his family had
known, it was just too frightening.
   Muriel Valentine saw the anger and disappointment in her grandson's eyes
and looked down to the floor.  She knew that Gary hated when her and her
sister Nellie gossiped,but sometimes she got so caught up in it that she
didn't always think about what it was doing to her grandson.  She loved her
grandson and hurting him was the last thing she ever wanted to do.
   She looked at Gary and said.  " I'm sorry Gary.  I didn't mean to upset
you.  Do the police know who it is?"
   Gary looked at his grandmother in shock and said.  " You mean Aunt
Nellie never told you?"
   Muriel replied.  " No!  She said that the police were not releasing any
information about the girl until the girl's family had been notified."
   Gary looked at his grandmother and took a deep breath and said.  " Look
I will tell you but you need to keep your mouth shut.  I'm sorry for being
so harsh Grandma.  I love you but this is serious and right now the police
want it kept quiet.  Do you understand?"
   Muriel Valentine was a little taken back by her grandson's harsh words
but knew that her grandson was only trying to do the right thing.  One of
the things she had taught him while raising him and his younger brother,Ted
Jr.
   Muriel smiled at her grandson and then said to him.  "I promise.  I will
say nothing."
   Gary looked at her and said.  "It was Jamie Rogers.  Chief Roger's
granddaughter."
   Muriel Valentine was floored.  She had known who the Roger's family was
and had known about some of the stories that had been told over the years.
Her son Ted had been a friend of Bobby Roger's since high school and she
had also known about his sister Amy who had been raped many years ago by an
unknown attacker which the police never ever did find.  Since then Amy
Rogers had been in the Rosewood Mental Health Facility.  That had been well
over 30 years ago.
   Muriel Valentine had heard the many stories of how Amy Rogers was quite
the trollop and there had been stories for years about her.  When Amy
finally got raped, most of the town felt she probably asked for it because
she had made it well known she wasn't happy in Valentine's Cove and that
she would do anything to get out of town including bed the first person
that showed her any interest and was willing to take her out of town.
   She also knew a fair amount about Bobby Rogers who as a kid had been
known to get into fights and some even believed if pushed, quite capable of
killing a man.  However, after the rape of his sister Amy, something
happened to this day that no one could ever explain.  Bobby Rogers changed
and when he actually became a police officer over 30 years ago, it shocked
all of the towns people as they really didn't think that Bobby could keep
control of his temper but so far he had and now was Chief of Police in
Valentine's Cove.
   As Muriel Valentine reflected on the Rogers family she also remembered
how devestated Bobby and his family were when Bobby's own daughter
disappeared leaving behind her daughter for Bobby and his wife Emily to
raise.  Bobby had been devestated when his daughter Allison had disappeared
never to be seen again.
   Muriel Valentine looked at her grandson and said.  "My god.  That poor
man.  He must be totally devestated as he has had so much loss in his life
already."
   Gary nodded although he really didn't know if all the stories he had
heard as a kid growing up were true, but if they were, he would have to
agree with his grandmother.  It was very sad.
   Muriel Valentine then decided that after Gary's late night that he
really didn't want to hear anymore about the murder and decided to change
the subject.  She was right.  Gary didn't want to hear anymore about and
was relieved when the subject was changed until she asked her next
question.
   "Did you meet any young girls who might be interesting while you worked
last night?"
   Gary groaned and then rolled his eyes and said.  "Oh god Grandma! 
Please give it a rest!"
   Muriel Valentine had to chuckle as she saw her grandson roll his eyes
but she also knew that it had been a long time since Gary had a woman in
his life since Cheri St Clair.  It had been 10 years since Cheri St Clair
had left town which had devestated Gary when Cheri had told him she was
leaving and why.  Although Muriel never knew what was said to him she
remembered how it almost had destroyed him.
   It had been 10 years since all of that happened and Muriel saw the
change in Gary since then.  He had closed himself off to just about
everyone and didn't even try to meet anyone else.  The only thing that he
seemee to care about was being a deejay.
   Muriel then took the bull by the horns and said.  "Gary, what is wrong
with a grandmother wanting to see her grandson happy?  You need to get out
and meet someone.  Don't let Cheri St.  Clair take everything from you. 
She's gone Gary.  Its time to move on!"
   Gary looked at his grandmother and shook his head and said.  "Grandma,
look I know you care but right now I am not interested in meeting anyone
and I may never.  I'm happy the way I am."
   Muriel Valentine pushed as she sometimes did and said to Gary. 
"Gary,what the hell did she do to you that would allow you to close
yourself off like this?  Gary please tell me!  My god!  Its been 10 years
Gary.  That's too long for anyone to be alone!"
   Gary finally had enough and his temper got the best of him and he said.
" Do you wanna know what happened?  I will tell you since you seemed so
damned nosy.  Cheri left town cause she was pregnant with another man's
baby!  I thought she was a virgin as that's what she led me to believe!!!
She was pregnant and its not my baby!  You happy now?"
   Before Muriel could answer him he walked out the front door and slammed
it on the way out.
   Muriel was shocked at what Gary had told her as well as the pain and
anger that she now realized that he had been holding onto for the last 10
years.  She began to tremble as tears welled up in her eyes.  She was now
worried about Gary.  If only she hadnt pushed so hard.
   As she sat in the living room in tears she then shouted to an empty
house.  " Damn you Cheri St Clair for messing up my grandson's life!  I
hope you rot in hell!" She then began to sob softly.  Her sobs echoing
through the empty house.
   Meanwhile at the Valentine's Cove Airport, a small six seater plane
landed on the small runway.  As soon as the plane landed and came to a
stop, only two people got out of it.  A tall striking blond with short
curly blond hair and a figure that was very well developed.  She was
holding the hand of a little boy who appeared to be about 8 or 9 years old.
   At 32 years old Cheri St Clair looked good.  She was a tall blond with
large breasts and a very slim hips and very striking legs.  She looked good
for her age.  As she got off the plane, she looked around and saw how much
things had changed in the last 10 years and although she would prefer not
to be back at this point, it did feel good to be back even if it was only
for a little while.
   The little boy holding her hand looked up and smiled and said.  "That
plane ride was fun Mommy.  Are we here now where Grandma and Grandpa live?"
   Cheri St Clair looked down at her son, Devon and said.  "No baby. 
However, we will be there soon.I promise you that."
   As Cheri St Clair looked around the airport,she began to tremble.  She
wasn't sure she was doing the right thing.  She should have maybe left
Devon with a sitter and come home by herself.  She knew that when people
saw Devon, they may figure out who his father was.  She didn't want that.
Not for Devon and most of all not for the rest of her family.  If anyone
learned who Devon St Clair's father was, too many lives would be destroyed
including hers and Devon's.
   As she looked at her son.  She saw the resemblance plain as day.  Those
deep blue eyes were those of Devon's father.  She prayed no one else
noticed.
   Chapter 4
   It was mid afternoon as Jeff Markham sat in his long time friend and
boss's house.  Jeff had been there since leaving the crime scene at the
Valentine's Lodge.
   Chief Robert Rogers sat in his living room with a drink of scotch which
originally had ice in it,but had long since melted.  His red hair had
changed over the years to red with silver flecks of gray and his once
handsome face was now showing signs of age and had been over the years
since the events of what happened to his sister Amy and all the events in
his life since then.  The death of his granddaughter Jamie just added more
to his aging process.
   Jeff looked at Bobby and said, "I'm sorry.  I wish there was more that I
could say.  I still can't believe it myself."
   Bobby Rogers shook his head.  His eyes were bloodshot from the continous
crying and the initial shock of the death of his granddaughter.  However,
it was now sinking in.  Jamie would not be coming home ever.
   He then looked at Jeff and asked, "What did you find at the crime scene?
Do we have any leads as to who might have done this?"
   Jeff was shaken by the fact that Bobby was already asking this.  He also
dreaded this part because of the nature of the crime.  He also thought of
the bloody baseball bat that brought back memories of a past that was best
long forgotten.
   He stared into Bobby's eyes and said, " Bobby, none of this matters
right now.  We will get the bastard that did this.  In the meantime, do not
worry.  I will head up the investigation and keep you informed."
   Bobby Rogers shook his head and said, "No!  Someone raped and killed my
granddaughter.  I will not sit and just be a good little boy and grieve.  I
am Police Chief of Valentine's Cove and I plan on staying involved in this
case and you will not tell me that I can't."
   Jeff understood Bobby's need to be involved after all despite the fact
that it was his granddaughter that was murdered, Bobby was still Police
Chief and personal issues even a death of a family member shouldnt stop him
from doing his job.  Jeff's only concern was that while Bobby was grieving
that this case was way too personal and that he didnt want to see Bobby
jeapordize his position as Police Chief after all Bobby was human, Police
Chief or not.
   He said to Bobby, "Bobby, I'm not telling you not to get involved but
this case right now is way too close to home for you.  My God!  The victim
is a family member.  You as Police Chief know that we can't use our
positions as police officers to make issues personal and Bobby the scene
itself was bad.  Bobby, I wont lie.  I'm truly glad you were not the person
to take that call.  It's something we dont have to talk about now."
   Bobby's anger started to boil which surprised Jeff because Jeff hadnt
really seen Bobby this angry in many years.  So when Bobby lashed out with
some strong words with such a force, it scared Jeff to the core.
   Bobby said to him," Stop trying to protect me.  Stop trying to pacify
me!!!  My granddaughter was murdered and I'm not out to wage war on anyone.
I just want the fucking facts as Police Chief of my town.  Now give me the
fucking details.  All of them!!!"
   Jeff realized that angering Bobby wasnt the answer so proceeded to tell
Bobby everything and included the details of finding the bloody baseball
bat.
   When Bobby heard about the baseball bat, he froze in shock as he now
understood that perhaps the case would now be solved.  However, it
surprised him.  If it was who he thought it was, it didn't make sense. 
They had an agreement.
   Bobby looked at Jeff and said, "You can stop looking for the killer.  I
now know who it is.  We can solve the case."
   Jeff looked at Bobby in total shock and asked, "What do you mean its
solved?How do you know who did this?"
   Bobby lowered his eyes and took a deep breath and then spoke in a low
voice and surprisingly enough a very calm tone as he said,"The person that
killed Jamie was a man by the name of Randy Baxter.  He was Lenny Baxter's
younger brother."
   Jeff shook his head in shock,"I remember Lenny had a younger brother but
Bobby why would Randy kill Jamie?  No one knows about what we did."
   Bobby shook his head and said,"No!  You are wrong!  We didnt know it.but
the night we beat Lenny Baxter to death, Randy saw us."
   Jeff looked at Bobby not really understanding any of it and he finally
said to Bobby, "Randy Baxter saw us?  When did you find out?  I also don't
understand if you knew Randy saw us, why didnt you say anything?  None of
this makes sense.  As a matter of fact if Randy knew we did it,why the hell
were we never arrested and charged for murder?"
   Bobby understood why none of this would make sense and Bobby realized
that it was time to now open up to his long time friend and tell him
everything.  Bobby knew that this secret could not be kept any longer.
   He looked at Jeff and said,"I didnt tell you or any of the other guys
this because I was trying to protect all of us as well as the reputation of
my sister Amy.  I didnt tell you because of an agreement I made with Randy
the night my sister Amy was raped.  I never told anyone this but I have
always known who raped Amy that night over 30 years ago.  It was Randy
Baxter."
   Jeff sat there in stunned silence as he heard what Bobby was telling
him. He then spoke carefully as he didnt want to anger Bobby anymore than
he already had.  However he had to ask," Bobby, if you knew who raped Amy,
why didnt you tell anyone?  My God.  It was your sister.  The bastard
should be put in jail.
   Bobby looked down at the floor again as he said these words, "Jeff, I
didnt tell anyone because that night, Randy and I made an agreement."
   Jeff looked at him still in total shock as he asked," Damn it Bobby! 
You said that already!!  What agreement?  What the hell kind of an
agreement could you make that would allow that bastard to go free after
raping your sister?  Are you fucking kidding me?"
   Bobby looked at his friend and could see that Jeff felt totally betrayed
and more confused about everything Bobby was saying.  Bobby didnt blame
him. Bobby then felt the tears well up in his eyes as he recalled the
events of the night Amy Rogers was raped and how Bobby had come home from
his part time job and found Randy raping Amy.
   He said to Jeff,"This is a long story and I should have told you years
ago,but I truly believed I was doing the right thing at the time.  I wanted
to protect all of our futures including my sister.  You know she had a
reputation.  You also know that she was after Lenny Baxter and would have
gone off with him had we not intervened and killed that bastard."
   Jeff shook his head in confusion and said," Yeah I get all of that but
none of this explains anything about an agreement or why you would let
Randy Baxter off the hook.  Further more if Randy did kill Jamie as you
think, he broke whatever agreement you had I would think."
   Bobby looked at Jeff and said," I agree.  It looks like he broke the
agreement and we will have his ass arrested.  However, I now need to tell
you everything first so you know all of what we are dealing with.  Once we
arrest Randy, everything we tried to bury and forget about will now be
opened up and our lives and the lives of our families will be opened and
exposed to the world.  You and I will also no longer be able to be cops
anymore.  Do you understand?"
   Jeff shook his head and said,"Yes Bobby.  However none of that matters
if Randy killed Jamie.  Tell me about the agreement."
   Bobby took a deep breath and began to tell Jeff the events of Amy Rogers
rape.
   In the meantime across town, Gay St.  Clair was loading dishes in the
dishwasher.  Her thoughts were on her daughter, Hannah who at twenty- five
was a constant worry to her.  No matter how hard Gay tried to understand
her daughter, she just couldn't.
   Hannah had been a problem since she was fifteen.  At the time it first
started, Gay figured that it was just because she was a teenager and at
fifteen most teenagers were a problem and could be a worry.  Gay had gotten
a call from the Dean at Valentine's Cove Community College saying that
because of Hannah's constant fighting with students and teachers, she was
being expelled and suspensions were no longer going to be part of her
punishment.  The Dean felt that Hannah's attitude wasnt going to change so
it was best if Hannah attend another college in another town has there was
just no way of dealing with her at this college.
   Gay had tried to talk to Gerard, but Gerard was no help as Gerard was
too consumed in his work selling insurance and was hardly ever home till
long after Gay went to sleep.  When she did talk to her husband, he just
shrugged it off saying she probably was just having boyfriend trouble.
   Gay herself knew that wasnt the case and that Hannah hadnt had a
boyfriend since she was about fifteen.  That would be around the time that
her behavior had changed.  Hannah had been going out with Joe Styles who
was seventeen at the time but one day, Hannah came home and said that her
and Joe were done.  Hannah never said why but it was obvious there must
have been some fight that went on between them.  However, Gay now realized
that was the last date Hannah had ever had.  In fact since her break up
with Joe, Hannah stopped dressing nice or trying to keep herself attractive
and sometimes not even bothering to take a shower for days until Gay
started yelling at her.  That just wasnt like Hannah as Hannah was very
meticulous about her appearance.  What had made Hannah change?
   Gay thought about her oldest daughter Cheri and remembered that while
Cheri lived at home before she moved away, Hannah and Cheri were very close
and it was times like these that Gay wished she had her oldest daughter
here with her as she was the one person she felt Hannah would listen to.
   As Gay thought about her oldest daughter, a pain from long ago surfaced.
Gay was heartbroken when ten years ago Cheri came to her and said she was
leaving town and wasn't ever returning.  Gay had tried to talk to Cheri but
to no avail.  Since Cheri had left, Gay had tried to encourage her to come
back.  Cheri kept saying no.  Gay knew that whatever drove her daughter out
of Valentine's Cove had to be big.  Whatever it was, she just wanted Cheri
home and for all of her family to get back to a normal happy life.
   Had Gay thought about it, she would have realized that Hannah's behavior
changed ten years ago around the same time that Cheri left Valentine's
Cove.
   In the meantime at the Valentine's Cove County Coroner's office, Jack
Dobbs had just got the body of Jamie Rogers in from the crime scene at the
Valentine's Cove Lodge.  He began examining the body of Jamie Rogers.  He
examined the area of the rape and as he looked at her vagina, he saw
something sticking out of it which looked like a rolled up piece of paper
in her vagina.  He took his gloved hand and then inserted two fingers in
her vagina and slowly pulled out the piece of paper.
   He then unrolled it and on the piece of paper in black marker it said:
"My life was detroyed because of five lives and I will destroy those lives
that destroyed mine and their families...starting with #1"
   Jack Dobbs knew what the note meant.  He knew now that someone had known
about that night forty years ago when all five of them, Bobby Rogers, Jeff
Markham, Ted Valentine, Gerard St Clair and himself had killed Lenny
Baxter.
   His face was white as a sheet and he then picked up the phone and called
the Valentine's Cove Police Department asking for Jeff Markham.  He was
told that Jeff had gone to see Chief Rogers and hadn't returned.  He
thanked the dispatcher and then hung up and then dialed Chief Roger's home.
   Jeff Markham answered Bobby's phone as it rang.  Jack then said to him,
"Jeff, you better get down here right away.  You also better bring Bobby.
Things are not just bad.  They are now worse.  Please get down here now."
   As soon as Jack got a promise from Jeff to bring Bobby with him and that
he would come right away, Jack hung up the phone.  He then began to tremble
as he thought about Jamie.
   He whispered under his breath, "Oh my God!  What have we done?" He then
broke down into sobs as the impact of what was happening was hitting hime.
His sobs echoed throughout the lonely examining room of the coroners
office.
   Chapter 5
   Cheri St.  Clair sat in the taxi cab for what seemed like hours. 
However it was about half an hour.  The cab was parked outside the home of
Gerard and Gaylene St.  Clair and Cheri had been trying to work up the
courage to go in but couldnt.
   She was shaken from her thoughts when the cab driver said to her, "Look
lady, the meter is up there and you are here so don't you think its time to
get out of my cab?  This is the address you wanted isn't it?"
   Cheri looked at the driver as she shook herself out of the last of her
thoughts and then handed the cab driver a $100 dollar bill and told him to
keep the change.  The cab driver didnt argue as Cheri grabbed her son by
the hand and led him out of the car.
   As she stood outside, she looked at the house she had grown up in.  She
had lived in this house all her life and now ten years after she had sworn
never to return, here she was.
   Devon held his mother's hand quietly.  He was used to this behavior from
her by now.  Growing up, he often found that his mother would go somewhere
in her mind.  He also noticed that quite often it happened when she was
looking at him.  Many times he would ask her if he had been bad and was she
mad at him?  She would immediately tell him no and cover his faces with
kisses and say he was a good boy and that he was her whole world.  The best
thing to come into her life and Cheri truly meant every word.
   Devon finally spoke to his mother, "Mommy are we gonna go see Grandma
and Grandpa now?"
   Cheri looked down at her son and said,"Yes baby.  We are." She took his
hand in hers again and started to walk to the stairs of the St Clair home.
   In the meantime, Gary Valentine had been driving endlessly for hours
trying to clear his head.  He drove through the entire town of Valentine's
Cove trying to calm his anger and pain.  The question was.  What was he
angry at?  Who was he angry at?  He didnt know.  He did know that he wasnt
angry at his grandmother as he knew that despite the fact she was nosy, she
loved him and had sat back for 10 years trying not to intrude into his
life. For Muriel Valentine to do that, Gary knew it couldnt be easy.
   As he sat back in his car and drove not even knowing or caring where he
was going, he thought about the past that had now been ripped open again
with his grandmother's questions.
   He began to reflect back 10 years ago to when Cheri and he had talked
for the last time and the been in his heart became deep as the memories
came back to him.
   Ten years ago, Gary and Cheri had been out on a date at the local
drive-in and all night Cheri had been distant.  In fact, if Gary had
thought about it, he would have realized that for the past week she had
been very distant and whenever he tried to get close to her or even kiss
her, she froze.  Finally Gary had enough and said to her,"Cheri, what is
wrong?"
   Cheri pulled herself away from Gary and looked into his eyes and said,
"Nothing is wrong.  I just don't want to be touched."
   As soon as Gary heard her say that, he now understood and said, "Look,
Cheri, if you are worried about us going too far and then us making love
and you getting pregnant, I understand and I am not going to push you to
make love.  I know it will be your first time and that you want your first
time to be on our wedding night and I respect that.  I'm not asking for
anything else.  I just wanted to hold you."
   Cheri looked at him and said," You know Gary Valentine.  You assume you
know an awful lot about me and what I'm thinking,but you don't know a damn
thing.  Who ever said I was a virgin?  I sure as hell didnt."
   Gary looked at Cheri totally confused and was shocked by her words and
he then asked," You told me you were a virgin when we met and that you
wanted to be married to the man you loved before you just slept with him."
   Cheri shook her head and said, "No!  I told you that I wanted to wait
before till I was married before I crawled in bed with a man!  I never said
I was a virgin.  In fact Gary, your precious little virgin girl is pregnant
with a baby.  A big baby growing in her belly and its not yours!!!"
   Gary was stunned.  He didn't know what to think and really didn't have
much time to think and before he could think about it, his hand was out and
with an open palm, he slapped her across the face hard.
   The blow from Gary's slap stunned Cheri.  She then pulled her arms
around herself and then said in a quiet voice," Take me home."
   Gary didnt say a word.  He was shocked at all that she said and then
even worse the anger that welled up in him and the reaction he had to all
of it.  The slap was just as much a shock to Gary as it was to Cheri. 
Without another word, he started the car and drove her home.
   Once Gary arrived at Cheri's house, Cheri went to open her car door and
Gary asked,"Cheri, is it true?  Are you pregnant or were you just trying to
make a point?"
   Cheri looked into Gary's eyes and knew what she was about to say would
hurt Gary, but he had to know the truth.  She replied, "I'm sorry Gary. 
It's true."
   Gary was stunned and looked at her and said," Cheri, I don't understand.
We are talking about getting married.  Hell!  We even were starting to plan
our wedding.  When did you stop loving me?  Why didn't you tell me there
was someone else?"
   Cheri looked into Gary's eyes and said softly, "Gary, it wasnt like
that. There was no other guy.  I was out one night with a couple of friends
and met this guy.  I barely even remember the details.  I had been drinking
a lot and went back to the guy's place and we had sex and then I never saw
him again."
   Gary was crushed.  She had done this and never told him.  However, he
loved her and said,"Ok.  Look I'm not happy that you kept this from me, but
I do love you.  I want to make us work.  So we can get married right away
if you want and we will tell people its mine if they ask.  No one has to
know its not."
   Cheri looked at Gary shocked at his suggestion and said, "Gary, you
don't know what you are saying.  How could you ever raise another man's
baby knowing how it happened?  You couldn't and I wouldn't expect you to."
   Gary looked at Cheri and tried to take her in his arms, but Cheri pushed
him away.  Gary looked at her with love in his eyes and said," Cheri, you
were drunk.  We've all done that.  Its not like you actually planned to
sleep with the guy.  It happened.  I don't like it,but I can accept it and
I sure as hell can't blame an innocent child for it."
   Cheri then looked at him and said to him,"Gary, I can't marry you.  In
fact I don't want to marry you.  Gary, I realize I don't love you and
probably never have."
   As Gary heard these shocking words something in him saw something in her
eyes.  Her look at him told him that wasn't the truth.  She did love him
and he wasn't about to let her go without knowing the reason.  He finally
said, "Ok!  You obviously are trying to hurt me.  I get that.  However, I
know that you do love me.  Whatever happened with this guy, I know it
mean't nothing to you.  However, you want me gone and I don't know why. 
Further more when did you get time to go out?  You spent most of your time
with me so for you to be able to go out without me around would make it
damn near impossible for you to go out and get pregnant that easy.  Are you
really pregnant or are you just dumping me?"
   Cheri finally couldnt take anymore and said," Goddamn it Gary!!. 
Contrary what you want to believe, you are not the center of my universe so
get over yourself.  Don't call me as I won't be here as I'm leaving town to
have an abortion.  I will not be returning to Valentine's Cove either so
stay the fuck out of my life!!!"
   With that Cheri St.  Clair ran into her house and left Gary stunned
sitting in the car.  The next day Gary had tried to call Cheri.  He loved
her still.  Would do anything for her.  However, when he called, Cheri's
mother told him that Cheri had left town late last night and no one had
heard from her.  Gary could tell by her voice she was just as upset about
Cheri's leaving as he was.  She then tried to ask Gary if something had
happened between them.  Gary lied and said they had a fight.  It was a
misunderstanding and not to worry.  Gay St.  Clair tried to ask more
questions but Gary was too shocked and just said he had to go and hung up.
   As Gary now sat in his car driving around Valentine's Cove, he thought
about all of that.  It was hard to believe it had been ten years ago. 
However it was.  Gary for the past 10 years had tried so hard to forget
Cheri St.  Clair, but he couldn't.  Even after 10 years the wounds of the
past ate at him.  However, it didn't matter.  Gary Valentine was still very
much in love with Cheri St.  Clair and nothing could change that.
   Gary pulled his car to the side of the road finally.  He needed time to
think.  None of what happened 10 years ago made any sense at all.  If Cheri
was indeed pregnant and although he found it a little hard to swallow, he
believed she was telling the truth.  However, it was where she would get
the time to be with someone else.  They had spent every moment they could
together and when they weren't together, she was working as a waitress in
one of the local fast food places full time and dividing that time with her
family.  So none of that made any sense.  However, since she was pregnant,
it had to have happened.  None of it made sense,but it was too late anyway
and Cheri St.  Clair was gone forever.
   Gary sat in his car and as he did, the tears in his eyes began to come
and for the first time since it happened, Gary allowed himself to cry and
cry he did.
   At the Rogers house, Jeff sat and listened as Bobby was about to tell
him the details of the agreement between him and Randy Baxter.  None of
what Bobby had said so far made any sense so hopefully when Bobby was done,
it would shed a lot more light on things.
   Just as Bobby was about to speak, the telephone rang.  Since Jeff was
closer than Bobby to it, Jeff asked if Bobby wanted him to answer it. 
Bobby said yes and then said he didnt want to anyone anyway.
   Jeff picked up the phone and spoke into it,"Chief Rogers Residence."
   The voice on the other end was Jack Dobbs, the county coroner for
Valentine's Cove.  As Jack spoke Jeff listened and said into the phone,
"Calm down.  I'm on my way.  No!  I am afraid Bobby is in no shape to go
anywhere.  You and I will deal with this."
   As Jeff spoke into the phone, Bobby listened to the exchange on Jeff's
end and then he heard Jeff say," Ok Jack!  I understand and I will tell the
Chief its a matter of life and death..Thats fine.  We will see you
shortly."
   As Jeff hung up the phone, he looked over at Bobby and said," Look, I
know right now, this is the last thing you need but Jack Dobbs wants you
and I at his office now.  He says its important.  He refuses to take no for
an answer.  Says our lives depend on it."
   Bobby looked at him and said, "Ok I guess you and I go see Jack Dobbs.
However, Jeff please do me a favour.  Stop trying to protect me.  From here
on in anything to do with this investigation, I want to be a part of.  Is
that understood?"
   Jeff nodded reluctantly and said,"Yes Bobby.  It's totally understood."
   Bobby patted his friend on the back and said"Let's go then!"
   Bobby and Jeff then went in Jeff's car and headed to Jack Dobb's office.
   As they pulled away from Bobby's house, they didn't see him.  The man
smiled.  He knew that something must have happened and since the Jeff
Markham's car was heading in the direction of the coroners office, it must
mean that they were all soon going to find out that this plan of his was
all about payback.  He relished the idea.  He would systematically ruin all
of their lives.
   As he sat there and watched as the vehicle left his sight, he then
whispered," You are all going to feel what it's like to lose all you love
and when you have lost all of those you care about, I will pick you off one
by one."
   With that he drove in the opposite direction of the coroners office. 
His work was only beginning and he had lots to do.
   Chapter 6
   Cheri St.  Clair slowly walked up the stairs of the porch of her parents
place and every step she took felt like her feet were in cement blocks. 
Her stomach was in knots.  A part of her wanted to just turn around and
run. However, she was here and it was too late to turn back.
   With Devon's hand in hers, she reached the top of the stairs and knocked
on the door.  Her heart pounding.  Why did she return home?  Why did she
feel the need to return knowing the questions she would have to answer?. 
She knew the answers.  It was time to come home.  More importantly, it was
time for Devon to know his family.  However, it also meant that by coming
back to Valentine's Cove, she would have to face Devon's father.  That
thought alone was enough to convince her to turn around and leave.
   Just before she could, the door to her parent's place was opened and
Cheri St.  Clair was looking straight into the eyes of her mother.
   Gay St Clair was shocked to find her daughter standing on the porch of
her home.  However, despite her shock threw her arms around her daughter
and was happy to see her and said,"Oh my God.  Cheri!  You are home.  My
god you are home!"
   Gay was so happy to see her daughter that she failed to notice that
Cheri was holding Devon's hand until she heard a little boy's voice say,
"Mommy, is this my grandma?"
   As soon as Gay heard the words she now realized that Cheri had a child
with her.  She was also jolted by the fact that this little boy standing on
the porch with Cheri was her grandson.  As Gay St.  Clair looked into the
little boys eyes she saw a resemblance.  The eyes were familiar to her and
she studied the boy further and made note that he was at least 8 maybe 9.
Was this the reason why Cheri had left town?  Well, whatever the reason, it
didnt matter.  Whatever reasons Cheri had left town, Gay would learn later
on.  She quickly ushered both her daughter and her grandson into the house.
   As she did she dropped to her knees to look into Devon's eyes and then
glanced at Cheri before looking back at Devon and said, "Who do we have
here?"
   Cheri St.  Clair's heart almost stopped as she had noticed despite the
fact that her mother was trying not to be obvious about it, she was
studying Devon.  She prayed to God that her mother didn't recognize Devon
and that there wasnt enough of a resemblance for Gay to realize who Devon's
father was.  That would destroy her as well as her whole family.
   However, Cheri answered her mother's question as calmly as she could and
said,"Mom, this is Devon.  This is my son.  Your grandson."
   As soon as the question was answered, both mother and daughter looked at
each other in silence not saying a word.
   Meanwhile at the Valentine house, Muriel Valentine was now frantic as
she had not seen or heard from Gary at all since he stormed out of the
house hours earlier.  She knew that she could push and push hard.  She
loved her grandson and prayed to God he would be home soon.
   As the minutes continued to pass, they felt like hours.  Muriel
Valentine sat by her phone continuing to look at the clock and thought to
herself, "God please don't let anything happen to Gary.  He is my life."
   Just as she was about to give up hope, she saw Gary's car pull up and
Gary get out of it and head towards the door of the house.  Without waiting
she ran to open the door and threw her arms around him and said," My god
Gary.  I was worried.  I'm sorry for what I said.  I'm sorry about
everything.  God please forgive me."
   Gary felt his grandmother's arms around him and he pulled away as gently
as he could trying not to upset her and said,"Its ok.  Its not your fault.
I should have told you what happened.  I just wasn't ready to talk about it
and truthfully Grandma, I'm still not."
   As Gary pulled away, Muriel could see that Gary's eyes were red from
crying and her heart went out to him.  She had so many questions about what
had happened but right now, her grandson wasn't ready and she knew it as
she said to him,"Its ok Gary.  I will leave it be and respect your right to
privacy.  I'm just glad you are home and that you are ok."
   Gary looked at his grandmother and said, "I'm sorry I worried you.  I'm
fine.  However right now, I need to get a nap and then when I wake up in a
couple hours, I will eat and then head to work.  I have to play tonight
again at the Lodge."
   Muriel was concerned about her grandson as she heard him say he had to
work and said, "Gary, I think you should stay home and away from that
place. That girl was murdered there.  Please, dont risk it.  Call in sick
if you have to but don't go out tonight.  You could be next."
   Gary understood his grandmother's concern.  However, it didnt matter as
it was probably some sick bastard who was into raping women so he was safe
he thought to himself.  He said to his grandmother," I will be fine.  I
will be coming straight home afterwards so its no big deal.  He's probably
only out for women and so I think I can say I'm safe enough."
   Before Muriel could reply, he turned and headed towards his bedroom and
closed the door.  As Muriel watched him go to take his nap, she whispered
under her breath,"My god Gary.  I truly hope you are right, but I doubt it.
I think it just may be the beginning."
   She prayed to God she was wrong.
   In the coroners office, Jack Dobbs sat back in his desk as he just
finished showing the note that he pulled from Jamie Roger's vagina to both
Bobby Rogers and Jeff Markham.
   All three men, sat in silence for some time before either said anything
and then Jeff finally said, "Then that tears it.  It looks like Randy
Baxter is definitely our killer.  I will have him picked up for
questioning. We should have him booked in a matter of hours."
   Jack looked at both the men sitting across from him and said,"Wait a
minute.  We have a suspect already in this murder?  Who is Randy Baxter?"
   As he asked the question.he caught himself and said,"Whoa!  Are you
saying Randy Baxter as in relation to Lenny Baxter?"
   Bobby Rogers ,who was still shaken after seeing what was pulled out of
his granddaughter's vagina, said,"Yes.  Randy Baxter was Lenny Baxter's
younger brother."
   Jack Dobbs was floored by this revelation and said," Are you sure it
would be him?  No one saw us that night so how would he know?"
   Bobby then looked at Jack Dobb and then back to Jeff Markham and then
back to Jack and said,"Before you called us, I was about to tell Jeff
everything.  Since it involves the three of us, I might as well tell you
too.  I will tell you everything.  I also think after I'm done, we need to
meet with Gerard and Ted as they will also need to know as once Randy is
arrested, it will all come out anyway.  Let's face it.  We fucked up and
are all going to pay for it anyway.  He killed Jamie and now that she's
gone there isnt much left for me except the four of you."
   Jack and Jeff looked at each other and were a little taken back by the
fact that Bobby was so sure it was over, but whatever happened that Bobby
needed to talk about, it had to be damned important for him to be convinced
they would all be exposed soon.
   Jeff finally broke the silence and said, "Go ahead Bobby.  We are both
listening.  Tell us about the agreement you and Randy had."
   Bobby Rogers took a deep breath and began his story of meeting Randy
Baxter the night Amy was raped.
   It was 30 year years ago, which would be 10 years after Lenny Baxters
disappearance.  Bobby Rogers at 30 was just coming home from the warehouse
he worked at sold smoked meats to anyone that wanted it.  As he walked up
the stairs to the home that was left to him after his parents death, he
heard a scream and a voice saying, "Oh please God.  Don't hurt me.  It
wasn't my fault.  Please don't hurt me!"
   Bobby recognized the voice to be that of his sister and before he
listened any further he ran straight through the front door and found a man
bending over Amy and Amy's clothes ripped from her body and the man on top
of her had just entered her vaginally from behind and started slamming his
manhood deep into her.
   Bobby was furious at the scene as this was not the first time that Amy
had brought men home.  Even at 27, Amy still had dreams of finding some
rich guy to take her out of Valentine's Cove.  However, he had never come
home to a scene like this.
   He instantly grabbed the man and pulled him off of his sister and before
the man could respond, Bobby started beating on him.  The man had no
chance. He then said to the man, "I will kill you you son of a bitch!!!"
   The man let out a grunt and then yelled back at him saying"You mean like
you killed my brother?  You better find your baseball bat then huh?"
   Bobby was stopped cold and said,"What the hell are you talking about? 
Just who the hell are you?"
   Once Randy knew he got this man's attention he grinned evilly and then
got cocky as he said,"Now I got your attention huh?  Good!  You and your
friends killed my brother Lenny ten years ago with baseball bats.  My name
is Randy Baxter and I was taking your sister as payment for a debt way past
overdue!!!"
   Bobby looked at him and then looked at his sister.  It was obvious that
the shock of the rape had frightened Amy but at the mention of Lenny
Baxter's name and finding out that it was Lenny's brother that was raping
her, was too much and Amy had a glassy eyed far away look in her eyes.
   Bobby hit Randy so hard that Randy fell and smacked his head against a
wall as he landed on the floor.  However, he was only stunned.  Bobby said
to him," Stay right there asshole.  I am calling the police.  They can take
care of your sorry ass.  Your fucking lucky I don't kill you."
   Randy Baxter looked at Bobby Rogers carefully and said, "Do you really
want to do that?  If you do, you know I have a story to tell.  How would
the people of Valentine's Cove feel if they knew that you and four of your
friends murdered a man and kept it secret for ten years?"
   Bobby looked at him and said," My sister and I have nothing to lose at
this point.  Our parents are gone and there is no one else but my sister
and I."
   Randy laughed," Oh yeah.  Your sister the little slut who has bedded
every fucking guy in town and who one day you caught fucking one of the
guys she picked up all to protect your poor little slut sister.  Then there
is your friends.  Hell one of your friends..hmm his name..Ted Valentine,
his family built this place you fucking love so much.  They own the town.
Can you imagine what would happen if it came to light that a Valentine
committed murder in a town they built.  The Valentine's as well as the town
of Valentine's Cove would be destroyed."
   The reality was that as mouthy as this Randy Baxter was, it was the
truth.  If the fact that a Valentine had been a part of a murder, the town
would be finished.  However, Bobby was more concerned about Amy as Amy had
a reputation and now that this bastard had raped his sister, it was
apparent that Amy had paid in full for all of her sins and right now his
need to protect his sister was first and foremost.  He then said to
Randy,"What do you want from me?"
   Randy looked at him and smiled," What I want from you is this.  Let me
go.  I will let the past rest and your friends as well as you and your
sister are safe.  I will forget about coming after any of you in the
future."
   Bobby wasnt quite convinced and asked him, "What assurances do I have
that you won't change your mind and come after us?"
   Randy looked at him and the smile Randy had now left him as he said,"
You don't have any guarantee.  However, I have just as much to lose as any
of you.  It was my brother who had a thing for young girls.  He while
growing up made a mockery of my family.  It would kill my family to learn
that Lenny was murdered cause he had the hots for a young girl and then as
payback, I raped a woman.  No!  I have seen my family put through the
ringer over this.  I also have to think of Lenny's family too.  He has a
wife and kids and its not fair that they suffer knowing that as a husband
and father, he fucked around on them not even putting them in his mind when
he did.  As of now, I'm willing to let it all stop here and now.  Do we
have an agreement?"
   Bobby thought the whole idea was nuts but as he looked at Amy who was
now in full blown shock he nodded and said,"Yes!  We have an agreement.  As
of now what happened here will be forgotten."
   Randy then got up and then looked back just before he left and
said,"Looks like I just did your sister a favour.  Hell if she had carried
on like she did, you would be the laughing stock of Valentine's Cove.  In
fact from what I have heard, between your temper and that slut of a sister
of yours, you already are."
   With that Randy Baxter left and that was the last that Bobby or Amy had
ever saw of him.
   It was then that Bobby made major changes in his life.  His anger had
cost him.  It had also cost his sister as well.  After the rape had been
reported,the case of the rape of Amy Rogers had eventually been closed as
unsolved.  Bobby had made sure that there were no traces of Randy ever
being there.
   Amy had been admitted into a sanitarium and had not spoke a word to
anyone since.  Bobby knew in his heart that she would probably never
recover but he loved his sister and would love her and take care of her for
the rest of his life.
   However, it was then he knew he had to make changes and when an opening
came up to train to be a police officer he took it.  He also had other
reasons for taking a job as a police officer.  He never wanted to see
anyone put in the position that he had been put in again and for the past
30 years had done his best to be a good police officer.  However it was a
surprise to the entire town when he actually became a police officer and
then Police Chief.  However, he had proven himself and the town had not
regret it.
   As he wrapped up his story, he looked at both Jack Dobbs and Jeff
Markham and said, "Ok so now what do we do?"
   Jeff was still stunned but a lot more made sense now and he said," I
think before we go public with anything that we need Ted and Gerard here
too.  If we all agree on it, we will then arrest Randy Baxter and also turn
ourselves in and face whatever charges we have to face.  I don't see how we
can hide this anymore."
   Bobby Rogers looked at Jeff and then nodded and said, "I agree." Bobby
then looked at Jack Dobbs and asked,"Well Jack, you have just as much to
lose as we do so what do you think?"
   Jack nodded and said" I agree.  I think this nightmare has to end and if
we all agree then yes, I am willing to turn myself in with the rest of
you."
   With that being said Bobby then looked at Jeff and said,"I think we had
better bring in Randy Baxter for questioning."
   Jeff looked at Bobby and said,"Given what you just told us, arent you
going to wait to arrest him as we agreed to?"
   Bobby held up his hand and said,"Whoa!  I just want him brought in for
questioning and nothing more.  Once we talk to Ted and Gerard then we can
bring him in and arrest him.  Until then, I just want to ask him some
questions."
   Jeff nodded and then left to have Randy Baxter brought in for
questioning if he could find him.
   With Bobby and Jack finally alone, Bobby said, "Looks like this
nightmare will finally end."
   Jack nodded and said," I hope so too.  However, until we have Randy
Baxter behind bars, don't count on it."
   With that both men waited in silence for Jeff to return.
   Chapter 7
   He sat and watched her as she lay sleeping.  He wasn't afraid of her as
she had no idea who he was.  It was because of her and her brother and her
brother's friends that he had lost so much himself.  His mother who he
loved so much committed suicide after his uncle had shared the details of
what happened to his father.
   However his mother was not a strong person.  He knew that and then to
hear that his father had a thing for young girls and had paid with his life
because of it, was hard.  Both his mother and sister were devistated. 
However, after his mother's suicide, his sister blamed his uncle.  In her
eyes her mother shouldnt have been told.  She was too weak and as far as
his sister was concerned, it was his uncle that killed his mother and not
what her father did.
   However, he didnt blame his uncle.  It was his uncle that looked after
him and his sister after his father disappeared and before his mother died,
it was his uncle's money that made it possible for him and his sister as
well as his mother to start over again with a new last name rather than
keep the Baxter name.  However, he never understood why his uncle chose to
keep the last name of Baxter given that the people that he knew thought
Lenny Baxter was the biggest joke in the world.  In fact the whole Baxter
family was thought of a joke because of his father.  So why would his uncle
keep the last name of Baxter?
   He didnt remember his father.  However, according to his uncle though,
his father was a good man though.  He just had uncontrollable urges and
those that involved young girls.  He understood that as he himself had a
thing for young girls starting from the time he had been 14 and had learned
so much since then.
   Despite the fact he was just a baby when his father disappeared, he
loved his father and he was going to make sure that everyone that was
responsible for the death of his father paid for what they did.  After all
what his father did was not so bad was it?  Of course not.  His father just
hadn't learned to do it in a way where he wouldnt be caught.
   He was not like his father.  He was a lot smarter than his father.  He
had been doing the same things his father had done but made sure he was
never seen doing it starting at the age of 14.  There had been many.  He
lost count many years ago after his first rape and then murder.  What did
it matter if they died?  They deserve it didnt they?Yes they did.
   As he sat watching Amy Rogers in her hospital bed at the Rosewood
Sanitarium just outside of Valentine's Cove, he remembered how easy it was
to kill Jamie Rogers.  That smug fucking bitch anyway.  He had known her
for years.  She was nothing but a little stuck up bitch and he could
honestly say that he enjoyed taking her more than all the others he had
taken since his very first.
   He also knew of others he wanted to take.  He wanted them because he
knew it would cause those five men that had killed his father, the same
pain that had killed his mother and had left him without a father.  It
would be ok if he took his pleasure too while doing what he had to.  After
all, it was ok to have fun while doing what had to be done.  Wasnt it?  Of
course it was he reasoned.  Jamie Rogers was the first that had died but he
had a list of all of the other women he would enjoy out of the men's
families that had taken his father's life.
   He approached Amy and then whispered in her ear,"Sleep well.  You and
your brother and his friends ruined my life and now I'm about to ruin yours
you little slut.  I will take all that is owed to me.  In fact, I will even
be back for you."
   He let out a cackle as he quietly left the room before the nurse came
back.  He had been lucky so far and didnt want to ruin his plans by being
careless now.  If he was careful not to be seen, he could come and go as he
pleased.
   As the man left Amy's hospital room, Amy opened her eyes.  She had been
aware of the man as she had been aware of many things over the years. 
However, everything was so foggy as if she were in a sleep and trying to
wake up but just couldnt.
   She knew that her brother had put her in Rosewood Sanitarium after the
fateful night that Randy Baxter had raped her.  She also knew that over the
years that her brother had been to see her and had even changed over the
years since that awful night.  Her brother was now very loving and very
caring and she thought she remembered him wearing a uniform.  Military
maybe or may be a police officer?  She was never sure as her mind was still
so foggy but she did hear how sweet he was in the way he talked to her.
   Always loving.  Always protective.  Never blaming her for that fateful
night.  In fact never blaming her for anything.  He was gentle.  Something
she hadn't seen in many years.
   As her mind drifted back through her past which was still so foggy
because of the drugs they had given her to keep her calm as well as the
actual shock of learning why she was actually raped and who her rapist was,
she thought of the night she had met Lenny Baxter.
   The night she met Lenny Baxter she was 17.  She had been fighting with
her father constantly over the years but her father had been livid with
her. No matter what she did, she was nothing but whore and no matter what
her father said, her mother said nothing.  Her mother Gloria Rogers had
been used to her husband Dan's temper.  It was pretty much expected in the
Rogers house but in all honesty been horrifying to Gloria to see her own
son develope the same temper.
   Dan Rogers was a war veteran who had fought in the Korean war.  He had
been a young man back in 1952 when during a time not long after he got
married and had his two children, he had been called to war and although
Dan hated to leave his family, he did because he felt it was his duty to do
so.
   Two years later, Dan was sent home with a purple heart but also a
changed man.  The gentle man that Gloria remembered was no longer that
gentle man.  He had seen stuff and suffered stuff that made him cold and
hard.  He would often wake up screaming at night and worse off he
eventually could not be in closed areas nor could he share a bed with his
wife as time went by.  Gloria had asked her husband to see some doctors and
in order to get his wife Gloria off his back he did, but was told that he
needed to be treated for his mind as he was suffering from something that
many war veterans go through, he was suffering from something the doctors
called"post -traumatic stress syndrome." They tried to explain to Dan that
most veterans went through it and that it was treatable if he wanted it. 
Dan failed to understand what they were telling him.  He saw it as them
saying he was crazy and refused to get help.  So Dan continued to get
meaner and as his children, Bobby and Amy were subjected to it
   Amy hated Valentine's Cove and if her father thought she was nothing but
a whore, maybe she was so she set out to prove him right.  When she started
dressing more sexily thanks to her fathers already saying she was a
"whore", she got the attention from all the men who looked at her from
young teenaged boys to dirty old men who liked to look at young girls.  It
was at the age of 15, that she decided it might work to her advantage and
get her out of Valentine's Cove.
   For two years she had been using her body,but no matter what she saw
empty promises each time and then came the night she met Lenny Baxter.  He
was crude with the language but had treated her far better than most.
   Earlier that day after having a fight with her father and her father
slapping her and calling her a whore, Amy snuck out her bedroom window that
day and went to the Valentine's Cove Lodge Pub and then met Lenny.
   Lenny made her feel special.  She knew Lenny was attracted to her but he
didnt treat her bad and because he didnt treat her bad or make her feel as
worthless as many of the others had, she was willing to give him anything
he wanted including her body.  It would also mean that she would be leaving
Valentine's Cove.  Perhaps her and Lenny would be married.  It didnt
matter, she wanted out of Valentine's Cove and if it took fucking Lenny or
even being the whore that her father claimed she was, then it was worth it.
All she knew was that Lenny was her ticket out of Valentine's Cove and she
would make it so he would want to take her with her.  She had no idea that
Lenny was using her and that he already had a wife nor that he had been
with many girls her age.  Had she known, she would have stayed clear of
him.
   Unknown to her, as she had snuck out the window of her bedroom, she had
been spotted by her big brother, Bobby.  Bobby at the age of 20 had not
only inherited his father's good looks but also his temper and as Bobby saw
her leave, he followed her.  However, Bobby realized that she must have
been on to him and had seen him as she had manage to ditch him.
   Bobby had spent the rest of the day looking for his sister and had even
managed to talk his four friends into going with him to help find her.Jeff
Markham, Ted Valentine,Jack Dobbs and Gerard St Clair were all very tight
as best friends and were more than happy to help Bobby find his sister.
   That night Bobby found Amy with Lenny.  He knew who the guy was thanks
to the reputation that Lenny had been creating for himself and knowing that
Jeff'had lost his girlfriend over him, only helped fuel the hatred for this
man that he already felt.
   Bobby watched Amy with Lenny as she saw him.  He started to walk towards
him with the baseball bat in his hand when Jeff stopped him.
   "Come on Bobby!  We cant do this.  There are five of us and one of him.
We dont need these." Jeff said, as he held his baseball bat in one hand and
tried to hold off Bobby with the other.
   Bobby looked at Jeff and said," Don't worry.  We are just gonna scare
the little bastard."
   Jeff looked at Bobby and saw the hatred in his eyes and then looked at
Lenny.  Jeff was still hurt over losing his girl to a piece of slime like
that and although something told him not to let Bobby do this, he nodded
and said,"Ok Bobby.  We will scare him then.  I have your back."
   Well things didnt go as planned and Amy never knew all the events that
led up to Bobby doing what he did nor that Jeff Markham's girlfriend had
been a victim of Lenny Baxter too.
   All she knew was after Bobby sent her home, she climbed back through her
window and was none the wiser that night.  Her biggest fear was that Bobby
would tell her father and knowing her father's temper, she truly was afraid
of him.  Bobby never said a word about Amy's being at the bar.  It was
their little secret.  However, a few days after the incident with Lenny. 
There was talk on how Lenny disappeared and that he had been drinking and
had gotten into trouble.  The police had conducted a search after Lenny's
boss and family had filed reports on the missing Lenny.  However, Lenny's
boss also knew that Lenny had a taste for alcohol and when he drank, Lenny
had been known to disappear but if it hadnt have been for Lenny's family
especially his younger brother Randy, the boss was more inclined to let it
go, thinking Lenny would be back.  After all, Lenny was a hard worker on
his crew so if he disappeared for a few days, who cared?  He would be back.
   However, despite the talk, Amy remembered Bobby's eyes.  She also
remembered the other boys and how they acted afterwards.  Always meeting
secretly and were often huddled together as if there was a big secret. 
Then there was Jeff Markham.  Since that night, he had such a look of fear
as if he were a rabbit caught in a set up headlights.  Amy couldnt prove
it,but she was sure that Bobby and his friends had hurt Lenny bad..possibly
killed him.  However, there was that part of her that wanted to believe so
bad that he had just given Lenny a good scare.  So she chose to try and
focus on that idea.  However, over the years, Bobby's temper tantrums did
little to convince her otherwise.
   Then came the fateful night of meeting Randy Baxter.  When Amy had met
Randy.  She never got his last name, but he was very kind to her..talking
sweet to her and not even undressing her with his eyes.  Actually looking
into them directly and telling her she was beautiful.  That was something
that no one had ever done.  Not even Lenny.
   As the drinks flowed freely, Randy seemed to have an endless supply of
money and the more he flashed it, the more she drank,she started to see a
resemblance to Lenny Baxter.  However.she shrugged it off telling herself
it was the alcohol.  Finally, he told her he wanted to meet her family. 
Amy explained that her brother was at work for maybe an hour yet, but they
could go home and wait for him.
   Randy was fine with that and agreed so off they went to the house her
parents left her and Bobby.  Once they got there, Randy was all over her
and then the words came out of his mouth,"Alright you little cunt, I'm
gonna take what is owed to me."
   Although shocked, she wasnt too upset as this would not be the first guy
that she had been with that liked rough sex, but his tone about her owing
anything to him.  Fuck him.  He bought the drinks,but it didnt mean he
owned her and then she shrugged it off and actually laughed," Ohh you are a
funny guy.  Well baby if you like it rough..thats fine.  I'm game for
whatever you want."
   However, Randy wasnt laughing and then said to her,"You little cunt. 
This is all a game to you isnt it.  Nothing matters to you.  You slut
around town doing what you want and your brother cleans up your messes. 
Well fuck you!!  My brother is dead because of you and your brother and his
friends and there is no way I'm leaving here without some sort of
reward,cunt!!.  Your brother and his friends killed my brother.  Do you
remember Lenny Baxter?  Ohh yes I see you remember the name?  Good.  Well
he was my brother and your brother and his four friends beat him to death
with a baseball bats and when they were done took it out somewhere and
burned his body as if it was yesterdays garbage.  They did it all because
of you and you are gonna pay you little cunt!!!"
   Amy Rogers was stunned.  She didnt want to believe it but that part of
her that suspected years ago that Bobby may have had something to do with
Lenny's disappearance told her that it could be true.  However, Bobby
wouldnt actually kill anyone would he?
   She finally said, "Oh please God.  Don't hurt me.  It wasn't my fault.
Please don't hurt me!"
   As soon as she said it, she felt her her clothes being ripped from her
and Randy Baxter enter her from behind and at that moment she heard her
brother come crashing through the front door and felt Randy being pulled
off of her and heard Bobby yelling at Randy.  However, she didnt recall the
words.  What she saw was the look in his eyes.  Pure anger and hatred.  It
was then that the realization of it all truly hit her.  Bobby and his
friends had indeed killed Lenny Baxter.
   Her mind had finally learned the truth.  Her brother was a murderer and
as horrified as she was, she couldn't ignore the truth and that day, her
mind shut down as she kept saying to herself, "My brother is a murderer and
its all because of me.  I killed Lenny Baxter."
   Unable to cope with the fact that her brother being a murderer and her
part in it, Amy's mind completely shut down and by the time the ambulance
arrived to treat her for the rape, it was clear even to the doctors that
her mind was locked up and she had gone so deep into herself that the
doctors saw no hope of her recovering.
   As time went by for Amy, she had become more aware of her surroundings
and although her mind was clouded by drugs and the emotional pain of things
she didnt want to remember, she was becoming more aware of her
surroundings. She was just unable to communicate to anyone at this point.
There was no medical reason to explain it.  She had just been through more
than her mind could handle the doctors said and chances are, she would
never recover despite the fact,the rape itself wasnt as brutal as her mind
seem to be telling her, the doctors explained.
   So when the man came to visit her, she couldnt understand who he was,but
he had said enough to know that the murder of Lenny Baxter was never going
to be forgotten and if what this man had whispered was true, her family
could be in real danger especially her brother Bobby.
   Silent tears ran down her cheeks as she lay in her hospital bed praying
in her fog filled mind that everyone in Valentine's Cove would be safe.
   It was now three days since the murder of Jamie Rogers.  At the
coroner's office, a meeting between Bobby Rogers,Jack Dobbs,Jeff
Markham,Gerard St Clair and Ted Valentine was being held.
   Bobby Rogers looked at Jeff and asked," Is there any word on the
location of Randy Baxter?"
   Jeff looked at him and shook his yes and said, "Yeah, but you are not
going to like it.  I'm afraid that there is no way Randy Baxter killed
Jamie."
   Bobby looked at him curiously and asked,"Why not?"
   Jeff looked at him and shook his head not wanting to tell him but did
anyway,"Randy Baxter suffered an automobile accident five years ago and has
been paralyzed from the waist down.  He will never walk again as I
understand it."
   Bobby looked at the rest of the group and then turned back to Jeff and
said, " Can we verify he is indeed paralyzed?"
   Jeff replied," I'm looking into it now Bobby.  I'm waiting for a phone
call from his doctors and I have requested his medical records on the basis
of an ongoing murder investigation."
   Bobby nodded and said, "Good.  As soon as we get verification, we will
bring Randy Baxter in for questioning."
   He then looked around the room at the four men and then said," Ok Ted. I
know as a business man you are quite busy.  Gerard I also know you are busy
enough as it is yourself so I will be as brief as possible."
   He then took a deep breath and said, " You all know why you are here. 
It appears that we now are about to be exposed for what happened forty
years ago.  I see that we really don't have a choice and I'm coming to all
of you to decide what we should do.  I think our best bet is to confess
everything and get it out in the open.  I would like to take a vote on
this. If it is not unanonmous,then we dont go.  How do the rest of you
feel?"
   Jeff responded immediately," I don't see that we have a choice.  If we
keep quiet there could be a lot more murders in Valentines Cove."
   Bobby looked at Jack Dobbs and then Jack said,"I agree and I vote we get
it all out in the open.  All of it has to stop."
   Ted Valentine had been listening and finally said,"Look, if we could
actually get a suspect, I would agree but with finding out that Randy
Baxter is now in a wheel chair and no suspect now, we are all sitting
ducks. Whose to say that it wont continue happening even after we all
confess?  I also have my family and this town to think about as well."
   Gerard St.  Clair spoke up and said,"Well, we also take the risk of not
saying anything and if we dont,anyone of the rest of our kids or even our
wives could get it?"
   Ted looked at Gerard and asked,"Whose to say that your girls are anymore
safer in your home than if they walked the streets of Valentines Cove?"
   Gerard looked at Ted nervously and then was about to say something then
said nothing.
   It didnt go unnoticed by either Bobby or Jeff and Bobby asked," Whats
going on between you two?"
   Ted looked at Gerard and then back to everyone else and said, "Nothing
Bobby.  Was just saying that the killer could just as easily enter our home
rather than get us on the streets."
   Gerard looked very nervous but smiled and said,"Yeah Bobby.  Thats all
he meant."
   Bobby wasnt convinced but let it go for now and then said, "Ok.  Lets
call for a vote.  All those in favour?"
   As Bobby looked around the room, three hands were raised and Gerard was
just about to raise his when a quick look from Ted convinced him otherwise
and he dropped his hand.
   The three to vote yes were, himself, Jeff and Jack.
   Bobby then asked, "All those opposed?"
   Ted's hand went up followed by Gerards.  Making the vote for 3-2. 
However since they all agreed it had to be unanymous, before they agreed,
the secret was safe for now.
   Bobby then said,"Ok.  It means we keep our mouths shut then.  I warn all
of you.  It may come to a point that whoever this killer is,may decide to
expose the secret for us.  It might have been better coming from us. 
However, youve made your choices.  Thank you all for your time and if
anything comes up, I will let you all know."
   With that, the group broke up.  Once Bobby and Jeff were alone in Jack's
office, Bobby looked at Jeff and said,"Did you catch the exchange between
Ted and Gerard?"
   Jeff nodded and said, "Yes.  Do you think they know more about the
murder than they are letting on?"
   Bobby shook his head," I doubt it.  Whatever is going on is something
else.  However, I want you to do a background check in the business circles
in both of their lives since we know all about their personal lives."
   Jeff nodded and said," I will get on it right away."
   Both he and Bobby left Jack's office then.
   In the meantime, as Gerard was getting into his car outside the coroners
office, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to look and see Ted behind
him.
   Gerard's throat went dry and he said to Ted,"Hey Ted.  Whats up?"
   Ted smiled at him and said,"Nothing really.  Was just wondering if you
looked into that insurance policy for me?"
   Gerard nodded," I just started working on it last night as you
requested. So everything should be finalized in a couple of days."
   Ted smiled and said,"Good.  It pays to have insurance in life as you
never know just what sorts of things can come up and hurt you." As he said
it, he handed Gerard a large yellow envelope and then added," I think you
might find these interesting.  What do you think?"
   Gerard saw the envelope and then opened it up and then pulled out what
appeared to be pictures and his face turned pale as he looked at them.  He
turned to Ted,"What do you want?"
   Ted looked at him and said, "Relax.  I'm just showing you that when
secrets are revealed, many people get hurt.  If any of us open our mouths
about what happened forty years ago, we all stand to lose.  I am counting
on you to convince the other three it would be in their best interests to
leave the past buried.  If we dont,the past could hurt all of us and if my
family and this town are destroyed because of a bunch of bleeding hearts,
then you are finished too.  Do you understand?" Teds voice had gotten
colder by the time he asked Gerard if he understood.
   Gerard knew that Ted meant business and said," I promise you, I will do
all I can to make them see it our way."
   Ted looked at him and said coldy, "You had better or else?"
   It was clear Ted meant business and Gerard wasnt about to argue.
   Chapter 8
   After the confrontation that Ted had with Gerard, Gerard went back to
his office.  Gerard was terrified.  He had already been shaken by the
comment that Ted had made at the meeting but then of course after the
meeting about not his girls not being safe in his own home, but when Ted
covered after the comment, he figured that Ted told the truth and was just
speaking in general.  However, once Ted voted against exposing the secret
and then Gerard started to speak and then Ted cut him off with the look,
Gerard knew there was more to the comment.  However, he had no idea till
now what Ted actually had on him.  Ted had some how got hold of the
pictures that Gerard now had safely locked in his safe.
   However, Gerard wasnt stupid.  He knew Ted and when it came to business
and protecting himself, Gerard knew Ted would have probably covered his ass
and made copies of the photos.  What Gerard didn't understand was how Ted
got them in the first place.  There was only one set and that set had been
in his safe.  However, when he went to return what he assumed were copies
of the pics to his safe, the others were gone.  So it meant somehow Ted got
in possibly looking for something else and found them or that Ted knew
about Gerard's late night antics and about things that would destroy his
wife, Gay if she ever learned the truth.
   It was now almost midnight, the meeting he attended with his four
friends was now over for hours and he had been sitting in his office trying
to work up the courage to go home.  Ted now had power over him and if the
photos ever went public, he could lose everything.
   Gerard sat in his office, shaking afraid to go home now.  His paranoia
now convincing him that Ted would get restless and not wait for Gerard to
stop the others from exposing there secret.
   He started to sob softly as he then buried his hands in his face saying
in a soft whisper,"Oh my God.  What have I done and how am I going to get
out of this?"
   However, he got no answer as the question he whispered to no one hung in
the air of his office as there was no one to answer him.
   Across town in his own office at the same time, Ted Valentine was in no
better shape.  Ted was also scared.  He was desparate as things were now
closing in on him.  Ted knew that if the secret was ever to be revealed
that a Valentine was involved in a murder or any sort of scandal.  his
family could lose everything and the name Valentine would mean nothing.
   However, there was more.  So much more.  Ted since his father had
trusted him had tried to follow in his father's footsteps and sadly no
matter how hard he tried, he never had Adam Valentine's knack for making
honest deals and building things up with hard work and making a success of
anything.
   Adam Valentine had been a driven man and had a lot of integrity and had
learned that in order to be a success, you needed to know how to talk to
people and know how to build trust.  Sometimes it took time.  However, Adam
being a patient man had become a success and had a good reputation for
being honest.
   Ted on the other hand didn't have his father's patience.  He did try but
when it came to success, he was always in a hurry and he always felt that
his father was watching over him waiting for him to fail and so while he
was working with his father, he made contacts of his own and then shortly
after his father's death, tried to run his father's empire on his own as
well as build his own empire.  However, Ted just didn't have the finesse to
do it and eventually both empires were failing.
   The town that his father had built so successfully was failing.  A lot
of the businesses were failing because of loss of money and all sorts of
things that can sometimes take time to build.  There was also the fact that
Ted's impatience and in a hurry attitude made a lot of the people in town
that his father had dealt with while he was alive, very nervous.  Ted maybe
a Valentine, but in truth his way of doing things was actually slowly
becoming his undoing and despite the fact that some knew that he wasn't any
Adam Valentine, he had managed to convince most of the people who hadnt
truly got to know him, that he was like his father.
   However, there were those that knew the truth about Ted Valentine and it
was those he was most afraid of.  Those that had seen the real Ted
Valentine saw an opportunity to use Ted to there advantage and when Ted
finally decided to approach many of those people to invest in both the town
of Valentine's Cove and his own empire in California, Ted had made deals
with them that his father would spin over in his grave, if he could
actually see what Ted was doing.  Ted was too naive to think about what he
was truly doing.  He just wanted to prove to his family,he could be a
success like his father and as far as his family and a lot of the people
who had never truly got to know Ted, he truly was Adam Valentine's son and
a true Valentine heir.
   However, had those people known that the a lot of his money and his
success came from investors and that those investors were connected to
drugs, prostitution and even connected to the underworld, Ted Valentine and
his whole family would be ruined and Ted knew it.  He couldn't afford to
have it come out not only because of his family's name but because the
murder itself could open up all his connections and those investors who
were silent, would be exposed and once exposed because of his past, would
want him and his family dead.  Ted actually feared for his life.
   He knew once he heard about the fact that the other four would want to
reveal what happened in the past, that he had to act fast and what most
didn't know was that while the five boys were growing up was that Ted had
suspected that Gerard had a thing for young girls and that although he had
not seen any actual proof, he had recalled that while in college when he
and Gerard had become roommates, he had found some photos of some young
girls from ages 10 and up.  At the time, Ted had thought very little of it
because Gerard dated like anyone else and other than finding the pics in
college, he had seen nothing to indicate that Gerard had actually done
anything with young girls so at the time, he just chalked it up as Gerard
just looking at pictures and living his fantasies through pictures but
never actually acting on them.
   When Ted hired someone to break into Gerard's safe to look for the
original photos that he hoped Gerard might have kept, he didn't find the
actual photos that he had seen in college and put back where they belonged,
what he did find were actual photos that Gerard had actually taken himself
which told him a lot more about Gerard and that Gerard not only liked
photos of young girls, he also had actually taken his own pictures of live
young girls and the pictures Ted had actually found were pictures of young
girls that Ted had actually known were living in Valentine's Cove.  Ted
then pretty much figured out that it was possible that Gerard actually had
maybe even touched some of those young girls.
   When Ted made the comment about the fact that Gerard's own daughter's
may not even be safe in there own home and Gerard reacted, Ted knew that it
was actually possible that he either had touched his girls or was actually
thinking of it.  The pictures he had actually found this time were pictures
of girls ranging from 10 to 25 and he had recognized a lot of them as
children of clients that Ted had done business with.  If Ted was right. 
Gerard was turning into one sick mother fucker.
   As much as Ted hated to blackmail his friend with his sick fetish, he
was desparate and would do whatever it took to stop the secret of Lenny
Baxter's murder from becoming public, even if it meant destroying all four
of his friends to do it.  He didnt want to die and sure as hell wasn't
going to let his family get killed either.
   The next morning after the meeting at Jack Dobb's office, Gay St.  Clair
had woken up to find that Gerard was not in bed and from all evidence in
the bedroom, he hadn't come home as the lamp on the night table that she
had left on for him was still on as well as the light she had left on the
front porch was also was still on.
   Gay had enough to worry about as it was and with Gerard not coming home,
it only made matters worse.  She was worried about Hannah.  The anomosity
that Hannah had been showing to Cheri since seeing her had been bad on the
first day and had only gotten worse over the past few days and then there
was her behavior towards Devon as well as her comment about Devon to Cheri.
   Gay sat and replayed the the events in her mind that had happened
yesterday.
   Hannah had been rude to Cheri since coming home and had since then been
very cold to Cheri.  Cheri had tried to talk to Hannah but to know avail.
Cheri had no idea what was going on but she loved her sister and she wasn't
going to give up.
   Cheri had gone to Hannah's room where Hannah had locked herself in her
room and had refused to come out.  Cheri gently knocked on the door and
said, "Hannah, I dont know what's going on, but I want to work this out. 
You are my sister and I love you.  Do you remember how close we use to be?
I know I have been gone a long time, but I would like to have my baby
sister back.  Please Hannah, whatever the problem is,let's work it out."
   Hannah had opened the door and was wearing a light jacket and as she
pushed her way past Cheri she said to her, " Fuck you you selfish bitch. 
You left ten years ago and didnt even say goodbye and then you come back
with some little bastard and figure we can be sister's again.  You can go
fuck yourself.  I hate you Cheri St Clair and I hate that little bastard of
yours.  You have not been here for me for the past ten years so why should
I need you now?"
   As she walked past Cheri, she then spotted Devon and glared at him as
she saw his eyes wide full of shock wondering why his aunt was so mad at
his mother and she said to him,"You are nothing special you little bastard.
Your mother would have been better off aborting you cause when she decides
to leave you like she left us, she will only come back to you when its
convenient for her.  You are better off dead."
   Gay heard the entire exchange and before she knew what happened her own
hand reached out slapped her youngest daughter as hard as she could.  Gay
was appalled by her youngest daughter's behavior and whatever was going on
she knew that there was no reason to take it out on Devon.  It was hard
enough that she had stood back and watched while Hannah had attacked Cheri,
but when Hannah's anger caused her to attack Devon, it was too much for Gay
and she couldn't control her anger at her daughter.  After all, enough was
enough.
   Hannah on the other hand held a hand to her face which was burning still
from her mother's slap.  In all the years she had known her mother, she had
never been hit by her for any reason.  In fact, Gay St Clair had never felt
the need to slap any of her kids as they had never caused any serious
trouble.
   Hannah looked into her mother's eyes and said to her, " Go fuck
yourself!!!" Then Hannah ran out the front door slamming it behind her.
   Pulling herself out of the memories of last night, Gay turned off the
porch light, she then walked by Hannah's room and had seen that Hannah's
door was closed.  After Hannah had run off last night, Gay tried to stay
awake to talk to her as she waited hour after hour but she finally went to
bed too exhausted.  Hannah was a grown woman now and despite her behavior,
would have to learn from her own mistakes.
   However, as long as Hannah lived in her parents home, she was going to
obey her parents rules as well as behave respectfully or she would have no
problem tossing her out.
   For now though, Hannah's bedroom door was closed and as long as it was
closed, it probably meant Hannah was still sleeping.  God knows what time
Hannah had actually gotten home.  Gay would let her sleep,but as soon as
she could, she had every intention of settling this with Hannah once and
for all.
   As she went to pour herself a morning coffee, she looked at the time and
saw that although it was still early, there was no sign of Gerard.  She
began to worry.
   Meanwhile in Hannah's bedroom, Hannah had come home late last night. 
She stayed out as late as she could as she knew her mother's habit's and
then she quietly went to her bedroom and then quickly removed her clothes
and had fallen asleep exhausted.
   However, her sleep was not to be a restful sleep despite her exhaustion
from the the days event's.  As she went to sleep, she saw his face.  She
had seen that face many times before for the past 10 years since Cheri had
left.
   At first when it happened, she was never sure as she was so sleepy she
actually thought she had been dreaming and when she did awake there were no
signs that anyone had ever been in her room.  However as time past, the
signs started to happen.  She then smelled stale cigarettes as well as the
cologne he had worn and then eventually as time went by and he became more
eager and more bolder, a lot of the time he wouldnt even wait for her to go
to sleep, he would come to her.  He took his pleasure anytime he wanted,but
always when everyone else was asleep.
   As he came to her more frequently, he didnt always use caution.  In fact
it got to the point that for a while, he didnt even use a condom.  She knew
that she was in an endless nightmare but she didnt know what to do.  The
more he came to her, the dirtier she felt.  However, she also knew that she
couldn't stop him.  He would take what he wanted as he had been doing ot
since she was 15 and although not as frequent now, would still come to her
when he had the urge.
   It eventually got to the point where when he did come to her, she turned
her emotions off as she didnt know how to handle it.  She had lost Joe
because of him.  When Joe tried to touch her, she was reminded of him and
she felt dirty and was scared that Joe would find out the truth and so she
broke up with him to protect her secret shame.
   By the time she broke up with Joe, she was almost 16 and when she had
broken things off with Joe, a big part of her died and then she thought of
her sister, Cheri.  Cheri who always had promised her that she would
protect her and no matter what, would always be there for her.
   Cheri had left without even saying goodbye and it hurt Hannah deeply,
but for almost a year Hannah made excuses for her in her mind and at one
point had even convinced herself that Cheri would even come back for her.
However, by the time she broke up with Joe, she knew the truth.  Cheri
wasnt coming back.
   For the past 10 years now she had lived in silent shame.  She stopped
trying to dress up or even caring about her appearance.  She even at one
point decided that maybe if she made herself so unattractive, he would stop
coming to her.  It didn't help.  He still came.  However, over the past 10
years as she was growing older, he didnt come to her as often and as time
went by, she was slowly realizing why, she was getting too old.
   In the past year he had been to her three times and the three times he
had come to her, he had been drinking.  However she still dreamed of him or
in her case, had nightmares over him and they haunted her.  She would see
his piercing blue eyes and no matter what she couldnt get them out of her
head.
   As she tossed and turned she saw his eyes.  Saw his face.  The face then
changed and became younger,but still the same piercing blue eyes and then a
face slowly took shape and she saw the face.  Where had she seen that face?
The face became older and then came back to him and then again changed back
to a younger version of him and as she saw the face take better shape, she
knew it wasn't him but she knew the face and then she woke up and let out a
scream.
   As she looked around, she saw that she was in her own bed,but the covers
had been twisted around her because of her tossing and turning.  Hannah
shook violently as she realized the full impact of what she had seen in her
dream.  Only it wasnt a dream.  She knew it.  That fucking bastard had done
this thing before and she now knew the face that looked so much like him
but wasn't him.  The face she saw was of Devon St.  Clair.  She now knew
without a doubt who Devon St.  Clair's father was.  It was none other than
her own father, Gerard St.  Clair.
   She also realized that she now knew and fully understood why her sister
had broken up with Gary and left town without a word to anyone.  She never
wanted her family to know about it and was probably ashamed.  Hannah
understood as Hannah herself knew how she felt.
   As she tried to absorb all that she had figured out,she then burst into
silent tears as the full impact was still hitting her and she said through
a mist of tears," Oh God Cheri.  I'm so sorry.  I never knew.  I thought
you ran away from all of us,but you were running from him.  Ohh God..  I'm
so sorry."
   She repeated it over and over again as she continued to cry not even
knowing how she would make it up to Cheri.
   Chapter 9
   It was still early in the morning in Valentine's Cove as Tony Bannister
came home from the graveyard shift as night janitor at the Valentine's Cove
Lodge.  As Tony entered the home he shared with both his girlfriend, Dana
St.  Clair and his younger sister Jenna, he found his sister asleep on the
couch and the television set on.  He leaned over and gently ran his hand
over her cheek and as he did, her eyes jolted awake and slowly came into
focus and once she was a little more awake, she recognized her brother and
then smiled at him.
   Jenna then asked him, "How was your shift?"
   Tony smiled at his sister and replied, "It was the usual.  Nothing knew.
When it comes to being a janitor Sis, nothing really changes.  Its the same
thing everyday,but at least it pays the bills."
   He then asked his sister,"How is Dana?"
   Jenna looked at her brother and then lowered her eyes as she replied,
"She's really not doing well with this at all, Tony.  Jamie was her best
friend and then finding her like that really has been killing her.  She had
another restless night."
   It was now four days since the body of Jamie Rogers had been found and
as Tony heard the progress report on his girlfriend, he frowned and said, "
I talked to the police just before I came home, but according to them,
there are no leads yet."
   Jenna looked at her brother and then took a deep breath and said, "To
make matters worse, Dana's mother spent most of the night calling here last
night looking for Hannah again.  Apparently, her highness had some sort of
temper tantrum and let Cheri and her son, Devon have it.  Gay apparently
slapped her and she went running out of the house and hasn't been seen
since.  Gay had hoped she might have come here."
   Since Tony had been going out with Dana, there had been always some kind
of drama going on so none of this really surprised him.  However, he was
surprised that Dana's sister was back in town.  He had known through Dana
that one night ten years ago that Cheri had decided to leave town after an
apparent fight with her boyfriend.  Now apparently she was back and with a
kid.  Whoa!  I guess she came home figuring it was time for Devon to meet
his father, Gary, Tony thought to himself.
   However instead he said to his sister," So Cheri is back in town and
with a kid.!  Whoa!  Does Dana know?"
   Jenna shook her head and said, " Gay wanted to tell her but figured that
with what she had been going through since finding Jamie, Gay didnt want to
add to her problems."
   Tony looked at her curiously and asked, "What problems?.  How can having
your sister back in town be a problem?"
   Jenna shrugged her shoulders and said, " I really don't know.  I guess
they have had there problems in the past as all families do."
   Tony looked at his sister and asked, " Speaking of family problems, have
you called him yet?"
   Jenna ran her fingers through her long blond hair and said," No.  I have
nothing to say to him."
   Tony shook his head and asked," Damn it Jenna, how long are you gonna
stay angry at him?  He's still family and he's not getting any younger. 
What happened was a long time ago and living in the past isn't going to
change things."
   Jenna felt the heat of her anger rise to her face and said, " You know
Tony,maybe you can forget everything that has happened but I can't and
never will.  Our mother is dead because of him."
   Tony looked at his sister and said," I think he's more than paid us back
and made up for his mistakes.  You need to put the past where it belongs
which is in the past."
   Jenna looked at her brother, her face now beat red as she said to him,"
He may have you snowed, but I will never forgive him and nothing you say
will change my mind about him.  So back off and drop it."
   Tony knew once his sister made up her mind, there was nothing that was
gonna change it no matter what he said.  He just shook his head and looked
at her as he said, " I will go check on Dana."
   Across town at the Valentine's Cove Police Department, Jeff had finally
got off the phone with Randy Baxter's doctor as well as he had Randy's
medical records in his hands as he knocked on the door of Chief Robert
Roger's office.
   Bobby Rogers looked tired as Jeff walked into his office.  He said to
him," I talked to the doctor finally.  We have been playing phone tag but I
did finally get a hold of him.  He as well as the medical records I have in
my hand verify that Randy Baxter is in a wheel chair and that its
permanent. His spinal cord was severed so there is no way he could have
raped and killed Jamie."
   Bobby nodded as Jeff placed the medical records on his desk and said,"
Truthfully, I figured as much.  So now we are back to square one.  I still
want Randy Baxter brought in.  He may have an idea of who may have done it.
I also have been thinking a lot on the night that he raped Amy and I recall
that Randy mentioned Lenny had a family.  I want to know if they are alive
and if so, who and where are they?"
   Jeff looked at him and jotted down some notes as he listened to his boss
and said, "You got it.  I will get on it right away."
   Jeff was about to leave and then Bobby called him back and asked,"Did
you find anything out on Ted Valentine an Gerard St Clair's business
dealings or anything that ties them together on something to explain their
behavior the other night?"
   Jeff shook his head and said, "No!  I haven't found a thing yet,but I am
still looking."
   Bobby then smiled and said, "Thanks.  I know we are both working hard
and I'm sorry if I seem to be pushing you."
   Jeff smiled back and said, " No worries.  I understand.  Whoever killed
your granddaughter is still out there and until that person is caught, no
one is safe."
   Bobby nodded and then rubbed his tired eyes and said," I just hope we
dont have another victim before we catch this bastard."
   A few miles across town a small red car was parked on the local beach of
Valentine's Cove.  In the car sat Gerard St.  Clair.  He hadn't slept all
night as he was still scared.  What if Ted in a panic had already lowered
the boom on Gerard?
   As he sat in his car, he pulled open his glove compartment and in it was
a revolver in which he carried for safety reasons.  He took out the
revolver and then held it in his hands.  He knew that it was only a matter
of time before his wife would know all about what he was doing.
   Ever since he was about 15 or so, he had a thing for young girls and
although he knew it was wrong couldnt help himself, but had hid it so well
from everyone.  He knew if people knew, he would be considered a freak and
his own family would be destroyed.
   He then thought about both Cheri and Hannah.  Both were so beautiful and
he knew he had to have them.  After all, isnt that what father's did with
their daughter's?  So he took them.  He had taken Cheri for the first time
at 12 years old and Hannah when she was 15.  However, had he been honest,
had he had his choice, he would have taken Hannah much earlier, but he just
never had the chance.
   After all, his own mother had introduced him to sex at the age of 10
after his father had died.  So how could it be so wrong to want his own
daughters and to appreciate a young developing body before it reached its
peak in beauty?
   However, he knew that no one would understand and when Ted finally
spilled the beans to Gay, then he would be through.  He thought to himself,
" Oh God!  This can't be happening."
   He then took the gun and opened the chamber.  Taking the bullets he had
in a box inside the glove compartment, he then began to load the gun and
then as soon as he loaded it, closed the chamber and then held it in his
hand and stared down at it thinking to himself,"This had to end and it had
to end soon."
   Hannah St.  Clair finally calmed down enough to know that she needed to
talk to Cheri.  So after laying in bed for a long time finally got out of
bed and then went to take a shower.
   As soon as she was showered and dressed she went into the kitchen and
found her mother, Cheri and Devon sitting at the table.  Both Cheri and Gay
looked at her not saying a word.
   Hannah knew what she had to do as she turned to her mother and said,"
Mom, I'm really sorry about the way I acted last night.  I truly am."As she
said it, the tears ran down her face slowly as she continued,"You have been
a good mom and for me to say what I did was wrong.  I really am sorry Mom."
   Gay St Clair's own eyes filled with tears as she heard her daughter's
words and as she looked into her daughter's eyes she saw that Hannah
actually meant every word.  This was the little girl she remembered.  Her
precious Hannah who was never vindictive to anyone as a little girl.  Gay
without saying a word took her youngest daughter in her arms and held her
tight and softly kissed her cheek.
   Hannah then gently pulled herself from her mother's arms and then went
to Devon who was sitting on Cheri's lap and kneeled down to him.  With her
left hand she gently caressed her nephew's face.  Devon was scared when his
Aunt Hannah approached him and at first when she went to touch him, he
thought she might strike him.  However as she caressed his cheek, he could
truly see she meant no harm but he was still confused at the things she had
said to him.  He said nothing.  He just looked at her.
   Hannah looked into his deep blue eyes and said," Devon, I know you have
no reason to trust me at all and I really don't blame you.  I was very mean
to both you and your mom and for that I'm sorry.  Devon, I dont hate you or
your mom.  Not at all.  I was mad at the world and took it out on you. 
your mother and Grandma and I'm sorry.  I love you Devon and I'm happy to
be your aunt.  I hope you will give me a chance to be your aunt."
   Devon who truly didnt understand a lot about anger as Cheri had tried to
keep anger out of Devon's life, looked at his aunt and said, " Aunt Hannah,
I love you and I'm sorry if I did or said anything to make you mad.  I'm
sorry."
   Hannah looked at Cheri and with a silent nod of approval from Cheri,
took Devon in her arms and hugged him tight and then kissed him on the
cheek and said," You did nothing wrong kiddo.  I promise that.  You are a
good kid Devon.  Aunt Hannah was the one who messed up so don't you be
sorry."
   Devon then returned her hug and said, " I love you Aunt Hannah."
   Hannah looked at him with tears in her eyes and said, " I love you too
kiddo."
   She then gave Devon back to his mother and stood up and looked at Cheri
and said," Cheri, I owe you the biggest apology of them all,but I need to
speak to you alone.  I know after my behavior you have no reason to trust
me, but I need to speak to you and I swear, I am not out to hurt you or
your son..This I swear on my life."
   As Hannah said this the tears filled her eyes again.  She knew she had
to tell Cheri everything and that she needed to be alone with her to do it.
She hoped Cheri would say yes.
   Cheri looked at her sister and had been watching Hannah from the time
she entered the kitchen and could see that whatever had been going on with
Hannah was now over and she then got up from the table and took her little
sister in her arms and hugged her tight and said," Hannah of course I will
talk to you alone but there is nothing to forgive.  You are my sister and I
love you.  aNothing will ever change that.  I'm just glad I got my sister
back.  I love you very much Hannah and always will."
   Hannah knew that what she had to tell her sister would be hard but as
she held her sister, she felt safe and for the first time in a long time
she also felt hope.
   She then looked at her sister and said,"Cheri, if you are not busy, I
would like to go now.  Maybe if you want, we can take a walk to the park
and talk?"
   Cheri nodded and then looked at her mother and asked, "Mom, could you
watch Devon for me please?"
   Gay St Clair was smiling.  She actually was watching her daughters
bonding and with tears of happiness in her eyes she said, "You two girls
have a lot of catching up to do so go out and take your time.  Devon and I
will be fine."
   Cheri then took her sister's hand in hers and said," Well Sis, I guess
that's settled.  Let's go."
   With that the St Clair sisters went out the door and started to walk to
the park.  When they arrived, both girls took a seat on a bench and then
Cheri looked into her sister's eyes and asked," Ok Sis, whats on your
mind?"
   The moment had come.  Hannah now needed the courage to tell her sister
everything.  She was scared, but knew she didn't have a choice now.  She
wasnt about to let her father do that to anyone else.  Not now.  Not ever
again.
   Hannah looked into Cheri's eyes and then began to speak.
   Chapter 10
   Randall Baxter at the age of 62 sat back in his wheel chair and frowned.
He was not happy as he had just received a phone call from Deputy Chief
Jeff Markham saying he was wanted for questioning and his presence was
requested at the police station as soon as possible.
   As Randy sat in his wheel chair, he reflected back on things over the
years that had happened since the night of Amy Roger's rape.  After Randy
had left he was feeling very smug and knew that he finally had put both
Bobby Roger's and his slut of a sister in her place.
   However, he was also unhappy as he truly never got avenge his brother's
death.  He had no intention of keeping the agreement that he had made with
Bobby Roger's.  He barely touched Amy Rogers so he needed to do something
more and decided since he had waited this long, he could wait a little
more...and wait he did again.
   Life for Randy Baxter had changed since the death of his brother, Lenny.
He now felt it his responsibility to make sure that his brother's family
was taken care of and that the kids needed a father figure since Lenny was
no longer around.  However, even when Lenny was alive, he had never been
around and he spent very little time with the kids as it was.
   However, no one knew something that Randy did.  The two children that
Lenny and Maggie Baxter were raising were not Lenny's.  Before Lenny had
met Maggie, Randy had dated Maggie and they had been very intimate during
their relationship and then Maggie was introduced to Lenny and then shortly
before Lenny and Maggie married, Maggie announced she was pregnant.  Maggie
believed that Lenny was the father so Randy accepted that and then one
day,Randy and his brother were out drinking celebrating the baby when Lenny
as he was drinking his beer announced he knew a secret and that was that
the baby Maggie was carrying was not his.
   Although Lenny knew that Maggie and Randy had dated before he had
married Maggie, he was too full of himself to think that Randy might be the
father of the baby Maggie was carrying.  Lenny said that there was no way
he could be the father of that baby as he knew it as fact as he never
wanted kids so he had a vasectomy years before and never bothered telling
Maggie.
   So when Maggie turned up pregnant, he had known he wasnt the father. 
Randy was stunned.
   Randy then asked him, " If you know you are not the father, why dont you
confront her?"
   Lenny who was drunk and feeling no pain said," Hey, if she wants to fuck
around, let her.  It just means I can too and if she wants to look after a
kid let her.  It keeps her happy and so it also leaves me more time to
party as well.  Besides, she may be a slut but shes a good fuck in bed so I
am happy to keep her around."
   Randy was angry over that as he had never stopped loving Maggie and
still hadnt gotten over the fact he had lost her to his brother.  However,
Randy also knew that it was best he kept his mouth shut because if what he
suspected was true, that baby was definitely Randy's.
   Randy knew Maggie would never sleep around so he would try to confirm
that the baby was his some way after the baby was born.  In the meantime,
he would just accept the fact that Maggie was carrying his baby.  He had no
intention of telling Maggie about the baby not being Lenny's as she wasnt
strong enough to handle it as she was always fragile emotionally and to
learn she was carrying another mans baby while married to another, would
kill her.  Randy loved her enough to protect her even if it meant never
being able to claim his own child.
   About a year after her son was born.  Maggie sat home crying and Randy
had come by to visit his son.  He had by now confirmed the young boy
sitting in his mothers arms was indeed his son.
   Randy went and took her into his arms and held her tight as he tried to
find out why she was so upset,
   Maggie looked at him with her eyes full of tears and said, " Lenny is
cheating on me."
   Randy was sick inside himself as he heard what she said.  Randy had
known that Lenny had been cheating on her the whole time they were married
but had kept his mouth shut for the sake of the woman he loved as well as
his son.  He couldnt claim his son as his own and knew that Maggie would
never leave Lenny despite the fact he was cheating on her.  He had just
wished that Lenny had more sensitivity to at least be more careful.
   Randy loved his brother but even now his behavior was starting to get to
him.  Maggie deserved so much better.  Maggie deserved a man who could love
her and be there for her.  However, no matter what Randy said nothing
becaused he knew that if he confronted Lenny, there was a chance he would
never see Maggie or his son again.
   Maggie was so distraught that she couldnt stop crying.  The doctor had
given her a sedative to take to keep her calm she was to take when needed.
Randy then went to the medicine cabinet and got the medication and then
brought her a glass of water.  The sedatives would help her sleep and
hopefully let her sleep through the night.
   Maggie accepted the glass of water and the sedatives and took them. 
Randy held her as she still cried.  As the sedatives took hold, he then led
her to her bedroom and then got her undressed and laid her on the bed. 
Although the sedatives were strong, they should not have knocked Maggie out
but with her being so over wrought, they must have hit her harder than he
thought as she was sound asleep before her head hit the pillow.
   As he watched Maggie, he saw how even after having a baby, she was still
so beautiful, her long flowing auburn hair, laid out on the pillow as she
slept.  He gently caressed her face as she slept.  He loved her even now.
   As he watched her, something inside him lost all reason, he didnt think
clearly at all.  He then before he knew it was slowly kissing her body up
and down covering her sweet lips with kisses and the rest was a whirlwind.
   As he lay in bed beside her, he couldnt believe what he had just done.
He had slept with his brothers wife and had actually taken advantage of her
while she was asleep and in a drugged condition.  He quickly got out of bed
and made sure she had cleaned her up.  All the while, she never stirred at
all.
   What Randy didnt know was that before he had arrived was that she had
taken a dose of the sedatives and forgot to tell him and so she she had
actually overdosed.  Thankfully it had only made her sleep deeply and had
done no harm.
   Randy after cleaning her up had sat in a chair beside her bed and
watched her sleep peacefully the rest of the night.  When she awoke the
next morning she was none the wiser.
   However, it was a few months later that Maggie learned she was pregnant
again and Randy knew without having to confirm it he was the father as he
now knew about his brother's vasectomy.  He again, never told Maggie so
Maggie never knew the kids she bore were not Lenny's and Lenny again didn't
care.  As long as he could have his young teenage girls it was fine by him.
Let her slut around and have a dozen kids.As fate would have it, since
Lenny had also slept with Maggie, Maggie never figured out that it couldnt
have been Lenny's.
   It was then that both Randy and Lenny learned that there was a big job
for construction in Valentine's Cove.  The Valentine's who owned the town
were planning on some major changes and the construction would entail big
money.  So both Randy and Lenny went to work there.  However, no one was to
know that would be the last time that Lenny Baxter would be seen alive.
   After Lenny died, Randy made it a point of making sure that Maggie and
the kids never wanted for anything.  By this time, Lenny's affairs were
public knowledge and the fact was now that he had disappeared as Maggie had
been led to believe, the shock wasnt as bad as it should have been given
that she had learned before her daughter had been born, that Lenny had
cheated on her once that she knew about.
   However, with Maggie now alone without Lenny made it possible for Randy
to pursue her and Randy assumed she would be open to it.  He then went to
her about a year after Lenny had been dead and proposed to her.  She turned
him down and of course Randy accepted it for appearances sake.  Maggie had
never given up hope that Lenny might return to her.  If not for her, for
the sake of her kids.
   It was then one night, about 8 years after Lenny had died and two years
before the rape of Amy Rogers that Randy had been drinking heavily and had
been still carrying his feelings for Maggie bottled up inside and then
asked her to marry him again, Maggie again turned him down saying that
there was no way she could.  She still loved Lenny and again had still been
trying to convince herself he would come home to her and his kids.
   Randy drunkenly opened his mouth and said, "He won't be back.  Hes dead.
He was beaten to death by five boys after he was caught with one of the
boys sister.  You also might as well know Maggie.  Both of your kids are
not his kids.  They are mine.  Lenny had a vasectomy and never told you. 
When your son was conceived, you had still been with me and had just got
together with Lenny so I knew it was mine once Lenny told me about the
vasectomy.  As for our daughter, that wasnt planned.  The night you learned
Lenny may have cheated on you, I gave you some sedatives to calm you down.
I don't know what had happened,but they hit you like a ton of bricks and
you were out cold.  As I undressed you, something happened and before I
knew it, I had made love to you while you were sleeping.  Then you found
out that you were pregnant.  I never told you because I knew you loved
Lenny.  Now hes gone now and now that you know the truth, we can be
together and finally raise our kids together."
   Maggie, was in shock and looked at him and said, "You bastard!  You
would let me live a lie and then tell me you love me.  You even raped me!!
What kind of monster are you?"
   Randy, still drunk and truly convinced he had done the right thing at
the time said,"Maggie, I'm sorry but it doesnt matter now.  Forget it!  We
can be together, surely you can see that?"
   She looked at Randy and said," Now I know why he wanted other girls.  He
was disgusted with me.  He knew he had a vasectomy and when he found out I
was pregnant, he cheated on me because he believed I hurt him.  Isnt that
the truth?"
   Randy shook his head starting to sober up now seeing this wasnt going as
planned and said,"No!  He was already cheating on you even before you got
married."
   Maggie looked at him, her eyes full of tears,"Stop lying to me Randy! 
You are lying and I hate you and want you away from my kids as well as me."
   She fled from Randy and locked herself in the bathroom.
   As Randy reflected on things, he remembered how that was the last time
he saw her alive as she had taken an overdose of sedatives and died taking
a bath.  After she had locked herself in the bathroom, Randy had gone out
to give her some time and to also sober up.  It never occured to him in his
drunken state she would kill herself.  He had also forgotten that the
sedatives were in the medicine cabinet.
   When he returned and had found her dead in the bathtub, he had called
the police and had lied to the kids telling the kids that there father had
died and that he had told their mother about it but that she couldnt handle
it and had killed herself.  The two kids were devistated.  Randy assured
them,he would make sure they were taken care of and that they would start
over.  He made sure that the kids knew who beat their father to death too.
   Both kids loved their Uncle Randy and agreed to stay with him.  Randy
then became their legal guardians and it was then that he decided to move
to Valentine's Cove.  He had managed to convince the kids it was best to
leave since people were treating them all of them so badly because of Lenny
and his playing with young girls becoming public as the kids were now being
teased at school about it.  He also changed the kids last names as well,
but kept his own name.
   Randy knew one day,he would exact his revenge on the people that had
killed his brother and when he did, he wanted those that he brought down to
know that it was a Baxter and that was the reason he kept his last name. 
It would be a reminder to the 5 boys and their families for what they had
done.
   So Randy and his two children lived in Valentine's Cove for many years
now.  They were now adults living their own lives in Valentines Cove.  The
children were never told that he was their father.  He wouldnt do that as
it had already cost him the woman he loved.  He didnt want to lose them
too. He would only allow them to know once he was dead.  He owed them that
much.  However, until that time, they would be none the wiser.
   He then called his driver to take him to the police station to see Chief
Robert Rogers and answer his questions.
   Gerard St Clair returned to his office and knew he couldnt avoid his
family forever.  In his now full blown paranoia, he now believed that his
family now knew his secret and that when he went home, his life would be
over.  He then decided to confirm his idea and took a chance and called
home.
   Gay was relieved as she talked to her husband on the phone.  She said,
"Where have you been?  When you didnt come home, I was frantic.  My God! 
You havent even seen Cheri or your new grandson yet since you have been
working so late and they are in bed when you finally get home."
   Gerard was shocked.  His oldest daughter was home?  It must mean that
Ted must have called her to come home he thought to himself.  It never
occured to him that Cheri came home for her own reasons.
   Gay begged her husband to come home.  Gerard agreed since Gay didnt
appear to know anything yet, but if Ted Valentine had his way, she would
know soon.
   He looked at the gun he now had moved from his car dashboard into his
office desk drawer.  He may need this sooner than he thought.  He then
closed the drawer to his desk and locked it.
   He then headed home to be with his wife and meet his new grandson.  When
he arrived, Gay was leading Devon by the hand and when Devon turned to face
his grandfather Gerard St Clair looked into the piercing blue eyes and into
a younger version of himself.
   Gerard knew without being told that this was not his grandson.  This was
his son and there was no way he could deny it.  He now realized Cheri had
been pregnant with his son when she left town.  His heart pounded as he
looked into his son's eyes.
   He prayed that no one else realized Devon was his son.  He was surprised
Gay didnt see it.  However it was only a matter of time before she would.
   Gay smiled at her husband and said, "Gerard, I would like you to meet
your grandson, Devon St Clair."
   Devon looked at his grandfather and said, "Hi Grandpa!"
   Gerard prayed under his breath,"Oh God!  Please let this not be the
end!"
   In the park not far from the St Clair house, Hannah sat with her sister
Cheri and began to speak," Cheri, I need to ask you something."
   Cheri smiled at her sister and said," Go ahead."
   Hannah felt the tears in her eyes as she said,"Why didnt you ell
anyone?"
   Cheri looked at her sister very confused," What do you mean sweetie?"
   Hannah looked at her and said to her," Oh God Cheri.  Please!  I need my
big sister now.  Cheri, I know who Devons father is.  I know.  Thats why
you went away, but you didnt know that when you ran away from Daddy, he
would come after me."
   Cheri's heart stopped and when she heard Hannah's words and she then
took her baby sister in her arms and then she began to cry and cry hard
saying,"Oh my God.  What did I do to you?  He went after you.  My God no
wonder you were so angry at me.  God Hannah I'm so sorry."
   Hannah held her sister and said through her own tears, "You never knew
he would do that.  You couldnt know.  I am not mad at you Cheri.  I love
you very much..Still"
   Through a lot of tears and a lot of bonding in the park for many hours,
Cheri and Hannah shared both their stories and managed to form a bond as
sisters.  As they were getting ready to leave, Cheri looked into Hannah's
eyes which were swollen red as hers were and said," I want you to take
this."
   Cheri then handed Hannah a gun and said,"If he ever comes near you
again. Shoot the bastard, Hannah."
   Hannah looked at the gun and then back at her sister and then nodded. 
Cheri then took her sister into her arms and walked her home with her arms
tight around her.
   Cheri swore under her breath," Goddamn you Dad.  You will never touch
another family member again."
   Hannah shook as she heard her sister's words and Hannah knew Cheri meant
it.
   Chapter 11
   Gary Valentine was walking through the park on his way home to dinner
and he saw Cheri and Hannah in the park.  He looked to see if his eyes were
playing tricks on him.  He looked again to be sure and sure enough, it was
Cheri St.  Clair and her sister Hannah.
   As he watched them, he could see what looked like a very personal moment
between them.  Both were hugging and doing lots of crying.  It was obvious
that both had been through some stuff and Gary found himself unable to move
as he watched the two.
   He then saw Cheri hand something to Hannah.  His eyes grew wide as he
recognized what it was.  There was no mistake about it.  Cheri had given
Hannah a gun.  Gary stood there in shock.  He then saw them get up and
start to walk towards their family home holding each other tight.  As soon
as he saw them get up to leave, he pulled back into the shadows.
   As soon as both Cheri and Hannah left, Gary stepped out and proceeded to
walk to his house.  He was still in shock over the whole business of Cheri
being back in town as it was.  Seeing Cheri had opened up a lot of feelings
inside him.  However, Cheri had made it quite clear that she was out of his
life 10 years ago and he was willing to honour that.
   However, there was the thing about the exchange of the gun from Cheri to
Hannah.  What the hell was Cheri doing with a gun in the first damn place?
More importantly, what the hell was she doing giving it to Hannah?
   Gary knew that no matter what he felt about the past in regards to
Cheri, he still loved her enough to make sure she was safe and out of
trouble and whether she liked it or not, he was gonna find out what the
hell was going on with her?
   Back at the St Clair house, Gerard was holed up in his study.  Seeing
his grandson had truly pushed him over the edge and he was now more
convinced than ever that it was only a matter of time before Gay knew what
had been going on with him in regards to two out of his four daughters.
   He sat and thought about the gun in his office.  Perhaps he should just
end it now.  Go to the office and grab that gun and put it to his head and
pull the trigger.  He couldnt take it anymore.  Ted Valentine had brought
Cheri back to destroy him and if Cheri had found out that he not only had
gone her but did the same thing to Hannah, he knew that his marriage to Gay
as well as his whole life would be ruined.
   He sat shaking at his desk in the study.  He also now knew he would be
facing Cheri soon.  Would she do as Ted Valentine wanted and destroy him by
telling her mother what he had been doing to her from the time she was 12
until she had left home 10 years ago?
   He thought to himself,"Please God!  Don't let my life be ruined."
   There was a knock on his study door.  He called to the door,"Come in!"
   The door opened and both Cheri and Hannah both came in.  Cheri quietly
closed the door.  As soon as the door was closed Cher looked at Hannah and
then back to her father and said," I am only gonna say this once and you
fucking better hear me.  You ever go near me or Hannah again, I will put a
bullet between your fucking eyes."
   With that she pulled the gun out that she had given to Hannah earlier
and then cocked the trigger and then added," and if I don't Hannah will. 
You you son of a bitch are on borrowed time asshole.  How did it feel to
look into your own son's eyes you sick fuck???  Its only a matter of time
before Mom knows the truth if someone else doesn't figure it out and tell
her.  Its gonna be hard to hide the resemblance between you and Devon.  So
be warned you sick fucking bastard.  Stay away from the St Clair women!!!"
   With that she handed back the gun to Hannah who put it back in her purse
and then took Hannah in her arms and led Hannah out and left her father all
alone in his study.
   As soon as they left, he started to shake violently in fear.  He was
finished and he knew it.
   Gay then called him to the dinner table saying supper was ready.  He got
up to head to dinner.  His face was white as a sheet.  He was dreading
dinner.
   At the Valentine's Cove Police Station, both Chief Robert Rogers and his
Deputy Chief Jeff Markham were still questioning Randy Baxter.  They had
been at it all afternoon.  So far they had gotten nothing from him.
   Bobby looked at Randy and then pounded his fist on the table of the
interrogation room and said," Tell me where I can find your niece and
nephew."
   Randy looked at him rather smugly and said, "I don't know.  They are
grown ups with their own lives."
   Jeff could see that the interview was not going as Bobby had hoped and
then jumped in and said," Look Mr Baxter, it would help us to locate your
niece and nephew as we are trying to solve a murder."
   Randy calmly looked at Jeff and said,"Yes officer, I see that and I
understand.  However, due to family problems, I no longer talk to my niece
and nephew and haven't for years so I have no idea where they are."
   Jeff looked at Bobby and then Bobby shook his head and nodded in silent
agreement to let Randy Baxter go.  Jeff then said to Randy," Ok then Sir.
You are free to go for now.  However, if you should learn the whereabouts
of your niece and nephew, please let us know."
   Randy agreed and then was free to go.  As soon as he left, Jeff said to
Bobby,"Now what do you want to do?"
   Bobby looked at him and said," As of now, I want you to get me
everything we can find on Lenny Baxter as well as Randy.  I want to know
where they lived before coming to Valentine's Cove and what they did.  If
we can't get a lead on Lenny's kids through Randy Baxter, we can try and
see what we can come up on in a background check.  It's possible a
background check on one or both of them will lead us to the kids."
   Jeff nodded and did as Bobby instructed and left to carry out Bobby's
orders.
   Bobby in the meantime, sat alone in the office and said under his
breath, " I will find whoever you are and you will pay for what you did!"
The only answer he got in his office was dead silence.
   Earlier when Hannah and Cheri had been in the park, Gary wasn't the only
one who had seen the exchange between them as well as the gun that was
being given to Hannah from Cheri.  The man had also seen it.  He had heard
that Cheri was back in town and as he had seen her, he added her name to
the list of relatives of the 5 men he was going to destroy.
   As he was driving around town quietly observing the surroundings around
him, he reflected on seeing the girls earlier that day.  He couldnt wait to
take care of the two girls especially Cheri.  As he had watched her
earlier, he had noticed her firm breasts and nice shapely ass as he watched
them leave together.  He felt his body respond as he thought of Cheri St
Clair.  He would enjoy her as much as he had Jamie.
   As he thought about Jamie, he then started to reflect back onto his
other triumphs with pride because to this day, he had never been caught. 
He then recalled that when he was 12, his Uncle Randy had taken him for a
drive and it was on that night, he witnessed his first kill.
   Randy Baxter had wanted the boy to know who was responsible for his
brother's death and made sure that the son he was raising as his nephew
knew full well who was responsible for Lenny's death.  He and the boy had
been sitting outside the Rogers house watching it as they sat in Randy's
car.
   It was then that 16 year old Allison Rogers came out of her parents
place.  It was at this point that Bobby and Emily Rogers had been happily
married and been enjoying family life as they raised their only child. 
Life had been good to them despite the fact almost a year ago, Allison had
had a baby to a boy who she met at a party.  So her parents had been
helping her raise the baby since the boy was long gone after the one night
they had.
   As Randy and the boy watched Allison leave, Randy smiled as he now may
have had his chance to avenge his brother's death with Bobby Roger's
daughter since the raping of Amy had left him very unsatisfied.
   Randy then drove at a distance as he watched Allison walk to a friend's
place.  It was then he decided to make his move.  It didnt even bother him
that his son was with him.  Let the boy see this and remember it.  Lenny
was the only father the boy knew and the boy had a right to witness the
vengeance that he would perform on his brother's behalf.
   Randy then stopped and asked Allison for directions to a certain address
and although she had been warned not to talk to strangers by her parent's
she forgot all about it.  She was unaware this would be the last time she
would see her parent's and her baby daughter, Jamie.
   She got in the car and then Randy started it up and drove in the
opposite direction in which she had given him instructions.  She started to
scream and as soon as she did, Randy stopped the car and then with no
warning he then drove his fist into Allisons face instantly breaking her
nose with a crunch.  As she felt the blow she lay sobbing in the back seat
with her nose now broken.
   Randy then drove to a deserted back road and then drove into some deep
forest area and then came across the same spot in which the five boys had
murdered his brother.  It was then that Randy knew what he was going to do.
Randy's need for vengeance had now consumed him over the years and after
failing to get satisfaction from the rape of the slut that caused the death
of his brother, he was now going to and it would be done the same way that
Lenny had been done.
   Randy stopped the car and then told the boy to get out of the car.  The
boy did as he was told and then Randy got out and opened the backdoor and
dragged the girl out by her hair and then said to the boy,"Tony, I want you
to see this.  This is the girl who is a product of the scum that killed
your father.  I think its only fitting that you watch her die."
   He then threw the girl on the ground and then with no more ceremony.  he
took the baseball bat he had on the floor in the backseat and just as
Allison let out a scream, he brought it down as hard as he could and with a
crunch, he had crushed her skull.
   12 year old Tony Bannister watched as his Uncle Randy beat the girl to
death,but he didnt flinch once.  In fact his eyes glazed over and he
continued to watch as his uncle beat the girl even after she was long dead.
He then turned to Tony and then smiled as he saw the look in Tony's eyes.
Now Randy had gotten the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten to avenge
his brother and seeing how the boy relished it as it was being done gave
Randy the satisfaction he needed.
   Tony then watched as his uncle dug a hole and then threw the body of
Allison Rogers into the hole and then lit a match.  Both Tony and Randy
watched as the body burned to ashes and after it was over.  They covered
the hole with dirt and then left the wooded area.
   Randy looked at Tony and saw the gleam in his eyes and smiled.  He was
only sorry that Bobby Rogers couldnt have seen his daughter die.  However,
the day would come when Randy would make sure Bobby knew..That would be a
moment to remember he thought as he and Tony went to pick up Jenna from a
girlfriend's.
   As Randy drove Tony to pick up his sister Jenna, he swore the boy to
secrecy as Jenna wasnt like him Randy explained.  It was best she not know.
Tony kept his promise and never said a word and never would.
   Tony smiled at the memory of the first kill he had witnessed and it was
special because he had gotten to kill Allison's daughter,Jamie in exactly
the same way that his uncle had killed her mother.  More importantly the
way his father had been killed.
   Jamie was only the first of many and he now decided he needed something
to wet his appetite.  Tony thought of Cheri St Clair and decided that she
would be the second.  However, he needed to figure out a way to get to her
then he smiled.
   Of course, her own sister would be the person he could use.  He then
decided to suggest to Dana when he got home that they should invite Cheri
over for dinner so he could get to know her sister.  He couldnt wait..
   His cock hardened at the thought of being with Cheri St Clair as he
drove into the night.
   Chapter 12
   It was three hours after the confrontation that Cheri and Hannah had
with their father.  Dinner had been over and in all honesty, Gerard had a
tough time eating.  It was now confirmed.  Devon was indeed his son and
Cheri was right.  My God he thought to himself, what am I going to do now?
I can't let Gay find out.  My marriage will be destroyed as well as my
reputation in this town.  Since dinner, he had drove back to his office and
was sitting there shaking.  He felt the walls closing in on him and now it
was only a matter of time.  He knew something had to be done,but what could
he do?  It was then the phone rang.
   Gerard picked up the phone and then said,"Hello?"
   Ted Valentine's voice was on the other end and said, " Gerard, you have
not fullfilled your promise.  I still have both Bobby and Jeff breathing
down my back about coming clean about what we did.  You promised you would
do what I told you."
   Gerard swallowed hard and said, "Look, I have a lot going on right now.
My daughter Cheri has finally come home now and I also have a new grandson.
Its just been crazy." He didn't bother to add that Ted already knew about
all this as it was Ted's doing in the first place, he thought to himself.
   Ted didn't want to hear it.  He said, "Look, I have way too much to lose
you sick bastard and I am not going to have me or my family's name dragged
through the mud because of something that happened forty years ago and just
to protect a sick fuck who gets off on young girls.  You are a sick
pedofile bastard and if I go down, so do you!!!  You have twenty four hours
to stop all of this or I go public with copies of those photos you have. 
It's your choice you sick bastard.  Either stop all of this or I will ruin
you.  Believe me, if this is opened up, I stand to lose everything so if it
does, then I will make sure you are ruined.  If you think I'm bluffing, try
me."
   Gerard gulped back air as he heard Ted's words and said, "Please Ted.  I
will do it and we will be fine.  Please just say nothing.  I have a lot to
lose too.  Please don't go to Gay please."
   Ted's reply was, "You have twenty-four hours.  That's it!  Then you are
going down." Then the phone line went dead with a click.
   Gerard felt the panic in him as he then opened his desk drawer and found
the gun he owned.  He opened the chamber and it was still fully loaded.  He
then closed the chamber and then took the gun and unclicked the safety as
he sat there with the gun pressed to his temple, he cocked back the trigger
and said, " Oh God!  Please let this be over.  God please don't let Gay
find out."
   He sat there holding the gun to his head praying.  Hoping for some sign
of what to do.  He decided it might be better just to end his life now. 
After all, it would be over very soon anyway.  Why not just do it now?
   He started to slowly squeeze the trigger...Praying it would be fast.
   In the meantime, back at the St Clair house, Gay sat by herself at the
kitchen table having a cup of coffee.  She was in total confusion.  She had
sat and recalled the events at dinner and couldn't figure out things.  Even
before dinner, Gerard had been very weird since meeting Devon.  What was
going on?  Then with dinner, Cheri and Hannah throwing daggers with their
eyes at him and then trying to hide it while their mother looked in their
direction.  Then Gerard looking white as a sheet everytime he looked at his
grandson and becoming very antsy.
   There was also something going on with Hannah and Cheri too.  The bond
that they now had was like it had never changed.  Not that she was unhappy.
She knew that it was good that her two daughter's had found each other
again.  However, what the hell had happened in the first place to cause
Hannah who had never had a mean bone in her body carry such a chip on her
shoulder for what 10 years and then with some private patching up with
Cheri, its all over and they are sisters again?
   Then of course there was her grandson Devon.  The secret that Cheri
refused to talk about.  Cheri had told Gay that she had conceived and gave
birth to Devon while away.  How could that be?  He must have been conceived
pretty fast as he was nearly 10 so what did she do?  Did she have a one
night stand once she left town to try and forget about Gary?  No!  Not
Cheri.  There was more.  She couldn't help but notice the more time she
spent with Devon that the more she saw how he reminded her of someone she
knew.  My god!  Who was it?  She knew if she could figure it out she might
even be able to find Devon's father and then perhaps help Cheri work out
whatever problems her and the boy's father had.  After all, a child should
have both a mother and a father figure in their life and Gay knew that if
she could help Cheri reunite with Devon's father then all would be well
with her daughter.
   Until then, she had to focus on her family now especially Devon.  He was
adorable.  His big piercing blue eyes full of wonder and the voice.  Soft
and angelic everytime he called her, "Grandma." She loved her grandson and
no matter what she would do all she could to make up for all the years she
had never had the chance to be a part of his life.  She then made a
decision.  She knew there was a whole ton of photos from the time both Gay
and Gerard were kids up until Cheri had left home and even many after Cheri
had left.
   Gay decided that she would do something special for her grandson and the
best present she could think of was to put together a special photo album
for him.  That's what she would do.  That would be the perfect gift for
Devon to show him who his family was and to make him a part of the St Clair
family and not an outcast as he must feel like, not knowing his father.
   She took her coffee and headed upstairs and then went into the attic. 
It was dusty up there.  It had been a while since she or anyone else had
been up there.  However, she knew where the photos would be.  She then
grabbed 4 big shoe boxes full of photos as well as about 6 photo albums
full of pictures.  She knew there was plenty to put together an album for
Devon.  She also knew that this could also be away of perhaps mending the
distance between her and her family.  Whatever was going on with two of her
daughters and Gerard would also have to be worked out.  Perhaps putting
this memories book together for Devon, would remind all of them that no
matter what, family was most important.  She just wanted some normalcy for
her family for a change as it had been 10 years since Cheri's leaving that
there had.  Now that Cheri was back, perhaps this could be the start of a
new beginning.
   Gay picked up the first box of pictures and then took the lid off the
shoe box and as she did, her mind kept going back to Devon and those
piercing blue eyes.  Where had she seen those eyes before?  She began to
slowly scan through all the pictures studying each one carefully to make
that perfect album for Devon.  As she did, her mind kept going back and
forth..one minute focused on the pictures, the next minute back to thoughts
of Devon and those eyes that she was so sure she knew.
   In the meantime, at the Rosewood Sanitarium, Amy Rogers lay in her
hospital bed tossing and turning.  As she slept a restless sleep, someone
quietly watched her.  It was a woman in her late 30's.  She then gently
took Amy's hand in hers and whispered softly in a very soothing voice,"
Please Mom.  Whatever is going on inside of you.  Just know you have
someone who wants to get to know you very much even though we do not know
each other yet, I want to get to know you.  I know you gave me up and I
understand why.  Please Mom, come back to me so I can get to know you.  I
need your help.  I need Uncle Bobby's help.  I want to find my own daughter
as well as my own granddaughter and only you and the rest of the Rogers
family can help.  I also need to find my father.  Please mom, come back to
me..Help me!  God Help me!"
   The young woman continued to watch as the woman she was now seeing for
the first time in her life was sleeping.  So many questions and so many
things she already knew.  However, what the woman thought she knew was far
more complicated than she would know.
   As the woman, Becky Stanfield reflected back to one month ago, it was
the day her life changed forever.  The revelation had been shocking
especially given that she had know real clue to anything out of the
ordinary while she was growing up.  A month a go, that changed.
   Irene Stanfield has been sick for the past month.  She was finally
diagnosed with inoperable cancer and it had started in on her kidneys and
had been slowly working its way through her body.  The doctors were certain
that she had had it longer than she knew but by the time they got to it, it
was too late.  Irene was told had she seen fit to see a doctor earlier, it
may have been treatable.  However, her stubborness had cost her the doctors
had told her.
   It was then that Irene knew what she had to do.  It was time to have a
talk with Becky and it was a month ago that Irene lay in her own hospital
bed and then told Becky the truth.  A truth that would change Becky's life
forever.
   Irene had been Amy Roger's best friend growing up.  In fact if Irene had
been honest with herself, she was Amy's only friend.  Amy had quite the
reputation and unfortunately no one wanted to be Amy's friend.  Most of the
parents in town forbid their own daughters to have anything to do with Amy
Rogers as her reputation as the town trollop had been all over Valentine's
Cove.
   However, Irene's parents were a different matter.  Both of her parents
had been faithful church goers and had taught their daughter well and had
instilled many good qualities in which Irene always stood by.  However even
Irene's parents with their christian ways even had their limits and so when
one day Irene went to her parents, and made a request of her parents to
help her raise the baby and to allow her to pretend to be the mother of
that baby.  Her parents did all they could to try to talk Irene out of it,
explaining that Amy was probably using Irene and taking advantage of her
kindness.  Irene wouldnt hear any of it.  Irene then got very angry and
confused and asked them how could they be christians if they let a baby pay
the price because of its mother's mistakes?  Irene made it clear to her
parents that they either do it, or they lose her because she would refuse
to live with her parents if they were going to be hypocrites as it went
against everything they had taught her.  Irene had been taught well but the
one thing her parents forgot to do was to tell her that as christians,
there would be people in this world like Amy Rogers that took advantage of
others living the christian life.  Reluctantly they supported their
daughter.  If they hadnt they would have lost their daughter and no matter
what they believed or the reservations that they had, they couldn't bare to
lose their daughter for any price.  Not even for the price of their
beliefs.
   It was about a year after Lenny Baxter's disappearance, that Amy had
come to Irene in tears crying and in terrible fear.  She was pregnant and
not that far along as she had just learned.  Amy's biggest fear was her
fathers temper and what he would do to Amy if he ever learned Amy was
pregnant and what would happen to her baby if her parents made her keep it.
What Amy didn't tell Irene was that she never wanted the kid anyway and so
she just wanted it gone and forgotten.  However, Amy also knew how to play
Irene so when Amy came crying to her, Irene believed her friend.  Had she
known that Amy was only using her and her family's name and reputation as
well as her best friends kind heart, Irene would have been upset and
wouldn't have agreed.
   It was then that a plan was set in motion orchestrated by Amy and then
implemented by Irene and supported by Irene's parents and very reluctantly.
The plan was this.  Irene would claim to be pregnant and then her and Amy
would be shipped off together with the help of Irene's parents and then Amy
would give birth and Irene would be the baby's mother.  However, it wasn't
going to be easy for Amy to leave her parents so it was then that Amy had
no choice but to drag her brother Bobby into it.
   Although not much was said between the two of them since the night of
Lenny's disappearance, Amy suspected that he might know far more than he
was telling and then of course, Amy also knew that she had been in the bar
that night and had her parents found out, Amy would be skinned alive if
Bobby let it slip.  Bobby also had his own worries over the past year, he
was worried that with what had happened and that Amy had known that Bobby
was more than likely responsible for the disappearance of Lenny Baxter,
both lived in fear that one would tell the others secret.  So thanks to
some hard prodding by Irene and the point that Irene made that if Bobby
couldn't convince Amy's Dad to let her go with Irene, then it would be
revealed that Amy was pregnant so Amy had no choice but to ask for Bobbys
help.  Despite his anger at his sister's stupidity for getting pregnant,
Bobby afraid she would spill the beans about what she knew about Lenny's
disappearance, agreed to do it.
   However, Irene never knew about the Lenny Baxter affair although she had
heard about Lenny's disappearance, she never knew of Amy or Bobby's
involvement.  She just assumed that Bobby agreed to help Amy to keep her
out of trouble with her parents.  So with Bobbys help, both Amy and Irene
were sent away.  Amy had told her parents that Irene was pregnant and
wanted to help her best friend while she was away giving birth.  Bobby
convinced Amy's parents that if Amy was out of town, Amy was less likely to
get into trouble as she had in Valentine's Cove.  The Rogers agreed to let
Amy go.
   A year later, Irene and Amy appeared back in Valentine's Cove with a
baby in Irene's arms.  Irene then began to tell people that she had made a
mistake with a boy while away and had gotten pregnant.  Surprisingly enough
no one questioned Irene's word.  However, despite her parents reputation
and good name, people then began to look down on Irene.  Surprisingly, none
of this bothered Irene as she loved her best friend and would take anything
the town wanted to dish out..and actually did.
   As for Amy, she had convinced Irene that for the sake of the baby, Amy
should distance herself from Irene and that it was best that Amy and Irene
not to be friends in public.  Again, not knowing that Amy was just dumping
her now that she had gotten what she wanted, agreed to Amy's request. 
However, as time went by, Amy never even came near Irene in private either
and Irene still being very naïve had let it go convincing herself that, Amy
was probably being cautious for Irene's and the baby's sake.
   However, Irene's parents were far from stupid and had actually tried to
talk Irene into giving the baby back once Amy's parents had died and there
was no fear of the baby getting hurt by Amy's father.  However, it didn't
do any good and by then Irene was very much in love with the little girl
she had named Becky.  Irene was still naïve to believe in Amy as well even
after Amy kept doing the same stuff over and over again.  This made it hard
for her Irene's parents as her parent's were barely scraping by financially
but because of the love they had for their daughter, Irene, continued to
help Irene raise Becky up until their own deaths.
   Once Irene was left to raise Becky on her own, her own reality set in.
Although she raised Becky as best she could, it was far from easy and then
when at 16 Becky got pregnant, Irene sadly had to convince her daughter to
give up her own baby.  Becky who also had been raised with good values
agreed.  It was hard enough someone had drugged her the night she had
conceived and didn't even hardly remember she had been raped until she woke
up naked in a strange bed and the guy she had been with long gone.  So out
of her own guilt for letting her mother down, Becky agreed to give up her
baby once it was born.
   As the woman who was the only mother she had ever known told her the
story of her birth and how she came to be in Irene's care, finished telling
her about her parentage, minus the Lenny Baxter details, Becky was stunned.
It was then that Becky was floored and still reeling.  She then said to
Irene, "Mom, why did you let me give up my own baby then, knowing this
about the fact I was adopted?"
   Irene looked at the woman she had raised as a daughter and said, "Honey,
we had very little money.  You know that.  I never wanted to give up your
baby.  Had we had the money, I would have gladly kept the baby and help you
raise her as my parents helped me raise you."
   Becky Stanfield had heard of the Rogers family and had also heard
stories growing up about Amy Rogers but to find out she was Amy's daughter,
had shocked Becky to no end.  However Becky had more questions and asked,"
Mom, didn't my mother even ask about me whenever you saw her?"
   Irene Stanfield shook her head and said," No honey.  Amy wanted you safe
and I agreed.  It was best you did not know.  However, now that I'm dying,
you have the right to know everything and do now."
   Becky looked at her mother and said,"Mom, you never told me who my
father was?  Did you know him?"
   Irene found this part hard as she really didn't know.  It was hard
enough knowing Amy slept with a lot of men and then having to tell her
daughter that her daughter's biological mother was a slut was hard enough
and she pretty much already had despite the fact Irene to this day never
saw her Amy who she still thought of as her best friend, as a slut.  Irene
just told Becky that despite the fact Amy had been with a lot of men, she
was just confused after being abused by her father and Amy's being with men
was to cover up the pain she went through growing up.  Sadly, Irene
actually believed the garbage that she told her daughter.  So when the
question came up about Becky's father and decided it was best to tell one
last lie if only to spare her daughter more heartache, she replied," Your
mother never knew for sure but she she had a crush on a man named Ted
Valentine and its possible, he may be your father as they had been together
once."
   Becky was floored and said," You are telling me, I may be a Valentine.
I'm actually a Valentine of Valentine's Cove here.  This is my heritage?"
   Irene knew that if she was wrong and that Ted Valentine was not Becky's
father, this lie would destroy her daughter.  However, it wasn't a complete
lie because Amy had in fact slept with Ted Valentine once.  Irene was just
more sure that Ted wasn't than was but after telling her daughter that her
mother slept around, didn't want Becky thinking that she had a nameless
father.  Irene prayed there was a chance that Ted Valentine was Becky's
father so Becky would have at least some security for herself.
   Becky was trying to absorb all she was hearing when Irene said to her,
"There is one more gift I want to give you.  In my hope chest, there is an
envelope with your name on it.  Get it please."
   Becky went to a small wooden chest that Irene had insisted that Becky
yard into the hospital the day before.  Becky did as her mother instructed
and found a big brown envelope thick with papers and stuff.  She brought it
to her mother.
   Irene looked into her daughters eyes and said," I made a mistake many
years ago asking you to give up your baby.  I'm now going to try to make up
for it.  Please open the envelope."
   Becky looked at her mother and then did as her mother asked.  She opened
the big envelope and then saw pictures of a young woman about 16 or 17
holding a baby in her arms as well as some documents.  Becky looked at all
of this very confused and said," What is all of this and who is this
picture of?  Who are these people?"
   Irene looked into her daughters eyes and said, "The young woman is your
daughter.  Her name is Amelia and the baby is your granddaughter, her name
is Ashley.  The pictures are about 5 years old but that's the last known
information I had before Amelia disappeared."
   Becky still reeling from the shock of learning that Irene was not her
mother almost fainted.  She looked at her mother and asked, "You are
telling me, my daughter is alive and that I have a granddaughter and you
knew?"
   Irene looked at her and said,"I have regretted asking you to give up
your daughter so I in turn went and saved what I could and it was my hope
before I died, that I find her for you.  However, shes disappeared or at
least dropped out of sight.  She ran away from her foster family. 
Apparently her foster family abused her after she gave birth to your
granddaughter."
   Becky was stunned she then started to say something but stopped.  She
was staring into her mother's lifeless eyes.  Irene had just passed away.
   As she sat in her biological mothers room, just thinking about the
events of the past month still sent her reeling.  She had thought long and
hard about coming to see her biological mother and then reached out and
stroked Amy's face and then leaned over and kissed her forehead and said, "
I need to go for a little while mom,but I will be back.  I need to find
your granddaughter and great granddaughter.  However, without yours or
Uncle Bobby's help or even my father's I'm not sure I can,but until you can
come back to me and help me,I will have to try.  However, like I said, I
will be back."
   With that, Becky Stanfield left in search of her daughter and
granddaughter as quietly as she entered the Rosewood Sanitarium to see her
biological mother, Amy Rogers.  Chapter 13
   It was now almost midnight of the night that Gerard St Clair met his
son, Devon.  He sat in his office with the gun in his hands.  He had tried
to pull the trigger, but couldn't at this point.  In the drawer where he
kept his gun, he also kept a bottle of Scotch where he very rarely touched
it especially when he worked.  However, tonight he needed it.  The day had
been too much.  First off, meeting his grandson only to find out it was his
son.  Then Cheri coming with Hannah to his study making the threats that
she did and her pulling the gun and giving it to Hannah.  Oh God!  What had
he done?
   Over the years he had tried so hard not to do what he had been doing. 
He couldn't help himself.  He had a thing for young girls at a very early
age.  However, there was far more to it.  At the age of about 10 years old,
Gerard's father had been killed and one night his mother came into his own
room and had shown him many things and up until he was about 15 when she
had finally died of a heartattack, she had been using the boy sexually the
whole time.
   Gerard at first didn't enjoy what was happening but as she continued to
teach him, he began to enjoy it and develop his own tastes and own ideas.
However, as he continued to get older, he also discovered that some others
viewed it as wrong so he was very careful how he went about things. 
However, the fact he loved young girls starting from the age of 10 and up
couldn't be denied any longer and so as he grew older, he started to seek
the girls out of all ages but it was the young ones he loved best with
there slowly developing bodies and the soft way they felt and the innocent
look in their eyes and that oh so young and untouched look at only little
girls can have.
   He had a lot of successes with the younger girls.  They were young and
truly didn't know better and in some cases, it was a matter of not even
knowing any better because their parents hadn't warned them.  Most were
taught to respect adults so for an adult to want to touch them and not
being taught different, they didn't know any better.  However, there were
also the ones that did know better and when that happened, it was when
Gerard found himself having to find some way to buy the child off and there
were a few times where he came close to getting caught.  However, once it
started to happen, he became a lot more careful on how he went about things
and then decided to go after the young girls who he knew whose parents were
not wealthy and could use money.  He found it was those children and teens
that were so much more likely to do as he wanted.  So far he had been
proven right.
   Once he got married and knowing he might get caught, and finally
realizing that he wasn't going to risk things with his wife.  He then
promised himself, that it would end and he truly did try.  However, as soon
as Cheri, Dana,Tessa and Hannah had each hit about 10, he saw the look he
loved so much.  That look that cause his body to react like not even his
wife ever could.  In fact, he was truly ashamed to think of all the times
he wished that Gay had been younger.  However, somehow he managed to get
himself excited enough where he actually was able to release his seed into
her.  Often he would close his eyes and see her in his mind as a young girl
and that helped fuel his desire and Gay was none the wiser.  So it was
because of that, he now had 4 daughters just ripe for the picking.
   However, Gerard did the best he could and tried not to give into his
desire and finally gave in and took Cheri at the age of twelve.  It had
started with just touching in the beginning but then it got worse as his
desire was only fueled.  At this point, he now had convinced himself
despite the fact some part of him knew it was wrong, he justified it by
saying since his mother had taken him at 10, it must be what all children
would do for their parents.  He even began to believe that all parents in
fact did that and it was a part of life.  He had lost all reasoning.  When
Dana, was born followed by Tessa and then Hannah, he was happy enough with
Cheri not to go after his other 3 girls and then of course, Cheri left and
by that time, both Dana and Tessa had moved out.  Both girls had gone to
college and in fact Tessa was still in college working towards a degree out
of town.
   That left him Hannah, she was 15 at the time and although older than he
would have prefered, she hadnt developed really fast at the time and even
now as he thought of her, her body was still not really overdeveloped like
Cheri's was and really the only thing he found not so attractive about her
was that she was no longer the innocent and the fact she was now in her mid
twenties also played a factor.  However, there were those times when he
would have a few drinks after work and then decide she was good enough to
take and although not often, did in fact take her visualizing thanks to the
alcohol, that she was much younger.
   That had gone on for 10 years and had now come to an end as Cheri was
now back and had learned what Gerard had done to Hannah and vowed to
protect her sister from Gerard after having the same thing done to her by
her father.  Gerard was also afraid that if he did try it, that Cheri or
indeed Hannah would shoot him dead without blinking an eye.  He had seen
the look Cheri had and although not quite as sure as Cheri, Hannah had a
similar look and wasn't about to risk it.  However, he was more afraid of
Gay learning the truth as he had always made sure she was sound asleep
before risking being with Cheri or Hannah.
   Now he was terrified as Cheri or Hannah could tell Gay anytime and since
he was still convinced that Ted Valentine had something to do with Cheri
coming back, Ted probably knew his secret already thanks to Cheri.  He sat
and took big gulps of his scotch and as soon as it was empty poured
another. He began to feel the burn in his belly as the straight scotch he
had been drinking was working its way into his bloodstream.  He felt the
slight flush in his cheeks as the scotch worked its magic.
   He continued to drink long into the night until he finally passed out
cold from the alcohol.
   Across town at the Valentine house, Muriel Valentine was just getting
ready to go shopping with her daughter Eleanor.  Eleanor was in her mid
40's and the youngest of the Valentine children.  There was actually about
a 15 year age difference between her and her brother Ted.  However, like
her mother's hair had once been, Eleanor's hair was dark brown thanks in
large part due to the touch ups that hair dye had done over the years. 
Eleanor had a family of her own now as well.  She was married to her
husband Ed and had two children to him.  Tanya and Brandon, were grown now.
Tanya being the oldest and Brandon being 5 years younger.  Both had moved
out and had lives of their own outside Valentine's Cove which gave Eleanor
time to spend with her mother while Ed was at work.
   Since a mild stroke a few years ago, Muriel had been told she couldn't
drive and so Muriel now had to rely on Eleanor for rides.  She hated that
but Eleanor who had inherited her stubborness from her mother, wasn't about
to allow her mother to go against doctor's orders even if Eleanor had to
move in to nursemaid her.  In fact, Eleanor had told her straight, either
she behave or Eleanor would indeed move in.  The threat alone convinced
Muriel there was no point arguing with her daughter.
   So Muriel got herself ready and was just doing the last touches of her
lipstick as she began to think about Gary.  Gary had not said a lot since
he and Muriel had words with each other.  However, Gary in his own way had
tried to make it up to Muriel in many small ways as Muriel had tried to do
the same.  However, something new was now going on with Gary and she was
now starting to worry about him again.  Ever since, yesterday Gary had been
distant.  She prayed he would be ok,but also knew after her big fight with
him, she would have to leave it be for now.  She just prayed it wasn't
anything serious.
   Eleanor Di Giorgio looked at her mother as Muriel was finishing and
asked, "Ok Mom.  What is it now?"
   Muriel Valentine looked at her daughter and said," I'm worried about
him. He is distant again."
   Eleanor replied as she saw the look in her mother's eyes.  Eleanor knew
how much Muriel loved her grandson and she said, "Mom, Gary is a big boy.
You need to allow him a chance to work things out.  Hell!  From what you
told me, he's still hurt after what he went through with Cheri all those
years ago and the fact your conversation may have opened it up for him and
a lot of hurt he didn't want to deal with."
   Muriel realized her daughter had a point and said, "Yes but he should be
out enjoying life and meet someone new.  Cheri St Clair is history so why
can't he move on and meet another girl more suited for him?"
   Eleanor shook her head and said, "Look Mom, you can't run Gary's life
and Gary will do whats good for Gary without your help.  What about that
waitress that calls for him from the Valentine's Cove Lodge?  Whats her
name?  Brandy?"
   Muriel shook her head in disgust and said, "My God!  Are you kidding me?
You are talking about that slut, Bridget Beaumont?  Shes the last person
Gary needs at this point and time in his life.  Besides shes called here
and even when she does, he just brushes her off.  Thank God!  She's also
too old for him.  Hell!  Shes older than you."
   Eleanor frowned at her mother and said, "Now Mom, that's enough. 
Bridget is only a few years older than me and even then, I'm not much older
than Gary.  You know that and you also know is that age is no more than a
number."
   Muriel looked at her daughter defensively and said," Maybe so but I will
tell you this.  She's wrong for Gary and Gary can do much better than a
tart like her and you won't convince me otherwise."
   Eleanor knew better than to argue with her mother and then changed the
subject and said, "Ok Mom.  Let's go."
   Soon both mother and daughter were on their way to the Valentine's Cove
Mall.  One of two malls they had in town and then proceeded to do Muriel's
grocery shopping in the local market in there.  It was then that Muriel and
Eleanor had bumped into Gay and Devon St Clair.
   Gay had decided that she wanted to buy a brand new photo album to use to
make Devon his special memories album and so she had taken Devon with her
and then allowed him to pick an album he might like.  Once Devon had picked
it out, Gay had a few groceries to grab and that was when they bumped into
Muriel Valentine and Eleanor, Muriel's daughter.
   Gay herself was in no mood to bump into Muriel Valentine who had
basically had her nose up in the air since the breakup of Gary and Cheri
all those years ago.  It was bad enough she was very hurt with the goings
on of secrets and still angry over the fact that Gerard never came home
again last night.  She had talked to him on the phone earlier when he hadnt
come home.  She wasn't sure but it sounded like he was groggy like he had
been drinking or something.  In fact, in the past little while Gerard had
been smelling of stale boose lately.  The smell itself almost made her
sick. She had made up her mind that later on today she would stop by and
see him and find out what was going on?
   However, now the problem was dealing with this snooty busy body, Muriel
Valentine.
   As both Muriel Valentine and Gay St Clair were pleasant enough to each
other, you could see there was tension.  Then Muriel reached down and
patted Devon on the head which annoyed Gay but she said nothing.  Devon was
not a pet for Gods sake!  Then of course Gay introduced Devon as her
grandson making sure to point out that Cheri was the boy's mother.  Gay
wanted to show the snooty old bitch that despite the fact that Cheri and
Gary had been a part for a long time, Cheri had moved on which was more
than Gary had done as Gay had heard through the town gossip.  It felt good
to stick the knife in the snooty old bitches back and push it in deep.
   What Gay wasn't prepared for was the look Muriel gave Devon as she
studied him.  Muriel recognized those eyes.  She had seen those eyes. 
However, where?  She knew then that whoever was Devon's father, she must
know the person and although she said nothing to Gay, Muriel would find out
and once she did, she would make sure Gary knew.  Perhaps if he knew, he
could move on with his life.
   Gay of course saw the look in Muriel's eyes and knew that her suspicions
were confirmed.  Muriel Valentine, as much of a busy body she was and a
snooty one at that, knew that Devon's father had to be someone they both
knew.  She excused herself and then gently took Devon by the hand and
quickly out of the mall so Muriels prying eyes didn't make Devon feel at
ease.
   As soon as they left and headed back to the St Clair home, Gay led Devon
to the attic and had decided that she would let Devon pick out his own
pictures that he liked out of them.  All the while he searched through the
pictures, she stroked his hair and kept watching her grandson, trying not
to stare and be obvious as Muriel Valentine had been.  She thought to
herself as she saw those deep piercing blue eyes," Who are you Devon St
Clair?  Who is your father?"
   As she let her grandson go through the pictures, she decided that no
matter what, she was going to find out.
   Meanwhile as Muriel and Eleanor drove home from shopping, Muriel
couldn't get those piercing blue eyes out of her mind and said to herself,
"Where do I know those eyes?  My God!  I know I have seen them.  If I could
only figure out where?"
   In the meantime back across town, Gary had come to set up early for
another night at the Valentine's Cove Lodge pub.  As he was setting up, he
was being studied by a woman with dark red hair which had been highlighted
with red light tints.  She was a very attractive woman considering she was
almost 50.  However, she never acted her age.  Her body was that of a woman
about 20 years younger than her.  Large breasts.  Nice tight firm hips and
a smile that most men drooled to have as they would come and drink in the
pub just to look at her and the woman smiling as she watched Gary Valentine
setup, knew it.
   The waitress, Bridget Beaumont continued to watch Gary.  She had often
tried flirting with him and would tease him.  Not to do any harm,but to
make him laugh or smile.  The fact of the matter was Bridget had a
reputation for dating and bedding guys younger than she was, but what most
failed to learn was that the whole rumour had been started by a man who had
been rejected after trying to force himself on Bridget after a casual date.
The people that accepted the rumour and kept it going even after the
construction worker who started it and moved on, were ones that knew they
would never have a chance with Bridget as she had turned them all down when
they asked.
   Bridget was not the slut that everyone thought she was and out of all
the guys she had casually dated, she had only slept with two and even then,
it was when she had too much to drink, so she tried to make sure she didn't
as not to add to her already growing reputation.
   As she watched Gary, she thought of him.  He was so quiet.  So serious.
She was sure that he had heard the gossip and was sure that he didn't think
too highly of her,but only treated her decently enough to keep his job. 
Bridget, truly liked Gary and had even thought of asking him out.  However,
she looked at him and felt her legs turn to rubber and her stomach twist
into knots.
   However, how she was able to she didn't know but with all the courage
she could muster, she then decided to approach him.
   Gary was very involved in setting up his equipment and didn't hear
Bridget approach him and when he finally heard her say, "Gary, can I talk
to you for a moment?" He turned around and looked at her.
   Gary saw the look she was giving him and asked," Whats up Bridget?  Did
I do something wrong?"
   As she looked at him and saw the look, she felt herself losing her nerve
so she just blurted out what she had to say and asked, "Gary, would you go
out with me for a drink or maybe dinner sometime?"
   Gary was caught off guard with the question and had actually expected to
get hell for something he thought he might have done.  However, once he
realized he wasn't actually in trouble, he actually said, "Yes!  I will go
out with you Bridget.  Just let me know when."
   Bridget was actually more shocked when he said yes and then nodded and
replied, "Gary, what about a drink at my place after work?"
   Gary, not quite over the shock of the question after expecting the worst
from her said, "Sure.  After work is fine."
   Bridget smiled at his answer and then excused herself.  Once she got
back behind the bar, she thought about what she had done and his answer and
began to wonder about why Gary accepted.  Didn't he know about her
reputation?  Unless of course he did know her reputation and was expecting
a hot fuck tonight after work.  She would worry about that after work.  For
now, she had to admit, she was happy enough just for the fact he said yes.
   Gary on the other hand, was surprised with her question and even more
surprised at his own answer to it.  However, he thought to himself.  He
couldn't back out of it so he might as well enjoy it.  Besides, it was only
one date.  He could get through it.  After the one date though, Bridget
would probably be disappointed as he knew of her reputation.  However, he
was the last person to judge anyone and since he had started working at the
pub, he had never had a problem with her but if she was looking to have him
as another boy toy he had heard about, that wasn't going to happen.  He
would clear that up if anything did happen and she did make a move.
   He then put Bridget out of his mind as well as the problem that was
plaguing him before Bridget's question which he had been thinking about
while setting up the equipment.  Why was Cheri St Clair back in town and
what was she doing with a gun and giving it to her sister Hannah for?
   He continued setting up with now nothing but the equipment on his mind.
   Meanwhile, back at Gerard St Clair's office, Gerard sat nursing a
hangover from last night with a shot of'the hair of the dog that bit him."
He sipped his scotch as he tried to clear his head and began to focus on
the problem at hand.  He knew that he now had no choice.  He needed to do
something to stop Ted from exposing his secret but how?  As he sat an
thought about it, he then realized he may have the answer.  The fact of the
matter was if anyone could convince Bobby Rogers and Jeff Markham to change
their minds and get them to keep the secret, Jack Dobbs could.  It was just
a matter of talking to Jack.  Jack always went along with reason so Gerard
reasoned that he could change Jack's mind.
   He then picked up the phone as the drink he was nursing was finally
taking its affect and dialed Jack Dobb's office number and as soon as he
heard the phone answer on the other end, he said into the receiver, "Jack,
my friend.  How are you?"
   As soon as he received a response on the other end, he then said into
the phone, "Jack, I was wondering if you would mind meeting me here at my
office tonight?"
   As he waited, he knew asking Jack to come tonight would give him time to
come up with a game plan as to what he would say to Jack.  As soon as he
received Jack's answer he said," Wonderful!  How about 10pm tonight?"
   As soon as he was happy with Jack's answer he then hung up the phone and
then took the last shot of his first drink and started to pour a second. 
He was feeling much better now as he began to feel the alcohol get rid of
the last of this morning's hangover.  In fact, he was feeling very good and
at the top of his game.  He then began to start to try and come up with an
approach to Jack.  It shouldn't be that hard should it?
   He began to think hard as he nursed his drink.
   Chapter 14
   Since Cheri and Hannah had learned about what their father had done to
each of them, they had been in separable.  They had spent many long hours
in the park together and for Hannah, it was a time of great pain as she had
held back a lot over the years and now that she had someone to talk to, she
was also now facing all the bottled up emotions she had held back for so
long.  She found herself crying a lot in Cheri's arms when they could be
alone.  The hardest part for Hannah was keeping it from her mother and then
when she looked at Devon and was reminded how her father not only did it to
her,but her big sister too, it was all she could do to keep from falling
apart.
   Cheri, on the other hand, had decided shortly after Devon was born, that
she needed help coping and she had gotten professional help.  It was at the
advice of her therapist, that she return to confront her past and put her
demons to rest.  Her therapist had also suggested if she felt strong
enough, she should confront her father.  However, if her therapist had any
idea she would pull a gun on her father, it wouldn't be a suggestion that
her therapist would have made.
   As Hannah stopped after having another crying jag, she looked up at her
big sister as Cheri held her tight in her arms as Hannah had tried to get
herself under control.  When she was finally calmed down enough she finally
said to Cheri, "I'm so sorry I was such a bitch to you when you first came
home.  You have been there for me since I told you about all of this.  I
don't know what I would have done had you not been here.  I'm really sorry
Cheri.  Oh God Cheri!  I'm so sorry!!"
   Hannah then burst into more tears and Cheri let her cry.  It was needed.
Hannah had her innocence and everything that was ever important to her
taken away so it was her right to cry and to be angry.  Cheri once again
continued to hold her sister as she was releasing all of her emotions. 
Finally Hannah was able to compose herself a little more and said to Cheri,
"I'm sorry for falling apart again.  I'm trying so hard, Cheri."
   Cheri raised Hannah's chin so that Hannah's eyes were locked into hers
and said, "Don't you ever feel bad.  What that bastard did to you was
wrong. What he did to both of us was wrong.  He's one sick fucking bastard
and he deserves to rot in hell for what he did to us.  You are not to blame
for any of this, Hannah.  God!  Sweetie, please know this."
   Hannah looked up into her sisters eyes and said to her, " I just feel so
dirty.  God Cheri!  Why?  Why did he do this to us?  What did we ever do to
him?  A father is not supposed to have sex with his own children.  I just
don't understand."
   Cheri, knew exactly what Hannah was going through as she remembered all
the pain she had gone through trying to accept that what happened to her
and finally coming to terms that none of what had happened to her had ever
been her fault.  She gently brushed Hannah's tears from her eyes which were
all red and swollen from crying and said, " Hannah, that bastard is very
sick.  He needs help and you were never to blame.  In fact sweetie, it was
never about you.  He's just a sick fucking bastard and he will get what's
coming to him, I promise you."
   With that Cheri pulled a gun out of her purse and then showed it to
Hannah and said, "If that bastard ever comes near you or me again, we will
shoot the bastard.  He's a sick scum that doesn't even deserve to live for
what he's done."
   Hannah, her eyes wide looked into her sister's eyes and asked,
"Cheri,where did you get that?  I thought you gave me the only gun you
had?"
   Cheri stroked her sister's face gently and said, "I picked this up
yesterday so I had protection for myself, sweetie.  I promise you that I
won't use it if I don't have to."
   Hannah nodded and then quickly changed the subject, remembering the gun
that Cheri had given to her which she was too afraid to use and asked, "
Cheri, do you ever hate Devon because of who his father is?"
   Cheri took a deep breath as she looked into Hannah's eyes and after a
fairly long pause she said, " I won't lie to you.  It was very painful to
look at Devon and not feel anger, hurt and then total revulsion.  However,
in therapy, I learned to accept that Devon was just as much a victim as I
had become in all of it.  So once I was able to remind myself, that he was
not only a product of incest, he was also my son too and I know I love
Devon very much.  He never asked to be brought into this world and its
certainly not his fault with what happened anymore than it was yours or
mine.  We don't get to choose who are parents are.  However, we don't have
to be like them either."
   For a long time, they sat cuddled together on the park bench and finally
Cheri asked Hannah, "Have you heard how Dana is doing since Jamie's death?"
   Hannah shook her head and said, "No!  I haven't.  In fact to be honest
with you, I was worried about falling apart and didn't want to upset her
anymore than she was so I haven't even been to see her at all since Jamie
died."
   Cheri looked into Hannah's eyes which were still red and swollen,but at
least she had managed to stop crying and Cheri was grateful for that and
she then asked Hannah, "Does Dana know I'm here?"
   Hannah nodded and said, "Yes Mom told her.  I'm actually surprised she
hasn't called you or been to see you yet."
   Cheri looked at her and gently shrugged, "Hannah she's probably going
through a lot since Jamie died.  It's not everyday you find your best
friend beaten to death with a baseball bat."
   Hannah knew Cheri was right and then smiled and suggested, "I think we
should go see her.  What do you say Cheri?"
   Cheri was a little reluctant especially after all Dana had been through
then of course, she was also worried about Hannah.  Hannah was still having
a lot of trouble keeping her emotions in check.  She finally said,"Do you
think that's a good idea Hannah?  You have been crying.  You don't want
Dana to see you do you?"
   However Hannah shrugged it off and just said to Cheri, "Come on Cheri.
It will be fun.  The three St Clair sisters back together again."
   Cheri reluctantly agreed and then pulled out some eye drops from her
purse and said to Hannah, "Put some of these in your eyes first.  By the
time we get to Dana's place, you should look a lot better."
   Hannah smiled and then stuck out her tongue and said, "Geesh back in
town and already bossing me around."
   Cheri glared at her playfully and Hannah giggled and then Cheri said to
her in mock anger, "Come on you little brat.  Let's go see our sister."
   Hannah giggled at being called a brat and then Cheri smiled.  Perhaps
Hannah would be ok.  She was able to laugh even for a little while and that
was a good sign.  Cheri just hoped that Dana would be happy to see her
especially with them going over unannounced as they were.
   Cheri felt Hannah pull on her arm and drag her toward Dana's house as
Hannah said, "Come on Cheri.  Let's go!"
   With that Cheri and Hannah were off to see Dana and Dana's boyfriend
Tony, who Cheri hadn't even met yet.
   At the Bannister/St Clair house, Jenna Bannister sat with Dana St Clair
in the kitchen having coffee, while Tony slept in Dana and Tony's bedroom
after working the graveyard shift as night janitor.  Dana sat with a cup of
coffee in her hand and her eyes red because of the constant crying.
   Dana hadn't stopped crying much since the night Jamie was killed and
both Jenna and Tony were worried about her.  Jenna had her arm around Dana
trying to comfort her through another crying spell.  The doctor had
prescribed some sedatives but Dana had refused to take them.
   Jenna, still with her arm around Dana said, "Sweetie, why don't you get
some rest?"
   Dana shook her head and said, "No!  Everytime I close my eyes, I see her
body all beaten and bloody.  I shouldn't have let her go off on her own."
   Jenna continued to hold her and said, "It's not your fault with what
happened to Jamie.  God Dana!  You couldn't have known."
   Dana looked at her friend, Jenna.  Despite the fact that there was a bit
of an age gap between Jenna and Dana, Dana and Jenna were becoming fast
friends just as her and Jamie had and there was a 6 year age gap between
Jamie Rogers and the second eldest St Clair daughter.  It never stopped
Dana and Jamie from being close though as they were.
   Dana looked at Jenna and said, "I should have been with her.  I
shouldn't have let her go off on her own.  Had I been there, she might be
alive today."
   Jenna looked at Dana and said, "Had you been there, you also may have
gotten killed.  This is not your fault.  So please for your own sake, don't
do this to yourself."
   Before Dana could respond, the phone rang and Jenna reached for it and
answered it.  It was the receptionist at the Valentine Lodge.  She asked,
"Is Tony coming in tonight or is he still sick?"
   Jenna was taken by surprise as Tony never mentioned being sick when he
had come home this morning.  Jenna said to the receptionist, "He must not
have been too bad as he never mentioned it when he came home from work this
morning.  He's in bed now so I'm sure he will be fine."
   The receptionist answered, "I don't know what kind of a game you are
playing, but Tony hasn't been here in the last couple of days.  The only
reason why I'm calling is that the boss, Ted Valentine is around and if
Tony isn't at work tonight, Mr Valentine won't be happy as he's complaining
that the work for night janitor hasn't been good lately."
   Jenna was thrown by the fact that for two days her brother had not been
to work,but to then find out that Ted Valentine wasn't happy with his work,
wasn't good for Tony.  It also wasn't like Tony as he had always done his
job well.  In fact as she hung up the phone, she recalled that it was Ted
Valentine that had hired Tony himself.
   As soon as Jenna got off the phone, Dana looked at her.  She had heard
part of the conversation but not all of it.  She asked Jenna, " Is
something wrong with Tony?"
   Jenna decided not to say anything to Dana as she was already a wreck as
it was so she thought it was best to cover for Tony and said, "Don't worry
Dana.  The receptionist at the Lodge called to check on Tony.  She said
when he was at work, he didn't look well.  She was just checking up on
him."
   Dana accepted Jenna's explanation and Jenna thought to herself.  "Damn
it Tony.  When do you start missing work and where have you been going at
night over the past couple of days if you are not at work?"
   In Tony and Dana's bedroom, Tony lay asleep and as he slept, he
remembered something from long ago and that was the first human life he
ever took.  As he lay dreaming about the first killing he had ever
committed on his own, a smile played at the corner of his lips as he slept.
   It was two years after the murder of Allison Roger's at the age of 14
that Tony Bannister actually took his very first human life.  He had been
out at a friend's place.  Tommy Adams had been Tony's only friend as most
of the kids thought that Tony was strange.  In fact, not only strange, but
they were very afraid of him.  After the killing of Allison Rogers, Tony
was fascinated with death.  In fact during the first 3 months since Randy
had brought both Jenna and Tony to Valentine's Cove, some weird things
started to happen.  Many of the pets owned by the kids of Valentine's Cove
turned up dead either nailed to garbage cans or to fences and a few were
even nailed to the front doors of the owners of the pets houses.  The kids
that had gotten to know Tony at school began to talk at school.  Most of
the pets that turned up dead were of kids that Tony had problems with so
most of the kids were sure it was him.  However, they couldn't prove it so
they said nothing to their parents and they never said anything to his face
as they were worried,he might do something to them.  As far as the rest of
the kids in the neighbourhood were concerned, Tony Bannister was cold even
his eyes were cold.  The kids that actually looked into his eyes, were
frightened as most saw nothing in them.  They were like burning coals
piercing into your brain so the kids stayed away from him.  By now after 2
years of dealing with the kids, Tony quietly accepted that he was destined
to be a loner and then he met Tommy Adams who was new to Valentine's Cove.
   For the past couple of months, Tommy Adams and Tony hung out together,
Tony felt good.  In fact, he was even starting to tone down and the cold
black eyes began to soften and he was even starting to forget about his
obsession with dead things.  For the first time in a long time, Tony
actually felt he had a good friend in Tommy and things were good and both
the boys were inseparable.  Then of course some of the other kids got
courageous as Tony became more nicer and then they took it upon themselves
to tell the new kid, Tommy Adams about what they all believed.
   That night, Tony and Tommy got into a major fight and Tony in his anger
beat Tommy so bad after Tommy accused him of being a pet killer that Tommy
had to be rushed to the hospital and Tony was sent home by Tommy's parents
with a promise that his uncle would be contacted and he was to stay away
from Tommy.
   As he was walking home, he saw an old man in a rumpled coat with holes
in it and the man was swaying back and forth as he was trying to keep his
balance as the alcohol he had consumed had him quite drunk.  Tony watched
the transient as the man staggered drunkenly and as he watched, the anger
he felt for Tommy and the school kids burned deep within him and as he
watched the drunken transient.  He then began to feel that curiosity of
death burning in him again and it was then that he became courageous.  He
followed the man and then the man emptied the last of the contents of the
bottle and dropped it on the ground once he was finished.
   As soon as he dropped the bottle, Tony who was following him, picked up
the bottle.  Tony then continued to follow the man.  As he did, he broke
the bottle and then slowly closed in on his prey holding the broken bottle
with its sharp jagged edges sticking out.  As soon as he was within arms
length, he gently tapped the man on his shoulder.
   The drunken transient, turned around and just as he was about to speak,
14 year old Tony Bannister took and drove the broken bottle into the mans
throat and ripped it across severing his throat and as he did, a gusher of
blood left the mans throat and by the time he fell to the ground, he was
dead.
   Tony stood over the body of the transient.  His eyes blazing.  His first
kill and it was so easy.  He found that he had enjoyed it.  So much better
than killing animals.  He then knew as he stared down at the lifeless body,
he would do it again.  He could smell the blood from the man that was all
over his hands.  He licked some of the blood from the man off of his hand.
The sweet metallic taste was wonderful.  The taste of the blood only wetted
his appetite for more.
   The door bell jolted him awake from his dream of the past and then he
heard voices.  He got up to check them out and as he did, he saw to his
surprise, Dana's sister's Cheri and Hannah.  As he gazed at Cheri he felt
the stirrings of his manhood then as well as a mild taste of blood.  The
same sweet taste he remembered so long ago.
   Dana saw Tony and then ushered him over to meet her sister Cheri, Cheri
went and hugged him and as she did, he felt the soft breasts of hers press
to him as she hugged him tight thanking him for making her sister happy. 
Tony was careful as the moment Cheri pressed up against him, he felt his
manhood harden more and gently turned a bit as Cheri hugged him so she
wouldn't feel his erection.
   As he held her, he knew the time would be soon when he took her...very
soon.
   Chapter 15
   Jack Dobbs sat quietly in his office trying to make sense of why Gerard
St Clair would be calling him to have a meeting.  Yes the 5 men had been
friends for many years,but as time went by they pretty much slowly started
going their separate ways.  Truthfully, the only thing truly binding them
together still was the secret of Lenny Baxter.  Other than that, they
pretty much had little contact with each other.
   Jack as County Coroner was still in contact with Jeff Markham and Bobby
Rogers because as County Coroner, it was his responsibility to work with
the police.  So their jobs demanded it.  In the case of Gerard St Clair and
Ted Valentine, Jack hardly saw either of them as they now travelled in
different social circles.  In fact, it had been at least a year that Jack
had any contact with Gerard on a one on one basis.  Not once had Gerard
ever called him nor had Jack tried to call Gerard.  So why now?
   Jack Dobbs sat deep in thought.  It hadnt escaped his notice either that
both Gerard and Ted had something going on between them.  Was that it? 
When the vote was called earlier that week on whether to turn themselves in
for Lenny Baxter's murder or to just ride it out, Gerard had been ready to
vote with the rest of them and then Ted made the comment about "family not
being safe in their own home." That's when Gerard immediately looked white
as a sheet and then laughed it off when Bobby asked him about it.  However,
it was obvious he was still nervous and trying to hide something during
that meeting.  So what did he want with Jack?  Was it possible he was
hoping to sway Jack to his and Ted's side of things?
   Jack decided then it was time to place a call to Bobby and Jeff and let
them know what was going on.  He dialed the number to the police department
and asked to speak to Chief Rogers.
   Bobby Rogers picked up the phone on the first ring and Jack asked if
Jeff was there.  Bobby told him he was so Jack asked to be put on speaker
phone as he needed to talk to both of them.
   Bobby turned on the speakerphone and nodded at Jeff who said, " I'm here
Jack.  What's up?"
   Jack replied, "I just got a call from Gerard St.  Clair.  He wants to
have a meeting with me at 10pm tonight."
   Bobby looked at Jeff and then spoke into the speakerphone and said, "I
don't see a problem.  He's been a friend of all of ours for years.  What's
the big deal?"
   Jack replied, " Bobby, normally I would agree.  However, as close as we
all were as kids, we haven't really spent a lot of time together like we
all used to.  I haven't spoken to him alone in years.  Whenever I have seen
him, its usually with other people whose company we both happen to be with
at whatever social gatherings are happening."
   Jeff then spoke into the phone and said, "Jack, perhaps he wants to
change all of that?"
   Jack replied, "Ok maybe, but come on you guys.  You saw it too when we
had the meeting with him and Ted.  Something was going on between them."
   Bobby nodded to Jeff and spoke into the speakerphone and said, "Yeah
Jack.  We did see it.  There is something there.  We can't deny it. 
However, until we find out what it is, there's not much we can do."
   Jack replied, "Well as soon as I have my meeting with him tonight, I
will let you know.  However, I have a hunch its in hopes of getting me to
side with Ted and him on this deal of turning ourselves in."
   Bobby listened to Jack and thought for a moment and then said, " Jack, I
tell you what.  Why don't Jeff and I join you and Gerard at that meeting
tonight.  I think rather than dancing around in circles, we should just
confront him.  You with us?"
   Jack agreed and they all agreed to meet at Gerard St Clairs office for
the meeting.
   As soon as the phone call ended, Jeff looked at Bobby and asked, "Do you
think Jack is right?  Is Gerard up to something?"
   Bobby shrugged and nodded and said, "Its very possible and if Ted is
involved, its more than likely.  You know it as well as I do.  However, who
knows?  Did you come up with the business background check I asked for on
them?"
   Jeff shook his head no and said, " I found nothing.  However, I did
recall something.  Do you remember when Gerard was in college and living in
the dorms who is roommate was?"
   Bobby shook his head and said, "No.  Its been a long time.  I know I
should given we were all pretty tight at one time.  Who?"
   Jeff looked at him and said, "Ted Valentine."
   As soon as Bobby heard the name he did indeed remember that Ted and
Gerard had been college roommates.  He then asked Jeff, "Do you think there
is something there?"
   Jeff shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know but I can look into
it if you like?"
   Bobby nodded and then said, "Ok with that out of the way, what have you
learned on the background check on Lenny and Randy Baxter?"
   Jeff got his notebook out and then began to go through what he had and
read, "Randy and Lenny Baxter lived in a place called Pine Brook which as
you know isnt far from here.  Lenny had a wife named Maggie.  There is some
information you might be interested in here on Maggie as well.  Maggie
committed suicide with an overdose of sedative and drowning in the
bathtub."
   Bobby looked at Jeff as he heard that piece of news and asked, "They are
sure it was suicide?"
   Jeff nodded and said, "Yep.  It was listed in the coroners report which
I have a copy of and I actually talked to the officer in charge of the
investigation at the time and he said it was pretty cut and dried.  No sign
of foul play at all."
   Bobby nodded and asked, "Anything on the kids?"
   Jeff nodded and said, " Now this is where it gets strange.  Lenny and
Maggie Baxter had two children.  A boy and a girl.  Tony and Jenna Baxter.
However, after their mother died, Randy their uncle and soul legal guardian
disappeared with them.  We have a record of him arriving in Valentine's
Cove around that time but we have no kids listed and I am even going back
into school records to see if a Tony or Jenna Baxter were ever enrolled in
Valentine's Cove."
   Bobby looked at him and asked, "Do we have any idea of how old they
would be now?"
   Jeff nodded, "Yes they would be in there early 40's"
   Bobby shook his head and nodded saying, "Yes and very capable of
committing murder.  I want you to find them.  Its possible one or both did
it.  Keep looking.  We need to find them before someone else dies."
   Jeff nodded and then went to see what else he could dig up on Tony and
Jenna Baxter.
   Bobby prayed they would find something soon.  He didn't want anyone else
to die.
   Across town, it was shortly after lunch that Muriel Valentine decided
she would take a nap.  Gary had gone down early to set up for his deejay
gig at the Lodge and it was the perfect time to do it then.  The shopping
excursion with Eleanor had left her tired.  She was not getting any
younger. As she lay sleeping, she began to dream about the past as her
three children were growing up.  Ted,Mark and Eleanor had made a lot of
friends over the years and Muriel slept peacefully as she dreamed of these
times.
   Over the years, she had watched her children and her children's friends
grow up.  She especially began to remember, Bobby Rogers, Jeff Markham,Jack
Dobbs and Gerard St Clair as well as the many other friends all three of
her children had.  Her memories in her dream started off like a slide show
and she watched as all the children grew from toddlers to adults slowly
before her eyes..Each child with its unique features and then she came
across the four best friends of her eldest son Ted and as she watched her
mind continued to show her dreamland slideshow and then she saw a familiar
picture.  It was very cloudy and very unfocused almost as if she were
viewing it through a lens of a camera.  As the lens in her dream slowly
came into focus, she saw the face of Devon St Clair, but something was
different about Devon.
   As she continued to watch as the lens in her dream began to focus, she
realized that it wasn't Devon and then suddenly she woke up with a start
and let out a scream.  As she woke up, she was shaking violently.  This
couldn't be happening.  However, she knew it was happening.  This was no
dream she now knew who Devon St Clair's father was and she now knew why
Cheri St Clair had left town.  The father of Devon St Clair was none other
than Cheri's own father, Gerard St Clair.
   As she calmed herself slowly she now realized a lot of things.  First
off she had been so angry at Cheri St Clair that she hated her after what
had happened between her and Gary.  She had been angry at Cheri figuring
Cheri was no better than a slut.  She now knew the truth.  The girl had
been a victim of her own father's sick desires.
   Her mind then went to Gary.  He had to be told.  How would she tell him
though and when she did, would he believe her?  It didn't matter.  He had
to be told.  Gary had been blaming himself and hadn't moved on.  Perhaps
this was the closure he needed to do this.  Muriel then made a decision. 
She had to call him and get him home.  She needed to tell him.
   She went to the phone and picked up the receiver and dialed as soon as
Bridget Beaumont answered, she asked for Gary and within a minute or two
Gary was on the line
   Gary was almost done setting up the equipment when he got the phone call
from his grandmother.  He spoke into the receiver and said, "Grandma, are
you ok?  What is it?"
   Muriel spoke and her voice was coming out in short gasps as she said,
"Gary, I need you to come home now please."
   Gary hearing how her voice sounded and her gasping for breath then
thought the worst and said, "I'm on my way Grandma.  Please just hang in
there.  I'm leaving now."
   With that he hung up the phone and said to Bridget, " I have to run.  I
think my grandmother is in trouble.  I will be back as soon as I can to
finish setting up."
   Bridget looked at him and waved him away and said, " Don't worry about
it!  Go!  Your grandmother needs you.  Call me when you know more and if I
have to, I will get someone to cover for you."
   With that, Gary was on his way out the door and jumping into his
vehicle.
   Across town at the St Clair home, Gay and Devon were going through the
pictures and she and Devon had found some early pictures of when Gerard had
been growing up.  Some were very old and out of focus and then as she was
slowly looking with him...Her start leaped out of her chest..  She found a
picture of when Gerard was about 8 or 9 and her face went totally white. 
The picture she had come across was a dead ringer for her grandson, Devon.
   As she studied the picture, she looked at the face and the shape of his
nose but then she saw it.  The missing link that she couldn't figure out.
The eyes..Those piercing blue eyes that she had fallen in love with many
years ago.  They were the same eyes Devon had.  There was no mistaking it.
She looked into Devon's eyes and then back at the picture of Gerard and she
knew it.  She then swore under her breath, "Gerard, you bastard!!  Your own
daughter??"
   She the quickly grabbed Devon and said to him, "Sweetie, Grandma needs
to go out for a while.  I'm going to see if Mrs Wilson next door will watch
you while Grandma goes out for a bit ok?  I promise not to be too long.  I
need to go see Grandpa for a bit."
   Devon nodded and then Gay grabbed him by the hand and took him
downstairs and called her neighbour and elderly lady named Edna Wilson and
asked her to look after Devon.  Mrs Wilson was more than glad to do it.  As
soon as she came back to the house, she then went into the closet and
pulled out some old shoe boxes and inside one of them was a revolver.  She
then went to the night table where the bullets were kept and then took out
the box of bullets and proceeded to load the gun.
   A few years ago, Gerard had bought two guns.  One for himself to keep at
the office as well as one at home.  Gay had insisted that the gun in the
house be hidden and that they didn't need it.  So it was stuffed in the
back of the closet and now it was going to be used for the first time.
   As she loaded the gun she said, "Gerard, you bastard.  I swear to God I
will kill you."
   At the Bannister/St Clair home, Cheri was hugging Tony Bannister tight
and saying how happy she was that Dana had found someone that truly made
her happy.  She said to him, "You have no idea how good it is to finally
meet you.  I have heard a lot about you through my mother.  Thank you for
making my sister so happy."
   Tony Bannister was aroused beyond belief as her body was pressed tight
against him and then there was a voice that said to Cheri, "What am I? 
chopped liver?" Cheri turned to see her sister Dana and then smiled as she
pulled away from Tony and took her sister in her arms and hugged her tight.
   Tony as much as he was enjoying the fact he had Cheri pressed against
him was very relieved when she pulled away as his erection was so hard that
had she moved any closer, she would have felt it and then Tony would have
had a lot of explaning to do.  He breathed a silent sigh of relief as he
turned to the side to hide his erection.
   However, his movements didn't go unnoticed by his sister, Jenna.  She
had been watching him as he came into the living room.  She had been
thinking a lot about her brother lately since the phone call earlier and
then she saw something she never expected in a million years.  As Cheri
pulled away from her brother, she saw plain as day an erection which she
was seeing he was trying to hide.  She thought to herself, "Oh God!  Tony
that is disgusting!" Her stomach literally turned as she watched him.  She
felt like she was gonna be sick.
   Getting her emotions under control, she looked around the room.  Nobody
else appeared to notice Tony's predicament..Thank God!  As she turned back
to Tony, she then began to ask herself questions.  What is going on with
you Tony?  Where have you been the last few nights?  More importantly, do I
want to know?
   Dana held her sister tight and said to her, " God Cheri!  I'm so sorry I
haven't called you.  There is just so much going on."
   Cheri looked at her as she finally pulled away long enough to look at
her and said, "You have nothing to be sorry for.  I understand.  I heard
about Jamie Rogers and although I never knew her too well, I know how close
you two were."
   At the mention of Jamie, the tears began to well up in Dana's eyes.  She
said to Cheri, "God Cheri!  I still can't believe it!"
   Cheri pulled her sister back into her arms and said, " I know Sweetie.
I'm so sorry."
   Just then the phone rang and Jenna got up to answer it while still
watching Tony.  When she picked it up, it was Mrs Wilson who was a
neighbour of the St Clairs.  Apparently Gay had asked her to watch Devon
and when Gay had left to go meet Gerard at the office, Mrs Wilson got a
phone call from her sister and she wasn't able to look after Devon.  She
was sorry.  Jenna told Cheri and the reunion between the St Clair sisters
was cut short.
   As Cheri and Hannah left to go home, Jenna continued to watch Tony. 
Something inside her was very uneasy now and she didn't know why.  Her and
Tony had always been close and growing up, Tony had protected her,but
between the phone call today and what she saw just a little while ago, she
wasn't even sure she knew her own brother anymore.
   At the Valentine house, Gary sat with his grandmother and listened to
all she had to say.  He had come rushing home and was so scared and when he
got home, Muriel had told him about the dream.  Gary was now ash white.  He
couldn't believe his grandmother.
   He said to her, "My God woman!  What are you talking about?  How could
you say such stuff?  Cheri had an abortion so there is no way that you saw
a kid with Gay St Clair.  She probably only said it to piss you off
anyway."
   Muriel looked into her grandson's eyes and said, "I'm telling you I'm
not lying." She looked terrible and as Gary looked at her,something in her
eyes told him, either it was true or she really believed it and then he
recalled the day that he saw Hannah and Cheri in the park and then the
exchange of the gun.  He suddenly realized that maybe his grandmother was
onto something.
   He now knew it was time to do the one thing he wrestled with for a long
time.  It was time to see Cheri St Clair.  He then looked into his
grandmother's eyes and said, " Grandma, I don't know what is going on but
I'm sure going to find out."
   He then jumped into his car and was off to see Cheri St Clair.  If what
his grandmother had said was true, it was possible that Cheri could be in
trouble and as he replayed the memory of the gun being passed to Hannah, it
occurred to him that it was not only possible that Cheri had been indeed
molested by her father,but Cheri may have given Hannah a gun to keep it
from happening to her, if it already hadnt happened.  As he thought about
it, he pressed his foot down on the gas pedal.
   He arrived at the St Clair house in minutes and he quickly ran up the
stairs and then rang the door bell.  The doorbell was no rang when the door
opened and there stood Cheri St Clair holding a boy about 9 or so.  This
must be her son Devon, he thought.
   Both Cheri and Gary stood there shocked unable to believe they were
seeing each other.
   As the day in Valentine's Cove moved from afternoon to evening and then
evening to late evening, Bobby Rogers, Jeff Markham and Jack Dobbs arrived
for the meeting that Gerard St Clair had set up for 10pm.  It was 9:55pm
and as they arrived, they saw a small light on in his window.  Bobby
knocked on the door and when there was no answer, he turned the handle of
the door and let the three of them in.  The room wreaked of stale boose as
well as stale cigarette smoke.
   Gerard St Clair had his head down on his desk and appeared to be
sleeping or drunk, Bobby didn't know which.  As he approached him and then
saw a gun in his hand, Bobby called his name and got no answer.  He looked
down on the desk and Gerard St Clair head was laying in a pool of blood. 
Jack and Jeff had been right behind him and they saw the scene as well.
   Bobby pressed his finger to Gerard's neck and then turned Gerards head
and right at Gerards temple was a single gun shot wound to the head and his
lifeless eyes told Bobby Gerard was dead.  He then looked at both Jeff and
Jack and said, "He's dead and from the appearance of things, it looks like
it happened a while ago."
   The three of them stared at Gerard St Clairs lifeless body in silence
and they all knew it was gonna be a long night.
   Chapter 16
   Randy Baxter was tired.  He was considered young by most standards for a
man in his early 60's.  However, since his car accident he had aged much
faster.  He knew that his time was coming soon.  He had affairs to take
care of before his time was to come so at this moment he was sitting in
front of his laptop composing some letters to everyone he felt he needed to
set things right with.  There were three envelopes sitting beside him which
had already been addressed.  He was now typing out a personal letter to
each person whose name was on the envelopes.  The envelopes were addressed
to the following people:
   1. Bobby Rogers 2. Tony Bannister 3. Jenna Bannister
   It was these 3 people who he had unfinished business with.  It now had
to be laid to rest.  As he looked at the list of names, he started with his
children, Tony and Jenna.  Those two children he had loved since the day
they were born and he regretted not being able to claim them as his, in his
lifetime.  He also had a lot of regrets for what happened to his beloved,
Maggie who gave birth to these two children that were his offspring.
   As he thought of Maggie, he thought of his daughter Jenna.  She even as
a little girl knew her mother was not a strong woman and after Maggie
committed suicide, she made sure that Randy knew she blamed him for telling
her mother about what kind of a man Lenny was and to this day, she still
knew Lenny as her father.  In this letter he was writing to her, to be
opened on the event of his death, he would reveal the truth to her
including the real reason why her mother committed suicide.  After all, it
was the least he could do wasn't it?  No matter how angry Jenna stayed at
Randy, Randy never stopped loving her and would never stop.  After all she
was his daughter and in reality didn't blame her especially because of what
she thought she knew.  It would be a shock after she knew, but given time,
she would know he did the right thing by not telling her the truth.  At
least that's how Randy saw it.  He only hoped, she would forgive him in
time once she had a chance to absorb everything.  He would also be leaving
both her and her brother well off so even if she hated him the rest of her
life, at least she had some compensation.  Randy was too arrogant to see
that he would be destroying her by what he was planning on doing.
   Then there was Tony.  Tony, the man who was his true son.  A man that
not only was his by blood but was very much like him in temprament and
attitude.  However, there was one thing that scared Randy about Tony.  Tony
enjoyed killing too much.  Randy tried to explain to Tony about the night
Tony had killed the transient.  Randy recalled the glazed look Tony had as
he excitedly told his "Uncle Randy" what he had done.  Randy was angry at
hearing what Tony had done.
   Randy recalled the conversation as if it was yesterday.  He leaned back
in his wheelchair as his mind drifted back in time to when Tony was 14.
   The night that Tony killed the transient, Randy had gotten a call from
Tommy Adam's parents from the hospital saying that they were going to take
legal action against Randy if Tony ever came near Tommy again.  When Tony
arrived home, he was covered in blood and of course, Randy's first reaction
was that Tommy had gotten in some pretty good licks of his own in that
fight with Tony but then he saw the look in Tony's eyes and recalled that
same look in Tony's eyes after he had watched Randy kill Allison Rogers. 
It was that same look and he knew the boy had done something and done
something bad.
   Randy looked at Tony and asked, "Where the hell have you been?  You left
Tommy's quite a while ago.  In fact I got a call from Tommy's father and I
know what you did.  Do you want to tell me about it?"
   As his uncle spoke to him, Tony started to slowly come out of his trance
and said, "No Uncle Randy.  I have something else to share with you.  I did
it.  I killed a man.  I killed him and as I did it, I could feel the life
drain out of him.  My god.  I felt like I had all this power Uncle Randy
and he didn't even see it coming."
   Randy stood there watching Tony and then said to him, "You did what?? 
You killed a man?  Was it one of the 5 men or one of their family?"
   Tony in his excitement shook his head and said, "No!  It was just some
drunk bum.  Someone nobody will miss."
   Randy got angry at Tony and said, "Are you kidding me?  You don't kill
just anyone.  You only punish the guilty.  I told you that if you wanted to
continue this after Allison Rogers you could since it was important for you
to get satisfaction for your father's murder.  However, I had hoped you
would hear me and limit your killing to them.  We don't kill for sport.  We
only kill for reason.  That bum you killed did nothing to you.  Did he?"
   Tony lowered his eyes as his Uncle looked at him.  The anger in Randy's
eyes very evident.  Randy then said to Tony, " You must promise me that you
will not kill anyone else who is not part of the 5 men.  Do you hear me
boy? I would have been quite happy after the death of Allison Rogers, but
you told me you wanted to finish it yourself.  I agreed to allow you to do
that.  However, I won't put up with senseless killing.  Do you understand
me, Tony?  You are to stick to the 5 men and their families.  That's it!"
   Tony promised not to kill anyone that was not on that list that his
uncle had given him and when he made the promise, he meant every word. 
However, it was a few short months later that Tony killed again as his
anger and his need for blood drove him.  However, he preferred women for
the most part as men were prone to fight harder and could be dangerous
where women were easy and with the fact women excited him, it was even more
of a reason to prey on them and when he was done, kill them.  However,
Randy never knew that Tony killed anyone else other than Jamie Rogers as
the rest were not part of Tony's list and after his uncle's reaction to the
killing of the transient, Tony just made sure that he never came home with
blood on himself again so his uncle was none the wiser.
   However, what Tony didn't know was that Randy suspected him of killing
the pets around Valentine's Cove not long after the disappearance of
Allison Rogers, but couldn't prove it except that each time it was learned
that a pet got killed, Randy saw the look he had seen the night that
Allison Rogers was killed.  Once the pets in Valentine's Cove were no
longer being killed and pinned to house doors and garbage cans, Randy still
saw the glazed look, but no matter how hard that Randy tried, he never
found proof that Tony had killed anyone else.  However, Randy knew it in
his gut.  Why was his son so caught up in death?  Had Randy looked in the
mirror, he would have found the answer.
   As he finished his letters off to Jenna and Tony, he thought about the
last letter he had to write.  Bobby Rogers, the man who was responsible for
Tony's and Randy's need for revenge.  Bobby who allowed himself and his
friends to be judge, jury and executioner, the night that Randy's brother
Lenny was killed.  Randy took the satisfaction of knowing that this would
hurt Bobby Rogers and knowing that Bobby had to live with the pain of
knowing that a loved one, his daughter Allison was murdered by a Baxter and
couldn't seek revenge, was almost as good as being there when Bobby opened
the letter from Randy after Randy's death.  He wished he could be a fly on
the wall for that day when Bobby read his letter from him.
   With that,he printed up each letter from his computer then he put the
appropriate letter in each envelope and then sealed them.  He then left
them on desk to be taken to his attorney in the morning.  Right now he
needed to sleep.  He was so tired.
   Meanwhile at the Bannister/St Clair house Tony was getting ready to
leave for the night when his sister Jenna came into the kitchen as he was
having a late evening meal before his night shift at the Valentine's Cove
Lodge.  She studied him curiously.  Over the years,she thought she knew her
brother so well.  However, with finding out about him not showing up for
work for the past couple of days but then coming home as if he had, was
bothering her.  Then there was tonight while Cheri and Hannah were here and
Tony's reaction to Cheri's hug.  God!  How disgusting.  It still turned her
stomach at what she saw.
   What was going on?  She now started to have doubts.  Something was going
on and she asked herself again if she really ever knew her brother.  She
began to think of the stories she had heard about not long after Tony and
Jenna arrived in Valentine's Cove.  At school when all the different pets
of some of the kids at school started being killed and pinned so
disgustingly all over doors and garbage cans.  The kids were saying Tony
did it.  She refused to believe it.  He wouldn't.  Then as they grew older
she had heard how a lot of girls were afraid of him and many said the same
things that the kids used to say about him at school.  He was strange as
well as a very cold person with no feelings at all.  She couldn't believe
it as Dana had been with him a long time and had no problem with him as far
as she knew.  In fact, Dana glowed everytime Tony's name was ever mentioned
in a conversation.  However, there was something not right about all of it.
None of it made sense, but she made up her mind to do all she could to find
out.  If her brother was up to something, she would put a stop to it once
she found out what was going on.
   Jenna then said to her brother, " So you on your way to work soon?"
   Tony nodded and said, "Yep.  Just have to finish my dinner and then I'm
on my way."
   Jenna then decided to tell him about the call earlier and said, "The
Lodge called.  Wanted to know if you were ok?  They said you complained
about being sick."
   Tony just shrugged if off and said, "It was just a bug.  I got through
my shift ok so it was fine.  Nothing to worry about."
   Jenna looked at him and finally blurted out, "If it wasn't that serious,
why haven't you been going to work for the past 2 days and where have you
been going at night?"
   Tony looked at his sister.  His face red with embarrasement because he
knew he was caught in a lie.  He said to her, " So I took a couple of days
off and went out and had a few beers.  Whats the big deal?"
   Jenna looked at her brother and knew that he was lying again and said, "
Oh and explain to me why a woman who may be your sister in law one day,
gave you an erection.  Cheri is Dana's sister for God sake!!"
   Tony then got mad.  He now knew that he had been seen by his sister and
he was embarrased and he said, "It wasn't my fault.  You saw how she was
all over me.  My God!  I'm only human!"
   With that he slammed his fork down and got up and walked out leaving
Jenna in shock at his outburst but also now having more questions.
   Once Tony left, he knew that he had to go see his uncle.  His uncle
always knew the right things to say to him so he sped his car to his Uncle
Randy's place.  Within ten minutes he had arrived there and then took out
the key his uncle had made sure he always had and then let himself in.  His
anger was now burning deep inside him and he was now starting to feel that
hunger of needing to kill again.  His sister had made him so angry.  Jenna
saying those embarrasing things.
   As Tony let himself in, he figured he had better call the Lodge again.
He wasn't going to be in again tonight.  He knew that he couldn't fake sick
now so he decided to use Dana as an excuse.  When he called, Ted Valentine
answered the phone himself.
   Tony then said, "I'm sorry Mr Valentine but I'm worried about Dana.  She
had a visit from her sister tonight which upset her with the murder
happening and all so its best I stay here.  I'm sorry Sir."
   Ted Valentine was in no mood for this call as he was now getting
pressure from one of the people backing him and he said to Tony, "I
couldn't agree with you more Tony.  In fact, don't come in at all.  I will
have all money I owe you sent to you tomorrow.  Youre fired!" With that he
hung up.
   Tony held the phone in his hand as it went dead.  His anger became
raging now.  He now knew that Cheri St Clair would have to wait and that
his next victim would be Ted Valentine.  He started towards his car when he
spotted an an envelope with his name on it.  It was sitting near his
uncle's computer.  He then decided since it was written for him, it must be
ok to read.  He picked it up and opened it.  He slowly read every word and
then something happened.  A cold rage filled him.  How could this be? 
Uncle Randy is really my father?  He also killed my mother???
   He then said out loud, " You lying fucking piece of shit!!!  I'm going
to kill you!!" He went into Randy's kitchen and then into the silverware.
He found what he was looking for.  A large carving knife.  He then walked
toward his father's room saying under his breath, "Kill only the people
that deserve it." Well you certainly deserve it don't you you bastard,he
thought to himself.
   He then stood over Randy Baxter as Randy slept and then with no warning,
brought the knife down repeatedly over and over and by the time he was
done, the grisly scene that was left showed for sure that Randy Baxter was
definitely dead.  He gazed down at the grisly scene.  Blood everywhere.  He
then dipped his fingers in his father's blood and began to lick it off of
his fingers.  God!  It tasted oooh so sweet.  He then looked back at his
father.  A man who he had always known as "Uncle Randy" and said, "Rot in
hell you bastard!  You took everything from Jenna and I.  You got exactly
what you deserved."
   He went to the kitchen sink and washed the remaining blood off of him
and went and changed into clean clothes and then got into his car and
headed towards Valentine's Cove Lodge.  The rage burning deep within him
for Ted Valentine's blood.
   It was now two hours since the three men found the body of Gerard St
Clair.  The body was now ready to be moved so Jack Dobbs was on his way
back to the office to conduct a full autopsy.  As Jack left, Bobby and Jeff
watched as the forensic's team went over Gerard's office and dusted for
prints They had actually lifted quite a few prints that were clear so it
was possible if it was determined that Gerard had been murdered, they may
have a lead.
   Jeff looked at Bobby and said, "What do you think?  Suicide?"
   Bobby looked around and answered, "Honestly, from what it looks like. 
It looks pretty clear that it was.  The forensics lab should have proof it
was suicide shortly as well as Jack's findings.  If its not, my God! 
Another murder is all we need."
   It was then that an officer came rushing into see Jeff and Bobby.  He
looked at them and said, "Sorry for the intrusion, but we just got a call
by the night nurse who administers Randy Baxter his medication.  He's been
murdered.  Sliced up like beef."
   Bobby and Jeff looked at each other and then Bobby said to Jeff, "I will
handle this one.  I want you to go to Jacks office and then wait while he
does his autopsy on Gerard.  I also want you to radio me when you get the
results of the forensics lab as well.  Once you do, I want you to head over
to Gay St Clair's house and then inform her of what happened to Gerard. 
I'm on my way to the Baxter house now."
   As Bobby left the officer looked at Jeff and said, "I never got a chance
to give him the rest of it."
   Jeff looked at him and the officer nodded and said, "Yes, remember you
asked me to look into the schools and see if by chance anyone with the name
of Randy or Jenna was enrolled in any of the schools in Valentine's Cove
the year Randy Baxter arrived here?"
   Jeff nodded and said , "Yes I remember.  Did you find something?"
   The officer nodded and said, "Yes I did.  The only two names I found
were Tony and Jenna Bannister."
   Jeff's blood ran cold as he heard the name of Tony Bannister and he
said, " Ok.  Before we jump the gun, I want you to find all you can get me
on Tony and Jenna Bannister.  I know Tony.  He's Dana St Clair's boyfriend.
If this turns out to be murder and hes actually Tony Baxter, he may have
been the one who killed Gerard.  Be careful though because if Tony
Bannister is our man, we could have problems.  I don't want anyone else
getting killed tonight.  In the meantime, if you need me, I will be in the
coroners office."
   With that he drove out into the night to head to Jack Dobb's office.
   Chapter 17
   As soon as Bobby got into his car, he proceeded as quickly as speed
would allow him and headed for Randy Baxter's place.  Once he was on his
way, he called the station from his radio and requested back up and was
told that there were two patrol units already there waiting for him.
   As he drove, he thought about his life and all the circumstances that
led to his meeting Randy Baxter.  Had it not been for his temper and the
actions of his friends, all this may not be happening.  Now of course, the
one person who played a key part in all of this mess was dead.  So now
where was he to look?  If only he could find Randy's niece and nephew.
   He thought back to everything that had happened to him since the day he
killed Lenny Baxter and then the events that led to his meeting Randy
Baxter during that night when he caught Randy raping Amy.  It was very
painful to think about especially knowing his sister would be in a mental
hospital for the rest of her life over it.
   He pulled his car to a stop at the Baxter house beside the 2 squad cars
and went inside.  There were two officers questioning a nurse.  The nurse,
Evelyn Montgomery had come by as instructed and as she had done every night
and had found Randy Baxter in his bed stabbed to death.  As Bobby looked
around, there was blood everywhere.  The sheets were soaked in it.  Whoever
had done this, it looked like it was more likely a crime of rage judging by
the amount of blood splattered all over the place.
   Bobby scanned the room where he came upon three letters sitting by a
computer.  One had been opened but left on the table.  The other two had
been left unopened and it was then that he caught sight of the names on the
envelopes.  His name was on one of them.
   He picked up the one addressed to him and opened it slowly wondering
what Randy Baxter would have to say to him.  As he unfolded the letter, his
heart began to beat faster as he read the letter.  It said:
   Dear Chief Rogers,
   If you are reading this, it must mean that I have died and that you are
probably relieved to have me out of your life.  However, it also means that
I will finally have my day to cause you the same amount of pain that you
caused me as well as to those I love.
   After you killed my brother, I waited years to avenge my brother's
death. However, it never seemed to happen and then that one day I was able
to meet and pick up that slut of a sister of yours.  Her and her need to
bed everyone in town just so she could leave Valentine's Cove.
   It was perfect and she never even knew who I was.  I only wish I had
more time as she may have found out what a real man is really like.  Pity
you had to show up so soon.  However, you did and then you and I made that
agreement that was so pathetic.  You really thought I would go for it and I
admit I did try.
   However, I couldn't.  I wanted you to hurt as I had.  You never lost
anyone you loved so as far as I could see, you needed to suffer as I did.
Then came the night, I decided to take a drive to watch for an opportunity
to perhaps get my revenge.  However, I never counted on it being as easy as
it was.
   It was then that I had my opportunity.  Your daughter Allison was
leaving to go somewhere and I followed her and then stopped her and asked
her for directions.  The stupid bitch didn't even blink an eye as I talked
her into getting into my car and taking me to the phoney address.  It was
then, I made my move and drove her out to a special place.  Do you remember
where you burned and then buried Lenny's body?  You will find the ashes of
your precious Allison there.
   I now have my revenge of knowing I paid you back and that I will never
be punished just as you never were.  I hope you rot in hell for eternity.
If you are lucky, the killer will get you just as he took your precious
granddaughter while you live with the fact you now know that I killed your
granddaughter's mother.
   May you rot in hell.
   Randall Baxter
   Bobby stood there stunned.  He was shaking as tears filled his eyes.  He
now knew that Allison had been killed.  It had never occurred to him that
Randy would have done it.  However, he now had proof.  Despite the fact
that it had been many years, he ached for the loss of his daughter,
Allison.
   As the tears filled his eyes, he saw something on the floor.  It was an
opened empty envelope addressed to Tony Bannister, but no letter.  He then
remembered the letter sitting beside the other two that had already been
opened.  He found it and picked it up and began to read it.  It said:
   My Dearest Tony,
   It's with great pleasure I reveal to you something, I wanted to tell you
for years, but felt it was best at the time it was best I didn't.  However,
I now realize that you being like me will probably appreciate knowing this.
For years you and Jenna have believed that Lenny Baxter was your father. 
You have also had to live with the disgrace of his actions as well.  Well,
I feel that in order for you and your sister to have peace, you both need
to know the truth.  I have written a letter to her as well so she will know
all that you know and that is I'm your father.  Both you and your sister
are my children.
   I know you will be able to handle this as you are truly my son in more
ways than just blood.  Ever since that day that you watched when you were
only 12, as I took Allison Roger's life, I knew you would be the one that
would appreciate the importance of family.  I then recall how after it
happened, I saw a light in your eyes when you told me, you wanted to carry
on where I left off with killing those 5 men and their families.  I was
proud of you and still am.  You are a strong man Tony much stronger than
your mother was and even your sister Jenna.
   I should have realized that when I told your mother the truth, she
couldn't handle it and I am sure that when Jenna learns the truth, she will
also not be able to handle it, but I don't think she is like your mother.
She in time will forgive me as I know you already have.  You are a true
Baxter and the one man I know that can carry on the Baxter legacy.
   I just ask you to keep your focus on the goal which is to avenge your
Uncle Lenny who up until now is the only father you have known.  Remember
kill only those who deserve it.  If not, you cannot protect the family.  Do
not give into your desire to kill just for sport.  Please remember that.
   Your Loving Father, Randall
   Bobby who still hadnt gotten over the shock of everything was trying to
absorb all he had read in first the letter to him and now to this Tony
Bannister whoever he was.  The only thing he knew was what was in the
report the night his granddaughter was killed.  Tony was with his
girlfriend, Dana St Clair who found the body.  So it appeared that not only
Tony maybe the killer but he also witnessed what Randy Baxter did the night
that Allison disappeared.  It also was clear that the Baxter's had many
secrets and with the revelation that Randy was the father of the children
of Lenny Baxter and not Lenny himself, it was clear now that Randy
underestimated his son.
   Bobby was sure from the grisly scene here, they had a murder suspect and
it was now clear it could very well be Tony.  He called to one of the
officers to borrow his radio for a moment.  The officer gave it to him and
Bobby spoke into it, " This is Chief Rogers to all available units.  I want
an APB put out for Tony Bannister.  Hes a night janitor at the Valentine's
Cove Lodge.  He's to be considered armed and dangerous.  Approach with
caution."
   He prayed that they would find this Tony Bannister before he killed
again.
   Meanwhile across town at the County Morgue, Jack Dobbs was cutting open
the body of Gerard St Clair.  He had done both a blood and a toxicolgy
screen to look for the cause of death and was waiting for the report to
come back.  In the meantime, he was concerned as the entry wound to the
head was too perfect.
   Jack Dobbs was not alone as he examined the body.  Jeff Markham had just
arrived and watched as Jack did a task that Jeff had seen done before but
hated watching.  His stomach did flip flops as he watched.  He had no
choice, he needed to know the cause of death of Gerard St Clair.
   Jack talked to Jeff as he examined the body saying, " Something is not
right here.  The entry wound is too perfect for suicide.  If you look at
the entry wound its lined up perfectly to the temple.  A suicide victim
couldn't do it that easily.  If you also think about it, once the victim
pulls the trigger, the jolt from the gun would cause them to jerk which
would mean the entry wound couldn't be perfect unless the gun was held by
someone else."
   Jeff listened and replied, "So you are saying that suicide isnt an
option here that someone shot him in the head and killed him?"
   Jack looked at him and shook his head and said, " No actually.  Whoever
shot him didn't kill him.  Until I get the tox screen as well as the report
from forensics to confirm it, I would rather not give you a definite
answer,but from the perfect angle of the wound and the fact that there
wasn't as much blood from this wound as there should be, tells me he was
already dead before he was shot.  If I was a betting man, I would say he
died of alcohol poisoning."
   It was then that Jeff heard over his own walkie talkie the call for all
available units from Bobby, "This is Chief Rogers to all available units. I
want an APB put out for Tony Bannister.  Hes a night janitor at the
Valentine's Cove Lodge.  He's to be considered armed and dangerous. 
Approach with caution."
   Jeff then got on the walkie talkie and said, "Bobby this is Jeff.  I'm
at the coroners office with Jack.  What's going on?"
   Bobby replied over the walkie talkie, "Jeff call me that the Baxter
house on the phone please and I will explain."
   Jeff then asked Jack to use his phone and Bobby explained once he
called. As soon as he was finished, Jeff told him he had confirmed that
Tony and Jenna Bannister were registered in school at the time and had just
found out when Bobby had left to head to the Baxter house.
   Bobby said to him, "Well now we can be sure that Tony and Jenna are the
missing Baxter children."
   Jeff then said to him, "Yep and now we also have another problem.  We
are waiting for the forensics report as well as the tox and blood tests
that Jack performed, but by all indications, Gerard was shot after he was
dead.  Whoever shot him didn't know he was dead."
   Bobby groaned and said," Oh great!  We have a person or persons who
shoot with the intent to kill only to not realize he was dead.  Well we
still have a person who intended murder so now we better be careful. 
Whoever it was is still out there."
   Jeff then asked, " Bobby are you ok?  I know this is a lot for you to
handle.  If you like, I can handle things from here."
   Bobby replied, "No!  When this is all over, then I will do what I need
to.  However, as much as it hurts to know that my daughter was killed by a
Baxter and now possibly my granddaughter, I need to stay focused until this
is all over."
   Jeff understoo and didn't push as he said, " I understand Bobby.  We
will find the person.  That I promise you.  I just wish we had some leads."
   In the meantime, Gay St Clair sat alone in the dark of the night in her
parked car.  She stared out into the night as she looked at the gun she
held which had now been fired.
   She said out loud to no one,"Now you can't hurt anyone you bastard.  I'm
glad you are dead."
   Chapter 18
   The young woman was walking out into the late night.  Not even knowing
or even caring.  She wasn't able to think.  She just kept walking along the
dark road.  As she walked aimlessly, a car approached her.  It was a patrol
car.  As they pulled up to her, they saw her long blond hair and dishelved
look.  She had been crying and she was in shock.  She was also holding a
gun.
   The officer got out of the passenger's side and said to the woman,
"Young lady, are you ok?" As he asked the question, he gently took the gun
from her hand and it was then, he recognized her.
   The young woman standing before him was none other than Hannah St Clair.
He then sniffed the gun barrel and had discovered it had been fired.  He
then looked at his partner and said, " You better get on the radio and call
the Chief.  It looks like we may have our suspect in the Gerard St Clair
shooting.  His own daughter."
   Across town, Cheri St Clair trembled violently as she sat in the park.
The moonlight hitting her with a gentle glow.  As she held the gun in her
hand she realized the nightmare was over.  The man that had made her life a
living hell was dead.
   The gun she held had been fired but she had no regrets about using it.
It was for a good reason.  She now knew her father was dead and she should
feel happy and even relieved.  However, she felt anything but relieved.
   As she looked at the gun, she let out a sigh of relief that she was able
to get another gun since she was now in possesion of her third gun.  The
first one she had given to Hannah.  The second one she had taken from her
when Gary had confronted about what he had seen in the park and when she
denied it, he then pushed into her house and went into her purse which was
sitting on the coffee table where she left it, he then dumped it out and
then looked at her and asked, "What the hell is this then?"
   Cheri looked at him and said, "Its none of your business.  Give me the
gun.  It doesn't belong to you."
   Gary looked at her and said, "You want the gun?  You can have it as soon
as you tell me what you were doing giving Hannah a gun and you can also
tell me who your son's father is?"
   Devon who was still in the room looked at the man who was talking to his
mother.  When he saw the man pull a gun out of his mothers purse, it
frightened him.  Who was this man?  Why also did he need to know who my
Daddy is?  Devon didn't understand.
   Gary and Cheri both realized Devon was still in the room and Cheri then
gently took Devon into her arms and told him to go to his room while Mommy
and the man talked.  Devon reluctantly did as he was told.
   Once Devon was safely out of the room, Cheri turned to Gary and said, "
Give me the gun back please."
   Gary shook his head and said no, "I want the truth.  Why did you give
Hannah a a gun?  I also want to know who Devon's father is and I'm not
leaving till you tell me.  Who is he?"
   Cheri looked at him and said, "Its none of your business.  I don't have
to tell you a fucking thing."
   Gary looked at her and said, "Fine.  I will come straight out and ask.
Is Devon's father, your father?"
   Cheri looked at him in shock.  The rest was all a blur and as she now
sat in the park, she remembered how the outcome was which was that Gary
left her parents with the gun so she found herself wanting to make sure she
herself had a gun so she went to the person she who was able to get her a
gun and then replaced the gun Gary took from her.
   She recalled shortly after giving Hannah her gun the day in the park,
how she received a phone call from the man.  He knew she was back in town
and wanted to see her.  She then agreed to meet the man and when she did,
the man talked about her father.
   He told her that he didn't trust her father as he knew things about him
and that she should be protected.  Did he know she had been raped by her
father?  He then asked if she had a gun?  She told him that she used to
have one,but she had given it to her sister.  He never asked why.  It was
like he knew.
   He then gave her another gun and said, if she ever needed anything to
call him.  He gave her a number and left his name above the number.  She
stood there in shock when she saw the name because she knew of him, but had
never met him during the whole time she had been together with Gary.
   The man that gave her the gun was Ted Valentine.  When Gary had taken
the gun, she immediately called Ted to replace the other one saying that
she had lost the other one.  Ted didn't even ask questions.  He met with
her later and gave her another.
   Cheri wondered how Gary would feel if he knew who had supplied the gun
he was now carrying given that she knew Gary and his Dad were not close.
   Across town, Tony sat in his vehicle watching the Valentine's Lodge.  He
had seen the police cars driving past and watched as they patroled around
looking for someone.  When he got out of his vehicle earlier, he walked
fairly close to the unit as the officer was saying into the mic , "There is
no sign of Tony Bannister.  Apparently, he called in asking for another day
off and Mr Valentine fired him."
   Bobby's voice then came over the mic and said, "Fair enough.  However, I
want you to stay there and watch if he should come there.  I will send
another unit to his house to talk to his sister and girlfriend.  Remember
while you are watching, he could be armed and dangerous."
   The officer acknowleged Bobby and then just sat in his patrol car as he
watched for any sign that Tony might show.  He didn't see Tony creep back
to his own vehicle which was parked where the officer couldn't see it
unless he started to patrol around the area.
   As soon as he got back into his car, he then took the keys out of the
ignition and then went to his trunk and grabbed a baseball bat and then
quietly closed the trunk and then slowly proceeded back to the patrol car
with the baseball bat in his hand.
   He knew no matter what, he was going to kill Ted Valentine no matter who
he had to kill to do it and he wasn't above killing a police officer now.
He had lost all reason now.  Anyone who actually did know Tony, wouldn't
know him now as he was too far gone emotionally to see reason.  His need
for blood and death were the only thing driving him.
   With that he snuck up behind the patrol car and then crept around to the
drivers side where the officer was sitting, he then leaped up just in front
of the officer and said, "Excuse me Officer!  I was wondering if you could
help me?" The officer stuck his head out to see who was asking a question
and it was then Tony brought the bat down as the man stuck his head out the
window.  The bat connected to the officer's skull and then there was a snap
and then an explosion as the officers neck broke because of the force and
his head at the same time exploded like a watermelon.  The officer never
saw what hit him or who.
   Tony then moved toward the back entrance of the Valentine's Cove Lodge
with the bloody baseball bat in his hand.
   At the County Coroner's Office, Jeff had just got the forensic results
of the scene of Gerard St Clairs.  The results proved conclusively that
Gerard St Clair didn't commit suicide.  The officers had found 3 other
bullets lodged into the wall above Gerard In a scattered pattern which was
indicative that the other 3 shots were fired from a distance and whoever
was aiming, didn't get close enough to the body to see that Gerard was
already dead.  With the lighting in the room, there had been a small lamp
left on which would eminate low lighting so unless a person walked up to
the body and had fired at close range, they would not even realize Gerard
was already dead and with the added fact that the curtains had been closed
which indicated Gerard didn't even want anyone knowing he was in the office
would make it harder for whoever to see into the room given the only light
there was was the light coming from the lamp.  They also wouldn't even
realize that because of the lighting in the room, they missed there target.
The fact that they musn't have checked indicated perhaps that the person or
persons as indicated with 4 different weapons used, to see if they had
checked they even hit their target,that they were possibly in a highly
emotional state of mind or may have even been frightened away before they
could check.  However, one person had.  That was now obvious given that
there was a bullet hole perfectly centered in his temple.  The question was
who?  How did they not see that the man was already dead?  It was possible
that they had thought he was sleeping just as Jeff, Bobby and Jack had. 
However, there was no way to know at this point.
   Although,the guns were all of the same caliber, it was definite that 4
different guns were used.  What was worse.  None of the bullets were
identifiable to say which gun they came from, had they had any weapon to
check it from.  They had one and that was Hannah St Clair's.
   Jeff had talked to the station saying that Hannah St Clair was brought
in for questioning and that they had a weapon but that the weapon couldn't
positively be identified as the gun that killed Gerard St Clair.  They told
him that Hannah was going to be taken to the hospital as she was in no
shape to talk to anyone.
   As Jeff hung up and looked at the forensics report, he discovered the
thing Jack needed to know.  There was no trace of gunshot residue on
Gerard's hands or his clothing which confirmed that Gerard couldn't have
fired a weapon.
   By then Jack had also got the blood and tox screens back and it was
confirmed that Gerard had died from alcohol poisoning but also had a little
help as well as the contents of his stomach showed high levels of rat
poison.
   So it was now official.  Gerard St Clair had been murdered.  Jack was
unable to determine which got to him first but figured had he been treated
for alcohol poisoning he would have more than likely lived.  However the
rat poison stopped him from doing anything about it.
   Jeff then looked at Jack and said, " All we have is a gun that Hannah St
Clair was holding.  I can't believe she killed her own father.  The poison
could have come from anyone."
   Jack looked at Jeff and said, "Don't look at me.  That's your job to
figure out where.  I'm just the coroner."
   Jeff then thanked Jack and said, "Well, we have only circumstancial
evidence so maybe we can hold off on charging Hannah until we get something
more concrete.  Thanks for your help Jack.  I better go start helping Bobby
with the Randy Baxter murder."
   Jack shook his head.  It was going to be a long night for everyone.  He
watched as Jeff left.
   In the Valentine's Cove Lodge, Ted Valentine had been at his desk going
over some paper work.  Things were not going well.  His manager had been
not doing his job and allowing everyone to do as they wanted and now he had
an excessive amount of bills to worry about with the Lodge and to top it
all off, he had fired his night janitor.
   Tonight was not a good night as he looked at the bills, he realized he
would have no choice but to allow Troy Sky to invest in Valentine's Cove
Lodge.  The Lodge itself was an eye sore that the family wouldn't get rid
of as Ted had covered up all the financial problems it was having.
   Most of his investors had said no to investing in it anymore.  It was
dead weight.  However Troy Sky had approached Ted asking that he be allowed
to invest.  It was the perfect operation.  He could use it as a tax write
off.
   Ted knew of Troy Sky's underworld connections and although he had
dealings with the underworld, Troy Sky was a person that he was terrified
of because if he didn't get what he wanted, it was rumoured that he would
kill to do it.
   However, as Ted looked at the mess his manager had created, he now
realized he had no other choice.  He couldn't go to his mother, Muriel and
tell her what had happened.  The Lodge was the first of all the empire's
his father started so Muriel refused to see it die and Ted made sure then
that she never saw the problems it was having.
   As he sat there deciding if he should take on Troy Sky, he didn't hear
Tony enter until Tony said to him, "So here you are sitting all pretty in
your little financial empire while people like me are tossed out in the
cold."
   Ted was surprised to see Tony.He looked at him and asked, "What are you
doing here?  I fired you remember?"
   Tony looked at him as he entered holding the baseball bat in his hands
and said, " Oh yeah!  I remember asshole.  However, I'm not going to leave
so quietly.  I have some things to discuss and you are gonna listen you
arrogant prick!!"
   With that he took the baseball bat and brought it down hard on Ted's
desk smashing a coffee mug that was empty and the pieces shattering all
over his desk.
   However, as Ted saw it, the last thing he was worried about was his
coffee cup.  He looked at Tony.  Ted was terrified for his life.
   Chapter 19
   After Jeff left the coroner's office, he decided that he had better do
as Bobby had asked and stop by the St Clair house and see Gay St Clair and
inform her of her husband's death.  He wasn't looking forward to it as this
was the one part of his job he hated.  He had a hard enough time doing it
when he had to tell Bobby about Jamie.
   As he pulled up to the St Clair house, he saw no lights on whatsoever.
He figured that she must be asleep.  However, he also knew he had to wake
her up and that more than likely after tonight's news, she wouldn't be
sleeping the rest of the night.
   He went up the stairs and knocked on the door and waited.  There had
been no answer and he knocked again and continued to wait.  However, there
was still no answer.  He then decided that she probably went out and that
she wasn't home yet.  He looked at his watch and realized it was 1:00am. 
He was surprised.  Where could she be?
   He then got back into his car and as he did heard his radio crackle and
the voice of the dispatcher come over the radio saying, "Dispatch to Unit 3
come in please.  I repeat, dispatch to Unit 3 come in please where are
you?"
   Jeff waited as Dispatch called again and there was still no answer and
he finally got in the mic and said, "This is Deputy Chief Markham to
Dispatch.  Do we have a problem, Dispatch?"
   The dispatch operator replied, " I'm not sure Chief.  Something is up.
For the past 30 minutes I have been trying to reach Unit 3 and they are not
responding.  Chief Rogers ask that he check in every 30 minutes and when
the officer didn't check in, I started calling him."
   Jeff answered back, "Ok, where was the unit dispatched and who was the
officer in Unit 3?"
   The dispatcher replied, "It's Billy Davis.  He is at the Valentine's
Cove Lodge."
   Jeff then replied, "Ok Dispatch, keep trying and I will head there right
away to see if there is a problem.  My ETA is about 5 minutes.  I'm just
leaving the St Clair house.  There was no one home.  Please make a note for
us to send someone later."
   The dispatch operator said, "Roger to that.  You are heading to the
Valentine's Cove Lodge and we are to send a unit to the St Clair house
later."
   Bobby's voice came over the radio then, "Chief Rogers to Deputy Chief
Markham.  You better take back up.  If Davis isn't answering it could mean
trouble.  I'm still at the Baxter home and will join you as soon as I can."
   Jeff acknowledged the call from Bobby and Dispatch was sending a unit to
back Jeff up.  Jeff hoped that Billy Davis was ok as he was a good cop and
if he hadnt checked in on time, there was a reason.
   As Jeff pulled into the Valentine's Cove parking lot he spotted Unit 3
parked near the main entrance for the guests where everyone entering or
leaving could be seen.  Davis had picked a good spot and as Jeff pulled up
he saw no one in the police car.
   Jeff got out of his car and approached the unit.  As he stared at the
side of the patrol car, he saw blood and brains all over the side of the
unit.  He then looked inside and laying on the seat was Officer Billy Davis
or what Jeff could make out of him as being him.
   Officer Davis's skull had been crushed and his neck broken.  Jeff felt
sick to his stomach but did all he could to maintain control and after a
few moments, he ran back to his car and grabbed his radio mic and said into
it, "This is Deputy Chief Markham to dispatch.  We have an officer down. 
Send an ambulance to the Valentines Cove Lodge.  Bobby, if you are within
range, meet me on Tac two please."
   Bobby answered, "Roger.  Switching to Tac 2 now."
   Once Jeff switched to the radio channel known as Tac 2 that most
scanners couldn't access he was able to speak freely and said, "Bobby, are
you there?"
   Bobby answered right away and said, "I'm here Jeff.  What's up?"
   Jeff replied, "Bobby, Davis is dead.  His skull is crushed and neck
broken.  Its not a pretty sight."
   Bobby replied and said, "Ok I will wrap up here and join you shortly. 
In the meantime, I will call dispatch by phone and get them to change the
ambulance to a hearse.  I will also get a couple more men out of bed and
get you an extra unit there.  In the meantime be careful.  Do you have your
gun with you?"
   Jeff replied, "Yes I have it in my glove compartment although with a
small town like this, I never thought I would be using it."
   Bobby said to him, "Look Jeff, take it out and make sure its loaded
before you go into the Lodge.  If Tony Bannister did this, you better be
armed."
   Jeff agreed to do this and and then signed off and then reached into his
glove compartment to make sure his gun was there and then he loaded the
bullets into it and snapped it shut and headed inside.
   Back at Randy Baxter's house, the grisly scene that was there, Bobby
Rogers himself still was not used to.  As he held the letters he had been
reading, he then took out two plastic bags that they used for evidence.  He
took the letter addressed to him and put it in one and then the letter
addressed to Tony Bannister in the other.
   As he looked around, the officers at the crime scene were so preoccupied
with the blood and mess that they hadnt even spotted the letters yet.  He
then grabbed a third baggie and then placed the one addressed to Jenna in
it and then tucked all 3 letters into his pocket.
   The officers at the scene were none the wiser.  They were too
preoccupied with the fact that they were seeing something that just didn't
happen in Valentine's Cove.  This was a small quiet town and the murders
that had happened so far tonight as well as Jamie's would rock the town of
Valentine's Cove to its foundation.
   Bobby had no intention of witholding evidence.  It was too late for
that. Too much had happened.  However, this wasn't about him.  He had to
think of Jeff, Jack and Ted before he turned these letters in.  It was
there lives and their careers that would be ruined once it all came out as
to what the four of them did.  Once he talked to them, it wouldn't be a
problem as he was tired.  He wanted it all to end and the only way to do
that as he saw it was to come clean.
   As he looked around the room, he began to think about his daughter,
Allison.  Tears filled his eyes and he said under his breath, "I'm sorry
baby.  I never wanted you a part of my past and you and your daughter died
because of it, but I promise, Daddy will make things right.  This I swear
to you." He then made sure the officers were ok and had all they needed and
left them to tend to the rest of the crime scene.  He got into his car and
then headed to the Valentine's Cove Lodge to help Jeff and the other
officers.
   In the meantime in Ted Valentine's office, Ted looked in astonishment as
Tony had smashed his coffee cup to pieces with the baseball bat as he said,
" Oh yeah!  I remember asshole.  However, I'm not going to leave so
quietly. I have some things to discuss and you are gonna listen you
arrogant prick!!"
   As Ted shook in fear praying his life would not be taken, Tony began to
speak and said, "You and all your Valentine money and your empire.  You sit
so pretty while the rest of the world has to struggle.  You make deals you
do everything just for that almighty dollar.  You will screw people over
and lie, cheat and steal.  You would even sell out your family.  Wouldn't
you Teddy boy?"
   Ted looked at him and then looked at the floor and then back to Tony
again and said, "What are you talking about?"
   Tony grinned at him.  However it wasn't a happy grin it was one that
said, lie to me asshole and I will bash your brains in.  However Tony
spoke, "Don't be coy with me there, Teddy boy.  You know exactly what I'm
talking about.  You have money.  You have your fortune and kept everything
you own but in order to do that, you had to sell out your family.  You know
I speak the truth.  It sucks to live in a legend's shadow doesn't it? 
Isn't that what your father was to this pathetic little town?  My
understanding is your father Adam Valentine built this town and left you a
legacy.  You however messed it up by not using the old brain.  You became
arrogant and greedy.  You were above honest work.  You were not above
murder though were you?"
   Ted looked at Tony and although he was sure Tony didn't know about him,
that he was only guessing, he still had trouble looking Tony in the eyes as
what Tony was saying was true.  However, he wasn't about to admit it and
said, "I don't know what you are talking about."
   Tony took the baseball bat and brought it down hard and said to him,
"Don't you lie to me you pathetic fuck!!!  I know all about you and what
your friends did!!!  You killed a man 40 years ago by the name of Lenny
Baxter.  You sick lying mother fucker!!!  Lenny Baxter was the only father
I ever knew and you and your friends beat him to death because he wanted to
fuck a two bit whore sister of one of your friends!!  The worst part is
your buddy Bobby doesn't know how you and your friends betrayed him.  Does
he??  However you do don't you??"
   Ted shook his head not believing what he was hearing Tony Bannister was
Lenny Baxter's son and Tony knew that all 5 men were responsible and why?
   Ted looked at him and said, " I don't know what you are talking about. I
don't know a Lenny Baxter."
   Tony was enraged and then took the baseball bat and smashed it across
his desk and said, "Like fuck you don't!!!  You, Bobby Rogers, Jeff
Markham, Jack Dobbs and Gerard St Clair all knew him and you killed him
because of Bobby's slut sister, Amy!!!  and when you were done, you took
him out and set his body on fire and watched it burn then you buried it. 
The thing that kills me is that Bobby has no idea that you and all the rest
of your friends had a go at Amy at one point after Lenny was killed.  He
has no idea you betrayed him.  Does he?  He also doesn't know that Amy had
a kid to one of you, does he?  The question is who is the Daddy of Amy's
baby and what is the girls name?  Hmmm..I wonder???  Could it be you are
the Daddy and that slut gave birth to a Valentine heir?"
   Ted was reeling this guy knew too much and he said to him, "Just who the
hell are you?  How do you know all of this?"
   Tony looked at him and said, "My God!  Are you that fucking stupid?  My
name is not Tony Bannister.  My real name is Tony Baxter and you killed a
man who for a long time, I thought was my father.  However Lenny's not my
father, but he was the only father I ever knew until you killed him and my
own father Randy, his brother saw you.  Randy saw it all."
   In the meantime, Jeff had been approaching Ted's office and had arrived
just as Tony had confronted Ted about the business deals and selling Ted's
family out.  So he now knew that Valentine's Cove was not as wealthy as Ted
tried to make it sound and Ted had made some not so nice deals from the way
it sounded.
   As Jeff listened, he heard the rest of it and then heard about the fact
Tony was indeed a Baxter but that Randy Baxter was his father not Lenny. 
Then the part of Amy being will all of them at one point had floored Jeff
as he knew about his trist with Amy but had no idea that Ted and Gerard and
Jack had also been with her.  Worse..Amy had a child to one of them.
   My God he thought which one of us is the father and where is Amy's
daughter?
   Jeff pulled his gun out and waited quietly before he did anything.  He
wanted to take Tony alive as if what he was saying was true, he could be
the father of Amy's baby.  If he was, he wasn't going to not take
responsibility for his actions and he would also confess all to Bobby as he
should have years ago.
   So he watched and waited prepared to make his move.  Besides, that son
of a bitch Ted could use a good scare.  If he did indeed sell out the town
and his family all for money, he deserved a good scare.  However, if it got
out of hand, Jeff knew what to do.
   So for now he waited and listened.
   Ted was still reeling.  So it was now coming together.  Randy did
witness it as Bobby had told the men at the meeting before they took a vote
and with the fact Tony knew as well as Randy, he realized others would know
and his life wouldn't be worth squat once his investors learned that he was
part of a murder and tried to cover it up.  He was finished and he now knew
it.
   He looked at Tony and said, "Ok.  You win.  What do you want?"
   Tony looked at him and then glared at him, "You don't feel so high and
mighty do you now?  You and your money and all your deals with everyone
from the underworld to whoever.  You are now brought to your knees by your
past.  Kneel before me asshole!!!  Its time to meet your maker."
   Ted knew he was finished and for the first time in his life he wanted to
die.  Whether Tony killed him or not, he was already dead because anyone of
his underworld connections would do the job including his newest soon to be
investor, Troy Sky who he was most afraid of.
   Ted feeling resigned was brought to his knees and awaited his fate.  As
Ted kneeled, Tony said to him, "Hmm..  a man who can do well blackmailing
his friends such as how you blackmailed Gerard St Clair without batting an
eyelash, amazes me.  You act so cold and powerful when it comes to holding
a mans past over his head because you caught him with some underage girly
pictures in his safe and now you are so willing to give up that easy.  You
are so pathetic you deserve to die!!"
   With that Tony took the bat and was about to bring it down on Gerard St
Clair's skull.
   It was then that Jeff stepped out and said, "Drop it Tony.  You are
under arrest for the murder of Jamie Rogers and Officer Billy Davis."
   As soon as Tony turned around, he saw Jeff Markham and began to charge
at him with the baseball bat.  His eyes that of a corned animal.  As he ran
towards Jeff, Jeff with no hesitation shot Tony twice in the head.  As both
bullets pierced his skull, he was dead before he hit the floor.  Ted looked
up at Jeff, tears streaming down his face as he said, "Thank you Jeff.  You
saved my life."
   Jeff looked at him and said, "Yes I saved your life.  I did my job as a
cop as well as a friend, but you you son of a bitch, you blackmailed Gerard
and sold out the town and your family and then you have the nerve to call
all of us friends??  I should have let Tony kill you.  Thank God I have
more sense than that."
   Ted Valentine looked at Jeff, his face beat red from embarrasement
asked, "What do you want from me?"
   Jeff looked at him and said, "I want to kick your ass however, I will
settle for you just voting to confess to everything once I call a meeting
to take another vote.  You will side with us.  You no longer have a choice.
You know your family is finished...oh and by the way, your buddy Gerard is
dead so if you are gonna blackmail him, its too late!  He's gone.  He was
murdered."
   With that he left Ted Valentine who had a stunned look on his face as he
walked out to meet the squad cars that were slowly approaching the
Valentine's Cove lodge as he could hear the sirens in the distance of the
approaching vehicles.
   Chapter 20
   Muriel Valentine sat up waiting for hours for Gary.  Ever since she told
him this morning about Cheri, he had been gone.  She was very worried about
him.  It wasn't like him to be gone this long.  The only time she
remembered was a couple of weeks ago when she had pushed him about Cheri.
He had been gone a while but even so, he hadn't even been gone this long.
She was worried...very worried.
   It was now almost 2:00am and she prayed that he would be home soon.  As
she sat waiting, the phone rang and the voice on the other end said, "Mrs
Valentine, I apologize for phoning so late but I haven't heard from Gary
since this morning.  I have been worried about him as he didn't call me as
promised."
   The voice on the phone was that of Bridget Beaumont.  This was all that
Muriel needed.  She said to Bridget, "Look I know that you have eyes for my
son,but he doesn't need you calling him.  You are not his type so stop
calling him.  If he wants you, he will call you.  Now if you don't mind, I
want to clear this line in case he tries to call."
   Bridget said to her, "Look, I know you don't like me and frankly I don't
care.  However, I do care about your grandson.  You say he's not home?  I
don't understand.  He left the Lodge worried about you.  He was going to
call me back and didn't.  I had to get someone to cover for him tonight at
the Lodge.  Mrs Valentine, think what you want but I am worried about him
too just as you are."
   Muriel Valentine could be a cold hearted, judgemental person at times,
but she also knew genuine concern when she heard it and she calmly said,
"I'm sorry Bridget.  Perhaps you do care about him.  It was mean to say
otherwise.  I'm just very worried about my grandson."
   Bridget's tone also softened and she said to Muriel, "Mrs Valentine,
would you like me to come over there to wait with you so you don't have to
wait alone?"
   Muriel Valentine smiled as she heard the girl make the offer and said,
"Yes Bridget.  That would be fine."
   With that, both women hung up and then Muriel waited by the phone
praying her grandson, Gary would be ok.
   At the Valentine's Cove Lodge, 4 patrol cars were at the scene now and 2
more on the way now that the murder scene at the Baxter scene had been gone
over by Forensics.
   However, with the scene being over and done with now that Tony Bannister
was dead, the other cars just controlled traffic until the scene of the
crime died down.
   As the officers controlled traffic, Bobby had arrived not long ago and
was talking to Jeff and Ted Valentine.  Ted was still very shaken up after
Tony trying to kill him.  However, Bobby noticed some strong tension coming
from Jeff towards Ted.  Something had gone down tonight and Jeff was none
too happy.  Once Bobby got Jeff alone, Bobby would find out what the deal
is.
   Ted looked at Bobby and said, " Bobby, its been a long night.  Can I go
home?"
   Bobby looked at Jeff and asked, "Do we need him anymore?"
   Jeff Markham looked at Ted Valentine and then back at Bobby and said,
"No!  We don't.  At least for now.  However, make sure you are available if
the Chief and I have any questions.  Do you understand?"
   Ted looked at Jeff and then looked down at the ground and said, "I
understand.  Anything you want, I will gladly do all I can to help."
   As Bobby watched the exchange he was surprised as he had never seen Ted
back down or even not look a man in the eyes.  Ted then left and Bobby
approached Jeff and said, "Now that he's gone, do you want to tell me what
that was all about?"
   Jeff looked at Bobby and said, "Look Bobby I have a lot to tell you
about, but its not a good time.  However, I will tell you this.  Ted
Valentine has a lot of secrets.  One of those secrets he was using to
blackmail Gerard St Clair.  According to Tony Bannister, Gerard had a thing
for young underaged girls and apparently Ted found out about it and has
been using it to blackmail Gerard with.  Chances are that's what that's
what the exchange was all about at the meeting we had when we voted on
whether to come clean or not."
   Bobby nodded as Jeff said what he did and said, "Well we knew it had to
be something.  Look when we can finally end our night here, what do you say
we both get together at my place and talk.  Hell!  I will even make you
breakfast."
   Jeff chuckled and said, "You make breakfast?  I will pass but some
coffee and some good conversation would go good later on."
   Bobby looked at him and growled, " Don't knock my cooking till you have
tried it."
   Jeff laughed and became serious and asked, "How did you make out at the
Baxter house?"
   Bobby replied, "Well now that we have our suspect and he's dead.  It
doesn't matter.  However, I do have something I need to discuss with you.
There is a lot to the Baxter family we didn't know about.  Lenny Baxter
wasn't Tony father.  Randy was."
   Jeff looked at him and nodded and said, "I know Tony told Ted and I
heard it all."
   Bobby nodded and said,"Good.  However what you may not know is that Tony
and Jenna's mother committed suicide over it and there's more.  The night
Allison was killed, Randy took Tony along when he was 12 years old and Tony
watched while Randy killed her."
   Jeff looked at him in shock and said, " Well so now we know how Tony was
created." Bobby nodded and asked, "How did you make out with the
investigation on Gerard St Clair?"
   Jeff answered and said, "Well you know that there were 4 weapons that
the forensics team think were involved and as you know none of the guns
were found.  However, we have one now but couldn't confirm if it was the if
it fired the shot to the head Gerard took."
   Bobby nodded and asked, "How did you find the gun?"
   Jeff replied, "A unit picked up Hannah St Clair and she was carrying it.
Shes been taking to the hospital.  Apparently she's in no shape to talk."
   Bobby asked, "What do you think?  Could she have killed her own father?"
   Jeff looked at him and shrugged his shoulders and said, "You know about
as much as I do.  The reality is we don't know Gerard or Ted anymore Bobby.
We haven't for years.  I actually wonder how well really did ever know
them"
   Bobby looked at Jeff and said, "We all knew each other at one point.  We
knew each other well enough to keep a secret for 40 years."
   Jeff nodded and said, "Yes maybe.  However, at what cost?  You lost both
Allison, Jamie and Amy over it."
   As Bobby was about to reply, a car pulled up and a big burly man with
curly brown hair and a mustache got out and walked over to Bobby and Jeff
and said, "Good evening gentleman.  We have a situation and we need to talk
now."
   The man that approached was none other than the District Attorney of
Valentine's Cove.  His name was Doug West.
   Both Bobby and Jeff had pained looks on their faces and Bobby asked, "Ok
what's your problem now Doug?"
   Doug West looked at Bobby and said, "Lose the attitude as you know as
well as I do that you and your temper aren't gonna keep you here.  You may
have the town brainwashed but I don't buy it."
   Bobby looked Doug West straight in the eye and said, " You wanna take my
job from me, you go right ahead but at least I earned my position and I
damn well have put my ass on the line.  How did you do it?  Kissing asses
in the political circles?"
   Doug West glared at him and what about to say something when Jeff cut
him off and asked, "Doug, this is a crime scene.  Do you have a reason to
be here?  We haven't even called the D.A's office yet."
   Doug looked at Jeff and then at Bobby and said, "Yes.  I have an a
warrant for Hannah St Clair's arrest and I want you to bring her in
please."He then handed Bobby the warrant for Hannah St Clair's arrest.
   Jeff and Bobby looked at him and Bobby asked, "On what grounds?. 
Everything we have is all circumstancial."
   Doug Wes replied, "You have a murder weapon and you have a woman found
holding a gun.  We now also have a witness that saw Hannah St Clair leaving
her father's office after they heard a gun shot."
   Jeff looked at Doug and said, "The weapon couldn't be positively
identified as the weapon.  We also know that whoever shot him shot a
corpse."
   Doug West replied, "Perhaps Hannah St Clair poisoned her father and was
worried the poison hadnt worked and put a bullet in his head to make sure.
Just bring her in and do it now or I will take both of your badges."
   With that, he turned around and jumped in his car and left.
   Jeff looked at Bobby and said, "Now what do we do?"
   Bobby looked at him and said, "You go to the hospital yourself and talk
to her doctor.  Ask if she is in any shape to be questioned yet.  Once you
do, you make sure that you bring her in if she can come in.  If not, do not
touch her.  I will deal with Doug West."
   With that Jeff took the warrant that Doug had given to Bobby and left to
go to the hospital to see Hannah St Clair.  When he arrived, he was met by
Hannah's doctor.  A man by the name of Dr Harlan Michaels.
   Jeff said to him, "I'm here to see Hannah St Clair.  I'm investigating a
murder."
   Dr Michaels shook his head and said, "I'm afraid I have to say no. 
She's in no shape to see anyone and with the news I just gave her.  I don't
think she will be ready for a while."
   Jeff looked at him in concern and asked, "What news?  Whats the
problem?"
   Dr Michaels said, "I'm sorry I can't discuss it Patient/Doctor
confidentiality."
   Jeff looked at him and replied, "Excuse me.  I'm conducting a murder
investigation which Hannah may or not be a part of and if I have to get a
court order I will.  So what is the problem or do I get that court order?"
   Dr Michaels shook his head and said, "Save your threats.  I will tell
you.  I just told Miss St Clair she is pregnant.  Shes about 3 months along
almost."
   Jeff stood there stunned as he heard the doctors words.
   Meanwhile at the Rosewood Sanitarium, Amy Rogers lay in her bed.  She
was trying so hard to get through this fog.  So many things she needed to
put together.  The strange man who had been in her room who resembled Lenny
but actually had closer resemblance to Randy.  Whoever he was had made
threats.  Now Amy was fighting to come back.  She needed to protect her
brother as he had been doing for her.  Then there was the woman who she
didn't recall but as she thought about it and then remembered the woman
called her "Mom".
   The pieces were slowly coming back together for her and then it
happened, as she kept trying really hard her eyes began to open and then as
she opened them, the fog slowly began to lift and for the first time, her
eyes actually saw her room for the first time with no foggy haze blocking
her vision.
   As her eyes opened, she knew who the man was and as for the girl, she
now remembered the thing she tried so hard to forget...A deal she had made
with a woman who was once her best friend.  Irene Stanfield.  Poor sweet
Irene who never hurt anyone and who took in the daughter Amy never wanted.
   As she opened her eyes and the fog lifted, a nurse came in and saw she
was fully awake and then looked and ran out of the room screaming in
excitement, "Doctor, it's a miracle.  Amy Rogers is awake.  Doctor come
quick!!"
   As Amy lay there, she thought about the man again who had made threats
against her family.  She wasn't sure exactly who he was but he was a
Baxter. So Randy and Lenny Baxter had more family.  She prayed that on one
touched her family.  She then slowly swung her legs around as she now knew
she had to get to her brother, Bobby.  He and his friends were in real
danger.
   As she held on to the bed she placed her feet on the floor and started
to stand on her feet unsteadily.  She prayed she could warn Bobby and his
friends on time.
   It was now 5am and the sun was starting to come up in Valentine's Cove.
On a small beach known as Devil's Point, a body lay in the sand.  Beside
the body was a scotch bottle on one side and the hand of the body held a
revolver on the other side of him..
   The body slowly moved and it was then eyes opened and the man slowly
stood up.  He looked at the scotch bottle and tried to remember.  His head
felt worse than anything he felt in a long time.  He looked down at the gun
he held in his hand and then lifted it up to smell the end.  It had been
fired.
   As Gary Valentine stared down at the gun in his hand, he had no idea how
he fired a gun.  His mind was a complete blank.  What had happened to him?
The last thing he remembered was that he had gone to talk to Cheri St
Clair.
   The rest was a complete blank.  However, whatever had happened, he now
craved a drink.  He looked at the bottle which was now empty and he then
put the gun in his pocket and started walking down the beach still trying
to figure out what he was doing with a gun that had been fired as he didn't
even remember pulling the gun on anyone or even seeing anyone else other
than Cheri for that matter.
   As he walked down the beach to look for another drink, he began to
tremble a little out of the need for that drink he craved but more of the
fear of what he had done with the gun he was now in possession of.
   He thought to himself, "God please don't let me have killed anybody."
   TO BE CONTINUED IN VALENTINE'S COVE: BOOK 2-REVELATIONS
   
  
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