Subj: Dark Light -- 16
Date: 5/8/99
From: Flashman
Chapter 16-The Next Morning
Beth Raines awoke, showered, and dressed. She thought to herself that last night must have been her imagination. No, as she felt her neck and the two puncture wounds there, no it wasn't. Annie had given her until tonight to make her decision. Become one of the Undead like Annie or....or what? That Beth didn't know. Surely Annie wouldn't kill her. They had always been friendly. She had never wronged Annie. Beth began shaking. I know, she thought. I'll go to the grocery store and buy a bottle of wine. A few glasses of wine to calm her nerves and she would be fine.
Beth put on a scarf so that no one would notice the bite marks on her neck. She drove to the grocery store and purchased a bottle of white wine. A good vintage. As she was exiting the store there stood Harley Cooper Spaulding, her ex-husband's current wife.
"On a morning bender again, huh Beth," Harley snidely remarked.
Beth ignored Harley and walked to her car. As she got into her car she thought, Harley, you just made my decsion a whole lot easier. Once again, as she drove home, Beth thought about the direction her life had taken. She was now being shunned by almost everyone in Springfield. Even people whom she had once considered friends had turned against her. Rick Bauer and Reva Lewis had both testified for Phillip at the custody hearing. Reva had done it out of sheer spite, Beth knew. Beth had gotten tipsy at one of Reva's dinner parties and had flirted with Josh.
Beth Raines couldn't understand why she, who had always been so perfect and had always played by the rules, was now a virtual outcast. And Harley and Reva, the two people who seemed to dislike her the most, why they were two of the most popular women in town. Reva, the Slut of Springfield, had been married to six different men. Harley, the dorky loser who still worked part-time at her father's diner even though her current husband was CEO of Spaulding Enterprises, was on her third marriage. Yet they were looked upon as the heroines of Springfield while Beth was seen as a fading has been.
After returning home Beth sat down, poured herself a glass of wine, and came to the realization that she had to quit sitting around feeling sorry for herself. She had to quit wallowing in self-pity. Time to grab the bull by the horns and take control of her life again. She also knew what her answer to Annie would be.
Over at the offices of Lewis Oil, Blake informed Reva and Josh of the events of the night before. Of how Barnabas Collins had simply manhandled her brother.
"Why the guy must be a maniac," said Reva. "Oh, we're going to get this guy, just you wait and see." She was Reva Shayne and nobody beat up one of her friends and got away with it.
Reva had then tried to call Alan Spaulding. Maybe he would tell her just what was going on. Fran Ridgkins, her again thought Reva, answered the phone. Fran refused to put Reva through to Alan. He was resting, she said, and didn't want to be disturbed. How dare anyone refuse to take her call! She was Reva Shayne.
Blake had called Ross on the phone to see what he knew about the affair. It had been rumored that Ross had prepared the power of attorney document that Barnabas Collins had gotten Alan Spaulding to sign. Ross had refused to answer any of her questions. He told Blake that if Barnabas Collins was an enemy of hers then he was a friend of his.
Josh then called Reva and Blake into his office for a meeting. He wanted to get their feel of the events that had happened yesterday.
Reva spoke first, "I'm telling you Joshua, this guy is trouble and we've got to run him out of town."
Josh was tending to agree with Reva more and more. After all, she'd usually been right in the past with her judgments of people. He had approved of her hiring Harley to investigate Barnabas Collins. Maybe she could dig up enough dirt that could be used against him. Like everyone else he was still baffled by the events of the previous day.
"Let's don't panic just yet, everybody. Other than the fact that Cassie has moved in with and seems mesmerized by the man, he hasn't made any type of move against Lewis Oil or any of us personally," said Josh.
"Oh yeah, Josh. How about his beating up my brother last night? He absolutely manhandled him," countered Blake.
"Blake, from what you told me, Hart was the one who came to his house and started the trouble. Mr. Collins was only defending his person and his property. Besides, when you talked to Hart this morning you said he sounded fine," replied Josh.
"I know," said Blake. "It's just that this guy Barnabas Collins is starting to scare me more and more."
"Just keep an eye on his activities from your house for us. Don't do anything to start up trouble. I don't want you getting hurt," said Josh.
"All right, Josh. Whatever you say," replied Blake.
"Hey, Bud," said Reva. "We've had a pretty tense morning so far. Why don't you and me go home, jump in the sack, and relieve some of that tension." She was Reva Shayne and she knew how to keep her man happy.
Josh smiled, "Sounds good to me, Reva. We'll be back about one o'clock."
They both departed for home and a morning of love-making. Boy, thought Blake,
those two can never keep their hormones in check. They'd both hump a rock pile
if they thought a snake was under it.
