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Diversion
Wednesday
Maxie walks by Rita's office as she is muttering to herself.
"Okay there are support orders in place so how do I actually
get the money?"
Maxie knocks on the open door. "That's an easy one."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, Mom does it all the time. It's just another form of
skip tracing. The DA's office is too busy to do it until it
becomes a criminal matter. You know tens of thousands
of dollars in arrears."
"Well I have one of those too." Rita holds up a file.
"All you need is some software, the order and the guy's
social security number. V even has the software here. Track down
the guy's employer. Fax them the order of garnishment and you
should start getting checks on the next paycheck. Course that is
when the guy normally quits and goes to the next job. Or starts
working under the table. That's when it starts get really
interesting."
"Well to the man, I figure they think they have the women
running so scared that they'll be working legit jobs not thinking
that they'll come after them."
"Why don't you give me the names and socials on the ones you
have orders on and I'll trace them. Once I find them you can put
together a very polite and lawyer-ly screw you letter to use as a
cover sheet for the orders."
"Alexis wants space between these guys and the clients so
have the checks mailed here okay?"
"Let me find them first. Considering the situation it's not
a bad idea to know where they are anyway." Maxie says
practically.
Rita writes down the names and socials of the offenders she has
orders already on. "Here you go."
"Shouldn't take me long."
"Then why does the DA's office have such a tough time?"
Dara answers that one as she is passing by on her way to her
office. "There are too many of them. And the priority goes
to criminal/violent offenses. It's not fair and it's not right
but the person owed the money has do most of the work to collect
what is owed them and their kids. There is also a reluctance to
put the guys in jail cause it seems counter productive to getting
dollars for the kids if the guy is locked up and can't work."
"That makes sense but the kids aren't getting the money
anyway." Rita says practically.
"All true." Dara agrees ruefully. She goes on to her
office.
Maxie goes into Rita's office and closes the door. "Look
what I'm doing is strictly on the up and up. But if you really
need to pick these guys apart... the person to do it is Lucky
Spencer. He can find out anything about anybody on the computer--
assets, offshore accounts, credit record. Anything. There is
nothing he can't find."
Rita nods. "That's good to know. Hopefully it won't come to
that."
Maxie nods and leaves shutting the door behind her. But a moment
later she is calling Rita on the phone. "It's the clerk's
office at arraignments. They are sending over some. The PD's
office has hit their limit for the day and since you were there
saying you were willing to take the overflow...."
"Thank them for the warning and let me know when the clients
arrive." Rita instructs. Rita glaces up at the clock. There
is plenty of time before she has to go meet Carly.
"Gimme a beer." Ricky requests of the bartender at
Luke's. The beer is quickly delivered and Ricky moves over to a
table that has a view of the stage. Wednesday is jam night.
Nothing organized just people showing up with their instruments.
And the regulars that show up on Wednesday night know that it
could be a boom or a real bust.
"Howzit going, man?" Lucky asks as he pulls up a chair.
"How was LA?"
"Blonde and bland, man. Same old story. Old goats with money
and babes with no natural body parts remaining. It's all about
the benjamins, you know? I was never so glad to get out of there
and back to New York." Ricky bitches.
"You got more than your fair share of Benjamins."
"Look who is talking." Ricky looks at the casually
dressed guy next to him. Money hadn't spoiled Lucky. He is still
a jeans and tshirt guy. Maybe the money had spoiled him. Lucky
never felt the need to suck up to anyone or to wear a tie. His
motto seemed to be take me as I am or f'you. "Being Em's
front line, I have to create an impression. I rep the company."
Lucky snickers. "And the company is all looks based. Makeup,
perfume, and now I hear movies and television. Are you sure you
aren't just tracking companies that put you in the company of all
the babes?"
"There are perks." Ricky admits. He takes a sip of his
beer. The piano player from over at the Outback has arrived an
grabbing a drink from the bartender heads right up on the stage.
He starts noodling on the keys. Killing time til everyone arrives.
"So what are you up to?"
"Just finished up a computer game." Lucky shrugs.
"Did some digging for Nik."
Ricky looks at Lucky. Nik was never the one that requested the
digging it was always Maddy. "What did Maddy find?"
Lucky's eyes narrow. "Something going down on the estate.
She got a hinky feeling off of one of the cousins."
Ricky snorts. "They're Cassadines. She ought to be having a
hinky feeling 24/7."
"Yeah, well there is general paranoia and then there is
specific threat." Lucky says significantly.
Ricky's eyes go cold. "Is it handled?"
"Yeah, got the proof and took it back to Maddy."
"She call in the cops?"
"Nah. She never does. She knows where to hit these guys.
Everything belongs to Nikolas. Nik manages the estate and Maddy
manages the family. All the family members manage pieces
of the estate. The guilty party is now managing an uninhabited
rock in the aluetians. I hear the property there has indoor
plumbing but that's about all that can be said for it."
"Ah the Cassadine version of Siberia. Why do they put up
with it?" Ricky shakes his head.
"Cause the euro-relatives wouldn't know how to wipe their...
noses without servants and money. And Alaska might be cold but
not as cold as being thrown out of the family would be."
"I swear Maddy works like that episode of the original star
trek... You know the parallel dimension episode where the power
behind the throne just zaps everyone who opposes Kirk and they
disappear."
"I've mentioned that to her actually. She likes the
comparison. She's got no problem with what she's doing. I got no
problem helping her. And it's better this way. If Nik would have
handled it, the guy would have been dead."
Ricky straightens in his seat. "They were coming at Maddy."
Lucky nods. "Her job description is screwed. Half the family
wants her dead cause she hasn't provided an heir let alone a
spare and the other half want her dead before she can provide an
heir and spare."
"She never should have married him."
Lucky bites his tongue. There were times when he thought the same
thing. Hell he likes Maddy too much to wish on her the thankless
job of being wife to The Prince. Nik's wife sure. But Wife to the
Cassadine Prince? Two very different things. It was bad enough
this whole heir thing. It would be bad enough for any two people
as in love as Nik and Maddy who want kids and couldn't get
pregnant. But for the Prince to not have a heir?
Maddy has just about got to the point of saying the same thing.
Had told Elizabeth the same thing. That she should never had
married Nikolas. Love had nothing to do with it. "But she
did marry him. And Cassadines don't Divorce."
"Carly." There is more than a hint of whine in Rita's
voice. "I'm suppose to meet Mei over at the house. She wants
me to wear something of hers to the dinner thing Emily has
tomorrow for Gary Winslow."
Carly stops in her tracks and turns around in the aisle. "The
one gal still in Port Charles you can swap clothes with."
"Haha. This vertically challenged crap is for the birds."
Rita sits in one of the office chairs and starts swinging her
legs not touching the floor.
Carly laughs. "Yeah, but you look good in heels. And they
been making songs about gals like you long before either of us
were born. Guys dig petite women. It's women like me they have a
problem with."
"So they know you can kick their ass and they look on you as
a threat. Where I'm just someone they pat on the head and say
ain't she cute."
"So grab them by the balls and really give them something to
remember you by. Ain't a man tall enough to be out of your reach."
Carly gets serious. "Guys see me coming. I walk into a room
and they start backing to the walls. Everything I say they look
at a couple of different ways."
"Yeah, sex, and what you actually say. I have about as much
sex appeal as... that desk over there."
"It's a curse." Carly shrugs. "Luckily I'm married
to the guy who knows he's the one I'm coming home to. The only
one. And don't be so dismissive of desks. Rita, you think you're
cursed. I think you turn it around. And the law is such a perfect
career for you. You can tie them in knots and not worry about
getting your butt kicked out in the schoolyard."
Rita laughs. "Yeah, but what about guys? You know dates... S-E-X."
"You're not telling me..."
"No. You can't live across the hall from Granny Sophia and
not get some tips. I dated. I even you know..." Rita waves a
hand. "But it always ended up the same. People, guys I mean,
look at me and expect something, something I'm not."
"Um... sweet?!"
"Yeah. I'm cute. I cook. I'm definitely a Daddy's girl. But
they don't see me."
"Good."
"Good?!"
"Yeah, you're looking for the guy who does." Carly
finds what she is looking for. "This one. Try this one."
Rita sighs as if severely put upon and drags herself out of one
chair and into the one Carly picked. But the sigh turns to one of
pleasure. "Oh yeah. This one is nice."
Carly pulls her credit card out of her purse and holds it over
her head. The clerk who had been holding back appears by her side.
"Mrs Quartermaine?"
"We'll take this one. Put a bow on it and have it delivered
to this address." Carly pulls out one of Rita's business
cards. "Tomorrow."
"Of course, Mrs Quartermaine." The clerk takes Carly's
credit card and the business card. "I'll write this up right
now."
"You love doing that." Rita grins.
"It never loses it's thrill." Carly admits. "But
the real thrill is finding the perfect thing.
And this chair definitely qualifies." The clerk comes back
for her signature. Carly signs and takes her receipt. "And
I'll still get you back to the house in time to meet Mei."
"You just want to see what she made."
"The girl has the goods." Carly agrees. "I saw the
pictures of the prom dress she made you."
Ricky unlocks the front door to his house and grabbing the mail
from the floor picks it up and goes into the kitchen. He drops
the mail on the breakfast bar along with his briefcase and then
going over to the fridge grabs a Heineken and one of Mrs Chow's
specials. He pops it in the microwave and sets the time. Twisting
off the top of the beer he checks out his mail. Just like the
office there is a fair portion of it of people just stuffing his
mail just to do so. Those go quickly into the round file. (Well
actually it's sorta square and under the sink.) The remainder are
letters from his father and Miz Sophia and then a letter from the
alumni association of PCU. The timer dings on the microwave and
he pulls out the dish. Sitting down at the breakfast bar he opens
up the letter from his father.
<<< ...I'm missing Rita already. And so are all my
associates who grew into the habit of stopping by on Sundays for
the spreads she'd put together. On the weekends my kitchen became
her kitchen and I was lucky to be allowed to use the grill. Or
maybe mix beverages. She is very dismissive of her skills. I
suppose it is from comparing herself to her stepmother or her
brother both of whom have culinary talents beyond compare. In any
other house, in my house, there were none better. It put Marie in
somewhat of a snit even though she did get the weekends off.
My Lawyers are particularly missing her. If I thought there had
been a chance in hell of keeping her for the business....>>>
"Oh hell no, Dad." Ricky mutters and then continues on
with the letter.
<<<...But her father would have a connipition as would
have her stepmother, and I value all my parts attached. Rita was
never afraid to make her point and if there is something lawyers
enjoy doing-- it's arguing. It's what I pay them to do. But for
Rita they did it for the challenge.
I hope all is going well for you and that you will come home soon
for a visit. I heard of your latest coup snatching the
subsiderary from Sony for Emily. Remember to build something for
yourself in the mean time. You are in my thoughts, Dad. PS.
Remind Jerry he owes me a bottle of canadian.>>>
"Right, I'll do that." Ricky opens up the letter from
Miz Sophia.
<<<...Today would have been your grandmother's birthday.
So many things changed that day: For your father, you, Maddy. I
still miss her, your grandmother. Rosa was a rock not only for
her man until his passing but also for Pete. The only decent
thing your mother ever did was having you and then realizing it
was time for you to spend time with your dad. She was never cut
out for anything serious. But Rosa never said an ill word about
her, guess that makes her a better woman than I'd ever be. I know
I bad mouth marriage. It's not a good deal for women... hell it
sucks. A total crazymaker which is why I never did it. But for
you guys it's a hell of deal if you can find the right one...>>>
"That's three in one week. Is there something going on with
the planets? I'd wonder if it was the water if you hadn't written
this."
<<
Ricky finishes the letter and then sets it aside. I'm a
horrible son. He checks the postmarks on the letters. Both
written the same day. I should have called. But the day
had passed unnoticed. And it's a terrible thing to realize
remembering the anniversary of her death is easier than the day
she was born.
"Are you going to stay in there all night?" Carly kicks
in one of the chairs in Rita's room and grabs a magazine from out
of the window seat. "Come on out. Let us see!"
"I don't know about this." Rita can be heard from
inside the bathroom.
"I have to see it to see if it needs any alterations."
Mei insists. She goes over to the bathroom to open the door but
it's locked and won't turn under her hand. "Come on, Rita."
There is a click of the door unlocking. The knob turns. Rita
walks out to the total silence of two of her best friends. "Well?"
"Well." Carly gives a slow grin and then a thumbs up.
"Well, well, well."