15. Work It!!

[r2k]

Hey everyone. Sorry for the lack of fan fics. I had this completed before I went to Maine in early July. When I returned, I was in the middle of a move and an illness. Then Summer School started. Plus, my computer did not have internet access. Until Now!!! I now have Comcast high speed internet. Now I’m ready to continue the fan fic season.

The ‘90s was the decade of the supermodel. So it would stand to reason that this would be a perfect candidate for a Fan Fic or a real episode. At any rate, let’s dive into the world of pencil thin starving people looking pretty for the camera.

Work It

February 20, 1993 “Supermodel” by Rupaul plays in the background at a runway exhibit. Beautiful women and men are walking the catwalk strutting their stuff and showing off the latest fashions. On the side, a forty-something year old woman watches and smiles as the models do a good job. A young woman comes out. The audience cheers wildly. She doesn’t smile, looking unattainable and untouchable. The older woman on the side smiles. The model turns and walks back.
-In the back, the models are finished and ready to go to a post runway party. Two girls are together. One of them is the model everyone is cheering.
Kristi: Simone, you were great tonight. They all loved you. You’re on your way to the big leagues.
Simone: (Kind of down.) Yeah. They loved me.
Kristi: Is something wrong?
Simone: Nothing. I’m just tired, Kristi.
Kristi: I know what you mean. I’m surprise I still have legs let alone feel them.
-The older woman comes in.
Kristi: Kathryn. Well, how did the line do tonight?
Kathryn: Wonderful. We sold more than we ever have. Of course, this line has always sold. But this was great. You did good kid, but Simone, you were the big star tonight. Some very important people were watching you. Trying to steal you away.
Simone: Who?
Kathryn: Oh, the same who have come before. I think you may be ready. It’ll be a shame to lose you. But time is ticking and it is happening for you.
Simone: Thanks. I appreciate the kind words.
Kathryn: They’re not kind words. Remember this business for what it is and you’ll do just fine. Now, there is a wonderful party awaiting all you girls. You’re the future of models.
-Kathryn walks away to talk to some of the other girls.
Kristi: Did you hear that? You are hot girl.
Simone: It’s all I ever wanted.
-Simone finishes getting ready for tonight. She kind of looks sad.

-Later that night, deep in the night, the camera focuses on a hotel building. In a window, a girl is thrown through it. She breaks the glass. The camera is showing it from the side so you can’t see who’s throwing her. She screams as she falls. Next thing, police cars are all over as her covered body is taken into an ambulance. In the case file room, her box is being filed.

Powell, S.
Feb. ‘93

-In the present. Lily and Scotty are walking into the main area. Stillman is with them.
Stillman: Look you two, this guy is a recovering, well, recluse.
Scotty: What do you mean?
Lily: He’s been isolated for a long time.
Stillman: He only recently got help for his condition and now that he’s out he wants to right some wrong.

-They enter the main area. A forty year old man is sitting by Lily’s desk. His image flashes back to 28 and then returns again to 40. Lily approaches him.
Lily: Are you the guy?
Man: John Krist is the name. I’m not used to being out.
Lily: Boss told me.
John: It’s getting easier. I like it. Can’t believe what I’ve been missing.
Lily: It’s a great big world out there.
John: Tell me about it.
Lily: Boss tells me you got something.
John: Thing is, I used to be afraid of people. And one night I saw something. Her name was Simone Powell. I read about her in the papers. She was thrown out a window. A window I had full view of from my apartment.
Lily: Did you see what happened to her?
John: You betcha. I saw the whole thing go down. Didn’t hear much until the window broke and didn’t get a good look at the guy.
Scotty: What exactly did you see?
John: Enough to know it wasn’t an accident.

-Flashback to 1993. John is in his apartment. His window is open. He is typing on his typewriter when he looks over to the window in the building across from him. It appears to be a struggle between Simone and someone else he can’t see because she is blocking the view of the guy. Suddenly, the guy grabs her and pushes her through the window. John can hear her screaming as she falls. John watches her fall and does not look to the window where the guy is standing. As he sees her hit the ground, he hears the guy say, “That’ll teach you to betray us!”

-Return to the present.
John: She hit the ground and the guy yelled that out.
Lily: Do you have any idea what he meant?
John: No. Until that night, I had no idea who Simone was. From the newspaper reports following her death she was an up and coming model. Big promising career to rival the likes of Cindy Crawford. I used to be afraid of people. That’s why I never came forward before. But now, I’m okay and I want to see this guy pay for killing such a beautiful girl. She was there a lot. I never saw her naked. But I did watch her. I’m not that kind of person.
Lily: What was she like? You can tell a lot about a person by the way they look.
John: Happy at first. Excited. Then sad. She became very sad. She spent a lot of time there. And towards the end, she barely cracked a smile. I wanted to meet her.
I felt like I knew her so well.
Lily: Well, maybe you can help us find out what happened to her.

Opening Credits.

[r2k]

-In the case file room, Lily and Scotty are going through the file.
Lily: Simone Powell, age 21. Fell from the fifteenth floor of a hotel building. The Hilton. There was no evidence of foul play. Suspicions yes. Detectives interviewed everyone she knew. Ruled a suicide although there was no clear evidence of it being that either.
Scotty: Says here a woman from a modeling agency said she was the next supermodel to emerge. Kathryn Grey. Big time person in the modeling world.
Lily: Well, she didn’t seem to know anything at the time. Who else knew her?
Scotty: A few other models in the group. And a couple of people who worked with her. Hair dressers, image consultants, you name it. Parents weren’t from Philly. Says here they were from Erie. That’s up north.
Lily: I used to dream of being a model.
Scotty: Really.
Lily: Every girl dreams. No really. I used to day dream in school of walking the runway.
Scotty: So what happened?
Lily: It was a dream, Scotty. Anyway, I’d like to think I’m making a bigger contribution to society. I mean all these models ever really did was make women feel bad about themselves. Most of them wouldn’t eat a pizza to save their lives.
Scotty: Or fries.
Lily: You know, it always goes back to those fries, doesn’t it?
Scotty: They don’t show on you.
Lily: Thank you for the comforting words. You’re spending too much with Nick. I’m just worried these modeling people are going to remark about my hair.
Scotty: What’s wrong with it?
Lily: Nothing. Unless you like hair that isn’t done.
Scotty: It looks good.
Lily: It takes less than ten minutes to do, Scotty. In the modeling world, they’d probably collapse of a heart attack. So, let’s divide and conquer. Who first?
Scotty: Let’s meet the modeling agent.
Lily: Vera and Jeffries can meet with the best friend, Kristi. That’s the name on the top of the model list.

-Lily and Scotty arrive at the Grey Modeling Agency, which is still in business and from the looks, is still thriving. A fifty-something year old woman approaches.
Kathryn: May I help you?
-Kathryn’s image flashes back to what she looked like in 1993 and returns to normal again.
Lily: Detective Rush.
Scotty: Detective Valens.
Kathryn: Detectives. We don’t get a lot of you here.
Lily: Not since ’93.
Kathryn: Simone Powell.
Lily: We’ve reopened her case. Wondered if we could ask you some questions?
Kathryn: I can try to answer. I told the police everything back then. Not that there was much to say. Come on, we’ll talk in my office. You’ll like it there.
-The three walk into her office. It is nicely decorated.
Lily: A witness has come forward. Claims he saw the whole thing go down.
Kathryn: There were no witnesses then.
Lily: He was a recluse. Afraid of people.
Kathryn: Well, if he was terrified of people, Simone was the opposite. I remember when she first came in. She had the most beautiful blonde hair.

-Flashback to 1990. “Suicide Blonde” by INXS plays in the background. At the Grey Modeling Agency, Simone walks in with a portfolio. Kathryn happens to be at the front with the receptionist. She sees Simone and is awestruck. She stops what she is doing and walks right up to Simone.
Kathryn: Hello, may I help you.
-Kathryn is practically drooling. Her mouth is wide open.
Simone: Yes, I’m wondering if you would be interested in me. As a model.
Kathryn: Well, right to the point. I like that. But of course, I don’t know your name.
Simone: Oh. Sorry. Simone Powell. You know, I practiced this so many times. I’m not usually this nervous, but it is a critical moment. Coming in here.
Kathryn: Well now, I have learned never to do things the conventional way. So far you’re doing okay. You’ve got the look. How old are you?
Simone: 19.
Kathryn: You look a little younger. That’s good. You need the edge in this business. Let’s have a look at your portfolio.
-Kathryn takes a look. She sees some really good pictures. There are pictures of Simone in bikinis, and in just a towel. Some are wholesome, others are more risqué.
Kathryn: I like that you’ve shown some variety. This gives me more to work with. Let’s step into my office shall we. Something tells me I shouldn’t lose you.
-In the office.
Kathryn: Listen, you are gorgeous! I’ve never seen anyone like you. I mean it. You’re special and if you let me, I can turn you into an international superstar in the modeling world. Now, you just give me a few years and when the time comes I will set you free. You can do anything. This portfolio proves it. You are serious. We’ll start today. We’ll go over diet, make-up, a workout program. The works. Not that you’d need it. You seem to be doing fine on your own. Welcome aboard.
Simone: Thank you. I don’t know what to say.
Kathryn: Say nothing. Just smile. That’s what we’re after.



-Return to the present.
Kathryn: She was a hit with us. We had some local department stores ask for her specifically over the next two years. Other offers followed and kept coming.
Lily: Until she died.
Kathryn: It was tragic. We’ve lost a few models to eating disorders and suicide. Some just didn’t work out. But she was fine. There was nothing to indicate there was a problem. And for someone to murder her was insane.
Lily: What would make you think that?
Kathryn: She was on the fast track to fame and fortune. She was gold and unless you didn’t have a piece of her, you wouldn’t destroy gold now would you.
Lily: So, who didn’t have a piece of her.
Kathryn: Pretty much everyone else in the city. Those close to her had a piece of her. They made her who she was and they were rewarded.
Lily: Were there any boyfriends?
Kathryn: No. We sort of put a hold on that. We didn’t want our prize getting knocked up. At any rate, there were the parties. But we made sure things like that didn’t happen. Of course, we couldn’t be everywhere. So to answer your question, we don’t know about boyfriends. She might have had one. For the most part, the guys hanging around these models were a little classier.
Scotty: Classier.
Kathryn: They had reputations. Good ones.
Lily: You sure about that?
Kathryn: Well, at the surface at least. But we made sure Simone was taken care of well. Like I said, she was our star. It broke my heart to lose her. Truth is we were let her go anyway.
Lily: You were going to fire her.
Kathryn: No. We were going to let her go international. Like the more famous supermodels. She could have left them all in the dust. She was prettier and sexier than all of them combined. I still have her portfolio. It’s right here. I keep it where I can see it. I’ve had some pretty girls come in here since. But nothing compares to her. Girls like Simone come around once in a lifetime. The deal was, she would work for us for a while, then she would go international, like the more famous models. You know, Rachel Hunter, Cindy Crawford, that bunch.
Scotty: So that’s how it works. Start small and end big.
Kathryn: In the ‘90s, these girls were the image. Hollywood starlets run the show now. The era of the supermodel has passed. But modeling is still a good business for those who know it.

-Meanwhile, Jeffries and Vera have located Kristi Banter, Simone’s friend. Kristi is now a clothing designer. Both detectives see someone they might think could be her.
Kristi: Can I help you with anything?
-Her image flashes back to age 20 and then returns to 32.
Vera: Detective Vera.
Jeffries: Detective Jeffries. We’d like to ask you a few questions about Simone Powell.
Kristi: I would rather not. I’ve tried to forget her.
Vera: We have a witness to the murder.
Kristi: I don’t know anything about that.
Jeffries: You sure about that.
Kristi: Positive.
Vera: So you modeled with Simone.
Kristi: Yeah. So.
Vera: We’ve noticed you are not a model anymore.
Kristi: It just never happened for me. I had my time.
Jeffries: But Simone was going places.
Kristi: She was.

-Flashback to 1992 “Move This” by Technotronic plays in the background. Simone and Kristi are getting ready in the dressing room.
Simone: I am so nervous about tonight. Our first runway show.
Kristi: I am with you. But I’m sure we’ll both be fine.
Simone: There are going to be some important people here tonight. I am hoping to be discovered.
Kristi: Are you sure Kathryn wants that?
Simone: She and I have a deal. After a couple of years, I can move up.
Kristi: How many is a couple?
Simone: Just a few.
Kristi: I’d be careful about that. A couple can mean more than you think. And you’re special.
Simone: I know. Can’t wait. All those people watching. And we’re the ones they’re watching.
-Kathryn comes in.
Kathryn: Ladies, we’re almost ready for the runway. For some of you this is the first time. But relax. You’ll be great. They buyers will love you. Remember, you’re selling fashion and an image. You’re all special.
-Kathryn looks at Simone and smiles at her

-Return to the present.
Vera: So Kathryn sort of favored Simone.
Kristi: She did from day one. Saw something in her.
Jeffries: So it’s possible that Kathryn might not have wanted to give up her prize model.
Kristi: Simone made more money than the rest of us. I wouldn’t give up that well before it dried up.
Vera: What kind of person was Kathryn?
Kristi: Nice. Considering the modeling industry can be cruel. Kathryn was different. She wanted us to be the best we could be.

[r2k]

-Back at the station
Lily: Kathryn praised Simone.
Vera: Kristi said the same thing.
Jeffries: Seems like this girl was pretty special.
Lily: I don’t know where to go next. One thing we know is that she was at that hotel room that night.
Scotty: Perhaps we can get the records on who booked the room that night.
Vera: Maybe this hermit saw some other things going on in that hotel room prior to the murders that might shed some light on her murder.
Lily: He claims he was watching her a lot. He must have seen something else that might help him. I’ll go back to him.
Vera: Scotty and I will check the file for the one who booked the hotel room.
Lily: You know there was no mention of any people connected to the hotel room.
-Jeffries joins in.
Jeffries: Parents are both dead. Mother died in ’97. Father recently passed on.
Vera: I guess we’re not gonna hear from them. The lack of information on who booked that hotel room suggests some high profile people might have been involved with these models.
Lily: Now there’s a surprise.
Stillman: Sounds like a cover-up.
Lily: I’m think I’m going to combine my lunch break with my talk with John. Make it more relaxing for him.
Scotty: Sounds like a good idea.

-Lily meets with John for lunch. John talks as the two eat.
John: It’s really nice to finally be out here.
Lily: Sometimes it can be hard to open up. But it gets easier to do.
John: Yeah, I watched the apartment a lot. It was my life. I saw those guys bringing the girls back and having a good time. I wanted to be them. Easier to dream.
Lily: Did you see Simone there a lot?
John: Only that year did she start going there. In the end, she was upset a lot. I would see her in the window crying. She would look out that window and sometimes she would look at mine.

-Brief flashback to 1993. John watches Simone looking out the window crying. He looks at her. She looks in his direction but can’t see him because he has the lights out. She cries and watches the city from her window.

-Return to the present.
John: She never saw me but I’d pretend she could. I fell in love with her, Detective. She was one building away, yet we were worlds apart. She was beautiful. Inside and out. She never seemed to feel she was better because she was better looking. She was the one I would dream about because in my heart, she looked attainable.
Lily: Looks aren’t everything, John. You’re good looking yourself. I think she might have liked you.
John: I think so too. But one step at a time. I’m not quite ready for that yet. I remember the guy who killed her a bit. He was tall, blond.
Lily: Do you still see him there?
John: No. That room hasn’t been occupied by those guys since Simone fell out that window. They never came back after that.
Lily: Thank you John. If you remember anything, please call me. Okay?
John: Yes. I will.

-Meanwhile, back at the station.
Vera: The people at the hotel were hush hush on who booked that room. Until a young manager decided to give it up. The room was frequently booked by a Mr. Roger Pfister.
Jeffries: We did a background check on him. He is a stockbroker and a wealthy one to boot. Graduated from Yale in ’82. Worked his way up the corporate ladder. He is now the CEO for the Bor-Com. Practically on his way to being the next Bill Gates.
Lily: What about in ’93?
Jeffries: He was pretty wealthy then too. Booked this room every weekend. Arranged with the hotel to have it available only to the general public during the week. Vera was able to get this information out of the manager.
Vera: Now this guy knows how to party.
Lily: Scotty and I will pay this Roger a visit. Shake him up a bit.
Stillman: Remember to be careful. Rich guys have connections.
Lily: Or if he’s innocent, he may give the guilty person up.

-At the Bor-Com building, Lily and Scotty greet Roger’s secretary, Whitney.
Whitney: He’ll see you in a minute.
Lily: How’d you manage that?
Whitney: I said a beautiful detective is here. He went for it. Of course, you are pretty.
Lily: Thanks.
-Scotty clears his throat.
Whitney: Roger probably wouldn’t be turned on by you. But I think you’re cute.
Scotty: Thank you. (Happy to receive a compliment.)
-Roger comes out of his office.
Roger: Are you the lovely detective who’s here to see me.
Lily: Yes, I am.
-Roger’s image flashes back to when he was 33 and returns to 45.
Lily: Let’s go in so we can have some privacy.
-Inside the office.
Roger: I remember Simone. Beautiful girl. It’s a shame what happened to her.
Scotty: Then why hide the evidence that you booked the room?
Roger: I had connections then. Who am I kidding? I still do. When I started working for Bor-Com, my supervisor arranged that room for us young boys to be entertained by girls. Not hookers. Models, pretty people, you name it. It was set up that way so nothing would be illegal.
Lily: Really.
Roger: By 1986, I was married. I put that sort of thing behind me. Boy was it fun. You see, the girls were under no obligation to do anything they didn’t want to.
Lily: You still married.
Roger: Yes. We’re not all like that. Go after the young models.
Lily: So why is your name on the hotel records?
Roger: The room is rented in my name. That was the extent of the deal. Let’s just say I was the host. It was our way of keeping good employees. Keep them happy and they’ll stay with us. Until Simone.
Scotty: What happened?
Roger: I went to the room every weekend. But after I met my wife, I stopped going. When I climbed high enough at the company, it became my job to keep the employees partying. Let’s just say I was the last to hold that position.
Lily: What do you mean?
Roger: Nobody had ever died there before Simone. We had strict rules. Not all of the girls were willing and they didn’t have to do anything they didn’t want to. We made it clear that if anything bad happened, the one responsible would be fired promptly and never work in Philly again.
Lily: But you never figured out who killed Simone.
Roger: We did our own investigating. Looked into the boyfriend. The other guys.
Lily: We didn’t know she had a boyfriend.
Roger: We kept it secret. Simone’s boss, Kathryn, was very protective of her. But Sam was in love with her. I felt it couldn’t hurt if she dated him in secret. So I made an exception.
Lily: You ever think he might have killed her?
Roger: No. He wasn’t there that night. Besides they were still together when she was killed. But I never could figure out which of my men did it.
Scotty: You don’t think it was any of them.
Roger: Thing is, I booked the room and my employees had the room. They let others in. So at this point, it could have been anyone. But Sam was working late with me that night. I can’t speak for the guys and the guests. Thing is in the early ‘90s, guys became a little more careless with the hotel room. In my day, we were pretty selective on who we invited up there. Ten years ago, the guys sort of invited anyone. Then Simone died.
Scotty: This Sam. Does he have a last name?
Roger: Taylor. Works for a different company now. Left in the aftermath of Simone’s death. Works for CE Corporation. Done well. Haven’t seen him in years. He was about the same age as Simone. The thing that struck me was that when they met, they seemed to already know each other.

-Flashback to 1992. “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred plays in the background at the infamous hotel suite. It is a year before Simone’s death. Roger is introducing Sam to the party place.
Sam: Wow! There are a lot of beautiful girls here.
Roger: It’s only the beginning. Look, this place is what you make of it. Two floors. Bedrooms are upstairs. You can mingle. You can jingle. The one rule is that you are not to push the girls into anything they don’t want to do. They say no, you say okay. Okay.
Sam: Okay.
-Simone walks up.
Simone: Roger, aren’t you going to introduce me to this cute guy?
Roger: Of course. This is Sam Taylor.
Simone: I’m Simone Powell.
Sam: I’ve seen you around.
Roger: Simone is one of Philly’s finest models. You two get to know each other.
-Sam and Simone walk away together and go by the window. Kristi walks up to Roger.
Kristi: Did you discuss this with Kathryn?
Roger: No and you aren’t either.
Kristi: You think I’d mention it. I do want to keep my job. But be careful. That woman has a mean streak you wouldn’t believe.
Roger: You don’t have to tell me. Besides, Simone is too lonely. She’s happy now. Look at her. Sam won’t get her into trouble.
Kristi: She looks happy. I’ve been worried about her.
Roger: Sam is a good guy. I’ll watch him to make sure he doesn’t go too far. He’s one employee I don’t want to lose. Well, I gotta go. Later.

-Return to the present.
Lily: I thought you stopped going to the suite.
Roger: Except to introduce new employees. Then I walked out.
Scotty: You mentioned something about Kathryn having a mean streak.
Roger: Six years earlier, a model got knocked up. Kathryn went in there and blew up in the poor girl’s face. Girl left the agency next day. Susan Vaughn was the model’s name. Excellent prospects in the modeling biz but not a Simone. Kathryn was like Mr. Hyde that evening. And the models talked about it to the guys. In public, Kathryn prides herself on being the agent who loves and cares about the models. When the cameras are gone, the dark side of her personality comes out. We got a chance to see her live. I got married soon after and never dealt with that again.
Lily: We were told of a blonde guy. Tall guy.
Roger: I heard of someone like that. Nothing ever came of that investigation. He must have been an outsider. All of our blonde male employees were short.

[r2k]

-At the station.
Lily: Kristi sang praises for Kathryn. But according to Roger, Kristi knew the dark of Kathryn as well.
Scotty: Maybe Kristi is still afraid Kathryn will get revenge.
Lily: Makes sense. Kathryn still has leverage even over Kristi.
Scotty: I think we should go back to Kristi and get her to talk.
Lily: She might not go for it. Let’s find this Susan Vaughn and get the story from her. She seems to have nothing to lose. So Roger makes the hotel arrangements each weekend. A luxury penthouse suite. The young employees party all weekend and work all week. Let’s go talk to Sam. Maybe he knows something
-Lily’s cell phone rings.
Lily: Rush. Oh hi.
-Lily turns around.
Lily: Of course we’re still on for tonight. I haven’t forgotten.
-Lily stops to listen.
Lily: I look forward to it. Bye.
-Lily clicks the phone off.
Scotty: Telemarketer?
Lily: Yes. We’re meeting for dinner.
Scotty: What’s he selling? Kites.
Lily: Yes.
Vera: We located Sam Taylor. Susan Vaughn is a different story.
Lily: How different?
Jeffries: We can’t find her anywhere. And we checked all over. There is nothing on her.
Scotty: Where did she come from?
Jeffries: Minnesota. I got a hold of her parents. They said she left home in ’85 and hasn’t been seen of heard from since.
Lily: And probably hasn’t been seen or heard since she was here.
Vera: Let’s see. Model lets agent down. Model disappears without a trace.
Lily: Modeling can be competitive but they form a bond like sisters. Someone has to know where she went. Scotty, you and I need to talk to Kristi. I don’t want to let Kathryn know we could be on to her. Nick, could you do a background check on the modeling agency. See if any other models disappeared.
Vera: Gotcha.
Jeffries: When we’re done, we’ll go talk to Sam.
Lily: Great. We’ll meet up later.

-Lily and Scotty are with Kristi again.
Kristi: You’re right about Kathryn. She definitely had an ugly side. That’s why I left modeling. She hated me.
Lily: Why?
Kristi: I was creative. Modeling doesn’t allow for that. Models don’t think. Kathryn could sense it.
Scotty: What about Simone?
Kristi: She had the look. But she had trouble with posture and movement at first. And there was that one thing Kathryn hated the most.

-Flashback to 1992. “Too Funky” by George Michael plays in the background. Simone, Kristi, and other models are beginning their first runway walk. Kristi walks out wearing lingerie. Other models follow slowly. Finally, Simone comes out wearing the star piece, a fire red teddy. The audience cheers. Cameras flash. Simone doesn’t smile immediately. She waits until she gets to the front and smiles just before turning around. She walks back and disappears.
Kristi: You were fabulous.
-Kathryn walks in.
Kathryn: That was fabulous girls. Let’s get ready for the next show. Simone, could you stick around a minute.
Simone: Sure.
Kristi: I’ll catch you later.
-Kristi walks out of the room.
Kathryn: What was that out there?
Simone: I don’t understand what you mean.
Kathryn: The smile. What was that?
Simone: I don’t know what happened. It was all exciting. I just did it.
Kathryn: (Yelling) I never told you to smile!! You are the model!! Get it!!! You do what I tell you to do!!! This is so typical of you airheads. Always thinking. Well snap out of it princess!!! Remember one thing. I brought into this world. And I can take you out as well. The whole world. If you know what I mean.
Simone: Yes, ma’am.
Kathryn: (Calm and smiling) Well. I’m glad we got this whole mess settled. Now go get ready for the next show and remember what we discussed.
Simone: Yes, ma’am.
-Kristi overheard the whole exchange at the door. She vanishes before Simone reaches the door.

-Return to the present.
Lily: This wasn’t the first time, was it Kristi?
Kristi: No. She had done that many times. She once told me I was too fat. And then there was the story of Susan.
Lily: Do you know what happened to her?
Kristi: I only heard stories that she ran away. The legend was that Kathryn killed her. Or had her killed.
Lily: How many times did Kathryn lay into Simone?
Kristi: Well, that was the first time. I lost count. Simone was valuable, but she wasn’t cooperating. She wanted to call some shots you know. Kathryn hated that. Eventually, Simone started arguing back. At least that’s what I heard. I avoided the situations if at all possible. You did not want be in the line of fire when Kathryn got mad.

-Meanwhile, Vera and Jeffries are talking with Sam Taylor. His image flashes back to when he was 22 and then returns to 35.
Sam: I fell for Simone the minute I laid eyes on her. But there was a problem.
Vera: What kind of problem?
Sam: Roger said her boss forbade her to date. Afraid of her getting pregnant.
Jeffries: But you dated her anyway.
Sam: Of course. I loved her the first minute I saw her. Roger kind of asked me not to sleep with her. And I agreed.
Vera: You agreed to be with a model and not sleep with her.
Sam: Eventually, Simone and I did. But it was a few months. Simone was different. She wanted something more out of life and she really enjoyed being with me.

-Flashback to 1992. Sam and Simone are at the hotel suite.
Sam: So we’ve been going out for five months now. You think this might go somewhere.
Simone: Difficult to say. Things are going to start happening for me. It could be hard. I’ll be traveling a lot. We won’t see each other. But I do love you.
Sam: Look. We can work this out. We can make this work.
Simone: I wish it were so simple. I mean right now, Kathryn doesn’t even know about us. Wait until she does.
Sam: I’m not worried about that.
Simone: I am. That woman looks sweet, but she is evil. She gets into these angry rages. It’s like a nightmare when she blows up.
Sam: That bad. You never told me.
Simone: I’ve been afraid to. Thing is, I love you so much that you are all that matters to me. I’m not sure I want to be a model anymore.
Sam: Really.
Simone: Does it matter to you?
Sam: No. You’re beautiful, inside and out. I fell in love with you. Not who you are. What are we going to do?
Simone: For now, I’m going to keep doing this. I have to figure out a way to let Kathryn down easy.
Sam: You mean pick a city millions of miles away to call from.
Simone: That’s funny. I’ll figure it out.
Sam: I love you Simone.
Simone: I love you too.

-Return to the present.
Sam: Simone wanted out but was terrified to do it.
Vera: Do you know if she told Kathryn she was quitting before she died?
Sam: She was going to tell her that night. I’m not sure if she did.
Jeffries: Given Kathryn’s mean streak and the fact that Simone fell from a window high up, I’d say the chances are good she did.

[r2k]

-At the station.
Lily: Kristi opened up about Kathryn being the witch.
Vera: Sam did the same. Turns out they were a secret couple.
Jeffries: Had to keep it quiet in fear that Kathryn would find out.
Scotty: So what next. Confront Kathryn.
Lily: I’m not so sure we should do that yet. Kristi is still afraid of her.
Vera: Plus, we still haven’t located this Susan.
Jeffries: And I don’t think we’re gonna.
Lily: Maybe there is an older model who was there when Susan was can tell us.
Scotty: Seems to me Susan might have been killed at the suite. Maybe your friend John might know.
Lily: Roger said that Simone was the first time someone had been killed there.
Vera: First time someone was thrown from the window. Hard for the new kids to hide that.
Jeffries: But if Susan was killed inside the penthouse suite quietly, it would be easier to hide the body.
Lily: That still doesn’t narrow it down. Scotty and I will go to John again. Maybe John saw something that didn’t look like murder.
Vera: Thing is Susan simply disappeared. Wouldn’t there have been evidence of that in her apartment.
Lily: Good point. If she was murdered, then someone would have had to clean her apartment out to make it look like she vanished on her own.
Scotty: We need to find out where Susan lived.
Vera: We have that. She shared an apartment with two other models. Last known address before she disappeared. We can locate the other two models and see what they know. But it might not lead us to what happened to Simone.
Lily: We have to try it. May be our only lead at this point. On second thought, let’s bring Kathryn in. If we shake her up a bit, something may come out of the woodwork.

-In the interrogation room with Kathryn.
Lily: We’ve learned some things about you.
Scotty: Turns out you’re not the sweety you told us.
Kathryn: What do you mean? You know you can’t trust a word Kristi says. She’s a bitter girl who never made it as a model and is now taking it out on me. She’ll say anything to ruin me.
Lily: Actually, we heard this from some men.
Scotty: They not make it as models. Because they have very good jobs right now and don’t look like they need to get back at you.
Lily: After all, you provided them with beautiful girls. And speaking of not making it as a model, we did some research on you as well. Turns out you didn’t quite have it either. So tell me how it works in the wonderful world of modeling. Those who can’t model control the models.
Kathryn: You wouldn’t know a thing about it. Look at you. Your hair, your clothes. Your makeup.
-Lily leans in closer and looks Kathryn in the eye. Lily gives a dirty look.
Lily: I’m not one of your girls desperate for attention and a compliment. I work for a living. I get up every morning and come here and you know what, it may not pay as much as your job or the models, but I enjoy what I do. So don’t insult me because it doesn’t work. I don’t care what you think about my appearance. You don’t fill out my evaluations. Thing is, you yelled at Simone numerous times and she ends up dead soon after.
Kathryn: I didn’t kill her. I was a witch because I had to. Those girls were eager to get ahead and many would stab each other in the back to get ahead. Why don’t you ask one of the other girls who might have benefited from her death?
Lily: We thought of that possibility. Thing is, there was no runner up after Simone, was there. They wanted her or nothing.
Scotty: We’re thinking maybe you weren’t so eager to let her go.
Lily: We know you didn’t do it directly. A man did.
Scotty: Question is, which man.
Lily: And did you put him up to it. We know he’s blonde and tall. Eventually someone’s gonna tell us.
Kathryn: When he does, whoever he is, he won’t mention my name. (She gets up) Well, this certainly has been fun, but I have to get back to work. If you need to talk to me again, call my lawyer. I really don’t have time any more.
Lily: One more question. Was there another girl who might have arranged it?
Kathryn: There were too many to list. But I was never at the suite. I merely sent the girls there. What happened there was none of my business.
Lily: Oh by the way, I’m going with an Assistant District Attorney. And he thinks I’m gorgeous. Take that thought to bed tonight.

-Kathryn walks out of the main area.
Lily: She could still be involved.
Stillman: We need to prove it, Lil.
Scotty: Roger and Sam do not have blonde hair.
Lily: And neither of them is tall. So who’s the blonde guy?
Vera: Maybe John can describe him.
Lily: He wasn’t close enough to get a good description. He was a world apart. And yet never so close.

-Kristi is in interrogation room.
Kristi: This is crazy. I was her best friend there.
Lily: Kathryn tells us there were no best friends and that you were all in competition.
Kristi: There was competition. It was the modeling business. But in the end we were like sisters.
Scotty: Really. Kathryn doesn’t exactly paint a sweet and innocent of you either.
Lily: And you could easily have been at the suite that night.
Kristi: Well I wasn’t.
Scotty: Come on Kristi. This is getting old.
Lily: Maybe you were jealous of Simone. She’s getting all the attention. I mean despite Cruel Da Ville’s raging episodes, Simone was her biggest money-maker. She was gold. Kathryn wasn’t going to kill off her supply of fortune now would she.
Kristi: That depends.
Lily: Depends on what?
Kristi: Let’s just say if Simone was a gold mine, she was ready to shut down permanently.
Lily: You mean she was going to quit?
Kristi: She never came out and said it. But I had a feeling she was going to quit.
Scotty: But she never came out and said it.
Kristi: She was afraid to tell even me.
Lily: Models are competitive. But face it Kristi, if you knew, there was probably no chance of you taking her place.
Kristi: We all learned that the next morning. Kathryn called us in and told us that Simone was not going to be replaced and that we were never going to go national. Or international.
Scotty: Why would she do that?
Kristi: Punishment. She blamed us for what happened. Thought we did it or somehow let it happened by not watching over her. Banished us from the kingdom.
Lily: How many other models were there?
Kristi: 8 others. Three are dead. One is in a funny farm. Two got married. The last two I have no idea. (Starts crying) It was my fault. I was there that night. And I didn’t see it happen.
Lily: Kristi, someone has come forward claiming a tall blonde guy pushed her through the window. But he didn’t get a close enough look.
Scotty: Do you remember a tall blonde guy there that night?
Kristi: Yes. I know him. He was Roger’s brother, Craig.
Lily: How many times was he around?
Kristi: A lot. Thing is, Roger had no idea he was around until I told him. Roger was agitated. Craig was younger. Much younger. He would hang out at the parties and watch the girls while hanging out with the guys. They knew him. After a while, he made his move. He would take a girl upstairs. He would return later and she would go away. That’s how he liked it.
Scotty: Roger didn’t like having him around. Why is that?
Kristi: I don’t know. Rumors indicated it went back to Susan.
Lily: The first model.
Kristi: Craig was about my age when Simone was killed. He would have been in high school when Susan vanished. He turned up around 1992 and began hanging out. The guys sort of had an open door policy then.
Lily: Did this guy have an interest in Simone?
Kristi: She was with Sam. I know Simone wouldn’t have done anything with him. And I was watching her most of the time.
Scotty: Why weren’t you watching her that night?
Kristi: Sam wasn’t there. Plus, I met a guy that night. New guy at the company. Roger introduced us. His name was Frank. Didn’t last long. He wasn’t ready for a commitment and I was fired the agency. After that, I wasn’t allowed at the suite.
Scotty: You seemed to bounce back.
Kristi: I wouldn’t have this job without Roger. But I’m afraid of Kathryn. She can still pull some weight around here.
Lily: I wouldn’t worry about her at all. She’s a lot of talk, but in the end, she’s her own worst enemy.

[r2k]

-At Roger’s office. Lily and Scotty storm in.
Lily: We’d like to see your boss.
Secretary: He’s busy right now.
Lily: This won’t take long.
-Lily and Scotty proceed to walk to his office door. The secretary tries to stop them.
Secretary: You can’t do that.
Lily: There’s a lot of things we can’t do. Murder is one, obstruction of justice is another.
-Lily opens the door. Roger is on the phone. He hangs up.
Roger: Detectives. What’s going on? You could have waited.
Lily: For what? More lies. The blonde guy isn’t just some dead end you came up with. He’s your brother, Craig.
Roger: Shut the door.
-Scotty shuts the door.
Roger: I should have told you the truth. But until you mentioned blonde guy I had no idea about that. There were no witnesses in the apartment. And you’re witness, whoever he is didn’t come forward then.
Lily: Then why lie about it?
Roger: Gut reaction. I love my brother and all.
Scotty: Then why get so mad when you learned he was coming around again after college.
Roger: He was trouble. Girls used to complain about him. When I first started working there, I was having a good time. I brought him there a couple times.

-Flashback to 1983 “Girls On Film” by Duran Duran plays in the background. Roger brings Craig to the penthouse suite for the first time.
Roger: Now behave bro. These models aren’t for wild times.
Craig: There are so many of them. There gorgeous. Check out the hooters on that one.
Roger: I see this was a mistake.
-Craig wanders off to meet the models. An older guy comes over.
Guy: Roger, I see you’ve brought your kid brother.
Roger: He kept begging me so I figured one time would do it.
Guy: Watch it. Once they come, they never leave. They keep coming back.
Roger: Not him. This is a one time thing.
Guy: I brought my younger brother here once. Believe me, he’ll find a way. He live in the city.
Roger: Yes.
Guy: Oh yeah. He’ll be back.

-Return to the present.
Roger: He was right. Craig came back. And then puberty really hit.
Lily: What happened?
Roger: He would sleep with the models. Started at 15. Never ended. Thing is, he kept going after I married. The other employees let it go.
Scotty: What about Susan?
Roger: I’m not so sure about Susan. Thing is Craig was a horny teen in the beginning. Later, he became angry if a girl wouldn’t sleep with him. He hated anyone who refused him. He hit some of them. At least that’s what I was told.
Lily: How come nothing was done about it?
Roger: And ruin the arrangement. Kathryn arranged the suite to get the models out. The sex part was something we sort of worked in. Made damn sure Kathryn never found out. Craig sort of blackmailed us into looking the other way. Never came out and said it. And we could never really prove it. But he hinted that if we stopped him the party was over.
Lily: How convenient. Everyone watches each other’s backs.
Scotty: Do you think Craig killed Susan?
Roger: I never wanted to admit it. But yes. But I had no proof and there was no body.
Lily: What about Simone?
Roger: Up until her death there was no indication that she and Craig even met. She was with Sam. That’s why I shut the suite down after that. Kathryn was furious with me.
Lily: She made you shut it down.
Roger: No, she wanted it to remain open. But I feared Craig was guilty and couldn’t let him do it again.
Scotty: Where is Craig now?
Roger: Gone. He doesn’t hang around here much.
Lily: Do you have a picture of him?
Roger: Right here. This one on my desk.
Lily: Can we borrow it?
Roger: Please bring it back. Look, I’m not to make excuses for this. Thing is I turned my back when I shouldn’t have.
Lily: In your mind and heart, you didn’t want to believe he could do it.
Scotty: You’re lucky you never had proof.
Roger: I wish I had. You know. When Susan disappeared in ’87, she hadn’t been to the suite in days. Craig was only 17. There weren’t many other places he could have taken her.
Lily: And if she wasn’t at the suite.
Roger: Maybe the murder happened at the house. My parents still live there.
Scotty: Any chance you can get Craig here?
Roger: Possible. He travels a lot.
Lily: You’ll figure a way.
Roger: I’ll call you the minute he’s at the airport.

-At the station.
Lily: So Roger confirms he was suspicious about his brother.
Scotty: Who may have also been responsible for another murder earlier on.
Vera: But we still don’t know what happened to Susan’s body.
Jeffries: But we do know where Susan’s parents are. Talked to them over the phone again. They’re not making the trip out here. They told me Susan was becoming distressed a bit toward the end. She stopped calling. Roommates told them she moved out.
Vera: Did you get a name for any of these roommates?
Jeffries: No. Parents didn’t know. Phone records also indicate Susan never called from home.
Lily: So we have no idea where she lived. She could have been murdered there.
Jeffries: Thing is, the roommates said she moved out. Roger must know something.
Lily: Or his brother.

-Lily’s phone rings.
Lily: Rush. (Pauses to listen.) When? (pauses and listens) Good. Don’t tell him anything that might make him suspicious. When does his flight arrive? (Lily pauses again to listen.) Great. We’ll be there too. Thanks. Bye. (Clicks the phone off) Well, Roger just told me that Craig will be here tomorrow afternoon.
Scotty: That was fast. How’d he do that?
Lily: Told him his father died. Even has his mother in on it. Ready to fool him if he calls her tonight.
Vera: That’s bad.
Lily: But it worked. I guess we’ll wait until tomorrow to make the next move.
Scotty: Sounds good to me.

-In the interrogation room the next day.
Lily: Comfy Craig?
Craig: Oh yes. This is wrong. I didn’t do anything.
Lily: Beating on girls. Now that is wrong.
Craig: That was ancient history. It was never true. I got mad at some of them but I never hit them. My wife is very unhappy now. Look what she’s had to deal with.
Vera: You expect us to believe that you didn’t hit those girls.
Craig: I don’t expect anything from you.
Lily: A guy says a man fitting your description pushed Simone through the window.
Craig: It wasn’t me.
Vera: Well, case closed. If he said he didn’t.
-Vera moves in.
Vera: Stop playing the dumb game.
Craig: Look, I came here because my father died. And I’d like to see my family.
Lily: You will. Father included.
Craig: What do you mean?
Scotty: Pops ain’t dead.
Lily: Your brother helped us out a bit. We knew we couldn’t get you in here the conventional way.
Scotty: You can say you were punked.
-Lily giggles.
Craig: I didn’t kill that girl.
Lily: And Susan.
Craig: Don’t bring her up.
Lily: Sore subject.
Craig: Kathryn was horrible to her. Susan came to me the night she vanished. My parents were out.

-Flashback to 1987. Craig answers the door. Susan is there.
Susan: I got away. Snuck away from the other roommates.
Craig: How’d you get past them.
Susan: It wasn’t easy. Look, I gotta get out of here fast.
Craig: Where do you want to go?
Susan: I’m not sure yet. Washington State. That would be perfect.
Craig: Alright. Here’s some money.
Susan: I can never go home again.
Craig: Why not?
Susan: Kathryn might hurt them. If she found me and I was home, she might do something to them.
Craig: Is she really that bad?
Susan: (Starting to cry) She hates me. The other day she told me I was a porker. I don’t deserve that.
Craig: Nobody does.
Susan: Some of the girls are starting rumors about you. They say you’re mean.
Craig: Why would they do that?
Susan: I don’t know. I’m going to stay here tonight and leave in the morning.
Craig: Sure. I’m going to miss you.
Susan: I’m going to miss you.

-Return to the present.
Vera: You buying this.
Lily: Not one bit.
Craig: Susan is alive and well. After college, I went out there to see her.
Lily: Then where is she?
Craig: Who do you think I’m with? You never asked my wife’s name. We married 12 years ago, the year Simone was killed. I was nowhere near here.

-Lily goes out into the main area.
Lily: Hi, we never formally introduced each other.
Susan: I’m Susan, Craig’s wife.
Lily: So you’re the Susan we’ve been hearing about. Have a seat.
Susan: We fell in love a long time ago, before I skipped town. I kept a low profile. My family knew where I was.
Lily: They told us they had no idea you were alive.
Susan: In case Kathryn ever called. They were being careful.
Lily: Were you afraid of Kathryn.
Susan: Yes. Very much. She was mean and vindictive. She tried to have me killed then.
Lily: But you escaped.
Susan: Yes. His name was Dan.
Lily: What?
Susan: The man Kathryn got to try to kill me. His name was Dan.

-In the interrogation room.
Lily: Alright Roger, I’m losing patience! You knew Susan was alive!
Roger: Surprise.
Vera: This isn’t funny.
Roger: You think Susan is safe once Kathryn learns she is married to Craig.
Lily: Kathryn wanted Susan dead.
Roger: She did and she tried.
Vera: She tried to kill Susan.
Roger: Oh yes. Susan can tell you what happened. About how the roommates knew about it. How she learned of it before Kathryn’s son could do anything about it.
Lily: So why did Kathryn want Susan dead.
Roger: Not sure. Never asked. Thing is, I got to certain models early on and got them to keep watch.
Lily: But those same models could have also been wrapped around Kathryn’s finger as well.
Roger: It was risky. I had a few models keeping an eye on things for me.
Lily: So what happened to Simone?
Roger: I honestly don’t know. When it happened it was like a media blackout. The few people I had over there saw nothing. Kristi was preoccupied. Sam wasn’t there. So what went on with Simone is a mystery to me. All I know is that I couldn’t afford to keep the suite opened any longer. Kathryn was shrewd but I was beginning to suspect fowl play was involved. Since Susan was still alive I knew there would never be any suspicion.
Lily: And knowing she was still alive, you knew her body would never surface.
Roger: It sort of became an urban legend.
Vera: But Simone died.
Lily: And someone was responsible.

[r2k]

-Later.
Lily: Craig is in love with Susan and helped her leave.
Vera: And Kathryn tried to have Susan killed.
Scotty: We need to talk to Susan.
Lily: She wasn’t ready yet. Roger said we can see her later. It was all a bit much for her. We may not need to talk to her if we can help it. Kathryn wants Susan dead but fails. Susan gets away.
Jeffries: But Simone is not so lucky.
Stillman: Thing is, why is everyone saying Craig was here when Simone was killed when he was not.
Lily: Rumors were going around about him being abusive when Susan ran away.
Scotty: Yeah, but who started those rumors.

-In the interrogation room.
Lily: Kristi, you were the one starting all those rumors, weren’t you.
Kristi: I was already on thin ice with Kathryn. She promised me big things if I told people about Craig. He was around but he left a month before Simone died. He wasn’t around when she dead.
Lily: And Kathryn was the real reason Roger shut the room down.
Kristi: He grew tired of her interfering. She sent guys in there all the time to spy.
Lily: So there were guys posing as partiers but really getting information.
Kristi: Yes. But the thing is, that’s all they did. For someone to kill Simone. That’s going too far.
Lily: That is. The guy you were with that night. You think he might have done it.
Kristi: Doubtful. He was with me most of the time. There was a guy we hadn’t seen before. Quiet guy. Not dressed for the occasion. He came in the night Simone died for a while. He just walked right in. Nobody really saw him. And I don’t remember seeing him leave. Thing is, it took us a half hour to discover what happened. She fell in the back. Ruled a suicide. So no real investigation was ever done.

-In the main room.
Lily: I checked with the hotel. There were areas that didn’t have cameras. There were several possible places for the killer to escape from.
Scotty: So who is the killer?
Vera: All the main players have been ruled out.
Lily: Except for one who was never really a player.

-In the interrogation room. John is now with Lily.
Lily: John, look at me.
John: Yes.
Lily: I did a check on your history. Your mental history. I know you were obsessive-compulsive as well as being afraid of social situations.
John: Why? What does that have to do with Simone?
Lily: It has everything to do with Simone. You were there that night. The night she died. Weren’t you?
John: I would watch her every night. She would look out the window and stare back.
Lily: You became confused.
John: No, I didn’t.
Lily: You wanted to see her because you thought she wanted to see you.
John: That’s not true.
Lily: You went over John.
-John looks away.
Lily: John, you fell in love with her. But she didn’t extend the courtesy. You decided to go over there.
John: I didn’t go over there on my own. I was invited.
Lily: By who?
John: Simone did. She asked me to come over. She called me.
Lily: And you went over there.
John: She said she wanted to meet me.
Lily: What happened when you went over there?
-John starts crying.
John: She pretended she didn’t know me. And then she told me I got the wrong idea. She lied about the phone call. She said she never called me. She never loved me. It hurt so much. The first time I had to courage to come out and it was because I thought she wanted me to. And she didn’t love me.

-Flashback to 1993. “What Is Love” by Haddaway plays in the background. John enters the room where Simone is standing.
John: I’m here.
Simone: Excuse me?
John: You called me and I’m here.
Simone: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
John: You called me. You’ve been watching me in the window.
Simone: You’re mistaken. I never called you.
John: But.
Simone: I’m sorry. I didn’t call you. I don’t know who did.
John: I live across the street. I see you all the time. I don’t usually come out.
Simone: You’re not a pervert.
John: No. I just keep to myself.
Simone: I wish I had that life. I’m sorry about this. Look. You came all the way over here and that’s a big step.
John: I’m just embarrassed.
Simone: Don’t be. I’m flattered. But I do have a boyfriend.
John: Oh.
Simone: I feel so bad.
John: I better go.
Simone: You don’t have to.
John: Yes, I do. See you.
-John walks out of the room. He turns to look at her one last time before leaving.

-Return to the present.
Lily: It’s not your fault.
John: I should have stayed. She might still be alive. I fell in love with a girl and got a chance to meet her. That was incredible. Even though it was embarrassing, it was great. It was the first step for me getting help. And now I want her murder solved. I owe her that. I didn’t mean to badmouth her.
Lily: You were frustrated. You thought she wanted you. But you know you just solved the mystery and didn’t even realize it.
John: I did.
Lily: Yes. I knew you would be the one to help us.

-In the main room.
Lily: Nick, I need to locate this person. Pronto. Dan Grey, Kathryn’s son.
Vera: Sure thing.
Lily: We need to bring Kristi back in one more time. I’ll tell her we need her to identify John. Or something that might not make her suspicious.
Scotty: You think it’ll work. One look at Dan and Kristi will spill.

-Later, Kristi comes in.
Kristi: You needed to tell me something.
Lily: Yes. We have a new suspect. John Krist. The guy from across the window. He’s the one who wandered into the party.
Kristi: He didn’t look like he fitted in with us.
Lily: Right. He was in love with Simone from afar.
Kristi: I feel sorry for him.
-Vera walks in with a man. His hair is blonde. He is in his mid thirties. Kristi looks nervous.
Lily: What’s wrong Kristi?
Kristi: Nothing.
Lily: You remember him, don’t you?
Kristi: Not really.
Lily: He was the one who went out with the night Simone died. Not Craig.
Kristi: I was with Craig that night.
Lily: Craig was married by then remember. That’s right. You didn’t. The wedding was secret. He married Susan, the model.
Kristi: No, he didn’t.
Lily: Yes he did. Thing is, he stopped coming there a long time ago. You kept telling Roger he was there. Thing is, Roger knew that wasn’t true.
Kristi: Still doesn’t prove I killed Simone.
Lily: But that blonde guy over there. John remembers seeing you with him. And it turns out he is Kathryn’s son, Dan. Shall I continue? Or do you want to jump in?
Kristi: Why should I?
Lily: Because the one who spills gets the lighter sentence.
Kristi: I called John. I wanted him over here in case we needed someone to take the fall.
-Dan yells at her.
Dan: Shut up!
Kristi: Dan, you had to drag me into it, didn’t you!
Dan: My mom is going to chew you up and spit you out for this!
Kristi: Shove it. I called the guy so he would take the fall. I saw him looking at us in the window. I knew he was love with Simone. I knew he would come.

-Flashback to 1993. John leaves the penthouse. Kristi sees him.
Kristi: Okay, Dan you’re on. Quickly. We need to do this while John is still in the building.
Dan: Alright.
Kristi: Make sure not to make a scene. We don’t anyone here to figure it out.
Dan: I’m not an idiot.
Kristi: Go.

-Return to the present.
Kristi: Dan can tell you the rest.
-Scotty, Lily, and Vera turn to Dan. Dan sits there. He finally realizes he has no choice.
Dan: My mother made me do it.
Lily: Mother’s Day gift?
Dan: She was going to cut off my allowance if I didn’t do it.
Vera: You know when I was growing up, I mowed lawns to earn my allowance. Dad never sent me on a killing spree.
Dan: My mother is good to me.
Lily: She made you do the dirty work. And you were the one who actually committed the murder. So this is your chance to spare your life be confessing.
Dan: It was simple. Kristi and I were to make sure Simone was alone. Kristi watched the door while I killed her.

-Flashback to 1993. Dan walks into the room where Simone is. In the main room, the music is playing. Nobody else is aware of what is going on. Simone sees him.
Simone: Hi.
Dan: Hi. Kristi’s getting a drink.
Simone: Great.
Dan: My mom is concerned about you.
Simone: Really.
Dan: Yeah, she heard how you are dating some guy.
Simone: So.
Dan: She made it clear you were not to go near any guy.
Simone: I’m going to go out with whoever I please.
-Dan grabs her.
Dan: I don’t think you get it. She also knows you’re leaving the business for this guy.
Simone: How did you hear that?
Dan: She has us here for that purpose. We hear your conversations. We know everything. And you are now useless.
-Dan moves her to the window.
Simone: What are you doing? (Her voice is raising.)
Dan: Nothing. You’re useless to us now. You don’t want to be a model anymore.
Simone: No, I don’t.
Dan: Great.
-Dan stops for a second. He then moves towards her quickly, grabs her, and pushes her at the window. Simone falls through the window. John is watching from his window. He has returned from being at the penthouse.
Dan: (yelling) That’ll teach you to betray us.
-Simone’s body hits the ground. Dan leaves the room. Kristi looks at him. They look at each other.

-Return to the present. “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” by UB40 plays in the background and Kristi and Dan are arrested. John comes in and sees what is going on. Their images flash back and return as the two are led out. John watches on. Lily smiles at him. Meanwhile, at the modeling agency, Kathryn is arrested and taken away. Her image flashes back and returns again. Meanwhile, at Roger’s house, Roger, Craig, and Susan was hanging out with the family. Their images flash back and then return to normal. At work, Sam is talking on the telephone as he sees the newspaper report on the murder. He smiles as his image flashes back and then returns. At John’s apartment, John looks out the window, in the penthouse suite window, Simone stares back at him. She smiles. Her image fades away as he leaves the window. He gets his coat and leaves the apartment. Lily and Scotty return the case file. Kite joins her. The three walk away.

Author’s note: I sort of had trouble finishing this one. Not sure this is one of my best efforts. For a second, I had John being the killer. Admit, you all thought he was the killer near the end there.

Next Episode: Code Alan (1984)
His disappearance shocked Philly in 1984. His disappearance terrified parents. Alan Wall was taken from a toy store in broad daylight with no witnesses. Now, his body turns up in a rather gruesome fashion. Rush must interview the parents, now divorced. The mother has remarried. The father bow hosts a national television show on unsolved cases. She also interviews the workers at the toy store, who seem all too eager to help.
*Get ready people. This one will be a shocker.

[Tati]

Yay! Another fic by R2K! I missed your fics, glad to hear you're back with your fanfic season. What else can I say? This one was great as all the others. Like you said, I did think John was the killer, and that left my mouth hanging open for a few paragraphs. But then Kristi and Dan were a surprise too. I admit I was betting my money on Roger because he seemed too eager to help since the beginning, and I thought that was suspicious.

[r2k]

I made sure a lot of people seemed like suspects. I've learned the key is to use the mystery cliches to my advantage. Have plenty of them out there and fake the reader out. When I was typing John's confession, I felt so bad. I also saw an opportunity to give you a plot twist. My next one is coming along. Actually, it was before my trip. I'm finally getting around to finishing it.

[Shorty]

wow, its really good!, i was trying to guess who it was about but gave up. i liked it ;D

[TVFan]

Great job R2K! You had me guessing for sure. I totally fell for the John red herring as well. Nice twist!