Chapter Seventeen:
……….They both had smiles on their faces as they drifted off to sleep………..
The rest of the week again, John and Evangeline were really busy with their jobs. John was looking more into why Paul Kramer showed up on the tapes of the Love Center Project, he investigated more into who Judge Hernandez had seen before Kelly’s custody case decision and on the side, he tried to figure out what Antonio had found out about El Tiburon.
First, Evangeline checked in with the PI on what he’d found out about Ace’s biological mother. The PI hadn’t tracked her down yet, but he’d found out a lot of information on that sleazy Paul Kramer. He told her that Kramer was involved in a lot of underhanded shady dealings. He assured her that he’d find out what his connection was to the unnamed biological mother and who she was. Evangeline remembered that John told her how Paul was involved with organ stealing and that’s how Mikey had broken his ankle. She also remembered that Paul was involved with turning state’s evidence against the Santi Family and how he and Natalie were two of the people that had gone looking for the Santi fortune. In retrospect, she could see why John was worried about Natalie’s involvement with Kramer and why it was good that they had broken up.
Second, she started to really prepare for Antonio’s custody case. She had a little over three weeks to get everything together. She wasn’t going to let there be any loop holes or misunderstandings as to who should have custody of Jamie. This case would be the best prepared case of her life.
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Paul Kramer walked into Capricorn and right up to RJ Gannon. He whispered to RJ that he needed to talk to him. RJ said to meet him in the back alley.
When RJ came into the alley, he looked around to check if anyone else was there and then he tightly said, "What do you want? I told you to stay away from being seen with me."
Paul nervously replied, "I wanted to let you know that some PI has been asking around about me and that I should lay low in the sabotaging of the Love Center Project for a while".
RJ just laughed a devious laugh and said, "You still owe me for that botched burglary with you and your girlfriend. I’ll be the one to tell you to lie low. I want that Love Center Project stopped and I want Shannon McBain to get blamed for it. Do you understand?"
All jittery now, Paul said, "Yeah, yeah, I understand. What did Shannon McBain ever do to you anyway?"
"That’s none of your business, Fly Boy", RJ retorted. "You just make sure you keep up the sabotage and that whoever this PI is doesn’t connect you to the Love Center Project or to me. Got it! Now get out of here!"
Paul almost ran into the door as he scurried away.
RJ thought to himself, "I told Johnny Boy McBain that innocent people get hurt around him. He wouldn’t listen though. So, I’ll get to Evangeline through the custody case and I’ll have to get his little cousin, Shannon." He laughed a sinister laugh as he walked back into Capricorn.
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Tico kept tabs on Antonio as to what he had or hadn’t found out about El Tiburon. He also started to have Sonia followed and realized that she must be working for some government agency. The idea that Sonia was double crossing him made him seethe with anger. In another turn of events, he had gotten reports that McBain was getting closer to what had happened in Ace’s custody case with Judge Hernandez and that Evangeline Williamson was coming up with an astounding defense of Antonio in Jamie’s custody hearing.
"What is it with this podunk town of Llanview?" he angrily thought. "They will not be the end of all my plans! Obviously, I must put into action, plans to neutralize them all."
As he ruminated on what he could do, he formulated a plan that would affect Antonio, Evangeline Williamson, and John McBain. Timing was key. He knew that he must put it into action on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
In the meantime, he worked on getting Kevin Buchanan elected as Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania so that the final strategic part of his whole reason for coming to Llanview could be accomplished. The fact that Jessica Buchanan was starting to cozy up to him more was just a bonus. He was able to fake falling for her because he knew how much it upset Antonio.
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By the time Friday rolled around, both John and Evangeline were happy to see it get here. They had talked every night and that was time that they cherished, but they really wanted to see each other in the flesh.
While talking on Thursday night, Evangeline asked John, "Would you want to come home with me tomorrow night after dinner with Michael and Marcie? I mean, it’s great talking to you every night before I go to sleep, but I just want to spend some one on one time in person with you. I’ve missed that." As she said it, she was shocked by what she was saying and how bold she was being. She could swear she heard John gasp on the other end of the line.
As John comprehended what she was saying, he gasped as he thought to himself, "Thank God she said it first! I didn’t know how to say it without sounding too lustful."
He smiled as he replied, "Yeah. Yeah I want to come home with you tomorrow night after dinner. I don’t think you realize how much I’ve missed seeing you. Knowing that we’ll have some private time to ourselves after dinner will help me to keep my hands off of you in public."
"Why McB", she said in a sexy tone. "I’ll take that as a complement."
"You should, Diva E", he replied.
As they both hung up for the night, they were both left with their signature smiles.
