Chapter 21
Stefan looks over the final legal contracts for purchasing Le Femme. "Everything looks in order, Caroline. Very nicely done. Le Femme is officially ours." He shares a triumphant smile with her. "Now for our next move."
"I've already set up a teleconference meeting with the executive staff of Le Femme," Carly says as she takes the contracts back from Stefan, and hands him another set of papers. "They faxed me the latest contracts, including the one with Deception which is expiring. Katherine has been harassing them daily, frantic to renew with the new owners. I've directed them to keep stalling, I wanted you to see the amended contract before it was sent to Katherine."
Stefan flips through the papers. "Excellent. She will have no choice but to accept the contract with the inflated prices or drop her new line of fragrances, which would be catastrophic considering the amount of advertising dollars she has already put towards it." He removes his glasses and sticks them in his breast pocket. "Either way, Katherine will be in an impossible situation financially. She will be forced to take out a loan to cover her losses. And when she does, she will be at our mercy."
"And then what?"
"Then we will make our move." Stefan looks at his watch. "But your priority at the moment is your court hearing in a few hours."
The Private Chambers of the Honorable Judge David Walker
Carly and Margo stand on one side of the room and AJ and his lawyer, Adrian Stuart, stand on the other while the judge reads the petition. AJ shoots daggers at Carly, who doesn't flinch, but instead returns his glower with a clear steady gaze of determination. Finally, Carly breaks eye contact to talk to Margo. "I wish Stefan could be here instead of waiting at the hospital."
Margo puts her hand over Carly's. "You'll do just fine without him, Carly. His presence here would be suspicious, since we aren't presenting any witnesses. Judge Walker just wants to hear from you and AJ."
Judge Walker, dark haired man of slight build looks up from his desk after reading the documents. "All right, I am ready to hear from the petitioner. Ms Renfield, you may speak for your client, Caroline Benson."
"Your Honor," Margo begins. "We are petitioning the court to grant my client visitations rights with her son, Michael Quartermaine. My client believes her visitation rights with her son were unfairly terminated during the court proceeding two months ago that decided that Alan Quartermaine Jr should have sole custody of their son."
Judge Walker sits back in his chair as he listens to Margo. "On what grounds are you claiming this decision was unfair?"
"It is our assertion that Caroline Benson, has a rightful place in her son's life and the court served not only to punish Carly, but also her son, when they barred all visitation. We maintain that she has always strived to be good mother for her son, despite her own personal difficulties, and she wants the opportunity to prove that she can be just that. Furthermore, she has made substantial progress in addressing the issues this court had during the last custody proceeding, and to that end has obtained employment with Cassadine Inc, where she has been steadily employed for the last six weeks. Here is an affidavit from her employer, as to her date of hire, and her employment status."
Margo hands Judge Walker the affidavit, while AJ confers heatedly with his lawyer, who is shaking his head in response. Judge Walker glances at the affidavit and then back up at Margo. "It all appears to be pretty clear cut. Is there anything further you wish to add at this time?"
Margo bows her head slightly. "No, Your Honor."
Judge Walker looks towards AJ and Adrian Stuart "Do you have anything you wish to say in this matter before I make my ruling?"
Adrian steps forward. "Your Honor, we strenuously object to any ruling that would allow Ms Benson access to her son. It has been repeatedly proven that her judgment in regards to herself and her son is outright detrimental to his welfare. She has subjected him to life with a known mobster, has propagated lies about his parentage as well as her own, she has spent an extended period in the state psychiatric facility for the criminally insane. To allow her to have any contact with Michael could reverse any progress my client has made in repairing the damage to his son that she has already caused in Michael's very short life."
Margo is ready to object, but Judge Walker waves her down. "No need, Ms Renfield. I will tell you, Mr Stuart, you do your client a disservice when you malign Ms Benson. It is not that I don't share your concerns, but what you've presented has already been well established in the previous custody hearing. We aren't discussing a change in custody, merely visitation rights. Can you provide any evidence that Ms Benson has violated the court order barring her from seeing her son? Or provide any recent proof that Ms Benson would pose a physical or emotional danger to her son during visitation? Or that she has suffered from further emotional instability?"
Adrian shakes his head with each question. "No, Your Honor. But--"
Judge Walker stops him with a wave of his hand. "I've heard enough. I'm ready to rule on this matter." He beckons Carly forward. "Ms Benson, I'm granting you weekly supervised visitation with your son for a probationary period of one month. As a condition of this order allowing you visitation, I want you to attend therapy on a weekly basis, and I expect to see psychiatrist's report when we reconvene to review my decision. I don't think I have to tell you this is likely to be your last chance to have access to your son."
"Thank you, Your Honor! I understand." Carly replies tearfully while nodding profusely. He motions for her to step back. "And now the matter of who will be the supervisor for the weekly visitation."
AJ and his lawyer conference briefly, then Adrian addresses the judge. "My client is fearful of the possibility that Ms Benson may take off with her son, so we are pleading with you to have visitations occur on the Quartermaine Estate, where the opportunities for kidnapping are minimized."
Margo can see that the judge is getting impatient, so she steps in. "We don't object to visitation being held on the Quartermaine Estate, Your Honor, but we would like to suggest Michael's nanny, Leticia Juarez, as a possible supervisor to minimize any confusion or anxiety on Michael's part."
Judge Walker nods. "Then unless Mr Quartermaine objects to his own employee serving as a visitation supervisor, shall we conclude our business?"
At General Hospital, Stefan heads towards the nurses station when he's stopped by a voice.
"I wondered when I'd run into my snake of an ex-husband."
Stefan turns to face an irate Bobbie, removing his glasses and slipping them into his breast pocket. His eyes almost glisten with the anticipation of sparring with her. "Ah, my ever vitriolic ex-wife. Decided to share your infinite wisdom with me, Barbara?"
"I never took you for a cradle robber, Stefan, but I guess after Laura dumped you once and for all, you needed to feel like a man again? Maybe you needed some pretty blond thing to save? Carly fits that bill to a 'T', doesn't she? Except she's as much of a snake in the grass as you are. I'd watch out for her bite, Stefan. She's got a hell of a one. I should know since I was the last one bitten."
"You sound positively bitter, Barbara," Stefan says, his voice dripping with condescension. "I have to say it doesn't become you. Has Jerry finally tired of your sniping? I understand Tony Jones is always available to take you back."
"What I don't get is why Carly Benson? You can do better, Stefan. You're rich, powerful, and you have a certain animal magnetism, at least for women who like slimy reptiles. So why lower your standards to Carly? Even now, she's beneath you." Bobbie tosses her head back, as if she just had a sudden revelation. "Oh, I get it. It makes perfect sense. After spending half of your life you've pining for a woman who's been married to someone else, you've woken up and realized you're an old man. Carly is good at making an old man feel young, that must be it."
Stefan smirks, showing his obvious amusement at her saying something so ridiculous. "That has always been your problem, Barbara. You never comprehended the obvious. If men repeatedly choose Carly over you, perhaps you need to ask yourself why? Because I can assure you, it isn't because she's younger or prettier."
Bobbie flushes, stunned speechless.
Satisfied that he's put her in her place, Stefan pulls his glasses out his breast pocket and turns away, resuming his work. "Always a pleasure, Barbara."
Bobbie grabs his sleeve. "Wait, I'm not done with you yet! I want to know why you're bankrolling Carly's bid for custody. You know all about mothers from hell, so why would you help that psychopath get access to Michael?"
"Do I ever make uninformed decisions, Barbara?"
"You're using Michael in some scheme to get to the Quartermaines?!" Bobbie's outrage is palpable. "You would sacrifice that helpless little boy for some stupid plot?! You are disgusting!"
Stefan's temper flares. "After all that you know about me, you would accuse me of harming a mere child to gain some nefarious end?! If you think me capable of that, you never knew me at all."
Judge Walker lets the gavel drop with a resounding clap. "Court is adjourned. Ms Renfied, Mr Stuart, please contact my clerk regarding setting a date for the next hearing." He stands. "I will see you in one month."
Carly, Margo, Adrian Stuart, and AJ file out of the court room. As soon as Carly is outside she hugs Margo profusely and reaches for her cell phone. From across the hall, AJ glowers at her threateningly, his face set in an angry sneer. Carly just glares back at him, then her face breaks into a smile when Stefan answers his phone. All thoughts of AJ vanish at the sound of his voice. "We did it, Stefan! We did it. I have weekly visitation with Michael starting this week! Can you believe it?!"
"There was no question in my mind this would be the outcome," Stefan answers reassuringly. "Congratulations, Caroline. You worked hard for this."
As the reality sets in, tears of pure joy seep from Carly's eyes as her voice quivers. "Thank you, Stefan. Thank you for this. I will never forget what you've done for me. This means everything to me! I couldn't have done it without you."
"Nonsense," Stefan retorts gently. "I have every confidence you would have found the means to see Michael. I merely showed you the way, you did all the work." His voice becomes low and intimate. "The driver and I will pick you up in front of the court house in a few minutes. Then we can celebrate properly."
Chapter 22
Stefan's study.
"Everything is going as planned with Deception," Stefan explains to Carly a few days later. "Just this morning, I received word that Katherine Bell took out a loan to cover the losses she's suffering with Le Femme."
"That's what we wanted, right?" Carly asks. "But doesn't that mean she's still in business?"
"Yes she is, but there is a clause in her loan agreement that requires her to pay half the loan balance in two weeks if she is late with one payment, and if she can't, the bank can put her in foreclosure." Stefan paces the study in deep concentration. "But this still leaves too much to chance. With a little luck, she could survive this. We need more of an advantage. Something that will bring her whole operation to a screeching halt."
"Whatever we do has to be big enough to shut down her production.... " Carly frowns with concentration, then an idea forms. "Why didn't I think of this before! Gosh, who would have thought hanging out with Jason, i might have learned something I could use in business."
Stefan scowls. "I loathe the idea already."
"No, listen before you criticize," Carly urges. "I remember back when the docks were getting renovated that the project was brought to a standstill when Jason told the unions to strike...." She grins a little. "Actually I called the strike, not Jason. And boy, was he mad about me taking it into my own hands..."
"Your point?" Stefan crosses his arms, getting more annoyed by the minute. "I hope you have enough sense not to act without my approval."
"Yes, I learned my lesson. I know better than to do anything like that now." Carly takes a steadying breath. "My point is that the company that ships her essences has a union. If the employees call a strike, her essences won't go anywhere...."
Stefan shakes his head adamantly. "Absolutely not. Unions and strikes are for thugs who lack finesse and use extortion and force to get what they want. I prefer simpler more subtle solutions, preferably ones which only target the intended victim. Strikes are time consuming and costly, and not just for Deception...." He stops suddenly as an idea dawns. "However, your idea of focusing our attack on her shipments is a sound one...."
"Like the trucks having equipment failures?" Carly suggests.
"You are on the right track, but a notion just occurred to me that will have much more devastating results." Stefan flips through the address book on his desk. "Time for me to place a call to an old associate of mine... I need some privacy."
"What are you planning?!" Carly asks, catching his excitement and balking at the idea of leaving.
"My associate is a very private person," Stefan explains as he shoos her out of the room. "In any event, I want it to be a surprise."
The man's enthusiastic voice can be heard from the entryway. "No Ma'am, you don't have to introduce me. Mr Cassadine and I are already acquainted, I'll show myself in...."
Carly looks at Stefan quizzically, but the only thing she can read in his face for sure is surprise. The next moment, a tall thin man dressed impeccably in a Versace blue suit swoops into the conservatory. He looks to be in his early forties. "Good morning, Mr Cassadine!" The man says brightly, but instantly his eyes go to Carly. "You must be Caroline Benson. Stefan has said SUCH nice things about your talent, I just COULDN'T wait another day to meet you!" He confidently offers his hand to Carly. "My name is Vincent Brummelman, but please call me Vincent."
Carly takes his hand hesitantly while giving Stefan a sideways glance. Stefan seems almost speechless, disconcerted. "Okay, Vincent. You can call me Carly. But I'm a little clueless.... "
Vincent smiles easily. "I see he hasn't had a chance to fill you in. My apologies for my forwardness, we spoke the other day about my working with you. I'm afraid my enthusiasm is CONSTANTLY getting me into trouble."
Having found his voice, Stefan steps in. "He is correct, however. Mr Brummelman has been hired to tutor you in interior design. He is highly regarded in his field, and after a lengthy discussion...."
Vincent cuts in as politely as possible. "If it is all right with you, Mr Cassadine, perhaps Carly and I can get acquainted?"
Stefan seems relieved. "As you wish. I will be in my study if you need me."
Vincent makes himself at home on the sofa, and pats the cushion next to him before opening his briefcase. "Have a seat, Carly. I'd like to show you some of my designs. While Mr Cassadine might have hired me, we won't really know if we can work together until we see whether our styles are compatible."
"Sure, why not?" Carly plops herself down on the couch with a foot underneath her while she watches Vincent pull out his portfolio. She can feel that he's teeming with excess energy, almost like his whole body is humming. His enthusiasm is contagious.
Carly flips through the portfolio slowly with Vincent looking over her while he points out various aspects of each project. She stops short when she gets to the last page and her eyes go wide. "I've seen this before!"
Vincent smiles broadly. "Oh, I just ADORED that project! The lady who owned that house was just GRAND. She gave me carte blanche to design. I can't TELL you how much fun I had! You must have seen it in one of the interior design magazines a year or so ago. I was tickled pink when it was selected as one of 'the top designs for 1997'."
"I think it's so beautiful..." Carly's voice gets a breathy quality and the awe she feels is written plainly on her face. "Wow, I never dreamed I'd get to meet the man who designed it, much less get a chance to learn from him."
Vincent chortles. "Oh honey, You have to stop or you're going to make me blush!" He takes the portfolio from her lap and puts it back into his briefcase. "You keep complimenting me like that, Carly, and we'll get along JUST fine. Now I need to see some of your work."
Carly bites her lip as she thinks of the beautiful penthouse she furnished for her and Jason. "I don't have any. At least not any I can show you."
"Pshaw!" Vincent exclaims. "What about the patio you furnished for Mr Cassadine?"
"Oh that. It hardly counts. I only replaced some lawn furniture." Carly sighs. "I did redecorate the penthouse I was living in before. I wish you could see that, but the guy kinda wants me dead..." She laughs nervously.
Vincent tips his head back knowingly. "Oh, one of THOSE relationships. I think your taste has definitely improved this time around. Why don't you show me the patio?" Putting a friendly hand on Carly's back, he lets her lead the way. "You'll hear all sorts of stories when you're redecorating people's houses. There was one time I was hired to redecorate a home where a woman went after her husband in their bed..." Vincent shudders. "There was blood everywhere, Hon, what a mess. Oh, and can you believe the couple stayed together?"
As Vincent continues to regale her with all sorts of juicy tidbits on the way to the south patio, Carly can already tell they would get along just fine.
Stefan and Carly are working in the study when a call comes in on Stefan's private line. "Stefan Cassadine."
"Mr Cassadine, George Paxton here," Comes a gravelly voice over the phone.
"Just a moment..." Stefan covers the mouthpiece. "Caroline, this call requires privacy."
"Sure thing." Rising, Carly gathers up her note pad and file. "I'll be in the living room when you're done."
Once she's gone and the door shut firmly behind her, Stefan resumes the phone call. "Tell me what you've found."
George relays the information. "Peter Peyser was pretty easy to track down. He's currently residing in Ybor City, Florida, right outside Tampa. He is quite the sleaze, gives my profession a bad name."
"The information please," Stefan prompts impatiently.
"Gotcha, I did a run on his bank accounts, as you asked," George Paxton continues. "Turns out the guy goes through money like water. About three months ago, he owed a shark down here by the name of Luis "The Blade" Ortiz, upwards of $70,000 for gambling. In the last two months, there were two large deposits of $50,000 each. One dated shortly before he testified in Port Charles. The other dated the day after. And since he's still alive and in one piece, stands to reason he's paid off Ortiz. With his gambling habits, I'd even lay odds he's in debt again."
"Excellent," Stefan says smoothly. "Keep him under surveillance for now. I may require a face to face meeting with him in the future."
"One of our top news stories this evening is the shocking announcement that the US customs office has seized a shipment of perfumes on it's way from France to Port Charles. The Federal Government confirmed today that they received a tip from a reliable source about freight headed for Deception Cosmetics that is actually a shipment of morphine and other illegal designer drugs. Sources at the Drug Enforcement Agency report that it could take up to three months for all the vials to be tested...."
"Oh my God, Stefan!" Carly marvels after listening to the report. "This was your plan? This is so much more sneaky and underhanded and... AWFUL than my idea of having a few equipment failures!"
Stefan smirks. "I take it you approve?"
Carly's laugh is giddy as she crawls into his lap and gives him a big smack on the lips. "Heck Yeah! There's no doubt I am in the presence of true greatness."
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