Previously: Misty Arugula opened an envelope that was given to her by Sandra Sumac and read the letter that was inside. The letter Sumac had written was intended to be read only by Sumac’s daughter, Jessie. Misty was shocked by Sumac’s words to Jessie and shared what she had found in the letter with Catherine Grey. The next night, Jessie Sumac found herself in a cold dungeon with her hands tied behind her back. While across town, a cryptic meeting was being held deep below the estate of the Black Family. Yvette Brunette anxiously waited for the person who organized the meeting to join the group. Yvette was shocked when Reginald Cyngen Ash, the long-time butler of the Black Family appeared. Ash explained that he was the leader of an organization called the Guardian Elixir Network or G.E.N. for short. Ash presented the group with a file containing sensitive documents about the activities of the mysterious company known as PlantCorp. Along with Arthur Bronze, Ash explained that the Guardian Elixir was the antidote to the deadly poison that was used by PlantCorp to murder many prominent citizens of Blackport at the town’s Founder’s Day party. As Ash and Bronze tried to answer Yvette’s questions, Lady Su Sian Lavender was on her way back to PlantCorp’s headquarters. After potential investors in PlantCorp withdrew their support for the company, Lavender realized she needed to quickly do damage control. What Lavender didn’t realize, however, was that her closest ally, Arthur Bronze, was working as a double agent and had stolen the real Lavender Lynx Diamond from her and replaced it with a fake gem. Meanwhile, at Blackport Memorial Hospital, Allison Amber went to visit Emily Peach. But Emily had been released from the hospital and returned home to Tudor Manor. Allison, claiming that Emily was her only friend in town, hurried to the Black Estate, followed closely by Alphonse Brunette. Brunette blamed Allison for causing the death of Sienna Fallow, who had died of carbon monoxide poisoning in the garage of Ivory’s Boarding House when she became trapped in Allison’s car. When Allison arrived at Tudor Manor, Emily’s mother refused to let Allison see Emily. But Allison refused to give up. Later, after the meeting of G.E.N. had ended, Yvette Brunette headed back to her mother’s car to wait for her mother, Corrine Canary to join her. Corrine had been stopped by Marina Popov who wanted to have a quick word with her in private. As Yvette made her way to the car she heard an odd clicking noise. Gavin Gold, who had also been at the G.E.N. meeting, was also about to leave the Black Estate when he got a call from Kimberly Brown. Kimberly told Gavin she was on her way to the estate to meet him. Gavin tried to persuade Kimberly from coming to the estate, but Kimberly wouldn’t listen. At the same time, a restless Emily Peach decided that a breath of fresh air might cure her insomnia and ventured outside. Standing on the bank of Rainbow Lake, Emily was not aware that she was being watched. Inside the house, John Boddy was surprised to see Ash in the hall. Ash explained he was doing his nightly check of the house’s doors before retiring to bed. Boddy and Ash said goodnight and Boddy went to the kitchen to get a piece of Mrs. White’s apple pie. Once in the kitchen, Boddy saw that the back door was left open and wondered how Ash could have missed it. Concerned, Boddy proceeded outside and down the path. Boddy passed the swimming pool area and saw that the moonlight that was being reflected off of the pool was moving as though someone was in the water making waves. Cautiously, Boddy made his way to the edge of the pool where he discovered the body of a blonde woman floating face down in the water.

"The Ripple Effect"

In her dungeon prison, Jessie Sumac lies on the cold floor, sobbing. Suddenly, she hears a noise coming from above her. Sitting up, Jessie begins to shout. “Hello! Is someone there? Hello!” Jessie then hears footsteps; someone is walking on the floor above her. “Please, help! I’m down here!” She shouts. The footsteps stop just as quickly as they started. “Please.” Jessie cries. “Help me.” Meanwhile, at the Pine Cone Inn, Mindy Mint has just returned to her room. She waves from the doorway.

“Thanks for the ride, C.J. ” Mindy says. She turns and enters the room, closing the door behind her. Mindy flips a light switch and a lamp comes on, bathing the room in a harsh orange glow. Mindy turns from the door and is shocked to see her mother, Misty Arugula sitting in a chair. “Mom!” Mindy says. “Jesus, you scared me.”

“Hello, darling.” Misty says.

“What are you doing here?” Mindy asks.

“I need to talk to you.” Misty says.

“The cops were here asking me if I had heard from you. They could be back any time.” Mindy warns.

“Well, then I better make this fast.” Misty says. “I have a proposition for you.”

“A proposition?” Mindy asks.

“Yes, I need your help.” Misty says.

“What gives you the idea that I would want to help you?” Mindy asks, flopping down on the bed.

“I know you are upset that I used all of the money in your trust fund. But I had no choice.” Arugula says.

“Sure you did.” Mindy says. “But you decided to steal my money anyway.”

“Mindy, I’ve come up with a way to pay you back.” Arugula says.

“Pay me back?” Mindy sits up. “You’re going to give me my money back?”

“Yes, but in order to, I need your help.” She says, standing up.

“What’s that?” Mindy asks about a paper Misty has in her hand.

“It is the solution to our financial problems.” Misty says. She walks over to Mindy and hands her the letter. Mindy takes the letter and begins reading.

On the Black Estate, John Boddy walks down a path behind the main house. John then comes to the swimming pool area. Moonlight is reflected off of the pool and is shining on the side of the house. John notices that the light that is being reflected is moving very quickly so he walks over to the edge of the swimming pool. “Oh god!” John shouts when he sees the body of a blonde woman floating face down in the pool. “Emily!” He shouts. “No.” John dives into the pool and swims to the lifeless body of Emily Peach. John flips Emily over and swims with her to the edge of the pool. “Come on.” He lifts her up and out of the pool and lays her on the cement. John then begins to perform CPR. “Breathe, damn it.” He says. “Please, just breathe.”

“John?” Tawny Drabb calls out as she hurries over. “Oh my god, what happened?”

“Tawny, call 9-1-1!” Boddy shouts. Tawny takes out a cell phone and dials 9-1-1. At the same time, Gavin Gold arrives at the edge of Rainbow Lake. “Kimberly?” He calls out. “Where are you?” Gavin takes out his cell phone and calls Kimberly Brown, but she doesn’t answer. “Damn it.” Gavin says. He flips closed his phone. Suddenly, Gavin hears a scream. “Kim?” Gavin says. He runs off in the direction the scream came from.

Back by the pool, John continues to perform CPR on Emily. “The ambulance is on the way.” Tawny says.

“Will you come and help me?” John asks Tawny.

“I don’t know what to do.” Tawny says, crouching down next to him.

“Just press down on her chest, like this.” John says. Tawny follows Boddy’s directions.

Back at the Pine Cone Motel, Mindy Mint puts down the letter her mother gave her. “How did you get this?” She asks.

“Sandra Sumac gave it to me.” Misty says.

“Why would she give you a letter that was clearly meant to be for Jessie?” Mindy asks. “Wait. Mom, where is Mrs. Sumac?”

“She’s dead.” Arugula says.

“Mom, you didn’t…” Mindy says.

“No, no of course not.” Misty says. “Sandra got shot when we were running from the police. She gave me this letter to give to Jessie.”

“So why didn’t you just do as she asked and give it to Jessie?” Mindy asks. Arugula remains silent. “I know why. You are unbelievable.” Mindy shakes her head.

“Mindy, it isn’t like that. I had no idea what was in the letter.” Misty says.

“Not until you read it.” Mindy says.

“Mindy, please.” Misty pleads.

“I think you better leave. I don’t know what you’ve got brewing in that warped head of yours, but I don’t want any part of it!” Mindy shouts.

“Not even if it guarantees that you will become very wealthy?” Misty asks. Mindy slowly turns and faces her mother. “All we need is a lawyer.”

“A lawyer?” Mindy asks.

“Yes, what I have in mind has to look and feel legitimate, no pun intended.” Misty smirks.

“You need to go.” Mindy says.

“Just hear me out.” Misty says.

“Fine, you’ve got three minutes.” Mindy says. Meanwhile, an ambulance arrives at the main gate of Tudor Manor.

“Go and flag down the ambulance.” John tells Tawny. Tawny gets up and runs down the driveway passing the servant’s quarters. The servant’s quarters’ door opens and Mr. Ash comes out, dressed in a bathrobe.

“My word.” Ash says. He sees Tawny guiding the ambulance down the driveway. “Miss Drabb, what’s wrong?” He asks, joining her on the edge of the driveway.

“John found Emily in the pool.” Tawny says. “She isn’t breathing.”

“Oh no.” Ash says. “Here, I will show them to the swimming pool.” Ash rushes over to the EMTs. Gavin Gold, in the meantime, has made his way to the carriage house.

“Kim!” Gavin shouts. “Where are you?”

“Over here!” Kimberly Brown shouts. Gavin runs over to a horse corral and sees Kim sitting on the ground.

“What happened?” Gavin asks as he jumps over a wooden fence into the corral.

“I fell.” Kim says. Gavin extends his hand to her. “I feel like such an idiot.”

“Are you alright?” Gavin asks.

“I’m fine.” Kim says. “Embarrassed, but fine.”

“What were you doing?” Gavin asks, helping her to her feet.

“I heard something while I was waiting for you by the lake.” Kim says, dusting herself off. “So I decided to investigate.”

“Let’s get out of here, before someone sees us.” Gavin says. “We are kind of trespassing.” Gavin lifts Kim over the fence and then pulls himself over.

“Thanks.” Kim says.

“No problem.” Gavin smiles. They walk off toward the east gate of the estate. Back at the Pine Cone Inn, Mindy Mint shakes her head.

“This will never work.” She sighs.

“Sure it will.” Misty says. “If we could just get a lawyer to make it seem legal.”

“You really think they will buy it?” Mindy asks.

“You are an actress, Mindy.” Misty says. “If there is anyone who can pull this off, it is you.” She smiles. Mindy goes over to a mirror and looks at herself. “So, are you game?” Arugula asks. Mindy takes a deep breath.

“What the hell.” Mindy says. “This will be the biggest acting challenge of my life.”

“I knew you’d see the beauty of my plan.” Misty says.

“But what about Jessie Sumac?” Mindy asks.

“Don’t worry about Miss Sumac. She’s been taken care of.” Misty says. In the dungeon-like room, Jessie continues to cry. Suddenly, she hears a door open.

“Hello!” Jessie shouts. “Please, I am in here!”

“I know where you are.” A voice says to her. “I put you here.”

“Why? Why are you doing this to me?” Jessie asks.

“Because, you have something that we need.” The voice says, coming closer.

“I don’t have anything.” Jessie sobs. She sees a hand come out of the darkness. “No please.” Then Jessie sees a syringe coming toward her. “What are you doing?” Jessie shouts. “Stop!”

“Be still, this won’t hurt if you stay still.” The voice says. “It’s ok, I am a doctor.” Catherine Grey steps out of the shadows and grabs Jessie’s arm.

“Stop! Please!” Jessie tries to struggle as Catherine ties an elastic band around her arm.

“I just need a little blood sample.” Catherine says. “Look at that, you have very good veins.”

“No!” Jessie shouts as Catherine sticks Jessie with the needle. “Ouch, please you are hurting me.”

“Almost done.” Catherine says. Jessie watches as a small glass tube fills with her blood.

“Why are you doing this?” Jessie says as Catherine extracts the needle and applies pressure to Jessie’s arm. Catherine smiles at Jessie. “Aren’t you going to at least tell me why you want my blood?” Jessie asks.

“We need it for your DNA.” Grey says.

“My DNA?” Jessie asks, confused. Catherine smiles and leaves Jessie alone. “No, please. Let me go.” Jessie hears the door of the room close. “Please.”

Back at the Pine Cone Inn, Mindy peaks out of the curtains. “He’s here.” She says to Misty.

“Are you sure he can be trusted?” Misty asks.

“Yes.” Mindy says, hurrying to the door. She opens the door and lets Alphonse Brunette in.

“So what’s the emergency, Mindy?” Brunette asks. “I’ve had a rough night.”

“Alphonse, you remember my mom?” Mindy says, motioning to Misty.

“What is she doing here?” Alphonse asks.

In the driveway of the Black Estate, Mr. Ash, Tawny and John watch as the ambulance leaves to take Emily to the hospital. “We need to go too.” John says.

“What about Miss Black?” Mr. Ash says. “Someone should tell her what’s happened.”

“Aunt Coral.” John says, turning to look at the house. “I’ll go and tell her.”

“We’ll go to Blackport Memorial and be with Miss Peach.” Ash says.

“I’ll meet you there.” John says as he goes up the porch stairs to the house. John enters the house and is met in the hall by Blanche White .

“John, I heard sirens.” White says, as she meets him by the front entrance. “What’s happened, you’re soaked!”

“It’s Emily.” John says.

“Oh dear, what now?” Mrs. White says.

“I found her in the pool.” John says.

“The pool?” Mrs. White asks.

“I don’t know what exactly happened, but it isn’t good. I don’t know how long she was in the water.” John says. Mrs. White embraces him. John looks over Mrs. White’s shoulder and sees Coral Black standing at the foot of the stairs. “Aunt Coral.” Mrs. White turns toward the stairs.

“What happened? Where’s Emily?” Coral asks. Mrs. White hurries over to her.

“Come and sit down.” Mrs. White says.

“I don’t want to sit down.” Coral says. “John, where is my daughter?”

“Aunt Coral, Emily was taken to the hospital.” John says, walking over to her.

“The hospital, but she was just released.” Coral says.

“You should sit down.” John says.

“I told you, I don’t want to sit down.” Coral insists. “What happened to Emily?”

“I don’t know the details, but I found Emily floating in the pool.” John says.

“The pool, in this weather?” Coral says.

“I can’t be sure, but I think she may have accidentally fallen in.” John says.

“Oh no.” Coral says. “Mrs. White, my coat.”

“Yes, Miss Black.” Mrs. White hurries to the cloak room and gets Coral’s coat.

“Aunt Coral, maybe you should stay here and I will go to the hospital.” John says. “I will call when we find out anything.”

“Absolutely not!” Coral shouts. “I am going to the hospital. Now!” She grabs her coat from Mrs. White and heads to the front door. John hurries to open the door for her. Mrs. White follows them out onto the front porch.

“Please call as soon as you find out anything.” Mrs. White says.

“We will.” John says. He helps Coral down the stairs and to his car. Mrs. White watches as they leave. She then turns to go back inside when she catches a glimpse of Allison Amber sitting under a tree in the side yard. Mrs. White closes the front door and goes down the steps.

“Excuse me.” Mrs. White says to Allison. “But what do you think you are doing?” Allison doesn’t respond. “I said, what are you doing here?”

“Oh,” Allison looks up at Mrs. White, “I’m sorry.” Mrs. White can see that Allison has been crying.

“You are the girl who came looking for Miss Emily earlier.” Mrs. White says.

“Yes, my name is Allison.” She tells Mrs. White. “Can I see Emily now?”

“I am afraid there has been an accident.” Mrs. White says.

“An accident?” Allison says. She begins to play with the locket on the chain around her neck.

CLICK…CLICK…CLICK…CLICK

“Yes, Miss Emily has been taken to the hospital.” White says. Allison quickly stands up. “I think it would be best if you left.”

“Yes, yes of course.” Allison says. “I am sorry if I caused any trouble.” She hurries off.

“What an odd girl.” Mrs. White says as she watches Allison run down the driveway and out the main gate.

TO BE CONTINUED…