Previously, on Tomorrow Waits For No One: Dr. Martinez informed "Gian" (Marcus) that he'd soon be released. Cole suggested that "Gian" (Marcus) apply for the clerical position at police headquarters. He promised to put in a good word for him but was hesitant to ask him to move in.
Rhonda complained to Philip that Gail purposely kept her off the invitation list for Ann's bridal shower. Philip apologized, explaining that Gail got the list from him. He promised Rhonda that he'd have Gail call her.
Gail called Rhonda to personally invite her to the shower but Rhonda told Gail that she didn't trust her motives. Gail worried that Rhonda would be a formidable enemy.
Frank discovers that Marcus is being released and told him that he'll have to get a housemate. Marcus asked if he could move in and Frank agreed. Frank asked Marcus not to tell Cole that they'll be housemates. Marcus was suspicious so Frank lied that he wanted to patch things up with Cole.
At Ann's bridal shower, Gail and Rhonda clashed again.
.
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Installment 10
Sept. 14
Cole's Apartment
"Further decoding of the journal reveals that major Mafia activity is taking place in Twin Creeks, Virginia," declares Ginny.
"I wonder if Cain could somehow be connected to the mob..." Cole utters.
"Could be, though I don't think so," Ginny tells him. "We haven't found anything suspicious on him."
"Aside from his recent trip to Twin Creeks."
"True," she grants. "Look, I'll keep you updated but I have to take another call."
"Sure. Thanks Ginny." Cole hangs up. "I wonder if Gian could have any ties to organized crime," he mumbles to himself apprehensively.
Valley Towers Hotel: Banquet Room
"This is not the spa," states an impeccably coiffed and dressed woman from the back of a limousine. "Driver, this is not Lujoso."
"I'm sorry, ma'am," he responds. "My instructions were to bring you here to the Valley Towers."
"But driver, I have an appointment at Lujoso Spa. It's on the other side of town," she worriedly explains. "This must be some sort of mistake——"
The driver exits the limo and walks around to open her door.
"I'm sorry," she continues, "but this has to be a mistake."
"Actually," says Donna as she meets the car. "It's no mistake. Please follow me inside."
At a loss, Ann follows Donna into the hotel.
"I really am confused," Ann tells her. "I was supposed to be brought to Lujoso for a spa day."
"Yes, ma'am. Please step inside," directs Donna, motioning toward the banquet room.
Ann opens the door to find a darkened room. "But, miss, what is going on here?"
"Surprise!" erupts a crowd of women as the lights come on.
Gail runs over to Ann. "Welcome to your bridal shower!" she squeals.
"Gail Renwick! I don't believe you...how did you...oh, this is just such a surprise," stutters Ann. "Thank you."
"Well, it's not a day at the spa," Gail admits. "But I think you'll have as good a time here."
"I'm sure I will!"
From a distance, Rhonda sips champagne from a fluted glass, rolling her eyes at the spectacle.
Sept. 15
University Hospital: Patient Room
Marcus dresses himself in donated clothing provided by social services. Still shirtless, he pulls on a pair of jeans. Looking at himself in the mirror, he decides that he's pleased enough with their fit.
"Good morning Gian," Dr. Martinez greets as he knocks and opens the door to Marcus's room. "Oh, I'm sorry to disturb you while you're dressing."
"Oh, no. It's fine. Dr. Martinez."
The doctor steps into the room. "I hear that you'll be leaving us soon and I just wanted to wish you well."
"Thanks," Marcus says, pulling on a casual dress shirt.
"Has social services helped you find a place to stay?"
"Actually, I found a housemate on my own," Marcus happily replies while buttoning. "And Det. Washington got me an interview at the police department tomorrow."
"Well, it's looking like you're off to a good start," the doctor exclaims. "I have an appointment now. I'll let you finish getting dressed."
"Thank you, Dr. Martinez. I really appreciate everything you've done for me."
Dr. Martinez smiles and nods as he leaves the room. Then, the phone rings.
"Hello," Marcus says as he picks up the phone. "Hey, Cole!"
"Gian, I'm really sorry I won't be able to stop by today. But it's my first day back at work."
"You've been reinstated?" asks an upbeat Marcus.
"Yeah. IAD ruled that my use of force was within standard guidelines."
"That's great! Hey, guess what?" teases Marcus.
"What?"
"I have a new identity," Marcus proclaims.
"A new identity?" Cole reacts, puzzled.
"Yep. The social services administrator helped me choose a new name," reveals Marcus. "I needed an official name to get a social security number so I can work and be eligible for benefits, etc."
"So, don't keep me in suspense. What's your new name?"
"Giovanni Capriola."
"Wow," Cole declares. "Where did that come from?"
"Well, you think I'm probably of Italian descent, right?"
"Yeah."
"And you've always called me Gian, instead of John," explains Marcus, emphasizing the subtle difference of pronunciation.
"I'm with you so far."
"Since I'm officially a John Doe, I decided to translate that into Italian. The result is Gian—short for Giovanni—Capriola, Italian for doe. Actually, it means she-goat, but I like the sound."
"Nice!" Cole cheers. "I like it too. Hey, I'm running late for a meeting now,"
"No problem. I'll call you tomorrow."
"I really wanted to be there with you when you moved into your new place——"
"Hey, that's okay," Marcus interrupts, feeling relieved that he wouldn't have to lie about where he's going. "I understand. No problem."
"How about I stop by tonight, check out your new digs," suggests Cole.
"Um...well..." stammers Marcus. "No, not tonight. I'm, uh...I'm kind of nervous about the interview tomorrow. I think I'll want to be alone tonight and go to bed early."
"I understand. I'll see you tomorrow. Stop by the detectives squad room after your interview and let me know how it went."
"I will," a relieved Marcus replies. "Thanks for understanding, Cole."
"Sure thing. Good luck tomorrow. I'm sure you'll knock 'em dead."
As Marcus hangs up the phone, Frank pops his head in. "Ready to blow this popsicle stand?"
"Hi, Frank. Yeah, I guess I am." Marcus picks up a small duffel bag, also donated by social services, and leaves with Frank.
University Hospital: Nurses Station
As they pass the Nurses Station, Gail bids him farewell. "Gian, I wish you the best. I'm sure things will turn out really well for you."
"Thank you Nurse Renwick," he replies. "And thank you for taking such good care of me here."
She scrunches her face up into a smile as Marcus and Frank enter the elevator.
Frank's Apartment
"Here's your new castle," Frank says as his car pulls into a parking lot in front of the tacky-looking apartment building in the low-income Riverview neighborhood. "It's a dump, I know. But it beats homelessness."
"No, the place looks fine," Marcus says supportively. "I'm sure I'll be happy here."
"Yeah, well, I expect it won't be too long before I come into some money," Frank crookedly smiles. "Then I'll move to the Bayview neighborhood or maybe even Jensen Hill."
"Are those nice neighborhoods?"
"The best," Frank replies, getting out of his car.
As Frank leads Marcus up the stairs and into his new home, they are watched from across the street by a strange man.
Sept. 16
SMPD: H.R.
Marcus arrives at police headquarters promptly at 4 p.m. for his interview. Dressed in a dress shirt and tie with dark blue slacks and loafers, he sits in the Human Resources lobby. The director's door swings open and Rhonda Lynn steps out.
"Mr. Doe, I presume? Good afternoon, I'm Rhonda Lynn, the head of the human resources department."
"Hello. Pleased to meet you," Marcus replies with a smile and the hint of a bow. "Actually, my name is Gian Capriola."
"Pardon me?" Rhonda asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Um, I, uh, had to choose a name in order to get a social security card," Marcus explains.
"Fine. Let's get started, shall we?" she says impatiently as leading him back into her office, she explains that it is unusual for her to interview someone without having seen a résumé.
"This is highly unorthodox but Det. Washington seemed to think that I'd be impressed by you. He explained to me your...how shall we say, your unique circumstances." A hint of condescension wafts through her words.
"Ms. Lynn, I appreciate very much your willingness to meet with me today. I hope that I can offer skills that will be useful in this position."
"Well, normally, I wouldn't consider spending my time to interview a candidate without having an idea of his abilities," she states coldly. "But, this position has been open for months and I'm getting desperate. I'm going to turn you over to my assistant Jenny and she'll give you a variety of tests, typing, editing, working with a spreadsheet, that sort of thing."
"Great," responds Marcus optimistically. "I'm looking forward to seeing how I do."
She leads him back into the lobby and asks Jenny to set him up on a computer. "Buzz me when he's finished, Jenny."
As Marcus discovers, he has not forgotten how to type, and is proficient on the computer. He formats a text document with ease and quickly organizes the spreadsheet to perform precise calculations. He also discovers that the computer's display settings were not properly configured.
"Jenny, I notice that your screen resolution is set pretty low," he mentions. "Do you have trouble viewing web pages?"
"Yes," she replies as if she's been annoyed about it for some time. "I have to scroll right to left to see the whole page."
"Well, your monitor will go as high as 1,280 by 1,024. I can reset it for you, if you'd like."
"Whatever that means. If I can see the whole page on the screen, I'd love it!" she exclaims. He makes the changes and Jenny is thrilled. "Oh, that is so much better. I hope she hires you. You're the best we've seen, by far!"
"Well, I can't remember my name but I certainly seem to remember my way around a computer," Marcus laughs. "Maybe I'm a geek."
After reviewing the results of Marcus's tests and listening to Jenny's glowing review, Rhonda offers Marcus the job which he gratefully accepts. "Yes, thank you Ms. Lynn. I won't let you down!"
"I expect not," she says sternly. "I'll see you back here tomorrow morning precisely at 8 a.m.
SMPD: Detectives Squad Room
Marcus goes to Cole's desk to share the good news with him. Cole suggests they celebrate his new job and home. "Why don't I take you out for dinner?"
"Great. I'm starved. That interview gave me an appetite."
"You like Italian?" Cole asks. Marcus shrugs to indicate that he can't remember. "Well, I know a little place that you'll probably love."
University Hospital: Nurses Station
Rhonda arrives for her rescheduled gynecology appointment.
"Oh," she utters, seeing Gail. "You're on duty. Of course."
"Now, Ms. Lynn. I thought we'd buried the hatchet at Ann's shower."
"Yes, I suppose we did," Rhonda agrees, reservedly. "Anyhow, I'm here for my appointment with Dr. Riley."
"She's in with another patient right now," Gail explains. "We're running just a tad behind today. Have a seat and I'll call you when she's ready."
"I do hope that the delay will not be too long," Rhonda asserts. "I have a tight schedule today."
Gail grinds her teeth and takes a breath before responding. "I assure you, Dr. Riley's schedule is pretty tight as well. We'll get to you as soon as we can."
"Honestly, first you people cancel my appointment with so much as a phone call—"
"You people?" snaps Gail.
"—and now you expect me to wait here for God knows how long as if I have nothing better to do with my day—"
"God knows how long?" Gail repeats. "I'm talking a couple of minutes here. Maybe as much as ten. What is it with you, Rhonda?"
"I beg your pardon?" Rhonda tersely asks.
"You heard me," Gail replies, lowering her voice as she leans closer to Rhonda. "You act as if you're the queen of the world and that the rest of us should just bow in your presence. I don't know what makes you think that you can expect royal treatment from everybody but you certainly aren't getting it from me."
"I'd settle for mere competence," quips Rhonda. "But I'm not getting that from you either." With that, Rhonda turns and walks to the waiting area, shooting Gail one more rude glare before taking a seat.
Gail sneers back at her.
Benedetto's
After ordering their entrée, Cole suggests being extravagant. "Since we're celebrating, how about some wine with dinner."
"Sure," Marcus agrees.
"May we have a carafe of the local Beaujolais?" he asks the waiter. "So, tell me about your new place," Cole prods after the waiter leaves.
Marcus steels himself for a difficult conversation, but opts to postpone it instead. "First, tell me what's new with the investigation."
Cole shares with him everything he can. "I've learned more about the man who attacked you last week."
"Leo Corelli, from Twin Creeks, Virginia," confirms Marcus.
"The one and only. Turns out he's the personal bodyguard for a heavyweight mob figure in Virginia named Vincenzo Lazano."
The name strikes a chord with Marcus, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Gian? Are you alright?"
"Um, yeah," Marcus responds, shaking off the feeling. "I, uh, just got a chill. Must be the air conditioning."
"Are you sure?" presses Cole. "Did that name ring a bell?"
"No," denies Marcus, not wanting to acknowledge the significance of the name Lazano. "So Corelli and this, this Vincenzo guy, they're bad news, huh?"
"Big time. Lazano controls the underworld from Washington, DC to Raleigh-Durham. He has vast holdings in the region's shipping and freight industries. The FBI and local authorities have been trying for years to make criminal charges stick to Lazano but he's like Teflon."
"Someone's going to take that bastard down," sneers Marcus.
Cole looks at Marcus askance. Recognizing the antipathy in his voice, Marcus changes his tone. "Criminals like this Lazano character just destroy peoples lives. I hope he gets what he deserves."
The waiter returns with their meals. After he leaves, Cole turns his attention to Marcus's new apartment and housemate.
"Now, I want to hear about your new digs. Do you like it there? What's your housemate like?"
Marcus downs a glass of wine and pours another. "Well, the apartment isn't bad. It's in the Riverview neighborhood."
"Be careful there Marcus," Cole interjects. "That's not the best part of town."
"Yeah, I know. But it's fine for now. It's a two-bedroom, so I have my own space. Besides, I don't have anything but the clothes social services gave me so I don't need much room."
"You know, we should go shopping for some new threads for you," suggests Cole. "There's a great second-hand store downtown that has a lot of really funky stuff."
"That would be great," Marcus exclaims.
"How do you like your housemate? What's his name?" Cole presses as he shovels a bite of calamari marinara into his mouth.
Marcus gulps and takes another gulp of wine. "Uh...his name?
On the next installment of Tomorrow Waits For No One:
Cole to Marcus: "Well...you, uh, you could stay at my place tonight."
Rhonda to Philip: "If you'd actually keep to a schedule, you wouldn’t constantly be assailed by last-minute events that are obviously more important to you than I am."
Cole to Ginny: "Frank wasn’t full of it when he asked for police protection. It was Leo Corelli who attacked him."
..