Previously, on Tomorrow Waits For
No One: Vincenzo's cousin Vittorio approached Frank in Twin
Creeks, trying to scare him away. Frank revealed that Marcus
was
still alive and that he was searching for the stolen Van der Griff
jewels. He proposed they work together and Vittorio agreed.
They
went to the county recorder's office to look up public records
pertaining to Marcus. Discovering that Marcus owned a cabin
at
Lake Claire, the two men set out to search it.
Rhonda
intercepted a message from Gail on Philip's answering machine and
erased it. She changed her mind about Ann and Roger's wedding
and
agreed to attend with Philip.
Cole relayed
to Marcus that
Vincenzo's body had not been found and that he was presumed dead.
He agreed to break the news to Veronica, Marcus's stepmother.
As Hurricane Jorge bared down on Twin Creeks, Cole suggested
they return to San Marcello. But Marcus remembered hiding
items
underneath the floorboards of his cabin. Against her better
judgment, Ginny agreed to accompany him and Cole.
They
arrived at the cabin and were confronted by Vittorio and Frank.
After a shoot-out, Vittorio was struck by a tree limb an was
knocked unconscious. Ginny arrested Frank.
.
.
.
Installment
17
Sept. 22
Lake Claire:
Lakeview Rd.
The car carrying Cole, Marcus, Ginny, a handcuffed Frank, and an
unconscious Vittorio comes to a bridge that has been washed out.
"There's no way we can go any further," Cole announces.
"We'll
have to wait out the storm in the cabin."
He turns the car
around and heads back up the road to the cabin.
Just then, a levee
breaks, and a wall of water rushes over their vehicle!
As the car fills with muddy water, Cole and Ginny take the handcuffs
off of a frantic Frank and a still unconscious Vittorio. With
much difficulty, everyone escapes the vehicle before it is dragged
under by the raging tide.
Vittorio is
dragged out by Cole, who manages to get them both to higher
ground. Marcus takes refuge in a large tree, but Ginny is
knocked
unconscious by debris in the rushing water. As Ginny is about
to
be washed over a precipice, Frank reaches out and rescues her.
Cole drags Vittorio's badly injured body into a cave, then goes to find
Marcus and Ginny. He meets up with Frank who is carrying a
motionless Ginny.
"She's
unconscious," yells Frank. "I couldn't let her drown."
"There's a cave about one-hundred yards that way," Cole
directs.
"Take her there and start a fire."
Cole
continues his search for Marcus, backtracking to where he was last
seen. In the pitch black of the storm, Cole calls out hoping
that
Marcus will be able to respond. Time seems to stand
still.
Finally, as Cole's voice begins to get hoarse, he thinks he hears
Marcus's response.
"Marcus?
Is that you?"
"Cole! It's me!," Marcus shouts across the torrents of water
separating them. "Out here, in the middle of the river!"
Cole rushes toward Marcus's voice and discovers him in a tree,
tenuously grasping a wavering limb, surrounded by the raging
floodwaters.
"Marcus!" he shouts.
"Cole!
I'm...I'm kind of screwed here!"
"Sit tight," Cole
tells him. "You'll be okay. I'll go for help."
Cole leaves for what seems like an eternity but returns with three
volunteer firefighters. One holds a powerful flashlight,
aiming
its beam at Marcus.
"Oh, Marcus," gasps
Cole as the magnitude of the predicament becomes apparent.
In a touch-and-go rescue attempt, Cole and the rescuers attempt to
extend a rickety extension ladder to the tree limb closest to them.
Due to the high winds, they find it exceedingly difficult to get the
ladder across to Marcus. Having to restart their efforts
several
times, the furious surge nearly claims the ladder on more than one
occasion.
"We just can't get
the
leverage we need this way!" Cole spits after numerous unsuccessful
attempts. "We need to get a fire truck out here with an
aerial
ladder that we can extend that distance."
"There's nothing available," bemoans one of the rescuers.
"Every
county unit is further down the mountain. And our truck won't
be
able to makes its way up here with all of the debris in the roads."
"We have to do
something!" Cole hollers.
But at that instant, another volunteer is struck with
inspiration. "I have an idea," she offers. "I'm a
competitive archer and I have a bow and arrow in my truck close
by. We could attach one end of a rope to an arrow and I could
shoot it across and lodge it in the trunk."
"I see where you're going with this," says Cole. "We'll tie
the
other end of the rope to the ladder and Marcus can guide it over to
him!"
The volunteer grabs
another flashlight and runs into the black of the night.
"Just hang in
there, Marcus," Cole yells.
"Not much choice,
is there." Marcus replies dryly.
"We're going to
send one end of a rope to you so you can pull the ladder to you,"
explains Cole.
"At this point,
I'll try anything."
Moments later, the woman returns with her flatbow and a quiver of
carbon fiber arrows. She ties one end of the rope to the
arrow
while Cole ties the other end to the top rung of the ladder.
The archer takes her stance at the water's edge, focuses intently on
the surface of the tree supporting Marcus, draws the string, and
releases her arrow. It flies clumsily through the air,
buffeted
about by the excessive winds, and misses the tree by several feet.
"That was close,"
says Cole, supportively.
"The wait of the rope is throwing the arrow off-balance, and this wind
makes it difficult to properly aim," she replies. "But all
things
considered, that wasn't bad," she winks.
Again, the woman takes aim, draws the string, and releases.
The
arrow makes its way awkwardly across the river, again missing it's mark.
Several more
attempts are made. They begin to lose hope, frustrated by the
lack of progress.
Once more, the archer raises her bow. With steely
determination,
she aims, draws back the string, and releases the arrow. It
sails
across the violent floodwaters and impales itself into the trunk of the
tree.
Cole and the rescue
team gives out a hearty cheer.
Marcus carefully scoots down, extending his hand toward the
arrow. He grasps it, wiggling it back and forth to dislodge
it
from the bark. With a hardy tug, he frees it, losing his
balance
and nearly falling out of his perch.
At the riverbank,
the rescuers gasp.
Marcus regains his equilibrium and begins to pull the rope toward
him. Cole helps guide the other end of the ladder as Marcus
heaves it across the water. Once he has the top rung firmly
in
his grasp, Marcus lodges it between two sturdy branches and begins to
tremulously make his way forward. Once on the ladder, Marcus
carefully shimmies back to shore.
Just as he reaches out to Cole's extended hand, a large piece of debris
floats by, striking the ladder and knocking it into the raging waters
below. Marcus and Cole clutch each other tightly as they
realize
what a close call they just had.
"Thank you," Marcus
says to the archer. "You saved my life."
"I don't know what
we would have done if it wasn't for you," Cole adds. "Thank
you."
"All in a day's
work, isn't it," she modestly replies.
Marcus, Cole, and the rescue crew return to the cave and begin tending
to Ginny and Vittorio's injuries. Soon after they arrive,
Ginny
regains consciousness. She sits up, dizzily, her face,
battered
and bleeding, and a sizable lump on the back of her head.
"Frank seems to
have conveniently slipped away," she groggily tells Cole.
"Don't worry about
it now," he cautions. "We'll deal with him once we get back
to San Marcello."
The emergency workers take Cole, Marcus, Ginny, and Vittorio to a
makeshift emergency center at the firehouse.
Sept. 23
Lake
Claire
As Hurricane Jorge subsides past midnight, Ginny and Vittorio are taken
via Medivac to the Twin Creeks Memorial Hospital for further treatment,
and Vittorio is arrested. The EMT explains to Cole and Marcus
that both should make full recoveries.
Marcus and Cole decide to return to the cabin to look for the Van der
Griff jewels under the floorboards. That afternoon, they rent
a
four-wheel drive vehicle to make it through the hazardous
roads.
Several times, they are forced to stop and get out of their vehicle to
remove debris from the roadway before they can pass.
Upon their arrival at the cabin, they are stunned at the sight of the
remains of the structure, all but destroyed by the hurricane.
"I...I can't imagine what would have happened to us if we'd stayed here
during the storm," a bewildered Marcus utters.
Cole puts his arms around Marcus's shoulders from behind. "We
may
have dodged a bullet last night."
Cole
and Marcus spend a few hours combing through the soggy wreckage, but
can find nothing worthwhile. Disappointed, they decide to
return
to San Marcello.
Plaza
Mall: Hart's Department Store
Rhonda shops for a gift to bring to Ann and Roger's wedding ceremony
the following Saturday. As she peruses fancy bridal ware,
Rhonda
groans upon looking up to see Gail entering the department.
Their
eyes meet, causing both women to brace themselves for an interaction in
which neither would prefer to engage.
"Ms. Lynn," Gail
greets with forced civility as she approaches.
"Nurse
Renwick. A pleasure," Rhonda replies, unconvincingly.
"I guess you're
here for the same reason as me?" assumes Gail.
"To purchase a wedding gift for Philip's sister and your
cousin?"
Rhonda surmises. "Yes. Why else would I be
considering the
purchase of the Waterford Bridal Collection," she grumbles, referring
to an opulent crystal gift set.
"Waterford?" Gail
says, taken aback. "Wow, that's an extravagant gift."
"Not considering the entirety of Ann's lavish bridal registry," Rhonda
replies with the tiniest hint of resentment in her voice.
Gail stands at the registry computer, trying to find something within
her meager budget. "My, Ann does have expensive tastes,
doesn't
she."
"This should come
as no surprise,
I'm sure," Rhonda says with an air of derision. "You are her
maid
of honor, are you not?"
"Oh, well,
yes. Of course," a rattled Gail answers.
"Well, then, even though Ann and I do run in different circles, her
choices hardly surprise me," Rhonda belittles, referring to an earlier
conversation.
"No. Of
course not," Gail mumbles as she grapples with the thought of spending
so much money.
Rhonda understands that Gail, struggling with a nurse's salary, must be
worried about making the right impression with her gift to such a
well-connected bride. "Look, here's a lovely picture frame
for
only $15.99 on the clearance table," she mockingly hints.
Gail bristles, knowing that Rhonda is ridiculing her. "Oh,
that
is nice, isn't it. I'm sure Ann will be touched by
your...thoughtfulness."
"I was
suggesting it as an option for you, dear," Rhonda sneers. "I
presume it will fit into your budget." She turns her
attention to
the more upscale gift items. "I've decided on this Waterford
Heirloom crystal serving bowl." Rhonda picks up the 6" bowl
and
looks at the $175 price tag.
Not to be
outdone, Gail decides to raise the ante. "Oh, that
one?
It's rather small, don't you think? I believe Ann requested
the
8" bowl?"
Rhonda tenses but
doesn't
miss a beat. Putting down the 6" bowl and picking up the
larger
one costing $100 more, she smirks. "Do you know, I believe
you
are correct. Yes, this one will be just fine. I'll
have it
gift-wrapped. Have you decided yet?" she asks, ratcheting up
the
pressure.
Gail spies a
crystal liquor
decanter, noting that the price is higher than Rhonda's
purchase.
"Well, Roger will insist on having a full bar at home. I'll
give
them this decanter."
"My, my.
The
Waterford Lismore pattern," Rhonda comments, making Gail wonder if
she'd made a good choice or not. "Very elegant. I'm
sure
they'll love it."
"I'm sure they
will," replies Gail, flatly.
"I'd certainly hope so, if I were you," laughs Rhonda.
"You'll
likely still be paying for it long after their marriage has
ended." With that, she exits leaving Gail to stew.
Twin
Creeks Memorial Hospital
Cole and Marcus
visit Ginny. "Hey, Gin, how are you feeling today?" asks Cole.
"Ugh! I'm fine! I'm perfectly well enough to get
back to
work but these quacks here insist I spend another night here."
"C'mon Ginny," cautions Cole. "You got pretty beat up in that
river. You lost consciousness and ended up with a, a..."
"A subdural
hematoma," Marcus interjects.
"Yeah.
That's nothing to play around with," Cole continues.
"Whatever. I just want to get out of this damned bed," she
whines. "What about you guys? You come up with
anything
yet?"
"Marcus and I drove
back up to the cabin earlier—well, what's left of it."
"Oh no," groans
Ginny. "Was the cabin damaged?"
"Destroyed,
basically," Marcus confirms.
"Oh,
Marcus. I'm sorry."
Marcus shrugs it
off.
"Anyway, we have a
flight home later tonight," Cole explains.
"Well, I'm flying back as soon as they let me out of here, which better
be soon!" she says through gnashed teeth. "Any news on Cain?"
"Nothing yet, but both the TCPD and the SMPD are keeping an eye out for
him," Cole informs her. "I gotta say, as much as I want that
man
to pay for all of the trouble he's caused, I give him props for saving
your life."
"Yeah. I
look forward to thanking him personally as I slap cuffs on him," grins
Ginny.
Rhonda's
Apartment
In her kitchen, Rhonda pours herself a glass of wine and takes it to
her living room. She relaxes on the sofa, picks up the phone,
and
dials.
"Rico?
This is Rhonda
Lynn. I have a job for you." She takes a sip of
wine as her
demeanor becomes harsher. "Her name is Gail
Renwick. Her
birth name may be Abigail, I'm not sure. I want whatever
information you can find. Past, present, future plans—any
peccadilloes that may prove, shall we say, embarrassing."
She sips more wine
as she listens to her private investigator's response.
"Yes, the same arrangement as last time. I'll meet
you. How
about the town's marina, Remo's Landing, tomorrow at 8 p.m.?
Excellent."
"Yes, I
know. I'll
bring cash." As she prepares to end the call, she decides to
make
a clarification. "Oh, Rico? I'm particularly
interested in
dirt. Anything I can use against her...if it ever comes to
that."
Sept.
24
Cole's
Apartment
Upon waking, Cole rolls over in bed to watch Marcus as he
sleeps.
Cole rises and goes to the bathroom to shower.
As he steps back
into the bedroom wearing noting but a towel around his waist, Marcus
stirs.
"Mmm," Marcus
groans. "'Morning," he drowsily greets.
"Good
morning. Sleep good?"
"Yeah," Marcus
replies, sitting up in bed. "Like a rock."
I'll be in the
kitchen," Cole announces as he dresses.
As Cole fixes breakfast, Marcus walks in and sits at the
table.
"So, what do you think our next step should be?"
"I think we should focus our attention on trying to reconstruct the
events between the time you faked your death and the night you were hit
by Cain's car," Cole suggests while pouring Marcus a cup of coffee.
"That sounds like a
good idea," Marcus agrees. "I'll call Dr. Park for an
appointment."
University
Hospital: Dr. Martinez's Office
Dr. Park hypnotizes Marcus, and begins asking him to remember the night
he faked his death. He recollects bribing a morgue worker to
take
possession of an unidentified cadaver, hacking into his police record
to upload prints taken from the unknown man's body, placing the corpse
in the living room, gathering just a few personal items, and then
torching his house. He left the bulk of his belongings behind
to
make it look as if the fire was an accident.
After struggling for awhile, he remembers going to the Lake Claire to
retrieve the Van der Griff jewels from underneath the oak tree, as well
as some cash and important documents from under the floorboards of the
cabin. Marcus then boarded a train to San Marcello, figuring
he
would more easily avoid detection traveling by rail than by
air.
He decided to come to Silicon Valley because of his interest and
experience in computer programming.
Once in town, Marcus, now going by the name Marc Lanza, rented the
upstairs flat in an old house on the outskirts of town from Lillith
Williams, an old blind woman who lived downstairs. He then
set
about to find a way to get the stolen jewels back to their rightful
owner.
Everything was
proceeding
smoothly for a few weeks, until Marcus learned that Leo Corelli had
come to town. Marcus assumed that his father had discovered
his
whereabouts, and began making plans to flee. He paid his rent
through the following month and told Mrs. Williams that he was going on
an extended business trip.
Just as he
was preparing to leave the flat, Leo showed up with Al
Slezak—Vincenzo's
henchmen. Marcus fled through the back door into the
woods.
Al and Leo chased him through the forest, witnessing him get struck by
Frank's automobile.
The one thing
Marcus can't remember is where he stashed the jewels!
Throughout
the hypnosis session, images of the beach, horses, and an ornate
chandelier keep emerging in Marcus mind. He cannot put a
finger
on what exactly these images represent.
Dr. Park ends the session. "Marcus, you've made tremendous
progress. I'm confident you will regain the rest of your
memory
in just a matter of time," she supportively tells him.
Santa
Lorena County Building: DA's Office
Philip and Rhonda
share an intimate moment at his office, but the romance doesn't last.
"As much as I'd love to continue this all afternoon, I'm investigating
an embezzlement at the Bank of San Marcello," Philip regretfully
interrupts Rhonda's nuzzling his neck. "This really promises
to
be quite an interesting case."
Rhonda becomes
uneasy.
.
.
.
On the next installment of Tomorrow
Waits For No One:
Cole to
Marcus: "We’ve searched everywhere. I just don’t think the
jewels are here."
Marcus to
Cole: "That’s where they are. I hid them in a secret
compartment in the parlor of the mansion."
Frank to
Marcus: "I’ll take those off your hands."
Vittorio to
Frank: "I want to thank you for all of your hard work, Cain, but I
won’t be requiring your assistance any further."
.
.
.
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