Pamela opened another bottle of wine and just began to pour another glass when she heard the upstairs phone ringing.

Stepping over the broken phone, she rang up the stairs and answered the call just in time.

"Christopher?"

"Mrs Ewing?"

Pamela paused and then spoke.

"Sorry, yes this is Mrs Ewing."

"Hello there. I am sorry for the late hour, this is Mr Foster's secretary please hold while I connect him to you."

Pamela waited for her lawyer to come on to the phone.

"Mrs Ewing."

"Hello."

"I need to speak to you as a matter of urgency Mrs Ewing. I've heard from a friend of mine at the district attorney's office that the State is proceeding with its investigation on you. I believe that they are forming a case against you for withholding information and possibly suspected murder. Mrs Ewing, you need to think very seriously about your stand in this matter. If you refuse to cooperate with the police they are going to arrest you and I cant help you if you decline to meet with me then I cant help you or defend you."

 

"Mr Foster, I appreciate your concern and I am sure that my husband had good intentions
when he hired you, but I don't need a lawyer. I have done nothing wrong and because of this I need no protection from you or anyone. I am innocent, end of story."

"Again I must implore you to think very hard about what you are saying."

"Thank you Mr Foster, good evening."

"Mrs Ewing, please think about what I have said and contact me if and when you are ready to work with me. I beseech you that it would be in your own interest."

With this the line went dead. Pamela put down the receiver and picked up the glass of wine that she had put down, she drained its contents in one go. What the hell was happening Pamela thought, first Bobby then Christopher and now this? She felt like she was in the middle of a bad dream, one where everything which felt and appeared to be real but where somehow nothing was quite right and everything seem to go wrong. Pamela headed back down the stairs and went directly to he bottle of wine that was waiting.

 

 

As Margaret sat eating her supper with Ray at the dining table, she animatedly chatted to him and giggled at some story she was telling. Lifting the fork up to her mouth, through the t-shirt that she wore, a red stain was evident on her arm slowly seeping through the material.

Afton drove her car aimlessly. She had no idea where she was going and what she should do next, so she just kept on driving. The whole time, the tears that fell form her eyes showed no sign of stopping.

Sue Ellen lay on the ground next to John Ross's grave, lifeless. The full moon in the sky cast a glow over her body giving her an almost unearthly appearance.

Cliff sat at his desk motionless the office all but destroyed, his face the picture of despair.

The phone rang and echoed throughout the silence of Pamela's house. On the living room floor Pamela sat surrounded by photographs, next to her another half empty bottle of wine lay slowly seeping onto the carpet. The phone remained unanswered.

JR drove up to the gates of Southfork, he suddenly pulled in before he entered them. He got out of his car and stood looking at the ranch in the distance, his body suddenly slumped and began to heave with the sobs that he tried to keep inside.

(Fade to black)

Dean stepped out of the shower and began to dry himself off. Lucy had insisted on sleeping back at Southfork last night and he had indulged in too much beer and late nights sports and was this morning paying a little for his excess.

As he wrapped a towel around his waist the phone rang.

"Hello."

"Mr Hillman?"

"Speaking."

The voice on the other end of the line had a rather unwelcoming tone and Dean was well aware what this call was regarding.

"You're late on your repayments again Mr Hillman. I'd like to pass on the boss's concern for your obvious lack of understanding of this matter. You MUST pay each week, otherwise things are going to become very uncomfortable for you."

"Like I told you the last time, I will have the money by the end of the month for sure."

"Friday, Mr Hillman is the end of your month if we don't got our repayments, are you very clear on this? I will be collecting the money on Friday."

With this the line went dead. Dean slammed down the receiver in anger and ran his hands through his wet hair. Pouring himself a coffee, Dean sat down deep in contemplation. With the people he owed money to, Dean had no doubt that the threats that were being made to him were cosier, however the only cash he had coming to him was decidedly slow in arriving and Dean felt that gambling what little money he did have left was at this point suicide. Damn, he needed to get the money he was owed and fast.

Catching sight of the time, he walked back into the bathroom and began to soap up his face for a shave.

He was meeting Lucy in less than an hour and he was far from ready.

 

 

Becky was cooking breakfast as Cliff came down the stairs.

"Good morning, you were both late last night. I take it you caught up with mum and took her out for a meal?"

Cliff stood slightly apprehensive unsure on how to handle the situation best. Unaware Becky continued.

"Where did she get to yesterday anyway? What time did you finally track her down; I was half expecting to find bags of baby clothes when I got up this morning. I know she has just been dying to start buying things."

Cliff interrupted Becky.

"Your mother didn't come home with me last night."

What Cliff said stopped Becky in mid flow.

"What do you mean she didn't come home with you? Have you heard from her at all? Why didn't you wake me? Have you called the hospitals?"

Becky's voice began to rise as panic set in.

"Slow down, your mother is okay she just didn't come home. We sort of got into a row and she walked out on me."

"A row? What did you row about that would make mum walk out?"

"It was the Ewings. First Sue Ellen and then JR, they are trying to destroy us because of John Ross's death. Just like Jock did with my daddy, that bastard JR is trying to take everything I have away from me. He fed Afton a pack of lies, he has bought Katherine's share of the company and he says that he's going to get you and the baby at Southfork. He has destroyed me."

"Over my dead body, we can't let him get away with this. The three of us reunited are just as strong as the Ewings. My baby is a Barnes and will be brought up to know just what the Ewings are like, and as for Southfork, it will be a cold day in hell before my baby and I step foot in that place again."

"It's too late Becky, your mother has already gone."

As Cliff spoke the front door opened and Afton walked in to the house.