AS THE MOUSE

OVES©

Soap Opera "As The Mouse Moves" - Thursday October 3rd 2002
"Starlene I'm home" Tiffany called out as she opened the front door of their apartment overlooking Washington Square Park.
"In here," Starlene said turning down the sound on the television in the living room.
"Well, how did it go?" Tiffany asked rushing into the living room.  She threw her purse on a nearby chair as she walked towards the sofa where Starlene was seated.
"Not good," Starlene said frowning.
"What happened? Was she at Stanley's office?" Tiffany asked. The sisters had talked on the phone while Tiffany was at work.  They decided that because Nicole rushed out of the office after the doctor called that she must have been going to talk to the Father of her child if she was pregnant.  Clark had confided in Tiffany that he and Nicole were waiting to start a family which made the sisters think that perhaps one of their lovers was in a family way and didn't know it yet.
"No.  I called and Stanley had gone to Washington for a meeting this afternoon," Starlene said taking a long breathe in a display of relief.
"Do you think that's the truth?"
"Yeah, I guess.  I spoke to his secretary and she said he took the train there.  She's usually honest with me."
"Did you ask Stanley's secretary if Nicole had called Stanley's office or anything?"
"Well, she hadn't when I called."
"Did you tell Stanley's secretary why you were asking?"
"No, I couldn't exactly tell her that we thought maybe Nicole was pregnant and having an emergency meeting with the Father, now could I?"
"No.  So did you try to call Skeeter's like I asked you to?" Tiffany asked referring to her estranged husband that had been with Nicole a few times in the past.
"Yeah," Starlene said picking up her Diet Coke from the coffee table and taking a long sip.
"Well, he was home," Starlene said raising her eyebrows in suspicion.
"Oh my God and he should have been at work!" Tiffany said feeling sure that her estranged husband was the guilty man.
"Yeah, he should have been at work."
"Well, what did he say? Was she there with him?"
"He said he'd stopped by his apartment for lunch," Starlene said.
"Starlene did you ask him anything more?  Oh God.  Tell me the truth," Tiffany said taking a seat beside her sister on the sofa.
"I just told him that I hadn't talked to him in ages and that I wondered how he was doing."
"Then what?"
"He said he'd stopped by his apartment to have lunch."
"And…tell me!"
"I told him that I'd like to come over and visit with him. Then he said he'd love to see me sometimes but he was in a rush right now."
"Oh my God. Do you think she was there with him?"
"Maybe Tiffany."
"What else did he say?"
"Well, I asked him what was new.  I asked him if he was seeing anybody lately and he said that he was keeping a low profile.  I asked what that meant and he said that he was going to get the divorce papers finalized between the two of you now."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Did you ask him why now after all these years he wanted to get the divorce finalized?"
"Yeah I did and he said because he might want to get married again soon."
"That doesn't make any sense does it?  Nicole just got married. If she's pregnant he wouldn't marry her.  I don't understand.  Then Nicole wasn't there?"
"Somebody was there though."
"How do you know that?"
"I heard a woman's voice in the background telling him to hurry up that she had to get back to the office."
"Oh my God.  Who was it? Did it sound like Nicole?"
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE SOAP PHOTOS BELOW.