At Last – Part 9
Last Time:
NORA: Do you think this is the way princes and princesses end their evenings?
BO (smiling): Dancing in front of the couch?
Nora slaps him on the shoulder and Bo pulls her close again.
NORA (smiling): No. Do they spend the night in each other’s arms knowing that they didn’t have to speak? That they know exactly what the other person is thinking.
BO: You have no idea what I’m thinking.
NORA: I’d like to think that I know what you’re thinking.
BO: What?
NORA: That this is a very special evening and that you don’t want it to end.
BO: That’s about 10% of it.
Nora pulls back and looks Bo in the eye.
BO: More walnut cake?
NORA: No. I really have to go.
Nora grabs her purse and heads to the door. Bo takes her arm and turns her around to face him. He rests his forehead on hers as he brings his hand up to caress her face.
NORA: This is so confusing.
BO: Let me try and unconfused you.
Bo pulls her into a kiss….soft and gentle at first then the kiss becomes more passionate and rocks Nora to her soul. Nora drops her purse as she wraps her arms around him.
*********************
The next morning (yes…the next morning!!!) Bo comes whistling
up the sidewalk towards Nora’s house with a bag of cheese
danish in his hand. Bo knocks on the door and he is greeted with
a hug from Matt.
MATT: Hi uncle Bo. Did you bring me a present?
BO (smiling): No this is a present for your mom. Is she up?
MATT: Yea…she’s upstairs getting dressed. Mary Ann and me are going to the park. Wanna come with?
BO: Not today. I need to talk to your mom. You have a good time though.
MATT: I will. See ya later.
Matt and Mary Ann leave and Bo wanders around the living room. After a couple of minutes he hears Nora coming down the stairs. He turns around with a huge smile on his face that quickly turns into a scowl. Nora has a suitcase in her hands. Nora walks down the stairs and puts the suitcase by the front door before walking over towards Bo.
BO (quietly): Where are you going?
NORA: California.
BO: California? As in where Sam is?
NORA: We have a huge construction case going on. This is a very important client. He’s trying to develop some riverfront property and if we win this case he can move forward. I need to go out there and help Sam. I’ve worked on this case too long to just let it fall apart. Can you understand that?
BO: Of course I understand….I do. It’s okay. Go out there for the case but not for Sam. We both know after last night that you have nothing in your heart for Sam.
NORA: Bo….
Bo wraps his arms around her and pulls her into a passionate kiss that goes on and on and on.
BO: I don’t want you to go but I know you have to. Just know this…I love you Red. I always have and I always will. Don’t ever doubt that.
Before Nora has a chance to respond, Bo kisses her again deeply and walks towards the door. When he gets there, he turns around, smiles and winks at her.
BO: Remember…I love you.
Nora sits on the plane and remembers everything that has happened between her and Bo the past 3 weeks. She knows that she loves him as much as he loves her. There is no doubt in her mind. He is her one true love. Now all she has to do is tell Sam. That wasn’t going to be easy but it was what she had to do. She checks in at the hotel and gets herself settled before she goes to confront Sam. She walks to his room and quietly knocks. Sam opens the door
SAM (hugging her): Nora….I wasn’t expecting you so soon. I’m glad that you’re here. I need all the help I can get to get ready for this case.
NORA: Sam…. before we get started I really think that we need to talk. I’m not so sure that you’re going to want me around.
SAM: Of course I want you around. Why would you say that?
NORA (quietly): Sam…I think we need to stop seeing each other.
SAM: What? What are you talking about?
NORA: The past couple of weeks I’ve realized that I really don’t love you.
SAM: What do you mean? We’ve loved each other forever.
NORA: You keep saying that but why don’t I feel the same way? Why do I think that you’re lying to me?
SAM: I’m not lying to you. We love each other.
He walks up to her and grabs her arms and starts kissing her. Nora struggles to get away.
SAM (starts rambling): You are never going to leave me. Not unless I say so. Why couldn’t have Tucker finished the job?
NORA (still struggling): What?
SAM (holding her tighter): That’s right…I paid Jack Tucker to kill you. Tucker came to see you one day. He actually wanted to make peace with you. I knew as soon as he started telling me his story I had the perfect person to do my dirty work.
NORA: I can’t believe this.
SAM: I just had to plant the right thoughts in his head. It wasn’t too hard. I just reminded him of everything he had been through because of you and he went from there. I even made a couple of suggestions about trying to hit you with the car and the fire. Even cutting the brake lines was my idea.
NORA: You are so sick.
SAM: When I thought Matt had died with you in that crash, I was crushed but then you came back and I had another chance. I took those shots at you but Bo had to save you. (pausing) This is all about Bo isn’t it?
Sam slaps Nora hard and she falls to the floor, knocking her head on the side of the dresser as she goes down. She lies on the floor unconscious.
SAM: No one tells me that they don’t love me. Buchanan is not going to win this time.
Sam picks up Nora and puts her on the bed. He ties her hands and feet so that she can’t move. He then wraps her in a blanket. If you didn’t know better you would assume that she had just fallen asleep. Sam carries her out a back entrance to his car. He doesn’t run into anyone on the way. He drives them to an abandoned warehouse that their client owns. He takes the elevator to the third floor. Nora has still not regain consciousness.
Later that night Bo is in his office working late. He had called Matt to check on him. He was fine even though he missed his mom and dad. Bo promised that he would stop over and see him in the morning. Bo’s phone rang.
BO: Buchanan.
SELMA: Bo, it’s Selma.
BO: Selma…how are you?
SELMA: I’m worried. Have you heard from Nora?
BO: No…why?
SELMA: She promised me that she would call me as soon as she got to California. She was there hours ago. Still no call.
BO (getting a little worried): Maybe she’s busy. She and Sam are preparing for that case.
SELMA: I know that but I’ve tried to call her room and she hasn’t answered. I’ve called her cell phone over and over. I’ve left her at least a dozen messages. She wouldn’t make me worry like this.
BO: Okay Selma…now you’re getting me worried. Let me make some calls and I’ll get back to you.
SELMA: Thank you Bo. I knew I could count on you.
Bo tries to call Nora to no avail. He tries Sam’s room and again there is no answer.
BO (to himself): Damn it Red. Where are you?
Bo gets on the phone with Asa and tells him that he is taking the jet to California. He then calls Selma and lets her know that he is going to find Nora. He tells her not to worry but he isn’t too convincing. Bo promises to call her as soon as he can.
Bo arrives at the hotel and finds that neither Sam nor Nora have been back to the hotel since he last called. He arranges with a local judge to get a search warrant and he scours the rooms. Nora’s bags are still packed in her room. He goes to Sam’s room, which is in disarray. There are client papers everywhere. He notices that the blanket is missing and then he spots some blood on the corner of the dresser. His blood runs cold. He knows that Nora is in danger.
Bo sits down on the bed and tries to remember everything that Nora told him about the case. He remembers that it is a waterfront development case. He grabs some of the papers off of the table to see if he can come up with a clue. As soon as he sees the abandoned warehouse he knows where she is. He calls the local police and they agree to meet him at the warehouse.
BO: Hang in there Red. I’m on my way.
Back at the warehouse, Sam has tied Nora to one of the pillars. She is slowly waking up.
NORA (groggy): Where am I? Sam?
SAM: Hello stinger. So glad that you woke up. This way you can be awake when I…
NORA: When you what?
SAM (smirking): That’s for me to know.
NORA: Why are you doing this?
SAM: Because I love you. I’ve always loved you. But you don’t love me. So if I can’t have you…no one can have you.
Sam starts spreading rags filled with gas all around the room.
NORA (scared): What are you doing?
SAM: I thought a funeral pyre would be the ideal way for you to die. It’s too bad that Matthew will have to lose his mom in this “accident” but he’ll have me to take care of him.
NORA: Sam…you can’t do this.
SAM (smirking): Who’s going to stop me?
In the distance they hear the police sirens approaching. Sam runs to the window and sees Bo get out of his car.
SAM: Damn it Buchanan. Why can’t you leave me alone?
NORA (smiling softly): Bo will save me.
SAM: Not if I can help it.
Sam walks to the window and yells to Bo.
SAM: You’re too late Buchanan. You’ll never save her.
Sam turns around, walks to the door and throws a lighted match into the room. Bo, running as fast as he can towards the warehouse sees the flames erupt in the room.
BO (yelling): NORA!!!!!
To be continued…….
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