0aeaa1e36e6f2e625b6ba8d48f773062

“I just figured Randy has been through so much these last couple of days, he could use a nice dinner,” said Marge, looking a little uncomfortable under her husband’s gaze. She took in the flowers. “Are those… for me?”

He glanced at the flowers, then back at the scene, and realized Randy had been playing him for a fool: he’d assured him he had no designs on Marge when all the while he was preparing to wine and dine her to within an inch of her life, and make her his!

And worst of all, they were doing it in Odelia’s house, and of his daughter and her boyfriend there was no sign, which meant they were both in on it, too!

And suddenly the mild-mannered doctor, who never raised his voice even when his most obnoxious patients made his life hell, suddenly felt his blood going on the boil.

But since words failed to adequately express how he was feeling just then, he merely threw down the flowers, then jumped up and down on top of them a couple of times, then stalked off, even as Marge yelled,“Tex, wait!”

But he wasn’t waiting for no one. His family had decided to indulge—no,encourage this romance behind his back, and as far as betrayals go, that was probably the worst kind of betrayal a family man like Tex could have imagined in his worst nightmare.

And then he was grabbing his car keys and stalking out of the house. He didn’t know where he was going, but it was most probably going to be very, very far away from here!

[Êàðòèíêà: img_3]

“Oh, dear,” said Marge as she saw her husband stomp off like Bruce Banner after having morphed into his alter ego The Incredible Hulk for the first time that episode. “He doesn’t seem happy about this, Randy.”

“Just leave him be. He’ll get over it,” said Randy as he sipped from his glass of wine.

Marge looked down at the trampled roses—long-stemmed white ones, her favorite—and felt bad about not telling her husband about this impromptu date with Randy. She probably should have warned him, but had completely forgotten about it once Randy had told her he’d be delighted to sit down for dinner.

She still wasn’t over her schoolgirl crush on the man, even though she was starting to realize that maybe, just maybe Odelia was right, and the man wasn’t into women at all.

The sequined shirts and shorts should have given her a clue.

“So has your daughter gotten any closer to solving this mystery of my poisoning?” asked Randy now.

“No, not really. She talked to your associates, your staff, and your family, but they all basically told her the same thing: you lost your millions years ago, and there is simply nothing to gain from blackmailing you.”

“Oops,” said Randy with a grimace. “Looks like my big secret is out then, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” said Marge with a warm smile at the man. “Is it also true that you have spent a fortune on pool boys, gardeners, masseurs and other assorted eye candy?”

“Guilty as charged,” said Randy as he looked down with a touch of shame.

“And another fortune on nose candy?”

“Yeah, I’m not without my vices, Marge,” said Randy. “But then you probably already knew that about me, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess I did,” she said with a sigh. “Though I decided to turn a blind eye, you being my hero and all.”

“I’m not much of a hero, sweetie,” said Randy now, patting her hand. “You know who’s the real hero? Your husband Tex. As a doctor he’s done so much for people.”

“You’ve done a lot for people, too,” she argued. “You’ve been instrumental in helping people stay fit and healthy, and that’s nothing to be scoffed at, Randy.”

“No, I guess I have done my share for the common good,” he admitted. “Look, I’m not a saint, Marge. I have pretty much wasted my entire fortune, and there isn’t much left in the once overflowing Hancock coffers. To the extent I can’t possibly pay the ten million these people are demanding from me. In fact I should probably look upon this demand as a compliment. They seem to think I’m good for that kind of money, but I’m not.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’m still hoping your daughter will come through for me.”

“Chase told me the blood work revealed nothing. No poison was found in your blood, which means it must be a very sophisticated toxin, if even the NYPD lab wasn’t able to find any trace of it. Which also means they can’t come up with an antidote, I’m afraid.”

“This was supposed to be a nice dinner to cheer me up, Marge,” the fitness star said with a rueful smile. “But so far all you’ve managed is to dampen my mood even more than it already was.”

“I’m sorry. But there’s no sense beating about the bush, is there? My daughter has come up empty-handed, and so has Chase.”

“Has his NYPD contact discovered nothing about the people who sent me that video?”