The Edge of Night, Sept thru Nov 1975

SEPTEMBER 1975

No one can understand why Johnny would run off and go into hiding  over a trivial quarrel, but Bill and Mike suspect that Johnny believes he killed Kincaid. Kincaid, certain that Johnny is the new informant and resentful over his injuries, hires hit man Ewell Jorgenson to take care of Johnny Dallas. Armed with a pistol, Jorgenson tracks Johnny down to a seedy hotel. Pretending to be room service, he gains admittance to the room.

Josie finds her life threatened by Kincaid, who demands she cooperate in trapping Johnny. Nancy, desperate to help Laurie, goes to Serena's  hotel room to ask about "half-sister" Josie but finds Josie there  instead. Nancy questions her about her obvious dark wig and her  knowledge about Johnny's whereabouts.  Josie orders Nancy out. When  Nancy and Mike learn from police that Kincaid has been paying the rent  on Josie's apartment, the connecting links begin to fall into place.

Due to his anxieties over the trouble in his parent's marriage, Timmy is sent home from boarding school in a near-autistic state.  He is  further frightened by the frequent appearances of "Aunt Josie." Nancy,  who agrees to baby sit while Serena goes apartment hunting, is stunned  to discover Josie there instead of Serena and the terrified boy has  locked himself in the bedroom. In a scuffle to try to unlock the bedroom door, Nancy impulsively pulls Josie's wig off exposing her as Serena!  Josie desperately insists she is an identical twin to Serena and finally threatens Nancy's life with a nail file if she tells anyone about her.  Nancy barely manages to escape, when Josie is distracted by the ringing  telephone.

Quentin rushes to Serena's when she calls to explain that she has had another blackout while caring for Timmy. He gives her a sedative. Adam also arrives after learning of Nancy's experience with Josie. He  confronts Serena with the dark wig surreptitiously kept in the suite. To the amazement of Adam and Quentin, Serena is racked by sudden cranial  pain, becoming Josie before their eyes.

Arriving home from the hospital, Geraldine is confronted by Kevin about her phony attack. Kevin and Geraldine quarrel bitterly, and he denounces allegiance to her because of her plans to wreck his marriage  plans. Noel is jubilant that Kevin will be moving out, but Trudy begs Kevin to reconsider his decision to leave - especially now when Mrs. Whitney is so ill. While Trudy is out of sight seeing to Kevin's packing, she overhears Geraldine vow to strip Kevin of everything by cutting him out of her will. Geraldine contacts Adam and informs him of  her desire to change her will just as soon as they return from Washington D.C. Geraldine, along with the Douglas' and John and Trudy, are going to Washington for a memorial dedication at the White House for the late Senator Colin Whitney.

Kevin, believing he has lost Phoebe for good, allows his temper to  flare, and he loses self-control while sparring in his karate class -  injuring a classmate and causing the karate master to dismiss him from  further lessons. Meanwhile, despondent over losing Kevin, Geraldine decides to leave for Washington immediately. Tiffany accompanies her to the airport, but  Noel, feigning pressing business matters, plans to follow later. Trudy,  who fears flying, leaves by train with John.

Because the New Moon has closed due to Johnny's disappearance, Tracy is desperate for money and considers returning to prostitution. She  calls Noel, who makes plans to have her come to the deserted mansion  later for an illicit tryst. Kevin, who is packing to leave, is disgusted by Noel's apparent renewed unfaithfulness.

At the departure gate, Geraldine is unexpectedly overcome by  weariness and insists Tiffany go with out her. Noel, preparing for  Tracy's arrival, lays and kindles a fire and sets out drinks. Just as he and Tracy are making out on the sofa, Geraldine appears.  She denounces Noel, threatens Tracy with exposure of her lurid past, and dismisses  both from the house.

Adam and Brandy dine together and resumed their close relationship.  He invites her up to see his newly acquired barn which he is renovating. He tells Brandy of Geraldine's wish to change her will. Adam tries to  call Geraldine at home but is unable to reach her.  Kevin, returning to finish his packing, rushes to answer the phone but  just misses it. He turns to go up the stairs and discovers Geraldine lying crumpled like a broken doll at the foot of the staircase. He calls Dr. Lacey who rushes the woman to the hospital. They discover her spine has been broken. Although it appears that she had a heart attack causing the disastrous fall, Bill puzzles over the smoldering  embers in the fireplace. Dr. Lacey informs all that Geraldine's injuries are so severe, involving brain damage, that she isn't ever expected to regain consciousness. Bill learns of the argument with Kevin and that  Geraldine was going to disinherit him as well as of a suspicious bruise on Geraldine's neck.




OCTOBER 1975

After Josie emerges out of Serena's subconscious in front of Adam and Quentin, Adam takes Timmy from Serena and places him with the Karrs.  Mark, furious that Serena may somehow deprive him of his visitation  rights, seeks out his ex-wife. Recalling her psychiatrist's name, he  bursts in on a therapy session while she is wearing a dark wig. Mark  greets Serena, but it is Josie who lashes out at him.  Mark finally  leaves but now feels he has foolproof evidence that can win him  permanent custody of Timmy.

Adam fears that Timmy will become a pawn between Mark and Serena and  be severely hurt in the process. Mark goes to Nancy to take Timmy away with him.
Despite Nancy's pleading to leave the boy where he feels happy and secure, Mark becomes abusive. Only the arrival of Luke Chandler,  who came with information
concerning the missing Johnny, forces Mark to  back off. Serena approves of the Karrs caring for Timmy while she gets  the help she needs. When she is told about her becoming Josie, Serena  finds it very hard to believe but realizes something is terribly wrong  with her.

Adam fears that Mark really doesn't want to resume the actual care of Timmy, as much as gain vengeance against Serena for an unfaithful marriage. Furthermore, Mark is known to have a drinking problem, so he  may not be any more fit to be the sole parent responsible for Timmy's  care. Adam learns that Mark has hired Richard Jaffe, an attorney known  for only taking sure-fire cases, and admits that things look bad for  Serena maintaining custody. Adam refuses to represent Serena for two  reasons: she needs someone with more experience in domestic cases, and  he feels that Serena is too dependent on him already.   Out of regard  for his relationship with Brandy, he doesn't want to further involve  himself with the confused Serena.

Quentin begins regular therapy sessions with Serena and explains that she is not "insane" as Mark claims but that with time she should become a whole, healthy, and integrated person once again. As Serena goes on  relating her love for Adam who will save her from losing Timmy because  he loves her as much as she loves him, Serena begins obsessively  snapping her fingers and Quentin realizes that she is on the verge of a  transformation. Josie is about to emerge. When Serena is served with a summons to appear in court, Mike reluctantly agrees to assist her as her attorney. Adam still refuses  any connection with Serena's case but makes a tactical error by having a business
lunch with Serena and not telling Brandy. Nancy forces Adam to admit his real feelings for Brandy, and finally putting his natural  reticence aside, he takes Brandy in his arms, kisses her, and proclaims  his love for her.

Mike considers appointing a "guardian ad librum" to protect the  interest of Timmy in court. Consulting with Quentin, Mike learns that should Mark successfully take Timmy away from Serena... it could damage  her so badly that Quentin may never be able to get rid of the Josie  personality. Serena tells Nancy that the thought of losing Timmy is  destroying her. Mark arrives and is openly pleased that he has the  opportunity to hurt Serena by flaunting his apparent "open and shut"  case against her. After he leaves Josie emerges and denounces Mark's  threats against her "sister" and goes to take Timmy away to hide from  Mark.

Phoebe feels that Geraldine's accident may have altered the way she  feels for Kevin. Still confused about resuming her close relationship  with him, she nonetheless knows Kevin could not be responsible for harming Geraldine. Kevin says that Bill may be considering arresting him for attempted murder. Everyone at the Whitney mansion - with the exception of Noel Douglas -  grieves for the once vitally active Geraldine, who lies in a coma.  When Bill, investigating the accident, mentions that it occurred at a  very propitious time for Kevin, Tiffany becomes upset at the  implications. However, Noel secretly visits police headquarters and  tells Bill of the "private war" between Geraldine and Kevin, which led  her to fake her heart attack.

Bill and Luke continue to investigate Kevin as a potential suspect  and learn from Mr. Otoni, the karate master, that Kevin lost his temper  and injured a student.  He reluctantly admits that Kevin was skilled  enough in Karate to harm someone. This information coupled with the  unaccountable bruise on Geraldine's neck makes Luke press Bill for the arrest of Kevin on the charge of suspicion of attempted murder. Kevin,  fearing arrest, goes to Adam to ask for representation. Phoebe relates all she knows from Kevin's personal investigation about  Noel's affairs with other women. This could account for Noel having a strong enough motive to wish Geraldine harm, but Bill reminds his daughter that it is only Kevin's unsubstantiated word. When she learns of the police investigation of the Whitney accident,  Tracy is frightened and asks Noel for enough money to leave town. He advises her to "try hitchhiking." Tracy finds herself in a desperate  corner.

Johnny manages to overpower Ewell Jorgenson and shoot him in  self-defense. Johnny calls Mike and relates the story of his narrow  escape but refuses to return home. Laurie grabs the phones and pleads with her husband to return, but he refuses. He goes to Tracy's apartment and asks her to cash a check for him for $5,000 from his joint account. He plans to use the money to get out of the country. Johnny calls  Laurie and explains why he must withdraw the money from their joint  account.  Luke tries to have Laurie stall long enough to have the call traced but fails. He then dispatches the police to watch for Dallas at the bank when he attempts to cash the check, not realizing that Tracy  has already withdrawn the money. Desperate to escape the Whitney investigation, Tracy leaves her brother a note with the doorman telling  him she is leaving town with his money!

Laurie calls Danny and instructs him to tell Johnny that something  has happened to her. She then gets in her car and begins driving at  speeds of 90 mph on the turnpike, but fortunately she is stopped, cited, and returned home before harm is done. Johnny goes to Danny for help, believing Tracy has skipped town with his money. Danny cannot believe Tracy would do such a thing without a very good reason. Danny fails in an attempt to contact the Karrs about  Johnny, when Johnny discovers him on the phone. Dallas claims that his  best friend is ratting on him, and he rushes away. Johnny ends up Sal, a bartender friend, and asks him to cash a check for him. Then, in one of the booths, Johnny spots his sister. Tracy apologizes, claiming she  couldn't do anything that low to her brother, and tells him about her  involvement with Noel Douglas and Geraldine's near-fatal fall down the  stairs. While Tracy leaves, Johnny learns from Sal that the police have an  A.P.B. on him. Tracy, seeking refuge at Danny's and fearing her  precarious future, accepts his marriage proposal.

Now able to pay his way out of the country, Johnny goes to a "travel  agent" named Max Barrett whose underworld connections make it possible for fugitives to leave the country. On the other hand, Barrett's ties to the mob also places him in a position to contact Kincaid. Fortunately,  Walter LePage, acting as secret informant to the police, learns of the  death trap ready to snap shut on Johnny and alerts Mike Karr. The only clue that LePage can give Mike about the planned meeting is  that it's somewhere on the waterfront.

Bill dispatches squad cars to patrol the site, and they spot Kincaid entering 127 Front Street, where Johnny has returned expecting to receive his false identity. Bill and Luke rush in and arrest Kincaid.  Unfortunately, Kincaid is released on a technicality. He follows Johnny  to the New Moon, where his two hoods savagely beat Johnny into  unconsciousness and set fire to the restaurant!



NOVEMBER 1975

Kincaid, pleased that he has squared accounts with Johnny Dallas,  arranges with Lenny, one of his hoods, to fly to New York in his place - thus establishing Kincaid's alibi. Kincaid then goes to his office and  accuses LePage of being the secret police informant who led the cops to  the waterfront in time to save Dallas' life. Although LePage tries to  deny it, Kincaid knows the truth and coldly shoots the former mob boss  to death.

Danny and Tracy go to the New Moon to tell all about their engagement and discover the restaurant engulfed in flames.  Danny manages to pull  Johnny from the fiery holocaust as the burning roof begins to collapse, but Tracy is overcome from smoke inhalation. Risking his life again, Danny dodges flaming, falling beams and rescues Tracy. Bill and Luke discover LePage's body and are positive Kincaid is  responsible.

During a therapy session, Quentin suggests to Serena that she may  want to go to the apartment where her opposing personality Josie lives  and somehow bring Josie into some tangible reality. Deciding to go on  her own, Serena arrives and discovers Kincaid, who has been laying low  till his return from New York. Kincaid, believing he is interacting with Josie, is surprised to see her without the dark wig. Serena secretly manages to call Adam and tell him about her circumstances. Sensing  something is wrong, Kincaid starts to rough her up ,triggering a  personality change, and Josie emerges. Fortunately, Bill and Luke arrive and arrest not only Kincaid, but Josie as well. Josie refuses to talk to the police or cooperate without her lawyer,  Adam. Adam convinces her she must help clear herself of any suspicions  regarding her involvement with Kincaid. Josie tells the police that  Johnny was not responsible for informant Ernie Casper's death because  the phone tap didn't work.

Now cleared of all charges, Johnny looks forward to starting life all over again and to reestablish the New Moon. Unfortunately, his future  looks clouded again when Bill and Luke ask him to testify in court  against the Mob, so they can pin not only attempted murder and arson on  Kincaid, but Walter LePage's murder, as well. Laurie is fearful, but  Johnny emphatically states Kincaid tried to kill him twice and  threatened his wife and unborn child. "Just name the day!" he proclaims.

Happy that she is close to Adam again, Brandy is nevertheless plunged to her depths when she learns that Nicole cannot be considered legally  dead for another five years, and therefore, Adam is still a married man. Brandy contemplates living with Adam if he suggests it.  Meanwhile, Timmy expresses a desire to see Adam again. Adam invites the boy to  spend the weekend with him at the Barn, hoping that Brandy won't mind.

Mike plans to base his defense case on Quentin's expert testimony.  Mark intends to make Serena appear unfit because she is "mad", but  Quentin professes that she is not insane. Mike is shocked when Josie  shows up for Serena's therapy session, and he warns Quentin that if  Josie shows up at the custody hearing, they will certainly lose the  case. Quentin assures Mike that neither Josie nor Serena want Timmy to  go to Mark, and it is unlikely that Josie would do anything to  jeopardize the case. Johnny, excited over a possible new location to re-open the New Moon, is surprised when he is served a subpoena to appear at the Faraday hearing. Nancy also is subpoenaed to testify against Serena.

Everyone gathers in Judge Sussman's private chambers at the appointed time except Serena. Mike is worried that Josie will show up instead,  but Serena rushes in, slightly out of breath, upset over a traffic  snarl. The judge calls for opening statements and cautions Quentin that  although the proceedings may appear informal, she expects the same  serious and truthful testimony that one would demand in a trial.

Adam begins to piece the circumstances together leading up to  Geraldine's near fatal fall. Acting on behalf of both Kevin and  Geraldine, Adam initiates his own investigation. He suspects Noel of  planning a rendezvous with Tracy that night, since the rest of the house had gone to Washington. Having seen Geraldine's private dossier on Tracy's life in Chicago, Adam concludes that Noel had as much motive to harm Geraldine as Kevin allegedly has. Adam has Kevin pretend to be Noel over the phone, and by tricking Tracy, they confirm their suspicions that she and Douglas did go to the house that fateful night. Tracy later calls Noel and discovers he wasn't the one who called her, and she becomes frightened about these turn of  events.

Despite Noel's prompting to "pull the plug" on Geraldine's life support system, Tiffany encourages Kevin to leave on an interview trip  of doctors whose patients recovered from their comas. Tiffany pours out  her grief to her comatose mother-in-law and is stunned when Geraldine opens her eyes. Noel, fearing further recovery, secretly enters  Geraldine's hospital room and pulls the plug on the machine! Dr. Lacey later tells them that although they had a brief scare when one of the non-vital machines was unplugged, Geraldine has shown further motor recovery and is moving her hands.

Danny and Tracy set their wedding date for December 1. Tracy panics when Bill questions her about knowing Noel. She calls Noel and confesses to having returned to the Whitney mansion after they were thrown out by Geraldine to beg her not to expose her lurid past to either Danny or  Johnny.  "I pushed her down the stairs. I didn't mean to," she sobs.

Kevin returns to tell Tiffany the results of his investigation. When  Tiffany learns of a woman in a Paris hospital who recovered from a coma, she contacts the doctor by phone, hoping she will gain information  regarding Geraldine's recovery. The woman had recovered from her coma,  she learns, but has no memory of her past. Tiffany asks Kevin to fly to  Paris and speak personally with the attending physician Dr. Calmette.  Hopefully they will discover what brought about this woman's recovery.  Felling all his research is futile, Kevin can't refuse Tiffany.

Kevin arrives in France and is relieved that Dr. Calmette speaks fluent English. The doctor explains his patient's case: She was discovered on a small island near Guadeloupe. It was originally believed that she was mentally retarded because she could not speak. Later, in  the hospital in Guadeloupe, she spoke to the doctors in French. Assuming she was of French nationality, they sent her to Paris to be treated.  When Kevin details the circumstances surrounding Geraldine's coma, Dr.  Calmette is very sympathetic but doubtful his "mystery woman's" case has any solutions to offer toward a cure for Geraldine. He tells Kevin that the woman really feels that an American doctor named Clay Jordan was  the one who "cured" her and suggests Kevin should interview him as well. Kevin and Dr. Calmette go to the "mystery woman's" apartment to talk to her. They knock on the door. It opens. The doctor enters. Kevin follows  and is shocked beyond belief to see who this patient is. He is dumbstruck ! He has come clear across the world to confront a living ghost... Nicole Travis Drake, who is very much alive!