(Written by whadya_got)

Previously on Crossroads...

Max and Honey slept together...

Angel and Max found Jenny's photo in the paper, she was Joe's sister....

Tracey was working the bar in the morning, cleaning some glasses. A
man had just left his paper on the bar and she glanced at it,
something caught her interest and she looked closer in. Scott walked
into the hotel, interrupting her from her daydream.
"Alright mum?"
"Hello darling, shouldn't you be at school?"
"Mum, I've only got art on Thursday mornings."
"Scott Booth! You can't just take a morning off when you feel like
it. You'll get into moreble, not to mention get me into trouble. They
all blame the parents these days."
"Yeah well, I don't feel very well either."
"Oh darling. Well how about you sit over there for a bit and I'll
drive you home when I get a break" said Tracey, suddenly coming over
all sympathetic. She reached over the bar to feel her sons forehead.
"Honestly, I can't believe you're still falling for that one Tracey
Booth. If only my parents had been such soft touches! I had to be in
danger of losing my limbs before I was allowed a day off!" Vince was
standing behind Tracey, taking both of them by surprise.
"Hey I really am ill!" Scott protested.
"Yeah, yeah pull the other one Scott!" Vince joked.
"Scott you better be telling the truth" Tracey said harshly."I know
what I was like when I was your age, me and your father where always
skiving off school. Hey, that's how I got pregnant with you."
Vince and Scott both pull a face.
"Thanks for that mum" said Scott sarcastically. "Anyway I really am
ill."
"Well you can go and sit over there like you said. I'm too busy at
the moment."
"Hey you don't fancy doing me a favour Scott? That is if you don't
think you're going to be keeling over in the next few hours." Vince
asked.
"Yea sure, what?" said Scott enthusiastically. Tracey looked a little
suspicious.
"Give me a hand in the kitchen. We've got a bit of a staff shortage
at the moment. Some idiot burnt a hole through one of my saucepans,
not to mention almost burning a hole in the hotel! The agency is
sending a new lad round soon but until he arrives..."
"What you mean you want me to do cooking and stuff?" asked Scott.
"Hey, steady on Jamie Oliver; I don't think Kings Oak is ready for
your culinary delight just yet. No it's only washing up. But you'd
get paid."
"I don't think this is such a good idea..." Tracey began. But it was
too late as Scott had already rushed off to the kitchen. Tracey
shrugged and threw away the paper she had been reading.

Max and Angel where talking things through. Things where still tense
about them .Angel had never really confronted Max about his affair
with Kate, she still was deeply suspicious of them but for the moment
she was willing to let it pass as they had more pressing matters at
hand.
"I still can't understand what she was doing with you Max" said
Angel, staring at the pretty blonde face of Jenny, imprinted in the
newspaper.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What did she want from you? All these meetings in hotel rooms..."
"Angel, I think that was pretty obvious...me and her didn't have a very
complicated relationship; I don't think you need me to spell it out
for you.
"Oh don't be so naïve Max Samson. I'm very aware you two weren't
getting together to discuss Nuclear Physics. Now you may think you're
god's gift to women but an attractive young blonde like that doesn't
chase after a fifty year fat old man for nothing, she could have
done much better for a start."
Max looks vaguely hurt and amused by his wife's harsh words but he
understands that Angel is angry at him for everything. The two of
them are in the office and Max glances through the glass door to
Honey Raymond who is serving on reception. Angel's words force him to
see his little affair with her in a new light.
"....of course Kate chases after you because she thinks she's in love
but she's hardly blonde, young or attractive is she?" responded
Angel cattily.
"Now hold on Angel" said Max, suddenly disrupted from his train of
thought. "Let's keep this to the agenda shall we. I think it's pretty
obvious Jenny wanted something from me, revenge perhaps; like her
brother. But whatever she wanted, she never got. It's all history. We
need to deal with getting rid of her and removing any trace of her
from our hotel, starting with her body.
Angel looks horrified by what Max's words entails. There is a knock
on the door and Honey enters. "Yes Honey?" she asks.
"Sorry for disturbing you Mrs Samson. "There's something at the front
desk that needs your signature?"
"Specifically Angel's signature?" Max asks suspiciously. "Won't mine
do?"
"Well yeah I suppose."
"Right then, I'll go and sign it and then" he announces, suddenly
aware of Honey's game to get a few minutes privacy with him.
"No it's fine Max I'll do it."
"Angel, I'll said I'll sign the ruddy thing. Anyway Honey, this isn't
really an important matter. Me and my wife where having a private
matter. What gives you the right to barge in on a private meeting?"
he demands.
Honey is taken aback by Max "I'm sorry Max Samson..."
Angel is completely oblivious to her husband's suspicions of
Honey, "Max, there's no need to be so rude. Honey do you think you
could give us a few more minutes.
"Of course" and she closes the door behind her.
"What was all that about?" Angel asks amazed.
But Max doesn't reply for a second. He can't tell Angel about Honey
but finding out about Jenny has made him extremely suspicious of her.

"You ever done washing up before Scott, or does "mummy" do it all for
you?" said Vince. Him and Scott where in the kitchen and Vince was
just giving him an introduction to the way it worked.
"Give us a break, she's not that bad you know."
"Yeah pull the other one, you've got her wrapped round your little
finger. She was offering to drive you home a minute ago, you two only
live down the road."
"Yeah well it's not easy for her is it?" Scott snapped. "I'm all
she's got left. She feels a bit better if she thinks she's spoiling
me. I don't take her for granted though."
Vince was a bit taken aback, he answered sympathetically. "Yeah I
know mate, I was only joking. Now pull your sleeves up and get
washing those pans!" He squirted some washing up liquid into the sink
and Scott arms. Scott laughed and retaliated by splashing some water
in his direction. The two giggled.
Tracey watched them suspiciously from the kitchen entrance. But she
didn't say anything and huffed off.

Honey watches as Angel leaves Max's office, smiling at her. She waits
a second or two then knocks on the door and enters.
"What is it?"
"I just wanted to apologise for before. Disturbing you and Mrs
Samson."
"You've got a lot more to apologise than that."
"What are you talking about?"
"You *know* what I'm talking about."
Honey glances around. "Well if you're worried about me leaking our
little secret to you wife you needn't be. I've got a bit more style
than that."
"Yeah, well it's obvious you're up to something. You're a young
attractive woman Honey, what would you want with me?"
"Good question Max. I really don't know what you're talking about
though. You were drunk, I was feeling a bit lonely. It was just an
innocent bit of fun; well as innocent as it could be."
"Yeah, well lets just hope it stays that way ok?"
"No danger of that Max" she smiles and walks out of the office
leaving Max wondering.
"Alright Jimmy?" she asks as he walks past and he stops to look at
her.

Vince and the other staff are busy cooking as Scott watches on idly,
a big pile of pots and pans is building up, unwashed, besides him.
"You know, I should have brought my video camera with me. This would
all have made a brilliant fly on the wall documentary!"
Vince laughs. "Yeah right, every episode would be the same! Me
flapping around being daft while everyone else messes up! If anything
deserves to be on telly it's those Samsons. None of us can know what
goes on between them! Anyway, a little less of the chit-chat Mr Booth
and a bit more of the elbow grease. That pile of plates will reach
the ceiling in a bit!"
"I wish I could be doing what you're doing!"
"I'm only boiling a soup!"
"No, I mean all of it. Cooking people's meals and creating new exotic
dishes. I'm telling you, if I don't become a film director, I'm going
to be a cook!"
"Er, you mean chef don't you? Cook brings to mind horrid images of
fat old women in pinnys!"
"Yeah, that's what I mean a chef. I'm serious about this."
"Oh are you? So I guess that makes me your idol then does it?"
"Yeah I suppose it does!" Scott says cherfully, returning to his
washing up.
Vince smiles to himself and watches Scott; it's hard to predict what
he's thinking but he could perhaps be seen to be looking at Scott a
little suggestively.

It's lunchtime and Tracey is behind the bar at the hotel. Jimmy
orders a drink.
"Drinking alone are we Jimmy? And so early! I'd be careful about that
if I were you. And *I* should know."
Jimmy smiles, "No it's ok Tracey, someone else is joining me in a
minute."
"Oh really? Business or pleasure?"
Jimmy looks chuffed as he announces "Well pleasure actually"
Tracey looks intrigued "Sounds fascinating! Anyone I know?"
"Well you know Honey? She's a receptionist here"
"I don't think I've ever had the pleasure actually. She's not that
gawky looking girl who works nights is she?"
"Not exactly. She's a pretty glamorous looking blonde actually"
Tracey smiles jealously, "Oh her, Sounds lovely!"
"Yeah she is, I can't think what she wants from me!"
"Don't put yourself down. Those glamorous blondes aren't want they
seem anyway. Under all that slap and fakeness she might as well be
that gawky nerd.
"Yeah" says Jimmy hesitantly looking up to the heavily made up,
blonde Tracey. "Well! Here she is." Honey greets Jimmy by kissing him
on the cheek.
"Gin and Tonic please" Honey asks Tracey, "with plenty of lemon".
"Should you be drinking when you're working?" asks Tracey cattily.
"Well, I don't see why not? We're as dead as a dodo today, and I'm
here to enjoy myself aren't I?" she smiles at Jimmy who giggles
back. "Anyway, you won't tell mummy and daddy on me will you Jim?"
she jokes.
"Whatever!" says Tracey uninterestedly shocking Honey a little.
"Here darling, hold the lemon on second thoughts. It's sour enough in
here already!" she laughs and Jimmy joins in as Tracey looks on
annoyed.

A little later on in the day, Jimmy and Honey have been sitting
together for a while, talking and laughing. Tracey has been watching
them bitterly from the bar. Max also has seen them.
"How much has she had?" he asks Tracey, referring to Honey.
"A few glasses or so Mr Samson."
Max nods, "What do you think of her Tracey?"
"Who, Honey?"
"Yeah. She's only a new member of staff and is still effectively
under review."
"Well you know me. I'm not one to speak ill of anyone but..."
"Go on.." says Max, urging Tracey to say more.
"Well, I spoke to Virginia yesterday. Those two aren't getting on
well at all."
"Yeah, I'd heard that. You know Virginia's the head receptionist
around here and she must know what she's talking about. If she
doesn't like a member of staff, she must have a professional reason.
She's not one to get personal at work."
Tracey looks a little confused.
Max continues, "Perhaps it's time Honey's time at Crossroads came to
an end, wouldn't you agree? I mean; the head receptionist has found
her unprofessional, she's been caught by me drinking at lunchtime and
now you've lodged what might as well be a personal complaint against
her. It's obvious I've got good reason to cease her contract here"
Tracey feels like Max is putting words into her mouth but she just
smiles and agrees with Max.
"Thanks Tracey, you've been a great help." Says Max smiling cockily
as he watches Honey and Jimmy.
"Er, no problem Mr Samson."
"Hey, someone left this paper by the way will you deal with it." And
Max starts to walk away but something stops him, Tracey is crying out.
"It's her, I recognise her!"
Max turns to see Tracey pointing at Jenny's picture in the
paper. "What are you talking about?"
"This missing person! I know her! I knew I recognised her face
somewhere."
"You know her?" says Max quietly, not wanting to draw attention to
him and Tracey.
"Well I don't know her exactly, but I know one thing. She was here at
Crossroads a few months back. She was drinking in this bar!"
Cut to Max as he looks stressed and agitated by Tracey's recognition.


END CREDITS

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