SHERIDAN'S SECRET 

chapter one

Sheridan Crane was a beautiful, rich, woman, but more than that, she was a beautiful, rich woman with a secret, and Hank  Bennett knew that if  he could get to that secret, he could get to her.  He'd had enough of the lean days, and from the moment he first saw her, he could feel the dollar signs running up and down his spine. Hank knew all  about secrets.  He had been guarding one of his own for some time from his old friends in the sleepy town of Harmony.  His secrets were the type of secrets that could easily be safeguarded with the Crane money.  That money would be just the kind of insurance he needed to tuck away his seedy past and open up his golden future.  He didn't have much to offer a woman like Sheridan, but Hank Bennett had a talent: he could read people, read their weaknesses, and he could use those weaknesses to make them open up to him. And just as sure as he had opened the hood of her shiny black car to lend a helping hand, he would open up Ms Sheridan Crane, open her up  like a cheap gossip magazine.

It was going to be a three step plan for Hank.  First he'd get to know her, really know her, show her that he was more interested  in every single aspect of her inner and outer being than any man she had ever known.  Soon, she would be pouring  out her innermost thoughts to him , opening her heart to him.   That openness would lead to vulnerability, and that vulnerability would lead to obligation.  So he would know her, gain her trust, and obtain her power.

He'd been lucky so far.  Normally, a woman like Sheridan wouldn't give a guy like him the time of day, but the old rescuing the damsel in distress had worked like a charm.  It couldn't have worked out better if he had planned it.  In one day, she had become friendly, and somewhat obligated.  The openness would be the hard part.  She had obviously been closed to scrutiny for some time he figured judging by the way she had  changed the subject every time he tried to get closer.  Uncovering the secret she was hiding would be the real challenge, but he was up to it.  In fact he was more than up to it; he had been waiting his entire life to find this kind of opportunity.  Hank Bennett was a man with a purpose.  He smiled to himself  as he planned  out his second date with that purpose. 

The first date hadn't even really counted after that fiasco with the magician, but that fiasco did seal his decision that she would indeed be the right one.  She was his blueprint for a dream come true, sad, lonely, misunderstood, and very, very rich.  Her incredible beauty was the bonus point.   He  decided to pick up some nice champagne to make some   points of his own tonight.  Sheridan loved good champagne, and he would be generously pouring it down her beautiful, long , slender, filthy rich throat!  He stood before the mirror admiring his own beauty in best black suit.  He had rubbed shoulders with so many potential rich lovers in that suit it was amazing it still had sleeves.  But this time would be different.  Hank was right at home here in Harmony, where his secrets were unknown and his reputation was as dull as the town itself.   

When he arrived at Sheridan's cottage, he was thrown by the fact that she was determined to get out of the date.  This was definitely where the people skills came in handy.  He knew something was bothering her, and had been ever since that night in the magician's box, but he hadn't expected it to affect her this long.  "God," he thought, " what the hell happened to this woman" 

He was beginning to suspect this secret of hers was more of an obsession or phobia.  But even if she was a rather disturbed  individual, he knew there was something behind it, and that something was what luis had noticed too.  Keeping Luis's suspensions at bay was job number two these days, but he was sure it would be well worth it, so he always made it a point to play down Sheridan's emotional state.  He planned to be a permanent fixture in Sheridan Crane's life long before his old buddy Luis Lopez-Fitgerald got any where near the truth, whatever that was.

He quickly held out the bottle of champagne,  "You look like you could use a little of this."

"Oh, my goodness, Hank, you shouldn't have," she seemed surprised as he scooted in and placed the bottle on the table while going to the kitchen for the glasses.

"You hungry?,"  he asked,  making himself at home.

"No, Pilar left me some milk and cake earlier, so I don't really feel like eating." she answered.  "This is very nice champagne, I must say.  And, yes, I guess you're right, I could use a drink." She stood there looking sad  and grateful. 

"That was easy," he thought.  "Luis give you a hard time today at the job?'' he asked. I thought he letting up on you."

No, actually he's been decent, and even helpful.  I never know what to make of that man.  One minute I think he's a monster, and then he turns into this superhero with all the compassion  you could want in a person." she looked off in a daze as if she were pondering some secret when she spoke.

"Yea, I guess it's the cop in him.' Hank handed Sheridan the bubbly and touched his glass to hers, "To compassion"  he smiled searching her eyes for answers.  She accepted the toast with a slight smile but quickly looked down and away. "So what is it, Sheridan?" he set his drink down and tilted her face up with one hand and resting the other casually on her shoulder.  He was close enough to smell her hair. "She was a deliciously lovely thing," he thought.  "You want someone to talk to, hon?  "Ya' know, Hank here's got a lotta' secrets stored up in the ole' Hank bank", he tried to lighten her mood. Why don't we just relax and talk for a while." He motioned her to the sofa, and held her hand as they sat together. 

 Sheridan was still looking down and now softly shaking her head as she spoke, "I'm afraid I'm not a very good talker, Hank.  Let's just say I have a lot to work out before I can be very good company for any man."  She held her glass out for him to fill.

"You mean that guy in France, Jean- whatever", he was fishing.

"Jean-Luc', she spoke, " no, not really.  Now that I'm back here in Harmony, he's the last thing on my mind."   As she looked off in the distance again, she finished her champagne.

"Good stuff," he filled it again, the champagne and the company, I'm here for you Sheridan, no matter what 's happened to you in the past.  None of that makes any difference to me,  You're one of the sweetest, most beautiful, intelligent women I 've ever met.  You fascinate me.  I mean, I know I'm outa' my class here, so I don't blame you for wanting to break our date.  It's just that I've never met a woman like you before, so glamorous, so mysterious, but so lonely too,"  and he placed both his hands over hers which she held tightly clasped beneath her chin . " You're like a little lost kitten, " he went on, still covering her hands with his own, then gently releasing her to give her the champagne once again. "You're the kind of woman who needs a man to take care of her."

"Hank", she seemed embarrassed, "it has nothing to do with who I am or who you are.  I don't choose my men for their social status.  Anyway, I told you before, Hank...I like you a lot.  It's not the way you think it is with me.  This town brings back a lot of memories, and I guess I just wasn't ready to face that.  That's all I can tell you, so please, just be my friend, will you, Hank, and don't ask, OK."  She poured herself another glass.

"Sure, I mean I wasn't ready for some of what hit me when I got back either.  I believe that was one of the icebreakers when we first met, remember, that we were both new in town so to speak.  I couldn't believe my luck running into someone like you my first day back." he needed  her to feel happy with him, to be her savior.

" I couldn't believe my luck running into everything," she finally laughed.  He could see that she was pretty intoxicated. " Oh, "  she caught herself, I don't think I should have any more,' and he filled her glass with the rest of the bottle.  (This was one huge freekin' bottle!)  Her eyes were closing as she spoke. 

"I'd better put you to bed, little lady," he scooped her up and carried her into her room, and she offered no resistance.  As he laid her on the bed and took her glass, her eyes remained closed, and he kissed her lightly on the cheek.  "I'll see my self out and lock the door." 

Sheridan groaned and turned away as he turned the lights out and slipped the covers over her fully dressed body.  Even though she was a work project so to speak, she was a sexy one at that.  It was hard to resist kissing those luscious lips and climbing in all over her.  But he was no fool.  If everything worked out as planned , there would be plenty of beautiful women for him to choose from. Whoever said money can't buy happiness must have really lacked imagination.

She was dead to the world in no time, and Hank decided this would be a good time to check around the cottage  to better acquaint himself with Ms. Crane.  First, he opened her purse.  "Hmm, sleeping pills!" he was surprised and hoped she had not been taking them with all that champagne.  She seemed to be resting fine in the other room, so he continued his search for clues.  No one was home at the Crane mansion for the weekend, as Ivy and Julian were both out of town, and the servants had gone home.  It suddenly occurred to him how strange it was that Sheridan wasn't staying in the main house with everyone away.  He was just about to call it quits when he heard Sheridan get up. She walked right past him without a word , and before he could decide what to say, he realized she was actually sleepwalking and didn't see anything.  She clumsily walked to the door, opening it and walked straight to the main house.  Following her back a ways, Hank told himself this was a woman with some real problems.  Nobody sleepwalks!  

Feeling like he was part of a bad "B" movie, ( or a really unbelievable, stupid soap opera), Hank followed Sheridan into the living room and stood  out of sight in case she woke up.  He watched in utter disbelief as she walked straight to a table where she picked up a letter opener and dropped it screaming,  "What did I do?  Who did I kill? Somebody. please help me!"  Sheridan was out of control, ranting and  sobbing and staring out at her own outstretched palms , apparently involved in some sort of nightmare, or could it be, he wondered, her great dark secret relived in a nightmare world.. ??   No wonder she was such a wreck.  

Seeing her near hysteria, Hank was convinced it was time to step in and help.  He would say he had been leaving and seen her go stumbling into the house and had followed her thinking she was in a drunken stupor  and that he didn't want her to trip or get hurt.  Just as he reached out to her, Sheridan flung herself into his arms still whimpering but holding him and asking him who he was over and over.  

"You love me no matter what?", she moaned.  "Who are you?" She pulled back slowly and looking through her flood of tears and terror , realized what was happening. "Hank, what happened?  What did I say?  Oh my God, Hank, tell me, tell me!!" she sobbed.

"Hold on, Sheridan, it's okay, I'm here.  Everything's gonna be ok, I swear.  You just had a bad dream, that's all.  You were sleepwalking out the door when I was leaving.  I didn't want to leave you like that, and apparently it's a good thing I didn't."  Hank held Sheridan close, softly reassuring her and  stroking her soft damp hair from the frame of her delicate face.  She was such a lost kitten, he thought, genuinely wanting  to ease her distress.   Petting her head with long reassuring tenderness, he realized that falling for her would really be easier than trapping her. Nevertheless, this was a means to an end, so if it happened to be extremely pleasurable, so be it. "What were you dreaming, Sheridan?  Just tell me what's going on.  You were asking somebody if they loved you no matter what.  What was it ?  You can trust me. I can help you, Sheridan.  Let me help you, please !"  He held her face out at arms length, his eyes boring intently into hers. "Tell me, Sheridan, he murmured softly as he pulled her trembling hands together and up to his lips.  "Nothing you can say or do will change how I feel about you.  I'm not like the other men. Sheridan.  I really think you know that.  You do know that, don't you, Sheridan.  I'm not like any of the guys you've been with.  Let me help you"  

She was beginning to trust him.  As she looked at him through new eyes, Sheridan saw her man in black, her dream man, and she reached out to him in her plea for help.  "Hank, I'm so afraid.  Something happened a long time ago, and I don't even know what.  I've been  having these nightmares all my life, but now there's a man in my dream,  a man who takes me in his arms and comforts me,  the way you're comforting me Hank.  I know you want to help me, but I don't know what anyone can do to help me.  That's all I can tell you, Hank.  Just trust me too.  I need time.  And please, please don't tell anyone what happened here tonight, alright.  If you really do care, and you really are my dream man, let me work this out on my own, please."  Sheridan inspected Hank's face for any clues that she could really be right about him.  Her sad eyes, swollen with tears, pleaded with him for assurance.  

Hank led her away from the house and held her shoulder tightly as they walked  back to the guest house.  "Of course, Sheridan, I'm here for you and you alone,  I want you to go to Dr. Russell tomorrow.  I can take you there before your shift at the center.  No one has to know.  And of course, everything is confidential there.  If she can't help you, she'll know what to do, Sheridan.  I can't let you go on like this!"  He stopped when they got to the door, pausing, then pulled her around and up into his arms, carrying her back to bed.  "You can't stand that house, can you? 

"That's why I keep telling you I have to get away.  That's where it all happened.  I can't forget, Hank, her eyes pleading with him for what she felt hoped was some kind of comprehension.

Her desperation was clear. "Don't worry, he said as he tucked her in and pulled the covers up around her neck We'll take you to Dr. Russell in the morning, and I'm sure she can help.  You won't have to leave Harmony and your dream man here, to get the peace of mind you deserve, Sheridan.   Then, with a touch of his finger to the tip of her pretty red nose, he transferred a little kiss goodnight and asked if she needed him to stay on the couch for the night.  Sheridan seemed to be  ready for real sleep this time, and after telling him she would be ok, he left with plans to be there in the morning to pick her up in time for the doctor, and some coffee before reporting  for duty at the youth center.

Sheridan listened as the door closed, and resigned herself to a good nights sleep with the hope of a better day, and a better life beginning tomorrow.

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