John Dixon (As The World Turns) - Character History - The Stenbeck Fortune

The Stenbeck Fortune

It was at this time that John learned something shocking: James Stenbeck was not the heir to the Stenbeck fortune. In fact, he was Ariel's brother. John found out when he discovered that he had a tape of James screaming that he wanted the birth certificates destroyed. James went to Stockholm to retrieve them. John followed and found the birth certificates in Greta Aldrin's house. When James arrived, John escaped out the window with the documents. He put copies in Greta's car, where Greta and James found and burned them. On one of the tapes, John heard Ariel and James talk about getting rid of him. With glee, John began to plot James's ruin. John was out driving when his brakes failed, and he lost control of the car and crashed. When he came to, John told Margo that either Ariel or James was trying to kill him. John cut Ariel out of his will and insurance policies and then he gave Margo sealed envelopes containing copies of James's birth certificates and addressed them to Gunnar St. Clair, Barbara and the New York Times—to be delivered in the event of his death. John pasted cut-out letters to form the question, "When is a Stenbeck not a Stenbeck?" James suspected John, but Ariel was sure John had no idea that James was not a Stenbeck. John's next note read "Sweet Dreams," and with it John sent a copy of James's birth certificate.

Meanwhile, in a rage after John refused to sign the deed to the new house, Ariel destroyed her engagement ring, but told John not to worry—she'd get another one, and this time it would be real. Maggie soon arrived with divorce papers. Ariel heard John listening to the tapes and realized that it was John who was behind the blackmail and the notes. Ariel stole the tapes and played them for James, who went wild. James assured her that he'd handle the situation. After Ariel left, James vowed that he would kill John and read up on undetectable poisons. Then he left a message for John saying Dee's life was in danger. John ran out, and seconds later James poisoned a jug of water on John's desk. John returned to his office and drank some water. Soon, he was lying on the floor, gasping for air. Later, John approached James with a gun and forced James to admit to the murder attempts and said he had proof that James wasn't a Stenbeck.

Instead of killing him, John demanded a million a year for his silence. The first installment of James's blackmail money ($100,000) was missing and Ariel didn't deny stealing it. John handed her the divorce papers and told her she could consider the money her settlement. Meanwhile, Ellen Stewart knew that her husband, David, was headed for John’s and Ellen found John's body on the floor. Afraid that David did it, Ellen called the police. When they arrived, there was blood but no body. A couple of days later, Dee confided in Brian McColl and it was apparent that she was emotional over John's death. She was arrested for the murder of John Dixon. However, when Dee took the stand, a man appeared at the back of the courtroom and shouted at him to stop. When he removed his wig and his beard, everyone in the courtroom gasped, seeing John Dixon back from the dead.

John took great pleasure in telling Ariel to pack her bags and leave. John threatened James with public disclosure of his true identity as Jimmy Aldrin In the meantime, the manipulative Karen Haines found out why James was being blackmailed and blackmailed him into marrying her, threatening to reveal his true heritage if he didn't.

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Famous quotes containing the word fortune:

    Good fortune then!
    To make me blest or cursed’st among men.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)