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 Paul
Marshall is the archetype of the unscrupulous villain who, as a proof of
it, goes after innocent babies. His passage in Santa Barbara will also
have made collateral victims like Keith Timmons, with whom he maintains
ambiguous relations.
A
professional photographer, Paul Marshall arrives one day at Victoria
Lane and introduces himself as an old acquaintance for whom she once
posed during sessions in Los Angeles. Victoria does not seem to remember
him, too busy worrying about the lasting absence of her husband Mason
Capwell. Paul's attention quickly turns to little Chip, and he
repeatedly offers Victoria to take pictures of her and her baby. When
she finally accepts, Victoria surprises Paul slipping the child to an
accomplice in front of the door of her apartment and becomes afraid.
Paul has only time to escape, leaving little Chip behind.
Because
Paul Marshall turns out to be the brother and accomplice of Marsha
Connors, the director of Toddlers inc., officially an adoption agency
that actually hides a child trafficking. Among the victims is already
Johnny Wallace, kidnapped without the knowledge of Brick Wallace and
Jane Wilson.
Paul
then approaches Julia Wainwright, to whom he offers, under a fake name,
to take photos of her and her young daughter Samantha. Victoria
discovers that Paul investigated the babies born recently at Santa
Barbara hospital and that he is the photographer hired by Julia. She
arrives at her home at the moment when Paul is about to kidnap Samantha.
She shoots him and Paul, wounded, is taken to the hospital.
When
he wakes up, Paul will do anything to save his skin. He accuses Victoria
of having shot him because he refused her advances. As proof, he
provides photos of him and Victoria scantily clad when they were
supposedly lovers in Los Angeles. Paul finds an accomplice ear in the
person of the district attorney Keith Timmons, already involved up to
his neck in kidnapping cases by having allowed Marsha Connors to install
her business in town against bribes. Knowing that he has the district
attorney in his pocket, Paul continues to overwhelm Victoria, thus
taking advantage of Keith's weak position.
Unable
to reveal the truth, Victoria goes to Paul with a weapon. She surprises
him in the shower and threatens to kill him if he does not confess. Paul
realizes that the weapon is fake and files a complaint against Victoria
for harassment, further strengthening his position as a victim, to Keith's
delight. But Victoria's discovery that he has been impotent since a car
accident occurred 14 years before invalidates Paul's accusations against
her. The charges against Victoria are dropped.
With
a vengeful spirit, Paul then risks one's all. At the summer party, he
disguises himself as a clown and, during a baby beauty contest in which
Victoria and Julia participate, he tries again to kidnap Chip and
Samantha. He runs away with Chip, but is caught in his escape by Cruz
Castillo. He manages to escape with the baby, before being arrested this
time by Keith and Gina DeMott. Paul is forced by Keith to admit the
facts. He agrees not to charge him and is sent to prison. A lesser evil
for a character without qualms and become king of manipulation.
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