Written in 57 minutes.

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Monday, September 8, 2024

Webber House: Front Entrance

Jake trudged up to the front of the house, his backpack half hanging off his shoulder, avoiding the pair of neighbors on their front step, watching him. He ignored them, the way he’d been ignoring everything. The looks from teachers less sympathetic than Mrs. Maguire, the other students whispering, because hey, they knew who his dad was, and maybe he’d done something. Wasn’t his dad the killer? Didn’t he get arrested for killing Jake’s stepdad? Maybe his mother had been threatened to stay quiet and take the rap—

He’d heard it all, trying to discard each piece as the bullshit he knew it was. His dad hadn’t killed Franco. And if he’d killed someone else, well, Jake didn’t know that for sure. And his dad would never threaten his mother—

But would he keep quiet? Would he keep a secret, counting on Diane to bring Elizabeth home on a technicality?

Jake shoved the front door open, then stopped dead when he saw his father and Diane in the middle of the room, in the middle of a conversation. They both turned at his entrance. Just standing in his mother’s living room, doing nothing. Just like they’d done since Friday. No one had done anything to stop his mother from being dragged away, their house ripped apart—

“Why aren’t you doing something to stop this?” Jake demanded, and Jason closed his mouth, the greeting cut abruptly. “Make them stop lying!” He dropped his bag on the ground. “Why aren’t you making it stop?”

“Jake—” Jason stepped towards him, but Jake just shook his head, slammed the door and stalked past his father. “I know this is difficult—”

“Difficult for who? You?” Jake whirled on him, at the absolute limit. “Nothing’s changed about your life, except you’re sleeping in Cameron’s room. My mother is in jail. Okay? Everyone’s calling her a murderer, and they’re talking to my teachers and my friends, and I can handle it, right? I can handle it,” Jake repeated, “but Danny can’t. Aiden shouldn’t. And you’re not doing anything to stop it!”

“The FBI is at the school?” Diane’s lips settled in an unhappy line. “That’s crossing lines. I’ll make some calls—”

“I don’t care about any of that! Make a call and get Mom out.” He glared at his father. “Tell them whatever they want to know and make them bring her home.”

Kelly’s: Courtyard

Kristina took a seat at one of the tables, reaching for a menu though she had it memorized by now, and used the time to consider how things were unfolding.

She knew she’d made the right choice in forcing the cops to search Elizabeth’s car, even though it had been risky to leave that tip — they’d been circling around the other suspects, and if they decided to ask her apartment complex for the security footage, her alibi would fall apart. She needed to delay that as long as possible — at least thirty days.

And the gun wouldn’t trace back to her — her father would never mention it being missing, even if he even knew. He had several guns, after all, and this one wasn’t registered. None of the ones in the safe ever were.

No, she’d really thought of everything except the small chance that Elizabeth would connect Kristina’s visit to losing her key fob. That was probably the trickiest part, Kristina thought, and she’d need to have a story ready if it came up.

She heard the door jingle behind her and glanced up absently, then frowned when Molly kept walking past her. “Really? You’re not even going to acknowledge my existence?”

Molly stopped, swinging back to face her, the paper bag dangling from her hand. “It seemed easier than arguing with you.”

“Why do you think we’d argue?” Kristina laid the menu aside. Adopting a softer tone, she continued, “I know I haven’t…handled anything that’s happened well. I just…I wish you’d give me a break. That we could find a way to grieve this together.”

“I wish we could.” Molly’s facade slipped slightly and she swallowed hard. “But you’ll either talk around saying her name or you’ll call her Adela and we’ll be right where we started.”

“I understand that’s a sticking point,” Kristina said carefully. “I just wish you’d talked to me before you’d named her on the paperwork. We could have had a conversation, made a compromise—”

“No, no! That is—” Molly jabbed a finger at her, her grip on the paper bag with the other hand tightening, the bag crinkling in protest. “There is no compromise. Irene was my daughter. Mine and TJ’s, and it was our right to give her the name of someone important to TJ. Not you. You can’t name her for the grandmother you never even knew. Where do you get the audacity to look at me after I found those custody papers, after—” She broke off, took a deep breath. “And this is why we can’t be in the same room. Not right now.”

“Where do I get the audacity? Maybe because it was my egg that created her. That I carried her, nurtured her for eight months,” Kristina bit out. “You were her mother on paper, sure. But where it mattered, in the blood—Adela was my daughter.”

Molly stared at her, her throat working hard, tears shimmering. “You begged me to be the surrogate. Begged me to let you help give us our family. TJ didn’t want it, he argued about it. He knew it was a terrible idea, and he was right. Because you’re too selfish to do something so generous. You wanted to be the center of attention. To make yourself the star. You threw yourself in your dad’s custody battle, confronting Ava—” She curled her fist against her heart. “I’m only sorry Mom will win her motion, and that once again, someone will rescue from the consequences of your own action. Because I think you’re lying. I don’t think Ava laid a hand on you.”

Kristina got to her feet, her nostrils flaring in outrage. “She pushed me!”

“That’s not what those pictures show. You went there to confront her. You were aggressive, probably rude, and whatever happened after that is your fault. You killed my daughter. Everything that happens because of it, Kristina, is on you. You are your own worst enemy, and you make everyone around you worse for it. I am done enabling you. Go to hell, and rot there.”

Port Charles Park

Danny slouched against the picnic table, his back to the table, resting on his elbows. “You know if our parents catch us, we’ll get our asses kicked.”

Rocco snorted, then passed him the vape pen. “You’re the only one who’s been caught.” He drew in a long drag, then passed it back to Danny. “Finish it off and then we’ll go. We need to be home and change before my dad gets home or he’ll smell it.”

When they’d finished, they stowed the pen in its safe spot — the inner pocket of Rocco’s backpack which Dante never touched because, as Rocco said with a snort, his dad trusted him. And why not? He never did anything wrong.

“The perfect son,” Rocco reminded him with a smirk as they left the clearing and came out onto the path. “If you hadn’t gotten nailed for curfew so much last year, we’d have more freedom. Like Frankie’s party this weekend. We’re never gonna be able to go with the way your mom’s cracked down on you.”

“We just have to figure out—” Danny came to a stop on the path as it emerged into the parking lot. A pair of suits were leaning against the SUV, talking to the guy who’d come to the Quartermaines the day of the murder, who’d dragged them to the station. Who’d questioned Danny on Saturday.

“Ah, shit, I thought they were supposed to stay away from us,” Rocco muttered. “Don’t do anything dumb that gets us searched—” He sighed when Danny stalked over to the SUV. “Like that. Oh, man, we’re so dead.”

“What you are doing here?” Danny demanded, fisting his hands at his sides. “Are you following me?”

Caldwell arched a brow. “Do you have something to hide?” He sniffed, looked at his fellow agents. “Do you smell that?”

“Sir?”

Danny’s cheeks heated. “I want you to leave me alone! I told you what happened!”

“I understand,” Caldwell said, his tone remaining calm. “You’d do anything to protect your dad after all that time you lost. You might even be telling the truth.”

“Man, come on—” Rocco came up, tugged on Danny’s sleeve. “Let’s just go.”

“No, no!” Danny yanked away from his stepbrother, incensed. “I am telling the truth! My dad was in the house! We’re not lying! So leave me and Jake alone! Stop following us, stop asking questions, just stop!”

“Maybe your father was in the house,” Caldwell continued, ignoring Danny’s outburst. “Maybe he planned it that way.”

Danny went still. “What? What are you talking about?”

“Well, Agent Cates was making life difficult for a lot of people in your life. He arrested your aunt Kristina, did you know that?”

“I—”

“And he was the man your father reported to at the FBI when he was working as an informant.”

Danny closed his mouth, uncertain now at the direction of the conversation. “W-What?”

“Dude, what is going on?” Rocco demanded. “Your dad was a snitch? Holy shit!”

“You don’t think it’s a little bit of a coincidence that your father came out of the house just after the gunshots?” Caldwell pressed, sensing his advantage. “Almost as if he was waiting so he’d be seen.”

“Even if that were true, he’d never let Aunt Liz go down like this,” Rocco said. He tugged Danny’s shirt again. “Dude. We need to go.”

“Well, maybe Aunt Liz isn’t in any real danger. After all, Miss Miller seems very confident she’ll get released on bail. Perhaps your dad knows that, too. Maybe he doesn’t mind putting people in uncomfortable positions to save himself.”

Danny swallowed hard. “Shut up. Stay away from me and my brother. We’re telling the truth a-and that’s just it.” He stalked in the opposite direction, and Rocco jogged after him.

“Dude, don’t let it get to you,” Rocco said, when he caught up to Danny near their bus stop.
“You know your dad would never use you like that—”

“He did, though.” Danny looked at Rocco, miserable. “When he got shot last spring. He told me to keep it secret. From everyone. Even my mom. No one could know. Mom was so mad about it. She said I could—I could have gone to jail, too. For hiding him.”

“Oh—” Rocco hesitated, thrown. “Okay, but like, that was different, right? Wasn’t it?”

“I don’t know.” Danny stared hard at the walls of the bus stop. “I didn’t think about it being against the law. I just—he’s my dad, and I thought he was dead, but then he wasn’t. And that’s all I cared about.”

“Right. Your dad would never use you and Jake as alibis, so that someone else could get that guy. It’s just not true.”

“Right.” Danny exhaled slowly. “There’s our bus. I wanna go home.”

Webber House: Living Room

Tell them whatever they want to know—

Jason took a deep breath. “What is it that you think I know that could bring your mother home sooner?”

“Maybe I should go,” Diane began, edging towards the door but Jake darted in front of her, blocking her exit.

“No, no, you should hear this, okay? You should her about the secret meetings Dad’s having with Sonny—” and now Jake turned his fury back on his father. “About how if me and Danny just stick to the story, you’re in the clear. Okay, so why do you need me to stick to the story? What do you know?”

“I don’t know anything,” Jason said, holding up a hand, palm facing out. “I don’t—” he repeated when Jake just scoffed. “Jake, do you think I’d let your mother sit in jail if I could get her out—”

“If you thought Diane would get her out for sure, maybe—” Jake lifted his chin, even as his lips trembled, his face red, angry tears in his eyes. “You let me think you were dead, didn’t you? For years and years, I thought you were dead, so maybe you’d let Mom sit in jail for a few days.”

He had no defense for that, nothing to say that could rebut that statement, and the weight of his choices only seemed to get heavier. “I know I’ve lost your trust because of what I did, and that I have to work to get it back—”

“Then tell them what they want!” Jake cried. He dropped his bag on the floor with a thud. “Tell  them! What does Sonny know? Why aren’t you making them let Mom go?” His voice broke. “I want her to come home. Make them l-let her go—I just want it to be over—make her c-come—” He crumpled, his shoulders shaking, and Jason took the chance, gave into impulse, pulled Jake into his arms, as his son started to cry in earnest, just repeating it over and over. Make her come home.

 He held Jake, his son that was now taller than him, stroking his hair the way he might have if he’d had the chance to hold as a child, reassuring him after a nightmare.

Diane stood behind them, her own eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her hand fisted at her mouth.

When Jake started to pull away, when he was just shuddering, and his face was flushed with embarrassment, Jason kept a hand on his shoulder so that Jake couldn’t flee.

“I need you to look at me, okay? Look at me, Jake.” When his son finally met his gaze, the mixture of misery, anger, and embarrassment radiating back, Jason took a deep breath. “If I knew something that could bring her home today, I would tell anyone who wanted to know—”

Jake started to shake his head, pull away, but Jason kept his grip tight to lock his son in place. “No. We can talk about Sonny’s visit. I’ve got nothing to hide. Nothing,” he repeated, when Jake heaved a shaky breath. “There is nothing I want more than to bring your mother home. Nothing. She has no business being locked up, taken away from you and the boys, and if I could, I’d trade places with her to get her out. I’m the criminal, not her. But I didn’t do this. I don’t know who did.”

“You—” Jake dragged a hand over his eyes. “You really don’t know?”

“I promise you, if I did, I’d give them up without hesitation. Even if it were Sonny,” Jason added. “I don’t know who did this,” he repeated. “But when I find out who did this to you, to your mother, to all of us, they’re going to wish they’d never been born.”

“I’m—” Jake struggled to take in a normal breath. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t apologize. Don’t.” Jason hugged him again, relieved when his son hugged him back. “We’re going to bring her home, Jake. I promise you.” He made eye contact with Diane as  he continued to speak. “Whatever I have to do to make sure she’s free, I’ll do it. Whatever it costs.”

Written in 67 minutes. Sorry, went over, but I got off to a slow start because Lizzie was blocking part of the keyboard and typing was awkward until she moved, lol.

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Monday, September 8, 2024

Webber House: Living Room

Aiden dropped his backpack on the sofa, scowled at Jake. “Remind me to put salt in the next thing I bake for Cameron.”

“Remind you? I’ll be standing next to you,” Jake grumbled. He looked at his dad, on the phone with Diane, then looked back at Aiden. Cameron, in revenge for the emotional guilty trip they’d laid on him to stay in California, had told Jason that he was pretty sure their mom would feel the same way about Aiden or Jake missing school.

And his dad had decided, yeah, that was probably true.

“I should have been an only child.”

“Hey!” Aiden elbowed him, then Jake shoved him back, which then devolved into a pushing match that ended with Aiden going over the sofa and hitting the coffee table.

Jason emerged from the kitchen, the phone still in his hand, and rubbed his forehead. “What’s going on out  here?”

“Nothing.” Jake hauled his brother up. “Does Diane have any good news? Did she get Mom’s hearing moved up?”

“No.” Jason set the phone on the charger by the bookcase. “She filed the motion to dismiss, that’s all. The hearing is still set for Wednesday.”

“I thought Diane was going to get the charges dismissed at the hearing? Why is she filing it today—”

“She’s going to argue for it, but they need a brief filed—it’s more complicated than that. All that matters is that your mom gets released,” Jason said. He reached for the door. “Come on. I’ll drop you off at school.”

“Just where I want to be after my mother gets arrested for murder,” Jake muttered, and his father gave him an odd look as he passed Jason to leave. “What?”

“Jake—”

“I’m going to school, aren’t I? Better than sitting around here like we did all weekend. I’m just saying, everything about this sucks.”

Jamesville Correctional Facility: Protective Custody

It was so quiet.

She hadn’t expected that — the silence of a single cell with cement walls and a metal door that only opened a few times a day. It was better, she thought, than the lockup in Port Charles. Only because it got dark at night, and there was a toilet.

But it was still a small room with no windows—

Elizabeth curled up on the cot, drawing her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms around her legs. She closed her eyes, trying to pull back Friday morning. The last time she’d seen Jake and Aiden. What had she said to them? Had she hugged them? Kissed them? Told them how much she loved them?

And Cameron. She’d taken him to the airport when he’d gone back to California. Had she told him how much she missed him, but how proud she was? Had Diane passed on her message? Was he still there?

She couldn’t remember their voices, couldn’t bring them to mind, and it wasn’t enough to remind herself that she was halfway through this nightmare, that Diane had promised she’d go home. Diane had always been able to keep Jason out of jail, so she could be trusted—

But it was so hard believe that this nightmare would end, that anything would finally go her way. She’d done nothing wrong — had tried to save John Cates’ life, had run toward the danger, and now she found herself locked up, the murder weapon planted in her car.

She laid down, pressing her cheek against the thin, useless pillow, still curled up in a fetal position. She just wanted to go home.

Port Charles High: Main Foyer

“Dude, if you don’t hurry up—” Rocco turned, walking backwards a few steps, one hand clutching the strap of his backpack. “We’re gonna be late, and my dad is gonna fry my ass if I get detention this fast—”

“Yeah, yeah—” Danny finished the text, shoved his phone in his pocket. “Come on—” He looked up, then froze when he recognized the man walking into the main office. Caldwell gave a smile and a wave, then disappeared inside.

“Dude?”

“The FBI guy.” Danny swallowed. “Jake said they were in his neighborhood yesterday, talking to everyone. He’s in the office.”

“Seriously? That’s super sus. What does he think he’s gonna found out? Does being late and having shitty grades mean you’re, like, a liar?” Rocco pressed his lips together. “You should tell your dad. Not Sam though. She’ll probably lose her shit.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll tell him. I gotta tell Jake, too. But come on before we’re late for homeroom. I just got my phone back.”

Pozzulo’s Restaurant: Dining Room

 “We should do this more often,” Kristina said, sliding into the booth next to her youngest sister, sweet six-year-old Donna who was kneeling so she could reach her chocolate milk more easily. On Donna’s other side, Michael was scrolling his phone, his coffee probably cold.

Across the table, Sonny was cutting ten-year-old Avery’s omelette. “We would if I could get all of my kids in one spot. Dante couldn’t make it,” he continued, sliding Avery’s plate back to her. “Michael, if you’re too busy—”

“No, no, it’s—” Michael dropped his phone, shook his head. “Sorry. We’re just—we’re juggling a lot at ELQ this week, and I’m handling something with the lawyers. I’m trying to clear my schedule to go down to Syracuse on Wednesday.”

“What’s Sery Koose?” Donna asked, then blew a bubble in her drink.

“Syracuse,” Michael corrected, repeating the word more slowly. “We’re going to see Jake’s mom.”

“You’re going down for that?” Kristina said. Then, as if she’d just remembered, nodded. “Right, right. You’re technically her alibi. That makes sense. That’s all so crazy. Mom told me about it, and I talked to Sam, but I can’t wrap my head around any of it.” She looked over, found her father watching her. “What does Jason say?”

“Not much. We’re keeping distance for right now. Optics.” Sonny shifted, then looked at Michael. “But from what little he did say, it seems like Jason and Diane got his handled. The kids okay?”

“Nervous, mostly. Elizabeth can’t have any visitors or even phone calls until after the hearing. It’s just bullshit to pile on the pressure—”

“Pressure for what?” Kristina asked.

“Jake and Danny. The FBI were talking to Danny on Saturday, lurking around Elizabeth’s neighbors yesterday. Keeping Jake from his mom, keeping Elizabeth from her kids — they think it’s going to make someone break and tell them they’re lying.” Michael scowled. “It’s bullshit—crap,” he corrected, when Avery gasped. “I know, I owe a quarter.” He returned his gaze to his sister. “The FBI think Jason did it, that Jake and Danny are lying—”

“Well, do you know that? They arrested Elizabeth. Doesn’t that mean they think yoy’re lying?” she asked.

Michael shook his head. “They haven’t even asked me for another statement. I gave my original one to Chase on the scene, same as Jason and Elizabeth. Jake and Danny talked to one of the uniforms. But when the FBI got there, who did they pull in? The boys. Who are they harassing?”

“Yeah, I think Michael’s right,” Sonny said. “But the good news is that Jake and Danny are telling the truth. They saw Jason leave the house.” He tipped his head. “After the gunshots. They’re not going to buckle.”

“Of course not. But it’s a shame that they have to go through with this.” Kristina squinted slightly, tapped her jaw. “Do I have something on my face?”

Sonny exhaled. “No. No. I was just—” He sat back. “Thinking about what you’re going through with the FBI. What John Cates was trying to do to you. What his murder is doing to Jason’s boys. To Elizabeth.”

“She tried to save his life,” Michael retorted. “And this is how she gets repaid.” He stabbed a piece of sausage. “But we’re not going to let the FBI get away with this. We’ve got a plan.”

“We?” Kristina echoed.

“I don’t want to say anything until after the hearing,” Michael told her. “But yeah, I’m not the only one who thinks what the FBI is doing is disgusting. Elizabeth is innocent, and they’re destroying her life for nothing.

Kristina bristled. “I’m innocent,” she said through gritted teeth. “They’re trying to destroy my life, too.”

Michael went still, then his cheeks flushed slightly. “I know that, but—”

“In case everyone forgot, I’m also facing charges for something I didn’t do. The FBI is corrupt. Everyone knows that. Where’s the cavalry rushing to my aid?” she demanded.

“You’re not the one in jail,” her father said, and Kristina jerked her head back to his. “If you were in jail, your mother and I would be in Jason’s position, doing whatever we could to get you home. So would your sisters. Your brothers. But you’re home. Free,” he added, and she felt a lick of shame from the judgment she saw reflected back. “Elizabeth’s cut off from her entire family. Including her children. You don’t think that warrants some outrage?  When you know she’s innocent? Which you do. Michael is sitting right here, telling you they heard the gunshots together.”

“Krissy, I promise, I haven’t forgotten what happened to you,” Michael began, but Kristina shook her head, working up some tears that would be sure to change the conversation.

“No, no, you’re right. Of course, what’s happening is a-awful, especially for the kids. I just—it’s so awful what they’re getting away with. I just wish someone would make them stop.” She gripped her orange juice tightly. “Can we just—can we stop talking about it already?”

“Sure, sure. Hey, Avery, you excited about going back to school? You and Donna go back this week, don’t you?”

“I don’t like my new uniform,” Avery told him very seriously, and then launched into a details list of complaints about the private school where she and Donna were enrolled.

Port Charles High: Hallway

“If this is about the homework,” Jake said, following his history teacher out into the hallway. “I thought it was due tomorrow—”

“It is.” His teacher, one he’d had the year before, and one of his favorites took a deep breath. “Jake, are you aware that there are FBI agents questioning your teachers? Faculty? About you and your brother?”

Jake grimaced, looked away. “No, but I guess I should have. I’m sorry, Mrs. Maguire. I don’t—”

“No apology needed,” Mrs. Maguire said, waving away his concern. “They seemed very interested in whether or not you have a history of dishonesty. I made sure to set them straight, Jake, and you know your other teachers will, too. I just—” Her eyes were kind. “I’ve seen the news. I’m so sorry for what you and your brothers are dealing with. For your poor mother.”

His stomach eased slightly, but not much. “It’s…hard. I won’t be here Wednesday. I have to go—I need to see her, even if they don’t let her come home.” He looked away, his eyes burning. “But this sucks. If they’re talking to you, then they’re talking to the other kids. They want me to say I’m lying, and I’m not.” His voice cracked slightly.

“I know. I’m sorry,” she said again. “I wish I could stop this, but the office asked us to cooperate. They’re talking to Danny’s teachers, too. And, well—”

“Shit,” Jake muttered, then flushed. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s an apt word for this. We both know your brother doesn’t have the cleanest record, especially last year.” She folded her arms. “I just wanted to warn you. Keep your head up, Jake. You and your little brother. And with any luck, your mom will be home where she belongs, and the FBI will realize what a horrible mistake they’ve made.”

“Thanks.”

“Go wash your face, and then come back to class. I can’t promise talking about Ancient Greece will be a good distraction, but I’ll do my best.”

Corinthos & Morgan Coffee: Cargo Dock

“Jason?”

Jason heaved another bag of coffee beans from one pallette to the next, ignoring the voice from the opening that lead from the cargo into the main warehouse floor. He wanted to ignore everything which was why he’d assigned himself the worst job in the building today — unpacking the latest shipment. Sweat rolled down both arms, and he felt dirty, gritty —

And for a moment, he’d almost forgotten the horror show that was his life outside this building.

“Jason.”

But the voice was more insistent this time, and Jason reluctantly let the bag drop, and turned to face his ex-wife. “Unless your mother is with you—”

“I think Alexis and Diane have more important things to do than play chaperone, don’t you?” Sam approached him, her arms tightly folded. “Unless you want them to stop working on my sister and Elizabeth’s cases.”

“I’m not the reason we need the lawyer.” Jason stalked past her, heading for the office. He tried to close the door behind but she stepped inside. He snatched a towel from from a shelf, started to wipe off the sweat. “You’ve got two minutes.”

“You haven’t spoken to me like this in a long time. Probably not since you threatened to kill me,” Sam said. She lifted her brows when he just looked at her. “What? We’re not allowed to bring up warm memories?”

“If you think you’re going to use that in a court case, Sam, go for it. I’ll admit to saying it, and then I’ll tell them why. You’ve got one minute now.”

Sam huffed. “I didn’t come here to argue, but you just aggravate me so much—why did you tell Spinelli I can’t work this case with him?”

Jason squinted at her, then it clicked. “Good. He listened. I didn’t know if he would. Sometimes he lets you get away with stupid ideas. Like hacking into the FBI.”

“Jason—”

“You’re the one that decided it would be like this, Sam. Every single time you opened your mouth about Elizabeth and Jake around Danny. Did you think he wouldn’t tell his brother?”

Sam went still, then dropped her eyes to the ground. “I guess I didn’t think about that. What did Jake say?”

“Does it matter? You can’t stand him, you never could, and you think I’m going to put his mother’s life in your hands? No. Spinelli had it right. I don’t trust you.”

Sam nodded, then unfolded her hands, gripping the top of the chair in front of his desk. “You think I’d mess it up? You think I’d do something that puts her in jail? Really? I know I made some really terrible mistakes when Jake was a baby, and no, I haven’t been the…I haven’t handled any of this well the last few months. I don’t really—” She paused. “I don’t really have a good excuse for it. I’m just so angry. At what you did. At what you always did, forcing the rest of us to stand in line so you could keep Carly from self-detonating her own life. And then, you know, nothing even happened. Valentin got away with it, Carly got away with, and the only people who lost anything was my son. And Jake. They lost you more than two years, Jason. For no goddamn reason at all. Why aren’t you more angry?”

Jason shook his head. “Because it does no good. And I don’t care what excuse you have for the way you’ve been acting. It doesn’t change my mind about letting you on the case. So you can go—” He headed for the door, but she got there first, slamming it shut.

“No. We’re not done here yet. I am not the same woman who let Maureen Harper walk away with your son. And you must have believed that at some point because you married me, Jason. We created a family together, and we were happy—”

“And now we’re not—”

“However you and I feel about each other now,” Sam cut in, “is one thing. But Danny and Jake love each other. I—I let myself forget about that. I did. And I’ll admit that. Seeing Danny at the PCPD—it just—” She took a deep breath. “I lost it, and I didn’t exactly get it back until I was forced to. But whether or not I like Jake, Danny does. And Danny is my whole world. He and Scout are all that matters to me. Danny’s brother is hurting, which means Danny is hurting. I promise you, Jason. That’s all I want to do. I want—” She pressed her lips together. “I want to make this right. For Danny, for Jake. For you, too. I’ll—no more restrictions. Danny can see you. As often and whenever he wants.”

Jason sighed, then shook his head. “I can’t agree—”

“Damn it—”

“Because it’s not up to me. I said no because I don’t trust you. I’m not sure I’ve changed my mind, but Elizabeth has the final say. You can plead your case with her.”

“Okay. That’s—” Sam dropped her arm, then stepped back a few steps, unblocking the door. “That’s fair. Are you going to tell her you think I should be able to help?”

“No. Because I don’t.” He opened the door. “Get out.”

Sorry went over. My keyboard is being a real bitch lately and started to stick and not respond in the final scene. It does that when I type really fast these days, which is the whole point of flash fiction.

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Sunday, September 7, 2024

Webber House: Jake’s Bedroom

Jake rolled over at the sound of Aiden’s voice and his bedroom door opening, blinking at the sunshine streaming through his shades. “What the hell—” Blearily, he snatched his phone from the nightstand. “It’s seven am, dude, you’re usually comatose—”

“Fell asleep playing games last night, and woke up when Discord pinged.” Aiden climbed onto the bed, carrying his laptop. “I was gonna just roll over, but then it kept happening—” He showed Jake the messages, and Jake winced. “Yeah, Cam’s not gonna wait until noon. He said if we don’t call right now, he’s gonna use the emergency credit card—”

“Fine. Fine. Call him—” Jake dragged his hands through his hair, then rubbed his eyes. “It’s the middle of the night there, what the hell is his problem—”

“My problem,” came Cameron’s annoyed voice when the call connected and his face appeared on Aiden’s screen, “is my brothers are assholes. What the hell, why did I find out from Tommy that Mom is in jail for murder?”

“We were going to tell you,” Aiden said. He elbowed Jake. “Right? Tell him the plan.”

Jake elbowed him back, then focused on the screen. “Look, even if we’d told you sooner, you’re not supposed to come home—”

“Mom was arrested for murder—”

“And she spent half the summer in the loony bin two summers ago and we managed to survive without you coming home,” Jake interrupted. Cameron closed his mouth, but the indignation in his blue eyes came through loud and clear. “Mom told you then, and she made it super clear now — you’re staying in California.”

“Murder, Jake. Mom is in jail for murder. Why am I the only one who seems to get that—”

“You come home and fuck up your senior year, the only murder Mom’s gonna commit is yours. You know how she feels about this.”

Cameron looked off camera, sighed, then focused on Jake. “I don’t want to be out here when you guys need me. When Mom needs me. And that doesn’t change the fact you should have told me when this happened.”

“We argued about telling you, but we figured we’d wait until the bail hearing to decide how serious this is.” Jake paused. “They transferred her into federal custody. I’m not really sure what the difference is between her being here at the PCPD or somewhere in Syracuse other than we can’t go see her. Her bail hearing got pushed to Wednesday.”

Cameron exhaled on a short breath. “Okay. Is Grandma Laura with you guys, or—”

“My dad’s staying at the house,” Jake said. “He’s handling it, I guess. Diane seems pretty confident she can get Mom home after the bail hearing. You can’t do anything here other than take up space and eat.”

“I could be at the hearing for Mom. I want to be—”

“I wish you were here,” Aiden admitted. “They’d let you go see Mom, right? Because you’re old enough, and you wouldn’t be a witness—”

“Then it’s settled—”

“It’s not. Cam. Mom was so upset when you deferred Stanford to stay home because of everything that was going on with Franco. And, like, with everything that’s going on, Diane came back from the jail yesterday, and the only thing Mom said was you need to stay at school. It’s the one thing she asked for.”

“Aw, man, don’t do that—”

“Cam, we got this.” Jake angled the laptop. “Look, we should have called you. You’re right to be pissed, and I’m sorry. But you can’t do anything here. We’ll tell Mom that you argued and wanted to come home, and that you stayed for her. It’ll make her happy. Don’t you want to make her happy?”

“I hate you.” Cameron was quiet for a long beat, then nodded. “Okay. Okay. I’ll stay here. For now. But you tell me what’s going on. We talk every day from now on, and tell Mom that I’m coming home next weekend. I won’t miss any classes. That’s the deal.”

“She can live with that. And hey, don’t use the card. Let me talk to my dad. He’ll get you a ticket or something.”

“I don’t want Jason to pay—”

“Don’t use the card, Cam. Dad won’t even notice the money’s gone. Believe me, I tell him you’re coming home next weekend, he’ll offer. Mom will never admit it, but she’ll be glad to see you. I’ll call you after I talk to him.”

“Fine. Now — tell me everything about this gun in Mom’s trunk. What the hell is going on?”

Penthouse: Master Bedroom

Sam sat crossed legged on the bed, scrolling through her news feed, grimacing at every shared article about the arrest, then looked up at Dante, sitting at the edge of the bed, pulling on shoes. “What are they saying at work? About the case?”

“Depends on who you ask.” Dante tied his sneakers, then shifted so that he was facing her. “But no one local thinks Elizabeth knew about the gun in her car. Or the murder. They all think the FBI went with murder charges to pressure the boys.”

Sam nodded, clicked on an article to skim it. “They think Jason did it.”

“Or that he knows who did it. The older guys — the ones who’ve dealt with Jason — they’re a little more skeptical. I guess they remember how he was with Sonny’s kids back in the day. Anna thinks Jason knows more than he’s saying, but she’s suspicious of everyone.” Dante paused, waited for her to look up. “What do you think?”

“He told me not to come back to the house or talk to him again without a lawyer,” Sam said, tossing the phone aside. “He’s pissed at me because I let Danny talk to the FBI.”

Dante sighed, then pushed himself to his feet, crossed to the dresser to look for his watch. “You didn’t answer the question.”

“I think Anna’s probably right. I think there’s a chance Jason knows something. He’s never been one to tell the whole story when he can avoid it. But—” she climbed out of bed. “I don’t see him involving the boys. Or Elizabeth. Look what he did to keep Carly out jail, right? I think if he knew something that would get her out of there, he’d have already volunteered it.” She folded her arms, picked at a loose thread from the curtain. “I think maybe I’ve…overreacted slightly with Danny.”

He lifted his brows. “You think?”

She scowled. “Okay, so I went way overboard. I just—” Sam wiggled her shoulders. “I’m seeing the same hero worship Spinelli had back in the day, you know? The sun rose and set by Jason for Spinelli, and he spent years following Jason around like a puppy. Even now, Spinelli doesn’t have to be talked into breaking the law for him—and don’t make that face, I know he’d do that for anyone. I just—I love Spinelli, but it’s hard to ignore that the people in Jason’s world take risks they don’t need to. Look at what Danny already did! He hid Jason, a fugitive the whole world was looking for because Jason asked him!”

“I’m not saying we don’t have to be careful, because I don’t want Danny taking those chances either. But Danny comes by that adrenaline rush addiction from both sides. You weren’t exactly a law-abiding citizen when you got involved with Jason.”

Sam scrunched up her face. “I know, but—”

“But. Danny and Jake are close. You and Elizabeth made sure of that. I know that was easier when Jason wasn’t around, though I’m not exactly sure why you need to compete with her now that he is. Danny wants to be there for his brother—”

“He just found a new argument to be closer to Jason,” Sam muttered, then sighed. “Fine. Fine. I’ll give Danny back his phone so he can talk to Jake.” Her phone pinged and she went to pick it up from the bed. “But I’m standing firm on Jason.”

“Baby steps,” Dante muttered, then turned to see her reading something on her phone. “Everything okay?”

“A text from Spinelli. He wants to meet later. I better go see if Danny’s up so I can give him the good news.”

Webber House: Living Room

Jason stepped back, letting Alexis cross the threshold. “Uh, hey, if this is about Sam or Danny—”

“Oh. No.” Alexis shook her head, nodding at Jake as he jogged down the steps. “No, should it be?”

Jason looked at Jake, then back at Alexis. “We can talk about it later—”

“I can go if you want to tell her that Sam is a raging bitch—”

“Jake,” Jason said, slightly exasperated, but his son just shrugged and headed into the kitchen. He looked back at Alexis. “Sam came by yesterday. I told her not to come back without a lawyer.”

“I…am not in the loop on that, but I’ll inquire.” Alexis folded her arms. “No, Diane asked me to stop by because she wanted to head down to Jamesville this morning, and I figured it would be better to talk about it in person. The Assistant U.S. Attorney has listed you and Jake as material witnesses, so neither of you can visit Elizabeth.”

“Diane warned us yesterday—” Jason began, but Alexis shook her head. “What?”

“He’s not letting anyone in to see her. Other than lawyer. Diane tried to get Laura, but Noah Reynolds refused. Diane would try to appeal it, but visitation doesn’t start until Thursday—”

“And Mom’s supposed to be home on Wednesday.” Jake rejoined them, a bottle of water in his hand. “But how come Grandma Laura can’t see her? She was in the house—”

“She’s your grandmother. No relatives of the material witnesses. I’m sorry. Diane knew this wasn’t good news—”

“No one’s been able to see or talk to her since Friday morning,” Jason interrupted. “This is why they took her out of the PCPD, isn’t it? Because they can control visitors in their own facility.”

“That’s…likely the case. You have to know, Diane is doing everything she can—”

“Hasn’t helped so far,” Jake muttered, heading for the stairs. “Getting really tired of hearing that.” His footsteps thudded up the stairs, and Jason looked back at Alexis.

“He knows they want him to change his story. Or Danny,” Jason added. “The FBI questioned him yesterday. Sam let them.”

Alexis made a face. “Probably because of Dante. They can make his life difficult at the PCPD if he’s seen obstructing investigations. It’s not an easy balance, Jason. Don’t judge her too harshly—”

“She came over here, Alexis, to scream at me about a situation she let happen, and then told Jake and Aiden Elizabeth was getting transferred.  None of us knew that, so that’s how they found out. I’m sorry Danny’s involved in this. But his mom’s at home. Jake and Aiden haven’t seen theirs in days and won’t even be able to talk to her on the phone. I don’t really care what Sam’s dealing with.”

“That is…” Alexis spread her hands out in front of her. “Entirely fair. Sam’s impulsiveness has been her Achilles heel since the day you and I met her. She’s just trying to protect her son—”

“From what? I haven’t done anything to him. I don’t want to argue with you, Alexis. Not about this. When Elizabeth gets home, when we’ve figured out who did this to her, I’ll deal with Sam. I’m done with being pushed out my son’s life. Make sure you tell her that.”

Jamesville, New York

 Jamesville Correctional Facility: Meeting Room

Diane rose from the table, smiling in relief when Elizabeth was led into the room, then scowled at the guard behind her. “Really? Shackles and cuffs? Where is she going?”

“She’s charged with a violent crime, ma’am. Policy is policy.” The guard withdrew, closing the door, and Diane looked at Elizabeth with exasperation.

“I am so sorry. I’ll talk to someone—”

“I don’t really care.” Elizabeth awkwardly slid into the seat, tired down to the bone. She hadn’t slept in more than fits and starts in the last two nights, and she’d seen no one but guards and cops since being booked — “They have me in protective custody.”

“Ah. To isolate you, I’m sure. They’ve refused visits and calls. I’m working on getting the calls overturned — those can be recorded, there’s no reason not to let your boys talk to you—”

Elizabeth closed her eyes, shook her head. “I just want to go home. I don’t even—it’s Sunday, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Diane sat down, found her yellow legal pad, and picked up a pen. “You have three more nights until the hearing. I’ve done everything I can, but there’s no way to make it sooner. I want you to know I’ve seen Jake and Aiden, and they’re—well, they’re upset. I won’t lie. But they’re handling it. Jason’s with them.”

“I’m glad. I’m—” Her lips were so dry, and her throat burned. She fumbled for the glass of water and Diane helped her wrap her hands around it. “We should…if I can’t—if I can’t go home, we need to talk about paperwork. F-For Aiden. I want him to stay w-with J-Jake. For as long as possible.”

“That’s so far down the road, sweetheart—”

“Diane.” Elizabeth waited for the lawyer to meet her eyes. “This is important. My boys stay together. Jake’s graduating in June. And he’s going to Spain. He’ll get in that school, I know it. I’ll make him apply. Don’t let him miss the deadline. And once he leaves, if Aiden wants to be w-with Laura—”

Diane covered her hand. “If we have to have those conversations, Elizabeth, we’ll have them. I promise.  But right now, our goal is simple. We get you home, and we find out who’s trying to hurt you. Right now? Your boys are safe, they’re with Jason, and he’s got everything under control. You are the only priority for all of us. Getting you home and exonerated. Can we focus on that?”

“Yes. Yes. Sorry—”

“Don’t apologize. This is happening to you, and you’re entitled to handle it however you like. First, I want you to know that I’ve directed Spinelli to start an official investigation in his role as a licensed PI. We need to get evidence that follows chain of custody of rules and can be legally admissible. I want to know who did this, but it does me  no good to not be able to use that information in court to get you home.” Diane tapped her pen against the pad. “I also told Jason that while he might be inclined to go punch some people for answers, he can’t do that. He can’t be involved in any way.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth let out a short breath that felt almost like a laugh. “Oh, he must hate that.”

“He’s handling it. He’s a man who likes a mission, and I gave him one. The boys. Now I’ll give you one.” She leaned forward. “Tell me everything that happened from the moment you heard those gunshots until the arrest. Leave nothing out.”

Elm Street

 Jake dragged a trashcan out to the curb, almost relieved to have a reason to leave the house, even if it was just for a short chore. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, surprised to see Danny’s name on the screen.

got my phone back u ok?

 had to force cam to stay in cali but ok. ur mom said fbi came u good

 he thinks were lying kept arguing wit me u lucky dad wont let him near u

Jake started to type back in agreement, and then saw something out of the corner of his eye. A dark SUV. He lifted his head and saw a pair of men in suits coming out of the neighbor’s house. His neighbor, an older guy who had paid Jake to shovel his sidewalk last winter, saw Jake, grimaced, then stepped back inside, closed his door.

Jake  blinked, then looked to his side – a few doors down, he saw another pair of suits walking up to a door, knocking. One of them looked over at Jake, smirked, then went inside the house.

He exhaled slowly, looked back at his phone. fbi here talkin to neighbors they really don’t believe us

Nothing came back for a minute, maybe two. Then Danny’s response.

do you think they know something we dont

Jake wanted to say no, wanted to defend their dad because he knew, he knew his father hadn’t pulled the trigger—but—

That didn’t mean he didn’t know something.

i dont know maybe.

Written in 57 minutes.

---

Saturday, September 6, 2024

Webber House: Front Entrance

 The door didn’t even close behind Sam before Jason had charged after her, snagging the edge then slamming it closed behind him, preventing either Jake or Aiden from following him.

“Sam. Stop.”

Sam turned at the end of the front walk, sneering. “If you think you can change my mind—”

“The next time you want to talk to me, call Diane.”

The sneer was placed with complete shock. “Excuse me?”

“I’m done with whatever this is,” Jason retorted. “I’m sorry the FBI came to question Danny. But as long as you didn’t let him say anything, I don’t see how that’s my—” He stopped, shook his head. “You let the FBI question him, didn’t you? Just to spite me—”

“Children of criminals need lawyers, Jason, not innocent people—”

Jason sliced a hand through the air. “You’re not that stupid, Sam. Innocent people end up in jail all the time. Look where Elizabeth is! She didn’t do a damn thing—”

“Except keep you in her life,” Sam spat. “They know she didn’t do this! They’re not trying to break her alibi, they’re going after your sons! But because she lets you around, someone decided to plant a gun in her car so you’d be tied to this! You wanna blame someone, Jason, look in the mirror!”

“I’m not letting you turn this around on me. You probably insisted Danny talk to the feds, and he’s probably pissed at you now, so you’re making it my problem. Your mother would be the first to tell you that you were stupid, but as long as you’re doing the opposite of what I wanted, you don’t give a damn, do you? Because that’s all that matters, isn’t? Going against me. But you’re done coming around Jake, you’re done making ithis problem. His mother is in jail, Sam. And he just found out she’s heading into federal custody. If you’re lying about that—” His phone buzzed and he snatched it out of his pocket, impatient. When he saw Diane, his stomach dropped.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know,” Sam said with a roll of her eyes. She folded her arms. “How could you not—”

“Shut up,” Jason ordered, answering the phone. “Diane?”

“Listen, I’m sorry. I didn’t see this coming, but the feds are having Elizabeth transformed—” There was a blare of a horn, and Diane’s voice sounded far away. “If you’d get your head out of your ass—”

“Diane!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m on my way now, and we’ll figure this out. But she’s being taken to a federal holding facility near Syracuse. I’ll tell you everything when I get there.” Her end of the line went dead, and Jason stared at the phone in his hand, willing her to come back, for someone to call and say that this was a giant mistake. That someone was playing a trick, and he’d wake up and it’d be Friday again. He exhaled slowly, then looked up to find Sam watching him. “They’re taking her to somewhere near Syracuse.”

“You really didn’t know.” Sam pressed his lips together, looked at the house. “They didn’t know—”

“Why should that matter?” Jason demanded, and she dropped her eyes to the ground. “If they knew, if they didn’t—you’re attacking me, you’re attacking them—I’m done playing games, Sam. Danny’s my son, and I have a right to be with him. Don’t make me take you to court—”

“Don’t you think Diane has better things to do?” Sam tossed back. “Someone’s got to get Elizabeth home before Carly gets a hangnail and you run off to take care of her again!”

“I’ll find a different lawyer. Someone whose only job is to make your life as miserable as you’ve made mine. Get out of here, Sam. And don’t come back.”

“Go ahead. Take me to court, Jason. I know where all the bodies are buried—”

“And so do I. Maybe I’ll give Amelia Joffe a call.”

Sam’s face went white. “You wouldn’t. Jake would—” She swallowed, looked to the house, then back at him. “How would you ever explain this to Jake?”

“That would be my problem, not yours.” He lifted his brows. “There’s no statute of limitations on kidnapping, Sam. You want to keep making threats or do you want leave?”

“This isn’t over,” she bit out, then stalked down the curb, towards her car. Jason rubbed the side of his face. Christ, if she called his bluff—would he really drag all that back up? How could he ever explain to Jake his decision to forgive her?

His mistake to believe they’d turned the page, and that she’d accepted the reality of Jake. She’d never forgotten or forgiven him. And he never should have tried to find something buried in the rubble of their relationship.

He stared down at his phone, at the call log with Diane’s name. Elizabeth was being transferred out of the PCPD, out of local lock-up, and into federal custody. Why would they go to all that trouble if Diane was likely to win at the bail hearing?

What if he couldn’t get her home in a few days? What if he couldn’t get her home at all?

Penthouse: Living Room

Kristina flashed a hesitant smile at her brother, edging around him at the door, finding Danny slouched on the sofa, his arms folded, his chin down at his chest. “Uh, oh. Trouble?”

“Aunt Kristina, can I have your phone?” Danny asked, brightening when he saw her. He hurried to his feet, almost stumbling over them. “I need to text Jake. I need to talk to him—”

“What’s going on? Where’s Sam?” Kristina asked. “Did something happen?”

“Hard to know where to start.” Dante closed the door, then rubbed his index finger against his temple. “Sam has Danny on phone restriction.”

“Complete lockout. Not even the Switch.” Sensing his aunt wouldn’t be much help, he flopped back on the sofa. “And Dante says he can’t go over her head.”

“Your mom make the rules for you, buddy. I said I’d talk to her, but—” Dante went over to the sofa, nudged Danny with his knee. “You gotta cut the attitude—”

“She started it. She always starts it. She’s acting crazy, Dante.”

“Uh, oh.” Kristina sat  her purse on the desk, leaned against it. “What do you need to say to Jake? Maybe I could pass on a message or something.”

“I just wanna talk to him. Be there, you know?” Danny sat up. “I dunno. See if the feds came to talk to him this morning, too. His mom got arrested last night.”

“I heard. It’s insane. Why would they think Elizabeth would have anything to do with this?” Kristina asked Dante. “Mom said there was a gun, but it’s gotta be a mistake.”

“I don’t know much more than anyone else. The Feds have this on lockdown.” Dante shook his head. “And it just keeps getting worse. They’re moving Elizabeth to federal custody — out of the PCPD. So the odds of anyone even talking to her before the bail hearing are pretty much zero. Aiden’s too young, and Jake and Jason would probably be material witnesses.”

“See? This is why I need to talk to my brother—”

“I said I’d talk to her,” Dante said, shifting his attention back to Danny, leaving Kristina to consider this new development. There was always the risk that Elizabeth might think about her visit the day after the shooting, but if she was being held in a federal jail? With no one to talk to, and her only thought was getting home, that might work in Kristina’s favor. Diane would be too busy working on the bail hearing—

By the time Elizabeth came home—if she did—Jason might feel desperate enough to confess.   This was coming together even better than she could have planned. It was a shame Elizabeth had to be involved or her sons would be hurt, but really, Kristina thought, they should have known better than to let Jason come around.

Just like Sam had always said — this kind of thing just followed Jason. And anyone who chose to stand next to him paid the price.

Webber House: Front Entrance

Jason rested one hand on the top of the black garbage can by the front entrance, trying to put his thoughts together. He had to go back in that house to tell Jake and Aiden that their mom was going to be even further away, and they’d have to talk about how to tell Cameron — and how to keep him from taking the first plane home.

How did he even begin to have this conversation? He hadn’t a damn thing to do with the murder, but the consequences of being Jason Morgan were still raining down on everyone around him. His son had been interrogated by the FBI, Jake was probably next to be pressured, Elizabeth was in custody, with no hope of seeing or talking to her for days—

“Jase?”

He straightened, opened his eyes to see Carly stepping into view. “Carly. What—what are you doing here?”

“Are you kidding? I would have come sooner if I thought I could help.” She stepped up, hugged him tightly. “Joss is upset. She’s worried about Cam in California, but doesn’t feel like she can reach out—I told her and Trina to hold off—” Carly stepped back, searched his eyes. “Was that wrong? Should they—”

“We haven’t called him yet. I was hoping—” Jason shook his head. “I was hoping we would have better news. But we don’t. They’re putting her in a federal custody, Carly. She’s already—she’s already gone. And there’s no bail until Wednesday.”

“Wednesday—but—but there are laws—aren’t there laws?”

“State. Federal is—they can get away with a lot more,” he bit out. He scrubbed his hands over his face. “I can’t get her out of there.”

“No, not if she wants to come back here to her life, I guess not. But Diane’s got the magic touch— and you’ll find out who did this—you probably already know something—”

“I don’t know anything,” he cut in sharply, and she closed her mouth. “Diane said to hold off. To not do anything. I can’t—I can’t start asking questions. I can’t do anything that screws up bail. Or makes this worse—and if I found evidence, they might not be able to use it—”

“She’s not wrong, Jase,” Carly said softly, and he sighed. “This isn’t the PCPD you’re dealing with who doesn’t always ask questions. It’s not Anna who you can talk to. It’s not Dante. It’s strangers. Elizabeth’s in the system. I know what that’s like. I know you got into Ferncliff, and you got me out, but oh, if we’d done a better investigation, if I’d just listened to Diane—” She took a deep breath. “She’s right. The evidence has to be perfect if the Feds are going to be forced to admit they made a mistake.”

“I know. I just—I hate it.”

“I know. But you know Elizabeth would want you here with the boys. How are they? What can I do? Dinner? Breakfast? I can have food brought over.”

“I don’t—” Jason stopped when Diane’s car pulled up behind his SUV at the curb, and she hurried out. Her hair wasn’t carefully styled, and she wore an old sweater and jeans. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her without makeup—

“Jason. Good. Good.” Diane reached them, took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry. I got tipped off too late to do anything—but the time I got to the PCPD, the papers had been processed—”

“How does that happen?” Jason demanded. “Don’t they have to tell you?”

“No. They don’t. I—” She closed her eyes, swayed slightly, and Carly reached out, touched her shoulder. “I need to sit down. I’m sorry. I didn’t sleep well.”

“Come in. I need to talk to the boys. We—we found out before you called. But you gave us the confirmation.”

“How did you find out?” Diane wanted to know, following Jason into the house. “If you knew—”

Jake jumped up as soon as Diane came in the house. “Sam said my mom’s in a federal jail! It’s not true, is it?”

Diane stopped, her eyes widening, then she looked at Jason. “How does Sam know?”

“Caldwell went to her place this morning to question Danny. He probably said something to her. And she let Danny talk to him.”

Diane scowled. “Are you kidding me? Is she trying to make my life worse? God, I’ll call Alexis and have her to talk to her, talk some sense into her—”

Carly looked like she wanted to contribute something, but closed her mouth and went to check on Aiden, look around the house. They’d done a decent job of putting it back in order, but it wasn’t all the way back. “Search warrant, huh?” she said to Elizabeth’s youngest son.

“You can tell?”

“Yeah, not my first rodeo.”

“Diane, forget about Sam for right now. Dante was probably there, so I’m sure it was fine. I just—” Jason put up his hands. “Tell me what you know.”

“Not a lot. They’re transferring her to Jamesville Correctional Facility, about eight miles from Syracuse. Thanks to how late they filed the arrest and this transfer, they’ve been able to put off the bail hearing until Wednesday.”

“That’s not fair!” Aiden cried. “She didn’t do anything!”

“Can we go see her, talk to her?” Jake wanted to know. “We were supposed to see her today—”

“Jamesville only allows visitors Thursday through Sunday, and she wouldn’t even be allowed visitors until tomorrow.” Diane looked vaguely ill. “But I don’t think you’ll be able to get in. Aiden’s too young—”

“I am not!”

“And Jake and Jason are witnesses. Even if I were present, it wouldn’t preserve privilege. They’d claim she’s trying to intimidate one of you into changing your story or telling the same story—in short, I’d be very surprised if I got either of you in. Anyone in, really,” Diane admitted when Carly lifted her brows.

“What do we do now?” Jake asked when the room fell silent for a moment. “I mean—we had a plan. We were supposed to see her and now we can’t, and—” he looked from his dad to Diane. “What are we supposed to do?”

“Look after each other. Keep your brother in California — a direct order from your mother,” Diane added. “And Jason—” She looked at him. “Hold down the fort here.”

“Diane—”

“I know we’re all asking the question—how the hell did that gun get in her car—and while we can’t really start digging in until I get Elizabeth alone for a few hours — hopefully tomorrow — I think the feds have made a mistake. They shouldn’t have given me more time before the hearing.” Diane lifted her chin. “And they’ve pissed me off, so believe me, Jason, I am making it a personal mission to bring Elizabeth home.”

“Diane, you can’t expect Jason to sit here and do nothing. You know better,” Carly said, and Diane nodded.

“I do. I’m not saying you can be involved in any evidence gathering, but since my favorite PI is also an honorary member of your family, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to give Spinelli the call now and start digging. Though—” Diane hesitated. “He is partners with Sam—”

“She can’t be involved,” Jason said flatly. “I’ll make sure he knows. I’ll call him now.” Grateful to have something to do, even something so small, he pulled his phone from his pocket. “Whatever has to be done, Diane. I’m not letting her stay in jail one more day after Wednesday.”