Written in 60 minutes.

Monday, September 16, 2024

Warehouse: Jason’s Office

Diane held up a hand before Jason could continue speaking. “I don’t know if I should hear anything about this,” she said. “You know how I feel about plausible deniability—”

“Nothing is ongoing,” Jason assured her, and Diane pressed her lips together. “And if it’s true that the FBI is holding a grudge over the Pikeman investigation, then it would be unfair to keep you in the dark. Either of you,” he said, looking at Elizabeth. “You already know most of it,” he added.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know they’re angry about Valentin fleeing town just as the FBI closed in.” Diane pursed her lips. “Did you have something to do with that?”

“I did, yes.” Jason paused. “Anna and I started to work together almost as soon as I came home. She didn’t trust Cates to tell her the whole story. We were trying to identify Pikeman — or at least who was at the top after Brennan went to jail.”

“But I thought they cleared him,” Elizabeth said. She folded her arms. “They released him, didn’t they?”

“They did. Another reason not to trust the FBI. Or WSB. We didn’t suspect Valentin — there was no reason to. As far as Anna knew, he was out of all of that. But he got involved after Brennan’s arrest last year — and he hired the shooter that came after me in June. That’s how we found Valentin. He picked up the shooter’s phone call. Still—” Jason grimaced. “Anna wasn’t certain, and I thought we’d probably need more. She decided to go undercover to get more evidence against him.”

“I’ll bet she did,” Diane muttered. “I can’t believe you trusted her to investigate him—”

“I didn’t have a lot of options,” Jason cut in, and his lawyer fell silent. “And I didn’t know how close they were. They weren’t exactly together when I…when I left,” he finished awkwardly. “But she spent the night with him, and I didn’t really know what to do then. She had access to his house, and whatever else you think about her, she brought me the evidence that confirmed his identity as Pikeman.”

“But she told Valentin you were going to tell Cates,” Elizabeth said, and Jason exhaled slowly. “Did you know she was going to do that?”

“I—yes. She wanted to give him a chance to take Charlotte and run. I let her convince me. All I did was delay turning over the phone and name,” Jason added when Diane just rolled her eyes. “I regret it, Diane, but I can’t do anything to change it.”

“My life would be a lot easier if someone would put that woman in jail or stop giving her access to commit crimes,” Diane muttered. She huffed. “So Anna is the accessory. She’s the reason the FBI is pissed at you. Great. Tell them, and make a deal—”

“They’re never going to dismiss the charges against me,” Elizabeth said with a shake of her head. “And it’s Jason’s word against Anna. Maybe if we find out who did this—who really killed Cates—”

“You’re not finding out anything,” Diane said when Jason straightened. “Either of you,” she added. “We’re not dealing with the locals who might drop the charges. The FBI hates you,” she told Jason. “Going after Elizabeth is their best revenge. Because now—now we know why they didn’t arrest you after finding that voicemail. They must have suspected it was fake. So they went after someone close to you. For the same reason whoever killed Cates put that gun in Elizabeth’s car. Everything we do has to be above board. Spinelli has to be the one to find the evidence. Or me. You can’t even question anyone — or it might be seen as witness intimidation.” She lifted her brow.

“I don’t like sitting on my hands—” Jason began.

“You’re not. You have an important role to play in all of this. The FBI is going to be watching you both closely. Your job is be innocent. Luckily for you, this time, you actually are. We’re on the side of the angels, Jason. Trust me to let you down.”

“I trust you, Diane.”

“So do I,” Elizabeth added, and Diane released a sigh. “It’s hard to accept that the best thing we can do is live our life when my freedom, when our futures are tied to this. But if that’s all we can do—”

“It is. You didn’t do this. Either of you. And somewhere, somehow, we’ll find the evidence that proves it,” Diane said firmly. “I won’t stop until we do.”

PCPD: Squad Room

Molly set her briefcase down, and sat down next to the desk where Dex was tapping at the computer keyboard. “Hey, did you have a minute?”

“Sure. I hate this part of the job anyway.” He turned towards her. “What’s up? I’m good on the Kramer case. That’s on the docket next week, right?”

“Right. And I’m still hoping we get that to plead out. I talked to Dante a little while ago,” she continued and Dex’s smile remained fixed on his face, but his eyes went a bit wary. “He figured I should be in the loop since it involves the murder case. And I guess I just wanted to get your take on it.”

“Nothing to say, not really. Two teens messing around with alcohol, and got picked up. We brought them in, released them to their parents, and didn’t write up the citation.” He paused. “We’re not required to, and if anyone needs it, we’ve got half a dozen kids we’ve brought it on similar charges and released that way. None of whom are cops’ kids.”

“So there is some paperwork with Danny and Rocco’s name on it?” Molly asked.

“Yeah. I thought that be the safest—most accurate way to handle it. We were called out on a disturbance, found two clearly intoxicated teenagers.” Dex paused. “I just didn’t mention the third teenager. He wasn’t under the influence and we only brought him in for questioning. We were satisfied he wasn’t involved, and his mother picked him up. And the address is the dispatch address.”

“That…that is actually really good. Thank you.”

“It was the right thing to do. Graber and I both agree—she’s my partner and was there that night,” Dex added. “So you don’t have to worry. There’s a paper trail that’s accurate. It has all the facts. Nothing more, nothing less. Anyone who asks questions can do that. I don’t see the point in dragging innocent people into more trouble. We’re covered, Molly. Don’t worry.”

Webber House: Living Room

“I know this is a little awkward,” Dante said as Elizabeth stepped back, allowing he and Chase to enter the house. “I didn’t know if you wanted Diane or anyone here.”

“I talked to her earlier,” Elizabeth said. “And we agreed that the best thing for the case is if you talk to the boys on their own. Just the way they gave their original statements. Um, I had them wait upstairs in their rooms. I can bring them down, I can send you up —”

“Why don’t we start with Aiden and Danny?” Chase wanted to know. “I’ll talk to them, and we’ll switch.” He gestured towards the stairs. “Aiden’s still in the same room, right?”

“Yeah, and Danny’s staying in Cam’s room.” Elizabeth watched him head towards the stairs, before turning back to Dante. “Jason’s at the warehouse, finishing up a few things. I don’t know if you were going to talk to him again—”

“I don’t really need to at this point. And we’d probably get a third detective in. Chase is related to him, and I, ah—” Dante flashed an uneasy smile. “I think it’s awkward enough.  How’s…how’s Danny? I wanted to call him, but—” he sighed. “I didn’t really know if that was a good idea.”

“He’d probably like to hear from you. He woke up the next morning feeling embarrassed.” Elizabeth gestured at the sofa. “I wanted to ask you to pass something on to Sam. About Danny. I talked to him on Sunday – he seems to do better with someone he doesn’t see as an authority figure in his life,” she added when Dante winced. “He was getting into the same arguments with Jason that he was with Sam, and I just—I wanted to help.”

“No, I don’t—I don’t doubt Danny’s had enough all of us. I just wish I could figure out where we went wrong. Or how this got so messed up. He’s such a good kid, Elizabeth. He and Rocco. I don’t know they got Aiden mixed up—”

“Aiden got himself mixed up. They were three kids who just fell into some stupid decisions, Dante. I don’t hold Danny or Rocco any more responsible than I hold Aiden. We can look back and see there were signs that they weren’t being honest with us, but I don’t blame any of us for not seeing it. Not you, not Sam and not myself.”

“It’s good to hear that. Rocco’s an idiot, and I’m trying to navigate this, but it’s not easy. I don’t know what to do with him.” Dante blew out an irritated huff. “He’s putting in hours at the Quartermaines, working with the landscapers, and I’ll find something else to exhaust him. There’s room for Danny or Aiden if you want in.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I think — and Danny has expressed some interest in — talking to a therapist. I’m worried — ” Elizabeth paused. “Aiden’s told me he was drinking and smoking weed to fit in so no one would go after him for being gay—” Dante scowled. “Not Rocco or Danny. Other kids at school,” she added quickly. “They were all given a beer at a party — and they drank to fit in. And they kept going. Aiden said Rocco thought it was like a game. What could they get away with? And they kept escalating until—”

“Until they were drunken, high morons wandering the streets.” Dante made a face. “Yeah, I think that’s a good description of my idiot. But Danny—”

“I think he liked the way it made him feel. That it would make everything go away for a while. And so he kept going to get that feeling.”

“You think Danny’s addicted?”

“I think he’s in the early stages. I have nothing but my own experience to go by,” Elizabeth said. “Maybe Sam might be able to say differently. She saw her mother go through this, but I—I saw Lucky with the pills. And addiction runs in the Quartermaine line just like it does with the Spencers. Alan, Jason’s father, had a serious drug addiction. You know about AJ. I’m worried if we don’t do something now—”

“Danny’s starting down a dark road.” Dante nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I think you’re right. Talking to someone who specializes in this—how do we do it? Where do we start?”

“I have an appointment for Danny on Friday. Jason’s going to a pre-session Thursday afternoon. But we need Sam to sign for the treatment, and the therapist wanted to meet with her on Thursday as well. I know things are difficult with them, but I know Sam loves Danny as much as Jason does. I was hoping you could talk to her, start the conversation.”

“Absolutely. And maybe this will be exactly what Jason and Sam need to help them communicate. I don’t love the idea of talking about their son without them.”

“Neither do I,” Elizabeth admitted. “But after this weekend — I just want to help Danny, Dante. He’s not just Jason’s son or Jake’s brother.  He’s part of my family, too. And if we just remember that, I know we can get through it.”

Miller & Davis: Spinelli’s Office

“We need to add another layer to this investigation,” Diane declared, jerking Spinelli from the paperwork on his desk. “Sorry. Were you in the middle of something?”

“Finishing my affidavit for the subpoena on the hospital footage. And for the neighbors’ cameras.” Spinelli pushed it aside. “I got into Elizabeth’s Ring account, but the view is limited.”

“We knew that was a long shot. The neighbors are more promising. I can’t see this happening in the hospital garage.” Diane sat across from him. “We’ll come back to that. Valentin Cassadin. I don’t suppose you know where he is.”

Spinelli furrowed his brow. “No. Was I supposed to?”

“No. But he just might be the key to this investigation. I know you have a lot on your plate, and we can bring on more eyes, but knowing where Valentin is might be useful later on.”

Spinelli made some notes. “Do I get to know why?”

“Let’s just say Jason has a card he can play when the timing is right. Beyond that, I can’t get into it. Confidentiality,” she added and Spinelli nodded. “Did you see anything on the Ring Camera?”

“Nothing that we didn’t already know.” Spinelli shuffled the documents on his computer, found his notes. “We have the night after the murder — Jake comes in the house with Jason and Elizabeth, and Jason stays a while. Leaves later.”

“Alone?” Diane said.

“Yeah.” Spinelli sighed. “That’s a window of opportunity for him to put the gun in Elizabeth’s car. She didn’t take it with her, so it was parked outside, and we wouldn’t have that view yet. That’s what the FBI would say — and until we have the techstream back telling us when the trunk opened—”

“Which won’t be for at least a month,” Diane said with a sigh. “All right, what about after that?”

“Next morning. Jake and Aiden leave in the morning. Kristina comes over, which we knew about. She stays a little bit, but then she leaves. Elizabeth follows shortly after — we know she was meeting Jason. And then — this was weird at first. Kristina came back to the door.”

“She did?” Diane said. “Why?”

“I called her, and she said she’d completely forgotten. She went back to see if she could get Elizabeth not to mention her visit to Sam, but she was too late.” Spinelli hesitated, and Diane leaned forward.

“What is it?”

“I think Kristina’s lying,” Spinelli said carefully, and Diane blinked. “I think she went back for another reason. I just didn’t…I didn’t believe her. Maybe she didn’t want to get into it with me.”

“Maybe. I’ll check in with her. I know the conversation with Elizabeth was very upsetting. Kristina—” Diane paused, searched for the right word. “Kristina isn’t calling the baby by the name Molly and TJ chose. She’s…chosen her own name. And I think she used it during her argument with Elizabeth. I wouldn’t be surprised if she went back to ask Elizabeth not to mention that fact. And she’s certainly not going to admit that to you. Or maybe even to me. But I’ll try.”

“Yeah, I mean, I don’t think it’s anything important,” Spinelli said, scrolling to his next set of notes. “I don’t think she planted the gun.”

“No, of course not. Now, if we’d found Cates with his head bashed in with a baseball bat,” Diane said dryly, “that’d I believe. Kristina has a temper just like her father. But everything else? Planting the gun? Creating an AI tip? No. This is someone who is cold and calculating. Kristina would have already fallen apart and tipped someone else. Let’s move on to the rest of the Ring footage.”

+31

Written in 63 minutes.

Monday, September 16, 2024

PCPD: Conference Room

Diane paused at the threshold of the conference room, lifted her brows at the sight of Molly, Dante, and Chase standing in the middle of the room, staring at one another. “You all look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”

Molly blinked, then took a deep breath. “Diane. You’ve got great timing. The, ah, audio reports are back. And the digital forensics.” She looked at Chase. “I asked them to be sent in duplicate to save time turning over discovery to Diane.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” Chase shook himself slightly, then handed Diane a second manila envelope.

“Am I in for a surprise?” Diane wanted to know. She set her briefcase on the table and slipped the first report out of the envelope.

“Well, yes and no, I guess. Um, both files are AI generated. We thought the tip was fake, especially after Chase and Dante chased down the voice on the line—” Molly reached for the report from Chase. “Amy Driscoll.”

“Amy? Well—” Diane paused, skimming the second report, then lifted her eyes to the trio. “I’m sorry, the second audio file is an AI generated file of Jason telling Cates to come to the boathouse? And it specifically mentions the deal? Are you kidding me?”

“So this is the first time you’re hearing they had this audio file,” Dante said, and Diane just made a choked sound of frustration. “Right. Of course it is. You’d have been shouting to the heavens that you had exculpatory evidence.”

“No, they most certainly did not mention this,” Diane said with gritted teeth. “They are absolutely shameless!”

“How does that work? Aren’t you representing both of them?” Chase wanted to know. “Could the FBI claim that they didn’t turn it over because you also represent Jason?”

“If I wanted to use this to free Elizabeth, I’d have to drop Jason as a client. And let me tell you, he’d fire me if it meant he could make this go away for her. But fortunately for us all —”

“It’s fake,” Molly finished. “Which means it’s neither of them. But that doesn’t change the fact the FBI kept it from you. And Diane, there’s more. That second report—it’s a digital analysis—Chase, you read it. Why don’t you tell her you found?”

“I’m not done,” Chase began as Diane shuffled papers, “but the conclusion was that John Cates’ laptop shows evidence that he generated it. There’s apparently some searches or trails in the cookies. Traces that he deleted it. We don’t have the full dump of his phone yet,   the FBI put a rush on that file—”

“Before Elizabeth’s arrest,” Diane finished. “I don’t understand. I don’t—” She looked at them. “I was so sure they were going hard after Elizabeth because they didn’t have the evidence to arrest Jason. They wanted her to testify against him. They tried so hard to break Jake and Danny’s alibi. But if they had this—”

“They had a tip that put Jason with knowledge of the gun and its location, and a voicemail luring Cates to the scene of the murder. They have more on him than they do on Liz when you add in the motive.” Dante squinted. “But they not only left him free—”

“They didn’t put up any obstacles to Jason being named as Elizabeth’s custodian even though his felony record ought to have disqualified him,” Diane finished that. “I knew it was a gamble, but I thought the FBI couldn’t resist being able to keep him under surveillance.”

“And there’s no risk since they’re innocent,” Molly said, and Diane tipped her head in acknowledgment. “Okay. Okay. So they’re playing games. Why? And how does that get us to the murderer? Because that’s what matters.”

Dante leaned against the table. “The voicemail would have answered the big question — why did the murder happen there? Cates set up his own murder. Why?”

“Anna said something about the Pikeman case. That it blew up in Cates’ face and he wanted to force Jason back into service, to take down Sonny,” Molly said. “And I think we can all agree that Cates was…a little unhinged by the end. He went after my sister, and he was the driving reason Ava gave that statement blaming Kristina for the fall—” Her voice wobbled slightly, and she took a minute. “They had some sort of ridiculous story that Cates wanted to push Sonny into ordering an hit — and giving the job to Jason. But that never worked for me.”

“You’d have to be in the inner circle to know Jason and my dad are keeping their distance. Jason said he wanted to be out. Dad’s respecting that,” Dante said, “but Cates might not know Jason was serious about that new leaf.”

“It all seems to come back to this Pikeman case,” Chase said. “The FBI didn’t know that this file was AI, so Cates was going rogue—”

“Good news for our jurisdiction,” Molly cut in, and Chase nodded.

“And they would have buried this file,” Chase continued. “Not put a rush on it. My sense is that thought this would come back genuine. And maybe they wanted to use that to push Elizabeth into changing her story. Let’s say Caldwell is working the theory that he believes Jason did this. He has enough to arrest him, sure. But he doesn’t have the smoking gun. He needs Liz to say Jason was on scene or that she knew about the gun. And they need the boys to drop their alibi. That voicemail? Might have swayed some people.” He paused. “They wanted to use it, Diane. They didn’t want you to explain it away. And yeah, it’s crappy they didn’t turn it over right away, but—”

“They could argue they were waiting for confirmation of its veracity. I know. Still—” Diane huffed. “But why would John Cates want to make someone think Jason lured him to his own murder?”

“Because it wasn’t supposed to be a murder,” Dante said. He straightened. “He wanted revenge. It’s about Pikeman. It’s always been about that.”

Davis House: Living Room

“I don’t know what I would have done,” Alexis admitted, taking a seat next to Sam on the sofa, handing her a mug of coffee. “But walking out on him—”

“Mom, you haven’t heard the way Danny talks to her,” Kristina piped up from her perch on the armchair across from them. “It’s brual. Sam’s allowed to have a breaking point.”

“I keep thinking—” Sam sighed. “I keep thinking that I gave up, and that Danny will never forgive me. Should I just go get him? I could do that. I have custody—”

“And Jason’s already threatened to go after you in court,” Alexis reminded her daughter, gently.

“He won’t do that. He’d have to tell them about me leaving the PCPD, and it would just bring up everything Dante tried to bury.” Sam chewed her bottom lip. “It would all be for nothing, you know? And if my kid is the reason Elizabeth ends up in jail again, well, that’s not going to help anything.”

“But they wouldn’t really do that, would they?” Kristina asked. “The government, right? I mean, you said they weren’t even at her house—”

“They were on her property,” Alexis said. “It would be enough for her bail to be revoked, pending a hearing. They could lock her up, delay the hearing a few days. Anything to make this situation even worse. I gotta tell you, there’s something almost personal about the way this is happening,” she told Sam. “Ever since Valentin went on the run and the Pikeman case blew up, Cates was looking for a way to fix his career. But it’s not just about him. You’d think with him gone, they wouldn’t push this ridiculous case against Kristina. But it’s going full force ahead. I still have to fight in federal court to get the case tossed, and it’s not a lock to make that happen.”

Kristina grimaced. “Don’t remind me.”

“You’ll be acquitted. I’ll destroy Ava on the stand and it’s her word against yours,” Alexis reminded her, and Kristina nodded. Alexis returned her attention to Sam. “I know it’s hard to step back, to let everyone cool down. Jason wants to take a whack at being Danny’s dad, let him. He won’t be able to handle it.”

“He hasn’t been a full-time dad in years,” Kristina added. “He’ll be calling by the end of the week, begging you to get Danny.”

Sam sighed, sipped her coffee. “I hope you’re right.”

Hanley Federal Building: U.S Attorney’s Offices

“Knock, knock.”

Reynolds lifted his gaze from the absolutely brutal reports that had just landed on his desk about the Cates murder, and immediately straightened, grinned. “Hey! You weren’t supposed to be back until next week!”

Gia Campbell smiled coolly. “It turns out I’m just that good.” She edged the door closed behind her as she came across the threshold. “I heard through the grapevine you’ve got some cases in Port Charles.”

“Don’t remind me.” Reynolds grimaced, returned to his seat. Gia lowered herself elegantly into the chair across his desk. “You know the city?”

“A little. My brother was a cop there before he went with the DEA, and then he did a few months as an interim commissioner last year. He’s relocated since…” Gia’s smile tightened. “A few family setbacks. I lived there for a little while before law school. I thought I might be able to offer some insights. You’ve got the FBI agent murder, right?”

“Yeah, and an attempted murder. It’s a mess.” Reynolds lifted his brows. “I could use a second chair. Because—” he lifted the reports. “It just got worse. And my day didn’t start that great.”

Gia smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Port Charles High: Cafeteria

The cavernous room was practically deafening as teenagers milled around, checking out friends’ tables, grabbing lunch, screaming across the room to people they knew — the usual chaos.

Except for the end of the table where Aiden, Rocco, and Danny were sitting, the trio of teenagers reunited for the first time Saturday night. Rocco had been pulled out of the one class he shared with Danny for his interview with Chase, and neither of them saw Aiden until lunch most days.

“So, ah—” Danny cleared his throat, looked at Rocco. “How’d it go with Chase?”

“Fine. Not much to say. Just telling the same story I did then.” Rocco shifted. “You know, that I saw Aunt Liz leave the terrace with Michael. Did—are they interviewing you again?”

“I don’t know. I doubt it. Dante was there when the FBI asshole interviewed me, and I didn’t say anything new.”

“He’s supposed to come to our house tonight,” Aiden said almost dully. “With Dante. I guess Chase can’t talk to Jake because of his dad. They’re related, I guess. And Dante’s my uncle, so—they’re—” He made a gesture with his hand. “I hate it. Why do we have to keep telling them?”

“Because they wanna prove your mom didn’t do it. And Michael’s her alibi. That’s good,” Rocco offered. “Because no way Michael’s gonna crack.” He paused. “I’m sorry. For messing with your mom’s bail. I, uh, I didn’t really get it until yesterday. I didn’t…” He stared at his lunch tray. “I mean, it was cool getting away with shit when it comes to my dad, and Sam, but like, your mom’s in real trouble, and I don’t wanna mess that up. Did we?”

“Jason says things are okay. But I know they were really scared. I don’t know if they’re not saying it because we’re kids, but I—I don’t want my mom to go back to jail. Your dad was cool,” Aiden added in a hurry, “and, like, I’m super grateful that he came to stay so I didn’t have to go to Grandma Laura’s, but all the same—”

“Yeah. I—I’m really sorry, too. I told him that yesterday,” Danny said to Rocco, then looked back at Aiden, but  I kind of feel like I should keep apologizing. Like daily. It didn’t seem like such a big deal, and then it was, and it’s…it’s not…” His voice faltered at the end. “Did my mom say anything about me?” he asked, though his gaze was trained on the vegetable medley on his tray.

“Your mom’s not saying much of anything. I think she and my dad are ticked at each other. Maybe they don’t know how to handle this. We really fucked up, man. Between putting Aunt Liz on the chopping block, my dad having to pull favors from other cops, and now Dad and Sam are fighting—” He grimaced, shook his head. “It all sucks, and we’re the problem. I hate it. I just wish I knew how to fix it.”

Warehouse: Main Floor

Jason got his second surprise visitor of the day a little after three — but this time, he didn’t mind the interruption.

Elizabeth weaved around workers on the floor, flashing friendly smiles at some of them until she reached him near the edge of the cargo dock. “Hey. I’m not catching you at a bad time, am I?”

“No. And even if you were, I wouldn’t care.” He gestured towards his office, and she followed him inside. “How was work?”

“Good.” She set her purse on the table. “It was nice to be back in my routine. Getting the boys to school, handling patients and my nurses…” She leaned up to brush her mouth against hers, and he caught the edge of her jaw before she could pull back, deepening the embrace briefly. “And I liked the additions to that, you know. Waking up with you. Hearing Danny bickering with Jake over the shower.”

He rubbed her shoulders. “I liked that, too. Thursday, though—” he tipped his head when she just grinned. “I made sure I don’t have to be here.”

“And I am definitely not covering anyone’s shift.” She kissed him again. “I came to tell you that I got Danny an appointment on Friday with one of the counselors. It’s in the afternoon, so you’ll have to sign him out of school early.” She bit her lip. “You can do that, right? I mean—”

“I…should be able to do that. But—” He sighed. “Dante’s coming tonight to talk to Jake. So maybe he can make sure. I hate that I have to do that. I should have been here. I should have always been available to him.”

“We can’t go back, right?” She stroked his chest lightly, and he covered her hand. “All we can do is move forward. Dante will get it done. He loves Danny, and wants what’s best for him.” She bit her lip. “There was some other news — I assume Diane is finding out today — but the PCPD found out who left the tip about me — or who was supposed to have done that.”

“They did? Who?”

“Amy Driscoll. A nurse at GH. You don’t really know her,” Elizabeth added, “but I think they picked her because she’s got a reputation for being a gossip — and lied for months about being the writer being a gossip column pretending to be a male writer. It was before you came home from Russia,” she clarified when Jason furrowed his brow. “Huge scandal.”

“That’s…an interesting choice,” Jason said, and she nodded.

“That’s what I thought. It was a big story — seven years ago. It’s ancient history. If that’s why Amy was picked, I think—I think it means that who ever is doing this—” She paused. “It’s someone who knows us. Who knows the people around us. It’s terrifying, really.”

“I agree—” Jason paused, when he heard a knock at the door. “Hold on—” He went to open it, and stepped back. “Diane. Good timing—”

“Oh, and Elizabeth is already here—I just finished sending you a message to meet me here—” Diane set her things on Jason’s desk. “We have had some big developments today. I just came from the PCPD —”

“I know they found the voice behind that tip,” Elizabeth volunteered. “Chase and Dante did a great job finding that so fast—”

“It wasn’t hard. The FBI never bothered to look,” Diane said. “Which is one thing I’ll be mentioning when I file my reply to whatever nonsense the state says this week in response to our motion to dismiss. And yes, I know they found the voice — but they also confirmed the file was AI.” She paused. “And so is the second one.”

“Right, the mystery file. What is it?” Elizabeth wanted to know.

“A voicemail luring John Cates to the scene of the murder,” Diane said, then paused, almost for dramatic effect, “a voicemail that sounds exactly like Jason.”

“What?” Jason demanded and Elizabeth scowled.

“That’s ridiculous!”

“You haven’t even heard the most insane part — John Cates manufactured the voicemail. He was luring himself to his murder. Because it wasn’t supposed to be a murder,” Diane said. “We think—”

“He was trying to set me up for something,” Jason said grimly. “What, was he planning to punch himself or something? To get me on assault? Something to get leverage on me so I’d be forced to work for him again?”

“That’s the working theory, yes. We think he wanted revenge for the Pikeman investigation. And I think…I think that’s why the FBI has targeted you, Jason. Even with the evidence that says neither of you did this,” Diane continued. “They want Pikeman. They want Valentin, and  they blame you for the investigation’s failure. For Valentin getting the jump on them and escaping arrest.” She tipped her head. “You don’t look surprised, Jason.”

“It’s not the first time that Pikeman has come up in the investigation. Or today. I think—” Jason leaned back against the desk. “I think we need to talk about what happened. And how Valentin got away.”

+42

Written in 58 minutes.

Monday, September 16, 2024

Miller & Davis: Spinelli’s Office

Diane rapped on the door frame to Spinelli’s office, then lifted her brows as she took in the bulletin boards on three of the room’s four walls, all cluttered with photographs, index cards, and reports. “This is surprisingly low tech for you, isn’t it?”

Spinelli clicked a few keys, then got to his feet. “I wanted to have all the information laid out. I used to think digital was all I’d need, but—” he went over to the wall next to Diane. “But sometimes you don’t see a connection until you see it physically.”

“And do we have any connections?” she wanted to know.

Spinelli made a face. “Not yet, but we should see progress this week. I’m interviewing Jake and Aiden later — I had to schedule around Chase and Dante. They’re doing the same thing. Georgie has to be interviewed again.” His face was grim. “I hate that she’s even a little bit wrapped up in this. But she’s a witness to Michael and Elizabeth leaving the terrace together shortly before the shooting.”

“And her testimony, along with all the children, is key. Because either Michael is an accomplice or Elizabeth is innocent. There’s no getting around those facts.” Diane skimmed the walls, tapping the index card about the tip to the FBI. “I’m headed to the PCPD on this call later today. The audio reports are back, and I’ll be able to get copies for ourselves.”

“It’s going to be AI—”

“Knowing it and being to prove it are different, but if we can prove it — it’s compelling proof Elizabeth was framed.”

“Will that help in the motion to dismiss?”

She paused, considered the question. “If we had a different prosecutor, maybe. But they moved on that tip very quickly — it was received only a few hours prior to the search. That suggests they did nothing to vet the information, and they really ought to have. The transcript suggests she’s an ear witness to our client admitting her knowledge  — they should have used it and the gun to arrest Jason, with Elizabeth as an accomplice. They chose not to. And I find that very interesting. But Reynolds will just argue that someone didn’t want their voice recognized. A jury will be more interested, I think.”

“You think we’ll get that far?” Spinelli asked, surprised.

“I think that I’m going to prepare for all possibilities. I’ll call if the reports come back anything interesting.”

PCPD: Conference Room

“No reports yet,” Dante said without looking up from his paperwork, then heard his cousin sigh. He looked at her. “I told you, I’d call when they got here.”

Molly came forward, dropped into a seat across from him,  her lips curved into a pout. “I was hoping we’d know something. There are so many pieces of this puzzle, and they’re all with the lab—”

“We’ve made progress, Mols.” Dante sat up. “We’ve created a timeline based on witness statements, and scheduled another round to reverify the statements. We played the tape for Amy Driscoll who acknowledges that it was her voice, but not her call, so we know it was faked.” He ticked the items off on his fingers as he continued. “Portia has given us Elizabeth and Amy’s schedules for that day — they didn’t work the same floors, with different break times and lunch times. So no evidence that Amy was anywhere near her. We’ve got witnesses that put Morgan at the warehouse for the bulk of the day — the only free time he has is in the evening — when Elizabeth was in surgery. That conversation could have only happened on Wednesday, and there’s no evidence that supports it.”

“But the car—”

“Ballistics is a wash right now. Slugs are too damaged on their own, but we might want to see about getting another search. Problem is—”

“If the Quartermaines let us on the property, whatever we find could be used by the FBI. And I think we both know that no one goes to this trouble to plan a gun that wasn’t used in the crime.” Molly paused. “We should still do search, shouldn’t we?”

“Yeah,” Dante admitted. “If we’re being above aboard, yeah, it’s my first call. But that missing casing won’t tell us anything we don’t already know. That’s the gun that killed John Cates. I don’t feel great about handing the FBI more ammunition to use against Liz when everything in my gut says she’s innocent.”

“Let the Qs play out their injunction in court,” Molly said after a beat. “I’ve got cover on that, and I’m sure the Q lawyers will advice Michael and his family not to let any agency on the property. Any idea what this mystery audio is?”

“Nothing. The FBI isn’t returning our calls and we only  have access to the evidence we collected. We didn’t process Cates’ room at the Metro Court or his car. But if there was anything against Elizabeth, it would have been used in their probable cause motion, right?”

“I’ll make sure to mention it to Diane. I’m sure she’ll pick up the hint that she should specifically request it in her discovery motion.” Molly made a notation in her files. “Where’s Chase today?”

“At the high school. He’s taking most of the kids’ interviews, other than Jake. I’m handling that one. And I’ve got Dex taking Danny’s. It’s not ideal,” Dante admitted. “We probably weren’t the best choices for this assignment—”

“Well, you were drafted by Chase, and honestly, I don’t know many other detectives that would have gone up against Anna that way,” Molly said. “I did look into other options.”

Dante nodded. “Yeah, I guess. And this has been hell on Danny and his brother. I like that I’ll be part of making it stop.” He paused. “I should probably mention something that happened this weekend. Just to cover all the bases.”

General Hospital: Hallway

Portia walked Elizabeth from her office suite into the hallway, a reassuring hand rubbing Elizabeth’s shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about anything, Liz. The hospital is behind you.”

“I appreciate that.” Elizabeth turned to face her. “It feels good to be back in scrubs, back on the floor. Diane said the hospital’s attorney had been really helpful — I know some things have to go through subpoena—”

“The board isn’t interested in putting up any more roadblocks than we need to. Some of the hesitant members got a very clear phone call from Tracy who made it clear she was speaking on behalf of the entire family,” Portia said dryly. “You just let us know whatever you need, and we’ll get it done.”

“Thank you—” Elizabeth paused when she saw Amy down the hall stop at the sight of her, widen her eyes, and dart towards another door. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t—Oh!” Portia snapped her fingers. “Chase and Dante. They were trying to chase her down last week to talk to her. They said she was related to the case in some way—”

“Oh really?” Elizabeth pressed her lips together, nodded. “Excuse me, won’t you?” She left Portia and followed Amy through the door she’d used, and found the nurse in the breakroom, pretending to study  the vending machines. “Amy.”

“Oh. Hey. Hello. Hi.” Amy’s cheeks were bright red. “How are you? It’s good to have you back where you belong. I just know this is all gonna get fixed because no one thinks you would do anything this horrible. I just—”

Elizabeth held up a hand. “Chase and Dante came to talk to you. They  think you left the tip that led to the search on my car, don’t they?”

“No. I mean, they did, but they don’t now. Because it wasn’t me. I told them I never saw you that day.” Amy clasped her hands in front of her. “And I would never snitch on you without warning you or asking you because the call they played for me is insane! Who would ever think you and Jason would talk about a murder where anyone could hear?”

“Especially a former gossip columnist,” Elizabeth added. Her lips twitched. “Don’t worry, Amy. I can’t speak for Chase or Dante, but my lawyer has thought from the beginning it was a fake call. I’m just sorry they used your voice.”

“Why would they do that? Didn’t they know it would be investigated? I mean, how could they have—” Amy closed her mouth. “Oh. They did it because it was me.” She swallowed hard. “Because I lied for months and months about the column.”

“I don’t know, but yeah, I guess maybe they figured no one would believe you. I’m sorry,” Elizabeth repeated, gently.

“Me, too. I hope you find out who did this to you. Because they’re just evil.”

PCPD: Conference Room

Molly sat back, rubbed her forehead. “That is—this is not what I thought you were going to—” She exhaled slowly. “Have you talked to Danny?”

“Not since the station. I’m hoping to touch base with Liz on that. I know that complicates things — me and her communicating about Danny, but it’s the only option, Mols. Jason and Sam can’t talk without arguing, and I gotta put Danny first. So if you need to take me off the case—”

“No, no, that would—that would create more questions, and we’re already ethically shaky. I don’t want it to be seen as us doing a favor for a key eyewitness—Oh, this is such a mess. You were barely involved before. Danny is little more than an alibi for someone who isn’t even charged, but now you’re telling me he’s staying with Jason and Elizabeth, you’re talking to the FBI’s primary suspect—” Molly took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. All that matters is Danny. And I—I need to find a way check on him.”

“I’m sorry. I honestly wasn’t thinking about anything other than making this go away. I figured if the FBI found out they got arrested on Liz’s property—”

“They wouldn’t care about context. They’d pick her up for violating her bail, and toss her back in lockup pending a hearing. And who knows if the judge will be as kind this time—” She paused. “You’re sure Dex and his partner are going to keep this quiet?”

“As sure as I can be. Right now, anyone who asks — they think the kids were picked up for a curfew. No one knows anything else.”

“Let’s keep it that way—” Molly stopped when she saw Chase at the door, a folder in his hands. She got to her feet. “Tell me that’s our audio reports.”

“Yes.” Chase held it up. “Good news or bad news first?”

“Oh, hell.” Molly held a hand to her forehead. “Good, I guess.”

“They’re both AI. No doubt about it. All the hall marks — crappy meta data, unnatural pitches, and a whole bunch of other things I don’t understand.”

“If that’s the good news, then—” Dante frowned. “What’s the bad?”

“The mystery file is a voice mail from John Cates file. Someone pretending to be Jason Morgan setting up the meet at the boathouse about the deal.” Chase paused. “And that’s not the worst part.”

“Not the—what?”

“We got another report—a digital analysis of John Cates’ computer — including evidence that he’s the one that created the voicemail luring himself to his own murder.”

Warehouse: Cargo Docks

Jason recognized the commissioner stalking towards him out of the corner of his eye, and sighed. He handed the clip board to the shift manager. “I’m about to be busy and annoyed for a little while. Finish handling this and fax the invoices to customs.”

He turned just Anna reached the cargo door. “Do I need a lawyer?”

“No, but we need to talk. Alone,” Anna added, then turned and headed for his office. He considered ignoring because he didn’t take orders from anyone anymore, and definitely not from the police commissioner.

But he was mildly curious about her visit, so he followed her and closed the door to his office behind them. “What’s going on?”

“Who did you tell about Valentin?” she demanded, her tone more clipped than usual.

Jason squinted. “What?”

“Who did you tell about Valentin?” she repeated.

“I heard your question,” he said flatly. “It didn’t make any sense the second time you said it.”

“Don’t play games—”

“I don’t know what you want, Anna. I don’t talk about Valentin.”

“Not even to Elizabeth?” she demanded. “You didn’t tell her how the Pikeman investigation ended?”

“Anna, she didn’t even know I was involved in that until two weeks ago—” He shook his head. “I’m not doing this. Tell me what you want to know, and I’ll decide if I want to answer you.”

“Robert and Molly forced me into supporting their suicide mission,” Anna retorted. “They’ve cut off cooperation for the Cates murder and they don’t seen to give a damn that the FBI has retaliated and derailed several investigations we were working together on—”

“And you think I’m going to give a damn about that?” Jason asked, skeptically. “Molly believes Elizabeth was framed. The FBI doesn’t care who killed Cates, and she knows finding that out will exonerate Elizabeth. I don’t give a damn about anything else—”

“Not even your own freedom?”

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

“Robert, Molly, and Chase dropped some very obvious hints that my failure to go along with their plan would result in an investigation into how Valentin eluded capture. What did you tell Elizabeth? What have you told Diane?”

“Nothing. It’s not relevant,” Jason added, and Anna scowled.

“Oh, so if you deemed that information to be relevant, you’d turn it over?”

“If I thought the FBI would drop the charges against Elizabeth in exchange for me telling them that you told Valentin to run, I’d already have done it.”

Anna went white, fell back a step. “What?”

“Are you asking me if I’d protect you over Elizabeth? I wouldn’t even think about it. I don’t know what makes you think any differently.”

“That—we worked together—” Anna’s voice was a bit weak, as she fumbled to collect herself.

“And you begged me to let Valentin have a chance to run. I never promised anything else, Anna. You made the choice to do it.”

“I—” She brought two fingers to her lips. “You’d turn me in? Even if it meant you’d go to jail, too?”

“Yes.” Jason squinted, tilted his head slightly. “Why would that be a surprise? I barely know you. I don’t owe you any loyalty. You pushed yourself into my investigation, I didn’t ask for your help. Elizabeth is—there’s just not a debate, Anna. If it’s  down to you, me, or her, I’m always going to pick her.”

+47

Written in 60 minutes.

Sunday, September 14, 2024

Penthouse: Living Room

Sam rose to her feet when the door opened and Rocco came in first, with his father’s hand firmly on his shoulder — not precisely shoving him, but also not giving the teenager much choice in his direction.

Rocco’s shirt was grimy, stained with soil and grass, and there was a new rip in his jeans. His curly hair disheveled, falling over his eyes. “Can I get a shower? Or is sleeping in filth part of the punishment?”

Dante closed the door, flipped the lock. “No point in punishing all of us with that smell. Upstairs. And stay there.”

“No worries. I’m gonna sleep until I’m dead,” Rocco muttered, trudging up the steps.

“Scout’s all good with her dad, no idea any thing happened,” Dante told Sam, tossing his eyes on the desk. He folded his arms. “I, uh, got a text from Elizabeth. She wants to pick up some of Danny’s clothes after she drops Cameron off at the airport.” He lifted his brows. “I’m guessing it didn’t go well with Jason.”

Sam pressed her lips together in a thin, unhappy line. “It started okay, I guess. But we just…we can’t seem to talk to each other anymore.” She rubbed her shoulder. “I just get so frustrated with him pretending this isn’t at least partly his fault because he wasn’t here. How do we know Jason being gone isn’t what screwed Danny up in the first place?”

Dante didn’t answer her right away, and Sam fidgeted. “What, you think this is my fault?” she demanded. “You know how hard we’ve been trying to reach Danny this last year, and we had no idea they were up to this—”

“I know that. I just don’t know if laying blame at anyone’s feet is going to help things.” Dante kicked off his sneakers. “It is what it is. We just gotta fix it. I don’t know if keeping Rocco too tired to drink or lie to me is the answer, but it’s what I got right now. And maybe—” He walked past her towards the sofa. “Maybe Danny staying with his dad for a little while is his answer.”

“So it is my fault.”

“Sam.” Dante turned back to face her. “I get it. I do. I wanna know what I did wrong with Rocco, too. We trusted them too much, I guess. We should have checked with Liz the nights they said they were with Aiden. She should have checked with us. But Rocco had never pulled anything like this, and Danny might have been giving us attitude with terrible grades, but that’s anything like this.”

“But if I’m not the problem—”

“Maybe you are. Maybe Danny is. Maybe Jason is—” Dante threw up his hands. “Maybe Danny builds up his dad in his head to be this perfect guy, and he measures you against that, and now he’ll realize Jason’s not the guy in his head. I don’t know, Sam. None of us do. I don’t even think Danny knows. But if you’re looking for someone to reassure you that you’re not a terrible mom, okay, fine. You’re not a terrible mom.”

Her eyes glimmered and she looked away, biting her lip. “Jason said that. He said that he wasn’t going to hold my  hand and reassure me. He wanted to fix the problem. And you’re doing the same thing. Neither of you understand, okay—”

“Sam—”

“Because you’re both judging me because I walked out last night. Aren’t you?” Sam challenged when Dante just shook his head. “You think I’m a terrible mother for leaving him—”

“It’s not like you left him without anyone. His dad was there, and I just told you I think it’ll be good for Danny to spend time there. Look — Sam — I’m not the guy who’s gonna hold that against you. I left my family, didn’t I? I walked away from Lulu and Rocco because I wanted to protect them, because I thought it was the right thing to do. And I came home as a broken mess that could barely keep my head up. Maybe Rocco’s reacting to that. A delayed reaction, you know. I was gone, then Lulu was gone, and then we moved in here, and he’s a teen—” Dante paused. “I left my family, too, Sam, so if you’re looking for me to tell you what’s wrong with Danny is all on Jason, I’m not gonna do that. I’m not gonna tell you Jason was wrong for what he did. Because I did the same thing.”

“You’re not answering the question,” Sam bit out. “Which means you think I’m the problem, and that I’m ruining Danny’s life—”

“Not what I said—” But Sam had already snatched up the keys, flipped back the lock, and stormed out.

Dante sighed, then went to pack a bag for Danny.

Port Charles Airport: Departures

Cameron looped the strap of his backpack over his shoulder and turned back to face his mother. “I’ll be back in two weeks. We’re not arguing about that, are we?”

“No.” Elizabeth reached up to hug him, sighing when he had to bend down slightly to return the embrace. When did her baby get so tall? “No arguing from me at all. I hate why you came home, but I’m always happy to see you.” He drew back, and she brushed his hair out of his eyes. “You should get a trim.”

“Nah, the girls dig it.” He tipped his head to the side. “Listen, I want to tell you that if you’re trying to hide that you and Jason are dating, you’re not doing a good job. Well, with me. Aiden and Jake were clueless.”

“What?” Elizabeth blinked, then laughed a bit nervously, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “Oh. Well, that’s—I mean, I guess that’s true. But it’s new. I mean—” She blew out a huff. “But yes. We are.”

“See? I always know. I want you to know I’m good with it. Really. I never thought Finn was good enough for you, and I’m not sure Jason is either, but he’s always treated you well. That’s all I want for you, Mom. You deserve the best. And make sure Danny knows I’m cool with him crashing in my room when I’m not here. I don’t know what he’s dealing with,” Cameron continued, “but I figure it’s a lot, and he might need some space of his own. He’s in good hands now.”

“I hope so. And I appreciate that.” Elizabeth touched his face, just  briefly. “Sometimes I think about how much I miss my little demon with the grimy hands and messy curls—” Cameron grinned, “— but then I’m reminded of what an amazing man you’ve grown into, and I couldn’t be more proud of you. I don’t want you to worry about me, or your brothers. I trust Diane and Spinelli to handle this.”

“So do I. But I’m still coming back to make sure.” He kissed her cheek. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too.”

Webber Home: Jake’s Room

Jake flicked the shavings from his colored pencil, and barely glanced up at Danny standing hesitantly just outside his room. “You gonna stare at me all night, or…?”

“I don’t wanna bug you if you’re, like, in the zone.”

“You won’t. I’m just layering and shading.”

Danny came more into the room, trying to peer at the sketch bad across Jake’s desk. “What is it? Or, like, is that rude?”

“Only if you’re gonna be an asshole and be like, why don’t you make things I can understand?” Jake lifted the sketchpad, aimed it towards his brother. “It’s my mom. Coming home.”

“Oh.” Danny furrowed his brow. “I don’t get it. It looks like blobs. Sorry.”

“No, it’s like—” Jake paused. “It’s the way I saw it, it you know, because I’m—I’m standing there, and I gave her the phone—” He gestured. “This is the door. It’s still open. I don’t know if it was, but it is when I remember it. It makes me feel like it happened all that fast. ”

“Oh. The room’s tilted.” Danny craned his head. “Okay, yeah, I sort of see it now. And the people are like—in motion.”

“Yeah.” Jake stared at the sketch. “Mom got home, and we were so happy to see her, we didn’t even—I don’t even know if me and Aiden even saw her, you know? We just hugged her, and then I went to call Cam, and then I gave her the phone, and she just—she just saw my brother and she started to fall, to cry, and I took the phone before it fell—Dad caught her.”

Danny sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m really sorry if I messed up her bail. I promise I didn’t want to do that.”

Jake set the sketch aside, twisted on his stool to look at his brother. “I get that. You’re an asshole, but you’re not a dick, you know? You just don’t think.”

“Not until it’s too late,” Danny muttered. He stared down at his hands. “My mom walked out. She just…I said something awful to her, I don’t even remember what, and she left. I guess I deserved that.”

Jake slid his colored pencils back into their case, said nothing. Danny’s smile was grim. “You never did like my mom much, so I guess you don’t agree.”

“I don’t know. I mean, you’ve said some pretty awful things to her when I’ve been there, and I know she was pretty much at the end of the rope. I guess—” Jake squinted. “I don’t know. I guess I can’t think of much me or my brothers could do that would make my mom leave us in a police station to fend for ourselves. Even if my dad were there,” he added. “I mean, Cam got arrested a few times. Shoplifting, the weed thing, just being an idiot. Mom was ticked, but she handled it.”

“She doesn’t want me back. Dad went to talk to her, and he was just like — you’re staying here. He won’t tell me what happened, but—”

“He’s never gonna tell you anything that might make you think bad about your mom,” Jake cut in. “But maybe your mom thinks it’s a good idea for you to hang out with Dad for a few days.”

“I guess. Are…are you okay with it? I mean, until Dad gets a place with a bedroom or something—”

“I—” Jake leaned back in his chair. “What if he didn’t?”

Danny furrowed his brow. “What?”

“What if he didn’t? What if he…and you just…stayed here.” Jake paused. “Cam thinks Dad and my mom are back together. He’s already here all the time because of her case. Maybe you guys could just stay here.”

“Oh.” Danny let that sink in, considered the new information. “I like your mom. Even when I was an ass to her, she was really nice to me. And, like, I could talk to Dad because she was  there. I—I’d be okay staying here.” He paused. “Are you okay with it? You and Dad were fighting so much.”

“It’s…better now,” Jake admitted. “I don’t know if I think it’s fixed, but when Mom—when this all went down, Dad stepped up. He didn’t have to. I mean, yeah, I’d go with him, but Grandma Laura could have taken Aiden. But Dad knew Mom wanted us to stay together. So he moved in. It’s—I don’t know if I’m ever gonna forget about those two years, but…I don’t know. It’s stupid to let that ruin the rest of our lives, right?”

“Yeah, probably. I’m not gonna do anything that screws Dad up with your mom either. I promise. I’m gonna be on my best behavior.”

“Should be interesting since you’ve never tried that before,” Jake said with a grin. “First time for everything.”

Webber House: Master Bedroom

 Elizabeth rubbed lotion into her hands, watching in her vanity mirror as Jason pulled back a comforter, and smiled. “By the way, not that we were keeping anything a secret, but Cameron figured out we were back together, and told his brothers, and I’m sure Danny knows by now.”

“Yeah?” Jason tipped his head. “What did he say?”

“That he was okay with it. He’s always liked you.” Elizabeth slid into her side of the bed, sat crossed legged. “And only some of that reason is how many times you got him out of trouble.”

Jason slid in next to her, his legs stretched out. “He’s an amazing kid. He always was, but you have every reason to be proud of them. All of them. It took a lot of guts for Aiden to open up like this morning. Even when he knew he’d messed up.”

“Well, I’m not sure how it happened, but I do feel kind of smug at how great they are.” Elizabeth’s smile dimmed slightly, and she looked at the comforter, picking at a loose thread. “I picked up Danny’s bag from Dante, and he thinks maybe communication should go between us. Me and him,” she clarified. “I told him I’d talk to you, but that I sort of agreed. I know you didn’t want to get into it with the boys around, but…I guess it didn’t go well?”

“I thought we started out okay, but—” Jason sighed. “I guess it was my fault. She’s blaming herself, and I just—I got impatient with her. I don’t care who’s fault it is. I mean, okay, we need to talk about how it got to this point because that’s how we help Danny. But am I supposed to say, no, Sam, you’re amazing, this is one hundred percent on me? Are we supposed to negotiate blame? She gets twenty, and I get eighty—what does that matter? But she needed me to reassure her and take the blame, and I don’t want to do that. I don’t know why I should have to.”

He looked at Elizabeth. “And look, it’s not her fault. Not one hundred percent. Because Danny’s not the only kid who ended up in trouble last night. Aiden’s been part of this, does it make it your fault? Rocco was there, too. All three of them were lying, drinking, and smoking, probably egging each other on because I know grown men who act that way.”

“I think that’s probably a big piece of it. Because, sure, mistakes were made. I definitely had blinders on — Aiden’s never been one to lie to me, so I don’t question him. I’m sure Dante and Sam felt that way, too. Aiden’s my sweet baby — who grew up into a teenager when I wasn’t looking. I absolutely think they thought — we’re getting away with this, what else can we do, and just kept pushing the line.” She sighed. “So you and Sam just couldn’t get any further than that?”

“No, not really. Because I said that, and she threw the last two years in my face, which, okay, she gets to do. But it doesn’t solve anything for us to take shots at each other. I got frustrated, told her I was keeping Danny, and left. And I guess she’s not arguing with me.”

“No, Dante said he thinks Danny and Rocco were feeding into each other a little, and right now, his only idea is to keep Rocco too tired with chores,” Elizabeth said. “But I mentioned counseling to him — but I made sure to tell him it’s happening. Maybe that’s—maybe that’s me overstepping. But I just—Danny absolutely seemed so into the idea, I didn’t want Sam to shoot it down. Maybe that was wrong—”

“It’s not. I—” Jason paused. “When he asked me, I had a moment where I thought — I can’t say yes. I need to talk to Sam. I thought I’d be overstepping to make a choice for my own son.” He exhaled slowly. “That’s the habit I need to break. Just because you and Sam have been handling the decisions for so long, that doesn’t mean you should have to do it forever. It never should have been entirely on your shoulders.”

Elizabeth smiled, her eyes a bit sad. “I’m glad you’re recognizing that — I appreciate the confidence you have in my abilities, but you’re a great father, Jason. I just don’t think you trust yourself to be one.”

“Maybe not. But that’s going to change.” He reached for her hand, traced a line in her palm. “I’m sorry your weekend with Cam got ruined like this—”

“Don’t be. I mean that,” she added when he sighed. “Those days I was gone — I was miserable. And when I got home, I couldn’t—it was so hard to get back to myself. But then Cam came home, and I got my boys in one room — but it was still about my case. But last night and today? I got to be a mom again. The boys got to be kids again. Idiots, in Danny and Aiden’s case,” she added and he smiled briefly. “And I got to be me. Not someone being framed for murder. But me. It reminds me of everything I have to fight for. Because no one is taking my family away from me again.”

+45