Written in 65 minutes. For those of you worried about Thursday and Liason’s plans, listen — you can do a lot with a free morning and kids in school.

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Tuesday, September 17, 2024

PCPD: Conference Room

“Nothing surprising with the re-interviews,” Chase said, peering at their whiteboard. They’d written the original statement information with black marker, and added any extra notes in red.

There was very little of that.

“Other than Jake thinking there was a pause between the first shot and the rest, it didn’t give us anything. I mean, that’s not a bad thing. Their stories didn’t change.”

“But they didn’t recite them,” Chase added. He tapped Jake’s interview. “Dex sent me his recording of Danny’s interview, and Danny doesn’t really remember a pause, but he does remember they both thought it was fireworks until they heard more shots, so there’s an argument that there had to be some sort of break.”

“Like someone who wasn’t planning to shoot, but once they had—” Dante folded his arms, walked over to the new board they’d added, detailing the victim and his ties to the various suspects. “I don’t know what to do with Cates manufacturing evidence against Jason. Or the computer evidence suggesting he was planning his own assault.”

“And it was all recent — created that day. So it’s not like anyone had time to find out. But it does tell us our vic wasn’t a shining beacon of truth and integrity.” Chase furrowed his brows. “He could have gone to the boathouse to bait Jason into taking a swing. It’s difficult but not impossible. But no one puts Jason anywhere near the lake until after the shots. So was Cates interrupted—”

“The Quartermaine barbecue was common knowledge, and anyone who’s keeping track of Jason’s movements would know he was there,” Dante pointed out. “What if Cates was planning to leave some evidence that he’d been hurt there. You know, cut himself and leave some blood or something. He’d have that voicemail to go with it — it’d be enough to pull Jason in for questioning, probably an arrest.”

“Automatic federal jurisdiction. Probably run the same playbook Caldwell did — get him moved somewhere away from family and support. Try to get bail denied. Maybe  Cates wanted to force him into the deal.” Chase blew out an exasperated breath. “But this doesn’t get us any closer to who killed him.”

“Just makes the list of suspects longer,” Dante muttered. He stroked his chin. “Okay. Let’s take another look at the reports. There has to be something we’re missing.”

Penthouse: Living Room

“I’m guessing this isn’t a social visit,” Sam said dryly, accepting her mother’s kiss on the cheek. She met Kristina’s worried gaze. “What happened?”

“Nothing yet—” Alexis removed her jacket and set her briefcase on the desk. “But Diane gave me a heads up. Some paperwork is getting filed in family court tomorrow.” She hesitated. “Jason’s filing an emergency petition to make medical decisions for Danny — and a more straightforward request for full custody.”

She’d half-expected that news, but even as Sam absorbed her mother’s words, she realized now there was a piece of her that had expected Jason to back down. He always did when it came to Danny — always deferred to her decisions.

But that was before Elizabeth had come roaring back into their lives, determined to meddle in Danny’s life.

“Well, he’ll lose on both, so—” Sam stopped when she saw her mother’s expression. “Mom. They can’t seriously think a judge will give him custody. He’s living with a woman suspected of murder—”

“She’s out on bail and hasn’t been convicted yet. And you’ve allowed that situation to continue,” Alexis pointed out. “Because you haven’t exactly dragged Danny home.”

Sam grimaced, looked at Kristina. “And I guess you’re here for moral support.”

Kristina perched on the arm of the sofa. “I know this has been hard, Sam. And I hate that Jason thinks he can swoop in here after all this time and decide what’s right for Danny.”

“I can hear the ‘but’ coming from a million miles away,” Sam muttered. She pursed her lips. “And I’m sure walking out of the PCPD on Saturday night is mentioned. So much for keeping all of that under wraps—”

“Saturday night got written up as two intoxicated teenagers brought in and released to their parents, which is better for everyone,” Alexis stressed. “Yes, Elizabeth’s name was kept out of it, and so was Aiden’s. But no one’s mentioning the marijuana Rocco and Danny were carrying — and that’s not something that gets swept under the rug. Unless you think it would be a great idea for us to swing back by mentioning your drunk, high son badgered a sober teen into leaving his house in the middle of the night, and caused all three of them to get picked up.”

“I’m just sick of Elizabeth somehow walking out of every situation smelling of roses. I shot and killed a terrible, awful predator and ended up jail with a felony record. She helped Nikolas keep Esme hostage for months, and got to walk away with immunity. And now she’s  telling me my son needs therapy — what would she know about it?” Sam huffed and stalked towards the fireplace, boiling.

“Sam—”

“Twenty years, Mom. You realize it’s been almost twenty years that I haven’t been able to turn and not deal with her. Always there. The perfect woman. The perfect mother. Jason put her on a pedastal, shoved that kid right up there with her, and then there’s me and Danny, the family he settled for. You think Danny doesn’t know that? You think he doesn’t feel that, living in that house with the golden child and his precious, perfect mother?”

Alexis pressed her lips together, took a deep breath. “I’m telling you that a judge is going to take one look at Jason’s petition and wonder why you don’t want Danny to see a substance abuse counselor—”

“He’s not an addict, Mom! Oh my God, he’s been drinking on the weekends. So did half of the kids I knew grew up! Kristina—”

“I mean, she’s not wrong, Mom,” Kristina offered. “Kids experiment. There’s no reason to trot them off to therapy. Danny shouldn’t be forced into this if he doesn’t want it—”

“Danny has been drinking and getting high for the better part of the year,” Alexis cut in sharply. “And addiction runs in his family. On both sides of the blood line,” she added with Sam opened her mouth. “And the counselor in question has a great deal of accolades. Whatever the motivation, the judge isn’t going to care about that. They’re going to see you denying your son access to health care. Jason will win, at the very least, the right to send Danny to this doctor. And if we end up in an actual custody hearing, do you think Diane doesn’t know exactly what buttons to push to make you look unfit?”

Sam’s eyes burned. “So I have no choice? Danny is my son. He has no right—”

“He has every right, Sam. Danny is his son, too. And if you go in front of a judge with that attitude, even I won’t be able to save you.”

Webber House: Cameron’s Room

“Do I have to testify?” Danny sat cross-legged on the bed, his Switch discarded next to him, tossed aside as soon as his father had knocked on the door. “I mean, do I have…to like pick where I want to live?”

Jason sighed, lowered himself onto the desk chair. “I think, if  your mom refuses to sign the paperwork, it might come to that. I don’t like it. I’ve done everything I can to keep that from happening. I never wanted that for you or Jake, to have your parents fighting over you.”

“That’s why you kept going along with Mom all summer, and why you agreed to let Elizabeth supervise visits.” Danny made a face. “Because you’d rather let her have her way than fight?”

“It’s part of it,” Jason admitted. “I watched Michael and Morgan be used in Sonny and Carly’s divorce case, and they were miserable. They’re not bad parents, but they could be…” He hesitated, trying to think of another word, but he really didn’t have one. “They could be selfish. For me, you and Jake always came first. But your mom loves you, and I could understand that she was worried about my time as an informant following you. I understood her fears, and decided to put up with it as long as she wasn’t completely keeping me from you.”

“But you don’t feel like that now.”

“No. I don’t think her refusal to sign the treatment paperwork has anything to do with you, Danny.”

“It’s because Elizabeth found the doctor. Rocco said it’s what she and Dante argued about.” Danny stared at his hands. “That’s it. She’s saying no because she hates Elizabeth.”

Jason scratched his cheek, uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation, but finally nodded. “Yeah. I think that if your grandmother had found him or Dante, this wouldn’t be an issue. I’m sorry, Danny. I think going to this guy could help. And to make it happen, I have to force your mom say yes or ask a judge to do it for me.”

Danny nodded, then met his dad’s worried gaze. “We’re staying here because you and Elizabeth are, like, together, right? It’s not just because of her case. Or because of me. And Mom’s mad about that. Even though she has Dante and has for years. She doesn’t want me to live here.”

“I don’t think she does, no. And if that’s her main problem, we’ll find somewhere else to live. Elizabeth will understand—”

“I don’t—” Danny stopped, bit his lip. “I don’t want to find somewhere else. I like being here. I never got to live with Jake before, and his brothers—I dunno. I like how he and Aiden are. And when Cam was here. They’re, like, real brothers. Me and Jake aren’t like that. So if it’s okay, I want to stay. Even if it makes Mom mad. Because it shouldn’t. You should get to be happy, too, right? Like she and Dante are. I don’t think she should get to mess that up.”

“Elizabeth and I can be together even if we’re not living together,” Jason assured Danny. “But yeah, I like being here, too. With you and Jake. I never had that before, either.”

“Mom’s throwing a tantrum. Like she’s toddler. Scout used to throw things and cry and scream when she didn’t get her way, and Mom never gave in, and eventually Scout would stop crying and now she doesn’t do it anymore. So we can’t give in or Mom will just keep doing stuff like this. Maybe it’s a doctor this week, but it could be something else later.” Danny seemed to be a bit more sure of himself and lifted his chin. “So it’s okay if you have to get a court to stop Mom from kicking and screaming like Scout. Maybe she’ll learn and won’t do it again.”

Maybe, Jason thought, but he had his doubts. Sam never seemed to learn her lesson, and even if he won this fight, there would be other confrontations. But he couldn’t keep giving in because Sam was Danny’s mother. Couldn’t keep letting her win just to keep the peace.  It wasn’t right for Danny, and it wasn’t right for him.

He was Danny’s father, and he had every right to make decisions for his son. Sam would have to get over it.

Webber House: Jake’s Bedroom

Though they hadn’t planned it, Elizabeth had come up the stairs with Jason, hoping to get a temperature check with Jake, and instead of had found him finishing another pencil sketch at his desk, and not really in the mood for a heart to heart.

“I told you, Mom, I go with the flow.” Jake reached for his sharpener. “Things are fine right now. As long as I don’t think too hard about the ankle monitor on your leg.” He glanced down at the plastic barely visible beneath her pant leg. “Doesn’t that bother?”

“It’s not my favorite accessory,” Elizabeth admitted. “But it’s a small price to pay to be out and back home. I know you’re pretty easy-going, Jake, and that things are better with your dad, but I don’t take any of that for granted. I hope you know that.”

“Mom—” Jake looked at her, then shook his head. “I don’t know how you can be so calm or up here asking me if I’m okay. I should be asking you that. These last few weeks — I was being an ass, and then you got arrested, and you were gone—” He stared hard at the surface of his desk and didn’t speak for a minute. “And you were home for five seconds before my idiot brothers caused you a bunch of problems, and now Sam is being a bitch—sorry,” he muttered.

“I’m not worried about Sam. Or the charges against me. I have months before I’d go on trial, and I trust Diane and Spinelli to find out what really happened long before that.” She tipped her head. “As for your idiot brothers, I’m glad Saturday happened. Maybe not the way it went down,” she clarified when he snorted. “But I’m relieved to know what they were doing. And why. I can’t help you guys if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”

“I guess. And Danny needed the kick in the ass.” Jake exhaled in a huff. “Cam never would let me get away that vaping crap. I should have came to you. I would have maybe, but then Finn caught me with it, and it was a whole thing—” He looked at her again. “Can I tell you again how happy I am he’s gone?”

“Only if I get to tell you again how proud of I am of you for how you handled that. And don’t pretend Cameron always got it right with you and Aiden. You boys did plenty of fighting, especially you and Cam. But you stick together when it matters, and that’s what we’re doing for Aiden and Danny.”

“Yeah, I guess. But if I’d said something months ago, maybe Danny wouldn’t need to talk to a counselor.” Jake looked at her again. “Thank you. For never treating Danny like he’s not my brother, too. I know you and Dad have a weird, tragic history that I’m not asking about or anything, but like, I can do math. You and Dad had me, and then he got married to Sam and had Danny. You could resent him. The way she doesn’t like me, I guess. But you didn’t. Danny can’t go to his mom with this stuff, obviously. But he’s got you, and I know he’ll be okay because of that.”

“There’s a lot to unpack in that,” Elizabeth said, “and most of it, I’m not going to address. I’m sorry if you’ve felt Sam’s feelings toward you. She hid it most of the time, but I guess it wasn’t as well as I thought. As for resenting Danny—” she bit her lip. “There was a time when I resented the idea of him,” she admitted. “But never Danny the person. You could have resented him, too. For living with his dad more than you have.”

“Maybe. But he lived with Sam, so—” Jake grinned, and she felt her lips twitch. “It all worked out. Now we both have Dad, and, I guess, now we both have you.”

Penthouse: Living Room

Kristina handed Sam another glass of wine, then sat next to her on the sofa. “Mom’s right about the legal part of it, Sam, I know that sucks to admit it—”

“Oh, if you were  going to take her side, you could have left with her,” Sam muttered. She curled up into the corner of th sofa, her fingers curled around the stem of the glass. “I don’t want to hear it. I agreed to sign the stupid paperwork, didn’t I?”

“I just meant that legally, we don’t have a lot of choices, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find another way to play this.” Kristina leaned forward. “Elizabeth is trying to steal your son from you. It’s so clear to me, I don’t know why Mom doesn’t get it. So if she won’t help you fight back, I will.”

“Maybe we’ve both had enough wine,” Sam said, sitting up. “I don’t—I don’t think Elizabeth is trying to steal Danny from me. I think she’s just showing off, trying to get Jason to cut me out. She’s never liked having me around. And she’s not above stooping to playing dirty.”

“Well, neither am I.” Kristina smirked. “You might have lost this battle, Sam, but we’re going to win the war. You’ll see. Elizabeth isn’t going to be in the picture very long.”

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