Written in 61 minutes.

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Friday, September 20, 2024

PCPD: Conference Room

Chase jolted when Molly popped into the doorway of the conference room, and he hastily flipped the whiteboard, pushing the side that detailed the case against Kristina and Alexis to face the wall. “Uh, hey. I thought you were in court today.”

“I was—” Molly furrowed her brow, stepped fully into the room. “One of my cases plead out, so I had an opening my schedule. What did you just hide?”

“Nothing. Well, not nothing,” Chase corrected when her expression turned grim. “Just some dead ends that I was cleaning up.”

“Chase.” Molly closed the door behind her, folded her arms. “I thought we were on the same team. This investigation is complicated enough without any of us keeping secrets.”

“I know—”

“You and Dante being connected to all the primary witnesses—” Molly stopped, looked around. “Where is he?”

“He, uh, was working from home. Some things came up with Rocco, I guess. Related to what we talked about on Monday.” Chase paused. “I’m not keeping secrets, Molly. I’m just—I’m trying to protect the case.”

“Then show me what’s on the other side of that board. Now,” she added when Chase didn’t immediately act.

He sighed, then rolled it back. “I was writing out all my thoughts before taking it down completely,” he admitted. “I didn’t want you or Dante to know about this part of this investigation. And that’s from Robert.”

Molly didn’t answer, her dark eyes scanning the board — divided neatly between Kristina and Alexis. She exhaled slowly, looked at Chase. “You spoke to Robert.”

“Yes.”

“I—” She swallowed hard, looked back at the board. Saw ALIBI NOT VERIFIED written in large red capital letters underneath both names. “I was expecting them on the list, you know.  They would have to be eliminated all over again, just like we did with Jason and Elizabeth. And you did good work eliminating them. Jason’s alibi is tighter than it was, and I just can’t see any opportunity for Elizabeth to pull it off without Michael lying, without the boys being wrong about the time frame—if anything, we’ve really helped Diane nail that part of the case down if it goes to the trial.”

“I know.”

“And I saw the report about Ava. No way of getting around that. I mean, she could have hired someone,” Molly admitted, folding her arms. “But there’s nothing tying her to it. I guess I just assumed—I hoped—that my mother and Kristina would be eliminated the same way. That this was someone from Cates’ past — someone else he framed, another family he targeted.” She looked at Chase. “But that’s not the case is it?”

“It might be. It probably is,” Chase added. “We’ve requested all his cases, looking for any where he testified, but it’s not easy getting those from the FBI. They’re not really interested in anything that goes against their own narrative. Listen, Mols—”

“You should, um, keep this information in a safe place. Maybe at your old apartment. You said you still kept it, right?” Molly asked him, and Chase nodded. “There’s no telling who Sonny has on payroll around here.” She rubbed her mouth. “Robert wanted me and Dante kept out of this part of this investigation, and he’s right. Seal it off from us entirely. I don’t want to be tempted to look at any of it. Whatever happens after this — it has to be clean. An innocent woman’s freedom is at stake. I can’t—won’t—do anything to jeopardize that.”

Webber House: Living Room

“I’m gonna go do my homework,” Danny told his father as they came into the living room. “I just—I just wanna be alone for a while.” Without waiting for Jason’s response, the teenager darted for the stairs, and his footsteps thudded above them.

Jason rubbed his face, then looked into the kitchen where he found Elizabeth behind at the stove, stirring something in the pot. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She tipped her face up and he kissed her, tugging her against him with one arm. She stroked his neck, then leaned her forehead against his jaw when he released her. “How did it go?”

“He agreed to go back,” Jason said, stepping back to lean against the island. “But he didn’t really want to talk about anything.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know. I guess it’s something that he decided to go back on his own.” He met her concerned gaze. “How did it go with Diane? Did the feds file their reply?”

“Yeah, she said it wasn’t anything she didn’t expect. Except—” Elizabeth covered the pot with a lid, then turned to face him, folding her arms. “They added a second chair who filed the motion. Do you remember Gia Campbell?”

“Gia—” Jason’s brow creased, and he straightened slightly. “Taggert’s sister? The one that hated you?”

“That’s the one. She’s on the case. Working for Reynolds. Diane didn’t really know the background, but she’d dug up a few things — including the Deception competition which was really enough for her to have questions. I didn’t need to get into all the reasons Gia doesn’t like me or why I never liked her, especially since we met because she was blackmailing Emily about Ted Wilson.” Elizabeth shuddered. “I haven’t thought about her since she and Nikolas broke up and she left town to finish law school.”

“Now she turns up to prosecute you for murder?” Jason said. “Why would she do that? Diane can get her removed, can’t she?”

“Oh, for sure. All I’d have to do is to point out that I was originally the first choice to win the Face of Deception, and Gia only took the prize because I pulled out. Laura will obviously corroborate that, and Carly might do it for you.” Elizabeth made a face. “I don’t even know why Gia would bother trying to hurt me like this. After we stopped fighting for Deception, I didn’t even really bother with her. I couldn’t tell you the last time we talked before she moved.” She hesitated. “The only thing she has that would even be relevant is that time she told Lucky I was at Jake’s with you. But how is that even helpful? Why would anyone care that I had an affair twenty years ago?”

“An affair?” Jason lifted his brows. He folded his arms. “I think I would have remembered that.”

A smile played on Elizabeth’s lips. “Well, maybe not a physical one though you certainly gave me enough openings.” His own mouth curved slightly in response to that. “I guess that plays into the FBI’s real theory. If you and I have had this relationship going back all that time, I’m more likely to cover for you.”

“But that only works if both of us are charged,” Jason said, and she nodded. “So we’re back at the start. Gia doesn’t really have anything to offer them. Could she be trying to help you?” he asked. “Taggert was always in your corner. I think, if it’s possible, he hated me more after you and I…met,” he said.

Elizabeth bit her lip, considered that theory. “I know it sounds crazy, but what if it’s about Nikolas? She used to accuse him of being in love with me when he’d take my side. We didn’t—” Her cheeks heated and she dropped her eyes away, the pit in her stomach gnawing the memory of one of the worst decisions she’d ever made. And how it continued to come back to haunt her. “It’s not like that wasn’t common knowledge. Gia might have heard about it.”

“That was still fifteen years ago,” he reminded her gently. “Seems like a long time to hold a grudge.”

“You’d think that, but Carly still hates me for things that happened twenty-five years ago, and there’s a reason Carly and Gia always got along,” she pointed out, and he sighed, acknowledging that truth.

“What does Diane want to do?”

“Let it play out as long we can. We don’t have a duty to disclose the relationship — particularly when I can point out we haven’t spoken in twenty years. If not longer. Neither of us are models, and I never wanted it in the first place.” Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “Diane was putting together a file and she pulled all the campaign prints for the one photoshoot I even finished. You remember? The one with the black dress?”

“Yeah. I remember.” Their eyes met, and he tipped his head. “I didn’t realize that ever went anywhere. I thought you’d quit before that.”

“They’d already sunk a lot of money into it, so I agreed.” Elizabeth went over to the large tote bag that doubled as her purse and removed the file. “Diane gave me copies so I could go over all of it, and think of anything Gia and I ever clashed over.” She drew out the photo, considered it for a long moment. “It seems like a lifetime ago, you know? Like it happened to someone else. I tried to enjoy it, and you know, sometimes—I almost could?” She laid the file on the island. “When it was just me and Lucky, and he was just taking photos, it was almost like the old days. I didn’t mind posing for him, and he used to talk about how maybe I could get into the artistic side, you know graphic design or something. But that day — in that studio—” She traced the lines on her face. “He didn’t even remember.”

Jason stepped up to her carefully touching her shoulder, not wanting to jolt her. Even after all this time, he knew that coming up behind her wasn’t something to be done lightly — and he never wanted to put her back in that moment. He’d done it once, years ago, when they’d been trying to find Manny Ruiz after he’d kidnapped Sam. And he’d never wanted to repeat it.

“You looked beautiful,” he told her. “You always do. You just…didn’t look like you.” The tension in his chest eased when she turned into his arms and he embraced her, stroking her back, looking at the printed copy behind her. He’d never forget that day she’d come to his room, in layers of makeup, her hair stiff from styling, and a backless dress and plunging neck line. And misery in every line of her face, in her beautiful eyes.

“I should have kissed you that day,” came her muffled words against his chest, and he smiled, kissing the top of her head. “I was such a stupid girl.”

“I wanted it to be your choice,” he told her. “But I should have kissed you. A thousand times. Because I know you needed it to be my choice, too.”

She tilted her face up, and he kissed her , lingering. “But here we are, all these years later.”

“And we’re not going to mess it up again,” he promised. And he wasn’t going to let anyone take her away from him again. No matter what he had to do.

Penthouse: Living Room

Dante slammed the door behind him, jolting Sam still standing at the terrace, her phone in hand. “They couldn’t stop him.”

“Wally said he went through the parking garage—I guess you tried to find him—” Sam came towards him, but he kept his back turned, picking up the landline on the desk. Her throat felt tight. “Do you want to call Chase or someone at the station?”

“No. I—I’m going to call Laura. And have her call Elizabeth. Rocco’s a moron, so he might try to go to Danny or Aiden. And Michael.” He jabbed at the buttons.

“We moved in together too fast, didn’t we?” Sam asked, and Dante looked at her.  “The kids. They weren’t ready. I thought—Danny and Rocco were friends. I didn’t think—”

“Don’t—don’t go down that road. Rocco’s pushing your buttons. And mine. He knows exactly how to twist the knife. Laura? Hey—” Dante turned back and Sam went to the door, snatching up her keys “Where are you going?”

“I need—I need to get out of here.”

“Sam—”

But she was already gone. Dante sighed, and turned back to the phone. “No, Laura, sorry. I was just—I’ve got a problem, and I need your help.”

Webber House: Danny/Cameron’s Room

It had been almost an hour since Danny had come home from his appointment with the doctor, and Jake figured that was more than enough time.

He crossed the hall, shoved open the door. “Hey. What happened—” He stopped, saw Danny with a phone in his hand. “They still let you have one of those?”

Danny looked up, blinked. “What?”

“The phone. I thought you were grounded from it.”

“Oh. No. I think Dad just wants to be able to track me.” Danny hesitated. “Rocco called me. Just now.”

Jake flopped on the bed. “They let him near a phone? No wonder neither of you dorks have learned—” he stopped, straightening when he saw Danny stare at his phone. “Danny, what’s going on? What did Rocco want?”

“He, um, said he had to leave the penthouse. Dante and my mom were on his case, and it was time. He—he wants me to meet him. Bring him some things to hide out for a few days. He figures it if he scares the shit out of them, they won’t be as mad.”

“And you said no because you’re not a goddamn moron,” Jake said. Danny flushed. “Of course you said yes. Moron.” He dragged a hand down his face. “We’re telling Dad.”

“You can’t—”

“I’m going to stand next to you while you do it—don’t shake your head, dickhead.” Jake yanked Danny to his feet, and Danny tried to shove out of Jake’s grasp. “Knock it off! You don’t remember what it’s like when a kid goes missing, but I do. I remember Mom when I came home. And when Cam got snagged with Trina a few years ago. You really think Dante and your mom deserve that?”

“Let me go—” Danny pushed and this time was able to get Jake to release him. “It’s not a  big deal. He’s just gonna go AWOL for the weekend—”

“Spencer died like seven months ago. You want my grandmother to worry like that? After what she’s been through? Don’t be an asshole. Rocco’s doing something stupid. Again. Why are you protecting him?”

Danny opened his mouth, his eyes burning with anger, but then he dropped his chin to  his chest and when he spoke again, his voice was trembling. “He was really mad that I told my dad about his stash at the Qs. But he called me for help, so if I snitch again, he’ll never talk to me again.”

“Good riddance. He’s just trying to get you in trouble, Danny. You said that you liked living here, right? You and me in the same house with Dad. What do you think happens if you keep screwing around? Rocco could get hurt. He’s dumb enough to trust the wrong person, and you know it. This is how you prove to Dad and my mom that you learned a lesson last week. Tell them, Danny. Don’t make me be the bad guy,” Jake said flatly. “Because I’m gonna tell him if you don’t.”

“So I don’t have a choice at all, do I?” Danny demanded.

“You get to decide how much information Dad gets right away or if Mom has to guilt it out of you,” Jake retorted. “Or if I have to kick your ass. So yeah, you got a choice. What’s it gonna  be?”