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When Cassadines Fall
History Lesson
Nik stalks back into the living room. Only moments have passed since, Maddy's scream had penetrated the living room. The room has fallen to whispers and everyone looks in his direction. Nik rips the collar from his costume. He needs to be able to breath right now and the party is over. He crosses to where Edward is sitting with Lila holding her hand. Emily is next to her and Johnny is standing behind her. "Do you have a way of getting hold of Pete Robideau?"
Edward looks at Lila. "Is that what this about? That Robideau fellow? Where is Madeliene?"
"Some thug just took her out of here with her permission."
Johnny reaches into his cell phone and grabs his little phone number book. He searches for a number with no name by it and dials. "Robideau please, this is Johnny Cook. He'd take my call; it's regarding Madeliene Reynolds." There is a long pause as whoever is at the other end of the line speaks. Johnny hangs up without answering. "Robideau is at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans."
"Oh my gosh, Maddy!" Emily murmurs. This is bad, very bad.
Lucky comes over to check out the serious confab going on at the other end of the room. "What's up bro?"
"Party is over; get these people out of here." Nik strides into the library which had been off limits to the party. Grabbing the phone he dials up directory assistance for Louisiana. He is followed into the library by Edward, Johnny, Em, Lucky and Jerry who is wondering what the heck is going on. As soon as Nik is connected with Memorial he inquires after the patient Pete Robideau. No patient listed. Nik runs his hand through his hair. "Oh ****, No, ma'am I just realized something. Could you check for another patient please? Lisette Reynolds." Nik listens grimly and then looks up at the watching eyes. "They're transferring me to ICU."
"Lisette..." Emily wonders aloud.
"Maddy's mother." Nik informs her absently.
Nik's cell phone starts ringing. Lucky picks it up. "Yeah?" Lucky nods. "I'll tell him." Then he covers the mouthpiece. "It's Stefan. He got as far as the private jet terminal over at the PC Airport."
"Tell him to get the Cassadine jet ready to go. New Orleans." Nik tells Lucky. He is taken off of hold as he reaches the nurses station of Memorial Hospital. "Yes, I'm calling to check on a patient there, Lisette Reynolds." Nik winces at the answer. "Okay thank you... do you happen to know if a Mr Robideau is there in the visiting area?... Thank you." Nik hangs up the phone. "Just missed Pete. They are listing Lisette as being in grave condition."
"How do you know Maddy's mother's name? I don't even know that." Emily asks.
"Em, Maddy lives here. And has for a bit." Lucky explains. "Liz and I are living in the carriage house out back."
"Why didn't anyone tell me? What is the big deal?"
"It was suppose to be a surprise until the housewarming and you aren't among the homeless. I was on the run from the press and Maddy had moved out of Dara Jensen's house. Oh hell. Dara Jensen. Who is going to tell her? and what about Maddy's father?"
"Martin Grah." Nik says absently.
Jerry winces. "When is Maddy's birthday? Next month?"
"Yeah, how did you know?" Nik realizes for the first time that Jerry is in the room.
"Martin Grah is the father of a lot of November babies in New Orleans. You count back nine months and..."
"Marti Gras." Johnny does the math.
Liz comes into the library. "Nik, the guests are clearing out. Mrs Lansbury is keeping an eye on things. 'Bout the only people left are family. Your mom and the Q's."
"Elizabeth will you go to Maddy's room and pack her a bag. She left with just a coat over her costume. I don't think she even took ID or anything."
"Are you going after her?"
"Yeah, until I hear from Pete and probably even after that." Liz nods and turns to leave. Emily is about to go with her. "Em, wait." Em turns back around. "I dont know much about Maddy's business-- you know all of her people right?"
"Doubt it. But I do know everyone who works at the kiosks. You want me to handle that while she's gone?"
"Yeah, it'll drive her nuts if things fall apart."
"I can handle the supply end." Johnny offers.
"Great. I need the number you have for Pete Robideau too."
The cell phone rings again. Lucky answers it on the first ring. "Problems, bro. You've got a plane but no pilot. One is on vacation and the other is no where to be found." Lucky has the very clear idea that the absent pilot better stay lost if he wanted to stay healthy.
Edward reaches for his own cell phone. "I'll handle this!" And then he groans when he realizes. "Damn it! All of the private fleet are out of town."
Jerry says quietly from the corner of the room where he'd taken a seat just watching the brainstorming. "Tell Stefan he has a pilot."
"You don't even know what kind of plane it is." Lucky questions.
"If it's got wings I can fly it. And I know New Orleans-- well. Including how to get to Memorial from the airport." Jerry informs the crew. "I got a bag in the car already. I always do."
"Stefan, we've got the pilot situation covered." Lucky says into the cell phone. "Yeah, right I'll tell him." Lucky hangs up. "The pilot is the one that has to file the flight plan. He can order the plane to be readied but he says you need to get the pilot to the airport."
"I'll go talk to Bobbie. Get her to catch a lift home with Carly and AJ if they're still here." Jerry leaves the room.
"I'm going too." Edward demands. "The little girl needs me. Lila will understand. And Ned and Alexis can tell that Jensen woman that there is a problem with her sister." The room clears out so that only Lucky and Nikolas are left in the study.
"How bad do you think it is?" Lucky asks Nik.
"Maddy always said her mother ran with a rough crowd. It's why she's been on her own for so long and why she got involved with Pete Robideau to start with. It's ICU, Lucky, not a broken arm. Maddy fell apart. Maddy doesn't fall apart."
"I know you and Maddy have gotten tight over the last few weeks. And she's your only friend who can stand Uncle Stiff but you haven't really known her that long." Lucky reminds him.
"Are you saying I shouldn't go?"
"Oh hell no. Like I said, she's the only one of your friends who can stand Uncle Stiff. She's been doing a dandy job of keeping him out of everyone elses' hair."
"Your father doesn't have enough hair left to bitch about."
"Master Nikolas?" Mrs Lansbury inquires from the door.
"Yes?"
"I took the liberty of packing a bag for you and packing Master Stefan's street clothes. Will he be accompaning you to New Orleans?"
"Probably." Nikolas nods. "I appreciate your help this evening, Mrs Lansbury. And I'm going to need your discretion on this. Miss Madeliene is in no condition to deal with my grandmother's... concern right now."
"I understand, sir. You and your uncle went skiing in Aspen you say?"
"Exactly. We'll be checking in with you and Alexis regularly. Anything that can't wait go to Alexis. They don't allow cell phones in hospitals." Nik directs as he takes the bags from Mrs Lansbury.
"You will call me as soon as you know that Miss Maddy is all right?" Mrs Lansbury bites her lip after blurting that out.
Nik reads the worry in her eyes and gives her a quick hug. "I'll tell her you send your best wishes."
"Come on I'll walk you out." Lucky breaks up the touching moment. Nik and Lucky walk back out to the front room. Lila had already gone home with Ned and Alexis. Edward waits there chomping at the bit. Bobbie and Lucas had hitched a ride home with AJ and Carly.
Jerry holds up the keys to Bobbie's SUV. "Airport express ready to roll."
"Don't worry, bro. I'll take care of things here. Take the jag out now and then to keep it frisky." Lucky undoes the back of the SUV and put in the bag that Liz had packed for Maddy.
"Get your own." Nik suggests. "As for the rest thanks." He hops into the front passenger seat after tossing in his and Stefan's luggage in the back. Edward climbs in the back and Jerry takes the drivers seat. Lucky watches until their taillights fade away.
"Lucky?"
"Yeah, Elizabeth."
"All of Maddy's stuff was packed into her van."
"She told Nik she was planning on moving out after the party." Lucky remembers. "Lets leave it as is for now but I think we'll probably be unpacking it for her." Lucky puts an arm around Liz sharing his body heat. "Anyone still here?"
"Em, Johnny and Mrs Lansbury. Your mom wants you to call her in the morning and tell her what the hell is going on."
"By then maybe we'll know."
In a covered hanger at the PC Airport, Edward and Stefan wait in what passes for an office while Jerry takes extra time going over every inch of the plane. Like Santa Claus, Jerry has a list and he's checking everything twice from nose to tail.
"You've already checked that twice." Nik complains in a hurry to get in the air and on the way to New Orleans.
Jerry doesn't even look up from what he is doing when he reminds Nik. "A) it's a Cassadine jet and b) nobody knows what happened to Maddy's mum. I've had to ditch a few planes in my time but I prefer to do it because of Acts of God rather than scrawny bitches after a bloody fortune. If my sources are on the money and they normally are. Your granny has a reason to be slightly peeved at Madeliene. Something about her spoiling Helena's fun at the last party over on Spoon Island...."
"Grandmother." Nik practically spits. "If she is involved in this...."
"I'm not saying she is. Just saying we take some precautions just in case." Jerry walks over to his buddy who works at the airport and starts completing the paperwork necessary for the flight. Jerry files two flight plans-- one for Aspen-- the official flightplan with a manifest of two passengers. The other his buddy puts in his pocket with the actual information three passengers to New Orleans. Nobody would believe that Edward was going with skiing with the Cassadines. As Jerry is completing the paperwork his passengers load up on the plane. Stefan and Edward taking seats in the cabin and buckling in.
Nik takes copilot seat after Jerry takes off. "Why are you here?"
Jerry's quiet for a long time. "I've known Pete for a good amount of years. We fell out of contact after my trouble with the feds. There was no reason to bring him into my mess. Pete and I met during a bar fight way back in the day. It was during the big party. We'd closed the place down. He drug me off to his mum's to get patched up."
"Granny Rosa." Nik fills in the name to prompt Jerry whose in a reflective mood.
"Rosalinda Luciano. What a woman." Jerry grins at the memory. "In a lot of ways she reminded me of my own mum, a class act all the way. See Pete's in a family business but it's business on his mum's side. She was connected to the families back in Chicago and New York. She fell in love with a black guy, Pierre Robideau, back when it just wasn't done. The family interference stopped them from getting married but not from being together. It's why she was in New Orleans, banished from the family. But she knew the business. And Pete started making a name for himself in the southeast. When the family wanted to branch out from New York and Chicago they had to come to Pete. And he just wasn't the dirty bastard anymore. Not only was he blood but he already had the territory they wanted."
"You're talking about the mafia."
"Ah the benefits of a classical education. Did you ever learn that it wasn't always a dirty word? They have a history, a lineage, almost as long as your own. Way back when they were patriots, a militia, that protected their families and the town from uncaring princes who'd take and take and not care if the people they were taking from were starving." Jerry glances over to see Nikolas' wince. "Yeah, princes have a habit of doing that. You Cassadines fled from mother Russia to Greece. Well some of the sicilians emigrated from the old country to the US. Most fell headlong into the melting pot but a few kept the old family traditions. And the fearless leaders down in Washington came up with the grand experiment."
"Prohibition."
"Right. And whenever you make something illegal you make it profitable." Jerry makes a minute adjustment to the instrumentation. He was pushing the jet to it's maximum riding air currents for an extra push. They might not beat the plane that Maddy was on but they'd be there soon after. He figured he had about half an hour to make up. "There were all kind of factions. The irish, the jews and the italians-- anybody who'd been stepped on for coming to the party a hundred years late. Maximum risk but maximum profit. When you're living at the bottom of the food chain it starts looking pretty tempting." Jerry knows exactly what he is talking about. "It was a bloody battle but eventually the Lucianos worked their way to the top. The only way that the feds could touch them was on income tax evasion. But even then the head of the family worked his way out of prison by helping out the allies during WWII. He had connections in Italy, connections that the allies needed to beat the axis. He took exile to Sicily and continued to run things from there."
"How was Granny Rosa involved in all this?"
"She saw it all, learned the business by being a bug on the wall. No way would a proper lady be involved in business. But she was amazing." Jerry shakes his head. "That time with the barfight it must have been back in '92 after she finished chewing us out for being so stupid-- never once raising her voice mind you-- she sent... Oh my gracious." Jerry grins. "I've met Maddy before. She was about waist high with little pigtails going every which way."
"Maddy was there?"
"Yeah, I guess she was. Ms Rosa sent this little girl off to the drug store to get first aide supplies. Gave her plenty of time to chew us out for getting blood on her nice clean kitchen floor. When the little one came back, she helped stitch Pete up. You saw the scar right on his jaw?" Jerry brushes his thumb against his own jaw. "Ms Rosa stitched him up. A lot fancier than those fumble fingered doctors could have. Anything short of bullet Ms Rosa could handle and I wouldn't put a bullet past her either. Maddy was right there watching and learning. Pete lost a lot when he lost his mum."
"In an unsolved home invasion." Nik adds.
"Right, that's what the cops said."
"And what do you say?"
"I say it was handled. Your grandmother might have nothing to do with this situation with Maddy. Pete has his own list of enemies."
"Maddy said she was having problem with a cop down there-- someone who wanted her to testify."
"Nobody testifies in Pete's organization...ever."
"Maddy isn't...."
"Yeah, that's why the cop wants her so bad and this might play right into his hands if some banger from the neighborhood did this. It might be the leverage he needs to get Maddy to start talking."
"You believe this will be settled however Pete's mother was."
"Can you think of any other reason why Pete wouldn't be at the hospital? He probably set the dogs loose and stayed at the hospital until they treed the vermin. Pete will want to have answers before Maddy arrives."
"Do you know of someone named..." Nikolas tries to remember the name. "Ricky? Young black male. He's the one who came to the house."
"Ricky? Yeah, I know one. Ricky Robideau, Pete's son."