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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Sixty Six
The Gathering
Porter's restaurant.
It's a Thursday night for goodness sake! Where are all these people coming from? Was the circus in town or something? The hostess thinks to herself as she plasters on a polite smile. "Do you have reservations this evening?"
"We're meeting my husband, Jacks party of four?" Lady Jane looks around the hostess to see where Jax and John. She waves a hand. "There they are." Jane walks around the hostess to join her son and husband. Bobbie follows. The men rise pulling out the chairs for the ladies.
"Where is Jerry?" Bobbie asks as she settles in.
"Jer is having dinner with AJ and Carly. AJ is probably buying." Jax looks up at the cocktail server. He glances over at Bobbie to see what she is having.
Bobbie looks around sees Jerry with AJ and Michael, but Carly's nowhere in sight. "I'll have bourbon-- neat. Make it a double." Jax grins but John and Jane are slightly taken aback. The server takes the rest of the drink orders. "Where is she? And what are we doing dining out-- it just seems kind of warped."
John leans in and keeps his voice low. Sure, most of the people in the dining room probably already knew that the kidnapping victims had been rescued but being unfamiliar with Port Charles he couldn't say for sure which table held cops, crooks, lawyers, FBI agents, family members and the like. There might even be someone in the room who was totally clueless to the evenings excitement. "Carly is upstairs with Miss Quartermaine."
"Then the girl has been rescued. That's great news! Well done." Jane leans in to confirm. She'd spent the day over at Bobbie's. Felt it time well spent getting to know Jerry's first, and sure to be only, wife but knew she'd missed all the excitement. "And to think you do nothing but bad mouth the local constables, Jasper."
"Oh the cops had nothing to do with it, Mum." Jax shakes his head. "The brother of the kidnapped girl happened upon where they were being kept."
Bobbie shakes her head. "If it was Jason or Johnny Cook, I doubt that happened is the precise way to describe it." Bobbie looks up toward the door as a new customer walks in. Her eyes go wide. "Oh Good Lord." Viki Porter requests a table for herself and a companion. She is wearing dark glasses but has had to remove them. She has a bandage over her nose and two black eyes. And if Bobbie isn't mistaken, a fat lip as well. Just then the drink server arrives. Bobbie takes up her drink as soon as it set before her and tosses it down. She exhales the burn of the liquor hitting her throat and stomach. "Could I get another please?" Bobbie turns to Jax. "Tell me Carly didn't watch the news today."
Jax shrugs looking at Victoria Porter with interest. "Well I could... but I'd be lying."
"But Jerry..." Bobbie has a pleading tone in her voice.
"Drove your daughter over to Miss Porter's abode." John completes Bobbie's sentence but not in the way she wanted to hear. John also checks out Miss Porter or more specifically Carly's handiwork.
"Isn't she the girl who was on the news... pleaing for her sister's return?" Jane sees where everyone else is looking. "She looks like she had a run in with a freight train or something."
"Or something." The server arrives with another double shot of bourbon. Bobbie swallows only half of it this time before setting it in front of her.
Upstairs In Johnny's apartment, Carly is unpacking the overnight bag she'd brought for Emily. "You know if the mansion is out because of the press you could always stay out at the property. The office of the stables has a couch that makes into a bed, and it is all on one level so you wouldn't have to deal with stairs. Or you could stay with me and AJ at the house."
"Carly, I know how much you love being under siege of the press." Emily grabs the flannel PJ's from the items Carly brought. Comfort clothes. She hobbles toward the bathroom. Taggart reviews the notes he had taken of the interview with Emily. Luckily, they had been almost finished when Carly arrived. "This is only temporary. Until the kidnappers are caught. And until I'm not such a sitting duck, as Johnny says, with this cast. Out at the property the isolation would be great right up until the press found me and then I would be trapped. I've had quite enough of being trapped."
Carly follows Emily into the bathroom carrying a pack of toiletries. After all the times that Em had spent the night at the Happy Family house, she had a complete set over there. With quick eyes and hands she goes through all of Johnny's cupboards until she finds the trashcan liners. Taking one, she wraps it around Emily's casted foot.
Luckily the shower stall is a small one, Emily hobbles in and balances herself getting situated under the steaming hard spray. All she wants to do is stay in here until she melts. Turning around she tilts her hair back soaking her hair, running her hand through it to separate the sodden strands. Carly hands Em a bottle of shampoo over the shower door. "Excuses, excuses. I think you want to be here." Carly's eyes narrow. "Maybe I brought you the wrong attire. I've got this hot little number from Victoria's Secret that AJ bought me. Tags are still on it. The color is all wrong for me but it would look great on you."
"Oh please." Emily snorts. Only her sister in law would contemplate seduction after kidnapping and broken bones. As the heat of the shower saps her remaining energy, Emily climbs out. Carly is there with towels. When Em almost takes a header into the counter, Carly grabs her around the waist and balances her until she is sitting on it instead. "I was out of it most of the time they had us. But I still feel like all I want to do is sleep."
Carly starts brushing away beads of water from Em's skin she slows when she comes to the puncture wounds on the inside of Emily's elbow. Em takes the towel from Carly and finishes drying off herself. Carly turns away and grabs the top of the PJ's handing them to Em. "Here." Unable to hold back, Carly continues. "Em, you remember when Sonny OD'd? I don't know if you know but that was Dorman or one of his cronies, maybe that Tinman guy who eventually killed Dorman. If Brenda hadn't found Sonny..." Carly can't resist rolling her eyes as she always does when Brenda is mentioned. "Sonny would have died and everyone would have thought he was a total junkie. There're people who probably still think Sonny did it himself but Jason was never one of them. I was living with Tony back then. Jason came over and he was a total mess. I'd never met Sonny; I just knew Sonny was important to Jason. That was the first time I ever saw Jason lose it." Carly considers for a moment. "It might be the only time I've seen Jason lose it. Even when Tony kidnapped Michael, Jason was angry; he was ready to set the world on fire to get Michael back."
"He did set Rochester on fire." Em replies ruefully but also very quietly knowing that Taggart was in the next room.
Carly shrugs. "Only the part run by Moreno. But that isn't what I wanted to talk about really. Jason knows you were drugged, doesn't he?"
Emily doesn't look at Carly as she finishes drying off. "They all do: Jason, Johnny, Sonny, Dad. Soon everyone will. When they catch the kidnappers it will all come out at trial. Taggart says every time they stuck a needle in my arm was a separate assault. And depending on the..." Em swallows hard before continuing. "... results of my HIV testing...."
"Maybe we can arrange for them to get a needle of their own." Carly says grimly. "Oh baby." Carly brushes the hair back from Emily's face. "But that is tomorrow or the next day or the next. Today we'll just be happy you're here."
"You should get back downstairs." Emily sighs. "I think you're already on record for the longest unaccompanied visit to the ladies room."
Carly looks around making sure the crutches are in reach. "Okay, I will, but I bet that AJ will be up here in half a tick." Carly goes back out to the living room area where Taggart is still polishing his notes and reviewing the taped statement Emily had made. He clicks the recorder off when he sees Carly. "How soon can you get them in jail?"
"There are already APB's out on Orchid and the photographer. Let's face it there are tons of pictures of her at least. And mug shots from the drug arrest in the city. There is no place for them to hide."
"Kidnapping, assault, everything times at least two because of Em and Rita, and if the needles...:" Carly doesn't continue not knowing exactly what to say.
"I don't know if Dara could make capitol murder stick. But she'd try." Taggart shrugs. "It'll be a tug of war with the feds. You Q's seem to generate the press cases. And there is nothing the feds like better than a good press case."
"Em didn't ask for this. Any more than I asked for the stuff I saw at Ferncliffe." Carly protests.
"No disputing that." Taggart says calmly. "I just get tired of the BS stuff. Edward getting arrested for burglary on your house, you beating the tar out of Viki. You calling me every time the Australians are invading like it's WWIII."
"Well you could have told me then that the girls were okay. You knew didn't you?" Carly takes a half step toward Taggart. She was really going to have to start giving her info to Officer Rick. Tags is such a...
"Carly, I think AJ is probably chewing on more than the breadsticks by now." Em hobbles out of the bathroom
Carly points a finger at Taggart and her eyes narrow. "We're not done talking, buddy."
"That's Lt. Buddy to you." Taggart grins at Carly knowing he has dodged a bullet. Carly growls but leaves stomping down the stairs. Emily shakes her head as she watches the grinning Taggart.
"You like getting her all hyped up, don't you?"
"I'd rather have her ticked at me. You should see what she did to Victoria Porter."
"Oh I was afraid of that. Carly did damage to Viki the day of the horseshow, didn't she? Viki was getting all... icky toward me and Rita; she didn't know Carly was listening. That's why Rita and I left early, to avoid bloodshed."
"You didn't mention that during your statement. Neither did Miss Porter."
"Was Rita's father in the room when you questioned her?" Taggart nods at Emily's question. "Rita wouldn't say anything to upset her father. Anymore than you would interview any of the Q's in front of Grandmother. Do you have all you need?"
"I don't know. Is there anything else you left out?"
"I don't think so."
"Well I know you have my cell number." Tags says ruefully. "Give me a call if you remember any details. Anything they might have said that gives a clue where they might be...." Taggart pause to take a call. "Right, on my way." He shuts the phone. "A black and white found the van. They've got surveillance on it now." He adds eagerly.
"Go, go check it out." Emily insists. After Taggart leaves, Em takes a breath. She hobbles over to an intimate table, resting her crutches on the wall then her elbows on the table. Em threads her fingers through her damp hair resting her forehead in her palms, closing her eyes.
"Do you need sleep more than this?" Johnny asks from the door.
Em tilts her face in Johnny's direction still supporting it with one hand. "Maybe, but my stomach knows my throat was cut about three days ago."
Johnny brings over the tray setting it in front of Em. On the tray is a grilled cheese sandwich, thick and gooey and perfectly toasted and a steaming bowl of tomato soup. Johnny also sets a pot of tea on the table. "It's chamomile, so it won't keep you awake." He takes in Emily's improved color from the shower but her eyes are tired. "Have you had enough company for the day?"
Em lifts a spoon of soup to her lips blowing on it gently. "Probably, but you won't be able to keep Grandfather out of here and if there weren't stairs..."
"Don't worry about Ms. Lila, I'll make sure she gets up here."
"How?"
"A good Chef doesn't reveal his secrets." Johnny watches closely as Emily begins to dig into the repast. "I'm going to head back downstairs. Make sure Frank doesn't burn the place down. The phone has a direct extension to the kitchen. If you need anything just punch 2 and it will ring downstairs." Johnny starts walking away but stops when Emily calls to him.
"Thanks for all this."
"Thanks for being there for my sister."
"Rita wouldn't have been in a mess if it weren't for me."
"Don't be so sure."
AJ pauses outside the restrooms of the restaurant. He sees the door marked Private-- No Admittance and reaches for the knob. It twists under his hand, and he steps back. Johnny comes out of the door. "Go up if you like, but she's really tired. I think she is saving her strength; I told her I'd make sure Ms. Lila got up to see her."
"She's okay?"
"She's eating now. Taggart left right after Carly. Carly wasn't looking too happy."
"She got into it with Taggart." AJ considers. He really wants to see Em but....
"She's going to be here tomorrow." Johnny reads his thought.
"Yeah," AJ sighs. "I'll help Grandmother get up there. But until then... I'll find out what Carly has planned."
"That would be great." Johnny exhales. "How can you stand it, man?"
"Great fringe benefits." AJ grins.