 |
||
The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Can Jason Catch a Clue?
The Penthouse--
"What?" Sonny asks.
"The Judge. What do you know about him?" Johnny asks impatiently. His tone and demeanor take Jason and Sonny aback.
"Why do you want to know?" Sonny asks curiously even as he rises to his desk to get the file on the Judge.
"He's got something on my mother." Johnny replies tersely following Sonny and taking the file abruptly.
"Is this like you thinking that Carly was dealing to your mother?" Jason asks not rising from his seat on the couch. He and Sonny had been discussing everything but the party so far. He was still trying to process what AJ and Carly had told him. And the complication that Robin had thrown into the works again.
"Carly is dealing?!" Sonny exclaims. Jason just rolls his eyes. Why does everyone always think the worst about Carly.
"Na, I figured that one out. Carly is sneaking Ma recipes to get her to go along with her schemes. The last one was a really great baklava." Johnny flips open the file and groans in frustration. "This is all current stuff... no real history here."
"You're looking for something specific why don't you tell us what it is so we can get Benny on it." Jason offers.
"He's got something on my mother... something old. When he was in law school she said. Ma's talking about splitting town; she's already gone by now-- calling it a vacation." He mutters. "But it is not like her. Ma doesn't back down from anything even when she ought to-- look how long she has put up with the Q's."
"How did you find out about this?" Sonny asks.
"The Judge was at Carly's party." Jason informs him before turning back to Johnny. "Who was the Judge hanging with there do you know... maybe someone else there knows what happened after you left."
"Luke Spencer. He came into the kitchen with the Judge."
"I'm really beginning to be sorry I missed this little shindig." Sonny laughs.
"Oh yeah, you would have loved it right about the time that Carly and Taggart were ducking out of the party to do some stuff in the study. Or when Robin showed up with Jax." Jason says bitterly.
"I'm sorry about that, man." Sonny says commiserating with Jason. "When she left here I thought that she was going to Mac's. I tried to tell her to leave it alone but she wasn't hearing it."
"Well she heard it. Jerry Jacks ripped into her and into his brother both for showing up at the party. Where did you drop her off, Johnny?"
"At the police commissioner's. She didn't look like she'd be leaving anytime soon." Johnny says diplomatically. "You mind if I take this?" Johnny refers to the file.
"Yeah, that's fine. I don't need it anymore." Jason shrugs. Johnny gathers up the file and leaves as suddenly as he arrived.
"Wait a minute... Taggart was at this party?" Sonny questions Jason.
"Yeah, he was at court too. I think that Bobbie's attorney had subpoenaed him or something. I wonder what Carly has cooked up with him-- she can't trust him. Not after everything else that has happened."
"I know you hate hearing this... but Carly is a user. She isn't doing Taggart any favors unless there's something in it for her. What did Johnny say... that Carly was giving his mother recipes to go along with her schemes."
"And it wouldn't be about us. So what could it be?" Jason muses.
"I do so love your confidence on that. Forgive me if I don't share it." Sonny says flatly.
"Someone that Carly wants revenge on, something involving Cook, Taggart." Jason starts rubbing his eyes as he tries to piece the puzzle together. "Oh hell."
"What?" Sonny had watched fascinated as Jason tortured himself trying to figure this out.
"Ferncliffe."
"Okay, that's out of left field." Jason just stares at Sonny not recognizing the analogy. "That came out of nowhere... what does Carly being locked up have to do with Cook or Tags?"
"Carly won't talk about Ferncliffe except just surface stuff. The old man had an affidavit from Evans saying that Carly was released too soon from Ferncliffe. Evans was an idiot and he withheld mail from Carly making her think that everyone had abandon her. Carly doesn't do well when people cross her." Jason understates calmly. "Cook runs everything in the mansion and would have access to the affidavit. Carly got something on Evans. She knows that Taggart is a pain in our asses but that he is a pit bull. She sicced him on Evans. Jeez it must have been big."
"You got all that from Tags being at the party?" Sonny asks incredulously.
"Well if you know Carly, it makes a weird kind of sense. It's what makes her getting a driver's license so scary-- she'd think nothing of going from Port Charles to Rochester by way of LA. You've never seen the way she plays pool."
"Okay, another left field comment." This time Jason recognizes that he has lost Sonny.
"When Carly sets her shots she uses everything... it isn't just a straight shot, she'll use the bumpers, other balls.. the whole table. I normally beat her because she gets caught up in the fancy shots rather than looking for the easiest way."
"She's a Spencer." Sonny nods finally understanding.
"Everyone says that. Luke especially." Jason says. His posture demands more information.
"You've been in on enough of Luke's plans to know what I mean... remember when he faked Laura's death: stole corpses from the morgue, blew up a house, had the big funeral, threatened to shoot Stefan blah blah blah." Jason nods getting it. "And the plans and schemes work but..."
"Yeah, But." Jason and Sonny look at each other and grin; being friends with a Spencer was never boring-- frustrating sometimes, but never boring.
"What else happened?"
"Carly basically told me to drop dead and to leave her alone. That being with me was a pipedream; she has no intention of moving home, that it is all my fault that she went to Ferncliffe since she blames Robin and she wouldn't have known Robin if not for me. And that if Robin was still in town that she'd make other arrangements for Michael this weekend. That about sums it up." Jason recites then shrugs. "But she is still hiding something."
"Ouch." Sonny winces. "How much of that did she say after Robin showed up? And you know she can't do that... say you can't see Michael. The agreement isn't even a couple of weeks old."
"She was upset; Carly didn't mean it. AJ said something weird though."
"What was that?" Sonny pours himself a drink and then offers one to Jason.
"He said that..." Jason concentrates so that he can get it just right. "He might be love's bitch but at least he is man enough to admit it and that's why Carly would stay with him. What in the hell does that mean?"
"It means that he doesn't care who knows that he loves Carly. That he'll tell her and the whole world and do whatever it takes to keep her."
"We already figured that one out-- that's why he went for custody of Michael so that he could get Carly back."
"Yeah, but he's playing to your weakness, man. Have you ever told Carly that you love her? That you need her? You haven't, have you? AJ knows that and he knows that is what Carly, any woman, needs to hear. It's already working; she told you that being with you was a pipedream. AJ is wearing her down."
"And if she tells herself something long enough she'll believe it." Jason crosses his arms. "AJ's telling her that she's the one that decided to live in that house, that she is the one that designed the custody agreement."
"She did design the custody agreement; she got all those concessions for you." Sonny pauses and rubs the side of his face. "Okay, you know all the players better than I do but I'm getting this vibe off of things-- AJ wants you out of Michael's life and he needs time to convince Carly that he's the best thing since sliced bread. What if he gave up all those conditions and demanded one of his own...that Carly cut you out of her life. He has to have her agreement to give him the time to wear her down."
Jason turns around suddenly and stares at Sonny. "That's it. That's what he's holding over her! Damnit." Jason shakes his head. "She'd do it. She hasn't called me since New York. Carly hasn't come over, left a message, called or anything unless it was to try to avoid me. All of our meetings have been by accident or in public places. Any contact about Michael has been through AJ. I think that you figured it out, Sonny. Now what am I suppose to do about it?"