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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Chapter Seventy
Brothers at Odds
Happy Family house.
AJ has run the gauntlet of reporters at the front of the house and announces himself as he enters the front door. "CARLY?!"
Carly looks around at the Jacks men and her mother. "He's home early."
"He probably saw the news." Jerry says flatly. Carly winces.
"Not a word." She threatens looking at both Jerry and then Jax. "AJ, we're in here, and we have company so keep your clothes on."
"Caroline!" Bobbie rebukes covering Michael's ears.
"Hey would you rather I didn't warn him?" Carly rises to greet AJ as he comes in the kitchen door. "You'd be covering Michael's eyes instead." Carly kisses AJ on the cheek and takes his briefcase from him setting it on the kitchen counter. AJ takes in the company settled around their kitchen table. Jax and Jerry both have their sleeves rolled up and files in front of them.
"And I'd be covering yours." Jerry quirks a brow at Bobbie who shrugs. "Pull up a chair, AJ. Carly's plotting to take over PC. She has some time on her hands now."
"Driving lessons, riding lessons, furnishing the house, monitoring Cook's love life, Getting Irene set up here in Port Charles. Don't you have enough on your plate?" AJ complains jokingly.
"Cook's love life? Who's Irene?" Bobbie asks.
"I can answer one of those. Irene, from Jakarta right, she was on the ship that ended up in Sydney." Jerry answers.
"Yeah, she made the evacuation smooth as silk."
"Nice job over there by the way." Jax gives AJ a round of applause where he takes a bow. "And Cook... would this be the Quartermaine cook-- the one with the butcher knife?"
"She's got a reputation." AJ admits.
"Wait a minute. Monica told me she was temperamental. This was that sweet woman that helped you out the day of the hearing?" Bobbie looks disbelieving.
"Yeah, sweet when she is someone else's kitchen. When she is on her own turf... watch out." AJ jokes. AJ's focus is totally on Carly. She seemed fine. He rubs her back and she leans into him. "So what are you all up to here?"
"Jerry is checkin' on my investments... which are none of your business, remember! And we're plotting on separating Katherine Bell from the Deception Spa."
AJ groans. "She's going to kill me."
"I wondered why the file was in your handwriting... this have something to do with you being the new CEO of ELQ." Jax puts the pieces together.
"Carly, what is he doing here?" AJ asks referring to Jax and ignoring his question.
"Annoying Jerry." Carly replies calmly. "I don't want Deception... she can keep the damn perfume; it smells like skunk oil on me anyway... but the Spa. It would be great to have the spa. You, me afterhours-- Jacuzzi tub-- lots of jets, lots of bubbles." Carly loosens AJ's tie allowing her fingers to do the walking down the buttons of his shirt. She only unfastens the top one but the message is there loud and clear.
"Okay, I'm in."
"You are soooo easy." Jerry quips.
"Right like you're not already plotting on having some time with Bobbie?" AJ laughs. He sits down in Carly's chair at the table and pulls her down onto his lap. Carly strings an arm around his shoulder.
"So we're all in." Carly looks around the table. "Now how to do it."
"Well since you are just after the spa that is what you have to attack. Make it unattractive for Katherine to keep." Jax opens with.
"Property zoning." Chimes in the former counselman.
"Licenses renewal and city inspections-- especially health inspections." Bobbie adds getting into the spirit of the thing.
"Rats or Roaches." Jerry tosses in.
"Oh gawd that's disgusting." Carly grimaces. "If it comes down to it make it rats... you can never get rid of roaches. Employee walk out. That shouldn't be hard to arrange. Katherine treats her employees like they're serfs."
"Well having a horse fall on her would probably be out of the question." Jax jokes. Everyone just looks at him. "Katherine... serfs... horse. Nevermind. Get Lucy Coe involved. She hates Katherine from way back."
"Uncle Luke has pull with Lucy." Carly mutters to herself. Her eyes narrow "but Luke always bitches about being in partnership with Lucy at the club. And I heard that Lucy is living with Scott Baldwin now at least part time. And Luke hates Scott for some reason."
"Good reasons and it's mutual." Bobbie says flatly.
"Lucy use to have the Deception spa and Katherine snagged it out from under her." AJ fills Carly in on a little history. "She'd have an ax to grind."
"And Lucy is having some press problems lately with Jacks Cosmetics." Jax winces. "Don't know how many nasty letters I've been getting about the Jacks family using child labor in the far east. And we don't even own the company anymore."
"Who owns the property above the spa? And can they cut off the water?" Carly asks. Jerry perks up at the great question from his best student.
"Oh baby." AJ grins. "DING DING DING-- I think we have a winner."
"Okay, How Jerry?" Carly questions leaning forward.
Jerry grimaces. "The courthouse. Need to find out who owns the property. Port Charles doesn't have it on the internet like some places. Right to privacy or something. Even though it's a matter of public record."
Carly winces. "I'll look into it tomorrow. The press shouldn't be hanging out there two days in a row, right?"
"Depends on if Evans made in custody arraignments today. If not then it will be tomorrow morning when he goes in front of the judge." Jerry says the voice of experience.
"AJ?" Carly questions.
AJ nods. "I'll buy the property above the spa if that looks like the way to go once you do the leg work. We'll put it in Michael's name."
"Right. Property is blue chip." Carly looks over at Jerry who nods. "But the spa?"
"Is more risky." Jerry confirms. "If you want investors, I'll go in on that one but my name can't be connected to it because of the feds."
"On paper-- the money could come from me." Bobbie suggests. "I have a nest egg set aside that will pass the scrutiny of anyone looking."
"Are you sure, Mama?" Carly questions.
"Sure. Why should you have all the fun." Bobbie shrugs. Everyone is distracted at the sound of someone buzzing the front gate. Carly goes to the intercom
"Yes?"
"Ms. Benson, this is Johnny; could you open the gate?" Carly depresses the button opening the gates after telling Johnny that everyone is in the kitchen so to come around the back.
"You think that Cook found out about Evans and killed Edward?" Carly asks AJ. Bobbie looks horrified that they'd even be joking about something like that.
"Grandfather was still at the office when I left. And feeling very remorseful about being in cahoots with Evans. You and Michael might get some shush money out of the deal." There is a knock on the back door. Carly hollers out come in and Johnny enters but is followed by Jason and Sonny.
"Oh hell." Carly's eyes start to get a wild look to them like she is being ambushed. "Come on, Mister Man-- time for you to go upstairs." Carly pops off of AJ's lap and swings Michael into her arms beating a hasty retreat. Bobbie looks first at the flat expressions of the Jacks and AJ to the hostile stances of Sonny, Jason and Johnny.
"I'm going to go check on Carly and my grandson." Bobbie blurts out and also makes a swift getaway.
As soon as Bobbie clears the door and it swings shut behind her. Jerry rises and goes over to the fresh pot of coffee. "Well I can guess why we're all here. Anyone for some Hazelnut Psycho Roast? Maybe a snickers bar.. cause we're going to be awhile." Jerry brings over three cups and the pot of coffee. He pours some for Jason, Sonny and Johnny then tops off the rest and puts the pot back. Jason stares at AJ not breaking eye contact but Sonny is startled when Johnny sits down at the table rather than going back out to guard the back door.
"Sorry Mr. Corinthos. But my Ma is up to her ears in this, and I have to know what is going on." Johnny apologizes as he sees Sonny's surprise.
"After I saw the news tonight, I called the PCPD and talked to Taggart..." Jerry begins as he takes his seat again.
"Oh I bet that was helpful." Sonny rolls his eyes.
Jerry continues as if he hadn't been interrupted. "... he refuses to give up his anonymous source. He said that the source had a legitimate fear of courtrooms and the reaction of the sources significant others. With emphasis on the others." Both AJ and Jason groan. Jerry nods going on to say, "Taggart indicated that the only active case that Carly has with the PCPD is her charges against Edward for trespassing."
"Has Carly ever talked to ANYONE here about what happened at Ferncliffe?" AJ asks staring right back at Jason. Jason shakes his head. "What about to Bobbie?" AJ asks Jerry.
"Carly wouldn't talk to Bobbie." Jason says flatly. "They both react to bad news the same way... denial and attack."
"Morgan's right. Bobbie doesn't know anything. If she did she would have a) not been able to not tell me about it cause it would have been ripping her to shreds inside and b) she'd be handling Carly with kid gloves since her release-- and she hasn't been doing either."
"Everyone is assuming that Carly is the anonymous source and that something was DONE to Carly inside that looney bin. It could have been something that she saw." Jax interjects.
"She's the source." AJ admits. "I know that. She has been working on ruining Evans ever since we moved in here. She's been in contact with the medical review board, former patients, former employees. I knew that she'd been in contact with Lorraine Miller about Lorraine setting Evans up. I just thought it was because..." AJ pauses and rubs his forehead as if in pain. "...Grandfather had that affidavit from Evans saying that Carly had been released too early and Carly was also worried..." AJ hesitates then continues. "... about the release paperwork that made it a condition of her release that she live with Jason."