When Cassadines Fall ~ The Detour

The tunes are cranked to Motown. Maddy and Lulu do a little shimmy while they throw clothes into the four corners of the basement. It’s Saturday; laundry day. “I think your Daddy is sending over the linens from the club.” Maddy comments as she does a quick two handed pass into the far corner of some suspiciously familiar looking tablecloths. Luke kept that up and she’d not only starch the tablecloths but his shorts as well. And not that wimpy spray starch either but the real old school bottled stuff that would stand his boxers at attention. Wouldn’t he have a fun time explaining that one!

“I think Nikky is adding his laundry.”

Maddy laughs. “Well at least he isn’t sending it out to the drycleaners anymore. That was just pitiful. But if we’re going to end up doing everyone’s laundry we should make Nik buy more washers and dryers– bigger ones! Otherwise we’re going to be at this all night which totally defeats the plan of having a sleep over. At least Nik’s clothes aren’t so bad since the corner store construction finished.”

“What do you think Nikky is going to make next?” Lulu asks as she examines a blue shirt... dark? Light? Finally she shrugs and tosses. As long as it isn’t with the whites it probably wouldn’t matter. “He built this house. He built that gingerbread house at Christmas. He built a store now. What’s next?”

“I think you’d have to ask him. And your brother doesn’t build things he re builds things. That’s a special skill all on it’s own. The only other person in town that really has it is Miz Lila doing what she’s doing with the Theater.”

“Maybe Lucas’ friend Rita’s got it too.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Lucas says Rita is going to get a junker bus and rebuild it for Queen of Angels’ School. They talked about it while they were getting the horses ready to ride up at Carly’s.”

“No Way! Rita isn’t even old enough to drive!”

“Yeah, so don’t be surprised if she tries to get you to make the deal because no way is Carly going to do it.”

“If she’s going to Carly then she’s going to the wrong person. Carly is horses rather than horsepower.” Maddy counsels. Lulu looks at her blankly so Maddy changes tactics. “She’d be better off with Lucky. He keeps that old truck of his running. Ricky, maybe, although I don’t think he really knows anything about cars. If the heater works and the stereos pumping then he’s a happy guy. At least he’s old enough to drive.”

Lulu offers a noncommital hmm. She’d give her cousin Lucas a call tonight and tell him what Maddy said. “Lucas could do it.” She claims loyally. “He says Jerry made him take apart an airplane and put it back together. It’s a rule of him getting flying lessons. If Carly and Lucas are getting flying lessons why aren’t you?” Lulu asks abruptly tilting her head and waiting for Maddy’s answer.

“I suppose if I want flying lessons then I’ll get some.” Maddy shrugs intentionally not answering the underlying question. “But right now I’m too busy with work and Valentine’s day. And getting the store ready. Oh and doing your Daddy’s laundry. I’ve got time for one set of lessons right now: you, me and Mir.” Maddy loads the washer with the first of many loads.

Lulu nods seriously. She carefully measures out the detergent and non-chlorine bleach. “That’s true. But you know we never had to get Foster lessons and he turned out okay.”

“Carly doesn’t mind when Foster eats the reporters. I don’t think your granny would think it was funny if Mir did something like that. Granny Leslie would figure she’d have to patch them up. She’s not crazy about dogs to start and that would just cement it.” Maddy sets the washer and brushes her hands. “Okay we’re free for half an hour. I wonder if Mir would fetch snowballs.”

Lulu grins. “We could find out.”

Lucky speaks into the walkie talkie. “Okay babe, we’re good to go.” Just then the monitor comes on in the carriage house. “Alright-- now you and Mrs. Chow take a spin around the store.”

Mei explains to her uncle what is being said and points to the switches at the base of the monitor. “This is camera one. This is camera two. This is camera three. The camera four is for the exterior back door.”

Lucky starts gushing about the system he’s designed. “It’s a dual feed coming here and to your house. It’s on a designated line running 24/7. Digital recording. Runs on phone lines. They have their own power system with a battery backup. Lose power and we’re still getting feed. Someone cuts power and you’re still getting feed.” Then he starts getting technical.

Mei looks at Lucky in disgust. “I speak Chinese okay? But I didn’t like go to school over there, Mr. Lucky. So you need to speak English in words I can translate!”

“Sorry.” Lucky grins. He looks at Mr. Chow and speaks directly to him. He knows Harry understands a lot more English than he’s willing to speak. It’s that way with a lot of people who know a foreign language– comfortable with writing or listening but unsure when it came to speaking. That worked fine while Harry was in China but it isn’t going to fly around here. “This is the same set up as in your apartment.”

Mei listens carefully to her Great Uncle’s answer and then relays to Lucky. “Uncle Harry appreciates all your hard work but doesn’t understand why the surveillance will be at their apartment since they will both be at work at the store.”

Lucky nods. “I figured you’d think that way. Watching the monitors you can flip camera to camera. That takes care of surveillance inside the store when you’re working.” Lucky matches his word with his action. So Mr. Chow can see what he means. “But because the system is digital all four cameras are recording even if the monitor is only checking the camera you have selected.” Lucky picks the camera with a clear view of Elizabeth and Mrs. Chow then leaves it there. “This way you can review the day and see if anything happened that you didn’t see.”

“If someone steals from you, Uncle.” Mei makes it crystal clear.

“Ah.” Harry nods and then comments to Mei.

“He wants to see how the tapes work.”

“Actually they are compressed files on disc... nevermind.” Lucky calls up a list of files and then hesitates. Shit. Li had been in the store after the surveillance cameras had been installed. He makes a quick eye contact with Mei.

“You should show him Thursday, Mr. Lucky. That’s when Auntie and I were putting things away.”

“Great idea.” Lucky shows Harry the file that shows Yuen and Mei hard at work. He can tell that Harry is about to ask for another when there is a flurry of barking from the back yard. “What is up with that damn dog?!” Lucky demands and rolls away from the computer over to the window. What he sees there has him cursing, grabbing his coat and heading down the stairs at a run. “Damn it, Maddy!” Harry Chow and his great niece watch from the window as Lucky tries to get Mir off of the roof of his truck. The big dog had evidently decided to take the high ground in the snowball battle. “Why don’t you have the damn dog on the roof of your van?!”

“He likes yours better, Lucky. You don’t have to open a door to climb on.” Lulu is quick to defend Mir from the bed of Lucky’s truck where she is standing.

“He’s going to wreck the paint.”

Maddy looks at him in disbelief then at the beater truck. Then she roars with laughter. “Yeah, right.”

Lucky bends down and packs up a snowball. He whistles to get Mir’s attention and then calls out. “Okay you Polish furball on steroids. Fetch this.” He gets his arm ready and winces as he hears Mir getting ready to spring, trying to dig his nails into the truck... into the paint... to get traction.

“Go get it, Mir!” Maddy demands as Lucky’s arm goes back. Mir launches off the top of the truck just as Lucky releases and races toward the far end of the yard where the snowball had landed. Then he starts nosing thru all the field of white stuff until he comes across the compressed ball that smells like human and clamps down on the snowball. It disintegrates to powder on his muzzle.

“Keep a hand on him, Maddy. I’m going to park my poor truck in the garage.” Lucky indicates with a put upon voice.

Maddy glances down at her watch. “We have to go in anyway. Time to switch the laundry.” She and Lulu start back toward the house. Mir races up to them and falls in at Maddy’s heel. He’s already been clued into the way things work at Wyndemere Lite and as soon as he is inside the back kitchen door he has a seat on the rug and waits for his paws to be cleaned off.

Stefan Cassadine strides into the Port Charles Hotel and to the elevators at the back of the lobby. KC appreciates the convenience of having a suite in the hotel. General Hospital is picking up the tab since KC is still listed on the books as a consultant rather than a permanent employee. Something would have to be changed soon. Stefan frowns. He would have preferred to have had it done months ago. Bringing her on staff had been his intention ever since hiring her away from John Hopkins back in December. For someone so ineffectual and unable to do surgery, Tony Jones had managed to throw up roadblocks to the appointment.

There are grounds for termination of course. There are grounds for termination for every member of the staff at the hospital. It’s one of the things he keeps in his own collection of personnel files. The staff serves at the command of the Cassadine, and they knew it. Jones would already be gone but KC had talked him out of it. Or rather she had talked around it when she had perceived which way the wind was blowing. KC had a habit of that. She didn’t argue– just put her opinion out there. Whatever he decided to do is of course his decision. KC just made it clear– their affair would end as soon as she takes over as head of neurology. There might be murmurs about her sleeping with the head of the hospital but they weren’t about her work ethic. When it comes to her career, KC is annoyingly rigid in maintaining a facade of propriety. It is... inconvenient.

The Cassadine Jets have been repaired and a flight plan filed to Toronto. KC is working Valentine’s day and the weekend after. After accompanying him on the trip to Poland, Dr. Ryan had set her foot down about any further flexibility in her schedule. The door opens promptly at his knock. “Hi.” KC smiles at Stefan and finishes putting on one earring before standing on tip toes to give him a casual kiss on the lips.

None of that. Stefan slides his right arm around KC bringing her closer as he gives her a proper greeting before releasing her.

KC half stumbles back. It’s a good thing she isn’t wearing heels or she’d have tripped for sure. But Stefan always managed to keep her both on her toes and off balance. She is sort of joking when she suggests. “If we’re going to spend the weekend in a hotel room, the PC Hotel has great room service. No waiting.”

“It’s a private plane.” Stefan reminds. “I think I can hold out until we’re in the air– barely.” He adds wryly then he frowns. “You didn’t tell Ms. Ardanowski of our plans?”

“V? No. Why?” Remembering where she put her boots, KC has a seat and pulls them on.

“While Ms. Ardanowski is charming, I am hoping to have this trip be... unaccompanied.”

“You wouldn’t mind V if Jax didn’t tag along.” KC zips up her boots.

“Oh I’d mind.” Stefan sees KC’s coat laying across the couch and picks it up. He holds it while she slides her arms in.

“Maddy and Nik sent a Valentine’s present. I packed it to take along. I can’t decide if it’s for me or you. But I think we can safely assume that there won’t be any early morning phone calls from Nikolas.”

“He hasn’t done that since I abducted you away from John Hopkins.”

KC plants a hand in the middle of Stefan’s chest. “Abducted– no. Bribed– oh yeah. Seduced...” KC shrugs. “Maybe.”

Stefan kisses KC again. “Definitely.”

“Knock it off or you won’t even make it to the elevator.” KC warns Stefan. She’s only half kidding about jumping him in the elevator.

 

Normally his weekends are taken over by Michael. But today Li and Carly are taking the kid shopping because he’d outgrown his winter boots. Michael had looked at him so pleadingly but sorry, the kid is on his own. He’d take a bullet for Michael but for no amount of money or pitiful looks would he go shoe shopping with Carly. Knowing it could take hours, Jason quickly came up with his own excuse. He has motorcycles that need work at the shop. Now is the time to get many of them road worthy. Sure the weather still sucks now but that could change any week and then there would be a flood of people who wanted their bikes yesterday– including Emily’s and his own.

Jason looks at the ringing cell phone in disgust. How is a guy ever supposed to get some work done? He looks to see who is calling. Not Li or Carly but it is Maddy so he supposes he should answer. “Morgan.”

“Hey. Where are you?”

“Why?”

“The Chows want to meet the guy who owns the store and get the fine print on the deal. Figured the penthouse was out.”

“Good call.” Jason agrees. “I’m at the motorcycle shop.”

“I’ll round them up.” Maddy agrees and hangs up. She’d leave the rest of the logistics up to Jason.

Jason makes the next call. “Li? How is it going?”

“I don’t know.” Li answers slowly. “Carly says it’s time to buy Michael riding gear for horses? He is being fitted for a... helmet?” Li struggles with the unfamiliar word.

“Put her on the phone.” Jason demands. He can hear Li offering the phone to Carly. “What in the hell are you thinking?!” Jason demands in a roar. “Michael is too big for you to be lifting especially now.”

“Oh just shut the hell up!” Carly retorts but there is a cheerful tone to her demand. Michael is being a little angel about the shopping since he is getting not only new winter boots but also riding boots and a helmet. “AJ is the only one that gets a say and he knows better– from personal experience.” Carly counters. She hands the phone back to Li before Jason can say anymore.

Dump one guy in a laundry cart when you’re six months pregnant and suddenly you’re Wonder Woman. Jason knows he’s not going to win and he’s going to have to trust Carly to not be totally stupid. “Maddy is bringing your parents over to the motorcycle shop to settle things about the store. I’ll give you another call when they’re gone. You finish up early and haven’t heard from me... head for the penthouse. I’ll keep them clear of there.”

“Shi.” Li agrees gratefully. “I will wait for your call.”

Jason’s next call is reluctantly made. “Jerry? Jason Morgan. The Chows are on their way to the motorcycle shop to settle up as far as the corner store.”

“Ah and you need me to translate?” There is a pause while Jerry checks his watch. “I can be there.”

“Good-- because we need to talk about Carly giving Michael riding lessons. AJ isn’t going to tell her no.”

Well if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black. “Right.” Jerry sighs. “Shouldn’t be a problem. I’m up there most mornings anyway. See you in about ten.”

Jason looks around the shop. Looks like he’s not going to get any work done today.

“That is so cute.” Carly’s voice is loud enough to carry.

“Who’s cute, Mama?” Michael asks.

“Not who, Mr. Man, that.” Carly stops and points. “Nikolas Cassadine shopping at the mall. It must be Valentine’s day or something. What do you get the girl who can shop for anything? Don’t think you can find it at the mall.”

“Carly.” Nikolas says wryly knowing that he is caught. “So do you have any suggestions or just more comments?”

“Well I might suggest a meal made with your own two princely hands but hey... that would probably go over as well as AJ making dinner for me. A night spent in the GH emergency room getting your stomach pumped just doesn’t scream romance. And with your family history of poison... nobody would believe it was an accident.”

It’s just not worth it. Nikolas sees Li standing on the other side of Michael holding his hand because they are way too close to the toy store. “Bonjour, Li.”

“Bonjour Nikolas.” Li answers. She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. She tells Nikolas in French. “She was picking a fight with Jason too.”

Carly recognizes Jason’s name in the comment and protests. “Hey now! No tattletales.”

“And to whom would I carry the tale, Carly?” Nikolas counters.

Carly snickers. True enough anyone that might give a rip what she’s doing wasn’t on chitty chatty terms with Nikolas... well except Em or Bobbie. And Li had mentioned Jason... probably not anything about the horses. “True enough. Happy hunting.” Carly takes Michael’s other hand and starts leading him and Li away from Nikolas. Carly looks over her shoulder. “What do you get a thin blooded Southern girl who has everything... or who can get anything with just a phone call or two? New Orleans. Don’t say I ever gave ya anything. Really. Don’t. It might ruin my reputation.”

Damn. He should have thought of that. They’d been in New Orleans right after Christmas when Em and Maddy had finished up with the homeschooling. But that had been a trip the girls planned and he and Johnny Cook had crashed. Nikolas pulls out his cell phone and hits a preset number. “Granny Sophia? It’s Nikolas. I want to plan a surprise for Maddy. There is no way I’ll be able to drag her out of town before Valentines but how about the weekend after? Throw in President’s day and she’ll probably not even feel guilty having someone else covering her business for the long weekend.”

“Honey, that is a great idea and I’ll finally get to meet that dog that Maddy’s told me so much about.”

Nik winces. Traveling with Mir, probably not the easiest task. “He’s a big dog, Granny Sophia. Mir should probably stay up here in Port Charles.”

“Oh should shmood! Pete’s got a fenced yard. Hell he’s got big ole walls. No use in having a private plane if you’re not going to travel with all your comforts.”

“I’ll let you bring it up to Mr. Robideau then.”

“Don’t you worry about a thing. Dinner with Pete... no lunch... if you arrive early enough in the day and then leave Mir there while Maddy shows you the town. Maddy rented out the apartment across from me. Lovely couple got a price break because they’re willing to do yard work and didn’t seem to mind that there was basically a double homicide there– Lisette and you can bet that Billy Bob didn’t last much longer.. But you two will probably want to be down in the thick of things anyway.”

“Some of that yes, but it seems I never get to just be with Maddy. My brother and sister are important to me but....”

“Uh huh.” Granny Sophia draws out. “Then you definitely better arrive early so it’ll be lunch rather than dinner with Pete. And I still know a few people here and there. I’ll find you two a nice romantic spot. You worry on the entertaining and I’ll take care of the privacy.”

“You’re great, Granny Sophia.”

Jason is never much of a talker. He can’t believe he’s thinking this but luckily Jerry arrived before Maddy and the Chows. It gave them a little time to discuss Michael’s riding lessons and exactly who would be assisting the little boy on and off Thunder, the trust fund pony. Maddy isn’t thrilled to see Jerry but just keeps her peace knowing he’s the best guy for the translations– Especially since Mei’s grandmother had picked her up and taken her back to their apartment. The Chows are kinda on their own now.

“Hi. Sorry I’m late.” Dara Jensen comes into the motorcycle shop in a hurry. “I have all the paperwork here.” Because she is a lawyer there is quite a stack.

Jason sighs and rubs his forehead. He glances over to the Triumph Motorcycle clock on the wall. “Lets do this.” He flips the sign over to closed and puts the answering machine on. “There is an apartment upstairs. We might as well be able to sit down.” Jason leads them up to the apartment last occupied by Ricky Robideau. Ricky left the space heater behind. Jason cranks it to high as he goes by it. Maddy goes over to the tiny kitchenette with the two burner hotplate and puts hot water on for tea. Nobody takes their coat off. Until the space heater really started cranking and ran for awhile the apartment is warm enough to keep the pipes from freezing– barely.

Dara takes a seat at the table and opens up the file on the corner store. Everything is here first to do the final cash transfer from Jason to Maddy and pay off her contract. And then for Jason to sell to the Chows with a very generous lease option. The option charges nothing for the first year. Nothing. No mortgage payment, no rent, nothing. And the interest on the option is nonexistent for the length of the loan. Dara hands the lease option paperwork over to Jerry to translate to the Chows while she takes care of the paperwork between Maddy and Jason. The sooner her niece stops working for Jason Morgan in any fashion– the better.

Jason writes out the check for the balance of money still owing for inventory and Maddy’s consulting fee. “You’re going to keep on... consulting?”

“Sure.” Maddy nods much to her Aunt’s quickly covered dismay. “Keep it formal until after the tanks are removed in spring, get everything cleaned up there if that is okay with you and then go more informal... you know just a neighborly thing.”

“That’ll work.” Contractors give him a headache. Almost as big of one as lawyers.

“Harry here has a problem with the no rent for a year.” Jerry interjects. Dara writes a tight but clear contract. Harry had been able to read it for himself with only a few questions here and there for clarification.

“Mr. Chow most businesses in this country fail in the first year.” Maddy explains the magic number. “This way you can focus on getting your feet under you and building a clientele in the neighborhood. It’s generous alright but it’s good for the neighborhood too.”

“If you don’t like it I have no problem with you getting financing from a bank. Realistically you’re not going to be able to get financing for at least a year. The bank is going to want the tanks gone and they are going to want to have a bunch of financials you don’t have right now.” Jason shrugs. Looks like Li came by stubborn and proud honestly.

Mr. Chow asks Jerry in Chinese. “How can your daughter’s brother in law do this? He lives in this apartment with no heat and a simple shop himself. He is being too generous.”

“Don’t worry about him. He can afford it. He’s rich. He’s got two or three other businesses. He actually lives across town. This is just a vacant apartment because the guy he was renting to moved across the hall from you. I doubt he’ll be able to rent it again until spring.” Jerry is very careful to not mention Jason’s name so that the other man won’t know he’s being discussed.

“Ricky?” Mrs. Chow interjects for clarification remembering the man that Mei had told her about.

Jerry nods.

Mrs. Chow looks around. It looks as if Ricky does need her help if he had been living like this. He was trying to make things better for himself by at least moving to a place with heat.

“Ricky would still be here if the Judge’s wife hadn’t put her foot down and moved him to your place.” Maddy lies cheerfully for the good cause. Port Charles really is a small town. What Li had told Mei had gone to Rita which had gone to Emily which had come straight back to her. Ricky is basically screwed.

“Oh.” Ricky definitely needed her help.

Harry scrawls his name in all the places that have flags put on them and then hands the contract to Jason. He tries to find common ground with the taciturn man that he still hasn’t quite figured out. He knows that Jason went with Jerry to China to find Yuen and Li. Yuen had nothing but nice things to say about Jason even though they didn’t have a word in common. Father Frank also provided a positive reference but had clearly been holding something back. “My daughter rides motorcycles too.”

The comment had come out of nowhere. “What?” Everyone looks at Harry but it is Jason who inquires.

“Back in China very few people own cars. Li went to University a distance from our house. Not close enough to walk but too close to board. Nothing as big as what you have downstairs. 125cc?”

Around here a 125cc is what they put on the little gas powered scooters. Nothing smaller than about a 250cc went on a highway. Jason starts grinning at that while signing by the flags designated for him on the contract.. His signature is as bad as Harry’s. He’d lost Jason Quartermaine’s memories but kept the going to be a doctor someday handwriting. “My sister’s Harley is over 1300cc. It’s about the smallest bike Harley puts out. You might be able to find a street bike at 250 in either a Yamaha or a Honda.” Still it’s good to know. When Li has all her ID together and is ready to get a drivers license she could go for a motorcycle endorsement.

Off to the side Jerry steps back to stand by Maddy. He’s still there to answer any questions that might come up but... “Lady Jane appreciates being included in the Ladies night you’ve put together on Thursdays. Says it’s the most fun she’s had since being in Port Charles. Mum isn’t one for Charity Guilds or Garden clubs.”

“Elizabeth put it together.” Maddy shrugs.

“From an idea that you told her about from back in New Orleans.” Jerry counters.

“Oh right-- speaking of bright ideas...” Maddy makes sure she says something loud enough for Jason to hear too. “... Rita is trying to rope Lucas into rebuilding a bus for Queen of Angels. The van they use for away games just isn’t up to the task.”

“So why not rebuild the van?” Jerry shrugs. It seems like a reasonable project to him.

“It’s one of those extended 15 passenger vans that have pretty much been making the news lately because of rollovers. There have only been a couple of reports so far but it’s going to get worse. They aren’t easy to drive. Load the sucker up with kids and gear? My van is bad enough when it’s loaded, and the roads are nasty. But those Long Vans? Accident with injuries waiting to happen. Queen of Angels is going to have a break in needing one because Basketball season is winding down and baseball/softball isn’t going to start for another couple months. So Rita will probably really being putting the push on.”

This is pretty much the longest conversation they’ve had since finding out that they are father and daughter. Jerry doesn’t want it to end. “What would you recommend instead?”

“The kids would probably hate it but one of those short buses. They’d probably even like the handicap lift once they figured that they could load their gear on it. And if it was painted right...” She shrugs.

Jerry grins. “And you think Lucas is going to be involved in this? He doesn’t go to Queen of Angels.”

Maddy grins back. “He’d do it for Rita.” Realizing that they are getting on too well, Maddy steps away from Jerry and back toward the table where the signatures are done and the copies sorted. “Y’all about all done here? I’m in charge of dinner tonight at the house. Or rather Lulu is so I need to get back.” Maddy gathers up the Chows and makes her way out of the apartment.

Dara gathers up the paperwork that she’ll need to file the next day down at the courthouse and then looks up at Jerry who is still leaning up against the kitchenette counter. “Maddy’s right about the extended vans. There hasn’t been anything put out by the National Traffic Safety Board yet but the law suits are already buzzing. It’s going to be huge if they can prove that the Big Three knew about the dangers and put them out there anyway.”

“Ambulance chasing, Dara?” Jerry suggests. “Oh how the mighty have fallen.”

“Plenty of time for reading.” Dara counters.

“I know the feeling.” Jerry nods unsympathetically. After all Dara is the one that had given him a year off from Wall Street pirating.

“You managed to keep busy.”

“You too.” Now that the Chows are gone. “You heard back from the FBI about Li’s status? They going to go to bat for her with the INS? Hell have they even mentioned her to the INS?”

That gets Jason’s attention. He’d been about ready to kick them both out so he could call Father Frank and talk to him about the van situation. “Li’s information was supposed to be confidential. Her name wasn’t supposed to be on it anywhere. Fucking FBI.”

“Jase,” Dara begins reassuringly after glaring at Jerry. Li Chow is her client and Jason is too on the fringes of that. “... As far as I know everything has been confidential. Ford is building a case and he’s being very careful. He knows he is on thin ice with me. I have never mentioned Li’s name. Her current location is unknown. The only way they are going to find Li at your place is if they are watching you.”

Jason snorts at that. The FBI is always watching him.

“Then you better put the screws to him, Dara.” Jerry suggests. “Get some promises on paper. It’s just a matter of time before the FBI starts putting little red circles around her in pictures with Jason or the boy and try ID-ing her as an avenue to Morgan and Corinthos.”