The scene was chaos. Robin grimaced as she looked around. Under her orders, the family and most of the regular servants who had been here during the late afternoon and early evening were separated and put under guard in the bedrooms. She didn’t like it, especially not isolating the family when something like this happened. But on the other hand, the last thing she needed was to have them exchanging stories and checking alibis. She turned to the uniformed officer on her right.
“Call headquarters. Have them send out five or six stenographers and their equipment. I want statements taken from every one, family member or staff, who was on the estate this afternoon or this evening and I want them taken as soon as possible. Have a detective question each possible witness. I’m especially interested in their whereabouts from,” Robin paused and checked her notes again “let’s say five in the afternoon to roughly nine in the evening. I want the the names and addresses of any corroborating witnesses that will need to be checked out.”
The uniformed officer nodded and went to carry out orders. Robin turned to the WSB agents who were sent to guard the estate.
“You guys noticed nothing. Nothing unusual?”
“Not a thing Agent Scorpio. Mr. Quartermaine had a business meeting with both his grandsons and then he went for a walk. He was staying on the estate and since the perimeter was guarded, none of us saw the need to stay with Mr. Quartermaine, who was pretty insistent that he have some privacy. We blew it.”
Robin shakes her head. “I’m not going to waste time assigning blame here. All we can do is our jobs. We have video camera set up throughout the estate . The four of you are in charge of reviewing every frame of every camera for the last twenty four hours. I want a detailed description of who came into the estate, what they did, who they talked to, etc. I want it ASAP so you better get on it.”
The guards nodded and headed off. Frisco smiled his approval. “That was nice of you. Giving them a job to do so that they can keep their minds off their own mistakes.”
“Nothing nice about it. It needed doing,” she shrugs. “Tell me about the body.”
“Coroner gave his usual warning about results being preliminary and he cannot be expected to conduct an autopsy in the field and so on and so on. But here goes. Cause of death multiple gunshot wounds to the chest area. He thinks it was instantaneous. Poor guy probably never saw what hit him. Time of death is approximate 6:30, give or take an hour. We found a few shell casings which confirms a high caliber automatic pistol.”
Something flickers in Robin’s memory. “Uncle Mac!” She calls to Mac Scorpio who arrived shortly before they did and is currently leading his men on a search for physical evidence and the deposing of witnesses. Mac walks over to his niece.
“That shooting at Moreno’s offices a year ago. The one that you could never link to Jason. What was the caliber of the weapon used?”
Mac looks amazed. “How did you hear about that?” He asks before naming a weapon matching the shell cases found.
“You’d be amazed the kinds of reports that get filtered through the WSB.” Robin looks at Frisco and Mac. “What do you want to bet that the bullets the coroner retrieves will match those found at the Moreno shooting?”
“It’s too easy.” Frisco says. “I agree that Jason is our number one suspect and as much of an idiot as I think the borg is, I just can’t see him being stupid enough to use the same gun.”
“I agree. But Jason may have just given the orders. Or we may be looking at Jason’s better half not being his smarter half.”
“It’s a long shot,” Mac nodded. “But I’ll have the lab boys run the test.” Mac pauses. “You want the boys should bring in Mr. or Mrs. Morgan for questioning?”
Frisco grins. “And overload Taggert’s pleasure quota? No I say we wait. Let them think they are in the clear. Whatever the plan is, my guess is that Edward’s death is the first step.”
“Of course!” Robin practically screams. “Why didn’t I see it before? God I’m an idiot.”
Mac looks at his niece. “If you’re talking about your affair with the absentee father over there than I’d have to agree with you.”
Robin looked at her uncle. “What? No?” She takes a deep breath. “Listen, Frisco cover for me for a while. Uncle Mac don’t get Frisco too mad at you while I’m gone. Someday he and I are going to be making decisions about your retirement home together.”
Mac grumbled. “Hah. He’s more likely to need one before I do.”
Frisco grinned as Robin took off. “How about the Golden Acres Retirment Home For Cross Dressers?” Frisco followed Mac back to the command center they had set up in the living room “Or The Happy Valley Retirement Center For Displaced Australians Who Have Outworn Their Welcome? Or The Pink Panther Retirement Home For Incompetent Police Commissioners Who Never Seem To Solve A Case On Their Own. Some guy named Buchanan over in Llanview recommends it.”
Robin got into the rented car and picked up her cell phone. “Madigan, This is Robin Scorpio. I need a copy of every single document related to the Michael Morgan Quartermaine custody case. That’s right, the venue was Port Charles. Family Court. Fax them to me at the hotel. And don’t let anyone else know I asked for them, okay? I have a feeling the PCPD has some serious leaks in it and I’m not at all sure we don’t either. Right. Thanks Madigan.” Robin’s voice softens. “Yeah. I miss them too. Every single day. I hope you are right. Thanks.” Robin disconnected the call and dials again.
“AJ? It’s Robin. I know. It’s awful. We’re doing everything we can to move the process along as fast as we can. I know, but the guards are there for your own protection. Trust me, the mansion is crawling with agents and technicians and if I’m not mistaken the first press van just pulled up. No, your parents are fine. We’re just keeping them separated until we take their statements. No, its a top priority. We called GH, their sending Karen over to stay with Lila to watch her medically. I know. We’ll catch them. That’s what I’m calling about actually. I need your help. No, it’s better that I discuss it in person. I’m on my way over to your house. Ten minutes. Thanks.”
“How could you have missed something so damned obvious?” Robin mutters to herself as she turns the car onto the road leading to AJ’s house. “If you’re right, that means that you know the why and maybe the how, you just have to figure out the who. Twiddle dee? Or Twiddle dum? “
The question goes unanswered as Robin’s car speeds into the night.
Back at the mansion.
Frisco breathes a sigh of relief. He always feels better about conducting an investigation after the body has been removed. It always strikes him as a little morbid to be combing the ground for evidence with the body still lying there. But with Edward on his way to the morgue at GH, they can focus on the collection of physical evidence.
Mac walks wearily down the stairs. “I hate this part of the job.”
Frisco sympathizes. “How are the Q’s?”
“Better now that we have their statements and they can be let out of their rooms. So far, it doesn’t look like any family member saw anything that would be remotely helpful. Ned claims to have been in the gatehouse working on some paperwork.”
“I thought he was ousted from ELQ?”
“He was. He claims his grandfather had recently assigned him to go to Bolivia to oversee that damned project that started this mess. According to Ned, he told his grandfather no but then rethought it. He was working on some preliminary paperwork from his home office. Says his secretary can confirm that he was on the phone to her most of the evening.”
“But no proof as to where he was calling from? He used his cell right?’
Mac nods. “AJ was at his own house, we know where Emily was, and Alan and Monica......” Mac grins foolishly... “According to their statements Alan and Monica were “making up” all afternoon.”
Frisco smiled. “I love it. Lila see anything?”
“She and Reginald were in her room working on some business for her pickle company.”
“All right.” Frisco shudders. “I’m going to regret bringing them up- but have someone track down the whereabouts of Tracy Quartermaine and that obnoxious kid of hers Dylan.” Mac nodded without enthusiasm. “And while you’re at , you might as well ad Jimmy Lee Holt to the list. And any other Quartermaine relatives you can think off. Any that you can’t think off should be coming out of the woodwork once this hits the press.”
“Speaking of press.....They want a statement from the police and one from the family. I can handle the police, but I thought I’d put them off on speaking to the family.”
“No.” Emily Quartermaine’s voice sounded from across the room as she entered from the foyer, with Lucky standing besides her. She was dressed in a simple black suit that had been among the clothes Robin had sent over from her condo. “I’ll take care of the media. They and the world need to know that my grandfather’s death will not change any of the plans ELQ has for Bolivia or any other part of the world. What my grandfather wanted for the future of ELQ, will be carried out without hesitation and without question.”
“Wait a minute. Hasn’t this project cost enough lives already?” Lucky protested. “Just pull out. Let it go.”
Emily looked at Lucky. “ELQ pulls out of Bolivia and we are giving every terrorist group in the world tacit permission to strike at our companies, our employees, and their families. Forget the profit margin, ELQ has people in every hot zone you can name across the globe. I will not endanger their lives or their families by giving in to one single act of terrorism.”
“What if AJ doesn’t agree with you? Or Alan? Or Monica? Or the other shareholders?”
Emily shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. My grandfather’s will was not a secret. He left a certain percentage of his share in ELQ to Michael. Some to AJ. Even some to Dylan for some reason I could not fathom. But the bulk of his stock he left to me. Combined with my own shares, it gives me a 51% share of ELQ’s holdings. That puts me in charge. Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I’m going to go upstairs and check on my parents and my grandmother. Please let the media know that I will be holding a press conference in 30 minutes.”
Frisco whistled as he watched Emily head up the stairs. “How old is that little girl?”
“Nineteen. But she was taught by the best. I say she does exactly what she just said she would do.” Mac says.
“I say our case just got a whole lot messier,” Lucky complained.
“You had them blow up the satellite surveillance pictures that Luke gave me.”
Lucky asked curiously. “Did the old man come through?”
Frisco whistled again. “I’d say so. Take a look at these.” He showed Lucky a blow
up of two men meeting in a South American market.
“Recognize the place?”
“South America or maybe Central America. No wait, that’s Portuguese on the
signs so it has to be Brazil.”
“And the man.”
Lucky grinned. “Oh my God. That’s Javier Sanchez, the second in command
to
the Bolivian Rebels.”
“Bingo. I knew those late night study sessions would pay off. And who is he
talking to.”
Lucky smiled wide. “Johnny. Jason’s body guard. We’ve got them. We’ve got
clear evidence linking Jason to the Bolivian rebels. We can nail Morgan.” Lucky sobered.
“My God, the bastard tried to kill his own sister.”
Mac shook his head. “Maybe. Maybe not. The only evidence you have there
links Johnny to rebels. You still have to prove whose orders he was acting on---- Sonny’s
or Jason’s or Carly’s....”
“Or any combination of the above.” Frisco finished.
“Like I said. Messier and messier,” Lucky complained. He looked around him.
“Where’s Robin?”
Marcus Taggert didn’t like this. Not one bit. He followed his suspect carefully
as she walked around the crowded terminal. He should have picked her up when they got
to the airport. Just her being there would be considered enough evidence of intent to flee
that a judge would agree to lock her up again. But no, he had to know where she was
going and if she was meeting someone.
He hadn’t counted on the terminal to be unusually busy and crowded for this time
of the night and this time of the year.
He lost her for a good three or four minutes before he spotted her again, giving her
ticket to the gate attendant. He looked up. Los Angeles? Why Los Angeles? Unless it was
more convenient to fly to a certain South American country from there than from Port
Charles? But why not Miami? He frowned. And no luggage. Unless she had checked it all?
No answers unless he asked her.
He walked up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.
She turned around, dark eyes hidden behind sunglasses.
“Damn,” she swore softly.
Taggert grinned. “Most people just say hi, Ms. Madison. You want to tell me
where you going this time of the night, especially after you were given orders to stay in
Port Charles. Trying to leave the country?”
“No,” Lark hissed softly. “I was just going to stay with some friends in LA for a
little while.”
“And your job?”
“I quit. This afternoon.”
“A job that paid that well? Seems kind of a stupid mistake to me. Almost as stupid
as wearing sunglasses at night. You want to take them off?”
“Not really.” Lark said sarcastically as the moved to the side to let the other
passengers board. “But then again, I don’t suppose you were planning on giving me a
choice.”
“No choice at all.” Taggert agreed.
Reluctantly Lark took off the sunglasses to reveal a badly bruised and swollen right
eye.
Taggert swore.
“What happened to you?”
“It’s called love Detective Taggert,” Lark replied bitterly. “Don’t you believe in
it?”
Robin read the papers that Madigan had faxed over. She knew that she could
rely on the old man. He had worked with both her mother and her father and she knew
that she had his automatic loyalty.
She put the papers down for a moment and moved to couch to make herself more
comfortable. She had already called Frisco to let him know what she had learned at AJ’s
and the plans she and AJ had made. She had offered to return to the crime scene, but he
had insisted that he and Mac had everything under control so she could follow up on her
theory. Walking into the bedroom she and Frisco shared, she grabbed the stereo head set
out of the drawer, put in a CD of Mozart that one of her father’s girlfriends had once
given her, and walked back into the living area. She took the papers over to the table
where she had some background information on file. She grinned as she saw Lucky’s lap
top. Frisco had said the whole thing with Emily was getting to Junior, but she hadn’t
believed him. Obviously she had been wrong if Lucky was leaving his lap top hanging
around.
She opened it up and logged on. Using some simple codes Lucky had shown her,
she was able to access the FBI’s data base and start running names through. It took her
five different spellings on the last name, before she hit pay dirt and a familiar face popped
up on the screen.
She grinned. “I knew it.”
“Too bad,” a voice from behind her said. “I almost regret this.”
Before Robin could reach for the gun that lay on the table just out of reach, the
intruder hit her on the side of the head with end of a pistol.
The intruder looked at the computer screen. “Damn. She was close. Too close.”
The intruder pressed the delete button and the information Robin found disappeared.
The intruder looked at Robin’s still form. “Don’t worry. I didn’t hit you that hard.
I don’t intend to kill you. Yet. I have plans for you Agent Scorpio. Plans that I don’t think
you will like very much at all.”
The PC Hotel
Frisco and Robin’s suite
