The sun has barely set beyond the horizon when she gets the call about a teenage girl being murdered on the outskirts of town. Yanking herself out of the on-call area at the station, Detective Elizabeth Webber hops into her squad car, putting petal to the metal to get to the scene of the crime. Driving past the barricade, she throws the car into park before getting down, shoving her hands into her gloves all the while. The usual cops are found scattered about, taking witness statements and documenting all that were present. The medical examiner is already on the scene, making sure nothing more happens to the body while she makes her initial observations.

"What do you got, Doc?" Elizabeth asks the medical examiner, Emily Quartermaine, as she squats down beside her.

"A kid that died before she even had a chance to truly live." Emily comments sadly as she sticks the liver probe into the body. "Why must it always be the young that suffer this fate?"

"We have quite a few geezers that met the same fate, Emily." Elizabeth reminds her. "I can pull the files if you need reminding."

"No thanks, Detective." Emily gives her a side glance before noting the body temperature. "She's still quite warm. Couldn't have been more than a few hours."

"What's a kid like her doing in these parts of town?" Elizabeth wonders to herself as she looks the body over.

The girl, for the most part, was well put together, barely legal. Designer clothes and shoes. Understated jewelry, but not cheap either. For a girl like her to end up on the streets like this, it had to be one of two things, neither of them pretty. Leaving Emily to do her job, Elizabeth checks in with the other officers on the scene, getting a rough idea of what could have happened there. With the bystanders of no real help, it looked like they were going to have to delve into the life of this young woman in order to find her killer.

"Preliminary cause of death, I'll have to say is strangulation. I'll know more when I get her back to the morgue." Emily explains to her as she yanks off her gloves. "Though I can't be certain how the strangulation occurred, I can say that this was most assuredly a homicide."

"Oh, that's good that you told me that." Elizabeth responds simply. "I couldn't make that assumption by the position of the body."

"Though it was quite obvious, you can't label it a homicide unless I deem it so." Emily points out with a raised eyebrow. "A ruling I can take a couple days to make if you keep getting snippy with me."

"You know I'm just playing with ya, doc." Elizabeth counters with a chuckle. "Thanks for the ruling. I'll be by the morgue later to get your official findings."

"I expected as much." Emily says as she climbs into the driver's seat of the M.E. van. "Do me a favor, tell that brother of mine that he still owes me for sitting in for him at the family dinner and I plan to collect."

"I'm sure he's aware." Elizabeth replies. "Which is why he hasn't stopped by the diner this week."

"Yeah, I noticed that, too." Emily shakes her head. "See you later, Detective."

Watching her drive off in the van, Elizabeth takes a deep breath before diving right back into work mode, someone killed that girl and she'll be damned if she doesn't make that person pay for it. Leaving a message for her partner, who just so happens to be absent from this particular crime scene, Elizabeth finishes up at the crime scene before heading back to the precinct to regroup. Before anything can happen, they have to identify the victim and inform next of kin. Once that's done, they'll focus on the murder itself and find a way to bring the bastard to justice by whatever means necessary.

"I'll save you the trip through the system, Webber." her boss, Police Commissioner Mac Scorpio, voices when she sits down at the computer to run a scan on the victim's prints. "Your victim's name is Gia Campbell. She's Lieutenant Taggert's sister."

"Damn." Elizabeth slumps back in the chair. "Has he been informed?"

"Yes. He'll be on the next flight back to town." Mac informs her. "That gives you roughly a day and a half to find out what happened to his sister. Make it fast and make it stick."

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth voices. "Any ideas where we should start?"

"Last I heard, she was chumming it up with the Cassadine kid." Mac says with a toss of his hands. "Start there."

"Understood."

Marcus Taggert had been her mentor when she first joined the police force. Not many people believed in the girl from high society joining the police force, but he never let them get a word in edge wise. He mentored her and taught her all that she needed to know to succeed in this life. In two short years, she made detective and is well on her way to lieutenant. For someone to kill his sister, Elizabeth will not rest until she finds the person responsible, no matter how long that takes.

"Taggert's sister, huh?" Emily voices when Elizabeth walks into the morgue. "That's so sad."

"Yeah. We never really talked about family. We both felt it was better that way." Elizabeth sighs, dropping down onto the metal stool. "I can't even imagine what must be going through his head right now."

"I bet." Emily says, handing over the file she put together on the case. "Figure out your starting point yet?"

"Mac says that she's been chumming it up with Nikolas, so, I guess I'm starting there."

"Nikolas?" Emily looks at her in surprise. "Our Nikolas?"

"Looks to be that way." Elizabeth shakes her head. "I'm just waiting on O'Brien before I head over to question him."

"Where is that bonehead anyway?"

"He's been passed out most of the day. Hard break up with the supermodel." Elizabeth concedes, flipping through the file. "He'll live."

"Did he really think he'd keep her attention with the hours you guys work?"

"She was a needy, shallow human being." Elizabeth points out. "I don't think even her reflection kept her attention for that long."

"True." her partner voices when he walks into the morgue. "But she was my needy, shallow human being."

"Do you need more tissues or can we get back to the case?" Elizabeth questions as she hands over the file. "You were only with her for a week, John."

"Best week of my life." he says with a smirk before flipping through the file. "Dang. This is gonna be a tough one."

"No kidding." Elizabeth counters, nudging his shoulder. "Later Em."

"Let me know how it goes with Nikolas." Emily voices as Elizabeth's about to walk out the door. "Please."

"Sure." Elizabeth says with a slight smile. "But you know that this could go sideways real quick, right?"

"Yeah." Emily sighs. "I know."

Jumping into the squad car with her partner, Elizabeth drives to the diner for a quick coffee stop before they head over to the Elm Street Pier to catch the launch to Spoon Island. Every part of her hopes that Nikolas had nothing to do with what happened to Gia, but she also knows that anything's possible. The launch gave her a chance to get her thoughts together on how she wants to approach the situation. Johnny, of course, felt the need to take the lead, given her connection to the possible suspect. Knowing it was probably best, she accepts his way of going about it, reminding him that she reserves the right to change her mind at any time.

"Detectives." Nikolas greets them at the door, clearly he had expected them to arrive. "This is Port Charles, news spreads rather quickly."

"So, you know why we're here then." Johnny says as he steps past Nikolas into the house. "What kind of relationship did you share with Gia Campbell?"

"We were dating." Nikolas offers freely, gesturing for them to take it into the living room. "Not openly, of course, it would have ruined her standing as the Face of Deception."

"Convenient." Johnny remarks. "And when was the last time you saw your secret girlfriend?"

"Couple days ago." Nikolas states. "I've been out of town on business. I just got back in this morning. We were set to meet up for dinner, but she didn't show."

"And you didn't find that odd?" Elizabeth questions. "That she'd blow you off without notice?"

"Her modelling career keeps her quite busy." Nikolas replies. "Not unlike my own business, of course, its why it works. We don't expect much from each other."

"Any idea why she'd be deep in Courtland Street at night?" Elizabeth questions seriously. "A girl of her apparent stature, I doubt she would have gone there for kicks."

"I don't know what she'd be doing done there." Nikolas states irritably. "But, if I had to wager a guess, I'd say it had something to do with her agent. He's been roping her into all kinds of crap lately. Advertisements for a whole skew of sketchy places."

"You got a name for this agent?" Johnny questions curiously.

"Johnny Zacchara." Nikolas informs them. "He bases his office out of the Oasis."

"That's...unfortunate." Elizabeth says as a sick feeling rises in her throat, knowing exactly who works there and hating the thought of stepping foot in that place. "Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Nik, and I am sorry for your loss."

"You got a job to do." Nikolas says with a shrug of his shoulders. "I hope you find the person responsible."

"While we do that, try not to take anymore business trips out of town." Johnny says as he pulls open the door for Elizabeth. "Wouldn't want to put the focus back on you, ya know?"

"Sure." Nikolas says plainly. "I don't have anything important to handle until next month, anyway."

"Good." Johnny replies with a broad smile. "We'll be in touch if we have any further questions."

"If you can think of anything else, Nik, that could help with the investigation..." Elizabeth says carefully.

"I'll call you." Nikolas assures. "Just get her justice."

"That's the plan." Elizabeth assures before walking out of the estate with her partner. "You gonna double check his alibi?"

"You know it." Johnny says as they make their way down to the launch. "I know he's a touchy subject, with what happened to your ex, but he's still a viable suspect."

"I know." Elizabeth assures. "Just try to keep an open mind, huh."

"Sure." Johnny shrugs, climbing onto the launch. "As much as I hate the guy, I'm not exactly one to overlook the truth."

"I know." Elizabeth sighs. "Like you said, its gonna be a tough one."

"Why don't we call it a night? You've gotta be exhausted from the last case." Johnny suggests as they ride the launch back to the pier. "We can tackle this with fresh eyes in the morning."

"You heading home?"

"Back to the station to check on his alibi before tracking down that scumbag, Zacchara." Johnny concedes. "Once I know for sure he's still in town with no plans to leave, I'll head home."

"Okay." Elizabeth accepts. "You buying breakfast?"

"For sure." Johnny replies. "See you in the morning, partner."

"See you then."

Catching a cab to Harbor View Towers, Elizabeth runs through the case in her mind, trying to find any angle that could explain Gia's presence in that part of town. If she really was working for Johnny Zacchara, there's no telling what that man had her doing in that area, which made finding out the truth a lot harder. What made her a little put off, however, is that Nikolas was ready for their questioning and even provided them with another suspect. Could it be possible that he was throwing them off his scent or is he really as innocent as he appears to be? Normally, she'd never suspect him, he's her friend, but the job required her to look at it from all angles and that includes her friends.

"Hey." her husband, Jason, greets her from his spot on the couch when she enters the penthouse.

"Hey, yourself." she voices, dropping her things by the door before securing her gun in the desk. "Didn't I tell you not to leave the bedroom?"

"I didn't pop the stitches." he replies simply as he moves into a sitting position to make room for her. "Hard day?"

"Hard case." Elizabeth sighs, leaning into him when he wraps his arm around her. "Murder case and Nikolas could be a suspect."

"I'm sorry." he whispers, placing a kiss atop her head. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah." Elizabeth sighs. "One way or another, I'll get to the truth and the person responsible. Regardless of who that person may be."

"I know you will."

"Emily's starting to get curious about your absence." Elizabeth comments, pulling away to look at him. "You sure you can't tell her about getting shot?"

"She'll never leave the penthouse if you do that." Jason shakes his head. "No, I'm almost healed. Maybe another week. I'll see her then."

"If you say so." Elizabeth nestles into his side. "Although, I'm gonna have to start investing in surgical equipment if you're gonna keep showing up on our doorstep with bullet wounds."

"Funny." Jason shakes his head. "Come on, lets get to bed. Tomorrow's bound to be a long day and you need your rest."

"Sure." Elizabeth says as she helps him to his feet, letting him lean on her as they make their way up the stairs. "Really, though, I should look into that investment. It can come in handy given our career choices."

"I'll install an entire operating room into the guest room, if it'll make you happy." Jason says as they walk into the bedroom.

"Would you?" Elizabeth asks teasingly as she lowers him down onto the bed. "Maybe even hire a hot live-in male doctor to be at my beck and call."

"Now you're asking for too much." Jason smirks, reaching up to caress his cheek. "The only man living in this house is gonna be me."

"Hmm...I guess I can live with that." she says as she stares in his eyes. "A hot mob enforcer beats a hot doctor any day."

"Damn straight."

A night of love making and dreamless sleep later, Elizabeth takes a nice hot shower before helping her husband change his bandages and heading out to another day of work. Meeting up with her partner at the diner, they have breakfast over simple conversations, leaving work until after they get to the station. Though they have only been partners for a couple years, they've been friends since they were children and they have grown to appreciate the little things between them as they grow together professionally and friendship wise.

"Did his alibi check out?" Elizabeth questions, almost desperate to know.

"It did and it didn't." Johnny admits. "He was away on business, but the return flight information isn't available to us. We have to go through channels before we can get it."

"Until then, we look into Zacchara."

"Looks like it."

"Okay." Elizabeth accepts. "Lets get to it then."