"I need you to check this guy out," Jason said when Spinelli walked into the office. "I need you to find anything you can. He's moving in on Port Charles."
"Andre Karpov."
Jason nodded.
"It's possible that Sonny's working with him. Rick told me."
"The Former Dark DA? Why would he tell you that? He's gotta be lying, right? I mean, Mr. Sir is out of the business and Rick would say anything to-"
"He probably is lying, but we gotta be sure."
Spinelli accessed the information, hoping Jason was wrong about Sonny. If Sonny was working for Karpov, he was betraying Jason, who didn't deserve it. Stone Cold had sacrificed everything to get Mr. Sir out of the mob. Sonny had been acting as if Jason had betrayed him. Could this be Sonny's way of seeking revenge?
Apparently, Rick wasn't lying. Spinelli found security footage of Sonny and Karpov's lawyer having a meeting. He also found information on two of Karpov's previous girlfriends; they had both been killed in tragic accidents, the last one having fallen from a balcony after sleeping with Karpov. There was also a money transfer from Karpov's bank account to Sonny's, and as The Jackal was looking at that transfer, another one was made.
Spinelli had been afraid Jason would have to confront Sonny and now it looked as if his fear was coming true. He only hoped Jason wouldn't end up having to kill his father figure.
He suddenly had a vague memory of telling Lulu and Georgie as much at one point. When had he done that and why? Had it been when he was delirious? Neither of them had said anything to him about it, so that must have been it. They probably thought he was babbling from the fever.
Spinelli got a call while he was researching Karpov. Jason had gone to confront Sonny. Nadine wanted Jackal PI to look into Matt Hunter's background. She suspected that he was involved in the fake drugs that were being smuggled into both Nikolas's free clinic and General Hospital. Nikolas didn't believe he was involved, but Nadine was convinced. She insisted on paying him for his services; the fact that he considered her family would not change her mind. He accepted, reluctant to take her money, but happy to take the case.
This was his second non-mob related case and he hoped he would be able to help prove or disprove Nadine's theory. If Hunter was involved, he hoped to expose him and maybe save a few lives by helping to thwart Dr. Doom before he could kill someone with his fake drugs, if he was guilty.
Spinelli wasn't fond of him, so he knew he would have to maintain objectivity and forget about the way he'd acted toward Spinelli and Georgie when Spinelli was in the hospital.
This was also another case Georgie could help him with; he liked working with her. Mack had called her to the station the day Claudia had tried to take her hostage to tell her that he had rented out Maxie's room to Dr. Hunter. Georgie had come to Spinelli in tears when she found out the next night, the night after she'd stayed with Spinelli so she could look after Kendra and let him sleep.
She had come home and found Hunter half naked in her living room. She had screamed and Mack had come running. He explained the situation and Georgie left again, coming to see Spinelli.
"What's wrong?" he asked when he opened the door.
"I've just been hit with another glaring reminder that Maxie's gone and she's never coming back," she said, trying not to cry. "Mack rented out her room to Dr. Hunter, the one who took care of you when you were in the hospital."
"Although your father's choice of tenant is understandably upsetting to you," he said cautiously, "I've heard you say that you do not want your sister's room to be a shrine."
"I don't, and I'm probably just overreacting because I don't like him, but it just feels like Maxie's disappearing little by little. I mean, her room has been painted over, all her things are in storage and now he's living where she used to live."
She had spent the night with him again, but this time she'd slept in his bed with him. They had held each other, nothing more. She only wanted to be with him.
Spinelli didn't know it, but another reason Georgie had accepted his offer to spend another night at his place was because she wanted to make sure Lulu did not, or if she did she would sleep on the couch and away from Spinelli. She knew Spinelli wouldn't do anything with Lulu, but she wouldn't put it past Lulu to climb into bed with him and seduce him while he was too sleepy to know it wasn't Georgie.
Spinelli hated the idea of Dr. Doom living in the same house with Georgie. The Discompassionate Doctor upset her. He shook his head, clearing it of his negative thoughts. Hunter was a subject and The Jackal was an observer. For now, that was what he needed to focus on, not his dislike of the man. If he was innocent, Spinelli would prove it, but if he was guilty, Jackal PI and his lovely assistant would find the truth and expose him.
When Jason came back, he told Spinelli that he'd confronted Sonny and Sonny had, as usual, acted like a victim. He was hurt that Jason thought he would betray him.
"But what other reason would he have for working with The Russian Rogue?"
"He says he was trying to protect me. He said he wanted to keep Karpov away from me."
"Then why didn't he just warn you?"
"That's what I'd like to know. He says I should know what he was doing."
"When did Stone Cold become a mind reader?"
Jason blinked in surprise. It wasn't like Spinelli to make wise cracks that showed disrespect for Sonny.
"I know that doesn't sound like something The Jackal would usually say in reference to Mr. Sir, but you deserve better than to be treated so unfairly after all your years of loyal service. He gave you the business because he wanted to get out. You deserve to be happy, too, and he has thought nothing of your feelings. Why does he get to be happy and expect you to sacrifice the life you want, the life you could have, if you got out, too?"
"It doesn't matter," Jason sighed.
"Of course it matters!"
"I made choices, Spinelli. I chose this life; I've told you that before. Sonny's back in; he couldn't stay out and I wouldn't be able to either."
"You don't crave power the way he does."
"No, but it's all I know. I've told you that before, too. I'm in for life, like it or not. The only difference between me and Sonny is that I'm honest about it. Sonny's been lying to me and to Kate and to anyone else who will listen. He was barely out of the business for two months before he got sucked back in. He made a deal with Karpov behind my back and says it's for my protection. I've never kept it a secret from anyone I love that I'm in the business; he's been lying through his teeth!"
"Do you believe him as far as his claim of wanting to protect you?"
Jason nodded, but didn't look convinced.
"What are you gonna do?"
Jason shrugged.
"I don't believe he'll give Karpov anything to use against me. I'm not gonna do anything for now."
Spinelli didn't share his mentor's views of Sonny's motives, but he knew Jason wouldn't move against Sonny unless he was backed into a corner. Sonny was accepting money from Karpov; that made him an employee. Spinelli prayed that Jason's loyalty to someone as undeserving as Sonny now was would not backfire and force Jason to kill Sonny, or cost him his own life.
He didn't want anyone to die, but if he had to choose between Jason and Sonny, Sonny was the one stabbing Jason in the back. Spinelli's fear was that his mental figure of speech would become quite literal if these two former friends were to find themselves on opposite sides, as it now seemed they would. He only hoped there would be something he could do when and if the time came that would help Jason save his own life and not have to kill Sonny.
Later, as he looked at his sleeping daughter, he was again relieved that he was following Jason's advice and getting out of the mob now while he still could.
