TITLE: The Port Charles Files 4/8
by Kelso (kelso28@excite.com)
***********
Not long after parting with Mulder, Scully found herself at the
Port Charles Hotel, standing in front of Jasper Jacks and Chloe
Morgan's door. She double-checked the number and rang the bell.
From inside, a voice called, "Just a minute." Scully patiently
waited for a little over that amount of time before the door
swung open and Chloe, holding an armful of blue silk that matched
the color of her dress, looked out at her.
"I'm so sorry for taking so long," Chloe apologized.
Scully went through the familiar explanation of her identity,
and saw Chloe accept the news with hardly a blink. In fact, as
she moved back to allow Scully to enter the room, Chloe's sole
comment was, "The only thing I don't understand is why you're
here to see me."
Scully settled onto the sofa and looked around the room for signs
of any other occupants. "Is Mr. Jacks here?"
"No, he had a business meeting." Chloe deposited the silk in a
nearby basket, sat on the opposite end of the sofa, and looked
inquiringly at Scully. "Did you want to talk to Jax?"
"No, you're the person I came to see. I met Mr. Jacks at the
Quartermaine mansion this morning."
Chloe smiled. "The Quartermaines are distant cousins of mine.
It's a small world, isn't it?"
"It certainly is." Scully made a private note to mention that
observation to Mulder, and went on. "As for my reason for coming
here, my partner and I are looking into the disappearance of
Stefan Cassadine. From what the police commissioner said, you've
been having visions that lead you to believe that Stefan was
murdered by his mother, Helena."
"They aren't exactly visions," Chloe explained. "The best way I
can describe them is to say that a music box has been haunting my
dreams ever since Helena Cassadine ran me down with her car. First,
I went temporarily blind. Then my doctor told me I have a brain
tumor that could very well kill me. The dreams started at around
that time. In them, I always hear a music box playing Tchaikovsky's
'Sleeping Beauty Waltz.' I've dreamed of the box floating in the
water off the docks. I've dreamed of my doctor carrying it at
General Hospital. I've even dreamed of the music playing in the
background as my fiance, Jax, said it would be his pleasure to
kill me. But the worst dreams were the ones about Stefan.
Sometimes, I saw him drinking from a glass and collapsing, and
other times, he walked toward me and asked for my help. I'm sure
that I'm seeing through Helena's eyes, and she murdered Stefan
and wants to kill me. When I told my neurosurgeon, Tony Jones,
about the dreams, he suggested that my brain tumor could be
causing them. Tony's been great. He understands what I'm going
through, because *he* used to be blind and have a brain tumor.
He didn't have dreams like mine, of course, but I guess he kind
of made up for that when he went crazy a couple of years ago."
"Crazy?" Scully said. "You don't mean...?"
"Tony is very strong. He fought his way back from the edge. Just
like Dr. Quartermaine, the Chief of Staff. Many remarkable
people work at General Hospital." Chloe smiled apologetically.
"You're probably thinking this all sounds pretty weird."
It ranked right up there with the Flukeman, Scully thought. But
no need to tell Chloe about that old case. Instead, she asked,
"How is your health now?"
"Jax recently bought a company that produces an experimental drug
that's helping me." A thought seemed to strike her. "You know,
Jax had a hard time getting hold of that company from Helena
Cassadine. She told him she would only give me the drug if he
spent a night with her. He had to tie her up and search her yacht
for the medicine. Then he sent an e-mail ordering the sale of the
company so he could buy it and not have to deal with Helena ever
again. Do you think you could arrest her?"
"No, but it shouldn't be hard to make a case against Jax,"
Scully informed her.
Chloe gasped. "Oh, no, you can't do that! Jax has already been
in enough trouble with the FBI, and it wasn't even his fault the
last time. He had no idea his father and brother were using his
business to launder money for the mob. It was a really bad time
for him, because his fiancee and her mother had just been presumed
dead when they drove their car into the ocean. Plus, a couple of
years before that, Jax's first wife, who he also thought had
died, had showed up alive and well on the day of his marriage to
Brenda. So Jax had a tough three years leading up to his arrest,
and that was on false charges."
"We might overlook his actions, if we can get anything on Helena
Cassadine."
Chloe bit her lip. "I didn't mean to get Jax in trouble. He was
trying to help me. I wish I could tell you where Helena is, but
she sailed away on her yacht and might never return."
Taking pity on the poor, insane woman, Scully allayed her fears.
"As long as Mr. Jacks stays out of trouble while we're in town,
I think he'll be all right."
Chloe smiled broadly. "You're being so nice about all this! If
there's anything else I can do to help Jax, name it."
Scully thought over that proposition. "As a matter of fact,
Chloe, there is. I'd love to have your permission to examine your
medical records, and to talk to your doctor about your case..."
***********
After changing into jogging clothes at Kelly's, Mulder set out on
a long run before stopping at a corner bakery to buy two bagels.
He then doubled back to the docks as he ate his snack. Spoon
Island lay across the harbor, and the Cassadine family owned
Spoon Island. Since the Cassadines were involved in one of the
biggest mysteries in town -- what happened to Stefan, and who
did it to him? -- it stood to reason that some answers might be
found on the island.
So it was that Mulder found himself on the murky docks, staring
in the general direction of Spoon Island. Unfortunately, no
convenient ferry service popped up, and there seemed to be no
other easy way to reach the island. Momentarily giving up, Mulder
was about to turn back toward Kelly's when two figures emerged
from the gloom to his right. One was Emily Quartermaine; her
companion, a dark-haired young man in his late teens, was
unfamiliar. They were so absorbed in their conversation that they
didn't notice Mulder until they were within 10 feet of him.
He planted himself squarely in their path. "Hello, Emily."
She stopped short and smiled weakly. "Hello again. Nikolas, this
is FBI Agent Mulder. Agent Mulder, this is my friend, Nikolas
Cassadine. We were on our way..." She tried to step around
Mulder, but he didn't budge.
"I'm sorry, we're in a hurry," Nikolas said pointedly. "We have
to get to the island right away."
"Then you're just the person I wanted to see. I'd like to visit
Spoon Island."
They reacted immediately, and violently.
Emily gasped and covered her mouth.
Nikolas stiffened. "No! The island is closed except to family
and friends. Unless you have a search warrant."
"If I did..." Mulder paused to draw out the tension. "If I did, I
would be over there instead of here."
"So you don't," Nikolas stated.
Mulder shook his head. Emily let out a long breath, and Nikolas
put an arm around her. "Come on, let's go." He urged Emily
forward, and Mulder moved aside to allow them to pass. They
rushed down the docks without a backward glance and jumped
aboard a ferry that had either magically appeared, or that Mulder
somehow hadn't before noticed. In the next moment, it pulled away
from the dock and vanished into the mist.
Nikolas and Emily's secretive behavior and guilty looks
reinforced Mulder's hunch that they had something to hide. He
would have to figure out a way to get to Spoon Island soon. But
for the moment, he resumed his jog. Half an hour later, he found
himself entering a park. He slowed to catch his breath and was
walking past a small group of people gathered on a red striped
blanket when he heard a voice.
"Agent Mulder!"
He turned and saw Lesley Webber waving to him from the blanket.
With her were a blonde woman and a dark-haired little girl of
about five. Having seen photos of the Spencer family, Mulder
recognized the two as Lesley's daughter and granddaughter, Laura
and Lesley Lu. He veered in their direction while Lesley briefly
explained his identity to Laura.
Laura was on her feet and extending her hand as Mulder reached
the blanket. "Agent Mulder, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm
Laura Spencer. My mother told me about how you're trying to help
Lucky, and it's a huge relief. I haven't been getting anywhere
with him." She shook his hand, then knelt beside her daughter.
"Can you say hello, Lulu?"
The little girl ducked her head and stared at the ground.
"She's shy," Laura apologized.
Lesley took Lulu's hand. "Let's go play on the swings, all
right?"
Wordlessly, Lulu rose and followed her grandmother to a low swing
set about 20 yards away.
Laura turned back to Mulder. "Can you stay for a minute? Do you
have any news about Lucky?"
In answer, he dropped down on the far side of the blanket. "I
haven't met your son yet, although I suspect it's only a matter
of time. You might be able to provide me with some useful
information in another area, though. I understand that your
husband, Luke, has been charged with Stefan Cassadine's murder."
Laura sighed. "The entire situation is one huge mess. The police
commissioner thinks Luke's guilty because he ran. Mac used to be
a fair man, until his wife left him. He blames Luke for the
failure of his marriage. If Luke ever comes back, he'll have a
hard time proving his innocence."
"So you also think Helena Cassadine is the real criminal?"
Laura shrugged. "I wouldn't put anything past that woman. She's
always hated my family, and she blames Luke for the deaths of
her husband and another son. She hates Stefan, too, so it would
be the perfect revenge for her to kill him and let Luke take the
fall. But all the proof points in Luke's direction. Even a letter
Stefan sent to me said that he was afraid of what Luke might do
to him. And if Luke believed that Stefan was behind Lucky's
kidnapping, he might have turned violent. But anyone will tell
you that poison isn't his style."
"Lucky was kidnapped by Cesar Faison, though?"
"He says so. For a while, I suspected Stefan, and our relation-
ship broke up because of that. Stefan told me that he was trying
to rescue Lucky from Helena, but I didn't believe him at first.
I told you it was a big mess."
Mulder checked his watch. "More of a mess than I have time to
sort out now. But I think that if I find out what happened to
Stefan, it will provide information that can help your son. I'm
working on it."
He left to the sound of Laura's thanks and Lesley's goodbye, but
eerie silence, still, from Lulu. He had a few errands to run
before he met Scully at the police station.
*********
Scully parked across the street from police headquarters at 3:45.
She was prepared to wait at least 15 minutes for Mulder to show
up, but spotted him waiting on a bench in front of a bookstore
two doors away. Quickly getting out of the car, she joined him.
"So where did you go?"
He turned partially sideways to look at her. "You want the
interesting part first? I ended up at the docks, and guess who I
ran into? Emily Quartermaine and Nikolas Cassadine, and the
second I mentioned the possibility of visiting Spoon Island, they
shot me down. The way they acted, I'm sure they're hiding some-
thing."
"Some people don't like having their privacy invaded." It
sounded like a reasonable explanation to her, anyway.
But apparently not to Mulder, whose voice rose with excitement.
"Anything could be hidden on that island: another alien, Stefan
Cassadine's body, anything. Think about the possibilities."
Scully did, and concluded, "The possibilities are endless, all
right, but the likelihood is that nothing's there. Besides, we
don't have a search warrant or any evidence."
"Not yet," Mulder agreed. "But Cassadine's body *is* still
missing."
Scully thought back to her afternoon visit. "I talked to Chloe
Morgan, and according to her, he truly was poisoned. She also
told me some horror stories about the local doctors. If she can
be trusted, here's what we have to expect: Chloe claims that
her doctor, Tony Jones, is a wonderful person who once went a
little around the bend because his girlfriend, who was his ex-
wife's daughter whom she gave up for adoption at birth and
reunited with as an adult, cheated on him. Interestingly, the
girlfriend is the only one of the bunch who spent time in a
psychiatric facility. I still haven't quite figured out how she
got out. And guess what? She's also Sonny Corinthos' fiancee, and
Roy DiLucca's girlfriend's daughter. I can't begin to explain
what's wrong with this town, but something definitely is. On top
of all that, Chloe still insists that she's been having
visions."
"And you don't believe they're genuine," Mulder stated rather
than asked.
Scully shook her head. "A brain tumor doesn't suddenly cause
someone to begin seeing through another person's eyes. It's
impossible. They're probably just very realistic nightmares."
Instead of arguing that point, as Scully expected, Mulder went
on, "And I met Laura Spencer. She said that Helena Cassadine has
hated her family for years and wouldn't mind seeing Luke
imprisoned for Stefan's murder."
Scully stood up. "Let's hope the police have made some progress
in solving this case, then. Though considering that it's Hannah's
boyfriend, Taggert, on the job, I have my doubts."
They headed into the station and found a competent-looking
receptionist.
"Is Lieutenant Taggert in?" Mulder asked her.
"Right there." She pointed at a tall, bald, African-American man,
who approached when the receptionist beckoned him.
Scully barely had time to think, 'I hope Hannah hasn't told him
about my advice to her to leave town alone,' before he greeted
them.
"Agents Mulder and Scully, right?"
"Right," Mulder confirmed. "Commissioner Scorpio suggested that
we speak to you. Did he tell you we were in town?"
"Mac? No, I haven't seen him in a couple of days. Word of your
presence spread around, and I figured you'd show up here sooner
or later. So when I saw two unfamiliar faces, I took an educated
guess. But I don't get why the Bureau sent in more agents.
Hannah Scott's been handling things just fine on her own."
'He *must* be in love,' thought Scully.
Taggert turned toward her. "You know, Agent Scully, your name
sounds awfully familiar."
She smiled ruefully. "Would it help you to know that Sonny
Corinthos had a strong adverse reaction to it?"
"Yes, it does. Now I can place it. His mentor in the mob was a
man named Joe Scully, who eventually betrayed him. Sonny ended up
shooting him dead. The Scully name is not too highly regarded in
these parts, either by cop or by criminal. Was Joe any relation
of yours?"
"Not at all. I don't have any relatives with that name."
Her response took the wind out of Taggert's sails, and he dropped
the subject. "I guess you have some questions for me. Why don't
we talk over there?"
They threaded their way through a maze of desks until they
reached the far corner, where Taggert sat behind a deserted desk.
As Mulder and Scully took the two vacant chairs in front of him,
he asked, "What can I do for you?"
"We'd like to know about the missing officer, Ted Wilson," Mulder
began.
"Yeah, Ted." Taggert shook his head. "Not much I can tell you. He
was undercover, trying to catch drug dealers. The last we heard
from him, he was set to attend a rave at an abandoned house off
Lakeshore Drive on June 30. There hasn't been a word from him
since."
A rave? That was the second time that day that the subject had
arisen. Scully's curiosity was piqued. "Ted Wilson was supposed
to go a rave?" she repeated.
"Yep," Taggert confirmed. "They're pretty popular around here.
Pretty dangerous, too."
"Do you think a girl like, say, Emily Quartermaine would ever
attend one?"
Taggert considered. "Emily? I don't think so. Sure, she had a
drug problem in the past, but she's been clean for years.
Besides, she's dating my ward, Juan, and I see her around a lot.
I haven't noticed any signs that she's been using. She's a good
kid."
"Your ward, Juan," Mulder said. "That must be Juan Santiago."
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"Certain names keep cropping up wherever we go. We also wanted to
look into the Stefan Cassadine case. Is Detective Garcia
here?"
Taggert glanced around the room. "I don't see him. I think he's
out tracking down some leads." He hesitated and studied both
agents' faces before seeming to make up his mind. "Look, I'm
going to tell you something in confidence. I'm concerned about
the commissioner's behavior in the Luke Spencer case. Maybe if
you gave him a little warning, it would help. He acts like he's
on the verge of stepping over the line, if you know what I mean.
Some of the officers are getting a little concerned about his
behavior. They wish someone like Anna Devane was still in
charge. She was Mac's sister-in-law, but she died several years
ago. From what I've heard, she could do it all. Before she
became police chief, she was even a double agent for the WSB and
the DVX."
She must have heard wrong *this* time. Scully had to know what
Taggert had actually said. "Can you repeat that?"
Taggert said in a questioning tone, "Before she became police
chief, she was even a double agent for the WSB and the DVX."
She *had* heard correctly the first time, which really wasn't a
comfort. "I'm sorry. It's just that where we come from, having
been a double agent tends to disqualify people from ever again
holding a position of political power."
"And what is this WSB?" Mulder added.
Taggert looked at him strangely. "You don't know? It's the World
Security Bureau, a government agency that battles the DVX
organization, whose initials don't stand for anything. Anna was a
top-notch chief, although she did resign under a bit of a cloud.
The real problem, though, was her co-chief, Burt Ramsey. He
turned out to be a criminal genius named Mr. Big. He went off the
deep end partly because he had to share his post with a woman."
"So," Mulder mused, "if Mac railroads Luke Spencer into prison,
he'd merely be writing another chapter in the long and storied
history of the Port Charles police chief as a criminal."
Taggert scowled ferociously. Scully quickly stood and said,
"Thank you, Lieutenant," as graciously as she could manage.
"Don't worry. This conversation will remain private." Mulder
followed her lead, and they picked their way out of the room,
through the front door of the station, and toward the car.
Mulder spoke first. "Ted Wilson disappeared on the night of a
rave. Emily Quartermaine didn't want us to think that she attends
raves. I'm starting to connect the dots here. And I think you
need to go to L&B Records to talk to Juan."
Scully halted beside the Dodge's passenger door. "Why me?"
"Because I'm going to try to get that trip to Spoon Island out of
the way."
Scully stood her ground. After all, she had the car keys. "Oh,
no. I'm not entering a recording studio alone if that boy
might be singing."
"All right, all right." Mulder thought for a moment. "Why don't
we flip a coin?" He pulled a quarter out of his pocket. "Call it
in the air. If you're right, I go."
As the coin spun upward, Scully called, "Tails!"
It spiraled back to earth, hit the pavement, and stuck on its
edge in a crack in the sidewalk.
Mulder crouched next to it. "Looks like it's leaning a little
more this way..."
"Forget it, we both lose," Scully said. "I suppose it's only
fair. If one of us has to suffer, so should the other one." She
tossed him the keys. "Cheer up, you can drive."
end 4/8