Chapter 23
The next day, Carly sat behind her desk going over a layout for the next ad campaign. It was turning out exactly the way she had envisioned it. She was proud of how successful Gia had become as the Face of Deception. It felt good to know that she had been right. Gia had that special something that caught people's attention and made them want to buy whatever she was selling. Deception's sales were through the roof, and Carly was gratified to know that she had played a key role in that success.
When the phone began ringing, she picked up because she knew Elton was away from his desk. "Deception. Carly Corinthos speaking."
"Hello, Mrs. Corinthos," said Sonny smoothly. "I was just wondering if my lovely wife would have dinner with me this evening."
Carly smiled. "Hello, yourself. I have dinner with you almost every evening."
"Ah, but I'm talking about dinner out at a quiet, little restaurant - just the two of us. What do you think?" he asked.
"I think I have a wonderful husband and yes, I would love to have dinner with you."
"Good. I'll pick you up there after work." His voice lowered as he continued, "I love you, Carly."
"I love you, too," she responded softly and hung up. She sat for a few moments with a silly grin on her face. He could make her feel things no other man ever had.
When the phone rang again, she answered saying, "Hey, did you forget something?"
"No, Mrs. Corinthos. I never forget anything, including when people interfere with things that don't concern them." The menace in the man's voice made Carly shiver apprehensively. "I have a message for your husband. Tell him to stay out of my business or he will pay dearly for it."
Genuinely frightened, she said, "I don't know who you are, but my husband doesn't respond well to threats."
"How rude of me. I should have introduced myself. My name is Alexander Cranton, and I don't respond well to people who get in my way. Now, I know that your husband wouldn't want anything to happen to you or your little boy, so he should take me very seriously."
Now he had made her angry. "If you go near my son, I'll be the one to kill you," she said fiercely.
He laughed. "I have always loved feisty women. Maybe we should get to know each other better," he insinuated. His voice becoming harder, he said, "Just give Mr. Corinthos the message. Stay out of my business or he'll suffer the consequences."
A click told Carly that he had hung up. She stared at the phone for a minute, before calling, "Francis! I need you in here."
When Francis entered, she said, "That man Sonny and Jason are so concerned about - Alexander Cranton. He just called here with a message for Sonny and it wasn't a pleasant one." Her voice shook slightly.
Pulling out his cell phone, he dialled and waited. "Yeah, Sonny. It's Francis. You need to get to the Deception offices right away. Cranton just contacted Carly."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jason arrived at Carly's office to find Sonny holding her close and whispering to her. He looked at Jason, his eyes revealing the torment he felt.
"Hey," Jason said quietly. Carly turned to face him and he was struck by the combined fear and anger he saw there.
"He threatened Michael, Jason," she said hoarsely. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
Jason swore long and loud. "Do we know anything?"
Sonny responded, "We tried to find out where the call came from, but he used some kind of blocking device. I did get some information that I was going to call you about, though. One of my guys traced one of Cranton's credit card purchases to a store outside city limits. He's gone to see what he can find out."
Jason nodded. It was their first break. "At least it's something to go on." He paused, thinking. "I think I should go see Philippe again. Maybe if I push him, he'll think of something that will give us a clue to Cranton's whereabouts or what he'll do next." It was a long shot, but it was better than nothing.
Sonny agreed. "Yeah. You go do that. I'm going to take Carly home. I'll call you later to let you know if anything comes of the credit card lead." He put his arm around his wife and led her to the door.
"Carly," Jason called. "We'll get him."
She smiled tremulously. "I know. Thanks, Jason." She turned and left with her husband holding her close.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jason entered Sonny's penthouse that evening and asked, "Where's Carly?"
Sonny took a long drink from the glass in his hand and answered, "She's up with Michael. She doesn't want to let him out of her sight right now."
"I can understand that," Jason replied, swallowing the anger he felt. "Philippe did come up with something he hadn't told us. Cranton does have a weakness. He's a gambler. Philippe said horse racing is the one he can't stay away from."
"Good. We can use that. I'll put men at all the local racetracks and wait to see if he shows up." He paused, thinking about the information. "So far the credit card purchase hasn't led to anything solid. My man is going to cover the surrounding area - asking questions, showing Cranton's picture. Hopefully he'll come up with a lead."
Jason nodded. "OK. I'm going home. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
As he approached his own door, Jason's one thought was of Elizabeth and how much he needed her right now. He walked in and took off his jacket.
Elizabeth came out of the kitchen, took one look, and opened her arms for him. He pulled her close and buried his face in her hair.
"What is it, Jason?" she asked, concerned by the desperation she felt in his tight hold on her.
"It's Cranton," he responded hoarsely. "He contacted Carly and threatened her and Michael."
"Oh Jason. I'm so sorry." She led him to the sofa and took him back in her arms. They sat there a long time, just holding each other - giving and receiving comfort.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next day, Carly sat behind her desk going over a layout for the next ad campaign. It was turning out exactly the way she had envisioned it. She was proud of how successful Gia had become as the Face of Deception. It felt good to know that she had been right. Gia had that special something that caught people's attention and made them want to buy whatever she was selling. Deception's sales were through the roof, and Carly was gratified to know that she had played a key role in that success.
When the phone began ringing, she picked up because she knew Elton was away from his desk. "Deception. Carly Corinthos speaking."
"Hello, Mrs. Corinthos," said Sonny smoothly. "I was just wondering if my lovely wife would have dinner with me this evening."
Carly smiled. "Hello, yourself. I have dinner with you almost every evening."
"Ah, but I'm talking about dinner out at a quiet, little restaurant - just the two of us. What do you think?" he asked.
"I think I have a wonderful husband and yes, I would love to have dinner with you."
"Good. I'll pick you up there after work." His voice lowered as he continued, "I love you, Carly."
"I love you, too," she responded softly and hung up. She sat for a few moments with a silly grin on her face. He could make her feel things no other man ever had.
When the phone rang again, she answered saying, "Hey, did you forget something?"
"No, Mrs. Corinthos. I never forget anything, including when people interfere with things that don't concern them." The menace in the man's voice made Carly shiver apprehensively. "I have a message for your husband. Tell him to stay out of my business or he will pay dearly for it."
Genuinely frightened, she said, "I don't know who you are, but my husband doesn't respond well to threats."
"How rude of me. I should have introduced myself. My name is Alexander Cranton, and I don't respond well to people who get in my way. Now, I know that your husband wouldn't want anything to happen to you or your little boy, so he should take me very seriously."
Now he had made her angry. "If you go near my son, I'll be the one to kill you," she said fiercely.
He laughed. "I have always loved feisty women. Maybe we should get to know each other better," he insinuated. His voice becoming harder, he said, "Just give Mr. Corinthos the message. Stay out of my business or he'll suffer the consequences."
A click told Carly that he had hung up. She stared at the phone for a minute, before calling, "Francis! I need you in here."
When Francis entered, she said, "That man Sonny and Jason are so concerned about - Alexander Cranton. He just called here with a message for Sonny and it wasn't a pleasant one." Her voice shook slightly.
Pulling out his cell phone, he dialled and waited. "Yeah, Sonny. It's Francis. You need to get to the Deception offices right away. Cranton just contacted Carly."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jason arrived at Carly's office to find Sonny holding her close and whispering to her. He looked at Jason, his eyes revealing the torment he felt.
"Hey," Jason said quietly. Carly turned to face him and he was struck by the combined fear and anger he saw there.
"He threatened Michael, Jason," she said hoarsely. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
Jason swore long and loud. "Do we know anything?"
Sonny responded, "We tried to find out where the call came from, but he used some kind of blocking device. I did get some information that I was going to call you about, though. One of my guys traced one of Cranton's credit card purchases to a store outside city limits. He's gone to see what he can find out."
Jason nodded. It was their first break. "At least it's something to go on." He paused, thinking. "I think I should go see Philippe again. Maybe if I push him, he'll think of something that will give us a clue to Cranton's whereabouts or what he'll do next." It was a long shot, but it was better than nothing.
Sonny agreed. "Yeah. You go do that. I'm going to take Carly home. I'll call you later to let you know if anything comes of the credit card lead." He put his arm around his wife and led her to the door.
"Carly," Jason called. "We'll get him."
She smiled tremulously. "I know. Thanks, Jason." She turned and left with her husband holding her close.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jason entered Sonny's penthouse that evening and asked, "Where's Carly?"
Sonny took a long drink from the glass in his hand and answered, "She's up with Michael. She doesn't want to let him out of her sight right now."
"I can understand that," Jason replied, swallowing the anger he felt. "Philippe did come up with something he hadn't told us. Cranton does have a weakness. He's a gambler. Philippe said horse racing is the one he can't stay away from."
"Good. We can use that. I'll put men at all the local racetracks and wait to see if he shows up." He paused, thinking about the information. "So far the credit card purchase hasn't led to anything solid. My man is going to cover the surrounding area - asking questions, showing Cranton's picture. Hopefully he'll come up with a lead."
Jason nodded. "OK. I'm going home. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
As he approached his own door, Jason's one thought was of Elizabeth and how much he needed her right now. He walked in and took off his jacket.
Elizabeth came out of the kitchen, took one look, and opened her arms for him. He pulled her close and buried his face in her hair.
"What is it, Jason?" she asked, concerned by the desperation she felt in his tight hold on her.
"It's Cranton," he responded hoarsely. "He contacted Carly and threatened her and Michael."
"Oh Jason. I'm so sorry." She led him to the sofa and took him back in her arms. They sat there a long time, just holding each other - giving and receiving comfort.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*