1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True
1.1 Chapter Twenty Eight
Elizabeth had found out the name of the nightclub from Jason. She had nonchalantly asked him, "Jason, where is this nightclub, just so if something happens, I can maybe let someone know."
He had given her the name of the nightclub and nothing else. It didn't seem to Elizabeth that he suspected anything. So Elizabeth began to get ready after Jason had left the apartment. Elizabeth phoned information and found the address of the nightclub and hailed a cab down the street.
She prayed that the driver spoke English. "Anglais?" Elizabeth asked. She shook her head as the cabby looked at her strangely.
What was she supposed to do? The only other language she knew was French and it was just grade 8 French.
"English?" she asked again.
This time, the cabby smiled and nodded. "Where to?" he said with an extreme accent.
"258 Pisane Court," she replied.
Elizabeth really hoped Jason wouldn't be that upset with her.
What? Am I kidding? Of course he's going to be upset!
Elizabeth shook her head. She was doing the right thing. Jaime needed her.
~~
Elizabeth felt out of place in the highly populated club. It hadn't been too hard to get in. Being a runner up in the Face of Deception campaign did have its perks. The beat was pounding so loud that she could feel it in her stomach. Elizabeth surveyed the club, looking for the bar.
It was the only place to start, right? she thought to herself.
Elizabeth thought up all the movie clichés when walking towards the people mobbed bar. She put on her best smile and adjusted her low cut top and approached the dark-haired, dark-eyed bartender. "Hi!" she yelled over top of the music.
The man leaned over the bar to hear her. "What can I get for you?" he yelled.
She had never been one for alcohol. As Elizabeth ordered a club soda, she batted her big eyes at the interested bartender. Elizabeth sat down on an available stool. He had stuck around the same area, throwing glances her way. She smiled and played the flirt.
As the mob of people began to disperse a little, Elizabeth leaned over the bar. "What's your name?" she asked.
The bartender leaned over towards her and whispered in her ear, "Dan, what about you?"
Elizabeth giggled at the feeling of his breath in her ear. Apparently Dan thought it was for his benefit. He cocked his eyebrow and winked. She leaned over and yelled, "Elizabeth."
He took her hand and kissed it. "Are you American?" he said huskily.
Elizabeth nodded. "I was wondering if you could tell me something?" she yelled.
"Anything!" he yelled.
"Were you working here like, um, five days ago?"
Dan nodded. "Yeah."
"Did you happen to know a guy named Rosco?"
Dan stood up and backed away. He shook his head. "No," he yelled.
As he began to take another person's order, Elizabeth leaned over the bar and tugged at his shirt. Dan hesitated and then also leaned over the bar. Elizabeth ran her fingers though his hair. His body eased as she began to pull all out all the stops, flirting with him. "Please," she pouted, "I need to know if a man named Rosco was here?"
He seemed to weaken in resolve as she blew in his ear. Dan nodded. "Yeah, he was here."
"Oh, good," she said sweetly. "Do you know why? And also if he was with anyone?"
Dan began to make his move on her. Elizabeth rolled her eyes as he began to kiss her neck. She pushed him away, "Ah, ah, ah!" Elizabeth shook her finger at him. "I need to know if he was with anyone," she scolded.
His eyes ran down the length of her body. It gave her the creeps. Suddenly his eyes were drawn back to her face as she waved her hand in front of him. "Hello? Was Rosco with anyone?" Elizabeth said more forcefully.
She was getting impatient with him, but Elizabeth finally got what she needed. Dan nodded his head, as Elizabeth tried to pry his wandering hands from her body. "Yeah. He was with a regular. Manisso," he said distractedly.
"Is he here? Rosco? Or maybe Manisso?"
Elizabeth was getting more uncomfortable as he seemed to have a good grip on her wrists. "No. Rosco hasn't been around for a few days. But…" he paused, pulling her close to him, "You're in luck with Manisso. He's here tonight. He's in the rouge room," he motioned toward a doorway covered in strings of beads. "Now, can I get a kiss?"
Elizabeth tried to pull away, but he was too strong. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her when she felt a strong but gentle hand pull her wrist out of Dan's grasp.
"What do you think you're doing?" Jason's voice yelled.
***
Jason had spotted Elizabeth when he had finished talking to the owner of the nightclub. He had to do a double check as he stood at the bar flashing a picture of Rosco, Sonny had faxed to him.
What is she doing here, he had thought to himself.
"Take your hands off of her," he growled.
"Hey!" Dan exclaimed. "I didn't know she belonged to you!"
Jason put his arm around Elizabeth and guided her away from the bar. "What are you doing here?" he said irately.
"I'm looking for leads about Jaime," she yelled.
He motioned over to an empty corner of the room. "It'll be quieter over there," he yelled.
As they sat down on a couple of the chairs strewed around in the corner. "Jason, did you find out anything?" she asked.
"You still haven't told me why you are here. Especially when you told me you wouldn't come," he sighed.
"Jason, I just told you I wouldn't push coming with you. I never said I wouldn't come by myself," Elizabeth explained.
Jason rubbed his face in frustration, "Elizabeth you could've been hurt, or gotten lost, or worse. You don't know Italy. And by the looks of that bartender, he had other things in mind for you," he reprimanded.
"Jason, look, I'm not a little girl. I can handle myself!" she exclaimed angrily. "I took care of Helena didn't I?"
That retort silenced Jason.
He knew she could handle herself.
Jason nodded. "All right. I shouldn't baby you, but you need to trust me when I say that you can't come, in certain situations. I'm not trying to baby you. I…I just know that the situation is more dangerous than a Helena Cassadine, all right? These guys have guns rather than using mind games. Do…do you understand?"
"Yeah. I understand," she sighed. "I won't go anywhere if you really think it's dangerous. But only if it's really dangerous. Not some fact finding mission, okay?"
Jason shook her outstretched hand. "Fine. Now I've talked to the manager, and he's seen Rosco, but he didn't say anything else. I haven't had time to talk to anyone else. What were you doing with the bartender?"
"Oh!" Elizabeth said excitedly, like she had just remembered something. "I was getting information from him."
Jason laughed at the twinkle in her eye. She really got a kick out of it. "What did you find out Miss Detective?" he teased.
"I found out the same thing, that Rosco was here about five days ago. He was meeting some guy named Manisso? I don't know who he is, but apparently he's here tonight."
Jason became interested at the name Manisso. Where had he heard that name before?
Jason grabbed Elizabeth's hand and proceeded to lead her to the back room hidden by a beaded curtain. "Elizabeth, when we get in there, let me do the talking all right?" he commanded.
He looked back at Elizabeth and she nodded her head in agreement.
As Jason and Elizabeth worked their way through the hot sweaty crowd and into the back room, they found it surprisingly quiet. Behind the beaded curtain they found a smoke-filled room dimly lit. There were tables of men and women talking and whispering to each other. They were also doing other unmentionable things.
A large man stopped Jason as he moved forward towards one of the tables. "Name?" he asked.
Jason paused and slipped into his hand a wad of bills. "I need to know what table Manisso is at," he stated.
The guard whispered into Jason's ear and pointed to the far corner booth. "He's the man in the grey suit and beard."
Jason walked towards the booth.
1.1 Chapter Twenty Eight
Elizabeth had found out the name of the nightclub from Jason. She had nonchalantly asked him, "Jason, where is this nightclub, just so if something happens, I can maybe let someone know."
He had given her the name of the nightclub and nothing else. It didn't seem to Elizabeth that he suspected anything. So Elizabeth began to get ready after Jason had left the apartment. Elizabeth phoned information and found the address of the nightclub and hailed a cab down the street.
She prayed that the driver spoke English. "Anglais?" Elizabeth asked. She shook her head as the cabby looked at her strangely.
What was she supposed to do? The only other language she knew was French and it was just grade 8 French.
"English?" she asked again.
This time, the cabby smiled and nodded. "Where to?" he said with an extreme accent.
"258 Pisane Court," she replied.
Elizabeth really hoped Jason wouldn't be that upset with her.
What? Am I kidding? Of course he's going to be upset!
Elizabeth shook her head. She was doing the right thing. Jaime needed her.
~~
Elizabeth felt out of place in the highly populated club. It hadn't been too hard to get in. Being a runner up in the Face of Deception campaign did have its perks. The beat was pounding so loud that she could feel it in her stomach. Elizabeth surveyed the club, looking for the bar.
It was the only place to start, right? she thought to herself.
Elizabeth thought up all the movie clichés when walking towards the people mobbed bar. She put on her best smile and adjusted her low cut top and approached the dark-haired, dark-eyed bartender. "Hi!" she yelled over top of the music.
The man leaned over the bar to hear her. "What can I get for you?" he yelled.
She had never been one for alcohol. As Elizabeth ordered a club soda, she batted her big eyes at the interested bartender. Elizabeth sat down on an available stool. He had stuck around the same area, throwing glances her way. She smiled and played the flirt.
As the mob of people began to disperse a little, Elizabeth leaned over the bar. "What's your name?" she asked.
The bartender leaned over towards her and whispered in her ear, "Dan, what about you?"
Elizabeth giggled at the feeling of his breath in her ear. Apparently Dan thought it was for his benefit. He cocked his eyebrow and winked. She leaned over and yelled, "Elizabeth."
He took her hand and kissed it. "Are you American?" he said huskily.
Elizabeth nodded. "I was wondering if you could tell me something?" she yelled.
"Anything!" he yelled.
"Were you working here like, um, five days ago?"
Dan nodded. "Yeah."
"Did you happen to know a guy named Rosco?"
Dan stood up and backed away. He shook his head. "No," he yelled.
As he began to take another person's order, Elizabeth leaned over the bar and tugged at his shirt. Dan hesitated and then also leaned over the bar. Elizabeth ran her fingers though his hair. His body eased as she began to pull all out all the stops, flirting with him. "Please," she pouted, "I need to know if a man named Rosco was here?"
He seemed to weaken in resolve as she blew in his ear. Dan nodded. "Yeah, he was here."
"Oh, good," she said sweetly. "Do you know why? And also if he was with anyone?"
Dan began to make his move on her. Elizabeth rolled her eyes as he began to kiss her neck. She pushed him away, "Ah, ah, ah!" Elizabeth shook her finger at him. "I need to know if he was with anyone," she scolded.
His eyes ran down the length of her body. It gave her the creeps. Suddenly his eyes were drawn back to her face as she waved her hand in front of him. "Hello? Was Rosco with anyone?" Elizabeth said more forcefully.
She was getting impatient with him, but Elizabeth finally got what she needed. Dan nodded his head, as Elizabeth tried to pry his wandering hands from her body. "Yeah. He was with a regular. Manisso," he said distractedly.
"Is he here? Rosco? Or maybe Manisso?"
Elizabeth was getting more uncomfortable as he seemed to have a good grip on her wrists. "No. Rosco hasn't been around for a few days. But…" he paused, pulling her close to him, "You're in luck with Manisso. He's here tonight. He's in the rouge room," he motioned toward a doorway covered in strings of beads. "Now, can I get a kiss?"
Elizabeth tried to pull away, but he was too strong. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her when she felt a strong but gentle hand pull her wrist out of Dan's grasp.
"What do you think you're doing?" Jason's voice yelled.
***
Jason had spotted Elizabeth when he had finished talking to the owner of the nightclub. He had to do a double check as he stood at the bar flashing a picture of Rosco, Sonny had faxed to him.
What is she doing here, he had thought to himself.
"Take your hands off of her," he growled.
"Hey!" Dan exclaimed. "I didn't know she belonged to you!"
Jason put his arm around Elizabeth and guided her away from the bar. "What are you doing here?" he said irately.
"I'm looking for leads about Jaime," she yelled.
He motioned over to an empty corner of the room. "It'll be quieter over there," he yelled.
As they sat down on a couple of the chairs strewed around in the corner. "Jason, did you find out anything?" she asked.
"You still haven't told me why you are here. Especially when you told me you wouldn't come," he sighed.
"Jason, I just told you I wouldn't push coming with you. I never said I wouldn't come by myself," Elizabeth explained.
Jason rubbed his face in frustration, "Elizabeth you could've been hurt, or gotten lost, or worse. You don't know Italy. And by the looks of that bartender, he had other things in mind for you," he reprimanded.
"Jason, look, I'm not a little girl. I can handle myself!" she exclaimed angrily. "I took care of Helena didn't I?"
That retort silenced Jason.
He knew she could handle herself.
Jason nodded. "All right. I shouldn't baby you, but you need to trust me when I say that you can't come, in certain situations. I'm not trying to baby you. I…I just know that the situation is more dangerous than a Helena Cassadine, all right? These guys have guns rather than using mind games. Do…do you understand?"
"Yeah. I understand," she sighed. "I won't go anywhere if you really think it's dangerous. But only if it's really dangerous. Not some fact finding mission, okay?"
Jason shook her outstretched hand. "Fine. Now I've talked to the manager, and he's seen Rosco, but he didn't say anything else. I haven't had time to talk to anyone else. What were you doing with the bartender?"
"Oh!" Elizabeth said excitedly, like she had just remembered something. "I was getting information from him."
Jason laughed at the twinkle in her eye. She really got a kick out of it. "What did you find out Miss Detective?" he teased.
"I found out the same thing, that Rosco was here about five days ago. He was meeting some guy named Manisso? I don't know who he is, but apparently he's here tonight."
Jason became interested at the name Manisso. Where had he heard that name before?
Jason grabbed Elizabeth's hand and proceeded to lead her to the back room hidden by a beaded curtain. "Elizabeth, when we get in there, let me do the talking all right?" he commanded.
He looked back at Elizabeth and she nodded her head in agreement.
As Jason and Elizabeth worked their way through the hot sweaty crowd and into the back room, they found it surprisingly quiet. Behind the beaded curtain they found a smoke-filled room dimly lit. There were tables of men and women talking and whispering to each other. They were also doing other unmentionable things.
A large man stopped Jason as he moved forward towards one of the tables. "Name?" he asked.
Jason paused and slipped into his hand a wad of bills. "I need to know what table Manisso is at," he stated.
The guard whispered into Jason's ear and pointed to the far corner booth. "He's the man in the grey suit and beard."
Jason walked towards the booth.