"Will you tell me again why we are here?" Jerry said as he followed Skye
through the hall.
Skye gave an exasperated sigh. "We are trying to save your brother from his misplaced white knight tendencies. And why am I even bothering to try and explain myself again?"
"Yes, I understand that. But why Julia Barrett?"
"She's her sister."
"She grieved just like the rest of us when Brenda went off of that cliff."
"I need information on how Brenda thinks. Her last remaining relative seems like a good place to start."
"From what I can remember, they didn't get along all that well. Jax mentioned once that they weren't raised together."
"Family is still family. I find it hard to believe that she wouldn't have contacted her sister during that time in some way."
"If Brenda had contacted Julia, Julia would have called Jax. Everyone knew that he was looking for her."
"Are you so sure about that?"
"Yes."
"If I disappeared like Brenda disappeared, I would find some way to contact my brother AJ. I also would tell him not to tell anyone. Do you know what? He wouldn't tell anyone. That would most definitely include some past significant other."
"Skye, Julia Barrett isn't AJ."
"I'm willing to bet that she would keep Brenda's secret from Jax."
"If you are right and she does know where Brenda is, she's not about to tell us."
"I agree. I don't think that she will tell us anything."
"So the reason for coming here is?"
"Like I said, if someone came looking for me via my brother, he wouldn't say anything. But he would call me or contact me as soon as whoever was out of the house to let me know who it was."
"I assume that you have a plan."
"Of course."
"Do you want to let me in on it?"
Skye stuck her hand into her pocket and pulled out something and showed it to Jerry.
Jerry looked at Skye in amazement. "You're going to bug Julia's house."
"It would take to long to trip her up. We can't stick around very long. Alcazar's on our tail. With these, all we have to do is shake her up a little bit and she will make a phone call."
"Do you even know how to use those?"
"What's to know? We get in the house. We distract Julia. I plant the things in her phones and around her house. We leave. Julia will turn around and call Brenda."
"That's assuming that Julia knows where she is and Alcazar doesn't have her."
"She knows and Alcazar doesn't have Brenda on his leash. I'm willing to make a bet on it."
"I got a better idea. You distract Julia. I'll plant the bugs."
"You will? Thank you. It is so generous of you to volunteer."
Jerry looked at the big smile on Skye's face. "You had this planned all along."
Skye shrugged. "Are you kidding? I can't even pick a simple lock. Although I once tried to break into Jax's safe to steal a map."
"What?"
"Long story. Needless to say, I don't have the skills. I have always been better with distractions than with hardware." Skye placed the electronics into his hands. "I believe that her door is just down this hall."
Skye knocked on the door and waited. A tall blond woman who looked nothing like Brenda opened the door. Skye thought she had the wrong door until Jerry showed up behind her and said, "Hello Julia."
Julia looked confused for a moment. "Do I know you?"
"I know that it has been a long time, but I didn't think that the experience was that unforgettable."
"Ah yes, now I remember. You're the reason my sister got shot." Julia said right before she slammed the door right into Jerry's foot.
Skye looked at Jerry in amusement. "Did you forget to tell me something?"
"Uh, no, not really."
"You got Brenda shot?"
"I was hoping that she had forgotten that little incident. The bullet was actually meant for Jax. Brenda just got in the way."
"That isn't exactly a confidence building statement."
"Can't we talk about this later?"
"You can depend upon it."
Julia growled from the other side of the door. "Will you move your foot?"
Jerry turned to Julia. "I'll move my foot when you open the door."
Julia threw Jerry an annoyed look and opened the door. "What do you want and make it quick."
"Now Julia, that is hardly polite. I haven't even had a chance to introduce my friend."
"If she is a friend of yours, then I'm sure that I'm not missing anything. Fine, come in. Make yourself at home. Apparently I can't stop you." Julia turned to me and held out her hand. "Hello I'm Julia Barrett. I'm sorry for the rude welcome. It's not about you. You very possibly could be a very nice woman. I just assume that because you are with him, that trouble isn't very far behind you."
Skye took her hand. "That's okay. I'm Skye Chandler Quartermaine. In this case, you are absolutely right. Trouble is headed this way."
"That's hardly reassuring."
"Well, since this trouble concerns your sister, I assumed that you would want to know about it."
"This is about my sister?" Julia turned back to Jerry. "You didn't go and get her shot again, did you?"
"Sorry to disappoint you Julia, however this time I have nothing to do with it."
Skye interrupted, "Excuse me, but I've been on my feet for most of the afternoon. Could please impose on you for a glass of water?"
Julia threw up her hands. "Sure. Why not? Please take a seat. I'll be right back. And Jerry, don't get too comfortable."
"I wouldn't dream of it Julia." As Julia left the room, Jerry started unscrewing the phone and quickly planted the bug.
"You know, this won't do any good unless we can get on in her cell phone also."
Skye looked at Jerry. "Don't worry. I have that covered."
"How?"
Skye didn't answer because Julia walked in with a glass for Skye.
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
"What? Nothing for me?" Jerry said.
"Be grateful I haven't called security and had you thrown out." Julia turned back to Skye. "You were saying that my sister was in trouble." Suddenly the phone in Julia's pocket rang. "Just a moment. I need to answer this. 'Hello. Oh Hi Jax. Yes your brother is right here.' Jerry, It's for you. I won't even ask how he knew to call here to get you."
Jerry looked at the phone in surprise.
When Jerry didn't immediately take the phone, Skye said, "If you don't answer it, you'll never know what he wants."
Jerry picked up the phone. "Is there someplace where I could have some privacy while I talk to my brother?"
"Sure, anything to get you out of the room." Julia answered. "Just go through that door." Julia pointed to the side.
Jerry thanked her and left the room.
Julia turned back to Skye. "You were going to tell me news about my sister."
"Yes." Skye replied. "I'm sure you heard by now about the imposter in Port Charles."
Julia nodded. "She called me to apologize. She seemed sincere. I hope that she finds where she came from. God knows what her real family is thinking about now."
"It must be horrible for them. There is no limit to how far Luis Alcazar will go when he is after something. That woman's poor family probably believes that she is dead. Of course with your sister still missing, you know how that feels."
"She isn't missing. She is dead."
"I'm not so sure about that."
Julia shook her head. "I gave up hoping for a miracle a long time ago. She isn't coming back."
"After I heard that the woman in Port Charles wasn't Brenda, I did some thinking. That woman knew too much, too many details about Brenda's life. In fact, she knew things that only the real Brenda would have been able to bring up. The only place she could have gotten this information was from the real deal."
"What are you saying? You think that she is alive."
"Luis Alcazar had to have gotten the information somewhere. You have heard of Luis Alcazar, haven't you?"
Julia shook her head. "I'm sorry. I think that I have heard the name somewhere but I can't seem to place it."
"Well, Luis Alcazar is an international gun and drug smuggler. He has his little dirty fingers in all sorts of illegal activities. Somehow, one of those fingers has gotten a firm hold on your sister. I would hate to think about what he is putting her through."
"You think that Luis Alcazar has Brenda?"
"Well, where else could she be? Everyone has such high opinions of the woman. She never would have done something so cruel as to let everyone believe that she was dead if she had the free will to come back. Alcazar must have her. But you don't have to worry. I wouldn't dream of leaving someone in Alcazar's grasp. Jerry and I have come up with a plan. We will bring her home to you."
---
The second they turned the corner down the street, Jerry turned to Skye and asked, "How in the world did you get Jax to call Julia."
"I talked to him, obviously." Skye rolled her eyes.
"When? How? We didn't even know when we would see her today. How did he know when to call?"
"I called him on your phone, while you were in the shower this morning."
"And?" Jerry paused before he got in the car.
"And what?" Skye said from the other side.
"And what did you talk about?"
"That is none of your business." Skye said as she got into the passenger side of the car and closed the door.
Jerry got in next to her and started the car. "Come on. I've been working on you two for weeks. I want details." When Skye continued to say nothing, Jerry added, "I feel like I somehow missed an entire chapter of this romance."
Skye's lips rose slightly in amusement. "Ahh, that's why you have been so attentive to me. Our entertainment value."
"Is that what you think of me?" Jerry teased. "I'll have you know that the reason that I'm here is because you are a beautiful woman in trouble. I would do this for any beautiful woman in trouble. Normally, I would be pursuing some delightful romance to pass the time, however in your case, I find myself living vicariously through you two.
Skye laughed. "Okay, cupid. Take me somewhere to wash this bad taste out of my mouth and I'll consider giving you a few details.
"A bad taste? What caused that?"
"Pretending concern for Brenda to a woman that I'm sure knows where she is. All that lying and sucking up has left a definite bad taste in my mouth."
"You're that sure that she knows where Brenda is?"
"If I'm right, we will know before the hour is out. You wanted to know how he knew when to call. Jax was listening on the receiving side of that bug. He heard the entire conversation."
"No wonder he called at such a convenient time. You two must have had one hell of a conversation this morning."
Skye got a silly smile on her face. "It was okay."
"You don't get a smile like that from just okay."
"It was good to hear from him." Skye's smile turned a little sad. "It's just to bad that I can't see him. Or that he doesn't believe me."
"I understand why you're worried about seeing him. If you got near him it would be like leading Alcazar right to you. But what exactly doesn't he believe?"
"He doesn't believe that Julia has kept Brenda's location secret from him all of these years."
"It's understandable. He went to Julia's house several times over the years to discuss possible places to look and where he would go next."
Skye let out an ironic laugh. "Thereby guaranteeing that he would never find her. Julia was probably telling her where Jax was so she could avoid him."
"Skye, this is a big world. Brenda wouldn't have needed Julia's help to hide from Jax."
"When AJ went into hiding with Courtney, I got ticked off. I said some very cruel things. I basically pushed him away. Jax, in an effort to get in my good graces, picked up a phone and did in one night what Sonny Corinthos couldn't accomplish in a week. He found AJ for me. I went into hiding after I thought that I had killed my grandfather and he had no problem locating the cheap hotel I was staying in. After he walked out and moved in with Brenda, I disappeared and how long did it take him to pick up my trail?"
"He was on your trail about a week after he finally figured out that you were in trouble."
"Exactly. Jax knew Brenda a lot longer and better than he knew me. Yet despite all efforts, he has not been able to find her. She had to have had help."
"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean that she turned to Julia. You didn't see Julia when Brenda was lost at sea. She was grieving. She wasn't faking it."
Skye nodded. "Let's assume for a second that Brenda really did go over that bridge with her mother. In order to survive, someone would have had to fish her out. Let's assume that Alcazar really did find her."
"Just wait a minute. Are we talking about the fake Brenda now?"
"Sort of. I've been telling lies for years. The most successful way to hide a lie is in the truth."
"What is really sad is that I understood every word that you just said."
"Have you told a few whoppers over the years Jerry?"
"I've told enough to know that if you tell the person something that they can verify, they are more likely to believe you when you aren't being so truthful."
"Jerry, where were you before I fell in love with Jax?"
"Why"
"If only you had come along first. I think that I fell in love with the wrong Jax brother. You seem to understand what I say much better than he does."
"I bet you guard your tongue more with him than with me."
"How did you know?"
Jerry looked over at Skye. "Been there. Done that."
Then the phone rang.
Jerry pulled out the phone. "Hello."
"You wouldn't believe who Julia called the minute you two walked out the door."
Skye leaned over to try to hear who was on the phone. "Is it Jax?" she whispered.
Jerry nodded.
"Did she call Brenda?" Skye asked in the background.
Jerry ignored her as he listened to Jax, "Hi Jax. If she called Brenda right away, why didn't you call us."
"Do we know where she is?" Skye asked Jerry.
Jax continued, "That's just it. She didn't call Brenda the second you walked out. She called Alcazar."
"What? Are you sure?" Jerry asked.
"Is he sure about what?" Skye asked.
Jerry pulled his mouth away from the phone and whispered, "Julia called Alcazar."
"What?" Skye screeched that out loud enough that Jax heard her.
"Skye's there? Good. Then you won't have to find her. Julia called him by a different name, Jerry, but I'm sure it was him. It's possible that she isn't aware of who he really is. You're still going to want to get out of there right away." Jax replied.
"We are all packed up. Our bags are in the trunk. Damn. Skye was counting on Julia calling Brenda right away to give us our next destination."
"I hate it when people use my name in the third person when I'm standing right next to them." Skye said as she grabbed for the phone in Jerry's hand.
As Jerry pulled to phone out of her reach, he heard Jax say, "If you are looking for a place to go, I suggest Wisconsin."
Jerry pulled the phone back to his ear. "Why?"
"That was the location of the second phone call that Julia made. She placed a call to some little town called Belmont."
"She talked to Brenda." Jerry said that to confirm what he just heard Jax say and to let Skye know what was going on.
"Where is she?" Skye asked.
Jerry whispered Wisconsin as Jax continued to talk. "No, she talked about her. It sounded like she is living in the area. Julia called the man Mr. Wedig. Unfortunately I didn't get the full phone number before they hung up. I'm missing the last four numbers. I just have the 608 area code and the 762 indicating the city. I checked the map. It's a rural area."
"We will take it from here. How many Wedig's could there possible be?"
"Good Luck. I'll meet you there as soon as I loose my latest tail."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? We don't want to lead Alcazar to Skye."
"I know, but being this far away from her for this long is really wearing me down."
"It's your own fault. You never should have left her in the first place."
"I know. Believe me, I'm paying for it now."
"What about the guys that are following you."
"I was having trouble figuring out who and how they were following me. After my talk with Skye, I haven't had any problems picking them out of the crowd."
"I'm impressed. Talking to her settled your mind that much that you could focus?"
"No, it's not that. Although, the fact that she would willingly pick up the phone and talk to me did help. She told me how to spot them in the crowd. Now that I know what to look for, I'm amazed that I didn't notice them before."
Jerry smiled. "I'll be sure to thank her for you."
"Just remember when you are thanking her that she's my woman."
"Jax, it's been years since we chased the same woman."
"That's because it's been years since we have been attracted to the same woman."
"I always figured that was because you lowered your standards for a while because you were tired to competing for the really good ones. After spending so much time with your wife, I'm happy to see that your standards have finally risen."
"Jerry, don't you dare flirt with my wife."
"That would be ex-wife. Relax Jax, I guarantee that I won't do anything that you wouldn't do if our situations were reversed."
"Yes. That's what I am worried about."
Jerry laughed. "I'll see you latter. When you get to the states, ditch the phone and pick up the new one at the drop site."
"I know where. Good luck. We will compare notes in what, 24 hours?"
"Sounds good."
-- "Do I look to big in this dress?"
"Skye you've got two babies in there. You're are going to get big. Did you remember your pills?"
"Yes, I took the pill. If I am this big now, how big am I going to be when I come due."
"What ever happened to 'Oh how cute, I'm showing. Isn't it great, I can feel my babies moving.'"
"At three months showing was cute. It was new. Now I'm a blob. How do people handle all the moving around?"
"You like it when they move."
"During the day. Why can't they sleep when I do?"
"Skye you're only five months along."
"My point exactly. If they're fluttering around and hitting my insides like this now, what are they going to be like when they get bigger?"
"If they are boys, hopefully as handsome as the rest of the Jax males. If they are girls, they will be as beautiful as their mother."
"Good save."
"I thought so."
Jerry pulled the car into the parking lot by the park. "This has to be a mistake. I knew Brenda. The woman I knew loved attention and sexy tight fitting clothes from designer lines. She liked going out at night and good restaurants. That's why modeling was the perfect job for her. There is absolutely nothing in this town. If I blinked while driving through, I would miss it." Jerry complained.
"It isn't completely bare. I counted three bars when we drove down that last street. This place looks better than that little backhole in Louisiana that Jax dragged me to." Skye commented.
"Jax took you there? That little town may not look like much, but it has the best fried gaiter anywhere."
"Oh God. Not you too. If spattered grease is what appeals to you, the sign in that last bar said it served food."
"There isn't even a hotel in this backhole."
"Who in their right mind would want to stay here? Any hotel would go broke. Do you have any ideas on how to find this Mr. Wedig? I check the phone book. There are 16 listings for Wedig in this town. That's assuming this guy lives in this town and wasn't just calling from one of these houses."
"What? You don't have a plan for this? Here I was beginning to hero worship you for your inventive solutions."
Skye rolled her eyes and said playfully, "I fell off of my pedestal already?"
Jerry smiled, "With me, you will never fall off of your pedestal. It doesn't matter what you have done, or will do, chances are I've done something worse."
"A man I can't shock, I think that I like this. Why didn't I meet you before I fell in love with Jax?"
"Because you had the extremely bad taste to not wait until I met you." Jerry teased. "I have an idea. This is a small town. My experience with small towns has been that everyone knows everyone else's business. We just need to find out who the town gossips are and ingratiate ourselves. Are you hungry?"
"You have got to be kidding. You really want to eat at that tiny little bar?"
"It can't be that bad. I'm hungry and as you pointed out, it looks like it is the only place to eat in town."
"You go ahead. I think that I have lost whatever appetite that I might have had."
"What do you plan to do in the meantime?"
"If the plan is to find someone who loves to gossip, you can drop me off at the local library."
Skye gave an exasperated sigh. "We are trying to save your brother from his misplaced white knight tendencies. And why am I even bothering to try and explain myself again?"
"Yes, I understand that. But why Julia Barrett?"
"She's her sister."
"She grieved just like the rest of us when Brenda went off of that cliff."
"I need information on how Brenda thinks. Her last remaining relative seems like a good place to start."
"From what I can remember, they didn't get along all that well. Jax mentioned once that they weren't raised together."
"Family is still family. I find it hard to believe that she wouldn't have contacted her sister during that time in some way."
"If Brenda had contacted Julia, Julia would have called Jax. Everyone knew that he was looking for her."
"Are you so sure about that?"
"Yes."
"If I disappeared like Brenda disappeared, I would find some way to contact my brother AJ. I also would tell him not to tell anyone. Do you know what? He wouldn't tell anyone. That would most definitely include some past significant other."
"Skye, Julia Barrett isn't AJ."
"I'm willing to bet that she would keep Brenda's secret from Jax."
"If you are right and she does know where Brenda is, she's not about to tell us."
"I agree. I don't think that she will tell us anything."
"So the reason for coming here is?"
"Like I said, if someone came looking for me via my brother, he wouldn't say anything. But he would call me or contact me as soon as whoever was out of the house to let me know who it was."
"I assume that you have a plan."
"Of course."
"Do you want to let me in on it?"
Skye stuck her hand into her pocket and pulled out something and showed it to Jerry.
Jerry looked at Skye in amazement. "You're going to bug Julia's house."
"It would take to long to trip her up. We can't stick around very long. Alcazar's on our tail. With these, all we have to do is shake her up a little bit and she will make a phone call."
"Do you even know how to use those?"
"What's to know? We get in the house. We distract Julia. I plant the things in her phones and around her house. We leave. Julia will turn around and call Brenda."
"That's assuming that Julia knows where she is and Alcazar doesn't have her."
"She knows and Alcazar doesn't have Brenda on his leash. I'm willing to make a bet on it."
"I got a better idea. You distract Julia. I'll plant the bugs."
"You will? Thank you. It is so generous of you to volunteer."
Jerry looked at the big smile on Skye's face. "You had this planned all along."
Skye shrugged. "Are you kidding? I can't even pick a simple lock. Although I once tried to break into Jax's safe to steal a map."
"What?"
"Long story. Needless to say, I don't have the skills. I have always been better with distractions than with hardware." Skye placed the electronics into his hands. "I believe that her door is just down this hall."
Skye knocked on the door and waited. A tall blond woman who looked nothing like Brenda opened the door. Skye thought she had the wrong door until Jerry showed up behind her and said, "Hello Julia."
Julia looked confused for a moment. "Do I know you?"
"I know that it has been a long time, but I didn't think that the experience was that unforgettable."
"Ah yes, now I remember. You're the reason my sister got shot." Julia said right before she slammed the door right into Jerry's foot.
Skye looked at Jerry in amusement. "Did you forget to tell me something?"
"Uh, no, not really."
"You got Brenda shot?"
"I was hoping that she had forgotten that little incident. The bullet was actually meant for Jax. Brenda just got in the way."
"That isn't exactly a confidence building statement."
"Can't we talk about this later?"
"You can depend upon it."
Julia growled from the other side of the door. "Will you move your foot?"
Jerry turned to Julia. "I'll move my foot when you open the door."
Julia threw Jerry an annoyed look and opened the door. "What do you want and make it quick."
"Now Julia, that is hardly polite. I haven't even had a chance to introduce my friend."
"If she is a friend of yours, then I'm sure that I'm not missing anything. Fine, come in. Make yourself at home. Apparently I can't stop you." Julia turned to me and held out her hand. "Hello I'm Julia Barrett. I'm sorry for the rude welcome. It's not about you. You very possibly could be a very nice woman. I just assume that because you are with him, that trouble isn't very far behind you."
Skye took her hand. "That's okay. I'm Skye Chandler Quartermaine. In this case, you are absolutely right. Trouble is headed this way."
"That's hardly reassuring."
"Well, since this trouble concerns your sister, I assumed that you would want to know about it."
"This is about my sister?" Julia turned back to Jerry. "You didn't go and get her shot again, did you?"
"Sorry to disappoint you Julia, however this time I have nothing to do with it."
Skye interrupted, "Excuse me, but I've been on my feet for most of the afternoon. Could please impose on you for a glass of water?"
Julia threw up her hands. "Sure. Why not? Please take a seat. I'll be right back. And Jerry, don't get too comfortable."
"I wouldn't dream of it Julia." As Julia left the room, Jerry started unscrewing the phone and quickly planted the bug.
"You know, this won't do any good unless we can get on in her cell phone also."
Skye looked at Jerry. "Don't worry. I have that covered."
"How?"
Skye didn't answer because Julia walked in with a glass for Skye.
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
"What? Nothing for me?" Jerry said.
"Be grateful I haven't called security and had you thrown out." Julia turned back to Skye. "You were saying that my sister was in trouble." Suddenly the phone in Julia's pocket rang. "Just a moment. I need to answer this. 'Hello. Oh Hi Jax. Yes your brother is right here.' Jerry, It's for you. I won't even ask how he knew to call here to get you."
Jerry looked at the phone in surprise.
When Jerry didn't immediately take the phone, Skye said, "If you don't answer it, you'll never know what he wants."
Jerry picked up the phone. "Is there someplace where I could have some privacy while I talk to my brother?"
"Sure, anything to get you out of the room." Julia answered. "Just go through that door." Julia pointed to the side.
Jerry thanked her and left the room.
Julia turned back to Skye. "You were going to tell me news about my sister."
"Yes." Skye replied. "I'm sure you heard by now about the imposter in Port Charles."
Julia nodded. "She called me to apologize. She seemed sincere. I hope that she finds where she came from. God knows what her real family is thinking about now."
"It must be horrible for them. There is no limit to how far Luis Alcazar will go when he is after something. That woman's poor family probably believes that she is dead. Of course with your sister still missing, you know how that feels."
"She isn't missing. She is dead."
"I'm not so sure about that."
Julia shook her head. "I gave up hoping for a miracle a long time ago. She isn't coming back."
"After I heard that the woman in Port Charles wasn't Brenda, I did some thinking. That woman knew too much, too many details about Brenda's life. In fact, she knew things that only the real Brenda would have been able to bring up. The only place she could have gotten this information was from the real deal."
"What are you saying? You think that she is alive."
"Luis Alcazar had to have gotten the information somewhere. You have heard of Luis Alcazar, haven't you?"
Julia shook her head. "I'm sorry. I think that I have heard the name somewhere but I can't seem to place it."
"Well, Luis Alcazar is an international gun and drug smuggler. He has his little dirty fingers in all sorts of illegal activities. Somehow, one of those fingers has gotten a firm hold on your sister. I would hate to think about what he is putting her through."
"You think that Luis Alcazar has Brenda?"
"Well, where else could she be? Everyone has such high opinions of the woman. She never would have done something so cruel as to let everyone believe that she was dead if she had the free will to come back. Alcazar must have her. But you don't have to worry. I wouldn't dream of leaving someone in Alcazar's grasp. Jerry and I have come up with a plan. We will bring her home to you."
---
The second they turned the corner down the street, Jerry turned to Skye and asked, "How in the world did you get Jax to call Julia."
"I talked to him, obviously." Skye rolled her eyes.
"When? How? We didn't even know when we would see her today. How did he know when to call?"
"I called him on your phone, while you were in the shower this morning."
"And?" Jerry paused before he got in the car.
"And what?" Skye said from the other side.
"And what did you talk about?"
"That is none of your business." Skye said as she got into the passenger side of the car and closed the door.
Jerry got in next to her and started the car. "Come on. I've been working on you two for weeks. I want details." When Skye continued to say nothing, Jerry added, "I feel like I somehow missed an entire chapter of this romance."
Skye's lips rose slightly in amusement. "Ahh, that's why you have been so attentive to me. Our entertainment value."
"Is that what you think of me?" Jerry teased. "I'll have you know that the reason that I'm here is because you are a beautiful woman in trouble. I would do this for any beautiful woman in trouble. Normally, I would be pursuing some delightful romance to pass the time, however in your case, I find myself living vicariously through you two.
Skye laughed. "Okay, cupid. Take me somewhere to wash this bad taste out of my mouth and I'll consider giving you a few details.
"A bad taste? What caused that?"
"Pretending concern for Brenda to a woman that I'm sure knows where she is. All that lying and sucking up has left a definite bad taste in my mouth."
"You're that sure that she knows where Brenda is?"
"If I'm right, we will know before the hour is out. You wanted to know how he knew when to call. Jax was listening on the receiving side of that bug. He heard the entire conversation."
"No wonder he called at such a convenient time. You two must have had one hell of a conversation this morning."
Skye got a silly smile on her face. "It was okay."
"You don't get a smile like that from just okay."
"It was good to hear from him." Skye's smile turned a little sad. "It's just to bad that I can't see him. Or that he doesn't believe me."
"I understand why you're worried about seeing him. If you got near him it would be like leading Alcazar right to you. But what exactly doesn't he believe?"
"He doesn't believe that Julia has kept Brenda's location secret from him all of these years."
"It's understandable. He went to Julia's house several times over the years to discuss possible places to look and where he would go next."
Skye let out an ironic laugh. "Thereby guaranteeing that he would never find her. Julia was probably telling her where Jax was so she could avoid him."
"Skye, this is a big world. Brenda wouldn't have needed Julia's help to hide from Jax."
"When AJ went into hiding with Courtney, I got ticked off. I said some very cruel things. I basically pushed him away. Jax, in an effort to get in my good graces, picked up a phone and did in one night what Sonny Corinthos couldn't accomplish in a week. He found AJ for me. I went into hiding after I thought that I had killed my grandfather and he had no problem locating the cheap hotel I was staying in. After he walked out and moved in with Brenda, I disappeared and how long did it take him to pick up my trail?"
"He was on your trail about a week after he finally figured out that you were in trouble."
"Exactly. Jax knew Brenda a lot longer and better than he knew me. Yet despite all efforts, he has not been able to find her. She had to have had help."
"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean that she turned to Julia. You didn't see Julia when Brenda was lost at sea. She was grieving. She wasn't faking it."
Skye nodded. "Let's assume for a second that Brenda really did go over that bridge with her mother. In order to survive, someone would have had to fish her out. Let's assume that Alcazar really did find her."
"Just wait a minute. Are we talking about the fake Brenda now?"
"Sort of. I've been telling lies for years. The most successful way to hide a lie is in the truth."
"What is really sad is that I understood every word that you just said."
"Have you told a few whoppers over the years Jerry?"
"I've told enough to know that if you tell the person something that they can verify, they are more likely to believe you when you aren't being so truthful."
"Jerry, where were you before I fell in love with Jax?"
"Why"
"If only you had come along first. I think that I fell in love with the wrong Jax brother. You seem to understand what I say much better than he does."
"I bet you guard your tongue more with him than with me."
"How did you know?"
Jerry looked over at Skye. "Been there. Done that."
Then the phone rang.
Jerry pulled out the phone. "Hello."
"You wouldn't believe who Julia called the minute you two walked out the door."
Skye leaned over to try to hear who was on the phone. "Is it Jax?" she whispered.
Jerry nodded.
"Did she call Brenda?" Skye asked in the background.
Jerry ignored her as he listened to Jax, "Hi Jax. If she called Brenda right away, why didn't you call us."
"Do we know where she is?" Skye asked Jerry.
Jax continued, "That's just it. She didn't call Brenda the second you walked out. She called Alcazar."
"What? Are you sure?" Jerry asked.
"Is he sure about what?" Skye asked.
Jerry pulled his mouth away from the phone and whispered, "Julia called Alcazar."
"What?" Skye screeched that out loud enough that Jax heard her.
"Skye's there? Good. Then you won't have to find her. Julia called him by a different name, Jerry, but I'm sure it was him. It's possible that she isn't aware of who he really is. You're still going to want to get out of there right away." Jax replied.
"We are all packed up. Our bags are in the trunk. Damn. Skye was counting on Julia calling Brenda right away to give us our next destination."
"I hate it when people use my name in the third person when I'm standing right next to them." Skye said as she grabbed for the phone in Jerry's hand.
As Jerry pulled to phone out of her reach, he heard Jax say, "If you are looking for a place to go, I suggest Wisconsin."
Jerry pulled the phone back to his ear. "Why?"
"That was the location of the second phone call that Julia made. She placed a call to some little town called Belmont."
"She talked to Brenda." Jerry said that to confirm what he just heard Jax say and to let Skye know what was going on.
"Where is she?" Skye asked.
Jerry whispered Wisconsin as Jax continued to talk. "No, she talked about her. It sounded like she is living in the area. Julia called the man Mr. Wedig. Unfortunately I didn't get the full phone number before they hung up. I'm missing the last four numbers. I just have the 608 area code and the 762 indicating the city. I checked the map. It's a rural area."
"We will take it from here. How many Wedig's could there possible be?"
"Good Luck. I'll meet you there as soon as I loose my latest tail."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? We don't want to lead Alcazar to Skye."
"I know, but being this far away from her for this long is really wearing me down."
"It's your own fault. You never should have left her in the first place."
"I know. Believe me, I'm paying for it now."
"What about the guys that are following you."
"I was having trouble figuring out who and how they were following me. After my talk with Skye, I haven't had any problems picking them out of the crowd."
"I'm impressed. Talking to her settled your mind that much that you could focus?"
"No, it's not that. Although, the fact that she would willingly pick up the phone and talk to me did help. She told me how to spot them in the crowd. Now that I know what to look for, I'm amazed that I didn't notice them before."
Jerry smiled. "I'll be sure to thank her for you."
"Just remember when you are thanking her that she's my woman."
"Jax, it's been years since we chased the same woman."
"That's because it's been years since we have been attracted to the same woman."
"I always figured that was because you lowered your standards for a while because you were tired to competing for the really good ones. After spending so much time with your wife, I'm happy to see that your standards have finally risen."
"Jerry, don't you dare flirt with my wife."
"That would be ex-wife. Relax Jax, I guarantee that I won't do anything that you wouldn't do if our situations were reversed."
"Yes. That's what I am worried about."
Jerry laughed. "I'll see you latter. When you get to the states, ditch the phone and pick up the new one at the drop site."
"I know where. Good luck. We will compare notes in what, 24 hours?"
"Sounds good."
-- "Do I look to big in this dress?"
"Skye you've got two babies in there. You're are going to get big. Did you remember your pills?"
"Yes, I took the pill. If I am this big now, how big am I going to be when I come due."
"What ever happened to 'Oh how cute, I'm showing. Isn't it great, I can feel my babies moving.'"
"At three months showing was cute. It was new. Now I'm a blob. How do people handle all the moving around?"
"You like it when they move."
"During the day. Why can't they sleep when I do?"
"Skye you're only five months along."
"My point exactly. If they're fluttering around and hitting my insides like this now, what are they going to be like when they get bigger?"
"If they are boys, hopefully as handsome as the rest of the Jax males. If they are girls, they will be as beautiful as their mother."
"Good save."
"I thought so."
Jerry pulled the car into the parking lot by the park. "This has to be a mistake. I knew Brenda. The woman I knew loved attention and sexy tight fitting clothes from designer lines. She liked going out at night and good restaurants. That's why modeling was the perfect job for her. There is absolutely nothing in this town. If I blinked while driving through, I would miss it." Jerry complained.
"It isn't completely bare. I counted three bars when we drove down that last street. This place looks better than that little backhole in Louisiana that Jax dragged me to." Skye commented.
"Jax took you there? That little town may not look like much, but it has the best fried gaiter anywhere."
"Oh God. Not you too. If spattered grease is what appeals to you, the sign in that last bar said it served food."
"There isn't even a hotel in this backhole."
"Who in their right mind would want to stay here? Any hotel would go broke. Do you have any ideas on how to find this Mr. Wedig? I check the phone book. There are 16 listings for Wedig in this town. That's assuming this guy lives in this town and wasn't just calling from one of these houses."
"What? You don't have a plan for this? Here I was beginning to hero worship you for your inventive solutions."
Skye rolled her eyes and said playfully, "I fell off of my pedestal already?"
Jerry smiled, "With me, you will never fall off of your pedestal. It doesn't matter what you have done, or will do, chances are I've done something worse."
"A man I can't shock, I think that I like this. Why didn't I meet you before I fell in love with Jax?"
"Because you had the extremely bad taste to not wait until I met you." Jerry teased. "I have an idea. This is a small town. My experience with small towns has been that everyone knows everyone else's business. We just need to find out who the town gossips are and ingratiate ourselves. Are you hungry?"
"You have got to be kidding. You really want to eat at that tiny little bar?"
"It can't be that bad. I'm hungry and as you pointed out, it looks like it is the only place to eat in town."
"You go ahead. I think that I have lost whatever appetite that I might have had."
"What do you plan to do in the meantime?"
"If the plan is to find someone who loves to gossip, you can drop me off at the local library."