Chapter 27
"I wondered how long it would take for you to show up," Taggert said sipping his coffee. "Tell me, Alexis, do you ever get tired of defending this man? How many people does he have to kill before you stop playing ignorant and realize he's not worth your talent?"
Alexis sighed. She'd heard this argument too many times to count. She didn't need to get into this again with the detective. She just wanted to see her client. Of all the times she'd defended Jason, this was the first time she truly believed he was innocent. There was no way in hell Jason could have hurt Elizabeth. She was sure he loved her. She couldn't see him shooting her or Lucky either for that matter.
"I'd like to see my client," she said with determination.
"Where is he?" Carly came barging into the police station with Sonny following behind her. "I demand to see him."
Sonny had tried to get her to calm down in the limo, but Carly wouldn't listen. He didn't like what was going on either, but they needed to keep clear heads. Jason needed them to be level headed and find out a way to solve this problem. Above all, Sonny needed to know what really happened. He knew Jason, knew that he would never have harmed Elizabeth. Jason didn't have it in him.
"Carly, calm down," he said touching her shoulder.
She swung around and stared at him like he was the enemy. "What? I will not calm down. Jason's been arrested on a trumped up charge, and I'm not going to let this corrupt police department get away with it."
"With all due respect, Mrs. Corinthos," Taggert responded trying to sound respectful but the underlying anger could be heard. "The evidence speaks for itself. Jason Morgan shot Elizabeth Webber in cold blood and then went hunting for Lucky Spencer. You coming here and yelling isn't going to change those facts. I suggest you sit quietly or else I'll have you removed from the building."
She was about to reply when Sonny clamped a hand over her mouth. "Taggert, please excuse my wife. She's understandably upset over Jason's arrest and her cousin's death. She will be quiet from now on or I'll remove her myself." He gave her a pointed look that she couldn't ignore. She raised her hand agreeing to stay silent. She wanted to see Jason, and if causing trouble was going to prevent that, she would keep quiet.
Taggert nodded and looked at the crime boss. As much as he wanted it to, he knew Jason's arrest couldn't be used to bring Sonny down. Corinthos wasn't involved with this. Shooting Elizabeth and Lucky was personal not business related. "I'm afraid Morgan isn't allowed any visitors right now," he smiled knowing Corinthos couldn't fix this problem. Even if he couldn't get the boss, his second in command was just as good. Corinthos was nothing without Morgan. Once he was in jail Corinthos would soon follow.
"He can see me," Alexis insisted. She had stayed quiet during Carly's disruption contemplating her defence. First she needed to talk to her client.
Taggert waved his hand towards the interrogation room door. "Be my guest."
Alexis entered unsure what to expect. Jason sat motionless staring at something – she wasn't sure what – on the table. His face was devoid of any emotion. He wore prison blues. His shirt had been taken as evidence. "Jason?" When she got no reply, she called him again. "Jason?" She touched his arm to snap him out of wherever he was. When he still didn't respond, she feared there was something wrong with him.
"Why are you here?" His voiced matched his expression. His eyes were fixed on a coffee stain on the table, but he wasn't really seeing the stain. In his mind he was seeing Elizabeth's body as she was struck by the bullet. It was on a continuous loop in his mind.
"Sonny called me," she said talking as if she were speaking to a child.
"You've wasted a trip. I don't need you this time."
"What do you mean?" She had never seen Jason like this before. This wasn't his usual empty stare he used when he didn't want to answer a question. He looked dejected, like a man who'd lost everything he possessed in the world.
"I don't need you, Alexis. I'm guilty," he said quietly.
She shook her head sure she hadn't heard correctly. "No, Jason. I know you. You couldn't have done this."
He flashed her an angry look. It was the first show of emotion she'd seen from him. "You don't know me. I've killed many people. You just don't want to admit it. Your conscience couldn't handle getting me off each time if you did."
He was partially right. She did like to live in ignorance of what he did, but deep down she knew and she accepted it. She was just as involved in this business as he was. She just like to pretend her hands were clean since she'd never pulled the trigger. She used her skill as a lawyer to protect Sonny and Jason from prosecution. That was her role, and she wasn't going to be sorry for it. In any other mob hit, she wouldn't care if he were guilty or not. She would just do her job. But this wasn't an ordinary mob hit. She knew Jason wasn't capable of what Taggert had accused him of.
She grabbed his hand with hers urging him to see the truth. "Jason, you didn't do this. I know it. It's not in you. You kill for business not personal. You do not have it in you to kill for your own purposes, especially hurting Elizabeth. There is no way you can convince me you wanted to hurt her. I know you love her." She stared at him amazed as tears began to form in his eyes. "Please tell me what happened," she pleaded.
"I killed her. She's dead because of me," he whispered.
"What? No, Jason …" she wanted to continue but Taggert entered with a file in his hand.
"Forensics' preliminary report is in. I only have a few questions for your client." He sat across from them and opened the file. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He was struck dumb by the sight in front of him. Jason Morgan, mob enforcer and hit man had tears running down his face. Taggert hadn't thought the man was capable of such emotion. He had such despair it hurt Taggert to look at him. For a second he felt sympathy until he remembered to whom it was directed to. Morgan didn't need anyone's sympathy. What he needed was to be punished for his crimes.
"Here's how it went down. You wanted Elizabeth. You've had a thing for her for years, haven't you? Everyone knows it. Two Christmases ago, the two of you had something going on, but you left, probably some business for Corinthos. Someone he needed you to kill."
"Detective," Alexis interrupted.
"Sorry." Taggert gave her an innocent look. "Now you're back, but she's with Spencer. You wanted him out of the way, so you cornered him at the docks. He was shot at close range with a 22 mm automatic, died almost instantly from reports. A dockworker found him earlier this evening in a pool of blood. Forensics is working on time of death. They tell me he put up a fight before dying. His arms and hands were covered with bruises consistent with a struggle, probably for the gun." Taggert paused to stare directly at Jason. "Did you get too close? Or was it like Sorel? Did you feel the need to beat Lucky until he was unrecognizable before you killed him?" He waited for a response but knew he wouldn't get anything.
"Either way, it doesn't matter. What matters is that forensics is searching the body with a fine-toothed comb looking for anything you may have left behind. We just need a tiny portion of DNA and you'll be toast," he smiled.
"When you were finished with Lucky Spencer, you went looking for Elizabeth. I know you're brain damaged, but did you really think you could kill her boyfriend and she would come running to you? You did, didn't you? You found her in the park and told her you two would be together. She resisted, told you she loved Lucky and you went crazy. You shot her because she wouldn't go with you. Am I right?"
"Taggert, you can't seriously think Jason shot Elizabeth," Alexis insisted. "He called for an ambulance. He was giving mouth to mouth when the paramedics arrived. Does that sound like a deranged killer who shot a girl because she couldn't love him?"
Taggert shrugged. "It sounds to me as if maybe he had an attack of conscience and regretted shooting her. Or maybe he wanted the paramedics to think he was trying to save her when he was really trying to finish the job before they could arrive."
Alexis couldn't believe the crap coming out of Taggert's mouth. "You don't seriously expect anyone to believe that do you?"
"It doesn't matter what they believe about why he called the ambulance. The point is he shot her. Trying to save her later doesn't change that fact. I have blood evidence on his person. I have a gun found in your client's room over Jake's – Oh, you weren't aware of that, Morgan?" Taggert wanted to jump with joy. I got you, he thought. "We found your gun tucked inside one of your dresser drawers. Forensics is working on it as we speak. I know they are going to match your gun to the murder weapon.
"So let's review again. I have motive and the murder weapon. I can place you at the scene of the second crime and your gun at the first. And soon I'll have a witness. Once she wakes up, I'm sure Elizabeth Webber will be a fountain of information."
"What?" Jason spoke for the first time since Taggert entered the room.
Taggert grinned his sadistic grin relishing this moment. "You screwed up, Morgan. Elizabeth isn't dead. She made it through the surgery. Once she regains consciousness, I know she'll be able to corroborate everything that I have said and more."
Jason's mouth widened into the biggest smile Taggert had ever seen. Joy replaced the nothingness and despair he was feeling. Elizabeth was alive. She wasn't dead. He looked to Alexis for confirmation. Taggert could be playing with him. What he saw in her eyes caused his mouth to widen even more. Elizabeth was alive. She was alive. He needed to see her. He needed to see for himself that she wasn't dead. Forgetting where he was, he got up and started for the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Taggert grabbed Jason's arm halting his movements.
He looked at Taggert ready to push him out of his way. Didn't he understand? Elizabeth was alive. All of this was minute in comparison. "I have to see her," he said without thinking.
Taggert pulled him back and cuffed him to the table. "You're not going anywhere near Elizabeth Webber. The only place you'll be going is to jail. Do you honestly think Elizabeth will forgive you for shooting her and killing Lucky? You're more deluded than I thought."
"That's enough, Taggert," Alexis positioned herself between the two men. She didn't want Jason to get into any more trouble than he already was. "I'd like to speak to my client alone if you don't mind."
"I'll be outside," Taggert replied before leaving the room.
"She's not dead," Jason said quietly still not sure Taggert was telling the truth.
Alexis sighed. "No, Jason, she's not. You saved her by giving mouth to mouth. You kept her alive until the paramedics could get to her."
"Did she wake up? Will she be okay? Has she asked for me?" He wanted to know everything.
"I don't know. I was just told she made it through the surgery. Jason, you need to tell me what happened," she urged. Maybe now he would fight knowing Elizabeth was alive.
Jason was quiet for a long time. He thought of everything Taggert had said. Lucky was dead, and they thought he had killed him. Lucky was who Laura was referring to not Elizabeth. How did Lucky end up dead? What gun did Taggert find at Jake's? He never kept any weapons hidden in his drawer. Someone must have planted it there.
"I didn't shoot Elizabeth," he said. "It was Lucky."
Alexis was shocked. She hadn't expected that. "Lucky?"
Jason nodded. "He came at me in the park and pointed a gun at me."
"Why would Lucky do that?" Alexis couldn't picture Lucky holding a gun on Jason.
"He wanted me away from Elizabeth. He was possessive of her. He thought I was coming between them."
"Was he right?"
Jason hesitated. He wasn't sure he wanted Alexis or anyone else knowing what had happened between him and Elizabeth. "She was going to break it off with Lucky. She was tired of his controlling her every move. She wanted to be free of him."
"So that she could be with you," she added when he stopped.
"Yes," he admitted. He decided that Alexis needed to know everything if she was going to help him. "Lucky held the gun on me and before I could take it off him, Elizabeth appeared. She tried to get him to give it to her, but he wouldn't. She jumped in front of me when he pulled the trigger. I couldn't push her away in time. I couldn't protect her."
"Jason, this is not your fault," she assured him. "What did Lucky do then?"
He thought about it for a while. "I don't know. All I remember is taking care of Elizabeth. I know he wasn't there when the ambulance arrived."
"Where did you go after Elizabeth went up to surgery?" That was going to be the problem, she thought. If everything Jason told her was true, then Lucky was killed after Elizabeth was shot not before. Elizabeth could validate Jason's story about her shooting, but there was nothing to stop Taggert from continuing on with his case for Lucky's murder.
"I went to the roof of General Hospital. I used to go up there after the accident. I didn't want to leave Elizabeth, but I couldn't stay at the hospital."
"Did anyone see you?" She already knew the answer but was praying for a miracle.
"No, not until I came down and Taggert arrested me."
"What about the gun?"
"I don't know how it got there, but it isn't mine. Taggert's stupid if he thinks I would hide the murder weapon in my room."
Alexis sighed. "He just sees an open and shut case. He's not really thinking."
Jason clenched his fists and pulled against the handcuffs. "I need to get out of here, Alexis. I need to see her with my own eyes."
"I know you do," she gave him a sad smile. "Your arraignment won't happen until tomorrow morning. You'll have to wait until then. Can you handle that?"
"Yeah, if I have to."
She picked up her briefcase. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, okay." She gave him one last glance before leaving. She was worried about Elizabeth. Would Elizabeth think Jason killed Lucky? Would she believe Jason or the evidence?