Chapter 43
Sonny poured himself another drink. What was he going to tell his best friend? He had promised Jason, he would look after Elizabeth. It was a simple request from a man who didn't ask for many things and this was how Sonny honoured it. Grant it, she was the one to slip by her guards, but it was still Sonny's responsibility to make sure she was protected and he failed. What was she thinking? Now he was going to have to tell Jason tomorrow when that could very well be his last day in the country.
First thing tomorrow morning closing arguments were going to be heard, and then the jury would be sent out for deliberation. If they came back with a guilty verdict, Sonny was prepared to get Jason during the prison transfer and fly him out of Port Charles. But would Jason go if he knew Elizabeth was in trouble? Would Jason even care about spending the rest of his life in prison if Elizabeth was dead?
He stared at the phone while he finished off another drink. Elizabeth wasn't dead. He refused to think about that possibility until he heard from his people. If God had wanted Elizabeth to die, she would have from her gunshot wound. He wouldn't bring her back from the brink of death only to take her again so soon after. No, Sonny was sure God had plans for Elizabeth and death wasn't it. But what exactly were His plans. Was Elizabeth going to be another person to suffer for Sonny and Jason's crimes?
He gripped the empty glass. After weeks of digging, he still didn't know who was behind this whole mess. Whoever it was, they were covering their tracks so well Sonny was beginning to think Lucky going after Jason was planned. Someone was using Lucky to get to him, which made Sonny wonder just how long this was going on without he or Jason knowing.
The shrill of the phone brought Sonny out of his thoughts. "Yeah," he said answering the phone.
"She's safe," replied Johnny on the other end.
Sonny breathed a sigh of relief. "Is she okay? Where was she?"
"Yeah. In the park. She was following Madigan."
"What!" Sonny screamed into the phone. "Where was our guy?"
"I don't know. Madigan must have gotten out without him knowing."
"Dammit!" Sonny was pissed. What else was going to go wrong? "What happened?"
"He met with someone and money passed hands."
"Who was it?"
"I don't know," Johnny told him. "I only arrived after the fact. Elizabeth told me of the meeting."
Sonny sighed. Nothing was going their way. "Where is Madigan now?"
"I don't know," Johnny answered again. "He hasn't returned to the safe house and I don't think he will. If this was his payoff, he's probably at the airport by now."
"I want Marco at the airport in case he hasn't left yet and Stan checking all flights out of Port Charles. I want to know where Madigan goes," Sonny ordered.
"Miss Webber is insisting on seeing you. I'm bringing her back to the penthouse."
"That's fine," Sonny replied before hanging up the phone.
He couldn't believe she would be foolish enough to follow Madigan. Anything could have happened to her. What could she possibly be thinking putting herself at risk like that? For that matter, how did she even know of the meeting in the first place?
Sonny didn't have to wait long for Elizabeth's arrival as she entered the penthouse without knocking a few minutes later.
"Sonny, Johnny's getting Alexis," she said quickly, "so hold off all questions until she arrives."
A dumbfounded Sonny watched as Elizabeth walked passed him and over to his computer at the same time digging for something that was in her bag.
"Elizabeth, what were you doing following Madigan?" he asked as she plugged what looked like a video camera into the computer.
"I told you to wait for Alexis," she said continuing with her task without looking up at him.
Before he could say anything else, the penthouse door opened again.
"This better be good," Alexis muttered half asleep as she entered the penthouse.
Elizabeth turned with the biggest smile on her face. "I have it, Alexis. I can prove Jason is innocent."
Alexis was instantly awake. "What do you mean?" she asked looking between Elizabeth and Sonny.
"Yesterday, I overheard Tom Madigan set up a meeting tonight. He wanted more money for his part in convicting Jason. They arranged to meet tonight in the park. I went and taped the meeting," she told them trying to contain her excitement. "Alexis, I got everything. Madigan admitting he was lying and that the other guy was paying him to lie. Madigan even implicated the other guy in Lucky's death.
"It's all here," she said pointing to the computer screen.
All three were quiet as the scene unfolded in front of them. They watched as the exchange between Madigan and the unknown man played out. When it came to an end, they didn't move or speak. They were overwhelmed at the implications of what they had just watched.
Sonny was the first to speak. He faced Alexis and asked, "Will this be allowed into court?"
Alexis continued to stare at the blank screen. "I'll make sure of it," she said assuredly. "Even if I have to use every connection I have or call in every favour, that video will be in evidence first thing tomorrow."
She turned to face Sonny. "Do you know who the other gentleman was?"
At Sonny's hesitation, she stopped him. "You know, it doesn't matter who it is. I don't need to know," she said as she walked over to the computer and unplugged the video camera.
"Elizabeth, you did good," Alexis said giving the younger woman a quick hug. "Everything's going to be all right now. I promise."
Without a second glance, she left the penthouse already thinking of previous case laws she would need to support her introduction of the video into evidence. She had a lot of work to do and didn't have a lot of time before court was in session.
Both Sonny and Elizabeth watched Alexis leave without comment. Once she was gone, Elizabeth turned back to the computer to turn it off and waited for Sonny's wrath.
"Why didn't you come to me when you learned of Madigan's meeting?" he asked quietly. Elizabeth could hear the disappointment in his voice. "Did you not trust me to do the right thing?"
Elizabeth sighed. She hadn't expected Sonny to take her actions personally. "I don't know why I didn't tell you. No, that's a lie. I didn't tell you because I wanted to handle this myself. I was tired of other people telling me what to do and having other people fixing my problems. I refuse to be some perpetual victim, Sonny. I wanted to take control of my own life."
"I understand your need to control your life, but anything could have happened to you tonight. You could have been discovered and taken against your will. You could have been shot again. You could have been bleeding to death in the park and no one would have known where you were," he told her closing his eyes to the images that had haunted him earlier.
"None of that happened," she said defiantly. "I can take care of myself, Sonny."
"I know you can. That's not the point."
"Then what is the point?" she asked frustrated over Sonny's attitude.
"The point is when I found out you had snuck away from your guard, I was frantic," he said revealing just how important Elizabeth was to him. "You are more than just Jason's friend, Elizabeth. You're my friend, too. You're a part of this family. Did you not think I would be worried? Did you not think that I would care about what happened to you? I thought the people behind all this had taken you. I thought you could be dead or worse and there was nothing I could do."
Elizabeth was overcome with emotion. She knew Sonny cared about her, but she never knew he considered her a part of his family. Now she regretted not telling him what she knew.
"I'm sorry," she said wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. "I never meant for you to worry. I only thought about Jason and getting him free. I'm sorry that I caused you so much heartache."
He tightened his arms around her waist before letting her go. "Promise me you will never take off from your guard like that again."
"I'd like to, Sonny. I really would, but you know that I can't," she said wiping a tear from her eye. "But I can promise that I will think before I do anything reckless again."
Sonny nodded knowing that was the most he was going to get. He gave a small chuckle thinking of Jason. He would have his hands full with Elizabeth.
"Alexis will get the video into evidence, won't she?" Elizabeth asked a little worried the DA may do something to stop Alexis.
He shook his head, "You know Alexis. If she said she can do it, she will."
Elizabeth smiled. "Jason's going to be free tomorrow," she said as the reality of the situation finally sank in.
Sonny returned her smile. "Yes, he is."
With a final hug of happiness, Elizabeth left the penthouse, leaving Sonny alone to worry about the importance of Elizabeth's video. He wasn't worried about Alexis' ability to introduce it into evidence. He was more worried about who was on the tape. Anthony Roscoe was the man paying off Madigan, Sonny recognized him immediately. But it didn't make sense. Roscoe didn't have the kind of money or clout to set up this entire situation. Once Sorel was killed, Sonny had taken control of the other man's holdings. Roscoe had nothing. He had disappeared and Sonny had assumed he was running scared, but now he could see that was far from the truth.
Roscoe had to be working for someone else, Sonny decided. But who would be foolish enough to hire Roscoe after the mess he had made of Sorel. Unless, Roscoe had been working against his old boss this whole time. Had this entire thing been in the works before Jason even came back to town? Both Sonny and Jason had thought Sorel was behind the incidents that had plagued their organization earlier in the year. Incidents that had caused Jason to return to Port Charles and investigate their own people. Jason had seen Roscoe paying off one of Sonny's trusted guards. But what if Roscoe had been setting Sorel up to take the fall? What if Sorel wasn't behind the warehouse bombing as they had originally thought? That would mean Jason killed Sorel for no reason and more importantly, their real enemy was still out there and they didn't know who it was.
That didn't sit well with Sonny. He didn't like the unknown, especially when it came to an enemy. Whoever it was, he'd been playing them for a long time, and Sonny wasn't going to allow it anymore. He was going to find this person, even if he had to turn over every rock in this town.
Alexis was tired. No, she was more than tired, she was exhausted. But she was ready and that was all that mattered. She could sleep after Jason was free. She looked over to the prosecution's table and gave Dara a small smile as Jason was escorted to her table.
Before Alexis could reassure Jason of her new evidence, they were called to rise and the judge entered the courtroom. The jury was brought in and the judge asked if both attorneys were prepared for closing statements.
"Your honour," Alexis began standing to address the judge, "new evidence has been brought to my attention that will prove my client's innocence."
Dara stood immediately ignoring the whispers coming from the gallery. "I object. The defence rested her case yesterday. If she had evidence, she should have introduced it then."
"I agree, Miss Jensen," Judge Tory said, "This is highly irregular, Councillor."
"Your honour, the evidence I speak of is a video tape that was made last night," Alexis informed the judge. "I could not introduce something that had not been made yet."
"That is irrelevant," the DA insisted. "Miss Davis was given ample time to present her case to the best of her ability. This is –."
"I have precedence, your Honour," Alexis interrupted. "In New York State v. McCafferty in 1995, the prosecution was allowed to introduce wire tap evidence obtained after they had presented their case. All I am asking is for the same consideration as the defence."
The judge nodded. "I am aware of that trial, Miss Davis and the judge who presided over it. Had I been its judge, I'm not sure I would have reached the same decision. However, before I can make any decision, I would like to see this tape in my chambers. There will be a fifteen minute recess."
Alexis handed the tape to the bailiff as the judge hit her gavel to begin the recess. She retrieved the tape from the bailiff and exited the courtroom from a side door.
"Alexis, what's going on?" Jason asked. "What is this tape? Where did it come from?"
Not wanting to be overheard, Alexis leaned over and whispered, "Someone who loves you a great deal followed Tom Madigan last night and video taped an exchange between him and another man where money passed hands. She got Madigan's confession of perjury on tape."
Alexis' news did not make Jason happy. "Was she hurt? Did they know she was there? Where was her guard? How could Sonny have let her do this?"
Alexis gripped his hand reassuringly. "She's fine, Jason. Nothing happened to her. You know her, an army wouldn't have stopped her from doing what she wanted to do, and she wanted to prove your innocence."
Jason agreed with his attorney's assessment but didn't like it. "She's already been hurt enough. She shouldn't risk her life because of me."
"And you wouldn't do the same for her?" Alexis countered. "You cannot have it one way and not the other. She has proven she's not some helpless woman needing you to save her. She is strong and able to fight not only her battles but yours as well. Don't fight against her, Jason. Fight beside her."
Jason didn't know what to say. All he wanted to do was to protect Elizabeth from everything that would hurt her. What was wrong with that? Before he could figure out the answer, the judge returned to court.
"I have viewed the tape and I do see its importance to the defence. After careful consideration, I have decided to grant the defence's petition and let the jury see the tape. Bailiff, please bring in the TV," she instructed as one side, the Spencer Cassadine side, of the gallery erupted at her decision.
"Order, order in this court," Judge Torrie demanded striking her gavel. "There will be silence in this courtroom."
Once the room quieted down, the lights were dimmed and the tape was played. When it was done, shocked silence filled the room. Jason Morgan was telling the truth. Tom Madigan, the person everyone thought was an upstanding citizen, was really perjuring himself for money.
Alexis gave the courtroom a few moments to digest what they had just seen before standing and addressing the judge again. "Your honour, I have a motion to dismiss all charges against my client. The prosecution has not been able to prove my client guilty of any of the charges against him. They have no physical evidence placing him anywhere near the crime and their star witness has now been shown to be anything but. It would be a travesty of justice to allow this trial to continue."
"I agree," the judge said. "Miss Jensen, do you have anything to add before I make my ruling?"
Dara slowly rose seeing her case crumble around her. "No, your honour."
"Then, Jason Morgan, the charges against you are hereby dismissed. You are free to go," Judge Torrie ordered striking her gavel for the last time.
Jason was surrounded before the judge even exited the courtroom. Carly reached him first almost knocking him down from the impact of her embrace and refused to let go. Sonny had to pry her arms away from Jason to give Emily and Monica equal chance to hug the man of the hour. Once they had had their turn, Carly went back for seconds. Jason smiled and returned the hug with equal excitement. He was free.
He turned Carly over to Sonny and held his hand out to Alexis. "Thank you."
She shook his hand acknowledging his gratitude, but then said, "Don't thank me, Jason. I can't take credit for this. It wasn't me that proved your innocence."
Jason looked between Alexis and Sonny. "Where is she?"
Sonny was the one to answer. "She said you would know where to find her. Something about a statue?"
Jason smiled. Without a backward glance, he raced from the courtroom almost knocking down a TV reporter waiting to question him. At the doors, he could hear Carly yelling about a celebration dinner at The Grill but didn't stop for the details.