Chapter 24

Location- The Lake House

Mac climbed out of his squad car, the lights flashing red and blue over the surrounding trees, and immediately opened his trunk.

Other police cruisers pulled to a stop behind his car.

Mac took out his bullet proof vest and slipped it on and then took out his shot gun.

Lucky jogged over to him. "I got the warrant, Commissioner."

"You and Cruz take the back door. I'll lead the team through the front doors. We're taking this S. O. B. off the streets today."

Ric was in shower. His skin was red. But he kept scrubbing it. He had been at it for hours. But he still thought he saw blood.

Alexis had agreed to let him move back home only last night when he came in, bloody, saying he had been in a fight with Sonny. Ric showered off Madison's blood and went to bed and made love to Alexis.

Today he woke up feeling filthy and blood covered, though he wasn't.

The crashing sound as the front door was broken down didn't register in his mind.

He was shaking as he scrubbed his hands and mumbled "You made me do it, Madison. Why did you make me do that?"

The bathroom door was kicked in.

"Police! Put your hands up."

The shower curtain was ripped away.

Ric stared at Mac with confused eyes.

Mac drug him out of the stall and threw him down onto the tile floor.

"You are under arrest for the murder of Madison Newman."

"No, you got this all wrong." Ric said, putting on his normal lawyer act.

"Save it, Lansing. I have a dying declaration from the victim that names you as her killer. You are as good as convicted."

Then Mac told a rookie cop. "Get a towel wrapped around him and then put him in a squad."

Ric's head dropped as he realized his two worlds were crashing together. His daytime routine of trying to pass as a sane lawyer and his nighttime obsession with getting close to Sonny by any means necessary were converging in this moment, revealing the truth about him for all to see.

Ric let out a cry that sounded like a wounded animal.

"Shut the hell up." Mac cursed at him.

"Call Sonny." Ric cried as he was drug threw the house "Someone call my brother. He'll help me."

Lucky was searching through the house. He looked over at Ric and said, "No one can help you now."

Then Lucky said to his partner "Hey, Cruz, make sure you check this house for a panic room."

The rookie cop threw Ric in the back seat of the police car. Ric beat his head over and over against the window and cried, pitifully, "Sonny."

Location- Greystone

Carly stormed into the house with Max right behind her saying, "Slow down, Mrs. C, let me check the place for Ric first."

But Carly was in the living room already calling out "Ric, you sick perverted killer get out here!"

Carly turned to Max and said, softly, "Go check on the kids."

Max ran up the stairs as Sonny was coming down. "Excuse me, boss."

Annoyed, Sonny said "What the hell are you screaming about, Carly?"

"Where is your brother?"

"Not here."

"You better sit down Sonny."

"Just tell me what you are rambling on about this time."

Max came back down the stairs, "The boys are fine. No sign of Ric up there. I'll be at the front door."

Carly said, "If he comes in I get first swing at him Max. Understood?"

"I'll hold him down for you, Mrs. C" Max said as he walked in to the foyer and closed the door.

Sonny rolled his eyes. "What do you THINK Ric did this time?"

Carly took a breath. She said, "Madison was murdered last night."

Sonny immediately sat down on the couch. "Oh my god."

"By Ric." Carly added

"That's insane!" Sonny said "He's no killer."

"The only insane thing around here is your half brother. He knew there was a tape of when Jason shot Jose that proved Jason is innocent of first degree murder and Ric was trying to destroy it. He wanted Jason to be found guilty."

Every thing started to click into place in Sonny's mind. "And that is why you say he killed Madison? To get the tape?"

"Exactly."

Sonny stood up and started pacing "No, no, no, it can't be."

And Carly saw it then. She saw the guilt on Sonny's face.

"Oh," Carly said slowly "don't tell me you were in on this?" She walked closer to him and blocked his path.

Sonny stopped walking, he stood right in front of her, and locked eyes with her. Carly saw that the answer was yes and without planning to her hand shot out and slapped him.

"You could have put Jason behind bars for life. Why, Sonny? Why would you do this to him? To me?"

She tried to slap him again. He grabbed her hand.

"For you, Carly. So you wouldn't marry him. You chose me. You're my wife."

"Don't act like you didn't know I loved Jason every day I was married to you."

Sonny's face twisted with pain.

"There I finally said it." she ripped her hand away "Looks like both our dirty little secrets are coming out tonight."

"You loved me. I know you did."

"You are poison for me. I tolerate you for my kids. That is why I married you the first time. Because I lost our baby and I thought I owed that kid something- like loving his father. I was wrong. If you could do this ...you are... nothing to me now."

She stepped around him and headed for the foyer.

"I'm sorry." Sonny said

She stopped in her tracks. Had Sonny ever said that before? She couldn't remember it if he had. Not even after he shot her.

Without turning around she said, in a lethal tone, "Too little. Too late. You better get out of here before Jason comes for you." and then she walked out.

"Max," she said "keep a close eye on my boys tonight. I do not trust that man in there at all anymore."

"Where are you going?"

"To get Jason."