Part Nine

Spinelli was most likely unhinged. That was Johnny Zacchara's opinion, especially when he saw him in the library. The boy was doing some sort of strange native dance that was unfortunately smashing chips into the Persian rug beneath hi s feet. There was also the matter of his strange chanting.

Jason pushed past Johnny and stared at Spinelli. "…the center of a tootsie roll? I'll tell ya, the same with oreos and reese's cups… what's at the center of a tootsie roll-"

"Spinelli!" Jason's bark stopped the young man in mid hop and he nearly fell over his feet to keep upright.

"Stonecold, you will be so proud of me… I totally figured it out."

Johnny folded his arms across his chest. "Figured 'what' out?"

"The candy clue." He held out his hands, waiting for some kind of reaction and didn't get it. "You know… those candies and super sweet cookie packages? Tootsie rolls… what's inside of it.. something different… and then there's the oreos… same thing… the inside of it is what makes it yummy!" He looked from Stan to Johnny to Jason… nothing.

"Okay… so we're looking for what's missing."

"Candy filling?" Johnny's twisted humor was crackling with impatience.

"Out with it, Spinelli," Jason pushed, "we don't have time to waste."

The young man's expression darkened. It wasn't an expression they were used to seeing so Stan gave him a gentler push. "What did you find?"

Spinelli moved closer to the portrait. "Could you tell me who this woman is?" He indicated the portrait above the fireplace. His smile broad and nearly giddy.

"That," Johnny sighed, "would be my mother… Maria Zacchara."

"Stonecold?" Spinelli gave him a smile. "Does the fair Maternal One have a middle name?'

"She doesn't like it."

"Not the point, Stonecold… the name if you please?" Spinelli pointed to the small brass plaque at center of the frame.

"Imogene."

Johnny turned a surprised look to Jason. "Imogene? That's-"

"Mr. Younger Zacchara's mother's middle name! Look!"

Stan scooted up and took a good look at the plaque. "That's what it says."

Jason looked up at the portrait. The features of the woman's face weren't similar to Elizabeth's but her eyes… those startling blue eyes were a dead giveaway. "But how? Why?"

Stan had his iPhone out and had snapped a picture of Johnny. "Look." He crossed over to stand between Jason and Johnny. Calling up a picture of Elizabeth from the General Hospital website, he put them side by side. "I have a facial recognition program."

It took less than a minute for the program to work its magic. He held out the device and Johnny took it in his hands. He stared down at the image and the corresponding percentages and other results. He handed it over to Jason before he raked his fingers through his hair. "I thought when Claudia died it was just me against the world… or really, my father." He met Jason's eyes over the top of the device. "Looks like I'm not alone anymore."

Jason nodded. The device in his hand made it clear to him. Although he had difficulty seeing art and understanding images that weren't straightforward, he had no such problem with this. It spelled it out for him. There was a 93% similarity between the two images. "She's your sister."

Johnny's smile grew until it fairly glowed. Stan, looking over at the mobster was startled. "When you smile like that… you really do look alike."

"So," Spinelli breathed, "is everyone impressed?"

Giving the boy a pat on the shoulder, Johnny nodded. "It was there… right in front of me." He turned to Jason and saw the deep pain in the enforcer's expression. "Something wrong?"

"These clues…" Jason rubbed at his temples, messing up his hair as he struggled to understand, "I… I just don't… I'm lost with this… this…"

Stan stepped in, his voice low, "Jason, don't beat yourself up about this stuff… you're a whiz with plans, but this kind of puzzle." He looked at Spinelli. "That's why you have us for this kind of thing. We can untwist this stuff… but you're the one that's going to have to come up with a plan."

"We still don't know where she is." Johnny's tone was darker now. "And when I find my father… I'm going to damn well make sure he's dead this time."

A muscle in Jason's jaw ticked. "I'll help you."

Anthony's cell phone rang and he looked down at it. "I have to take this… it's from one of the other families."

Elizabeth looked down at the dresses laid out over her bed, hung from hooks, and over every spare surface. The colors were all dark, the fabrics were all expensive, and not a single one of them looked like something she would own. The dressmakers were an odd combination, one extraordinarily 'fabulous' man in his late 20's who used English words in all the wrong ways and two older women who apparently knew how to sew, but not how to say a word in response to her.

Somewhere in the mind numbing fashion show/marathon Anthony Zacchara arrived and stared at the green dress she wore. He had a quick discussion with the young man and then he stared at her with a critical eye. "Fine."

The dressmakers disappeared, leaving the room scattered with dresses and her alone with Anthony Zacchara. "You look lovely." He moved closer. "Remember what you were told earlier. Shoulders back, don't bite your lip, smile." He waited for her to perform the corrections before he continued. "It's time I explain the end game here, Elizabeth and I expect you to listen closely."

She was listening alright. She wanted to get this over with and go home.

"I'm going to have a party for the families and you, as my daughter, will be the hostess. This is a very important party and the only thing you have to worry about is performing your duties well enough to make me happy." He gave her a significant look and continued. "Claudia was never much of a hostess. She didn't really have anyone to teach her that's why I gave you all this help."

"Yes… they've been a great help, thank you." Elizabeth smiled until she thought she'd cry from the exertion of it all. "And I can't wait to see the guest list." She saw his curious look and continued on. "I just want to make sure we have enough food… and if I know who is coming I can find out if they have any favorites and-"

He laughed, a full belly laugh that seemed to resemble all too much Santa's rolling laughter but this man's mirth only chilled her to the bone. "Maybe you're more of a Zacchara than I thought. You're trying to get information out of me, aren't you?" He stepped forward and placed a kiss on each of her cheeks. "Brava, Elizabeth… you are truly proving yourself worthy of the Zacchara name." He stepped back and gave her a wolfish grin. Five families… that's five heads and each of them will have a guest."

"What about the guards? Enforcers? Won't they be coming as well?" Her heart was pounding in her chest.

"There will be guards, but they don't eat at table, or didn't you know that?" He gave her another measuring glance. "Then again, you've only seen the Corinthos family close up and they," he chuckled, "are a mixed up lot."

"I'll look forward to seeing them again."

"As hostess," he pressed, "you'll need to give each family equal time or you'll slight our guests and that," he warned, "would be very bad… very bad indeed." He suddenly brightened, "but I'm sure you'll do your best, my dear, and for the sake of little Cameron and Jacob it had better be your very best."

Jason looked up as Johnny reentered the room. "We have a problem and a possible solution." Once he had everyone's attention he continued on. I just had to explain to not one, but two irate bosses that I wasn't playing games with them."

"Your father?" Jason felt dread and hope mix in his stomach like a milk shake and tequila… badly.

"They've both received invitations to a party for the five families, given by the head of the Zacchara family."

"Where?"

"Italy."

Jason had his phone out and dialed with a single swipe of a finger. "Sonny's phone is off." He dialed again. "Max? Hey… I… Max, wait… Max, Shut up!" Jason paced around behind Johnny's sofa. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, all i need to know from you is… where is Sonny?" He listened, his jaw tightening like a vise. "Great."

Closing the phone he turned Johnny. "Sonny's on a trip overseas."

"Dude, Sonny left you behind?" Spinelli regretted his words and bent back over the laptop. "His flight plan says Paris, but you know how we do things."

Jason nodded. "I'll call the airport and charter a flight, we'll be in the air in-"

"I can do you one better, let's get on the road." He grabbed his keys and gave Jason a big smile. "I have a jet, too… remember? And besides, this isn't just 'your' problem anymore, Jason. She's my sister, let's go get her back."

Jason nodded. "You drive, I have something I need to do."

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, a few miles from oblivion, a phone rang.

It startled the man asleep a few feet away, bringing him to his feet as he rubbed at his eyes with one hand, trying to wake up from his restful sleep. He looked at the caller ID and smiled.

Picking up the phone he flicked it open. "Well, hello, Jason… it's been a long time."