Dianne and Alexis had dusted off the pool table that had been unused for months. They got the pool cues and started chalking up.
The first game would be practice. The second would be in earnest for cash. Neither of them paid much mind to Lucy nursing her fourth drink in the corner table. She hadn't wanted company.
Alexis lined up a shot.
"So why aren't you out with Max tonight?"
Dianne leaned against her cue.
"Sonny's not doing so well. So Max is watching him to make sure he doesn't hurt himself."
Alexis sank her ball in the corner pocket, then looked up frowning.
"I thought that was Olivia's job…"
Dianne shrugged.
"She's been spending time with Kevin," she said, "Getting help for those flashbacks she's been getting since she tripped on acid. Again. And no blaming it on Heather this time."
Alexis sighed. It seemed that Kevin's business was booming these days. What with Molly getting help for her angry teen issues. Jossie for her angry future step daddy issues and Olivia…for her enabling issues involving Sonny.
"Sonny's been spiraling downhill for a while," she said, "and the police are no closer in finding out who killed A.J. Quartermaine."
Dianne snorted after picking up her cue.
"Hardly surprising given that everyone in town knows who's protecting Sonny and his latest…moll of sorts except…Anna."
Alexis flipped her hair back.
"The truth hurts and it's going to come out during the feds investigation that Duke's been covering up for Sonny's…business."
Dianne nodded.
"The feds had her in the interrogation room for five hours today," she said, "It's not looking good for her."
Frankly Alexis didn't give a damn. After all the posturing the soon to be ex-commissioner had done to her about the evils of Julian… yeah he'd lied to her about a few things and she was pissed off at him for that. Between him and Ric's hyping of his soon to be ghostwritten book about his victimization by the criminal justice system, Alexis wanted to call BFF Jax on speed dial and take a plan to visit him on his sprawling ostrich ranch outside of Sydney.
But Molly needed her because Ric had been too busy lining up media gigs for his new book, that he didn't have time for his daughter as he put it. That was before he was taking fiancée Liz and future stepson Cameron to the PC Zoo.
Dianne sank a striped ball in a side pocket.
"Duke's already looking at life in prison," she said, "Unless he flips for Scotty and testifies against Sonny and Anna…"
Alexis shook her head.
"What a mess…Duke had it all once he walked out of that Turkish Prison. He had Anna, he had his freedom and what did he do instead?"
Dianne sipped her drink.
"He threw it all away to go after Julian as if time had stood still while he was in prison."
Julian…Alexis didn't need to be reminded of him right now. She sipped her own drink before lining up her next shot. But for Duke to toss his fresh new start at a life away on some vendetta…she remembered the day she'd spent with him at Kelly's what seemed like years ago now when he'd helped her find a way to link her oldest daughter's DNA to Julian Jerome.
He'd seemed polite and genteel, no trace of the wildness that had been in his eyes when the feds had done his perp walk with him in shackles.
Mac walked into the room with fresh tapas. He'd been experimenting in the kitchen again and the aroma…too much to resist as both Alexis and Dianne seized the plate out of his hand leaving the pool game behind. Mac looked subdued. Alexis arched a brow at her old friend.
"What is it?"
He sighed.
"I just heard from a WSB contact that they're trying to take the investigation of the PCPD away from the feds…"
Alexis rolled her eyes, not at all surprised. After all, hadn't Anna, Duke and a host of other colorful characters worked for that clandestine agency, going back decades? They'd messed with her family enough, not that some members hadn't deserved it. But they'd been after her father, uncles until…
She tilted her face.
"Victor Cassadine's still in charge isn't he?"
Mac nodded.
"Far as I know…no one knows how he took over," he said, "and Dr. O's one of their covert operatives though nothing about her is fits that bill."
"No…she's pretty much out there with her agenda," Alexis said, "I learned that from Nikolas. With her daughter needing to get married to inherit some distant family fortune…well, she's been trying to rope my nephew into the plan."
Mac shook his head.
"So is this have anything to do with your uncle?"
Alexis shrugged.
"I don't know. Victor hasn't been acting like himself the few times I've spotted him from across the street. I haven't actually talked to him. Now that Nathan West is his closest blood relative in PC…"
Some unwritten rule that Alexis didn't necessarily agree with of course.
Dianne smiled up.
"He needed an attorney…someone who does contracts," she said, "He's looking to buy some riverfront properties. It's all mysterious which is par for the course with them…"
Alexis sipped her drink.
"He shouldn't have any trouble. The parcels are practically being given away. My office space kept my overhead pretty low."
Mac frowned.
"How much of it are they buying up?"
Dianne bit into her delicious tapa.
"All of it…"
Julian parked his car at the MC and walked inside towards the bar. He saw Scotty dining with Madeline in the corner and one of his former employees Maxie eating with that detective, Nathan. At the bar, he ordered a Scotch.
His brows lifted as he saw an older gentleman approach.
"Mr. Cassadine…"
Victor ordered a drink and they walked to a nearby table. A waiter took their order.
"Mr. Jerome…I see you've managed to make it down to meet with me at last."
Julian nursed his drink.
"I've been busy…"
Victor's mouth quirked.
"I can imagine. It seems that the feds have swarmed on our little city to make a big deal out of our crooked police department."
Julian leaned back in his chair.
"It's nothing more than the enforcer for Sonny that he needed after Jason's death," he said, "Since Shawn could never do the job."
"Neither could yours…Carlos Rivera his name was…he came highly recommended yet turned into a lovesick fool."
Julian half smiled at that. Though he was still furious at Carlos' betrayal, he couldn't argue against his softer side.
"Okay so what do you want from me? You didn't drag me down here for an overpriced filet mignon?"
Victor leaned forward, clasping his hands on the table in front of him.
"Just listen for a few minutes and I will tell you…."