Now there was a loaded question. It wasn't like she thought her 5-year-old sister would be able to "cover" so to speak. She knew she'd be telling the truth, but the question was to what degree and what spin should be put on it. There was of course the choice of full disclosure… ha, never gonna happen! There was vague and quiet… that would only lead to invasive scrutiny she couldn't live through. Finally there was rapid nonchalant disclosure… keeping to the facts without details or embellishment, oh yeah that was definitely the way to go.
Closing the refrigerator door Sam proceeded to the sink to rinse the vegetables and just started babbling like what she was saying was perfectly normal and not a all potentially volatile.
"After I spent an hour making her presentable we went to Kelly's and had breakfast with grandpa then hung out there for a while. Mr. Spencer came in to do the books and Lulu and Lucky were with him, so the girls did some cooking with grandpa then we went to the movies. Lucky's aunt couldn't watch his sister after the movies so Danny gave them a lift home and Krissy got to see Lulu's doll collection, which she loved and talked about the whole way home. She's definitely putting some of them on her Christmas and birthday list this year." Sam's nervous giggle ended her discourse.
The kitchen was painfully silent, the sort of silence that compels you to fill the void with any random noise or chatter, but what could she say. All she could do was wait for his response. She would have to wait longer than expected because Sonny's cell phone rang and he left the kitchen to handle it. Sam put the chopped broccoli pieces in a strainer and left them on the counter next to the stove. Grabbing the bowl of mixed grapes in the fridge she perched at the island and snacked away.
"Samantha, finish up the sauce and help Leticia with the twins. If Alexis calls tell her not to reach me on my cell that I'll call her." Sonny had snatched off his apron, a birthday gift from his wife, and was doing his collar and shirt sleeves practically out the door.
Sam jumped from the stool and followed him through the den. "Is everything alright? Who was on the phone dad?"
"Samantha its business!" Sonny didn't mean to be that harsh and stopped to face his daughter. He never liked letting on about how deadly his business could be and part of keeping his wife and kids feeling secure was not behaving the way he was.
"I'm sorry baby girl. Everything is fine I just need to go to a meeting Jason just reminded me about. I don't want you worrying your mama if she calls… and I don't want you worrying either." Placing a kiss on her brow Sonny stared down looking for conformation from her eyes that she was feeling better about his abrupt departure.
"No worries daddy, I'll finish dinner and cover with mom if she calls. I know it's just a meeting, right?"
"La derecha, te amo." Yelling for Max he left the room snatching his suit jacket on the way out the doors.
Sam had gotten a lot clearer about the "coffee" business her father ran over the last few weeks and she had pulled her head out of the clouds. But in this moment all she wanted was to believe that a meeting was just a meeting about coffee and that the fact that both Sonny and Max left with loaded weapons in their waistbands was just some unnecessary over precaution. She gathered her wits and went back to the kitchen to focus on dinner. What she really wanted was to call someone and talk about things, but she knew that was out of the question. It wasn't that she had ever been told not to discuss anything outright… actually she didn't really 'know' anything to discuss, but there was an unwritten, unspoken tenet that made it clear her father's actions weren't open forum.
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The sun had completely settled and night took hold of Greystone and wrapped it in a howling cold ominous blanket of foreboding. Sam had helped to get her siblings fed and bedded down for the night and effectively dodged her mother's calls. She made sure the twins and Michael spoke to her, but put off any direct communication so Alexis wouldn't hear the worry in her voice. Tossing her cell phone in her hands and staring at the house phone sitting on Sonny's desk Sam willed one of them to ring and to hear her father's voice on the other end. Of course that was unrealistic. Sonny did not check-in… period and he definitely didn't check in with his daughter.
And that was the way she fell asleep. Draped across the arm of the sofa clutching her cell phone and barely hanging on to it Sam succumbed to nervous slumber. She heard the voices before the door actually opened and not being able to get up quickly or gracefully enough she sort of tripped off onto one knee and regained her balance as Sonny swung the doors open with Jason on his heels.
"What are you still doing up?" The agitated Cuban questioned.
"I was… well, it's just… I was waiting up for you. I thought you might call… with a message for mom." Sam stammered.
Sam could tell immediately that waiting up had been a poor choice. Sonny was holding his arm funny with his jacket only partially on and Jason was scowling with more intensity then usual pacing in front of the doors.
Sitting at his desk with a pained expression Sonny responded none too kind. "I'll speak to your mother when I'm ready. Go to bed Samantha!"
"I didn't mean to… are you sure everything is alright?" Sam couldn't be sure but she knew one thing for certain the man she walked in on cooking dinner a few hours back was gone and the father in front of her was not in the mood to questioned or trifled with in this moment.
Jason, sensing his boss' exasperation, stepped between the desk and the sofa and gently taking Sam's arm moved her toward the stairs saying, "Sam you need to go upstairs and do what Sonny said. Go to bed. And don't come back down here for any reason." He finished off with a pointed look that told her it was a good idea to take his advice.
Sam took the steps two at a time and stopping mid-landing lend over the railing tossing down a goodnight to her father who was presently slumped in his chair looking exhausted.
Listening as she walked down the hall Sam could tell that all of her siblings were sound asleep. They had an early morning with Mass and Sunday school, but Sam was too keyed up to sleep. Closing the door to her bedroom Sam took off her clothes and tossed them in the corner of her room. She brushed her hair up into a bun and slipped on her pajama bottoms and a tank top. It really wasn't all that late she decided and needed to do something to settle her energy. Popping her headphones in her ears Sam scanned through her music files looking for her soothing tunes. Maybe she could read… nah, who was she kidding looking at her school books was the last thing on her mind. Then her mind went to Lucky. Going back through her tunes she traded soothing music for love songs and snuggled with her over-rubbed kangaroo.
After listening to three songs a realization crept in that she didn't want to just think about the tall, well built, swim God that was Lucky Spencer, but that she really needed to talk to him. Sam decided it would be the only thing to really settle her down enough for sleep. Bouncing off the bed she went to her desk and started to panic a little when she couldn't readily put her hand on her phone. Damn, she thought, there was only one place it could be….
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"Jason you and I both know that Taggert will be here with sirens blaring in no time. We need to head him off at the pass. I don't want him in my home upsetting my family." Sonny made a concerted effort not to raise his voice.
"You should have just let me and Max stay behind and clean things up."
Sonny was on his feet the gunshot wound in his right shoulder throbbing. Thank heavens it was only a graze, but it would still involve more explaining than he wanted to do tonight, especially at the PCPD. "I needed you with me and besides things got noisy and sloppy. There's too great a chance for witness involvement to do a proper clean-up job."
"Should I call Alexis…" Jason's question got interrupted as Max was shoved through the door by a yelling Taggert and an equally pissed off Mac Scorpio, police Commissioner.
Taggert didn't waste any time getting in Jason's face. "Lucky, lucky me… I get the boss and anger boy all in one swoop. You're saving the department gas money since I don't have to go rouse you out of bed at your own house."
Jason remained silent.
"Ah, yes the patented Morgan death glare and silence. Well, you can just play this song and dance number downtown. We're taking you both in Mr. Corinthos."
Sonny of course knew why but he played along. "What for Taggert? Were we somehow disturbing the peace or breaking the law by having a conversation in my living-room?"
"So that's how you're gonna play it," Mac chimed in, "like you have no idea why we're here."
Noticing how he was favoring the left side of his body and holding his right arm in an odd manor Taggert walked over and took the jacket off of the mob boss. More silence filled the room when the officers and Mac, along with Taggert, noticed the hole through the fine silk shirt and the bloody area surrounding the hole.
"I guess you have no idea how that happened either." Mac continued to push him.
Taggert motioned to the two armed uniformed officers holding back Max and Milo as well as blocking the door. "Cuff these two and if the resist… shoot 'em. Since they can't figure out why we're hear and can't explain the obvious gunshot wound that should have been reported, we can just sort it all out at the station. Too bad the wife's stuck in the hospital tonight. Guess you boys will be having breakfast with us."
The first officer approached Jason, cuffs in hand. Turning around to present his arms in a completely submissive fashion all the men were shocked by what they heard next.
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How stupid could she be leaving her phone downstairs for Sonny to find? He wasn't that tech savvy, but he could certainly figure out how to check numbers dialed and the frequency of said calls. Stepping into her worn out slippers Sam left the confines of her room hoping that the living-room was empty and her phone was still on the sofa.
It wasn't until she got to the top of the stairs that lead into the room that she heard the voices. They were all angry and not exactly yelling, but definitely being spoken with intense authority. She knew turning back was the smart thing to do. Jason had told her to stay in her room the rest of the night no matter what. Her feet were glued to the landing. Stuck in a permanent place of keen awareness that something big was about to happen.
Every bit of gossip about her father was ringing in her ears. She wasn't naïve or stupid, but she had pushed all of the 'evidence' in the back of her mind and her heart. How could it be ignored now? Before her eyes it was all being confirmed. The police were standing in her house ready to haul her father and his employees off in handcuffs… in handcuffs… oh, crap… she had to do something… say something….
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"Hey! What the hell are you doing to my dad?" Sam came stalking down the stairs putting on her best Alexis face. She stayed at the bottom landing to give herself the illusion of more height then her 5'1" frame allowed.
The men were shocked. Jason turned back face to face with the cop in front of him and no one else moved.
Taggert finally spoke up. "Young lady I suggest you go back upstairs before you see something your father isn't ready to explain."
Squaring off and staring him right back in the eyes she stood up straighter and addressed the over 6-foot detective. "My name is Samantha. Samantha Davis Corinthos to be exact and even though I'm not a lawyer yet I've lived with one long enough to know when something isn't right. Now, unless you plan on reading them their rights and actually telling them what crime they're being arrested for there will be no handcuffs. Citizens going in for questions can usually do so under their own steam!"
He was seething a little inside, but Sonny was also little wowed. This was not the way he wanted his daughter to see him, treated like a common criminal, but she was doing her mother proud. Not wanting Taggert or Mac to say anything out the way to her though, Sonny gave the Commissioner a look that requested permission to approach his oldest. With a head nod said permission was granted.
When he got close enough to her that they were practically nose to nose Sonny spoke in a low growl. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but it stops now. Jason and I are going with them and I'll be home as soon as possible. Don't say anything else to make it worse. I don't want Michael and twins getting up too."
"But daddy, you're hurt… if you just leave with them without a lawyer who knows what else they'll do." Sam was pleading and losing her bravado rapidly.
"They didn't do this and I'm fine. It's just a scratch."
"Should I call mom?"
Sonny's eyes took on a dangerous look that dared defiance. "No. Jason and I will call Justus from the station if we need him."
"I hate to break this up, but we have some unfinished business." Taggert taunted.
"Let's go Corinthos," Mac added. He also gave the signal that using cuffs was off the table as an option. Taggert made a big show of spinning his and placing them back in his pocket.
The entourage filed out with Sam standing on the stairs watching in amazement at how calm and resigned Sonny seemed to be about the whole matter.
Stopping in the doorway with Mac directly behind him Sonny looked back and observed his daughter's brave exterior which he knew was masking the horror and turmoil she was having inside.
Calming his voice completely he said, "princesa I no quisiera que usted se preocupara. Esto va todo a ser fino. Váyase a la cama y prometo que seré casero por la mañana. Te amo bebé. Recuerde, ninguna preocupación y lo que usted lo hace… no llama su madre. La significo Samantha."
"Yes daddy," was her only reply as the doors to the room closed behind his disappearing figure.