Chapter 6

Harbor View Towers, Penthouse 2

"Stone Cold, you're home," Spinelli murmured, coming down stairs to find his boss sitting on the couch and skimming over the paper.

"Where else would I be, but here?" Jason grunted, reaching for his cup of coffee that was on the table in front of him.

"Well, the Jackal couldn't help but notice, you know, seeing as it is his duty to make sure that Stone Cold is always protected," he said, sitting down on the couch arm, "that you did not come home last night."

"No, I didn't," he replied, shifting his eyes back to his paper as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with his answer at all.

Jason always came home, or rather he had until the past couple of months, but he was staying out more than usual, and just what was Spinelli supposed to think. He didn't call or leave a note, and he'd even stopped stocking the refrigerator, which meant that not only was he sleeping somewhere else, but he was eating there, too. Granted had Spinelli found himself with the usual endless supply of orange soda, he would have never noticed the change, but if Jason was forgetting to take care of his roommate, something was distracting him.

Spinelli knew all about being distracted by the female species. Every time Maxie came into the room his palms sweated and his mouth went dry, and he found himself practicing what to say, which was a feat all in itself. And while she made him so nervous he could barely think straight, she made him feel so comfortable and safe at the same time, which is how he imagined Jason's secret lady made him feel. Or else, he would never be sneaking around with her in the first place.

"Are you tired?" he asked curiously, wondering just how exhausting it was to have a secret relationship.

Jason had gone through a lot in the past few months; losing Michael, the take-over of the business, his break-up with Sonny. Not to mention his heart wrenching secret pain, which Maxie had almost discovered when she'd stolen his wallet. While she was his most trusted and loyal friend next to Jason, she still wasn't privy to the deepest secret he carried for his friend. Too many knew as it was.

"Not really," he answered, folding the paper up and tossing it down on the coffee table.

"Sleep well?" he asked, clasping his hands in his lap.

Jason arched an eyebrow as he looked up at Spinelli. "Yeah."

"That's very good news," he murmured, letting out a heavy sigh. How did Maxie make looking getting information look so easy? "So, uh, why did Stone Cold fail to show at the ball?"

He shrugged, leaning back against the cushions, his coffee mug in hand. "I had…stuff."

Stuff?

Spinelli's mind raced with possibilities; coffee beans, security issues, the Zacharra's, bike riding, reveling in his secret pain, pining for the lost Michael.

Stuff could be anything.

"Did you have a good time with Maxie?" Jason asked, getting up from the couch and heading towards the kitchen.

"The Maximista and I had quite an interesting evening," he replied, following Jason over to the desk. "We drank. We danced. We watched. There was an awkward moment where the Jackal collided with the Vixenella, and I may not be correct, but I do believe she fancies me just a bit."

"Claudia?" he grunted, failing to hide his amusement.

"Yes, despite what Stone Cold believes, some do find the Jackal quite enjoyable," he murmured, raking a hand through his hair when he realized he was getting off topic. "But as for the ball, it was quite enjoyable. Maxie ran into the Once Fair Samantha, whom I wish she would not befriend seeing as her involvement in your secret pain-"

"Spinelli," he warned, crossing his arms and glaring at him.

"The Maximista has no knowledge of the wee tot and your beloved Elizabeth, who was also at the ball," he rambled, desperate to get Jason to do anything but glare. Sadly, the mention of Elizabeth did nothing for his friend, and he almost looked heartbroken. "She looked well, seemed happy even."

"Good," he muttered, taking a deep breath.

"The Jackal is sorry. He did not wish to upset-"

"You didn't," he interrupted, waving his hand at him to stop apologizing. "It's nice…I like hearing that she's happy."

"She would be happier, of course, if-"

"We're not talking about this," he interrupted, slipping his phone from his pocket as it rang. "And you better not breathe a word to Maxie." Spinelli nodded, raising his eyebrows as Jason half-smiled down at the caller ID on the cell phone. "I need to take this."

"Of course," he said, backing towards the doorway as Jason answered the phone.

"Oh, and Spinelli?" Jason called out, holding the phone to his side.

"Yes, Stone Cold?"

"Uh, I don't know what exactly happened last night," he replied seriously, shaking his head. "I don't even want to know. Milo said something about the SUV and some girl named Miley-"

"Ah, yes, Maxie refers to her as a woman of accommodating virtues, and the Jackal believes the hired help is having a little fun on your time."

Jason paused as if contemplating his statement, and then motioned him out of the kitchen. "Whatever. Just tell her if she takes my keys again..."

"A threat may discourage the Fair Maximista," he offered, dropping his eyes to Jason's phone as he stepped closer, but he was careful to keep his hand over the caller ID.

He was a very smart man.

"Tell her if she does," he said slowly, "I'll show her where I really keep the bodies."

Spinelli grimaced. "Uh, the Jackal will do some editing, but I will make sure she gets your message."

"Thank you," Jason muttered, turning back to the phone, a silent signal for Spinelli to get lost.

Sighing, he started towards the living room just as Maxie came bursting through the door. "Great, you're up," she said, dropping her purse on Jason's desk. "We need to figure out our next move." She slid her hands over her hips and looked around curiously. "Did he not come home last night? I told you we should have tailed Elizabeth, but you had to go and get all noble on me."

"Keep it downne," he hissed, grabbing her by the arms and pushing her towards the door. "Stone Cold is in the kitchen on the phone and if he hears you-"

"Oh my god, Spinelli! He's on the phone and you aren't eavesdropping?" she cried, racing towards the kitchen as fast her stilettos would allow her.

Spinelli paused long enough to admire the way she bounced in four inch shoes, and it was only when she whispered very loudly for him to follow that he snapped out of it.

"Watch out," she moaned, when he leaned against her, somehow stepping on her toe.

"The Jackal is sorry-"

"Shh, or we'll never hear a thing," she cut in, swatting him on the arm as she craned her neck towards the doorway.

"Yeah, Spinelli mentioned you," they heard Jason murmur, followed by the sound of running water.

"Oh, what the hell?" she asked, tipping her head towards Spinelli.

"Dishes?" he shrugged, frowning as the sound of the water continued.

"He's a freaking mobster," she spat, rolling her eyes. "Can't he afford a damn dishwasher?" Groaning, she pushed Spinelli towards the living room. "Or maybe he knew." She nibbled her lip as she contemplated the possibility. "What if he knew we were there? He is Jason Morgan, and he's probably got some weird spidey sense about people sneaking up behind him."

"It is possible," he admitted, walking over to the couch and sitting down. "Nothing gets past Stone Cold, for example, the Fair Maximista playing sticky fingers with his car keys."

"He found out?" she cried, cradling her face in her hands as she threw herself down beside him. "He's not going to kill me, is he? What if he tries? Oh, Spinelli-"

"It would be safe if you stayed far from Stone Cold's things," he cut in, forcing a smile at her. "Perhaps this case should also-"

"No, no, no," she said, sitting up beside him. "He can scare me out of stealing his car, but he can't scare me out of this silly secret. I swear, you don't know how crazy this is making me. I sat up half the night going back and forth between Elizabeth and Sam, and both women have reasons why they would and reasons why they wouldn't."

"I mean, why would Sam could go back to Jason, who pretty much tossed her aside – not that I can blame him because sleeping with your stepdad is low. Not even I am that desperate, but she was, mostly from a broken heart that Jason gave her."

"There's also Lucky, who is a decent guy when Elizabeth isn't sinking her claws into him and trying to convince him she's an angel and anything else with a vagina isn't. Gosh, I bet it just eats her up that Lucky is with Sam, and I bet Sam only slept with Lucky because she was jealous about hearing that Elizabeth slept with Jason."

She paused, and Spinelli thought she was finished, but he realized she was just catching her breath.

"As for Elizabeth, well, her entire affair – or one night of whatever – she had with Jason ruined her marriage when the truth came out. I can understand going a round with Jason. He's hot and rich and really built, but aside from that what is there – a hell of a lot of brooding, which I can't see Elizabeth going for, especially when she has small kids to consider. And while she's no angel, she would never put her kids in harms way."

"Gosh, Spinelli," she moaned, falling back against the couch and closing her eyes. "Just thinking about it is so exhausting. It's full of so many crisscrosses and so confusing that we need a damn compass to get around. If I don't find out which one of them he's banging, I am going to lose my damn mind."

"The Jackal is weary as to why the Fair Maximista cares so much," he commented, saddened by the way she was so concerned over Jason's maybe-secret relationship. "What if he's seeing no one?"

"Oh, he is," she stated firmly, shifting her eyes towards the hallway that led to the kitchen. "And we're going to find out. Kate has a hangover from too much of that overpriced champagne they served last night, so I have the day off, and I've already called Sam to meet for lunch. That means you have to go to the hospital and talk to Elizabeth."

"The Jackal wishes he could take part, but to speak to the Ma – to Fair Elizabeth-"

"I can't do everything," she whined, wringing her hands. "I slept with Elizabeth's husband and fed him pain killers to keep him so drugged up that he thought he loved me. In fact, I'm responsible for that stupid night she spent with Jason so the last person she wants coming around and asking her about her life is me."

He hesitated again – not exactly sure why because it wasn't like he'd tell her no.

"Okay, fine, Spinelli. I'll make a deal with you," she said seriously, reaching over to take his hand. "You talk to Elizabeth today, and I'll talk to Sam. If we don't find anything, we'll close the case and start saving cats from trees."

General Hospital, Fifth Floor Nurse's Station

Spinelli stepped off the elevator and adjusted the strap of his laptop bag over his shoulder as he approached the nurse's hub. Elizabeth was laughing with Robin as they stood in front of a computer monitor, and barely noticed his presence at the desk. It wasn't until Epiphany appeared and loudly cleared her throat that the two women parted; Robin heading for the elevators as Elizabeth turned back to her charts.

"Mr. Spinelli, can I help you?" the head nurse asked, arching her eyebrows at him.

"Uh, yes. Well, no," he muttered, raking a hand through his hair as he glanced at the nurse. "The Jackal was wondering if he could borrow the Fair Nurse Webber."

"Is this a medical issue?" she inquired, looking over at Elizabeth. "Or is this personal?"

"Erm, well…a personal…medical issue," he said, fisting his hands nervously in his shirt.

"Do I even want to know?" Epiphany asked, shaking her head and motioning for Elizabeth to take care of the boy. "If I find out this wasn't a personal medical issue, I'm going to come after you for stealing my staff when we're short-handed."

"Duly noted," he murmured, forcing a smile as the petite brunette made her way over to him. "Would you mind sitting?" He pointed towards the couches, and she just nodded and made her way over, watching him carefully.

"So…" she started, nibbling her lip as she sat down on the couch. "What's this personal medical issue of yours?"

"Erm, well it's about the Fair Maximista," he sighed, lowering his bag to the floor. Spinelli had the entire story planned in his head, had even perfected the dialogue on the way over, but now he was scared. "And what you saw last night."

"I didn't see anything," she said teasingly, grinning as he shifted uncomfortably beside her.

"Uh, Stone Cold isn't exactly privy to the Jackal's secret relationship with the Fair Maximista, and I worry that if he were to find out, he might be discouraged."

"I don't see how this pertains to me," she murmured slowly, looking around the hospital floor as if worried that someone would be listening.

"You are close to Stone Cold-"

"I used to be close to Jason," she corrected, lowering her voice. "Look, if that's what this is about, you don't have to worry about me saying anything. Who you date and see in secret or in public is your business. It's none of mine." She pushed herself up from the sofa, suddenly looking stressed. "I have to get back to work, Spinelli. I'd appreciate it if you didn't come to see me about Jason again."

Sighing, Spinelli fell back against the cushions as the nurse walked away, perking up only when he realized she wasn't going back to the hub. Maybe something really was going on between her and Jason. Digging through his laptop bag he pulled out his phone and dialed Maxie's number.

She answered on the first ring. "Hey, I only have a minute. Did you find out anything?"

"Fair Elizabeth became very agitated when I asked her to keep the secret relationship of the Fair Maximista and the Jackal under wraps."

"Oh, that's an awesome cover story, Spinelli. There's hope for you yet! What did she say?"

"She was very displeased and asked the Jackal not to visit her at work and talk about Stone Cold. Then she walked away, but didn't return to work."

"Well, why aren't you following her?"

"Why aren't you questioning the Once Fair Samantha?" he retorted, figuring if he was working hard, Maxie should be too.

"Sam got a phone call and had to step outside."

"You aren't following her?"

"No, she said it was Lucky."

"But that doesn't mean-"

"Why would she lie about – Right. We're terrible at this, Spinelli." He could hear the sound of her chair screeching against the floor of the diner. "I'm going to go see if I can find anything. You go track her down and make sure she isn't calling him to report your visit. I'll meet you back at the Penthouse in an hour."

Kelly's Diner

Scowling, Maxie pressed her phone to her ear and hurried outside to where Sam was standing. "Terrible reception in there," she muttered, when her friend glanced at her curiously.

"What? Yeah, I'm here," Sam said, turning her attention back to her call.

"Yes, Kate. I did all that for you yesterday," Maxie insisted, lying her way through a work phone call. "I put the faxes on your desk. No problem. I can wait while you check."

She tapped her fingers against her hip as she paced back and forth impatiently, chewing her lip when it sounded like Sam was ready to end her call. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought about Sam lying. It made so much sense for her to get up and leave the diner to talk to Lucky. It wasn't as if she hadn't listened to their conversations countless times before.

"No, I said I could meet at Jake's later. I have some stuff I have to take care of first. I know. I'm sorry, but this is important too. Don't worry. He won't know a thing." She stopped long enough to look at Maxie, who immediately started to rant into her phone.

"Glad you found the faxes, Kate. I was so worried that Lulu had misplaced them when she was doing what she likes to call a clean up of your desk. Oh, I know. She's such a piece of work. Anyway, I hope you're feeling better – Shit." She held her phone out as it rang, suddenly panicking as Sam stared at her.

"I have to go," her friend muttered, snapping her phone shut and continuing to look at Maxie.

She was an idiot. A stupid, freaking idiot who had no idea how to conduct an investigation, and Sam was staring at her and waiting for her to act.

"Are you going to answer that, Maxie?" she asked, looking at the phone. "You don't want Kate to think you hung up on her."

Oh, thank god for bad cell phone connections.

"It's not Kate…" She frowned when she saw Spinelli's name on the caller ID, not sure why he was calling back so quickly. "It's…Never mind, I should get going. Kate's freaking out at the office, and her cell probably died, and it'll be all kinds of bad. I'm sorry to run out on lunch, but it's my job and if I get fired there go all my hopes and dreams of being a fashion icon. Not to mention that I won't get to boss Lulu around – let alone fire her and it would just be all kinds of bad."

"Take a deep breath, Maxie," Sam laughed, shrugging her rant off. "It's okay."

"Really? I'm sorry. Besides it sounded like maybe I was keeping you from something too."

She shrugged, glancing down at her cell phone. "I just have to meet someone at Jake's later."

Someone?

Very interesting.

"Yeah, well I should get going. I hope that goes well for you," Maxie called out, hurrying towards the back alley where her car was parked. Her phone rang again as she unlocked the door, and she knew without looking at it that it was Spinelli. "I'm going to the penthouse now. Be there or else."

If it was Lucky that Sam was meeting, why not say so? Who else could she possibly be meeting? She had no girlfriends, mostly because she slept with men who belonged to someone else. Thankfully, Maxie had no man and would never have to worry about that.

Well, she had Spinelli, but Sam McCall would never go for her favorite nerd. Or at least she better not.

Then again, Sam was really attractive and clearly knew how to get into a man's pants. What if Spinelli just fell for it? She'd break his heart and not even think twice.

Oh, that was it. She was going to have to talk to Spinelli about quite a few things.

Harbor View Towers, Penthouse 2

Spinelli paced the floor of the penthouse, doing his best to recall every bit of information he'd overheard from Elizabeth's phone call. Surprisingly enough, the nurse had gone straight to the locker room and made a call, and while he wasn't exactly sure it was Jason, it didn't make sense for it to be anyone else.

She'd admitted she was rattled by Spinelli showing up and asking about her and Jason, but that she was trying to shake it off. She'd laughed a bit, saying that the boy had good intentions and it was just too bad he didn't need to try. Before hanging up, she'd promised to meet someone at Jake's after her shift. He couldn't be sure, but she may have said the name of the person on the phone, only Dr. Drake had shown up with Epiphany. Neither seemed too happy to see him and quickly threatened his life if he didn't leave the premises. As he walked away the doctor made some comment about Spinelli having a crush on Elizabeth, and that was the last thing he needed to get back to Jason.

"Spinelli, we need to talk!" Maxie cried, just as she did every time she set foot in the penthouse, leaving Spinelli to wonder why he imagined it would ever be any different.

"Yes, we do because the Jackal has gotten himself into a situation and if Stone Cold finds out that I may or may not have a crush on the Fair-"

"I knew it!" she exclaimed, throwing her purse down on the couch. "You would sleep with her if you had the chance, wouldn't you?"

"What?" he gasped, holding a hand over his mouth.

Didn't she realize this was the most taboo of subjects?

"You can't, Spinelli, and I'm not saying it because I want you."

He just gave her a blank look.

"When most women tell a guy they don't want him to sleep with some two-bit whore, they think it's because the woman wants to sleep with him, but I just don't want you to get your heart broken. She doesn't care about your gentle soul and the fact that you're the sweetest guy in the entire world. Women like her only want one thing – money. Two, if you count sex. You are more important than that."

"Erm, perhaps the Jackal may interject?" he asked nervously, wanting to correct her because there was no way he would ever sleep with Elizabeth.

Granted, she was beautiful and kind with a heart of gold, but she was first and foremost Jason's, and while his boss may not mind sampling someone else's goods, Spinelli most definitely did not.

"Please tell me I'm just overreacting," she begged, throwing herself down on the couch.

"The Jackal has no intentions of sleeping with Fair Elizabeth," he said seriously, sitting down beside her and smiling faintly. "His heart belongs to-"

"Elizabeth? Who said anything about Elizabeth?" she asked, sitting up and looking at him. "I know you wouldn't sleep with her. Jason may be a leftover kind of guy, but you are not."

"The Jackal must agree, but if you weren't talking about Fair Elizabeth…"

"I meant Sam," she filled in, acting as if he should have known all along. "If she were to approach you-"

"The Jackal would never."

Brushing her bangs from her face, she grinned and shook her head. "I should have known. I just got so worked up at the thought." He nodded, going along with her, not sure how this idea even came into play but she didn't give him the chance to answer. "So, I didn't get to finish lunch with Sam. I sort of flubbed things up, but no worries because I think you were right about the phone call. Sam was being secretive and weird about meeting someone later because she had something to do, and that something was to meet someone at Jake's, which is kind of a public place to have a secret rendezvous. And I bet the rooms are disgusting. Just imagine how many people have sex on those things in one week? Totally gross, but then I was thinking that maybe Jason likes it dirty, in turn making his woman like it dirty, and Sam is kind of dirty, so…"

"The Once Fair Samantha is going to Jake's."

She nodded firmly.

"To meet Jason."

"Yep."

"That's impossible."

"I haerd the phone call, Spinelli."

"But the Jackal overhead a phone call between Elizabeth and Jason saying that she would meet him at Jake's."

"You don't know that it was Jason," she argued, furrowing her brow as she thought it over.

"Neither do you," he pointed out, to which she crossed her arms and sat back on the couch. Spinelli immediately felt weary, knowing the wheels were turning in her head, and he was almost too afraid to ask.

"Well, that leaves us no choice," she shrugged, reaching over and placing a hand on his leg.

"Meaning?" he gulped, sucking in a breath as she gently squeezed his leg, not sure if whether he could control exactly where the blood started to rush to.

She leaned over so that her face was close to his. In fact, if he leaned forward at just the right angle, he'd be able to-

"We're going to Jake's tonight."