Chapter 28- Jake's Plan

Esme stared at Dex through the bars, not leaving her spot on the bed.

"Feeling comfortable?" He grinned. "You remember, don't you?"

Esme bit her lip.

"You have no idea how weird it was when you didn't remember me," Dex said. "But oh, how things change. Now you're the one with nothing while I have everything."

"I—I never had everything," Esme said.

He clenched his jaw. "All rich girls say that. I was stuck in the stable house while you had all the help waiting on you."

"It was lonely," Esme said.

"Lonely?" Dex asked. "You've always been an ungrateful brat. Well, now I'm the rich one. You should see my paycheck. The Corinthos family adores me. They call me their mini-Jason. I have this town wrapped around my finger. I'm so glad I followed you here. And all of this was so easy to obtain. Everyone has been stupid enough to play right into my plan. Even you."

"I could just tell the truth," Esme said.

"You do that, and I will spill your dirty little secret," Dex said. "You know, the one with Daddy dearest."

Esme's lip trembled and she burst into tears.

"I'm sure your new mom Felicia would love to know," Dex said. "Your precious mother who you've been so desperate to find. I'll tell her what I walked in on."

"Don't, don't, please don't!"

"Then keep your mouth shut. I will be watching you, like I have been all along."

He walked away and Esme curled up in a ball, sobbing.

GHGHGH

"The small one is still unsettled?" Spinelli asked, shortly after arriving at Maxie's.

Maxie let out a deep breath. She was sitting at the kitchen table trying to give Ace a bottle. "He should've gone with Spencer. He doesn't know me, and I don't know what his schedule is or anything."

Ace rubbed his eyes and sobbed.

"Are you sleepy, Ace?" Maxie asked. "I got rid of Bailey's crib."

Georgie groaned inside her bedroom and stomped into Bailey's room where James and Bailey Lou were knocking over blocks. "Do you mind? Between Ace crying you guys making so much noise, I can't concentrate."

Bailey hugged her leg. "Pway with us, Gogie!"

"I'm trying to do some work," Georgie said.

"Pwease!"

"Come on, Bailey," James said. "Georgie's no fun anymore."

Georgie sighed. "Okay, fine. But I choose the game. We'll play police station."

Bailey claps her hands. "Poece! Like Gampa!"

"I will play Jordan," Georgie said. "James can be Ace, and Bailey Lou will be Esme and I'll arrest her." She scooped up Bailey and locked her in the toy chest.

James frowned. "I don't like this game."

GHGHGH

Once Nina received word from Kendall, she rushed to Janet's apartment building with Dante and Michael. They found Heather on the ground and called an ambulance, then headed up the elevator.

Dante knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Janet asked suspiciously.

"Police," Dante said. "Open up."

"G-g-go away!" Janet said.

"Dante?" Willow called out. "Dante, is that you? I'm in here! It's me, Will—"

"Shhhhh…." Janet shushed her.

"Willow? Willow?" Nina responded. "We're here to rescue you."

"Let us in," Michael said.

Dante kicked the door down and pointed his gun at Janet.

"Willow!" Nina rushed over and hugged her.

"Leave me and my daughter alone," Janet said.

Willow hugged Nina back. "I'm not your daughter and I'm not Heather's daughter."

Janet burst into tears when Dante cuffed her. "You're under arrest for aiding and abetting…."

"Are you okay, Willow?" Michael asked.

Willow nodded. "How are the kids?"

"Fine," Michael said. "They're with my mom."

"Let's get you home," Nina said.

GHGHGH

When Felicia arrived at Maxie's, she found Ace asleep on Maxie's lap while she talked to Spinelli.

"How is he?" Felicia asked.

"Mom, I really think he should be with Spencer, Laura, and Kevin," Maxie said. "It took him forever to fall asleep. I didn't know what he needed. I'm a stranger to him."

Felicia sighed. "The poor guy misses his mommy. Thank you, Maxie, for watching him." She lifted him into her arms and he continued to sleep on her shoulder. "It really means a lot to me. Like I said, I really hope we can talk about us soon."

Maxie bit her lip. "Ace is a cute kid."

Felicia smiled. "Yes, he is. Spinelli, I was really hoping to talk to you."

James ran into the living room and tugged on Maxie's shirt. "Mommy, I don't like Georgie's game and Bailey doesn't either."

"What game?" Maxie asked.

"Police station," James said. "But Georgie stopped playing and I can't get Bailey out."

"Out of where?"

"The toy chest," James said.

Felicia scrunched her face. "Toy chest?"

Maxie groaned. "Okay, show me." She took off with James.

"Oh dear," Felicia said.

"What did you need to talk to me about, Mrs. Scorpio?" Spinelli asked.

"I need your help to find out what really happened during the events Esme is being charged with," Felicia said. "I talked to her about it and she's very frightened, so hasn't told me everything. But I know there's more going on than meets the eye."

"Okay, what has she told you so far?"

"That she didn't frame Trina," Felicia said. "I suspect that Esme might be guilty for some of the things she's accused of, not all of it, but she's scared to speak up. I want you to dig into the surveillance footage in 2022 at the Highlander where they believe Esme bought the burner phone and at GH where the Tramadol was stolen. But I also want you to look at the footage at Ferncliff, but more than just that year. I want to find out anything I can about Esme's past visits with Ryan. I will be going there myself to interview the staff."

Spinelli nodded. "Of course, Mrs. Scorpio. I can do that."

"Thank you. Like I said before, you can call me Felicia."

GHGHGH

Georgie sat at her desk, staring at the computer when her phone rang. "Jake?"

"Hey, Georgie. How's it going?"

"Fine," Georgie said. "Did you get my email?"

"I did," Jake said. "You're awesome. You found Victor's mansion. That's why I'm calling. I was talking to Danny. We want to take the Quartermaine jet and go to Switzerland. But we're not telling our moms. I thought you deserved to know though."

"Well, I want to go too," Georgie said.

"But we don't know how dangerous it will be."

"I've helped all along, I want to see this through to the end," Georgie said. "Besides, I want a break from everything here."

"Okay, but we need to keep this secret," Jake said. "Our parents would stop us if they knew."

"It's fine, I can sneak out."

"Okay," Jake said. "We're leaving tomorrow at 1pm. Meet us at the Quartermaines fifteen minutes before."

Georgie smiled. "I'll see you there."

GHGHGH

When Felicia arrived home, she laid Ace down in his crib and watched him sleep for a few minutes, then stepped into the hallway and pulled out her phone.

"Hi there, is this Maggie Fitzgerald? My name is Felicia Scorpio."