Chapter 72- Spinelli's Evidence

A couple weeks later, Sam finished getting dressed and pulled out her phone. "Hey, Spin. I'm just heading out. Did you find anything?"

"Greetings, Fair Samantha. I am calling to bare some crucial information on what you asked me to research."

"Oh, about Shelly Mest?" Sam asked.

"I apologize it has taken me so long," Spinelli said. "I have been swamped with a lot of important jobs recently."

"That's okay. Scout and I are actually meeting Shelly and her daughter for a play date, so this is perfect timing."

"Shelly Mest is the daughter of Stuart Mest and Evelyn Bass," Spinelli said.

Sam swallowed hard. "Mest… I forgot Evelyn married a man named Mest. Evelyn was my adopted mother who wanted nothing to do with me."

"It seems after Evelyn took your brother away from you and Cody, she married Stuart Mest. Two years later they had Shelly."

"So, Danny had another sister," Sam said. "A biological one. He never mentioned her."

GHGHGH

Cameron grabbed a bag of chips from the kitchen and heard a knock at the door. He opened it to find Esme on the porch.

He smiled. "Oh, hey."

"Hi. I hope you don't mind me just dropping by like this."

"Not at all," Cam said. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to apologize for a couple of weeks ago."

"You don't have to. Please, come in."

"Thank you." She sat on the couch with him. "But I do. I know the marriage of convenience was a bad idea. I should've listened to my mom."

"Hey, we've all been there. Our moms give us good advice and we do the opposite."

"I'm just really scared that I'm going to lose Ace. He's with Spence again for his last visit before the hearing tomorrow. Ace was in the same room when that shooting happened at Sonny and Carly's house. I'm still furious."

"I heard about that. Wiley still hasn't woken up. How's Ace doing?"

"He seems fine now but the first few nights he wasn't sleeping."

"I'm glad he's doing better," Cameron said. "Don't worry about Spencer. I can't see him winning. And I'm still planning to testify on your behalf tomorrow."

"That's the other reason why I came. I was going to ask if you'd still be willing to. But I don't want you to think that's the only reason I apologized. I know it was stupid to try to seduce you. I'm really trying to be a better person. I've been going to therapy and my mom's helping me. I just thought if I channeled the person Daddy taught me to be… I wouldn't lose Ace."

"Esme, it's fine. I get that. I know you're trying."

Esme smiled and hugged him. "Thanks so much, Cam. I should get going. Spence should be bringing Ace home soon."

"No problem."

When she got up and left, Jake walked in. His eyebrows bounced up and down. "Oooh, what's going on in here?"

"Huh?" Cameron asked.

Jake plopped down beside him. "Are you and Esme… dating?"

Cameron blushed. "No. At least not yet."

"But you like her." Jake playfully nudged him.

"Maybe…. What about you and Charlotte?"

Jake frowned. "I don't know. We went to the movies a couple of weeks ago. But she's acting funny again."

"How?"

"She just seems really distant. Hasn't returned my texts in over a week."

GHGHGH

Felicia helped Georgie out to the backyard.

"I can walk by myself," Georgie said.

"Are you sure, honey?" Felicia asked. "This is your first time outside, other than to appointments."

"I'm okay."

"All right…." Felicia let go of her but still stayed close by as Georgie walked across the deck and sat down in a lawn chair.

"It's gorgeous out," Felicia said. "Spring is finally here."

"It's just really bright."

Felicia frowned. "Do you want me to get your darker glasses?"

"Maybe, yeah."

"Okay, just please don't try to get up without me." Felicia headed back inside.

Georgie glanced around the backyard, squinting behind her sunglasses. Her eyes stopped at a red skipping rope lying on the grass. She began hyperventilating.

A few minutes later, Felicia returned with the darker sunglasses. "Sorry sweetie, they were in the bathr—honey?" She dropped beside her. "Georgie, slow, deep breaths. Breath in for 4 seconds, hold it for four, then release it for four. That's it. Just focus on your breathing and my voice."

Georgie's breathing finally slowed, but she started crying.

Felicia hugged her. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here. Did something happen?"

"The—the rope…."

Felicia turned and saw the skipping rope. "Oh, that's James'. He must have forgot to put it away." She paused in thought, remembering Diego strangled her. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I'll go put it away. It's okay."

GHGHGH

Sam and Scout sat down on a bench in the park while they waited for Shelly and Evelyn. Finally, after a little while, they arrived.

Evelyn smiled. "Hi Scout!"

"Hi Evelyn," Scout said.

"I'm sorry we're late," Shelly said. "I got a call from my son's school and I had to take it."

"Want to play on the swings?" Evelyn asked.

"Okay." Scout ran to the swings with Evelyn.

"Oh, that's okay," Sam said. "Stephanie was telling us a couple of weeks ago about Danny."

Shelly nodded.

"So, when were you going to tell me that you're Evelyn Bass' daughter?" Sam asked.

"Oh, you know?" Shelly asked.

"Yes. When Stephanie was over for dinner, I suspected something like that. But when I looked into it, I realized."

"I knew about you and when we moved here a few months ago I wasn't sure whether to reach out to you or not," Shelly said. "But since my brother and my parents died, I really don't have any family left. I thought if our kids bonded it would build a bridge for us."

Sam eyed her suspiciously. "You're just looking for family ties?"

"Yes. Especially since we both have loved someone with Fragile X Syndrome. And I want to thank you for talking care of Danny when I couldn't."

GHGHGH

Esme sat down at the bus stop and stared off, dreading tomorrow. She looked up when a fancy, Bugatti La Voiture Noire pulled over to her.

The window scrolled down and Nelle called out to her. "Need a ride?"

Esme stared at her. "Um… I'm taking the bus, thanks."

"I'm driving by your street, anyway, might as well join me. Then you don't have to wait."

"How do you know where I live?" Esme asked.

Nelle smiled. "Remember? I know all about you. Come on, I won't bite."

"I could just call my mom for a ride."

"But I'm right here," Nelle said.

"She already offered. But I'm trying to be more independent."

"Right, and it's good to get out and meet more people. Like me." Nelle grinned. "Come on, why wait around for the bus when I can drive you?"

Esme checked the time on her phone. "Well, it won't be here for another 30 minutes. I might miss Spence dropping off Ace. You'll take me right home?"

"Cross my heart and vow to destroy Carly." Nelle crossed her heart.

"All right." Esme climbed into the passenger seat and Nelle took off.

"So, how are you feeling about tomorrow?" Nelle asked.

"How do you know what tomorrow is?" Esme asked.

"Esme, Esme, Esme…." She looked at her seriously. "Esme… I know everything about everyone and everything."

"Okay. Well, I'm nervous about it."

"You don't need to be nervous," Nelle said. "I do want to warn you about someone though."

"Who?"

"Felicia."

Esme scrunched up her face. "My mom? Why?"

"She's trying to sabotage your chances of getting custody of Ace."

"No, she's not," Esme said. "She's trying to help me."

"That's what she's trying to make you believe."

"What reason would she have to sabotage it?" Esme asked.

"She wants Ace all to herself and wants you gone. Think about it, Esme. How many times do you see her on the phone or her laptop in a day? It's because she's building evidence against you."

"No, she's building evidence to help my case."

"I'm telling you, you can not trust her," Nelle said. "Look at her track record."

"Uh her track record has been trying to help me all along."

"Really?" Nelle asked with a concerned voice. "Then why didn't she try harder to find you? Was she really looking for you? Or did she abandon all of you just to go on adventures with her ex-husband?"

Esme paused in thought, then shook her head. "You're wrong. She wanted to find me."

"I just don't want you to be disappointed or hurt when the truth comes out," Nelle said. She pulled into the Scorpios' driveway. "But I'm going to be there for you tomorrow and I'm bringing the evidence that will secure both of our wins."

Esme shifted uncomfortably.

GHGHGH

After getting Georgie to bed, Felicia sat down with Spinelli in the living room and he opened up his laptop.

"What did you find?" Felicia asked.

"Video footage of Judge Naomi Carson, as well as her bank statements since the beginning of this year," Spinelli explained.

"Oh?"

He showed her the statements over the last few months. "Judge Carson has deposited checks for $1 million a total of three times."

"Do you know from who?" Felicia asked.

"Well, the footage from her office is very telling. They have audio too. And they're all dated a couple of days prior to when the checks were deposited."

"This is the most recent one."

Nelle walked into the office.

"How did you get in here?" Naomi asked. "How do you keep getting past my assistant?"

"Is that any way to speak to the hand that feeds you?" Nelle asked. "This custody battle is going to end one way and one way only."

"And how is that?"

"You're going to play into Carly's hand," Nelle said. "You're going to strip Nina of her rights to Wiley and Amelia. And even better, you're going to reverse Willow's adoption of Wiley. But she can have supervised visits with the baby just to tease her."

"What's in this for you?" Naomi asked.

Nelle grinned. "It's revenge against Nina and Willow for what they've done to me. And if Carly thinks she's won, it'll make her downfall that much sweeter. Plus, it'll make things easier for when I go for custody of Wiley if the adoption is nullified. I have no idea which judge we'll be assigned."

"And for me?"

Nelle pulled out her checkbook.

"Oh my gosh," Felicia said. "We need to show this to Nina and Willow."

"There's more." Spinelli played the next one.

Nelle walked into the office.

"What now?" Naomi asked.

"Spencer Cassadine and Josslyn Jacks are trying to take custody of Ace from Esme Prince," Nelle said.

"I know. I'm working on that right now."

"You need to ensure that the restraining order is lifted and that they can have temporary visitation with Ace," Nelle said.

"Mr. Cassadine has been harassing Ms. Prince and the child. And I thought it was Ms. Prince you were trying to help?"

Nelle nodded. "It is. But there has to be more obstacles, then when I swoop in and save the day, she'll really think I'm her hero."

Felicia shook her head. "As soon as Esme told me she approached her, I knew there was something up. Well, thank you, Spinelli. This should help. And we can request another judge."

"There's one more," Spinelli said. "This was the earliest one."

Felicia turned her attention back to the screen.

Nelle walked into the office and pounded her fist on the desk.

"Excuse me?" Naomi lowered her glasses to look at her. "I am in the middle of a trial and I'm deciding on the verdict. You need to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere. This farce of a trial ends now!"

"I'm trying to end it, but you are delaying me."

Nelle pulled out her checkbook. "How's $10,000 if you do what I say?"

"I do not accept bribes," Naomi said. "Get out of my office."

"Oh, you'll accept a bribe from me," Nelle said. "50,000."

"Get out!"

"100,000."

Naomi grabbed her phone.

"One million dollars," Nelle said firmly. "I know you have a grandson who is dying and has medical expenses your family can't afford."

Naomi stared at her, then set her phone aside. "What are you proposing?"

"Esme does not go to prison and I will write you this check."

Naomi paused for a moment, then nodded. "Deal."

"Oh no… oh no…." Felicia grabbed at her hair. "I can't let Esme go to prison. I thought that was behind us. She's doing so well."

"Might I suggest only bringing forward the other two videos?" Spinelli asked.

"But if they see the other two, they're going to want to dive deeper into the surveillance footage," Felicia said. "Either that or if the judge gets caught, she might come forward about Esme's trial out of spite if she knows I exposed her. And her poor grandson…. I—I don't know what to do."

They glanced up a few minutes later when Esme walked in.

"Hi sweetie, we were just preparing for tomorrow," Felicia said. "How was your—"

Esme darted up the stairs.