Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six:
Miscommunication is the Foundation of Every Good Misunderstanding

Wyndemere, Living Room.

Nikolas enters from the back into the empty living room. He stops and takes the room in. The mantle is, curiously, free of the ugly glassware Katherine had decorated it with and now is replaced by those old ironworks from Great Great Uncle Agamemnon’s tomb. Nikolas frowns. He's not entirely sure what that means. He walks over to the mantle, and examines them from a distance. He hears the French doors that lead to the garden open and turns to see Stefan.

Stefan: Ah! You're here!

Nik: Where were you?

Stefan: I was just speaking to Alexis in the garden. She's only just now left to go back to the mainland. She'll be sorry to have missed you. Unless you're planning on staying.

Nik: I… (He stops, frowning) I haven't been out here much lately, there are some things I should probably attend to.

Stefan: If you're speaking of business…

Nik: I'm not.

Stefan: Very well. The Groom has been taking Sheba out for a run daily, but he feels she is missing her master.

Nik: Sheba. Yes, I know, I've been neglectful there.

Stefan: With every reason, I'm sure. (He clears his throat) Nikolas, there is something I must discuss with you. (Nikolas raises his eyebrows)

Nik: Really.

Stefan: You may want to have a seat.

Nik: I'm fine here.

Stefan: Very well. This is… Well, as you can imagine, a confusing turn of events, but…

Nik: What is it?

Stefan: Your Grandmother. She's left town. (Nikolas stares at Stefan)

Nik: I'm sorry?

Stefan: Apparently she has made a retreat.

Nik: Do you know where she's gone?

Stefan: I was unable to track her movement in Port Charles, I have no idea where she has gone.

Nik: Well. That's an honest answer, at least.

Stefan: That is what you demand.

Nik: Why do I have to demand it?

Stefan: I have shielded you from the world your entire life, Nikolas. The idea that, because you have reached a determined age, I am simply to alter the way I handle family matters overnight.

Nik: (smiling slightly) Things were always going to change when I hit a certain age.

Stefan: Yes… But you'll notice that age is five years away. You have changed the rules on me. (Nikolas nods, then turns away, pacing the length of the room)

Nik: (slowly) How do you know that she has left?

Stefan: I have informants that assure me she's gone. Where to, I'm uncertain.

Nik: but you couldn't track her in town.

Stefan: Not consistently.

Nik: So…

Stefan: Nikolas. I am certain that she wanted me to know of her arrival just as she wanted me to know of her departure.

Nik: But… We don't know where she is.

Stefan: No… And that is why I feel now is the most pertinent time for you to…

Nik: I don't want to talk about it.

Stefan: Nikolas.

Nik: No. You know what my feelings are about coming up here, you know what I need to see. (Stefan nods, and takes a deep breath)

Stefan: I realize how difficult this must be for you.

Nik: No, you don't.

Stefan: Nikolas.

Nik: I can't keep doing this… I can't keep waiting. I have to know, I have to know what she was up to, what she wanted!

Stefan: I don't have those answers for you.

Nik: And if you got them… Would you give them to me?

Stefan: You know I would.

Nik: That's precisely the problem. I don't know that.

Stefan: Nikolas. (He meets his gaze intently) I will deliver what I have promised. And I am promising, in addition to that… Any information I gather on your Grandmother, you will be kept just as well informed as I am. (Nikolas nods)

Nik: I need to know I can count on that.

Stefan: You can. As surely as you've ever counted on me for anything.

Nik: I… (He shakes his head) I'm going to the stables. I'll… I'll come back here for lunch. Maybe we can eat together?

Stefan: I would like that. I would like that very much.

Jason's Penthouse.

Jason comes down the stairs, buttoning the cuffs on his shirt. The door is opening just as he reaches the bottom of the staircase, and he stops, waiting expectantly. Renaldo appears.

Ren: You have a visitor.

Jason: Who? (Renaldo gives Jason a look he's very familiar) Which one?

Ren: The old man. (Jason sighs heavily. They never listen to him.)

Jason: Yeah, yeah… Let him in. (Renaldo gestures and Edward appears in the door a very dour look on his face) What do you want?

Ed: I see your manners are as gracious as ever. (Jason just stares at him. Edward scowls at him) And you know perfectly well why I'm here! I want to know what you've done with Emily!

Jason: I can't tell you that.

Ed: But you've spirited her off some place, haven't you? (Jason just looks at him). HAVEN'T YOU?

Jason: Do you have anything else to ask me?

Ed: Yes. I want to know what that Spencer boy has to do with this. (Jason turns away, sighing) He's involved in this, isn't he?

Jason: (turning back, angry) You know she's safe, why can't you people ever just leave it at that?

Ed: How do I know she's safe? How do I know that? How do YOU know?

Jason: If she wasn't, I would have heard.

Ed: Are you sure about that?

Jason: Look. I know how you operate, old man. You want to go and make a big fuss out of this and throw your money around… That won't help her. I want you to think about all of this carefully, all right? It should look a little familiar. I know it's not in your nature, but try to LEARN something for once!

Ed: I'm not going to take advice from some common criminal.

Jason: Listen. You do anything but what you've been doing the last couple of days you'll do one of two things: Put her in danger, or drive her further away.

Ed: So you're saying that I could reach her, huh? (Jason stares at her)

Jason: That's not what I said.

Ed: But I could. I could, ads in newspapers, huh? Or…

Jason: (warningly) Don't even think about it.

Ed: Humph. Well, you could at the very least give us all some kind of clue what's going on here!

Jason: I've told you everything you need to know.

Ed: Have you? You know how much sleep your grandmother has gotten the last few nights? You know your MOTHER, the woman who raised you… whether your like it or not… she hasn't stopped pacing the floor since Emily disappeared! And you sit here, holding all the cards, deciding what we should and should not know.

Jason: She's safe. That's all you have to know. (Edward raises his finger to start in on a good and through tirade when the door opens. Renaldo appears with grim look number two and Jason rolls his eyes. Perfect timing).

Ren: You have…

Taggert: (pushing past Renaldo) Hey there, Morgan. Long time no see.

Ren: (closing the door behind Garcia) And he's real torn up about it. (The door closes)

Jason: I got company.

Ed: Oh, I'm COMPANY now! (Jason shoots Edward a look and reflects that if the door opens and Tony Jones comes through he'll be in his own personal hell. He turns back to the detectives).

Jason: I have nothing to say to you.

Garcia: This isn't about your business, Mr. Morgan.

Jason: I don't care what it's about, I got nothing to say to you.

Taggert: Oh, I see you're bucking for big brother of the year again, huh? (Jason looks at them belligerently)

Jason: What do you want?

Garcia: We're investigating a murder.

Jason: Uh huh.

Ed: Oh, well you've come to the right place!

Jason: (to Edward) Why are you still here?

Taggert: Listen. You know a girl named Hannah Hargreaves, formerly Sophia Clark, formerly Corrine Gibbons?

Jason: Yeah.

Ed: You KNEW her?

Jason: She's my sister's aunt.

Taggert: Well, well… So you do keep in touch. Did you two meet socially? Huh? Go out for drinks, have a “meet the family” moment before you had her killed?

Jason: I don't know anything about her death.

Garcia: Taggert.

Taggert: Don't you.

Garcia: Taggert, he's answering the questions. (Taggert, ignoring his partner's logic… they know well that it's the unanswered questions you pay attention to… presses on)

Taggert: No? No, I guess then you don't know anything about why Lucky Spencer was there with the body either, huh?

Jason: (shrugging) He knew her.

Taggert: Yeah, that I heard. You know what else I heard this morning? Just… A little bird flew into the station house and told me… You know Lucky Spencer pretty well too. (Again, Jason does nothing. Garcia, keeping score in his notebook, decides that must mean Lucky's involved)

Garcia: When did you last see Spencer? (Jason says nothing again. Edward speaks up)

Ed: Well? Answer him!

Jason: It's time for you to get going, old man.

Ed: (to Taggert) See! See, I told you that kid was no good! You've found something out, haven't you?

Taggert: Just conducting our investigation, Mr. Quartermaine.

Jason: RENALDO! (The door swings open immediately)

Ren: Yeah, boss.

Jason: Renaldo, would you please escort my guests out? (He looks at them) It's been a pleasure, but I have a meeting, so if you'll excuse me…

Taggert: You'll be hearing from us again, Morgan.

Jason: Yeah, I don't doubt it.

Ed: Just a MINUTE here! I want someone to give me some kind of answer here! I want to know where my Granddaughter is!

Jason: (Frustrated) I don't have any answers for you! For any of you! You can keep searching, you're not going to find a thing. (He looks at Taggert pointedly) As usual, you've got your theories, but that's all they are. (To Edward) I'm sorry you're worried, but I've told you not to. And you (he turns to Taggert) If you want to play this game again, then be my guest, but I don't have time for it right now.

Taggert: (Smirking) Don't sweat it, Morgan… I think I got what I came for. (Taggert turns, followed by Garcia, and they depart for the hall. Edward looks back at Jason)

Ed: Don't you think this is the end of this! (Renaldo takes a threatening step towards him) I know, I know! I'm going. (He turns and strides out of the room.)

Jason: (tired) Renaldo. Come in here. (Renaldo does so, closing the door behind him)

Ren: Busy morning.

Jason: That's it, ok? That's the last paranoid visit from those people I'm putting up with, I don't have the time for it. (Renaldo nods). Listen, though… You talk to Benny?

Ren: He said he took care of it.

Jason: He did or he's going to.

Ren: His exact words were: Tell Jason my guy took care of it.

Jason: Good. I give the cops two days before they start nosing around in all that. I don't want any trails.

Ren: The money has been transferred. The trail has been obliterated. There is no way to connect the money to you or the recipient.

Jason: Good. (Renaldo gives him a look) It's not what it looks like.

Ren: Yeah, I kinda figured it couldn't have been. Even if Lucky were that stupid, you wouldn't be.

Jason: No, Lucky knew exactly what it was when he saw it. It still messed up our deal. Now instead of a one on one arrangement as I got you, Benny and Benny's “guy” in on this, that's more noise than he wanted.

Ren: Better than the alternative.

Jason: Yeah, well… If anyone found a way to legally tie him to me, between the cops and Luke Spencer… We'd have a mess on our hands.

In the hall

Finding Garcia and Taggert in discussion by the elevator, Edward approaches them, infuriated.

Ed: Do you two kindly want to explain to me what that was about?

Garcia: Mr. Quartermaine, we're just conducting our investiga…

Ed: No, no, no you don't! Tell me what you meant about that bird thing, that… That thing about Lucky Spencer.

Taggert: No, Mr. Quartermaine… We can't divulge that information to a private citizen.

Ed: If it's about my granddaughter you sure as hell better!

Taggert: (stepping forward) Mr. Q, you know we're doing everything we can… And we're looking the other way where your granddaughter is concerned… For now. You keep this up, we might have to get involved.

Ed: Well, that's been my idea of how to solve this from the beginning. (He narrows his eyes at them) And the amount of taxes I pay, I shouldn't have to be telling you your job!

Garcia: Mr. Quartermaine, your family will be informed as soon as there is something to know. (The elevator door opens. Edward steps on, still railing)

Ed: Well, I'll tell you something, I'm not going to stand idly by while those kids do whatever they want, and I don't think that my family has thought all of this through. Now if you're trying to tell me that Lucky Spencer… (The doors start to close) Hey! Aren't you getting…

Garcia: We'll catch the next one.

Ed: WHAT? I'm not done with you! (The doors close, and the elevator starts his downward trajectory. Garcia, more than a little ticked, turns to Taggert)

Garcia: WHAT do you think you're doing? You want the old man to pull a repeat of that trick he used when his GREAT grandson was kidnapped?

Taggert: Hey. Given what Jacob told us this morning… What I want is to flush Spencer out. And if Daddy Warbucks wants to start throwing his weight around… Spencer might not be in a position to take his chances with the feds. Eighteen years old, already on the hook for kidnapping… He just might be willing to tell us a thing or two about Morgan. You know… Like father, like son.

Garcia: (shaking his head) There's gotta be a better way.

Taggert: Maybe. (He smiles) But maybe not.

Wyndemere, Living Room.

Stefan is gazing out the French door at the far end of the room when Alexis enters, feeling like she's on her second lap of the Earth's perimeter. She spots Stefan immediately.

Alexis: (crossing to him) Stefan! Have you heard anything else?

Stefan: And how would I have? As far as most of the world is concerned, I'm still a grieving recluse. (Alexis shakes her head, tossing her briefcase on the divan)

Alexis: How long are you intending to hold up that ruse? Spencer doesn't seem to be buying it anymore…

Stefan: It was never about Spencer. And speaking of which…

Alexis: Yes, I was just coming in to talk to you about that. (She shakes her head) Where exactly did this come from again?

Stefan: What are you asking me, Alexis?

Alexis: I'm just unsure of what you're asking me to do.

Stefan: This doesn't come from me. It comes from Nikolas.

Alexis: Did he tell you what this was regarding?

Stefan: He said it should be self-evident.

Alexis: (slowly) I suppose it might be… But not to me.