She had been pacing the docks since shortly after noon like a caged animal, waiting for two o’clock and her "date" with Sonny. Of course she hadn’t been able to sleep at all the night before. The tangled sheets in her bed at the Port Charles Hotel must have elicited some colorful language from the maid after the way she tossed and turned. Brenda even considered calling Jax at one point. She was sure he wouldn’t speak to her, but even just hearing his voice saying the word "hello" would have been reassuring.

After barely managing to choke down coffee and a donut at breakfast, Brenda had decided to do some exploring on her own before she met with Sonny. It was morbid curiosity, really – the small rental car seemed to have a mind of its own as Brenda found herself driving down the street where she used to live not that long ago. She slowly came to a stop across the street from the modern ranch-style building that now was home to only two Barretts.

Brenda took a shaky breath as she stared at the house. She had a perverse impulse to go up and ring the bell. {And what would you do if Julia answered? Smile and stick out your hand and say, "Hi! It’s me, Brenda! I’m just living in a different body now?"} She shook her head and then rested her forehead against her hands on the steering wheel. {This was a bad idea. You should just go back to the Port Charles Hotel ……}

When she looked up again, Brenda caught her breath. Julia had come out the front door. {She looks thinner – not that she ever needed to lose weight. I wonder if she’s been to see a doctor?} As Brenda watched, Julia brought a small black dog out on a leash. She had to smile at the dog’s antics as it wove its way around Julia’s legs, anxious to get out and run.

Brenda wiped briskly at the tears that now ran down her cheeks. She sniffled and then looked down to turn the key in the ignition. As she was about to pull away from the curb, Brenda looked back up at her sister. {I wish there was some way You could let her know that I’m OK – that I’m happy now.} She smiled and laughed softly. {Boy, I don’t ask for much, do I? You’ve been so good to me already, giving me Jax and Jon – but she just looks like she’s hurting so badly, and I wish Julia could find some peace……}

"Hello?" Brenda blinked and shook her head to clear it. A dark-haired, swarthy-skinned man had appeared from behind the bar and was staring at her curiously. "Can I help you, Miss?"

Brenda laughed suddenly and pointed back towards the door. "Oh, I’m sorry – I thought that since the door was unlocked you were already open……"

The man grinned at her as he came around from behind the bar. "No. I keep telling Luke that he should keep the door locked during the day, but he doesn’t listen to me." He shook his head. "Of course, Luke is the kind of guy that would fall for the old line about someone writing "gullible" on the ceiling, too!" He extended a hand. "I’m Roy DeLucca – can I help you with something?"

{Roy DeLucca? Who the heck is Roy DeLucca?}

After Brenda’s excursion to the old neighborhood, she had sought out a comforting cup of hot cocoa at Kelly’s to kill some of the time before her scheduled rendezvous with Sonny. It was empty in the diner and while Brenda sipped her cocoa, another thought had occurred to her. {You’re so sure that Sonny keeps the evidence in his penthouse, but what if he doesn’t? What if he moved it after you found it the last time? Where else would he keep it?} Luke’s Club immediately came to mind.

Sonny had formed a partnership with Luke Spencer while he was engaged to Brenda. Sonny had often taken Brenda to Luke’s to listen to music or just "hang out," and she knew that there was a back room/office. Over the hot cocoa, Brenda realized that Sonny had probably become partners with Luke to lend some legitimacy to his business dealings in Port Charles. Possibly he might have taken paperwork to the club if he knew Brenda had found it at the penthouse.

Brenda smiled politely at Roy as she shook his hand. "Actually, Mr. DeLucca, I was looking for either Mr. Spencer or Mr. Corinthos – the club owners." {ACTUALLY, I’m not looking for either one. I’m hoping NEITHER one is here so I can sneak into the files in the back office…..}

"Well, Mr. Spencer isn’t here yet, and Mr. Corinthos doesn’t hang around the club too much anymore." Brenda realized the shock must have shown on her face as Roy continued. "Mr. Corinthos sold me his shares in the club about four months ago. I’m Luke’s partner now."

{Well, cluck.} Brenda managed to put a smile on her face again. "I see. Well, that’s OK – maybe you can help me." She started digging in her purse, pretending to be searching for something. "I’m from a temp agency downtown. Mr. Spencer hired us to do some accounting work for him……" She gave Roy her most "helpless female" look. "….you know how much he hates doing the book work……"

"And so do I!" Roy’s laugh was genuine and his eyes were bright with excitement. He extended a hand towards the back room. "If you’ll just follow me, I can show you where we keep most of the records, Miss……"

"Wilding! Veronica Wilding!" Brenda was almost as excited as Roy at the prospect of getting into the office alone. She was fairly certain that he was new in town and wouldn’t recognize Brenda Barrett’s mother’s name.

An hour later, Brenda emerged from Luke’s. She had managed to keep a smile on her face until she left but as soon as she was outside, an exhausted sigh exploded from her lips. Roy had been most helpful, but unfortunately Sonny had never moved any of his records to Luke’s or had cleaned them out as soon as the new partnership papers had been signed.

Brenda wandered around the docks and bought a hot dog from a vendor near the very docks project that her husband was responsible for. As she looked at the huge sign, proclaiming the work "a J&J Jacks development," she shivered involuntarily. {Everything had been going so well until we came back to Port Charles. If Jax just hadn’t gotten involved with this……} She took a deep breath and wiped her mouth with the paper napkin. {But then Sonny would have just gotten away with my murder…..and mama’s murder…….and have killed who knows how many other people until somebody finally brought him to justice. This needed to be done.} She cast her eyes skyward. {I guess this was all part of Your plan too, huh? You sure had big plans for me. I’m glad You had that much confidence in me, cause I sure don’t…….}

"Brenda?" The sound of Sonny’s voice made Brenda jump visibly. He smiled confidently and reached out to put a hand on her arm. "I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to startle you."

"No problem at all, Sonny." Brenda batted her eyelashes at him. She gestured towards the construction. "I was just having a look at my competition……."

"Competition?"

Brenda’s smile was grim. "For my husband’s attention." She tried to put as much pathos as possible into her sigh. "It seems that lately, he finds sea cranes and investment portfolios more interesting than his wife……"

"Really?" Sonny inched closer to Brenda, rubbing his shoulder against hers familiarly. "That’s odd. Jerry never told me that old Jaaaaaasper was mentally deficient."

Brenda forced a blush at Sonny’s slimy compliment. She looked around him. "You know, I never gave it a thought yesterday ……" She lowered her voice and looked at him secretively. "I hope our little "date" today won’t cause any problems for you with your fiancée."

"Actually, Miss Rivera is in Puerto Rico, visiting her father for a few days," Sonny replied smoothly. He extended his bent arm to Brenda and she smiled and linked her arm through his. "And if she finds out about it later and gets upset," he added, patting her hand, "then I’ll just make her understand that it was purely……innocent."

Brenda smiled and arched an eyebrow as they strolled away from the docks. {I’ll just *bet* you’ll make her understand. Maybe with a brake job for her car, too……..}

~*~*~*~*~*~

By 9PM that night, Brenda was afraid that her face would break from smiling too much. She had managed to put on a flirtatious front as Sonny squired her around Port Charles. They went to the park, the zoo, and even took a walk through the city’s Asian Quarter with a stop for refreshments.

Dinner at the "no name" had been an exercise in frustration. They were barely seated when a swarthy-looking man came up and whispered in Sonny’s ear. He had politely excused himself and disappeared for twenty minutes, explaining later that a "business" crisis needed his attention. During the entrée, two more "associates" that Brenda vaguely recognized came up and spoke quietly with Sonny while she had to blend in with the woodwork.

"I suppose this wasn’t such a good idea, was it?" Sonny’s question made Brenda freeze as she stirred her coffee after dinner. He stared down into his own cup of coffee with embarrassment. "I never thought we’d have this many interruptions."

{Finally. Let’s get to the good part of the festivities and get this over with.} Brenda reached over with her foot to rub against Sonny’s ankle. "I was hoping that you might find us a quieter place for an after-dinner drink," she purred.

Sonny’s eyes gleamed. "I think I know just the spot." He had ushered her out quickly and back into the black limousine that had been their chariot for the day. As they rode up in the elevator to his penthouse and Sonny’s arm had found its way around Brenda’s waist to pull her closer, she started to wonder if she could really go through with her plan. Mercifully, the elevator doors opened just as his lips grazed her hair.

Brenda undulated off the elevator and peered around the corner towards the door of his penthouse. "Aren’t you going to invite me in?" she asked coyly. "I never was one for public displays of affection, you know."

Sonny returned a look that Brenda decided was supposed to be one that would make her breathless with sexual anticipation. Once they were inside the penthouse, he had barely taken her satin evening coat when Brenda felt his hands creeping over her shoulders from behind and towards her breasts. She cleared her throat and turned abruptly to face him. "I don’t suppose you have any Frangelica, do you?" She ran her flat hands up his chest, making sure to stroke over his nipples as she did. "I just ADORE Frangelica and cappuccino after dinner."

{And I happen to know that you’ve got an old bottle of that liqueur that you keep WAY in the back of the wine cabinet in the kitchen. And a cappuccino machine that you LOVE to use and takes forever to steam.} Sonny gave her a toothy grin. "Well, if the lady wants cappuccino and Frangelica, then that’s what she’ll have!" Before she could pull away, he leaned forward and planted a noisy, wet kiss on her lips. Brenda managed to endure the embrace until Sonny pulled away again. "I’ll just be a few minutes," he growled. "Don’t let me forget where we left off."

Brenda winked at him as he sauntered to the kitchen. She waited until she saw the light go on and heard him open the doors of the wine cabinet. Then, she tiptoed over to the desk, keeping an anxious eye on the kitchen door every so often. The sound of the humming cappuccino machine re-assured her somewhat, and she sat down and slid her hand under the center desk drawer.

It opened easily, but Brenda frowned at the contents. {He’s not as dumb as he looks. He must have moved his little black notebook after I found it the last time.} It only took her a few minutes to rifle through the pens, stapler, blank note paper, and leather-bound telephone directory to determine that the information she needed wasn’t in the center drawer. She pushed the contents around a little, hunting for a hidden button or false bottom to the drawer, but she came up empty.

Brenda slid the drawer halfway shut and swiveled towards the side drawers. She pulled on them but swore softly when they wouldn’t budge. {Locked.} Running her hands swiftly under the center drawer, she frowned again. {No key here. And I’ll be dummed before I play touchy-feely with Sonny to see if he’s carrying it on him.} She sighed loudly and was closing the center drawer of the desk when she felt it.

It was definitely there – not just a figment of her hopeful imagination. A slight hitch in the drawer, and then a shudder in the body of the desk. Brenda danced excitedly in her chair as she opened the center drawer again slowly. She felt the same interruption in the rollers, and when she pulled on the side drawer of the desk, it opened smoothly. {Thank You!! You’re still up there helping me!!} It was a deep drawer with suspended hanging files but when she tugged on it hard to pull it all the way out, she saw a divided space at the back.

Brenda glanced back over her shoulder at the entrance to the kitchen. "Do you need any help in there, Sonny?" she called innocently. The expected negative reply came within seconds. {Pigs’ll fly before Sonny Corinthos ever allows a woman in *his* kitchen.} She turned back to the desk and reached into the deep recesses of the drawer. When her hand closed around a small leather notebook, Brenda had to control her urge to scream and shout in victory.

{Make sure it’s the right information. You don’t want to have to do this again.} Brenda’s hands were trembling as she opened the notebook. {Yep. It’s all here – bank entries, complete with dates and amounts. Reminders of things to discuss with Benny and Rivera.} Her eyes widened as she saw a large withdrawal, only days before her "death," and the name of a local mechanic. {So this could even link him to "my" death! If the mechanic would just agree to testify against Sonny – make some kind of deal.}

"Cappuccino’s almost ready." The sound of Sonny’s voice almost made Brenda drop the notebook. She managed to close the desk drawers as she heard him rattling cups in the kitchen. With her knees shaking, she ran over and slid the small notebook into an inside pocket of her evening coat. Just as Sonny exited the kitchen with two snifters of rose-colored liquid, Brenda straightened and gave him a smile. "Here’s your brandy," he crooned, handing her a glass. "Why don’t we have a toast in the meantime to get us a little …… warmed up."

Brenda accepted the glass gratefully and locked eyes with Sonny as the sweet liqueur burned its way down her throat. Just as he was leaning forward to kiss her again, she blinked her eyes rapidly and fell back, putting her hand to her forehead. "D*mn!"

Sonny set his glass down and put his hand on her arm to steady her. "What’s the matter? Are you OK?"

"D*mn!" Brenda swore loudly again and rubbed her temples with her fingertips. "You’d think I would know better after all these years, but I thought I could get away with it!" When Sonny looked puzzled as expected, Brenda sighed loudly. "I used to always get these killer migraines after eating seafood, but then the doctor gave me a shot about six months ago and I haven’t had a problem since. That lobster tonight was SOOOO amazing, and I thought it was safe to indulge my……..appetites." She emphasized the word in a sultry tone before wincing again. "But I guess the shot’s worn off or something because my head feels like it’s going to split wide open."

"Is there anything I can get for you? Maybe some aspirin or something?"

Brenda shook her head firmly and went for her coat. "No. The only way to get through one of these is just to turn out all the lights and go to bed with an ice pack." She was pushing her arms into her coat sleeves before Sonny could register a complaint. When she turned back to face him, she saw the disappointment and anger written on his face. She slowly walked over to him, making sure that her hips swayed enticingly with each step. "You don’t mind if I have to give you a raincheck for tonight, do you?" she asked, cupping his face and then letting her hand slide down his chest towards his waist and beyond.

"Welllllll….." Sonny took a sharp breath as Brenda let her hand speak for her. "When you put it that way, how can I refuse?"

Time seemed to drag by on leaden feet as Brenda made her way out of the penthouse and to the elevator. She gave Sonny one last seductive smile and pursed her lips to blow him a kiss as she went through the sliding doors. Once inside, Brenda gasped for air and tried to slow her speeding heartbeat. She punched the "M" button several times, thinking that perhaps it would speed up the elevator in reaching the main floor. Opening her coat slightly, she dared a glance at her inside pocket to make sure that the notebook was still safe and sound.

When the elevator doors slid open, Brenda was through them in a flash. She was halfway across the lobby of Sonny’s building when she vaguely caught sight of a large man moving at right angles to her path. As she placed her hand on the bar to open the glass door, another bulky hand covered it.

"I’m sorry to bother you, Mrs. Jacks, but Mr. Corinthos wanted you to wait ……" Brenda looked up into the eyes of one of Sonny’s large, nameless, brainless bodyguards. She tried to keep the terror out of her eyes and her voice.

"There must be some misunderstanding. I told Mr. Corinthos that I wasn’t feeling well." Brenda placed delicate fingers to her forehead. "I’ve got a splitting headache and I just didn’t feel like….."

"I’m sorry you’re not feeling well, Mrs. Jacks," the human cement block replied, "but Mr. Corinthos wanted to speak with you before you left."

"But I already *spoke* with Mr. Corinthos," Brenda explained, an edge creeping into her voice. "We agreed to get together again sometime soon….."

"And there’s no time like the present, wouldn’t you agree, Mrs. Jacks?" Sonny’s voice coming from behind her caused Brenda to inhale sharply. She turned slowly to find Sonny giving her a frigid stare.

"Sonny….." Brenda gave him a half-smile. "I thought we already said our good-nights upstairs." She hoped that her racing pulse wasn’t evident in the vein in her neck.

"Well, we did, Brrrreenda," Sonny drawled, walking towards her slowly. "But maybe there’s just a few more things that we need to discuss….."

Brenda shrank back towards the door, her eyes darting nervously to the second man/mountain that had appeared at her other side. "Sonny, I told you that I had a splitting headache. I just can’t imagine what could be so important that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow….."

"How about why you were nosing around at Luke’s Club this morning?" Sonny spat the words triumphantly. "Or why you pretended to be some bookkeeper so you could get a look in the back office at Luke’s?"

"There must be some mistake!" Brenda tried to laugh but it came out strained and shaky. "I don’t know what you’re talking about……"

"My man outside Luke’s described you to a T, Mrs. Jacks," Sonny hissed. "There’s no mistake." He came closer to her and his voice dropped several registers. "And I’d be curious to know just why you were so d*mn anxious to get me out of the room tonight for some cappuccino." He reached out to lift a strand of Brenda’s hair and rub it between his fingers. "Exactly what are you up to, Brenda?" Brenda tried to pull away from him but he grabbed her arms like lightning. "Playing Nancy Drew one minute and then groping me the next……..Just who the h*ll do you think you are?"

"SHE’S MY WIFE." Brenda almost fainted with relief at the sound of Jax’s voice. The bodyguards had been so involved in the conversation between Sonny and Brenda that they failed to notice Jax come in through the glass doors. His face was set with barely-contained fury and his tone was venomous. "Now take your hands off of her before I tear you apart."

"Jaaaaasper," Sonny drawled in surprise. He immediately let go of Brenda and she rushed to Jax’s side. "I thought you were in Gstaad……"

Brenda seized Jax’s arm and her eyes filled with tears. "Jax, I can explain everything," she whispered. Jax’s eyes were bitter. He pulled her under the crook of his arm into a tight but cold embrace.

"Be quiet, Brenda," he growled. Then he looked back at Sonny. "My meetings ended early so I thought I’d fly home and surprise my wife." Jax gave Brenda a furious glance. "Why am I not surprised to find you here?"

"Jax, please….." Brenda was close to hysteria.

"We’ll talk about it back at the hotel." He spun around and pulled Brenda with him so quickly she stumbled in her high heels. As they went through the glass door, he gave Sonny one last look. "I’d say it’s been a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Corinthos……but it hasn’t. Good night."

Brenda kept protesting all the way to the car but Jax just kept telling her in an angry tone to be quiet. She was sobbing by the time that he opened the door of a large, black SUV and pushed her inside. He dug into his pocket for the keys and ran around to the driver side, jumping in and starting the ignition in one movement. "Jax," Brenda wailed, "you have to let me explain….."

"NOT NOW!" he snarled. The tires squealed as Jax burned rubber pulling away from the curb. They drove in silence for a few minutes as he made his way through the darkened streets of Port Charles. Brenda sat on her side of the car, quietly sobbing into a tissue. After circling a few blocks, Jax made a sharp right turn onto a side street. He pulled to the curb, threw the gear shift into "park," and then gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands to try to control his emotions. "My God, Brenda……"

"JAX, PLEASE!!!" Brenda couldn’t ever remember begging so desperately for anything in her life. "If you’ll just let me explain……"

When Jax finally turned to her, Brenda saw the tears in his eyes. He unbuckled the seat belt with one hand while pulling her closer to him with the other. "God, Brenda – I swear!! If you ever scare me like that again, I’ll kill you myself!!" Her mouth fell open at his words just as he folded her into his arms for a scorching kiss.

Brenda whimpered in joy at the feeling of Jax’s lips on hers. His hands ruffled through her hair to grasp her head and hold it tight. When she parted her lips, his tongue sank into her warm mouth hungrily. He finally broke the kiss, only to rain small kisses over the side of her face and down her neck. "Jax!" she gasped, barely able to believe his change in mood. "You don’t understand!" She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to stare into her eyes. "I have so much I need to tell you….."

He shook his head emphatically. "No, you don’t. I already know, Brenda."

Her eyes filled with tears again. "No, Jax, I ……." She took a shaky breath. "There’s something you need to understand…….something that will explain why I was with Sonny tonight……."

Jax mirrored her action as he took her face in his hands. "I *know*, Brenda." He let the statement hang in the crisp air in the car until her eyes widened. "Everything." It was Jax’s turn to inhale deeply. "I know about what happened the day Jon was born…..and Brenda Barrett….."

Brenda swallowed hard. "And you …….. you believe it?" Jax nodded once quickly. "How……." He moved his hands to lightly caress her hair. "How did you find out?"

Jax finally smiled for the first time that evening. "Trouble lived up to his namesake." Brenda frowned slightly and he went on. "He managed to pull the obituaries that you printed from the Internet out of your shoeboxes and I found them." Brenda’s hands flew up to cover her mouth as Jax nodded and sank back into the driver’s seat of the SUV. "At first, when I read them, I thought it was some scheme that you……" He glanced over at her, embarrassed and confused at the same time. "…….that "she" was using to run away with Miguel." He grimaced. "I was pretty clucking mad at you for that one." His face took on a faraway calm. "But then I started thinking about all the ways you were so different now……how much you had changed." Jax took a deep breath. "So I called Julia."

"Julia? You spoke to Julia?" Brenda whispered.

"Uh-huh." He shrugged sheepishly. "I lied and said I was a business acquaintance of yours……uh, hers…….uh….." Jax shook his head again, pressing it against the driver’s side headrest with a wry smile. "God, this is so confusing!!" He sighed loudly and dropped his chin on his chest before continuing. "Anyway, we got to talking and some things came out that you had mentioned that…….well, that only Brenda Barrett would have known." Jax ran his fingers through his hair and laughed softly. "I have to tell you, by the time I hung up that phone, I thought *I* was the one who needed to be committed."

"So what changed your mind?" Brenda ran her hand slowly up and down Jax’s chest, still unable to believe that her worst fears might be over.

"Thomas." Jax shook his head. "We had a long talk about life……and death……and life." When he looked at Brenda again, she saw the tears in his eyes. "I just can’t believe it, Brenda."

Brenda caught her breath. "But, Jax…….." She straightened up a little. "I thought…….I mean, I know it’s hard to comprehend, but I thought you said you understood……."

"No, no!" Jax covered her hand with his and then squeezed it tightly. "That’s not what I mean." He looked down at their joined hands, lifted her fingers to his lips, and then looked into her eyes deeply. "I just……." He shook his head. "You’ll never know the h*ll I went through before Jon was born with……with *her*……" He took a shaky breath. "Why was God so good to me? Sending *you* to me? I mean, I just can’t imagine how I was ever lucky enough…….to deserve you……."

"YOU??!!" Brenda sobbed and threw her arms around Jax’s neck. She held him tightly for a few seconds and then pulled back, wiping at her eyes. "I’M the one who can’t believe what happened, Jax!" She shook her head. "I mean, you’re looking at the original bad girl here. I made a LOT of mistakes in my life." Her voice faded to a whisper. "And now – to see that God gave me this second chance……to have this wonderful life with you, and Jon……." She reached up to cup his face. "But I think God had a plan for both of us, Jax. She told me that She was sending me back to heal your heart." Jax’s chest heaved as he inhaled sharply. "She said that in healing your heart, I would find my own…….and I did."

Perhaps I had a miserable youth

Jax stared into Brenda’s eyes for a few minutes before pulling her to him for a tender kiss. She clung to his lips before breaking the kiss reluctantly. "I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, Jax." He held up a hand to try to stop her. "I really tried, but every time I did, you just ……."

Jax lay his fingers across her lips. "Don’t say it, Brenda." He shook his head. "I’m the one who should be apologizing to you for all the terrible things I said to you, especially after Jon was born." He traced his finger across her face gently. "I just ….. I was so afraid……after the way that you….." He paused, breathing hard. "……after the way that "she" hurt me…."

"I’ll never hurt you – ever, Jax." Brenda’s voice was hushed but intense. "Nobody will ever hurt us now – now that you know the truth."

"But what about Sonny, Brenda?" Jax looked off into the distance through the windshield of the SUV. "Why in God’s name didn’t you tell me what was going on?" He shrugged his shoulders as Brenda pulled out of his embrace. "I mean, I got the message from the printout that you think he had something to do with your death……"

"He KILLED me, Jax." Brenda’s voice shook with the strength of her emotion. "He killed me because once before, I accidentally came across the evidence that could send him to prison for a very long time." She reached out for Jax’s hands again and held them tight. "When I heard that you and Jerry were involved with Sonny, I just wanted to get you both as far away from him as possible."

"But you should have told me……"

"Told you what, Jax? Told you that Sonny killed me?" Brenda laughed sarcastically. "You believe me now, but what would you have thought if I told you that a week ago?" Then she smiled broadly. "But I found it, Jax!"

Jax pulled away a little from her. "You found concrete proof?"

Brenda nodded eagerly. "Tonight! It was still hidden in Sonny’s penthouse, just like it was before! That’s why I knew I had to come alone." She leaned over to press a quick kiss to Jax’s lips. "I’ve got the proof now, Jax. We just need to take it to the police and we’ll all be home free……."

Everything happened so quickly that Brenda thought she was in a dream. Jax smiled at her happily. The sound of shattering glass made her wince. When she opened her eyes, she saw Jax’s eyes flutter closed. He slumped over in the driver seat, his upper body lurching towards her as his head landed in her lap.

She vaguely remembered screaming his name. "JAX????!!!! Are you……"

Glass shattered on her side of the car and the next instant, Brenda felt cold steel pressed against her temple. "I’ll ask you again, Mrs. Jacks……." Nausea gripped Brenda’s stomach as she turned slightly and saw Sonny leaning in through the broken passenger window of the SUV. He was holding a large, lethal-looking handgun and he had the business end pointed at her brain. "Who are you, and just what the h*ll do you think you’re doing?"

To be continued…….

Music credit: Special thanks to Jean, who knew what I was talking about when I asked if she remembered a musical where the hero sang about his luck in deserving such a wonderful woman. "Something Good," music and lyrics by Richard Rogers for the movie version of "The Sound of Music."