She had hardly slept at all the night before. Carly’s eyes were raw from crying over Sonny’s duplicity, and when she blinked it felt as if she was rubbing sandpaper over them. She had a long day ahead of her at the Fall Festival, photographing local children, and the last thing she needed was a confrontation with a mysterious stranger before her first shot of caffeine.

But a promise was a promise, and Jasper Jacks had saved her life, after all. So after rubbing her hands nervously on her wraparound cotton duck skirt and smoothing her hair, which was pulled back into a messy French roll, Carly pasted a smile on her face and sauntered casually over to the table where Jax was waiting for her.

He knew she was coming before he saw her. Even without being told, Jax felt Carly’s presence in the room when an eerie shiver of desire ran up his spine. He had barely set aside the morning paper and risen from his chair when he heard her voice. "Good morning, Mr. Jacks."

Jax could tell the minute he looked into her eyes that she had cried herself to sleep. It wasn’t just the dark circles or the fact that the whites of her eyes looked like roadmaps. An aura of sadness surrounded her, almost like a hazy cloud. {Does she really miss Sonny that much? Or is it because there’s more going on here than it seems? Is she afraid that she’ll be accused of her husband’s murder? Or is she afraid someone will find out that she *did* kill him?}

"Good morning, Carly." Jax smiled and returned her handshake. He also could tell that the way she extended her hand in greeting was a monumental effort to hide her melancholy. "And I thought we got past all that last name formal stuff yesterday," he added, winking and gesturing towards the chair opposite him.

"Old habits die hard," Carly replied with a terse smile. "And besides – you caught me in a weak moment at the shop."

{Well, this is going *real* well.} Jax gritted his teeth. "I…..uh…..I hope you don’t mind, but I told the waiter that we’d just both serve ourselves from the buffet."

"That’s fine." Carly looked around the room, almost nervously. "I really don’t seem to have much of an appetite this morning, anyway."

A waiter appeared and began setting up empty coffee cups, an assortment of tea bags in a wicker basket, and a steaming pot of water. "I took the liberty of ordering tea, too," Jax said, nodding a dismissal at the waiter. "I used to hate the stuff, but lately it seems like there’s nothing I like more than a good cup of Darjeeling in the morn……." Jax looked up and froze at Carly’s audible gasp. "I’m sorry. Did I say something to upset you?"

"Nnnnn……..no," Carly finally managed to stammer. She blinked her eyes rapidly and wiped at a corner of one with the back of her hand. "It’s just that…….well, Sonny…….my, uh…….my late husband and I used to always have tea in the morning instead of coffee." Jax saw that her fingers were trembling slightly as she took a tea-bag out of the basket. "Darjeeling was his favorite."

When it looked as though tears were going to spill out of Carly’s eyes and down her cheeks, Jax knew he had to change the subject. Fast. "Why don’t we go see what’s on the buffet table?" He pushed his chair back and was behind Carly’s chair to put a hand at the small of her back in the blink of an eye. She eyed him cautiously over her shoulder but then rose and the two of them moved towards a long table at the side of the room.

Carly’s stomach clenched at the sight of the steaming chafing dishes and heaping crystal bowls of fresh fruit. She hadn’t really eaten a decent meal since her trip to the cemetery – and her meeting with her mysterious brunch partner. As she reached for the whipped cream for her Belgian waffle, Jax chuckled softly behind her. "How do you manage to keep such a trim figure when you consume all those nasty carbohydrates, Carly?"

She blushed at the compliment. Although Sonny had called her "beautiful" when they first met, praise for her appearance had been scanty just before his death. Carly smiled when she saw Jax’s plate, which was piled high with fresh fruit and a solitary English muffin. "I guess I must be blessed with one of those metabolisms that burns the calories quicker than normal." She took a shaky breath. "Sonny always did used to say that I never met a potato I didn’t like," she added. The way he had criticized her eating and cooking habits while blaming her for their failure to conceive was burned into Carly’s memory.

Jax held out his hand, indicating that she should precede him back to the table. When they were seated again, he watched her cut her waffle with delicate precision. "Were the two of you high school sweethearts or something?"

Carly shook her head and set down her fork. "No. I actually only met Sonny about two months before we were married." She played with the fork’s handle and clearly fought back tears again. "I suppose you could say it was love at first sight." There was a long pause, and then she added very quietly, "For me, anyway."

Jax almost choked on his strawberries. {So there must have been problems in the marriage. Maybe the thrill was gone, at least for him. Certainly does give her a motive for murder.} He leaned forward to lay a hand on Carly’s outstretched one. "I’m sorry if all of this is painful for you, Carly." Despite the warmth of the dining room, her fingers were icy. "It’s just…….well, I’m told that sometimes it helps to talk about things when they’re troubling you." {At least that’s what all the therapists tried to tell me after I lost my sight.}

Carly wasn’t at all prepared for the feel of Jax’s skin against hers – or the way it sent an electrical charge all the way to her toes. {You’re not supposed to be feelings these things! You’re a brand new widow, for God’s sake!} She pulled her hand away from his, abruptly took the napkin from her lap and lay it across her plate. "I’m sorry, Mr. Jacks. I really haven’t been the best of company since Sonny died. I never should have agreed to meet you like this."

When she put her hands on the table to brace herself as she stood, Jax seized the opportunity. He clasped one of her wrists, forcing her to look into his eyes. "I’m handling this all wrong, Carly." He ran his free hand through his hair and it fell across his forehead. "Please – don’t leave until I’ve had a chance to explain."

"Explain?" Carly frowned. "Explain what?"

"The reason why I’m here – what I’ve been trying to tell you ever since I met you at the cemetery that day."

Carly took a long, deep breath, but then finally nodded once and sank back into her chair. "I’ll give you five minutes."

Jax let go of her hand, a relieved look on his face. "Thank you." But now that the time had come, he still couldn’t think of a diplomatic way to tell Carly the truth. "Do you remember when we first met? How I told you I was recuperating from some surgery?" Carly nodded. "Well, a little over a year ago, I was involved in an accident. I was ……… shot. In the head."

"How awful!" Carly’s eyes searched Jax’s face. "You certainly seem to have made a miraculous recovery!"

Jax smiled at the irony. "The wounds healed rapidly. But an unfortunate consequence of the wound was that I lost my eyesight." Carly frowned her confusion but Jax held up a hand to stop her from asking any questions. "The doctors weren’t too optimistic about my chances. They told me that my only way I’d ever see again was with a corneal transplant. They also said that finding a proper match for my tissue type would be a problem."

"But obviously they *found* that match." Carly shook her head. "You must feel very blessed."

"I’m not sure if I would call it a blessing." The serious expression on Jax’s face contrasted with Carly’s optimism. "I can’t forget the fact that somebody had to die for me to be able to see."

Suddenly, the color drained from Carly’s face. "Do you……..what are you trying to………"

Jax pulled his chair around to the side of the table so that he could take Carly’s hands in his. "You must have known that your husband was an organ donor, Carly. I’m sure the doctors would have told you….."

"No…….." Carly shook her head and tried to pull her hands from Jax but he held them fast. "It was all such a blur that night at the hospital……." Her chest heaved with barely-controlled emotion and her eyes filled with tears. "It’s just not possible! Sonny had brown eyes, and yours are …….well, they’re so blue……"

"They only transplanted the corneas, Carly. That’s the clear part of the eye. The donor’s eye color isn’t transferred to the recipient." Jax let go of one of Carly’s hands so that she could wipe the tears that blurred her own vision. "I can see today because I received your husband’s corneas in a transplant shortly after he died."

Carly stared at Jax for a few moments, almost as though she were trying to see Sonny in his face. Then she abruptly sat up straighter in denial. "You have to be lying. Those things are supposed to be confidential, aren’t they? I mean, how could you know that it was Sonny…….."

Jax’s cheeks colored with embarrassment. "I had to find out who my donor was, Carly." He leaned forward towards her again, his voice husky with emotion. "You can’t imagine how it was, not to be able to see and then suddenly, to get this…this gift from your husband." When a single tear ran down Carly’s cheek, Jax reached up to wipe it away with his thumb. "When I couldn’t see, I had to give up everything – my career, my independence, my *life*……." Carly watched in amazement as Jax’s eyes – or were they Sonny’s? – misted over. "And then, out of the clear blue, I had it all back again. But you……..you had to lose Sonny for that to happen……..and I don’t know how I’ll ever make it up to you……."

"Ohhhhh……." Carly shook her head firmly. "Oh, you don’t have to worry about me, if that’s what this is about." She stared down at the table where Jax still held one of her hands. "Sonny left me well taken care of financially speaking. With the photography business, I have a very comfortable life."

"This isn’t about the money, Carly – and I think you know that." The serious tone in Jax’s voice made her look up. "I feel connected to you – almost responsible for you, especially after what happened the other day at the river."

"Yes, well I’d say whatever it is you think you owe me pretty much got evened out when you saved my life." Carly couldn’t stop herself from staring into Jax’s eyes. She wished she could somehow contact Sonny and confront him about all the lies she had discovered since he died. When Jax began to stroke her hand gently, the moment shattered. "I……uh…….I do appreciate you telling me, though." Tears stung her eyes. "It’s nice to think that there’s a silver lining to this black cloud that’s been hanging over me ever since Sonny died."

"Then do me one more favor." Carly’s eyes widened in surprise at Jax’s earnest tone. "Let me spend some time with you – this afternoon, at the Festival." He rushed on when he saw the wariness written all over her face. "This isn’t a come-on, Carly. It’s just …….. well, ever since I got my sight back, I’ve been trying to appreciate all the little things around me. To stop rushing through life and take the time to notice the things I took for granted before."

Carly visibly relaxed a little. "Well, I…….."

"You know, I originally came here to meet you and thank you for Sonny’s generous gift. But I wasn’t lying when I said I was trying to do some relaxing and recuperating after my surgery." Jax glanced over his shoulder at the warm sunshine streaming through one of the large windows in the dining room. "And I think that a fall afternoon in Port Charles, enjoying the sights and sounds, might be just what the doctor ordered!"

Carly chewed on her lower lip and glanced down at her watch. "Well, it *is* getting late, and I promised Alexis I would spell her at the booth……." She finally smiled and nodded. "All right. After all," she laughed, "the Port Charles City Fathers would have my head on a platter if they knew I turned away a potential cash-bearing tourist!"

"Fantastic!" Jax took out his wallet and threw some bills down on the table after taking one more sip of tea. When Carly rose from her chair, he put his hand at the small of her back to escort her out of the dining room. They stepped out into the Indian summer sunshine and Jax noticed the way Carly’s hair glimmered. He immediately reached into the back pocket of his chino trousers for his sunglasses.

"So the doctors say that your surgery was a success?" Carly asked as they started walking south on Main Street. "Don’t you have to take some kind of anti-rejection medicine?"

"In my case, it’s just eye-drops," Jax replied. "And I have to keep in close touch with the doctor’s office, just in case there’s any blurred vision or splitting headaches. Any sign of infection."

Carly nodded and then pointed across the street. "That’s the Festival." Jax took her elbow as the crossed Main Street and headed for the park, which was already filled with happy fair-goers.

"I can’t imagine you bringing all of your expensive equipment out here just to make a few bucks." Jax feigned interest in a booth that boasted the "finest apple butter in the Northeast." He really could have cared less about any of the quaint wares the Port Charles Fall Festival had to offer. There was only one thing he wanted to get that afternoon – more information on Sonny Corinthos, and whether it was really possible that Carly had killed him. And if not Carly – then who?

Carly reached into the large tote bag she optimistically called a purse and pulled out a 35mm camera. "Oh, I’m not that money-hungry, Mr. Ja……." Jax held up a finger and she grimaced and hung her head. "…..Jax," she amended with a conciliatory smile. "I’ve got a contract with the City Council to do the publicity shots for the Festival." She suddenly paused and swung the camera up in front of her face when they passed a pair of youngsters sitting on a park bench, attacking a mountain of pink cotton candy from opposite sides. "In fact, if I had to depend on the receipts from my studio booth, I’d probably end up *losing* money on the Festival every year."

They walked in easy silence, pausing every now and then so that Carly could take more pictures. Jax made a mental note when she stopped to admire a hand-carved oak hall tree. After she had taken a picture of the artisan diligently at work on a pine shelf, they moved past the craft booths and towards the carnival rides.

"Can I interest you in a turn on the carousel, Carly?" Jax asked with a grin. He bowed gallantly at the waist.

"I think I’d probably be so busy taking pictures of everyone else on the ride that I’d miss out on the fun myself!" Carly laughed. She whistled softly and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "But I must admit that the breeze sounds heavenly – it’s getting really warm today!"

Jax looked around for a minute and then his face brightened. "Then how about an ice instead?" He gestured towards an ice cream booth that was only about 25 feet ahead on the right.

"That sounds perfect." Beginning to lose her wariness of him, Carly linked her arm through Jax’s and they strolled towards the booth. She caught sight of two old ladies she recognized from church, their heads together in whispers, and immediately knew that "the poor widow Corinthos and her new boyfriend" would probably be the main topic of conversation on the party line that night.

Before Carly could steer Jax in another direction, he had stepped up to the booth and greeted the vendor. "Make it a lemon ice for the lady, and I’ll have the cocoa pistachio." He turned when he heard Carly’s sharp intake of breath. "What’s the matter?" Jax asked, putting a hand on Carly’s arm. Her face was deathly pale, even in the early afternoon heat, and tears glistened in her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"I just……..I always *loved* lemon ice." Carly watched silently as Jax accepted the two ice cream cones from the vendor after paying for them. She was in such a trance-like haze that when the frozen confection dripped down her arm, she jumped visibly. "Sonny used to say that if it was up to me, the angels would probably serve lemon ice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in heaven!"

She accepted the cone with a nervous laugh. Jax found himself a bit rattled by the revelation. Was there some kind of psychic connection between himself and Sonny through the corneas? After all, how would he have known about the Darjeeling tea, and now the lemon ice? And what about his strange dreams? Even as they stood, silently eating their rapidly-melting treats, Jax felt the area around him fade into a fog, like a dream scene in a B-movie. He could still see Carly, dressed in a bright lavender bathrobe, her hair tousled in disarray around her face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and he could hear her begging for him not to leave her. Pleading for his forgiveness. He felt her touch on his arm, and when Jax looked down, he saw through the hazy mist that his dream alter-ego was wearing some kind of signet ring on his right hand. It was gold, with a large black onyx octagon-shaped stone set in the center, crowned with an indistinguishable golden charm. An initial? Or just fancy scrollwork of some kind? When he tried to focus more clearly on the ring’s center, Jax heard Carly calling his name.

"Jax?" He shook his head and snapped out of the vision to see her ashen face. "Are you alright?"

"Yes………yes, I’m fine." Jax had to quickly lick his own ice cream, which had melted considerably while he had "zoned out." "I just get these flashes sometimes," he explained when Carly still looked alarmed. "The doctor says it may be an after-effect from the anesthesia they used during the surgery."

Before either one of them could say another word, a high-pitched squeal echoed from behind Carly. "Miss Caroline!" She looked over her shoulder to see Madeline Powell racing towards them from across the Festival grounds, her blonde hair flying in braids behind her.

Carly recovered her composure in time to brace herself for the little girl’s enthusiastic assault. "Madeline!" She crouched down to receive Madeline’s hug. "Are you having a good time at the Festival today?"

"I’m havin’ the bestest time ever, Miss. Caroline!" Madeline exclaimed. "My mommy took me on the merry-go-round, and now my grandpa is gonna let me ride the ponies!"

"Your grandpa?" Carly straightened up as Christina Powell and an older, distinguished-looking man strolled up behind Madeline. "Well, that should be fun!"

"Grandpa says he’s gonna be sure I ride the white pony cause princesses *always* get to ride white horsies, right grandpa?" She looked up at the older man with unabashed adoration.

"Absolutely, sweetie," the man replied. "But we’d better get over there before too many other princesses get in line ahead of us."

"OK, grampy." Madeline took the man’s hand and then looked back over her shoulder at Carly. "Do you wanna come and take my picture on the white pony, Miss Caroline? I’ll be the prettiest princess there!"

"I’m sure you will, Madeline," Carly smiled. "I promised to take a few other pictures this afternoon, but I’ll be over there just as soon as I can." Carly waved good-bye as Madeline skipped away with her grandfather and then turned to Christina. "I don’t know which one of the Powell women looks more regal this afternoon, Christina."

"Why, aren’t you sweet, Carly dear!" Christina Powell air-kissed Carly’s cheek. She had on a chic pantsuit in navy linen and a matching navy and white striped blouse. A substantial gold chain glittered against the dark color of the jacket, while a striking brooch on her lapel vied for attention. It was in the shape of an eagle – its wings outspread, its claws extended towards an unseeing prey. The head of the eagle was encrusted with diamonds and the eyes were two bright blue sapphires.

"Is that Brian’s dad with Madeline?" Carly peered off into the distance towards where the ponies were tethered. "I didn’t think he was that tall."

Christina visibly bristled. "No. It’s *my* father." She glanced down at the ground, embarrassment creeping up her neck towards her face. "My mother and dad are visiting from Richmond for a few days."

"How nice for you!" Carly waved when Madeline caught sight of her from her pony. "It’s a shame Brian couldn’t come with you today too and make an outing of it."

"Brian had to go to Seattle on business again," Christina said tersely. "He….." She looked around and then drew closer to Carly. "Well, I didn’t want to say anything yesterday at the shop in front of Madeline, but he and I have decided to file for a legal separation."

"Ohhhh, Christina – I’m so sorry," Carly crooned. She stared off into the distance at the happy toddler riding the ponies. "That must be very difficult for Madeline."

"We haven’t said anything to her yet." Christina sighed. "I keep hoping that something will change – that Brian and I will manage to work things out and I won’t have to tell her. But the way things stand right now, we’re a textbook example of that old term, "irreconcilable differences.""

Jax had recognized the little girl and the buxom blonde woman from Carly’s shop the day before. Something told him that they were having a woman-to-woman chat when their voices dropped and their heads bobbed in sync. So, he took the opportunity to lean back and quietly observe the people around him while he finished his ice cream. After spending even a little time with Carly, he found it difficult to believe that she had killed her husband. But when Jax sized up the good people of Port Charles milling around him, no other potential suspects stood out. He felt a chill when he spied Detective Taggert near the cider booth. The ever-vigilant policeman had his spiral notebook out and was making furious notes as he glared at Carly. As Jax continued to watch, Taggert finally caught sight of him, nodding and smiling cordially. {He’s probably run my ID through the computers by now and knows I’m with the WSB. If he says something in front of Carly and blows it for me, I’ll have Sean pull his badge so fast he won’t know what hit him…….}

Jax’s fantasies about ways he would get even with the chump change detective were interrupted when Carly turned to him. "I’m sorry, Jax. We didn’t mean to ignore you."

He brightened and came to stand next to Carly, offering her a napkin for the remnants of her ice cream cone. "It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Powell." Jax extended his hand but Christina’s grip was weak, almost as though she expected him to kiss her hand instead of shake it.

"Nice to see you again too, Mr. Jacks," Christina purred. "I wasn’t aware that you would be keeping our *dear* Carly company at the Festival." She shook her head and leaned towards Jax, speaking in a theatrical whisper. "The poor thing works *far* too hard, you know." She straightened again, the sunlight glinting off the diamonds on her brooch. "And please – call me Christina. I insist."

Jax smiled weakly. "All right……Christina." Just as he was praying for some kind of divine intervention to snatch him from the blonde’s clutches, Madeline came running up to the threesome.

"Come on, mommy! Grandpa says he’s gonna buy us some cotton candy and cider!" She was pulling Christina in the direction of the older man. "Bye, Miss Caroline!"

Christina glowered at Madeline but followed her dutifully, leaving Jax and Carly alone. Carly stared down at her feet for a few minutes and then looked off into the distance. "Well, I suppose I should go check in at the booth. Alexis is probably ready to kill me."

"Alexis?" Jax’s arm brushed intermittently against Carly’s as they made their way past the carnival rides and into another block of booths.

"Alexis Davis. She’s my neighbor across the street." Carly tossed her napkin into a trash container and continued to explain as they wound their way through the crowd of fair-goers. "We’ve been friends forever – even before Sonny and I ……." She stopped abruptly. "……well, let’s just say I knew Alexis before Sonny and I were married." They began walking again. "Alexis is a single mom. She has a beautiful baby girl named Sabrina." For the first time he could remember since meeting her, Carly’s face glowed with sincere happiness. "Sometimes when Alexis gets into a bind at work, I watch Bree for her." Carly stopped again and pointed to a booth about 20 feet to the left in front of them. "That’s my booth over there."

When they came up to Carly’s booth, a tall brunette was just giving an elderly woman some change and thanking her for her purchase. Carly waited silently until the woman left. "Alexis! I’m so sorry I’m late……."

"No problem, Carly!" Alexis drew Carly into a warm hug and then beamed at her. "You’ve been doing very well, actually – I sold almost a half dozen prints already this afternoon." Her curiosity showed when she glanced towards Jax but then she shrugged her shoulders and winked at Carly. "Maybe it would be better for business if you left again!"

When Alexis shifted her weight back and forth awkwardly, Carly reached back to draw Jax closer to them. "Alexis, I’d like you to meet ……my new friend," she continued with just the slightest pause. "Jasper Jacks." Jax extended his hand and Alexis took it with a smile. "Jax, this is my dear friend and sometimes business associate, Alexis Davis."

Alexis’s eyes widened as they shook hands. "Mr. Jacks? Aren’t you the man that rescued Carly when her car went into the river?"

"Yes, I am." Jax smiled self-consciously and stared down at the ground for just a moment. "But please – call me Jax. Mr. Jacks is my father."

The three shared another laugh but then suddenly a loud squeal split the quiet inside the booth. "And there’s my sweet baby Sabrina!" Carly exclaimed. She went over to a large stroller that was parked next to the table with the money box. Once she released the gurgling infant from the stroller’s safety strap, Carly cradled her in the crook of her arm and brought her over to where Jax was standing with Alexis. "And *this* is Alexis’s pride and joy, Bree Davis!"

Jax feigned seriousness and gave one finger to the baby to grasp. "I’m *most* pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Davis," he announced in a deep voice. Then, when Bree gripped his finger tightly and babbled something, he smiled warmly. "You’re gonna break a lot of young men’s hearts someday, Pookie."

He wasn’t aware that something was wrong until Alexis cleared her throat. When he looked up, tears glinted in the corners of Carly’s eyes. "That’s……..um………" Alexis put a hand on the side of her neck, massaging the tension, while Carly looked away to hide her simmering emotions. "That’s what *Sonny* used to call Bree."

"Excuse me…….." The three adults were spared when a man’s voice sounded from the other side of the booth. "Mrs. Corinthos?"

Carly turned towards the speaker. "Oh…….Mr. Ashton!" She handed Bree off to Alexis immediately and went towards the tall, dark-haired man. "I’m so sorry I didn’t notice you there earlier."

Ned Ashton peered over Carly’s shoulder at Jax but then turned all his attention back to her. "That’s quite alright." He shifted slightly towards the man at his right. "I don’t believe you’ve met A.J. Quartermaine – my right-hand man at Terracon."

Carly smiled and shook AJ’s extended hand. "Mr. Quartermaine." She blushed a little and turned back to Ned. "I dropped off some materials at your office early this morning, Ned. Some disks and papers that I found among Sonny’s things that I thought might help you." {At least, the ones I’m willing to let you see.}

"Thanks, Carly. I appreciate that." Ned nodded and tipped his head towards AJ. "Make sure you check with my secretary first thing tomorrow morning so we can get them down to Legal."

The moment Carly started speaking to the two men, Jax had a distinctly odd feeling in his gut. He recalled the one man’s name from the phone call yesterday – Ned Ashton. When he stared intently at the other man – {AJ? Was that his name?} – the happy noise of the Festival around them faded into a hazy mist again. Jax vaguely saw desks and chairs, but the place where they were was dark. He heard AJ’s voice though – arguing with his dream alter-ego. Telling "him" that the FDA had caught the errors in the information "he" had forwarded. AJ claiming that if word got out that they had submitted false information to the FDA, "he" would take the fall for it. Not AJ.

As quickly as the vision came, it faded. When Jax shook his head and blinked his eyes once, the men had left Carly’s booth. All he saw was the beautiful fall afternoon and the happy Port Charles fairgoers. As Jax watched Carly leave the booth to take a few more publicity pictures, he was more convinced than ever that she hadn’t killed Sonny. There were far too many other potential suspects – and he was going to make it his business to find Sonny Corinthos’s killer if it was the last thing he did.

~*~*~*~*~

"Are you SURE about this?" Jax looked skeptically at the darkened streets near the Port Charles Hotel. He had spent the balance of the afternoon with Carly at the Fall Festival. She had even let down her guard enough to sit next to him on a blanket and enjoy the annual fireworks display over the Charles River that ended the Festival. Jax resisted the urge to stare at Carly the entire time – her blonde hair backlit by Roman candles, her natural scent mixing with the faint odor of sulfur from the pyrotechnics. When the evening’s festivities were over, he had walked her back to the spot where her car was parked near the Port Charles Hotel – which turned out to be less than a block from where he had parked his Explorer.

"I’m *positive*, Jax," Carly insisted as she got into her car. "You’ve followed me all the way here and made sure there were no bogeymen hiding in the back seat of my car." She pursed her lips primly and put both hands on the steering wheel. "I promise I’ll be a good girl and obey the speed limits all the way home. I’ll be FINE!"

"I would still feel better if I could at least follow you until you got back to your house," Jax argued. He glanced towards a deserted alley nearby. "I just can’t help the fact that my mum raised me to be a gentleman."

"Wellllll……" Carly grimaced and then tipped her head to the side in concession. "Since I hate to discourage *any* display of good manners in this day and age……" Jax grinned broadly. "But *only* as far as my house, got it? And then I’ll wave from the front porch and you go on, agreed?"

"Agreed!" Jax gave her a thumb’s up as he was sprinting towards his car. "Just give me a few minutes to get the car and then I’ll flash my lights when I’m ready."

Carly shook her head and watched in her rear-view mirror until Jax got in his Explorer. A few minutes later, he pulled out of the parking space. When he was about 20 feet behind her, he flashed his road lights once, and Carly pulled out into traffic ahead of him.

The drive home was uneventful. {I knew I would be safe. *Nothing* bad ever happens in Port Charles. Nothing – until Sonny’s murder, that is.} After a few minutes, Carly pulled into her driveway. She got out and locked the car, and then waved determinedly at Jax, who was parked at the mouth of her driveway with his motor idling softly.

Jax waved back but then continued to watch as Carly turned and walked towards her house. It had been a wonderful day – wonderful, and awful. How could all of the coincidences be explained? And then, while Carly was working on the publicity shots, Jax had discreetly blended in with the crowd. He nonchalantly eavesdropped on casual conversation for any leads into who could have possibly murdered Sonny. On more than one occasion, he heard some elderly women commenting on the "poor widow Corinthos" and how she didn’t deserve a "skirt-chasing two-timer" like Sonny. But although it certainly gave Carly a motive, Jax still couldn’t see her taking out her jealous frustrations with a handgun.

Carly stopped when she got to the top of her front steps and sighed. She glanced back at the moon shining brightly over her shoulder. {A harvest moon. A lover’s moon.} Small goosebumps rose on her arms when she realized she was being watched and Jax was still sitting at the curb in front of her house. "Go on!" she mouthed at him, waving a hand and smiling in frustration. She held up her keys with a smile – to show him that she wasn’t locked out – and then turned to go inside for the night.

As soon as she put the key in the lock and turned it, she knew something was wrong. The door swung open on its own – and she was sure she had locked it tightly when she left that morning. Taking a sharp breath, Carly stepped into her living room – or what was left of it. All of the sofa and chair cushions had been pulled off the furniture and unzipped. Pictures were taken off the walls and strewn on the floor. The lampshades were cast on the skeleton of the sofa, the bare bulbs giving the room a harsh glare.

Carly gripped her keys so tightly they cut into her palm. {You should run. You should run next door and call the police right away.} Just as she turned to go back out the front door, she heard it – the plaintive click of a gun being cocked.

"Mrs. Corinthos?" Carly bit her lower lip to stifle the scream. When she turned back around again, a man in a black t-shirt and jeans was holding a very large handgun – and aiming it at her heart.

"What……." Carly fought to take a steady breath. "What do you want?"

"Where is it, Mrs. Corinthos?" he asked. Although he was gripping the butt of the gun with both hands, they were shaking so badly that Carly was afraid it would go off, despite his best intentions. "If you don’t tell me right now where it is, I’ll blow your brains out!"

To be continued…….