Pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu

"We don’t have to stay for the entire service, you know." Stefan’s whispered comment in her ear made Alexis startle slightly. He reached out to lay a comforting hand on her arm, looking deeply into her bloodshot eyes. "Are you alright, Alexis?"

"Fine." Her grief choked her momentarily but then she got hold of herself. "I’m fine, Stefan – really." She cleared her throat, wiped briefly at the tears that clouded her vision, and then stiffened her resolve as she sat in a pew near the back of the church. A clue to the vulnerability she tried so desperately to hide, she reached over and clung to Stefan’s hand as a melancholy hymn echoed in the near darkness.

St. Cecelia’s was one of the oldest places of worship in Port Charles. Built well over 100 years before Chloe was even born, the few mourners at her memorial service barely made a dent in the cavernous nave. Late morning sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows lining both sides of the body of the church. Lantern-style lamps hung on long chains from the vaulted ceiling. An ornate round stained glass window provided a backdrop to the choir loft at the rear of the building.

Herbert Morgan and his wife, Gertrude, sat alone in the front pew. Alexis wasn’t that close to Chloe’s aunt and uncle – she only knew of them from long talks with her friend over a glass of wine late at night. A motley crew of distinguished-looking citizens occupied a pew on the opposite side of the church – an elderly man, his frail white-haired wife, a man-and-wife doctor team from General Hospital that Alexis recognized from pictures she had seen in the newspaper. Chloe was distantly related to the Quartermaines – something on the matriarch, Lila’s, side, she seemed to recall.

Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei

The pungent odor of incense tickled Alexis’s nose as the priest slowly circled Chloe’s white coffin, blessing it as he swung the brazier methodically over and around. When her lips started to tremble, she felt Stefan squeeze her hand. "The flowers are beautiful, Alexis," he whispered, nodding towards the large arrangements on either side of the coffin. "Chloe would have loved them."

"She always did favor fall colors……." Alexis’s voice trailed off as her attention was drawn to the two large bouquets. A profusion of spider mums, sunflowers, and roses spilled out of dark brown baskets. When her gaze traveled to the spray of white carnations and pale pink gladioli covering the casket, she wrinkled her nose in disgust at Herbert Morgan’s choice. "Chloe hated carnations. She thought they looked cheap."

Alexis finally let go of Stefan’s hand to pull at the slim skirt of her black suit. It was difficult to keep her mind from wandering as the priest began a series of incantations over the casket. Ever since setting up the date to interview Jerry Jacks, she had been making lists of questions she wanted to ask him. Even now – when she should have been concentrating on saying goodbye to her nearest and dearest friend – all she could think about was how to shoot holes in Jerry’s alibi for that night.

The abrupt return of silence in the church finally snapped Alexis out of her mental gyrations. She realized with a start that the service had ended; the small retinue of family members was processing up the center aisle of the church. Rising from her seat, she stepped into the side aisle to push Stefan’s wheelchair back out into the late morning sunshine.

"Why don’t you come back to the house with me and have something to eat?" Stefan peered over his shoulder at Alexis as she pushed him down a ramp and towards the church’s parking lot. "You’re in no shape to go back to work," he announced, folding his hands primly at his waist. "And besides, you probably haven’t had a decent meal since the night Chloe died."

"I really………." Alexis blinked back her remaining tears. She fumbled in her purse for her sunglasses after parking the wheelchair next to his specially customized Lincoln Continental. The wealth he had amassed before his accident allowed Stefan to lead as normal of a life as possible under the circumstances. "I just don’t seem to have much of an appetite lately, Stefan," she replied, trying for a convincing smile.

"So we won’t eat then……" He maneuvered his wheelchair closer to the open door on the driver’s side of the car. "We’ll just sit and talk……or whatever you want." She startled slightly when he reached out to take her hand tenderly. "Take the rest of the day off, Alexis. You need to get away from all of this for a while."

"I……..I can’t." She swallowed hard and folded her other hand around his, squeezing tightly. "I have an important appointment this afternoon that I really can’t afford to break." Stefan grimaced – he probably knew in advance that she would turn down his invitation, but loved her enough to extend it anyway. He sighed and then maneuvered himself into the driver’s seat of the car as Alexis moved to collapse his wheelchair.

"Will you be home for dinner tonight?" She straightened her jacket after slipping the ultra-light wheelchair into the back seat of the car, giving him a regret-filled half-smile. "My appointment shouldn’t take that long……maybe I could bring home a pizza and a video…….."

"I’d like that." His eyes glistened with brotherly concern for her. Alexis was the only one who knew that beneath the cold-hearted, sharp-witted, cutthroat businessman and chess champion exterior beat a heart of gold. "The first round in the championships isn’t until Sunday afternoon."

Both heads turned when a powder blue Ford Taurus pulled up next to Stefan’s car. It barely came to a stop when Taggert jumped out, nodding a greeting towards Alexis. "How was the service?"

"Quiet. Dignified." She choked up again but then regained her composure as she took off her sunglasses. "Chloe would have approved."

Taggert pursed his lips in understanding, then turned towards Stefan. "How’s it goin’, Mr. Cassidine? Check any more mates lately?"

"I’ll get my chance, Lieutenant. The tournament begins soon." Stefan’s facial expression turned cold and dispassionate again; only with Alexis did he allow a softer side of himself to emerge. "Have you made any progress in finding Chloe’s killer?"

"That’s why I came to see your sister, sir." He turned back to Alexis. "We think we’ve got a line on Von Alden." He shook his head. "I can’t believe that this slimeball hasn’t got any priors after all the shady deals he’s pulled off in the past."

"So then what excuse are you going to use to bring him in?" Her gaze wavered when a dark green Porsche convertible pulled into the nearly-deserted church parking lot.

"We’ll find something – old parking citations, if we have to," Taggert replied. He turned to follow Alexis’s line of sight but then quickly looked back at her. "So……..where can I reach you if I bring him in this afternoon?"

"Call my office……." Alexis was clearly distracted, all of her attention focused on the dark-haired man that emerged from the Porsche. "I’ve got an important appointment, but Barb can page me……."

Taggert watched in silence as Jerry Jacks walked somberly up to the front door of the church. He clutched a large bouquet of blood red roses in his right hand. When he stopped at the large wooden door of the church, his shoulders visibly shook. Alexis stifled a sob when she saw a tiny nosegay of exotic white orchids nestled in the center of the roses.

"What the h*ll is he doing here?" Even as she growled additional expletives under her breath, Alexis was already striding angrily away from the car and towards Jerry. Stefan waved a hand at Taggert, wordlessly admonishing him to catch up to his volatile sister before she made a scene.

"Hey there!" Taggert caught her by the arm just as Jerry disappeared into the church. "What do you think you’re doing?"

"What is that b*stard doing here?" she snarled, tears shining in her eyes.

"If what you told me about the situation is true, it’s not that surprising, Lexie," Taggert whispered gently. "He lost Chloe, too – as WELL as his child."

"He’s got one H*LL of a nerve, coming here, to a CHURCH, for God’s sake!" Alexis hissed. She started walking towards the church doors again but Taggert managed to stop her. "He MURDERED Chloe!!"

"There’s no concrete proof of that, Alexis." Taggert tightened his grip on her arm when she tried to pull away again. "In fact, if we manage to bring Von Alden in, we may clear Jerry Jacks of any suspicion of wrongdoing in just a few hours."

Her chest heaved with rage as he held her in place. She looked back and forth between Taggert and the church door, then finally yanked her arm free. "NOT bloody d*mn likely!!" she spat, smoothing her hair back and re-adjusting her suit jacket. She licked her lips, took a deep breath, and gave him one last frosty glare. "You go chase all the wild geese you want to, Lieutenant." She shoved her sunglasses back onto her face, leaning towards him indignantly. "This afternoon, I’M going to go prove who REALLY killed Chloe."

*~*~*~*

As Alexis made the turn off the highway onto River Road, she glanced at her watch again. {Two o’clock. Still thirty minutes to kill…….}

Once she had calmed down some from seeing Jerry at Chloe’s funeral, she decided to take Alan Quartermaine up on his invitation and drop by mansion for a small lunch. She wasn’t really that close to Chloe’s extended family but felt she owed it to her friend. Knowing what she did about the way Herbert Morgan had plunged Chloe’s design company into financial ruin made facing him with a smile even more difficult.

But even after making pleasant small talk with Lila and Monica Quartermaine for the better part of an hour, Alexis still found herself on the route up to the Cheshire Inn far too early. She called her office, but there were no new messages from Taggert on his pursuit of Von Alden. She considered pulling off the road, stopping at some fast food joint to have a quick cup of coffee and maybe even do some quiet dictation in a booth near the back, but vetoed that idea when she saw a busload of Port Charles High students monopolizing the place. She took the longest route to her destination that she knew possible, telling herself that she was enjoying the fall colors and calming scenery as she drove.

But the truth of the matter was that she was pulling into the thatched overhang of the lodge’s parking facility, and it was STILL only 2:05.

Alexis had barely brought her silver Audi to a stop when a fresh-faced young parking attendant was opening her door with a broad smile. "Good afternoon, ma’am! Welcome to the Cheshire!"

"Good afternoon……..Jim," she replied, noting his nametag and returning his smile. Alexis handed him the keys to her car. "I’m just meeting someone for a drink in the lounge," she added, noticing his diplomatic peek into her back seat for luggage. "I won’t be staying the night at the lodge."

"Yes, ma’am……. very good, ma’am." Jim flipped her keys up in the air, caught them again, and slipped into the driver seat, still smiling. "I’ll be sure to park your car near the front so you won’t have to wait long after your meeting."

She watched him drive away, then turned to stare intently at the large wooden door in front of her. After taking a deep breath, Alexis carefully picked her way across the cobblestone drive to the door, grasped the wrought iron handle, and pulled it open.

The cool darkness hit her in the face. That – and the smell of charcoal-broiled aged beef and bitingly potent brewery products. The Cheshire was famous for its Old English atmosphere and menu. She hesitated for a few seconds in the lobby, getting her bearings, then almost automatically turned towards the left and headed for the restaurant and lounge.

Her eyes had almost adjusted to the darkness when she rounded the corner into the bar area. "Can I help you, ma’am?"

She turned towards the rotund bartender. "I’m……..I’m afraid I’m a little early," Alexis explained with a soft laugh. "I’m supposed to be meeting Mr. Jacks at 2:30 but I was running ahead of schedule……"

"Well, I guess he’s running ahead of schedule too, ma’am," the bartender replied, pointing towards a booth in the back. "Although I thought his party was already here……."

Just as the bartender spoke, Alexis recognized Jax’s blonde hair, glinting like a beacon in the gloom. She saw her former fiancé lean forward over the table and laugh, reaching out his hand. Then, she felt something unexpectedly hot and irate bubble up inside her stomach when a dark-haired woman sitting opposite him echoed his laugh and took his offered hand affectionately. Despite her misgivings, she drew upon all of her intestinal fortitude and ambled slowly towards the table, pasting a pleasant smile on her face.

He turned towards her just as she approached the booth. "Alexis!" Was that just the hint of guilt and discomfort she saw reflected on his face? "You’re early!"

"Jax." She nodded an acknowledgement of his greeting as the air in that corner of the lounge got distinctly frosty. "I know I’m early………I guess I expected traffic to be heavier……" Tense silence followed.

"You know, Jax………" The dark-haired woman sensed the awkwardness of the moment – thankfully – and rose from her seat opposite Jax. "I really should be going, anyway……..I’ve already taken up too much of your time, and I need to get back to the city……"

"No problem at all, Courtney," Jax replied smoothly. He rose from his seat, bending slightly at the waist as he extended a hand to her. "Give me a call after you have a chance to review those papers……"

"I’ll do that……or maybe I’ll just …….. CALL you…….." The sultry look she gave Jax and the way she pursed her full lips had nothing to do with the legal documents she clutched in her hand. She gave Alexis one last you’ll-never-be-as-good-as-I-am smile and then undulated away from the table, her hips leading the way towards the exit.

"I’m sorry about that………" Jax held out a hand, indicating that Alexis should take the seat Courtney had occupied just moments earlier. "I didn’t expect our meeting to run that long."

"Obviously." Alexis stifled a grimace of distaste when she slid into the still-warm leather seat of the booth facing him. "I must say, Jax………" She shook her head, propping her elbows on the table and lacing her fingers as she rested her chin on them. "You certainly have made some interesting friends since you’ve come back to Port Charles."

"Courtney Corinthos isn’t a FRIEND." His denial was quick and firm. "She’s a ……… business associate."

"A business associate, hmmmm?" Her right eyebrow rose slightly. "Interesting business. Particularly since her brother Sonny just *happens* to be the head of the Port Charles branch of La Cosa Nostra……"

"ALLEGEDLY is the head of the Port Charles mob," Jax corrected, annoyance clear on his face. He exhaled loudly in exasperation. "Look, I’m really not that close to either Courtney OR her brother. All I know is that dad recommended that I see Miss Corinthos. Apparently she’s interested in setting up a trust for her new nephew……"

"Ohhhhh, and we all know that when *dear* daddy Jacks says jump, you ask HOW HIGH!!!!"

She was so close to the truth. In order to ensure his father’s silence, he had to keep that damnable deal and stay away from Alexis. Lately, it had broadened to include doing whatever John Jacks asked. Jax was so tempted to tell Alexis the *real* story – that he was only handling clients like Courtney Corinthos in order to protect HER. But how could he explain it without telling her *exactly* what his father knew? Luckily the conversation was interrupted when a perky barmaid, clad in traditional old English attire, came to their table. "Can I get you something from the bar?"

"Nothing for me." Alexis supplied the answer before Jax could even take a breath. "I’m working."

An easy smile played at the corner of his mouth as he looked up at the buxom waitress. "Two virgin bloody bulls, please." Jax watched her starched white petticoats bounce as she spun and headed to the bar, then caught his breath when he looked back at Alexis. For a moment he thought he saw a muscle flinch at the corner of her eye and her lower lip temble.

"I…….." She suddenly looked down in her lap, cleared her throat, and regained her composure. "I didn’t think you’d remember."

He chuckled softly. "How could I forget?" Much to her dismay, he reached out to take her hand, rubbing his thumb gently back and forth across her knuckles. "You used to tell Mark that his special concoction sounded like something the emperor Nero would have served at the Coliseum."

Although she desperately wanted to pull her hand away from his grasp, all the nerve endings in her arm seemed to have gone on strike, refusing to obey commands from her brain. "Mark certainly did know his way around a bar……." Alexis shook her head, sighing wistfully. "Nobody made Irish coffee as well as he did……."

"I remember……" Jax stopped caressing the back of her hand, taking it instead and pressing it warmly between his own. "I’ll never forget that St. Patrick’s Day we had a late lunch here in one of these booths……" She tried to throttle the dizzying current his sensuous words sent racing through her. "And then we took two Irish coffees back to our room……..and I licked the foam off your…….."

"Sorry I’m late, you two."

The sound of Jerry’s profuse apology broke Jax and Alexis apart like an icy shower. He was so busy taking off his trench coat that he never saw the looks of stifled longing and guilt pass between his brother and his ex-fiancée. "You’re not late at all, bro……." Although Jax’s voice sounded abnormally loud to Alexis, Jerry didn’t seem to notice. "Alexis and I were just ……. catching up…….."

Jerry slid into the booth next to Jax, opposite Alexis, just as the waitress returned with their drinks. "Yeah, well I would have been here earlier but the old man caught me on the way out of the house." He shook his head, snatching Jax’s drink just as the barmaid handed it to him. After taking a sip, his face twisted into a foul grimace and he looked back at the barmaid. "I’ll take the *adulterated* version of one of those, if you please, darlin’," he drawled, handing the alchohol-free version of the drink to Jax. "And tell the barman to go double on the Smirnoff’s."

Jax peered warily at his brother. "Is that a wise move?" When Jerry shrugged his shoulders, he gave him a pointed look. "Don’t you have some kind of political fundraiser at the DAR to attend tonight?"

"Not any more." Jerry smirked sarcastically at Alexis. "Apparently the esteemed patriarch of our family is worried that I’ll be so wracked with grief about Chloe, I’ll put my foot in my mouth and offend some old bitties." He gave the barmaid a sexy wink when she covertly smiled at him before turning to leave. "He offered Scotty the chance to go in my place, and of course the little weasel jumped on it like white on rice. He’ll do anything to make the old man like him more."

Jax fiddled nervously with the large stalk of celery in his drink. "Maybe this little get together today wasn’t such a good idea after all……." He hadn’t planned on his brother taking Chloe’s death so hard. His grand scheme had backfired, leaving Jerry the one suffering from the aftereffects of her funeral instead of Alexis.

"No, no……." Jerry shook his head firmly. "I WANT to do this. I’ve got important information that I think the assistant D.A. should know."

"Really?" She had been watching the interaction between brothers in fascination, her gaze bouncing back and forth like she was at a tennis match. It certainly appeared as though Jerry had already soothed his pain at another watering hole. Was he coherent enough – or inebriated enough – to confess to Chloe’s murder? And if he did – would it stand up in court?

"Absolutely." Although Jax’s face was turning a pale shade of sickly green, Jerry was positively gleeful when the barmaid reappeared with his drink. "Thanks, love." He gave her another lascivious wink and slipped a generous tip onto her tray before turning back to Alexis. "You might want to be writin’ some of this down now, you know……." He leaned towards her and dropped his voice significantly, indicating confidentiality. "I KNOW who killed Chloe."

"Is that right?" Alexis’s voice dripped with condescension, earning her an acid look from Jax. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small yellow pad and pen. "I’m ALL ears…….."

Jerry looked around the darkened pub as though he was checking to make sure nobody else was listening to their conversation. "It was all because of the money."

Alexis tried – and failed – to stifle her gasp of surprise. She certainly didn’t expect to hear Taggert’s words again so soon. And DEFINITELY not coming from her prime suspect. "You mean…….the money that you gave Chloe?"

"No……..see, that’s just IT!!" Jerry’s eyes widened triumphantly. "I never GAVE her the money!!"

"WAIT A MINUTE!!" Jax held out both hands, pushing his brother back to an upright sitting position while wordlessly sending Alexis back to "her corner" of their sparring arena. "I think we ALL need to just settle down a little and start this all over again……"

Alexis licked her lips, silently regrouping. "Alright." She looked to Jax first. "Since it’s readily apparent that the Congressman and Miss Morgan were having an affair and that she was carrying his child, I’ll skip over those details." Jax nodded once, curtly, and she turned her attention to Jerry again. "When did Chloe start blackmailing you?"

Jerry’s eyes widened and his face paled. "Blackmail?"

Alexis pressed her point. "Was it before or after she told you she was pregnant?"

"BLOODY H*LL!!" He almost knocked his drink over in his furious agitation. "Chloe Morgan was the sweetest, kindest woman who ever walked the face of this earth!! She would NEVER do something as foul as that!!" He took another long sip of his drink, glaring at Alexis. "You say you were her best FRIEND, and then you have the colossal nerve to accuse her of something like THAT??!!"

"Then what *money* are you talking about, Jerry?" Jax’s eyes darted quickly back and forth between his brother and Alexis as she posed the question.

"Chloe came to me about two weeks ago……." Jerry sank lower in his side of the booth. He toyed with the salted edge of his glass as he spoke, a faraway look in his eyes. "She told me that her business was in deep trouble, thanks to her Uncle Herbert." His chin drooped onto his chest as he looked at Alexis from beneath heavy eyelids. "She wouldn’t say exactly what he did, but I got the feelin’ it was some kind of creative bookkeeping that wasn’t exactly legal." He sighed. "Anyways, she needed a lot of cash – fast – in order to make things right."

Although his story jived with what Taggert had revealed to her, Alexis wasn’t about to let on to Jerry how much she knew. "How much cash?"

Jerry took another sip of his drink. "Twenty thousand."

"Why couldn’t she just get a loan from a bank?"

"She had suppliers demanding their money for fabric and such…….." Jerry shook his head sadly. "You know, if she had come to me earlier, I would have been able to help her. But Chloe panicked." He glanced briefly in Jax’s direction to get a silent OK before continuing. "She went to some sleazy loan shark and borrowed the money so it would look like CMD was still on top of its game. Poor, naïve Chloe……" He let out a long breath, then snapped off the top of the celery stalk with barely-controlled rage. "She never even considered the possibility that the b*stard would compound the interest hourly."

Alexis frowned. "But you’re saying that you didn’t give her the twenty thousand to pay him off?"

"I never had a chance! Things got so hectic with all of Jessie’s wedding folderol that I didn’t get a chance to get to the bank alone till …….till………" A sob died in his throat. "I got the money two days before Chloe died. We were going to have dinner that night so I could give it to her, but then Dad came to me with this campaign fundraiser at the last minute and we had to cancel our plans." Jerry leaned forward earnestly. "THAT’S why you have to arrest the loan shark! He must have gone to Chloe’s that night to get the money. And when she didn’t have it, HE KILLED HER!!!"

Alexis made some notes on her pad. "Did Chloe ever mention his name to you?"

"Something Dutch……or Swedish……." Jerry slumped back against the leather bench-style seat. "Van Halen, or something like that…….."

"Von Alden?"

"THAT’S IT!!" He sat up straight again, his eyes suddenly brighter. "So you already know about him?"

Alexis glanced guiltily towards Jax before answering. "Taggert got some information from a reputable source that confirms Jerry’s story. He….uh……." She pressed her lips together, tapping her pen on the pad in front of her. "He’s hoping to bring Von Alden in for questioning very soon."

"Then that’s it!! You’ll have Chloe’s murderer!!" Jerry smiled broadly at Jax, who still had an uneasy look on his face. "The case will be closed!!"

"One thing still bothers me, though……." Both Jacks brothers turned towards Alexis simultaneously. Her sable eyebrows slanted in a frown. "If this Von Alden guy *really* wanted his money paid back, then why kill Chloe? I mean, if he knew that Uncle Herbert wasn’t good for the money, why eliminate his only possible means of collecting?"

"Maybe he didn’t go there *intending* to kill her," Jax suggested. "Maybe he just meant to scare her – or to rough her up to send Herbert a message, and things got out of hand."

"What *I* don’t understand is why you ever thought Chloe was blackmailing me," Jerry suddenly interrupted.

Becoming slightly uneasy under Jerry’s intense gaze, Alexis bit her lower lip. "When I saw your family at the bridal shop the other day, Bobbie let it slip."

Storm clouds gathered in Jerry’s eyes. "Figures she’d say something like that." His chest heaved with each increasingly angry breath he took. "Ever since she got this fool idea about having a big house of our own, she’s been watching our finances like a hawk."

"And she found out about the money that you withdrew to give to Chloe?" Alexis asked quietly. She ignored Jax’s icy glare at the direction in which the conversation was heading.

"She was bloody furious, that one was." Jerry shook his head and then downed what remained of his drink. "She kept at me constantly, asking what the money was for …… who I was giving it to……."

"Did she find out about the baby too, Jerry?"

"I think that’s *enough* for today……." Jax put out a hand towards his brother. "You’ve already given Alexis enough information."

Jerry ignored his brother but remained silent, his rage building. Meanwhile, Alexis was honing in, her sharp instincts on alert like a shark smelling blood in the water. "The fact that Chloe was pregnant really hurt Bobbie, didn’t it, Jerry?" she hammered, leaning towards him. "Oh, you’ve had other flings before, but this was the first time that she couldn’t compete with one of your mistresses, wasn’t it?"

"That’s ENOUGH, Alexis!" Jax’s expression was thunderous. "You’re treading on dangerous ground……."

"But so was Chloe, wasn’t she?" While Alexis continued to drive her point home, Jerry’s nostrils flared with each irate breath he took. "Just how "bloody furious" WAS Bobbie, Jerry? Furious enough to get rid of her competition and her trump card, all in one fell swoop?"

"D*MN YOU!!" The sound boomed like a cannon shot when Jerry slapped both hands hard on the wooden table as he rose to his feet. "I was right the other day at your office!!" He leaned towards her, fire sizzling from his eyes. "You’re not really interested in finding out who killed Chloe!!" he snarled. "You just want to get even with Jax, and if you can’t pin the blame on me, you’ll settle for ANY member of the family!"

"I think this little interview is over," Jax announced, scowling at both at his brother and Alexis. "Particularly when there seems to be a credible lead in the case."

"You have NO reason to accuse my wife of killing Chloe!!" Jerry ignored Jax’s statement and wove slightly on his feet as he pointed a menacing finger at Alexis. "Bobbie was with me ALL night – at the fundraiser, and then later at home!"

"Jerry – GO HOME!!" Jax finally rose to his feet and grasped his brother’s shoulders, giving them a firm squeeze. "You need to get some black coffee and then some rest – in that order," he added in a gentler voice as he looked deeply into his brother’s bloodshot eyes.

"Yeah – coffee. Home." Jerry mumbled the words, echoing Jax, and then slipped out of the booth. He turned back once to give Alexis a foul look, then disappeared into the darkness of the pub.

"Do you think that was wise – sending him out on the streets in that condition?" Alexis asked as Jax took his seat once again.

"It’s the grief talking more than the vodka." Jax gazed somberly in the direction his brother had gone before looking back at her. "I don’t think he’s gotten a good night’s sleep since Chloe died."

"He’s not the only one." Alexis arched one eyebrow at Jax knowingly. She looked down at her legal pad, tapping the pen on it while biting her lower lip. "That was some nice coaching work you did with Bobbie and Jerry, by the way."

"Coaching work?" Jax’s eyes widened with incredulity. "What the h*ll is that supposed to mean?"

"Their alibis for the night of the murder," Alexis explained.

"If you’ve got a point to make, do it, Alexis!" Jax sighed. He waved the barmaid away when she returned to see if anyone needed another drink. "Beating around the bush isn’t your style."

"Jerry and Bobbie – they both said the EXACT same thing about where they were the night of Chloe’s murder."

Jax’s laugh was soft but sarcastic. "Maybe that’s because they’re telling the TRUTH!"

"No, no – I mean the EXACT same thing!" She pointed her pen excitedly at Jax. "Bobbie used the EXACT same words when she told me her whereabouts in the bridal shop – "at the fundraiser, and then later at home.""

Jax cocked his head to the side. "I reiterate – maybe because it’s the tru……."

"Come on, Jax!!!" she implored in a hushed whisper, leaning towards him. "The EXACT same words? From one person whom you tell me is in a state of emotional turmoil, and another whose sobriety is debatable most waking hours of the day?" When understanding washed over his face – along with a healthy dose of curiosity about his brother and sister-in-law’s alibi – Alexis shifted excitedly in her seat. "FORGET for just a few minutes about all the personal investments we have in this case. Try to be impartial, and then tell me how likely it is that both Jerry and Bobbie would use the EXACT same words in describing that night."

He worried his lower lip with his teeth for a few minutes while toying with the lace edged doily beneath his drink. "Not bloody likely……."

It was so long since they had been on the same emotional wavelength. Just as a sensuous spark traveled through the darkened room between them, a jingling noise broke the spell. "I’m sorry to interrupt you folks……." Jim, the parking attendant, held up two sets of keys with an apologetic grin. "There’s an emergency at home so I’m going to be taking off early today."

"No problem, Jimmy." Jax swiped both sets of keys before Alexis even blinked. He reached into his jacket pocket and handed the young man a tip that inspired an even broader smile. "I’ll see that Miss Davis gets back to her car safely."

"Thank YOU, Mister Jacks!!" He turned towards Alexis. "I made sure to park your car in the front of the lot, just like I said, Miss Davis. Since you got here earlier, I had to put yours on the far side," he added to Jax.

"I’m sure we’ll find them both just fine, Jimmy." Jax completely ignored the evil eye Alexis was giving him when he wouldn’t hand over her keys. "You go ahead and don’t worry about it."

Once Jimmy had left, she finally shoved her notebook and pen back into her purse. "Are you going to give me those, or am I going to have to get a court order for that, too?"

"So sue me, counselor," Jax grinned. He automatically rose from his side of the booth when Alexis got to her feet. "My mother raised me to be a gentleman. Old habits die hard."

"Except in the courtroom," Alexis mumbled. She wrenched away just as Jax attempted to put a hand to her elbow and assist her through the darkened pub. She finally stopped when she got to the massive wooden front doors and he grabbed her by the arm.

"Alexis……" She was obviously uncomfortable when he continued to hold her firmly in his grasp. "I just wanted to thank you again – for agreeing to hold off on anything until after Jessie’s wedding."

"Yes, well I’m *still* not sure that I got my fair share of the bargain," she grimaced. As they exited the Cheshire and she pulled her suit coat more tightly around her shoulders, she gave him a look that rivaled the frostiness of the crisp fall air. "So NOW do I get my keys back?"

"I’ll walk you to the car." Jax squinted up at the sky and rubbed his arm with his free hand. "It’s getting dark and it feels like it’s going to rain….."

"I’m a BIG girl, Jax! I got along without you walking me to my car for three years, and I’ll get along without you now!" She snatched the keys from him when her salvo stabbed an emotional dagger to his heart. When she saw the raw guilt flicker in his eyes, something inside her softened and her shoulders wilted. "Look – my car’s right over there in the front, just like Jimmy said," she said, pointing to her Audi. "If you’re really that worried about it, you can watch me from here."

"I will." Jax fought the urge to grab her in his arms and kiss away all the hurts he hadn’t been around for during the last three years. "Drive safely."

"You…….." As she moved away from him, her breath caught, betraying her unsteady emotions. "You, too." She didn’t turn back again but walked steadily towards her car, her heels clicking on the concrete in the quiet evening.

Jax gazed towards the parking lot on the far side of the Cheshire. Just as Jimmy said, he could vaguely make out the sight of his bright gold Jaguar convertible in the gathering gloom. He stepped off the curb, glancing once back over his shoulder in Alexis’s direction when he heard the loud roar of an engine.

It came out of nowhere – a dark car, probably black, with its headlights turned off. Tires squealed as it rounded the corner in front of the Cheshire. The tomato juice in Jax’s stomach curdled when he realized the driver’s intent. He screamed Alexis’s name, but she didn’t hear him as the car barreled towards its destination.

Calling upon every ounce of adrenaline in his system and every deity he ever knew of, he took off at a sprint. He dashed past the Cheshire’s front door and hurdled himself through several cars, taking a shortcut to reach Alexis before the dark driver. Just as the black car screeched around the corner and she finally became aware of it, Jax leaped towards her, tackling her out of harm’s way.

A breeze ruffled the back of his suit coat as Jax lay on top of Alexis, sprawled between two parked cars. When he finally heard the engine’s roar fade into the distance, he raised his head and cradled the side of her face with his hand. "Alexis?" His heart nearly stopped when she didn’t open her eyes. "Alexis!" he called louder. "Are you alright?"

Her eyelids finally fluttered and she groaned, putting a hand to her forehead. "Jax!" Alexis frowned when the blood from her bruised and scraped hands smeared onto her cheek. "What ……..what happened?"

"That car……." He got his breathing back under control and helped her to a sitting position on the parking lot. "It almost hit you."

She blinked rapidly, trying to clear the momentary fog in her brain, and then winced when she shifted her right leg. "Geez…….they should be careful about things like that……." Alexis grimaced again when Jax touched his handkerchief to a long scratch on her arm. "Maybe somebody should enlighten the owners about their responsibilities and liquor liability……."

"That WASN’T some drunk, Alexis." Jax captured her chin between his fingers, forcing him to meet his intense blue gaze. "That car aimed directly for you." He stroked the side of her cheek with his forefinger when a shudder racked her body. "Somebody was trying to kill you."

To be continued……..

Music credit: "Pie Jesu," music by Andrew Lloyd Webber from the show, "Requiem," sung by Sarah Brightman