**GETTING TO THE TRUTH**

Chapter 34

Mail to Holly

The ringing of the phone caught Mel's attention as she walked by Smithy's desk. She looked around the room and not seeing Smithy, she picked up the phone, "Port Charles Police Department"

"Let me talk to Smithy," the voice said. Mel got chill bumps as she recognized the voice as the man that she had heard talking on the docks. She took another quick look around the room, Smithy was no where in sight.

"I'm sorry Smithy isn't here right now...could I help you?"

"I wanna talk to Smithy," the voice insisted.

"Like I said, he's not in...." Mel turned quickly as she felt someone come up behind her. Smithy stood there looking inquisitively at her.

"Is that for me?" he asked.

Mel looked at the phone and back at Smithy, she slowly held the phone out to him, "Yeah, some guy that insists on talking to you."

Smithy looked oddly at her and took the phone, "This is Smithy.....yeah....wait a sec," he turned to Mel and gave her an obvious look. Mel smiled at him and went to her desk, keeping her ears open to his conversation.

"Yeah.....I told you....okay, okay...I'll be there in a little bit." Smithy hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket.

"Problems?" Mel asked.

"Ummmmm, no.....just a snitch that wants to tell me something." He smiled at her and left the room.

Mel watched as he left, then quickly grabbed her gun and holster, strapped it on and shrugged into her jacket, heading on her way out.

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"Oh what a beautiful house!" Hazel exclaimed as she stepped into Jax's luxurious home.

"Hazel!" Jax exclaimed as he came out of his office and enveloped her into his arms for a quick hug and kiss.

"How are you handsome?" Hazel said, patting his back.

Jax released her and grinned at her, "Much better now that I see you are okay. What possessed you to put yourself in danger?"

"Now don't you start in on me. I've already gotten my lecture from Elizabeth. She's such a stuffed shirt. She thinks I should be locked away in an old folk's home."

"Granny..." Libby said between her teeth.

"Nope, I don't want to hear it. There are other things more important to discuss." Hazel said brushing aside Libby's exasperation.

Jax looked at Jerry who was grinning broadly. Jax cocked his eyebrow at him, but Jerry just shrugged his shoulders. Jax motioned for everyone to go into the living room and once settled, he faced Hazel. "So what important issue do you want to discuss?"

"Well, in the absence of your parents, the responsibility falls on your shoulders," Hazel said.

"What responsibility?" Jax asked.

"The responsibility of making your brother marry my granddaughter." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Excuse me?" Jax said with a laugh.

"You heard me right....I caught these two....right in the act...no doubt about what they had been up to. Naked as the day they were born."

"Granny!" Libby said, her face turning red.

"Now I want to know what you Jacks' are going to do about it." Hazel said to Jax, a twinkle in her eye.

Jax looked at Jerry, who was still grinning, looking pleased with himself. "Do you have something to say for yourself, big brother?" Jax asked, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice.

Jerry shrugged again and sat next to a stiff Libby, who's face was fast becoming a bright purple. "I have no excuse...except that a beautiful woman jumped my bones...and I didn't have the heart to tell her no."

"Of all the nerve....you big oaf....you were the one that...." Libby sputtered, pushing Jerry away from her and standing up, "Come join the Mile High Club...you said...everyone should be a member, you said....why of all the....you low down dirty...If you think that this is how you are going to get me to marry you....AGHHHHHHHH!!!!" she screamed as she stomped her foot in frustration.

"Elizabeth Winters, quit throwing a hissy....I didn't see you pushing him off you." Hazel said to her granddaughter, then turned back to Jax, "Well? What are you going to do about this?"

"Hmmmmm, this is pretty serious......but I think you're right. The two must be immediately married." Jax said, no longer able to hold his laughter in. He stood in front of his brother, "Jerry, it's time you did right by this woman....you've had your way with her too much....it's time to pay the piper. I'm sorry I have to make you do this, but your philandering ways were bound to catch up with you some time."

Jerry didn't say anything, he was silently laughing too hard to speak. Hazel stood up and faced him, her hands on her hips, her eyes twinkling with mirth, "If I have to, I'll get my shotgun."

"Well, if you put it like that..." Jerry finally was able to say, "I guess I don't have any choice. Marriage it will be."

All three turned to look at Libby who was now doing her imitation of an Indian war dance as she stomped her feet in absolute fury.

"Did I hear the word wedding?" Janet said as she poked her head into the living room.

Jerry grinned at her, "Yep, the wedding's back on!"

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"Where's Langley?" Mac asked as he walked into the detective's room.

"Good question." Taggert said. "I've been looking for her all afternoon. We were supposed to go over some files."

Mac looked questioningly around the room, but everyone shrugged their shoulders. He turned back to Taggert, "Find her....I don't like this at all."

"What's the big deal?" Taggert asked in a whisper.

"I've got a bad feeling, just find her." Mac said, looking worried.

Taggert nodded and picked up a phone and started dialing.

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"Dr. Mason, you have a phone call."

"Thanks Amy," Bethany said as she took the phone, "Dr. Mason here."

"Bethany? This is Taggert."

"Hello Tag, what's up?"

"Ummm, I was wondering if Mel happened to be with you?"

"No, she's not. Why is something wrong?" Bethany asked in a concerned voice.

Taggert remembered how sensitive Bethany was to Mel's job and rushed to assure her, "Oh no....nothing's wrong. I've just got some information for her and she's stepped out. Someone thought she might have been meeting you for an early dinner."

"Oh! Well, no...I'm on duty tonight. But if she calls, I'll have her get in touch with you."

"Thanks Bethany...I'll talk to you later. Bye" Taggert hung up the phone and looked at Mac.

"Page her," Mac suggested.

Taggert picked up a pager off of Mel's desk and showed it to Mac, "Looks like she forgot it."

"Damn. Doesn't she have a cellular phone?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, but I've already tried that...it's not in service. I've tried her home too, but got her machine. Look I'll make a few more calls, and if I don't come up with anything, I'll personally hit the streets looking for her."

"Do that. And get back with me as soon as you make those phone calls, before you hit the streets. I don't want you to disappear too."

"Right, will do."

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"I don't know why your panties are in a wad...." Hazel said taking a sip of coffee. "That man wants to marry you, even without my interfering. And for some reason you are resisting it....but it's not because you don't want to marry him. If you ask me, I'm doing you a favor by saving your pride and making it appear you aren't going along with this wedding. You have the advantage....you get to marry him and he doesn't have to realize how much you want to marry him. You've got the best of both worlds."

"Granny...." Libby said, exasperated. Jax and Jerry had left the room, supposedly to do business, but Jerry was probably telling him what had happened in the Philippines. They had been locked up in Jax's office for over an hour. An hour in which she had been arguing with her pig-headed grandmother.

"Don't Granny me." Hazel grabbed her hand as she paced by her. She pulled her down until Libby was squatting in front of her. She tenderly reached up and pushed Libby's golden hair behind her ears. She took Libby's face in her hands, "You love him don't you?"

Libby bit her lip and nodded, "That has nothing to do with this."

"Of course it does. You've loved him since you first laid eyes on him when you were just a kid. I know. And he loves you....no, don't say anything," Hazel said as Libby went to interrupt her. "You know it and I know it....that boy is head over heels in love with you. And he wants to marry you. So why are you fighting this?"

"Oh Granny..." Libby buried her head in Hazel's lap, "He's never once told me he loves me. Not once. And as far as getting married to him....well....he's never even asked me."

Hazel picked up her face and wiped her tears, "Is that what this is all about?"

Libby nodded, "Did you know that...before...I mean...when we were going to get married before Brenda died, that he just announced we were getting married? He didn't ask....he didn't tell me he loved me...he just said we're getting married. And that was that."

Hazel laughed and stroked Libby's head, pulling her into a comforting embrace, "You are your mother's daughter. She gave your daddy such a run for his money. Frank had blustered that there was no way he was letting some woman tie him to her for life. Of course he said that because he had already lost his heart and soul to your mother. But men being men, he wasn't about to give in and just throw away his bachelorhood. And your mother, God bless her, got mad. Told him she wouldn't have him. He thought she was blustering so didn't pay her much mind...but low and behold, she got his attention when she went to the Spring dance with none other than Wade Cauley. Wade and your father were friendly enemies...each one was always trying to out do the other one. Well, let me tell you this...by the end of that dance, your father had demanded that your mother marry him...no ifs, ands or buts about it. Oh Lordy, your mother pitched a fit. Said he was making a fool of himself and that he would end up standing in front of the alter making a further fool of himself if he went ahead with the wedding plans." Hazel laughed at the memory.

Libby laughed, "I said the same thing to Jerry."

Hazel chucked her under the chin and winked at her, "Like I said...just like your mother." She smiled as her minds eye took her back in time to her son's courtship and battle with Libby's mother.

"So what happened?" Libby prodded her grandmother from her memories.

"What? Oh, well, Diane did as she had promised....she made him wait at the alter. And after standing there, stubborn and determined, for over an hour, he burst a blood vessel. Steam was coming out of his ears. He told no one to leave the church, then he went looking for your mother. He found her, sitting on the front porch of her parents home. Just sitting there calmly in her bathrobe, rocking in her chair listening to the birds sing. Your father didn't say a word, he just went to her, picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and carried her down main street to the church." Hazel laughed and slapped her knee, "People were lined up as if they were watching a parade. There was Frank, all dudded up in his tuxedo with Diane slung over his shoulder in a bathrobe, screaming her lungs out and beating on his back. They got to the church and Frank strolled right down that aisle and when she screamed at him to put her down, he dropped her like a sack of potatoes. Fell right on her sweet bottom. She was so mad, she was almost spitting at him. But Frank kneeled down on one knee before her and told her that he was in love with her and wanted to spend the rest of his life happily tied to her. Then he asked her to marry him." Hazel wiped her eyes, "It was the sweetest thing I ever did see. Diane, having got what she wanted, stood up, wiped herself off and took his hand. There they were....getting married. Frank in his tux, your mother in her robe....and to this day, everyone still says she was the prettiest bride they ever saw." Hazel looked down at Libby who had tears rolling down her face, "And now it's your turn. And you'll be the most beautiful bride anyone has ever seen. So you keep pretending that you aren't going to marry him, but remember, when he comes to get you and carry you down the aisle....be sure to have your wedding dress on under your robe."

Libby laughed, "Granny....I love you!" she said as she hugged the woman that meant more to her than anyone in the world, with maybe the exception of Jerry.

"Did I hear the word love being mentioned in here?" Jerry's voice boomed as he and Jax stepped into the room.

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Mel pulled her gun and slowly opened the squeaky door of the old fishery. She quickly glanced around then continued on. She had followed Smithy all over town. He was obviously trying not to be followed...and he had ended up here. A run down fishery on the river, just out of town. She had watched as he had gone into the building and she had cautiously followed him. She heard raised voices to the back of the building and she headed towards it. She stopped outside a small office and tried to hear what the quieted voices were saying. All of a sudden, she heard Smithy shout, "For God's sake, put the gun down." Mel flung open the door, her gun pointed in the office, but no one was there. She looked around, a strange feeling in her gut when she found a tape recorder on an old desk. She turned quickly and saw the wires on the door. "Damn!" She yelled as she ran from the office, she was half-way out of the building when the bomb went off. The force of the explosion propelled Mel into the wall, head first, she slunk to the floor unconscious.

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"Commissioner Scorpio to see you, Mr. Jacks." Janet said as Mac stepped into the room after her.

"Mac I don't have time to fight with you today," Jax said.

"I'm not here to fight with you," Mac said as he nodded towards Libby and Hazel.

"What do you want then?" Jerry asked.

"Jax, I know you and Mel Langley are working together on this case. I don't know all the details, but I think it has something to do with Mel not trusting her fellow officers." Mac said.

"What makes you think that?" Jax asked.

"Because Mel is a professional. She would never bring an outsider in on a case unless she felt she couldn't trust her backup."

Jax nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Jax, Mel's missing. No one has seen her since this morning." Mac stated.

Jax's heart skipped a beat, "What do you mean she's missing?"

"Exactly that. She was in the office this morning, but left suddenly, no one has seen her since."

"Have you tried Bethany?" Libby asked, getting to her feet, her heart beating fast.

"Yeah, we've tried everyone she knows. Or at least everyone we know she knows. I've got a bad feeling about this." Mac said, running his fingers through his hair. He turned back to Jax, who was looking pale, "Can you think of any place she might be?"

Jax shook his head, a knot in his throat.

"Do you know who it is she doesn't trust on the force?" Mac asked.

Jax nodded and swallowed, "Detective Smithy was one of the robbers. We..." the ringing of Mac's cellular interrupted him.

"Scorpio here." Mac said into the phone, "When?......Is she......General Hospital? Okay, I'll meet you there. I want the fishery thoroughly checked. And track down Detective Smithy....no, I don't want to see him just yet....just arrest him. I'll deal with him later." Mac hung up the phone and looked at Jax.

Jax's heart stopped beating and his fist clenched his chest, "What is it?"

"They've found Mel. There was an explosion at the old Fishery on Mills Road." Mac explained.

"Is she???.....Is she...." Jax couldn't say the word.

"They've taken her to General Hospital. Come on, you can tell me what you know on the way."

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End of Chapter 34

HollyJo