by Shani
Brenda tossed a check on the bar of the Outback.
"I need for you to be prepared...on retainer or whatever it's called."
"For what?" Mac asked as he picked up the check.
"I might need for you to help me track down my sister."
"Julia?"
"Yeah. I call and let you know by tomorrow." she said and walked out.
Jax sat at the table in the PC Grill and waited. But soon his lunch guest
arrived.
"Dara. On time as usual." he said with a smile.
But Dara didn't return his smile. "If we have to call you as a witness, Jason's
lawyer will tear you apart. This is pretty good motive to fabricate all the
things you gave me about your brother and Jason." she said as she tossed
a folder on the desk.
"What's this?" he asked as he picked up the file. But as he leafed through
he didn't need her to answer. Jax threw the file back on the table and looked
at Dara, all of the color drained out of his face.
"You didn't *know*?" She asked. But his expression was all the answer she
needed.
"It's a lie." Jax said after a second, his eyes lighting up again at the
thought. "There's no way my family would keep this from me."
"Jax, it's all right here. Pictures...everything."
He got up and tossed some money on the table. "It's a lie. I'll have proof
for you tonight. You worry too much. Have a great lunch. My treat." he smiled
at her one last time and left.
When he got back to the penthouse he picked up the phone and paged Jerry.
Then he sat down and waited.
About 10 minutes later he called.
"How close are you to finding Julia?" Jax asked. Deal with the important
stuff first, and then he would deal with the nonsense.
"She was allegedly sent away on a business trip at the last minute to Australia
of all places. That's where I'm on my way to. But Sonny's still in
London."
"Good. So who's out to get you now?"
"What?"
"I saw some pictures of someone who looked like you with someone who looked
like Miranda...before the accident."
Jerry was quiet.
"And by the recorded date of the pictures it was months before I introduced
you to her. Someoen went through an awful lot of trouble to do it. It's amazing
what can be done with computers and such...Jerry?"
"What?"
"And then there were notes from someone with Miranda's handwriting...on Cassadine
letterhead of all things...love letters to you. And some letters in your
handwriting on your personal stationary to her....I mean, if I didn't know
better. You know the saying if it looks like a duck and talks like a duck..."
Jax's voice trailed off as he waited for his brother to offer an
explantion.
And finally he got one.
"I met Miranda when Stefan brought her on vacation. You know the kinds of
vacation where really all it is is people making buisness contacts for a
week. I remember looking at her and my first thought was that she looked
so lonely so I walked over and introduced myself....anyway this was when
dad still maintained most of the control of everything; and you were still
in school. So he brought me along, mainly to show me the ropes. Anyway that
night Stefan had buisness to attend to one evening so Miranda had the evening
to herself. She came to me and asked if I wanted to escort her around...she
had never been to France before. So I spent all evening with her...I fell
in love that night. You know how it is. One day love is the last thing on
your mind and the next it's all you can think about. But she was engaged
to Stefan. At the end of the week we exchanged addresses and we used to write
to each other. She would write to me through dad, but you know he never checked
the mail first. So whenever I saw
something with the Cassadine emblem I would open it first. And then I would
send my letters to her school and she had a friend who would hand deliver
them. This went on for months. And one day, on a business trip in Greece,
I went to where she lived...in the guest house of the Cassadines. And I convinced
her to walk out of there. She never came back. We went down to Australia
and got engaged." Jerry waited for Jax to speak. But he didn't say anything
so he continued. "By the time I called, mom and dad already knew. That's
when they sent you to come find me. But I came back, and I left her there.
I came back to say goodbye because she and I were planning to run away together.
But I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to you. So I waited for you to
come back, and you did. With Miranda."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Jax asked quietly.
"Because you were already married. And Miranda had somehow convinced Stefan
not to retaliate against you. So I just let it go."
"Why didn't you tell me later. It's been years."
"Because I didn't think it mattered anymore."
"Would it have mattered to you?"
Jerry didn't answer.
"That's what I thought" Jax said and hung up the phone.
Shani