~~ Murderers will try to recall the sequence of events, they will remember exactly what they did just before and just after…But they can never remember the actual moment of killing…This is why they will always leave a clue. ~~ Peter Ackroyd

"I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I stood there and listened as you screamed…I’m sorry. I was afraid and I’m sorry.

"What a load of horseshit," Luke finished eloquently. Reading the note aloud and nearly crumpling it inside his palm before Lucky reached out to save it.

"It’s horseshit," Lucky agreed. "But it’s horseshit that needs to be kept for awhile," he finished, folding it before placing it back inside it’s plastic baggie.

He was waiting for his contact to come back with the finger print analysis of the note, but for now he was handling it with the utmost care.

With gloved hands he continued to move down the hall. A slight chill slithered up his spine as he drew closer to the yellow tape. Not because he believed the place was now haunted by the ghost of Alexander Hart, or because he’d give a damn if it was - but because the memory of her lying beneath him came back in such wicked flashes that it nearly threw him off balance.

Luke came to a stand still behind him. "You ok Cowboy?"

His son only nodded and continued to stare past the tape and into the kitchen. If he listened closely enough, he could hear her screams. Imagine what they must’ve been like.

The bloodstains were gone. Someone had done a pretty damn good job of cleaning up the place. Whomever it had been, Lucky didn’t envy them the job that was for sure. There had been blood everywhere. It was amazing that the human body contained such a large amount of fluid, and then had some left over.

Well…not in Alex’s case. That had been the problem right? He’d bled to death from the bullet wounds. That’s what the coroner’s report was saying. But then there was the swelling of the throat. A swelling that indicated some type of asphyxiation…choking without bruises.

The thoughts swirled through Lucky’s head like a deadly poison as he peered inside that kitchen. The white floor a little less shiny now. Whoever had mopped hadn’t known exactly how to take care of marble like the house staff always had.

The house staff.

Names came to mind. People that, from Lucky’s brief stay at the house, he knew hated Alex just as much as he or Elizabeth had. Maria, Angela, Frank…just to name a few. None one still lingered on the premises, but they’d all had the opportunity to kill Alex that day hadn’t they?

And even if none of them had done the deed, someone had to have seen something that afternoon…Something like a coward named Rick skulking around.

Even if they were afraid to name names, all Lucky needed was a description.

A confirmation that his suspicions were right, and that asshole Rick had somehow gotten it into his dumb ass head to come here and off Alex and then leave.

Once he knew for sure, it would just be a matter of finding the bastard and making him pay. Letting him twist in the wind, like he’d allowed he and Elizabeth to do for weeks now.

Luke’s voice came from behind Lucky. Making him jump, he’d been so caught up in the theories. They dwindled away like softly blowing wind chimes in the distance. Wind chimes, that if you listened to long enough…could drive you crazy.

The drive to ‘crazy,’ felt only a minute or two away.

"I remember coming up the path just outside and thinking about what a sloppy job you’d done," Luke said then. "There were footprints everywhere…A trail of dirt just inside the hall," he continued. Indicating towards the hall opposite them that lead into to the other side of the kitchen from the side yard. "Now I kick myself for thinking all that evidence was yours…I shoulda known better."

Lucky shook his head. "Don’t kick yourself too hard there, Dad. It probably was my evidence…All I could think about was getting to her in time…" his voice trailed away. In his eyes, he STILL hadn’t gotten to her in time.

"You knew she’d come here…how?" Luke asked. Coming to stand next to his son now. Seeing his own memories flash before him. Seeing his son go from panic, to steal confidence when he’d told him to get Elizabeth out of the house. There’d been no doubt in his voice, and no room for argument.

Still Luke wished he would’ve fought a little harder. The trial started later this afternoon and there was a good chance that when it was all said and done, a jury would want to put his son away for the rest of his life.

"I went home first…to get my gun. I thought Elizabeth would be there, but I knew there was nothing she could say or do that would stop me," Lucky admitted quietly. "I think not killing Alex is the one thing in life that I would have denied Elizabeth if she had asked me…but she didn’t ask me. She wasn’t there to ask me.

"The gun was gone," Lucky paused. "And I knew she had it. I knew she was here…She’d remembered…or worse yet someone had told her…and I had to get to her. I had to get to her before that animal –

Luke cleared his throat as Lucky broke off once more. He tried to reassure him even now. Even though he knew, that coming from him the platitude sounded lame.

"She was ok…She seemed…ok," he said awkwardly.

There was a bite in Lucky’s tone when he turned around to face his father. "Physically…yeah."

Luke looked down and shoved his hands in his pockets. Yes…lame indeed.

"Come on," he said then. "Why don’t we do what we came here to do and take a look around? You said you wanted to search stuff that maybe the police hadn’t…There’s no sense us hanging around this kitchen like something’s gonna pop up. It’s obviously been scrubbed disgustingly clean."

Lucky nodded and inhaled through his nose, starting towards the next corridor that led towards the opposite wing. Elizabeth’s studio was down the hall. Alex’s office was just to the side.

The door to the office stood open…with yellow tape secured across the door.

"What the…

Luke stopped short behind Lucky, and strained to see what had caused his son to halt so abruptly. When he saw it, he took a deep breath. "You can say that again Cowboy…"

Lucky ducked under the tape and let out a breath. If the murder had taken place in the kitchen, why the Hell was their yellow tape and little evidence tabs placed all over the desk?

Luke’s eyes swept over the office. "It is just me Cowboy or did you hear another shoe?"

~~~~~~~

Elizabeth walked out of the fitting room stall and shrugged at Emily. Just a few weeks ago the prospect of buying maternity clothes had been fun and exciting, but buying this particular outfit was like some brutal form of torture.

"I look the same in this one as I did all the others," she sighed. "I’m sure I should look…conservative in court, but I swear they’re gonna have to pat me down though this skirt because it looks like I’m trying to smuggle something illegal beneath it."

Emily smiled a bit and stood up as her friend turned once more in front of the mirror. "I thought the pale blue one was nice…You didn’t like that one?"

Scrunching her nose, Elizabeth shook her head. It wasn’t that she didn’t like it, it was just it reminded her of the story Lucky told her about the first time he’d first seen her again.

She’d been wearing pale blue as she’d walked down that New York City street, and ever since, the color had reminded him of what he felt when he saw her. Some mixture of emotions that he’d never been able to put a label on it.

Elizabeth knew it was probably silly to be sentimental about that, but she didn’t want her appearance in court to blend with the first day of the rest of their lives in any way, shape, or form. She wouldn’t be buying the blue, no matter how much better it was than the ecru colored suit.

"Does this one look really bad?"

Emily shook her head. "Liz you don’t look bad in any of them…What’s with you anyway?…I thought from what that book said – this was supposed to be the ‘I feel sexy,’ phase of your pregnancy. You should be liking the way you look in things."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and grinned a bit. Happy to have been able to finally tell her best friend that she was expecting. Though she’d known already, she hadn’t known that they were going to be opening a virtual day-care center in their own home in just about 5 months. Emily had been thrilled at the news of triplets.

"That doesn’t apply when you just scarfed down 3 cheese on a sticks from the lemonade place, and the father of your children is going on trial for murder in 4 hours," Elizabeth sighed.

Emily slung her arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders. "Hey, he’s gonna –

"I know, I know," Elizabeth interrupted. Knowing it was true, but a little tired of hearing it at this point. It was amazing how quickly politeness could wear thin, even when it came from people who meant you only well. "He’s going to get –

At her sudden speechlessness, Emily pulled away. Following Elizabeth’s gaze down to her stomach.

"Elizabeth?…What is it? Is something wrong?"

She shook her head after a moment. Both of her hands placed firmly against her abdomen. "I just…" she shrugged then. "Nothing. It was just this fluttering thing…indigestion from all that cheese I’m sure…It’s nothing."

One brow rose on Emily’s forehead. "You’re sure?…Elizabeth?"

Nodding quickly, Elizabeth turned towards the fitting room. Pushing the curtain to the side. "Yeah, I’m fine…I think I’m gonna buy this one…

"It’s professional looking right?," she continued then. Her nerves were simply shot. She suddenly wanted to cry at the thought that maybe that had been a ‘kick.’ The books said that the first few felt like mere flutters…almost like indigestion.

Of course the lump that clogged her throat was brought on by the thought that Lucky might not be around to feel the real kick. Just like he wasn’t around now, because of Alex.

Alex, Alex, Alex…the name rolled around in her head like a sickening mantra. She swallowed hard and called to Emily through the curtain. Trying to infuse lightness into her voice even when she didn’t feel it.

"And it looks conservative, right?…I mean, it doesn’t scream ‘I’m the slutty adulteress widow of the deceased and the knocked up girlfriend of the accused’?"

Emily shook her head as Elizabeth emerged once more. The suit draped across her arm for purchase.

"Nope. It says ‘I’m the perfectly sensible knocked up girlfriend of the accused, and will perform conjugal duties if necessary’."

The only smile she’d seen all day erupted on Elizabeth’s face. The smile quickly turned into a chuckle.

"Oh it’s definitely a keeper then."

~~~~~~~

Alexis sighed and replayed the conversation in her mind. Finally something had gone her way. Something had finally broke in this case.

Or more like Frank Judd had broken.

After a little wrangling, she’d managed to get an interview with the Hart employee. A list of people had simply been lying around the police department for anyone to see, and what kind of lawyer would she have been if she hadn’t snuck a peak.

Thankfully her bout of sneakiness had paid off.

Frank had been Alexander Hart’s right hand man when it came to domestic concerns. He was the butler, sometimes acted as chauffeur…just the all around go-to guy, but for some reason Alex had told him to go home that day.

Apparently he’d given most of his employees the afternoon off, but Frank had come back. Having left some trinket for his girlfriend behind in his locker. When he’d arrived back at the mansion he hadn’t found a body, but he’d definitely heard one…actually two of them.

One, Alexander Hart and the other a woman…namely Elizabeth Har – or Webber. Which Alexis knew she was back to calling herself, from the divorce case that was now null and void.

Alexis inhaled through her nose. She didn’t like the way things were going anymore than Lucky and Elizabeth would…but the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place now, and it was her job to put that puzzle together.

Whether they liked it or not.

God willing, Frank would be put on the stand today and the prosecution’s case would be blown out of the water before it ever truly began. Lucky was paying her to get him out of the hot seat and that’s exactly what she was about to do.

Regardless of whose ass burned instead.

~~~~~~~

He’d been a pretty big drinker for most of their marriage. Or at least that’s what Elizabeth had mentioned once or twice. That he was a ‘closet-drinker.’ Meaning, that at social functions and such he’d have a classy glass of wine, but behind closed doors he went primarily for the hard stuff.

Lucky tried now, as he sat down in Alex’s chair behind his desk, to recall all the little tidbits that Elizabeth had let slip about Alex from time to time. All the things, Lucky had admittedly not paid full attention to came back in little bursts of her melodic voice.

All the things that had hurt him to hear, could possibly be his saving grace now.

There were things about his yelling. Things about his crude comments. Things about his drinking. All of it made Lucky’s fingers curl into the hard desk in front of him now.

Luke licked his lips. Thankful that his son still wore gloves, or his fingernails would have been engraved in the wood by now. He quickly turned back to his perusal of the mini-bar to the side of the desk.

It looked much like his own at the club. He tried not to let the similarity scare him too much.

"A connoisseur of the hard stuff huh?" Luke surmised. Sniffing the decanter of Bourbon once. He brought it back to his nose a second later though as his brow creased. It didn't smell right.

"Yeah, especially towards the end I guess," Lucky sighed. Not really paying attention to his father. His thoughts were lost in trying to figure out what Alex had possibly done in this room. Maybe just a few minutes before his last bow. "Couldn't stand the thought of Elizabeth not being around for him to push around anymore…Couldn't stand the thought of being the only one to listen to himself rant and rave like lunatic.

"I can just imagine him sitting here drowning his sorrows in a bottle of Bourbon," Lucky paused. "I hope he didn’t drink enough to numb the pain when it came time."

Luke was still too immersed in the putrid smell of the liquor to turn around. It was an expensive brand, the still labeled bottle next to the decanter told him that. It shouldn’t have reeked like this. "Maybe the liquor WAS the pain."

Lucky swiveled the chair. Glancing at his father's back. "Oh please. What are you gonna tell me?…Alex was some sad drunk to feel sorry for?…Sorry I think my sympathy supply has run dry."

"No son," Luke said shaking his head. "A sad drunk would have been in here alone…I don’t think our boy Alex was."

Standing up, Lucky walked towards his father then. "What are you talking about."

He didn’t say a word. Luke simply lifted the decanter just under Lucky’s nose. Letting the aroma speak for itself. The grimace that laced his son’s brow told him, he smelled it too.

"Why do I get the feeling that you’re about to tell me that Bourbon doesn’t go bad."

"Well it CAN go bad," Luke said shaking his head after a moment. "But not this stuff," he said then, glancing at the label of the bottle from which it came. "This is the good stuff Cowboy. Expensive stuff…I can’t even afford it for the club. It wouldn’t go bad this quickly. Especially since the bottle it came from is still half full, the label isn’t worn…this is new stuff……and leave it to the cops to miss something like this. They probably confiscated the glasses it was poured in, and called it a day….dumb bastards.

Luke continued on as Lucky lifted the bottle. "No, son even if you left it in an open decanter, it’d take maybe a month or so to start polluting the air like this."

Lucky unscrewed the cap on the bottle and sniffed at that too. The liquor smelled fresh as liquor was capable of smelling. Yet it’s counterpart in the crystal decanter next to it smelled like dying flesh.

Probably a little like Alex had smelled.

Lucky placed the bottle down and paced towards the window. Looking out towards the garden that had often provided Elizabeth the only solace she found in this house. The place where he’d kissed her again. Asked her to leave this place and be with him again.

So many memories of beauty were tinged with the warm smell of blood that had stained this house just a couple of weeks ago.

"Asphyxiation," Lucky whispered then absently. Luke nodded from behind as he continued. "Signs of strangulation, but no bruises…a swollen trachea."

He said it as he rubbed his own neck.

His father’s voice added to his own thoughts. "You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’ Cowboy?"

"If you’re thinking somebody slipped a little something into Alex’s fine grade of Bourbon, I am."

Luke grinned a bit. "Far more poetic that bullets that’s for sure……So maybe good ol’ Alex had a drink with somebody who wanted to do him in before he was ever shot to Hell?

"The question is, who?" Luke continued. Turning around in the office. He let his eyes travel from surface to surface as if the answer would be written somewhere. "One of the servants maybe? Before he sent them all packin’?"

Lucky shook his head. "No, I don’t think so. Alex didn’t trust anybody…especially during his last few days. He knew Elizabeth was pregnant…knew she was never coming back…knew he’d have to kill me to ever get to her again…I can’t imagine him sitting down over his favorite bottle of Bourbon with some servant…"

Luke sat down and listened as Lucky thought out loud. Rick had been close to him once upon a time. Of course lately he hadn’t been. He’d been afraid of Alex. But if the scenario he’d thought of just the other night panned out then it was possible that he’d come over while Alex was sitting alone in his dark office. Slipped something into his drink…

No, damn it he wasn’t smart enough for something that underhanded or savvy enough. Though he’d had to learn something from his former employer Helena.

Lucky sighed. The only other person that had been close to Alex was Leopold. His right hand man in all things despicable……Leopold.

Leopold who hadn’t been seen in weeks. Leopold who he should have put his finger on much sooner. Leopold…Yes, Alex would have let him in, right?

Just as Lucky was about to scratch his head, his cell phone rang. Lifting it from his jacket pocket he quickly answered. It was his contact from the lab that he’d taken the note to, to be analyzed. They’d lifted the prints digitally and compared them with prints that had been left in the cabin in which Lucky had housed Rick in for those few weeks. Lucky licked his lips in anticipation and locked eyes with his father from across the room.

The lab techie spoke quickly…and when he was done, Lucky took a deep breath. Depositing the phone back into his pocket.

"The prints aren’t Rick’s."

Luke’s brow worked its way into a tizzy. "So who the Hell –

Lucky shook his head. "It’s gotta be Leopold. He’s the only other person who could be caught up in this mess. Neither one of them have been seen in weeks…so either Rick has flown the coup for good or he and Leopold pulled this thing off together.

"Either way neither one of them will get away with it."

~~~~~~~

Alexis flashed Nikolas a quick smile as he made his way into the office. She slipped into her jacket and spoke quickly as she looked for her lucky pair of pumps. They’d been discarded somewhere among the heap in the closet, she was certain.

"Hi Nikolas…I’m just about due in court - but then again you know that - so I’m assuming this isn’t a social call to your favorite aunt?"

Nikolas sighed and shook his head. "I wish it were, but yes…I just – I was just wondering what to expect this afternoon Alexis. I mean is my brother –

"You’re brother will be in and out of court in an hour and a half if I have anything to say about it."

Confused, Nikolas moved closer to her desk as she hurried around the room. Gathering files and her briefcase. "What do you mean? Did – did he find – I mean did you find something?"

Alexis’ brows jumped. "That’s ok Nikolas. I’m well aware that Lucky is conducting his own investigation. As guilty and noble as he is, I suppose he’s still trying to pass the murder off on someone," she deadpanned. She smiled a second later to ease the stress lines on her nephew’s face. "Don’t worry about it. I know as well as you do that your brother didn’t kill Alex……Now, I have some fairly decent proof of that…at least enough to place doubt in the minds of a jury."

With that on the table, Nikolas was unconcerned with his slip-up. "What are you talking about? Someone came forward? Someone confessed?"

"No, nothing that miraculous I’m afraid…but I do have someone who was at the scene of the crime. Someone who says that Lucky Spencer was not there…but someone else was."

Nikolas’ eyes widened. "Who? Who did he see?"

Alexis stopped in her tracks and regarded her nephew. "Nikolas I can’t get into that with you. I shouldn’t have even mentioned what I just did….Needless to say, your brother might not be happy with where things have gone…but at least he’ll be off the hook," she sighed. Taking a minute herself.

He’d hate it. He’d absolutely hate it…and a big part of her hated it as well. But what the Hell else was she supposed to do? She hadn’t been completely ‘flip’ when she’d called a full confession, a miracle. It would be. And short of a miracle, this was the best she could offer Lucky right now.

Even if he hated it. Despised it. Even if he hated HER for it…She had to think that one day he’d thank her. That she’d do everything she could to keep Elizabeth out of jail too, and they’d both thank her one of these days.

Nikolas let her words ruminate in his head for a moment, before guessing. "Luke?"

"I can’t tell you Nikolas. You’ll find out this afternoon with everyone else," Alexis answered simply. Finally locating her shoes.

His eyes grew wider as she slipped them on. "Oh no…Alexis…no. You can’t do this."

Alexis turned towards him suddenly and sighed. "I can’t do WHAT exactly Nikolas? Get your brother off? Make sure he doesn’t spend the next 20 years…or MORE, in prison? What else would you have me do?"

Nikolas shook his head. "I – I don’t know, but you can’t do THIS."

"You don’t even know what THIS is," Alex sighed again. Lifting her briefcase once more. She didn’t have time for this. She didn’t have time to be distracted, or dissuaded.

Blocking her path to the door, Nikolas shook his head once more. "Alexis, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to GUESS. You basically said, ‘no,’ to Luke…and I know it’s not my mother. The only other person that Lucky would hate you going after is Elizabeth…

When she looked down at her lucky shoes, Nikolas continued.

"Alexis you can’t do this. You can’t."

"What other choice do I have Nikolas? You give me one and I’ll run with it."

"Just wait," Nikolas said then. Nearly pleading with her. "Something will come up. I’m sure somebody will confess and –

"Nikolas it’s NOT your uncle. He didn’t do it. Stephan is a lot of things, but I sincerely doubt he’d let a man sit in prison…a man who had 3 children on the way no less."

He shook his head at the reminder. Elizabeth had finally told Emily and of course Emily had told him that they were expecting not just one child…but three. He had three nieces or nephews on the way and all of them stood the chance of losing their father…or their mother, as the case stood now.

"Alexis, he’ll run."

She groaned.

"I’m not joking. He won’t hesitate, Aunt Alexis. He’s got more reason to run now than he ever did. He’ll run and he’ll take her with him…I’m just telling you what I know."

Alexis once again lifted her briefcase. "Well…then…then that’s the chance I’ll have to take."

Nikolas stood in her office for a moment as she left. Whispering into the darkness when she shut off the light.

She might have been willing to take the chance, but he wasn’t.

~~~~~~~

He’d promised the boy, right here in this very house that he’d leave them alone. That he’d stay out of their affairs. He’d already broken that promise a time or two. The afternoon at the hospital. The afternoon his son, the boy that he’d raised, had died in a pool of his own blood.

If he could break the promise then, he could break the promise now. It was right – it was justice.

Now that he’d taken care of business, he could make this last intrusion upon their lives. Certainly it was for the better. Certainly it would make things right…wouldn’t it?

The trial started today, and he’d already waited too long to speak up. To stake his claim on a crime that was his, but there’d been matters to attend to first. T’s to cross. I’s to dot…but everything was done now…he hoped.

He was alone now, and able to care for things with much more focus. He’d go back to Port Charles now and finished what he’d started.

If all went as hoped, the things they would never need to know - they wouldn’t. And the secret that would help them live the life they’d always dreamed of was about to be revealed.

Leopold stood up from his couch and walked towards the picture of his wife that he kept above the small mantle. It was a modest villa that they’d built together in this beautiful place. A modest place that had seen terrible times. A modest place for a man that lived a life disguised as such.

Looking at him, no one would ever guess the things he’d done. The sins he’d committed.

He was an old man that looked very much like a kindly old grandfather, and when he painted on an even thicker Italian accent he seemed even more harmless. Prison would be kind to him and quite an appropriate place for a man of his ‘disguised modesty’ to live out the rest of his years.

Leopold knew he wouldn’t need it, but he picked up his suitcase none the less as he walked towards the front door of his house. He had a plane to catch in the next hour.

Justice was to be served in Port Charles.

~~~~~~~

Lucky tugged at his tie and settled down on the bench just outside of the courtroom. He reached into his pocket to let his fingers roam over the delicate gold ring that he’d found in the studio back at the mansion. He couldn’t wait to place it back on her finger, where it belonged. Of course thinking of her fingers now, he realized he’d have to get it sized…but the idea only made him smile a bit.

It would help having her ring with him, when she wasn’t.

Luke had just called, and yet another search of the countryside had produced no sign of Rick. The man had virtually disappeared, and he could only guess how he’d accomplished that…with the help of a certain old Italian.

As soon as this asinine process was concluded for today, Lucky would book a flight for Italy. The thought of going back to Florence, wrecked havoc on his stomach but it needed to be done.

The old bastard had stood by for years while Alex tortured Elizabeth, and now…now he either harbored a murderer or WAS one himself.

Lucky’s knuckles had gone white as he gripped the armrest of the bench. They’d taken a recess during the first half of his testimony and he had a feeling it was simply so Alexis could regroup. He’d stone-walled her at so many turns that she had to find a mode of attack.

His one lawyer…attacking him. It made him grin almost as he scratched his head. He had to hold his ground though. Until he had Leopold or Rick in front of him, he couldn’t allow people to suspect anyone but him.

He had his story straight of course. The entire thing down pat. He had answers to questions that he knew the prosecutor would ask.

Lucky placed his head in his hands and recalled the events from last night. Coming home to find Elizabeth trembling in the closet. Finding that stupid apology written on a scrap of paper and shoved beneath the front door.

What kind of man shoved an apology under the door?

Men like Rick or Leopold with horrible misdeeds on their consciences.

The whole thing made Lucky want to gag.

The clicking of heals made Lucky look up, and his face shown with disappointment at the sight of Alexis. He quickly reminded himself that HE’D been the one to tell Elizabeth to stay away.

He hadn’t wanted her anywhere near this. Her sitting in the courtroom would only be more for the jury to think about. It would distract him, and cause even more undo stress for her. He didn’t want or need any of that.

"Always happy to see you too Lucky," Alexis quipped. Holding her briefcase in front of her. She took a deep breath. Her witness had finally decided to show up. He waited now in the lounge behind the court.

She thought about telling Lucky, but thought better of it.

Lucky stood. "Sorry about that…are we ready to get started again? Is the prosecution going next or are you putting me back on the stand?"

Alexis opened her mouth, and then closed it when Nikolas came up from behind her, she smiled awkwardly. "We’ll start back up in just a couple of minutes…the bailiff will call you when the judge arrives."

Lucky nodded silently as Alexis moved past him and into the courtroom. He glanced at Nikolas and shook his head. "Hey man…thanks for coming."

Nikolas nodded hurriedly. "Of course…….Is - is Elizabeth coming? I know she and Emily decided to go on some shopping trip today, but -

"No," Lucky answered swiftly. "I asked her not to come…My parents are in their waiting…but, I just didn’t think she should be here…I didn’t want anything stressing her out, you know?"

Once again, Nikolas nodded. Yet, what he was about to tell her would stress HIM out.

Lucky licked his lips and scratched the back of his head. "I'm actually starting to wish I'd told her to at least meet me here during the recess or something though…" His voice trailed away. His brother didn’t need to know what an amazing sap he’d turned into.

Well, that was probably no secret. He’d always been a sap when it came to Elizabeth, but lately it’d gotten even worse than before. Being away from her for more than a couple of hours was a little more than he could handle.

Biting the inside of his lip, Nikolas began awkwardly. "Well you might…you might be glad that you asked her to stay away."

Lucky’s brow furrowed. "What’s that mean?"

Taking a deep breath, Nikolas plowed ahead. His voice in a hushed and quick whisper. "Listen to me Lucky. My aunt found someone. I don’t know who it is, but whoever it is says that they heard two -

"Excuse me Mr. Spencer you’re required in the courtroom now."

The interruption of the bailiff at Lucky’s side, caused Nikolas to curse beneath his breath as his brother turned to follow. He made his way behind the desk in which Alexis sat.

Lucky turned to make eye contact with Nikolas, trying to read what he’d been about to say but it had already gotten too distracting in the courtroom to fully concentrate on what Nikolas was trying to say.

Add to that that his mother was busy dabbing at tears just next to him, and it was impossible.

Lucky turned back towards the bench as the judge took her seat. The bailiff announced her and the proceedings began once again.

Alexis once again reiterated some of the things she’d told the jury about her client before. Making certain to ‘talk-up’ the sins of the deceased and a wonderful list of good deeds for the accused. She’d made Lucky look like the model citizen before he ever took the stand. A model citizen that had gone to Alex’s home to confront the man about hurtful, painful, issues.

Issues that Lucky was sure he’d have to recount now as she prepared to call him back up to the stand. He shut his eyes as he thought about having to do that, and vowed silently that it was better him than Elizabeth. He hadn’t lived through it then…but he’d willingly do it now.

But his eyes popped open a second later. As Alexis’ spiel took a turn he hadn’t expected. The turn, he guessed now, that Nikolas had been trying to warn him about.

"Before we continue with Mr. Spencer," Alexis said. Moving in front of the jury box like an expert sizing up her opponent. Finding out exactly what made them tick. "Before all that, I’d like to introduce someone to you that may shed a completely new light on this crime. It may seem a bit unorthodox and may even make my client seem a little less than truthful about everything that occurred that horrible afternoon…but I suggest to you that you listen and make the decision for yourself about what happened to Alexander Hart. Let the facts speak for themselves, and make your own decisions based on those. Let no one…not myself or the prosecution," she paused, turning towards the attorney at the opposite table. "Make such important decisions for you.

"You’re honor," she said then, turning away from the jury. "As I said, I know this is highly unorthodox but I’d like to call my second witness to the stand."

The prosecutor, Earl Watson stood with mouth agape. "Your honor, I object. The prosecution was only made known of ONE witness. That is Mr. Spencer himself…if there are any others, I would suggest that Ms. Davis go through the proper channels and give the prosecution time to prepare."

Alexis glanced at him and then back to the judge. "You’re honor I beg the courts pardon, but this witness was found on very short notice, and he holds the power to completely alter what’s happening here. I think my client deserves to be defended in the best way possible, and the people deserve to hear the complete truth. I fear that waiting to call my witness may cause confusion in the long run…I’m only trying to help the flow of justice."

The judge rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "I’ll allow it, but I expect all other witnesses to be presented to court FIRST, for now on Ms. Davis."

"Of course your honor," Alexis nodded and looked down. Quickly moving back to the desk. She lifted her file and Lucky hissed up at her.

"What are you doing?"

Without answering, she looked back up at the judge. "Your honor, I’d like to call Frank Judd to the stand please."

Eyes wide, Lucky watched as a bailiff lead Frank - a man who he recognized solely from the few times he’d seen him at the Hart Mansion – through the door at the back of the courtroom.

"What the Hell…"

Whirling around, he and Nikolas locked eyes once more. Nikolas shook his head as if in apology for his aunt. He’d thought that maybe she’d reconsidered, when Frank hadn’t shown up during the first half…but he’d obviously been wrong.

Lucky watched with wide eyes and Frank walked past the jury and lifted himself onto the bench after being sworn in. He settled awkwardly upon the chair and fiddled nervously with the mic.

His entire face was green and he looked as if he’d be sick any moment. Lucky hoped that he would be. He shot another gaze of menace up at Alexis before she removed her glasses and walked towards the stand.

"Mr. Judd tell the jury what your occupation is."

Frank swallowed nervously and cleared his throat. "I’m – I’m a…Well, I was…a butler over at the Hart Mansion up - up until a couple of weeks ago."

Alexis smiled. Trying to put the man at ease. "And how long exactly were you in the employment of Mr. Hart?"

"Just about 4 years."

Alexis nodded and turned towards the jury. "So you probably knew Mr. Hart pretty well then correct? Or at least as well as an employee CAN know his employer on a professional level."

Earl Watson shot up from his desk. "Excuse me your honor, but what exactly does this have to do with the death of Mr. Hart?"

The judge glanced at Alexis as if to ask the same question.

"I'm getting to that your honor…in just a few moments."

"Quickly," the judge instructed.

"Thank you…Mr. Judd will you please answer the question as I asked."

Frank nodded quickly. Anxious to get away from here. Sweat trickled down his spine at the way that Lucky glared at him from across the room. He looked just about ready to kill him. He had a feeling they’d be discussing his own death in this very room by next week.

If he lived to make it off the stand in the first place. The guy looked ready to attack, right now.

"Y - yes, I guess I did. I mean we weren’t friends or anything, but…yeah - I knew him pretty well."

Alexis nodded. "But you were pretty good friends with his wife were you not? Elizabeth Hart?"

Lucky bit into his tongue so hard that he tasted blood. What the fuck was she doing?

Frank swallowed hard once more. "I - yes…she’s a nice lady. I always liked her…she was always very friendly to me…To - to all of us I mean…and got us the Christmas bonus and…days off and such…She – she’s really nice."

‘Really nice,’ Lucky thought sarcastically. ‘That’s why you’re selling her down the river, right Asshole?’

Alexis smiled politely and nodded. "Oh, you know it’s interesting that you should mention getting days off…because she wasn’t there that morning that Mr. Hart gave you the day off was she?"

Frank cleared his dry throat. "No, no she wasn’t…it was - it was rumored that she and Mr. Hart were divorcing. She’d already moved out of the mansion."

Nodding, Alexis stepped closer to the stand. "Did you find it interesting then that you heard her voice - later that day when you returned to pick something up from the mansion?"

Lucky’s head began to shake just as Earl Watson rose from his chair. He was this close to standing up, when the prosecutor did instead. The man who wanted to put him behind bars was suddenly his best friend.

"You’re honor, what is the meaning of this? Mr. Spencer has already pled guilty to this crime. If Ms. Davis wants to pass the blame off on someone else, she should have advised her client to plead not-guilty in the first place."

Alexis smiled. "Interesting that you suggest that…Maybe I’ll do that very thing," she quickly returned to her line of questioning.

Lucky’s blood pressure shot through the roof. He threw invisible daggers at Frank.

He saw them, he knew he did. The guy started to shake a bit more violently as Alexis went on.

"You returned that afternoon to pick up some belongings that you’d forgotten. What did you hear at approximately 2:45 pm that afternoon? Did you hear my client, Mr. Spencer?"

Frank avoided Lucky’s gaze now. Trying to forge ahead even as sweat beads collected on his brow. Threatening to drop into his eyes.

"N - no…I didn’t."

Alexis forced her eyebrows up in mock surprise. "Well then who did you hear?"

Frank stammered badly. "I – I heard - I heard Mrs. Hart…Elizabeth."

Alexis fained shock as she glanced at the jury. "Wait…you heard Mrs. Hart? Who was she talking to?"

"Mr - Mr. Hart. They were…they were quarrelling - fighting."

Alexis moved forward, and spelled things out for the jury. "So let me get this straight…You heard Mrs. Hart FIGHTING with the deceased at 2:45 p.m.?…Ladies and gentlemen let me remind you of what the prosecution said earlier…they put the time of death for Mr. Hart at approximately 3 p.m."

Lucky shut his eyes and inhaled through his nose as Alexis continued. He wanted to jump over the table and choke the living daylights out of both Alexis and Frank.

He had to stay in his seat. He had to. If he wanted this jury to think he’d killed Alex, he had to stay cool. Stay detached. He reached quietly in his pocket to touch the small, gold ring, trying to calm himself.

Thankful at least that Elizabeth had decided to listen to him this one time and stay away from the courthouse. He couldn’t bear it if she heard all this.

"Mr. Judd where exactly were you in relation to Mr. and Mrs. Hart? Were you very near? Did either of them you?"

Frank shook his head. "No, no they didn’t see me I don’t think…I was in the next room - the parlor…the voices were coming from the kitchen just next door…I wanted to go in, but…I wanted to save her -

Alexis nodded as Mr. Watson stood up once more. "I object your honor. The witness can not possibly say for sure that the voice he heard belonged to Mrs. Hart or even Mr. Hart for that matter if he never SAW them."

Alexis sighed. "Mr. Judd has worked for these two people for the last four years. I’d say he’s highly qualified to pick their voices out of a line-up," she added sarcastically. "But if the prosecution needs more proof I’ll provide it."

The judge nodded. "Sustained."

"You said they were fighting," Alexis began again as she took a deep breath.

She could literally feel Lucky’s eyes boring holes into the back of her neck. He would never, ever forgive her for this. Any hopes she had of him understanding it at some point, she knew would be gone once she asked this question.

"Can you tell the court what was being said, Mr. Judd?"

Frank shut his eyes, and Lucky chewed at his lips to keep himself quiet. ‘Yeah you think about that you asshole. You think about it and you hear her scream. How long exactly did you listen before you ran away?’

The thought shot through Lucky like a bullet.

He whispered the result of the thought under his breath. "Fuck."

He’d stood there and listened as Elizabeth screamed…he’d wanted to save her, but he was afraid…he was afraid….he looked – ‘sorry.’

It wasn’t Leopold or Rick that was sorry…it was Frank.

Frank was sorry.

Frank shook his head and his eyes filled with tears as he continued. "I just…she just kept screaming ‘no,’…No, no, no, no…" he explained. His voice quivered. His downward gazed allowed him to miss Elizabeth’s entrance through the front of the courtroom.

But Lucky didn’t. He turned in his seat at the soft sound of the door opening. She’d opened it quietly as not to disturb the proceedings. When the proceedings were about to disturb her entire life. Rock their entire world.

When she heard Frank’s words she stopped in her tracks in the center of the double doors and Lucky recalled the day so many years ago when she’d lost it in that very spot. He felt Alexis turn towards him from the witness stand and Lucky mouthed the words: shut him up…

Not heeding the warning, she continued. Turning her back to Lucky and gazing at the witness. "Is that all she said Mr. Judd? Was there anything else?"

This time, Frank did look up and his eyes nearly overflowed when they connected with Elizabeth’s from across the room. They were full of tears…just like his own.

Stepping forward, Alexis was forced to ask the question again. "Was there anything else said between Mr. and Mrs. Hart, Frank?"

"I – I was leaving…I was trying to get out as quickly as I could, so I could be wrong. I could have heard wrong –

"Please Mr. Judd just answer the question."

"She – she said no…she said no, and then she screamed for him not to hurt them –

"Not to hurt who?" Alexis asked. As if she didn’t already know.

Frank shook his head and tried to send a visual apology to Elizabeth, she only swallowed and turned to Lucky as he glanced at her from behind. Laura grabbed for her from her aisle seat, but Elizabeth wouldn’t budge. She seemed rooted to the floor.

"I don’t know," Frank sighed. Though he did know. There’d been rumors all around the mansion that she was pregnant with another man’s baby. And looking at her right now, it was obvious that the rumors had been nothing but factual. "She just said don’t hurt them."

"That’s it?"

"You’re honor," Watson interrupted once more. "Ms. Davis seems to be forcing words into the witnesses mouth here."

Alexis shook her head nonchalantly. "I’ve done no such thing. Mr. Judd knows exactly what he told me this morning in my office. I’d just like him to reiterate that for the court now.

"What did she say AFTER that, Mr. Judd?" She finished.

Frank shut his eyes. Lucky and Elizabeth both took a long steadying breath.

"She – she said that if he hurt them this time…that this time, she’d – she’d kill him."

In a split-second Lucky was out of his seat. The bailiff jumped over the small partition before he was able to get to Frank. But he couldn’t stop Lucky’s mouth.

"You bastard! You don’t know what the Hell you’re talking about. She didn’t kill anybody!…You want to find a killer?!" Lucky shouted then. Malay quickly ensued in the courtroom as Alexis tried to calm him down. He wasn’t listening to her. He wasn’t listening to anyone. "You wanna catch a killer, why don’t you check out why he really went back to the mansion that day!…Gather belongings my ass – he went there to see his boss and he poisoned him while he was there! Isn’t that right Frank?!"

Frank shook his head as his mouth dropped open and Elizabeth quickly moved from the door and towards Lucky. Shaking Luke and Laura off when they tried to detain her. She rushed to his side only to be blocked by another bailiff.

Lucky roared at him to get the Hell away from her as Elizabeth mouthed to him that it was ‘ok,’ through tears.

Alexis moved into the center of the room, pleading with the judge. "Your honor, in light of new evidence, I move that the case against my client be dismissed."

The prosecutor threw up his hands amidst the chaos. "Your honor, please –

A crack of the gavel cut into his words and the rumble that swept through the courtroom. "I call an hour recess. In which time I expect all parties to collect themselves and show a bit of decorum…Ms. Davis and Mr. Watson I’d like to see you both in my office……Mr. Spencer if you can’t control yourself I will see that you spend the remainder of the trial behind bars, is that clear?"

Biting down on his lip until he tasted metallic, Lucky nodded quickly. He watched silently as Frank moved off of the stand and passed him. A crowd of people quickly mobbed him.

Elizabeth was let go and quickly came to clutch at Lucky’s arm from behind. He turned towards her. Not saying a word as he reached out to hold her to him. He watched over her shoulder as Frank walked out of the courtroom.