Part Ten

"Hey!" Elliott dodged traffic to cross the street. "Can we talk?"

Dawn's eyes narrowed as she moved out of the way of passersby. "Sure. What's up?"

"It's personal." He jutted his chin toward a corner café. "Let's go inside."

"Okay."

After they were seated and had two glasses of water in front of them, she began her interrogation. "What's this about? I thought we cleared things up the other week. These meetings can't happen."

"This isn't about us," he said. "It's about your sister."

"What about Dara?" she asked. "Look, if this involves her client, don't. Telling me anything could get both of us fired. That's why I'm not on the case. Conflict of interest. Remember?"

"I remember and that's why this is just between you and me." He rested his forearms on the edge of the table and leaned in. His voice lowered. "Her past with Corinthos is about to come out in a big way."

"Shit," she mumbled under her breath.

"You knew about this?"

"I'm her sister. I knew," she said. "I warned her about taking his case. How bad will it be? Will it destroy her career?"

"I don't know."

She reached across the table and patted his hand. "Thanks for telling me. I won't let anyone know that you did."

Pleasure emitted from her gentle touch. It felt nice, but looking into her eyes, he knew it was over. She had already moved on. Maybe it was time for him to do the same.

"I know you won't," he said, comforted by the beginning of their friendship.

*/*

"Thank you for coming," Jack said, closing the door behind Dara. "Have a seat."

She placed her briefcase beside the table and sat on the straight back chair. The conference room, stark and cold, held an echo. A slight breeze blew through the vents. She pulled her jacket close and laced her fingers together. "I was surprised that you'd want to meet with me without my client."

"You can relay to him what we discuss…or not." He claimed the seat across from her. "I've come across new information that takes this case in another direction."

"So have I," she said. "Sonny Corinthos didn't kill his wife. Jason Morgan did. Here's the evidence. I can file a Motion to Dismiss with the court or you can drop the charges yourself."

"Jason Morgan?" Jack repeated with a frown. "Doesn't he work for Corinthos?"

"He used to, but he quit and left town." Dara passed the documents across the table to him. "Jason Morgan gave Carly Corinthos the sedatives which were used to render Mr. Corinthos unconscious for several hours. After her husband deposited a large sum of funds into her account and signed over several choice pieces of real estate to her, she had second thoughts about her plan to kill me."

"So you knew about that?" he asked quietly.

"Not until recently. I had a relationship with Mr. Corinthos. Past tense. It in no way affected my ability to defend him."

"I didn't say it had," he replied, "but on learning about your relationship, I questioned your judgment. You had to know we'd find out about it. It's only been a good stroke of luck that the media hasn't."

She shrugged. "Life is a risk. Besides, he asked me to defend him and I refused to let the past sway me. I never believed he killed his wife."

"Which leads us to Jason Morgan. Why would he kill Carly and frame Corinthos?"

"Years ago, he and the deceased were lovers. He later discovered that Carly hid a big secret from him--his child."

"Michael?" Jack asked.

"No, a child his former girlfriend bore," Dara explained. "Keesha Ward gave birth to his daughter and his brother pretended the child was his. Carly and Sonny knew. Jason didn't find out until after Keesha and the child's deaths."

"How do you know all of this?"

She pulled an envelope from her purse. "Here's Jason Morgan's written confession. He's at a cabin on the Canadian border, ready to be brought in."

"I'll need my people to bring him in," he said.

"I understand."

Jack's eyes darted across the single sheet. He released a low whistle. "This is unbelievable."

"Yeah, but not in Port Charles."

*/*

Sonny stood between the limo and the private jet. Wind tousled his hair and sunlight beamed down over him. Ah, the sweet pleasures of freedom. He never realized how good it felt.

"Come with me." He extended his hand. "We don't have to live in Port Charles. Anywhere you want is fine with me."

Dara shook her head. "Your life isn't the life I want."

"I can walk away."

"No, you can't. You've tried, but it didn't work. It's better this way."

He slipped his arms around her. The sweet fragrance of her perfume assaulted his senses. The delicious feel of her body against his awakened him, making him long for what he could not control--her.

"I'll never forget you," she said, hugging him back. "Not as long as I live. Be happy, Sonny."

Slowly, he released her. Her brown eyes shone with clarity and confidence. Two of the things he loved about her. She embodied what many of the women in his past hadn't. Grace, strength, independence and intelligence. And beauty.

He brushed his knuckle across the swell of her cheek. "That's all I've ever wanted for you, but you're right. We could never fit in each other's worlds. Walking away works, but it isn't better."

THE END