CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO Stormclouds It had been a stormy night and the last remnants of the windstorm tossed the waters into grey and white tossed waves. Funny, returning to Port Charles after a few days away, it almost felt like coming home. Why was that, Eliana mused to herself as she gazed out over the waters. Was it the fact, that for the first time in a very long time, she had a sense of family, of belonging now? Those thoughts drifted away, replaced by less pleasant ones. Try as she might, the bad thoughts were back in force. She stood at the edge of the dock alone, staring out over the water. The brisk and cold air did very little to help her, although she had been hoping it could. The nightmares had come back again. And last night, Jason hadn't been there when she'd woken up, heart pounding and trembling. In the morning, she was able to shake loose from the dreams that still came, but thankfully with less and less frequency as the time had passed. The first half of the day had gone pleasantly enough at Deception. But after a working lunch, she'd decided that she'd better take a break. The doctors had told her to take it easy and not to push herself too far or too fast. Eliana had sense enough to heed their warnings. Some fresh air and a brisk walk along the docks might be just what she needed before she had to deal with the afternoon round of meetings and conferences. She'd asked Sonny's guard to wait for her at the car. With Sorel made an example of, both Sonny and Jason had agreed with her that she really didn't have anything more to worry about. But having learned how protective Sonny was about his family, Eliana had compromised and agreed to keep one of his men as a driver, at least for a little while longer. Her thoughts went back to Jason. Of course, she knew what he did for Sonny was dangerous and she didn't want to worry him, so when he'd finally come home a few hours later, in the last hours of the night, she hadn't told him what had really awakened her, but instead told him that missing him next to her was what had her up. Why had she lied? She asked herself for the umpteenth time. She still had no answer. Either Carly or Alexis, as little as they might agree on anything else, might have been able to tell her that she was more like her brother than she knew. Her pride and determination to stand on her own and deal with her own weakness on her own terms was almost a match for Sonny's. Her fire had been banked for a little while, but not totally quenched. And it was beginning to burn a little bit brighter again, a little more every day. Lost in her own thoughts, she hadn't noticed the man watching her from the staircase. AJ had gone on a walk to clear his head too. He hadn't planned on seeing anyone down here on this chilly, blustery day. In fact, he hadn't even recognized the figure staring out over the water for a minute. But when he did, briefly, he wondered if talking to her would get him anywhere with his plans to get back at Carly, Sonny, and Jason. He remembered seeing her at the mansion with Jason. Damn, he couldn't remember what his grandmother had been saying to her before he'd come in. If only he hadn't had those last few gin and tonics before lunch that day… But maybe he could remedy that. He probably hadn't made a great impression on her that day. But maybe with a heartfelt apology and a little conversation, he could make something out of this. Before he could make a move towards her, he saw someone else coming from the opposite direction, heading straight for her. AJ swore softly to himself. Taggert. As usual, the long arm of the law always showed up when you least wanted them, and never when you did. His first instinct was to disappear, but then something told him to stay. This could get…interesting…. *** "Ms. Salazar…" Eliana's head snapped around, her thoughts abruptly torn from her reverie. Her dark gaze met the deep brown ones of Detective Taggert. "Detective.." she said, more than a hint of exasperation in her voice. She was so not in the mood for him. "Down here all alone, Ms. Salazar? Or were you perhaps waiting to meet someone?" Taggert said, very conversationally. "I came down here to be alone." Eliana replied very pointedly. "I'm not in the habit of meeting my clients down by the docks." "I was referring to Mr. Corinthos." He nodded his head towards the warehouse where Sonny conducted most of his business. "It would be nothing more easier for him to take a short stroll down to the docks to meet with you, away from all the prying eyes, you know what I mean?" his tone left no doubt to exactly what he meant. "I know that the word, what little word there is, says that it was Sorel that was the one that got to you, but I still don't know if that's the truth." Taggert continued. "Sonny is a very powerful man. Plenty of people before you have said how high when he says jump." He leaned forward and lowered his voice suggestively. "How high have you jumped, Ms. Salazar?" Eliana didn't move, although the proximity of his body had produced a very real physical reaction. She was glad her hands were in her pockets; she clenched them to still their trembling. "I don't jump for anybody, Detective. Not for Sonny, and not for you." "What do you do for Sonny?" Taggert asked. "I've been trying to figure that one out since the night he carried you into the emergency room at GH." He ignored Eliana's stiffening at his implications and continued. "Sonny Corinthos doesn't do anything that doesn't benefit Sonny Corinthos. So the question becomes: how do you benefit Sonny? The first answer is the obvious one, they always say. And Sonny was very concerned and protective that night. But you couldn't have known that, being in the state you were in." He paused suggestively. "Are you sure that Sonny had nothing to do with that? Don't think we can't protect you from him. We can. All you have to do is tell the truth." "The truth is that Sonny had nothing to do with what happened to me that night." Eliana said. Her throat was tight with rage. "I've given my statement to the police and I don't have to talk to you. As far as I'm concerned, the case is closed." "Consider this a follow up. We can do it here, all informally, or we can do it downtown." Taggert said. "Myself, I'm all for the informal approach. And by the way, the case is closed when I declare it's closed." "What do you want from me, Lieutenant?" Eliana said. She wanted him gone. Out of her face. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? "Just the truth, Ms. Salazar. The truth is that you are, or were Sonny Corinthos' mistress. That somehow, you got involved in something too deep for you to get out of. Things got out of hand, and you got hurt. All I want to know is who did it?" "I already told you that it wasn't Sonny!" Eliana glared at him. 'What is it? Is Sonny not allowed to have heart, not allowed to do good? He found me, he brought me to the hospital. He did what any other upright, upstanding citizen would do, but that's just not good enough for you, is it!" "If he didn't do it, then who did?" Taggert asked. Her outburst didn't seem to have touched him at all. "And I do find it interesting how strongly you defend Corinthos. You too must be very close." He'd twist anything she would say, Eliana realized. Physically, despite her best efforts not to, her body shivered as those dark memories stirred within her, awakened once again by his words. Eliana swallowed and faced Taggert squarely, willing herself to show nothing of what she was feeling. She knew that if he had a hint of her emotions that he would pick and pick at her until she shattered like cracked glass. She didn't want to think about that anymore. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? She asked him that and added, "Why would you want to bring those memories back for me. Do you get off on it? Causing people pain?" "Being around Corinthos has warped your thinking," he replied. "I want to help stop the pain. That's my job." "If I remember right, you doing your job sent me into hysterics." The last thing she needed was to be reminded of that; the nightmares of last night were still too close to the surface today. Her emotions were still too raw. But her body remembered. Eliana's heart began to hammer in her chest and she felt light-headed all of a sudden, as though she couldn't get enough air. She inhaled sharply. That tiny gasp must have given her away, in spite of her best efforts, because Taggert was looking at her discerningly. He leaned in close again. "Sorel may be locked up, but how about memories? You can't really lock those away, can you?" No she couldn't. And all of a sudden, it was a fight to keep them bottled up inside. One hand reached out blindly for the railing. Eliana closed her eyes, but there was no refuge there; Sorel's face danced mockingly behind her eyelids. "Please…" the words escaped her lips before she could think. Taggert caught himself suddenly. The look on her face and then in her eyes when she opened them stopped his next words from ever leaving their lips. No woman should ever look like that, haunted and hunted. For a brief moment, he felt ashamed. He put one hand out. It looked like she might possibly collapse any minute. "Is there anything I can do…" he asked helplessly. "No!" She jerked away from him as though his touch would burn her through her coat and Taggert felt a fresh wave of shame pour over him. Her voice was a choked whisper and her eyes blazed up at him, star-bright, through a veil of unshed tears. "Just leave me alone after this!" She made a move to pass him. Taggert did put out his hand then, as gently as he could, he grasped her upper arm and swung her around to face him. "I'm sorry Ms. Salazar. I really am. But the blame for all of this lies at Sonny Corinthos' door, not mine. Don't blame me for what happened to you. Now, are you sure there isn't anything I can do for you?" "Can we get one thing straight once and for all?" She jerked free of his hold. But she didn't run. Instead she faced him, head high. "I didn't, I don't and I never will blame Sonny for what happened. You can hound me and harass and maybe I can't stop you. But if you're looking for a tool to take down Sonny, look somewhere else, because you'll never use me to do it!" The last words were practically shouted in his face. Before he could react she was moving again, nearly running up the stairs and away from the waterfront. He could go after her…no, he couldn't. Not today anyway.