by HollyJo
**GETTING TO THE TRUTH**
Chapter 27
The loud ringing woke Mel. She slapped her alarm clock, but the ringing continued. She rolled up her fist and pounded the alarm clock, but still, the ringing continued. She growled as she reached over and jerked the wire from the electrical socket. The ringing stopped, but just as she sighed and was getting her head in a comfortable position on her pillow, the ringing began again. She growled as she looked at the dark clock with one eye, it must be possessed she swore. But then the realization that it was the phone making the noise brought her to her senses. She groaned and reached for the irritating instrument.
"Hello?" she croaked.
"Good morning Sunshine! Or should I say Good Afternoon?" The chipper voice said.
"There had better be a good reason for waking me up Beth," Mel said as she rolled over and fixed the pillow behind her head so that she was sitting comfortably in her bed.
"I called the station and Smithy told me you had been up all night, working on a case."
"So you decided to call and wake me from my much needed sleep?" Mel said crabbily.
Bethany laughed, "Actually it was Smithy's idea. He said that it was time for you the rejoin the land of the living and that he was too scared to call and wake you up. He thought that maybe you wouldn't yell at me since I'm kin. I guess he was wrong."
Mel yawned as she listened to her older sister rattle on. "Don't you have a sick person that needs attending to?"
Bethany laughed again, "As a matter of fact I do, but being the good doctor that I am, I'm keeping them waiting. Smithy wanted me to tell you that he's on his way over with the coroners report on a John Doe." When Mel didn't respond, she asked, "Mel are you awake?"
"MmmmmmHmmmm" Mel said checking her fingernails, knowing that Bethany was wanting the details on the John Doe, but refusing to give her the satisfaction.
"You are so frustrating," Bethany said, knowing that Mel was deliberately keeping her in the dark. Mel smiled at the telephone, "Okay, fine! Don't tell me." Bethany said in disgust.
"Get back to your patient," Mel said. "Let me do my job and you do yours."
Bethany sighed, "At least tell me that you'll get dressed before Smithy gets there. You know his poor heart can't take seeing you in your t-shirt and panties."
"Who said I was wearing panties?" Mel
teased.
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"Let me get this straight," Jerry said, "Ables confessed to being a part
of the robbery, but he wouldn't tell Detective Langley who the 3 men were?"
Jax rubbed his eyes tiredly. He hadn't slept all night and when he had returned home this morning, he had run into Jerry and Libby descending the staircase hand-in-hand. He had led them into his office and had told him what had happened during the night.
"If he did, she's not telling me that he did." Jax said as he yawned.
"I'm sure if she knew anything, she would tell you, Jax," Libby said. "Why don't you go get some sleep, you look all done in."
Jax nodded his agreement and stood up, "I think you're right," he said as he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed for the door.
Once he had left, Jerry turned to Libby, "Do you honestly believe she would tell him if she knew who the robbers were?"
Libby pulled her knees up into the chair and turned her body towards Jerry. He smiled as a lock of hair fell over her face. He reached over and tenderly pushed the hair back behind her ear.
She smiled at him, "Yes I do. I like her. Despite Jax's frustration with her, I think she's one of the good ones."
Jerry arched his brow at her, "You put a lot of faith in her. I hope she doesn't prove you wrong."
The doorbell rang before Libby could answer him, and she got up to answer the door. Janet got to the door first and as she opened it, Libby spotted Mel standing in the doorway. Libby grinned at her. Mel was dressed in faded blue jeans with a white t-shirt tucked in and a leather jacket. Her long chestnut hair was pulled back in her trademark braid. Mel smiled at her and Libby motioned for her to come in.
"Hello Libby....Mr. Jacks." she nodded at Jerry as he came up behind Libby.
He held out his hand to her and he gripped her dainty hand as he shook it, "Please, call me Jerry."
"Okay, Jerry it is."
"So what could we do for you?" Jerry asked as he motioned for the two women to follow him into the living room. "Can I get you some coffee?"
"No thanks. I never touch the stuff," and before he could offer her anything else she told him that she was fine and didn't need any refreshments. Jerry poured himself and Libby a cup of coffee as the two ladies settled themselves on the couch. He watched as Mel opened a file that she had been carrying under her arm.
"I thought you would be interested to know that I got the coroner's report back on the John Doe we found in the fish house on Franklin Street." She pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Libby.
"The guy was killed by the same poison found in the vial and syringe you gave me. I had the lab do a check on it and you were right. The poison is from a tropical fish, located mainly in the orient. I had someone check out the local fish stores to see if anyone had been buying or selling these fish and came back with bumpkus." Libby looked disappointed at the news. Mel continued, "Chris, our lab genius, was quite impressed with this stuff. He tells me that it's extremely poisonous. A little bit goes a long way. Looks like our John Doe was given a dose. Coroner's report says that the man had been dead about 2 weeks before we found him."
"That would put the time around Brenda's funeral," Libby said.
"Yeah, I noticed that too." Mel said. She leaned back and looked at the two, "So tell me more about this Miranda character?"
Libby looked at Jerry then back at Mel, "What do you want to know?"
"Everything....I already know you think she's a bitch that's capable of murder," Mel grinned at Libby who grinned back, "but I don't really know anything about her. What makes her tick? How far would she go to get what she wants?"
"I'd say she do anything to get what she wants," Jerry informed her. "What she did to Jax pretty much sums it up. She faked her own death and managed to sucker my dad and I into covering for her. And she pretty much blackmailed us to continue getting us to fund her plastic surgery and lifestyle."
"Excuse me? Did you say plastic surgery?" Mel asked.
"Yeah," Libby piped in, "She had extensive surgery...a brand new face. She said that she had been scarred in an explosion in Australia."
"I'm beginning to have my doubts about that. In fact I've been doubting it for some years." Jerry said. "As for what makes her tick? That's anyone's guess. I can't figure her out."
"Making people miserable seems to be what makes her the happiest," Libby stated.
"I think that's just your perception of her, honey," Jerry said.
"No it's not. She made Brenda miserable, and she was happy. Jax is now miserable, and she's happy. She'd be even happier if we would allow her up close to see him suffer." Libby said hotly, "And don't call me honey."
Jerry grinned at her, "You hate the woman so you are stating what your slightly prejudiced view is...but that doesn't necessarily mean that is what makes her tick, sweet cheeks."
Mel smothered her laughter as she watched these two argue. But as enjoyable
as it was to watch a good sparring match, she decided that she had better
end it. "So back to the subject. Tell me some facts that you do know. Who
does she hang out with? Besides the Police Commissioner that is. Where does
she live? Where does she hang
out?"
*******************************************************************************
Libby shut the front door after saying good-bye to Mel. She leaned back against
the door and watched as Jerry came into the foyer from the kitchen. He had
one hand behind his back as he made his way to her and pulled her close using
the other hand. She leaned back to avoid his kiss, "What exactly are you
doing?"
"Honey, if you can't figure that out, I'm going to have to work on my technique," Jerry said as he leered at her and wiggled his eyebrows.
Libby rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. She stared at him for a moment then asked, "What's behind your back?"
Jerry grinned at her, "Something to put you back in that loving feeling." He pulled his hand back and showed her the jar of honey. His eyes sparkled as he tried to nuzzle her neck. "Jax is asleep in his room, Janet is busy watching her soaps and the maids are busy cleaning. What say you and I find a quiet corner and put this honey to good use."
Libby shivered in sexual delight as she remembered the previous night's lovemaking. She leaned her head back so that he could have better access to her neck, "And here I thought you were an original. Couldn't you think of anything new?" She teased.
"Mmmmmmmm," Jerry said as he ran his tongue from her neck to her ear. "I'm open for suggestions."
Libby giggled and pulled from his arms and headed up the stairs, "Nope! You are going to have to do some thinking on it." When she reached the top of the stairs she turned and winked at him, "And when you come up with a brilliant idea, you know where you can find me." She squealed in delight and took off running to her room, when Jerry lunged for the stairs.
Jerry ran up the stairs and after her, barely making it to her room before she slammed the door shut. His hand reached in and stopped the door, he heard her giggle as he pushed the door open. She backed slowly to the bed as he advanced towards her, with a grin on his face, pulling his shirt off as he made his journey. He tossed the jar of honey on her dresser and pulled off his shoes. Her eyes widened as he unzipped his jeans and dropped them on the floor. Her mouth dropped open as he lowered his Calvin Kleins slowly as if he were doing a strip tease just for her. Libby giggled as she looked at him standing there. A perfect specimen of a man standing in the nude, with a silly grin on his face. She had never seen anything so sexy in her life. "Now how did you know that I'm a sucker for a man wearing nothing but socks?" She said just before he grabbed her and kissed her.
"You've got too many clothes on," Jerry whispered when he finally released her mouth.
"I'm sure you'll figure out a way to deal with that problem," she said as she helped him unbutton her shirt and pull it from her slacks. The shirt dropped to the floor as Jerry next concentrated on her bra. He caressed the upper curve of her breasts, then dipped into the valley between them. His lips soon followed. His hand glided to her back and in one swift movement unhooked her bra.
"Ahhhhh love, you are so beautiful," Jerry whispered as he slid the garment off. He quickly relieved her of the rest of her clothes and shoes and stood back to look at her. She blushed prettily at his continued to stare at her body.
"Jerry..."
"Shhhhh," he whispered as he took her back into his arms. He held her tightly for a moment then his hands began to wander down her body. His hands glided over the silkiness of her skin. Libby moaned as his lips and tongue began his journey down her body.
"Jerry...."
"Shhhhh, let me taste you," he said, his voice deepening even more. He reclaimed
her mouth as he laid her back on the bed. "I'm going to taste every inch
of your beautiful body....." he sucked on her neck, "every delectable inch
of your
body...."
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Down the hall, Jax was sleeping peacefully....she was there. His Brenda was
there with him. Smiling up at him as he slipped the wedding ring on her finger.
His Brenda....His wife. Jax smiled in his sleep as he
dreamed.
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Across town, Miranda opened her apartment door. As she closed it, she looked
down and saw the plain white envelope. Curious, she picked it up and looked
at it. Only her name was written on the outside. She threw her purse on the
couch as she opened it....her hand shook as she read, "I know who you are!
I know what you
did!"
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End of Chapter 27
HollyJo