Port Charles Courthouse

Elizabeth sighed and shifted on the bench outside the courtroom. The week between getting her subpoena and the day of her actual testimony had passed quickly. She hadn’t seen Jason much–just a few times at Kelly’s. He always came in with Brenda and Elizabeth could tell they were putting extra effort into making the marriage look real. She wasn’t too sure how she felt about that–she knew Jason didn’t care about Brenda–and it was obvious she didn’t care about Jason.

Scott Baldwin had refused to meet with her to prepare her testimony so Elizabeth was still mystified as to why she was being called. There was no way they could have known about Courtney and Jason, much less that she knew about it, so it couldn’t be that.

She’d gone over and over it in her mind, but she couldn’t come up with anything.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Courtney who was sitting at the other end of the bench. Courtney was trying to ignore AJ who was sitting across from them, talking to his sister Skye.

“Elizabeth Webber,” someone called and Elizabeth stood. “You’re being called.”

Elizabeth sighed. Here we go, she thought idly, feeling the weight of Courtney’s eyes on her back.

Courtroom

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?”

“I do,” Elizabeth said.

“You may take your seat.” The bailiff moved away and Elizabeth sat down, avoiding looking at the defense and table and concentrating on Scott Baldwin.

“Please state your name for the record,” Scott began.

“Elizabeth Webber,” Elizabeth replied, feeling incredibly uncomfortable.

“How long have you known the defendant, Jason Morgan?” Scott asked, leaning against the prosecution table.

“I’ve known him for about five years,” Elizabeth answered.

“How did you meet the defendant?” Scott asked. Elizabeth sighed and crossed her legs. Alexis and Ric had tried to prepare her the best they could for her testimony without actually going over what they thought she was being called about. She could tell they had their suspicions, but they’d stuck to the basics. Keep answers short and brief, don’t elaborate.

“I met him through his sister, Emily Quartermaine,” Elizabeth replied. She clasped her hands on her lap and shifted again. Damn these seats were uncomfortable.

“But the two of you are close, right?” Scott asked.

“Objection,” Ric said. “Is there a point coming?”

“I’m laying foundation,” Scott replied.

The judge sighed. “Overruled, but make it quick, counselor.”

“Ms. Webber, would you say that you and the defendant Jason Morgan are close?”

“At one time, yes,” Elizabeth answered. Her eyes were beginning to cross. What the hell was the point?

“And why did that change?” Scott asked.

“Objection,” Alexis said. “Relevance?”

“Foundation, your honor,” Scott said again.

“Overruled.”

Elizabeth shrugged. “Why does anyone stop being friends?”

“Ms. Webber, please be more specific,” Scott said.

She glared at him. “We disagreed over something.”

“Something?”

Ric poked Jason. “Do not glare at the DA,” he hissed. Jason glared at him for a second before returning his attention to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth sighed. “He treated me like dirt and didn’t trust me. I don’t really think that’s a healthy friendship.”

Ric winced. “Oooh, that’s not a very nice outlook.”

Jason frowned. Dirt? Trust?

“And the disagreement?” Scott pushed.

“He didn’t think he was doing anything wrong,” Elizabeth said, coolly. “He’s a guy. He’s always right.”

Some of the spectators laughed and Alexis poked Brenda to make her stop laughing. Jason shifted in his chair. He was beginning to get a different outlook on the reason Elizabeth had walked out.

“And when did this disagreement occur?” Scott asked.

“October,” Elizabeth answered.

“And the next time you saw the defendant?” Scott asked.

“What do you mean?” Elizabeth asked.

“What happened the next time you saw Jason Morgan?”

“It was the next day at Kelly’s and I didn’t talk to him other than take his order,” Elizabeth replied.

Scott shifted. “What about the next time?”

“Objection,” Ric said. “If he’s going to ask about a specific time, he should just do it.”

“Fine,” Scott said. “Did you see the defendant Jason Morgan at Luke’s in November?”

Elizabeth frowned. What did that have to do with anything?

Ric groaned a little and Alexis slumped in her seat.

“Yes,” Elizabeth answered.

“And what day was that?” Scott asked.

Elizabeth wrinkled her eyebrow trying to think of the date. “Actually, I think it was the day Luis Alcazar was killed,” she said, slowly. “November 22, right?”

“Right,” Scott said. “And what did you and Mr. Morgan talk about?”

Elizabeth suddenly understood exactly what Scott was asking. Jason had told her the marriage between he and Brenda was going to end, not to mention that the marriage hadn’t really been real in the first place. Elizabeth made a split-second decision.

“We talked about his marriage with his wife,” Elizabeth answered.

Brenda put her hands in her head. She wondered briefly what you had to wear for a lethal injection.

“Could you be more specific?” Scott asked.

“Well, Jason told me that he and Brenda were having some problems,” Elizabeth answered. “But that he loved her and wanted to work it out.”

Jason frowned. Alexis sat up. Brenda looked at Jason a little surprised.

Scott shifted. “Ms. Webber, do you know the penalty for perjury?”

“Your Honor,” Alexis said.

“Mr. Baldwin,” the judge warned.

“Jason Morgan didn’t tell you that the marriage between he and Brenda Barrett-Morgan was going to end?” Scott asked.

Elizabeth frowned. “Well, that’s just ridiculous. They’d only been married…what a month? Why would they want a divorce?”

Brenda giggled and whispered to Alexis. “I like this girl.”

“Your Honor, the witness is lying,” Scott said to the judge. “I have a sworn statement that’s been entered into evidence that says otherwise.”

Elizabeth’s ears perked up. Sworn statement?

Alexis stood. “The defense has seen no such statement,” she said.

Scott shuffled through some papers and handed something to Alexis read over it and she appeared satisfied. She looked at Ric who looked it over. They whispered back and forth and seemed to agree. “The prosecution can continue,” Alexis said, sitting back down.

“Ms. Webber, were you and Jason Morgan speaking alone?” Scott asked.

“As alone as you can be in the middle of a crowded bar,” Elizabeth replied.

“Do you remember someone sitting at the bar? A man with short brown hair and green eyes?” Scott asked.

“Honestly, I was talking to someone. I don’t usually ignore them to look for guys,” Elizabeth answered.

Brenda stifled another laugh.

“Paul Neilson says that Jason Morgan told you that the marriage was going to end,” Scott said. “He says that the two of you argued about a recent breakup.”

Elizabeth shifted again. “He must have heard it wrong,” she said, firmly. “Jason and I never dated.”

“Never?” Scott asked. “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive,” Elizabeth asked. “We were friends.”

“But you lived with Mr. Morgan for the month of September,” Scott said. “Friends who live together?”

“My studio was being repainted. Jason offered to let me stay at his penthouse. He was rarely there and I slept in the guest room,” Elizabeth answered.

Scott sighed. “All right, so the conversation at Luke’s was different. Ms. Webber, do you know Courtney Quartermaine?”

“Yes, we work at Kelly’s together,” Elizabeth answered, glancing at the defense table. Jason was looking down at the table but Brenda was staring at her with an amused expression.

“Do you know of any relationship between Mrs. Quartermaine and the defendant Jason Morgan?” Scott asked.

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “I would hope he had better taste.”

Brenda couldn’t help it, she started laughing hysterically. Alexis poked her sharply.

“Is that a yes or no?” Scott asked.

“That’s a no,” Elizabeth lied.

“You and Ms. Quartermaine did not have an argument on January 8 of this year about the relationship?” Scott asked.

Now in the hell did Baldwin know about that? Jason looked at Alexis who gave him a helpless look.

“We had an argument,” Elizabeth admitted. “But it had nothing to do with Jason. Courtney had run out on her shift and lied to me about where she was going. It’s not the first time it had happened and I was tired of being stuck covering for her,” she answered honestly.

“Nothing to do with Jason?” Scott said. “Would it surprise you to know that we have a tape of the fight?”

“A tape?” Elizabeth repeated. This was not good.

Jason looked almost alarmed now. Scott had positive proof that the marriage was pretty much fake. He’d told Elizabeth that much that day at Kelly’s.

“Your Honor, no such tape has been entered into evidence,” Alexis said. “In fact, the defense had no opportunity to examine the tape and the witness was not even aware of any tape.”

Elizabeth took a deep breath. “All right.”

The entire defense table frowned and stared at her. Scott strode towards her. “All right what, Ms. Webber?” he asked, eagerly.

“The argument was about Jason,” Elizabeth admitted. “I wasn’t lying when I told you we never dated. We didn’t. But we probably would have if he hadn’t been such a jerk.”

“Probably?” Scott asked.

Elizabeth sighed and looked away. “Courtney knew how upset I was when Jason and I didn’t work out. She knew the marriage had been pretty difficult for me to handle since I didn’t know about it until I got back from out of town. In fact, Courtney was the one who told me.”

“And the argument happened when you found out that Mrs. Quartermaine and Jason Morgan were sleeping together?” Scott asked.

“No,” Elizabeth answered. “Courtney and Jason never slept together. Not to my knowledge anyway. I…” She shifted. “I’m a paranoid person by nature. And I thought they were. And I confronted Courtney about it. We got into an argument and I think we got carried away because I know most of the things I said were designed to hurt her and I’m sure she did the same thing to me.”

“Did Jason Morgan ever show up during this argument?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth admitted. “I said some things, he said some things. We have a tendency to vent on each other. Later, he came and found me to apologize. He didn’t want me to tell Brenda what he’d said.”

“And what had he said?”

“That it didn’t matter even if he and Courtney were together–Brenda wouldn’t care,” Elizabeth replied. “He told me later that he’d been angry with me for starting the argument and that he hadn’t meant it. I agreed and we decided to forget it.”

Scott stared at Elizabeth. She was lying. He could feel it in his bones. “Ms. Webber, the tape I’m speaking about is the security tape from Kelly’s, the diner where you and Mrs. Quartermaine work. Now, there’s the conversation between you and her and an earlier one with Jason Morgan.”

“What’s your point? Jason and I argued an hour before Courtney came in.”

“Do I want to ask to see the tape?” Ric asked Jason. “Or are we better off with Elizabeth’s testimony?”

“We’re…definitely better off not watching it,” Jason said. He stared Elizabeth in stunned surprise. She was lying her ass off on the stand and he could tell Scott knew it. She was finding logical and rational explanations for everything.

“You argued about Mrs. Quartermaine,” Scott stated.

“I told you–I was paranoid and jealous,” Elizabeth said. “I thought they were sleeping together and I took it out on him. I apologized for that later.”

“And when Mrs. Quartermaine admitted the two of them were together?”

“She never said that,” Elizabeth said. “I accused her of leaving her shift to see Jason and she told me that she had. See, her husband, AJ had hired a private investigator to follow her. They’re separated. I saw him and I told her about it. She went to tell Jason, hoping he could call AJ off since you know, they’re brothers.”

Jason grimaced.

“I was suspicious,” Elizabeth admitted. “And I followed her. I saw them talking and my mind started working over time. When I confronted her, she told me that she’d been with him but she never said they slept together. She’d only met with him.”

“And when you asked about their loft?”

Elizabeth smiled sheepishly. “Paranoid mind working over time again. Courtney had moved and Jason met her at her new apartment. I assumed it was a love nest and accused them.”

Scott glared at his witness. “And the entire conversation that transpired about your broken up relationship with Mr. Morgan?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“You’ve never said something you didn’t mean in a fight?” Elizabeth asked, with a charming smile. “God, I’m notorious for flying off the handle. In fact, if you’re in a fight with me, it’s safe to say I never mean most of what I say.”

“And you’re telling me that Mrs. Quartermaine is the same way?” Scott said.

“Courtney’s temper is almost as bad as mine. I only say almost since I’m the one who slapped her,” Elizabeth said.

“You slapped her because you thought she’d stolen your boyfriend,” Scott jumped on her words.

“I slapped her because I thought she was sleeping with Jason. Jason was never my boyfriend. Trust me, she didn’t steal him. Brenda can have him for all I care.”

Brenda snorted and Alexis elbowed her.

“I have no further questions,” Scott muttered. He sat in his seat.

“Ms. Davis?” the judge asked.

Alexis stood. “Just a few questions, your honor. Ms. Webber, you say that you have no knowledge of any plans for the Morgans to divorce?”

“Nope,” Elizabeth said.

“Do you know Brenda Barrett-Morgan?” Alexis asked.

“Vaguely,” Elizabeth answered. “When I was fifteen, I snuck into her almost wedding to Sonny Corinthos. I always meant to tell her she looked beautiful that day.”

“But other than that?” Alexis asked.

“I really only see her every once in a while, when she comes into Kelly’s or around town,” Elizabeth answered.

“Have you seen her with the defendant Jason Morgan?” Alexis asked.

“A few times,” Elizabeth answered.

“And how do they act around each other?” Alexis asked.

“Like a normal married couple,” Elizabeth replied. “They bicker sometimes but normally they’re pretty tame.”

“And you feel no ill-will towards my client for her marriage to Jason Morgan?”

“Oh, I have no hard feelings towards Brenda,” Elizabeth answered. “Her husband, maybe. But not her.”

Brenda stifled another giggle.

“Thank you, Ms. Webber.” Alexis took her seat.

“Mr. Lansing?” the judge prompted.

“Ms. Webber,” Ric said. He stood and smoothed his jacket. “Do you hate my client?”

“No,” Elizabeth answered. “I think that’s the most annoying thing.”

“But you’re not really all that fond of him right now?” Ric asked.

“No, I can’t say that I am,” Elizabeth replied.

“And yet you say that he sought you out to talk about his marital problems?” Ric asked. Jason and Brenda glared up at him, but Alexis knew he was just covering all the bases. The jury would wonder how Jason would talk to an obviously hostile woman about it.

“Jason was under the impression that I had calmed down and that we were friends again,” Elizabeth said. “That’s the only time he ever talked to me about his marriage.”

“Until after the fight at Kelly’s with Mrs. Quartermaine,” Ric clarified.

“Yes. He didn’t want me telling Brenda what he said. He said that the stress of the trial preparations was causing some problems, but he didn’t want to hurt her,” Elizabeth said.

“So, the impression you get from Jason Morgan is that he loves his wife,” Ric stated.

“Right,” Elizabeth said.

“Thank you, Ms. Webber,” Ric sat down.

“We’re going to break for lunch now,” the judge said. “We’ll reconvene at two.”

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