January 3, 2003 Transcript
"Have You Ever Heard of Witness Tampering?"

Sonny hands Ric a case holding 2 million dollars and asks him to go pay Ida Warren a visit. He wants Ric to convince her to retract her statement implicating Brenda as the killer. Ric agrees.

Scotty goes to see Ida. She tells him she's tired of going over her story again and again. She tells Scotty about Gia's visit earlier in the day. He isn't pleased.

At the courthouse, Gia, thrilled with her success with Ida, tells Nikolas of her deceit and tells him she got Ida on tape. He is furious.

Taggert goes to the courthouse looking for Gia. He is livid and tells her she tampered with a witness. He isn't sure if he's going to let the judge know or not.

Alexis, Gia and Nikolas are walking down the hall at the courthouse.

Alexis: Is this a joke? What were you thinking?

Gia: That I could trip Ida up, get her to admit her statement is a lie.

Alexis: You ever heard of witness tampering?

Nikolas: She does now.

Alexis: Does this get worse?

Gia: Depends on your definition of "worse."

Alexis: Who else knows about this besides the three of us?

Gia: No one who will tell.

Alexis: Who? What does that mean exactly?

Gia: My brother.

Alexis: Your brother? Taggert knows about this?

Gia: (Nodding guiltily) He was here earlier.

Nikolas: And furious as hell.

Gia: Not enough to turn me in, I don't think. Do you want to hear the tape?

Alexis: You recorded the illegal conversation?

Nikolas: (Pulls out a video camera) Yep. She went out and bought a special camera just for the occasion. Brand-new. (He puts in the tape) Press play. There you go.

Nikolas starts the tape and Alexis looks into the viewfinder screen. Ida is seated on the couch in the safehouse.

Gia's voice: This is really important, Ida. A woman's entire future depends on you. Brenda Barrett's fate is completely in your hands, so be sure what you say is the truth and nothing but.

Alexis: (Quickly) Turn it off.

She looks up nervously and angrily at Nikolas and Gia.

Alexis: I don't want to hear another word.

The phone rings at Sonny's while he's talking with Jason. He answers it.

Sonny: Hello?

Ric: Yeah. Things with Ida didn't go as planned.

Sonny: You had a problem getting in?

Ric: No. I'm with Ida right now.

We see a shadow of Ida hanging from a noose.

Nikolas continues to play the tape of Ida. It's clear that she is furious.

Ida: Brenda Barrett killed Luis Alcazar, and that's all she wrote.

Alexis: I said turn it off.

Nikolas shuts off the camera.

Gia: I'm so sorry, Alexis. I went after her testimony 15 different ways. She just wouldn't budge.

Alexis stares at Gia so enraged she can't find words.

Nikolas: Now, either Ida is telling the truth and Brenda really did kill Alcazar or she was extremely well prepped. Any opinion which?

Alexis: No, I have no opinion because I've never seen nor heard of the existence of any tape because if I had, I would be forced to testify to its content in court, which would not help my client and it would put me in a position to have to explain something that I don't want to have to explain. So this never happened. You never saw me, I never saw you, and we certainly have not discussed any tape, which to my knowledge has ceased to exist.

Alexis walks away.

Alexis is walking down the courthouse hallway with a legal file when Ric runs and catches up to her.

Ric: Ms. Davis. (Alexis stops) Have you heard about Ida?

Alexis: What about her?

Ric: She's dead.

Alexis: (Shocked) What?

Ric: Apparently she hung herself in her hotel room. The police are calling it a probable suicide.

Alexis: Well, that doesn't make any sense. And for the record, it is a "possible" suicide. I mean, as you must know, anything is possible. In fact, my mind is reeling with possibilities as we speak.

Ric: Such as?

Jax appears around the corner. He stops when he sees Alexis and Ric talking and begins to listen in on their conversation.

Alexis: It's possible that your client paid Ida a visit. It's possible that your client tried to bribe or intimidate her into changing her testimony. And it's possible that she stood her ground and Jason felt the only option would be to kill her. I mean, you have to admit that that's a possibility.

Ric: No, I wouldn't dream of interrupting.

Alexis: Oh, of course, it's only a hypothesis, but with that caveat, you would have to admit that that's a possibility.

Ric: Well, hypothetically speaking, you do have a point, but it's moot. With Ida dead, she's not available for cross-examination, and that doesn't bode well for either of our clients since their futures are inextricably linked. Now, unfortunately, they will be exonerated together or together they're going to go down for murder one.

Ric: Well, Ms. Davis, I just wanted to let you know how much I admire you. I think you are a brilliant attorney, and I'm really looking forward to working with you.

Alexis: We should get together for a pretrial conference soon.

Ric: Mm-hmm. I'm at your disposal. You just call my cell. (He holds out his hand and Alexis shakes it) Bye.

Alexis watches Ric leave with a look that indicates she isn't sure about him. Jax rushes up to her.

Jax: He's wrong.

Alexis: Were you listening in to a private conversation between two attorneys?

Jax: You're damn right I was. Jason Morgan is a career criminal. Brenda's an innocent. Their futures are only as entwined as you allow them to be.

Alexis: You know what? We shouldn't be having this conversation at all because it could be misconstrued. It could look like you're trying to influence an officer of the court.

Jax: Well, that's exactly what I'm trying to do, Alexis. I'm trying to get you to look out for your client's best interests.

Jax: And Jason killed alcazar, and he also killed Ida Warren.

Just then Carly rounds the corner and immediately pulls back when she sees Jax and Alexis. She listens in on them.

Jax: Brenda's never murdered anyone. Besides, Baldwin doesn't even want her. He wants Jason. So, fine, let him have Jason and forget about pretrial meetings with Jason's lawyer. Help Scott nail the bastard so Brenda can go free.

Alexis: Would that be free of murder or free of Sonny?

Jax: Both.