Authors: Sofia Cruz
David had taken custody of the sisters and immediately sent them to a therapist. Felicia, 14, began acting out, constantly in trouble, both at school and with the authorities. Unfortunately, Felicia’s therapist had written off her behavior as mostly teenage rebellion, and their uncle hadn’t questioned it. Felicia loved her sister, but had also begun harboring some resentment, due to the preferential treatment Jessica always received from their uncle.
Felicia had spent the last year listening to their uncle rave about Jessica, telling everyone how she was due to come home from college, with her Master’s degree in accounting, and lead the company into the future. Tired of coming in second, Felicia decided to siphon some money from the company accounts, hide it, then sit back and watch Jessica fall on her face.
Melanie watched as a myriad of emotions rolled across Jessica’s face. She felt deflated. She couldn’t fix this for either one of them. They would have to work it out themselves. Right now, she was just another wedge between the two of them.
Jessica stared at Felicia in total disbelief. Several moments passed, the house thick with tension, before she found her voice. “You could have destroyed us all, Felicia. Do you really hate Uncle David and I that much?”
“Oh, please,” Felicia scoffed. “Always the drama queen, aren’t you, cher?”
“She’s not being dramatic, Felicia. Don’t you understand what could have happened? What could still happen.” Watching Felicia, Melanie could see that she wasn’t able to see past her grand plan of bringing Jessica down a few notches. Melanie walked up the steps until she stood just a few steps below Felicia.
“Felicia, what do you think is going to happen when your stockholders find out half a million dollars has disappeared,” Melanie asked, making every effort to keep her voice normal and even.
“But it hasn’t. It’s sitting in a bank, downtown. All I have to do is transfer the money back and no one will ever know it was gone.”
“If you can transfer it in time, if word hasn’t already leaked out about the embezzlement. Why do you think David hired me? If he had gone to the police, the story would have hit the media. Missing funds tend to make stockholders nervous. They get nervous, they start selling shares, like rats deserting a sinking ship.” Melanie watched as her words finally started to sink in. She went up a few more steps, passing Felicia. She turned around so that she was standing sideways on the staircase, keeping a close eye on Felicia and Jessica.
Felicia just stared, dumbfounded, at Jessica. “Oh God, Jessica! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean…I didn’t think…”
“No, you didn’t think at all, did you? You were so involved in making sure everyone saw me as a screw up, that you didn’t stop to think that you’re little scheme could destroy our family. Not to mention the countless families that depend on us for their incomes.” Jessica felt fury and confusion pour through her. She couldn’t believe her sister, her own blood, could have been so short sighted, so self-absorbed. And she felt betrayed, hurt, that the sister she thought she was so close to, had hated her all these years. She ran up the steps, afraid that in one more minute, she’d do something she’d forever regret.
Melanie watched, helpless, as Jessica disappeared up the steps. For the second time that night, she listed to the sound of Jessica’s bedroom door slamming shut. Felicia looked devastated, stunned, as the enormity of what she had done began to sink in.
“Felicia,” Melanie said softly. Not getting a response she raised her voice. “Felicia!” She watched as Felicia slowly came out of her trance, finally noticing Melanie standing in front of her. “Felicia, go to bed. We have to talk to David in just a few short hours. You need some sleep.”
Felicia absently nodded her head and started up the steps. Melanie watched her disappear around the corner. A movement near the bottom of the steps caught her eye and she turned her head in time to see Lisa step out of the parlor, holding two tumblers of bourbon.
Melanie sank down on a step as Lisa came up to join her, the bodyguard handing her a glass as she sat down beside Melanie.
“Where were you hiding,” Melanie asked.
“Well, I came running down, same as Felicia, when I heard you screaming your head off. When I realized what was happening, and then heard Felicia yelling at Jessica, I just slid into the background. Two things you never want to get in the middle of: a lovers’ quarrel and a family feud,” Lisa explained, looking pointedly at Melanie.
“Now you tell me,” Melanie returned dryly.
Lisa laughed. After a few moments, she turned serious again. “Now what?”
“Now? Now I take Felicia and Jessica into their uncle’s office tomorrow, and try to explain to him why his company almost folded.”
“After that?”
“I have no idea.” Melanie tossed back the last of the bourbon and headed for bed.
##
Morning came too soon, and Melanie found the sisters sitting in the kitchen, staring at the food in their plates. Neither woman would look at the other, let alone speak. Melanie ducked out of the room before either of them saw her, and went out to pack her rental car.
##
One would have thought they were going to a funeral, as silent as the car was during the ride in. No one said a word and no one made eye contact. Melanie let out a heavy sigh as she followed the sisters into David’s office. She stood back near the door as Felicia made a tearful confession to her uncle, Jessica standing as stiff as a board the entire time. David stared at Felicia for a few shocked moments, then just turned in his chair, staring out the window, obviously at a loss as to what to say. Felicia took it as a kind of dismissal, and started yelling at him. Jessica jumped in to defend their uncle, and everything went down hill from there.
Knowing it was a family situation, one that she had no right to interfere with, she let herself out. No one noticed. She left her card and contact information with David’s secretary and headed for her car. She had about three hours to gather her things from the little apartment and catch her flight home.
PART II
Chapter 1
Melanie sat in her apartment, staring at the answering machine. It had been almost three months since her case in New Orleans and her encounter with the Matthews sisters. She had called Jessica a couple of times, her first week back, but they were never returned. She waited a few weeks, but had given up when she realized that Jessica wouldn't be calling.
She'd spent the next month lost in a sea of alcohol, cigarettes and one-night stands. That had worked for her when she'd been in her early twenties, but now, at 31, it was just old. Especially when that little red head she had picked up at the bar, stormed out of her apartment, madder than a wet hen. In the throes of passion, Melanie had screamed out Jessica's name, and the woman she was with at the time, took offense.
The last few weeks she'd just buried herself with cases. It had always worked for her before, but every once in a while, the image of a beautiful red head with cream-colored skin still popped into her mind.
She'd just gotten home a few minutes ago from a business trip to New York. As always, one of the first things she had done was play back her messages. The sound of David Matthews on her answering machine had stopped her cold.
Apparently, things hadn't been going well between the three Matthews's the last few months. Felicia had taken off. David didn't think anything of it at first, sure that Felicia would check in with him, eventually. But three weeks had passed without a word, and now he was truly worried. He was calling Melanie because he wanted to hire the P.I. to find his missing niece.
Melanie had received a handful of e-mails from Felicia over the last few months. She almost hadn't answered the first one, but she sensed that Felicia really needed to talk to someone, so she had written her back. They had talked things out and settled any unresolved issues between them. Felicia's last few letters were nothing more than her needing a friend to give her advise, hear her out. Melanie answered every one of them. Part of it was guilt over the way she had screwed everything up between Felicia and Jessica. The other part was that, through their e-mails, she and Felicia had become friends, comfortable in discussing almost anything with each other.
Now Felicia was in the wind. She hadn't mentioned, in her last e-mail, that she was intending to leave town. Melanie was concerned, but not sure if she should take this case. Maybe it would be better if she just called David back and recommended another P.I. to him. Then again, she knew Felicia, knew how her mind worked. She'd have a better chance at finding her than some stranger. But returning to New Orleans meant being face-to-face with Jessica again. She didn't know if she could handle that, handle being that close to the woman she had fallen in love with, knowing Jessica hated her guts.
Melanie spent almost an hour, staring at the machine, going through the pros and cons in her mind. With a sigh, she picked up the phone and returned David's call. Maybe she'd have time to hit the laundry mat before she headed to the airport.
##
Melanie sat in a chair opposite David Matthews while he filled her in on the events of the last few months. David blamed himself for Felicia's embezzlement of company funds. She'd done it in an attempt to draw attention to herself, and to show him that Jessica wasn't perfect. Due to his feelings of guilt, David hadn't fired Felicia. Instead, he hushed up the entire incident and encouraged Felicia to stay, hoping that, by her staying, they would eventually work out their family problems.
But Felicia didn't seem to want to talk to him, and any conversations between her and Jessica always ended in a full-blown screaming match. Three weeks ago, David had come to work to find Felicia's letter of resignation sitting on his desk. A quick call to Jessica, at the house the sisters shared, revealed that Felicia's room was bare of any clothes, or any other personal belongings. So, David had decided to wait it out, thinking that Felicia would eventually call to tell him she was ok, but no such call ever came. Neither he, nor Jessica, had heard a word from Felicia in almost a month. He now feared the worst.
Melanie did her best to reassure David. She figured Felicia had begun to feel uncomfortable around her family. Ashamed of what she had done, feeling unable to patch things up with her sister and uncle, Felicia had probably decided to relocate, start over somewhere new.
Melanie told David not to worry, that she'd find Felicia and, if she couldn't convince her to come home, at least call David and let him know she was ok. Melanie headed for the door, planning to set up shop in the little apartment above Mama's bar in the Quarter. She'd already called, and Mama had assured her that the apartment was, indeed, available if she wanted it. Well, at least one person had seemed happy that she was back, two if she counted David. She'd yet to see Jessica, who was conspicuously absent from today's meeting.
##
It was now early evening, and Melanie sat on the couch in her temporary apartment. Her laptop sat on the coffee table beside her, humming away as it busily worked on the searches she had set up. While the computer did its thing, Melanie cleaned and inspected the gun she had just picked up. Just then, she heard a soft knock at her door. Getting up to answer it, she rounded the corner, and came to a dead halt. There, on the other side of the screen door, stood Jessica Matthews, looking slightly irratated, but breath taking just the same.
Shaking off the shock, Melanie quickly let her in, inviting her to sit with her on the couch. Instead, Jessica took the high back chair that stood near the end of the couch, facing the coffee table. Melanie sat back down, wiping her damp palms on her jeans before she went back to cleaning the Glock.
Jessica just sat there, frowning at the table. Melanie had a thousand things she wanted to say, buzzing around in her mind, but she thought it better to let Jessica start the conversation. She wasn't entirely sure why Jessica was here.
Finally, Jessica spoke. "You're looking for Felicia," the comment was more a statement than a question.
"Yes. Any idea where she might have headed off to?"
"No." Jessica continued to stare at the gun. "Still insisting on carrying an illegal weapon, I see."
Melanie just reached for her wallet, pulled out the permit and tossed it on the end of the table, directly in front of Jessica. Jessica glanced between Melanie and the paper lying in front of her, then she picked it up and began to read.
"You've already got a permit? When did this happen?"
Melanie didn't answer her right away. She was debating whether to play along, or just get it all out. Deciding to go for it, she stopped in the middle of cleaning and turned her head to give Jessica her full attention.
"I picked up all the paper work I'd need before I left. Then I just submitted everything from home. Besides the permit to carry, I have my P.I. license for the state of Louisiana."
Jessica stared at her, her mouth hanging open in shock. "Why?"
"Because, at the time, I thought I'd be moving down here, eventually." Melanie didn't bother to elaborate, thinking it better that Jessica make the effort to ask, if she cared to.
"You assumed quite a bit."
"Well, there was this one night were I thought I had heard you tell your sister that you were in love with me. Judging from the way things turned out, it must have been my imagination."
"You're the one who left, cher."
Melanie watched Jessica's eyes spark with anger, her hands clenching the arms of the chair. "Now we're getting somewhere," Melanie thought. She carefully laid the gun and cleaning tools back on the table, choosing her next words very carefully.
"Jessica, I left because I thought you and your sister needed time to talk, to work things out. I had become another wedge between the two of you. I thought that, if I stayed, I'd just gum up the works."
Jessica listened to Melanie, feeling angry, hurt, abandoned, and something else. God help her! As mad as she was that Melanie had taken off without a word, she still wanted her. When Melanie had answered her door a few minutes ago, her heart had leaped in her chest. She didn't want to still care about Melanie, and knowing she did just spiked her temper.
"Please! Admit it, Melanie. You knew your chances of getting laid by either one of us was slim to none, so you packed up and ran home."
Melanie understood Jessica was angry, but she felt her temper kick in, just the same, at Jessica's biting comments.
"That's bullshit and you know it," Melanie snapped out. Hearing her own voice, she took a deep breath. This might be her last chance with Jessica, and she didn't want to waste it because she couldn't control her temper. Feeling calmer, she tried again.
"If what happened between us was just you and I getting laid, then why are you so angry?"
Melanie's matter-of-fact tone was really infuriating. Jessica felt her tempter snap, her next words pouring out in an angry rant.
"Because I wasn't just getting laid. Apparently, you were. My life fell apart and you bailed, so forgive me for not buying that crap about you being in love."
"Ah, there it is," Melanie thought. It was past due, though, that she set Jessica straight. She got up and advanced on Jessica. Leaning over the chair, her face in Jessica's, she struggled to keep herself in check.
"I told you why I left Jessica. I called you twice, that first week after I left, to explain to you why. You choose not to return my calls. If you were so in love with me, why didn't you at least call back to get an explanation?"
Melanie watched Jessica's mouth open and knew there was some smart comment coming. Deciding she didn't want to hear it, she pushed on, interrupting Jessica before the fiery beauty could get started.
"I am in love with you, Jessica. I spent months trying to forget you, only to find I can't. I'm back because I care about you and your family. I won't feel any better than your uncle does right now, until I can see, with my own eyes, that Felicia is safe and sound. And I'm not leaving New Orleans until you and I clear things up. In fact, I might not leave at all."
Right at that moment, Jessica knew that if Melanie kissed her, touched her in any way, she'd give herself over without a minute's hesitation. That knowledge scared the hell out of her. But hearing Melanie's words, feeling this spark of happiness at her declaration that she wasn't leaving, after the hell she went through when she had found out Melanie had left, ignited her temper. She pushed out of the chair, shoving Melanie out of her way as she went, and stormed out the door, letting the screen door slam shut behind her.
Melanie walked out onto the balcony to watch Jessica storm down the alley. She wanted to stop her, but decided Jessica needed time to think, to let her threat about not leaving town, sink in. She watched as Jessica jumped into her classic, Ford Mustang convertible, and peel out of the parking spot, filling the air with the smell of burnt rubber. Melanie couldn't help but smile. Jessica had one hell of a temper, and she wasn't one to back down. That was one of the things that Melanie admired and respected about Jessica. She was also discovering that it was one hell of a turn on.
##
It had taken Melanie almost two days of computer searches and phone calls, but she had finally traced Felicia's last few movements. Felicia had rented a car, the same day David had found her resignation letter on his desk, and withdrawn about $5,000 from her bank account. The last time she had used either her bankcard, or any of her credit cards, was to pay for gas, latter that same day, at a station on the edge of Baton Rouge. Figuring that was as good a place to start as any, Melanie climbed into her rented sedan and headed out. She had her Glock locked in the glove box and a picture of Felicia tucked in her pocket.
##
Melanie had now been in Baton Rouge for almost three full days. At night, she hit all the gay bars, showing Felicia's picture around. The problem was, Baton Rouge was a big city, the state capital, and there were a lot more clubs than she had originally figured on. She had called Mason, the boy wonder of computers, and had asked him to keep an eye on Felicia's credit cards and bank activity. There was nothing so far.
She also checked in with David periodically, keeping him posted, and hoping that maybe Felicia had called him. Nothing there either, so far. The one person she hadn't talked to, since leaving New Orleans, was Jessica. Melanie was being very careful to keep her cell phone charged, for obvious reasons.
Tonight was her third night, maybe her fourth, of club hopping. She'd yet to find anyone who recognized Felicia's picture, but she had gotten a few offers. Aaaah, at least she had hope in case Jessica never talked to her again.
Checking the map on her laptop, she pulled up in front of a club called The Litter Box. It was well after ten and this was the fifth club tonight. She locked her car and headed in. Buying herself a drink at the bar, she pulled out Felicia's picture and made the rounds. She was almost back at the front door, having worked her way around the club, when a blonde commented that the girl in the picture looked a lot like a bartender she had seen the other night. Melanie slipped the girl a twenty and quickly got a few more details.
It turned out that there was a private club near downtown that catered to lesbians only, and was very elite. You had to be a member, or with a member, to get in. The blonde had been there two nights ago, with a date, and swore that one of the bartenders was a dead ringer for the picture that Melanie was showing her. Getting directions, Melanie sprinted out of the club, found her car, and headed over.
Ten minutes later, she was parked across the street from a small, one floor, gray brick building. There was no sign anywhere, just a steel front door, with a carpet and awning that formed a path from the door to the curb. She didn't even see signs of a bouncer. It was close to midnight, and Melanie noticed that there wasn't a whole lot of traffic, street, or pedestrian. She drove around the block a few times, getting a feel for the layout. She still hadn't seen anyone around.