She had striking black hair, shades darker than Susan's own rich brown curls. Her eyes were a light blue, like sapphires behind glass. Her lips curled at the edges. "I admire loyalty most. I see you are loyal to my daughter. I am Cleo Halliwell." She said. She reached into her purse and took out a card and a small photo. "That is my card and that is Susan's birth certificate. Now stop being stubborn and let me in to see my daughter."
Sophie took the photo and the birth certificate. It had Susan's name on it, but it might be a fake. It looked pretty real to Sophie. She took the card and looked at it. It had her name and phone number on it in quiet and dignified black. "But what do you do?" Sophie asked.
"Do, dear?" Here, Cleo smiled. "Why, child! I do everything." FLASH!
Standing there, Susan shivered when she remembered that moment. When her mother had come back from the dead, when Cleo had re-entered her life. Susan's shiver only deepened when she remembered her mother's warning.
FLASH!
"This is not over." Cleo said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Derrick asked.
"This is not over. There is more to come yet, but this is only the beginning."
"How can you be so sure?" Susan said.
"Because, darling girl." Cleo sighed. "I know."
FLASH!
Susan went to the table beside her reading lamp and picked up her pack of cigarettes. Another night was almost over, another day almost ready to begin and here she was hiding in a little claustrophobic library, her fiancée smoking his stolen cigarette out in the backyard.
She sighed and flicked the lighter, put it to the tip of her Benson and Hedges. She admired the ring on her finger, the shiny stone that blinked in the soft light of the room. The gold gleamed on her finger, the band thick but feminine.
It gave Susan comfort that in all of this, she had Derrick who loved her completely.
Chapter Twelve
Erin's cell phone rang. She took one last look at her red hair in her hallway mirror before picking up. "Hello?" Red was a good color for her, she thought.
"You haven't returned any of my calls." She knew the voice immediately.
Erin sighed and turned away from the mirror. "No, I know I haven't." she said.
“I take this to mean that you haven't found them yet?" The man asked, his voice deep.
“No, I haven't." Erin lied. "What do you need them found for anyway?"
“I already told you, I just want them found. I've hired you to do a job, now do it."
“But WHY am I tracking them down? I mean, I ought to know why."
“If you wanted to know why, then you shouldn't have taken the job."
“How could I say no to the kind of money you were offering me?"
She could hear him smile over the telephone. "Exactly. Keep in touch, will you?" The phone went dead in her ear. He hung up on her! Prick. Sighing again, she went over to her computer and flicked the screen back on and watched it come to life.
Her apartment was sparse, as most of her money went right back into the business, but it was home. Like her old desk at the office, her one at home was just as big, but a bleached wood instead of a deep varnish. She clicked her nails against the desk as she brought up the Miriam file in front of her.
She had their pictures, knew where they lived. What she didn't know was what was going on. Someone just doesn't drop close to a million dollars to a second rate PI to have people simply FOUND. Something was going on and Erin wanted to be a part of it.
Erin looked at her luggage, all packed and ready to go, sitting in the hallway. She looked at Susan's picture on the screen in front of her.
Her tickets were in the desk drawer. Tomorrow, she would be meeting Susan Halliwel in person.
Smiling at the thought, she went to get herself a drink. And then have a bubble bath. She had a lot of thinking to do ahead of her and precious little time to do it. In order to infiltrate Susan's life, Erin would have to become someone else.
* * *
Sophie looked at Derrick with heavy lidded eyes. "That was wonderful." She said.
“It can't happen again." Derrick replied.
Shocked, Sophie sat up, covering her breasts with her arms. "What do you mean, Derrick? You felt what just happened between us."
“That's exactly why it can't happen again."
“But Derrick, what do you mean?"
“You know exactly what I mean." Derrick shook his head. "This can't happen again."
“But you WANTED this Derrick, I know you did. I felt you inside of me."
Derrick looked shocked. "Sophie, please!"
“Well, it's true. I felt your lust."
“That's exactly what that was. Lust. It won't happen again."
Sophie looked at him coldly. "Than what was this?"
“A mistake."
“A MISTAKE." She mimicked. "Well, that's lovely." Sophie got up and started putting her clothes back on. "You love her that much, do you?"
“As it happens, yes." He said. "I asked her to marry me tonight."
Sophie stopped what she was doing. "You what?"
“I asked her to marry me. She said yes."
“Congratulations." Sophie said, though there was no good feeling in it.
“Sophie, I'm so glad you're back, but I love Susan. Surely you understand that?"
“What happened to Miriam? I thought you loved Miriam too."
“I did." Derrick replied quietly. "But you just screwed her and forgot her, didn't you?"
“You know it's not like that."
“No, I don't do I? Well, I'll tell you what I DO know, Derrick. You better be careful, otherwise, you'll regret it." Meanness flashed in her eyes.
Shocked, Derrick looked at her. "Sophie, are you threatening me?" he whispered.
Sophie shook her head.” Forget it, I'm just upset. I'll go now."
Derrick grabbed her arm. "Susan-"
“Susan's not going to find out from me." Sophie said.
“Thank you Sophie. Thank you very much."
“Oh, no. Thank YOU, Derrick. I see why Susan keeps you around." With a flip of her hair, she headed back into the house. She had a phone call to make.
Chapter Thirteen
Sophie waited to make sure the house was quiet before she made her phone call. She wanted to make sure she wouldn't be overheard. After she was sure the house was quiet and that Derrick was still outside, she picked up the phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.
“Yes?" Said a familiar gravely voice.
“It's me." She said.
“Ah, Sophie. You've arrived then." She could hear him smile.
“Yes. And it's all going according to plan."
“How did you manage to turn Derrick against Susan?"
“That hasn't happened yet. I just arrived last night."
“Then how is the plan proceeding?"
“I used my female charms." Sophie said with a little giggle.
“You slept with him." It wasn't a question.
“It was the only thing I could think of." Sophie said. "Derrick and Susan have a pretty strong bond."
“You did well, Sophie. Very well indeed. I've been very impressed by how you've conducted yourself."
“Thank you sir."
“No thanks needed Sophie. You've done an excellent job thus far. What are you going to do now?"
“Well, I've been thinking. I want to twist the knife a bit, make Derrick squirm before I let Susan in on our little secret."
“Blackmail?"
“That's what I was thinking." Sophie said with a small smile.
“Excellent. I need discord in amongst the house, Sophie. What about the second part of the plan?"
“There are only two exits out of the house. The kitchen has no exit, but the house does have a large cellar."
“What about your tools?"
“Underneath my bed."
“Don't act too fast, Sophie. I want the element of surprise. I don't want them to see this coming."
“Oh, don't worry Howard." Sophie said. She bent down and pulled a small black gun from underneath the bed. The rubbed her hand along it. "They won't have any idea what hit them.
Chapter Fourteen
Erin sat in first class, enjoying a martini with a small olive floating in it. She had never had one of those. She had never traveled first class either, so dammit, if she was going to take money to do a deed, she might as well enjoy it.
She studied the file about Susan, Derrick and Sophie more closely. Why did Madder want them found? He had been plaguing her for weeks for their location. Still, she refused to give it to him. She knew that she was hired to find them, but she couldn't tell Madder where they were without a reason. It would go against her code of Ethics as a P.I.
She adjusted a lock of her long blond hair, tucking a strand behind one ear. Opening her briefcase, she stuck the file inside and shut down her laptop. She didn't need to look at them anymore, she knew where she was headed.
All she needed to think of now was how she was going to infiltrate herself into the lives of Sophie, Derrick and Susan. She knew that Miriam has passed to the great beyond, or had yet to be found. Personally, she hoped it was the latter. She would hate for anyone to have died for nothing.
And she had to find out what was going on. She had a mission here. Money or no, she had to know what was going on before she handed these people over on a silver platter.
Sighing, she sipped her martini and closed her eyes, just for a moment. She was tired and still was no closer to thinking of a way to get inside that house. Maybe it would come to me in a dream, she thought. She was asleep in seconds.
* * *
Two rows behind and to the right of her, Madder watched her sleep. Unsatisfied with how he had been kept dangling, he decided to do a little detective work of his own. When he had decided to follow her, he didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. He smiled to himself and sipped his beer. The coldness of it calmed his stomach.
He had no idea what Erin was planning, but he had his own agenda. He had to reach Derrick and the rest of them before Howard did. He had to get there before Howard found them, before they were hunted down. He looked down at the black and white picture that he held. Derrick's face stared back at him, his black hair tousled, his glance defiant. Madder had had the picture for eight years now, and Madder was nervous to finally meet Derrick in person. He took another sip of beer.
Madder hoped that he wasn't too late. That Howard had not made his move. He knew that Howard was angry, and angry men did stupid things. He didn't know what Howard had planned, but he would make his move soon.
Madder took another sip of beer and continued looking at Erin. He felt a stirring in his stomach that he put down to nerves, but he felt the feeling every time he looked at her. He had thought of nothing but Erin for so long…ah, a man could dream, couldn't he?
Smiling, Madder took out a paperback novel and started to read. It was going to be a long flight.
* * *
Cleo stared out her window and watched the sun play with the wind. The sand-colored ground was bright and made the sun seem as if it was glowing. She placed her hand against the window, for one fleeting moment wishing that things were different, and let her arm fall.
The beginning of a new day. And something was coming. Cleo could feel it, she could feel the air around her becoming closer.
She had become used to these little feelings. They were growing bigger lately, she felt them more often. Ever since she was a child, she would know things. Things she had no business knowing. Who was cheating on who, who's parents didn't treat their children kindly, dark secrets of others.
But ever since her move to Eagle Valley, they feelings had grown stronger. It was one of the reasons she had come to Eagle Valley, these feelings. She knew that her daughter was in further danger, that she had to right wrongs that were years old.
She smiled as she remembered their conversation the other day in the kitchen.
FLASH!
Susan felt her skin pale. Narrowing her eyes, she leaned in closer to her mother. There was fury there. "What. Are. You. Saying. Mother."
"You didn't have to stay in one show, like Miriam." Cleo said. The walls had tumbled and Cleo's outer hard shell was crumbling. "I don't know what to say." Cleo said.
"I'll tell you what to friggin say!" Susan yelled. "YOU CAN START AT THE FREAKING BEGINNING!" Susan's temper had finally hit the breaking point. She grabbed her mother by the throat of her gown and hauled her to her feet. "You can start at the beginning." Susan whispered.
Cleo chuckled. "God, Susan, you need to get laid badly."
"Shut up." Susan snapped. And then Cleo started laughing. Soon, Susan could hold the laughter in no longer. She started laughing along with her mother until tears were streaming down their faces.
FLASH!
Cleo chuckled at the memory and looked at a photo of Susan she kept on her dresser. There was a picture beside it. It was a picture of a man with dark eyes and dark hair…
FLASH!
A MAN STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. SMALLER PALM TREES LINE THE SIDES OF A CITY STREET. THE TOWN LOOKS BEAUTIFUL ON EITHER SIDE, IT'S SIDEWALKS MADE FROM VARNISHED STONES AND WHAT LOOKED LIKE ACTUAL BOARDWALK STREETS. THE MAN HAS HIS HAND RAISED TO US, HOLDING OUT HIS HAND TO US.
HE HAS BLACK HAIR BUT IT IS WHITE AT THE EDGES. HIS EYES ARE JUST AS DARK. FLASH!
Cleo could feel him coming too. She could always feel him. She didn't know what was going to happen, who would live or who would perish. But she knew that people were going to die.
A tear slid down her cheek and she went to her dresser and pulled open the top drawer. She took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. "God I could use a drink." She said out loud. Only silence answered her.
Chapter Fifteen
He was of medium height and had dark brown hair. His eyes were a dark gray color and to look him in the eyes was to see ice. He checked his email and closed the program. Taking a sip of coffee, he leaned back in his chair, the morning sun casting shadows on his large oak wood desk.
Miriam had been spotted.
Someone had seen her off the coast of California, hitching a ride in a stranger's car. He had just received communication from Betty. She was still a handy tool and was now more than willing to do his bidding to settle a score.
Miriam had a lot of questions to answer.
How she had escaped, for one. For three years he had held her in the basement of the studios without issue and then she had simply been gone. The basement sat underground, bunker style. It had light and consisted of five floors that went down into the ground. It's walls were of a polished wood, the floors carpeted in red and green. There were leather sling back chairs and big over stuffed pieces. There was red and gold, soft grills in front of fireplaces that crackled.
In short, the basement was a mans place. The lounge was on the first floor down, with bedrooms on the next two floors. The fourth floor down was the studio, where they shot scenes for snuff films currently in production, or finished off scenes that had been shot from the murders done on the Hope Falls set.
It was quite an ingenious set up really, this business. It had started out of a growing fascination with sexuality. There were many kinds of sexuality, many different kinds of turn on's. Some were just more perverse than others; He smiled. It was really all about control. Men who sought control, or people who craved it. In their waking world and behind closed doors, in the bedroom.
He just fueled their fantasies. He was a picture maker, a dream shaper, and not a murderer. Some people would call him heartless; but you had to be heartless in this business. It was all a matter of perspective.
Sure, seeing all those people die on film, some so ingeniously set up, some deaths so brilliantly conceived, it turned him on. It fired up his blood. But it was all a puzzle, wasn't it? He was really a puzzle maker. How to put together the perfect demise, time and time again differently. The idea of setting up a studio bas
ed around a soap opera had been his lovers idea. Sophie was full of so many good ideas.
Howard regretted having to drug her on several occasions and having to arrange her death, but that was all water under the bridge. He knew that it all had been necessary, that there was a goal in mind. And now his plans were being slightly marred.
He had held Miriam for three years, after she had started her pesky investigation. When she had started asking questions, he had known he had had to act fast. DeDe had betrayed him in the end. She had had to die. It was just a matter of simple procedure. But someone had paid very highly for the film of her death and copies still sold for very high amounts. It was all a matter of perspective.
Howard smiled. Soon, he would be joining Sophie in Eagle Valley to finish what had been started. There were some lose ends to take care of and, as Howard knew after several years in this business, lose ends are best cut off.
Chapter Sixteen
Someone else was enjoying the morning sun. Cleo lay in it, feeling it warm her skin through her bedroom window. She slowed her breathing and closed her eyes. Derrick was out, Susan was making tea in the kitchen. Sophie was sleeping. There was something wrong in this house. Something wasn't right. She could feel it.
Getting up, she struggled for breath. She felt her heart beating faster inside her. Cleo placed a hand on her chest with a silent prayer for her heart not to give out. And then, as quickly as it came, the moment passed and she could breathe again.
Hands shaking, she went to her dresser to brush her hair, it always calmed her. Her hand froze halfway towards her hair, frozen in midair. Her reflection stared back at her, but yet it was not her reflection.
Hope Falls Season 2 - Eagle Valley Page 4
