Hope Falls Season 2 - Eagle Valley (6 page)

And yet, those answers just spurred more questions. There was still more talking that needed to be done between Cleo and her. How did her father die? WHY did he die was more the question. There was still so much she didn't know. And there was the other issue, the one that bothered Susan more. Her mother was psychic.

She knew that there had always been whispers in the family. There had always been stories of how Mother had known things when she shouldn't of. Some treated her like a wise woman. She remembered when Cleo had appeared in her life those three years ago. FLASH! "I don't believe you." Sophie said.

"I tell you, it's true. I am Susan's mother. Let me in. I have to see her."

"I don't care." Sophie said, "You've done enough damage already, do you realize what we're going through?" Sophie shook her head. "She's under enough stress."

The woman looked Sophie over. "You carry your own pain too." The woman said. Sophie looked at her again. She was tall, stately. She was not beautiful, but very striking. Her face was lined, as if life had been unkind to her. But there was a savageness there that would eat at a man's heart.

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.