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.
“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.
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