SMOKE & MIRRORS

SMOKE AND MIRRORS

Lady sat combing her dark intricate curls as music flowed from the radio at her side. It was Friday night and the thick summer Los Angeles heat crept in through her wide open bedroom window. Her cocktail dress, a creamy white, lay on her made bed. Her shoes awaited her dainty feet. Her hat, a matching creamy white, sat with its attached vale and sapphire feathers on a manikin head just above her radio.

            Lady was going out. Working all week in a doctor's office was devastating her social life, and she hadn't seen a soul besides Dr. Rawling (her boss) and his patients for what seem like years. No one that mattered anyway. And don't even think about auditions! She hadn't had a second to pick up the trades to find an audition. She felt chocked by life. But tonight would be different. Tonight Lady would dance. Lady would drink, and maybe meet a fellow or two (or three) who'd whisk her off her feet.

            Hollywood was calling.

            Lady, a raven haired average beauty, came from a working class family from right there in Los Angeles. She was born and raised in the suburbs and groomed for a more simple life, away from thing shinier, glitzier one that sparkled just over the hills where movie stars and legends sipped Champaign pool side. But  Lady always kept an eye out on bigger things. Life for her wasn't about working a nine to five in a fluffy job like a doctor's office. Oh no! Not for Lady. Someone else might enjoy filing paper work forever but Lady sought the bright lights of tinsel town and vowed to be the next Eva Gardner. It was her calling. It was her destiny! And every obstacle that came her way, she'd find away out of. No matter what.

Ambitious; she new exactly how to use what god gave her to make sure she got what she wanted and needed. It had worked  this far. A one bedroom apartment of her very own just beneath the shadow of Hollywood sign, rent free for the first 6 months...all she had to do was keep the building manager, Joe, happy. And he was very happy. And with the bat of her thick eye lashing and a pout of her perfect crossbow lips, could easily make that happy Joe, much happier, an easily extend these free six months another six. Poor Joe. He'd never see her coming. Lady saw it as a give and take. Whatever he wanted for free room and board for as long as she needed. Joe would see it that way too, she was sure of it.

Stepping  back from her full length mirror set perfectly in the corner of her bedroom, clad only in black staking and her panties, the light was flattered  her petite figure. She felt her breasts, they were firm and a perfect size. She knew it. She knew everything she had was perfect. She looked into her mirror, make up on, not a curl out of place and practiced her poses for the future photographers that would one day clamber for a just a snap of her. A smile. A pout. Her breasts still exposed. She turned around in the mirror marveling at her body, tiny, almost invisible drops of sweat from the thick summer air at the base of her back. She felt exquisite.

Lady loved herself. Tonight she'd meet the one that would take her away from Joe, from Dr. Rawling's office, from everything she was running from. She could feel it in the air. She slipped on her creamy white dress that wiped away the beads of sweat on her back, and fastened every black button carefully and slowly in the mirror. She checked her make up right before she placed the hat on and pulled down the little vale just over her eyes  and squeezed her perfume bottle. Once. Twice. And  a third time. A mist surround her room like a ghost that smelled of gardenia. Sweet and floral. It was Lady's favorite scent. One last gaze in the mirror. Pocketbook. Keys.

Tonight was the night.

There was no need for a cab. Lady lived on Lexington Street , just a few blocks away from Ciro's her favorite night spot. As she made her way down the few flights of stairs to the lobby she could hear all her neighbors in as they went on with their boring lives on this sticky summer night. Lady giggled  to herself as if their lives were a joke compared to her more glamorous one of handsome men, nightclubs and secret trysts in parking lots at 3 am. 

The couple in 14B. Constantly argued. Mr. 14B hated his wife's cooking. Every night he'd complain. Every night Mrs. 14B would tell him to shut up and eat  it anyway. Every night they'd make love loudly regardless, like to beasts raging at each other. Howling and moaning with no regard to the thin walls of 7700 Lexington Street.

The man just below Mr. And Mrs. 14B was a student, about Lady's age...25, maybe 30. At least Lady thought so. She only saw him a few times a week, mostly in the mornings and he was always carrying books. His mail slot said "Harper". Harper was  an avid reader of the finest magazines. he kept up on all the latest trades of the entertainment business,  something he thought she cared about but,  Lady could care less. He wasn't her type anyway. Not rich, not a face within Hollywood's most inner secret circles and although Harper was always polite and held doors open for Lady as they crossed paths. He had a tall, skinny frame. His type could never fulfill Lady's hunger for more. And he knew it. But his attraction was so deep. He only wanted some of her attention, anything. A gentle hello, a thank you, anything. But Lady's attention wasn't free. He knew it.

Then there were the two girls who lived in the first floor apartment just across from the mail slots, and right before the entrance to the complex. Lady had many conversations with the tall blond, who's name she constantly forgot. It was either Ellen, or Eleanor, or maybe even Eunice. It was something with an E. The tall blonde, ("E") and her roommate, a short dark featured girl who looked Italian or Portuguese named Vivienne were very close. Lady thought, perhaps, too close. Close enough that the one bedroom they shared was more then just a place they both could keep together to save money. Vivienne was a bit shyer the "E". She was timid and almost seemed too embarrassed to look Lady's way when they crossed. But not boisterous "E". She'd bellow out a hefty "how ya doin girl!?" from across their common area courtyard, so loud it startled birds resting in the willows shady willows.

It was steamy hot. Lady's walk to Ciro's felt a little more strenuous. She didnt want to show up at the front door looking unflattering, especially to who might be there.  So she walked slow. Her matching creamy white heels clacking on the pavement as she walked. Her lace gloved hands held on to her pearly white clutch as she crossed Fountain Ave on to La Cienega just a few short blocks from Ciro's. She reached into her clutch and pulled out a perfect square handkerchief embroidered with her initials in white fabric and light blue letters. She dabbed at her dewy forehead just before she met the front door man of Ciro's. No Sweat. Just beauty. A quick glance of her reflection in a car window. Check. Ready.

"Back so soon?" The large framed door man smirked.

"Cant keep me away it seems." Lady said with a wink.

His huge hands gripped the door to let her in, he was so large that he had to bend down a bit to actually reach the golden doorknob that sparkled.  His right hand extended, a welcome gesture he always did for pretty ladies. And as the heavy black door with the golden knob opened the majesty and marvel that was Ciro's spilled out into the street for the split second she stood there. The music. The smells. The smoke. The lights. It was another world. It was Lady's world. And tonight that world would change forever.

            Lady walked into the smoky club, the band playing loudly. Her eyes had to adjust to for a second before she could spot an empty table. It was an exceptionally busy evening. Women in the best dresses and shoes, laughing and leaning on their dates as if to state claim on each man. Hanging on their every word, keeping the gentleman's attention was an art form only the best single gals had perfected, and Lady's game was just as secure. Now to find a man to practice on.

            For many of Ciro's regulars, Lady was accustomed to entertaining, she had her favorites. Mario, a short, scrappy, quick witted former ball player from Chicago with a large penis and small personality spotted her first, and waved Lady over to his table. He had money. An injury during the war left him  with a healthy pension check in his bank account every month. She'd been to his home before and loved the marble staircase designed in Paris but hated the wife. Who, by chance, was at the very table he was waving her over to. She politely waved back . A signal of "I see you...but no thanks" and walked in the completely other direction, his wife, looked up and saw Lady, frowned and pulled Mario's arm down. The wife's brows furrowed in a death stare in Lady's direction, her whole body was like sharpened butcher knives dressed in pearls and satin.

            Around the corner from there was Mario's physical opposite. A tall, gorgeous Banker. Frank. Frankie, as he preferred. Single, small penis. Big personality. His golden hair combed neatly back, slick, his eyes gazing in the direction of the stage where the lights beamed onto the beautiful cabaret singer of the night (Hazel Rose) was crooning the crowd in her signature breathy tones. Frankie was in love with Hazel, and so was every man in the club. But Hazel kept to herself and let the other women, women like Lady, sweep in take it from there. Hazel set the mood. Frankie looked up and noticed Lady's lighter then air walk to a table just off to the side of Hazel's stage. Lady took her perch there filling one of the two empty golden framed and red velvet seats. A candle lit inside of a matching red stained glass fixture highlighted her triangle bone structure. Frankie started to sweat with anticipation.

            "She's beautiful, aint she?" A familiar voice came from behind Lady's ear.

            "Hmm...can't say I fancy someone with red hair, but I guess she's alright." Lady said smartly. She turned to the voice and their faces met. It was another favorite of hers, a man she called Bobby who also noticed her walk in. "Glad you're here." She said leaning, both elbows on the table, her eyes darting to the empty chair across from her. The candle light flickering on her flushed face.

            Bobby was tall, gorgeous budding movie star and the son of a wealthy movie producer James Rickman, whom Lady was also "working" in hopes of building her own film aspirations. Dark hair, eyes so deep they seemed to see right through Lady's dark edges, his innocence and gentle nature  made her feel like she was just as good. Just as innocent. Their moments together we her most treasured. Almost clean...untarnished. He was one of the good one's. And of all her favorite's Lady paid special attention to Bobby. He was a sort of kindred sprit.

            They met in not the strangest of circumstances, being that this was Hollywood. At an audition of course. Bobby had already won a part in his father's newest project when a casting call went out for the female lead. Lady, who scrolled through the trade papers for any kind of part, saw the listing for a "brunette beauty needed for female lead in new Rickman production starring Robert Rickman". Lady dashed to the audition as fast as she could adjusting her make up in the taxi and again in the waiting room with a slew of Los Angeles' most beautiful brunettes.

            A female production assistant came opened a large green door with a clip board checking the actresses name off one by one. As she walked down the line of girls sitting in their most beautiful outfits ready to read any part that was handed to them, the P.A. would mutter something to each girl and check off her name. Some stayed seated, others frowned and left the room. Lady couldnt hear what was being said until the P.A. was right next to her.

            "Name?" the P.A. said looking through the paper work on her list. "have you ever been in a feature before?" She added.

            "No. Never. Well, actually, yes. I was an extra in All About Eve. But my scene was cut. So no. Well, yes and no." Lady said nervously.

            "Ok. We'll see you first." The P.A. said. "Come with me."

The Production assistant walked Lady through the big green door, behind it was a long hallway with photos of the biggest stars in the world. Colette Colbert. Robert Mitchem. Gary Cooper. and Lady's all time favorite star ever...Jane Russell. Jane was Lady's idol. Her lips. Her eyes. her stance. She loved her.

"Miss?? Right this way." The P.A. barked, breaking the trans Jane's poster had on Lady.

            Behind the second door, was the producer James Rickman, the director, and the star of the movie Robert Rickman. Lady was immediately fascinated by him and from his body language the feeling was mutual. Robert (Bobby has he insisted on being referred to in the audition) couldnt keep his eyes off Lady. From head to toe she was gorgeous and serene. Something about her make his heart stop for a second.

            "Now,  miss, we're going to take the it from page 14 scene 3. Where your character, 'Ana' meets Bobby's character 'Vincent'. Got that?" The P.A. instructed.

"Ummm..." Lady said thumbing through the pages to find her scene. "Ok! Yes! I've got it." She said quickly glancing over the lines.

"Actually, if it's ok, I'd like to take it from page 21, scene 5." Bobby said with a smirk, standing up and moving his chair closer to Lady's.

Lady looked down at her script and went through to page 21 and read it over. A kissing scene. She blushed a little but replied "That'd be fine with me."

"Alright!" said the director. "And........ACTION!"

"'Ana....there's no one else I can see myself with. Ever. You have to believe me!'" Bobby said as his character Vincent.

"'Then show me Bob'...Im sorry... 'Then show me Vincent. Make me believe you!'" Lady said as her hand started to shake while holding the script. Her nerves getting the best of her.

Bobby leaned in, his lips like to pink clouds moving closer and closer, Lady closed her eyes and waiting for the moment the a real life movie star's lips would land on hers

"And CUT!" The director yelled right before he kissed her.

Lady's eyes snapped open, her fantasy squashed and yet she felt as flustered and flushed as if he hand his hand up her skirt.

"Thank you miss, we'll let you know." James said jotting down notes on a piece of paper.

Bobby smiled at Lady as she gathered her things, she smiled back politely.

"Good luck." He said returning his chair back to the table with this father James and the dirctor.'

"You too." She replied.

As she left her contact information for the production team with the P.A. she heard a voice come from the direction of the big green door. It was Bobby calling her name. All the other actresses who had yet to be seen were agog and star struck. They had no idea Bobby was in the audition too. His tall gorgeous body shot from behind the door and he bounded over to Lady who was placing business cards and information she had been given by the PA into her purse.

 "Let me guess!" She said with a coy smile. "You got the part!" She laughed.

 "Cute!" Bobby said placing a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, I'd really like to see you again. There's this place out La Ciengea called Ciro's. Meet me there tomorrow night?" He said handing her a folded paper with his number on it, his big brown eyes looking deeply into hers.

"Ill be there at nine." She said, as all the other actresses snickered.

            Back at Ciro's Lady's facial expression was an obvious sign she felt slighted by Bobby. He was after all, there with the woman in the Green who Lady had often seen but never spoke to.

            "Look, I just came to say hello, actually. You're usually here earlier. I'm ...uhh...someone's at my table." Bobby said  nervously lifting his head to a table where a drop dead gorgeous brunette with a familiar face sat in bated anticipation with a cigarette burning in one hand  and brandy on the rocks in the other. Her dress, the most beautiful shade of emerald green had one thick strap on her left shoulder. A luxurious fur slipping off her naked shoulder dipping down to the maroon carpet. A moment of jealousy made a flash of an appearance on Lady's face.

            "Well..." she said lifting her one brow and taking a swig of Champaign a wait dropped on her tape.

            "She's just a friend," he assured her, "but, if you're here in an hour, I uhh...I... can try and get rid of her." Bobby said, his big brown eyes honing in on Lady's breasts.

            "We'll see if I'm here then." She said lighting up her own cigarette, dismissing Bobby even though she wanted him desperately.

Bobby, knowing he couldn't keep his "friend" waiting and still entertain Lady dashed back to his reserved table and tried to calm down his friend. The woman in the emerald green. She was obviously irritated. To be left at her table, alone, even for a split second so her could say hello, to...to HER...the very idea was infuriating.  But Bobby was no novice. He'd been down this road before when it came mixing rivals during the evening. It wasn't that Lady's physicality was all that intimidating, quite the contrary, physically Lady was pretty but couldn't hold a candle to the women in emerald green. Lady had seen here at the club before, or at least she thought she was a regular. Her face was breath taking and familiar. However, the air of Lady, the very way she carried herself, her style and attitude was honey that kept men's eyes twirling. Yes, Lady turned heads. Lady stopped traffic and made other women fume.

            Several hours passed and a few of Lady's other favorites came to say hello. Not to Lady's amusement being that Bobby was neglecting her only a table away with a beauty beyond hers. Not to mention the hole the Emerald woman was burning in her back was making Lady feel uncomfortable in her own territory.

Of Lady's other gents was Jinks, the Junk man. He was extremely fat, totally baled and constantly sweating even in the winter. He owned one of Los Angeles' biggest junk yards and even on days outside of work smelled of the junk he stored. She kindly passed on his company for the evening, this time, but always knew she could relay on him if there weren't any other bites.

            Then there was David Frost. Everyone knew David. He was an actor. Part of MGM's latest crop of fresh faces. He'd been in a few pictures and had the attitude that he was James Stewart. Too bad he looked more like James Cagney. And his breath was devastating. So bad Lady often excused herself to the powder room to take minute to breath fresh air, even if it was bathroom air. As was the case tonight.

            "So there's going to be this whole new production, and I'm in it! You should know. I could be even, maybe, the 4th lead of the whole picture. Imagine that. fourth lead! I'm as good as anyone on that lot. Better then most. Wouldn't you say?" David questioned as Lady frantically tried to breath shallowly. His breath reaching her like a dragon's flame.

            "I bet! Better. Yup." She said gulping. "Listen handsome, I've got to powder my nose. Why dont you run on, get me a Moscow Mule. They're my favorite in this heat." Lady said getting up out  of her chair starting to feel the alcohol streaming to her head through her veins.

            Lady headed her way to the powder room as David bounded to the bar. The bathrooms were just a few steps away from where Hazel was doing her most famous song. One written just for her called "Firefly". Lady mouthed along to the lyrics on her walk into the corridor that was lit in red and purple hews: 'oh, as you glimmer, sweet firefly, oh my, oh my, no one can decide whether to let you live or die, oh my oh my, keep your light sweet firefly dont you cry'. It was written for Hazel, but Lady took it as her own.

She pushed the door of the powder room open. There, standing like an emerald Green goodness, fixing an earring that had come loose was the woman with Bobby. Their eyes met: Lady's like a deer in headlights, The emerald woman like a bull seeing red.

Lady felt a bit awkward, for a split second. And as the Emerald woman stared at Lady through the foggy glass of the mirror, both eyes still burning hole in Lady's peach tone skin, Lady pretended not to even notice her and stepped up to the mirror right next to the Emerald woman.

A mere foot apart.

"Those are lovely." Lady said referring to the Emerald woman's earrings and removing her gloves to apply her make up. "Have we met before?" She added, but No response at first. Lady opened up a silver compact to fix her make up. The Emerald woman turned slightly in Lady's direction.

"Thank you, and no...we haven't exactly met." She said quietly. Continuing to fuss over the diamond droplet earrings that looked like they came off the crown of one of Europe's most glamorous queens.

The woman in Emerald green was breath taking in comparison to Lady's pretty yet modest features. She was taller, thinner and had a sort of dancer's build. Her shoulders were delicate and she had set back. Together they were the most gorgeous women at Ciro's. As the evening went on they'd have to bet the boys off with sticks. "Bobby seems to like you. He can't stop talking about you." Confessed the Emerald woman.

"Cant' he now?" Lady responded coyly. "He's a silly one sometimes." she added feeling the power of the roof shift in her direction.

The Emerald woman's face turned to stone. "I know what you are. I know exactly what you are, and Bobby deserves better. He shouldn't get mixed up with the likes of you." The Emerald woman said stepping closer to Lady's body.

"That's the sexiest thing I've ever heard," Lady said turning her head. "'I'm a sucker for an illusionist. What are the likes of me?" The Emerald woman looked confused at Lady's comment. Lady confirmed: "Bobby knows what I am. And honey, I bet he knows what you are too. Only girls like us get the kind of boys like him, now lets not keep him waiting."

            Lady snapped shut her compact and dropped it back into her white clutch and turned to leave the powder room and as she turned the Emerald woman grabbed Lady's arm and spun her back around so fiercely both women almost lost their balance. Their heels slipping on the white tile with the force of the spin. The Emerald woman's fingers digging deep into Lady's arm.

           

            "I'm be watching you." The Emerald woman said releasing Lady's arm back to drop down naturally at her side.

            The Emerald woman didn't allow Lady to respond and walked out of the powder room just as another woman opened the door, the Emerald woman almost trampled her down in her haste to leave the bathroom. Her perfume lingering like a mystical mist of rose. Lady turned back into the mirror to see the mark left on her arm and said out loud with a laugh. "Girl talk...never ends the same way twice." The other woman looked at her strangely, feeling that she had interrupted something. It was nothing Lady hadn't experienced before. Light pink finger marks. All in a nights work. She dabbed under her nose with a tissue and composed herself for the night head and walked back into the main room of the now very busy Club Ciro.

            The Emerald woman walked back to her table with Bobby. Who was waiting for her and stood up as she came back.

            "Everything alright?" He said putting both hands on her shoulders.

            "Everything is fine. Everything is going to be just fine. Listen, why dont we leave. I bet we can have a better time somewhere else. It's getting crowded and smoky here. What do you say?" The emerald woman said gazing back at Bobby's big brown eyes. She was irresistible.

            "Of course. Ill go bring the car around. You wait out front." He said dashing to the back entrance.

            The woman watched him fade into the smoke filled air of the club like a train disappearing in a foggy night. She walked over to Lady's table and dropped a note under her glass. She looked back at the bathroom, Lady had not come out, once the coast was clear, she too disappeared into the now swelling Fright night crowed.

            While her altercation with the woman in the Emerald green dress was surprising it wasn't altogether a new experience. Lady had often had run ins like that in many a lady's room up and down the Sunset Strip. There was the time she was fixing her coral lipstick at The Melody Room when a man's wife happened to find him there with another woman: Lady. She followed Lady into the restroom and at the most inopportune time (at least by Lady's standards) caused quite the spectacle...all in Russian. The woman was the wife of Ivan Richovitch, a wealthy Russian businessman who frequented The Melody Room for "business transactions". His hefty wife followed him there with his date Lady. Hefty Mrs. Richovitch screamed Russian obscenities at Lady and swung a silver tissue box she picked up off the bathroom counter and hit Lady in the mouth. That not only ruined her freshly applied coral lipstick but cracked her two front teeth. Obviously, Lady could handle the marks on her arm left by the Emerald woman; she was no Mrs. Richovitch.

            Back at her table in Ciro's Lady found the note under her Champaign class. It was folded in a perfect quartered square. When she noticed the note she picked it up and looked to see if he and his emerald-clad gal were looking, they weren't. They weren't even at their table. She quickly opened the letter:

            Dont be angry. She's just a friend. Besides you never rung me back after our last time.. But I'd like to see you tonight too. Later on? Meet me around midnight. Out back.

--Yours,  Bobby.

It was only 10 o'clock now, two hours before he would get rid of the woman in emerald green. She had plenty of time to grab a few more drinks and then meet 'her' Bobby.

            A few dances with strangers meant a few quick trips back to their cars. She was building a business after all. Bobby was the favorite of her favorites but she had to keep things moving in case something happened and he didnt show up at midnight. David Frost was the last before her midnight meet up. His car was a sleek Continental with white exterior and interior that David purchased from his first picture, a sloppy film called "The Last Man" where David played, what else, 4th lead. His whole pay check went to that car, his prized possession.

            David's skills weren't exactly up to what Lady was used to. He was fast and messy. He would normally get over excited and rip through any top Lady had on, but being that she had to meet Bobby after she made sure to have him slow it down a bit. At times if felt like she was with an octopus instead of an actual. His hands went everywhere. Not an inch of her body would be left untouched.

They sat in the front seat and he began to slip the right side the top of her dress down removing her breast cupping it in his hand. Squeezing it tight, pinching her nipple. He moved to her neck kissing her and slobbering all over her ear and collar bone. Lady waited...she knew what was next. David was one of her most predictable lovers, every time the same. He went from her breast down to the edge of her skirt, then up under trying to get into her panties. She always had to guide him to the right spot allowing him to inspect carefully with this hands. He continued to devour her neck she reached into his pants, he never removed any articles of clothing in their meetings. She reached in and laid her head back on the car seat. It was always over in minutes, David may have been in his mid 30s but had the stamina of a 14 year old virgin. His groan ushered in a relief within her whole body. A sort of relaxation came over her that she could now focus on Bobby...it was now 11:53. As he placed their agreed fee into her purse, she straightened up her dress and replaced her hat and vale.

"Always amazing." He said wiping away the beads of sweat from his forehead.

  She opened the passenger side door in the parking lot. The night air still a thick blanket of Los Angeles summer heat winked at him and said "Bye handsome."

            She had to be out in the back in 5 minutes to meet Bobby. She scurried across the cobble stones to the back area parking lot where she knew Bobby always parked, the clacking of her heels in a speedy cadence echoing off the walls of the club and the cars she passed. She bounded around the corner and in the still of the night, only one other sound could be heard. A gun shot. Lady, startled, stopped dead in her tracks, then ran around the corner to the back. There was no one there. She looked left, looked right and saw Bobby's car with the door wide open, a pair of legs sticking out. She ran over to the car quickly and saw silver gun glistening on the pavement from the street lights. She panicked and picked it up and looked into the car. There was Bobby. Bleeding with his pants unbuttoned and shirt untucked. His eyes glazed over. She only gasped and reached into the car on top of him, still with the gun in her hand.

            "Bobby...Bobby!!" She said slapping his face to keep him awake. "What's happened?" She continued. His blood now drenching her white dress. Soaking it, deep within its finely woven strands. He gurgled and tried to speak only letting more blood flow from his mouth.

            "Dont say anything! I'll get help!" she said stepping out of the car and as she did, a scream that would wake the dead rang out loudly from directly in front of her. Her eyes met  the woman in Emerald Green was coming from Ciro's back door,  then a pause, both of them registering what had just happened.

            "What have you done!?!" She screamed as she covered her mouth in horror. "Bobby!" She said.

            The commotion must of spilled to the front door man around the corner because he came running around into the more secluded back parking lot. He was shocked to see Lady's dress covered in Bobby's blood, Bobby's legs sticking out of the car, and The Emerald woman in hysterics. The emerald woman turned to him and said "Hurry! Call the police! She's shot Bobby!"

            "What!? I didn't! What are you talking about!" Lady said shocked.

            The door man was long gone, bolting into the club to call the police. He must have made it known what was  happening because within minutes people starting filling the back parking lot to see what had happened, two men detaining Lady before the police got there and their respective dates consoling the Emerald woman who was pale skinned and cold to the touch. In utter shock but continued to accuse Lady of the shooting. Another club attendee (oddly another of Lady's favorites, a doctor she called Lotti because of his last  name being Laughton) was tending to the wounded Bobby and emerged from the car, also covered in blood with an update on the patient. Just as LAPD arrived.

            "He's ....dead." Lotti said, now as pale as the Emerald woman who hearing the news fainted in the arms of two other women consoling her. Lady still had the gun in her hand.

            The next couple of hours were a chaotic blur. There were pushing and shoving in and out of police cars people everywhere. Lady felt dazed she felt confused. Her eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and too much alcohol. She was now sitting in a cold white room at the LAPD alone waiting to be interrogated. Officially. She hadn't spoken since she saw Bobby in the car. It was almost like it hadn't happened. But it did. Bobby was dead and she was being accused of his murder. She didnt even remember being read her rights.

            The bright light in her interrogation room was stinging. She had to keep her eyes in a  squint to see when an officer finally opened the big steel door painted white on the inside. He came in, dressed in light colored pants, almost the same as her dress and a crisp white shirt. His suspenders clung nicely to his large framed body. He had dark hair, combed back. Lady found herself quite attracted to him. But still in a confused daze of the events she did not speak.

           

            "How are you holding up?" The offer said pulling out a metal chair beside her. She shrugged. "There's a lot happening, isnt there? I know you must be terrified but whatever you do from here on out, you must tell the truth. We need to know the exact circumstances of your situation. Did he attack you miss? Did something bad happen right before you shot him?" the detective quizzed.

            "No." She said darting her head back and forth. "I didnt!" she added.

            "You didnt." The detective said with a heave. "Miss...the evidence from what we saw suggests otherwise. You were found in his car, you're covered in his blood, and you were holding a gun. The gun has your prints all over it. You must of."

            "Bobby was alone when I found him---"she explained as he cut her off.

            "You found him? What are you saying?" The detective said leaning in.

            "The gun, it was...on the ground. I picked it up and----"

            The door opened and another detective walked in. He glanced over at Lady and sneered. "You're gonna wanna talk to this other one too." The other detective said leaving the door open for the first detective to follow him out.

            The first detective stood up and adjusted his suspenders and placed his h and on Lady's shoulder. "My name is Detective Gomes, I've been assigned to your case along with my partner here, Detective Connor. Let me settle something out there, and I'll be right back." Gomes said.

            Connor was big. Bigger then Gomes. Fat, hairy and seemed totally irritated with his job. He never had a smile on his face and would rather be in a bar somewhere then sitting at a desk trying to figure out why a Hollywood working girl shot her well to do John. Gomes and Connor walked out of the room and into the busy police station. It was loud, like a train station. And smoky. There were detectives at their desks on their phones, there street police bringing the night's riffraff  to sleep off their booze and rest before being released into the sun light and prepare for another night out on the crazy streets of Los Angeles.

            Connor walked Gomes over to his desk and sitting there was the exhausted women in Emerald Green. Bobby's devastated date, still dressed in her gown.

            "She was with the victim last night at Ciro's." Connor recounted.

            "I'm sorry about your friend. Can you tell me what happened?" Gomes asked

            "Everything was fine. In the beginning. Then that woman came in. Bobby told me that he'd go over to her table and make sure that she didn't interrupt us." She said fiddling again with her diamond droplet earrings.

            "Bobby felt that she would cause trouble?" Asked Gomes.

            "I think so, yes. The rest of the evening he was nervous. And irritated. I don't know what they spoke about at her table but when he came back he was uneasy." The women in Emerald replied.

            The two detectives thanked the Emerald woman for her time and let her go. She seemed exhausted and grabbed the tiny cup of water a secretary had offered her and made her way to the waiting area where one of the women from the club was waiting to take her home.

            "So what do you think?" Connor asked sitting back in hair chair with his arms behind his head showing off his arm pit stained blue shirt.

            Gomes turned to him with his hands on his hips "Nothing ads ups. No one saw her leave with him, no one saw her outside with him. That is until the bouncer heard the gunshot and ran over and saw her inside the car all bloody."

            "Man, her prints were all over the gun. She was inside the damn car!" Connor said pounding a fist on the table. "What else is there? She's a prostitute who probably wasn't paid off. You know how these go! We see this crap every other night."

            "But it doesn't add up does it? Usually there are witnesses, usually someone comes forward and said they say this and this and this. But not here. We have to fill in the blank. Someone had to have seen her leave and meet him or visa/versa. Let's talk to her." Gomes said adjusting his suspenders and walking over to the room where Lady was still held.

            The two detectives walked into the brightly lit room and Lady had fallen asleep. Connor slammed the door and woke her.

            "Morning." He said placing a cold cup of coffee on the table for her.

            She looked up and wiped her eyes, her left false eye lash dropped to the table. She saw it and removed the other one. Her little nap must have rejuvenated her, she perked up and grabbed the coffee. "Better then nothing I guess." She said.

            "We need to go over what happened last night. Anything you remember and want to let us know?" Gomes said leaning in.

            "If he owed you money? If he attacked you first? We need something." Connor said trying to convince her she'd already done the deed.

            "We already know you had words with him earlier on in the evening. Right now, this situation doesn't bode well for you." Gomes added.

            Lady looked Gomes in the eye and licked her lips. The coffee had finally given her some moisture to soften them...she opened her mouth and said: "I want a lawyer."

            Interrogation over. That was it. The detectives both sat back and looked at each other. Nothing more they could do. Lady had asked for legal representation and that's what she would get. Of course being the kind of woman she was, she didn't exactly have her own legal representation. In fact this was the first time she'd ever been in trouble with the law. She literally had no idea what she was doing, but knew that she had a right to an attorney. At least for now she could try and piece together what was happening without incriminating herself.

            "Alright. What's your lawyers number." Connor asked whipping a pen and paper out from his pocket."

            "I dont have one." She said stiffening up.

            "Listen you, we don't have time for this!" Barked the portly cop now starting to grow tired of the whole situation. "you asked for a lawyer, no cough up his number and we'll call him for you."

            "Calm down, Conn..." Gomes said standing up. "Listen, we'll give you a phone book. Im sure your lawyer is listed." He said dropping a hint.

            "That's right. I have a lawyer, I just dont have his number on me. Thats what I meant." Lady said catching Gomes' clue.

            "Fine. I'll bring in the book." Connor said.

            It was clear that Gomes knew something wasn't adding up and at some point, when he was assigned to the case, he must of seen some discrepancies about it all. He wasn't always so quick to judge like his partner Connor, but most of the time these types of situations did resolve themselves. Lady, after all, wasn't a home maker caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was a creature of the night, a person who probably often saw the darker side of Hollywood and would more or less know her way around the seedy characters she encountered every day. The tough part would be cracking her. The only way Lady would get off is if she admitted to who she was with, where she was and what she was doing at the time of Bobby's murder. And that would break the code of every woman like her and would bring Hollywood's biggest secrets to the surface. A scandal that could shakeup lives of the rich and famous.

Hot shot LA lawyer Finn Miller, who was often connected to crimes and crazies around LA (and carried the know-it-all on  how to get these people off) heard Lady's story by now as the headlines were ripping through Hollywood like a hot knife through butter: HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER'S SON FOUND SHOT TO DEATH: SUSPECT IN CUSTODY. He rushed over before Lady could even pick the phone up to call anyone else.

Finn was smart and quirky and even though his intentions were always well, he really loved the attention and spotlight a case like Lady's could shine on him. He had represented alleged murderers and mobsters from Brooklyn to Burbank in a decade long career. His salt and pepper hair showed his the strain of a long and turbulent cases.

At her arraignment that afternoon Finn's touch was golden, Lady was released on bail and into his custody pending the inevitable trial. Outside the court room in a large marble hallway Lady, still in her white dress her hair still curled and pinned up was exhausted but relieved, was ushered out by her new lawyer. Finn's arms firmly placed on Lady waist, and holding her back just before they stepped out side.

"I have to warn you, as you might now, this story has kind of exploded." He said bracing her for what could be something of a circus outside.

Lady looked at the large courtroom doors not knowing what was on the other side but lifted her chin and took a big gulp. "I'll be fine."

"Wait up!" A voice said chasing them down the hall. His jogging stride echoing back and forth up and down the halls. It was Gomes and Connor, they had been at her arraignment in the back of the courtroom. "I wanted to know if you'd need help getting her to your car." Gomes added.

"How valiant of you." Lady said sarcastically. "We'll be fine, I just want to get out of here."

"You really dont know what's out there do you?" Connor piped in. "Fine. Let'er go."

"Ma'am, there's a swarm—" Gomes started to explain but media hungry Finn interrupted.

"I believe she said she was fine. We wont be needing your assistance officers, thank you anyway." He said turning Lady's shoulders and walking up to the doors. He whispered "get ready...you're about to become the most famous woman in Los Angeles."

And just as he finished his sentence he opened the giant granite doors of the Los Angeles County courthouse, a large limestone building that was like a fortress and just like the two officers suggested, a giant media firestorm was waiting for Lady and her attorney photographers and reports, hundreds of them circling, and colliding and swooping in on them like a pack of wolves attacking two tiny rabbits. Hungry and ravaging them. Snap! Snap! Snap! Cick! Click Click!

"Did you do it?" One reporter screamed.

            "Is it true? Tell us!" Another yelled

            "How many times did you shoot him? Come on doll! Give us a little!?" Yet another screamed.

            Finn covered her face with his briefcase as he tried to cut his way through the jungle of ravaging reporters. "Come on now! Let us through! Come on! Let us pass!"

            The front steps was only 20, maybe 25 in length and would have only taken a couple of minutes to get down and into their awaiting black car, sitting at the curb for a quick get-away, but they were trapped. No one would let them pass. All the reporters wanted a good look at the woman who killed James Rickman's movie star son.

            "Come one! One shot!" A photographer yelled.

            "Why'd you do it? Give us a quote!" Another pushed in.

            "Where'd you get the gun? Is it true you're having his baby?" Another said, trying to get a scoop.

            Lady had always wanted to be famous, but not this way. She couldn't believe how fast the story had spread. Just over night, and already it seemed the world knew who she was, what she was and what had, or better yet, hadn't happened. The two detective at the top of the stairs shook their heads in disbelief at the madness happening just 10 steps away.

            "We gotta help them to their car Con. Come on." Gomes said egging on his reluctant partner.

            "Why? She said she was fine." Conner replied, crossing his arms across his chest.

            They hurried down the remainder of the crowded steps and starts slinging reporters and photographers aside.

            "Alright! Alright! That's enough! You'll get your story. Let'em go! Come on!" They said. "Move aside, let them pass, lets go! Move on! Move on."

            Lady looked back at Gomes and smiled in thanks, her lawyer frantically starting his car to get away from the reporters. It seemed that even he was a bit shaken up by their aggressions. The reporters continued to snap photos of them in their car as they sped off in to the LA streets disappearing into the traffic. "Now! What do you say we get your story straightened out, yeah? Where do you live? We'll pick up some clothes, get you freshened up and head over to my place. We've got a lot of work to do gorgeous. It's gonna be a long one."
            Lady took out her compact and adjusted her make up as they drove over to her apartment. She reached over to her thy and pinched it. She was awake. This was not a dream. She was accused of murdering the one man she actually felt some sort of affection for. She had gotten out of plenty of messes before in her life. But this one seemed almost impossible.

            Finn and Lady walked up the stone path walk way into the lush courtyard of her apartment complex. The walls were canary yellow and the mid morning sun was beating down engulfing ever corner. Lady walked sluggishly up the steps as Finn followed.

            "This is nice." He said looking around. "Seems quiet."

            "Only the best place money can buy." She said with a wink.

           

            They continued the walk down the hall way as she searched her purse for her keys. They walked up to her door and it was a crack open. Lady paused. She looked back at Finn in fear. At first it didn't register to him. Why was she pausing. Then he looked around her from behind and saw the door.

            "You didn't leave it open all night, did you?" He said pushing her aside and slowly creeping the door open.

            The apartment was ransacked. Everything was everywhere. Clothes. Books. Papers. Drawers open. Everything and anything that was once in a nice nook of her tiny little apartment was now in piles all over the floor, bed—everywhere.

            "Well this is definitely interesting!" Finn said looking over the mess.

            "See! I'm telling you. I'm being framed. Someone has it out for me!" She said panicking.

           

            Lady obviously knew she didn't kill Bobby. She was with David the whole time. But the reality that someone was actually out to get her and that it wasn't just a case of "wrong place/wrong time" had never been this clear.

            "Honey you must of had a wild night!" A female voice said from the front door.

It was Lady's neighbor, "E" the woman who lived with Viviane down stairs. She had seen the two walk in. Rolled nicely under her arm, the morning's paper. She flung it over to Lady and it landed, face up, on her bed. The Headline "HOLLYWOOD ROCKED BY MOVIE STAR MURDER" with Lady's photo front and center as the suspect.

            "You dont understand, someone is framing me!" She said picking up the paper for a better look.

            "And I suppose you're the fellow the paper was talking about? Mr. Miller is it?" E asked walking carefully around the mess of shoes and dresses made all over Lady's floor.

            "Thats right. And you are?" the lawyer said, reaching out for a handshake.

            "A neighbor. Listen, honey, whatever you need. Dont you worry. Ok? Whatever it is that happened, I know you're innocent." E Said reaching out for a hug.

            It was odd. She E had never been this nice to her before. E had never been mean to Lady either but this amount of overt kindness from a woman she barley spoke to was a bit off putting. She felt uncomfortable. Almost like E was putting on a show for Finn.

            "Alright, alright!" Finn said breaking up the hug fest. "We have a lot to take care of miss, here's my card. If anything comes up, please give me a call. My client has been released on bail into my custody so we're only here to pick up some things. I'm taking her back to my home. You can reach her there."

            "My! That was good of the judge wasn't it! I will. I will call you if needed. But aren't you going to call the police about all this?" E Said, her hands stretched out over the mess.

            "Was anything taken?" Finn asked looking around the mess.

            Lady looked around the room and noticed a drawer was open in her makeup case The drawer the contains her date book. "Only one thing!" Lady said startled

            "How do you know that? We've been here 5 minutes." Finn said skeptically but then noticed her looking in the open drawer. "What's missing?"

            "My book. My..." she paused..."My date book." Lady said with emphasis on the word date.

            It was a strange thing for someone to take and almost impossible to figure it all out standing in an apartment in shambles. Time was of the essence, they had to get Lady out of there before the press found her. They started to pack things she would need while at Finn's home. She needed to be out of the apartment and safe.

            Lady looked up from the clothes she was packing at E who was now just enjoying the free dramatic play she walked in on with a slight smile on her face and her arms crossed across her floral print dress at her chest. Lady didn't want to talk about anything in front of E. The odd silence in the room made it obvious to E that she wasn't privy to any more of their conversation.

           

            "I get it. I'm intruding. Of course. Listen, honey, like I said, don't worry 'bout a thing, ok? I'll watch your place. It's gonna be fine. Ok? You just take care of yourself." The nosey neighbor said starting her way out of the apartment. "Oh and don't fuss over calling the police about all this!" She added referring to the ransacked one bedroom apartment.

            "What do you mean?" Finn questioned turning to her with a furrowed brow.

            "They've already been here. Early this morning. Probably around the time of your court hearing. Totally forgot to mention that. I heard someone bounce in through the gates, and up the stairwell. When I looked out my door I heard another door slam, probably coming from your place." E said and closed the door.

            Finn felt nervous. The police were searching for something there but only took Lady's date book....Lady's explanations in her interrogation clearly didnt add up their satisfaction. His client seemed to have more secrets a then a Vatican picnic and that terrified him.

           

He helped her pack. But felt uneasy with everything now. The police had been there before him. They were hot on their heels and Lady was still keeping secrets. But that had to change. Her freedom depended on her total honesty with him. And she knew it.

            Lady and Finn pulled in his multi million dollar mansion. A secluded old gothic home that was secluded and private up in the Hollywood his. Here he'd know they'd be safe and free to talk about what happened the night before and to go over every aspect of their case. His Rolls Royce pulled around the cobble stone drive way and the front door opened. A man, presumably his butler, came out in a full tuxedo to greet them.

            "Is that so!" Lady said opening her car door and noticed the opulence of Finn's lifestyle.

            "Is what so?" He said handing her bag off to the butler. "Please make sure she's comfortable." He said. The butler nodded.

            "If all it took to live like a king in this town was make a living at hiding other's secrets, I would have been living like one years ago." She said removing her bobby-pins that had been clasping her hair back in a tight up do since she left the police station. Her hair falling to her shoulders and blowing back in the slight Hollywood Hills breeze.

            "I dont hide people secrets you know. I help them get out of situations like yours. But by all means, if you think staying here is out of the question, I can certainly find you---"

            "NO! This will be fine really. Its almost too fine actually." Lady said walking in ahead of Finn.

            The mansion was everything she had ever dreamed for herself. Grand, huge. Everything echoed. Their voices, the footsteps, she even though she could hear the echo of her own breathing. Finn brought Lady into a large parlor that looked like something from the Palace in Versailles. Lady closed her eyes for a brief second taking in the smell of the well upholstered furniture, the smell of old books and wool drapes. The smell of money.

            "Please sit." Finn said from one of the large sofa's, pulling out papers from a briefcase. "We have to go over every minute of last night before I start anything. First and foremost, if you didn't kill Robert James—" She interrupted Finn

            "Bobby. He hated be called Robert." She insisted.

            "—Bobby...If you didn't kill Bobby who did? And why? These types of things dont just happen without reason to people in families like the James'."

            "Mr. Miller, I assure you. I have no idea. I lo---liked Bobby. I liked him a lot. When I'd see him out he was always the kindest of all my...." she paused to think of a proper title for her favorite dates "....companion." She asserted.

            "Thats all very well, but YOU were caught in his car, soaked in his blood and WITH the murder weapon. You can see why finger's would be pointing your direction automatically, cant you? And, if I may be so frank, your profession isn't exactly one of prestige." He said blushing.

            "Really? Are there people who have problems with medical secretaries?" She coyly said crossing her legs.  "I guess they might. I do handle most of the billing."

            "Medical secretary." Finn said smiling.

            "Medical secretary." She affirmed. "For a Doctor Rawling over in Brentwood. He's very sweet. May I smoke?"

            Finn seemed thrown off by this. She had a day job? It was surprising, he assumed that she made all her money, well, in the oldest profession in the world.

            "Smoke? Of course of course, but not in here. I find the smell sticks to the drapes. Now tell me, what happened last night." Finn said breaking out a pen and paper to take notes.

            She seemed flustered and annoyed, and at some parts of her story confused at what was really happening. Lady couldn't believe that it was actually happening, sure she pinched herself earlier leaving the courthouse but it still felt like a dream. Not a pinch in the world could wake her up. But never the less, it was true. There was no way around the fact that she was the only suspect in murder of a famous Hollywood producer's son. A man she liked a lot.

           

            "So from your best recollection, the only thing that seemed off was that the other men in the club noticed you at once, as soon as you came in? And then there was the altercation with Mr. Rickman's date in the powder room. That's it? Where was Mr. Frost once the commotion of finding you in the car with Bobby came about?" Finn said trying to connect the dots.

            "Exactly. Its normal for my, uh, 'friends', to notice me when I come in to a Club. But only when I have appointments waiting....and I didn't have an appointment with any last night. As for  where Frost went, I wouldn't know. After I'm compensated Mr. Miller, I don't stick around." Lady explained.

            "And what about that woman who was with Bobby. Had you ever seen her with Bobby or even at Ciro's before?" Continued Finn questioning.

            "A few times I think. I really dont know her. She might have been in Bobby's circle before but never with him alone,  not like last night." Lady went on. "Bobby was gorgeous Finn, he could and WOULD be with anyone he wanted to be with. Seeing him with anyone besides me wasn't strange. But when I came out of the powder room, this was left at my table." She said taking Bobby's note from her purse.

            Finn's face froze. He couldn't believe it. This whole time he figured that her running into the body was by accident but she was actually going to meet him. His mind started to race as he read the short note about meeting her at midnight. It wasn't good. This was evidence that she had reason to be with him at or around the time of his murder.

            "Did you show this to the police?" He said holding on to the letter.

            "NO! Are you mad!" She said, shooting up from her seat. "I know what you're thinking Finn. I know exactly what you're thinking. But I didnt do it." She said grabbing the note from his hand.

            "It looks like you did." He said softly.

            "Listen to me. I've received a lot of different notes in my time, men don't exactly like to make deals out in the open in front of their dates or wives. Notes keep it private. And that woman with Bobby wasn't the first woman he's been with only to leave her and ask me to meet up with him."

            "What are you saying? I dont follow." Finn said now standing with her.

            She dug into her purse pulling out paper after paper. Note after note:

           
            YOU, ME TONIGHT AFTER SHOW---RALPH

            MIDNIGHT, MY CAR $50----SHELDON

            WANNA MEET? I DO---DAVID

            DARLING, MIDNIGHT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME,

HOW ABOUT YOU? FREE?---BOBBY

            "Here!" She said handing the last one to Finn.

            He read it and noticed the name signed at the bottom. The note was tiny, ripped in a triangle but very legible. Signed Bobby. But the handwriting was very different. The two notes from Bobby did not match. The one she received last night, did not come from Bobby Rickman.

            Lady's apartment building had become quite the attraction since the murder. The news has spread like wildfire through the small Hollywood neighborhood. Neighbors and reporters had convened in droves to get a glimpse of Bobby Rickman's murderess. Of course by this time, she had already been swept away to the safety of Finn's mansion.

            Gomes and Connor pulled up to an already boisterous and animated crowed of people asking questions and photo journalists snapping photograph after photograph.

            "What do ya say boys? She guilty? Gonna through the book at'er?" One reporter yelped. "Come on, give us a quote!"

            "You know better then to ask that pal. The suspect is innocent unless proven guilty." Gomes said in a stately matter of fact.

            "Thats right, and we're workin on that 'unless' part." Connor retorted in his customary jaded bad cop style. "Now if you'll excuse us we  have some interviews to do."

            The two detectives walked into the complex and found the neighbors quite open to talking about Lady and everything she had been up to the days before and of the murder.

            "Shes quiet, but arent the quiet one's you should watch out for?" Mrs. 14B said shaking her head.

            "Strange. Quiet. No eye contact with me." A Grumpy Mr. 14B said glaring at his wife for approval.

            "Well, I dont know much about her." Harper said. "She's never gone out of her way to be rude to me or nothing. She seems nice, very very pretty." The skinny student said, almost blushing.

            "Really?" Gomes said surprised. "A lot of your other neighbors said she was more ...oh I dont know..."

            "Bitchy!" Connor said finishing Gomes' sentence.

            Harper pushed his glasses up, visibly uncomfortably, and a bit annoyed with the word. "NO! She's never been that way with me, or with anyone that I've ever seen." Harper said, surprising the detectives with his counter depiction to Lady.

            "Have you ever noticed her be violent with anyone?" Conner questioned.

            Harper shook his head nervously. "She seems very kind. Beautiful and kind.

             

            "Not exactly the friendliest gal, I'll say. One of those see me but dont touch me people. Unless you're willing to pay. Know what im saying?" Vivienne added in her interview.

"She's pretty, I'll give her that." E said in her interview.

            "But?" Connor probed.

            "But...she's odd. She's...well, she's one of those girls that don't seem to like to settle, you know? She hardly works but some how affords some of the best clothes. Never made sense to me how a girl like that gets those kinds of things. But you know the rumors...there are lots of rumors. But you should already know all this, since your assistant was already here this morning." E said handing Vivienne a cup of tea.

            The officers looked confused. No one else had been put on the case along with them. Connor pulled out another piece of paper to continue his note taking.

            "What do you mean? We dont have an assistant." He said.

            "Of course you do. Someone came over here this morning right before that girl came with her lawyer to pick up clothes. They wrecked that poor girls place looking for something."

            The officers still confused. "Let me get this straight," Gomes said setting his elbows on his knees and leaning in close to E "someone came before the suspect and her lawyer showed up and said they were with us and needed to get into the apartment?"

            "Well, we didn't talk to them, just heard them, but that's about right." Vivienne added.

            "And it wasn't the suspect or anyone that worked with her legal team.?" Connor questioned.

            "Nope." E Said with a sip of her own tea. "Those two came about an hour after. And seemed pretty shocked at the mess yo—well, not you, this person, made. We dont know who it was. Thought they were with you, I mean you are searching for evidence, I imagine. "E explained.

             The cops were even more baffled. Some one else wanted something from Lady and needed to get it before they came and did their own investigation. They went up to Lady's apartment and saw the mess the person had caused. Things were everywhere, and as they carefully did their own searching they found one small interesting bit of evidence.

            "Check this out..." Connor said lifting a sparkling droplet earring.

            "Well I'll be damned. Either This is the most popular earring in LA or we have a bit of a connection going on don't we?" Gomes said with a smirk.

            "That's what I thought. Wasn't that woman in that green dress wearing similar ones?" Connor asked.

            "Sure was." Gomes replied.

The puzzle just got an extra sparkly piece.

            That evening Lady was in her room at Finn's home deep in the Hollywood hills gazing out of the window. Her mind was racing with all of the possibilities of how all this would end. It was scary and in a way, very exciting. She felt like she was living someone else's life. Finn slowly walked passed her door and looked in. She was leaning up against the window frame posing with a cigarette. Not an ounce of her thoughts played on her face. Lady was very good at cloaking and disguising her actual emotions. It was a trick she had acquired over the years.

            She was dressed in her full length night gown. White and chiffon. The smoke from her cigarette circled her like grey clouds around a mountain peak. The sky darkened as the sun went down over the Hollywood hills cast that golden halo into the room and framed her face. Finn found her mesmerizing and dangerous. But was she capable of murder? He thought of the notes she handed him and how the handwriting didn't match. He thought of the desperation in her voice when she explained it was Bobby's handwriting. She had to have been framed. It was a logical conclusion, but by who? And why?

            "You know you can come in, this is your house." She said still staring out the window.

            "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." Finn said, embarrassed that she had noticed him watching. "How did you know I was here?" He added.

            She turned and put the cigarette out and walked over to her suitcase. Folding the rest of her clothes into the dresser he had provided her. "In the line of work I do Finn, I always know when a man is staring." She explained. "Call it a trick of the trade".

            "Do many medical patience stare?" He joked. "Tell me, what does it feel like?" His curiosity got the best of him.

            She paused to think. "If feels like being pulled in by a magnate. Like someone from across the room has you locked under a spell. You may not see them. But you feel them. Its heavy. It's primal." She turned and walked over to him, still in the doorway. She came so close she could feel his breath.

            "Primal." He said licking his lips.

            "We're all animals Finn. We all have instincts and desires and needs. Some times we say what we want with words. Other times we release them with the way we move and how we react in our environment." She said looking into this eyes. "Hasn't anyone ever made you feel that?"

            He grabbed her wrists and pushed her back softly, he wouldn't be seduced. He wouldn't allow it.

            "Stop." He said stepping back into the hall and away from her.

            "So maybe you haven't." She smirked. "So? Where are we? What's the next step?" She said lighting the mood by going back into the room and sitting on a fluffy beige chair.

            Feeling the atmosphere of the room change Finn comfortably walked in.

"First thing's first we have to find who wrote that note. Do you have any idea on who would?" He questioned.

"None." She answered.

"No one? No one at all? What about that woman he was with? What about her?"

"Good luck finding her. I have no idea where or who she is."

"There's got to be someone who knows her. What about Bobby's father? Do you think he's familiar with the people Bobby hung around?" Finn questions his hands on his hips.

"Bobby's father? He wouldn't tell you anything. He's part of the inner circle, they keep their secrets." She pointed out.

"Even when it has to do with finding out who really murdered his son?" Finn asked in an outraged tone.

"Don't you see? Its all the same to him. It doesn't matter who really killed his son. If it was up to him I'd be locked away. The sooner this whole thing goes the way the better. He doesn't care!" Lady said starting to finally show some emotion.

"Listen. We have to find that woman. She's the only way you'll get out of this. Where would she be?" Finn said picking Lady up out of the chair and forcing her to look at him.

Lady thought for a second, and remembered that there was a huge event planned for the following night....a masquerade ball a Ciros's, the scene of the crime, that's where they'd find the Emerald Woman.

Now the Emerald woman was wanted by two parties, the police who were curious as to why she had been at Lady's apartment in the first place and now the suspect and her lawyer. The mysterious woman had plenty of answering to do.

Over in Brentwood, in a small but luxurious Spanish style Bungalow with a gorgeous white car with a sleek white interior parked in it's half circle driveway lived David Frost, the last man who was with Lady before her arrest. He was pouring  a night cap of brandy into two tumblers. The ice clanked around in the glasses as  his slippers scraped the orange terracotta tile hallway to the sitting room. He had company. His company, sat in a dimly lit room, her back facing the door as David walked in.

"Here you go...this should help cool you." He said with a smile and handed the woman the glass. She looked up from the news paper she was reading, the dim light illuminating the face of the Emerald Woman now dressed more modestly in a fine tweed pants suit. Her hair still up her make up freshly painted.

"Lovely." She said in a whispery voice taking a sip. "Such a shame, this whole thing is." The Emerald Woman said referring to an article about Lady and Bobby's murder.

"What do you mean? She killed someone, didn't she? Of course she deserves this." David said a little surprised by The Emerald woman's reaction.

"And you don't feel sorry for her at all?" She questioned.

"Feel sorry? No! Why would I feel sorry for a whore. She's just a whore. She's probably done a lot of things that no one knows about. She's a working girl. This is what she deserves. Im just glad it was poor Old Bobby and not me." David said coldly, as he got up to a record player. "What would like to hear love?"

The Emerald Woman didn't answer with words. As she quietly got up from the sofa, in the dimly lit room she reached into her purse and pulled out a wire she had wound up in a very neat circle. She extended one side, pulling and tightening the wire about six inches in length and as she got close to David still waiting for her response on her choice of music she pulled the wire over his face and squeezed it around his neck. David was instantly chocked. The woman pulled tight, squeezing, the wire digging into David's wind pipe. He struggled with her a  bit but the surprise attack rendered him weak. He his eyes starting seeing spots. He couldn't breath the dim room turned dark, he could  hear her breathing, hard, struggling to gain her grip. His split second thinking starting to flash, maybe she'd let go maybe he could escape if he pretended to pass out. But she was oddly stronger then he thought! She tightened and as they struggled, David coughed and tried desperately to get the Emerald woman off his back but tripped and fell into the glass coffee table. David's head went straight through and cut a huge gash in his face. The blood went everywhere, his eyes closed and never opened.

The Emerald woman felt his body ease, his breath slow and then stop. She got up from his back and looked down at his crumpled body and saw what she had done and composed herself. She wiped her eyes that had watered in the struggle and collected the contents of her purse that had accidentally spilled out when she went for the wire. She walked over to a golden framed mirror and looked in. David, in his fight had reached back and scratched her on the face right below her left eye. She turned quickly and kicked his body.

"Bastard!" She screamed.

She fixed her hair in the same mirror and walked over to a chair and hat then walked out of the room leaving David's body in the table bleeding out.

She walked over the large bookcase with photos of David's family and friends. All famous people The Emerald woman had seen in movies and on television shows.  Burt Lancaster. Laurence Olivier. Lauren Bacall. All David's Hollywood acquaintances. She stepped into the hallway where there was a large oak table with a telephone on it, she rifled through her purse and pulled out the card she was given the day before at the Police station and called the number.

"Yes, hello? I was calling because I had a tip about the night that Rickman fellow. .......Yes yes! Bobby.....yes thats him. That girl that's been in trouble. You now the one. That one they think killed him? Well, I saw her with David Frost that very same night right before they caught her red handed...........what now?...........no no David...D-A-V-I-D............Thats right. David Frost."

The Emerald woman gave no other information and hung up the phone. The man on the other side wanted her name. Wanted to know who she was, but no. No other information. And just as she placed the phone down she was gone. Leaving David's body in the glass table.

"Well...guess what!" Gomes said putting down his desk phone.

"Now what?" Connor lazily said taking a sip from his cold coffee mug.

"I just got a tip. Seems like our gal had a few other jobs lined up that nighe beside Bobby-boy. A—uhh....." Gomes said struggling to read his own writing. "...Frost. David Frost."

"Oh yeah! The pretty boy from the pictures. Well, alright then we'll take a visit to his place in the morning. I'm sure he'll be delighted to talk to us about how he's sleeping with a murderer." Connor said in his token no nonsense tone.

The two LA Policeman were up early that day. They met as they usually do at the station and talked about  how they slept. Caught up on the latest inner office gossip and picked up the paper to see what else was going on other then their own case, which, was still front page news.

HOLLYWOOD'S MYSTERY GAL STILL A SUSPECT

            And of course she was. No one else was seen with the weapon, no one else had blood all over them and no one else was in the parking lot the night Bobby was murdered. That is...until the Emerald Woman caught Lady. Shaking off the night of uneasy sleep, Gomes and Connor got in their car and headed over to David's home in Brentwood and as they arrived they had a little bit of a surprise. Cops were swarming the place.

David's housekeeper had come that morning as she normally did but didn't expect her boss to be home. He should have been on set by then. She sat in another parlor, just adjacent to where she found David's body shaking and nervous. She had expected him out of the house by then, but when she saw his car thought it was strange, but not unordinary.

"Sometimes he'd be here when I came. Not often. He hated to be late on set. Especially with this new movie he was going to start." She told detectives.

Gomes and Connor walked and recognized the other detective talking to the housekeeper.

"Jeez...sliced and diced." Connor said from the room where David's body was.

"Did you know of any guests he could have had last night?" The other detective asked. The housekeeper nodded that she didn't know.

"So what do we have?" Gomes asked as he pulled the other detective aside.

"She came in to work this morning and found her boss face first into this glass table with a wire around his neck. Hollywood guy. Actor." The detective said was Connor came in to join them.

"Yeah we know. He's actually a witness in a homicide two nights ago we were investigating out in Hollywood. That's why were here." Gomes explained.

"Oh the Ciro's thing?" He asked.

"That's right. So no witnesses here huh?" Connor confirmed.

"Nope. Not a one."

Connor and Gomes walked back into the room where David's body was. The coroner was now there too, photographer for evidence. David's hands. David's feet. The exact position of his body. The two Hollywood cops waited patiently for their turn to get a good, closer look at the now dead celebrity. They needed to get clues to see how this all happened but then, with the flash of the photographer's camera a light sparkled from under the crumbled up table.

"You might want this." The coroner said reaching down into the table right around David's head. He then handed the sparkling object to Gomes. He grasped it very carefully and lifted it up for Connor to see.

"Well turn me side ways and do me raw!" Connor said slamming his note pad shut.

"Another diamond drop earring!" Gomes said holding the sparkling jewelry in the sun.

David's night didn't end well, but Lady's wasn't any better. Sure she didn't have a wire around her neck and a glass coffee table through  her face but it was pretty sleepless. No matter what was happening she was still accused of Bobby's murder, and all fingers were still pointed directly at her. She was sitting on Finn's giant veranda, his butler had brought out a beautiful breakfast for her while she smoked. It was strange. She felt like the richest woman in the world and still she knew all she was, was a common Hollywood call girl.

"Thank you." She said putting out her cigarette and opening up her napkin to start on the eggs.

"Mr. Miller went out to speak to the investigators this morning and to make the reservations for tonight. He has apologized for not being here with you during breakfast." The butler said, explaining Finn's absence.

Lady, although understanding of the situation, felt a little slighted. He was her lawyer after all but she had never been left to eat alone. Although tough on the outside Lady was a very self-conscious little girl on the inside. Her life had always been that way. She had always struggled for the attentions of her parents who were constantly busy. And as a young woman she finally realized the power of her sex and how men would do anything to get her attention. Of course, she learned this the hard way; there was always a give and take. Maybe this is how she got into trouble in the first place.

Lady looked up from her coffee cup and eggs and out into the amazing morning over the Hollywood hills. Her world was changing and not in a good way. An accused murderous. She kept going over and over the night of Bobby's murder and that familiar woman in Emerald Green. Who was she? Where had she seen her before? And just then the butler burst back onto the veranda with in a hail of arguing and yelling. The French doors snapped open and he came out facing backwards yelling:
            "You cant be in here! I'll call the police!" The butler said to the person in front of him forcing the argument to Lady's breakfast table.

"Call them! They know who I am, they wont care." The man said.

The argument startled Lady up from the table, plates and a glass fell and shattered to the floor. The man's face seeped into the morning sunlight and she knew who it was. James Rickman, Bobby's father.

"I want 5 minutes alone with her. That's all I ask!" James said pushing the butler aside.

"Ma'am??" The butler questioned Lady's comfort.

"It's fine. He wont hurt me." She said holding up her napkin to her eye where a stray drop of water creeped out.

The butler looked at James and snarled and walked back inside closing the French doors behind him  but stayed very close as to hear Lady if she needed him.

"They're going to convict you. You know that right? Your a whore and a murder and they're going to put you away for a very long time. My son.....my son made his mistakes but he didn't deserve to die." James scolded.

"I know he didn't. I loved him James. I wanted to be with him as much as possible but—"

"Love!!? How can someone like you feel love? You used him. He tarnished our name! I should have never introduced you to him, I should have just kept you to myself." He screamed. "I will see you die in prison. I swear to it."

Lady got close to James, very close "Now you listen to me, I had nothing to do with his murder and Finn Miller will see to that. We already have a lead. There are things that happened that we cant figure out, and I swear to that! Don't you dare go calling for my hanging just yet James Rickman." Lady was starting to get angry.

"You're despicable! I hope your lies get you where you deserve to be. In hell." James said grabbing Lady's arm. His hands grasped and pulled Lady's body  so violently that it shook the table shook and dropped cutlery and another glassware to the cement floor of the veranda.

"Let her go!" Said a voice from the French doors.

            It was Finn. He had come back with the Gomes and Connor.

            "The police! Good I expect you should be taking her in again!" James said releasing Lady's arm.

            "Actually, no Mr. Rickman. We're here to tell her that we think, or actually, we believe now that there's something else going on  here. David Frost was murdered last night in his home. And we have reason to believe that it was the same person who killed Bobby." Connor explained.

            "Impossible. She was found next to Bobby's body!" James cried out.

            "That's true, but we feel there's evidence that someone else is involved and that person could be framing my client." Finn explained walking over to Lady who was holding her arm. "I'll have to ask you to leave now Mr. Rickman, on your own, or these nice men  here can remove you. You decide."

            James took a look at the police and looked back at Lady who now had a very satisfied look on her face. Possibly absolved? It was so close she could taste it. James buttoned his jacked and started to walk out off the terrace.

            "I'll want a full report on this. Do you understand me? Full report!" James said to the police as he walked out.

            Finn, Gomes and Connor then briefed Lady on what was happening. They felt very certain that the woman in the Emerald Green had framed her of Bobby's murder and also killed David. She buried her face in Finn's chest in relief. She felt almost free. It was so close.

            "So what's next?" She said lifting her tear soaked face.

            "We have to find this woman. If we don't she may strike again, and we have no idea who's next." Gomes said patting her shoulder.

            "We already had an idea of where she'll turn up." Finn said turning to Lady to explain.

            "Tonight there a huge gala at Ciro's. Everyone will be there. I don't think Ive ever seen her there at this part before, but, there's a chance. A lot of people from  my....circle, will be there." Lady said

            "This is great! What are your plans?" Gomes asked, in bated breath.

            "Well...we dont really have any. We're just going to go. I've made arrangements for us to get in full costume so that if she is there, she wont recognize us." Finn said.

            "Great. A room full of people wearing masks. How in the hell are we supposed to find her if she cant find you?" The always skeptical Connor argued.

            "She's after the men I work with. Only the women will have masks. The men usually dont wear theirs." Lady explained.

            It was settled. Tonight at Ciro's Masquerade Ball, they would find a killer. 

But the woman of Emerald Green was already one step ahead of them. She was already making her plans by leaving a note with her next victim's secretary. Reservations at Ciro's for the masquerade ball 9:00. The sectary picked up the phone on her boss' orders to call and accept the reservation:

            "Hello? Yes I'd like to accept a reservation meeting? That's right.....for a Mr. James Rickman, ......yes that's right 9:00. Wonderful....Thank you."

            Ciro's had an annual Summer masquerade ball that was host to the who's-who of Hollywood society. Movies stars and New York Socialites would mingle together and talk polo matches and vacations to Paris and Milan. It was the cream of the crop. One of Hollywood's most glamorous nights. If anyone wanted to be anyone they would show up at Ciro's that night to get a head of the game, and that's where Lady and Finn planned to be. They had to catch the Emerald woman once and for all.

            The woman who wore the Emerald green dress the night of Bobby's murder sat in her own tiny Hollywood apartment fixing her hair. Combing ever so nicely. Adjusting her make up ever so painstakingly as to not reveal a single blemish. Her apartment was quiet and full of books. She was sort of a creature of the night and kept to her self. She put on her false lashes with the finest of ease and care, adjusted the padding in her bra, a much needed support. She cleaned up around her brows and slipped on her beautiful satin gown. Tonight however, it was not a shade of emerald green but the most beautiful royal blue. It was a gown fit for a Greek goddess that tied in the center and exposed her dainty set back shoulders with to thick straps. She was quiet. And looked around her bedroom. It was dark in one corner. She walked over where there was a night stand with a small lamp and clicked the switch. The lamp's minuscule light illuminated the dark wall of shocking  yellow paint and faint photographs of all pinned to the wall...photographs of Lady with men. Lady alone. Lady at Dr. Rowlings. Lady and Joe, her landlord in the courtyard. Lady with Bobby. Lady with David and Mario. Lady everywhere.

The Woman lit a cigarette and stared and the photographs and an anger started to build. A furious feeling that came from the bottom of her feet and shot out through her eyes. She saw Lady as someone who didnt pay attention to her, and as just a passing figure, someone who meant nothing. The woman wanted more from Lady, more then Lady even knew. The rage broke free and the woman went to the photographs and ripped them from the wall tearing them in to pieces, screeching and crying and tearing at the wall like a wild beast trying to break from constrains. The noise coming from the woman were almost inhuman, almost alien. As the last photo was torn for the wall she collapsed the floor of her bedroom in a puddle of royal blue satin and torn paper. Her breathing heavy and panting.

Now calmer, and easing her body back to normal she adjusted her dress, cleaned up her hair and make up and placed the silver mask over her painted face. A face that was glazed over and frozen. Her night was about to begin.

She walked quietly out of her apartment and on her way to Ciro's which was only a few blocks way through a shady courtyard covered in willows. She could hear a couple argue upstairs, just as they always did every night and went past the building mail boxes and the small one bedroom apartment where two women lived. She walked quietly so they wouldn't notice her. She had to leave unnoticed.

Despite her stone cold appearance at Finn's mansion, Lady was a nervous wreck. She was already dressed and waiting in the foyer in her pink gown, that had giant pleats of chiffon that went from her hips to her toes. The top was a gauzy cloud of tulle that framed her face like a rococo painting. Her hair up in giant curls dipped in pearls and a tiny mettle comb. Her hands....a sweaty mess.

Finn walked down the grand staircase in dapper tails looking every bit Hollywood titan. She turned slowly and the evening light peeked through a side window and made her look like she was glowing. He paused and slowed his cadence down the stairs to have this vision last longer. She was breathtaking.

"Hurry up!" She barked.

He smiled as she broke his trans "You look lovely." He said politely.

"Thank you. Your butler has wonderful taste in fashion." She said looking down at her dress. "How did he get this so quickly?"

"We have friends in low places." He said kissing her hand. "I've already spoken to the detectives, they'll be staking out Ciro's all night, in fact they should be there by now." He said looking at his pocket watch.

"As should we! We're late. It's almost 10:00. By this time Im already on my 3 meeting. Who knows how many men that woman has killed so far!"  Lady said paranoid.

Finn found her panic endearing, but she was right they were late. His butler had brought the car around and the two hopped in like two of Los Angeles' most glamorous Hollywood couples out for a night on the town. Lady's hands still a sweaty. She was petrified.

The car ride was quiet at first. Lady and Finn sat silently both probably contemplating the possibility of chaos that night. What they would do or say when they encountered the woman, IF they encountered her. Finn broke the silence.

"So tell me, how'd a girl like you get caught up in a mess like this?"

"A girl like me?" She said staring out of the window to the street.

"Yeah, how does one get the kind of job you have?" He asked.

She thought for a moment, because she honestly didn't know how to answer the question. No one had ever really asked her personal questions before. Especially not a man. It was surprising, she was a little taken aback.

"A lot of bad luck. Sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do to survive Finn. I wouldn't exactly suggest it's a life for everyone, you know, but it's mine." She said turning to him with tears in her eyes.

"Can I ask you another question?" He said looking deep in her eyes, she nodded. "Can I kiss you?"

Another thing a man had never asked her for...a kiss. They had always just taken them from her. Just assumed because she was beautiful, because she was single, because she was alone that they could just force themselves to her. Even when she was working it hurt to feel that the men who paid for her didn't really feel like she was worthy of treating kindly. Simply asking for a kiss, meant more to her then Finn would ever know. She smirked and leaned in.....

"Sir.....look!" The driver said interrupting their moment.

Finn and Lady looked up from their almost kiss and saw that there were photographers surrounding Ciro's front door and no way they could go to the back and park. They would have to walk in through the front door. Someone had tipped off the papers that Lady would be here.

"Jesus!" Lady said exclaimed.

"I had to tell them." Finn said.

"What? What do you mean?" Lady said covering her face from a photographer that had seen her in the car snapping his camera.

"The only way to insure that woman would show up is if she knew you were coming, I had to spread it to papers. It worked!" Finn said in delight.

Lady was furious, her eyes back to their frosty gaze and without a blink slapped him across the face.

"This is all just a game to you isnt it? The Hollywood Whore. The Mistress and the Murderess! Im more then a headline Miller! I'm more then a cheap picture in a tabloid!"

She reached for the door and bolted out of the car sending photographers into a frenzy. They all called her name and pulled each other down to get a clear shot, Finn frantically stumbled out of the car after her and into Ciro's.

"Eh! Look boys! Trouble in paradise!" One photographer laughed noting the obvious distress on Finn and Lady's faces.

"Gonna shoot this one up too doll?" another shouted pulling Lady's attention as she turned to see who said it.

Finn stopped dead in his tracks too like time had frozen, flashes blazing like lightening in a sky full of storms. And just as quick as a flash the camera Lady pulled a left hook into the big mouth photographer's face and laid him flat on the pavement.

"OHHH!!!!! BARNY!" Laughed another photographer. "The knock out knocked YOU out!"

Finn quickly grabbed Lady's arm and pulled her close. "Listen, Im sorry, but we have to stick together!" he said.

She silently agreed and turned her nose up to him but didnt pull away from his grasp. They walked the rest of the way in and she placed her mask of feathers and glitter over her dark eyes. The large bouncer from the night of Bobby's murder winked and pulled the giant black doors with the golden knobs open.

Lady and Finn walked into a wonderland! Ciro's had been turned into a world of silver and gold. There was sparkling lights and streamers that looked like sheets of silver mettle hanging from the ceiling.
            "Do you see her? Do you see the woman?" Finn whispered.

"I cant tell. Let's get a table and I'll look around in a second." She said as they made their way to a reserved table.

And in the corner, on a mezzanine reserved for some of Hollywood's most powerful people sat James Rickman and his date. A woman very interested in the couple who just walked into the club.

Hazel, the night club singer, was in her normal spot. Center stage belting out song after song. Her voluptuous figure glistening in a silhouette of lavender and pink. A solid form. Her mocha skin was like a fine milk chocolate from the Swiss Alps. Her voice a sound no one could compare to. Anytime there was a fight or a moment of unrest inside the club, Hazel's notes never faltered. She just kept on singing as if nothing ever happened. A true professional. Tonight may not be any different. The lights were low, and there was a mixture of tension and excitement in the air especially as Lady and Finn.

Everyone recognized Finn from the papers and the woman on his arm, albeit slightly disguised, could only the one woman he was involved in. As the pair made their way to a selected table about a yard from Haze's stage, the whispers began. It was almost like they whispers were getting louder then Hazel's singing. Even Hazel noticed them. And the woman they'd all be looking for noticed too. She peered down from the mezzanine and watched them get to their table like a hungry panther stalking her prey. She watched every movement Lady made.

            "You're quite per-occupied with them aren't you? I told you they wont make any trouble." James said sipping his champagne.

"She's very beautiful, isnt she?" The woman said looking away from Finn and Lady.

"Sometimes beauty is a disguise for something much more devilish. And that woman is definitely the devil." James said motioning for a waiting to bring another bottle of champagne.

At this point Finn and Lady had not noticed the woman with James. They kept their eyes peeled but never looked up to the mezzanine landing. Lady, for that matter, had only seen her a few times and didn't feel she would be able to spot her without her mask on. It would be quite difficult.

"Nothing yet huh?" Finn said with an eye on the crowd.

"I don't...I haven't....listen this isnt going to work." Lady said in a very nervous tone.

"What do you mean?" Finn poked, sipping from his glass of wine.

"How am I ever going to find this girl, and if I do, what are we going to do? Tackle her down?" Lady's said in a tone that was uncharacteristically full of doubt.

"Listen, you stick to the plan. This woman is going around killing people and she framed you for one of the murders! We have to catch her. If she's here." Finn explained.

"If." Lady scoffed.

The party was now was no well underway and things were getting louder and bigger. The guests were boisterous and the music was blaring. The nerves were starting to build inside of Lady, they had been there for hours and hadn't seen the woman at all. Her discouragement mixed terrible with the champagne and her nerves and it all came to head in her empty stomach. The woman was still behind her mask, now dancing with James Rickman, but she kept an eye on Lady and Finn squirming at their table.

"Finn, I dont feel well." She said taking off her mask.

"What's the matter? Are you ok?" Finn said handing her a napkin.

"I need some air." She said riffling through her purse for a cigarette.

"That's a cigarette!" Finn noticed.

"I like a cigarette with my air! I'll only be minute." She said standing up and heading for the back door.

"You have ONE minute!" Finn said sitting back down.

Lady scurried out the back door of Ciro's and quickly lit her cigarette. She took a deep breath and looked around and noticed she was in the exact back parking lot where Bobby was murdered. Memories started flooding back into her mind. That night. That terrible night. All she wanted to spend time with a man she felt she could be with forever, a man she felt could take her away from all that she knew. And now he was gone. A moment in time she could never understand, the end of his life. Then the back door opened. The music from inside escaped with for a second and became muffled again once the door closed. Someone was out there with Lady. She felt the person's eyes on her back. Burning holes in her.

"Do you have a spare?" Said a familiar voice.

"No I'm sorry, I only brought----" Lady explained as she turned and there in front of her removing her mask was the woman she had been waiting to find all might. The woman from Bobby's murder. The woman in the Emerald Green dress.

Her face was so familiar to her. She knew it from somewhere but not from Ciro's. She looked closely and still...something familiar but different. She squinted and tried to place the face.

            "That's ok, I should stop smoking anyway, I hate the way it makes my hair smell." The woman explained.

            "What are you doing here?" Lady said stepping closer for a better look.

            "Well, the same reason you are. It's a party isnt it? Aren't you enjoying Your date? I know I'm enjoying mine. James, of course, doensnt really have good things to say about you however." The woman said with a smirk.

            "James? James Rickman?" Lady questioned.

            "Mmm hmm, You know him well don't you. Just another one of your cheap dates. Just another one of your tricks that you allow to you use you. Just like David. Just like Finn. Just like Bobby." The woman said. Her face turning dark.

            "Why are you doing this? Who are you?" Lady said stepping even closer.

            The woman now close enough to grab Lady did so, she linked arms with her and from underneath a hand hidden by a coat pulled out a revolver and pointed it at Lady.

            "Dont you make a sound. Dont you dare make one sound, do you understand?" The woman said tightening her grip with every word, Lady silently nodded. "We're going to take a little tip. Come on!" She said pulling Lady down the cobble stone back parking lot into the street.

            The two woman continued a few feet when the woman ordered her into a car. Lady complied and they spun going west on Sunset Blvd to Mulholland Dr.

                       

            Connor and Gomes were sitting across the street and saw the two get in the car. Connor was snoring in the passenger side and was awakened by Gomes' loud yelling.

            "FUCK!! FUCK! Wake up! Con! Wake up! Show time!"

            Inside Ciro's a plane clothed police man who was wired in with cops parked outside came over to Finn to fill him in.

            "Sir, your date has been kidnapped. We're following the car in persuite right now. We have to leave." The police man said.

            "Kidnapped? By who?" Finn said in a panic.

            "The susepect sir. Please follow me." The police man said grabbing on to Finn's arm and ushering him through the large drunk crown into a waiting private car that was tuned into Gomes and Connor who were giving a play by play of Lady's directions.

           

            In the woman's car, Lady barley spoke. She sat in the passenger side holding on to the seat, her nails digging in, fearing what was to come. Lady was starting to feel that this would be the end. By why? Why was this woman out to get her! Lady kept looking at the street, they were going very fast in the woman's car. A car Lady felt that she also had seen before. At her apartment complex. It was the same color, the same make and model of on she had seen parked out front on many occasions. She then looked at the woman. Her face was similar....but, could it really be? She looked ...stared even. The woman was driving fast, her face red  hot. She was nervous too, her blood rushing. Her sweat poring down from her hair. Lady noticed it.

            "Stop looking at me! Look out the window. Just remember this is it for you! I've finally got all your attention havent I!" The woman said as their car creeped around the windy Mulholland curves like twists and turns of a snake.

            The car was very hot. The windows were all up and the summer steam was filling the car like a sauna. Even Lady started to feel it. The continued on their way up to Canyon Lake Drive in the shadow of the Hollywood sign. Gomes and Connor kept a good distance never being detected, then all of a sudden the woman's car stopped.

            "Shit! They've stopped pull over! Pull over!" Connor screamed.

            The police pulled over to the side of the road and backed off a bit.

            "We'll walk up the rest of the way and surprise them." Connor said, and Gomes agreed.

"Get out....get out of the car now!" The woman screamed.

The woman forced Lady to the side of the road and was pacing back and forth. Stress was building and she didnt know what to do or what her plan was now that Lady was her hostage. It was all coming to a head, she had never planned for this to happy.

            Lady was terrified. She was not understanding anything. And still there was something so familiar and yet so different from the woman this time then on the night of the Bobby's murder. Her voice was getting deeper as the night progressed and as she stood on the side of the road in front of a glowing, glorious backdrop of the twinkling lights of Hollywood below, Lady begin to see the transformation. The woman was not who she appeared to be.

            Lady stood there, her hands grasping on to the tin and flimsy guard rail that was meant to help cars from not flying off the side of the cliff into the brush below. She held on so tightly, the woman turned from her pace and pointed the gun at Lady and walked closer and closer.

            "All I wanted was your attention. Something you gave people for money. I would have given you anything. But you're a slut!" She screamed and started to pull her jewelry off piece by piece. "You forced me to sneak around. You made me look for you. You made me hate them men you worked for and then you made me hate you. But I loved you. I could have loved you more then Bobby. Why didn't you understand that? Why didn't you see me!!!" The woman said.

            "I dont understand!" Lady said frantically. "Who are you!?"

            The woman stepped back one step into the car lights and removed a wig. Then she smudged her make up off and lifted her face for Lady to see.

            Lady squinted and looked deep and ...finally! Finally realized why the woman had looked so familiar, and why she had recognized the car from her neighborhood. It was Harper! The shy neighbor from just below that would always open door for lady, and always smile. But never spoke. The same neighbor who when questioned by police and nothing but good things to say about her.  

            "Oh my god!" Lady screamed covering her mouth.

            "I just wanted you to love me too. I just wanted you to be...just be for me!" Harper said now in his real voice.

            He walked closer and got right in lady's face. He leaned in and kissed Lady's face even thought she tried to pull away.

            The police had had seen Harper stop the car from another angle lower on the hill on Mulholland Drive. They hatched a plan to park a little before where Harper and Lady had stopped and walk the rest of the way and surprise the suspect. They were careful. They were quiet and as they turned the corner and saw the two up against the guard rail of the road.

            "LAPD! FREEZE!!" Gomes said from around the bend of the road where the police had walked to surprise them.

            The shock ran down Harper's spine like ice water. He grabbed onto to Lady and pointed the gun at her head.

            "Let her go! This wont solve anything!" Gomes said.

            "You slut! You had them follow us!" Harper said pushing the gun into Lady's scull.

            Lady had been around rough men to know that there was one spot no mad could hide, and with the a big enough punch would knock any man off his feet, even if those feet were in 6 inch heels like Harper's. Lady spun around kicked Harper in the groin, Harper grunted and shot once hitting Connor in the hand and fell to the ground. Lady quickly reached down where Harper was now groaning in pain and tried to grab the gun. But Harper was quicker then that.

            In their gowns, they struggled in the dirt for the gun fighting, scratching and punching. Lady on one side, Harper on another. Gomes was tending to Connor. He looked up at the tussle and aimed his gun, but the two were so intertwined he was afraid he'd hit Lady. The two continued to fight and Harper punched Lady in the face with his free hand. The impacted was so hard it threw Lady to the floor. But with cat like precision she pulled a comb from her hair and lunged at Harper and stabbed him in the eye. The two fell on each other still fighting for the gun. Then a blast.

            Gomes looked up from Connor at the sound of the gun shot, another car pulled around the twisted street. It was Finn and two more police men, all three in tuxedos. Gomes looked over and as the dust settled, Harper's car lights showed Lady and Harper's motionless bodies. They all ran over, and as they got closer Lady stood up bloody and dirty. But standing. It was Harpers blood. She had muscled the gun from him and in their struggle shot him in the chest. Harper lay in the lights of his car in the shadow of the Hollywood sign, in a gown and no wig. Dead.

            "My God!" Finn said, as he pulled Lady into his arms.

            "It was my neighbor! This is my neighbor!" Lady said in a crying out.

            "Ok, it's ok. It's over. Don't worry." Finn said as more police cars wound up the street to survey the scene.

Lady stood in a her room that was now empty. She stepped back and looked at all the emptiness. Her little apartment was filled with memories, some that she would probably wished not to remember. As she packed her final bag, a knock at the door. It was E.

"Hi! Can I come in?" E Said already walking in.

"Sure." Lady said with a smile.

"So, looks like you're all packed up huh? Ready for the new a adventure." E said her arms crossed at her chest.

"Yup!" Lady said keeping conversation to a minimum.

"Listen honey, I hope there's no hard feelings. Viv and I really do wish you well. Who knew that Harper kid was such a psycho y'know?" E said looking around the empty room.

"Yeah I guess one can never tell." Lady said flattening her skirt wrinkles.

"So listen, if you ever need anything, or ...you know whatever. Here!" E said handing Lady a folded piece of paper. Lady opened it, it was her phone number and it was signed:

Emily and Viviane.

"Thank you Emily!" Lady said and she reached out for a hug.

She made her way down the steps of her apartment, and Mr. and Mrs. 14B were arguing again, just as they always did. She smiled and continued on her way. Out side, just passed the yellow painted courtyard that was shaded by giant willows was Finn. Her new best friend. She skipped over to him as he waiting, standing in a gorgeous brown suit.

"Thought you'd never get out here!" He said hugging her.

She smiled and threw he last suitcase into the open trunk.

Emily had followed them both out to the front of the building.

"So! Where you off to?" She asked in her typical nosey fashion.

Lady turned to Emily and grinned a real grin, a smile she felt like had never done before. "San Francisco!!" She said.

Emily Ooh'ed at the idea of the big city by the bay and gave her one more hug. She watched lady bounce into the car with Finn and watched the car slowly get smaller and smaller down Lexington Ave until, she couldn't see it anymore.