A strange man was lingering by her shop and Dinah met him by the wayside. He wore a hoodie, sunglasses and a facemask.
"Excuse me," She said perplexed.
"Sun's out, I'm albino," He scratched his ear.
She eyed him again. "No worries. You seem like you're looking for a good tailor, I presume,"
"Not necessarily, ma'am, I have a delivery for Miss Lawrence," His voice was muffled.
Dinah blinked startled. "But...who are you? Wait, sir!" She waved the parcel and she craned her neck, watching him go, he blended into the public and she stopped to read the initials. She flipped it around.
"Oh, that girl and her frolicking, I wonder what she's up to,"
***
Dinah went into her room and sat back impatient and called her cellphone several times. She grimaced at the package "I mean she wouldn't mind,"
She tore it open and found a card.
She gazed at the screenshots of a man with a goatee and gasped at the shots of the dead man sprawled on a heap of clothes in his room and then her photo with a text crookedly written across. She read with raised anxiety, hyperventilating and fainted.
YOU ARE NEXT ☠
***
Derek looked through his contacts at Odetta's number. For years, their relationship had had a rocky build. They hadn't been the best of friends and they especially didn't see eye-to- eye on her career.
Odetta was volatile, just like her mother Eris. Who sold jewel pieces for a living.
When he compelled her to go to nursing school, she took the courses and then came out of the blue planning to drop classes. He'd been very dissatisfied with her judgment and from there, they separated.
He looked at her last photo with him in remorse. She was behind him beaming brightly with her arms around him.
She left before he arrived.
Edward was responding to the treatment fairly and he watched him from a distance, his lips pursed recalling the way she acted around him.
"Hmm," He reserved his judgement and he resolved to call her this evening.
Derek checked his phone when it rang and he smiled. "Hey, baby sister_"
"Derek, something fishy's going on, I don't know what, some stranger just sent Odie photos,"
"Odie? You haven't seen her? She left the hospital before dawn,"
"No, I haven't seen her in hours. What's she doing in a hospital?!" She said frantic.
They were both frantic and Derek explained on his side.
"Oh, thank God but I have no idea who he was,"
He shrugged when she spoke about Jordan's body and he looked around to the nurse prodding him to sign release forms. He propped the phone to his ear and signed talking.
"Have you called her?"
He froze when she broke the news,
"What?"
***
Paisley's Palace, Uptown.
Jake sat at a reserved table at the restaurant expecting her at any moment, he checked his pocket for mints and then he brushed his hair, waiting, it was reaching on 7 pm and he was very nervous. How was he going to tell her? That only added more to the flame. He checked his watch again and looked up, he smiled when Odetta arrived.
"Sorry...I am...late,"
She wore a velvet tube dress and jacket, her glasses were different with sharp edges, she pulled her skirt to fit her knees.
She pushed up on her seat, "You look good," She pointed and Jake's hand reached over covered hers on the table, he was wearing a casual polo and khaki slacks.
"It's like you never even prepared for this date at all," She smirked.
He was about to make a remark before her phone rang and she cut the line.
Jake felt remorseful about that. "No I did not,"
She giggled and huffed. "Now I might seem overdressed," She flicked a fork.
She smiled wistfully when he toyed with her hand and they separated at the waiter putting down a tray with a goblet of shrimp, lobsters with stuffings and a crab meal.
"Shellfish," She said skeptically as the other waiter poured aperitif wine into her flute and his.
"Bon apetit," He said and left.
"This seems adequate," She murmured raising her glass to her lips and stopped when he had a look of entertainment and they clinked glasses.
In a moment, her shoulders shook, chuckling and looking aside.
"What's so funny?" He leaned over interested.
She dropped her glass, "I did not know you would be so comely in a civil environment," She threw her hand around.
He wore a mocking stare "You really think I couldn't fit in anywhere else other than a monkey cage?"
She scoffed "No?" She had a funny image of him as a war veteran in a cell and she cleared her throat.
"No, that's very mundane,"
"I'm actually glad you came," He said and her fluttered shut when he reached over and they fluttered open again when he flicked the silver bangles from behind her ear.
"You missed the whole trick,"
She reached into her hair "My earring's missing,"
"Oh, right," He brought it out of his pocket and gave it to her.
"I love these," She said with a lazy drawl as they dangled glittering.
His eyes rolled slowly "Right,"
"No, I really do, they complement my outfit," She jerked her sleeve.
He chuckled. "Those are coming off after tonight and they're never coming back_"
"No, no, no..." She said in her defense and they babbled at the same time.
"It's that drawl of yours," He rotated his finger.
"What drawl?" She questioned touching the base of her neck.
"That," He had a sly grin.
"Okay, I'm not used to hand ornaments," They jingled.
"I am gonna lose these in my drawer. Why would you even consider buying this in the first place?" She ranted clasping her hands together under her chin. The bangles glittered. "I thought Jake Wyatt never buys stuff that have sentimental value?" She explained rolling her eyes. "Hmm?"
"Because I love you,"