The Curse of a Single Boy

43The Curse of a Single Boy

The best thing I can think of at this moment is the end of the day. Normally the last half an hour is the slowest part of anyone's day. But not today, today the seconds tick by slower than tree sap in December or is it molasses in January. The point is that I just started my eight hour shift fifteen minutes ago and I am bored out of my mind. What is a person to do?

The cubby monitors, as I have started calling my supervisor Vereen Templar and her cohorts, have enacted 'The Rules'. Vereen Templar supervisor for Team Waffles at Graves Island Marketing (GIM) my current bane of existence and boredom enforcer. The woman wasn't a bad person but right now she is the face of everything that is driving me crazy. Well almost everything.

The standards have fallen; according to the 'book of boredom' it must be the fault of non-work related things such as books, magazines, cell phones, etc. This is one of the curses of the call center. If the numbers or standards fall the rules are quickly enacted to make the employees fall in line. Why did I choose to work in this type of environment?

Oh that's right I wanted a non-complicated job that allowed me freedom to just be me. What was I thinking? Wait, Wait did I just hear a beep. Maybe my day was looking up. Nope that wasn't my headset that was someone's cell phone. Before I could sink back into my own mind a shrill voice interrupted my thoughts.

The real and true bane of my existence Lacy Thorston co-worker, evil incarnate, or just a she-demon take your pick the woman was all of those. For me she is the mortal enemy of my happiness. The woman sucked the life from everything I did if she had the ability. The next words would make my day however.

"WHAT YOU'RE BREAKING UP WITH ME!" Lacy Thorston screeched from her desk. Due to a rather sad turn of events the previous month I had found myself shuffled to a new desk cubby. Right across the room from my most hated enemy. The last month had been a rather sullen affair for me at work. Lacy being dumped by her secret, supposedly rich lover was the start of an amazing cake.

Vereen practically flew out of her office. "Lacy what are you doing? No cell phones on the business floor."

"Oh please no one has had a call in over three hours. Time to call it. We are down." Lacy said logging out of her phone and walking off toward the elevator after she grabbed her bag.

Vereen huffed in indignation. She was livid and by the look on her face wanted to make my personal happy day birthday celebration come early. I knew of course that this would never happen. Lacy was a good employee, dang nab it. Competition was her bread and butter which made for great sales. Harry Dodson loved great sales and would pander to Lacy to keep her with Graves Island.

Harry Dodson team manager for the customer service/sales teams at GIM the mouse that hides behind the jello. There was little backbone in the man. He let things slide to make people happy and less likely to yell at him. When it came to company sales however that little backbone solidified showing why he was in charge of the floor. He could put up a good front if his job was threatened.

Vereen knew that Lacy was one of Harry's favorite children. Just like I was one of her favorites, yeah she is a good person no matter what the 'book of boredom' demanded of her. She sighed then turned to face the rest of us. "I hate to say it kids she's right. We are out of business today. Pack it up."

I glanced at the cubby next to me. My brown eyes caught those blue orbs of Brogan 'Tiki' James he laughed and nodded. There was the final cake placed in front of us like a last meal. This was turning out to be a great day after all.

By the time I reached the stairs another person had adhered to my side. "So, where to beautiful?"

"To the bar, Ronnie." I said as if I were a wealthy aristocrat ordering a limo driver to take me to the ritziest place in town.

Veronica 'Ronnie' Dale best friend, step-sister, and all around lover of life laughed aloud as she shouldered her bag. I loved that laugh. My best friend sounded so free when she laughed. I had the luck of having a friend that worked in the financial division of the GIM. She had the luck of being able to work from home if the demand came up. Normally she worked the same general hours that I did but would sneak out if I had the time off. There's the icing that cake needed.

Veronica and I stepped off the elevator into the crowded lobby on the first floor to find our way blocked by employees and family members of deceased. The traffic jam was not unusual as the lobby or rather space on the first floor was limited. The first floor and basement of my building housed the building owner's office and his sister's business as well as the cafeteria, which was still closed due to the aforementioned incident a month ago. The Fare-Thee-Well funeral home however was a major, thriving business in the city of Everest. Surprisingly laying people to rest was lucrative and the business had been in the family for generations.

Christine Hartley, sister to my best friend's boyfriend Braxton Taylor and inheritor of the Fare-The-Well funeral home stood to the side of the jam with a concerned look. The reception room for her and John Hartley's funeral services was an expansive room located just past the desk in their main lobby. The main doors of the Fare-Thee-Well for some chaotic reason led to the tiny space between the elevator and the living world rather than directly to street level.

Christine sent an apologetic look in our direction. "I will have every one out of your path in just a few seconds. Braxton is working on fixing this type of jam as we speak." She turned to the crowd to announce that the reception/viewing room was open and asked that those here for the memorial service of Brandon Hebermyer please enter.

I walked passed Christine with a fond smile; the average height brunette looked as though she needed a friendly gesture today. The phones were down in her office too I expect. It looked as though the jam was caused by a possible double booking when Christine's husband John led a group of people from the lobby to a second rarely used reception room at the back of the building. "Wow I hope that they were prepared for this type of eventuality." I said.

Suddenly I found myself nearly pulled off my feet by my excited friend. Veronica was hiding behind a building strut while at the same time peeking around it. "Do you see that?"

"What?" I asked glancing around the strut to find the cause of her concern.

"I swear that is Mr. Fourth Floor caught in a lip lock with a rather ripped blond." Veronica stated annoyance and vengeance in her voice. There may have been a bit of admiration for the ripped blond as well.

"We have really got to get that guy's name. We can't keep calling him Mr. Fourth Floor." I said realizing that the man did resemble Mr. Fourth Floor.

Mr. Fourth Floor, recent crush and now boyfriend to Brett Carlson chef extraordinaire at Pugsley's restaurant/caflocated two miles approximately from our current location. That would be our next stop. Pugsley's is a street level business that is the face of what is affectionately known at Halt Them Hall. The building was an old warehouse for Halton and Son's fisheries before renovation. The name is still a part of the building and it's become synonymous with the Prairie Walk.

The old structure is stunning. The renovation changed the old warehouse into five Loft apartments, one apartment per floor. Veronica owns the loft on the fifth floor while Brett's mystery boy rents the fourth floor space. Brett had been crushing on Mr. Fourth Floor for months with no stopping in sight until about three weeks ago. Mr. Fourth Floor asked him out.

Now here Veronica and I were watching as the Mr. Fourth Floor look alike tried to swallow this blond guy's head. "This could easily be nothing, right?" I said uncertainly.

Veronica did not agree with that thought. "I want to put my foot through his face." I glanced at my best friend in shock, not at her statement I am of course in full agreement. But who does this guy think he is? Nobody does that to our friend, our knight in shining chef's hat.

"You are not wrong. I'd like to have a shot at him. Let's get out of here. I really want to check on Brett and make sure he is okay. I mean something had to have happened right?" I said my eyes glued to the figures working the lip lock outside the building.

This was a huge shock. Brett was a good guy who deserved a good guy. How this loser could do this to him? Okay stop yourself right there. I took a deep breath grabbed Veronica's arm and slipped out of the building with the crowd.

"What are you doing? We could have had him." Veronica said pulling away from me but not returning to the scene of the crime. The crowd of employees dispersed at the crosswalk that led to the Prairie walk trail. The trail would take us right to the Pugsley and was a beautiful walk on a normal day. Today it was the gossip trail.

"Reality check Monnie, we are not sure that was Brett's fourth floor man. The man could have an identical twin for all we know." I said maneuvering around two of my co-workers. For years my friends and I had called ourselves by the names of our favorite cartoon mysteries characters when we were solving our own fantasy mysteries. The characters were 'squires' from a seventies cartoon named the Knights of Enigma. Monnie Blazer was the perfect match for my friend Veronica, tall brunette smart with an appetite for adventure. Me, I was more the series tomboy who followed the flow but always had misgivings, the voice of reason also known as Matches Munroe.

"Of course he doesn't." Veronica said catching a part of the whisper conversation from the girls we passed.

I glanced at Veronica with a look of surprise. "How do you know?"

"I asked." She shrugged without remorse. Before I could retort her green eyes lasered in on me. "What is this I'm hearing about Lacy?"

I sighed my cake day seemed to have become a mess of burnt flour on my plate and for once Lacy wasn't the cause. I let the subject of Brett's boyfriend drop for now while explaining the morning's events to Veronica. At least this way she wasn't working up to solving the mystery of Mr. Fourth Floor.

By the time we reached the Pugsley, Veronica had a few theories about Lacy's break-up one more absurd than the last. The only thing that saved me from having to investigate the mystery man in Lacy's life was the appearance of my current heart throb Emmett Hollis. Emmett Hollis my current boyfriend, long time close friend and all round nerdy good guy also known as Pulch Turlie. Emmett may seem to others to be the lady's man of our group with his chiseled features and Hollywood good looks Veronica and I knew the real nerd buried in that hot body.

Emmett had stepped up to the counter to hand out the most recent order. The waitress Megan Thames was out for mid-terms leaving the restaurant a little short staffed. This left the boss to fill in. Megan Thames college student, avid mystery buff, terrible about sticking her nose into situations she should stay away from. We had decided to kind of adopt her into our group as she reminded us of another character of the Enigma, Litter younger sister of Draxos. Brett got the dubious honor of being Draxos Ruletter from our mystery series, the son of the kingdom's leader and the true face of stardom.

"So how can I help my beautiful ladies, today? Shouldn't you be at work?" Emmett said as he returned from his delivery. The breakfast rush had started to slow down affording Emmett time for us.

I spoke before Veronica so I could get to the heart of why we were not at work before she filled him in on the latest insanity. "The phones were down. We couldn't function and the cubby monitors are still on the warpath."

"I thought you said you weren't going to call them that anymore." Emmett said giving me a look.

"I can't help it. It's a fun name." I said delving into the mocha that was delivered to me. He knows me too well.

Veronica looked about ready to pop. Emmett turned to her and nodded for her to start her story. "Okay let's start at the top. Lacy Thorsten has apparently been dumped by her secret boy. Loudly and as publically as that relationship ever got, she got dumped via cell phone."

Emmett turned to me with a questioning look. "And why aren't you bouncing off the ceiling with excitement over this news."

I grimaced. "I was until we were released early and saw someone Brett's close to or one fantastic look alike trying to inhale another man's lungs outside the building. I have been trying to curb Monnie's insatiable need to know. I knew the Lacy story would hold her for a bit. How's Brett?"

The stunned look on Emmett's face told me all I needed to know. Brett had no idea what his new friend was up to. "Why would Brett be upset?" Emmett asked.

And there it was the spark, there was a mystery to solve and we were about to embark on another great adventure. My head dropped to my arms on the bar. "Can we please eat first? I think it's time I became a stress eater."

Veronica looked at me shocked. "You missed breakfast?"

"That whole thing with the cubby last month has thrown me off especially since the cafeteria is still being cleared and remodeled. I know there are little units on each floor for now but it's not the same." I whined a little.

Emmett chuckled. "Well I had been planning to come by on your first break with a small snack for you but since you're out early. What would like me to whip up?"

Oh the joys of having a chef for a boyfriend. Brett and Emmett had gone to cooking school together after college. That along with the business degrees helped to make Pugsley's great. Of course I could be biased as the two men had been part of my immediate circle of friends since we were in grade school. Veronica and I were the ones that moved to the Prairie Walk for work and the boys just seemed to follow along. Emmett could have taken a job in New York and Brett had been offered a position in Paris.

"Can I get a 'famous' omelet?" I asked with a smile.

Veronica snorted. The 'famous' omelet was not so much unique in the ingredients but in the presentation. The omelet consisted of eggs, milk, avocado, spinach, jalapenos, yellow or orange peppers, green onions, olives, and of course mushrooms. No cheese please unless specifically requested. The dish was served over homestyle potatoes and biscuits and gravy. This made for a hardy meal but it was a meal made for two.

It had original been named the 'Sweetheart' breakfast omelet but had changed when Everest's most famous resident Holland Macleod had stated in his restaurant review that the omelet was his favorite ever. Holland MacLeod journalist, writer, and occasional restaurant review blogger. He had won awards for his writing and he wrote about whatever took his fancy.

As breakfast was plated up for Veronica and me I noticed that there seemed to be a commotion outside the restaurants front window. A brunette woman was yelling and shoving a man. I could not see the man's face but his build was familiar. "Veronica, do you see those two outside?"

"Sure do looks like a pretty heated argument. That guy really looks familiar. I wish he would turn around." Veronica said taking her first bite of our shared omelet.

Emmett turned to the argument when he arrived with our plates and noted our interest was outside the window. "Oh that's Taylor Prang and her brother-in-law Morgan Turlett. Turlett's father was in the news awhile back some bank scandal. The family was featured in a local interview about the case and his involvement."

Taylor Prang, brunette bombshell that loved drama, she married into the wealthy Turlett family three weeks before the biggest scandal in Everest since the murder of Mayor Shanna Montgomery. Ms. Prang had been center stage with the rest of the Turlett's for the grand unveiling and has been trying to find a way back to the spotlight ever since.

Morgan Turlett on the other hand was not so much a ladies man as a man's man with a cubic ton of chip on his shoulder and no real eye for the media. The boy had been raised in the lap of luxury and was educated in the best schools his daddy could buy. When his father tripped off to another country to retire taking all the money with him and leaving the family destitute Morgan had nearly wet himself on national television. It's too bad it didn't take him long to figure out a way back into the golden seat of the rich and famous. He sold his story to the highest bidder.

"Oh right I remember. Morgan Turlett swore up and down that his father could never have committed such a crime. Then daddy dearest ran off to some South American country with no extradition option taking all his ill-gotten gains with him." Veronica said. She had been salivating over the investigation. Veronica loved her mysteries and loved money. Financial investigations were of course her favorite cases.

"Yeah he sure looks less than pleased with Ms. Prang touching him." Brett Carlson said appearing in the kitchen doorway. "What do you think they're arguing about?"

We all turned to look at our friend as he dropped onto a bar stool next to Veronica stealing a bite of our omelet. "Brett, when did you get here?" Veronica said.

Brett smiled. "About three seconds ago. Well they must be having quite the row. I heard at least one person on the phone to the police on my way in."

"Oh hey so we thought we saw your Fourth Floor man today. Where's he at?" Veronica asked changing topics before I could stop her. I elbowed her side. "What was his name again?"

Brett grinned in self satisfaction. "Grayson Porter."

"Well that's a name isn't it?" I said trying not to laugh at the look on Brett's face.

"He is a dream." Brett said.

I glanced at Veronica. We both had the same thought. I refused to voice it. I would not let her either. "So are you and Grayson going out tonight? Cause we could have him over for a party at Ronnie's tonight."

Veronica looked at me. The smirk she had told me that I had read her mind. What have I done? I had spent a significant part of my life following my friends through mystery weekends, mystery movie fests, and mystery conventions. I should have seen where that kind of question would end up going. I shook my head. The smirk widened, Veronica was on the hunt. This would not end well.

Luckily Brett had some sense, "No he's working tonight."

I sighed. Saved, or was I? The look was still there. Veronica had another idea. My weekend just took a turn into crazy town. I turned to Emmett for help and realized that I would not get any backing there. My boy Emmett had also seen the look on Veronica's face, his curiosity was peaked. Emmett wanted to protect his friend and Brett had been hiding his newest beau. This meant that Emmett was looking for information on the new mystery man without having the same information that Veronica and I did.

"Well that's too bad. Will he be available tomorrow? I am sure that we can come up with something to do on such short notice." Veronica said looking like she had stumbled on the biggest clue of the day.

Brett looked a little confused. He had obviously seen the look too. "Well I guess we could rearrange our plans a little. We had planned on going to the park for the street fair tomorrow. I know that they are having a mystery competition if you want to meet us there."

"That would be great, right Melody?" Veronica said turning to me as she took a bite of the absolutely scrumptious omelet.

I glared at my friend over my own mouth full of my breakfast. She really had the best timing. I let her know in no uncertain terms what I thought of this idea with a look. Unfortunately I was not able to actually voice my opinion as a squad car chose that moment to appear. Taylor Prang and Morgan Turlett's drama took center stage again. The officer quickly got out of his car and stepped between the two queens outside the Pugsley. It suddenly struck me as funny that these two 'well bred, upper crust' people could be getting arrested for starting a street brawl.

Apparently I was not the only one that had that thought. My friends and I broke out into full blown laughter as the two miscreants were taken away in handcuffs. The fight had obviously comes to blows as Taylor was sporting a bloody nose and Morgan's left eye had started to swell. The man also had a bit of difficulty standing up straight. The front door to the restaurant opened to allow entrance for three college girls. The lead girl was our little waitress, Megan Thames.

Megan glanced around and noticed us by the bar. She quickly made her way to our group after making sure her friends were seated. "Geez Brett what did you do?"

Brett stopped laughing and looked at the girl perplexed. "What?"

"I have seen a lot of things in this city but never have I seen an upper class cat fight over a restaurant chef." Megan said grabbing some menus from the bar. The morning crowd had dispersed during our morning conversation leaving the restaurant clear. The two waitresses on staff for the day were quickly cleaning up from the morning guests.

Brett looked to Emmett for help. Emmett took up the gauntlet as he always did for one of his fellow squires in crime. "Explain from the top Megan."

"Well, I heard Ms. Love me I am perfect Taylor Prang yelling obscenities at the lovely Mr. Morgan Turlett when I came from my chem exam. Ms. Prang said that Mr. Turlett needed to get over his college fling and move on. Mr. Turlett said that she knew nothing of his love for GP, whoever that is and that if he could not have what he wanted no one could. Ms. Prang yelled back that there was no reason to take it out on some lowly grease jocky. Mr. Turlett said that the lowly grease jocky was a renowned chef in this city and he would not stand for his boy running around on him." Megan said. I am pretty sure she doesn't breathe when gossiping.

Veronica and I turned to Brett looking for confirmation if any of that was accurate or if he knew. Brett looked a little red but didn't bluster or hide when he said. "Yeah Grayson has dated in the rich and wannabe famous pool. I am sure that he mentioned he and Morgan Turlett had a fling. Morgan has always been a gay man living in a straight world. He also thinks that money buys you everything and Grayson did not want any part of that so he broke it off."

Remembering the man on the street that the Grayson look alike had been trying to devour like a chocolate cake I had my doubts about him wanting nothing to do with the money can buy everything. The ripped blonde had a very expensive watch on as I recall. Veronica raised an eyebrow at the comment as well.

"Anyway, I have no idea why Morgan Turlett would be grousing about who Grayson is doing or not doing." Brett said before turning to the restaurants kitchen. Well that was uniquely Brett. I laughed again knowing that the comment was probably correct.

My friends joined me in laughter before we settled back into everyday discussions about our co-workers and the mystery's that each of us was reading.

Veronica and I left the Pugsley an hour and a half later to make plans for the following day. Friday night was always a big night at the Pugsley this left me at loose ends without Emmett around. Veronica had much the same problem as Braxton would be out of town for another week. What did people do at funeral service conventions anyway? I would probably never know the truth about that as Braxton was not talking. Of course, I asked when he brought it up.

We headed out of the restaurant through the back door that led to the secure building where Veronica lived. I have no qualms about using my friend's monumental apartment for my own personal needs when the time allowed. Today was one of those days. I lived out of town in a small suburb of Everest. The town of Fort Night had the small town feel with a big town and college nearby. There were a large amount of college kids that lived and/or worked in the Fort Night area.

My friends and I had grown up in this little town and did not want to live too far away when we moved out on our own. I had a house, a dog, and a cat. That was my home but some days I would not get far enough out of my friends range to make it home. My family still lived in the same neighborhood however and babysat my dog and cat when I was out for the week. Veronica planned to move out to the same community within three years. She had a rock solid plan to get Braxton where she wanted him then get him to settle into the local suburb with her.

I had no plans for my future with Emmett. We were still too new. I was still in the worried 'I will lose him' stage of our relationship. Emmett apparently did have plans not that he would share them with me. He said the time wasn't right yet. I think he is waiting for Brett to settle before moving back home. He and Brett were still sharing a two-story walkup outside the college campus. The owner loved having them there as he could charge them more and they helped out with the maintenance.

The door to the apartment shut with a barely audible click before Veronica swung around with a huge grin on her face. "We have some major snooping to do."

"Ohh noo here it comes. We are not going to drag Grayson Porter through the mud." I said hoping to stop the glint in my friend's eye from becoming the reality that I know it will. The reality is that we're going to be sucked into the greatest tragedy of Brett's life, a tragedy of our own making.

Veronica snorted as she leaned over her bag searching for her computer. "Don't worry we are not going to be looking just at him. I want to know what was going on around him."

"What?" Clearly this train of thought switched track while I was derailed. "What do you mean you want to know what went on around him?"

Veronica stopped setting up her computer and turned to face me. "Morgan Turlett. Brett said that Grayson admitted to dating him. I want to know why that didn't work out. There was also a rumor going around that when he was in college there was a scandal on campus. I don't think he was directly involved but I can't get it out of my head."

I nodded understanding. When something is stuck in your head there is no getting rid of it until the curiosity is satisfied. Of course there was the part about this being about Morgan Turlett and not Brett's new beau directly. I flipped on the television while Veronica did her best Monnie imitation. Veronica had been at it for over an hour when a news clip caught my attention.

"In our top story a body has been found near the Ravine Tavern and Grill off highway 1060. The authorities have not released the victim's name at this time however the description is a young woman in her early twenty's. The victim was shot in the face making visual identification difficult. The authorities are requesting any information that the public may have in regard to this gruesome crime contact Harts County Police Station at the phone number listed on your screen. I'm Marcus Gentry and this is the Everest Breaking News."

Marcus Gentry, Mr. Flare for the Dramatic, the ladies' man that only has an eye for his mirror and no real idea of what a woman wants. The man started as a newscaster in college at Everest Lakes University, my alma mater. He was arrested for domestic abuse on six different occasions while in school, at least that's the rumor. The man has an unusual habit that gets him in trouble with the law but no one is really clear on what that habit is. I have my theories, just like everyone, I believe that he has a habit of inventing evidence and attempting to convict innocent people of crimes.

"I see the ever popular in his own mind Marcus Gentry is back on television." Emmett said as he stepped into the apartment. He set down the packages he carried onto the counter and started to pull out boxes.

I turned away from the television to watch my boyfriend. "I thought you were working tonight."

Emmett smiled. "No Brett wanted all day off tomorrow to be with his new friend so he took the night to train our newest chef."

I smiled. "That's right the new Mr. Aleczander Hartley. How is he working out so far?" Aleczander Hartley, newest employee of the Pugsley, tall dark classicly handsome with no ties to the community. The man is a walking clichfor college football captain that fell from grace and became a chef. He blew out his knee then followed his other passion. He is also the first person to take a fancy to our little Megan that the boys approve of.

"He seems to be handling the kitchen and the lunch rush went well. I just hope he can handle the day to day. I have him scheduled for at least one of our busiest days each week. Tomorrow will be his first real test in the kitchen for the day. I will not be in for the rush until dinner." Emmett said knowing that I would not be happy if he missed the Knights outing we had planned for tomorrow. After all what is a mystery without our Pulch.

"Good I wouldn't want to have to drag you away from your kitchen." I said.

Emmett opened his mouth to say something hopefully romantic when Veronica yelled from across the counter. "Score! Ha I knew it." Veronica jumped from her seat and danced in a circle for a moment.

"What did you find Monnie?" Emmett said a little sarcastically.

Veronica stopped and looked at Emmett in shock. "When did you get here?"

Emmett and I laughed. Veronica in a research frenzy left the rest of the world behind. An atomic bomb could go off and she would never know to look up in awed horror. "Well I arrived about five minutes ago when you were stuck in research land. Now whatcha got?"

Before Veronica could answer the question a knock on the door drew our attention. I opened the door to find Detective Thomas Shereborne. The Detective sighed. "Hello Melody I'm here to speak with Veronica."

I opened the door further to allow our favorite detective entry into the spacious living room. Shereborne did not have a chance to speak before Veronica was all over him. "This is about Mr. Fourth Floor, Grayson Porter isn't it?"

"Okay I haven't even gotten in the door yet how do you know why I am here?" We met Detective Shereborne during a murder investigation at my office last month. And wasn't that just a lovely affair. Detective Shereborne had found our investigation skills interesting. We had obviously made an impression. Or at least one of our little group had. "You're snooping already. The news was just released less than fifteen minutes ago."

"What news?" I asked hoping that he was not talking about the news that I just watched.

"There was a body found last night in the parking lot of the Ravine." Detective Shereborne said rubbing his forehead. This was a trait he picked up after meeting us, I'm sure.

"There was a body already." Veronica questioned.

Shereborne looked confused as did Emmett and I. "What were you talking about?" Shereborne asked.

"Grayson Porter, I was researching his past. There was an altercation in front of the Pugsley today. Brett was named by one of Porter's exes." Veronica said not really paying attention to the Detectives body language but I was. He did not look happy about this news.

The Detective stiffened when Brett's name was brought up. "What does Brett have to do with this?"

Veronica finally noticed the Detective's stance and the concern in his voice. "Brett's dating Grayson Porter."

"WHAT?" I was shocked when Detective Thomas Shereborne nearly yelled the word. Shereborne did not do emotions like this while on a case. He was a good Detective and he didn't just give into what he was thinking. Maybe his interest in Brett was not just as a potential witness after all.

Veronica sighed. She quickly turned the tide of the conversation back to the reason for Detective Shereborne's visit. "Yeah after the altercation between Morgan Turlett and Taylor Prang I remembered that Morgan had been involved in a scandal in college. I was just researching the details. There were murders on campus of young woman in their early to mid-twenties that had been seen on campus with Grayson Porter."

"That's right, the young women were said to be dating Grayson Porter. Roommates, friends and family of the victims said that the girls had been threatened by someone. There were letters and calls telling the girls to back off Grayson he was taken. Each contact became progressively worse, more desperate." Detective Shereborne said repeating information that had been released to the public. I could tell that the Detective was holding something back. That something was the key piece to the investigation I was sure.

Apparently so was Veronica. "The signature was there wasn't it?" The Detective looked surprised. "Oh please, there has to have been something that was held back. Something only the investigators and the killer knew. Otherwise anyone could have committed the new murder. There has to be a way to identify the original and a copycat."

"You really are a mystery buff aren't you?" Detective Shereborne said a smile in his voice. "Okay there was a signature to the crime. I will not tell you what it is. But it does look like the same person. Originally the investigation focused on Grayson Porter that changed when Porter was found beaten in an alley in Tijuana just before the last victim was murdered."

"Timelines confirmed it huh." Emmett added to the conversation. As a group of amateur detectives we know when to keep the game just a game. There are however some mysteries that we are very willing to be sounding boards for, if our Detective is willing to share.

Detective Shereborne nodded. "The murder occurred within half an hour of the last victim's disappearance. Porter was found in the alley an hour before she disappeared he didn't regain consciousness until the next afternoon."

"So what has you upset about Brett dating Grayson?" I asked the question that was sure to put the Detective on edge.

Shereborne huffed. "Well first off Grayson Porter is a zit on polite society the women who went missing he was dating all of them at same time. Second he has a stalker. A stalker that is focusing on the woman in his life yes but I am afraid that he or she will escalate to men soon."

Veronica could not stand it anymore. She had been ready to burst with the news since the Detective walked through the door. "We saw Grayson Porter with another man this morning. A wealthy ripped blond. Porter was doing his best to swallow the other man's head. Also the altercation at Pugsley's Morgan Turlett threatened Brett. He said that if he can't have Porter no one could."

I smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand. I should have seen that coming. Before the Detective could say anything I stepped in. "We don't actually know that it was Grayson Porter. The man we saw looked like Porter but you would have to review surveillance to be sure."

Detective Shereborne did not look surprised by the news. Emmett on the other hand, "Wait you saw this when you left work and didn't mention it."

I gave Emmett my patented 'well duh' look. "No Pulch I didn't let Monnie over here tell you about a potential mystery that could hurt your best friend. I know you two. You get a hold of a mystery and shake it until it falls apart. Besides we did mention it in a roundabout way we just weren't specific."

Emmett looked hurt. "You didn't trust me."

"What was your first thought when Veronica brought up the fact that Grayson Porter was part of the investigation in college?" I asked knowing the answer.

"I need to research this." Emmett said grudgingly. He knew that I was right. Without proper interference this mystery could put Brett in a bad situation and hurt him more than anyone cared to admit. Emmett was very cute when he pouted though, so no harm done from my point of view. At least my point of view in that second Emmett would want to talk about this as soon as we had a moment alone.

"Okay well that is something to look into." The Detective did not look happy. "Damnit, I will have to have someone interview Brett. Is there anything else relevant that you can add to our investigation?"

I shook my head as did Veronica. Emmett turned to the detective. "Grayson asked Brett out about three weeks ago, he asked Brett not to tell anyone about the relationship. He has refused to meet any of us or Brett's family since they started dating."

"What? Why didn't he say anything? And why are you still letting them date?" Veronica asked furious if the red of her face meant anything.

Emmett looked a little red himself. I could tell he didn't want to admit anything. "I'm not really supposed to know that. I was eavesdropping on their conversation when Grayson called the apartment one day. I'm not proud of it but I was worried about Brett and maybe I had reason."

"Hey, no need to defend." I said knowing that any of us would do the same thing to protect our family. "Ronnie is just upset that this is coming back to bite us."

"Yeah, we should've encouraged the other crush. I will of course be requesting a full back ground check for his next boyfriend." Veronica said turning to the Detective. "Can you make that happen, Detective?"

"No. But if you are really nice I might consider telling you what I know when I run my own investigation on said person. Now if you would excuse me I have others in the building to interview." Detective Shereborne said.

The Detective turned to leave when Emmett added, "Brett is in the kitchen training a new Chef. You should have no trouble discussing the information with him."

Shereborne nodded without missing a beat as he exited the apartment. "Yeah thanks."

"Yeah I really do need a background check on him." Veronica said through her laughter. She turned to face Emmett and me, "Well I am off to take a shower and I will be taking this with me."

I watched her grab a sandwich and plate for herself before she disappeared into her bedroom. "Sooo..."

"Yeah this is not how I expected this to go." Emmett said.

I knew that he was talking about the information not being disseminated. "Maybe we should really consider what we tell each other. I didn't want to lie to you or omit information but I didn't want you to encourage Veronica either."

Emmett smiled. "You were right you know. I would have done the exact same thing as Ronnie. I would have encouraged her without thinking of the effect on Brett until it was too late. Sometimes living with him I forget that he is not the hard man I am."

I laughed. "Yes because you are so tough." Emmett grinned that full wide smile of his that melted my heart. I sighed. "Let's just agree to tell each other everything without exception and work through it together."

"Okay I agree. I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I didn't think it was my place." Emmett said brushing a hair out of my face.

I agreed with him it really was not his to tell. "No it wasn't yours to share really. We don't know the circumstances maybe Grayson had changed his ways and wanted to protect Brett from his stalker. Obviously that may not have been the truth now that we know your information and mine. I am sorry."

"I forgive you. You always were that voice of reason when we dove into the unknown head first." Emmett pulled me close and I rested my head on his chest. "I think it's best to stick to the full disclosure request from now on. It may actually help stop us from diving into a mystery."

I looked up into his hazel eyes. We both burst out laughing at the same time. There was no way that was going to happen. But maybe we could avoid some conflicts that way. It would be the best option to keep a healthy relationship going I thought. Of course there would be things that were not shared but those would be the things that we would forget because it was not important. That I could live with, I hope.

I glanced at the sandwiches that Emmett had thoughtfully made for us. "Let's eat I am not sure how much more of this day I can deal with right now."

Emmett smiled. "Well actually I was thinking we could head out to the park for a picnic." He had made this type of outing a main stay for our relationship. A picnic at least once a month, when it was not raining we would go to the beach. When it did rain we would end up at the parks observatory gardens. There we would sit in the greenhouse style garden and enjoy the weather or head up to the observatory to watch the stars. Stars were always on display in the Celestial Shower.

I smiled. "Okay but you know that we need to be back in time to take Veronica out to dinner." I banged on the bedroom door. "Going out. We'll be back in about two hours."

Emmett had thoughtfully written a note as well, he left that on the counter in the kitchen. I grabbed up and repacked the lunch before following him out to the trail. Observatory Gardens was within three blocks of the park. We walked to allow time for talking about everyday things that did not matter to Detective Shereborne's investigation. This did not last long however.

Emmett turned the topic of conversation in a circle coming back to the earlier topic. "Okay so if the girl that was murdered outside The Ravine was killed in the same way as the previous victims why wait so long?"

"I know right. Morgan and Grayson would have been in their last year of College when we were in our junior year. That was like six years ago why did the killings stop?" I said following Emmett's line of thought. Although I did not want to get involved and hurt Brett I knew that there was no chance for me to stay out of it. Besides Detective Shereborne was now involved and that meant there was no chance that Brett would not be right in the middle. He would need his friends.

"The murderer must have found something else to hold his attention. Like prison for another crime." Emmett said trying to analyze the behavior of a criminal.

I don't know about analyzing the mind of a criminal but I do know something about human nature. "Or maybe he found someone else to hold his or her attention. Maybe Grayson Porter was not the killer's only obsession."

"Well that's not ominous and creepy in anyway." Emmett said as we entered the Observatory. The weather had been kinda nice for the previous week but was starting to cloud over and rain was being called for. I wanted to see the Celestial Shower exhibit today.

I turned in a circle looking at the shower of stars that fell from the night sky surrounding us. "I love this don't you?" I stopped when Emmett didn't respond. Emmett was watching something on the far side of the room. The room was dark to allow the best viewing of the meteor fall above us but there was enough light to see others in the room. I could just make out Grayson Porter and the busty brunette that was sitting in his lap. "Ewwww..." I managed to utter before I grabbed Emmett's arm.

"That son of a ..." Emmett started to say. He was seething. I pulled him from the room into the hallway where I kissed him. The kiss lasted less than thirty seconds. Not our personal best but it worked to distract most of his anger. He took a deep breath then looked at me. "Thanks. I still want to kill him but..."

"Yeah I know the feeling. Veronica and I had similar thoughts when we saw him with the blond. Wait I think they're coming out." Emmett pulled me back into a dark corner to hide behind a large plant. What is it with my friends and hiding from Grayson today?

The brunette left the Celestial Shower room first. She was ruffled but still gorgeous. She was taller than me by a couple of inches, wild brunette curls, looked like brown eyes, and honey skin. She could have been a walking angel if not for her obvious demeanor and dress. She was not a call girl or street walker but she did not have any sense of style. The definition of white trash, as she slunk away I could see a well-defined tattoo on her uncovered back. A python wrapped around a black lotus with one word 'Bloom'.

Grayson exited a moment later with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. I had to wonder if he was just sexually satisfied or was there more to that look. He glanced around but did not stop as he left the observatory.

"Wow he really is a zit on polite society. How could Morgan Turlett ever fall for that? I mean I know that Brett fell for the body and the honey sweet words but Brett's a romantic he really needs someone that will give him everything." I said not sure why this man got away with having so many affairs and not getting caught.

"Brett and Morgan have one thing in common. They don't want to see him for the man he really is. Brett wants the object of his crush to be the romantic hero and Morgan wants that docile little housemate that is more butler than lover." Emmett said without preamble.

I sighed he's probably right of course. Emmett took my hand and pulled me toward the main gardens for our picnic. There was no way we were going back to the Celestial Shower until we had thoroughly wiped that image of betrayal from our minds.

By the time we left the park I was stewing in my own questions and ideas and I am sure that Emmett was as well. My mind was on the picnic and Emmett for the most part but there was another bit that still went over this new puzzle repeatedly. The big question of 'why did the killings stop' was at the top of the list. Emmett smiled when we reached Halt-Them-Hall.

"I'm going to head into the restaurant and see how things are going?" Emmett said he wanted desperately to talk to Brett, I'm sure.

"Okay I'll see you later then." I said releasing his hand and taking the stairs to the fifth floor.

My mind was flowing through a million possibilities as to why the killings would suddenly stop. I remembered the information that Veronica had found online about the incident in College. Marcus Gentry had left the school about the same time the killings stopped showing up in the press. I had the feeling that Grayson had left as well. Morgan had finished his degree with a more prestigious college on the east coast but he had left before the killings stopped as I recalled.

I passed through the living room leaving Veronica to her work. I saw that her home office doors were closed when I stopped in the kitchen for some iced tea. I grabbed my bag from the couch when I had my tea the headed to the guest room. My tablet found its way out of my bag onto the bed.

A quick shower and I was ready to fill in the blanks for the investigation from my college days. The articles that I found from the 'Lakes U Slasher' were plentiful but mostly speculation. The police had not released too much information. The articles that seemed to be legitimate and based on fact were about the relationships of the victims. The victims were all female, tall, and brunette generally but that was the most they had in common other than the actual death scene.

The first victim had been shot in the face just like the others. Shala Todd had been a soccer scholarship that had found her way into some of the richest parties on campus thanks to her relationship with Grayson Porter. The two had dated for a few months before her death. This is where things got odd as far as I was concerned. There was a picture that was provided to the paper for the article.

The color picture was grainy showing a group of drunken college students dancing, spilling alcohol, and getting very cozy with each other. The couple, supposedly Grayson Porter and Shala Todd, in the picture was wrapped around each other and barely visible to the camera. The man was obviously Grayson Porter as he had turned enough to get a view of his face.

The woman could have been anyone except for a very distinctive tattoo that peaked out of the low cut back of the shirt she wore. The tattoo was a Verelly Crops Design. A muskrat holding a golden shield with a family crest in one paw and a glistening sword in the other.

This was excess and egotism at its best. The woman in the picture could not be soccer scholarship Shala Todd. The woman in the picture was someone else, the same someone who had been outside the Pugsley having an argument this afternoon. This woman was no woman. This woman was Morgan Turlett. I printed the picture and added it to a file that I had started to put together.

The next morning I sat up on the couch in Veronica's apartment a bowl of cereal in my hands and cartoons playing on the television. I could hear the sounds of the city waking up outside the open window but no life in the apartment other than myself. I would be finding my way to my own home before the day was over but a quiet morning in the city was always nice once in a while. I stood and moved to the kitchen to wash my bowl when the breaking news theme came on.

"This is Marcus Gentry reporting Everest breaking news. I am outside the doors of the Celestial Shower exhibit at Lancaster County Observatory Gardens where a body has just been pulled from the pond of serenity. The pond of serenity has been a local attraction for years and has seen many tragedies including the murder of Mayor Shanna Montgomery. Today it has bared witness to another. The body of a young woman was found floating face down in the pond amid blood, brain matter and bone."

"Aggghh..." I heard from across the room. Veronica was making an appearance before getting dressed for the day. "Way to paint an unnecessarily graphic picture there Marcus."
Yeah Veronica was no fan of Marcus Gentry. It is too bad because she adored Marcus's sisters.

The report continued, "The young woman looks to have the same damage as the previous victim from the murder at the Ravine two days ago. Information filtering in from my sources say that the Ravine victim was killed in the early hours of Thursday after closing. Are these two deaths related? Do we have a serial killer rampaging through Everest? More on this building story as information is released. This is Marcus Gentry Everest Breaking News."

"Wow how does he get away with some of that stuff? I'm pretty sure that he just spouts whatever comes to mind and doesn't actually have a filter." I said dropping onto the kitchen stool to watch Veronica get her morning coffee while my tea water heated back up.

Veronica yawned. "Do you remember how we met Brett?"

"Yeah, he tried to stuff his crayon up my nose then told me that aliens made him do it." I said remembering the event.

Veronica snorted into her coffee. "I was up half the night last night reading over the information from those college articles. Marcus was there writing every one or he was reporting on it for the school news station. The way he sounded was gleeful. Just like the day that Brett told you about his aliens. He sounded like he planned something and it was coming together. I just can't help but think..."

"I bet you could." I said knowing where this line of thought was going. Everest Lakes University had three forms of news media print, radio, and television. The college offered classes and degrees for each media. Marcus Gentry had become obsessed with the news. He worked through all three media until the scandal in his final year. The College had found out that many of Marcus's stories were fabricated. Apparently he was not getting the ratings that he wanted and turned director of events to get the story he was looking for.

He had been quickly suspended but was allowed to keep his credits and transfer to another college to finish his degree. Veronica wasn't the only one to research the fool last night. Although I want to agree with her on this I just have to wonder if the why is worth killing for. The stories that I found he fabricated were nothing of this caliber. I mean really saying the a man in drag was the first woman killed in those tragic events was stupid but shouldn't have impeded the investigation.

Veronica gave me a sly look over her shoulder. She knew what I was thinking. "You did your own research last night as I'm sure Emmett did. What are your conclusions then? If it's not Marcus setting the stage for his own Pulitzer, what is your theory about the murder?"

"I think this is above and beyond the caliber of stories faked by our buddy Marcus. Don't get me wrong I still believe that he is an opportunistic little ship and that he has some odd involvement in this but I don't think he's the mastermind on this one." I said.

"I completely agree. There is no way that man would commit murder for a job. He would happily take money from the killer to give them a voice to the media though." Brett said finding his way from the guest room door to the coffee pot without opening his eyes.

I glanced at Veronica confused. I don't remember when Brett arrived. Nor do I remember him sleeping on the floor of the guest bedroom when I slept in the bed. I am sure I did not see him when I woke up. "You're an extremely heavy sleeper. Brett got in about two this morning and dropped onto the couch. He probably switched to the guest room while you were in here making tea at five am."

I thought about that statement for a moment, yeah that made sense. I did notice the couch was ruffled this morning and that was a better explanation for the odd shuffling noises this morning. At least it was better than my ghost theory. "You ruin all my best ghost theories."

Brett snorted this time. "So you think Marcus is involved in the stalking but not the murders?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. So what have you been told so far?"

Brett's cheeks reddened a little and he looked down at his coffee mug. "Emmett told me everything. I feel like an idiot but at least I got fantastic friends looking out for me. Thomas told me to talk to Emmett after he interviewed me. He thought I would need someone to take care of me."

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner." I said knowing that Brett had really liked the guy.

"No you waited for proof. That was the right thing to do. I'm sorry I didn't see this coming but these things are not obvious. I will be having a talk with Grayson Porter later this morning about his many conquests. Emmett said he would go with me. You don't mind do you?" Brett asked.

"No of course not, you need him and I still have Ronnie." I said dramatically.

Brett laughed. He looked so carefree when he laughed. "Yeah you do. Although I may have to take you away from her you know. I will need lots of attention. Oh and just so you know. Thomas asked if he could join us this afternoon as sort of a protection detail. I guess he thinks that there is a possibility of me getting caught up in the killers plan."

Veronica looked calculating. "There is no chance of you stealing my best friend without me you know that. By the way when did our detective become Thomas?"

I felt my interest in this conversation shift to the new happy topic. Murder was not a happy topic and we wanted to make sure that Brett was okay with the soon to be ending relationship. This was where friends were needed the most although now we could truly investigate the horrible tragedy that surrounded Grayson Porter, it would come in second to making Brett happy again.

Brett's eyes lit up when Thomas was brought up as more than just a Detective. I hadn't seen it since the day Brett was first introduced to him. This was the relationship that I wanted to support but Grayson Porter had taken that final step first. I hate to admit even to myself that Grayson Porter had given me happy chills and he seemed like a good fit for Brett on the outside. But luckily his true colors came out in time. Now how about this thing with Thomas?

Brett turned away from us for a moment to get something from his bag. Our Draxos was a swashbuckler who believed in always being prepared. A phone appeared from the depths of his backpack. "So Thomas showed up at the Pugsley to talk about Grayson yesterday as you are aware, well he had a bit more to say than just what's going on with the case."

"I'm sure you are going to tell them what that was soon." Emmett said as he entered the apartment. Emmett had gone home to the boys shared apartment the night before. He had wanted to talk to Brett before the inevitable blow back from his relationship. I'm sure that the talk was draining and Emmett had headed home to get everything he would need for today. He arrived with two changes of cloths, a file and his laptop. Pulch does not do anything lightly when it comes to his investigations. He is usually the second one to fall in head first however.

I knew that Emmett and Veronica had found the same information that I had. It was time to compare notes and bring Brett up to speed on his latest beau before delving into his new crush. "I'm guessing we will not get details about that for a while. So where are we on our investigation?" I asked.

Veronica nodded. "Yes let's get down to the gritty of Brett's ex."

This was our favorite way to spend a weekend, solving a mystery. I have no objections left at this point. The Knights would ride today hoping to solve a cold case mystery that had the police baffled during the original investigation. I just hoped that we could stay out of the new investigation but I had my doubts. The last time we delved into an ongoing case we nearly found out if ghosts really exist.

Brett dropped onto the stool next to me as Emmett set out breakfast. My man was good at taking care of our hunger needs. The Pugsley would be running without the owners today and the new chef would be taking on the morning with only the regular staff. This should be an interesting day. I had been ecstatic when I found out about the new chef and that the boys would be hiring two new managers for the restaurant. This would mean more time away from our hang out as well as more time together.

Veronica set her laptop on the counter next to Emmett's. "Okay here is what I have so far, Marcus Gentry," I knew that Veronica would focus on the Marcus Gentry angle. "Tabloid shmuck, that somehow made it to television with a stint of scandal all his own, was a top student in the media field. He was a scholarship kid through the first two years of school when he changed his style. Dear Marcus went from serious journalism to the much better paying smut stories. He sold stories about our other suspect Morgan Turlett to the highest bidder."

Emmett jumped in before Veronica could jump to the next piece. "He also lined his pockets on stories about Taylor Prang. My research shows that she was close friends with Marcus and victim number one Shala Todd. Why would he be writing scandalous stories about his friend and how would he still be her friend?"

Brett stole a sausage from my plate before stating. "They were in on it together. The only way he would still get to keep the friendship and keep from getting sued was to make sure she got a cut. I remember some of those stories. Fiction or not the backlash from one Marcus Gentry exclusive would have destroyed the good Taylor Prang."

"Yeah I'm with Brett, Prang does not seem the type to hide from a good fight and the things that Marcus said about Ms. Prang should have ruined her not elevated her. Unless she had a hand in what was being said and used it to her advantage." I said.

Veronica nodded as well. "That makes sense she had to know what a wealthy man would be looking for in a wife. A wealthy man from a family like the Turlett's would want someone that could weather a scandal with her dignity and family morals intact. So she works with or hires her dear friend Marcus to create scandal for her to 'show off' her assets to the wealthy families. Nice."

"But that doesn't explain the dead Shala Todd or the other girls." Brett said.

I felt a little sick at the thought that Ms. Taylor Prang could have killed the three college girls to get her scandal. "No but maybe something else does." I said pulling out my research. I dropped the printed photos onto the table. "The first picture is supposedly Shala Todd and Grayson Porter out at a wild college party."

Emmett leaned over the pictures saying, "Yeah I saw that one too. The picture was taken the night Shala Todd was killed. A picture taken by a starving art student that had sold it off to Gentry before the body had been removed from the parking lot where she was found."

I smiled. "Yes but Shala Todd is not the girl in the picture. Look at tattoo."

Veronica and Emmett glanced at each other before diving onto the picture to get a good look at the tattoo. Brett caught my eye over Emmett and winked. He had found the same picture and realized the same thing I did. Although by the look on his face he had not connected all the dots any more than I had.

"Oh my god!" Veronica said sitting back up in her seat. "This is huge I wonder if the police saw that."

"I'm sure that if the original investigation team missed it that Thomas found it." Brett said valiantly hiding his blush.

I laughed. "You called him last night didn't you? You told him what you found."

Brett smiled. "I couldn't help it. When I saw the picture and realized who that tattoo belonged to I needed to know that Thomas had all the information. I knew that he would be at the office working on this so..."

"You called him to make sure he saw what you had. What else did you talk about? I know that when I left the Pugsley last night you had said you would close up and come up here for the night." Emmett said waggling his eyebrows at Brett.

"I did some research while the dinner crowd cleared out last night okay? When I saw the picture I called Thomas then we talked about maybe having dinner tonight after the fair." Brett said in a dreamy voice.

I know it may seem callous since Brett just ended or would be ending his current relationship but I see Porter as space filler. Brett had been pining for our Detective since the first time he laid eyes on him. Besides Porter was never anything serious for Brett, even though we thought different, especially if a Detective could turn his head so easily. This is a good thing. Our Draxos needs to have the commitment and love of someone true to him.

"Okay back on track. Does the good detective agree with our train of thought? I mean if this really was Morgan Turlett, as the picture suggests, then the killer may have been out to get him not Shala Todd." Veronica asked hoping that the police were on the same track.

Brett nodded. "I was told that I could give you a little information. Yes the police are looking into that theory as well. They are looking back at all of the photos received in regard to original three murders. The two recent murders are not on the same level though."

I couldn't help my next question, I really couldn't. "What do you mean not on the same level?"

Brett grimaced knowing that he may have said too much. Luckily for him he did not have to answer. A man cleared his throat behind us before providing that part of the picture. "The original murders were not as savage more clinical. The murderer or murderess wanted to set the stage, keep the police guessing and keep the media's attention. The murders this time are sloppy, vicious, there is no staging. The body is left where it fell. There is no story behind the crime." Detective Thomas Shereborne said as he entered the apartment.

Veronica had made it very clear to the Detective that he was welcome anytime. When Brett had invited the Detective to our gathering today he must have told him of our usual pre adventure morning ritual. The Detective had even brought a treat of his own for our pleasure. He set the box of heavenly looking strawberry lairs on the counter. He smiled as Brett and I snagged one each.

"The media is just sitting on the outside investigation on this?" Emmett asked helping himself to an lair while plating breakfast for the Detective at the same time. Emmett was a big believer in breakfast being the 'most' important meal of the day. The lairs were just a surprise dessert as far as he was concerned.

"Thank you. Yes the media is hounding us for information in these murders rather than leading us." Shereborne said digging into the eggs benedict on his plate before adding. "This is awesome."

"Thank you for liking them. What about our theory?" Emmett said finishing off his lair.

"It's sound and is where I think the focus for the original murders should be. These new murders though..." Shereborne looked haunted for a moment. "Copy cats are simply emulating the original; it usually means that they are trying to impress the first killer or continue the previous killers work. But this doesn't feel like a copycat. The killings are similar but not precise. The new killer is trying to cover up his killing by hiding behind another killer. This could become a war if the original killer decides to take objection with someone using his or her signature out on the public."

"So the original killings were possibly concocted and executed by Marcus Gentry and Taylor Prang?" I said hoping to get a definite idea of where the investigation was really going.

Shereborne smiled. "I'm not at liberty to say. But I can tell you that from my research into the first case and the picture evidence Morgan Turlett was meant to be the original victim. I think that Shala Todd was a case of mistaken identity."

"The killer saw Porter with Todd at some point and thought she was the 'woman' with Porter at the party." Emmett said bringing the information full circle. "But, what about the other two victims?"

Shereborne finished off his breakfast before answering. "The other two victims were woman that Porter had been out with prior to Shala Todd. Erica Ennis and Polly Swanson both were from well off families and had nothing in common with the first victim or Grayson Porter. They did however have something in common with Morgan Turlett other than Porter."

Brett chuffed into his coffee, "I'm starting to wonder if it was Grayson the killer was stalking or if Morgan Turlett was really Mr. Popularity in this case."

I froze with my cup half way to my lips. I glanced around at the Detective in time to catch the smirk cross his face. Shereborne laughed without humor. "Exactly."

The breakfast brainstorm had been revealing but there were still so many unanswered questions. If the stalker was after Morgan Turlett, then why kill Erica Ennis and Polly Swanson, Shala Todd was the person mistaken for Morgan one dark night, right? I thought this through as I showered and changed for the 'Mystery in the Park' fair.

My conclusion someone wanted to kill Morgan Turlett but when Shala Todd got in the way decided to cover up the crime. Two more similar killings of people known to have been associated with both Morgan and Grayson would put the police on the trail of a serial killer. The right voice in the right ears and there is a connection to Grayson throwing off the investigation. The investigation is now controlled by the killer. The Mayor of Everest the now dead Shanna Montgomery was rumored to have taken bribes while in office. She had expected the investigation to follow the stalker theory thought up in the press. The story faded and so did the investigation in the wake of the Mayors death.

Of course this was all conjecture without physical proof leading to the killer or a confession. The police, as far as I know, didn't release information they may have held back during the first investigation and I was sure that I could piece together the information on the web to come up with another theory. I had followed the Morgan Turlett angle last night while Veronica had followed Marcus Gentry. I had still yet to discover Emmett or Brett's main theory on this mystery. We'd got off course with the two different killer theories this morning.

I grabbed my bag and did a quick mental check to make sure I had everything for my day out. As I arrived in the living room I found the boys seated on the couch watching a college game. Emmett had always been a sports fanatic. He was the reason that I loved football and soccer. Golf and Hockey had always been more my area in the sports arena. By all appearances I had influenced some of Emmett's choices as well.

"Ready?" I asked the room in general. Veronica appeared in the doorway to her room with in seconds of my arrival in the living room.

The boys nodded. Emmett rose to take my hand and Shereborne opened the door to herd us out. The Detective rubbed a hand over his short blonde hair as a man appeared outside the apartment. Grayson Porter had finally decided to make an appearance but from the looks of it he was not here to meet us or talk to Brett. The man seemed to only have eyes for the Detective. I wondered if he even noticed Brett was standing at the Detective's shoulder.

"Detective, I see that the rumors are right, you do seem to have a relationship with someone in the building." Grayson's gaze shifted to Veronica who stood opposite Emmett and I ready to lock up once everyone had exited. "How delicious."

Shereborne had snaked his hand into Brett's pulling him out of Porters view with a casual shrug. I watched as Porter's gaze slid back over us with a calculating gleam. I could see why the police originally thought he had something to do with the deaths. I was starting to review all the clues in my head from the beginning with Grayson Porter as the killer. Surprising this was not difficult with the exception of Shala Todd I could picture Grayson Porter killing Erica Ennis and Polly Swanson.

I still believe that Shala Todd was killed in place of someone else but there is a distinct feeling of creepy now that I am standing face to face with Grayson Porter. How did Brett not see this before? I could easily understand the physical attraction that the man oozed out of every pore. There was a certain feel of danger to him though. What was really going on with this man?

"Well I do have a life outside my job Mr. Porter." Shereborne said pulling the man's attention back to him. The sole purpose of today for Shereborne was to keep Brett from becoming a new target for the killer. Shereborne was acting like a man staking his claim and protecting it with everything he had. This was not good. What had Shereborne decided about this man? Was he a suspect again? "I would love to discuss your case with you at a later time of course. If you would be willing to meet me at the station this afternoon I could go over the information we have so far."

"Ah that would be lovely." Porter said glancing down the hall as if looking for an escape all of sudden. "I have plans for the day with an old friend. I hope that you find some new information on my stalker. This is getting tiresome."

Detective Shereborne nodded as Grayson Porter turned to leave. "I will find the true killer. It is my job after all."

I swear that Porter flinched at the word killer but other than a quick wave over his shoulder there was no other indication that the statement rattled him. "That was interesting." I said.

Brett moved out from behind Detective Shereborne. "To say the least, it was as if I wasn't even here. Not that I'm complaining but that seemed rather odd for the man that I'm dating."

Emmett looked angry for a moment before he let out a long breath. "You think he is the one who committed the two recent murders?"

Shereborne nodded. "I'm not ruling him out as a suspect for any of the murders. He is neck deep involved in this and not as the victim. I just have to prove it."

"Shala Todd is the key to this case. She is the one piece that is out of place. Even the sloppiness of the recent murders can be accounted for." Veronica said. "The media is not the focus of the killer anymore. He could just be killing for the personal thrill at this point."

Detective Shereborne nodded. "That is another angle that I am investigating. I don't trust the information provided in the original files. If the rumors are true the original investigation was a sham and a media circus. This time I will find the truth."

I smiled at the determination on the Detectives face. "Well for now let's focus on easier mysteries that are available to us in the park. I for one want to take a while to relax."

Brett sighed and glanced at me with a grateful look. He needed the time to relax as well. The day would give him time with his Detective and to think through his soon to be gone relationship with Grayson Porter. Shereborne nodded taking Brett's hand and leading him from the apartment the rest of us not far behind.

This should be an interesting day. There was no way that I would be able to completely focus on the mysteries surrounding me when I had a real life unsolved lurking in my immediate future. I could see that my friends were working through the puzzle just like me. Yeah this was not going to be a boring day at the park. It may just be the best way to work through the case details however.

The park was decked out in the usual tents and accoutrements for a fair. The ticket booth took our money and provided our mystery solving bag of goodies. The fair offered a 'starter kit' for the amateur crime solvers while tents sold other more complicated equipment, offered classes/lectures, and provided food and drink. We stopped at the first food booth we had spied that appealed to all of us and got a couple of snack packs for the day with water. This was quickly stored away in our complimentary faux leather satchels.

We whiled away the morning trolling through the tents and reviewing the two mystery games that would start in the afternoon. I was very excited the mysteries were going to be live role playing with a dash of historical fantasy involved. The first game was a challenge for a grand prize to be awarded at the end of the weekend; the second was a recreation of the Knights of Enigma episode that never aired. That would be the ultimate for our weekend of crime solving.

The problem was there was still a real life mystery waiting in the wings. Or at least outside the tent, Marcus Gentry stood just outside the psychic's tent holding a microphone in the face of a 'random' bystander. "So Mr. Jens could you tell me what you think of the mysterious deaths that have hounded the local law enforcement for the last few days?"

Mr. Jens leaned into the mike with a conspiratorial smile. "I think that the locals are all over the board. It is clear that the killer is just a loon looking for his fifteen minutes. There is no way that this is anything less than a psychotic serial killer on the loose. I have information that this man has struck before."

Veronica appeared behind me as I watched the interview that Marcus was performing. "And the stage is set. Did Marcus just pale at the struck before crack?"

"He did." I said glancing behind us. "Where did the boys disappear to?"

"Bathroom, I think that something didn't agree with Brett's sensitive stomach." Veronica said with a smirk.

"Well of course it didn't he didn't cook it." I said turning back to the interview.

Marcus had taken a step back from the interviewee and straightened his tie. It was obvious he needed a moment to compose himself and not for the at home audience. Marcus cleared his throat his mask back in place. "Uhm so you have proof of this?"

Mr. Jens shook from his momentarily stunned silence. He apparently noted the reaction in Gentry the same as we did or maybe he was just happy someone was listening to his claims. "Yes I have articles about murders of this type that occurred right here in our own back yard. The murders were planned systematically carried out and then the dead were placed, staged, for the police to find. I found the information in the college archives. I believe one of the articles had your name on it."