"Earth to Szymon," Joseph Lester said as he waved his hand in front of his partner’s face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He questioned, slightly annoyed. Joseph Lester shook his head. He was already finding it difficult to sit in the car with the outed homosexual, but when Szymon began to stare at him in silence, it made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"What?" Szymon questioned as he realized that he had drifted off topic. He couldn’t stop thinking about the way Cayden looked when he got home last night. He was crying and locked himself in the bathroom and wouldn’t say what was wrong. It was eating at him that his boyfriend was so upset and so unwilling to share the reason why. He glanced around, realizing that he was in the car with Joseph Lester.

"You’re staring at me," Joseph explained. "It’s weird," he glanced away and out of the window, hoping that Szymon wasn’t staring at him longingly. "Don’t stare at me like that," Joseph demanded. "I’m not a fag."

Szymon Skubisz rolled his eyes. "You have nothing to worry about, Lester. I’m not into you."

"Well, are you into the job?" Joseph questioned, "or would you just like to sit there with that stupid expression on your face?"

"Let’s get one thing straight," Szymon said as he turned toward Joseph Lester. "Yes I’m gay, but I’m not a silly little queen," Szymon explained. "You piss me off good enough and I’ll kick your ass."

"I’m so scared," Joseph responded as he stared back into Szymon’s eyes.

"Whatever, let’s just get back to work," Szymon said. "Speaking of which, is there any reason why you didn’t show up at my place last night like we planned?" He questioned.

"I did," Joseph responded, "but then I ran into this chick in your building and we went out for a bite to eat. She was hot," he smiled, then he glanced at Szymon and shook his head, "but you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Princess?"

Choosing to ignore the homophobic comment, Szymon sighed. "So, rather than meeting as planned, you bailed on me to get lucky?" He questioned.

"Hey, I was meeting you on my own time," Joseph explained. "It’s not like we were on the clock or anything. Besides, I wasn’t comfortable with going to your place."

"Why not?" Szymon questioned. "If we’re going to be partners, then we need to start learning how to trust one another."

"Look, no offense, but I’d rather just meet in a public place, alright?" Joseph said.

Szymon Skubisz knew exactly what Joseph Lester meant and it boiled his blood, but he did his best to try and calm himself down. He knew men like Joseph Lester. They were all concerned with their image and what others thought of them. Straight men like Joseph Lester thought that every gay man in the world wanted them. Szymon rolled his eyes and reached for the file by his side.

"Whatever," he said with a sigh. "Let’s get back to work," he said just as his cell phone began to ring. "Dammit," Szymon said as he reached for it and answered the call.

"This is Skubisz," he said quickly.

"Szymon," Jesse Martinez said excitedly. "She has a sister. I can’t believe it, but it’s true. I’m looking at the proof right now. You know what this means, don’t you?"

"Jesse?" Szymon questioned. "Slow down, what are you talking about? Who has a sister?"

"Julia!" Jesse responded. "She has a sister!"

"Julia Taylor?" Szymon questioned, causing Joseph to glance at him curiously.

"Julia Taylor?" Joseph whispered. "Where did I hear that name?"

Szymon waved for him to shut up so that he could make sense of what Jesse was saying. "Julia Taylor has a sister?" He questioned.

"Yes," Jesse said. "I was going through her things and I found a picture of the two of them," he explained. "Her name is Jamie. I need your help," he said.

"What for?" Szymon questioned.

"I need you to find anything you can about Jamie," Jesse begged.

"Why?"

"Because if I’m right, then Jamie Taylor just moved into our building, and she’s passing herself off as Ryan Clarke," he explained.

"Jesse," Szymon said wearily, "I don’t know about this . . . Why would she do that?"

"I don’t know, but that’s what I want to find out," Jesse explained.

"Listen to me, Jesse, don’t go off and do anything crazy," he said, damning himself for choosing to use that particular word the moment he’d said it.

"Don’t worry, Szymon, I’m not crazy. I just want to know what’s going on. It can’t just be a coincidence that Ryan looks exactly like Julia," he explained. "I found the picture, I want to know who she really is," he admitted.

"Fine, I’ll look into this," Szymon said as he reached for a pen. "The girl in the picture, what’s her name again?"

"Jamie. Jamie Taylor," Jesse repeated as Szymon wrote it down.

"Got it, Jamie Taylor," Szymon said. "Now listen to me, Jesse," Szymon said as he put the pen down. "Let me handle this. I’ll look into it for you and let you know what I find, but you have to promise me that you won’t approach Ryan at all. I heard about the incident when she moved in. You can’t do anything like that again," he explained.

Jesse fell silent for a moment. "Okay," he responded. "I promise."

"Good, I’ll get back to you when I find something," Szymon said before hanging up. He wasn’t sure why he decided to do this for Jesse Martinez, but he felt like he had to. Maybe it had something to do with falsely accusing him of murder, or maybe he was just as curious about this new development as Jesse was, but whatever the reason, he felt like it was something he had to do. He glanced at the name on the paper again.

"What was that all about?" Joseph questioned.

"This crazy guy that lives in my building," Szymon responded.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Joseph questioned.

"That’s none of your business," Szymon responded, "but no, he’s not my boyfriend. My boyfriend’s name is Cayden," he explained.

"I don’t want to hear about your boyfriend!" Joseph interjected. "That’s disgusting!"

"Hey!" Szymon shouted, "I’m sick and tired of . . ."

"Hold it, hold it!" Joseph said as he pointed to the building just up ahead. "Someone’s going inside," he explained.

Szymon Skubisz glanced up at the building they were watching and his eyes widened with surprise.

"Looks like Mr. D’Agostino has a visitor," Joseph said as he flipped through the pictures of known associates of the mob boss. "Who is this guy?" He questioned, "He’s not in any of the pictures."

"His name is Gage Matthews," Szymon said softly. "He’s my neighbor."

"You’re late," the man said as he opened the door to allow Gage Matthews inside. "Come in," he added, waiting for Gage to walk in. Gage glanced around nervously as he entered to foyer. "I’m sorry," he said, choosing not to offer an excuse.

"Mr. D’Agostino won’t be very happy about this," the man said. "You’re already late in paying his money and now you’re late for your appointment."

"I know," Gage replied. "I missed the train by just a minute," he explained, hoping that perhaps an excuse was exactly what he needed.

"Well, then you should have taken an earlier train," the man said.

"Right," Gage said with a nod. "I’ll do that next time," he promised. "So, where is the big guy?" He questioned as he glanced around.

"He’s asked that you wait for him in here," he man said as he motioned to a door on the right. "This way," he explained as he lead Gage toward it. He opened the door and lead Gage into a library filled with books. "Please have a seat," the man said as he motioned to a chair.

Gage glanced around the library. "I think I’ll stand," he said softly.

"Sit!" The man said, raising his voice.

Gage quickly sat on a chair and glanced at the man, eyes wide. "Would you care for something to drink?" The man questioned.

"No thanks, I’m fine," Gage responded.

"It’s not polite to refuse hospitality," the man explained. "Would you like something to drink?" He asked again, his tone calm yet filled with a sense of anger and hostility.

"Yes!" Gage said, his voice slightly cracking. "Water?" He asked, hoping that it wasn’t the wrong thing to say. The man simply nodded as started out of the room. "Um . . . when is Mr. D’Agostino coming?" Gage questioned.

"Mr. D’Agostino has informed me that since you have kept him waiting for so long, he will allow you to sit here and wait for him . . . and think about what you have done," the man said as he closed the doors behind him.

Gage glanced around the room silently. His heart began to beat faster with every moment that passed while he was alone. "Jesus Christ, I’m going to die," he said to himself. "They’re going to kill me. That psycho butler assassin is going to kill me."

As he glanced around, he worked up such an intense fear that when his cell phone began to vibrate in the pocket of his pants, he jumped out of his chair and let out a little yelp. With a sigh of relief, he dug into his pocket and checked the display on his phone.

"Devon?" He said as he answered the call.

"Where are you?" Devon James questioned.

"I’m at the music store," Gage responded quickly, "checking out a few CDs," he said, unable to bring himself to tell her the truth.

"Well, what are you doing there?" She questioned. "You were supposed to meet me for lunch today? I’ve been waiting for you at Subway for twenty minutes already. You know my lunch break is only half an hour," she explained.

"I’m sorry," Gage said, "I didn’t realize what time it was. We’ll do something else," he explained. "We’ll go out to dinner instead, how does that sound?"

"Sound like an expensive dinner to me," Devon responded, "because if you’re going to stand me up for lunch, then you’re definitely going to take me some place nice for dinner," she added.

"No problem," Gage said. "We’ll go to some high class place and order champagne," he said with a smile. "I’m sorry, Baby."

"You better be," Devon said. "I don’t want there to be any secrets between us Gage. I have something that I want to tell you . . ."

"What is it?" Gage questioned.

"I can’t tell you over the phone," Devon explained, "I’ll tell you tonight," she said.

"Okay," Gage said.

"You’re at the music store, right?" Devon questioned.

"Yeah," Gage lied.

"Can you do me a favor? Go find the new Rihanna CD and tell me what the third track is," she said.

"I’m sorry," Gage responded, "but can you believe that they’re all out of the CD?" He questioned. "I was gonna buy one for you and they don’t have any left," he explained.

"Damn," Devon sighed. "It’s okay, I guess. I’ll talk to you later."

"I love you baby," Gage said.

"Yeah," Devon James said as she snapped her phone shut. Standing on the street corner, she shook her head. There was no music store in sight, only a row of brownstones, one of which Gage Matthews had just entered. "I knew something was wrong," she said softly as she glanced further down the street and paused. "Holy shit," she added with surprise as she saw two men sitting in an inconspicuous car watching the very same building intently.

Devon James glanced at the brownstone, then back at Szymon Skubisz sitting in his car with another police officer. "Gage," she whispered to herself, "what have you gotten yourself into?" Backing away from the corner slowly, Devon turned around without looking and bumped into another woman on the street.

"Watch out, dumb ass!" Devon called out over her shoulder as she started down the street quickly.

The woman shook her head and turned back to her cell phone. "Am I stuttering? I don’t care what it takes," she said sternly and she crossed the street. "I want that copy on my desk by the end of the day or it’s your ass on the line. Do I make myself clear?" She questioned.

"This job sucks," Cayden King said with a sigh as he leaned up against the counter and fiddled with a chocolate bar display absently.

"Don’t let my father hear you say that," A beautiful young Indian woman said as she sat on a stool by the cash register. "He’ll fire you," she added with a smile.

"I don’t think that such a bad thing," Cayden remarked as he stacked the chocolate bars on top of one another until they fell over. "Let me ask you a question, Serena. Have you ever done something that you weren’t proud of?" He questioned.

"Lots of times," Serena answered. "For instance, I told my father that I’d work at his crappy little store when he couldn’t find anyone else to do it for him," she explained as she motioned to the store around them. "There are ten million other things I’d rather be doing right now, but no, I’m stuck in this ugly little store selling over-priced groceries to smelly old ladies."

"No," Cayden said, "I mean, have you ever done something so horrible that . . . never mind," he said as he put all of the chocolate bars back into the box and stepped away from the counter.

Serena glanced at him and shook her head. "I know what you’re talking about," she explained.

"Don’t do that thing on me," Cayden said as he shook his head. "You promised you wouldn’t do that," he said.

"I can’t help it," Cayden, "it’s what I do. You made a sacrifice for a friend and now you’re worried that someone will find out," she explained.

"I hate when you do that psychic thing," Cayden sighed.

"Look," Serena said as she got off the stool. "Since you’ve started working here, we’ve become good friends. We both hate it here, we both think my father is the biggest ass in the world and we both want something more than just this," she reminded him. "I don’t know exactly what it is that you did, or how you helped your friend, I just know that it’s something big. I can sense that you’re worried about it."

"I am," Cayden sighed. "I just don’t know what to do." He paused for a moment. "Are you sure you don’t know what it is? You can’t read my mind or anything, right?"

"That’s not how it works," Serena explained. "I can sense things and I can speak to the dead. I can’t read minds or anything like that. "Most of the time when I give readings, I tell people exactly what they want to hear, but sometimes I get an impression of something bad," she explained, "and that’s what I’m getting now."

"This is crazy, I’m talking to a psychic about my problems," Cayden sighed.

"Hey, first and foremost, I am your friend. The psychic thing has nothing to do with that. Madam Serena is a name I use for people who pay me money to hear what I have to say. Right now I’m just Serena," she explained. "Your friend."

"I’m sorry," Cayden responded. "I didn’t mean to upset you."

"I know," Serena smiled, "I’m a psychic, remember?" She winked at him, causing him to smile as a customer stepped into the store.

"No, I’m tired of excuses," the woman snarled at her cell phone. "I’ve had a really bad day and all I’m asking is that people do their fucking jobs. I want that copy by day’s end or it’s over," she said as she snapped her phone shut and glanced over at Serena. "Water?" She said with exasperation. "I’m parched."

"In the back," Serena explained as she pointed to the refrigerators at the rear of the store.

"Thank you," the man said with a smile. "Finally, someone who knows what they’re doing." She turned to walk toward the back of the store and glanced at Cayden King. "Wait," she said as she pointed to him. "Don’t I know you?"

"I don’t think so," Cayden King responded as he shook his head and glanced at her. The more he stared, the more familiar she seemed to be.

"No," the woman said as she shook her head. "I do know you. Inside Out," she said as she snapped her fingers. "You’re that kid in the break room," she said. "You were applying for a job. Did you ever get it?" She questioned as she saw the name tag on the front of his shirt. "Cayden," she smiled as she glanced around the store. "Judging from that name tag, I guess you didn’t get the job," she added.

"I’m afraid not," Cayden responded. "You’re Vivian Powers, right?"

"That’s me," Vivian responded.

"Nice to see you again," Cayden smiled.

"What are you doing working in a shithole like this?" Vivian questioned.

"Hey!" Serena shouted. "This is my father’s store!" She added.

"I’m sorry, Honey, a shithole is a shithole," she said with a shrug.

Serena glanced around the store and shrugged her shoulders. Vivian was right.

"Well, I didn’t get the job at Insight Out," Cayden said, "and I still have to make ends meet, you know."

"What happened that you didn’t get the job?" Vivian questioned.

"My friend Elijah got it," Cayden responded.

"Elijah Montessori?" Vivian Powers questioned. "You’re friends with that kid? That little fucker’s the reason that I’ve been barking at people all day," she explained.

"What?"

"His job is to write one shitty little column, and he can’t even get that right," Vivian said. "I mean, yeah, I understand that he was attacked and beaten over the head, but I gave him the option of coming back when he was ready and he told us he was ready."

"Wait, you’re Elijah’s boss?" Cayden questioned. "You’re the editor of Inside Out?" He questioned.

"That’s me," Vivian replied.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" Cayden questioned. "If I had known that you were the editor, I would have . . ."

"What?" Vivian questioned, "you wouldn’t have been nice to me, or helped me with my problems?" She questioned. "You were nice to me," Vivian explained. "That’s not something to be ashamed of. Not like your friend, who was given ample time to submit his copy."

"But he still hasn’t written anything yet?" Cayden questioned.

"Nothing," Vivian explained. "I’m seriously considering firing the little fucker."

"No, don’t do that," Cayden said. "Please. I’ll talk to him and see what’s going on. You’ll have an article on your desk by the end of the day if I have to write it for him," he assured her.

"You’re not even my employee," Vivian said, "but I’ll tell you what, if you can make that copy appear on my desk before the end of the day, then you might just have yourself a job and your friend will be safe for now too," she explained.

Cayden smiled. "You got it," he said as he reached into his pocket for his cell phone and dialed Elijah’s number. "You won’t be disappointed."

"I better not be," Vivian Powers replied as she went to the back of the store to retrieve a bottle of water.

"Elijah!" Cayden said as he heard his friend’s voice. "What the hell are you doing?"

"N-Nicolae?" Elijah Montessori said with surprise as he opened the door and saw the Human Resources guy from Inside Out standing in the hallway. "Wh-what are you d-doing here?" He questioned, slightly embarrassed as he glanced away.

"Well, I knocked on the door across the hall and some lady answered and told me that you were over here," Nicolae explained. "You should really update your address with HR so that we have the most up to date information," he added with a smile.

"Oh, I’m n-not exactly s-sure where I l-live right now," Elijah answered. "Wh-why are you here?"

"I came to see you," Nicolae responded. "You haven’t answered any of my calls or my e-mails. I was starting to get worried."

"I’m s-sorry," Elijah said. "C-come in," he said as he motioned for the man to enter the apartment.

"I was beginning to think that you were trying to avoid me," Nicolae explained as he entered Devon’s apartment. "You’re not trying to avoid me, are you?" He asked awkwardly, "because then it would just be weird that I’m here," he added.

"N-no," Elijah responded. He didn’t want to talk a lot because he didn’t want Nicolae to pick up on his stuttering, which was a source of embarrassment for him.

"Oh good," Nicolae smiled. "Then why haven’t you answered my calls?" He questioned.

Elijah stared at him for a moment in silence. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to tell Nicolae that the reason he didn’t answer his calls was because he was ashamed of what Nicolae would think of him. He glanced away.

"Wait," Nicolae said as he stepped forward and grabbed Elijah by the hand. "Are you worried that I wouldn’t like you because of what happened to you?" He questioned as he searched Elijah’s eyes for an answer.

Elijah tried his best to stare into Nicolae’s eyes, but found himself glancing away. "I t-talk funny," Elijah said softly.

"I don’t care," Nicolae said, reassuringly.

Elijah glanced at him again. "Y-you don’t c-care?" He questioned with surprise.

"No," Nicolae said, shaking his head. "That doesn’t matter to me. So what if you stutter, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. I don’t care about that," he explained. "I thought that when we met, we really hit it off," he explained, "and I thought that we were starting to get to know each other really well and then just like that it all ended," he said.

"I was in the h-hospital," Elijah explained.

"I know that," Nicolae said, "but when you got out and you started to get better, you didn’t answer my calls. I thought maybe you didn’t care about me," he admitted. "That maybe I was just a good time or a way to get a job," he finished.

"Th-that’s how it st-started," Elijah admitted, "but I actually l-like you, I’m j-just worried th-that you w-want the guy in that su-supply closet. I’m n-not him anymore," Elijah noted.

"Yes you are," Nicolae said softly.

Elijah smiled. "M-maybe," he said softly.

"So what if you stutter," Nicolae said. "That doesn’t matter to me, and so what if we met under unusual circumstances, we became friends after that. I want that friendship back," he explained. "I don’t know why, but when you stopped responding to me, you left a hole inside of me that I haven’t been able to fill. I want you back," Nicolae explained as he leaned forward and placed his hands on Elijah’s face.

"E-even like th-this?" Elijah questioned as he stared into Nicolae’s eyes.

"Even like this," Nicolae responded before leaning in and kissing Elijah softly. Elijah resisted at first, he didn’t want to be rejected, but then he gave in slowly and kissed Nicolae back.

Smiling, Nicolae Federov pulled way. "See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?" He questioned.

"No, not at all," Elijah responded with a smile.

"And look at that, you said a while sentence without stuttering," Nicolae noted. "Maybe I am good for you," he added.

"I h-hope so," Elijah agreed as his cell phone rang. "S-sorry," he said to Nicolae before answering the call. "Hey C-Cayden, what’s up? Wh-what? I can’t g-get f-fired," he responded. "D-don’t worry, I’ll go r-right there and f-finish the article," he assured his friend before hanging up.

Elijah glanced at Nicolae. "I h-have to g-go," he explained.

"It’s okay," Nicolae said, "It sounds serious. You’d better go."

"I’ll c-call you later," Elijah assured him.

"Sounds good," Nicolae nodded as they stepped out of the apartment into the hallway. They kissed privately in the elevator as they descended to the main floor. Once out of the elevator, they parted ways. Standing on the street corner, Nicolae Federov watched as Elijah ran down the street for the subway. He smiled. A moment later his cell phone rang. He retrieved it from his pocket and glanced down at the display and his smile faded completely.

"Hey Sebby, what’s up?" He questioned softly. "No, I’m here now. I was in the girl’s apartment . . . I don’t know what you expect me to do," he explained. "When I told you about this guy I like I didn’t realize you were going to use it against me," he said. "No . . . I do want to help you, but Sebby, your brother is a powerful man . . . No . . . Yes, I understand," he said. "I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not promising anything. I like this guy, Sebby, I don’t want to ruin that . . ."

Silently, Nicolae Federov snapped his cell phone shut. He glanced down the street. He could no longer see Elijah Montessori. Shaking his head, Nicolae turned and walked in the opposite direction. It wasn’t until that moment that he regretted working for Sebastiano D’Agostino.

Ryan Clarke sat in the chair outside of the office and glanced around. She had no idea why she was here, this place was obviously beneath her. She was a model, she should have been somewhere in Paris on a runway, but instead she was in New York City sitting in a plastic chair outside the office of a nightclub manager. She rolled her eyes with disbelief. Someday she would make it big.

The door to the nightclub manager’s office was left slightly ajar and she peeked inside. He was an extremely handsome man with a shaved head and beautiful blue eyes. She told herself going into the interview that if the manager was a man, she would turn up the charm. As she glanced at him now, she realized that it didn’t hurt that he was hot.

As she waited patiently, she heard him in the office talking on the phone and tried to listen. She couldn’t make sense of what he was saying and so she got closer.

"Nicolae, would I ever lie to you? Sebastiano D’Agostino questioned as he sat behind his desk with the phone pressed to his ear.

"No," Nicolae Federov responded.

"I wouldn’t ask you to do this if it wasn’t serious. We’ve been friends for a long time, haven’t we? Don’t you want to help me?"

"I do want to help you, but Sebby, your brother is a powerful man."

"Let me deal with Vinny," Sebby responded. "Nicolae, in the whole time that we’ve been friends, have I ever once lied to you or not protected you?"

"No," Nicolae answered.

"And I’m not going to start doing that now," Sebby assured him. "I just need you to get as much information as you can, do you understand?"

"I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not promising anything. I like this guy, Sebby, I don’t want to ruin that . . ."

"I promise I won’t ruin it for you," Sebby explained before hanging up. Sebby glanced around the office and stood up, walking toward the door. He opened it slightly and stepped out. "Ryan Clarke?" He questioned as his eyes fell upon the beautiful woman.

"That’s me," Ryan said with a smile as she stood up and offered her hand for a shake.

Sebby received it and stared at her curiously. "I’m sorry, when I read your application, I thought you were a man," he explained.

"A lot of people think that," Ryan explained.

"Well, okay," Sebby said, "we’re equal opportunity here," he said with a smile as he motioned for her to step into his office.

"Great," Ryan said with a smile.

"Have a seat," Sebby said as he walked to his chair. "I’m Sebastiano D’Agostino, but most people call me Sebby," he explained.

"I like that," Ryan said with a smile.

"So, you’re interested in tending bar here?" Sebby said as he glanced at her application. "Have you tended bar before?" He questioned.

"Yes, I have," Ryan explained, "back home in Texas I worked at the Whistling Cowboy for two years," she explained.

"The Whistling Cowboy?" Sebby questioned as he glanced over at Ryan. "This is New York, Ryan. I’m pretty sure it’s nothing like the Whistling Cowboy back in Texas," he explained.

"It’s completely different than Texas," Ryan explained, "but I’m ready for it. I came to New York to make something out of myself. I’m a model," she explained.

"Of course you are, you’re beautiful," Sebby noted.

"Thank you," Ryan smiled. "But until I make it big, modeling isn’t going to pay the bills, if you know what I mean."

"More than you know," Sebby responded. "So why Xstatic?" He questioned. "Why would a nice girl like you want to tend bar at a place like this?" He questioned.

"What do you mean?" Ryan questioned, slightly worried. "This place doesn’t look so bad."

"Oh no, it’s not," Sebby assured her. "In fact, it’s a great place to work and a great place to dance and have fun. We have lines going around the block for people to get in here," he explained.

"I want to be a part of that," Ryan explained.

Sebby paused for a moment. "I’m not so sure about this," he said softly. "I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure you’re a great person, but I’m not sure if your Xstatic material. I mean, I have a business to run and I don’t think my clientele would be receptive to you," he explained.

"What do you mean?" Ryan questioned.

"Ryan," Sebby said as he leaned forward. "This is a gay nightclub. At any given moment there may be hundreds of gay guys running around here," he explained. "Our host is a six foot tall drag queen, we have six male strippers, and five servers who walk around in nothing but underwear and sneakers. Is this the kind of place you want to work at?" He questioned.

Ryan Clarke paused for a moment and smiled. "Hell yeah," she responded.

"Okay then," Sebby said as he stood up. "As long as you’re okay with it, then I am too," he said as he shook her hand. "Wait here, let me go find my partner Johnny. I’ll be right back," he said as he slipped out of the office.

Ryan smiled to herself. "Sweet," she laughed as he cell phone rang. She glanced around quickly before answering. "Steven, what’s up? I’m at my interview," she said.

"Get home right now," Steven said. "I got a part in this new play. It’s only showing for three weeks, but still it’s great. We’re going out to celebrate," he explained.

"Congratulations," Ryan said excitedly. "I have good news too, I just got a job. It‘s a long-term job bartending, so we‘ll have a steady income. Isn’t that great?" She questioned.

Steven paused. "Why do you always do this?" He questioned.

"Do what?" Ryan questioned.

"Why do you always have to show me up? You can’t let me have the spotlight for more than just a minute, can you?"

"No, Steven, that’s not what I meant," Ryan said.

"Just get home," Steven demanded.

"Where are you going?" Mrs. Mulberry questioned when she saw Sarah heading for the door. She was sitting in the living room with Charles Hanson playing cards. "Don't be rude, say hello."

Sarah turned back and smiled. "Hello Charles," she said

"Dr. Hanson," Mrs. Mulberry interjected, "don't be disrespectful."

"Charles is fine," the man spoke up with a smile.

"See that, grandmother? He doesn't have a problem with it."

"Fine," Mrs. Mulberry said, chosing not to fight that particular battle. "Where are you going?"

"I have some clothes in the drier downstairs, they should be finished by now," she explained.

"Well, be back in time for lunch," Mrs. Mulberry said, "and speaking of which, while your gone, could you maybe get a job?" She questioned. "You’re eating me out of house and home," she explained.

"Grandmother, please. I haven’t gotten a job yet because I’ve been helping you."

"I’m fine now," Mrs. Mulberry explained. "My leg’s all healed up now, so if you want to keep living here, you’re going to have to pitch in."

"Fine, I’ll get a job," Sarah explained, "but can I get my laundry first?" She questioned.

Mrs. Mulberry rolled her eyes and waved her granddaughter off. Sarah sighed and stepped into the hall, heading for the elevator. She stopped beside Sebastian Vaughn’s apartment and heard him on the guitar. A smile came to her face as she listened to the tune.

The ride down to the basement was uneventful and Sarah found herself chewing at her cuticles. When the doors opened, she paused for a moment as she saw the overhead light in the hallways flicker. The basement was always a source of fear for her and she glanced out hesitantly before stepping out of the elevator.

She walked to the laundry room and stepped inside just as Steven Harris heatedly snapped his cell phone shut and glanced over at her.

"Hello," she said with a smile as she walked over to the drier and opened it. "What the fuck?" Sarah said as she realized the drier was empty. She glanced around the room. "Where’s my stuff?" She asked aloud.

"Oh, so you’re the owner of these lacy pink panties?" Steven questioned as he held them up for her to see. "Sorry, but I took your stuff out of the drier when it finished. I was kind of in a rush to get my stuff done," he explained.

"It’s okay," Sarah said softly as she walked toward him and grabbed her panties from his grasp and the rest of her stuff in the laundry basket.

"They really are pretty panties," Steven assured her. "Ryan doesn’t wear anything like that, she wears granny panties," he explained.

"Don’t knock granny panties," Sarah smiled, "they’re comfortable," she said, feeling slightly strange at the way Steven was staring at her. She glanced at him momentarily before folding her clothes.

"But they’re not sexy," Steven said softly as he took a step forward. "Not like those," he admitted.

"Maybe not," Ryan agreed as she watched him carefully. "Do you usually make it a habit of picking through a stranger’s panties?" She questioned.

"Only pretty strangers," Steven answered.

"Thanks," Sarah smiled, "but it’s still kind of weird," she admitted.

"Not really," Steven explained. "If you have something so beautiful, you should let people see it," he explained as he stepped closer to her and reached into her laundry basket. "I bet these panties look great on you," he said as he held them up.

Sarah Mulberry paused and glanced at Steven silently before reaching over and grabbing her panties from him yet again. "I wouldn’t know," she said sternly, "but you can ask my boyfriend," she added.

Steven Harris smiled and took a step back. "He’s a lucky man," he said softly before turning and loading the drier with his wet clothing. He slipped some quarters into the machine and turned toward Sarah. "I’ll see you around, I hope," he said with a smile before stepping out of the laundry room.

Sarah waited until she heard him get on the elevator before exhaling. "Freak," she said aloud as she shook her head and continued to fold her laundry. A moment later, she paused and reached into her back pocket for a folded envelope. She slowly opened it and pulled out the letter inside, reading it for the millionth time before putting it back into the envelope and inserting it into her back pocket.

She pulled her cell phone out of her front pocket and a slip of paper with a telephone number on it. She dialed the number slowly and waited for an answer. "Yes, hello," she said when she heard someone answer. "This number appeared on my caller ID," she said. "Where am I calling?"

She paused for a moment as the woman responded. "Wellington Hills?" Sarah repeated. "What exactly is Wellington Hills?" She questioned. "Wait a minute," she said with a smirk as she heard the woman’s response. "It’s a loony bin? No . . . I’m sorry, you’re right, that’s not appropriate. Okay, well thanks, it was obviously a wrong number. Take care of the psychos!" She said before snapping her phone shut.

"Who the hell did Julia Taylor know from a loony bin in Connecticut?" Sarah asked herself. "And why would they be writing her a letter?"

She snapped open her phone and dialed Jesse’s number and waited. "Jesse," she said when he answered. "Let me ask you a question . . ."

"Jesse, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go out," Liliana Martinez said as she tried to stop her grandson from leaving the apartment. "You haven’t even eaten lunch yet," she explained.

"I’m not hungry," Jesse assured her, "and besides, I need to stretch my legs. I feel like I’ve been cooped up in here for days. I need to get out and breath," he explained.

"I heard you on the phone earlier," Liliana said. "you were talking about Julia. Why can’t you just let it go already?" She questioned. "You just came out of the hospital because of that girl and if you keep going like this, you’re going to put yourself right back into that hospital."

"I’m fine, Abeula," Jesse said.

"You’re not fine, you can’t let go of this obsession of yours," she said.

"It’s not an obsession," Jesse informed her, "I was in love with Julia."

"She’s dead, Jesse."

"That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped loving her," Jesse explained. "I don’t care what you think," Jesse said to her, "I’m going to find out everything that I can about her."

"You can’t keep going along this road Jesse, you’re only going to hurt yourself and I won’t let that happen. If you keep on, then I’ll have no choice but to . . ."

"But to what?" Jesse questioned when he saw his grandmother pause.

"When you were in the hospital, I petitioned the court to become your legal custodian," Liliana explained.

"I’m an adult, I don’t need a custodian," Jesse responded.

"You do need a custodian, Jesse. You’re not well. You’re sick. I’m doing my best to help you get better, but I can’t let you continue to pursue a ghost."

"I’m not pursuing a ghost!" Jesse exclaimed. "I know that Julia is dead! I just want to find out what’s going on."

"What is there to find out?" Liliana questioned.

"More than you know," Jesse said as he stepped out of the apartment and walked down the hall. While waiting for the elevator, Jesse’s cell phone began ringing and he answered it. "Hello," he said as the elevator doors opened.

"Jesse, let me ask you a question," Sarah Mulberry said, "Were you ever in an institution in Connecticut?" She questioned.

"What kind of question is that?" Jesse Martinez asked as he pressed the button for his desired floor and the elevator doors closed.

"Just answer the question," Sarah said.

"No," Jesse responded, slightly confused. "Why?" He asked.

"My grandmother got a letter in the mail from some institution in Connecticut and we thought maybe it was supposed to go to someone else in the building and the only person I could think of was you," she explained.

"It’s not mine," Jesse responded, slightly annoyed. "Just because I was in a mental institution doesn’t mean that I’ve been in every institution on the planet," he said.

"I know, I’m sorry," Sarah said. "Well, I gotta go, so I’ll talk to you later," she said before hanging up.

Jesse rolled his eyes as he stepped off of the elevator. He realized that he was on the eighth floor and paused. He hadn’t consciously pressed the button for the eighth floor, but once he was on it, he realized that it was exactly where he wanted to be. He stared for a long moment at the door to Ryan Clarke’s apartment in silence before he heard something that captured his full attention.

It was music. He followed the sounds to the apartment of Sebastian Vaughn and stood outside, listening. He pressed his ear against the door to hear the sounds better. "That’s beautiful," he said to himself as he stood in the hall listening to the music, thoroughly entranced in the sounds coming from Sebastian Vaughn’s apartment.

He stepped away slowly and reached forward to knock on the door. The music stopped and he cursed himself for interfering with such a beautiful sound, but a moment later the door opened and Jesse glanced at Sebastian Vaughn.

"What’s up?" Sebastian questioned.

"Sorry to bother you," Jesse Martinez said, "but I couldn’t help but to hear the music coming from your apartment," he said as he saw the guitar in Sebastian’s hand. "Was that you?" He asked.

"Yeah," Sebastian responded. "It’s just a little tune I’ve been working on," he explained.

"I’m Jesse Martinez," Jesse said as he offered his hand for a shake.

"Sebastian Vaughn," his neighbor replied. "Do you wanna come in?" Sebastian questioned. "I kinda need someone to listen to this song and let me know what they think," he said with a smile.

"Sure," Jesse said with a nod. "I’ll help you out."

"Great," Sebastian said with a smile as he allowed Jesse to enter his apartment. Jesse sat on a chair and watched Sebastian play his song. He watched Sebastian’s fingers delicately manipulate the instrument until the song was over.

"So, what do you think?" Sebastian questioned.

"It’s beautiful," Jesse responded with a smile. "It’s soothing but at the same time it’s sad and poignant, like a goodbye song . . ." Jesse said.

Sebastian smiled. "It’s called ‘Goodbye Love,’" he said softly.

"It’s perfect," Jesse said. "Too perfect," he said as he stood up and crossed over to the door.

"Where are you going?" Sebastian questioned as he stood up.

"I have to leave," Jesse said softly. "I’m sorry . . ." he said as he glanced away and opened the door and ran down the hall.

Sebastian rushed to the door. He watched Jesse run into the stairwell. Closing the door, Sebastian placed his guitar on the couch and crossed over to the telephone. He picked up the receiver and dialed a number. "Hi, this is Sebastian Vaughn from down the hall," he said softly. "You’re friends with Jesse Martinez, right?" He questioned. "Well, he just left my apartment and he didn’t look well. Can you tell me about him?" He asked softly.

"Why do you want to know?" Sarah Mulberry questioned as she folded the last of her clothing.

"Because he seemed a bit sad after I played him a song," Sebastian questioned. "I just want to make sure he’s okay."

"I’m sure he’s fine," Sarah responded.

"What’s his deal?" Sebastian questioned.

"His girlfriend was murdered," Sarah explained.

"I heard about that," Sebastian questioned. "Julia Taylor, right?"

"That’s the one," Sarah responded as she grabbed her laundry basket and carried it out of the laundry room toward the elevator.

"What happened to her?" Sebastian questioned.

"She was stabbed to death by some psycho freak named Kathryn Hayes who lived down the hall. Kathryn was in love with Jesse and crazy enough to kill anyone in her way," she said as she stepped on the elevator.

"Really?" Sebastian asked. "But what did Julia do to her?"

"The way I hear it, Julia cheated on Jesse and got pregnant. She didn’t know who the baby’s father was so she had an abortion and when Jesse took her back, Kathryn flipped out and stabbed her to death in Cayden’s apartment," she explained.

"Jesus Christ. She must have been psycho," Sebastian noted.

"No kidding, she pushed me down the stairs," Sarah explained as the elevator stopped on the main floor and Devon James stepped in. "Listen, I’ll call you back," she said before closing her phone.

Devon stared at her for a moment before pressing the button for the eighth floor. Sarah watched her intently.

"What?" Devon questioned.

"Nothing," Sarah smiled.

"Why are you staring at me then?" She questioned.

"I’m not," Sarah said.

Devon paused for a moment and realized that Sarah really was staring at her. "What are you doing?" She questioned.

"I have a question for you," Sarah said.

"Then ask your damned question already," Devon demanded.

"Do you know anyone who was in a mental institution in Connecticut?" She questioned.

"No, but even I did, I wouldn’t tell you," she said as she elevator doors opened on the eighth floor and she stepped out and walked down the hall to her apartment.

"Fine," Sarah Mulberry said as she stepped off of the elevator. "I guess I’ll just have to find out who this person is on my own," she whispered to herself before entering her apartment.

Devon threw open her door and paused when she saw Gage standing in her living room. "What are you doing here?" She questioned.

"I’m sorry about lunch, Baby," Gage said as he walked toward her for an embrace. Devon stepped away and out of his grasp. "What about dinner?" She questioned.

"I have to cancel dinner," Gage said softly. "I have to meet with an investment banker. My father’s making me invest some of the money he’s giving me. He says that I have to start planning for my future," he explained.

"He’s right, you know," Devon explained. "You really do have to start planning for your future. You have me and our baby to take care of."

"I know that," Gage explained. "Don’t worry, I won’t let you guys down."

"I hope not," Devon said softly as she glanced away.

"I have to go now," Gage said, "I’ll be back later. We can have a late dinner."

"I’m ready to eat now," Devon explained. "I’ll just have something delivered."

"Okay, Baby, I’m sorry," Gage said as he kissed her on the forehead and headed for the door.

"Gage," Devon said softly before he stepped into the hall. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" She asked.

"No," Gage said as he shook his head. "What about you, you said you wanted to tell me something."

Devon stared at him for a moment. "No," she said softly, "It was nothing."

"Okay then, I’ll see you later," he said softly as he shut the door behind him. He reached into his pocket and dialed the telephone number that he hoped he’d never have to dial. His mind was racing as he realized that if he didn’t fix this situation, he would lose Devon and his child forever.

"Mom," he said when he heard her voice. "Mom, it’s Gage. I need your help," he said softly as he started down the hall.

Inside of her apartment, Devon James reached for the phone and dialed Elijah’s number. "Elijah," she said softly. "Can you come to my place? I need a friend right now," she said softly.

"I’ll be r-right th-there," Elijah Montessori said. "I just h-have to dr-drop off this article," he said before hanging up the phone. He finished typing the article and sent it to the editor before shutting down his computer and standing up.

"F-Finally," he said as he stepped away from his desk and walked out of his cubicle. He walked down the corridor to the water cooler and poured himself a cup. Sipping it slowly, he glanced around the office and smiled. He was thankful to have such a great job, but with everything going on, he very nearly lost it. With Cayden’s advice, he finished the column and even including some of the suggestions that Cayden gave him. It was perfect. Vivian was just going to love it.

He stepped over to the elevator and rode it downstairs to the lobby where he exited the building onto the streets of New York. He walked quickly, with both hands in his pockets, observing the people on the streets. He stopped at the traffic light until the pedestrian symbol indicated that he could walk and then he floating across the street in a sea of people. Once at the other corner, he paused when he saw a man sitting against a building with a sign at his side.

Elijah read it slowly and realized that the man was homeless. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill and handed it to the man. "H-here you g-go," he said softly. The man glanced up at him and accepted the money with a smile and Elijah nodded at him.

As he stepped away, he realized that perhaps Nicolae was right. Maybe things could have been much worse. If all Elijah got was a stutter and moments of confusion for his ordeal, then maybe he got off lucky. He smiled as he crossed by a donut shop and the door opened.

"Elijah," Szymon Skubisz said as he stepped out of the donut shop. "Where are you headed?" He questioned as his partner stepped out of the donut shop behind him.

"I’m headed h-home," Elijah responded.

"If you see Cayden there, let him know that I’m probably going to be a little late tonight," Szymon explained as he glanced over his shoulder at Joseph Lester. "We’ve got some paperwork to file,"

"Fucking paperwork," Joseph grumbled.

"I’ll l-let him know," Elijah said with a nod. "G-gotta go," he said as he continued down the street.

"Who was that, one of your fairy friends?" Joseph questioned.

"Fuck off, Lester," Szymon responded.

"You seem to know a lot of people, Skubisz, like the guy who went into D’Agostino’s place," he noted.

"Gage is my neighbor," Szymon explained. "I have no idea why he was there."

"You know what we have to do now, don’t you?" Joseph reminded him.

"Yeah, I know," Szymon sighed.

"We’re gonna have to investigate your friend," Joseph explained as he glanced down the street and sighed when he saw two officers standing there watching them. "Shit," he said as he turned away.

"What?" Szymon questioned as he glanced around and saw the two uniformed officers laughing and pointing at them.

"Look, there’s the fags," one of the officers said.

"Hey, fuck off!" Szymon shouted at them and they laughed and shook their heads and turned away. "I’m sorry about that," Szymon said. "It must not be easy to be my partner," he realized.

"It’s harder than you think," Joseph Lester said as he walked toward the car and got in, slamming the door.

Szymon sighed as the phone in his pocket began to ring. "This is Skubisz," he said in response.

"Szymon," Cayden said warmly.

"Hey Babe, what’s up?" Szymon questioned.

"Nothing, I’m just getting ready to leave class right now. I worked all morning at that damned store and went to my class. I’m bored as hell. I was hoping that we could do something tonight," he explained.

"Sounds good to me," Szymon said. "I might be running a little late, but I think I want to go out tonight."

"Me too," Cayden agreed. "I’ll think of something to do."

"Great," Szymon said. "I love you. I’ll see you later."

"I love you too," Cayden responded.

Szymon put his phone back into his pocket and stepped forward, nearly knocking a woman over. He put his arms out to prevent her from falling. "Sorry about that, I didn’t see you there," he said apologetically.

"I’m fine," the woman responded with a smile. "That’s the second time I’ve nearly been knocked over today, I should be used to it," she said before continuing down the street. When her cell phone rang, she answered it quickly.

"This better be good," she said.

"Vivian, the copy is on your desk. It’s actually a pretty good piece," the caller informed her.

"Finally," Vivian Powers responded. "I don’t know what that kid did, but a promise if a promise. Have Nicolae pull up an application for a guy named Cayden King," she said, "and give me his number."

"I love you too," Cayden said before snapping his phone shut and walking into the classroom. He glanced around the empty room with surprise. "What the hell?" He said aloud. "Where is everybody."

"Class was cancelled," a voice in the back of the room responded, catching Cayden off guard.

"Sorry," Cayden responded as he turned toward the man. "I didn’t realize anyone else was here," he said softly as the man approached.

"It’s okay, I’ve spent most of my life being invisible," the man responded with a smile. "Professor Mills had a family emergency, so rather than run the class for him like I should, I cancelled," the man said.

"Thank God," Cayden smiled. "If I had to sit through another boring lecture, I would slash my wrists."

"Yeah, I know. Ethics in Journalism isn’t a fun class, but imagine being the professor’s assistant, it’s much worse," the man laughed. "Speaking of which," he said as he fumbled through several papers in his hand, "I have your paper," he said as he handed it to Cayden.

"Thanks," Cayden said with a smile as he reached for the paper. "I got a C," Cayden said, less than thrilled.

"Sorry," the man said, "I just didn’t find anything in there that was enlightening."

"You graded this?" Cayden questioned.

"Of course, I grade everything in this class," the man responded. "but I’ll tell you what, you can get a better grade if you want."

"What do I have to do?" Cayden questioned curiously.

"You have a great style of writing," the man responded, "you just need more focus. If you can write a better paper than this, I’ll let you have the better grade," he said with a smile.

"You’re one," Cayden responded with a nod. "Thanks a lot."

"No problem," the man responded as he reached into his pocket. "I’m a pretty good writer myself, so if you need any help, I’m available," he said as he handed Cayden his card.

Cayden glanced down and read it for a moment. "Drake Talbot," he said aloud.

"That’s me," Drake responded. "My number’s on there. Call me if you need any help," he smiled as he patted Cayden on the shoulder and stepped out of the classroom.

In the corridor, Drake reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Dad," he said softly. "Are we still on for dinner tonight? What do you mean you made other plans?" He questioned. "No," he sighed as he shook his head. "It’s fine. I’ll just go by myself," he said with a sigh.

"We‘ll have dinner tomorrow." Jacob Talbot said as he hung up the phone and reached forward to press the intercom. "Cindy, is my four o’clock appointment here?" He questioned.

"Yes, she is," came the response.

"Send her in, please," Jacob said as he stood up from his desk to watch the door open and a beautiful middle-aged woman walk in.

"Hello," Jacob said as he rounded the desk to shake the woman’s hand. "I’m Jacob Talbot."

"Victoria King," the woman responded.

"Have a seat," Jacob said as he motioned to the chair and then walked around the desk back to his seat. "I’ve read your resume and I have to say, it’s quite extensive. I even called a few of your prior employers and they all had nothing but nice things to say about you," he explained. "So what’s the catch?" He asked as he glanced over at Victoria King.

"There is no catch," Victoria responded, with a smile. "I’m a dedicated, hard worker."

"No doubt," Jacob said as he glanced down at his resume. "To be perfectly honest, this interview was just a formality. I knew from the moment I read this that I wanted you on my team," he explained. "I just wanted to meet you face to face to get a better feel for who you are, but I have to admit, I think I would be stupid if I didn’t snatch you up right now," he explained.

"Thank you," Victoria smiled.

"Welcome to the Talbot and Associates Law Firm, we have great times ahead of us," he said with a smile.

"And I’m glad that I’m going to be a part of them," Victoria announced.

"Now, if you’ll just go see Cindy, she has some additional paperwork for you to fill out and she’ll show you to your desk. I hope you can start tomorrow," he explained.

"That shouldn’t be a problem," Victoria smiled as she stood up. "Thanks again."

"You’re welcome," Jacob said as he watched Victoria step out of his office. He reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out his cell phone. He seven digits and waited.

"Skubisz," he said when the police detective responded. "What’s the status?" He asked. "Look dammit, I didn’t roll over on D’Agostino for nothing. Either you take him down or it’s your ass on the line, do you hear me?"

"Who was that?" Joseph Lester questioned.

"It was Talbot, he's getting a little antsy."

"He should be, he just rolled over on one of New York City’s biggest mob bosses. If I were that guy, I’d be in the witness protection plan," he explained.

"No one knows that Talbot gave us information. As long as he can keep his cool and keep up appearances, no one is going to know."

"It’s gotta be tough," Lester noted.

"No kidding, Vincenzo D’Agostino isn’t someone you want to cross," he explained.

"How would you know?" Lester questioned.

"Trust me," Szymon explained. "I know . . ." He said as he pulled the car over.

"What now?" Joseph questioned.

"I have to take a piss," Szymon explained as he hopped out of the car and walked into a McDonald’s. He went directly to the bathroom and unzipped his pants in front of the urinal. Reaching in his pocket for his cell phone, he dialed an old friend’s number.

"Sebby," he said when he heard his friend’s voice. "It’s Szymon. I need your help," he said softly. "No, I don’t want to talk over the phone," he said softly. "Why don’t we meet tonight? I’ll swing by the club and we can talk in private," he explained. "Okay, see ya later," he said as he pressed the end button.

Standing at the urinal, Szymon zipped up and washed his hands. As he stepped out of the McDonald’s, he called Cayden King and waited as the phone rang. "Come on, Cayden, answer your phone," he said as he heard it ring again. "You answer your phone every other time," he sighed as it continued to ring until he heard the voice mail. "Cayden," Szymon said as he approached his car. "I was thinking maybe we could go to this nightclub that a friend of mine owns. It’s called Xstatic."

"Hello," Cayden King said as he waited for the elevator in the lobby of his building.

"Cayden King," a woman’s voice responded. "This is Vivian Powers. Look, Kid, I don’t know what you did to get Elijah Montessori moving, but I’m sitting at my desk right now with his article in my hand and it’s great," she explained.

"Oh, good," Cayden smiled.

"I also asked Human Resources to pull your resume," Vivian said, "and I’m taking a look at it right now."

"You are?" Cayden questioned as the doors opened and he stepped in side, pressing the button for his floor. "What did you think?"

"I have to say," Vivian answered, "I’m not impressed."

"You’re not?" Cayden inquired, slightly disappointed. His resume was ten times better than Elijah Montessori’s and Elijah got the job.

"But I’ll tell you what," Vivian continued, "a promise is a promise. You’ve got yourself a job. I’m not sure what it is yet, but if you can be here tomorrow at around noon, I’m sure I’ll have something available for you," she explained.

"That sounds great," Cayden responded enthusiastically.

"We’ll see you tomorrow then," Vivian said. "And thanks again, Kid."

"No, thank you," Cayden responded before ending the call. He smiled to himself as the elevator doors opened onto his floor. He stepped out, beaming and saw Elijah Montessori walking down the hall.

"Elijah!" He called out excitedly. "Vivian Powers just called me, she’s offering me a job at Inside Out," he explained.

"Th-that’s great," Elijah responded as he headed toward Devon James’ apartment.

"What’s wrong?" Cayden questioned when he realized that Elijah looked worried.

Elijah turned back and glanced at Cayden. "It’s D-Devon," he explained, "sh-she called me and sh-she’s n-not doing good," he explained just as Devon James’ door opened.

"I can hear you talking about me," Devon James said as she emerged from the apartment and glanced at the two men standing in the hall. "And stop stuttering my name, you sound like Porky Pig," she announced as she glanced at Elijah. Her eyes diverted from him to Cayden. "What are you doing here?" She questioned. "I didn’t call you."

"I’m not here for you," Cayden responded, somewhat standoffish.

"Well, you better come in anyway," Devon explained. "This concerns you too," she noted.

Cayden glanced at her silently, then nodded. "Fine," he said as he followed Elijah into Devon’s apartment. "What is it?" He questioned as he shut the door behind them.

"It’s Gage," Devon explained. "I followed him today."

"You wh-what?" Elijah questioned.

"I know, it was a shitty thing to do," Devon said as she nodded her head, "but I’m glad that I did it. You guys, I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t know if it has anything to do with Luis, but I saw Gage go into a building and I saw Szymon and his partner sitting down the street in their car watching that same building," she explained.

"You saw what?" Cayden questioned.

"He was there, on a stakeout or doing surveillance or something," Devon explained.

"Holy shit," Cayden groaned as he shook his head.

"S-so what does th-this mean?" Elijah questioned.

"It means that Gage went and got himself involved in something big," Devon explained.

"Bigger than murder?" Cayden questioned, to which Devon simply stared at him with disgust.

"I don’t know what it is he got himself involved in," Devon explained, "but the fact that someone is dead because of it makes me think that it’s pretty serious," she noted.

"No kidding," Cayden agreed. "I don’t know why I got myself involved in this," he sighed.

"Look," Devon said, "we can sit here and whine about how things happened, or we can do something about it," she said. "Cayden, I need you to find out what Szymon is doing. If Gage is involved in something, I want to know what it is," she explained.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Cayden questioned.

"Go through his stuff," Devon responded. "Ask him about his job. Find a way, I don‘t know!" She yelled exasperatedly.

"I don’t think that’s a good idea," Cayden responded as he shook his head. "That’s police business," he explained.

"That’s right," Devon nodded, "police business that could implicate us in a murder and a cover up," she reminded him. "You helped me, Cayden, even when we weren’t friends. I will never forget that," she explained, "but as much as we’d all like it to be over, it isn’t. We still have to make sure that no one gets in trouble for what happened. I’m asking you to help me one more time," she pleaded.

Cayden remained silent for a long time before responding. "I don’t know how I’m supposed to do this," he responded. "But I’ll try."

"Thank you," Devon said with a sigh of relief.

"Wh-what about G-Gage?" Elijah interjected.

"Leave Gage to me," Devon explained. "I can’t believe he would do this to me. He’s been lying to me for a long time now. I don’t know what he’s involved in, but because of it, someone came to my house and tried to hurt me," she said. "Whatever’s going on, I have to stop it."

"Wh-what are you g-going to do?" Elijah questioned.

"I’m going to look out for myself," Devon James answered. "And for my baby," she added as she placed her hand on her stomach. "If Gage wants to be a part of this family, then he’s the one that’s going to have to make a decision," she explained. "I can’t keep sitting here scared of what’s going to happen."

Cayden King nodded. "I think we’ve all been scared enough," he agreed as his cell phone began to ring, startling him slightly. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the display. He didn’t recognize the number. "I wonder who this is," he said as he answered the call. "Hello," he said.

"I know what you did," a think raspy voice responded.

"Excuse me?" Cayden King questioned.

"I know what you did, and I know about the body in the incinerator," the voice repeated.

Cayden King’s eyes widened and he slowly pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it in shock. "Oh my God," he said softly.

"Wh-who is it?" Elijah Montessori questioned.

"What happened?" Devon chimed in.

"They know about Luis," Cayden said as he glanced at Devon.

"What?" Devon questioned as she grabbed the phone. "Hello? Who is this?" She asked.

"I know about Luis, and I know that you killed him," came the response.

"Who is this?" Devon questioned as her steely composure began to crumble before her friends’ very eyes. "Who are you?" She asked.

"That’s not important," the voice responded. "What’s important is what I want."

"What do you want?" Devon questioned after a long pause.

"You’ll find out," the voice answered. Devon heard a click and then silence.

"Hello?" She said. "Hello?" She pulled the cell phone from her ear and saw that the call had ended.

"Wh-what’s h-happening? Who w-was that?" Elijah Montessori questioned as he shook his head.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," Cayden King repeated as he paced back and forth.

Devon James was stunned into silence and she glanced at Cayden and Elijah with large fearful eyes, and when Cayden’s cell phone began to ring again, it took her off guard and she screamed and dropped it, jumping backwards.

"Don’t answer it!" Cayden King quickly shouted.

"Th-this is c-crazy," Elijah said, shaking his head with disbelief.

"Oh God, please," Devon prayed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

The three of them stood in the center of the living room staring at Cayden King’s cell phone as it rang to voicemail.