management makes murder so much more…manageable.”
“Shut up!” Cindy screamed at Edna, her face twisting with rage. “Just shut up. You aren’t always right. You don’t know anything about me, you never have.”
“Cynthia, if you don’t put that gun down right now, I will shoot,” Frank said, hoping his tone would convince her that he was dead serious.
“Frank, you’re supposed to be on my side.” Cindy gulped, her eyes filling with betrayal and hurt as she started sobbing, full force, once more.
“Yeah, Frank, can’t you just help your queen kill me like you’re supposed to?” Edna quipped, not sounding nearly as concerned for her own welfare as he’d like for her to be. Not to mention that badgering an unstable teen who was presently holding a gun aimed at your heart might not be the wisest course of action.
“Edna, be quiet,” he ordered.
“I wasn’t going to kill her, Frank. I could never kill anyone. You have to believe me,” Cindy said, finally dropping the gun as she dissolved into another fit of tortured sobs. Covering her face with her hands, she sunk slowly to the floor where she proceeded to curl into a ball on her side, looking absolutely pathetic in her oversized t-shirt and man-sized diaper.
Pathetic-looking or not, he wasn’t going to breathe easier until that gun was out of her reach.
Quickly, Frank crossed to Cynthia and kicked the gun to the far side of the room, unmoved by the wide, tear-filled eyes she blinked up at him from the floor. She was a beautiful girl, angelically beautiful, but he’d finally gotten a good look at the little brat that lurked beneath that pretty surface. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen through her sooner, and knew it would be quite awhile before he trusted his instincts fully again. He’d always prided himself on being a good judge of character, but it looked like he couldn’t have been further off the mark with this girl.
“Frank, I really didn’t mean to hurt her, you have to believe me,” she pleaded in response to the chill she no doubt saw in his eyes.
“She just thought I’d be better to look at with a few bullet holes for decoration,” Edna mumbled from behind him.
“Edna, please,” Frank said.
“I’m sorry. This is how I handle being scared to death,” Edna said, her voice rising slightly before she broke off with a shaky breath.
Shit. Pretty soon he was going to have two crying females on his hands and the real red light stalker popping in to the waiting room. He had to establish some sort of order
in the room before they lost the chance to catch their second suspect. They could all sit down and try to figure out what the hell was really going on after that was accomplished.
“Get up, Cynthia. Now,” he ordered. “Edna, do your best to get it together, okay?
The real guy is on his way up.” “The real guy? What real guy?”
“We’ve got another suspect on the way. Cynthia might not be our girl, or she might not be working alone.” He reached down and hauled a freshly sobbing Cynthia to her feet.
“What are you talking about, Frank? You mean there’s someone else who wants to kill me?”
“He doesn’t want to kill you,” Cindy said, her voice laced with a healthy dose of bitterness. “He’s in love with you.”
“What?” Edna asked, her big brown eyes growing even wider.
“He who?” Frank asked, pulling the queen across the room toward the east dressing room. They were running very short on time, and he had to make her disappear before the man she was talking about made it to the tenth floor.
“The p-p-p…” Cindy stuttered, the sudden resurgence of her tears making it impossible to understand what she was trying to say.
“Tell me his name,” Frank demanded, giving the girl a sharp shake. “Help me out and maybe you won’t go to jail for the rest of your life.”
“I’m the queen,” she sobbed hysterically. “I’m still the queen.”
“You’re not going to live to be
“Shut up!” Cindy screamed at Edna, her face twisting with rage. “Just shut up. You aren’t always right. You don’t know anything about me, you never have.”
“Cynthia, if you don’t put that gun down right now, I will shoot,” Frank said, hoping his tone would convince her that he was dead serious.
“Frank, you’re supposed to be on my side.” Cindy gulped, her eyes filling with betrayal and hurt as she started sobbing, full force, once more.
“Yeah, Frank, can’t you just help your queen kill me like you’re supposed to?” Edna quipped, not sounding nearly as concerned for her own welfare as he’d like for her to be. Not to mention that badgering an unstable teen who was presently holding a gun aimed at your heart might not be the wisest course of action.
“Edna, be quiet,” he ordered.
“I wasn’t going to kill her, Frank. I could never kill anyone. You have to believe me,” Cindy said, finally dropping the gun as she dissolved into another fit of tortured sobs. Covering her face with her hands, she sunk slowly to the floor where she proceeded to curl into a ball on her side, looking absolutely pathetic in her oversized t-shirt and man-sized diaper.
Pathetic-looking or not, he wasn’t going to breathe easier until that gun was out of her reach.
Quickly, Frank crossed to Cynthia and kicked the gun to the far side of the room, unmoved by the wide, tear-filled eyes she blinked up at him from the floor. She was a beautiful girl, angelically beautiful, but he’d finally gotten a good look at the little brat that lurked beneath that pretty surface. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen through her sooner, and knew it would be quite awhile before he trusted his instincts fully again. He’d always prided himself on being a good judge of character, but it looked like he couldn’t have been further off the mark with this girl.
“Frank, I really didn’t mean to hurt her, you have to believe me,” she pleaded in response to the chill she no doubt saw in his eyes.
“She just thought I’d be better to look at with a few bullet holes for decoration,” Edna mumbled from behind him.
“Edna, please,” Frank said.
“I’m sorry. This is how I handle being scared to death,” Edna said, her voice rising slightly before she broke off with a shaky breath.
Shit. Pretty soon he was going to have two crying females on his hands and the real red light stalker popping in to the waiting room. He had to establish some sort of order
in the room before they lost the chance to catch their second suspect. They could all sit down and try to figure out what the hell was really going on after that was accomplished.
“Get up, Cynthia. Now,” he ordered. “Edna, do your best to get it together, okay?
The real guy is on his way up.” “The real guy? What real guy?”
“We’ve got another suspect on the way. Cynthia might not be our girl, or she might not be working alone.” He reached down and hauled a freshly sobbing Cynthia to her feet.
“What are you talking about, Frank? You mean there’s someone else who wants to kill me?”
“He doesn’t want to kill you,” Cindy said, her voice laced with a healthy dose of bitterness. “He’s in love with you.”
“What?” Edna asked, her big brown eyes growing even wider.
“He who?” Frank asked, pulling the queen across the room toward the east dressing room. They were running very short on time, and he had to make her disappear before the man she was talking about made it to the tenth floor.
“The p-p-p…” Cindy stuttered, the sudden resurgence of her tears making it impossible to understand what she was trying to say.
“Tell me his name,” Frank demanded, giving the girl a sharp shake. “Help me out and maybe you won’t go to jail for the rest of your life.”
“I’m the queen,” she sobbed hysterically. “I’m still the queen.”
“You’re not going to live to be
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