breasts together, she giggled. There. If I did this all the time, then I could have men ogle my boobs too. Letting her hands drop, she sighed. I know that’s what he likes. That’s what he’s used to having. Heaving another sigh, she shook her head. It doesn’t matter. I’m who I am and what I am. I never had a shot at a man like him anyway.
She padded over to her harp case, realizing that with all the events of the day she had not taken Easnadh out. Laying the case on its side, she unsnapped it and lifted the lid. The sliver of moonlight coming in through the curtains cast a shiny shadow across her beloved instrument. As was her habit, she lovingly gazed over the entire harp, noting with pride the exquisite restoration work. Everything looked perfect…until her gaze fell upon the pedestal. Flipping on the light next to her, she peered down into the case to see what caught her eye. What is that?
The base of Easnadh’s pedestal was slightly crooked. It would not be noticed by anyone other than someone intimately acquainted with every inch of the beautiful instrument. How did that happen? She carefully lifted her harp from its case and walked over to her bed, laying it down for further inspection. Running her fingers carefully over the wood, she noted that the harp was completely as it should be, except the base.
Bending over her task, she saw that the screws that held the base onto the pedestal were almost perfect—except for one. And it was not screwed in all the way flush with the wood. How did the screw become loose? Not wanting to leave anything to chance, she moved over to her cosmetic case, looking for a nail file to use as a screwdriver.
Lifting the harp, she turned it upside down and heard a noise from inside the hollow pedestal. Turning it back down in the correct position, she heard the noise again as something slide back down. Her brow knitted as she moved the harp several times, each time greeted with the same noise.
What’s in there? And how did something get there?
Instead of screwing the errant screw back in tighter, she removed all of the screws carefully and slowly removed the wooden base. With the harp still on the bed, she leaned over to peer inside.
Seeing several plastic bags, she reached her fingers toward the foreign objects. Stopping at the last minute, her hands hovered over the bags… someone’s put something in here. Her heart began to pound in her chest as realization slid over her. Too many nights watching TV when she could not sleep and her fingers ached from harp practice had her assuming what the bags were. Something white was in them. Oh, Jesus, someone’s put drugs in Easnadh’s case.
Whirling, she ran for the connecting door. “Vinny!” she screeched.
Hearing her cry, Vinny blew through the door, belatedly realizing he almost hit her as he rushed to her aid, his weapon drawn.
“What? What’s wrong?” he bit out as she rushed into his arms. His gaze flew around the room ascertaining that no one else was there. Seeing the harp case opened, his heart dropped. Oh, fuck. Is something wrong with her harp?
“Something’s there,” she muttered, pointing to the harp.
His brow creased as he struggled to understand. Pushing her gently away from him, he said softly, “Sit down. Let me see.”
He moved over to the instrument lying on the bed and instantly knew what he was looking at. Holy fuck. He looked over at her pale, shaking form. Stalking to her, he knelt in front of her.
“Tell me what happened,” he said. Her eyes found his but appeared dilated with shock. “Annalissa,” he said a little louder and noticed her eyes re-focused. That’s it, baby. Stay with me. “I need you to tell me what happened.”
Nodding, she described that she had forgotten to check on Easnadh, so she went over, opened the case and explained why she began looking.
“Oh Vinny, what’ll we do? Do we call the police?”
“No, not the local police.” His mind raced with
She padded over to her harp case, realizing that with all the events of the day she had not taken Easnadh out. Laying the case on its side, she unsnapped it and lifted the lid. The sliver of moonlight coming in through the curtains cast a shiny shadow across her beloved instrument. As was her habit, she lovingly gazed over the entire harp, noting with pride the exquisite restoration work. Everything looked perfect…until her gaze fell upon the pedestal. Flipping on the light next to her, she peered down into the case to see what caught her eye. What is that?
The base of Easnadh’s pedestal was slightly crooked. It would not be noticed by anyone other than someone intimately acquainted with every inch of the beautiful instrument. How did that happen? She carefully lifted her harp from its case and walked over to her bed, laying it down for further inspection. Running her fingers carefully over the wood, she noted that the harp was completely as it should be, except the base.
Bending over her task, she saw that the screws that held the base onto the pedestal were almost perfect—except for one. And it was not screwed in all the way flush with the wood. How did the screw become loose? Not wanting to leave anything to chance, she moved over to her cosmetic case, looking for a nail file to use as a screwdriver.
Lifting the harp, she turned it upside down and heard a noise from inside the hollow pedestal. Turning it back down in the correct position, she heard the noise again as something slide back down. Her brow knitted as she moved the harp several times, each time greeted with the same noise.
What’s in there? And how did something get there?
Instead of screwing the errant screw back in tighter, she removed all of the screws carefully and slowly removed the wooden base. With the harp still on the bed, she leaned over to peer inside.
Seeing several plastic bags, she reached her fingers toward the foreign objects. Stopping at the last minute, her hands hovered over the bags… someone’s put something in here. Her heart began to pound in her chest as realization slid over her. Too many nights watching TV when she could not sleep and her fingers ached from harp practice had her assuming what the bags were. Something white was in them. Oh, Jesus, someone’s put drugs in Easnadh’s case.
Whirling, she ran for the connecting door. “Vinny!” she screeched.
Hearing her cry, Vinny blew through the door, belatedly realizing he almost hit her as he rushed to her aid, his weapon drawn.
“What? What’s wrong?” he bit out as she rushed into his arms. His gaze flew around the room ascertaining that no one else was there. Seeing the harp case opened, his heart dropped. Oh, fuck. Is something wrong with her harp?
“Something’s there,” she muttered, pointing to the harp.
His brow creased as he struggled to understand. Pushing her gently away from him, he said softly, “Sit down. Let me see.”
He moved over to the instrument lying on the bed and instantly knew what he was looking at. Holy fuck. He looked over at her pale, shaking form. Stalking to her, he knelt in front of her.
“Tell me what happened,” he said. Her eyes found his but appeared dilated with shock. “Annalissa,” he said a little louder and noticed her eyes re-focused. That’s it, baby. Stay with me. “I need you to tell me what happened.”
Nodding, she described that she had forgotten to check on Easnadh, so she went over, opened the case and explained why she began looking.
“Oh Vinny, what’ll we do? Do we call the police?”
“No, not the local police.” His mind raced with
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