Stolen Identities
***Chris and David's apartment***
It was a gorgeous, brisk New York Sunday. Chris and David were at home, and had just finished a late breakfast. Bridgit and Lisa were headed over, and they were going to go with Chris to look at the apartments. Brian wanted to see what they looked like before he purchased them, so they were going to take videos and Facetime with him while they were in each place.
Chris headed to shower and change, and get ready. David was going to stay home and work on some legal briefs. They were all heading to Tarrytown later for Miranda's soccer game and to take her to dinner.
Chris showered very quickly, and then did her makeup before drying and straightening her hair. She put on some distressed skinny jeans, a red cut-out sweater, and some light brown wedge booties. She grabbed a brown coat out of the hall closet and went to the den to wait on the girls.
David kissed Chris and headed back to the office to work on his legal briefs. Bridgit and Lisa arrived a few minutes later, and called her from the lobby. She rode the elevator down, and they met the building manager, who showed them the vacant apartments. They were both at the other end of Chris and David's floor.
The first one was cute, but Bridgit felt it wasn't practical for a baby. The bedroom was very small, and the closet was the smallest she had ever seen. The kitchen was modern and new, but Bridgit needed a bigger closet. So she took the video and then they went across the hall.
The apartment across the hall was a 1.5 bedroom, 1 bath. The ½ bedroom was an alcove, that could be used as a bedroom, or an office. However, for a nursery, it was the perfect size. It would easily fit a crib, and small dresser. The bathroom was huge, with lots of storage and cabinet space and a very spacious shower. The closet in the bedroom was smaller than she wanted, but big enough to fit her needs. She facetimed her parents and showed them the apartment. They told her that the final decision was up to her.
They decided to head to the building down the street and look at Lisa's apartment. Everyone thanked the building manager and headed out.
***The Emporium***
Chris and Bridgit and Lisa walked the 3 blocks to The Emporium. Lisa noted that it had a doorman, which she loved. She felt like it promoted safety.
They walked in and were met by the assistant building manager, who was going to show them the available apartments.
They skipped over the studio, and headed straight for the biggest 1 bedroom apartment they had, at 925 sq. ft. It was a 1 bedroom, 1 bath, and it was on the 3rd floor. It had a gorgeous master bedroom and master bath, with 2 very large closets. The living room overlooked a short, but wide balcony, and the kitchen was very bright and sunny, and had modern appliances. She would have room for a table and there was a ½ wall that was designed to be used as office space, that Lisa was thinking she could use for her design work or sewing. Her favorite part was that the bedroom had a little step up, where the bed was supposed to go. She thought that was so modern and posh.
She facetimed Brian to show him and he agreed it was perfect for her. He told the assistant manager he was going to call the building manager and buy it the next day. Lisa would be able to move in after about 4 weeks.
They agreed to look at the others, and Chris really loved the next one. It was on the 2nd floor, and was longer than the other apartment. It was a 2-bedroom, 1 bath. The master was the biggest room in the whole apartment. It also had a step up place in the bedroom, but this one was angled out of a corner. The other bedroom was perfect for a nursery or anyone really. It was big enough to fit 2 beds, so it could definitely fit a crib and a twin bed. The kitchen had a double oven, a huge fridge, and lots of cabinets. The balcony was huge, and could easily fit a table and chairs. Bridgit was loving this apartment more than the one in Chris' building. She looked at the brochure and saw that this one was only $8,000 dollars less. She checked the amenities list and saw that it had the same amenities as Chris' building. She loved the fact that her sister would be right upstairs, and her aunt would be 3 blocks away.
"Aunt Chris, what do you think?"
"I love this apartment. I think it is very nice, and would be very spacious".
"I really thought the one in your building was the best apartment, and I was so excited to live so close to you. But I am liking this one just a teeny bit more and it's cheaper. And even though it isn't right next to you, it's still close, so that counts right?"
"Bridgie. Don't be silly. Live where you want to. I am still going to see you and help you if you need me, you know that".
Bridgit hugged Chris and pulled her phone out of her pocket, to facetime her dad.
She started giving him a tour as soon as he answered. She loved how she had a shower with a glass door, and a tub, so that when she wanted to bathe the baby, she could do it either way. She showed him the whole apartment, and he agreed with her that it was a better buy, and it was the right apartment for her and the baby. So he agreed to buy this one for her and the one upstairs for Lisa. Both girls hugged and squealed, and were so excited.
"Bridgit- I have a college friend who owns a moving company. I am going to call them and have them come pack you and move you, honey. I don't want you to hurt yourself or the baby by packing and trying to move your stuff yourself. So you will probably want to take a week or so off work, so you can unpack and get settled, ok?"
She nodded. "Ok, Daddy. I will get the forms from the desk in the lobby and upload them to you on email tonight so you can fill them out and send them back."
"Ok sounds good. Love you girls. Thank you so much sis for helping them."
"My pleasure Brian".
They hung up and Bridgit started walking around talking about what she wanted for the apartment, like a big fluffy rug, and a big couch like Chris and David's, if she could find one for a good price.
They took some pictures then, and then they all headed back to Chris and David's house to get David and head to see Miranda.
It had been a very pleasant afternoon, and Chris was grateful that she had more time to spend with the girls and David today.
***Tarrytown***
Chris and David and Bridgit and Lisa arrived at the soccer fields, and headed towards Miranda's field. They found Stephanie, and Miranda ran to them and gave them all hugs. She ran back to her field, and joined her team. Chris and David took a seat in the bleachers, next to Bridgit, Lisa, and Stephanie.
They were sitting there watching the game, when David turned his attention to the other end of the field. And all of a sudden, there in the bleachers, just down from them, he saw her. Jessica, his sister, was at the game.
He decided to respect her wishes and not approach her, even though it killed him. He missed his sister and wanted to know why she cut him out of her life like that. But he didn't want to cause a scene at his daughter's game, so he let it be.
The first ½ of the game went by without any issues, and Miranda came and sat with them during the ½ time. She asked her mom if her friend Allyson could spend the night.
"Sorry babe, but you have school tomorrow. Maybe next weekend".
She nodded, but she was bummed.
Just before the last 7 minutes of the game, the other team scored a goal. Miranda's team had scored 2 goals, so the score was now 2-1. Miranda and another teammate went after the ball, and Miranda got it, and then passed it to Allyson. A player from the other team rushed in, and knocked Allyson down, causing her to hit her head, while they took the ball. Allyson was out cold. The ref's stopped the game and yelled for the coaches to call an ambulance.
Chris was watching from the bleachers and heard the coaches say "She's not breathing". She got up and ran over and told them she knew CPR. Without even questioning as to who it was or why she was doing it, she began to give CPR to the little girl. Chris was on the third round of compressions when the girl woke up and opened her eyes.
"Stay still honey, it's ok. Help is on the way. Just lay still". The girl's mom rushed to her, and Chris backed up and backed away.
The coaches were telling her thank you, and then the ambulance was there. The coaches for both teams got together with the refs, and agreed to call the game, and end it. It was a tie game, and they agreed they would rematch later in the season.
Chris was back at the bleachers by David and the girls when the coach came over to thank her again for helping out.
"My pleasure. Hope she is ok".
Chris noticed that Miranda was crying, and heard her tell Stephanie that she wanted to go check on her friend.
"They took her to the ambulance to get her checked out. We will check on her later, sweetheart".
Chris stood up and was about to head to the car with everyone, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
She turned around, to see a very pretty brunette staring back at her.
"That was my child that you gave the CPR to. I just wanted to say thank you so, so much, for saving my child".
"It was nothing, I would have done it for anyone. Glad I could help".
David turned around, and after the women had finished talking, he said "Hello, Jessica".
"Hi David."
Christine realized what was happening, and stuck her hand out to Jessica.
"Hi, I am Christine. I guess we are sisters in law".
"Hi Christine. I am Jessica".
Jessica looked so out of place and so uncomfortable.
"My husband is with Allyson in the ambulance. I should get back…I just wanted to say thank you".
"You are welcome, and I am so glad to have finally met you".
Jessica smiled at Chris, and then looked at David. "Nice to see you, David. You are looking well".
She walked away then, and headed back towards the ambulance.
"David, how do you know her?" Stephanie was very curious.
"She is my sister. We have been estranged for about 15 years now".
They all headed to the car and David and Stephanie let Miranda go see Allyson for a few minutes. The EMT's were pretty confident that she would be ok, but they were wanting her blood pressure to go down a little bit before they transported her.
Everyone left and went to the restaurant then, and Bridgit and Lisa tried very hard to cheer Miranda up some. Chris could tell that David was bothered by seeing his sister, but he was trying to not dwell on it.
After they ate a quick meal, Stephanie took Miranda home, and David and Chris and then girls headed back to the city.
It had been a fun, but strange afternoon for all of them.
***The Next Morning***
Chris woke up and did her workout, and then jumped in the shower. After her shower, she threw her robe on, and then went to make them breakfast while David was in the shower. She made them egg white omelets with bacon and veggies. She loved cooking breakfast for her and David.
They ate a quick breakfast and then she and David left for work, and walked to the car together, like always.
He helped her put her stuff in the car, and then kissed her goodbye. "Have a great day babe! I love you".
She kissed him again. "I love you too".
They headed to work in separate directions.
***Chris and Mary Beth's office***
Chris walked in and put her things down at her desk. Mary Beth came in about 2 minutes later.
"Morning Christine".
"Morning Mary Beth. Have a nice weekend?"
"Yes. Busy but nice. Birthday parties for Alice, and then we let her have a couple of friends spend the night. Yesterday she and I spent all day on her science project".
"That sounds fun". Chris told her all about going with Bridgit and Lisa to look at apartments and then everyone going to Miranda's soccer game, and Chris having to do CPR on her niece, that she's never met.
"Wow, Chris. Is she all right?"
"I don't know. We haven't heard anything. Her mother, David's sister, came over to tell me thank you for giving her CPR and then she realized who I was. So that was a little awkward when she and David spoke, and then she rushed away to go be with her kid. I felt bad for David, but I am hoping that since Miranda and her daughter are friends and don't even realize they are cousins just yet, we might be able to forge some kind of relationship". Chris couldn't believe that in just the span of a few weeks, David had been able to find his brother and his sister.
"What are you and David doing for New Years Eve?"
"We don't have any plans yet. I think we might just stay home and do a special dinner together and then hang out in the hot tub or something".
"That sounds wonderful".
A uniformed officer came in and handed them a case.
"Attempted homicide. Victim is in critical condition at Manhattan General. Female, 28 years old. Beaten, strangled, and found lying on the floor of her apartment. Place had been ransacked. She was found by her sister".
"Let's go, partner". They grabbed their things and headed to the crime scene.
***At the scene***
Chris and Mary Beth arrived at the crime scene, and were let inside once they showed their badges to the officer manning the access.
They parked and walked inside.
There were officers there dusting for fingerprints and taking pictures.
A uniformed officer gave them the lowdown. "This house is owned by Ashlee and Paige Nichols. They are twins. Paige came over and found Ashlee on the floor, and called 911. She was here when police arrived and confirmed that the TV had been taken, along with a shoebox containing $12000 dollars in cash, 2 flash drives from the center desk drawer, and a laptop. Ambulances came and took Ashlee to the hospital, Paige packed a bag of clothes and went to stay with a friend".
"Any signs of forced entry?"
"None. We can't tell yet how they came in, as there was a broken window that won't stay shut, but the back door had also been kicked in. We are confident that the fingerprints will help us determine what happened."
"Thank you for your time, officer."
Mary Beth and Chris headed to the hospital to see if they could talk to Paige or Ashlee.
***Manhattan General Hospital***
Chris and Mary Beth found out what room Ashlee was in, and headed to her floor. They checked all of the waiting rooms on the floor and didn't find Paige in any of them. They went to Ashlee's room, where they found her still unconscious and Paige sitting in a chair in the corner.
"Hello, we are Detective Lacey and Lieutenant Keeler, with the NYPD. We are investigating the assault on Ashlee and the robbery of her residence".
"Hello, I am Paige, Ashlee's sister."
"Has she woken up at all?"
Paige shook her head. "No, she hasn't. The doctor said whomever did this to her, really hit her head hard, and she might not ever recover".
"If she wakes up, we need to speak with her. Please contact us when that happens".
Paige took Christine's card and nodded. "Ok, I will. But the doctor said that it's not uncommon for people with head injuries to not make sense afterwards".
"Ms. Nichols, did your sister have any enemies that you know of? Anyone who would have wanted to do this to her?"
"No. She is as straight laced as they come. She has tons of friends and they all love her. This had to be random, and not someone she knows".
Mary Beth noticed how fidgety and nervous Paige seemed. She also noticed that she had brought her suitcase with her to the hospital, and that seemed odd to her.
Chris and Mary Beth headed back to the car, to head back to their office. On the way, Mary Beth used her ipad to look up Paige Nichol's records.
"Chris, Ashlee has been arrested for drug possession and trafficking 5 times. Maybe she owed a drug debt to someone?"
"Possibly. We need to check out Ashlee too though, since she lived there as well".
"On it". Mary Beth did the background check from her Ipad, and came up with nothing.
"Nothing Chris. Not so much as a traffic ticket".
"Well, that's interesting, but not uncommon. Just because they are twins, that doesn't mean they have to do everything the same".
"There is something we are missing here, Christine. I can feel it".
"Me too, Partner".
They rode back to the office. As soon as they got to the office, Chris stopped by the evidence room and asked for any evidence that had been collected as well as a copy of the report from the Nichols home".
A few minutes later, a uniformed officer brought a copy of the report to Chris and Mary Beth's office.
"Ok Mary Beth, let's start with the basics."
"No family. According to her statement, Paige said that their parents died a few years ago, and they inherited the house from the estate. No other siblings. Grandparents live in Virginia."
"Ok. Does it say where Paige and Ashlee work?"
"Ashlee works at NYU, and Paige works as a hairdresser at a salon in the village".
"I will call NYU and the salon and get references".
"And I am going to call some informants and see what they know about Ashlee".
Chris called NYU and left a message for Ashlee's supervisor to call her back. Next, she called Paige's salon and asked to speak to the owner.
"Hello, this is Mary, can I help you?"
"Hello. This is Lieutenant Keeler from the NYPD. I am calling to ask you some questions about a hairdresser that works in your salon- Paige Nichols".
"Beautiful girl, very talented hairdresser. She can literally take a rat's nest and turn it into a beautiful updo in a matter of minutes. Please don't tell me she is leaving here and going to work somewhere else? She promised that she was only going to take about 6 weeks off".
"No ma'am. Her sister was attacked and we are investigating this from all angles. Did she tell you why she was taking time off?"
"She said she needed to get out of town for awhile. I have a customer now, but please tell her I am sorry about her sister. She was such a sweet girl, but can't do an updo to save her life".
"Thank you ma'am".
Chris took some notes and then started to call the neighbors. No answer at any of the neighbor's numbers.
Chris took the report and tracked down a phone number for the girls' grandparents in Virginia. She picked up the phone and dialed the number.
"Hello?" It was a female voice, and it reminded Chris of her own grandmother.
"Hello, may I speak to Mrs. Stewart?"
"This is she".
"Hi. My name is Christine Keeler, and I am a Lieutenant with the New York Police Department. I am calling you because two girls who I believe to be your granddaughters are being investigated. Do you know Paige and Ashlee Nichols?"
"Yes, they are my granddaughters. Are they ok?"
"well, Ashlee was taken to the hospital. She was attacked in her home and hurt pretty badly. Paige seems to be frightened but ok".
"Ok thank you. We will be on the first flight out".
Chris hung up and then waited for Mary Beth to hang up with the informants.
"Anything?"
"Not really. Two of them said they hadn't done any business with her. The other two insisted that I was talking about Paige and not Ashlee".
"Hmm… Well I got in touch with Paige's supervisor, and she said that Paige is a fabulous hair dresser and that she told her she was taking 6 weeks off. She also said that Ashlee is a sweet girl, but she can't do hair to save her life. No answer at the neighbors or at Ashlee's supervisor's office, and the grandparents are on the next flight out".
Chris looked at her watch. It was 2:30.
"Mary Beth, what do you say to a late lunch and a mani/pedi?"
"I would say that sounds lovely. Let's go".
Chris and Mary Beth headed for lunch at The Bread Bowl, and then hit up Lang's nails for a mani/pedi, and some long overdue girl time.
Chris and Mary Beth left the salon at 5, and headed home. Chris decided that she wanted to plan something for New Year's Eve with David after all.
***Chris and David's apartment***
Chris came in and put her stuff down, then went to change her clothes. She loved putting on comfy clothes at the end of the day, and getting a pedicure had made her relaxed.
She came back to the kitchen to start making dinner for her and David. She surveyed the contents of the fridge and freezer, and decided on angel hair pasta, with shrimp and steamed lobster. She tossed a salad, and set it back into the fridge. She filled a metal bowl with room temperature water and put the frozen lobster in the bowl, and covered it with a dish towel. She set the timer on her phone for 30 minutes.
When the timer went off, she checked on the lobster and found it was thawed, so she put it into a colander and put it over the shrimp and pasta pot. She set another pot to boil on the stove, and when it was ready, she moved the colander to that pot and turned it up to high. She drained the pasta and shrimp into a bowl and got out some plates to set the table. Just then, David walked in.
"Hi babe. Smells good in here". He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
"Hi honey". She kissed him back. "Dinner is almost ready".
"Good. I'm starved". He went to change clothes and came back to the kitchen a few minutes later. He got out two glasses and got them some water to drink.
Chris poured the lemon butter garlic sauce over the shrimp and pasta and stirred it really well, and then got the salad out of the fridge.
David helped her to plate the dinners and take them to the table. She brought over the lobster tails and the salad bowl, and the fresh parmesan cheese. This was one of David's favorite dinners and she loved making him happy.
As they ate, they talked about their days, and plans for the week.
"Honey, what do you want to do for New Year's Eve?"
"I was thinking about that today actually. We could take a trip somewhere, like to a cabin if you want. Or we could stay here. The city will be a madhouse".
"Always is. Is the firm having any kind of party?"
"Not that I know of. I can ask around though. We don't usually have a party since they threw a big Christmas party".
"Well, do you want to stay in or do you want to go out?"
"What if we go out for dinner, and then come home for the ball drop?" Or I can get us a hotel room that overlooks Times Square if you want to see the ball drop".
"No, I have done that enough. We could go to dinner though, and then come home and hang out in the hot tub, or watching the ball drop on TV".
"I like that idea. Where do you want to go for dinner? I will make us reservations."
"Surprise me. And remember, New Year's Eve is in 3 days, so we need to make those reservations soon".
"Will do babe".
They finished dinner, and then cleaned up the kitchen together. David enjoyed the dinner so much that he ate all the leftovers.
Chris went and ran a bath for a bubble bath, and lit some candles. She had just climbed in and turned on the music channel on the TV when David came in to join her. He climbed in and she melted back into his arms, as he began to rub her shoulders.
Nights like this were Chris' definition of perfect.
***The next morning***
Chris got up and went through the usual routine, and she and David enjoyed cinnamon banana oatmeal and fruit for breakfast.
David was working from home today, but Chris and Mary Beth were headed to the hospital to check on Ashlee Nichols. They ate breakfast and then David said he would do the dishes since he was staying home. He walked Chris to the car like he always did, and helped her get her things in, and kissed her goodbye.
"Enjoy your day at home, honey. Wish I was spending it with you". She kissed him.
"Me too". He kissed her again.
She climbed into the car, and headed to the office, to pick up Mary Beth.
***Manhattan General Hospital***
Chris and Mary Beth walked into Ashlee's room. She was alone and appeared to be sleeping. The nurse came in and said that the doctor was on her way and would be there in a few minutes.
Chris and Mary Beth spoke with the nurse in the hallway.
"Has she woken up at all?"
"Not on my shift, and the other nurses didn't note it in her chart if she woke up for them".
"Are any of her injuries keeping her from waking up, or would any of her medicines be keeping her from waking up?"
"I suppose anything is possible, but really, the doctor would be the one to answer that. In my opinion, the trauma she has gone through and her need to heal would be playing a bigger part in keeping her asleep".
"Thank you for your time, ma'am".
Chris and Mary Beth went back in to wait for the doctor. They were trying to be quiet.
After a few minutes of whisper chatting between them about what they planned to say to the doctor and what other leads they were going to pursue, some movement caught Chris out of the corner of her eye. It was Ashlee, she was moving her hand.
Mary Beth walked over cautiously, and spoke softly. "Ashlee, I am Detective Lacey with the NYPD. You are in a hospital, recovering from being attacked. Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me".
Ashlee squeezed her hand.
"Can you open your eyes?"
Ashlee struggled to open her eyes. She managed to get one open, but not the other. After a couple of seconds, she shut her eyes again.
"How long have I been here?"
"A couple of days".
"Ashlee, I am Lieutenant Keeler. I am investigating your case with Detective Lacey. Do you remember being attacked?"
"Yes, I do. Kind of".
"Do you know who did it?"
"Ashlee did it"
"Ashlee did it? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am positive."
"What is your full name?"
"Paige Alexandria Nichols".
"Thank you, ma'am. Get some rest, we will be sure to send the nurse in soon".
Just then, the door swung open and Chris and Mary Beth turned to look to see who it was. It was "Paige".
"Hi sister. Glad to see you responding today."
She turned to Chris and Mary Beth. "I am sorry if she wasn't making sense, I think it is consistent with the kind of head injuries she has. In a couple weeks when she gets her strength back, she might be able to talk to you guys more".
Chris and Mary Beth just looked at her, not saying a word. They were watching the two women interact. "Ashlee" wasn't asleep, but she wasn't responding to her sister either.
"Your hair is a mess. Let's fix it". She gathered "Ashlee's" hair and started trying to put it into an updo, but she wasn't very good at it and it was falling down left and right.
The doctor came in just then, and Chris and Mary Beth went in to the hall.
"Go call Feldberg and see if he will issue a warrant for her arrest. We can bring her in by proxy".
Mary Beth headed for the nurses desk, and Chris went back inside.
"Doctor, can we have a list of her injuries for our investigation purposes?"
"Sure. Here you go". She handed Chris a detailed list of the injuries that "Ashlee" had sustained. Chris noticed "Paige" was acting very odd, and fidgety again.
Mary Beth came back and opened the door, and nodded at Chris.
The doctor was asking "Ashlee" questions then. Chris wrote out a couple of questions for the doctor to ask. The note said "Please ask her what her full name is, and who did this to her".
Mary Beth stood guard at the door. She had called hospital security and they were waiting right outside. She had also called for backup to wait out front.
The doctor looked at Chris' note, and then followed directions. "What is your full name, dear?"
"Paige Alexandria Nichols". "Paige" reached down and squeezed "Ashlee's" hand hard.
"She doesn't know what she is saying. Her full name is Ashlee Brooke Nichols".
The doctor looked back at her patient. "Who did this to you?"
"Ashlee did". "Paige" pointed at Ashlee, who squeezed her hand even harder.
The doctor moved around to the side of the bed, and asked "Paige" to let go of "Ashlee's" hand.
"I need to examine my patient more thoroughly now, can you please wait outside?"
Chris and "Paige" went outside with Mary Beth. Hospital security was there to prevent her from leaving the floor.
The doctor opened the door, and informed Chris that she could come in, when the nurse came in.
A few minutes later, the nurse and Chris came back in.
The doctor was very frank. "I believe that this patient was presented to us to be Ashlee Brooke Nichols, but is in fact Paige Alexandria Nichols, and I have asked the nurse to fingerprint her so that you can compare the prints. I am going to issue an order that visitation be limited to law enforcement and medical staff only, so that my patient can rest. I am hopeful that you will transport the other Ms. Nichols to your facility?"
"Yes ma'am".
The nurse was done fingerprinting "Ashlee". Chris asked for the doctor to have security stand guard outside her door at all times until further notice.
"Thank you for your time and help, doctor. Ms. Nichols. I hope that you can get some rest, and please know that my partner and I will get to the bottom of this".
"Thank you Lieutenant".
Chris stepped outside and looked directly at the other twin.
"Ms. Nichols, would you please come downtown with us? We would like to question you further".
"I can't. I need to stay with my sister".
"I thought you might say that. However, the doctor has restricted visitors to just law enforcement and medical personnel today".
"I still want to stay with my sister".
"Ok, Ms. Nichols, you leave us no choice. You are under arrest for the assault and attempted murder of your twin sister".
Mary Beth put the handcuffs on her, and they led her to the elevator. She bellyached the whole way downstairs, and didn't stop, even when Chris handed her off to a uniformed officer for transport.
Chris and Mary Beth headed to Chris' car to follow and meet them there.
***Conference room***
The Nichols twin was placed in the conference room, and handcuffed to the handcuff bar on the table. Mary Beth and Chris went to pull the records on both of them, and attempted to match the prints. They also looked in her purse and found her wallet, with a driver's license that identified her as Ashlee.
Chris and Mary Beth came back into the room then, and began questioning her. It took several moments, and Chris pointing out all the evidence they had, but in the end, she cracked. She really was Ashlee, and she was in over her head with a drug deal, and decided that instead of paying her drug debt, she would beat Paige up, and pass her off as Ashlee, and act like she skipped town. The plan was really for Paige to make Ashlee die or be so severely injured that she wouldn't be able to announce that she wasn't Ashlee. She had planned to live the rest of her life as Paige, and fool the drug dealers.
They placed her under formal arrest after she had been charged, and a uniformed officer took her to processing.
Chris looked at her watch. It was almost 2 p.m. She was beat. She decided to take a couple hours and go home and call it a day.
She signed out, grabbed her things, and headed home.
***Chris and David's apartment***
Chris walked in and put her stuff down. She could hear David chatting on the phone. She headed towards the office to tell him she was home, and as she got closer, she could tell he was talking to his sister.
"I have really missed you too, Jessica…Yes, I would love to have dinner with you next week. Christine and I come up to take Miranda out to dinner every week, maybe you can join us sometime".
Chris smiled, and headed back to the bedroom, happy that David and Jessica were able to finally talk. Her heart was happy, and as she settled in for what would hopefully be a good nap, she was glad that even though there was still evil and cruel people in the world, there were also good and kind and amazing people in the world as well. She was beyond grateful that she was married to the best one.
