Elena Gilbert gave herself one last, critical look in the dresser mirror. It was important that she make a stunning first impression. They would be astonished when she told them who she was, but she wanted to create an even stronger impact.
At the age of twenty-five, Elena was a very beautiful and attractive young woman with an oval face, light olive complexion, almond-shaped brown eyes, and long, straight dark brown hair.
She wanted to leave them stupefied, speechless, and defenceless. They would undoubtedly make comparisons. She couldn't prevent that; she just didn't want to come out on the short end of then' mental measuring sticks. If she could help it, they would find no flaws in Katherine Pierce's sister.
She had carefully chosen what to wear. Everything - clothes, jewellery, accessories -was in excellent taste. The overall effect was tailored but not severe, smart but not trendy; she exuded an aura of professionalism that didn't compromise her femininity.
Her goal was to impress them first, then surprise them with what had brought her to Mystic Falls.
Concluding that nothing about her appearance could be improved further, she shouldered her handbag, picked up her leather attache case, and, making certain she had her room key, closed the door behind her.
It took her about half an hour to reach the town hall during rush hour. She parked in front of Mystic Falls' Town Hall and fed coins into the meter at the curb. She glanced at her wristwatch. It was ten minutes before nine. She was still early.
Having worked in Richmond for the last year, Elena wasn't intimidated by official buildings. She took the town hall steps with a determined stride and pulled open the heavy doors. Inside, the plaster walls showed peeling paint and signs of general disrepair. The aggregate tile floor had faint cracks in it that crisscrossed like the lines in the palm of an ancient hand.
The ceiling was high. The corridors smelled of industrial-strength cleaning solution, musty record books, and an overdose of perfume that emanated from the receptionist. She looked up expectantly as Elena entered the outer office.
"Hi, there. You lost, honey? How can I help you?"
"Is Mr Richard Lockwood around?"
"Sure is, honey. The mayor is in a meeting. He is kind of busy today."
"I'm from Richmond D.A.'s office. Mr Maxfield called on my behalf, I believe. The mayor is expecting me."
The wad of chewing gum inside the secretary's cheek got a rest from the pounding it had been taking. "You are Miss Gilbert?"
"Yes, I'm."
"Well, Miss Gilbert, you're right on time for your appointment. My name's April. Want some coffee?"
Elena shook her head. "No, thanks. Is everyone here yet?"
Just then, masculine laughter erupted from the other side of the closed door. "That answer your question?"
"Perhaps I shouldn't keep them waiting any longer," Elena said as she followed April toward the door.
Her heart started beating double-time.
"Excuse me." April interrupted the conversation by poking her head into the room. "District Attorney Wes Maxfield's assistant is here." She turned back toward Elena. One set of eyelashes, gummy with navy blue mascara, dropped over her eye in a broad, just-between-us-girls wink. "Go on in."
Elena, bracing herself for the most crucial meeting in her life, entered the office.
The moment she crossed the threshold and April pulled the door closed, the man seated behind the desk sprang to his feet. He ground out a burning cigar in the thick, glass ashtray and reached for his suit coat, which had been draped over the back of his chair.
"Richard Lockwood," he said, extending his hand. "Wes had contacted me last week about this."
Richard Lockwood was the mayor of Mystic Falls. The Lockwood Family is one of the main Founding Families. Almost all of the mayors of Mystic Falls were from the Lockwood family. The Founding Families founded Mystic Falls back in 1860. The first members of these families were founders of Mystic Falls. Most of the members of the Founding Families are also members of Town Council. In his early fifties, Richard Lockwood appeared physically fit and strong.
"Thank you for arranging this meeting, Mr Lockwood."
"No problem, no problem. Glad to be of service to both you and Wes. And call me Richard." Taking her elbow, he turned her toward the other two men, who had come to their feet out of deference to her. "This here is Mr Klaus Mikaelson and Mr Stefan Salvatore."
Confronting them, meeting them eye to eye for the first time, had a strange and powerful impact on her. Curiosity and antipathy warred inside her. She wanted to analyse them, denounce them. Instead, she behaved in the expected civilized manner and extended her hand.
It was clasped by Klaus Mikaelson. The handshake bordered on being too hard, but it was as open and friendly as the face smiling at her.
"A pleasure, madam. Welcome to Mystic Falls." Klaus was a tall, well-built and attractive man in his late thirties but he appeared younger than his age, possibly because of his delicate and yet masculine face. He possessed curled dirty-blond hair and dark blue eyes that contrasted with his pearl-white skin.
The Mikaelson family did not belong to the Founding Families. However, the Mikaelson family was a powerful family in Mystic Falls since early 1900s where they were wealthy landowners and warriors. They remained wealthy and powerful in Mystic Falls as they owned majority of the lands in Mystic Falls.
The next handshake was softer, but no less hearty or friendly. He enfolded Elena's hand warmly, and in a confidence-inspiring voice, said, "I'm Stefan Salvatore. How do you do?"
"How do you do?"
Stefan Salvatore, the youngest son of Giuseppe and Lily Salvatore and the younger brother of Damon Salvatore, was classically handsome and athletic, with a brooding, mysterious and intense aura. He had a pale complexion, broad forehead, strong angular jawline, deep-set, forest green eyes, a straight nose and a well-formed mouth. He had straight, short, dark blonde hair which was gelled.
His forest green eyes held hers long enough to intimate that they were the only two in the room who mattered. She withdrew her hand before Stefan Salvatore seemed ready to relinquish it.
The sight of these two men lined up side-by-side in front of her caused her heart to pound strongly. Klaus on his own could make any woman's pulse take off. But with Klaus backed up by Stefan Salvatore, the effect was twice as potent.
"And over there is Damon. Damon Salvatore."
Elena turned in the direction Richard Lockwood had indicated and located the fourth man, whom she hadn't noticed until now.
Flaunting etiquette, he was still slouched in a chair in the corner of the room. Black leather boots were crossed at the ankles, their toes were insolently wagging back and forth. Damon Salvatore, the eldest son of Giuseppe Salvatore was an extremely handsome man in his thirties. He had a light complexion with olive undertones and had a strong bone structure with high cheeks bones and a solid jaw line. He possessed dark brown almost black hair which hung just over his ears. He had the body of a police officer, Elena noted, or at least the body of one of those heartthrob TV cops. Broad shoulders strained the seams of his black shirt. Sleeves rolled halfway up displayed arms corded muscles. His dark jeans rode low on a washboard-flat belly.
"Mr Salvatore," she said coolly but she couldn't stop her heart from skipping a beat when Damon acknowledged her with a smile that started slow and finished lazy.
"Here, sit yourself down," Richard offered, pointing her toward a chair. "Did April offer you some coffee?"
"Yes, but I told her that I didn't care for any. I would like to get to the purpose of the meeting, if we could."
"Sure enough. Gentlemen, please take your seats." Richard nodded for Klaus and Stefan to sit back down.
When everyone had seated, the mayor returned to his chair behind the desk. "Now, Miss…Well, I'll be damned. During all the introductions, we failed to get your name."
Elena held centre stage. The eyes of three men were trained on her, curiously waiting to hear her name. She paused for dramatic effect, knowing that divulging it would cause a profound reaction. She wanted to witness and catalogue their individual reactions. She wished she could see Damon Salvatore better. He was sitting partially behind her.
She took a breath. "I'm Elena Gilbert. Katherine Pierce's sister."
A stunned silence followed the announcement.
Klaus blinked. "Katherine? You are Katherine's sister?"
"Well, I'll be a sonofabitch." Richard flopped backward in his chair like a collapsing inflatable toy.
"Katherine's sister. My God, I can't believe it," Stefan whispered. "I can't believe it."
The three men openly stared at Elena, searching her face for resemblances to her sister, whom they had known so well.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed that the toes of Damon's boots were no longer wagging. He drew his knees in and sat up straight.
"I have never heard Katherine had a sister," Klaus said.
Richard, befuddled, finally asked, "I thought Katherine was the only child in the Pierce's family?"
"Katherine was adopted by the Pierce's family when she was ten," Elena answered.
"We all know that," Richard said, still confused. "So how Katherine were related to you?"
"Katherine was eight years older than me," Elena answered precisely. "I was only two when our parents separated. Isobel, our mother took Katherine away and moved to Mystic Falls. Katherine was adopted by the Pierce's family a few months later because Isobel couldn't look after her due to financial problems."
"So what happened to Isobel?" Stefan asked.
"She died of cancer last year."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Thank you."
"Where have you been living all this time?" Klaus asked.
Elena named a town in Richmond. "I lived there all my life - at least, as far back as I can remember. I graduated high school there, went to the University of Virginia, and then, straight into law school. I passed the bar a year ago."
"Did you live with your father all these years?"
"My father died in an accident a month later after Isobel left." She paused. "Drunk driving."
Everyone was silent for a moment.
"I was adopted by my father's eldest brother, Grayson Gilbert and his wife. They desperately wanted to have children but were having difficulties conceiving," she said finally. "I was very lucky because they were great parents."
"Well, you turned out fine, Elena, just fine. Didn't she, Klaus?" Richard said.
Klaus turned on his charming smile full blast. "I would say so. You do bore an uncanny resemblance to your sister, Katherine."
"The dark brown hair, the profile. The way you hold yourself. Damn! You are a dead ringer of Katherine," Stefan said.
"Your sister was close to us. We had known each other for a very long time. She was in the same high school as Stefan. We were good friends, actually." Then, his eyes turned cloudy and he shook his head sorrowfully. "But she died. Tragic thing." He took a quiet moment to collect himself. "How did you find out about Katherine?" he asked curiously.
"Did your adopted parents tell you about this?" Stefan wanted to know more.
"Katherine turned up to our house on my tenth birthday," Elena answered. She could still remember vividly that day when a youthful Katherine appeared on the doorstep of her house, announcing that she was her biological sister. Blood ran thicker than water, and the bond between sisters ran thicker than blood.
She idolized and adored Katherine with the blind passion of a child who had grown up without other siblings. She knew she would never be as gifted, or clever, or charismatic as her sister but she constantly worked toward being as good at everything as Kathrine had been. So it came as a stunning blow to hear from her parents that Katherine was killed.
But Katherine had not been murdered by the accused, Gregor Bradley. Until a few months ago, however, Elena hadn't known the Pierce family had strong suspicion in Katherine's death. Elizabeth Pierce, Katherine's adopted mother had contacted her one night to arrange a meeting. Elizabeth was living in a private hospital, dying from heart failure.
Finding out had been the darkest hour of Elena's life.
"It'll be up to you, Elena, to set the record right," Elizabeth told her. "That's the least you can do for your sister. Ask them."
"Ask who?"
"Who, Mrs Pierce? Ask who?"
"The one who murdered her. Klaus, Stefan, Damon."
Immediately upon her return to Richmond, she began to research the murder case of Katherine Pierce. She spent many sleepless nights studying transcripts and court documents. She was glad she had chosen the legal profession. Elena had excelled in school and had ultimately graduated from the University of Virginia in the top ten per cent of her class. She had chosen law as her profession and thankfully it was a field that intrigued and delighted her. Her curious mind enjoyed delving into its intricacies. She was well prepared to do what she must.
She read everything she could get her hands on - newspaper accounts, transcripts of Gregor Bradley's hearing - until she had the facts memorized. They were basic and simple. Mr Gregor Bradley, who was mentally retarded, had been arrested near the murder scene with the victim's blood on his clothing. At the time of his arrest, he had had in his possession the knife with which he had allegedly killed the victim. He was jailed, questioned, and charged. Within days there was a hearing. The judge had declared Bradley incompetent to stand trial and had confined him to a state mental hospital.
It didn't make sense that why Gregor Bradley would kill Katherine. The attending psychiatrist from the mental hospital said that Gregor Bradley was a model patient. He never demonstrated any violent tendencies. He had no apparent sex drive, and in the doctor's expert opinion, he was incapable of committing a crime that could cost Katherine's life. It made Elena believed what Elizabeth Pierce had told her. Gregor Bradley was not the murderer.
She was very determined to find out the truth of Katherine's death when she approached her boss, the district attorney of Richmond. Wes Maxfield was one of the best attorneys in Richmond. He had been her mentor and friend since the summer before her first semester of law school, when she had worked in the prosecutor's office.
"You want to reopen a fifteen-year-old murder case?" he asked her when she stated the purpose of the conference she had requested. "Got a reason?"
"Because the victim was my sister."
For the first time since she had known him, Wes had asked a question he didn't already know the answer to - or at least have a fairly good guess. "Jesus, Elena, I'm sorry. I didn't know that."
She gave a slight, dismissive shrug. "Well, it's not something one advertises, is it?"
"When was this? How old were you?"
"I was ten. She was only eighteen when she was killed."
"The case remains on the books as officially unsolved?'"
"Not exactly. There was a suspect arrested and charged, but the case was dismissed without ever going to trial."
It wasn't easy to persuade Wes to agree for her to reopen the case.
He read the documents, then muttered, "It looks fishy, but it can't prove anything."
"I understand, Wes. I won't be able to produce any concrete evidence. The case is fifteen years old. All I can hope for is enough probable cause to bring it before a grand jury. A confession from the real killer - because I'm convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Gregor Bradley did not murder my sister - is a pipe dream. There's also the slim possibility of smoking out an eyewitness."
Wes said nothing for a moment. "The case remains unsolved because Gregor Bradley was never brought to trial," he said at last. "I have to tell you, though - I'm doing this against my better judgment, and only because I trust your gut instincts. I like you, Elena. You had proved yourself when you were interning here as a law student. You are good to have in our corner."
He looked down at the material she had compiled and fiddled with a corner of one folder. "I still think you have got a personal grudge against these guys, the town, whatever. I'm not saying it's unjustified. It's just not something you can build a case around. But I agree with you. There is something fishy about Bradley's affidavit that doesn't seem to make sense." He raised his eyes and stared at her balefully. "Go ahead."
"You mean, I can go to Mystic Falls?"
"That's where it happened, isn't it?"
"Yes, but what about my caseload?"
"I'll put interns on the preparations and ask for postponements."
"Thank you, Wes," she said earnestly.
"Not so fast," he said, snuffing her enthusiasm. "You've got thirty days."
"What?"
"Thirty days to come up with something."
"But…"
"That's as long as I can spare you without jeopardizing the work in the office. That's longer than your hunch and flimsy leads warrant. Take it or leave it."
"I'll take it." Elena leaned across his desk. "I know I'm right. I'll bring the real killer to trial, and when I do, I'll get a conviction. See if I don't."
"Make sure you do. Don't let me down," Wes said.
The dull bonging of the grandfather clock in the meeting room, chiming the hour, finally aroused her. She sat up and straightened her skirt. "Katherine and I kept in touch since my tenth birthday until she died." Elena saw no merit in sparing their sensibilities.
Both Klaus and Stefan just looked at her and said nothing.
"Katherine's death was tragic but that was a long time ago. Anyway, this is the first time we have heard Katherine had a sister." Smiling, Richard slapped his thighs. "It is great to have you here in Mystic Falls."
"Thank you, but," Elena opened her briefcase and took out a manila envelope. "I'm not here to stay, Mr Lockwood. Actually, I'm acting in an official capacity." She passed the envelope across the desk to the mayor, who looked at it with puzzlement.
"Official capacity? When Wes called me and asked if I would help out his top prosecutor, he said something about reopening a case."
"It's all in there," Elena said, nodding down at the envelope. "I suggest that you peruse the contents and thoroughly acquaint yourself with the details. Wes Maxfield requests the full cooperation and assistance of your office and local law enforcement agencies, Mr Lockwood. He assured me that you would comply with this request for the duration of my investigation." She closed her attache with a decisive snap, stood, and headed for the door.
"Investigation?" The mayor came to his feet. Klaus and Stefan did likewise.
"What has it to do with us?" Klaus asked. "Mayor Lockwood has asked the three of us to turn up for this meeting this morning. But why? What's the purpose of this meeting?"
"What investigation are you talking about?" Stefan asked. "Is it something to do with the Founding Families?"
"But Klaus isn't the Founding Families," Richard answered.
"As far as I know, it is," Elena told them. "My investigation has nothing to do with the Founding Families."
After a moment, when she didn't elaborate, Richard asked, "Well, then, what does it have to do with, Miss Gilbert?"
Drawing herself up to her full height, she said, "I am reopening a fifteen-year-old murder case. Wes Maxfield asked for your help, Mr Lockwood, since the crime was committed in Mystic Falls."
She looked into Klaus's eyes, then into Stefan's. Finally, she stared down hard at the azure eyes of Damon Salvatore.
"Before I'm finished, I'm going to know which one of you killed my sister."