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CHAPTER TWO

Laurel and Char were sat at the counter in the coffee bar when Emma came in. Laurel waved to attract her attention. "Hey, Sutton!"

Emma came over to join them. "Don't overdo it,"she scolded her sister.

"Sorry, Sutton,"Laurel responded, trying to make the use of the name sound natural.

Char gestured across the counter. "You want a coffee?"

Emma looked slightly pained. "Are you paying?" Char nodded. "Then thank you."

"What's up, Sutton, you short of cash?"Laurel asked.

Emma nodded towards a table. "Let's talk somewhere else."

The other two followed her away from prying ears. "What's the matter?"Char asked.

Emma sighed. "The problem is I'm not in college anymore and I haven't really got a job."

"Why did you drop out of college anyway?"Char asked.

Emma did an even more thorough check that no-one was listening in. "Because everyone thinks I'm Sutton. And when I pretended to be Sutton at school, we both nearly got expelled. If I try it at college, they're not likely to be as forgiving. So I have to drop out as both Emma and Sutton."

Char nodded in sympathy. "Harsh."

"Yeah, it means I have to be the brains of the family,"Laurel remarked.

Emma smiled at her. "Well, you're too smart to get mixed up in this sort of thing."

"Unless I'm really my twin sister and you just haven't noticed yet?" Laurel grinned as the other two looked at her. "Kidding."


Kristin was in the middle of making lunch when she heard a knock at the door. She answered it to find Peter standing there. "Peter!"she greeted him, giving him a smile and a kiss. "Was I expecting you?"

"No, I just thought I'd call round."

Kristin noticed his serious look. "What's wrong?"

"I was about to ask you that."

Kristin looked at him in confusion. "Sorry, you've lost me."

"I mean Emma suddenly disappears off to visits some friends she hasn't seen in years, Sutton suddenly drops out of college and you seem perfectly fine with it all. I just get the impression there's something you're not telling me."

Kristin hesitated. She hadn't liked the idea of lying to Peter but Sutton and Emma both felt that him knowing was one person too many and she'd made a promise to them. "Can…can you just trust me?"she asked.

"Well, of course I trust you,"he answered. "But why do you need to keep secrets?"

Kristin sighed. "It's family stuff. And that always tends to be complicated."


Sutton stood in the doorway of the bar. Troy had called her and asked her to meet him there. She wasn't sure why he'd made the request but she hoped he had some information for her. She picked him out at the counter at the same time that he saw her and gave her a wave.

Sutton went over to him. "Hi, Emma,"he greeted her before pushing a glass across the surface. "I got you this."

Sutton accepted the drink and reluctantly sipped at it. "What did you want, Troy?"

Troy leaned back in his seat. "What are you doing here, Emma?"

"I told you,"Sutton told him levelly. "I'm looking for information on Eduardo. And Annie, if possible." She looked at him keenly. "Do you have any information?"

"No. But I might be able to get some, if I thought we were friends." He glanced around. "Do you want to stay for a meal?"

Sutton didn't, in fact, find the idea at all appealing. But she managed to give a nod anyway.


Troy's car pulled to a halt outside the motel. "I can walk you to the door if you want."

Sutton shook her head emphatically. "Mads is there, she'll see me in."

"I had a good night tonight,"he attempted.

Sutton gave an awkward nod. "Yeah, me too."

And then he turned her face towards him and kissed her. Sutton didn't object for a moment but then she pulled away and sighed. Flirting was one thing but that…that was crossing a line.

Troy looked at her, disappointed. "What's the matter?"

"I…I have a boyfriend. In Phoenix." Sutton regarded his disheartened expression cautiously. "Does that mean you won't help out anymore?"

Troy shook his head. "No, no, I said I'd help you and I will. I'll be in touch."


Troy parked his car back at the clinic and headed inside. There, Doctor Hughes was waiting for him. "Where have you been?"she demanded.

"Just for a drive."

Hughes wasn't willing to leave it at that. "You were with that Becker girl, weren't you?"

"So what if I was?"

"So what if you were?"Hughes mimicked. "Have you forgotten all the trouble she caused last time she was here?"

"She won't do that again."

"She'd better not. Because if I find out that you've done anything that will damage this clinic, I'll break you."


End of Episode Two