In the elevator after leaving Ryan to speak with Alexx who was introducing him to the doctor who would be his cousin's primary physician, Calleigh looked at Frank and asked, "Okay, what's up?"
Frank sighed. "I'm getting the feeling based on her life story that Ryan's cousin might … look, she's had it rough, particularly the last year. We hadn't gotten around to the why of it but Ryan was worried that she might not have a hell of a lot of rapport with you and Natalia. Seemed to think that Horatio and I would do better with her. And he thinks Eric will scare her."
"Scare her? Eric?!" Calleigh laughed disbelievingly.
Frank shrugged. "Has something to do with her ex-fiance but I'm not sure if that's Ryan being protective or just what. I've never seen him get like this. Could be a big brother thing, could be something more to it. I wanna see how it plays out."
"Does Horatio know?"
"He knows some, I'll fill in the rest. Let's just get this over with."
Sensing something Calleigh asked, "Frank?"
Frank shook his head. "I met her. There's something about her … but I don't want to bias your impressions."
Calleigh agreed and the two of them walked in to find a nurse trying to convince the tall young woman to lay back down. "My cousin is probably looking for me. I need to …"
Frank took charge and the way he did it momentarily took Calleigh (and the nurse) by surprise. "Hey. Hardhead. Get back in the bed and stop being a pain. Ryan is downstairs talking to your doctor. He'll be up here as soon as he's finished."
Vee stopped and stared at the 6'4" male in front of her and all the fight seemed to go out of her. "He knows where I'm at? You're sure?"
"Yeah. And he knows we're up here. So don't give anyone any grief. Ryan is already wiped out. You scared the hell out of him."
Calleigh noted the immediate look of contrite guilt that came over the young woman's face and decided to play along. "Now Frank, you know Ryan doesn't want her worried or upset. He's dealing with the mess."
Immediately the young woman grew concerned. "Oh no. Did I do something? I … I can't remember. I mean I remember everything until Sgt. Tripp started carrying me but after that is fuzzy." Then a shocked look came over her face and she said, "My god … Felicia." The monitors the nurse had re-connected started beeping loudly.
"Hey. Hey, hey, hey. Look at me. Right here," Frank said pointing at his own eyes, forcing her attention on him. "Breathe. Slow and steady. Ryan finds out that we've set you off and he will not be a happy."
"Ra-Ra … geez … I mean Ryan … he can be overprotective. Sorry I'm … I'm being an ass. Not thinking straight. I … I don't want to upset him … or get him in trouble. That's what this is about isn't it?" Calleigh noted she had a white-knuckled grip on the bed rail but was doing what Frank said. The beeping on the machines slowed back to normal. Interesting.
Calleigh gave Frank the lead and he went with it. "No one is in trouble … yet. There's some things that need to be cleared up."
Vee nodded. "Sure there is. Geez. Ya'll have reports and stuff like that. And I'm sure Ryan is hacked that I went over to the party because he'd told me to stay away 'cause Rob or his brothers might be there." She stopped and then pinched the bridge of her nose. "Hang on. Do I need to back up or did Ryan explain about Rob?"
Calleigh interjected, "Let's just say we need independent verification."
"Oh sure. Of course. Sorry." Looking like she wanted to be any place else doing anything else than what she was doing Vee explained, "The party was being put on by Porter Contracting. I'm … I was … associated with that outfit. Rob … Rob Porter … and I dated a long time; started as kid stuff, eventually we were engaged but hadn't set a date. He wasn't ready to marry and I had some responsibilities of my own to get straightened out. About a year ago I … I got injured on the job and … things got complicated. Rob … didn't want … didn't … look, my injuries left some scars … they were still pretty fresh and ugly at the time. Rob had trouble dealing with reality … of the injuries and with my job … which happened to be working for his grandfather's company … Porter Contracting is a subsidiary of Porter International. He … look the break up wasn't mutual and it wasn't … nice … and I didn't handle it as well as I should have. As a result I was forced to leave my employment and then I just moved to try and get a fresh start and for other reasons. And … it's … embarrassing, but his brothers are jerks and they made it out to be about other things so their brother wouldn't get in so much hot water with Mr. Porter Sr. who can be very … particular … when it comes to the family's reputation. People believed them and then my other responsibilities became the priority and I just had to write Rob off so I could deal with other stuff. I haven't talked to Rob since I … caught him with … anyway, I didn't even have a ring to give back but there was this necklace and it was a family heirloom thing. I took it back to his grandmother without saying anything to anyone, trying not to make another scene, and I thought the woman appreciated the consideration. Apparently not so much because she decided to wait for Rob to confess before telling him that I'd done the right thing … I didn't realize he hadn't told his family … and for a little while there people acted like I had stolen the necklace until the Grandparents had given Rob enough rope to hang himself with and then let the truth come out. I heard from the grapevine – people just love to deliver bad news – that Rob got cut off financially and had a serious hate on for me, blaming me for everything. Fine. Whatever. Fast forward to last night … or to yesterday anyway …"
The machines started beeping again but all it took was Frank snapping his fingers and Vee focused on him again and the beeping slowed back down. "Fe … Fe … Felicia was gullible. Somehow or other she always managed to pick the wrong guy."
"Like you," Calleigh said.
"I've only picked one guy. Rob. And he's not really a bad guy. I know Ryan doesn't like him, never has. That's more about Ryan not thinking anyone would be good enough for me than about Rob being a true creep. But … but Rob did make some poor choices and yay me for winding up with another 'Life Sucks' award. Rob is the only guy I've ever dated and I doubt I'll find another that would be able to deal with … with what I am. Way too much trouble to go looking. You can call me damaged if you find the description fits but Felicia really was damaged. At least I had a dad, brother, uncle, and cousins that showed me how men are supposed to act. Felicia … every man in her life has been an abusive jerk. She seemed to attract them like a tractor beam. But she was starting to recognize the signs and try to avoid trouble. She seemed happier and … and more relaxed than since I first met her. Her job didn't exactly make it easy on her though."
"Her job?"
"She was a professional hostess. And no, not that kind of hostess. The company she works … worked for is real strict about that sort of thing but at the same time she is … was …expected to mingle and jingle and make the men tingle if you know what I mean."
Frank nodded. "Got it."
"I don't talk much about … Rob. Not even to Felicia. It's just … embarrassing."
Called said, "You're doing fine with us."
"Yeah well, you're cops doing your job; I have to talk to you. Plus you're Ra … you're Ryan's co-workers and I don't want to embarrass him by acting anymore of an idiot than I already have. It has been a year and … and eventually you just need to get some perspective on things. Rob and I might have worked it out but it collapse happened too fast and neither one of us really tried to even prop it up until we could fix what was wrong. I'm not blaming anyone else really, we both screwed up. Bottom line is I had to pull my big girl pants up and deal with it."
Frank and Calleigh both could tell that that was a bit of a bluff but they let her have it.
Frank said, "Fine. So you're over your ex. There must have been something else if Ryan warned you away from the party."
"First off, until a couple of days ago Felicia and I hadn't put two and two together and realized that her job was with my ex-fiance's grandparents' company. It shook me up a little and I called Ryan who knows the whole stupid story because he had to drag me out of the hole I fell in after … after my brother died."
"Those one of the responsibilities that you mentioned earlier?"
"That pretty much was the biggie. Then there is some legal stuff that includes some properties that the lawyers that took care of my parents' estate had invested in so there would be a stream of income to take care of Ronnie with in case his medical trust got used up. Boxing up estate junk and dealing with other family things. The day I turn twenty-five I become responsible for the whole kit and caboodle and the lawyer that handles things is pushing like mad for me to hurry up because he plans to retire and wants it off his plate."
"That must be nice," Calleigh said with a conspiratorial smile.
Vee grumped, "I'd rather go fishing." Sighing she added, "Ryan thought Rob was after the money in the trust. I don't know what to think anymore. Some of the things he said after we broke up …"
"I thought you didn't speak to him."
"Not directly … through the lawyers his family threw at me. One of the reasons why Ryan was kinda … er … intense about me staying away from the party was because they'd gotten an injunction against me because … geez I sound like an idiot. Look, the night that I caught Rob and … the person he was with … I hit him. Really shredded his man card because there were other people that witnessed it … and they laughed at him."
Trying to act understanding Calleigh said, "Well you were in shock, finding him with another girl and all."
Vee rolled her eyes. "I said I was stupid, not completely without some pride. I was refusing to give the … the girl the fight she wanted. She was staking her claim and wanted everyone to know I was out of the picture and apparently expected me to concede right there and then. But I guess Rob had started to worry about consequences and the scene that was being made and how he was going to spin the situation to his family and the crowd they move in. We were supposed to be engaged after all. I don't even think he thought about what he was doing. He just reached out and grabbed the back of my shirt when I wouldn't stop and talk to him. But I was still hurt … he grabbed skin with the shirt and tore one of the stitches that I still had … and … and I reacted badly. I … er … slugged him and must have caught him in just the right place because it was a TKO and it took him a while to come around. People made it out to be more than it was … made me out to be some kind of freak. Rob, his family, the girl all got injunctions against me … even internet injunctions. They could yak their heads off and make me look like a monster but I couldn't say jack back."
Calleigh said, "You know it is unlikely a Mississippi injunction would have been enforced here in Florida."
"You don't know Rob's family. Plus Ryan thinks I still have a thing for Rob because I don't want to date."
"Do you?"
"Have a thing for Rob? Not really. Maybe for the Rob that he used to be but not for the man he has turned into. Plus he's married now. And maybe the Rob I thought he used to be wasn't real if he could do the things he's done and say the things he's said. Who knows? I've just taken myself off the market because obviously my prognosticating skills are nonexistent."
Frank decided to skip the rest of the touchy-feely crap and question Vee about the party. "So you get a phone call from your friend Felicia who was working the party."
"Yeah, I wish I had gotten it sooner."
"You mean you wished she had called sooner."
"No I mean I wish I had gotten it sooner. I had gone to the apartment complex's gym facility. It doesn't have lockers so you have to leave your phone and everything either in your car or apartment when you go. I have my car in storage until I finish cleaning the engine and some other delayed maintenance so I was hoofing it. It wasn't until I got back to the apartment and out of the shower that thought to look at my phone and check my voice mail. As soon as I got her message I called Ryan and told him that I was going to go over and pick Felicia up. He wasn't happy, wanted me to wait, and maybe I should have but … you had to know Felicia. I could hear how scared she was. Her ex is … he's a bad dude with connections to more bad dues and she said this guy was a friend of his and wasn't taking no for an answer. I threw on my boots and ran across the street and was coming around the corner into the pool area when the explosion happened."
"Did she give a name?"
"Of the creep hitting on her? No. Which means he was probably a client or someone pretty important at the party or hotel. Felicia made good money because she knew how to keep her mouth shut. Bad habit though when it comes to dealing with bad men."
Both Frank and Calleigh noted that information and decided to prioritize cross-referencing names from previous parties to see if anything stood out.
Calleigh asked, "Did you happen to see the explosion?"
"Yeah. I was looking for Felicia and got taken off my feet when the pool cabana blew … it was one of those little private ones that look like a miniature Roman temple to go with the whole Italian theme of the hotel. I've been blown up a couple of times; you kinda get a feel for the damage explosions can cause. Plus blowing someone my size off my feet … we weren't talking a few M-80s going pop, but it was weird how there wasn't really any flames." Vee looked like she was examining her memories. "Yeah, I … I think the only actual flames I saw came from the tiki torches that lit the walkways. Pretty sure anyway."
"What happened next," Calleigh prompted.
Vee startled like she'd forgotten the other woman was there. She swallowed hard then answered, "I manage to get to my feet, help a few more people up, then started getting worried about Felicia because I can't find her and I know she's gonna be freaking out. Some guy runs out of from between these two big sea grape bushes and he's puking. That's always a bad sign when someone is so freaked they are running and puking at the same time. And God don't I wish I hadn't gone over to see what freaked him out."
It was obvious that Vee was running out of steam. Frank asks a few more questions about what she saw and by the time he is finished he feels like he's pulling the wings off of a butterfly. "You stay put. I'm sure Ryan will be right here."
"Yes Sir," Vee responds quietly looking off towards the room's window without really seeing anything but the last time she saw her friend … and the condition the body had been in.
