Chapter 15
Wednesday
12:37 p.m.
"How's the house there? Is it big?" Alex questioned.
Olivia smiled, hearing Isabel babbling in the background making a "bah, bah, bah" sound over and over again. "It's pretty big, Al…your parents' house is like the Walton farmhouse compared to this one. It's probably…" Olivia looked around now, behind her to look at the majestic building, "…five times as big as yours?"
Olivia sat back on her beach lounger and returned to looking at the waves in front of her—sunglasses on, black, cut-out one-piece on, as well.
"Five times, Liv?" Alex's voice was amused, yet unamused.
"Yes, Babe. Five times. The rooms are huge. The walls of windows…huge…the kitchen is probably as big as the whole bottom floor at your beach house."
"That's big," Alex said softly. "My wife…livin' the life."
"In some ways, Babe…not the ones that count…" Olivia said softly.
A small silence between them now.
"Other than that…is there anything else you can tell me?"
Olivia smiled, watching a couple of young men pass by. One of them waved at her and she raised her hand momentarily in acknowledgement. "Not much else, Al. Only that the case is moving forward. She waited until they passed and then began laughing.
"What, Liv?"
"A Chris and Todd-type pair just walked by."
"Oh, yeah?" Alex asked. "Fists in your holsters, Babe," Alex advised. "No right hooks allowed."
And Olivia could hear her wife smiling.
Her other phone vibrated from beneath her left thigh now and she slid it out to look at the screen. Seeing that it was her captain, she returned to her call.
"I gotta go, Babe. Cragen's calling. Talk later?"
"Talk later, Liv."
"Hug and kiss the babies for me," Olivia smiled.
"I will…I love you…"
"I love you more…"
And the call disconnected. Olivia placed her personal iPhone on the small beach table to her right and then slid to answer the call from her superior. "Hey, Captain…"
"Olivia. Something's going on at the Benetti-Keene house. We want you to take the photo canvas and try and make the exchange right now. See if you can find out what's going on over there."
Olivia furrowed her brow. "What do you think it is?" Olivia swiveled her body to the right and placed her bare feet in the sand.
"There've been about twenty cars come and go, all within a two-hour time period. Most of the cars are gone now, except for a couple. And everyone leaving is carrying something, covered, in their arms."
"What do you think? Could they be babies?" Olivia asked, standing, and grabbing her straw Panama hat and putting it back on. She lifted her bag from the sand and set it on the lounger before she tossed her sunblock, lip balm, and her other phone inside before lifting her multi-colored striped beach towel from the back of her chair, as well. She stuffed that inside before placing her left hand on her hip.
"Could be. So just in case it continues, this might be a good opportunity to possibly see what's going on there. It's a valid reason for you to go. Call her and say you were already out."
Olivia nodded. "Just me?"
"Just you, detective."
"OK. I just need to change and I can get over there in about ten minutes."
"Make sure your wire is on. We'll be listening."
"OK, Cap. I will."
Olivia took the phone from her ear and then swung her beach bag over her shoulder and headed back to the house.
12:53 p.m.
Olivia sat in her Mercedes, five houses down from Camila and Priscilla's house, and lifted her phone and tapped the programmed cell number of the older woman. She had quickly changed into a pair of wide-leg, white linen pants and a pleat-detailed, camel-colored silk blouse, leopard print stilettos, her hair in a sleek, parted-in-the-middle ponytail.
Putting the cell to her ear, she waited for the other end to pick up.
"Yes?" Camila sounded annoyed, perhaps exasperated.
"Hey, Camila. It's Olivia…Libretti?"
"Oh, hi…" her voice seemed to relax, even if only slightly.
"Hey…I was just about to drive by your house and I have the photo canvas with me. No need to pay now, I just was running errands and was out and about—"
"You know what?" Camila interrupted. "Now isn't really a good time, Olivia…" Camila said quickly. "I'm sorry but we held a class here earlier and things are just winding down with that…"
Olivia narrowed her eyes. "A class?"
"An acting class…for some of our clients. A workshop, really. Priscilla teaches the etiquette part and I teach the acting, auditioning, and physicality part."
"Oh…I didn't know you taught classes. That sounds like fun."
A pause now, Olivia watching as a black, Lexus SUV drove by slowly, the passenger—a dark-haired male dressed in a suit— ogling her. She offered a small smile and then returned to looking straight ahead through the windshield.
"You might have heard of the Forester-Brookes Agency?"
And the brunette detective had heard of the agency. They were well-known in New York, as well as having a branch in Los Angeles. She also knew that the agency specialized in acting and model management. "I have, actually. So, you and Priscilla run it here in New York?"
The brunette hoped she wasn't overstepping her boundaries or asking too many questions, so she decided that whatever Camila's reply was, for the time being, she would leave it at that.
"Priscilla's ex-husband and his friend started it—Brookes is Priscilla's ex and Forester was the friend of her ex. She's continued to run it here in New York, with a lot of help from staff. She's more of an overseer but, once or twice a month, we have a workshop for the young men and women who are really advancing with us."
Olivia nodded slowly.
"Uh…" Camila's voice was a little further away now. "Just a second…"
The brunette plugged her left ear, straining to hear more clearly.
"You know what, Olivia? Come on over. You're in the area, you say?"
"Yeah. I just pulled over to call you. I'm a few houses down."
"Safety first," Camila commented.
Olivia smiled. "Absolutely. You can't be too careful the way people drive around here."
"And in New York, in general," Benetti offered.
"True…"
"Come on by. I'll have Marta make a pitcher of mojitos. The last of the students are about to leave, so it's an OK time. Besides…"
Olivia waited.
"…I would love to see you, Olivia. Something about your presence brightens my day."
Olivia swallowed and grinned. "Well, then…happy to be able to brighten it. I'll be there soon…"
And the call disconnected. Olivia sat, thinking momentarily.
Her phone rang immediately and, without looking, she placed it to her ear.
"Olivia…" Cragen's voice.
"Yeah, Cap…?"
"You brought a bug?"
"I did. I brought two, actually."
"Hold off on that…unless…the coast is absolutely clear. You don't want to get caught placing those around. Got it?"
Olivia nodded. "I got it, Cap."
"Be careful, detective."
"I will…" Olivia took the phone from her ear and tapped the red "x" before setting it in the cup holder.
She drove the few houses down, coming upon what looked like a mansion to the brunette. The house was slightly bigger than the Pacific Lane residence, but it had classic dark gray Hamptons wood, white bordered windows with black shutters, and the entire behemoth was sitting atop a slight incline, the east side of the establishment facing the ocean, just like the one she was currently living in.
She put the car in park and turned the engine off and activated the emergency brake for the steep hill that she was parked on. She looked to her right at the lengthy, stone-slated walkway, thinking that this was going to be a fun trek in the new, unbroken-in heels she was wearing. She grabbed her phone from the cup holder and slipped it inside of her whiskey-colored, Chanel lambskin shoulder bag and then lifted the purse. Taking the wrapped canvas from behind the front seats, she nudged the door closed with her right hip, activated the alarm—two loud beeps sounding—and then proceeded the rest of the way on foot, not sure what she would find.
She took a deep breath, looking at the house, and the distance it would take to walk to the front door. It must have been a good four-hundred meters.
Making it halfway up the walk, she continued eyeing the house in front of her. It had a presence, a regality. She continued walking and, without warning, the thin heel of her right shoe got caught in one of the mortar cracks and she stumbled slightly, just feet from the door now, looking back and letting out a sigh, she turned and walked up the final two steps and stopped, letting a breath out, thankful she didn't twist her ankle on those steps, in these shoes.
She reached forward, her large black sunglasses having slipped further down her nose, and then stepped back, pushing them up and waiting as the long musical chime seemed to be never ending.
The door opened to a shorter woman in a gray dress, her dark hair in a low bun, a white apron over her ensemble.
Olivia smiled. "Hi, I'm Olivia Libretti? Camila is expecting me?"
The petite woman smiled and stepped aside, waving her arm flourishingly. "Come in, Miss."
Olivia smiled again. "Thank you…" She entered the house, immediately greeted by the foyer, a small table right there in the middle, and in the center of that—as the brunette moved closer—was a simple framed photo of who appeared to be Camila and Priscilla and two other men, along with a candle and a small vase of white flowers.
"I will tell Mrs. Benetti…" the woman said and then disappeared straight ahead through, what looked like, a living room that led to a possible kitchen and pool area, as all of these Easthampton houses seemed to have.
She waited, letting her eyes wander around, setting the canvas she was holding on the floor and then let it lean against her right thigh. She noticed that the inside decor was a lot simpler on the inside than she would have expected by looking at the extravagance on the outside.
Movement now and she looked straight ahead to find Camila walking toward her, a huge smile on her face, silky floral robe and heeled fuchsia house shoes on, her cleavage aggressively pushed upward and outward.
Olivia smiled. "Hey, Camila…"
"It's good seeing you, Olivia and…" she looked Olivia up and down appreciatively, "…my God you look amazing…although in the couple of other times I've seen you, you always have…"
"Thank you…" Olivia eyed the older woman, "…you're looking amazing, too…" she winked. "Here's the canvas…" Olivia moved it to the front of her now, still resting on the floor.
"Leave that here. I'll have Marta come get it in a few minutes." She held her arm out. "Come in, come in…let's sit…" she motioned with her hand, moving up to Olivia and wrapping her arm around her waist from the side.
The brunette detective looked to her left and smiled, laughing lightly before wrapping her left arm around the busty woman's waist, as well. They walked slowly, entering a living area and then moving left into the kitchen. She eyed Marta who was stirring a large pitcher with what looked like fresh mint swirling around.
"We'll take those outside in the sunroom and there's a piece of artwork in the foyer…put it in my office?" Camila raised her eyebrows at Marta.
"Yes, Mrs. I will." Marta returned to muddling the mint.
The two ladies continued walking slowly through the kitchen until they reached a French door and Camila opened it for her, motioning for her to exit.
"Will Priscilla be joining us?" Olivia asked as they made their way to a three-person rattan sofa with white cushions and a pair of matching chairs, an ornate Asian trunk as a coffee table in the center. She stood just on the other end of the couch, waiting.
"Priscilla…" Camila motioned once more for the younger brunette to sit.
Olivia did so, inching a little further down the end when she saw how close the older woman was at present. The brunette detective sat on the edge, knees together, hands on top of her thighs.
Camila continued, moving closer and sitting uncomfortably close to Olivia, "…just left...she went into the city for the rest of the day. Business with the agency…"
"Mmmm," Olivia replied, bringing her lips inward, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck bristle, her face growing hot, knowing that she wouldn't have the buffer of Camila's wife under the current circumstances. "That's too bad," Olivia smiled.
Marta entered now with a tray that held a pitcher, two glasses, and a plate of strawberries, melon, and grapes, along with cubes of different hued cheeses. She set it on the coffee table and then poured Olivia a glass and handed it to her, along with a white cocktail napkin.
Olivia took it and smiled. "Thank you, Marta." She held it on the top of her right thigh, waiting.
Marta poured Camila a glass, as well, and handed it to her.
Marta turned to leave, but Camila stopped her.
"Marta, make sure no one disturbs us…" Camila looked at her housekeeper.
"Yes, Mrs. And if a UPS comes?"
Camila eyed Marta impatiently. "You answer the door and take the package."
"And if—" Marta began once more but was promptly interrupted.
"You know where everything is, Marta. If someone comes, then you know what to do," she said firmly.
Camila looked back at Olivia. "Five years working for us and she still doesn't know how to answer the door." She shook her head.
Olivia's eyes darted to the housekeeper who looked not only frightened, but embarrassed, as well. The brunette swallowed and managed a small, empathetic smile and watched as she left the room.
"Now…" Camila began, "… please, tell me we're alone now," she closed her eyes and lifted her face to the ceiling.
Olivia took a deep breath, uncomfortable with the entire situation. But she proceeded, nonetheless. When Camila finally opened her eyes, the detective smiled at her.
"You really look gorgeous…" Camila nodded, eyeing her once again. "And you're just a photographer…wasted beauty if you ask me. You should be in front of the camera. Not behind it." Her gaze went to Olivia's cleavage. "You have…" she shook her head, "…gorgeous breasts…a beautiful ass…" Her eyes returned to her face. "I can only imagine how you look out of that Victoria Beckham blouse."
"I guess I'm just blessed and…how did you know it was a Beckham?"
"I know fashion, Olivia. It's my job, remember?"
"Hmmm," Olivia took another sip and inched her backside further, moving to lean back now, getting more comfortable, "…I suppose it is."
"I can see you as a role model for young girls, especially."
Olivia raised her eyebrows, taking another sip, noting that she was halfway finished with her drink already. She needed to slow down or she would be passed out by the end of this one. "Why do you say that?"
"Don't people, especially young girls, look up to beauty and beautiful women?"
Olivia nodded. "I suppose they do."
"And you're a woman of a certain age…how old again?"
Olivia smiled. "Forty-four."
Camila nodded slowly. "Forty-four. I would have thought late thirties or younger. But—"
"And you?" Olivia interrupted, before she continued on her train of thought.
Camila smiled. "Fifty-four."
Olivia grinned, cocking her head to the side. "And you don't look a day over thirty-five," she lied.
"And Antonia?" Camila asked. "Younger?"
Olivia nodded again, swigging more of the minty freshness, realizing that the ice was now sliding toward her and hitting her nose, telling her it was just about empty. "Ten years…"
"How did you meet?"
The left side of Olivia's mouth raised and she looked down at her glass, rubbing the condensation with her left thumb. "She was a curator for Sotheby's…"
"Here, in New York?" Camila questioned.
Olivia nodded. "Yeah…before we met, I had had a few years teaching art under my belt—high school, college, private lessons—and Tony traveled all over the world, worked with all of the famous museums, buying, trading…" Olivia smiled. "It was by chance that she happened to come to one of my first art shows at Hauser & Worth in Chelsea? Do you know it?"
"I do know it," Camila smiled, moving closer.
Olivia swallowed and continued, blinking a few times to try and remember what she had been saying.
The rum was strong. High quality, intensely potent.
"I was doing oils at the time. Just simple human figures—men, women—that's what the exhibit in Chelsea was…"
"Do you have any of those from back then?" Camila reached towards Olivia and tugged on the sleeve of her right arm before fingering the fabric and then letting her eyes wander down the brunette's front.
"Um…I think I have a few but, believe it or not, most of them were sold back then. I think I saved two or three?" Olivia looked up, lower lip jutted as she thought. "Tony would know where they are. She's the organizer."
"But you love photography more than painting?" Camila moved closer, her left thigh now touching Olivia's right, as her robe opened on top to reveal a black lacy bra beneath, and the bottom parted to reveal her naked thigh.
"It's my first love. I got my first camera when I was seven. A Polaroid." Olivia smiled.
"Like I said, Olivia…" Camila reached out again and let her fingertips dance along the top of the brunette's thigh before clenching it firmly.
"You're an inspiration."
Olivia smiled, leaning forward, and placing her glass on the table. "I'm just an artist who happened to make it big and become successful," she rasped. "One of the fortunate ones..."
"I could use someone like you on my team. With your eye for beauty, you're intelligence..." Camila set her own glass down now and reached to cup the left side of Olivia's face with her right hand.
Olivia gasped and looked back and forth between light brown eyes, thick brows, prominently mauve lips. Rum, mint, and heavy perfume was all she smelled as she watched Camila move in toward her before the older woman's mouth was felt on hers. Her kiss was possessive, out to prove something, as the detective felt a hand on her left breast just as her cell phone rang from inside of her purse.
Olivia moaned and they pulled away, the detective taking in a sharp inhalation of air at being momentarily deprived of oxygen.
Camila only bit her lower lip and sat back smugly, eyeing Olivia seductively, knowingly, as the brunette moved to unclasp her purse and remove her phone.
She saw Tony on the screen and slid to answer. "Hey, Tone…"
Camila reached out and wiped below Olivia's lower lip with her thumb, the detective only allowing her, watching her momentarily before she focused on the pitcher on the coffee table.
Tony was saying something about the toilet in the master bathroom overflowing when she put a clump of hair from her brush down it.
"OK. Did you get the plunger?"
She listened as Tony pretended to freak out and whine about coming home soon.
"OK, Tone…calm down…I'll be there soon. Give me ten minutes."
She listened as Tony began an Oscar-worthy performance, whining and going on and on about the emergency at hand and asking if she should call a plumber.
"No, honey…I'll be there. Just relax. It'll be OK." Olivia eyed Camila who was smirking.
Camila leaned forward and poured herself another glass and began to pour one for the brunette but Olivia waved it off.
She listened as Antonia told her to come quickly. Sally Field had nothing on her at the moment.
"OK, sweetie. Ten minutes." Olivia hung up the phone and let out a sigh.
"The young ones are sometimes helpless, aren't they?" Camila smiled over the rim of her glass.
Olivia smiled and stood. "I have to go. She gets hysterical when there's any kind of homeowner disaster."
Camila stood, as well. "I could kind of see that about her at your art exhibit. A little needy. A little clingy."
Olivia managed a thin-lipped smile. "Well, I guess I'll see you Friday?" Olivia raised her eyebrows.
"I guess you will. I really wish you could stay…" Camila smirked.
"Another time…" Olivia offered before taking her purse from the floor and placing it over her shoulder.
"Absolutely," Camila oozed. "Another time."
Olivia smiled again. "I'll see myself out."
"And I'll enjoy watching you walk out." Camila winked.
Olivia smiled once more and turned, heading out the way she entered, eyeing the housekeeper who was dusting the staircase as she passed by, giving her a smile, as well. "Take care, Marta…"
"You too, Miss…"
Olivia exited and managed to quickly move down the long, slated passageway until she finally made it to her car, both ankles intact. She entered and stuck the key in the ignition before turning the engine over and sitting, taking in a deep breath, and letting it out, closing her eyes.
She lowered her chin and simply said into her mic, "Thank you, Captain…for getting me out of there…"
Shifting into drive, she pulled away from the residence and headed back to Pacific Lane to recover from what just happened, tell her partner all about it, and thank her immensely for her award-winning performance.
A/N: Shout out to TanyaTK for the idea to this story (a long time ago)
I hope you liked it! Thank you for reading and, as I always say at the end of every chapter, one or two words is so greatly appreciated and loved!
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