Sighing as the coffee maker made the sound that it was done, Leo immediately grabbed the fresh pot. He and Greenlee had left the party immediately with the visibly upset David and Anna, and had gone back to their loft. While David paced nervously around the living room area, Greenlee sat with Anna on the couch, consoling the worried mother.
"Thanks, dear." Anna said, as Leo handed her a cup, "What could Vanessa want with Leora? How did she even..."
"Oh God!" David interrupted, putting a hand to his forehead and stopping in mid-step, "I did this. I showed Vanessa a picture of Leora, and she must have assumed that that was all she was ever going to see! I drove her to..."
"You didn't do anything." Leo argued, putting a hand on David's shoulder, "The only person to blame for this is our mother."
"Leo's right, David." Greenlee added, "There was no way any of us could have known that Vanessa would do this. Although, I'm personally not surprised that she did do something like this."
The sound of someone knocking on the door got the group's attention instantly. Slowly, Leo walked over and opened it. To his surprise, Trey was waiting on the other side.
"Trey?" Leo asked puzzled.
"Leo." Trey greeted, hugging him, "It's good to see you without bars separating us."
"But how?" David wondered as Leo closed the door.
"I requested that Trey be released for the time being." Anna explained, "I figured if we wanted to figure out what Vanessa was doing, we needed the three people who knew her best."
"So, basically, I'm out for no reason." Trey chuckled as David and Leo smiled, "I mean, if these two can't figure out what she's up to, neither can I."
Suddenly, the phone rang and halted all further conversation. Being the closest one to it, Leo picked it up.
"du Pres residence?" Leo greeted.
"Leo darling," Vanessa's voice said calmly, "shut up and listen carefully. I want you to meet me at Miller's Falls as soon as you possibly can. Come alone, or your little niece will get it. Understood?"
"Yes." Leo stammered, hanging up the phone. He noticed that four pairs of curious eyes were now staring at him inquisitively.
"Who was that?" Greenlee asked, expressing what all of them were probably thinking.
"Um." Leo lied, slowly heading out the door, "That was nobody important. Look, I, uh, suddenly remember an important errand that I forgot to run. Let me know if there's any news, okay?"
Breathing a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind him, Leo turned and headed towards the elevator. He had just pushed the button for it when he heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw that David had run out after him. For a moment, there was an awkward silence between the two brothers.
"I know that that was Vanessa on the phone." David informed.
"She said that if I didn't go alone," Leo replied quickly, "she would do something to Leora."
"Still, Leo." David protested worriedly, "You're probably walking straight into a trap, or something. It's not safe!"
"Ah, don't worry about me, David." Leo assured with a smile, "Your little brother is about to pull off one last con. But I do need you to do something for me."
"What?" David asked curious.
"Hold on to this for me." Leo replied, reaching into his coat and pulling out his pistol, "I know that you'll eventually find your way to Vanessa and me, and I have the feeling I'm going to be needing it. However, Mumsy won't be too happy if she finds it on me."
"Right." David agreed, slowly taking the pistol, "You will be careful, won't you? I don't want anything to happen to you, Leo. Not now."
"Like I said," Leo assured, as the elevator arrived, "don't worry."
----------------------------------------------------------------
The roar of the waterfall was the only sound that could be heard. Sighing in relief as he reached the top of the cliff, Leo's attention turned to the spot where he and Vanessa had fallen 8 months prior. Silently, he walked over and ran his hand gently over the rebuilt railing. Anger filled him, as he recalled the exact events of the previous October.
As the sound of a baby crying broke through the night, Leo turned around again. He had failed to notice Leora, who was still wrapped in her pink, hospital blanket, lying on the ground near him. He jogged over, and knelt cautiously near the infant. Vanessa was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey." Leo said softly, as Leora quieted down, "You remember me, don't you? Don't worry, squirt. Your uncle Leo is going to protect you."
The sound of a gun cocking, and someone coming through the nearby brush grabbed Leo's attention immediately. Picking Leora up, Leo stood to see Vanessa emerging from some nearby shrubbery with a rifle in hand.
"Mother." Leo greeted flatly.
"You came just like I thought you would." Vanessa replied, staring back at him, "Although, darling, I do think you are a bit over-dressed for the occasion. I wasn't expecting Armani."
As Leo silently glared at her, Vanessa patted him down. He realized that she was probably making sure that he wasn't carrying his pistol.
"Alone with no weapon?" Vanessa said with a satisfied smile, "That's my boy."
"Don't patronize me, mother." Leo replied calmly, "So, what is it that you want this time?"
Just as Vanessa was about to tell him, the sound of someone else's voice could be heard calling Leo's name. Recognizing the speaker, Leo felt a strong surge of fear come over him. There was no doubt in his mind as to who it was.
"Damn it," Leo muttered, wincing, "Greenlee."
Feeling the barrel of Vanessa's rifle touch his chest, Leo gasped before looking at his mother.
"Call her." Vanessa ordered coldly.
"You lay one hand on her..." Leo started, slowly shaking his head.
"That's very noble, sweetheart." Vanessa chuckled, "But you're not in any position to be making threats. Now, do as I said."
"Greenlee." Leo shouted, not taking his eyes off of Vanessa.
To be Continued...
"Thanks, dear." Anna said, as Leo handed her a cup, "What could Vanessa want with Leora? How did she even..."
"Oh God!" David interrupted, putting a hand to his forehead and stopping in mid-step, "I did this. I showed Vanessa a picture of Leora, and she must have assumed that that was all she was ever going to see! I drove her to..."
"You didn't do anything." Leo argued, putting a hand on David's shoulder, "The only person to blame for this is our mother."
"Leo's right, David." Greenlee added, "There was no way any of us could have known that Vanessa would do this. Although, I'm personally not surprised that she did do something like this."
The sound of someone knocking on the door got the group's attention instantly. Slowly, Leo walked over and opened it. To his surprise, Trey was waiting on the other side.
"Trey?" Leo asked puzzled.
"Leo." Trey greeted, hugging him, "It's good to see you without bars separating us."
"But how?" David wondered as Leo closed the door.
"I requested that Trey be released for the time being." Anna explained, "I figured if we wanted to figure out what Vanessa was doing, we needed the three people who knew her best."
"So, basically, I'm out for no reason." Trey chuckled as David and Leo smiled, "I mean, if these two can't figure out what she's up to, neither can I."
Suddenly, the phone rang and halted all further conversation. Being the closest one to it, Leo picked it up.
"du Pres residence?" Leo greeted.
"Leo darling," Vanessa's voice said calmly, "shut up and listen carefully. I want you to meet me at Miller's Falls as soon as you possibly can. Come alone, or your little niece will get it. Understood?"
"Yes." Leo stammered, hanging up the phone. He noticed that four pairs of curious eyes were now staring at him inquisitively.
"Who was that?" Greenlee asked, expressing what all of them were probably thinking.
"Um." Leo lied, slowly heading out the door, "That was nobody important. Look, I, uh, suddenly remember an important errand that I forgot to run. Let me know if there's any news, okay?"
Breathing a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind him, Leo turned and headed towards the elevator. He had just pushed the button for it when he heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw that David had run out after him. For a moment, there was an awkward silence between the two brothers.
"I know that that was Vanessa on the phone." David informed.
"She said that if I didn't go alone," Leo replied quickly, "she would do something to Leora."
"Still, Leo." David protested worriedly, "You're probably walking straight into a trap, or something. It's not safe!"
"Ah, don't worry about me, David." Leo assured with a smile, "Your little brother is about to pull off one last con. But I do need you to do something for me."
"What?" David asked curious.
"Hold on to this for me." Leo replied, reaching into his coat and pulling out his pistol, "I know that you'll eventually find your way to Vanessa and me, and I have the feeling I'm going to be needing it. However, Mumsy won't be too happy if she finds it on me."
"Right." David agreed, slowly taking the pistol, "You will be careful, won't you? I don't want anything to happen to you, Leo. Not now."
"Like I said," Leo assured, as the elevator arrived, "don't worry."
----------------------------------------------------------------
The roar of the waterfall was the only sound that could be heard. Sighing in relief as he reached the top of the cliff, Leo's attention turned to the spot where he and Vanessa had fallen 8 months prior. Silently, he walked over and ran his hand gently over the rebuilt railing. Anger filled him, as he recalled the exact events of the previous October.
As the sound of a baby crying broke through the night, Leo turned around again. He had failed to notice Leora, who was still wrapped in her pink, hospital blanket, lying on the ground near him. He jogged over, and knelt cautiously near the infant. Vanessa was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey." Leo said softly, as Leora quieted down, "You remember me, don't you? Don't worry, squirt. Your uncle Leo is going to protect you."
The sound of a gun cocking, and someone coming through the nearby brush grabbed Leo's attention immediately. Picking Leora up, Leo stood to see Vanessa emerging from some nearby shrubbery with a rifle in hand.
"Mother." Leo greeted flatly.
"You came just like I thought you would." Vanessa replied, staring back at him, "Although, darling, I do think you are a bit over-dressed for the occasion. I wasn't expecting Armani."
As Leo silently glared at her, Vanessa patted him down. He realized that she was probably making sure that he wasn't carrying his pistol.
"Alone with no weapon?" Vanessa said with a satisfied smile, "That's my boy."
"Don't patronize me, mother." Leo replied calmly, "So, what is it that you want this time?"
Just as Vanessa was about to tell him, the sound of someone else's voice could be heard calling Leo's name. Recognizing the speaker, Leo felt a strong surge of fear come over him. There was no doubt in his mind as to who it was.
"Damn it," Leo muttered, wincing, "Greenlee."
Feeling the barrel of Vanessa's rifle touch his chest, Leo gasped before looking at his mother.
"Call her." Vanessa ordered coldly.
"You lay one hand on her..." Leo started, slowly shaking his head.
"That's very noble, sweetheart." Vanessa chuckled, "But you're not in any position to be making threats. Now, do as I said."
"Greenlee." Leo shouted, not taking his eyes off of Vanessa.
To be Continued...