Disclaimer—Don't own any of this stuff.
Chapter 9—The Date
Lilly inspected the room as she and Scotty waited for Tina Akers-Williams to join them. Both detectives were a bit on edge. Their jobs could be in jeopardy if the Mayor found out his wife had a slight connection to the Victor Glenrose case.
"Italian or Greek? I know some good places on my side of town we can hit," said Scotty looking out the window. Lilly snorted but remained quiet as Tina entered the room.
Tina was a cheerful, plump woman dressed to the nines. She definitely played the part of the Mayor's wife very well. "How do you officers do?" she asked motioning for them to take a seat. Lilly shrugged nonchalantly as she sat on the couch, only pausing to frown as Scotty practically sat on top of her.
"Good, Mrs. Williams. We love your husband—the best Mayor Philly has ever had," replied Scotty good naturedly ignoring Lilly's nudge to scoot over.
"You do understand however that we aren't here to discuss politics, right?" questioned Lilly cautiously.
Tina nodded. "I was wondering how long it would take before you guys found out about my past. I've kept it a secret for so long, that there are times I've forgotten about it myself. It's a wonder my husband hasn't found out about it. Tabloids follow us around like hounds on the hunt." She gave a nervous chuckle and then bit her lip in fear.
"I'd hate for anyone to know about it too."
"Don't worry; we have no intentions of letting this go to the public. You're part in the Victor Glenrose will stay a secret," promised Lilly pinching Scotty's leg. Her partner simply flicked her hand away and took up the questioning.
"How long were you and Victor dating when he got you involved in his…business?"
"Oh my, I think it was about a month and a half. I was so young and naïve, I thought we were in love. At the time I would have done anything for him had he asked me to."
"Even murder?" hedged Lilly.
"Who knows? I was foolish…Victor's business seemed like fun at the time. Lord, if I had known that Victor didn't like me for me I would never have given him the time of day."
"We heard your folks found out about your part in Victor's business, how'd it go?" Scotty leaned forward as Tina looked down at the ground.
"Goodness, it seemed like all hell had broken loose that day. One of my suitors came to the house claiming he hadn't gotten his money's worth. He blew up right in front of my parents. It was an awful mess. My father threatened him with a restraining order and then forced me to explain everything. After that we marched down to the Glenrose's and daddy tried to kill Victor and his father. Of course, money is always the answer. Mr. Glenrose promised to pay us to keep things under wraps while he dismantled Victor's brothel service. I think daddy still receives money to this day. It's a wonder Mr. Glenrose can support his…family."
"So you know about the eight wives?" murmured Lilly.
"Oh sure, Victor wanted to have more than his father. Then again, he also wanted some of his father's wives. To get even with him for what happened to Laura."
Scotty frowned. "What happened to Laura? I thought Victor was the one in the wrong."
Tina gave a shrug. "He was, that much was obvious to the whole world. But, Mr. Glenrose had a soft spot for his daughter that went much more than fatherly. That's why Laura's death hit the family so hard. From what she had told me when she had discovered she was pregnant again was that she didn't know who the father was. It could have been her boyfriend Carl, Victor, or her own father."
Lilly stared at Tina in shock. "You're kidding right?"
"Oh no. Laura was not the angel that family has led you to believe. The whole lot of them were bonkers. Victor, Mr. Glenrose, and Laura were the oddest love triangle in history. She was so proud of herself for being able to keep so many men in her life in the dark about each other. Until she got herself knocked up. Then she and Carl started fighting and Victor was mad she wanted out of the brothel, and Mr. Glenrose—boy was he angry about her wanting to leave the Church."
"This kinda makes sense," started Scotty turning to look at his partner. "No wonder Mr. Glenrose wanted to marry you. You're the perfect replacement for Laura—then he'd have beat Victor at his own game."
Lilly shuddered. "Is there anything else you can shed a light on, Mrs. Williams?"
"No, nothing I can think of. But I'll be sure and let you two know if I remember something later on. My husband is just so proud of himself for handling the situation with you and Victor, Detective Rush. He thought it was perfect to have your own partner protect you. He's a bit of a romantic you know."
Scotty grinned. "Oh yeah, no kidding. So, what would he recommend, Greek or Italian for dinner?"
"Italian—it always sets the mood for a wonderful evening for would be lovers."
Lilly simply nodded in amusement as she stood up to leave. "Thanks. Keep in touch. Oh, and let your husband know how grateful we are for his solution to my stalker problem. I've never had a body guard fall asleep on the job before."
"One time, would you let it go already?" demanded Scotty as they headed towards the front door.
"Only when you move out, Scotty," was the cheerful reply.
The drive back to the office was quiet as each mused the newest turn of events. Lilly frowned when she pulled into the parking lot and their car was surrounded by reporters.
"This can't be good," muttered Scotty as Vera and Jeffries came to the rescue.
"What's going on?" hissed Lilly as Vera opened her door.
"The whole town is head over heels for your story," answered Vera as he and Jeffries ushered the younger detectives into the station.
"What, about the Glenrose case?" Scotty was floored.
Jeffries shook his head as they finally shut the door on the reporters shouting out unintelligible questions. "No, the one about the homicide detectives shacking up together for protection from a crazy killer on the loose."
"Where'd they get that one?" exclaimed Lilly glaring over her shoulder at the reporters pounding on the windows.
"Your old friend Kite. Seems he was more than pissed about you and Valens in the same apartment, so he's playing the part of the jilted lover who has lost his girl to her head strong partner." Vera grinned as both Scotty and Lilly gritted their teeth.
"Man, that guy's really starting to get on my nerves," said Scotty darkly.
"I'm first in line when we kill him," returned Lilly as they entered Stillman's office.
Stillman barely glanced up from his paper work as the four detectives took a seat. "You're turning my department into a soap opera. I want this case solved and Victor behind bars. Whether we lock him up in jail or an asylum, I don't give a rat's ass…I want this messy romance stuff to stop."
"Easier said than done boss. We have the Mayor to thank for the film fest outside," smirked Lilly.
Scotty agreed. "Yeah. And that Megan chick, if she had warned us that Lil was a dead ringer for Laura none of this would have happened."
"What's new then? I want this case done by the end of the week." Stillman leaned back in his seat as Lilly explained the latest developments.
"Great," snorted Vera. "I've always wanted to dissect a love triangle gone wrong."
Stillman sighed. "We need to talk to Angela and Carl tomorrow. Since we've already talked to Ms. Ford, let's bring her here. Mr. Green should open up to Lil and Scotty at his place."
"Should I dress up too?" asked Lilly sourly, noting the underlying meaning behind Stillman's words. The boss only shrugged with a small grin.
Scotty shook his head as he got to his feet. "Well, if you look killer tonight then maybe we'll make you wear a dress to Green's place tomorrow."
Jeffries raised an eyebrow. "Going out?"
"I recommend Italian food—you have a better chance of sleeping in the same bed," teased Vera. He chuckled as Lilly hit him in the back of the head. "What, it's the truth. The missus will tell ya the same thing. That's how we got together."
"Thanks, Vera. Scotty's gonna be sleeping outside if he tries any more funny stuff," muttered Lilly.
"When have I ever tried anything funny?"
"Maybe when you tried to feel me up this morning."
"Well, maybe if you hadn't been cuddling with me we wouldn't have had any problems," shot back Scotty. Lilly only gave him a glare and headed towards the door.
"Wait a sec," ordered Stillman sitting up straight. "You two better keep a professional air on my time…I don't want any domestic squabbling during questionings."
Lilly rolled her eyes and made her way out of the office and towards her desk. Scotty chuckled and gave Stillman a thumb's up as he headed towards the door.
Vera called after him with a more serious tone of voice. "Whatever you do Valens, I better not hear that you mentioned her sister to her on the date. Lilly might not have what it takes to kill you, but I can't say the same about myself. You hear me?"
Scotty looked back and nodded. "Loud and clear. I ain't screwing up this time. Scout's honor."
"This damn case has turned my detectives into The Young and the Restless," muttered Stillman as they watched Scotty head towards Lilly's desk.
"I'm more partial to The Bold and the Beautiful, myself," chuckled Vera. Both men turned to Jeffries to settle the score.
"I'm a Days of Our Lives fan, sorry," he said holding up his hands. The other two men groaned.
That Evening:
Scotty looked at his watch and rolled his eyes. "Hurry up, Lil, I wanna eat sometime tonight!"
"Just hold your horses, Valens. Do you want me to look nice or not?" shouted Lilly cockily. Scotty made a face and stretched his injured arm gently. He had decided to take it out of the sling for the evening, if only to pacify his ego for the date. There was a chance, alright a very slim chance that something more could happen this evening. Of course, that was if they ever got to the restaurant.
"This had better be worth it," muttered Scotty slouching on the couch.
"You're telling me," replied Lilly entering the room. "The date hasn't even started and you're already grouchy. And all before I tell you there's no chance in hell we're having sex in this lifetime."
Scotty glanced up and felt himself grin at the sight. Lilly was drop dead gorgeous. She wore form fitting green black dress that barely reached her knees with thin spaghetti straps that couldn't seem to stay in place on her shoulders. Scotty allowed himself to give her the once over and had to bite his tongue from whistling. Her heels definitely added to the allure of her legs.
"You gonna stare all night, or am I going to actually experience some sort of romantic version of yourself?"
"Let's go," replied Scotty heading towards the door. Lilly frowned when she noticed the missing sling.
"Is your arm alright?" she asked as they headed towards the car. Scotty gave her a wink as he opened the passenger door for her.
"Tonight I'm in tip top condition."
Lilly marveled at the outside of the Italian restaurant as Scotty pulled into the parking lot. He had managed to find quite a romantic looking place to dine.
"How many of your girlfriends did you ever bring here?"
"You're the first one," murmured Scotty into her ear as he offered her his arm. Lilly smirked and rolled her eyes, but played along with his charade. Now wasn't the time to discuss the past.
Inside the restaurant the lights were dimmed with candles and soft Italian music playing in the background. Lilly was impressed as the host graciously greeted the pair and led them to a secluded table near the windows. Glancing around, Lilly easily determined that all the tables were positioned as far away from each other as possible.
Scotty seated Lilly and then sat across from her. They each ordered some white wine and then perused the menu. The waiter eventually returned with their drinks and took their orders. As he took away their menus the pair fell into a silence. Neither one was quite sure as to what to say.
Finally Scotty cleared his throat. "What d'ya think about the case?"
Lilly gave a dejected shrug. "At this point anything and everything is possible. I'm not sure what to believe anymore…but I'm starting to wonder if Victor really did do Laura in. How about you, what do you think?"
"I don't know. Everything's all twisted. If Victor didn't do it though, he's in for one hell of a surprise if he thinks he's gonna get out of this mess scot-free."
"That's a nice way at putting it. Still angry about your bruises?"
"Ha, ha. What about you, aren't you worried he might come after you some night. He's a real nutcase."
"I figure he'll be in an asylum once this whole thing is done and over with—and you'll be back at your own place." Lilly lifted her glass to her lips as Scotty chuckled.
"That's what it comes down to in the end, doesn't it, Lil? Me outta the picture."
"Aw, Scotty, you know me so well."
Scotty shook his head and watched Lilly take another sip of wine. Maybe he would get lucky and she'd get drunk off her ass this evening. "So what are we gonna do about Kite in the mean time?"
"I'm pretty sure once he finds someone new to lavish his attention on this whole thing will die down."
"But until it does?"
"We ride the wave."
"That's great, Lil. We're gonna be the talk of the city for months to come. From what I've heard you're not an easy girl to get over."
Lilly shrugged. "It runs in the family."
"Don't start that now," warned Scotty dropping his smile.
"Start what?" asked Lilly innocently.
"The whole thing over Chris."
"Now why would I go and do a thing like that? It's been over a year now."
Scotty clenched his jaw and took a large gulp of wine. "Yeah, well you've been known to hold a grudge."
"I'm not the one who got involved with the wrong person," replied Lilly icily.
"Look, at the time I thought it was the right thing to do. I admit I screwed up. You were right and I was wrong. Happy now?"
"I don't know. Chris called me the other day and asked about you. She's made quite a name for herself in Mexico I hear. New job, new lover."
"Is this supposed to mean something to me? Your sister lied to me…it's over now."
"And I suppose those few weeks sleeping with her are long forgotten as well?" murmured Lilly, her eyes flashing.
Scotty glared at her as he finished off his wine. "I don't see why you gotta bring this stuff up now. I thought it was all in the past."
Lilly leaned forward with both elbows on the table. "It seems to me that it's somewhat odd to sleep with one sister and then a year later turn around and try and get with the other one."
"What if I told you I wanted to sleep with you before Chris entered the picture?" hissed Scotty.
"What a consolation prize. But you decided to pass for someone easier, is that it?"
"Is that jealously I hear in your voice?"
"Please, you think too much of yourself," snapped Lilly clutching her glass of wine.
"You are jealous. You're jealous I went for your sister instead of you after Alyssa."
"Dear God, someone shoot me now," mumbled Lilly drowning down the remainder of her wine.
"Can't you just move on from the whole thing? It was a mistake, why do you think I'm taking you out tonight? I'm trying to apologize for the past!"
"And you're doing such a great job of it! Why didn't you just leave Chris alone when I told you to?"
"Why? Was I supposed to throw myself at you? Were you supposed to be the better choice? The more logical one for me to get involved with?"
Lilly narrowed her eyes in frustration. "No…yes…no! God, why are you being so fucking difficult?"
"Why did you bring this whole thing up in the first place?" returned Scotty acerbically.
"Because I have to know that I'm not just second best! I'm tired of being jilted at the last minute because I wasn't good enough! I'm tired of being put into my baby sister's shadow! And you! You're my partner! How do I know you won't drop me for someone new when we disagree on a case? How do I know this isn't some game to you? I've heard the talk around the office, Scotty. I know I'm made out to be some sort of Ice Queen when it comes to dating. But you don't know anything about me or what I'm like!"
"Or why! You should be able to talk to me, Lil—I thought we were friends!"
"So did I, then you fucked my sister."
Before Scotty could say anymore the waiter arrived with their food. He smiled at them and offered parmesan cheese. Lilly ignored Scotty's gaze as he absorbed what Lilly had said.
"More wine?" asked the waiter with a flourish of the bottle. Instantly, both Scotty and Lilly shot out their glasses to be filled.
Yep, Scotty had a way to go before he and Lilly worked through the problems blocking their relationship. A very long way to go judging by the way she was downing her alcohol.
A/N—Sorry this one took forever to come out. I've been so busy, but the good news is school is out in like a week and a half so I'll be able to concentrate on this story. I wasn't planning on mentioning Christina whatsoever, but after the latest episode, I knew I had to comment on it somewhere. Hope you guys like it!