Instant Star- Rise Of The Next Generation
Chapter 15- Another Thin Line
(Author's Note: To quote a season 1 song- 24 hours! Or a little more or less depending on when you read this! Are we stoked yet? So, in honor of the new season- this chapter takes it's title and song from there! Oh- and as usual- thanks for all the reviews... please keep them coming! They are what makes this all worthwhile... they make my heart smile...)
Chapter 15- Another Thin Line
The following morning began like any other Monday. Patrick and Ruby readied themselves for school and left the house, clutching appropriate books. But once inside the car, Patrick looked purposefully at his sister.
"So, we're gonna do this?"
"Yeah. Trust me. Mom doesn't suspect a thing." Ruby grinned.
"Go figure. When do we ever fool her?"
"Not often, that's for sure!" his sister cheerfully agreed.
They drove quickly to the Q-Records headquarters, parked the car, and waited. After 45 minutes, Patrick groaned restlessly
"Sheesh! This waiting sucks! Remind me not to volunteer on any stakeouts for the cops!"
"You just hate missing school! You're such a good little boy!" Ruby said, in a sickeningly sweet tone.
"Bite me!"
"Please! Like we're really missing anything!" she tossed back, happily
"Yeah, you're really sorry about skipping math class!"
"Hey, this whole deal sucks! Don't I deserve one break from all this!" Ruby jibed, then turned serious.
"Not that I wanted it this way..."
"I know." Patrick soothed her, patting her hand.
Fifteen minutes later, they spotted what they were waiting for.
"Let's go!"
Jumping up, they raced towards the black car that had just appeared in the parking lot. Tommy emerged from that vehicle and stared at his children.
"What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" he demanded.
"We need to tell you something. It's really important." Patrick began.
"It can't wait." his sister echoed.
"Ok. Shoot." Tommy agreed.
"Actually, we need to show it to you. It's in your office..."
He stared at them, completely bewildered.
"Ok... Let's go inside."
The threesome entered Tommy's office.
"Ok. We're here. Where is it?" he questioned.
Ruby put a finger on her lips, then bent over, motioning under the couch. Tommy squatted, and saw the object his daughter indicated.
"What the hell... that's not..." he burst out, stunned.
"Yes, it is" she whispered.
"But..."
"Not here" Patrick mumbled, realizing that this conversation most likely was being broadcast somewhere else.
Tommy led Ruby and Patrick through the inner door that connected his office and Jude's now uninhabited one. Closing the door, they sat down in the soft chairs that surrounded a clear glass table.
"Ok. Explain. How do you know about this?"
Patrick looked at his sister, who nodded. They both realized they needed to be completely honest now if they wanted things to work out.
"We came here. Yesterday. To look around. To see if we could find anything to explain that CD..." Pat began.
"And you sure did!" Tommy responded, his anger rising.
"Someone recorded me... things I said to Jude in here..."
"Yeah. I noticed that!" Ruby smiled softly. "You always talk to mom that way..."
"Yeah, that's true... But the rest of it... It's fake..."
"We know that, too." she proclaimed confidently.
"So... how... what happened?" Tommy struggled, still trying to process it all.
"Think, dad!" Ruby prompted. "We do it here all the time..."
"A mash-up!" her father finished, horrified. "But who? And why?"
"Unfortunately, we still haven't answered those questions." Patrick replied.
"No, I guess not." Tommy added.
"Anything else you two spies found that I should know about?"
"Er..." Ruby stuttered, looking nervously at her brother.
"We'd better tell him." Patrick confirmed, noting the growing fury on his father's face.
"Yeah, I'd say you'd better!" Tommy growled.
"About that CD..." Pat began.
"What about it? You know something?" his father asked, completely on edge.
"No. But we're... kind of looking into it." Ruby said, sheepishly.
"Explain"
"Well, apparently, there are laser marks on it... that could tell us if it was a mash-up. It would show how it was patched together..." she started explaining.
"Yes. And if it was made here, there would be a code burned on it too..." Tommy finished, his professional knowledge finally kicking in.
"So, I could at least prove to your mother that it's faked..."
"Yep!" Ruby answered.
"Dammit!" Tommy cursed.. "I should have thought of that right away!"
"Well... you weren't exactly yourself yesterday..." Patrick said cautiously.
He and his father exchanged a meaningful look.
"That's true" Tommy reluctantly admitted.
"So, we could put that CD through the machine to find out. Great! Do you two know where it is?"
"Umm... we're kind of on that already too..." Ruby confessed.
"We gave the disk to Brian. He's checking that stuff out for us..."
"You... did what?" her father sputtered.
"We asked him to look at it. Check that for us. He's gonna do it this afternoon..." Patrick clarified.
Tommy just stared at them. Atypically, he was speechless.
"You aren't mad?" his son asked.
"We wanted to help." Ruby explained. "We thought that if we could figure out that the CD was fake, we could help you and mom work everything out..."
Tommy kept looking at his daughter; the fear and hope on her face was unmistakable.
"I don't want you guys to get divorced.." she whispered.
Patrick nodded his head in agreement, leaning closer to his sister in support.
"I don't want that, either." Tommy informed them, with a newfound strength coursing through him, stemming from his children's love and support.
"So? Now what do we do?" Patrick asked him.
"You? You two have done enough. More than enough!" his father answered, smiling proudly.
"Go to school. Let me take it from here... But I'll talk to you both later... Let you know what's happening."
"I love you, dad!" Ruby exploded.
"Me too, baby. Me too." he replied, hugging her.
"Me three!" Patrick added, laughing.
"Yeah, you too. Now go! I got work to do now..."
His children scampered off. Alone, Tommy sat down again in Jude's office, catching a glimpse of the picture in the center of her desk. It had been taken the night of his partnership party. He and Jude stood proudly behind their children, all four of them smiling radiantly.
"So happy..." he remembered, shaking his head.
"Jude, I don't know who's behind this or why they are doing it. But I'll be dammed if I'll let them! They won't destroy us. I will not let anyone take you from me!. " he vowed, with characteristic strength and stubborness.
Reaching for his phone, he quickly placed two calls.
Back at Pendleton Academy, school dragged endlessly for both Quincy siblings.
"Damm! Can this day move any slower!" Ruby thought to herself, checking her watch for what seemed like the billionth time.
For once, even Patrick was inattentive in his classes; even his complex robotics project failed to hold his interest.
"What's going on back there?" Patrick wondered.
Meanwhile, back at Q-Records, Tommy greeted a visitor.
"Hey. Thanks for coming."
"No problem... I said I'd help." Jamie responded.
"Ok..." he joked "Show me the money. Or rather, the lack of it..."
Tommy pointed to his wife's desk, where the ledgers were spread out. Together, he and Jamie went through the sets of figures, working tirelessly and painstakingly for hours.
"Well? Anything?" he demanded.
"You're not crazy..." Jamie assured him.
"At least, not with this..." he added, playfully, unable to resist a teasing jab.
"Care to elaborate?" Tommy snapped impatiently.
"You're right. There's definitely money missing. And whoever took it is really smooth. On paper, these figures still match. It's like the money was never in the company's account to begin with, even though it should have been. Like it was taken before it got there..."
"But how?"
"Hey, I'm no embezzler... I'm hardly an expert... But I seem to remember reading about some computer scam once... electronic withdrawls..." Jamie's forehead contorted as he searched his brain for the correct information.
"How did they get the money out?" Tommy questioned.
"The same way the money would have gone to your account. Electronic transfer. Anyone this company pays that way could possibly access the codes. With some real computer expertise, they could divert the money into their account before it reaches yours... And possibly... even erase the trail... Yeah, I think that's been done before..."
"So, you're saying... that it could be anyone on our payroll..."
"Yeah. Especially if they use direct deposit..."
"Sounds complicated." Tommy moaned. "Over my head..."
"I know... I wouldn't know how to figure that one out either..." Jamie commiserated.
"So, now what?" Tom wondered aloud.
"Maybe... you should call the police..."
"No!" he replied automatically.
"Look, Mr. Independent, I know that's not your style! But look at what's going on... You've got someone embezzling money and a fake CD being sent to your house... Not to mention someone bugging your office. You honestly think you can handle all that on your own..."
Tommy remained silent as Jamie continued
"And yesterday... you worried about what could happen next. About keeping your family safe..."
"I'll handle it! I'll take care of them!" Tommy burst out angrily.
"I'll just have to keep them close..." he thought. "But how?"
"Ok... Your choice. I just hope you know what you're doing." Jamie finished.
"I do. But thanks for all your help."
"Like I said, anytime." Jamie said, and left.
Tommy remained seated at his wife's desk, processing this new knowledge.
"So, anyone that Q-Records has ever paid, could conceivably be scamming me... We do a lot of deals... that's a lot of people..." he considered.
"But the person doing this is likely also the person behind that CD...If I could figure that out... And somehow, I'm gonna do it..."
He looked again at the picture of his family.
"I won't let any of you be hurt anymore..." he vowed.
Several hours later, it was finally 3:00. Patrick and Ruby gladly left school and started back to Q-Records.
"You hear anything from mom or dad?" Ruby asked him.
"Nope!"
"Me either... what do you think's going on? What's dad gonna do?"
"I have no idea." Patrick answered. "We need to just get there and ask him."
"Hurry!" she urged
"Going as fast as I legally can." he smirked.
"Aiggh!" she groaned in frustration.
Finally arriving at their destination, they hastily entered the building. They roamed the halls, eagerly seeking their father. Searching the corridors, his office and Jude's all proved fruitless. Thankfully, they caught EJ, as always in a total frenzy, rushing down the hall."
"EJ" Ruby called loudly, afraid the publicist would get away without hearing them.
The woman turned her head.
"Hey, Ruby"
"Have you seen my dad?"
"Yeah. He's down in Studio B. Working on some very secret project. It must really be something. Even Quest doesn't know anything about it."
"Great, thanks!"
Minutes later, they stood in front of Studio B. A sign was posted on the door.
"Recording. Do Not Enter."
The siblings exchanged glances.
"Forget that!" they said in unison, not being able to contain themselves.
They knocked on the door, seemingly endlessly. Finally, a dark haired young man answered.
"I've been expecting you two. Come in." Brian greeted them, indicating Tommy pouring eagerly over a machine.
"Hey" he greeted them.
"I bet I know what you're doing!" Ruby beamed happily.
"Yeah, girl, you do." her father replied, returning her smile.
"So? Anything yet?"
"No. This is gonna take a while. I'm a maverick at this." Brian told them.
"It's not my usual thing either. Even when I was a producer, I was always more about the sound... Quest always handled the more technical stuff... He's still better at that." Tommy admitted.
"But, we'll get there." he promised.
"How much longer?" Ruby moaned, impatiently.
"Awhile. You go work like you're supposed to. You've still got an album to finish. I told Quest to use Studio A"
"If you find anything..." she began.
"We'll come get you right away. That's a promise. " her brother assured her. "Now go!"
Ruby went next door to rehearse.
"Hey, girl. How you doing?" Quest welcomed her.
"Great"
"You brought me something new today?"
"Just like I promised." Ruby grinned confidently.
"Well, lemme hear it."
"It's called "Another Thin Line", she told her producer
I'm getting up now.
The sun is burning in my eyes and I ache.
I'm living on a freeway, running low on hiding good mistakes.
I'm taking to living...
Just living all the lives I have to live...
I'm playing off this feeling...
Knowing that it's time to be forgiven...
If I could only come around,
I'm looking at the black stop and turn around...
Can't get this off my back...
Am I outta my mind?
Faking what's inside of me... oh, yeah!
It's like I'm walking on another thin line...
Where the fools keep on thinking I'm blind.
I'm waiting for the day, oh yeah!
I'm wide awake now...
It's getting dark and I can't see my way...
I'm living through the game now...
By watching every word that I might say...
And now, I've gotta come around.
I'm falling through the cracks...
Stop and turn around.
Can't get this off my back.
Am I outta my mind?
For faking what's inside of me...
It's like I'm walking on another thin line...
Where the fools keep on thinking I'm blind...
I'm waiting for the day.
No, no, nooo...
I'm in the middle of a crime...
Taking back what's mine...
As I fade away...
With everything I am, with all I'd have to stand...
I'm not going to fade.
Dragon tears and cover songs... and I've done nothing wrong.
I just don't belong...
DA, DA, DA, DA
She repeated the chorus
It's like I'm walking on another thin line...
Where the fools keep on thinking I'm blind.
I'm waiting for the day...
I'm in the middle of a crime...
Taking back what's mine...
I won't fade away...
When she finished, Quest smiled broadly, nodding his approval.
"Killer! Intense, raw emotions! I like it! Reminds me of one of your mother's ... So, let's get to it, girl."
However, her producer appeared uncharacteristically distracted. After working for only an hour, he suddenly stopped.
"Do you mind if we take a break? There's a phone call I've gotta make now... Something I gotta check on?"
Ruby's eyes widened at the unusual request.
"Yeah! Totally cool! I could use a coffee anyway."
"Back here in 15."
She drifted over to the lounge, where the coffee machine was located. Sticking the largest available cup under the spout, she pressed the button for her favorite moccachino. So lost in thought was she that she didn't even hear the person moving up behind her.
"Hey there." he said.
Startled, she spun around, lightly burning her hand as the scalding hot drink splashed out of the cup.
"Ouch!" she cried out.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, sure"
"I'm sorry I started you..."
"It's okay" Ruby replied, forcing a small smile.
"Something wrong?" Justin Blackburn asked her.
"No... I was just thinking... distracted..."
"I bet. I saw it."
"Saw what?" she questioned.
"You really haven't seen it yet, have you" he replied, noting her puzzled expression.
"What are you talking about?"
He held out a copy of Canadian Star magazine.
"This" Justin answered, gesturing to one headline.
"Q-Records "Star" Couple Splits! Source At Label Confirms Rumors Of Tom Quincy's Shocking Affair!"
Ruby placed her drink on the counter, breathing deeply.
"No. I didn't see that" she said softly.
"But... you knew about it. It's true?" Justin asked perceptively.
"No! Of course it's not!" Ruby shot back defensively.
"Hey, it'll be okay. Remember, I've been there too. I told you about what Chaz did to my mother. Seems he and your dad really do have something in common... Unfortunately...I'm sorry" he added, kindly.
"No! They don't! It's not like that. And we're gonna prove it!"
"Ruby, I know you're hurting..."
"Yes, but not why you think. Because it's a lie! He and mom are gonna be okay... He's working it out right now. And he's gonna prove to her that nothing happened!"
"Really? How's he gonna do that?"
"He... just is..." Ruby replied, deciding not to reveal too much.
"I hope that's true. For you." Justin replied sincerely.
"Thanks"
He sweetly kissed her cheek.
"I gotta go. But I'll talk to you later, ok"
"Ok"
The ominous man from the wedding placed a life altering phone call, speaking to his crony, who conspired with him thus far.
"Those damm kids snooped too much! Quincy's suspicious... We've gotta do this... We're gonna do it..."
"Hey, he's not onto us." his partner in crime protested. "He'll never figure it out..."
"We ain't taking that chance... Here's what you're gonna do..." he said, outlining plans and barking orders.
The second person gasped in shock when he heard this.
"No way... I am so not down with that! That was not part of our deal!"
"Screw that deal! It's off! Here's the new one!"
"You can't make me..."
"Oh, yes I can! I can do whatever the hell I want with you! I bought you! I own you! Just be grateful I'm not making you get your little hands dirty..."
"You don't consider my part dirty..."
"Shut up! No more talk! Just do what I say! Or you'll regret it! You know what I can do to you now..."
Then, there was only silence as the call ended.