Chapter 2 Curve ball

Trish

By the time Trish made it home from her meeting with Randy, she found that her flatmate Lita had overtaken their living room. While Trish was put on this new assignment, Lita was looking for her own killer, and this killer seemed to be eight steps ahead of the beautiful red-head, she had been tracking this beast for almost two years and it didn't look as though she was going to get close anytime soon.

"Any luck Lita?" Trish asked hanging her coat on the hook, Lita didn't answer for a moment, she was too busy with her murder board, everything she knew was plastered in front of her eyes, and yet she couldn't make sense of it, everytime she thought she had gotten close, something pushed her back. Lita let out a sigh and put down her black marker,

"Sadly no, I've looked at this thing from all angles and nothing, all I can tell you Trishy is this killer is someone in the world right now"

"Well that narrows it down" Trish tried to sound bright but she knew how much this was torturing her friend, people were dying and there was no way Lita or her team could stop it. Lita let out a bitter snort,

"So what did King of the Pigs want?"

Trish took out the photograph Randy had given her and showed it to Lita, wanting her opinion but all ready knowing to a point what Lita would say.

"Pretty girls" Lita looked them over, "So why is Orton after them?"

"He believes that one or all of them are psychopathic killers, and he wants me to go in undercover to find out which one it is"

Lita passed her the picture back, "It must be killing him that his charm wouldn't work"

Trish laughed, she had been thinking the same thing. Randy had gotten most of his collars through the years by pure charm, now he had to rely on Trish to do it for him, and she just knew that he was doubting whether or not she could do it. Trish took her folder upstairs and left Lita to her murder board. She had to study these people so they didn't find they out who she really was because she didn't want to be near them if they found out she was a detective.

Storm sat at the kitchen table with her laptop at half past two, waiting for Raven to call and waiting for Trish to show up. As per usual Raven had seen the danger coming a mile away, and despite Storm and even Iziah telling her that this was the wrong move, Raven insisted on letting Trish have the spare room. Right on twenty to three Raven called from wherever she was this day, due to lack of sleep and wanting to keep busy always, Raven was forever working, doing something different to help the world, or at least that's how Raven justified her wheeling and dealings.

"Hey Raven, how's your day going?"

"Oh the usual, so when does our girl show up?"

"That depends, if she wants to be eager it'll be quarter to three, if she wants to be on time but not too eager then three on the dot, but if she don't wanna arouse too much suspicion she'll arrive at quarter past. Raven do you still think this is a good idea, I mean this woman wants to put you in jail and maybe give you the lethal injection"

Raven laughed which didn't put Storm at ease, Raven had always been erratic and perhaps a little crazy but this was just a whole new level, but as always Storm was on her side, loyal to a fault some called it.

"Reminds me, when she comes throw her a curve ball, tell her that the ad was mistaken and we don't want a room mate, tell her I need a PA"

"Why?"

"I wanna see how she re-acts to a slight curve ball"

"Rae, can I again point out that this might be a bad idea"

"Your pro-hiding-anti-Raven-idea- agenda has been knowin for some time Storm"

"Ok, I'll tell her the new plan. Anythin else Rae?"

"Yes, I'll be home at three a.m, I need you to come downstairs at exactly two minutes past three and look surprised"

Storm knew better than to argue, besides the doorbell went off so it was time to get the show on the road. Just like she had predicted, Trish had arrived at exactly three, she was eager but not overly so. "I gotta go Rae, have fun whatever you're doing"

Raven let out a giggle before hanging up. Storm shut down her laptop hoping that this wasn't the one time where Raven was wrong.

Storm smoothed down her shirt, a nervy habit she had tried to break but sometimes, mostly when Raven was involved, she found herself smoothing down invisible wrinkles.

When she pulled the door back she plastered a smile on her face, hoping to put Trish at ease.

"You must be Trish, I'm Storm" She put out her ivory hand not expecting Trish to take it but she did, a friendly handshake with nothing more behind it. They both knew different but in this chess game, neither of them wanted to give anything away. Storm ushered her in to sit at the table to get this meeting underway, even though they both knew that by the end, Trish would be moving in.

"Would you like a drink Trish?"

"No thank you Storm" Trish felt those all white orbs staring over her frame, she had picked the most non threatening outfits she could, a black and white pinstriped pants and plain blue shirt, she looked less like a detective and more like a dumb blonde.

Storm sat down opposite her, "So you read the ad I take it?"

"Yes, I need a room as my lease is almost up and I need a new place"

Storm kept the smirk to herself, she knew that was a load of crap. Trish and her flatmate Lita owned the building, they had no troubles of a lease ending.

"I think there was some confusion with the ad, the room is still there but my cousin Raven is actually looking for a personal assistant to help her with her many errands, she's always running around doing little bits and peices"

Trish kept her poker face straight, from what she had read she figured that a few curve balls were coming her way, but being well trained, she knew it was just another hurdle to jump over, she had been doing it every step of her career, she wasn't about to let these girls trip her up.

"That's even better Storm, I don't like to get bored"

Storm gave her a genuine smile, now she knew why Raven wanted her so close, Trish was going to be a fun challenge.

"Well Raven will be home later on, you guys can sort out the final details and what not, in the meantime how about I show you the room and see if it's to your liking?"

"Sounds like a plan Storm"

As Trish followed Storm up to the room she let out a silent prayer, the first hurdle had officially been cleared, she was in. Now she just had to find the evidence.