[June Flowers Part 2 – the day after Melanie receives her bouquet from Anders.]

Joy had lain awake all night surfing the internet and trying to make contacts with as many government agencies that she could. She thought about calling Melanie. Melanie was the sensible one. But it was too late in LA. Damn these time zones!

"Rejoyla!" Her mother's screech rattled thru floors and walls. "Breakfast."

Joy slowly made her way downstairs and into the Devil's Den. "Mother, I've told you that I'm old enough to make my own breakfast if I choose."

"Don't you think I'm aware of that? I've been watching you mope around here like a wounded cat. It's quite pitiful if you ask me."

"I didn't." Joy poured herself a cup of tea, added milk and sat down at the lavish gold encrusted table. "What is this?" She asked after taking a sip of hot tea. A single pink peony was standing in a tall, thin white vase.

Philippa didn't look up from her paper, "Jeeves received it this morning on your behalf."

"His name is George, not Jeeves." Philippa brushed her off with a flip of her wrist.

There was a small envelope attached to the stem of the flower. Joy gently untied the purple ribbon and took the small card from the envelope. I see your heart is broken. She read it again. Joy looked around to see if the gasp of breath she took was audible or not. Her mother didn't flinch so either it wasn't out loud or her mother didn't care. She read the card again. "What the hell is this? Where did this come from?" This time she did speak out loud.

"I told you, Rejoyla, Jeeves received it this morning."

With her long legs it took only a few long, purposeful strides for Joy to exit the kitchen in search of Jeeves…er George. She found him smoking his pipe out on the front steps. George was probably 70 something years old at least. He'd been with their family since she was a little girl. Joy always had a special connection to George. For a while when she was growing up he was her only friend. Philippa wasn't the type of mother who liked screaming, rambunctious children running about.

Joy sat down beside him which startled him a bit. His hearing wasn't what it used to be. "George, do you know who sent this?" She held the flower in her hands.

"Courier delivered t'while ago. The card didn't have a signature?" George had a clipped, Cockney accent.

"No, it didn't. Do you know what flower service it was?"

"Believe t'was 'Ye Olde English Garden'."

With that Joy stood up and headed inside but not before turning to give George a peck on the cheek. "Thanks, Georgie." George smiled when she said the nickname she had called him as a child.

As Joy dressed and made herself presentable, her mind worked feverishly trying to solve the secret flower mystery.

A few hours later, Joy had George drive her to the flower shop. But she had no luck finding out who sent her the flower or the note. The sender paid online thru a third party agent. A lot of work just to send a wilting flower, Joy thought. But this situation puzzled her. She was used to being the stalker not the stalkee. She told George she would be home later. She needed to walk and think. Joy used to work these problems out with the help of Melanie and Victoria and sometimes Elka.

Joy found a quiet, shaded park bench. Could the person who sent the flower and note be watching her now? She looked around cautiously and nervously. Nothing suspicious jumped out at her so with her cell phone dialed instinctively.

"Weeeell heyyy, mah little English muffin!"

"Victoria?" Joy recognized the voice but not the overly dramatized southern accent.

"Yes, darlin'. Have you furgotten yur own wife's voice?" Victoria laughed. Joy smiled and shook her head.

"I forgot you are in the throws of another Lifetime Original Movie. What is this one called? And you sound like those swamp people from that show Elka likes to watch."

"'Lady Bayou Bounty Jumpers'. It's about a gang of Louisiana Bayou women who live in the bayous to escape the law. Joy, do you know what the state bird of Louisiana is?" Victoria sounded excited to be filming again.

"No."

"The mosquito! And it's true! These things are huge, Joy. You should see this place. You can buy fried alligator from the gas station! Crazy! And I have to wear combat boots! Did you know they make them for women? My $150 French pedicure is going to waste. And…Oh, Joy, they're calling me back to the set. I'm sorry. Talk to you later, love." And with that, Victoria hung up.

Joy tossed her phone into her purse. She was all alone in this mess. Philippa's house wasn't too far away so Joy decided to walk. Getting some fresh air and thinking would do her good. After walking aimlessly for hours she finally made it home and had convinced herself that the flower must have been delivered in error or the wrong card attached.

George met her at the front door. "Was gettin' worried 'bout you."

"I'm okay, George. Just needed a bit of fresh air." Joy started up the stairs to her room. She really hated living under her mother's roof again.

"Miss?" George still had a habit of calling her that even though she was…well…not a young lady anymore. "You received another flower whilst you were out."

Joy almost stumbled on the stair. "Where is it?" George told her he put it in her bedroom so she bounded up the stairs as fast as she could. She immediately saw an identical pink peony as the one delivered this morning. And again the same small envelope and purple ribbon. What kind of sick joke is this?, she wondered. She read the card.

I'm always here for you.