Neve Moriarty was laying on her bed the luxurious penthouse apartment of the hotel she was staying in. She was flollopped on the bed, reading a well-worn copy of "Macbeth", again.
Seb and her dad were off doing business stuff and she was left at the hotel.
Why do they keep doing this? They take me places and then don't let me do anything. Dad knows I'm just as good at running the empire... web... business as he is, he's left me in charge many times. It almost makes a person want to follow the side of the angels...
For the three days since she had that fight with Ellie, Neve hadn't been allowed anywhere. It was driving her nuts. Neve started saying the lines aloud;
"Thrice the brinded cat hath mewed.
Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined.
Harpier cries. 'Tis time, 'tis time.
Round about the cauldron go:
In the poisoned entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelt'red venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' th' charmed pot.
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blindworm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of pow'rful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witch's mummy, maw and gulf,
Of ravined salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digged i' th' dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and sips of yew
Slivered in the moon's eclipse,
Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-delivered by a drab,
Make a gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,
For th' ingredience of our caldron.
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron.
Cool it with baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good."
The door opened and a man stepped through.
"That was beautiful, Neve. I'm so glad I found Shakespearean actors to teach you, and at such a low cost..."
"Dad, when did you get back?"
"I started to hear you at 'lizard's leg and howlet's wing'. I remember 'Macbeth'; it was the first book that we read together. Do you remember when I took you with me to talk to that troupe of actors that wanted better reviews than their rivals?" Jim Moriarty chuckled, "you just loved running through the costume department and trying on whatever took your fancy. You haven't changed a bit..."
"Hey!"
Jim smiled, then walked forwards and sat down next to Neve on her bed.
"Look, Evee..."
"Dad, is there something wrong?"
"Why would you think there is anything wrong?"
"Because you haven't used that nickname on me since you last girlfriend died."
"Oh, right. I forgot. Anyway, no, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to know what happened back at the club. Who was that girl?"
"Look dad... She... She's just somebody that I used to know, okay?"
Jim looked down at his adopted daughter with scorn.
"It's not okay, Evee. I've known you for over six years, I have a right, no, I have the responsibility to know everything about you, as your father and as criminal mastermind. I don't know who she is, so you have to tell me. Now, who is she?"
Neve's phone went off with a stroke of perfect timing.
I figure you needed an excuse – MH
Neve quickly wrote a new message.
Alibi quick – N
She looked up at her dad and smiled, "important."
Her phone bleeped again.
Hayley Dukeford, 19, married Lachlan Dukeford 18 months ago, beauty pageant winner, suspected slut, winner in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, California, London, likes public shows of affection – EW
Thanks – N
Neve put her phone away and looked at her adopted dad.
"Look, dad, I'm sorry, but I really don't want to talk about this."
She stood up and started to walk away, but then Jim sprang up from the bed and blocked her path.
"Who. Is. She?"
Neve tried an old and well worn tactic; she began to cry.
Jim Moriarty stepped back in shock at this sudden outburst. Internally, he began to panic; he always did this when Neve did something unexpected. Externally, however, he remained neutral, gently putting an arm around Neve's shoulders in cautious semblance of comfort.
"It's okay Neve, you don't have to tell me yet. It can wait a little while," said Jim, trying not to let his panic escape through his voice.
"N-no... it-it's o-okay d-dad. I-I c-can t-tell," Neve said, stumbling through the words, her crocodile tears completing the look perfectly.
The pair went back and sat down on the edge of the bed, Jim cradled his arms around Neve extra-protectively, gently rocking her back and forth.
Everything is going better than expected...
She took two deep breaths and stemmed her faux tears.
"Her name is Hayley, Hayley Dukeford. She was this impertinent little bitch who always thought she was so great because her mum was a major fashion designer and critique, who could send her to get her teeth whitened at four years old and have her hair all teased, parading around in high-heels during beauty pageants. It disgusted me. She didn't look human; she was more like a big plastic doll. It scared the hell out of me. She's three years older than me, but she was still the biggest slut on the planet. She was entered in beauty pageants in all the capitals, but I reckon the only way she won was by sleeping with the judges.
"She likes to repulse many people by having really awkward public displays of affection. More than just pet names in a crowded street, she will practically have sex in the street. I did a bit of research on her not too long ago; apparently she got married over a year ago. I'm surprised she can even hold down a husband, the little whore..."
Jim just looked out of the window with a steely gaze.
"Evee, daddy has to go do some work. Stay here and be a good little girl, shoot if you're unsure they are one of us, okay?"
"Yes daddy."
"Good girl," Jim said, looking down at her and smiling.
Jim walked out of the room while Neve went back to reading Macbeth.
Jim Moriarty was sitting behind a laptop and casually hacking into the Australian birth-deaths-and-marriages mainframe. He was looking for someone, someone special.
Hayley Masterson Dukeford, 19, married Lachlan Dukeford June 23, 2011, unknown occupation, frequents beauty pageants, Adelaide, South Australia.
Jim Moriarty stared at the screen.
I'm going to take care of this little bitch. No-one hurts my daughter...