Conspiracy

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

Chapter 17 (This Glass House)

Inside Beck's house, Jade wasn't certain just what she would find. Since dating him, she'd only been in his house a couple times, and for brief moments. There was never a point in going inside when he lived in the RV.

What she saw, and what she expected to find were two entirely different things. Given what she heard of the weaker half of what she now called 'Holly's Bitches', she expected a darker home.

Instead, the walls were adorned with floral patterned, crème wallpaper. The carpet was soft vanilla, and there was a lavender aroma in the air. Most likely from some air freshener, such as Air-Wick. The numerous double-paned windows allowed the sunlight to enter the house and brighten the entire place.

Even the kitchen table, which sat in a small alcove surrounded by these large windows, was clean and made of glass. Giving the appearance of a heavenly place to eat. "God this is weird," she muttered under her breath, "It's brighter than the Vega house."

Standing at the table was a tall woman in a green shirt with blue vertical stripes and a V-shaped collar. The nauseating shirt was made worse in Jade's mind by the khaki pants the woman wore. "Hello there." the lady's ruby lips slid up on her pale skin. Her jade-colored gaze was shielded by her long dark bangs. Her hair swept over and behind her ears, and brushed against her jawline. "I don't believe I've had the chance to really talk to you yet."

"I've been dating your son for two years now, Mrs. Oliver. I figure it's time to sit down and talk."

"Yes."

"It's a beautiful home you have here." She held back her sneer and walked towards the table. Jade pulled back the chair and took a seat, sighing heavily. "I'm surprised actually. I was expecting something a little different." This woman's success in her career field likely garnered such a lavish lifestyle, but Jade could ensure this would all come crumbling down with just the right methods.

She looked towards the counter nearby and raised an eyebrow at the marble top. Even the kitchen sink seemed to be made of porcelain, if that was even possible. "So, what did you want to discuss?" Rebecca sat across from her and bent her elbows up to fold her hands in front of her face.

"Well. From what I know, dating your son, you don't like me." She sat upright, pressing her back firmly into the back of the chair. Her hands spread apart on the glossy surface of the table and she peered down, wondering how the light on the crystal top didn't blind her.

"It's not so much that you're dating my son that I don't like you." Jade's lips parted and her head jerked upright as Rebecca's shoulders bounced in place. "Your influence over him is undeniable, and there's just something about you that I don't care much for."

Mirrors adorned the walls, and inside this house of glass, Jade struggled to analyze a meaning to it. Vanity seemed a big possibility, transparency was another. "And what's that?" Jade's eyes flew to Rebecca's and she watched as the woman's lips slide into a quick smile.

"A memory. A part of you that takes me back to a time I don't like."

"At least you're honest."

Rebecca's thin eyebrows pulled together and a tiny wrinkle rose from the top of the bridge of her nose. "Honesty's the best policy, my dear." The sweetness in her voice attempted to conceal the scorn that Jade was certain she could sense. There was something about this woman that resonated with her-a kinship perhaps? "You would assume that I am not honest?"

"I assume a lot of things…" She furrowed her brow and pressed her lips together. "But I know a lot of things as well." If this woman wanted to be vague and evasive, she could do the same. The idea was to control the conversation.

"Are we here to discuss you or myself?"

"I'd like to get to know you some more." If vanity was at the root of this woman's personality, then she would relish in talking about herself. Jade tapped her fingertips together in front of her face and leaned forward, sliding the corner of her lip into a tiny smirk of her own. "After all, I want to know more about my boyfriend's mother. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, I suppose." Rebecca leaned back slowly and exhaled slowly. "What is it you wish to know." The woman's green, acrylic fingernails tapped the surface of the table and her smile faded from her lips. "I get the feeling this isn't going to be simple." Rebecca's gaze rose slowly from her hand and mixed with Jade's.

"I ask hard questions. It's something of a trait that Beck says he enjoys about me."

"How nice. I'm glad my son is happy, at least, although I could think of much better people that he could be with."

"Ah yes, you'd probably relish the idea of choosing someone else's partner. What's stopping you from controlling our relationship? Since you don't care for me, I wonder why you've not done anything."

Rebecca laughed, her nasal tone pierced Jade's eardrums and caused her to flinch. "Should I? I've complained, but my son is fairly outspoken and doesn't seem to want anyone else. He could do better." Jade cringed inwardly and fought to keep her outer appearance strong.

This woman had ice in her veins. Jade was almost certain her personality was mirrored to the point that she could very well be speaking to herself. Rebecca was clever, cruel, cold and calculating, and Jade needed to be extremely careful while remembering that this woman was the weak link in the trifecta that she was investigating. At the same time, she couldn't tip Rebecca off to the fact that she was being investigated.

As Sikowitz told her, they needed to get Rebecca and Lanie first. If they went after David now, as he was, they could very likely bring him in. They wouldn't be able to do that with the women, they needed evidence against them-because no matter what David could potentially claim, the women could claim so much more and get off scot free.

In Rebecca's eyes, she caught a glimpse of a strange and perplexing emotion, and a mixture of pain. "She's playing tough, but like this house, she's fragile. I just need to get past that point. I need to shatter her before she shatters me."

"Do you disagree, Jade?"

"On what? That Beck could do better? No, I don't disagree, but I think what matters is he believes that there isn't anyone better."

"So you deceive him in thinking that you are best suited for him?"

"No, but here's a thought." Jade cleared her throat and swallowed the rising bile. Her blood was boiling, and anger shrouded her like a dark monster, but she had to hold back no matter how difficult it was. "Let's discuss you. Certainly I would never cheat on my man."

Rebecca's eyes grew and her lips parted way for a hesitant breath. "What? What are you accusing me of?" The woman reached up to her chest and scoffed angrily. "I have never-"

"Beck told me he overheard Mr. Oliver's accusation of you having an affair."

Rebecca frowned and narrowed her eyes momentarily. "I should have known he'd tell you. After I asked him not to when he came shouting at me. Yes, I have an affair that's been going on, I'll admit to that."

"Then maybe." Jade slanted her eyes and leaned forward some more while planting her palms together and pointing her fingertips at Rebecca. "You should rethink accusing me of my own values and morals." Rebecca scoffed and Jade slid back into an upright position. "Now. You know who my father is."

"Yes, I knew Mr. West."

"Of course, he's talked about you."

"Anything good?" Rebecca's eyes drifted to the right and her voice fell silent. "I shouldn't hope as much. I do wonder what he thinks of his daughter dating my son."

"He doesn't care. He'd probably care more if it were Robbie." Rebecca raised an eyebrow and chuckled once.

"Ah yes, I see. Henry is chock full of horror stories, isn't he? Most of them are probably true." The woman's shoulders slouched and her eyes dropped to the right, a moment of triumph for Jade, but a bliss all too soon. "I shouldn't be surprised that Denise and Holly wanted to cut us off, Lanie and I were hard girls to get along with in high school and college."

"Popular queen bee types?"

"You could say that." Rebecca's gaze shot back at her and her muscles started to tense. "Holly was one of us, once, though Lanie was the one in charge. You know those films you see-I liken our relationship to that."

"Something like Mean Girls, or something?"

"Sure. Lanie was leader. Holly, Denise and I were her 'posse'. If you want to call it that." It was strange that now Rebecca didn't seem to mind talking about her past, but then, it could be she didn't find any danger in it. Still, it was safe to assume she'd close up at any given moment.

Jade never thought Holly was a part of any clique, but she wasn't surprised. However, knowing that Lanie was once someone that could be compared to a classic cinema bitch-usually the head cheerleader types-was something that could explain in great detail the problems the woman had.

Narcissism was among the potential personality disorders that crossed Jade's mind. "You said Holly and Denise cut ties from you? Why?" She spoke with a true curious tone, so as to imply nothing more than innocent curiosity.

Rebecca's face softened and she shrugged. It was a sign that she didn't suspect anything more than innocence. "Holly wanted nothing more to do with that life. She met a guy, he gave her everything, and she told Lanie what a stuck up bitch she was." Rebecca laughed at an old memory, and an inkling of fondness shone in her eyes. "It was amusing to see the look on Lanie's face, I'll never forget the moment Holly told her what a horrible person she was…and Denise backed her. Denise severed ties completely in college, even went so far as to try and right some of the wrongs we did in high school-and early college."

"You guys actually did shit?"

"Mostly Lanie." Rebecca perched her head on her right palm and closed her eyes. Her left fingers tapped the table and she let out a quick breath of air. "Like our first year in college, Lanie slept with the dean so she could get out of having to take a class she didn't want. Seduced him, just like she seduced our high school principal. Around then, I think Holly and Denise were getting tired of her schemes."

Jade was in shock, Lanie had clearly done horrible deeds and didn't care who she stepped on to get to the top. The way Rebecca spoke so casually seemed to imply that Lanie had done a tremendous amount of terrible things, and that both Holly and Denise spoke out against her.

Then both suffered the price.

"It sounds like Lanie's gone insane. I mean how do you stay friends with a person like that?"

Rebecca's nose crinkled and she scoffed loudly. "You just do?" Jade started to hum, curious about what this woman was implying. There was a new, fearful tone in her voice, but she couldn't understand why. "I can't imagine good things happen to people who cross someone like her."

"Wow. She sounds like a menace. You must regret something, I mean for you to tell me this…"

"I regret a lot of things, Jade dear. Are you looking for something specific?"

"What's Lanie's deal? Why was she so…that way you described her? Ever ask? I'm just curious."

"No, I never asked." Rebecca looked to one of the windows next to her and slid her hand down to her chin, curling her fingers beneath it. "She was a spoiled rich girl growing up. Got everything she ever wanted, had her daddy's love-a daddy's girl."

Rebecca dropped her hand and squinted her eyes. "She had a ton of mental shit in high school, expected everyone to kneel and kiss her feet, and if they didn't, she would always want to do something to them to punish them. She actually thought she was the queen of the school."

Jade could feel a darkness gripping at her.

Fear

"She was worse in college, to be honest. Oh but she was sweet on David." Rebecca snapped her fingers and chuckled. "Always treated him like her pet. I don't know, she and I pitied that guy-he was a loser, after all."

"Beck says you had an affair with him."

"I won't deny it." Rebecca crossed her arms and shrugged. "I'm not proud of it, but whatever. Regardless, you're asking why Lanie was a bitch in high school and college, and I couldn't tell you. She had no specific reason for doing her shit, she just did it. We all went along with it because we didn't want to piss her off-Holly and Denise got tired of it."

"And look what happened to them…Sikowitz is going to want to hear this." She reached towards her pocket and covered the bulge that was created by the recorder she had hidden away. "But it's frightening, and Rebecca may be afraid of this woman. Is that why she's the weaker one? She's afraid of Lanie?"

At this point it would be hard not to fear Lanie. Anyone that went against her was taken down, but she was more dangerous than somebody who had reasons for committing the crimes. She was on par with someone that didn't have a reason, or at least, no reason that made sense for anyone other than her own psychotic web.

Then it was time to take Lanie out. If their investigation had a flicker of a hope in getting Rebecca to cooperate, they'd need to ensure Lanie had no control. In order to do that, she needed to shake the pillars of power and dominance.

Of course, Jade knew just the senator that could potentially help with that.

So your thoughts? I will say there is definitely meaning behind the fragile appearance of the home and the fragile appearance of Rebecca. Though there may be more even still-she revealed quite a bit it seems but still Jade has not gone in front of the dragon just yet. I can safely say no one knows for sure the psychological mentality of Lanie at this point, but we shall soon find out. Do tell me your thoughts and observations of this chapter.