Song recommendation: Snaggletooth by Vance Joy
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My wing was like what I imagine a palace would feel like.
Remember when I lived in the equivalent of a soggy cardboard box in downtown Manhattan? This made me forget all of it. The space that I had to myself was nothing like anything I'd owned before, even if the only two places I'd ever lived in on my own were my college dorm room, and my dreadful apartment.
In my wing there was a personal living space. There was a flat screened tv sitting above a stone fireplace, brown leather couches, and fully stocked bookshelves, which was everything that I would've had back home. There was a small office space that was set off to the side. There was a computer to work at, the stationary had been stocked up, almost as if they'd planned for my arrival.
The main feature however, was the bedroom. I opened a set of French doors to reveal a princess bedroom. Not some Disney Princess wonderland that you'd find in a six year old's imagination though. This was a room for royalty. The bed could've fit at least five people, I'm not sure how I could manage to sleep there on my own without it feeling empty. There was a note left on the silver silk sheets, next to the nightstand that had a vase of flowers and a box of Swiss chocolates placed neatly on top. I walked over to read the note written cleanly in black ink.
Welcome to the family Arabella. Make yourself at home.
- Joaquin, Naomi, Victoria, Nicholas, Winston, Mikayla,
And quickly scribbled in blue pen beneath:
Felicity and Brielle.
I folded the note and placed it beside the flowers. They were an assortment of colourful flowers. Purple, yellow, pink, white. Carnations, Dahlias, wild roses. I wasn't sure how long they'd last, but they were pretty, they smelled nice, and I was happy that the McBride's were kind enough to be hospitable, even if they killed people for money.
'That's a massive bed.' Niall said to me.
"I know." I nodded while pulling some of my bags over to the closet.
'That would've been helpful on a specific night for the two of us.'
"Oh shut it."
'Can you imagine Philly? The things I would do to you in those sheets.'
I could imagine. Very vividly in fact. It was a great way to pass time.
"I hope you're not at work right now." I told him.
'I'm most definitely at home. You wanna know what I'm doing?'
Do I want to know what he's doing? What if it's gross? What if he's actually just a huge pervert and every thought I've ever had about him has just been completely wrong? Is my perception screwed?
"Of course I do." I replied anyway.
'I'm currently trying to figure out how to make cold brew.'
"What? You don't drink cold brew." I furrowed my eyebrows as I continued to unpack my bags, hanging outfits up in the closet, organizing them by colour.
'I'm practicing for when you get home.' He laughed. 'It hasn't been going too well. The first time I added way too much coffee and everything in my fridge smelled like a Starbucks.'
"What are you going to do with all that coffee?" I wondered.
'I'll save it for you.'
"Oh Niall." I laughed.
'What? Is that weird?'
"Cold Brew goes bad after about a week."
'It does?' I heard his tone drop completely.
"Google it."
'Okay hold on.' I heard a few footsteps, then tapping on a keyboard. 'Ah fuck.'
"You didn't know that?"
'Listen, I'm a smart guy, but I never really delved into the science of coffee. Maybe I can freeze it.'
"You can try." I held back a grin. "You're more of a smoothie guy hey?"
'How did you know that?'
"I've worked with you for eight months, and almost every day you've got a smoothie from Buzz's. I'm a detective remember?"
'So am I, and I only know two things about you Carter.'
"What might they be?" I smiled to myself while I put a Gucci dress on a hanger.
'Cold brew, Billy Joel.'
"That's a pretty accurate representation of me." I let out a laugh.
'But that can't be everything.' He said. I heard the sound of coffee pouring in the background.
It wasn't everything. He knew nothing about me, but he was still trying to make me cold brew. What a man. If I was going to die, if he's the one taking me to Vienna, I guess want him to have known me.
"What do you want to know?" I asked, trying to hide the uncertainty in my voice.
'What's your favourite colour pretty girl?'
"Blue."
'What shade? Be specific.'
The blue I was thinking of was never the same. In the sunlight, it was vibrant like sea glass. When it was angry, it was a pale grey. My absolute favourite was when they looked at the stars. They were a pretty silver when they did that, reflecting the light of the moon.
"Ocean. Ocean blue is my favourite." I replied simply.
'That's what I thought you would say.' He sounded like he took a sip of something. 'Oh dear god that's horrible!'
"What did you do this time?" I laughed.
'I used a different sized strainer.' I could hear him spitting it out probably into the kitchen sink. 'It was chunky.'
"Ew!" I scrunched up my nose, picturing what chunky coffee would taste like.
I was about to make a joke when I saw something out of the corner of my eye from the window.
'I learned how to play Vienna on the piano too.'
"Hold on Horan." I cut him off as I hung up the outfit I was holding and walked towards the window.
Outside I saw a big black car with a driver, and two people standing outside of it. Two girls. One older, and a child. The woman was talking to the driver through the window of the car, while the child was examining the dark gravel on the driveway, picking up stones that seemed to be particularly shiny.
"Who is that?" I asked. "I've met her before."
'That's Felicity I believe.' He responded.
"She's got suitcases." I observed the many bags that sat outside the trunk of the car.
'And a child.'
"Do you think it's hers?" I wondered out loud, trying to find similarities between the two girls. I couldn't see much of their faces, although they both had similar hair colour, that didn't mean anything.
'It could be a sibling.' Niall suggested.
"Have you seen Naomi?" I scoffed. "She's way past her prime."
'Maybe her and Nick are together. She never specified whether she was directly a McBride or not.'
"You're right." I nodded. "That's true. But why wouldn't Nick be going with them? It looks like they've packed heavily."
'He's probably staying back for business. I wouldn't be surprised if he's fired a few guns at some people.'
"I would love if you'd stop reminding me of that." I sighed. Nick had been so nice to me, I didn't want to imagine him being bloody and evil, even if that might be the reality.
'Just don't spend too much time dwelling on it. I'm sure they're just going on a trip. Focus on the leads that are right in front of you.'
"This could be a lead, and it's right in front of me!" I countered.
'If it is, then you can blame me all you want, but right now I think our best bet is trying to get into that basement.' He advised.
"Yeah okay." I took a step back from the window. "They'll probably be back in a few days and we'll find out then."
'Remember that you don't have to be working the whole time. You can give yourself a few days to just live. You can just be Arabella for a while, not Undercover Detective Carter.'
"The faster I work, the sooner I get to come home to you, and the fresher my cold brew will be."
'You know how much I want you to come back, but I'd rather you do a good job of this.'
"You sound like you're going insane." I pointed out, thinking about his chunky coffee.
'I haven't left this microphone unattended in days.'
"Thank you, by the way." I fiddled with my ring. "I really appreciate your help, and your company."
'You enjoy my company? My dick really changed you.'
"I'm trying to be nice here Niall!" I was slightly flustered whenever he brought up the fact that we hooked up. He was way too proud of himself.
'I know, I'm just bugging you.' He laughed. 'But you're welcome. I know how important this is to your career.'
I was about to answer, but there were a few knocks at the door. I immediately panicked, but had to take a moment to remember who I was, and how I was supposed to act. Niall went quiet, I took a quick breath to reset myself, and walked over to the front door of my wing. I rolled my shoulders back, and tilted my chin up. I reached for the door handle, and pulled it open.
"Good morning dear."
It was Naomi. She was standing at my door, with her hands folded across her stomach.
"Hello." I replied politely.
"I hope you've settled in nicely." She stepped forward into my wing.
I guess I didn't need to invite her inside, this was her house.
"I've just started unpacking." I closed the door behind her. "Can I help you with anything?"
" You've read my mind." She paced the room, taking in the atmosphere. "Is there anything that I can do for you? Is the temperature alright? Do you need an air freshener? Anything you need, we can get it for you."
I thought for a moment.
"Actually, would it be possible to get a cup of cold brew coffee?" I asked, hoping that I didn't sound too absurd.
"Of course." She walked over to a telephone hanging on the wall that I hadn't noticed earlier. She pressed a few buttons, put the phone up to her ear, and twirled the cord around her fingers as she waited for an answer. "Hello? Yes, could I have someone deliver a glass of cold brewed coffee to the east wing? Thank you." She said the words cold brew as if it were in another language. I guess it wasn't a popular drink among the senior citizens. "I'd like it to be fast please and thank you." She pushed the phone back into the holder with a satisfying click.
"Thank you." I gripped onto my own wrist behind my back.
"You're welcome." She walked over to one of the chairs by the fireplace and took a seat. "Sit child, you seem so stiff." I was motioned over to join her.
"I'm sorry, I've just had a lot on my mind these past few weeks." I sighed quietly as I sat in the chair across from this intimidating force of a woman. I made sure my legs were crossed at the ankles, as I'd been taught at school.
"I'm deeply sorry about what happened to your family."
Where have I heard that line before?
"It was an unexpected turn of events, but at least we have a plan." I nodded.
"Tell me Arabella dear, what happened to your mother?" Naomi looked at me with such sympathy in her eyes.
I thought back to what had happened to my real mother.
"She died." I stated, my voice wavering. "I was very young."
"What was the cause? I've never heard the story." She pressed further.
"It was a terrifying accident. My mother and father were in South Africa, Cape Town to be specific. There was a fire in their house, Father had been out on business. Alex and I had been with our Nanny back here in New York. The fire got out of control, Mama had been locked in the bathroom." I felt my eyes well up with tears.
"I'm so sorry."
"It was hard to live my life without my mother." This was suddenly becoming more realistic than I'd intended. "Every young girl dreams of going dress shopping with their mother, or having her by your side while you're growing into womanhood. I didn't have that."
"You seem to have managed quite well." Naomi complimented.
"Thank you. I've tried my best."
"I've heard that you are to be married soon." She adjusted her fluffy white hair so that it stayed in place.
"I wouldn't say soon, but I am engaged yes."
"You're planning a long engagement?"
"Correct." I nodded. "We've both just been so busy that we don't have much time to plan a wedding."
I also wasn't planning on getting married while I was undercover. That was completely out of question.
"He's a Kennedy?"
"He is. Although he doesn't like to talk about it much."
"He wouldn't know anything about the death of Marilyn Monroe would he?" Her face went serious.
"I-"
"I'm just kidding." She laughed, waving her hand in dismissal. "Marilyn had many issues past her bad taste in men."
"You knew her?" I asked in shock.
"For a brief time when I was very young yes. I was probably thirteen the last time I saw her."
"That's incredible."
How old was Naomi? If she had kids like Nick, this woman would've had children at an old age. She had to have been at least seventy now.
There was a knock at the door, which I assumed was my coffee.
"I think that's my cue to leave." Naomi stood from her seat. "I'd love it if Mr. Kennedy would visit for a few weeks. I'm sure Joaquin would enjoy meeting him."
Joaquin was Naomi's husband.
"I'll see if we can make something work." I smiled.
"Listen Arabella," She stood by the door. "If you need anything, we're just a call away."
"Thank you."
As Naomi left the room, a man came in with a glass of cold brew on a tray. It looked refreshing, and cold. My mouth watered at the sight of it. I hadn't had a proper cup of cold brew in about two weeks.
"Your coffee Ma'am." The man held the tray out for me.
"Thank you very much." I smiled as I took the glass.
"You're very welcome." The man gave me a nod and walked out of my wing.
It was absurd to me how people treated me here. I was a guest, not an intruder like I was in the Roach house. In the penthouse, I had a singular bedroom with a bathroom that had a sink, a toilet, and a shower. In the McBride Mansion, I had an entire fucking wing. It was hard to believe that I couldn't just stay there forever. My mind ended up wandering, and I thought about what would happen to these beautiful houses after we put everyone in jail. It might sound ridiculous and maybe a little narcissistic, but if I'm going to be the one making the arrests, maybe I could skew some opinions in my favour, and maybe I could get a house as payment for my time undercover. That would never work in a million years.
Dinner was uncomfortable. Styles wasn't there to keep me in check, but I guess I did have Niall in my ear. He didn't say much though. I think he'd gotten over the excitement of being able to annoy me at all hours of the day.
"Did you hear that Felicity and Brielle left?" Nick brought up at the dinner table.
"They left?" Nick's brother Winston frowned from across the table.
"Are you having a hard time hearing?" Victoria countered from the left of me.
"Where have they gone this time?" Joaquin rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
"She said they were going to London." Nick shrugged loosely. "I think they just needed to get away for a while."
"Did she not just take the kid to Spain?" Winston criticized. "She's not going to know where her home is!"
As this discussion was happening, I kept my eyes glued to my plate of veggie pasta. It was delicious veggie pasta. The peppers were crimson red, the broccoli was flavourful. It was everything I could ever want in a veggie pasta and more. If I look like I'm really passionate about the food, nobody will say anything to me. I didn't want to join in on this family drama because I was almost one hundred percent sure it didn't involve the case.
"I think we need to give felicity a bit of a break." Winston's wife Mikayla spoke up. "I think she's still not over it."
"It's been three years for God's sake!" Joaquin shook his head in frustration.
"Dad you know how close they were." Nick defended. "We just need to give her space."
"That kid isn't getting a proper upbringing."
"Brielle will be perfectly fine!" Nick cried. "If anything she'll be educated more than you could ever provided for us!"
"Nicholas you do not speak to your father like that." Naomi intervened.
"I'm not sixteen. I'm a grown man and I'm just trying to defend my family."
"Your family is running away from their problems. Is that something to defend?" Joaquin said smugly.
"I think they're running away from you!" Nick shot back. "I'm done. I'll be in the library if you'd like to apologize." He stood with a loud exhale and walked away from the table.
Joaquin had a smirk plastered on his face, Naomi had her eyes closed, taking deep breaths, and the rest of the table shared nervous glances amongst themselves. I however, was incredibly intrigued by my veggie pasta. I felt like a fly on the wall in this conversation.
"I guess you're all dismissed if you'd like to have dinner in your rooms." Joaquin announced, breaking the silence. "Miss Reilly, I apologize for the disturbance on your first night here, you're more than welcome to finish your dinner."
"Thank you." I looked up. "I understand that things happen."
A part of me felt guilty. They were arguing about the woman who died, and here I was, taking over her wing. I didn't want the McBride's, especially Felicity, to feel like I was replacing her. I didn't even know who she was! I just hoped that I wouldn't accidentally do something disrespectful to the family.
Only time will tell.
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Hi Guys!
I just wanted to say a quick thank you for all the support the story has been receiving lately! You guys are incredible!
Any predictions on what will happen next?
Thank you for reading,
All my love,
-Kallie <3