reckless hearts: vegas nights (3 page)

“You have no idea, can’t sleep; can’t eat when all I think about is getting out of here.” Victor answered.

“Are you saying you didn’t do it?” Luanne asked cautiously.

“No, no I didn’t. I wouldn’t do that to her.” What he said instantly got her wondering, Victor kept everything to himself until now, and he had to let all his skeletons out of the closet.

“You were seeing someone who knew the victim?” Her brain was wired, amped to get down to the bottom of what the law was trying to do.

“Yeah I was, Bella Rose Hautely.” He replied.

“Really, the rock singer?” Luanne looked at him stunned. She didn’t seem like the type of girl he would have dated.

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“Yeah, that would be her, the victim was her best friend’s ex-boyfriend. They were close almost like sisters one would say, they would do everything together. If one got caught up in a tangled web of lies the other would bail her out.” He said trying not to hear the ticking of the clock behind him, he didn’t get many visitors since he was arrested.

He regretted the second she said hi to him, knowing her was the one thing he wished he could take back. Her best friend had been nothing but trouble.

“Seems to me you didn’t trust her?” She said carefully since she was treading on water, he could send her out anytime he wanted.

“Not as far as I could throw her,” He replied leaning forward, “and I am a big man.”

“Times up.” The security guard interrupted their interview.

“I’ll be back.” She was interested in hearing his story and she knew he had more to tell, from the sound of it he was innocent; she left the jail relieved their interview was concluded.

Debra knew the interview wouldn’t have ended in just one session, Luanne showed her the first draft and couldn’t stop smiling. They were the first magazine to do the interview, Debra had a good friend at the police department who gave her the information. The fact that he didn’t do it was just icing on the cake.

Debra had the feeling, Luanne would be the one to find out who did. A side from how she felt about her and Brock, she knew she worked hard and didn’t quit, she never quit even if something went terribly wrong.

It was after her session with Victor came to an end she decided to a little undercover work of the best friend which she had no intentions of telling Debra, she couldn’t let an innocent man sit and stew his life away in a cold, damp jail cell. She knew she wouldn’t have wanted it done to her if it had been turned around. The best friend was Georgiana Price, a fashion model.

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Luanne sat outside her apartment in her no air conditioning car with her camera taking as many snap shot as she could. It was ten at night, her usual haunting hour. Luanne slumped down in the driver’s seat when she saw her coming out the apartment building in a nightclub dress and with her purse.

She was on her cell phone when she opened her car door, Luanne couldn’t hear the conversation but what she did notice she wasn’t going to be at the club alone.

Victor said she did everything with Bella Rose, possibly almost everything. Luanne waited before turning the ignition and followed her to the club four blocks away from her apartment.

The first thing she stopped at while waiting was the bar.

“A martini please.” Georgiana ordered.

Luanne sat in an empty booth, the only booth the club had while everyone was using the dance floor. She had wished she was able to use her camera when she had a perfect shot of her. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes, opened it and took one out; the bartender offered her a light.

What a gentleman
, Luanne thought sarcastically.

By Georgiana’s body language she was nervous, nervous about what? Was the question ringing in Luanne’s thoughts and she desperately wanted to know.

It was Bella Rose who sat next to her in black leather halter top, black leather jeans and black high tops, most of what would be said would be heard because she was sitting so close to them.

“How’s the baby?” Georgiana asked, Luanne wasn’t sure what to think at that moment her world came crumbling down.

“He’s asleep with help from his father.” Bella Rose replied in an exhausted tone.

“His father? You mean Brock has actually been coming around?” Georgiana asked with shock. Bella Rose had promised herself she would keep away from Brock.

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She wasn’t sure what she would say to him, but she knew she couldn’t stay much longer in that club. She grabbed her purse and walked out that door not looking back. Her future was her own it was up to her to decide what to do with it.

You can’t pretend it’s not bothering you when you’re laying here next to him
, Luanne thought as she gazed up at the ceiling she hadn’t had a restless night in such a long time, work in the morning and dealing with Debra was going to be unbearable; she still had to fit in time to visit Victor.

To avoid the conversation weighing in on her mind, she would have had to leave before he woke, she hated to have to do that but she had no choice.

Instead of making into the office first, she headed to the jail to see Victor and find out more of what he knew of Bella Rose and her friend, following her she found out more than she intended and needed to.

If there was anything Victor Paulson wanted most was for the truth to be heard and to finally be set free even being locked up he still had to hear her music unfortunately a lot of the inmates were fans, he was glad when Luanne showed.

“You said you disliked Georgiana from the start, can you tell me why?” Luanne asked suspiciously.

“No, you heard it wrong it was more like hated. She was pure destruction destroyed anything and everything that got in her way.” Victor said with some disgust, “A tornado.”

“You make it sound as though she isn’t just capable of threatening a life; she’s capable of taking one?” She was uncertain of what he was saying, she knew after seeing them both that night it was possible and she had to investigate further hopefully without her boss and Brock finding out.

She hated keeping secrets from him especially when their relationship was still new, but she knew he wouldn’t have approved and would have put a stop to it even if it meant Victor being set free and able to live his life the way he wanted not how someone told him to.

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“Georgiana always ran things. If she said jump Bella Rose would jump, Bella Rose can never think for herself when Georgiana’s around.” He was positive Georgiana was behind it, they had an argument three weeks prior to his arrest; he just needed proof.

The lyrics Bella Rose used in her music were written by Georgiana, she never wrote her own as long as she could use her voice it didn’t matter to her; to know more about Bella Rose and Georgiana she would have to go through those lyrics.

“Music is her passion, if Bella Rose lost that she would lose everything.” Victor continued.

“Sounds like you’re hoping for it.” Luanne said, wondering if she should have said it at all.

“No, I’m counting on it.” Victor said with a smirk.

In order to find those lyrics she would have to enter her apartment when she had the chance.

It wasn’t what Luanne had expected, a quaint cozy apartment perfectly fit for one person. She needed the whole list of lyrics, the hard copies. Question was where was she to look first?

She started in the bedroom where the walls were painted violet with matching colored sheets and comforter on the bed. She had family portraits on her dresser, as well as with Bella Rose and her son. She started going through the drawers where she found the usual clothing, socks, lingerie even incense. Next she went to the closet and found a box that left her curious, before she could get to it she heard the door unlock, she was smart to use the fire escape she didn’t actually expect a window to be open but all the same she was glad.

Bella Rose and Georgiana walked in, Bella Rose was carrying her son, and she put him down on the couch.

Luanne hid under the bed hoping she would not be found or seen by the baby. She was thankful he couldn’t walk yet.

“I just have to get my dress for tonight.” Georgiana said going into the bedroom, Luanne moved further down

“With all the dresses you have that could take forever.” Bella Rose said with jealousy, she always wished she had Georgiana’s taste in clothing; she didn’t have the nerve to wear it always being in front of a camera or a crowd she had to be careful.

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“I told you my friend your more than welcome to have some, live a little.” Georgiana said happily, knowing she wouldn’t have gone through with it.

“Yeah well, if I wasn’t settled with a three month old and had a man in my life I would.” She said as Christopher began crying.

Luanne couldn’t help but feel relieved when she heard those words, but she couldn’t forget the real reason why she was there.

“I got to get this little boy down for his nap.” Bella Rose said as she tried to hurry her friend.

Georgiana pulled out a red sparkly halter top dress from the closet and red high heels and walked into the living room where Bella Rose continued to wait.

“Got it, miss impatient.” Georgiana held up the dress showing Bella Rose, “What do you think?”

“I think you’re asking for trouble, can’t believe you’re going through with this.” Bella Rose said her voice filled with surprise and shock.

“Yeah, well it’s something I have to do, not something I want to do.” Georgiana said, not too happy with her own choice.

Luanne knew what they were talking about had to do with Victor Paulson.

It would have been simple enough to take it and leave it as that. She waited until they had left to grab the box that hadn’t left her mind.

She exited the apartment through the fire escape not expecting someone to be there when she got to the bottom.

“That’s illegal.” The man said as he showed her his badge, “Detective Allen Reese.”

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Luanne wasn’t sure what to think especially when she just got caught breaking and entering.

“Relax, you’re not in trouble, but we do need to talk. Come with me.” He continued taking her by the arm and to his car, a black Porsche.

“Didn’t think cops drove so well.” She said impressed.

“It’s a loaner.” Detective Reese said.

They sat inside a café where Luanne had ordered a salad and diet coke, he ordered just a coffee when he really wanted a beer.

“I want to talk to about Victor Paulson and Georgiana Price and before you act like you don’t know him, I’ve seen his visitor log.” Detective Reese was anxious, anxious to find out what she knew.

“What about them?” She asked suspiciously.

“Because of Victor Paulson a man lies in a hospital bed unconscious and with a gunshot wound.” Detective Reese said with irritation.

Luanne wasn’t aware of any of the details, just that an innocent was behind bars.

“How do you know for sure it was him?” She asked, wondering if they had enough hard evidence to convict him, his trial was set to happen in two weeks.

“The weapon used had his fingerprints, there were bloodstained clothes left behind at the crime scene that matched his DNA.” Detective Reese replied.

Luanne knew with everything she was hearing she still believed Georgiana had something to do with it.

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