Presence Shopping Plaza
7 Collier Road

 “We kissed.”

Iris Torres stared at her friend, Gillian Evans, in awe, only wondering if it was a scheme, or for real feelings.

“Is this for real?” Iris questioned.

Gillian thought for a moment. “Oh, no. Not like that…” Gillian seemed unsure, thinking about what had gone down that morning:

After a few seconds of passionate kissing, Giovanni Pike pushed himself away. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You have this fire inside you. And you deserve a man.”

Gillian was breathing deeply, and had forgotten that he mother way still watching. “Yes…”

“And if you want me from Addy, all you need to do is ask.” He flashed her a smile. He leaned down to give her a kiss, and she leans forward as well. Gillian quickly turns her head and he kisses her on the cheek.

“Not too fast,” she cooed. “That was just a taste…”

Did she really feel that way for him? She wanted him away from her mother. She was sure her mother, who had been watching, was now heartbroken. But would feeling make her take it to the next level?

“Well…?” Iris asked eagerly.

“I… I did it because my mother was watching.” Gillian was confused with her feelings.

Iris looked at her strangely. “Gillian, you know me. I don’t like lies and deception. I suggest you keep out of your mother’s business.”

Gillian shook her head. “You may know me, but not good enough.”

“I know you too well, which is why I can bet on you not taking my advice.” Iris smiled, and got up. “I’ve got to go. Wyle is expecting me at home about now.”

“You two are getting close, aren’t you?”

Iris nodded. “It’s funny. I hadn’t seen my family in years, and then they appear in my hospital room on day.”

Gillian knew why. She had located them for Iris without her knowing, and told then Iris had been stabbed. She needed to tell Iris.

“To think that maybe my mother would still be alive if this whole situation hadn’t provoked my father to kill her.” Iris breathed deeply. “Even if I’m close to my brother, knowing that my family was alive was better than now knowing one’s dead, and the other’s in jail.”

Gillian remained silent.

“Well, bye,” Iris cooed, turning around. “Oh, remember: Don’t tell anyone about Adam.”

Gillian zipped her mouth shut. “Mum’s the word.”

They both parted.

Tom Residence

 “My mother has been a devout Catholic since I was a child. There is hardly a chance she’d have lusted over another man, let alone conceive a child.” Kassie Tom couldn’t believe Patrick Donavon.

Patrick nodded, but he doubts remained.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” Kassie questioned, turning away from him.

Patrick walked up to Kassie. He straightened his white shirt on his chest, and caught up to her. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just an outsider looking in. You know your mother. You could be right.”

“Could?” Kassie opened up the closet, and pulled out a blanket.

“She is your mother. You may not want to think of her doing something like –”

“Stop!” Kassie tossed the blanket on the extra bed. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re being paid by my late father to protect me, not bash my family.”

Patrick didn’t bother to respond. He left the room silently, and Kassie was left alone to set his bed.

In the kitchen downstairs, Darla Tom raised her head ever so slightly, and spoke in a worried tone. “I’m not sure we’re going to get away with this, Robert. And if we do, I’m not going to Heaven.”

Robert Carlyle came up to a worried Darla. “Everything will be okay. And I have plan to get Patrick off out back.”

Darla shook her head. “Another plan?”

“You shouldn’t be so worried,” Robert quipped. “In the eyes of God, we haven’t committed a heinous sin. Only pre-marital sex.”

“And being married to Drew?”

“You’re still on that? I already explained it all to you.”

Darla had a blank, repressed look on her face.

Robert came up to Darla, and took her head in her hands. “What are you talking about? Haven’t you accepted it yet? He divorced you six months before his death. You and Drew were never married.”

Presence Memorial Hospital
Chief of Staff Office

Ian Huber sat in his office, twiddling a pen between his fingers. He was black, and it was a tremendous achievement to get this far. But he was thinking hard about the new budget that he been proposed, and realized some cuts were going to have to made.

“Too many cuts…” he muttered to himself.

A graph on his desk showed the number of patients they could admit next month: ten percent less than the year before.

The startling sound of the phone made him jump. He took a second to regroup himself, and picked up the receiver on the third ring.

“Ian Huber, Chief of Staff. What is your query?”

The familiar voice of Julian King came on the line. “You like that title? ‘Chief of Staff.’ It rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?”

Ian sighed. “Mr. King, what do you want?”

“That isn’t the way to treat me, is it?” Julian cooed. “I helped you get this job. The least you could do would be courteous.”

Ian’s anger rose. “Yes. Thanks you.” He paused and began again. “I don’t know what is with you, but why do you want to destroy my life?”

“Don’t talk to me like that!”

“No, seriously. You elect me as chief of staff after giving millions to the hospital, and you immediately stop contributions. All the new features we’ve implemented as going to have to be shut down.”

Julian laughed. “I wanted to see how a man like you could handle things…”

“A ‘man like me’? Is that a racist comment?” Ian tapped his pen on the graph.

“I won’t even justify that with an answer. But I do have to say I’ve been very unhappy with the way things are being run around there.”

“In order to run things the way we used to, we need money.”

Julian tisk-tisked. “If things don’t start looking up, I’m sure one of my children would be able to make good with the job.”

Ian’s face turned red. “But you’d most likely just pump more money in to make him look like he’s doing a good job. I haven’t worked over 8 years for a Ph.D. just to be pushed out by some rich kid.”

The dial tone droned in his ear. Ian hang up the phone, and only hoped his wife was having a better day.

Consuelos Residence

 “I think they re-released The Exorcist just for me! This is the perfect time for a story like this. The public will devour it!” Brianna Huber exclaimed silently.

“Maybe one all your powers are gone, you’ll act like a real person, with a real past,” Dean Consuelos said, turning around. “Because I murdered someone, and that’s no joke.”

“What is this about murder?” Mateo Consuelos exclaimed, coming out of the house. “Is it true that you murdered someone?” He looked at Skye. “Is she right?”

As Dean stuttered for an answer, a police cruiser pulled up to the driveway. Dean turned to this, and his heart skipped. He stopped talking as a female officer came out, followed by a male officer.

Skye Lore smiled, but pasted a look of confusion as the officers approached.

The female officer was the first to speak. “I am officer Tine Herbst, and this is my partner-in-training, Rick Grabowski. Where can I find a Dean Consuelos?” Her voice was strong, but not demanding.

Mateo stepped in and pointed to his brother. “Were you the officer I spoke to on the phone?”

Tina nodded. “You were short on details thanks to your abrupt hanging-up. We have a few questions.”

Mateo nodded in return. “I’ll answer anything.”

Dean lunged for his sibling, but officer Rick jumped in and held him back. Skye approached her favorite torture toy as he tried to be released.

“Did your brother confess to the crime?” Tina said outright.

Mateo’s eyes opened up, remembering what he had heard only minutes before. “Yes. I walked outside and he was telling Skye,” he pointed to Skye, then continued, “about a murder her committed.”

(As always, Brianna was taking notes.)

Dean is furious! Skye comes up to a tightly held Dean, and whispers in his ear, “You’re in a fair bit of trouble, my friend.”

Dean looked at her, his face saying, ‘You’re not my friend!’ “You said no policeman would vanquish me!”

Skye shook her head. “My sorry friend. Maybe it was my syllable emphasis. Not police man will vanquish you. There’s a difference, I assure you.”

Dean stopped breathing right there. He didn’t even look back up at Skye. Not that he should have, given the ever-reddening eyes.

Skye got closer to Dean’s ear, with Rick oblivious to their conversation. “Look carefully at that officer with your brother. It’s a woman. A police woman.”

Presence Police Station

Bo Torres was talking with his lawyer about his situation.

“You have to let them release me! I know who did it!” Bo pleaded.

His lawyer was pacing in the cell. “You haven’t given me a reason for how they could have done it. You had blood on your shirt. You are being tried.”

Bo cursed. He knew the killer… or did he? Could it be he was just hallucinating? The stress was almost unbearable to him.

Torres Residence

Wyle Torres moved up to Adam King's gagged up body. Adam had passed out, and Wyle was pleased with this.

“Wyle?” came the voice of Iris from upstairs. Wyle quickly rushed upstairs. He popped into the living room where Iris was. “You’re home earlier than I thought.”

“I thought you wanted me here earlier,” Iris spoke, placing one of her bags beside the door. “So, have you gotten any information from Adam?”

Wyle shook his head nervously. “He seems to me out of it right now.”

Iris’s eyes opened up. “Is he alright?”

“He’s fine. Maybe he’s tired.”

Iris paused. “Did you feed him?”

“Right after you left.”

Iris nodded. “Well, I hope he is alright.”

“He’s fine. I’m just going to see if he’s back out of it.” Wyle turned back around, and went back downstairs. He approached his body once again. He got close to him, and whispered, “Are you planning to kill her?”

He didn’t get a response.

Meanwhile, Iris was about to order a pizza when a knock came at the door. She put down the phone and approached the door. She pulled it open.

“Oh!” she cried out. “I… what are you doing here?”

A male officer stood at the door, eying inside her home. “We think you have an idea of why we’re here. It is regarding Adam King…”