The Mystery Writer

Warning Signs

“Are you sure about this, Darcy?” Max questioned, following her to the door of her bedroom. Darcy turned on him, showing him how annoyed she was with a glare. It was only the millionth time that she had explained everything to him.

“Leo gave the ok and I just have to be in the office for an hour, two at most. Please, just stay here with Leo till I get back and then I can take over so you can go home. It shouldn't be a problem.” Max inspected her face before finally giving in with a nod. It had been news to him that JT was, one, their new boss and, two, that he was Darcy's ex-boyfriend.

“If something happens that you aren't comfortable with...” Darcy laughed and hugged her friend. She didn't want to spend all day talking about JT. Before Max could say anything else, she was out the door and down the hallway. However, her steps faltered when she found the police chief and Leo standing close together.

“Where are you going?” Chief Grant questioned, his usual sincere smile was lost. Darcy tilted her head as her eyes moved from Chief Grant to Leo.

“I was headed into the office. My new boss said he needed to speak to me. What's happened?” Chief Grant looked at Leo who gave the tiniest of nods. Darcy didn't take her eyes off of the celebrity; her eyebrows knitting together as she realized he didn't seem himself.

“There has been another murder. Well, to be completely honest, there has been two murders.” She took a sharp intake of breath after hearing the unexpected. “I'm sorry to inform you, but you have been acquainted with them. Jay and Micky, they have both been found murdered in their homes.”

Anything else that was said seemed to be drowned out. Her two co-workers, who had such a bright future ahead of them, had their life cut short. She dropped to her knees at the news, thoughts pouring into her brain while it seemed there was nothing there at all. Why were two innocent bystanders attacked? What was the reason for all of this?

“Darcy.” When she looked up, she found that Leo had kneeled in front of her. An unreadable expression was glued to his face.

“None of it makes sense. Jay and Micky both had very little access to Leo. Also, although the crime scenes were violent, they weren't anything like the others. It was as if the murderer was trying to say something. He was trying to leave a message.” Chief Grant paced behind Leo. Darcy looked down, her mind racing at what she had just heard.

“Not just a message.” Darcy mumbled.

“A warning.” Both Darcy and Leo spoke this time, their eyes meeting. Leo instantly stood, backing up as if he couldn't put space between them fast enough.

“A warning? Oh, I see.” Chief Grant had stopped his pacing so that he could glance between Darcy and Leo. He, then, rubbed his face as though his hole life had been quite exhausting. “I hate to do this to you both, but I think we should place protection around everyone involved in your life. I can't do it immediately. I'll have to get permission from the higher ups and we will probably need to recruit a larger force. I'm just telling you both so that you can prepare. It seems like things will only become more difficult from here on out.”

Darcy took a moment to think of Chief Grant's words and then another moment to consider all the complications of having a protection detail around them at all times. Then she glanced at Leo who had his back turned to her. Could he really handle more people entering into his business and into his home which should be a place of rest and freedom. She watched as his hand, that was by his side, trembled slightly. Was it due to anger? Maybe because of sadness or fear?

Darcy picked herself up off the floor, raising her chin defiantly in the face of the challenges that lay ahead of them. They couldn't always live their life in fear. Someone would have to be the brave one to take on the challenges without backing down.

“I'll head into the office now.” She tried to sound confident, but she was sure it sounded dull and weak to anyone who heard it. She shook her head, trying to convince herself that she was fit for this battle.

“Officer Yates will escort you there and back. No arguments, D.W., I at least have enough staff to escort you for a short time. I need to head back to my office. I'll be in touch, Leo. Good day.” Chief Grant was the first out the door.

For a few seconds which seemed to drag into minutes, Darcy stared at Leo's back. She wanted to say something or at the very least expected him to say something. When nothing was said, she turned towards the front door.

“Be careful.” She had one leg out the door, but after hearing Leo's voice she turned back around. However, she found him retreating into hallway towards his bedroom. She frowned before turning back to the outdoors, finding that Officer Yates was waiting for her with an excited grin on his face.

 _______________________

It wasn't half an hour later when Darcy stepped into the office building belong to Channel 4 News. It felt strange after not being there in so long. The nostalgia didn't hold her back for long. Rather she was striding through the building, and unfortunately for her, John Thomas was riding her heels all the way to her desk.

“Hey Darce, lets step into a conference room so we can discuss a few matters of business.” She wanted to deny him, but she knew the sooner she satisfied whatever he wanted the faster she could return back to work. She'd rather not beat around the bush just to avoid JT. So with those thoughts, she headed into the closest conference room and JT closed the door behind them.

“The board cannot risk losing the contract and paying the exorbitant amount of money. I'll never understand what Matthias Scott was thinking by keeping a clause like that in the contract. Anyway, so you'll remain on your current schedule for the time being. After the year is up or the contract is broken, then I'll assign you some new projects. Also, the system around here will be changing since Matthias, well he is no longer in charge is he? The packet on the table in front of you goes into more details about the changes.” Darcy stared at JT for a long, silent moment. She never remembered him to be so indifferent and uncaring. However, she had been enamored by him at one point in her life which she was sure she missed over these flaws he carried.

After picking up the packet of papers and rifling through them, Darcy held them up. She really didn't have anything to say to her new boss and if that was all he had called her in for, then she was ready to leave.

“Darce, wait. I think we need to talk.”

She pulled her arm quickly out of his grasp and took a step away from him. “Isn't that what we have been doing, Johnny?”

“No Darce, I mean I want to talk about us.”

She bristled at his words, lifting her shoulders up in the form of a defense mechanism. “There is no us, Johnny. You're my boss and we definitely shouldn't discuss anything other than business here.”

“Well if you would just answer my phone calls, we could have a discussion over dinner or at my place!” Johnny pounded his fist against the table. Darcy raised an eyebrow out him.

“This is inappropriate, but I'll make it clear to you one time Johnny. There isn't an us, there will never be an us again. So, please lets never talk about this again.” She was headed out of the conference room when Johnny suddenly grabbed her wrist and twisted her to face him. She tempted to push him away and to put distance between them once more. When she raised her chin and their eyes met, she saw that the playful disguise he put up had fallen completely away.

“You're only denying me now, Darce, because you think Leo is some kind of hero to you. You'll come running to me once you realize the truth about him.” Johnny growled lowly to her. Darcy pulled her wrist free from his grasp before spinning on her heel and running out of the conference room. She only stopped running when she was outside and the cold air hit her lungs like daggers. She bent over her knees for a moment, attempting to regain her breath and composure. The cold air was slowly ebbing her anger and calming her down.

She was still bent over when two, brown leather shoes stepped into her line of vision. When she glanced up into the cold, gray sky she wondered if a higher being had it in for her today as well.

“Hello, Sis.”

“Andy.”

The younger man suddenly slapped her with such a force that she stumbled backwards before falling to the ground. She cradled her cheek before looking back at him. The look in his eyes told her that he wasn't mentally stable.

“You've cost me a lot of money, Darcy.”

“I've been meaning to talk to you directly, Andy. I'm done giving you money. You are old enough now to find a job and fund your bad habits. I'm no longer aiding you. I'll no longer be involved with anything you do.” Darcy picked herself up but kept the distance between them.

The look in Andy's eyes burned a little crazier to her. As he took one step closer, she took one step back. Although she wanted to keep the distance between them, she refused to back down or be scared into submission. She wouldn't revert back into the old days of giving him what she had earned for herself.

“I don't care what you say or what you do, it won't change my mind.”

“Is that so, big sis? Getting real brave now that you are w*****g yourself out to a celebrity. Just because Leo James has money, you want to be greedy and keep it all to yourself.” Darcy glared at him with a hatred that she thought she'd never shed against her brother. She was done being mistreated by the people who should have wished for her well-being. Why did she have to live with such a family?

“Andy!”

“Shut it and give me my money.” Andy slapped her opposite cheek which sent her sliding across the sidewalk. She didn't have time to react as he grabbed her arms, shaking her violently. “Send me money before something bad happens.”

A few onlookers had gasped in surprise and began to form a small crowd around Andy and her. Andy didn't seem to notice that the crowd had formed or that they began to video record them. As she attempted to struggle free, his hold on her arms only became tighter and more painful. Andy seemed to enjoy the pain it caused her because the crazy look in his eyes seemed to spread across his entire face.

A sudden siren and the flashing of blue and red lights finally got Andy's attention. He threw her to the ground once more before he was gone.

“Darcy!” Officer Yates reached her first, inspecting her quickly before looking around the area. He swore underneath his breath as he realized Andy had gotten away. Darcy shook as she inspected her scraped, bleeding hands that had continuously caught her fall. “Are you ok? Do you want to go to the hospital?”

“Just take me back to Leo's, please.” She mumbled almost incoherently, but Officer Yates picked her up off the sidewalk and helped her to the police car. After a quick dispatch and discussion with Chief Grant, Officer Yates was given permission to drive her back to Leo James' residence. When they did arrive, Darcy had gathered herself enough to thank the officer and was just saying goodbye when she heard quite a few footsteps behind her. When she turned around, Max engulfed her in a tight hug while her eyes landed on Leo who was only a few steps behind them.

“Darcy, I knew it was a terrible idea. Are you ok?”

Darcy closed her eyes, the worry in Max's voice had never affected her like this before. She felt like crying because her best friend seemed to care about her while her family seemed to only care if she could provide for them.

“Darcy?”

“I'm alright. How bad is it?”

“Well you have a bruise forming on one cheek and-”

“No, Max. I mean how bad are the videos?” Max was silent long enough for her to realize that the videos that were taken of Andy and her were probably going viral around the country.

“What happened?”

She took a deep, unsteady breath as Max held her hand and they began to follow Leo inside.

“My brother, Andy. He found me outside the office building.” She began to speak loud enough so they both could hear. She didn't want to have to repeat the story. “He was angry, you know? I stopped giving him money and...and...”

When she hiccuped and tears began to roll down her face, both Max and Leo turned to watch her resolution collapse.

 “I...I need to lay down.” It was like she couldn't breath and the whole world seemed to be closing in on her. She could see Max and Leo talking to her, but she couldn't hear them. She just made it inside of Leo's home when she felt herself falling. She was only conscious enough to realize someone had caught her.