The Mystery Writer

Lightening Strikes

Over the next week, Darcy's mood was continuously in a slump. As much as she hated the fact, there was no way to do any type of entertainment news without being some form of stalker; inadvertently, you became a person that harassed others. She was unable to sleep well due to these thoughts. So without much rest, she chose to use her time by getting her two hours of exercise in while running around the neighborhood that Leo lived in. Sometimes she'd start as early as 4 a.m.

“I don't think you should be out running when it's so dark. It's dangerous! And there is a killer out there.” Max scolded her one morning after he met her at the front door. She was sweaty, tired and definitely didn't feel like being lectured. “Tell me what's wrong. You've been like this all week and you are never like this for longer than a day. Is it your family again?”

“I'm fine Max, really. You're overreacting.” She was headed back to her room to take a shower when she passed Leo in the hallway. She mumbled a good morning to him before entering her bedroom, Max quick to shuffle into the room before she could close the door in his face.

“I am definitely not overreacting. Something is up and I will get to the bottom of it! Why don't you make things easy and talk to me!” Darcy turned, holding her friend's gaze for a long time. She didn't think Max would understand, so she shook her head and turned towards the bathroom.

 _________________

“Last day of the month is approaching quick. We need to discuss who will cover us for our day off. Matthias sent over some junior reporters who would be available for the project. Take a look.” Darcy wrapped her hands tightly around her mug of coffee, the name of her boss still disturbed her after their last confrontation. He hadn't dared to show his face around her again or to send her a word of an apology. She let her anger settle before careening her head towards the list Max placed in front of her. She turned her nose up to most of the names on the list as half of them were very junior, unskilled reporters. Most of them were glorified fans of celebrities that wanted the opportunity to get close to them. They'd cause fan wars if given the chance.

“What is this for?” Darcy jumped, the coffee in her mug sloshing onto her hands. Max was quick to hand her a rag to clean up the mess, before they both turned to Leo. He stood just beside Darcy, looking over shoulder at the list as well.

“Darcy and I are looking at replacements.” Max explained cheerfully.

“Replacement? I haven't been informed of a replacement.” Leo glanced at Darcy, surprise etched around his irises.

“Yes it has! It's for our day off, remember? It's coming up soon.”

Leo nodded, chuckling as he walked towards the sink. Darcy followed his movement with her eyes. Only when he turned back around did she divert her gaze to the list once more.

“Can I take a look?”

Max slid the list towards Leo who looked over the list diligently and in silence. It was quite obvious he was working hard at keeping all emotions off of his face. When he finished glancing over the page, he met Darcy's eyes.

“Anyone you'd recommend? I don't recognize any of them.” Darcy kept quiet a moment, dropping her eyes to the piece of paper. She finally reached out a finger to place a finger over one of the junior reporters. He was the only male junior reporter that the company currently had employed.

“Jay is a rising star in the company. He has taken on plenty of difficult cases before and did well with them. He's received a lot of praises from our senior reporters too. He also studied music before and I think you could respect him and get along with him.” Leo stared at her for a moment before giving his nod of approval.

“I'll accept your recommendation then.”

“If you are choosing Jay, he likes cameraman Micky. I'll put in the request for him and his crew as well. I'll talk to Matthias. Your job is to sit here and finish your bagel. I mean it, Darcy.” Max sternly talked to her before walking away to make a phone call. Darcy took the time to write the plausible replacement in her journal. Although Leo hung around the kitchen for some time afterwards, Darcy tried to stay busy by flipping through her journal and writing notes of things to go over for upcoming interviews and questions she might have.

“Mom?” Leo's voice suddenly got her attention and she raised her eyes just as Leo walked out of the kitchen. In the next few moments, Mrs. James came bustling into the kitchen with six young women trailing behind her. Darcy hopped off her chair as quickly as she could. The line of women all looked to be between their late 30s and mid 20s. A young boy tailed one of the women closely, and Darcy c****d her head as she thought he could have been a young version of Leo James.

“Darcy dear! I'm sorry to come unannounced again. You'd think I would have learned my lesson. Anyway, I couldn't help but to notice how pale and thin you've gotten again. I heard Max scolding you several times about eating, voices waft very easily to the live cameras dear. I couldn't hold off any longer, we've come to feed you!” Mrs. James breathed deeply before smiling and welcoming Darcy into a tight hug.

After pulling away from the hug, Darcy smiled nervously back at the older woman and the entourage she had brought with her. Each of the women looked similar to each other and looked especially similar to Leo and his mother. That is when the light bulb went off in her head.

“You are his sisters!”

Darcy announced loudly and almost gleefully. They all nodded enthusiastically back at her. Mrs. James introduced each of them one by one, from eldest to youngest. “Abby, Antoinette, Bethany, Bridget, Catherine and Chloe.” Most of the women said a few words of greeting when they were introduced.

“The ABCs.” Leo commented from his position at the corner of the room. Darcy, suddenly thrilled at such a smart nickname for the sisters, laughed and introduced herself.

“This is Noah, my son.” Antoinette introduced the young boy that clung to her legs. Darcy bent down to his size, waving at him kindly. She had only been around her baby half brother before and had never been good about keeping them entertained. A wave was all she had to offer the young boy.

“Mrs James, you really don't need to do all of this. I'm... I just haven't had much of an appetite this past week.” Darcy tried to defend herself and prevent Leo's family from having to slave in the kitchen because of her.

“Call me mom, please! Now, look at you. You'll just be bones soon if I don't feed you. The bags under your eyes make you look like a raccoon or a skeleton. I can't decide which. Just wait for a whiff of what we make and you'll be begging to eat!” Mrs. James grinned back at her and Darcy consciously touched her cheek bones. Did she really look that bad?

“Mom.” Leo's voice was a warning. Darcy glanced at him and shook her head. She didn't mind such a mild scolding from his mom. She'd play along, though she seriously doubted she'd have an appetite, even for his mom's cooking.

“Do you mind if I watch?” Darcy questioned, hoping she'd have the opportunity to record Leo's family in a natural way. As long as he agreed to it of course.

“Watch? Oh no dear, you are going to help!”

“Help? I'm a terrible cook. You really don't want me to help. I can barely make simple noodles without something going wrong.” Darcy suddenly backed away, wanting to escape.

“That is why you're going to learn. I'll be giving you cooking lessons once a week from now on. It will give me an excuse to see my son more often, too.” Mrs. James forcefully grabbed her hand to hold her in the kitchen. Darcy was too distracted by Mrs. James announcement and schedule to run away. It would be too rude to refuse.

For the next hour, Darcy blundered her way through making a soup from scratch under Mrs. James careful watch. However, Darcy quickly became distracted with the stories Leo's mom would tell which caused her even more mistakes during the lesson.

“He was carefree when he was younger, wasn't he girls? His sisters just adored him. He changed, however, after becoming a celebrity. He is serious, and an incurable loner.” As Darcy glanced towards the studio, where Leo was now hiding, the room fell quiet. Max glanced her way as he walked around the kitchen, silently filming everyone's creation. Leo had left it up to his mother and sisters to decide if they could record or not.

“Careful now Darcy.” Mrs. James hurried towards her as her soup began to overflow and spill from the pan on the burner. Darcy reacted quickly, attempting to fix the damage by wiping up the spilled soup. “No, don't.”

Mrs. James attempted to pull Darcy's hand away, but it was too late. The soup had bubbled over further, splashing Darcy's hand and she cried out suddenly. Mrs. James took full control and in an instant Darcy's hand was under cold, running water. The pain was mild though she could feel it throbbing underneath the surface.

“What happened?” Leo had suddenly returned, his sisters surrounding him instantly. Darcy bowed her head over the sink, suddenly wishing she could become invisible. “You are hurt.”

Darcy slowly turned her gaze to him, finding he had stepped closer to her. She didn't know what to say or do, so she only stared at him. He noticed, suddenly, how tall he was and the way his hair fell into his eyes. Her eyes followed him as he reached for a first aid kit and she had to laugh. Who knew a celebrity bachelor would have such a thing in his home.

“Darcy! I know you lost some of it due to over boiling, but this is pretty good!” Mrs. James commented after trying a spoonful of Darcy's soup. Leo and Darcy turned their gaze on her.

“Mom, that isn't important right now. Why are you forcing her to make soup?” Leo groaned, moving Darcy's hand out of the running water and tenderly drying it off. He placed an ointment on her red, irritated skin before beginning to wrap it.

“I told her I was going to teach her how to cook. She has stayed at your place for almost a month now and I haven't seen her make one thing. From the looks of it, she only knows how to was dishes. All that takeout lacks needed nutrition, Leo. Both of you could benefit from more home cooked food. Look how pale she is!” Mrs. James commented loudly. After Leo was done wrapping her hand, she murmured a shy thank you before attempting to hide the embarrassment she felt.

“Thank you, Mrs. James. For today and for everything. I'm not feeling very well suddenly. Please excuse me.” Darcy did her best to remain gracious towards Mrs. James and Leo's family before fleeing to her room. She was so thankful when she fell back against her door, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Finally, she sat down again the door and sunk her face into her hands. Even though emotions flooded over her, she refused to cry. She wasn't weak and she wouldn't allow herself to become weak.

“Darcy?”

It was Max.

“I'm ok, I just need a break.”

“Just wanted to let you know that I'm here for you. Call me if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Max.”

After he left, Darcy watched the light cast shadows in her room as the sun faded into the horizon. Even after her room turned completely into darkness, she sat by the door and she missed several calls before she realized her phone was ringing.

“Hello.”

“Damn it Darcy!”

Her father's voice shouted at her through the speaker and she had to hold her phone at a distance. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and prepared herself for the argument she was about to have.

“What do you want, dad? I'm not in a good mood.”

“What do I want? How dare you say you're not in a good mood. I've already had this discussion with you Darcy. You still haven't transferred money to your brother.”

'What brother?' Darcy wanted to ask her father, but knew it would just open up to more argument. She remained silent, debating if she should just turn off her phone now.

“DARCY!” Sighing, she made sure the sound could be heard by her father. She was becoming increasingly angry with those who demanded so much from her. It was finally time for her to start sticking up for herself.

“DARCY!”

“Dad, let's stop this.”

“What did you say?”

“Listen, cause I'm only going to say this once.”

“Darcy...”

“I'm done sending Andy money. I'm done putting up with you yelling at me and being bullied by all of you. Disown me if you want, it's not like you've treated me like your daughter since mom passed away.”

“Damn it, Darcy.”

“Bye, Dad.”

“Darc-”

Hanging up on her father made her feel strong and yet still guilty. She stared at her phone, watching her father call over and over until she finally turned it off and flung it across the room. She watched it hit the opposite wall and fell dully onto the floor. Then, she curled herself back into a ball. She was pulled from her darkening thoughts when there was a knock on the door.

“Darcy?”

The voice was barely above a whisper, or maybe her thoughts drowned out Leo's voice. She almost hoped that Leo would go away, but only a few seconds passed before another knock and another call of her name.

After slowly unfolding herself, she stood unsteadily to open the door an inch. She stared into Leo's face, though she didn't really see him at first.

“Let me come in for a moment.” Leo glanced down the hallway for a moment, conscious of the live feed that was staring down the hallway towards him. She retreated into her room allowing him room to enter. When Leo closed her door behind him, they were both covered in darkness. She couldn't see him any more, but knew he was only a few feet away.

She gasped when he reached for her hand and she attempted to throw it off. When he held onto it tightly, she fought harder. She used all her energy to push him away and to throw his hand off, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, she became still.

“Please, don't touch me.” Darcy muttered pitifully, her voice croaking as she attempted to convince him. Leo then slowly pulled her into a hug.

“I'm sorry I'm not very good at following orders. I heard something and I wanted to make sure you were ok. I didn't mean to scare you or fight with you.”

Darcy took a deep, wavering breath. His voice was surprisingly soothing. “I threw my phone against the wall.”

“Your phone? Why?”

Darcy held her tongue, not wanting to share her family problems with him. She shook her head though he probably couldn't see her anyway.

“You didn't scare me. I just didn't want to be touched.” Leo immediately dropped his arms away from her. Darcy didn't want to admit that she felt the loss immediately, but her body responded by shivering. She bit her lip, straightening up. She didn't want to convey any weakness.

“Darcy? What's wrong? You haven't been yourself this past week. You haven't eaten much to the point you made my mother worried. What can I do?”

“You can't do anything. It isn't your responsibility. Besides, I've only been thinking about what you said.”

“What I said?”

“About how it feels, you know, to be on your side of the interview.”

“Oh.” It was quiet for a moment. “Oh, no. Darcy I wasn't trying to be mean.

“You don't have to explain. You just made me question a lot of things, especially my career, again.”

Silence spread through the darkness and between them. That's when Leo hugged her again. She attempted to step out of his hold, but he held her tightly.

“I wasn't singling you out or anything when I made that comment. Actually I think you're known as the most respectful reporter there is. You don't recklessly interfere just for a story. Max told me that it wasn't your idea to do those reports about me. He even showed me footage of the originals you did. I've appreciated a lot you have done this past month. I've monitored your interviews, you've put everything I've done into a good light. Even when I probably don't deserve it.”

Darcy remained quiet and limp in his hold, but his hold on her only became tighter and warmer. It was as if he were trying to force a reaction out of her.

“Don't let anyone or anything force you to become cold blooded. I've been there, Darcy. It really isn't a place you want to be in.”

She sighed and finally moved her head to look up to where she assumed his head was. “You just made me realize, more than ever, how I don't want this to be my career. I plan on quitting.”

“Darcy, no. Please, don't.” Darcy didn't respond.”Honestly, I can't imagine doing this show without you as the permanent host. Please, this will be over soon once they find the suspect.”

After she thought about what he was asking, she slowly pulled away from him. He didn't stop her this time.

“If I'm being completely honest with you, I don't have the money to quit now and I actually enjoy doing this; whatever this is. I plan on quitting after this show is over and the culprit has been detained.” Darcy heard the small sigh of relief from Leo before the room fell silent. It was so quiet that Darcy could hear the small patter of rain begin to fall against the window.

“Is there something else that is bothering you?” Darcy's mind instantly went to her father and the phone she had discarded against the wall. “If you don't want to tell me you don't have to. I'd just like you to know that I can be someone you can talk to as well.”

Lightening struck and for a brief moment, Darcy could see the sincerity in Leo's eyes. It was as if he was trying to return a favor. She found the offer touching.

“It's not a no, but let me think about it.”

They both drifted to the edge of her bed and sat down. Every few minutes, lightening would strike and they'd catch each other's eyes.

  “It's nice to talk without the loom of the cameras.” Leo sounded relaxed, but the sound of his voice still startled her. Thinking about what he said, Darcy realized that they very rarely were alone and there was even a less amount of time that there hadn't been cameras surrounding them. Darcy relaxed, letting her guard slip as they continued to talk, divulging into his family life. They talked for hours without realizing the passing of time.