Chris Fist says, “Do you have anything to charge her with, or were you just trying to get her reaction to the photos?”
Chase looks at my hands and sees I’ve made them into a steeple.
He says, “We were testing her reaction.”
“And?”
“My professional opinion? She’s either completely innocent,” he pauses and looks me in the eyes. “Or one hell of an actress.”
By late afternoon all the phone calls are made to those who need to hear that Agent Chase and the FBI have officially cleared Dani Ripper of any involvement in her husband’s death, planting evidence, or having prior knowledge of his guilt. Chase agrees to call Chris Fist in the morning, so he can give Dani the good news.
I reach to shake his hand.
He declines.
53
Miranda Rodriguez.
MIRANDA LOVES SPENDING time with Donovan Creed. After seeing how he lives, the idea of private practice seemed incredibly boring. She knew from the first day she wanted to work for him, but one thing about Miranda, she’s always been a shrewd negotiator. So she kept saying no. When the salary offer became astronomical, she finally relented, then gave him something else to worry about. Like not starting for a year.
Saying goodbye was the hardest part. She made him promise not to call or see her for a full year.
Will he keep his promise?
She hopes so, because immediately moving in with Rose is a vital part of the contract she signed with her friend. She’ll finish the semester, as planned, and get her master’s degree. It won’t be easy, now that she’s pregnant with Creed’s child, but having Rose taking care of her will be a tremendous help.
Rose is amazing! She’s thirty years old, pale as porcelain, with stunning red lips, and a manner about her that makes her seem exactly what she claims to be.
An old soul.
Miranda met Rose four months ago at a karaoke bar and they hit it off immediately. It was as if Rose had known her all her life! After an hour of talking, she asked if Miranda could have any talent in the world, what would it be?
Miranda said, “This.”
Rose said, “What do you mean?”
“I’d love to have a beautiful singing voice.”
“And how would you use such a voice?” Rose said. “Would you want to be a famous singer?”
“Not really. I think I’d just like to sing for my husband.”
“Do you have someone in mind?”
Miranda laughed. “Absolutely not!”
Rose shared the laugh, and the two new friends drank and enjoyed the singers for a time, and eventually Rose said, “You should try it.”
“Try what?”
“You should get up on the stage and sing a song.”
“Omigod! Miranda said. “I could never!”
“You can. Come on, I’ll go with you.”
“You’ll sing with me?”
“If you wish.”
Miranda looked at her new friend. For a minute, it almost seemed possible. But then she said, “No. Seriously, I could never get up and sing in front of total strangers.”
“I understand,” Rose said. She leaned over and whispered something in Miranda’s ear that Miranda didn’t quite catch. Then she got up from the table, climbed on the stage, took the mike and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine. Her name is Miranda Rodriguez, and she’s not going to sing a song for you tonight. I repeat, she is not going to sing for you. She’s way too nervous. But she is going to take the first step. She’s going to stand on the stage and face an audience for the first time in her life. Someday maybe Miranda will feel comfortable enough to sing for us, and that will be a special event, because she has a gorgeous voice. Trust me.”
Rose pointed Miranda out to the crowd.
Miranda laughed and said, “Omigod!” and hid her face.
Rose said, “I know she’ll come up on stage if you’ll give her a big hand.”
The crowd cheered and Rose chanted, “Miran-da! Miran-da!”
Miranda shook her head and stood up and climbed on the stage.
“For the love of God,” she said, laughing.
Then one of Miranda’s favorite songs began playing, and Rose handed her the mike and before she knew it, she was singing, and everyone in the place appeared to love it. Miranda knew she had a decent voice, but the reaction she was getting seemed insane!
It was the beginning of a friendship that grew into a strong bond between them. When Miranda wasn’t busy studying or dating, she found herself singing in the karaoke bar and spending the night at Rose’s loft on the upper east side.
One morning Rose said, “Have you given any thought to having children?”
Miranda laughed. “Absolutely not!”
Rose leaned over and whispered something into Miranda’s ear, and a warmth came over her like she’d never experienced.
Rose has wanted a baby all her life but can’t have children. Miranda has decided she wants to experience giving birth and feels she can find a use for the enormous sum of money Rose has offered to give her in exchange for Donovan Creed’s baby.
As a result, three months ago Miranda stopped dating and got off the pill, and began drinking a special bark tea Rose brewed for her. And last week, right around the time Rose told her she was ready, low and behold, Creed called and asked her to meet him.
The terms of their contract stipulate Miranda will live with Rose during the entire pregnancy and for three months after the baby’s birth, during which time Miranda will continue drinking the bark tea and breast feed the baby. Miranda agrees not to leave the house without Rose by her side, nor can she drink alcohol or have sex for the entire year. At the end of the year, the women will go their separate ways and Rose will take the baby.
Miranda signs the contract, and Rose hands her a certified check for ten million dollars.
“Aren’t you concerned I’ll tell Donovan about the baby someday?” Miranda asks.
“At the end of the year you may tell him anything you can remember,” Rose says.
What an odd thing to say, Miranda thinks. She looks at the check. Ten million dollars for carrying a baby is an absurd amount of money.
Of course, Rose didn’t start by offering ten million.
Her first offer was a quarter-million dollars.
But Miranda’s always been a shrewd negotiator.
JOHN LOCKE
