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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


 

 

Zoe could not believe John’s nerve, showing up at Obsidian Manor in the middle of the night! She wrapped her silk robe tightly around her as Eli stared at John as if he had lost his mind!

 

 

 

“You’re saying that my daughter disappeared while taking a shower? Is that what you’re telling me, Inspector?”  Eli said,  his voice dripping with contempt.  Zoe was embarrassed for John and angry with Olivia!

 

 

 

 

John didn’t care about how Zoe and Eli Pope were looking at him.   Because he had no doubts whatsoever that such a peculiar event, could only be tied to Eli Pope himself!  He did something to Liv to make her disappear like that! Just like he did something, along with that Kambrick chap, to make all of those dinner guests disappear.  

 

 

 

 

“John,”  Zoe said,  stepping forward, “do you know how this sounds?  You said Olivia and yourself had a fight. She’s playing a trick on you, is all.”

 

 

 

“She can be juvenile.” Eli said coolly. But John stared at him.  There was something in his eyes...it was almost as if he actually did believe Liv had disappeared.  But even more interesting,  John got the distinct impression that Eli Pope LIKED the fact that he was confused and upset by what had happened.

 

 

 

“Yes, John,”  Zoe seconded, “I think she’s clearly trying to get back at you for your fight.  You did say you fought,  didn’t you?”

 

 

 

“You fought,” Eli said, “and my daughter had sense enough to walk out on you, Inspector. What the both of you were trying to pull was never going to work out anyway.”

 

 

 

John clenched his jaw.

 

 

 

“I will confess that Olivia and I had ulterior motives when we first began seeing one another. But it grew into something.”

 

 

 

“Then why did Olivia leave?”  Eli argued.

 

 

 

“She didn’t leave.  I have all of her possessions including her purse, clothes and car.  She did not go anywhere.  And I would not be here putting up with your rubbish if she had just ‘walked out on me’.”  John said coolly.  His tone was cool but he was about ready to explode!  And Zoe’s being here, backing him up,  didn’t help matters.

 

 

 

His cellphone rang in that moment,  and John pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the Caller ID, hoping it was Olivia.

 

 

 

It was work. He answered it.

 

 

 

“This is DCI Luther.”

 

 

 

“John,” Rose Teller said in an urgent tone, “something has happened at the flat you share with Olivia.  A body was found.”

 

 

 

 

Zoe could see that whatever John was hearing,  was upsetting. Then again, he took all cases like that--to heart. She glanced at Eli and took note that he seemed keenly interested in John’s phone call as well.  John hung up and stared at Eli.

 

 

 

“A body was found at our flat.  And it’’s not Olivia. I thought you would be interested to know  that Michelle Landau was found strangled--in our shower.”   

 

 

Zoe gasped and looked at Eli,  who stared back at John with utter hatred and loathing!

 

 

 

“What are you talking about?! Why would Michelle be in Olivia’s home?”

 

 

 

Zoe rested a hand on Eli’s arm but he snatched it away!  John raised an eyebrow.

 

 

 

“I have no idea. I do know this is the same woman who reported her brother missing from that dinner that was put on by the Kambrick Group.  His body WAS found.  She is also the woman that called for help when you were ‘thrown’ from your horse, Zoe.  So if anything,  this makes me believe more than ever that Olivia did not just walk out of our flat!” John snapped.  He then looked at Zoe.

 

 

 

“I’m scared for you. Leave with me right now.” 

 

 

 

Eli shook his head in disgust and looked at Zoe.  What he saw staring back at him was a surprise.

 

 

 

It was suspicion.

 

 

 

“Zoe? What is it?”  Eli asked calmly.

 

 

 

“I just....just...had a flash of memory. I don’t know where it came from....”

 

 

 

 

John moved towards her and grabbed her shoulders!

 

 

 

 

“What is it?  What are you remembering?”

 

 

 

“Leave, Inspector! Right now before I have you thrown out! I will help Zoe deal with whatever this is!”  Eli snapped.

 

 

 

 

But suddenly, everything came back in a rush!  She remembered seeing Michelle and Eli in the woods,  then running off and falling...

 

 

 

Zoe looked at Eli coldly.

 

 

 

“I saw you with Michelle. I saw her riding you like she didn’t have a care in the world. And your rutting grunts...”

 

 

 

Eli folded his arms and didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed.  John now focused on him.

 

 

 

“So Zoe didn’t fall off of a horse?”

 

 

 

“No.” Eli admitted.  “And apparently the drug I gave you to keep you from remembering any of that,  needs tweaking.”

 

 

 

Zoe moved towards him and slapped him viciously!

 

 

 

“You don’t even deny it?!  And  now you have the nerve to admit you drugged me into not remembering?!  John was right about you!”

 

 

 

“And so was Liv!”  John barked.   “Where is she?  Did she find all of this out and...”

 

 

 

“Inspector,  if you think Olivia’s being missing,  has anything to do with your pitiful life,  you have a lot to learn. And you’re not bright enough to get to the truth. Not even remotely.  Your cousin, however, he is the man for my daughter.   You agree, don’t you, Zoe?”

 

 

 

“Shut up!”  Zoe hissed.  “I’m leaving here.  I’ll send for my things later.”

 

 

 

“You should leave.  The Inspector here is going to need a lawyer.  I think it is a hell of a coincidence that Michelle is dead in the shower that Olivia supposedly disappeared from.  I am an old family friend of Michelle’s mother.  I’ll  make sure there is an investigation.” Eli replied.

 

 

 

John grinned!

 

 

 

“Somehow, Pope, I don’t think Michelle’s mother is going to like hearing how you two were shagging out in a forest.  And YOU are my alibi for whenever Ms. Landau’s body was placed in my flat.  I  have no doubt we’ll find that she was killed elsewhere.”

 

 

 

“Oh Eli!” Zoe moaned.  “Just admit it if you killed her!

 

 

 

Now Eli slapped Zoe!  John grabbed him by the throat and shoved him backwards,  sending him sprawling onto the hardwood floor!

 

 

 

“GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, BOTH OF YOU!!! GET THE HELL OUT!”  Eli yelled.  John grabbed Zoe’s arm and they hurried out of Obsidian Manor. Once the door slammed,  Eli slowly got up and walked over to his liquor cabinet.   He knew that Michelle was working with government officials to find something on him, yes,  but...now he had to wonder if she herself had gotten in over her head?

 

 

 

His hands shook as he sipped a brandy. No, he didn’t kill Michelle.  And he didn’t really think Luther had done it either.  He didn’t have the guts.   But Eli would make sure he found out who had killed his lovely Michelle...and make them pay his own way.

 

 

 


 

 

Olivia awoke to find Heimdall gone, as per the norm. She rarely if ever  awoke to find him still in bed with her. Then again,  his job was never ending. He really shouldn’t have taken the time he did with her.

 

 

 

She got up,  but on thick, royal looking robe and left their quarters.  She then found a palace guard and asked him to escort her to where Stacker Pentecost was being kept. The guard did not seem surprised by her request nor did he refuse her.

 

 

 

“Your cells seem very clean.  There’s not a lot of people here either.”  Olivia noted out loud.  The prison quarters seemed devoid of actual prisoners.

 

 

 

“Lady Olivia, we don’t usually spare people to imprison them.  Marshal Pentecost is only here because we have proof that he is a descendant of Heimdall’s.”  the guard said casually. Olivia stopped in her tracks!  What????

 

 

 

“I’m sorry,  what did you say?”  Olivia asked.

 

 

 

“Marshall Pentecost is a descendant of your husband’s.  He should be able to replace Eamonn whenever Heimdall wants to spend some time with you, Lady Olivia.  That is, until you bear children. Then they can carry on the tradition of watching of Asgard.”

 

 

 

Olivia paled.  Or she felt like she did.  She said nothing in response and the guard turned and continued to lead her through the prison cells until they reached the one with Stacker inside.  He was wearing a military uniform and he did not look surprised to see her.   Olivia asked the guard to leave them and he soon left the area.

 

 

 

Olivia walked up to the cell door and peered in. Stacker walked up as well.

 

 

 

“You look beautiful. Befitting of a wife of an Asgardian.”  Stacker noted.

 

 

 

“Tell me what I can do?”

 

 

 

“You don’t want to know why I’m here?”  Stacker asked. Olivia shrugged.

 

 

 

“As I’ve said many times before,  you’re much like my father. I’ve learned not to ask you things you don’t want to tell.”  Olivia replied.

 

 

 

“Do you remember hearing of a story some years ago,  about an attack on the West Coast?” he asked.

 

 

 

“An attack?”

 

 

 

“A zoo animal escaped and killed many people.”

 

 

 

Olivia stared into Stacker’s eyes and she raised a brow.

 

 

 

“Yes and no. The only thing I remember hearing about what some kind of giant water creature escaping from a zoo...it seemed stupid that any zoo would keep something like that. But the story seemed to go away after awhile...”

 

 

 

“Your father made sure it went away. And he provided me with the financial backing to make sure that we could keep the creature, and its like, away.”  Stacker said firmly.

 

 

 

“Stacker, what are you talking about?”  Olivia asked,  now wondering if his imprisonment had caused him to lose his mind!

 

 

 

“Olivia,  I need for you to listen to me:  that ‘zoo escape’ was more serious than most people realized. Many people that witnessed it were either jailed or killed, because we could not allow such mass panic to run rampant in the world. But that creature did not escape from a zoo.  It came out of an ocean rift. A rift that leads to another universe.  I assumed that the creatures came from here when....” 

 

 

 

Stacker suddenly stopped talking. Olivia backed away a bit.

 

 

 

“When I was approached by Heimdall and the Asgardians, right?”

 

 

 

“Yes.”

 

 

 

“That zoo escape happened shortly before I met you.  So you’re admitting you used me?”

 

 

 

“No, Olivia, because you were approached by the people in this realm after you broke off with me.  Listen to me, luv:  I was wrong about the creature coming from here but that does not mean we’re not still in danger from it. And something else.”

 

 

 

Olivia interrupted him.

 

 

 

“I know about your being related to Heimdall. Which means John is related as well. They want to keep you here.”

 

 

 

“Yes, but that’s not what I was going to say. Liv, your mother IS alive. That is true.  And I have been thinking for a long time that if things were ever going to work out for us, you needed to know that and face it. Heimdall did lie to Eamonn on that front.  He can see where she is right now at this moment.”

 

 

 

Olivia slowly backed away from the cell door,  turned and hurried off! She ignored his repeated calling of her name and his declarations of love, as she hurried back to her quarters and prepared to return to her world--and face her father.

 

 

 

 

 












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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.