Riley and Darby stood in Charles’s office. 

“I thought you were all about the universe telling you what to do, Darby.  I don’t think the universe condones breaking and entering.  This is wrong,” Riley whispered.

“Sometimes you have to help the universe along, Riley.  You have to look for its clues.”

“I don’t feel comfortable with this.  He’s not here, and we shouldn’t be going through his desk.”

“I’m looking for evidence, Riley.  If you don’t like it, you can stand out in the waiting area.”  Darby turned toward Riley and asked, “You really think he had nothing to do with this, don’t you?”

“Again, I have no reason to think otherwise.  What are you doing?” Riley asked, moving between her and the desk.  She had already grabbed an opened FedEx envelope off of his desk and removed its contents.  Riley watched Darby’s eyes widen and then watched her smile. 

“Here, read this.”  Darby handed him the contents of the envelope, which contained a cashier’s check made out to Vanessa Taylor in the amount of $1000 and a handwritten note dated Monday which said:  I am returning your down payment since the terms of our agreement were never reached.  This formally nullifies our business agreement and effectively terminates our business relationship.  It also proves that no matter what you said about me, I am an honorable person.  I hope to never hear from you again.  Sincerely, Dr. Vanessa Taylor, PsyD.  Riley read the note three more times.  He had never seen Vanessa’s handwriting before, and his brain had a hard time processing the words on the page.

“It may not be actual proof,” Darby said,  “but it gives us something to go on.”

Riley stood unmoving for several more seconds.  He placed the check and the letter back in the envelope and placed it back on the desk.  He then moved to the filing cabinet and searched through it. 

“What are you doing?” Darby asked. 

“Looking for a contract.  When we leave, I’ll call and have Charles meet us at the house.”

 

***

 

“Vanessa left?  I’m so sorry Riley.  When did this happen?” Charles asked.

“Sunday,” Riley responded.  “When I came home from my production meeting, she was gone.”  Riley watched Charles closely to see any signs of guilt and saw none.  “I wanted to know if you knew anything about why she left.”

“No,”  Charles said.  “I haven’t seen Vanessa since I hired her.”

Charles, Darby, and Riley stood in an awkward triangle in front of Riley’s couch.  Really, Riley had angled himself between Charles and Darby, just in case Darby decided to lunge at Charles and rip out his hair plugs.  The action would be very un-Darby-like, but she never ceased to surprise him. 

“I just don’t buy it, Riley,” Darby announced in front of Charles.  “I really don’t trust him.” 

“Well, I didn’t do anything,” Charles righteously defended.  “I brought the proposal for the movie, just in case you changed your mind.”

Riley studied Charles, who today was dressed in his expensive power suit, so differently from when they first met.  He had come a long way from the cheap suits he used to wear.  He did notice how Charles looked quite smug when he focused on Darby.  Riley had a hard time interpreting the smugness.  Was the look because Charles simply didn’t like Darby, or was it because Darby was right, and Charles was gloating since Riley didn’t believe her? 

Riley wasn’t sure, but something about Charles’s reaction to Darby’s accusation was not quite right.  But he had to concede, “Without proof, Darby…”

“The proof is in his aura.  Guilty as sin.”

Riley almost smiled.  “Auras are your thing.  I, however, have to give Charles the benefit of the doubt.”             

The doorbell rang, followed by vicious pounding on the front door.  Riley made a move toward it, almost hopeful that this would be Vanessa returning to him.  He steeled himself, closing his eyes to say a silent prayer at the front door before opening it.  “Emily!”

“Is Vanessa here?”  Emily whined, pushing past Riley into the house.  “I have been texting and calling for three days, and the messages are unread and the calls just go straight to voicemail.  At first I figured that you two were just having hot, sweaty sex, but after three days, I was getting a little worried.  It’s not like her to not contact me for that long.”  She stopped short at the audience.  “Omigod, you’re Darby Cheetwood.  I love your show!”  She gave Charles a quick once over.  “Am I interrupting an important Hollywood meeting?”

Riley stepped closer to Emily.  “Actually, no.  We were just…”

“If you just tell me where I can find Vanessa, I’ll leave you alone.”

Charles’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he excused himself to the patio to take the call.

Riley stood there stunned for a moment.  He felt sure, until that moment, that Emily would lead him to Vanessa.  “That’s just it, Emily.”  He looked down at the floor.  “I don’t know where she is.”

“This house is big, Riley,” Emily teased.  “But I doubt you can lose a whole person in it, even one as short as Vanessa.”

“She’s not here.  She left.  Sunday.  Right after your lunch.  No goodbye, no note, no explanation, nothing.”  He fell back on to the couch, resting his head in one hand.  “I kinda had my hopes set on you shedding some light on why.”

“I don’t know if I can do that,” Emily sighed and sat next to Riley placing her hand on his.  “When I dropped her off, she seemed fine.  She said something about being home, so I took that as a good sign.”

Darby stepped forward and addressed Emily.  “Did you see anything?  Anyone waiting for her on the porch?  Any cars parked in the driveway?  Anything?”

“Oh my God,” Emily stood up, “do you think she was kidnapped?” 

“No,” Riley said.  “Javier saw her leave, and she was completely willing to leave on her own.  No foul play expected.”

“Well,” Darby interjected.  “Not that you expect.”

Emily looked back and forth between Riley and Darby.  “What are you talking about?”

“Javier said that he heard Vanessa talking to someone before she bolted,” Riley explained.  “We are trying to figure out who that was.”

“Emily,” Darby asked, “What did you notice about Sunday?”

“Nothing.  I dropped her off, I left.  Oh, I almost hit your car on the way out, but I didn’t, which is a good thing, because I’m not the best...”

Riley jolted up.  “My car wasn’t here.  What car?”

“Big black SUV, Escalade I think, parked by the garage.  It’s out there now, so I assumed it was yours.”

Riley doubled over and sat back down.  Darby was right.  Charles was here.  With Vanessa.  He talked to her.  No telling what he said.  No telling what he did.  And Riley had the sinking feeling he had provided Charles with all the ammunition he needed to chase Vanessa away.  All the questions Charles asked Sunday afternoon about their relationship now made sense.  He thought Charles was just trying to be a good friend.  Riley felt sick, kick-to-the-gut sick, as his whole world shifted.  Vanessa was right all along.  Charles was not what he pretended to be.  He put his faith in the wrong people.

Charles slithered back inside, seemingly aware, from what Riley could tell, that the atmosphere in the room had changed.  Riley lunged from the couch and was in Charles’s face in three strides. 

“You said you didn’t see her.  But you were here, weren’t you?”  When Charles didn’t answer, Riley growled.  “WHAT did you SAY to her?” he thundered as Charles shrank two inches.

“Riley,” Charles began nervously, “You really don’t think…”

“You’re right, Charles.  Right now I’m not thinking about anything other than how FIRED you are.”

Charles’s eyes widened, but his voice remained calm.  “Over a girl?  Really?  The psychologist I brought into your life who took a thousand dollars of MY money to treat you but fucked you instead?”  He stood back up straight and straightened out his suit.  “I didn’t want to tell you this, but she called me over here.  She asked me for more money, and when I told her that I was not paying her to sleep with you, she took off.”

“That’s a lie.  She returned your money, Charles.  I saw the check in your office.”

Charles raised his eyebrow.  “You resorted to breaking and entering?  Really, Riley?” 

“You should try locking your office, Chuck.  I am your client and had a right to be there, especially since it’s the money you make off me that got you that office.  No other clients you have make the money for you that I do.”  Riley gritted his teeth.  “Now, tell me, what did you say to her?”

Charles moved toward Riley.  “You are such an idiot.  I was trying to help you, and you fell in love with her.  All hearts and flowers.  Dumb ass.  If she felt anything for you, she wouldn’t have left.  I should have gotten you a whore since apparently, all you needed was a good fuck.  That’s all she turned out to be, anyway, except a real whore would have been cheaper.” 

Riley felt Charles’s nose crunch under the impact of his fist.  He reared back to punch him again, but both women, for some stupid reason, came to Charles’s defense.  Darby pushed Riley back as Emily stood in front of Charles.  While Charles assessed the damage to his nose, Riley paced around the kitchen for a few minutes before speaking.

“You are so lucky these women are here right now.”  He paced a while longer.  “You called yourself my friend, but you never were, were you?  I defended you to everyone.  And now I find out everyone was right about you all along.  Only using me for how fat I made your wallet.  Guess what.  It’s over now.”  He walked toward the front door and opened it.  “Get out.”

Charles stopped at the door.  “Just so you know, I will be pressing assault charges.”

Riley smiled, leaned toward Charles and whispered menacingly.  “Do it.  Because I would love to talk to your wife about your little secret bungalow and the women you parade through it, you know, the one you kicked Vanessa out of for another one of your trysts?  I’m sure that will give your wife enough ammo to clean you out properly.  I am sure my money is the only reason she stays with you.  And maybe, just maybe, I can find some of those women to file fraud charges against you, since none of them ever benefitted from your little arrangements with them.”  Riley leaned against the door, reveling in Charles’s surprised expression.  “As of now,” he moved closer to Charles who backed a step away, “this formally nullifies our business agreement and effectively terminates our business relationship.” 

“No, we have a contract that states…”

“Sue me and everything will come out.  Your career will be over.  It turns out that California has strict laws for agents.  You aren’t allowed to earn more than 10% of my gross, not the 25% you told me was standard when I signed.  You took advantage of me all these years.  You should lose your license, and there goes your reputation for sure.”  Riley pulled folded papers out of his back pocket.  “I have a copy of our contract right here.  Would you like me to show you…”

“No.”  Charles held up his hand.  He looked long at Riley.  “I will still receive my pay for this movie.  I booked it for you.”

“Oh, you will.  The legal 10% you are entitled to get.  Our business is now finished.  And that broken nose?  Consider it my severance package.”