Prologue

Emilea, this is for you. You know that story I've been dying to write? It's finally starting to happen! This part here is the prologue, minus a possible lead-in from Ashelyn at the beginning (I'm still working that out). Let me know what you think. I tried to make it a little vague but give enough information so the reader isn't totally confused. Hope you like it!

Victoria swished her long, silky black hair off of her shoulder as she sat and swiveled in her desk chair. Letting out a small “Hmph!”, she opened her laptop and waited for it to load. She didn’t have to wait long. As the Clare, she was given the best technology, and better meant faster. She was soon able to pull up her email and check for new messages.

A beeping alerted her and she opened a window on her laptop. A teenage girl’s face appeared on the screen.

“Clare Victoria?” the girl asked cautiously.

Victoria sighed inwardly. This was Maude, her newest secretary. The girl had been working for her for two months and still hadn’t figured out how to not bother her.

“Maude, this had better be good,” she said with an edge in her voice. “I told you that I didn’t wish to be disturbed.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Maude stammered. She tucked a strand of honey blonde hair behind her left ear. “I told him that you were busy, but he insisted that he had an appointment.”

Victoria brightened instantly, a swift change from her earlier countenance. “Oh, yes, I am expecting him,” she said, although she hadn’t been expecting him until tomorrow. “Please, send him in in two minutes’ time.”

“Of course,” Maude replied, smiling. Her face disappeared from the screen.

Victoria quickly pulled out her brush and ran it through her long tresses. Then she carefully applied a little blush and dark cranberry lipstick. She wished she had time for mascara, but he didn’t really care how she looked. And he saw her almost all the time anyway.

A knock sounded at her door and she trilled, “Come in!” The door opened with a small squeak—-she would have to tell her maintenance staff about it—-and a young-ish man with a light brown complexion and short, wavy brown hair entered. He bowed smoothly and arose with a solemn smile on his face.

“Marcus at your service, Clare Victoria.”

Her heart skipped a beat, as it did anytime this man spoke. His voice was so deep and rich...she could listen to him for days! Willing herself to speak calmly, she rose gracefully and walked toward him. “You know that formalities are no longer necessary, Marcus.”

With a smirk, he reached out and squeezed her hand, then started caressing it with his thumb.

“However,” she added, sliding her hand out of his, “you also know that business comes first, not adoration.” She alighted into her swivel chair again and motioned for him to do the same. He sat in her other office chair and leaned back, putting his hands behind his head. Her breath caught. He looked so handsome in that position.

“Do you have information for me?” Victoria finally asked. Thank goodness her voice hadn’t squeaked!

Marcus grinned. “You’re beautiful.”

She tilted her head and looked at him with annoyance.

“Okay, okay. I have information for you.”

“Good, that’s what you’re here for. What sort of information?”

“Oh, just snippets.” He didn’t elaborate.

Victoria motioned for him to continue. “Snippets. Like, little pieces of information. Probably not even of consequence.”

She leaned forward and brushed the left side of his cheek with her fingertips. His eyes widened slightly and his breathing staggered. Victoria’s heart pounded in her chest. “Tell me,” she whispered, letting her hand drop.

Marcus breathed in deeply. He exhaled, “Here. I have a list.” He passed a notepad and pencil to her. “Follow along and let me know if I forget anything.

“I crashed a party at Stephanie’s house today. Do you know her?”

“Of course,” Victoria answered. How could she forget Stephanie, that beautiful young girl with strawberry-blonde hair with a smile that could warm the palace ballroom? “You should too. She was always over here hanging out with Alana.” She swallowed. “The two of them were like sisters and Alana was the maid of honor in Stephanie’s wedding.”

“So the two were close?” Marcus summarized.

“Obviously. They were inseparable. What did you find out at the party? It says here on the notepad that there were two things.”

Marcus looked up. “Small things. For one, Alana and Stephanie went out for lunch the day before she died. Alana gave her a framed picture of the two of them and her flash drive, and the two reminisced for a few hours.”

“Reminisced?” Victoria repeated. “Like she knew she was going to die the next day?”

He nodded. “That’s what I would assume. I mean, she rarely went anywhere without her flash drive and that was her favorite picture. And from what I heard, the meeting was very short notice. Stephanie protested because of her baby but Alana insisted that it was the only time they could meet.”

Victoria nodded as well, but fought back tears. “All the more reason to find her diary. She had to have known who was going to kill her and when.” She looked up at him. “What was number two?”

“Oh, yes,” Marcus continued. “Although Alana gave Stephanie the flash drive, Stephanie soon passed it over to Holly.”

“Holly? The English teacher?”

“Yes, exactly. I didn’t hear why Holly received it but—”

“It was probably just as you said, Marcus,” Victoria interrupted. “Nothing of consequence. Alana was a bright student. More than likely Holly asked if she could borrow the flash drive to show projects to her new students as examples. No big deal.”

“Maybe,” he conceded. “But why would she pass it on to Stephanie first? She could easily have taken it to Holly herself.”

“Again, since we think she knew she was going to die, she probably had more important things to do than spend some time with her English teacher. It would have been easier to pass it on to Stephanie first, which she did.”

“I would call Holly if I were you,” Marcus suggested. “There may be something on the flash drive that could help with our search for the diary.”

“Excellent idea.” Victoria swiveled to face her laptop, but Marcus grabbed her hand. “Not yet,” he said. “I have other information, too. And it’s not about Alana.”
Victoria felt her heart begin to beat faster with anticipation. She had a feeling of what Marcus was going to say next.

“I stopped by the children’s home today.” He gazed at her with happiness written all over his face. “I scheduled an appointment between you and Leah for next Tuesday at 10. I told them that you were interested in a certain newborn boy.” He watched as her face lit with excitement. “I explained that it was a little different than usual, but—”

Victoria squealed and threw her arms around him. “Marcus, this is wonderful! And so soon! I thought we’d have to wait longer or that he’d already be adopted by now.”
Marcus smiled. “No, fortunately I got there before they made any lasting decisions about what to do with him. I made up an elaborate story about why you want him. I’ll fill you in later.”

“Wonderful!” She turned to her laptop again and clicked to call her secretary. “Maude,” she said when the girl’s face appeared, “add Tuesday at 10 o’clock to my appointment book. I’m finally going to visit the children’s home.”

“Yes, ma’am,” she said. She scribbled a note to herself on a sticky note. “Can I do anything else for you?”

“Yes, please connect Holly to my visiphone. I need to have a short conversation with her. Oh,” she continued before Maude could answer, “also contact Stephanie for me and schedule lunch for the two of us within the next few weeks.” As Maude began punching in Holly’s number, Victoria turned to Marcus and asked, “Is there anything I forgot?”

“I suggested on the list that you make flyers asking the citizens to keep an eye out for the diary,” he pointed out.

“Oh, thank you for reminding me.” She turned back and said, “Maude, I’ll need you to print some flyers, send out some emails, and send some text messages about finding my sister’s diary. I’ll send all the information you need with Marcus and I’ll want three to five samples in about an hour.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Maude answered. “Would you like to speak with Holly now?”

“Yes, please.” Victoria’s phone flashed blue, indicating the call coming in.

Marcus stood to leave and lightly kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be back for dinner and then maybe we can…discuss some things afterwards.”

She blew him a kiss. “I’ll see you then.” She accepted the call on her visiphone as he walked out the door. “Hello, Holly,” she said to the face that appeared. “I had a few questions for you about Alana."