DANGEROUS LIAISONS
CHAPTER 12

Detective Monroe

      “I can’t say I feel all that bad for him,” I spoke with my partner Michelle as we left the hospital. “He admittedly attempted to force himself on a young woman for bragging rights. A few weeks in the hospital will do him good. He’s lucky the girl hasn’t pressed charges.”

      “From the way he described her, I’m sure she was too scared to do so. Can you imagine what he life on campus would be after she pressed charges on a young man that belonged to one of the better known fraternity’s on her campus and the basketball team?”

      “Cliques,” I muttered with disgust. “So where to next?”

      “We need to interview this young lady. We need to find out if she wants to make a formal complaint as well as what really happened that night. While I agree, that Andre deserved to taught a lesson, the law is the law. We and the courts pass judgement, not average citizens. No one at that club will admit to beating up Andre. As much as I hate it, we need to get those persons into custody,” Michelle spoke as she popped the lock to our car.

      A quick cross reference with student affairs and a threat to put the schools name out there along with information about the attempted rape of one of their students by another one of their students got them to bend the rules and give us Advani Robertson’s address. The address led Michelle and I to the Brompton on the Upper East Side and we looked at each other before nodding to the doorman holding the door for us and walking towards the bank of elevators.

      “Another richy,” Michelle muttered to herself.

      We had seen our fair share of wealthy children who felt overly entitled and acted as if the legal system was something everyone else had to worry about. However, Advani hadn’t been caught speeding without a license and coke in the car. She hadn’t been caught shop lifting or disturbing the peace. She had been minding her own business when some guy decided he wouldn’t respect the words no and attempted to force his will. She was the victim and I would give her the same respect and empathy I would give anyone else in this situation.

      When the elevator stopped at the 12th floor, I double checked the address before stopping in from of 1235 and ringing the doorbell. Shortly thereafter the door opened to reveal a petite brown skinned woman dressed casually in a pair of wide-legged sweatpants and a simple black tank top.

      “Can I help you?” she asked as she looked from me to Michelle.

      “Are you Advani Robertson?” I asked.

      “Yes,” she answered hesitantly.

      “We’re from NYPD and we’d like to ask you some questions concerning an incident that happened at Ice a couple of weeks ago,” Michelle answered.

      “Well, you should come in then,” she spoke and backed up to let us in the apartment.

Advani

      “Are you sure you don’t want to press charges,” Detective Michelle asked.

      “I’m sure and I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help,” I spoke as I saw them out.

      I tapped my hands together as I sat back down on the sofa and thought over everything I’d been told. My assault hadn’t been a result of a drunken night out, but a premeditated encounter. Up until Julian and I got together, I’d gone by unnoticed. Before him, I would have never been chosen as some notch on a guy’s belt so either the person or persons behind it had a problem with Julian and was trying to get to him through me or it was someone who was mad that I was with Julian. I could think of at least two people that fit that category.

      My mother had always taught me to respect others and myself. She had reiterated to me that I would learn more about people if I sat back and observed than rush off and act. That probably has caused me to be misrepresented by people. People took my patience and kindness as a weakness, but I think it was time I showed them what lied beneath my veneer.

      To be honest, I wasn’t exactly comfortable with the lifestyle being with Julian afforded me, but I did realize that it was a part of him that I would have to acclimate myself to. Almost as soon as our engagement was announced, an article was placed on Page 6 of the New York Times congratulating us as well as talking about how one of the most eligible bachelors in the US had been taken off the market. Shortly thereafter designers started calling as did magazines. Everyone wanted the scoop on what was currently being called the wedding of the century.

      I’d even received a call from the editor-in-chief of Vogue requesting I do a spread wearing some of the couture dresses I was being offered. It was downright crazy and, had Belladonna not urged me to reconsider, I would have declined immediately. Now, however, I’m glad Belladonna expressed some foresight because the Vogue offer would now work in my favor. I knew, from all of her bragging, that Eva would be working with Vogue over the break and what better way to get the answers I wanted than to impose on her work day. Of course, I would be covert in my inquiries, but I would get some answers and Eva had better hope, for her own sake, that she didn’t have a hand in my attack.

Eva

      I’d just come in with an arm load of scarves, all in the requested turquoise, only to be told that I’d taken too long and the color had been shifted to a mint green. I deposited the scarves in the massive closet filled with sample sizes when I was called into Ms. Wintour’s office, which never happens with a junior assistant let alone an intern. The nervous energy around me was damn near palpable, but I pushed backed my shoulders and made the long journey into the Ms. Wintour’s office. I stopped short when I saw the woman sitting on the other side of her chair.

      Telltale amethyst eyes stared back at me and it took a minute to connect the woman I knew she was with the girl I’d seen a little over a week ago. Granted, having Julian as her man would allow her access to the finery of life, but even in the most formal of settings she’d never pulled out the stops like she had done for this visit. I couldn’t say that I blamed her, though. I mean, it wasn’t everyday one had a meeting with THE Anna Wintour. A simple pair of large diamond hoops hung from her ears and she was dressed chicly in an all black ensemble that incorporated a fabulous pair of Christian Louboutin cut-out booties and a leather jacket I would kill for.

      “Advani, what a surprise,” I spoke, looking at her curiously. The look she gave me was one I couldn’t readily identify. It was something between amusement, curiosity and…something else.

      “As you know,” she started easily, “my and Julian’s wedding is going to be a grand affair, especially if our mothers and Bella has anything to say about it. Anna here,” she spoke as she motioned towards Ms. Wintour, “asked if I would do a spread and I decided to give it a go.”

      Anna? Ms. Wintour doesn’t let anyone call her by her first name. What? So, Julian’s put a ring on it and suddenly she’s Manhattan’s ‘It’ girl?

      “Did you need me to escort Advani out or give her a tour of the building Ms. Wintour?” I spoke, turning my attention to my top boss.

      She looked between the two of us, a calculating glare in her brown eyes before shaking her head. “No, Advani here wanted to know if you were available for lunch.”

      “What?” I asked, unable to mask my surprise.

      “Lunch,” Advani spoke again. “Would you like to accompany me?”

      “Sure,” I agreed after the hard look Ms. Wintour gave me. Apparently she really wanted this spread. Advani stood from her chair, balancing her weight effortlessly on the thin stiletto and lead the way out of Anna’s office.

Julian

      I glanced up from my paper when I heard the front door open. Advani must not have noticed me as she didn’t speak. She made her way to the kitchen with a take-away bag, the heels of her shoes rhythmically click-clacking against the hard wood floor. There was a clash of different scents clouding her, but a familiar one was more prominent that the others.

      When she walked back in the room, her leather jacket had been discarded as well as a black cardigan leaving her in a black and white bustier that supported her full chest beautifully. Just as my mind began to wander, I heard her calling me.

      “Hmm?”

      “Where were you a minute ago?” she asked curiously as she took a seat on my lap. “I called you like three or four times.” I laughed and tried to play it off. She relaxed in my arms and played with my hair as she began telling me about her afternoon.

      “So she had something to do with your attack?” I asked, ready to lift her off my lap and go wring Eva’s neck.

      “Relax,” Advani ordered, too calm for my liking. It was then that I realized that she had a plan and I didn’t know whether I should offer her my assistance or sit back and enjoy this part of Advani’s personality that she was finally allowing to come to the forefront. “I have everything under control.”

      “Do I want to know?” I asked.

      “Probably not,” she answered with a smirk before allowing her nails to lightly scratch over my scalp. I closed my eyes enjoying the feel of the caress.

Evelyn

      In the last five weeks, word had spread around the court that something huge had happened concerning the royal family. Neither the King or Queen had spoke on the rumors, but both Belladonna and Julian were suspiciously absent. I, however, had gotten word that the Advani situation had been taken care of so I had somewhat of a clue what was going to happen. The courting will have to begin and I would, undoubtedly, be number one on Julian’s list.

      Sure there were other women vying for his attention, other noble women who have been bred to know what Julian liked and what the position of his consort would entail. However, I’d known him all of my life and would have that advantage. I would play my part as a concerned friend. I mean it had to be hard being betrayed by his mate. Hah! That bitch never had a clue. Truce…really? If she believed that, than she deserved everything she got. Hell everyone knew that all was fair in love and war and with a crown on the line she should have been expecting blows from all angles.

      I took a flute of champagne from the waiter as a hush went around the room. I turned my attention to the head of the room and held my breath as a litany of guards entered the room and were followed by the royal family…well most of them. The King and Queen walked in first and then Belladonna followed. My heart and stomach dropped when Julian walked in with Advani at his side. The whispers started again because it was the first time many of them were seeing her. I pushed out the voices commenting on the dress she’d chosen to wear, the gossiping mothers whispering over the diamonds Julian had undoubtedly lavished her with, and focused on her. She smelled different, he skin had a glow that no cosmetic could give her, and her eyes…her eyes held a hint of something dangerous that wasn’t there before. Julian had done it. He’d turned her!

      As I came to that realization her eyes turned directly on me and a slow smile brightened her features. A gasp went through the room as her understated beauty was noted and ingested, but it seemed only I saw what lie beneath. Advani had never been stupid, of the many things I thought about her-that wasn’t one of them, and she came here tonight in that dress with that air about her to make a statement to me and the other women like me lying in wait for Julian’s affections. She wasn’t just going to lie and take what was rightfully hers by our laws. I was positive that she didn’t know anything about my involvement in her attack, but she was here to let me know that she didn’t trust me and she would fight for Julian. Well so would I.