Two months ago...

Clara sat in a restaurant down the road, not so far from their apartment. She worked several part time jobs and this was her free time, she decided to eat out. Once in awhile, you treat yourself to a nice meal not minding your paycheck.

"...they had been caught at exactly 2am...." The news kept going as she felt a presence beside her.

"I think I've seen you around beautiful" the male voice sounded and she turned to stare.

"Mr James?" She smiled

"You do know me" he smiled

"Who wouldn't know the chatty reporter, Mr James Cavendish" she smiled, she was in a happy mood

"Brooks? Am I right?" He smirked

"I see you did your digging as usual.. Clara... Clara Brooks" she laughed.

"I can't help it" he grinned.

"What are you doing here anyway?" He asked

"Probably the same thing that brought you here" she replied

"Nice answer" he chuckled

"Why don't I treat you to a better meal than this" he offered.

"I think I've got this part covered, I take what I can pay for" she replied curtly.

"Nahhh, don't worry about no payment, I'd take care of it" he said with a wave of hand signalling the waiter.

"Get the lady what she wants, I'd just have clam chowder" he smiled and the waiter turned to Clara.

Who was she to refuse, she had tried and he insisted, she had nothing to loose.

"More steak" she smiled.

"Steaks? Seriously?" He laughed

"I think that would do" she smiled.

"By the way, I have nothing for you, if that's why you're buying me lunch, there's definitely nothing to scoop here" she clicked her tongue.

"Oh there is something I want, there is always a scoop" he grinned like a teenager. The waiter arrived with their orders and Clara muttered a thank you, while Mr Cavendish took his time to admire her features.

He had always noticed her right from the very beginning they moved in but Ellie had been so over protective of her, now he met her alone? There's no stopping him.

"Like it?" He asked

"I haven't started" she said.

"My bad" he raised his hands

"So to what do I owe this meal? What's the scoop?" She asked digging her fork in.

"You" he blurted out and her hand stopped. She knew the man, everyone did, she just didn't know this day would come.

"Me?" She asked in surprise, "what could you possibly want from a minor like me" she smiled

"Oh, I know you're over twenty" he said. He was correct, she was twenty-one as Ellie was twenty three.

"Full background check huh?" She smiled placing the steak stylishly on her tongue and chewing slowly.

"So whaddya say?" He asked

"I say... They sure serve the best steak" she smiled and he swallowed nothing staring deeply at her lips. He had drown in lust for her.

"Mr James, quick question yeah?" She asked and he nodded.

"You not married?" She asked and he readjusted on his seat. He had had many girls but none ever asked him that.

"I was not any more, why? You prefer married men?" He asked and she laughed.

"No? I respect them, I see them as fathers, if I need a man, I'd need strong bones" she dropped her fork, the man had made her loose her appetite

"I'm stronger than you think" he smiled

"Oh really? I guess we'd never know" she returned the smile which didn't reach her ears as she stood

"Thanks for the steak though, I got to taste something nice thanks to you" she bowed slightly before leaving.

"This is the beginning..." He smiled staring at her backside.

***

Tyler pulled up in front of the station, Ellie didn't wait for him to park before stepping down and rushing in.

"Clara?!" She yelled attracting the attention of everyone.

"Hi, excuse me, how can I help you?" The receptionist called her attention.

"Where the hell's my sister?!" Ellie raged.

"What?"

"Where Wheeler? Detective Wheeler?" She asked and the receptionist tried to calm her down

"Please take a seat, he'd meet with you shortly" she said.

Tyler rushed in immediately and held her, "let's sit please" he said.

Whenever she was scared or tensed, it was really hard to control her emotions and the tone of her voice, she needed someone by her side to calm her down, maybe that was why she didn't mind taking Tyler along, maybe she expected this.

"Ellie Brooks!" Detective Wheeler walked up to them and Ellie jumped on her feet 

"Where's Clara?" She growled

"Can we talk?" He ignored her question walking her and Tyler to his office 

"Your brother?" He asked referring to Tyler

"None of your business" she snapped.

"I'm her boss, where's her sister?" Tyler spoke up.

"She's been detained" he finally answered

"Why? Why exactly is she detained ?" Ellie blasted

"She's involved in the murder of Mr James Cavendish" the detective replied and it was definitely the holy spirit that withheld her from disfiguring the grunt's face.

"What murder?" She asked in a calmer but dangerous tone, "Clara? Involved in a murder?" She chuckled, "she didnt enter the fucking apartment that day!!!" Her pitch escalated again 

"We can't say that, there was a light outage for over three minutes, anything's possible" he said and her rage grew.

"What evidence do you have?" Tyler spoke up

"The fingerprints on the knife and blood on the broken mug matched hers" he said.

"So you saying in three minutes, sh sat for coffee, killed a man and appeared right inside their apartment, drunk, before the lights came on" Tyler chuckled, but the man wouldn't say more..

"I want to see her" Ellie said sternly with her eyes bloodshot.

Detective Wheeler hesitated a bit before standing, "this way" he walked in front of them and they followed.

"Ellie!!! Ellie!!" Clara screamed in tears the moment she sighted her sister. The sisters hugged while Tyler watched from a distance.

"I didn't do it, I didn't" Clara cried

"You would never " Ellie cried too.

"They just took me away" she cried the more

"And I'm gonna get you out" Ellie assured.

"They said something about my DNA being all over the place, I've never been into that shit hole" she said

" Some one set me up, who would do this to me. Ellie, someone set me up, I've never quarrelled with nobody" she cried the more and Ellie hugged her tightly.

"I'd find help and I'd be back, trust me we're getting you out of here " Ellie caressed her hands as Clara nodded continuously.

"I'll be back for you, you know that right?" Ellie asked and she nodded.

"I trust you" Clara said amidst tears as Ellie left.

"You can get her a lawyer if you want to" detective Wheeler said dryly to her before leaving.

"Let's leave" Tyler held her shoulder and she nodded slowly.

.

.

"Please take that turn and drop me" Ellie said to Tyler.

"That's not the way home" Tyler said

"I need to see someone " she said.

"I'd drive you there then" he offered but she declined nicely

"I'll take it from there, thanks , you've done a lot already" she said and he stared briefly at her before taking the bend and killing the engines

"Be safe " he said as she stepped out.

"Thanks again sir " she smiled and he frowned at the last word but she had left already.

She continued walking until she came to face with the large gate. She breathed in and went through the gate onto the wide compound. She walked steadily till she got to the big door, she used the bells. Soon enough, someone opened the door.

"Ellie?" The elderly man called surprised

"Sir Gerald" Ellie forced a smile. She wasn't surprised her aunt hadn't changed her butler, they've been together for years.

"My aunt's in?" She asked

"Why certainly" he smiled leading the way.

"Someone I thought I'd never see, how little the world is" a woman in her late fifties walked in, in such gracious gait.

"Aunt Kathy" Ellie stood in respect.

"Oh sit" the woman smiled

"I'm pretty sure something's up, you definitely didn't come to see how I'm faring" Kathy sat opposite her.

Ellie wasn't in the mood for pleasantries either, thankfully her aunt understood the issue.

"Good evening aunt" Ellie smiled

"How can I help you?" She asked

"It's about Clara" Ellie began trying to find a way to table the matter.

"She hasn't been released?" The woman asked sipping from her juice and Ellie looked up immediately.

"Oh please, it's all over the news" the woman shrugged.

Ellie didn't mind being popular, but trending from such a case as murder, she'd rather be hidden in the shadows for eternity.

"She didn't do it" Ellie defended immediately.

"The cops doesn't think so" the woman chuckled

"Please help us aunt" Ellie went on her knees.

"Bail, a lawyer, anything at all, Clara doesn't deserve to be in there" she pleaded and the woman went mute 

"Who does then?" She said after a minute of silence.

"Huh?" Confused Ellie asked

"Who does deserve to be in there?" The woman met with her gaze, "do you know who this murderer is?" Kathy asked and Ellie shook her head negatively, not understanding where the conversation was headed.

"Well, you already know what my part of the deal would cost" she said and Ellie swallowed

"You are poor, you possibly can't pay for that else you wont be here and I obviously don't need your pennies, I have that in abundance" she blurted.

"Tell me when you're ready, a lawyer would be ready too" sbe smiled and stood

"I believe this conversation is over and you wouldn't be staying for dinner, right?" She asked but Ellie's mouth was too heavy for her to speak.

"Say hi to Clara for me" she said before retiring to her room or wherever she came out from.

Ellie managed to drag herself off the floor and out of the house onto the streets. How could she be this mean, we're her nieces, there should be no terms and conditions in helping family right?

Her condition?...

Kathy is Ellie's mother elder sister. Their mother_ Ellie's grandma_ had only two girls, Kathy and Sarah. After Sarah had gotten married, Kathy refused to marry to maintain their family name, she claimed she needed no man in her life and she could provide herself with all that she needed. Her initial plan was to have a one night stand with whoever and have a child of her own but she has had even her one hundredth night stand but couldn't conceive. She stopped after awhile and after the death of Sarah and her husband, she wanted to take care of the girls but on the condition that they would not marry and also have their names changed back to their maiden names.

She reminded the girls that their beloved relatives from their paternal side weren't ready to take care of them, of what use was it to keep the name.

She was ready to take care of them and adopt them as hers since she couldn't have hers. Ellie being older had asked her once why she didn't want to adopt a child since she needed one badly. She gave a reply, "I need my baby to be my egg, the sperm? Not really my business" she had said to Ellie.

Ellie calculated her options on her way home and she realized she really didn't have much of an option. She definitely couldnt afford to hire a lawyer, but she was sure her aunt's condition was ridiculous.

"I need to rest, I'd definitely get to the bottom of this, I'm Ellie Brooks after all" she assured herself.

TBC...