Chapter 79 - 79. Air Of Authority.

Lenora frowned when she opened the door and saw the annoying fan page manager. Krystal gave her a sarcastic smile.

"You're late."

"Nice to meet you too" Krystal said walking in. Looking around she could not hide but visibly drool at the apartment. Everything made of either glass or ceramic and her apartment was covered in neutral colours.

Gray, white and black. She had a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling and there many beautiful architectural structures, the living room was even lower than the rest of the room, where her couches sat. She had a dinning table that could house up to six people and she assumed moving away the kitchen would be equally grand. This apartment, if it was one, was easily three times the size of her rooftop room.

And that was just the sitting room and dining.

"When you're done drooling come onto the balcony, it's pretty hot now but I'm too lazy to start moving everything back into the house." Lenora said.

Krystal blinked and looked at her, shaking her head she followed behind her. "You have such a wonderful place, what did you do to get it?"

Lenora turned around, looking at her with upturned lips, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"I know a reporters salary can't get you this apartment, it's an annual lease right?" Krystal asked.

Lenora folded her arms and pursed her lips. Tilting her head so her waist length brown hair fell across her shoulders. "So what? Do you think I do something illegal?"

Krystal shrugged. "I was just asking, it's either you're making crazy secret online money, or you a cooperate heir."

Lenora eyes narrowed into silts and she was about to attack, Krystal saw the signs and held her arms up. "Hey, if it's a touchy subject I wouldn't mention it again okay. Can we go?" She said trying to stifle the smile that threatened to burst out on her face.

Lenora turned around and walked away swiftly. Krystal smiled at herself, she found an Achilles heel now all that was left was some inside research into the woman and she would have at least some leverage.

"I should offer you something, but I don't want to." Lenora said as she sat down.

"It's okay I don't mind getting something for myself." Krystal said with a smile.

"Fine the fridge is in the kitchen on the left." She pointed and Krystal nodded, heading into the kitchen.

"So what have you found out?" She said from the kitchen.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that first?" Lenora said.

Krystal rolled her eyes, of course she would be difficult. What did she expect from Lenora. But since she had nothing, which was why she was here in the first place, she would lead her on and be as vague as possible.

"Well I'm sure you know that Jessie Marin was sighted in the Song memorial hospital right?" She said walking back to the balcony with a canned bear in hand.

Lenora eyed the can in her hand and frowned, "are you old enough to drink?"

"Excuse you, what do you take me for? I'm 21." Krystal frowned.

"Huh, what responsible adult follows celebrities around do you not have a job? Or are you just desolate?"

Krystal jaw dropped. "What kind of adult still makes childish remarks, I'm sure you much older than me yet I seem to be the only responsible adult in the room."

Lenora frowned "why do you keep assuming I'm so old? I'm only 25."

"Ahh... you look 30 my bad."

"Hey!"

"Don't blame me, haven't you heard people that scowl a lot tend to get wrinkles." Krystal said dusting of imaginary dirt from her jeans.

"I do not have wrinkles!"

"Whatever, ma'am." She bowed. "Shall we get on to business?" She asked.

Lenora scowled at her and opened her laptop. Krystal took the opportunity to look around the papers that were scattered around the balcony.

"I must say you're pretty bold."

"Why?" Lenora asked.

"Leaving papers scattered around, outside, it's like you teasing the wind." Krystal shook her head and set out to gather papers.

"What is this? Someone died in the Song hospital?" She asked, holding up a paper that Lenora used to scribble down her thoughts.

"I guessed you haven't heard? Rookie" She mumbled the last word and Krystal scoffed. "A staff member, I think he was a tech guy the one handling the cameras and stuff."

Krystal frowned, she knew a guy, handling the cameras. A guy in the Song hospital. "What did he look like? Was he incredibly tall and lanky, with a sassy attitude and pale white skin. He had a military hair cut."

"No idea, never actually saw him. And I doubt I ever will, all I know is that a tech guy was killed in the hospital."

"He was killed? In the hospital? Wow! Do they know who did it?" Krystal asked.

"No not yet, although I think I'm have the evidence they need to catch the culprit." Lenora said slowly.

"What do you mean by that?"

"... I'm not sure I should tell you, what if you blab to someone else?" Lenora said seriously.

Well she was definitely going to blab, her rent was literally on the line, but Lenora didn't need to know that. And although she was a terrible actress she was a pretty decent liar.

"Who would I tell? Is this that serious, you look very scary right now." Krystal laughed nervously.

"All I'm saying is that these people are pretty sick and incredibly dangerous." She warned.

"Okay? Wait, is this related to Jessie Marin? Because if it isn't then you don't have to say anything."

"It is, I believe this are the same people responsible for framing Jessie and making the world believe she's dead." Lenora nodded.

"Wow... that's big." She said trying to quell the butterflies in her stomach and hoping her eyes weren't making dollar signs.

"So? Who are they?"

"I have no idea" Lenora said. Krystal face fell, how helpful.

"So....?"

"It's a recording, I can't tell or decipher anyone's voice." Lenora admitted.

"Is that it? Let me listen, I might be able to tell."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Lenora looked at Krystal skeptically, then played the recording.

Krystal frowned, "so I'm guessing you know the identity of the last two voices."

Lenora nodded. "Paul Song and Katherine Park. Apparently they were friends with the victim."

Krystal nodded slowly, wait a minute Paul Song?

She knew that name, she liked that name. "I know who Paul Song is, I meet him the last time I went to the hospital. He took me away from the sassy and annoying tech guy, whose name was Steve... Oh my goodness." Her hand flew up to her mouth. "He's dead, play the recording again."

Lenora did as she was told, Krystal replayed it over and over. Stopping only at the first two people before the gunshot.

"Do you recognise any one?" Lenora asked.

"I'm not sure, but the woman's voice sounds extremely familiar." Krystal said.

"Really? How can you tell, she only spoke once through out." Lenora replied.

"I don't know, it just sounds incredibly familiar, like I've heard it before." Krystal said. "Wait a minute, let me check something." She pulled out her phone and went through her videos, opening the very last interview Jessie had with Patricia before she went missing.

"Well the secret to our chemistry is the impeccable acting. When you are as talented as I am you can certainly pull of anything"

Krystal played a part of Patricia speaking from the interview. "Now, play the one from the recording."

Lenora nodded and did as she was told.

"Are you really going to kill him?"

Krystal played the interview again and Lenora played the recording. They did this three more times and stared at themselves with knowing looks.

"How did you know to check Patricia Lee first?" Lenora asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" She huffed and mumbled rookie as well. Lenora rolled her eyes and scoffed yet again.

"Patricia was the only witness to Jessie's 'kidnapping' and she was the one that got her 'suicide' note, call whatever it was." Krystal said slowly as if she was explaining it to a child.

"And since Jessie Marin isn't dead, where do you suppose arrogant miss Lee got her information from?" Krystal asked.

"Damn. This seems extreme for a rivalry don't you think?" Lenora frowned.

"Well nothing seems extreme for crazy people." Krystal shrugged.

"What about the guy in the recording, do you have any idea who he is?" Lenora asked.

"None at all, I don't know of anyone close enough to Patricia that would do something of the sort. Infact I don't know of anyone close to Patricia at all." Krystal shrugged.

"He doesn't seem like a regular thug, he does has an air of authority." Lenora suggested.

"An air of authority? What is this Shakespeare?" Krystal scoffed.

"What is wrong with you?" Lenora asked.

"An air of authority, an air of authority." Krystal repeated making strange gestures with her hands.

"Hey!" Lenora yelled, reaching to grab her but Krystal darted away and began to repeat it over and over, laughing as she did.

"Real mature!" Lenora said.

"I know right?" Krystal winked. "I'm sorry back to business, what do you plan on doing with this information? Aren't you going to give it to the. cops?"

"I don't trust the cops."

"Huh.. I get what you're saying... I mean I really do, but isn't your boyfriend like a cop or something?" Krystal asked. "Shouldn't you at least trust him?"

Lenora didn't say anything, she looked at her phone. "It's getting pretty late you should go."

"Really? We've not even discussed what we're doing with this."

"We? We.. are not doing anything with this, and I swear I will destroy you if you mention this to anyone else. So go." She said.

Krystal frowned, another achilles heel? She nodded grabbing her phone and jacket she walked to the door. "You know, maybe if you stop being such a brat and start to consider other people's feelings. You're relationship with the cop wouldn't be so strained." She said as she stood before the open door.

"What the hell do you know about me?" Lenora spat.

"I know enough to conclude your a terrible host, and you're only going to push everyone that could possibly help you away if you don't change, especially the cop." Krystal said.

Lenora glared at her.

"Well, I'll be off. My regards to the cop, and don't worry no matter how much you try I won't go away." She said with a sweet smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lenora asked.

"It means, now I know where you live I'll be coming often. Expect company bye." She said shutting the door behind her.

Lenora frowned as she sat back in the balcony, the sun was already beginning to set. Maybe she should call Jamie, but did she have an answer? Could she stop being a reporter and just be his girlfriend?