Just a Little Get Together

Delilah looked up as the door to the diner opened and closed and her two contacts stepped in. The two eighteen-year-olds were dressed in shimmering sheath dresses that hugged their youthful bodies perfectly, and the PI wishes she was young again. Emily was a deep blue dress, her legs bare while she walked in knee-high dark suede boots while Rae was in deep red dress with dark leggings and black heels. Both women had their dark hair styled in up-dos and the faces made up. They both caused head turns as they stepped into the busy NYE crowd of the diner. Being NYE though, the stares did not last long as there were a few other women in the diner dressed up as well.

Emily and Rae quickly made their way to the PI. The older redhead was dressed for her role Rae thought wearing a tan quarter coat over a turtleneck and dark slacks with clunky boots on her feet. Her red hair was tied in a simple but messy bun. She sat over a coffee mug and gestured the two women to take a seat. "Ladies..." she said by greeting, watching the younger women take their seats. "I see my money has come to into good use, you're looking good to bring in the new year."

"Yeah, we thought we dress the part," Emily said. "Mark invited us to his house for a little get together to bring in the new year."

Delilah nods, "That's great." She kept her excitement under control this was exactly what she needed. "You know what to do when you get there right?"

"We know," Rae nodded and looked over at her friend.

"What's going on?" Delilah asked, looking between the younger women, sensing the other shoe dropping.

"The situation has changed, we're going to require double the payment," Emily replied.

"That's a lot of money," Delilah frowned, sitting back. "What's the situation?"

"He might be on to us and he may have a partner," Rae added.

"How and who?"

"His girlfriend Katie, we used her to get close to him. We knew her but she didn't know us that well. There's a good chance that got us," Rae explained.

"Katie the girlfriend..." Delilah pondered to herself reviewing her notes in her head. The name was there but she had figured the girl had nothing to do with anything. High schoolers tended to have large friend circles but not real friends.

"You're right, there's something not right with Mark...snooping around him his girlfriend seems more dangerous now...so we're going to need more money if you want us to dig around...especially dig around in his house," Emily stressed.

Delilah sighed and leaned back over the table. "I'm not made out of money ladies. The amount promised you is what I have allotted for this case," she started looking at both women evenly. "However you suspect the danger in snooping. I can pay you the full amount now and we'll call it." She let the offer sit in the air for a moment. The younger women looked at one another debating silently. Rae looked like she was about to speak when Emily beat her to it.

"What if we snoop and find something? Would you pay us more?"

Rae slowly shook her head but Delilah paid the other brunette no attention as it was clear who the leader. "If you find something that is big...we can talk about a large payment."

"Deal," Emily nodded. "We're going to need you nearby...back up and all."

"I can do that," Delilah nodded. "Anything else?"

"No, we'll get you something," Emily said.

After they gave the PI the details of the get together, the two friends left the diner. Inside of her car Rae turned to address her friend. "We should have just taken the deal and walked away. The initial payment is more than enough for us to start living on our own."

"It is," Emily nodded. "But more money is always better. Look, we're starting with nothing and times are going to be hard I would rather have something saved up." She explained.

Rae nodded. It made sense. Her mother had warned as much about living on their own when she proposed the idea. "Do you think Mark and Katie are dangerous?"

Emily smiled, "He's a creep but I doubt it, I was trying to sell it to detective lady for the large payment."

"So what if we don't find something that will help her case?"

"We'll figure something out. Look he's into something that's for sure. I can tell that much just by talking him and Katie. If anything we should be more worried about Katie, she might be the master mind behind whatever they're doing. We just have to figure out what..."

Rae checked the time on her phone. "Well its almost time to go...I hope we can figure that out. You know Delilah is going to be waiting for us tonight we don't have time to make something up." Rae warned as she started her car.

"We need her there in case this all goes bat shit and I'll figure something out...I have to."

The friends arrived at Mark's house and found that him and Katie were still setting things up. "Did we come too early?" Rae asked as Mark let them. Mark was dressed in tux and Katie was in sky blue sparkly cocktail dress that both showed off her toned body and tanned skin.

"No, we're a little late setting things up," Mark said as he looked both brunette's over. They looked great cleaned up had he had to admit. He wondered why the pair were never on his radar at school.

"You guys want something to drink?" Katie asked.

"No," Both women said in unison they both had an odd feeling about the whole thing.

"We're going to save ourselves for the party," Emily quickly added.

"That's cool," Katie shrugged.

"Just hang in the living room...the others should be arriving soon. "Katie and I will be in the kitchen if you need us," Mark said gesturing to the living room where the TV was on and a NYE broadcast was already playing.

"Who else is coming?" Rae asked as she and Emily sauntered into the living room. She had an uneasy feeling.

"Just people from school," Mark replied. "It's just a little get together.

"Lacey and Joel from our Chem class," Katie added. "I think also Jasmine and Erin said they'll drop by too.

Lacey was a bitch and Joel a perv. Emily didn't like either of them. She really did not want to mingle with either of them. They had to find what they needed and leave. Emily already figured out an excuse for a quick exit. "Oh cool..." she said.

Mark and Katie left for the kitchen. Rae turned to her friend looking up from her phone. "Delilah is down the block...I don't like Lacey or Joel and I don't know the other two...this feels wrong to be here."

"I know...let's figure this thing out and bail..." Emily agreed. "Okay...listen I'm going to look around you keep an eye on Mark and Katie. Say I went looking for bathroom if they ask and text me."

"I don't know..." Rae shaking her head and looking towards the kitchen.

"Hey, I don't feel right about this either...but this is our chance to start on our own. If gets intense we'll bail regardless okay?"

"Fine...do it fast I'm not sure we have a big window," Rae urged taking a look towards the kitchen.

Emily set off. She was sure whatever Mark was hiding it was not on the first floor as he was about to have a party there after all. The obvious choice was the basement but she was not going to wandering down there it would be too hard to explain things if she got caught. Best she could do it is rule every other place out and let Delilah figure out what she wants to do. With that her only option was upstairs. She quietly made her up the stairwell.

Down the block Delilah waited in her rental. She looked at her phone at the last text she got from Rae and then back towards the house in the middle of the block that she knew was Mark's. The situation felt off to her. She didn't like the younger women in there but she really didn't have choice. The clearance for the extra funds came through but it wasn't double it was only half. It'll have to do it was better than nothing, she was already paying them way too much. This was the last time she was going to use locals for work. They always tended to be greedy.

Rae paced the living room looking towards where her friend went and then towards the kitchen. She had a bad feeling. Just leaving then and there was not a bad idea she thought. Head out grab Delilah and have her come back for Emily. Rae knew if she did that Emily and her were done especially with Emily's abandonment issues. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She sent a quick text to the PI. "We're looking now..."

Emily found a home office and two empty bedrooms. One room looked to be his parents room. The other room looked to be girl's room. She had heard that Mark had two sisters one already graduated and a younger one. There was nothing so far but she had not found Mark's room yet. She was getting nervous and it took her everything not to just start rushing about but she knew it would make too much noise.

"What's going on? Where's Emily?" Mark asked he and Katie stepped back into the living room with a bowl of chips and drinks.

"Uh bathroom!" Rae blurted. "Let me..." she started to say pulling her phone up to text.

"Rae Freeze." Mark simply said. With that the brunette stood frozen with her phone raised at hip level and her gaze locked on it.

Katie put the drink aside and plucked the phone from Rae's hands. Rae only wobbles slightly in reply her hands remained as if she was still holding the device. Mark set down the chips and moved towards his newest doll. He waved a hand over her blank eyes and poked her hard the cheek.

"I think I like you better this way..." he said his hands gliding down her hips.

"So the PI is nearby and I'm sure Emily is snooping around here," Katie said looking up from the phone.

Emily opened the door to Mark's room. It was the last room so she assumed it was his by process of elimination. She stopped in her tracks as her gaze set on the three naked women who stood at attention before. She only recognize one of the women off the top of head, Phoebe Page. The other two were Latina and she assumes they were Gabby and Dawn, the other missing women. "Fuck..." she cursed and backed out. She tripped and fell and cursed again. "He doing shit...he's doing shit..." Emily chants standing up and stumbling towards the stairs.

When she reached the first floor she was planning on just leaving. Rae could get out this she was always lucky when it came to things. Emily was done with everything. She out of this town. Emily was reaching for the door knob when she suddenly froze in place. She was in mid-stride with a look a fear locked on her face.

Emily and Rae stood side by side in the living room. Both brunette stood at attention with smiles on their faces. Mark looked them over admiringly. Katie stood next to him with Rae's phone which was buzzing with text from Delilah checking for updates.

"That PI is looking for them..." Katie said.

"I guess a meeting is order," Mark suggested as his gaze wandered over Emily and Rae's time-stopped forms.