Snake in the grass

I on the balcony in Raphael's apartment. I am standing with my hands behind my back and my eyes closed. I am doing this meditation exercise so my mind will focused when I go bring in that snake Marion who is the one who killed my best friend Kat. I need to do this not only for justice but also because I need closure for my troubled spirit. I am hoping that slime ball will have the information that I need so desperately. I need to know why someone I thought I knew my whole life could turn to the dark side so completely or I just might go nuts. If Marion won't give me what I need then I will have to use my own special brand of persuasion which will not be pretty. I had just about gotten all my thoughts in order when my meditation is interrupted by a hand landing on my right shoulder. I don't know if this person is friend or foe so I grab the hand and yank the person down to floor.

"Hey!" Raphael cried out.

"Sorry," I apologized while helping my former boss up. "It is not wise to sneak up on people."

"I was just checking to see how you were holding up," Raphael explained while brushing off his white shirt. "You looked like you were a bit off."

"I was preparing to go on a very important fishing trip by meditating," I spoke as calmly as I could. "I hope I catch a big one."

"Do you know who did it?" Raphael probed while patting my back like the concerned friend he was.

"A mutual acquaintance of ours from work," I hinted.

"Marion?" Raphael guessed.

"Bingo!" I cheered.

"I hear that you are out for blood," Raphael observed with a look of deep concern.

"A small part of me still is, but I promised Sarah that I would bring Marion in alive and I have never broken a promise," I clarified.

"That would be the best course of action for you," Raphael complemented me while adjusting his glasses with his free hand. " can warp the best of us."

"However, I did not promise that I would play nice," I mused with a devilish smile.

"Do you know where to find Maid Marion?" Raphael questioned with a smirk on his face.

"No, but I bet I know who does," I contemplated with my arms folded across my chest since I wasn't very happy with what I was going to have to do. "I might have to make a deal with the devil to bring down Marion."

"It's too bad jolly Vincent escaped from prison some time ago or he would be easy to find," Raphael debated. "How are you going to find him now?"

"It shouldn't be too hard to follow his slime trail," I reasoned.

"But what if Vincent doesn't want to cooperate?" my male friend lectured.

I said nothing but I pounded my fist into my hand a couple of times.

"Ooh, that would convince me," Raphael replied with a shiver.

"I certainly hope it will convince the snake," I pondered aloud.

"I hope that you will be careful dealing with Marion," Raphael cautioned me. "She used to be just a scheming ladder climber, but now she is a killer. She might have some dangerous surprises waiting for you."

"I have some surprises waiting for Marion," I revealed while patting my floral jacket. "Did I ever tell you that I have performed at a few kids birthday parties as a magician."

"That might come in handy," Raphael agreed with a rueful smile.

"I think that it is time to go to work," I observed while putting one of my high powered flashlights into a duffel bag and picking up the phone to call a cab.

I waved goodbye to my buddy Raph while going outside to await my yellow chariot. While I was waiting, I stretched my arms in front of me and I took several deep breaths to center myself since I am a bundle of nerves at the moment. When I finished meditating, I jogged in place until the cab came to pick me up. I gave the cab driver my destination and then planned my course of attack while sitting in the leather chair. Since I have absolutely no idea where dear Marion was at the moment, I would have to get the info from a person I disliked almost as much.

There was something bothering me. I unfortunately know what Kat was doing when Marion killed her, but why was Marion there in the first place? Was she trying to foil Kat's plans and save Paris? Did she feel that it was necessary to kill to achieve her goal? If that is the case, then Marion was wrong. Nancy Drew never had to kill anyone to solve a case. I know I certainly haven't had to kill to solve any of my cases. There is always a way around that. If there wasn't, Marion's life wouldn't be worth pig slop right now.

Another problem I have at the moment is that I did not know why Marion took this endeavor upon herself. Now that I think about it, Marion's activities remind me of rumors that I have heard about a certain bunch of Knights who are running around Paris. If the stories are true, they have performed several services for Paris. That would be fine if these people weren't also responsible for several deaths. Could Marion be a Knight? If she is then that is another reason why I need to end her activities. If there is one thing I can't stand, it is a bunch of people who think that they have the right to play God just because they have performed a few good deeds. The last time I checked, that position has been filled since the beginning of time and even beyond that since God exists outside of time. If He came down and saw how the Knights were operated, He would read them the riot act.

Once I arrived at my destination, I looked around Place Vendome which was the last time I saw Vincent Kharm outside of jail. It was the place where my friends and I foiled Vincent's Elixir Of Scheme. It is where the most convenient access point to the Underground River is. I need to get to the old hideout to I can find any clues as to where the dapper monster might be hiding. I remember how to get to the Arch De Triumph via the river as if it was yesterday. I go down and sneak through the passageways with my flashlight on. But there is a problem. I see another flashlight approaching my passageway so I quickly turned mine off and I hid in the darkness until I discovered the identity of the interloper. Surprise! Surprise! It is the silver tongue devil himself. I bet that he was going to the old hideout to make sure he had taken care of any clues that he might have left before.

I waited as the unsuspecting fly approached. As soon as the target got within range, I turned my flashlight back on so the beam hit Vincent right between the eyes so I would have the element of surprise.

"What the..." Vincent swore under his breath.

"Boo!" I happily chattered at the tuxedo wearing rat.

"Miss... Miss Adams, w-what brings you here?" Vincent asked with an edge of fear.

"Cool your jets, Vincent!" I barked. "I have much bigger fish to fry than you. You can spend the rest of your life hiding under rocks if you want. I couldn't stand that kind of a life myself but to each his own I guess."

"Then just what do you want?" Vincent probed with a menacing look of interest.

"Marion! I want her bad!" I growled.

"I had no idea that she was your type," Vincent jibed.

"This is not the time for jokes, Vincent!" I warned while jabbing one of my finger's at my enemy's chest. "I am very angry at Marion and I think you know why! This is not a good time to push my buttons!"

"I suppose that I could help get the two of you together so you can both knock each other silly, but what is in it for me?" Vincent continued to taunt me.

I could not take it any longer. This conniving jerk seemed to think that he could control me just because he had something I wanted. I could feel my eyes starting to bulge and my breath quickened. There is nothing that I want in this world than to knock this jerk down a peg. There was nothing left for me to do but to grab the joker by his lapels and shake him. That should be enough to show Vincent who is in charge.

"I don't think that you want to shake that tree! You won't like what falls out of it!"

"Okay! Okay!" Vincent begged which caused me to push the bad guy away. "Please calm down!"

"Are you ready to cooperate with me or would you like to push a few more of my buttons?" I protested with my arms folded across my chest..

"It's going to hard to find the one you are after," Vincent reasoned. "She has a lot of places to hide."

"Oh, I think that you can do better than that," I urged while shaking my right fist at the idiot.

"Just what makes you so sure?" Vincent probed.

"Marion used to work for you. She knows things about you which makes her a liability. I hardly think that you would let her disappear without having some way of keeping tabs on her."

"I see that I should not underestimate your detective skills," Vincent gave in. "I suppose that I could set up a meeting for you at a emergency hideout that is near here. If you will follow me to my car."

I made sure to keep a five step distance from the enemy because I did not trust him. If there was some other way to find Kat's killer than I would not even be here. Sometimes life hands you some lemons and you have to make lemonade. It's a good thing that I like lemonade because I have been handed enough lemons in the the past week for a lifetime supply. It is fitting that I am thinking about lemons at the moment since walking behind this arrogant and miserable excuse of a man is making my lips puckered. I am going to need a shower when this case is over. Shortly after we exit the river, we approach Vincent's limousine which is parked on a lonely side street. I am surprised that the dummy is not driving something smaller since he has recently escaped from prison. I see the well dressed snake open the passenger door and look at me.

" Feel free to wait in the car while I make the call to Marion," Vincent offered.

My Spidey sense is tingling. Do I really trust Vincent enough to get in his car? Do I need to get Marion that badly? There is another alternative, isn't there? Maybe I'll wait outside.