Piper stared at her reflection on the glass top table. This wasn't Piper Conlan. She had more of the look only Jillie could pull off. Her blue eyes were emphasized by smoky eye shadow and her lips were full and pouty from the gloss dabbed on them. Jewel had curled Piper's hair in big, voluminous curls and dressed her in red leather pants and a black top. Piper felt so...un-Piper. She gazed at Jewel who was buoyantly cheering on a male stripper, waving her money above her head, Evan bouncing next to her. Jewel's thick, long hair was curled and tousled into a glorious mane of sex appeal. She wore pants only Jewel could pull off, fuchsia leather with a simple white top. And at that moment, Piper envied her fiercely. Jewel screamed exotic, sex appeal with her fierce, but bubbly attitude. When she walked into a room, eyes fell on her and when she smiled everyone else smiled. Piper wanted to be like that so much so that it hurt.

After stuffing her stripper's black spandex panties with money, Jewel's gaze fell on Piper, suffering uncomfortably in silence. Of course, this wasn't Piper's style at all, but something had to bring her out of her shell. She didn't want to take Piper to a club because if some random guy tried to feel her up, Piper would probably panic and pass out.

"Pip," Jewel commanded, "wanna grab a breather?" Piper nodded eagerly, too eagerly. Jewel got up, "Evan, were gonna step outside. Don't get us kicked out yet, it hasn't even been two hours."

Evan nodded, "course not." Jewel rolled her eyes, grabbed Piper's hand and led her towards the exit, grabbing two bottles of water from the bar on the way. Once outside, Jewel handed Piper a bottled water.

"There some aqua."

Piper nodded and took it. After a sip, she asked. "Is it safe in this back alley?"

"We'll be fine," Jewel assured, "besides I'm a black belt."

Piper's eyes widened, "really?"

Jewel nodded with a wicked grin, "girl's gotta be able to defend herself. I'll show some moves sometime, babe, you need them."

"What's that mean?" Piper asked.

"Pip, you're the perfect victim. Bad guys look for insecure, small girls like you," Jewel said matter-of-fact.

"How can they tell if I'm insecure or not?" Piper asked, again feeling that complete lack of safety in her world.

"Subtle things. The way you walk, move in general," Jewel explained, taking a quick swig of her water.

"Jewel, you know, I don't know anything about you." It was a comment that was pulled from the air and Jewel turned a questioning gaze on Piper. "Noah asked something about you the other day and I couldn't even answer it. He asked where you were originally from or something-"

"Greece."

"Greece?"

"Born in Greece, but I don't stake claim anywhere, I've been all over. My mom was a performer, my Dad a man with old money who liked to travel. That's about it," Jewel casually remarked. She smirked to herself. "I'm related to the Fairchilds."

Piper's eyes widened so much, Jewel was convinced they would pop out.

"My mother is Eleanor Fairchild's sister, Ophelia Westcott. Eleanor only has an idea as to who I am and I doubt she would lay claim to me if she knew I was in the same town she lived in, not that I would want her to. I would like to keep it under wraps that I'm related to Eleanor Fairchild, so do me one favor and don't spill it to anyone, especially your boyfriend."

Piper nodded, "yeah, okay."

"Anything else?" Jewel asked.

"I'm not interrogating you, Jewel. I was just wondering. But, one more question, why are you in the Glen, I know there are better schools for your major...," Piper trailed off, not wanting to appear suspicious.

Jewel shrugged, "I just came across the Glen one day and I liked it. I've always lived in these big, flamboyant cities up until now, Nice, Venice, Madrid, Athens, San Diego, Vegas, it appealed to me. And Frank Farley is a genius, he had just started to establish himself here when I arrived. The Glen's a good starting place for a stage career."

Piper nodded, "we can go back in there you know. I mean we don't have stay out here just because of me."

"Well, maybe if you didn't sit there with that mopey expression...," Jewel teased.

Piper looked down at the ground in shame, "I'm sorry-"

"Piper, I'm just kidding! I understand this isn't your place, just give yourself the chance to have a good time for once and stop dwelling on the darker side of life, if you do that you're never going to improve," Jewel explained gently.

"I'll, I mean, okay, alright, no moping," Piper said.

"Promise?" Jewel demanded.

"Yeah, promise."


Scene 3:

Just who the hell was Nicolas Tejera? Toni stewed over it as she logged in to her computer at the station. Who was he and just what did he have to do with Tyler Jones. She sent an email to a friend back in Baltimore before logging onto the net to search for some public information to start with. She typed 'Tejera' and clicked search, waiting for the briefest second before a list of matches popped up on the screen. She read through them, most were in reference to family histories and genealogical references. That would take forever she thought skipping to the next page. Her eyes fell on a match that seemed out of place. 'Esperanza Excursions' owned by a Tejera family in Hope’s Cove, Florida. Florida? That caught her attention. She clicked on the link and waited for it to pull up just as a shadow fell across her desk.

Toni always appeared to be hunched over her desk, Andrew wondered if she ever had back and neck problems. He fished a file he needed out of her desk, ignoring the look she sent him. He checked it, to make sure it had the information he needed.

"How's the Tyler Jones case going?" he asked absently, expecting a quick, snappy reply. Might as well irritate her while he could. He would be pulling an all nighter tonight and he needed some form of amusement. The only resemblance between Andrew and his brother, Ian, was the way he could find an easy target and use it to his advantage.

"Go away, McCormick," she snapped without looking up. "I don't have time for you right now." Let's see where was she? Oh yes, Esperanza Excursions owned by the Tejera family, President...Rey Tejera...financial advisor Nicolas Tejera. Bingo. Now was it the same Nicolas Tejera? And better still, what would a fishing boat captain want with Tyler Jones?

"And you criticize me for my attitude," he remarked, getting himself a cup of coffee, before heading back to his office, just anticipating a snappy remark from Toni.

"All right," Toni said letting his remark get to her. "You want to know what I found out? Here's what I found." She shoved the phone bill at him with a transcript of the conversation she'd had with the man at The Flamingo Club. She waited until he'd read through it before adding the latest. "Today, I met a man looking for Tyler by the name of Nicolas Tejera. Mean anything to you?"

He casually turned on his heel and pretended to closely examine the transcript. He didn't care, he was sure Toni could handle the case, not that he would tell her that ever, except for her inability to be unbiased and objective, she was fairly good at what she did. Of course, those were never good qualities for anyone in law...

"Nope, never heard of him," he replied and placed the transcript back on her desk. He didn't even arrogantly toss it like he normally would. He sipped his coffee. It was only ten at night, two hours shy of his usual time. And he was feeling rather friendly...or more like rather obnoxious. "Tejera...knew a woman with that last name when I was in New York..."

"I'm sure they were related," Toni responded caustically. "Look, Andrew, are you interested at all or are you just being polite? Not that you're capable of that." She scowled at him fiercely. "Oh, should I ask how your search for Chase Garrett is going? Oh wait, I forgot," she added, "You can't find him. Rotten luck."

"Angelina Tejera...," he mumbled, the name bringing an exotic woman to mind. "I think you just answered your own question, Toni." Andrew rarely called her by her name. He had a feeling it might irritate her. "You gave me two options and since I'm not capable of being polite, I must be genuinely interested." He ignored her last comment, her problems with feeling inadequate sometimes made her appear quite immature. Damn, he sounded like his mother.

"You know, you'd be a decent guy if you wouldn't be such a jerk," Toni added more for her benefit than his. She opened her mouth to tell him to buzz off when the phone rang shrilly on her desk. They both stared at it for a split second before Toni grabbed at it. "Detective Hamilton," she said crisply. "Hello Dr. Stafford...it's awfully late for you to be calling...what? I'll be there in ten minutes." She looked up at Andrew as she slammed the phone down. "That was John Stafford. Dinah's missing...but someone saw her get into a car with a guy who fits Tyler's description. Want to come?"

Andrew pretended to be flabbergasted that she would invite him. He checked over his shoulder to make sure she wasn't inviting anyone else, before turning to her and replying. "Nah, it's your case. You go on."


Scene 4:

"Dance with me!" Jewel commanded of Piper after they had hit their third club for the night. It was only two in the morning, rather early for Jewel. She didn't sleep much as it was. She could get by with only a couple hours of sleep per day. "Last club, I promise."

Piper nodded. It was definitely past her bedtime. She was not a night owl at all; she was a morning person. She let Jewel lead her on to the dance floor past grinding, writhing bodies into a small space for themselves. Evan was somewhere trying to get a date.

"Don't fall asleep on me," Jewel teased, whirling Piper around. Strangely enough, Piper liked to dance. She was shy and withdrawn, but when it came to acting, dancing, and singing it made her a whole other person. Soon though Piper was demanding water and they hurried back to the bar. Jewel stopped Piper though.

"Huh, what?" Piper asked.

"It's that guy!"

"What guy?" Piper demanded.

"The one I met at Jaquie's boutique. I gave him my number, but he never called," Jewel explained, she believed in chances though and the guy was too cute not to deserve another. Jewel drug Piper over to the bar, sitting next to Jay who's back was to her. She turned her back to him to face Piper, playing a game they often played when Jewel wanted to pick up guys.

Jay felt someone sit next to him, but ignored it. He was in a bar after all and there was a blonde on the other side of the room giving him quite a look. If Gina knew he was here, she’d kill him for sure. But he couldn’t be a monk for the rest of his life. He was still young and he believed without a doubt that there was another girl out there for him.

Piper yawned, practically guzzling her water. After a couple moments, the guy turned around starting at the sight of Jewel's back. He gave her the once over and Piper pretended not to be paying attention to his actions as she casually leaned her back against the bar. She gave Jewel the go ahead and focused on watching the people dancing. Jewel chuckled and turned just enough for Jay to see her face and ordered a beer for herself. She turned casually towards him, as if he were any regular guy at a bar she was going to strike up a conversation with. And she laughed at the sight of him.

"Well, your face is familiar."

Jay shook his head letting a small smile play on his mouth. "Hello. If I’d known it was you sitting next to me, I wouldn’t have ignored you for so long."  He waved the bartender over and asked for another beer. "What brings you here?"

"I noticed you eyeing up that cute blonde over there, thought I would leave you two be," she remarked, allowing him to know she had been slightly toying with him. She stole a glance at Piper who was engaging in conversation with Evan. "Just out with my friends, enjoying what's left of the summer, and you? Besides trying to find a quick date."

"I'm not trying to find a date," Jay replied defending himself. Not a date exactly. "And who says I was interested in that blonde anyway?" He gave her a crooked grin, taking a drink of his beer. Her friends were giving him curious glances over her shoulder but he ignored them. Friends did things like that. It was why he shied away from ever having any. "So how've you been?"

Jewel rolled her eyes and laughed. "Alright, if you want to humor me," Jewel replied, "same ole', same ole" she answered vaguely in reference to his question. "What about you, done any more shopping of late?"

"No, thankfully. But all that shopping is about to pay off for my mother though. We're leaving to visit my sister tomorrow," he explained.

"All that shopping just for a relative?" Jewel replied. "Hm? My family's not that important...well, never has been, anyway, your sister lives here in Richmond?"

"Nah, she lives in some town south of here. I don't remember the name." He finished off his beer, setting it back on the counter with a bang. He'd had two beers and didn't feel buzzed at all. So much for the days when it only took two. "Hey, you wanna go for a ride?"

"Now if that's not the opening line for a serial killer," Jewel laughed amicably, drawing a stare from Piper and Evan.

"I’m not a serial killer," Jay shrugged. "Just a guy." He caught the stares from her friends and slid off his stool. "I can see though that your friends might not like it too much. I’ll tell you what, I do still have your number," he said pulling out his wallet to pay the bartender. "And I’ll always have my bike...so when I get back, I’ll give you a call. We’ll go for a ride then."

Bike? His sex appeal had just escalated by at least one hundred points. Of course, he hadn't called her yet, but if he did, he did, if he didn't, he didn't.
Jewel shrugged, "maybe we can do that. I live in a small town not far from Richmond."

"I think I can swing that. So, it’s a date when I get back?" He asked dropping a five on the counter.

"Sure," Jewel agreed and by now, Piper and Evan were openly eavesdropping on the conversation. Jewel shot them a look and they immediately pretended to be engrossed with the neon Budweiser sign hanging over them. "Ignore them, I don't claim them some of the time."

"That's cool." He slid off the barstool and leaned over to her. "Now remember, I'm not a serial killer, just a guy. And I'll call you when I get back, but if you really can't wait...this is where I work. Drop by any time." He scrawled the name of the garage he was working at on a napkin and pushed it towards her. "See you around." He left the bar, annoyed with himself for not seeing it through. He had a long way to go before he would be over Reese.


Scene 5:

The Stafford home was ablaze with lights when Toni pulled into the driveway behind the black and white. The door flew open at the sound of the police cars and Dr. Stafford emerged, looking angry and upset. He was followed by his wife and another woman Toni had never met. He ignored the uniforms completely and made a beeline for her, greeting her on the sidewalk.

"Thank you for coming Detective," he said, thrusting his hand out to her. She shook his hand firmly, nodding to his wife.

"Of course, and I'm glad you called. Let's go inside, all right?" She suggested gesturing towards the open front door. Dr. Stafford nodded and turned back to the house. Toni gave some last minute direction to the uniforms before following the Stafford inside to the familiar family room. She took a seat in an armchair and pulled out her notepad.

"So, Dinah's missing?" She began.

"Yes," John replied simply.

"All right, well when was the last time you saw her?"

John frowned, thinking. "I saw her last this morning at the hospital. She's been doing some volunteer work there at my request."

"I see. And what was her mood then? Was she cheerful, angry, rebellious?" Toni inquired. John shook his head.

"No...she was fine...well, I don't know anymore Detective. Dinah's changed completely in the last year. Her moods, her behavior..."

"I saw her this morning, Barbara Stafford cut in, "she was upset by something but she was trying not to show it. John's right, she has changed a lot. But I can still tell when something is bothering her."

"Uh huh. And any idea what was bothering her?" Toni asked scribbling the word "upset" on her notepad. "A boyfriend or maybe she was upset with one of you?"

"Maybe one of us," Barbara responded carefully. "She's always upset with either of us at any given time."

"Okay, fair enough. Now, who saw her last?" Toni asked, her eyes meeting the gaze of the young woman sitting next to Barbara. "I assume it was you?"

"Yes. It was me," she replied.

"And you are?"

"I'm sorry," John interrupted quickly. "Detective Hamilton, this is our oldest, Kelly. She just got into town today. She doesn't know too much of what's been going on."

"Okay, can you tell me when you last saw her then, Kelly?" Toni asked, writing the name 'Kelly Stafford' on her notepad.

"It was about five, my parents were still out and I had just gotten here. I was upstairs in my room and I heard a car, so I looked out the window. It was Dinah...um, she made it to the porch but she stopped for some reason before coming inside. I saw her look up but I don't think she saw me. I saw her lips move so I assumed she was talking to someone but I couldn't see anyone at first."

"At first?"

"Well, she turned around and went back to her car after a minute. And this guy got in the backseat. He just appeared from the bushes by the Carters' house."

Toni raised an eyebrow. It didn't sound like a kidnapping to her. Not at all as a matter of fact. "And what did he look like?"

"Well I was upstairs so I couldn't tell for sure, but he was pretty average. About 5'10, dark hair..."

"Okay, and I assume since your father thinks it was Tyler Jones, he was Caucasian?" Toni asked, abandoning her notes. It was Tyler Jones all right and Dinah was helping him. She'd bet her life on it.

"Yes, he was."

Toni looked up at Dr. Stafford. He was consumed with worry. Barbara Stafford looked positively mental at the idea of Dinah being kidnapped. Only Kelly looked reasonably calm. She probably knew it wasn't a kidnapping. She had seen it after all. "If I might ask one more question, Kelly?" Kelly shrugged her approval. "Do you think your sister was kidnapped?"

Kelly glanced between her mother and father for a split second before replying in a clear and confident voice. "No. I don't."


Scene 6:

"Do you need me to drive for a while?" Tyler asked as Dinah yawned, shaking her head trying to stay awake. "You look like you could use a nap."

"And something to eat," she added, hearing her stomach rumble.

They had driven to Richmond after a brief discussion on how they planned to get to New Orleans and pulled as much cash off Dinah's credit card as they could. They hoped, that by driving the thirty miles out of their way to Richmond, that anyone looking for them would naturally start there and continue north. That wouldn't put them off for long though. All they would need to do was look for Dinah's car. That was something to worry about later, though, Tyler had said. Like when they made it farther south. For now, they needed to get as close to New Orleans as possible.

"I could use something to eat too," Tyler agreed. Dinah pointed at a sign announcing a Denny's at the next exit. "Sounds good to me."

Without another word between them, Dinah pulled off at the exit and parked in the Denny's parking lot. It was busy, which was lucky for them, with what looked like a crowd of college kids. They went inside and were seated ordering coffee and a breakfast of eggs and toast.

"Where did you go today?" Dinah asked after their harried waitress poured their coffee and left. Tyler raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"What brought that question on?" He asked stirring a spoonful of sugar into his coffee.

"Well, let's see...you left a note thanking me and Noah and disappeared. But you stayed in town because you showed up at my house begging me to help you get out of town. So where did you go in the meantime? You didn't go see Missy Cravens did you?" Dinah asked. The thought gave her stomach a weird lurch.

"No. Why would I do that?"

"I don't know...what did you do?" Tyler gave her a searching gaze as if judging her all over again. "Come on, I've helped you every time you asked and even when you didn't. You can trust me, you know."

"I know," Tyler replied setting his spoon down. "It's just...look, I'm not who you think I am, Dinah."

"What? You're not Tyler Jones?" She joked. He shrugged back at her without a trace of a smile. "All right if you're not Tyler Jones, than who are you? Prince William?"

"I never said I was someone else like that. All I mean is that you don't know me as well as you think you do," he explained.

"Okay, fine. So if you didn't go see Missy, what did you do?"

"I went back to my apartment," he said as the waitress brought their food. Dinah stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

"Are you out of your mind?" She demanded ignoring the food for the time being. "You could have been seen! Or caught!"

"I almost was." He stabbed at his eggs hungrily. "That cop you talked to...she came in. But she didn't see me," he added taking a bite.

"What was so important that you just had to go back there? It's no wonder you had to leave town so fast!" Dinah exclaimed. Tyler reached into his pocket and drew out a photograph laying it on the table in front of her. She picked it up and looked at a picture of a family, Tyler's she guessed, taken sometime in the mid-eighties by the way they were dressed. "Is this your family?"

He nodded, concentrating on his meal. "Those are my parents in the back there...and my sisters are in front and my brothers are behind them."

"I didn't realize your family was so big. I just always thought you were alone." She handed the picture back to him and picked up her fork. "Is that what you went back for?"

"Yes. Look Dinah, the whole reason I couldn't get arrested was for them. My father died a couple of years ago and my brother disappeared last year around this time. If my mother thought I was in trouble...I don't know what it would do to her," he said seriously. Dinah had the feeling there was just a little more to it than that but since that was the most he'd ever told her about his family, she wouldn't press him.

"Do you think your sister will help us?" Dinah asked when they finished. Tyler dropped some money on the table for the waitress.

"I'm pretty sure she will. Especially after I tell her a few things," Tyler added mysteriously before leading Dinah back to the car to finish their road trip to New Orleans.

On the next Episode of Secret Horizons...

Episode 114