* In the previous episode, Audrey's first novel is published through an agent in Beverly Hills. She runs into an old enemy from high school, Michaela Stanford, who humiliates her in public. Audrey runs into her again, and Michaela apologizes and reveals her dilemma: she is engaged to be married to a man who is rich but unfaithful and cannot bring herself to leave him out of obligation to her family. Audrey comes up with a plan to free Michaela from her situation and proposes that her boyfriend, Stephen, and she will spy and photograph Michaela's cheating fiance and expose him to the family.
*
Audrey and Stephen didn't waste time in preparing for their espionage.
And that was exactly what it was - espionage -- as if Michaela had hired them to spy on her fiance and his shameless mistress. Michaela provided them with the names of streets where she had seen them, cafes, restaurants, bars, and even a home she was certain belonged to the mistress. Afterward, Michaela retired to her home in Beverly Hills, hoping that her newfound friends would help her out of her precarious situation and not get into any dire straits themselves.
Audrey had never done anything like this. Stephen told her of his former college days in Boston, that he had once spied on fellow students as part of a fraternity thing. His fraternity had asked his help with investigating rumors of radical professors teaching radical communism and even racism. He had to secretly enter classrooms, use both audio and video tape, as well as pretend to be a student of the particularly suspicious professor. Audrey was impressed by his story. Surely, his spy-like past would help them out now.
They decided they'd wear black tight-fitting body suits, the stereotypical spy outfit, and even the small beanie cap on their heads. When they preened in the mirror, they could not resist the urge to laugh. They were in their apartment bedroom. The small window, porthole-like as if they were inside a ship, provided them with a tiny glimpse of the beach, the strand, and the ocean. They smiled and giggled as they stared into the mirror.
"We look like the Avengers," Stephen said, with a chuckle.
"Now, remember, we have to be as inconspicuous as humanly possible. This outfit is to be worn only at night. During the day, we'll wear casual clothes and blend in with the crowds. Michaela's fiancé has never met us, so that's a blessing. But, still, we must proceed with lots of caution."
"Not a problem," said Stephen. "But when you mean casual, just what do you mean? You gotta remember this is not exactly an average little town we're going to. It's Beverly Hills. Even casual folk look good there. We ought to buy ourselves some semi-formal wear to blend in a lot better. You know, polo shirts for me, slacks, dress shirts, business suits, and you can wear some pretty outfits a la Paris Hilton."
"I don't have the money for it! And neither do you, Steve. I make a living with a simple job as a legal assistant and you're bartending in Hollywood. Both of us can't afford to wear really stylish clothes."
"Then we'll just ask Miss Michaela Moneybags for money to be used for buying clothes for the purpose of espionage."
"Ha! Wouldn't that be something?" She was pensively quiet for a brief minute or two. Her eyes glistened with a sudden joy. "You know that isn't such a bad idea. I'll be sure to ask her."
Under cover of darkness, Beverly Hills did not shine glamorously. When Stephen and Audrey had been in Vegas, the city did not even take real shape until after dark, lighting up with neon lights of myriad colors and hues, glistening like tiny sequins on a gown. It was as if Las Vegas experienced a second dawn and day that just happened to be at night. But Beverly Hills was for the most part dimly lit and only a few people were actually up and about. Many houses, beautiful and grand as they were, seemed to be shrouded in darkness and only a few lights, if any, were on inside. The various trees and shrubs surrounding some of the homes made it harder to see. The gated houses were the worst. All the homes that they were able to see were also certainly activated with security systems.
"This is going to be harder than I thought," Audrey said. "But Michaela said if we absolutely have to enter a house, that we should find some discreet way to get in, like enter through the rear, leap into a pool or something."
"Any sign of the scumbag?" Stephen said, with a chuckle.
"I don't see a thing," Audrey replied. "Wait a minute."
Her eyes fell on to a vehicle that was slowly but surely making its way up the street. Audrey strained her eyes to get a better look. It was a black limousine. Stephen and Audrey impulsively concealed themselves behind some bushes which grew by a rather long wall at the entrance to a mansion. The limo stopped before the main gate, the gates opened, activated as if by some device, and the limo sped up the long driveway. The gates began to close slowly.
"It must be them, right?" Steve said.
"Only one way to find out. We can climb up that tree and use our binoculars to take a closer look. Quiet now."
"Sure thing, Nancy Drew."
"Not funny. I don't even find any of this to be inspiring as a writer."
"That's because you write romance novels, not thrillers."
"Be quiet!"
They stealthily climbed a tree, which they found easy to escalate, owing to its many branches and bumps. They did, in fact, resemble children; their young-adult bodies were agile like gymnasts and before long were on a limb on the tree observing the mansion. It was an impressive sight. The long driveway was lined with statuary on two sides, as well as exotic plants and animal sculptures made of hedges. The house was a creamy color and large windows, balconies and a Spanish-style colonnade marked the beautiful façade. The limo was out of sight. Audrey was retrieving her binoculars from her shoulder bag when they fell out of her hands suddenly, crashing over some rocks.
"Jesus Christ," she cried.
