A Corrine Myers Mystery -

A Corrine Myers Mystery -- Chapter 2

You say Blackmail I say extortion.

The drive down to the expensive seaside suburb of Seacliff took longer due to peak hour and Sk8er wanted to know what I had been up to since our little adventure with, what she called 'The other stuff'.

In truth, I told her not a great deal. Mostly work. Talking photos of some wayward husbands. A couple of insurance jobs. And oh yeah, collecting an outstanding debt. Lisa owed me a month of Sundays. It came as no surprise to anyone that I chose a month with 31 days.

I had to explain what a month of Sundays actually meant. Both to Lisa, Evie and now to Sk8er.

So I explained it once again. "Look," I said, "A month of Sundays means just that," She had a blank look on her face. "Say you pick February, well that has 28 days, so a month of Sundays means you get 28 days' worth of whatever. Not the number of Sundays in said month. Which is what Lisa thought it meant,"

Sk8er shrugged her shoulders. "OK, then. So what did Lisa owe you that was worth a Month of Sundays?" She exaggerated the last three words.

"When she asked me to find Evie for her, she couldn't pay me in cash, so I jokingly said, she could pay me with her body, 'A Month of Sundays'. Which means I get to have her 31 times when I want to." She said it with a wicked smile on her face.

"You are such a .....a" Sk8er went searching for a word she couldn't find. Corrine helped her.

"A Sleaze"

"Yeah a sleazy,"

"You can talk, you have these 15 or 16-year-old girls hanging around you to all hours of the day and night." Corrine looked over at her as she was fiddling with her phone.

"Jealousy's a curse Corrine," She said as she openly smiled at her. She stopped and showed Corrine a photo of Chloe, "That was taken a few weeks before, you know. I liked her, a lot," There was so much sadness in her voice.

Corrine went quiet and took a deep breath before carefully saying, "Sk8er life is so fragile. We have so many rules, and laws, and all sorts of shit we put into place to try and keep people safe. Then there are those out there who don't give a rats A about any of it, have no respect for anything or anyone, not even themselves half the time, and don't value life at all. My advice, for what it's worth. Find someone you care about and love them. Age doesn't mean a fucking thing when you think about it."

"Tell that to a mum or dad when their 14-year daughter is being fucked by a 20-year-old bloke," Sk8er hadn't taken her eyes off of Corrine since they started the conversation.

"6 years," She huffed. "It isn't about the age it is about the life experience. A 20-year-old kind of knows right from wrong, but a 14-year-old?" Corrine shrugged her shoulders when she said it.

"The girls I date are all around my age, so nothing illegal is happening there. The younger ones get told to POQ," She blushed as she said it.

As they got closer to Seacliff, the traffic thinned out and the cars on the road got more expensive. Sk8er gave directions until they arrived at an out-of-the-way ultra-modern 3-story mansion, overlooking the gulf. It sat atop the southernmost point on the highest part of the bluff.

"Your sister lives here?" Corrine asked nonbelieving "What does she do again?"

"YES! My sister owns it and had it built. She does everything from here. Sings, writes her own stuff, and produces the clips, all of her moves are hers and real. Unlike some of those American and Euro types."

Corrine parked her new Mustang next to a dirty black Lamborghini.

"She needs someone to look after her car for her,"

"Are you offering?" she was smiling as she said it.

"Maybe, if I get to use it,"

Sk8er sniggered, "That's mine. She doesn't drive."

They walked towards the front door as they approached Sk8er said "Ska8er's here" and the front door opened for them.

Corrine was gobbed smacked. "Get the fuck outta here,"

"It saves carrying a key around," she told her as she laughed.

"Whoa just a sec, you fucking hang around in skate parks but you live up here, you drive a Lambo, and your sister is a singer of sorts. What the FUCK Terry!!!!........What else are you hiding?"

As they walked into the spacious entrance Sk8er looked at a display board and said her sister was recording. She pressed several buttons and walked off towards a large living area overlooking the ocean. Sk8er stood back and let Corrine survey the house. Every now and then she shook her head, said fucking hell, and moved to another area.

An indoor swimming pool, a BBQ area half inside yet open to the elements, a games room with a white Grand Piano and a billiards table.

"Do you remember a song called Imagine by a guy called John Lennon, well that was his piano. So I'm told. He was shot by some nutter. Means nothing to me."

Corrine looked at her, completely stunned. "Now that has to be bull shit, Sk8er."

"What, that it's his piano?"

"NO! That you really don't know who he is. You know the Beatles and all that,"

Sk8er looked at Corry and said slowly, "I am 18 so I was born in 2005 and the Beatles were a 1960's boy band. Why the fuck would I know or care about them?"

"Boy band, you say," and Corrine almost choked.

"You are what 35 or something old, so you were born like ages ago, how do you know them?"

Corrine looked at her. "My grandparents were boomers, and my mum and dad were really into music, so I know all about the Beatles and most of the bands around that era,"

"Then you'll get on well with my sister," She explained.

Sk8er shook her head, took hold of Corrine's hand and led her down a staircase and into a room, full of memorabilia. Beatle Memorabilia. Original John Lennon and Yoko Ono paintings. Photos of a small pixie-like woman child with Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. Guitars hung on a wall, all autographed. A Beatles drum kit personally autographed by Ringo.

Corrine's eyes nearly fell out of her head.

"How fucking rich is your family?" She asked and before Sk8er opened her mouth another voice spoke up.

"Moneywise, plenty rich," the woman child in the photo stood before her as she turned around.

She was just 5' tall if that, slim, pretty as any woman Corrine had ever met. An infectious smile, bright eyes, and just a bubbly type persona. Full of life.

Sk8er introduced her sister. "Corrine Myers meet my older but smaller sister, K'ann Seal but spelt C. E. L. L. Or if she likes you she will let you call her Kerry when no one is around.

"Kerry Cookson, hhhmmm, K'ann C Ell has a theatrical ring to it," Corrine told her. As she held out her hand. K'ann took it, shook it gently and held onto it. Smiling at her, she held out her other hand for her younger sister.

She took them into her recording studio. There she had all her awards from the UK and the USA. She even had a gold Album or two. "OK, I'm now suitably impressed," Cried Corrine.

K'ann just waved a hand at her, "It is all make believe Corrine, trust me, there are more wankers and fakes in this industry than you can imagine,"

She continued talking without missing a beat. "Can I get you a drink? or is it too early for you to have a wine or a beer?" She asked.

"Hell no," Came the reply, "But if you have a Fireball or a whiskey, I'd prefer that,"

"I have both, which do you prefer?"

"Fireball, neat, two fingers deep please K'ann,"

She poured out a half a tumbler glass of Fireball and handed it to Corrine.

"Hells Bells girl, that's more than enough," She said as she laughed. "And thank you,"

They all sat in the sea view room, a private area, peaceful.

Corrine looked at Sk8er and then at K'ann. "Who's going to tell me what happened? And what you want me to do,"

K'ann spoke up and went straight to the heart of the problem. "Corrine, after I tell you what happened, if you want out, I will understand and will pay you for your time today,"

Corrine nodded and K'ann handed her a single sheet of paper a straightforward non-disclosure agreement. Corrine read it and handed it back to her.

"We don't need one of those," She said as she looked at K'ann straight in the eye. She wasn't kidding.

"What if I insist?" K'ann said.

"Then I finish my drink and leave. No harm done, I've met a new friend and so have you,"

Corrine turned to Sk8er, "Have you told your sister what we've been up to in our recent past history?"

Sk8er looked straight at Corry and went white. "Didn't Matron give you the word?"

"Yeah, she did. So your sister doesn't know what you've been up to?"

K'ann looked puzzled her head moving from one to the other of them. "What are you two talking about?"

In unison they replied. "Nothing,"

"K'ann, trust me on this, you don't need a nondisclosure agreement. And if you insist I'll just leave."

Kerry turned to Terry and asked, "Are you one hundred per cent sure about her?"

"I am a thousand per cent sure sis, I trusted her with my life, and so did 24 other kids. She doesn't lie,"

K'ann looked at her again and screwed the sheet of paper up and threw it behind her.

K'ann looked uncertain, before speaking.

"Last week I had a few friends over, some brought other friends and so on, so it got a bit out of hand. Nothing unusual about any of this, the party went on and on, I don't do drugs or even drink, but I do have other ways of getting my jollies. They involve sexual partners. Oh shit, how can I say this,"

Then Sk8er took over. "Corrine, Kerry and I are lovers, and some prick took a video of us making out. Together and with some friends. We thought we were alone amongst friends. All our friends, real friends are understanding. Then someone sent us a handwritten note, would you believe that, who writes notes these days? Well, it said if we don't pay them 10 million dollars by Friday they will post it on the net,"

Corrine looked at Sk8er and then back to her sister. "You think your career won't survive this?"

K'ann shook her head.

"Friday of this week, can I see the note please?" Corrine asked.

The note was handed to Corrine. She read it and held it to the light.

"The person who wrote this is older and is used to writing notes," She told them.

The two girls looked at each other and asked, "How do you know that?"

"It's simple," She told them, "No one under 50 writes notes they use email. The person who wrote this has used bonded paper, which is high-grade paper, not your normal sticky notes. The handwriting is neat, clean, cursive and there are no spelling errors,"

She stood up and faced them before continuing, "Would I be correct to assume that none of your friends at this party come orgy, was over 40"?

Sk8er stood up and put her hands on her hips. "It wasn't an orgy,"

"Alright then, how many of you were in the video?" She asked.

K'ann stood next to Sk8er and hugged her, "6 or 8 of us,"

Corrine looked at them again and asked. "How many of you were dressed?"

The two girls looked at each other, they stood face to face their foreheads met gently, their arms resting on each other's shoulders before K'ann answered her "None of us,"

"Let me guess, not too many were of the male gender, I'm not shocked or judgemental OK?

The girls were just dumbfounded. Sk8er turned her head and glared. "What do you think?"

"My first thought is. One of your friends has left their phone around and someone, a parent or possibly an older brother or sister, took advantage of it."

"You are looking for someone who knows a lot about your wealth. 10 Mill is a big ask. Or, someone whose parents are not completely thrilled with you as their kid's friends, and maybe someone who might have some financial issues. Have any of your friends shown signs of any jealousy type things?" The questions came thick and fast. Corrine studied them as she spoke.

The two girls kissed quickly and sat down, holding each other's hand.

"Do we take it you will help us?" K'ann asked quietly.

"Sure, it is pretty straightforward, or a short section of urine. My fees are pretty basic one thousand a day plus expenses," She said, looking at K'ann.

"If you fix this for me, I will pay you a hundred thousand dollars," She told our illustrious PI.

They shook hands and the three of them hugged.