Note to reader: This chapter diverges somewhat from the main story and can be read out of order, or skipped entirely, without too much loss.
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Rain poured down on the darkened city. It was late. Few were up at this hour and even fewer were out braving the inclement weather. A normally busy street was almost completely deserted save for a pale light coming from a small restaurant just off the main road. Inside two women sat across from each other.
"I believe this is what you've been searching for."
One of the women passed a brown folder across the table. The other woman, a police officer, pulled out and examined the documents inside. She smiled.
"Excellent. I assume I don't want to know how you got this."
"As always, I have my ways," the first woman agreed. "The less you know the better. Plausible deniability and all that."
"So the girl is completely under your control?" The officer asked.
"More or less." The muscular Latina woman agreed. "She still occasionally shows some signs of resistance, but that should soon pass. I don't expect the mother to be any more difficult either."
"We have a deal than. I get a crack at her first, and then you can have her and her daughter without any interference from me."
"Sounds good," the large woman relaxed back into her chair. "If you don't mind my asking, what is it about this lady you have such a problem with?"
Pausing for a moment to think, the policewoman replied.
"We go back a long way, I just have some unfinished business with her that I need to tie up."
"Well, as long as she's not too damaged when I get her."
"Don't worry Rosa; she'll be left for you tomorrow evening in fine condition." She looked down at her empty glass reconsidering her statement. "Well, for the most part anyway."
With that, she got up and left the restaurant with the folder in hand.
Rosa took a sip of wine as she watched the officer walk out.
"Fair enough," she quietly spoke to herself.
The next morning, Jennifer Price woke up and got dressed in a hurry. She wanted to get to her office early that day. There was a lot paper work that needed to be done on a case she was working on. She had people who worked for her that could help, but she didn't trust them not to mess it up.
The 40-year-old woman was at a high point in her career as a lawyer. She had made junior partner at her firm, and she had high ambitions which included a possible move into politics. She had been feeling unstoppable. She knew she could achieve her goals. Sure, she might have to make some of her employees and colleagues unhappy along the way, but that was their problem.
Just as she was about to grab her briefcase, the doorbell rang downstairs. Jennifer had been living alone in her large house for a few months now. Her daughter, Leanna, had recently graduated high school and had moved out to attend college. It was actually a relief not to have her under foot anymore. Now, she could operate on her own schedule without having to think about the coming and going of an 18-year-old. It meant, for one thing, that she could bring dates home at night without fear of interruption.
Jennifer was briefly married when she had her daughter. She and her husband were only 22 at the time and he didn't want to deal with a kid. He took off one night and she never saw him again. Fortunately for Jennifer she had inherited quite a lot of money and could afford various housekeepers and nannies to do most of the work while she pursued her career.
"What the hell is this?" Jennifer thought to herself as she saw through the window a police car parked outside. "If Leanna has gotten herself in to trouble again, I swear I'll cut her off financially and she can fend for herself."
Opening the door, she was confronted by a female police officer.
"Can I help you?" Jennifer asked in a curt manner.
"As a matter of fact, Jennifer, you can," the officer replied.
"Have we met?" Jennifer asked, surprised that she knew her name.
"It's Loren. Loren Pacheco. We went to high school together."
Jennifer scanned her memory but couldn't recall. It was years ago and she knew a lot of people back then.
"I'm not surprised you're having some trouble remembering me," Loren replied. "We weren't exactly friends, and as I recall you were pretty bitchy to everyone else."
"Excuse me?" Jennifer was taken aback.
She knew it was probably true. She had always treated people pretty badly. But still, what right did this woman have to say that sort of thing.
"Doesn't matter anyway," the officer replied. "There are more important things for you to remember right now."
Jennifer was handed a folder.
"I've recently come into position of something you should see."
"What is it?" Jennifer asked in bewilderment.
"Have a look inside."
Jennifer opened the folder. Suddenly, her mind snapped to attention. Some months ago, before she had moved out, Leanna got herself arrested for underage drinking and drug use. She spent the night in jail. Of course, this would have been a scandal for Jennifer. Not wanting to jeopardize her plans of running for office, she used some connections she had to cover the situation up. She was able to have the police report and any evidence of the incident destroyed. This was done through a third party so she never knew that it was actually Loren who made the arrest. She never bothered to find out. Whoever it was, if they said anything, it would be their word against hers. Without the police report, there would be no proof.
The situation changed in an instant. The document in the folder was what appeared to be the very report that was supposed to have disappeared.
"What is this?" Jennifer asked with a hint of fear.
"That piece of paper you're holding," replied Loren, "is the original report I filed when I busted your daughter."
"You?" Jennifer was again stunned.
"That's right. I was the one who arrested Leanna. Imagine my surprise when I learned a few days later that the report I filed had seemingly been erased from existence."
"This can't be real," Jennifer said still completely stunned.
"It's real. Signed, dated and authenticated. It took me quite a while to retrieve it. Most people wouldn't have bothered. Unfortunately for you, I have a special interest."
Loren grabbed the folder from her hands.
"Your planning on blackmailing me, is that it?" Jennifer responded, composing herself somewhat. "Well as a lawyer let me tell you, underage drinking isn't a big enough of a crime to make it worth it for you."
"But, it's not the actual crime, is it?" Loren replied. "The fact that you covered it up is the real issue. I think that's a jailable offense. Even if you're somehow able to use your fancy lawyer tricks to wriggle out of it, the appearance of a scandal alone would be pretty damaging to you career, wouldn't it?"
"Why do you care? Just because, we were acquaintances from high school?"
"We weren't acquaintances Jennifer. You made life miserable for me."
"Oh come on," Jennifer dismissed the thought.
"It's true. The way you demeaned and humiliated me at every opportunity. You and your friends thought you were so much better than the rest of us just because you were from a rich family who could afford to send you to that school without having to sacrifice anything. And then, your daughter is just carrying on the tradition, isn't she?"
Jennifer just stood there. At first, she was startled at this outburst, but quickly tried to calm her down.
"Look, whatever problems you and I had, can't we settle them like adults?"
"You know what the worst part was?" Loren slowly advanced on Jennifer, completely ignoring her pleas. "Despite all the harassment, I adored you. I would have given anything to hang out with you."
Jennifer stepped back nervously as Loren moved closer.
"I used to think I envied you, but I eventually came to realize something," Loren spoke as she approached even closer.
Jennifer tried to take another step back but bumped into the wall behind her.
"I didn't actually want to hang out with you, I just wanted you."
With that Loren quickly put her arm around the smaller woman's neck and pulled her face in for a deep kiss on the lips. Jennifer's eyes shot wide open with shock.
"Mmmph..."
Jennifer tried to push away. After a moment, Loren released her.
"What are you doing?" Jennifer cried out, trying to catch her breath.
Loren smiled.
"You used to call me a dyke, remember? Well, I didn't really realize it at the time, but it turned out you were right. I did like girls. And, all these years later, I still fantasize about you. I fantasize about sexually humiliating you."
Jennifer was completely stunned.
"Don't act like you didn't have a thing for me," Loren said, noticing the look on her face. "All those times you talked about the size of my breasts, that time you stole my clothes from my gym locker. You had the hots for me, big time, back then."
"Th-that's not true," Jennifer protested timidly. "I don't like girls."
"Oh, come on. You've never experimented before? You've never even considered it?"
Jennifer shook her head.
Loren gently brushed a strand of blond hair from the woman's flushed face.
"You're telling me that, in all these years, you've haven't once thought of me like that?" Loren softly whispered.
"I haven't thought of you at all," Jennifer responded.
Angry, Loren pushed Jennifer back against the wall and took a step back.
"Fine," the incensed woman spoke. "I guess this will be a new experience for you then."
"Please, just calm down and we can talk about this," Jennifer begged.
She desperately wanted to get the folder and end this.
"No, I'm going to talk and you're going to do exactly what I say. If you want this folder, you're going to follow my orders precisely."
"Alright, fine," Jennifer relented. "What did you want?"
Loren's mood suddenly seemed to lighten.
