52

The old steward walks steadily to Doctor Richard with the file in hand. He presents it with shaky hands to Richard who received the Ike without a second glance at him. He tears the wide, brown envelope open and takes out the papers.

"Well, well… let's find out what you must have been up to, Mr Lewis." Richard mutters under his breath. He stares at the papers and skims through each page. His eyes catcg the words "detective" "deceased parent" "prison record" "single". His lips curve in a cold smile. His guess was right. He knew this Lewis did not just pop out of nowhere into Emily's life.

"Alright, detective. You have been quite busy. He has a stellar record too. Always solved his cases. This one is one of the good ones. One of the dolphins. What do you think happens to dolphins?" He asks, casting a quick glance at the old man with his head still slightly bent in fear. Richard dos not expect an answer from him. He fixes his gaze back at the papers.

"Well, dolphins are used as a snack for sharks. Their blood brings a red to the clear waters, displaying the vibrant colour of dominance and sending a clear warning to the rest of the water community. Other weaker beings know better than to tread around shark territory when it carries he sharp, tangy smell of blood. Ha ha ha ha ha."

Richard lets out deep laughter that reverberates around the space. The steward acts as though he is about to leave and when he takes two steps backward, Richard thunders.

"And where do you think you are going with the papers?"

He stops in his tracks and the direct question makes a shiver run down his spine.

"I uhm… I was uhm… I was not going anywhere, Master Richard. Just trying to give you your space." His quivering voice comes out like a whisper.

*Oh please, you should be old enough to know how to lie right by now. Drop the files right on that desk. Get me my iPad, I need to find my princess." He orders the old steward. He hurridly walks forward to search out where the iPad could be. He finds and walks back to Richard hurriedly to hand over the gadget.

Doctor Richard unlocks it with his face and opens a live cam. It appears black but shows that it is still taking record. It means two things. She either found out about the hidden camera the size of a chip on her favorite watch which she barely took off except for trivial activities like using the toilet or she had dumped the watch somewhere for no reason. After all, it was only a material thing . She could dump it and decide to get something better or more expensive.

Richard knows his daughter is not so smart to discover the hidden camera in the expensive watch he got her for her birthday some years ago. He knows he should not be worried, she is obviously a grown woman who can be anywhere she wants to be. But this grown woman is his daughter and she needs him on her tail at every moment to be able to make right decisions. He does not think of this as obsessive. He thinks of this as protective.

"Where could she be? What could she be doing? Haaaaaa!! I hate not knowing these things. Why would she leave her watch at home?" He smashes the iPad to the ground and signals at the old steward to cone closer.

"Send someone to clean up this mess and get a new ipad with the former details. Everything exactly as it was. Get out." He orders the man. He scurries away, muttering an almost inaudible "okay master."

****************

"Are you ready to leave, darling?" Lewis whispers ito Emily's ear. Her neck grows hot with warmth over the proximity of their bodies. She stares at him and gives him a warm smile.

"Not yet. I am infact waiting for a particular someone to arrive. My redemption s not in any way complete without her." She says this, then places her arm over his shoulder and squeezes it a little. Lewis does not know if this is for show or this is a true sign of her affection. He really hopes it is not the latter. It can not be. Emily does not date his kind. She has a track record for dating men specifically handpicked by her father.

"Who could this person be? Why is her arrival crucial to your goal?" Lewis asks gently. The noise in the hall drowns out their whispering. Lewis notices that every now and then, the ladies sneak glances at them. Some do a pretty bad job of staring though, or maybe they just want it to be known that Lewis and Emily are the subject of their discussions.

"This person is Tammy Ferrara. She is well… as much as it pains me to say, she is what you would refer to as the cream of the crop at the top of the social hierarchy. She is from old money. Her great great grandfather was said to be one of the biggest slave owners in all of the country, owning lands over the state and plantations, of course." Emily explains who Tammy is to Lewis. He nods his head patiently to her explanation.

"So, what does she have to do with you?" He asks, trying to get the picture. Emily sighs impatiently, wondering why he has not gotten the point by now.

"She has embarrassed me too many times than I can take. She tries to push me down the hierarchy every time we cross paths. But today, oh dear, today I came ready. So, sit pretty darling. There is still some work to be done." Emily's lips curve in a smirk and a knowing gaze.

Lewis does not know what all the fuss is about who is on the top and who stays at the bottom. These women all look beautiful and wealthy to Lewis.