GH2026.02 He'll Be Sorry

"Come on, Michael! You promised!"

"No way! Do you have any idea what Dad would do to me if he found out I took you? Hmm? Let me tell you, it wouldn't be pretty." Michael Morgan crosses his arms and glares down at his impatient little sister.

"You promised me, Mike!" Anna Lila snaps. "Don't wuss out on me now! It's a tradition! Every year on my birthday, I tell you what I want to do and you arrange it."

"I am not dragging my sister to a meat market like the Cellar."

"Yes you are. . . otherwise I'm telling Dad that your books didn't really get lost at the beginning of the semester, that you LOST them in a poker game."

"Brat!"

"Wuss!"

The two siblings pause for breath and begin to laugh at themselves. As usual, Michael relents. "Fine, but the bust factor on this little expedition is BIG, so you owe me."

Batting her long lashes at Michael, Anna smiles brilliantly, and in her most docile voice says, "Yes, Pumpkin."

Rolling his eyes, Michael moves to the door. "I'm out of here. Be ready at eleven. And whatever you do, don't try to lie to Dad. You don't do it very well."

Shutting the door firmly behind her older brother, Anna leans on it with a satisfied sigh. "Go out on a date on MY eighteenth birthday will you, Stone? HAH! I'll show you!" She leaps gracefully up the stairs two at a time to her room and begins to rummage through her closet for something to wear.

"Too ugly. Not short enough. Eew! This color is AWFUL! I can't wear this, it makes me look fat! Arrrrggggghhhh!!" Tossing everything back into the closet, Anna flops down on her bed in despair. "Nothing to wear! The most important night of my entire life and I have nothing to wear!" Reaching into the nightstand drawer she removes a picture of herself with a handsome man; medium height, wavy black hair, and gorgeous smile. "By the time I get through with you, Stone, you won't know what hit you!"

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"I just don't get it, Uncle Mac. There's got to be some evidence somewhere that we're missing. I mean, these things aren't just happening out of nowhere." Dom lets out a slow breath and continues to run on her treadmill.

Mac walks on a matching treadmill, watching Dom work off some of her excess energy. "I know that, Sweetheart, but whoever is doing this has got every base covered. For instance, the night Ian's bike got stolen. One of the neighbors saw someone. Except they couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman and their face was in the shadows, so we're at a dead end. We haven't been able to pull a single fingerprint off anything. The only decent lead we've got is the knife from the doll. It's a rare antique. Felicia's contacted several dealers. Still no word from the last one though. But he said he would check his records, and some of them go back to before you were born."

"And Ian and I are getting nowhere on tracking him through his computer tricks. This guy is damned good, Uncle Mac. I mean, not to brag or anything, but if he were sloppy I would have busted him by now." Dom pauses to wipe the sweat off her brow. "Between Ian and I, we should HAVE him. But there's nothing. The last message at the institute was worthless. He sent it through the intranet office message. But since he's so smart that doesn't mean anything, he could have sent it from anywhere!"

"I know. That makes me think this guy is playing games with you, Dom. Like some sort of challenge."

"Well you know what? I'm tired of playing games with this sicko. I AM going to figure out who he is, and see him put away." Dom sets her jaw in determination and begins to run faster.. "No more games."

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"So I was thinking the tables set up like this, around the dance floor and the stage right up front." Holding out a sketch, Lu waits for Lucky's approval.

"I like it, we'll have a capacity crowd. Not only for the anniversary of the club, but Mike's birthday."

"He's what, 40?" Looking at the elderly man sitting at the bar, Lu raises her voice just loud enough for him to hear.

"Ahh, if only, Miss Lulu. Then I'd be young enough to chase you around this bar." Mike Corbin slides off the barstool and walks gingerly over to their table with his cane. Despite his teddy bear looks and stark white hair and mustache, there is still a keen intelligence behind his eyes. "These figures are off by a hundred bucks, Lucky. You need to pay more attention."

"Aww... come on, Mike. I'm not off that often."

"You're a Spencer, Lucky. That means you're always a little "OFF"." Mike chuckles at his own joke.

Leaving Lucky and Mike to their well worn banter, Lu goes behind the bar and pulls out a bottle of water. "Has Brooke given you her song list?"

"Not yet, but she said she'd drop it off on her way home from the Center." Lucky raises an eyebrow. "Why? You gotta request?"

"No, not really, I was just curious."

"Will Prince Charming be honoring us with his presence for the ball?"

"Lucky! Act like a grown up!" Lu snaps slamming down her bottle of water. "I am so sick of you and Nikolas taking cheap shots at my husband. If the two of you can't behave like adults around him, then I'll just stay away from the family all together!" Face flushed with angry frustration, Lu snatches up her purse and notes, and storms out of the bar.

Throwing his arms up in the air in a gesture of confusion, Lucky turns to Mike. "What did I say now?"

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