(no subject)
Elle was getting ready for her date (what did one wear to a murder mystery dinner?) with Ben when the doorbell rang. She froze, running through the list of options. She was picking Ben up, so it wasn't him. Zepar didn't need to ring the doorbell... "Just a minute!"
She moved ran and grabbed the shoebox full of rings and tucked them away in her room, hidden with the other valuables that couldn't fall into someone else's hands no matter what. She grabbed her earrings and hurried to the door. Maybe it was Ben, in which case, wouldn't he be surprised at what she'd done. And potentially upset that she hadn't waited for him, but whatever. He'd told her he was proud of her last night, and the thought made her smile.
And the guests made the smile disappear. She forced it back quickly, though. "Mr. Burnes. Mr. Hodges. What's up?" Flanked by bodyguards, as usual. As if anyone would care to look at either of them long enough to shoot a gun. Ugly idiots.
"Elle. A business emergency has come up." Burnes leaned in to speak conspiratorially. "We need a safe place to talk, and, frankly, I'm not sure your apartment it safe. Would you join us, please?"
Business emergency. Was it about the rings? "Do we have to? I have a date in a couple hours."
Burnes smiled. "It will only take an hour. I promise you'll be back in plenty of time."
Elle frowned and looked at the clock on the DVR as she considered. "It can't wait?"
He shook his head. "I'm afraid not."
Elle sighed and opened the door. "Let me get some shoes."
Burnes nodded as he and the others came in, and she made somewhat strained chit-chat with them both as they rode the elevator and got in the car. They were boarding Burnes' boat when she hesitated, frowning at the bodyguards. Hadn't there been another one? What had Ben said about bodyguards being invisible until you needed them?
"Problem, Elle?"
She shook her head and forced a smile, accepting his hand up. "I just hope we aren't going for a boat ride. I'm actually kind of excited about this date." And not happy that she'll have to redo her hair if it gets mussed up enough.
"Just a tiny ride. It won't be long, I promise." He put a hand on the small of her back and led her into one of the state rooms, Hodges and the bodyguards spreading about the room. Was it just her imagination, or did it look like they were all watching her the way Ben watched people at the parties she dragged him to? "We just have to find out where you put our angel rings. But you'll help us with that, won't you, Elle? Because I'd hate to have to beat it out of you."
Elle paled, about to make a denial. But that would look suspicious... "Wait, what? What happened to the angel rings?" Ben. She had to call Ben. Speed dial.
He saw her hand reach for her purse and tsked as he pulled it off her arm. Elle felt the engines rumble beneath them. "No, I don't think we'll let you call your little werewolf friend. And yes, Eleanor. We know you've been hanging out with that mutt. Now the way we see it, you either tell us what you did with the angel rings, or you don't touch land again unless it's at the bottom of the ocean."
Elle couldn't believe he was trying to sound like a Bond villain. And judging the way he'd just tossed her purse into the water, trying to act like one, too.
She swallowed. "My lip gloss was in there."
Of course, speaking reasonably, that was the least of her problems right now.
((OOC. So, yeah. Elle's run into a bit of snag and will be out of game play until it gets sorted out. Yay for angst!))