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Post by DancingDays on Jan 5, 2012 15:25:40 GMT -5
(Please be kind. It's my first time.)
DISCLAIMER: Certain names have been used to make it more interesting, but the characters do not necessarily represent any person. living or dead.
OFFICES OF “CARRAFE INVESTIGATIONS”
Carrie and Rafe have joined together to start a PI business in Salem. They named the business “Carrafe Investigations” in an effort to include both of their names. So far, the only case they’ve been paid for was finding a crazy lady’s cat. On this day, they are in Carrie’s office brainstorming advertising ideas.
CARRIE: With the $100 we were paid to find the cat that gives us, well, $100. Guess we really don’t have a huge budget for advertising.
RAFE: (shrugs) Yeah, I know. Hey, what if we got a twitter account? Lots of people do that. And it’s free!
CARRIE: Good idea. What if we…
Carrie is interrupted by the tinkling of the bell above the front door. A middle-aged woman walks in. Her eyes are teary and swollen.
WOMAN: Is this Carrafe Investigations?
RAFE and CARRIE: (simultaneously) Yes! How can we help you?
WOMAN: I think m-m-my husband is ch-ch-cheating on me. (Breaks down sobbing)
RAFE: Hey now, come on in here. Sit down. Here’s a tissue. I’m Rafe. This is Carrie. How can we help?
WOMAN: Th-th-thank you. My name is Nancy and I really don’t cry like this. Ever. I feel like such a fool. But I just have to know if he’s ch-ch-cheating on me.
CARRIE: Why do you think he’s cheating on you?
NANCY: He’s been staying later and later at work. He says he has “meetings” but I just have this gut feeling he’s lying to me. Plus, last week I called his office and they said he’d left hours ago. (Starts crying again) Hours! And he still didn’t come home till well after midnight. I tried to ask him where he’d been and he wouldn’t say. He told me to not worry about it. But the final straw came yesterday.
RAFE and CARRIE: (simultaneously again) What happened yesterday?
NANCY: His shirt smelled like perfume! (Sobs) And it wasn’t mi-i-i-i-ne.
Rafe glances over at Carrie while rubbing Nancy’s shacking shoulders. They both nod at each other.
CARRIE: Nancy, I think we can help.
RAFE: Absolutely. As private investigators, we can follow your husband around and detail his every move.
NANCY: But won’t he know you’re onto him?
RAFE: No, we can hide in plain sight very well.
NANCY: (With a slight, watery, smile) A handsome man and a gorgeous woman like you two? I doubt it.
CARRIE: (blushes) Well, thank you, but we are professionals. Your husband will never know that we are tailing him. What’s his name, by the way?
NANCY: His name is Martin. (Cries again) I just don’t know what I’d do without him. He means the world to me. You have to find out the truth for me. I’m at my wits end.
RAFE: Don’t worry, ma’am. We’ll help you.
Carrie explains the fees involved with the investigation and Nancy gives them her black AmEx Card. She thanks them for taking her case and leaves.
CARRIE: Alright partner. It’s our first real case.
RAFE: Let’s do it , partner!
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Post by MrsM on Jan 5, 2012 15:47:37 GMT -5
Ok, I haven't read it yet, but I am just SOOOOOO excited that you wrote something. Yay DD!!!! Will comment again after I have read it!!!!  |
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Post by MrsM on Jan 5, 2012 15:49:50 GMT -5
Love that Nancy has a black Amex. Big spender!!! Looks like they have a cash cow on their hands!
Great start DD!!!!!!
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Post by sportsgirl on Jan 5, 2012 15:56:06 GMT -5
Great start DD... I once actually started a fan fic one time but by the time I continued working on it, it became so dated... I seriously need some down time.
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Post by fluffysmom on Jan 5, 2012 16:17:23 GMT -5
Love it DD! Perfect client names! I hope to read more soon.
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Post by krw627 on Jan 5, 2012 17:05:39 GMT -5
Can't wait for more!!! Sounds like a very fun story.
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Post by Kpatch on Jan 5, 2012 17:07:41 GMT -5
Great start DD and I'm so happy to finally have a non-Phloe story to read.  Thank you! I love the name Carrafe investigations. Very creative. LOL at Carrie saying they have $100. I love your humor! I'm glad you were inspired to write this and no one would know this was your maiden voyage. I hope writing hooks you the way it hooked me. Looking forward to more! |
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Post by gapeach on Jan 5, 2012 17:33:21 GMT -5
Great start - can't wait to read more.
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Post by DancingDays on Jan 6, 2012 9:23:49 GMT -5
CARRAFE INVESTIGATIONS, LATE AFTERNOON
CARRIE: So what did you find on this husband?
RAFE: Well, his name is actually Martin Campbell and he is a lawyer at Campbell, Stern, and Associates. It’s over near the new Horton Square. Amazingly he doesn’t work for anyone here in Salem, and seemingly has no ties to anyone we know.
CARRIE: Seriously? I guess this town actually is bigger than I thought. Huh.
RAFE: His specialty is tax and property law and the firm seems to be doing quite well. According to his credit card statements, it appears he enjoys collecting stamps, old books, and vinyl records from the 60s and 70s.
CARRIE: Any idea if he’s cheating on his wife?
RAFE: I don’t know. But I did find something strange in his financial records. He has a separate card that lists the billing address as his office address. All of his other cards go to his house. And the only charge on the card is a recurring monthly charge of $2000 to someplace called “Miss Millie’s.”
CARRIE: “Miss Millie’s?” What the heck is that?
RAFE: I don’t know. All I can find on it is an address. It’s on the outskirts of town and it looks like it’s in a pretty sketchy neighborhood.
CARRIE: It’s getting pretty dark so I don’t think we should go there tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Right now, we should probably go get something to eat and start our first stakeout.
RAFE: Sounds good. (he holds up two take out menus) You want Chinese or Mexican?
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Post by DancingDays on Jan 6, 2012 10:39:31 GMT -5
(That chapter seemed a little short, so I'm posting the next one.)
OUTSIDE MARTIN’S OFFICE
Rafe and Carrie are parked outside Martin’s office. As they eat their Chinese food and wait for Martin to come out, Carrie makes small talk.
CARRIE: This food is great! I’m so sick of everything at The Pub and Chez Rouge. Not having a kitchen in our hotel room stinks.
RAFE: I know what you mean. I feel bad if I don’t go to The Pub at least three times a week. (shrugs) You know. Gotta support the in-laws. And I’ll never admit it in front of her, but Sami’s cooking is terrible.
CARRIE: (laughs) Yeah, she never really picked up that skill. She was too busy doing other things.
RAFE: Tell me about her.
CARRIE: Sami?
RAFE: Yeah. What was she like when you guys were younger?
CARRIE: Really? Are you sure you want to know?
RAFE: What? It can’t be all that bad.
CARRIE: Well, she was kind of a brat.
RAFE: (chuckles) Sami? A brat? Yeah, that sounds about right. What else?
CARRIE: Well, did she ever tell you about the time she drugged my husband and pretended to be me in order to fool him into thinking they’d been lovers?
RAFE: (shocked) WHAT?!?
CARRIE: Yep. And then after failing to seduce him a second time, she left town briefly only to reappear at our wedding, pregnant, and saying that Austin was the father. She had us all fooled. But, thankfully, I figured out Lucas was the father before they could get married and I stopped it. Boy, was she mad!
RAFE: I can just see the steam coming out of her ears. She’s got one helluva temper.
CARRIE: You aren’t kidding. We went round and round and I just knew she’d be the death of me. Seriously, I thought she was going to kill me at one point. It’s amazing that we can even be in the same room together nowadays. (looks down at her hands in her lap) Sometimes I think she still wants to just get rid of me.
RAFE: (reaches over to hold her hand) Nah. She’s gotta be over it by now, right? Plus, I think you’re pretty awesome anyway.
CARRIE: Thanks. But what about you? Since Sami and I don’t exactly stay up late at night chatting, I really don’t know much about you. Who is Rafe Hernandez?
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Post by sportsgirl on Jan 6, 2012 10:44:48 GMT -5
I guess Sami left out some parts about her past...Rafe & Carrie are getting very chummy.... Thanks for the extra chapter.. It's really good so far!
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Post by Kpatch on Jan 6, 2012 10:56:01 GMT -5
I wonder if Millie's Place is a brothel.
It sounds like Carrie has a lot of stored up animosity toward Sami, plus she's a little bit afraid of her. She had no trouble telling Rafe how awful Sami had been as a youngster. I got the feeling that she wanted to make sure Rafe knew the worst.
Thanks DD. This is a really good story. Looking forward to more!
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Post by gapeach on Jan 6, 2012 12:12:58 GMT -5
Great story so far - can wait to read more!!
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Post by MrsM on Jan 6, 2012 12:32:02 GMT -5
Can't wait to learn what secrets Rafe has in his closets that he tells Carrie that he never told Sami! This is getting good!! Great work DD!!!
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Post by fluffysmom on Jan 6, 2012 16:32:11 GMT -5
I'm thinking Miss Millies is a brothel too. This is a great story DD. I look forward to learning more about Rafe. Never thought I'd be saying that!
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Thank you! 
