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Our first step was to figure out where Sophia lived The three of us would head into Silverlake and see if she was still at her old apartment If she was, that made our plan a lot si to do

"If she’s still in the LA area," Gus said, typing in his computer, "we could at least find out where she works She was still working as an esthetician, hey Caed with one shoulder "As far as I know She’d definitely have to be working I think that was part of the reason why they tried to get the money from me She wouldn’t have to work any of sharing the s down on my notepad "You don’t kno close she is with theoes Is she just a pawn getting a ss"

He sighed and took off his glasses, rubbing the lens against his shoulder He had found sexy nerd glasses at Target and had the prescription put into thelasses and tats were a delicious combination – but I did miss his eyes a bit

"I honestly have no idea anylasses back on "Your guess is as good as ave him a wistful look "It doesn’t matter We’ll find her if we can"

"And we just did," Gus announced triu the screen of his laptop to us so we could see There was a spa in Burbank that said Sophia Madano worked there as one of the skin techs

Gus picked up his cell phone and handed it to ain?"

I took it fro soain "I can be Elizabeth Waters" I dialed the number on the screen and waited for it to pick up A woman with a thick Asian accent answered I asked to ivebrown hair

"That’s Sophia," the woman on the phone said "To herwith nerves already I gave the phone back to Gus and wiggledwith Sophia to, green contacts," Caested "I doubt she would, she only saw you from afar"

I let out a shaky breath and folded ht Then what?"

"Talk to her, find out where she lives," Gus suggested

"I ht sound like a creeper"

"You’re a con artist, Ellie," Gus said

I frowned at that "Was"

He rolled his eyes and ran his fingers over the brackets that lined his ardless of whether you were or still are, you knohat you’re doing Have so yourself up over this shit You’ve done all of this before Act the part, gather the intel, report back to us We’ll tail her, scope out the scene Then move on to the second part of the plan"

It’s too bad the first part of the plan relied entirely upon h, it was odd that I was suddenly so afraid of having to go through with this, souess after soplaced in the line of fire, I was scared to death that soained would be taken away

Later that evening ent for a drive, heading into LA and the area of Silverlake looking for Sophia’s old place The apartment was occupied and we spent a few hours outside of it, doing surveillance Camden had a hunch that Sophia wasn’t there anymore because theshades were a different color and there was a doormat outside the door that wasn’t there before His suspicion was confirarette: an elderly man, stooped over Seconds later an old woman came out and yelled at him to come back inside Definitely not Sophia

The next ht I wasn’t even in thesex At first, anyway, but it’s hard to say no to a cock belonging to 6’2" of tonedto pull this off with Sophia I had no proble to be a redhead called Elizabeth but I knew I’d have proble not to shank her

We had rented a car for the occasion, under it, and I drove out toward Burbank with Gus and Camden in their rental car not too far behind I had a Mini Cooper because that’s just how I rolled while they opted for a Honda Civic, fast enough but nondescript I pulled up the Mini Cooper in the parking lot of a stripChinese buffet next to the "spa" and spent longer than I should have sitting there and trying to controlI had on was real hair and fitnicely over my shoulders It didn’t look sex kitteny, it just looked nor contacts though, but the natural green color worked ith my skin tone I could pass for Elizabeth, I could pass for Elizabeth, I could pass for Elizabeth

I wasn’t Ellie Watt

I wouldn’t kill Sophia

I inhaled until ot out of the car I earing a black pantsuit, sleek and professional I worked in accounting for an advertising fir we got frole Twenty-seven years old Testing out a Mini because I want to buy one but noas afraid the red color clashed withher pores cleaned

I wouldn’t kill Sophia

I gathered e and walked over to the door and strolled inside like this wasoverhead and I wasand a woum It was a busy place, with the manicures and pedicures at the front, Vietna with each other The rest of the treatments seemed to be in the back in dentist-like chairs

"Can I help you?" the girl at the counter asked, her hair looking like it got dipped in Pepto Bis Sophia to hear ot a two pirl eyed the co "Sophia!" Then she pointed at the end of the rooht there"

I slowly turned and looked Sophia alking toward me, a completely blasé look in her eyes She looked tired but still pretty, a tiny woman with mad curves, her brown hair pulled back off her face so it showed off her aristocratic nose and red pouty lips She barely sedBut I was so close to grabbing her by the throat and asking if she kneho I was, if she knehat she’d done, if she realized how fucking screwed she was going to get

I didn’t, though I just gave her a smile and said, "Hi, I’m Elizabeth," and extended ave ht this way"

Bitch

I followed her over to the station and she instructed round I lay back in the chair and she asked me what I wanted

Oh, I had so many answers to that

None were appropriate