The Bad Twin (12 page)

He took her right hand and kissed the backside. As the cab pulled off, he told her “Adiós señora.”

She waved good-bye and went back to her hotel. She didn’t have problems out of this cab driver when it came time to pay.

The next morning, the sun shining through the window blinded her; she tried to hide under the covers.  She was thankful she remembered to take an aspirin before going to bed, because otherwise, her head would be hurting along with her eyes.

After taking a shower, she decided to eat a light breakfast on her balcony so she could enjoy the ocean view.   She looked up from reading the American paper and looked out across the beach. She saw the same couple that she had seen the day before a few doors down on their balcony. This time, she knew she recognized the man.  She did a double take, because she didn’t recognize the woman. She made it a point to count how many rooms down, so she could confirm it was indeed the man she thought it was.

She finished her meal. She made sure she had her sun block, her sunglasses, and the rest of her beach gear.  While she walked down the hall, she counted the doors and knocked on the one she thought belonged to the couple. A maid opened up the door. She apologized to the maid as if she had the wrong room. “I’m sorry. Wrong room.”

***

Maybe he just has a look a like. I hope I’m wrong.  I guess I’ll lounge around all day and just enjoy this good tropical weather.

***

Rose headed to the beach and spent the entire day there. 

VIOLET

These numbers are not adding up. I’ve got to have this report to the board in less than a week and I can’t figure out where some of the funds have gone.   I know I haven’t used them. I need to get Janice in here to help me with this, because right now all of the numbers are running together. Looks like I’ll be putting in some overtime this weekend.  

***

Violet dialed Janice’s extension. “Janice, can you come to my office for a minute?”

“Sure. Be right over,” Janice kindly responded.

She heard Janice as she walked up. “No. Don’t sit down there. Let’s go over to the table.  We’re going to need some elbow room. I need you to help me figure out something. The auditor the city uses has brought back a report and it shows some funds are missing from the community center. I need to have a counter report in the Board’s hands by next week. I’ve looked at it over and over, and honestly I can’t see where the money went.”

Janice scanned over the report. “We keep our own records and we’ve been very thorough.”

 Violet tapped the head of the pen on the table. “I know. Our numbers don’t match their numbers at all. It’s as if the money went into a black hole.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“I hate to do this to you, because I know you’re supposed to have a long four day weekend. But can you come over Saturday and help me go through the files?”

“Now you know I will. It’s entirely too much stuff for one person to go through. In fact, why don’t I just cancel my day off and we work on it tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to do that. There is no sense in both of us stressing.”

“I won’t be able to enjoy my day off anyway if I’m worried about you.”

“Okay. Let’s come in a little earlier. The center’s children’s party is Friday afternoon and I don’t want to miss it.”

“Cool. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Violet locked her office and went home.

***

This is a Calgon night. I don’t want to see anything with a number on it. Dang it, there’s the phone. I can be home all night and my phone won’t ring, but as soon as I get in the tub, it wants to ring. Maybe who ever it is, will get tired and just hang up. Why isn’t my answering machine picking up?

***

Violet exited the tub, wrapping a towel around her as she rushed to the phone. The caller ID box said unavailable, so she picked up. “Hello.”

“Hi. Baby. You sound like you’ve been running.”

“I was in the tub. How are you and your parents?”

“Everything is fine. I needed this time with my family. Sometimes I hate being on the road. I’m enjoying this down period. I miss you.”

“Marcus, I miss you too.”

Marcus end sounded muffled. “I can’t wait to see you. I’ve been having some wild dreams about you.”

“Oh really now?”

“Yes. So when I get back, just have the strawberries and champagne waiting.”

“Slow your roll. By the time you get back. I’ll be having a visitor.”

Marcus sighed as if disappointed. “Can it visit early, because I’m in heat?”

Violet laughed. “No silly. You know it don’t work like that.”

The phone crackled and Marcus said, “This phone keeps messing up.”

“It’s a bad connection. Do you want me to call you right back?”

“No, I’m getting off anyway. I just wanted to tell you I miss you and to let you know you’ve been on my mind constantly.”

“I miss you too. Now hurry home, so I’ll have something to play with.”

“You naughty girl. I’m going to tell your mama.”

“If you do, the honey is off limits.”

He laughed. “See you wrong. Okay. I’ll be quiet, as long as there is an endless supply of honey.”

“Whatever. Bye.”

***

The next morning, Violet arrived at the center early. She set everything up, so when Janice arrived, she could start outlining their strategy. They needed a plan to figure out the problem or they wouldn’t accomplish anything.  She would use her desk and she setup a laptop and an adding machine on the table in her office for Janice to use.

“Good morning. I thought you would be here. I know you haven’t eaten, so I bought us both some bagels and juice.”

Violet took the bagel and used a plastic knife to spread strawberry cream cheese over it. “Thanks. I was starving, but didn’t feel like going to get anything.”

“I know you girl. So where do I begin?”

For the next fifteen minutes, she went over what she needed Janice to do and how she wanted her to arrange things, so they both would be using the same method.

They spent the next eight hours going through all of the files and formatting the information.  They took a break to enjoy the children’s party the center hosted and each went home to get some rest. They spent the next day, which was Saturday, comparing the data with that of the auditors.

Violet wiped the sweat off of her forehead as she continued to go through the papers. “We’ve spent two days and still things are not adding up.”

“Hold up Violet.”

“What?”

“I think I found it.” Janice jumped up and started doing the Cabbage Patch and sang, “I found it. I found it.”

Violet took the paper she was holding out of her hand. “Where? Now show me.”

“See we’ve been looking in this area, when all along it was in the miscellaneous funds area.”

“How did the funds get moved over to miscellaneous, when they were originally broken down by each project?”

“Looks like somebody has been playing monopoly with the center’s money.”

“Yes, but who is that someone?”

“I don’t know.”

Violet blinked her eyes a few times and hung her head low. “I wish I did, because now there’s another problem. All evidence points towards me.”

ROSE

I’m so glad I extended my stay for a week. I thought I would be bored, but not having to rehearse or be at a shoot, has been so relaxing.  I’ve been spoiled.  I must bring the family down here for a vacation. Even Mama would have fun here. The tours have been well put together.  I really loved the snorkeling. I don’t know why I don’t have an aquarium at home as much as I love the ocean. Getting an aquarium will be the first thing on my agenda when I get back to the States.

I will need an extra suitcase to fit all of the things I just bought. Tonight I’m going to the fiesta in the hotel.  I don’t know what to wear. I like this light blue floral wrap and I can just wear my sandals
.

***

Rose took a quick shower to freshen up. She coordinated her outfit with some jewelry she had purchased and found a pair of black sandals that matched the outline of the floral wrap.  She took a final look in the mirror. “This will have to do.” She touched her ears. “I love these big colorful earrings.”  She grabbed her hotel key and placed it in her matching small clutch and walked out the door.

The party was in full swing when she got downstairs. Everybody was drinking, laughing and dancing wherever they stood.  While she danced, somebody came behind her singing. “Hey pretty lady.”

She turned around to the familiar voice. “John. What are you doing here?”

She gave him a tight hug. He responded, “We’re filming in a town up the road there. I heard about the fiesta, so I decided to stop by and get my party on. What are you doing here?”

“I came down for a week vacation and I have seen so many people from LA here. But everybody has pretty much kept to themselves.”

“Cool. So you want to hang out with me and my crew or are you enjoying your solo act?”

She danced around him. “I guess you can hang with me.”

John laughed and they continued dancing. John made introductions to the rest of the production staff; they knew who Rose was, although she hadn’t worked with the crew before. 

Rose got out breath. “Whew. I think I’m going to sit out on the next couple of songs.” She found her a chair and flopped down. She bent over to put her sandal strap back around her ankle, and when she sat up she was looking directly at the man who was on the balcony. A slow song was on and he was all over the woman she had seen him with earlier.  She rushed over to where John was standing and grabbed his hand and led him to the dance floor. “John, I need you to do me a favor. Dance with me. I see somebody I know, but I have to make sure it’s him, before I say something to him.”

“Oh, you’re trying to make one of your old boyfriends jealous? Well, use me.”

She wrapped her arm around his neck and they danced and slowly moved toward the couple. “No. It’s not even like that. I think I see someone’s man.”

“What? Don’t tell me it’s going to be some drama tonight.”

“Let’s hope not,” she said as they danced and swirled until they got right near the couple.

She purposely bumped into them, so he would have to look her way. “Excuse me.”

Marcus face showed a shocked expression. “Violet, what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing and who is this woman?” Rose yelled.

Marcus stuttered, “You’re not Violet. Rose?”

Rose stepped in between him and the woman he was dancing with. “Who else would it be? How dare you cheat on my sister!”

The woman walked from behind Rose and looped her arm through Marcus’s arm. “Marcus, who is this and what is she yelling about?”

Marcus stuttered his response, “This is Rose Purdue. You know the actress.”

Rose interrupted him. “I am his girlfriend’s sister and who are you?”

The woman looked at Rose as if she was ready to fight. ”Look Rose, I don’t care how many movies or CDs you have out. Marcus is my man and for you to go through all these dramatics is not even necessary.”

“Look here wench. This is between Marcus and me.”

John stepped between them both because he could tell that blows were not far behind. “Rose maybe we should leave now.  He knows he’s been busted.”

Marcus tried to pacify both women. “Yes. Let’s table it for now and we can talk about this later.”

Rose turned around. “Marcus, I have my phone right here. All I have to do is dial a number. I want you to explain to her, what you are doing here with another woman. You told her you were going to your parent’s. Now she might look old, but she ain’t quite old enough to be your mama.”

The woman took her shoes off and was about to hall off and hit Rose, when Marcus intervened. “Rose, please don’t tell Violet.”

The woman took one of the shoes and hit him with it and turned to walk away. “What do you mean don’t tell Violin, Violet or whatever you said?  You sorry son of a….” She continued out the door.

Marcus tried to go after her, but Rose grabbed his arm. “No Mister. You’re not going anywhere. I should have known you were trifling and I could have saved my sister much grief.”

“You’re not going to tell her about this are you?”

“What do you think?” Rose said with her arms folded.

“She never has to know. I promise I will stop seeing Marie. You know I really care about your sister.”

Violet started singing, “Heard it all before.”