Tell me your secret

Norman Jones

Norman watched Richard through the barely cracked bathroom door. His heart leapt into his chest when his boss paused. Crap, if he knows I'm here... The mechanic's fists clenched as he waited for the man to turn around...

But then Parker continued down the hall. Norman heaved a sigh as he gave the businessman some time to make his way to the next room. He heard the noise of a door shutting. Then as silently as he could, he slipped into the hall and knocked quietly on Mary-Ella's door.

The door cracked, and Mary-Ella's eye peered out at him. "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk to you," he murmured urgently. "We've got to be quiet, or Parker'll hear us. Let me in."

Yay! A chance to come back in! Lol. Yes, I have computer access now, but just for the weekend, FYI

Maia Baker

I was lying on my stomach, on my bed, in the wrong direction, reading over an assignment for one of my classes, when I heard a knock on the door.

"Yes?" I called, without looking up from my paper. The accursed fiend who owned the house strode in. "Oh...hello..." I said quietly.

"Good evening, Miss Baker," he greeted in response. "There's no point in beating about the bush, so I'll get right to the point." I raised an eyebrow. He cleared his throat, and continued. "Your father was a very, very bad man."

I held in a laugh. 'Right. Because you have a lot of room to talk," I thought to myself.

"I'm sure you know, of course, that he was my most trusted henchman, and I told him and gave him everything. A terrible mistake, I will admit, on my part, but that is beside the point. It's because of him that I trust no one anymore."

'And it's because of what he knew that I've never trusted you,' I thought.

"As you know," he went on, "he turned on me, and that is, as you can very well imagine, unforgivable. It's unfortunate for me that he's already dead, of natural causes."

"Pity," I growled, trying my hardest to suppress any more anger from escaping with my words.

He grinned wickedly. "So, I'll make you a deal," he continued. "You give me back every piece of evidence you have stored away in your attic, and never reveal anything to anyone for the rest of your life, and you'll get to see the rest of your life."

I laughed. "Ha! And that's all? My life, for every document that contains everything you've ever done, and everything you're planning to do in the future? And pretending I don't know anything? Sorry pal, not worth it."

His grin widened. "Oh, but that's not all. No, of course not. I can give you so much more."

I sighed, annoyed, and glared at him. "Look, it doesn't matter. Nothing you could give me will ever change my mind. I know everything. And that is more precious than my own life."

He eyed me angrily. "You don't value your life very much, do you?"

"I do," I replied stubbornly. "And it's truly saying something that I value the things I know about you more than that."

His anger seemed to disappear. "You've got until midnight. You'll change your mind." His confidence was sickening. With that, he turned and headed for the door again.

Before it shut, I left him with some parting words: "Uh, no I won't." When the door slammed shut I watched it for a couple minutes more. "Asshole," I muttered.

---

Haha she's a stubborn brat XD

~Rayne

Mary-Ella

"Look, I don't know anything," she hissed. "I would prefer to be alone. Mr. Parker is a nut case and I don't plan on overstaying my welcome. While I may pretend to not be afraid of him, I don't really wish to die. So if you'd excuse me," Ella replied, trying to push him out.

Norman grabbed her wrists. "If you don't be quiet and listen you will die. We all will. Now it looks like you care a lot about staying alive, act like it."

Ella jerked her hands away. He seemed okay. She wasn't about to trust him, but she could hear him out. Still he deserved to know she wasn't going to help him.

"I'm assuming everyone is in my shoes?" She asked, sitting. Norman nodded.

"Now would you listen?" He asked, exasperated. Ella shook her head.

"I suppose. But just know, I'll hear you out and I'll try to help you and the others...but know, I am a survivor first. You don't want to trust me. It's only fair to warn you now. If it came between you and me I would sell you out."

Ella pursed her lips. Let's see how much he wanted to tell her now.

Norman Jones

Norman rolled his eyes. "Have it your way, but I think you're a lot less cold-hearted and selfish than you let on."

"Whatever, just get on with it."

The mechanic rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, as you've probably figured out, Richard invited you and the other guests because each of you know something that could damage him somehow."

Mary-Ella nodded. "And?"

"And if you don't want to end up fed through a wood chipper and scattered over the grounds, you'll make your way to the old servant's quarters on the edge of the property in about," he checked his watch, "fifty minutes. Are you in?"

Mary-Ella snorted. "Well, yeah. I'd be kind of stupid to turn down your help."

"Good. I'll see you there." Norman cracked the door and, ascertaining that Parker was still in the next room, slipped across the hall and back into the bathroom.

Mary-Ella

She wasn't sure she could trust him. He thought she wasn't as selfish as she let on. Yeah right, she thought. Her stomach flipped. Well, she hoped he wasn't right. She may have said she didn't want to die, but Ella, despite how suckish her life seemed to be, still wanted to live.

"I guess I have to trust him for now," she mumbled.

She peeked outside her doorway just as Mr. Parker was leaving the other room. Ella shut her door quickly, ber heart pounding. Had he seen her? Ella heard his footsteps die out. She gave a gusty sigh and walked outside the door.

Mr. Parker laughed from the top of the stairs. "Going somewhere?" He asked.

Mary-Ella glared. "Maybe I am," she told him annoyied. "Does it matter?"

"To me, yes," he laughed. "Besides you won't make it out alive if you do."

"We'll see about that," she spat out acidly. "Maybe it will be you who's life will end tonight."

Mr. Parker smiled, amused. "Yes, I suppose we will see about that."

Anyone know if writewatiwant and EmmaJane are still in this? If not, there characters will remain but I'll skip over their whole interrogation scenes to get this moving along.

Richard Parker

That Mary-Ella was a card. She thought she had some sort of fighting chance against Richard. Richard laughed as he ascended the stairs. He only had two more guests to attend to now.

Richard stopped at the door of the beautiful young pianist. He would speak with her first. She would be hard, as she may not know that the knowledge she has is connected to Richard.

"Hello?" Stella's voice answered when Richard knocked. She had an enchanting voice, it would be a shame if she had to die.

"Ms. Thomas, how are you this evening?" Richard smiled and pushed his way into her room, closing the door behind him.

Oh, I'm watching. Sorry. Brain is asleep. ^^'

Okay. =) Richard will be getting to your character shortly *evil chuckle* xD

Brian Kent

Brian woke with a startled gasp, drenched in sweat. He searched the shadowed room desperately, sure he had heard a noise. His heart beat frantically as he sat as still as possible, staining his ears for that sound.

There was nothing; only silence.

The breath whooshed out of him. He was imagining it. Thank God. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Richard just wanted to see if he and his family were okay. It had been two years since they'd last seen him.

They hadn't parted on the best of terms.

Brian shivered and glanced at the tiny photo that sat on the bedside table. He always took it with him wherever he went; along with his aspirin and next-of-kin contact number. He liked to be prepared for the worst. If it happened to other people then why wouldn't it happen to him?

His wife and daughter's faces stared at him, grey blobs in the semi-darkness. It was Kelly who'd told him to go tonight. She'd said it was the perfect opportunity. Lorette, his daughter, thought he was on some boring business trip, it hadn't occurred to her that Brian had never before been on one. He probably would never. His business was failing, that was why Kelly had pushed him to go tonight.

We need the money, she had said. Ask him, Brian, and if he doesn't agree then tell him that we won't be silent anymore. He wouldn't stand a chance if everyone knew what he'd done. Tell him.

The noise came again. Brian realised what it was; the slight squeaking of the handle as it turned. Someone was coming in.

**He's back in the game. :] **

Richard Parker

The last door. Richard faced the magnificant wooden door and smiled. Kent was going to be the easiest. His business was failing, and his family was facing hard times. Perfect.

Richard opened the door to find Brian facing him from the bed. "Hello, Brian," Richard said, smiling.

"Good evening, Mr. Parker," Brian greeted.

Richard flipped on the lightswitch and closed the door. "I have an offer for you Brian, an offer that will do you, and your lovely family, a world of good."

Nicole Stone

The snow fell in curtains of powdery white. Nicole stared out the window by the door in the kitchen, trying to convince herself to start the journey to the servants quarters. She was about to open the door when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Stone, it's Bates," the tired voice of Nicole's boss filled her ears.

"Good evening, Bates."

"Stone, you've taken much too long to take care of Parker," Bates said.

"Just give me a little more time," Nicole begged. "I just need a little more time."

Bates sighed on the other end. "Stone, we've given you all the time in the world. I'm assigning Grant. Now I care about your life, so get out of there before Grant comes in."

"No, Bates please understand," Nicole pleaded. "One more day, just one more day."

"Alright Stone, here's the deal. Take down Parker, and get yourself out of there by 6:30 tomorrow morning or I'm sending in Grant to blow the place. He won't care if you're still in there. Get the job done."

Before Nicole could say anything else, the line was dead. She looked back out the window. "It's not or never," she mumbled to herself. She pulled open the door and ran into the snow-blurred night.

Could someone bring Stella in?

-Kat

Kat, Richard will bring Stella back in right after he finishes with Brian. Won't be long =)

Norman Jones

Upon hearing a door close, the mechanic peeped out into the hall from the bathroom. Sure enough, Richard had moved to the next room. He darted across the hall and knocked on the door. "Miss Baker?"

"Ugh, what do you people want now?" came the voice from inside the room.

"Let me in, I need to talk to you." Norman kept his voice low and urgent.

It was silent for a moment, then the room's occupant could be heard grumbling as she opened the door. "Could you make it fast? I was studying."

Norman slipped inside the room and pulled the door shut behind him. "Richard's already been here, right?"

Maia nodded.

"Okay, Ms. Stone and I are meeting the other guests in the old servant's quarters in about 45 minutes. If you meet us there, we'll figure out a way to keep everyone safe from Richard and his men."

"Hang on," she said, eyes narrowed. "You and Ms. Stone work for that slimeball. How do I know I can trust you? Maybe you're leading us all into a trap."

Norman regarded her stonily. "It's either trust us or try to escape on your own and wind up getting shot down. Your choice." He placed his hand on the door knob. "So which will it be?"

Brain Kent

"Hello Brian," Richard smiled, reminding Brian of a shark.

"Gah! Good evening, Mr. Parker." It was only Richard. Only Richard... Urm, hadn't that been who Brian had feared would walk in?

"I have an offer for you Brian, an offer that will do you, and your lovely family, a world of good."

"Oh - I - er - what is it?"

"How is Lorette?" Richard asked with a leering grin. Brian flushed uncomfortably, remembering-

"Fine."

"Hrmm... I suppose she hasn't changed much. Still so ..."

Brian's heart began to pound. He would have thought Lorette was the last thing Richard would want to talk about. Especially when-

"So?"

A grin which showed lots of tiny, sharp teeth and unholy thoughts spread across Richard's face. "Tight."

Brian's face turned to stone. "My wife wants me to tell you-"

"Threaten me?"

"No! Just to ... tell you ... that we - she - aren't afraid to press charges. However, there might be a way to silence us..."

"Oh yes. I know a way."

Brian smiled nervously. "We were thinking thousands."

Richard looked at him sharply. "Oh. Money. Yes, that's what I came to offer. Understand one word and..." He drew a finger over his throat. Brian swallowed again, eyes wide and fearful.

"Y-yes."

Richard smiled as he stepped out of the room. "Send Lorette my love. And tell her I still remember that night. How old is she now? Sixteen? Seventeen?"

"Seventeen."

"Ah, Well, bye now." The door slammed shut after him. Brian closed his eyes, fighting to stay calm and not dissolve into panic.

Maia-

I sighed. Yes, this guy was suspicious, but I still felt I could trust him. A helluva lot more than Parker, anyway. I nodded slowly.

He nodded sharply. "Good. And remember: 45 minutes."

"Yeah, yeah," I snapped. "Now will you go?"

He raised an eyebrow and turned to leave. Once he was gone, I flopped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. Great.