It's OK, Jenny Poole thought as she set out on her morning jog.
So what if I've lost The Urbz, she thought. I've lost parts before. I can get another part. People know my name. I was Babette! I was engaged to famous heart throb Christian Harp. OK for, like, five minutes but it made all the gossip shows! Besides, I'm dating Orange Bailey-Moon now.
Hell, she thought, I helped to bring down the Alto family... and that wasn't even a scripted drama. That was real life!
I'm Jenny Poole, she smiled to herself. I'm good at playing a role and at playing spy!
"Excuse me, Ms. Poole," a woman called from the side of the jogging path.
Slowing, Jenny put on her best 'for the fans' smile.
She wasn't interrupted on her morning jog that often, mostly because the park was almost always empty this early in the morning. Usually she just saw a couple of other early joggers, focused on their own morning workouts. Her fans would probably be shocked to learn that Jenny Poole, party girl, was up before dawn most days. People didn't understand the kind of hours shooting a daytime drama demanded.
Still, this woman could be a fan. A creepy fan in a black trench coat and shades. A creepy fan in a black trench coat and shades who looked oddly familiar.
"Hi," Jenny said cheerfully. "I'm sorry, have we met?"
"Candice Barnett." The woman said smoothly.
"Oh," Jenny's eyes widened. "You've changed your... everything."
The last time Jenny had met Candice Barnett, the other woman had looked, and sounded, very different. Candi, as she'd called herself then, had been the ditzy blonde mistress of crime boss Marco Tennari. In reality Candice was a real-life secret agent who had infiltrated the inner circle of the Alto crime family.
When Jenny and Genie had been caught sneaking around the Altos' penthouse, it had been Candi who had rescued them from the clutches of Marco's second in command, the terrifying Mr. Grey. Jenny still had nightmares featuring Mr. Grey's cold, dispassionate voice explaining his ruthless plans to murder her and her friend.
"Costume changes are something our professions have in common," Candice said with a sardonic smirk.
"So, I'm guessing you're not just randomly standing around next to the jogging path at 6:00 AM," Jenny said. Candice wasn't the only hot blonde who also had a brain in her head, Jenny thought. "And I'm guessing you're not going to ask for my autograph."
"Sadly, no," Candice nodded. "Do you know what your friend, Genie, is doing right now?"
"She's out of town," Jenny said carefully. "She had a family thing."
"A family thing that, for some reason, has her pulling every available news article about a fatal mugging in Windenburg," Candice said coolly. "That also has her trying to get access to confidential police records regarding that same killing."
"Well, you know, Genie's got a complicated family," Jenny replied. Good God does she have a complicated family, she added inwardly.
"Yes, she does," Candice said, her voice dry enough to make Jenny feel like reaching for moisturizer.
The two women looked at each other for a long moment.
"Your friend is investigating something that certain people don't want investigated," Candice said at last. "Powerful people."
"And you want her to stop?" Jenny snorted.
"No," Candice replied firmly. "I want her to keep digging. If I could, I'd investigate it myself, but the Agency has been specifically told that this matter is the jurisdiction of the National Police. We have been ordered to stay out of it. Normally, that would be reason enough to for me to be assigned to the case but, as I said, powerful people are blocking the investigation."
"So you want us to look into it, because you can't," Jenny said, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.
"You should take this seriously, Ms. Poole. You are, once again, getting involved in something that could be very dangerous. This kind of work comes with risks," Candice said, slowly removing her shades.
"Oh my God!" Jenny gasped. "Your eye!"
"When we last met, I believed that my disguise as ditzy bimbo Candi would be enough to cover my involvement in your escape. I was wrong," Candice said. "Mr. Grey was not convinced. He said that either I saw more than I claimed... or, I was so unobservant that I wouldn't miss the eye."
"Oh my God," Jenny breathed again.
"Take this seriously, Ms. Poole," Candice repeated. "I may not be there to save you this time."
"You can still walk away from this," Candice continued, a little more gently, as she slipped her shades back on. "Genie's investigation will be blocked, but that complicated family of hers should protect her if she doesn't press the matter."
"... and the mysterious and powerful bad guys get away with it," Jenny said, shaking her head. "Genie won't stop. Once she's got an idea in her head, she won't stop. What do you need me to do?"
"This has the police files Genie can't get on her own," Candice said, pressing a memory stick into Jenny's hand. "Make sure she gets it... and make sure she understands the seriousness of the situation. If you both decide to walk away, do it. If you keep investigating... I'll be in touch."
Watching the other woman walk away, Jenny took a deep breath and tucked the memory stick safely into her pocket.
Playing spy always sounded more fun that it actually was, she reflected.
--------------
By afternoon, Jenny was in Windenburg. It always amazed her how the trains could get her from the City to almost anywhere else in the Republic, quickly, easily and comfortably.
From the train station it was a short hike to the pier and the ferry across the bay from Windenburg proper to the Crumbling Isle. Jenny never understood the name. The island certainly didn't seem to be crumbling, and the mansions of the wealthy aristocratic families that lived there were all well kept.
I not will let Genie see that I'm impressed with the Elderberrys' stately old home, she told herself. After all, I've partied at some of the most glamorous mansions in Del Sol Valley, and I'll bet the Elderberrys' doesn't even have a golden toilet.
The door was answered by a butler. An honest-to-God butler. Not impressed, Jenny told herself. She vaguely remembered Genie mentioning him before. What has his name? Thomas? Richards? Henry?
"Can I help you, ma'am?" the butler asked formally.
"Yes, please let Ms. Genie Elderberry know that Ms. Jenny Poole is here to see her," Jenny replied, calling up the attitude she'd used when auditioning for a guest spot on Dignity and Decorum. Even though they'd passed on her, she felt she'd nailed the character.
"Of course, Ms. Poole." The butler's nod was almost a bow. "If you would wait here a moment."
"If you would come with me, Ms. Poole," the butler said when he returned a few minutes later. "Ms. Genevieve is staying in the Guest House. I will escort you."
"Sure... I mean, very good," Jenny said.
OK, she thought, Genie's family has a mansion full of fancy art, a swimming pool that could hold a small yacht, and a guest house bigger than my dad's hardware store. Maybe I can act a little impressed.
Also, she thought, her butler has a seriously cute butt. He's, like, the butt-ler.
"Jenny, hi," Genie greeted her warmly.
"Hey, so... first thing, I gotta admit it. The house. I mean the whole 'estate' thing. Wow. Like, wow," Jenny stammered out in a rush. "Also your butler has a really cute butt. I mean, you could bounce a quarter off that man's ass."
"Umm... thanks and also eww," Genie chuckled. "Jenny, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, you will not believe this... or, you know, maybe you will," Jenny said. "Anyway, let me tell you what happened..."
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