”Shane, how long do you think women will wait for you to make a damn choice before they say fuck it and move on?” Papi said. ”And what if they fall in love with each other?”

Shane gulped.

”You don’t wanna be the third wheel do you?” Papi said.

”No of course not,” Shane said, ”damn it this is hard.”

”Look, think about this Shane,” Papi said.

”I think I’ll get drunk and have some fun and let the responsibility come later,” Shane said.

”Isn’t that what you always do?”

”Some things never change I guess.”

April 23, 2005

West Hollywood

”I confirmed everything with Duffy,” Eric said, ”you may go to New York. I’ve managed to clear everyone but Alice. I don’t think I’ll be able to clear her to tell you the truth, I think I’m gonna have to go to trial.”

”Oh God,” Tina breathed, ”they really think she did it?”

”Alice didn’t do it! I know her!” Bette snapped. ”Damn it, they’re accusing her because she found Jenny’s body.”

”The evidence against her is strong Bette,” Eric said, ”Jamie swears that Alice vowed to kill Jenny, and along with the DNA evidence, and her motive, it won’t be hard for the prosecution to convince a jury.”

”That fucking Jamie bitch,” Bette grumbled.

Tina shook her head, ”I knew that bitch was trouble.”

Eric sighed, ”wish me luck. I gotta go prepare a good case for her.”

”Thanks for all your help Eric,” Bette said.

”After I got you and Tina off charges, Helena’s mother hired me to defend all of you,” Eric said. ”Helena already hit the road and Max said he’s going back to Ohio.”

”Wait, Helena left?” Bette said.

”Where did she go?” Tina asked.

”She didn’t say,” Eric said. ”I had just gotten Kit off the charges when she showed up in a car full of luggage in the back. She told Kit that she was still partner of the club but that she couldn’t stay in L.A any longer.”

”Hmm,” Bette said, ”I thought she would stay for Dylan.”

Eric looked a little surprised. ”Who is Dylan? I heard Duffy mentioning her. She was telling another agent that Nikki Stevens claimed to have seen Dylan in the backyard fighting with Jenny. They said they couldn’t find her.”