The room lay dark and Arthur Carvington stared at the yellow tape that now surrounded his study. The fire place lay untouched save some dust and fingerprints that covered the mantle from the berage of police that had been through earlier that day. He looked down at his own fingers, still covered in the ink used to run fingerprints down at the police station regardless of status or signifigance. The hallway from which he stood sent a fell wind up his spine as he rubbed his finger tips together. He looked at the small table set in the corner, and after dinner for two. Two glasses still lay as had been left next to a cantour of brandy also covered with light dust and fingerprints. Arthur shook his head and turned around to stare once again at a prison bar of yellow tape invading the archway to his dining room. Again, as he passed to his kitchen where they police had thought it had all originated. Dust, and fingerprints spotted the area leaving traces of sticky yellow tape, a happless jungle in which he saw no escape.

He proceeded up stairs where he saw his suitcase half packed. He had only been in Los Angeles for a few weeks at most before all this had happened. Why, he had asked, himself, why poor Peggy. She had caused no harm. He threw a shirt on top of the pile he had already begun himself. He knew with great achievement in business it was natural to make a few enemies but he had not figured on such extreme measures. He threw in a pair of socks and began to zip up the suitcase. He grasped the handle and headed for the door. Flicking off the light he wondered into the hall where he met his son, Harold, also with a suitcase in hand and fingers dotted with black ink. He nodded to his son and the pair of them walked down the stairs toward an awaiting car.

LA Modern Day

Kit busied her hands as Shane and Carmen leaned over the bar grinning. She placed two cups of coffe on the bar for her friends without relinquishing her eyes from the counter top below. As she cleaned up the wet stains left by the hot water she had poured she spoke, non-thinking, to Shane.