Get it Back ~ Chapter 14

Starr moves around her room like a little tornado...grabbing a backpack out of the closet, then zipping over to her dresser, frantically pulling clothes out of the drawers. She ignores her babysitter, who's outside, humbly knocking on the door.

"Starr? It's Suzanne...let me in, kiddo...c'mon..."

Starr sniffs, wiping her face on her sleeve, as she stuffs the clothes in. She whirls around, scanning the room for anything else she needs. Running over to the bed, she grabs a couple of things off of the night table...then she looks over...

...and sees her worn-out, stuffed frog staring back at her. She stops, taking a minute to pick it up and look at it...good ol' Fred. Fred the MAGIC frog...the all-seeing, all-knowing, mystical link to her father's heart. Or so she thought. New tears race down her face, remembering all the nights she spent talking to this stupid toy, thinking that her dad could hear her, and know what she was doing all the time.

But she sees now, with new eyes that work all too well...that it was never like that. Her father never heard one thing she ever said to it. It was all...a lie. Just like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny...all those lies adults tell to kids to get them to believe in magic. Starr makes a face at that thought, suddenly getting angry with herself...because until just recently, she STILL believed in the power of Fred...she still believed every word her father ever told her. But he had lied too...and it makes her sick to her stomach, just like the sick feeling she got a few minutes ago...

"Did your stepfather MAKE you rape Marty?? Did he MAKE you stalk Nora and abandon your own child?? Huh?? Are you EVER gonna take responsibility for ANYTHING you've done...or are you gonna blame it ALL on him??"

"...you're a FUCKUP, Todd...and I WON'T let you have her! You are NEVER gonna get near her again, do you hear me??!!"

"Fuck you, Blair...you fuckin' BITCH..."

Starr drops Fred as she slaps her hands over her eyes, tears leaking out from between her fingers. She'd never heard so many horrible-sounding words at one time...and out of the mouths of her parents, at that. Rape, stalk, abandon...fuck...bitch...? she isn't even sure what some of those words MEAN...and then her to see her dad grab her mom like that...it's all too much to take in at once, and she feels like her head's about to explode. She wipes her face again, then wipes her hands on her pants...breathing deeply, in and out, in and out, trying to calm herself down so she can think.

She has to get away from them, that much she knows for sure. But...where could she go? She sighs at that, suddenly wishing there was a place just for kids...a place where they could be alone, without any adults bothering them...trying to talk to them and tell them more lies. Starr sighs again, sitting down on the bed for a minute, still ignoring Suzanne's incessant knocking and pleading.

She turns Fred over in her hands, stroking the worn-out fabric on his belly, wishing she could just think herself to another place. But she knows that's not gonna happen...and she has to come up with something fast. Because it wouldn't be too much longer before her dad would try busting the door down.

Where can I go?? she thinks again, realizing too, that she can't go it alone...at least, not for very long. As angry as she is, she doesn't want to just wander the streets by herself. She has to have a plan, a place to go...and someone to take care of her. But if she can't trust any adult, then...what's the solution?

Then suddenly, a thought pops into her head...someone she CAN trust...yeah...there is ONE person...

With that thought in mind, she jumps up, tossing a few more things in the bag. She opens the night table drawer and takes out what little money she has, stuffing it in her jeans pocket. Then she runs and grabs a heavy jacket out of the closet, digging the gloves out of the sleeve. Just then, there's a louder banging on the door.

"Starr?? Sweetie, let us in...please??" her mother begs, from the other side.

Starr glares at the door, as she puts her jacket on, pulling the gloves on like a pro...stretching her fingers into the fabric. Then she grabs the backpack and straps it on tight. She walks to the window, pulling a chair over. Then she steps up and unlatches it, swinging the double panes outward. A blast of cold, night air fills the room, as she looks out at the big tree, with one of its huge limbs reaching toward her. Starr squints at it...wondering if she can make the jump. Then she looks back over her shoulder, hearing another voice.

"Shorty??" Todd calls to her, with that deep, intimidating, dad-like tone. "Open the door."

Starr stares at the door for a second...then her eyes move over to Fred, still lying there on the bed. She squints...then jumps down off the chair, and storms over to the bed. She picks up the toy in her gloved hands, and gives it one more wistful look...rubbing it against her cheek, as she starts to cry a little again. Then she sniffs, her face covering with a steely determination, as she says:

"I'm not your 'Shorty' anymore."

Then she rips the poor, stuffed frog limb from limb, tearing it to pieces. Cotton stuffing flies out of it, floating all around her before drifting down. She drops what's left of Fred, and heads back to the window. She pulls herself up on the chair again, and hops up onto the window ledge. The wind howls up the wall, sending Starr's long hair up in the air, as she gauges the distance. She can still hear Todd behind her, his faraway voice begging her to let him in...but it only makes her more determined to jump.

"Please don't let me fall..." she prays...then she takes a big breath in, and blows it out.

Eyes on the tree, Starr holds onto the sides of the window, as she pushes back and down on her legs...then she springs forward, her legs catapulting her off the ledge. Arms out, she reaches for the tree limb as she flies toward it...managing to grab it, but her momentum is still carrying her...so she starts to swing, almost losing her grip. She shrieks, feeling her hands slipping...but then she shuts her eyes tight, and concentrates, using all her strength to pull herself up. She grunts with the effort, finally managing to get a foothold in the bark. She pulls with her foot, getting up on top of the limb, hugging it with her whole body as she takes a breath.

Bang-bang-bang...

She looks up, hearing muffled thumps from inside her room...undoubtedly her father, getting more impatient. She sniffs, taking in a cold breath...then she shimmies backward toward the trunk. And with much more ease now, she quickly turns herself around and makes her way down. She jumps the last few feet to the ground, hitting the grass...then she looks back up.

"Starr??" she hears Todd call from above.

Starr pants from her exertions, swallowing...then she looks around, getting her bearings. She spots the path to the front entrance and makes a break for it.

Upstairs, Todd pushes against the door, frantic to get to Starr and apologize. But she won't answer...and as the seconds pass, he gets the feeling something isn't right. He glances over at Blair, standing against the wall, a complete wreck.

"Oh, come on, sweetie!!" she pleads, while crying at the same time. "PLEASE open the door!"

Todd glares at her...then over at Suzanne, who's backed off a few steps. One more look at Blair...then, without warning, he hauls back and kicks the door in. Blair's eyes pop out of her head.

"What are you DOING??!!" she yells, as he storms into the room. She runs in after him, and both of them stop short when they see the empty room...and the open window.

"Shhhit," Todd mutters, as he moves over to it.

"Oh my god...NO!!" Blair screams, running over too. They both hang out of it, looking all around.

"Starr!!! STARR!!! Sweeeetieeee!!!" Blair takes a breath, relieved to see that Starr's not lying dead on the ground below. But still...she's gone...nowhere to be seen. She looks over at Todd, who just looks back at her...and a strangely comfortable few seconds pass between them, as they switch gears from enemies back to parents. Then Todd turns and starts walking away.

"Wha-where're you GOING??" she asks, pulling the window closed.

"What's it LOOK LIKE...I'm going after her," he fires back, over his shoulder, as Blair moves over to Starr's bed, spotting something.

"Ohmygod...Todd...wait!"

Almost out the door, Todd stops, with an exasperated sigh. "What?!" he spits, following her look...then he sees the mess on the bed. He makes a face, walking over.

"The hell's that?"

Blair starts to cry again, picking up the yellow-green fabric. She holds it out to him, a droopy thing hanging over her hand...

...and Todd's face goes from pissed to an indescribable look, as he recognizes the shredded remains of Fred. God, this stupid old thing...he thinks, for just a second, as he takes it from her. But then again...he had told Starr a long time ago, that this wasn't just any ordinary toy.

It was magic.

Magic...sparkly sprinkles of pixie dust in his voice, and his suggestion, had transformed this thing from a plain, old, stuffed frog into a cosmic radio of sorts...one that could carry Starr's thoughts across great distances, to wherever he was. For years, she had believed in it...and even though she was getting too old to sleep with stuffed animals, she still never went to bed without it...until now.

A toy...just a simple, little toy...but also...a symbol of things much greater than itself. Its shredded, lifeless remains echo the rage that Starr must have been feeling, when she ripped it apart...the pain of knowing that there is no magic...and that she can no longer count on her parents' absolute goodness, honesty...and love.

Time to go to school, my little Starr...the school of human nature...the real world...time to learn about your Mommy and Daddy...about the junk from which you somehow came.

Blair looks on with puffy eyes, as Todd clutches the worn-out fabric, squeezing it hard.

"Oh, shit, Todd...we really screwed up."

Todd bites down to keep his own tears down...not in front of her...NOT in front of HER. he thinks, sniffing them back. He hands the dead toy back to her, looking directly at her for the first time in a while.

"Listen, um...stay here, okay? In case she comes back," he says calmly, gently even, to Blair's surprise. She sniffles, nodding.

"Uh...okay, but...where..."

"I'm just gonna start looking...she can't be far, she's only a kid," he says, quickly checking the battery on his cell phone. Then he starts out again.

"I'll...I'll call you."

Numb, Blair just nods...watching him go. Then she sinks down on the bed, burying her face in her hands.

*****

Starr runs down the sidewalks of the quiet, upper-class neighborhood...getting a whole new outlook on the place at night. The huge properties are eerie and dark...surrounded by either creeping vines and thick hedges or endless iron gates. She stops on one corner, looking all around...not really having any idea where she is. She never had to know before. Someone else had always taken care of that. Her steamy breath floats around her, as she tries to decide which way to go.

Okay...think...think...where do I find the buses? she says to herself, standing on tiptoe to try to see farther. North, south, east, west...no direction stands out as being the right one. Then she hears something. She squints, listening, trying to identify it. A car? She swallows...listening more closely. A steady, whooshy-type sound...definitely a car...and it's getting louder...closer to her.

Instinctively worried, Starr ducks into some bushes, hiding in the shadows. She waits, looking for the car...and after a few seconds, it pulls up to the corner, right by her. Her eyes widen, recognizing the shape of it...her dad's car. She bites her lip, as Todd sits there, looking all over the intersection, scanning for her. Finally, though, he pulls through the four-way stop and keeps going.

Starr watches him go, making sure he's far enough down the road before stepping back onto the sidewalk. She lets out a big sigh...then makes a face, as she watches the tail lights getting smaller...thinking...

...then, suddenly, she gets an idea. She takes off running again, following the car now, hoping that her father will show her where she needs to go, without even realizing it.

*****

Blair paces around the living room, hands folded in front of her face, praying silently...praying that Starr's okay, and praying that Todd will be able to find her; but at the same time, also praying that this won't affect the plan that's already in motion. She was supposed to get travel plans secured first thing in the morning, but now all that would have to wait. Then she realizes that once they DO find Starr, Todd will be even HARDER to get rid of. He'll want to be around her all the time.

"Shit...goddammit..." she curses to herself, as the gears in the great plan come to a metal-crunching halt, from the monkey wrench that Starr's just thrown into it. She sighs, burying her face as she sits down on the couch. All she can do is pray that she's found SOON...and...

...then she sits up straight, realizing something else. She jumps up, running over to her purse...then she digs in it, pulling the cell phone out and dialing, fast. She waits, chewing on her fingernail anxiously. But it just rings and rings, until finally...

"Hi, it's Colin. Leave a message. Thanks."

Blair's face drains of all remaining color. "Oh, no..." she breathes, as the tone sounds in her ear.

"Colin, it's Blair. Listen, something's happened...Starr's run away. We're still trying to find her, so, please...DON'T DO ANYTHING YET...not 'til we find her, okay?? Call me back!" she says, then flips the phone shut. She smacks her forehead with it, lightly...back to praying again.

*****

Tea drags her finger across the white sand, making squiggly lines and nondescript shapes. Strange, she thinks...how the sand has a particular feel to it, unique to her home. She looks at her finger...the fine, soft grains sticking to her skin, catching the light. She smiles, warmed by pleasant memories, and the sun, shining down on her as she sits on the beach. She looks out at the gorgeous, blue waves with white foamy caps, running up to her and sneaking away again, almost like they're playing a game with her.

She smiles again, feeling so at home in this place, even though she's alone. She looks around, suddenly wondering where her father has gone. He was just here... She stands up, and starts walking along the shoreline, looking for him.

"Papi...dónde están usted?" she calls, but there's no answer...just the steady rushing and receding of the ocean. So she keeps walking, a little concerned...but still, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her back and shoulders, and the velvety feel of the sand under her feet. She keeps on going, finally ending up in a grove of trees. She makes her way through the shade, around the big leaves shed by the palm trees above.

SNAP!

Tea turns around at the sound. "Papi?" she calls happily, expecting to see him...but...there's no one there. She looks around, trying to find him.

"Papi...sé es usted! Come on out," she says, thinking he's hiding from her...but still, no answer. The breeze picks up just then, moving the trees, shifting the leaves...and Tea clears the hair out of her face, as she walks back a few steps to look for him.

"Hola, querido..." a voice says, from behind...and Tea freezes...because it's not her father. Her feet crunch sand and dead leaves, as she turns, very slowly around. When she sees the person, her eyes widen.

"What are YOU doing here?" she asks, softly.

Leaning against one of the trees, Colin grins, arms folded across his chest...looking handsome and sharp, like he just stepped out of a fashion magazine. He looks up and to the sides, then back at her, with an impressed nod.

"Nice place you got here," he says, all laid-back and calm...but Tea's look doesn't change. She moves her lips, but words aren't coming to her; and Colin's grin widens, amused at her bewilderment.

After a moment, she finally swallows the lump in her throat. "What do you want?"

Colin takes a step toward her, shoving his hands in his pockets...and she watches him, carefully, but doesn't move. He sniffs the crisp, clean air, closing his eyes for a second as another breeze whistles through.

"Mmmmm...wow, that breeze is great. Y'know, I've never been here before...I had no idea Puerto Rico was so beautiful." She stares at him, finding this instant informality very strange. "What do you want?" she asks, again, and he laughs...again, easy and comfortable.

"It's okay, Tea...really. You can relax. I'm not here to kill you or anything," he replies, with a jokey, fake-scary tone...and she sighs, unconsciously doing just as he says. He watches her for a moment, as she moves the hair out of her face, and the breeze plays with her, trying to put it back.

"God, you're a beautiful woman, you know that?" he suddenly says, matter-of-factly. "I mean, like...stunning, y'know? I've never seen anybody like you before."

Tea has to laugh a little at that, glancing down. "Yeah...I get that a lot," she replies, sarcastically.

He snickers, nodding back at her. "And a sense of humor, too. That's good," he says, taking another step toward her. She looks back up at him, questioning...but not saying anything. He sighs, tilting his head slightly.

"So...how are you feeling?"

Her eyebrows twitch at that, and she studies him more directly. "I, uh...well..." she starts...then shrugs, weakly. "...um...I guess I'm alright. Better."

He nods, with a look of genuine concern in his eyes. She laughs again, softly, shaking her head.

"Who ARE you? What do you want with me?"

Colin glances away for a second, with a sigh...then he looks back. "Guess you could say...I'm looking out for you."

Tea takes that in, suddenly looking down at her wrist...no bandage, not in this dream-place...just a simple line across her skin. She touches it, lightly...then looks back up at him.

"But why, though? I don't...I don't know you."

He laughs at that, shaking his head. "Well, there's not much worth knowing about me. I've done a bang-up job at fucking up my own life...not much to brag about there. In fact, I think saving you is the ONLY good thing I've done in a LONG time. And I just...wanna make sure you stay safe."

"Safe?" she repeats, furrowing her brow. "Safe from what?"

Colin tips his chin up, looking down at her a bit. "Mmmmm...not 'what.' WHOM," he says, and as Tea gives him a confused look, he starts backing up. He lifts a finger, making the 'come-hither' gesture at her.

"C'mere...I wanna show you something." She hesitates, watching him back away, through the trees. He tips his head at her, to encourage her...then turns and starts walking faster. Tea bites her lip, suspicious...but also curious. So after a few seconds, she follows him, trying to keep up as he walks easily through the grove. She only half-notices the change that's occurring as they walk...the vegetation getting thicker, the light dimming...and the cool, summer breeze turning into a cold, winter wind. She feels a chill as Colin breaks through the dense leaves up ahead, into a clearer area...and as she looks down at her feet...she notices the shoes she's now wearing...

...white, satin-covered heels. She makes a face...then looks ahead, seeing Colin there. He waves at her to keep coming, and she steps carefully toward him, instinctively taking the hand he offers. He pulls her through...

...and as soon as her foot touches stone, she realizes where she is. Her eyes widen and her lips part in awe...then she turns to Colin, who's standing a few steps away. He wags his eyebrows, giving her a very impressed nod.

"That is SOME dress."

Tea looks down at herself, and sees her wedding gown. "Oh, god..." she whispers, looking back up at him, bewildered all over again. Colin blows out a breath, as he walks around her slowly...admiring the exquisitely detailed gown, and the body inside of it. Tea watches him, as his eyes work their way down from her French-twisted hair, to her long neck, then down to her bare shoulders and mostly-bare chest.

"Wow..." he says, a little dazed...then he shakes his head to clear it, getting as close to her as the crinolines will allow.

"What am I doing here?" Tea asks, uncomfortable now. "Why'd you bring me here?"

Colin's eyes flash with sympathy for her, then he turns, walking over to the cabana door. He tries to open it...but it sticks, so he steps back, then forces it open with his shoulder. Tea jumps a little, all kinds of memories washing over her at that, good, bad...mostly bad. Colin steps inside, looking around, then at her...and she swallows hard, afraid to move from the spot.

He offers her a hand. She shakes her head. Colin breathes a sigh, walking back over to her. He takes her hand, and gently leads her. Tea goes along, reluctantly...stopping just inside the doorway. She looks back at Colin, with tears forming in her eyes now.

"Look, Colin...that's your name, right? Please...don't leave me here. I can't deal with this place now...ever. Take me back...please, take me back."

Still holding her hand, Colin lifts it to his lips...and Tea pleads with her eyes, as he kisses her fingers, lightly.

"Tea...you're such an incredible woman...and I just want you to remember this place...and that night...whenever you feel the urge to smile at that sonofabitch," he whispers...and Tea lets out a hard breath, as her tears start falling. Colin reaches out, wiping a tear off her cheek with his thumb.

"Just remember..." he whispers again. "...this is what happens when you give your heart to Todd."

With that, he kisses her cheek, softly...and walks out. Tea turns, but finds herself stuck in the spot...glued...

"Oh, no, wait...please...don't go...don't leave me here!" she says, but the door has already shut on her...and Colin is gone. She bangs on the door, uselessly...then she backs away, covering her eyes.

"This is not happening...this is NOT happening..." she whispers to herself, as the distinct smell of smoke drifts up her nose. She uncovers her eyes, and finds herself suddenly surrounded by fire...and she squints, the smoke and ash stinging her eyes, just like it did that night. And she coughs as she runs for the door again, banging on it again...just like she did that night.

"Open the door!!!! HELP!!! HELP!!! Oh, god...PLEASE...SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!" she yells, at the top of her lungs, which are rapidly filling with smoke. She coughs harder, her insides cramping, unable to breathe...

Tea almost leaps up from the couch, coughing so hard it hurts. Then she gasps, taking in huge gulps of air, as she throws the covers off and jumps up. Disoriented, she grabs the arm of the couch, to steady herself...clutching it as the world comes back into focus.

"Oh...shit..." she breathes, rubbing her collarbone to soothe herself back into normal breathing.

Carlotta comes out of the bedroom just then, hearing the noise. "Tea?" she says, squinting in the dark. "You okay?"

She hears a heavy sigh, then a quiet... "Yeah."

Carlotta shuffles over to her, holding her robe closed. "Can't sleep?"

Tea sighs again, sitting back down on the couch. "I had a...weird dream."

"Oh," Carlotta replies, sitting down next to her. She reaches out, rubbing her back. "Wanna tell me about it?" she asks, timidly.

Behind her hands, Tea half-laughs...then she shakes her head. "It's...stupid," is all she says, and Carlotta laughs a little.

"I seriously doubt that, mija...but if you don't want to say, that's alright."

With that, she gets up, and heads for the kitchenette. "I need some tea. Want some?"

Tea rubs her face, then drops her hands. "Yeah...please," she replies, getting settled again. She tucks her legs under her and pulls the blankets over herself, snuggling into them. A few minutes pass in silence...Carlotta yawns as she putters around, getting cups and filling the teakettle.

Finally, Tea's voice cuts through the quiet. "I was on a beach...back home."

Carlotta turns at that. "Really?"

"Yeah...I've been on that beach in every dream I've had since...since the hospital."

Carlotta leans against the counter, folding her arms...just listening. Tea hugs her knees under the blanket...her eyes faraway.

"I was seeing Papi for a while...but...not this time. This time it was..." she stops and sighs, roughly. "...it was...that guy...who found me...Colin."

Carlotta makes an intrigued face...but says nothing. Tea settles back into the pillows, letting her head drop back into them.

"He was...really nice to me. Said stuff like, he was looking out for me. And then...he led me off the beach, and...next thing I know, I'm..." she shakes her head, closing her eyes.

"...I'm back in the cabana with my wedding dress on...trapped in the fire all over again. Couldn't breathe..."

Carlotta walks back over to her, immediately pulling her into a hug. Tea hugs her back, resting her head on her shoulder.

"And before he left me, I remember...Colin saying... 'remember this place and that night whenever you feel the urge to smile at that sonofabitch,'" she whispers, crying a little. "...god...what a horrible thing to say."

It gets quiet again, as Carlotta just hugs her tighter, rocking her back and forth. Then they hear a noise...a banging sound, coming from outside. They pull away from each other, and Carlotta gets up, going over to the window.

"What is that?" Tea asks.

"I don't know...I can't see anything..." Carlotta cranes her neck, looking...then...

"SOMEBODY!!! OPEN THE DOOR!!! PLEASE!!!"

Both women jump at the voice...especially Tea, at the sudden, shocking reminder of her dream. Carlotta whirls around, running for the door, and Tea goes after her, heading downstairs.

Outside the front door of the diner, Starr bangs on the glass with all her might. "PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR!! PLEASE, SOMEBODY!!" she yells, at the top of her lungs, crying at the same time. She had spent the last two hours trying to get to Angel Square by herself...and now her nerves were completely shredded. She keeps banging on the door, but with less energy, as the seconds pass.

"Oh, please...Tee...please be there...please come..." she cries, softly.

Carlotta unlocks the inner door as quickly as she can...but freezes for a second when she sees who's standing outside.

"Oh my...GOD...Tea!" she says, turning to her...and Tea looks back at her with the same shock. Starr sees them in the doorway and brightens with relief.

"TEE!! Lemme in!!"

Carlotta opens the door, and Starr nearly falls in, exhausted from her ordeal. She gives Carlotta a weak, but grateful look...then she tackles Tea, grabbing her around the legs. Tea has to peel her away so she can kneel down to her.

"Starr...honey, what are you DOING out here??" she asks, but she can already tell the girl is in no shape to talk. She feels cold to the touch, her lip trembles, and her eyes are red and puffy, with tears all over her face. Starr just looks at her...then throws herself on her, wrapping her arms around Tea's neck...and all Tea can do is hug her back, as she sobs into her shoulder.

Carlotta relocks the front door, exchanging worried looks with Tea, who sighs. "Okay, c'mon...let's go inside," she whispers to the little girl, picking her up off the floor. She carries her inside, and Carlotta just shakes her head, walking after them.

*****

Blair's car screeches to a stop outside Colin's house. She gets out and sprints up the walkway, looking around as she knocks on the door. She knocks long and hard, but no one answers. She knocks again...still nothing. Then she looks at the driveway...no car.

"Ohhh...god, no, no, NO..." she mutters, furiously banging on the door one more time. But it's pretty clear he's not there, and she pushes back from the door, angrily. She walks all around the house, trying to see if there are any lights on, any signs of life. But the place is dark, and Blair comes back around to the front, reluctantly going back to the car. She opens the door...then slams it shut again, in a sudden surge of anger.

"Fuck!! Colin, goddammit..."

She stands there for a minute, hands over her eyes, fuming...then her cell phone starts ringing. It takes her a few seconds to realize it...then she fumbles about, digging it out of her purse.

"Co---hello??" she says, rolling her eyes at her near screw-up.

"It's me...did she come back yet?" Todd replies...sitting in his car on the side of one of the major streets.

Blair blows out an anxious breath. "Um...no...no, she hasn't. I guess you're not having any luck?"

Todd rubs the knotted muscles in his forehead. "No...can't find her anywhere...I can't believe this."

A short, staticky silence passes...then Blair sighs. "Well...why don't you, uh..." she stutters, looking at her watch...trying to come up with somewhere else for him to look. "...umm...what about the penthouse? Think she might've gone back there?"

Todd makes a face at the weird idea...but considers it anyway. "Well...I guess...guess she could've..."

"Why don't you try looking there? I'll, uh...I'll gonna start calling around...y'know...Kelly and all."

Todd makes another face, suddenly aware of how far away she sounds. "Where are you?"

Blair swallows hard, with that creepy feeling that he can see her. "I'm...outside...checking in the garden and all. Thought she might've been hiding out back here."

"Oh..." he replies, still wary, but then dismissing it. "...okay, uh...I'll call you from the penthouse."

"Alright," Blair says...then quickly hangs up on him. She blows her bangs up with a hard breath...then gets back in the car. She looks back at Colin's empty house, mouthing more curses to herself...then she drives off.

To Be Continued