Amy

In exchange for my babysitting services to Sergio, replacing Rita who was murdered by a mob, he bought me a car.

Red Convertible. It was... basic.

While I parked by Layla's school to pick her up, I noticed a huddle of kids in her year group laughing at her.

The bullies.

'Oh no', I murmured, quickly moving to the school playground to attend to the issue, 'Hey!' I shouted. Before I could get closer, I managed to scare the kids away, 'you alright?'

'Yeah, fine', Layla grumbled, 'they're all just jealous. I've got more smart gadgets than all of them combined'. I nodded, while escorting her to the car. There was no denying Layla was a spoilt little brat, which was probably the reason she was always able to gather a lot of bullies.

Sergio bought her a digital, AI watch that acted like Siri. The problem was, she showed it off too much. To my best knowledge, the only three contacts she had save were Mommy, Daddy and Amy.

'You gotta learn to stand up to those little bitches – eherrrm – brats', I corrected myself, forgetting how impressionable this little girl was.

'You're right. They are bitches', she echoed my slip, 'they've been putting things in my hair all day. While I drove, she unpicked twigs, paper spit balls, graphite bits, pen lids.

'Shall we get boba tea and go to the comic store?'

'Yes please! Matcha and tapioca – with the creamy foam please!' she squealed in excitement. I knew this was her favourite thing to do.

We arrived at Layla's home with our boba tea's in our hand and bag full of merch and Manga comics. Instead of doing her homework, she wanted to play video games in the living room with me.

'No. Do your homework', I demanded her. Out of nowhere, Layla began coughing uncontrollably.

'Are you okay there?'

'And you are?' I asked, curious of the random lady that laid up-side-down, painting her nails on the couch.

'Oh – oh', quickly, she twisted right-side-up, lidding the nail varnish, 'I'm – I'm Maria. I'm taking refuge here'.

'Refuge from what?'

'Erm...' she took a long pause, scratching her head, 'Valentino'.

'Valentino?'

'Yes. Hang on a second... I recognise you. You're the famous thief who works for Acosta'.

'Not anymore', I reassured, 'so don't start getting ideas'.

'No, I would never do anything to harm you', Maria replied. Again, Layla started coughing.

Later that evening while I gave Layla her cough meds and let her play videogames, a small notification popped up on my phone. A viral post.

'Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?' Sergio grunted in his office.

'It's not my business to meddle in your business', I shrugged. Valentino was going to be at a party of none other than the McCagnes. 'To be specific, it's an engagement party'.

'Yes... for the McCagne's daughter, Britney McCagne, right?' he carefully evaluated the Instagram post caption like it was forensic evidence.

'Yeah, that's right'.

'Didn't you two go to the same high school?' Sergio asked. I nodded '...so you're friends'.

'No!' I shrieked. Sergio gave me that look he always did just before he was about to beg me for a favour. 'I'm not going to the stupid party. You're the detective. That's your job'.

A day later, I was on my way heading to the party.

My job was risky, but simple. I had to get dirt on Valentino, enough to incriminate him where he could be charged.

I rolled up to the fancy front gates in a short, black dress and platform shoes. It was like a grand Gatsby foyer, filled with Met-Gala apparel everywhere. No sign of Valentino, but a lot of canapes and champagne going around... and old school frenemies.

I had bad memories of this place. Just staring at the textured walls brought back bad emotions, even though we were all twenty-two and grown now.

'Oh my gosh, Amy!' a boy from school recognised me, 'it's good to see you'.

'Harvey!' he was tall, with light-brown skin and tightly curled hair, 'yeah...' I pretended to be enthusiastic. Shortly after, a few more boys from school noticed me. I picked up a champagne and kept it moving.

From the corner of her eye, Britney recognised me, and her angelic smile that she used to thank people quickly became a morbid frown. Her fiancé looked thirty-something, and fancy.

While she moved to whisper in the ear of a security man dressed in black, I knew my chances were wearing thin. For most of the night, I had to camouflage into the crowd, avoiding security.

In the shadowy part of the hall, I kept my face turned to the buffet and snacks table, eating all the Italian appetisers.

'Are you... Amy?' Britney's fiancé spotted me, with my mouth full, 'It's really cool to meet you for the first time'. Reluctantly, I shook his hand. I nodded and chewed faster. Britney approached.

'Hey babe', Britney called him, with a wide fake smile on her face, 'Amy'.

'Congratulations – by the way... guys!' I blurted, cutting the awkward silence between us, 'so tell me more about how you met'.

'Oh! That's a great story', Britney's humble prince charming began speaking. As long as I could get the most important man of the party to chitter-chatter, Britney and her security goons couldn't kick me out, unless she wanted to start a scene.

Shortly, Harvey and the other boys joined the huddle, greeting and hugging each other. In all that time, Britney kept her beady eyes on me.

Britney's father, Mr McCagne barged into the huddle, throwing his arms around Britney, who shook uncomfortably.

'I like the view of the garden outside. Could – one of you guys show me around?' I requested, and Harvey was the first to jump. As he led, I followed him away from the huddle. 'Ow!'

'Listen you freak', Britney whispered, grabbing my arm tightly, 'I don't know how you even got in, but you're not welcome here!'

'Why? Are you afraid of me?' I whispered back, snatching my arm away.

'Well I feel threatened just by you being here, Amy! You are a danger –' Britney quietened down, 'you're a danger to this community!' Before she could finish her lecture, I disappeared into the crowd with Harvey.

'We're enrolled to the same college, that's why Britney and I stay in touch', Harvey explained. While he waffled on, I notice rainbow lights from a basement window. Throughout most of Harvey's tour, he looked at me lovestruck. Just the mere touch of holding his hand made him think we were going to get married.

'So you're here often?' I suspected, picking up a new glass of champagne.

'Yeah', he replied.

'How would I get access to that room?' I pointed to the small basement windows. Harvey didn't like where I was going, but he reluctantly took me down. By now, he knew all the rooms in Britney's lavish home... including the basement.

It was large. Upon entering, the room was smoky and dim-lit, filled with mostly men. Some played snooker, others sat on posh couches by their coffee tables.

At the back of the room, my attention was taken to the laughing from a huddle of loud men. Then... bingo. I spotted Valentino talking with a tall blonde man... who appeared to be Britney's father, Mr. McCagne from earlier.

While following Harvey like a leashed dog, I took secret snapshots of the family photographs on the wall, the men talking, the books on the shelves, sheets of important papers in drawers... everything.

I moved on to recording their business conversation.

'Hey! Missy!' Mr McCagne recognised me and called me out, 'what are you up to with your phone there?'

'Err – erm...' I quavered, 'I'm – actually a big fan', I lied. Valentino, the Dan Bilzerian of drugs surrounded by an entourage of young women, was known as a business celebrity.

'Oh, in that case come here', Mr McCagne called me over to sit next to him. I obeyed, forcing myself to play along. 'Pretty young thing, what brings you here?' Mr McCagne started rubbing my thigh.

Parallel to us, Valentino sat reclined, gloating at me.

'Er...' I blushed, watching Britney's father caress my thigh, 'curiosity – in business'.

'Ah, so you want to be an entrepreneur, like us?' McCagne propelled.

Suddenly, it all made sense. All the wealth that Britney and her family had amassed, was drug money.

'So what – you just left halfway?' Sergio complained at me, in a spare interrogation room, 'when you were so close to uncovering their business plan?'

'I wasn't comfortable anymore!' I retorted.

'Mr McCagne said he was happy to show you copies of his business proposal'.

'Yeah – if I followed him to his private study, wherever that is'.

'I'm grateful you got this far Amy', Sergio sighed, then took a seat, 'but I don't have enough to press any charges – I don't even have enough for a search warrant'.

'Well... they both spoke about wanting one distributor dropped', I explained, 'I sent you the recording'.

'Yeah, I got it', Sergio cleared, 'but the evidence is too vague'. All of a sudden, his face lit up, struck by a lightbulb idea. 'Amy, I need you to get closer to Mr McCagne. He clearly likes you'.

'What?!' I squealed, 'get into bed... with Britney's father?!'

'I never said that. Just... build rapport'.