Sarah met Carrie at Starbucks the next midday after her friend had flown down from San Francisco in the early morning. Staying at her parent's house at Fairbanks Ranch, with its extensive security, allowed her to sleep somewhat soundly. Yet, the whole move-in was just not comfortable, as it involved being back with the two people who perennially treated her like she was a girl of fourteen, hardly twenty-four. As far as her parents knew, she was only having some troubles with the "wonderful young man" she had met on their holiday to Greece, and had been dating of late. Her mother, seeing the true stress in her daughter's face did not pry, but Sarah knew it was only a matter of time before she would put her through a full inquiry as to why she left her apartment so stressed and came to stay with them, "just for a while," as she requested. 

Carrie was a different matter. She was Sarah's salvation under these new and most horrific conditions. They had gone from the humiliating sex tape, possibly being stalked to now something much more sinister and truly life-threatening. Carrie's seasoned participation with the FBI over the past few years offered Sarah the kind of advice, and now protection, she desperately needed.

"OK, Little Buddy. . . now tell me exactly what you saw and what occurred when the police arrived."

Carrie stirred her coffee slowly and matter-of-factly—cool as if she were on an assigned case.

"When I came back into my place . . . after that terrible incident with the dead cat, as I told you on the phone, I saw in the mirror . . . someone lying in my bed! This person was under the blankets and . . . I just couldn't leave until I knew who it was."

"That was pretty brave of you, Miss Sarah."

"Well . . .  I had to assume was Jess. But he wasn't moving . . . and didn't respond to my calling him."

"So then?"

"Carrie, I felt like running out . . . but just had to know! Had to see if it was him!"

"So you told me on the phone . . . it wasn't Jess. It was this . . . creepy guy. The one you met in England. Who's estate you stayed at and who sent Jess the email about the sex tape, right?"

"Yeah. Jess's partner in crime. Derek . . . his name was Derek."

"And you say it was . . . his  body you saw, there in your bed?"

"Yes Carrie! It was horrible!"

"OK, OK. Now I have to get this straight, Sarah. I'm sorry for asking more. But sweetie . . . how do you know he was dead?"

"He was  Carrie! He just was!  He was all white . . . and still . . . and starring up at the ceiling!"

"Aright. Now you didn't touch him to see if he was cold?  . . . Sorry, sweetie."

"No! I just freaked out and ran. I ran out onto the street and then all the way to the market!  That lady . . . Mrs. Donner helped me. Let me stay there until the police came."

"And you say when the police actually investigated your place . . . they found . . . nothing. Right?"

"That's right! Nothing, they said. Nobody. No signs of struggle. Nothing was missing . . . only the sheets, pillow and blankets."

"Sure, you see? To hide the forensic evidence of someone . . . either dead or alive in that bed."

"Carrie . . . you don't think he was dead?"

"Not sure, sweetie. Look. These guys are definitely trying to terrify you. So that you don't go the police about the sex crime. And you know what? . . . They have a lot to lose if this is not their first offence. Especially of that kind, an illegal Internet porn ring. Maybe they're even involved in worse stuff."

"Like?

"Like rape, sex with minors, human trafficking, incarceration,  torture . . . murder even."

"Jesus, Carrie!"

"It's all out there, babe, believe me. You just got a taste of how bad people can be on this beautiful little planet. I deal with these types in my work almost daily."

"God, Carrie. So . . . you're saying . . ."

"I'm saying if my hunch is right, these guys are into a whole lot more bad shit than you know. And they don't want you to identify them. Fear of bodily harm is usually a pretty good deterrent to that."

"Yeah . . . it is."

"So . . . to me, it doesn't seem like the cops believed you. Sorry to say, Carrie . . . but otherwise they would have intensified that investigation. For stuff like finger prints, body fluids . . . you know, real forensic evidence. The typical things left behind by a body, dead or alive.."

"So you think they just . . ."

"Yeah, sweetie. Without that body you told them about, they just thought you were . . . either having a problem with a boyfriend . . . or possibly in some kind of agitated state. Anger, Jealousy. Imagining things maybe. Cops get all kinds of misleads from pretty crazy people. Even sane ones like you. Almost daily."

"But Carrie! I'm not crazy! I saw what I saw! It was Derek's body! That creepy guy from England. And I'm sure he was dead!  And . . . what about the dead cat?  The other cops saw it."

"OK. They would have classified that as just a sick prank . . . possibly by some screwed up kids."

"Carrie, now you sound like. . ."

"No, sweetie. I don't doubt you saw what you saw. This guy, Derek. I'm just not sure he was dead. It would have been a nice trick to just get your mental state in question. If the thing ever came to trial and you had to testify."

"Jesus, Carrie. I never thought about it like that."

"Sure. You see . . .  unfortunately there's already now a police report on file. That you made a bogus claim. Of a non-existent body in your house. That's the way the report will read, babe, no matter how you slice it. His lawyer . . . and Jess' . . . if they are together in this, would love to present that document in court . . . just to impugn your mental state. Your credibility about even seeing the video clip. They'll push the whole sex tape was a figment of your imagination, too. You see? It becomes a goddamn check game with these rejects, Sarah."

"God! But No. Carrie! That sex video  was . . ."

"I'm sure you saw it, sweetie. And it was you and Jess in that clip. But we don't have a copy of it, do we?"

"No. But . . ."

"And we don't know if they kept it for their own sick use . . . sold it . . . or put it out there on a porn site for the whole damn world to get off on. Sorry again, Sarah. But we just don't know the final details on that vid right now."

"Jess told me in that phone call . . . his only contact since I returned . . . that he got Derek to destroy it. That he made it only to blackmail him . . . into paying some money he owed him."

"Sounds very plausible. And?"

"He said he paid him . . . and more. Just to have the video deleted."

"We can't know if he did that, girlfriend . . . but it shows he's trying to get back into your good graces with him, that we can bank on. This Jess is a smooth operator, I can see."

"Yeah. Real  smooth. So . . . where do we go now, Carrie? I can't go back to my place. I just can't."

"That's right. Someone found a way to access your security and you're still very exposed there. Can you just live with your parents for a while?

"God. Yes."

"Good. I'm going to check into this guy . . . Jess . . .?

"Danford."

"Right. And this Derek character? You didn't get a last name on him?"

"No . . . but he lives in England out in the Ashford area of Kent. In the countryside. The road out to Canterbury. I'd be able to identify the estate if I saw a photo of it."

"Good. We'll get Google maps working on that. Sarah, I'm going to go with you back to your place, today. To let you get more stuff for your parent's house. And to take a look around. I want to see that empty mattress."

"Why didn't the police care even . . . when I told them the sheets and blankets were taken?"

"Simple Sarah. You had just gotten back from a trip abroad, right? To them you just hadn't slept in that room yet. Forget those cops for now. They're no help to us. We're going to do our own investigations on this. It's just the kind of challenge that gets me rolling. Especially now that it's about my friend."

"Thanks so much, Carrie."

"Don't worry, babes. I'm on the case. It's early to get the whole department involved . . . but you can be sure, I'm in. You just go about your work . . . and try to stay focused on those kids. Let me know of any more contacts you get. From Mr. Smoothie or Mr. Creepy . . . either dead or alive. I'll let you know what I find out on them."

The two women stood up and Sarah gave Carrie a heartfelt hug. She knew now that with her friend's professional involvement, she would be better able to endure the next unpredictable days and nights. All around this unexpected nightmare which now enveloped her.

* * *