Chapter 4: Everybody Knows Somebody

          A week and a half had passed by since Drake had questioned Yuri Hart.  All he thought about day in and day out was the shape of Yuri’s body, eyes, lips and the color of her hair.  He noted that she smelled like chocolate and some kind of flower.  He remembered that the skirt she wore was just long enough to cover her bottom.  He thought to himself while sitting at his cluttered desk of files and old lunch containers, that she had perfectly slender fingers and imagined her touching his face.  “ARE YOU AWAKE DETECTIVE PRICE?” a voice shouted.  Drake looked up and it was his former partner (in and out of the bedroom).  Officer Simone Franklin stood over him wearing a pinstripe suit and a plain t-shirt.  She had on a pair of 3-inch heels that made her taller than her usual 5’4” frame, and had her naturally curly mane swept up in a clip.  Monie, as he called her off the record, was the daughter of two decorated detectives.  Her father was now Commissioner Gregory Franklin and her mother was now Sergeant Renee Capriati.   Their affair was well publicized when it was discovered.  Not only was Gregory Franklin Afro-American and Renee Capriati Italian-American...it also broke the rule of no fraternization.  They were separated and put in two different precincts, yet they remained a couple and eventually were married.  Simone had always wanted to be just like her parents...so this job was her destiny.  Obviously, so was scandal, because the captain found out about her affair with Drake and decided to separate the two like her parents had been.  The difference here was that it didn’t get any air time, and no one on the force found out.  It remained between the two rookies and their captain ever since.  The face that once set his heart apace now seemed to hold a bitter grimace.  Drake broke off with Simone just after they were reassigned and she wasn’t happy at how fast he went to detective status and she was still simply an officer.  She was just as good if not better at crime solving and was even offered an FBI position, but she turned it down to be closer to Drake.  When he broke off with her, she felt slighted and resented Drake’s abandonment for what seemed like a career move.  What Simone didn’t know was that her father along with their captain, Stephen Carlisle, were drinking buddies and one thing led to another.  The next thing Drake remembered was having his badge AND Simone’s threatened to be snatched away if they continued seeing one another.  Gregory Franklin did not want to see his daughter subjected to the same ridicule that he and Renee had been exposed to.  Drake’s love and respect for Monie made him want to protect them both.  He knew she was still in love with him, and he was in love with her too...that is until he met Yuri Hart.  Simone sat in the chair nearest his desk and crossed her legs.  “What’s going on with you Drake?  I’ve been calling you for what seems like forever.  Are you okay?”  Simone hated that she still gave a damn what was going on with Drake, but she did.   “I have this case that I am working on and it’s got me stumped.  I am fine, Monie.  Don’t you worry about me.  You know how I do.”  He said.  Simone hated when he strayed from the issue at hand.  She didn’t have time to argue though, so she stood up and said, “No problem.  I won’t worry about you and what the hell you're going through.  Why should I expect you to give a damn that I care about you?  Goodbye “detective”.” She snapped.  Drake grabbed her by the arm quickly and said, “Come on, Monie.  I didn’t mean it like that.  I just don’t want you to worry okay?” he said, looking around trying to make sure no one was catching their exchange.  “Now, you came over here for something and it must've been important, so I really want to know what’s on your mind.” Drake said.  He knew that Simone was reticent to be open with him.  Even though it had been several weeks since they’d given into their physical desires, they still were not resolved on where they stood.  Drake wanted to remain cordial so as not to cause suspicion and Simone wanted to either break ties completely or find a way to reunite.  She hated the push and pull game that Drake often played but she was still so in love that she often relented when he came knocking in the late night hour.  Simone decided that she would keep her problems to herself.  “It’s okay, Drake, I am fine.  I don’t know what made me think I could or should come by here.  I have to get back to the office...I have a lot of paperwork on my desk.” She said.  Simone started walking away and even though Drake wanted to say the thing that would make her feel better, he let her walk out of the precinct.  He plopped back down into his seat and no sooner than he had, Yuri popped back into his mind.

Simone got into her car and immediately started to cry.  She knew that she had to talk to Drake sometime.  She was carrying his child after all.  Simone had gone to the doctor and confirmed her pregnancy and was now 17 weeks.  She had to talk to him sooner or later and she had to also figure out how to handle being the single pregnant daughter of two important people in their field.  Handling this alone wasn’t an option.  Simone had other things on her mind.  She had promised her cousin that she would visit her place of business.  They hadn’t seen each other in a while and because her cousin was getting married, she felt now was as good a time as ever.  Simone pulled up to 526 Downtown Boulevard.  The sign said “Eclectic Arts”.  She got out of her car and went in, spotting the frail girl behind the desk.  Bethany said, “Welcome to Eclectic Arts, May I help you?”  Simone smiled easily and said, “Yes, I am looking for my cousin, Giselle Beaumont.  Is she here?”  Bethany smiled back and said, “Yes, she is here, just let me page her.  You can have a seat over there.” Bethany pointed to the leather bench near the front window.  Simone complied and took a seat.  She looked around and could see the little nuances about the gallery that reminded her of Giselle.  Within moments of sitting down, Giselle screamed and ran to her first cousin and gave her a big hug.  They screamed together and they talked over one another in excitement.  “You look so beautiful Simone.” Giselle said.  “Wow, you are absolutely glowing!  Are you in love or something?” Giselle asked.  Simone giggled nervously and said, “Yes, I am in love, but unfortunately he isn’t in love with me.  To make things worse, the glow is from pregnancy and not love.” Simone felt a burden lift and she fell into Giselle extended arms.  Giselle lead her to her office so they could talk in private.  Giselle and Simone hadn’t seen each other in over 7 months, even though they lived in the same town...but it was because their lives were so fast-paced and different, they rarely bumped into one another.  “Does Uncle Greg know about this?” Giselle asked with a worried look.  It was well known that Gregory and Renee still had a lot of influence over their children.  Their illustrious careers were prized and respected, especially after the scandal that their relationship caused.  For this reason they expected their seeds to live beyond reproach.  “No, no one knows except for my sister and if I don’t tell mom and dad soon, I have a feeling that Kassandra will spill the beans.”  Giselle shook her head, because she knows her cousin well.  Kassandra couldn’t hold water.  Simone sat on the comfy chaise in Giselle's office.  “Drake doesn’t know and he probably is dating someone already.  He isn’t at all fazed at the shit I am going through.  How am I going to take care of a kid, GiGi?  How am I going to tell my parents that I am a 28 year old, unmarried, pregnant cop?” Simone asked rhetorically.  “Who is Drake?” Giselle asked.  “He is my ex-partner and ex-lover.  We were in the academy together and we were rookies together.  Before we realized it, we were involved and we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other.  Now he is a fucking detective and I am still a desk officer.  I know I’ve been black-balled.  I know that someone above us has their foot pressed firmly on my neck...and if I didn’t know any better, I would say it was Captain Carlisle.”  Clearly she was venting, Giselle thought.  Giselle listened to some more of Simone’s rants and finally they ended that conversation and became focused on the purpose of the visit...Giselle’s wedding.

Yuri came in the gallery from a long lunch with Elliott when she bumped into Giselle and the most striking woman she’d seen in a while.  She immediately thought she was way too beautiful to be a cop.  She could tell right away that whoever this person was, belonged on the force.  The standard pin-striped suit gave it away...especially the white tee underneath and the pulled back hair.  Yuri got nervous as Giselle and the woman approached.  She thought they looked cozy and became even more worried.  When they stopped short in front of her, she plastered the fakest smile on her face and hoped they didn’t notice her uneasiness...she didn’t know how to seduce a woman.  “Hey, Yuri, I want you to meet my cousin, Simone Franklin.  She is a police officer and my mother’s niece.  She is going to help me organize some things for the wedding.” Giselle beamed.   Yuri and Simone both extended their hands and shook.  Yuri let the tension go and Simone got an eerie feeling.  There was a cold look in Yuri’s eyes hidden behind a false sense of warmth.  This couldn’t be the same woman that Giselle has spoken of numerous times.  This woman couldn’t be the person her cousin trusted to be in business with.  This time, it was Simone who put on the fake smile.  “It’s nice to meet you, Yuri.  I am glad to finally meet the wonderful talent my cousin speaks of so fondly.” Simone said.  Yuri picked up on the phoniness and her guard went back up.  “It’s nice to meet you also, Simone.  How do you like our gallery?” Yuri asked.  Simone sensed the small talk and took note that people who do that in everyday social settings were clearly trying to hide something or were trying to manipulate.  “The gallery is magnificent.  I am proud of you two.  Perhaps I will come by again and see what interests me.  Again, it was nice to meet you Yuri.  GiGi, we should get going if we want to get to the jewelry shop.” Simone ended.  “Oh yea, he closes early today.  We should definitely get moving.” Giselle replied, checking her watch.  She kissed Yuri on the cheek and told her that she would speak to her later.  Yuri looked Simone in the eye and said goodbye looking for a read out.  She knew she was a cop.  Her power of observation was keen.  Yuri could also tell that Simone caught a vibe off of her.  She immediately thought, “Hmmm, never killed a bitch before.”

Sitting in her office reading an art magazine and listening to Jill Scott, Yuri wondered how she could get close enough to Drake Price to kill him and get away with it.  She knew that eventually, he would suspect that she was planning something…if he hadn’t already, so getting rid of him was a plan that had to be well thought out.  No surprises and no mistakes.  If she was found out, she would never see the light of day after killing a cop...TWO damn cops if Simone got nosy enough.  She must've thought about it too hard because the phone rang.  She knew Bethany had taken a break and was picking up coffee, so she played secretary.  “Eclectic Arts, Yuri Hart speaking.” She sang cheerily.  “Yes, Ms. Hart, this is Det. Price.  I was wondering if we could schedule that second interview.” He said.  Yuri didn’t miss a beat and said swiftly as to come off anxious to see him again, “Sure, Yes, Det. Price.  I will be here all day, when can you come by?”  His stomach did flips and he could’ve sworn he heard excitement in her voice.  Maybe he had a chance to actually get at her.  “I will be there in 20 minutes, Ms. Hart.”  “Call me Yuri, Det. Price.”  “Well, okay then...Yuri.  I will see you in twenty.”  “I will be here waiting for you. Goodbye, detective.” She said seductively.   Yuri stood up and opened the closet door in her office.  She viewed herself in the full length mirror that was affixed to the inside the door.  She had on a pair of fitted cropped pants in an olive green color, a cream sleeveless v-neck sweater, and a pair of tie-up sandals the color of the pants.  She had her hair in a tussled ponytail and had on large hoop earrings.  She checked her makeup and made sure everything was pulled together.  She decided that one more layer of lip gloss wouldn’t hurt and smoothed on the cherry-colored stain.

Twenty minutes or less rolled by and Det. Price was at her office door.  Bethany was tucked soundly behind her desk and there wasn’t much traffic in the gallery.  Once they were behind closed doors, Yuri decided to up the ante.  She wanted to come across forward this time...no games of seduction...just seduction.  As soon as Drake sat in the chair, Yuri came up behind him and bent down next to his ear.  “After I tell you what you want to know...you can then tell me what I want to know.” She whispered.  Drake felt the chills speed downward from his neck to his groin and he almost jumped up...but he didn’t want for the lovely Yuri to know she’d cracked his exterior so effortlessly.  “Okay, well lets get to it Yuri.  I will ask my questions and you can ask yours.  Does that seem like a fair deal to you?”  “Yes, it seems fair enough.” She said so close to his ear, he could smell the fruity candy on her breath.  Then she moved in and planted a soft kiss on his neck.  He wanted to move but he couldn’t.  It was as if he’d been bitten by a poisonous spider.  His body and his mind were paralyzed.  She then took her hand and slid it under his chin and back around to his ear.  Her touch made him melt and he knew if he didn’t get hold of the situation that she could easily make him blow right there.  He fought his entire cellular being to say, “Please, Yuri...can you take a seat behind your desk, so we can get started?”  Yuri laughed and stood up straight placing both hands on his shoulders.  She walked towards her chair and sat down.  She propped her feet onto her desk and laid back.  “Okay Det. Price.  I will behave myself.  Go ahead, ask away.”  The detective stumbled over several questions, all simple, that Yuri answered without any problem.  Then the question that Yuri never saw coming was asked.  “Did you know that Hanley had a hidden video system in his bedroom?”  Yuri stifled her worry and said, “Of course I didn’t know that detective, I’ve never been in his home.” She made it sound very convincing.  “Yes, well the video footage was checked, and though none of them were very clear, it is clear that a woman was in his bedroom the night he was last seen.  No one can make the woman out because oddly enough the video has a lot of static.  Our forensic specialists are working on trying to get the video to show clearly who was there.  Did Hanley ever mention dating someone while he was trying to court you?” Drake asked.  “Det. Price, if the man was simply a onetime customer, who occasionally bought things for me in an effort to woo me, and I’ve never been to his apartment...one could see how I might be the last person on Earth that would know who he was dating.”  Drake took note and then said, “Well, we are finished here, Yuri.  I shouldn’t be bothering you again, but there is a pretty good chance that I might need your assistance in the near future.” He said slyly.  She caught his drift and jumped in.  She saw that he was walking towards the door, so she beat him there throwing her body against it.  His eyes moved towards her breast and back up to her face.  She put her arms down and stood there smiling.  He looked at the way she was calling him with her eyes and then he took another look at those cherry-colored lips.  He’d been staring at them the whole time and that was it.  He grabbed her by the waist and neck and passionately kissed her.  She reciprocated with her hands on his face and her leg wrapped around his thighs.  She backed him onto the small sofa against the wall, falling on top of him.  She sat up straight with him lying there looking up at her.  She removed her sweater to reveal a cream, lace bra.  She unhooked the back and removed it letting her breast fall into his hands.  He began massaging them and manipulating them with his fingers.  She lowered them down for him to take into his mouth and he used his tongue to play with them.  He flipped her over and removed his jacket and shirt.  Yuri took her hands and ran them across his well-molded chest.  Drake kissed her and they locked tongues and mouths in a fury.   Drake then motioned to remove her pants.  He unbuttoned them and removed them and her panties in one motion.  He laid eyes on her triangular patch and almost released from the perfection that lie between her legs. He unbuckled his pants and dropped them low enough to maneuver.  Yuri opened up and Drake entered her slowly at first, savoring the fit.  The fervor sped up and they went at it with primal heat until they came together and he collapsed onto her chest.  She kissed him and got up, disappearing into the bathroom off from her office.  After several minutes, she came back out still completely nude and handed him a washcloth and told him he could clean himself up.  When he was finished, he returned to find Yuri looking like she’d never removed a stitch of clothing.  Her hair was in place and her cherry-colored lips were restored.  He was amazed at her ability to gather herself so well, so fast.  He replaced his shirt and jacket taking care to look the same way he did when he came in. “Yuri, I have to tell you that this was mind blowing.  You are so beautiful and I want to spend time with you...but...” he stuttered.  “I know baby, you are leading an investigation and I am part of that.  You want to be professional, yet you would like to see me again.  Don’t worry...I will not hold your occupation against you.” She said.  She leaned over the desk and took her card from the silver holder it was in and handed it to Drake.  “Call me when you want to see me.  I can’t promise that I will be waiting, I AM a busy girl...but you can always try me.” Yuri was playing with his mind.  She wanted him to think he could have her yet she wanted him to know that he might not again.  It was psychological warfare to toy with a man’s psyche.  Make him want you, yet make it hard for him to get you.  It was playing hard to get, but deeper.  This because, technically, he had already gotten her...he just had to figure out how to get it again.  She wanted Drake to compromise his investigation and maybe even his career.  She wanted for it all to come tumbling to the ground on the smallest technicality.  Drake was floored at her ambiguity.  He thought he felt a passionate wanting coming from her, so he was quite surprised to have her suggest that this was all it would ever be.   Drake took the card and said, “Trust me my angel...I will be seeing more of you.”  He kissed her softly on the lips and caressed her face...then he turned and left.  The moment he left, Yuri broke down crying on the sofa.  She had given her body to this man to protect her freedom and her love for Elliott, but she wasn’t so sure.  She had just cheated on Ell.  The problem was, that if he knew why she did it, would he or could he forgive her?  What about if he knew of the men she had killed?  She knew for certain he would never forgive that.

Later that evening, Yuri was at home in the throes of a cleaning frenzy.  She always cleaned maniacally when she was upset.  She went through her closet and removed everything she could remember wearing more than once and took them either to the cleaners or put them in her washing machine.  She stripped the bed and washed all the bed linens.  She then dusted and mopped every inch of her loft...even getting on a ladder to get at the high places.  Just as she had stopped cleaning and had taken a seat, the bell rang.  She couldn’t think of who it could be so she was hesitant to answer.  Being that her car was downstairs, she knew whoever it was knew she was home.  She wiped her hands off on her sweat pants and readjusted the scarf on her head.  She opened the door to find Drake standing there.  Her heart raced and her feet became stuck to the floor.  Drake asked, “Are you okay, Yuri?  I hope my coming here isn’t out of line.”  Yuri finally stepped back and invited the detective in.  “I’m sorry, Drake...please come in.  Welcome to my home.” Yuri said.  The moment she invited him in and he sat down she realized that she was BUSTED.  She had on a pair of light blue sweat pants that were covered in dust and had bleach spots.  The wife beater she had on was holey and about a size too big.  The scarf she had on was a tie-dyed rainbow shirt that she made into a hair rag...she was horrified at her appearance.  “Excuse me Drake...I will be right back.” She said, dashing off to her room.  Drake giggled to himself thinking she still looked fine.  All he saw was how tight the pants were, the fact that he could see her breast through her shirt, and how the scarf pulled her hair back enough to see her beautiful features.   She washed up real quick and changed into a hot pink track suit and took her hair out of the scarf and into a ponytail.  She came back into the living room and sat Indian-style on the huge leather ottoman that served as a coffee table.  Drake looked at her feet and noted how smooth they looked and how the natural polish she had on was the same color as her skin.  “So what brings you here, Drake?  This is a surprise...I don’t even remember giving you my address.” Yuri mentioned waiting for his response.  She wanted to know how he was going to explain tracking her down AND showing up to her home without invitation.  “I am a detective, Yuri...it is my job to know things.  All I had to do was put your name in the precinct’s database and VOILA...Yuri Loren Hart’s residence in the palm of my hand.” He said with a smirk.  She didn’t like his tone.  He had also referenced her middle name which made him wonder what else there was he’d dug up.  Drake seemed to be too cavalier about this invasion of privacy.  She wondered if sleeping with him wasn’t an even bigger mistake than she had imagined.  “Would you care to explain how you felt justified in acquiring my private information and showing up here unannounced and uninvited?” Yuri’s face was stoic.  She was a very suspicious person and had every right to be considering the bones in her closet...but she sensed this situation had escalated past the point of mere interest.  Drake seemed almost territorial.  He was staking his claim on her.  Clearly he was used to using his badge and position as a means to getting what he wanted...but Yuri wasn’t the one for him to test.  Her reactions were extreme and final.  “Look, Yuri...I have never met someone like you.  You are addictive.  Your smile, your scent, and the way your body felt underneath mine...your passion matches mine...” he said moving away from his seat and inching towards her.  He caressed her foot and eased his other hand over her knee and began sliding his hand in between her thighs.  “...we have a connection here and I want to explore that.” He finished.  Yuri uncrossed her legs allowing him to get almost to her middle and then she slid backwards and off the ottoman onto her feet.  She stood up and walked to the mantle.  “Drake, I have a boyfriend.  Elliott and I have been together for almost 4 months now and I have no intentions on leaving him.  What transpired between us was the result of pure animal attraction.  I am not available for whatever it is you are looking to get out of what happened earlier.”  “WHAT?” Drake barked, jumping to his feet.  “Are you fucking kidding me?  You were sitting on the edge of your desk, fanning your ass in my face.  Out right seducing me, fucking me in your office?  What was that all about?  Oh...I get it...you were working me.  You thought you were a suspect so you thought if you used your little feminine ways on me, that I would become distracted?”  He held his head in his hand and paced the floor.  Yuri became nervous and worried that he would lose control.  This was new for her.  All of her victims were unsuspecting and never knew what hit them, but Drake’s being a cop gave him an advantage.  He was trained in defense and had instincts to sense attack.  “So, is that it Yuri?  You used me to make sure that I wouldn’t suspect you in Hanley’s disappearance?  Yea, that’s it isn’t it?” By this time, Drake was standing right in front of her and she was paralyzed by fear.  After all, this man was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.  Could she really go up against him?  She said, “Look, Drake, let’s talk about this.  I’m not saying that we cannot be friends.  I am only saying that a serious relationship isn’t in the cards for you and I.” she said nervously.  Drake could sense that she was becoming uncomfortable.  He took her by the hand and led her to the couch.  Yuri was getting antsy, because she was expecting Elliott in another hour.  He was normally on time, but sometimes he was even earlier, so time was of the essence.  She had to sate and appease Drake’s interest to get him out of her apartment before there was a dick measuring contest in her house.  Then all her hard work would be for nothing and she would lose Elliott for sure.  “Look, I want to get to know you better.  I respect that you have someone in your life.  I have someone too, but we aren’t together right now.  All I want is to be with you again.” He said.  Yuri knew what that meant.  He wanted to have sex again.  She didn’t dare have sex with him in the bed she shared with Elliott.  She told Drake that they could see each other the following evening.  They could go out for dinner and talk then.  Reluctantly, Drake agreed and settled for the postponed sex session.  He kissed her passionately as he found his hand inside of her track jacket and massaging her breasts. He then left...but not before having his say.  “I am a very persistent man.  I get what I want Ms. Hart.  Not many women can resist me, and I doubt you will be able to either.  After all, we have a lot in common.” He said.  Out of pure reaction and not curiosity, Yuri asked what that was.  Drake said coldly, “We both have killer instincts.” Then he turned around and walked out the door, shutting it behind himself.  Yuri's skin crawled and she almost had a panic attack.  What the hell did that mean?  This was moving way too fast.  She went from being able to move below the radar to being under suspicion.  In such a short period of time, she had discovered that Sebastian may have possibly witnessed her act, she brought about the attentions of a seemingly deranged detective...and she still hadn’t put her finger on what it was about Simone, Giselle’s cousin that made her uneasy.  Maybe allowing herself to be vulnerable to Elliott’s love has interfered with her ability to sense danger.  Drake was clearly not going away of his own volition so her mind had to work overtime figuring out his mind set.

Once Drake had left and she had sat there for a few minutes replaying what had taken place between them, Yuri took a shower.  She slipped into a silk golden yellow pajama set with a matching kimono blouse.  She lay down on her bed to wait for Elliott...but she ended up falling asleep.  When she woke up Elliott was in the room undressing, preparing to surprise her by sliding into bed next to her.  She sat up on her elbows, smiling at her chocolate king.  “You are SO sneaky baby.” She said.  Elliott snapped his fingers in disappointment that she’d awaken before he could do his thing.   “Damn baby, when did you become such a light sleeper?” he asked, crawling onto the bed in her direction.  He kissed her softly on her lips releasing a low moan.  She too, moaned with love as their lips met and parted, ending with a deep stare into one another’s eyes.  “I guess I was just so ready to see you tonight that I didn’t really get into a deep sleep...anxious I guess.”  Yuri put her hands around Elliott’s torso and slid them upwards.  She relaxed for a moment feeling his chest heave up and down from his breathing.  Elliott could tell Yuri was upset but he didn’t want to pressure her into talking about it.  He just returned the embrace tightly to let her know that he knew the hug was what she needed.  He ended the hug to take a look at her face...he wanted to see if he could tell what was wrong.  She barely made eye contact with him until he placed his finger underneath her chin and raised her to eye level.  “What is the matter, Yuri?  You look so sad baby.” He asked.  Yuri wished that she could unburden her heart and tell him what was wrong, but then she also knew that would be the death of their relationship.  Elliott looked in her face and decided that now was the time for the surprise that he had planned for later on that night.  He got up from the bed, with Yuri looking befuddled...and reached for his jacket.  He searched around the inside pocket and pulled out a blue box with a white bow.  Yuri's heart skipped a beat and she placed her hand over her mouth.  A tear fell from her eye as he made his way back over to her.  She knew what was happening...but she wasn’t sure she deserved this man anymore.  He opened up the box and removed the smaller one inside opening it for her to view.  “Yuri, I know I gave you that ring on your right hand and told you when I proposed that I would put it on your left, but since then I’ve decided that you deserve a ring especially presented for your left finger alone.” He said, removing the ring from the box.  Yuri began to openly sob, shaking from the shock of the moment.  She knew that Elliott had spoken of marriage, but she’d never considered that he would propose so soon into their relationship.  Four months wasn’t that long, she thought...but clearly when in love, it was a VERY long time for Elliott.  He got down on one knee in front of her and said, “Yuri Loren Hart...will you become my wife...my lover for life?  I have wanted to ask that of you since I walked into your gallery. So...” he said as he reached for her hand.  Yuri wanted so badly to say yes...her soul longed to unite with this man...but it hit her.  At that very moment, she thought of Drake and how quite possibly he could be dangerous.  He mentioned having killer instincts and she didn’t know what lengths he would go to in order to obtain her.   She jumped up immediately and yelled, “NO...no, Elliott.  It’s...it’s too soon.  Let me think about it.  I have so much going on, I just need to think!”  Elliott was thrown off by her reaction...to his knowledge he and Yuri had always been on the same page.  He never imagined she’d respond this way.  “Yuri, what is the problem?  I thought you were in love with me like I am with you? He asked in a hurt tone.  He watched her scurry away from him and he moved quickly to catch her.  He got her by the arm and swung her around gently and asked her, “Yuri, what is wrong?  You would’ve thought I asked you to get married tomorrow and have babies next week.” He said trying to lighten the mood.  She cried profusely and said, “You don’t understand Elliott.  I cannot do this with you.  You deserve better than me.  I am not the woman you think I am.  At least not anymore, and I don’t want to lie to you.  Please let me go, Elliott.” She pleaded.  Elliott was not about to let IT or HER go...he saw her as his life partner and up until this moment, he thought she felt the same way.  “TALK TO ME DAMN IT!  YURI, YOU NEED TO TELL ME WHY YOU ARE TURNING DOWN MY PROPOSAL...YOU OWE ME THAT AT LEAST...DONT YOU THINK?” he said now shouting in a tone that never passed Yuri’s ears before.  He could see in her eyes that she was feeling afraid so he loosened his grip and walked to the door.  He held himself up against the wall and asked again, this time looking at the floor.  “Why are you saying no?  It isn’t that I don’t realize that we have only been together for almost 4 months but, I also know we’ve been discussing this for the past few weeks.  So why now...why is it all of a sudden too soon?” he practically begged.  Yuri searched her mind for a plausible lie.  Something that would make him want to flee her.  She needed to get him as far away from her as possible, at least until she got Drake out of the picture safely and soundly.  She couldn’t think of anything that would make Elliott want to leave her.  All of the scenarios in her head she knew would only make him want to stick by her.  Then it dawned on her...the truth.  She could confess the truth to him...tell him of her encounter with Drake and nip this whole thing in the bud.  She took a deep breath and spoke gingerly.  “Elliott...come sit down baby.   I want to talk to you.  I want you to know why a marriage between you and I will never work.”  Elliott didn’t like the sound of that.  So obviously sitting down to hear her wasn’t an option.  “I’ll stand.  Just talk, Yuri.” He said with no emotion.  She stood up and walked across the room.  Her room was fairly large so she felt safe with the distance between Elliott and herself.  He stood over near the bedroom’s entrance and she stood over by the bathroom door.  She could see him lunging at her in response and her closing the bathroom door behind her to keep him back.  “I cheated on you, Elliott.” Yuri said pausing to let her words permeate the air.  Elliott’s head rose and he looked in her direction.  He walked towards her slowly while she backed towards the bathroom.  “Say that again, Yuri.  Repeat what you just told me.” He said.  She could see something in his eyes change and she thought briefly that he might hurt her.  She saw him come towards her and instinctively she spun on her heels and attempted to go into the bathroom, but Elliott caught her by her arm.  “Where are you going, Yuri?”  Elliott flung her to the ground and said way too calmly, “Now...tell me what you were saying.”  Yuri scooted to prop her back on the bed and said, “Look, Ell...please don’t hurt me.  I wasn’t thinking, baby.  I got caught up and it just happened.”  “WHO IS IT YURI?  WHO DID YOU FUCK?” he yelled out.  She jumped and said, “That’s not important, Elliott.  I just wanted to come clean.  I just felt you deserved the truth.” She said shaking.  Elliott turned around and punched the bathroom door causing the wood to break and a hole to appear.  Yuri saw him draw his hand back and watched the blood come through the broken skin on his knuckles.  “Don’t fucking tell me what is important.  You fucked someone else and you're telling me that it’s not important who it is?  Yes, it is important.  Tell me Yuri before I lose control...who have you been fucking?”  He knelt down in front of her and became calm again, and with cries stuck in his throat asked again.  “Come on baby, tell me who?  Why would you cheat on me?  When did this happen?”  She answered each question.  “His name is Drake Price, he is a detective.  It was a onetime thing, it happened earlier this afternoon...I don’t know what came over me.  I am so sorry, baby please forgive me? She begged while trying to touch his face.  He slapped her hands away and stood up.  “You’re a fucking whore!  You and I have been together for 4 months and the first chance you got, you couldn’t wait to fuck some other dude.  You messed up our lives, Yuri.  You deserve whatever unhappiness awaits you.” He said without blinking.  He walked over to his shirt and jacket and put them on.  He picked up the ring and the boxes and placed them back into his pocket.  He looked back at her and said, “I will pick up my shit tomorrow.”  She felt so dirty and so violated.  She knew that he had every justifiable right to feel the way he did but it didn’t change the fact that she felt like dying in that very moment.  She heard him slam the door behind him and she just burst into tears.  She cried in that spot on the floor until she fell asleep.  
Yuri woke up at 3:48am on the floor.  She got up and looked around hoping to find Elliott, but it wasn’t a dream.  She had really confessed to him about her and Drake.  She knew that there was no turning back now.  She had to get ready to take the plan to its next stages.  Now that she had sacrificed Elliott for his own protection, she could get grimy.  She sat there thinking in her mind, how she was going to rock Det. Drake Price’s world.  Now she was gunning for him...literally.  She tried to plan several different ways to kill him, but she wasn’t satisfied with simply killing him.  That might be too easy for him.  She wanted to make him suffer and dismantle his existence.  She decided she would get close to him and fuck his life up from the inside out.

The next day after work, Yuri went home to get ready for her dinner date with Drake.  She wanted to blow his mind...again.  She had just cleaned her closet and picked her clothes up from the cleaners so she was working with good choices.  After an hour of changing in and out of clothes, she settled on a cobalt blue backless halter that dove deep into her cleavage.  Though she was sporting a c-cup bra size, her breast sat high, so she went braless.  She chose a pair of fitting dark blue jean pedal pushers and a pair of matching ankle-tie pumps.  Yuri took her 2” curling iron and created loose flowing locks and inserted a bejeweled sapphire colored flower on the side.  Once her make-up was done and she had primped sufficiently, she grabbed her studded blue clutch and was off to the restaurant where she was to meet Drake.

When she showed up at the restaurant, “Sensations” she hoped that Drake was already waiting so she could make an entrance.  Yuri walked up to the hostess and said, “Hi, I’m Yuri Hart...here to meet Drake Price.”  The hostess nodded and replied, “Yes, Mr. Price has been waiting for you...this way ma’am.” As the hostess led her to the table where Drake was seated, she thought, YES...he is here so I get to sashay my ass to the table for effect.  As soon as Drake laid eyes on Yuri, he got chills all over.  She was breath-taking.  Her body was so curvy and she knew how to accentuate it.  He stood up and when she reached the table, he pulled out her chair and pushed it under her as she sat down.  “You look beautiful, Yuri.  Blue is definitely your color...but then I could imagine you would be beautiful in any color you wore.” He stated.  Yuri smiled and watched him take his seat again and replied, “Thank you, Drake.  I appreciate your compliments.  You’re so kind.”  He spoke quickly, “Oh, no...Trust me, Yuri.  The compliments are well deserved on your part.  Your beauty is mind-numbing.  I haven’t been able to think of anything else since meeting you.”  Their waiter brought them menus and they chose their meals.  They waited while making small talk, even finding time to share a genuine laugh...and then it happened.  The moment of truth for both Drake and Yuri walked through the door.  Startling the couple out of the revelry, a voice said, “Well...good evening, Drake.  Yuri, that is your name right?” Simone said.  Simone’s blood boiled and she gave Drake a look of utter disgust, but he couldn’t figure out why Simone was acting this way.   She’d seen him with women since they’d broken up.  What was different about him spending time with Yuri?  Then he picked up on it.  Simone said Yuri’s name.  How did she know her?  “You two know each other?” Drake asked.  Yuri then responded to both Simone and Drake.  “Yes, it is Yuri.  Hello, Simone...nice to see you again.  Yes, Drake...she and I met at my gallery.  She is cousins with my partner, Giselle Beaumont.”  “Oh, okay...well that explains it then.   I didn’t know you two had met.” Drake said.  “Well, my cousin GiGi is getting married in a couple of weeks and I met Yuri, here, while visiting GiGi for the first time there at the gallery.  GiGi enlisted me to help her with some ideas she has for her big day, and that’s where I met Ms. Hart.” Simone said snidely.  Clearly, Yuri had picked up on Simone’s attitude and wasn’t about to be shown up by such a small mind.  Yuri had assumed that both Simone and Drake were a couple once, or she desired that.  Either way, she was not going to allow this half-breed bitch to look down her nose at her.  “Well, Simone what brings you here to “Sensations”?  Are you on a date, because Drake and I are.”  Simone’s eyes could’ve leapt from her skull and her jaw could’ve swept the floor.  Simone wanted to get her glock and blow a hole through Yuri’s head.   “No actually...” she began as her dinner date stopped in front of the table.  “Hey, Drake, how are you?” Simone’s sister, Kassandra said.  Simone finished, “I’m here with Kassie.  Kassie, this is Yuri Hart, GiGi’s partner.”  “Hi there, Ms. Yuri.  It’s nice to meet you.” Kassie said.  Yuri extended her hand to shake Kassie’s and said, “It is nice to meet you, too, Kassie.”  Once the niceties were over, Simone and Kassie were called to their table by their waitress.  “Well I hope you two enjoy your dinner.  It was nice seeing you again, Yuri.” Simone lied.  Kassie could tell Simone was tense so she led her sister away echoing her sister’s phony sentiment, “I hope you enjoy your dinner.”  Drake was impressed, because few people, including him could handle Simone’s presence.  He surmised that being the daughter of two decorated members of the police force and being a cop herself, made Simone tougher than your average woman.  He was surely happy to sit back and let Yuri handle the situation.  “Now...where were we?” Yuri asked.  They continued eating their meals and drank wine and laughed.  After the meal, they ended up at Drake’s apartment, screwing each other’s brains out.  All the aggression from the previous night had come out in Yuri’s sex.  She took control and basically wore poor Det. Price out!  After Yuri was done using Drake’s body for sexual gratification, she freshened up and began collecting her personal belongings so she could leave.  Drake stopped her at his door and said, “No...Stay the night with me, sexy.  I want to wake up to your face.”  Yuri looked him dead in the eye and said, “No.  I cannot stay here overnight.  I have a lot of things to do tonight in preparation for GiGi’s wedding and some business stuff.  I need to go home.  Another night, sweetie.” She said attempting to kiss him on the lips.  Drake closed the cracked door she had tried to open, and said, “Like I said before, Yuri...I want you to stay with me tonight.  I need you here with me.  What part of that aren’t you getting?”  Yuri's heartbeat quickened and her hands got clammy.  “Look, Drake...” she started nervously.  “...I don’t do well with demands and control from men.  Please don’t ruin this evening.” She begged.  He ignored her, grabbing her arm and dragging her to his couch.  She tried to resist, but he was a lot stronger than her and she was sporting 3½” pumps.   He tossed her down and said, “Hear me out.  Don’t move until you’ve seen what I have to show you.”   He popped a DVD inside of the player and pressed play on the remote.  Yuri was baffled...but she kept her eyes glued to the TV waiting for whatever it was she was supposed to view.  As she focused on the room displayed in black and white, she realized the room looked familiar.  She tilted her head trying to recall where she’d seen the room before.  All of a sudden in the middle of her scrutiny, she saw herself (a fuzzy image) but definitely her...walk into the room, collect the bedding, and yell at the doorway and leave.  It dawned on her and her blood curdled, the hairs on her arms stood up and her stomach got weak.  She realized that the video she was viewing was of her in Hanley’s room the night she murdered him.  She hesitated a little, but she finally got the courage to look up at Drake.  He was standing there with his arms folded and was wearing a blank, cold stare on his face.  He turned the video off and said, “NOW...take off your clothes and get back into bed.   I want you to stay the night with me.”  He said all of that while walking away from her to go back to his room.  She was stunned.  Yuri had become frozen there on the couch.  “YURI!” Drake yelled.  Yuri stood up, untied the halter and removed it.  She unbuckled her shoes and took those off slowly one at a time, and then removed her pants and panties.  She walked into the room stopping in front of the door.  Drake was naked also and just shook his head in admiration of her, and motioned for her to come to bed.  She climbed into bed with him as he pawed her and had his way with her body.  She was for the first time since Jon was alive...powerless.  As Drake had sex with her body, she used her mind to calculate what it was she was going to do to him...because SOMETHING had to be done.   He was not going to get away with what he was doing.  She did not come this far to have some dirty, deranged cop rape her.  He had to go.