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Post by kat on Feb 12, 2012 0:12:00 GMT -5
Lily sat in her shop, her eyes focused on the laptop in front of her. Her fingers flew over the keys as she typed a report, having finished a job to help a mother successfully gain custody of her children from her dead-beat ex-husband. Sighing, happy, Lily saved the report, and cracked her knuckles.
"Get another one closed, Lily?" Lily glanced up at her receptionist, a tidy older woman with her hair cut short around her dark face.
"Mhmm. Another one with children involved. This one made me feel good about myself though." Lily smiled at the woman. "Karen, why don't you go on home. It's slow today, and it's close enough to closing time."
"I won't complain," Karen said as she got up, gathering her things. "I'll see you tomorrow Lily."
Lily waved at the woman as she left, and sighed with relief. She liked the woman well enough, but she couldn't put her feet up with her around. She had the mom look down pat, and it made Lily squirm.
Before Lily could relax back into her chair, the chiming of the bells over the door sounded, and she sat up straight again, thinking it was Karen. It wasn't Karen that walked in though, but a man.
No, teenager. University age by the look of him. Wonder if he's lost... I don't get many kids in here looking for help. There was something... Oddly familiar about him. Lily couldn't put her finger on it, and it made her uneasy.
"Can I help you?"
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Post by Axel Hayden Evans on Feb 12, 2012 5:18:08 GMT -5
He wasn't even sure why he was here, at a private investigators office.
But did he have any other choices? He couldn't search aimlessly around the huge city of Los Angeles for parents he knows nothing about. He could shout out down the street to people to find information, but that would just make him look like a complete fool, something he just wouldn't be able to tolerate. He stepped up to the door of the office, watching as someone had just exited the office not long before he reached the stairs. A customer, or a worker, he wasn't sure. He just hoped this private investigator would be able to help him out somehow...He needed the help, unfortunately. He just felt a part of him missing now that he knew there was a chance his parents were alive, he had to find out for sure and get closure. He had lived so long believing one lie, when something entirely different had actually occured.
He opened the door, stepping in curiously and slowly, noticing a bell ring upon entry. He was quickly greeted by a woman, older than him but extremely attractive. In many ways, she looked like she was in the wrong job, but he didn't judge. If she was able to help him out, thats all he needed to know. He greeted her with a smile as she asked if she could help him or not, with him hoping she was able to help him in some way. Even a starting point, some answers/facts which could lead him in the right direction. Anything, really.
"Well...I've recently moved to Los Angeles in search of my parents. I found out recently through my now deceased aunt and uncle that they didn't die in the car accident, as that was all a lie to protect me...And I found letters from my mother to her sister, my aunt, dating six years ago proving that she was alive. I just don't know what to do...Where to start." He sighed softly, hoping she had some ideas on ways to track them down. However he was worried, as he didn't exactly have anything to give the woman to help in the task. "I know its not much...But, I just need to find answers."
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Post by kat on Feb 12, 2012 14:30:13 GMT -5
Lily watched the kid for a moment, taking in his body posture as well as his words. He seemed like he was worried, and she heard him sigh a little at one point before he started talking again. She listened to him, letting him get his story out, before she motioned for him to take a seat. No point in making him stand. Not to mention, maybe if he was closer she could figure out why she felt he looked familiar. It was faint, like he was related to someone she knew. Maybe she had just seen him out and about? It was a big city, sure, but that doesn't really mean much.
"Do you have the letters?" She asked him as she opened a new document up on her computer, and sided it with a police ID verification she probably wasn't really suppose to be using, but the cops didn't seem to mind.
"I also need your name, the names of your parents, and any siblings if you have them," She said as she started typing a quick memo as to why the boy was there. She kept meticulous notes.
Lily looked up and smiled at him. He looked worried, and a little sad. "Cheer up," She told him gently. "If they're out there, I can find them."
The sense of familiarity she saw when she looked at him was fading. Not because she realized she didn't know him after all, but because the thrill of a new case, and more money for a new camera, was setting her blood humming. She had a deep feeling that this case was going to change something in her life. She could only hope that she did it well.
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Post by Axel Hayden Evans on Feb 13, 2012 3:11:13 GMT -5
"Do you have the letters?"
"No," he lied. "I lost them in the moving out process...Lost a lot of stuff, just needed a new start somewhere." He knew where the letters were, because they were at his temporary apartment in one of his drawers. He just couldn't show this investigator the letters, no matter how much he wanted and needed her help. She probably wouldn't understand. Even though they may help, they were personal letters, written by his mother...He wanted to keep it that way, oddly enough. He didn't want to share the only part of his mother that he knows. And if he did show this investigator lady, she may ask him questions, or look into his past. From the way his mother wrote the letters, something had went down...Something that scared her, he could almost feel it. That kind of thing generally wasn't the "protect him from my vicious dog" kind of deal, at least he didn't think so. Maybe he was just reading into this way too much, after all, he wanted to see his parents.
He nodded as she asked for some details about him, and them. He could give details about himself, sure, but he didn't really know anything about his parents. "I'm Axel. Axel Evans. All I know is that my mother's name was Pandora, I'm not sure what my father's name is though...But my aunt told me that Evans was his last name, they left it because my mum didn't formally adopt me out to them." He hoped that would've helped in some way. Did they even have the same last name? If he was with his mother's sister, it would be her maiden name, he thought, which could make things tricky. "And I don't have any siblings," he added. And that was all he knew. He could spill more stuff about him, but his parents or their details, that was an entirely different story altogether. One he didn't have a beginning, middle or end to.
He nodded at her encouragement that she'd be able to find them. He really did hope so, he really needed to find them, just for the sake of knowing the truth not only about his family, but about himself as well. "Thanks," he added with a soft smile. "I have money," he added. "A lot of it, that is no problem. Just do what you have to do. I'll do anything to find out who they are...Who I am."
(Even though she may recognize the 'Evans' last name and raise question about it to him, Axel won't find out about his brothers through her- perhaps she calls his brother out of the blue and explains it, possibly beginning plottage between those two again).
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Post by kat on Feb 13, 2012 22:15:04 GMT -5
"No, I lost them in the moving out process...Lost a lot of stuff, just needed a new start somewhere."
Lily only smiled. She ran into this problem a lot, people 'losing' private letters from the person/persons they wanted her to find. She only nodded. "That will make it harder without the return address on the envelope," She said. "But I'll see what I can do with her first name. Do you have her maiden name? It will be easier if I can use her maiden name to search for her, but I can use her married name too." She typed the names into the document she had on the screen in front of her, including Axel's name.
No siblings. Lily forced herself not to look at him as his last name clicked in her head, and she had to force herself to keep typing, keep going on as if nothing happened. Evans, she thought. Like Xzavier... She blinked once, the only concession to her inner turmoil. No. This is a huge city, and I'm sure there are tons of people with that name. Evans is a very common last name. Stop being a stupid female.
Lily glanced up at his last statement. She knew how he felt, and could even sympathize. She only knew who half of her was, her father some unknown face. She hadn't wanted to know him, really, but sometimes... Sometimes she felt an urge to look for him. "I'll help you, Axel. This seems pretty straightforward, even if I have to work around not having your parent's return address. That will be easy enough, Pandora isn't a common name." Her smile was a bit sad when she smiled at him. His comment had made her think of her father, and that usually made her feel melancholy.
"I'll need half of the payment now," She told him, and rattled off a price she deemed fair. "I'll also need a number I can reach you at so I can contact you as I find things. I usually update my clients every time I find something, instead of making them wait until I get everything. I find that cruel, and I'm anything but." She leaned back in her chair, taking her fingers off the keyboard to lace her fingers together in her lap. "Is there anything else you want to add to the report before we wrap up here?"
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Post by Axel Hayden Evans on Feb 20, 2012 9:19:29 GMT -5
When she asked for a maiden name, he did feel a slight bit of relief, or achievement, as he was actually able to provide some other useful information which may help in the search. "Richards," he stated in response. The only reason he knew that was because he had known what his aunty's maiden name was, which luckily for him right now, he had questioned at the time. He hoped that knowing his mother's maiden name would help this investigator in the searching process. They always say every little bit helps, right? He hoped that saying applied to the situation he was going through right now.
He did feel slightly encouraged as she spoke of helping him, and that pandora wasn't a common name. He felt a sense that she would be able to help him...In some way, find the truth. He needed to believe that she would be able to find answers for him, he just hoped the answers were something he wanted to, and was ready to find. After all, he knew nothing about his parents, or about what they said in the letters. He was slightly scared of the truth, but at the same time needed it for closure. He needed to know who he really was.
He brought out an envelope with a fair amount of money contained inside as she spoke of a payment. "I'm not sure how much your prices are here, but I have enough to cover it all." He was willing to spend money to find out the truth. Money was meaningless to him if he didnt' have a true identity. He was sure his aunt and uncle would be happy that he was using the money he inherited from them to find out the truth about his family. At least he hoped so. He nodded as she spoke of her procedures. Keeping updated sounded good, as he was quite impatient and the suspence would kill him. She asked if there was anything else vital to the investigation he could add, but he didn't have anything unfortunately. "I think I've covered everything, but I can give you a call or stop by if I find anything else...Here's my number too." He wrote his number on a piece of paper and passed it over to her. "Your the first girl I've given my number to in Los Angeles," he chuckled softly.
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Post by kat on Feb 21, 2012 17:53:02 GMT -5
Lily only nodded when Axel gave her his mother's maiden name. She was glad he had that, at least. The name would really narrow things down for her in the long run. She typed it into the report, saved it, and closed it out. She didn't think she'd get anything else out of him, and if she did it was only a click away.
"We don't charge too much," Lily told him with a smile. "I often do divorce cases, helping a parent getting custody of their child." Lily extended a hand when Axel held out an envelope. It was rare that she got cash, but not unheard of. She grabbed it, flicked it open with a thumbnail to glance inside. It was the right amount, and she smiled as she dropped it into a lock box inside a drawer of her desk she kept just in case a client wanted to pay cash. Most used a check.
"Once I find something out, I'll give you a call. Even if it's small." She couldn't help the small laugh at his comment about her being the first girl he gave his number to in LA. "If I'm the first girl in LA you've given this number to, Axel, then you need to get out more." She smiled at him, hoping her words wouldn't offend him. She didn't think so, she pegged him as the easy going type. "Well, if that's it, then I guess business is threw." She stood and held out a hand to him with a smile. "I'll get back to you as soon as I have anything for you."
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Post by Axel Hayden Evans on Feb 22, 2012 4:24:57 GMT -5
He was relieved to know that there wasn't a large charge for her services, however at the same time it didn't phase him too much. Money was meaningless to him, at least until he found out more about who he was and who his family were. Pigging out on shopping wasn't going to change any of that, or make the confusion and impatience any the easier. He hoped she didn't find it shady that he was paying with money, he wasn't trying to be, it just happened. He did have a lot of money, which did make him a target, and to someone else could make him look suspicious as well, especially when handing over envelopes full of cash. He didnt' need any more attention in this case, he just wanted answers.
He smiled softly at her joke. "Your right, I probably do. Usually I would, just have been through a lot lately and have a lot on my plate at the moment, need to clear my head." He was the biggest party-goer out there, and was definantly looking to hit the L.A nightlife, but just couldn't think straight about anything except finding answers. It probably wasn't too normal, but he couldn't help it.
As she stood up and raised a hand to him, he shook it, feeling her smooth and warm touch. He missed that kind of feeling, he really did. She was an extremely attractive woman, who now had his number. Though he wasn't expecting any late night booty calls, more along the lines of 'I've found something', which was good, but also a slight disappointment in the sexual department. Everyone had needs, right? "Thanks," he replied smoothly, with a slight smile. He hoped she would get back to him shortly, he enjoyed speaking with her, looking at her and hearing that beautiful voice. Oh...Uh...Was he getting sidetracked? It did seem so, evidently enough that would appear to be his cue to leave. "See you later." He stated, before walking out of the office, hoping this woman could provide him with the answers he seeked shortly.
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Post by kat on Feb 24, 2012 23:37:39 GMT -5
"Your right, I probably do. Usually I would, just have been through a lot lately and have a lot on my plate at the moment, need to clear my head."
Lily smiled at that. She could understand how he felt, she saw it enough on the faces of others that came into her office. "Axel, the only thing I can tell you right now, is to relax. You're in the University, right? Go to a party, have some fun, and relax. I know it's hard, not knowing anything." Lily knew because she had a friend who didn't know anything about herself. She could see Gwen's struggle every day, trying to cope with amnesia and find out who she used to be. "Stressing on it isn't going to help, it's just going to give you ulcers and land you in the hospital."
Lily was amused by the flash of what looked like interest in the boy's eyes, though she didn't let the amusement show. No need to embarrass him, or upset him. "I'll call you when I get something," She told him when he said "See you later.". She watched him walk out, then turned to her desk, her face turning from pleasant, to a blank mask.
She sat down behind her desk again, and opened the file on her computer she had typed up while Axel sat across from her. She stared at the last name. Evans. She glanced at the phone, thought about calling Xzavier.
"Oh how you have screwed me over in so many ways," She muttered as she thought about her past lover. "So many ways..."
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