THE BEGINNING...

                                                   PROLOGUE

NB: The currency in use here is fictional - The Mion

Raina`s feet crunched on the pavement, weary from a long hard day’s work. She longed for the comfort of her bed, the cool air emanating from her bedside fan and a lovely dinner. The last, she mused could not be possible as she reasoned that she would have to make a light preparation for her supper. Her day had been a very hectic one as papers streamed in endlessly from the departments of the company. Queries to look into, treaties with sister companies to sign, federal policies to implement and above all factory problems to attend to. The newly bought truck for the transportation of newly designed clothing had suddenly developed engine trouble which her technicians could not decipher. Above all, a query had come from higher powers in response to a petition tendered by a rival company that her workers were not granted their necessary rights. As she tumbled all this in her head, she took no notice of steps slowly and noiselessly approaching from behind. Suddenly, in a flash; all that was clear was a quick snap like a log breaking. Raina lay helplessly on the ground, her flung away about 10 yards from where she lay. 

Her body was dixcovered later with a note saying: ‘YOU DESERVED IT, BITCH’

                                                       ONE

Matt Drew sat on a swivel chair in his elegant or rather extravagantly furnished office. He swerved round and mirrored his life so far; he had been born into a family with riches, vast fortunes, countless jewels and connections. He grew up in a house that had everything one would wish for except parental affections. His mother, had made him grow up with the notion that no man could be trusted even closest friends.

Nancy Drew was a cold calculating and ruthless woman who by persuasion had turned her husband, Patrick Drew into a multimillionaire less than five years after their marriage. She had a businesslike attitude which infected her husband greatly. She made him work hours on end, pushing him to test his limits on and reprimanding him like a child. The result had been from the owner of a few electronic gadgets on the Cosmian market to the owner of several digitalized and more sophisticated ones that bore the company’s trademark. Right now he was estimated to be worth fifteen billion mions and still amassing more wealth by the tons. She was completely ruthless and destroyed every one and thing she perceived to be an obstacle to her climb to power. She always told Matt, ‘Matt dear, ‘she always began, ‘You don’t need stupid opinions when building an empire, when you’ve set your mind to it, never listen to losers; Make friends when you want, use them when desired and drop them when they of no more use’.

This philosophy she imbibed into her son, Matt which had enabled him build their vast empire on the foundation of toes he stepped on and above all, women he used for work and pleasure.

soared above that of the Kozakis in Greece. It had been fun figuring out strategies to use, enemies to trample, undefeatable rivals to subdue and days and nights of bone-cracking work to reach that height. Eureka!! He had exploded on the night of the announcement. And now, he had the death of his sister to deal with. His lovely sweet Raina. So beautiful yet fragile. The cause of which he had relegated his work to the background. As tears rolled down his face, he wondered why she had chosen to walk home on that particular night.

Raina had the knack of leaving her car in the office complex complaining it gave her cramps. She had been a little she-wolf right from childhood, attacking those who disagreed with her on issues. It was a surprise to Nancy that Matt could persuade her to take over the management of their Serene branch down at Lolcove.

Nancy used to say that Raina’s insanity could only be cured by Matt. ‘The little she-devil’ she would say when she threw one of her numerous tantrums and refused to be placated by anyone when younger.

Despite this, the Drew family loved her. She could be sweet and loving when she wanted to and above all had the tenacity of a hyena. When she stuck her teeth into something she planned herself for. She also had that sweet smile that melted your anger at her away when she decided to be ‘bitchy’ as Patrick called it.

Captain Lassair had no clue whatsoever to who had actually strangulated Raina Drew and left her dead in an alley. Matt had thundered down to the Central Police Station severally only to be given a blank stare and ‘I’m terribly sorry but we have no new leads’. According to him, the job had been a clean one as the killer left nothing on her even fingerprints. The note left on her reading ‘YOU DESERVED IT, BITCH’ threw shivers down his skin when forensic analysis proved the rusty ink used to write it to be blood. It was a type O+.

Matt on a sudden whim stood up from his table, made a few calls and left the office with instructions to his secretary on what to do.

****************************************************

Ira’s day started and ended boringly, a nap from morning till afternoon then preparations to go for her job at Raven at about 16:00 hours every day, tired and exhausted at 3:00 hours going home for a nap and the same pattern repeated all over again on the next day. She was sick and tired of all this, minus

the fact that this job provided a steady income for her to live on, she would have quit long ago.

Now on a rather hot March evening, she hurried to Raven at about 16:30 hours silently cursing herself for over-sleeping. She reached in her handbag for her cell phone but Oops! She left it at home. Rushing towards the nearest phone booth she wiped her forehead with her hand, cursing the heat. On getting to her destination, she was nearly furious when she saw a gentleman dressed in a typical businessman’s gab with the inevitable patent leather shoes.

As she waited rather impatiently for him to finish, she took some time to study the blonde-haired god. He looked tall about 6.1 inches, had the typical blue eyes that made women go weak at the knees on sight, a nose that Michelangelo would envy and a frame that Arnold Schwarzenegger would die for [minus the muscles]. Long legs thrust into back well-tailored and ironed trousers that seemed rather sexy on him, and of course lean fingers which she could only dream of taking hold and entangling hers in.

Suddenly, she felt a nudge and turned embarrassed to see that he was giving her an amused expression while gesturing to the empty booth.

‘The booth is empty now’, he said

She managed to mutter a hurried ‘Thank you’ and rushed in to inform and explain her lateness to work on that evening.

***************************************************

Matt could not control his amusement at the expression on the lady’s face. He had in need of fresh air decided to place a public booth call to his uncle Tom Drew of the date of Raina’s upcoming burial. A piece of news that dealt him a sucker punch; he regarded Raina as his little love because he strongly believed she was a reincarnation of Muriel, his wife who had died some 25 years earlier. He had never fully recovered from that and this was another.

And now as he walked to the nearest seedy restaurant he could find, he thought of the lady at the booth who was so deeply enmeshed in admiring his good features she forgot herself; he wondered if they could perchance me t again. He wouldn’t mind a customary roll in the hay and AUREVOIR!! He was gone. He had been admired by several women before and he got his kick out of screwing and butting them out when he got bored. ‘Women’ he mused ‘were like cats and all cats are grey in the dark’.

As he felt in his pocket for his wallet, he felt refreshed for the first time since Raina’s demise.

Maybe the lady had helped.