A Jewel Whodunnit...
BLAST FROM THE PAST
PART ONE: CURTAIN DOWN
Chapter Eight: The Results

"I don't believe this."
Phyllis stormed into her colleague's office, a thunderous look on her face as she banged the door shut, making all the pictures on the wall wobble violently. "I totally don't. Some damn security guard!"
"Mm?" Jetta, well used to her friend's tantrums by now did not even look up from her paperwork.
"Jetta, dammit, listen to me!" Phyllis snatched the paper away. Jetta raised her gaze to her companion's, a look of irritation in her grey eyes.
"What?" She demanded. "I'm tryin' to get that finished!"
"Well, it isn't the only thing that's gonna be finished when I'm through with that Nigel jerk." Phyllis fumed. "Jetta, last night, someone got in here, into the main studio and totalled the recording equipment. Not only that, but various electrical cables and amp leads are missing, Nancy's guitar has had the strings sliced off it, and a whole folder of Jewel music is missing."
"You're kidding me!" Shock flashed into Jetta's gaze. "But security..."
"That's what I mean." Phyllis said darkly. "I had that useless old fool up in my office and I told him what I thought of his idea of security. He says he doesn't remember any unauthorised personnel entering the building, but one must have, because the evidence is plain as day! Someone got in here and wrecked Jewel's things...and he just let them!"
Jetta cursed.
"What did you do about it?" She asked.
"Fired him, of course. What else?" Phyllis spread her hands. "But listen, Jetta, getting a good night security guard might take a while. I've passed word around, but in the meantime we can't just leave the place open to intruders. I've asked Aaron and Cynthia to spend a couple of nights here, make sure nothing goes amiss. They're fairly agreeable - Cynthia's working on fixing the recording equipment as we speak, though it means Jewel aren't going to record today. Probably not tomorrow either - they did a thorough job."
"What about the music?" Jetta demanded. "Amp leads, cables, guitar strings can be replaced, but the music?"
"Nancy keeps copies." Phyllis responded. "Thankfully the ones in the cabinet were only photocopies. Her originals are at home in her room, safe at Starlight Mansion."
"Well, that's something." Jetta looked relieved. "Bloody vandals!"
"You think it was random or designed?" Phyllis asked, as the two of them headed down to the studio, Jetta wanting to see the damage for herself.
"Designed." Jetta frowned. "A random delinquent would jus' attack anywhere, this was aimed at Jewel themselves."
"Yeah, right." Phyllis nodded. "I thought the same thing." She clenched her fist, letting out an exclamation of frustration. "Damn them! We don't have all the time in the world to lay down the B track for this single before the projected release date!"
"So why not move them to another studio downstairs?"
"Because, lamebrain, they're all in use today, tomorrow too. Booked solid." Phyllis snapped. "I've tried to get in touch with Flash Recording Studios - you remember Daddy has shares in them still - but they haven't a window either no matter how hard I bully them. We're stuck waiting for the equipment to be fixed and I hate waiting around!"
At that moment they reached the studio proper, and Jetta pushed open the door, surveying the scene with a frown. Nancy was perched on the unit, carefully affixing new strings to her beloved guitar, whilst her bandmates were discussing the situation with some vim. At the entrance of their superiors they turned, and it was clear from their expressions how indignant they were.
"This kind of thing should not be allowed to happen." Phyllis said quietly. "Nancy, are you gonna be able to play that thing today?"
"I'm almost done. I always keep spares." Nancy agreed, not looking up from her task. "I never saw anything like it, though. Someone just...sliced them off. Bam. Scratched the frets as well."
"Are you gonna call the police?" Sylva demanded. Phyllis frowned.
"Not yet. I'm hoping we can settle it without that." She admitted. "I don't like the police. They're nosy and bossy and disrupt schedules even further with their interference. They think they know everything when in fact they're dumbasses. No, no police. Cynthia and Aaron will be here if whoever it is comes back."
"What if they're armed, though?" Copper looked anxious.
"I'm not afraid." Cynthia put in from the doorway to the control room. "We'll manage." She glanced around her. "Where is Aaron?"
"Making sure the other studios weren't affected." Phyllis replied darkly. "Well, since you girls can't record, you can damn well practice. I want the B track song note perfect by the time you go meet Zoe about the A track's video this afternoon, okay?"
"Sure. We're not far off it, anyhow." Topaz assured her. "It's just sick that anyone would do this, that's all."
"Mm, more than sick. It's a bloody nusiance." Jetta grimaced. "Well, we'll leave you to it. Get workin', okay?"
Once they were gone, Sadie moved over to the window thoughtfully.
"I wonder." She mused.
"What?" Sylva cast her a puzzled look.
"Well, I was thinking. If I wanted to sabotage Misfit Music, and I didn't have a lot of time or space to do it in...where would I ditch the stuff?"
"Sadie turns detective!" Topaz observed dryly. Sadie rolled her eyes.
"No thank you. You don't know how glad I am that Phyllis is no fan of police interference. They'd take one look at me and my history and bang me up for life! No, I was thinking of it from another angle. I mean, I know...well, knew people who did this kinda stuff for a standard fee. Just got me thinking."
"Back in England, you mean?" Nancy glanced up from her guitar at this. Sadie nodded, perching on the windowsill.
"Yeah. There's a whole undercurrent of shady dealing and stuff the police don't have any clue of, because people who're down there don't rat on their own kind." She said. "No matter how many people saw a fight take place or a drug deal finalised or vandalism committed, when the cops came down suddenly it's a case of noone saw a thing. That's how it works."
"But you do see?" Copper asked. Sadie smiled slightly.
"See more than you want to." She acknowledged. "But listen. I'm not saying this was a pro job or a network or anything. I was just remembering what I learnt in Kent and Brum and thinking...well, there is only one place to get rid of things at speed and not be caught."
"Where?" Topaz's eyes were bright with curiosity. Sadie gestured behind her.
"Out of the window." She said simply. "Into the skip."
"Out the window?" Sylva hurried to the window, pushing it up and leaning out. "I dunno...it's a long way, wouldn't someone hear something?"
"Isn't it normal for people to throw things into skips, though?" Sadie reasoned. "Phyllis has something of a reputation for it, even. So what if people hear a few things clattering? Doesn't mean anything's up."
"Sadie's right, you know." Nancy looked thoughtful. "I bet that was how it was done."
"Should we tell Phyllis and Jetta?" Copper wondered.
"Mm, probably, but when they've calmed down some." Topaz rolled her eyes. "They're both on the rampage, in their own way right now and I don't think they'd welcome any of us underfoot."
"Yeah." Sadie looked rueful. "I think I'm with that. Nance, is your guitar fixed? We oughta play before they come yell again."
"Yes, I'm ready." Nancy nodded, getting to her feet. "I'm pretty mad over this myself, you guys. This guitar's kinda special and not only has it been semi-blown up once, it's now been denuded of strings."
"Mm, wonder if the same person is involved." Copper frowned.
"Stefana?" Topaz raised an eyebrow.
"We'd never prove it." Sylva sighed. "But it probably was her, the bitch. She's had it in for us from the start."
"More so since I made the mistake of sleeping with her brother." Topaz said ruefully. "And she seems to really hate you, Copper. I can't think why...you're not the kind of person who incites blind hatred in anyone."
"I don't know about it either." Copper sighed. "I know she doesn't like me, and of course it bugs me, because I can't think what I've done and the rest of Diablo are friendly enough. Marissa's really sweet! But there you go."
"Well, it seems fairly obvious to me." Nancy put in.
"It does?" Copper fixed her friend with a curious look. Nancy nodded, affixing her guitar to the amplifier and checking it's tuning.
"There's only one person she doesn't go ape at, and that's Aaron." She said offhandedly. "Stands to reason that she hates you because she'd like Aaron for herself."
"It has intensified since we got engaged." Copper admitted. "But seriously? I know she made a play for him when we were broken up, but I figured that was to spite me as much as anything. I mean, could she really be that much in love with him, that she'd go this far?"
"She's not the kind of girl you think of falling in love with any man. I'd have said she was a career chick." Sadie remarked.
"True, but every woman has their weakness. Look at me and Dean." Nancy looked sheepish. "Or Mom and Dad, for that matter. Aunt Phyl and Alan...it happens. Even the most independant and career-minded of women can fall. And Aaron has always had this effect on women. He inspires adoration, I don't know how."
"I'd say more like she only wants Aaron because she can't have him and wants to upset a happy relationship." Sylva pulled a face.
"Well, she's not getting him." Copper shrugged, unperturbed. "We've been together a long time and I trust him...we're going to get married so if that is the problem she really needs to get over him and find someone else."
"I think it'd do us all a lot of good if she did." Topaz rolled her eyes. "Okay, let's play, huh? I want to spend some time with Hollie before we scoot off to see Zoe and we're already behind schedule as it is."
"Okay." Sylva reached for her synth. "Then let's rock!"


BLAST FROM THE PAST: PART ONE

Prologue: 1989
Chapter One: The "Anniversary"
Chapter Two: Jewel's Sound
Chapter Three: At Sirena's Place
Chapter Four: Jewel's Video
Chapter Five: Fanmail
Chapter Six: A Stranger
Chapter Seven: Stefana's Date
Chapter Eight: The Results
Chapter Nine: A Moment's Weakness
Chapter Ten: A Shock For Zoe
Chapter Eleven: A Surprise For Jetta

Chapter Twelve: Fire!

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE NOTE
Copper, Nancy, Sylva, Anna, Blade, Raesha, Sirena, Topaz, Aaron, Sophie, Justin, Elliot, Rosita, Luis and any other characters in this fiction which do not appear in the animated Jem series are copyrighted to me (E.A Woolley) as of January 2002 <unless otherwise specified> and are not to be reproduced without permission ANYWHERE. Jetta, Pizzazz, Stormer, Roxy, Raya and all other original Jem characters are the copyright of Hasbro Inc, Sunbow, Christy Marx and the other writers of the Jem series. The future world of Pizzazz, Raya, Jetta, Roxy, Stormer, Clash, Synergy, the fate of Jem and her memorial are all copyrighted to me. The future world of Kimber and Shana is copyrighted jointly to myself and Gemma Dawn.
The concept of 'Jewel' is entirely my own, and any apparent link with any fictional or actual person or persons of this name is entirely coincidental. Equally the characters in this fiction are not based on any real life individual.
The concept behind the future world of Danse, Aja and Craig, the idea behind Jerrica's futureworld and the split of the Holograms is copyrighted to Gemma Dawn, whose Teenangel Outsiders fiction is directly twinned with Just a Dream. The character Sammi and any of the other Teenangel Outsider characters mentioned in this fiction are entirely copyright to Gemma Dawn and appear here only with her permission.
Pay her page a visit!