A Jewel Whodunnit...
SADIE'S SCANDAL
PART ONE:  ISLAND OF DREAMS
Chapter Nine: Copper's Discovery

Sadie hurried down the flights of stairs of the hotel, pausing in the lobby as she considered her plan of action. She did not know who the blackmailer was, though she felt that it was no coincidence that the letter had come upon her arrival in Kent, but either way she knew she had to pay the money. She couldn't risk the alternative.
"Five hundred." she murmured, making her way out through the main doors and lighting up a cigarette as she feverishly tried to work out what best to do. "Can I even get that kind of money in the UK? My work account is based in Los Angeles now...hell, can I use a credit card to get cash? What do I do? I have to pay them, I have to..."
"Sadie?"
A gentle voice came from behind her and she swung around, cursing inwardly as she saw Copper watching her. "Syl said you were in a state, what on earth's up?"
"Nothing I can't handle." Sadie said bluntly. "Just some news I didn't expect. My...uh...my brother is in a little bit of financial trouble and he wants my help. I'm not sure how I can do it without...without getting press speculation over what I'm doing. He...he has to have cash and I can't let him down."
"Your brother?" Copper frowned. "Syl said your brother was getting married...him?"
"No...no. My...my other brother." Sadie said slowly, crossing the fingers of her free hand behind her back. She did not like to lie, but here she had no choice. She was sure that, nice as Copper was, she would not consent to having someone with the kind of past Sadie had concealed in the band. No, it was best to lie, and it was just a little one. Just to get herself out of trouble.
"Oh, I see." Copper looked thoughtful. "Cash?"
"Yeah...yeah. I would've wrote him a cheque, but he needs it right off. He...owes it someone." In her desperation to formulate a coherent lie Sadie had lapsed into colloquial grammar. "Can you think of a way?"
"I'd go to the bank, ask them if you can withdraw however much you need from a foreign based account and see what they say." Copper said at length. "Why all the urgency though?"
"It's not important." Sadie dismissed this with a shrug, taking a drag on her cigarette and flicking ash onto the ground. "I...I'll catch you later." And she was gone. Copper watched her go, then, shrugging, she pushed open the hotel door once more, slipping back inside.
"Something was odd there." She mused. "Sadie's been edgy since we got to Kent but that was just...I don't know. She looked frightened. I wonder..."
So deep was she in thought that she did not see where she was going, almost falling over someone as she did so.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, then let out a gasp of surprise, her hand flying to her mouth as she took in the other's appearance. She was not very tall, yet not short either, and there was something very determined about both her body language and her expression. She wore a faded red hat on her head, with her hair tucked inside it, and beneath the brim two deep blue eyes stared at her accusingly from a pale complexion. Her clothes were of a similar state to her hat and she seemed rather on the thin side. Though it was clear to Copper that they had never met, there was something about the younger girl which seemed to strike a chord in the drummer's memory. Somewhere she had seen those blue eyes before, but never so hostile or clouded.
"Can't you bloody yanks walk in a straight line?" The girl's companion snarled at her. "C'mon George, we're outta here."
"Don't call me that!" The girl wrestled her arm free from his grip, meeting Copper's startled look with a challenging one of her own.
"Well? Do you want something?" She spoke in an odd accent, a mixture of the local Kent dialect mixed with a Birmingham lilt, and even to Copper's untrained ears some of the girl's intonation sounded all too familiar.
"You...I know you. I'm sure I do." Copper murmured. The girl snorted.
"Bull." She snapped. "I don't know any stuck up rich yanks, so there." Then her eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute...you're a Jewel, ain't you?"
"Yes." Copper nodded her head, too stunned by the girl's striking looks and confrontational attitude to do anything but agree.
The stranger's expression became a smile.
"Good." She said quietly. "Then you can do me a favour, huh? Tell that bitch sister of mine that she'd better watch her step, else she's gonna find herself landed in it bigtime. You got me?"
"Sister?" Copper stared blankly. The girl laughed.
"Man, you're dense." She observed. "C'mon, Grey. Let's move."
"Thought you wanted to wait..."
"Shut up." The girl snapped. "We can come back. Right now, we're going."
And pulling him hard by the arm, she pushed Copper out of the way, leaving the hotel lobby very much on her dignity.
"Sister?" Copper echoed, staring after them. Then her eyes opened wide. "Oh! Oh of course...she has Sadie's eyes, Sadie's expression...I knew there were five Monahue kids, but Sadie never talks about the younger ones, not at all really. I bet that's precisely why." She frowned, settling herself to wait in the lobby for her friend's return. "I wonder what the girl was doing here. Just hanging around to get rude with me seems unlikely, and I don't think somehow she was here to wish her sister good luck. She seems like a nasty brat, and that's the sad truth. No wonder Sadie doesn't talk about her. What did the guy call her? George? Is Sadie's sister called that?"
Sadie re-entered the lobby at that moment, crossing the floor to the reception desk and speaking in animated tones to the woman. Then she gave her a plain white envelope, seemingly explaining it and offering a smile. Rather bemused, the woman took the envelope, putting it safely below the desk. Then, a look of relief on her face, Sadie made her way back towards the hotel stairwell.
"What did you just give her?" Copper's voice made her jump once more, and she spun round, cursing.
"Are you stalking me or something?" She demanded. "What gives?"
"I wanted to talk to you." Copper's expression was grave. "Sadie, do you have a sister whose name is something like George?"
"Georgia?" Shock entered Sadie's blue eyes. "Yes...why?"
"I think I just met the girl." Copper told her quietly. "She was rude as hell, Sadie...and I don't know why she was here, but she wanted me to tell you something. She said, and I quote, 'tell that bitch sister of mine that she'd better watch her step'. Mean anything to you?"
Sadie cursed again.
"Georgia's always hated me." She murmured. "I don't know why, it's just always been the case. She's always tried to outdo me...or just plain ruin everything for me. There's no love lost between us."
"So much I gathered myself." Copper agreed gently. "Can you think why she'd be here?"
"Yes..." Sadie sighed. "Yes, somehow it makes sense now." She frowned, remembering the blackmail note and the money she had left at the desk. "Nothing I can do about her, I'm afraid. I...I'll just ignore her and hope for the best. Georgie isn't the kind of girl you reason with."
"There was a guy with her." Copper remembered. "Your sister called him...Grey? Do you know him?"
"Yeah." Sadie nodded. "He...lived near where I used to. He's a friend of Neal's...or should I say associate." She ran her hand through her hair. "Neal doesn't exactly inspire friendship - if I remember right Grey hated his guts, but was never strong enough to stand up to him. A lot of us were like that in the end." She rubbed her temples. "I think I'm getting a migraine."
"Sadie, tell me...did whatever you gave to the lady at the desk and the sudden need of your brother for money have something to do with Neal?" Copper asked. Sadie shook her head.
"No...I don't think so." She replied quietly. "Copper, don't ask questions I can't answer. Things work different in the world I come from than they do in the high powered big money world we live in in Los Angeles. Not everything is how it seems...just let it go. I've no doubt Georgie and Grey were here to cause trouble, but you don't rat on your kid sister, whatever your relationship with her. It's just how it is. Now come on...drop the topic, huh? It's not important."
Copper frowned.
"All right." She said finally. "But if something big was up, you'd tell us, right? I mean if Neal was to send you a threatening letter or a phonecall, you'd let us know?"
"Copper, I promise that if I hear from Neal I will tell you guys." Sadie said solemnly. "Now let it go. We've better things to do."

    **************************

"Well, we did it."
Grey sat down on a bench, stretching his legs as he lit a cigarette. "I swear I didn't think she'd pay it, Georgie. I really didn't."
"My sister is a shallow witch." Georgia's lip curled in distaste. "She'll do anything to protect her precious little image. She thinks she's too good for us now, Grey. Did you see the threads she was wearing? Thinks she's something. Well, we'll see about that. She's no better than a turncoat and I damn well mean to make whatever I can out of her!"
"Five hundred quid." Grey exhaled a cloud of smoke, contemplating. "Just like that. Must be the easiest money you ever made."
"Sure. Like candy from a baby." Georgia nodded, counting through it with a satisfied smile. She extracted a hundred, handing it to Grey. "Here. Your cut for bringing me up here in that junkheap car of yours and for keeping quiet about this with the others. Got it?"
"Got it." Grey grinned at her. "Betray you? Georgie, would I?"
Georgia rolled her eyes.
"Cut it out." She snapped. "I don't know what you think this little trip of ours is all about, but it's just business and it changes nothing. I'm Neal's chick...got it?"
"I know you are." Grey pursed his lips, then, "You do know he's sleeping with Donna?"
"Yeah, course I do." Georgia seemed unconcerned. "He says I'm better than her, so why should I care?"
Grey snorted.
"Why do you let him do that?"
"Do what?"
"Sleep with half the women around."
"Not my business." Georgia shrugged. "Listen, Grey, we never said we were monogamous. It's up to him like it's up to me. I choose to save myself for him. He likes to try the local talent and he says I'm the best going. Why should it bother me?"
Grey was silent for a moment, then,
"It's your call." he said slowly. "But I thought you had a little class."
"I do. I'm Neal's number one chick." Georgia bristled. "As if you'd know what class was anyhow. Grey, if this is your best chatup line, forget it, huh? I am so totally not going there."
"I wasn't saying you should." Grey responded quietly. "Are we heading back? Best get shot of here before someone wonders why we're hanging out with this much cash."
"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Georgia sulked, getting to her feet. "You're a drag, you know that? Remind me not to bring you next time!"
"Are you planning on doing this again then?" Grey looked startled. Georgia shrugged.
"Easy money like this? Hell, why not." She replied airily. "Whilst Sadie and her airhead friends are in Kent, it might be fun." She grinned, winking. "Who knows? Maybe next time I'll ask for more. Can't hurt. God knows I need it more than her."
"Well, be careful, okay?" Grey warned her. "Your sister's new friends have contacts in high places. Just make sure you don't get caught."
"Pah." Georgia snorted. "Of course not. I'm not a fool. Don't fret yourself about me, Grey. I can take care of myself."


Chapter One: Nerves
Chapter Two: Bonny England
Chapter Three: A Bitter Shock
Chapter Four:  England's Jewel
Chapter Five: Top Of The Pops
Chapter Six: Sylva's Lie
Chapter Seven: Alyssa
Chapter Eight: Maidstone
Chapter Nine: Copper's Discovery
Chapter Ten: Amber Steps In
Chapter Eleven: Revelations
Chapter Twelve: Jetta Interferes
Chapter Thirteen: A Shock For Jewel

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!