Chapter 1

Andrea Beaumont smiled slightly as she picked up the cordless phone and punched in the numbers. The forty-one year old settled onto her executive's chair, an air of confidence swimming about her. She crossed her still trim and attractive legs, one high heel slipping onto her toe as she playfully bounced it, waiting impatiently as the second ring buzzed in her ear. Her dark brown eyes scanned the mirror on the far wall, admiring what they saw, long coal black hair surrounding a face of angular, if cool, beauty. She turned slightly to inspect her profile, her ample breasts filling the blouse beneath the business suit. Yes, she thought, still beautiful, still desirable, more desirable, no doubt, than the object of her call, Laurel, her sister, the perpetual thorn in Andrea's side.

Laurel, she mused, the younger sister, their mother and father's favorite, the sister who could do no wrong, the sister who made the honor roll, the little sister who caught the eye of every boy in school and who was the envy of every girl; Laurel, who at a year younger had not only been crowned homecoming queen, but prom queen as well, an honor which Andrea felt, no--knew, should have gone to her.

The resentment had festered for these many years becoming an obsession with the older sister. Andrea had hidden it well. She had attended college, graduating with a degree in business and returning to run the family's profitable investment business while Laurel had married and started a family.

While Andrea was bedding down virtually every fraternity member on campus, male and female and developing what was to become an obsessive need for sex and power, Laurel and Jim had fallen in love during Laurel's freshman year of college. They were married the following spring when Jim graduated and, much to Andrea's relief, the couple had moved to a small town in Illinois. Their daughter, Vickie, was born the following year. And so, sweet little Laurel and her family lived happily ever after; that is, until last year when Jim had died in a car wreck. Since then precious little Laurel had been trying to make ends meet while raising a teenage daughter, mused Andrea.

And now, thought the older sister, she wants my help. Andrea had returned from a meeting that afternoon to be told by her secretary that her younger sister had called. Laurel had simply said she needed a favor and would Andrea please return her call.

"Hello," came the familiar voice at the other end.

"Laurel dear, it's Andrea."

"Hi Sis, how are you? It's been a long time."

"I'm fine and yes it has been a while... what almost a year?

"Yes, we should keep in closer touch, especially now that Mom and Dad are gone."

"Yes... well little sister, you mentioned something in your message about a favor."

"I... I have a really big favor to ask."

"Of course, dear, how can I help?"

Andrea was enjoying Laurel's obvious discomfort.

"I've been... let go. The company was purchased a month ago and almost half the staff have received notice. "

"Oh that's too bad," replied Andrea, a smirk appearing on her face.

"I'm sure I'll be able to find something eventually, but with the downturn in the economy, there just isn't a lot out here right now. I was hoping... that..."

"How much do you need?" asked Andrea sympathetically while gleefully considering the possibility of offering her sister a handout, a handout which would put her in Andrea's debt.

"Oh no, I'll be OK, but... well it's Vickie."

"Vickie?"

" Yes, she used to be so talkative, extroverted, like you, but... since the accident, she seems to have withdrawn. I can hardly get her to talk at all."

"Is she giving you problems?" asked Andrea.

"Oh no, nothing like that. It's just that I can sense her turning inside herself."

"Does she blame you for Jim's death?"

Andrea smirked as she recalled that Laurel had been driving the night of the accident.

"I'm... not sure. She seems to be pulling away from her friends as well as from me. She spends too much time in her room alone, reading and surfing the net."