>part two<
Leon hadn�t reacted at all the way he had been prepared for. He felt almost cheated, Leon was supposed to have gasped, to scream insults and run around like the deluded creature he was. D didn�t like to admit it, but Leon�s silence had frightened him. The deadness to his usually active blue eyes had sent cold shivers through his body. Passion was passion, even when frosted with rage and indignation, or even disgust. But Leon hadn�t shown any of those things, which made him question his certainty of the American�s previously evident �passion.�
�Your scent is all over him, you know.�
D shot up, surprised that anyone had managed to get this far into his shop without being mauled�or him knowing. His eyes fell on the source of his surprise, then narrowed. The woman situated herself on the edge of his bed, mild tedium peppering her eyes. Her smile was of a predatory nature, a contrast to the pale gold hair that fell about her face like a celestial halo. D pulled his rich blue robe around him then sat back against the headboard, mismatched eyes resting on her numbly. This was all he needed, he very nearly sighed.
�Excuse me?� his voice polite, but cold.
The woman�s nose wrinkled theatrically. �He wears your scent, like a perfume. I can barely stand it,� she pouted. She had a beauty that he knew could dumbfound most, but he remained unaffected. No, no�her beauty only warranted suspicion in him. She was clearly not at all what she appeared. �O my!� she laughed suddenly, �I suppose you are waiting for an introduction? Gracie---Gracie Delmonte. Does that make everything clear?� She extended a hand but D rose from his sheets and made a show of securing his robe around him. Leon, he thought, I�m so sorry I passed Ms. Delmonte off as a ploy to make me jealous. He then turned to said woman.
�Welcome to my PetShop Ms. Delmonte. Would you kindly stay away from Mr. Detective?� It was spoken as a question, but the demand was twining its way just beneathe the words. Gracie seemed to shake his words loose with a toss of her hair, then smirked.
�Why?�
�He is my friend.�
Her head tilted to the side curiously. �But�you have no claim to him?�
D moved to one of the lamps and switched it on, turned to his �guest�. �No,� he sighed, �No more than friendship.�
Her hands clapped together and for one moment she seemed over-come by joy. �Then there is no conflict, and no reason I should desist in my�Unless you are in preparation?�
The Count shook his head. �It would not be fair to Mr. Detective.�
Gracie rose and seemed to twirl around the room a moment before flinging her arms around a startled D. �O, I came here expecting disappointment! I�m so happy!!�
Count D untangled himself from the woman�s long limbs and straightened his robe. �I will ask you again to please leave Mr. Detective alone.�
Gracie paused then spun around to face D squarely, all signs of jubilation gone. Her eyes hardened into cold, green stones as she crossed her arms over her breast. �No.� And with that she turned and went. D pushed his hair behind his ear then stared at his tangled sheets. There was no way he was going to get to sleep now. And there was no way he was going to stand idly back as Gracie Delmonte encroached on his territory.