Streetlife

41 - Looking For Clues

"Nothing in her books. Just a lot of long, lost dreams. Goodness lord!" Julius wipes his tears as he is ripped to shreds after reading Tess' diary.

It wasn't that the group of friends were trying to snoop they were just looking for any clue that might lead them to where she might be as both Lena and Callie searched Tess' client book. They had come up with nothing so far and both Julius, Callie and Lena had not gotten any sleep.

"Tessy's life is so sad I can't take it. I just can't!" Julius mourns as Lena and Callie's heads are down, pouring over her list when something in her book catches his eyes but the man keeps it to himself.

"Honey, it's ok. You can stop reading." Lena reaches over and gently grabs the man's hand as he fans himself trying to dry his tears.

"No, no, we need to somehow look for anything. I'll skim a little more. I'd do anything for Tessy but after this I will need a joint and a nap. This is just tearing me up inside! It makes me rethink why we all fucking do this job! Why?????"

"I know." Lena says as she looks at Callie who goes through another book. "Anything yet, honey?"

"No. Nothing. Maybe, she doesn't want to be found? Or maybe she went back home? I refuse to think something horrible happened to her. I refuse it," the young girl runs her hand over her head as she sighs sadly.

"No, she wouldn't go back there. She said that place, it just made things worse instead of better for her, and she didn't ever want to step back in the South Bronx again." Lena says as she momentarily closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Maybe she told you that, but maybe she feels we wouldn't look for her there. I mean, we have to think outside the box and remain optimistic," Callie says as Lena looks over at her and frowns.

"Well, that isn't a place for any of us really. It's very dangerous. Extremely dangerous, and it's filed with crime and drugs and..." Lena says as she looks over at Julius as he shakes his head and she rubs her forehead. "On another note, I think we need to go see Frank. He needs us, too."

"How? You said Daddy was there hovering. I mean maybe YOU CAN, but honey, me and her can't," Julius grabs his smokes and lights one as Lena frowns even more. She needed to talk to him alone without Callie about their phone call and the threat Warbucks had made for it was weighing on her now. Big time and she had tried to act calm on the phone but if anything she was angry.

"HE is. But Frank sounds very scared. And honestly, guys, we're in this...this together. We need to be his support right now."

"He's there because he doesn't want US there. You know this, Lena! AND well..."

"Yes I know." She cuts Julius off as he puffs away and Callie looks up.

"Know what?" Callie says looking confused between the two. "Why is he pretending to care about Frank? Not once have I ever seen him civil to that boy let alone Tess. So why now?"

"Nothing honey. Just..."

"Oh its not nothing. He likes your girlfriend too." Julius chimes in as Lena smirks.

"What?" Callie asks Julius, thoroughly confused.

"YOUR GIRLFRIEND. DADDY LIKES STEF too! You're not the only one she fucks. I'm surprised she hasn't tried to blow me!"

"Julius." Lena warns as Callie looks rather confused.

"She's not with him. She likes girls. She told me." Callie says as Julius fans himself again and Lena is rather quiet.

"Callie, Stef lies honey. She's...I told you she's not a good person." Lena finally says softly.

"That's not true. She's just hurting. She's nice. She encouraged my dreams and...and told me I'm really good! She even gave me a little money for guitar strings, and..." Callie is interrupted as they hear the door unlock hoping to God, it's Tess. But it's anything but Tess as Stef walks in and tosses her bag on the floor.