If Looks Could Kill

Chapter 6

Cassandra looked over the files later that night in her warm rented apartment near her job. She sat in her favorite blue beanbag chair with her white peppermint tea in her favorite mug sitting comfortably on the coffee table beside her in the living room. She reached out and took a sip, loving the sweet taste running down her throat. Mmm, nothing like a sweet divine drink to rest your body from days traveling.

She flipped to the next page for her next assignment, tapping her foot lightly to the rhythm of Mozart's Concerto No. 21 in C Major. Her room wasn't big nor was it small. It had two bedrooms and a bathroom, living room and an islands table in the kitchen, the walls in her bedroom was a light shade of nude, and her flooring a flush light pink. On the far side of her bedroom was her writing desk, a flat screen TV and a bookcase, and like how in sci-fi movies, her bookcase had a secret switch where there was another alcove of her outfits and weapons for her to use.

She heard a loud purr and peeked over the folder. She chuckled at the sound and held out her hand to her best friend, Anni. She caressed her fur, the white and orange colors swirling with one another, mixing and forming into a darknsunset. She mewed, her green emerald eyes shining up at her, the tail swaying gently. Even her calico cat relaxed her.

Cassandra flipped to the next page of her employer. There were two photographs. One was an older man in his late sixties, wearing an archeologist outfit, the other showed a family photo, a man, a woman and a young boy. They looked happy, their smiles bringing life into the photo. A small pang of sadness and jealousy hit Cassandra's heart, for she was reminded of the past. She shook it off and continued to read their history profile:

ST-Sparks, founded in the 1900's is a company that was created by Nathanial Sparks, father of Joshua Sparks and grandfather to Dereck Sparks. An archeologist, historian, businessman and a doting father, Joshua Sparks went on an expedition all around the world, finding the rarest and extinct fossils in the world, equally sharing the profits, history, and knowledge between countries. One day, Joshua Sparks found an unusual fossil in the southern most land in Asia in a temple deep in the jungle that contained a rare material and history background that would change careers and families in the near future.

Knowing the value of the fossil, Joshua put it on display in the Smithsonian Museum in New York where millions of people from all around the world can view its beauty. As time past and the company growing ever before with money, power, and social status, the fossil caught the eye to the next heir in the generation. His name is Dereck Sparks. Derek Sparks is an only child. His mother, Abagail Williams married into the family from a small business company. Joshua and Abagail gave Dereck the highest education he needed at a very young age, along with learning the business of the families company and the social status that the family held in the world.

At the age of sixty-five, Joshua Sparks suddenly passed away due to unknown reasons. Doctors say he had passed away from the stress and inhaling the chemicals from his former expositions. Dereck Sparks is now the rightful owner and heir to ST-Sparks corporation, inheriting the properties, money, and status of the family. After the death of his father, he withdrew the fossil from the public eye and is now being held within the company laboratories.

Cassandra turned the page to find a photograph of the new heir. She raised her eyebrows and smirked, "Well I'll be. The young brat turned out to be quite a handsome man Anni. Look."

She showed the photo to her cat which in return responded with a yawn and a flick of her tail. She chuckled, caressing her fur, "I guess that means you don't like him despite the handsome appearance. I always knew you cats were smart."

Anni purred and turned on her belly for Cassandra to scratch, her eyes shining mischievously. If Cassandra was going to "fit in" his world, she was going to have to blend in and solve his case, so, her uncle signed her up to be his personal assistant, and since Cassandra had an associate's degree and previous learning experience with accounting, management, and public speaking, she was a perfect choice. Once this whole fiasco was over, Cassandra was going to book the next plane ticket to Florida where she can have fun in the sun. She needed a mini, no, long vacation after her recent years of training, and by her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she wasn't getting any younger.