Slipping Away

Chapter 2

July 15th, 1993

Mariah wasn't used to being escorted into Neverland by security, she used to use her keys. She was trying her hardest to focus on warning Michael about Evan's plans, but being back at Neverland brought so many painful memories back to her. 

When she was brought to living room,  Michael was sitting with June, Dave, and an unfamiliar man. She took a seat across from the four of them, noticing how Michael refused to look at her.

She pulled three tapes out of her purse and set them on the table. "He called me three times and I taped them all. I-"

"You too?" Dave inquired, raising an eyebrow.

June put her face in her hands. "He's got Jordie, there's no telling what he's saying to him. He came to me saying he thinks Jordie is gay and now all of this mess. You know he made me sign a paper saying that I can't take him out of LA and to let him out of his child support debt?"

Mariah had to bite her lip when she saw Michael gently rub her back. "Don't worry June. We're going to figure this out."

"He's talking in circles, I don't know what he's trying to pin on you Michael." Mariah said.

The unknown man spoke for the first time. "That's where I come in. I'm Investigator Pellicano, Mr. Jackson's personal private investigator."

Pellicano picked up her tapes and put them in a machine that she had just noticed sitting on the table. After listening to the three conversations, Pellicano glanced at Michael. 

"Next time Evan calls, you need to answer."

July 16th, 1993

Michael woke up with June by his side and wished it had been Mariah instead. He had been sleeping with June to numb the feeling of losing who he considered the love of his life, but it was in vain. Seeing Mariah again was messing with his head.

"You're thinking about her."June observed.

He frowned. "Why is that no matter what she does I can't stop loving her?"

June rested her head on his chest. "It takes time, you're not going to get over three years in a month."

"Are we doing the right thing?" He asked.

June shook her head. "No, we're not. It just feels right."

"Should we stop?" 

She looked up at him. "Do you want to?"

He shook his head. "I don't like sleeping alone."

"Neither do I." She agreed.

She rest back on his chest and he ran his fingers through her hair, but it wasn't the same as Mariah's messy curls. June's touch didn't light a fire in his heart the way Mariah did, he didn't feel the need to protect her like he did Mariah. 

"I'm gonna go check on Lily." June said and got out of the bed, leaving him to his thoughts.

Mariah was still on the ranch, staying in one of the guesthouses on the ranch. He wasn't going to make her stay in a hotel when she was being so helpful to him. He hesitated, he couldn't just walk up to Mariah and proclaim his love for her. Not after what she had done to him.

He could still remember seeing her with Tommy, her laying on his chest while he was holding her around the waist, the way Michael did. 

Michael knew Tommy wanted Mariah and Mariah knew it as well, which was why Michael couldn't bring himself to forgive her. She had shunned him for Tommy.

August 4th, 1993

"Mariah, you're not coming with me."

"Yes, I am. Now move."

Michael was about to meet with Evan and Jordie and she refused to let him go alone. She had been at Neverland watching Michael and June from the guesthouse, but June had conveniently disappeared before this meeting and she wanted to support Michael. She couldn't bear to watch him walk into a trap.

"Why do you need to go?" He was annoyed, but she knew it wasn't with her but the situation.

She folded her arms. "You can be mad at me for whatever, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I'm your best witness for anything they try to say. Why else would they try to get me on their team?" 

It was a perfect plot, to have Mariah corroborating their lies would leave no doubt in anyone's mind. She was the live-in girlfriend, the fiance for the entire time that the Chandlers had known Michael. If she lied for them to the public like Evan asked her to, their would be little room to doubt.

"So if I don't let you come you're going to switch sides?" He inquired.

She shook her head. "No, because I'm not a liar. I'm not letting you go through this alone."

"Fine, you can come." 

They arrived at the Westwood Marquis Hotel, paparazzi snapped their pictures as they went inside while inquiring if they had broken up or called off the engagement. She hated that the press had to be everywhere Michael was, especially at a time like this.

Pellicano was waiting for them in the room and they sat down beside him, silent. She looked at her nails while Michael started tapping his foot, one of the things he did when he was anxious. The apprehension was thick in the air, no one knew what to expect from this meeting.

Evan and Jordan came in the room about twenty minutes later. Michael got up to shake his hand, but Evan pulled Michael into a brotherly hug, leaving Mariah to question everything she had first thought about the situation before she came to her senses.

Michael seemed equally confused and he sat back down between her and Pellicano.

"So, we need to talk about some things." Evan began.

Michael nodded for Evan to start. "That's why we're all here."

He produced a paper from his pocket and started reading, a sickening smile on his face. "Written by Dr. Matthias Abrams, hmm you only need to hear this part really, 'from the account given, child sexual abuse is highly likely to have been present in this case'"