The Loves and Crimes of a Queen

Chapter 1

Present

Samantha Queen sat in the front parlor. She was trying very hard to keep her perfect facade together. Even with all the effort to keep it together, in little to no time she was in full hysterics with tears streaming down her perfect face, taking all her makeup with them, making her look like a mad woman. With laughter on her lips and tears in her eyes she looked down at the note that started the roller coaster of emotions. She couldn't keep it in and started screaming at herself, "Why couldn't my plan work? All I asked was for a dead step-daughter. I asked Hunter for one simple thing. It's not like it's hard to slip an apple covered in arsenic in a stupid little girl's lunch. Or make sure she ate and swallowed it!"

In the distance she could hear sirens wailing and she knew they were coming for her. With as much grace as she could muster she picked herself up off the floor, walked out into the entryway, up the grand staircase, and down the hall to her bedroom. She opened her door and instead of throwing herself on a bed and cry like a small child, she walked straight to her vanity and began to put on her war paint. So many people had hurt her in the past but all of that made her stronger. After all of her makeup was applied, Samantha put on her best outfit, that she knew would make a good impression and whispered to herself, "Just because you're being brought in by the sheriff department as a suspect for the attempted murder of your own step daughter doesn't mean you can't look good," in a very matter of fact way.

Once the outfit was on she grabbed her favorite pair of heels and phone and marched down the stairs to the front parlor where she knew her cup of tea, that was rudely interrupted by the note, was there waiting for her. Samantha sat thinking and realized that she hadn't heard the sirens for quite a while. "I wonder what's taking them so long." Then it hit her like a load of bricks. "No... they can't. Not Hunter. They can't. Anyone but him." Her voice became full of desperation. She cared about him too much for him to be dragged into something she started. Close to tears for the second time that day she heard a car pull up.

Ding! Dong!

With that Samantha was pulled out of her frantic state, checking that her makeup still looked good. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves she called out, "Coming, give me a moment."

As she got close to the front door she heard a voice say, "She's probably hiding evidence." The she heard someone getting smacked and a second voice say, " No, she's probably finishing eating or something."

She couldn't help but laugh a little at both their ridiculous comments. Regaining her composure she opened the door. "Good evening Deputy Talkum, Deputy Dolo. What brings you by?"

"We need to bring you into the station ma'am."

"Of course Deputy Dolo. Let me get my purse." With that they walked her to their car. The idea that she would be caught swirled in her head. The car drove past all of the familiar sights, her old high school, the playground, the sweetheart tree, and the bookstore. All places she knew well, each with a fair share of good and bad memories. As they pulled up to the station she was dragged from her reminiscing and was back in the present. Looking at the station Samantha felt her heart pound and butterflies flutter in her stomach. What was awaiting her once she walked in the station? Would it be Julie with her normal obnoxious kind self and forgive Samantha and Hunter did? Or would Julie angry that she tried to kill her? Under her breath Samantha grumped, "I'm not sure what's worse. Her sweet exterior or her anger." She thought back on her time she spent with her and realized that she had never seen Julie angry and that she never wants to be on the receiving end of her anger when Julie loses it. Her dear father Colin's anger was enough to last Samantha a lifetime. For the first time in her life she hoped that Julie took after her mother, Rose.