Bliss Bay

Ornella looks down her body and is shocked to see her fingers halfway under the waistband. She quickly pulls them away and looks away from Morgan with guilt.

"I don't know why I told you that. I shouldn't have." Ornella shamefully says. "I'm not a bad person."

"No one said that you are." Morgan assures. "What you did last night was natural. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"My parents always told me it was wrong to touch myself like that." Ornella faces Morgan but looks down.

"As far as I know, masturbation is not a crime. So, you're fine." Morgan states.

"So, I can do it again." Ornella asks with a rising smile. "Anytime I want?"

"If we could get back to my investigation." Morgan reminds. "What happened when you woke up?"

"Oh, right." Ornella blurts. "When I woke up, I changed into some new panties and went up to Lola's room. We were going to the spa today and I wanted to know if we were still going. I walked in without knocking...and that's went I saw Pietro..." Ornella struggles to continue with her statement.

"It's okay, Ornella." Morgan places his hand of the girl's shoulder. "I have all I need right now, but I might need you for further questions. Can I count on you to stay in town?"

"Yes, sir. I won't leave town." Ornella begins to rant. "I can't believe this is happening. I mean I left the farm because it was boring there. I came to Bliss Bay for some excitement. No big adventures, I would just do things I could only dream about. Drink wine, go skinny-dipping, dance all night with men I don't know, kiss a man. Maybe even...have sex with a man." Ornella turns around to look out the window, moving from Morgan's hand. "But this is something I am just not prepared for. Maybe I'm not meant to live here. Maybe I should just go back to the farm and live the rest of my life there."

Morgan watches Ornella for a moment, admiring her smooth and unblemished face in the shine of the daylight.

"Listen, Ornella." Morgan says. "I'm from out of town too. I've been here for a month and I have to tell you, for a pretty young girl like yourself, you won't find a more perfect place than Bliss Bay. Now, I know you're shaken up from what happened to Pietro, but I can promise you this will pass. And when it does, you'll get to do the things you dreamed of doing, have a few adventures, you'll make friends, you'll stay up late, you'll meet that special someone and have sex. Lots of sex."

Morgan goes silent, waiting for a response from Ornella but gives none. Without a word, he walks to the door to leave.

"Thank you, Detective." Ornella looks to Morgan.

Morgan stops and looks to the girl at the window.

"For saying I'm pretty." Ornella says.

Morgan smiles before heading for the door.

* * * *

Anna sits on her motorbike parked across the cobble-stone street from the Merenda home where Morgan observes Valentina and two uniformed policemen carry the covered-up body in a stretcher into an ambulance. After the ambulance drives off with Valentina, Morgan does a brief jog to her.

"So, do you have any suspects?" Anna asks.

"No suspects yet. But I do have suspicions." Morgan states.

"About the wife?"

"For starters, yes. Most wives would be in shock, crying their eyes out when their husbands are murdered, not working on their tan. And there's the situation with Ornella. Why hired a babysitter when you don't have a baby."

"Maybe the victim hired the girl for...other services."

"It would serve as motive for Lola."

"Maybe, but I doubt it. Mr. Merenda wouldn't be the only husband in Bliss Bay with a live-in mistress. And Lola wouldn't be the only wife to know about it, assuming they're not sharing her."

"Well, if everyone here is so open about stuff like that, why tell everyone that Ornella's the babysitter?"

"No idea. But she could be a suspect as well. What's your take on her?"

"That's where I'm not certain. I think she laid it on a little thick with the whole farmer's daughter bit, but she seemed genuinely affected by the murder."

"So, what next?"

"Go over to Merenda's office. Maybe someone there knows something. Start with his secretary."

"What about you?" Anna asks as she stands up.

"I'll stay here and canvas the neighborhood." Morgan states.

"You're sure find a witness?" Anna mounts her motorbike.

"The Merendas seem like the kind that would keep their balcony doors open when they have sex and Lola likes to relax herself on the balcony in the nude. Finding a witness may not be that difficult."

"I think you're just going to find a few voyeurs but it's your time to waste. I'll see you at the station."

Anna kick starts her motorcycle and rides off from Morgan until she is out of his sight. Morgan strides to the townhouse next to the Merendas to begin his canvas. Up the front steps and about to knock on the door, Morgan spots Ornella leaving the Merendas home and walk down the sidewalk in the opposite direction from the detective.

Now where are you going, farmer's daughter? Morgan thinks to himself.

Morgan decides to follow the young babysitter at a careful distance. For three blocks, there were no townspeople around, which was helpful for Morgan is case he needed to quickly hide. Which seemed unusual for Morgan who would always find the streets occupied men and beautiful women but dismisses it to continue his stealthy pursuit.

As Ornella walks down the fourth block, she turns in a back driveway. Morgan approaches the mouth of the driveway and peeks in. He finds the driveway between two buildings to be unusually dark for this time of day with the painted cinder block wall damp, as if it just rained. Morgan proceeds into the ominous driveway. He quickens his pace to catch up to Ornella, who could be at the end already and walking in the morning light. But the driveway seems to get darker and with no end in sight.

Feeling his uncertainty about to become fear, Morgan decides to give up his pursuit of the babysitter and turn back to return to comforting light of day. As he turns around, he sees someone standing in his path a few feet away from him. Someone slender like a woman, wearing a hood over her head, covering only the upper half of her grey-skinned face, and what could be a cloak covering her entire body. The hood and cloak are black. Darker than black, as if it was made from darkness itself.

"You should not be here." The dark woman says with an unsettling shrill voice.

"I'm sorry, I must have gotten myself lost." Morgan lies. "Do you know where I can find the Nero Theatre?"

The black lips of the dark woman forms a grin, showing her grey teeth.

"We both know you're not here for a matinee. " The dark woman says. "But you are lost...Detective."

"Have we met before?" Morgan questions as he walks to her.

"You ask too many questions, Morgan, and none of them are the right ones." The dark woman states as she turns to walk away.

Morgan grabs the arm of the dark woman, preventing her from walking.

"Now just hold on, lady. I want some answers."

The dark woman slams an open palm on Morgan's chest. Morgan feels the full force of a speeding truck knocks him off his feet, soaring him to collide with the cinder-block wall hard.

* * * *

The dripping sounds and the unpleasant dampness wakes up Morgan, laying on a cold and wet cement floor, wearing only white boxers. He struggles to stand himself up and check his surrounding despite the darkness. The only light is from the barred windows above him.

"Where the hell am I"? Morgan asks, rubbing his arms to fight off the shivering.

"I see you've had another one of your episodes, Morgan." A woman's voice behind Morgan calls.

Morgan turns around to see a nurse with an orderly at each side. The nurse is portly and tied back grey hair and the orderlies with her are both tall, muscular and very intimidating.

"Who are you?" Morgan demands to know.

"You know who I am, Morgan." The nurse replies with some annoyance. "I'm Nurse Stella.

"Listen, I don't know how I got here but I was following a suspect in a murder case..." Morgan explains.

With a single gesture from the nurse, the orderlies seize after Morgan and force him against the wall.

"No, wait a minute! I'm with the Bliss Bay police. Captain Rolfe can verify me." Morgan exclaims.

"How many times do we have to have this conversation?" Nurse Stella calmly walks to Morgan. "Captain Rolfe, Anna, Ilona, Yokki, Lola, the babysitter. They were never real."

"NO! That can't be!" Morgan loudly objects. "I was there! It is real! It's all real!"

Nurse Stella grabs Morgan's face, forcing him to look at her.

"For the last time." Nurse Stella asserts. "THERE IS NO BLISS BAY!"