Your eyes are fixed on Cal, anxious for him to tell you the secret you've been deciphering for months...

"It's quite a long story, Edward," he begins. "In time, you will learn how everything came to be this way. But for now I will only tell you what is necessary for you to know. I will tell you, because I trust that the police will not believe you if you should go to them. At least... not until you have proof. You may yet find proof, however... which is why I must make one thing very clear to you:

Turning me in and locking me up is not an adequate solution to this problem. Gabrielle loves me, and would waste away the rest of her life mourning for me if I were to be exposed. If you want her to be happy, then the only solution is to find a cure for me."

You see his point, but you are not so quick to believe that Gabrielle wouldn't get over him. You are her brother; you know her much better than he does. She is a very reasonable girl. She will not regret exposing him unless he is entirely innocent in this whole situation. You already know that he's done some extremely unforgivable things, so he'd better prove to be completely helpless to stop himself from doing them. You find it very difficult to believe that somewhere along the chain of events leading up to this, Cal didn't make a single grave mistake. 

Since it would be futile to express these doubts, you clear your throat and declare, "I understand, Cal. A friend of Gabrielle's is a friend of mine. Your secret is safe with me. Now... what do you mean, a cure for you? What is your ailment?"

Cal turns and walks towards the liquor trolley, but stops before he reaches it. He slowly starts pacing again, his hair barely shielding his eyes as they gaze at the floor. He sighs heavily and stops, his back to you, lifts his head and addresses the wall:

"It only happens when the moon is full. I lose myself... I become... a vicious, gruesome, boodthirsty... creature."

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CHARACTERS:
-- You (Edward) - a police officer in your mid-30's
-- Cal Beauchamp - a wealthy, respected 28-year-old businessman who you know to be a murderer.
-- Gabrielle - your 19-year-old sister who is engaged to Cal and recently pregnant.
-- Joseph - normal-looking 30-something-year-old guy who does Tarot readings on the street.
-- Old man - an old man who dresses like a gypsy and works on the street, saying creepy rude things to people for money.
-- Nicolas Dias - depends on who you ask.

SETTING:
New Orleans, present day. Well, let's say pre-Katrina to keep it simple.

STYLE:
The title is Outsmart because the characters are constantly lying and hiding things from each other. OR ARE THEY??? Everyone has his own agenda and probably doesn't want to reveal what that is. But somewhere, deep inside this story, there really is a coherent plot.

NOTE:
If you want to add to the story and wish to know a little more of what Jillian and I are planning, email me and I'll be glad to fill you in!

updated Jul 7 by Rac7hel