The Disappearance of Susan Parker (closed)

[wideeyedone]

Kelly sat in her dressing room, she was done shooting her scenes for the day. She analyzed her own face in the mirror as she removed her makeup. She was only 26, but there were droves of young and beautiful girls arriving everyday desperate to be in pictures. Kelly had been one of those girls, with her big brown eyes, creamy skin and long dark hair.

Her first movie had come at a price. She played the star's sweet younger sister, all for a few months in the director's bed. She had been in dozens of movies since, but she had never starred in one. Her studio often had her serve as a public date for an actor whose real love affairs were too scandalous for public view.

She sighed deeply. She was worried for her baby sister Susan. She and Susan grew up in the farm land of Central California. Their father was a bee keeper and he spent his days taking his bee boxes from orchard to orchard. But Susan wanted to be an actress like Kelly. Kelly had to admit that she was a little scared of a younger version of herself competing for parts. But more than that, she didn't want to see her sister trading sex for opportunity, or working as a waitress or a cigarette girl and never making it when she could be at home and in love and happily starting a family.

But 19 year old Susan hadn't listened. She shared an apartment with six other struggling actresses and one of them had told her that they hadn't seen her in at least four days.

She had to do something. LAPD didn't seem that concerned about a missing 19 year old actress part time shop girl. One of her cast mates gave her the name of a private eye.

She dressed in her garters and stockings, a slim fitting navy blue dress that clung in all of the right places. She brushed her hair and applied her lipstick. She caught a cab to his office. She nervously clutched the scrap of paper with the address of his office in her manicured hand.

She had failed her little sister, but she wasn't going to let that continue. She had to find Susan.

 

[Asobininryochan]

Kelly Parker walked into an office that had seen little of its occupant since he moved in last year. “Fuck! Lost the negative,” he cursed, unaware of her presence. Searching through the files and other items carelessly stacked on top of a desk; he remained oblivious to the woman in the blue dress.

When he stood up, hoping to find the missing negatives in the dark room, his eyes finally caught sight of Kelly. “Oh! Sorry,” he quickly offered his apology to the potential client, “Are you Kelly Parker?”

A hand reached out to greet and gently guide her to an empty chair. After seating the neatly-dressed dame, he returned to his side of the desk and asked:

“So, how can I help you?”

Of course, he knew the reason why this starlet came to see him – a friend (collecting on a favor) wanted him to help Kelly Parker find her lost sister. Unfortunately, what he already learned might prevent him from making any money. Thus, he played dumb, not wanting Miss Parker know about the stag film starring her beloved sibling.

Furthermore, he used the moment before she spoke to quickly assess Kelly: A studio issued navy blue dress (very classy and tailor made to fit her figure). Her hair and nails also came out of an effort that took at least a manicurist and a hair stylist to accomplish; which contrasted with the lip stick that she put on without any assistance.

For certain, her face told him that she desperately wanted to find her sister. While he might try to at least cover the cost of expenses – the look of despair on Kelly’s face persuaded him to at least give this skirt a break. Even though he needed the bread to pay off a rather persuasive loan shark….

 

[wideeyedone]

Kelly took a deep breath after she took her seat.

"My kid sister, she came out here and tried to get a big break. She is a pretty girl, really sweet, but ... I just.... I should have helped her. But, I thought she needed to go back home. She was living in an apartment with six other girls off of Sunset."

Kelly blinked back tears. "She had some auditions and screen tests, but I know that she didn't do well. She isn't a quick study, she has always had a little trouble reading."

Kelly waited nervously for him to say something. "I know I should have helped her."

She rifled through her purse until she found the two envelopes. One had pictures of her sister Susan. The other had two hundred dollars cash in it.

She laid both of them on his desk.

"I have to find her. My parents will never forgive me. She is my baby sister."

Tears streamed down her cheek, a single black streak, marring her makeup. She blotted the mascara away and lowered her eyes. She wasn't used to sharing her real emotions with anyone.