Rearranged

Hi! Again…thanks for your patience one and all! After my week of high productivity I slammed into a wall of writers’ block. Ugh. I’m through it though and on the last few chapters…please keep reading along!

Previously: The team gathers everything they need for a final interview.

Need to catch up on The Spring? Visit the chapter index here:

4:30 PM - Monday, November 10, 2014

Holy Heart School, Flood Mansion, Pacific Heights, San Francisco

The Dean of Holy Heart met the three of them in the lobby of the Flood Mansion. Girls in various states of uniform moved through the immense marble hallway either beginning or ending some kind of after-school activity. The piano that had been in the belvedere window overlooking the Bay on Sunday had been moved to one side of the giant space, where a pair of girls were banging out a duet of “Heart and Soul” with plenty of stops and starts. When they got it right they burst into giggles, making them start over again.

“The elevator won’t hold all of us — do you mind if we take the stairs?” The Dean gestured toward the broad marble staircase on the left side of the hall.

“Of course,” Jeannie gave her a small smile. It felt so strange to be back here again, and now moving deeper into the school. She hadn’t attended Holy Heart for high school, but there’d always been times when they’d sneak around after school, or had chorus performances, or were sent to the high school library to pick up a special book. That’s where the meeting with Talbot Briggs was to take place: the high school library. Famous for it’s cozy window seat in a large bay window, which appropriately overlooked the whole Bay, the library was an ornate Beaux Arts masterpiece of a room with a gently arched coffered ceiling, carved built-in bookshelves, and its original light fixtures.

One flight of shallow marble stairs landed them at the second floor where a bank of lockers flanked the hallway before they wound around to head up another flight of stairs to the third floor. Girlish detritus made a mess around the lockers: empty Diet Coke cans tossed randomly, notes scribbled on mini white boards and papers, scattered inside-out sweatshirts, a discarded school blazer draped over an open locker door, a deflated mylar birthday balloon barely floating two feet off the ground, wads of socks stuck into random shoes, bottles of lotion — it was as though the lockers weren’t even locked and everyone just shared everything, including the mess.

“These girls never pick up anything,” the Dean lamented in her tidy gray pantsuit. “I often wonder what their bedrooms are like at home.”

Jeannie chortled a little. “Probably worse. Far more laundry and wet towels…and smells.” She sighed as they mounted the next set of stairs. “Mine never got that bad because I had two brothers who were total slobs. They’re better now, but it was gross for a while. I kept my room clean in protest — they weren’t even allowed in my room.” The Dean giggled a little in response.

Jeannie thought of the No Boys Allowed sign that had stayed on her bedroom door until college. Her brothers knew it was for them, but it never stopped Chris from finding his way in for quiet place to read every so often. It was usually when Brandon was with a tutor or something, and Jeannie was slightly terrified every time it happened, but Chris would just sit on the floor and study. The first time he asked for permission to come in, but after that it was just assumed. They never even spoke, he was just…there, at least until Brandon bellowed for him from someplace else in the house, bursting the bubble. Every time Chris left her room she wondered if he’d really been there in the first place.

The memory of this came to her from nowhere; just the detritus of teenage life triggering thoughts and images. She huffed out a sigh as they made it to the top of the stairs. This old school that confused her dreams and made her nervous somehow — why? Because she’d hated being there, hated school? She knew she didn’t hate school but she didn’t enjoy it either. She didn’t much care for the catty girls constantly trying to outsmart each other, or the mean games they played. It was just something to be endured — there was never a choice in the matter. She didn’t really enjoy her education until her brothers left for college. The whole house was calmer, tidier, with less yelling and fighting. She was able to talk to her parents at dinner for a change instead of competing for their notice. The few years where she had the glow of their exclusive attention made all the difference to her, and they too seemed to realize their quiet daughter had also become confident and capable.

The Dean opened the broad carved wood doors to the library, ushering them inside. “I sent out a notice that the library would be closed early today, so it will be private.”

“Thank you.” Mark said as he pulled his bag up to a tabletop. Jeannie noticed the room had been rearranged from it’s older, more relaxed reading-room format into a group of computer tables on one side, and another set of study tables on the other side. Modern book stacks stood at right angles to the old bookcases along the back wall, augmenting the collection. “When do you expect Talbot and her mother?”

“Any minute now — actually Tally should be here shortly —” the Dean looked back toward the doorway. “I’ll go down to her locker and see where she is.”

Jeannie made her way over to the famous window seat and wondered how anyone could ever study there; she’d be too busy watching the boats moving across the water. At the same time, she’d always been jealous of the Holy Heart high school girls who could study there whenever they wanted.

“Wow — we definitely didn’t have this kind of thing in my high school.” Paco said behind her shoulder, taking in the view.

“Well, I didn’t either. Remember Xavier is out in the fog eight days out of seven.” Jeannie shrugged a little. “But we did have a good library. No view though — I was always jealous of the girls that got to read up here — it seemed so special and luxurious, even.”

“Definitely luxurious.” Paco’s eyes shone as he looked out over the water. “Our library was all of a half of a trailer, with the other half being teacher’s desks. We had to ride into town to go to a real library, but the better library was up in Visalia.” Paco glanced at her. “Long way to go for a book.” They watched the sunset just beginning to fade slowly over the water, the shadows on the buildings below already deep gray.

Mark joined them to gaze out at the impressive view for a moment. “Everyone know what we’re doing?” He said quietly.

Jeannie looked sideways to Paco who had a slight smile bending the side of his mouth. “Yeah, I think we’re good. Keep it loose though.” She met Mark’s blue eyes and nodded.

“Okay good.”

“You seem a little nervous though?” She mentioned softly.

“I think I’m excited. I was more nervous when we went in to talk to Angela earlier. If this works, and I think it will, we may actually have charges to file.”

“Officers — Talbot is here.” The Dean ushered the girl into the library. Paco assessed the girl, noting her pale face immediately. The hair was still ironed and smooth, the uniform adjusted to be perfectly stylish, the eyes still wide, and the mouth still a perfect pout of pink. Despite all of that, he could tell there was something off. A slight slant to the shoulders? A wariness in the eyes? He couldn’t place it, but it was there.

“Hi Tally, come sit.” Jeannie offered in a friendly note, moving to the largest study table at the center of the room. It was placed perpendicular to the bay window to capture the natural light. Tally chose a seat in the middle the opposite side, with the fading gold of the sunset casting itself briefly over her golden head. Jeannie sat opposite her, Paco moving to the chair on her left and Mark to the right. The Dean nestled herself into the chair at the end of the table. “I understand your mother is joining us? Any idea when she’s due to arrive?” Tally shook her head slightly. Jeannie felt the girl’s nerves from across the table, which was totally counter to the other times they’d interviewed Tally. “Okay, we’ll give her a minute.” Jeannie said calmly, offering a kind smile. The girl was wound up and they needed her relaxed. She and Tally looked at each other in silence until Tally’s eyes started to rove over her, finally landing on her hand on the tabletop.

“That’s new.” Tally rasped, nodding at Jeannie’s engagement ring.

Jeannie smiled broadly. “It is. It happened this weekend.” Of course Tally would notice a piece of jewelry before anything else.

“The guy from the beach photo?” Tally tilted her head slightly.

“Yup, that’s the guy.” Jeannie smiled again, thinking of the picture of her and Chris that had been posted to Pr3pSF, courtesy of Angela Parisi and Tyler Shea. Now it didn’t seem to sting so much.

“You’ve been together a while — he’s only just getting around to it?” Tally smirked slightly.

“We’ve had a lot going on.” Jeannie paused, not elaborating. “And I asked him.” Tally’s eyes widened slightly.

“B-but the ring?”

“He’d bought the ring a long time ago. Of course I didn’t know that when I asked him, but sometimes things work out better than you can even plan.” Jeannie stared at the teen with her slight smile, daring her to understand. Tally glared at Jeannie and then sent her gaze back to the ring. Jeannie knew it irked her somehow, but found it odd that a teenager would be so invested in someone else’s engagement ring.

“Should I call your mother, Talbot?” The Dean asked worriedly.

“Don’t bother, I’m here — “ a voice from the doorway floated in on a cloud of Shalimar, with Linda Briggs following behind it. She wore a pair of trim navy pants with flats and brown/navy knit blazer with brass knot buttons. Oversized pearl stud earrings were trimmed with a similar rope detail, while well-worn Louis Vuitton tote bag hung from her hands. “I’m so sorry, parking is still so terrible over here.” She bustled over to a seat next to her daughter who seemed to shrink in response. “Now — “ she began sternly, looking over the table. “Can someone please tell me what this is about? I thought we’d given you everything you needed when you came to the house the other day.”

“We were just congratulating Officer Hagen on her engagement, mother.” Tally leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she smirked at Jeannie.

Jeannie grinned, trying not to laugh outright at Tally’s antics.

“Talbot, you know better.” Mrs. Briggs scolded slightly, considering Jeannie and her ring. “You don’t congratulate the bride, you wish her good luck…” She tilted her head toward Jeannie. Tally’s smirk increased.

“Good luck, Officer Hagen.” Tally said almost in a sing-song. This time Jeannie did chuckle slightly.

“Thank you, Tally. You have no idea how much I appreciate that.” She grinned at the girl.

“Now, I think Paco is going to begin because we need you to review a few things about Halloween night and what happened to Alexa Thomas. Is that okay?” Jeannie looked from Tally to her mother.

“Y-yes, of course.”