“That might be a little over the top. If we can assure that they won’t be really harmed by it though, no time in detention or anything, just not allowed to play in the game?”
Darla didn’t say anything for a long time. She didn’t look angry about the idea of using her friends to do something that petty at least, after a while, she just nodded.
“We can do that. Get with Roy and set it up. You should be able to find him at the police station. You can take him some donuts. It’s a gag gift, but he’ll get it. They all will. Actually pick up a couple of dozen. Can you handle the rest?” Darla said it gently, which made a lot of sense.
After all, Keeley had never bought alcohol before and doubted she could actually manage it at all. Well, not on her own. She had funds though, so maybe she could get help with it? Bribe a street person or something?
“I think so? I’ll go do that now, I guess. Do you think Roy will still be at work?”
“I do. Hurry though, you have to be home by eight or your father will think you were at a gangbang.”
“I know. The sad thing is, I’m not absolutely certain what that is.” She really didn’t, but Darla laughed at her anyway. Her look must have given away the fact that she really had no clue.
“Seriously? Well, you have the Internet. Just make sure to clear your search history or he’ll think you’re making plans for after the dance.”
Keeley nodded, feeling a little nervous. Somehow, in her entire life, she’d never had to go to the police station for anything. It seemed bizarre that the first time she did, it was to plan a crime.
She stood and took another half desperate bite of food, then set the spoon down in the oversized clear bowl and pushed her chair in.
“Right. Well, I better be off then, if I’m getting donuts first.” She waved a bit, hoping that leaving the dish on the table wasn’t rude.
Darla jumped up and gave her a little hug, made truly strange by the fact that no information came from her while she did. It was a racial trait. When they touched someone, they knew them. Everything about them, their memories, their goals, and desires. Nothing was hidden. It didn’t work that way when they touched each other though, thank God.
Well, she would, except, of course, the Christian God might not be real. According to Darla anyway. Then she was kind of an anti-Christian bigot, wasn’t she? Keeley didn’t know why, and didn’t really want to bring the topic up.
Why stir up problems on issues that she couldn’t really do anything about?
Darla stepped back and patted her shoulder firmly.
“Roy likes Bavarian cream. Make sure to get some in the mix, if possible.”
Chapter two
“May I help you?” The officer behind the desk looked both bored and bland, his salt and pepper gray mustache was tidy and the lines around his eyes made him look a little bit like he was a jerk most of the time, but his keen police observational skills had noticed the three large boxes she carried right off. The side of the giant pink things said they were from Sandy’s Bakery, which, in Keeley’s opinion, had the best donuts around. These were a little old having been made that morning, but still good. She’d eaten a couple on the way over, just to check.
“Delivery for the Chief. If you could tell him Keeley Thomson is here to see him? With a dozen Bavarian cream donuts? I got the bar kind, I hope that’s OK?” She smiled at the man, forcing herself to remember what being calm and happy felt like. It washed over her so strongly her body responded without thinking about the specifics. She stood straight, relaxed, and as if she was just visiting her dad at work.
“I brought some to share, by the way.” She looked down at the box and decided to go into a rundown of what was actually in the boxes if the man didn’t move soon.
After looking at her a little coolly for a few moments the man nodded.
“Got any Jelly filled?”
“Of course. Who doesn’t get Jelly? Raspberry, cherry and lemon. Second box down.”
The man held up a finger and hit a single button on his desk phone, a big thing that had probably been there longer than Keeley had been alive, it had an actual cord and everything. He held the well worn black hand piece to his right ear.
“Chief? Front desk, we have a young lady here to see you a,” His hand went over the mouthpiece. “Sorry…”
“Keeley Thomson.”
“Right, Keeley Thomson, here to see you? She brought donuts… Send her back? Yes sir.”
The man smiled and pointed through a single dark blue door to his left. The white tile had blue flecks in it, which was a bit ugly. It probably hadn’t been done on purpose, but everything about the place had been decorated to foster despair. The colors were all off shades, not pure colors of anything. It was teal, she noticed, not true blue, a color that people thought was soothing at first, but that could overwhelm a person and make their subconscious mind think of drowning. The walls were nearly the same color, the ceilings white, like the surface of water, if you were in too deep and had no hope of reaching the surface. The furniture was old and uncomfortable looking too, hard plastic in a brilliant orange that no one in history could have ever really liked, unless they were liars or blind. It made the nerves jangle and the whole place feel like death was about to happen at any second.
Keeley headed toward the door and had to wait to be buzzed in, which would have made sense if she were going the other direction, where the prisoners were held, but she got the idea, it was to make the people on the far side of the door feel safer. Like the “criminals” their town had, a few drunks and some shoplifters most days, would be a danger? It wasn’t like this was a television program, was it?
It took a bit to juggle the door handle and the boxes, but she managed with a little luck and a quick grab as the Bavarian cream box started sliding off the top.
On the other side of the door it wasn’t hard to find the Chiefs office. He had a large silver name plate on the door. No matter what else the man was, his main occupation was clearly promoting himself as important. That meant, on some level, that he didn’t feel like he’d earned his place. Not really.
Probably because he hadn’t.
Darla had arranged for him to get the position twenty years before, which meant he couldn’t have been more than thirty back then. He was a decent looking guy, thin and in shape, with a healthy tan that didn’t fit office work or even a police chief’s salary. He also drove a car that had to be worth close to a hundred thousand dollars. She’d seen it before. It was a sweet ride.
Even the man’s wife was something Darla had arranged for him. One of her old friends. Like Eve or Hally was now.
So, yeah, she could see him having an issue or two there. In the main though, from everything she’d heard about, the police force really was run well in the area. Crime stayed low, and no one talked overly about the police breaking the law themselves. The cops didn’t even speed very much and from what she’d seen in life, that was kind of one of the normal perks of the job. After all, who’d be there to pull them over?
Roy Benson, the name plate on the door said.
Keeley stopped dead.
She hadn’t seen that before. The last name. It was Eve’s last name. Her friend. More to the point, when she looked at the man in front of her, she could see the resemblance. It wasn’t some grand and obvious thing, they weren’t switched gender clones or something, but yes, the man in front of her was definitely Eve’s dad.
The thing was, Eve didn’t have a father. Not that Keeley had ever been told about. Having the same name probably meant that Eve’s mother had been married to the man at one time too.
Well, people did that. Got married, divorced and left kids behind like so much baggage.
Keeley smiled through the glass of the door and waved a hand at the man awkwardly around the boxes. In charge or not, he jumped up to get the door for her before she could dump everything all over the blue carpeted floor.
“Come in, please.” There was a sincere and pleasant warmth to the voice that hadn’t been there the last time they’d met. Of course this time no one had thrown a car against a house a half dozen times and then ran away.
That could make a difference.
Plus, she had donuts. The smell was driving her crazy.
“Um, well, Miss Thomson. I recognized the name, of course... Normally Darla just calls if she wants something, is she alright?” He was really worried. A bit of sweat was creeping down his forehead already, almost as if he was panicking inside and trying to hide it.
Also something she could see. Darla and he had a deal. If she died, he probably wouldn’t last very long, as the others swooped in to claim her stuff. Including him and his wife. Darla was a pretty good “friend” to have, but some of the others…
“She’s fine. Working on an investigation. The boy that was killed last week?” Keeley took a deep breath and didn’t have to fake the slight shudder she felt. “He was a close friend of hers. One of her people.”
“I’m sorry. Please tell her that if she needs anything I’m her for her.” He looked down and shook his head slowly.
“I should do it myself. I could claim to be too busy, but… It’s just such a mess. One of the things I’ve never been able to really handle in this job. Murder just doesn’t make sense to me in most cases. Kill a kid because he might be gay? Why bother?” The man truly did seem shaken for a few seconds, so Keeley took the chance to set the donut boxes on a low table he had off to the right. There was nothing of note on it, a few papers and some folders. Not really reading Keeley made a point of memorizing the scene. It was something she’d always been able to do, if she thought about it. Make sure she remembered stuff.
Keeley found the chair he’d indicated, one that was far too nice for an office setting, almost a leather reading chair, and sat comfortably, making eye contact with the older man the whole time.
“So, I have a few things to talk about Mr. Benson. First, well it’s a bit awkward, but I was wondering if you knew about the horrible problem they’re having with alcohol and underage drug parties at Wilson High school? Now, I don’t want to keep anyone from having fun, but I’ve heard that the Homecoming party is going to be huge this year and many illegal activities are planned. Drinking, underage sex, possibly people taking pictures of nude underage girls engaged in who knows what to put on the internet for perverts to look at, which is highly illegal. I’m sure that people will also be smoking marijuana and doing stupid things like recklessly jumping over bonfires.” Keeley did her best to sound like the prim church lady from every television show ever. It kind of worked, and got the requisite perfunctory nod from the man in front of her.
All that stuff probably would be happening after all. It was what people did for fun, most places.
Before he could speak Keeley grinned at him suddenly, getting a questioning look in response.
“Now normally, I’m sure such things would just be overlooked. Kids will be kids and all that kind of thing, plus the paperwork has got to be a nightmare. However, a firm stance now, against such things might just help remind people that you care about kids personally, which won’t make you look bad at all, after the thing with Rob. Plus, most people won’t be able to tell that you’re mainly doing it to make them feel their kids are safe. So it moves right past the whole thing where they think you’re just spinning things to try and look good. No one cares about the issue of underage drinking, except for the fact that right now, they’re worried about their children being murdered. Be seen making them safer and people will associate their children not dying with you. Since most of them won’t be dying anytime soon, you really can’t fail there.”
The man didn’t say anything for a long time.
“So, you want a crackdown on parties?” He finally spoke, his tone slightly wary.
“Not at all. God no. That would just be mean and make the police look like killjoys. I want you to go to Wilson high right after school on Friday, just before the preparations for the big game begin, and have some officers look in specific vehicles for alcohol. Just through the windows, so nothing illegally invasive. No alcohol means that about eighty percent of the problems will go away instantly. Though…” Keeley had a thought, one that made her blink for a few seconds. It was a good idea, if a little risky for the Chief.
“What?”
“Well, what if the police force held a party? For the kids? Maybe a couple? Set up some refreshments, maybe some music. Hold it outside with the police already there and let the kids know that they won’t be busted for making out or getting a little loud, since it’s sanctioned. No booze, but most kids aren’t alcoholics anyway. If five show up, call it a win and get it in the papers. I can set most of that up for you if you can provide the police to watch it and are willing to slap your name on it? Maybe get a few guys off duty? So you know, adult supervision without uniforms too? I’ll get Coretechs to front a bit of money for supplies. If you want, I mean.” It was a public relations gimmick, but it was also one that Darla hadn’t given him. Plus, if they did it right, the whole thing could really work well.
“Sounds… Really, why not? A bit short notice, but if you think you can pull it all together in time?”
“On it then. Um, do you have a card, so I can get with you on details? Oh, anyway… All you need to do is check the cars of the football team and I’m certain you’ll find what you’re looking for. Friday, right after school, before everyone leaves.” With witnesses, so no one could claim the police planted anything. That would just be wrong, after all.
Because she was going to do that part.
Keeley noticed that Roy didn’t ask a lot of questions about how she knew where the booze would be or anything. It was pretty handy, to tell the truth. She didn’t have a lie ready at all.
“Was there anything else then?” The Chief stood and gestured to the boxes with an interested smile, which got one of them quickly put in his hands, Keeley dancing a little to make it happen, trying to make herself remember a time when she not only felt, but was, truly graceful. To her surprise it actually worked. She felt graceful and became that way instantly. Useful. It also led her to think of a few other things, like what would happen if she focused on strength or speed?