The Investigation Part One

The federal agent, Lorina Dahl, arrives in Barbieville on a sunny Tuesday morning and sets to work immediately.  Her first order of business is a meeting with the mayor, fire chief, police chief, and the county's lead detective on the case.

Detective: I don't understand why the mayor felt the need for help from an outside agency.

Eddie: Might have something to do with the lack of interdepartmental cooperation.  

Detective: I have this handled. 

Lorina:  No, my agency has this handled.  Anyone who refuses to share information will meet federal consequences.  

Detective: Mayor Pike, are you really so insecure that you -- 

Rose-Grace: I nearly lost both the twins, as well as a dear friend, to this arsonist.  You'll have to forgive me a bit of insecurity.  

Detective: Your dear friend?  Albus?  That burn-out?   

Lorina: Ladies, please!  I'm not afraid to pull rank on any of you.

Eddie: Please, pull rank on them.  Pull rank on me.  Whatever it takes to track this pyromaniac down.

Lorina: Thank you, Chief Dean. (checks her computer)  It looks like I have everyone's files now, and I've got Miss Staulbahm waiting outside to be interviewed.  I'll contact you if I need anything more, and I expect to be notified if you learn anything pertaining to this case.

They leave Lorina to talk to Clara.  After the initial introductions, Lorina gets directly to the point. 

Lorina: Did you set these fires?

Clara (annoyed):  I've already told Spiro, no.  The only incident I don't have someone to vouch for me on is the one at the medical center.  All the others, I was in class with about 50 other people.  

Lorina: You've had a contentious history with the victims.  

Clara (rolls her eyes): I've got a history with this whole stupid town.  Me and another girl did a socio-political experiment last fall that people are still holding against me.  Us.  Mostly me, though, because they believed her apology.

Lorina: Yet they have you in protective custody.  Why?

Clara (shrugs): Same reason I've not set fire to anything.

Albus comes home from work to find Lorina waiting for him. She shows her identification.

Lorina: I'm here about the fires.  When I listened Detective Spiro's interviews with you, I noticed there were several times she cut you off when you were trying to make a point. 

Albus: She thinks this old hippie's got nothing upstairs.  (laughs) I didn't do that many drugs in the sixties.

Lorina: Would you mind going over those recordings and telling me what points you were trying to make?  

Albus: Only if we go inside.  I've been on my feet... well, on these crutches... all day.  

Albus: Okay, right here?  She kept saying the charges on the haunted house wall were placed professionally, but they aren't.  A pro would have put them about a foot higher that they were.  

Lorina: You've worked in demolition? 

Albus: Many years ago.  The technology has changed, but laws of physics haven't.   

Lorina:  Interesting.  (She leans across to fast-forward the recording.)  And here, she becomes angry when you say you can't remember?

Albus: I had a flashback to Vietnam and then passed out.  Or maybe it was the other way around.  (chuckles) I suspect she thinks it was an entirely different kind of flashback.

Lorina: Well, as poorly as you hide your weed...  

A few days later, Lorina calls a meeting with Chief Lynch and Detective Spiro.

Lorina: Why is Clara Staulbaum still a suspect?  She has an iron-clad alibi for most of the incidents. 

Detective: She spearheaded KBV, which targeted the same people.

Lynch: So why isn't Becky Weasley a suspect?  She was KBV, too. 

Lorina: You found blond hairs at one of the scenes, but never had it analyzed.  I've taken the liberty of doing that for you.  I've also got my team working on analysis of the video footage from Witch's Cove and the medical center. 

Detective: We have a backlog at our labs.  

Lynch: No wonder you didn't want to share information.  You didn't want us to know you were sitting on your hands while our town burned, one building at a time.

After Lynch and Spiro go, Lorina makes another call to her team.

Lorina: Check the background on the following individuals...

Valentine's Day

Nakoma and Anakin stop in at Pocahontas's office, as usual, on the way home from school.

Nakoma:  Look at this insane box of chocolate!  I told Finnick I'm going to gain back all the weight I just lost and he said he doesn't care as long as I'm happy.

Anakin:  I volunteered us to help her eat them.

Pocahontas: Take these home with you and put them in Mom's blue vase.  

Anakin:  Wait, what?  You don't have a boyfriend or anything.  And Roxy's dad promised to back off.

Pocahontas: John swears it wasn't him.  There was no card.

Nakoma (teasing): Looks like you have a secret admirer, Sis.  He even knows your favorite flower. 

Pocahontas (laughs):  It's hardly a secret.  Just put them in the vase when you get home, please.  Do your homework if you have any and, Anakin, your room is trashed.  I want it clean by the time I get home.

Anakin (groans): Do I have to? 

******

At a nearby Asian buffet, Midna waits with the Baxters for a table.

Midna: With the planned changes, I'm going to have to hire more staff. 

Violet (eyes on laptop): I see that.  The logistics of all this...

Detective: I hope you ladies aren't discussing the case.  

Midna: Not at all.  I invited Violet to dinner so I could offer her a position as my office person.  I really hate paperwork and she's a qualified candidate for the job.  It's a win-win.

Raven (laughing): Office person?  That is a prestigious job title, Mom, you better jump right on that.

Violet: I think I'll include a title change as an employment clause.  

******

Doll County Sheriff's office.

Detective: Thank you for your time, Mr Kishi.  I am satisfied there's no need to talk to Claudia, but thank you for the offer.

Ben: Well, I know you spoke to her friends.

Detective: And that's why I don't need to talk to her.  She was with the Montez girls at the time of the fire. I've seen video footage of the three of them wandering around the mall.

 

Clara is in the waiting area outside the detective's office.  

Clara: Seriously?  They think you torched the place?

Ben: I was recently fired, so yeah, I'm a suspect.  (Keeps walking.)

*****

Tanner runs into Whitney at the day care.

Wilma: Hi, one of the twins.  A bad person burned Mommy's work down. 

Tanner: I saw you walking.  If I'd known you were coming here, I would have given you a lift.

Whitney: I won't mind if you give us a lift home.  Wilma's too big to carry that far and her little legs take forever to get anywhere. 

Whitney: Thanks for the ride.  Do you need gas money?

Tanner: Nah, it's not that far out of the way.  You go and get ready for your hot date tonight.

Whitney: Hot date?  What are you talking about?

Tanner: You had all those Valentine cards in your locker.  I figured... No?

Whitney: Those were indecent proposals, Tanner.  I get a locker full every year.

Tanner: Are you serious?  Why would you get dozens of -- (Looks at Wilma playing in the snow.)  Oh, yeah.  Who was it?  Tell me who it was, every one of them.  

Whitney: I'm not gonna tell you.  I know what people think. 

Tanner: Stupid people.  I know you ain't like that.  So you don't have a hot date tonight? 

Saturday In Barbieville

Rose-Grace hurries to the store after getting a call from Pike. 

Rose-Grace:  What is it?  You sounded like you were crying.  And why did you...  (looks in the big box on his desk)  Oh.  It was your allergies.  

Pike:  Garbageman found these two in the dumpster.  Batgirl cleaned them up and fed them.  

Rose-Grace:  We can't have a cat, honey.  You're allergic. 

Pike:  Didn't you make Ash and Soot a temporary home in the horse trailer at some point?   We can get them checked by a vet and go from there.

Rose-Grace:  I suppose we could use a barn cat.  If she's well.

Mariko works the early shift at the diner.

Mariko: Sorry about the wait.  Our fryers weren't quite ready when you ordered.

PJ:  No problem.  Mariko, this is my daughter Emma.  We're house hunting today. 

Mariko: I didn't know you had a daughter.  Nice to meet you, Emma. 

Emma: She has two.  Me and my sister. Do you have any sisters?

Mariko's reply is drowned out by shouting from the next table.

Clara:  You said you wouldn't give my information out!

Violet: Those kids didn't have a court order.  The police did.

Raven: Hey!  Don't be jumping on my mom! 

Clara: Mind your own business, Hoops!  

Violet: Raven, keep out of this.  (to Clara)  Can we discuss this like adults?

Mariko, recognizing Clara from the previous incident, hurries into the back.  Midna bursts out of the kitchen and confronts Clara. 

Midna:  This is the second time you're created a disturbance in my diner.  Get out and stay out.

Clara:  This is a public place, Red.  

Midna: This is a privately owned business.  I have a legal right to protect it, and to protect my customers.  

Clara: You're gonna call the cops over a little yelling?

Midna: I already have.

Back home, Finnick and Fred join the animals in checking out the new arrivals.

Finnick:  If they couldn't keep the pets for some reason, why do something so cruel?  

Rose-Grace:  You'd think taking them to a shelter would be obvious.  Your dad said the security camera got a good look at the woman who did it.  

Fred: Kin we call them Brownie and Whitey? 

Finnick (laughs): I can see it now - the black mayor in her yard yelling Whitey.  

Rose-Grace (wistfully): To be four again and have no clue about the political climate.  (to Fred)  We aren't going to worry about naming them just yet, sweetheart.  But you can be in charge of collecting suggestions.

Kin As Parents holds its first official meeting at The Overlook.

Ben: Nova's our only other official member, so we've got a 75% turnout.  Not bad for the first meeting.

Pocahontas: Growth takes time.  Anyone got any news?

Becky:  I have news!  I got custody of my cousins, a job, and a place to live.  

Ben: Wow.  You've been busy. 

Becky: Well, the home and job are connected.  I'm going to be the residential manager for those new townhouse apartments on the Beach Highway.  

Ben: What about school? 

Becky: It'll be tricky, but I can stay in school.  Might have to do some classes on line.

Ben:  Aren't those income based?  Can you get me an application?

Story 19: Run Deep

The election over, life in Barbieville returns to normal.  Pike got his annual bonus from the corporation and has hired Joe to do some handyman work.  They meet at the diner to go over Joe's plans.

Joe: When those buildings came down along the Beach Highway, I contracted to take them down for materials I can repurpose.  I went out to my warehouse and came up with some idea for the work on your deck.

Pike: I didn't know you had a warehouse.

Joe: What I save on material more than covers the cost of the lease.  Also, save the planet and all that.  Sometimes I put my girls to work cleaning and sorting, if it's safe.  Jenny's a terrific go-fer.  

Pike: They are at that age.  I'd never get Taylor to do manual labor, though.  She might break a nail.

Joe (laughs): My girls don't enjoy it, but they know that's how we put food on the table.  If my wife's boss would give her a raise... 

After lunch, they decide to go to the warehouse and brainstorm.  Ben Kishi approaches them as they're leaving.

Ben:  Excuse me, Mr. Pike, I wonder if you can tell me if your wife would okay a support group meeting at the Town Hall?  It started out as being for siblings raising siblings, but...

Pike: You'd have to talk to her secretary, Kyra Darling.  Aren't there already support groups for that kind of thing?

Ben: We have one for Grandparents and one for Single Parents, but they're not willing to let siblings and cousins and the like join.  Thank you.  Sorry to bother you. 

Pike: It's no bother.  Good luck.

At the warehouse, Joe shows Pike some of the things he was planning to use for the deck.  

Joe: Those brick planters in the corner are the ones I used in the plans I showed you at the diner.  

Pike: Fake flowers? 

Joe: Cleverly disguised lights.  They come on automatically. 

Pike: That would be good.  We can always use...  what in the world is this thing? 

Joe: Bunk beds, can you believe it?  Came from the condemned apartments - I guess they were too much work for the owner to haul out.  

Pike: Tanner and Finnick reached the age where they refused to share a bed and we made a loft bed for one of them, but... 

Joe: If you can find round mattresses.  The originals are long gone.  

Zenobia and Becky are on their way to Zenobia's apartment in the warehouse district.  

Zenobia: I only get good light for about an hour a day, so we'll have to record the interview around three.  Unless we can find another place to do it. 

Becky: Three is...  (hears something down the alley)  What was that? 

Zenobia: Sounded too big to be one of the neighborhood strays.  

Becky: Clara!  What are you doing?

Startled, Clara falls.

Clara: Why don't you mind your own business?

Becky: Are you okay?

Zenobia: You're up on those bins, taking pictures through the ventilation slats, but we need to mind our own business? 

Joe: Now, these poles are the perfect...  

Pike: What's going on outside?  

Clara:  I'm not hurt.  Give back my camera and leave me alone!

Joe: That's my warehouse.  Let me see that camera.  

Clara: That camera is my property! 

Zenobia: You're trespassing on his property.  

Clara: Shut up, you blue-headed bimbo! 

Joe (scrolling through the photos): Call the police.  Looks like this girl's planning to blackmail half the town. 

Story 18: Still Waters

Pike's meeting with local contractor Joe Montez about a problem he recently noticed.   

Pike: You can see here, the deck is coming apart from the house.  And we're concerned about the lack of railings around the edges.  No one's fallen off, but it's an accident waiting to happen.

Joe: Looks like you're right about the trees pushing it off kilter.  But it's not as bad as it seems.  For one thing, this isn't really a deck.  It's a separate structure, a car port, that you just hang out on top of. I doubt it was ever...

Rose-Grace joins them.  She's just gotten home from the office.

Rose-Grace: You went ahead and called Joe?  I told you I wanted to wait.

Pike: Until my bonus came through and we knew your job was secure for the next few years.  Both of those things have happened, right?

Joe: It's all his fault, Ms Mayor.  Please don't revoke my contractor's license.  (They all laugh.)  As I was just telling your husband, it looks like a fairly simple job.  

None of them are aware they're being watched.

*****

Later that week, Kyra steps into the boss's office at the end of the day.  

 

Kyra: Put that paperwork down.  It's five, and time to get out of here.

Rose-Grace: What's your big hurry?  (Remembers) Oh, yeah, you have a hot date tonight.  

Kyra: A date, anyway.  It remains to be seen how hot it'll be.  What is all that, anyway?

Rose-Grace: Every single committee this town has.  They waited until after the election to do any work just in case a transition needed eased.  I'm tempted to deny every request in here, just out of spite.

Kyra: Are you sure it's all right for me to date Brent?  He did just run against you.

Rose-Grace: Speaking as mayor, the timing could be slightly better, but as your friend?  Go for it.

The Eatons have dinner at the diner.  Mariko comes to take their order, but they're too busy bickering to even take the menus from her.

Marcus: Don't get to used to this, guys.  Mom's kitchen will be unpacked tomorrow.

Esmeralda: Moving is a lot harder with a family.  The last time, it was just me and Dad.  Good thing you were all boys so we didn't need a third bedroom or this would have happened a long time ago.

Ricky: I'm still mad you didn't get us each our own room in the new place.  Dad said we could afford it.  And don't be all dramatic about how you gave us the master bedroom cause it was bigger. 

Marcus: You need to watch your tone, Richard.  

Four: Maybe you want to live with Mommy and Daddy forever, but I'll take a pass.  

Kevin: You'll have your own room in what, five years?  At the most?  

Elsewhere in the diner, Zenobia talks to Becky.

Zenobia: I want to do a vlog on Keep Barbieville Virtuous.  I've already got a lot of man on the street type stuff, but if I interview you and Clara on camera, it would be great.

Becky: I'm available, but don't count on Clara.  She isn't speaking to me.

Zenobia: Really?  That sounds like a scoop right there!

Brent takes Kyra to dinner at the Shore Thing Cafe, where they have a spectacular view of Muneca Lake at sunset.

Brent: I hope you like this place.  I wanted somewhere nice, but not too fancy.  

Kyra: I bring my girls here for all our special occasions.  

Brent: If it's not too personal, can I ask why they all have W names?

Kyra:  My ex.  He was William and decided our daughters would share his initials.  Had they been sons, they'd probably be Kyle and Keith. For my initials.  When Wilma came along, the girls didn't want her to feel left out.  

Brent: You could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out you were a grandmother.

Kyra: Imagine how I felt.  Whitney was barely a teenager.

Nervous as a schoolboy, Brent slips an arm around her as they stroll along the beach.

Kyra: Can I ask, if it's not too personal, what did KBV have on you?  Everything they printed was so vague and I don't want to be dating an axe murderer.

Brent: We only murder axes.  (Chuckles, then braces himself for her reaction.)  I have a juvenile record.  Assault.  Hate crimes, mostly racial.  A touch of gay bashing.  (Relieved she hasn't fled.)  I'm a better man now, obviously, but people don't like to believe you can change.

Kyra: What happened to bring about the change?

Brent: My sister married a non-white woman.  

...and they're being followed.

Story 17: Election Day

The main polling place in Barbieville is The Overlook, a reception hall in the amusement park.  Voters can gather in the front room and socialize before and after casting their ballots.  The park closes for the winter after the Halloween Haunt, but for this one day a skeleton crew is working as security.

Finnick, Nakoma, and Anakin staff the ticket booths between the parking lot and the park entrance.

Anakin: Come help me take down the Halloween decorations.

Nakoma: The guys who repaint the wall during the off season take them down.  But go for it, little brother.  You've been bored silly all day.

Finnick: Poor kid doesn't know to bring something to entertain himself. Rookie mistake.  (To Anakin) Hand me that end and go take down the other.  We can pull it in through my window.

Nakoma watches them work.  She'd tell them how sweet they are, but that would just embarrass both of them.

Rose-Grace is near the entrance doing a bit of last minute electioneering.  Across the way, a group is discouraging support for one of the issues.  Tris comes over to talk to them. 

Tris: I'm so glad you aren't making your kids help.  My folks...  

Mace: Fred was here, but he kept crossing the invisible line.  (Points toward the "No electioneering beyond this point" sign.)  His daddy took him home.

Rose-Grace: He didn't cross the line.  He just yelled after people who had.  I'm not sure how the law works in that case, but we're not taking any chances.  

Mace: Forcing a kid to do anything is bound to backfire on you.  We don't want them to hate voting when they're grown.

Tris: I wish you could talk sense to my folks.  I find this whole thing humiliating.

Brent is doing his electioneering nearer the parking lot.  PJ has joined him.

PJ: I hope you win this election.  Rose-Grace Pike needs to go.

Brent: It's up to the voters at this point.  

PJ: Do you have any idea how much trouble she caused me by taking my building from the owner?  I had to join the Medical Center.  Relocating alone cost me as much as a year's lease in the old place! If she gets re-elected, that land will end up the property of that damn amusement park.  

Brent: (Thinks her concern is groundless, but remembers how convinced he once was.)  It's up to the citizens of Barbieville now.  You seem to be taking it personally, but a lot of people were inconvenienced by that entire situation.  

Inside The Overlook

Pocahontas: There doesn't seem to be a lot of demand for a support group, Ben.  

Ben: I've had a good bit of interest from people on campus.  

Roxy:  Hi, Pocahontas!  I saw Anakin at the gate and he -- 

John (across the room):  Roxy, let her be.  I already told you no.

Sulu: Now I get it.  You don't want me to set you up with anybody because you're chasing the one that got away.  Are you nuts?  She's never gonna give you a second chance.

Pocahontas: Go on, Roxy.  If your dad said no to whatever it is, then that's final.  

Ben (watching Roxy walk away): Cute kid.

Pocahontas: Her father was my high school sweetheart.  

Ben: The one you told me about?  

Pocahontas: The only one.  How many high school sweethearts did you have?

John: You're way off base, man.  Roxy is friends with her little brother, that's all. 

Sulu: That's why you can't take your eyes off of her?  Dude, I was there when she busted into second period history and beat the crap out of you.

John: Which I deserved.     

Clara: What are you doing here?  

Becky:  Voting, and talking to Violet. 

Clara: Trying to turn Violet against me, more like. 

Violet: We weren't talking about anything related to you.  I don't know what adolescent drama you two have going on and I don't care.  We have a business relationship, no more and no less.

Clara: Why'd you warn us about those kids, then?

Violet: It's good business to let a client know if someone is snooping.  

Evening falls.  Whitney's shift at the diner over, she and her mom are walking home.  They come across Brent Spiner.  

Brent: Hello, Ms Darling.  I was hoping to run into you. 

Kyra: Um, hi? 

Brent: I just called Rose-Grace and conceded the election. 

Kyra: And you felt the need to hunt me down and tell me in person?  I work for the town, not for her.  If you had won...

Brent: But she's also your friend.  And if I had won, my asking you out would be quite inappropriate.  Tell me, was losing the election a blessing in disguise?