More Plots and Plans

 

Nakoma: What are you doing?  Isn't this your brother's job?

Finnick: I told him I would do this so he could talk to Whitney.  She's pretty mad about us plotting against Esper.  Barely got any rehearsal in, which sucks because our schedules are so hard to coordinate anymore. 

Nakoma: I told you not to mention it to Whitney.  She's convinced if she rocks the boat, it'll break her mom and Brent up. 

Finnick: Brent's sister's kid is the one rocking the boat.  

Nakoma: Put down the... whatever that is.  I'll help you after I get you calmed down. 

A bit later, Finnick asks what Pocahontas said about the Overlook renovation. 

Nakoma: I think she's too much like Mom to admit she liked the changes, but she gave me the go-ahead to plan a grand event.  Once the windows are installed, it'll be all but ready.  

Finnick: Make it formal.  I wanna see you all done up like a princess, you're so beautiful.  

Nakoma: You know what, I've got an idea.  We can get Esper without a huge plot.  Just a little one. 

****

Inside, Pike just opened his mouth and inserted his foot. 

Mace (laughing): Oh, man.  You're lucky I know you're just ignorant.  I'd hate to have to beat you down in front of these babies. 

Rose-Grace: You told Taylor to do what?! 

Pike: Umm... is this a black thing or a girl thing? 

Rose-Grace:  Both, actually.  We've been getting told to keep our heads down and be on our best behavior forever!   (sighs)  What have I told you is the go-to line when dealing with racists or misogynists? 

Pike: But Snape's not a racist or a misogynist.  He did the same thing to the twins.

Rose-Grace: Snape's a classist, and he's stereotyping our children.  The line applies here. 

Pike: Rise above and prove him wrong.  But isn't that the same thing? 

Mace (still laughing): You told Taylor to know her place.  Toe the line.  Be a good little -- 

One of the phones on the table goes off.  Rose-Grace grabs it, annoyed at the interruption. 

Rose-Grace: This is a really bad time, Lynch.  (pause) Okay, but... (pause)  Is she all right?! 

Plots and Plans

 The entire band has the day off, so a rehearsal is held.  Whitney is the last to arrive at Windu Acres, and when she enters the basement studio, silence falls over the rest. 

Whitney: I know what that means.  Y'all were talking about me. 

Zenobia: Sort of.  We're plotting to teach Esperanza to mind her own business.  

Whitney: I should have known this was going to happen.  (To Tanner) I can handle her.  

Tanner: You aren't handling her.  You're letting her get under your skin. 

Finnick: Besides, yours ain't the only business she's been getting into.  Nakoma's about ready to smack her upside the head.   (To Zenobia) Get out of in front of the speaker.  Your dumb chair is behind the kettledrum.

Tanner: We figure if we make her think... 

Whitney: She already thinks whatever it is.  And shame on you, dragging Zenobia into this with everything else going on.  

Tanner: It was Zenobia's idea!  

Zenobia:  Whitney, I could use a distraction.  Dad expects me to step into Mom's shoes because I'm the oldest and he's driving me bonkers.  Won't let me do the very things he asks me to!  

Whitney: You know how girls talk.  It's nothing. 

Zenobia: Please.  I have been slut-shamed by the best, and she's doing whatever the opposite of slut-shaming is.  She's probably not doing it on purpose, but she's undermining your self-esteem, and none of your friends are going to let that happen.

Whitney: So who else is in on this? 

******

At Witch's Cove 

Nakoma: Welcome to the new and improved Overlook Event Venue!  Besides the glass doors we just came in through, all these striped places will be windows, so lots of daylight can get in.  Remember how gloomy it used to be in here? 

Pocahontas: Gloomy seems to fit the witch theme better. 

Nakoma: Now you're just being contrary.  Our cove was settled by nice witches and I'll fight anyone who says different.  The pink is, of course, for Mom.  Weird that Cash had a thing for women who like pink, isn't it? 

Pocahontas: Don't ruin my day by mentioning Deadbeat Dad.   (She looks around and nods) It is a very Mom color.  So far, I approve.  Let's see the rest. 

Pocahontas: What's with this goofy window?  

Nakoma: Joe said this is a load-bearing wall.  He took out as much as he could without the place falling in on our heads.  This window's just a decorative feature, really.  Wall looks boring otherwise. 

Nakoma: And across the dance floor is another sitting area.  The dance floor can also serve as the central hall for things like weddings, and the furniture will be mostly seating and small tables.  

Pocahontas: Where will people eat?  Events generally have meals, you know. 

Nakoma: I made Albus clear the storage downstairs.  If you want to dance while everyone is still eating, you hop in the elevator and voila!  

Pocahontas: You mean to tell me the basement is a dining hall now?  I know Joe's good, but... 

Nakoma: Actually, that part was mostly Jessie.  She looked around and said "Challenge Accepted".  

Pocahontas:  I don't know why I'm surprised.  But I am.  Pleasantly. 

Nakoma: So, can we start planning a gala event to reopen the Overlook? 

Saturday at Windu Acres

 

Tanner is intent on the movie they're watching, but Whitney keeps stealing glances at him.  The things Esperanza has been saying are preying at her, even though she trusts Tanner completely.  She steels herself and makes her move.

Tanner: Hey, what are you doing?  Nothing inside the clothes, remember?

Whitney: Well, I've been thinking about that.  We aren't in high school anymore, you know.  We both want to and we've been together so long.

Tanner:  Wait, what?  Who the hell have you been talking to?

Whitney:  Esperanza says...

He pushes her away, gently, but she can tell he's angry.

Tanner: What's she been saying to you, to make you act so weird?  Well, weird-for-you. 

Whitney: Don't you ever get mad at me for making you wait?  I mean, you're a grown man and men... 

Tanner: Don't you dare say men have needs.  (Heavy sigh)  Whitney, I love you.  I think you've got good reasons for waiting.  Don't let anyone, even me, pressure you into it.  

Whitney: But most of my reasons are gone now.  We've graduated, you're working... 

Tanner: Back up a bit.  What has Esperanza been saying about this?  

*****

Taylor:  When you get to High School avoid taking his class.  

Nikki: It's a required class and he's the only teacher for it.  I kinda have no choice.  Besides, all he did was say some mean stuff.  I can ignore that. 

Taylor: It's different from a teacher, and I think he's grading my work unfairly.  I had almost word-for-word the same answers as Alex and she got a way higher grade. 

Candy: Let me guess.  Severus Snape? 

Taylor: You just stroll in like you own the place.  

Candy: I gave birth to about half the residents, so I can do that.  

Nikki: I wonder if he's a racist. 

Candy: He just assumes kids of privilege are going to expect special treatment. When the boys had his class, it was a constant stream of "Your dad married the mayor, that doesn't make you special".  It got so stupid, Pike had me going to conferences with that guy even though I'm not the custodial parent. 

Taylor: Oh, yeah, I remember that now.  Maybe he got bullied in school and now he takes it out on us.

Candy: As if that's an excuse. 

*****

One look at his twin tells Finnick volumes.  

Finnick: Kids, maybe you should wait to watch the movie... 

Stacie: No way!  You promised! 

Anakin: I've only got a couple of hours til I have to go home.

Tanner (grumbling):  It's okay.  Instead of little sister getting lost this time, I guess the big brothers can.  But you're coming with me, Fin.  I got some bitching to do. 

Finnick lets Tanner tells the entire story.  Esperanza's accusations that he's not really with Mace, the constant comparisons to other couples (including Finnick and Nakoma), even comments about Wilma. 

Finnick: Okay, first off, Wilma's beside the point.  You don't want what Wilma's father had because that was messed up.  When you're with Grandpa, you're at work.   Would she be saying that if you still worked at the Cove? 

Tanner: Probably.  You and Nakoma would be helping me cheat on Whitney. 

Finnick: So basically, Esperanza is convincing Whitney that unless y'all have sex, you're going to spilt. (chuckles) Isn't pressuring the girlfriend into sex the boyfriend's job?  

Tanner: I told Whitney it didn't hurt Four and Tris any to wait for marriage.  We can do the same if she wants.  She's terrified of getting pregnant again when she still lives with her mom. 

Finnick: Esperanza's got a problem.  Nakoma had to tell her off because she was always asking stuff like that about us.  Someone should teach her a lesson. 

Tanner: You up for some patented Pike Twins Shenanigans? 

Non-Murder Drama Continues

 Barbieville Elementary School

Qi: What's up with the pink bag, Anakin?  You gay all of a sudden?

Stacie: Don't be stupid.  We're too young to be worrying about if we're gay or not.

Tommy:  So what?  My brother's gay. 

Casey: My dad wears makeup and he ain't gay. 

Anakin: My bookbag broke and I borrowed this from Nakoma.

Marty: No boys in the family you could borrow from?  I mean, I got no problem with the pink, but you could've avoided some teasing. 

Anakin: Me and John are the only guys.  And it's worth a little teasing to have a nice stable family for once. I swear, I feel like a whole new kid.

Casey (to Qi):  I'm sorry you let your wiener limit your choices in life.  

*****  

Barbieville High School

Gabriella: So now Mom is scared Charlotte's lawyer is gonna subpoena her.   

Taylor: Might be for the best if she did.  I know she doesn't want to... 

Snape: Miss Pike, would you care to tell the class what's more important than your lesson?

Snape: Don't bother telling me you started the conversation, Miss Montez.  I'm well aware that you are merely a follower, being influenced by Miss Pike's disregard for rules.   I've made if clear, have I not, that being related to the mayor carries no weight with me? 

Taylor: Yes, sir. I'm sorry. 

Gabriella: Mr. Snape, I was finishing a conversation we started in the hall.  Class hasn't even begun.

Snape: Class begins when the bell rings.  Perhaps you should have your hearing checked. 

*****

Mayor's Office 

Rose-Grace: Thank you all for meeting with me.  The media has been barraging me with questions about what they're calling Deadly Driver, and I don't want to spread misinformation.  Or keep deflecting, for that matter.  The citizens need to know what's happening. 

Carol: Within limits, of course.

Midge: Test results came back as expected.  We did get specifications on paint chips from the victim's bodies, which I shared with the police department.  The vehicle was painted a color called "Green With Envy" which is exclusive to one Automobile manufacturer. 

Lynch: They have three models of the right shape and size.  We're compiling a list of owners, with the intent to interview and visually inspect each of the cars in question.   Agent Danvers has been in touch with the federal profilers.  But Helena and Charlie had so little in common... 

Carol: They're the same sex and age group, both educated professionals.  My guys have done wonders with less than that.  

******

Doll County Day Care, Barbieville

Whitney: Oh My God!  I am not going to go through his phone!  I trust him! 

Esperanza: I'm telling you, he is not spending all this time with his freakin' Grandpa.  He's up to something and I bet she puts out. 

Whitney: I'm picking up Wilma and she doesn't need to hear this garbage.  I trust Tanner.  The end.

Roxy: He's eating all the people that fell outta the train wreck. 

Wilma: No way! A tricycle-tops don't eat meat!  

Whitney: Geez, John, what kind of sickos are you raising? 

John (laughing): Only the best.  Wilma, your mom's here.

Whitney: I hope she behaved today.  We've been having a problem with temper tantrums lately. 

John: She wasn't happy about the choices for after-school snacks, but she took it out on those poor train passengers.  

Wilma: Put me down, Mommy!  I wanna walk! 

Esperanza: Did you see the way he was looking at me?  He wants me. 

Whitney: Sure, Esper, sure.  

One Mystery Solved

 Agent Danvers and Chief Lynch follow a lead on the abandoned foals.  It leads them to a dilapidated house on the edge of Doll County.  It looks like no one's lived there for years, but someone answers the door! 

Tate: Afternoon, ladies.  (notices Lynch's uniform)  Oh, no.  I was seen?  But I was so careful! 

Lynch:  You were pulling a horse trailer behind a tractor, in a residential area, in the middle of the night.  We traced the tag on the trailer - which is expired, by the way - to this address.  

Tate (heavy sigh): Am I under arrest? 

Carol: Not yet.  Tell us why you dumped those horses.  Then we'll decide. 

Tate: The horses belong to my great-uncle.  When I got here, he'd already shot the mare and was taking sights on one of the colts.  He gave me til morning to get rid of them.  I didn't know what else to do, so I found that nature sanctuary and took them there.  Wild horses happen, and I figured at least this way they'd have half a chance.

Carol: Where's your uncle now?  We'd like to speak to him. 

Tate: State Psychiatric Hospital.  He was mean as a snake before the accident and now...  some kind of brain damage.  We were contacted because he can't live on his own and I was given the honors of dealing with all of this.  

Carol: Accident?  

Tate: He has a hoarding problem, he tripped coming down the stairs, and fell two stories.  Through and over various rubbish.  Then some of it fell on him.  (laughs weakly) Must have looked like some slapstick bit.  

Lynch (to Carol): I have an idea.  Can you take the information to verify this while I make a call?  

Carol: This is highly unusual, Mr. Windu.  I'm not sure what... 

Mace: We're an unusual place.  (to Tate) Lynch tells me you're more ignorant than malicious.  That right? 

Tate:  I was trying to protect the colts with what I did.  Uncle didn't give me time to find a better way.

Mace: Here's the deal.  You sell Windu Acres the foals and whatever else we might find around here, for the cost of your fines.  Everybody's happy.   Lynch said she will put in a good word for you with the county, not that jail time usually happens for something like this.

Tate (to Carol): Is this legal? 

Carol (grinning): Barely. 

Mace: Of course, it all depends on what she finds checking your story.

Tanner:  Carriage is solid, it just looks rough.  Got a bit of fancy stuff rubbing one wheel.  We could do carriage rides in summer like we do sleigh rides in winter.  And Fred would go ape for that little camper playhouse.

Tate: There's a roof thing for this buggy.  I couldn't figure it out, but I have no idea what I'm doing.  

Carol: Just got a text from Lynch.  He seems to be telling the truth and the county will accept the arrangement.

Mace: Excellent.  (Looks around) Good thing we brought The Tank, huh? 

    

Carol: Don't leave town anytime soon, Mr. O'Malley.  We still need to question you about another matter.

Tate: Those women who were run over?  All I know about that is what I read in the papers.  

Carol: Charlie Lake's work is what led us to you.  She worked for the county parks. 

Tate: Sorry.  I can't help you, but I'll be here. I'm single, childless, and unemployed.  Got nowhere better to be. 

Getting Crafty

 

I finally got the BMR 1959 men.  Two of them came in their boxes, which are the perfect size and shape to be pedestal frame beds.  The twins started telling me they needed new beds and they weren't wrong.  

I wanted the bases to be wood, but nothing I had was woodgrain. I did find a couple patterns that could be carved wood.  The mattress (lid of the box) would be scrap fabric.

As I worked, I imagined these beds being built from repurposed pirate ships.  That's what the patterns brought to mind, anyway.  I think it was meant to be Victorian ceiling tiles.  There wasn't enough to cover the backs or bottoms of the bed, but since those will be against the wall or floor, I'm not fussed.  I basically cut the paper to fit and glued it on.  This left a visible seam, hidden by corner braces made of gold tape.  (Added later.)

I found some dead pillowcases, but they frayed badly as I tried to glue them into place.  And I could see the pattern on the box through them after all that work!  When a T-shirt gets too worn to be worn, they are turned into cleaning rags or work shirts for the dolls.  The edges don't fray!   No hemming required!

So I used a dead T-shirt.  I usually avoid solid colors when making work shirts for the dolls but for a couple bed sheets, why not? There's gonna be pillows and blankets and dolls on top of them! 

Waiting for the glue to dry, I looked at the front of the shirt to see if any of  the picture could be used for doll work shirts.  (It was too dark and too large to be a coherent pattern on their scale.)  And since I'm a big girl, there was a good bit of leftover fabric. Rather ironic that the little pile of cleaning rags there came from a shirt with Daryl Dixon on it.  

Finished product with my other crafted beds.  The one in the rear began life as the package for Barbie You Can Be Anything Surprise (Two career looks and a doll in her civvies.)  I just bent the front flap back to make a headboard (sideboard?) and turned it into a daybed.  Since I just used contact paper and no fabric, it reminds me of the stone slabs Klingons use.

The one in the front is a craft box from Michael's.  Pillowcase fabric worked for it because it had no pattern to hide.  The headboard on it is cardboard and wrapping paper.

Bonus storage space in three of them!  The twins will get the new beds, Mace will take the one in front, which was in the twins' room, and the Klingon bed will wait for a new home. 

Digging For Clues

 The investigation continues.

Iggy: I tagged along with PJ to tell you about this guy Mom dated.  He's the main reason I moved in with Dad, and then Mom got smart and dumped him.  Apparently, she thought I was the problem but after I was gone, she realized it was all him. 

PJ: That guy would have no reason to kill Helena, though.

Iggy: Unless she was a witness.  

Lynch: Anything's possible.  I'll take a formal statement from you after I clarify a few things with your stepmother.  (To PJ)  You mentioned that Charlie took issue with some of your parenting methods? Was that a problem? 

PJ: Charlie had a right to say something about the boys, being their mother, but I felt she over-stepped when my girls were concerned.  For example, I was arguing with Belle about dating.  I think she's too young, but Charlie recited that vulgar rhyme that starts "old enough to bleed".  

Iggy: But dad backed up PJ on that one.  In their house, we can't date until we can drive.  

PJ: It's nothing unusual for a blended family.  Surely you don't think I killed her over that?

******

Across town, Jimin is dealing with his most troublesome client.

Jimin: Mrs. Jackson, I don't understand.  Why do you think Miss Carson is needed?  She knows little or nothing about your family situation. 

Charlotte: Not for the custody thing.  For this ridiculous claim that I killed Helena Malfoy and Charlie Lake.  Bonnie has insight into that, since she is the Malfoy boy's parole officer. 

Bonnie: Probation officer.  Parole is an entire different thing. 

Charlotte: Whatever.  Tell him how nice and civil we all were.  

Jimin: Mrs. Jackson, I do family law, not criminal law. You'll have to retain a different lawyer if you're concerned you might be charged.  (To Bonnie) Unless you can contribute to the custody matter, I'm afraid we've wasted your time.

Charlotte: Seriously?!  It's all connected, can't you see?  Whoever killed them is working for either Billy's sons or for this damn town.  I'm not sure which bunch hates me more.  Hell, maybe they're in it together!  (Eyes Bonnie suspiciously) Come to think of it, the Carsons are one of the founding families of  Barbieville... 

Bonnie: Well, I  think I've heard enough.  Jimin, I'm sure I'll see you in Family Court.  (Shakes his hand)  Maybe we can get dinner sometime?  

Jimin: That would be nice.  (Raises his voice to be heard over Charlotte) I'm sorry about this.

Bonnie: Never apologize for your clients, Mr. Rhee.  You aren't responsible for their behavior. 

****

At Doll County Museum

Carol: Mr. Patrick, you are a hard man to track down. 

Coby: I keep busy, that's for sure.  What can I do for you, Agent Danvers? 

Carol: I wanted to speak to you and Ms Pike about Helena Malfoy.  You were the last to see her alive.

Morgan: Dr. Pike.  I have a PhD in paleontology.  

Coby: I don't think I'd be much help.  Helena works with the university, having permanent exhibits here that connect to our disciplines.  I've recently taken charge of Gender Studies and met with Helena about my own exhibit.  But that's the only time I ever met her.

Carol: Did she mention any problems?  At home or professionally?

Coby: She did mention that her husband clings to old-fashioned gender roles, much to the detriment of their daughters.  An older daughter even left home because of it.   But nothing to indicate she was in any danger. 

Morgan: Did she mention that her son is an entitled little shit? 

Coby (chuckles): She didn't phrase it that bluntly, but yes. 

Morgan (to Carol): I was here helping plan Coby's space, more out of boredom than anything else.  Helena mentioned that she was going for a jog along Hawthorne.  She liked it because the hill made it a challenge, but the shade from all the trees kept it cool.  I guess that's when she was hit.