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Post by Charlotte Jacobs on Nov 29, 2010 23:58:48 GMT -8
((And the playing their past encounter by ear continues!))
Charlotte hadn’t expected to be so delighted to see him, but for some reason, standing here in the rain with him she couldn’t be anything but. He probably thought she was crazy, for being so happy to see him when he’d been involved with her mother’s case. Any normal person probably wouldn’t have been. But she’d always been odd.
She remembered him telling her something along the lines of "No case is ever really closed, Charlotte. It's just another way of saying we're still waiting for more evidence to come in," and even though she hadn’t bought it for a minute; even as deep in her grief as she’d been she hadn’t believed it... she pretended she did. For his sake.
She could easily have associated him entirely with her mother’s death (murder), but... Charlotte hadn’t. Maybe it was because he hadn’t treated her grief with disdain or looked down on her for being so torn up as some of the cops had done. The ones that had known her and her mother hadn’t, of course, but there had been others that were less... understanding. David, however (shouldn’t be thinking of him like that...) hadn’t. And that was something that stuck with her through everything.
Charlotte couldn’t help but grin at him as she made her away across the road, Kaysen, Atticus and Willie all but forgotten. The towing service was on its way and Atticus offered them a ride. Everything’s taken care of anyway. It was a little surreal.
She almost laughed at the barrage of questions he threw at her, and set about trying to answer them as best she could. In no particular order, of course. She tilted her head up at him, even though it sent rain dripping down behind her glasses and into her eyes. It didn’t matter, though.
“I couldn’t take your umbrella. Besides, I like the rain. Nothing’s wrong with my car, thank goodness. I stopped to help Mr. Kaysen. His truck broke down and he needed a phone to call the towing service.” Charlotte glanced over her shoulder at Kaysen and Atticus. “And friends... that’s too strong a word. They’re... acquaintances. A sapling salesman and a lawyer.”
She was cold, and soaked to the bone... but she didn't even notice.
"I saw Mr. Kaysen's truck broken down on the side of the road and stopped to help," she told him,"What brought me to Greenvale, on the other hand... was an accident. I stopped here by chance on my travels. Ended up staying a while. Been keeping to myself, mostly. I should probably pick up a newspaper, try to catch up on current happenings."
You're rambling Charlie.
"What about you?" she asked. "What brings you to Greenvale?"
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Post by Forrest Kaysen on Nov 30, 2010 13:10:50 GMT -8
"Well, pleased to meetcha, then, Charlotte!" Another raucous handshake - but this one didn't go on as long. Someone else had pulled up, and the girl's attention seemed rather torn away. Admittedly, for a moment, his attention was torn away, too. His huge smile never faltered, but his eyes flashed a bit behind his glasses as he spotted the man...he remembered him, too.
Not that Henning would recall him, mind you.
Shaking himself, he turned to where Atlas was opening up his car, waddling over at an amiable pace. He was drenched, but he didn't really seem to mind the rain as much as he could. Willie hopped into the car as if ordered to, happily perching himself on the backseat - clearly, Willie was a very smart dog.
"Why, breakfast sounds as good as a walk in the sun after a night in the North Pole! Thanks again, son, awfully kind of you." With this, he ambled up to the passenger-side door, all the while keeping an eye on the man across the street.
Figures he'd be here....
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Post by David Young Henning on Nov 30, 2010 13:54:42 GMT -8
"A lawyer, here? Interesting. Which one is Kaysen?" Even in the middle of fumbling with his umbrella after Charlotte had unexpectedly handed it back to him, Henning couldn't help wondering about the two figures on the other side of the road. One big, one thin. And a dog. He supposed it wasn't too difficult to determine which one of the two men was the sapling salesman. Was it his imagination, or was the big guy looking in his direction? Henning felt the onset of information overload. One thing at a time, he told himself.
He glanced back to Charlotte, wishing he could see her eyes. The rainwater streaming from behind her glasses and down her cheeks looked like tears, just liked the first time he'd seen her. They'd sent him to the hotel where she had been temporarily re-located while the crime scene got picked over, to make sure she was safe; the Bureau was running a check to see if Vanessa Jacob's daughter might be a possible second target. But nothing happened. Typical RSP. Just a series of broken patterns, leading nowhere.
In the hotel room, she'd asked him, after the tears had finally dried up, what he could tell her about her mother's case. There were no answers he could give her. There was barely enough information to cover up... Except for the seeds. He still hadn't told her about the seeds. Did she already know? Had one of the cops blabbed? When Charlotte had come home that fateful day, and found things as they were, how closely had she looked at the body?
He suddenly realized she was waiting for him to answer.
"Why am I here? Good question. I just got in a couple days ago, and I'm still not sure... Technically I'm supposed to be on vacation, but..." He wondered how much he was allowed to tell her. "...I had a bit of an accident. The Bureau sent me here to recover."
She'd said she was here by accident too. He sensed she hadn't meant it in the same way he had, but it also felt like neither of them were telling the whole truth. He wanted to apologize to her for repeating history all over again- A recent murder, rain like tears, secrecy and little white lies... And for what? Why couldn't they have met again under normal circumstances? He heard the sound of a car door opening; across the road, the big guy and the dog were clambering into the lawyer's blue truck. He felt unreasonably torn.
"Listen, Charlotte... I can't believe you're here, it's so good to see you again. What are your plans for the rest of the day? We should really catch up, unless you have something else you'd rather be doing. I've got all the time in the world... Oh, and I noticed you've been staying at the same hotel I am. If you want to catch up on current events, Polly lent me a scrapbook you might find interesting."
[Kaysen and Atticus are headed to the hotel for breakfast with Polly I believe, so I don't mind if we all end up there. Henning might be disappointed by the extra company, but it's good to meet new people!]
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Post by Atlas on Nov 30, 2010 14:45:41 GMT -8
Atlas was pleased. He didn't have any cases to go over and with Kaysen joining him, it would make breakfast a bit less boring. "Well, hop on in, Mr. Kaysen. I'll take you down there."
As he got in the car, he noticed Kaysen looking down the street, causing him to look down there too. He saw a man there, wearing a suit, but didn't recognize him.
"You know that guy?" Atlas inquired to Kaysen. Kaysen had been staring intently at the guy, but he couldn't tell his expression.
He opened the door of his car and got in on the driver's side. Once he was in, he shut the door immediately to keep the rain out. He thought about who that guy Kaysen was staring at. "A suit. Coming from the hotel. Must be either some sort of Federal Agent or important businessman on vacation or business. Either way, can't tell." he wondered as he clicked his seatbelt. and turned on the ignition.
"So, Mr. Kaysen, what brings you to Greenvale?"
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Post by Forrest Kaysen on Nov 30, 2010 15:22:27 GMT -8
Hopping into the car (and making the thing wobble on its suspension briefly as he did), Kaysen tore his attention away from the man in the suit, turning it completely onto Atlas. He brushed the question off casually, waving a hand as he fastened his seatbelt around him. "Oh, him? No, no. Just that he's dressed awful nice for this town! I mean, most of these folk are simple folk. I dunno, maybe I'm just bein' ridiculous."
Being in an enclosed place with Kaysen, it was more than obvious that he worked with plants in some capacity. Nearly overpowering the wet dog smell from Willie was a scent of earth and greenery, as if he had been working in the soil for a very long time. Still, it wasn't unpleasant...just very strong. The man was oblivious to it, removing his glasses for a moment to wipe off the rain.
"I come through here often on my trips! Polly is always just great to me, and I feel like a star stayin' at her hotel...plus I get to check in on a lot of my friends back this way. I know most of the townsfolk, y'see, been comin' through on my business routes for years now. It's as close to home as I've really got nowadays." He didn't sound sad about this fact...actually, he sounded like a man who loved his life. Reaching back briefly to scratch Willie's head, he continued jabbering in his slightly-too-loud voice.
"I make it a point to drop by whenever I'll be comin' through the area. The food at the Diner and at Polly's is just heavenly, and the hospitality makes a man feel like a King of some small but prosperous country!"
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Post by Atlas on Nov 30, 2010 16:18:53 GMT -8
As Kaysen entered the car, Atlas could feel it shake. "Whoa. If this guy was any bigger, my car would need a tow service as well." he thought. He raised an eyebrow at Kaysen trying to brush off his question, but responded politely. "You do have a point. He caught my eye as well. I guess some people always feel the need to dress up." he replied.
"You're hiding something Kaysen. I don't know what, but I'll find out. But for now, I'll play along." he thought.
Kaysen's odor overpowered the car. Atlas tried his best to mask the fact that it bothered him, but his coughs and placing his hand to his nose briefly gave him away. He thought about opening up the window, but didn't want to let in any more rain.
He listened to Kaysen's story about why he was here, nodding as he talked. His voice was loud and almost overpowering, but gave off the sense he enjoyed life.
"I can't argue with the food. There aren't as many choices as in the city I used to live, but the ones here are simply amazing." Atlas replied. "Having my own place helps too. It's nice and quiet here, no loud neighbors blasting heavy metals and having sex with hooker too loudly. Plus I don't have to leave the house for my office. It's already there." he added, concerning his own hospitality.
"Though oddly enough, you've been coming here were awhile now, and I've never met you. Then again, I've only lived here for a year now." he kept going. The Deer Yard Hotel was just up ahead.
"We're almost here. I'll let you check into your room first. I'll grab a table to sit at and you are free to join when you are ready." Atlas said.
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Post by Charlotte Jacobs on Nov 30, 2010 16:23:45 GMT -8
“Kaysen is... the larger man. With the dog. The other is the lawyer. Atticus,” she said. “Both are... interesting. Met the lawyer yesterday, actually... in the graveyard.”
Seeing him here was bringing back a lot of memories. For while he wasn’t entirely associated with her mother’s death (murder)... he was involved in a lot of memories surrounding it. She’d been in kind a daze immediately following the discovery of her mother’s body. She’d managed to call the cops, but after that she kind of... broke down. They’d found her curled up in the living room crying. After that things became kind of a blur.
It hadn’t been until later, at the hotel where she’d been temporarily relocated, that Charlotte had met David. She’d been curled up in a chair, tears streaming down her face and staring out the window when he’d arrived. What had surprised her the most was him kneeling down in front of the chair so he could see her face as he introduced himself. She’d managed a tearful response, even though she figured he probably already knew her name. He hadn’t been able to give her many answers. And the questions remained unanswered.
Shaking herself free of memories, Charlotte returned to the present.
“An accident? I... Are you okay?” she took a step towards him, concern evident on her face (even in the rain). This brought her very close to David, but she didn’t even notice, worried as she was. Distractedly she heard the sound of a car starting up behind her, and realized that he had continued talking.
“I... don’t have anything planned at the moment. I’d love to catch up. And it’s good to see you too.”
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Post by Forrest Kaysen on Nov 30, 2010 17:38:39 GMT -8
Kaysen wasn't at all bothered by Atlas's reaction to the smell - he chalked it up to the very soaked Dalmatian in the back seat and just bobbed his head in attention when the younger fellow spoke. He was always moving one way or another - fidgeting with his glasses, waving a hand, nodding his head. No shortage of energy, it seemed! When it was brought up that Atlas had never seen him, he gave a shrug, his voice casual.
"I come and go kinda quick. Mostly spend my time in town with the Ingrams - you know, owners of the Milk Barn? They're good people, and I get on great with their kids." He was content with the plan Atlas laid out, so he gave another nod, accompanied by a little thumbs-up. "Great! It'll be great to see Polly, anyway. Been a while since I've come here last...hope she's doin' okay!"
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Post by Atlas on Nov 30, 2010 17:55:43 GMT -8
"That would explain it quite well. Most times I am either in the office working on or waiting for a case or out and about. Though lately, I've been having a bit of dry spell. My last client I dealt with was a month ago." Atlas responded.
When he arrived at the Deer Yard Parking Lot, he pulled into the closest empty parking spot. Although he was not looking forward to heading out into the rain again, it was only for a short amount of time. He got out of the car and said back to Kaysen before he left "I'll meet up with you inside. Do you mind if I grab a towel to dry off Willie with?" he asked.
He entered the lobby of the Deer Yard Hotel. It was as nice as he remembered it, though still quite empty. "A shame to see a nice hotel such as this go to waste. I bet it was booming back in the day." he thought. He once browsed the museum upstairs out of a fit of boredom and discovered that Greenvale used to be a prosperous logging town. "Where did it all go to hell."
He walked up to the counter and press the bell for service. "Time to get some food..."
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Post by David Young Henning on Nov 30, 2010 18:04:06 GMT -8
Henning heard the sound of a car pulling away, but Charlotte was staring at him, and he felt guilty for making her worry.
"I'm sorry, I think I was being a little over dramatic. It wasn't anything serious." Nothing he could talk about to a civilian, at any rate. "But... Well, look. You said you weren't doing anything, so did you want to grab breakfast somewhere? It looked like you were headed back to the hotel. I don't mind accompanying you there- I haven't eaten myself, to tell you the truth, and I don't think I've had the pleasure of tasting Polly's cooking yet."
In the back of his mind, he was vaguely aware that a part of him was intensely keen on seeing what the fat man was up to. There had been something in the way the man had stared at him... Almost as if in recognition. He searched his mental databank for a possible match, a previous encounter, something, but nothing came up. Paranoia, my old friend...
The other part of him wanted to hold his umbrella over Charlotte's bedraggled red hair and ask her why she'd been living in a hotel for the last few months, but now didn't seem like the right time to ask such a question. How could she stand out here in this downpour as if it were clear skies in springtime? He hadn't wanted to say anything, but he couldn't stand the rain.
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Post by Tamika Weir on Nov 30, 2010 18:23:20 GMT -8
Tamika had not had much sleep after her scare last night, and boy did it show. Her hair was still messy, a few rings could be seen under her eyes, and her jacket looked like someone had crumpled it up and threw it in a dumpster. A tear could be seen on the left sleeve and a white gauze pad stained with blood could be seen through it.
The sleep-deprived young woman was currently searching for the owner of the hotel. "Polly told me to meet her first thing in the morning today. So where is she?" In the midst of her search, she heard a bell ring from the front desk. "I should probably let Polly take care of whoever that is. But she did hire me to help. And Polly is nowhere to been seen." Deciding to do her job, Tamika headed toward the front desk.
"Oh you have got to be joking!" Tamika almost groaned as she saw that the man that had rung the bell was none other than Atticus. Putting a smile over her slightly irritated face she walked over to Atticus. "Hey Atticus, do you need something?"
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Post by Atlas on Nov 30, 2010 18:35:01 GMT -8
Atlas waited for a bit for someone to answer the bell. "Is this place even occupied?" he wondered. "If not, I think I'll move my law office here. Plenty living quarters for myself, a place to have a receptionist, plenty of places for offices, it will be the coolest law office in the United States."
His hopes of a Deer Yard Law Office were dashed when a dishellved redhead answered the bell. She looked like she had decided to go fighting wildlife in the forest last night. "Damn, girl, you look like you challenged a bear to a duel." he thought. However, behind it, he recognize the face of Tamika, the redheaded midget.
"Ahh, hello Tamika. I didn't know you worked here." He said politely. "I'm here to partake in some of the delicious breakfasts this place is known for." he added.
Now that that was out of the way, he could voice his concerns.
"By the way, I can't help but notice you didn't exactly make it back home from the bar last night in one piece." he asked, seeming genuinely concerned for Tamika. "Are you okay? What happened"
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Polly
Junior Member
What's that? Oh dear, I'm afraid we're all out of pepper.
Posts: 88
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Post by Polly on Nov 30, 2010 18:47:55 GMT -8
Polly, completely forgetting she had a new employee to train, had gotten up bright and early and started straight in on breakfast. She was happily humming to herself and flipping pancakes all morning, wondering if her new guests were going to eat at the hotel or somewhere else.
Did I just hear the bell? I'm not sure, she thought to herself. Time was when she used to hear it clear across the hotel, but now... She put the cooking pancake to one side, away from the heat and went out into the lobby to check.
Polly was very surprised to find the lobby completely full. She guiltily noticed Tamika at the desk, and remembered what she had planned to do this morning. Filing into the lobby were several people, including a young man with flyaway hair she'd seen around town but never talked to, and--"Kaysen! My goodness, it's good to see you! Well isn't this a fine way to start the day. You're very lucky, your regular room's free." Polly made her way behind the desk next to Tamika, pulled a key off the rack and slid it across the desk to Kaysen.
She turned to Tamika and said, "I'm so sorry, Miss Weir! I'm afraid meeting you this morning slipped my mind entirely." Polly narrowed her eyes and looked closer at the girl. "Oh my goodness, what happened to you? Are you all right?"
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Post by Charlotte Jacobs on Nov 30, 2010 19:13:02 GMT -8
“... Are you sure?” she couldn’t help but ask. Charlotte got the feeling that there was more to it than what he was telling her. Probably what he COULD tell her, what with the whole ‘being a federal agent’ thing. And she didn’t want details. She just... wanted to make sure he was all right, that’s all. She couldn't explain WHY she was so concerned. But she’d just run into him again for the first time in a year and half. “I’m sorry, I was just...” worried? Don’t finish that sentence. “Breakfast sounds like a wonderful idea,” she said instead, smiling lopsidedly.
Smooth, Charlie. Real smooth.
She was getting thoroughly tired of being unable to see him clearly through the raindrops on her glasses, so she finally tugged them off and hooked them on the neckline of her tank top. That's better. They're not much use in the rain anyway.Then Charlotte grinned up at him.
“Come on, let’s get you out of the rain. Meet you back at the hotel?”
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Post by Tamika Weir on Nov 30, 2010 19:15:27 GMT -8
"I just started work today actually. Polly hired me due to an increase of guests staying here. As for breakfast, just go wait in the dinning room. Polly is probably around here somewhere. As for me, I'm fine. I just..."
At this moment, Polly entered the lobby. "See, I told you she was around here somewhere," Tamika told Atticus with a small chuckle at Polly's perfect timing. As Polly turned to her, Tamika replied politely, "I'm fine, I just..." At that moment, Tamika realized how crazy her story was. "Yeah, I got attacked by shadows wearing floral dresses wielding shotguns. That totally won't make you seem crazy. Unless the shadows are normal, in which case I don't have anything to worry about. Hmm..." Unsure whether to tell about last night's encounter, Tamika decided to try something neutral. "Just ran into some trouble on the way back from the bar."
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