Chapter 2: The Arrival
As the little ferry boat approached Merton Island, Mulder and Scully caught their first view of Redfern House. Set back amongst the thick forest of ancient trees that surrounded it, the dark stone towers of the East and West wings were bathed in late afternoon sunlight.
"Just imagine," Mulder said, looking out across the ocean. "Mom and Dad sit you down one night and say - honey, pack your things - we're going to send you to live on an small island in the middle of the ocean, otherwise known as 'high school'. It's a kid's worst nightmare."
"I'm sure it's not all bad," Scully said, her voice raised to compete with the brisk ocean breeze. "I was doing some research at the airport. Redfern House is supposed to be one of the most successful schools in America. That's where the rich and the famous send their children."
"So you're telling me that Brad and Angie jump on this rusty, old ferry every time there's a parent-teacher conference?"
Scully smiled.
"I mean think about it," Mulder continued. "What kind of parent sends their kid thousands of miles away to live with people they don't know?"
As soon as he had said it he instantly regretted it. Scully flinched and he saw her hands tighten on the rail that ran around the edge of the deck. She looked out to sea.
"Parents like us, Mulder."
Her voice faltered and she turned away from him.
"Scully, I'm sorry - I didn't mean - " he began, but the ferry horn sounded, followed by an announcement that the boat was preparing to dock in Merton harbour.
"The school are sending a driver to pick us up," Scully said, still unable to meet his eyes. "I'll see you on dry land."
"Scully -" he began, but she had already slipped into the bustling crowd of people preparing to disembark and, in a moment, she was gone.
The driver was there to meet them at the harbour. He was accompanied by Merton Island's Chief of Police, Bill Morgan, who joined Mulder and Scully on the drive to Redfern.
"We're sure glad you folks have showed up," Morgan said. "I've never seen nothing like this in my twenty eight years on the force."
"I take it you don't get many unexplained deaths?' asked Mulder.
Morgan shook his head.
"You bet we don't. We've had the occasional drowning over the years - the usual things. Tourists swept out to sea by violent storms or kids who've gone too far out into the ocean and caught a powerful under-current. Other than that…"
His voice trailed off.
"The girl who went missing," Scully asked. "Eva Johnson. Did you know her?"
"Oh sure!" Morgan replied. "Everybody knew Eva, or knew of her."
His face seemed to crumple into a sudden dawning of grief.
"Poor kid," he added.
"There must be hundreds of students on role at Redfern," Mulder said. "Do you know all of them by name?"
"No… No not all of them. Some of them stick out more than others, you know. Eva was distinctive from the moment she opened her mouth."
"Really?" Scully pressed him further. "And why was that?"
"Well, she was British for one. There aren't that many British kids at Redfern - they tend to go to schools in England or international school on the mainland."
"So why was Eva at Redfern, of all places?"
Morgan sat back in his seat; he rubbed his greying moustache for a few moments, thinking. Outside the tall trees obscured most of the dwindling late afternoon sun, making the light in the car flicker as they drove deeper still into the woodland. The shadow of evening was fast creeping upon them.
"I don't rightly know what brought her here," Morgan responded, eventually. "Most of them get sent here by their parents. They don't get a choice in the matter."
Just then, the dark stone facade of Redfern House appeared out of nowhere on the horizon and the car swung smoothly into the school's impressive driveway. Redfern was covered in a thick layer of ivy, it's leaves starting bright green at the bottom, then slowly turning deep red as it grew towards the upper floors and the roof.
Mulder's eyes widened.
"Holy sh-"
"I thought we were heading to the police department?" Scully asked, interrupting. "You said you were going to take us to the body. The crime scene can wait until I've established - "
"I am taking you to the body," Morgan said. "She's still here."
"Still here?"
"Sure. They've got a walk-in refrigerator system up there in their science department - way more high-tech than what we've got downtown."
This time, it was Scully's eyes that widened.
"You put the body in the school's science department?" Scully's voice was rising in disbelief.
"Well of course it's gonna sound bad if you say it like that - "
"According to government guidelines, investigating teams are required to follow protocol regarding the documentation, collection and preservation of evidence until they can be transferred to a secure storage facility or crime laboratory."
"Try telling her that - " Morgan responded, nodding in the direction of an imposing-looking woman, waiting for them on the marble steps of the school.
"Who's that?" asked Mulder.
"That's Claudia Voisin. She's the headmistress here at Redfern."
Voisin raised a hand as they approached; Scully couldn't quite tell whether or not it was a gesture of welcome, or warning.
"And what gives a school headmistress the right to dictate to the Chief of Police where and how evidence from a murder investigation is stored?"
Morgan responded with a short, humourless laugh.
"Wait until you meet her. Sure, she's in charge of the school officially, but her sphere of influence on the island extends much further…"
Scully could feel her anger rising. It had been a long day, and Voisin's interference in the investigation was going to make it much longer.
"She's pretty hot, for a headmistress," Mulder added, trying to make amends for his comment on the ferry by lightening the tone.
His attempt at humour failed spectacularly; Scully narrowed her eyes at him and he quickly turned his gaze to window in order to avoid anymore awkward encounters until the car pulled up in front of the school.
Mulder and Scully got out of the car in a synchronised motion that had become habit after all these years. Claudia Voisin descended the staircase. With her tight black dress, red lips and long, dark hair, she looked more suited to being on the arm of a respectable politician, rather than at the head of an elite private school. She looked in her early-forties, but could have been older and aged well.
She's shrewd, Mulder thought, as he watched her eyes briefly scan both himself and Scully, making instant judgements. Be on your guard with this one.
Voisin extended a hand to greet them.
"Agents Mul-" Scully began.
"Mulder and Scully. Yes," Voisin said, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. "Yes, I know who you are. I've be waiting to meet you both for a very long time."
[To be continued.]