Chapter 7. Take2 Isolation and the tricks it plays
Sarah finished the page she was working on, and packed it away. Her father sat reading the paper. He had been strangely withdrawn ever since that Henderson man had made his accusation against Sarah. He never had much to say at breakfast, but now he was as silent as the tomb. Still he'd glance over at her, every now and again, with a look that was unreadable. Sarah looked at the clock on the wall. "Time to go, Daddy."
He nodded, folded the paper and stood up. "Karen, I'm having dinner with the client tonight, remember?"
Karen nodded as she tried to soothe Toby, whose gums were giving him trouble. "Right, it's just the kids and me for supper." She looked like she'd no sleep for days; dark circles outlined her eyes.
Sarah patted her shoulder, "I'll watch the tyke so you can get a nap this afternoon." She offered.
"That would be nice." Karen commented, leaning back into the hand on her shoulder.
"I'll catch the bus; you don't have to leave the house." Sarah added.
Karen looked up at her with red rimmed sleepless eyes. "Thank you."
Sarah squeezed the shoulder. "See you later."
Robert was in the car already with the engine running when Sarah settled herself in the front seat. He looked at her for a moment, contemplating what to say. "That was very nice of you just now, offering to help with Toby."
"Karen looks like she's all in…" Sarah said sadly. "Toby's teething is harder on her than him, I think."
Robert nodded, "I still think your offer was very…kind."
"Karen does a lot for all of us…" Sarah mused, waving at the woman on the front porch.
Robert also waved, and then pulled away from the curb. "Sarah, I believe you." He said quietly.
The girl turned and looked at her father, amazed at his words. "That's the first time you've said that."
He looked at the road and not his daughter. "I never doubted you."
"Then why?" she whispered in a terse voice.
"Why allow this investigation?" He finished, pursing his lips. "I guess to validate myself."
"Daddy…" She ran a hand to her brow. "Validate you?"
He nodded and sighed. "I keep wondering what mistake I made with your mother. Why she … ran off with…" He cleared his throat. "I wanted to see that I had done right with you."
Sarah groaned; her head lay back on the back rest of the front seat of her father's sedan. "God, this is all such a mess."
"Life is messy, Sarah." He counseled her as he would a client. "You just have to get though the messes and the junk."
Sarah sat up. 'It's all junk!' she heard her own voice declare, but she could not for the life of her remember ever uttering the phrase. She looked at her father, just for a moment then looked away.
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Dr. Mayfaire was jotting down notes when Sarah entered the conference room. "I'm sorry I'm a few minutes late, Dr. Mayfaire, I had to hand in assignments." Sarah explained, taking a seat.
Mayfaire didn't even look up from his notes; "Not a problem, Miss Williams." He addressed her formally once more. "I'll be with you in a moment."
Sarah looked away from the front of the room, toward the window. November was one of her favorite times of year. She loved the bare trees and the shadows they cast; the angle of the sun and the way the sunlight played over the objects it hit. Seeing that he was still writing, she stood up, walked over to the window and rested her forehead on the glass as she gazed at the street below. There were a few pedestrians on the crosswalk, bundled up in woolen coats as the weather had taken a cold turn. Sarah watched them scurry across the street as the traffic light changed.
Watching, she mused she'd like to be out there too, when something dark scurried quickly catching her attention. She straightened up, and peered out; her left hand rose to the pane of glass and touched it lightly. What was that? It didn't appear to be a dog or cat, yet it had to have been, didn't it? She moved her head, trying to find the object as she was reluctant to give it a name. She moved from side to side, then up a bit but couldn't find the creature.
"Is there something wrong?" A voice asked at her ear, startling the girl.
Sarah turned, and hugged the wall and window sill. "No." she gasped. Mayfaire looked at her in an unguarded moment and allowed her to see his intent gaze at her delicious little mouth. She could almost feel his gaze, and she gasped again, blinking. When she finished, he was still looking at her, but not with a lustful, brazen, unashamed look of passion. He was watching her with concern.
"Sarah? What did you see that gave you such a fright?" He asked, moving her away from the window.
"I don't know…" she said shaken. "It wasn't… it wasn't a dog or a cat…it was dark and swift and…"
"Perhaps a raccoon..." he suggested softly. "It is the time of year for them to be putting up winter stores, you know."
'A raccoon….' She thought as he meant for her to. "Yes, perhaps." She took the seat he'd led her to.
He stood over her. "Don't let it trouble you any further." He looked back toward the window and frowned, "I'm sure it was nothing." Looking back down at her, he wore an expression of calm and tranquility. "Shall we continue?"
Sarah nodded; "Sure." She crossed her ankles and folded her hands into her lap, just as she'd been taught.
"That's my girl." He whispered as he returned to the desk. He sat down. "Tell me about your home life."
Sarah smiled. "I live in a beautiful old Victorian on the far side of town." She began. "My parents bought the house just before I was born. It's like my own private…castle."
Mayfaire looked at her, and smiled. "So you're a princess in your own castle?" He murmured softly.
Sarah looked at him; his eyes seemed to be taking in her attire, she wondered if he were undressing her mentally, or trying to envision her in the gown of a princess. Either way she found his gaze exciting and disturbing. "Well, not now." She mused with a sigh. "My mother sends me costumes…" she suddenly said. "Costumes and scripts and all kinds of wonderful things that fill my imagination with… fuel for my fire. I'd go to the park, with my dog and play out different parts in the plays she sends." Sarah's voice trailed off as she felt color flood her cheeks. "Babyish, I guess."
"Hardly," he disagreed. "Play acting and role-play is very healthy."
"But not very social." Sarah sighed again. "Most of the boys here… well if you're not watching them pummel each other on a football grid…"
"You would prefer a joust?" He teased.
Sarah closed her eyes. "Two knights tilting for me? Yeah. Yeah, I like that, or a little war." She mused wickedly, thinking of somewhere far, far away.
"Bloodthirsty little thing, aren't you?" His voice was close to her ear.
Sarah opened her eyes, disturbed; he was still sitting at the desk. Yet, his voice had been in her ear. "Did you just say something?" she asked, shifting her position.
"No," he looked at his notes and let his smile turn the corners of his lips up. "You were saying?"
"I don't remember." She lied.
Blue eyes, in two distinct shades looked at her through glass, "Yes you do." He challenged. "You were telling me about preferring knights to barbarians."
Sarah felt a need to stand and pace, which she did; gripping her arms as if cold. She rubbed them swiftly. "Most of these guys think if a guy wears… breeches or tights he's gay." Her tone was guarded. Her next words escaped without her being able to prevent them. "I think men in breeches are dead sexy." She clasped her hands over her mouth and bit her tongue; horrified by the lewd and lusty/husky voice that had come from her. 'Thank God I didn't say I would love to be a codpiece.' She thought quickly.
Mayfaire was standing behind her; she was not sure how he'd gotten there. One hand, one long, elegantly sculpted hand touched her face. At the touch she turned to face him. His blue eyes filled with lust and need, he pulled her hand down from her lips. Looked at her and spoke her name, in a mysteriously caressing tone. There was something sinister in the way he said her name. And she quivered under his touch.
"Sarah?" A voice said in concern.
Sarah blinked; Mayfaire was still seated behind the desk at the front of the room. 'I'm losing my mind!' She thought to herself, and dropped her hands from her mouth.
Mayfaire was playing with the ever present pencil, "Sarah, are you alright?" there was a little hint of amusement, but only a hint.
"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said that." She gripped her arms again.
The blue eyes looked at the clock. "It's time for lunch. I'll see you again at one." He stood up and walked to the door, opening it for her.
'Lunch?' She thought looking at the clock in skepticism, had that much time really gone by? She moved toward the corridor. "One, okay," She said distractedly.
Mayfaire smiled to himself, 'Breeches…dead sexy? Well, well, well.' He mused. 'The girl has fire.' He began to whistle a tune, gathered up his notes and began to head to the corridor himself. Dr. Madison entered the hall, waving him down. "Yes?"
"Will you take lunch with me?" The Headmaster requested.
Mayfaire was on the verge of accepting, when his face changed. "I'm afraid I've a previous engagement that I must see to. I'll be back this afternoon to finish my interview of the Williams girl."
An eager look spread on the features of the Headmaster. "And will we have your evaluation?"
"I'll have my findings for you after the Thanksgiving weekend." He said soundly.
The Headmaster was clearly disappointed; "So long?"
Mayfaire looked down his nose. "I never rush an evaluation… there's too much at stake." He looked at his watch, "Now if you'll forgive me, I've got to go."
"Of course," Madison nodded.
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Lana lay in wait; she knew that Sarah would be ushered to the girls' restroom by Miss Shelton. She hid in the 'out of order' stall, or at least it was labeled so now. She heard the Headmaster's secretary tell the girl to be quick about it, and then she heard Sarah shuffle into the stall beside her. "Sarah?" she whispered.
"Who is that?" Sarah's voice replied.
Lana stood on the toilet seat and looked over the dividing wall. "Here," she whispered.
"Are you crazy?" Sarah asked feeling like a worm under a microscope.
"Just take the note. Read it and give it back to me, with an answer." Lana looked toward the door, "Before old snoopy Shelton comes in to see if you've peed."
Sarah opened the note; glad she'd not yet taken down her panties to sit on the seat of the stall she'd entered. She read the note, and looked up at Lana. "Tell Meg I can't! I'm staying in."
"For the whole holiday?" Lana sounded suspiciously skeptical. "You gotta be fuckin' me!"
"I might be able to get out for a bit on Saturday, a few hours at most, to go shopping at the mall." Sarah relented, feeling pressured.
"The mall works." Lana said in a sinister way. "You can meet us there at ten…"
"Us?" Sarah raised a brow.
"They are watching Meg like a hawk," Lana shrugged. "But if she's out with me, it's fine and dandy." Lana then giggled. "Good thing I can't draw."
"Okay," Sarah waved the girl to squat down. "Now, let me pee in peace."
"Just keep this to yourself," warned the girl, ducking down.
Sarah relieved herself, left the stall and washed her hands. As she was washing, Miss Shelton did pop her head in. Sarah looked at her and smiled. "I'll be right with you; I just need to dry my hands."
Shelton frowned, there always seemed to be one stall in each of the girls' lavs that was out of order.
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Lana entered the cafeteria with a smug expression on her pretty face. She took a seat next to Meg, and whispered; "Mission accomplished, Mistress."
"Shhhhhhhhh." Meg whispered back and smiled wickedly. "Good girl, slave."
Lana leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. "I expect to be rewarded."
Meg slipped her hand over the other girl's knee, under the table. "You will be."
Lana didn't show any reaction to the familiar touch or what followed. "When can we dump Terry?" she asked coldly.
Meg continued her movement under the table; "Soon as we have our bird in hand."
"Good." Lana took a bite of her sandwich, moving her leg to give Meg a better access.
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Mayfaire entered a building that had been vacant for months. He moved to the upper floor and entered a suite of offices. "Tisk, tisk, tisk," Mayfaire muttered. The offices were hardly up to his standard, however, he supposed he could make due.
'She'll figure it out!' He thought to himself. "She's smarter than you could ever know." He said aloud to himself as he looked at what could be new offices here in this little town.
'Of course she's smart.' Mayfaire thought before he addressed himself aloud. "What exactly is it you think she's supposed to figure out?" Mayfaire huffed and laughed softly as he mused rather insultingly, "Are you losing your head over a girl." He motioned the guard. "I'll see the superintendant now." He exited the suite of rooms and left the vacant building after having signed a three year lease.
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Sarah returned to the conference room; it was empty. She moved to the window, the warm rays of the late fall sunlight streamed in and bathed her face. She closed her eyes and drank it in, letting it carry her to somewhere else. She sighed as her imagination swept her into a land of enchantment. Over her shoulder she could feel the long, stray hair of the being that was standing so close, his breath was on her ear.
"It's further than you think." The voice said mysteriously, threateningly, and yet so enticing. "Sarah, go to your room…play with your costumes and your toys..." he entreated, as his hands encircled her. She gasped as his gloved hands pulled her closer and his lips took her ear lobe between his teeth. "Don't defy me."
Sarah gasped and opened her eyes. "What the hell is going on?" she asked and turned in time to find Mayfaire entering the room. 'I smell a rat.' She thought to herself. Then she heard another voice in her head… a voice she knew she should know….
"Let's go get that rat that calls himself…."
As suddenly as it had come, it was gone… 'Calls himself… what?' she looked at the mysterious Doctor Mayfaire.
"Shall we continue?" he asked gently.
Sarah nodded. "Sure."
