Chapter 36: Lia
Author's Note: Sorry about the long time without updates, folks. A corporation called Energy Answers is trying to build the largest trash-burning incinerator in the US in our neighborhood. Us older residents just shrugged—we're so used to our neighborhood being industrialized that we really didn't see anything we could do to stop it, but when students at the nearby high school found out that their school would possibly be shut down if the incinerator was built, they started a massive awareness and resistance campaign called Free Your Voice. At first the majority of us adults who signed the kids' petitions just signed them to humor the kids—and then we started paying a lot more attention when the students' efforts started getting national press recognition and support from noprofits like United Workers and the Sierra Club and Energy Justice. Over the last five years, this one group of students has almost singlehandedly brought the entire $10 billion corporate project to a screeching halt.
The incinerator's permits are up for renewal in Feb. We're trying to raise awareness, get the rest of our city on our side (even though they would not be directly affected by the presence of the incinerator) and at the same time find positive alternatives to an incinerator. Since the site is 90 acres, I have been working on designing a 20+ MW solar farm alternative; a design which was interrupted by the crash of my last computer. So the last couple of weeks I've been transferring all the plans and data from my old hard drive to this new laptop and completing the design in time for our fall Stop The Incinerator strategy meeting, which took place last weekend. The design seems to be a success, people like the idea of a solar farm much more than they like the idea of an incinerator, and now we're lofting the idea to various entities to see if we can get enough interest in it to finally and permanently block the incinerator development...
So that's why I missed the last couple of weeks' updates. I've been spending practically every waking moment working on the design for this solar farm. Now that I'm done, however, the writing can get back on track. Thanks for your patience!
"You aren't really going to show that to Sam, are you?"
Joss giggled as she watched the video of John teaching Taylor how to shave play out on her cellphone screen. "I don't know. Maybe. Sam doesn't laugh enough; she's really intense sometimes, it'll be good for her to loosen up a little. And John can handle being laughed at." She watched a few more seconds before she said, "But then again, this is so cute—just us, being a family." She sighed rather wistfully as she watched the video end with John's wild grab for her cellphone—then cued the video up and replayed it again.
"He loves you." Olivia said quietly.
"Yes. He does. I've never doubted that since he rescued me up in the Catskills. Maybe not even before then, either. I don't even know when I fell in love with him, it just sort of happened."
"So when are you two going to get married?"
Joss sighed, staring out the front windshield of Olivia's car, not really seeing the traffic that whizzed by. "We're not. We can't."
"Why can't you? He loves you, you love him. Life is short, Joss—you're a homicide cop, you know that better than anyone. And John—I think he's Army, just the way he moves—so he's seen death take people too young and too fast, and he knows how precious time is. Why can't you get married?"
"It's complicated, Olivia. And I can't get into it. Just…his life isn't his own, and a lot of it's classified and he could be in danger if certain truths come out." She looked at Olivia. "You and Clayton have a son together. Auggie. Why haven't you guys gotten married yet?"
"It's complicated—" Olivia broke off as she realized what Joss was getting at. "Okay. Touche. I got it. It's complicated for us like it's complicated for you. Except—for us it's more emotional. I'd be the first one to admit I have trouble forming long-term relationships with men. Clayton's one of the few exceptions—in my entire life." She gave Joss a sidelong glance. "For you, though, I don't think it's a commitment problem."
"No. Definitely not that." Joss smiled to herself, a soft, wistful, fond smile. "I mentioned it to him, last night—what you were saying, about us getting married. I asked him if he could, would he consider it."
"And what did he say?" Olivia asked very quietly.
"I think he didn't know what to say to begin with—but then he just gave in and spoke without thinking. Yes, he said. He would if he could. In a heartbeat."
"Would you?"
"Yes. I've never known anyone like him, Olivia. I thought I loved Paul, but I don't feel for him the way I feel for John. It's so much deeper. I was in love with him before we even slept together the first time."
"Didn't need to know that," Olivia joked, but she wasn't serious. "So it's not a commitment problem. Legal? Are you still married to Paul, divorce never finalized?"
"Oh no. Definitely not. I never took my maiden name back after the divorce because I couldn't see myself ever loving someone the way I loved Paul, but that ship's definitely sailed. I still care about him—he gave me Taylor and I can't imagine not having Taylor—but no, Paul is no longer a factor. I can't discuss the reasons why John and I can't get married, Olivia, but it's insurmountable and that's just something we have to live with."
"If you say so," Olivia said, but there was something in her tone that told Joss that the other woman was still thinking about it, so she quickly changed the subject.
"So we know Lia and Trinity went dress shopping yesterday. And we know that it was a setup—Trinity was told to get Lia to the frat house so Kylie and Steve could play their nasty little game. What we don't know is why."
"She got cheated out of attention she thought should have been hers and she wanted to get even with Lia and Taylor for it." Olivia shrugged.
Joss frowned. "Kylie doesn't like Lia. I know that. She hates that Lia and Taylor got voted Valentine's Sweethearts over Steve and herself. And she's petty enough to want to get revenge for that. But I don't know why, it just feels like she's got another plan, an ulterior motive in doing what she did. It feels like just the tip of the iceberg. There's something else going on, something we can't see yet. I don't know what it is but my instinct is telling me we don't have the full picture yet."
Olivia sighed as they pulled up in front of Lia's Aunt and Uncle's apartment. "Well, maybe Lia knows something that'll help." She reached into the back seat and snagged the backpack strap, pulling it toward her. "Oof. What's she got in this thing, rocks?"
Joss giggled. "Sam and John both said the same thing. Taylor says she always carries all her things around with her because she's worried if she leaves anything in her school locker it will be ruined or stolen." She gave Olivia a brief summary of the meat-in-the-locker incident as she fussed with the dress in the dress bag, making sure it was intact and hung properly so it wouldn't wrinkle. "I didn't know until recently that Taylor shared his lunch with her so she wouldn't be hungry—and that he gave the librarian at school his allowance so the ruined library books could be paid for that much faster."
"That was really sweet of him. You got a good boy there, Joss."
Joss grinned. "Yeah, I do. And now with John stepping in and giving Taylor the lowdown on Man Law, I don't have to worry so much about what Taylor needs to know that I can't teach him—or questions he might have that he can't ask me." She sobered, smiled. "John might be a vigilante, but he's a good man and I know I never have to worry about Taylor's safety with him. I may not approve of everything my boys do, but John does the things he does for good reasons."
"I got that." Olivia smiled. "And so does Clayton. Which is why you all are honorary members."
They got out of the car, Olivia carrying the backpack, Joss carrying the dress, and went up the front steps. This block of buildings had all once been four story rowhouses, now parted out into two-story separate apartments, and Lia's Aunt and Uncle lived in a ground-floor apartment right on the corner.
They rang the bell twice before it finally opened. "Yes?" Lia's uncle said sharply, obviously recognizing them from the hospital and just as obviously not welcoming their presence.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Muhtar. We're here to see Lia. We had some questions to ask her about what happened last night, and we wanted to give her back her backpack and her dress."
"You may keep the dress. She will not be going to this school dance. I have forbidden it."
Joss kept her tone evenly polite. "Her parents said she can go. She's a good student, she works hard, and she deserves a little fun. Unless her parents change their minds, she should still be allowed to go. And as her father sent her the money to purchase the dress, the dress belongs to her father and it's not yours to give away." Her expression never changed, but he apparently took it as the chastisement it was meant to be, and after a moment he stepped back and allowed Joss and Olivia to walk in.
"Tell Lia the two policewomen want to talk to her," he said to Lia's Aunt, standing behind him in the foyer. The woman nodded silently and headed up the stairs to the second floor.
"Come into the living room." Avi led the way into the living room without another word, and Olivia and Joss exchanged glances with each other, both wondering the same thing—was he always this curt, or did he simply not like them? But Joss read the same determination in Olivia's eyes that she knew was in hers—they weren't leaving until they had a chance to talk to Lia.
They sat on the couch together, side by side; Avi sat in a large wing chair facing them, but didn't even look at them; the room filled with a heavy silence until there was the sound of footsteps, and then Lia's aunt was there with Lia.
Joss's first thought was, oh poor Lia! Because the girl she was looking at now was a different creature than the girl she remembered from the evening at the Italian restaurant. Gone was the bright sparkle down at the back of those eyes; Lia barely even looked at them now before her eyes dropped back to the floor. Her shoulders were hunched and her body language expressed uncertainty and fear and shame.
"The policewomen brought your backpack and your dress back to you. Say 'thank you'," Uncle Avi instructed.
Lia lifted her eyes up from the carpet for a fraction of a second to meet Joss's eyes as she whispered, "Thank you." And she dropped her eyes immediately again.
Joss's heart ached; she wished she could give the girl a hug, tell her it was going to be okay, but with her guardians there, well…they might not like it. So she settled for a kind, warm smile as she handed Lia the dress bag. "Here you go. Still looks brand-new, didn't get ripped or anything. Taylor can't wait to see you in it at Prom."
"Taylor…still wants to go?" Lia looked hopefully at her, and Joss felt a lump rise in her own throat as she saw the hopeful look in the girl's eyes.
She must feel like the whole world's against her. Poor girl. Aloud, she said, "Sure he does. Hasn't talked of anything else. John's going to take him out to get a tuxedo this weekend. Oh, and I know you know his basketball team's going to the State championships. Taylor gave us tickets and both John and I are going. If you want to go, there's an extra ticket for you, you're welcome to come with us." Unspoken but understood were the words, Kylie can't mess with you while we're right there.
A small smile, the first one since Olivia and Joss had walked in, curved Lia's lips. "I'd love to. But they're holding the State Championships out of town and it's an overnight trip. I can't go."
Joss was about to tell Lia it wouldn't be any trouble, but Avi Muhtar broke in. "No young lady spends the night outside her home. I forbid it."
Joss wanted to argue, but in this one thing Lia's guardians did have final say, so she submitted. "If you change your mind, let me know."
Olivia leaned forward. "Lia, we talked to Trinity this morning."
Tears filled Lia's eyes. "I thought she was my friend."
"Kylie told Trinity to bring you to the frat house. Trinity said she obeyed but she didn't really want to because she knew what Kylie might do. Same thing she did to another classmate of yours, Christine Healy. Don't blame yourself for what happened, Lia, because it wasn't your fault. You were set up from the beginning."
"No…I wasn't," Lia whispered, never meeting Joss and Olivia's eyes. "Trinity got a text message from Kylie saying she needed a book Trinity had for homework this weekend. She drove to the frat house. I told her I had to be back at school by five, in time to walk home with Summer and her friends like I told Aunt Savi, and Trinity said we'd be back in plenty of time, that it wouldn't take that long. But when she didn't come back to the car right away, I went looking for her. She was upstairs with Kylie, and there was a little girl there—I don't remember what her name was—and Kylie was piercing her ears." Now tears spilled down Lia's cheeks. "I wanted my ears pierced so badly—prom's a week away and I wanted to look pretty for Taylor, but Aunt Savi can't get to the mall with the crutches and the jewelry store wouldn't do it without her being there to give consent. So when Kylie offered to pierce my ears, I said yes. I mean, I know she doesn't like me much but Trinity was there, and there were a whole bunch of other people in the house and I didn't think she could do anything with all those people around. So I let her pierce my ears." She pushed the hair back over one ear, and Joss saw a winking dark stud in the girl's earlobe. "The first one didn't hurt, but the second one did, and she handed me a tissue and offered me a cup of fruit punch. I didn't want to be rude and decline it, and there wasn't much in the cup so I figured if I drank it down in one big gulp, we could leave and be back at school on time so I wouldn't break my promise to Aunt Savi.
"It tasted terrible. I regretted it as soon as I drank it. I didn't know it was drugged, though, I thought it was alcohol or something like that. And that's pretty much the last thing I remember clearly—I think I got up and tried to get down the stairs, but I couldn't move right and then everything goes blank. I don't remember anything that happened after that." Her voice dropped, and both cops had to strain to hear her. "Was I…"
"No. No, you weren't." Olivia spoke quickly. "Do you remember Sam interrupting them?"
"Sam?" Lia looked up. "What was Sam doing there?"
"Taylor asked Sam to keep an eye on you, make sure you got back to the school in time to walk home. Sam got to the school, didn't see you, finally spotted Summer and her friends. She went over to ask them if they knew where you were, and that was when she saw the cellphone video. She identified from that where you were, and she interrupted them in time to stop the whole mess before it got out of hand. Then she called us. She found your dress and backpack outside by the curb where Trinity left them, and picked them up. Gave them to me this morning to give back to you."
"Please tell her I said thank you," Lia whispered, tears flowing again, and this time Joss couldn't let it go.
She stepped up to Lia, wrapped her arms around the poor girl, giving her a quick, fierce hug. To hell with what Lia's Aunt and Uncle would think. "I'll do that. You just take the rest of the weekend, rest, get better. Give us a call if you need to talk—either me or Taylor, okay? And Taylor will see you in school on Monday." Lia nodded, stepping back, swiping her arm across her eyes, though it did nothing to stem the tears.
"Thank you for stopping by," Avi Muhtar rose from his seat, his posture and tone clearly indicating it was time for Joss and Liv to leave. "We appreciate your bringing the backpack back." He didn't mention the dress, and he didn't sound sincere. Joss gritted her teeth, but a tiny shake of Olivia's head stopped her from saying what she really wanted to say. Probably better, she thought to herself. Don't want to make things any harder on Lia than it is already. She's going to have a hard enough time in school on Monday, poor girl. And so is Taylor. But Lia's Uncle's attitude really rankled.
"Oh, one thing," Olivia said, her words stopping Lia just as the girl was about to leave the living room. "Trinity did this at Kylie's urging, but she is feeling bad about it, and she wanted us to tell you she was sorry. It's poor consolation but it's something to hold onto. She really does like you, Lia, and she does regret what she did."
"Yeah. Now. Didn't regret it enough to disobey Kylie," Lia said bitterly as she left, and Olivia sighed as she and Joss got up, headed for the door.
"I don't blame her for being bitter," Joss sighed as she and Olivia got into Liv's car. "She's feeling horrible now and it's only going to be worse when she goes to school on Monday. But I can't help but feel a little sorry for Trinity too. She's going to feel even worse about her choices when she sees Lia on Monday."
"But then she shouldn't have listened to Kylie. She made her own choices, Joss, and she has to live with them. Hopefully, though, this teaches her a lesson about following the crowd instead of her own conscience and she won't do it again—or she'll think long and hard about what happened this time before she ever just blindly follows Kylie's instructions again."
"We can hope," Joss sighed as she looked at Lia's front door. "But in the meantime…let's see what we can do about getting the real mastermind behind all of this. Kylie."