Fillmore's eyes stayed on Shade's letter for about an hour. The cafeteria? After hours? What exactly was she getting at?
Vallejo was quick to cut his train of thought short.
"Hey Fillmore. Folsom called, and she ain't lookin' too happy."
15 minutes later, Folsom's office
"Listen Fillmore," Folsom leaned toward Fillmore from the other side of her desk, "lately all you ever gave me were results. Let's try to keep it that way, hmm?"
Fillmore sighed and leaned into his chair, matching Folsom's distance.
"Well I ran into a lead, but I can't-."
Before he could finish his sentence, O'Farrell entered, waving Shade's letter wildly in the air.
"Fillmore's got a girlfriend, Fillmore's got a girlfriend…!"In slight shock, Fillmore ran past Ingrid, who was sitting in the chair opposite his, and struggled to grab the letter.
"How'd you get your mitts on that? Give it back!"
O'Farrell didn't answer, but ran to a corner with the letter and began to read it aloud.
"Meet me at the cafeteria after hours? Ooooh, sealed with a kiss! So Fillmore, this Shade got a sister? Rrr-ow!"
As Fillmore finally snatched the letter and returned to his seat, Ingrid couldn't help focusing toward him.
"Who's Shade?"
Fillmore sighed heavily. The cat was out of the bag, so why cover it up anymore?
"She says she knows who messed up Folsom's mural, but she won't tell me straight up. Heck, she won't even tell me who she is!"
"She will," Folsom was really to-the-point now, "unless, of course, she wants to be banned from the premises."
Fillmore almost laughed, but it was a far cry from even cracking a smile.
"Don't bother. She says she'll spill everything over at the cafeteria after hours."
Ingrid was quick to answer.
"Then I'll go too."
"You can't." Fillmore shook his head. "Shade specifically asked that I go alone. Probably 'cause she's afraid someone'll try to take off her mask."
But Ingrid still didn't back down.
"Just because she wears a mask doesn't mean you have to. She'll either tell both of us or neither of us. It's her choice."
5:30 PM, Cafeteria
Fillmore and Ingrid entered the empty room that was the school cafeteria two and a half hours ago. It didn't take Fillmore any more than that first second to realize that they were the only ones there.
"Dawg! I can't believe she'd play me like this! Ingrid, I'm sorry I took you along for nothing, I-."
He was interrupted by that all-too-familiar voice:
"I thought I told you to come alone."
