Tone of Deceit

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

Chapter 14 (Following a Hunch)

Jade joined Cat after school at Madame McKee's dance recital rehearsals. It was open for anyone to watch the students practice for the upcoming recital, and featured some of her best and brightest students. "Just waiting for one slip," Cat said while leaning towards Jade and whispering. "Courtney disappeared seems months ago, and no one else has gone missing yet."

There were very few other people watching the practices, perhaps due to the uncomfortable folding steel chairs, or due to the overall stuffiness of the room. Jade didn't quite get the hype that Andre and Robbie felt so long ago when they, and evidently a bunch of other boys, signed up for ballet to meet girls.

"So if someone's due to go, why are we watching her and not Sikowitz?"

Cat furrowed her brow and quickly shook her head. "No, didn't you hear the Vegas? Sikowitz is their prime suspect, and he likely knows he's being watched. Why else does Eikner sound pissed with him?" It was a true point, none of his students had gone missing in a very long time. She wasn't sure why this was and wanted to delve into it. "But if he knows he's being watched, so do the other teachers; and if they think they're not being watched as a result, who do you think the next to grab someone will be?"

"Okay." She folded her arms. "Makes sense. If Sikowitz isn't producing because he's being watched, then it stands to reason one of the other suspects may swoop in and grab somebody."

The dancers finished their stretch routines and began, and Madame McKee began to speak terms that neither girl understood. Although, one girl did a pirouette, so Jade and Cat decided to go ahead and applaud to show interest. "God, I hate ballet," Cat whispered. Jade snickered and started nodding in response, closing her eyes as well.

"I can't understand a lick of it either. When I was younger, my mom tried to get me started in dance lessons because-why the hell not, every parent with a daughter wanted their kid in dance. I must have stumbled over my feet ten dozen times before she decided it was better not to waste money on dance."

"For sure. Don't get me wrong, it's great for the people that like it, but eh…" Cat shrugged her shoulders. "Not every girl is interested in ballet and not every girl is born to dance. I'm a monster truck kinda girl myself. Monster trucks and stock car racing." Cat shut her eyes and swept her hand through the air, giving a low whistle through her lips. "Got the need for speed, baby."

Jade chuckled. "You did grow up in a house cluttered with rowdy boys." Three brothers, two older and one younger, an uncle that stayed with the family for a few years, and then her parents; it was a full house by far. "Makes me glad it's just me and my dad sometimes."

"Yeah, being the only girl in the family aside from your mom can kind of suck. At least it helps teach a person to handle themselves well." Cat leaned forward and pointed to the dancers. "Oh look, one of the guys lifted their partner in the air and did a turn thing. Applaud!" Jade followed suit and began to clap.

"True, though as well as you can with one older brother being a mental basket case whaling on you every five minutes." Cat scratched her head and groaned softly.

"Yeah, thank god Mom put a stop to that the best she could." In reality, when the brother left the home to go to college, Mrs. Valentine threatened to cut him off financially and emotionally if he continued to attack his family. He still hadn't returned home, so there was no telling whether or not he'd been cut off or just simply didn't want to go back. "I got a lot of crap for being the only girl, so mom always fawned over me a bit more than the others."

There was a pair of dancers in the room Jade had her eye on more than the others. They were Eric and Selena, two of the more skilled dancers in the school. Both of them had eyes on Julliard and the prestigious college seemed eager to lap them up.

Eric was a handsome man with a chiseled body, he had dark brown hair combed back with a curl that descended before his forehead. Selena was a gorgeous blonde bombshell with bright green eyes and a lusty smile.

Like her, Madame McKee was also giving the two dancers more attention than the rest. She was circling them like sharks, getting them to do the most routines and moves. To them, she may have been critiquing their every move; but to Jade, it looked like a predator sizing up it's prey.

If she was going to strike, she was going to strike soon. Jade could feel it in her heart. "I need a break," Selena said breathlessly as Eric set her down from the air. Madame McKee narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"No, you must continue to work hard. Your routine must be perfect!" Selena started to grimace as she limped over to her water bottle. Jade's brow furrowed and she quickly nudged Cat, who turned her gaze off another dancer and onto Selena. "Keep going Madam Selena, you will be the belle of the show."

"With respect," Eric began, "I think you may be working us a little too hard today." McKee circled him and began to pat her left hand into the palm of her right.

"We have appearances to keep up, we have a schedule."

Jade heard Cat's hushed voice spark in her ears. "Out of curiosity, do you happen to know which car Madame Mckee's is?" She nodded twice, it was the blue mustang with a covered top and tinted windows. McKee was one of the teachers that parked directly in front of the building.

"Conveniently parked in the first free parking spot after all the restricted spots."

"Okay, because Selena's limp is starting to look pretty bad."

Selena moved slowly towards Eric, exhaustion painted her features and her shoulders were beginning to droop. "I've been dancing all day," the girl said with pleading eyes, "Have a heart." It did seem unusual for the instructor to work her students to the brink of exhaustion. At least, no one has ever complained about McKee being anything other than lenient and an easy to work with instructor.

"It must be perfect, Selena. Do you know? Perfection."

"Yes Madame McKee." They started another routine, and this time Eric was the one that looked ready to collapse. The more Madame McKee drove the nail into them, the harder they worked. The vicious cycle seemed to have no end.

Then, as Jade feared, she watched the whole thing crumble. Eric held Selena high above his head, his hands grasping firmly around her waist as she stretched her body fully horizontal. Her arms spread out like wings, but rather than hold her head up, her head started to sink.

Eric's right foot twisted in the wrong direction as Selena's loose hair became fully free from its prior bindings and slapped across his face. Jade steeled her nerves, watching with wide eyes as he toppled over, knocking Selena hard into the wall and then collapsing on the floor with her falling on top of him.

McKee rushed to their side with fire nipping at her heels. "Hang on!" She knelt beside them, cradling Selena's face in her hands. The other dancers stopped what they were doing and stared, horrified.

The two dancers opened their eyes and began to groan as the instructor helped them to their feet. Eric screamed the moment his foot touched the ground and Selena held her face. "Okay." Madame McKee spoke with a soft, tender voice. "Let's get the two of you to Nurse Kotter." She looked over her shoulder. "The rest of you are dismissed, go home."

As the other students shuffled out the door, Jade and Cat reluctantly followed so as not to arouse questions as to why they would remain. They slipped around the corner and waited until McKee opened her door and guided the two students by the arms towards the main office.

"Should we follow?" Jade asked, her fingers gripping the corner of the wall. Cat nodded with determination and hurried off. They pursued McKee until she got to the nurse's office. The office was within the school's main office, so the two thought it better to not go inside the main office. Better to avoid the wolves' den than to follow a suspect and potential victims into it.

That being said, Jade suddenly remembered the nurse had a door leading directly outside the school. "Shit, I'm going to watch outside." Cat nodded to her and Jade rushed out the door. Spying Madame McKee's vehicle, she quickly hid amongst some other parked cars in the lot, nestling herself between two and just within enough range for her to see.

As expected, the outer door of Nurse Kotter's office swung open and Madame McKee stepped outside with both Eric and Selena. The pair moved like zombies in a horror flick, seemingly worse and less aware than they were before seeing the Nurse.

It wasn't long before Cat made her way outside and joined Jade. "What's she doing now, taking them home?" There was sarcasm in the girl's voice, but in truth, there was no way of knowing exactly what was about to happen.

"Where's your car parked at, Cat?"

"Over there." She parked over the car they were hiding behind and at a car about ten parking spots away. "Should we go?" Jade bit her lip and narrowed her eyes as she watched Madame McKee guide the two students into the backseat of her car. The teacher was looking around the lot, scanning the area as if to check if anybody were watching.

"Yeah, move low and behind the cars. You drive, I'll call the Vegas." She was following a hunch, and now it was more crucial than ever. "We're not going to lose these two." She glared at McKee, her tongue slid carefully across her lips. "Not today bitch, not today."

Once in Cat's car, they waited until McKee drove out and got a few feet ahead before they followed. The woman seemed to take some time before getting into her car, however, having done something in the backseat with the two passengers.

Jade questioned if she'd been restraining them somehow, which would make sense if she were in the process of abducting them. They pulled out of the parking lot and followed the teacher's vehicle, though allowing for some distance between them to not arouse suspicion.

Remarkably, McKee wasn't speeding or making any illegal traffic moves; but this was not Hollywood after all. A criminal that wanted to avoid attention most likely wouldn't do things that would draw attention. Even still, it didn't escape their attention that the instructor was eerily calm throughout this process.

After a short while, Jade noticed someone's head moving in the backseat. "Is that Selena?" She pointed out and Cat leaned forward, squinting her eyes.

"It is." Selena was turning her head towards the back windshield, her eyes bore a look of terror and her lips were moving wildly. "Weren't you going to call the Vegas?"

"Shit, yeah." She dialed Mr. Vega's number quickly and began to tap her foot hastily as the phone rang. He answered within the first two rings, asking how he could be of assistance. "Mr. Vega, I think we've got a kidnapping in process."

"What?" The tone of his voice shifted and there was a thud in the background. "In progress?"

"Madame McKee has two of her students in the back seat, one of them is freaking out. She spent a lot of time with them, I think restraining them possibly. We're following them right now."

"Hold on, slow down." He took a breath. "You're following them?"

"Yeah." Jade looked out at the street around them and hummed. "We're heading south down Baker street. She's in a navy blue mustang, brown covered top. License plate…" She squinted and nudged Cat because she didn't catch the plate.

Cat leaned over, reciting the number. "License plate number seven Delta Charlie Foxtrot six eight three."

"Are you certain that she is not simply taking these students home?"

"Positive. Selena and Eric are neighbors, they live in the neighborhood right next to the school. Both of them walk to school on a daily basis. They look like they've been drugged."

"We saw what happened. Madame McKee was working them really hard in dance practice, they collapsed and she took them to the nurse's office. We waited and then she left through the nurse's exterior door with them looking almost like zombies. She put them in the backseat of her car and spent some time with them before getting in. I think she was restraining them."

"Okay, I see." David cleared his throat and started to type. "I'm putting an APB out right now. Where are you?"

McKee was in the left turn lane now, so they got behind the car that was behind her. "Turning left onto Appleton Blvd." The only thing in this direction of note on Appleton was the freeway. "She's about to get on the freeway, I think."

"There's already a patrol car on the freeway headed in that direction, I'll have them wait just in case." They could see Selena wiggling in the backseat, then finally she brought a hand up and started banging on the back windshield with all her might. Her mouth was wide open and she had a look of distress on her face.

"Selena's screaming for help, she's banging on the windshield. I think she's trying to break it." Madame McKee seemed to twist within seconds and struck Selena on the back of the head, striking the girl into the door. "Shit, she just hit her! Madame McKee hit Selena."

"Looks like the hunch was right," Cat uttered, "Clearly not a routine drive home."

"Girls, I need you to stop following that teacher," David said in urgent command, "If she spots you it could get dangerous. I cannot risk the two of you-" The instant Madame McKee moved to the lane entering the freeway, sirens began blaring in the sky.

"Yes!" The girls practically jumped out of their seats, screaming with triumph as a patrol car that had been resting on the shoulder of freeway's on ramp entrance nestled behind Madame McKee's vehicle. Another patrol car was coming up from behind, having been making an approach.

At the same time, Selena lurched forward in her seat, her arm extended, she began to strike Madame McKee multiple times and grabbed her hair to yank the teacher's head back. "Go Selena." Cat smirked and poked her thumb upright.

Unable to outrun the cops under this duress, Madame McKee was forced to pull over with the two patrol cars behind them. A third car was en route as well, with a fourth coming up the ramp behind the girls.

"Pull over Cat, pull over."

Cat nodded as they drove farther down the freeway and pulled onto the shoulder. They were far away enough to be out of sight yet still able to see what was going on with Madame McKee.

"Dude, we got her." Jade raised her hand for a high five. Cat looked over with a smirk and quickly complied. "We fucking got her. I can't believe I almost didn't listen to you when you said we should check out her dance rehearsal."

"Sometimes you got to listen to your eccentric best friend, Jade." Cat laughed and exited the vehicle. Jade hung up her phone and exited as well. They moved to the trunk of the car and hoisted themselves up to sit on top of it.

Another two patrol cars were coming from the opposite side of the freeway and moving into the shoulder in front of the instructor's car. Amazingly, Madame McKee did not try to flee and waited in her car as police officers left their vehicles with guns drawn.

Each officer's weapon was trained on the instructor's vehicle and they were shouting orders at her. Madame McKee slowly opened her door and stepped outside, her head held high and her purse clutched firmly at her waist.

Cars were still moving along the freeway, much to the girls' surprise. It made them nervous, because McKee was simply watching the traffic go by. Then, after a few seconds, just as an officer was making his way towards her, she stepped outwards into oncoming traffic.

Jade's heart stopped and Cat threw her hands up over her face, screaming as a car struck the instructor. Madame McKee's body smacked into the windshield of the car and rolled over the top, then crashed onto the ground with her head hitting the pavement hard.

"No!" Clutching her heart, Jade hopped off the trunk and stared at Madame McKee's motionless body. "Is she dead? Cat, tell me she's not dead."

"I don't know, Jade."

If Madame McKee died, then there was no way of gaining any further information. One officer pulled his car into the lane to prevent usage and presumably called for backup while another officer made her way to the instructor's body.

Two other officers moved tentatively towards the vehicle, likely using caution just in case there were any traps waiting to be triggered. When they were done checking out the car, they reached in and helped free the trapped teenagers.

Eric and Selena collapsed alongside the concrete barrier with Eric dropping his head onto Selena's shoulder. Meanwhile, the girl was puking over the barrier, which did not bode well for any vehicles going under the underpass.

Tempting as it was to go and see if the couple was okay, the girls decided it would be best to move along. If they revealed themselves, then chances were likely the pair might announce the duo as being the ones responsible for catching McKee in the act.

At the same time, it was unlikely either of them were going to want to go back to Hollywood Arts for a while.

A few hours later they met with Tori at her home and were eager to hear about the situation. The boys were there as well, each praising them for having rescued two potential victims. "My word travels fast in this group," Cat remarked. Robbie hugged her tight and Jade found herself being kissed by her boyfriend.

"Glad you didn't get spotted," he whispered. "You guys are heroes today."

Jade laughed. "I think Selena's the real hero of the day, that girl was giving a fight to Madame McKee in those last few moments."

Tori walked over, a smile spread across her face. "They're in stable condition if you're wondering." Jade sighed as relief spread over her. "According to Selena, Nurse Kotter wasn't in her office at the time." She rolled her eyes and grumbled over how convenient one of the other key suspects wasn't present. "Seems McKee grabbed a syringe and injected them with a type of tranquilizer. Eric passed out in the car, but there wasn't enough dosage left to knock Selena out."

"Oh wow."

"The police found straps in the backseat, several were rotten and one was broken all the way through-probably the one that Selena managed to get her arm free from. They didn't know where they were being taken to or what McKee was planning, unfortunately."

"And Madame McKee? Is she…"

Tori closed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "She survived." Jade held her breath and Tori opened her eyes, but raised an eyebrow at them. "But before you celebrate, she's comatose. Probably won't survive, the doctors are saying she's got practically no chance of survival and if she did she would probably be brain dead."

"So…she's useless."

"Pretty much." Tori pat them on the shoulder and flashed a brighter smile. "But fret not, you saved two students and got one of the kidnappers off the streets. Police are investigating her apartment now, I believe; but you'll have to leave that to the police."

"We understand." Jade sighed. "Do we at least get anything for the trouble?" Tori started to laugh while David and Trina rolled their eyes. Still, the family smiled and glanced over as Holly opened the refrigerator.

"We got cake," Holly replied. Jade's eyes lit up and she instantly ran to the countertop. What a way to end a busy day.

Cake, she thought, now she truly felt like a superhero.

Two students rescued, that's a plus, unfortunately one suspect that won't be helpful at all. What are your thoughts here?