Tone of Deceit

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

Chapter 15 (Creating the Perfect Distraction)

Searching McKee's apartment turned up very little that the police could use, unfortunately. It was a frustrating setback. If the teacher had anything of note, any clues that could've helped investigators, she was taking them to the grave with her.

The following days at Hollywood Arts were somber, to say the least. Students were quiet, with many looking over their shoulders. Some thought it was safe and only Madame McKee must have been deviant while others had become frightened there might be others.

As a result of a new hysteria forming, Eikner called a school assembly presumably with hopes of consoling and quelling it before matters grew beyond his control. The group sat somewhere in the middle of the auditorium, out of eyeshot of Eikner or any teachers that might be curious.

A few rows in front of them were Eric and Selena, looking more anxious to be there than relieved. Word was they were both finishing out the week, but their parents had agreed pulling them out of Hollywood Arts would be best.

Of course, all hysteria aside, Jade had her own nightmares that she was contending with. She could hardly sleep, her mind kept playing Madame McKee's death over and over again. At least, she called it the teacher's death despite the woman still living. The woman was essentially dead to the world, even Principal Eikner wasn't pretending that she'd ever return to teaching.

"We mourn a tragedy today," Eikner began, "And we celebrate the lives of two students who miraculously survived a would-be abduction by one of our own." He closed his eyes and gripped the podium firmly. "I am as shocked as any of you present today to find that evil could have possibly slipped into our esteemed school."

"Shocked?" She whispered aloud. "I'll bet you're shocked. Evil slipped in alright, and you damn well know it." Cat snickered beside her, quickly nodding her head. "Damn bastard probably is running for cover trying to figure out how to prevent McKee from going right back to him."

"Wouldn't surprise me if he already removed evidence from her apartment," Cat muttered, "Would certainly explain why the police couldn't find a damn thing."

Eikner's eyelids opened partially and the hairs of his moustache bristled beneath his nose. "We are in full cooperation with the authorities as they investigate Nancy McKee's apartments and lifestyle. We want to reassure you that you are safe within these walls, and we will do everything in our power to equip our instructors with everything they need to recognize imminent danger to their students."

Jade cocked her head to the left and started to hum while she heard Beck scoff. She turned her eyes to him, his body was tensing and his eyes narrowed. "I'm more interested in hearing him explain how he's going to promise the teachers will be retrained or how he'll make sure there are no others like McKee amongst them."

"Probably won't hear much of that, Beck. Though, you'd think he'd have to mention something, given how much of the student body and parents now seem to question it."

"Sure. It's the first time one of their guys got caught, so now the game's shifted. Now the public's starting to be made aware there's something going on." Though how much the public was aware would be the real question. It didn't matter if one teacher tried to kidnap two students, that one teacher was out of the picture and nothing else was known. So the fact that a hysteria was even popping up proved suprising-despite it was from a small group.

"Now." Eikner raised his hands up, showing his palms to the audience. "I know some of ya'll are asking about the remaining teachers. I assure you that I will personally be screening each and every one of them, and I will personally screen any additional teachers that are hired."

Jade arched an eyebrow and shook her head. He seemed like a genuine politician, therefore she didn't believe a word being spewed from his lips. "I will do my best to ensure that my instructors are top quality and will continue to provide the best, most enriching education possible. We will do our best to ensure no others like Miss McKee will slip through the cracks."

"Unfortunately they already have," Andre remarked with a tone of annoyance. "Doesn't matter, now the other schools hate us even more; and I would too." He was right, though she had to wonder if the other schools pitied them more than felt disgust after the whole McKee incident.

Hollywood Arts didn't have a squeaky clean reputation as it were, and Eikner was always having to deal with allegations of harassment and relations between students and teachers; but now any hope of gaining a pristine reputation was essentially shattered.

"Can't see him sweating under all those lights, but I'll be damned if he's not."

"Oh he's not," Robbie replied, "He's cooler than a cucumber up there like any criminal would be. Damn bastard won't sweat until the police get closer. Right now, with McKee out of commission there's no chance of anyone connecting the dots to him or any of the other teachers. Then with the other issues, it creates a miasma that also shields the dangerous teachers."

Jade tilted her head slowly and brought a finger up to her chin. "I wonder if maybe we ought to help sift some of them out?" The others turned to her with questioning gazes. A smirk curled on her lips and her eyebrows closed in together. "You see, those teachers and staff members with improper relations may be distracting the police and hiding the kidnappers preying upon students; but if those staff members start being pulled away and pressure is put on them, well…"

"I see what you're saying." Cat started to smile. "Like if you put a pressure fan next to steam, it blows the steam away and clears up what was on the other side."

"Yep. Remove the fake threat and the real threat will show itself."

"It's possible they could catch on if that's not done carefully. I mean, how are you going to put that pressure on them and get rid of the problem?"

Jade pointed to Eikner. "He's still the leader, I'm sure of it. All these fake ass teachers are following his every beck and call, his every command. Yet, some of them have got to have pride. How many of them are going to keep doing what he wants if they're being called out for it on a more regular basis?"

"I've always wondered why it's not taken more seriously. I mean, how the hell were we allowed to stay overnight at our teacher's home?"

Jade questioned that herself, but after the Vegas revealed themselves, she felt like she stumbled over the answer. "Trina and Tori have always been watching us, right? The Vegas put themselves in our presence."

"Right."

"It was Tori that never once broke character that entire night, she stayed there the entire time because Beck was still there." Beck looked over and nodded. "Guarantee you if all of us broke before midnight, she would've as well."

"Likely."

"Then there's Jason, who I'm betting was asked by Trina to stand watch. There's no way in hell anything was going to happen because the police were already there. Sikowitz may not have realized it, his only clue being that Tori was dressed as a cop; but if he tried anything that night he would've been dead to rights."

"That is true, and knowing the Vegas, they wouldn't have let that night happen with any of us if they weren't planning to use it as an excuse to observe one of their prime suspects."

She could see the Vegas alarming the groups' relatives for sure. Half of them weren't even truly forthcoming about where they were going to be that night. Cat and Robbie certainly weren't, because her mom and his dad would never have allowed them to stay overnight at a teacher's place. So what they did was Cat told her mom she was staying overnight at Jade's, and Robbie told his father how he'd be spending the night helping Beck with a project.

A lie that could have gotten both of them grounded and likely pulled from the school if ever found out; and somehow neither parent caught on.

Andre, obviously, simply didn't tell his grandmother where he'd be. Which, is exactly what caused him to be booted from the home when she called him.

As for her father, he was reluctant that night but since he liked Beck and trusted that she'd be with the rest of the kids, he was okay with her being there. As for Beck, well his father agreed in a half drunken moment. The sadder part of that situation in Jade's mind was Beck seemed to want to be away from his father rather than watching over the man.

All these thoughts spawned a curious question in her mind, so she turned towards Cat and Robbie. "Guys?" They looked at her. "Which of you two do you think has the stricter parent?" Their eyebrows went up and Cat slowly folded her arms.

"Robbie does." Robbie nodded at Cat's response. The answer was surprisingly quick, but Jade had to agree at the same time. Cat's mother could be swayed on some matters and could be a bit more lenient, but if it was something serious, Robbie's dad was far tougher on his kid.

Almost everything Robbie did, he had to get permission from his dad. It was to the point that Robbie felt like he had very limited freedom; but he was the son of a District Attorney. If he was seen doing the wrong things, it could reflect badly on his dad.

"How on earth did you even manage to do that damn sleepover with Sikowitz without your dad ever finding out about it?"

Robbie began to chuckle. "Very luckily, I guess." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "You know, all those other schools…Sherwood, Northridge, Southgate, and so on…can you imagine they're probably eventually going to have to open their doors to a lot of H.A. students."

"I imagine they'll do so without complaint. Sure, there will be some students that are wary, but I feel like most of them blame the staff here."

"Who knows? Northgate seems like a victim blaming school. Then Sherwood lost a student that was clearly loved there."

"Yeah." Jade started to smile, thinking on those other schools. "You know what, we could use those schools. Have the students and staff there put pressure on the teachers here. Maybe start accusing teachers more of not being 'proper'."

"You're suggesting to create so much drama that Eikner's not going to be able to focus on his kidnappers?"

"Sure. The kidnappers and Eikner will have to sift through those politics they won't be able to see the police coming in from the other side or withstand an undercover attack from within. You've got Festus and all the janitors just waiting for some sort of a panic to erupt, and that could be the panic they need."

"Well if it's a fire you want started, it's a fire we'll get. McKee just set it off." Robbie began texting in his phone, to which Jade tried to look over Cat to see what he was doing. He sent a message rather swiftly and cast a proud smirk over to her. "By the end of Eikner's little 'reassurance' speech, just you wait and see…"

Suddenly her phone began to chime, as did the others. She turned her phone on and saw a notification from the Slap media page. Sherwood students had just received a mass text and were notifying everyone to rally together.

Northridge soon picked up, teachers were joining as well, alerting and questioning McKee's reputation.

"What did you just do?"

"Oh, I just started a fire among the students and teachers at the other schools, letting them know that McKee was just one of many teachers at Hollywood Arts that carried strange relationships with her students and they need to act now because there were numerous teachers here just for sexual relationships."

"What?"

She grew silent, still unsure what exactly was about to transpire. As Eikner prattled on for another half hour or so, she remained on edge. Then it happened as Robbie said it might, the auditorium doors broke open and teachers from both Sherwood and Northridge were walking into the auditorium. Students followed, other schools had representatives there as well.

"So the rumors are true!" Exclaimed the principal of Sherwood high. The tall woman with shoulder-length blonde hair held up her phone and cast a fiery glare upon Eikner. The man looked like a deer in headlights, staring with a slack-jawed expression. "Your teachers are all just simply screwing their students? This isn't a real school is it? Can you answer these rumors, Mr. Eikner?"

The heavyset bald man beside her pumped his fist in the air. This was the assistant principal of Northridge. "I've long since questioned the ethical principles and foundation of this school, sir. Please, do answer these claims that your teachers hold no official certifications."

Eikner stumbled over his words. "Please, please, friends it is not as it seems." He shook his head and extended a hand outwards. "All of my instructors are highly certified."

"Nancy McKee was not," said Sherwood's principal. "She wasn't even a real dance instructor." Jade furrowed her brow and leaned into Robbie.

"Wait. Is that true?"

"It is," he replied, "I found that out while you and Cat were off watching her rehearsals. She had her own little office in the back of her classroom, and I found some personal records. Turns out, the most she has is a high school degree."

"Holy shit."

"I let the Vegas know that and the police confirmed it. I'm kind of thinking that she won't be the only one. This whole school is probably a fucking sham just like the other schools think. So, I've let the people of the other schools know to come and 'save' the students from a fake school of sexual predators."

"That's either ingenious or completely reckless."

"We'll find out; but if it's drama this school likes to tout, it's drama this school will get."

Eikner stepped alongside the podium as the principals made their way towards the stage. "Let's not get all worked up, I'm sure we can resolve this in a civil manner."

"We will resolve this," spoke Sherwood's principal, "When you have all of your staff members release their education experience and qualifications." Eikner rolled his eyes and neatly folded his hands before his waist. "In fact, I will let all of your students and their parents know that from this point on, Sherwood will be opening their doors to all students wishing to leave your fake school."

Northridge's assistant principal second the notion, and Eikner began turning pale. "What information have you even received?" He inquired. "What has all of you in such a stir?"

"We've received evidence proving your Nancy McKee was not board certified or qualified to teach students. We've heard over the years the allegations made about teachers here getting far too close to students but have received photo documentation showing those rumors to be true. We have received complaints tenfold regarding this private 'talent academy' and are ready to demand answers from you."

The level of scorn in the principal's voice was great, as though all of this was a long time coming. It had already grown to boulder size, and Robbie somehow managed to give that boulder a nudge to send it rolling down the hill.

Thoughts?