Orphans Beloved: "Beth Rhymes With Death…"
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved and Sheldon Swifties bits in my Buffyverse and Sheldonverse, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.
Disclaimer: No copy write infringement intended…
Part X…
Toronto…Mrs. S' house…
The rather elegant youngish man on the porch pressing doorbell gently…Beaming smile on the door's opening.
"Mrs. Sadler, I presume?"
"Who wants to know?" Siobhan eyed the man. Clearly a Dyad or Topside suit of some sort…
Even, vaguely…Familiar…
"I'm from Marion Bowles, Ferdinand?"
"From Topside, yeah? Here to see…?"
"Well, I was hoping to meet with Ms. Manning, your foster daughter…If she's available." He put up a gloved hand.
He's held a good range of guns in that hand…Mrs. S noted to herself…
"But there's no rush at all. We simply wanted to see that Sarah's happy with all arrangements and try to do what we can to make up for what's happened."
"You work for…Or with Marion?"
"Oh, well we're different aspects of the same coin…But for now I do take my instructions from her."
So, there's trouble in the Topside paradise and our angel hasn't got it all her own way…Mrs. S, nodding at Ferdinand, smiling back.
No reason one can't try the shit-eating grin approach oneself once in a while, she thought.
"Well, Sarah's not here. In fact she's now got her own place, though I can give her a message."
"Yes, we know. In fact, I wanted to keep away from the new place…Let her have her own space. I know we've violated that far too often recently." Warm smile. "But if you could get a message to her, I can meet her here or anywhere she likes…Oh, and please give her this…" he reached to pull a stapled form from a zippered satchel. "It's a declaration from Dyad Institute that she…And her sisters…Are free and independent human beings. No strings attached, nothing for her to sign. Just something on paper she might appreciate having. And a contact number and email for me is on there."
Mrs. S taking form, eyeing it. "I'm sure she will, if it commits her to nothing."
"Absolutely." Ferdinand nodded. "And you can tell her that Rachel Duncan has been removed from any responsibility with Project Leda. She's simply another subject, with no authority whatsoever. And if she should try to contact Sarah or Kira, Sarah has our full consent to take any legal action against her she wishes."
"I think the only action Sarah'd like to take against Rachel Duncan is another and larger pencil in the other eye." Mrs. S noted.
"I didn't hear that." Ferdinand smiled, waving hand. "But I do understand, completely. Oh, I nearly forgot." He pulled out a piece of paper. "This is an expense check. Sarah is free to accept it or do whatever she wishes with it, it's simply that we know she and you were put to a great deal of time and trouble and while it's only money, it can help, particularly with Kira. No strings and no obligations, tell her, please." He handed it over, Mrs. S looking at it.
"Generous…If one didn't know it was blood money. You people always believe a little money clears everything."
"I don't." Ferdinand, quietly. "And if Rachel bothers Sarah again, we are prepared to offer evidence on the framing of your foster son and the murder of a police officer by Rachel's monitor…She and Aldous Leekie went completely over the line." He gave wan smile. "It's almost a blessing that Helena was so obsessed with Sarah, really."
"We've no idea where Helena is, if you're asking." Mrs. S, coolly.
Ferdinand nodded. "We know. But we do think we could help her, if she does resurface. It is promising that she has a bond to Sarah and the others, and we could see that all charges against her are kept to a minimum, perhaps even dropped in light of the abuse of the Proleithians. Mrs. Sadler…If Sarah does hear from Helena, it truly would be in Helena's best interest to let us help her. But, we'll leave that totally up to you and Sarah and the other ladies, of course."
"Fine. I'll tell Sarah you called."
"I appreciate it. And please tell her I can meet with her anytime, anywhere, any conditions she wishes. Thanks." He smiled, turning.
Charming…A true professional…Mrs. S eyed Ferdinand as he headed off to his parked car.
I suppose we should be flattered that Topside spares no expense.
…
Ok…Beth thought, pacing. Nothing here to suggest Rachel Duncan or her "mentor", the Dyad guy, Aldous Leekie…The neolutionist and, interestingly, the late Dr. Leekie…Were trying to do some weird stuff involving moving clone minds about. No reports on brain transplants or such like…
Though clearly this sister was obsessed with Sarah Manning… She eyed the pile of clippings, photos, reports from Aldous Leekie and someone named "Daniel".
Looks like she couldn't accept one of us besides herself was the one to bear a kid. And a sweet one…Beth smiled at the little picture of Kira. Or that Sarah could function on her own, without scads of cash and a force of goons at her beck and call.
Interesting that she didn't have any hint until after I died…Wry grimace…That I was on to them, though they had become a bit suspicious of Cosima and concerned about Ally's paranoia.
Justified paranoia, she frowned at a file marked, "Hendrix, A" on the floor.
That little skunk Donnie…Even if he doesn't seem to have known exactly what was up.
God, our whole lives a "Truman Show"…
Though like Truman we've got out of the set, escaped the bottle.
Though…She glanced round the apartment…
Even if I couldn't find anything obvious, I can be sure they've got some surveillance on me…On Rachel Duncan.
I wonder if that was it. She was so crazy from the constant monitoring and supervision she identified with the experimenters? A kind of Stockholm Syndrome?
Well, best not to give anyone watching any reason to suspect alls not well with the retired Ms. Duncan besides the lack of depth perception, she noted a bit ruefully.
Ok, we've just about exhausted the mine here…Time to see if I can make contact. And Cos is the best choice so… She rose.
Sorry to leave the place in such a mess, Ms. D, she eyed the folders and papers on floor, but I don't expect or intend you'll be back anytime soon.
Now, given I've no idea what Rachel's pins are and I don't want to be using her credit cards for the purchase of cell phone and cab rides, I think I'll need to go to the bank and have a chat with my account manager…
Just hope the signature is good enough to pass. She eyed the sheet on which she'd signed "Rachel Duncan" several times.
Of course I could always go to my bank and see Stephen about getting some of Ally's cash out… "Like my new do, Stephen? Thought I'd try a blonde." But he'd surely need Beth id and all and all that is currently in the hands of my rather gifted sister, Sarah Manning.
Besides…Who knows how closely I'm being shadowed. Or how many people in my old life had Dyad all over them…I start running around to Beth haunts and someone might wonder, at least enough to bring me in for psych evaluation. Ms. Duncan cracking under the strain…Might even be true, she noted to herself ruefully. Picking up one of the files on Sarah…
Playing me…She gave a little smile. The little con artist. I wonder how she did? Ally must've been torn between freaking over the idea one of us could "play" others and intrigued by the "acting" challenge…
Can't wait to hear how that went over with Paul.
Though I hope she didn't muck around in my life too much. There are some things a girl likes to keep to herself, sis.
Well, time to get out of the mausoleum here and see if acting runs in the family…
Of course Art did always say I'd've made a good grafter myself…Beam.
Hmmn…Maybe one more look at that video of her and that weird little creep, Daniel? Just to get the accent down…
…
"Ms. Duncan…" the rather too elegant bank accounts manager beamed at her as he waved her to a rather comfortable and clearly expensive chair from which a rather fine view of the city could be seen. "We don't often get this pleasure."
"Yes…" Beth tried to affect the clipped accent she heard Rachel use on the videos she'd watched. "I'm in a bit of hurry here. I'd like to withdraw a thousand dollars, in small bills."
"Certainly…And from which account?"
"This…The checking." She handed over a withdrawal slip and her id.
"Very good…One moment…" he took the slip and went out…
Returning a moment later with apologetic expression. "Ms. Duncan, this account was closed two months ago, at your request."
"Was it…?" she blinked… "So sorry, I must have forgotten, this one then." She offered another slip.
"Yes…" he took the slip. "That was the one you'd shared with Mr. Rosen. There were the…" slight cough… "Overdraft problems."
"Yes, of course." Cool smile. "Daniel was a bit careless with money. Thank you."
The little creep monitor(?) taking her to the cleaners? She wondered as the manager went out again.
Lets hope the bastard didn't vacuum all her accounts…
"Yes, this one is fine…Sharon at the desk will have the money for you in a moment." The manager had returned, all smiles again. "Would you care for coffee? Tea?"
"Coffee, thanks." She nodded, relieved.
Guess I won't be getting a polite bums' rush outta here courtesy either my boyfriend or Dyad cleaning me out.
Ok…Operational.
And just in time…I'm starved.
Though I suppose I could do one last lunch on Dyad…She patted the purse in which a Dyad expense card rested inside her wallet.
After which it might be best to assume they can track such cards by chip or something and "lose" it somewhere.
Maybe find some deserving homeless fellow or lowlife crook who could use an unlimited expense account. Dyad may as well do someone some good.
"Thanks…" she smiled as the manager's secretary entered, bearing coffee service.
Nice…
Stephen's place is very friendly and nice but they don't do the exquisite porcelain service and the little sandwiches and cakes…She hungrily eyed the plates, trying to refrain from grabbing too eagerly.
When all this is over I'll have to consider changing banks. Assuming the collapse of Dyad doesn't take this place with it. Fees are probably killers though.
"Say could I have a brochure to take? A relative of mine is interested in changing banks." She smiled at the secretary.
…