Chapter 6. The snake in the garden

Meg, Lana and Terry walked side by side spanning the width of the sidewalk. Meg looked at the city bus the school had hired to carry students. As soon as it pulled away from the trio, she pulled the hidden pack of cigarettes from her blazer pocket and took one before passing the pack to the other girls. She lit up and drew deeply, dragging the heady smoke down into her lungs. "I needed that," she crooned.

Terry lit up nervously, but Lana had no qualms and mirrored Meg. Lana leaned on a tree and sighed. "So, what are you going to do about this mess?"

Meg smiled, "I'm not going to do anything."

Terry shook her head, showing her lack of back bone, yet again. "But, you have to be interviewed by that doctor they brought in. And what if he learns …."

"He won't learn anything from me," Meg drew again deeply into her lungs, blowing the smoke out in what she thought was a sexy, fashion. "And he won't learn anything useful from Sarah because she doesn't know anything…yet."

Lana giggled, but Terry shook her head. "I don't like it. Can't we just forget the whole idea?"

Meg looked scornfully at the fretting girl. "Pull it together, Terry!" She snapped spitefully. "You're not even under investigation!" She flicked the still lit end of her cigarette into the street. "Come on, Hank will be waiting… and you know how he hates to wait."

Lana smiled knowingly at Meg; "We always make it worth his while, though."

Meg looked at Terry contemptuously. "Some of us more than others…and if someone does not get her shit together, she's going to find herself on the outside looking in."

Terry pouted. "I can't help it! I can't afford to be in trouble. If Doctor Madison figures out that I've told you everything going on in his office it's my ass not yours."

Meg slid her fingers across Terry's jaw line. "Then just do what I tell you to… and you'll be fine."

Lana nodded, "It's not like you and I are under the microscope. Only Meg and Sarah. And mostly Sarah at that."

Meg opened the door to the basement of the house she lived in. "Enough talk about Sarah, Hank is waiting." She heard the crack of a whip. "And he does not like to be kept waiting by his slaves."

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Meg had been called out of class; she stood in the Headmaster's office, keeping a low profile. She was respectful and demure, and calculating. Dr. Madison was easy to read, he was worried about the reputation of his precious school. The newspapers were full of stories of abused teens and he didn't want that kind of publicity. He could not afford it, not with enrollment down to an all time low. He didn't want to see what was in front of him, and Meg could use that. She played the part that he expected her to play. Her stepfather had been instrumental in portraying her as the victim. Madison was easy, Mayfaire was not.

Meg kept her poise as she was introduced to the man conducting the investigation. She remained polite and well-mannered, but she didn't like the way this man looked at her. She was use to being looked at even by older men with a hint of lust. Lust was something she could use, could manipulate and turn to her advantage. Mayfaire didn't look at her with lust. He looked at her with indifference, an unnerving lack of interest. She was ushered into the conference room by Miss Shelton while Mayfaire and Madison had quiet words down the hall in the Headmaster's office. Miss Shelton remained in the room with Meg, watching the girl. Meg took a seat and folded her hands into her lap, wanting to give the impression of being completely cooperative with the authorities.

Mayfaire entered, dismissed Miss Shelton, and took his seat. He looked at the girl seated in the chair. "Miss Kohler, I'm going to keep this as brief as I can. Do you know why you're here?"

"Because my stepfather over reacted to a picture a classmate drew of me." She said knowing the truth was her best weapon.

"You feel your stepfather over reacted?" He made notes.

"Yes, sir." She answered simply. Mayfaire looked at her, keenly, like some great bird of prey. Meg didn't like his eyes, nor the way he regarded her. If his looks had been wolfish, she'd have been much happier. A wolf she understood a wolf; could be deceived or better still, a wolf could be bargained with. This man was no wolf, he was something she could not manage or control. This man had the feral eyes of an owl, a bird of the night that knew truth from falsehood. Meg hated owls, she was not sure why, but she hated owls with a passion. Them and their all seeing eyes, knowing the answers to everything!

"Are you and Sarah Williams good friends?" He asked not mincing words. Meg hesitated, and Mayfaire looked at her, his owlish eyes looking for the trace of a lie.

"I'm not sure how to answer that." She confessed. "I mean, Sarah and I have gone to school here for a few years, but we only recently stated to hang out together…" 'Keep to the truth,' her mind screamed. 'He's trying to trip you up.' She moved in the seat, feeling uncomfortable. "I think, in time, Sarah and I could become very close friends, we have a lot in common…"

"Such as?" He wrote a note without looking at his pad.

"We both have stepparents." Meg offered, "And we both have…" she cleared her throat; "We both matured physically recently." She looked down demurely.

Mayfaire saw the downward turn of the eyes, and was not impressed. "Go on."

Meg schooled her face, and looked up. "We like some of the same things, art, music, literature, and debate. We were just getting to know each other."

"I see." He wrote down. "Miss Kohler, in your own words, please describe the events that led to the drawing of this sketch." He tapped on the page that bore Meg's resemblance.

Meg gave it a moments thought. Terry had found out for her what Sarah had said about the drawing. She wanted her words and Sarah's to coincide, but not mirror each other. "Sarah Williams and I both take art, we're in the advanced class, and our instructor was lecturing on the magnificence of the human form. He was discussing the way old masters portrayed the human form… like Da Vinci's David, or Ruben's beautiful full bodied women. Sarah seemed inspired by the lecture, and while he was talking began to sketch. Well our instructor thought she was doodling and not paying attention, when it was clear she was! He ripped the sketch pad out of her hands and was going to give poor Sarah a dressing down, but seeing her work, well, all he could do was praise her for not only hearing his assignment but going way beyond in the work. I moved to where she was and looked at the pad and I told her I thought it was better than good..." Meg knew she was speaking truthfully and it gave her encouragement to go on. "I had lunch with Sarah and told her I thought her work was fabulous and asked her to sketch me in that style."

Mayfaire narrowed his eyes, "I see. You asked to be portrayed in this fashion?"

Meg squirmed a bit; "We had been reading some histories of abduction, and bondage historically speaking, you know the Sabine." she moved her hands trying to emphasize the point. "I just wanted to know what it felt like, and I trusted Sarah."

"You trusted her, how?"

The girl with long red curls started to blush, forcing color to her face. "To be discreet."

"I see," he wrote down a note. "Did you feel taken advantage of?"

"No, sir."

"Did you feel forced?"

The girl glared at the man, was he not listening. "No, it was my idea."

"Did you inform your stepfather of this?"

Meg deepened her frown, "He didn't even let me know he'd found my picture, I had no idea he would just jump to such an outrageous conclusion. We were just following the instructions of a class assignment. I even offered to sketch Sarah in return."

"I see," he wrote another note. "And in your mind, nothing happened."

Meg stood up, shoved her hands in her blazer pockets, one hand gripping the half package of cigarettes. "Nothing did happen." Her voice border close to insolent, she was becoming antsy to get out of this room. This man was good, too good and she didn't need him getting closer to the truth.

"How long was Miss Williams at your home?"

"Most of the day," Meg dropped back into the seat.

He sighed, "I see."

"No you don't," Meg groused suddenly. "We were in the basement only an hour at most. We went upstairs and started trying on clothes and fixing each other's hair, doing girl things, things no man would ever understand." Meg gave the man a snide sideways look, one that said he was incapable of understanding the feminine mystique.

Mayfaire, at the outburst looked at the girl and nodded. "Thank you for clarifying that point." His tone was nearly as insolent as the girl's. "That will be all, Miss Kohler. If I need to ask you for more information, I will send for you." He coldly watched the girl rise and exit.

Meg closed the door of the conference room and muttered under her breath; "Cheeky bastard." She looked at the door and rolled her eyes. She wandered down the hall back to the classrooms, glad she was able to use the truth. When she arrived at her next class she gave a thumb up signal to Lana who smiled confidently.

In the crowded hallway, the three girls met. "Piece of cake," Meg boasted.

Lana cooed to her, "I never for a moment doubted it."

Terry kept quiet, not feeling nearly as confident but not wanting to pour cold water on the triumphant celebration. While the Headmaster might look right through her as if she didn't exist, she was certain nothing escaped the feral eyes of Mayfaire.

Meg shook her head as she looked around the halls. "I'm dying for a cigarette!"

Lana nudged her playfully. "I'm dying for your brother…"

"Stepbrother," Meg corrected.

"Wicked stepbrother," Lana mouthed quietly.

"Very." Meg teased back, and then noticed how quiet Terry was. "Nothing from you?"

Terry whispered softly. "That Mayfaire guy gives me the willies." She shivered violently; "Like… he can see into your soul."

Meg hooked an arm into that of her stooge, "Terry, all you have to do is tell the truth should he question you… no more, no less. Besides, that man is not looking for anything having to do with you… or our little circle."

Terry fretted, "Meg, I don't like this. Can't we get Hank to drop this plan?"

"Chicken," Lana accused the girl.

Terry moaned, "You don't sit in the Headmaster's office having to greet him! Having to sit under his… gaze…"

Meg looked at Lana, "Terry's right, his eyes give ya the creeps."

Lana shrugged, "Hank wants a virgin…"

Meg nodded, "And a virgin is what Hank is gonna get." Thinking of what Hank was planning to do to Sarah gave Meg a thrill. "Care to come over and have some fun?" she asked the other two girls.

Terry shook her head, "I can't. I have to run some errands."

Lana looked overjoyed at the thought of just the two of them with Meg's wicked stepbrother. "I'm free."

"Easy, too," teased Meg.

Lana leaned closer and giggled into Meg's ear. "Eat me."

"Only if you say please," the red haired girl teased back.

Lana leered at the girl with red curls. "Please."