Chapter Nine
Mr. and Mrs.
The Motel:
"Okay," Max said coming out of the bathroom wrapped only in a towel, "you weren't kidding about the water being cold." She dove under the sheets.
Logan looked over chuckling from his bed, where he had been sitting up and going over another Eyes Only Case, "Somehow I don't think drenching your sheets is going to keep you much warmer tonight."
She turned and gave him a dirty look, "Two sides of the bed Logan."
"Just don't wake me when you roll onto the wet side."
She glared for a moment before asking, "What are you looking at?"
"That unsolved murder over on Canterbury."
"Ooh," Max said interested, holding onto the top of her towel she climbed out of the bed, "the girlfriend of Councilman Daniels?" she asked walking around to his bed.
"Alleged," he corrected as she snatched the file away from him and sat across on her own bed, he forced his focus to remain on her face, "all we know right now is she was his assistant."
Max made a disbelieving face as she flipped back to the front page where the headshot of the deceased was attached, a stunning Hispanic woman with long dark hair; she rolled her eyes at Logan, just an assistant?
"Okay yes most likely they were having an affair. It certainly would explain the fact that she was pregnant."
"She was pregnant?" Max asked confused, Logan had mentioned the case to her earlier in the week and he hadn't mentioned that.
"Wasn't included to the official ME's report."
Up-and-comer in his political party with a knocked up girlfriend? "He off-ed her," Max said standing and handing the file back over to Logan.
"I don't know," he said shaking his head and opening the file again.
Once more Max rolled her eyes as she went through her bag for pajamas, "Married councilman with a shoddy if best alibi and a dead knocked up girlfriend. No big mystery."
Logan frowned, he'd agree with her normally, but he had met the guy before. Then again he had lived with his uncle.
ooOoo
The Next Morning:
"Who are you and what did you do to Logan?" Max asked as Logan emerged from the bathroom, still in the dark trousers and white shirt unbuttoned at the top he'd walked in wearing, but his hair was slicked back and his eyes were no longer hidden by his glasses.
He laughed, "Closest I could do to yuppie without cutting my hair."
Yuppie? Debonair, dashing, downright doable, those were the words that came to Max's mind as he walked over dropping his toiletries case on the dresser before retrieving his tie. "What would qualify as yuppie?" Max asked trying not to focus on Logan's latest look. She'd seen him in suits before, a tux twice, a few different hairstyles, but she'd never seen him glassless for any length of time unless he was sleeping. After seeing him in camo this summer, the one thing she'd never thought she'd find attractive, she'd given up being surprised by his looks.
"Short hair, no product. Basically every Christmas family photo I've ever taken." He smiled as he shrugged into the jacket.
"Always knew your hair was an act of defiance," she smiled as she slide her feet into the tan shoes.
He chuckled and shook his head; he was pretty sure his days of rebelling against his family had stopped in his mid-twenties, despite their opinions otherwise, "More along the lines of I hate combs and getting my hair cut."
She laughed as she began tossing things from her backpack into the pocketbook that had been purchased for another investigation along with the shoes.
"I'm not kidding," he said sliding his wallet into his pocket. "I spent an entire year just buzzing my hair with a number two."
"How'd that look?" Max asked trying to picture Logan with a buzz cut.
"All depends on who you ask," he admitted honestly.
Max gave a pouting look down at the navy jacket that went over the dress before lifting it up to put it on.
Logan struggled to not laugh.
Out of the corner of her eye Max saw the corner of his lips go up, "Shut up, this is not funny." She said turning with the jacket in hand, "You get to look like you came off a magazine cover page and I…" She looked across the room to the mirror, her hair pulled back in a low twist, the scarf tied around her neck, the bland blue dress.
He laughed, "I'm sorry, we had to age you, Max. We're supposed to have a six year old remember."
This was overkill and she was pretty sure they both knew it; unless someone knew they had almost twelve years between them she was pretty sure no one would have ever guessed such a large age gap. She shook her head as she slid her arms into the jacket before going to retrieve the tan overcoat from the closet.
ooOoo
Brookridge:
They were led into the office by the friendly secretary after being informed that Dr. Winthrop, the head of the school was ready for them.
They were greeted with a smile as Dr. Elena Winthrop stood and came around the desk as they entered the room, shaking their hands and exchanging the normal pleasantries. A confused look passed over her face, not for the first time since they'd entered as Logan moved to take his seat.
"Leg braces," he supplied as she said down before them.
She looked puzzled.
"The whirling noise, I was in an accident a few years ago," he supplied; leg braces were the common explanation he'd give everyone when they'd notice. Normally, outside noises drowned out the sounds of the exo, but the office was eerily still.
"Oh," she nodded, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't figure out what that noise was."
"Happens all the time," he said with a smile.
With that explained they moved onto the topic of the school and the middle-aged woman before them began what was basically a carefully scripted sales pitch for the next half hour.
Max struggled to stay focused on the words being said, taking in the room while trying to stay awake and appearing to keep her attention on the woman before her. Logan fielded most of the questions; giving her the background details with Max occasionally throwing in details of how gifted their daughter was, as any mother would.
"Do you have a picture of Erica?" Dr. Winthrop asked snapping Max into reality as she caught Logan's slightly startled look.
The contents of her purse remembered Max breathed an internal sigh of relief, "Mark."
He turned at the alias.
"You don't have a picture of our daughter?" She asked looking hurt, it was nice to pick on Logan even when they were just pretending.
"Honey, there are two on my desk. I'm not likely to forget what she looks like."
Max shook her head pushing aside the warm feeling that had spread within her at the use of the endearment and retrieved her purse from the floor careful not to disclose the contents of her purse and the fact that the pictures she was looking for were hidden behind her sector pass.
Logan suddenly realized what she had pulled out, the pictures they'd taken at the zoo with Brittany in one of those little booths. He'd of course been dragged in and his wallet had been lifted from his pants without him even realizing it until he saw Max sliding the bills in. The first picture had caught him off guard looking annoyed, which had been followed by quick cries of outrage from the two females and Logan's facial expressions making a rapid change. He watched the pictures change hands with his mouth slightly agape.
A smile emerged on the principal's face as she examined the two pictures, The three heads all smooshed in together, Logan making a growling angry face with bunny ear's behind him thanks to Max, Max's twisted face with a tongue sticking out and Brittany's hands flipped upside down forming a pair of glasses around her eyes. The last photo had caught them off guard before they changed expressions again, Brittany had been prepared with her tongue sticking out, but Max and Logan were caught looking at each other with small smiles on their faces after their frantic antics. "That is quite a face Mr. Eastman." She said with a slight nod, "Your daughter's positively delightful, she takes after you."
Max smiled at the small blush that had spread across Logan's cheeks the moment the pictures had exchanged hands, embarrassing Logan, there was nothing better.
"Thank you," he said with a small nod.
Max retrieved the pictures and they once more moved back on topic.
"Your job is taking you to Toulouse for how long Mr. Eastman?"
"Only four months, but I don't want to disrupt Erica's schooling."
"She's six," Max said getting into the role; gearing up for what would give her a clean getaway to locate Ray.
"Yes sweetheart, she's six and that's the age when kid's develop their social skills aren't I right?" He turned and asked the other woman.
"These early years are critical for development."
"We swore we wouldn't send her away until she was nine."
Logan gave a frustrated smile, "Things changed honey. I recently received a promotion and I'll be out of the country for periods of time." He explained to the principal who was trying to figure out if she should intercede in the fight that was brewing.
"She's six though; I don't understand why we can't just wait until the start of the next school year."
"Sweetheart, I don't want to jostle her around, by the time she starts getting attached to everyone over there it'll be time to leave."
"You think it'll be easier for a baby to abandoned by her parents?" she said with her eyes growing wide and her lip quivering, damn she wished she could cry on cue.
"Honey, we're not abandoning her. It's three months, my parents will come and take her for the holidays and when we return we can come and get her every weekend."
"She's just a baby."
"She's six, Lin," he went to extend a hand to cover Max's.
She jerked back, "She still has nightmares, she can't sleep without lamby and a kiss goodnight. Who'll read to her every night?"
"Mrs. Eastman," Dr. Winthrop began sympathetically, she'd witnessed more than a few parents breakdown at the thought of sending their child away, "the caregivers are all very tender and nurturing, the younger children are provided with the attention they need, especially at night."
Max's eyes appeared worried as she looked ahead, but then shot an angry glance at Logan.
"Why don't we go take a tour of the dormitories and then we'll go check out the classrooms?"
"Can I get a minute to freshen up?"
"Of course," she replied with a sympathetic nod, "Kelly will direct you."
"Thanks," she said giving a watery smile and stood.
ooOoo
The Hallway:
Max prayed for the shoes to not give away her presence, no matter how agilely she moved the heels softly tapped against the marble floors. If she could find Ray now, they could avoid her having to break in tonight. Wendy awaited a call from them telling her Ray's exact location so she could go in with the security team Logan had set her up with and the local law enforcement. Ames White knew what Max and Logan looked like and the last thing Logan had wanted to do was set them up to be the target of his revenge, which he knew would happen if Ray simply disappeared in the night. That was still the plan though, if Max couldn't find him now which Max wasn't looking forward to because this place had more security set up outside and at all of the exits than most embassies. Luckily they seemed to be avoiding the big brother policy and the hallways were relatively clear.
She quickly moved down the halls, towards the classrooms Logan had determined were the most likely to contain Ray. Well what do you know, this thing might actually end up being easy, Max thought with a smile seeing Ray sitting attentively in a classroom and darted back up the hallway and into the bathroom she had been directed towards just moments ago. Her eyes scanned the room looking for any company or surveillance as did her ears; she pushed open the two stalls just to double check as she dialed Wendy's number.
ooOoo
The Office:
Kelly let her into the office again, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she opened the door.
"Are you feeling better sweetheart?" Logan asked standing.
She nodded, "Much, I'm overreacting Erica will be fine." She said the words that they had decided upon before entering the school, if she'd said 'I'll be okay.' It meant she'd been unable to locate Ray.
Logan grinned as he turned back to the principal who was now standing, "What do you say we go see those dorms?"
"Of course," she said with a nod.
ooOoo
The Dorms:
"Now this is the type of room Erica will be in," she said stepping to the side so Max and Logan could see the room, comfortably designed to accommodate 2 children with two twin size beds, desks and dressers. A lot of our parents either help set up the room or they send personal objects along and we help the children set up. I'm sure in your case Mrs. Eastman, you'll feel more comfortable if you could recreate her room at home here."
Max smiled and nodded and continued to do so as the principal continued to go on and on until she was interrupted by the crackle of the walkie talkie she had taken with her. She frowned as she raised it up and they all heard the assistant's slightly desperate tone of voice telling her that she was needed back in the office.
"I'm sure this is nothing," she said trying to play it off.
Max staying in character shot a worried look over at Logan and he reached out for her hand, squeezing it tightly as they all started back off towards the main building.
The commotion going on in the main hall as they arrived didn't mask Dr. Winthrop's harsh intake of breath at seeing the local sheriff and deputy, along two rather large security guards and Wendy in the middle of a confrontation with Kelly.
"Dr. Winthrop," the sheriff said moving towards her, "we're looking for this boy," he said extending a picture.
"You have my son Ray, I want him back." Wendy said moving aggressively towards her, ignoring Max and Logan as she had been instructed to do.
"Uh, Ray just entered our school a few weeks ago; his father said his mother had passed."
At that point it became clear to Max and Logan that the situation was going to be resolved without them and probably without much more trouble. "We're leaving," Max said frantically as any mother would.
"Sweetie," Logan looked down at her.
"I'm getting our coats, we're leaving now," Max exclaimed with a shake of her head as she headed down the hallway to the office.
ooOoo
The Motel:
Logan laughed as Max had shrugged out of the overcoat and suit coat before he'd even shut the door, the scarf having been undone and stuffed in a pocket while they were still in the car. "You are never allowed to dress me again," she said kicking off the shoes as she went through her bag looking for new clothes.
He laughed, "Last time you yelled at me for not putting you in enough clothing and this time you're yelling at me for too much?"
Max glared remembering having to slip into a strip joint. "I'm dressing you next time," she said walking into the bathroom.
She came back out a few minutes later wearing jeans and a three quarter white v-neck to find him already packing, "Kind of a shame it's over already, we're finally out of Seattle and we're going home a day early." That and her doctor's note already included Friday.
He paused as he was placing his toiletries bag back into his suitcase, she was right, he didn't have anything lined up until Saturday afternoon, not that there wasn't always something to do in Seattle…But nothing urgent.
"You know we have to pass the cabin anyway heading back to the city."
"I didn't bring the key," he said without thinking.
She rewarded his stupidity with an eye roll and a shake of her head, "Even you can pick that lock Logan." She'd been impressed the first time she'd seen him pick a lock, she didn't know why she was shocked by his skills after all he had been obtaining evidence illegally long before she was on the scene. " Logan?" She asked taking in his deep in thought expression.
He turned, "Why not? Might as well enjoy our sector passes. I don't have anything I have to be in town for until Saturday."
Max smiled as she headed to her bag for socks. Wonder if Original Cindy will kill me for bailing on her?