Conspiracy

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: So I thought I'd bring you chapter two, give you a little something more to see

Chapter 2 (Following the Hunch)

"I don't know, Beck." Jade curled up beside him on his couch and tucked her legs beneath her. "Something didn't feel right about them. I'm just wondering if there's something wrong." Beck chuckled at her and draped his arm around her shoulders.

"I know how you are. You always love to look into things and figure a mystery behind everything." She pursed her lips and turned her eyes up to his. "But I'm telling you, they seem perfectly fine to me." She turned away from him and stared at the television.

One of Beck's favorite action films was playing, but Jade couldn't focus. Normally she didn't care for action films, but was able to push through them regardless. This time, the chilling photograph she'd seen at the Vega house was etched eternally on her mind.

"There was a photo." Beck's head fell back on the couch and a loud groan left his lips. "Mrs. Vega and the girls when they were really young. It was taken in a parking lot with them hurrying into some store, she was looking back and seemed to be really upset."

"It's nothing, Jade." He brought his head up and moved his left ankle onto his right knee. "Is this punishment for making you spend time with them?"

"No, I-" She stopped herself and shook her head. Beck was only going to hear what he wanted, he wasn't going to understand the strangeness that she had felt. She'd show him, though. One way or another, she was going to get him to see something wasn't right with their newest friends.

His arm flexed around her shoulders and he glanced casually at her. "Plus Jade, if there is something wrong with them, it isn't our place to snoop around." She closed her hands on top of her legs and bowed her head.

Beck was right, and he spoke from experience. There had been more than one time in the past when her desire to chase the unknown led both of them into trouble.

The next morning she approached Mr. Sikowitz's desk with a stack of books. Each of them written by Michael Connelly. They were the Harry Bosch detective series. Each book in the series had been a gift from Sikowitz; he saw her love of the investigative and gave her a book, then another when she finished reading the one she had.

Tearfully she dropped the stack onto Sikowitz's desk, causing his eyes to dart up from the homework he was grading. "Is something the matter, Jade?"

"When I was younger, I thought my mom's boss was up to no good, and I ended up getting her fired." Sikowitz carefully removed his reading glasses as though they'd shatter with the slightest touch. "When I was thirteen my friend told me someone was stealing money from the cash register at her job-I looked into it and got her coworker fired, which led to losing a good friend. I'm giving up on these novels because I don't want to lose anyone else…"

"I thought that you enjoyed mystery and discovering the unknown. Tell me-" His chest expanded and his hand lowered to the desk. "When you followed your hunches, were they right?" She looked down to the novels and grabbed her hands behind her back.

"Mom's boss was sleeping with the secretary, I was too young to realize that what I saw wasn't consensual…so when I talked to mom, she confronted the man and his superior." Since the secretary at the job didn't report what was happening, it was just the word of a seven year old girl against a grown man, so her mother was penalized for it.

"And my friend's coworker was stealing from the job, so they were fired." She crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. "I'm not a police officer, so I should know my place."

"If you have a hunch, you should follow it." He brought his hands up and tapped his fingertips together. "The friend you lost because of a coworker being fired says nothing besides that friend not being somebody worth your time…" His eyes dropped from her gaze and studied the books momentarily. "And your mother did the right thing."

"She did find another job." She smiled vaguely and lifted her shoulders. "I just, I just don't want to get into trouble or piss anyone off."

"Well you will irritate somebody one way or the other. It's a fact of life, you can't please everybody. It's about doing what's right, and what's in here." His hand moved over his heart and Jade started to feel more comfortable in what he was saying. "That's not to say that you shouldn't go to the authorities when you find something out, definitely go to the authority because they'll be able to do something about it."

"Yeah…"

She watched his right hand move over the books and point down at the stack. Her stomach swirled with emotion and a wave of heat swept across her. The thought of giving up her favorite series was like a knife to the gut.

"What would Bosch do, Jade? Would he give up because his investigation pissed someone off?"

He wouldn't, and that's why she loved the series so much. He was very much a rogue cop, solving crimes and doing what was right, even if it meant pissing off the department he worked with.

"He'd follow up on his hunch. He'd find the truth somewhere. He'd figure out what to do…" A flicker of pride shone in her teacher's eyes. Her heart leapt in her chest and she fought back the compelling urge to hug her instructor. "So I should follow up on my hunch, even though I know my boyfriend would rather I left it alone…"

Sikowitz wrinkled his nose and lowered his hands. "Well, why does he want you leaving it alone?" She tucked a strand of hair over her ear and shrugged.

"He thinks there's nothing wrong, so he thinks it would just be stepping on someone's toes." Sikowitz stood up and grabbed the book on the top of the stack. He walked around the desk and handed the book to her like an offering.

Jade accepted it and clutched it firmly with both hands as though it would fly away. "When your hero tries to solve something, does everyone around him think that it is worthwhile? Does that thought stop him in any way?"

"No. He's bound determined to do the right thing, to bring justice to the victims. There's always someone that thinks it's a waste of time, but he keeps going." She peered down at the novel and furrowed her brow. It seemed to be calling out to her, telling her not to give up. The desire to push ahead burned at her fingertips. "Something just isn't right."

"Just remember that if you get too deep, you can always go to the authority."

Jade lifted her head and recalled the stern look on David's face. Her body froze to the visual of the man's icy glare. "What if-what if the bad guy is the authority?"

"Something I've learned." Sikowitz returned to his chair, stepping beside it. His hand lowered to the arm of the chair and his eyebrow rose. "There is always somebody higher, there is always someone more powerful. No matter what, no matter who it is you're after, the truth will present itself at some point. When it does, then you know what you have to do."

"Keep looking?"

"Precisely." He brought his hand to his beard and slid his fingers down the scrubby hair. "Think about your suspicions, think about your clues."

She didn't want to tell him too much, especially because it might not be anything. "The truth, Mr. Sikowitz, is that it might not be anything. There might be nothing wrong."

"Aha." He waved his hand, flailing his fingers before pointing at her. "But do you believe that, Miss Jade?" Her fingers tightened on the book and she lifted her hand up, closing it in front of her aching chest. "You feel something is wrong for a reason. So do you believe there is absolutely nothing about the way you feel?"

She released a swift breath and took a step closer to the desk. "No." He dropped his hand and smiled at her. "It-There's this photo…" She trailed off and bowed her head momentarily. "A mother and two young girls rushing into a store, the mother's looking back-in distress, like she thinks she's being followed and she has to protect her children. That same photo is framed, and in at least three rooms of a house."

"I see." He sat down and curled a finger beneath his lower lip. "A mother and her daughters. Do you know the mother and girls?"

"Yes."

"How do they act?"

"Odd…" She pulled the book to her stomach and wrapped her forearms around it. She watched as Sikowitz turned in his swivel chair, facing her sideways and looking off at the wall, deep in thought. "The mom's distant. Last night she stared at the television for hours, but nothing was playing. The older girl acts out for attention, but when she's alone…she prefers it, it seems. The younger is blissful, like she's unaware, and if she is aware something is wrong, she doesn't seem like she would acknowledge it…"

"Why do you feel they act this way?"

"There might be something wrong with the dad. He's a little creepy." As if the term was enough to describe the suspicious behavior of the family patriarch. David sauntered about like a lion waiting to sink his claws into his prey. Every single look from his watchful eyes could light a person aflame. "Maybe dangerous, and that's coming from me."

"Is this something that a fifteen year old girl can or should handle alone?"

She lowered the book a bit as Sikowitz leaned upright. The bristles of his beard spewed outward as his nostrils flared. "No." She needed to be honest with him, despite the gnawing feeling that he could try and discourage her. "If there really is something wrong, then it involves an entire family, and it isn't something a fifteen year old should handle…but I'm going to follow my hunch, Mr. Sikowitz."

"At least you're honest. I wouldn't ask anything more or less. Just be careful, and remember if you get in too deep, pull back and give it to someone that can handle it." He approved of her with a subtle nod and she turned to be on her way. "Jade. You can pick up the rest of your books after class." Her heart skipped and she stopped suddenly at the door. "I know you weren't really planning on giving up."

"No sir."

When she stepped into the hall, she was overcome with the pungent smell of lilac perfume. She curled her lips and watched as Tori Vega made her way down the hall. The girl was almost skipping, and her long brown hair swayed with each step.

"Hey Jade!" The girl's crisp, golden dress flayed out as a flag once Tori came to a stop before her. Hoping to be polite, she smiled and held back her scathing opinion regarding Tori's choice of perfume. "What were you talking to Mr. Sikowitz about?"

The scent continued to stab Jade's nostrils and her eyes, attempting to force out her tears. She clenched her teeth and spoke slowly. "Class. What are you doing?"

"I was just stopping by Trina's class." Jade turned her head in the way Tori had come from. Down there the hall, the smell of sweat would billow out and overtake her if she got too close. "You know she's into martial arts, right?"

"She's athletic?" Of course, only athletes could get down that hall without plugging their nose. How a person like Tori managed to get through there, she couldn't figure out.

"You should watch her spar sometime, she's great. She runs track too, but doesn't do much else. Dad says he's proud, I don't see why not." Jade's eyes darted back to Tori. A sudden spark of curiosity struck her and she was going to prompt Tori to talk more about her dad, but the girl did so without her speaking up. "Did you know Dad was on the baseball team in college?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, he and Mr. Richardson." She tilted her head and watched Tori scratch the side of her jaw. "Gary. He's the guy you see around sometimes-Dad's friend. They were friends in college. Mr. Richardson always got to play though, Dad was usually in the benches."

"Oh. Did they work together?"

"Yeah, they were partners a long time ago. Both of them started out as Officers. Mr. Richardson got promoted to Detective, then Sergeant a few years before Dad." That made very little sense to her, because according to the conversation she heard between the two men, Gary was still just a detective.

"But…your dad's like the Police Commander now, and Mr. Richardson's a detective."

"Yeah, something happened, but I don't know." David may have had a slow rise, but this tale left a bad taste in her mouth. "Mr. Richardson was in line to be a Police Lieutenant a little more than ten years ago, but Dad got the promotion and he got demoted down to Detective."

She looked down to the novel in her hand and questioned what Harry Bosch might think about it. "Suspicious, Mr. Bosch?" She looked back in the direction of the athletic area and furrowed her brow. "How's the relationship with Trina and your dad?"

"Them?" Tori followed her gaze and Jade glanced back to the girl. Tori's once peaked shoulders had fallen suddenly and her hands were closed beside her hips. She had a tight-lipped expression and her forehead was tensing. "They um, they don't really get along. It isn't something I feel like talking about."

"Say no more." Jade raised a hand and Tori's body finally relaxed. "Anyway, were you going to see Sikowitz?"

"Yes. See you in class." Tori breezed past her like a fleeting gust of wind, leaving Jade alone with the stench of lilac still surrounding her like a poisonous mist.

She narrowed her eyes and brought her hand to her chin, humming to herself while mulling over Tori's words. "Trina doesn't get along with her dad, and is into martial arts-a good way to relieve stress." It made her wonder just how strained was the relationship between father and daughter, and judging how Holly seemed the other day, how was the relationship between husband and wife?

Looking back into Sikowitz's classroom, she caught a sight that stilled her heart. Behind the man was a framed certificate she'd never noticed before. It commemorated a career of a Private Investigator. Her eyebrows rose high above her eyes and her lips parted.

"He was a PI before teaching?" With this understanding, she could see why he seemed to encourage her to follow through on whatever feeling she had regarding a subject. Her lips curled into a bright smirk and she watched as Sikowitz's eyes drifted up from the desk and onto her, where he exchanged a similar smirk.

"Okay Mr. Sikowitz," she whispered, "I'll keep following that lead. Definitely."

So what are your thoughts? It seems good that Sikowitz is able to inspire her to keep on moving. Are you wondering the same, regarding the relationships with Mr. Vega? What of Tori's tale regarding the promotions, do you think there's something more to that? It seems Gary and David were close friends, and it also seems that Gary was always the one getting glory, does that raise any suspicions? Also, do you think Sikowitz might be able to help Jade out in the long run?