The Apple Orchard {Arc Three; Part Five
It was the afternoon of February 23 when Rachel Price walked into the doctor’s office, looking for all the world as if she belonged there.
Dressed in a blue dress that fell to her knees, the flapper plucked at her golden chain as she planted a hand on Allen’s desk, leaning forward so that he had to pay attention to her. She had a set of golden barrettes in her hair in place of some kind of cap that afternoon, her crimped brown hair glossy and smooth in its feathered curls.
“Doctor Townsend, I have a proposition for ya,” she said with a grin, promptly sitting on the edge of the doctor’s desk once Allen looked up at her, grey eyes wide and curious. “Y’see, the theatre in town is replaying some films from ’22, and there’s one that I heard was fantastic from a friend of mine who’d seen it when it first came out.”
“And w-what film would t-t-that be, Miss Price?”
“Movie called Nosferatu,” Rachel smiled, looking out the open door of the office to see Allie Phillips peeking into the room curiously. She grinned, winking at the other woman, before looking back at Allen. “I think it’s based off of Bram Stoker’s Dracula - some German movie. But it scared the bajeebus out of my friend, so I want to see what all the fuss is about!”
Allen twirled his pen slowly between long, shaking fingers, his gaze settled there as he thought about the invitation. He had read Dracula, of course - what curious schoolboy hadn’t? - but he hadn’t liked it very much. He highly doubted that he would enjoy a film version of it.
“I’m not s-s-sure, Rachel, if that would be…m-my kind of movie.”
“Awh, c’mon! You have to come with, Allen, if you don’t I’ll be stuck with the most uncouth of men that the world has ever known.”
Allen bit back a smile, already knowing who Rachel was talking about, but deciding to play along anyway. That was the game he and Rachel played, after all - a game they had developed the more time they spent together, pretending to be something that they weren’t.
Allen’s whole life seemed to be a game of pretend lately.
“Oh? And who, p-pray tell, is that?”
“Just some dummy who calls himself ‘Walker’.” Rachel dramatically rolled her eyes, wrinkling her nose before giving Allen an impish smile. “C’mon, you know it’ll be fun. You don’t even have to pay attention to the movie. Just be my shoulder to hide in!”
Sighing, Allen shook his head, knowing the real reason why Rachel was sat at his desk attempting to convince him to see a movie he did not particularly want to see. He had not seen Zebediah in almost a week and a half, the doctor busy with an influx of appointments and engagements with ‘high class’ society, and Zebediah busy trying to avoid both the law and Thomas Gray’s lackies. There had been a recent increase in the amount of criminal movement, with Chief of Police Gregory Hale arresting gangsters left and right; and if he didn’t arrest them, he certainly shot them.
The Orchard wasn’t even able to be opened every evening like usual, only running for business when the heat from the bulls died down. It was all very tense.
“Well,” Allen said after a moment, voice thoughtful despite both Rachel and himself knowing what answer he was going to give, “I s-suppose it wouldn’t hurt, hmm? Wouldn’t w-w-want to leave you in the u-unsavoury hands of a m-man with the last name W-Walker - d-dangerous men with that last name.”
Rachel snorted, slipping off of the desk and straightening the back of her skirt before walking around the desk, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Allen’s cheek. “Thank you, hon - I swear, you won’t regret it! Meet me in front of the diner at around six, okay? It’s a late night showing, but that’s the best time to see scary movies! We might go to the Price Tag afterwards for some dinner, if the weather’s good. Enjoy the rest of your day, doc!”
She slipped out just as easily as she slipped in, Rachel always being the type to slide into places that she didn’t seem to belong. Shaking his head, Allen smiled to himself and looked back down at the papers he had been working on, flipping through a man’s file and wondering what it was he had just signed up for that night.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
“Zebby!”
Zebediah grinned as Adiel ran up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him in a hug. Lifting her briefly, he spun the sixteen-year-old around once, placing her down and stepping back from her.
“Let me take a look at ya, I’ve never seen ya in your school uniform before.”
Beaming at him proudly, Ellie held her arms out and spun in a slow circle, showing off the uniform. It was a dark blue plaid skirt that fell just above her ankles, with a white sweater trimmed in dark blue stripes at the collar, hem, and sleeve cuffs. The sleeves ended just below her elbows, the collar kept close to her neck (like any self-respecting female uniform should), and she wore white socks and dark brown shoes on her feet.
Her short hair (which she had gotten in trouble for with her school teachers, Gawain had told him after the first week Ellie had gotten it cut) was pinned back with simple barrettes, and around her neck was a necklace with a profile - her grandmother’s, to be exact. Zeb knew because he recognized it from the profile of Granmomma back at the orchard.
“What’cha think? Not as nice as some of my dresses, but it ain’t too bad!”
“Isn’t, Ellie-belly, you’re in a private school to learn how to be a proper lady.”
Ellie stuck her tongue out at her cousin, before running over to grab the satchel she had dropped when she had first seen him. Slinging it over her shoulder, she walked back to him and hooked her arm through his, allowing the older Walker to lead her off of the grounds.
“Where’s Gawain?”
“I asked ‘im if it would be alright for me to walk ya home today,” Zebediah explained, keeping his fedora tipped down low so that no one would recognize him from the papers. “Bit difficult to ask a deaf man, but we managed with some paper and some real slow talkin’. I haven’t seen ya in a while, and I’ve never seen ya at school, so I thought ‘why not’?” He crossed the street once sure that there was no incoming traffic, allowing Adiel to hop onto the sidewalk, guiding her like a proper gentleman.
“Well I don’t mind! I’ve missed you, Zebby.” She pressed her cheek against his arm, smiling fondly, before pulling back. “How’s Doctor Townsend?”
“Doc’s fine,” the gangster looked around to make sure no one overheard them talking about a big name like Townsend so casually. “Gonna see ‘im tonight, actually.”
“Ohh, can I come, too?”
“Oh, no, you’ve got homework, I’m sure.” Ellie sighed, making Zeb grin at the endearing girl. “No, you’ll be stayin’ home tonight. I’ll make sure to tell the doc you said hi, though, sound fair?”
“I suppose.”
The two continued to walk along the sidewalk in silence, Ellie looking up at the sky and Zebediah covertly checking out the street. He slowed down to a halt in front of a familiar bench, looking over to see a dirty-looking young man dropping breadcrumbs to the pigeons that pecked at both the food and his fingers.
“Can you hold on just a moment, Ellie? I got some quick business to take care of.”
“Kay!”
He separated from the girl, sliding over to the young man and sitting down next to him on the bench, watching as he fed the birds.
“…Nasty things, aren’t they?”
The man twitched, vibrant blue eyes staring at Zebediah uncertainly before he shuffled back a bit, fingers twitching over his coat and pulling it closer. He acted as though he were afraid Zeb would steal his coat and run off - preposterous really. Zebediah made enough money to buy himself nice suits.
“S’pose,” the man said after a moment’s hesitation, eyes looking around quickly before settling back on him, “but I like ‘em. ‘O are you, then?”
“I’m a friend of Justin’s - he would call me Zeb?” The gangster gave his friendliest smile, trying to remind himself to get rid of the sharp corners of the expression. He wasn’t sure how successful he was, but the young man seemed to relax at the mention of Justin. “Your name’s Stuart, right?”
“Stu,” he corrected, turning back to his birds. He reached out to pet one, wincing when it pecked at his fingers before nibbling at the crumbs in his hands. “Stuart’s what me da called me, and I don’ talk to ‘im no more.”
“Stu, then,” Zebediah nodded, folding his hands over his stomach and making himself comfortable. “…I wanna ask you something, Stu. Somethin’ only you’re know.”
“You wanna know where Thomas Gray’s gonna be t’morrow, yeah?” Zebediah narrowed his eyes, but nodded, waiting to hear what the other man had to say. “Though’ so. Justin told me you’d be askin’ soon - he said he told your giant friend that I’m the best t’ask.”
Justin had told Ezekiel that Stuart Rodgers knew the movements of Thomas better than anyone in Westfield - except for Dominic, but Dominic was practically impossible to reach unless you knew where he was. Stu only knew about Thomas because he stuck around his area of the city; unlike Justin, who favoured the streets closest to the Orchard.
“Indeed he did. Do you require anythin’ in exchange? Money, a meal, a favour?”
Stu shook his head, looking over at Zebediah with his frighteningly bright eyes.
“No, no - jus’ that you leave me alone afterwards. I don’ like talkin’ to fellas like you. Makes me feel like I’m bein’ watched by others.”
Zebediah smiled grimly, before he nodded. Leaning towards the homeless youth, he listened as Stu murmured where Thomas was most likely to be the next day, before scooting away from the gangster and turning his attention back to his birds. Standing up, Zebediah moved back to Ellie and offered her his arm, walking away from the bench and the man on it once she looped hers through his.
“What did he say?” Ellie asked, looking up at him curiously. Zebediah smiled, looking down at her before deciding that it was safe to tell his baby cousin - who was she going to tell, after all? She knew no one interested in Zebediah Walker’s movements.
“Thomas Gray will be headin’ towards the old hospital that closed down when the Townsends bought the hospital chain out. Apparently he’s got a bit of a meeting with his dealer there - and I’d like to surprise him.”
“The hospital on West and Fifth?”
“That would be the one.”
“You’re not goin’ alone, are you?” Zebediah snorted, shaking his head, and Ellie sighed in relief, squeezing his arm and leaning against him. “Thank goodness. I wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”
“No worries, Ellie-belly,” Zebediah reassured, turning a corner and heading towards a set of apartments just down the block, “I’ll be safe as can be.”
Neither noticed the man walking behind them stop and turn around after Zebediah had spoken, heading in the opposite direction.