srsly
Author: Nathalia
Rating: PG
Challenge:
Candy Bar Crunch #5 - weak in the knees
Cheeseburger #10 - srsly
Extras / Toppings: blueberries (We need not think alike to love alike. - Ferenc Dávid), caramel, gummy bunnies (500themes: faceless and nameless), malt (Summer Challenge: There's a lotta things about me you don't know anything about. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand.), pineapple (Five For Fighting - Note To The Unknown Soldier)
Word Count: 956
Story: Dissenters
Summary: Kennedy finally finds out more about Joseph.
Notes: Before this, Kennedy spends over a week investigating Joseph without finding anything. This didn’t turn out like I thought it would. At all.
“I wish I knew more about him,” Kennedy sighed, plopping down on a chair. “I unearthed him but I haven’t been able to unearth anything about him.”
She had come to see her mother while she waited for a result from the examination of the bones. She didn’t know how long that would take but she had sent Helena, Ripley and Max home to sleep. She knew she wouldn’t sleep until the bones had been examined and the results were in -- even if it took several days.
The metal case they had found in Barnes’ grave was in the back of her car. She had started trying the combinations for the lock but so far, she hadn’t had any luck. She would have to find a lock picker to take care of this, not wanting to take any risks. There was a reason this case had been buried with Barnes.
“This case you’ve been working on?” Her mother asked and Kennedy nodded.
“It’s frustrating. The file was redacted and I can’t find anyone who’d be willing to talk about him. It’s as if the whole world swore a pact to never talk about Barnes once he died.”
Stella who had been arranging the flowers on the mantle piece suddenly stopped mid-motion. “What did you just say?”
“It’s as if the whole world swore a pact never to talk about him,” Kennedy repeated. “I’ve talked to Hobbie and he downright refused to give me anything and said it was none of my business.”
“What’s his name?” Her voice was weak and shaky and she seemed to have completely forgotten about her flowers.
“Barnes,” Kennedy supplied, confused. “Joseph Barnes.”
Stella looked like she had seen a ghost and if not for the mantle piece she managed to grip to tightly, Kennedy thought she would have fallen.
“Mom, is everything okay?” She hurried to her mother’s side and slipped an arm around her waist.
Slowly, she led her back to the couch. Kennedy wasn’t sure what to do, didn’t understand this sudden change of temperament her mother was going through. Kennedy had mentioned other people who were long dead to her mother in the past and never had she reacted like this. Barnes shouldn’t be an exception.
“Tell me what you found,” Stella instructed Kennedy as soon as she had sat down. Her blue eyes left no room for protest.
“Fingerprints on Van Sciver’s death scene and also on Flores, there was also a partial that matches his on Rachmaninov’s. We thought he might not be dead, it’s still not confirmed though both dad and Hobbie told me they were completely sure he was.”
“He is,” Stella whispered. “He’s dead.”
“Dad said he saw him die,” Kennedy added, “so I believe him but we still had to check.”
“Was the case still in there when you dug him out?” She had taken a few deep breaths and seemed much more like herself now though she was still eerily pale and was gripping her knees with her hands unnaturally.
“Yes,” Kennedy admitted hesitantly. “How did you know?”
It had been a secret, not written down in any paper work. How did she know? It didn’t add up.
“I was the one who allowed it to be placed in his grave.” She looked away, her eyes staring at nothing in particular, just not to look ad Kennedy. “And I had to promise never to try to find out what’s in there.” She paused to look to her daughter once again. “What was it? What did you find in there?”
“We haven’t been able to open it yet. The combination is a pain in the ass.”
Kennedy decided not to ask questions. Each one she wanted to ask would lead to so many more and her mother didn’t look like she would answer any of them until she had gotten all the answers she wanted and that might take a while.
Something was obviously wrong here. Barnes had been above Stella in the chain of command. Why have her approve of the placing of the case? He had been Dennis’ friend though they had lost touch in their youth. Then why did Stella who had only started dating Dennis much later seem so interested in all of this? She hadn’t known him through Dennis, not well, at least Kennedy assumed so.
Stella leaned forward to the coffee table and picked up Kennedy’s notepad and pencil that lay on it. She scribbled something on it and handed it to Kennedy.
“Try this.”
Kennedy looked at the string of numbers that were formatted like a date, still legible in her mother’s small handwriting.
“That was the combination he used on everything.” She took a deep breath. “He locked it. I don’t know why. Somewhere in his work, it apparently became necessary that he took some of his work to his grave with him.”
“I don’t understand any of this, mom.”
“I don’t expect you to. I don’t understand everything about it either and I’ve spent thirty years trying to find the answers.”
She looked so infinitely sad that Kennedy wanted to hug her but at the same time, she was apprehensive about all of this, her confusion bordering on disbelief.
“If there’s anything you need to know, ask me. I can’t say I knew everything about him but aside from your father, I’m probably the one who can tell you the most about him?”
“Why?” Kennedy forced out, unable to think of another thing to say.
“Your father told you about a girl, didn’t he? A girl Joseph was with and who found out he had turned heel?” She spoke so softly that Kennedy had to strain her ears to hear.
“That was me.”
Rating: PG
Challenge:
Candy Bar Crunch #5 - weak in the knees
Cheeseburger #10 - srsly
Extras / Toppings: blueberries (We need not think alike to love alike. - Ferenc Dávid), caramel, gummy bunnies (500themes: faceless and nameless), malt (Summer Challenge: There's a lotta things about me you don't know anything about. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand.), pineapple (Five For Fighting - Note To The Unknown Soldier)
Word Count: 956
Story: Dissenters
Summary: Kennedy finally finds out more about Joseph.
Notes: Before this, Kennedy spends over a week investigating Joseph without finding anything. This didn’t turn out like I thought it would. At all.
“I wish I knew more about him,” Kennedy sighed, plopping down on a chair. “I unearthed him but I haven’t been able to unearth anything about him.”
She had come to see her mother while she waited for a result from the examination of the bones. She didn’t know how long that would take but she had sent Helena, Ripley and Max home to sleep. She knew she wouldn’t sleep until the bones had been examined and the results were in -- even if it took several days.
The metal case they had found in Barnes’ grave was in the back of her car. She had started trying the combinations for the lock but so far, she hadn’t had any luck. She would have to find a lock picker to take care of this, not wanting to take any risks. There was a reason this case had been buried with Barnes.
“This case you’ve been working on?” Her mother asked and Kennedy nodded.
“It’s frustrating. The file was redacted and I can’t find anyone who’d be willing to talk about him. It’s as if the whole world swore a pact to never talk about Barnes once he died.”
Stella who had been arranging the flowers on the mantle piece suddenly stopped mid-motion. “What did you just say?”
“It’s as if the whole world swore a pact never to talk about him,” Kennedy repeated. “I’ve talked to Hobbie and he downright refused to give me anything and said it was none of my business.”
“What’s his name?” Her voice was weak and shaky and she seemed to have completely forgotten about her flowers.
“Barnes,” Kennedy supplied, confused. “Joseph Barnes.”
Stella looked like she had seen a ghost and if not for the mantle piece she managed to grip to tightly, Kennedy thought she would have fallen.
“Mom, is everything okay?” She hurried to her mother’s side and slipped an arm around her waist.
Slowly, she led her back to the couch. Kennedy wasn’t sure what to do, didn’t understand this sudden change of temperament her mother was going through. Kennedy had mentioned other people who were long dead to her mother in the past and never had she reacted like this. Barnes shouldn’t be an exception.
“Tell me what you found,” Stella instructed Kennedy as soon as she had sat down. Her blue eyes left no room for protest.
“Fingerprints on Van Sciver’s death scene and also on Flores, there was also a partial that matches his on Rachmaninov’s. We thought he might not be dead, it’s still not confirmed though both dad and Hobbie told me they were completely sure he was.”
“He is,” Stella whispered. “He’s dead.”
“Dad said he saw him die,” Kennedy added, “so I believe him but we still had to check.”
“Was the case still in there when you dug him out?” She had taken a few deep breaths and seemed much more like herself now though she was still eerily pale and was gripping her knees with her hands unnaturally.
“Yes,” Kennedy admitted hesitantly. “How did you know?”
It had been a secret, not written down in any paper work. How did she know? It didn’t add up.
“I was the one who allowed it to be placed in his grave.” She looked away, her eyes staring at nothing in particular, just not to look ad Kennedy. “And I had to promise never to try to find out what’s in there.” She paused to look to her daughter once again. “What was it? What did you find in there?”
“We haven’t been able to open it yet. The combination is a pain in the ass.”
Kennedy decided not to ask questions. Each one she wanted to ask would lead to so many more and her mother didn’t look like she would answer any of them until she had gotten all the answers she wanted and that might take a while.
Something was obviously wrong here. Barnes had been above Stella in the chain of command. Why have her approve of the placing of the case? He had been Dennis’ friend though they had lost touch in their youth. Then why did Stella who had only started dating Dennis much later seem so interested in all of this? She hadn’t known him through Dennis, not well, at least Kennedy assumed so.
Stella leaned forward to the coffee table and picked up Kennedy’s notepad and pencil that lay on it. She scribbled something on it and handed it to Kennedy.
“Try this.”
Kennedy looked at the string of numbers that were formatted like a date, still legible in her mother’s small handwriting.
“That was the combination he used on everything.” She took a deep breath. “He locked it. I don’t know why. Somewhere in his work, it apparently became necessary that he took some of his work to his grave with him.”
“I don’t understand any of this, mom.”
“I don’t expect you to. I don’t understand everything about it either and I’ve spent thirty years trying to find the answers.”
She looked so infinitely sad that Kennedy wanted to hug her but at the same time, she was apprehensive about all of this, her confusion bordering on disbelief.
“If there’s anything you need to know, ask me. I can’t say I knew everything about him but aside from your father, I’m probably the one who can tell you the most about him?”
“Why?” Kennedy forced out, unable to think of another thing to say.
“Your father told you about a girl, didn’t he? A girl Joseph was with and who found out he had turned heel?” She spoke so softly that Kennedy had to strain her ears to hear.
“That was me.”