18 Apocalypse Ave - Early Evening

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

Mary sits in a rocking chair on the front porch next to a table with a small pot of tea and a plate of delightful looking little sandwiches.

She's sipping her tea, watching the sun go down and humming to herself...

"Hmmmm mmmm mmm hmmmmm mmmm mmm, The little old bird woman comes, in her own special way to the people she call, hmmmm mmm mmmm..."

[[ooc: waiting for somebody, but otherwise open.]]

Comments

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

She'd blown out of Jarod's place so fast on Saturday, that she hadn't grabbed any of M's things. Food, kitty basket, toys-- so, time to see if Jarod had changed the locks. Parker walked up to 18 Apocalypse Avenue, and walked through the gate. "Hello?"

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm mmmmm mmmm tuppins...

"Hello." Mary says pleasantly.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Hi. I'm Parker, and I'm looking after Jarod's cat while he's-- gone." Parker swallowed. "I've got a key to his apartment, and I'd like to go up and get a few things for M, if that's all right?" Thinking about it a moment, Parker added, "Ma'am."

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

To Mary's mode of thinking, is she had a key then it was obviously perfectly fine that she use it. But the act of asking if it's okay indicated that the girl's intentions might not be entirely honorable.

And she called Mary "Ma'am".

Mary is a "Miss", not a "Ma'am".

While she is a proper and dignified lady, she does not look nearly old enough to be a "Ma'am".

*sniff*

"Well, let's see if it is." Mary said setting her tea aside and standing up.

She reached into her pocket and brought out her tape measure.

"Do you know how tall you are?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker cocked her head, and raised an eyebrow, but answered, "Five feet nine inches, last time I checked. But I think I'm still growing." She gave the tape measure a curious glance. "Why?"

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

"We're going to see how you measure up." Mary said walking up to Parker and dropping the tape measure and trapping it under the end of her smart button up boot.

She raised the tape measure up to the top of her head.

"Don't slouch please." she said very business like.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I never do," Parker answered, but made extra-sure her spine was straight, studying the tape-measure in the woman's hand. "What's this in aid of, Miss-- Ms.? I'm afraid I don't know your name."

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

"Poppins." Mary said squinting at Parker's measurement. "Mary Poppins. I'm a teacher at the school."

From her other pocket she produces a small magnifying glass which she trains on the tape measure.

The text is very small.

"And what is your name my dear?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Parker. Miss Parker." She may not use the first name, but the last name seems too informal at the moment. "I'm a student there, a senior. What do you teach?"

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

"Cross Species Communication." Mary answered.

Once she got the text in focus she read...

"When she is good, she is very very good. And when she is bad, she is absolutely horrid..." Mary gives Parker a small smile. "Which are you today Miss Parker?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker blinked, her face heating up with embarassment. "I think probably both at once, today." Her eyes narrowed. "You don't mind if I take a look at that, do you?"

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

Mary passed over the tape measure and the magnifying glass.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

The tape measure said exactly what Miss Poppins had read off. Parker gave back the tape measure and rubbed at her eyes, mortified. "Well, yes. Um. I still need to get some of M's toys. And her bed. If you're not sure if I'm horrid today, you can certainly come with me to make sure." She folded her arms. "It's not like he'd care, anyway."

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

"Certainly, far be it from me to deny an innocent kitten access to her bed and toys." Mary said sitting back down and taking up her knitting.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Which left Parker non-plussed enough to simply say, "Thanks. I'll just be a minute."

His place was immaculate, except for a crack in the wall that hadn't been there before-- had he thrown something at it? Parker didn't stop to wonder for very long, but started gathering up the catnip mouse, the little rubber squeaky balls, the old ribbon than M liked to chase, and putting them all in her basket. One rolled away toward Jarod's closet, and she had to open the sliding door to get it out.

Reaching down to pick it up, she saw a flash of white hanging near the back. Carefully, she pushed a few of the suits back--

A doctor's coat. With a medical I.D. pinned to it. And hanging next to it, a serviceman's uniform, with lieutenant's decorations pinned to the front.

That's how he'd done it. The two trips off the island, Jarod hadn't just gone low-profile and Pretended to be an orderly, or a janitor, or some clerk; he'd faked up identities that would get him *real* access to the truth, and deceived a major hospital and the USAF into believing he was who he said he was.

He could've gone to jail if he'd gotten caught. Or worse, gone back to the Centre, if they'd had any clue what he'd been doing.

Parker stood there for a full minute, torn between laughter and rage and tears, then whirled around and put the toy back in M's bed. She stopped at the desk, studying it for a moment, wondering. Would he have left anything?

There was a red notebook in the bookcase right above the computer. Opening it, a dozen clippings, follow-ups on the two cases, fell out. A confession from the doctor at the hospital, talking about how he'd seen the light, the error of his ways-- what had Jarod done, to bring that about? Another, with witnesses to the serviceman's breakdown in California, *asking* to be arrested....

God, what had he been doing?

Parker folded the papers back up again, carefully, and put them in the bookcase with shaky hands. In a fit of fury and finality, Parker grabbed the clothes that she usually left there, and took them too, as well as her soap and shampoo. He'd lied, and he'd risked his life, and he hadn't told her anything that could've helped.... Then she grabbed the catbed and headed for the door, locking it behind her.

"Thanks for letting me stop by, Miss Poppins." She had her sunglasses on again, feeling a psychosomatic headache try to bloom again. "I appreciate it."

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

"No trouble at all Miss Parker." she said without looking up. "Happy to help."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Thanks. See you at school, maybe." Parker hurried out, closing the gate behind her as she headed for the school and the dorms.

And a day that had already sucked found a new low to descend to. Special.