Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Well…shit. This is familiar.”

Ophelia was standing beside her brother Vallejo at the lakeside, looking over the scene. There was a mix of police officers and patrollers around the scene, the patrollers largely pulling back after the police had arrived.

The five year time capsule (a footlocker) had been pulled up for the X Middle School Reunion (attended by the local high schoolers) and opened. The ceremony had already been ruined beforehand, as the footlocker seemed to have taken slight damage, which caused water to rush in.

It got much worse though, after Folsom and a few other higher up faculty decided to open the footlocker to see if they could salvage anything. Besides a few photographs sealed in a thermos and an old attendance record, there had been a body. Dressed in a Red Robin outfit, of all things, and skeletonized with only a few strands of hair on their skull.

This immediately attracted the attention of local police as well as the SBI, the High School Patrol, and the Safety Patrol.

Vallejo gave her a weird look, “Lia, what do you mean ‘this is familiar’? This has happened before?”

She replied shortly, “Tasha Martins case.”

“Oh…yeah I forgot you were on that. Do you think the two are related?’

Ophelia took a sip from her strange smelling water bottle and replied, “Maybe.”

The mood at HQ was grim and largely quiet. Even Danny was subdued as Vallejo stood in front of the group at the screen.

He sighed shakily, “Okay, listen up people. The local police are in charge of this but Folsom has given me permission to open some old files. Maybe you can go home and use these copies that Anza is passing out to help jog an older sibling or cousin’s memories. Maybe they know something useful and can take it to the police.”

A picture of a young smiling girl with black hair and tan skin popped up on the screen.

“Tasha Martins, aged 13 years old, would be turning 18 today, if she lived. Was a part-time member of the Red Robins, worked a lot of low level jobs. Tasha was a member of the gardening club and was helping that year’s yearbook committee out. Generally a good kid, there’s no evidence she was involved in the smuggling or the other criminal activities.”

Vallejo took a deep breath and continued, “She was murdered that year, right beside the docks. According to patrol and police reports, she’d been drowned and had tried to fight back. Sally Murphy and Jackie Kennedy were tried and convicted, there was a lot of DNA evidence they found under Tasha’s-oh crackers I can’t do this! Bishop, you take over!

Frank gave his friend a sympathetic look and continued, “They didn’t give a motive and it was assumed to be an opportunistic murder. Maybe this new body was the motive. Maybe someone saw something and was too scared to say or it didn’t seem odd at the time. Take those copies home and show them to your older relatives.”

Ophelia looked around the empty classroom they used as headquarters at X High School. It was dead silent.

She shifted the match in her mouth and took it out, “Who here remembers Tasha Martin’s case?”

Daniel Chestnut and several others raised their hands.

“Okay, great, that’s most of you. For those of you who don’t know, Tasha Martin was an X Middle School student who was murdered by two Red Robins five years ago. I was around 11 or 12 at the time, last case before I became the Commissioner there. I’ve got a list of people to talk to, people who might know something or who knew Tasha before she died. Maybe they’ll remember something that will help close this case for good or, at the very least, help identify the victim and give her family closure. Any questions?”

No one spoke.

“Good, get out.”

Daniel approached her, hands in his pockets, “How are you Vallejo?”

Ophelia ran her hand over her face and sighed, “I don’t know. Emotionally, I’m all over the place and mentally…well… let’s just say, this is shit Chestnut.”

“I know. I’m sorry” He seemed thoughtful and added, “Kennedy is a cousin of mine. I’ll talk to her, maybe she’ll be willing to talk now that Sally is out and away from her.”

The girl snapped, “Sally’s out? Since when?!”

“They let her out on good behavior two years ago, changed her name and everything. No one knows where she’s at now.”

Fillmore was sitting at Tony’s soda bar, staring at the paper on the counter. The older boy had given him a free Dr. Popper and peanuts to munch. Most people (besides Alistair) were giving him a wide berth.

“It’s a really good thing Ingrid called in sick today Clementina.”

The blonde nodded and washed a glass.

Alistair was drinking a koca-cola and eating pretzels, looking over the paper.

He shook his head and said, “I’m sorry Fillmore, my cousin Mandy was in hospital during that time period, all she’s ever said about it is what was on the news. I don’t think she knew Tasha either but I’ll still ask.”

“Thanks man, appreciate it” Fillmore picked up a copy of the photo, “She was so young.”

“She was.”

Fillmore sighed, “Makes you think: could I die like that? Taken out by two psychopaths, either for fun or as a cover up? Dawg, I can’t imagine what that must have been like for her family.”

Alistair leaned his head on Fillmore’s shoulder momentarily before sitting up straight.

Tony spoke up, making the two jump slightly, “My brother Gino knew Tasha, they had been dating. I’ll talk to him too.”

“Thanks Clementina.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Chapter Text

“Lia? I’m home.”

Vallejo walked in and hung up his coat. Lia was sitting at the kitchen table going over a case file, eating ramen with fried egg on the top. There was a bowl in front of an empty chair. She nodded and motioned to what was clearly his ramen.

He sat down and asked, “So, where’s mom and dad?”

“She’s got a 14 hour shift and Dad’s working late at the station. They put him on the Jane Doe case.”

“Ah.”

After a long silence, Ophelia stretched and clapped her hands together, seeming a little more upbeat than she had been over the past two days.

“Well, I think I have an idea where to start. You wanna go on a little field trip to the high school campus?”

“Um…sure?”

Vallejo couldn’t help but think that if his sister had told him they would be going into the woods surrounding the high school, he’d have stayed home. It was a little creepy even in the late afternoon and went up a hill.

Vallejo ran after Ophelia, panting, “Where exactly are we going? We are still on campus right?”

She was whistling cheerily as they walked, the shadows starting to get longer.

“Oh yeah, this part of the woods belongs to the school! We’ve got some club buildings back here.”

“Are they school sanctioned clubs?”

Ophelia nodded, “Some of ‘em, yeah.”

Wonderful, the stress had caused his sister to lose her mind and she was probably taking him to a fight club or something. If he tried to run, she’d definitely catch him. Even if he got away, he’d get lost, Lia was the only one of the two that knew her way around the sprawling campus. Maybe he could threaten her with a sharp stick?

As Vallejo considered all this, she suddenly grabbed him and pulled him beside her. He could hear loud music playing and a cacophony of voices from somewhere ahead of them.

“Okay, here’s the deal, most of these guys are okay but you still need to stay close. It gets a little wild sometimes.”

“Um…are we about to get stabbed? Are you taking me to a place where teenagers go to get stabbed?”

Ophelia let out a bark of laughter and replied, “Not technically, though stabbing is always on the table most nights.”

They walked into a clearing and Vallejo stared in disbelief. It was an old post office, repurposed to be some kind of clubhouse. There were teens dressed in punk clothes, most of them had piercings and a mix of real and fake tattoos. They seemed to be in high spirits.

“Ophelia, where the heck are we?”

Ophelia stood in front of her younger brother and spread her arms out theatrically, “Welcome to Deep Ellum! C’mon, let’s go inside.”

Vallejo held onto the back of his sister’s jacket as they walked up and then in. She nodded at one of the bouncers, a tall athletic boy in his mid teens, “Hey Jerry.”

“Sup Commish? Hey little dude! You must be Horatio, Lia talks about you all the time!”

Vallejo nodded at the older boy and replied, “Nice to meet you sir.”

“Aw, sir! You can just call me Jerry kid.”

“I physically cannot do that but okay.”

After they slid in a booth and Ophelia ordered fried pickles and two drinks (sprite and a virgin shirley temple), Vallejo turned to glare at his older sister.

“Lia, is this a bar? Did you take me, a 13 year old, to a friggin bar?!”

She shrugged, “Sort of? I come here a couple times a week, sometimes there’s alcohol.”

Vallejo buried his face in his hands and groaned, “Holy crap Lia, does mom know about this?”

“No, and if you don’t say anything, she never will. Besides, it’s mostly legal.”

“Mostly. Fantastic. Anyways, why are we here?”

Ophelia replied, “To see what we can see and hear what we can hear. A lot of these guys went to school with me- Tasha’s case has been going through school like wildfire- and, while most won’t talk to patrollers or cops directly, they have no problem letting us pick up on conversation.”

Vallejo politely thanked the waitress as she passed him his drink and took a bit of the pickles. 

He said through his mouthful, “So…we’re just listening for information?”

“Yep…oh fuck me.”

“What?”

Vallejo looked where she was looking and saw a tall bespectacled green spikey haired boy approaching them through the crowd. His hair stood out more than his clothes, the teen was wearing a plain blue shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.Vallejo was surprised he hadn’t seen him before with how much different the guy looked from everyone else, he had only one piercing in his ear.

He stopped in front of their table and glanced at Vallejo before giving Lia a disapproving look, “You brought your brother here Lia?” He spoke with a slight English accent.

“You brought your nasty ass attitude Ned?”

Ned sighed, “Well, you haven’t changed at all. Seriously though, why bring a kid?”

“Figured he could use the culture. Right Tio?”

A few feet away, Jerry broke up a fight and unceremoniously tossed one of the kids through the back door before slamming it shut and shoving the other kid back into his seat.

Vallejo said dryly, “I feel more cultured already.”

Ophelia glared at him and pointed with her fork, “Listen here wise ass, if you aren’t going to help me out a little, just be quiet and eat the pickles.”

Ned laughed and slid in beside Vallejo, “I like you kid. I’m Ned Davies.”

“Horatio Vallejo. Are you in the patrol or..?”

“I was, a long time ago now. I’m Ophelia’s old partner and X High School’s local PI. Bit of a thorn in your sister’s side most days.”

Ophelia snapped, “All days Ned, you are a thorn in my side every damn day. Why are you here and what do you want?”

Ned held up his hands, “Chill Lia, I’m not here to bother you. I’m here to investigate a case, figured I’d let you know about it, for old times sake. Terry Martin- Tasha’s older brother- hired me after finding out about the body in the lake. He thinks the two are connected-”

“No shit Constantine.”

The other boy ignored the commissioner “-and he also thinks Sally may be back in town, maybe to cover up evidence.”

Ophelia suddenly looked interested, “Really? Why would he think that?”

He slid a typewritten note across the table and Vallejo and Ophelia craned their heads to look at it. Vallejo’s stomach turned.

It read ‘SHE GOT WHAT SHE DESERVED. TOO BAD SHE NEVER GOT TO MOVE TO WALNUT ST. WITH YOU’. 

“He started getting these notes two years ago, no postmark on the envelope and, before you ask, no. The police did not find any DNA, they were all sealed with scotch tape. He recently moved to Walnut Street with his mom after they sold their house.”

Ophelia steepled her hands and asked, “How recently we talking Davies?”

Ned replied as he stole a pickle, “He moved three months ago, he got this letter around three weeks ago.”

“Huh. Chestnut mentioned Murphy had been released around two years ago and had changed her name. That doesn’t explain why she’d risk harassing the Martins though.”

Vallejo piped up, “Maybe she wanted them to move and the note was the last laugh?”

His sister looked at him curiously, “What makes you think that Tio?”

“The Walnut Street comment. It’s like she’s rubbing their nose in it or something.”

Ned said thoughtfully, “He’s got a point Lia. The letters were coming regularly, nearly every week for two whole years. Now he gets this one and suddenly the letters stop for two weeks?”

Ophelia rolled her eyes at him but nodded, “Seems likely. I’d like to get that note to Sun, if you don’t mind.”

“I figured, I photocopied it for myself. Let me know what you find. Nice meeting you Tio.”

“You too!”

Vallejo looked at Ophelia after he left.

“What?”

“So…what’s the story with him?”

She shrugged, “X Middle School Patrol Partner, left the Patrol after I became Commissioner due to…ideological differences between us. Decided to go the PI route and has been a pain in my ass ever since.”

Vallejo asked, “What ideological differences?”

Ophelia sighed heavily, “As a commissioner, you make decisions and a lot of them feel utterly shitty. The one that caused him to leave was that I let Gloria Bain off the hook for Tasha’s murder.”

“What?!”

The bar stilled and everyone looked at them for a second before continuing where they left off.

Vallejo hissed, “What do you mean, you let someone off for Tasha?”

“It’s a long story-”

“Believe me, we have time!”

Ophelia sighed, “Okay, so Gloria was Tasha’s ex best friend and a Red Robin member. She was friends with Murphy and Kennedy, was known for being violent, and had threatened Tasha a week before the murder. However, there was absolutely no physical evidence tied to the murder. Murphy and Kennedy claimed she’d been there but there was no CCTV footage of her following them to the docks. None of her texts or emails indicated a hit. Her alibi wasn’t that solid but again, there was no physical evidence at all.”

Vallejo asked, “But Lia, if that’s how it was, how could you let her off for something you couldn’t prove she was even involved in?”

Ophelia replied, “Because there were texts of them making up and planning to meet at the docks during the murder. Then, Gloria texted about being ill and not being able to make it about ten minutes before. But nothing indicated a hit and she was acting like she had been the victim because we were looking at her so close! There was a lot of pressure and I just…fuckin caved.”

Vallejo sat still for a long moment and then scoffed, “That’s all circumstantial! No good judge would convict based on that and the St. John Twins would have laughed you out of the legal club if you even suggested building an expulsion case on that. Heck, Damien has laughed at me, with more evidence than what you had!”

“Yeah, he’s a lot like Devon and Donnie that way.”

“And besides, Ned seems to really respect you in spite of that. He told you about Terry, right?”

Ophelia took a sip of her drink and replied flatly, “He did that because he doesn’t have the forensics tools and he knows I’m soft for him.”

Vallejo grinned.

“Shut Up.”

“You like him!”

“No! I Don’t Have Feelings! I am Bisexual!”

“...you do know what the definition of bisexual is, right?”

Chapter Text

Two Weeks Later

“What if it isn’t connected to Tasha?”

Daniel looked across at Ophelia, who was sitting at the picnic table with him, not eating her lunch of graham crackers and a single blueberry. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was drinking from a large thermos.

“When was the last time you slept, Lia?”

She gestured vaguely, “Tuesday.”

“It’s Friday. You really think you can solve the case if you aren’t sleeping? How are you taking care of Tio?”

Ophelia took a sip of her coffee and replied, “Sunil’s Energy Elixir. Coffee mixed with Red Bull and Five hour energy with a hint of cinnamon.”

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose, “Holy shi- Lia, that’s been known to HOSPITALIZE people! How did you even get that, he’s been banned from selling it!”

“I made it myself. I’ve been drinking it since last week, I think I’m becoming immune to it, I only lost consciousness twice today!”

Daniel snatched the thermos and poured it out on the ground. 

“Hey! Dick!”

The boy fended Ophelia off and snapped, “This is for your own good, Vallejo.”

A new voice piped up, “Um, excuse me?”

Both teens turned and saw Malika Stanyan standing nervously beside them.

The commissioner gave her an icy look, “Stanyan.”

Malika shifted uncomfortably and looked away. There was a long silence.

Daniel spoke first, “Any reason why you’re here?”

“I think I know something about the body in the foot locker. I tried going to the police but since it doesn’t connect to Tasha… Well, they won’t listen.”

Ophelia glared at the girl, “And what makes you think I will?”

Malika squared her shoulders and looked the teen in the eyes, “In spite of the fact that you are unfriendly, temperamental, and foul-mouthed, you care about people. That’s why you were elected Commissioner every middle school year and why you’ve been chosen at the high school level every year since sophomore year. You’re clean and you’ll do something, because you care.”

The older girl was (for once) at a loss for words. She ran her hand over her face.

“Why not talk to Tio?”

“He won’t talk to me but I figured you would.”

After a long silence, Daniel said gently, “I think you should hear her out, Lia.”

The Commissioner let out a long theatrical groan, “Fiiiine. Sit down Stanyan, before I change my mind.”

Malika sat by Daniel and asked, “Do you remember Cherry Astor?”

Ophelia sighed heavily and nodded, “Red Robin’s leader, was going out when you and Tio were coming in. Was climbing up the ranks of the High School chapter but there was a scandal involving her starting a smear campaign against the Bluebirds, rival group. She’s been banned from most clubs because of that, I think she mostly does the school paper as a photographer nowadays.”

The younger girl took a deep breath, “Good, so, we had a going away party for Cherry and the other senior members at the clubhouse. Not the one I made but the old one, by the lake, the one that got repurposed into a boathouse?”

Both the older teens nodded and Malika continued.

“Okay, so we lost track of Cherry at some point and I found her staring at the lake. I remember she said something about how glad she was that I was her successor. Then she said something about an ‘Olive Horning’ and how Cherry was sure SHE would be the successor but was weak-”

Ophelia interrupted, “Olive Horning? The foster kid, right? She ran away a lot, her folks reported her missing.”

Malike shivered, “I wish but I don't think that was what happened. She said Olive was weak and she had to go. I asked if she had sent Olive to another school or scared her away and then Cherry got the most evil look and said that she was in the lake. Then she held me underwater.”

Daniel sucked in a sharp breath and Ophelia cursed quietly.

“I was so scared, I thought she was going to kill me too, Lia- I mean Commissioner. But then Rosin, the twins' older sister, pulled her away from me and cussed her out. Cherry said something about doing her like she did Olive and Rosin broke her nose. It was a mess. Later I was told Cherry had been drunk and then Olive supposedly ran away. I just pushed it back.”

Ophelia put her hand on the girl’s shoulder, “Thank you for telling us, we’ll ask Rosin to corroborate your story, okay? You should get to class.”

After Malika left Daniel let out a low whistle, “That’s a story. What do you think of it?”

She set her jaw, “I think it’s true but we should still talk to Rosin, maybe get a warrant for her treehouse. I hear Cherry sleeps there, if there’s any evidence left, it’ll be in that place.”

After a confirmation from Rosin and a warrant from the legal club, Ophelia, Daniel, Niels, Jenny, Ryder, Sun (forensics), and Moira (profiler) were standing outside the treehouse.

Daniel started climbing first, “Good thing she’s working overnight this weekend. Let’s get it done.”

Ophelia went last. She took a look around and said to Ryder, “You and Jenny stay here and keep watch, just in case, okay?”

“Sure thing boss.”

With that, Ophelia climbed up.

After a long silence, Niels spoke, “So…Moira, what would you say the motive is?”

Moira looked around and stated in her flat voice, “Bad interior decorating.”

The wall was covered from top to bottom with photocopied articles of the Red Robins exploits, most of which were copies of the exact same articles. The windows were covered with cheap black blankets and the lightbulb had long since blown out, forcing them to use flashlights, which added to the eeriness. The floor was also papered with old diary entries and crafting magazine covers. 

Moira hung up her flashlight and Sun hung up his, lighting up the area, which was not an improvement. The treehouse had three rooms, the  main area, a kitchenette, and a room with a small staircase leading up to it.

Ophelia took charge, “Okay, Chestnut, Moira, and I will go upstairs. Sun and Niels will stay down here and see what they can turn up. Put everything back exactly where you found it and, If anything happens or goes wrong, either Ryder or Jenny will contact us and then we climb out the back window. Any questions? No? Good.”

Daniel opened the door and shone his flashlight around, “Well okay, this is weird.”

The two girls followed him. Moira stated into her handheld voice recorder, “New motive: obsession. Moriarty level shit.”

The room was practically a shrine to the Safety Patrol, specifically Ophelia. It was papered with articles and photographs. 

Ophelia peered at one and said in a tight voice, “This is me and Vallejo at Deep Ellum a month ago. A few of these go back fucking YEARS, I’ve only spoken to this girl twice! Once during the Martins case and then during the smear campaign, What the hell!”

She started hyperventilating. 

Daniel put his hand on her back and said, “Take three deep breaths, okay?”

“Fuck you!”

Moira sighed heavily and spoke into the recorder, “Vallejo is the target of the obsession and she is understandably losing her shit right now. Assessing to see if danger is physical or not.”

With that, the girl wandered off towards a shelf full of notebooks.

The teen boy glared at her before refocusing on his friend,  “C’mon Lia. Please, we need you to be calm, just breathe. Please?”

Ophelia shivered violently and took deep shaky breaths, “She’s stalking me, she’s been doing it for years, she’s stalking my brother, what the fuck Dan!”

Daniel tapped her on the forehead, “Focus on me, okay? Focus on me and breathe.”

After a few deep breaths, Ophelia was mostly normal again and Dan hugged her.

“The patrol and I have got you, understand? We won’t let anything bad happen to you or Tio. Okay?”

“Yeah. Okay.”

Moira walked back over and said, “Yes, friendship is all powerful. Anyways, I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that these notebooks have several written confessions to Olive’s murder. The bad news is, the danger is physical and imminent.”

Ophelia gave her a sharp look, “What do you mean Young?”

“Ryder has already informed the police but Cherry is going to your house or wherever she thinks she can find tiny Vallejo. She never said when though, which is troubling.”

Ophelia took off out of the room down the stairs.

Cherry was small, thin, blond, and nondescript looking. Or she would be if her face wasn’t split wide with a grin and she wasn’t wielding a machete. She was having a Good Day.

On the other hand, Vallejo was not having a Good Day. It started out fine, he was hanging out with Frank, and then Boom! Crazy teen had him and Frank at knifepoint by the old clubhouse after chasing them for nearly a mile after she charged into the soda bar and nearly stabbed Clementina. Vallejo was so scared he couldn’t speak.

Frank however chose anger instead of fear, “Piss off! What’s your problem?!”
Cherry rambled excitedly, “She’ll notice, she’ll notice for sure if it’s you!”

The profiler kept Vallejo behind him and snapped, “Notice what, that you're batshit crazy?”

The teen closed in on them and replied in a sing-song voice, “Swearing is rude, bad to swear.”

Frank responded in the exact same tone, “So is attacking strangers, you crazy-” He stopped abruptly, “Wait…you’re the photographer from the High School paper! Astor, right?”

“Smart! Too smart! Wish Commissioner Vallejo was half as smart” Cherry raised the machete as she backed the boys into the wall and snarled, all her cheerfulness replaced with cold evil, “Die now!”

Suddenly, a paintball struck her in the side and she shrieked in pain before being smashed across the face.

Ophelia stood over her, breathing hard, and pointing a paintball pistol at Cherry’s head.

Cherry smiled at her through blood, “Finally! Finally you noticed!”

“What the FUCK are you talking about?”

“I spent YEARS trying to get you to notice me! Years! You took down every criminal at X but you didn’t notice me, me! I was the leader of a baby mafia! I was attacking people in the halls and racketeering and you only ever sent Chestnut and Young after me!”

Daniel and Moira had caught up, also wielding paintball pistols. 

Ophelia stared at her. Cherry continued.

“So, I kept committing crimes! Worse and worse and then I hit on an idea! I could murder someone! Someone pitiable, that you would take interest in! So I drugged Olive, put her in the time capsule when no one was looking, dented it with a hammer, and then watched as the school killed her!”

Cherry cackled, any mask she ever wore was gone. A few other patrollers (middle and high school) had caught up, each having varying reactions of pure horror. Except for Moira and Karen, who were both recording and looked fascinated and horrified.

The girl’s face twisted and she whined, “And then they murdered Tasha! And Olive was reported as a runaway! You didn’t notice and I left clues for Chestnut! Clues with water and death on them!”

Daniel looked confused momentarily and then exclaimed, “You mean the brochures for a waterpark and a graveyard? I tossed those, I thought it was junk mail! You just wrote, ‘MEEEEE’ on them!”

Cherry ignored him, “AND THEN I realized something. The locker would come up in a few years, you’d notice then, you’d know right away! You’re clever, so clever. So I sent letters and I waited but STILL not noticed. Ned didn’t notice! But now you have. Tell me Vallejo, am I your greatest failure?”

There was a long silence and then Ophelia laughed. She laughed so hard she was doubled over.

“Why are you laughing?! Why is she laughing?! Don’t laugh at me!”

Ophelia caught her breath after a few moments and said, “You mean to tell me, this whole time, your whole thing was ‘Notice me Senpai?’ That’s your motive? Seriously?”

Frank said matter of factly, “I need you to know that you saying ‘notice me senpai’ has dealt psychic damage I can never recover from. Thank you for this cursed experience.”

Meanwhile, Cherry looked like she’d been hit, “But you-”

Ophelia sighed, “Look, I’ll level with you, the reason senpai never noticed you-”

Vallejo whispered softly to Frank, “You’re right, it just gets worse every time.”

She ignored him, “-Is because there was nothing to notice. You weren’t some criminal mastermind, you were and are just run of the mill evil mixed with full on crazy. You were nothing I hadn’t seen before and I’ve seen worse since then. If it weren’t for the murder you committed, and the fact you stalked me and my family for years, you could be wearing clown makeup for all the effect you have on me.”

Cherry looked like she might cry and then she lunged, taking several shots to the legs and then getting pinned by Daniel, Fillmore, and Niels.

She struggled and snarled, “I’ll kill your brother, I’ll kill Ned, I’ll kill Daniel, I’ll kill your parents, and then I’ll kill you! Say I’m your greatest failure, say it!”

Ophelia stood as the police arrived and said flatly, “My greatest failure is private and personal, in other words, none of your business. You aren’t even close to it. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’d better let the cavalry do their jobs. Have fun in jail Ma Barker.”

“So, I might need some serious therapy after all that.”

Daniel nodded and took a sip of Pepsi, “Amen.”

They were sitting out on the front porch in the early Saturday evening, watching Moira and Ryder teaching the middle school patrol (plus Malika) to play a game called Grandmother’s Footsteps, it seemed similar to Red Light/Green Light. Ned had come over and was arm wrestling Sun and losing badly. The other high school patrollers had all gone home.

After a moment, Ophelia quietly said, “Hey Dan?”

“Yeah Lia?”

“Thanks for helping me when I freaked. Besides Ned, I think you might be my best friend.”

Daniel nudged her playfully, “Hey, anytime you need, I’m for sure here for you.”

She shoved him lightly, “Sap.”

“Jerk.”

They sat in comfortable silence. The night was cool. Tio had won the game.