So It was a Rumor?
Previously: Jeannie and Mark get some insight into Pr3pSF from Tyler Shea.
12:55 PM - Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Xavier Prep, Outer Richmond District, San Francisco
“I - I don’t know any plan.” Tyler’s eyes darted between Jeannie and Mark, his face helpless. Both looked at him silently. “I - I didn’t know about the masks until I got to Tripp’s house that night.”
“Hmmm. Did you know about the Tick or Tito’s?” Jeannie asked, raising an eyebrow. She thought if he knew one thing he may know another thing, and another and another.
“Well - yeah? Like, we all did.”
“”We all” who, exactly?”
“Like, all of us who hang at Tripp’s — his Dad bought them for the party. There’s always booze at Tripp’s house. They let us drink there. His - his Mom says it’s so she can keep an eye on us when we do it, but —”
“But Tripp’s Mom is never really around, is she?” Tyler gulped and shook his head slightly.
“Okay,” Mark began, “so you knew about the Trick or Tito’s before Friday night, but the wolf masks were some kind of impulse-buy surprise?” He folded his arms across his chest, still perched on the table to face Tyler.
“I - I guess so, but you never know what Tripp’s gonna do, he’s just like that. Like, if it occurs to him to do something crazy or wild or something that will get attention, he just does it.” Both Jeannie and Mark considered Tyler silently. Looking up at Mark, Jeannie saw the corner of his mouth raised in a slight smirk as he looked at the kid.
“Tyler, here’s a different thing we’d like to know more about: did any of the guys other than Seb have a thing for Alexa? I mean, we know Seb had his territory pretty well-marked, but was anyone looking on the sly, making a move behind the scenes?” It was Mark’s turn to offer a head-tilt. Tyler’s tear-streaked face looked at him, a realization forming. His chest stuttered slightly but started slowing. Tyler stretched his mouth, but had to lick his lips.
“Maybe?” He said softly.
“Maybe, so it was a rumor?” Mark countered, receiving a slight nod in return. “Is it the kind of rumor that would have been wide-spread, like put up on Pr3pSF, for instance?” Tyler shook his head. “So, it was a rumor among just a select few?” Tyler looked at the floor, finally giving a half-shrug-nod combination. “Spill.”
“Let’s -let’s just say, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dash were making a play.”
“Seb’s best friend was trying to get with the girl who dumped him?” Jeannie scoffed, smiling in spite of herself. “We heard they like to “share”, shall we say? But I feel like this is a stretch.” Jeannie pursed her lips and shook her head at Tyler. “Try again.”
“No - what? No, that’s who I think was trying to get with her - I mean, Dash talks about her all the time. I mean, mostly when Seb isn’t around, but he’s always bringing her up, asking if she’s going to be at someone’s party or whatever.”
“Did he really think he had a chance?” Tyler rolled his eyes at her.
“I mean, Dash gets whomever he wants. So does Seb.” Jeannie wanted to reveal the contents of the Tahoe statement to counter this, but thought better of it. If Tyler thought Dash was making a move, maybe there was something to it.
“So was Dash engineering some kind of alone time with Alexa on Halloween?” Mark asked.
“I - I don’t know, like, I’m not his babysitter.”
“You aren’t?” Mark snapped. “I could do without the sarcasm Tyler, or do I need to remind you that a girl is currently in the morgue because of what happened on Friday night?” His voice was low and controlled, making him even more intimidating. Jeannie stood slowly and perched next to Mark to face Tyler squarely. Tyler’s face was florid red at this, eyes wide with fear. “Everyone calls you Shady, is that right? Okay Tyler, I’ll make a deal with you. - I’d like to see how shady you really are. You help us with a few little tasks and we’ll remember how cooperative you were when we sort out exactly what happened to Alexa Thomas.” The kid surveyed him from below, fear pouring off of him. Jeannie wouldn’t have been surprised if Tyler had wet his pants.
“Oh - okay, what do you mean?”
Twenty minutes later, Jeannie escorted Tyler Shea to the door of the library where he exited out into the student center. Just outside of the door, the librarian stood with a boy and girl who looked remarkably alike. Jeannie noticed the boy exchange a hard look with Tyler as he left.
“Vincent Parisi?” She asked the newcomer. He gave her a curt nod, dark eyes narrowed. “You can head inside and meet my colleague, Agent Greenberg.” The kid hunched his backpack up higher and made his way over to Mark at one of the study tables. “Can you possibly call the Dean and have him join us for this interview?” She asked the librarian sweetly. The librarian moved inside to find the phone, while Jeannie faced the girl who was standing there, shuffling her feet.
“Are you Angela Parisi?” The girl nodded slightly, large brown eyes fringed with plentiful dark lashes. Thin, with spindly limbs, her glossy brown hair was cut into a chin-length bob, tucked behind her ears.
“Hi - I’m Jeannie Hagen, I’m with the SFPD. I also used — “
“Yeah you used to go here, I know. I know who you are.” Angela’s voice was low and soft, but had a sharpness to it.
“Great, I guess you saw me on Pr3pSF with everyone else, eh?” Angela simply stared at her. “Let’s go sit over here for a second.” Jeannie motioned to one of the benches in the student center. The second lunch period had ended, so the student center was mostly empty, almost silent compared to the hubbub they’d arrived into. Angela reluctantly joined Jeannie on the bench.
“I didn’t know Alexa Thomas, if that’s what you want to know.” Angela blurted out.
“Hmmm. I find that hard to believe, Angela. I know you were both at a number of the same parties, moved in the same circles — everyone seems to know that.”
“I know, but like, I didn’t know her. We weren’t friends. She dated Seb — it wasn’t like I instantly became friends with her just because she dated my brother’s friend.” This was said childishly, petulantly. Jeannie was beginning to understand the “Goody Goody” nickname the other girls had given Angela.
“Angela, you’re awfully defensive out of the gate. This isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.” Jeannie peered at the girl who didn’t seem to want to meet her eyes. Jeannie sighed and waited for some kind of an opening from the girl. Angela sat bunched up with legs and arms crossed, her backpack hanging off of her back. “I - I actually wanted to know about you and Tripp.” Jeannie finished gently. Angela glared at her in surprise.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“We’ve heard that you and Tripp, I don’t know, maybe you’re dating? Is that true?”
“I…” Angela huffed a sigh. “I don’t know that he’d say that.”
“Okay, well how would you describe it?”
“I - I mean, we went to prom together and usually when Vin goes over to his house I - I come along? I don’t know. Just because I’m there doesn’t mean we’re dating. I don’t even know if Tripp likes me that much.”
“Do you like him?” The girl sighed again.
“Tripp is…he isn’t someone you like. He’s just, the guy at the center of everything.”
“Would you call him…I don’t know, charming? How does a guy like Tripp become the center?”
“No. Not charming. Not fun. Not pleasant, really. Not anything. He’s not anyone I’d really want to be with, but it just sort of happens that we get paired up. A lot of us go out as a group, and if he needs a date sometimes then it’s me. Dash and Seb always have girls around already.” She shrugged a frail shoulder.
“Has he ever made out with you or have you kissed him, or anything else?” Angela shrunk back and looked at Jeannie like she was crazy. “I don’t mean to be too personal, I —”
“N-no. No never. I mean, he tried once or twice, but like…it wasn’t…nice, I guess?”
“Is Tripp into any other girls?”
“No - I - I don’t think Tripp likes girls.” Angela said this quietly and Jeannie was a little surprised by this admission.
“Ah, okay, fair enough.” Jeannie nodded. “Do you think…do you think Tripp knows that?” This was a much heavier question than one she wanted to ask. Angela rolled her lips and shrugged her shoulders.
“I - I think he knows it.” Angela whispered. “But, it’s not like he’s going to admit it.”
“So then why sign up for this, Angela? Why not date someone you really like?”
“Well, that’s easy for you to say.”
“Ah, yes — I know that’s not how it always goes in high school. To be honest, it doesn’t get any easier as an adult either.”
“I saw your boyfriend though - that picture online. Is he still your boyfriend?”
“He is. But when I was your age he didn’t even know I was alive. He was my brother’s best friend, but it didn’t mean he noticed me.”
“But you’re pretty.” Jeannie felt herself blush.
“So are you, Angela. You should know that by now.” Jeannie said gently. “So, if you aren’t dating Tripp, why not go for someone else?”
“No - it’s not like that. Vin said I should just be around when Tripp needs a date, you know? Like prom and things, otherwise Tripp wouldn’t have anyone and that would be weird for him.”
“Well, that sounds like Tripp’s problem, not yours.” Angela met her eyes with surprise. “Look, I know what it’s like to have brothers and you want to hang with them and their friends, but you can choose not to, Angela. If Vin invites you to Tripp’s, maybe start saying no. You have a choice - remember that. Just because Vin is loyal to his friend doesn’t mean you have to be.” Angela inhaled sharply and looked at the floor, finally unwrapping her arms. She looked at Jeannie and nodded slightly in agreement. “Now, do you remember anything odd about Friday night? Did you have anything to drink - one of the Tito’s?”
“No, I don’t drink. I know that’s not cool, but I don’t like it.” Angela leaned forward a little. “I - I remember seeing Alexa though. At Inspiration Point?” She looked up at Jeannie.
“Where at Inspiration Point, who was she with?”
“She was with Seb. She was wearing Seb’s jacket - you know, over her dress? That girl Jen Tyson came up to them and gave them some of the Tito’s bottles. I heard her say that Alexa was behind on her drinks or something like that.”
“And then?”
“I saw Seb take some of the bottles - he drank one right away, and I think Alexa did too, actually. And then it got kind of wild, like, the boys were sort of zooming around with these wolf masks on? They were being stupid and making all kinds of howling sounds, running around people. And then they kind of ran off and Seb sort of went after them, but then some girls sort of surrounded him and that’s favorite thing, you know?”
“So, where did Alexa go?”
“She was sort of standing there with Jen for a second and then Jen seemed to tell her something and gestured to the trail, like? And then they walked off together. It was so dark over there — I don’t know why they went, maybe to go after the boys? I don’t know. But the next time I saw Jen was way later, like when we started to go back to Tripp’s — she and Seb were up in the parking lot making out. But I didn’t see Alexa again.”
“Officer Hagen? I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.” It was the Dean rushing toward them. Both Jeannie and Angela stood. Jeannie was internally reeling from what Angela had just revealed.
“Thank you for coming, we should go inside.” Jeannie turned to Angela. “Angela, thank you. You’ve been very helpful and I enjoyed talking to you. We may need to speak with you again sometime, so we will let you know, okay? You can go back to class for now.” Angela gave her a faint smile and trotted off.
“Everything okay?” The Dean whispered as they moved through the library doors.
“Yes, of course. We just think it’s better that you’re here for this one.”