Some Dark Stuff
Previously: The investigators encounter Team Alexa.
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2:36 PM - Thursday, November 6, 2014
3235 Pacific Ave, Presidio Heights, San Francisco
“I had it.” It was Ryan. He lifted his chin out of the hoodie and looked at Mark.
“How did you get it.”
“I forwarded it to myself from Tripp’s phone one night this summer. He didn’t even know. I deleted the text as soon as it went to my phone.” Mark raised an eyebrow, trying not to look impressed. “Tripp showed it to me, like I was supposed to be impressed with how they were bullying Alexa, and instead I knew that everyone needed to see what really happened.”
“And what about the video of Jen with Seb and Dash?” Jeannie asked. “You told us when we spoke on Monday that Alexa admitted she’d seen it, that someone had sent it to her privately on Pr3pSF.”
“Yeah. That’s what she told me.” Ryan agreed.
“Ryan told us that and we went into her DMs and found it.” Carolina admitted. “We didn’t touch it though — it’s, it’s just wrong.”
“And this video is still in Alexa’s DMs?” Mark asked. “Who sent it to her?”
“The account that just posted it, that whynotmefucker13 that menaces everyone.” MJ said.
“Do you know who that account is?” Jeannie prompted.
“It’s Tally.” Carolina admitted clearly. “She invited me to Pr3pSF so I know her handle.”
“Tally? But if Alexa and Seb were already broken up, why would Tally send that video it to Alexa? That doesn’t make sense to me.” Paco threw in, adjusting his stance by the bookcase.
“Because it’s gross and it shows exactly what kind of a pig Seb is —” MJ countered. “And she probably thought it would hurt her feelings. Or it would intimidate her somehow. I don’t know.”
Everyone was silent for a moment. Jeannie glanced at Mark who looked between her and Paco silently.
“Why would Tally post it publicly, and why now?”
Carolina scoffed. “It’s got to be something to do with Jen — put her in her place somehow. And maybe since Alexa didn’t react when she sent it to her? Maybe it was the only card she had to play.” Carolina sighed. “Tally looks down on Jen, well, everyone —”
“Carolina, Tally is one of your oldest friends —” Mrs. Parker sighed from the doorway.
“WAS, Mom. She was.” Carolina’s eyes darted to her mother. “Tally’s become such a bitch — why do you think she doesn’t come around here any more? She’s mean and shallow and manipulative and I don’t want to be around her.” Carolina’s voice broke as her tears started fresh.
“We have to be around her.” Zizi mumbled, pulling at the carpet fibers in front of her legs.
“Yeah, at Holy Heart, the class is so small we can’t get away from her.” MJ added. “And with the Cotillion coming up, she’s insufferable. Everything is about her pilates classes and beauty regimen and facials and body work and what dress she’s wearing to whatever party and and and.” MJ rolled her eyes and sighed.
“And Charlie is her escort?” Jeannie ventured mildly.
Both MJ and Carolina scoffed again.
“I’m not sure Charlie’s on board with that.” Carolina said softly.
“You mean because of this?” Jeannie pulled out the folded photo of Alexa and Charlie from her suit pocket and held it up. Carolina exhaled. Zizi and MJ looked stunned. Ryan looked at the picture and then back to the floor. “Which of you knew about this?”
“I knew.” Carolina whispered. “They were friends and then it just sort of happened.” She looked at Jeannie warily.
“I knew about it.” Ryan admitted. “But Alexa only told me right before Halloween when we were working on her costume. I thought he’d be another Seb and that she was just setting herself up for another bad dude.”
“Charlie’s not like that.” Carolina said quietly, wiping her eyes with her fingers.
“I know.” Ryan said to her. “But I didn’t know then.”
“I had no idea.” MJ admitted.
“Me neither.” Zizi’s face was pale, freckles in high relief.
“Why do you think they kept it a secret?” Jeannie asked the group.
Carolina shrugged a little. “Because of Seb, and Dash, and everything that happened in Tahoe, and because she didn’t want to have bets placed on her relationship like they were last year. She didn’t want it to be anyone’s business, and I agreed with her. I agreed with them both.”
“And Tally would be furious.” MJ added, staring off in the mid-distance.
“Why would Tally care?” Mark asked quietly.
MJ and Zizi shared a glance, while Carolina raised her eyebrows, moving to nestle next to Ryan on the floor.
“That was when she got snarky with me the first time — “ Carolina said, “when I dated Charlie in freshman year.”
“Yeah, I think Tally’s always had a crush on him even if she’d never admit it.” MJ added. “And when he came back from Europe it was even more. Something about that he went to Aiglon and plays water polo thing —” MJ made her voice sound posh as she said it. “She wanted a guy exactly like that.”
“We heard she had a thing with Dash Reilly.” Jeannie countered.
MJ raised her eyebrows and shook her head, scoffing again.
“Yeah, that happens sometimes.” Carolina agreed. “But it’s not like she’s into Dash. He’s just a hot guy she wouldn’t be too embarrassed to hook up with —”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” Mrs. Parker tossed out quietly, crossing her arms over her chest. “Does Linda Briggs know about this?” Her voice incredulous.
“I doubt it, Mom.” Carolina answered. “And don’t go telling her.”
“I have to agree with your daughter, Mrs. Parker. None of the information from this room can go beyond this room. By anyone.” Mark said sternly, looking at all of them in turn. The room was silent for a moment, as Mark’s words sunk in.
“Do you think Tally knew about Charlie and Alexa?” Paco asked from the bookcase. Everyone turned to look at him and considered.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. She finds out everything, it seems.” Zizi said first, now smoothing out the carpet with her palm, her red hair sliding down her shoulder.
“I don’t know. But I do know Alexa didn’t trust her.” Ryan said.
“Tell us more about that.” Mark encouraged.
“Alexa knew Tally was behind the whole Tahoe set-up. Like, she wanted Alexa to be another Jen, you know?” Carolina spoke up. “Someone who’d just be passed around. She didn’t want to like Alexa — she was, she was competition, you know? Smart, pretty, stylish, creative, good at sports…Tally didn’t like anyone being on her level. Plus, all the boys were after her. She was new, different. Tally would love to be new and different, but —”
“So she figured she slips Alexa some drugs and hands her around the boys at Tahoe, gets it on video and she’s done?” Jeannie asked, feeling sick about what the answer might be. They all looked at her, saying nothing. “Wow guys, that’s some dark stuff right there.”
“Yes.” Carolina whispered. “But Tally isn’t exactly Susie Sunshine.” She turned toward her mother quickly, “Do you see? Do you see why I don’t want to be friends with her?” Mrs. Parker’s face was contorted in shock, but she nodded slowly.
“That post on Pr3pSF about Alexa hiding in the guest house? Where did you find that?” Jeannie asked.
“She’d written it in a notebook — “ Carolina reached up to the desktop and pulled out a pink journal from a pile of papers. “It was in here — she read it to me around when school started when she came over one night. It’s when she told me everything about Tahoe, and Andrew.” Carolina flipped the book open to the right page and handed it to Jeannie. “She left it here weeks ago. I didn’t remember it until after the meeting on Sunday.” Jeannie read a few sentences and flipped through the journal which was only partly filled.
“We need to take this with us.” Jeannie said to Carolina who nodded.
“So the video posted on Pr3pSF just now, with Jen, Dash, and Seb — do you think Tally filmed it?” Mark asked them.
“I doubt it. I’m sure she left that up to Tripp.” Carolina said. “And then Tripp gave it to her and she sent it to Alexa, I think —” she looked over to Paco “I think she sent it as a way to rub salt in the wound about Seb.” Carolina was thoughtful for a second. “But Alexa didn’t even care, you know? By the time she got that video, she was over all of it. When she told me she got it she was kind of laughing, she thought it was ridiculous. She just wanted to focus on school and get into a college she liked.” Carolina shrugged. “She didn’t want to rehash anything from summer and deal with Seb and his mess.”
“And then she fell for Charlie?” Jeannie ventured. Carolina looked at her and nodded. It got quiet again for a moment.
“So Tripp keeps Tally in cocaine, but Tally’s calling the shots? That seems like an uneven exchange to me.” Mark said, tilting his head back a little.
MJ shrugged. “I think having Tally in his corner makes Tripp feel important.”
“Yeah,” Ryan agreed. “Remember — I said he does all these things to bring the guys around? I think Tally’s part of that formula too — she’s beautiful and rich and all the guys want her but she’s the queen, you know? No one can get with her.”
“But she hooks up with Dash—” Mark countered.
“Yeah, but Dash isn’t important to her. Dash will hook up with anything.” Zizi said, her blue eyes huge in her pale face. “Tally knows that, which is why she keeps him on a leash. It’s not like it’s going to ever be serious between them.”
“The one she wants to be serious with was into Alexa.” Carolina offered simply.
Mark nodded slowly, folding his arms across his chest.
“Okay, do any of you know if there are more videos out there, either from Tripp or Tally?” Everyone silently shook their heads slowly. “Okay good. And if you come across one somewhere you are NOT to post it, do you understand? What was posted today is tantamount to illegal, non-consensual sexual content. We aren’t even sure anyone in the video knew they were being filmed. Whomever posted it is facing some major federal charges, guys.” Mark made eye contact with all of them. “In fact, I’d say you need to take a break from being Alexa’s ghost from this point on just to be on the safe side. I realize you’re trying to help, but you need to let us take care of it from now on.”
The kids glanced between each other and then nodded.
“I have one more question for you —” Paco asked quietly, almost startling everyone after being an unmoving statue in the corner. “Do any of you remember who was in a trench coat on Halloween? Anyone other than Tripp Hartman in his flasher costume?”
“Tally — “Carolina started, scrambling to her feet from the floor. She pulled open her closet door on the side of her bed, revealing a deep, messy array of clothes. She reemerged with a brown Whole Foods bag which she handed to Jeannie by the handles. “I forgot. She asked to borrow mine; I loaned it to her before Halloween. It’s weird though because I don’t remember her having it at the party. I guess she walked home and got it before everyone went to Inspiration Point? I don’t know.” Jeannie pulled the handles apart slightly and looked down into the bag. A tan garment was folded up neatly inside. “When we were at Tripp’s — you know, waiting for an Uber after the party? She found this grocery bag and put the trench in it for me to take home. I just put it in the closet and forgot to hang it up. I haven’t touched it.”
Carolina’s deep, teary eyes gave Jeannie a meaningful gaze, as though she knew the import of what she was giving them. Jeannie swallowed hard, finding her mouth was completely dry.
“Thank you.” Jeannie whispered.