Just Starting Out
1.20 - An Urgent Email
Cassandra shut and locked her bedroom door, and let out a deep breath, leaning against it. It was clear to her now. Something wasn’t right. That interaction with her dad…
“Mitch is legitimately crazy, Dad, you know that?” Cassandra had said when she came home.
Mortimer’s only response was to grunt into the plate of- whatever he was eating. Looking closer, Cassandra noticed that whatever it was looked raw.
She chose to ignore it. “Apparently, he’d reducing his own secret service’s pay and members to use an outside company. All because it’s cheaper. The government gets richer, but at what cost? People loose their jobs, and don’t even get me started on how much harder it’s going to be for Mitch to maintains secrecy with a company full of people who aren’t even screened.”
Mortimer finished the meat he was eating, and started licking the plate.
At that point, Cassandra had to say something. “Uh, dad. No offense, but are you okay? This whole thing isn’t right.”
“Just fine,” he said with a mouth full of food.
Cassandra nodded slowly, and started backing out of the room. Mortimer went back to licking the plate, and Cassandra hurried up the stairs to get to her room.
And that brings her up to the present, where she moved away from the door to sit at her desk. Cassandra sighed to herself.
She’d noticed something off with both Mortimer and Bella in recent times. Bella, while she’d always regularly vanished off into the night without a word of warning, was doing it every night now. Mortimer had days where he was as well spoken as usual, to days like this one, where he could barely speak and didn’t act like the refined gentleman he’d always made himself out to be. Not to mention that both refused to leave the house during the day time without an umbrella anymore. At first, Cassandra had assumed that it was another of their many attempts to appear classy, but every day? It was just odd.
She had no choice. Cassandra opened up her laptop, and hurriedly typed out an email.
A few hours later, John got home from a lunch with Lillian. They’d made up not long after Lillian had her outburst, but things were still rocky whenever she visited the house. It was probably because of Malcolm’s presence that Lillian kept requesting they meet elsewhere.
He walked into the office, and was surprised to find neither Kayla or Malcolm in there. They’d probably gone for a walk in the park. Now that the weather was warming up, they went and did that once or twice a week. John sat down in front of a computer and logged in. He was very pleased to find an email from Cassandra, but the more he read, the more concerned he got.
Hey John,
No news about my work with Mitch today, there’s something way more urgent I need to talk to you about. Both my mom and dad have been acting… just off. They always go out at night, and have started eating the weirdest things- I’m worried they might be sick, or they’re both going through something they can only deal with at night that they’re afraid to talk to me about… Anyway, I’m sending this email to beg you and whoever you want- Kayla, Malcolm, Lillian, whoever- to come out here and help me figure out what’s going on. I’m way too busy with work to focus entirely on what’s going on, and Alexander is too much of a bratty teen to help me with anything right now. You guys are my best hope.
Hope to see you soon!
Cassandra
It was clear to John. He, Kayla, and Lillian had to get out there to help Cassandra as soon as possible. And Malcolm would probably have to tag along as well, because there was no way Kayla would permit what she saw as poor tortured Malcolm to be left sad and alone in their home.
John called them all up, and said they had to meet.
Within the hour, the four of them were seated around the dining room table. Lillian was, as usual, staring daggers at Malcolm, but Malcom had gotten used to ignoring it.
“…so, in conclusion, Cassandra needs our help,” John said, wrapping up his speech.
“Well, hey, you know I’m down John,” Kayla shrugged. “I love Cassandra, and traveling to Willow Creek means we get to see mom and dad, and maybe I could even pay Melody a visit.”
Malcolm sighed. “I guess I have nothing better to do.”
Everyone looked to Lillian.
Visibly panicked, she started talking quickly. “I mean, I totally would have, but he’s going! I don’t want to spend time traveling with freaking Malcolm Landgraab!”
Malcolm looked down at the table awkwardly.
“Okay, we understand, Lillian,” John said gently.
Lillian let out a visible sigh. “Look, I just want you all to know that I’m not the villain here, alright? I sure feel like it right now, but I’m not! It’s just, a Landgraab?”
“We all understand why you’re not fond of Malcolm, Lillian,” Kayla interjected.
Lillian pushed back her chair, and stood up. She marched over to John, and gestured for him to stand up.
Once he did, she gave him a kiss, then stepped back. “Look. I wish you all every bit of luck in figuring out whatever Cassandra’s problem is. I hope you understand that. Love you, John!”
Lillian then quickly hurried out of the house, closing the front door behind her before anyone had a chance to say anything else.
“Well,” Kayla said quietly. “Looks like it’s just the three of us, then!”
“Alright. Fine,” John said. “She would have been a valuable asset and Cassandra needs the help, but there’s no swaying her.”
“Probably better Lillian isn’t there,” Malcolm muttered. “If that bitch had to spend more than an hour with me, I don’t think I’d make it out alive…”
“Malcolm!” Kayla exclaimed.
John gave Malcolm a look, but not because of what he said about Lillian. He agreed that her behavior around Malcolm was irrational. It was because Malcolm was well aware that the two of them were on bad terms as well. He had to know that John wasn’t comfortable with his presence either, and that if Cassandra hadn’t asked for as much help as he could get, and if Kayla wasn’t so incredibly defensive of him, Malcolm definitely wouldn’t have been invited.
Regardless, what was done was done. The three of them were going to spend some time in Willow Creek together.
By late afternoon the next day, the three of them were in Willow Creek. In front of them loomed the dark, imposing structure that the Goth family called home.
“Wow,” Kayla chuckled. “I can’t believe I’m actually about to enter this place!”
“It was weird to me at first too,” John told her. “I mean, we grew up hearing about how the Goth family is the reason Willow Creek exists, and this house has always stood here, inaccessible.”
“You guys think this is intimidating?” Malcolm snorted. “I can’t believe that the Goth family mom is so afraid of lives in such a shabby house. Damn thing looks like it’s about to topple over, it’s that old.”
“You wouldn’t get it, Malcolm,” Kayla said, shaking her head. “You didn’t grow up here, and, no offense, but you’re from a background where nothing but the most extravagant mansions would impress you.”
“If you say so, I guess…”
John opened up the gate, and everyone followed him up to the front door. His knock seemed to echo into the empty corridor behind it.
Cassandra opened it up, and ushered everyone inside.
“Come on, upstairs, both my mom and dad are in the kitchen.”
Everyone quietly crept up the stairs. Despite Cassandra’s grim demeanor, John and Kayla still couldn’t resist admiring every inch of the legendary house of their childhood. Once they were on the second floor, to their surprise, Cassandra headed over to the next staircase, and lead them all up to the third floor of the Goth Mansion.
An unfamiliar boy sat in the attic space that existed up on the third floor. He scowled when he saw the crowd headed into his room, which had so rudely interrupted the chess game he was playing with himself.
“Alexander, do you mind if we borrow your room for a bit?” Cassandra asked.
John took a step back when he heard the name. He had no idea Alexander was a full grown teenager now! Or that he’d look so… unrefined. The little Alexander he’d known regularly wore suits and bowties. John guessed that must have been all Bella’s doing.
Alexander sighed, and nodded. “Make it quick.”
He started on his way towards the stairs.
“And Alexander?” Cassandra called out.
Alexander turned around.
“Don’t let mom or dad know anyone is here-“
“Yeah, yeah, I know the drill. When you have to come all the way up to my room, it isn’t hard to figure out what you’re up to,” Alexander said. He then turned back around, and went back downstairs.
Cassandra finally focused her attention on her guests. “Well. Thank you all for coming on such short notice… No Lillian?”
“She didn’t want to because…” John muttered.
Cassandra’s eyes fell on Malcolm. “Ah. I see.” She held out her hand to him.
Malcolm gave John a nervous look, but took it.
“I don’t believe we’ve met, Malcolm, but I’ve heard a lot about you from John. Glad to finally meet you!” Cassandra smiled.
“G-Good things, right?” Malcolm stammered.
“Well, of course, Malcolm. John doesn’t have a vindictive bone in his body! Anyway, feel free to make yourself comfortable, everyone.”
John ended up sitting next to Cassandra on the bed, while Kayla and Malcolm went and sat at the chess table so the four of them could more or less face each other.
“So… I’m guessing that John already told you guys everything I wrote in the email?” Cassandra asked.
Kayla and Malcolm nodded.
“Well, to build off that, I had one of the rare moments where I’m not slaving over some meaningless task for Mitch the other day, and I asked Mortimer if he wanted to walk with me to the grocery store so we could pick out dinner. Flat out refused. Usually, he’d be eager to spend some time with his busy daughter!”
“While I agree that’s unusual…” Kayla said. “What are the three of us supposed to do? Moral support is great and whatever, but I still feel like we could do something more.”
“And you will! I booked some rooms for you guys at a local hotel, they’ll be ready later tonight. Because I’m always way too busy to pay any real attention around here, I’m hoping you guys can sort of watch the house and see if anything unusual is going on.”
John smiled. “That sounds good to me.”
“It was weird,” Cassandra went on, shaking her head. “I ended up buying the ingredients for fettuccine alfredo and garlic bread, but both my mom and dad steered clear of the garlic bread… they used to love that…”
Kayla looked at Cassandra thoughtfully. “Has there been any sort of traumatic event in the family? A stressor? I wrote about something similar in one of my books, I researched a man who totally changed after his mother died, and it all came down to the stress of dealing with that.”
“Not that I know of.”
“Cassandra dear, I’d listen to anything she’s saying. That woman’s books are pure magic!” a voice said from the stairway.
Everyone turned to see Bella as she walked into the room, and stopped behind Cassandra. Alexander stood far enough in the stairwell that he was barely visible, where he mouthed a silent I’m sorry to Cassandra before disappearing back downstairs.
Bella walked further into the room to greet Cassandra’s guests. “Cassandra, why didn’t you tell me you were inviting over guests? You know how much I adore John! And Kayla, a pleasure to finally meet you. Malcolm… what a surprise!”
Malcolm smiled nervously back at her.
“They were just in town,” Cassandra said, quick on her feet. “John and Kayla came to see their parents and brought Malcolm with, because he’s been living with them, and I ran into them while grocery shopping last night! Had to invite them over.”
“All the way up to Alexander’s room, for some reason,” Bella chuckled. “But I’m glad you’re being a good hostess.”
“I know how much you love this house, mom, I just had to give them the full tour so they could experience all of it.”
Bella smiled at Cassandra lovingly, then turned her attention to Kayla. “So, Kayla! Be a dear and talk to me about why Cassandra is seeking help from such a world renowned author such as yourself?”
“Uh-“ Kayla stammered. Unlike Cassandra, she was no adept liar. “She’s just, uh, you know, worried. About the… state of our government! Because she’s so involved in it, and everything. She’s concerned that it might be affecting you guys?”
Bella gasped, and turned to Cassandra. “Cassandra! If you’re worried about us, all you ever have to do is ask. You know that! But I’ll tell you now, here in front of all of your friends, that I am fine. Now you can all stop worrying!”
“Thanks for clearing that up, mom,” Cassandra said.
Bella nodded. “Of course, dear. I’m going to go downstairs and cook up a dinner for you and all your guests! I can’t let any of you dears leave hungry, after all.”
Without waiting for a reply, Bella headed downstairs.
The four of them sat there in an awkward silence until Cassandra broke it. “Well. That happened. But maybe it’ll be better off. She knows the three of you are in town now, so she won’t be surprised if she runs into any of you. And John, Kayla? Make sure you visit your parents soon. My parents seem to know just about everything that goes on in this town, and if you two don’t see them, they’re going to know something is up.”
John and Kayla nodded.
“We should all go help my mom in the kitchen,” Cassandra sighed, standing up. “She loves being a hostess, but when her guests don’t help out, I never hear the end of it.”
John and Kayla stood up with her. But Malcolm remained seated.
“I… I don’t know how to use a kitchen…” he muttered.
Cassandra stood there for a moment, at a genuine loss for words. “I… I’m sure we can figure something out for you.”
Malcolm slowly rose to his feet, and the four of them headed for the stairs.
“Tomorrow, we get to work,” Cassandra declared.