Just Starting Out
1.26 - Johnny Zest
Cassandra was awoken in the dead of night by the sudden loud ringing of her phone. Slowly dragging herself off the assortment of pillows John and Kayla had set up for her in the corner of their office as a makeshift bed, Cassandra reached out blindly in the dark for her phone.
“Could you hurry that up?” Alexander groaned blearily from his corner of the office. “I was just finally getting to sleep too…”
Cassandra ignored him and moved her arms in wide motions across the floor until her hand finally landed on it. She knew what was it going to be before even looking at the caller screen- Bella calling her for the 90th time in the past week, begging her to bring herself and Alexander back home No matter how close to tears she sounded in the voicemail, Cassandra refused to give her a call back. Alexander, on the other hand, had blocked both Bella and Mortimer’s numbers.
But, to her surprise, when she flipped her phone over so she could see the screen, she didn’t see the usual blur of red in the profile picture that meant Bella was calling. Cassandra fumbled around near the pillow she’d been resting her head on until she found her glasses. Once she sloppily shoved them onto her face, she finally saw the caller ID. Mitch. Shit! She’d really dropped the ball as his secretary since fleeing Willow Creek, and of course he’d call in the middle of the night, he was back home in Windenburg and in a totally different timezone.
Cassandra stumbled over to the chair near her assortment of pillows for better posture for her voice, then answered the call.
“Miss Cassandra Goth. Finally!” Mitch sighed dramatically. “My perfect little secretary certainly has gotten very sloppy of late. Get it together, Cas. I expect better of you.”
“O-Of course, Mitch,” Cassandra stammered slightly, her exhaustion betraying her emotions.
“Nervous, are we? Don’t sweat it. Seriously. I hate being the bad guy, and I’m all for you taking a little time off for once in your life. Just, next time? Let me know first. Anyway! To get to the actual reason for why I’m calling you, there’s been a security breach.”
“A security breach? How is that possible? We have some of the greatest programmers in the world on payroll- our firewall is easily the best in the world.”
“Funny thing,” Mitch snorted. “The security breach is one of our own. Remember a while back, when one of our programmers took some money because his sister or something dumb like that bullied him into it? Wise guy really tried it again! Thought he could funnel money from my campaign fund into his personal bank account and avoid detection. Guess he thought lightning doesn’t strike twice, or something.”
“Didn’t we have someone keeping a close eye on him after that incident? I thought we tightened security too, and made sure that every programmer was missing an essential piece of the code that would let them past the firewalls they know the weaknesses of.”
“Nah, I never got around to doing any of that. Anyway! Because of this, I have a job for you! I think that normally, after all the work you usually put in for me, I’d get someone else to do this… but I think a little grunt work would get you back on the right path, Cas. You’re also the one who dealt with the situation the first time, so it only makes sense to send someone with experience… And plus, it sounds like fun! You get to go out there, get your hands a little dirty… you can even take that boy toy you’ve moved in with with you. Makes no difference to me.”
“Boy toy? I assure you, Mitch, our relationship and the reason for my move have nothing to do with each other, and he certainly-“
“Cool your jets, Cas!” Mitch laughed. “I was only joking. Anyway. Back on subject, I need you to get on this ASAP! In addition to my money, this man somehow managed to access something private he shouldn’t have had knowledge of. Nothing you should concern yourself over, but I need it back. So, Cas, here’s what’s going to happen! Tomorrow, you’re heading out to this employee’s address that I can’t be bothered to learn the name of, and convince him to return everything. Then, I want you to personally fire him. Capiche?”
“But, what about-“
“Your personal safety? Don’t even worry about it. I’ll have a bodyguard waiting for you at the scene. You might actually know the guy- I think he might be the same person I hired last time, but I don’t pay much attention to insignificant bit players like him, so who knows. Counting on you, Cas!”
Mitch hung up with a click.
Cassandra carefully set her phone down on a pillow, then stared off into space. Of course Mitch had to demand this now, of all days. Everyone was planning to head out to Oasis Springs to meet up with the mysterious man who’d reached out to Malcolm through email, and Mitch’s demands directly interfered with the time they were all planning to leave. It was her own fault for letting work slide the past few days, but regardless… she was irritated.
Sighing to herself, Cassandra settled back into her pillows and tried her best to find sleep.
The next morning, Cassandra was awoken by John brewing a pot of coffee just as the sun was beginning to rise. Grumbling to herself, she dragged herself off the pillows and over to the coffee. Alexander put a pillow over his head as she poured herself a cup.
After drinking about half the cup, she finally felt awake enough to talk. “John, I’ve got some bad news.”
“What is it?” he asked, concerned.
“Mitch called last night,” she sighed. “I have to head out to Willow Creek and deal with some guy who stole some money from our dear President.”
“…so, you’re not going to be able to go with us to Oasis Springs. I get it, don’t worry about it! This is work, it’s important.”
“When was Malcolm planning on leaving again?”
“Not until mid afternoon,” John said. “Why?”
A smile slowly crossed Cassandra’s face. “You know what? This shouldn’t take long. I’ll head out now, and I can probably be back by lunch.”
Cassandra downed the rest of her coffee, then swung over to the bathroom to get changed before John even had a chance to respond.
A couple hours later, Cassandra was in Willow Creek, sitting at a picnic table near the main street. Tapping her foot anxiously, she scanned her environment. She was sure her parents somehow knew she was back in Willow Creek, and she didn’t put it past them to approach her and try to drag her forcibly back home. For now, though, there was just the hustle and bustle of the regular mid morning crowd, the chatter of quiet conversations, the faint scent of gumbo from a nearby restaurant…
Cassandra was startled from her musings by a sudden tapping on her shoulder.
Whirling around, Cassandra prepared herself for a confrontation, but was met only with the bodyguard who’d worked with her last time.
“It’s just you,” she sighed, relieved. “Let’s get this done. And, if possible… I want to avoid firing this guy. If we’d just kept a closer eye on him, actually punished him for what he’d done last time, none of this would be happening. It’s on us.”
The bodyguard nodded, as quiet as ever.
A few hours later, Malcolm was pacing John and Kayla’s kitchen back in Newcrest. “She said she’d be back by now,” he spat. “Let’s just leave without her.”
“I think she really wanted to be there for you, Malcolm,” Kayla said gently. “I doubt she would’ve left so early in the day otherwise. I know this means a lot to you, but let’s just wait a little longer, okay?”
“She’ll be back any minute, don’t even worry about it,” Alexander sighed. “Cassandra’s so punctual and perfect that it’s infuriating.”
Almost as if on cue, John’s phone started ringing.
“Let me guess. She’s not going to be able to make it?” Malcolm said dramatically.
John put the phone on speaker.
“…discovered something huge! Oh, I just knew Mitch was downplaying something private of his being accessed just a little too much, so I looked into it, and- this is besides the point. Once I get back to Willow Creek, I’ve booked the last two seats on a plane to Windenburg, you’re welcome to come with, or I can ask Alexander or Kayla, but I need to get over there and see if there’s any truth behind this before he finds out I have this information. Are you in?”
“Fuck you Cassandra!” Malcolm yelled.
“Malcolm? Oh, I get it, I’m on speaker. Malcolm, I really wanted to be there with you today, I know how important this is to you, but this is crucial. This information could ruin Mitch for good. I absolutely have to take this opportunity.”
“I never did like Mitch much,” Malcolm said quietly. “Mom always went on and on about establishing a partnership with him, using him for her own gain… but from what I saw on TV, he was just like her… like he was on the same level as terrible as her. Just before I ran away, she’d finally convinced him to attend one of her stupid Galas too… I bet they worked out some gross deal. You know what? Bring him down Cassandra.”
“And I’ll join you, Cassandra. For backup,” John added.
Glad to hear it! Malcolm, Kayla, Alexander, I hope you find the answers you’re looking for in the desert. And John, see you soon.”
Cassandra hung up.
“You guys should probably head out now,” John said with a smile as he turned to look at everyone else with him.
Kayla nodded, and walked over to John to give him a hug. “You two be careful. I don’t know what it is… but I have a bad feeling about Mitch. Whatever you do, don’t risk discovery. It isn’t worth the repercussions.”
Malcolm nodded slowly. “Yeah… that’s a good point. Even my mom wasn’t willing to try anything too extreme on Mitch, and she… her methods weren’t always pleasant. There has to be a reason for that, so, uh, don’t risk your life, John.”
“I’ll be careful,” John promised.
Kayla, Malcolm, and Alexander left, but not without a nervous feeling in their stomachs. Cassandra had clearly discovered something damning on Mitch, but what would confirming it cost?
With Malcolm consistently driving way over the speed limit, they were in Oasis Springs by evening. As they drove into the small desert town, Kayla’s eyes widened. Palm trees, lit up in the faint reddish light of the setting sun, lined the main boulevard, and the people walking down the street, popping in and out of shops, just seemed so relaxed. Oasis Springs just radiated a certain kind of charm to her, and she wished she’d been able to come here with John when he’d visited Malcolm that one time. She’d really been missing out.
Alexander directed Malcolm towards the mysterious Johnny’s house using a map, calling out directions a bit too late for Malcolm’s speed, which continuously pissed Malcolm off. After a bit of swearing on Malcolm’s end, they managed to find the place and park.
“Really? You’re telling me this is it?” Malcolm said in disgust, casting a disdainful look over the beat up trailer Alexander had directed him to. “I can’t believe a Landgraab lives here…”
“You can check yourself if you want, but this is the address,” Alexander sighed. Malcolm had really started to get on his nerves. He didn’t think he ever wanted to put himself through giving him directions again.
Kayla looked over the trailer thoughtfully. “This… it’s humble. It’s as if Johnny doesn’t concern himself with material possessions, and just lives in the moment. It’s refreshing, honestly.”
Malcolm gave the trailer another look. The paneling was peeling off in certain places, and the build up of desert sand on the front porch made it clear that Johnny didn’t clean often, or leave his trailer much. “To you, Kayla. To you. But let’s head in. I dragged you all out here, so might as well commit.”
He walked up to the door, took a deep breath, then knocked loudly.
After a minute, a blonde haired man wearing a faded blue suit jacket threw open the trailer door. He looked Malcolm up and down.
“I see disownments been doing you well,” he said casually. “It’s been a long time, Malcolm, but it’s me. Your brother Johnny.”
For once, Malcolm had nothing to say.
Johnny looked out past Malcolm at Kayla and Alexander.
“Aha,” he said quietly. “Ms. Kayla Brooks, here in the flesh. Of course she’d be with you. You moved in with her and her brother, right? Odd her brother isn’t here, but no matter. Everyone, please come in.”
With Johnny holding the door open for them, Malcolm and Kayla walked into his trailer. As Alexander stepped up onto the patio, he stopped. “I’m Alexander Goth, by the way.”
“Doesn’t ring a bell,” Johnny shrugged. “But if you’re hanging around my little brother, you’re good with me.”
Smiling slightly to himself, Alexander stepped inside. It was oddly refreshing, not being recognized. For once, there weren’t any expectations for him to fall short of.
Meanwhile, Cassandra and John were exiting the airport in Windenburg. Cassandra had changed into clothes she’d actually wear to Mitch’s office in the airport bathroom to avoid raising suspicion when the two walked into the building. As they stepped out into the city, John was struck by the incredible age of everything. The buildings, the air, even the cobblestones beneath his feet seemed to whisper of an untold history. Yet, despite that, modernism was still springing out of the ancient ground, with white and gray boxy buildings with massive glass windows nestled in-between houses that had existed for decades.
“John, we don’t have time for this,” Cassandra said, tugging on his hand. “We have to get going, before Mitch realizes I’m here.”
“Sorry,” John apologized, blinking as he withdrew from his thoughts.
Cassandra talked as they walked.
“It’s more than likely that Mitch is off galavanting through some new city right now, because as his personal secretary, I know that he’s rarely ever in the office. But there’s still a chance he’s there right now, or in the city.”
“What would you do if he was in his office?”
Cassandra sighed. “I’m not counting on that happening, but if it does, I’m going to distract him by walking him out of his office, and then it’ll be up to you. I doubt that’s actually going to happen though, so don’t worry. My plan right now is that when we get there, I’m going to call him, and say I’ve finished my job, but that I want to meet with him personally to discuss some information I’d discovered. Even mentioning that information is going to set him on red alert, and he’ll agree to meet with me as soon as possible. He’ll think I’m in Willow Creek, so judging on how quickly he’d able to get there, I’ll be able to deduce if he’s actually in Windenburg or not right now.”
John stopped, taken back. “You’ve seriously thought this through, Cassandra. It’s kind of insane, honestly.”
“Thank you,” Cassandra said, smiling. “It’s not bad for just thinking it over on the plane flight, huh?”
John kicked at the ground anxiously. “Uh, Cassandra. Could I say something? I’m still completely behind on what we’re doing here but…”
“Go ahead, John. I value your input.”
“…alright. Um. Don’t you think this is a bit risky? Career-wise, I mean. You’re in a pretty good position as President Laurent’s personal secretary, and while I understand that you don’t agree with what he’s doing and plan on taking his position someday, don’t you think this could hurt your chances?”
Cassandra shook her head firmly. “My goal here isn’t to uncover some information and keep it to myself to use later. My goal here, John, is to take this information, and use it to completely destroy Mitch. The only reason I ever became the secretary to a man as despicable as him was to find info I could use to someday ruin him. Now’s my chance- I’m going to mutilate his career, prove that he’s corrupt, then, he’ll have no choice but to step down, opening the way for me to run for President.”
“But can what you’ve discovered really help you do that? Are you completely sure?”
“I guess I never did tell you what I discovered. While… while my memories of actually dealing with that family are oddly foggy, I do remember exactly what was stolen. Or, more specifically, from where. Mitch didn’t make the situation so urgent just because money was stolen- it was from where. Turns out, there’s an account under Mitch’s name that doesn’t exist in any of my records. And that’s because the money in there comes from the companies Mitch is turning to to privatize the government and turn it into a business. They pay a monthly fee directly into his secret bank account to be promoted as these shiny government sanctioned businesses. It’s sickening. And, it’ll destroy him. There’s not a doubt in my mind about that.”
John nodded, eyes wide. “Yeah, that’s pretty fucked up. I can’t believe he’s been doing that… that’s…”
“I know,” Cassandra nodded. “Come on. Let’s bring him down.”
Malcolm hesitantly sat down between Kayla and Alexander on a rather dirty looking couch that sat in Johnny’s living room.
“Not the opulence you’re used to, huh?” Johnny asked as he walked into the trailer.
Malcolm didn’t have a response.
“Don’t worry about it,” Johnny went on, waving a nonchalant hand. “It took a long time for me to get used to this kind of lifestyle. The first year, I blew everything I had on frivolous thing that did nothing for me. I just wanted to feel wealthy again. But, after spending a few years homeless as a result of all that, someone helped me get back on my feet, and I’ve managed to make a living by strumming my guitar at a lounge on main street.”
Johnny stopped, then cleared his throat awkwardly. “Um. Apologies. I didn’t mean to get into all that. Can I get any of you anything?”
“A glass of water would be great,” Kayla said.
“Yeah, I’ll have one too,” Alexander added.
“And you, Malcolm?” Johnny asked.
“Nothing for me, thanks,” Malcolm muttered, running his hand across the fraying fabric of Johnny’s sofa as he looked around his dingy looking trailer. “Mom and dad really let you live like this?”
“Well, yeah, Malcolm,” Johnny said from the kitchen. “I’ve been disowned. I wasn’t good enough for them. I know I’m not smart enough to head Landgraab Industries, and plus, it always sounded like a boring job to me anyway. As dingy as my life is now, I wouldn’t set foot back in that house for anything. Once I bought this trailer, I gained a certain clarity and I realized that I didn’t really care much for what Nancy and Geoffrey are doing.”
He headed back over to the sofa, and handed Kayla and Alexander glasses of water.
“I’m sure you’ve started to realize that as well?” Johnny asked, sitting down next to the sofa.
“…yeah,” Malcolm muttered, looking down at the floor. “Mom- no, Nancy, monopolized every aspect of my life. Everything I interacted with was precisely calculated. I started rebelling a bit, such as driving places without asking first, going to bars… she punished me for it.”
Alexander awkwardly took a gulp of water. He felt completely out of place in this conversation.
Johnny looked at Malcolm with sad eyes. “And Geoffrey?”
“Why are you bringing him up? He enabled all of Nancy’s wildest desires, that man is the singular reason for why she’s never been investigated by the police.”
“I agree. But… believe it or not, since the divorce, he’s been trying harder than ever to make amends. With me, at least. He’s started dropping by, bringing me small gifts. I turned them all down at first, but he just didn’t give up. He’s the reason I have this trailer now. He… he claimed that he tried to protect you, but I still doubt that, based on my own experiences, and wanted to ask you myself.”
“Well, I…”
Malcolm focused his mind on the past. There were countless moments Nancy had been cruel to him, but Geoffrey… He thought back to the day after Kayla’s first book reading, when he’d snuck out of the house in the dead of night and driven to Newcrest, hoping to run into John.
“Stupid,” Nancy said furiously, the dangly earrings she was earring seemed to shake with every angry step she took. “Stupid, stupid boy! You know better than this. We raised you better than this! You stay home, and you do as you’re told. Have I not made that clear?”
“Nancy, darling, love of my life, do you not think you’re being a little harsh with Malcolm?” Geoffrey cut in.
Nancy whirled on Geoffrey. “Absolutely not! You break the rules, you get what you deserve.”
“You break the rules all the time, dear.”
“That’s because I’m above them,” Nancy whispered dangerously as she slowly approached Geoffrey. “Once you’re a person of my status, the rules stop applying. Rules would only limit the vast reaches of what I can achieve.”
Nancy and Geoffrey stared each other down, each breathing heavily.
“Can I go yet?” Malcolm said, exasperated. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”
“Oh, really?” Nancy said, turning back on him. “You’re not going to go out there and start fraternizing with that boy again?”
Malcolm stiffened.
“Didn’t think so. You have to understand, Malcolm, we can’t have you associating with the general public as casually as you just did. They’ll put sick ideas in your head, ideas that will make you unfit to run the company. And you don’t want that, do you?”
“N-No. I don’t want that, mom.”
“Good,” Nancy said, with a sickening smile. “You’re dismissed, Malcolm. Go to your room. And Geoffrey darling? Let’s have a talk while you mix me the most expensive cocktail you can manage. All this yelling is just exhausting.”
Back in the present, Malcolm nodded slowly. “I… I do think he tried. I don’t think I can ever forgive him for some of the things he said, for the way both he and Nancy treated me like a pet, but when he could, he did step in.”
“I’m glad to hear it. It probably isn’t my place to say, as I barely know the man now, but I think Geoffrey is a man with a lot of regrets.”
“…yeah. Thinking back, he did start sticking up for me a lot more frequently just before the divorce. Living there still wasn’t great, but it got more bearable, for a time.”
“Malcolm…” Kayla said quietly, on the edge of tears. “If you ever need to talk about any of this, please. Talk to me. Or reach out to Johnny.”
Johnny nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t reach out to you sooner, Malcolm. I was so convinced that you were the golden boy Nancy had always dreamed of, the perfect son who did everything she asked. At the very least, that’s what she made the public think.”
Malcolm looked down at the dirty wood paneling. “You’re right. For most of my life, I was her golden boy. Everything she wanted seemed correct. I was raised to resemble her in every way.”
“What changed you?"
“Nancy sent me to Willow Creek one day to use some scare tactic on the Goth family. It didn’t go well for me, and I was furious, so I decided to treat myself to a refreshment at the local bar for dealing with such an insult to my name. I’m, uh, sorry for that day by the way, Alexander.”
Alexander waved a nonchalant hand. “Don’t worry about it. I was a bit of a golden boy myself, and seeing my parents get knocked down a few pegs was eye opening for me. Spent my whole life thinking the two of them were invincible.”
Malcolm smiled. “Anyway, at that bar, I recognized John from the picture he had uploaded to his employee profile. I remember wanting to put him in his place. He was new, and Nancy made sure to teach me young that if someone is beneath me, I need to make sure to let them know. But John… even though I said cruel things to him, he showed me kindness. He said it was nice to meet me. You know, before that moment, I don’t think anyone had ever expressed pleasure after interacting with me.”
“And I’m so glad he did, Malcolm,” Kayla said seriously. “You have grown so much since we first met you. You know, I absolutely hated you at first. I thought you were some stuck up brat who needed to be lowered a few pegs. Actually, you kind of were, but now that you have been lowered a few pegs, you’re one of my greatest friends, Malcolm.”
“R-Really?” Malcolm stammered. “Huh. I honestly thought you and John were just tolerating me. Thank you, Kayla. Seriously. That means a lot.”
Johnny smiled. “It’s amazing what being free of Nancy’s yoke can do. But, Malcolm, I want to talk to you about the real reason why I asked you here. Of course I wanted to catch up with my little brother and everything, but I think that us two should meet Nancy and Geoffrey.”
“Meet them?” Alexander snorted, unable to contain himself. “I’m sorry, but what? You two just went on about how terrible they both were, and you want to meet them?”
“It seems like a dumb course of action, but just hear me out for a moment. Malcolm, I’m leaving. I told myself that once I finally got reacquainted with you as your brother, and made sure you were okay, I was going to take my trailer, and leave this town. There’s too many bad memories for me here. Before I leave, I want to see both of them one last time, and say my goodbyes. I… I think it’d be good if we did that as a family. The four of us haven’t been together as a family since you were four years old, Malcolm, and I think that getting all of us together, one last time, just seems right. What do you say?”
Malcolm closed his eyes as he thought for a moment. Could he really do it? Could he really look Nancy in the face again and not revert back into her golden boy?
He sighed, and opened his eyes. “Personally, I never want to see either Nancy or Geoffrey again. But… I agree with you. Even if we’re saying good riddances instead of goodbyes, we should gather as a family one last time.”
“We’re almost there,” Cassandra said, stopping John in a small park.
“Where?” John asked, looking around. He’d since Mitch’s office on TV, of course, and none of the buildings around them even began to resemble the antique styling of his office.
“Still a few blocks away,” Cassandra said as she took out her phone. “Calling directly outside the office is too risky. If he is inside, calling him while waiting outside is going to look odd. If I was already outside, why not just go in and talk to him directly? So, now is the moment.”
She dialed a number on a phone, and immediately adopted a professional tone when Mitch answered within seconds.
“Mitch? Hello, it’s Cassandra… Yes, I did recover your money. I do have a question about that, however. I couldn’t get make sense of which account the money came from, and I was hoping to meet with you to discuss that?… You’re where?… Windenburg? Are you in the office?… Why am I asking? Oh, I recently hired a new front office lady, at the Willow Creek location, and she flew out to Windenburg to meet you. I’ve heard that she hasn’t had a chance yet, and is heading home at the end of the week, so I wanted to let you know she was in town… You’ll be in Newcrest tomorrow?… Got it. That works for me.”
Cassandra put her phone back in her purse. “Let’s do this, John.”
She marched onward with determination, and John stumbled on after her.
They got into the building smoothly. The man at the front desk took one look at Cassandra, then waved both her and John in without a moment’s hesitation. Cassandra then led John down several twisting hallways and up a few spiral staircases, and soon enough, they were at a long hallway lined with artwork that sat in golden frames.
“It’s at the end of this hallway,” Cassandra said, gesturing for John to follow her. As she walked, she dug through her purse until she produced a small golden key. “And this will unlock his office.”
“He seriously placed a lot of trust in you, didn’t he?”
“His mistake,” Cassandra said absentmindedly. “I work hard, I appear to be loyal to him, and I tolerate his nonchalant attitude, and that’s somehow enough for him to look past any seditious behavior I’ve shown. Every day that passed where I was still employed as his personal secretary, I was pleasantly surprised. He had to have known I was nothing like my mother. I can’t be bought off. Seeing now that his main MO is buying people off, I’m surprised that I’ve lasted as long as I can. But now, I finally get to take advantage of that.”
Reaching the door, Cassandra slipped the key into the lock.
“What are we looking for, exactly?”
“Anything suspicious. I want more concrete evidence of this secret bank account, something on paper I can leak to the press. Mitch spends so little time at his flat that I know he wouldn’t risk leaving something like that there, so if there’s anywhere that exists, it’s here.”
The door unlocked, Cassandra pushed the door open, then ushered John in. She quickly shut it behind them, then fumbled along the wall until she came to the light switch. The old lights flickered as she turned them on, illuminating the elegantly carved wood panels that lined the room. Cassandra then quickly locked the door behind them, and slipped the little golden key back into her purse.
“Welcome to the most famous office in the world,” Cassandra said, throwing out her arms dramatically. “Now let’s get searching.”
John rushed over to the desk, and started opening drawers and combing through their contents. Cassandra, meanwhile, ran her finger along the assorted books on Mitch’s bookshelf, looking for anything that might look suspicious. As she pulled one out, and quickly flipped through the pages, a plume of dust shot into the air, and she sneezed.
“I don’t think Mitch has been in here in over a month,” she muttered to herself as she put the book back on the shelf.
“He’s here that rarely? Isn’t being in his office, working, his job?”
“Indeed it is, John,” Cassandra said as she grabbed another book from the shelf. “If you think that’s bad, you should see his Willow Creek office. He only ever works there sporadically when he’s visiting my parents, which is just a couple days out of the year.”
“You’d think that would be enough to get him thrown out of office alone…”
“Tell me about it. But he seems to have the entire world wrapped around his finger. None of them are willing to do anything about it.”
Minutes passed, and still, neither of them had found anything.
John was beginning to panic. “If we get caught and have nothing to throw back in his face-“
“Don’t stress yourself out, John,” Cassandra said, level headed as ever, as she stepped back and observed the bookshelves once more. “It’s only going to result in you getting sloppy and missing something crucial.”
Another minute passed, a minute of Cassandra staring at the wall of bookshelves. “Hey John,” she said suddenly, startling him.
John jumped, “Cassandra, please, don’t suddenly speak up like that I’m nervous enough as it is!”
Cassandra ignored him. “Does the arrangement of seats over here look odd to you? I’ve always thought it was an odd choice to have a sofa against one wall, and a chair against the opposite… it just doesn’t look right.”
“Y-Yeah. I guess it’s odd looking.”
“And the dust on the bookshelves earlier… it seemed to have been disturbed on the middle bookshelf. Shaken up, as if an earthquake shook it around a bit. But that isn’t the case on the other two. Let’s look around here.”
John headed over, and the two began pulling on all manner of books on the bookshelves, hoping to get the middle one to move. John eventually got fed up with the bookshelf he was searching, and moved over to the wall next to it. He pushed on the wall lamp, as it was the only thing on it, and it turned slightly.
“Cassandra!” John exclaimed.
Cassandra rushed over, eyes ablaze.
“This turns!” John went on. He reached up, and twisted the light. As he did so, the middle bookshelf slowly began to move, shuddering as it moved over the wooden planks that were evidently a bit higher than the floor the room had had originally when this secret door was first installed.
Once the door was open, Cassandra practically dashed for the secret room, unable to contain herself.
John followed her in, and found the room lined with more bookshelves. It also had a set of filing cabinets, some cardboard boxes, and a cheap looking table with a laptop on it, all of which had clearly been brought into the room recently judging purely by furniture design.
“You know, I read a myth about this room once,” Cassandra said incredulously, shaking her head. “The man who built this house and owned it centuries before Mitch converted it into his Windenburg mansion installed a hidden room to hide in. He lived his whole life in fear of some home invasion, and hid in the room every time he heard so much as a bump in the night. I can’t believe It was all true.”
“No wonder this room had never been found,” John said. “People thought it was just something invented by a mad man.”
“Which means I doubt Mitch would ever count on us finding it either,” Cassandra said smugly. “Cause he clearly has. I mean, look at that pizza box and empty glass,” she said, gesturing towards the table the laptop was on, “Anyway. Could you start combing through the files on that laptop? I know that’s more your area of expertise. I’ll search these filing cabinets and the bookshelves.”
“Got it.”
John rushed over to the computer, and Cassandra yanked open a filing drawer and started thumbing through folders. Oddly enough, John found the laptop unlocked. As he began to search around for evidence of Mitch’s private bank account, he noticed that there was still water in the cup. Water that shouldn’t have been there if Mitch truly hadn’t been to his office in a month.
“Hey, Cassan-“
Before John could finish his statement, they were surprised by a sudden knocking on the edge of the doorframe.
“Hey Cas,” Mitch said casually.
“President Laurent!” John exclaimed, backing away from the laptop and putting his hands up.
“Mitch,” Cassandra snarled. She moved herself so she was blocking Mitch’s access to the filing cabinets. “It’s over for you. I know exactly where that money came from, and was able to piece together everything you’ve been doing. Leave us alone, and maybe, I’ll consider being lenient with what info I decide to expose.”
“Woah there,” Mitch smiled. “I’ve got no intention of stopping either of you. On the contrary! Go ahead. John, there’s a locked folder on that laptop titled Del Sol Valley Campaign Survey. Password is x a y r i. That should give you everything you need to know. And Cassandra? Second drawer, third cabinet. You can find the blackmail I used to sabotage the other candidates and win the election.”
Cassandra tapped her foot furiously. “What are you doing, Mitch? What’s your game here? I had you caught, and you know it! Is this all to throw me off? Is that it?”
Mitch walked over to the comfy looking red chair near the laptop, and settled himself into it. “Nothing of the sort. Come on, Cas. You know me! I may not be the most on top of it as a President, but I am far from stupid. There’s no way I’d leave an account like that within reach of a hacker unintentionally. Especially one we’d already had issues with before.”
“So- So- You set up everything so I’d discover it, and-“
“And come here, investigating. That’s right. You’re a smart girl. I knew it wouldn’t take you long to figure all of that out and come rushing here to try and end my career.”
Cassandra gritted her death.
“Please! Go on, take a look at what’s in those drawers.”
Dragging her feet, Cassandra opened up the drawer, and pulled out a folder labeled election. Flipping through the contents, Cassandra’s face got darker and darker.
“This is absolutely sickening Mitch. You did all of this, and you don’t even feel guilt acting as President? What… what’s going on here? Why are you showing me this? You know I’m going to report you, right?”
Mitch shook his head. “No. I don’t think you will.”
“Oh, try me!”
“Quite frankly, Cas? I’m bored. I’m bored of this career. I thought this job would be a lot more fun than it ended up being when I ran. And I tried, for a bit. But, being a public servant? It’s not all it’s trumped up to be. Everyone has so many expectations, everybody wants something from you. So I thought, if people want something from me, why not make them pay for it while I’m here? And that was fun for a bit. But I’m bored again.”
“What are you saying, Mitch?”
“I’m stepping down, Cassandra. Been thinking about it for a while. Turns out, most people are really against the government becoming its own business. Who would’ve thought! I really should’ve gone into business…”
“And why would that stop me from exposing you?”
“Cas. Please. It’s obvious. You exposing me once I’ve already stepped down is just going to make you look desperate. I can see the headlines now… Poor Cassandra! She’s so desperate for voters that she’s bashing on the last president! And, before you say it, yeah, I know you’re planning on running for President. You’ve always been overly ambitious. I knew you’d be gunning for my spot someday. Had no idea it’d be this aggressively, but you certainly were entertaining.”
“Okay,” Cassandra smiled. “I’ll play your game, Mitch. What if I reveal that information anonymously, then focus my platform on undoing the horrors of your administration as your poor tragic secretary?”
“Anonymously? Do you really think I don’t have cameras in here? How else would I have known to enter from the other door you guys didn’t use the minute the hidden door was opened? If you reveal that information, Cas, I’ll make sure the world knows it was you. There’s no world where ruining me is going to help your future. But don’t despair! You and John get to keep the knowledge that you found me out! There has to be just a smidge of satisfaction in there, even if you only got on the right track because I helped you.”
“Why help her, though?” John asked, turning away from the computer. He’d seen what he’d needed to see to verify stuff for himself, but it didn’t seem like there’d be any reason in taking that info with them. “What good comes out of her discovering all of your dirty secrets?”
A playful smile danced across Mitch’s lips. “Think of it… as a test, of sorts. A final exam. To see just what exactly my secretary is capable of. A test more for me than anyone else, for my own knowledge and for fun.”
“All of this really is just some sick game to you, isn’t it?” Cassandra said in disgust. “Come on, John. Let’s go.”
As Cassandra and John stormed out of the secret room, Cassandra tossing the files she’d grabbed over her shoulder as she left, Mitch called after them. “I’m looking forward to your campaign, Cas! It’s going to be very interesting to watch unfold…”
After spending a restless night at Johnny’s, waiting for both Nancy and Geoffrey to text back, Malcolm awoke to find that they’d both, surprisingly, agreed to meet with him and Johnny at the Desert Bloom park. So, early that morning, Johnny, Kayla, and Alexander packed up the few things they’d brought with them, got in Malcolm’s car, then they were off, with Johnny following close behind in a truck that was towing his trailer.
Once at the park, with Kayla and Alexander waiting in the car, Malcolm and Johnny hesitantly walked towards the picnic area they’d agreed to meet Nancy and Geoffrey at.
Geoffrey was already seated there, looking older than the last time Malcolm had seen him.
“My boys,” Geoffrey grinned as he stood up and opened up his arms for a hug.
Johnny took one of Geoffrey’s hands and shook it, but didn’t go in for a hug. Malcolm, meanwhile, didn’t budge from where he was standing.
“Ah,” Geoffrey said with a pained smile. “I see. Well, come and sit, both of you!”
Johnny sat down across from Geoffrey, while Malcolm sat down next to Johnny. The three of them sat there in an awkward silence, broken only by the sound of the warm desert wind blowing through the trees.
“Is… is your mother coming?” Geoffrey asked.
Malcolm nodded.
“Okay. I, uh, haven’t seen her since the night you ran away, Malcolm. I left the very next day.”
“I see.”
They lapsed into silence again, and this time, it wasn’t broken until Nancy arrived.
“Fuck,” she cursed, picking her way through the park. “I can’t believe I have to set foot in a public park for this bullshit. A public park! If the paps catch news of this, I’m never going to hear the end of it!”
Nancy looked at everyone sitting at the picnic table, then took a seat next to Geoffrey, sitting on the very edge of the bench to avoid getting too close to him.
“Alright, spill,” Nancy said, taking off her sunglasses. “Why did you deicide to invite me here and waste my precious time?”
“Because I’m leaving,” Johnny spoke up. “After this talk, I’m going to be leaving Oasis Springs for good. And I’m never coming back. And… because the four of us haven’t even been in the same building since over a decade ago, when Malcolm was 4, I thought we should all be together as a family one last time.”
Geoffrey looked pleased. “Johnny, it fills me with joy to hear you-“
“I’m sorry, who’s speaking?” Nancy interrupted. “There’s a strange man I don’t recognize claiming to be family! Last I remember, I didn’t have any children.”
Malcolm flinched. He didn’t consider Nancy his mother anymore, but the words still cut through him like a sharpened knife.
“Nancy, please…” Geoffrey muttered.
“Nancy please what? I don’t owe you anything, Geoffrey! You abandoned me when I was at my lowest!”
“Don’t even try to make me feel sympathetic for you, snake. Look at what you’ve done to this family. Look at how our sons cower at your every word. Seeing that this is probably the last time any of us will interact again, why don’t you try giving your sons the chance to speak for the first time in your life?”
Nancy sighed dramatically. “Fine! Fine. Just this once, I’ll acknowledge these two imbeciles as my children. But don’t think it’s ever happening again.”
“I’d, uh, I’d like that,” Johnny smiled.
“I feel sick already,” Nancy groaned, putting her head in her hands. “Please, just get on with this.”
“Well,” Johnny went on. “I’m going to be heading east to pursue a career as a guitarist. Don’t know how east, but the moment it feels right… that where I’ll settle down.”
“You’re still doing that? Johnny, please. How many times did I tell you that you’re not going to make any money doing that? Heavens sake, at least consider some minimum wage career where you’ll at least have a consistent income. I, of course, would deny being related to anyone who works minimum wage, but it would be good for you.”
“You don’t get it. I don’t need money to be happy. I’m not like you. All that matters to me is that I’m doing what I love, and for me, that’s playing guitar, and being far away from you.”
“This is why I don’t call you my son,” Nancy said under her breath.
“And Malcolm? What about you?” Geoffrey asked, trying to change the subject.
“Me? I’m just taking it day by day. I really like living with the Brooks though, more than I ever liked living with either of you.”
Geoffrey looked down at the ground.
“It’s because you’re in love with that Brooks boy, isn’t it?” Nancy sighed, rolling her eyes.
“No, absolutely not! I would never-“
“Don’t even bother trying to deny it Malcolm. It’s unfortunate, truly, but the draw you had to that boy was unlike any behavior I’d ever seen you exhibit before. Geoffrey and I wanted to set you up with the daughter of one of our wealthy friends, even if the age difference was more on the extreme side… but we really should have just set you up with the Winstrate or Le Chien sons. Oh well! Just made it easier to disown you.”
“I’m not… You know what?” Malcolm shouted, standing up. “Johnny, I appreciate the thought, but I can’t be here with her.”
Malcolm pointed a trembling finger at Nancy, who shrugged as if she’d done nothing wrong.
“And Geoffrey? I think you tried, in a way, but you are still not my father. I don’t have any parents! And I can’t bear being here with you people a moment longer!”
Malcolm stormed off, hearing his mother’s shrill voice behind him “And I don’t have any children either!”
Back at his car, Malcolm slammed the car door behind him, got behind the steering wheel, set the navigator to Newcrest, and never looked back.
Back in Windenburg, as Mitch tidied up the secret room, putting the files Cassandra had thrown across the floor as she made her abrupt exit back in their correct folders, he noticed a presence behind him.
“Ah. Of course,” he said calmly. He turned around, and came face to face with Bella Goth. “Like mother, like daughter. Of course you’re both here on the same day.”
Bella ignored his remark. “We need to talk, Mitch.”
“About Maia, I presume? Go on.”
“I quit,” Bella said firmly. “This job is too dangerous. I should always have been a mother first, and a Black Sparrow second. I… I lost both of them, but I can still win them back! But that won’t happen if I what happened to Maia…”
“Happens to you. I get it.”
“I’m finished, Mitch. I no longer care about all the benefits working for you has for me and Mortimer, and if you try to send agents after me because of what I know, I will-“
“Bella, Bella, Bella! Calm down,” Mitch smiled. “There’s nothing you need to worry about from me. You’re stepping down? Good for you! You’d be out of a job soon enough anyway.”
“Out of a job? What could you possibly mean by that?”
“I’m stepping down, Bella. And your daughters going to be running for my position. I’d prefer it if she didn’t win it, but I get the feeling that soon enough, she’ll be the one calling the shots around here. And there is no way she’d let you, the mother who hurt her so badly, stay on as a Black Sparrow.”
Bella looked down at the ground, blinking furiously as she tried to process all the information Mitch had just given her.
“If anything, I’d be more concerned about what Cassandra might do to you,” Mitch said playfully. “There’s no doubt in my mind that she will be in my position someday. More powerful than you.”