13044/An Interrogation of Sorts

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An Interrogation of Sorts
Date of Scene: 16 April 2021
Location: Ororo's Attic - Xavier's School
Synopsis: Jean and Megan interview the neighbors and find out more than what they bargained for.
Cast of Characters: Storm, Pixie, Phoenix




Storm has posed:
The night was a little bit eventful. Hank did what Hank does, Scott led and did what Scott does, Jean and Megan were the ones who put boots to the ground and with a cursory scan of the neighborhood, it leads to two people who may know more about the murdered and missing Dixon's. The porch light was on, seemingly a broken feature of the house but a welcome one now that there was a murder on the streets. While they knew what happened, they don't know the how or the why, but the Valentines' suspected something completely outlandish.

And maybe, just maybe, they weren't too far from the truth.

Jasper sat upon the edge of his couch, right upon the ruined arm, cigarette fresh in his mouth at a near chain smoke. Thank goodness the children were asleep; they would have been coughing with the output of smoke that he was doing. Melissa moves to open up a few windows as she mutters. "See, you can't be that nice and have some shit follow you from where ever you came from, that's all I'm saying." She says to her husband, fanning the air so that the cigarette smoke could leave the house. The walls? Already stained with a film of tar, and it was clear that someone tried to wipe it off.

"I know honey bug, it was just a matter of time, for real."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn bites her lip as she steps up to the porch of the neighbor's house, peering around. "Soo, looks like they're home, wonder if they saw anything?" well, here goes nothing but it sure beats chasing some scary monster in the dark. She leans over to push the doorbell and waits.

Phoenix has posed:
A trailmaster, she is not. Master of being nosey? Yes. Jean was secretly voted most likely to be in everyone's business her senior year. Following her previous hunch, she leads the way across the street and down the houses to stop at the one who's porch light burns on.

"This is the house where the people seemed suspicious." Jean say to the younger woman next to her. "So image inducer time and let's ask them some questions. We'll be under the guise of some private investigators. So we're working with the police, but we're not them."

As Megan reaches out to ring the door, Jean lightly clasps her hands in front of herself and opens up her psychic senses to tune in to the house and those within

Storm has posed:
"We need to be heading to bed soon." Melissa tells Jack, already putting away the toys so that they could be on the floor tomorrow. It was such a task. The doorbell rings, which gives them a pause, Jack taking the cigarette from his mouth to squish into the mangled ashtray one of his kids made for a school project. Say what you want, they were.. well.. mediocre parents.

CPS hadn't been called on them since they moved here!

Jack opens the door to see Megan and Jean, and nearly glares. Nearly. These were beautiful ladies in front of him and he had to straighten up!

Jack really wasn't much to look at himself. It was clear he was windingd own for the night; plaid night pants that seemed to big and slippers that covered his feet. He had a regular white T-shirt on, one that clung to the slight beer belly that he was growing. In fact, he looked as if you wouldn't even notice him on the side of the street. And that in itself is unsettling.

"Can I help you?" He grumps.

Melissa peeks from where she stood, then slowly walks into view, arms folded about her chest, hip cocked. She had seen better days as well, clearly the high school cheerleader, HBIC, and it shows. If this neighborhood had a crime watch, she'd be the one in charge. But she's the neighborhood gossip, nosy maid. Chick who stays up late at night to watch murder documentaries and takes it out on the neighborhood.

She IS nice though! No matter what people say about her!

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn bites her lip, glancing at her watch. It was getting fairly late, "Hmm I hope we're not catching em at a bad time, but I guess it can't be helped.." she switches on her image inducer, remembering just before the door opens, to hide her wings and color her hair a mild shade of strawberry ginger, so she doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

"PIs, right!" she straightens up when the guy answers the door, clearing her throat. "Um, hi! Sorry to interrupt you but this is important.." of course Jean's probably better at this private eye stuff so steps steps aside to let her explain further.

Phoenix has posed:
"Hello, sorry to be bothering you so late." Jean says with a winning grin, the kind she usually reserves for needing to smooth over legal issues and reassure unconvinced parents. "I'm Jeannet Grayson, this is Mara Gwynneth. We're private investigators assisting the police at request of the family, I'm sure you saw all of the activity over at your neighbors. We were wondering if you had any time to answer a few questions? I know this is a bad time, so we're also happy to come back."

Jean assures them with an apologetic look. She turns her attentions towards Melissa then, picking up on that air of superiority. "We're just hoping some of their neighbors may have noticed anything important that could help us get to the bottom of this."

Storm has posed:
Dark eyes shift from one woman to the next, his hand firmly planted upon the back of his neck. He glances back to Melissa, then back to the two women, his shoulders slumping. "Oh.. why the hell not." It was clear, he only let them in so that he could find out what happened. He knows his wife would want to know too. She's the murderino after all.

He steps away from the door to move towards the couch, not bothering with another cigarette but settling for the glass of water. Melissa remained in that same spot, watching the women to see if they would help themselves to the invitation that her husband gave.

"So you want to know about them people across the street, huh?" She finally pipes up; her mind was racing with possibilities, but also a twinge of jealousy at the women. They looked young, perhaps younger than her. More vibrant. And while she was just a house wife with errands to run, they had actual jobs. She -hated- them for that.

"I can tell you everything you need to know, I watch those people, I knew something was going to go down by the way they were acting, I just knew it."

"Now Melissa, you can't just go around saying that stuff. You didn't kno--"

"Really Jack? You want to do this now?" Melissa looked near cross-eyed at her husband. She was ready to smack his temples together.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn grimaces a bit at the made up name but simply nods wordlessly to what Jean says. Glancing towards the couple and their little interaction, she arches a curious brow. Hmm, definitely some tension there..

"Soo..How were they acting? Did anything..Strange happen in the last several days?" right, let's just ignore their argument with each other, although Megan does give the husband an apologetic smile.

"Sorry but this might be important. If they were acting strangely, it might help us figure out what happened." although she suspects even then, they might be hiding something and Megan glances briefly at Jean, wondering if she might just check their minds too.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean lets Megan do the asking for now as she opens up the door for Melissa to speak. She does spare Jack a reassuring, gentle smile as he's put back in his place by his wife. "Any information is helpful, we're not here to make any judgements. Obviously the police can't know a family like this the same way neighbors can."

She turns that smile back towards Melissa and nods at her to continue while she brings out her phone. A notes application is opened so that she can begin typing.

Storm has posed:
Oh, it was Melissa's time to shine. The look upon Jack's face when Megan asks the question was priceless. The rest of the water was taken in and soon he rises from his seat. "Excuse me." Is all he managed, before he walked out of the room and into the kitchen.

Jean could hear him, voice loud and clear in her mind if she were listening.

'Fucking bi-..'

"Ooh, how were they acting?" Once Jack moves from the couch she takes his seat, the one upon the arm with a foot up. "Like maybe TWO weeks ago, I saw the dad come outside to put the garbage into the bins. When he wheeled it down? He parked the bin on the LEFT side of his driveway and not the right like he usually would." She was convinced, surely.. that something was wrong.

"Oh and the kids? Haven't been outside for a -month-."

Truthfully, Melissa didn't actually bother looking..

"Oh, and they were definitely arguing the other day. About that damn teenager of theirs. Seems the perfect little family wasn't so perfect at all." Melissa looked smug, high on her horse, shoulders lifted as she folds her arms across her chest. "From what I hear, the kid has been doing HORRIBLE in school." Her eyes roll. "It sounded like the dad was trying to dismiss it but that lady totally wanted him to handle it. I bet you she threatened to divorce him, she looks like the manipulative type."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn peers at the guy as he mutters under his breath, and she bites down on her lip, trying hard not to make some wise-ass retort. Guys, Sheesh! Instead, Megan focuses on the woman, arching a brow at the bin placement remark.

"Horrible? Like, how? Are we talking skipping classes or juvenile delinquent, or...Uh.." eyes narrowed, "Was he..Scaring people at school, or something?" surely there's more to it than petty squabbling and garbage placement right?

Phoenix has posed:
"That's rough, poor kids." Jean murmur while she takes down notes. "It can't be easy if your parents are arguing and you never get out. Not a surprise one acted out." She aligns her words with the sentiments coming from Melissa. "Especially if some of the tensions at home were due to a failing marriage."

"Did your children go to school with them?" She adds with a quick gesture towards signs of at least one resident youth in the house. "We think one of the children may be missing, which is why we're here. So we're interested in any places they may have frequented or enjoyed."

Storm has posed:
"Probably drugs." Melissa says nonchalantly. If she had a nail file, she would.

"Now three days ago I saw two men pull up to their house to talk to that boy as he was coming home from whatever he was doing. I saw them exchange something but I couldn't get a good look at it. Told my husband right away."

Jack was still in the kitchen, quite possibly drinking endless gallons of water.

"Next thing you know that boy flies into the house and I haven't seen him since."

She gives a nod towards Jean, it was clear that Jean was like her. A boss. Straightfoward and commanding. (Editors note: A bully)

"No." Melissa quickly says, waving her hand. In truth, the two younger ones went to the school with the other ones. So it was clearly a lie. Especially at the mention of a missing child. "My kids don't attend school with any of them, you hear? And really, I don't know where them people go. I try not to associate myself with them types."

Now is when Jack emerges from the kitchen, ready to ease any tensions that Melissa would cause. "Hold on.. she doesn't mean it like that. She thinks they're mutants. You know? We kinda like our neighborhood quiet, we don't want to be afraid if we're going to be killed because some ove them are all wacked out. That's all." He slides in next to Melissa to put an arm around her shoulder, hugging her tight to him.

"We just like our neighborhood clean and I know for a fact they didn't fit the bill. In the three years they lived here they mostly just kept to themselves and didn't bother talking to me. I even made them some muffins when they first moved in and they straight out refused. They didn't belong here anyway.."

Butthurt, but serious. There was a certain amount of hate, even though their tones were neutral and emphatic. In their minds, mutants were a bad deal, and they didn't belong in their safe community. There hasn't been a murder here in decades! At least that's what the paper said when they moved here..

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn hmms and nods every so often as the woman tells half truths, and avoids the most important question. It's only when the husband returns and reveals all that they get to the nitty gritty.

Her hands clench a bit at her sides and she is tempted to put them in their place..But this might be a delicate situation. "Hmm, so these guys who talked to that boy..What did they look like?"

A curious brow is arched at the husband, "Hey, it's ok, I totally get it if you're afraid of something you don't understand right? You wanna stay safe, I totally get that. What made you think they were mutants..?"

Phoenix has posed:
Them types. Jean's heard the same sentiment spoken a thousand different ways and all with the same meaning. Not like me. That's what it always meant. Jean's placid, disconnected smile was practiced over those same many years as she continues to take notes.

<< Easy, Megan. I know, but this isn't the fight right now. >> She says gently to the fairie-mutant's mind.

"Of course, of course. It's fine. I can understand how it may be daunting and discomforting." Is all she says to the couple with a grave nod, then falls quiet to let them answer. Tap tap tap.

Storm has posed:
"Oh, I can do you one better!" Melissa dislodges from her husbands side, her path taking her straight into the kitchen.

Jack looks apologetic again, then shrugs. "She likes to take pictures of everyone that looks strange." Which, was the truth. As soon as she returns, she unlocks her phone, brows furrowing as she thumbs through the pictures, deleting a few salacious ones, then hands her phone over to whomever would take it.

There was a photo of the men with their backs turned. If it were to be guessed, the men were tall. 6'3, quite possibly. Both wearing black suits with light brown hair. A swipe to the left reveals the side profile of one, and it shows him reaching his hand into his pocket. The third picture shows the hand exchange, and the last.. blurs. It was possibly due to the excitement of the moment.

"'fraid though? A lil bit. But you don't get them types of people hounding around this damn neighborhood for nothing. I know what those people in them suits are for. I bet they took whomevers missing because they're mutants and killed the entire family. Cause ain't none of this right."

Jack shakes his head, lips forming a thin line. "In our several years of being here, no shadowy government types ever graced our community. So you can understand why we're unnerved." And slightly angry. "I don't want my kids around that mess. Daunting and uncomfortable..psh.. its fucked up if you ask me."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn frowns as she takes the phone, letting Jean look at the photos with her. "Hmm.." <<Okaay what the heck? Men in Black? Friends of humanity? DAMT?? But if they took the kid, why attack the parents? Unless..HE lost control, attacked the parents and these guys took him away cuz he's 'dangerous'?>>

"I see..That must have been frightening for you, but I think you're safe here."she peers at the, both thoughtfully. "So aside from photos, did you hear anything?"

Storm has posed:
Not too much information can be gleamed from a phone that's quite possibly two years old. The camera quality wasn't the best, but a clear look of the teenager was there, which could be matched to the pictures in the house. Other than that? Nothing stands out.

Melissa nods, then leans in to look over at the pictures, hoping that they DO not swipe too far. There were some things that weren't meant for prying eyes, like.. her eyes prying into other peoples business..

"Oh, no." Melissa says truthfully. "The one time I decide to NOT cook is the time that something happens.."

Jack shakes his head, then snorts. "We were at McDonalds. Pulled up when we saw the police outside. Pretty much stayed on the lawn until they wheeled a body out. I had to take Mel inside, she got squicked."

Phoenix has posed:
Jean regards the photos in question but doesn't go prying, though she certainly knows just who to ask if she ends up needing to pry. She studies the images and sends the impressions of what she sees to both Scott and Hank to let them have a look in the meantime. Between a tactical and scientific brain, they should remember enough of the details in addition to what Jean and Megan see. << They could be a lot of things. We'll need to look into that further when we're free. >>

"Thank you. And certainly, I wouldn't expect anyone to watch that... gruesome business. Is there anything else that you can think of that may be of interest? Otherwise, we can leave you be. In fact, here.."

Jean pops open the woman's contacts on her phone and punches in her pseudonym and a burner phone number. "This is my personal number. If anything comes to mind, please don't hesitate to call or text me."

Storm has posed:
The husband and wife were thoughtful. If Jean pries, she could see that they really were replaying the events in their minds. Melissa especially, attempting to use her couch-side sleuthiness to the best of her ability. But she wasn't coming up with a single thing, nothing other than what she's already told them. "No, we got nothing." She finally pipes up, holding her hand out for her phone after the contact information was put in. She doesn't look, she only tosses the phone onto the couch, moving into that previous position with a hip cock in wait for them to leave.

Jack stands, gesturing to the door. "We'll give a call if something shakes loose." That doesn't mean he's going to go around looking or asking. He had his own kids to worry about now.