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+Episode 3.09, Night of the Hunter, Part 2
+-----------------------------------------
+
+Adam drops Joan off at home, and then he and Pax return home as well.
+When Joan walks inside, she sees her father sitting on the couch
+listening to a record. She sits beside him.
+
+*…And, they’re coming to take me away, ha-haaa
+They’re coming to take me away
+Ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa
+To the funny farm
+Where life is beautiful all the time
+And I’ll be happy to see those nice young men
+In their clean white coats
+And they’re coming to take me away, ha-haaa…*
+
+“Thanks Dad, did you put this one on especially for me?”
+
+Will smiles, “No, this is a collection of one hit wonders. You just
+came in at the right time. Oh, you told your mother that you would be
+home by six thirty, so Chuck Kroner will be calling about then. He
+says it won’t take long, and he and you can just talk on the phone
+about Saturday night. That way it won’t be necessary to schedule a
+meeting.”
+
+Joan – “Okay, I hope it’s over.”
+
+Will – “I believe it is.”
+
+Helen comes in from the kitchen, “Joan, you’re home early! I thought
+you were going to be late?”
+
+Joan – “We were able to use Mr. Rove’s truck. That made the trip
+quicker than taking the bus. What’s for dinner?”
+
+Helen – “I picked up some salmon steaks on sale. Baked in lemon
+sauce, sound good?”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, salmon sounds good.”
+
+Helen – “Good, it’ll be the five of us tonight. Kevin and Lilly
+should be here soon.”
+
+Mr. Kroner calls at six thirty on the dot. Joan takes the call in her
+room. “Okay Joan, I think it’s over. I agree that what you did was
+probably the right thing to do, but unfortunately, right and legal
+aren’t always the same thing. I would recommend that you not bring up
+the details of what happened to anyone. However, if you choose to,
+just tell family and friends whom you know you can trust. Good luck,
+Joan. Call me if you need me, but I hope we don’t have to speak
+again.”
+
+Joan – “Thank you, Mr. Kroner, goodbye.”
+
+They gather around the table for dinner.
+
+Helen – “You know, I just realized that you have never said the
+blessing. Luke, would you do us the honor?”
+
+Luke – “Yeah, sure. Thank you for the universe to explore, my family
+and friends, and this meal. Amen.”
+
+Helen – “Thank you Luke. How was your day?”
+
+Joan interrupts, “Mom, I would like to go first, if it’s okay. Mr.
+Kroner said that I shouldn’t talk about what happened Saturday night,
+but now he says it’s okay. I want to tell you.” She looks at Luke and
+Helen, and then continues.
+
+“Rahav, my dance instructor, and Mrs. Villa, Alex’s mom, asked me to
+help at a fund raiser for their neighborhood programs, so I
+volunteered. Adam did, too. When we arrived, Adam went to help with
+the lighting for the show up in the balcony. They asked me to collect
+donations as people came in. When the band started to play, Mrs.
+Villa said that I could go watch. I have never heard that kind of
+music before or seen the kind of dancing they were doing. It just
+began flowing through me. I started dancing with everyone else. It
+was wonderful. After a little while, I returned to collecting
+donations. I was really happy when Rahav arrived. Everyone loves her.
+She is also the one who taught the dancers on stage. I went back up
+to the ballroom, because I wanted to talk to her.
+
+“Then I noticed Ryan Hunter in the crowd. He started talking about
+how he was doing his civic duty by supporting Rahav’s fund raiser,
+but that was all BS. He’s like a slug that comes out after a hard
+rain. Then he walked outside and I saw him get on his cell phone. I
+started to follow him, but I met Rahav. She is not only a great
+teacher, but she’s a wonderful person. We started talking.
+Afterwards, I went with Mrs. Villa into the rear anteroom to help her
+count the money that we had raised.
+
+“Then, all of a sudden, there was a commotion and police were
+everywhere. I saw a police officer come into the next room where Alex
+was. I saw Ryan bump into Alex, causing him to fall into the police
+officer. I’m sure he did it on purpose. The officer got mad and
+wrestled Alex to the ground. He put him in handcuffs. I tried to
+explain that it was an accident, but they wouldn’t listen. I went
+back down to the ballroom to find someone to give the money to, but I
+couldn’t find anyone. I finally found Michael and gave him the money.
+Then they arrested him and said they were going to confiscate the
+money as evidence. I remembered how they had stolen the money from
+the police station and… and this bad feeling just came over me. I
+grabbed the moneybag and threw it up into the balcony, hoping Adam
+was still there. Then they handcuffed me and sent me to the police
+station.
+
+“So, that’s what happened. I saw Alex in school today and told him I
+would testify to what I saw. Someone has to learn the truth about
+what really happened. This afternoon, Adam and I took the moneybag,
+and we gave it to Brother Jimi. Dad, I’m sorry I caused so much
+trouble, but I still feel like I did the right thing.”
+
+After a moment of stunned silence, Will finally speaks up, “I
+suspected that Ryan Hunter had more to do with this than he was
+saying. I’m glad that you’ve told me what happened. I don’t often get
+the opportunity to observe something from the citizen’s point of
+view. I will have a talk with Internal Affairs and see if they will
+open an investigation into this incident. But I want you to stay away
+from everyone involved until the investigation is complete.”
+
+Joan – “I guess that won’t be a problem. Rahav sent me a note that
+she won’t be able to be my dance instructor anymore. I’ll have to
+find someone new anyway.”
+
+Helen – “I have mixed feelings. I believe you did the right thing,
+but I don’t know if you should have been there in the first place.”
+
+Joan – “Mom, it was a charity fund raiser. None of this should have
+happened. It was all so insane!”
+
+Helen – “Well, just the same, I agree with your father. You should
+stay away from those people until he finds out the whole story. I
+just want you to be safe.”
+
+Joan decides they have talked enough about it, “Luke, don’t tell
+anyone, not even Grace. I want to tell her myself.”
+
+Luke – “Fine, I’ll just tell her you plan to talk to her if she
+asks.” He pauses, now feeling what he had planned to say is
+pointless, but he continues anyway, “Well, today I went to school. I
+have some homework tonight. That’s about it.”
+
+Joan decides to add more news, “Oh, and Adam got a dog today. Her
+name is Pax. I think it will be good for him, but there’s a problem.
+He’s not sure if someone else already owns her. He’s sending a
+picture to the animal shelter. This is going to be a long week for
+him, but I think it will be okay. I know the guy who gave it to him.”
+
+Helen – “Lilly and I will say a prayer that he can keep the dog.”
+
+Lilly – “Yeah, and maybe we can also pray that Denunzio someday gives
+me a compliment or even just says, ‘Glad to see you’.”
+
+Helen, a little annoyed by Lilly’s offhanded remark, replies, “We’ll
+pray for both.”
+
+Joan replies, ignoring Lilly’s comment completely, “Thanks, I really
+think Adam needs this.”
+
+Helen – “Lilly?”
+
+Lilly – “Well, as you might have guessed, today didn’t go well. A
+hundred little things kept going wrong. I received the list of slimes
+for next weekend. Denunzio and Bonnie are becoming like a cancerous
+growth that I can’t get rid of! I’m considering getting them both
+blue shirts and having their names embroidered upside down above the
+pocket. But, we are making progress. We are splitting this house into
+an upstairs and downstairs apartment. We are almost finished building
+the new outside stairway for the top floor.”
+
+Helen – “Kevin?”
+
+Kevin – “Well, it was pretty much the same as any day, but I’m doing
+a lot more research than I used to. We have recently become networked
+to a nationwide newspaper database. Nearly every major newspaper is
+online. I have access to stories as far back as the early 1970’s in
+some cases. It’s a great resource.”
+
+Helen – “Will?”
+
+Will – “Mike Daghlian almost quit today, but I talked him out of it.
+I won’t go into details, but it’s good to have him back. Other than
+that, it was a pretty ordinary day.”
+
+Helen – “Well, June Goetzman called this afternoon. She has won the
+bid on the restoration of another painting. She wouldn’t tell me what
+it is, but she has agreed to meet with me two nights a week at the
+Art Museum. It’s going to mean I won’t be able to cook dinners twice
+a week, but I really want to see what I can learn from her. We will
+start tomorrow evening. I hope none of you mind.”
+
+Everyone agrees that it’s okay. Will continues, “Hey, if I can get
+home early enough, I’ll cook something. If not, pizza, subs, or
+burgers won’t hurt us for a couple of nights a week for a while. You
+deserve this.”
+
+After dinner, Joan goes up to her bedroom to do her homework. It is
+done in a pretty short time, except for her reading for AP French.
+She not only has to read and understand it, but she is subject in
+class to have to recite and explain it orally. It’s challenging, but
+Joan has a secret reason now for wanting to excel in French. Kevin
+knows, but she doesn’t plan to tell the others until after the New
+Year.
+
+She finishes and sees that it’s still not too late. She calls Grace.
+She tells Grace what she told her family. Grace responds in typical
+fashion, “Subverting the corrupt totalitarian policía regime, and a
+cop’s daughter to boot! Way to go.”
+
+Joan – “Well, I know my dad’s a good cop. I just don’t know about the
+rest.”
+
+Grace – “Hey, my dad heard back from the janitor service guy. He’ll
+do it.”
+
+Joan – “Good, I’ll talk to you more about it tomorrow.”
+
+She walks upstairs to Luke’s room, “Where can I buy one of those
+keylogger things?”
+
+At the Police Station
+
+Will once again goes over the police reports from Saturday night. As
+he had remembered, it is completely one-sided. There is absolutely no
+mention of the citizen’s assertions that the police had no business
+shutting the show down. He jots down Joan’s version of events and
+mixes it with testimony he received from other witnesses. He adds
+their names and phone numbers, excluding Joan’s of course, and adds
+it to the file. He walks out to Jeannie, “Will you make a copy of
+this report and also type up this statement for me?”
+
+Jeannie – “Sure, Will, but I have a few things to do first. Would
+about an hour or so be okay?”
+
+Will – “Perfect, thank you.”
+
+At School
+
+Joan meets Adam at his locker and finds him talking to Elizabeth
+Goetzman, “Hi, I didn’t know you two knew each other.”
+
+Elizabeth – “Only through you.How is everything?”
+
+Joan – “Oh, okay I guess.”
+
+Elizabeth – “Adam told me that you might be looking for a new dance
+class. Would you like to come with me to mine?”
+
+Joan – “Maybe, but my former dance instructor suggested one, and I
+want to check her out first. I’ll let you know.”
+
+Elizabeth – “Okay, see you later. Bye, Adam.”
+
+Joan – “So, how’s your dad doing? How’s Pax?”
+
+Adam – “Dad’s back to work. He just needed a day to rest. Pax is
+clean, but I still need to get something for the fleas.”
+
+They begin to head for class, and meet up with Luke and Friedman.
+Glynis also joins them with ‘what’s her name’.
+
+Glynis– “This is Alice. Have any of you met her?”
+
+Alice remembers Joan, but realizes the others probably don’t know
+her, “Alice Orban, nice to meet you.”
+
+Joan is relieved not to have to admit that she never knew her name,
+“I saw you at the Milton Library on Sunday. Sorry we didn’t have time
+to talk.”
+
+Alice – “That’s okay, you looked busy.” She looks at Adam, “I love
+your sculpture. I read stories to children on Saturday mornings.
+Sometimes I just tell them stories that I make up. I already have a
+great one about your sculpture. You guys aren’t the only ones who
+recognized the faces.”
+
+Adam – “Thank you, I’m glad you like it.”
+
+Glynis– “I have decided to join the band this year. Alice tells me
+they can use some more low brass. I’ll play the tuba.”
+
+Joan – “Are you still in that other band too?”
+
+Alice – “Oh, that’s what we’re talking about. It’s a different band
+now, but I’m still blowing the tunes. I do a little singing, too. We
+play mostly for fun. We have a gig at the Unurban this weekend. Would
+you like to come?”
+
+Joan – “Wow, the Unurban has a lot of good memories for me. Yeah,
+what time?”
+
+Alice – “Seven to eight, Saturday.”
+
+Joan – “I’ll be there.”
+
+At the Police Station
+
+Will enters the conference room where the Watchdog Committee has
+assembled. He is confident and sure of his purpose. He looks around
+at the faces, “I think most of you know me, but if not, I am Will
+Girardi, Chief of Police.”
+
+When he has a seat, Ryan immediately begins to speak, “I am really
+sorry about what happened Saturday night. Your daughter’s arrest was
+most unfortunate.”
+
+This played right into Will’s hand, “Mr. Hunter, I have been doing
+some investigation into what happened. I have concluded that what
+happened was no accident. Rather, it was purposely orchestrated by
+you to achieve those exact results.”
+
+Ryan objects, “Chief Girardi, I assure you that I had nothing to do
+with it. You are letting what happened to your daughter cloud your
+judgment.”
+
+Will – “No, I spoke with the people in charge of the fund raiser.
+They had nothing to do with the drugs being sold outside and no
+knowledge that some of the guests had smuggled beer into the concert.
+Furthermore, I believe you also knew this and called the police as a
+means to shut down the fund raiser. I cannot tolerate dealing with
+someone or an organization that practices such methods.”
+
+Ryan – “You are getting it all wrong!”
+
+Will – “I don’t think so. I have no intention of having further
+dealings with you or your organization. This meeting is over. Please
+remove yourself from my police station.”
+
+Ryan and the others begin to voice their objections, but Will ignores
+them. He stands up and leaves the room.
+
+At the Newspaper
+
+Kevin has been working, actually enjoying finding the answers to the
+tasks he has been assigned. He notices a rather tall handsome black
+man talking to Rebecca. When they kiss, he realizes that this must be
+the boyfriend she has mentioned on occasion. Both approach his desk.
+
+Rebecca – “Kevin, this is my friend, Dan.”
+
+Dan – “Dan Thompson, nice to meet you.”
+
+Kevin – “Kevin Girardi, nice to meet you, too.”
+
+Dan gets a puzzled look on his face, “Girardi? Do you have a sister
+name Joan?”
+
+Kevin – “Yeah, why?”
+
+Dan – “I’m a resident at the University Medical Center. I treated
+Joan last month after her car accident. How is she doing?”
+
+Kevin – “She’s doing pretty good now. There don’t appear to be any
+more symptoms from the accident.”
+
+Dan – “I’m very glad to hear that. Please tell her hello from Doctor
+Dan.”
+
+Kevin – “Sure, I’ll do that.”
+
+Rebecca – “Dan just stopped by to say hello. He has two extra tickets
+to the UMC Charity Craft Show on Saturday. Then we plan to have
+dinner. We were wondering if you and Lilly would like to join us. I
+think it will be fun, and I have been dying to meet her.”
+
+Kevin – “That sounds like something Lilly might enjoy. I know she
+does some crafts. I’ll talk to her tonight and let you know
+tomorrow.”
+
+Dan – “Great. I hope it works out.”
+
+At School
+
+It is nearing the end of the class, and Joan has been struggling
+through the dissection of their frog. She has been taking the notes,
+but letting Grace and Adam do the actual cutting. However, Ms.
+Lischak has been observing Joan’s lack of hands-on participation. She
+insists that Joan do the next procedure, “But, Ms. Lischak! It’s hard
+enough for me just to watch. I don’t know if I can do it.”
+
+Ms. Lischak – “I want kinetic, not potential. Do it or you won’t get
+credit for the lab.”
+
+Joan takes the frog and turns it around to the correct position. It
+is cool and slippery to the touch. A silent ‘ick’ rumbles through her
+mind. She makes the incision and is startled when its leg twitches,
+“He’s supposed to be asleep!” Adam applies a chloroform ball again to
+the frog’s nostrils. Joan takes hold of the frog and continues. She
+exposes its beating heart and becomes filled with compassion for this
+disgusting creature. She grabs the frog tighter, closing its chest,
+not wanting to see its heart any longer. Suddenly, it jumps out of
+her hand and off the table. She screams! Grace, Adam, and Joan
+immediately begin to search for the fleeing creature. The rest of the
+class also becomes aware of the commotion. Joan gets down on her
+hands and knees to search for her runaway. She spies it under Luke’s
+chair. She begins to crawl and then jumps toward it, but the frog
+leaps once again just as she tries to grab it. Others in the class
+begin trying to capture the fugitive, but it proves to be too quick
+and slippery. It has now made it to the front of the classroom. It
+jumps onto Ms. Lischak’s desk and even she is startled by its sudden
+appearance. It quickly leaps again toward the window. Normally, they
+are kept closed, but Ms. Lischak had opened the front and rear
+windows to ventilate chloroform from the room. The frog reaches its
+target and out it goes.
+
+Joan is still sitting on the floor, amazed and not believing what has
+just happened. Others in the class sit stunned as well and begin to
+look at each other. Several students rush over to the windows, but
+the escapee can no longer be seen. After a moment silence, the class
+bursts into laughter.
+
+Joan stands up and watches her classmates. She doesn’t know whether
+to join them in their laughter or cry. She looks at Ms. Lischak, “Ms.
+Lischak, I tried, I really tried.”
+
+Like most of the others, Ms. Lischak is now amused by what just
+happened, “Joan, I cannot say I have ever had something like this
+happen before, but you will get credit for the lab.”
+
+At the Police Station
+
+Will picks up the copy of the report and statement from Jeannie, and
+with it, heads up to Internal Affairs. The head of IA is now Mimi
+Rogers, who hates it when people make comments about an actress
+having the same name, “It’s by marriage, stupid!” However, she has
+gotten used to it and now just gives a fake smile when someone
+believes they are being clever. Fortunately, Will has never made the
+comparison, so at least for that reason, they are on fairly good
+terms. He knocks on her door and asks for a few minutes, “We had an
+incident Saturday night at the old community club building. The
+address is in the report. The statement is from me. I compiled it
+from statements I received from citizens at the scene. When you
+compare the two accounts, the citizens and the police see the event
+totally differently. I know sometimes that happens, but I really
+think there is more to this. I would like you to check it out and see
+if you come up with anything.”
+
+Mimi – “This could be an IA problem, or it could be something the
+detective bureau should investigate.”
+
+Will – “The problem is that many of my officers and detectives were
+involved. I need someone impartial to take a look. Will you do it?”
+
+Mimi – “Okay, but if I find it’s not an IA problem, it’s back to
+you.”
+
+Will – “Fair enough, thank you.”
+
+At School
+
+News of the frog incident spread throughout the school even before
+the class was over. As Joan tried to make her way to the next class,
+she is bombarded by jokes from students she didn’t even know, “Found
+Kermit yet?” “Lost your prince, huh?” Fortunately, Grace and Adam
+didn’t join in, but Luke and Glynis came up with a joke of their own.
+
+Glynis– “We were cheering for the frog all along, Hop-hop-hooray!”
+
+Joan is relieved when she is finally able to duck into AP French
+class.
+
+Madam Marks – “Joan, would you stand up and recite paragraph 3 from
+page 145.”
+
+Joan finds the page and stands up to read, “\ Pendant la deuxième
+guerre mondiale, les Français combattaient aux côtés des Anglais et
+quand le temps de prendre les repas était arrivé, les Français
+mangeaient des cuisses de grenouilles.” She pauses, now aware of the
+joke being played on her, “\ Et bien comme vous pouvez vous
+l’imaginer, ce n’était pas la sorte de repas que les anglais
+mangaient. Les Anglais ont donc commencés à nommer les Français les
+grenouilles.”Everyone in the class begins to laugh. Joan sits back
+down, now beginning to feel the weight of the humiliation.
+
+Madam Marks – “I’m sorry, Joan, it’s just so rare that I have an
+opportunity to bring humor into the classroom. Tell you what, I won’t
+call on you for the rest of the day.”
+
+Joan decides to let it pass. She remembers how rude she was to her
+when she first started taking French. She muses to herself, ‘Touché!’
+
+She was actually looking forward to study hall, a place where the
+students were supposed to remain quiet. This would allow her some
+relief from the frog jokes. However, when she arrives, the teacher
+calls her up to the front and gives her the pass from Ms. Keady. It
+had totally slipped her mind.
+
+She waves to Grace as she leaves the room, and of course, Grace
+responds with a ‘Where are you going, Girardi’ expression on her
+face. She’ll have to think of an excuse for this later.
+
+Joan goes to the gym and initially can’t find Ms. Keady, “In here,
+Joan.” Ms. Keady has laid down some mats in a small exercise room off
+the main gym, “I want us to have some privacy. I really shouldn’t be
+doing this at school, but it’s the best way to make our schedules
+match. Hmm, no purse. Do you carry a purse?”
+
+Joan – “When I’m not at school.”
+
+Ms. Keady – “Good, bring it to school tomorrow. I want to see it.”
+
+Joan – “What does that have to do with anything?”
+
+Ms. Keady – “Just do it, I’ll explain later. How big is this guy you
+are worried about? How does he compare to me?”
+
+Joan – “He’s taller, but…” Joan pauses, a little embarrassed to say
+it, “… but he weights less. He seems to be in good physical shape.”
+
+Ms. Keady – “Good, I’ll teach you how to take advantage of his size
+and weight. We’ll have to make you slippery like a frog.”
+
+Joan eyes Ms. Keady. She remains straight-faced for the longest time,
+but then she finally cracks a smile, “I just had to get that one in.
+But really, I’m not being totally funny. I have a stack of books for
+you to read. Most are about avoiding rape, but the techniques are the
+same. You will be surprised how what clothing you are wearing at the
+time can be an advantage or disadvantage. Let me see your shoes.”
+
+Joan hands her the replacement shoes that Helen bought her after the
+accident. Ms. Keady examines them and hands them back, “These will
+give you good traction, but are useless as a weapon. See if you can
+find a shoe with a hard short heel and a reinforced toe. Something
+like that can be used for both.”
+
+Joan – “When do we get to the karate part?”
+
+Ms. Keady – “I’m going to start teaching you some moves, but the
+‘karate part’ as you call it is only part of it. Hopefully, you will
+never get to the point of needing it. Remember the goal, survival and
+escape.”
+
+After the lesson, Grace walks up to Joan at her locker, “So, where
+did you go?”
+
+Joan had forgotten to make up an excuse and now has to think fast,
+“Ms. Keady has some new ideas for things for us to do in gym class. I
+volunteered to be her guinea pig.”
+
+Grace – “What kind of things?”
+
+Joan – “It’s a surprise.”
+
+As Joan walks home, she realizes her arm hurts. She pulls up her
+sleeve to find a large bruise just below her shoulder. She is
+puzzled, because she doesn’t remember Ms. Keady hitting her there.
+She smiles and thinks to herself, “PFM, pure frogging magic!”
+
+At Home
+
+Joan arrives to find her father is home, “What are you doing here?”
+
+Will – “I still have plenty of vacation time left. I’m going to try
+to leave early Tuesdays and Thursdays until your mother is finished
+with her art thing.”
+
+Joan – “Right, that’s tonight. Well, I have to work. I just came home
+to change my shoes. I hope it’s not busy. I have a lot of reading to
+do.”
+
+Will – “I’ve made pizza for dinner. Why don’t I put one in the oven,
+and you can take a few slices with you?”
+
+Joan – “Thanks, I’m starving.”
+
+Will – “How was your day?”
+
+Joan – “A day to forget, but I’m sure Luke will tell you all about
+it.”
+
+Will takes the hint and goes into the kitchen without comment. When
+Joan comes back downstairs, she bags a few slices of pizza for her
+dinner. She empties what she doesn’t need from her book bag and puts
+in her dinner and a soda. As she prepares to leave, Helen returns
+home, “Joan, I heard about what happened today. I’m so sorry. Would
+you like to talk about it?”
+
+Joan – “No, absolutely not, I want to forget about it. I’ll see you
+tomorrow. Oh, have fun tonight.”
+
+Helen – “Thank you.” She gives her a hug and Joan departs for the bus
+stop.
+
+Will – “Okay, tell me what happened.”
+
+Helen – “Joan was dissecting a frog in AP Biology when it leaped off
+the table and jumped out of the window. It really sounds hilarious,
+but Joan was totally embarrassed. I was told that she chased after it
+and actually leaped at it once while trying to catch it. The rumors
+of what happened began to fly through the school, growing wilder with
+each telling, but I believe I got a pretty accurate description of
+what happened from Adam.” She tries to suppress it, but she begins to
+laugh, “Something like this could only happen to our daughter… or in
+a comic strip.”
+
+Will – “Well, I could tell that she was upset about something.” He
+begins to smile as the image of Joan leaping after the frog flashes
+through his mind, “I guess we’ll not bring this up at dinner
+tomorrow. I’ll bet she has had enough harassment about it already.”
+
+Helen – “From what I have heard, everyone has been making jokes.
+Maybe we’ll bring it up in a few weeks when she no longer so
+sensitive about it. What smells so good?”
+
+Will – “I’ve made pizza. Would you like some?”
+
+Helen – “Yeah, that sounds good. Let me change into some old clothes,
+and I’ll be back. I don’t want to get paint on my good ones.”
+
+At the Bookstore
+
+Much to Joan’s dismay, the store is busy. It is quite a while before
+it calms down enough for her to do her homework and reading. She is
+initially annoyed when she hears the door chime, but is relieved when
+she sees that it is Rahav who has come into the store, “What’s with
+the dream? Is something bad going to happen to me?”
+
+God – “It’s only a possibility. It still depends upon choices yet to
+be made.”
+
+Joan – “God, I’m scared! I don’t think I can go up against Ryan, not
+in a physical battle.”
+
+God – “Turmoil, conflict, chaos, it is all part of life. We have
+talked about this before. You can’t control everything. There will
+always be surprises, good and bad. However, you have made the right
+decision by contacting Ms. Keady. You would have made a good Girl
+Scout.”
+
+Joan – “This is no time to be funny!”
+
+God – “Have confidence in yourself. How many times do I have to
+remind you of that?”
+
+Joan can see that once again, God has avoided answering her
+questions, “Why can’t you teach me dance anymore?”
+
+God – “Because you don’t need me for that. Sister Sarah is an
+excellent dance instructor. Elizabeth’s instructor is also very good
+and there are others. It is up to you.”
+
+Joan – “How can anyone be as good as you?”
+
+God ignores the question, “Have you noticed anything happening over
+the last few months?”
+
+Joan – “Like what?”
+
+God – “The yoga class, the dance class, seeking out Ms. Keady, these
+are all things I would have had to tell you to do in the past. Now
+you are doing them on your own.”
+
+Joan – “Those are all things that I wanted to do, except for the last
+one. I felt I needed to do that.”
+
+God – “When I have given you assignments in the past, they have
+always been with your best interest in mind. Now you are beginning to
+see what needs to be done on your own.”
+
+Joan – “So now you’re beaming thoughts into my head?”
+
+God – “No, your thoughts and your choices have been and will always
+be your own, but more and more often, they are becoming the same
+choices that I would have made for you. Do you know what that is
+called?”
+
+God doesn’t wait for an answer, “It is not necessary that you
+understand it.” She strokes the hair out of Joan’s eyes and begins to
+leave, “Oh, think about what Ms. Keady told you yesterday. I’ll see
+you later.” Joan is once again left feeling that she has been given
+more questions than answers. She wonders for a moment about what God
+has told her and then decides to go back to her reading.
+
+At Lilly’s Apartment
+
+Kevin and Lilly decided to order Chinese. Neither of them felt like
+eating out tonight. They are enjoying the variety of dishes that they
+ordered from Lin’s Family Restaurant.
+
+Kevin – “I met Rebecca’s new boyfriend today. He seems really nice.
+He’s a doctor at UMC and he knows Joan from treating her after the
+accident.”
+
+Lilly – “That’s quite a coincidence!”
+
+Kevin – “Yeah, that was a surprise. He and Rebecca would like us to
+join them on Saturday at the UMC Craft Show. Then we can have dinner,
+afterward. I think we should go.”
+
+Lilly – “I don’t know. It’s not going to be easy for me being with
+Rebecca, knowing that you two were once an item.”
+
+Kevin – “I know, but that was a long time ago. She’s my boss and we
+are just friends now.”
+
+Lilly asks, “With her new boyfriend, right?” She’s not expecting an
+answer, just thinking out loud, “Okay, I’ll go. What kind of crafts?”
+
+Kevin – “I suppose all kinds. I really don’t know, but it’s something
+different to do.”
+
+At the Bookstore
+
+Joan is reading when suddenly, there is a brilliant flash of light.
+All of the lights inside of the store go out. She walks to the
+windows and sees the lights are out everywhere. The only light she
+can see are the brilliant sparks spewing from a transformer on a pole
+the next block over. She locks the door. She waits, hoping the power
+will come back on, but it doesn’t. She looks out again, but this
+time, as another round of sparks spew from the transformer, she sees
+someone. Perhaps it’s a man, she’s not sure, but someone is standing
+on the sidewalk about twenty feet from the store.
+
+She walks back into the store and lights a candle. She finds her way
+to Sammy’s office and calls him at home. She notifies him of the
+power outage, and that she plans to go home. He agrees to return and
+set the store alarm. She leaves the candle there and walks out to the
+windows again. There is no light to see by, but she strains to see in
+the darkness. Headlights from a turning car briefly sweep a path of
+light. Yes, he’s still there! Goose bumps begin to coat her arms.
+Prickly things begin to dance down the back of her neck.
+
+She returns to Sammy’s office. Her heart is now pounding, and she is
+becoming short of breath. She thinks about what Ms. Keady told her
+and of God’s reminder, “The best way to win a fight is to avoid it in
+the first place.” She makes the call and waits to hear the answer,
+“Girardi residence.”
+
+“Daddy,” she pauses, unable to make the words come out, “We’ve had a
+power failure at the store. It’s out everywhere.” She pauses again,
+not wanting to tell him about the man outside, “I’m afraid to walk to
+the bus stop. Will you come get me?”
+
+Will canhear the fear in her voice, “Just wait there. Stay in the
+store. Lock the door. I’ll be there soon.” He walks up to his bedroom
+and instinctively retrieves his badge and gun. It’s the years of
+being a police officer. He informs Luke he is leaving to pick up Joan
+at work.
+
+As he arrives, his headlights briefly illuminate a man standing on
+the sidewalk wearing a hooded sweatshirt. He places his police light
+on the dash and turns it on. After a few moments, the man walks away.
+Will walks to the door and calls, “Joan, it’s me. I’m here to take
+you home.”
+
+Joan blows out the candle and walks to the door where she has
+collected her things. She has had time to calm down, knowing that her
+father was coming to get her. They leave for home.
+
+Joan – “I’m sorry for being such a scaredy-cat.”
+
+Will – “You did the right thing.” He doesn’t want to tell her about
+the man he saw outside of the store, “Your mother has a sense
+sometimes of when things are wrong. You were right to trust you
+instincts.”
+
+At Home
+
+Joan begins to head up to her room, but Will stops her, “I’ve made
+dessert. Why don’t you come have some?” Joan hesitates, not knowing
+for sure if she’s hungry, “Come on, it will do you good to have
+something in your stomach before you go to bed.”
+
+Joan agrees and Will heads for the kitchen. He cuts two portions of
+apple pie and places a slice of American cheese on each. He pops them
+into the microwave. When he removes them, he pours cinnamon sauce
+over them and adds a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each, “Voila!”
+
+When Joan returns, she and her father sit quietly enjoying their
+dessert, “Dad, what is it called when two people come up with the
+same idea? Is there a word for that?”
+
+Will considers her question for a moment, “The only thing I can think
+of is ‘like minded’. Is that what you’re looking for?”
+
+Joan – “I’m not sure. It’s just something I’ve been wondering about.
+Thanks.”
+
+Joan climbs into bed and begins to wonder about the man at the store.
+Was someone really there or did she imagine him? As she falls asleep,
+she remembers Rachel’s words, “It’s a hard world for little things.”
+
+Joan is drinking punch at a school dance, much like the Crystal Ball,
+but somehow different. Everyone is there, her friends, and the many
+kids that she only knows by sight. She looks around, scouring the
+crowd. She thanks God that Steve Ramsey is nowhere in sight.
+
+Someone taps her on the shoulder. She turns to see it is Adam, “Would
+you like to dance?” She is both puzzled and delighted. They walk out
+onto the dance floor and begin a waltz. She remembers her dream and
+the dance she had with Cute Boy God. As with him, she and Adam begin
+to dance as if on air. She’s in heaven.
+
+Joan smiles and opens her eyes. The room is dark, but she knows now
+that it was a dream. She thinks to herself, ‘This is not one for the
+journal. There is no way Adam could ever dance like that.’ She laughs
+and remembers what Mr. Tuchman said, “Yeah, I’m going to have to stop
+eating cheese before I go to bed.” She rolls over and goes back to
+sleep.
+
+The next morning, everyone is busy making breakfast. Helen is cooking
+eggs and hash browns, Joan is manning the toaster, and Luke is
+spreading butter and jelly on the toast. Papa Girardi is skating this
+morning. He’s sitting at the table, chuckling as he reads today’s
+newspaper.
+
+Helen – “Your father told me about you being frightened at the
+bookstore last night. Thank you for not knocking me across the room
+when I came to give you a kiss.”
+
+Joan smiles, “You’re welcome. How was last night?”
+
+Helen – “Oh, it was wonderful. I’ll tell you more at dinner tonight,
+but I have already learned a lot. June is restoring\ `The Garden,
+Epping <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/Picture.jpg>`__\ ,
+by Lucien Pissarro. It’s a beautiful painting.”
+
+Luke has been quiet this morning. He finally speaks up, “You have to
+admit, seeing that frog jump out of the window was hilarious. But,
+when no IQ Beaterman came up with the ‘Frog from Nantucket’ joke, I
+knew things were getting out of hand. I’m sure there will be more
+jokes today, but I won’t be a part of it. You should probably just
+ignore them.”
+
+Joan – “Well, I’m sure the jokes aren’t over either. I’ll just grin
+and bear it. What else can I do? If I ignore them, maybe they’ll go
+away.”
+
+Luke – “Well, it won’t be for awhile. I heard Sally Thornton talking
+to people. I think there’s going to be something in The Eagle about
+it.”
+
+Joan – “No! That will start it all over again.”
+
+Helen – “I won’t be able to stop it, but I’ll make sure that it is at
+least accurate. I’ll limit their sources to only those who where
+actually in the classroom.”
+
+At the Police Station
+
+When Will arrives at the office, he is surrounded by a slew of
+reporters.
+
+Reporter – “Roger Franz, BBY-AM.Chief Girardi, Mr. Ryan has made a
+lot of accusations about you and your police department. Would you be
+willing to make a statement?”
+
+Will – “I have read the newspaper this morning also. Mr. Hunter is
+good at making claims, but he has offered absolutely no proof to
+substantiate any of them.”
+
+Reporter – “Erica Stevenson, WGF-TV.Mr. Hunter stated that you have
+severed ties with his organization. Isn’t that in violation with the
+Arcadia City Charter?”
+
+Will – “Both the old and new city charters recommend that the police
+department engage in constructive communications with civic
+organizations such as Mr. Hunter’s Watchdog Committee, but they do
+not specify which organizations and leaves that decision up to me.
+Mr. Hunter and his organization have demonstrated that their agenda
+and the wishes of the people they purport to represent are not the
+same. The second headline in this morning’s newspaper further reveals
+Mr. Hunter’s agenda with his illegal campaign contributions to
+Councilmen’s Turner and Jarod’s election campaigns. I have every
+reason to believe I have made the right decision by severing ties
+with his organization.”
+
+Reporter – “Henry Taschen, Free Press.A witness at the HipHop Fest
+Saturday night stated she saw your daughter being arrested. Would you
+be willing to make a comment?”
+
+Will – “My daughter was taken into protective custody, but then
+mistakenly thought to be a suspect. The error was realized shortly
+after her arrival at the police station, and she was released. No
+charges were filed. That will be all, thank you.”
+
+At School
+
+As expected, the frog jokes were still flying. Joan’s smirk at each
+one seems to have the effect that she wants. She has mixed feelings
+when Sally asks her for an interview. She doesn’t know Sally well,
+but she seems to want to get the facts and not the rumors of what
+happened. “We thought we gave the frog enough chloroform, but
+obviously not. It jumped off the table, and we couldn’t catch it. The
+rest you know. I can’t explain it.”
+
+During lunch, she can hear the jokes whispered in the cafeteria, but
+at least none of her friends are telling them any longer. Joan
+finishes lunch early and decides to call Sister Sarah. She walks
+outside and sits on a bench to make the call, “Saint Mary’s Convent.
+Sister Rosanna. May I help you?”
+
+Joan – “Hello, may I speak to Sister Sarah?”
+
+Sister Rosanna – “I’m sorry, she’s not available right now. Can I
+help you?”
+
+Joan – “I’m calling about dance lessons.”
+
+Sister Rosanna – “Oh, I can help you with that.” She gives Joan the
+details of the nights and time and their address. She also provides a
+brief description of the dances they teach, “We ask for donations
+from the students. The proceeds go to support our order. Would you
+like to join us tonight?”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, but I’ll have to check the bus schedule.”
+
+Sister Rosanna – “Oh, just catch the 7th Street bus. It arrives 10
+minutes before class and leaves 20 minutes afterward. We set up the
+class so people could use the bus. Just ask to get off at Holy Hill.”
+
+Joan – “Holy Hill?”
+
+Sister Rosanna – “Oh, that’s just what the neighbors call it. It’s a
+joke.”
+
+Joan – “Thanks, Sister Rosanna.I’ll try to make it. Bye.”
+
+Later, when she meets with Ms. Keady, she provides her purse for
+inspection. “Binaca, good to freshen breath, but it is also very
+disabling when sprayed in the eyes. A pen and pencil, also good for
+jabbing. Not much else in here. I’ll give you a list of things you
+might want to add.”
+
+Joan – “Ms. Keady, I don’t know if I can fight like that.”
+
+Ms. Keady – “You don’t get it. If this happens, you are going to be
+fighting for your life. You can be Joan all the rest of the time, but
+during the attack, you have to become vicious. It’s the only way
+you’re going to come out of it alive. Have you ever been in a fight?”
+
+Joan – “Not many. I had a fight with Judith. I thought she was trying
+to steal Adam from me.”
+
+Ms. Keady – “Good. Okay, I’m Judith, show me how mad and angry you
+are.”
+
+Joan – “But I was wrong, it was all a mistake.”
+
+Ms. Keady – “I don’t care about that. I want you to go back to those
+feelings you had when you started fighting. Fear is disabling. Anger
+and hate are your weapons.”
+
+Joan – “But that’s not me!”
+
+MsKeady – “It has to be you during your struggle. You have to learn
+to be able to turn it on. We are going to work on this until you show
+me you can do it.”
+
+After class, Joan has difficulty calming down. Ms. Keady had finally
+made Joan mad enough to strike back. She mumbles to herself, “Calling
+my mom stupid and ugly, and Judith was not a junkie, and slapping me
+for no reason.” She just couldn’t take it any more. “Good, good, you
+found it. Remember that place. You’ll need to go back there.” Joan is
+still mad, but is starting to realize why Ms. Keady did it. There was
+a power and a rage that came over her. Now she needs to find a way to
+turn it off.
+
+She meets Grace after class, “Girardi, you look like you could kill
+something. Too many frog jokes?”
+
+Joan – “No, it’s not that. It’s something else. I’ll be okay. I just
+need to be alone for a while. I have to go to the computer lab to
+check the bus schedule. I have dance class tonight.”
+
+Grace – “When are we going to go over our lab notes?”
+
+Joan – “I already answered the questions. We just need to make sure
+they’re right. I’ll call you later. No, why don’t you find Adam and
+meet me in the lab?”
+
+Grace – “I’ll go check. I hope he’s still here.”
+
+Joan – “If you don’t find him, meet me there anyway. You can call him
+later.”
+
+Grace goes to his locker, and finds Adam and Elizabeth talking, “Joan
+wants to go over our lab notes… now.”
+
+Adam – “I can’t, Elizabeth and I have to go. I’ll call you later.
+Just tell her I had something to do. Tell her I had to work.”
+
+Grace – “Dude, I’m not going to lie for you.”
+
+Adam – “You know she can’t find out about this, not yet.”
+
+Grace – “She’s going to figure out something is going on, it’s just a
+matter of time.”
+
+Adam – “If that happens, then I’ll tell her myself.” Adam and
+Elizabeth leave together.
+
+Grace is not happy, caught in the middle again. She goes to the lab,
+“I couldn’t find him. I’ll call him later.”
+
+Joan – “I got the bus schedule. We don’t have much of time. Here are
+my notes. I just had to guess on the last one, since we never did
+it.”
+
+Grace – “What’s your brother doing tonight?”
+
+Joan – “I don’t know, he’s your boyfriend.”
+
+Grace – “Guess I’ll break out the lip gloss and pay him a visit. I’ll
+get the notes for the last one.”
+
+Joan – “Oh, if I don’t, tell my mom I had dance class and I’ll be
+home between seven thirty and eight.”
+
+Grace – “Don’t you know her number?”
+
+Joan – “It only works if she has her phone turned on. I gotta go.
+Maybe she’s still in the art room.”
+
+Joan checks the art room, but Helen has already gone. She tries her
+cell, but there is no answer. She calls Kevin and is in luck. Kevin
+will let everyone know that she has gone to dance class.
+
+Downtown, Joan transfers to the 7th Street bus and a familiar voice
+begins to speak.
+
+“\ She walks in beauty, like the night
+Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
+And all that ‘s best of dark and bright
+Meet in her aspect and her eyes.\ ”
+
+Joan walks down the aisle and sits beside him, “It still sounds so
+much better when you say it.”
+
+Roger – “How have you been?”
+
+Joan – “Oh, a lot of things have happened, but I’m doing okay. Where
+are you going?”
+
+Roger – “O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me,
+and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling. You?”
+
+Joan – “Me, too! Dance class?”
+
+Roger – “Yes.” He thinks for a moment, “I will never forget our last
+time together. You are such a beautiful and intelligent young woman,
+and I’m not sorry that I kissed you. But things have happened for me,
+too. I’m engaged!”
+
+Joan – “Congratulations! Tell me about her.”
+
+Roger – “Her name is Cee-Cee, and like you, I tutored her. I still
+tutor her, but now I do it because I love her. She is a year younger
+than me and attends Dawson State. She’s majoring in dance. That’s why
+I’m here. I want so much to be able to dance with her.”
+
+Joan – “Well, maybe we can practice together. I just love to dance,
+and I want to learn everything I can.”
+
+Roger – “That would be nice, but Sister Sarah has her own ideas. She
+usually pairs people with similar abilities. I’m a klutz when it
+comes to dancing, so you might be better off with someone else.”
+
+Joan – “We’ll see, but I’m sure we can squeeze in a dance from time
+to time.”
+
+Roger – “I would like that. We’re almost there.”
+
+The bus slows and turns to drive up the hill. Normally, they don’t
+service directly to the door, but for the sisters, they have made an
+exception. Walking up and down the hill was tiring for them and many
+of them use the bus to commute to the Catholic elementary and high
+schools. It was a small compromise.
+
+They walk inside and Joan enjoys the feeling of being home. The room
+is the same as in her dream. She signs the register and waits for the
+nun to finish talking to the man in front of her. She looks around
+the room some more, absorbing the details.
+
+Nun – “Hello Joan, I’m Sister Sarah, welcome.”
+
+Joan is brought back from her daydream. She looks at her. How did she
+know her name? Is she God? She does look familiar, but she just can’t
+place her. Was it from her dream or somewhere else? “Hello, it’s nice
+to meet you.”
+
+Sister Sarah – “Is this your first time taking dance lessons?”
+
+Joan – “No, I have had a few classes.”
+
+Sister Sarah – “Good. We’ll see who shows up tonight, and I’ll try to
+pair you with someone appropriate. Here’s your name tag.”
+
+Joan now remembers signing the register. She gives Sister Sarah her
+donation, “Thank you.”
+
+They begin by doing the jitterbug. She has seen it done in her dream
+and in movies, and even faked it with Elizabeth, but doing it right
+is something new. She is paired with a girl named Jamie. She is
+pleased when she finds she can pick it up quickly, but the rapid
+movements of the dance are exhausting. She is relieved when the short
+break finally comes. She feels much better after she drinks several
+cups of water from the cooler.
+
+Her mind wanders, and she thinks back to the cover story that she
+told Grace, ‘What if Ms. Keady had us start doing the jitterbug? That
+would be great exercise and fun too.’ She plans to mention it to Ms.
+Keady.
+
+They resume class by practicing a series of waltzes. Jamie is a great
+partner, but Joan decides to keep her promise of a dance to Roger.
+He’s not as bad a dancer as he thinks. But as they dance, they both
+drift off into their own worlds. Roger is dancing with Cee-Cee and
+Joan is dancing with Adam. She wants to dance with him, even if it’s
+only in her dreams.
+
+At Home
+
+Joan arrives at home to find Will and Helen sitting at the table,
+“Hi, what did we have for dinner? I’m starved!”
+
+Helen – “I’ll fix it for you, have a seat.”
+
+Helen goes into the kitchen and heats up Joan’s dinner in the
+microwave. She returns with it along with a glass of milk.
+
+Will – “Kevin told us that you went to dance class. Didn’t we ask you
+not to see those people until after the investigation is finished?”
+
+Joan – “I didn’t! I have a new teacher. I’m now taking classes at
+Saint Mary’s Convent.”
+
+Helen – “Okay, but you should have told us. Your father and I have
+been worrying about you for no reason.”
+
+Joan – “I’m sorry, I just called today at lunch and found out the
+class was tonight. I tried to tell you, but I couldn’t find you.”
+
+Will is now relieved to know that he was wrong, “How is the new
+class?”
+
+Joan – “Great! I loved Rahav, but Sister Sarah is good too. I like it
+there. Is Grace here?”
+
+Helen – “She was here earlier, but she’s gone home.”
+
+Joan finishes eating and quickly checks the five-day forecast in the
+newspaper before heading upstairs. She calls Grace and confirms that
+the lab questions are all complete and correct. She pauses to collect
+her thoughts before making the next call. She hears him pick up, “Hi,
+Adam. What are you doing?”
+
+Adam – “I’ve been playing with Pax in the backyard. I just came in.”
+
+Joan – “I was wondering, could you get your dad’s truck on Saturday?”
+
+Adam – “Hang on.” He asks his dad and then replies, “Sure, no
+problem. Where do you want to go?”
+
+Joan – “I would really like to go to Mercer Creek. The weather is
+supposed to be nice, and you can bring Pax. It’ll be fun.”
+
+Adam knows Joan too well and can sense she is holding something back,
+“Sure, no problem, but I get the feeling there is something else.”
+
+Joan hesitates slightly, “Judith and I went there about this time
+last year. I really miss her.”
+
+Joan doesn’t have to say anything more, “Sure, Joan, let’s go.”
+
+Joan tells Adam goodnight and begins to write in her journal. She
+writes about how crazy the last few days have been: being arrested,
+the dreams, the sculpture, the movie, Pax, the frog, the power
+outage, knocking Ms. Keady on her ass, and dancing. “Whew!” But she
+doesn’t write what is most on her mind, the other reason for asking
+Adam to take her to Mercer Creek. She’ll save that for later.
+
+Will and Helen are reading in bed. Helen is reading a novel and Will
+is chuckling once again through the stories on the front page of the
+newspaper. He lays the paper down and looks at Helen. He does the
+most remarkable Vincent Price laugh. “Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah ...
+Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah ... Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah ... Who is hunting whom?”