-{ Hi y'all....this post is open to those that are currently involved in the SL of Georgia Grace's missing momma...as the SL goes on there could be chances for others to get involved. If your wanting to join in please drop me a line. Thanks! }~
Pickett Plantation
She had not stayed out late the night before, she had come home at a reasonably early hour, which had Harris looking at the young lady, but he said nothing. Though it didn’t take a fool to know that the man was rather pleased that she was in at such a descent hour, which made her wonder if she should perhaps make it more of a habit then an exception. It was hard when she was in early, because her mind normally drifted to Coop, and what he was doing and with whom. And those thoughts would turn the girl green, she was rather fond of her tannish shade she was currently.
Not that her previous day was not full of things, in the morning she went to meet Ren at the old church, she still thought when she came across it that she wasn’t going to be alive walking in. Thankfully she went in got a good work out with Ren and made plans to do it again. Her muscles were screaming today but the hot bath and the oils she used, helped and it helped get her mind off of the night before she met with Ren. Not that she was talking about the fact that she was slightly confused about it, but that was okay, she wouldn’t dwell on the fact that a male had shocked her. Of course, after that she had the bright idea to stop in and see Jett, she didn’t want him to think she was lying about being his friend, but after the second disastrous dinner, she decided she was just not meant to be his friend, not that she hadn’t tried. But her mood hadn’t stayed in the negative because of her slightly turned around ways of managing the roads she had found a tattoo shop and Krys. Which actually was rather helpful, because she finally figured out what she wanted her tattoo to be.
Her thoughts were on things that she didn’t want to be thinking of, when there was a knock on her bedroom door, which had her popping up like a piece of popcorn off the bed, and making her way to the door. A warm smile was given as she opened it to find Harris standing there with a brown wrapping covered box. The box wasn’t overly large, and someone had used a computer to type up a label addressing the package to her, care of the Pickett Plantation. “Thank you Harris.” The words slipped out as she took the box from him. “Did you need anything Miss Georgia Grace?” He must of seen the strange look upon her face when she saw the package. “Oh…no thank you. I just wasn’t expecting anything.” The last words trailed out lightly. He gave a nod, “Very well…if you need anything just let me know.” And then he moved down the hall.
Georgia was studying the brown package, almost like she didn’t want to touch it, but yet some reason had her holding it. Moving over to the bed she sat back down, the bed giving a soft bounce from the weight. It wasn’t like it was a secret she was here, nor was it a secret she was making friends left and right, and that thought had her brain taking a happy little turn. Fingers slipped under where the paper overlapped and moved it in one piece, the tap coming up easy enough. Inside was a simple brown box, sealed with more tape. Peculiar and that had her opening the box carefully once more, removing the tape. Once that was done she peered into the box, a envelope was there on the top, just plain and white. Taking the envelope out of the box, she was about to open it when something sparkling caught her attention. She had yet to touch the sparkly but her mouth fell open, she didn’t know if she should open the envelope or look for Coop. Okay she had the thought to go looking for Cooper, but she couldn’t help it, there was no way on this green earth that she couldn’t not open the envelope. Slipping her finger to break the seal, before tugging the letter out, the words were all typed on a printer of some type. -Georgia Grace - Do not give up hope.- Your Mother is Still Alive- We will be in touch.-
Okay that was enough for her to go bolting from the room, the offending letter and the box with the shiny bracelet still in her hand, she almost ran into Harris. Her eyes might of looked well shocked because she was shocked. “Harris…do you know where Coop is?” The girl probably looked as if she just saw a ghost. And she wanted to share with Coop before she told Cookie what happened, because oddly enough wanted to keep him up to date.
Bless the heart of Harris and all his goodness, even at his age the man had reflexes faster than a bell clapper in a goose's ass. Stopping just short of colliding into Georgia Grace, the man looked as baffled as could be to see the girl in such a tizzy, until he noticed the letter and bracelet in her hand. He was right about to ask if that envelope held something offensive inside when she cut him off at the pass asking for Cooper. "I will tell him you're in the sittin' room straight away, Miss Shettfield." Giving her one last look over he added, "Feel free to pour yourself somethin' while you wait." Harris was a teetotaler himself, had never touched a drop in his life thanks to his Poppa who'd drowned himself in a lake after drowning himself in liquor, but the old Southern man knew when he was looking at a lady who could use a stiff one.
That said, Harris left Georgia Grace to make her way down to the sitting room. His reply made it obvious, didn't it, that Cooper was somewhere nearby. While the lawyer had certainly kept later hours at work when he was in the thick of business, this decent hour wasn't so decent that he was still bent over his office desk today. Wherever Cooper was, it would sure give Georgia Grace enough time to have one drink and pour herself a second if that's what her heart desired. Pickett Manor was a big place, and an old one, with a lot of nooks and crannies that weren't included on the house tours given to visitors.
But what Cooper was up to before Harris came to him didn't really factor into it, since it was promptly abandoned one he heard the news. The lawyer got himself to the sitting room in two shakes - well, two really slow shakes that is, because even in a time of crisis the cool-headed Cooper Alan Picket IV wasn't one to bust out into a sweat and break out into a run. His stride had purpose though as he came into the sitting room, purpose enough that it should be obvious that he cared. Of course he cared. He didn't invite just any ole Nancy to stay in his home for an undetermined amount of time, and he'd known Georgia Grace since before she'd grown herself up to be a fine, upstanding Southern woman.
He was dressed in loose cotton pants, the kind best used for sleeping, watching television, or some other leisurely pursuit. A fresh white t-shirt covered his chest, bleached to perfection. And he was barefoot, which surely meant he couldn't have been up to anything all that mysterious. Didn't it? Immediately his clear blue eyes fell on the envelope, and he wasted no time asking. "Someone write you a note you didn't much like, Georgia Grace?" He was a lawyer. He knew evidence when he saw it.
Love that Harris. When he noticed Georgia after pulling up short, because at that moment, she would of just ended up colliding with him though not on purpose. She still looked quite shaken, but her head gave a nod, and her voice was soft. “Thank you.” She had started to make her way to the sitting room, when she heard him speak again, and she knew that she was obviously wearing her emotions on her face at the moment. It was something she normally could hide, those feelings of pretty much anything, behind a sunny smile but not this.
The sitting room was exactly where Miss Georgia Grace went, no stopping, not that she was sure how long it would take for Harris to round up Cooper. It was a bit reassuring that Harris would be able to find him, because she had figured she was going to have to wait for him to finish up his work, before getting back to the plantation home. She was taking a deep breath, as she set the items that were in her hands down on the sofa, noticing that she was shaking. Not a large body shake but the small twitch like movements, that you could see but couldn’t quite get your mind to wrap around them to cause them to quit.
Closing her eyes a moment, though that did not help because she was rereading the letter, when her mind told her she was being quite illogical, it could all be a joke. A big sick practical joke, and that thought had almost calmed her down, almost because the bracelet was a one of a kind work, she knew it well, and if someone actually lifted it and flipped it around, they would see the engraving of M.M.S.
Making her way over to where the liquor was located, she slowly lifted the decanter, her right hand took a moment but she got the top popped off. Right hand moving to grab a empty glass, which she filled with the amber colored liquid, before setting down the decanter, as she lifted the drink to her lips, her head tilting back, eyes closing, as she swallowed the amber liquid in one swallow. Righting her head, her hand with the glass lowering it onto the small table, as she heard Cooper enter. If she hadn’t had that small shake, which thankfully was gone as the liquid did its job, she would have had time for two drinks.
She had a jealous streak in her a mile wide when it came to Cooper and the love life that he had in her head, which may or may not be close to the truth., not that she ever voiced such a thing. Oh heaven’s no. She took a soft breath as she turned to look at Cooper. Leaving the cup on the table, she turned and made her way to the couch, lifting the letter and the box. First she held out the letter, giving him a moment or two to read it. Not that it was that long, but then she tilted the box and she spoke softly. “It’s her bracelet Coop…I’d know it anywhere…I don’t want to touch it. Buut…if you turn it over, her initials will be there.” It was one of those things that she just knew, and if he did want to check just because of the lawyer in him, he would see the M.M.S. near the middle of the piece of jewelry.
Lifting her mis-matched colored eyes towards Coop, she spoke very softly. “Who ever has her, they know I'm staying here ... they sent it to me here.” That right there crept the girl out, because that meant she was being watched by the same people that had taken her ma.
One had to be a sleuth sharp as Miss Marple to know anything about the so-called love life of Cooper Alan Pickett the Fourth. Not a single photo of him with any woman who wasn't a co-worker or affiliate of some kind ever found its way into the society pages, the tabloids or the local entertainment news. That was how he liked it and that is how it was kept. Course it kept the minds of the women around him dreaming, like the infamous Miss Casey Mae. But that was their problem, now wasn't it, and not his. Cooper lived his days and nights to do his job.
Except for nights like this one. Every now and then there was a special case, and most things that involved Georgia Grace usually fit in that category. Soon as she identified the bracelet in her hand as her mother's, Cooper held his hands up like it was some kind of stick-up. "I don't need to touch anythin' to take your word for it, Georgia Grace." Besides, he could read what the type-written letter said from where he was. "Why don't you put those over on the table there, alright? They're evidence now and it won't do to smudge up any prints that might belong to the folk that sent them with our own."
Giving her that instruction he was calm as he could be, and he was just as calm as he walked on over to the intercom system that was on the wall next to the door, giving on of its buttons a push. "Harris, would you be so kind as to give the local authorities a call? Georgia Grace has just received somethin' from the folk who might have her momma." When Harris answered in the affirmative, the old man's voice with an urgent hitch to his giddy-up. Confident that things would be taken care of on that end, Cooper turned back to Georgia Grace.
"Let's take a seat, sweet pea, it'll be a little while before they get here I expect. This isn't exactly a neighborhood they're called to all too often." He sat down on one end of the antique sofa, patting the cushion that was on the other end. Clear blue eyes watching the woman in distress, Cooper softened his tone a bit more than he might with someone else in the same position. But the logic the lawyer delivered was the same. "I know we didn't go broadcastin' on the news that you're stayin' with me, Georgia Grace, but that don't mean that there aren't plenty of folk who know about it anyway. In this area of town, with the number of rich white haired ladies sittin' on their front porches with nothin' better to do but flap their lips at anyone who happens to walk by? We should be glad there haven't been any reporters here knocking down this door to try and get an exclusive interview with Marie Michelle's little girl."
For those that did read the gossip pages, Georgia Grace changed significant others, as much as some changed their underwear. One of the things her dear momma, bless her, did not approve of,.a good southern girl needed to be settled down and producing heirs, not something they agreed on. Of course, most of the time she was snapped at the promotional parties that she had arranged, and half the time it was the host. Other times they would catch her speaking with a guest, and a innocent touch of a hand upon an arm, or a hand pressed to her back as people mingled, was often misconstrued as a new relationship. Wouldn’t those people be rather bored with her lack of real relationships. It wasn’t actually bad press because none of the pictures were considered risqué, and with her not doing her planning while she was trying to figure out what was going on with Marie Michelle’s disappearance, the pictures had completely quit.
Had she had not been so shaken seeing Coop lifting his hands like that would of caused her to laugh. She had not thought about that, that if there were prints on the items, her touching them would smudge them up. Not that she had known that the delivery was going to be something that had to do with her momma’s disappearance. Her head gave a simple nod as she took the box with the bracelet still laying in it along with the envelope and the letter that had been kept out, and set them down on the table that he had spoke of. Turning after that, she gave him a almost rueful grin. “I didn’t think about that.” Her thoughts had gone quite a few places but not there.
Cooper Alan Pickett the fourth was probably the only one that could of calmed her down at the moment. It was just being near him and his calmness that seemed to work a bit of magic over her. Maybe that was one of the things that had always drawn her to him, was the effect that he could have over her moods, without really any real effort.
When Coop started to talk her attention was drawn away from the box and letter she had sat on the table, she had yet to move away from it, but she gave a small nod of her head, even before she turned her attention away from it. She spoke softly. “Sorry.” Because of the fact that the police were having to come to his home, because of her, in a way. Breaking her gaze, she turned to face Coop, and then walked over to sit where he had patted. She did not flop down onto the couch but lowered herself with a grace that her momma would have been proud of. His words had her releasing a breath, as she looked over at him, and a small incline of her head before righting it. “I didn’t think about that….that is a bit more…reassuring, then thinking that someone is keeping tabs on me.” A mental shiver, which very well might of reflected on her face, before letting out her thought. “I am glad I was here and not at Dogwood when they decided to make contact.” Because it wouldn’t of been hard to know she was staying out at the Dogwood Plantation either.
-- Edited by GEORGIA SHETTFIELD on Sunday 28th of August 2011 04:41:41 PM
What happened when you accidentally got overheard saying that the captains Daughter was absolutely doable. by the captain? Well, one ended up getting saddled with taking preliminary questions for the feds or some shit. hey, at least the case was high profile. He'd already been out and about when the call came out. and the drive there wasn't a long one. but Homicide Detective Clark Kent was the first responder to the scene. a check to his smart phone, and then a glance at the front gate of the property. and he shook his head.
"Y'know this year... I might actually sleep with her after the Christmas party..." he decided as he drove up to the front gate, stopping the car and opening the door, he was wearing a grey suit, of the athletic cut, it fit his body closely on the top.and loosely in the pants. made it easier to run and move if you needed to that way. he wasn't wearing a tie, the top button of his white shirt left open.
The asphalt crunched under each step as he stepped up to the intercom, sunglasses where removed and he pressed the intercom button and said very clearly. "This is Detective Kent of the NOPD... I'm responding to a call from this address." his words carried no accent,m after all he wasn't from Louisiana originally.
He leaned in and examined the device before standing strait again, replacing his sun glasses. waiting for the reply.
"There's nothin' to be sorry for, now, don't be silly." Fact was that Cooper had no idea what exactly it was she was apologizing for. That was always the way with women though, wasn't it? Out of nowhere they're apologizing for something, and had him looking around for what the hell might've just happened. In this case, least he could figure she was apologizing for getting her prints all over the box and letter. "The authorities are plenty good at their jobs, and if there's something worth findin' on those things they'll find it between your pretty little prints, don't you fret on it."
Then Cooper waved his hand, swatting at the notion of someone keeping tabs on her like it was a fly on a windowsill. "We're livin' in the information age, there's plenty of ways to find out what we want to know when someone puts their mind to it. Which is why I'm glad they didn't find you at the Dogwood either, that wouldn't have done anyone a lick of good." While Jebney Adams was damn good at renting out his rooms to bone fide humans only, man wouldn't know his ass from his elbow if some kind of altercation went down. That's why the Dogwood had private security monitoring the place, but Cooper didn't like to put his faith in that. A place was only as secure as its owners, as his good ole Daddy used to say, God rest his Southern-loving soul.
Speaking of security, that's about when the Detective came over the intercom. It was Harris who answered the door. He was an elderly man who'd been with Pickett Manor since Cooper was a youngin', but Harris looked healthy as a horse. Not to mention relieved to see the Detective standing there. After looking the Detective's badge over, he nodded, stepping away from the door and opening it wide. "Thank you, Detective Kent, we appreciate you comin' out to see us tonight. Mr. Pickett and Miss Shettfield are in the front room right there to your left." Even though Harris could tell the man was a Yank, or at least not a true local, outwardly he treated the Detective no differently than he would any other visitor who came to the manor.
Hearing Harris answer the door, Cooper stood and moved to the archway of the front room. From here he could have a look-see at the Detective as he entered. Didn't take a long second to see that this wasn't one of New Orleans' finest that he recognized. Sometimes recognizing an officer worked to his favor, other times it worked to his detriment. Some of them had pretty strong, unbiased opinions about supernaturals that clashed with Cooper's tightly conservative beliefs.
When he greeted the man he'd put none of that past into the present, giving the officer a kindly smile as he turned on his old southern charm. Least this man dressed well and took pride in it, unlike many on the force. "Good evenin', Detective, so sorry to call you all the way out here this time of night. My dear friend Miss Shettfield has a missin' momma that you might've heard about in your work down at the precinct, and she was delivered somethin' here tonight that shook her clear down to the deepest part of her bones." He'd say no more than that, giving a chance for Georgia Grace to speak for herself.
Once the Detective made his way into the front room, Cooper would provide an introduction between the two if it turned out necessary, but he suspected it wouldn't be. After all, Georgia Grace had been all over the local papers ever since Marie Michelle's disappearance.
Of course, men never realized why women said half the things that they said, but if they did perhaps the divorce rates would be lower…or maybe marriages never would of happened in the first place. She had been about to open her mouth to explain that she was sorry that the cops were now coming to his home. But when he spoke, she thought about that too, and that would have been enough to make her apologize as well. “I sure hope so.” Because if the person said it was all her fault for not being more careful well, that would just be a cherry on top, wouldn’t it?
Head was nodding slowly at his words, as she was calming down, he was just lucky the girl didn’t just up and faint. Back of hand over forehead and everything! “Or at pa’s plantation, Miz Mary would of not handled things as well as Harris.” Miz Mary would have gone in a completely different manner, as it was Georgia Grace had her hand’s full with her half the time, and if she thought someone was keeping tabs, even if just looking it up and getting the information, Georgia Grace’s life would of became a bit of a Hell.
When Harris let the detective into the house and Cooper stood to greet the man, Georgia Grace, mustered up her energies and stood up, though she did not move to far from couch. She had been shaken, and hopefully the man would not think her rude, for she normally was the most polite. Plus it wasn’t her home she was a guest there, so perhaps that would excuse her as well.
After Coop spoke to the detective, she was able to see he wasn’t one that had been down at the precinct when she had stopped in on her quest to befriend Jett, that she had finally given up on. Well as much as she could give up on someone. Her voice even though it was stressed still had a honey quality to it. “I put the package and the letter over there on the table. I’m afraid I was touching it before I realized what it was, though the bracelet was not touched.” There was only a slight wobble in her voice, and that was due largely in part of Cooper’s presence. Mis matched gaze darted between the two men.
Clark's eyes where taking in everything around him as he was escorted up. when he was escorted into the room with Cooper and Georgia grace he froze. he knew this girl, and the dude she was with. and they, where two people who where not at all fond of people like Clark. But, they apparently didn't know who he was. and he wasn't about to correct them on that. instead after his initial reaction, he flashed a smile. and produced one of those blue neoprene gloves from his pocket and put it on before offering his hand out towards Cooper. it wasn't too odd, he was to handle evidence and you couldn't do that without gloves.
" It's no problem at all Sir, I was already out and about anyway." being punished for only saying what everyone else was thinking but what ever, he didnt dwell on it. he shook the other man's hand and turned his attention to the young lady. offering her his best charming smile. "That's alright miss Shettfield, We''l just go ahead and get your finger prints on file and when the crime lab guys get to looking at it, We'll be able to mark yours off." he smiled again and turned to where she indicated. "Sir... Mr... Pickett, right?" Clark had seen the guy on TV before but it wasn't right to just assume."... did you handle the package at all?" asked as he picked up the letter in a gloved hand, reading it over, and giving it a nice close look. the letter wouldn't have anything for him supernaturally. it was just a note, no real emotional connection. when he Decided to move on to the bracelet that would yield more positive results for him.
Unfortunately for folk like Cooper Alan Picket IV, supernaturals were everywhere. Including in law enforcement. Now that very thing was what much of Citizens Against the Supernatural was lobbying heavily to change, but in the meantime Cooper had to work within the established system best he could without compromising the cause he so deeply believed in. He knew full well that the man standing before them could be a supernatural of some kind, but right now was a delicate situation. To make sure the right people were on the case, well that would come later when Cooper gave a call down to the station, to try and call in a personal favor from one friend to another. Right now, Cooper was going to work his manners and give this detective the benefit of the doubt.
So if he noticed that deer in the headlights look when the detective first came in, Cooper was ignoring it. Instead a smile was flashed back at Detective Kent which was as big and charming as the one man was giving. "Well we do appreciate it Detective, we most certainly do." Extending his hand to meet the offered one, Cooper's handshake was confident and firm but brief.
Then the lawyer directed that smile of his at Georgia Grace, going over to her to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Now you see there Georgia Grace, what did I tell you? Nothin' to worry about, these men and women do their jobs well just like I said." Cooper gave her shoulder a few pats before heading over to the bar to make himself a drink. Seemed like work somehow followed him home tonight with this new development in Marie Michelle's disappearance, and if that wasn't cause for a tall stiff drink the good ole Southern son didn't know what was.
"That's right detective, Mr. Cooper Alan Pickett the Fourth, Esquire. But only if we need to get formal about it, otherwise Cooper'll do just fine. This here is my family's manor, been so since before the Civil War, and Miss Shettfield here is a longtime friend of mine who was stayin' with me while she was in New Orleans hoping to hear news of her momma, and I've got to tell you that neither of us expected the news to come right to this very doorstep." That was likely a whole lot more information than Detective Kent had expected, but Cooper'd given police statements before and thought it best to get some of the typical information out of the way.
"I did not, by the way, touch any of those items but if you'd like to print me anyway as a precautionary measure I'd be happy to oblige," he added, finally answering the only thing the Dectective had actually wanted to know from him. "And I'd offer you a drink, if you'd take one, but I expect you can't while you're on duty?" Question was posed to him as Cooper lifted his glass in an indicative toast, before taking a good long drink for himself.
What the hell had Marie Michelle gotten herself mixed up into? That was the central question on the lawyer's mind as the drink burned down his throat.
Georgia Grace wouldn’t be able to tell that he was anything but a normal guy, unless he suddenly sprouted horns right there in front of her, and a tail. That would give it away. She might think actions he took were odd, but she knew plenty of regular 100% bonafide humans that were weird. Even in the state she was in, the upset female, she still paid attention to Coop, and how he interacted with the man.
When the man looked to Georgia Grace, she gave him a little smile, lips slightly trembled, because it had been quite a shock. But he was being most kind, and she gave a simple nod of her head, even as her mis matched gaze looked to Detective Kent. “I was worried, but Coop said that you guys would have knowledge that would mean I didn’t mess up to much.” She wanted to bite her lower lip but she refrained, but her attention stayed on the two men in the room, it was easier that way, instead of staring at the box with the offending item. She had no reason to fear her prints being on file.
And at that moment was when Coop came over, and gave her that little reassuring squeeze of her shoulder, and spoke the words. Her head was bobbing, as she cast a glance up to Coop, giving him a little smile. Of course, she trusted Coop, more then she trusted anyone else, and when he said something, she had no reason not to believe him. It just was sometimes nice to hear someone echo his words.
While the two men talked she looked between the two of them, but instead of remaining standing she took her seat again, at least until she was needed. She still felt like her knee’s would give out on her at any time, and how embarrassing would that be? And wasn’t that true, she hadn’t expected any sort of contact, and that it had happened, and it happened in that fashion well, surprise!
The box, was rather plain, the envelope that the letter had been in, was in the box along with the bracelet. Any prints that were located with be Marie Michelle’s own, except for the postal person’s on the outside of the box. If he got a feeling of what the person was feeling that touched the items, it would be a bit of hesitation, almost like they weren’t going to do it, but thought that some sort of word needed to be out there.
Honestly, even though it just felt like it was starting to where she could get some answers, Georgia Grace just wanted the whole thing to be over. But she knew, when she thought logically, that these things took time.
Clark's eyes wandered over the letter and he set it down again, producing from the inside of his jacket a notepad and a pen, jotting down a few notes before looking up at Cooper with a smile." Pardon? Oh, yes, no thank you. I heard a rumor they frown on drinking and driving in these parts." he smiled, this was a stressful situation for both of them, and he was trying to lighten the mood a bit.
He jot down a few more notes based on what they both said before he added. "Very good mister Pickett. I understand that you may have not touched the letter, but it would still be good to have you on file. so we can identify your prints on any further potential evidence we might come across during the investigation." his tone was professional, but polite. IT woudl certainly save them alot of potential work if they didnt have to track down unidentified fingerprints only to find out they where coopers.
"Do you think I could get both you and Miss Shettfield to come by the station tomorrow morning and get that taken care of?" he cast a glance from georgia to coop and then back. " and if you like I can arrage for you to speak with the departments therapist. I understand this must be a very troubling time for you miss. it might be helpful to talk with someone." he offered georgia a small smile. before turning back to the bracelet, which he reached out to with a gloved hand, and turned it over on the table. "When did the package arrive." since he was wearing gloved, the visions from the bracelet where somewhat muted, just a couple potential flashes of more recent memories shared with the bracelet. his eyes lost focus as he examiend the bracelet, watching the images in his mind.
( Since it's your party Georgia, I'm putting you in charge of what Clarkw ould see when he touched the bracelet)
"Just another reason to put in that transfer to a bicycle unit, if you ask me." Said with a charming Southern smile. If keeping things light and loose was this Detective's way, Cooper could do that with the best of them. In the meantime he tended liberally to his own drink, trying to cut the edge off his mood that had sprung up in light of recent developments. Funny how while the Detective worked Cooper's eyes were mostly watching Georgia Grace. But he wasn't staring at her. No, the lawyer was a bit more skilled at subtly than that.
"That'll be just fine, Detective Kent. I'll have my secretary rearrange a few things and come down to the station first thing in the AM." The lawyer was fairly certain it would mean rescheduling a staff think tank about what to do about a certain university hospital in the area, but a reason to step into Marie Michelle's case skin deep was worth it. Talking with his contact at the precinct in person about making sure the right people were assigned to the investigation would be much more effective than making a phone call, and that was why Cooper was willing to shift his schedule for it.
As for the rest, he'd let Georgia speak to it. Cooper assumed that the detective was offering the police department's therapist to Georgia, because while Marie Michelle was a long time colleague of his, she certainly wasn't his lost momma. And he wasn't present for the package's arrival, he only knew what time Harris had interrupted his business with the news.
He did have a general opinion on all this, however, which is what he offered as the Detective examined the items in question. "Isn't somethin' like this usually the first step in a series of such outreach from the culprits?" It wasn't as if Cooper had no experience with patterns of this kind, while the majority of his work as a lawyer was for Citizens Against the Supernatural, he was no stranger to the courtroom or to negotiations. "Should we be expectin' a phone call, some sort of demand, anythin' like that which would require additional surveillance?"
It wasn't that Cooper was lobbying for such a thing, not exactly. Having extra attention on and around Pickett Manor was as desirable to him as a squalling baby covered in boils. But if the situation required it, he wanted to be prepared.
For both of them! Stress for both of them! She was spooked! Her stress level had rising significantly with the letter and the bracelet arriving. While Clark knew whom Cooper and Georgia ‘were’ and while Cooper was unsure of Clark, the only thing that really was a known, was that she had gotten that package. Even if they were speaking of drinking, her mis matched gaze flickered between the two men, even as she was nibbling on her bottom lip. The shaking that her body had been doing, had subsided, thankfully.
When the detective asked if they could come down to the precinct in the morning, Georgia Grace would wait for Cooper to answer first. She looked as if she was mentally checking her schedule, not that she wouldn’t go down but if she would have to change anything. Before her lips parted, and she spoke softly. “Is a certain time better then another?” Because she was going to be there, and if he said a certain time was better, she wanted to make sure to make it at that time.
A small smile was sent to the detective, because she knew he was trying to be helpful, even as her head was giving a shake in the negative. “I thank you for the thought, but I don’t think I am going to take you up on arranging that for me, at this time.” She did think it was nice of him, even if it was a normal procedure to offer to set such a thing up, but she did not want to uncork any bottles at the moment. She was holding things in for the most part, and she seemed to be keeping things together, afraid that if the cork came off that she would lose it. She did not want to lose it, the one time her demons got to her, ended up with a drunk call to Coop, a trip to the hospital for a stomach pumping, and the worse was the disappointment in Cooper’s eyes. Thankfully that story had not leaked out to the gossip rags, or it would have been worse, that was something she didn’t want to deal with.
She had not looked at the time, of when it came, but she knew when she opened it. “Harris brought it to my room about a hour ago.” She nodded at that, because of the time that had passed, when he handed her the package, when she came running out wanting Coop, waiting and Coop calling the police. It was funny that it felt like it had been longer then that.
The bracelet had been on Marie Michelle when she had gone missing, the bracelet would not show any emotion of fear. A tingle of excitement, a bit of regret, along mixed with the feeling she was doing the right thing. If a bracelet could pick up such emotions, she was not alone, but she wasn’t afraid of those that she was held by. The only prints on anything would be Marie Michelle’s own.
She perked up at Cooper’s words, because she was sure glad that he was there, because if she had been alone she wouldn’t of known to ask anything like that. This was indeed a first for her, except for seeing it on tv shows, and she could tell you the feelings and thoughts were not the best ones to be experiencing. Even as she sat back down on the couch behind her, but her attention was not quite gone, it was bouncing between the men.
