Crime Scene 20.4 Grounded
Tuesday. 6:30 pm. Sirens’ Dream Supply Closet.

Rose was waiting for her in the room with Sam on a video call on a tablet.

Sam was a linchpin on the Gardner family’s operations. Part of the true old guard, she was a long-time family friend and protected all of their communications. Her position was one of the highest trust, and everyone knew it. Despite this, she usually preferred to stay behind the curtains. She was an expert in anonymity. She also heralded important messages, the ones that needed the highest level of security.

Seeing Sam was involved, Ellie felt her comfortable mood slipping away. “Oh, no. Did something happen?”

“Relax, kid. The Gardners are fine. This is an update. I tracked the number that called your vandals’ burner. I also found their registered numbers, and compared phone history. There were two numbers that occurred on both their numbers and the burner phone. Both are based in California. One is a mobile, also a burner that only connected to those two phones. The other, however, is a warehouse landline.”

Rose took over. “The address matches the one we got from the shipping label from the Shake party and the description matches what Verne and Davis remember. It’s a warehouse by Bakersfield. They ship out deliveries of Shake from there every Friday. Intake is on Mondays.”

Ellie’s eyes grew wider with each revelation. They were so close. “So, that’s where our answer is. When can we go?” she asked.

“A warehouse full of free smoothies? Yes!”

Ellie and Rose jumped at the sudden interjection from the door. Ellie yanked it open to Geoff with his ear pressed to the small crack in the door. Unlike guest rooms, the supply closet was not soundproofed.

Ellie crossed her arms. “Not this time. It’s a stealth mission. Rose and I can handle it.” Besides, this wasn’t an Ombra job. If this involved the Baileys, this was her family business.

Sam and Rose shared a look that almost looked rehearsed.

“I’m going. But you’re not,” Rose said finally.

“What? Did the Sincairs—?”

“It’s straight from your parents,” Sam said firmly.

“Oh no, are you grounded?” Geoff seemed genuinely surprised as Ellie bodily shoved him out the closet and shut the door on him.

Ellie’s face was flushed red. “Why? Rose, you could use back up. I’m not doing anything else. This is too important. Darla and her family are almost definitely behind this. We have to stop them. We need to know what they're up to.”

“Darla? Bailey?” Sam sighed. “I should have known. There are a lot of calls coming from the Hampton area code going to that warehouse.”

Ellie continued to plead her case. “You don’t have to tell them I was even there. I need to do this. Please.”

“Not this again,” Rose groaned.

“This time it’s different.”

“How?”

Ellie thought about it. “I know more about this warehouse than the last one?”

Rose looked at Sam, her expression very much done with her charge. “I can’t keep fighting her on this.”

“What do you want me to do about it? I’m half a country away.”

“Don’t tell my parents,” Ellie insisted.

“Or tell them and have them talk to her,” Rose grumbled at the same time.

Sam shook her head slowly. She took a drink from a tall wine glass, setting it back down not quite offscreen. “No way am I getting in between this. This part of the conversation did not happen.” She hung up the call.

Rose sighed. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing it together and under my rules. I’m technically your senior, Ellie. Meet you at my place Friday. Then we can head out to Bakersfield together.”

Ellie nodded amiably, having gotten what she wanted.

“Message you about it later. I need to get back before someone else tries listening at the door.”

“You first.” Rose tilted her head.

Ellie had the door halfway open before turning back to ask. “Are you…avoiding someone?”

Rose pursed her lips.

“I won’t tell them, but if you’re hiding from someone, I should know what not to mention and to whom.”

Rose took in and released a deep breath before explaining. “I wasn’t sure before, the night of the fire. It was dark and I had smoke in my eyes. Even so, I kept my face hidden.” Ellie thought back. She did recall Rose had sat in the dark corner in the back, her head resting on her hand. She thought she had been trying to focus or rest. “But that fight just now… I remember that style. I knew Bo by another name. And they knew me by my other name, before I got convicted. I don’t think they recognized me yet. So don’t bring me up. I’m not sure how people would feel about me being back in the area.”

“Oh! Of course. I won’t mention anything,” Ellie reassured her with complete sincerity.  Rose had been convicted of attempted castration after stabbing someone in the leg. Repeatedly. Ellie assumed it was justified. After serving most of her time, Rose changed her name and fled to the Midwest, where she eventually joined up with the Gardners. It shed a bit of interesting perspective on what kind of people Bo was used to. Suddenly their calmness that night they first ran into them and again this time with the Ironfaces made more sense. Though, Ellie didn’t think Bo would care about a justified stabbing, this was between Rose and Bo. She would leave it to them to work it out on their own time.