to find promise of peace (and the solace of rest)

a TMA fanfic

Chapter 59: April 2017

Content Warnings:

Manipulation, police brutality, emotional abuse, being trapped, workplace abuse, blackmail, misuse of Beholding powers

[CLICK]

[SOUND OF A TELEPHONE BEING REPLACED IN ITS CRADLE]

[PEN SCRATCHING ACROSS PAPER, CAP BEING REPLACED, PEN BEING LAID ON DESK]

[STEADYING BREATH]

MANAL

[Faintly, from outside the door] Excuse me, y-you can’t—you can’t go in without an appointment, Mr. Bouchard is very busy—

ELIAS

[Under his breath] Ah. Ten minutes ahead of schedule.

[More loudly] It’s all right, Manal. Send them in.

[THE DOOR OPENS]

DAISY

Bouchard.

BASIRA

Easy.

JON

Hello, Elias.

ELIAS

Goodness, Jon. Whatever happened to your neck?

DAISY

[Smugly] That was me.

ELIAS

You look a mess.

JON

It’s been a hell of a week.

MANAL

It’s only Monday…?

JON

[Sounding slightly dismayed] It’s Monday?

ELIAS

Manal, will you call down to the Archives and ask the rest of the staff to come up, please? I think it would be worth their time to be here.

MANAL

O-of course, Mr. Bouchard.

[DOOR CLOSES]

DAISY

Okay. Let’s do this.

BASIRA

Er, Jon? Do you…you want to get this on tape?

ELIAS

No need, Basira. I’ve already got one running.

Now, you have something to ask me?

BASIRA

Go for it.

DAISY

Before I strangle the grinning bastard.

JON

[DEEP BREATH]

Elias. Did you kill Gertrude Robinson? And Jurgen Leitner?

ELIAS

[PLEASURED SIGH]

That’s…that’s quite nice, actually. Tingly…but sort of freeing.

[AUDIBLE SHUDDER FROM JON]

You know, even Gertrude never properly tried to compel me. I always wondered—

BASIRA

Just answer the question.

DAISY

Or don’t.

ELIAS

Oh, no need to worry about that. I just feel it’s only fair to wait for your colleagues, Jon. They’ll want to hear this too. Uh, it’s also very important to me, in a personal capacity, that you understand I’m answering you of my own free will.

JON

[Dry as the Sahara] Aren’t I the lucky one.

[HURRIED FOOTSTEPS OUTSIDE, DOOR OPENS QUICKLY]

MELANIE

Jon! Jesus, where the hell have you been?

MARTIN

[Overlapping Melanie] Thank God, I—

[Slightly disappointed] Basira?

TIM

Oh, Christ, what is it now?

SASHA

Yeah, same question, please.

JON

[Deceptively calm] Elias here is about to confess his crimes.

MARTIN

Ah.

MELANIE

Did he know that?

ELIAS

Yes, I was just saying to Jon. It’s very important to me that you understand that no action I have taken has been controlled. I have done everything because I wished to.

TIM

You know, that’s not nearly as comforting as you might think?

DAISY

Get to the point.

ELIAS

[Sighs] Of course, Detective. So. For the avoidance of any doubt. Yes, I killed Gertrude Robinson.

I’m surprised Martin didn’t tell you that.

BASIRA/DAISY

What?!

ELIAS

[Pleasantly] Oh, yes, didn’t you know? Martin has been aware that I am the one who murdered Gertrude Robinson for…quite some time.

How long has it been now, Martin?

MARTIN

[Tightly] Three hundred sixty-three days, twenty-one hours, thirty-five minutes, and about twelve seconds.

Not that I’m counting or anything.

ELIAS

[Does he sound slightly caught off-guard?] Of course not.

BASIRA

How did you know?

MARTIN

He told me he’d done it.

I-I didn’t have any proof. It’s not like I could have told either one of you when you were interviewing us…after.

MELANIE

Also, he did tell the rest of us.

MARTIN

Also that.

JON

We just wanted it on tape.

ELIAS

Of course. To business.

I killed Gertrude Robinson because she intended to destroy the Archives. And I killed Jurgen Leitner because he was…an unnecessary complication. Likely to tell Jon too much too early.

SASHA

Bloody hell!

TIM

Wait, wait. That was Jurgen Leitner?

ELIAS

It was.

MARTIN

Niech to szlag trafi! I knew he looked familiar…

DAISY

You’ve met him?

MELANIE

Our brother almost beat him to death once.

BASIRA

Daisy, where do I know that name from?

DAISY

Oh, the Yousuf case. An Introduction to Higher Anatomy.

MELANIE

[Under her breath] Flesh?

MARTIN

[Under his breath] Or Stranger.

BASIRA

[More or less over top of this] Ah…oh, God! And you killed him? You sure we shouldn’t be giving him a medal?

JON

Very sure.

DAISY

Ask him about Rose Zampano.

JON

I—I don’t think he had anything to do with that, actually.

TIM

Debatable.

BASIRA

What?

JON

Something else, it…it…it replaced her. I still don’t know how, but—

MELANIE

I don’t think you want to know that, mate.

ELIAS

He’s right, I’m afraid. The thing you remember as Rosie was nothing like her. It toyed with your memory. If I showed you a picture of the real Rosie now, you’d have no idea who it was.

TIM

So the night of the murder…?

ELIAS

It finally tried to kill Jon. Then Leitner killed it. Then I killed Leitner. And I believe that brings us up to date. More or less.

SASHA

What about Michael?

ELIAS

What about him? An irritant. Interfering because he’s bored, and he resents us. He has no purpose—

DAISY

Right. That’s enough for me. Even got it on tape.

Everyone get back.

[SOUNDS OF GENERAL ALARM AS DAISY DRAWS A GUN]

SASHA

What?

BASIRA

Daisy, wait.

DAISY

Out the way.

TIM

I thought you were going to arrest him.

DAISY

Get out the way!

MARTIN

Melanie, don’t

[INTERCOM BUZZES]

DAISY

Don’t.

ELIAS

Excuse me.

[KEYPRESS STOPS THE BUZZING]

Yes?

MANAL (INTERCOM)

Um, M-Mr. Bouchard, the—there are some police officers here to see you?

ELIAS

Ah, yes, thank you, Manal. Er, could you ask them to wait a minute or two?

MANAL (INTERCOM)

I—yes, y-yes, sir. Of, of course.

[ELECTRIC SCREECH AS INTERCOM SHUTS OFF]

ELIAS

There. That should make it even easier for you. Right, Detective? I know you were planning to kill me, but surely an arrest is a consolation prize?

[LOW FRUSTRATED GROWLING FROM DAISY]

BASIRA

Daisy?

ELIAS

Oh, didn’t she tell you why she hadn’t gone back to the station?

Allow me. She rightly suspected that I held evidence of various murders she had committed, and that I sent this to her superiors.

SASHA

[With bitter irony] I didn’t think it counted as murder if it was in the public good.

DAISY

ELIAS

Well. She was correct, of course, I spent some time acquiring that evidence. Or creating it.

It’s true your superiors don’t much care about the killings, but the fact that there is proof…they’re not happy. And they want you brought in.

DAISY

So I kill you and go to jail. I’ll take that deal.

ELIAS

Martin, would you care to explain to Detective Tonner why she’s mistaken?

JON/MELANIE

[In the exact same tone of voice] Leave. Him. Alone.

MARTIN

[Sighs heavily] No, it’s…it’s fine.

As much as I hate to say it—he’s right. They’re not going to arrest you. They’re not even going to try. You’re not the only one like you on the Force. Some of them are even Sectioned. There are plenty of people besides you that your superiors could call on to…tidy things up.

BASIRA

They wouldn’t.

DAISY

Yeah. They would.

ELIAS

And anyone close enough to be implicated. They will kill Basira.

SASHA

But—but wait, wait, that’s not—she’s not even a cop anymore. They wouldn’t…

Would they?

DAISY

I’m sorry, Basira.

BASIRA

Yeah.

This is what you meant, then, is it?

MARTIN

When I said it would be safer to stay away? No. I told you exactly what I meant.

ELIAS

If those officers downstairs take you away…

Oh, but perhaps I was mistaken when I called. Maybe it was a false alarm.

DAISY

What do you want?

ELIAS

Collateral.

[PAPER IS PUSHED ACROSS THE DESK]

DAISY

That…what?

ELIAS

A contract of employment. For Basira.

BASIRA

Uh?

JON

What?

MARTIN

Don’t. Don’t you dare…

ELIAS

Sign it, and I’ll send your ex-colleagues on their way.

DAISY

Basira, I…

TIM

Don’t do it.

BASIRA

There.

MARTIN

Damn it…

ELIAS

Hmm.

[BUTTON PRESS]

False alarm, Manal. Could you apologize to the officers for me, and thank them for their time.

MANAL (INTERCOM)

O-oh! Um, all right. I-I mean, yes, sir, Mr. Bouchard. Right away.

ELIAS

[Sighs heavily, mutters quietly to himself] My kingdom for another Mrs. Nesbitt…

DAISY

So…what, you’re her boss now? Is that supposed to stop me?

ELIAS

Yes.

TIM

Can someone please explain to me why?

[SEVERAL BEATS OF SILENCE]

MARTIN

I…I actually don’t know the answer to that one.

I mean, she does still have a gun. And since that tape recorder is still running, it’s not that you think Basira would be the one to get the blame for it.

ELIAS

Hmm. Good to know you don’t have all the answers figured out, Martin.

[JON SPUTTERS INDIGNANTLY]

Basira is now tied to the Institute. All of you are. Like fingers on a hand. And I am the beating heart of it. Should I, or the Institute, be destroyed, you will all, unfortunately, follow suit.

SASHA

I’m sorry, what?

MELANIE

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

ELIAS

And it would not be a pleasant death.

DAISY

Bullshit!

ELIAS

Then shoot me. Just squeeze the trigger, and watch the only person you care about die screaming. Your last connection to humanity.

Do it.

BASIRA

Daisy…

[LONG PAUSE]

[CLICK OF A SAFETY BEING PUT BACK INTO PLACE]

[CHORUS OF SIGHS]

DAISY

What do you want?

ELIAS

The police are not the only ones who can find a use for your violence. I’m sure there’ll be plenty for you to do. Feel free to go where you like in the meantime. I’ll be in touch.

DAISY

You piece of—

BASIRA

Daisy, it…it’s okay. We’ll figure something out.

DAISY

[Pointedly] You sure about that?

ELIAS

Now that’s taken care of, if you’ll all give me and Jon a moment alone—

MELANIE

Jon and me. You’re supposed to put the other person first.

And no, I don’t think we’ll be doing that, thanks.

ELIAS

Now, really, Melanie—

MELANIE

Don’t you “now Melanie” me, you rotten bastard. You don’t have the first fucking clue what I grew up dealing with. You don’t scare me.

ELIAS

Ah, yes, that’s right. You’re Martin’s sister, of course. You must have dealt with some of the same things he has.

MELANIE

Damn right.

ELIAS

Please explain why you think you should stay in the room while I speak with Jon.

MELANIE

Does it matter if we do or not? That tape’s still running. And I’ve been working here long enough to know it’s not going to shut off until it’s good and ready. Whatever you say to him will be on tape.

TIM

And we’ve had tapes turn up in odd places, too, so it’s not like you can try to keep it from us and hope we won’t listen to it. If we’re meant to know, it will find us, and we will hear it, so you might as well let us all stay.

DAISY

This is fucking bullshit!

[FOOTSTEPS, DOOR SLAMS]

JON

They stay, Elias. Whatever it is you want to discuss, you can discuss in front of them.

ELIAS

Fine.

JON

Out with it, then. What do you want?

ELIAS

Honestly, to offer some congratulations. You’re doing a lot better than I expected.

JON

Feels like all I’ve managed to do is…not die.

ELIAS

And believe me, that is a remarkably rare skill.

JON

[Exasperated sigh] Elias, I know that’s not all you wanted to talk to me about, or you wouldn’t have tried to talk to me alone. Either tell me what it is you want me to do—want us to do—or let us go.

ELIAS

The Unknowing. I need you to stop it.

MELANIE

[Acidly] Oh, is that all.

MARTIN

Melanie.

JON

What is the Unknowing? Exactly.

ELIAS

A ritual. The Stranger and its kin attempting to gather power enough to bring it closer.

JON

[Unimpressed] We know that. What exactly does it entail?

SASHA

And how do we stop it?

ELIAS

That is what you need to find out.

TIM

And the reason you can’t just tell us this is…?

JON

You have Gertrude’s files, her—her notes. She was working on a way to stop this. Not to mention that you can apparently just…effortlessly see anything you want to!

ELIAS

Hardly effortlessly, but I take your point.

JON

So you know how to stop this. You could just tell us!

ELIAS

Melanie? Martin? Would one of you like to explain why I can’t?

[IDENTICAL SIGHS OF EXASPERATION FROM MARTIN AND MELANIE]

MARTIN

The Stranger is antithetical to the Beholding. To counter one, you have to lean closer to the other.

[FAINT SOUNDS OF STATIC GATHERING]

You—we—thrive on ceaseless watching, on knowing too much. What we face is the hidden, the uncanny, and the unknown. A simple explanation won’t do, because it would be information too easily obtained. In this case, it would not be enough to merely have the answers; we have to earn them. It’s as much about the gathering of the knowledge as it is about the knowledge itself. Even if we know the shape of the ritual, even if we know the steps Gertrude planned to take to stop them, if we don’t discover them for ourselves, there is every chance our efforts will fail. And—aah…

[STATIC CUTS ABRUPTLY]

MELANIE

And besides that, there’s a good chance it won’t look like what Gertrude thought it would anyway. I mean, they know she was on their trail and they probably figured she left notes for her successor even if she’s dead, so they’ve had, what, two years to change their plans since then?

ELIAS

[Interested] And how do you know that?

MELANIE

Please.

Everybody who’s had anything to do with the Fourteen knew about the Archivist and her…madcap crusade against all things spooky. Even Martin and I had heard the rumors, and all we did was help out at Pinhole Books on odd weekends. Anything working towards something that big would’ve known for damn sure she was after them. And once they got through their rendition of “Ding, Dong, the Witch Is Dead” after you oh so helpfully killed her, they probably set out to rework things.

Her notes might give us a starting point, but that’s about it.

ELIAS

Well. I can see that you will be ably assisted in your research, Jon.

[SLIDES A FOLDER ACROSS THE DESK]

Here. To tide you over for a couple days. You can get a Return to Work form from Manal, but don’t worry about the doctor’s note. Now, if there’s nothing else…?

JON

Right.

[CLICK]