Gabby had mentioned something when she first came in about being in a similar situation to many of the girls in the shelter. Janet could see it, just then. And, less than a moment later, she also saw the understated confidence soar. It was a very conscious act, but then, a lot of recovery from abuse involved making conscious choices. Gabby had an obvious strength of character that was helping her out. It was always gratifying to see that.
"As opposed to what?" she asked with an eyebrow raised. "Sub-volunteer? No, your current shifts aren't going to change. I'm just going to have to treat you like one of the teenagers we hire in the summer. You'll work with an overseer. Kelly, I'm sure, would be happy to oblige. Now."
Janet looked toward the man called Myron Stray. He reminded her of Angela, actually, in a lot of small ways. There was something jerky in his movements, something paranoid, but also something entitled. Arrogant, in very much the opposite direction of Detective Pleasant's arrogance. She already didn't like him. "What, exactly, are you a witness to?"
He didn't answer. He wasn't even looking at her. Detective Pleasant stepped forward and touched him on the shoulder, startling Stray out of whatever thoughts he'd been lost in. He glanced around, and Detective Pleasant signed something Janet couldn't understand.
Janet withdrew her first impression and gave Stray the benefit of the doubt. Even more so, when he spoke perfectly coherently. It meant he hadn't been deaf for long.
"Davina Marr," he told her, "or whatever she calls herself here - what was it, Angela? - tried to bomb a government building, and she tried to use me to do it. She asked me, and I said no. She blackmailed me, and I said no. She stuck little pins into my ears and burst my eardrums, strapped the bomb onto me, and all but forced me in at gunpoint. If it weren't for Detective Pleasant here and a friend of his, I and a whole host of other hard-working people would be dead. You don't want to shelter her. She'll more than likely blow this building up if she thinks it would cover her escape."
He was angry. Genuinely angry, though. He wasn't lying. Janet couldn't quite help her face falling into a sympathetic look, and Stray visibly stiffened. "I don't need pity. I'll be fine. What I need is to know that she's going to be punished for this, that she won't get away with it, and she'll never get the chance to try again."
Angela - Davina, whatever - used Janet's shelter to protect herself from being arrested. It wasn't the first time Janet had helped fugitives from the law, and it probably wouldn't be the last. But that Davina would have been arrested because she tried to kill people? Tried to blow up a building with people in it - and by torturing someone else into doing it for her? Using Janet's shelter like that?
Janet's eyes grew hard, and she sat back. "I won't let you arrest her here. That sends the girls a terrible message, and I won't have it. I won't turn her away, either. But if you need my help in facilitating an off-site arrest... that, I'll do."
"Has she left the shelter yet?" Detective Pleasant asked.
"Not once since she first arrived."
"How long ago was that?"
"A... few days, I think. Something like that."
"Ah. If we were lucky, she would have been moving on herself very soon, and we wouldn't have to trouble you any further. But if she thinks she has the perfect set-up here, and she can't leave Ireland on her own, then I'm afraid we're going to have to take you up on your offer. She won't recognise Gabby. Could the three of you convince Marr to temporarily leave with her?"
no subject
"As opposed to what?" she asked with an eyebrow raised. "Sub-volunteer? No, your current shifts aren't going to change. I'm just going to have to treat you like one of the teenagers we hire in the summer. You'll work with an overseer. Kelly, I'm sure, would be happy to oblige. Now."
Janet looked toward the man called Myron Stray. He reminded her of Angela, actually, in a lot of small ways. There was something jerky in his movements, something paranoid, but also something entitled. Arrogant, in very much the opposite direction of Detective Pleasant's arrogance. She already didn't like him. "What, exactly, are you a witness to?"
He didn't answer. He wasn't even looking at her. Detective Pleasant stepped forward and touched him on the shoulder, startling Stray out of whatever thoughts he'd been lost in. He glanced around, and Detective Pleasant signed something Janet couldn't understand.
Janet withdrew her first impression and gave Stray the benefit of the doubt. Even more so, when he spoke perfectly coherently. It meant he hadn't been deaf for long.
"Davina Marr," he told her, "or whatever she calls herself here - what was it, Angela? - tried to bomb a government building, and she tried to use me to do it. She asked me, and I said no. She blackmailed me, and I said no. She stuck little pins into my ears and burst my eardrums, strapped the bomb onto me, and all but forced me in at gunpoint. If it weren't for Detective Pleasant here and a friend of his, I and a whole host of other hard-working people would be dead. You don't want to shelter her. She'll more than likely blow this building up if she thinks it would cover her escape."
He was angry. Genuinely angry, though. He wasn't lying. Janet couldn't quite help her face falling into a sympathetic look, and Stray visibly stiffened. "I don't need pity. I'll be fine. What I need is to know that she's going to be punished for this, that she won't get away with it, and she'll never get the chance to try again."
Angela - Davina, whatever - used Janet's shelter to protect herself from being arrested. It wasn't the first time Janet had helped fugitives from the law, and it probably wouldn't be the last. But that Davina would have been arrested because she tried to kill people? Tried to blow up a building with people in it - and by torturing someone else into doing it for her? Using Janet's shelter like that?
Janet's eyes grew hard, and she sat back. "I won't let you arrest her here. That sends the girls a terrible message, and I won't have it. I won't turn her away, either. But if you need my help in facilitating an off-site arrest... that, I'll do."
"Has she left the shelter yet?" Detective Pleasant asked.
"Not once since she first arrived."
"How long ago was that?"
"A... few days, I think. Something like that."
"Ah. If we were lucky, she would have been moving on herself very soon, and we wouldn't have to trouble you any further. But if she thinks she has the perfect set-up here, and she can't leave Ireland on her own, then I'm afraid we're going to have to take you up on your offer. She won't recognise Gabby. Could the three of you convince Marr to temporarily leave with her?"