marengo ♔ but you gave away the things you loved & one of them was me

[starfucker]

♬ you're so vain - carly simon ft. mick jagger

WHO || Des, Finnick, Myri, Karen Taylor, Laura Jones.
WHAT || The Knights travel to the hometown of the Becksworth Brothers, to try to learn more about Chad and what may have happened to him.
WHERE || Marengo, IL
WHEN || July 16th, backdated
HOW || Actionspam

[ The mystery surrounding cult leader Chad Becksworth has only deepened with the discovery of a lockbox in his office containing surveillance of his own life along with a detailed history. While the Knights theorize about whether this means he's been replaced by the villain's resident doppelganger, or something else entirely, Burt makes good on his word to contact his first wife, Laura Jones, to find out whether Chad's ex-wife still lives in their small town of Marengo, Illinois.

He calls Finnick a few days after the lockbox is discovered to say that, yes, Karen's still living there, and that Laura's told them they can come to Marengo and swing by her place so she can direct them where to go. The possibility of gaining some insight into the background of the Becksworths is too good to pass up, so Myri, Finnick, and Des drove out there to the small-town America midwestern city, where they now coast down the tiny Main Street, a few blocks from Laura's home. It's about as far a cry from the big city ostentatious lifestyle Burt leads now as one can imagine. ]

Comments

[witchwoman]

[Myri is on high alert and extremely observant (spot 24). She turns back towards the boys, because what are they even talking about?? Clearing her throat, she gestures towards the front door.]

I think she's waiting for us.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des barely makes it (spot 15), but he sees her, and immediately turns back to Finnick before they reach the door.]

Then as far as anyone asks, I'm just your manager. I don't know which groups are connected and which groups are just waiting to pick up the scraps the other guys dropped, but if the Church and Iscariot are buddies, I don't wanna be ID-ed. The last thing we need is the a buncha religious nutjobs going nuts on us because their bonus prize is trying to screw their plans to kingdom come by asking about their meal ticket.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ the door opens just as des finishes speaking, and the woman standing there scans the three of them, eyes widening for just a tic when she sees finnick, but quickly coming to grips with it.

laura jones is one of those naturally exquisite women, with wide gorgeous eyes and finely balanced delicate features, but there's nothing glamorous about the way she presents herself at all. she wears minimal make-up, and her conservative style of dress doesn't do anything to flatter her obviously impressive figure. in fact, there's something very muted about her entire demeanor.

the word sweet comes to mind. ]

... Burt said he was sending some friends, but I didn't expect... [ she shakes her head, and stands aside from the door gesturing them in ] Er, come in. Welcome. I'm Laura.

Laura Jones.

[65]

What, too many? [he offers a charming smile as per usual before heading in. he's a little surprised by laura, but not completely. his conversation with burt had context clues, okay.] Or were you just not expecting me?

[behindcloseddoors]

[ she smiles back at that, ducking her head as she ushers them into the quaint, well-kept home. ] It's been a long time since I've had international superstars making themselves at home in my living room. He mentioned... your interest, but I didn't think you'd be coming yourself.

[nothingsodivine]

After everything that's happened, who else can you trust? [Des scratches at his mustache. In hindsight, this was a really itchy disguise.]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ she ducks her gaze, moving to the far side of the living room to give them all room to come in and make themselves at home. ] I assume by 'everything that's happened', you're talking about that poor girl. Jade.

[65]

I wouldn't have missed it for anything. [he steps inside, surveying the area before deciding on a chair to lower himself down into.] I'm a very hands on person, you see. And she has created a tense sort of situation, it's true.

[witchwoman]

[Myri's torn between wondering if she should bother with her fangirl persona or simply stay quiet for now. She settles on quiet, moving to the couch and sitting on one far side of it. Des and Finnick are much better at gathering information, after all.]

[behindcloseddoors]

I was just sick when I heard. I remembered her. Or, who she was, I mean. We never met but... Burt sent me her tape, years ago.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des's will save of 19 means he has become a BOSS at hiding his emotions. He clears his throat.]

She was great, yeah. And we hope to make sure the wrong person doesn't go to jail for her death. We think Chad might have sabotaged the concert to prevent the Starships tour from being competition.

[(Bluff 31) To be fair, it's at least part of the way true.]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ she pales slightly, sliding into a chair herself ] You're talking about more than just sabotage.

Murder.

You think Chad sent someone to murder that girl to get an edge over Burt in the company?

[nothingsodivine]

I don't know that I assume anything. Maybe he planned it from the start or maybe something went too far. That's why we're here- to get a bead on Chad.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ her lips purse together and she nods absently ]

He said you wanted to talk to Karen. She lives on the other side of town, I can tell you right where. The two of us never really had anything to talk about after--

After the divorces. I didn't even know she'd moved back here until a few months after she did.

[witchwoman]

[Myri tilts her head slightly, watching the woman carefully, wondering if there's more she's not saying (sense motive 17).]

Did you know Chad well? Were he and Burt close... before?

[behindcloseddoors]

[ myri would actually get a very honest vibe from the woman, although there's a definite note of suppressed sadness under her words, rather than any hint of bitterness. ]

We all grew up here, so I knew of Chad, even before Burt and I started dating. Everyone here knows everyone.

Things between them were very different before they moved to Chicago. He was best man at our wedding, you know. Chad.

[65]

It's sad to think of how drastically different things between them have come, in that case.

[behindcloseddoors]

The entire family lost something they could never replace when Celia died. The boys kept looking to fill it with all the wrong things. I don't think they ever realized that they didn't have to fill it up. That people can have those holes and it can be... well, good for them's not the right way to put it...

[nothingsodivine]

Make them stronger? [Des kneads his fingers into his forehead.] So they just filled it up with glitz and glamour and buried the pain. Burt became Burt and Chad.... [He waves a hand.]

[witchwoman]

Is that what started the rift between them?

[65]

I believe so. Burt said as much to me, at some point or another. Celia was what kept them together, so without her ...

[behindcloseddoors]

It was the root of all of it, yes. [ her gaze travels almost unconsciously to a picture sitting on the mantle. it's a newlywed laura and burt, his arm slung around her with casual joy, and something on his face that none of them have ever seen him display since they've met him: real, genuine happiness in his cheeky grin, as laura presses a kiss to his cheek. ] They thought that success was doing her memory service, and so they became ruthless in the pursuit of it. When they realized that they could be just as much of a commodity as their clients were - as big of celebrities in and of themselves, well, they started playing up the divide that was already growing between them. Doing wild things to each other to get into the papers, turning what could have been a salvageable relationship into a sideshow.

[witchwoman]

They did it... for money? For fame? [Having no family to speak of, Myri cannot imagine throwing aside someone simply to get more attention. But that's more of what she expects from Burt. Every move with him seems to serve the purpose of drawing a crowd. Still, it makes her stomach turn to think about it.

But she follows where Laura's gaze has drifted and notices the picture (spot 17). Myri tries to remind herself that both brothers might have been different before. Something had changed them, and this was the start of it, it seemed.]

Was there anything that made it... [She searches for the right words.] less of a game?

[behindcloseddoors]

When Marianne died - the woman Burt married after me - I think he blamed Chad somehow, even if it wasn't directly his fault. She was a victim of the lifestyle they led, and Burt managed to convince himself many times that Chad had started his life down that path, talked him into it. Things escalated from there, drove towards a breaking point. Karen left Chad, after... after what Burt did. With Sarah. [ she flashes them a brief embarrassed glance, as if to see if they'd heard the story. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des scratches the back of his neck, getting what she means. (knowledge 18)]

So if someone were to have started whispering in his ear about breaking up the partnership and turning against Burt completely, he'd probably be all for it, right? That wouldn't be weird or out-of-character at all.