Mystery

Eric stands and gives Stacy a sheepish grin, glad to see that there was no awkwardness on her part either. Not that there was supposed to be. Maybe he just hadn't expected to get along with her so well. It was strange... waking up here... feeling refreshed after only a few hours. And doubly surprising was that he'd actually fallen asleep after being so wide awake. Was it the location? Or... the company?

"Coffee sounds like a right good idea to me." Letting Stacy take the lead to the ladder, he stops her before going down. "Oh, hang on..." He chuckles as he brushes off her back and picks a few pieces of hay out of her hair. "Okay there we go."

Following her down he goes with her to the mess hall, ignoring a few odd looks that were tossed in their direction from people who had seen them come from the barn together. To Eric, it was rather amusing and he enjoyed letting them be curious. In the back of his mind though, he did wonder if it was best that Jeff wasn't here right now.

The rest of the day was a good one - at least for Eric. Once he was done exercising some of the horses, Ashlee was free from school so he let her hang out with him some more, letting her help him dismantle grain and water buckets from stalls to take them out, clean them, and put them back. It was no quick task, and took a good chunk of the afternoon. By nightfall, the few hours of sleep were catching up to him and it was easier to go to bed. Although a part of him was tempted to return to the hay loft.

The next day started out pretty good. It had sprinkled a little in the night, making he ground just damp enough that they waited to put the horses out until later in the day. Eric kept himself busy until, as usual, Ashlee found him in the barn...

Eric bends and taps Static's hind leg gently. "C'mon. Up." Cleaning out the hoof, he keeps one eye on Ashlee, who was brushing his horse. He'd said they could give Static some special attention today just for the fun of it, so they'd already hosed him down and cleaned him all up, and now Eric was letting Ashlee brush a smooth shine into Static's coat before she combed out his somewhat scraggly mane.

After yesterday's early morning conversation with Stacy, perhaps Eric felt a little more confident about involving himself a bit more in Ashlee's life. Or maybe he just wanted her to know he was interested. "So how's school going for ya? I see you studying out behind the barn a lot."

"Hmm." Jason nods as Katie tells him about last night. "I knew Kyle was taking Alice to a concert last night. Maybe I ought to give him a call today and see how he is."

Her question brings a smile to his face. "Yeah... yeah I had a real good time. Sandy - she's the one that invited me to hang out - had some of the guys come and we went out for pizza. I haven't seen Will and Rusty for ages so we caught up on each other's lives and stuff. Laughed about stupid stuff and wound up talking til the wee hours of the morning." He had laughed. Actually... laughed. And it had... felt... good. It had felt. Not a lot. Not intensely. But he had actually felt enjoyment and could say with confidence that he'd had a good time. It might have been small... but he knew that this was a step in the right direction. Katie wasn't aware that he'd spoken to Rick just the day before about how he'd been feeling - or rather, not feeling. He'd been assured that it would just take time. Rick had asked him if he wanted an anti-depressant, but he'd said no. And he was glad. Now he knew that last night's feelings had been real, and not just medicine induced. Maybe Rick was right. Maybe it really would all come back, and it would just take longer than anticipated.

Still smiling, Jason slings his arm around Katie's shoulders, giving her a squeeze as they walk back down towards the main floor. "I was gonna call you but it was so late, I figured you'd be home and in bed. Apparently I was wrong." He chuckles, loving the tiny speck of something bubbling inside. "Next time call me so I can get a piece of the action." He glances to his knee. "Just don't tell Rick."

"I don't know what to do with her, Carson." Ken stirs his half glass of pop with his straw. His wife and the girls had left Mom and Pop's a few minutes ago to visit a little shop down the block, and only now did he express his concerns about Mackenzie. "It just isn't getting any better."

Carson sinks down in a chair on the other side of the table. He was tired. His head hurt, and his eyes were a bit bloodshot. But he was trying to cover it up, doing his best to provide another pleasant visit for the family. "Her visits aren't helping, ay?" It was only ever that - just visits. Sometimes here. Sometimes the park. But just visits. Carson still felt awkward. He still felt like a horrible father - if a father at all. But the girl just wouldn't give up insisting she wanted to keep seeing him. So...they let her.

"Well, she's definitely more satisfied about that. No more worrying about her running away at least. She still talks about seeing you more or even staying with you but that doesn't get as intense as it used to. No..." Ken shakes his head. "It's more of just her temper tantrums, problems at school and the like. The school counselor has suggested her seeing a psychologist...again."

"Hasn't worked much in the past, has it?"

"Not really. That's the hard part."

Carson purses his lips in thought. He was only partly involved in his daughter's life, and he certainly would never say he had anything anywhere near figured out about any kind of parenthood, for sure. But a thought did cross his mind. "I..." He pauses. "Nah."

Ken lifts his eyebrows. "What? Do you have a suggestion?"....



"....Hi, Justin?"

"Yes..."

"Um, this is Carson Banks. We may have crossed paths a time or two at TJY."

Justin thinks for a moment, trying to place a face with the accent he was hearing. He did know of Carson, but just snippets he'd heard from Reese. "Yeah, I remember."

"I hope you don't mind me calling you like this..." Carson goes on to explain about Mackenzie, her background and the difficulties both he and her family were having with her. "...she's already been through several counselors and nothing seems to help."

By now, Justin was sitting on his couch, processing the information. "What makes you think I would have any different results?"

"Well... I've heard your methods aren't... conventional."

Justin chuckles. "Yeah, that's what they say." He sighs, thinking. While part of him always wanted to balk at jobs like this, too much of him still had the desire to help. There had been jobs he hadn't liked - people who were unwilling to change or who couldn't take his no-nonsense approach. But this was a girl - a child. A child who had been through way too much way too soon. Maybe she had a temper and bad attitude, but Justin knew straight off that it was only a reaction to circumstance. Could he really say no without at least giving it a try. This really was bad timing for him. He was struggling with a set of his own problems right now. But that shouldn't matter. He should be able to set aside his personal problems to help someone else - it was only right and proper.

The pause was long, and he finally continues. "I can't promise anything. But I don't have any other cases right now, so I can at least give Mackenzie a fair shot."

"Thank you... so much. When can we meet?"

"Um..." Justin stands up and ambles to his wall calendar. "Friday?" Already the wheels in his mind were turning. "How about the park in North Springs?"

"You're in Truman, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but I'm used to the drive."

"Okay. Yeah, the park would be fine. What time, and how long will you want?"

"Noon. Two hours."

"Isn't that... a little long for a first visit?"

Justin gives his phone a wry grin. "Unconventional, remember?"

"Right."

"Oh, and make sure Mackenzie has an early breakfast."

"Why... never mind. Got it. Thanks, Justin. This means a lot."

"Don't thank me yet. Just bring your daughter and we'll take it one step at a time..."


...The park was rather quiet, and Carson finds a spot for the car. Shutting off the engine he gives Mackenzie a sidelong glance. "Ready?"

"No." Mackenzie had fought him ever since finding out he wanted her to talk to someone new. She didn't like it. Didn't want it. And she wasn't going to pretend.

Carson purses his lips. He'd waited until this morning to tell her what was going on, and she hadn't taken it well. He'd just about had to drag her to the car. If it had been fear he'd seen in her, he would have reconsidered. But all he saw was pure stubbornness and resentment to bend to authority. Now he knew why Ken had asked him to take her. He'd wondered why, at first - now it was obvious. Maybe it was best that the girl didn't have one more thing to fight Ken about though. "You know why I'm doing this, right?"

"Yeah, yeah." She opens her car door. "And when this does no good, you'll just look for someone else."

Watching her get out of the car, Carson shakes his head. "Lord, give me patience." Whether Mackenzie knew it or not, this was probably the last effort. Beyond this would be a center for troubled kids and neither Carson or her adopted parents wanted that.

Joining Mackenzie, he walks with her to a shady stand of trees where Justin was waiting. "Justin." Carson reaches for a handshake. "Thanks for meeting us here. This is my daughter, Mackenzie."

Justin returns the handshake then gives a friendly smile to the girl. "Hi, Mackenzie."

Mackenzie's eyes narrow as she stares up at Justin. "You're just another counselor who wants to fix me."

Justin quirks an eyebrow and glances to Carson, already getting a taste of what he'd been warned about the young girl. It didn't scare him though. Folding his arms, he takes more of a cocky stance rather than friendly. "If I thought I could fix anybody, I'd be pretty stupid." He nods to Carson. "I think we'll be okay now. See you in two hours."

Carson didn't like leaving Mackenzie alone, but he did trust Justin. He gives his daughter's shoulder a little squeeze. "You okay with that?"

She shrugs. "Doesn't matter if I'm not," she mutters.

Carson sighs. This was best, and he knew it. "Alright. I'll come pick you up in a while."

Though Mackenzie tried to act as though she didn't care, her eyes did follow Carson back to his car, then watched as he drove away.

"I'm hungry," Justin announces. "We're going to get something to eat."

"Well I don't want anything," Mackenzie retorts.

"Suite yourself. I don't care. We're going because I'm hungry, not because I thought you were." Justin points to his pickup. "Come on."

Huffing a sigh, Mackenzie trudges along with him. Though she was angry and stubborn, she knew better than to fight too much, especially when she hadn't yet pegged her adversary. Getting to the truck, she slides in but turns up her nose. "Nice truck," she comments sarcastically.

Justin ignores the insult to his old vehicle and starts up the engine. "Thanks. Put your seat belt on."

"Whatever."

Justin looks at her quickly and doesn't hesitate to point a stern finger at her. "Not whatever. I don't wanna have to clean you off the dashboard or pry parts of you from the windshield if some idiot runs into us on the road."

Mackenzie's mouth opens slightly, a bit taken aback. Unable to think of any comeback for that one, she simply obeys.

The ride downtown was quiet. Justin initiated no conversation, nor did Mackenzie. The stillness was tense, causing the girl to squirm in her seat, but Justin simply kept driving as if everything were normal.

Arriving at the Sandwich Basket, Justin pulls up to the curb and parks. "Whether you're hungry or not, I can't leave you in the truck, so come on."

Mackenzie sulkily follows orders and goes inside the restaurant with him.

It was unusually quiet for lunchtime on a Friday, but it was just as well. It gave Justin time to stand at the counter and scan the menus on the wall up above. He refrained from grinning when he heard Mackenzie's stomach growl. "Sure you don't want anything?"

"No."

He shrugs and simply continues his study of choices. "Um... I guess I'll have your classic club sandwich."

"Fries and drink?"

"Yes, please."

It was only a few minutes before Justin had his food and led the way to a booth off to the side. Settling in with his backpack to the side, he says a quick prayer and sets about straightening his food the way he wanted it. And soon, he's enjoying his meal, the atmosphere still quiet.

Mackenzie watches him eat, unable to help it that her stomach continued to growl. She scoots sideways in the booth and picks up a packet of sugar to play with. Eventually, though, the silence gets to her. "So is this what you do?"

"What?" Justin takes a sip of his soda pop.

"This." Mackenzie gestures at him. "Nothing. You get paid to sit here and do nothing?"

Justin scoffs. "You're the one that didn't want me to do anything. I just figured I'd take advantage of it and at least get some lunch out of the deal."

Mackenzie rolls her eyes and goes back to playing with the sugar packet.

Justin takes another bite of his sandwich and chews it slowly, letting the pause linger for several moments. "What did you expect?"

She shrugs. "I dunno. Everybody else has nice offices. And they ask me a bunch of stupid questions or want me to draw pictures or something."

"Yeah, well... that's not how I work."

"Why not?"

"Too boring."

Mackenzie quirks an eyebrow. "And this is fun?"

Justin grins as he chews. "Eating alone usually isn't much fun, no."

She swallows hard and glances at his food, then away again. Her stomach protests loudly.

Justin nods. "At least your stomach will join in the conversation."

Mackenzie bites her lip, trying not to let herself like his humor.

Justin picks up the untouched half of his sandwich and tears it in half again, handing it across the table to her.

Mackenzie stares at the outstretched food, really wanting to take it. But if she did, then he'd won, right? But she really was hungry. And it was just a little piece. It didn't mean he'd won anything. It just meant she'd changed her mind. That was all. Settling on that logic, she finally accepts the bit of sandwich, quickly starting to eat.

The table falls quiet again until Justin rattles his cup, finding only ice. "Always run out," he mutters. "Hang tight." Getting up, he's gone for a minute or two to get something more to drink. When he returns though, he not only has his own cup filled up again, but he has another cup with soda pop as well, which he sets down in front of Mackenzie without saying a word.

She studies it for a moment, then looks up to Justin but finds he's concentrating on his food. Looking back at the drink, she chews the sandwich and swallows before finally daring to take a sip of the pop. Ten minutes later, she'd finished the other part of the half sandwich, along with some french fries that Justin had said he didn't want.

When once again the table had fallen quiet, Mackenzie squirmed in her seat. She continued to glance at Justin, but he was simply looking around a people or at what appeared to be off in space. Eventually, the tense silence was too much.

"So are we just gonna sit here the whole time?"

Justin lowers his eyes to his young client. "Bored?"

She shrugs. "Sorta."

"Well, why didn't you say so? I figured you didn't want to do anything."

"I never said that."

"Ah, but your eyes did."

Mackenzie squints at him. "They did not."

"Sure did." Justin gestures to her eyes. "Eyes have a lot to say if you just know how to listen."

"That's silly."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Then how would I know you're unhappy?"

Mackenzie folds her arms. "'Cause my dad probably told you so."

"I like finding things out for myself." Justin leans his elbows on the table. "Here, I'll show you. Tell me what kind of mood I'm in by looking at my eyes."

Mackenzie watches him for a moment, seeing his expression change. She sits back slightly. "You look mad."

"See?" Justin relaxes. "There's an awful lot to people that others don't see, simply because they don't take the time." He nods to a nearby table. "Tell me about that woman."

Mackenzie follows his gaze then shrugs. "How should I know?"

"Don't be so quick. Study her for a moment."

Mackenzie sighs, but the exercise was just curious enough to hold her attention, and she looks back at the woman who was nicely dressed, though a bit haphazardly. She was eating rather quickly while trying to talk on her cell phone and type on her laptop all at the same time. "She's busy."

"Mm-hmm. What else?"

Mackenzie cocks her head. "She probably gets paid a lot 'cause she has nice clothes. But she's in a hurry." The woman's face grows frustrated and she runs a hand through her hair. Mackenzie purses her lips. "And I don't think she's having a very good conversation."

"Why do you say that?"

"She's frowning and trying not to be loud, but it looks like she wants to yell."

"Who is she with?"

"Nobody."

"You think she likes it that way?"

Mackenzie, now caught up in the little game, stares for a few more moments. "She looks lonely."

Justin nods. With a bit of prompting, Mackenzie could become a very perceptive child. Which would be good. "Here." He rummages in his backpack and pulls out a small mirror to slide across the table.

Mackenzie furrows her brow. "What?"

"Take a look."

She rolls her eyes, but obeys. "Yeah, so?"

"What do you see?"

Mackenzie's eyes grow dim and she swallows hard. Putting the mirror down, she shoves it back towards Justin. "This is a stupid game."

"Just because you're afraid of something doesn't make it stupid."

"I'm not afraid of anything."

"Then why won't you tell me what you see in yourself?" Justin cocks his head. "You know how you feel, Mackenzie. You don't need a mirror."

"So? What do you want?"

"Honesty. That's all."

"About what?"

"About you." Justin leans forward and down to be at her eye level. "I can read people well enough to make good guesses. Just like that lady over there. We can guess all day long about who she is and what she does, but in the end, they're just educated guesses. I don't want to make educated guesses about you. I want to know the truth. But you're the only one who can tell me what the truth really is."

Mackenzie's fingers find another sugar packet to play with. Her jaw was set stubbornly, but she looked down, uncomfortable with Justin's intensive stare. "Maybe I don't know either."

"Then how about we find out?"

"What's the point?"

"Sometimes when we discover the truth, it makes us feel better. It's like solving a mystery."

Mackenzie doesn't respond.

Justin leans further across the table until she looks up at him. "It's okay not to know why you feel like you do. But if we're going to solve the mystery, we have to work together."

She chews on the inside of her lip, her shoulders sinking just a little. "I don't wanna do all that stupid stuff other people have made me do."

"You kidding me?" Justin sits up again and spreads his arms. "Do I look like a normal stuffy counselor to you?"

She almost grins. "I guess not."

"Alright then. You and I are gonna solve this mystery. The fun part is finding all sorts of clues along the way and putting them together like a giant puzzle. And when we're done, I'll know you a little better, you'll know me a little better and you'll know yourself a little better too - which feels great." He offers his hand across the table. "Partners?"

Her eyes narrow. "How long will I have to see you?"

"As long as it takes." Justin shrugs. "That's part of the fun too."

Mackenzie looks back at his hand. "What if I wanna quit halfway?"

"If you were trying to solve a murder mystery, would you want to quit halfway? Did Columbus quit halfway to his destination? Do you stop a movie halfway and never find out what the end is?"

She sighs. It takes her a moment, but she finally accepts the handshake. "I'm not looking at paint blob thingies."

Justin laughs as he lets go of her hand. "I hate those things." Turning, he puts the mirror back into his backpack. "If it's all the same to you, I really don't wanna hang out here any longer. You ever been to the art museum?"

Mackenzie shakes her head.

"Well, there's a few paintings there that don't look like much more than 'blob thingies' but there are some cool things too if you wanna join me."

She thinks for a moment, then shrugs. "I guess that doesn't sound so bad."

"Good. Let's go then..."

"Hey, Beth!" Zach wanders up to the bar. He'd had a day off, had come here in the afternoon on a whim, and now was smiling to see his newest friend. 

Sliding onto a barstool, he leans on the counter, knowing he needn't tell her what he wanted. "How's it going?"