Spider Quinn 16 Tempest and Change Part 6

 

Peterson then entered the café in plain clothes and saw the partners. “Just the people I want to see,” she said.

 

“Have you heard more about the critic?” Quinn asked.

 

“I’m afraid not,” Peterson said. “In fact, another of Lawndale’s radio personalities has gone missing.”

 

“That isn’t good news,” Daria responded.

 

“And who was this?” Joey asked.

 

“Oliver Langford. He’s Z93’s general critic,” Peterson said.

 

“So, he disparaged the play to?” Daria asked.

 

“Actually, he praised it,” Peterson said.

 

“But he mentioned it,” Quinn pointed out.

 

“More than once,” Peterson said.

 

“So, it may be someone who doesn’t like the fact that the Historia is being run by teens,” Daria said.

 

“So, Beck isn’t out of the woods yet,” Quinn said.

 

“Or it might be a competing theatre,” Daria said.

 

“That has been proposed,” Peterson said. “Not only the others in Lawndale, but also in Oakwood, Middlebury, and Cumberland. I’ll reach out to my friends in the departments there.”

 

 

“Probably need a private investigator to check out the other towns,” Daria said after Peterson had left.

 

“That would be expensive too,” Quinn said.

 

“I’ll talk to Mom about it tonight,” Daria decided.

 

“You mean, Peters, the guy who found Jenna’s mother?” Quinn asked.

 

“Yes,” Daria answered.

 

“I’d say, go for it, Daria,” Robert said.

 

“Normally I’d say wait,” Joey said. “But there’s a lot riding on this. Go for it.”

 

 

“Daria for you, Helen,” Marianne said. “Calling from the Historia.”

 

“I’ll take it,” Helen said. “Daria? Aren’t you heading to school?”

 

“It’s not that late, Mom,” Daria said. “We’re about to head there now. You remember when Jenna was here and you brought in the PI?”

 

“Yes. You want me or the firm to hire Peters to find the critic?” Helen asked. “That will be expensive.”

 

“But not as expensive if it were the Historia to hire him. And it’s not just the critic, but who might be out to get the Historia because it is taking business away from them.” Daria then explained what she and the others had talked about.

 

“I see,” Helen said. “I will talk to him and see what he says first.”

 

“Thanks, Mom,” Daria said.

 

 

‘I hope that was the right decision,’ Quinn thought as she left the Historia with the other three. ‘I hope that problems won’t come of it.’

 

 

“Sandi Griffin, please report to the Principal’s Office.”

 

‘Right after homeroom?’ Sandi asked herself. She was close to the Principal’s Office anyway.

 

She entered the Office.

 

“Good Morning, Ms. Griffin, I have compiled a list of extracurricular activities as you asked,” the principal said.

 

Sandi took the sheet of paper and gave it a quick look over. It was a long list. “Thanks, Ms. Li.”

 

“I’m happy for you to contribute to the honor and glory of Lawndale High in a better way than your previous activities.”

 

“Of course,” Sandi said as she took the hall pass as well. ‘I knew she considered the Fashion Club to be frivolous.’

 

 

Peters entered Helen’s office. “Mrs. Morgendorffer?”

 

“Good morning,” Helen said. “I’m sure you have heard about Kalina Ondrovick and Oliver Langford.”

 

“The missing critics? I’m sure the police are searching for them,” Peters said as he took a seat.

 

“They are, but my daughter is concerned that one of the Historia’s rivals anywhere in Lawndale County might be responsible.”

 

“Is that Daria or Quinn?”

 

“I’m not going to answer that,” Helen responded.

 

“That doesn’t matter anyway. I shall do it, and charge the firm my usual amount.”

 

“Thank you. I hope my daughter is wrong about this.”

 

“I also should say that I disapprove of nepotism, Mrs. Morgendorffer.”

 

“I would have brought you in if it was Mr. Green or Mr. Allen who asked me to,” Helen said.

 

“I suppose so, but I think they are in over their heads,” Peters said as he left.

 

‘You don’t know Daria and Quinn. They are very determined.’

 

 

At lunch time, Quinn entered the cafeteria to find Ted Dewit-Clinton waiting for her. “Hi, Quinn.”

 

“Hi, Ted.”

 

“I just wanted to tell you something.”

 

“Which is?” Quinn asked.

 

“I thought I give you a heads up that you have been voted most popular in the yearbook,” Ted said. “I know you’ve changed since, you know.”

 

Quinn nodded. “True, I don’t really care about that anymore, but I suspect that my changes have something to do with it.”

 

“Probably,” Ted said.

 

 

Sandi had overheard them as she had entered the cafeteria soon after Quinn did. ‘Of course she’s the most popular,’ she groused to herself. ‘My ‘Linda’s mini me’ behaviour definitely turned people off!’ But how much of it was herself, and how much was the ‘Linda’s mini me’ persona, she still wasn’t sure.

 

Quinn had got her food when she saw Wolfgang Shuhardt approach her with a bouquet of flowers. ‘Really?’ she asked herself.

 

“Hi, Quinn,” Wolfgang said.

 

“What is this?”

 

“What does it look like?”

 

“Not interested,” Quinn said.

 

“Really?”

 

“No,” Quinn answered as she went way, towards the line.

 

 

Jane came to the table and saw two more students sitting there, Kevin Thompson, sitting next to Brittany, and Donna Bolton, another cheerleader. ‘This is getting out of hand,’ she thought. She sat at the end of the table, next to Daria.

 

“Something up, Jane?” Daria asked.

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Clearly it’s something.”

 

“It used to be just the two of us,” Jane groused.

 

“I can come over tonight. I don’t have to be at the Historia.”

 

Jane nodded.

 

 

Kevin saw Daria finish talking to Jane. “Hey, Daria, what’s the play about.”

 

“I told you, Kevie,” Brittany said.

 

“I’d like her to tell me, you know I’m only seeing it because you’re in it.”

 

Brittany sighed.

 

“It’s about a lot of things. But to put it in terms you can understand, it’s about change,” Daria answered.

 

“Change,” Kevin said, in thought. “Like, how many people are changing. Like, Brit doesn’t seem to be around anymore, Quinn changing her hair and you wearing those clips?”

 

“Exactly,” Daria said.

 

“Although, many more people seem to be changing. Like, I’m fine being the QB!”

 

“Not everyone is changing,” Jane said. “But most.”

 

 

“Of course, not everyone,” Daria said. “But there is something else. Another critic is missing.”

 

“Another critic?” Sandi asked.

 

“Yes. Oliver Langford, from Z93. He had praised the play, but he went missing yesterday.”

 

“So, the play is the connection?” Donna asked.

 

“Possibly, I asked my mother to hire a private investigator to look into the other theaters in the County.”

 

“Not just in Lawndale?” Tania asked.

 

“No, I’m sure that you’re aware, that Oakwood isn’t that far. Middlebury and Cumberland aren’t much further,” Daria answered.

 

 

“That’s a good point,” Tania responded. ‘It’s not just Lawndale. It could be the whole County,’ she thought.  ‘It’s like that I didn’t expect to be solving a mystery while starring in a play. But I have to see this through.’

 

 

“If your mother, or the law firm, doesn’t, I could hire one,” Harry offered.

 

“I’ll catch up with Mom at dinner,” Daria said. “But thanks.”

 

‘I’ll probably ask him to anyway,’ Sandi decided.

 

 

After school, Quinn and Brittany arrived in the library first.

 

“So, Daria told you that another critic is missing,” Brittany said.

 

“Yes, Peterson told us this morning,” Quinn said.

 

“And that your mom is hiring a PI.”

 

“Yes. We have our hands full with Lawndale, it would take too much time to investigate the other towns.”

 

“I agree,” Brittany said.

 

“And it would distract from the play.”

 

Brittany nodded.

 

 

Anna met Daria as they both entered the library. “Daria.”

 

“Hi, Anna.”

 

“So, what happened with Beck?” she asked.

 

“It’s complicated,” Daria answered.

 

“Isn’t everything?”

 

“That’s true. He gave us plans for his effects, but we’re yet to go through them.”

 

“Also, Ben and I met SpiderGirl on the roof after we saw what Beck was up to,” Anna said.

 

“She is often up there,” Daria said as they came up to where Quinn and Brittany were waiting.

 

“….And so, that is how that works?” Brittany asked.

 

“Yes,” Daria said patiently. “That’s the formula for a parabola.”

 

“The x is like left and right and the y is up and down?”

 

“That is one way of looking at it.”

 

“And changing the x also changes the y?” Brittany asked.

 

Daria nodded. “You’re getting the hang of it.”

 

Brittany grabbed her pigtails in an annoyed fashion. “But those more complicated formulas.”

 

“One thing at a time.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“But, you’re doing better than I thought you would,” Daria said.

 

“Thanks.”

 

 

Quinn also noted that the elocution lessons that Gerald had had so far were good for him. ‘But it is slow going.’

 

Gerald finished reading out the information on Io. “And that is how Io’s surface is so young.”

 

“Because of all the volcanic activity?” Anna asked.

 

“Yes,” Gerald answered.

 

“That’s interesting,” Quinn commented.

 

“It definitely is,” Gerald said as he closed the book. “I’m also considering seeing the play.”

 

“That’s great!” Quinn said.

 

“But probably not this week,” Gerald added. “I’m also concerned that the missing critics are just the start of something.”

 

“I hope not,” Anna said.

 

“Same here,” Quinn said.

 

 

After the tutoring sessions, Anna and Ben came up to Daria as they left the library. “You want to come to the Historia again?” Daria asked. “It’s not that far.”

 

“That’s not the reason,” Ben said.

 

“You want to know more about what’s going on?” Daria asked.

 

“Yes,” Anna answered.

 

“Come on then,” Daria said.

 

 

“So, what do you want to know?” Daria asked as she pulled out of the school’s parking lot.

 

“Is Beck still suspicious?” Anna asked.

 

“Yes,” Daria answered. “But whether he has something to do with the missing critics, I have no idea. It might be a rival theatre somewhere in the county.”

 

“I guess so,” Ben said.

 

“Like in Oakwood,” Anna said.

 

“Yes, and trying to investigate ourselves would take up too much time,” Daria said.

 

“Maybe if you had help?” Anna asked.

 

“And it might be dangerous,” Daria added as she turned a corner.

 

“I agree,” Ben said.

 

“I guess so,” Anna said.

 

“And SpiderGirl and the others undoubtedly have their hands full with Lawndale.”

 

 

At the same time, SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon left the school grounds. “The question is, how are we going to search for the critics?” SpiderGirl asked, once they were on the top the strip mall across the street.

 

Ninja Talon looked around at what could be seen of Lawndale from that position. “They could be anywhere. It would be like a needle in a haystack.”

 

“And we can’t just search various places.”

 

“People would get suspicious of us.”

 

“Definitely. But we can search the outdoor areas,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“And listen to the radio,” Ninja Talon added as she took hers out.

 

“Of course.”

 

“WSBC.”

 

 

They listened for a few minutes before a critic on that station mentioned the play. “Tempest. A modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ at the Historia from Friday night. What do you think?”

 

“For a teenager, this Daria Morgendorffer seems very adept at reworking Shakespeare for the modern age…”

 

“WSBC, the studio isn’t far from the Historia,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“But the other critics didn’t go missing from the studios, did they?”

 

“Kalina was at the Historia, but Peterson didn’t say where Oliver was before he disappeared.”

 

“It’s the best clue…” Ninja Talon said. “Let’s go.”

 

 

They weren’t the only ones. Jane had gone home after school, and was sketching as she listened to the radio.

 

‘Of course, Daria’s adept at it. She’s Daria!’ Jane thought. ‘But is merely mentioning the play the actual trigger for the kidnapping?’ She couldn’t rule it out, so she then changed to the Shadow and headed towards the studio herself.

 

 

Linda was finishing work for the day when she heard a commotion in the break room. ‘What is that?’ she thought. She focused, allowing her enhanced senses to work. There were two people there. She rushed there, ready to raise a forcefield if she needed to. She then found it empty. Both people had slipped out. ‘I guess I’m not past it as I thought. But the Purple Avenger won’t appear in Lawndale publicly.’ She had promised herself that those days were in her past. ‘I will tell Sandi later.’  Even if she disapproved, she could tell that her daughter wanted to help.

 

 

SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon saw that the Shadow was already across the street from the studio when they got there. “I see you had the same idea,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“That mentioning the play is the cause?” the Shadow asked.

 

“Yes,” SpiderGirl answered.

 

“Then we do agree,” the Shadow said. “But the question would be, why?”

 

“We have some ideas,” Ninja Talon said carefully.

 

“So do I,” the Shadow said. But then they saw something. A figure wearing some kind of fishbowl helmet emerged from the studio, carrying someone.

 

SpiderGirl swung into the studio’s parking lot. “Stop right there!”

 

“SpiderGirl! Don’t interfere!”

 

“Stop what you are doing!” Ninja Talon said.

 

The figure ignored her and then opened a manhole cover. He then jumped into it.

 

“We need to follow him!” SpiderGirl decided.

 

“Right behind you,” Ninja Talon said, although she sounded a little uncertain.

 

 

‘A little crazy,’ the Shadow thought. She looked around, but she didn’t see the Enigma or Dafoanairi nearby. ‘Just as well. Not much choice.’ She then followed the figure, SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon through the manhole and into Lawndale’s stormwater system.