***
'Lavender House' turned out to be not some brothel, but an elite gymnasium for girls. That's all taxi driver could say about this institution. He dropped the pair off at the entrance, before the tall lattice fence.
“I see a lot of this kind of fences lately,” Selena muttered. “I wonder if they are there to keep people from getting in, or from coming out?”
“They must be for protecting the residents,” Evanford shrugged. “Though you can't protect yourself from everything with a fence alone.”
“And it seems to me that this is a cage for those who are inside... I can't stand obstacles like that,” Silver looked through the lattice at the three-story building. It did resemble some kind of educational institution, one built long ago.
They approached the security officer's post at the entrance. The girl turned to him:
“Good day to you, sir! From what I've heard, your gimnasium provides excellent education. New school year is just around the corner, and I'm thinking about enrolling my sister into your school. I'd like to learn more about the disciplines you study here, what approach you have to teaching, and about the gimnasium in general. Who can I talk to?”
“We have special days to show visitors around, or you must arrange a meeting in advance,” he glanced at the visitor condescendingly. The girl smiled wryly. He would've probably treat her way more seriously if she would wear a dress and stiletto heels... Well, if she had some magic power of foresight to predict situations like that, she wouldn't have gotten into this mess in the first place.
“Don't judge the book by its cover. I assure you, our family can afford the education here. We don't have an arrangement, but perhaps a recommendation will do? Does the name Cunningham say anything to you?” Silver raised her eyebrow.
Security officer said something into his walkie-talkie and, upon hearing the answer, told to the pair:
“Come in. Someone will meet you at the front door.”
They passed through the gate and went to the building. Looking at his companion with a slight surprise, Kevin asked:
“What's with the manners?”
“I don't know what's gotten into me,” Selena shrugged. “I guess I just intuitively felt that I should play this way... And it worked.”
“Yes, all of us have flashes of shwuggering shmug here and there,” Evanford noted, unruffled as always. The girl laughed and lightly slapped his shoulder. When they approached the entrance, a woman wearing a blouse and a knee-length skirt came out and greeted the visitors:
“Welcome,” she gestured them in. “My name is Anna, I'm a teacher here.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Selena Silver, and this is my friend, Kevin Evanford,” the girl introduced herself.
“Being honest, I haven't heard those names before,” Anna's grey eyes were examining the visitors. “Why have you decided to turn to our school?”
“First of all, it's very prestigeous. Besides, Cunninghams were friends of my family, and used to speak quite favorably about your gimnasium. It happened so that I had my education abroad, but my parents want to enroll my sister here. I fully trust our friends' recommendations, but still decided to come and see for myself what this place is like,” Silver was holding up well, making it seem like conversations in such a tone were natural for her.
Evanford didn't quite understand why she have never mentioned this school before. It's obvious that it's not for the first time that she sees it, or speaks about Cunninghams, for that matter.
“And by the way...” the girl continued. “As far as I recall, their daughter was studying here? Do you know anything about Deborah, what did she do after graduating?”
“She's surely hard to forget,” Anna replied dryly. “We were studying at about the same time, she was a couple of years younger than me, but everyone here knew her. Deborah was ill-tempered even before her parents' death, and after it she became completely unmanageable. She was starting fights with other girls, but always blamed them for picking on her. There was no particular reason, just rebelling for the sake of rebelling itself. She ran off a few times, shoplifted.... Then begged to take her back, and we didn't chase her away out of respect for her parents. And then, she simply never returned, and nobody was eager to find out what happened to her.”
“This is truly sad,” Selena lowered her eyes. “Anyway, I wanted to learn more about the gymnasium. Would you mind showing me around?” she was talking politely but insistently. Anna glanced at her coldly and spoke:
“Hildia Richardstone has founded the Lavender House in 1926. She named it after her favorite flower. Violet was a color she associated with sadness. Tender, like all flowers, and its scent is dispersed as fast as the spirit of aristocracy. Hildia was very concerned that heirs of respected families are driven farther and farther away from their noble roots. In her opinion, the responsibility of passing traditions to other generations lies mostly on women. Mrs.Richardstone decided to found a school where girls would turn into real ladies, choose the right path in life, and later raise their own children properly. Initially it was a small private school that one couldn't just drop into,” Anna looked Selena in the eye. “But in some time they've started to accept not only girls from aristocratic families, but everyone who was willing to pay. The program has also changed,” young woman walked down the corridor, gesturing the visitors to follow her.
Built half a century ago, the building was kept in perfect condition one the inside and the outside. Anna opened one of the doors, showing the class interior – new chairs and desks, well-kept flowers on the walls. Corridor was decorated by paintings drawn in a wide variety of techniques.
“Those are works of our students,” Anna commented. “We highly value the artistic development of the girls. We're studying a broad spectre of disciplines that allow students to express their talents in various fields of art and science. But there is also an intensive physical training. In modern world, anything could happen, so we're giving lessons or first aid, surviving in the forest, self-defence...”
“SE? 'Surviving in the Environment'?” Silver asked quietly.
“Yes. So, you do know something about our education,” sarcasm in her voice was barely noticeable.
Selena turned pale, striken by realization. This couldn't be... She always knew that they had that class, and even employed some things a day ago. But now the girl couldn't remember the teacher's face, or any specific details about the SE class. Was she really studying in this school?..
“Could you please show us the gym?” Silver spoke. Anna looked at her in surprise, but Selena endured her gaze without blinking. The teacher shrugged, nodded and moved further down the corridor.
“Where are the students?” Kevin asked.
“Most of them went to their parents for vacations. Those who left are in the dormitory, in the opposite wing of the building. Would you like to see their rooms, too?” Anna turned to Selena, now openly sarcastic.
“No, thank you,” she couldn't care less about what this lady thought of her – now there were way more pressing issues to be bothered by. “I'd rather ask you if among those paintings on the walls there is one by Mary... I mean, Deborah?”
“Why are you so interested in her?” the teacher wrinkled her nose. “This girl was famous not for her talents. She might've had skills to develop, but all she was busy with was complaining about the way nobody understands her, without ever trying to calm down and create something to be valued and respected for. It seemed that she could rhyme well enough, but nobody saw her poems,” Anna opened the door and they entered the small gym.
It was definitely the place that Selena saw on the screen, just from a different angle. The girl made a few steps, feeling like she was sucked into a TV. Kevin was watching her, baffled – there was less and less logic in his companion's actions. In a few moments Selena surprised him even more – she jumped, gripping the horizontal bar, and left hanging with her eyes closed.
Selena listened to her sensations. There were no mor
e than ten santimeters between her feet and the floor, but the distance was rapidly increasing. A few moments later there was a bottomless pit below. Untrained arms were getting weaker, and the girl gripped the bar tighter. Silver actually felt that she'll fall from the dizzy height if she will let it go... But wasn't afraid of it, on contrary – the abyss was drawing her in. To feel the pleasure of flying, of absolute freedom, and get rid of all problems at the end... Her numb fingers were still holding, but Selena gave in and slowly loosened the grip. Fingers slipped, and the pitch black abyss swallowed her. During this second in the air Selena did feel like she falls from blinding height. Feet touched the floor, and Selena opened her eyes. The illusion was gone.
Anna and Kevin were looking at her with a silent question in their eyes. But the girl couldn't explain whatever just happened even to herself. Vague guesses and memories were swarming in her head. Silver asked:
“Say, do you know if Deborah ever had suicidal tendencies?”
“You do know one representative of Cunningham kin, albeit not the best one by far,” someone spoke. There was a woman standing in the door frame, wearing glasses and business dress, her hair clumped in a tail. Selena felt irritated when looking at her. Nevertheless, it wasn't a personal enemy before her, just a stranger she had nothing to do with. Principal has no right to give orders to the visitors. She can kick them out at most, but Silver already learned enough and might as well leave. This woman had no power over her, and that made Selena feel spiteful satisfaction deep inside. It seems that Mery Wesson manifests herself more and more...
“Good day to you, Ms. Richardstone,” the girl grinned.
“Do I know you?” she frowned.
“In a way,” Selena replied evasively. “Thank you, I've learned everything I needed,” she spoke to both women, bowing slightly. “My personal decision is positive, and I will strongly recommend your school to my parents. This is definitely the place I'd like to see my sister studying in. Have a good day,” she passed by surprised teachers into the corridor and headed towards the exit.
Ms.Richardstone asked Anna something, frowned again and said:
“Excuse me, what is your name?”
“Does 'Mery Wesson' ring any bells?” having nothing more to seek here, Selena already dropped her formal attitude.
“No, but...”
“That's not me,” the girl said calmly. “My name is Selena Silver. We won't bother you any longer, I bet all of us have more important stuff to attend to. Goodbye,” she forced a smile and quickened her steps. Leaving dumbfounded women behind, Kevin and Selena passed by the guard and quickly walked down the street. Not waiting for her companion to start asking questions, the girl spoke:
“I don't know any of those people. In the Pocket I've watched a video where a strict teacher was scolding a disobeying student. Then I saw a picture of that girl in the police station. And the clerk in Obsidian store said that she was his friend and called herself Mary Wesson, after the revolver. Also, he showed her picture and told that it's me! Could you imagine that?” frustration was enveloping her again. “I look nothing like her! Anyway, that guy said that Mary mentioned some 'Lavender House'. So, I decided to check... And now I feel like I was actually studying here... Seems like I am connected to Mary somehow,” Silver winced at that thought.
“Does it shed any light on our story?” Evanford asked.
“I don't know, but that doesn't bring any joy, that's for sure,” Selena replied sullenly.
“By the way, wasn't it hard for you to hang there with your hand broken?”
“Well, if that knife wound didn't keep me from grabbing it...” Silver showed him a completely healed palm. She scratched nearly all blood crust away, so there was almost no mark left from the yesterday's wound. Kevin was astonished:
“How could the cut heal so fast? This is physically impossible...”
“You see it with your own eyes,” Selena waved her hand. “I don't feel any pain... I've never broke bones before, I don't know how long it must take, but you're right, it seems quite fast. It feels like my hand is in good shape already, and that cast only gets in the way.
“You should do an X-ray...”
“Sure, but not now,” she looked Kevin in the eye. “We have to move forward. Now we've got no options left but reading this book... Or... Should we check out what this key does?”
“You're well aware that it's better not to use it,” Evanford shook his head.
“It might turn out to be the lesser evil... We just have to be careful where to stick it into,” she stroke the jagged edge of Any Key. “There's a certain door that you also know pretty well, and there might be something of interest behind it.”